Night Patrol ch 22
By Foxgear
One week has passed since the Battle of Rainbow Factory, and things have returned to their regular routine for Night Patrol, but their mood was gloomy at best. Only a few days ago they held the funeral for the fallen, Alto sang for them again, bringing many of them to tears. The names of the lost etched in stone on the castle grounds.
For Luna, the past week has been spent laying in bed, recovering from magic exhaustion, and undergoing physical therapy. During this time, very few ponies have been allowed to see her as per doctor’s orders. Only three ponies in total, not medically trained, her sister, Applejack, and Nightingale, have been allowed to disturb her interminable boredom while recovering.
Celestia came by every day to see how she was recovering and keep her up to date with what was going on in Canterlot, which was in a frenzy with the majority of the nobles gone. Blueblood was proving his worth, though, keeping things as under control as best he could and keeping the lower noble houses from trying to usurp positions of power. Neither her or Celestia were sure what to do with the political situation in Canterlot right now, but there was a mountain of ideas to choose from, and she was sure they would find the answer soon enough.
Applejack visited her every other day, going between her duties a Night Commander and checking up on Rawhide, who had been injured in battle. From her reports, he will lose his right eye. From what Applejack as told her, Rawhide was taking it well, even jokingly saying it made him look fiercer. Getting used to the lack of depth perception was another story. Applejack joking reported he was having trouble navigating doorways.
And the final pony to visit her this week, but the one to visit the least, only once to be precise was Nightingale, though it wasn’t during the regular visiting hours. Luna remembered that night well. It was the night of the funeral after the ceremony. She had just been brought to her bed to rest when Nightingale came to her crying.
The wingless Pegasus had all but thrown herself before Luna, pleading for forgiveness for what happened to Dusk. For bringing the young unicorn along with her to the battlefield, blaming herself for Gadget’s missing leg and his current state of depression. All of it was too much for Nightingale to bear, and it was clear to Luna she passed the breaking point.
So she just held her, like a mother would newborn, letting her cry into her coat rubbing Nightingale’s back. Eventually, Nightingale fell asleep against her, and Luna entered her dreams.
Once inside Nightingale’s dream state, she found Nightingale standing on the edge of a cloud, still wingless. The wingless mare trotted nervously in place, and Luna knew what she was thinking, and she had to help her no matter what.
“Long’s way down isn’t?” She said, catching Nightingale by surprise. The wingless Pegasus looked down for the first time and seemed to have a case of vertigo as she quickly stepped away from the edge. “It’s frightening not being able to fly isn’t? It makes you wonder how you so carelessly did it before, doesn’t it?”
Nightingale remained silent, nodding her head. Luna wrapped a wing around her and brought her closer to the edge again.
“But you’re not afraid of falling, are you? No, it’s not the fall you fear, but the guilt, the look in other ponies’ eyes as you pass by, the words they whisper when they think you’re not there. That’s what you afraid of. That’s why you hid in the back of the crowd during the funeral, why you avoid interacting with others ponies. You’re afraid of what they will say about you, how they will judge you for your mistakes, it would be easier to jump wouldn’t? Then to see your friends turn against you. Believe it or not, I was in the same position not that long ago.”
Nightingale turned to her with tears streaming down her face, “What do I do?” She croaked.
“I don’t know,” Luna admitted, “I can’t promise you your fears won’t come true. There will be some who will not take kindly to your actions, but I know this is not the answer. You are a strong mare Nightingale, you have endured a lot and made your share of mistakes, and you will make more, it’s all part of life.”
“It’s not the others I care about though,” Nightingale admitted, two clouds appeared across from them, Gadget on one, Fierce Fury on the other, “It’s what they think that I’m afraid of.”
Luna nodded in understanding, “I see, then you will have to speak to them, but only when you are ready too.”
Nightingale wiped her tears, “I will, soon… thank you, Princess.”
Luna smiled, hugged her one last time before exiting the dream.
The following day Luna found Nightingale gone from her bed and inquired about her whereabouts from one of the staff. Seemed the wingless Pegasus went to the library and has been sitting alone staring at a chessboard.
After Nightingale’s visit, no pony came to visit her other than her sister, probably so she could rest, but that was about to change! For today Luna felt she had the strength to move under her own power. She taking first steps in a week and nearly falling due to her limbs being stiff, after a few paces to get the blood flowing, Luna could walk normally. She’d still have to take it easy, but at least she can visit other ponies now, and there was one she was desperate to see.
Entering the hall, Luna walked toward the library, coming to a stop at the second to last door. She took a moment to smooth out her mane before knocking, receiving a weak “come in” and entered the room.
Inside was spartanly decorated, save for some armor and tools, the pony she was eager to see was lying on his bed. She smiled standing beside the bed, the nurse on duty bowed her head and silently left the room, leaving the two them alone.
“How are you doing?” She asked, not knowing what else to say. The pony on the bed laughed weakly and smiled back at her.
“I’m doing fine, throat hurts a lot, so does the rest of me, but I’ll live according to the medics.” Sixes replied, shifting in his bed, so he could give a proper salute, Luna stopped him and levitated a glass of water over to him when he started coughing violently.
She frowned, staring at the golden scar that ran down his throat. “That was a foolish thing you did, eating the yellow Alicorn amulet, what were you thinking? Did you even give a thought as to what that thing might do to you?”
Sixes continued to quietly drink his water, drinking the entire glass before answering. “If I had known what the thing actually was, I might have given it a thought. I figured it was something like Gadget’s gems, and we eat those all the time. I kind of guessed this might have a little more punch to it, but as far as it being some ancient artifact, no clue.”
Luna sighed, Sixes was making it so hard to be mad at him right now. The Alicorn amulets were the stuff of myths. Hardly any ponies knew they exist. Of course, Sixes and any other Rinin wouldn’t know a thing about them. She couldn’t blame him for not knowing what it was. Still, it was stupid of him to eat it.
“Has anypony come to visit you yet?” She asked, circling around the room. Despite living only a few doors down, this was the first time she’d been in this room since Sixes moved in. Before it was a guestroom for visiting royalty, it was supposed to be kept tidy to the highest quality. Good thing the former head maid wasn’t alive to see its current state, she would not approve of Sixes housekeeping or his lack of housekeeping.
Sixes rolled to his other side, wincing sharply from his wounds, but he preferred to keep eye contact with his princess. “Fury stopped by and gave me a good ass-chewing. Overheat stopped by, and then there is Crusader he… well, his visit was awkward.” Sixes chuckled, looking away. “It’s strange having a son just come out of nowhere, and all grown up too, it’s hard to connect with him.”
“He’s only been alive a week, give it time,” Luna advised. What could one expect when one became a parent? “Applejack told me Crusader has joined the newest batch of recruits with many other of the freed ponies. They will be quite the addition to our ranks.”
“Maybe,” Sixes grunted, rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. “They’re not like us. They have memories, and their own group functions separately from ours. I think many of them will wish to see the world denied them for so long. It’s only a matter of time until then we’ll give them the proper skills to survive in this world.”
Luna looked worriedly at her Night Commander’s reflection in the mirror on the wall. “Is that your desire to Sixes? Do you wish to leave and see the world as well?” She tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice, but she couldn’t, the thought of her Night Patrollers, leaving frightened her to the bone.
In the mirror, Sixes turned, so he was facing her backside, she didn’t have the will to face him directly right now. “I’m right where I want to be Luna, I’m not going anywhere.” He said with conviction, she quickly swiped her hoof to hide her tears of joy, but she couldn’t stop laughing with happiness as she turned to face him, with what she was sure was a big stupid grin.
“That’s quite a bold move saying my name without my title.” She said jokingly, Sixes grinned at her as he wrapped himself in his covers.
“I think we can blame that on the medicine, probably making me loopy, you know?” Sixes chuckled, closing his eyes. “Doc says I need more sleep (YAWN) I think I’ll catch a couple z’s quick. You still gonna have that feast for… what is it again?”
“It’s the Hearth’s warming eve festival. I’ll be sure to have some food sent up to you.” Luna giggled as Sixes falls asleep right in front of her. Quietly she pulled his blanket over the rest of his body and exited the room.
Luna was salivating at the mouth when the smell of fresh-baked bread reached her nose. After a week of nothing but soap and finally being able to move around. Her appetite came back with full force. The heavenly scents of the kitchen only made her stomach demand a more hefty meal. She was confident the chefs wouldn’t miss one little cupcake… or two… or maybe a whole pan.
Carefully tiptoeing into the realm of delicious treats, Luna took pause to notice the kitchen was unguarded by its usual staff, leaving all the tasty treats at her mercy and while not as fun, she was hungry, so she took a plate of fresh hot cupcakes and gorged herself on them. It made her wonder, though, where were the staff?
As she passed a storage closet, she heard something strange. Curious Luna pressed her ear against the door and heard… groaning?
“Is somepony in there?” She asked, tapping on the door. There was a crash of something falling over, and a clatter of hooves as the door swung open to reveal the head chief, an earth pony name Triple Chocolate, a thin mare with a dark chocolate coat and white mane, though she was looking slightly red right now.
“Princess Luna! How… wonderful it is to see you! Is there something you need? A snack? A treat? A full course meal?” The mare said, frankly in a tone much higher than usual, leaving the princess curious and concerned as she tried to look deeper into the storage room.
“What I have will do for now, but are you all right? You seem rather flustered?” Luna tried to poke her head behind the door, but Triple chocolate blocked her view every time!
“Nothing’s wrong! Everything is fine! Nothing to see here as you can see!” Triple Chocolate said really fast, which only further drove Luna’s curiosity.
“Then, where are the other kitchen staff?” There was a musky scent in the air, different from any baked goods Luna had ever smelt before.
“On break!” Triple Chocolate replied quickly with a big nervous grin.
Luna’s curiosity was quickly turning to annoyance. “All of them? Every single last pony is on break?” Triple Chocolate nodded. “Very well, I will leave you to it then.”
As Luna walks away, she heard Triple chocolate sigh in relief, before the earth mare knew what happened Luna force the door open with her magic, earning a gasp from the head chief with her turning deep dark shade of red as it was revealed Overheat was in the storage room… erect and suddenly, that musky smell made a sense.
“I… ah, …we…”
With her own blush Luna coughed into her hoof as she looks anywhere but at the two, “I’m…I’m just going to go. Please clean thoroughly when you are done and some advice… use a different room.”
Triple chocolate gave a shaky bow. Honestly, Luna was surprised she didn’t faint from embarrassment.
Her appetite gone. Luna decided she should go and check on Gadget. The inventor pony was the most affected by the last battle, and losing a child was never easy, even if they might be alive. As Luna trotted past the infirmary, she came to a stop spotting a rinin standing outside the door. She knew he was one of the recuses, so she decided to talk to him.
The pony was orange with blue crystals on his joints, including his wings. He was looking into the infirmary where Emerald Cutter lay, and she suddenly noticed the similarities between the two. Little things that went beyond coat and mane color. Not many ponies had crystals on their joints either. Carefully she approached him, not wanting to scare him with her presence.
“Is there something you need help with?” She asked, tapping the rinin on the shoulder. He looked at her with surprise, making a quick bow with his head before returning to watching Emerald Cutter. “What’s your name?”
“Topaz Slicer,” He replied solemnly, “Her brother, I was supposed to go with her when she and the others were being sent out for their “natural testing,” but I was held back. They didn’t want two ponies with the same genetic code in a group of ponies that were having their memories erased and meant to bread. At least they didn’t want a mare and stallion with the same code.” Topaz laughed, “They tried to separate the triplets, but that didn’t turn out so well, the one brother they separated killed three researchers. There were others like that, too.
Luna’s ears flatten, “I’m sorry. I wish we could have done something sooner.”
Slicer shook his head, “No, what’s important is that you did something in the end and put a stop to it all. Things are better this way. I’m kind of jealous that she doesn’t have to remember what happened, yet sad because I know she’ll never be the pony she was before. She’s a new pony now, with a new life, she doesn’t need to know about a long lost brother or anything like that.”
“Still, she’s your sister…” Luna argued weakly, knowing he had a point. The past was the past, and no pony could change that. Still, it was hard to simply stand by and watch Slicer isolate himself from his only family. “Don’t you at least want to interact with her? The old her may be gone, but you can get to know the new her as friend and comrade at the very least.”
“Maybe,” Was all he said as he walked away, leaving Luna to wonder how many more ponies were in the same position. Lost in a new vast world, their former friends and family having no memory of them, it had to be hard, but at least they still had each other.
Her mood down Luna wondered about her own sister, Celestia, they have been spending a lot of time together since ousting the nobles and attacking the factory. On second thought, maybe spending time together wasn’t the right phrase. They’ve been in the same room and have been talking, but they haven’t really just sat down, had a cup of coffee and tea, and just be sisters for a while.
As much as Luna loved being in the spotlight again and gaining recognition among the common ponies. She knew it was only a matter of time before she and her sister crossed horns again. They had such different ideas on how things should be and how things should be done that friction would only naturally come between them. Maybe if they took some time to actually talk to each other in a less political setting, they could come to some agreements.
Making her way to the stairwell that divided the castle, Luna debated who to see first, Gadget or Celestia, both were ponies of great importance to her, but one perhaps was in more need of her than the other right away. She turned to head for Gadget’s room.
Sitting in darkness with only the light glow of candlelight to aid him in his planning sat Gadget at his workbench, before him a blank page. A wet quill floating above the paper, dropping tiny ink spots onto the paper. He chuckled dryly, tears stinging his eyes. When Dusk was around, he always had an idea on his mind, something he could invent or make better! It was like a river of endless possibilities!
Now though, there was nothing. No ideas to write down, nothing came to mind. Gadget didn’t know what could be invented or what could be improved. In fact, he didn’t care! He tossed his quill aside, slamming his head against the desk! It didn’t matter anymore! What was the point when the one he was working so hard for was gone? He went through this once before when his wife died, now with Dusk gone… he knew long ago he wouldn’t have the strength to keep on if she were to leave him too.
There was a knock on the door, but Gadget didn’t bother to answer or even ask who it was. He just didn’t care anymore.
“Gadget?”
His eyes snapped open, recognizing Princess Luna’s voice. Her tone was heavy with concern and remorse. Her hooves clicked against the stone floor as she trotted over to him and touching him on the shoulder. He made no move to give any of the usual pleasantries.
“Are you…” She stopped midsentence, knowing the answer to her question. “I know you’re not in the best spirits right now, and no sane pony would be after what happened, but are you really going to give up? Even if there were only one chance of seeing her again, wouldn’t you want to take?”
“There isn’t even a one in a million chance of me finding her,” Gadget drawled emotionlessly, “I sent her tumbling through a portal that could have sent her anywhere in the world, and that would be if the thing had been working right, which it wasn’t, so she’s might be anywhere in the world or lost in time and then there the possibility of her being in another world entirely! Gotta thank Starswirl for figuring that one out!”
Gadget rose up, anger leaching into his voice. “The mere idea of finding one filly in such an equation would be one in infinity! I wouldn’t even know where to start or even where or when to look! If she had died, I could have at least had some closure! But no! The fucking universe saw it fit not only to take my wife from me! Steal my daughter’s childhood! And now to just kick while I down send my child tumbling through space and time! Tell me princess! Tell me how life can be that fucking unfair! I know it isn’t supposed to be fair, but there should be some balance, right? Something to even it all out! There is no harmony without chaos, well, what do I get for all this misery?” Gadget fell on his haunches. “What do I get for losing everything?”
Luna reached out her hoof, “Gadget…”
“Don’t call me that!” Gadget yelled, smacking her hoof away, “Do you know why I changed my name? Why I stopped being Starwind the Beardless?” Luna shook her head, Gadget laughed humorlessly. “I changed it after my wife was killed, not because I needed to hide, but because I needed to change. Red Soul, she died because I was always too busy inventing to be with her like I should have been. I decided that I would be Gadget, the inventor that looked after his family, not the one that ignored them. I guess I really didn’t change, did I? I was just as worthless of a father as I was a husband.”
“Don’t you say that! Don’t you say that!” Luna yelled, grabbing Gadget by the shoulders. “You were the best father Dusk could ask for! She loved you! That’s why she went back for you because she wanted to protect you! You did the best you could, but sometimes even our best isn’t enough, but you need to decide now is what are you going to do? Are you going to continue to be the father that failed her? Or will you be the one that never gave up looking for her?”
Gadget looked away from her, “Leave me… please… I…I need to think.”
Solemnly Luna nodded and left him.
Gadget crawled back up to his stool, looking at the blank paper and then to the picture of him and Dusk standing on the deck of the Moon Cutter. He seemed to the blank canvas again and dipped his quill ink and began to draw.
Luna sighed deeply as she exited Gadget’s room. A lot of ponies were in very dire emotional states and there was no way she would be able to deal with them all and stay sane. Helping a pony in a dream is one thing, she could see everything clearly there, all their fears lay bare before her, and it was easier to help them where she could control the environment to further aid in their recovery.
Face to face was a different story. It wasn’t easy, nor was it clear what needed, and even her own emotions played against her when she had to stand and watch the pony torture themselves in the real world, where she had little control over what happens.
Taking a calming sigh, Luna suppressed her fears on the matter she could not break, at least not in a place like this. She needed to maintain a calm and robust image for her ponies. However, she would be lying if she denied that she needed some help. Her thoughts wander to her sister, making her smile, a visit with Celestia would do her good.
Trotting up the stairs to the west wing of the castle, Luna entered Celestia’s corridor and was preparing to knock on the door when she heard voices inside, voices as in more than one. Knowing it wasn’t right to spy but curious as to who could be in her sister’s room, she tapped the door open slightly and peered inside.
Scanning the room, Luna spotted Celestia pacing in a circle in the center of her room, Crusader, the last experiment of Rainbow Factory stood in the center of her room. Luna wondered what Celestia was doing, she was looking closely at the Rinin, asking soft questions she couldn’t hear, but when Celestia had Crusader unfold his wing, she mimick the motion, so her wing was parallel to his.
Luna blinked uncertain of what she was seeing, but the wings were a perfect match, down to their size, shape, and even the arrangement of the feathers, but the similarities didn’t end there. They were also the same shade of white!
Curiosity driving her, Luna cast a spell to improve her hearing.
“So you were made with Sixes blood and a large white feather?” Celestia said, plucking a feather from her wing and comparing it to Crusaders. The similarities were uncanny.
“Correct, that is what… Sixes said.”
Celestia frowned, “Are you afraid to call him, father?”
Crusader’s brow frowned at the question, “No, I have called him that several times and he has said little to protest it and I have even visited while he was recovering, but… it was awkward. I don’t think either one of us is really confrontable with the situation. I was created from his blood without his consent, my appearance is almost identical to his. I am more of a clone than a son.”
“You shouldn’t say that about yourself, you are your own pony, though you like the other Rinin were brought into this world differently that doesn’t make you any less than a pony born naturally.” Celestia smiled, wrapping her wing around him. “I can’t speak for Sixes and what his feelings on the matter of you being created from his blood are, but for me, I would enjoy having a son once again.”
Luna quickly ducked away from the door, not even bothering to close it as she sprinted away. Her heart racing in her chest as she flew down the steps, her mind a maelstrom of emotions, one part of her was happy and excited about the news, but the other part was not so joyous, dare she say she was jealous? If so, what was she jealous of?
These thoughts plague her as she retreated into her room and locked the door. Hissing as her sore legs screamed at her for running when her body wasn’t ready to. Hobbling over to the mirror, she levitated her comb and some water and began washing her hair, the action calming her by its mundanity.
“Perhaps I shall stay here till the feast begins,” She reasoned, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She smiled, the mirrored reflection of the emotion appeared fake and forced. She pulled hard on her comb, working the knots of her hair loose.
For a moment, her pupils appeared silt. She blinked, wondering if she just saw things. She shrugged after seeing her usual eyes and resumed her task of combing her hair.
The hour of the feast came, and all of Night Patrol was in attendance or at least most of them with a few exceptions. Namely, Gadget, which left Nightingale worried and relieved at the same time. She was fully intended to talk with the inventor, but first, there was a pony she was doubly eager to speak with, and right now, she was having a hard time locating him.
“Have you seen Fierce Fury?” She asked a random pony who shook his head. The noise in the main hall was deafening, she could barely hear anything with all the chatter.
Weaving through the crowd, Nightingale passed by the Royal sister’s chairs and gave a meek wave to Princess Luna, who waved back with a small smile. Celestia was preoccupied with a four-tier tall multi-flavored cake, but she did wave a stained chocolate hoof in her direction.
The heat of the room rose with the number of bodies, feeling hot Nightingale made for one of the many balconies for some fresh night air. She sighed the chilly night breeze caressing her coat felt terrific.
Falling on her haunches, she looked up to the night sky, the stars were bright tonight with few clouds to block the view. Nightingale reached for those clouds longing to sit on them and look down at the world from on high.
Nightingale sat there for several minutes, completely tuning out the world until she heard the sound of wings. She looked around, spotting Fierce Fury gliding through the sky, performing a set of advance aerial moves. She gasped in awe, cheering for the Rinin as he glided down to her, landing right in front of her! Her cheeks burned by his proximity, how breath and body hot from exercise.
“Um… hi…” She said lamely, mentally kicking herself for such a stupid greeting. She was acting like a lovesick teenager, she was a love-struck full-grown mare! Some class was expected.
“Good evening,” Fury greeted, looking around the balcony. “Why are you out here and not at the party?”
“Why are you out here flying and not enjoying the party?” She shot back, once again kicking herself. First she comes off lame, now rude? (Why don’t I just throw liquor in his face!)
For several awkward seconds, Fury stared at her, and all her hopes were fading with each passing second, salvation only coming when he sighed and looked away. “I just needed to be alone and think for a bit is all,” He answered.
She smiled, moving around to his right side, “Me too, still a bit noisy in there for my current mood. Would you mind taking me up there for a while?” Pointing up to the clouds.
He nodded and took off the ground, hovering over Nightingale he wrapped his front legs around her midsection, his claws interlocking tightly to keep her secure. With a little effort, he managed to lift both of them off the ground and up into the sky.
The sight of the ground growing further and further away brought tears to her eyes, from up here, everything seemed so tiny, yet large at the same time. In one direction, the Everfree forest stretched on forever. In another, the lights of Canterlot castle glow in the darkness, and throughout the countryside, little huddles of huts glow with candlelight, it was amazing!
“Is this high enough?” Fury asked dropping her onto a big fluffy cloud. Nightingale ecstatically nodded, jumping onto the white fluff, rolling around and throwing bits of cloud into the air like a foal in snow. Nightingale froze suddenly realizing what she was doing and lying on her back, she looked to Fury, who was smiling at her.
“Yeah, this is high enough,” She answered, face burning red, rolling on her belly. “It… I… I miss this, being in the sky, that is. I was born in the sky after all, so it just kind of natural, but… well, you know.” She bowed her head. “Thank you, thank you for bringing me up here.”
Fury nodded, taking a seat at the edge of the cloud and looked out into the distance. Silence filled the air, but it wasn’t an awkward one. Nightingale made her way over to the red Rinin and sat down next to him, following his gaze, she saw he was staring at the moon. They sat there, not saying anything for quite some time.
“I’m glad,” Fury said suddenly, breaking away from the moon to look at her. “I’m glad I was able to help you. I know it’s been hard for you, since the Crystal Empire, I was your squadmate, and I wasn’t able to help you, in fact, if it wasn’t for what you did. We all would have died there.” Fury reached out with his claw and touched her scars, regret written clearly on his face as he stared at his own claw, the claw he had lost two talons on, and had somehow grown back. “I wish I could help you more.”
“I was just doing what needed to be done, nothing more, and nothing less. Even if I were to go back, I would do the same thing again, though maybe I would try to avoid the changeling that got my wing. Too bad there's not a time travel spell that Pegasus can use.” She laughed, earning a small smirk from Fury. “So I’ve told you what was bugging me, how about you tell me what’s bugging you? It’s only fair, right?”
(That’s fair, right? Dump your problems on a pony, and you listen to their problems?) Nightingale’s smile wobbled, she shifted in her seat while Fury stared out into the vast empty night sky. (Shit, did I come on too strong?)
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Fury spoke, “Really, I find the whole thing silly to be so bent out of shape about,” Fury began, “But it does bother me, what those bastards in that factory did to me. I don’t know if you heard, but I was once a Pegasus named Ferocious. I was an orphan in Canterlot before they took me, and that’s all I know. I’ve been wondering what he was like, what were his dreams? I’ve never had much ambition for such things, there is no dream or goal I’m working towards, no destiny that I want, but yet, after seeing Crusader receive a mark. I find myself wanting one.”
“You want a mark to tell you your destiny?”
Fury shook his head, “No, not that. Crusader got his mark after declaring who he was, he who had been alive for only a day, knew who he was and me? I’m not sure anymore. Am I Ferocious the foal robbed of his life and freedom, or am I 1330, an experiment that’s will never know it’s purpose or am I Fierce Fury, the Night Patroller?” Fury chuckled humorlessly, “Like I said, the whole thing is stupid. After all, why should it matter right?”
“Well,” Nightingale began, “Why can’t you be all three? They are you, and you are them, and together they make you. It reminds me of a story my mother told me about the phoenix, and I wondered when a phoenix dies and is reborn is it the same phoenix? Does it remember its past life or does it start a new? I think the same thing applies to you.”
“A phoenix, huh, sounds about right. So what was the answer? What does the phoenix do?”
Nightingale smiled, “I think it decided to remember its past, but not let it hold him back.”
He smiled at her, butterflies fluttered in Nightingale’s stomach as Fury wrapped a wing around her, sweet Luna she wished he understood Pegasus customs right now!
“It’s getting late and a bit chilly, are you ready to go back down?” He asked her as she snuggled against the warmth of his coat. A mischievous smile played on Nightingale’s lip, making Fury raise a brow at what she could be thinking.
“Actually,” She said, “There is one something else I would like to do up here.”
“And that is?”
Nightingale looked up into Fury’s eyes, the light of the moon washing over them as she rose up and kiss Fury’s lips. At first, he didn’t respond. She hung on, keeping the kiss going wanting to get as much as she could out of this moment, and when her heart was on the verge of breaking,
He pushed back.
It was late at night, or maybe it was early morning, he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter he was too happy. The happiest he’s been in the past week. For tucked lovingly between his hooves was his last and only hope of ever communicating with his daughter again. Everything rest on a single magic book.
Gadget, no Starwind, smiled at his newest creation, it wasn’t a machine or gizmo like his other inventions. It was just paper intertwined with several advanced spells. Spells he had to borrow from a particular bearded unicorn, but he put his one-sided rivalry aside only this once or maybe forever. He wasn’t sure yet, the point is he had done it!
Collecting the book embroiled with the mark for infinity, Dusk’s emblem. Starwind carried the simple object like it was a national treasure slowly making his way to his daughter’s room, the sound of his new metal leg thumping against the stone floor was his only companion. Another invention he’s just completed, which lead him to discover an even more fantastic idea, but it would have to wait.
Standing outside her bedroom door Starwind looked at his daughter’s toys and decorations, cataloging everything into his mind since it would be the last time he would be able to enter after this.
Levitating the book onto the bed, Starwind touched the sheets one last time. His plan was simple. He knew were ever Dusk was or whenever she was, she would no doubt return here to her home and when she did this book would be waiting for her, a lifeline for her to call. Anything written in the book would be sent to his book in the other room, it was designed to send messages through time and space and even beyond worlds if such a thing is possible.
It was a big stupid and illogical gamble, but what did he have to lose for it, several nights sleep? He laughed, he would give up a thousand night’s sleep to see his daughter again. Of course, there was something to lose. To keep the book safe from time and thieves, he had to lock it away in her room with spells to keep out the elements, the decay of time, and anypony that didn’t share his DNA. The place would be sealed, locked in time, and it could not be entered again without breaking the seal. That was the funny thing about time spells, they could only be used once.
“Goodbye, Dusk, sweet dreams, where ever you are.”
His last goodbyes said Starwind the Beardless sealed away his daughter’s room, leaving it just as she had left it.
Solemnly he walked back to his desk and stared at his book with his own mark and waited.