//------------------------------// // In the Dark of Night // Story: Learning to Fly // by Alex the Bolt //------------------------------// The sun retired below the horizon once more, leaving darkness to fall across Equestria. A lone Alicorn stood upon a balcony, overlooking the city of Canterlot from the grand castle in which she resided. With her majestic power, the Princess of the Night rose the moon into the starlit sky. From there, beautiful moonshine shone down onto the land below, glimmering in any reflective surface. It was beautiful in her eyes, and it brought her joy to know that many ponies shared in her delight of the night. Had her night been so appreciated one thousand years ago... Maybe Nightmare Moon would have never been created. A rough sigh left Luna's lips as she looked up at the moon in the sky, her clear blue eyes staring intently at her namesake. Regret made her heart ache every day. In her mind, she simply could not atone for her sins. Her only solace was in the joy of her subjects. Overseeing their smiling faces and pleasant dreams helped alleviate the pain, if only for a moment. A longing for such visions filled her at the thought, and so with an intense burst of magic, she dove into the dreamscape. The Alicorn Princess found herself in a featureless land of bright light, surrounded only by hovering orbs. Closer inspection showed them to be moving pictures, depicting scenes of various themes. She knew them to be dreams; the dreams of her subjects. She settled in front of one and watched as a filly played in a field with what seemed like thousands of blossoming flowers; filled with boundless energy without a care in the world. A smile crossed her lips from seeing the glee on that filly's face. She moved to the next dream, watching with intrigue as a stallion ventured forth on an adventure, garbed in knight's armour. She lingered at this dream, finding the events unfolding exciting. This blonde maned stallion certainly had an imagination! There were no ponies plagued with nightmares at the moment. She doubled checked, and then triple checked to make sure. With that knowledge, and her heart up-lifted, Luna returned to the familiar scenery that was granted to her from her balcony. She could indulge herself in watching dreams all night long, but it felt like such a huge waste to not enjoy such a beautiful night. The stars were glimmering so brightly, like little pearls in the sky. After a powerful stroke of her wings, Luna felt like she was among them, her mane dancing beautifully behind her as she soared through the night sky. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the breeze brushing through her coat and mane, the slight chill that came with it sending a soft shudder across her flesh. It was invigorating. She became immersed in this sensation, and before she knew it, Luna had traveled far from Canterlot. She looked around curiously from her high altitude, trying to gain her bearings, until her gaze fell on a familiar town in the distance. She could recognise it quite easily, even from how far away she was. Ponyville. A smile crossed her features as memories of her visits to the town came to mind, drawing her closer to it. Her pace picked up, her wings flapping heavily as she propelled herself faster towards the sleepy town, with barely a light to be seen. Ponyville was a lot less lively at night than Canterlot, so it wasn't surprising to the Princess. It didn't leave Luna with a bitter feeling now either. She held a new appreciation for how her night was used. She could indulge in some more dreams this way. The Princess of the Night soon found herself overhead, staring down at the quiet town as the residents slumbered. Her head turned as she observed the abandoned streets below, her eyes traveling across the scenery that she could see so well thanks to the moonlight. It looked like there wasn't a soul awake right now. With that in mind, she went to dive into the dreamscape, just as she had done in Canterlot. Yet, something caught her eye just before she did so. A light; which had suddenly illuminated from a house on the outskirts of town. Who on Equestria would be up at this time? Was it simply somepony that was thirsty and making a late trip to the kitchen? Luna couldn't help the curiosity that boiled up within her. She quietly flew in that direction, mindful of the noise she was making as to not wake the town in the process. ___________________________________________________________________________ A tired yawn left Steele Bolt's mouth as he sat in front of the counter in his kitchen, his kettle boiling up some water so he could quench his thirst for coffee. Anypony might think that he had some sort of addiction to the beverage, but he would adamantly tell them that wasn't the case. He was indifferent to the bitter taste; the only reason he really drank it was to help him stay awake. Or at least, that's what he told himself anyway. It helped him work through those long nights. Nights like tonight. The stallion had decided to retreat to his workshop after concluding his eventful day with the mares, since his chat with Twilight earlier had really inspired him to work on his jetpack. He wasted no time disappearing downstairs upon getting home, and had finished identifying the parts he needed to reconstruct his invention. That should have left it as a simple task, but sadly it wouldn't be that easy. The destruction of his last prototype left a few vital parts in a state of disrepair, and he didn't have any suitable replacements... He would need to look around for new ones, or try to create them himself. One was obviously faster and more reliable than the other, since there was no guarantee he could replicate the parts perfectly, while the other was more cost-effective... He would have to consider his options carefully. Bolt was brought from his thoughts as the kettle began to hiss, making it quite clear that the water was ready. He unceremoniously yawned once more as he reached for the kettle and slowly poured some of the hot water into his mug, that was filled with a teaspoon worth of coffee beans. Once satisfied with the height of the water, he grabbed a spoon with his mouth and used it to stir the mixture, until the water was a deep, dark colour. Safe to say he liked his coffee black. He hummed happily as he lifted the cup of coffee, turning away to start trotting out of the kitchen. He could continue his work while he enjoyed his beverage, so there was no point sticking around in the kitchen. But as he reached the door, he paused. It had only been a split second, but he could have sworn he saw something through the window just above the counter, that overlooked the kitchen. Slowly, Bolt turned to investigate his suspicions, expecting not to find anything at all. What he found, was a pair of blue eyes peering at him through the glass. There was an awkward pause as he stared at the mysterious pair of eyes, his brain processing what he was seeing before he finally let out a startled yell. His reaction seemed to catch the owner of the eyes by surprise as well, a muffled yelp coming from the opposite side. Bolt hadn't even realised that he'd dropped the mug in his panic. Whomever was on the other side of the window must have had magical powers, because the mug was surrounded in a deep blue aura and halted before it could crash into the floor, but that sadly didn't stop the coffee being housed within. The burning hot liquid was flying straight towards him, and all he had time to do was raise his hooves to protect his face... ___________________________________________________________________________ "I am deeply sorry for startling you..." Bolt blinked a few times upon hearing the apologetic voice. For a few minutes now, he had been in a state of shock over who was in his house right now. He could hardly believe it actually. But the flowing mane, that clearly depicted the night sky, meant that it was difficult to mistaken her identity. Princess Luna was in his home, tending to the burns across his fore legs. It hurt like hell, but he was only just registering the pain now. That was just how shocked he was. Meeting two Princesses in one day? His life had certainly gotten crazy recently... "It's alright. Really." The stallion insisted, forcing a small smile through the flinch that was caused from the pain of having his burns treated. It meant that his attempt at comforting her wasn't very convincing though, and just seemed to concern the Alicorn further. "It certainly is not! I must make it up to you!" Luna insisted, the guilt of being the source of his harm clear in her large blue eyes. He didn't actually hold it against her to begin with, it had been a simple accident after all, but her earnest display would have made that difficult anyway. "No, really-" "Please!" The Princess cut him off with a raised voice, causing his ears to pin back for a brief moment in surprise. She really had a voice on her when she wanted to... Bolt was starting to lose his will to argue with her. This wasn't something that mattered to him that much, so he didn't feel the need to keep refusing her. If that helped her move on, then it would be best for both of them. "If you insist... Could you make me another cup of coffee? Please...?" He asked simply, his eyes drifting shyly away from Luna to glance towards the kettle that was likely still lukewarm. It felt a little odd requesting such a menial task from royalty, but he didn't actually want anything from her; except maybe for her to leave. He doubted that would give her the closure she seemed to seek here though, so he settled with replacing the cup of coffee that had been lost from their encounter. Luna seemed quite surprised about his request, judging from the wide eyed look she was giving him. Apparently he wasn't the only one that found it odd to ask for a cup of coffee from royalty. Regardless of that though, he noticed the Princess stand from her seat and make her way over to the kettle out of the corner of his eye. His kettle was custom made, and thus she had to learn where all the switches were, and what they did, but soon enough she had the kettle boiling. "If you'd like, you can have a cup too..." Bolt offered, having suddenly remembered the manners his mother had tried to hammer into his head as a colt. Lilac Petal would have no doubt been disgusted if she learned that her son had failed to offer a beverage to royalty for so long, but it was unlikely that she would ever learn of this visit, so Bolt didn't let that bother him. "I would like that, thank you." The Princess of the Night replied after looking back to look at the seated stallion, leaving him somewhat surprised. He had expected her to decline. He probably should have pegged her as a coffee lover; she just seemed like the type. Thus, another cup joined Bolt's on the counter before the two began their wait for the water to boil. Waiting for the water left the two ponies with time to waste. Both of them ended up seated at Bolt's kitchen table, which allowed him time to think about how bizarre the situation he was in actually was. Princess Luna; the Princess of the Night, was sitting in his kitchen. He hadn't received many guests up until this point, but a renowned Princess like herself had never even crept into his imagination as being one of them. A somewhat awkward silence had began to build around them, until Luna finally broke it. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you awake so late?" Her query had Bolt tilting his head to the side quizzically. That was a rather personal question for somepony to ask when they had just met, not that he particularly minded answering it. It wasn't like he was trying to hide it from anypony after all. It left him wondering if that had been why she had been peering through his window to begin with. "I was working. In my workshop." "Workshop? Are you an engineer?" Luna asked curiously, staring intently at Bolt for answers. It would seem that this Princess had a thirst for knowledge. He could relate to that. He nodded softly, as he offered her a small, somewhat uneasy smile. He wasn't exactly used to talking to royalty so freely, even if he had spent a large portion of the day talking to Twilight. It felt alien to him. "Um, yes. Sort of. I build things, mostly. I work on my Mechanical Flight Propulsion Pack mostly. Or Jetpack, for short." Bolt explained with a little more confidence, since what he was talking about was so important to him. He never shied away from bragging about his work, he was truly proud of it. It seemed to peek Luna's curiosity enough for her to continue her inquiry, though it might have been just to relieve boredom while the water boiled. "Jetpack? What exactly does it do?" The look in her eye made it seem that she already had her assumptions, since the name of his device had some pretty major clues to it's function already. "It will allow me to fly, once it's finished. I've always wanted to fly, ever since I was a colt." Bolt looked down a little timidly as his childhood goals finally came into the topic, his ears pinning back a little to further emphasize his insecurity over the matter. He couldn't imagine a Princess being so judgmental of him, yet he didn't put it past any pony to be so spiteful. Even royalty. To his relief, no signs of such thoughts came to Luna's face. She seemed to think quite deeply about something after hearing his words actually, leaving him both curious and concerned. "Would you follow me for a moment?" Luna asked as she wasted no time standing up, staring intently at Bolt for a response. He really wasn't sure how to respond to such a vague request. What could she have planned? She didn't even offer him a clue. But that same earnest look on her face had him letting out a defeated sigh and nodding his head, getting onto his hooves so he could follow her. ___________________________________________________________________________ The night sky looked so beautiful, so captivating, once Bolt got outside. He couldn't help staring up at it for a moment, before turning his attention to Princess Luna. He wondered what she could have possibly wanted to show him outside. The night sky? It was certainly beautiful, but was it worth dragging him outside over? He couldn't say for sure. It's not like it was the first time he had seen it. Because of all this thought into Luna's intentions, Bolt hadn't noticed that his body had become surrounded by the deep shade of blue magic that had engulfed his mug earlier, or the fact that his body had begun to levitate. The moment he did though, he began to flail wildly, a look of shock on his face as he tried to compute what was happening to him. "I figured out how I'll make it up to you! I'll help you experience your dream!" The Princess of the Night told her stallion companion with a big smile on her face, finally helping him clock onto what was happening. She had picked him up with magic. It was interesting that he could move his body, even though she was holding him with magic. Regardless, he didn't get time to dwell on that. With an almighty flap of her wings, Luna had taken off, taking Bolt with her. The wind through his mane as they ascended; that was the first thing he noticed. His eyes darted from left to right as he watched the land below become smaller, his heart beginning to race as his mind fought to keep up with the events. He was flying. Thanks to Luna's magic, but he was flying! There were no words he could give to her, nothing he could do to show his gratitude. He knew this was her way of making amends for accidentally hurting him, but he felt like he owed her so much for this one experience. Once they reached a decent altitude, they flew at a steady pace, trying to keep the noise to a minimum so that the whole of Ponyville wasn't woken up. That was at least until they reached the outskirts of town, that was when their speed started to pick up. Luna took him through loops and spins, sometimes leaving his stomach in the dust as she got his adrenaline pumping. After a few minutes of this fast flying, she finally slowed down the pace, her body turning in midair so she could face him while her wings continued flapping to remain airborne. "Are you enjoying yourself?" The Princess of the Night asked with a large grin on her face, showing her own enjoyment in a more subtle way. Steele Bolt couldn't muster the words at first, the adrenaline wouldn't let him. He panted to catch his breathe, though the broad smile on his face gave insight into his feelings way before he regained enough composure to speak. "Yes!... Thank you!... This is... Incredible!" Bolt replied enthusiastically, causing Luna to laugh happily and clap her fore-hooves together, apparently thrilled that her prediction on how she could repay him had been an accurate one. Not another word needed to be said. Luna could see it in Bolt's eyes. It was too early to finish their midnight flight; the night was much too young. ___________________________________________________________________________ Hours passed by as the two ponies soared through the air, filling the activity with twists and turns that would make a rollercoaster appear redundant. It was lucky that Bolt didn't suffer from motion sickness, or this might have been hell for him. But instead, it was a thrill ride, from start to finish. He was practically bouncing when they finally touched down outside his home again, the euphoria and adrenaline wouldn't let him calm down. He felt like a colt on Hearth's Warming. With shaky legs, Bolt stepped towards his home, before stopping at the door and turning to face Luna, whom was already in the process of getting ready to leave. Her wings had extended, in the middle of the motion of beginning to flap when she noticed his focus on her. Her wings settled back down as she turned her attention to him, a soft smile upon her face. "Thank you, Princess Luna. That was... I don't have words to describe it." The stallion spoke softly, both from a lack of energy to project his voice and so he wouldn't wake up the slumbering ponies of Ponyville. Luna's smile broadened ever so slightly as she nodded her head softly, her magnificent mane flowing behind her. "I am glad you enjoyed yourself. Maybe we'll meet again, Steele Bolt." The Princess responded formally, her wings once again extending as she looked upon the tired Earth pony. The sun would be rising soon. She felt the need to return to Canterlot before that happened. So with a nod and a wave, Luna took to the skies once again, leaving Bolt to watch in her wake. He felt rooted to his spot as he stared, waiting until the Princess that had kept him company for a majority of the night vanished from view. A heavy yawn left his mouth as he made his way inside his humble home. The lights were still on, just the way he had left them. No doubt the water they had boiled before leaving had grown cold once more. That didn't matter now. Bolt was much too tired to even consider having a cup of coffee. All the excitement had finally gotten to him, and had worn him out. The stallion couldn't even make it to the staircase to ascend to his room. He settled with collapsing on his sofa, his eyes falling shut not a moment later. The realm of dreams claimed him almost immediately, with a familiar voice echoing in his mind as he fell into a sweet sleep. "Goodnight."