//------------------------------// // Curious Mares // Story: The Flame Prince // by Schlat //------------------------------// "Are you alright Luna, I understand that Equestria has changed a lot since you've been gone, and that you'll need to adapt to unfamiliar customs, as well as the whole... banishment issue". Princess Celestia, the ruler of the Constitutional Principality Of Equestria asked her newly returned and soon to be reinstated as a ruler sister, Princess Luna Argentis. "Yes... We art well sister, though whilst many things plague us. Including this... change in the Equestrian alphabet we art more troubled by that stallion from Ponyville" she said. The two of them we're currently in Celestia's personal carriage returning to Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria. Celestia looked over at her sister. "Yes, that's another thing we will need to talk about. Since you've been gone, well more recently in the past twenty or so years stallions have... well..." she trailed off. "Just speak thee's mind sister, we've been gone for so long that it's a pleasure just to hear thou's voice. Especially when complaining about stallions" Luna teased. "Very well, in laymare's terms stallions have changed, somewhat. Don't mistake my warning, the colts of the nobility are still the snobbiest, most uncaring, arrogant, vain, whimsical whorses we've both ever had the misfortune to meet. However... some stallions, a very small minority at that. Have taken an... interest outside of the traditional roles our ponies have maintained for thousands of years, so... you're going to see some things... Things that may seem weird to you" Celestia explained. "Sister, We do not understand. Wasn't... wasn't Starswirl one of these stallions that thee's describing, Flash Magnus... or Rockhoof even?" Luna asked. "No Luna, they are different from these stallions because I actually enjoyed talking to and being around them. However these colts are only in the guard because they think they have something to prove or are superior to mares... minus a few individuals, to be fair to them" Celestia sighed. "We see sister... should We be informed of anything else regarding changes in culture?" "Just do not antagonize them Luna, it will only lead to headaches that we do not need right now. Besides, like you said earlier we need to have a discussion about Night Storm and that other mare. But for now, I am glad to have you back" Celestia smiled and hugged her younger sister. "Likewise sister, likewise" the Lunar Alicorn smiled back. I woke to the sound of small squeaks and a tune being hummed outside of my door. A moment later a familiar nurse opened it and trotted in pushing what looked like a cart of some sort? "Good morning Night Storm, good morning Delilah" Redheart greeted us. Now that I wasn't utterly exhausted and dealing with as much pain as I was last night I noticed that she had a small white hat with a red cross atop her head to go with her pure white coat and pink mane. While a glance towards my guard showed that she had bags under her eyes, likely from staying up all night on guard. "Here's your morning breakfast dear. Some hay and scrambled eggs along with some coffee and water" Redheart added and pushed the cart up alongside my bed. She then pulled out a small table looking thing out from under the cart and set it over me on the bed, until a faint clicking noise was heard and then placed my food upon it. After doing the same for Delilah and making sure we we're both comfortable she said her goodbyes and gestured to a small red crystal on our night stands and instructed us to speak into them once we we're done eating or if we needed anything else, then she left. We both looked at the food before us. "Well Delilah, it certainly has been a week hasn't it" I finally began conversation. "Yes sir... it has" she replied and bit into her food. "Did you stay up all night?" I asked "Mmhm" she answered and began to chew. "All right then, once we're finished eating I'll take watch while you get some sleep" I said. She nodded and continued eating while I held off for a few minutes. Once it became clear that the unicorn's mind wasn't altered in any way or she wasn't going to drop dead only then did I begin to eat myself. Giving a silent prayer to Faust in the process. "Sire..." Delilah began. "Yes Delilah?" I replied. "Am... am I a worthy mare?" she asked. "What, where is this coming from?" "Worthy of what, being in my service?" I asked. "...Yes, I feel that I am not worthy to be your guard. That I have failed in the mission that you so graciously bestowed upon me, and for that I am sorry" she said sadly. "Delilah, I'm two years your senior, and I picked both you and Fire Strike for our... reconnaissance because of your successful mission records. You still have your entire life ahead of you. So please, if you ever feel like you aren't good enough, remember this conversation and why I picked you, okay" I smiled. "Besides, you fared quite well against Nightmare Moon. Most would probably have lost near instantaneously but you didn't, and you never gave up. I and the kingdom need that kind of determination" I added. "Thank you sire, doesn't really change what happened but... thank you" she smiled herself. Once we both had finished our food Delilah passed out almost immediately, while a new pony, a stallion this time dressed in a similar garment to Redheart entered and took our plates from us. He also informed me where the bathrooms we're and if we needed help using them then we could call for help via the red crystals. I replied my thanks and he left. Now I was all alone with Delilah's soft snore's being my only company, though that wasn't to last. As only a couple minutes later six very familiar mares entered our room. Interrupting my musing of a plan to get us out of this town. "Hello Night, how are you feeling?" Twilight asked. "I've been better I suppose... what happened with Princess Luna?" I replied. "She and Princess Celesta both returned to Canterlot" Rarity spoke. An uncomfortable silence followed. "Night... about last... night?" Applejack began. "We're really, really sorry about what happened" Pinkie added. "Mhm, and we want to try and make it up to ya" Rainbow said. "That is... if you want us to?" Fluttershy finished. "Hah... of course these mares aren't through with me yet, are they". "Look, while I appreciate your apology me and Delilah need to be going with haste as soon as we are both able to" I answered. Gesturing to the still lightly snoring mare. The six non-asleep mares looked at each other. "That's another thing that we wanted to discuss with you. Who exactly are you Night?" Twilight asked. "And... here we go". "Well I don't know Twilight, who exactly are you?" I rebutted. "Hey now, don't ya try to flip this around on us Night. We asked the question first" Applejack cut in. "And why exactly is this important?" I asked. "Well je, I don't know. Some random stallion and two mares show up out of nowhere a mere day before the summer sun celebration. Are the only ones who know about Nightmare Moon, other than Twilight who herself just found out about the story the day before, have weapons that can go invisible, and on top of that are physically able to hold off against an Alicorn in hoof to hoof combat" Rainbow Dash said. "Faustdammit". "Well... I wouldn't say hold off - So we'll ask again. Who are you Night Storm?" Rainbow cut Fluttershy off, which only I seemed to notice. "Buck this not good, how do I get out of - " "By the way, where is Fire Strike? I don't remember her being with us ever since we left the library" Twilight added. The other mares agreeing with her as well. "It's nothing that you lot have any business in. So I'd appreciate it if you left this matter alone. Lest you find the answer unsatisfactory" I warned. "Night... you aren't being forced to do anything you don't want to do, right?" Rarity asked this time. "Absolutely not, everything I have done in my life has been done voluntarily of my own goodwill" I answered. The mares visibly relaxed at this. "Okay then, who are you and where is Fire Strike?" Rainbow Dash repeated. Knowing that I was not going to get out of this without giving the mares an answer I gave in and told them about myself, just a little bit. "My name is Night Storm, my birthday is the twenty-ninth of September, my favorite color is red, and I enjoy reading, art, history, swordsmareship, and helping others with whatever may ail them" I said. "Swordsmareship, who taught ya how to wield ah sword?" Applejack asked. "Not important, next question" I more ordered than asked. "Okay... what about your family" Twilight inquired. "What about them?" I rebutted. "Oh fer bucks sake, how does yer father feel about you running around fightin other ponies with swords like a knight?" Applejack, now quite more agitated, queried me. "I wouldn't know, he's been dead along with my two sisters for over a decade" I dryly replied. At that revelation the girls' eyes went wide and they backed off a bit. "Oh... I'ma, I'm sorry to hear that Night. Ah, Ah didn't know" Applejack replied dejectedly. Along with similar replies from the others. "It is fine, you couldn't have. Besides I've come to terms with it anyway" I replied. "Ah, right... of course darling. Come on girls, I think that we've... questioned the poor colt enough" Rarity regretfully stated. The other mares unanimously agreed with the only outlier being Rainbow Dash. "What, but, come on girls... after everything that's happened you're all just going to walk away from wha hey!" Rainbow yelped as she was dragged from the room by Rarity, the door shutting behind them. "Well that was interesting". "Well, that was certainly something" Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's prized protégé, and current holder of The Element Of Magic. Stated as they we're leaving the hospital Night and Delilah had been checked into. "Something indeed" Rarity agreed. "I still don't understand why we're just walking away from something like this..." at the number annoyed stares Rainbow got thrown her way over that sentence she reiterated. "Well... I mean they aren't normal ponies, and I get that he's a stallion. But come on, have you guys ever heard of a stallion fighting like that. Not to mention what happened to his father and siblings, which is bad Applejack" she added. "What do you think even happened to them? Something really really bad!" Pinkie chimed in. "I don't know but probably it wasn't good, especially if Night has been forced into fighting like what we saw yesterday night" Twilight said. "So... what do you think we should do darling?" Rarity asked. "I think... that Princess Celestia left too quickly" Twilight replied.