Chapters Liquor & first impressions.
Liquor & first impressions.
Canterlot was barren and silence was abundant. No pony except the nightly patrons roamed the cobblestone streets. Though the raucous noise they made was loud to one another, she couldn't hear it. The lonely princess of the night sluggishly trotted throughout the darkness of the city. The crisp, cold wind lapped at her mane and stung her eyes. She was alone and jaded.
The single beam of luminescent moonlight had been shattered by a single cloud flowing through the acrid wind. This is how she always felt, concealed, detached, and no one to rely on. She was hidden behind her royalty, her grace, and elegance. This is not the life that Luna so desperately desired. She received many letters of appreciation and admiration for her glorious and beautiful night time spectacles of shimmering moon light and twinkling stars. She honestly loved obtaining so much attention, but she did so with humility and selflessness. She never really observed the many piles of notes and letters that bombarded her living space in the Canterlort castle. She would occasionally even deliberately disregard many of the pieces of parchment just so she didn't mottle the ink on the page with her sorrowful tears. She desired all this love and respect from her subjects but her desperation needed to be scaled on a much deeper and more emotional level. She wanted to love. She wanted to know how to love.
Luna had been trapped within the moon for a thousand years no less. Love seemed almost like a foreign concept at this point. Though she had received (along with the many appreciative letters) many romantic and sometimes flattering notes from smitten stallions commenting on her beauty, it simply was not the same, for they commented on her beauty… but not her. Confusing this may be, allow me to explain. She enjoyed reading the numerous amounts of poetry and flattering notes that tried to sway her affections but that’s not in the least what she desired, no, she wanted someone to love her. Some pony she could depend on, to feel safe around, to be loved by.
The light of the dull moon dappled the rooftops with shimmering rods of light. I watched from the shadows as the princess slowly trotted by the ever popular nightclub, club Canterlot . Luna lifted her head and fixed her dreary gaze upon the awkwardly lit sign plastered to the front entrance of the vibrating building. The L, O, and T in Canterlot were busted and didn't emit any light whatsoever. Luna took a deep breath and proceeded to enter the club. From the outside the noise had been heavily muffled by the walls and had been deceptively quiet. The loud and obnoxious music that pumped through the alcohol tainted air made her head throb. Luna had grown accustomed to the still and tranquil sounds of the night making the adaptation that much harder. Luna finally adjusted to the sounds that smashed her eardrums. She wasn't at all surprised that no one had been reacting the same way. They were hammered and would continue drinking and partying until her sister raised the morning sun. She backed herself into a dark corner and sat in a small booth that seated four. The perky waitress trotted to Luna’s booth, her head bobbing to the rhythm of the music being played rather repetitively. Luna thought best to try and hide her identity; she didn't want to attract any unwanted attention towards herself. Though sadly her attempt was to no avail, simply her posture and demeanor alone was easily recognized by the now bewildered waitress.
“Princess Luna, what in the wide world of Equestria are you doing here?!“
“Hush my subject, you have shone your gratitude eagerly, I only come for relief in the form of refreshments, that is all that I am asking of you. “ Luna responded hastily.
By now I had entered unaware of the royal presence inhabiting the room and seated myself in the booth directly in front of Luna.
“What will you be having tonight your majesty?”
“I am feeling rather ambitious tonight; I would like vodka with cranberry.” The waitress looked stunned as Luna placed her order.
“Such strong liquor for the royal palate your majesty, are you sure that there isn't anything else you might want?” Luna shot the antsy waitress an irritated glare.
“You have already been informed of my request; do not make me have to remind you again.”
“Yes of course your majesty it will be right out.” The waitress responded nervously as she scribbled down the order. She had finally made it over to the booth in which I was occupying.
“And what will you be having tonight sir?” She asked, now recovered from her previous anxiety.
“I’ll just have straight scotch I guess.”
“Alrighty then, your order will be out momentarily.” The waitress scampered off towards the bar and gave the bartender her order slip.
“I assume you are in distress as well sir?” Luna questioned sternly. It wasn't really a question rather she was telling me I had been feeling disgruntled.
“I guess you could say that, yeah I am feeling rather distraught.” Luna sighed shortly thereafter
“Would it be any trouble if you would keep your majesty company on this somber of nights?’
“No problem at all your highness.” I exited my booth and made my way over to where Luna had been sitting and positioned myself across from her.
“Hmm if I am correct and I do believe I am, you are Nightwing leader of the pegasi royal guard.”
“Actually your highness I’m just the commander of the dusk battalion; the leader of the royal guard would be my uncle Midnight.” Luna just stared at me with non approving eyes as if she was not in the mood to be proven incorrect today.
“Anyway…” I continued the awkward conversation. “What is your highness doing wandering around this part of Canterlot, shouldn't you be at the castle during this hour of the night?” Luna sighed again.
“Does it really matter honestly?” Luna responded dryly. I didn't feel compelled to answer but thinking about it now, it was probably rhetorical anyway.
The waitress came back holding both of our drinks and shaking rather vigorously, I assumed that she was still trying to have the thought of a royal presence in the vicinity sink in.
“Here are your drinks, please enjoy the rest of your evening princess, we are almost ready to close up in a little bit but feel free to stay as long as you like. We are having the DJ lock up for the night and it appears that she may be slightly overdone on the alcohol… so I don’t suspect that she’ll be making an attempt at leaving anytime soon. ”The waitress just stood there now as if she were expecting something.
“Oh my apologies, here, this should be enough to suffice for both drinks.” I reached into my saddlebag and pulled out a small pouch of bits then removed however much the bill was plus a small tip
“I assure you kind sir I am in no need of your gracious donation.” Luna said rather sternly
“Oh no your highness I insist.” I replied. Luna released yet another sigh.
“Very well then, I suppose if you do indeed insist that you must pay then so be it.”
We drank our liquor in silence as if there was some sort of dramatic tension lingering in the booze tainted air. The quick rush of alcohol burned the back of my throat but it felt… good, unnaturally good, masochistically good. As I continued to relish in the trance that the drink was putting me under, Luna exited the booth and cleared her throat.
“Well fine sir it appears that I have overstayed my welcome. I shall be departing from this establishment, I bid thee farewell.”
“Goodnight your highness, have a nice evening and please be safe as you leave.” Luna didn't turn around but acknowledged me with a slight nod of her regal head. Without another exchange of words she had gone into the night once more leaving me alone in the bar. I contemplated whether or not I should leave when a wobbly white mare with an electric blue mane hobbled towards my booth with two drinks held in a bright blue aura emanating from her lit horn. She placed the two drinks onto the table top and slid into the space Princess Luna was occupying moments before. Sweat was beading down her pale face and her breathe smelled of booze. (No surprise there.) That was when I’d realized that she was the DJ that was ferociously banging her head and spinning her records when I walked in. she swigged down her beer in quite an impressive amount of time. The other drink that she’d brought remained un-chugged for the moment. I'm not quite sure what it was about her, but she seemed oddly familiar, as if I had seen her in the past. After several moments of my intuitive thinking the mare intruded my thoughts.
“So wassup?” The white unicorn asked grinning playfully
“Do I know you by any chance?” I questioned growing ever so slightly afraid of her overbearing personality but all things considered she was lost in a drunken haze and her state of mind wasn't necessarily tact.
“Eh maybe, I don’t know, do you know me?” this time she asked but in a slightly more seductive tone. A wink would have suited that comment perfectly but the deep and reflective violet shades that were plastered to her face kept me from knowing otherwise.
“Ugh, Vinyl would you please quit patronizing this poor stallion, can’t you see he’s in a clear preference of solitude?” A grey mare with a silky smooth black mane that hung down low passed her shoulders accompanied them shortly thereafter her remark towards the drunken DJ.
“Ugh…its way too late for your big, fancy words Tavi, just relax Hun.” The mare propped her legs up onto the table, draped her forearm over the shoulders of the grey mare and pulled her in tightly.
“Terribly sorry sir, my name is Octavia and this is my overly obnoxious marefriend Vinyl Scratch. She DJ’s here every day whenever she’s not touring Equestria.”
“Oh, that's why you look familiar! I guess the thought slipped my mind, I don’t know how I hadn't been able to recognize such an iconic figure. Everypony at the base loves your music; it’s all they really ever listen to in their free time. Wow I seriously can’t believe I’m actually talking to THE Vinyl Scratch”
“That’s me alright; DJ PON-3 in da club t’night!” Vinyl drunkenly shouted throwing all four hooves into the air in a haphazard manner.
“My apologies for her raucous behavior, it appears that she may be slightly inebriated at the moment, nothing new really.” She looked over at the swaying mare and giggled.
“I already told you officer, I ain't drunk, and look I can count my ABC’s…”
“This should be fun to watch.” Octavia murmured to me silently.
“Okay hold on… I got this, yeah alright here we go…” she drew in a deep breath and began. “A,B ,C,D,E,G,H,L,M, uh…P, and I think there’s a W in there somewhere and let’s go ahead and toss in a few Z’s as well. Did I win?”
“Hmm, yeah, no, not really sweetheart but maybe you can give it another go when you’re a bit more sober.” I could see that Octavia was trying oh so hard not to bust out laughing hysterically and in truth so was I.
“Anyway let’s try to hold a decent conversation now that she feels somewhat accomplished, you do realize that the club is closed right?” I looked all around the nightclub to find that all the lights had been shut off except the lamp that hovered above our booth.
“Hmm apparently not it seemed to slip my mind much does everything else. Some ponies think I might have ADD but whatever I suppose. So I guess this means I should go?”
“You can if you want but the manager won’t be locking up anytime soon, she’s in a bit of a stupor right now…” Octavia hinted towards the lulling mare next to her as she spoke. “…So I don’t think it matters” that comment made me solicit a small chuckle.
“So she’s the manager and the DJ too?” she answered my question with a nod of her head. She looked down and realized that the drink Vinyl brought out with her own was untouched so she took a casual sip and set it back down.
“So do you work here as well?”
“Oh Celestia no, I would much rather invest my time into doing something productive then wallow in the indulgence of society. I am a part time classical musician that travels Equestria hoping to land a big time musical career so I hired this here drunken genius to be my manager and promote my stuff and ever since I've had numerous record labels begging for me to sign with them so that they can show the masses what modern classical music sounds like but aside from that I don’t really do much. As you could have already predicted, I play a variety of stringed instruments including the violin, viola, bass, but my specialty is most definitely…”
“Cello I’m guessing.” I cut her off momentarily.
“Indeed sir, your powers of perception are unmatched.” She replied with a chuckle of amusement “what might I ask is it that you do exactly?” Her attention gravitated towards my armored chest plate with the royal crest engraved on it.
“I’m the commander of the dusk battalion of the pegasi royal guard. My job is to ensure the safety of Canterlot, and everypony within it. My uncle Midnight is the head honcho if you will. He sees over everything that the commanders do and Celestia sees over everything he makes us do.”
“Would you happen to know of a stallion by the name of Shining Armor by any chance?”
“But of course, the husband of her majesty Cadence and esteemed commander of the other half of the royal guard. I have attended several of his meetings with my uncle. What makes you ask?”
“Just an inquiry; that and the fact that he asked Vinyl to perform at his wedding. Anyway, what made you decide to join the military?’
“Well my father was in the guard as was his father and his fathers, father and…”
“Yeah I think I got it. You come from a long lineage of soldiers, how noble.”
“I guess you could put it that way.”
“I hope it’s no trouble me asking and all but what brings you here this evening Mr… “
“Nghtwing”
“…Nightwing, you certainly don’t seem to be the kind of partyish type of pony that we get on a day to day basis.”
“Just finished my duties, got no place to stay, got bored, blah, blah and so I ended up here talking to you I suppose.” There was an awkward silence for a few moments and I began to wonder if she was taking pity on me. Truth be told I was legitimately homeless now. I had nowhere to go, no one to run to, just…lost.
“If you’d like, you could stay the night at our place.” Octavia willingly suggested.
“Oh no, I couldn't ask you to let me seek refuge in your home; I’ll be alright on my own.”
“It wouldn't be a bother, really. I’m always willing to lend a hoof to those in need and towards those who help keep us safe, and since you fall under both of those categories I feel obliged to assist in any way I can. It’s the least I could do to repay you” I hesitated for a slight moment. The thought finally sunk in, a nice hot shower, not the measly and cold showers that we get on the base, a decent meal instead of the crap they give me at the homeless shelter and instead of sleeping on a blanket on the cold, concrete floors I would be able to rest on a cozy mattress with blankets, lots of warm snugly blankets wrapped around my aching body. (Alright fantasy boy just say yes already)
“Well if it really won’t be that much of a hassle; then I will gladly accept your offer.”
“Splendid, keep in mind though, you can stay for as long as you see fit. I will be more than happy to provide for you.”
“Party at the Scratch residence, table for three mutha fu-“
“Vinyl! I've just about had enough of you tonight, you’re drunk and I’m taking you home this instant!” Octavia aggressively gripped Vinyl’s right ear in her teeth and forcefully pulled out of the booth and through the door
“Oh, Nightwing, take these and lock the door behind you.” She let go Vinyl’s ear momentarily to give me the keys. I responded with a nod and locked the club for the rest of the evening.
It didn't take long to get there, but once we had I was thoroughly taken aback by the grandiose size of their home had actually been. Then again Vinyl is an equestrian renowned artist.
The house was two stories tall but could accommodate a third if necessary. The top floor was equipped with an overhanging balcony that overlooked the rural landscapes just past Ponyville which laid a short distance off.
We trotted towards the entrance of the home. Vinyl had now become more sober during the slow walk home and managed to pull her key out of her saddlebag and unlocked the massive gilded front door. When we walked in, I couldn't help but notice how pristine the estate had been. The floor was constructed of pure marble with a pearly finish giving it a snowy resemblance. To my left stood a masterfully crafted grand piano coated in a smooth pigment of smoke. Behind the piano stood numerous cellos ranging in colors and varieties.
“I assume this is your corner Octavia?”
“Indeed it is, how observant.”
“Hey Tavi I’m gonna go check the kitchen for something to eat, I’ll let you two talk for a bit.” Octavia replied with a nod.
“As I was saying, this is my personal collection of instruments, though the rest of my inventory is in private storage, these are all the instruments that I predominantly use during performances. I have approximately fourteen cellos here and six more in storage all ranging from…”
“Wait just a second; what you mean to tell me is that you currently own twenty cellos?”
“Precisely, now continuing my previous statement, I have many varieties all ranging from acoustic to carbon fiber, steel, and Vinyl’s cello of choice the electric cello. It has quite an unorthodox sound but I thoroughly enjoy playing it. The piano you see here was built by my grandfather; he was a musically inclined stallion from Scoltland. When he heard that I desired to pursue a classical music career, he built me this piano and gifted it to me on my sixteenth birthday. Vinyl always tells me that she has never witnessed me cry harder than on that day.“
“So what did Vinyl get you?” There was an awkward silence for a few moments
“Uh… moving on shall we.” She deliberately avoided my question which was rather rude, but who am I to intrude on their personal lives.
I didn't bother to pay any added attention to the rest of the house. Let’s just say it is very big and very fancy. For a stallion that lives in a shelter or on base, it’s paradise.
“As you can clearly see when you have a world renowned musician as your marefriend, you learn to reap the benefits and enjoy the luxuries that come with it… and no, don’t think I am an ignorant gold digger who simply takes advantage of the wealthy ponies to suit my own desires. I genuinely love that mare with all of my heart, despite her less than adequate behavior. I guess I’m just lucky that the house and money comes enveloped in the whole package. The funniest part of this ordeal is the fact that I am the one who deals with the financial work around here, not the multimillionaire. Even considering the fact that there is an apparent gap in funds between the two of us.” Octavia increased the amplitude of that last bit just loud enough for somepony rummaging through the refrigerator in the kitchen down the hallway could hear.
“Um… Miss Octavia, you appear a bit flustered. Did I say anything to upset you?”
“Wha… No, of course not, I just get a little bit defensive whenever some of these Canterlot folk assume that I date Vinyl solely because of the luxuries that she possesses. How dare they make false accusations against someone’s motives of adoration and affection? Isn't that right sweetheart?”
“Yeah, yeah Octy whatev’s. Hey where did you put the Buckweiser that was in the freezer? I’m fairly confident that I didn't drink it all before we left.” Octavia grew irritated by Vinyl’s question. She raised her hoof to the side of her head and began to message her temple as a means of calming herself before she did anything irrational. Octavia pushed forward into the kitchen as I followed closely behind. Vinyl looked up from her adventure within the confines of her refrigerator to meet a very agitated Octavia face to face.
“Hi” Vinyl smirked childishly
“I have just barely managed to get you sober to some extent and I am not about to let you hammer down another drink, got that?” Vinyl let out an overly exaggerated sigh of dissatisfaction, whilst stomping her hooves on the ground to add a pity affect. Whatever she was doing… Octavia was immune
“I said no more, are we clear?” Vinyl sighed again as she admitted defeat
“Crystal.”
“Alright, now would you be so kind as to showing our guest where he can wash up and where he will be staying?” Vinyl nodded and turned to face me. I never realized how big Vinyl really was until now. I don’t mean “fat” big. I mean muscular big. I stopped staring at her frame as she walked passed me and beckoned me to follow her so reluctantly I did. She proceeded to show me the bathroom and the guest room where I would be staying for the duration of my homelessness I suppose. After the short tour was done we had made our way back downstairs where Octavia had already cooked dinner for three. Goodness gracious she was an efficient cook and a gosh darn talented one at that. There weren't many words exchanged during our meal but it didn't matter to me. All I kept thinking about was that mysteriously beautiful mare that had graced me with her presence at the club. (And no I’m not referring to Octavia you weirdos) But Luna… she was something else entirely. I doubt I will, but I hope to see her again.
I lay in my bed pondering the events of the night. Wow… just wow. That’s really all I could think of but maybe things will be different in the morning. I guess if I could say something I would say “Goodnight my Princess.”
Author's Note
Ok, so I recently went back and refurbished this here chapter after seeing copious amounts of errors thanks in part to a friend of mine who had brought them to my attention. But what do you expect, I wrote this story like a year ago and never got around to typing it up, so inevitably I changed things to make it mesh better. The disadvantage to that is mistakes, and lots of them. To be fair I typed this up the first time at around 12 or so... wanted to go to bed... didn't have the patience to proof read... yada yada yada. Hopefully I managed to fix the issues. If you notice any more, please feel free to inform me and one day I might get around to re-writing this intro all together. On a different note, Don't expect frequent updates for this as I am also in the process of typing another story which I've placed at a higher priority than this. On top of that I have around 12-13 other projects that I'm jamming into my schedule but I will try to get this out of the way ASAP.
Words of Wisdom as Spoken by a DJ.
The stillness of night was unbearable for me. My mind filled the silence by repeating the events of tonight like an old record on a gramophone. To be honest, I was beginning to creep myself out with this newly established obsession. Luna this, Luna that. I couldn’t shake the thought. Why was she so, what’s the word for it… addicting. There was just a way about her in which she presented herself that seemed captivating in every way.
“Stop it, stop it, stop it.” I was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. I looked over at the clock on the nightstand. 3:25 am. I let out a defeated sigh; it was time for another drink.
I slipped out of the bed and went downstairs. There was a faint light emanating from the kitchen when I got downstairs. There was no use in being subtle; the floor echoed my hoofsteps with great audible projection. As I approached, I could hear what sounded like a pony rummaging through the refrigerator. When I turned the corner, my eyes rested on the sight of a white mare with a disheveled blue mane. The cerulean mess jutted out in every possible direction.
“Does Octavia ever get annoyed with that?” I asked, pointing to the flurry adorning her scalp. She whipped around, startled and hurled a plastic container at my head. Luckily I had the wherewithal to dodge the incoming leftovers.
Vinyl stood panting for several seconds until she finally realized that it was me she had flung the container at. She let out a huge sigh of relief and giggled it off as if the incident never happened.
“For Celestia’s sake dude, don’t startle me like that. When it comes to ‘fight or flight’ response; it is likely that something will be thrown in your direction.”
“My apologies, it wasn’t my intention to frighten you.”
“No harm no foul I guess. Now what did you ask?”
“I asked if Octavia ever gets annoyed by that.” I gestured with a hoof towards her mane.
“Oh this,” She ran a hoof through the bundle of hair. “This is all because of Octavia. My mane isn’t usually this unkempt when I sleep.”
“Why is it Octavia’s fault?” Vinyl just gave me a wink, allowing for a brief moment of sudden realization to be triggered in my brain. Now my mind was elsewhere, somewhere it probably shouldn’t be.
“Moving along then,” Vinyl tried to push a conversation forward. “What are you doing up so late?” She asked.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Well no shit. I would’ve never guessed.” Vinyl responded sarcastically as she continued her search through the refrigerator. “Why can’t you sleep?”
“I’ve got this thing on my mind that won’t go away.” I confessed. I sat at the dinner table and was joined by Vinyl shortly after. She held a bottle in her aura. It was labeled ‘Buckweiser’.
“I thought Octavia said that you couldn’t have that?”
“Yeah, and she still thinks that I don’t know about the secret compartment in the back of the refrigerator where her secret chocolate stash is secretly hidden.” Vinyl made air quotes with her hooves every time she said the word secret. I found that to be rather humorous.
“So what’s on your mind then?” Vinyl asked as she took a sip of her beer.
“Well back at the club I met my employer and shared a drink with her.”
“What’s wrong with that? Did you say something that might put you in bad terms with her?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Then why is it bugging you?”
“Well it’s who she is for that matter.”
“I’m not getting your point.” She took another sip.
“She’s Princess Luna.” Vinyl had to hold back a spit-take of her beer. She had to take a moment to compose herself.
“I just thought you were referring to a higher ranked officer, not the Princess herself.”
“Surprise.”
“So she is the reason you can’t sleep?”
“Precisely.”
“Why?”
“I've yet to figure that out.” Vinyl sat back in her chair and pondered what I could only assume was my predicament.
“Run me through the interaction that you had and I’ll see what I can deduct.”
“I was sitting in my booth and she asked if I had been feeling well that evening to which I replied that I could have been better. She invited me over to her booth which I accepted and shared a drink with her. There was some idle chit-chat but nothing more, nothing less.” I concluded my story. Vinyl took several moments to register the information.
“Have you ever had a marefriend?”
“Uh, maybe one or two from school but nothing serious. Why?”
“So I take it that you don’t have that much experience dealing with the opposite sex?”
“Not really, but I’m not seeing how any of that correlates with this situation.”
“Just stick with me on this. Have you possibly developed any feelings for someone within the ranks?”
“No, that form of relationship is forbidden.”
“Alright, fair enough, lets change directions here; what do you find attractive and appealing about a mare?”
“As in personality or aesthetically?”
“Either one, doesn’t matter. Could be both.”
“I guess she would have to be very polite and well mannered. She should carry herself with great posture and self-respect. Slim and elegant, almost a subtle yet well apparent beauty and to be more specific,” I shrunk down in my chair “Curves in the right places.” Vinyl laughed at my insecurity.
“Hey, I don’t blame you. I like a mare with some curves too.” She finished the last of her beer and continued. “I think I have found a diagnosis for your temporary insomnia.”
“Oh yeah, lets hear it Dr. Scratch.”
“I think somepony is smitten for the Princess.” I was taken aback by the absurd hypothesis.
“No way. I don’t believe that.”
“You can not believe it all you want, it’s called denial and your knee deep in it. Clearly you have no experience with mares, therefore it would be difficult for you to even identify feelings if you developed any, and on top of that, your description of the ideal mare matches her perfectly. Just face the facts; you are in love with Princess Luna.”
“I’m still finding that a bit preposterous.”
“To a stallion with no knowledge of love, I’m not surprised. I suggest you tell her.”
“Why do you suppose that would be the best plan?”
“Because if you don’t tell her how you feel, I can guarantee that this feeling you have right now will not go away unless you do something about it.”
“What makes you so keen on my personal interests?”
“Dude, I’ve been through this situation before. How do you think Tavi and I hooked up? Things like love don’t miraculously happen over night. There comes a point in time where you have to do something about it or you can sit back on your ass and watch as somepony else takes what you covet so dearly. It’s a simple process, albeit difficult to initiate but hey, what’s the worst that could happen; she says no, big deal. You have lots of options to choose from at your age. A handsome stallion like you should have no trouble attracting mares.”
“Wait, you think I’m handsome?” Vinyl put a hoof to her forehead and shook her head.
“Of all the things to take out of what I just said, that was it? A bucking compliment!”
“Sorry.” I slouched in my chair a bit. “Caught me off guard considering your sexual orientation.”
“Can we please get back to the problem at hoof? Like I said, if you don’t capitalize on a golden opportunity, someone else surely will. I mean it’s not like Princess Luna isn’t the most beautiful mare to set foot on this planet, save for Octavia, I’m sure many stallions could only dream of courting her. You however, have a head start on the rest. Don’t let your inability to socialize compromise the task before you.”
“Well I’m not too unsociable; I mean I did hold a conversation with her as well as Octavia for an extended period of time. Perhaps I’m overthinking this. How would you recommend I put this plan so to speak into action?”
“Well find a way to engage in friendly conversation, in private would probably suit you better; from there I can’t really help much. If you want to do this the correct way, it has to be from you and you alone. Love isn’t a computer, it can’t be programmed. To put it bluntly, you’re on your own. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some love-making to do myself. Good luck tomorrow.”
“Thanks, I appreciate the advice.” Vinyl exited the dining room and casually cantered down the hall. “You might want to consider brushing your teeth before going back up there, wouldn’t want her smelling booze on your breath.” I called out.
“Thanks for the tip.” She responded from the staircase.
I let everything sink in for a moment and realized what I had to do, tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
Author's Note
After over 1 year of contemplation as to whether or not I was going to shelve this idea, I wrote more. And don't expect to wait another year for chapter 3. My deepest apologies for those who have waited this long, I feel terrible if I don't update within a month as it is so hopefully the creative juices keep flowing with this. Enjoy!
Lending a Helping Hoof.
“Good morning dear sister, I should hope that you rested well?” Celestia entered the chambers of her beloved sibling as she did every morning.
The night princess sat up in her bed and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She didn’t initially acknowledge her sister’s presence; instead, she gazed out her window which had been left ajar overnight and watched as the sun shone brightly against the sky. There wasn’t a single cloud within sight. She turned her attention to the mare responsible for the sunlight cascading into her chamber.
“Well enough I suppose.” She responded with a yawn.
“I suggest you get ready quickly; today is the day you formally address your branch of the guard.” Celestia informed her.
“I am aware dear sister, well aware.”
“Have you given any thought to what we discussed last night?”
“About… him?” Celestia nodded in affirmation. “Perhaps a private discussion can be arranged.”
“Good. I’m glad you are at least giving this a chance. I hate seeing you this way.”
“Believe me when I say that I am not rather fond of myself either these days. Maybe you’re right, maybe this might be what I’ve been looking for.”
“Just remember Luna, big sister always knows best.” The sun Goddess departed from her sister’s quarters, leaving her to her own thoughts. She hoped that today just be easy, yet for a princess, nothing was ever easy.
THUD, THUD, THUD!
My eyes shot open at the sound of banging at the door.
“Nightwing, are you awake?” I could hear Octavia from the other side of the door.
“I am now.”
“Are you decent?”
“Yes, you can come in.” The door gently swung open and Octavia entered the room.
“Breakfast is ready if you would like some. I’ve prepared pancakes if that’s alright?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll be down in a sec, just let me freshen up quickly.”
“Okay.” She exited the room and closed the door.
Today was the day, the day I make a complete ass of myself, in front of royalty no less. The only fortunate variable in today’s events was that the only thing I have to lose is my pride. Then again, that’s really the only thing I have left.
I proceeded downstairs after a brief shower. The sound of a sizzling skillet and the smell of fresh batter made my stomach rumble uncomfortably. As I entered the kitchen, I noticed two things; Octavia standing over the counter-top and Vinyl sitting on her rump in the corner of the dining room facing the wall.
“Should I ask why you’re sitting in the corner?”
“I forgot to brush my teeth last night and she…” Vinyl was cut short by the stern voice of the cooking mare.
“Hush Vinyl! You’re still in timeout for not thinking I wouldn’t notice the alcohol on your breath and for raiding my secret compartment. Nose against the wall!”
“Okay mother.” Vinyl muttered under her breath.
“Excuse me, is that an attitude I hear?”
“No ma’am!” Vinyl answered in fear.
“Good, now stop talking and face the wall until I say otherwise. Nightwing, come and make your plate. There is butter and syrup on the table if you want any.”
“Abusive relationship much?” I asked
“No, just a managed one. I can’t tolerate her childish behavior; therefore she shall be treated as such if necessary. Don’t worry, she’ll learn her lesson once I start revoking privileges; especially bedroom privileges, but that won’t be necessary will it?” Octavia raised her voice so that Vinyl could hear loud and clear. Vinyl simply shook her head; afraid to utter another word for fear that she would be punished further.
I took my seat at the table with a rather generous stack on my plate. Octavia joined me with a much smaller portion.
“What would you like to drink?”
“Water is fine, thank you.”
“Ice or no ice?”
“No ice.” She brought the cup to me and set it down next to my plate
“Lukewarm water, my favorite.” She added sarcastically.
“To each there own.” We mostly ate in silence for the duration of the morning. Eventually Octavia let Vinyl out of the corner and allowed her to the rest of the food.
“Any big plans for today?” Octavia asked from behind her coffee mug. Vinyl and I traded glances.
“I guess you could assume that. There’s going to be an announcement by Princess Luna to every member of the Lunar Guard so that should be interesting to say the least.”
“Anything else you want to add… lover boy.” Vinyl nudged my arm, hoping to coax me into sharing more information.
“Lover boy huh, to whom shall the honor be granted?”
“Well Vinyl is getting a bit ahead of herself at the moment. What she meant by ‘Lover Boy’ was that I would be attempting to engage in conversation with a mare that has caught my eye recently.”
“Is she a member of the guard as well?”
“Not quite.”
“Then who is she, or am I prying too much?”
Before I could get a word out, Vinyl interjected.
“He’s going to tell Princess Luna that he loves her and wants to kiss and cuddle and have her babies!”
Vinyl was met with dropped jaws and gaping eyes. I could feel my cheeks becoming redder with each passing moment of silence.
“Not in the slightest!” I responded.
“Oh puh-lease, you would be all over her if the opportunity presented itself. I know I’d be and I’m sure Tavi would too as much as she’d deny it.” I could see Octavia blushing in my peripheral.
There was more unbearable silence that lasted for several moments.
“May I be excused from the table?” I asked
“By all means, go right ahead. Vinyl and I have things that need to be discussed anyway.” She turned to her marefriend with fire in her eyes.
“Line up you slackers! Believe me when I say that you don’t want to be the last soldier in formation or so help me I will castrate you and serve your cojones to you at mealtime with a side of mashed potatoes!” The drill sergeant barked commands to the groggy-eyed guardsponies. Everyone shot up instantly at the idea of becoming a eunuch. The burly, mud brown stallion slowly but meticulously made his way down the rows upon rows of guards. He checked for posture, focus, and most importantly; attendance. The sergeant stopped in his tracks at a gap within the formation. He spat on the ground of where the pony should’ve been standing. He looked to the stallion left of the empty slot.
“Who is the feeble-brained sack of skin that belongs here soldier?!”
“Commander Nightwing of the dusk battalion sir!” The soldier responded hastily with his hoof in a salute.
“And do you have any idea where he would be during a time such as this.”
“No sir!”
“At ease,” The soldier in question lowered his hoof and stood at attention. “Would anyone like to inform me as to the whereabouts of sir Nightwing of the dusk battalion?!”
I could hear my name being called from a distance and knew that it could only spell disaster for me later. Might as well be honest.
“Right here sir!” I yelled as I sprinted to assume formation. I was stopped by the sergeant before I could get to my spot.
“You better have a damn good excuse as to why you are late soldier.” I could smell the tobacco in his breath and it made me gag.
“No sir, I do not.” I tried to maintain some form of confidence. The drill sergeant ushered me to my spot with force and urgency.
“Now for those who may be unaware such as this young stallion, today is a very important day! You all will be addressed by Princess Luna herself! This could be the most important thing you ever hear in your pathetic lives! So I suggest you be more punctual and responsible during such an event! Now for this soldiers negligent insubordination, every last one of you will do push-ups until the princess gets out here! I don’t care if she takes one minute or one hour! If anyone gets tired and decides to stop, I will personally see to you doing laps after the address! Do I make myself perfectly clear?!”
“Sir, yes sir!” The group yelled in unison. Everypony got into push-up position and began. I did the same. As if my situation weren’t bad enough already, now I will be getting filthy looks and remarks from everyone for the rest of the day. To make matters worse, the drill sergeant decided to increase my difficulty by standing on my back. The pain coursing through my legs was excruciating. I knew that if I stopped and had to run laps, there would be no possibility in me ever getting to talk with the princess. I could feel the veins protruding from my legs and face. I was beginning to get dizzy before eventually I passed out. I don’t remember much after that. What I do remember was the drill sergeant picking me up off the floor and yelling something vulgar and disrespectful in my face; things that should not be repeated to anyone under any circumstance. By the time I had gotten my bearings, I could see Luna standing on the podium in front of everypony. I couldn’t quite understand what she was saying because of the continuous ringing that bombarded my ears. Before I knew it, she was already off the podium and everyone had dispersed.
“Mother Bucker!” I murmured to myself under my breath. I missed every word of it. I tried asking around for what she had said but I was only met with angry glares and snorts of indignation. Not much time had passed before I could feel a firm hoof on my shoulder. I turned only to be eye to eye with a pissed off drill sergeant; then again, when didn’t he look pissed?
“You got a date with the track now, so I suggest you get to it boy.” He spat at the ground in front of my hooves before storming off in the other direction. Fortunately, running had been my forte for many years but not today. The sun beat down with unforgiving heat and there was nary a breeze for miles. I approached the track with a dry throat and sweating bullets. The track was solid concrete all the way around. This only amplified the effects of the already searing sunlight.
I had lost all sense of time during my time on the track, it felt as though twelve hours had passed but realistically it had probably only been two. The sun was at its peak in the clear sky. Not a cloud in site for miles. I stopped sweating a few minutes ago and knew that I was slowly declining towards severe dehydration and heat stroke.
“Someone please make it stop.” I pleaded to deaf ears. Or so I thought. As the words exited my mouth, a silhouette appeared before me; a silhouette that I had wanted to see all day. Princess Luna stood emotionless and commanded for me to stop. In hindsight, going from a non-stop run to a sudden halt was probably not the smartest thing for me to do. I could feel my back legs tighten up as I collapsed on the track in front of the princess. Writhing in pain on the floor was not exactly how I wanted to look in front of Luna but fate would have me believe otherwise.
Without uttering a word, she walked behind me and began massaging my cramped muscles. It felt somewhat embarrassing yet satisfying at the same time.
“It appears that you have over-exerted yourself.” She stated bluntly.
“Really,” I winced in pain as her hooves dug into my aching legs. “I couldn’t tell.”
“I will say though, I appreciate the sense of humor.” She finished what she was doing and stood up. She dropped a canteen on the ground next to my face. “Drink.”
I gladly took the canteen and downed the whole thing without hesitation. It was colder than the ice that ran through the sergeants veins.
“That probably wasn’t a wise thing to do.”
“Just following my commands.”
“I wasn’t referring to the running, it isn’t wise to chug that much water at one time being as exhausted as you are.”
“Why not…” I was interrupted by a sudden surge in my gut as the contents of my stomach were emptied on to the ground before me.
“That is why. Just breathe and relax.” She said calmly.
I sat up and took several deeps breaths before my heart-rate returned to its normal pace.
“Can you stand?” she asked in a motherly tone.
“I can certainly try.” Cautiously, I made my way to an upright position. My legs wobbled beneath me and felt like collapsing again. Before I could hit the floor, Luna used her body to prop me up. I turned to her with a weak but sincere smile
“Thank you Princess.”
“It’s just Luna to you Nightwing.” She returned a gentle smile of her own.
“So you remember my name now.” I jokingly mocked her for mistaking me for my uncle the other night.
“Don’t forget who’s helping you right now.” She giggled slightly. It felt rewarding to make small talk, but it was a start. Certainly a start that I could be content with.
I received many confused looks as I was escorted by Luna through the courtyard. I could see guards exchanging whispers as they looked in my direction. We entered the barracks and made our way to the nurse’s quarters. Luna helped me onto a bed as the nurse approached.
“He’s dehydrated.” Luna told the nurse. She turned back to me with concern in her eyes. “Just rest for now, I shall return shortly.” I gave her a nod before she exited the room. The nurse came back with ice and more water.
I stayed in the bed for the remainder of the day. Truthfully, it was far better than doing drills all day. Luna-true to her word-returned. She didn’t stay long but she gave me an envelope before she left with implicit directions to not open the envelope until I returned home. The royal seal was plastered on the front so I knew that it was a legitimate parchment. Not saying that something personally delivered by Princess Luna wouldn’t be legitimate but I digress.
After the nurse medically cleared me, I headed home to get ready for my time of active duty. Vinyl and Octavia greeted me with a bombardment of questions regarding Luna. I told them what happened during the day. I was more concerned however, with the contents of the envelope. I took a seat and carefully opened it. A piece of folded parchment was inside. It was a letter from the the princess addressed to me.
Nightwing,
Do not worry about preparing for your shift tonight; I have excused you from your duties so that you may rest. After much deliberation with my sister and your drill sergeant, I have decided to pardon you from drills tomorrow as well. If you are wondering why I have done all of these things on your behalf, meet me at the Canterlot Café tomorrow at noon, I will explain everything. I hope that you rest well tonight and I am looking forward to seeing you; that is if you can make it on time,
Sincerely yours,
Princess Luna.
“Well, what did she say?” Vinyl asked with a playful curiousness. I slowly put the letter down onto the table.
“I have a date with Princess Luna.”
