The Author and The Guard
The Author and The Guard
Tucked away into the corner of the Canterlot Barns & Royals sat a small table surrounded by a stack of books and a black coated Pegasus sitting behind it. A coal black fedora sat atop his head and a maroon colored tie added a bit of color to his overall look. His blue eyes drooped as he leaned his head on a forehoof in a bored manner. Behind him sat a large piece of posterboard displaying an oversized version of a book covering showing a gray coated griffon also wearing a fedora and a pair of goggles holding up a jewel encrusted flower with the message reading, “Come Meet Blackbird, Author of Grey Griffon and the Ruby Rose”.
Unfortunately, it seemed very few ponies wanted to take that offer. The weary author sighed and shifted his head to his other hoof while he tapped the desk with the one had just freed. He cast a sorrowful glance over to the green earth pony standing next to him.
“How long have we been here?” he asked.
“About an hour and a half,” the other stallion replied.
“And how much longer do we have to go?”
“About two hours,” he said, checking his watch.
Blackbird groaned and planted his face down on the table.
“I told you this was a mistake,” he muttered.
“Oh cheer up BB, you’ve had some ponies show up,” his friend comforted him.
“Yeah, five!” he shot back, picking his head up again. “And I’mstillnot sure if that one was a pony or not! She was a walking ball fluff that just gasped and stuck her tongue out at me!”
“But shedid seem to enjoy the book,” the other pony countered.
“Oh come PR, you’re my agent you’re suppose do to help with stuff like this!” Blackbird groaned. “I mean I’m five books in at this point and thisis the reception I’m getting!”
He gestured to the customers going about their normal shopping day and barely casting a curious glance in his direction.
“I know, I know,” PR sighed. “But that’s exactly why these things are so important. You gotta get out there and meet the public. Let ponies know who you are and what you’re doing.”
“What I am is a mediocre author who’s wasting his time,” Blackbird sighed, laying his head on the table again, his long goatee sprawling out over the smooth wood.
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad. You’re getting to do what you love and make a living off of it,” PR tried to cheer him up.
“Yeah just barely!” Blackbird pointed out.
“It’s still more than some ponies can say,” the earth pony pointed. “And...well I was gonna wait until later to tell you this but you really look like you need some cheering up.”
“Gee what was you first clue,” he muttered.
“Look I’ve been in contact with A.K.’s agent for awhile now and-” PR started but Blackbird cut him off.
“A.K.? You mean like...A.K. Yearling?” he asked, his excitement already starting to build.
“Yes. That A.K.,” the other stallion nodded, a large smile on his own face. One he had to control as he continued. “Now it’s nothing official yet, but I might, might, be able to convince her to slip Grey into her next novel as a cameo.”
Blackbird’s eyes went as wide as saucers and his wings popped up in excitement.
“Are you kidding me?!” he shouted, finally earning some attention from the store’s patrons.
“Whoa, whoa calm down, calm down,” PR advised, waving his front hooves to get him to sit back down. “It’s nothing definite yet. After all you know how picky A.K. is with her writing and who she works with. In fact I’m not sure if she’s worked with anypony so far.”
“Still just the idea is...just...WOW!” Blackbird shouted. “Maybe this won’t be so bad after all!”
“That’s the spirit!” PR said enthusiastically.
“Yeah! Now let’s greet these fans!” the black Pegasus cheered.
Sadly, his new found confidence soon faded as another twenty minutes ticked by without a single soul stopping buy for an autograph or even to say “Hello”. Slowly but surely he slouched in his seat until his face was again resting on the table with his forehooves crossed over it. He let out another pathetic groan as his tail waved slowly back and fourth behind him.
“Wellthat didn’t last long,” PR sighed.
“Shuddup,” Blackbird mumbled.
“Um, excuse me Mr. Blackbird?” another voice gently asked him.
“Yeah?” he asked back, lifting his head a bit.
When his vision cleared his hooves he found a pair of bright purple eyes staring back at him. Eyes set in a very pretty blue face framed by darker blue bangs that hung loose from hear mostly tied up into a ponytail. All topped off with a big, excited smile pointed right at him. He let out a surprised squawk then fumbled up to a straight position again, fidgeting with his hat and tie to make sure they were proper position then straightened out his goatee and mustache.
“Yes. That’s me. That’s definitely me. How can I help you?” he asked a bit hurriedly.
“I was hoping you could sign this for me,” the mare asked, pulling a book from her saddlebag.
As she did, he couldn’t help but notice that her tucked in wings appeared bat shaped rather than the usual bird shaped ones he and most pegasi had. Any question he may have had about them was banished from his mind when he saw the book she set on the table.
“Oh wow. Grey Griffon and the Caves of Despair,” he read aloud. “The very first Grey Griffon story I wrote. Not many ponies bringing this one by today.”
“Yeah well I’ve been a big fan of yours very sense this book,” she confessed. “In fact that’s a first edition.”
“Sadly they’re not that hard to come by but still I appreciate you enjoying my stuff so much,” he said before he pick up a quill with his mouth. “So who should I make this out to?”
“Moonie, please,” she replied.
“‘To my biggest fan Moonie, thank you so very much. Blackbird’,” he said aloud as he wrote. “Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect!” Moonie cheered as she gleefully took the book back.
She paused for a moment before she spoke up again.
“Um...if it’s not too much do you think you could sign something else for me?” she asked sheepishly.
“I assure you it is no trouble at all,” he replied with a grin.
She then pulled out a black and white photo of him from the neck up sporting the same mustache/goatee combo he had now but without his signature hat or tie and with much more bushy hair as opposed to the straighter, longer hair he was sporting now.
“Oh wow. Again!” he remarked, looking at the old picture. “My first head shot! Now this is hard to come by!”
“Especially since I thought we got them all recalled,” PR commented.
“It...did take me awhile to find it,” Moonie admitted. “I hope that’s not too...stalkerish.”
“Trust me, I don’t think he’d mind even if it was, PR joked.
“Hey! I can speak for myself,” Blackbird defended then turned back to the bat pony. “And no, I definitely wouldn’t mind that if they were as cute as you.”
“Oh. Well. Thank you,” Moonie stumbled, as she looked away to hide her blush.
Blackbird winked at her before writing out another message and sliding the picture back to her. She eagerly scooped it up in a forehoof and read the inscription.
“‘To the cutie Moonie, thank you for all the support. Your flattered author, Blackbird’,” she read then looked back up at him beaming. “Oh thank you very much!”
“You’re welcome. And thank you!” he said back.
“Well. I...I guess I better get going! Bye and thank you again!” Moonie said once again before she turned and walked away.
As she trotted off, Blackbird couldn’t help but notice her Cutie Mark of a full moon shinning over a pond on her flanks that he was staring at rather...intently. As he watched her long tail swish from side to side a rather crazy idea crossed his mind. One he would do best to ignore and not press his luck but it seemed the rational part of his brain wasn’t working at the moment.
“Ah what the heck,” he muttered to himself before he called out, “hey Ms. Moonie!”
“Huh?” she asked, looking back at him.
He then launched himself out of the chair and gentled floated down next to her.
“You, uh, want to go get some lunch?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
“You mean, like...a date?” she asked, her own nervousness creeping in.
“Well we don’t have to call it a date. It could just be two ponies going out to get a bite to eat. Or more appropriately a...sorta, kinda famous author buying lunch for his biggest fan as a way of saying ‘Thank you’.”
“I...I think I can do that,” Moonie said, brushing a stray bang away from her face.
“Great! Hey PR, mind the table for awhile, will you?!” Blackbird called out to his agent.
“But we have this spot for another hour and a half!” the earth pony called.
“Like anypony is gonna notice!” he waved off then turned back to Moonie. “Shall we?”
“Yes, we shall,” she smiled at him.
He returned the smile before the two walked closely out of the store. As they walked down the street they made some small chit chat about the day and weather in between bouts of awkward silence. Eventually they found something to talk about when they noticed they were standing outside of a fancy looking restaurant.
“Oh hey! We should eat here for lunch. Look nice and impressive,” Blackbird commented.
“I should say so. Les Snootai is one of the most exclusive and expensive in Canterlot,” Moonie pointed out.
“Sounds perfect then! Let’s go!”
The blue bat pony paused. “Are you sure? I don’t want to you to go to any trouble on my account.”
“Oh it’s no trouble at all,” Blackbird reassured her.
“But I’m not even sure if they’ll have table available,” Moonie said.
“I’m sure they can make room for a famous author such as myself,” he said a bit smugly as he straightened his tie.
He then held the door open for her so she could go first then quickly slipped inside himself and walked up to the podium behind which a finely dressed unicorn glared disdainfully at him.
“Sorry, we’re all filled up right now,” he said in a rather snooty tone.
“But I haven’t even said anything yet,” Blackbird countered.
“Yes, I know. But we’re still full right now,” the unicorn repeated.
“Are you sure?” the black Pegasus asked, leaning on the podium. “You don’t even have room for the author of the Grey Griffon series?”
The host quirked an eyebrow at him. “Who?”
“You know? Grey Griffon? Hard boiled detective/adventurer? Written by me, Blackbird? I’m the author. It’s a...mildly successful series.”
“Never heard of either of you so we’re still full,” the host replied, now sporting a slight smirk.
“And what would you say if I told you I might be working with A.K. Yearling on one of her up coming books?” Blackbird pressed.
“Then I’d say come back then and we might have a table for you,” the unicorn repeated.
Blackbird narrowed his eyes and growled a bit.
“Fine!” he snapped. “I guess my lady friend and I will take our business elsewhere! Good day sir!”
“Yes I’m sure we will be missing out on your charming company,” the host retorted.
“I said good day!” Blackbird said quickly before he and Moonie left. He sighed and looked over at her. “Sorry. I was hoping to impress you with my clout but it turns out I am cloutless.”
“It’s fine. I know a much better place to eat anyway,” she told him.
( - ) ( - ) ( - ) ( - ) ( - ) ( - )
Soon the duo found themselves sitting in a corner both of the local Hay Burger surrounded by screaming foals and their tired parents. Despite his usual love for the fast food restaurant, Blackbird couldn’t help but sigh as he looked down at his Hay Deluxe.
“Not exactly the best first date ever,” he mused.
“So it is a date?” Moonie asked as she balanced her own burger in her hoofs.
“No! I mean...maybe? Would you be upset if we did call it one?”
She blushed and looked away again. “I...wouldn’t be against the idea...”
Blackbird smiled softly and titled his head in thought. “Maybe we could go it a proto-date until we can actually get into a fancier place than this.”
“No it’s fine. I really don’t mind this place. I get enough of that kind of food working for Princess Luna,” Moonie said off hoofedly.
Blackbird’s eyes widened and he spit out the soda he had been drinking.
“You work for one of the princesses?!” he shouted in disbelief.
Moonie chuckled nervously and looked away from him.
“Well...yes. I...I hope that’s no intimidating or anything,” she remarked.
“Not at all! I think it’s pretty cool actually!” he remarked. “So Princess Luna, huh? I guess that worked out well cause of your name and Cutie Mark.”
“Yeah that was a pretty happy accident,” she smiled. “It also helps that I’ve always been a bit of a night owl and loved looking up at the moon. Which is why...” she motioned to the full moon part of her Cutie Mark.
“Pretty much the same thing here. I mean the passion bit. I’ve always liked writing and so...” he pointed to his own Cutie Mark which was a bird writing on a scroll with one of it’s own feathers. “Never was sure about the bird part though. I figured it had something to do with my name,” he shrugged.
“I think it looks nice,” Moonie complimented.
“Thanks,” he said before he took a bit of his wheat fries. After he finished them he looked her over again and the new information put another question in his mind. “Soooo...working for Princess Luna...is that why your wings are...?”
She blinked then lifted one of her bat like wings reflexively before quickly tucking it back in a bit self consciously.
“It’s...a long story,” she replied uneasily.
“Oh. Sorry didn’t mean to embarrass you, I was just curious,” he quickly corrected himself. “I have a habit of sometimes saying things before I think. Actually I usually do that.”
“No it’s fine,” she reassured him.
“So what is it like working for the Princess?” he asked.
“Honestly? Mostly boring,” she confessed. “I mean it’s peaceful and all but since most ponies still don’t like to stay up too late there’s not much to do around the castle. So I usually just read and sketch. That’s how I got into your books.”
“Oh so you’re an artist?” he questioned.
“Kinda. I mean I’m not professional or anything but I like to think I can do okay.”
“Do you have any of your sketches with you?”
Moonie paused and looked down at her saddlebags lying on the floor unsurely. After a bit of an internal struggle she finally gave in with a shrug.
“Oh what the heck?” she remarked then hefted the back onto her lap.
She flipped the latch open with her nose then rummaged around inside for a bit before finally pulling out a large sketch pad with her teeth. She then set it on the part of the table top not already occupied with plastic trays and slid it over to him. Blackbird smiled gratefully at her trust in him then flipped opened the cover with his own nose then went through the rest with his hoof. Most of them were well done sketches of landscapes, the moon and the castle from above with a few pony portraits here and there. But what really caught is eye was a romantic drawing of two very familiar looking characters.
“Is that Grey and Ms. Mayfeather to together?” he remarked, quirking an eyebrow a bit.
This time it was Moonie’s turn to spit out soda in surprise.
“No! I mean yes! I mean...it’s...it’s just a little thing I was messing around with,” she confessed, her cheeks going purple from her deep blush.
“Actually it’s fine,” Blackbird reassured her. “I’ve been toying with the idea of putting them together for awhile now. I’ve worked in a bit of romantic subtext between the two for that reason. Still not sure if I want to do it or not.”
“Oh please do! They’re sooooo cute together!” Moonie gushed, clapping her hooves together.
He chuckled at her enthusiasm.
“Well who am I to turn down the wishes of my biggest fan?” he retorted then started to flip the page. “Now let’s see what else is in here.”
Moonie unbridled excitement quickly turned to horror when she remembered what was on the next page.
“NO!” she screamed, clamping her hooves down on the paper to hopefully prevent him from seeing something very embarrassing for her.
Blackbird jumped back in surprise of her sudden outburst and moved his hooves away from hers.
“Whoa! Watch it now!” he screamed.
“Sorry. Sorry. There’s just...something I didn’t want you to see in there,” she said surprisingly straight forward.
“You mean that drawing of us flying together across the night sky?” he asked with a smirk.
Her whole head was practically glowing at this point and she felt like she was about to die from the overwhelming embarrassment enveloping her.
“Yes,” she squeaked out.
“No it’s fine, it’s fine,” he told her with a warm smile. “I’m just glad you made me look so good. I’m kind flattered actually.”
“So...you’re not creeped out?” she asked, looking through her bangs.
“Nah. Again I’m just surprised somepony actually cares enough about my stuff to be that into it. And...develop a crush on me?” he finished the last part on a rather hopeful tone.
She merely nodded in response.
“And perhaps a certain blue, bat winged night guard wouldn’t mind going out again with a certain black coated Pegasus author?”
“I think that certain guard would be more than happy to go out with that author again,” Moonie said back with a bright smile.
“Hope about tomorrow then? I can stay another night in Canterlot and then we can figure things out from there,” he suggested.
“It’d have to be in the afternoon because I work tomorrow night. I have tonight off and honestly I’m usually asleep now but I just had to meet you when I heard you were going to be in town,” she confessed then smiled herself. “Seems like that worked out even better than I could ever possibly imagine.”
“I can honestly say I never imagined anything like this happening when I agreed to do this book signing,” he mused. “But I’m glad it did.”
“Oh me too. Definitely,” Moonie agreed.
“Unfortunately I should probably get back to said book signing,” he sighed then finished the last of his hay burger and fries.
“Aw, already?” she pouted.
“Yeah I now. But hey I’m staying at the Four Stables in room 238. Stop by when you’re ready tomorrow and we’ll work out all of...this,” he said, moving his hooves back and fourth between them.
“Sound like a plan,” she smiled, then after a brief pause leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
Blackbird looked surprised by the action before a giant, goofy grin spread out over his face.
( - ) ( - ) ( - ) ( - ) ( - ) ( - )
Before long the smile was actually starting to hurt his face and that was when he realized he had been smiling all the way back to the Barns & Royals. In fact he was right back in front of his table with PR staring a bit worriedly at him.
“So I take it the date went well?” he asked.
“Better than I ever would have expected!” Blackbird cheered as he took his seat again. “It just make this the best day ever!”
“Good! Glad to hear it! I hope this will help you out of your funk and working on the next book,” the green pony remarked.
“Oh trust me I’ve already got plenty of ideas floating around in here,” the Pegasus said, tapping the side of his head lightly.
“Good. Good. So you know there’s only twenty minutes left in this signing, right?” PR reminded him.
“Eh it’ll be fine,” Blackbird smiled and leaned back in the chair. “Everything will be just fine.”
The End