//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: The Knights // Story: Knights of Night - Chosen of the Moon // by vadram //------------------------------// Chapter 8: The Knights Three wet and freezing ponies entered the Southern Star Orphanage, and hoped to be greeted by the warm and caring smile of pink, white-maned earth pony that took care of them, Sister Lovehearth. While it was that very same mare that greeted them when they entered her expression was anything but warm and caring. “Do you have any idea how much trouble the three of you are?” Sister Lovehearth scolded them. “A lot?” Starry asked mustering the largest puppy dog eyes he could. The other two follow his lead. The mare sighed. “Do you honestly think that still works on me?” The three little ponies hung their head down in defeat. “What were you thinking pulling a stunt like that on your brothers? I thought I raised you better than that, but I guess I was wrong,” she sighed again. “We’re sorry,” the three said in unison. “You should be. I am very disappointed by you all, especially by you, Fogtome.” “Foggy,” the pegasus colt mumbled as the other two snickered. “I heard that. Why in Luna’s name did you let Starry talk you into this again.” “They called Petal damaged!” Foggy told the mare as he raised his head. “And...” “Let me guess, you knights have to stick together? Yeah, I’ve heard that all before.”She turned towards Petal. “Is that true Cory?” the mare asked looking at Petal. “Did they actually say that about you? She nodded before mumbling “name’s Petal.” “The five of you used to get along so well,” she sighed again. “I’ll have a talk with them. Now you three get out of those drenched clothes, and go wipe yourselves dry.” “Yes, Sister,” they said as they walked upstairs. “And hurry up, supper will be ready in half an hour.” “Yes, Sister.” The stairs were old, as was the rest of the building, and the steps squeaked as they stepped on them, grabbing the attention of the rest of their “family.” Their brothers and sisters could not help but peek out of their rooms just to see in what trouble the famous Knights got themselves into. “Hey,” one of them called out, “did they really call her damaged?” “Where did you get the water from?” “Did you throw the bucket too?” And many more questions were asked during their short walk towards the bathroom. No matter how much Starry wanted to brag, or at least explain his plan and tell them how he managed to accomplish it, experience told him that the less everypony knew, the smaller his punishment will be, so he kept his plan to himself. A small group of colts and fillies was slowly forming around them. The door to the bathroom creaked open, the three entered, and quickly closed the door behind them. The room was large, it had to be to accommodate the dozen or so ponies that called this place home. One of the three sinks was dripping, a few toilets were clogged up, the pipes were rusty, and there were five wooden tubs filled, and equally as many buckets with bedsheets, pillow casings, and even a few clothes were left to soak until tomorrow. Above them three clotheslines were filled with laundry left to dry in there, since there was no where else left for Sister Lovehearth to hang them. Also in the room, along side from all the washed, or soon to be washed laundry, were also two large, but oddly enough not very smelly, piles of unwashed laundry. “I hate it when this happens,” Foggy said as he removed his bandana and cape, threw them in a pile and stretched out his wings. After flapping them a few times and lifting himself a few inches from the flooring he was forced to land or else risk getting tangled up in one of the bed sheets that hangs above them. Starry was listening at the door, hoping to overhear a few of the questions his brothers and sisters had for him. “Yeah, me too,” Petal told Foggy as she too removed her cape and stretched out her one wing. Foggy could not help but stare at the way the stump moved, just like if the rest of the wing was still there. “You are doing that again,” she told him. “Sorry,” he quickly apologised and turned away so that Petal could not see how red in the cheeks he was. He walked over to a pile laundry and pulled out two pillow cases that looked at least not as dirty as the rest. “Here,” he said crumpling one of them and throwing it to Petal. “Thanks,” the mare replied as she wiped her head with it, before moving on to the rest of her body. “We should head down, dinner should be ready soon.” “What about Starry?” she asked as the both of them looked at their friend who was still wearing his cape and bandana, and listening at the door. “Leave him,” Foggy told her as he headed towards the door. “He’s probably thinking how he’s going to get us in trouble tomorrow. Aren’t you?” he asked Starry. “Aaa!” Starry jumped, startled by his friend voice. “Told you.” Petal let out a giggle as she threw her makeshift tower at the unicorn colt. Foggy opened the door just as the sound of a bell echoed through the building. “Dinner is ready,” Sister Lovehearth yelled from downstairs.