Every Prince Deserves a Princess

Many things happened in that moment, none of which I am particularly proud of, or fond of mentioning. First, and for the first time since the previous day, I screamed with such a high pitch that I could have been mistaken for a filly. Second, and immediately afterward, I sat bolt upright in bed, tangling my legs within the sheets as I flailed in sheer desperation to find an escape, only to end up on the floor for my efforts. The hard marble knocked the wind out of me as I crashed onto my back, all breath stolen as I stared straight up through the utter blackness at a pair of strange, glowing eyes. Finally... well...

I scrambled to my hooves with another scream, slipping a bit as a puddle formed beneath where I had been lying. I closed my eyes, lowered my head, and ran as quickly as my legs could carry me, my dampened thighs swishing as I barreled through the bedroom door, knocking it clear off its hinges. Whatever monster had decided to visit that night followed, close on my trail. I couldn't help but feel as though it was toying with me, and had my pursuer willed it... I would have been long dead.

"Oh come along, Vladimir. It's only Cadance. Stop running, and I'll gladly show you proof," the voice sang, chased by an icy laugh that made the fur on my neck stand on end. I continued to sprint, chest and lungs heaving as I slid into the hallway, trying to find help.

"Auntie Celestia! Auntie Luna!" I bit my lower lip, unwilling to believe I would stoop to such lows. "...Shining Armor! Anypony, help! T-there's a monster!"

Stupidly, I spun in my place in the hallway outside my room, frozen to the spot in sheer terror. The only sound remaining was my labored breathing, and the chattering of my teeth as I danced in place from hoof to hoof, unable to do anything. The pursuer had either fled, or was planning something...

Just as things seemed they couldn't get worse, it happened. The nearby wall-mounted candle's flame flickered, growing dim in an unseen wind.

"No, no, oh please no... in the name of The Sisters, d-don't..."

It was far too late, as the flame was snuffed out in its entirety. Its brother on the opposite wall soon followed, each set of candles extending down the hallway extinguishing in pairs, as though on a timer. I opened my mouth to scream once again, but found that my throat was far too dry, and my heart had stopped as the length of the hall faded into complete blackness. With nothing else coming to mind, I closed my eyes as tightly as I could. It made little difference.

"P-p-p-please d-don't kill me... I-I never meant any harm," I begged, shrinking down as I began to cry. "I-I'll donate! I'll do community service! I-I'll give you anything you want! Just go away, and let me be!"

Minutes, or seconds... hours passed as I stood there, sniffling as quietly as I could, my flank meeting the floor as I gave in to whatever beast lurked within the shroud of the dark. I had given up all hope of salvation, when a cold, bitter voice sliced through the blackness like a surgical knife.

"There is nothing here. Rise."

The voice did little to reassure me as I opened my eyes and looked about, seeing only faint pinpricks of light in close proximity. My mind soon caught up with my racing heart, and I heaved a sigh of relief as I pulled the much larger mare before me into an embrace, earning myself a disgusted scowl.

"Auntie Luna! You saved me!" I squeezed her thin frame tightly, sputtering a bit as she flapped her wings, getting feathers in my mouth while she pulled away as quickly as possible.

"Unhoof me! Stand up, dust yourself off, and... did you soil yourself?"

I blushed hard, praying that my auntie couldn't see through the darkness. Naturally, she could.

"...you are disgusting. Whatever fear you are fleeing from is long gone. Come." Luna immediately spun on her hooves, walking with her wings flared. Each pair of candles reignited as she passed them, bathing the stone and tapestries in the warmth of light that seemed so foreign around her. I simply sat and watched, dumbfounded by her directness and strange behavior.

"Come," she repeated, still walking away to parts unknown. I didn't need to be told again, and quickly scrambled to my hooves to walk at her side, refusing to meet her eyes.

"...where are we g-"

"My room. Move quickly and quietly, lest we be seen." The large alicorn nodded sharply to herself as she spoke, offering me nothing more. I trotted in silence for only a few steps, unable to resist the urge to question her.

"But... why? You said I was dis-"

"You are."

"Then why assist m-"

"Celestia has informed me that I am obligated to love you. Do not push my tolerance." Luna finished her statement with a snort, and I found my hooves an inch off the floor in reaction before I returned to the plush carpet below. The lump in my throat that had been idling for the past half hour went down as I swallowed hard, only to redouble as I nodded with a whimper.

The long, thundering noise of the doors to the Royal Chambers opening was always impressive, but it held a greater gravity when the act was done in the dead of night. The low tone almost seemed to serve as a reminder from Luna herself as to how much I owed her for this, and given that we hadn't encountered anypony in the halls, I was indeed grateful, for once. I started toward the Royal Baths, doing my best to hide my shame, though I didn't get far. After only one step, a giant blue wing shot out before my face, signaling me to stop. I was in no state to argue.

"You may use my facilities, but I will accompany you. Nothing untoward is allowed within."

I couldn't help but wonder what she meant by such a statement, but decided not to comment as I dragged my hooves toward a large set of doors. One was painted black, a white crescent moon inlaid upon the center, while its twin was white, with a bright yellow and orange sun as its focal point. How original.

"Are you incapable of even opening a door for yourself?"

I looked up and to the side, my tired eyes meeting those of my aunt. I had hoped that the weariness would perhaps catch her off guard, and draw out the apology I so clearly deserved. No such luck befell me.

"Move."

The doors opened easily under the pressure from my hoof, their constitution rather frail, despite the solid stonework. Inside laid a place that I had only visited any time in the recent past within my memories. The Royal Baths were elaborate, heavy in their usage of gold and sapphires as decor, and absolutely befitting of my splendor. The sight lifted my mood quite a bit, and I found the facilities to be better than I had remembered them. Auntie Celestia used to wash me within these very walls when I was but a colt, though when I came of age, I was forced to use my own room. My bathroom was grand... but this was absolutely something else.

I lowered my body into the warm water as slowly as I could, making sure to test the temperature with a hoof before I had even dared to consider it. Once the surface touched my belly, an unseen force rocketed my body forward, sending me face first underwater. Trails of bubbles danced for the surface as I whipped my head back and out of the water, gasping for air as the sounds echoed about the cavernous room, only to be met with an unfamiliar chuckle. As I turned to investigate the source of the noise, disbelief rose up to match my level of shame.

There, at the water's edge, stood Luna, her hoof still raised from a well-placed kick. She had a wing tucked beneath her mouth as she laughed, though the noise was quite short-lived.

"That was for approximately half the populace of Canterlot."

I sat in the water, mouth agape. How dare she...

The insolent, azure cow began to walk along the rounded edge of the tub, her short expression of mirth long gone as her face once again held the most serious countenance I had ever had the displeasure to behold. "You are alive."

Unsure how to take the statement, I simply nodded. My hoof reached out to grab at a poof, dark blue and with a black cord. Clearly, it was hers... and she didn't stop me, too busy keeping her eyes upon the edge of the basin. Oh, what sweet revenge I would have.

"Good. I searched the area around you, and found nothing out of the ordinary. Nopony can escape me under cover of darkness, Nephew."

We were well on our way to a full-blown conversation. The day had continued to get ever stranger, with no end in sight bar the dawn itself. I furrowed my brow, placing a generous portion of shampoo upon the poof before I brought it down beneath the water, and straight to my nethers. Oh, how I hoped she would next use it to scrub her face.

"Are you sure, Auntie? I saw a set of eyes... like your sister's, but wrong. They glowed in an unnatural fashion, a-and the pupils w-"

"Weren't there. There were no eyes, as there was nopony there. Stop spouting foolishness."

Luna stopped and shuffled out of her shoes, letting the diamond glass clack against the polished floor as she unlatched her necklace. The obsidian tiara atop her mane stayed put as she lowered herself into a nearby basin, separate from my own. The pool of stars descending from beneath the artifact rested atop the water in a curious fashion, giving the illusion of a small night sky just above the bathwater. Though I didn't use the word often, I had to admit that it... and she... was beautiful.

"...yes Auntie."

"Do not call me that. Save your false saccharine words for my sister. I am Princess Luna to you."

I only nodded, my eye twitching as I continued to rub myself with the poof, making sure I was good and clean before bringing it back up above the water.

"Yes, Princess Luna."

She heaved a heavy sigh, looking down at the surface of the water for several long moments, seeming to study it. Part of me wondered what she saw, though I thought I had a fairly decent idea. Her eyes never left the liquid below as she spoke.

"...I can sense the fear in your voice. You are truly frightened for your life."

Normally, I would never have played her game... but a blanket of unease was so firmly wrapped about my entire body that I reached out for any form of comfort or contact, even if it was to be a slap.

"Y-yes, Aun... Princess Luna..."

A long, uncomfortable silence reigned as I washed the rest of my body, with Luna simply sitting in the water, her eyes closed. I had no idea what was running through her mind, though she seemed to be at peace. I couldn't say the same... not even close. My mind was racing with thoughts that I could not even categorize properly- Cadenza, myself, Moss, my aunties... it all became a blur.

"Nephew." My head snapped up to meet her eyes, which were now fixated upon me in the creepiest way possible. I couldn't help but wonder if she knew I was once again rubbing myself beneath the water. "You may stay with me tonight, for your safety. It is the right thing for me to do."

For the umpteenth time, my mouth was agape, though I didn't dare question it. "Y-yes. Thank you," I stammered, simply happy to have somepony else near me in case that showed up again. I rose out of the water and concentrated, my horn springing to life with a soft blue glow as a towel floated toward me from across the room. I stepped out of the water and began to dry, the poof alongside me in the air as I gave myself a thorough rubdown.

"...my poof, please."

I froze, the towel sliding along my foreleg in its final pass as she spoke the words. I could have warned her. I could have explained and apologized, or pointed out that I had just used it. Instead, I floated it to her without a second thought, resisting the urge to burst with laughter. The midnight alicorn nodded her thanks, and it was all I could do but to turn and hide my smug grin as the sounds of her beginning to wash echoed throughout the room. I offered the staccato rhythm of hooves to join the symphony as I headed for the door, very satisfied with myself.

Payback's a bitch.