There are many tales of the night that are never told. Tales of unsung heroes, who battled evil in the shadows of the moon until they fell along with the dark forces they strove so hard to defeat, stand shoulder to shoulder with tales of lovers who, unable to display their undying affection for one another in the bright light of the day, had fled to the forgiving darkness of the night so that their love would never be discovered. There are tales of good and evil, of love and hate, of murder, charity, piety and the occasional stint of necromancy that never reach the ears of anypony save those caught in them, and oftentimes the stories and ponies alike simply vanish into the mysterious and often dangerous folds of the night.
Nopony knew this better than the Princess of the Night, the Mistress of Shadows herself- Princess Luna. The night was her domain, after all, and nothing happened within its silken blackness that she was not aware of. Even the dreams of her subjects were not outside of the glowing alicorn’s sphere of influence, and in fact much of the time since she had been brought back from the Moon had seen her efforts focused specifically on the dreams of her subjects. It had, of course, been a calculated move on her part; after all, what better way for the previously disgraced Princess of the Night to ingratiate herself to her subjects without the discomfort of going out and physically making contact with them? It was the perfect plan for the socially awkward Princess, and moreover it was a plan that Celestia supported wholeheartedly… especially after the horribly botched Nightmare Night incident.
Luna had leaped into her new task with the zeal that only she could possess, and in a short span of time her dream-walking had earned her the favor of many of her subjects; she had helped them conquer their fears, given them hope in hopeless situations and sometimes even improved their relationships with those closest to them, all by watching their innermost thoughts whirl by her in a maelstrom that only she could decode and understand. She had become what she had always desired- beloved, not feared; accepted, not outcast; and perhaps most important of all, she had again connected with the ponies that she ruled and come to love them as she once had.
But in doing so, she had discovered something that had stricken her to her very core.
It had taken her a long time to be able to read the fabric of dreams in a complete and comprehensive way, and it was no wonder: dreams were often confusing, fickle and irreparably biased towards whoever was having them. It made decoding them a seemingly impossible task, and perhaps it would have been… for anypony other than the Princess of the Night. In her zealous determination to help she had immersed herself in the dreams of other ponies almost more than she had allowed herself to walk the waking world, and through this constant immersion she had come to understand the subtle, changing language of the dreams… and in doing so she had noticed a horrible, glaring ailment that the majority of her subjects throughout Equestria were suffering from.
It was something she had not been looking for, but something that had shocked her to her core when she had discovered it. Distraught and uncertain as to what she should do, Luna had hurried to her sister for advice on how to remedy and rectify this situation, and true to form Celestia quickly gave her the best council possible as to how to combat the dark and sinister blight upon the ponies of Equestria.
So it was that with a heart full of determination and purpose Luna set out the very next week to ease the suffering of her subjects. It would be an arduous task, and would require no small amount of courage, willpower, and money… but thanks to the blank check that Celestia had given her to the Royal Treasury, Luna knew that she had plenty of all three things she would need.
And a cart. She would also need a cart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The night weighed heavily on Ponyville, as if the very fabric of the starry sky were a blanket draped over the land instead of the wispy ethereal beyond everypony knew it to be. The streetlights in the town were all lit, their pools of light bringing the day-dwelling denizens some comfort against the terror of the night but even those havens seemed smaller than usual, as if the darkness were so thick that it was actually pushing the circles of light back as far as it could. Silence reigned in the fair village, and so absolute was its cloying presence that it felt as if even the loudest noise would simply be absorbed and vanish without a trace. It was the kind of night that simply felt wrong, as if any number of terrible and awful things could happen to a pony who ventured out into it.
It was the kind of night that Princess Luna lived for, and the perfect setting for the initiation of her plan.
In Ponyville’s town square, a single noise rose over the deathly silence that held it captive; a gentle, rhythmic squeaking sound that grew louder and louder in the darkness of the square until a shape emerged from the bountiful night. The shape was a formless blob at first, with only its movement and the metrical squeaking to differentiate it from the rest of the town, and after several agonizing seconds the shape slowly phased out of the miasma of shadows, shifting and coalescing from a different colored blotch on the fabric of the night to a square covered cart. It was small, compact, and made to easily have its enclosed body pushed or pulled along by a single pony on its four small wheels. A shimmering, moving fog embraced the cart as it moved into the town square, a bright white mist that clung to its metal surfaces as if it was the reason that the cart was moving in the first place… and for several long moments after the cart had appeared, it was easy to presume that the mist was indeed propelling the cart along the street.
Then, as if willed from the ethereal beyond and into Equestria by an outside force, a figure appeared behind the phantom cart, a figure that had both its hooves wrapped around the handle protruding from the back end of the metal square on wheels. The gloom of the night seemed to cloak the figure in its forgiving darkness, and as the cart continued on its ominous journey towards the center of the square the figure remained blissfully hidden from view. Slowly the cart squeaked forward, the measured creak of its one whiny wheel growing louder as it echoed off the façades of the buildings in downtown Ponyville, and as it advanced the figure behind it grew clearer and clearer, as if the proximity to the streetlights that decorated the center of the square were forcing the nebulous shape to take on a regular form. Closer and closer to the pool of light the cart pressed, onwards as if it were determined to make the light disappear forever…
…and as the cart pierced the circle of the streetlamp’s domain light glinted off of brilliantly shined metal, bright silver paint and deep blue paint that obviously had sparkles mixed into it. The paint was laid on the side in shapes that were cast into darkness even in the streetlight, but as the figure fell back to all four hooves it reached its front right hoof out and flicked a switch on the side of the cart.
There was a flicker of light along the sides of the cart, and after a moment several strings of lights ignited along the cart’s sides and illuminated not only the previously unseen shapes, but also the very purpose of the cart itself:
Tacos at Midnight, the cart proclaimed in bright, sparkly letters.
The words were surrounded by exquisitely painted blue waves and backed by a bright silver crescent moon, and as the figure who had been pushing the cart stepped into the light from the streetlamp she gave her handiwork a critical once-over before smiling happily.
“That ought to do nicely,” said Princess Luna to herself. “I’m certain that this beautiful design will bring in a great many customers!” She gave a satisfied nod before moving to the back of the cart yet again; her horn lit up with her midnight blue magic, and from the back of the cart levitated a small apron and a visor cap, both crafted with beautiful blue cloth that matched the Princess’ coat perfectly and trimmed with silver. The visor and apron both bore the emblem of her new endeavor proudly upon their bill and front: Luna’s white crescent moon with a taco nestled into its crook, a symbol she had crafted herself after many hours of exhaustive work. With a proud smile the Princess draped the apron over her head and made sure that its strap was settled on her neck and not her mane before pulling it down beneath her front legs, looping the strings up along her sides and tying them neatly behind her back with her magic. Then she settled the visor onto her head, working its band through her luminous mane and ensuring that it allowed her horn to protrude over its top while still sitting correctly upon her brow before turning and examining her reflection in one of the nearby store windows. She turned first to the left, then to the right as she looked herself over, and after a few moments she allowed herself a victorious smile.
“Most becoming,” she said under her breath. “But it’s missing something...” With an expert flick of her horn she withdrew a small black ribbon from the storage area within the cart and whisked it up to her mane; her magic engulfed her mane for a moment, pulling it all together at the back of her head before lassoing it with the ribbon into a perfectly pulled ponytail. Luna gave her reflection a coquettish smile as she tied the ribbon into a bow and allowed her magic to go dark. “There,” she said with nod. “As perfect as anypony could ever desire.” She bounced once on her hooves and, satisfied that her ponytail would bob merrily as she moved, turned back to her cart, her eyes bright.
“And now, for the main event!” Her magic lit up once again and danced across the doors on the top of the cart, the sparkling blue aura pulling back the metal sheets and allowing a rush of steam to burst into the moist night air… and with the steam came an incredible, mouth-watering scent that billowed out and filled Luna’s head as she inhaled eagerly. “Aaaaah, yes,” she muttered in satisfaction. “Everything is exactly as it should be…” Her smile grew excited once more. “…and now to wait.”
She knew it wouldn’t be long; it had taken almost a full week since she’d had the idea, but through ineffable diligence the Princess of the Moon had seeded every one of her dreaming subjects in Ponyville with the subconscious drive to seek out her solution to their problems… a solution that she alone could provide.
And so here she was in Ponyville’s town square with a cart full of tortillas, deep fried oats, beans, an assortment of cheeses and fresh vegetables, and the most exquisite sauce known to pony-kind with one mission in her loving, overzealous heart: free the denizens of Ponyville from their appalling lack of late-night snack food.
The Princess stood next to her cart proudly, her head held high as she waited with barely contained excitement for her very first customer. As the night that she would put her plan into action had approached she had increased the level of desire she’d used to influence the dreams of everypony in Ponyville, slowly but surely bringing their craving for salty, spicy, greasy and delicious snack foods up high enough that by her calculations the dreams they were having should be able to influence their daily lives and routines. She allowed herself a small, confident smile. And if there is one thing I know, it is influencing dreams! It had taken more of her power than she had anticipated to influence the many and varied nighttime imaginings that went on in the heads of every pony in the small town, and some of them had even tried resisting her in their own little ways, but eventually every single pony had succumbed to her superior sense of dream-sculpting. Come to think of it, some of them acted as if they did not want me to bend them to my will against their consent… Her muzzle scrunched as she considered the possibility that some of her subjects may not, in fact, have wanted to have their subconscious minds telepathically dissected and then rearranged as she saw fit, but just as quickly as the ridiculous thought had appeared it vanished into the night around her and her smile returned. Oh, don’t be silly, Luna! Who among these ponies would not be overjoyed to know that their Princess cares so deeply for them? She gave her head a small, humble shake. All in a night’s work for a ruling monarch, she thought with a happy sigh. And after all, Celestia had seemed fine with all of her methods when she had laid out her plan; Luna freely acknowledged that Celestia was better versed on the rights of ponies in modern Equestria than she was, and if her sister had been fine with her subliminal nocturnal conditionings, then what problems could there be?
The sky was cloudy and dark that night, so the moon could not be relied upon to help her tell what time it was, but Luna did not need the moon to know that it was half past one o’clock in the morning- she could feel the tides of the night moving around her, ebbing and flowing as her domain grew more powerful and the night gathered, and as they wove about her she innately knew how much time she had left before the break of day shattered her kingdom once more…
Plus she had a nifty watch that Celestia had given her, and since Ponyville lacked a large standing clock tower that would tell her what time it was she had opted to wear it this night. With a glance at its face, she noted with glee that she was totally right and turned back to face the night with a smile. Any moment now my grateful subjects will find me, seeking solace in their time of desperate need, she thought with glee. I cannot wait to see the looks of happiness on their faces…
True to form, Luna was right; from down one of the long, dark streets that connected town square to everywhere else in town there came a loud noise- the echoing clang! of a trash can being knocked over, followed by silence and the distant hooting of an owl. Luna’s eyes darted towards the sound as she bounced on her hooves in excitement. My first customer! I wonder which of my loving subjects has set out to have the honor of being the first to dine with their Princess…
Another loud noise floated down the street to Luna’s ears, and this time it was a louder, rougher ka-thunk! that sounded to the Princess as if somepony had knocked over a newspaper machine. She blinked, but her smile never wavered. Somepony must be very hungry indeed, to be knocking things over in their hurry to be here, she reflected as an owl hooted again in the distance, more urgently this time. Luna squinted into the darkness at the edges of the square as her ears twitched. That owl is closer now that it was moments ago, she realized. What is going on..? She strained her ears towards the street the noises had come from, her senses on alert for any sign of whatever was knocking things over, and she was not disappointed: through her keen alicorn senses she could hear the shuffling of uneven hoofsteps as they skittered closer and closer to her, hoofsteps that were accompanied by a growling, muttering sound that Luna could not decipher as any kind of language spoken by any of the races that inhabited Equestria.
Luna’s eyes narrowed and she slid her hooves apart into a combat stance as a wagon at the edge of the town square gave a mighty shudder and creaked on its wheels. Something is coming, the Princess thought ominously as the wagon shifted in place, then was dramatically flipped into the air as if it weighed nothing; the wooden vehicle twirled twice through the dark in a silent, almost poetic dance through the sky that a wagon had never been destined to experience. Luna watched it spin through the sky until finally it fell from grace, and the silence that had accompanied its flight was broken like a valuable antique as it smashed into the ground with enough force that it shattered the wagon’s body and sent the wheels careening off into the night. Luna gritted her teeth and spun to face the street that the wagon had come from, her lips peeling back in a snarl. Whatever is attacking Ponyville, the Princess of the Night will deal with this threat! She planted her hooves in determination as she lit up her horn with blazing magic. Nothing will harm this town while I am here!
As the crash of the wagon finally fell silent, Luna could again hear the shuffling, uneven steps as whatever had flipped the vehicle made its way into the town square… and as it moved into one of the outermost streetlights, Luna’s expression faded from one of grim determination to one of utter confusion.
“Twilight… Sparkle?” she muttered in disbelief, her magic dying away.
“Oh my GAWD, who keeps putting shtuff in my WAY?!” said the smaller alicorn loudly as she gestured broadly with her left hoof. “I mean- I- I mean for realsies, this is SO DUMB- I’m jus’ tryin’a get throooooouuuu…” Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and the leader of the Elements of Harmony, moved to brush her wayward mane out of her face with the hoof she had gestured with, and even doing that caused her to stagger on her hooves in a most unstable fashion. After a moment the alicorn looked disgusted and sighed angrily. “Oh sweet Celestria did I just say ‘for realsies’?! Tha! Tha! Tha’s it- no more drinkin’ with… Pinkin’ Pie.”
Princess Luna’s left eye squinted in disbelief even as her right eye widened in the same, and it was all she could do not to run to Twilight and try to exorcise her.
“Twilight Sparkle?” she asked incredulously. The purple alicorn across from her straightened rapidly, as if she hadn’t seen Luna there before she’d spoken- which, if Luna was correct about her assumption as to Twilight’s current state of mind, wasn’t too far from the truth- but as soon as Twilight DID see her, the other Princess’ expression lit up brighter than the lights on Luna’s cart.
“Oh mah gawd, Princess Luna!” Twilight shouted gleefully. “I was jus’ out lookin’ for yew!” The younger alicorn leaped forward, her hooves moving entirely out of tandem with one another as she proceeded to half run, half fall across the town square towards Luna. The Moon Princess winced as she watched her fellow Princess flail wildly, her wings doing their best to counterbalance the ridiculousness that was going on beneath them as her sister’s former protégé skidded, flapped and flopped her way in a strange zigzag pattern that eventually ended next to Luna, where she lost control of her entire body and flopped at the Moon Princess’ hooves in a heap.
“Twilight Sparkle, are you quite all right?” inquired Luna, her voice a mixture of concern and disappointment. To her surprise and dismay, Twilight sat up onto her rump and giggled loudly enough that it echoed off of the buildings around them.
“Of COURSE I am, Lulu!” she slurred. “I- I jus’ came to get TACOS.” Twilight laughed loudly again, and this time Luna’s muzzle scrunched as two very distinct scents wafted from her young friend: the sickly sweet scent of sticky sugary substances, and the acrid acidic aroma of alcohol. “Mmmmmy tummy is empty, y’see,” Twilight continued. Her face became a mask of determination as she gathered her hooves beneath her, her lips pressed together into a comically forceful line. “And… and if my tummy is empty I can’t STUDY, an’ tha’s what I needa do, Princess Lulu!” The Princess gave a grunt of exertion, and after a moment she rose onto her wobbly and unsteady legs yet again, her eyes bright and proud. “Ta-da!” she said, extending her wings happily.
Princess Luna’s teeth ground together. “Please do not call me Princess Lulu,” she muttered.
“Oh, hokay, Lu… LuLUNA!” Twilight giggled hard enough that she staggered to her left, then back to her right at least a full pony-length before she adjusted and wobbled back to stand in front of Luna once again, her face suddenly serious. “But sursly, Lulu- I needs tacos. You-you don’ understand what my night has BEEN like…”
“I would bet that I can guess,” Luna said sardonically, but Twilight plowed on as if she hadn’t heard Luna speak at all. Which is entirely possible…
“I was studyin’ mah friendship books in mah- mah new castle… you saw my castle, right Lulu?” Luna gave a slow nod so that Twilight would see it, and after blinking slowly at the blue alicorn Twilight’s face broke into a broad grin. “Oh GOOD! Oftherwise I’d hafta take you allllll the way ‘cross town t’ see it… ANYWHO, I was studyin’ in my new liberary an’- an’ DRINKIE PIE shows up… wiff-wiff like two big bottles a’ stuff.” Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up in disdain, and Luna took the opportunity to raise her hoof and try to stop Twilight’s tirade, but it was clear that Twilight had completely forgotten she was there. “An’, an’ I said ‘Go home, Pinkie Pie, I hasta study,’ but SHE!” She coughed and when she continued she tried her best to imitate her bouncy pink friend, but to Luna it sounded more like mockery. “But SHE SAID, ‘But Twerlert, ah gots dis new drinkin’ potion’, an’ I said, ‘I dun care, Pinkie Pie, go home!’ But do you think that Pinkie Pie cared that I said-that I said ‘Go home’?” Twilight gestured broadly with a hoof as she blew a raspberry. “OF COURSE NOT!” she shouted again, loud enough that Princess Luna winced.
“Twilight Sparkle, be quiet!” she hissed. “It is very late, after all, and many ponies are trying to sleep! So please, try to-,”
Twilight’s hoof shot out and physically stopped Luna’s words from getting any further, and when Luna tried to glare at her young friend she was surprised by the seriousness that burned in Twilight’s eyes. Twilight shook her head slowly, and when she spoke again her voice was a harsh whisper.
“But Drinkie Pie says- she says ‘But Twerlert, dez drinkin potions, they tastes like CANDY CORN!’ An’ I said, I said ‘You’re fulla shit, Pinkie Pie!’” Twilight’s hoof slowly lowered from Luna’s face, slowly enough that she pulled Luna’s bottom lip down in a most unladylike fashion and when she released it her lip snapped upwards and made a pop noise against her mouth. “But she wasn’ fulla shit, Prinssuss… it rully DID taste like can’y corn!” The younger alicorn sat back on her haunches again, her eyes wide as if she had view a religious miracle. “So- so I had like one or… or seven shots… bu’ THEN I said to Pinkie, I said ‘GO HOME, Pinkie Pie, I gotta study!’ BUT THEN SHE SAYS ‘But Twerlert, dis drinkin potion tastes like COTTON CANDY.’” Twilight pointed a hoof accusingly at Luna, and when she spoke again her voice was the barest whisper. “An’ I said ‘You’re fulla shit, Pinkie Pie!’ but she WASN’ FULLA SHIT, PRINCESS…”
Luna stared at Twilight, her mouth agape in disbelief. Who knew that Twilight Sparkle was such a lush?
The younger Princess gave her mane a toss, and it was only due to the fact that she was sitting firmly on her rump that she did not go toppling onto the ground. “An’ so I drank, like… a lot more shots, an’ then- an’ then I thought ‘You know wha’ would be GREAT, Twerlert? TACOS.’” She made a sweeping gesture with her hoof and grinned lopsidedly at Luna. “An’ here I is! For TACOS!” she proclaimed loudly as she threw her hooves wide, and if it hadn’t been for Princess Luna’s quick use of her magic Twilight would have toppled backwards onto the cold stone of the square. Luna sighed as she pulled her friend back upright, ensuring that she was stable before releasing Twilight from her magical grip.
“Twilight Sparkle,” she said in her most matronly tone. “I am appalled by this behavior, and quite frankly I am surprised at you. I’m not certain that I can let you walk home by yourself, much less condone giving you-,” Suddenly Twilight was on her hooves again, and her face was scrunched into the most indignant frown that Luna had ever seen- and that was saying something, considering that she grew up with Celestia.
“Don’ you judge me, Princess Lu-Luna,” the smaller alicorn barked. “I don’ wanna lesson, I jus’ wan’ TACOS! I NEED ‘em, an’ you HAVE ‘em!” Twilight’s magic burst to life, and after a moment a whole wave of bits poured over Luna’s small taco cart, enough that some of them spilled over onto the ground. “I have bits, YOU have TACOS- le’s make this happen!” Luna blinked at the glinting gold of the money, her mouth agape.
“But… Twilight, I’m not actually charging anything for these… I just wanted to-,”
“SHADDAP AN’ TAKE MY MONIES!!” Twilight demanded loudly, her eyes burning with chili powder fire. “TAKE MY MONIES AN’ GIMME TACOS, OR I’LL TELL ERRYPONY ‘BOUT DAT TIME I CAUGHT YOU STARIN’ AT CADENCE’S BUTT!!”
Princess Luna stared at Twilight for a moment longer before she turned and lit up her cart with her magic. The process of making tacos was quick and easy if you had magic, and in a matter of minutes Luna had made precisely fifty-three tacos, the amount that Twilight had paid for. Luna conjured a bag and tied it securely, ensuring that all of the tacos would be safe as she levitated the large pack and settled it gently on to Twilight’s back between her wings.
“There you are, Twilight,” she said quietly. “I hope you enjoy them.”
“Fank you, Princess Lulu,” Twilight slurred politely. “I am sure that I will… an’ I know that DRINKIE PIE will, too.” Without further ado Princess Twilight Sparkle turned and hurried off down the street, weaving and wobbling her way off into the shadows as she levitated a taco to her mouth and began to eat noisily. “Oh mah gawd, these are DELICIOUS!” she shouted at the night. “LUNA MAKES THE BEST TACOOOOOOOOOSSS!” The cry echoed into the night, and as Luna looked up to the moon she saw the unmistakable silhouette of Twilight’s pet owl leap off a nearby building and fly after his mistress.
Luna gave her head a shake as she turned her eyes back to the street Twilight had departed down, wincing mightily as another large crash resounded from that direction.
“This… is going to be a strange occupation,” she observed quietly as Twilight’s curses echoed off the buildings. But she knew inside that this would not deter her. If anything, her encounter with Twilight had validated her concerns…
…and she knew in her heart that wherever there was hunger for justice, she would be there. Wherever ponies desired freedom, she would be there…
…and wherever ponies longed for late-night snacks, there would always be Tacos at Midnight.
Author's Note
This story was born out of a flippant comment that my 14 year old son made when we were talking about MLP and the variety of stories that I am writing/have written based on it. It was very, VERY late, and he, my 9 year old son and I were sitting around just having a good time, and out of nowhere he blurts "You should write a story called 'Tacos at Midnight'!" I simply arched an eyebrow at him and said, "I totally could, you know." And here it is!
I really hope you enjoy it, and this is intentionally left Incomplete because I will probably add chapters with the various other members of the Mane 6, denizens of Ponyville, etc. as the ideas come to me!
“My first night out was quite a success, sister.” Luna’s voice echoed in the enormous hall in Canterlot Castle, despite her attempts to keep it from doing so. It didn’t seem to matter how softly she tried to speak- Luna’s voice always echoed in the throne room, and quite frankly she was starting to become quite self-conscious about it. She let out a silent sigh and continued on, her ears drooping minutely as the echoing refused to relent. “I served no less than two dozen ponies throughout the night, and your former student was the first... though I must say that I’m worried about Twilight Sparkle, sister.” Luna frowned, her brow crinkling deeply as she gave her head a shake. “After witnessing her in such a state last night, I-,”
From the front of the throne room near one of the windows the other princess of Equestria, Princess Celestia, made a dismissive noise in her throat and waved a hoof towards Luna.
“Oh Luna, don’t you worry about Twilight,” she said, her voice as warm and soothing as the sunlight she so accurately represented. “She’s just a young mare, experimenting with new things in life along with her friends. It’s perfectly natural and normal.” The Sun Princess turned her luminous violet eyes to Luna and offered the Moon Princess a knowing smile that made Luna shift uncomfortably. “As I recall, she’s not the only young Equestrian princess to experiment with things…”
Princess Luna blushed deeply, yet even so she managed to huff in a rather convincing display of indignation. “That was a long time ago, Celestia, and Equestria has changed quite a lot since then. For your protégé to be parading around at all hours of the night in a state of such drunkenness is disgraceful, shameful-,”
“Yes, it is,” said Celestia as she turned away from the window, the long red cape she was wearing billowing around her as she moved to face her sister more squarely. She arched an eyebrow at Luna, and when she spoke it was through pursed lips and a knowing smile. “It’s almost as if she was your protégé instead, isn’t it?”
Luna’s mouth dropped open so far that she was certain she felt it hit her hooves. “C-CELESTIA!” she gasped as anger, shame and the horrible sensation that Celestia was absolutely right welled up inside her like magma in a volcano, waiting to be spat at her mouthy and altogether intolerable older sibling; before she could do so, however, Celestia’s musical laughter washed over her and forestalled her angry outburst.
“Oh Luna, calm down,” she said between giggles. “As you said, it was a long time ago- and as you recall, I was oftentimes the catalyst for your own experimentations, was I not?” The Princess of the Night felt her muzzle scrunch tightly as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but after a moment she managed to nod in agreement and Celestia gave her a gracious nod in return. “Yes, I was. I freely admit that I was a bit… less controlled in my actions when I was younger, and I have long ago accepted that such things are not only a folly of youth, but a necessity of it.” She gestured dismissively with her hoof, the red cape that sat across her shoulders waving dramatically as she did so. “As long as Twilight isn’t blowing up half of Ponyville in a drunken teleportation experiment, I think we can leave her be.”
“Well… when you put it that way… I suppose we can.” Luna snorted and shook her head. “But I still worry about her, as I’m certain you worried about me, or about Cadence, and…” Her words trailed off as she brought her eyes back to Celestia, who had stepped towards her and into a shaft of light from the setting sun outside. “…what in Equestria are you wearing?” she asked incredulously as she stared openly at the frayed red cape that her sister had donned.
“Oh, I’m so glad you finally noticed!” The tall white alicorn grinned broadly as she stepped fully into the sunbeam and spun deftly on her hooves, allowing the cape to flutter and billow in the air around her; it was tattered along the edges, ripped and torn as if it had been through a hundred years of war, and bore a strange insignia on the back of it that Luna did not recognize. “I made it myself,” the Sun Princess said, the pride in her voice obvious as she completed her turn and gave Luna a bright smile. “I had to have the insignia custom-made, but I think it turned out rather well, don’t you?”
“…it looks like you allowed your phoenix to nest inside it for a few seasons, then tied it around your neck,” Luna said flatly, her eyes narrow and her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Perfect, then!”
“I… I’m not certain that I understand what’s going on, sister. WHY are you wearing that… thing?”
Princess Celestia rolled her eyes, but her happy smile stayed firmly in place nonetheless. “I forget that you’re not as intimately invested in finding a pastime as I am, Luna… please, forgive me. I’m afraid that being here alone for 1,000 years has made my desire to find a hobby that I enjoy a rather pressing matter, and even now that you’ve returned I’ve found that I still enjoy picking up new hobbies and trying all of the new ‘latest crazes’ that the young mares and stallions get into.” She reached a hoof up and tugged at the corner of the cape’s high collar and dual golden clasps. “This is something that they’re calling ‘cosplay’, and it’s quite popular right now.”
Luna’s flat stare remained unchanged. “Cosplaying?”
“Costume playing, if you’d rather call it that,” Celestia clarified.
“So you are… dressed as somepony else?”
“Yes.”
“And… who are you supposed to be?” Luna pressed. Celestia’s horn lit up, and from behind her back floated a pair of very wide, very pointy orange sunglasses that she levitated up and over her head until they sat squarely on her nose.
“Who the hell do you think I am?” she whispered gleefully, her eyes sparkling with mirth. Luna stared at her for a long moment then turned away from Celestia with a shake of her head.
“Never mind… I’m going to return to Ponyville and see if I can sell some more tacos.” The Moon Princess hurried from the throne room, her thoughts quickly turning from her unusually dressed sister to her waiting taco cart. Tonight is a new night, Luna, she told herself confidently. Who knows what adventures it will bring?
As Luna closed the doors behind her, Celestia hurried to the window and allowed the evening breeze to billow the tattered cape dramatically behind her, the setting sun glinting brightly across the pointed shades.
“Go, Luna!” she shouted into the twilight. “Your cart is the cart that will pierce the heavens! Believe in the Celestia that believes in you!!!” From outside the door came a very loud, very aggravated groan and Celestia laughed loudly. “Nailed it,” she whispered, pumping a hoof into the air.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The night was clear and calm as Luna once again pushed her taco cart through Ponyville, the wheels squeaking gently as her rear hooves clopped along the road at a sedate, measured pace. She was in no hurry, of course, and had chosen to walk this night instead of standing in town square to see if it would, perhaps, net her a wider sample of Ponyville’s population; after all, that dream conditioning she had done would not wear off quickly, and if they weren’t thinking about tacos constantly then surely the smell of Luna’s personal recipe would bring that subliminal messaging roaring to the surface. The Princess smiled happily as she came to the end of the street she had been walking on and turned to her left, arcing around one of the outermost neighborhoods in the village. Who would have thought that I, the Princess of the Night, would be able to simply walk among the villages of the land and offer them the benefits of my long years of training? she thought as her eyes searched the night, eagerly awaiting her hungry subjects. It’s something that would have been unheard of a thousand years ago… but today it is considered a perfect way for me to meet and mingle with my subjects. What a strange time it is to be of royal blood…
As strange of a time period as it was, Luna felt a comfort deep in her heart as she turned her cart and started up the next street in the neighborhood, the steam from her perfectly heated ingredients rising from the doors that covered the food into the cool night air. I never knew that my culinary skills would be appreciated as they have been... and it is a wonderful feeling.
She smiled broadly into the night as she passed beneath a street light, her desire to be needed quickly outweighing the obvious moral implications of silently and clandestinely coercing her subjects to need the very thing that made her needed. All’s well that ends well, as the saying goes!
The night was clear, and the moon was high in the inky blackness of the sky as Luna moved towards the end of the street, her ponytail swishing merrily as she and the cart passed the last house in the row and entered one of Ponyville’s many parks. The Moon Princess paused in her nightly crusade and allowed herself a moment to take a deep breath and smell the scents of the night; the wet, crisp scent of dew slowly forming on grass and leaf alike, the earthen, musky scent of wet, exposed dirt… it was poetry to Luna’s nose. The nighttime truly is the most vivid time for the senses other than sight, she reflected as she closed her eyes eagerly. As she did so the sounds of the night leaped out at her, and it was all Luna could do to keep from gasping at the loveliness of it all. All around her she could hear the melodious sounds of crickets chirping in the short grass, the wind whispering through the leaves on the trees, and from somewhere to her left she heard the unmistakable sound of bats flapping and squeaking as they hunted.
The sounds of the night’s most representative denizens going about their nocturnal business made the Princess’ lip curve into a loving smile, and after listening to the mysterious noises of the bats for several heartbeats the alicorn opened her eyes.
“Guardians of the night,” she whispered fondly as she turned towards the sounds. “Watch over your mistress’s domain well…” She had always been particularly affectionate towards bats, creatures that had, being the symbolic of the night itself, piqued her interest as a filly and held a place in her heart ever since. She had even had a pet bat once upon a time named Mille Feuille, but he had passed away even before her banishment as Nightmare Moon. The memory of the funny, unusually expressive bat who had been her only companion in some of her darkest days brought a sad edge to her smile, and after a moment she turned away from her cart and walked towards where the sounds of the bats were loudest. Her eyes darted to and fro as she scanned the darkness for the creatures she loved, her ears perked expectantly. “Come out, dear friends,” she called softly into the shadows, “come out and speak the news of the night to your Princess.” Her hooves rustled softly through the damp grass at the edge of the square as the alicorn reached the area where the noises were loudest and stopped, her ears twitching as she listened to the leathery wings flittering unseen about her. It was once tradition for bats to share their knowledge of the shadows with me… perhaps they still remember the ancient pact.
At that moment, however, something changed around Luna; the flapping sounds of the bats suddenly ceased, plunging that corner of the small park into an eerie silence that seemed to want nothing more than to reach out and wrap the alicorn in its inky blackness. Luna’s eyes narrowed into the darkness ahead of her, and after a pair of tense heartbeats another sound reached her ears- the sound of hooves making their way tentatively across the grass towards her. But that sound is coming from the same place that the bats were making their noise, she thought as her brow furrowed. And that means…
Slowly from out of the darkness a pony took shape, but it was different from the silhouette of a normal pony. The shape’s ears were longer, more pointed than a normal pony’s would have been, and when the unseen equine’s wings fluttered in hesitation it was not the ruffling of feathers that greeted Luna’s ears, but instead it was the subtle rustling of delicate membranes that reached out to the Princess of the Night. The combination meant only one thing to Luna, and in spite of the surprise she felt herself relax.
Bat ponies weren’t exactly commonplace in Equestria, nor had they ever been a common sight to most of the citizens of the fair country; Luna, however, viewed them not as oddities or even as soldiers but as children of the night, destined to hold her realm against all who would exploit its darkness for their own wicked deeds- and as the very embodiment of the moon and the night, Princess Luna claimed each of the bat ponies as her children. As the shadow of the bat pony before her grew clearer her mind flashed to a time a thousand and more years ago when she had assisted in the creation of the first bat ponies... and with a sigh she pushed the memories back into the shadows where they belonged, her heart aching with remorse as she did her best to smile for the pony before her.
“Come forth from the shadows, my child,” she encouraged with a gentle smile, holding her hoof out towards the other pony. “You needn’t fear your Princess.” It’s true, I’m not wearing my regalia… she thought with an inward wince. A visor and apron don’t exactly exude authority… She let out an inaudible sigh and opened her mouth to reassure the bat pony that she was indeed who she said she was, but before she could do so a soft, uncertain voice reached her ears.
“Um… I don’t think you’re my mother, Princess Luna…”
The gentle, hesitant words brought a confused frown to Luna’s countenance, and after a moment she lowered her hoof. I know that voice…
“Fluttershy?” she asked tentatively into the dark. The shadow, still remaining just far enough away from the moonlight to remain hidden, bobbed its head in affirmation.
“Y-yes, Princess- it’s me.”
“Oh… Fluttershy, what a pleasant surprise!” Even as a genuine smile spread across Luna’s face, she felt a pang of disappointment deep inside her heart so sharp that it felt as though somepony had punched her in the chest. “I… I apologize for my earlier words, Fluttershy. I thought perhaps… well, I heard bats around this area, so I thought… Well, never mind what I thought.” Luna gave her head a small shake and cocked her head to the side curiously. “What are you doing out so late, dear Fluttershy? I had always thought you were more of an early riser than a night owl.”
The shadow’s head bobbed again, but when she spoke again Fluttershy’s voice was laden with trepidation. “N-normally I am, Your Highness, but… s-something’s wrong with me, a-and it’s making it very hard to get a good night’s rest…” The unhappiness that clung to Fluttershy’s words like a heavy mist caused Luna’s ears to perk straight up, her wings rustling anxiously as she raised a hoof to her chest.
“Is something wrong, Fluttershy? Pray tell, what is bothering you? Is it perhaps something that I can help with?” The Lunar Princess took a step towards the shadow, but to her surprise Fluttershy’s silhouette gave its head a vigorous shake and took a step backwards away from her.
“N-no! No, please, I… I don’t’ want anypony to see me like… like this…”
Luna blinked at the silhouette. See her like… what? As far as she recalled, Fluttershy was a very normal young Pegasus with no physical abnormalities or deformities, and therefore nothing to be ashamed of showing to another pony. But I cannot deny what I saw earlier… perhaps it was simply a trick of my mind? The alicorn squinted at the shadow of the younger mare, her lips compressing into a thin line as she peered into the darkness. The lights of the street behind Fluttershy gave off just enough light for Luna to see the details of her once again… and again, she was certain that she saw something unusual about her friend’s ears. What in the name of the Moon is going on here...?
“Fluttershy,” Luna said gently as she straightened her neck and stood tall. “I would ask that you step towards me, into the moonlight.” Fluttershy’s shadow jerked in surprise.
“Wh-what?! N-no, Princess, I can’t do that, I-,”
“You shall, Fluttershy- unless you can explain the sounds of bat wings I heard earlier.” Luna’s eyes narrowed. “A sound that I heard coming from this very spot, I might add. So unless you can explain what happened to the bats I heard, you shall reveal yourself to me... and you shall do it now.” Luna knew that she sounded harsh, commanding and imperious, but it was, after all, what the Moon Princess did best. She also knew that many ponies did not respond well to being commanded unless they were properly trained military ponies, but she was doing what she had heard Celestia refer to as “playing a hunch”. Of course, at the time Celestia had been playing poker against Princess Cadence, but Luna believed the theory could be applied to this situation as well. After all, it had worked for Celestia, and Cadence had learned a very valuable lesson about betting. I believe she still has the maid costume, come to think of it. I hope Shining Armor doesn’t mind.
As luck would have it, Luna’s hunch played out. After several tense moments when Luna could all but hear Fluttershy arguing with herself, the other mare took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight. As she did Luna’s eyes widened, and it was all she could do to keep from uttering some very un-Princess-like phrases she had learned when she was younger.
There was not a doubt in Luna’s mind that it was truly Fluttershy who stood before her, but the mare had been changed so greatly that she was almost unrecognizable. Her ears were pointed and fluffy in proper bat pony style, her wings had changed from her soft yellow feathers to leathery yellow flesh, and even the yellow and pink of her coat and mane had been dulled to better blend in with the dark of the night. She allowed her disheveled pink mane to hide her eyes for several moments, but finally she raised her gaze to meet that of Luna, her bright eyes sparkling with unshed tears that only served to illuminate the slits of her pupils. The Princess of the Night felt her mouth drop open, yet even so she could not force any words to come out; they simply piled up on her tongue, each struggling to be said but all of them unable to make it past her teeth. Before her, Fluttershy wilted until her chin almost touched the damp grass of the park.
“There… I… I’m a monster,” she muttered sullenly. “I don’t know why I’m showing myself to you like this… b-but it’s like I couldn’t say no…”
“You couldn’t,” Luna said finally. She gave her head a firm shake and turned a bright smile on Fluttershy. “I command bats and the bat ponies with authority that is unquestionable and undeniable- so you literally could not disobey me.” She giggled happily. “What good luck that you’re enough actual bat that it worked!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock, but Luna danced on her hooves in elation. “This is incredible, Fluttershy! Why, you…” She turned her gaze to Fluttershy’s ears, and after a moment she frowned. “Well, you’re not quite the same as my bat ponies, are you…?” She took a step forward and closed the distance between the two ponies, her hoof reaching out and prodding one of Fluttershy’s ears delicately. The younger mare winced and squeaked, but she did not move- a testament to Luna’s authority over her. The Princess of the Night touched the tufted ears of her subject gently, then moved back and pulled Fluttershy’s right wing open with her magic. Again the younger mare squeaked, but she did not try to pull her wing away as Luna examined her thoroughly. Finally, Luna felt she was satisfied and allowed Fluttershy to pull her wing closed. “Hmmm… you’re a bat pony, certainly, but you’re not a bat pony as I created them… what happened to you, Fluttershy?”
The shy mare squeaked and winced in shame, but after a moment she gathered herself together; she stood up straight, took a deep breath, and allowed her gaze to meet the Princess’s own before speaking, and even though her voice quavered regularly Luna had to admit that bat pony pride looked good on Fluttershy. The smaller pony quickly recounted the events at Sweet Apple Acres that had led to her absorbing the very nature of the vampire fruit bats they had sought to expunge from the orchard, sparing no details as she recalled them- including the magic that Twilight Sparkle had used against the bats.
“…and after that the spell was broken and I stopped being a bat,” Fluttershy concluded, but after a moment her fluffy ears drooped and she sniffled. “At least… I did for a while…”
“Fascinating,” Luna whispered as she circled the other mare, her eyes absorbing every detail of her young friend. “A magical transference of the very essence of a bat into another creature, allowing not only mental but physical transformation… brilliant, Twilight Sparkle, absolutely brilliant…” She allowed herself an indignant snort. “So much easier than the way I accomplished it… I’ll admit myself jealous of her methods…”
Fluttershy’s head jerked up and she gazed at the Princess with wide eyes. “W-what do you mean, ‘the way you accomplished it’..?” she whispered hoarsely.
“Oh, never mind that, Fluttershy- it was a very long time ago.” Luna waved a hoof dismissively. “It’s nothing you need to worry yourself about.” Not to mention it would be a little awkward to explain… “But you mentioned that Twilight cured you, correct?”
Fluttershy nodded slowly, but her eyes watched Luna warily. “Yes Princess… I didn’t transform again until… until about a week ago.” Her ears twitched sharply. “Then… I don’t know how to describe it… As soon as the sun sets, this happens to me…” She unfurled her wings and gave them a flap, her eyes sad. “But I don’t know why.”
The Princess’s brow furrowed in thought as she moved to stand in front of Fluttershy once more, her ponytail swishing importantly as she pondered. “One week ago… let me think. Was there any kind of unique atmospheric or astrological phenomena on the day that you transformed?”
“N-not that I can remember, Princess…”
“And did you eat anything unusual that day?”
“Um… how unusual, Princess?”
“ANYTHING unusual at all, but particularly any red things: beets, pomegranates, the blood of other ponies?”
“No, I don’t think- the what?!”
“Hmm, I’ll take that as a no…” The Princess sighed. “Fluttershy, you are not a regular bat pony- you are a vampire bat pony, a breed altogether different from the bat ponies who bolster the ranks of my Night Guard.” She turned and fixed Fluttershy with a stern gaze. “Vampire bat ponies are always driven by a need, Fluttershy, a deep, unquenchable thirst for something, and you are no different.”
“L-like with the apple juice?” Fluttershy offered tentatively.
“Precisely, Fluttershy. So tell me, what is it that you are craving?” Luna leaned forward, her eyes narrowing pointedly as she inched closer to her friend. “This transformation lay dormant because you did not need something with your entire being, but that has changed and therefore so has your body. This need is something that will be rooted deep into your mind, so deep you may not consciously know it until you see it, but still undeniably part of your subconscious.” Luna took a step closer to Fluttershy, her eyes firm. “THINK, Fluttershy- did you feed on one of your friends a week ago?”
Fluttershy’s eyes welled up with tears, and after a moment she flopped herself down onto the ground and wrapped her leathery wings around herself protectively. “I don’t KNOW!!” she sobbed into the grass. “I… I don’t remember anything but waking up late at night and looking like THIS! I… I just don’t want to be a MONSTER ANYMORE!!” The younger mare buried her muzzle in her hooves and cried loudly in the night, her sobs echoing off of the nearby buildings as her sorrow poured out beneath the stars.
Luna sighed and straightened, her lips drawn into a tight line. Well, I suppose that may have been a bit more direct than necessary, she admitted to herself. But she’s telling the truth, and from my knowledge of vampire ponies, amnesia isn’t a side effect of their feeding process- so I’m going to have to assume she’s not a threat to other ponies. She gazed down at her friend sobbing on the grass and sighed lightly. Wonderful, Luna. Depress the poor filly with your talk of feeding on others… perfect.
“Fluttershy…” she began gently, but for the second time that night her words refused to leave her open mouth. What do I say? She thought after a moment. I’ve just implied that she may be a blood-sucking creature of the night… what does one do to recover from such a thing? She thought hard for several moments until finally she said the only thing that she could think of:
“Fluttershy, would you like a taco?”
In a heartbeat Fluttershy’s crying ceased, and in one swift motion the other pony sat bolt upright on the grass, her eyes burning with need and desire.
“…did you say… tacos?” she hissed into the silence, the moon dancing in her eyes.
Luna froze, and as she watched Fluttershy she felt a horrible twisting sensation in her stomach. Oooooooh… oh dear… oh my… dammit…
“Y-yes, I did, Fluttershy,” she stuttered finally, giving her head a shake before turning and facing the cart. “I have plenty of tacos right over there, at my cart. Would you care for one?” There was no coherent response from Fluttershy- only a loud hiss and the flap of leathery wings that turned into a whoosh of air that passed the Princess at such high speed that it tossed her ponytail over her face and spun her apron halfway around her torso. The Princess grumbled as she raised a hoof, straightening first her mane and then her apron before turning back to the cart where Fluttershy stood, her nose pressed against the warm metal of the lids as she perched atop it. With a sigh that felt guiltier than it sounded, Princess Luna swallowed audibly before hurrying to the cart.
“Here, stand back please,” she said, extending a wing to shoo the Flutter-bat off of her cart. Fluttershy turned and hissed at her, the fangs that adorned her front row of teeth glittering in the moonlight, but unfortunately for her Luna was not a stranger to fangs; the Princess of the Night felt her muzzle scrunch as she gave Fluttershy her most authoritative glare. “You will STAND BACK!” she ordered, the last two words echoing loudly around the park. Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and in a heartbeat she was seated next to the cart at a respectful distance, her sizeable ears flattened against her head. The Princess gave her one last warning look before her magic ignited and she set about assembling tacos.
Oats, cheese, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and then a delicious sauce of Luna’s own creation went into a freshly made flour tortilla two, three, four times before the Princess was done, and after she had made four of her delectable creations she levitated three into a small bag… and one directly to Fluttershy, who’s eyes widened until Luna felt they may pop out of her head. The taco hovered before the young mare, who sat staring at it like a puppy who had been ordered not to eat her treat until directed to do so, and after a moment Luna sighed again.
“Eat, Fluttershy,” she commanded, and as soon as the words left her lips Fluttershy leaped into action, tackling the taco out of the air and rolling with it onto the ground. Luna gave her head a mournful shake and closed the doors on her cart as the sounds of sucking filled the park. For her part, Luna simply held the bag with the other tacos in her magic as she stared up at the sky, her expression almost disinterested as the sucking turned to munching, and then inevitably lapsed into silence.
After several minutes of silence, Luna turned back to where Fluttershy had landed and smiled. “Feel better?”
Up from the grass stood Fluttershy, now looking completely normal with the exception of a few stray blades of grass sticking out from her mane. The Pegasus wiped a hoof across her mouth, clearing it of any excess sauce that may have staked a claim there before turning back to the Princess and offering her a grateful smile.
“Yes I do, Princess… better than I’ve felt in a week!” Fluttershy extended her left wing so that she could see it, and when it became obvious that her feathers had returned she gave Luna a broad, happy smile. “I’m back to normal! Oh Princess, how did you do that?! Were… were those magical tacos?” Luna snorted loudly but shook her head.
“Oh no, not magical… I haven’t made magical tacos in a very, VERY long time…. Not since Hoofstock.”
“Since… when?”
“Never mind, Fluttershy.” Luna twitched her horn and sent the tacos sailing over to the yellow mare, who grasped the bag with her wing as Luna released it from her magic. “Here, I’m going to give you three more. Enjoy!”
“Oh thank you, Princess!” Fluttershy gushed happily. “I can’t believe that fixed my problem… but…” Her frown returned, and she gave the Princess a worried look. “But what do I do if it happens again..? Or… or will it happen again, Princess?”
“It may happen again, Fluttershy,” she said with a solemn nod. “But if it does, all you need to do is find me.” She gestured to the moon with her hoof, her ponytail and apron strings flaring brilliantly in the light of the heavenly body. “If the bat rears its head again, dear Fluttershy, do not be afraid- for you and for all like you, there will be Tacos at Midnight!” Luna dropped her hoof back to her side and gave Fluttershy a sheepish glance. “Now… off with you, Fluttershy! Go home and get your rest!”
“I… I will! Thank you, Princess!” The Pegasus dipped a quick bow to the alicorn before turning and darting off down the street, her gait quick and light… and as she vanished into the night, Luna’s ears flattened against her mane as she inhaled sharply through her teeth.
“That was… unexpected… but easily remedied, so there’s no harm… I think.” She allowed herself a glance at the moon. “All’s well that ends well… right?”
Maybe this plan needs some re-thinking…
