Chapter 27
The Night Shift
Ponyville
Twillight was in her library in Ponyville, preparing herself for reading the last novel of her favorite series “Equus Fowl” that had been out since the last week and was dying to get her hooves on a copy. Twilight closed the library for the evening and used her magic to lock the door and every window; Spike was asleep upstairs so she would be able to read her book in perfect calm. She flipped the first page and started to read, until suddenly there came a tapping; as of somepony gently rapping, rapping at the library’s door. She ignored it, thinking that the pony in question would see the panel with “closed” written on it, but the sound of a hoof smacking the door continued. It was getting on Twilight’s nerves, so with a loud sigh she closed her book and went to open the door.
Two mares were outside, waiting to be answered and holding a package with them.
“Don’t you think we could just leave the package in front of the door? Maybe she’s in the shower or something,” said Aloe to her twin sister.
“Sorry sis, but the Prince asked us to give this to her; who knows, maybe if we left the package here somepony might steal it. I’d feel really bad if we failed the Prince’s request after all the money he gave us; thanks to him our dream to open our own spa will be realized,” answered Lotus.
Both of them knocked against at the door. This time, Twilight opened it.
“Hi, how can I help you?” asked Twilight with a feigned smile that was more scary than anything else.
“Sorry for disturbing you miss … um, but we have a package for you and we-”
“So why didn’t you just put it in my mailbox? Are you two the new mailmares?”
“Please, let us finish. We aren’t mailmares; we were asked by Prince Onyx to bring you this and if-” Twilight interrupted them again.
“From Onyx? Quick give it to me!” The mares hoofed Twilight the package before she quickly closed the door.
“Well, I’ve meet ponies more polite than her!” exclaimed Aloe before she and her twin sister headed towards their newly bought spa.
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Twilight opened the scroll tied to the package. She waited for Onyx’s reply for the past two days; now that it arrived, she was too excited to care about the gift. It read:
Dear Twilight,
I received your letter and I’m profoundly sorry that I didn’t answer you sooner, but the castle was really busy with preparations for Celestia and Luna’s vacation. Mother gave me the night court and Blueblood the day court. I don’t even know why Mother would have left him either court, I mean he is not ready for this. Just this morning, I had to stop him from arresting two masseuses...
I hope that you’re happy in Ponyville with all your new friends and books in your library. Speaking of books, I remembered that you always wanted the ”Dictionary of Every Magic Seal.” You’ll find it in the package with this letter.
When Mother comes back, I promise I’ll come see you in Ponyville … you could introduce me to all your new friends. Oh, and please don’t make it a royal welcome or anything like that, you know how I’ve always hated that sort of thing.
Your friend,
Onyx.
P.S. I kinda broke up with Trixie. If you see her could you please tell her that I’m sorry for what I did, but I can’t see her any more.
When she finished reading it, she placed the scroll on a desk nearby, and opened her gift. The book was a brand new limited edition. She held the book as if it were her foal.
“Thank you Onyx...”
Then she was hit with the realization from the last few words of the letter; Onyx was single AND he was going to visit her soon. She quickly jumped up from the floor and called her assistant.
“SPIKE!!! Come here, we have many things to do!”
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Canterlot
Onyx slowly rose from his bed, sleeping during the day wasn’t something he was familiar with, so his mind was kinda confused. First, he entered his bathroom to take a shower, fighting the urge to return to underneath the covers of his bed. He turned on the water and adjusted it to just the right temperature. He looked at himself in the mirror with sleepy, blurry eyes, seeing his messy dark mane.
“Meh … maybe not a shower this time … a bath would be more comfortable.”
Onyx turned off the shower and drew his bath; he took off his clothes and sat in the rising water, which quickly climbed up to his waist. The hot water felt good and he let himself relax in it. He sat like this for a few minutes until he grabbed a bar of soap and began cleaning his body. When he reached his back, he took a pause to pick up a small mirror and look at his scars. They had stopped hurting a long time ago, but when he passed his hands over them, he could still feel each one of them; never would he forgive nor forget the things the Gryphon Emperor did to him. Many times, Onyx dreamed of him; pushing a dagger into his chest and watching him slowly bleed to death...
When Onyx was finally clean, he got out of the tub and dried himself. He then returned to his bedroom and opened the closet, where his royal uniform was waiting for him. The first thing he donned were his pants made of soft, black silk, much like his hair; next was his belt made of a black imitation leather.
The next thing was his royal shirt, made in the same black silk as his pants and in the same color, and after this a black and gold-trimmed cape that he had tailored. The cape was cool in a certain way, but Onyx felt a little too much like Prince Blueblood with it on. Finally, the last piece he needed to wear for his duty was a crown. He had been very adamant with the smith who forged it: nothing heavy and nothing too fancy, unlike the traditional crowns of kings in other nations. The crown was a silver circlet and sat more like a bracelet on his head. Onyx looked in the mirror, in his opinion the crown and cape were unnecessary, but he would uphold the tradition. So in his formal dress, he entered the throne room for the start of his court shift.
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Onyx was leaning on the throne, reading a report of every request that Blueblood received this morning from the populace. Many of them were ridiculous, so much so that they made him laugh as if he were reading a comedy. His favorite was one made by Onyx’s old teacher, Sun Swirl. He requested a guard to arrest a baker who had promised him a cake, but never made it.
This night was promising to be long and boring, until a night guard entered in the throne room. The illusion spell on the night guards’ armor had alway fascinated him; it was so realistic that he would’ve sworn they were actually half-bat and half-pony had his mother never told him.
“Your Majesty, a pony wishes to have a meeting with you. Shall I let him come in?”
“A meeting in the middle of the night? Well, fine let him in … at least it will break this ponderous night...”
The guard nodded before an earth pony entered the room; he was very old and weak in appearance. The pony bowed in front of Onyx.
“Sorry to disturb you, my Prince, but I have an important request...”
“Go on,” said Onyx; the old pony stopped to take a breath before explaining his problem.
“You see, my Prince, I own a little shop in Canterlot; we sell musical instruments there. Recently, a group of hoodlum ponies have been coming into my store and breaking my instruments when I can’t afford to pay their ‘protection fee.’ ...I was wondering if you could maybe lend my shop some money...”
“I’m sorry my pony, but the crown can’t just give bits to everypony who comes and asks for it; the chest would be empty. For that I am sorry...”
“It’s alright, my Prince I will work to find a solution myself. Sorry for disturbing you.” The old stallion made his way towards the door of the throne room; Onyx stopped the senior pony that just wanted to protect his shop.
“...However,” Onyx began.
“Yes, what is it your majesty?”
Onyx set aside his cape and crown.
“You need help with your problem and I will personally help you with it; what does money matter if your subjects are not living peacefully. Please, bring me to you shop, and please, don’t call me “majesty;” let’s toss aside all these rules and royalty formalities.”
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Onyx waited in a dark corner of the shop, the old pony was behind the counter, waiting for the gang of ponies who would, like every night, come break the shop owner’s stuff. It didn’t take long before they arrived; unfortunately for them, Onyx was ready.
“Hey you old shit! Do you have our money or do we need to show you again what happens when we don’t get what we want,” said one of the three stallions who entered the shop.
“I’m sorry. Please don’t do that; I’ll get you your money, I promise,” said the old shopkeep.
“Hehehe, too late,” said an adult unicorn who appeared to be the leader of the group. The two adolescent earth ponies behind laughed with him until Onyx decided to reveal himself.
“What a nice night! I didn’t know when I decided to come here for a new cello that I would find three punching bags instead,” said Onyx mockingly to the three bucks who paled when they saw who was speaking.
“TH-THE PRINCE!” stammered the two younger ponies behind their leader.
“Don’t panic guys; there’s three of us and only one of him. Let’s get ‘em!” exclaimed the unicorn; the two teens glanced hesitantly at each other at the thought of attacking the Prince of Equestria, but grudgingly followed their leader’s orders after he drew his knife.
“That’s a really bad idea...” said Onyx, ignored by the charging stallions. The first tried to kick him, but was easily dodged before Onyx grabbed the hoof from the second pony’s attempted punch and threw him onto the first. When the leader saw that he was quickly outmatched, he fled from the store only to be stopped by a group of guards surrounding the entrance.
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“Good job, now take this one to jail; I will personally deal with these two,” Onyx said to the patrol’s lieutenant, who nodded before the squad escorted the criminal to Canterlot Correctional.
“Now what to do with you two...” The two bucks slowly rose from the floor and awaited the Prince’s punishment.
“Listen very closely, I want you both to go home, and in the morning go to school feeling grateful that you aren’t in prison. You’re both still young; you have your whole lives ahead of you. Don’t ruin them now by hanging out with the wrong sorts of ponies. I’m letting you off easy this time, but I swear on my mother that next time I will make your lives in jail very difficult. Do I make myself clear?”
The two teenage stallions nodded and were escorted home, each by a single guard. The old shopkeeper, who had watched everything, was on the verge of tears.
“Oh, thank you my Prince; you saved my shop and even better, maybe saved the lives of these two ponies … how can I thank you for what you’ve done for a poor old pony like me.”
“Nothing good sir, just be sure to come back to the castle if you run into any other problems. I hope you might attract new customers with the royal family’s support,” said Onyx before leaving the instrument store.
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Back at the castle, Onyx filed the report of the events that occurred that night. For once in his life, he felt like he had truly done something useful, and was proud of himself; he couldn’t wait until his mother came back so he could tell her what happened.