Night Patrol ch 13
By Foxgear
The hull of the Moon Cutter rumbled as it made port waking Luna up from her slumber. Gadget apologized for the rough landing over the intercom, as it was his first. She chuckled as she rolled off the bed becoming a tangle of legs as she falls right on top of Celestia. The elder alicorn crying out in pain as her injured wing was crushed under her sister's body.
“Sorrysorrysorrysorry!” Luna screamed as she quickly rolled off her sister trying to do something to ease Celestia's pain, but Celestia held up a hoof to stop her as she hissed, fighting through the torment until the pain reduced on its own.
“It’s alright,” replied Celestia through gritted teeth, “I should have remembered you like to roll off the bed. I’m fine.” Rising to her hooves Celestia gave Luna her best smile, “Come on, let’s go get some breakfast. I’m sure you’re hungry after all that fighting.”
Luna’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food, causing her to blush. “That sounds lovely. I’ll have the kitchen make up a glorious feast for our victory if you can call it that, but before then there is one pony we need to see.”
“You’re talking about Nightingale aren’t you?” Luna nodded, causing Celestia to look away for a moment. “Very well, but I must warn you, sister, she’s suffered… critical injuries trying to get help. It may be tough to see her.”
“It does not matter, we must see her,” Luna declared walking out of the cabin, Celestia followed after her.
When they arrived at the room where Nightingale was resting, they found Applejack had beaten them there. The former farm mare was in tears as she leaned over Nightingale’s bedside, Nightingale herself was turned on her stomach, showing off her wingless back and large surgical scars.
“Oh Night, Ah’m so sorry…” Applejack sobbed as the sisters approached the bed, Luna wrapped her foreleg around Applejack, holding the earth pony close.
“Tis alright fair Applejack, we will do all we can for her.” Applejack leaned closer into Luna's mane hiding her tears in the alicorn's starry black hair. Nightingale wouldn’t want to see her crying, not after giving up so much to ensure their safety.
“Ah, huh, gotta go check… on somethings,” Applejack stuttered as she quietly excused herself from the room, leaving the sisters alone with the now wingless pegasus.
Luna ran her hoof over Nightingale’s scars only to quickly to retract it as the pegasus groaned in pain. She chose instead to simply hold the unconscious Nightingale’s leg as she expressed her thanks.
“Because of your sacrifice I’m alive and many other ponies as well. You have my eternal thanks. I know you wanted to be in the Shadowbolts and you have more than deserved the honor.” Luna choked up with tears as she thought of Nightingales dream being destroyed. “I’m sorry.”
Quickly Luna left for her room. She didn’t want to be seen crying by her ponies as the weight of what happened began crashing down on her.
Celestia watched her leave, but made no moves to follow her sister, not yet at least. Instead, she took hold of Nightingale’s hoof like Luna had done and pressed her head against the Pegasus nuzzling her lovingly.
“Thank you, thank you for keeping Luna safe, for being so strong when I was weak. I promise I will help you get your wings back, if it takes me the rest of my life, I will pay you back in full Nightingale.” Raising her head Celestia trotted out of the room, seeking to go comfort Luna when she bumped into Gadget, who was looking very down trot and holding a paper with a bunch of names and numbers. Celestia cringed as she figured out what he was holding.
“Casualty report?” Nodding Gadget offering it to her. She looked over the names. She didn’t know any of them personally, but that didn’t mean her heart didn’t bleed from the loss of her little ponies. Her heart ached, even more, knowing the time would come for Luna to see it, every name belonging to a pony she knew. This day Luna lost one hundred and eighty-seven friends.
“Thank you, I will make sure Luna see this, at the right time of course. Things are a little tough right now for her.” Celestia folded the paper putting it in her harness. As she walks away, Gadget called out to her.
“Don’t coddle her.” Celestia looked at the pony with shock, her mouth a gasp as the unicorn stared her down with eyes of steel. “Princess- no... Luna is a tough pony. Delaying will only hurt her. She knows we have to have lost some of our own, not every pony can walk away from a battle, she knows this, you know this, so don’t treat her like a filly. Treat her like the grown mare she is. Treat her like the princess she is. Treat her with respect like we do. If you do, things will get better between you two.”
“I-“Celestia was at a loss for words, so she simply nodded instead continuing on her way, only to pause as she watched Gadget fiddled with more notes and reports from the battle. The unicorn was looking positively taxed. His daughter came to mind, and she knew how he anxious he probably was to see her.
“Gadget.”
“Yes, Princess Celestia?” The stallion replied looking up from his work.
“Let me take care of that,” She said levitating the stack of reports into her magic, “You run along. I’m sure you have other things you’d rather be doing.”
“But princess…”
“It’s no trouble, I find myself in need of distraction at the moment. I’ll get everything in order and deliver the reports to Luna before the feast. Does that sound ok with you?”
Gadget smiled as the stress seem to melt off his body. “Yes, that would be fine. Have a good day princess. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Goodbye Gadget, give Dusk my regards.” Celestia waved as the unicorn trotted away. Once he was out of sight she began scrolling through the list of things to the do, the first thing to check on was the resupplying of the Moon Cutter.
Trotting onwards Celesta made her way to the hanger, greeting everypony she passed, which they politely returned, yet there was something different in their mannerisms from the castle staff in Canterlot, the ponies here spoke to her as if she was an average pony rather than some divine being. It was sweet and refreshing, to say the least, she couldn’t remember the last time she was treated like just another pony.
Entering the hanger, Celestia couldn’t help but admire the floating ship as she weaved between the busy supply ponies as they carry crate after crate of gems to refuel the ship’s engines and weapons. Momentary she wondered why they were so eager to have the vessel ready again, and then remembered Luna had initially built the boat as a movable fortress for patrols. An idea she was still a little hesitant about, but she could certainly see its usefulness now.
“Excuse me,” Celestia asked stopping an earth pony who was directing a line of ponies repairing the hull of the ship, “Are you... Navy Von Coltenstien?”
“Aye, I am, whacha be needin’ Princess?” The stallion asked with a thick accent. He seemed to be around Gadget’s age, his red mane connecting to his long beard that hung down to his chest, giving him a strange look with his preach colored coat.
“Well I’m looking over somethings for Gadget before the feast, and I’m supposed to…” Celestia stared at the paper, not having a clue how to say anything written on it, “this ah… what is this?”
“Ah the GRCS, Gem reactor cooling system, we’ve got it under control just needs a little tinkering here and there, and we should be good. Still runs a little hot though, takes a lot of water and cooling gems to maintain safe temperatures. The cannons are mostly ok, had a few burnouts with some of the earlier models, but the later prototypes seem to hold up a lot better, but still in need some improvements. The hull overall is fine, but we may want to look at making it lighter, might help with our speed and overheating problem. You get all that?”
Celestia stuttered as she looked over the scrambled mess that was her notes, “Ah… could you say that again or maybe write it down… please? That’s a bit… much to take in at once, Navy Von, do you have a nickname?”
“Coltenstien or Colt or even Navy, but don’t call me Von unless you’re looking for a lay around.”
“Um… Ok?
Coltenstien chuckled as he took the paper from her and passed it off to another pony with a yellow and black helm, who wrote down everything Coltenstien had said.
“Funny thing, I’m one of the top engineers around here, and I can’t write, never could get the hang of it, tried mah teeth and everything just couldn’t do it.” Coltenstien chuckled offering the paper to Celestia, “Well that should be all on our end. Have a good day Princess. Come on boys, let’s go get some grub!”
Celestia watched the ponies file out of the hangar for the grand dining hall. Following after them only to pause at the exit and look back at the Moon Cutter and all its glory. A floating ship, such a thing had never been heard of before, let alone imagined and then built. Amazing was the only way to describe it, and it was all thanks to Luna for deciding to go against the impossible. Celestia wondered, do her ponies have such inspiring imaginations? Do they dream of reaching for the sky and beyond? If they do, and they surely must, does she encourage them and give them support and the things needed to do so? She always been for education and has sent many bits to schools in Canterlot, but thinking on it now she never went and looked at the schools herself. Starswirl is a great magician and talented inventor and has also received many gold bits for his works, but he worked alone and tended to keep his discoveries to himself. Actually very few ponies he even knows he exists, let alone still alive… she should probably check on him when she gets back to Canterlot too, it’s been… three months, since he last checked in? There were some defiant changes to be made and hopefully she wouldn't be making them alone.
Continuing on her mission Celestia traveled throughout the castle meeting ponies, taking in the new additions and lower levels, as well as the latest additions to the courtyard. Though she was a bit dismayed by the training faculties and obstacle courses, she was happy to discover the garden located behind the castle was still intact and receiving attention from the look of things. At the center of the garden was a small circular patch of flowers that made the image of the sun and the moon meshing together in harmony. She remembered her and Luna planting these particular flowers when they were fillies.
Memories of that day came flooding back, she smiled fondly of the simpler times when their crowns were pretend, and the world was easier to understand.
Taking out the list of the fallen Celestia read through it once again, burning every name into her mind, till she was sure she would never forget them. Standing tall she began the long walk to Luna’s room taking her time to deliver the news. When she came the to the staircase that split east and west, she took the stairs that led to the west wing first, wanting to her see her old bedroom after her prolonged departure. Poking her head in the door she found the place to be clean and free of dust, the bed sheets made and kept fresh with all her mane and coat shampoo laid out and orderly. Lovingly she touched the brush in the shape of her cutie mark, a gift from their mother, a tear escaped her eye, she quickly swiped it away when she heard hoof beats outside the door.
“Oh, why hello there princess, I didn’t expect to find you here. I’d thought you’d be downstairs with the others, but don’t mind me. I’m just here for a bit of cleaning. Princess Luna wants this room to be cared for with the best care available, why I think she even came and cleaned it herself a time or two when we were too busy with the rest of the castle.” The castle maid explained.
“I see, I will leave you to your work then, I was just leaving anyway. Good day umm…”
“Names AppleFiji have a good day, Princess Celestia.” The Apple family member bowed. “I started about a month ago.”
“Thank you,” replied Celestia as she made haste for Luna's room, by the time she reached the moon princess’s door she had a thin layer of sweat on her coat. Standing there panting Celestia spotted Rawhide standing outside some pony’s door and looking somewhat nervous as he knocked. The door opened to reveal Applejack, the two exchange some words and some blushes, before Applejack retreated back into her room, only to return shortly after wearing a modest green dress, hoof, and hoof the two ponies left for downstairs to the dining hall she presumed.
Now alone Celestia felt her own nerves raise as she raised her hoof to knock, suddenly her mouth seem dry as she gathered her courage. It shouldn’t be this hard, she was just going to talk to her sister. (Why am I so nervous? Why am I afraid?)
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Celestia knocked and then waited, each second feeling like a minute as she waited for Luna to answer.
“Come in,” Luna answered finally.
Releasing the breath she’d been holding Celestia entered.
“Hello Celestia, have you been down to the dining hall to eat yet? I haven’t, and there’s so much I need to do, but I’ve been here doing… nothing.” Luna lay curled up on her bed with her blanket over her, so only her head stuck out, just like she always did when she was feeling upset. Celestia found the sight kind of adorable.
Carefully Celestia climbed up on the bed beside her sister placing her wing over her. “Oh Luna, you’ve done so much in so little time, it’s more than I had ever done when I started going to Canterlot on my own. There I’ve barely held things together, but you, you rallied ponies of all races together, organized them and then spread them out throughout the land, helping even more ponies. You’ve rebuilt the castle, expanded it, and gave ponies a home to call their own. You’ve taught young fillies and colts that would have never gotten the chance to learn if you hadn’t given them a chance to. My little sister you have done so much, I think you deserve a moment to let your wings down and take off your crown, but I know you, so I took care of some things well you… processed the past few days.” Celestia pulled the notes and letters she gathered well walking around the castle over to Luna, who snatched them up with her magic and read them thoroughly.
“This is pretty good for a pony who doesn’t know how things run around here. You’re as adept as always, sister, but there seems to be something missing.”
“Right, I have it right here,” Celestia offered the list of the fallen over to Luna, “Good news first as mom always said.”
“I believe it was bad news first and then good news, so you have something to smile about,” Luna jokingly replied, her smile disappeared quickly as she reads through the names, “474 Silver Fang, 5881 Lift Wing, Thug Thompson, Slender Hoof, Water Colt, Phantom Pain, Ghost mare and so many more now gone. I knew they couldn’t all make it back but… I guess some childish part of me wanted to believe they could. They were the best, they trained hard, fought even harder, but they still…”
“Luna…”
“I’m fine Celestia, no, that’s not right.” Luna shook her head, spraying tears all over the bed, “That’s a lie, and I’m not supposed to lie, am I? I represent the element of honesty, I shouldn’t lie, so I guess I should say I will be fine, someday.”
Instead of saying anything Celestia just held Luna closer. They stay like that for a while, till both of their stomachs rumbled with the need for food.
Celestia smiled as they both blushed red from embarrassment, “There is a feast downstairs, be a shame to let it go to waste.”
Luna smiled tossing off her blanket, “Indeed it would be a waste, come, sister, let us go attend to our ponies, feast, and party and then we shall lay those that need it to rest.”
“Oh Luna,” Celestia chuckled as she follows her out, “You’re such a silly pony, a strong one, but still silly.”
“You know us well then sister, now hurry up! We hunger!”
The dining hall abuzz with conversation as the returning heroes told their tales of valor to those who stayed behind and to the youngsters who sat mystified by their tales. To the patrollers that went to fight the battle for the Crystal Empire was a victory, even if the empire itself was lost. Their mission was to rescue Princess Luna and as many ponies as they could, and they succeeded in that mission.
For the upper ranks of the patrollers, things were a bit somber as Sixes, Fury and Gadget wait for the princesses to arrive. Each of the three stallions harbored the same feelings, what more could have they done? What would have worked better, everything a commander thought when the lives of fallen weigh on their minds.
“Here are your drinks Gentlecolts, enjoy,” A harmonic voice sang passing out more hard cider. The three were surprised to see Alto Melody serving them.
“Lady Melody, we are flattered, but you are a guest, there is no need to serve us,” Said Sixes eyeing the crystal noble curiously. (She’s rather pretty) “Is that a maid uniform?”
“Yes, yes it is. I’ve decided to join the castle staff. I wish to repay you all for your sacrifice in trying to save my home, it is the least I can do I’m afraid.” She replied sadly, and then a fantastic idea accrued to her. “Excuse me, but you wouldn’t happen to have a few ponies with some musical talent would you?”
Gadget tapped his head in thought, “I believe Silver Belle would know a few, she was part of a band of musicians that joined up a few weeks ago, and I believe Rawhide knows how to play the guitar… somehow. How does an earth pony play the guitar?”
“Wonderful, thank you very much!” Alto said running off.
“No problem, I guess,” Sixes replied, but the crystal mare was already gone. “So ah, hows Dusk, Gadget? I see she got… taller since three days ago. Speaking of which where is she?”
“Sleeping,” Replied Gadget taking a swig of cider, “She spent the better part of the day crying and telling me everything that happened. I… I don’t know what to do. She’s a filly in a mare’s body, soon I bet she’ll start… you know… and I’m just not ready to deal with a teenage mare with possible PTSD.”
“There’s no way to change her back?” Asked Sixes, “A spell or some ancient treasure, or even Princess Luna?”
“She was changed by the crystal heart,” Fury chimed in, “An ancient artifact of the now destroyed Crystal Empire, its magic precedes the Princesses, and this is straight from Princess Luna herself. She already tried and failed to change Dusk back to normal. In a sense, Dusk reminds me of us, but at least she has the benefit of knowing her past.”
Sixes nodded in agreement, the three of them collectively sighed before gulping down more alcohol.
“So Gadget, you find anything else about us while doing your research stuff,” Fury asked as his cheeks became flush from the alcohol.
The unicorn looked into his cider with a frown. A while ago Sixes and a few other Rinin came to him and asked to try and find something, anything about them, but the research has been pushed to the wayside with his other projects taking up most of his time. Didn’t help Biology was never his strong suit, he was a mechanical thinker, not some dissector like Starswirl.
“Sorry my friends, but I haven’t had time to discover much, but there have been a few interesting developments such as why some of you have different breath magic, such as lightning, ice, and plasma, but nothing that really tells me about who you are. DNA is already tough to map out, but you’re DNA is a shambled mess, sometimes it seems like you have four or five different gene types floating around inside you.”
“Genowhat’s now?” Sixes burped swaying back in forth. Fury wasn’t looking much better if his redder complexion was anything to go by.
Gadget huffed, drowning his cider in one gulp. “Whatever I’ll tell you when you’re sober and after a couple lectures.” Slamming down his pint Gadget called for another round.
Celestia and Luna entered the dining hall, and all eyes turned to them as a hush fell over the crowd of ponies. Funny how that happens. The two sisters awkwardly fidget in place under the ponies’ stares that seemed to demand something be said, but they hadn’t prepared anything to say.
“My ponies,” Luna began her voice echoing throughout the room. “We gather here this night in celebration of our victory and in mourning for those we have lost. I know that those who cannot be here this day would not want us to wail in agony for their passing, but to rejoice in the life we still have and to live it to the fullest in their stead. For even as the stone in which we carve their names may fade and crumble, we, their friends shall never let them fade from our hearts. Now please eat, drink, and be merry and let no more tears fall this day in grief, but in joy! Huzzah!’
“Huzzah!” The room replied, everypony immediately went back to their merrymaking, leaving the two royal sisters alone.
“I’m proud of you Luna you’ve become a wonderful leader.” Celestia hugged her sister close and whispered, “A much better leader than I ever was alone.”
Joy was nearly bursting out her heart at Celestia’s praise. Smiling wide Luna returned her sister’s hug with gusto, squeezing the white alicorn for all she was worth.
“Thank you sister,” Luna said tearing up, “it means more then you’ll ever know to hear you say that, but that being said,” Luna separated from Celestia so she could look her right in the eyes. “We rule better together. Perhaps we could try to do so again?”
Celestia smiled warmly, extending her foreleg for a hoof bump, “Of course, I would want nothing more.” Luna smiled as she held her hoof up to Celestia’s.
“Then we are agreed, we rule together as day and night.”
“That’s right,” Celestia agreed, “Now let’s go get some food.”
Luna laughed heartily as Celestia’s stomach grumbled for food. Taking hold of her sister’s hoof she dragged Celestia down to the tables, where deserts of all kinds were being served, but most importantly her sister’s favorite, cake, which Celestia wasted no time in devouring, revealing her less than delicate mannerisms as she gobbled down the entire cake in seconds. There was silence as the ponies watch a princess of the land smothered her face in the cake.
With chocolate smeared all over her face and her cheeks puffed up with bits of the desert, Celestia spoke to her onlookers with her mouth full, “Well (munch) what are you (munch) looking at? (Gulp) Never seen a mare eat after starving for two days?” She demanded drowning a pint of cider to wash down her cake.
A roaring cheer thunders through the halls as the night patrol ponies party down with their princesses deep into the night.
Hours later as the night began to wane to the sun bring forth the morning. Luna and Celestia lead the ponies from the dining hall into the courtyard where the names of the fallen were being engraved into the memorial wall. The ponies though hungover and tired from the sleepless night, straightened their uniforms and stood at attention to respect their comrades and salute.
They stood there for as long as it took to engrave the names, no pony moved, not even the foals till the last name was craved.
“Hello, can everypony hear me?” Asked Alto Melody speaking into a commutator gem, her voice booming all over the courtyard, “Good, you can hear me I guess, that was a lot louder then I expected. I’m Alto Melody, a survivor of the Crystal Empire, and I’d like to express my gratitude to you all for all you’ve done for us. I don’t have much to give in return I’m afraid, but I do have my voice so I would like to sing a ballad of those you have lost. The ponies behind me have graciously agreed to help me, please enjoy.”
The song began with a soft haunting melody, it's power and force growing with each note, and then Alto seem to shine as bright as the sun as a magical burst of energy flew up to the sky like fireworks, depicting the battle and imagines of the fallen. Celestia and Luna chip into the display halting the sun and the moon, so that the beauty of the night sky merged with the rising sun, creating a scene of pure majesty. The final image was a burst of pink sparkles, depicting the late Princess Symphony.
Luna and Celestia tear up at the display and said goodbye to the only other family they had.