//------------------------------// // Day Four, Evening: If We Share This Nightmare // Story: The Golden Age of Apocalypse, Book II: Synchronicity // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// “That…fool!” Han’nya hissed. “That damnable, stupid fool! May his tails grow mangy and balding from his sheer inanity!” The kitsune turned to Octavia and bowed deeply. “My lady, you have my deepest apologies for what you have suffered. I will be certain to make amends for everything, though I know not how.” He next turned to Clandestine. “Asst. Director, as ambassador of Inari and the senior-ranking member of the Imperial Family of Inari, I hereby strip Fujitsu-no-Amai’kegawa of his diplomatic protection. You have my support in arresting him and seizing the Imperial airship Kawa-no-Ishi.” “We shall return the vessel once we have made the arrests,” Clandestine told him. “I will have one of my trusted retainers, Shinka, report to your ponies at the pier. You may turn the vessel over to him once you have finished your duties.” Finally, he then turned to Sunset and, getting on his knees, completely bowed to her in utter supplication, a gesture of utter humility for the proud kitsune. “Your grace, it is my sincerest hope that this shall not strain the long-standing ties between your nation and ours. I am shocked beyond words at the behavior of Prince Fujitsu and while I knew of his interest, you have my sworn words that I had forbade him from taking any actions in Pursuit of the Manner of the Night when it came to your court. His actions, though they have brought great shame to the Court of Nine Tails, were completely of his own.” The alicorn looked at him and could easily tell the groveling kitsune told the truth. “So long as she is safe, I am fine with that,” she assured him. “Please rise, Ambassador. I promise you this will not impact our nations’ longstanding alliance or friendship. It is strong enough to withstand the actions of a rogue individual.” “I thank you, your grace,” he said with a sigh of resignation. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to send word to the His August Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, and let him know what has occurred. It is a duty I do not relish.” “Because you feel you have sullied Equestria’s honor and your own?” Sunset asked him. “I assure you, Equestria would not hold you responsible for this, Ambassador. You took the precautions to prevent what occurred and Prince Fujitsu acted regardless. You are in no way to blame.” “I thank you for your kind words and confidence, your grace, but I did not mean that.” Han’nya turned away. “Even though he has committed an unforgivable offense and will now be stripped of everything…Fujitsu is still my younger brother, fool that he is. And as you well know, Princess, it is natural to worry about family.” Sunset merely nodded, and Han’nya vanished in a swirl of leaves. “Well, I for one am glad that is done,” Blueblood stated; during the conversation he’d taken the time to clean himself up and apply healing magic to many of his cuts. “Now my secret is safe and I can go back to pretending to being a useless buffoon.” Sunset crossed her arms. “Yes, mighty convenient that a fool like you happened to be there just as Tavi was attacked.” From the sound of her voice, she sounded not convinced in the least. “Actually, it’s the truth, cousin,” Blueblood told her. “I was visiting Lyra Heartstrings and seeing how the preparations for the music were going, and the practice hall is two streets down from the place I found your friend. I was actually on the way back here to my office and it was a good thing that I’d decided I was going to have lunch delivered instead of going out, or else I could have missed them entirely.” “Look, I’m still in disbelief that you’re not a complete idiot, given what I recall of you as a colt,” Sunset admitted. “Especially given the complaints my mother has had about you in the times since.” “Well, as I recall, you were a harridelle, so I suppose it evens out,” he told her. “Touche,” Sunset responded blandly. “So now that we have that douche canoe in our custody, what next?” “We’ll hold him in legal detention until the coronation is over and we consider our legal options,” Clandestine told Sunset. “I’m sure after that, Princess Celestia will want us to return him to his people, both as a gesture of goodwill to the Court of Nine Tails, as well as to face whatever charges they may have regarding this. But until then, he will be completely incarcerated, with no further way of causing any issues for your entourage, Princess.” “I don’t buy that,” Sunset stated. “I want a guard on Tavi at all times. So long as there’s a potential danger, that means that I can’t leave her alone. I would normally assign my SIRENs to a protective detail, but unfortunately, they’re busy with other things, so that means I want her guard detail increased.” “That’s up to the Solar Guard, Princess.” “Yes, and I’m telling you so that way you can tell them. Because if I get involved, I’m going to ensure that she has a full detachment of Hooves protecting her and even my mother might wonder why the hell the Agency botched this one up, requiring me to Monster Mash through the Tulips to get what I want.” “Sunny…please, no.” Octavia put her hand on her cousin’s shoulder; the flame-haired girl turned to see her cousin in tears. “Please don’t.” she said again in a soft, pained voice. “I can’t bear to see anyone else die because of me.” “Die?” Clandestine looked at Sunset. “None of the guards assigned to protect her survived. They correctly presumed that the detail would protect her at all costs, and proceeded to exploit that. They particularly dispatched the Hoof, Dolente Ascent, that was assigned to her.” “Dispatched?” Blueblood said with distaste. “You make it sound so clinical. One of our own was killed – a siren was killed – and you make it sound as if it was of no concern.” “Sire, they’re nothing more than an unknown tribe—” Clandestine began, but was silenced by Blueblood’s sudden glare. “My mother is a siren,” he informed him. “As are my sisters – including the one that gave her life for this nation,” Blueblood growled, his eyes narrowing. “Ponies died to protect me!” Octavia said, starting to panic again, “and it means nothing to you?” “I am sorry, Lady Octavia, but they did their duty,” Clandestine said analytically. “The nation mourns their loss.” Octavia, horrified, looked at him, then to Sunset. “I…I can’t deal with this,” she voiced. “Sunny…I just can’t.” A worried look came over the flame-haired girl’s face. “Tavi….” “I just need to use the little girl’s room. I’ll be fine,” Octavia lied. Not waiting for an answer, she stepped out, a little faster than a normal pace. “Good job breaking it, hero,” Sunset angrily snarked at Clandestine. “They weren’t just numbers, you know. They were lives,” Blueblood hissed at him. “Lives that matter and will be lost, and you’re treating them as if they’re just assets? I think you need to seriously reconsider how you think of the value of life, Clandestine.” “Well, as much as I could give zero fucks listening to you chew him out over a racist comment—” “Racist?” Blueblood commented. “Sorry, tribalist,” Sunset amended. “Wrong species. Anyway, I’m already late for a meeting that I needed to be at, and one that my office can’t exactly cover. My cousin is in a very delicate situation right now and I want to ensure that she’ll be alright before I start populating my aunt’s moon once again.” She looked at Blueblood and said, “So, you and I need to have a nice little chat.” “My princess and prince, regardless of that, we still need to discuss the potential ramifications of—” Clandestine began, but never finished as he was suddenly teleported out of the room. Sunset lowered her hand. “Did you know he was an asshole?” Blueblood looked at the human girl. “I’ve known him for years, and as the old saying goes, sometimes ponies can surprise you.” “I suppose,” Sunset sighed. “Now, I need you to listen to me.” “What is that thing?” Princess Luna asked, transfixed by the view. “It’s called the Heart of the Black Garden,” her human counterpart explained, “and it’s pure concentrated evil. Our job is to destroy it.” “And how do we do that?” “Easy,” the human said, hefting a pulse rifle and taking aim. “We need to remove its support forces, and then once that happens, the main reinforcements – the Sol Divisive – will attack, and we need to destroy them. Only by doing that will the Black Heart fall and the Traveler will be safe.” Seated by her television and hefting a Dualshock in her magic field, Princess Luna grinned wickedly. “I shall smite thee!” she called out in glee. Across the room from her at her own television and Dualshock in hand, Luna ducked around a corner and threw a knife, hitting her target in the sweet spot, spewing radiolarian fluid everywhere. “Be careful. As a Titan, you might be able to take more of a hit than I can, but you’re not completely invulnerable.” “Oh, posh – I wield the power of lightning! I am the thunder itself!” “Arc, not lightning, though technically it’s pretty much the same thing.” As Vex goblins rained down digitized solar fire onto the two from Slap Rifles, Luna picked up her trusty Hawkmoon and opened fire, the rounds tearing apart her opponents. Meanwhile, Princess Luna, not as familiar or comfortable with hand cannons as her counterpart, instead chose her Doctor Nope, cutting loose with auto rifle rounds sprayed across the battlefield. “Watch it!” A slap grenade went off, tearing off a good chunk of Luna’s health before she was able to switch to her sniper rifle and take aim at the hobgoblin Vex firing from the other side of the map. Her Benevolence sang out, sending a void-infused bullet through the robot’s brainpan. Though it didn’t kill it, it was enough to daze it, allowing a follow-up shot to take it out. “YOU VARLETS CANNOT STOP MY RIGHTEOUS CAUSE!” the alicorn snarled, firing until her auto rifle was empty. “My gun’s not working any longer!” she shouted. “Switch to your special and move in!” Luna ordered. The alicorn did so, and Princess Luna’s Matador 64 barked, shredding any enemy that dared to venture within the muzzle range of the shotgun. Finally, the three oversized Minotaurs of the Sol Divisive showed up, and between Luna’s Golden Gun and Princess Luna’s Fist of Havoc, the three bosses went down in fairly short order and the Heart died its death, removing the Black Garden from its place in unnatural timespace and firmly anchoring it once more at Mars. As the cutscene for the final vanilla missions of Destiny began, the alicorn pulled off her headset. “That was fun! What’s next?” Luna was about to say something when her stomach growled. “Probably food,” she said with a slight blush. “We’ve been in here pretty much the whole day and I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast.” She chuckled. “My fiancé gets on my case whenever I do that, not that he’s any better.” “You’re betrothed?” the night princess asked as she sent out a magical signal for the kitchen staff to prepare for a dinner request. “Yeah, I thought I mentioned that. Moonshadow and I have been an item for years, but this past summer we finally decided to tie the knot. Of course, that’s in the new timeline. In the old one….” Luna sighed, and the alicorn could see a grave sorrow in her counterpart’s eyes. “He died, didn’t he?” she asked, and the human nodded. “He…he was murdered by the rogue SIRENs in the old timeline,” Luna explained. “How did you know?” “Perhaps…I think we’re done with these games of video for the night,” Princess Luna suggested. “I believe that we should talk about this, for it sounds as though you could use a friend to talk to…and, truth be told, with the anniversary coming up—” “Anniversary?” Now it was the alicorn’s turn to nod. “The anniversary of the death of Bucephalus, my own betrothed. And every year, even during the time I was ‘afflicted’, I grieved his loss. I still miss his touch.” The two Lunas looked at one another for countless moments. “Let me order a repast and refrections for us, then we shall hie away,” the alicorn said softly. “I think I shall visit him early this year, and I think…for once, I would appreciate some company, if you don’t mind.” Luna saw the broken-hearted way her counterpart carried herself and knew it was a wound that had never really healed. Luna herself knew that, given that even though in this new timeline her own beloved was still alive, she still had nightmares about the other time, when she saw him killed before her eyes by mercenaries with sweet smiles and dagger-drawn eyes. “I would be honored to go with you,” Luna said, getting up from her seat and walking over to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder…or wither, or whatever it was called. Sitting alone on a pony-sized bench in a nondescript hallway, Octavia shivered, tears running down her cheeks. She wasn’t sure what to do now, except acknowledge that she’d somehow become the embodiment of the old Chinese curse of living in interesting times. Ever since Sunset’s appearance in their lives, her world felt like it had been a nonstop hell – it had never been easy for her, sure; but it seemed as though things had completely cartwheeled out of control since the day the redhead showed up in her life. That wasn’t Sunset’s fault, not entirely, Octavia knew; she loved her cousin and sister figure just as much as she did Twilight or the triplets (another example of how Sunset’s superexistence ran roughshod over everything she’d ever known). Hell, even reality itself had bent to the needs of the unicorn-turned-girl-turned-alicorn-turned-literal princess of two worlds, not to mention a goddess! But something had to give; nature abhorred a vacuum and the scales of reality had to reach equilibrium. And more often than not, as of late, it felt as though it was doing so at Octavia’s expense, turning her into the buttmonkey of continuity itself. From her parents moving away to her own mental illness, it felt as though life itself had it out for her. The attempted sexual assault on her by both Blueblood and later Vinyl Scratch; or the fact that she even felt exhausted and drained too often due to the impact her medicine had on her, it all seemed like a constant litany of pain. Of course, she knew Sunset was trying her utmost to remove the problem, and that even magic couldn’t do things with mental illnesses – the doctors she’d seen over the week had confirmed this – but part of her had to wonder if it wouldn’t have been this bad if Sunset had never appeared. Would “Melody” have become the rampaging monster within Octavia if Sunset hadn’t been around? She didn’t know. And now there as a body count indirectly attached to all of this. Octavia knew as well that wasn’t her cousin’s fault, but then again, had Sunset not entered their lives, she would have never come here and caught the attention of that spoiled, freakish fox that felt it was necessary to do whatever it took in order to make Octavia his sex slave. An action that had caused mercenaries to kill those that had been tasked to keep her safe. Ponies that had literally given their lives in order to protect her. Octavia didn’t blame her cousin for any of that – she loved Sunset too much to do so. But she wished – prayed – that just once – just once! – that something in her life would be more than melancholy and pain, more than just typical teenage melodrama gone into overkill mode. She privately envied her friend Fluttershy’s problems with her father, because those were pedestrian compared to the magic-spewing, bullet-flying, alien-infested Götterdämmerung that was Octavia’s life. “I’m sorry.” Octavia turned to see one of the last individuals on Earth she would ever want to see…or at least his equivalent here on this not-Earth. And he looked at her with sorrowful eyes. “Sunset told me everything about my counterpart on your world and what he’d done to you,” Blueblood spoke, and to her surprise, he looked genuinely disconcerted. “Granted, while I do have somewhat of the same reputation myself here, it is genuinely just smoke and mirrors to cover for my true day job: the chief spymaster of Equestria. But I would never even consider what he did to any gentlemare, much less one as sweet and kind as Sunset described you as.” He sat down a slight distance from her in the hall, a look of shame on his face. “I suppose it would be an understatement to say that your run-ins with the Blueblood of your world have been less than ideal.” “That’s the under-fucking-statement of the year,” Octavia told him. His ears drooped. “I know this is of cold comfort, but if there’s anything I can do at all, Miss Melody, if it is within my power to do so, I will do it. I cannot abide to have somepony – er, somehuman? – suffer needlessly, not when it is within my power to right. I am a prince and though by day, I pretend to be a royal brat, in truth, I despise the members of the royalty and nobility that only serve themselves at the expense of our ponies. Ponies like my cousin, Highfalutin’, who use their power as nothing more than a weapon to be wielded against innocents; or nobles like Brass Shock, who I’ve had a long-term battle in court with over the treatment of individual ponies’ rights.” He sighed as if in frustration, then added, “I know none of that means anything to you, Miss Melody, but what I can say is that based on what Sunset told me, I truly wish I could do everything I could to make amends for what he has done to you. It was not of my actions, but I feel it was done in my name and that I cannot stand.” Octavia looked at the stallion with genuine surprise. She understood on an elemental level that things were different here in some respects: the Divine Right of this world was a soldier in Equestria’s military, and the Sable Loam she knew was a far cry from the historical terrorist that had apparently been his counterpart. “Why?” was all she voiced. When he looked at her oddly, “Why are you…you? Why?” “I don’t understand what you mean,” he asked her. She meant to clarify her question: Why are you so human in comparison to the Blueblood I know? Yet as she opened her mouth, it was, instead, her stomach that answered. Her face became redder than a rose as the borborygmus announced to the world that she hadn’t eaten anything since the morning. She immediately covered her face in embarrassment. “I know that sound,” he said with a gentle smile. “Allow me to take care of that, as I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast this morning, myself. Would you permit me to take you out to dinner to make amends?” “Make amends for what?” she said, still redfaced and so mortified she was unwilling to remove her hands from her face. “For what you’ve been through. Besides, I know a restaurant that I’ve been dying to try…and given that Sunset had also told me what you’d been through the other evening, I can most certainly promise you that this restaurant won’t give you the same issues as you had the other night.” A violet eye peeked through the hands. “You mean that?” “Well, I can’t speak for others, but I’m fairly positive that this place won’t do the same thing. I know the owner, after all.” Octavia sighed, feeling as though she was trapped. “Okay, but let me let Sunny know. She’ll worry about me otherwise.” Blueblood nodded. “That sounds amenable. Right this way, if you please.” On a barely-lit pathway on a mountain in the Undiscovered West, a pair of guardponies crossed their fierce-looking halberds in front of a non-descript cave. The two were not dressed in armor that was familiar to any of the services, and if anything, it seemed like the attire was custom-made, as if for a ceremonial or special reason that was not clear to any casual passer-by. Not that there were any casual passers-by, as this was a remote location and the nearest settlement was at least a hundred miles to the southwest. “Halt!” the leftmost one shouted in a clear voice. “Who goes there?” Princess Luna stepped out of the shadows. “It is I,” she stated. At her approach, the two ponies stepped back and wordlessly bowed, pulling their polearms back to allow their liegelady entrance into the passage. But a second individual approached behind her and the two ponies looked at the strange newcomer with suspicion. “She is with me,” the princess of the night announced, and just as simple as that, the two ponies went back to their silent watch. As they walked in, Luna ducked her head slightly as the cavern was clearly not made with humans in mind. “Where are we?” “This place has no name, not in modern times or a language that ponies speak nowadays, anyway,” her counterpart said in a sad tone. “I would have given it one for this era, but…it didn’t ever feel right. To him, it was simply ‘the place’, and that was all it needed to be.” The two stepped forward a few more feet, before entering a grand chamber bathed in brilliant mystical luminescence by magically-powered wall sconces that flickered with mystic lights shining a loving warmth in the room. Lining the circular room were exquisitely-designed stained glass displays detailing majestic deeds of a time likely long gone. A circle of pillars of various stones lined the walls of the expertly-hewn room, and from them hung banners of an ancient age, silken flags threaded with the most precious of gold and silver. And in the center of it all was a massive statue made of black marble, shaped like a rearing earth stallion. The mane was made of threaded yellow-and-red gold, and the inset eyes were of the finest polished pyrite. The statue seemed as though it had a confident yet gentle smile on its face, one of a self-assured and experienced warrior. At the base of the statue was a sword, and from her sister’s years in SCA, Luna recognized it as a type of spatha. The blade shone with a brilliant golden-red light that clearly indicated its magic status. The hilt, made of what appeared to be leather, looked pristine and perfect, and no doubt that it was as mystical as the rest of the weapon. Luna didn’t have to be told twice that she was looking at the grave of somepony very special. “Hello, my love,” Princess Luna said, sitting down by the base. “I came early this year. I hope you don’t mind.” She leaned forward, nuzzling the cold marble. “I missed you. I still do, and I always will.” The woman watched as the alicorn had what was clearly a private moment with her dead lover, and Luna couldn’t help but wonder if this would have been her own fate, of a sort, if the old timeline had remained as is. Would she have come to Moonshadow’s grave until her own dying breath, an unmarried spinster growing old without even trying to find love once more? She didn’t know the answer to that, and seeing her counterpart’s current predicament, she wasn’t sure that she would ever want to know the answer. After a few more moments, Princess Luna stood up, wiped the tears from her eyes and gave her counterpart a bittersweet smile. “His name was Bucephalus,” she began gesturing with a wing towards the statue. “He grew up on this mountain, the only foal of a pair of farmers who wanted nothing to do with Equestria and had settled down near the village of Rolling Gait. They had expected Bucephalus to follow in their footsteps, and in truth, he would have much preferred to. My Buce was never a soldier by design, and he took up his role reluctantly – because fate demanded him to.” “Demanded him to?” “That’s the thing about Swordbearers: they do not get the luxury of choosing. Fate – Harmony itself – chooses them, just as Twilight and her fellow Bearers were chosen to take up the Elements and then later their Elemental Armor. In his case, there were brigands and bandits assailing Rolling Gait, and due to various reasons, we could not get soldiers from Everfree out here in time. Knowing that his kith, kin and fellow villagers were in danger, he went and grabbed a massive branch from an ironwood tree and went out to fight them, without knowing a single thing of the soldierly arts. Somehow, the branch became a powerful weapon in his hooves and transformed into his sword – Ironbranch.” The alicorn gestured to the spatha. “When Celly and I arrived, we were amazed to see a third Swordbearer in existence. Keep in mind that this was long after the Megan disappeared into legend; and Celly’s own Swordbearer, Starswirl the Bearded, had vanished mysteriously as well. At the time, we kept running into challenges and threats that the Elements weren’t always capable of dealing with, and so we pled for him to come back to Everfree with us. He didn’t want to, because he had the village and his family’s farm to consider. To be honest, though, most of our soldiers didn’t want him to come along, either: he was rough, uncouth and…well, a farmer, not the sort of gentlepony knight that made up the bulk of our forces at the time. But he was kind, honest and there was something about him that just made me connect to him.” The alicorn gave a soft, fillyish smile, one that Luna herself knew all too well. “At the time, I thought it was just because he found Celly overbearing. I didn’t know it was because he was destined to become my Swordbearer.” “Swordbearer?” Luna asked. “You keep using that term.” “A personal guardian and companion, meant to always be ultimately loyal and faithful to the alicorn that is their charge; as a result, they become ageless and powerful and, in a sense, nearly an alicorn themselves, at least in terms of skill. Most Swordbearers and their charges become great friends, such as my mother and the Megan. Sometimes they are like family members; though I do not remember him well, my sister regarded Starswirl as an avuncular figure, an uncle of sorts; as her Swordbearer, he was always there for her and loved her dearly. Sometimes, a Swordbearer and their charge might even become a couple: my niece, Cadance, and her husband are one such example, as were Bucephalus and I.” She then added, “And before you ask, I do not know what is in store for the two youngest of us: Twilight will encounter her Swordbearer someday, as will my other niece – Sunset.” Luna looked at the grave. “But I thought you said they were immortal? If that’s the case, then why—” “No. They are ageless – but sadly, they do not gain our immortality. We do not know if The Megan still lives, or even if she is real, truth be told. Neither Celly nor I had ever met her, and for the few times we’ve talked to our mother, she has rarely given us any information regarding that individual. As for Lord Starswirl, he vanished under mysterious circumstances, and we believe him to be dead, tragically. Our mother may know the full story, but again, she has not been forthcoming with information and I suspect that she is trying to shield Celly any pain, given how he’d been a father figure to her. And as for my beloved, though he remained with me for centuries, in the end…even if he was ageless, he was still only mortal.” The princess was silent for the longest time before she spoke her next words: “Thus, he fell to that most horrific pair of tragedies: betrayal and murder.” The alicorn fell silent again for the longest time before she spoke once more. But this time she sang her continuation: “Night turns to day, Day to night, Save your tears ‘Til the morning comes “I’ll be there, And I swear When you need somepony…” “Those were the last words he ever said to me,” she said in a near-whisper. “The words he spoke when he proposed and asked Celly for my hoof; by this time, our mother was gone and Celly had taken the throne. But we were still dealing with the Army of Shadows: followers of Sombra who had believed him to be nearly an alicorn himself and fought in his dark name. The Army threatened the newly-won peace in Equestria and Buce felt that even though he was no warrior, he had a duty as a future prince consort and my Swordbearer to save our ponies. So, he and his closest companion, a stallion named Rondel Dagger, went out to challenge the Army. And when he came back, we would wed. “He never came back.” Princess Luna turned to look at her counterpart, an endless well of sorrow in her eyes. “Unbeknownst to my love, Rondel was a traitor; he had secretly coveted me and had been very good at hiding it and even Rondel’s own wife was not aware of the depths of his depravity. In secret, he made a deal with the Lord Marshall of the Army of Shadows that if Buce was murdered, once Everfree fell, he could have me. We later found documents that he’d written in secret, that were so sinister in design that it took us a long time to reconcile the faithful and dashing figure we’d known Rondel as with the traitor whose horn had penned those words. “In any case, they’d set out towards Deersgrave to hunt down the Army of Shadows. At the time, Deersgrave had the reputation that the Everfree has nowadays: a forbidden place that few ponies trod…and thus perfect for a rebel army to hide within. As they arrived, Rondel ambushed Buce unawares, stabbing him with a needle dipped in a poison that didn’t kill him instantly but that there was no known antidote for. He then wore Buce down, hoping to land the killing blow. Thankfully, his arrogance was his undoing; Buce defeated him, but by then…by then it was too late. “The funeral was a grand affair, and Celly put the city into mourning for a month. But it was too grand for my Buce and I knew it wasn’t what he would have wanted. So, when I had the opportunity, I had this place constructed for his final resting place: a palace fit for a prince, yet in the shadow of the mountainside where the simple farmer had grown up in. The grand crypt in Canterlot where others believe he lies in state has become a tourist attraction with a carnival atmosphere that he would have disdained. This place…this is only for me and him. Celly, though she knows about it, has only come sporadically. I don’t believe the others know, nor have I ever seen them here.” The alicorn turned away, tears falling unabashedly. “This is my place for he and I to be together, for him to know that I will always love and miss him and for him to wait for me until the day I ascend to the Great Pasture and we can be together once more. Until then, he remains here, guarded by hoof-picked members of the Night Guard, who tell none of this special duty and who consider it the highest honor there is.” Luna went over and embraced her counterpart, letting her cry for the love she’d lost and the damage that his absence was doing to her even now. “You don’t have to say anything else,” the human told the mare. “You love him still, and he will always be here with you.” “I know. That is why I have never looked for another. Celly has no real interest in a relationship, but I was probably the more social of us back then. And now that I have recovered, I am once more, but I seek no companionship of that sort,” Princess Luna said sadly. “I am, as far as I am considered, a widow and a faithful wife, and just as I suspect Cadance and Shining would agree, when a Swordbearer and their charge are united together in love, it is perpetual and infinite, and nothing will ever change that.” In an out-of-the-way restaurant in the small town of Colton, the smell of garlic, cheese and mushrooms filled the air, as did the sound of laughter. A large, bearded batpony stallion wearing an apron uttered a huge belly laugh, following that with, “And so Blu says to me, ‘Look, stallion, that Abyssinian lady has her eye on you,’ and I tell him back, ‘That’s cause you told her that ponyfeather story about how a batpony’s wingspan is the same as his drive!’” Another round of laughter sounded into the air, a perfect setting for a warm, cozy atmosphere tailored towards this establishment. Leaning over a plate of creamy garlic mushrooms and pasta, Blueblood gave an awkward grin. “Look, it was either you or me, Blaze, and I had my image to protect.” “Oh, please – everypony knows you’re a tailchaser and an incorrigible cad!” The batpony chuckled. “I swear, some fillies probably come to you just because of that rep!” “And you know how much hydrashit it is and how much I hate it,” Blueblood said in response. “Yeah, yeah, I know, Blu,” the batpony replied, nodding. “Seriously though, I’m glad you could make it out here to my restaurant before the grand opening. Cremini and I were worried you wouldn’t be able to, and we’ve wanted you to come for the longest time.” “Hey, as long as we’ve been friends? You know I wasn’t going to miss it for the world,” Blueblood told him. Turning to Octavia, he explained, “In case it isn’t obvious, Blazewing and I go way back – we’ve been friends ever since our first days in the Agency. Hell, he’d still be my right-hoof pony if it wasn’t for his accident.” Blazewing held up a clearly artificial wing. “Hey, saving your plot from the bomb? Almost worth it,” he joked. “Almost.” “And saving the museum?” “Well, I met my wife there, so obviously, I must’ve done something right.” Blazewing looked at both. “Well, you two best take a bite before it gets cold.” Nodding, Octavia took a bite of her dish; a second later, her eyes lit up with surprise as her tongue practically exploded from the flavor of the morsel. “Wow, this is outstanding!” she said, looking at Blazewing with appreciation. “I’ve had some great dishes before, but this is just out of this world!” “Well, given that you are, yourself, out of this world, I’ll take that as the highest compliment,” the chef replied. “Although I can’t take all the credit: my wife came up with the recipe. Unlike me, Cremini was always meant to be a chef.” “Where is she, anyway?” Blueblood asked. “Usually she’s the one here pestering me on my dating life and whatnot.” “Yeah, well, she’s good at that,” Blazewing said with a chuckle. “As to where she is, she’s in the Crystal Empire this week looking for some last-second items for the restaurant. We’re in need of some glassware for some of the more expensive drinks we’ll be offering, and there’s nothing better than Imperial City crystal glassware.” “Tell her to have them commissioned from the Rosequartze family,” Blueblood suggested. “That’s some pretty pricey stuff,” Blazewing noted with a whistle. “They’re suppliers for the Imperial and Canterlot palaces as well as several top-notch hotels and restaurants around the country.” “Don’t worry about the price. Have them send me the bill.” When Blazewing gave him an awkward look, Blueblood added, “It’s not charity, Blaze. It’s me looking out for my best bud, okay?” “We’re talking something to the tune of several thousand bits.” “Money’s just money, Blaze. Taking care of my friends? Far more valuable than some gold discs that a vassal of my aunt’s decided was going to be what made the sun go round.” Blazewing chuckled. “Well, fine, but don’t be surprised if Cremini insists you come back for a personally-cooked dinner to make up for it.” Blueblood grinned. “I’ll take you up on that. She was always a better cook than you anyway.” Blazewing playfully swatted his friend with his good wing, then commented that he needed to check on dessert before wandering back to the kitchen. When he did that, he then turned to his dinner date of sorts. “So, what do you think? Blaze and his wife cook the best mushroom dishes in Equestria, bar none.” “I’ll say,” Octavia agreed, taking a bite of a cheese-and-rosemary stuffed portabella. “I wish we had something this good back in Canterlot. Well, the Canterlot I live in, that is.” “I was actually surprised that he was setting up a restaurant here in Colton,” Blueblood said. “Between him and his wife, they’re talented enough that they could easily set themselves up in restaurant row in Canterlot. I mean, she’s the one with the cooking cutie mark, but he’s no slouch either.” He shrugged, as if he resigned himself to a lack of an answer. “Then again, I suspect he did it because of Cremini’s plans.” “Oh?” Blueblood nodded. “Cremini’s been trying to fix me up with her kid sister Lily Mushroom ever since those two got married. Plus, with Colton being an out-of-the-way town here in Fillydelphia Province, it gives me a chance to come here, unwind and be, well, me – the real me, that is. I don’t get a chance often to be just me, Blueblood, a stallion who just happens to be a prince, rather than ‘Prince Blueblood, Plothole Supreme’,” he sighed. He took a drink from his cider and sat back in his seat, relaxed, briefly listening to the mandolin music playing on the phonograph in the back of the restaurant. “It does feel good to let my mane down, in a manner of speaking, though.” “That’s a shame. Back home, we worry about the same thing happening to Sunny, though she manages to juggle the situation,” Octavia intimated. “Although, given that her situation isn’t as obvious back there as it is here, I suppose that makes it easier for her.” “Lucky her. In any case, when I’m here, I can dress like a normal stallion and as far as anypony knows, I’m nopony of note and not anypony that would stand out. On the other hoof, Prince Blueblood,” he intoned in a grandiose voice that conveyed all his contempt, “wouldn’t be caught dead here with the commoners. And he certainly wouldn’t be found eating in some ramshackle restaurant like this plebian locale.” “You don’t sound very happy.” “I’m not.” He took another drink, then continued, his eyes fixed on hers. “I’m not like my cousin Divine. He’s happy playing the valiant prince and gallant soldier, because his duties afford him the luxury of doing so. But my duties at the Agency do not, and unfortunately, that’s just part and parcel of the nature of spycraft. Publicly, my aunts bemoan my very existence. Privately, they bemoan that the public can never know the stallion I really am. My predecessor in the position was considered a pervert and a tailchaser, nevermind the fact that he was married to the same mare until the day he went to the Great Pasture. And I’m sure that whichever unlucky pony that becomes my successor as the director of the Agency, will probably have to take up an equally unsavory public persona in order to divorce her- or himself from any potential accusations of competency and usefulness to the Crown. It is both a blessing and a curse of a position and while it is most certainly one vital to Equestria’s needs, it comes at a very public cost, one that nopony deserves.” Octavia wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she decided to deflect, instead. She finished the last bite of her meal, swooning once more at the taste. “Oh, God, I have got to get the recipe for all these. The triplets would be pissed if I didn’t.” “Ask Blaze for it; I’m sure he’d be more than happy to offer it to you in return for some recipes that come from your world.” “Well, my phone doesn’t work this far out, but once we get back to Canterlot, I’ll be more than happy to offer more than a few.” “I’d appreciate that.” The two ate in silence for a few more minutes, occasionally offering small talk and minor chat about themselves; Blueblood seemed intrigued that Octavia was a musician and had entertained a growing crowd of listeners at Tierfenbucker’s. In turn, she learned about some parts of his personal life, and the differences between what he’d said and what she knew of his counterpart intrigued her. In particular, he had three sisters that he’d absolutely doted on, but that one had given her life during the recent war. Still, he said, he had a great relationship with his siblings and absolutely adored them. After a few more minutes of one of the most pleasant meals that she’d ever had, she then got up and stretched. “I’ll be right back; need to head to the little girl’s room.” She looked around for a second. He pointed towards the far end of the restaurant. “I think it’s over there,” he offered. “Thanks.” A second later, Blazewing came back, bearing a tray carrying a sizeable honeyed walnut cheesecake. “So, where’d your fillyfriend go?” he asked with a grin. “Thought she might want to try out my newest recipe.” “She went to the little filly’s room,” Blueblood told him, “and she’s not my fillyfriend. In fact, I just met her today. She’s actually the cousin of Princess Sunset.” “Um…how is that possible? And aren’t you the cousin of our newest princess?” the batpony asked, an odd look on his face. “Human customs, I suppose,” Blueblood replied. “As I understand it, she was also adopted by a human family on their world. And yes, I suppose I’m technically Sunset’s cousin as well, but I really don’t know her all that well.” “And so you know this filly?” When Blueblood chose not to answer that, Blazewing laughed. “Look, I get that she’s a human – and I’m really weirded out that they’re not what the legends say, but I know you, stallion. I know that look in your eyes, and don’t even try to suggest otherwise; you can’t kid a kidder, Blu. That look…it’s the same one you had for Maple Flavor way back when.” A dejected look came over the unicorn’s face. “I wonder how she’s doing?” “She just had her second kid with her husband in Whinnypeg,” Blazewing admitted. When the unicorn gave him a stunned gaze, he added, “Don’t be so surprised – we keep in touch, because she was part of our security cell. That kind of friendship doesn’t just go away, you know.” “Yeah, I know.” “Although, if you ask me, I think she would’ve been happier with you, but you let yourself be married to your Celestiadamned job. You two were perfect for one another. Now she’s married to some accountant in Whinnypeg and while, sure, the Agency is out one top agent, it’s moreso that you’re out one primo fillyfriend.” The two stallions looked at each other for the longest time, before Blazewing spoke again. “No skylarking, stallion – why the buck did you ever let her go? She loved you, you loved her. You two were meant to be together.” “Because she would have been miserable as Princess Maple, wife of Prince Jerkface,” the unicorn said with a touch of sadness. “And there was no way for her to be simply Maple Flavor, wife of Blueblood, the stallion who just happens to be a prince.” Blazewing frowned. “That’s a bullshit reason and you know it.” “Maybe, but do you think you could deal with flirting with every filly available while Cremini sat at home and played the role of the forever-spurned but dutiful wife? Nevermind that it’s not true at all – could you do it? Could she? All these years, I have no idea how Duke Codepoint did it when he was the director and I don’t know how his wife stood for it. But my fate was sealed, and I couldn’t do that to Maple. I just couldn’t.” Blazewing sighed; he of course had known that answer but it didn’t mean it was something that he wanted to hear, regardless. “Look, for what it’s worth, I haven’t seen that look in your eyes for a long time, and clearly it’s set on that human mare, whether or not you’re going to admit it to me. Just…just take care of yourself, okay? You deserve better than what you’re getting in life and me and Cremini want the best for you.” “Not a clue of what you’re talking about,” Blueblood said glumly, “but at least I appreciate it.” Back in Canterlot, Whiskey reported to Sunset, as per her request. “You wished to see me, Your Majesty?” she asked. “Yes,” the flame-haired girl said with a smile. “This was just delivered by the Inariese embassy, and they’re for you.” Sunset floated a package out to the other girl, who opened the box, and a wide smile came over her face as she did. “For me?” Whiskey asked with shock, and Sunset gave an approving nod. The smaller girl pulled the precious items out of the wooden case, holding the swords in her hands and marveling at the incredible make: two jet-black blades of metal veined with razor-thin jags of silver and copper. The blades were made from shibuichi, a mystical metal of Inariese make, a material so rare that it was usually only made available to the most elite of Inari’s populace. “Yes,” Sunset told her. “They’re an apology gift from Ambassador Han’nya for everything you’ve endured because of his now-disgraced brother. I’m told that shibuichi swords are priceless and powerful.” Whiskey flitted the blades around in her hands, a look of wonder coming onto her face; the swords felt perfect in her hands, and she wondered if they would feel just the same in her paws. “They are, Your Highness,” she stated. “He also said that due to the unfair way you were cast out of your clan, that he would insist that they accept you back. You could return to your family.” Whiskey thought about it for a second, then looked at the princess. “Permission to speak freely, Your Highness.” “Of course.” “I…I don’t want to go back.” The look in Whiskey’s eyes was one of worry. “In the short time I’ve been with you all, I…I like it here. I feel valued. You treat me as though I am a treasured vassal for who I am, not because of my martial talents or my ability to pillow—” Sunset blushed. “You keep mentioning that.” “Prince Fujitsu…he was never very pleasant to pillow with, but he was my master,” Whiskey admitted. “And I suspect you would let me choose to decline if I were given the order.” “You won’t be given any order to sleep with someone. In human cultures, that’s a thing of the past. You are free to choose who you wish to be with, because you will have a chance to love them.” “Then please, Your Highness. Please let me stay with you and Lady Octavia and the others.” She got on her knees, bowing deeply. “Please let me continue to be your vassal.” “No.” The word hit Whiskey like a slap across the face. “No?” she gasped in a tortured voice. “No – you are not a vassal. You are a SIREN. Vassals are servants and retainers, who serve because that is their lot in life – and I do not wish those. SIRENs are guards and friends, those I can rely on because they care about me as much as I do them. And you are a SIREN, Whiskey. So no, you may not be my vassal.” “You…you mean that?” When Sunset nodded, a soft, happy smile began to come over Whiskey’s face. “Understood, Your Highness,” she said, relief sounding in her voice. “Okay, go meet up with Adagio and the others. I have a funny feeling you’re going to have a busy day tomorrow, so take your break now while you can.” In a sudden burst of affection, Whiskey got up and hugged Sunset. “Yes, my lady!” she said, before she realized what she did. Gasping in horror, she stammered. “I’m sorry!” Sunset laughed. “You’re learning.” “Huh?” “You’ll find out soon enough, Whiskey.” As the kitsune departed, she passed by Softwing as the latter came into Sunset’s room. “Here’s the paperwork you wanted,” she stated, then sat down in the seat across from the flame-haired girl. “Have you told her yet?” Sunset shook her head, giving her seneschal a knowing grin. “I thought that you might like to,” she stated. “Well, it beats living alone, and adjusting to the human world is going to be a challenge, I’m sure. Plus, it’ll be interesting having a kid sister. Never had one before.” “You do know she’s older than either of us, right?” Softwing laughed. “Sunny, I’m twenty-five. Yes, Whiskey is probably a few hundred years old, but developmentally, she’s what, thirteen? Fourteen?” “Thereabouts. And as for her counterpart, we don’t know anything about her. The database found no trace of anyone living with that name or her previous one. That either means that the record is very incomplete or we’ll have to ask Flutters to do a database search for us in Japanese. But you’re right: Either way, the identity she’s being given is that of your adopted kid sister and fourteen years old.” “Then I’m going to treat her like one, because otherwise she might start wanting to be my vassal.” The flame-haired girl nodded and took the paperwork from her seneschal. “Look, I appreciate that you’re willing to take her under your literal and metaphorical wing. It’s going to be a period of adjustment for you both, and having you two together should make things easier.” “Works for me. Besides, as I said, I consider myself more pony than griffin, and that was enough of an adjustment. If I’m going to live as a human for years to come, then I suppose it doesn’t hurt to have an additional soul along for the ride with me.” There was an additional knock at the door, and Sunset called, “Come in.” Celestia opened the door, followed closely by Sable, who was out of uniform. Looking around at Sunset’s chambers, she sighed. “Of course the former troublemaker has a better lifestyle than I do,” she mock-grumbled. Sunset grinned. “You know, Ms. Celestia, I could fix your house up….” “Please don’t; Sable’s still half-grumbling about getting a paycheck from you even though he needed a new car,” the educator responded with a wry smile. “Okay, okay, I get it, I get it. Besides, I like my Toyota,” he commented. “So what do you need from us?” The next few minutes went by as Sunset explained to her former principal what their plans for Whiskey were, as well as what they were going to do about the other newcomer SIRENs. The two adults listened to the teen’s plans, with some input from Softwing as well, though that was few and far between. “Well, as it would seem, we will have to figure out familial structures for those who are underage as far as Earth is concerned,” Celestia stated once Sunset was done. “I presume that you wouldn’t want any of them to have to go through what you went through.” “Absolutely not,” Sunset agreed. “It was hell for me and I wouldn’t want that on anyone, much less those under my aegis.” “Smart move,” Sable commented as he nodded his approval. “That being said, we’ll have to be careful. Additionally, I’ll say this right now, Sunset: Celestia and I will not be taking in any of the underage SIRENs,” he told her. Looking at Celestia briefly, then back to Sunset, he added, “As much as Tia and I want a family of our own, as the senior SIREN officer, it would be unduly picking favorites if any of them lived with us. Plus, from what the triplets told me, I wouldn’t want to create another Piano Bliss, whoever that is. I’m also going to add that when I onboard the Force Master Chief, the same will apply to him as well.” “I suspect that given what we know of Troubleshoes’ home life, I really don’t think he would want the extra headache anyway,” Celestia added. “That’s understandable,” Sunset stated. “I leave that in your capable hands, Sable.” “There’s also another thing that’s come to mind,” Celestia added. “If the paperwork for Softwing’s new apartment is right, Whiskey will have to attend County High, not Canterlot High. While Luna and I let you get away with it, her new vice-principal seems to be much more of a stickler for the rules.” “I know. I’ve already run on his bad side more than once,” Sunset admitted, and the reproachful look from her mentor did not help. “I didn’t do anything wrong, I assure you. I think he’s just keeping an extra eye on me because of my profile.” Celestia nodded. “I wish I could help you there, but that’s no longer my balliwick. That being said, as a superintendent, it will give me a little more leeway to watch over the individual SIRENs at whatever schools they attend, so long as they are within the school district. It’s just that you’ll have to deal with Whiskey being a Saberhawk instead of a Wondercolt, and the others going to other schools as well.” “ECHS sucks,” Sunset teased. “I’m not allowed to play favorites there,” Celestia said with a smile. “Are there any others that I should be aware of?” As part of the bonding session and in order to get used to their human forms, the triplets were having dinner with their new SIREN charges. Not surprisingly, they were all getting adjusted to their forms far faster than expected. Other aspects, however, were apparently going to take some getting used to. Moonblazer, now a human girl of African-American persuasion, pouted, and the look on her face was priceless. “What do you mean I can’t drink?” she gasped. “Do you understand how much I need my fix of Sweet Apple Acres Premium Reserve Apple Cider?” “Moons,” Aria told her, “Look, you might be twenty-six as a mare, but as a human girl, you’re seventeen. That means you’re underage – the legal age where we’re from is twenty-one. Trust me, it’s easier if you just get used to this now.” Moonblazer pushed purple bangs out of her eyes. “But that’s not fair!” she grumbled. “Then you don’t need this.” A hand reached over and took the mug; a second later, it was drained and placed in front of a stoic-looking petite blonde woman with pink eyes and in her early twenties. “Not as good as Stalliongrad vodka but it suffices,” Ushanka commented. “You owe me a new one,” Moonblazer hissed. “Нет. Alcohol stunts fillies’ growth,” Ushanka said with a straight face. “Wait until you are old enough.” “Is it just me, or did she just make a joke?” Sonata asked Adagio, who merely shrugged. Embiggen blushed. “I guess that means I can’t either, I guess.” She handed her mug to Tomahawk, who wordlessly took it. “I mean, I think.” “Yeah, but you’re tall, Biggie,” Adagio noted. “Yes, officially you’re just going to be sixteen, but tall girls get away with a lot of stuff. And since you’re an amazon—” “I thought you said I was, um…what was the term again?” “White,” Aria noted. “Like my sisters and I are Chinese, you’re white. But what ‘amazon’ means, is that you’re tall – really tall – and have a lot of muscles. Typically girls like Ushanka here would fit that description, but obviously she doesn’t. You however, do; and since you’re just sixteen, it means you might grow even taller.” Now it was Embiggen’s turn to pout. “But why can’t I be a normal size?” “Sorry, can’t help you there,” Sonata stated. A woman with dusky skin and long salt-and-pepper hair done in a braid, nodded. “Perhaps that’s just the way things are, just a path to stay on par,” Ekene told her fellow SIREN. “You’re going to have to work on that,” Adagio told her. “On Earth, nobody rhymes unless they’re a rapper.” “A rapper, you say? What’s that, if I may?” Adagio rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re really going to have to work on that.” While Adagio struggled to explain rap music to the zebra-turned-human, Sunny Side was having her own conversation with Tomahawk. “Huh, sounds pretty frightening,” Tomahawk said after hearing Side’s first-hoof account of the incident in Lonesome Dove over a year ago. “Yeah, admittedly Archmagus Beryl did most of the work resolving the incident, but Cpt. Skyracer must’ve spoken pretty highly of me in his report, because next thing I know he tells me that I was in line for a promotion to a pretty sweet position in the Romance Guard!” “Huh. That’s wonderful!” Tomahawk said with a smile before taking another sip of her tea. It was then that Side noticed that the alcoholic beverage Embiggen had handed Tomahawk was placed aside, completely untouched in favor of the cup of tea. “You don’t drink, Tommi?” the earth mare turned fair-skinned girl asked, and Moonblazer glared daggers at her; evidentially, she thought it unfair that one of the lucky mares to be a legal adult in human form did not partake. However, this went unnoticed by Tomahawk as she glanced between Sunny Side and the cup of tea in her hands with a look of mild confusion on her face. “What do you mean? I’m drinking right now.” Sunny giggled. “I meant alcohol.” There was a pause before Tomahawk nodded in understanding. “Oh, no – never tried it before. Never felt like I needed to when my parents made the best tea in the country.” It was then that Moonblazer’s baleful gaze turned mischievous as she grinned at Tomahawk. “Well, no time like the present to try it, right? We are celebrating a major turning point in our careers, after all!” Tomahawk picked up Embiggen’s cider and studied it uncertainly for a moment. “Well, I suppose you’re right.” The ruddy-skinned girl then did exactly what Moonblazer hoped and took a great gulp from the mug. The attention of the whole table was then drawn to Tomahawk as she started uncontrollable coughs, sputtering and gasping for great lungfuls of air. Several more seconds went by before she even attempted to speak again. “Is it—” she wheezed before another coughing fit occurred, her voice much hoarser than it was previous. “Is it supposed to burn like that?” “Yup!” Moonblazer happily exclaimed. “Ugh, this is….” Tomahawk paused to chase the drink with some of her tea, and only then did her normal voice return. “This is really awful. Why do ponies drink this stuff?” “We don’t drink it for the taste!” the former batpony cheered. Sonata, meanwhile, thought that Tomahawk’s reaction was far too strong to be normal, and also noticed that Moonblazer seemed too pleased with herself. Picking up the offending mug, she sniffed, then inquired, “There’s more than just cider in here, isn’t there?” With a grin, Moonblazer pulled out a small flask. “I always add a shot of whiskey to my drink!” she explained. Across the table, a young Japanese girl looked up from her meal. “Yes?” she asked. “She didn’t mean you, Whiskey,” Aria stated as she quickly snatched the flask out of Moonblazer’s hand. “Hey! Give that back!” Moonblazer snarled at Aria, trying to reach for the flask. The middle triplet, on the other hand, deftly moved out of the range of Moonblazer’s grasp. Adagio watched all of this with a nostalgic smile on her face, her plate almost forgotten. They already looked like a Sisterhood to her. Blueblood escorted Octavia back to her room. “Thanks for dinner,” she told him. “I actually had a fun time tonight.” “I’m glad you did,” Blueblood told her. “I hope that in some small way, I was able to make up for all the pain and suffering you’ve had to endure because of the name Blueblood.” “Which wasn’t your fault, you know,” she told him. “All the same, I still wish you the best,” he assured her. “I take it you’ll be going back tomorrow? To the same location?” Octavia nodded. “I have to pick up my musical instruments tomorrow, as well as do some other errands before I attend Sunny’s speech before the assembly of nobles.” Her smile fell, however, as she admitted, “I…I don’t know how to react to that, though. Ponies will undoubtedly know what happened and they’ll blame it on me.” “They won’t, I assure you. You were a victim of a mad prince who thought he could do anything he wanted in order to satisfy his desires, and that gallant ponies gave their lives to save yours and save Sunset’s honor. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true.” He looked at her and could see the pain in her eyes. “Tomorrow won’t be easy for you, I know. But if you are anything like the person I met today, then I know you are strong enough to manage that.” Despite everything, she blushed. “Thank you,” she told him. “As for the speech, I have to attend that as well,” he stated, “though thankfully it’s one of those few times with enough situational gravitas that I can be myself and not have to act the fool.” He then thought about it for a second, then gave himself a nod as if approving some unspoken concept. “So what time should I pick you up tomorrow?” Octavia blinked at the sudden change. “Excuse me?” “If you still have to head out into town, the fact is, you will still need an escort, both due to your VIP status and the extra threat that was presented to you. Plus, I’m sure it would put Sunset at ease if you were with somepony trustworthy. Because I’m free for the most part tomorrow, I would consider it an honor if you would allow me to accompany you.” “But your highness—” Octavia protested, but he cut it off with a raised hoof. “Please, just Blu is fine. My friends and family call me that. Only those not in the know insist on calling me by my full name and only those who completely believe me to be a pompous asshat call me by my title. Of course, the truth of that is that I’m usually the one insisting to them that they do, because it’s all a part of my guise.” Octavia prevaricated as she opened the door to her room. “Well….” “Besides, I know the best place for breakfast tomorrow – Donut Joe’s has the best coffee and crullers in town,” he told her in a conspiratorial tone. “I daresay they’re even better than the chefs here in the palace, if I may be so bold.” “The best in town?” she asked, and in reply, he merely gave her a look that stated, you doubt me? “Okay, okay, fine. What time would be good for you?” “How does eight sound?” The raven-haired girl thought about it. “Okay,” she said with a satisfied nod. “You’ve convinced me. See you then.” He gave a courtly bow and said, “Until the morning.” With that, he walked off, a smile on his face. Octavia went into her room and closed the door before slumping to the floor. I have to be out of my mind! I just agreed to do something with Blueblood? I mean, I know he’s not the same Blueblood, but… She sighed. Now I know how Sunny feels whenever Flash is mentioned. Still, she got off the floor and went to check her clothing. If she was going to go out with someone tomorrow, she had to look her best right? A thought then hit her. Wait…is it a date? The confusion remained with her for the rest of the evening.