//------------------------------// // An Epic of Time Wasted // Story: The Music of the Night // by Night_Song //------------------------------// Princess Luna sat on her throne, waiting through the empty hours of the Night Court for the lone, grey unicorn who came to entertain her with his story each night. She looked forward to his presence this evening especially, as the evening had been mind-numbingly unproductive. A very small number of petitioners, combined with nothing much else to do aside from play with the night sky, had left the lunar goddess extremely bored. She glanced at the doors to the throne room-turned-audience chamber repeatedly, clearly growing impatient. "Where is Night Song?" she asked nopony in particular. "He should have arrived by now." Her musing was cut short, however, by a clattering of hooves as one of her lunar pegasi galloped into the chamber, breathing heavily. He ran all the way to the foot of the throne, throwing himself into an obeisance at the feet of the moon Princess. Rising, he looked up at the moon diarch with an expression of concern. "Princess Luna! A unicorn has been assaulted on the very steps of the castle! I've been sent to ask your instructions on the situation. We already have patrols out looking for the attacker, but they seem to be a pegasus of some sort, as no hoof-prints were found at the scene. Shall we take the unicorn to Canterlot General, Your Highness?" the stallion asked, sweating and breathing heavily, but clearly prepared to sprint away as soon as she gave orders. The Princess surprised him a bit, though, with her response. "Describe this unicorn for us, good Night Guard," she demanded, her teal eyes wide with apparent concern of a more...intense manner than usually seen from the Moon Princess. "A stallion, grey coat, with darker patches on his muzzle and ear tips, a light colored belly, dark blue eyes, carries about a pair of tinted glasses similar to that...DJ we have heard so much about?" she asked, continuing her line of thought before the surprised Guard could respond. "Erm...y-yes, Your Highness, that is him precisely. And his cutie mark is a heart, which appears to be made of musical notation. May I ask why Your Highness is interested in him?" the lunar pegasus finally found his voice, responding to his order's Commander in a crisp, professional manner. The Princess of the Night Court smiled lightly, shaking her head and rising from her throne, stepping down beside the Night Guard. "Thou mayest, and the answer is simply this: his name is Night Song, and he is dear to us. Among his other talents, this young stallion hath been entertaining us the past few evenings with a story, the like of which we have rarely heard. A seemingly tragic tale in which we play a part that is yet to be unveiled. But, we may have said more than we intended. Come, let us go to him, and see him properly cared for, by the castle's own physician," she said, striding at a steady pace down the long, carpeted approach from the doors to the throne. Luna arrived at the front gate to the castle she shared with her sister a few moments later, waving away the Guards who seemed more intent on performing the proper obeisance than in helping the unicorn who, at that precise moment, lay bleeding on the ground a few yards away from the actual steps leading up into the castle. Fortunately, as Luna could see from her vantage point of both height and elevation, Night Song did not appear to be badly injured. This left the Moon Princess with more questions than she had answers for, however. Who had attacked Night Song? Why? Would he awaken in time to tell her more of his story this evening? Luna acknowledged that her last question was a selfish one, and yet, she had been so looking forward to his tale. Rather grim it might have been, but, being the Night Princess, Luna had always had more of a taste for the darker things than her sister. It had, after all, been Princess Luna who had created many of the folk monsters ponies told tales of, even to the present day. She was especially proud of the Legend of the Olden Pony. Still scaring the foals silly, four hundred years later, she thought, smiling inwardly as she lifted Night's limp body in her indigo telekinetic aura and depositing him gently on the stretcher that the pair of medic ponies the Guards had summoned carried. "Bear him gently, and with haste, to the Royal Physician," she said, her voice imperious. "Tell her that this unicorn is to receive the finest care she can provide, and that we...I shall personally cover the costs." Best not to rope Tia into this, methinks. She might take it amiss, Luna thought to herself. The Moon Princess had noticed something in the area that seemed to have escaped her Guards, who, for all their remarkable loyalty, could be somewhat less than observant at times. The Lunar Princess followed the medic ponies inside the castle, leaving her guards behind, confused. Their captain, thinking fast, sent one of the lingering guardsponies with the Princess, a telepathic bonding ring looped around his hoof. The device, a recent invention by the magical scientists at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, enabled the ponies who held the two linked rings to communicate with their minds, over a tolerably long distance. The longest range they'd been proven to work properly at enabled the bearers to 'speak' from positions in the center of Canterlot and Ponyville, respectively. Striding swiftly along the castle corridors, Princess Luna arrived at the infirmary just behind the medic ponies, watching in impatient concern as they levitated Night Song's sleeping form from the stretcher to the bed. The doctor came in a few moments later, yawning slightly but making no protest. Upon seeing the young stallion on the bed, the older unicorn, a mare named Healthy Habits, blinked in surprise. "Um...Princess? This colt isn't a guard, is he?" she asked, cocking her head at the Lunar Diarch curiously. Upon the Princess' shake of the head, the doctor shrugged. "Well, he's hurt, and I'm a doctor, so...let's get a look here," she said, all business once again. She extended her telekinetic field towards the supine unicorn, lifting and moving his limbs about as she checked him over with her magically enhanced senses for internal damage. A few moments passed, and she retracted her magic, quickly scribbling a few notes in a pad she lifted from her saddlebag. The Princess of the Night stood there, trying to contain her impatience, as Healthy Habits made her notes, scribbled out a prescription, hoofed it to a nurse, and replaced her note pad. "Well?!" the dark blue alicorn demanded, finally giving in to her impatience. "Speak! Will young Night Song recover?" Her attempted barrage of question was forestalled, however, by the doctor's hoof in her face. Shaking her head slightly, the doctor smiled, even as Luna scowled and made as though to protest being shushed like a filly. Doctor Habits stepped to the doorway of the small room the medics had brought Night Song to, and motioned with her head for the Night Princess to follow her outside. Closing the door softly behind them, she turned to the alicorn and nodded. "Yes, Princess, he'll be fine. Somepony just got the jump on him, metaphorically speaking, and was able to knock him around pretty well. He seems to have fought back, however. His magical reserves are almost nonexistent at the moment, which is the true cause of his unconsciousness. He's not that badly wounded, and will make a full recovery with no problems, as long as he gets some rest. Does that answer your questions adequately, Your Highness?" she asked, smiling up at the Princess lightly before giving a slight bow. "Aye. We thank thee, Doctor Habits. 'Tis most gratifying to know that our little pony shall be fine. Pray, forgive our outburst earlier. We were simply concerned about his welfare, as we are sure you understand," Luna said softly, looking back into the room through the window in the door. She let out a long, slow sigh, and smiled. She knew who she needed to speak with about this...issue. She bid the doctor a pleasant evening, and strode away steadily, her steps stiff with equal measures of curiosity, annoyance, and determination. It was fortunate for Luna that Twilight Sparkle was in Canterlot, visiting Celestia about some nuance of the magic of friendship or other. She passed the Guard garrison, nodding politely to the Night Watch in response to the sentry's crisp salute. Turning the corner, the Moon Princess smiled lightly as she ascended the stairs leading up to Twilight's library room. Coming to a stop before the heavy oaken door, she sighed amiably at the glow of candlelight flickering from beneath the wood. She lifted a hoof and knocked thrice, echoing thuds resounding through the cavernous chamber beyond. "Coming!" she heard, the voice of Twilight Sparkle immediately recognizable. The mild irritation in Twilight's voice was clear as well; she felt she was being interrupted wantonly. Opening the door almost roughly, Twilight glared out into the hallway. "May I help yo- Oh! G-good evening, Princess Luna!" she said, eyes opening wide as she bowed before the Lunar Diarch, who simply waved a hoof and smiled. "Nay, Twilight Sparkle. Thou needest not bow before us," she said, almost immediately clearing her throat and blushing lightly. "I mean, uh...You do not need to bow, Twilight," she corrected. "Apologies. It is hard, sometimes, to stop using the Old Imperious mode of speech." Luna shook her head. "It has been some time since last we got to speak. How have you been, Twilight?" she asked, smiling again as the young unicorn mare invited her into the room with a gesture. As she stepped over the threshold, Luna noticed Twilight's eyes very carefully avoiding her own. "Is there something the matter?" she asked, concerned. Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, Personal Student of Princess Celestia, defeater of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and a Changeling swarm, paled. "N-no, Your Highness! Why would anything be wrong? I'm just sitting in my room, reading a book. You know, typical silly old me!" she said, babbling the words rapidly as her eyes shifted back and forth. "Twilight, you are almost as bad a liar as dear Applejack," the Moon Princess said, smiling gently. "What is the matter?" When the young heroine showed no sign of having heard her, the Moon Princess sighed inwardly and stepped across the threshold, seating herself at a couch near Twilight's fire. Gazing at the younger mare expectantly, Luna frowned slightly when Twilight still didn't speak up about what troubled her. "Twilight," Luna said softly. The younger mare started, looking up at her with a slightly guilty expression. "If you cannot tell me as Princess Luna," the Moon Princess continued, slowly levitating all her royal accoutrements into a small pile beside the couch, "then tell me as a friend, which I hope you think of me as I do you." Twilight seemed on the verge of sheer panic as Luna began speaking, though when a few moments went by and she didn't suddenly find herself on the moon, or turned to a pile of ash, she relaxed visibly. Nodding once, she slowly strode to the chair facing the couch and sat, sighing gustily. "All right, Prin-...I mean, Luna," she said, blushing lightly as she forwent the Lunar Diarch's title for the first time. I really must get her to relax more around me, Luna thought to herself as she watched the Element Bearer get comfortable. The bowing, scraping, and constant underestimation of her own value is really unsettling. Luna sat stoically, watching Twilight gather her thoughts. After a few moments, the stillness of which was only marred by the crackling of the fire in the grate, the young unicorn opened her mouth, took a deep breath, and began. "You...you know of the unicorn who's been coming to see you every night for the past few nights, I presume?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at the Moon Princess curiously. At Luna's nod, she continued, "Right. Well, he's been...the easiest way to put it is, he's been flirting with me. Badly. So, for another sort-of question...you know how brash Rainbow Dash can be, of course," she said leadingly. "But of course. 'Fastest flier in Equestria', is it not?" Luna asked, stifling the urge to giggle. The rather cocky Pegasus had been a subject of much amusement at the breakfast table between the Royal Sisters. All the more so because she actually lived up to her boasting...most of the time. The fact that Rainbow Dash had actually managed to perform a Sonic Rainboom had made headlines in Canterlot for weeks after the Best Young Fliers Competition, though Celestia had, probably rather wisely, advised against letting Rainbow know that she was famous to that degree, quite yet. "Yeah, that's her," Twilight said softly. "Anyway, Rainbow might have...overreacted to the fact that Night Song has been flirting with me. I think she went to yell at him this evening," she said in a rush. Twilight visibly flinched, and Luna took a brief moment to ponder whether or not her friend might have been a male spider in a past life. Shrugging her thoughts aside, however, the Moon Princess smiled tightly. "Well, perhaps she went to talk to him...perhaps not. All I know is this: this proposed 'discussion' ended with poor Night Song in the Royal Infirmary, unconscious. Doctor Habits is looking him over as we speak, and I do not think there has been any lasting harm. But I found several strands of Rainbow Dash's mane upon the steps to the castle, where Night Song was found, and one of his admittedly small injuries bear the imprint of a Wonderbolts branded hoof shoe. Dear Night Song may indeed have the logo of those illustrious fliers stamped into his flank for several days, courtesy of your friend. So, I came to talk to you about this, lest the incorrect conclusion be reached. I assure you, I shall be speaking with Night, as well. I simply want to know why violence was done to one of my ponies, as I am certain you understand, yes?" At Twilight's nod, she smiled. "Thus, it has become something of a conundrum, really, in that I do not wish to have to punish your friend, and yet...attacks on other ponies may not be tolerated, you see?" "Of course, Princess, I understand," Twilight said softly, looking slightly stricken. She sighed, looking into the fire thoughtfully. "Oh, Rainbow...what have you gotten yourself into this time?" she asked rhetorically as Luna replaced her Royal regalia and left the room, giving Twilight an affectionate wing hug by way of farewell. Luna paced slowly down the hallways, making toward the castle infirmary once more, as she mulled over the issue she had been confronted with. "I do not wish to punish Rainbow Dash, but she seems to have attacked an innocent pony...what to do, what to do..." she muttered to herself as she walked, a light frown on her face causing the maids to dive into broom closets or almost fall down stairs in their misguided haste to remove themselves from her sight. Luna sighed, her slight frown growing deeper. They still feared her. Despite all she'd done to soften her image, it seemed that all her ponies still feared her. I suppose I should simply 'get used to it', as the modern phrase goes, she thought to herself. Shaking out of her mild melancholy, she raised her gaze to find that she'd already arrived at the infirmary. Steeling herself for the conversation to come, and for Doctor Habits' inevitable displeasure, she shouldered the door open and strode within. "Doctor Habits," she called, stepping more fully into the magical lights that kept the infirmary perpetually brightly lit. "We need to speak with the patient, hast thou finished thy inspection of his wounds?" she asked, taking care not to slip into her old Royal Canterlot Voice. The doctor simply nodded, smiling as she gestured for the Princess to follow her into her office. Settling herself amongst the good doctor's many notes, books, and assorted other items, the midnight alicorn looked to the other mare curiously. "Yes, Your Highness, I have completed my inspection. He seems fine, all things considered. He'll be sore when he wakes up, but the worst he suffered at the hooves of his attacker was a bump on his head and a rather impressive hoofprint in his flank. I don't think he'll be too eager to irritate whoever did this to him again," she said, smiling a bit wider and shaking her head as if to say 'Colts will be colts'. The Moon Goddess snorted, but her rather severe countenance cleared considerably at the doctor's news. "That is good news, indeed, Doctor Habits. We thank thee," she said, inclining her head toward the physician in gratitude. The doctor acknowledged the Princess' gratitude with a wave of her hoof and another smile. "It's my job." Luna shut the door to the doctor's office quietly, as the somewhat overworked mare had promptly fallen asleep on her desk upon the conclusion of their meeting. She strode with deliberate quietness to the bed where young Night Song lay, still unconscious. As she pulled back the curtain surrounding the bed with her magic, she looked down at the young stallion who had so brightened her dull evenings. She tried to convince herself that it was only because he'd brought her daily entertainment that she cared about his well-being, but she knew that to be a falsehood told to herself. He was, after all, supposedly one of her estranged, yet beloved, Children. "Night Song," she said softly, nudging the young stallion's mind with her magic. "Wake up, please. Thy Princess desires to speak with thee." Luna sat back on her haunches, waiting for her spell to finish its work on the unicorn's subconscious mind. As he began to stir into waking, she started to hum, softly, a tune she hadn't sung in over one thousand years. Her voice rose, gaining in volume slowly, but steadily, as she had no need to restrain her volume in the infirmary. It was both soundproofed to the outer castle, and empty, aside from herself, Night Song, and the sleeping doctor, who was quite dead to the world. Night Song slowly awoke, his voice coming with him, to join her song. He sat up, wonder on his face, and joined his voice to hers when she reached the lyrics, his smooth, low tenor melding perfectly with her clear alto. Come, little children, I'll take thee away Into a land of enchantment Come, little children, the time's come to play Here in my garden of shadows Follow, sweet children, I'll show thee the way Through all the pain and the sorrows Weep not, poor children, for life is this way Murdering beauty and passions Hush now, dear children, it must be this way Too weary of life and deceptions Rest now, my children, for soon we'll away Into the calm and the quiet Come, little children, I'll take thee away Into a land of enchantment Come, little children, the time's come to play Here in my garden of shadows... As the song came to a conclusion, the lunar goddess opened her eyes and saw, to her surprise, that the young unicorn sitting on the bed across from her had tears in his eyes. Letting her voice die away at the last note, Luna cocked her head at him curiously. "Pray tell, good Night Song...why dost thou weep?" she asked, her tone gentle, but alive with curiosity. Night cleared his throat, shaking his head as though to clear it. "I'm sorry, Princess...it's just, that's the, sort of anthem of my home. Hearing it sung by the very same voice who sang it to my ancestors is...it's a bit overwhelming, is all," he said, swallowing whatever other emotions rose in his throat. "That was...something of an intense experience for me, is all. I hope I don't upset you?" he asked cautiously. He let loose a sigh of relief when the lunar diarch waved his question away casually. "You have not upset me, Night," she said, dropping for the moment her Old Imperious mode of speech. He brightened at her words, smiling hopefully up at her. She smiled indulgently, stretching a hoof out to ruffle his mane lightly. "You came to me seeking to enter my service, and I shall accept," she said. As he opened his mouth to respond, his giddy joy evident on his face, she held up a hoof, forestalling him. "However! I require that you finish your story, tomorrow evening, before you assume training and duties. Is that acceptable to you, young Night Song?" she asked, a mischievous gleam in her eye as she grinned at him. She broke into outright laughter as he forgot himself, leaping from the bed and bouncing around her like a foal, all the while with a constant stream of "Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!" coming from him. Luna smiled, shaking her head as he bounced around. Seems as though this is something he shares with Twilight, as well, she thought to herself, letting loose a slight giggle. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of her voice, dropping mid-bounce to the floor and bowing low. "Apologies, Princess, I simply got excited," he said, trying to keep a straight face and maintain a respectful attitude. This was dashed, though, with his next look at her face, which showed him that she was still laughing and smiling at his excited antics. He grinned wide, levitating his sunglasses back onto his face and giving her a jaunty salute. "Yes, Your Highness! I'll finish my story tomorrow evening!" he said, smiling as he turned toward the door. Luna's voice stopped him again, however, a much more serious tone this time. "Wait a moment, Night Song. I have to ask you some questions, before you go," she said. "Do you know who it was that attacked you?" she asked in response to his raised eyebrow and nod. He blushed, biting his lower lip, and nodded. "Well, then? Who was it?" she pressed. When her query met with a mumbled response, she frowned lightly. "Night Song...who was it that attacked you, and on the very steps of the castle?" she demanded, assuming once more the full authority of her office. The young stallion had the grace to look abashed, sitting down in front of her like a penitent foal. "It was...it was a pegasus named Rainbow something, I think it was...Rainbow Dash? Yeah, I think that's it. Though, in her defense, it wasn't an attack," he said. At the Princess' raised eyebrow, he coughed lightly, still blushing. "I, uh...she came to give me a talking to about the conversations I've been having with Twilight Sparkle, since it turns out, I was accidentally coming across as creepy. But she came upon me so quickly and aggressively, I got scared that she was, in fact going to attack me, so I opted to strike first. My magic attack missed, though, and, well...she took exception to that. And so, here I am, and here you are. I'm sorry, Princess, I didn't mean to start any trouble, I truly thought I was reacting to trouble coming to me." He took a deep breath as he finished his brief speech, looking at the floor in an attitude of shame and self loathing. "Night Song...," his head snapped up, looking at her with mingled awe and fear, "thou hast done well in telling us the truth of the matter. As Princess of the Night, I hereby decree that this matter shall go no further, as I daresay you've learned you lesson, is that correct?" she asked. He nodded vigorously, his eyes wide. She smiled, finishing her speech in a less formal tone. "So. You should apologize to Twilight Sparkle, I think. Yes. And then, you may return to your place of rest for the day, and we shall see you on the morrow." So saying, the Lunar Diarch touched her horn briefly to his, and his eyes flashed bright blue as she transferred a mental map of the castle to him instantaneously, via her magic. "She is in her room. Knock softly, and be honest with your apology," Luna said, nodding a farewell to him as she rose to leave. A soft, almost tentative voice behind her stopped her, and she smiled at the tone. "P-princess? I...I was wondering...if I might beg a small favor?" he asked, tapping his forehooves together nervously. She seemed to read his mind, however, rendering his verbal request pointless. A big indigo wing wrapped around him tightly, hugging his slender form tightly to the alicorn's side. She leaned down, nuzzling against him and smiling affectionately. "Have a good remainder of the day, my little pony...my son," she said softly. Night's only response was to nuzzle back before dashing from the room to carry out his assignment. He arrived at Twilight's door slightly winded, but in good time. Lifting a hoof, he gave three tentative knocks. The semi-annoyed call of "Coming!" from the other side did little to ease his nerves, and he found his knees knocking together with his nerves. As Twilight pulled the door open, only the thought of his 'Mother's' disappointment kept him standing there. She narrowed her eyes at him distrustfully, though she didn't shut the door in his face. "Can I help you, Night Song?" she asked, her tone carefully neutral. He cleared his throat a couple of times, taking a deep breath between each. Placing a hoof to his chest, he pushed it away as he'd seen the Princesses do on so many occasions, with the release of his breath. "Yes...I came to apologize, miss Sparkle. I wasn't aware how decidedly unsettling I was coming across as, though I see it now, in hindsight. So, please, forgive my awkward attempts to make friends with you and also, please tell your pegasus friend that I realize now how I seemed, and hope she won't leave any more hoofprints on my backside?" he asked, grinning ruefully as he finished his speech. She simply stood there, staring at him for a moment, the lack of motion actually serving to make Night even more nervous. "You...were only trying to make friends?" she asked, sounding confused. "But...you know, if that's the case, then you need to learn some more about friendship, mister! And I think I know just how to teach you," she said, ignoring his poleaxed look as she turned to the room and levitated a book over to him. "This is the comprehensive collection of my reports on the study of the Magic of Friendship. This one's an advance copy, so take care of it!" she said, laying the book down across his back. "As for your behavior, consider it forgiven. I'm sorry I didn't come and talk to you about how you were making me feel, before confiding in a friend as...hasty...as Rainbow. So, two apologies, no foul, right?" At hi nod, she beamed. "Great! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm actually up way too late...I have a lesson with Princess Celestia in the morning, and I need to get some sleep." So saying, she gently, but firmly, shut the door on him and the light beneath it went out. Night turned away, grinning widely as he trotted out of her tower, and left the castle. Seems like that ended better than it had any right to, he thought to himself as he passed the guards, determinedly ignoring their snickers at the Wonderbolts horseshoe print on his flank. Sighing lightly, he shook his head. Had to wear Wonderbolts - Air Soarins, didn't she?