//------------------------------// // Bonus Chapter: Nightmare Night // Story: Night Guards // by Raugos //------------------------------// Night Guards: Nightmare Night The hour of twilight was upon them; the stars and moon had already risen into the deep purple sky, and the wind that blew into the palace through the windows and balconies carried a light, caressing coolness. There was a hint of rain in there, from the smell of it. A pair of solemn royal guards trotted up to Hammer and Anvil, and a wordless understanding passed between them. They allowed themselves to be relieved of duty. “Princess Celestia must have really liked you,” Anvil said as they trotted towards the courtyard. “The reason being?” His friend glanced back at their replacements, then dropped his voice to a conspiratorial volume. “Well, look at them. I see no other reason to have her entire guard act like they’re made of stone.” “Not all the time.” Once off duty, Celestia’s guards were very much like everypony else. Though, Hammer had to admit that the required amount of restraint exceeded anything from his time. They were even expected to remain indifferent even when heckled – Rivet had probably told everypony by now about how he had been personally pestered by a certain rainbow-maned pegasus, and how he had nearly exploded because he knew he was not allowed to respond. But it had been for completely different reasons than Hammer had originally thought. Rivet was apparently a big ‘fan’ of the rainbow mare, after seeing her perform a supposedly impossible aerial manoeuvre. Anvil’s snort brought his mind back to the present. “Oh yes, I’m thankful for small mercies. I’m already seeing a bit of you in everypony,” here, the pegasus stallion lifted up his hooves in mock despair, “and it’s like I’m trapped in a horrible, horrible dream.” My poor ears would like to have a word with you. “Allow me to welcome you to my world, then. I see you in yourself every single day – which is already more than I would care to inflict on anypony.” Anvil chuckled. “Fair enough. Though… you might have to admit that that demeanour of yours may interfere with your chances at finding a mare.” Hammer gave him a look. “You get to claim sole responsibility for that. Nopony’s getting anypony when you are around.” They found Luna’s chariot in the courtyard, glinting menacingly in the moonlight. Its sharp edges and metallic fins lent it a decidedly draconic aspect, and the dark blue and purple hues made it abundantly clear as to which princess it belonged. And the row of spikes behind the seat looked like they were meant for impaling things upon. Anvil lifted one of the harness chains with a hoof and whistled. “Her taste has certainly taken a turn for the macabre… Remind me again – was this supposed to be a social visit or an execution?” “I would much prefer the latter,” somepony said. Hammer tensed up. He knew that voice… it was regal, authoritative, and unforgiving – one that he hadn’t heard in a long time. Anvil had frozen, too, with his hoof still lifted up, and the chain slid out of his hold and clinked noisily to the ground. They both turned to a particularly dark corner of the courtyard, hidden in the shadow of one of the palace spires, and a pair of eyes opened, glowing a ghostly white. Dark though it was, Hammer could easily make out the shape of the voice’s owner, and he did not like what he saw. Purple mist drifted out of the shadows, and then came the slow, deliberate clip-clop of hooves. As she stalked out of the shadows, the moonlight revealed an alicorn with a dark coat, silvery blue armour, and a wicked smile. “Missed me?” Nightmare Moon asked. “Ah…” Anvil’s jaw was slack. They stared at each other for a moment or two, not knowing what to do, until somepony sniggered in the walkways above the courtyard, and Hammer’s racing heart promptly slowed down. He leaped into the air and found a bunch of servants and off-duty guards peeping over the edge of the railings, and over half of them burst out laughing. Well played. He flitted back down and found Anvil with a relieved look on his face, and ‘Nightmare Moon’ sporting a rather sheepish grin. “T’was their idea of a jest,” she confessed, this time with Luna’s voice. “They were wagering bits on how the Night Guards would react.” Unsurprising. The ponies of this era had an unusual interest in pranking one another – more so than anypony from the old days. Anvil was pouting at their little audience. “Well, I can see that we did not disappoint.” He then turned to the moon princess and lowered his voice, “You have retained some of your abilities, I see. Should we be concerned?” “The Elements have cleansed away Discord’s taint, so the answer is no. However, they did leave a portion of my old powers untouched.” “You never mentioned this before,” Hammer observed. “What changed?” Anvil frowned, then narrowed his eyes and glanced at their audience and back to the princess. “Yes… and they seem rather calm – how is it that they know about this and we do not?” “Well…” a tiny blush crept into the alicorn’s cheeks. “I wished to tell you myself. Tia has already made it known to most of the palace by now – we only made the decision an hour ago. And as for how this came to be… I am not certain of what happened, but…” she shook her head and looked up at the walkway above. Once she was sure that their audience had gone back to minding their own business, she continued, “Remember last evening when my sister came to my quarters?” Hammer recalled it well enough. He and Anvil had been posted by the door, and when the sun princess had knocked and asked for permission to enter, the “No, not yet!” that blasted back out had succeeded in rattling half the chandeliers in the palace and dislodging just about every pigeon from its roost. Half a minute later, a flustered Luna had opened the doors and practically dragged her sister in with magic. After an hour or so, Princess Celestia had emerged a little less than at ease, but had simply dismissed Luna’s initial outburst as nothing more than a little sleep deprivation. “Now that you mention it; you never did tell us what really happened,” Anvil said. “I had some unpleasant dreams that day, and when I woke up, I was like this.” Luna gestured at her dark body. “Needless to say… I panicked. But after a while, I somehow managed to change back. Since then, I have found that with a little practice, it is actually not that difficult to control – I can easily change at will, now.” So saying, she shrank back to her normal appearance shook the last bits of purple wispiness out of her mane. “As far as the others are concerned, I am merely using an illusion spell. You are amongst the few who know the truth.” “That is… very useful.” His companion looked thoughtful. “Can you change into anything else?” “No; other ponies are beyond me, for the time being." Luna’s cheeks went a little red again, and her eyes grew distant as she seemed to recall some unsavoury details. She shook her head and added, “But, enough of that; I have these for you.” Her horn glowed, and a pair of silver torques hovered over to them. “They were the least gaudy ones I could find.” “Err, what are they for, if I may ask?” Anvil fiddled with the silvery article and inspected it thoroughly. “It is not very often that we are offered jewellery.” “I just had these finished in time – they are enchanted to give you normal appearances, so you may blend in with the general populace of Ponyville,” Luna answered. “You will accompany me there, but I intend to mingle with the residents by myself.” Makes sense. It would be difficult to make a visit from the moon princess a merry affair if she had guards following her everywhere. Even more so in their case; Luna had so far been unable to reverse their transformation since the Eternal Night. They had made certain to never be seen without their armour, so that others always assumed that their unusual appearances were due to basic enchantments. That was much simpler than having to explain to everypony why Princess Luna suddenly had a pair of guards who ‘naturally’ looked like they might have been sired by bats. “Where shall we wait, Your Highness?” Hammer asked. Luna raised an eyebrow. “Wait? No; you are going to be mingling as well. Just… not by my side.” Something must have shown on his face, for Luna picked up on his sentiments almost immediately. She added, “Yes, Hammer, mingle. And by that I specifically mean talking and being friendly to ponies.” “You might as well ask for the sun, while you are at it,” Anvil piped up, “Statues don’t work that way.” He feigned woe and beseeched Luna, “Oh, spare him, Your Highness!” Very mature. “Tia’s explicit instructions,” the night alicorn added after chuckling in amusement, “She believes it will do us all good to partake in this celebration alongside peasants. Which reminds me…” she gestured at the torques in their hooves, “ – try them on.” Hammer took off his helm and put his on. It was a simple piece, woven from a few silver wires that ended in plain knobs. It was a snug fit, and he felt a slight tingle as the enchantment took effect – rather like the one on standard guard armour that made the wearer look a pure white. He lifted up a foreleg and saw a dull green coat. When he turned to look, he found that his tail was a dark red, and his wings appeared feathery once more. “Oh. Now, this, I wasn’t expecting.” Anvil said. Hammer turned and saw an orange-coated pegasus in Night Guard barding, with sky-blue eyes and a plain brown tail. The tips of his wing feathers had distinctly dark splotches. “Weaving a full body enchantment into those little things was not easy; it is good to see that they work,” Luna elaborated. “I suspected that you might desire the chance to look like your old selves once in a while, so I had to make the enchantments to the best of my memory – it has been so long since last I saw you both in your true colours.” Hammer bowed. “We appreciate it, Your Highness.” Anvil echoed his sentiment. “Just a small price for a large debt owed,” she said as she conjured a hooded cloak and settled into the chariot. “But, let us go; we have a celebration to attend.” * * * * * They hadn’t had many opportunities to make forays beyond the palace grounds in the days since being released from their stony forms; they had been busy enough catching up with new knowledge and getting acquainted with the rest of the Guard. So, Hammer had no intention of wasting this outing. The flight was fairly short, and the view already familiar, but that did nothing to lessen the beauty of the lands surrounding Canterlot. Luna had made this night’s sky particularly elegant; the cloudless sky was awash with stars, and the land was bathed in moonlight that was both gentle but bright. Even with his altered eyes, he could tell that regular ones would find the illumination sufficient. Far below, he could see a narrow stream winding its way to and through the town that was Ponyville, and off to the distance was the thick mass of forest that had once been Everfree City… Hammer mentally shook his head. No, that was for another time. For this night, he would keep his thoughts focused on Ponyville alone. Everfree, and all its memories, could wait. “Stop – this is close enough,” Luna called out. Hammer and Anvil braked and allowed the chariot to settle into a steady hover. “Nice little place, this,” Anvil commented as he gazed upon the town below. “Indeed,” Luna agreed. “They threw me a party here, not long after I was cleansed of my taint.” She paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. “It… it is nice to see them having celebrations at night for a change. I had hoped for a time like this – but I never suspected it would be so soon.” “It did take them a thousand years – that’s hardly soon.” His friend hovered closer and dug a hoof into his ribs. “Tact, my friend – I think you left it back at the palace.” “It is fine,” Luna replied with a wan smile. “After what happened that time, I would not have expected any more from ponies.” She sighed. “In any case, I have some instructions for you. As I have said, I shall mingle with them alone. However, you are free to remain close if you please, so long as you do not speak to me directly.” “Ah… not under any circumstances, whatsoever?” Anvil asked. Luna shook her head. “I care not if I embarrass myself – I will not have my own guards coming to my rescue in front of everypony. Make good use of your disguises. Is that clear?” Transparently. “Yes, Your Highness.” Luna’s horn glowed and clouds began to form and thicken in sky around them, until entire land was obscured, save for a hole in the mass of clouds directly over Ponyville. Then came the deep rumble of distant thunder, and the clouds began to swirl as the moon princess called forth mighty winds. “Is this really their notion of a friendly visit?” Anvil questioned, “It seems to be missing a big portion of the friendly part.” “It is customary on Nightmare Night,” she explained. “At least, that is what is written in the books. The more frightening, the better, it seems – so it would probably be best if you both tried to look fearsome as we make our entrance.” Hammer looked at his friend, then turned back to the princess. “You might be sorely disappointed, then.” Anvil took off his torque and instantly reverted to his grey form. He bared his teeth in a fierce grin. “How about now?” When Hammer didn’t answer, he snorted and rolled his eyes. “Ah, doesn’t matter – you can fill in for both of us.” “That will do,” Luna said, a little distractedly. She glanced up, and the moon suddenly blazed radiant as the sun. She then threw on her hood and commanded, “It is time – let us go!” After removing his own torque, Hammer reared up and surged forward as Anvil did. It was a mild descent at first, angling slightly downward, but when they reached the lip of the hole in the roiling clouds, they dove nearly straight down. The wind roared in his ears, growing in strength as they picked up speed. Far below, he spotted several ponies in a clearing between the town and Everfree, but most of those outdoors appeared to be around and within Ponyville itself. It became easier to make out details as they drew closer; almost everypony was dressed up in a costume of one form or another. Many of them were looking up, and, remembering Luna’s instructions, Hammer put some effort into maintaining a threatening expression for the crowd. Screams followed, mostly that of foals. Odd. He could see some of them fleeing from the chariot. Was that part of the tradition as well? They braked to slow their descent when they were barely several hundred tail-lengths above the highest treetops, then settled into a steady glide above the town. Lightning crackled in the sky above them. The screams had stopped, replaced by mutterings and bewildered chatter. After a whispered “Farewell for now,” Luna drifted off the chariot and into the midst of the awestruck ponies below. Hammer and Anvil waited just long enough to see her flip off her hood as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Soon after, they both made for the hills that he’d spotted to the southern side of the town. The dense vegetation in that area would serve as a place to hide the chariot until the festival was done. “Citizens of Ponyville!” Anvil stalled and nearly crashed into a tree – Hammer only just managed to veer away in time and drag him along, pumping his wings hard to compensate for the loss of lift. “We have graced your tiny village with our presence, so that you might behold the real princess of the Night – ” Hammer and Anvil shared a look. “ – a creature of nightmares no longer, but instead, a pony who desires your love and admiration.” The words seemed to cause a veritable breeze, rustling the leaves of all the trees around them. “Together, we shall change this dreadful celebration into a bright and glorious feast!” A crack of thunder followed the moon princess’ magnified voice. “Is she supposed to do that?” his friend asked. Foals started screaming. “Probably not.” Anvil blinked. “She’s never spoken like that before.” Canterlot: A Thousand Years of Tradition. It must have been that book she had been reading. Judging by the reactions of the townsfolk, its information must be somewhat less than accurate. Unless the princess herself had made some misinterpretations. He remained silent and pulled the chariot back into a descent for the hills. “Ah… do you suppose there is something we should do?” “She did tell us to leave her be.” And that was the end of the debate. They left the chariot in the middle of a fairly dense thicket, confident that nopony would stumble upon it in their absence. And even if that were to happen, Hammer doubted that said discoverers would want to meddle with it – enchantments had been put in place to shock anypony who wasn’t a guard or a princess, if they attempted to take it away. After taking off their barding and leaving them in the chariot, they put on their torques and slung on a pair of saddlebags filled with some money. “Right – how should we begin?” Walking would be a good start. “Let’s just go. If we’re lucky, we would make it through the night without attracting too much attention.” “It might be too late for that.” “Why?” “We didn’t bring costumes of our own.” * * * * * Entering Ponyville was easy enough; they crossed the bridge spanning a little stream going through the town, and nopony seemed to pay them any heed. Although, that could partly be attributed to the fact that Luna had already drawn away most of the attention. Hammer didn’t know where she was, but he was certain that she would not appreciate any prying – best to go about their separate business, then. What that entailed, however, eluded him for the moment. They didn’t know anypony here, and he was certain that mingling with strangers was going to draw some unwanted scrutiny to their accent. No matter how hard they tried, it was next to impossible to pronounce and speak with the same accent as these modern ponies. Keeping up with all the new words was difficult enough. They made it past the first rows of shop-houses with little more than friendly greetings from passers-by, but that was as far as their luck ran. On the second street in, as they were trotting towards what looked to be a crowd of ponies making merriment in the centre of town, Hammer felt the slight tingle of static that precedes a lightning bolt. He tensed up. It was faint, but when he pricked his ears, the buzzing sound was unmistakable – it was coming from behind. He leapt and spun round, landing with wings and legs spread wide in a defensive stance just when the white bolt struck the ground before him. It was just a small bolt, though – barely enough to stun somepony, and it had come from a little black cloud hovering just above roof height. On that cloud sat a masked mare in a costume of purple and black with yellow lightning bolt stripes. She had a rainbow mane, and her mouth was open in the shape of a little ‘o’. “What was that for?” Anvil demanded. He too had dropped into a defensive stance. The mare ignored the question altogether. “Woah…” she said, “That synced-up jumping thing you did there – that was pretty cool. You even started doing it before the thunder!” More pranking. Too many ponies were fond of it. Still, Hammer relaxed and folded his wings. Was this the rainbow mare that Rivet had been talking about? Probably. She certainly looked athletic enough. She brought the cloud closer down and waved. “Hi, I’m Rainbow Dash.” “Anvil.” “Hammer.” “Ah hah!” somepony exclaimed. Hammer turned and saw a pair of young unicorn stallions galloping towards them. They were both draped in colourful costumes, and several tomatoes enveloped in glowing auras were hovering just above their horns. Judging by the vengeful glee on their faces, those tomatoes were not meant for eating. “Woah, woah, slow down, guys!” The mare ducked as a volley of tomatoes whizzed towards her face. “Quit it – it was just a prank!” she called out again, but was cut off by another bunch of flying red fruit. She cartwheeled and barrel-rolled in the air, and then guffawed when she realised that not a single one had found its mark. “Hah, you missed!” She then grabbed her thundercloud and swiftly carted it off to another part of town, but only after sparing a second to wave Hammer and Anvil goodbye. They jumped aside as the two unicorns relentlessly galloped past in their pursuit of the rainbow pegasus, leaving a trail of dust in their wake. “You’re not from around here, I see,” a new voice observed. Hammer turned and saw a light grey earth pony trotting out from the shadow of a shop-house. He had light blue eyes and a pale yellow mane that was neatly tied up into a ponytail. His cutie mark was of a glass jar with something thick and blue pouring out of it. He wore nothing other than a plain saddlebag, but he did have a friendly smile. “Hey there, my name’s Honey Doo.” Hammer and Anvil took a little too long to respond, at which point the grey stallion’s smile turned into a rueful grin. “Yeah, the name, I know. I don’t know what my parents were thinking, either.” Anvil trotted forward. “Apologies, we did not mean to be rude. It was just that – ” “Oh, you mean that little stunt from Rainbow Dash?” He waved a hoof lazily. “She’s just like that – pranks everypony left, right and centre. She might like to pretend otherwise, but I know she’s the one who snuck a chilli flavoured muffin into my sister’s lunch bag… ” He frowned at the memory, but quickly shook his head and continued, “Never mind. Now, where was I?” “I’m Anvil, and my friend here is Hammer.” He shook hooves with the grey stallion, who then did the same with Hammer. After that, he added, “And yes, we’re just visiting.” “Without costumes either, I see. Hmm…” Honey Doo looked thoughtful. “Say, why don’t you come with me, then? You look like you would rather spend Nightmare Night at Hops’ inn. Let the foals and young at heart have their fun outside – the rest of us less kiddie types will be having a good drink there. There might even be some music and dancing.” Anvil looked at Hammer, then back to the grey stallion. “As good a place as any. Will you show us the way?” He already said he would. There was a snap of thunder from somewhere in the middle of town, followed by a startled cry and some gleeful guffawing. Honey Doo frowned with half-lidded eyes in the general direction of the laughter for a moment, and then snorted. “Come on, it’s not far. And maybe we’ll get there before Dash gets to try her nonsense on me.” * * * * * “Where are you from, by the way?” the grey earth pony asked as they trotted after him. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard your accent before. It’s sounds almost poetic.” And there was the first problem of the night; with so little notice, they’d yet to contrive a reasonable story to tell any who were curious about them. Simply choosing one of the new places they’d heard off would be potentially disastrous – they knew little about the newer settlements outside of Canterlot, and, by now, many of the places they had been familiar with no longer existed. “Oh, mere travellers,” Anvil supplied. “We’re not from any place in particular – none that we can truly call home, anyway.” “Travellers? Your cutie marks don’t look very… nomadic. Old fashioned, rather.” Honey Doo eyed their saddlebags and added, “And somehow, as travellers, I don’t think you’d be lugging a furnace and anvil in one of those, unless you’ve got a caravan or something parked outside of Ponyville, which I doubt.” “Ah… well, our talents aren’t always within our means. But, give us bits and the right tools, and we can forge whatever you require.” “So you guys make antique replicas or something?” Anvil grinned. “Close enough.” For once, Hammer could not object to his friend’s quick tongue. So everything did have a use, after all. It was a good reminder. “Well, we’re here,” Honey Doo announced, gesturing at the inn’s sign. It read ‘The Little Beetle’. The place looked well kept; the glass windows were clean and clear, the timbers polished and sturdy, the lighting from within bright and welcoming. It reminded him of home, of some of the establishments in Everfree City. When they entered, he found the place even more agreeable. The tables were long and broad, with benches on either side, and they were all arranged with a wide space in the middle of the floor which, presumably, was a place for performers or dancers. The furniture was of rough but sturdy crafting, and the dirt floor was flat and smooth from the treading of many ponies. There was the distinct, homey scent of wood smoke in the air coming from the fireplace off to the side. The rest of the light came from oil lamps hanging about the place. It was every bit a traditional inn as he remembered. And best of all, there weren’t too many patrons within, and they were not costumed, either. There were earth ponies and unicorns of various hues, and they greeted Honey Doo with smiles and waves and several hellos when he entered. A couple of them appeared to be musicians, as one unicorn had a fiddle by his side, and his pegasus companion had a flute. The grey earth pony waved back at them, then went straight to the counter and addressed the ruddy earth stallion behind it, “Evening, Hops. The usual, please. I’ve brought some guests, too.” “You brought the stuff?” the innkeeper asked, a little brusquely. The grey pegasus reached into his saddlebags and retrieved several glass jars filled with thick, blue jelly. “Yup,” he replied, placing them on the counter, “Blueberry; your favourite. Not quite as good as zap apple, but I do my best.” Hops’ mood improved dramatically – his eyes lit up, and a grin split his face. “Well, in that case, how could I refuse one of my regulars?” He produced a flagon filled to the brim and pushed it over to the stallion. Then, he turned his attention to Hammer and Anvil and asked, “And what will you two gents be having?” “Something light,” his friend replied. “The night is still young.” “Hmm, how’s about some cranberry soda, then?” One drink was as good as another – they weren’t half familiar with what was available, anyhow. He opened his saddlebag and tossed a few bits onto the counter. “We’ll take them.” “So… what drew you to Ponyville?” Honey Doo asked as they sipped their drinks at one of the long tables. “It can’t be Nightmare Night alone.” “That might be truer than you would suppose…” Anvil ventured as he chewed on a stalk of celery. The grey stallion smiled. “Really? Well, I can show you around town, if you like. If you’re lucky, we might come across some of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I’m not sure if that’s your cup of tea, but we’ve met some guys who visited just to meet the ones who stopped Nightmare Moon.” He frowned, then added, “Excluding Rainbow Dash, of course. You’ve already met her, and from what I saw, you weren’t impressed.” It was difficult imagining such a pony being a bearer of one of the Elements – there had to be more to her than the antics they’d seen thus far. Just then, a gabble of voices became audible, coming from outside the inn. It grew in volume, until the door was shoved open and a small crowd of ponies trotted in, chattering boisterously. An earth mare of various shades of plum was leading the group, and when she caught sight of Hops at the counter, she waved energetically and called out, “Hey there, Mister Hops, a round for us thirsty ponies here!” Honey Doo winced. “Oh boy, I didn’t think they’d come so soon. Would have been nice if the place could be nice and quiet for a while.” “Is that such a concern?” Anvil glanced at the newcomers and turned back to their companion. “Who is she, anyway?” “That’s Berry Punch – pretty as a unicorn, drinks like an alicorn.” Honey leaned in close and whispered, “Seriously, don’t ever challenge her to a drinking match.” The mare must have heard, for she turned around and grinned. “Did somepony say ‘drinking match’? What a coincidence, because that was just what we had in mind!” She trotted over to their table and smiled at Honey Doo. “Hi there, I see you’ve made some new friends.” “Acquaintances, more like,” he replied, cautiously. “They’re from out of town. Just visiting tonight, and I’m showing them around.” He stood and gestured to them. “The big guy is Anvil, and the bigger guy is Hammer.” “Evening, my lady,” Anvil said with a slight bow. Hammer dipped his head and greeted her in kind. “I’m Berry Punch, nice to meet you.” She smiled and gestured at the bench. “May I?” When they gave their assent, she promptly took her seat and the rest of her group settled down at nearby tables. A couple of other stallions sat by her side, though. After briefly introducing some of her companions, she said to Honey Doo, “If you’re showing them around, you should have taken them to the town hall. We saw Princess Luna there! Her guards, too – never seen outfits like that, though. I wonder where they went…” “I’m not sure if I’d want to meet them, though. They look meaner than the usual guards.” “I suppose…” she trailed off, then switched her attention to Hammer and Anvil. “Where are you from, anyway? You speak very… nicely. Do you perform or something?” She then winked at Hammer and added, “I like the beard; reminds me of Hayspeare’s plays. The necklaces, too.” Hayspeare? Plays? “No, we are not familiar with his works. And we are not poets, either.” “Hmm, guess not. Your cutie marks don’t look very artsy,” one of her stallion friends commented. “They do look like the toughie kind, though.” He grinned. “What say you to a drinking contest?” “Yeah,” the other one interjected, “Somepony’s gotta beat Berry one day, and maybe you’d be the ones. Do it for all the stallions of Equestria!” The plum mare rolled her eyes and offered a smug grin. “Good luck with that, boys.” Still, they were waiting eagerly for an answer. Ponies at the other tables were listening, too – apparently this mare was not one to be trifled with in the cups, unlikely as that was. Hammer shared a look with Anvil, and made it clear that drawing attention was not the best thing to do at the moment. “No, thank you,” he replied. Even if they wanted to accept the challenge, the enchantment that Luna had put on them in the Eternal Night would be an unfair advantage. “Aww, come on,” one of the stallions pleaded, “Don’t let her scare you – we stallions can’t be beaten by a girl. We can’t let that stand!” “Then let it drop,” he answered. “You chicken?” Anvil brought up a hoof and inspected it, then waved it in front of the stallion. He smiled and helpfully pointed out, “I doubt it; chickens don’t have hooves.” “Har har. But seriously, why not?” The brown stallion leaned in close. “Is it because Berry is a ‘lady,’ and it’s not nice to beat a lady? Because that’s not gonna happen. Heck, I’d be happy to see if you can beat me.” The orange pegasus smiled wanly. “Tempting, but I respectfully decline.” “Oh come one, Pokey, that’s not how you do it.” The other stallion cleared his throat and declared in a ridiculously pompous voice, “I challenge thee… to a duel!" He pointed a hoof imperiously in Hammer's direction. "If thou canst beat me in drinking, I shall’eth pay for thy dinner!” “I second that!” Berry Punch thumped a hoof on the table. Well, there was no mistaking it – they had issued a proper challenge, albeit with very unusual language. Do they believe we speak like that? He looked at Honey Doo, who shook his head a tiny bit. He then turned to Anvil, who shrugged and mouthed the word ‘mingling’ at him. Very well. “We accept.” The patrons erupted into a chorus of cheers. “Woohoo!” “Alright, yeah!” “Show em, Berry!” “Let it begin!” “Bring out the cider!” Hops began filling up flagons and passing them round. Berry Punch was the first to go. She inhaled deeply over her flagon of cider, as if relishing the scent, then chugged it down as if it was mere water. Others began to follow, and Hammer noted that they were mostly young stallions – spirited, no doubt, but they did not appear very experienced. And only a few had the deep chest or gut that indicated familiarity with heavy drinking. He took a sip of the cider to test its strength, then quickly downed the rest when he found it was rather mild. This will be quick. * * * * * This will be… harrowing. Hammer had already lost count of the number of rounds they’d had. His belly was full of cider, his hooves were tingling, and his head was already buzzing pleasantly. All of Berry’s companions had already either drunken themselves into a stupor, or were busy babbling nonsense at each other. But she was still showing no sign of relenting – Honey’s comparison of her to an alicorn was apt, she could really stomach her drink. Back in Everfree, there had been only one or two stallions who could outdrink him, but at this point, even they would have been showing signs of slowing down. Suddenly, the possibility of losing to the mare didn’t seem all that unlikely. So much for Princess Luna’s spell. It appeared that even his fortified constitution would be insufficient to outlast the plum mare. Berry Punch guzzled down another flagon in one go and slammed it onto the table. The patrons all cheered, and she grinned. “Your turn, gentlecolts.” “You might want to consider giving up, now,” Honey Doo piped up. “She’s just getting started. Seriously, nopony will think less of you.” “Nope, not at all,” Hops tossed in, “She does this to visitors all year round.” Honour demands it. He had already accepted a formal challenge. After glaring at the flagon for a moment, he gulped down its contents and emptied it completely, feeling his stomach stretch a little more as the cider flowed down. More cheers followed, and they seemed even louder than they had been for the plum mare. All eyes turned to Anvil, who was still staring at his drink. “Come on, drink up!” Berry goaded. “Drink, drink, drink, drink!” everypony began to chant. His companion continued to stare at the flagon, brow creased slightly, as if he was contemplating some deep mystery. He didn’t seem to hear. “Hey, are you okay?” Honey Doo asked. Anvil blinked, and Hammer spied a bit of wetness in his eyes. That was not a good sign. The orange pegasus suddenly pushed the flagon aside and rested his head on his crossed forelegs. Tears streamed down his face and onto his hooves. He blinked slowly, but the tears kept flowing, and he made no sound or any move to wipe them away. Everypony started murmuring in confusion. “Hah, he knows he can’t win!” one of Berry’s inebriated friends teased. The plum mare rounded on the culprit and jabbed him in the ribs with her hoof. “Shush – this looks serious!” She then trotted over to Anvil’s side and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, come on, what’s wrong? It’s not about the game, is it? It’s only in good fun.” Hammer ground his teeth. Of course... Most ponies acted the same once they’d had a lot of drink; growing looser tongues and louder voices, but Anvil had been amongst those who actually retreated inside after having too much. He’d been growing quieter and quieter after each flagon. And… it didn’t help that the past had been weighing down heavily on his friend, and Hammer thought he knew exactly what the matter was. He had not asked after her since their release, but no matter what had happened, one unchangeable, simple truth would remain; she was already gone. Anvil sniffed and wiped his eyes. “Nothing to concern yourselves about. It’s nothing of consequence.” “It is a big deal if you’re crying in public,” Berry pressed. “I understand if it’s personal, but then you should be getting help, not drinking like this. I’m sorry; I really shouldn’t have started this contest.” “You’re not at fault,” he replied. “There… was a mare I knew. Let us just say that I’ll never be able to see her again.” “Did she dump you, or was it the other way around?” somepony wondered aloud. It was followed by a sharp smack and a mumbled “sorry.” “It is a ‘permanent’ parting,” Hammer said. He looked the others in the eyes and made certain that they understood. Berry Punch patted Anvil gently. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to be nosey. But you have my condolences.” “Mine, too,” Honey Doo added. Anvil drew in a shuddering breath and sighed. “Thank you. I apologise for creating a fuss – I shall take my leave.” “Hey, hang on.” The grey stallion trotted close and put a hoof on his shoulder. “There’s no need to go. I mean, sure, you can leave if you want, but just so you know, we’d still be okay if you wanted to stay. Nopony’s going to chase you out.” He glanced round at everypony else. “Right?” Nods of agreement abounded. “Thank you, but if it’s all the same, I do not feel like staying.” Anvil tottered over to the door and yanked it open after fumbling with the handle for a few seconds. He waved farewell and then trotted off. Hammer was just about to get up and follow when there was a cry of shock and an orange projectile bolted back into the tavern and crashed through the benches and into a table. “Sweet Celestia, what the hay is a dragon doing in Ponyville?” Anvil cried, propped upside down against the table leg. Hammer spotted a dragon – a juvenile, standing just outside the door with a little sack slung over its shoulder. It was wearing, strangely enough, a dragon costume, and had a rather perplexed look on its face. “Right…” it said, in a voice not unlike that of a colt, “I’ll just be going, now.” And it hurriedly toddled off. “Oh, that’s just Spike,” Honey Doo clarified. “He’s a harmless guy.” “Yeah, that’s just Twilight’s assistant,” somepony added. Anvil seemed to have trouble comprehending that. Understandable, though. Cobbleville Mine was not something easily forgotten, and he was the one who had come very close to an undignified end in the claws of that juvenile’s bigger cousin. But… the townsfolk seemed very comfortable with a young dragon in their midst – he hoped that it was because dragons had changed in the time since his petrification, rather than these folk being plain ignorant of the dangers it posed. ‘Spike’ might not be so tractable when it grows up. Just then, he heard Luna’s voice. Distant, but loud and unmistakably angry, “ – ungrateful whelp!” A blast of thunder rattled the inn, shaking dust off the rafters. Then, silence. And then… chaos – ponies outside started screaming and shouting, and it sounded as if the whole town was being wrecked. Everypony else in the inn was either staring out the door or blinking and looking around in confusion. Then, the moon princess’ voice thundered once more, “Be still!” The words were drawn out; echoing long after the lightning that split the sky without was gone. The thunder and gust of wind that followed was so strong that it slammed the door shut. But that did nothing to lessen the clarity and volume of the rest of her words; “No, Twilight Sparkle. We must use the traditional Royal Canterlot Voice for what we are about to say; since you choose to fear your princess rather than love her, and dishonour her with this insulting celebration, we decree that Nightmare Night shall be cancelled – forever!” The wind howled in response, and thunder continued to echo in the distance. Wonderful – more to worry about. Something had clearly gone awry for Princess Luna – luck was not favouring them tonight. Still, she had already warned them not to interfere… He ground a hoof into the floor. “You know… I think I shall stay, after all.” Anvil got back on all fours and dusted himself, suddenly appearing quite sober – perhaps the sudden rush of fear and the quickening of his heart had inflamed his senses back to clarity. He trudged over to his flagon and took a long swig, indifferent to the stares he was getting from everypony. “Uh, maybe we should do something else,” Berry Punch said. “If you’re okay now, there’s no need to get tipsy again.” One of the patrons threw his hooves up and cried with despair, “Do something else? Didn’t you hear? Princess Luna is going to cancel Nightmare Night – forever!” Anvil belched and waved aside the lamentation with a wing. “All the more reason to make the most of this night, yes?” His words were met with surprise, but after a moment, ponies started grinning. From over the counter, Hops chuckled. “Lad, I like the way you think.” He then clapped his hooves and shouted, “You hear that? If this is the last of Nightmare Night, you’d best make it one to remember. A free round of drinks for everypony who can still stand on four legs! Where’s the music? Fiddlesticks, Chip, get your flanks over here and play us a tune!” “Aye, sir!” The unicorn and pegasus replied in unison. They began to play an uplifting tune – the fiddle and the flute when very well together. It was similar to the music played by some bards he had known, except that this one was… livelier, springier. Everypony started tapping along to the tune, and he also found that his hooves were inclined to join in. That did not happen very often, and it was a welcome distraction from the thought of the moon princess’ anger against the townsfolk outside. “Do you dance?” Berry asked. “No.” “Do you want to dance?” she asked again. “He already said no,” Honey Doo pointed out. Berry Punch chuckled. “Totally different question, Honey.” Hammer felt the corners of his mouth curl up slightly at her persistence. It was rather fetching for her. But his answer was the same; “Still, no.” “His lips say no, but I believe his hooves beg to differ.” Anvil swayed over and bowed to the mare. “I, however, would be honoured if you would dance with me, my lady.” “Since when do you dance?” Hammer could never recall anything of the sort. Anvil spread his wings and waved them around. “Since I learned how to use these. I dance well enough in the air – we shall see if I can do the same on the ground, to a tune. I make no promises, though.” Berry Punch slipped a foreleg around his and tugged him towards the middle of the room. “That’s the spirit!” Anvil trotted after, but stumbled when his hoof collided with one of the table legs. “Gah!” He glared at the piece of furniture, then looked at his quivering legs. “Ah… excuse me for a moment; I will need to clear my head before making an abomination of the dance routine. Where is the latrine?” One of the patrons pointed a hoof in the direction, and the orange pegasus followed without another word. After the door shut, there was a muffled retching sound, and a moment later, Anvil trotted back out, nonchalantly wiping the side of his mouth with a hoof. Hammer noticed that his belly was considerably less distended. “Ah, this is much better,” his friend announced, to more stares from Berry Punch and her friends. Clearly, these ponies were unfamiliar with purging techniques in the Royal Guard. In those days, inebriated ponies could always attempt to recover some semblance of deftness and sobriety by the simple act of stuffing their tail down their throat until their stomach decided to empty itself of the offending contents. Sometimes even the mane would suffice, if it was long enough. Or, lacking a sufficiently long mane or tail, a buck right in the belly from a friend could always serve – Captain Hazel Hock had been rather fond of that approach… And just like that, Hammer suddenly found himself missing the company of his brothers in the old Guard. The modern guards were likeable enough, but they weren’t the same – they had different japes, different interests, different ways of looking at life. And, of course, lagging a thousand years behind them only made it harder to properly relate – there were many things of which they spoke that he had only the slightest knowledge of. He contented himself with watching the others dance to the music whilst he sat by the table with Honey Doo. True to his word, his friend was butchering the dance routine, but everypony was laughing along with the orange pegasus as he and Berry Punch stumbled and staggered. But when the pair of musicians switched to a more sedate tune, the two of them settled into a much more steady rhythm. Others joined in, even those who were already deep in their cups. The door behind him creaked open, and he heard a mare say, “Oh goody, it’s nice to find a place where everypony is still happy!” There was a pause, filled in by the music, after which the newcomer squealed, “Ooh, this one’s my favourite!” “Hey, sis, you’re just in time!” Honey Doo called out by his side. Hammer felt a nudge, and when he turned to face the grey stallion, he found a mare of remarkably similar colouration standing next to him. “This is my sister, Ditzy.” The light grey mare, with misaligned eyes, he noticed, smiled and shook his hoof. “Haven’t seen you around before – nice to meet you!” “Likewise,” he replied. “Would you like to dance?” she asked as she trotted forward, leaning in rather closely. “My brother dances with me every Nightmare Night, but I thought you might like to have a round with me, since you’re a guest – this song is meant to have a boy and girl dancer, you know, and…” she glanced around at the dancers, then turned back to him “ – I’m the only mare who doesn’t have a partner yet.” Behind her, Honey Doo was grinning apologetically. Hammer looked at the others dancing and making merry. Oh, very well. “It would be my pleasure,” he replied. It wasn’t completely heartfelt, though. Princess Luna was having a difficult time with the townsfolk, and it did not seem appropriate for him to be partaking in frivolous activities in the midst of her frustration. But… he’d give in just this once – since it looked like Ditzy Doo rarely had partners other than her own brother. Maybe her eyes had something to do with that. He rose, and nearly bumped into her when she did not back away quickly enough. “Oops, sorry,” she said. She then pointed at her right eye and added, “I can’t see with this one, so… zero depth perception, you see.” She smiled shyly and averted her eyes for a moment, before tentatively whispering, “I might be a little… clumsy with the dance, because of that.” “Have others made light of you?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Err… you mean made fun of me?” “Yes.” “Well, yeah, all the time. In school, I mean. Not so much anymore.” The words were unnecessary – he could tell from her tone that that one aspect of her foalhood had been less than pleasant. Foals never change. That much remained the same throughout the ages. He no longer felt any inclination to refuse her a round of dancing. A small gesture, one that would not undo the years of torment she had endured, but it was the least he could do. “Your eyes make no matter to me – a mare’s heart means more than looks alone ever will.” Not the best he could come up with, but the cider was still meddling with his mind. The mare’s eyes lit up and she smiled. “Well, that’s nice of you. Come on!” She then grabbed his hoof and swung him into the middle of the dance floor. Hammer blinked, and just remembered to regain his balance at the last moment. That mare was strong. Cross-eyed or no, her strength alone would have made her a good candidate for the Royal Guard recruits. Give her an eye patch and the right training, and she could look just as imposing as the rest of them. But she began to tug him along to the tune, and he was forced to put aside those thoughts, and instead focused on trying not to bump into anypony. It was rather awkward at first, but he slowly began to match his movements to the music, trotting back and forth to the rhythm and even prancing with the others when the moment called for it. “Hey, you’re pretty good at this!” Ditzy exclaimed. Before he could reply, the music changed once more, and he found himself being spun round by the pegasus mare. “Ooh, look who’s dancing now,” somepony nearby teased. Hammer shrugged at Berry Punch and allowed himself to be led in the routine. Ditzy Doo might not have been the most graceful of ponies, but her energy more than made up for that, and she seemed able to match her movement rather well to the music, even with closed eyes – others nearby just had to be wary of her movement. And her mood was… infectious. Despite his initial misgivings, he was beginning to enjoy himself. The music quickened. Everypony picked up the pace, dancing along faster and faster as the music reached a crescendo. It was… almost like a battle – a non-violent one. Weave in, weave out, hop back in and sway, back and forth. Those who weren’t dancing were adding to it with claps and stomps, and those unable to keep up at such a pace soon stumbled and laughed and cleared away to avoid tripping others – until the musicians ended the tune with a high note and a flourish. Only a few pairs of dancers were left standing in the middle, breathless and flushed from the exertion. Hammer was panting slightly, and Ditzy Doo whooped and toppled to the floor as everypony clapped and cheered. “Thank you, fillies and gentlecolts, it’s been a pleasure!” Fiddlesticks and Chip declared as they bowed. With the dance over, everypony settled back at their tables and helped themselves to another round of food and drink, as Hops had anticipated the moment and passed around plates of fresh and cooked food to satiate the famished celebrants. Ponies tossed their bits onto the counter and began to tuck in. Berry Punch and Ditzy Doo settled at their table, and after a brief respite, everypony broke their fast on the evening meal. Some time later, Honey was nuzzling his sister and listening to her talk about what she had been doing outside before she’d come in, and Berry Punch was grinning facetiously and whispering something in Anvil’s ear. From the way his friend’s face coloured, it might not have been something entirely appropriate. Hammer glanced at those around him as he munched on some hay fries – friendly smiles and chatter and laughter abounded, though some were already dozing off. He hadn’t felt this at home in what felt like a very, very long time. Berry Punch started giggling all of a sudden, thumping on the table with a hoof and snorting out a little bit of cider from her nostrils. “Oh, Hammer,” she said, after catching her breath, “You’re so broody – honestly, that way you were staring around, you looked like a super-villain planning to destroy everything.” She then thumped him on the shoulder and added, “Cheer up, smile a little!” “He’s already smiling,” Anvil piped up. “You just need to squint harder.” “Yup, you just need to look in the right place,” Ditzy Doo pointed out. “He smiles with his eyes, not his mouth.” Novel way of putting it. Hammer shrugged. “She’s not wrong.” Honey raised his mug. “Looks like I made the right choice, bringing you two here. Cheers?” Hammer and Anvil and the two mares raised their own flagons and clonked them together noisily. “Cheers!” * * * * * The horizon was glowing a faint blue by the time they made it to the agreed meeting place, far beyond the outskirts of Ponyville. Hammer and Anvil had already said their farewells, promising to visit their new friends whenever they could. They had not revealed anything about their past or present affairs, but had simply told the others that they could not stay for the night because of prior obligations. The hardest part had been telling Ditzy Doo that they had no address to which she could mail letters – she had looked absolutely crestfallen for a moment. Thankfully, she had cheered up at the prospect that the next time they visited, it would be a pleasant surprise – something to look forward to. As a parting gift, her brother had given them a little jar of blueberry jelly, and Berry Punch had invited them to a re-match, should they ever wish to finish what they’d started. Whilst they waited by the chariot, partially obscured from view in a grove, Hammer noticed that his friend was getting pensive, again. He seemed serene enough, but his distant gaze betrayed the fact that his thoughts were far away. With the festive atmosphere gone, it was apparent that he had not completely forgotten about the grey unicorn amidst the celebration – he had masked it rather well during the whole affair. “Still thinking about her?” “Yes.” Hammer gave him a look. Anvil rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. I will ask.” He sighed. “Summer Cloud deserved better than that. I should have made amends when we last met…” “She did not give you the chance – she ran.” “I wasn’t quick enough, more like. Two words would have sufficed, just two.” It would have taken more than two. They had been on opposite sides of a schism in the Royal Guard. Still, he could not fault her; she had done what she thought was best – they all had, even the loyalists. It was… regrettable that his friend had not come to terms with her on what had transpired, but there was little they could do about it now. He said nothing, though – Anvil would know that there would be no closure until he asked of her fate. Perhaps it was fear that held his tongue, the fear that she might have lived a lonely life, or perhaps found somepony else. The former seemed more likely – his friend was not the kind to be given to envy. Anvil opened his mouth and had been about to say something more, but turned away at the last moment. Hammer followed his gaze and spotted Princess Luna approaching them, mane and tail aglow and billowing in the pre-dawn dimness. Her eyes were half-lidded as she bobbed her head and half-trotted-half-skipped to a tune that only she could hear. His companion immediately shook his head and adopted a more cheerful expression. “You both look like you enjoyed yourselves,” Luna commented with amusement. “Will you be able to fly all the way to Canterlot?” Hammer’s belly was a little more bloated than he would have liked, and Anvil’s looked no less unflattering. With all the good food and drink they’d consumed, it was ridiculous to have hoped that she would not have noticed. The belly straps on his armour were rather tight, now. “Apologies, your Highness. We got carried away.” The blue alicorn snorted. “Rest easy, I am not in a mood to race home.” She yawned stretched her wings. “Besides, I believe my sister would want something of this sort to happen again – it’s good to see you looking… content. Perhaps in a month or two, you can progress to being happy.” Anvil chuckled. “Then it’s a good thing that you changed your mind about banning this festival. Those ponies were quite happy to hear.” He inspected her, and his gaze seemed to linger on the crumbs dotting the corner of her mouth. “You seem to have had a good evening, too.” “Indeed.” She grinned sheepishly and trotted onto the chariot. “Well, after a few setbacks, at any rate. It very nearly ended in disaster.” Once harnessed, they wasted no time in making for Canterlot. As they soared into the brightening sky, Hammer spared a glance back towards the town, but allowed his gaze to linger as it shrank into the distance. The last of its lights were disappearing as dawn approached. “Well, that went better than the last festival we attended,” Anvil suddenly remarked. Very astute. “Oh, yes,” Princess Luna assented, “Much better, indeed.”