//------------------------------// // A Play, Bandaid! // Story: The Affection of Princess Nightmare Moon // by Aegis Shield //------------------------------// The Affection of Princess Nightmare Moon Part 3: A Play, Bandaid! Dearest Bandaid, I apologize I was not able to be here when you awoke. Royal duties called me away, and I had to leave. However! Think not I shall abandon my original intent upon thee. My guards tell me it is modern tradition to meet at places of entertainment or eateries to make romantic intentions known. You will have to forgive my archaic assumptions for thy heart. I shall therefore send a summons to bring you to the Canterlot Royal Theatre tomorrow evening. I think a play would be very nice to sit and relax to. Perhaps I shalt rest my wing upon thy shoulder during. Princess Nightmare Cosmos Equiness Moon The brown stallion stared at the note that had been left by his bed side. He recalled, after a few minutes of rubbing his eyes, what had happened the night before. Cocking his head and rolling out of bed, he considered himself in the mirror. He did like her… perhaps not so forwardly as she liked him, but something was certainly there. He’d caught glimpses of the mare beneath the bombastic personality. Maybe she was right. A calm, sitting down sort of activity might be something good to start with. If the Princess of the night could sit down and be calm for a few hours, maybe they might… what? He blushed when he found her black rose on the chest of drawers. It was overwhelming, really, the affection of a goddess. Bandaid wondered if Celestia had ever… well, certainly so. Prince Blueblood was a distant relation of hers, so the sun Princess had certainly had a husband or lover or something in the past. Nightmare Moon seemed more… eh… open in her own affairs. But, she’d said it aloud as well. She’d forgone a harem and other sorts of affection just for him. It was flattering, in a way. While he wasn’t a particularly impressive stallion, at least he didn’t think so, it did make him smile coyly at the thought. If she’d calm down a bit, she might be… well… dateable? The thought was alien to Bandaid. He went to the bathroom to shower and groom for a while before donning his nursing vest and getting his bag. He’d forsaken the thought of feminine attention long ago, since he’d devoted to the medical fields. Nightmare Moon had once called him a ‘fine specimen’, and the thought colored his cheeks. He was bad with mares, but then again the night time Princess wasn’t like any other mare. “Fine.” He murmured to himself, turning and locking his front door. “One date. If she’s as crazy as usual, I’ll just turn her down. She can find another stallion to seduce.” He nodded firmly. “At least you have to be quiet in a theatre. That should curb her. At least a little.” He chuckled, shaking his head. =-----=-----=-----=-----= One twisted ankle, three lacerations and a freak black eye later Nurse Bandaid was done with his shift. Checking the last few things off his clipboard, he set his medical bag on his side and strode from work in the medical wing of the palace. Awaiting him outside was a young colt, a little mailmare’s hat on his head. “Mister Bandaid!” he squeaked, saluting and coming up to him. “Uh?” Bandaid looked down, then smiled. “Yes?” “I’m here to pick you up for her Majesty! Are you ready to go?” He said, dancing about like he was about to bolt. The messenger colts of the palace were known to be coiled balls of energy. It made them very light and speedy, if a little startling at their twitchiness. Some ponies told rumors of sugar pills given to help them… “As ready as I’ll be, I guess.” Bandaid smiled politely, following after the colt as he turned to canter along. He glanced out a window as they passed it. It was dusk, almost dark. The messenger led him out of the palace, past his apartment so he could drop his bag and vest, then to the outside past the portcullis. A chariot waited with two stallions for him. “Thank you.” He tipped the colt with a bit before he took off like a shot. Energetic thing. The ride was slow, bumpy, but otherwise uneventful. Bandaid wasn’t used to riding in an enclosed chariot, but it wasn’t too bad. He leaned out when the vehicle stopped in downtown Canterlot. Peering around, he found himself in front of a large, ornate building. The filigree on the whole thing was of Pegasus design, swirls and air symbols and greek-era columns. The Royal Theatre was a very high-scale sort of place. Monocle-wearing nobles wandered by as Bandaid watched, their top hats and haughty expressions telling him all he needed to know about the place’s patronage. As the nurse slowly stepped out of the chariot, one of the two stallions unhitched himself quickly, coming over with a bag. “Stand still, now.” said the middle-aged pony. Bandaid blink-blinked while the stallion ran a quick brush over his mane, fussed with his tail a moment, flicked his barrel to get rid of a tangle, and checked his fetlocks. “Can’t go in there without lookin’ your best.” He started to shine one of his hooves. “Hey!” Bandaid recoiled a little. “Th-that’s enough, thanks, I look great!” he said, chuckling nervously. The stallion nodded, bowed, and re-hitched himself to the chariot before pulling away. “Hm, self-parking chariot.” Bandaid mused. “I guess there’s no valet here.” He giggled a little at his own joke. He strode down the red carpet, past statues of gorgeous mares and studly-looking stallions. Memorable actors and characters from shows long-past. He stopped to admire a mare with a staff in her teeth, holding a book in one hoof. Next to her was the statue of a stallion with a Spartan helmet and spear. They leaned together like partners, maybe lovers. Bandaid grinned. He loved that sort of thing. His nerdy little heart loved all the architecture and statuary and such. It was like something he’d made up for one of his Ponies and Castles games. “I say there, chap, what brings you to the Royal Theatre?” a monocle'd stallion with an impressive handlebar mustache paused next to him. “You seem a mite lost!” The two stallions looked at each other for a time, silent. The noblepony glanced around a bit, “Don’t let anypony catch you staring, chap, they might gossip about your pedigree!” he smiled in a warm way, turning and leaning into his saddlebag for a moment. Lighting his horn, he turned and attached a handsome blue bow tie to Bandaid’s neck. “There, good show!” he said, smirking. “Hey thanks!” Bandaid said, touching it where it fit snugly on him. “I always thought you noble types were mostly stuck up and mightier-than-thou sorts!” he regretted his words as soon as he said them. “S-sorry, I just uhm…” “Think nothing of it, son, you can’t trust a stereotype!” he reached to smooth his mustache a bit, winking at him. “You’d be surprised what royal sorts can do when they really put their minds to it.” His eyes flicked over as he spoke, and then he quickly stepped behind Bandaid with a harrumph. “Pardon, I do loathe unwanted attention.” He said with a chuckle. Nurse Bandaid turned his head, just in time to see Vizier Twilight Sparkle and Prince Blueblood walk down the red carpet and into the theatre. His mouth made a little o-shape. The Prince was sporting a black bow tie and cufflinks, looking rather proud of himself as he tossed his mane. Vizier Sparkle looked positively ravishing in her circlet and earrings. Both talked animatedly, leaning on each other a bit and giggling. They’d been unofficially courting for a few months now and had become the constant source of palace gossip. They made a cute couple in Bandaid’s opinion, but he wasn’t about to wander over and interrupt their night. The last time he’d been in the same room with them, well, Blueblood had been eaten alive. Awkward thing to bring up, really. “Th-thanks again, Mr—?” Bandaid turned to thank the mustached stallion, but he’d vanished. “Where did he…?” he trailed off, peering around. He’d vanished like a ghost, almost as soon as Twilight Sparkle and Prince Blueblood had gone into the theatre. “Huh. Odd.” He shrugged a little, but pawed at the bowtie none the less. “Cool…” he murmured. It felt super-fancy, wearing something so shiny and silken. He was a nurse, not a noble gentlepony, so it was pretty empowering. “Mmmm-yes my lady,” he put on a posh accent, talking to the statue in front of him. “I thought the resturaunt was rah-ther droll, let’s hope the thea-tuh is up to standards, muh-huh-huh-huh!” he laughed in a nasal-y way, shaking his head. A shadow cast itself upon Bandaid very suddenly, “Ah, there you are! Good night, Bandaid!” the black alicorn tried not to chuckle when the stallion jumped as though slapped on the butt. “Princess! Good evening!” he smiled and bowed, drawing a few eyes from the ponies milling about outside the theatre. Who was that stallion with the Princess? They didn’t recognize him. Foreign dignitary, maybe? Hmm. Princess Nightmare Moon loomed over him, before snapping her wings closed and smiling. “We’re just in time, the play shall begin shortly. We must make for our box.” She gestured to her two guards, who nodded seriously before falling in line behind him. “So, what play are we going to see?” Bandaid wanted to know, smiling up at her. “Oh. Erm...” Nightmare’s eyes flicked around. She’d not bothered to see what was playing. Bandaid was the goal, not the play itself. “Er, it’s a surprise.” She feigned, coughing a bit. “After all, is culture to be narrowed into genre, picking and choosing?” her silver tongue danced for him. Bandaid nodded thoughtfully as they went inside, under the high and mighty archway. The Princess had a point. If they were going to do something cultural, what sort of play it was shouldn’t be something they were picky about. The lobby of the theatre awaited them, where non-crunchy snacks and fancy drinks were being sold. They even had some of those fancy little binoculars that you could use to see the stage much better. The stallion made to buy some, but Nightmare stopped him. She had invited him, after all. Leaning, she paid for two pairs and passed one to him. Bandaid smiled bashfully, thanking her as they made for the box stairs. “The royal box is in the center of the lowest balcony. The best seats in the theatre.” Nightmare Moon said proudly. She walked with her regal muzzle up and her eyes partially closed. Moving with quiet, liquid grace when the noble ponies of Canterlot looked upon her, she paused only now and then for the crowd to part. Ushers fell all over themselves to move everypony out of the way for her Majesty. Bandaid felt lots of eyes on himself, and squirmed a bit. He was glad the Princess was moving at a brisk pace. The pair of them emerged into the theatre great-room, then the auditorium proper. Bandaid paused at the crest of the stairs, and the Princess did too. Dark red velvet curtains hung from all the walls, and the seats were sewn with golden thread, plush and inviting. Dim lights made it hard to see, but all the focused lights on the stage made it easy to navigate the room. The darkness kept the place cool, very cool for the early spring season. “Wow…” said the stallion in a hushed way, shivering and looking around in awe. “I’ve never seen something so fancy… and I work in the palace!” he chuckled bashfully, peering up at her. Nightmare nodded a bit. “The arts have always been my sister’s domain. But, it never fails to impress me.” She murmured, studying the angles in the ceiling and the arrangement of the orchestra pit. She could see musicians already tuning up and getting their song books ready. “Never fails…” she said softly, her gaze wandering the rows and rows of seats. “Ahem! Come, we’ve seats here.” She gestured, leading Bandaid past a little gate. “Thankfully this theatre has not changed much in my absence. They’re very strong in the old ways and tradition, in such things.” She allowed him through the chest-high gate, then one of her guards shut it behind them. The royal box had two large, plush pillows for laying on. No chairs. Bandaid cocked his head. It reminded him of Nightmare’s resting area in front of the hearth. Just a massive, pillow sort of thing that an alicorn could stretch out on for relaxation. It made sense. A pony that size wouldn’t fit in a normal chair. As he came close, the stallion noticed that one looked well-used, flecked with the occasional white hair, and the other looked prestine. He frowned over for a moment, wondering… what was that? He leaned down when he saw a neatly folded scrap of paper tucked under one corner of the hair-flecked pillow. He took it and unfolded it. “To the staff of the Royal Theatre. Please do not touch my seating pillow, I’ve arranged the lumps in it just how I like them. Signed Princess Celestia. Smilie-face.” Bandaid read, smirking a little. Nightmare Moon cackled a bit, nodding. “That sounds like her. Then again, if one is to sit in one place for a couple of hours, it needs to be a very comfy seat.” She leaned conspiratorially. “The throne in the palace is marshmallow-plush, we assure thee.” She whispered. Bandaid chuckled a little, careful to walk around the massive alicorn pillow to get to the other one. “My sister must’ve had this one brought in when I returned…” the dark goddess murmured, stepping up onto the fresh pillow. She turned in a circle a few times, stamping down a good laying spot near the middle. “How nice.” She said, flapping her wings a bit to stretch them. Finally looking over at Bandaid, she patted the laying pillow a bit. The brown stallion coughed a little, making triple-sure there were no chairs nearby. When he found none in the royal box, he smiled in a shy way. “Uhm… uhm, scoot over a bit.” He said, sidling onto the cushion like it might bite him. Nightmare lifted a wing invitingly, but he sat a short distance away instead. Shy thing. Nightmare suddenly remembered her promise for subtlety. If Bandaid was to be won, she could not be aggressive and bombastic as normal. What would a stallion do to court his mare in this situation… hmm… “Ah, we have programs.” She turned, lighting her horn when she saw them in the little drop box. “Let’s see what the play shall be…” she lifted it to her nose, studying the front. The front was a beautiful painting of a white mare and a black one doing battle was crossed horns. They had wings on their backs as well. Alicorns?! The Princess furrowed her brow at the background, which was a mass of fighting ponies. Her eyes bulged, flicking down to the bottom to read the title: The Fall of Nightmare Moon, a Shakespony Tale. “Fuck…!” She blurted softly before she could stop herself. The modern swear word rolled off her tongue, and both her guards flinched in shock. Had she just said—?! “What?!” Bandaid looked over from his admiring of the theatre. “I said, eh,” Nightmare fumbled for a moment. “WHAT a lovely bowtie. I’ve not seen you dressed up before.” She coughed, shooting a warning glance at her guards. One armored stallion looked at the other out of the corner of his eye. They shared a veiled smirk. Smoooooth, this Princess was. Very smooth. “Oh, thank you.” Bandaid said, finally settling down a bit before opening his program. “Oh wow, the Canterlot Orchestra is hosting Octavia, master cello player…” he murmured. “I’ve heard her stuff before, great mood music for some of my games…” his words trailed off as he scanned down the list of names. “Wait.” He flipped to the front again, to see the title. “The Fall of Nightmare Moon?” he cocked his head. “They made that into a Shakespony play?” he blinked. “Er, I hadn’t noticed. I’ve been gone, if you remember.” Nightmare shifted uncomfortably. She waited for Bandaid to be cross with her. She’d taken him to a play about herself! She wanted to facehoof. Badly. Did her mother Faust have no mercy when she was actually trying to be romantic?! “This should be interesting.” Bandaid smirked at her a little. “Just no commentary throughout, eh?” he teased her, closing his program and setting it aside. “I actually wanna watch this.” He shivered a little, for the theatre was cold and slowly sapping his body heat. Nightmare nodded dumbly, disbelieving her dumb luck. They watched the theatre fill with ponies in relative silence, and before long it was time for the show to begin. Nightmare was thankful when the lights went down. Bandaid perked his ears, leaning a bit. He’d never been to a big fancy play like this, it was sure to be interesting. =-----=-----=-----=-----= 3 Hours Later… =-----=-----=-----=-----= The actress playing Nightmare Moon lay on the ground, touched with fake blood, her wings sticking out at odd angles. A stallion in dark armor leaned over her, thrusting off his helmet and pulling her to himself mournfully. The audience cooed softly, leaning forward and held in the play’s grip. “My queen!” the soldier said gutterally, suffering from many pink-blooded wounds. He hacked throatily, spitting to one side as he cradled her head up. “My queen!” he said again, shaking her. “Get up! The sun wench cometh upon us! Thine dark glory is the only--!?” he suddenly arched his back, eyes wide as a spiraling white horn sprouted from under his arm. The Pegasus mare playing Celestia stood behind him, having ‘run him through.’ He fell with a splat, clutching at the wound. “As such I die, for my dark queen!” he announced, flopping down and going still. The audience gasped, holding each other. Such drama! ‘Celestia’ loomed over her darker half, stained with blood and battle while she gasped wildly. The battlefield behind them was a mat-painting, covered with plenty of bodies and broken flags to show what had happened. The white mare knelt down, ceremonially lifting her helm and setting it next to her. She coddled the darker mare into her front legs, tears coming to her eyes as she stroked her mane over and over. She wept aloud, though angrily (very hard to pull off on stage, if she did say so herself). “This war is at its end, sister Nightmare Moon! We won’t allow thee to spread thy evil any further!” She snapped her hoof out towards their surroundings. She forced the darker mare to turn her head, and both characters saw the battlefield that wasn’t there in the audience. ‘Nightmare’ looked startled, but gritted her teeth. “Look! Look where thy path of hatred and evil has brought us!” The milky mare gestured harshly. Nightmare turned her head away like a stubborn child.”The massacre between our armies shalt make stallions more scarce for generations! Our little ponies shalt suffer for thine selfishness! Have thee no remorse?!” she demanded, tears going down her cheeks. The actress playing Nightmare struggled to her hooves, backing away and panting like a savage beast.Roaring in a fury, she stomped her hooves and pulled a spear out of a nearby dead stallion’s breast. (the actor hoofed it over, having been holding it steadily to himself for an impressive forty-five minutes) “Then thou leaveth me no choice!” The white mare lifted a wing-sword from its sheath on her hip. They charged at each other, and stage hooves suddenly ignited a long roll of flash paper. The audience cried out in horror when the entire stage went up in wild white flames. Just as quickly the flames died and the white mare stood alone on stage. Even the dead stallions had moved during the flash of light. She turned towards the audience, tears slipping down her cheeks. Behind her, the mat painting had changed to show the full moon, with the mare in the moon printed on its pale face. “Return to us one day, sister! I mourn for thee!” she cast down her sword, burying her face in her hooves. “I weep for thee!” she cried. Mares in the audience sniffled, and a few stallions too. Wives leaned into their husbands. “Nightmare, Oh Nightmare!” the actress Celestia wept as the curtain slowly closed and a sun rose up in the background. “Equestria weeps for thee!” She lowered her face into her hooves just as the curtain hid her from sight, concluding the play. The applause started low and then worked its way up into a roar. Bandaid stood so he could stomp-clap as well. What a play! What a show! He turned to see the Princess’ reaction, and startled a little. She was crying. “Princess?” he asked over the roar of the audience. Nightmare shuddered a little. She was hunched, her head hung low. “They know not what they say, Bandaid…” she murmured, silvery tears down either of her cheeks. “It was not near dawn! It was in the middle of the night! The skies were not clear! It was pouring with miserable rain!” She scrubbed at her cheek, humiliated that she wept in front of him. “Th-they have it all wrong! The details are all wrong!” “Princess...” Bandaid said softly, coming back to sit beside her. The play really had upset her. He fished for something good to say to her, but could only watch her try to stop her tears. He looked over his shoulder at the guards, who stood there awkwardly and not much help. “My sister never called me evil…” Nightmare whimpered a little. “Not once. Not even when we fought.” She sank from her haunches to her belly, hiding her head under her wing like an ashamed swan. Bandaid settled next to her, not knowing what to do. Thankfully the royal box was hidden in an alcove, so nopony could see them. Celestia had had it made that way so no one could see when she attended plays (She didn’t want to make the actors nervous). The brown stallion ached to see her so miserable, though. He was a nurse, he wanted to stop her hurting but he just couldn’t see how. “Th-there there.” He said awkwardly, lifting a hoof to stroke her long back. She sniffled where she’d hidden her head. “It’s been a thousand years or so, I imagine a few things would get twisted around after that long.” He knew it wasn’t the play itself that upset her, just the content. The bad memories. Poor thing. Her sobs quieted after a time, and she gave a noisy sniffle. He kept stroking her back, until her nose poked out from under her feathers. “Therrrre you are.” He said brightly, trying to be comforting. “I thought you’d gone away.” Nightmare snorted a little, trying and failing to regain her dignity. “P-Please, tell nopony we wept over this.” She asked, hanging her head a little. “I already harbor the f-fear of ponies, I don’t want their p-pity as well.” The black alicorn said, rubbing the snot from her muzzle. Bandaid wasn’t sure what to make of her. Her shields were always up around him, but this was something else entirely. He could almost see a real mare in there, instead of a haughty goddess. “I promise.” he said. Suddenly smiling, he lifted her wing with a hoof and sidled up next to her. Leaning, he lowered it over himself like the hatchback of a closed carriage. Nightmare chuckled coyly, MOOSHING him against her side with her powerful wing muscles. “Oof!” he yelped, eyes bulging out of his head. She’d gotten to hold him after all. That seemed to make her feel better, and she perked up a bit. He was glad, even if it hurt his ribs a little. End of Part 3