//------------------------------//
// Verse 13 
// Story: The Nightmare Knights Become A Band 
// by SwordTune 
//------------------------------//

“Lightning Dust?” Luna rushed down the street to the Galloping Gale Gym, Manehattan’s premier fitness club for athletes. The inside smelled of cinnamon, and the showers came complete with saunas and massage therapies for sore muscles.
Even in her panic, Luna paused at the sight of the gym’s interior. “Woah. We need to get one of these in Silver Shoals.”
“Oh my! Princess Luna, what a surprise to see you here.” The receptionist trotted up to her. “Is there something I can-”
“Sorry, I’m in a bit of a hurry, have you seen Lightning Dust? Yellow mane, pegasus, bad attitude.”
“I don’t personally recall her, but I know security was called out to the racing track. I doubt your friend could be that bad thou-”
“Perfect, thanks for the help.” 
There was no time to waste. Luna had her fair share of life experience, even on the moon, she could still walk the dream realm. There was little she hadn’t seen before. But no pony had ever had the thought to ask her on a date. 
In the back of the gym was a racecourse for pegasi. Dozens of moving rings plotted out changing paths for fliers to test their speed and agility. But the spectacle at the moment seemed to be three security stallions trying to subdue an angry mare.
“Say that to my face again you sorry sack of roided-out yak lard! I’ll fly circles around you, got it? You’d be lucky to have me on your team!”
Luna recognized Lightning’s yelling immediately. Whatever was going on, she was fairly certain she was at fault. But frankly, there was enough time to care. Luna raised her voice to royal levels and boomed her commands at the guards.
“I demand you release her at once!”
Instantly, the guards backed away, blinded by Luna’s orders. They dropped Lightning Dust on the ground, next to two other stallions who had been taken out. They were clutching their guts in pain.
“Apologies, but she was here with me on business,” Luna told both the security guards and the Equestria Games fliers. “You can charge the royal treasury for any injuries or damages she might have caused. But right now I must ask that you leave her be. She and I have much to discuss.”
The athletes traded looks, clearly upset. However, they weren’t about to deny the Princess of the Night. They agreed to Luna’s offer and wrote down the mailing address to send their invoice to. Once that was settled, they let her take Lightning Dust out of the gym, provided she never returned again.
“Fair enough,” was all Luna had to say. She dragged Lightning Dust out of the gym and took her to a cider brewery two blocks away. They both seemed to need a drink. Lightning made no protest, though she demanded a shot of rye whiskey with her cider.
“I had it handled,” she scoffed into her glass.
“I’m sure you did,” Luna remarked, “but there’s something I don’t have handled. I was hoping you had advice.”
“You want advice from me?” Lightning dust put her cider down, almost choking on her own disbelief. “What could Luna, Princess of the Night and former Nightmare Moon possibly need to know from me?”
“How do you turn a stallion down when they ask you out on a date?” Luna blurted out.
Lightning Dust’s jaw hung slightly open. There was a lull in her voice before she croaked out unintelligible words. Slowly, the whiskey made its way to her mouth and down the hatch, bringing the life back to her head.
“Hoo-boy, didn’t go so well at the meeting?”
Luna shook her head. “Actually, it was almost perfect. I thought Newbrand was setting up a business lunch, something professional. Not a date. It was good until then.”
“Well, duh, you got asked out by a stallion,” Lightning gulped her cider. “If anything can ruin a day, it’s that.”
Luna picked up her drink and nearly emptied the cup. There was a disturbing magic to the alcohol. Once you drank it her problem seemed to vanish. Though, each time it came back, she knew she’d have to drink more. And Newbrand wasn’t something she could run away from.
“What do you propose, then?”
Lightning Dust shrugged. “Kick him in the ‘nads, that’s my policy.”
“I can’t do that,” Luna chortled, “he doesn’t seem indecent, I’m simply not interested. Which is why it’s even harder. Not only is he at the top of the music industry right now, but I would feel bad if I hurt his feelings.”
“Guys will get over it,” Lightning Dust waved Luna’s worries away. “Does he have a secretary?”
“Yes, why?”
“Problem solved. Secretaries are always the fall-back play for stallions like him.”
“I don’t think that matters--wait, are you assuming his secretary is a mare?”
Lightning Dust barely glanced from her cup. “Are you assuming that I think that makes a difference?”
“Well… n-no,” Luna flustered with such a quick reply. “We’re getting off topic. I just want to focus on the band and what I’m doing now. I have no interest in dating any pony.”
Lightning Dust chortled. “You hear that? I think that’s the sound of a million edge-lords crying in anguish.”
“Can you not make light of my situation, please?” Luna asked.
“Alright, fine,” Lightning raised her hooves off the table and stretched. “Just tell him what you told me, and if he’s not a jackhole, he’ll understand.”
“Is that really it? These things always seem so dramatic in dreams, I’m not really sure if I know how to just say it in real life.”
Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. “For the love of--just teleport us back to Ponyville really quick. I know a mare who’s used to turning down dudes.”





Rainbow Dash wiped the sweat off her brow from her warm-up yoga session before answering the door. The Wonderbolts were expecting more competition this time in the Equestria Games, since changelings, hippogriffs, and dragons were expected to compete as well. Even though the games weren’t for some time, getting to her maximum performance was going to take a few months of intense training.
“S’up dude,” Lightning Dust stood outside her house with Luna at her side. “How do you turn down a stallion when they ask you out?”
“What?” Dash’s face twisted up, confused.
“Maybe a better explanation is needed?” Luna suggested. She brought them down to The Hayburger to talk over some fries. She explained everything to Rainbow Dash, including her impression of Newbrand and how the interview went.
Dash took it all in stride, nodding as she began to better understand the predicament Luna found herself in. It reminded her of Fluttershy’s brother, and of the many times Zephyr Breeze just couldn’t take a hint.
“So, uh,” Dash hesitated with her advice. She looked down at her tray of fries, a little embarrassed to be talking to even an ex-princess.
But Luna insisted. “I know these topics aren’t what I usually contend with, but please, it is important.”
“You try kicking him in the ‘nads?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Lightning Dust just shook her head with a tired expression. “Been there, dude. She doesn’t want to try it.”
“I am not kicking any pony in the… I won’t do it.” Luna huffed. “I may not be a princess anymore, but leaving my station behind does not mean I can do whatever I want.”
“Then just tell him how you feel!” Rainbow exclaimed. “You didn’t ask for this. He should know better not to make business personal. Just because he’s interested in you, you don’t have to do him any favours. He might seem nice, but if he can’t realize how awkward he’s making this, then he’s as big of a jackhole as Zephyr.”
“Who?” Luna tilted her head.
“Uh, forget I said anything. It’s not important.”
“Well, if you say it’s alright, then I know what I have to do. I should go now before it gets dark.”





“Legato Strings?”
Newbrand’s secretary looked up from her desk as she sorted and filed away her work for the day. Luna wondered if any one of those files was for the Nightmare Knights.
“Is Newbrand in his office right now?”
“Um, no,” she replied. “He left early, said he had some personal business to take care of. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“Who me?” Luna gawked, surprised that Legato was even suspicious. “What makes you say that? Was it something Newbrand said?”
“It was what he didn’t say,” she replied. “I asked him how the interview went and he told me it went great. Nothing else. He usually tells me what he wants out of a band so I can let our marketing team know to start brainstorming. But he’s paying a lot of attention to the Nightmare Knights right now.”
Luna hung her head and sighed. “I cannot believe he’s taken it this far. Would you believe me if I told you he offered to take me on a date?”
“It would definitely explain a lot.” The lack of a reaction from her told Luna that she had already suspected something like this. Was it because she knew Newbrand well enough? Was this really what he was like?
“And… you’re planning to cancel, right?”
Luna nodded.
“Okay, I can get him on the phone for you right now, if you want.”
“Yes, that would be easiest.”
Legato dialed the phone on her desk, and it rang no more than once before Newbrand answered. “Yes, what is it?”
“Mr Newbrand, I have Luna here with me right now, she has something to say to you.”
“She’s there? Is it already seven?”
“No, she just has something to tell you,” Legato passed the phone over to Luna.
She took a deep breath and put on a gentle voice. “Hey, Newbrand. So, you’re getting ready this early?”
“Hehe, just excited is all,” he replied. “Guess you can’t wait for tonight either, huh?”
“Actually I’m going to have to cancel that date, Newbrand. You caught me off-guard during our meeting, which is why I didn’t respond then. But I’m not interested in going on a date with you.”
“But, I don’t understand, didn’t you want to talk more about the band and your music?”
“I did, but professionally. Not on a date.”
There was a very brief pause in Newbrand’s voice, a soft croak like the words were trying to find their way out of his throat. 
“I mean, yeah, of course,” he chuckled. “D-did you think I meant something else-”
“You were clear with what you meant when you called it a date, Newbrand,” Luna lifted the gentleness from her voice. It sounded to her like he was trying to get their dinner to happen, no matter what, and she didn’t appreciate it.
“Alright, okay,” he slowed down. “I’m sorry, if that’s how you feel. I guess, uh, we’ll talk business in the morning then? We could get coffee, or whatever, you know.”
Luna rubbed her temple, thinking over if she really wanted to say her next words. She did. “Actually, I would rather work with a different company. We have yet to sign any agreements, and knowing you’re willing to get that personal does not sit right with me.”
“H-hold on, what? Where would you go?” Luna could hear him smiling with disbelief. “My company’s the biggest in the industry. Luna, whatever your feelings, sticking with the company is the right choice.”
“Where I go is my concern,” Luna replied and then passed the phone back to Legato Strings. One look on her face and the secretary knew to just hang up.
To her surprise, Luna didn’t feel any guilt. As a princess, when ponies felt bad it was always her responsibility to go into their dreams, see things from their perspective. It just confirmed what she already believed, that her role as princess was holding her back from living her own life, the way she wanted. When one always thinks about others, they don’t have time for themselves.
Legato Strings just looked at her with curious eyes. She had something to say, it seemed, but wasn’t sure.
“What is it?” Luna said, coming off a bit crass before she could catch herself.
“Oh, well, I was thinking about a friend of mine. She’s a record producer as well, and our company’s biggest competitor.”
“You’re friends with your competition?”
Legato shrugged. “I knew her before I got into the industry. Can’t really do anything about that. But anyway, I think you’ll like her. Newbrand’s great at picking out what fans like, but he puts the data first and art second. Not my friend, though.”
“Does she have a name?” Luna raised a brow.
“Poppin Mix. Here, let me write down her address for you. She doesn’t usually work with heavy metal, but it’s worth a shot. Just let her know what drives you to make music and she’ll hook you up with a deal.”
“Excellent. I look forward to… getting hooked up.”





Luna stared across a box of costumes. Poppin Mix was not the pony she expected. In between producing a new record, she was working on a new Bridleway show starring Rara. The pegasus was middle-aged but had vigour, lifting up a heavy box of chalk dust onto the stage for the dancers to coat their horseshoes.
“So… you’ll do it?” Luna asked after her lengthy story. She spared few details. Making Equestria understand what it meant to love the darkness that came with every night, not just Nightmare Night, was Luna’s biggest dream right now. Music was a means to that, sure, but her drive was stronger than a hobby or passion.
Poppin shook the sweat off her wings. “It’s part of who you are as a pony, ain’t it? That’s what your music is about, showing every side of you and being loved for it. And you can’t just go independent, else no pony’s gonna hear ya, right?”
Luna nodded heartily.
“Way I see it, after everything you’ve done, world’s got no right to ignore you. So you can bet your bottom bit that I’ll produce your album. Plus, I heard y’all at Canterlot ‘bout a month back and I was impressed.”
It sounded almost too easy. Luna wanted to kick herself for wasting her time with Newbrand. She was so eager to be heard, she didn’t even think about how she was doing it. Mass marketing and trial audiences were great tools, but Luna wondered how long it would take before all those things started telling her how to make music.
“Truly, I am grateful,” Luna bowed her head slightly. “I must admit, I think I’ve been sticking my heads in the clouds a little bit. Working in royal governance for so long, it makes it hard to understand life outside the castle.”
“Well, I’ll try my best to make sure that ain’t a problem,” Poppin assured her. “But I ought to talk to the rest of your band, too. I’m busy this week, but since it sounds like your band can’t come to Manehattan, I’ll have to book a train to Ponyville next week. That sound like a plan?”
Luna grinned. “I think they’d like that very much.”