Chapter XLI – Lessons Old and New
Somepony was nearby.
The stallion rapidly opened his eyes at the realization that stirred him up from his sleep. Ready for danger outright, as his training demanded, he swiftly sat up and checked the surroundings, pushing back the blissful lethargy of the recent, intimate indulgence. His gaze was piercing and keen already, looking for the smallest of movements or sounds to retaliate against, every hair of his grey coat standing up at the ready.
At first he could not see anypony else in the delicate shadow. Only his companion, still deep in fatigued and satisfied slumber, right by his side. She wore a calm, blissful expression and he would congratulate himself on tiring her out exceptionally, but there were other, more pressing matters than the base satisfaction of a competent lover.
Somepony was close, he could sense it just well enough. He had to be ready to strike decisively at any danger.
Like that of rapping on the glass.
Hmmm... The vulgar rhythm that some simpletons considered “musical” betrayed the presence of a very specific individual.
“Bloody spectacular,” Moonwarden groaned.
“Agreed,” himself concurred.
He sighed deeply, trying to untangle himself from legs, tail and bed sheets all at once. Not an easy task, all things considered. He levitated an indigo dressing gown his way, one that he had saved from being haphazardly discarded this morning only by sheer force of discipline.
When assaulting with and being assaulted by very, very passionate caresses, not everypony had the necessary experience and sophistication to care for the fate of clothing. Especially clothing of impeccable quality.
Having tightened the silken cord, Moonwarden grabbed his trusty monocle and affixed it accordingly before making his way to the window. Even in the state he was in it was dignity which was separating him from common stallions, after all.
Moving the curtains aside was not the most fortuitous of ideas. His bedroom was facing north, so the garish sunlight had all the difficulty getting directly in, but the evening was still young and the brightness outside was not agreeing well with the dim interior. Nor with him.
Even less agreeing with him, as per usual, was the kerchief-clad, moss green pegasus, suspended in the air just outside.
“Hiya, boss!”
Moonwarden hissed at Wobble Wink’s volume hitting him as soon as he cracked open the window. Volume duly magnified by the aftermath of wine and other excesses which made his head justifiably throb that early in the eve. He pressed his hoof to his temple, hoping that the underlying pressure of a migraine would not be a persistent nuisance tonight.
Speaking of those...
“I simply have to be amazed by the fact that for all your... improbable abilities in utilizing logic and problem-solving skills, the usage of doors still eludes you, Wobble Wink,” Moonwarden declared sardonically. “As does the knowledge of the hour I usually awaken at.”
The pegasus only grinned mockingly. “Well, boss, ya mentioned notifyin’ ya as soon as possible if anythin’ would come up. Bedroom window is closer to the actual bedroom than the front gate, nah?” he explained, causing another pang of headache to Moonwarden.
“Undeniable reasoning.”
“Besides, considerin’ how ya look, boss...” Double gave him a once-over fueled with truly coltish ridicule. “... you could have overslept! Was totally right to look for ya straight here. Foolin’ around, weren’t ya?”
Equally undeniable reasoning.
Well, it would be foolhardy to believe one could wake up after all that had been going on in that very room without some giveaway signs. A thoroughly disheveled mane, showing much more grey than usually visible, somewhat matted coat and even bags under the eyes.
Wobble Wink grinned even wider and tried to overtly leer inside, hoping, no doubt, to see even more traces of debauchery. “Ooh, I should’ve said ‘gettin’ funky’...”
“Refrain from further coarseness, Double.”
Moonwarden was not some anxious teen, fearing getting caught hiding a mare in his chambers. The state of his bed, especially considering one of the curtains hanging limply, as well as a clear sight of a long, straight tail and a hind leg, coffee and cream respectively, sticking right out from underneath the crumpled sheets were blatantly betraying the excesses.
But this was the dwelling of a noble from Trottingham, his own “castle”! Stating the obvious and paying mind to evidence of depravities was very much ill-bred. So, with a calm manipulation of the arcane currents, though it did not much agree with the headache, Moonwarden dragged the window curtains close, leaving only his tousled front half on display.
“You are old enough to know what mares and stallions frequently do in the privacy of their rooms... though I am uncertain if you are ‘adult’ enough to hold that topic in proper regard.”
Wobble Wink’s constant grin did tell Moonwarden that he was correct. The pegasus’ words even more so.
“I’m ‘adult’ enough to know that they do it not only there, boss. And I have a couple dozen happy words for it too. Words like ru—”
“Yes, yes, I am more than certain of your vocabulary, but I find my own quite sufficient and decidedly more elegant,” Moonwarden replied without even an ounce of more irritation in his voice. Still, at that very moment he decided that something had to be done about the cheek on that one. And soon. “What is the crisis of the day, then?” he attempted to change the topic.
“Two crisises, boss.”
“ ‘Crises’.”
“Criseses,” Wobble incorrectly corrected himself, but could not care less about such a nuance, nor his superior’s grimace. “First of all, Mr. Perfect was told to get a welcomin’ committee of the fanciest pointy-ends he could ‘volunteer’ and be with them at the train station in an hour or some such.”
Moonwarden huffed in a rougher way than he was used to. Well, he couldn’t have been considered young anymore and the day behind the thick curtains of his abode had been dark and full of pleasures.
So, the Crystal Princess and the Prince-Consort took the summons seriously. Understandable and unsurprising.
“I trust the second matter to be much more interesting and critical?” he but asked, preferring to avoid vocalizing his commentary. Of course, he had long ago made sure to screen his residence from prying eyes and ears with an entire spider’s net of enchantments, but simple yet time after time overlooked discretion remained the foundation of security.
“Yeah, I’d think so, boss, so if ya wouldn’t mind...” the pegasus hinted at his desire to come inside with another overt glance, eagerly trying to pierce the thick, velvet curtains.
Moonwarden shook his head with quite the firmness. “Preposterous, I am not letting you into the chamber of a peacefully resting mare,” he chided Double immediately.
And still the ruffian only sneered. “Thought it was your chamber, boss! It’s only early evenin’ too, why would she be ‘restin’ peacefully’ already?”
“Front. Door.”
Those were the only words the pegasus heard before the window closed in on him swiftly... though without a sound that would wake Moonwarden’s resting companion.
After all, he had a fulfilling day thanks to her. Even though she did not have the grace of a noble lady, nor the allure of a fashion model, that sweet architect had that sort of naïve charm of a shy and sheltered mare just waiting for a dashing stallion to sweep her off her hooves. And praise him for doing so with a clear, if sometimes strained voice.
Moonwarden doubly praised him and himself for always taking fine care of the needs of every innocent “firefly” that stepped into his parlor.
Taking a moment to freshen up his face and comb his mane at least a little, Moonwarden left his chambers and made it down the stairs of his residence. He took all the necessary time, true enough, but this evening definitely needed to be educational, as he had decided. Wobble Wink required a bit of pacing and discipline in his life, especially with his annoying, hyperactivity disorders. He could wait his due, as the first lesson.
After making sure all the necessary locks were undone and the enchantments momentarily dispelled, Moonwarden finally allowed the pegasus to enter. Not that there was a particular pleasure in it, especially when the first thing Double did was whistling loudly at the sight of the interior of mahogany and oak and ebony.
“Mad whacky place, boss. Had no idea the Princess’ pockets run so deep and you’re diggin’ right in them!”
Moonwarden locked the doors tight... resting his head on the wood for just a breath, to gather himself against the painful scolding his head was bestowing upon him.
“As it happens, Wobble Wink, I have bought, expanded and furnished this out of my own pocket, thank you very much. Her Majesty is most generous, which you yourself can surely tell, but I would not call my salary draining the last bits from the Treasury. Please do not touch that.”
He added the last sentence as a precaution, seeing the pegasus fluttering closer to the nearest glass-case.
“Not even sure what’s in it!” Double retorted, squinting his eyes, even though piercing through the crystal clear, transparent surface would not be hard for a mole.
“The brooch of Staff Tip, the semi-legendary reeve of Trottinghamshire,” Moonwarden calmly explained, approaching the cabinet himself, where a sign of office done in silver and dark serpentine rested. “A little keepsake from my family’s collection that I found inspirational and took with me when I moved here.”
“Wait, you mean the fabled ‘Sheriff’ jerk?” Wobble Wink seemed genuinely interested for once. “The one huntin’ Lock’s Key, who was robbin’ the hood there?”
What a distinctive summary.
“The very same jerk. Though, in reality, the reeve was far less heinous in how he performed his duties than depicted in folklore. True, he kept the taxation levels remarkably high and bent the rules when necessary to counteract brigandage, but all with honest belief in the greater good of ponies.”
The pegasus snickered, which sounded far louder in Moonwarden’s head than he would ever desire.
“Next thing you tell me, boss, is that Lock’s Key was a prick!”
“Who is a prick, who is a jerk, it really depends on who has the audacity to judge, generalize and simplify.”
Double huffed, his right eye jerking twice, as per usual. “Freakin’ everypony.”
“You have been called a cheat again recently, have you not?” Moonwarden actually found himself smirking, which Wobble repaid with a full grin.
“They can stuff all the names they call me, heard it freakin’ all. But you, boss!”
“What about me?”
“Your reputation and what I’ve kinda seen upstairs. Was that a simplification or generalization?” The pegasus stepped back from the display, looking about for more things to comment on later, no doubt, but continuing nonetheless. “You know what the word on some streets is? What they call ya?”
Heard it all as well.
Before replying in any way, Moonwarden pointed towards the spacious front room, hoping that it would be enough to at least direct Double towards both a “safer” location and back on track with the information he was supposed to convey.
“I do not much care for clotheslines and grapevines of little value for our work, but indulge me anyway, Wobble Wink.”
The pegasus followed the direction somewhat, still examining a rich wardrobe that he was now passing by in the hallway. Doubtlessly considering how much the ornamentation of silver and kyanite could be worth at the nearest fence.
“Well, I think the most popular expressions are ‘decadent stuck-up’ and ‘dangerous egomaniac’, even if they usually comment on the Royal Office doin’ good stuff. Oh, also that...” Double paused, then started humming a strange tune. “You’re a scoundrel, you’re a rounder, you’re a cad...”
Moonwarden felt himself scoffing. He was not some local... tramp that the mob had a right to create songs about!
He shook his head, crossing the threshold and welcomed by the encouraging sight of mahogany and splendor, including a cozy fireplace and a grand table. The remnants of this morning’s, resplendent meal were still on it, not that he felt bothered about the mess. The food served its purpose of creating great atmosphere that the day was full of.
He grabbed a bottle of Botrytized Nectar, checking if there were any contents left. Drinking was not the wisest of ideas at the moment, but to withstand the company and receive the necessary kick to start the night... a little bit of the extract could not hurt. Especially since it was simply divine.
“I suppose there are advantages to find in infamy,” Moonwarden pointed out, pouring himself a glass and only through complete oversight, obviously, not offering any of the grape wonder to the pegasus. “I much prefer to be labeled as an ambitious and decadent degenerate, as caring for only my own pleasure and revelry, than a stallion that had already weaved so many strings around Canterlot that he could strangle half of the city’s obstinacy with one pull, if Our Lady would command it.”
Wobble finally made his way to the room fully, giving Moonwarden a silly grin and still humming the even more silly melody. “All is fine and is dandy and is strangly, boss... but you findin’ advantages with Canterlot fillies is no label nor libel nor delibel...”
Moonwarden felt himself clenching the glass a bit firmer. “Would you give it a rest, Double? It is so boorish to dwell on the topic.”
The pegasus refused to back down however, grabbing a chair for himself, looking like a famished puppy hoping to get even but a scrap. And, naturally, still simpering like a lunatic. “So what exactly were you doin’ with that mare up there, huh?”
Moonwarden took a big gulp, measuring his patience and the headache with great precision. The Nectar was sweet, even if the words that left him were bitter with sarcasm.
“You find a deathly exhausted young mare sleeping in my very bed. What do you think was going on, Wobble Wink? We did crosswords all day?”
“Crosswords are rivetin’, but they don’t leave your freakin’ bed-sheets in tatters, boss! Even the nicest ones,” the pegasus retorted, leaving it open to interpretation whether he meant the nicest bed-sheets, crosswords or mares. “So, how does that work?”
“... I am not sure what are you asking about now, Double, but the more conjectures I think of the progressively worse they sound in my head.”
“An entire freakin’ herd of cute fillies must have been piecin’ away at your puzzle since I’ve started workin’ for ya. And those are no, how ya would call it, ‘paid slatterns’. So how do ya do it, boss?”
Moonwarden felt his gaze growing that much heavier. “... like a stallion?” he deadpanned. “Verily, Wobble Wink, a little diligent attention and treating a young mare with the esteem that she deserves and there is really not much difficulty in finding yourself some honest, passionate time.”
“Suppose that a couple hundred bits and a fancy title help.”
“Merely additional resources, I assure you. Never have I leaned on my status to court mares. It would only mean my charm is naught but tosh,” Moonwarden pointed out, refilling his glass.
“That’s really all? But what about the hoodoo, boss?”
“ ‘Hoodoo’?”
Double leaned back and stared at the ceiling with a smile that he, without a doubt, considered wily, though others could find repulsive.
“Yeah, the good ol’ whammy o’ yours! Mares must agree to all manner of kinky stuff when ya give them the ‘evil eye’!”
Careful now.
Unfortunately for Double, he could not hear the warning that resounded but in Moonwarden’s mind. Nor could he see his expression twisting. And so the pegasus continued, biting the side of his tongue and invoking what seemed like a sick fantasy underneath his closed eyelids.
“Makes sense! Ya do all that flirtin’ and sweet-talkin’ and whatever else. She’s all ‘tickled pink’ already, so ya can easily do more of those tickles of yours and bam! You get her here, lay back and watch the show as the lil’ minx is all over your co—”
“Slap yourself across the face.”
Wobble Wink’s hoof was faster than his last words. With a smack that surely caused a throb of migraine to both ponies in the room, it sent the pegasus from the chair and onto the floor, momentarily stunned.
Moonwarden stood up from his own seating, his argent magic lighting his horn up brightly. His gaze, aided by the trusty monocle, became likewise silver as it fixed itself straight on Double... and that little mark of magic in the pegasus’ head. One that had betrayed his nearby presence earlier this evening already.
One that had been placed there all that time ago for many other reasons as well.
Control was the better part of trust.
Wobble Wink was trying to lift himself off the floor, as well as attempting to understand what exactly had just happened. The kerchief he usually brandished was now hanging from one of his ears, loosened by the strike. It swung around when he shook his head.
“... what... what the—!”
Moonwarden’s tone was merciless.
“That... was for describing robbing a mare of her free will in the name of depravity, which is nothing short of rape. And I shall not have an abhorrent deed like that discussed or even mentioned in my house and in my very presence, even but as a warped, perverted daydream.” He flared his horn once more, the magic fueled by outrage and annoyance finally finding an outlet for them. “Again.”
“Wait, how—?!”
Another smack ringed in the room when the pegasus’ right hoof, until that moment busy with steadying his head, decided to instead betray him again.
Moonwarden’s hoof, quite the opposite, calmly and loyally lifted the glass to his lips, as he began to serenely take steps around the table and towards his insufferable subordinate.
“That... was for suggesting that the ancient and noble, if lamentably frowned upon by ignoramuses, art of mentalism should be used for such a despicable, barbaric purpose.”
“But how do you—?!”
“Again.”
Another smack, without a moment of delay or protest. Other than Wobble’s pained and panicked cry, naturally.
Moonwarden took yet another sip of Nectar and continued, unfazed by the pitiful sight of the stallion flat on the ground again.
“That... was for insinuating that I, a stallion of Trottinghamian nobility and undisputable breeding, would lack the necessary abilities and personal charm, being instead forced to stoop so low in order to have a passionate time with a sweet mare.”
“I didn’t mean—!”
“Again.”
The pegasus was trying to crawl away from his own, treacherous hoof at that point. A foolish and irrational attempt. The next smack must have only felt more biting due to that.
“That... was for advocating the most lovely mare, who I am hosting still, pleasing me in such a vulgar way. She is not a... paid slattern, as you so colorfully said, but a delicious young lady of talent and certain maiden appeal that she had most generously honored me with.”
Moonwarden actually smiled at his own words, which expression put him in great contrast with Wobble Wink’s anguished, panicked look.
“Boss, come on! I get it! I get it! Stop, whatever this is!” the stallion not begged as much as wailed, dazed enough not to know whether he should run, stay, hold his hoof with the other hoof or just give up completely. “Please! I won’t joke about it more! I’ll be a good colt!”
There we go.
He was finally granted a kind smile.
“Again.”
“N—!”
One more hit to the muzzle silenced Double completely. Other than the pained breathing, naturally. Moonwarden came close and examined both the stallion and the rich, soft carpet on the floor. One he had ordered from the very Saddle Arabia. Tears and snots would be rather damaging for it, so for the pegasus’ sake he hoped that nothing stained it.
“And that... was for not taking your due punishment like a grown stallion, but a whimpering foal.”
However, despite the lesson ending and the silver magic disappearing from around Moonwarden’s horn, Wobble Wink was not coming back to his full senses any faster. His entire body was feverishly shaking and his eyes were darting left and right like a frightened critter’s.
When he found his voice it did sound very much as if a panicked mouse was squeaking.
“It... how? How? It was like... like freakin’...”
“Do speak up, we do not have all evening.”
“... it was just like mother did it... exactly like her...”
Those words were very accurate.
“You were on the receiving end of her addiction, after all. You and your siblings.”
“Y... yeah,” the pegasus admitted, feeling his muzzle all over. “ ‘Til I got myself and then all of them out... Tartarus, I forgot how this felt...”
Moonwarden took another sip, trying to hide a grimace. Using such an amount of power for this discipline lesson was only deepening the migraine. Hopefully he could hide it well enough to finally get Wobble’s full report and then make himself presentable for the night afterwards.
“But all of it was still there. The ‘technique’, the hurt, the fear. I simply coaxed it out, with a little spell. I decided that roughing you up a little would help you concentrate on something else than lecherous idiocy and improve your irritating behaviour. Would you not agree, Wobble Wink?”
The pegasus’ head shot up. He gave Moonwarden a nasty glance and it looked like he was about to say something in reply... but met with a questioning and threatening stare the stallion decided to remain uncharacteristically silent. Only his eye jerked twice.
Job well done.
“Good colt, you always learnt quickly. Now, come on, up you go.”
After helping Double up and onto his hooves and even passing him the kerchief to hide again the storm of crimson, unkempt mane, Moonwarden pointed to one of the chairs.
“We have delayed quite enough, even if believe it was for a noble reason of setting you straight...”
And even prodded with that sentence, Double still remained perfectly silent. His twitch betrayed his irritation, but his lips remained, wisely, sealed.
Much to Moonwarden’s satisfaction. He sat comfortably and enjoyed another gulp of Nectar before speaking up.
“So... the first part of your report were the news of Princess Cadance and Prince-Consort arriving soon. I trust the second matter shall be more intriguing and urgent?”
Wobble Wink’s eye twitched again. “Well, boss... Mr. Perfect and I were hunched over those freakin’ maps ever since ya ordered us to. We compared them, studied them, checked every ruttin’—”
“Language, Double.”
“Yes, s-sorry, sorry, boss...” the stallion replied, shrinking a little in his chair. “So, we checked every r... reprehensible bush, tree, meadow, everythin’ that could’ve been interestin’. And everythin’ looks clean, they haven’t done different versions for themselves and the lumberjacks.”
“Unless Sunfall Ordain granted me a faux piece, but I highly doubt that. She seemed genuinely eager to help,” Moonwarden assessed. There was a chance he was wrong, especially considering he had not managed to access her mind, but mentalism, as he had already stated that evening, was not a crutch for him. He still had his own, honed instinct to rely upon. “Continue.”
“Sure, sure! Well, with that checked, we started thinkin’ more fancy-like. Sure, Brass was all for the idea that they are scoutin’ the forest, lookin’ for available routes. Cause no matter how mobile you are on wings, you cannot get all the supplies movin’ by air, right?”
“Logical.”
“Yeah, we thought so too! But then came this thing. Why tell the lumberjacks about the best routes if ya want to move things through them? Seemed nuts. And we decidin’ that they ain’t nuts, right?”
Moonwarden but coked an eyebrow, which Double took for both his answer and a request to hurry up.
“So, I gave it a deeper thought, boss. When you doin’ a crossword—”
Maybe the message was not clear after all.
“To the point.”
“That’s the freakin’ point, boss, hold up!” Wobble Wink protested, frantically waving his hooves. “When ya doin’ a crossword, ya are lookin’ for the unique answer to fit the spaces ya have. When ya don’t know it, ya could start focusin’ on the clue more and more and get stuck. Ya aren’t lookin’ for other answers around, that might give ya letters. Sometimes ya need to leave the first clue and then come back to it with more letters from around. And that thought gave me an idea!
“Lumberyards are performin’ better, cause the entire wood supply is transported through those paths, right? Best, safest, coolest, whatevs. Nopony would be considerin’ other routes, other ‘answers’ around, cause they are freakin’ focused on the ‘clue’! The map they’re all havin’!”
Moonwarden leaned in, believing that he could see the point Double was trying to cleverly but convolutedly annunciate by continuing his exposition.
“So, if the freakin’ bats are plannin’ somethin’, even somethin’ big, they have the entire rest of the Eastern Woods for themselves! They got us all stuck with the maps and these paths! Nopony’s lookin’ around!”
“And so they can move in secrecy, even in difficult terrain and possibly even during the day, without hindrance of any sort as long as they are disciplined and steer clear of the pathways and the logging,” Moonwarden summed it up.
He took off his monocle and pondered for a while, looking at nothing in particular for a few breaths.
“Crafty. In a way. How possible is that scenario? Possible enough. We must not take any chances. This has to be put forth. Yes, immediately.”
After exchanging these few words between him and himself, he again crossed gazes with Double.
“Solid work, commendable. Rush back to the Castle now. Get a message through to Advisor Raven. We have information that we need Their Majesties to know. We request a private audience at the earliest convenience. Princess Cadance and Prince-Consort should be present as well. I shall join you in the Office post haste.”
“Sure thing, boss!” Wobble announced eagerly and too loudly for the headache’s taste.
After letting the pegasus out, Moonwarden stood for a moment in the hallway. The day which was just ending was supposed to give him some much required respite. It had done so, yes, but the return to reality was not only painful, but began with an issue to immediately pontificate upon.
Pity. He thought he might have had a chance to savor the sweet indulgence with his guest at least a bit more. Especially with how enamored she was with his bearing and manners.
Infatuated even...
He began trotting upstairs with a sudden grimace that had nothing to do with the pain in his head.
How could a moth be satisfied with fireflies when it had fallen for the Moon up high?
***
Twilight slowly opened her eyes.
She really, really didn’t want to. That was yet another evening when she was being lulled back to sleep by warmth. That time, however, there was a far, far more significant reason for that feeling than the aftermath of a powerful potion. And not the nearby, steaming hot spring, the water of which she still remembered as marvelous and relaxing from that morning of... joy, no.
Twilight found herself waking up next to Midnight Wind, who was holding her in his hooves and covering her with one of his webbed wings, keeping her safe and secure between it and the woolen blanket. While that was something that had happened a couple of times before, waking up next to her loved one... this time she awoke next to her lover.
She couldn’t help it and felt herself giggle drowsily at this amazing realization. The memories of just some hours ago were brand new and still oh so very fresh. That... feeling in her whole body, that of fulfillment and satisfaction was a novelty... A much welcomed novelty. One that she definitely wouldn’t mind experiencing again... and often.
Hah, talk about a marked change. Only lately could she even think about the topic without an utter panic attack. But, considering what had transpired...
She hummed in joy, accepting this new outlook on some very intimate matters and snuggled into the stallion a bit more, drinking from the heat of his muscular body. She truly did not wish to move away for even an inch. This was her place. By his side. She couldn’t imagine it any better. She felt safe and... and just so happy.
Happy about life. When had it been the last time that she was just... utterly content, without a worry on her mind? At least for a brief while?
Wishing to prolong it, Twilight closed her eyes for a moment more.
She could not tell how much time had passed, but when she opened them again, she found herself staring straight into saffron irides and slit pupils.
“Good night, my light...” Midnight’s soft whisper greeted her alongside his piercing stare.
“Benu noc, iaeu dilec...” she replied sleepily, and was duly rewarded with a fanged grin and his hoof tenderly caressing her side.
“Well, look at you... If I knew that is how you can get more motivated to learn Noctraliyar, I would have tried finding an opportunity much earlier...”
The rascal. Twilight couldn’t help a little, comical pout. “Oh, so that’s what that was. ‘Motivation’. I’ll have to remember that you see such matters as but learning aids.”
“Didn’t it work, iaa dilece?” he asked, as if confused at first. Quickly though a familiar, roguish grin blossomed on his muzzle once more. “You sounded very... motivated to have me learn you some things.”
Twilight felt her cheeks reddening outright. “It’s ‘teach’ some things. A-and besides, it’s not like I was oblivious! I knew what—!”
Her voice hitched in her throat, exactly where Midnight graced her with a little, playful nip to try and silence her. Though, instead of achieving that, he just caused her to make a different sound altogether. One that the cavern had heard quite a lot of a few hours ago.
“... that’s cheating...” she murmured a moment later, trying to sound upset and failing miserably.
“Despite what had happened here, I’m still me,” Midnight let her know like the wag he was. “Your favorite, loving, fanged kad from Noctraliya...”
Twilight would continue this exchange, but... what was the point? The best thing to do was to simply cuddle to him a bit more and admit that she had found herself the best stallion in the whole world. And Midnight was happy to comply, holding her in the embrace of his hooves and wing for a bit longer, lightly caressing her coat and skin for a few, good moments.
“So... how did you find it?” he finally spoke, in a self-satisfied whisper.
A dreamy smile curled Twilight’s lips. “I will say it again, then. Do you really need to ask?”
Midnight chuckled. “Well, you know... To finally, as I think the Ekwestriyaru expression is, ‘know a stallion’ is a pretty big thing, we’ve talked about that. You must have had some... expectations after all.”
Twilight nuzzled into his chest to ponder for a moment. “Yes and no, I guess. Before, I had never felt focused on the topic... so I don’t think I’ve had any predictions on how it will take place, or feel, or anything. Though ever since I’ve, well, started seeing you as a—”
“Prime stud?”
“Midnight!” She swatted at him playfully, which he accepted with grinning dignity. “Well... yes, that’s accurate.”
“Ha.”
“Stop it, you,” she warned him, pecking him right on the nose. “Anyway... I suppose I first hoped for a proper location? You know, considering everything. Calm opportunity, without risks of being... discovered or interrupted. Nice atmosphere too, if possible...”
The stallion looked up towards the stalactites and one of the lanterns, in which the very remnants of a candle were still trying to light up the cavern in a faint, whimsical glow.
“I do hope this was sufficient, considering limited pripasi... ‘Supplies’, I mean.”
Twilight reached up to rest her hoof against his muzzle and make him look back at her. “Oh, definitely. And... all the rest, the water and... your hooves and...” she tried to praise him justly, but one, honest gaze into his eyes said more than enough, she felt. “Thank you. It was... truly the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever experienced...”
Although seeing Midnight beam at her words might have been a close second.
“Does it beat your scrolls and books?”
She feigned outrage. “How daring, Midnight Wind, to think I would pick this over a couple of hours of studying!”
He bared his fangs with glee. “So... I need to do even better next time?”
“Many, many next times,” she replied and they both leaned in to share a soft, but so very loving kiss. One that made Twilight wish to stay in the cavern for much longer, without a care on her mind or any problems to deal with.
Still, despite the indulgences and the promises... she had to ask the responsible question after all.
“I suppose it’s evening already?”
Midnight lifted his head up a little, almost as if listening to something, even though Twilight did not think he could tell the time of day by any sort of sound, especially this deep into the cavern. However, his reply was certain.
“We still have about two hours until sunset.”
Having an “inner clock” had its uses, though Twilight had to sigh at the time it was announcing.
“Truth be told, I really feel like staying in and enjoying our time alone some more, but... I understand that we should be back as soon as possible, right?”
A hiss escaped Midnight’s throat. “I’m afraid so, iau lumn. The Honored Lord gave his permission for taking you on this trip, but, considering the weather patterns, we still need to leave for the Tuarie tonight and as early as possible. We cannot keep him waiting, or abuse his... leniency.”
Twilight knew exactly what he meant, though considering the position they were in right at that moment...
“Yes... what we’ve already done here would be quite the abuse,” she stated, having in mind not only their sweet moments together, but also the aftermath. Looking down at the two of them she was almost certain there was at least one knot holding their tails together, and she would expect her mane to be an absolute mess. To mention just some of the giveaways of what had transpired!
Midnight took note of her gaze, likely thinking the same thing. Though also having a quick solution in mind. “We still have enough time to use and enjoy the pond again, you know.”
She couldn’t say “no” to that idea.
The water welcomed them gracefully, remaining silent about their recent excesses. As it turned out, the same stone step they’ve benefited from in the morning was wide enough so that they could both sit down on it, with pretty much only their heads above the faintly steaming water surface. Twilight rested against Midnight for a sweet while longer, soaking in the heat, letting all of her muscles relax. He held her close, his foreleg encompassing her back and his hoof gently stroking her side, to help her even further.
“I have to say, Twilight,” he said after a long while of just staying silent and enjoying the moment, “I found out something about myself this day.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“I prefer getting into the water on my own, rather than being thrown into it with unicorn magic.”
She kept her eyes closed, though still felt them rolling underneath her eyelids.
“Midnight, you were trying to ambush me and drag me in first. I... might have been a bit distracted and used too much power, but I was simply defending myself.”
“Defending yourself from your guardian? Why would you do that?” Midnight chuckled.
Shortly. Too shortly. Twilight glanced at him and spotted that his expression was morphed by... tension.
“Hey? Is something wrong?” she asked, sure that she wasn’t just imagining things.
The fact that he didn’t glance at her and delayed the reply convinced her she was right. “It’s... not important, iau lumn...”
She turned a bit to reach up for his muzzle. “I doubt it. What have you thought about?” she insisted with calm understanding.
He stayed perfectly quiet and still for a moment. Twilight could pretty much tell the heart in his chest pounding before he finally did find the words to answer her.
“I just... ia ecus, I didn’t want to ruin the mood. I just remembered that... that day in the temple. The one that I spent praying, sleepless.”
“When I found you in the evening? Back in the Sanctuary?”
They were heading to that very place, so she wasn’t surprised that Midnight’s mind also returned to the moment. Twilight still recalled all too well seeing the stallion locked in frantic prayers. How disturbed he was, having asked the Immaculate Moon for providence through the whole day.
With Twilight herself in mind.
Midnight took a deep breath, his gaze escaping somewhere to the side. “I prayed never to hurt you. Never to disappoint you. Ab Bogine, I recalled telling you to... to distance yourself, to save yourself from me and my... my faults.”
Twilight but smiled at his words. She guided his muzzle again that evening, so that she could once more look into his saffron eyes. “Well... I am glad that prayer the Immaculate Moon...” She bowed her head alongside him, careful of the water. “... did not answer. And happy, so happy She decided to grace us in another way. Grant us the hidden gift of hope. Hope that everything shall be alright, in the end, of we only trust in Her design.”
Midnight’s keen gaze... softened. Into relief, into gratitude. Into love. “You sound... so astonishing, when you invoke the Goddess, iau lumn.”
Twilight only smiled and sought his lips. She didn’t know why she found it so easy to choose her words, but... it felt right. The soft kiss only convinced her so.
Despite the wonderful heat of the pond and the tender moments they could have still shared, they couldn’t remain in it forever. Twilight did her best to clean her mane and soon also realized that Midnight was a very useful helper when it came to washing her back, though he needed a touch of guidance when it came to the wings, obviously not webbed like he was used to. She rewarded his diligence with a few more kisses along the process and soon they both got themselves at least somewhat more presentable.
Midnight shook off the water as he stepped back onto the rocks, his thicker coat hanging down ever so slightly. “There are some oranges in the bag I brought, we can have them as we wait to dry out,” he offered and only then did Twilight realize how hungry and thirsty she was. More than usual, which was... understandable, she considered.
“How many would you want?” she asked him, heading towards his backpack.
“Eat as many as you wish, I’ll just take the rest,” he replied with a generous smile. “I shall take care of the blanket in the meantime.”
Twilight glanced his way. An equally... understandable idea.
However, during the very enjoyable bath, she had conceived a plan regarding how much time they still had to spend in this cavern. Not that she didn’t enjoy this safe and romantic shelter. But she had to repay her beloved for all the care that he bestowed upon her today and she was ready to make it as special, in her own way, as she could. Which required them leaving, the sooner the better.
“I could help you with that, actually,” she declared just as he was leaning down. The tone she used did gather his attention as she hoped and he could see her pointing at the horn on her head. Hoping Midnight would not oppose.
Though, his first expression was very unsure. The traditional distrust towards the arcane arts ran deep.
“I mean... My light, I have nothing against your magic, I already assured you. It’s just that... using this Zgublu Poydar for such mundane activities still makes me rather... uhm... what was the word...”
“Hesitant?”
“Yes, I am very sorry,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Making yourself see at night makes sense to me in my head, but... simply cleaning?”
Twilight just smiled. She understood where he was coming from, especially taking into consideration those local scriptures she had a chance to familiarize herself with. And how could she not accept that her beloved had his reservations?
Still, that did not mean she would stop trying to succeed in her plan!
“Let me, maybe, put it like this. I have a little idea for this evening still, that I think you will enjoy a great deal. But I need to do some smaller spells first as a warm up for it. So, why not do something useful at the same time?”
She could have possibly tried casting the enchantment she had envisioned outright, but a little magical workout was never a bad idea when attempting something... experimental.
Midnight’s unsure look lasted for a few seconds longer, but finally he took a deep breath and his lips curled into a kind smile. “Is it bad of me that I both trust you and smell some sort of a trap?”
“No,” she replied with a smirk of her own, “I feel that around you often enough and it always ends in good things. Well, almost always.”
He shook his head, chuckling heartily. “To bid vere. Very well, then. What should I do?” he asked and Twilight couldn’t help but clap her hooves in glee.
“Not much, just stay where you are and don’t move.”
“Don’t move?”
She lit up her horn, not caring for his last question or the rekindled worry.
The woolen blanket that Midnight was reaching for suddenly lifted up a little in a raspberry glow, then fluffed up out of its own. With almost no delay it decided to fly into the pond and start to twist and turn in the water, like a strange, hairy snake taking a much needed bath.
At the same time, as a part of this little exercise, Twilight swiftly enveloped her own mane in the magical currents and, with but a few, precise manipulations of those, dried out every strand. Simultaneously, as she had enough concentration to do that, she picked up both hers and Midnight’s clothing, organizing it neatly to the side.
She even did her best to smooth out any creases and evict any specks of dirt from his armor. For some reason, the arcane energies were very easy for her to gather that evening. She wouldn’t believe what... had happened somehow improved her skills, but... maybe all the tension that escaped her helped in finding focus, indeed.
A moment later, the blanket emerged back from the pond and fluffed up again, every droplet of water returning back to where it belonged, leaving it perfectly dry and neat, spread in before Twilight.
Which meant that the one thing still soaking in the cavern was Midnight himself, staring in visible awe at what was happening in before his very eyes.
“Ha... alright, that is actually—”
“I said don’t move,” Twilight reminded him melodiously, now switching her attention exactly to him.
In but a blink she managed to envelop him in her magic and do the same, quick-drying treatment that she herself enjoyed. It was actually quite hilarious to see his thick coat lift for a moment, leaving him involuntarily pretending to be a mop. Especially with his long, cobalt mane spreading in all directions. A breath later Midnight reverted back to normal and, as a finishing touch, Twilight reached for the strap of grey cloth he was usually using to tie his mane with and, even creating a fancy bow out of the material, aided him in regaining his usual look.
“There! All done,” she declared, extinguishing her horn... only to spot Midnight’s very tightly closed eyes and tense stance. “... oh gosh, are you alright?”
He blinked, not moving any other muscle, to the point where Twilight really considered she had done something to him. “I... will never get used to that,” he ultimately declared, shivering a little. He flapped his wings and stretched his limbs. “You casting that eye magic of yours seems like one thing, but... it felt like my whole body was about to stand up in flames or something. All... tingly and everything.”
Twilight blushed in embarrassment a little bit. “Well, maybe I should have warned you. Spells that are so encompassing can feel rather peculiar... I’m very sorry.”
“Apology, of course, accepted,” he replied, looking all over himself and even checking his coat with his hoof. “That... was quite impressive, I have to say...” He reached up and examined his mane. “Ingenu opes. Even if magical.”
“Why, thank you. My specialty, you know,” she admitted with a note of pride as Midnight glanced at the now pristine blanket.
“Cleaning, you mean, right?” he asked with a grin.
“No. Throwing you into the pond,” she replied cheekily to which he let out a hearty laugh.
“Alright, alright. Not how I would use a great Gift like magic, but... this is very useful,” he admitted and approached. “Though it makes me wonder, iau lumn, just how much more you have planned, if this is what you consider ‘warming up’.”
Twilight, in the meantime, produced the selection of oranges from the bag, happy that they remained in good condition, even if having to wait an entire day in a humid cavern for somepony to finally be interested in them.
“Just a little something that I’m not going to reveal just yet. At least, not on an empty stomach.”
She passed him one of the fruits, which he accepted with gratitude and thirst in his eyes both.
“Well, I wasn’t planning on leaving us parchment.”
“It’s ‘parched’, iaeu dilec,” she corrected him kindly, but he only rolled his eyes.
“Wonderful, at this rate you will know Noctraliyar better than I know your speech.”
“And I will show it off ze delec,” she added with a broad smile.
Midnight’s reaction was unique, as he suddenly tossed the orange up into the air, then raised his hooves to the ceiling, sitting down in a prayer position. “Bogine, give me strength to manage with Twilight Sparkle!” he declared, before grabbing the falling fruit easily.
Twilight giggled behind her hoof. “Nice catch. But I don’t think I’m that bad, you know!”
“Definitely not, my love,” he replied with a beautiful smile... then bit into the orange sideways, surely by accident sending a spray of juice her way.
Thankfully, she was quick enough to stop the droplets in mid air with a spell and a smirk, much to Midnight’s comical displeasure.
“... that’s cheating.”
“We all have our cheats, my dear...” she responded, before taking the orange in her magic and splitting it perfectly in half, preserving all the juice, even the one squirted at her, and enjoying the meal slowly.
Midnight feigned outrage. “Look at her! So confident now! Ia daze ipe zol, ipe brazee kisite! How about you eat like a normal pony?”
“What do you mean ‘normal pony’?!” Twilight asked, trying to contain laughter.
“One that had a small picnic with oranges and nothing else that could have affected the state of the blanket.”
“Oh...” He... had a suddenly good point, she had to admit it. The wool looked literally cleansed at the moment. “You weren’t aiming for me with the juice, were you?”
“Oh, I definitely was!” he responded with a chuckle. “But I figured that if I miss you, Your Spellcasting Highness, I will at least make it look more believable like a nice meal was all that we had.”
Twilight pondered for a moment, feeling her brow furrowing. “Are you betting that somepony will try and check your bag’s contents after we return?”
“Can I bet that nopony will?” he retorted outright.
She let out a pregnant sigh. “Pessimistically fair point... Urgh, I wish we could just... stay here. Away from all of what again awaits us.”
Midnight said nothing, only stood up to move closer to her and allow her to lean against him. He covered her back with his webbed wing, again conveying clearly that she could feel the safest with him around.
“I share that dream, iau lumn. But, you said it yourself... We have hope. And our love... and Bogine Herself must be smiling down upon us. Whatever happens, we will best it together.”
“Yeah... I know,” she agreed, nuzzling against his neck. “Iae amate tu.”
The batpony chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Ia amat tue tez, iau lumn...”
Soon enough, after Midnight had secured everything in his pack and they had dressed themselves for the return travel, the cavern was left behind without even a trace of foreign presence. Twilight was following after her beloved diligently, avoiding slipping into the playful stream that was leading them out of their wonderful shelter. And although she could barely see anything at first, insisting on not casting the spell on her eyes this time, she soon enough spotted light trying to make its way through the foliage hiding the cave’s entrance.
“Kirwe...” She could hear Midnight swear under his breath. “I knew that we were leaving too early. We still have about half an hour until the Judging Sun’s sign leaves the sky...”
“No, it means we are just in time,” Twilight declared and saw his head turning. His reflective eyes shined their saffron at her in curiosity. “Can you lead on a bit further? So I can see what I am standing on, at least?”
“Oh... Very well,” he agreed, although with understandable reluctance.
She remembered what happened last time he had to endure the light of day, all the way back in Hollow Shades... or Shades’ Hollow. And considering the feeling she herself experienced, having gazed right into a hot furnace with the spell on her eyes, she sympathized.
Still, Midnight continued at a steady, calm pace. Up until Twilight could finally spot the outlines of her legs and see that there was enough space to the side of the stream to stop for a moment.
“Alright, this should be enough...” she told him. “Sit down, please.”
“You still haven’t told me what you have in mind, Twilight...” Midnight responded cautiously, taking his place and keeping his gaze safe from any glimpses of daylight.
Exactly the cue she was looking for. “Well, I decided to thank you. For everything. You’ve given me something incredible, so now it’s my turn,” she explained. “Close your eyes.”
“Al... right?” Midnight agreed and shut his eyelids... only to peek at her a second later. “You’re not going to use this chance to throw me back all the way into the pond, right?”
She giggled. “Tempting, tempting... but no, that’s not my plan.”
“Pity... I would brave that spell gallantly if it would mean spending another day like this one...” he told her, somewhat dreamy.
“Well... the day is not over yet. Now close your eyes and keep them closed,” Twilight again asked.
And since he followed her advice, she went straight into work. She hoped it would not take too long, as she could tell that sunset was closing in quickly.
Back when she had first thought of the idea of magically imitating batpony sight, the spell turned out to be relatively instinctual. After all, the arcane field on her eyes was more than capable of enhancing her vision for a day by a rather straightforward trick of replication, using elementary conjuring with a little addendum of transmutation, which lead to...
... well, one could speak for hours about how exactly that enchantment was cast, but the core concept behind it was quite intelligible.
Twilight just had to achieve quite the opposite at that moment.
Just like a while ago, she easily managed to reach for the local, wild flow of magic and gather it around her own eyes. But the tricky part was actually making it envelop her beloved’s sight with the same kind of a sheath of power, so that it both worked as intended and protected his sight. The latter was even more important to her. She couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him only because she wanted to do something nice for him in return and rushed things.
So she concentrated hard, to the point where she could feel herself biting her lower lip in focus. Slowly, meticulously and with the patience of an expert, she formed an arcane bend after an arcane bend, a tangle after a tangle, after a knot, after a splice and after a loop. With utmost precision.
It took her a good five minutes to do it all and another two to check it... then double-check it. But when she finally finished, she was confident enough to declare her success.
“Alright, I... think I’ve done it...” she whispered, taking a few deeper breaths to center herself. She spent more power on this than she thought she would need to, actually.
Midnight, despite her declaration, remained perfectly motionless, having stayed as such through the entire procedure. She could have sworn that he held his breath for the most of it.
“Are... we finished?” he wanted her to reassure him.
“Yes, we are. You can open your eyes.”
And so he did. And Twilight found herself gasping at what she saw.
Irides of deep amber stared back at her. Without the characteristic shine she was so accustomed too, they seemed to have changed their hue entirely. They looked... that much fathomless. They were dragging her in, their incredible color parted only by the slit pupils, looking like small bugs caught centuries ago in the thick resin, now to grace the gems that were Midnight’s eyes with their unique presence.
“Twilight...?” She somehow managed to hear Midnight’s uncertain voice through her awe. “... why is it so dark? What happened?”
His tone made him sound quite shaken, actually. Yet before Twilight could explain to him what she had done, he began looking about frantically and his gaze landed straight on the exit of the cavern. Even though, as she spotted, he tried to instinctively lid and cover his eyes, he stopped himself. He blinked a couple of times and his lips parted, letting out a small exhale.
Twilight saw him lifting himself up and trotting towards the evening light, as if mesmerized, his expression that of fear... and wonder. She was ready to stop him whenever it was necessary, but only loyally followed for the moment.
Midnight slowly reached out. He hesitated for a breath, shivering all over... and then parted the foliage. Letting himself be engulfed in the last sunrays making their way through branches of the thicket. Golden orange and piercing, playfully flickering through the leaves and in the stream’s whimsical flow.
Having made his way to the rocks just outside their shelter, Midnight stopped in place and Twilight carefully moved to his side, wishing to witness his expression. At first she had no idea why his eyes were moving so much to the left and right... but she soon understood that he was following the sparks constantly blinking in the running water. And his lips parted in boundless wonder.
“So... how is it, Midnight?” she inquired.
“... liyepu... ita liyepu...” he murmured, though seemingly not paying her any real attention for the moment. “Auru... i yasnu...”
Only after a longer while, when a smile of pure joy appeared on his muzzle, did he manage to wrest his eyes away from the stream and gaze at Twilight with... she could not tell exactly. There was a a sparkle of almost... childish happiness in those eyes. Wonder at experiencing something for the very first time. Something, as she realized, unimaginable to a batpony.
“Is... this how you see the world? In the light of day?”
“Yes...” she confirmed in a soft, loving whisper.
“It’s so... it’s so bright, but... The water looks so... golden and yet... It’s all so... alive...!” he disclosed his thoughts of pure admiration. He then began looking around, spotting more and more to marvel at. “The leaves, ipia... that’s the shiniest green I’ve ever seen... and the...” He cautiously stared right up, bending his neck as much as he could, taking in the oranges and reds that already taken over the resplendent blue and were soon to make room for the majestic night. “To bid... It’s... like a warm bonfire, but... there’s no pain! No punishment!” he declared. He shouted. He sang.
Twilight felt tears welling up in her eyes. To see her beloved in rapture, experiencing something that she was, perhaps, taking for granted in her life? Was there a more beautiful sight?
Midnight spun around and almost fell into the stream from all the distractions. Then he looked at her again with those amber eyes and a smile that conveyed a thousand praises. “You... can we fly up, above the trees?” he asked, aglow with anticipation.
“Of course!” Twilight affirmed with a kind laugh. “Just don’t look directly at the Sun, alright? Even our eyes cannot manage that.”
But Midnight was already flapping his wings strongly, surely only waiting for Twilight due to their mutual affection. He seemed so far gone in everything that he was experiencing, she wouldn’t have been surprised by an immediate dash into the sky.
And there, above the thicket, one could see Noctraliya slowly bidding farewell to the scorching day and welcoming the calm embrace of night. Yet still the peaks of the jagged mountains gleamed with snow, illuminated into a fiery brightness by the sunset. All the meadows and all the flowers dotting them shined as if ablaze, but safe and sound, only drinking from the last, carmine glimpses, disappearing behind the granite ranges. Conifer forests, like dark, resplendent carpets were paying their last homage to the bright, departing sign of the Judging Sun and the distant mires, turned by light’s touch into liquid gold were the last offering to the merciless goddess.
Twilight, with her own, wondrous fascination, was keenly observing Midnight, who was taking in the familiar landscape in colors he had never seen. At least, that much she could tell from his expression, his eyes darting absolutely everywhere and from his pure, unadulterated laughter.
“To...! To bid...! Ha!” he shouted on top of his lungs and the echo took his praise far into the valley below, as he quickly spun about, despite his heavy load, his dark armor deflecting sunlight gallantly. “I cannot believe this! It’s so bright, but I does not hurt! Ab Bogine! Ab...!” In his constant revolving, he faced west just as he opened his eyes.
His voice died in his throat. And all of the color escaped from his muzzle at once.
He frantically flapped his wings, his eyes bulging, his expression that of petrified fear.
Twilight was with him in a flash of magic. She positioned herself straight between him and the setting Sun, shielding him as best she could as he faced away.
“Midnight?! Midnight, are you alright?!” she heard panic in her voice.
He didn’t reply for a moment, just looked straight away from the light. His eyes didn’t appear bloodshot, so the enchantment protected them from the direct rays, but...
“Ia vide ipe... Ia vide Sewira Solee... I looked at the harsh goddess’ own sign...” he uttered in what sounded to Twilight like overwhelming trauma.
“Oh goodness, Midnight, I told you...! I... it’s my fault! I shouldn’t have...!”
“She’s glorious...”
Twilight... stopped.
“... what did you say?”
She felt her own eyes widening as he continued.
“She’s... her sign is terrible to behold, but... the majesty...! She’s the purest of flames. Pozar u aur. I would never... Bogine, Neskaza Lunee...!” He reached with his forelegs to the east, where Twilight spotted the silver disc of the Moon arriving to guard the night. “Your unworthy servant grants you thanks! Through the student of Your Sister-Goddess, the mare You bless with Your Grace as well, he has seen the impossible to see... he has seen and still sees! Uaia Mate, thanks be to You!”
Twlight... had never thought she would hear such a pious declaration in her life... and now she had not only heard it, she was the one that allowed it to happen. She didn’t even manage to react as Midnight decided to embrace her tightly. Keeping them both aloft with his webbed wings until she realized she almost stopped using her own.
“And thanks be to you, my light... my love...” he whispered. Right into her heart, which understood everything.
Twilight didn’t reply. She didn’t need words, anyway.
They simply kissed. There, up in the evening’s sky. In between the Sun and the Moon.
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It's been so long since the last update, minus a certain fic from yesterday, that I forgot what is going on with Moonwarden. I only remember that he went to Hollow Shades so I got confused when we started in Trottingham
Aaaahh!
So lovely! And the ending with Midnight’s sight! You’ve fulfilled my secret wish that Midnight could look into the light of day. 
I worried how he and Twilight would live together if both were beholden to certain times of the day and night due to eye sensitivity. Well, done. What a superb chapter!
10182856
Oh, no, his residence is in Canterlot, as he mentioned. But, yes, I admit, it has been much, much too long.
10182859
Well, I considered that, after such a long time, you all deserve something extra special. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Well worth the wait.
an update hurray! does that mean that we will see others with a little more frequency?
Great chapter! Thanks so much!
Update yeah and I loved it hope more will come soon I have so missed this one
10182935
Well, as it happens Maretonia has been mentioned officially in the show, so, like everybody about, I helped myself to a bit of canon world-building.
Also, as far as I know, "To Perytonia" is a really solid piece in its own right. 
10182967
I'm very glad you thought so.
10183139
Here's hoping! I definitely desire to continue this story and, with a wish for the real life to become less chaotic, I want to do my best when it comes to regular updates.
10183262
Why, thank you. A bit long, but I considered it a good choice after a huge and unnecessary break.
10183430
I have missed that one myself.
Ayyyy we back!
10183643
Yes, we are!
It's good to be back...
It's a crying shame he doesn't feel the same way about all the mind rape he does. And everyone knows that physical abuse to teach lessons works wonderfully and never ever backfires in the long term.
The possibility that Noctraliya is going to attempt to hide an invading army right under the Equestrian's noses is...ballsy, to say the least. They really want to go all in and present themselves as a major power rather than a theocratic hellhole a few years away from mass starvation. Although this makes me wonder what all the digging they were doing is even for. Maybe it's to make an underground highway to safely transport future harvests back to Nostraliya proper once their internal agriculture collapses.
I'm glad that Midnight has taken to magic so well. It shows that magic need not be feared by the bat pony race and that assimilation into the wider Equestrian community will be possible.
10183902
Oh, you know Moonwarden, he has distinctive, self-imposed rules. Or guidelines. I suppose it depends on who's judging.
And, yes, we are back and with all of those topics. Hoping to delve yet deeper into what I have already envisioned and am going to share in the future.
This was a great chapter and I was a bit confused by the part with Moonwarden at first but that quickly cleared up. I really loved the part with Twilight and Midnight and Twilight's trick at the end was just wonderfull.
10184355
Well, the confusion was planned.
I'm very glad that that is considered a good return of the story.
You know, Wobble Wink is almost certain to have a Nightmare tonight. If I were Luna I would be keeping a close eye on my operative’s dreams when they’re on assignment as it would be a useful method of keeping track of how a mission is going. After all an agent who has been captured and tortured is unlikely to be having pleasant dreams. I think she’s going to have a very long talk with Moonwarden when he gets back.
10184713
That is a scenario, but will it be the scenario?
Great chapter!
10184804
Glad you think so!
What a wonderful return!
I admit, I am very happy that Midnight Wind is slowly getting used to Twilight’s magic, their scene together was the cutest ever. Although the most interesting part about the chapter are the discoveries of Double and Brass….. very intriguing, I think I need to meditate on that 
10185538
I'm so, so very glad you liked it. I hope that this chapter will mark a new opening for "Journey" and that I will be able to convolute matters even more.
10185550
Oh, that sounds very promising
10185570
I honestly hope so!
Excellent as always
10185794
Thank you very much, I hope to continue in that fashion.
10183902
Yes. I made the mistake of reading that part. And since I'm starting to think nothing will ever happen about Moonwarden, I just pretend he doesn't exist. Makes the story much more enjoyable, I found.
And there are things to enjoy. A lot! For example, this chapter gave us something that was sorely lacking so far. It dawned on me right before reading it, but there are several factors that have made Twilight's character problematic, and in turn cast a shadow over the romance with Midnight.
She's an Alicorn Princess who is looked down upon and belittled again and again by the people she came to negotiate with, the Princess of Friendship who has no friends with her and never even THINKS about any of them, the Element of Magic who uses almost none of it so her special talent falls by the wayside, and adopting a faith in people she knows personally are not all that much more worthy of prayer than she is...
And all that mostly for the sake of her lover, who is not interested in her life before she met him, seems to think she's a defenceless weakling, takes for granted how much she adapts to his life and adopts his customs while her home falls to the wayside, and calls her "his light" like he owns her while she has no nickname for him so it appears like more signs of her lack of agency...
Let's just say, it was satisfying to finally see things grow more equal between them. It made me want to see their relationship go forward, together! Even if he's still convinced she needs protecting from him, as if she wasn't capaple of turning him into a fine smear on the wall if she really wanted to.
10187100
I'm very glad that you have found this chapter to be a good return and something to be excited about.
However, time and time again I find that you have very strong, very specific opinions about how the romance between Twilight and Midnight should be happening, about batponies as a race and about the other threads of the story, especially considering Moonwarden. Whilst I respect you expressing yourself or drawing conclusions (though sometimes quite subjective), I would like to, perhaps, suggest to you seeing this story as, first and foremost, a "journey". A journey about growth, change and betterment of characters and even, maybe, entire societies. Considering the scope and size of this tale, it might happen slowly, yes, but I think giving a chance to all, even a wrongful manipulator, to change, would perhaps give you more joy in experiencing it.
Sqeeee! Oh wow that was adorable!
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Happy to bring happiness.
10187100
Man, I know that Moonwarden is a character with a questionable morality, not many fans of the Journey like him, but by skipping all his parts you're missing an important piece of the puzzle.
He is trying to undercover the ploy behind the charting of Hollow Shades and to get any information about Twilight's mission.
The discoveries of him and of his squad will be presented right to the princesses, can you imagine the responsibility?
If the princesses will decide to take some action and organize a proper response to the batpony threat, it would be thanks to him.
I think that his job as a operative of Equestria is as important as the journey of Twilight
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Well... I can only try. However, I'm not sure everything I noted all this time is just a product of subjective, irrational, and limited understanding. Just saying, some of it might, possibly, reflect some actual facets of the writing.
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Skipping Moonwarden's parts is irrational and subjective, I fully admit. I do it because I despise the character so much, it kind of sucks the fun out of the rest of the story whenever he pops up. That's partly because of the format: ending with a chapter like this one here, knowing it'll take months or years of real time before any supposed growth may set in, or consequences for that matter, leaves me simply stewing in my loathing of him. So the question is always, is the puzzle worth it if it means dealing with him?
It's unfortunate that it was this Moonwarden scene I ended up reading, methinks. It's a perfect representation of why I hate his guts and want him to go away. And, just as an aside, I didn't always skip everything Moonwarden-related. It happened over the course of the story. After twenty chapters in, really.
So, really, Moonwarden has a lot of ground to cover before I feel confident about giving him a chance to change and not have it feel utterly hollow.
10187100
I agree that the parts where Moonwarden is sucking his own dick with the ferocity of a jackhammer are not easy to get through. I've got to read those sections in bits and pieces because holy shit if I had a nickel for every time I heard one of his tangents used elsewhere in fiction and the real world by psychopathic man-children too chickenshit to admit that they just like hurting people. I'm still half-convinced that Moonwarden was deliberately engineered by Celestia herself as a test to see how well Luna can handle someone who goes too far.
And didn't he threaten to hurt Princess Cadence once? With the heavy implication he wasn't sorry for doing so? Definitely something only worth making future dinner conversations a bit testy and not a sign of dangerous instability.
Also I agree that there's still a critical lack of trust and respect in Twilight's and Midnight's relationship (TWILIGHT WAS POISONED MIDNIGHT! YOU NEED TO TELL HER!) . I think it's a product of her first few days in Noctraliya when the Council deliberately made her feel as isolated and overwhelmed as possible (why else would the Council not let the full Mane Six come if not to deny her any anchors or supports?). This made Midnight overprotective in response. But that's all over. She needs her confidence back. My point from the previous chapter still stands and Midnight, the Council, the whole of Noctraliya deserves to see what Twilight can do when she's in her groove.
There's also the fact that Midnight was born in the equivalent of pony Saudi Arabia, except there's also legalized internecine warfare and the rocks brainwash you. He talks to her like any fundamentalist would talk to an infidel; belittling disguised as patronizing, and always trying to convert. He's a product of his environment, but he's also getting better. He's already gone farther than any other bat pony in trying to open himself up. Him taking so well to magic is a good step in the deprogramming process, but until Twilight can say she doesn't believe Luna is a god and Midnight still loves her with all his soul and doesn't even think about turning her over to the priesthood, this relationship has no real long term chance at succeeding.
Yesss, I had been looking forward to Twilight using her magic eye on Midnight the moment this magic was first introduced. Hah, as expected from the mare who stands as an equal between the sun and the moon, for what else is a twilight sky but the bridge between day and night?
The gift of sunsight was a very nice scene. I wonder what the reaction would be if it became widely known by Thestral society... probably a fiveway schism between it being divine providence or an abomination and everything in between.
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I have to say, I was so satisfied when I saw your suggestion all the way back, as that was exactly something I had planned at some point. And I think, considering Midnight's reaction, it was a good choice.
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I don't think Midnight will just go about and spread the word, but I presume the reaction would have been quite extreme! Good to see you around the story again, friend.
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I think you'll find that out in the next chapter
upon this last chapter, All I can think of is "I fell into a burning ring of fire, I went down, down, down and the flames went higher, and it burns, burns, burns!"
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I hope it's a good flame! You've raced through the entire tale, my friend!
10192759
Yes, well I did read the entire harry potter series in under a month
edit: on a side note I am rooting for the moonwarden to confess his true feelings to luna some time in the future. (although Luna probably already knows, to be fair)
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Well, I welcome you to this side of the Moonwarden debate.
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Will I? I don't know. And I must confess, I'm a bit wary. After this 10187137, it almost feels like I'm asked to just absorb and not think about what I'm reading.
I honestly don't know what it is I'm supposed to be doing anymore.
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I'm not saying "absorb and don't ask questions", as that seems to be exactly what you are trying to fight against, especially coming from batponies.
I'm saying – take a moment, look past what's obvious, misinterpreted or faulty. Let the characters be themselves, make wrong choices, fall short of the ideal. Enjoy their downfalls or cheer for their successes.
Far away from our expectations, from our world and our moralities, many journeys continue. Those stories are not worth less just because they step away from a personal paradigm.
Having binge-read this over the course of the last week (more, like, last week's nights—who needs a sleeping rythm anyway?), I'm very happy with this. I had fun and I'm intrigued.
I cannot help but wonder, though: If they are so concerned for Twilight's wellbeing, why don't the other princesses simply send her a letter? It's not as if Luna doesn't happen to have a full contingent of batponies capable of being couriers at her disposal.
10201675
Take into consideration that Celestia just came back and Luna never before used correspondence with Twilight. So, if a decision shall be made, it shall be made right about now, indeed.
Also, I'm very joyous you've found my tale pleasant and engaging.
10195272
Okay. That's reasonable. I will try. I can't promise I will completely change how I read and react, because to me, yelling at the characters is part of the fun. I do it too when watching movies. I usually watch movies by myself.
Though let me note that part of why I hammer Princess Twilight's passiveness and her seeming little regard for her friends and her Special Talent again and again is because the longer it goes on, the more it feels like the character is drifting away from how she's in the source material—and I'm not sure the situation presented truly warrants it. It becomes an issue of characterisation rather than character, and not just for me, there are others who noted similar worries.
Allowing some room for things like I mentioned, for letting her share of her friends and her homeland, letting her explore magic, letting her problem-solving nature shine through, and most importantly letting it happen on-screen(!) is immensely helpful. It happened with magic this chapter, and I praised when it did; it's much more impactful than having a single line about how she tells the batpony children about her friends back home for several hours. Show versus tell is still in effect for me there, I'm afraid, and I would not be surprised if that's true for others.
Besides, the outside view of the batponies regarding Equestria has fascinating potential, but that's neither here nor there.
Just, please think about if you're giving Twilight enough room to be Twilight?
10202828
I feel like I should make my agreement heard on this case, so it doesn't look like this is a personal crusade of yours.
I agree with most of your points except Moonwarden. I feel like I can tolerate the annoyance, since it seems like it's part of the character and there's an obvious path for him to grow. Contrast that to Twilight, an estabilished character, who seems to be sinking into this void rather than growing as a character. Makes me feel like the story had to bring her growth down so it could raise her up alongside Midnight. And that doesn't sit right with me.
But I will reserve most of my rant once the direction the author has in mind is clear. Right now, he could still explain away some of these issues and have a satisfying ending. This journey isn't over.
But goddamn if I won't rant if he puts me through an emotional rollercoaster just to end this without addressing (canonically) any of the issues raised.
Also, another thing: when wrong choices aren't adressed as wrong in the story, a reader will assume the story is viewing them as not wrong. Imagine you have a main character kill another. Then, the main character does not suffer for this, no consequences fall on them, hell, they might even be praised. Then at no other point is this seen as a bad thing in-universe or called out. That means the story is treating that death as, at least, not a bad thing. And that's fine! If the character that died was a villain, you got your happy ending. But, imagine that character was the main character's best friend, who had done no evil whatsoever. Now, you have an alienated viewer, who doesn't know if the author realizes that, to us, that death was a bad thing and the story isn't treating it as such. Mind, I'm not advocating that the story should be holding our hands and showing everything that's right and wrong, but even the most obscure messages should be noticeable, otherwise they're simply non-existant.
See Twilight: it would be nice to have someone there to contrast her increasingly passiveness. Midnight could've worked, but he is fitting a different role at the moment. And now we're left with a Twilight whose passiveness hasn't been called out, has no contrast, has no trigger to make her change. I'm assuming the story is treating this passiveness as not-a-bad-thing. Which, while a fair path to take, is one I don't find healthy.
10203202
Sometimes to make a leap, one needs to take a step back.
I, of course, take those words under consideration. Perhaps the path of growth I've chosen for Twilight is not as crystal clear as sometimes desired. But I hope that what I am envisioning will, in the end, speak in its favor.
For all my griping, I feel I should also say that the sheer amount of work you put in to breathe life into the Bat Pony society is amazing and commendable both.
10231373
Thank you very much, I sincerely appreciate that. I hope the next chapter (that I'm still polishing) will be to your liking.
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