//------------------------------// // 14. Royal Field Trip // Story: The Last Nightguard // by Georg //------------------------------// The Last Nightguard Royal Field Trip “Daytime deployments can be uncomfortable, so follow these six easy steps to remain alert and effective even in the hottest summer sunshine. -Drink plenty of fluids before reporting to your duty station. -Apply sunscreen to sensitive areas.” —”The Sun, Your Friend” from the monthly ‘The Crown’ newsletter Sun was too bright, too huge, and filled to overflowing with hatred for Ebon Tide. For a stallion who scant weeks ago had been on the razor edge of fighting the Pale Mare for one last time, it was a weak complaint. However, it was a more comforting thought to dwell upon rather than observe the strange city which towered all around him. If Ebon Tide had considered himself to be small when placed against Captain Ramparts, the city of Canterlot made him feel like an ant. No, a flea. It towered around him, reaching for the sky in glass and stone from the moment his wheelchair was pushed out of the hospital wing of the palace. It pounded on his nerves, forcing his eyes into watery squints, and blew in gusts that evaporated the building sweat from his bare skin, leaving patches of scorching heat and freezing dampness. If it were not for the presence of Princess Luna beside him, Eb would have retreated for the first time in his life, back into his hospital bed and under the sheet. She was not retreating, so he could not retreat either, no matter his discomfort or embarrassment, although if it had just been the two of them, they might have been able to come to some sort of mutual agreement in that regard. There were two reasons why that was not so. First, and somewhat incidental, was the placid and rather imperturbable form of their nurse. He was a plain earth pony, carrying hefty saddlebags filled with medical equipment that nearly obscured the modern cutie mark which matched his name. Bandaid was an odd name for Eb to wrap his mind around, because the concept of a bandage held on by a sticky patch of cloth had not occurred in his era. It would make a terrible mess when removed from a wound, but the young stallion was anything but messy. Every piece of his medical kit was tucked away in precise array, much like a military veteran headed out on campaign. The other reason why Eb did not dare retreat was Shining Armor. It raised Eb’s respect for Captain Ramparts’ leadership skills to see just how perfectly his former subordinate handled questions, guided their path through the busy streets, and otherwise acted as an officer well-worth a higher posting. If his skills in combat were comparable, Eb could have taken a dozen officers just like him and driven Equestrian forces through any opposition, from the Minotaurs to the Griffons, like a hot knife through butter. The leftover fire in his belly filled his mind with images of burning aeries and collapsed earthen mazes even while the more practical parts of his mind could not help but notice the same historical enemies of Equestria mixed in among the populace. A Griffon shopkeeper here, a Minotaur treat vendor there. Even an Abyssinian on a street corner, selling something hidden under his long coat to passing ponies. Had their countries been ground beneath the iron hoof of an aggressive Equestria, would they be members of that same nation now, living and working in this giant pony city in peace and harmony? And what of the rest of the batponies, cast out and rejected as traitors when they were created by Nightmare Moon’s magic? Peanut Brittle’s obvious example showed they had survived, but were they forced into encampments and observed to ensure their rebellious tendencies did not emerge again? “It is so… different,” murmured Luna when they had a brief moment in close proximity. “So many ponies, and they all seem to look at us when we pass.” “Probably me,” grumbled Eb, who was feeling every bump the wheelchair passed over on their trip. He would have gotten out and walked, except his current pace was far slower than any of his companions, and the relatively short distance they had traveled was far less than his practice inside the corridors of the hospital. “I seem to be the popular freak among children, at least.” Eb bared his white-speckled gums and scowled at a nearby child who was entranced by his passage, although even that display did not quell her curious stare. “You must enjoy having me along to distract the populace from you.” “Oh!” It seemed to be an insight that cheered up the quiet princess, because her flattened ears promptly perked up and her head ever so slowly lifted to her normal posture as she looked about. “Thou art a respectable foil in that regard. Perhaps when you regain more mobility, I should get a leash.” “Princess?” Shining Armor had the most peculiar expression as he looked back over his shoulder. “You’re not seriously—” “No, she is not,” said Eb solidly, although he had to wonder what was so humorous when they continued walking and Bandaid made a peculiar snorting noise behind him like he was suppressing laughter. * * * It seemed as if they had walked hundreds of stade, although it had to have been less than a mile before they came upon the wall of Mount Canter, stretching up and back beyond his blurred vision in the brilliant light of Day. At first, it seemed as if the cliff face was speckled with some sort of odd pattern, but sufficient blinking made the darker patches on the pale granite resolve into balconies with colorful flower-stuffed windowboxes and the occasional grey pony out sunning themselves. There were a few staircases worked into the stone to provide access to rooms several stories up, but the upper sections must have been for pegasi only. That is pegasi of both the feathered wing and bat-types, if the smears of colors he could see through his runny eyes could be believed. “House Glory is around here somewhere,” mused their guide as he looked back and forth at the ground-level entrances to the apartments in the cliff face. “Ah, there we go. The House crests are on the main flags over the entrance, with smaller flags for all of the individual family clans.” Eb could not see exactly what Shining Armor was pointing at until they got much closer and under the canvas awning for shade. The entranceway was much more open and inviting than he expected, with several stone benches and tables among potted trees and bushes much like an artificial forest clearing against a natural cliff. Bandaid gave a low grunt as he pushed the wheelchair up the ramp to the front door, leaving Eb to stare at the featureless slab of wood with a small ‘Glory’ signet inset about at nose height. It shared the wood with a half-dozen other similar signets, proclaiming Honor and Resolve with other such obsolete merits that Eb had thought long forgotten, then a series of smaller family names below on small silver plaques. It was a relief since Eb was dreading some sort of incarceration facility to keep Luna’s transformed ponies out of society, but far more. It was aggressively normal, a warm and friendly kind of place that would welcome any kind of pony. Even him. “I’m a little unsure of the protocol here,” said Shining Armor much like he was afraid of embarrassing his commanding officer and a princess too. “Since you said a Peanut Brittle of House Glory invited you here, I’m presuming you should be the one to knock, sir.” Ebon Tide eased his way out of the wheelchair, putting his curiosity about the wonderful machine behind the importance of making a good first impression on Peanut Brittle’s family. That impression would have been a lot easier to make in his Guard armor, but then again, the weight would have been far too much to bear on this trip. Perhaps later. He struck the door several times, feeling remarkably pleased about himself for a change. The wooden knocking resonated through his bones, reminding him of home and the family he would not see until he passed into the Shadowlands. As much as the Nightmare’s corrupted magic stewed in his gullet, the welcome sense of belonging kept those dark emotions well in check. The smell of cookies wafting through the air. The rustle and bustle of a house filled with young ponies. The grating of granite beneath his bare hooves, undamped by metal shoes or protective boots. The astonished gasp of pure panic as a middle-aged batpony mare opened the door abruptly and stared straight into his eyes. “Ma’am,” said Eb out of sheer inertia, “is this the home of young Peanut Brittle?” “Ebon Tide,” squeaked the mare, seemingly unable to take her eyes off him. “You’re out of the hospital,” she added redundantly. “And here. With—” Ever so slowly, the mare’s head turned up and to one side in order to stare at Princess Luna. There was a long silence, unbroken by any breathing from the mare, until she gave off a tiny squeak. “Ma’am?” prompted Eb. “Are you well?” “princessluna!” was the only response, quite possibly made with the last breath in the mare’s lungs. Ebon Tide waited. Princess Luna was less patient. “We were given to understand that young Peanut Brittle had extended us an invitation to visit her House,” said Luna slowly. “Were We mistaken?” “I told you, Mom!” sounded a very small and familiar voice behind the frightened mare. “I told you, I told you, I told you!” “Princessluna,” gasped the mare. “Isin… myhouse… here.” Shining Armor cleared his throat. “Actually, Flutter, she’s standing outside. Are you going to invite us in?” “Yes! No! The house is a mess! I need to clean!” There was a rush of air and Flutter vanished with the door slamming behind her, but less than a heartbeat later the door was yanked open again and the wide-eyed batpony stood there again. “Come in?” she managed in another near-squeak. Then she was gone again, with her path through the house able to be discerned by the startled cries of ponies being trampled or abruptly dusted, followed by the slamming of a door. Peanut Brittle appeared almost immediately afterward before any of them could step forward, and the little batpony danced in joy in the entranceway. “Come in! Come in! Nopony believed me when I said you were going to come to the house today and I thought you weren’t because it took so long and we’re about ready to go to bed but you’re here now so I’ll get to stay up late and maybe eat cookies and tell those dumb colts that they have cooties since they didn’t believe me either! Oh, and you can have cookies too, Princess Luna.” “We would be honored,” said Luna. Their path into the house wove through a huge vestibule containing racks of coats, a few clusters of umbrellas, several empty shopping bags hanging on hooks, small cubbyholes stuffed full of colorful backpacks, large paintings of distinguished batponies on the walls mixed with scrawled pictures done by foals, several closed doors, and a vast number of houseplants in various colors of clay pots. The narrowed passageway eventually opened up into a… Eb did not have a name for it. There were several large tables with benches to one side where family members could share meals with others, although there seemed to be far more tables than a family of any size could use. Above and to either side, the ceiling stretched up several stories, interrupted by sweeping buttresses of solid stone that connected the two sides with walkways and convenient places to hang more potted plants. A casual glance was enough to spot several more doors scattered through the artificial canyon, which made Eb mentally bump up the number of pegasus families who must have been living in the structure, and then bump it up again when he considered how many other balconies he had seen against the cliff face before coming inside. This one place could encompass every pegasus family in the old castle and still have space remaining. A series of astonished noises brought Eb’s attention down from the vaulted ceiling to a much more plebeian collection of cushions and end tables in front of an immense cold fireplace where a collection of other ponies looked back at him. They were not all batponies, or even pegasi, as Eb had expected. Several colorful earth ponies and unicorns mixed in among their grey-coated fellows, although the vast majority appeared quite young, and dutifully working on some sort of studies before being interrupted. With books. Many, many books. In his day, books had been only for the wealthy, and children would never be permitted to even touch one of the precious pages. Here, even small children had books more suited to their own age, with colorful thick covers portraying mechanical devices and strange foreign creatures, as well as simplified letters and numbers. One small unicorn even had a stack of books beside him, with three of them hovering in his wavering magical field as he stared back at Eb with wide eyes. “This is my family!” announced Peanut Brittle into the relative silence. “Well, not all my family except my bratty brothers,” she corrected, pointing to three young colts who occupied one larger cushion with an apparent great deal of sibling poking and prodding for space. “That’s Riptide the pipsqueak, and Peptide my stuck-up brother who wants to be a doctor, and Red Tide, who just got out of the Acaddmey and is going to be a real guard as soon as he gets a deployment.” The aforementioned Red Tide popped up off the cushion as if it had bit him in the fundiment, and proceeded to salute so hard that his forehoof hit him in the head. Colorwise, he resembled all the other grey batponies Eb had seen so far except for enough red in his short violet mane and tail to make an aggressive eye-catching dark purple. “Sir!” he squeaked, then with a sideways move of his eyes that must have included Princess Luna, he added, “Your Highness?” After a few moments of absolute motionless panic, the young colt practically vanished down one of the corridors, flapping faster than any pegasus Eb had ever seen before. “Initiates,” drawled Eb. “So excitable.” Shining Armor shook his head and tried to ignore Peanut Brittle, who was laughing at her brother too much to talk. “I was much like that after graduation, and I suspect you were too, sir.” He shifted position to gesture at several older ponies who were regarding their expedition with far less panic and a great deal more serious thought. “Your Highness, Princess Luna, allow me to introduce several of the Royal Guard who reside here, both retired and active. Sergeant Henpenny of the First Mountain Division,” he said pointing to a grey-haired feathered pegasus who promptly gave a short bow in the direction of Luna. “And Master Sergeant Grackle of the Four Hundred and Fifth Heavy Pastry Bombardment division,” continued the new Captain, introducing an elderly batpony with thick lenses in a wire frame that perched on his nose… Habits of a lifetime in the Guard let Eb nod along with the introductions and match faces and cutie marks with names, even though there were more than a dozen of the elderly military ponies and he was really not prepared for this kind of reception. When Shining Armor ran out of current and former Guards, Peanut Brittle had managed to recover and began to introduce the rest of the younger ponies to Princess Luna. At that point, Eb was lost because one young batpony looked astonishingly similar to the next one, with only minor mane and attitude differences. At least he could pick out the other types of ponies and match them generally with names, but he was still more than a little disconcerted at the way the different tribes mixed together almost without differentiation. “...and that’s Pineapple Squares but he likes to just be called Pin,” said Peanut Brittle, pointing to the last small pony, the unicorn colt who was frantically paging through one of his books in search of something. “Mom’s taking forever with the cookies,” she added. “I’ll go get her. Mom!” declared Peanut Brittle before taking off at a brisk gallop and vanishing through a nearby door, only for the sound of falling metal and breaking glass to immediately follow. “I’m okay!” called out Peanut the moment the sound died down enough for her to be heard. “Mom! Why were you standing in the doorway?” Obviously worried by the noise, several of the older ponies promptly headed for the kitchen, or at least that is what Eb presumed was behind the closed doors. He was more concerned by a hefty earth pony trotting down the House corridor in his direction with Cadet Red Tide tagging along behind like a shadow. Despite an absence of armor, there was no mistaking the stallion’s roots in the Guard because of his strict stance and rhythmic pace, as well as the way each of the other older stallions straightened their backs and sucked in protruding guts even further than when they had been introduced to Princess Luna. “Princess Luna!” exclaimed the hefty stallion as he emerged into the brighter light of the pony gathering spot. He stopped almost immediately, dropped into a short bow, then straightened up and paused for a response in the exact way a serving Guard should when addressing a princess. “Your Highness,” said Shining Armor, “this is Master Sergeant Tide, of the Household Regiment. Father to young Peanut Brittle,” he added as the sound of more glass breaking filtered out of the kitchen. “Tide?” managed Ebon Tide. “Just Tide,” rumbled the big stallion, who practically towered over Eb like a giant wave of mottled browns and tans fitted tightly over a powerful physique, with a short bottle-brush of fiery red mane that looked a little like the fire on a candle. Now that he knew what to look for, he could pick out Tide’s family by their underlying coat pattern that surfaced in shades of grey and faint tan hairs, and the reddish hints of flames that danced at the tips of their manes and tails. Eb had always considered himself to be large, although part of that was psychological from the armor and the authority that came with it. That was then. Now was so much different. Tide had the family, the position, the life that Eb had lost forever. All Eb could do was watch. Princess Luna was the model of grace, meeting the rest of Peanut Brittle’s extended family without any outward sign of stress or discomfort. She sipped tea with Madame Flutter, nibbled cookies with the children, made polite conversation about the extravagance of modern manes and the relative difficulty of doing anything creative with Sergeant Tide’s short vibrant locks. It was a polite and low-key visit, considering Princess Luna had tried to destroy the world just a few scant weeks… or was it months ago? The tour of the House was relatively short, since many of the apartments in this section of cliff had ponies who were no relation to House Glory at all. There were several other batpony Houses and Clans present, though. All of them sent curious onlookers to visit or just peek at Luna from around a corner, leaving Peanut Brittle to act as a sheep dog as she darted out and herded the reluctant ponies over for a brief introduction. That is until Madame Flutter put her hoof down and chased the young batponies off to bed. Then Eb and Princess Luna found themselves being sent off to the House library for a few minutes of relative peace before the Tide family promised to return and answer any questions they might have in private. Library was really a misnomer. It felt more like a warm nesting refuge from the cold, cruel world, with gentle magical lighting of some sort that cast diffused shadows across the comfortable overstuffed chairs and ornate endtables. The room was paneled in rich dark woods, with several rows of shelves, racks of maps, and more books than Eb had ever seen in a private dwelling before. Even the Royal Sisters’ own library in the castle had been smaller, and ‘fluffed out’ with books of drawings. For a mere family of commoners to possess such a treasure made Eb seriously reconsider his evaluation of the modern book, particularly when he removed one from the shelf and saw page after page of the same exacting, precise lettering. “Do they use some sort of machine to produce these marvels?” he murmured to himself, peering down the surface of one page. “The contents bear little resemblance to the clattering of gears and springs, but perhaps the Flutterponies hath a hoof in it, or magic is used to reduce the mechanisms to smaller size.” “We shall inquire,” said Luna, who rested her bulk in a large stuffed chair which remarkably was of sufficient size to contain her entire body and then some. “Of more concern is the way in which ponies of this age comport themselves in private. Didst… Did you notice anything unusual about the family?” “I could not miss it.” Eb peered at the library door to make sure nopony was lurking behind it, but the translucent glass panels showed the corridor beyond was still empty. “All of the races of Equestria are represented within these walls. Even young Peanut Brittle seemed to be sweet upon that studious unicorn colt. They make an interesting couple. What would be unspeakable shame in our time has turned until it is commonplace even among the children.” “And your namesake, Sergeant Tide. An earth pony,” mused Luna. “Mixing his blood with pegasi. We must admit to a bit of pride that our creations breed true. All of his brood are uniformly handsome.” Eb raised one shortened eyebrow and gave Luna a dry look before pulling his blanket higher on his chair. “I believe you are biased.” “So?” After a period of silence, Eb uncomfortably rearranged himself and opened the book again. The faint distant noises of a busy House were muffled to near insignificance by the furnishings, even with his improved hearing. In a better time, this library would be a refuge from the world, but now it was the world, and a prime example of how things had changed over a thousand years, even moreso for him in the last few weeks. It brought to mind an uncomfortable realization which was impossible to ignore any more, particularly in this warm and inviting atmosphere that clashed to great extent with his recent disgraceful oath. He placed the unread book to one side and steeled his will to speak uncomfortable truths. “Your Highness, I shall not argue with you inside this peaceful House. Nor will I contemplate taking your life, as I swore. Still, your infernal fire simmers in my gullet, disguised as warm coals but threatening to burst into flames at the slightest provocation. I had considered retiring to this House for the rest of my Days, but even that hath been stolen from me by your actions.” “Me?” Luna straightened up slightly, only to slump back into the overstuffed chair. “Whyfor would you blame me for a theft which hath not happened yet? We shall admit to a certain… overexuberance in our original actions to fix your condition, but we see no reason why you cannot rest from your labors and spend your fading years playing with foals and telling stories around the fireplace.” “Your magic exposed my temper, breathed upon it like a coal in tinder, and heaped with oil until it blazes with uncontrollable power,” said Eb levelly. “What good can come of my life here if I strike out and harm one of the youth who live here in such multitude? Although I will admit to a certain peace within their presence, it does not mask the risk of Nightmare’s magic finding a fel time to unleash its fury.” At first, it looked as if Luna were prepared to argue the point, but after a time she returned to slumped comfort. “Thou art a dwarf among thy contemporaries, with knowledge of war centuries out of date. Still, since war seems to be an outdated concept among our ponies also, it would do little harm for you to remain in our employ, surrounded by armored military to observe your actions.” * * * It was late in the afternoon by the time Ebon Tide and Luna made it back to the hospital wing of the palace and sent Shining Armor back to his duties or entertainments, whichever was the case. The Tide family had provided no end of learning to both of them, with occasional additions or corrections added by the good Captain. It had been a time of great mental expansion, both in knowledge military and common life, which left Eb’s head whirling like a cyclone. The fresh breeze of Canterlot restored his mettle to a certain degree, buttressed by Bandaid’s quiet presence behind the wheelchair. The medical pony had respected their privacy and remained out in the common area until they were ready to depart, but Eb could not help but make private plans to corner him sometime and pry into the mysteries of medical science that had been uncovered during his abeyance. That would wait for later. For now, one trip through the ornate stone corridors had left him with enough familiarity for Eb to keep track of his way as Bandaid silently pushed his wheelchair along. However, despite his own growing fatigue, his experience with the Royal Sisters twigged him to something else he had been ignoring for most of the Day. “When was the last time you slept?” Luna stumbled for just one moment before continuing just as deliberately as before, matching Eb step by step. “It is inconsequential,” she said some time later as they waited on a clever device called an ‘elevator.’ There were very few tricks that a Guard could use to talk sense into a Princess. Eb decided on the one most suited to his current situation. He got up from the wheelchair, took several steps to one side away from the silent and unobtrusive Bandaid, and sat down on the cold granite floor. When the elevator doors slid open, he remained seated. Luna was obviously deep in thought and did not realize what was happening until she entered the small mobile room and found herself alone. She turned with a scowl and regarded both Guard and Medic before lighting her horn. “No,” said Eb. “I will not return to my room until you have gone to yours and gotten some rest.” Bandaid ever so slowly turned only his eyes so he could watch Luna’s response, quite possibly so he would have fair warning to duck. “Evenings have proven discomforting,” admitted Luna. Still without moving his head, Bandaid looked back at Eb. “Perhaps we should adorn thy room with jasmine as it was in the past,” said Eb. “I shall go forth to the gardens and pick you sufficient quantity that you might rest until your time to raise Moon. The palace does have gardens, does it not?” he asked, directing his attention to Bandaid. “Um…” Given an opportunity to avoid being caught betwixt a roc and a hard place, the otherwise plain stallion began edging down the corridor sideways. “There’s a flower shop on the other side of the palace. I’ll go get you some… Lilacs? No, jasmine,” he corrected before bursting into motion. In moments, he was out of sight, around a corner of the corridors and still running from the distant rapid taps of his shoes. “So nice to have servants who spring into action at your slightest whim.” Eb regarded the dark princess still standing impatiently in the small room. “You can either drag me kicking and screaming through the rest of the palace, showing the entirety of the staff just what a stubborn brat they have just gained as their Dread Sovereign, or you can quietly and respectfully allow your faithful Guard to escort you to your own sleeping chambers like a real princess. Your choice.” “You will come into this el-vator now or I shall dismiss you from our service,” said Luna with a good bit of the snap that Eb expected. “That is an order.” “I have a bad streak of disobeying orders lately. Fire me,” responded Eb. “I could have you flogged,” snapped Luna, only to stop and reconsider her words. “Or whatever punishment this modern age feels appropriate,” she added more carefully. “And I could go tell your sister,” said Eb. “You wouldn’t dare!” hissed Luna. “Try me.” Luna could not meet his eyes, which was at least a positive indicator in the ongoing battle of wills. “There is a short walk and two flights of stairs you would have to climb, and I will not carry you.” “The Royal Guard faces far worse threats every day.” Ever so deliberately, Luna stepped out of the elevating room and proceeded down a hallway that Eb had never seen before. He followed at a brisk trot, trying to match Her Highness’ longer stride with his weakened legs. They made several turns during the journey while Eb grew increasingly out of breath, leaving him panting quietly at the doors to another one of the modern moving room devices. “Your last chance,” said Luna with her hoof hovering over the call button. Eb deliberately reached up and pushed against her leg, which made the magical button light up and the doors open. He strode inside and waited, holding himself in the same stiff pose he had done for a full decade in service to the Crown. Luna followed and stood by his side, allowing the door to close and the two of them to stand uncomfortably for a short time with Eb staring in bafflement at the glowing buttons and his hoof hovering over the numbers. Instead, a bright teal aura formed around the top button and the room gave an unexpected jolt of motion he had thought would not surprise him again. Apparently, he was not alone. Luna’s feathered wings expanded away from her body as much as his dark membranous flight surfaces, and in the close confines of the elevator, they could not help but brush together. Luna was apparently unaffected, but Eb recoiled away and spent the rest of their elevating journey with one twitchy wing. “The regrowth hath made them sensitive,” he grumbled as the elevator neared its destination. “Soon, they will bear you up into the sky with the rest of your brethren.” Luna twitched slightly when the elevator doors opened and regarded the two alert pegasi Guards in the resulting open area with false calm. “Good Day, sirs. Warmaster Ebon Tide will be accompanying us to our bedchambers to ensure my rest.” The leftmost Guard nodded. “Colonel Moutarde sent word that you were returning from House Glory a few minutes ago, and the workponies have all departed. We’ll keep you from being disturbed, ma’am.” “Good.” Luna stepped to one side so Eb could begin climbing the curving stairs in front of her, which a pragmatic portion of his mind whispered that it was so she could catch him when he fell down, rather than roll all the way back to the two stiff golden guards. The stone steps proved more difficult than Eb anticipated, rising up in front of him like an infinite series of tripping obstacles. In his prime, so long ago, Warmaster Tide would flow up the stairs like an unstoppable force, but not now. The stairs of House Glory had proven to be a similar hindrance to his exploration of Peanut Brittle’s fascinating home, with so many things to learn out of his reach. “Do you think Sergeant Tide might be a relative of mine?” gasped Eb when he had gotten far enough up to stop without looking feeble and old. “Perhaps through serendipity,” said Luna from behind him. “If you had been listening when Nurse Flutters was speaking, you would have known that the name Tide is a recent fluke to their family tree from a place called Apple Loosa. The Clans have a strong desire to avoid intermarriage in order to avoid weakening the blood, so it is understandable that there are so many variances.” The steady noise of Luna’s hoofsteps faltered, giving Eb a welcome respite for a few moments, but eventually she added, “I fear I have given them a rather bitter turnip in life, and they have turned it into many flowers.” “There were so many ways that their… I mean our kind could have gone wrong after your imprisonment,” said Eb before standing back up and resuming his one-step-at-a-time conquest of Mount Canter, writ small. “Truth. The lack of information irks us. We cannot tell if Our discussion was being carefully steered around sensitive subjects such as that or if records from that era are faded with time.” “Sic one of your clerks upon the problem,” panted Eb, who decided that he was not going to stop until he reached the staircase landing or died. “Tis the ever-present quandary of our position. Were we to send one of the bureaucrats upon this question, they would undoubtedly return with a twisted answer which pleases the bureaucracy or crafted to gain favor with myself.” “Mumph,” managed Eb, who had caught sight of the landing above him and was saving his air for the climbing effort. “Perhaps I should enlist one of Peanut Brittle’s young friends,” mused Luna, who did not sound the least out of breath from the climb so far. “The young colt, Pine Apple Square. He seems to be cut from curious cloth, at least from the number of books he was studying and the notes he took whilst I was speaking.” “He would… Also be able… To write… more to our understanding,” gasped Eb, who could see the top step just at the end of his nose. “Also true. We looked at some of the reports the physicians didst write upon your condition,” she said, managing to make the title sound like a profanity. “Sorting out the wheat from the chaff is far beyond us. Adults of this age write to be misunderstood. Perhaps a child can deliver where age fails us.” - - ☾ - - It pained Luna to see Ebon Tide so wrought with the simple task of climbing stairs, so she moderated her brisk pace to match his own. After all, she bore a vast amount of blame for his infirmity, despite her protests to the contrary. In addition, he damped the terror she could not help but feel when looking into the smallest shadows that lurked about the palace in great numbers. Nightmare Moon was not so easily banished by the Elements of Harmony and lingered on beneath her skin, much like the ages marked Ebon Tide for torture. The familiar and uncomfortable was far superior a companion than empty bedchambers where every noise or shadow concealed unknown monstrosities. In truth, he was a far more suitable companion this afternoon than any other serving guard. Sideways glances and rumors of the mythical cubiculum assignments would likewise follow any lesser pony who took her into the bedroom. It made her wonder if the handsome Shining Armor might possibly have been directed in Princess Cadence’s direction by Celestia, despite the snippets of information the handsome stallion had let slip over the last few hours of their journey. No, Celly was far too trusting and straightforward to corrupt the morals of a Guard in that fashion, even though Shining Armor had explained that he had known the third alicorn ever since some sort of preparatory school and far before he had taken up the mantle of service. Although it might have been possible that his reasoning concealed some sort of unconscious desire to remain close to the pretty young princess… No, make that a positive, not a probable. He was truly ‘hooked’ as the mares of her era might say, and all that was left was the long road to betrothal and the marriage bed. Inadvertently, her gaze fell upon Ebon Tide’s scrawny rear end and the faint tracery of a black wave cresting upon his flanks as his grey coat grew in. Just because the Royal Sisters did not officially dabble among the desires of mortals, in particular the Guard, did not mean Luna had never thought about the possibility. In his prime, Eb was a looker indeed, and it was only with the faintest bit of regret that Luna had presided over the wedding ceremony when he had taken Calla for a bride. She was beautiful in a way that all mares in love are, and their daughters had much the same grace and stature. Thinking about them made legions of dead ponies rise up in her memory, a vast collection of spectres long past and gone. What had happened to them, where had they gone after their father was lost? Perhaps Celestia would know, or some records survived over the years. Provided, of course, she could ever talk to Celestia again without losing her temper. In any event, it was useless musing, best saved for the morrow. Or later. “We have reached my bedchambers,” said Luna flatly, trying her best to ignore the dust and incomplete mosaics that would someday make the huge onyx door into something worthy of her station instead of a propped-open slab of stone with small pieces of parchment… no, paper stuck onto it with instructions on how it was to be seated when construction finished. “You sleep in the debris and slumber to the sound of artisans and craftsponies.” Ebon Tide continued to move forward and vanished into the darkness beyond the doorway, although his voice continued to filter out, burdened with the fatigue of their long journey. “How the mighty have fallen. Perhaps you should take my hospital room instead.” Each of the few times that Luna had seen her new rooms had always been different experiences with similar parts. Furniture had been moved in and out between each visit, with no apparent planning and no advice asked from the room occupant. Likewise, the walls and ceiling had suffered indignities from both paint and sculpture, with different crafters each attempting to overwhelm the other in portraying a multitude of lunar impressions, each more inaccurate than the next. Far beneath it all, the rooms smelled of different ponies, the recent scent of Twilight Sparkle smothering an older scent of a young mare who must have departed at least a decade ago. Most of all, the rooms smelled of stallions, sweating over their labors, painting and plastering while Luna was absent, but leaving a tangible trace of their presence for hours afterward. This afternoon was no different. The room was covered in vast expanses of rough cloth, protecting the furniture from dust and drips of paint even though the drawers were empty and the closets bare. All she really needed was a bed, and even that was optional. Ebon Tide was investigating the area as he should be, looking under cloths and into dark corners. Luna ignored him and proceeded into the shower room, the one artifice of modern life that she really appreciated because it was so simple. A single lever adjusted the temperature of the artificial waterfall, which was far better than taking whatever water the old castle plumbing managed to creak and groan into their shared bathing chamber. There was even soap a far cry better than the caustic lye mixture that used to burn the tender skin beneath her mane, and something called ‘conditioner’ to ease the pain of tangled snarls. “So this is the bed upon which royalty doth lie now,” sounded Eb’s voice from the other room. “Tis a vast soft cushion of great— Help! It has eaten me!” His cries of panic were a great relief to Luna, and allowed her a brief moment of mirth over the memory of her having the exact same reaction to the gargantuan bed. Whoever had decided to stuff it into her chambers had not considered the relative size differences of alicorns, for the bed must have been one of Celestia’s old and discarded ones. No doubt there was much of her sister’s old things stuffed into various storerooms and corners, too worn to be used and too important to be disposed of in whatever way the modern era had decreed. She completed her limited bath and toilette in short order, the habits of many years prior serving to hurry her actions lest the ancient plumbing fail and leave her covered in slimy lye soap. A brisk rubbing with the fresh towels left her feeling far better, although she emerged with her coat still slightly damp in the cool afternoon breeze that blew through the open windows. Eb greeted her with a vicious glare at where he was bracing his forelegs on the side of the bed, with his hindquarters buried somewhere in the mess of blankets occupying the center, much as if he had fallen into quicksand. “We thought you could swim,” said Luna. Eb did not respond, other than to glare slightly harder. He did at least relax when she used her magic to float him out of his soft prison, and restrained his profanity to a near-inaudible mutter of one regret as he vanished into her bathroom to use the toilet. “Shoulda wet it.” His thrashing about had made a royal mess out of the Royal Bedcovers, so Luna proceeded to peel off about half of the thick blankets that were unneeded in the cool mountain air. Celestia may have desired such an overload of fluff and fabric, but Luna could sleep on a snowdrift and be comfortable. She was still tucking and arranging when Eb came out of the bathroom, obviously attempting to disguise his extreme fatigue under a layer of stiff formality. “We shall stay up and read for a time,” said Luna in a successful attempt to provoke a reaction. “You will go to sleep,” said Eb firmly, much as if he were addressing a disobedient child. “I’m not sleepy,” said Luna despite an overwhelming urge to yawn. She took out the short stack of books she had borrowed from House Glory’s library and placed them on the nightstand, then removed her slim cloth saddlebag to drape across one of the bedposts. “There is much for me to catch up on. Even foals have knowledge that I lack. Take this, for example.” She opened a colorful book and pointed to the painting of a yellow duck named Quackers waddling through what was called a ‘zoo.’ “Many races and creatures unknown to us have been discovered during my imprisonment. An afternoon of study will greatly enhance our return to the throne.” Eb grunted once, then his yellow eyes slid sideways to look at the remaining books. “If only these were available when my daughters were born. They would entertain themselves for hours, drawing the most imaginative creatures upon slates.” “We are not certain that one is real,” said Luna as he picked up a book about hunting wumpuses, or wumpsi, or however the accusative plural of the creature would be, or even what gender. “You are welcome to rest and read here for the moment before returning to your room. We… would appreciate the company,” she admitted reluctantly. After another indeterminate grunt, the Guard settled down upon the blankets that Luna had set aside the bed and opened his book, with the bibliophilic princess following suit. There was a certain undeniable pleasure to an afternoon spent reading in bed, and having the faint rustling of turning pages in the background kept the monsters of her imagination away. Several chapters later, she realized the accompanying pageish noises had transitioned into an unfamiliar sound of quiet snoring, which upon further examination came from Ebon Tide. Somehow he had twisted up sideways with What To Do When Your Foal Begins To Glow draped over one hoof, a wing hooded over his head, a hind leg thrown partway over the lower shelf of the nightstand, and most the rest of his body twisted in ways that made Luna seriously wonder if she had perhaps included any serpent bits in the spell which gave the nocturnal ponies their attributes. Thankfully, the thought did not turn her stomach like she anticipated, even after she spent several minutes watching Eb with the warm light of afternoon cascading through her room and a light breeze stirring the curtains. Nightmare Moon was a bleeding wound opened in her heart over petty slights and misunderstandings, amplified by Celestia’s own proximity and their differences. She loved Celly with all of her soul, but there were times when that love turned into hate ten times as strong. Worse, it had not been merely her own sister hurt by their most recent battle. She had drawn her own guards and families into the conflict, only for them to be ground up and spit out into the flames. As much as she wanted to ignore it, having Ebon Tide at her side was a treasure beyond mere value, because he forced her to face up to her flaws. A bond had been formed between them during their imprisonment, not merely from the spiteful guilt that had driven her to such dramatic measures, but he formed a mirror of her own into which she could see the consequences of said actions and why it must never be permitted to happen again. A mirror in which she could see changes in both of them, positive changes in two ponies thrown into a strange world. A Guard to hide behind when faced with embarrassing situations, somepony who also did not understand just why it was taken so casually to see ponies of different tribes strolling side-by-side, or races which had once been mortal enemies of ponykind now walking the streets as wealthy citizens. Somebody to explore together the mysteries of ‘moving pictures’ and ‘peep shows’ which she had seen written in the odd ‘newspapers’ of the modern era. Somepony with the same questions and expectations so she would not feel so… alone. She settled back down on her pillow with the book tucked onto the nightstand and a feather in it for a bookmark just a few moments before slumber overtook her also. It was the best sleep she had in the last thousand years.