Life of a Queen

Blue sprawled out across his seat, resting his head on the armrest. Even as exhausted as he felt, the solid oak seat hardly functioned as a bed. Or perhaps the issue lay with the constant bumps that rattled the train car. Or, if he were being particularly cynical, it could be both.

With sleep unlikely, he didn’t bother to close his eyes. Instead, he stared thoughtlessly at the ceiling, eyes trailing along the gaps between the planks. Beneath him, he could hear the wheels roar as the train thundered through the rainy night.

As if the train itself could sense his spite, it shuddered. The resulting force sent Blue sprawling from his seat, landing muzzle-first on the floor. He grumbled beneath his breath, muttering all sorts of obscenities while praying the train might somehow understand him.

“Are you alright?” A gentle voice asked.

He reared his head back from the filthy carpet to see a pair of hooves blocking his sight. Spurred on by the appearance of another pony, he rose, coming face-to-face with a snow-white mare.

“You didn’t hurt your head or anything, did you?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.

Her words finally snapped Blue from his sour mood. He scrambled back into his seat.

“What? No. I’m fine,” he explained, wiping dirt from a tuft of fur on his chest.

She hid her smile behind a hoof.

“I see. Do you mind?” She motioned to the empty seat across from him.

“Nope.” He shrank back as far as he could into his seat. “Go right ahead.”

While she settled in, he tried not to notice every other empty bench in the compartment. She tossed her hat onto the seat, revealing a horn and a curly purple mane. A mystical blue aura lifted her bag onto the seat beside her as she sat down with a long sigh.

“You know, it’s rare to see another traveler out and about this late. Usually these midnight trains are quite boring.” As she spoke, she studied the stallion sitting across from her.

Blue chuckled nervously.

“Yeah. That’s usually why I take them. Not the biggest fan of crowds,” he said, pulling his cloak tight about his shoulders.

To his surprise, the mare laughed.

“Interesting. I have a friend who might agree with you on that. Of course, I’m not really sure how she would feel about sitting alone in the dark for a few hours. But I suppose that wouldn’t really bother a thestral, would it?”

Blue tensed for a moment.

“Is something the matter? I didn’t offend you, did I?” the unicorn wondered worriedly.

“No.” He shook his head. “Just a bit surprised is all. Most ponies don’t make that revelation as . . . calmly as you did.”

“Well, those ponies are rude, then.” She punctuated her sentence with a satisfied huff before adding: “And speaking of rude, I don’t believe I even introduced myself.”

She took a second to straighten her mane before outstretching a hoof.

“You can call me Rarity.”

“Rarity? The seamstress?” Blue asked, shaking her hoof.

The unicorn beamed proudly.

“The one and only. You’re familiar with my work?”

“I think every pony in Canterlot is familiar with your work. Your boutique is pretty popular.”

“You flatter me.” She chuckled. “I take it you live in Canterlot, then?”

“I used to.”

“Used to? Did something happen?”

Blue ran a hoof through his silvered mane.

“It’s kind of a long story. No offense.”

“None taken. I should be the one apologizing, really. I don’t mean to pry.”

In the moments of silence that followed their exchange, Blue found his gaze drawn constantly to the rain-streaked windows of the car. Outside, fields of grass flowed like waves beneath the gale, cresting with stripes of moonlight reflecting off the blades. His hoof moved toward his saddlebag, caressing the package entombed within.

“I’m not overstaying my welcome, am I?”

Blue wrenched himself from his thoughts.

“Huh?”

“You said you weren’t a fan of chatty strangers. And here I am. Being a chatty stranger. I swear that I’m usually much better at this.”

“The name’s Blue Requiem,” he said, grinning. “There. Now we’re no longer strangers.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant-”

“It’s pretty clear I won’t be actually catching up on sleep if this train has anything to say about it. And in a stroke of pure genius, I forgot to bring anything to entertain myself. So if you’re not going to chat with me, then I’m just going to have to sit here bored the rest of the trip.”

“You make a valid point,” Rarity relented. “Well, if you’re so eager for my company, then I suppose I could entertain you a little longer.”

“See? Now you’re getting it.”

The two of them chuckled.

“Well, then, Mister Blue, do you mind if I ask what brings you out to our friendly little Ponyville?”

He shrugged.

“Honestly?”

“If you’re so inclined?”

“I’m looking for something.”

“Well, I’ve lived in Ponyville most of my life. Whatever you’re looking for, I’m sure I can at least point you to a pony that knows how to find it.”

Blue returned his gaze toward the countryside.

“I don’t doubt it. Problem is, I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for.”

“Oh. I guess that does complicate things a bit.” Rarity tapped her chin. “Why Ponyville, then?”

“That circles back to that long story I mentioned earlier.”

“Well, we’ve got a bit of time until we arrive at the station. How about a short version?”

“I don’t know if there’s enough time in the world to explain it. Suffice to say, an old friend told me to find Princess Twilight. So, here I am.”

“You’re quite the mysterious one, aren’t you, Blue?”

“I do my best.”

Rarity fell silent. Her gaze switched constantly between Blue and the rest of the world. She chewed the edge of her hoof as she struggled to reach a consensus. The train’s whistle ripped through the quiet, forcing her into action as their journey reached its conclusion.

“Tell me this, at least.” She slipped a lock of her mane out of her eye. “Do you plan on staying in Ponyville for long?”

“If everything goes according to plan,” he explained through a smirk. “Why do you ask?”

Rather than offer an explanation, the mare withdrew her bag from beneath the seat. Out of one of the smaller compartments, she plucked a pen and a thin strip of paper.

The wheels below squealed as the brakes kicked in.

Her pen scratched against the page. When she finished, placed the cap back on the pen and offered the slip to the stallion across from her

“Here.”

“What’s this?” he asked, marveling at her superb penmanship.

“The address for my boutique in Ponyville.” Blue could have sworn she was batting her eyelashes. “It’s not difficult to find, really, but I wouldn’t want you getting lost.”

As the train rolled to a stop, she rose from her seat. She magicked her hat back onto her head and rolled her suitcase behind her.

“If you ever find yourself with a free afternoon, then perhaps you could pay me a visit. I’d be more than happy to give you a tour of our lovely little town.”

“That’s awfully kind of you.”

“I hope you find what you’re looking for. Don’t be a stranger, Blue.”

With a wink, she straightened her hat and strolled out into the rainy night.

Blue remained seated; his mouth curled into a smile. He drew a deep breath. His fatigue faded, driven away by the sweet floral perfume that lingered in the train car. Drunk on his second wind, Blue tightened the strap on his saddlebag and made his way off the train, whispering beneath the clatter of rain.

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’m almost home.”

The conductor and a nearby guard waved to Blue as he stepped off the train. He didn’t bother returning the gesture, instead hurrying over to the stairs down from the platform.

Pulling his cloak over his saddlebags, he settled down beneath the ticket booth overhang. It proved nearly useless against the rain but kept him out of sight of any curious onlookers.

He waited there until the train left. It signaled its departure with a shrill whistle. The thundering wheels faded into the distance, leaving him alone with naught but the clattering raindrops to keep him company. Without prompt, he pulled himself up from the stone seat.

Checking the straps of his bags one last time, he set off on the long road into Ponyville. At least, he assumed it was meant to be a road. Compared to the finely crafted streets of Canterlot, these country roads were little more than a dirt path lined with cobble. A fence formed a border on either side of the road.

To the left, the trees of the Everfree loomed, their branches like talons, clawing toward the path. On the opposite side, a large, empty field. Across it, Blue spied rows of thatched roofs atop stucco cottages. Towering brass lamps lined the walkways, shimmering like lighthouses amidst the swirling miasma.

The road opened into the main street.

In Canterlot, even a night this dreary could not stop the hell-bent from roaming the city. This little village told a different story. Not a soul to be seen on the sidewalks. No guards on patrol. No late-night wanderers staggering through the gutter. And not a single window had a light shining within.

The main street widened into a plaza.

At the center of the square sat a fountain, filling the empty space with the sound of gurgling water. A statue of Princess Twilight stood atop the centerpiece, staring out at the endless sky. Empty benches were scattered across the scene, only adding to the empty feeling of Ponyville. Lines of booths edged the courtyard. They were sealed with wooden panels or metal shutters.

“Hello, Twilight,” Blue muttered as he approached the babbling fountain. Even through the rippling water, he could see the blurred reflection of the statue. “I bet you don’t remember me, do you?”

He scoffed, stepping back from the edge of the water.

“No. That’s stupid. I can’t start with that.”

With a deep breath, he stepped forward once again.

“Good evening, Princess. I was hoping you might be able to help me. What? You don’t know who I am? Oh, that’s simple . . .”

Blue pressed his face into the side of the stone basin with an unsatisfied groan.

“Why is this so difficult?”

Blue settled himself.

“Third time’s the charm.”

He puffed out his chest and straightened his shoulders. He stood like that for only a moment before tossing himself down onto one of the benches nearby.

“Yeah. Maybe that will work. I’ll just stare at her. That’ll get my point across. This shouldn’t be this difficult.”

Slumping down, he stared up at the statue.

“Maybe I just shouldn’t tell her? She doesn’t need to know it's me, does she?”

He waited, his focus never wavering from her stone face. It was almost as if he expected her to reach down and comfort him. When the absurdity of that thought finally struck him, he rose from his seat.

“I’ll think of something on the way, I guess.”

Twilight’s castle could be seen from any street in Ponyville, allowing him to find his way there with ease despite the oddly shaped avenues that formed the little town. After only a few minutes of walking, he arrived at his destination.

While the spires of Canterlot Castle were built within and above the sky, Twilight’s castle seemed to sprout up out of the earth. The crystalline base of the building stood as tall as the mountains around them, but were molded into the shape of a titanic oak.

Stone walls rose from the branches, which stretched out in all directions as they climbed up the towers like frozen ivy. Glass webbed between the leaves, forming what appeared to be an observatory. At the apex of the castle, a gemmed crest reminiscent of Twilight’s own mark glittered. Two stained glass windows decorated the front of the castle on either side of the main doors.

As Blue climbed the front steps, he stopped just out of reach of the doors.

They were tall enough to reach up to the second floor. Solid oak, he guessed, reinforced with an iron frame. A massive ring was bolted to the door, leaning against a scratched metal plate bent in the shape of a heart.

Tentatively, he reached for the closer ring. He mustered his strength, lifting it away from the door before letting it fall. The resulting boom echoed through the castle interior, shaking the visitor just as much as it had the door, causing him to flinch.

He opened his eyes slowly as the sound faded.

And then he waited.