Chapter 1: A Nighttime Encounter
I live the life of a prince; a beautiful wife, adoring subjects, a castle… however, there’s a second side to it all: Music.
As a colt, I’d always stay up late to watch the night sky above me, shimmering with the light of a thousand stars… even more, perhaps. It had
intrigued me on just how beautiful the night could be, and that… that led me to my closest love, Luna, the Princess of the Night.
Luna had always held feelings for her sister; especially so after her release from the clutches of Nightmare Moon’s corruption. Every day, she
would weep upon the balcony, summoning up the Tantabus in her own dreams to punish herself for her misdeeds.
It was saddening to watch the mare beat herself over her own wrongdoings each and every day, and as each cycle of punishment passed, I grew more and more impatient. Didn’t she already punish herself enough? Wasn’t being accepted so easily into society a settling point in her internal feud?
I could no longer take it, watching the Princess’ distressed tears each and every night as she wept upon her balcony. Me, being a simply a lowly DJ at the time, was naturally refused upon my request to meet the Princess. After all, Night Court had been cancelled for the past several weeks.
However, despite the setbacks that kept me from meeting the Princess, my time eventually came. I was strolling the streets of Canterlot, idly whistling the latest tune as my gaze passed over numerous storefronts, closed for the night. I heard wingflaps overhead as I turned the
corner, and found myself face-to-face with the Princess.
“Who art thou?” she had asked, her voice fluid and vibrant, “Who is this pony who treads the roads in the dark of the night?”
I shrugged in return. “My name is Winterborn,” I replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my princess.”
“And why dost thou lurk thy streets?” she had continued. “We...I do not know of your intentions, Winterborn.”
Naturally, I could tell that the princess was still adjusting from Old Equish, but I pushed on, determined to help her in any way I could.
I gestured to the saddlebag of equipment I carried, noting that I was simply returning to my home after a recent party I had been hired for. The mare, frankly, had been apparently surprised by the idea that the night was a time to celebrate, for she had, ingrained within her mind for many centuries, believed that her fellow ponies merely spent the night sleeping, foregoing the dazzling night sky she had constructed for them.
She poked and prodded at my equipment, which I had proudly displayed for her -- right on the street, even. However, the Princess didn’t appear to mind one bit, as she systematically browsed through each piece of gear. Multiple times, she had paused upon a particular object or two, turning to me in expectance of an explanation. As the night grew longer, however, I found myself itching to return home, and so I offered
the Princess a performance, right then and there.
To make it short: she loved it. Even though it lasted only a couple minutes, I could clearly see the Princess from behind my stand, moving her body to the beat.
“Enjoying yourself?” I asked with a smirk, turning the volume up ever so slightly.
The Princess ignored me, opting instead to continue her own little dance routine, however strange her swaying motions seemed to my contemporary eyes. I, personally, was enjoying myself as well, using the moment as a chance to try a new mix before presenting it to the public.
We separated soonafter, with me returning to my dwelling, and her continuing her nighttime duties. This would only be the first of many encounters between us.