I… have made… a grave mistake.
The princess, sitting on her haunches, groaned and held her stomach, by now chock-full of what felt like half of the Hay Burger’s accursed menu. She could still hardly believe the mountain of food Blue had returned with, much less how determined he seemed to be that she get through it all in one sitting. Every time she finished one item he insisted she try another before she could even get so much as a word in.
“Sheesh, before today I didn’t even think you princesses were allowed to eat fast food,” Luna’s tormentor remarked. “Wasn’t sure all those greasy fats and oils were even palatable to your ‘royal constitutions.’ Glad to see I was wrong! Next time you’ll have to bring your sister along, it’ll give us the perfect opportunity to explore which one of you can eat more hay burgers.”
“Now Blue,” Luna said after swallowing the last of her latest basket of fries, “I really must speak with you about–”
“One moment, princess, you really must try these onion rings first. Oh, and after that I should get an order of cheese curds, can’t believe I forgot those.”
He’s mad! The stallion is absolutely mad. What, does he mean to stuff me till I can no longer walk? Just how cavernous does he believe my stomach is? I’m an alicorn, not a half-starved manticore!
“And while I’m at it we should absolutely sample some of their desserts; I’ve had better, Celestia knows I have, but boy do their sweets sure hit the spot after a nice, hearty meal.”
Hearty? You call this hearty?! This eclipses hearty by a rustic mile! We are gorging ourselves, guzzling fried foodstuffs in a manner I never thought possible before today! Any more of this absurd banquet and I’ll- wait a minute. Is he purposefully keeping us sidetracked?
Narrowing her eyes, the princess scrutinized her friend as he breathlessly continued rambling on about various fast food places he simply had to take her to. It got to a point where words were simply spewing out of his mouth, yet Blue was so fixated on continuously chatting away that he didn’t even seem to notice Luna glaring at him.
Why that little cad, he is doing this deliberately! What exactly is he trying to avoid?
“Blue.”
“Hang on, I was just about to get to some of Equestria’s premier carnivals and fairs.”
“Blue.”
“You wouldn’t believe some of the treats they come up with at these things.”
“Blue.”
“Last year at the Appleloosan Fair, I had these caramel apples fried in funnel cake batter, which was then dipped in chocolate. Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe–”
“CEASE THY PRATTLING!”
Stunned by the sudden outburst, Blue immediately fell silent and almost shrunk in his seat beneath the princess’s withering gaze. Next to Luna’s imposing figure, the significantly smaller unicorn looked like a sheepish colt after being scolded by his mother. His eyes, wide as saucers, darted about, certain that every pony in the Hay Burger was once more staring at them after that explosion. Much to Blue’s bewilderment, however, not a single, solitary soul in the place was giving them so much as a glance. It was only then that he noticed Luna’s horn faintly glowing.
“Eh? What’s this now, a privacy spell?” he inferred.
“Yes,” Luna replied much more calmly as she began to cool off. “I didn’t want to disturb the other patrons, well, no more than I already have.”
“Right, right, makes sense.”
“Now then, my friend… are you quite finished? Or do you wish to continue ignoring me some more? Because I will gladly take my leave if you have no interest in hearing what I have to say.”
Blue’s cheeks burned red as a ripe cherry, and his facetious façade started to crumble right before Luna’s eyes. He looked not merely embarrassed, but genuinely ashamed of how he’d behaved, and couldn’t even look Luna in the eye for a moment. When he finally restored his composure, he let out a long, drawn-out sigh and met the princess’s eyes with a steady, serious gaze of his own.
“My apologies, princess. I got a bit carried away there. You caught me trying to chase away a rotten mood with bad food and buffoonery, but that’s no excuse for my unbecoming behavior towards you. It’s not your fault I was upset in the first place, and I certainly had no license for treating a friend so poorly, no matter how agitated I was. I let my ire get the better of me, plain and simple, and there’s no good excuse for that. So again, all I can really say is I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive my childish conduct.”
The myriad aspects of Blue’s mannerisms never ceased to astonish Luna. One minute he could be the biggest clown in a room, and the next he could just as easily be the most brilliant, serious mind there. It was as remarkable as it was infuriating, though from what she’d seen such a baffling trait fit him to a tee.
Luna offered a soft smile in reply and just shook her head.
“It’s quite alright, Blue. It was clear enough from the way you stormed out of that meeting how foul a mood you were in. But you needn’t bury such feelings with frivolous pleasures and farcical behavior, nor do so on account of my presence. You’ve been a good friend to me and always shown me consideration and empathy; I only ask that you allow me the pleasure of extending the same to you.”
Blue nodded, offering the most genuine smile he’d shown her all day.
“That’s a fair enough ask. Fine then, let’s have a real conversation, all proper like and whatnot. You can lower the privacy spell, princess, I promise I won’t make a scene.”
“Oh… well, about that. I technically did have another reason for casting it,” the princess explained as she maintained the spell.
Blue raised an eyebrow.
“And that would be?”
“Well, you see… I was hoping to keep our forthcoming conversation, um… confidential,” she warily admitted.
“Why?” Blue flatly asked.
“We’ll get to that, we’ll get to that, calm thyself!” Luna replied, though she was unable to conceal the fact that her feathers were, quite literally, getting ruffled by Blue’s irritating straightforwardness. “Suffice it to say that my reasons for our privacy will become clear… eventually.”
Blue just shrugged and nonchalantly leaned back in his seat. It did not escape Luna’s notice, however, that his eyes were now following her like a hawk.
“Alright, have it your way. So, where’d you want to start?”
“I guess my first question would be… what is troubling you, Blue? You’re by nature a spirited fellow, passionate about most anything you care about, anypony who knows you would say the same. Yet before today I’d never seen you so thoroughly livid as you were towards High Command, though from what Major Gust told me – and, if I’m being perfectly honest, from what I saw myself – I can somewhat surmise where it’s coming from. But I want to hear it in your own words, not simply grasp at straws and guess what you’re truly feeling.”
The stallion sighed and looked up at the ceiling, mulling over where to even begin. Finally, after running a hoof through his already tousled mane, Blue broke off his ruminations, sat back up and gave Luna his full attention, ready to tell all.
“I wish I could just tell you that Fervent, the rest of his toadies in the Guard and the way they’ve all been going on like a bunch of jackasses is the root of my fury. I truly wish that were the case, but I’m afraid it’s not. Not the whole of it, in any case.
“No… the truth is I’m scared, princess. Been scared for the past two years, ever since the changelings attacked. It’s easy for anypony else to hear that and say, ‘Of course you’re scared shitless, we were all scared shitless by that, how could we not be? Celestia and the Elements of Harmony were captured, Luna was gone searching for the changelings elsewhere, and if not for what was either a genuine miracle or just sheer dumb bucking luck, Canterlot would’ve surely fallen that very day.’ But my fear is so much more than that.
“I know all of that’s true, and I’ve run every worst-case scenario that could have happened that day through my head a million times. The utter vulnerability we displayed was certainly a kind of existential threat like I’ve never experienced before or since. Yet for me, my greatest anxieties haven’t stemmed from how fragile our society at large proved to be that day.
“No… the worst for me has been reliving my own failures and frailty that day.”
“We were all weak that day, Blue, each and every one of us,” Luna reminded him, her words steeped in sympathy.
“I don’t care,” he bitterly replied. “It’s fine that some can accept that, but I can’t. I failed to meet every measure I set for myself, as a stallion, husband and father. I… my wife and two of our children were at the royal wedding that day. Another one of my kids was working at Canterlot Memorial Hospital. Where was I? Futzing around at home on one of my pet projects.
“Azalea knew I’d be late. She’d even teased me about it before they left. ‘Don’t be too late,’ she said. ‘Wouldn’t want you to miss out on the wedding cake!’ A couple of hours later, when the changelings were raining terror and destruction down upon our city, do you have any idea how many times I trembled at the thought that those might be the last words I’d ever hear from her?
“In those miserable hours when I was stuck at my mansion, just desperately trying to defend my home, keep my employees safe and taking in any defenseless civilians that I could, not once… not once could I even consider trekking to Canterlot Castle. Not once could I think of reaching my wife and children. Even if I hadn’t had my obligations to those under my care, I would’ve had to scratch and claw my way through an army of changelings to even get close to my family. There was literally nothing I could do for them, and that… that, my dear princess, was the most unbearable condition of the entire ordeal.”
Luna nodded in understanding.
“It’s never an easy thing, losing control. Especially when you’re used to having charge of most aspects of your life. Believe me, I know this truth all too well.”
Blue chewed a hay fry thoughtfully for a moment, mulling over that sentiment before he continued.
“The memory of that feeling, that empty, hopeless, bitter feeling, still keeps me up at night. It’s been my drive these past two years, in every enterprise I’ve pursued to try and help safeguard Equestria.”
“And how exactly do you mean to help ‘safeguard’ Equestria, my friend?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
Luna sighed, opting to employ a more straightforward approach.
“What I mean is this: what exactly have you been cooking up in your workshops and laboratories all those sleepless nights?”
Blue opened his mouth to reply but then bit his tongue, chewing over that question for a solid minute. He realized from Luna’s wary tone that he needed to be careful and thorough in his response.
“Well… that’s a trickier question to answer than you might think. Not because I won’t, mind you,” he hastily interjected. “It’s just somewhat difficult to fully quantify everything I’ve been getting up to.
“I guess the simplest way to put it is I’ve been… creating. The past two years I’ve immersed myself in the purest, most frenzied, incessant period of invention and creativity I’ve ever known. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily been gratifying, far from it; most of my spare time has simply been spent frenziedly devising whatever I could imagine might help defend Equestria, then seeing if I could actually make what I’d envisioned into a bona fide reality.
“Frankly speaking, it’s been downright exhausting at times, even with as many of Moon Enterprises research and development teams helping me out as we can spare. I’ve probably got warehouses full of all the shit I’ve come up with at this point, and I don’t mean stuff that’s been mass-produced, most of it’s still just prototypes. Which isn’t to say I haven’t mass-produced a lot of them, I just wanted to give you an idea how much work this damn crazy brain of mine has put in in the last two years. But I can’t help it, even if it is a pain in my ass sometimes.”
The princess’s eyes widened as she processed what Blue was telling her. Still, she needed more answers, and pressed onward in her questioning.
“But what have you done, Blue? What exactly have you been making all this time?” she asked. “You’re speaking in generalities. I understand there’s a lot to cover, but I need something more tangible if you expect me to fully appreciate, much less understand, the scope of your efforts.”
Furrowing his brows, Blue breathed a sigh in frustration but nodded his head in understanding.
“Alright, alright, if it’s a bloody inventory you want I think I can manage that easily enough. The short version is weapons, munitions, armor, and various other defense systems, all designed to overhaul and fully modernize the Royal Guard, but that doesn’t even begin to cover some of the more ambitious and experimental projects I’ve spearheaded. Admittedly some of them are less practical and more novelty, but others, if fully realized, wouldn’t just transform the Guard, but Equestria’s entire infrastructure. That’s not even an exaggeration, trust me, I can lay it on thick when I want, but this, I can assure you, is the real deal.”
Goodness, he has been a busy bee hasn’t he? It never ceases to amaze me what some ponies are capable of accomplishing when they set their minds to a task. I suppose owning and running a multinational corporation makes Blue’s ambitions somewhat easier to realize, but nonetheless, it doesn’t make what he’s done any less impressive.
“I see… I think I now have a better grasp of your plight, my friend. If my understanding is correct, your highest priority and purpose since the changeling attack has been devoting as much of your energy and resources as you can towards cultivating and implementing new means to better protect Equestria.
“You’ve clearly made great headway in the first phase of your designs; the tools are there to effect great changes across our society. From what I saw earlier, however, there’s one considerable hurdle still preventing your creations from being meaningfully distributed and utilized by society at large: High Command. Am I wrong?”
Glowering, Blue nodded.
“Nope, you’re not wrong.”
“So, what is the nature of your conflict with that body? I believe I understand why you’re as passionate as you are about safeguarding Equestria, but what quarrels can’t you and High Command overcome? I doubt it’s the case that they simply don’t care about protecting our people.”
“Well they’ve sure got a funny way of showing they actually care about our wellbeing, that’s for damn sure!” Blue snapped in retort.
“Temper, Blue, temper,” Luna said, gently chiding him.
“Fine… it’s complicated, OK? A great, big, bucking convoluted hodgepodge of petty politics, personal feuds, big dick bickering and, if you squint and look close enough, a hoofful of legitimate, honest concerns.”
Luna visibly deflated upon hearing that.
“Ah, so Major Gust wasn’t exaggerating when she spoke of ‘petty internal politics’ derailing Guard activities. That is most alarming to hear.”
Blue grinned. “Sheesh, Nimbus told you about it?”
“Somewhat. She didn’t speak of it at length, but she did mention it in passing. Even seemed disappointed that I wouldn’t join your meeting with High Command.”
He let out a roaring guffaw at that, his mirth more than apparent.
“Well then, there you have it. Me? Everyone knows I’m a professional hellion; I’m more than happy to pick a fight with someone if I think they deserve it and have probably run my mouth at half the souls in Canterlot in my time.
“But Nimbus? That’s a mare who doesn’t speak her mind about just any little ol’ thing; she’s as serious and reticent about most things as I am not, and reserves her words only for those subjects that she believes have the weight to warrant them. So, when she’s got an actual bone to pick about something, enough that she’s willing to say so, you’d better believe it’s serious.”
“Most troubling. Most troubling, indeed,” Luna remarked, shaking her head. “Do not misunderstand, I am not some sweet summer child in regard to these matters. I have eyes that can see and ears that can hear, after all. I’ve seen enough since my return to determine that I do not like one bit how catty some of the modern-day Guard’s commanding officers can be with one another, nor how clouded others are by their own personal ambitions.
“Still, until today I’d elected to defer to my sister’s practice of leaving High Command to mind their own affairs for the most part. After all, it seemed to run well enough without our keeping a close watch on it. But now, I’m no longer so sure it’s prudent to manage Equestria’s military from that much of a distance. Please, continue. Tell me more.”
“Oh, where to begin, where to begin?” Blue thought aloud. “I guess any honest conversation needs to start with the most honorable Fervent Quest. Guy’s always been a prick going back to when I first met him at West Hoof, but now he’s a prick aspiring to become the next Captain of the Guard. A new one still hasn’t been appointed since Shining Armor stepped down, but he’s jockeying for the job probably harder than anyone else, and certainly more than the other two lieutenant commanders. To make matters worse, he’s been trying to shore up support for his bid, particularly among the other unicorns in High Command. That’s where our conflict comes in.”
“Oh? How so? It’s clear you’re not fond of Lieutenant Commander Quest, but surely you’re not interjecting yourself into High Command’s internal politics and opposing his bid? That would hardly seem a wise move on your part, in my estimation,” Luna noted.
“Of course not! I mean… look, Fervent’s hardly my first choice to take over command of the Guard, alright? I’ll concede that. But if it’s purely a matter of experience and professional qualifications, he’s not the worst choice either. I may not like the guy – and trust me, the feeling is most definitely mutual – but that doesn’t mean I’m going to pretend he’s totally shit at doing his job. He throws his family name’s weight around when he feels like it, sure, but for the most part he’s earned his rank, which is far more than I can say about some of the other nobles in the Guard.”
Luna raised a skeptical eyebrow, but was fairly certain that Blue was being straightforward with her, especially given that it appeared to pain him just to concede even these half-hearted compliments about his bitter foe.
“In any case, I would never try to swing that vote, even if I detest one of the leading candidates for the job; I love the Guard, but I’m not in it anymore. My West Hoof and Long Patrol days are far behind me, and while I try to stay close to the Guard’s affairs between my work with them and my many friends and associates still in it, there’s simply not a proper part for me to play in helping resolve that predicament.
“No, what Fervent’s been doing that’s pissing me off to no end is boosting his rep with his unicorn buddies by dicking around with all of my efforts to modernize the Guard!”
“How exactly does that, eh, ‘boost his rep,’ as you put it?” Luna inquired.
“Simple. Most of the innovations I’ve developed to modernize the Guard are magical in nature. I’m not talking about magical items that can be strictly utilized by capable unicorns or other creatures with innate magical abilities, I mean very simple items and devices that can be easily wielded by basically anyone with enough brains to learn how to use them, including any of the pony races.”
“Seems like a logical-enough proposition, if not a particularly original one,” Luna noted. “If my recollection’s correct, magical items like you’re describing have been utilized by both pony and other creatures armed forces all over the world for centuries. I’ve even witnessed some such weapons in action firsthoof.”
Blue smirked, giving the princess a knowing look.
“Thought you might say that. Your observation is accurate, items infused with magic have been used in war for almost as long as war’s existed. Hell, if I’m being honest, most of what I’ve developed doesn’t even come close in magical potency to some of the legendary magical weapons or armor of old.
“Fervent’s big stink isn’t about the quality of my creations, but rather the quantity. I told you before, my work, if fully implemented, would modernize the Guard on a revolutionary scale. Well, that’s because not only can most of what I’ve made be easily carried and used by soldiers in the field, but it can just as easily be manufactured in bulk!
“Historically, magical items of war, even the weaker ones, have been too challenging to make to even bother trying to produce them in large quantities. The result is that the most powerful ones have typically been reserved for high-ranking officers or the best fighters available, while others have been held as novelty items only worth using under unusual circumstances. Only some of the fiercest conflicts in world history like the Lunar Rebellion have seen what we’d even consider to be moderate use of such items by non-magic users.
“Don’t you see? This would change all of that. Suddenly, any single pony in the Guard, not just unicorns, would be able to deploy magical abilities in the field on a significant scale. That’s what Fervent and his unicorn toadies want to stop at all costs, and it’s why they’ve been so opposed to my overtures at every single turn; they know this would completely undermine their influence and standing in the Guard as the only pony race currently capable of employing raw magic in the field.”
Luna blinked rapidly as she processed all of this, especially taken aback by Blue’s charge against Fervent.
“Goodness, that’s… an incredibly serious accusation you’re making, Blue.”
“Right? It’s downright bucked-up is what it is, damn near close to treason! Just thinking about it’s enough to get me worked up into a bucking frenzy.”
“Now hold on, calm down,” Luna implored Blue, beckoning him to remain seated with a gesture of her hoof. “Let’s approach this rationally. For starters, do Fervent and his allies have any genuine, reasonable concerns about your prototypes and how they would change the Guard?”
Regrettably, the princess’s attempt to cool down Blue’s ire only seemed to agitate him even further.
“Sure they do, that’s the bucking problem. It’s all they ever talk about! They’re not stupid enough to offer objections that are bald-faced efforts to maintain their clout in the Guard, the pegasi and earth ponies would never stand for that, especially when those objections can easily be construed as racist and treasonous as well. So, I just keep hearing the same ol’ shit from them instead. ‘These systems present unprecedented threats to the Guard and the throne,’ ‘you’re trying to set off an arms race,’ ‘we need guaranteed fail-safes before we’ll greenlight anything.’ The two-faced bastards.”
Before he could vent anymore, Blue shoveled a bunch of hay fries into his mouth, a crude but effective means to keep himself from getting angrier than he already was. After a moment of chewing in silence, it seemed to be working, even if Luna could swear there was steam rising off of his head and shoulders. Finally, after gulping down the last of his hay fries, he picked up right where he left off.
“Sorry. My point is, they’re being sanctimonious assholes. Look, I’m not some naïve spring chicken. I knew going in how sweeping and ambitious my proposed modernization of the Guard is. Even anticipated many of the legitimate challenges I’ve received because, let’s be honest, they are fair concerns. But at this point, every time I hear them they feel like nothing but a slap in the face since they’re not being made in good faith. They’re just being used as a cheap obstacle.
“It’s fair to be worried about overpowering the Guard, or concerned that other creatures would regard the Guard’s modernization as an act of aggression. I’ve never once said any of this shouldn’t be undertaken without the utmost care, prudence and restraint, and at Moon Enterprises I’ve had several teams devoted to putting together the best procedures that High Command and the Guard could possibly follow in integrating our proposed systems into their activities. None of that matters, though, not to Fervent’s faction. No matter what I say, no matter how plausible my proposals and plans are for the Guard, they won’t give me an inch. They won’t even authorize exploratory measures that would allow us to gather actual data on how our tech works in real world scenarios. And it’s all justified by those damned pretexts they keep trotting out with shit-eating grins on their faces.”
“What kind of ‘exploratory measures’ do you keep asking for?” Luna asked.
Blue shrugged.
“Field-testing mostly, you know, pretty standard stuff. We’ve got great facilities at Moon Enterprises for testing most of our systems basic functions, but that only tells us if the shit works and, at best, gives us an idea of what we can expect once it’s out in the real world. Field-testing, on the other hoof, that’s the first step towards actual integration of our systems into the Guard.
“The most obvious way to go about that would be equipping the Long Patrol with some of the most basic systems we’ve developed and, from there, cataloging how they use it in the field. I should know, after all, I was in it. For starters, they’re one of our most elite special forces, and what’s more, most of their activities take place up north, far from heavy population centers and most pony civilization in general. They’re the perfect group to equip with experimental tech of any kind before the rest of the Guard even sniffs it, and the data we’d gather from their employing it would be invaluable.
“What systems are most effective or useful in the field; which ones are impractical or potentially hazardous; what can be safely and easily distributed for use by all members of the Guard and, conversely, what should be reserved for elite units only, or not allocated to the Guard at all. These are all concerns that Fervent and his allies keep raising, and we’d gain a better understanding of all of these and many other points at issue through field-testing. Yet, they’re the same chumps preventing us from addressing any of these concerns with concrete, scientific evidence since they won’t approve any measures that would allow us to gather it.
“I don’t know about you, but to me, such an absurd paradox stinks to high heaven of a party negotiating in bad faith. Fervent’s cabal has no intention of giving any ground, and they’ll happily stay the course as long as they know they can get away with it. Right now, the sad truth is there’s nothing stopping them from doing just that.”
For an uncomfortably long moment, Luna just sat there in stunned silence. Assuredly, she’d seen all manner of dirty political maneuvering her entire life; it was an unfortunate feature of her world and one she’d almost grown numb to at this point in her life as a ruler. She wasn’t even shocked by the notion of military officers engaging in this foul game. She’d seen plenty of Equestria’s earliest military leaders, from villainous scum to war heroes loved and admired by all, fight each other out of the public eye tooth and nail for as much power and influence as they could grab hold of. More often than not, they fought even harder and dirtier to hang onto whatever they managed to get, like ravenous sharks in a feeding frenzy.
What shocked her senses, however, was how shamelessly needless and petty this particular squabble was. If Blue’s understanding of Fervent’s actions was indeed accurate, one of the Royal Guard’s highest-ranking officers, along with his followers, was deliberately preventing the entire Guard from improving itself over a personal grudge with Blue and in the interest of preserving his own race’s standing within it.
Blue’s temper, without question, certainly wasn’t doing him any favors in advocating for his position, but his anger at this situation and the forces hampering his efforts did seem to be more than understandable. It was hard to charitably interpret Fervent’s behavior, even from a neutral standpoint. He very well might believe his hindrance to be justifiable as both the most logical and conscientious approach to this matter, but even if that were the case, the fact of the matter was that he was brazenly placing his own personal ambitions and unicorn interests above the oaths he’d sworn to defend Equestria. It was one thing to exercise caution in resolving how to best introduce new changes to the Guard, but to not even consider the merits or feasibility of what Blue was offering was simply absurd.
Unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable. How did we let such an important body get this out of hoof? Personal quarrels and political aspirations dictating the very prospects of the Guard?! I will not stand for such audacious foolishness, nor should Celestia. We must act as one and stamp out this lunacy before it does any further harm to the Guard than it already has.
No, we should go further than that. I should go further. ‘Tis my duty to do so. I must send a sharp, clear-cut warning to all who would dare treat an institution like the Guard as their plaything, a mere arena for their political sport, I will personally see to it that they rue the day they… steady.
Steady, Luna.
Control yourself.
Wrath will get you nowhere in righting these wrongs. You’ve already learned that the hard way before. These are not your enemies, they are your subjects, same as any other citizen of Equestria. And they need to be given the chance to do the right thing… after they’ve been corrected, of course. Reminded – strongly reminded – that their oaths to Equestria override any ties to kin or tribe, much less their own desires.
First things first, however, I must deal with Blue. After all, I’m not just here to ease his mind; in fact, after what he’s told me, I’m more certain now than I was before that Miss Hooves and I need his help as much as he needs mine.
“Blue… what is it that you want from me?” Luna finally asked.
Blue studied the princess very carefully, his eyes gleaming with a nameless ardor, before speaking.
“I think I should be asking you the same thing,” he replied with a knowing smile, eliciting a small sigh from Luna.
I swear, he’s too damn smart for his own good sometimes.
“I didn’t bring my troubles to you, Your Majesty, in fact, quite the opposite. You sought me out. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture, truly I do. In my mind, you’ve only reinforced what a true friend and thoughtful ruler I already knew you to be. But not once have I called upon you regarding my present hardships, nor, to my knowledge, have any of my friends or kin. I’m also quite sure neither the earth ponies or pegasi, even the Kickers, approached you; they’re disturbed by the unicorns stonewalling, but most fear that explicitly bringing this to the attention of you or your sister would only erode trust in High Command and cause even more discord. This was all you, and I’m left with one simple question: why?
“Why did you seek me out? What were you after in doing so in the first place? I don’t doubt you had some sense of how dysfunctional High Command has been and how I’ve been getting nowhere with them, but based on your own astonishment at what I’ve been telling you, you had no idea things were this bad. So clearly you didn’t just come to offer me your assistance; if you had, you might have intervened at the High Command meeting earlier, or at least joined it.
“But you need me for some reason, and what that is I haven’t yet figured out. I also haven’t figured out why you needed to solicit whatever it is you want from me under the cover of a privacy spell. Unless, of course, you were just fishing for info on the state of High Command, though I’m not sure why we’d need a privacy spell for that. And yet… something in my gut tells me that’s not it.
“So, how about it, princess? Care to quit beating around the bush and share what it is you need of this humble servant of yours, hm?”
Oh yes, too damn smart, indeed. Very well then, let the die be cast.
“You’re right, my friend. I do, in fact, need to ask something of you, something I could only ask for in the confidentiality afforded by a privacy spell. First, let me make one thing clear: this is not a quid pro quo. I will help you however I can with your own present plights, regardless of whether or not you can do the same for me. Your problems are too imperative to ignore, and affect much more than just yourself; the future and wellbeing of several of Equestria’s most critical institutions, namely the Guard, are at stake. I’d be a pretty poor diarch if I were to simply avoid dealing with these affairs, regardless of my reasoning.
“So, here’s what I can offer. I will absolutely talk to my sister about this matter and press her to join me in both rectifying the current manner in which High Command conducts itself and resolving your disputes with them. I’m quite certain after what you’ve told me that there exists a middle path for all involved parties that you’d all be at least satisfied with. I will not rest until Celestia and I have helped you and High Command settle on this path, for all of Equestria stands to benefit from it when you do. What exactly that path looks like I cannot yet say, but I can tell you this: failure to reach a resolution at all is an outcome I will not accept. You have my solemn word, as your princess of the night, on that.”
“A most generous pledge indeed, Your Majesty. Thank you. I’ll gladly accept whatever aid you offer,” Blue said, quite evidently pleased already.
So far so good. Now comes the tricky part.
“Very good. Now then, in regard to field-testing things get a little more complicated. I’ll do what I can along with Celestia to see that units such as the Long Patrol can be outfitted with your systems as soon as possible, at least in a limited capacity, but it will probably be months, if not longer, before that aim is realized. In the meantime, your options are tenuous at best. Which… brings me to what I need to ask of you.”
Blue raised both eyebrows in mild surprise.
“Go on.”
“Well… as I said, your options – that is, your options through lawful and recognized channels such as the Guard – are limited right now. There is, however, another possible course for you to take right at this very moment that would allow you to immediately begin field-testing to your heart’s desire. The sole drawback is that you wouldn’t be able to share any of the data you gather since… well, this alternative isn’t, strictly speaking, um… legitimate.”
“OK… define ‘legitimate’,” Blue entreated, leaning back in his seat. “Is this a legal channel?”
“It’s not criminal, if that’s what you’re asking,” Luna hastily assured him. “It’s just not a recognized body, well, not recognized now.”
“Why not?” Blue bluntly asked.
“Because it… doesn’t technically exist in this day and age,” she hesitantly admitted.
Blue threw his forehooves into the air in frustration at that, an understandable response, to say the least.
“Princess, c’mon, we’re going in circles here. I like to think you know me enough to know I’m a trustworthy confidant, especially for something this sensitive. So please, quit speaking in riddles and just tell me what this is all about?”
Taking a couple deep breaths, Luna composed herself before taking the plunge. There was no going back now.
“Alright. Last night, I met with a… let’s call her a ‘concerned citizen’ for now. She’d reached out to me through a confidential letter in which she expressed her unease about the level of crime in her community and conveyed her intent to do something about it, but she wanted my help. That alone was peculiar enough, but what also caught my eye was that she specifically referenced the Dark Knights. I found that exceptionally curious; from what I’ve seen, most ponies in this day and age have never even heard of the Dark Knights.”
“A secret letter to one of Equestria’s diarchs and vigilante aspirations? Heh, ballsy, very ballsy. I think I like her already,” Blue quipped. “Then again, maybe she’s just mad as a March hare. But you met with her, so you’d know better than I would. So, did she make a good first impression?”
“Strangely enough, yes,” Luna conceded.
“What’s so strange about it?”
“Well normally my first instinct when someone presents stolen police files to me in a clandestine meeting is to contact the local authorities as soon as possible,” Luna remarked.
“Wait, she did what?!” Blue asked in disbelief.
“It’s exactly as I said. She wanted to show me evidence that her allegations about crime in her hometown were not hyperbole or some figment of her imagination, so she gave me police files that she admitted she stole in a state of inebriation.”
“And she was drunk to boot! Forget what I said before, I don’t just like this little lady, I think I’m in love. Don’t stop now, oh please don’t, tell me more!”
Blue was practically giddy with excitement by now, bouncing in his chair like a colt enthralled by his favorite bedtime story.
“Calm yourself, this is a serious matter,” Luna insisted. “Anyway, as I was saying, yes, she backed up her claims with police files that she’d stolen, well, borrowed I should say. She did maintain that she was going to return them after our meeting, after all. But they were definitely the genuine article, and painted a grim picture indeed of alarming levels of rampant, organized crime in her community. What’s more, they also disclosed that the local police commissioner has strong suspicions that there are corrupt police officers in their ranks. All in all, it made for dismal reading material.”
“Sure sounds like it,” Blue readily granted. “Not all that hard to believe, really, at least if you’ve been paying attention to things. I may not be in law enforcement, but I have plenty of associates who are, and between them and the news, I’ve read and heard enough to know that multiple cities around Equestria have seen significant spikes in their crime rates in the past few years. Several criminal organizations seem to be flexing their muscle, and they’re being oddly smart and efficient about it.
“To date I haven’t given it too much thought or concern aside from passing interest, but it hasn’t really affected me either. I mean, when you’re a billionaire, you’re more likely to be a criminal than be touched by one, am I right? Er, not that I’d do anything of the sort,” he hastily added with a sheepish grin.
“My point is, I can see why others closer to the effects of this organized crime wave and the communities touched by it would be troubled enough that they’d want to take matters into their own hooves. What I’m having trouble understanding, however, is why you seem to be on board with this. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not frowning on it; I just want to know how this mare you’d never met before last night, with such outlandish requests and ambitions, managed to earn your trust after a single conversation? I hold your judgment in high regard, princess, so earning your trust alone is, by my estimation, a laudable feat. How’d she win you over?”
Luna raised an eyebrow.
“I merely acknowledged that she made a good first impression on me. How do you know for certain that I agreed to help her?”
“We’re talking about her, aren’t we?” Blue shot back matter-of-factly. “I doubt you’d have even brought her up if you were still contemplating whether or not you intend to give her your backing.”
Luna nodded in concession.
“Fair enough. Your conjecture is correct; I have, indeed, agreed to help this concerned citizen. To be precise, I have resolved to help her amass the resources she needs in order to launch an effective campaign against the criminal elements in her hometown and, once that has been taken care of, to name her a Dark Knight.
“Before you ask, Celestia is not aware of any of this. Not the letter, the meeting, my decision, any of it. I mean to keep it that way. As far as I’m concerned, this is a completely surreptitious affair; all involved parties will be operating outside of the law and could very well face consequences if our involvement is discovered. Even knowing this applies to me as much as it does any other participants, I’ve accepted it as a tolerable stipulation. What I want–”
“That’s nice and all, princess, but it doesn’t answer my question,” Blue interrupted, catching Luna somewhat off guard. “How’d she win you over? I’d like to know before you ask me if I’d like to join this little escapade of yours. That is what you were building up to, yes?”
Sun, moon and stars, for as charming a fellow as he is, he sure can be infuriating when he wants to.
“It was, yes,” she conceded, resisting the urge to speak through gritted teeth. “But your question is a fair one, and you’re right, I didn’t really answer it. So, how did she win me over? That’s more difficult to answer than you might think.
“I could tell you that she earned my confidence with the glut of evidence she gave me that she has the requisite skills and determination to pull something like this off, but that wouldn’t be the whole truth. I could tell you I put my faith in her simply because I desperately need to believe in other ponies once more, and not merely rely on my own faculties to try in vain to solve all the world’s problems; although this is true, it too is not how she won me over.
“In the end, while those were both important factors, I suppose what it truly came down to was something more profound, difficult to put into words. Call it a matter of the heart, if you will. Last night, in that single, seemingly ordinary mare, I saw something laid bare that I hadn’t seen in centuries: the heart of a Dark Knight. It’s hard to express exactly what that means, even to me, but I guess the best way I can put it is that, when someone’s meant to be a Dark Knight, there are singular, enigmatic qualities they display that just… just resonate with me, in some such way. Somehow, the night resides in their souls in much the same way that it dwells in mine, even if its manifestation differs acutely from pony to pony.
“I saw this all the time back in the Dark Knight’s heyday; whenever I vetted new candidates and found ones qualified to join the knights, it was as though they were marked for it. Like there was nothing else in their lives that could possibly make more sense than joining such an order. That wasn’t always for the best, believe me; there’s a dark side to being suited for a group like the Dark Knights, as was all too apparent when so many declared war on Celestia, Equestria and their own kin when I fell to the Nightmare. But at their best, the most exemplary of their number were shining lights in the darkness, like moon rays piercing through a cloudy night sky. I saw that promise, that capacity for something truly special, last night in a pony I’d met for the very first time.
“Maybe I’m just being naïve or overly optimistic. Perhaps my judgment is impaired after not recruiting a single new Dark Knight in over a millennium. However, I pray that’s not the case. In my heart of hearts, I wholeheartedly believe that my hope in this mare is not but a fool’s hope. Even though I can’t fully explain it, I choose to believe instead that, with the right backing and guidance, she could change the world for the better.
“In the end, history may well judge my faith to be a mistake; it certainly wouldn’t be the first time I made the wrong decision. But until that day comes, I choose to believe in her all the same. Does that sufficiently answer your question, my friend?”
Luna awaited his reply with bated breath. After a pregnant pause, however, Blue simply shrugged and casually said, “Sure.”
She blinked, then waited for what else he had to say. Then, after coming to the realization that he really had nothing else to say, she got annoyed.
“Was there… anything else you wanted to add?” she asked, the slightest hint of agitation coloring her words.
“Nah, not really,” Blue replied, shaking his head. “I must say, you princesses are pretty damn low-key most of the time, but when you want to make a point, goodness do you ever! Not sure I’ve ever heard you say that much in a single one of our past conversations.”
“An astute observation, Blue,” Luna dryly remarked, rolling her eyes. “But I guess what I’d really like to know is, after hearing me lay bare my soul like that… well, what are your impressions of this venture I’m embarking on? Moreover, is this a road you’d be willing to go down yourself?”
“Ah, right, I guess there are some matters of concern to address,” he conceded, albeit in a still rather laid-back manner. “Well first off, I don’t think it much matters what I think about what you’re doing. After all, you’re a grown ass mare by a hundred lifetimes or so; notwithstanding your past mistakes and transgressions, I think it’s safe to say that after all this time you’d know a worthwhile gamble when you see one.
“But if you really want my honest opinion, I think it’s the right call, no joke; it’s a bit crazy to be sure, but it’s crazy in the name of a good cause, and oftentimes I’ve found that the loftiest goals require at least a smidgen of insanity if one hopes to surmount them.”
Luna perked up at that response.
“So, what does that mean for you, then?” she asked hopefully.
“Oh, plenty,” Blue vaguely answered in an oddly cheery manner.
“Blue, please!” Luna implored him. It was getting to the point that she just wanted to slam her head against the table in frustration.
“Hang on now, you can’t rush an answer like this out of me,” he countered. “I’ve got a lot to sort out in my head over something this consequential.”
“Oh, o-of course… my apologies,” Luna stuttered out, feeling somewhat abashed.
“No apology needed, but thanks nonetheless,” Blue said, easygoing as could be. “Now, that said, here’s what I think.”
Cocking her head and blinking rapidly, Luna did a double take.
“Wait, wait, wait, you just said you had a lot to sort out!”
“Yeah, I did. Don’t worry, I got it all figured out.”
Astonished, the princess asked, “When did you do that?”
“When you were apologizing.”
“Oh, you are impossible!” she exclaimed with a scowl.
“Heh, trust me, I know, my wife reminds me often enough,” Blue chuckled. “Anyway, here’s how I see it. If I join, I get to start collecting data almost immediately on how my systems work in a real-world setting. As a nifty little bonus, it’d be in the name of an ostensibly good cause, assuming everything works out as hoped, of course.
“That’s the most obvious benefits I can think of; a pretty short and straightforward list, but that’s not a deal breaker, at least not for me, at any rate. The risks are where things get a touch more complicated. With a project like this one that quite plainly skirts the law, to say the least, there are legal, professional and even personal liabilities to consider.”
Blue took a slow, deliberate sip from a soft drink and cleared his throat before resuming his appraisal of the situation.
“First, there’s of course a chance that your friend fails in some manner in her mission; she could quit, go crazy or even rogue, hell, she just might not be very good at it. Worst case scenario, she meets her untimely demise in the line of duty. Now, any of those outcomes would be bad, but they’re mostly her risks to worry about, and I’m sure she’s keeping them in mind. Still, if I do partake in all this, I’d like to do all I can to help us avoid such scenarios.
“Second, there’s the matter of exposure. Clearly all participating parties need to keep their involvement a secret from authorities and the general public for the foreseeable future, and I’m just going to assume your friend plans to keep her identity hidden in some manner whenever she’s gallivanting all over town. It’d undoubtedly be bad if any one of us were discovered to be involved, but since we’re focusing on my risks in particular right now, let’s say it gets out that I’m, in essence, supplying and bankrolling a violent, crimefighting vigilante with no recognized legal standing. The way I figure, I’d probably lose my position as CEO in my family’s own company, face prison time for deploying experimental military systems in an Equestrian town or city via what’d be considered a rogue, lawless third party, and get buried in a metric shit ton of lawsuits from Celestia-only-knows how many ponies.
“Basically, I’m bucked if that happens, and that’s just the legal and professional ramifications. I haven’t even gotten into the personal hazards I could run into. So, let’s get into those, while we’re at it! I think it goes without saying that my entire social standing is in the shitter if I were to get found out, but I wouldn’t really give two bits about that. Pretty sure most of my truest friends would stand by me even if that were to happen. Of greater concern to me is my family’s safety, in respect to both our skirting the law but also the dangerous characters we’ll presumably be dealing with.”
“Blue, let me be the first to assure you that I’d never let any harm come to your family on account of these activities. If worst comes to worst and it were ever apparent that they were being targeted for any reason, I would personally see to ensuring their safety. You have my word, and my word is my bond,” Luna vowed in a solemn oath.
“I don’t doubt it. In fact, that’s actually why it’s not my biggest concern,” Blue affirmed.
Luna furrowed her brows in confusion.
“What could possibly be of greater concern than that?”
“Simple: my wife, that’s what,” Blue declared matter-of-factly.
“Come now, be serious.”
“Oh, I am,” he assured her. “Truth be told, Azalea’s easily the biggest wild card for me if I am indeed to enlist in this cause. She’s as smart as I am, if not smarter, and twice as shrewd, and I love her for it, but it complicates things. If I try to hide this from her, she’ll most assuredly suspect I’m up to something. It’s not a question of if, but when, she does, and when she does, she could believe I’m up to anything. I’d rather she not think I’m out binge drinking behind her back again or, even worse, cheating on her, but there’s really only one surefire way to guarantee that doesn’t happen: fill her in on it from the get-go.”
Taken aback, Luna internally prayed that this was but another one of Blue’s ill-timed jests. She thought better of asking, however, when she realized, from the look of Blue’s demeanor, that he was being perfectly serious.
With that in mind, all she offered in response was a simple, “Oh dear.”
“Oh dear, indeed,” Blue agreed. “Now, that said, while this is definitely the most difficult personal complication I’d face if I do get involved, it’s not quite as bad as it sounds. There’s nopony I unquestioningly trust as much as Azalea, and I like to think she feels mostly the same way about me after being together as long as we have. Sure, we’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve gone through them all together and come out stronger as a couple for it. That and she keeps having and raising kids with me, so that’s got to count for something!”
Despite herself, Luna was unable to refrain from allowing herself a soft chuckle at that. She couldn’t even keep straight if the Moons had seven or eight children at this point, although thankfully for Azalea at least one of them had been adopted.
“My point is, after all this time, she gets my brand of crazy, so really it’d probably be easier telling her all about what we’d be up to than simply hoping she wouldn’t find out. Because trust me, she would find out, one way or another, and when that happens I’m as bucked as I could be. So, all in all, I guess getting her on board with this is a precondition of mine, and a tough one at that, but hardly an impossibility. Is that going to be an issue for you?”
Now it was Luna’s turn to weigh her options. Everything Blue had said so far strongly suggested that he was willing to lend his support in spite of the apparent risks and hurdles, which wasn’t exactly surprising but, nonetheless, reassuring to hear. That said, she was hesitant to bring in any more ponies than they truly needed, even one such as Azalea Moon.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
“Before I give you my answer, I have a question of my own.”
Blue nodded in recognition.
“Shoot.”
“The nature of a Dark Knight’s work means that regular medical attention is an all but assured necessity. Your wife is a renowned surgeon. Do you believe she’d be willing to lend her talents and skill in respect to this cause if asked?”
Once again Blue had his answer in almost no time at all, needing but a few seconds to mull the question over.
“If you give me the go ahead to let her in on this, I can certainly ask it of her. She may very well say no, but even if she did, she’d more than likely know some other colleague willing to help in her stead. So, it’s worth a shot if nothing else.”
“Fair enough,” Luna conceded. “In that case, I have no objections with you discussing this with Azalea, whether or not she chooses to get involved or even approve of you doing the same. No matter what happens, she must be sworn to secrecy of course, but I know her well enough to know that’s not something I need fret over. Now then, with that settled and after pretty thoroughly assessing the risks you’d face, I must know… what is your answer? If you need more time to think it over, I completely understand; knowing you, though, I suspect that is not the case.”
It seemed in this instance, however, that Blue did indeed need some time to collect his thoughts; leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes and settled into a deep state of contemplation.
Well, glad to see he’s taking this seriously at least.
Glancing out the Hay Burger’s windows, Luna internally noted that the sun was just beginning its slow descent; the reddish-glow of the coming sunset was slowly but steadily starting to spread across the sky.
Not much sleep today with all these ancillary activities; going to be a long shift tonight. Ah well, wouldn’t be the first time, certainly won’t be the last. I wonder how prepared Miss Hooves is for these kinds of hours? I still find them difficult at times and I’m an immortal alicorn who’s been doing this for centuries; I can’t imagine how hard transitioning to these kinds of hours would be for a mortal still working during the day.
I do hope she’s readying herself for such a labor. It may seem like a simple thing, but during their heyday, most Dark Knights preferred getting their shuteye during the daytime as much as they could. Even today, most of my nighttime servants do the same. Some are even ordered to do so by their superiors depending on their position. But Miss Hooves does not have this luxury by virtue of the nature of her work; she’ll need to be very diligent about getting the rest her body needs.
Well, that and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.
Turning away from her sister’s ongoing hoofwork, Luna was met by Blue, sitting upright once more and staring back at her with a flatly neutral expression. It appeared he’d come up with an answer.
“Well, what say you?”
He stayed silent as the grave, just for a moment longer. Then, as though unable to contain himself, his indifferent countenance gave way to a positively impish grin.
“No doubt there’s a whole lot of shit that could go sideways with something like this. Whole thing could blow up in the faces of anyone even remotely involved if things go wrong. That all being said… ah, what the hay, this all just sounds far too fun. I’m in.”
“You’re sure? You’re absolutely positive? I don’t need to remind you just how much you’d be risking by throwing your lot in with us. There’s no shame in deciding it’s simply too big of a gamble for you to take.”
Though her words may have sounded exceedingly cautious or given the impression that she was trying to dissuade him, Luna had to be certain of Blue’s commitment. His playful disposition was all well and good for dinner parties or nights on the town, but for business such as this, a far more serious level of personal investment was needed. He had to prove that his heart would not waver at the first sign of trouble.
“Oh, but of course, princess. It’d be a real shame to miss out on a job like this, especially when there’s a chance to make a real difference and have a hell of a good time while doing so. I crave opportunities like the one you’ve presented to me.”
“Blue, please, a little less facetiousness if you will,” Luna entreated. Her words, much to her surprise, must’ve struck a nerve, as something wholly unexpected suddenly came over Blue. It was subtle, but his whole body seemed to tighten where he sat and just for an instant, a wild, dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. And yet, he still held that same sly, devil-may-care grin upon his face.
“You misunderstand, my friend,” Blue coolly explained. “After everything I told you, how desperate I am to help protect Equestria from those who would do her or her citizens harm, how can you possibly think I’m being facetious in the slightest? If I seem more jovial than I should, I’m afraid that’s on you, if I’m being perfectly honest.”
“I beg your pardon?” she fired back with more than a touch of indignation. Blue laughed at her ire, but waved his hooves in a placating gesture.
“Now calm down, I didn’t say that was a bad thing. But look at it from my perspective; from where I’m standing, you’ve offered me a gift, and I, like a colt opening his presents on Hearth’s Warming Eve, am simply giddy with excitement. How could I not be? We’re talking about an enterprise with no red tape, no meddlesome bureaucracy to scratch and claw our way through, no Fervent or anyone else keeping us from doing some actual good for the inanest of reasons.
“Sure, it won’t be easy, not by any means; that level of freedom alone brings with it its own set of difficulties. But whatever challenges there may be, I’ll happily embrace them if surmounting them means accomplishing a world of good in the long run. Besides, it’ll be a nice way to blow off some steam while I’m still doing the painstaking chore that is working with official channels.”
“So… that’s it then. You’re really in?”
Even accounting for the fact that Blue was clearly an outlandish individual, this seemed far more straightforward than it should be. Then again, perhaps that was just his way of handling circumstances such as these. What was astonishing to one pony might seem perfectly normal to another after doing it long enough; in Luna’s case, raising and lowering the moon each night and safeguarding ponies’ dreams – unimaginable feats for almost every creature in the world – was as elementary a task for her as brushing her mane. Maybe Blue had simply spent so much of his life being an eccentric that oddball behavior didn’t even strike him as strange in the slightest at this point.
As if he were trying to drive that point home, Blue gave an earnest nod in answer to his friend’s pressing question.
“Yeah, should be fun. I just need to meet your friend first so I can decide for myself whether or not she’s up to the task before I can fully commit and turn her into a walking arsenal, but I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you. Based on what you’ve told me about her, and the fact that she’s already won your trust, I’d wager she’s got a better than decent shot at winning me over as well.”
Luna exhaled, allowing herself a small sense of satisfaction. It’d been a tad bit more complicated than she’d hoped, but she’d achieved what she’d set out to in the first place and secured an invaluable ally for Derpy.
No, not just Derpy. It suddenly occurred to the princess how very hard she’d fought for this. She hadn’t even been enlisted in this cause for a day and already she’d gone out on quite the limb for it. That realization was rather jarring and led her to a sobering conclusion.
Face it… you missed this. You wanted this, nay, you craved it.
It’s not like I was dragged kicking and screaming into this; on the contrary, I’ve leaped in headfirst. And why shouldn’t I? If this is what it takes to once more learn how to share the burden of watching over Equestria with my subjects, nay, my fellow ponies, then I gladly accept the hand that has been dealt to me. If ponies like Derpy and Blue are willing to risk so much for this vision, how could I possibly not? What have I got to lose that they don’t?
Her spirit filled with new resolve, Luna turned her attention back to her nascent cohort.
“Well now, I suppose our first order of business should be introducing you two to one another. I can arrange a meeting if you’d like.”
Blue shook his head.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll organize all of that myself. I’ve got a particular place in mind for us to meet and some things I’d like her to do when it happens. Oh, before I forget, there’s a good chance Azalea may be there as well. Any objections?”
“None from me. By all means, feel free to invite her; her presence would be most welcome,” Luna assured him.
“Splendid. Now then, we should probably wrap things up; judging by the setting sun it looks like it’ll be time for your nightly duties fairly soon.”
“Indeed, it will. Thank you again for hearing me out. I hope our conversation here today, in this… er, delightful dining establishment is but the start of a truly meaningful partnership, and that in the long run our labors, whatever they may be, will provide invaluable aid to as many creatures as possible.”
Luna dispelled her privacy spell, and after getting up from his seat, Blue gave a modest but cordial bow to his royal confidante before they started making their way toward the Hay Burger’s exit. The place was still pretty crowded even after the dinner rush, but most ponies gave the two a wide enough berth that making their way through the crowd was relatively easy, even as they remained engaged in their discourse.
“The feeling’s mutual, Your Majesty. And hey, that wasn’t all we accomplished; in fact, if I’m being honest, I’m quite proud of our other achievement here today.”
Luna raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Now Blue, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got a long way to go before the Royal Guard will be using any of your new systems.”
“Oh, I know that. That’s not even what I was referring to,” he explained.
“Then what are you referring to?” the confused princess asked.
“Why, the fact that I got you to eat a shitload of Hay Burger’s finest cuisine, of course!” Blue exclaimed, bursting into laughter.
“Oh, you are simply the worst sometimes, do you know that?” Luna shot back.
“Azalea makes sure I never forget,” he blithely remarked. “Tell me, was your first taste of fast food enjoyable at least?”
“It was… interesting,” Luna admitted. “I’ll grant that, while it’s certainly nothing to write home about, none of the food here completely destroyed my palate, for what that’s worth. I suppose it does have a certain appeal, in its own coarse, fatty, greasy way. That being said, I am not looking forward to finding out how much it’s going to wrack my poor digestive system.”
“Ah, but it wouldn’t be a true fast food experience without at least one bad spell in the bathroom, my dear.”
She blanched at the thought, and the gurgling noises emanating from her stomach only seemed to affirm the growing feeling that she’d be regretting this particular dining experience at some point later that evening.
If only I’d been blessed with Celestia’s cast iron stomach. The things I’ve seen that mare devour at times… it’s a wonder more of it hasn’t gone to her flank by now. There’s just something downright unnatural about her metabolism, even for an alicorn. Mayhaps all the extra calories go to her mane and help make it more lustrous.
On second thought… never mind, that doesn’t make any sense. It’s more likely some sorcery she discovered or unlocked at some point in time and simply failed to share with me. Probably on purpose. Stupid sister and her flawless metabolism and perfect flank.
As they stepped out onto the steadily emptying streets of Canterlot, Luna couldn’t help but notice that her earlier tension had long since dissipated. Blue seemed far more at ease now as well compared to how worked up he’d been when discussing all the hurdles his work had been facing. It was most puzzling that hatching a plan to provide backing and material support to extralegal vigilante activities would grant them such a peace of mind; maybe it was simply indicative that their instincts regarding this undertaking’s goodness were spot on, or at least its potential for doing some good. Even knowing it’d take a lot of tireless work and a tremendous amount of integrity from all involved to make this work, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t excited about her gradually unfolding part to play in all of this.
I don’t know if the Dark Knights truly deserve a second chance, but if they do, I can’t think of a better way to give them one. Even if they don’t, at the very least Miss Hooves herself deserves this chance to look after her home and help make it a better place; I’m glad to be a part of any pony’s efforts to do the same, within reason. Right now, that’s all any of us in this endeavor are; Miss Hooves, Blue, myself, we may all be immensely different in who we are, but we’re all united in this cause by a shared desire to make Equestria a better place in whatever ways we can. So long as we look after our own hearts and don’t stray from a noble, principled path, we should be perfectly capable of doing just that.
As things stand, the board is not yet set, but pieces are moving and coming together rather quickly. At this rate, we’ll know soon enough whether or not we’re up to the challenges that lie ahead of us. And there will be some daunting challenges. Of that, I have no doubt.
Blue and Luna came to an intersection just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, at which point Luna decided it was probably as good a time as any to take her leave. Hopefully if she left now, she’d still be able to catch Celestia before she retired for the evening. She enjoyed their brief meetings between their respective shifts, short though they may be; while they occasionally discussed matters of state, typically they just used the fleeting minutes to check in with one another on a more personal level. Moments where the princesses just got to be sisters with one another were far too rare as it was; as such, they always – or at least as often as they could – made a point to hold dear those they did have.
“Well my friend, if there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave. The night awaits, and the moon’s not going to raise itself, after all. I shall convey your decision to our associate, and await hearing back from you once you’ve decided upon a time and place for us all to next meet. Is that agreeable to you?”
Blue nodded, but right as he was about to bid her farewell, a final thought struck him.
“Just one last thing before we depart,” he added.
“Yes?”
Leaning in closer to her so as not to be overheard by any passersby, he asked in a hushed tone, “What might our new friend’s name be, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Luna hesitated for just a moment, but after a short reflection decided it was altogether safe to entrust that information with Blue at this point. Even if he were to back out of their venture later, she was sure it wouldn’t be an issue; the Moons were an honorable sort, and if anypony could be trusted to keep a secret like that, it was Blue.
With a serene smile, she simply answered, “Her name is Derpy Hooves.”