//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight // Story: Second Chances at a New Story // by Vulpibard //------------------------------// I took my time making it back to my room, and from there I began the serious work of mapping out the castle. I used top of the line materials (or the best I could find in the chambers given to me) to make it as legible as possibal. I got to know the servants, found a quiet place I could practice my magic, and tried to make the guards laugh at my rude jokes about the princesses. I think it worked to, judging by their rose-bud red faces. So all in all I had a pretty lax time while making sure to avoid prying eyes of the press and nobles. Actually I almost got caught by a certain prat-who-must-not-even-be-described-whoops-too-late. I'd just finished trying to teleport a pie to above the cook when I saw the blonde unicorn just as I opened the door to leave. Before he could say anything I quickly punched him in the face and jumped out a nearby window.Luckily for me kitchens are always on the first floor. I hit the ground running and made it back to the inner keep in a few seconds. I wasted as much time looking at the grass grow as I did charging up the stairs, (which reminds me, I couldn't wait to see Sombra at that point, I really felt we'd get along,) found a secure looking door and dived inside. I began creeping over to the first midnight blue dresser I saw. "What art thou doing in my personal chambers?" I froze mid creep. Inside, then left, right, two flights of stairs first door on the left. "I, uh, got lost?" Luna didn't look convinced, she just stood there with her strange scowl and furrowed brow like she was considering throught me out the window. "Personally I blame it on the alcohol." "You do not smell of cider." "So it is alcoholic." I muttered. "What?" "Oh, nothing. Hey, do you mind if I hide from the guards in here?" "Why are you hiding from my sisters guards?" "Nothing special, just punched a noble and wanted to lay low." I braced myself for imminent defenestration, but none came. Looking up, Luna's expression had only changed to a bored one. As if this sort of thing happened often. That can't be right. "Are you seriously alright with that?" I asked "Which one was it?" Well I wasn't expecting that. "Uh, some blond unicorn stallion in a white suit." "You punched Blue Blood?!" I jumped back and covered my ears to avoid the full blast of the royal Canterlot voice. "Was that his name?" my voice sounded like I was rubbing glass shards together.after the blast. "What did the unwholesome ingrate do this time?" "You really don't like him, do you?" The night princess chuckled and sat next to me. "Not many ponies do, so what happened?" "Well... After lunch I left the keep to smell the flowers in the garden. I thought I saw a white rabbit run by and gave chase. It headed all the way to the other side of the garden and jumped into a large hole, but before I jumped in after it I remembered what kind of world that led to last time, also the hole wasn't nearly big enough to fit me. a few hours of wandering the castle later I finally found the kitchen and was levitating a pie over the chefs head as a prank when I felt a presence behind me. I turned to see him there and his face gave me a start and I punched him. I think I lost my grip on the pie as well." The princess's scowl returned. "Are all your stories going to be like this?" She asked. "Like what?" "So... strange. It's almost impossible to detect any of your lies,even with a spell." "Oh, yeah- I'm a pathological liar, that's why." "Really?" "No, but I'm trying to make things more interesting." "Why?" I opened my mouth to respond, but shut it a second later. The image of a tombstone came to my mind. I didn't know if I really wanted to share that part of my life with her, I mean she's a princess, she has other business to do. But I suppose it was her unique air of innocence mixed with intelligence, or maybe the fear I was just experiencing, but I went ahead. Right after a deep breath. "Well, my last life was kind of boring." "You mean in Avalon?" "Not quite, I lived in a place called America- New York City to be exact. I guess you could say I was born with everything I'd ever need- brains, money, safety. I grew up fast and before anyone knew I had both a masters degree in applied anth-Equinology and a doctors in physics. I guess that's when things got kind of boring, I had no where else to grow. But some guy found me- Samuel. He was... strange. Always off on a different adventure or telling another far-fetched story. He kept telling me that I was to obsessed with the facts, or needed to get outside more often, that if I couldn't find something interesting in life I needed to make it." "Finally, a story without lies. So what happened?" I hung my head, I didn't want to talk about it, but Luna understood anyway. "Oh" was all she said. "He didn't have any family to bury him, so I had to, I only got three feet before I had to stop. He was always saying he'd never go six feet under, guess he was right." Luna put a hoof over my shoulder, "No body really liked him, not even me. He never went to church and was in debt his whole life, but he always was laughing about it. Said he didn't need any of it." "If you didn't like him, why did you stay around him?" "Because... he was always alien to me, he didn't fit in with any of the social groups I'd seen. Plus, I guess I was, too." "I see. I wish I could have met him, then." We sat in silence for a couple minutes before she spoke again. "You never told me how those Chinese finger traps are made." "Oh, well first we'll need four leg-length ribbons and a pole about as wide as your hoof," I started, trying to remember the steps and forget whatever it was we were talking about. Luna summoned the tools and we got to work. It was pretty fun, I actually tricked her into getting her hooves trapped twice before she stopped falling for my tricks. She then made me trap my own hooves as punishment. The funny thing about the hoof version of these traps is that their almost impossible to get out of. Finger traps require you other fingers to get out of,right? Well ponies only have two hooves that can grip things, and it's too thick to wrap your mouth around. "That's what she said." "What?" Luna looked up from the duplicates she was working on. "Oh, nothing." The afternoon past in evening with me and Luna having tons of fun making traps and planning a day of mischief for the next. It was so entertaining that I went to my bedroom to get ready for dinner completely forgetful of any of the more important things I had planned, and so was completely off guard when I saw the black-chitinous queen sized bug on my bed. "I heard you wanted to meet me personally."