Two weeks. That was about how long it had been. Noctilucent had adjusted to his new routine and was even starting to look forward to each new day when it happened, even though a lingering sense of depression dwelled within the depths of his mind. Wake up. Shower. Either wait for breakfast or assist with breakfast. Try to contain patience to see Quirky in the mornings. Gauge Quirky’s mood for the day. Help clean up after breakfast. Mind foals during bath time. Play with the little foals and cuddle with them during the larger foal’s school time. Eat a light lunch. Listen to Sassafras’ and Arroyo’s lesson. Nap. Speak with Dr. Lethe. Have dinner. Mind foals during the evening playtime. And, if all went well, spend a little precious time with Quirky at the diner.
Sassafras and Arroyo had both showed signs of promise with their lessons. Sassafras played the banjo more and more, being a naturally good plucker, and her skill was becoming evident. Arroyo, who often seemed to have trouble expressing any sort of creativity had an honest knack for playing the bass. The little pink unicorn was an entirely different creature when plinking away on the bass guitar. He was clever. He was creative. He was focused. Arroyo had found something he was truly gifted at, other than making dust devils. The musical chemistry between him and Sassafras was a wonder to behold, and the two were becoming fast friends, each lesson bringing them closer together. Bloo Tick dismissed the notion of friendship and called them ‘bandmates’ instead, which he said was far more powerful and important.
The situation between Noctilucent and Quirky was something that Noctilucent simply did not understand. There had been quite a number of dates so far. There had been no further attempt at kissing. There had been a few hugs, Quirky occasionally nuzzled him, but even their budding relationship had fallen into a quiet well established routine with little deviation. Noctilucent had finally been exposed to what others had seen; depressed and despondent Quirky. Noctilucent patiently waited through these spells, and Quirky did the same for him when he fell into one of his funks. Sometimes the dates in the diner passed near wordlessly, as words simply seemed to get in the way or felt useless. Shady Patch frequently joined them both.
The new foal remained nameless, but Noctilucent wasn’t too concerned. One would come in time, even if it took a little while. Good things were worth waiting for. The new foal and Shortbread Cookie were well bonded and close as real siblings. If you took one away from the other, both would begin to cry. The lunar pegasus foal was a creature that you didn’t want crying. She would use her echolocation to make the most awful heart rending racket, and the sound was enough to tear apart your heart and make your ears bleed.
Today was different though. Today was the day that the routine changed.
It was a lazy feeling mid morning. Noctilucent sat nesting in a big pile of cushions, looking after his foals, keeping them content and happy as Holly schooled the foals for the day. Shortbread Cookie was extra-squirmy and the lunar pegasus foal was extra cranky. Noctilucent couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he and Quirky would share these foals together in a more permanent sense. Noctilucent dared to hope that they would. Dr. Lethe had told him to hope for things he wanted and then to work hard to make them happen, and that he had to find a balance in the middle.
Noctilucent found that even with her mood swings and sudden shifts, he wanted Quirky. And so, he had begun to hope and to work towards that end.
Noctilucent raised his gaze and looked at Lethe, who was sitting with Holly, helping to teach today’s lesson, which was about self esteem and self image. Noctilucent only half listened, having heard plenty about self esteem and self image already from Dr. Lethe.
The lunar pegasus foal began to make shrill squeals and then clicking while she looked up at Noctilucent. The solar pegasus understood what this behaviour was… this was a special form of imprinting according to Lethe. The little foal was busy trying to establish Noctilucent’s profile in echolocation, because lunar pegasi saw as much with sound as they did their slashed pupil eyes. Noctilucent made little clicking noises with his own tongue to encourage her.
There was a knock at the door, which interrupted the class. Noctilucent rose from his nest, made sure the foals were secure on the cushions, and then went to door. He climbed the stairs, hit the latch, and pushed the door open, letting the horrible heat of the day into the building.
One slightly cooked mailpony stood at the door and set down a large package. “One parcel for a Noctilucent here. No other mail today,” the mailpony announced before taking off.
Noctilucent picked up the package in his teeth and headed down the stairs, glad to be back in the cool. He strode quietly across the room and returned to his nest, was very careful not to step on a foal, and with a contented sigh, settled himself back down among his brood, making an audible grunt of pleasure as he did so. Once on the cushions, he began to try to work the package open.
It took a few tugs but he finally broke the string. Then the brown paper came off. He ripped off a small tab that secured the cardboard flap, and then pulled the flap open. Inside were a lot of papers.
He slid them out.
At the top was a promissory note of financial assistance, stamped with Princess Luna’s royal seal and signed with Princess Luna’s own signature. Well, there would be no hiding it, she knew what he was up to now. Noctilucent sighed. A part of him wanted to surprise her, to show her that he was working hard to achieve his own salvation. That particular hope had been dashed upon the rocks. It was okay though, as Noctilucent took a bit of comfort in knowing that Princess Luna was truly looking after him.
The next sheet of paper was an acceptance letter, stating that he had been enrolled into the University of Las Pegasus’ long distance education program. It was signed by a bunch of names that Noctilucent did not recognise. The next sheet of paper explained what would happen next. Lessons would begin arriving by mail, that he would need to collect books from the library, and that soon, he would meet his assigned long distance proctor that would watch over him while he took tests and would be available to him if he had questions or needed help.
The third sheet of paper was an outline of all of his classes, which were many. He was going to be at this for a couple of years by the looks of things. Not that he cared.
He absentmindedly smooched a foal, he was too busy staring at the papers to tell which one.
The rest of the papers were all student information, details about what sort of grades he needed to maintain to keep his financial aid, schedules and how much work was expected done by various calendar markers, and a great deal of assorted information.
Noctilucent slid the papers back into the box and sat feeling very pleased with himself. He felt oddly bubbly inside, as though he wanted to jump up and run around the room, which made him feel very foalish.
The second disturbance came when Princess Luna showed up unannounced just after lunch, collected Noctilucent, stuffed him into a chariot that stood waiting in the noonday sun, and then took off. Noctilucent wasn’t so upset about being taken for a ride, but he was upset about leaving his foals. He spent the ride grumbling while Princess Luna tried to make him smile and congratulated him on his wise move to attend university.
There was a quick flight to Las Pegasus, where Gate Crasher landed the chariot on top of a tall hospital building and then all three of them went indoors.
The waiting room was cool and air conditioned. Noctilucent fidgeted in his seat, bored, and slightly annoyed by Princess Luna’s near constant attention.
“I hear you and Quirky are getting close,” Princess Luna said with a teasing smile. “When are you going to work up the courage to ask her to go steady?” the alicorn asked in a nettlesome tone.
Noctilucent did not reply, but he did turn his head and stare at the wall.
“She is a marvelously pretty pony, isn’t she? If I hadn’t saved you, you would have never met her, and she would have never met you, and that would have been tragic,” Princess Luna stated in a very serious voice.
Noctilucent turned and regarded Princess Luna with narrowed eyes.
“Tragic because you would have died a virgin and Quirky would have missed out on all those golden opportunities to razz you,” Princess Luna quipped.
Noctilucent rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh of annoyance.
“Do you have feelings for her?” Princess Luna inquired, now serious again. “Do you love her?”
Noctilucent immediately felt a surge of panic, knowing about the agreement between him and Princess Luna about not taking away anything he loved. “Why do you want to know?” Noctilucent asked in a strangled worried voice.
“Be calm you silly flighty pegasus, there is no cause for alarm. I just wanted to know how you felt about her,” Princess Luna reassured.
“I feel something,” Noctilucent admitted. “Something I’ve never felt before. The closest I’ve ever felt to what I feel now is with Merriweather, or the filly I tried to give the Hearts and Hooves Day card to.”
“Feeling something is good,” Princess Luna praised. “Continue to feel it and draw strength from it.”
“I want to share my foals with her,” Noctilucent confessed.
“That is serious,” Princess Luna stated.
“Don’t tease! Not about this!” Noctilucent demanded.
“I wasn’t teasing,” Princess Luna replied. “Not about this. I just know how you feel about those foals. You’ve rebuilt your entire existence around both of them, and the others as well, just as I had hoped that you would. To want Quirky to share in that is a desire to have Quirky share in your hopes and dreams. Your very existence.”
“You are nopony until somepony loves you,” Gate Crasher grunted gutturally, not looking up from his magazine, which he held in his grasping digits on each central wing knuckle.
“You have a right to be happy, keep hoping and keep dreaming. Make a grand sweeping gesture of love,” Princess Luna said.
“What if I am rejected? I can’t face that again!” Noctilucent whined, old memories now flooding his mind.
“What if you let slip a once in a lifetime chance to be happy?” Princess Luna asked, her eyes narrowed and her ears forward. “I personally think that you are more afraid of Quirky saying ‘yes’ than you are of rejection.”
Noctilucent glowered at the Princess and his nostrils flared.
“I think I struck a nerve,” Princess Luna announced when she saw Noctilucent’s expression. “Easy to see why Quirky loves to tease you. You are attractive when you are flustered.”
“This way please, “ a nurse called.
Noctilucent shot a final glare at Princess Luna and then left to follow the nurse, his ears folded back against his skull.
Princess Luna sat with Noctilucent and looked at the x-rays. The metal pins were highly visible, the wire mesh that secured his wing gave off a glowing signature, and the bone stood out in in sharp contrast to the soft tissue.
“Things are healing well,” the doctor said. “We should be able to remove the wire mesh soon, maybe a few more weeks, and then begin physical therapy. You should be warned though. No matter how well things heal, you are always going to have a weak place in your wing, right there in your ball and socket joint. The metal pins will help keep things secure, but your wing will never be strong again.” The doctor studied Noctilucent and waited for a response.
Noctilucent did not respond. He laid on the examination table saying nothing, staring at the x-rays, his face completely devoid of expression.
“Noctilucent?” Princess Luna inquired in a gentle whisper.
“I refuse to accept that,” Noctilucent said.
Princess Luna winced and the doctor heaved out a low groan.
“I’ll be fine. It will just mean more hard work,” Noctilucent argued. “Dr. Lethe says anything is possible with hard work.”
“Hard work will help,” the doctor agreed. “No pegasus ever wants to accept bad news about a wing injury.”
“It is only bad news if there is something to actually worry about,” Noctilucent protested. “And this isn’t anything to worry about. It just means I have to push my self a little harder and work through it. It will be fine. What do you know anyway, you’re just some unicorn. You don’t know what pegasi are capable of.”
Princess Luna looked away from the x-ray and her ears fell to the sides of her face. She wanted to tell Noctilucent what he needed to hear, but she no longer had the heart and she knew that Noctilucent wouldn’t listen to her anyway. Not now. Maybe not ever. She expected denial at some point, and here it was.
“Why are both of you behaving like that? What, you think I can’t do it?” Noctilucent snarled.
Princess Luna carefully made her expression go blank. “I am sure that you will work very hard for your own recovery,” she said, her voice now flat and emotionless.
Noctilucent fell silent and glared at the x-rays.
Princess Luna knew it was going to be a long ride home.