CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR
"Blueblood!" Celestia shouted.
"He's being so vulgar yet you—!"
"YOU ARE EXCUSED!" Celestia said in her Canterlot voice.
With a huff and another glare at Tony, he made his way out. Tony clenched his fists as he tried to restrain himself, but seeing Blueblood leaving only spurred him on. The spoon he had been using was being crushed in his bare hand. Rarity could see his veins bulging, as well as Pinkie Pie.
It was going to break out at any moment. He couldn't believe that Blueblood bad mouthed his parents and he couldn't do anything about it. He glanced at everypony giving him worried glances.
"Are you alright, Tony?" Rarity asked, putting her hoof on his shoulder. His breathing quickened along with his heart rate as his arms strained in an attempt to keep himself down.
His mind was going wild with anger, and the desire to rip Blueblood's head off. As he glanced towards everypony, his gaze stopped on one pony in particular. She looked at him with concern… her teal eyes full of curiosity and worry. His anger died off slowly… but not completely. Most of it was replaced by the strange feeling from before. He felt the spoon crumpling in his grasp. As calmly as he could, he stood up, dropped the spoon and walked to the door.
"Tony," Dan called, standing up. His friend stopped after a few hesitant steps.
"Thank you for dinner," he said without turning back. "If you'll excuse me." He pushed open the door and left.
Dan sighed, a bit relieved but worried. "Is he gonna be alright?"
"He just needs a little time, Dash. And don't worry, Celestia, he won't hunt down Blueblood or anything," he assured the princess.
"How did Blueblood even find out about Tony's parents?" Twilight asked aloud.
"What is the matter with his parents?" Luna questioned.
Her sister turned to Dan, who nodded softly. "Tony is an orphan," Celestia told her. "How Blueblood knows is beyond me. I was sure no pony else had heard us."
Luna thought for a moment, then stood up and walked to the door. "Excuse me," she said as she left.
"Hope he doesn't blow up at her," Applejack sighed.
Rarity noticed the crushed utensil on the table where Tony sat. She could only imagine what would have happened if he attacked Blueblood. While he did deserve a good thrashing, it didn't seem Tony had the same ideas.
Dan kept quiet as he thought about Tony's behavior when he saw Luna.
For once, Tony struggled to speak. If he didn't want to speak he would just stay quiet, but it looked like he wanted to say something. Anything really. And, though he did it as quickly as possible, he saw Tony glancing at Luna while they ate and told the story. He knew that behavior, but it was tough believing it.
But if it's true, maybe he'll listen to me.
Tony walked quickly around the castle. His expression was contorted to a near glare, and on the inside he felt the same. The only difference was that he was scolding himself for nearly losing it. It would have been terrible, and all because he couldn't control himself. He still played several scenes of ripping Blueblood limb from limb, but they were pushed aside.
He was supposed to be angry about what Blueblood said about his parents. But a stronger sense of worry had come over him. He kept asking himself what would have happened to them… especially Luna. It confused him… he didn't even know why he was worrying about just her. He didn't even know her until the dinner.
Why am I thinking so much about… about Luna?
He exhaled with annoyance, but stopped abruptly. To his left was the gardens. It looked quiet enough, and no pony would be around to bother him. He walked outside and into the light of the moon. The night was unlike any other. The stars dotted every inch of it, and the moon shone brighter than any moon he had seen. He remembered in his earlier youth when he would gaze at the moon from his home.
He wandered into the garden, and thankfully there weren't any ponies around. He sat down in a scattered patch of dandelions. Blueblood's words echoed in his ears once again.
"Its no wonder your parents abandoned you."
It wasn't true, the gods knew it wasn't true. But he didn't understand why it angered him so much. It was all his fault, he couldn't say otherwise, and here was some spoiled stallion saying it was. Though not exactly correct, he still accused him of being the reason for being alone. That sense of guilt overpowered him.
Tony wanted nothing more than to cry. To just roll over sobbing and crying for Herod and Heraj. He wanted to smash something… destroy anything… just let out his anger…
No… no crying. Herod taught you that crying does nothing.
He still felt sullen, though. A calm breeze passed over his face, and blew the grass in waves. He plucked a small stalk and began to fold and twist it. Just like Eishla had showed him. Instead of playing the Kital song from the forest, he chose another… one of his favorites.
He took a deep breath and blew into the grass whistle. A long high note started his verse, then came to a slow and low note before reascending. The animals nearby began to investigate the strange music. To their surprise, it was a large biped. The music drew them in, like a bear to honey. A rabbit cautiously hopped over to him, looking for any signs of sudden movement.
The small energies of the animals came closer. Just like in the forest near Eishla's home, the animals shied closer and closer to him. He could feel small rabbit nestle itself beside his lap, and an owl hooted into his ear, momentarily throwing him off. He recovered and kept playing as more and more animals surrounded him.
Luna had been searching for some time now throughout the castle. There was no sign of Tony. She still couldn't believe Blueblood had said something like that. He had said many insulting and harmful remarks, but to humiliate a family you never knew was unacceptable. Low, even for him.
The large man was nowhere to be found. She had checked the halls twice, but still no sign of him.
"Guard, have you seen the one named Tony walk through here?" she said in a powerful voice to a Lunar guard.
"I saw one of Celestia's guests pass by princess," he nodded. "He went into the gardens."
She nodded and made her way to the gardens. It wasn't a long walk, she knew the castle like the back of her hoof. She descended the short steps and passed under the arch. A few steps in, she could see that the animals were as shy as ever, as there were none around. Another few steps and several bunnies passed her, practically ignoring her. She felt confused, as they never usually came out around ponies.
Then, she heard it.
A beautiful symphony like no other. It was so enthralling, so peaceful, yet she had never heard it before. It sounded almost like a wind instrument, but the height and depth the notes could not be ascertained. And the animals were heading in its direction.
She made a trot to where the animals were going. The music kept on, only enticing her to get there faster. She enjoyed the high pitches and occasional low notes that gave it a little change of pace now and then. The animals also seemed in a hurry to get to the source. After rounding a hedge, she saw what was making the notes.
Surrounded by the various woodland creatures that lived in the garden, Tony held a hand up to his mouth, his back to her. He sat with different animals close to him, an owl perched on his shoulder, a deer nestled against him, and many birds and bunnies sitting around him. She quietly trotted closer so as to not disturb him. The animals didn't seem to mind her, which not only shocked her but interested her.
The music was even better up close. The echoes didn't compare to the original notes. She walked to his front as he played… a piece of grass. He had a piece of grass gently pressed against his lips. His fingers shifted positions on it to create the different pitches. She sat down in front of him, closing her eyes to let it sink in. He was still oblivious to the alicorn in front of him as he played it just how his old caretaker instructed.
The anger that he held onto was now gone, replaced with a sense of serenity. Deciding he had calmed down completely, he brought it to a close. Slowly, the notes died off to nothing, and the blade of grass blew into the small breeze. He took in a deep breath before opening his eyes.
He froze when he saw Luna sitting in front of him, a small smile across her muzzle. While that smile warmed him and brought back that funny feeling, he still gasped. The animals scurried and pranced back to where they came from. The owl on his shoulder took off back to its nest.
"P-Princess Luna," he stammered. "Uh, what… what are you doing here? I-I mean… do you need something?" He bowed awkwardly in his sitting position.
She was oblivious to his unsettled speech. "I came to see if you were alright," she said softly. "And I wanted to apologize for my nephew's behavior. Even he understands what ‘crossing the line’ entails."
Blueblood's words echoed in his head again, but this time he didn't have such a vivid imagination. "I-It's fine, princess," he mumbled. When she came closer Tony felt his heart beating faster.
"No, it is not," she said. "He had no right to speak to you like that. Especially about your family." Tony looked into her teal eyes, then averted them to the ground when he realized he was staring.
He looked up to avoid the conversation any longer. He didn't want to think about it, nor did he like talking about it. Thankfully, the moon was still shining brighter than the many stars that dotted the night sky. Luna got the message and sat beside him, unsure of what to say next. She was not used to comforting others, as she was still feared by many ponies.
They sat in silence and stared at the moon. He couldn't help but compare it to Earth's. It was so small compared to this one, which created a shadow behind him. Even if it was a full moon, it beamed with moon light he had never seen.
"Tony," Luna said. "I realize I haven't apologized to you about my actions when we first met."
Tony turned to her with a confused brow raised. He didn't remember much of what happened, courtesy of Netu'ung's fist.
"What happened?" he questioned. Luna looked a bit shocked that he didn't remember getting whacked over the head.
Well… he was whacked over the head.
"When Daniel and I were making our escape, he instructed me to attack once he opened a door," she began. "And when you and he thought each other enemies I… bashed the side of your head with a club I acquired."
It came back to him. When he knocked down the door and him and Dan held their weapons at the other, Luna sideswiped him with a club.
"Oh. Um, i-its fine, princess. It was an accident, right?"
"Absolutely," she said. "Had I known you were there to aid me I would not have struck you."
"Well, its fine," Tony stammered.
"And thank you." Tony gave another questioning glance, which she was again surprised by. " For rescuing us?"
He was so nervous, he felt like face-palming. "Right, right. Don't worry, it wasn't a big deal," he told her. "I just wanted to clean up my own mess."
Idiot! Why'd you say that?!
Luna disregarded that comment. Though she was supposed to be comforting him, she still had questions about the grass.
"Tony, what was that song you were playing?" she asked. His cheeks tinted a light crimson. He felt embarrased that she saw him playing the Kital, since he'd never played it for anyone before.
"My caretaker taught me that song," he sighed. "It was a long time ago, but it soothes me. But… I'm not too good at it."
"Nonsense. It was beautifully played." His blush only worsened at her compliment. "I'm certain it could not have been better."
She was wrong there. Tony knew that Eishla played it much better than him, since she could actually hit the right notes at the right time. Her compliment was welcomed, however, and the funny feeling only worsened.
"W-Well, thank you p-princess," he managed to say.
She raised a hoof. "Please, call me Luna."
His heart beat faster than ever. "Thank you, Luna," he smiled.
"Could you repeat the song? I'm sure I missed most of it," she asked.
He was nervous about playing the Kital again. The first time had some mistakes, and he would never live down messing up in front of her. Strangely, he wanted to do it. For her.
"Sure," he said. She smiled again, sending his heart fluttering.
Focus.
He picked up another blade of grass. She observed as he twisted and folded it like before. When it was shaped oddly, he pressed it against his mouth. A low note came out first. It was a small test to make sure it was properly made. It had been long since he last played it. He never did it when he wanted to after Eishla… left.
But if Luna wanted to hear more, he was going to get it right. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Softly, he blew into the piece of grass, getting the high note from before. Eishla had played this song a thousand times just for him. There were words that went with it, but he never wanted to sing it. It just wasn't the same without her.
Luna didn't recognize the notes from before, but it was still beautiful. The animals had come back to see, nestling themselves against him, and some with Luna. She was still amazed that a piece of grass was doing all this. He looked very peaceful as he played it with his eyes closed. His fingers gracefully flicked the grass to produce the sophisticated notes. Like him,!she closed her eyes to add to the feeling of it.
After thoroughly scolding her nephew, Celestia went to see if Luna was fine with Tony. Though she forgave him, she needed to make sure he didn't repeat what he did when they first met. One of Luna's guards told her where she could find her sister. When she reached the steps to the garden, she heard a heavenly song. From her position on the steps she could see most of the gardens. Not too far away, she saw Tony and Luna sitting in a patch of flowers.
Celestia watched in mild amusement and interest as the music played. It was similar to the one he'd played in the Everfree, but this one had a different tone to it. The notes were a bit quicker and held more low notes. She watched as her little sister listened to Tony's song, unaware that another was doing the same.
The music died off finally with a beautiful high note.
"It's a nice song, right?" Dan asked from behind. She jumped a little and spun around.
She smiled then turned back to the two conversing in the garden. "It was beautiful," she said. "He played it in the Everfree Forest before we met you."
Dan walked to her side and watched Tony talk with Luna. He could see him struggling to speak from there.
"Well aren't they getting along nicely?" Dan chuckled.
"I'm surprised as well," Celestia smiled. "Luna isn't usually this social with others."
"Why? She seems nice… and a bit strong." Celestia glared at him, but it softened into a playful frown.
"It's just that after she returned not too long ago… some ponies still see her as Nightmare Moon," Celestia sighed. Dan raised a brow questioningly.
"Nightmare Moon?" Celestia forgot he wasn't from here.
She gave him a quick sunmary about what happened a thousand years ago. How Luna was transformed from the envy and hatred she held towards her. Then how she was forced to send her to the moon for a thousand years. And to when she came back and Twilight and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to save Luna and defeat the Nightmare.
"That had to be rough… for the both of you," Dan said sincerely. Celestia nodded sadly.
"It took the first half of her sentence to get over it," Celestia sighed. "But I had hope that we could save her. Twilight made that happen."
Dan understood where she was coming from. Not him personally, but someone he knew who was going through kind of the same thing. Except he wasn't sending his brother to the moon anytime soon.
"And the ponies still see her as Nightmare?" Dan asked. Again, she nodded sadly.
"Twilight did her best to get her adjust into current society," Celestia began. "The ponies warmed up to her, but these high class ponies still fear her."
"And since she can't go to Ponyville often, she doesn't socialize much," Dan guessed.
"I know she is good friends with Twilight, but they don't see each other often," Celestia sighed. She perked up a bit when she heard Luna chuckle. "But it's nice to know some ponies accept her."
Dan turned to see Tony smiling. Smiling, for Christ's sake. Luna was chuckling next to him, then they both stopped and stared at the moon. He playfully rolled his eyes.
Why am I not surprised?
"Well, if Tony wasn't outcast by everyone, I'm sure he'd have tons of friends," Dan said a little sadly. "He's a really awesome guy… but no one really wants to understand him."
Celestia could see what he was getting at. They were both cut off from everypony else, and they were talking as if they had a thousand times before. In a way, they knew what being alone was. Luna with Nightmare… and Tony being on his own.
Dan let out a loud yawn. "Welp, I think I'm gonna hit the sack. G'night, princess," he smiled before going back in.
She nodded to him then turned back to the two. They were still looking at the moon, talking too but mostly looking. A small grin worked its way across her muzzle.
Saving my sister, then befriending her. Maybe Dan was right.
She only watched for another few minutes before turning in herself, a smile etched on her muzzle.