Herr Dokktur Nacht

by Lathier

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Adventure, Tragedy
Length: 1051

The story of a pony who stops to recount his tale

For more time than he'll care to tell, Herr Dokktur Nacht has wandered Equestria and its surrounding lands. He comes back through Ponyville, where he and his lovely assistant entertain the ponies with tales and music after the sun sets. But the most prevalent question on everypony's minds is: What is beneath the mask?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-02-04 04:40:02 UTC

Introducing Dokktur and Mademoiselle

Sunset brought quiet to most of the residents of Ponyville. Some shops were closing up, while others were just opening to allow the night crowd in. Ponies of all colors and ages milled about, some heading home, others to go dine with friends. At this twilight hour, two new ponies walked down Mane Street, one a unicorn, the other a pegasus, but both in cloaks hiding their identities.

At the center of town, the unicorn, a mare, used telekinesis to levitate a box from the saddle bags of the pegasus, and set it on the ground. Using intricate magics, she unlocked the box, which began to flatten and expand until a slight stage stood in its place. From her own saddle bags, she brought out two medium sized speakers, a turntable, and a record, while her winged companion set about searching through their own bag and bringing out a black case.

While these two ponies did all this, others that were walking around would stop and watch, wondering what these two would be doing this late in the day. With the sun steadily dropping behind the horizon and the moon beginning to take its place in the sky, they watched the unicorn set up while the pegasus unlatched the case in their hooves and bring out a sectioned instrument, which was then made into one singular silver flute. A crowd began to form around the two, watching, wondering, waiting.

The last rays of the sun finally descended below the edge of the world, and at that moment, both of the ponies on the stage threw off their cloaks, and the magic of the unicorn began to play the record, the speakers carrying the music through the town. The melody was soft, soothing, and a little haunting, but it did its purpose: it drew more ponies to the center of town, some even foregoing dinner plans to see what was causing such a ruckus. A few minutes into the song, the pegasus, a stallion with a black mask on, which had an elongated nose that came to a point like a beak, brought the brightly shining silver flute to his lips and began to play in conjunction to the music from the vinyl disk.

Ponies began to come from even the edges of Ponyville, and the music played on. A spotlight was erected just behind the stage, and as the music died down, the light slowly lit up from a dull light to an illumination of the stage. The ponies gathered around could finally see their two entertainers. The mare had a coat the color of evergreen leaves, with a mane that was a light rosy color, and she wore a simple mask on her face that was just darker than her coat with glitter around the borders that framed sharp, icy blue eyes. She wore a striking dress of scarlet that looked worn but elegant. She began to walk around the stage, swaying slightly, and got out a foldable chair and placed it center stage.

Her companion, meanwhile, continued to play, his eyes shut behind his mask that nearly covered his entire face. It was a strange sight to see, with the flute hidden beneath the hooked mask, and his hooves holding the instrument while his wings themselves were used to press the keys. Even though it was no doubt difficult, he kept up his rhythm with seeming ease. He wore a black and silver suit that was styled after the military garments, while also seeming worn, and it covered most of his body. His coat, which could be seen from the neck up, was a dark violet, closely resembling a midnight sky, and his mane was a light mahogany with streaks of green at his bangs.

The mare trotted up next to the flutist as the song he played hit a final, long, vibrating note that echoed in the silence of the crowd. The flute was then held in his right hoof as he and his companion took low bows to their audience, who began to applaud them generously. When the clapping lessened, the two rose, and the stallion opened his eyes, revealing a very striking yellow to the crowd. He set down his instrument atop its case and bowed again to the audience.

“Gratzi, dear ponies,” he said in a slightly accented, deep voice. “It is mein great pleasure to be back in Ponyville. It has been many a moon since I have set hoof in this lovely town, but it brightens mein heart to see the hospitality is as bien as it were.” He did another, smaller, bow with a light flourish of his hoof and slight lowering of his head, “I am Herr Dokktur Nacht, a traveler, storyteller, and flutist. Mein companion,” he indicated the mare beside him, who curtsied very elegantly, “is Mademoiselle Forest Song. She may not say much, but her voice is very bien, and she is the best assistant I could ask for.

“I come to you tonight to tell a tale of mein past, in hopes you would listen and like it enough for me to recount more in the following nights. This tale I tell is about many a thing: love, betrayal, wrath, curses. For tonight, we start at the very beginning, a muy bueno place to start.” He turned around and walked to the chair, taking a seat and propping himself up with his back to the back of the chair. He crossed his rear legs and placed his forehooves on the rests on each side. “For your comfort, mein audience, please feel free to take a seat.” He clapped his hooves and Forest used magic to bring out many cushions that were placed on the ground.

Once the ponies were seated, the Dokktur nodded to Forest and she switched the record in the player, and began the song. It was light and soothing, and she turned down the volume so as it did not overpower her companion’s voice, and then got out a glass and a bottle of wine, pouring generously, and hoofed it to the Dokktur. He swirled it lightly, smelling the bouquet and took a light sip before setting it down. Seeing that everypony was comfortable, he took a breath and began.