I rested on my wings before going down to land in the tree, beating my wings before folding them as my hooves touched down on the thickest branch I could find.
Settling down on the thick branch, I looked up towards the moon high in the sky.
I had never been this far away from Sparks, Luna and Sunny before. Even when on opposite ends of Equestria we could meet in dreams.
I had never been out of contact like this before and I missed them. Missed talking, missed cuddling, missed kissing. I missed the way Luna sounded when I…
All of it.
So much.
And Celestia. Funny that for somepony that was nocturnal to have somepony to light my day up like the way she smil-
I raised my head and listened hard, my ears slowly shifting.
I was on the Apple farm, close to the edge of the Everfree forest. It was the middle of the night, no way there would be a pony around here. It would give me some time to think alone, and hopefully far away from everypony else.
Including Pinkie. She meant well but I wanted to be alone.
I slowly slipped off the branch, wrapping my tail around it as I hung down, listening for the sound I heard.
Half closing my eyes to lower the chance to reflect light, I wrapped my wings around myself and listened hard.
There.
Sound of scuffling towards the edge of the Everfree. Wood against wood, branches shifting. Snuffling sounds.
Those were the sounds of timber-wolves. I could hear… three of them. Sounds getting fainter as they moved off further into the forest.
Away from ponies which was good. They relarely liked to leave the forest, most of the time they avoided ponies unless they were really hungry.
I missed Fern too. Hope somepony play with him while I’m away. He likes Sunset, hope she take care of him. He didn’t need feeding or anything, but he did like to play, hope she’d have the time.
…I rarely had the time to take care of him as I should. Maybe I should look into hiring a caretaker? It wasn’t fair to him to not get as much attention as he need just because I’m busy.
I sniffed the air, carefully opening an eye to look to the side. Red. Full. Round. Apple.
Shouldn’t.
But Apple family apples were really the best apples. Not as good as mango, but… still very nice and juicy.
But would be stealing.
Just an apple, but still… I didn’t have any bits. And apples were literally how they made all their bits. And there was food back at the castle.
I didn’t strictly need to take it.
I grumbled and then spread my wings, dropping before taking to the air again, climbing back into the night sky, flying up above the Everfree. Away from that round, sweet and tasty fruit of temptation.
Shifting my path slightly, I flew past above Fluttershy’s cottage.
It was dark below, nopony awake. Banking around, I swept down lower, just above the grass as I headed for Ponyville before pulling up as I reached the outer most house I pulled up and landed on the chimney.
Nopony having a fire going this time of year.
This was actually pretty nice. I have to take the time to do more flights when I get back home. Just stretching my wings and doing pony things and not just being so busy.
You know, that’s a good idea.
If nothing goes catastrophically wrong, I’m going to live for a very long time. To have all of it be duty and work would make it a very dull experience.
I love my ponies, I have duties to them. They looked up to me.
But it wouldn’t matter if I turned to Darth Page in two hundred years from stress. I keep deciding to take more time to myself, but there is always something critical to do. Besides, I liked having legs and getting set on fire wasn’t fun, so Darth Page wasn’t something I would like to happen.
Though, admittedly… I think Luna and maybe Sunset may be into the entire Sith cosplay thing…
It’s funny. I keep putting things on delegation but two more things seem to appear. Take one task down and two shall take its place. Like some kind of paper hydra.
Worst thing? I already had Starlight and Flower on the job. They dealt with the worst of it. Seriously, how did we have so much paperwork? We weren’t that many ponies! It didn’t even slack off when we went a year between paper deliveries.
Where did they even get the paper from!?
Maybe I’ll try banning it again. Not just banning, but outlawing. By threat of… carrots or something.
Or coffee. Something horrible.
Oh! Maybe decree it has to be on stone tablets! That would have to limit the amount of it! If nothing else, it should slow down the rate of production!
On that silly thought, I settled down on the roof, looking down at a pair of unicorn guards as they slowly moved along the main street, horns lit and shining lights around.
Which was sensible. Ponyville actually had a small garrison. Not large, only like ten ponies, but enough to keep the critters from the Everfree forest away. Mostly.
I watched them for a moment before glancing towards the castle in the distance. It was getting a bit late and the idea of that apple got me hungry.
Dinner time.
Silently getting up, I took to the skies.