//------------------------------// // Rise and Shine // Story: To Love A Non-Brony // by The Forgotten Host //------------------------------// Luna and I had once again completed our daily ritual. Early birds tweeted a cheerful melody and rays of light bathed the room through the window drapes, begging to be opened to reveal the magnificent dawn. Yet that could not be done because Luna and I were locked in a stare competition of epic proportion while Cadance stood behind my dearest sister, not sure whether she was the audience or referee. It was not like this a few seconds ago. “Please?” I asked like a filly begging for more desserts. “No,” Luna answered sternly looking like she was ready to pounce on me. “Pretty please?” “No,” she repeated. “Pretty please with cherries on--” “Dost thou listen to thyself speak?” She interjected in a slightly higher tone. I pouted. “I just need to wake him up.” “He is capable of awakening himself on his own,” Luna said with a huff. Cadance didn’t know what to make of this situation, so she opted to keep quiet and listen. Smart girl. I bit my lower lip craning my neck slightly forward “But I have to--“ “Another step Celestia,” Luna once again interrupted before she charged up her horn. “See what happens.” I gave a small gasp. “What are you planning to do Luna?” “Another step and TD gets a certain dream,” she said, keeping her pose. My pupils dilated until they were barely visible. “What kind of dream?” I demanded and instantly regretted as Luna grinned maliciously. “We are thinking a romantic evening complete with flowers, chocolates and wine.” I gulped. “With whom?” Her smile widened “Blueblood.” Hearing that name I backed up several inches until I hit my back against the wall. I was sweating bullets. That was literally the last name I wanted to hear and she knew it. “You wouldn’t dare.” “Try me.” No one said anything for almost a minute before Cadance broke the silence. “I ship them.” “Can you not?!” Luna and I roared at her in unison. She awkwardly smiled with an unintended squeak. I turned my head towards Luna. “Alright, sister, you win.” Luna gave a relieved smile, her posture relaxed and she sat on her haunches. “Much better.” I on, the other hoof, was still tense. “Now get rid of that spell this instant!” I demanded desperately. “Alright fine.” The tension in the room died with the magical glow. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Is it gone?” Luna smiled. “The spell has been taken care of.” Thank Faust. Now that the commotion was finally over, Cadance decided to speak, “Alright since all of that is finally over with, we can all just calm down and re--” A knock on the door interrupted her speech. “Who is it?” Cadance called. One of the doors opened slightly to reveal one of the female night guards. Angel Beats, I think. “The human has awoken and would like to know if he should be taking his leave.” “Alright, you are dismissed.” The guard nodded. As she closed the door, only one thing was in my mind, as if all semblances of logic and meaning were replaced by the letters ‘T’ and ‘D’. Luna and Cadance were all too aware of this, and the door closed with a dramatic click. Luna tackled me to the ground as I struggled to get loose. MY COLT FRIEND WAS WAITING FOR ME! “Sister,” she spoke through clenched teeth, “we have already been through this.” Cadance looked at me with concern. “You really are obsessed with him,” she said. “I’m not obsessed. No really, I just want to say good morning to him,” I said while struggling to be released, “and maybe have breakfast, then walk in the garden, than dance in the ballroom, then--” Luna pointed her face towards Cadance. “We have lost her! Cadance, we must deal with TD Harrison Powell post haste.” Cadance stood her ground, though she looked visibly worried. “Shouldn’t we let him leave?” Luna shook her head. “No,” she said. “If he leaves, Chrysalis might grow suspicious of his departure and catch drift of our plan. Thou must make sure he stays within the vicinity.” “But wasn’t I supposed to remain in the shadows until Chrysalis arrived?” I managed to break free from Luna’s grasp, but just before I could run to the door, she clenched my ethereal tail between her teeth. “Chryshalish ca’ wait,” she said, her speech being rendered slightly incoherent by her struggle to hold her ground. “dao shalt wa’ind him in ye infa’mawy.” “But what about--?” “Cadansh, way’o should dao bwee?” “The infirmary?” “Yesh, the infa’mawy.” Just like that, Cadance dashed out of the room leaving me and Luna with our struggle. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TD sat upright on the infirmary bed. Whatever Luna did to him left him stiff. He stretched his arms accompanied by the satisfying pops of his joints. He could now add sleep spells onto the increasingly long list of spells that had been cast on him; a list he was not particularly fond of. Just then, he heard the sounds of fast paced hoofsteps coming his way, which screeched to a halt when it neared the infirmary. The door opened to reveal the most cringe inducing pony he had seen to date, and seeing as though he lived in a world full of candy colored horses, that was saying something. “Oh good grief,” he said, holding his head from a growing headache he didn’t know he had until now. “Pinkie’s name had the word in it. What’s your excuse?” The abomination of glittery pansyness raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” “Never mind, who are you supposed to be?” Cadance straightened her posture with regal elegance, “My apologies, I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but everypony calls me Cadance.” TD’s eyes snapped open. “There’s more of you?” Cadance’s head craned backwards in confusion and a hint of shock. Normally when a pony found out he/she was in the presence of a princess, they would bow without a moments worth of thought. Even griffins and minotaurs would act more formal. Indeed, that was not what she expected. Still she had a duty, “I-is that a problem?” TD’s body relaxed ever so slightly. “No, it’s just that whenever I’m near a princess, pain ensues, usually courtesy of said princess.” Cadance smiled. “Well rest assured, I don’t want to cause you any harm.” TD didn’t believe her, but decided to humor her. “I’ll take your word for it. So what brings you here? I was about to leave.” Cadance panicked. “No! You can’t leave,” she said in a voice high enough to warrant suspicion. “Um… what?” Mentally slapping herself in the face, Cadance rephrased. “You can’t leave… without… having a properly nutritious breakfast.” TD raised an eyebrow at her insistence, but the rumbling in his stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten in a day. “Alright, I’ll stay for breakfast. Will Celestia be eating with us?” “No!!” she screamed in panic, but quickly corrected herself. “She’s out on royal business.” TD sighed, disappointed “Oh, ok…” Cadeance felt sorry for the human. It wasn’t his fault Chrysalis was playing with his mind. Nonetheless, she decided to put on her ‘smile and wave’ face and led him to the dining hall. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Luna tightened the sheet around me making sure I wouldn’t break loose. I don’t know how she did it, but she managed to tie me to a chair with the bed sheet. She was panting hard, but she kept a determined face as she let go of my restraints, lying down to catch her breathe. Why was she even panting? Alicorns don't pant. She eyed me up and down, making sure I wouldn’t be able to move. I may have acted… rashly for a moment or two, so I picked my next words carefully, played it safe. “Alright Luna,” I said slowly, “I‘m better now. There is no more need to worry. Really, I learned my lesson, so you can let me go now.” Luna didn’t buy it for a second. “Why should I believe thee? Thou almost ran over me in an attempt to escape!” She showed me the underside of her wings. “Hoofprints, Celestia! I have thine hoofprints on my wings!” “And I am sorry for that,” I said as calmly as my voice would let me. “I’m also sorry for biting you, hoofing you in the face, and laughing like a deranged psychopony while doing that. But now I’m fine. And you can let me go.” Luna was not convinced. “How do I know thou art not trying to deceive me right now only to seek another audience with TD Harrison Powell?” I was about to answer when suddenly, something caught my eye. Tiny tear drops were formed on the corners of Luna’s eyes. She was doing a good job hiding them from me with that stern look, but I could see through her facial expressions. Luna was being brave for my sake. She wasn’t just worried for me, she was afraid for me, of what I was becoming. I didn’t blame her, after acting like a deranged sociopath; she deserved better, much better. When I told her to keep me away from TD, I didn’t take into consideration what she was feeling at that moment. How could I put such a burden on her shoulders so insensitively? “If I was lying to you Luna,” I said with a voice calm enough to soothe the most rambunctious of beasts, “I would have used my magic to take off these bedsheets.” Her eyes widened in shock as she couldn’t believe she overlooked such an important detail. My horn glowed and my restraints fell off me instantly. Instead of doing anything that would add to my beloved sister’s stress, I gracefully walked towards her and wrapped my wings around her in a hug. “I’m sorry Luna. I shouldn’t have put you through all this without thinking of your wellbeing. I’m a foolish pony. Forgive me?” Luna after a moment sniffled and rested her head on my shoulder. “Don’t ever scare me like that ever again.” “Never again. I promice” After a few more moments of letting her quietly sob on my shoulder, I gently broke away from the hug. “Now,” I said, “you are going to take the rest of the day off, okay?” She didn’t speak, just nodded. I continued. “For now, all this stress must be making you hungry. Let’s go get you some breakfast.”