The Return of Princess Nightmare Moon
Part 16: House Guests
Aegis Shield had never met a more squirmy opponent. The changling soldier flailed back and forth as they tumbled, snarled, bit, thrashed, and punched each other wildly. Come into HIS Princess’ bedroom would it?! Not tonight! The stallion clamped his teeth onto the swiss cheese-like hoof, and it screeched in pain. Shifting its weight it tumbled over him, punching him repeatedly in the face and cheek while its fangs tried to clamp onto him someplace. But, the stallion was armored and well-protected. It just couldn’t find a latch-on point.
Stalwart Hide was in a head-butting contest, up on his hind-legs and arm-locked at the shoulder with his own changling enemy. He was wearing a helm, sure, but the changling’s carapace was just as good as armor. Clank! Clank! CLANK! They wavered back and forth, trying to better each other and shift the weight of power. They knocked a chair over and then tumbled, crashing into a bookshelf and sending books everywhere. Stalwart snapped his body forward in a whip-like fashion to add pressure, but the changling soldier reeled against him and they butted heads again. “Aegis! Bon gambit!” he cried out in twin-speak (the language the brothers shared that nopony else could seem to understand).
“Neigh!” said Aegis through gritted teeth. He cried out when fangs entered his leg and he crashed animatedly against the wall. Hoping to crush his enemy he rammed himself against it over and over, but the teeth were latched on now. “Augh! Specto gambit!” he shouted over his shoulder.
“Bon! BON!” Stalwart Hide crashed hard into the bookshelf, shattering the shelves and avalanching books everywhere. I lucky buck sent his opponent off of him and he scrambled to recover. “Bandaid! Do something! There’s three of us!” he was suddenly pulled into a headlock by the screeching changling, his face turning red as his neck was mercilessly squeezed. Flailing wildly, he crunched his teeth over the bend in his enemy’s leg armor. The changling skreee’d, then started punching him wildly in the face.
“Oh jeez, oh jeez…” Bandaid was practically turning in circles. The guards were fighting, the Princess was fighting (and swearing a blue streak), what was HE supposed to do?! He was a healer! That was the opposite of what everypony else was doing! Shaking fearfully at the melee around him, his mind racing, he ran to his medical bag. Pulling it open and undoing all the straps, he pulled it over himself like leather armor. He gulped, looking back and forth. If he could free up even one of the twins, he would save the Princess. He paused suddenly. What did anypony that couldn’t fight do, when about to be challenged? Bluff! “Hey there, you big buggy gits!” he galloped over where both changlings could see. He was hissed at, and he recoiled a bit while the twins wrestled them wildly. “Before you go attacking anypony else, maybe you can have a look at MY arsenal!” forsaking the popping buttons that flew everywhere, Nurse Bandaid THRUST his nurse’s vest open like he was flashing somepony.
The twins and both changlings froze to stare.
Seven scalpels. Four syringes. Five pill small pill bottles. Two flasks. Bandaging ropes. Twine. Sharp metal clips. An array of tongue sticks. Needle-sharp tweezers. Stethoscope. Epecac potions. Air-pressurized needle gun stocked with anti-venom and generic poison antidotes. They lined the inside of his nurse’s vest like some sort of freakish action movie star displaying all his guns. The twins stared in awe, and the two changlings did too. How did he move normally with all of that weighing him down?! He looked ready to murder somepony! Of course, the four of them had no idea what half of the things lining the white vest were, but it sure did make Bandaid look intimidating.
“Hisssss!” said one changling to the other, eyes wide. “Bon hisssss!”
“Bon hissss!” the other agreed, untangling herself from her pony opponent. The two changlings bared their fangs at Bandaid, rearing up and flailing their hole-filled hooves at him.
“Bon hiss?” Aegis Shield gasped, ears perked. “Stalwart! They’re twins like us!” he shouted to his recovering brother. Stalwart Hide dug himself out of the mountain of books with a moan, rubbing his head. “Bon gambit hiss!”
There was a pause as both creatures turned about with wide eyes.The changlings displayed their wings at the twins, cocking their heads curiously. The twins snapped their wingspans open, throwing their chests out. Bandaid looked back and forth, slowly letting his vest flap closed. What had just happened? “Specto gambit, gurf bon hiss!” said one of the two changlings.
“Gurf!” said both stallions in unison, nodding animatedly.
Bandaid almost facehoof’d. Twin speak didn’t work like that, according to medical science. Every set of twins had their own version of twin speak, it didn’t reach from one set of siblings to the next! “Gurf?” said the two changlings, coming close and standing in front of the twins. They seemed unsure, eyeing them up and down with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Bandaid marveled. He was sure Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide were the only ponies he’d ever meet that really could speak in unison a good portion of the time. But no, apparently the two changlings were siblings as well, and could do the same. Bizarre! The two black creatures leaned as one, sniff-sniffing at the twin pegasi with marked caution. Aegis and Stalwart both reached, startling them back, but reached none the less. The boys leaned, smiled, and kissed the hooves they’d grabbed. Both changlings blushed, tugging away and chittering a set of exotic-sounding giggles.
“Oh Faust they’re sisters.” Bandaid groaned in realization, face-hoofing again.
“Bandaid!” scolded Aegis, turning his great head about. “They’re visitors from a foreign nation!” Stalwart was in the background, translating everything into twinspeak for them. The two soldiers nodded along politely, seated on their haunches.
“You were all just fighting!”
“That was before we knew they were twins like us.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
“Your FACE doesn’t make any sense!” As soon as Stalwart translated that part the two changlings laughed wildly, stamping the ground with their hooves. Both boys grinned, nodding at each other.
“Auuugh!” Bandaid facehoofed for the third time. So suddenly they were all best pals and being polite gentlecolts?! And kissing hooves?! The poor nurse felt a migraine coming on.
“GET OFF ME FOUL THING!” exploded across the room, reminding Bandaid very suddenly that his Princess was being assaulted. Smacking, kissie noises were still floating over the bed. “AIDE! I REQUIRE AIDE! GET OFF ME!” The black alicorn was weakly trying to pry the changling Queen off of herself, pushing hard with both hooves while kissie faces were made at her.
“Oh Nightie-Poo, I heard you’d returned and I came as soon as I could!” Queen Chrysalis sighed dramatically, suddenly flung off the bed into a heap on the floor. “I missed you so, so much! You’ve no idea!” she clopped her hooves together, leaning her cheek on them and shifting back and forth with joy, girlishly giggling.
“One taste of alicorn love and thou were addicted!” Nightmare gestured harshly to Bandaid, who came rushing and aided her out of bed. All the strain had made her legs weak and she faltered. The twins rushed to aide her as well, and the two changlings came to rejoin their mistress. “Hoof servant, let us away before she hugs me again!” she limped along, but Chrysalis would have none of this.
“Nightie-poo you were my favorite foreign ambassador before you had your little tantrum!” Chrysalis was walking alongside her, nuzzling animatedly up and down at her cheek. Nightmare groaned, rolling her eyes as she limped along, unable to get away. “Don’t forget those lovely nights were had in my own cocoon chambers and--!”
“Bite thy tongue!” Nightmare barked, cheeks flushing hot. “It meant nothing! It was ages ago and it meant nothing!” She worked her fangs, turning her ears back in an angry, pouty sort of face. “I was merely fostering good foreign relations with my… presence!”
Bandaid began to slowly relax and kind of enjoy himself, in a really sick sort of way. So there WAS somepony out there that his Princess not only didn’t want, but regretted having been with? Ohhh, this was gold! “I’m Bandaid, her Majesty’s private nurse!” He put in, leaning into Nightmare still to steady her. He waved a free hoof at the strange, hole-filled creature.
“Greetings!” Chrysalis leaned back and over Nightmare’s withers, resting her head there to have a look at him and nuzzle the Princess at the same time. “I am Queen Chrysalis, your Princess’ most favored lover!”
“Lies!” Nightmare Moon scowled, approaching the twins as quickly as she could. “Aegis Shield, Stalwart Hide! Remove them from my chambers, now!” she was desperate, one could tell by the twitching in her neck muscles.
“Where are you from?” Bandaid said conversationally while the twins began to herd the two female changlings out of the room. He’d never seen such a repulsive-yet-beautiful creature in his life. Such large gossamer wings, the little platelets on her body, they were rather enchanting.
“I come from the wastelands to the south!” Chrysalis smiled grandly, showing off fangs very similar to Nightmare’s. “The hive is several million strong,” she smiled at the Princess. “also at your beck and call of course, m’love.” She kissed Nightmare’s cheek with a blushing giggle. “I still have that lovely little painting we had done on your third visit…” she trailed off and winked.
Bandaid watched the black alicorn’s face turn scarlet. “Faust smite me, please. Even lightning will do.” The Princess begged the ceiling as they came to the threshold of the broken door. “Out.” She finally declared.
“Oh sweetheart, weren’t you at dinner?” Chrysalis said. “Maybe we can have a bedroom picnic!” she brightened, her beautiful wings buzzing and lifting her a few inches into the air. The humming sound made everypony’s ears tingle and itch. “I could go grab a criminal from your dungeons, and we might share!” She smiled toothily, like it was a done deal.
“No!” Nightmare tried to shut the door in her face, but it was already off its hinges and refused. Stalwart jumped back before it landed on him. “Away to me, abusive creature!”
“D’ohhh, you’re probably just exhausted. Poor thing. I heard you were still under the weather,” The Queen made a pouty sort of face, landing again. “I’m going to be staying for a week, perhaps we’ll meet up later?” she gave her mane an adorable toss, stroking it in a sexy sort of way. Nightmare’s stomach churned.
“Yes! Later!” Nightmare turned and coughed a bit, quickly walking away from the threshold and away from the changlings. Bandaid was ready to burst into giggles… no wait, he already had. Trotting after his Princess with a great big grin plastered across his face, he turned and waved goodbye as the changlings left them be.
“Bye for now, Nightie-poo!” Chrysalis called, trotting away with her guards. One of them turned and blew a kiss at Stalwart Hide, whose eyebrows jumped up as his cheeks turned red. Oh-hoh-ho?! Was she displaying her wings at him as they went around the corner? Stalwart started forward eagerly, but his brother hauled him back by the scruff of his neck. He had to focus on his Princess now, no time for exotic mares from other countries!
There was a long silence when the changlings had gone, and Nightmare slid into a chair to rest her face on the table with a moan. “Such travesties have remained in memory for so long!” she cursed herself. “It was only a few ambassador trips! A mere smattering of days and she never forgot!”
Bandaid threw his head back and laughed. “What’s the matter, Nightie-poo?” he teased, stroking her back between her wings. She shot an icy glare at him. “One lover too many, and this one decided to wait for you?” he cackled a little.
“Silence thy tongue, hoof servant. We must hide until she is gone. I do not wish to be molested.” Nightmare stood with authority, stroking her chin. “Where to hide ourselves, though… the castle is too obvious.” She furrowed her brow.
“She said she was staying for a week, isn’t the Grand Galloping Gala in six days?” Aegis Shield wondered aloud, tilting his head. Nightmare flinched, eyes widening. “Ohhh, I bet that’s why she’s here. To welcome you back, and to be seen at that big party. You know, as a gesture of friendship to the crown.” He smiled a little nervously as the Princess’ expression turned foul.
“Friendship my glittering, starry backside!” Nightmare snarled, rushing over to her dresser to get some papers and things. “Come! We are going… someplace!” she said. “Out of the castle where she cannot find me!”
“Oh, how about the guard barracks? You could come stay with us!” Stalwart Hide said, gesturing to his brother. “It’s a little place, but I’m sure we might have a cot or something.”
“I’m not letting the Princess stay in one of those tiny little military establishments. Those stallions live in cubby holes and cots!” Bandaid frowned, shaking his head no.
“My nurse is correct. Besides, the barracks is an offshoot of the castle, we might be sought there by yon sexual predator.” Nightmare gestured to the hallway with a shudder. Bandaid bit back a scathing remark about his Princess and the phrase ‘sexual predator’. “We shall instead go to Bandaid’s home to hide out.” She smiled down at him.
“What?!” the stallion barked, his pupils shrinking into dots. “My place?!”
“It is perfect. It is a civilian home in a random portion of the city. Even the Queen of the changlings cannot search an entire city in a week.” Nightmare gloated, tilting her nose up as she levitated a big stack of papers into a waiting suitecase, along with a few odds and ends. Clipping it closed when the contents were secure, she turned on her heels. “Come! We make for Bandaid’s residence!”
“Oh jeez…” Bandaid wilted.
=-----=-----=-----=-----=
“Good evening, Queen Chrysalis, I hope your trip was pleasant?” Celestia said politely, rising from her chair with just a hair of tension. Clearly the alicorn-sized changling leader and her two guards were… unexpected. Twilight eyed the three strange creatures curiously. She’d been trained not to gape or stare at ponies that looked different, but they were making it really hard. She’d heard and read about the changling nation, yes, but she’d never met any of them. Equestria all but banned them since, well, they fed on raw emotions and ponies were full of them. Nopony wanted to be treated like a buffet, and Princess Celestia had kept a rather solid peace corps at the border. There was trading and interaction, yes, but the main populations almost never mixed outside of emergency.
“Skreee!” said one of the two guards in shrill greeting, startling the poor purple mare.
“Why yes, thank you! When I heard that Nightie had returned I just had to drop by for a visit! I trust my messenger reached you just fine?” She cocked her head and seated herself at the table like she owned the place.
“He may have been stopped at the border.” said Celestia a smidgen less gently.
Twilight wrinkled her nose. The towering creature smelled like honey, armor oil and desert winds on the magical level. It was odd and very different than the soap and quiet vanilla that her mentor had to her aura. It was more… alien. Just who were these three, and how did they so easily wander into the palace? “Uhm, hello.” She said, tilting her head forward into a polite bow. She’d seen the crown on the mare’s head. Despite her… odd-ness, she was definitely royalty. “My name is Twilight Spar-!”
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Chrysalis suddenly boomed in delight, making everypony in the room jump a little. “Why, the last time I saw you you were… yay tall!” she reached to show her a short filly’s height. “You were napping too, come to think of it, Celestia wouldn’t let me wake you during my brief visit.”
“I wouldn’t have wanted to traumatize my little pony.” Celestia said with a honey-touched tone that carried exactly one grain of scratching sand in it. Only Twilight was familiar enough with Celestia to recognize the subtle shift in tone. Her mentor was not happy about their new guest, it seemed. “I suppose you’ve come to see my sister, and stay for the gala?” she surmised, daintily sitting and sipping her water from a tall-stemmed glass.
“Of course! I would love to!” Chrysalis took it as an invitation. “Nightie was so enthused to see me earlier, you should have seen her.” Her insectoid wings flapped open and she sighed in adoration at the thought of the night time princess. “You should’ve sent word that she’d returned, Princess, I would have come to witness her return in person!”
“My sister was not well when she arrived home.” Celestia said delicately. “She was hospitalized for weeks.” Queen Chrysalis’ face fell, and her wings wilted a little. Concern etched across her features. “But, she’s growing stronger and stronger. Soon she’ll be able to return to the Midnight Court and take her place on the throne beside me again.” The white alicorn allowed herself a dreamy smile. It would be nice to split the workload of running the nation, not to mention the rumors would stop flying. There had been some talk amongst the commonfolk that Nightmare was still sick, or had died in the hospital, or something. Celestia had also her hooves full putting out fires and controlling the flow of information so nopony decided that the night time alicorn had been assassinated by Donut Joe from Sore Saddle Street. How, exactly, the poor baker was supposed to assassinate a goddess, she didn’t know. But rumors were just that: rumors.
Queen Chrysalis looked over to see her twin guards staring up at one of the solar guards posted by the door. He was a full head taller than they, and they found him fascinating for some reason. They were chittering back and forth at each other, then looked up at the stock-still stallion’s armor. He didn’t look at them, only stared straight ahead as trained. It didn’t keep a bead of sweat from going down the side of his face. Both changlings let their horns glow and FWOOSH! Suddenly there were three of the standing stallion guard. The two copies giggled at each other, before shifting back. “Pupa! Geode!” she snapped. They wheeled around, quickly returning to either side of her. They hunched a little, looking very sorry. “Forgive me, Princess, they tend to wander if I don’t keep them on a tight leash.” She smiled apologetically.
“I’ll have rooms arranged for you three.” Celestia nodded quietly. “I assume you made sure to feed before you got here?” Again the touch of grainy sand came back to her voice. “I won’t be handing you any of my guards, just so you know.”
“Have you no murderers I might have?” Chrysalis cocked her head a little.
“I’m afraid not.” Celestia smiled a little. “Murder has all but faded from fair Equestria, thank goodness.” She sighed a little. “I’ll not have you draining anypony dry while you’re here. I must insist that you fast.”
“Fast? Ohh… poo. Very well.” Chrysalis pouted a little. She turned to her two followers. “You heard her. No biting and draining the love out of anypony as long as we’re in Equestrian borders. As long as we are here, Princess Celestia’s word is the rule.” She gestured to the white alicorn. Both guards nodded dutifully, but they did not look happy. Changlings could live for an astoundingly long time without feeding, but it didn’t mean they liked it. “Just don’t expect any of my royal jelly the next time you visit the hive!” she said to Celestia with a playful smirk.
“I hardly think it’s a good idea to consume anything that comes from your thorax, dear Chrysalis.” Celestia said with a sly chuckle. “Only my sister ever partook in that.” Twilight gaped at the wild conversation between the royals. Feeding on ponies? Royal jelly? THORAX?! The purple mare felt a little overwhelmed. “The lower dungeons are completely empty, if you like?” the white alicorn offered. “I know you prefer the dark and cool areas of the castle for sleep. I can have a guard take the doors off so you don’t feel locked up.”
“That would be lovely, thank you.” Chrysalis bowed happily. “Say thank you, girls.” She bade her twin guards with a teasing smile.
“Skree!”
“Skree!”
“Er, they said thank you.” Queen Chrysalis put in. Twilight giggled before she could stop herself. Their new guests for the gala were strange, but still charming in their own bizarre way. The vizier decided she kind of liked them. It wasn’t every day that her mentor seemed a little bit tense around somepony. She could only wonder about their previous encounters.
=-----=-----=-----=-----=
“This is thy abode?” Princess Nightmare was actually more than a little curious. She peered up at the scrunched little string of economy apartments. She hadn’t even put any thought into where her nurse lived before. It had simply never crossed her mind… but this had not been what she was expecting. “Stallion, thou art a royal nurse and hoof servant to the Princess of the land, do they not pay thee better than this?” she gestured with a troubled from at the rather run-down looking place.
Bandaid wilted a little embarrassedly. “Er… I’mma bachelor, it’s all I need.” He sounded only halfway convinced of the words, but he coughed a little. “Besides, do you have any idea how expensive medical school is? I’m going to be paying off student loans for years to come.” He sighed a little, but it was true. The Princess cocked her head in mild pity, but said nothing. She watched him trot up the trio of stairs to his stoop, work the key in the lock and press the door open. “Come on in, its uh… messy, but its home.” He offered. Nightmare nodded, stepping out of the shadow of the alleyway from whence they’d approached. When she was sure the coast was clear, she streaked out into the sun. Holding her black umbrella over her head, cloaked and behind sunglasses, she quickly vanished beyond the threshold. Bandaid checked around to be sure nopony had seen an alicorn rush into his home. Nopony was around, thank goodness, it was the middle of the day. Heaving her majesty’s suitecase inside, he quickly shut the door and drew the curtains to block out the bright sun. His Princess was sensitive to its rays, after all. “Er, welcome.” He said awkwardly, setting down his medical bag and taking off his nurse’s vest. (It suddenly occurred to Nightmare she’d never seen him not wearing it. He wasn’t bad looking in the chest and midriff.)
It was certainly humble little place. The tiny office was also the bedroom, the kitchen was also the dining room. There was no living room. Coming in the front door meant you were in the bedroom. There was a tiny bathroom that you could barely open the door because the toilet was right behind it. You could see the back door from the front door, and there was only one window, since the apartment was pressed between two others. The walls were a rather sickly ‘old’ yellow, and the cabinets looked cracked. The sink in the kitchen dripped a bit, and the refrigerator had certainly seen better days. There was a little heater in the corner, which ached and groaned when he went over to turn it on. Bandaid couldn’t afford to keep the place heated all day, so her only turned it on when he was home.
Nightmare stared around with an odd mix of fascination and mild pity. “This is…” she trailed off when she stepped on a sock. “You wear stockings?” she smiled wryly. He snatched it quickly, red-faced, stuffing it under the twin-sized bed. How did the poor stallion sleep? Curled up in a ball, perhaps?
“It’s called an economy apartment.” Bandaid told her. “Pretty much the polar opposite of what you’re used to.” He smiled a little embarrassedly. “Go ahead, have a seat on the bed. Sorry I don’t own a couch.” The brown stallion offered her. “Bathroom, be right back.”
Nightmare looked around while he was away from her. “How does he live in such tiny quarters, the poor thing…?” she found herself whispering. “High education is expensive, but this place is so… tiny.” she leaned to look at the homely little bookshelf that was squatting in the corner. It was only two shelves, but it was crammed full of books that all seemed to have the same design on them. Lighting her horn, she pulled one to have a look. “Ponies and Castles Sourcebook, Deities and Demigods.” She mumbled, flipping it open. She turned a few pages, looking at the bright pictures and boxes full of numbers and facts. She saw what were undoubtedly holy symbols, spells and rituals… bad ones as well. The book seemed to touch on evil gods as well, and how to recognize them. “Hmm… I am not in here at all!” she said, shocked. “Neither is Cellie, for that matter.” She ho-hummed down a list of gods she’d never heard of before. Not that there were many in the world, but none of those names looked familiar to her. She replaced the book, pulling another one. “Ponies and Castles, the Player’s Handbook.” She opened that one instead, frowning through its contents. Why, it was a statistics book! Who knew her nurse was so mathematically studious?! She smiled and sat on the bed, turning pages until she saw a picture of a fierce-looking Zafrican warrior priestess. She was painted down with blood, holding a spear in her mouth… and posed rather provocatively, to tell the truth. But, the box of numbers next to her told everything about her! “Strength, Agility, Wisdom…” Nightmare went down the list. “How informative! I did not know a Zafrican warrior priestess could charm another pony with her mind powers three times a day!” she delighted, picking up a third book from the shelf and levitating it over to her. She was learning about the upside down castles of the frozen north when Bandaid returned. The stallion looked startled when he found his Princess pawing through his tabletop game books. “Why Bandaid, we did not know thee so varied in thy studies! These are delightful!” she commented, four books floating around her as she peered back and forth with interest.
“Oh-h jeez…” he mumbled, face-hoofing a little. “Th-those are gaming books, Princess.”
“Gaming?” The dark alicorn looked up in disbelief. “Thou plays games with such fierce things?” she turned one of the books over to show him a screaming, bloodied minotaur wielding a great-axe.
“It’s just pretend, here, let me put those back…” he felt flushed and embarrassed that the black alicorn was rooting through his things, but he couldn’t really stop her. There wasn’t much to his place to look at. Nightmare Moon kept one of the books to study (“Arms and Equipment”), sitting silently on the bed. Bandaid stood there staring at her for a long time, but she seemed engrossed in the five kinds of rope an adventurer might need on his travels. “I’ll just uh… get some dinner for us.” The Nurse sighed a little, happy she was at content to do something quietly for a bit. Ah well.
=-=-=-=
Later…
=-=-=-=
“I’m back, Princess.” Bandaid arrived home with two little boxes of Chinese food. Nightmare looked up from a long notepad, her quill dancing on it. Her suitcase lay open next to her, some papers strewn about. She was working on her night sky project. “Er… make yourself at home I guess?” he smiled a little when she looked up and smiled with all her long teeth.
“Welcome home, dear.” She said playfully, eyeing the food he’d brought. She set aside her work. “Do not worry about your funds, I shall replenish them when I return home.” She promised. “And an extra inconvenience fee as well, for being in your home for a week.” She added.
“Oh uh… okay.” Bandaid wasn’t going to argue with money, given his current circumstances. Then he looked over and saw her struggling with chopsticks. “No no, like this.” He sat on the bed next to her, putting his smaller hoof over her bigger one. “One stick like that, and the other like this. One doesn’t move, the other does the grabbing.”
Nightmare struggled with it for a bit, scowling over the steaming box of rice and vegetable bits. (How did hooves manage chopsticks at all? Shut up, that’s how.) Finally, she managed to get some of it into her mouth. She chewed carefully, and her face lit up. “Delicious!” she declared, nodding her approval.
“Heh! I’m glad you like it.” He rolled his eyes a little, shaking his head as he slurped a few noodles. “There’s this little place on the corner I go to a lot. They give you a lot of food, and its cheap. Keeps me full.” He commented.
Nightmare paused for a bit while Bandaid was busily eating. She’d not stopped to wonder about money or anything from Bandaid’s perspective. “Er,” she said softly, looking over at him. He looked over, about five inches of noodles hanging out of his mouth. “Th… thank thee for thy hospitality. I know I invited myself, and it is a burden.” She leaned forward into a sort of quiet half-bow. “But it will keep greedy hooves off of me, thankfully. Please know I am grateful, and you will be repaid.”
“It’s fine.” Bandaid said after slurping a little. “Just a uh… extended sleepover, I guess.” He stopped to yawn. The dawn was coming, that meant it was almost bed time. Luna was sliding gently over the horizon. The stallion was worn out, full of food and ready for sleep. He looked longingly at his bed, and then it very suddenly occurred to him. “I only have one bed.” He said aloud, setting his food aside. “Uhhhhhhh… ah!” he rose and went to his tiny little closet, pulling an arm-load of thick blankets out. They were ratty and a little torn in places, but otherwise perfectly fluffy. While Nightmare watched and articulated with her chopsticks, he made a little nest for himself beside the bed. “You can take the bed. You’re the guest.” He said warmly, smiling at her.
“Thank you.” She mumbled behind her box of Chinese. She tucked her ears, a slightly stronger twinge of guilt touching her. “Er, I need not so many pillows.” She pushed three of the four pillows off of the bed as she settled onto her belly on the bed. When her food box was empty, she levitated it into the nearby bin and yawned. She did get sleepy when she ate late. Peering about, she stretched out a bit—her hooves went off the end of the bed. Looking over her shoulder, she lay on her side instead. Cocking her head, she saw her wings were sticking out.
“Eh-heh, yeah it’s pretty small.” Bandaid apologized. “I sleep curled up, sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for thy lodgings. It is meant for thou.” She stepped off, stretching out. Lighting her horn, she grabbed him bodily and set him up on the bed. “This nest is perfectly fine.” She settled herself onto the floor as he sat up with concern. “Ah-ah. Hush.” She held up a hoof before he could protest. “Thou would not want me falling off the bed in the dead of day right onto you, would thou?” she gave him a rather lewd smirk, winking. The stallion didn’t argue, and sighed tiredly as he flopped down. Working magic once more, the Princess removed her helm and other vestments. Bandaid watched quietly. He’d never seen her naked before, except when she was a skeleton in the hospital. She really was quite beautiful, in a terrifying-endless-void sort of way. He watched her tuck her head under one of her great wings after pulling her blankets up. It was just a little bit endearing. “Good morrow, hoof servant.” She said quietly from where she’d hidden herself, swan-like. “Thank thee again for thy kindness.”
“Good morrow.” The brown stallion mumbled, for ‘good night’ was not proper for ponies like them, who slept through the day. He laid his head down once all the lights were out, trying very hard not to stare at her beautiful starry mane. It was entrancing, and it soothed him just to look at it. Beautiful…
End of Part 16