Breakfast with my sister has always been odd due to our responsibilities being what they are. Having cereal and coffee while my sister partakes in a salad and a banana muffin at 6:30 in the evening always tends to raise a few eyebrows. I snapped open today's edition of Equestria Daily and sipped my drink. The vanilla cream brought a smile to my face. An article of the upcoming bills due for ratification ousted that little moment of happiness as last night's courtroom fiasco started to play through my mind. Some of the words the unicorn said have caused some uneasy thoughts to go through my head. Thoughts similar to those I had a thousand years ago before that horrible night when she reared her ugly head.
My eyes drooped in shame from the recollection and I brought the paper higher to block Celestia’s view. The less than subtle shift of concealment was met with silence around the table. I waited for her to resume eating, but after a few moments I heard the distinct clink of a fork being placed on a plate. Oh pony-feathers, so much for being sneaky about it. I put the paper down and put on a fake grin, "So Tia, do you know what ponies do during my night nowadays?"
She looked at me like I grew a second horn, but quickly sported a bemused expression on her face before turning toward the open window, “I have a general idea on what most ponies do, but not the greatest grasp on the subject.” Then Tia faced me and just stared. “Why are you asking me about your night?"
My disguise nearly dropped when she asked that question. Oh let's see if I can avoid that dreaded talk until tomorrow.
"It seems I am getting close to learning all the new law changes around Equestria and I'm thinking of taking a night away from studying and the Court." My answer was true in a sense. The laws were easy to understand after getting some study tips from Twilight Sparkle and I could stand a break from learning this century's boring tax law differences.
Celestia kept looking at me, her eyes boring into mine. I started to shrink under the hard gaze. “Sister, why are you staring?” I shakily asked.
Celestia furrowed her brow at my question, “Because whenever you try to hide something, you blink profusely.” She said with finality.
Damn my body for telling the truth.
“I understand if you don’t want to go into too much detail, but I need to know what exactly happened last night during your time in court, Lulu?"
Her soft, but commanding words crushed my hopes of a peaceful breakfast free from the awkward talk of my stirring emotions. This was especially true when I heard “Lulu”. She uses it all the time. Mostly when we’re away from the snobby politicians, but whenever I hear it used with that tone, my aversion to answer her questions usually vanishes. Now was not one of those times as I threw the paper down on the table and huffed. However, if I remained silent and stormed off like a filly in a tantrum, Tia would make my life a living Tartarus with all the political red-tape she could throw at me.
I gathered my thoughts and took one last sip of coffee before starting my recollection. "I'm sure one of your personal guards has already given you the official report of the events that transpired in the courtroom, but you always tend to prefer a firsthoof account. The Stalliongrad representative barged in about half past eleven. He looked sober, but he must have had some liquid courage to have the gall to demand only you should hear his case about the city’s new financial budget and refused to listen my offers of help. After a few minutes of arguing, he said some choice words that warranted a physical removal from the courtroom."
Celestia shot me a disapproving look after I finished my summary. "I can tell you are upset with my methods of handling the situation."
Tia face-hoofed at my response, "Of course I'm upset, you failed to mention that you tossed the stallion out of the courtroom by his tail."
I paused for a few moments and looked out the open window. "Did you read what the representative said, or did you ignore that part of the report?” I turned back toward her and stood up on my back hooves. “Allow me to remind you. At first, he called me a monster. Told me I wasn't fit to rule the kingdom. Nothing I haven't heard before from the hushed whispers around Canterlot.” An evil grin nearly appeared when Tia brought her head down in remorse after that particular piece of information.
“My patience disappeared only after he insulted my art. He called my stars a pain in pony's eyes everywhere. I'm more than justified in what I did, you know I have done much worse to those who slandered my night like that fool did." I sat back down, my eyes never leaving hers.
Celestia sighed, "Your punishment may have been just, but what about when other ponies hear about this? Last thing either of us needs is our subjects to be in fear of Nightmare Moon’s return." Those words caught me off-guard.
I was given a second chance by the Elements to prove my mettle as a responsible ruler next to Celestia and have it be thrown away because of my overreaction on some petty insults would be unforgivable.
My ire over the representative's words subsided. "You're right Tia...I'll try and be more tactful next time an incident like that occurs."
Celestia smiled from her victory, "I'm glad you think that way, Lulu." I tried to cover up my dejected frown by finishing the now lukewarm coffee. Celestia seemed to take notice as she put on her usual friendly smile. "Moving on to a happier subject, what do you plan on doing tonight if you're not going to study?"
My sourness was quickly forgotten as I smiled and picked up the paper again. I flipped through the paper until my eyes caught the local events page, "I was thinking of attending the Canterlot Philharmonic performance at the Blueblood Concert Hall at eight. Afterwards, I don’t have the slightest clue on what I can do."
"That sounds wonderful. It's a shame I won't be able to come along. The Griffon representatives are coming in tomorrow and they want to talk about new territories they discovered to the east." Celestia said with a pout.
I smiled from behind the paper, "You have always been the better politician out the both of us Sister, especially with the Griffons."
"I would watch what you say. I may need some help if any negotiations take place." Tia shot back.
I brought a hoof to my face and produced a fake gasp, "You wouldn't dare interrupt my much needed sleep because of some boring land disputes, would you?" I could barely contain my giggles as Celestia just smirked at me. But that smirk slowly turned into something softer, almost maternal-like and the moment of lightheartedness waned away as Tia looked at me.
"Lulu?"
"Yes Tia?"
"Promise me you will enjoy whatever happens tonight. Don't you dare dwell on narrow-minded insults said by such a distasteful pony."
I didn't expect something that sappy from Tia, but I put on my best smile in an attempt to calm her worries "I promise Sister. I'm sure this concert will smooth over these depressing feelings."
She seemed to be content with my answer, flashing a small grin at me. "I hope it does Sister. You should probably leave soon, the concert should be allowing guests inside within the hour." She levitated her plate onto one of the empty food carts before heading toward the exit, probably to prepare herself for bed. She stopped and faced me for the last time until the sun began the first stages of its daily orbit.
"Have a good night, Lulu."
"I will. Sweet dreams, Tia."
We gave each other a small nod and she departed from the dining room. I looked around the room and spotted Nadir, my top personal pegasi guard, standing with a stoic expression on her face, her emerald eyes looking toward me. She straightened her posture and gave a salute, “Shall I grab the tickets from the mailroom Princess?”
Tia always teases me about how I manage my guard. One thing in particular always gets on my nerves is the sound of their voice. Turns out most of the guard-ponies that get recommended for the Lunar Guard always tend to have the gravelly military tone. In an effort to save my ears from this, I adopted sister’s method of having the guards submit their reports in writing. It may have caused an influx of more desk-work, but no one will hear me complaining. Thankfully, Nadir has the eloquence of a native Canterlottian and my ears couldn’t be happier.
“Yes Nadir. They should be in the Canterlot Music Requests file. We will leave from my balcony once you get them.” Nadir dropped the salute and nodded before leaving the room.
I looked outside where the sun has nearly disappeared under the horizon. I really hope that these emotions will be quelled by morning. I contemplated before I left to prepare for the concert.
When Nadir and I walked inside the lobby of the Blueblood Concert Hall, my hope of an enjoyable evening of music seemed to be taking a turn for the worse.
The burly stallion holding the door open dropped to the ground in fright when he saw me. Ponies took immediate notice to this and fortunately did not follow his example when they bowed before me. As silence enveloped the room, I realized that an application of the traditional Royal Canterlot voice would have caused many ponies in the crowd to become temporarily deaf and to do that before a concert would be downright cruel.
“Rise my little ponies. Let us enjoy this night.”
Much to my dismay, there was no cheering from my declaration, just a light applause was my reward. I suppressed a groan and put on a smile as ponies started to whisper to each other and some weary looks were thrown my way.
It seems news of the incident has passed through the grapevine.
Thankfully, conversations prior to my entrance resumed and covered the whispers. Before I could sneak my way to the Royal Balcony, some of the ambassadors and citizens who I helped in their visits to my court greeted me with a warm welcome. Ambassador Udina came to me first, his harsh demeanor looking a bit happier from the last time I saw him. Despite being a loud and opinionated earth pony in my brief interaction with him, his heart was in the right place.
“Princess Luna,” he said gruffly as he deeply bowed to me, “I still cannot express how thankful I am for your guidance during the Cerberus attack three months ago.”
“I was glad to help. I do hope that Hoofington is getting close from recovering from that ghastly affair.”
“Don’t worry ma’am, the buildings it destroyed are close to being rebuilt and tourism is getting back to normal. Hoofington will be better than ever come six months from now.”
He looked over his shoulder and his eyes nearly bulged out when he saw another stallion by the open bar. “If you'll excuse me, I need to make sure my friend doesn’t drink too much of the cider.” Udina gave a polite nod to me before he left.
The rest of the ponies in the room seemed content to avoid me. As much as that upsets me, the fear my reputation gives off does help in my uneasiness in these new social gatherings.
I walked around the room and gazed at the dazzling evening dresses and handsome suits worn by everypony. What caught my attention was listening in on some snippets of conversations. Scandals about one of the candidates in the upcoming election for the mayor of Baltimare was a hot topic between some of the older ponies. The myriad of stallions telling some obvious extravagant lies of heroism in hopes of either impressing their companions or for more carnal intentions with the mares in the room. Gossip about the Wonderbolt announcement about new membership regulations ruffled some feathers in some of the pegasi. A heated argument between unicorn and an earth-pony on the positive and negative aspects of magical application in the field of botany. Even the brutish sport of hoofball was the leading subject in many discussions. Loudest of which was led by a white pegasus with a short red and blue mane.
In the midst of my inadvertent eavesdropping, the PA system crackled to life and started to broadcast a series of bell tolls. The conversations in the room quieted down by the end of the sixth toll and an emotionless voice came from the speakers.
“Please find your seats. The concert will begin shortly.”
The majority of the crowd shuffled their way toward the large wooden doors that led inside the hall. The rest of the attendees, including Nadir and I, climbed the stairs to our respective balconies. The stairway that goes up to the second and third floor had quite a few paintings of notable ponies in Equestria’s history. Clover the Clever in a beautiful yellow sundress, Starswirl the Bearded with his bells, and Lincoln with that absurd top hat of his. What struck me the most was a painting that depicted the first fall of Discord. Tia looked so regal in it, especially the way the sun was painted behind her head. However, the artist seemed to be completely daft when it came to my image. The toothy grin coupled with an evil smirk, the midnight black coat clad in that despicable blue armor, and my eyes are all sorts of wrong. Damnit, there are turquoise, not red.
I would be lying if there wasn’t an almost overwhelming urge to tear down and burn this pitiful excuse of a painting into a smoking pile of embers, but I won’t. There is always more sensible ways of dealing with this kind of rage.
Note to self, have a word with Prince Blueblood about this complete and utter lack of respect toward me.
With thoughts on how to politely or impolitely persuade that pompous unicorn to see my displeasure in his disdainful taste in artwork, I walked to the end of the hallway and came face-to-face with a beautiful sight. The door that led to the Royal balcony was a blood red and had a very meticulous carved portrait of my sister and me. It seemed to be based off of one of the stained glass windows in the throne room, the oldest one that shows me and Tia’s daily ritual. I almost assumed it was the work of a unicorn’s magic if not for the miniscule imperfections in both of our manes. No, this was the work of a very patient earth pony. My trained eye could probably estimate that woodwork of such quality would take several months, if not a year, to accomplish from a master carpenter. This beloved piece of art spurred me to smile ear to ear.
The euphoria faded after a few minutes when I was reading through the program. It seems Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 4 finale are the marquee pieces tonight, with some solos from the top ponies of the orchestra in between.
The name performing the first movement of Zoltan Kodaly’s Cello Solo Sonata piqued my curiosity. “I wonder how this Octavia Von Clef will play such a difficult piece.” I quietly mused.
“If it’s the same Octavia I’ve seen, I imagine she will pull it off beautifully.”
I turned around and found Nadir by the door with the same expressionless visage of a Royal guard, but a blush could be seen under the mare’s dark grey fur.
“How so?” I asked curiously.
“I was in the same Canterlot music program with Octavia during my first year of high school. We played in the orchestra for a year before I decided to focus on becoming a guard the following summer. Her innate ability to play is awe-inspiring in my opinion.” She replied with a bit of emotion in her voice.
The information caused me to chuckle, “You continue to impress me Nadir. Next thing I know, you’ll be able to recite “The Raven” without fault.” Nadir did not laugh at my attempt of humor, but the compliment did cause a small smile to sneak out onto the mare’s face and that was good enough.
The lights started to dim and hall was becoming eerily quiet because the acoustics discouraged anypony from talking. We were left in this uncomfortable silence for a few moments before the curtains pulled away. Stage lights turned on and showed the ensemble in all its glory. The musicians clad in black suits and dresses sat with their instruments in their hooves and waited for the entrance of the conductor.
Some of the ponies on the stage looked out toward to the audience and small smiles or frowns formed on their faces before they refocused back toward their music. A few of them met my gaze and promptly turned away. Their looks of sudden nervousness made me feel bad, especially when I could see small droplets of sweat forming on one of the stallions playing trumpet. However, one earth pony mare that was holding a cello caught my eye. As she stared up toward me, a fire ignited in those purple eyes and a smirk grew on her face.
So that must be Octavia...I hope that newfound confidence isn’t misplaced when you play.
Her gaze broke away as an older beige unicorn dressed in a black sport coat and a black bow tie. Only through magically enhanced vision was I able to see that he had small holster strapped to his left fore hoof. The musicians fixed their postures as the stallion stopped beside the podium and looked toward the crowd. He grabbed a microphone off his podium and switched it on.
“Hello Canterlot! My name is Canto and welcome to tonight’s performance. As you can tell from the program, we have a terrific show planned. But before we begin, I was told that Princess Luna is gracing us with the first of many visits, I hope. I would like to dedicate this concert to her and may you all enjoy it.”
After a bow toward the crowd and myself, he put down the microphone and climbed the small podium and faced the ensemble. Strangely, he rose onto his back hooves and pulled out a white baton with his right hoof. Instruments were raised and readied by wing, hoof, or magic within milliseconds of this gesture. The conductor gave one last look over the orchestra before beginning.
The Infernal Dance movement started loudly before dropping off slightly. The melody of the piece stayed with the woodwinds and high brass. The occasional trombone and violin section sounded off a great few notes in parts of the melody. The low brass and low strings provided a stable foundation that kept the high notes of the melody in check. The violins provided additional support with simple string plucks and soft flowing notes. I could barely hear the strikes of the timpani over the shrill tones of the trumpets, but I could feel it pound in my chest after every hit. The conductor made several sweeping gestures as the orchestra played loudly through the end of the first movement before starting small again.
Berceuse opened quietly with the strings taking over the melody. The long, flowing tones caused my body to slowly sway left to right. The piece slowed to a crawl and the hall became quiet, save for a few of the cellos playing long notes. Then the French horn solo came and just astounded me. Never mind the fact that it was played by a pegasus, but to do it so masterfully earned a few dropped jaws from the crowd.
As the music picked up in volume and speed in The Finale, all the strings seemed to move in unison and the sheer loudness assaulted my ear drums. The brass took charge of the melody and never let go. With the trombones belting out the bass line and the trumpets nearly screaming their part, I almost had shield my ears from this delightful trauma. When the music slowed, I could feel every note drive into my head. The end was near as the orchestra performed a crescendo that nearly shook off the wallpaper in my balcony. Canto brought his forelegs in and with a swift swirl of his baton, he silenced the band.
A loud applause filled the hall with some of the more enthusiastic ones shouting out their approval. Despite my immense excitement, I suppressed my own cry of joy and pounded my hooves on the floor. The curtains closed and the ponies began talking again. I turned back from my seat and waved Nadir over. She sat beside me and looked over the hall, as if searching for any hostiles. Her face remained stoic during her examination of the unknown ponies. “Is there something you need Princess?” She said calmly.
“I just have a question. What do you think of my night?”
Nadir’s eyes widened in panic at my inquiry. She suddenly found the balcony railing very interesting as she tried to word her response. “I never really appreciated your night as a youth, Princess. I used to see it as the time ponies went to bed and nothing more.” She said with her eyes downcast.
“You should not feel ashamed Nadir. Ignorance is a part of everyone’s foalhood. What exactly changed that view?” I asked with increased intrigue.
Nadir’s downtrodden look disappeared after hearing my words. “It changed during my first time out in the frontier.” She said happily. “Some of the guards I was friends with hosted a week long camp out after an exhausting tour of duty up at the northern border. We took a train out west, near Dodge Junction, and camped at a nature preserve maintained by the Colt Scouts. It was at the end of the fourth day and it was my turn put out the fire. As it dwindled down to smoking coals, I swear I was staring up into the night sky for at least an hour before I forced myself to go to sleep. Every night after that, I tended the fire and continued to get lost in the stars. They seemed to calm me down. I don’t know how, but I was able to put my life in focus during those few hours of solitude.” Nadir’s eyes glazed over in what looked like blissful nostalgia. “It was nice.”
I smiled at the mare. “Thank you for sharing that with me Nadir.”
“No Princess, thank you. I would not be here to share it if it was not for your work.” Nadir gracefully nodded to me.
She has a valid point and has provided an interesting topic to think about later on.
I gave her a respectful nod and Nadir returned to her post by the door. It was a few minutes of comfortable silence before the lights dimmed again. A single spotlight flashed on and pointed toward center-stage. The curtains opened and Octavia walked into the light with her cello in hoof. She looked behind the curtain and made a slight gesture with her bow. Suddenly, one of the other musicians appeared and levitated a small stand with a microphone and placed it in front of the cello. Octavia nodded thankfully to the helpful pony before her eyes returned to her instrument. After a bit of subtle tuning with the strings, I could see her gulp down some nervousness before she looked toward the audience. Those purple eyes did not stop moving until they met mine and that confident smirk from earlier appeared.
She closed her eyes and the sonata started fast. Her bow and hoof dancing across the strings, causing my jaw dropped at the blurring movements.
Who is this mare? By the moon, how many hours did she practice her cello? I can’t even imagine playing any instrument without some magical assistance, let alone play in front of some the most powerful ponies in Equestria.
The beginning reminded me of a walk on the border of the Everfree forest. Beautiful with the bounty of colorful flowers and interesting creatures, but a feeling of something unexpected laying deeper and out of sight. It kept that atmosphere in the first few minutes before the movement started slow. My internal picture of the song shifted to a stormy night in one of the coastal cities. With the soft plucking similar to rain and the loud flourishes resembling thunder, I could see the epic storm playing out over the ocean.
I closed my eyes and my body reacted to the music. My head bobbed up and down with every change in octave. I fruitlessly attempted to hum along with the notes and joy filled my veins with every crescendo and bright sequence. The complex rhythms seemed to crawl into my stiff muscles and massage them, which sounds odd, but feels positively wonderful.
The rhythm quieted down to whisper, which caused me to open my eyes in confusion. The feeling of befuddlement was short lived as Octavia ended the piece with a loud flourish. Her cheeks look beet red and her legs were shaking from the strain of holding a cello upright for eight minutes. Her eyes opened and she smiled, which caused the crowd to roar in applause. More cries of enjoyment rang out from the back of the Hall. Octavia gave a bow toward the audience and then looked up toward me. I flashed a large smile and I swear she started blushing up a storm. She bowed again before packing up her equipment and walking off stage. The stomping from the ponies below died down soon afterwards.
I turned my head around and found Nadir humming the melody of the sonata. She stopped and straightened her posture when she noticed me.
“Yes Princess?”
“I believe your assumptions were correct about Miss Octavia. I want you to find the nearest floral shop and pick up a bouquet of roses. Tell them that the request comes from Princess Luna and payment will be handled tomorrow morning. That mare has certainly earned it.” I proclaimed.
“Right away Princess.”
Nadir saluted me and left as the next soloist walked on the stage. The blue unicorn stallion with a short brown mane still in his black dress shirt and he carried a saxophone to the middle of the stage. I could see the sweat dripping down his face as he looked out into the crowd. His head shook as he looked in my direction and I swear I could see any confidence he had left vanished because of my presence. I repressed a loud groan and a facehoof when he started hyperventilating.
“Damnit, not another one of these ponies...”
The rest of the concert seemed to pass like a haze after the saxophonist ran off the stage after his lackluster solo. I heard the bright tones of a trumpet and a quiet viola solo after but all of it was unimpressive. Other audience members seemed to agree with me. Some whispered to their companions in mid-solo and a ponies looked ready to sleep.
Is this the epitome of fun during my night? I wondered grimly.
I contemplated using an enhanced hearing spell to continue my earlier spying, but the arrival of Nadir stopped that thought process. I waved her over and she took the open seat next to me. The roses she had on her back were a dark red and the petals looked like it was picked at the perfect time. I levitated the gift off of her and delicately placed them next to me.
“Run into any problems Nadir?” I asked.
“Just bumped into Equinox on her night off Princess. She was frequenting one of the Royal Guard cantinas. Roseluck’s Little Shop of Flowers gave the bouquet as a gift to you.” She replied quietly.
“Thank you for that information.” I whispered back.
I’ll be sure to add the shop for the next floral order for the castle. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the increase in business and the Royal seal of approval. One should always be rewarded for their kindness.
“Do we have a plan after the concert Princess?” Nadir asked.
“We’ll listen to the last piece, find Octavia, show her some appreciation, and give the roses. Afterwards, maybe do some astral artwork in an open field by Ponyville.” I answered.
I have always preferred to do my art in the countryside. I always feel closer to the sky when I’m outside this city.
Nadir nodded and returned to her post by the door. The curtains on the stage pulled away and showed the ensemble looking a tad smaller. It seems I may have caused a nervous breakdown for that one saxophonist, some of the violins seemed to have vanished, and for the life of me, I could not find the onyx mane of Octavia. I scrutinized each cello player in the section. All that were present were either unicorns or stallions.
After a few minutes passed with no tardy entrance by the mare, I levitated the roses off the chair and tossed them back to Nadir. “I hope your tracking skills are still sharp from basic training. We got a mare to find.”
Trying to find a grey earth-pony carrying a cello case isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.
Turns out it’s as hard as finding an honest politician.
I circled above and around the concert hall and found no sign of the musician. It seems the twenty minute head start she had was just a bit too much for Nadir to track. With a heavy sigh, I returned to the ground. Some coffee would really hit the spot right about now. I spotted Pony Joe’s about a block away and made my way toward it.
The grey mare we have been searching for emerged from the shop with a content smile and headed toward to the center of Canterlot. I whistled to Nadir and she joined me in the sky. We followed Octavia past a few dress shops and one of Canterlot’s high-end bars. Weirdly, she stopped in front of a dingy night club. The large red neon sign spelling out Purgatory in bold letters. The line of oddly dressed ponies outside the club threw a couple of jeers toward the out of place mare. I could hear the haughty laugh she gave after their insults. What surprised me was when she walked up to the bouncer, couldn’t have said more than a few words before being allowed inside. This left the bullies in line utterly speechless.
I landed on a nearby rooftop and started to strategize.
I could pull the Royalty card and everything will be completed in a nice and orderly fashion. However, a princess giving a mare some flowers will look a lot worse in the tabloids than a simple outburst of pride. What to do, what to do...
Nadir landed beside me and read the quizzical expression on my face. She looked back toward the club for a few seconds before looking back at me. “You could put on an invisibility spell, sneak through the back door, and put the roses in her case Princess.”
I smiled at Nadir, “Sounds simple enough. Any idea what the interior looks like?”
She shook her head, “Not a clue Princess. The back door should only lead to some storage closets and the DJ booth if the club has one. Octavia would either put her cello in one of those closets or keep it within reach, but I’m betting she will do the former.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“Send the roses to her residence in the morning Princess. There is no need to cause any more trouble than it's worth.”
More trouble than it’s worth? I’m only considering breaking into a club and going through someone’s personal property to give them some appreciation. Sure, I commit illegal actions like these on a weekly basis and I have no problem acting like the stalker from next door. Did I forget to mention the sea is black and the moon turned red?
I bit back the more colorful sarcastic remarks. No sense taking out some of my anger on the guard. I nodded to Nadir and we flew onto the roof of Purgatory. I could feel the vibrating tremors under my hooves when I landed. Nadir walked to the back and peered over the side before giving me a nod for the all clear.
I closed my eyes and focused on the complex weaving of the invisibility spell. I shuddered as the turquoise aura of my magic started from my horn and flowed outward. The magic felt ice cold as it covered my face and slid down my neck. I nearly shrieked a curse when the sensation reached my wings. It felt like somepony hammered nails into my wing joints. The spell relaxed some of the near blinding pain when it continued across my back. I clenched my teeth when the magic worked its way down my legs and past that sensitive region. Not that anypony could see now, but my knees were buckling by the time the aura got to my hooves.
The spell only took five seconds, but it always felt like I was back on the moon again. The coldness seeping into my bones as the sun left my sight. My dreams and any of the good memories being the only warmth during my exile. I frowned and tried to shake my head clear from the bad reminiscence.
Come on, you got a job to do.
Nadir saw my disappearance and waved me over to the building’s edge. “I can see a standard magical deadbolt lock on the door, but with your permission, I’ll be more than happy to pick the lock for you Princess.” Nadir calmly stated.
I cast a confused look her way, but the spell prevented any recognition from the guard. “Go r-right ahead Nadir. B-b-by the way, h-how do you know how to break past m-m-magical locks?”
Nadir closed her eyes and she grimaced. “Let’s just say Dad was a unicorn with some control issues and leave it at that.” She jumped over the side and landed quietly by the door. I frowned from her abrupt exit.
Another note, get to know my guards better.
I flew down to the ground and landed with minimal disturbance. Nadir pulled out two small rods from her armor and began to work on the lock. After several seconds, I heard the turning of the deadbolt and Nadir muttering “Got it.” She moved out from the doorway and looked down the alleyway. “I’ll stay outside and make sure nopony gets in, Princess.” She whispered in my general direction.
“Imp-pressive work on t-t-the lock, Nadir. Just m-make sure you stretch before the flight to P-ponyville, its a lot longer than it l-looks.” I whispered back with chattering teeth.
Nadir looked worryingly at the sound of my voice. “Are you okay Princess?”
“I’m f-fine, i-i-it is just a side effect f-from the spell.”
Nadir nodded and moved out of the doorway, but her eyes still carried the concern for my well-being. I grabbed the bouquet off of Nadir and walked inside.
The initial description by my guard was right on the bits. It opened into a dark hallway with doors on both sides. The thumping of what sounded like a bass drum was much louder inside, I could barely hear myself think with that racket. I opened the first door to my right and found an empty mop bucket and the overwhelming stench of ammonia. I slammed the door shut when my throat started to burn and I could taste that awful stomach acid.
Damn that exile for making me susceptible to every unpleasant chemical.
The next two rooms were much more easy on the body. One was packed wall to wall with alcohol that ranged from sweet hard cider to the tasteful treasure that is Jura whiskey and the other had a few barstools that needed mended and boxes of replacement glasses. Neither had space for a prized cello.
I cracked open the door that had a sign saying “Green Room” and stopped immediately. The case that I have been searching for was in sight. It laid on its back behind a black couch. It could not have been more than a few steps away from me, but there was a small problem, Octavia and an alabaster white unicorn mare with a spiky blue two-tone mane sat on the same couch facing away from the door. Judging from the large black speakers playing some sort of loud glitchy beat coupled with that incessant pounding from the main room, I could assume that it covered the sound of my intrusion. With an application of the noise-reducing spell on the door hinges to be extra careful, I was able to enter.
With hoofsteps as quiet as a mouse's breathing, I placed the roses in front of Octavia’s case and laid an anonymous note of appreciation for her effort on top of the bouquet. I was about to make my exit before the mares started talking over the music. Common sense told me to leave them alone, but curiosity persuaded me to stay still and listen.
“Vinyl,” Octavia said loudly, “how did you come up with that song? It sounded a lot more like something I would produce...if I only knew how to work your equipment.”
A red glow turned off the stereo and Vinyl faced Octavia. The unicorn chuckled, “That’s what she said.”
“Huh?”
“Nevermind, I got the idea from the solo you have been practicing ad nauseam for the past few weeks.” Vinyl boasted.
“Now I have to question whether that was an insult to my livelihood or if I should be honored from inspiring a DJ-P0N3 song with my music.” Octavia giggled.
The glare that Vinyl gave Octavia, even from behind the purple glass from those obnoxious glasses, I swear it could have unnerved some of Tia’s best guards.
“Ha ha, just because you got a smile from Princess Luna does not mean you get bragging rights.”
“Oh hush, you’re just jealous I got one of the Princesses to like my music first.” The gray mare smirked at Vinyl.
Vinyl stuck out her tongue in retaliation. “Am not.”
Octavia put her hoof around Vinyl. The gesture brought both of them closer together. “Cheer up Vinyl, it's Friday.” Octavia winked.
Vinyl raised an eyebrow in confusion, “What so special about Fri-oh right, Friday.” The mares looked into each other's eyes and odd grins crept onto their faces.
What in Tartarus happens on Friday for these two mares?
Suddenly, Octavia tackled Vinyl onto the couch. The black material shielded them from my prying eyes. Before I could take a look, two objects launched from behind the sofa and hit me. A pink bowtie landed across my back and a pair of familiar purple glasses dropped precariously in front of my crown.
Strange.
I shook off the tie and levitated the glasses to the ground. I took a step forward before a muffled moan stopped my advance. A throaty cry of “Tavi” caused my eyes to widen in panic.
Oh...that’s my cue to leave, time to make my exit stage right.
I tiphoofed back into the hallway and quietly shut the door with my magic, leaving the two musical mares to their nocturnal fun.
With my mission complete, I let the spell dissipate off of my body. The warmth in the air felt stupendous after freezing my flank off for the past few minutes. I unfurled my wings in the tight corridor and shook off the last bit of the spell out of my feathers. I walked outside and closed the door behind me.
“Nadir, could you put the lock back into place? I would rather not leave a trace of our presence.” I asked.
“Will do Princess.” She answered with a smile.
The flight to Ponyville proved to be easier than anticipated, the air streams allowed us to fly with minimal exertion. I looked up into the night sky and smiled. My art looked absolutely stunning compared to what ponies see in the major cities like Canterlot or Manehatten. The amount of light pollution that those towns produce cause ponies to never truly see my night. What most of them see is a depressing dark abyss floating above, which may be one of the reasons why so many are still so wary of me, but I digress...
I landed quietly at the base of a small hill and started to stretch out my legs. Nadir landed beside me, her breaths being a bit ragged after the hour and half flight.
“You can take a small break to recuperate if you need it Nadir.” I offered.
She shook her head, “No need Princess. It will have to take more than a slight breeze to keep me down.”
“Okay, just be ready for the trip back, I do not want to carry you back if your wings cramp up in mid flight. A look of worry flashed across her face as she sheepishly grinned back at me. “Actually, I’ll take that break Princess.”
“Glad to hear.”
After easing the muscles in my legs back into working order, I looked eagerly into the stars above.
Let's make some shiny new constellations.
I got up halfway hill before I heard some familiar voices on the other side, ones belonging to Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. I waved a hoof to Nadir and she stopped on a bit.
I wonder, what is my sister’s prized student doing out so late with Rainbow Dash of all ponies...
A perturbed Twilight spoke first, “Hey, please be careful!”
“Yeah yeah, don’t get so flustered about the new equipment. I have to say, I’m just not used with the size of this thing.” Rainbow Dash’s calm tone spoke back.
Twilight sighed, "It's the first time we are using it and I would hate for my invest-”
“Our investment, Twi. Now tell me where to put it, I wanna make sure this is just right.”
“Okay Dash, just please be gentle.”
What in the name of the Moon is going on?!
I laid down on my stomach and gestured Nadir to do the same. She gave me an odd look, but followed me regardless. By crawling an inch at a time to the top of the hill, insuring our element of surprise. I silently counted off before peeking at the mares in question. What I saw was...unexpected to say the least.
Rainbow Dash was moving a large silver tube that pointed toward the stars while Twilight had her face looking down at the smaller end. After one noticeable shift to the right, Twilight stopped the pegasus’s minute adjustments with an outstretched hoof. Some of the knobs on the side of the device were enveloped in a purple hue and then they began to spin around to a specific point.
Twilight stopped her magical tinkering and peered into the device again. “I got it! I can see Alpha Centauri right now.” The unicorn exclaimed.
Wait a minute, Alpha Centauri? That’s one of the first stars I made, how is she able...that has to be a telescope, but it looks so alien compared to the first one I made.
I looked at the model the two have been fiddling with. The design of it looked very sleek. The metal tube surrounding the main lens shined under the moonlight and the stand it rested on looked like it was built for something much heavier. The name Astral Observer was branded on the side of the scope.
Twilight continued to look into the telescope as Dash looked at her with those same eyes I saw earlier in the nightclub. The muscles in my wings and legs tensed in anticipation of another quick departure away from affectionate ponies. Her eyes softened as Twilight waved her over to look at one of the stars. The pegasus started to mutter “Wow.” after every shift she made with the telescope.
The joy of two ponies gazing upon my art and with such vocal approval, the smile that stretched across my face felt like a mile long.
I guess I will wait for those two to go inside before I start moving things around. Last thing I need is to have my sister be bombarded by a slew of frightened letters from Twilight. I could kiss my sleep goodbye for the next week if that happened, insomnia be damned.
I watched the pair for an hour and I swear I couldn’t be happier. The passion in Twilight’s descriptions of some of the older constellations and the look of wonder in Rainbow Dash’s rose eyes filled my heart with such warmth. After a lengthy and surprisingly accurate history lecture about Orion, Rainbow Dash lightly kissed Twilight, probably in an attempt to stop her talking. The unicorn blushed as Rainbow laid back down on the grass.
“Why do you think Luna does all this stuff?”Rainbow Dash asked as she pointed to the sky.
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the question. Her mouth opened and closed several times as if trying to properly word her answer. She laid down next to Dash and wrapped a hoof around her marefriend. “I asked that same question to Princess Celestia the same night she showed me an Astronomy book. She compared Princess Luna’s night sky to an artist painting on a canvas. Luna would move billions of stars each night, trying to find the perfect fit for each one in the sky.”
“Huh...when you put it like that, I can relate with Luna’s drive for beauty. It’s kinda similar to my tricks, looks cool when you see it done right, but looks awful if done wrong.”
“You could say that...” Twilight mused.
“So if it’s kinda like a painting, why is there so many stories?”
“Celestia told me that almost all of the constellations are based on a significant event in Equestria’s history and that is why Princess Luna immortalized them in the sky. However, because of her exile, ponies took it upon themselves to name new ones. Take the Minotaur constellation for example. Some crazy pony sees a bull-like creature in the sky. Then, he and others use that half-brained story to scare foals for generations. Ponies have been conditioned to fear the night because of all of its dangers those stories describe. Fabricated legends like that have only hampered Princess Luna’s attempts to merge back into present society. A clear description for each constellation from Princess Luna would do wonders for her reputation.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled at the end of Twilight’s rant. “Have I ever told you look cute whenever you start rambling?”
Twilight smirked at the pegasus and gave her small peck on the cheek, “Come on, we need to get back home if you want to get any sleep before your morning shift.”
Rainbow Dash groaned. “Damnit, I completely forgot about that.”
I saw Twilight break down the telescope, place the parts into a silver case, and levitate the case behind her. Rainbow Dash draped a wing over Twilight as they started walking back in the direction of Ponyville. I flipped onto my back and looked up at my work. I traced out the Cassiopeia and Andromeda constellations with my hoof. Hard to believe I put those two ponies in my stars a millenia and half ago. The memory of the two beautiful mares came to mind. Their contributions to modern politics secured their place in the November cycle.
Speaking of Princesses, I’m surprised Tia didn’t keep track of any of these fake constellations. She is usually more knowledgeable on what ponies are doing in the kingdom. However, her willingness to show Twilight the true history of my night is very heartfelt on her part. Twilight’s idea about an explanation for the constellations sounds like a splendid idea. I wonder if she will be able to help me with that endeavour?
I filed the idea for future use asthe moon neared the western horizon, which signaled a retreat back to Canterlot for “dinner” with Tia. I whistled to Nadir who kept watch for any ne’r do wells and we started the flight back to the palace.
The sun had come over the eastern mountains by the time I landed on the balcony of my bedroom. My wings groaned in relief when I folded them in after the tiring flight. Our previous luck with the airstreams on the way to Ponyville seemed to be more of a double-edged sword than a blessing. They threw us around like a ragdolls on the way back and my face is still burning from that fierce wind. Nadir landed beside me and looked like she was going to collapse at any second. Her face was redder than usual and I could see the muscles twitch from underneath her armor.
“Head down to the infirmary and get yourself checked out Nadir. And make sure you get something to eat from one of chefs in the kitchen, you did a wonderful job tonight.” I ordered with ragged breath.
“Yes Princess.” Nadir said with pain in her voice before leaving the room.
After hearing the click of the closed door, I walked into my bathroom and turned on the sink. I splashed cold water on my face a few times and looked into the mirror. Nightmare Moon reflected back at me with that depressingly evil stare.
“You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?”
The representative’s insults came screaming from the back of my mind. Her wicked smile grew bigger as I kept hearing Monster! in that thick Stalliongrad accent. Sweat formed on my brow and my muscles became taut as I glared back into those hateful cat-like eyes.
I am not a monster.
“Oh, don’t say that. You’re giving us a bad name.” She spat back at me.
I focused on the good memories from this past night to combat Nightmare’s onslaught. The magnificent wooden portrait of Tia and I, the wonderful concert, and the beautiful solo by Octavia, the acts of romance between the two couples I observed. That positive energy seemed to knock Nightmare off balance.
“You think a few petty ponies are going to stop me? Come on, I thought I taught you better than that.” She scowled at my attempt to break off her influence. My head started to pulse and pound as she tried to break the mirror with her horn. With each charge, every filly and colt I scared by my mere presence assaulted my defenses. Their cries for help slowly chipping away at my sanity.
I am nothing like you.
The friendships I made since I came back poured in and joined the battle. The nobles giving me their gratitude at the end of my court sessions, each mare and stallion in the Lunar Guard, and the cute little colt from last Nightmare Night were the heavy hitters. My glare increased tenfold and Nightmare lost that confident smirk. Pieces of her body started to break off and disintegrate into nothingness. Her eyes screamed for my bloodshed as her neck disappeared bit by bit.
You will haunt me NO LONGER!
“Oh don’t worry, I’ll be back! When somepony makes you doubt yourself, when you feel belittled by that arrogant mare you call a sister, I’ll be here waiting and I will show you how to properly rule a kingdom!” Nightmare howled as she faded away into whatever oblivion she resides in. The pounding stopped and my eyes got fuzzy for a few seconds. I dropped to the ice cold tile and my heart was racing at mach 5. I breathed deeply and I looked back up into the mirror. Calm turquoise eyes reassured me that she would be gone for the time being. With a slight headache and sore legs, I stumbled out of the bathroom and looked at the clock on the wall.
6:30...I should head down to dinner before Tia starts to get worried.
I teleported out of my room and appeared outside the dining room. The solar stallion standing guard was unfazed by my sudden arrival. He opened the door and I saw Tia in her morning robe, probably sipping that overtly sweet coffee she “How was your night off, Lulu? Get everything sorted out?”
I gave her a true smile for the first time today, “Yes Tia, I believe I have."
