//------------------------------// // Date and Drinks // Story: Luna's Apprentice // by ScientistTrixie //------------------------------// “So, would you like to try a few rides first, or maybe play a few of the games?” Trixie said, idly eyeing the colorful booths to her left, her eyes lingering for a moment on her personal favorite; the ring toss. “I…” Luna hesitated, ears slicked back as a roller coaster came to a stop nearby, shaking the thick metal railing that supported the ride. “I am not so sure about these rides Trixie.” “What do you mean?” Trixie asked, stopping to look over the various foods a nearby stall was selling. She quickly snatched her bag, dropping a few bits into her magical aura as she purchased a funnel cake from the earth pony manning the stall. “Well.. they didn’t exactly have rides of this… magnitude before my time away.” Luna explained, staring at the coaster track nearby with a critical eye. Her ears twitched with each clack the coaster made as it ascended higher and higher into the sky. As the coaster approached the top of the hill and started its descent, the group of ponies riding it began screaming in delight as it picked up speed. Luna snapped out her wings in surprise, knocking the funnel cake plate from Trixie’s grasp. Trixie poked her top lip out as she gazed mournfully at the fallen snack, her gaze slowly drifting to Luna who was staring wide eyed at the coaster line. “How can you be scared of a roller coaster? Not only do you have wings and a totally unfair amount of magic, but you’re kind of immortal on top of it.” “...” After a moment of silence, Trixie sighed and slowly lit her horn, applying pressure to Luna’s flank and pushing the mare toward the coaster. “I don’t know Trixie, I just think... “ She trailed off as the coaster roared by on a track nearby. Her skin paled beneath her fur, as her eyes darted around rapidly. “How about that ride? We could give it a try instead!” Luna said pleadingly, pointing at a colorful ride across the fairgrounds. “The teacups?” Trixie cocked a brow at the princess. “You would be more comfortable riding the teacups? The ones that you wouldn’t even fit in?” Luna nodded, her eyes pleading. A small part of Trixie’s mind was rather fond of the look Luna was giving her. She promptly squashed down on that part and rolled her eyes. “So much for acting your age.” She muttered. “Fine. You win. Lead the way, scaredy cat.” Trixie murmured, turning to head towards the garishly colored children’s ride. She stopped as she bumped into Luna's flank unexpectedly, spluttering as the Alicorn princess turned a dark eye toward her. “What was that?” Luna said coldly, legs stiff as she slowly turned to face the unicorn. Trixie stared at her in surprise for a moment, before understanding clicked into her mind. “I was just saying, you must be an awfully big scaredy cat to be afraid of such a ride.” Trixie commented, moving to strut past the stationary Alicorn. “I just figured for one of the rulers of Equestria, you wouldn’t be so easy to -EEEP” Trixie yelped as a silky appendage wrapped around her back leg, sweeping her off the ground by her leg and lifting her into the air. Slowly, Trixie spun in place upside down until she was faced with a very unamused looking mare. “I am Princeps Noctis, Princess Luna, Ruler of the Night and all things inside its Domain. Keeper of the Moon, and Co-ruler of Equestria!” “The dark mare who challenged her sister for the throne!” Trixie continued for her, as calm as ever despite the blood rushing to her head. “The one who makes all, ponies and otherwise, bow to her in submission! The pony foals still wet their bed over!" Luna noticed the stares the two of them were now getting, and grew a little concerned. "I-uh…wouldn't put it that way anymore Trixie. Why are you-" "Oh, but what has happened to Equestria’s bold Princess!? Woe to Equestria! To think that one of its greatest protectors must run in fear of a rollercoaster! What would the carnies do if this knowledge ever got out!? Truly we are all doomed should the fairs and carnivals of Equestria rise up and-oof!" "....." “…..” “…You dropped Trixie.” “…That we did...now…if you are done…shall we go on this rolling coaster?” “Trixie thought you’d never ask.” Silently, they got in line together. As the minutes went by, Luna’s nerves began to fray, so she turned to Trixie. “If we are going to ride this, can we not skip to the front of the line and get it over with?” Luna asked, lowering her head to speak into Trixie’s ears over the sound of the intercoms and crowds. “Everyone has to wai-” Trixie murmured, her mouth snapping closed as she turned and looked at the alicorn beside her. “Yea, we can probably skip this line, actually. Come on!” The pair stepped out of line, Trixie giggling as Luna awkwardly crawled under the pony sized line railing. They approached the mare running the ticket counter at the front of the line, a magazine spread across the counter as she idly flipped through it, not even lifting her gaze to the two. “Excuse me, is there anyway me and my companion can skip this line and grab a car for ourselves?” “I’m sorry, you’ll just have to wait until your turn in line, but if there are enough seats we will do our best to accommodate your request for a solo car.” The mare said, shaking her hoof toward the spot they had exited the line. “Perhaps you do not understand, but I am Princess Luna. I am sure you could find us a cart.” “Mhmmm. Princess Luna, you say? Well, you can join the other princesses in the V.I.P. line to your right.” The mare said, irritatedly jabbing a hoof to the right, where several other ponies stood. Luna cocked her head at the various ponies, mostly mares, but with one or two stallions standing in a tiny roped off area. Luna's mouth gaped at the cardboard wings and colored cutie marks that some of the mares seemed to sport, with a select rare few wearing very realistic prosthetic horns or wings, depending on the individual. Many of the ponies were dressed after her own sister, while the others were dressed similar to herself. They even had one or two of the ponies dressed as Cadance, with a stallion being one of them. “Excuse me, I think-” “Please either join the VIP line, or return to your place in this line. We can’t have anyone hanging around outside the line ma’am.” The mare recited, in an obviously practiced manner. “You don’t understand, I really-” The mare slammed the magazine closed, a fierce glare on her face as she turned to stare Luna in her eyes. "...Nice get up, Princess, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to get security to throw you and your skanky date out of the fair, now. Cleft! Hey, Cleft!" A big, brown earth pony walked over and presumed to give Luna the stink eye. "Yeah Pop 'n' Fresh, what's up?" "Got a couple of line jumpers that won't take no for an answer." "Gotcha. Look-" Cleft put a hoof on Luna's shoulder. Trixie only needed a second to wind herself up to blast the idiot. That second was too long for several others in the area. "Gah!" Cleft was immediately forced to the ground by a half dozen bat guards, all of them shouting at once to frighten Cleft into not standing back up. "You're under arrest! Did you really think you’d get away with placing a hoof upon the Princess!?" “Whoa, wait!” The stallion protested, his words growing fainter as the bat ponies quickly dragged him away. Trixie took a moment to register what had just happened before turning to Luna. “So… Where exactly did they come from?” “They followed us here, today. Did you not notice half of the line we just skipped was members of my Lunar guard?” “Truthfully? No.” Trixie glanced back slowly, shaking her head as she finally spotted the various bat ponies hidden amongst the crowd. Well, not hidden so much as standing in plain sight in various positions around the area. Some were wearing armor, others were doing a fairly bad job of being incognito. “I am not paying enough attention today, I think.” “That does seem to be the case.” Luna responded, turning her regal gaze back to the mare at the booth. “So… Fresh, was it? May we go ahead and get a car?” The mare nodded her head slowly, her eyes still as wide as saucers. As the coaster came to a stop and others got out, Pop’n’ Fresh stood up and escorted them to the front of the coaster, Ignoring the rest of the line. As the pair entered the cart, a sudden thought crossed Trixie’s mind. “Why did he get arrested for touching you? I brush against you all the time and all I get is sarcastic comments from the guards.” “Well you’re my student, so of course you don’t count.” Luna explained, shrugging her shoulders as the mare wordlessly lowered the chest bar across them. It was a slightly tight fit for the alicorn, since they were not built with Princesses in mind. “Oh, yea I guess that makes sense.” Trixie nodded, a cheeky grin appearing on her face. “So, what you’re basically saying is I can just touch you whenever I want to?” “Yea, pretty muc-.” Luna froze, a blush on her cheeks. She opened her mouth to retort when the coaster jerked forward, click clacking up the tracks. Trixie stiffened as Luna’s wing jerked suddenly, almost clipping the mare. If the chest bar had not been in place, Trixie would have been sporting a serious headache. The cart climbed slowly, the sound of Luna’s chattering teeth nearly drowning out the sound of the chain pulling them up the incline. “Are you okay over there, Miss Princess of an entire nation?” “W-We a-are j-just f-f-f-innee.” Trixie sighed and placed a hoof on top of Luna’s who had a near death grip on the metal bar holding them in place. “It’s all right, Luna. Look, nothing bad is happening, right?” While Trixie’s hoof gently caressed her own, Luna managed to take a few deep breaths. Slowly, Luna looked around, catching sight of all the beautiful lights in the fair, the small fireworks a family was setting off on a hill close to the fair, and her own moon. If it wasn’t for the clacking of the coaster, it would be almost peaceful for her. “Y-you’re right, Trixie. I don’t know why I was-” The coaster hit the top of the rails and began making it’s way over the hump, leaving Luna breathless for several seconds as she gazed down the track she was about to plummet. “No No NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Trixie’s eyes widened in terror as Luna’s hoof grabbed onto her own and pulled. Unfortunately for Trixie, the restraining bar, meant to hold both Luna and Trixie in place, was loose for her due to Luna’s larger size. With one manic pull from the Princess of the Night, Trixie found herself completely out of her seat. Panic immediately set in. "Luna are you bucking crazy! Stop the ride! Sto-" She was silenced by Luna crushing her against her chest while screaming into her mane. A mane that was painfully close to Trixie’s ears. Never again. Trixie swore as she started fading in and out of consciousness. “W-wait...what?” Trixie groaned out in disbelief. She had only awoken a few minutes ago on the bench with Luna outside of the roller coaster. She felt a little awkward at the moment, as she was still lying down with her head cradled in Luna’s lap. She had been ordered not to move when she had tried to sit up. Luna grinned ear to ear while they sat on the bench outside the roller coaster. “I said that it twas fun. At least, after the first half. The anxiety at the start, along with that morbidly high fall was the worst of it.” Trixie sighed lightly, thankful for the cold compress that was on her head. “I’m glad it turned out so well for you.” she huffed. Luna chuckled a little, the rumbling it made causing Trixie’s head to bounce up and down slightly. “Oh, don’t be like that, my apprentice. If not for you, the ride would have been most unbearable.” Trixie eyed her curiously. “What are you talking about? I was unconscious for most of it.” “While true-” Luna lightly poked Trixie on the tip of her muzzle with her hoof. “It would have been much worse if I had not had something warm and soft to hold throughout it.” A touch of heat ran along Trixie’s cheeks, despite the cold compress. Trixie waved Luna off and rolled off the bench, landing on her hooves with only a slight stumble. “W-well then, now that Trixie has recovered, where to next?” Luna stood up and took a few steps forward. It took her less than a second of thought to reply. “Now that we have gotten over our...minor apprehension, it would be wonderful to try the coaster again.” “A-actually, how about we just do a few games before we ride it again?” “But I want to rid-” She froze at the pleading look on Trixies muzzle, her voice drastically changing as she swung her head towards the games. “Oh those games do look like a lot of fun though!” “Oh thank Celestia..” Trixie muttered, glaring at the princesses backside as she walked behind her. “I heard that.” “So. How are they doing?” Quickshot mumbled, idly rolling a piece of wheat between his lips. He laid stretched out on his back across the canvas of a nearby fair game, forelegs stretched out behind his head with his wings splayed out at his sides. “Well, they finally got off that stupid ride, so at least we don’t have to watch them go around it again. Looks like they're heading towards a fair game.” Silverwing answered. She was crouched further up the slightly sagging awning, head just peeking over the cloth as she followed the princess and her student. “Well that’s different at least. Which one are they heading towards?” “The one under us.” Dusk whispers, slapping at him with a wing. “Do you think they saw us?” “...” “...” “Nah..” “So, how do you play this game?” Luna asked, eagerly looking out over several dozen tall glass bottles. Her magic was enclosed around 20 small rings, each meant to fit over the neck of a bottle, if she was lucky. “Throw the ring, land it on a bottles neck. If you make five of them, you get a prize.” Trixie answered, waving her foreleg at the cheap plushes hanging from the booths faux ceiling. “Is that a tiny me!?” Luna squeed, horn alight as she drew a plush close. Indeed, it was a soft woolen doll replica of the Princess of the Night, complete with adorned jewelry. “I want this!” “Then you have to win it!” Trixie goaded, floating a few bits onto the booth owners counter, who happily passed her 20 rings, and nodded at her. “Princess,” The stallion bowed low, not quite meeting her eye as he glanced at the cloth above his tent. “Do you happen to know you have a few guards on mah roof..?” “Oh yes!” She replied, tongue stuck between her lips as she eyed the bottles through a ring, calculating distances and angles in her mind. “But don’t let them know you know they’re there. I have learned they prefer to think ponies don’t notice them.” She leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. “But honestly, how hard can it be to miss a pony in midnight purple armor with bat wings?” He stifled a chuckle as nodded. “Ah’ll keep that in mind. Well Princess, you and your friend can go ahead and play whenever you want.” Luna bit her tongue, magic flaring ever so slightly as she mentally cocked the ring in her grasp. It sailed through the air, landing perfectly around the bottles neck. “Oh my! This game is easy!” Luna cheered, moving another ring into position. It too sailed through the air, but leaped off the side of a bottles neck, falling to the ground below. As did the rest of the rings she had previously held. She stomped her hoof, glaring at the single ring taunting her from its position atop the bottle. “Tough luck.” Trixie said, munching on a small bag of popcorn off to one side. Tucked into the small saddlebag at her side was the very doll Luna was trying to win, its tiny head poking out of the saddlebags flap. “How did you get that!” Luna demanded, lowering herself so she was eye to eye with the plush. “I tried my best to win and I couldn’t…” “I know. You spent 20 minutes lining up each shot so after I won I went and grabbed some snacks…” Trixie trailed off, glowering at the princess. “Anyways, I’ve been around fairs half my life, I’m just lucky. Go ahead, try again and you might do better. Don’t worry about angles, just throw them.” Luna nodded her head sagely, taking the unicorns advice to heart. She turned back to the booth, slamming a few bits down again. “20 more rings good sir! I will win one of thy Luna plushies!” He raked her bits into his hoof before cringing. “Actually princess, Your student just won the last Princess Luna plush we have.. You are quite popular at fairs it seems! We do have quite a few Celestia’s though..?” He offered, waving a hoof at two boxes bulging with small plushes of the sun princess. “Bah!” She frowned, swinging her head toward the taunting Luna plush. “Can I have that one?” “No!” Trixie said, throwing her arms around it protectively. “I won it fair and square!” “I will.. Uhmm..” Luna trailed off, snatching at straws. “I’ll play you for it!” “What do you mean?” “Three different games. Winner gets the plush! Loser gets a Celestia?” She offered, wagging the other plush in her grasp. The stallion at the booth looked puzzled at how a Celestia plush was in Luna’s hoof, but wisely remained silent. “You won’t beat me, but deal!” Trixie wagered, a cocky grin on her face as she stuck a hoof in front of her. Luna shook it, turning her attention back to the ring game. She stepped forward, hesitating as she lifted the rings into the air. “Would you care to go first?” “I guess.” Trixie huffed, tucking her popcorn into the opposite side of her saddle bags. “One game please.” She levitated a few bits into the stallion’s hoof, a small grin on his face. “Watch and learn Princess.” Trixie flicked a ring forward, missing the neck of the bottle by a mere inch. “Oh..” She scrunched her nose in concentration. “Haha! Not so easy is it?!” “Oh hush..” Trixie said, throwing several more rings. With only 5 rings left, she had only nestled a ring around 3 of the bottles. “I can do this…” 2 more rings flew through the air, landing around two respective bottlenecks. She stomped the ground as the last 3 darted off to the side. “So.. You made five.” Luna said nervously, glancing at the bottles as the Stallion lifted her rings and reset the game. “I can beat that..” She tossed several rings, netting one around a neck. “Okay, so far so good..” A dozen throws later, and Luna had 3 rings left, with 2 rings on the bottles/. She huffed angrily, flipping another ring through the air. It bounced off the bottle and ricocheted back at her, coming to a stop around the princesses horn. “Are you serious.” Luna huffed, glaring at Trixie who was giggling. She tossed another ring, missing the bottles once again. “AHHH!” She screamed, heaving the ring at the bottles angrily. It hit a bottle, cleaving straight through the fragile glass and destroying several dozen glasses behind it. The stallion stared in horror, mouth open as he gaped at the broken bottles. Two heads popped over the side of the booth, eyes wide as they took in the scene. “I think that I won.” Trixie stage whispered, earning a snort and a glare from her tall companion. “How did… what am Ah.. Uh..” The stallion groaned, a frown on his face as he turned to the princess exasperatedly. “Send a bill to the palace, and I will see that you are compensated well for the lost wares from tonight.” She pulled a small paper out of her saddlebag, and passed it to the stallion. He took it gingerly, glancing at the paper before nodding at the princess. “Ah guess Ah’ll just pack up for the night then..” he said, a small grin on his face. “What was that paper?” Trixie asked, glancing back as they walked off. “It shows that he is allowed to skip towards the front of the day court line.” Luna answered, peering around at the other games through the area. “Won’t that just make the ponies who waited fairly mad?” Trixie asked “It is not my court, it is not my problem.” Luna responded absentmindedly as she spotted an interesting game across from them. She trotted over, receiving a hurried bow from the booth owner. A tall column sat at the end of the booth, while a large seesaw sat at the bottom. At the far side of the seesaw sat a large round weight, a golden bell at the top with a heavy hammer sitting at its base. She smiled at the mare, bits already floating in the air beside her. “How much for two games?” “4 bits each, your majesty.” The mare answered, nose still firmly touching the ground. “Here you are! Trixie, you go first again!” She declared, stepping aside for the mare to step forward. “Yea yea..” Trixie eyed the hammer warily, horn flaring brightly as she lifted it into the air. “Oh sheesh..” She lifted it up, sweat gathering at her brow as she slammed it down onto the seesaw, the weight shooting upwards before slowing just below the bell. “Oh, I did better than I thought I would…” Trixie murmured, with no doubts that Luna was about to beat her. Luna giddily stepped forward, hefting the hammer into her grasp. She made a show of bouncing it up and down, getting a feel for the hammer that was very nearly weightless to the princess. She stuck her tongue out, hefting it into the air and slamming it down onto the seesaw. The saw broke in the middle, with the weight screaming up the column and heavily denting the bell, which now made a dull thud instead of a clear ring. “Oh buck me..” Luna groaned, rubbing a hoof across her face. The owner of the booth fell heavily to the ground, eyes wide as she turned toward the princess. “Bill the palace, and I will pay for your missed night.” She drew another piece of paper from her bag and passed it to the filly. “Sorry about that… Come on Trixie.” “At this rate.. I hope you have a lot of those papers!” Trixie snarked, sticking her tongue out at the alicorn. “Shut your mouth…” Luna whined, glaring. She perked up suddenly, a smile on her face. “At least I won this time! That’s one to one. Winner of the next game gets the amazing Luna plush! And the loser gets this ratty old Celestia one!” Far away, Celestia’s brow lowered in irritation. “Hmm..” Trixie teased as they walked on. “Which would Trixie prefer to sleep with tonight? Celestia or Luna? Perhaps Trixie will lose the next game on purpose...” Luna gave her a playful glare. “How about you pick the game this time and we just see who is sleeping with who tonight?” “Fiiine.” Trixie rolled her eyes dramatically before peering around. While there was several other games like Whack a Diamond Dog, she was looking for something a bit more comical. Something that might lighten Luna’s souring mood. Her eyes came across several tables near a pony selling beers, and she grinned. “How about a drinking game?” Luna looked at her confusedly. “You’re challenging me to a drinking contest? You realize that I used to drink with the gryphon ambassadors? Being able to hold their alcohol was literally half the reason they go those jobs..” “Hmph, key word being, ‘Used’ to.” Trixie smirked, sauntering past the princess to a long bench with large beer mugs sitting haphazardly on its surface. A flare of magic to push the mugs to the side, and she found herself sitting across from Luna, bits already passing into the hooves of the nearby vendor. Two tall mugs slid down the bench, sloshing to a stop before each mare. The pair stared at each other, horn sparking to life as they lifted the mug into the air slowly. They threw back their heads, downing the entire mugs in seconds. Trixie wiped her lips, sighing at the cold rush of heaven crossing her muzzle. Luna appeared pleased with the beverage as well, judging by the grin on her face. “Not to complain, but you know that I am nearly double your size, meaning I can drink at least twice as much as you can.” Luna drawled, nodding at the stallion as he passed two more drinks down the bench. “We’ll see!” Trixie boasted, holding the mug in the air as she tapped the bottom of it with a hoof, draining it to the very last drop. “You may have years on me… And I mean quite a bit of years.. Like… Hundreds of yea-” Trixie snapped her muzzle shut at the glare from Luna. “I just mean, you may have years on me, but that does not mean I’m not an experienced drinker!” “It’s your funeral. Instead of boasting, how bout you get to toasting?” Luna prodded, smirking as the unicorn drowned her third drink. Less than a half hour later, and over a dozen cups littered the table, some standing upright while other were laying on their side as the Alicorn goddess stared at her student. Despite Trixie’s smaller body, she was keeping pace with the much larger Alicorn. Though it was clearly hitting her much worse than it was affecting Luna. She was sporting a mild buzz, while Trixie appeared to be very inebriated. Trixie swayed back and forth ever so slightly, a vacant smile on her face. She slouched against the bartop, her foreleg soggy with the remnants of spilled beers. Trixie tossed her head back slowly, draining the last of her cup as Luna nursed her own. “Anosher drink.” Trixie demanded, slapping a hoof into a puddle of beer again. Luna grimaced as she wiped the side of her cheek, subtly shaking her head at the stallion before he could pass them another round of drinks. “Actually, Trixie I think we should be getting back to the castle. But,” Luna added, seeing the mare’s face scrunch up in protest. “I’m gonna need your help getting back, because I don’t think I can get there myself.” “Whyzzat? Are yous shrunk or something?” Trixie slurred, frowning at the mugs as they lifted into the air and floated to a nearby cart. “Oh, yes. Quite drunk actually.” Luna giggled to herself, lurching from side to side in faux drunkenness. “I didn’t expect you to drink so much and now I need your help getting back to our tower.” Trixie stared for a moment, a large happy grin erupting on her face. “Yahs means I won! I won ze-the contesht?” She pulled out the Luna doll from a side pocket on her saddlebags. “You did.” Luna said, smiling bitterly at the doll. Trixie squealed and hugged it tight against her chest, and Luna felt a flare of heat across her cheeks. “Come on, let’s head back.” Trixie stumbled to her hooves, groaning as she fell to one knee for a moment. Luna shook her head exasperatedly, before effortlessly snatching the mare up in her magical grasp. Trixie yelped in surprise, floundering and kicking for a moment before going limp, a low gurgle coming from the drunken mare as she tightly held the doll under one hoof.. Luna snorted at Trixie, a smile on her face as she set out towards the castle, her student bobbing in the air before her. She knew that if Celestia saw Luna’s student this sloshed she would get scolded as a poor teacher, but, it was worth the risk for Luna to be here. In this moment. This time last year, Luna could just imagine herself locked away in her tower, trying to update herself to a now modern world. But ever since meeting Trixie, she had found someone who needed their own updating, who was as lost as Luna was, in their own way. And Luna had become responsible for her, despite what Trixie said on the matter. Over these last few months, Luna had found herself learning more of the modern world than she ever had on her own. She gazed at her student, mane falling in ripples down her shoulders with her… dress… hugging all her curves. The sight of the exposed skin, especially at the shoulders and small of her back sent a blush to Luna’s cheeks that she was sure was visible from a distance. As much as she tried to fight it, the mare was quite certain Trixie had wormed her way into the alicorn’s heart. She smiled as a light tune filled the air, coming from the mare floating above her. She floated her closer and realized the mare was humming, although she didn’t recognize the tune. She listened to the peaceful humming as she passed through the gateway into the castle, her eyes sweeping out over the cityscape below her. It always amazed her, how a thousand years passed and the night was no longer feared. It made a warmth spread in her heart just to think about. “Ah, Auntie Luna.” A posh upper crust Canterlot accent interrupted her musings as she entered the castle grounds. “I see you have spent some time tonight attending the little festival I have brought to Canterlot this year.” He nodded sagely at her, appearing to be the standup generous stallion he tried to be, but Luna could see the conniving brat behind his carefully sculpted image. While it was true he was part of the council that allowed events like fairs to use the grounds around Canterlot, he barely spent time on such duties, let alone helping with the yearly specifics. “Yes, the fair was quite fun.” Luna replied, looking past her nephew to gaze at the two mares hanging on his every word. “How are you this fine night?” “Quite well. As you can see, I have some beautiful company tonight.” The prince turned, winking at his companions, who tittered noisily behind him. The brief exchange of a few simple pleasantries proved to her that they were nothing more than eye candy. They giggled at all the right times, and boasted his fragile ego at every opportunity. It was sickening. “I look forward to the next fair, now that I’ve had a brief foray into one.” Luna said, wishing banishment was still an accepted way to deal with annoyances. “It was my first social event in quite a while.” “I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. I see you even took your student.” Blueblood noted, acting as if he just noticed the mare floating nearly in front of him, or couldn’t hear the humming still coming from her. “Too bad she is so attracted to the drink. Perhaps next time the fair comes around, you might have better company.” He said, smiling at her with a hard glint to his eyes. She felt a flash of anger cross her face before she schooled her features into the nobel mask she normally wore around the more annoying members of the rich and lofty. A groan signaled that Trixie had realized they had company, and with a quick flare of magic, she was deposited on her hooves in front of the prince. “Good evenin, blueby!” Trixie slurred, wrapping a foreleg around his shoulder. He grimaced, leaning away from the dirty mare, and frowning at the beer suds now on his pristine white coat. “On your way to the fair? Have fun!” She spotted the two mares beside him, glancing up and down their shiny coats and beautiful dresses. “Oh, my mistakes. I’m sure you will have some fun sooner or later, if you could just pull that big stick out of your plot..” She hesitated, not noticing the angry scowl appear on Blueblood’s face. “How dar-” Blueblood began, only stopping as a green hue appeared on the mares cheeks. “N-!” He screamed as the mare vomited suddenly, splattering the prince with a mixture of beer and funnel cake. She stared at the angry stallion for a moment before falling forward, unconsciousness quickly claiming Trixie once again. “Wake up Trix. Come on, it’s time to wake up.” “Whosat..” Trixie slurred, rubbing at her face sleepily with one hoof. “Oh, you stubborn mule..” Luna muttered, horn alight as she slowly tugged the vomit stained dress over Trixie’s shoulders. She cracked a small smile as the mare grumbled loudly and curled into a ball, hooves hugging her silvery tail. Luna whisked the mare into the air effortlessly, dragging her covers down as she tucked the drunken mare into her bed. Luna smiled down at the unicorn for a moment before turning toward the door, her eyes drifting to the saddlebags sprawled across the floor. The Luna plush stuck out of the side pocket, and Luna couldn’t help sneaking a backwards glance at the bed as she plucked the stuffed animal from the bags. She turned it in the air, studying it from several angles before snorting and moving to replace the tiny goddess. A light whimper emanated from the unicorn behind her, and Luna had the sudden thought to tuck her student in with her new found “prize”. As Trixie wrapped her hooves around the tiny alicorn, Luna idly wished she had a camera at hand. Sighing, Luna set out toward her bedroom, her hooves echoing across the cold stone floor as she ascended the tower, heading to her sprawling chambers at the top. As she walked, her mind drifted to the night’s events, and she quickly found that it was one of the best nights she had had in the last year. She nodded her head at several of the castle staff that tended to work late, greeting the few she knew by name, and waving at the ones she didn’t. As she approached her own bedroom, she heard the quiet rustle of armor as her sentries stiffened at the sight of her. “At ease gentlemen.” Luna chided, smiling at her bat stallions. “I shall be turning in now, so please keep it quiet until mid morning at the earliest. If my sister comes by, especially about the fair tonight.. I am not home! Got it?” She said, glancing between the two, wide eyed. At their nod, a small weight was lifted from her shoulders and she allowed herself to bask in the feeling of utter relaxation as she walked into her room and closed the door. The princess drew herself a bath, basking in the warm scent of lavender and moon dew as steam curled listlessly across her bathroom mirrors. As she stepped into her bath, easily the size of a small swimming pool, she could feel the heat already working at the small knots in her joints. She sunk into the water, turning herself onto her back as she floated aimlessly, wings twitching every so often to push herself further away from the rims of white marble. She nearly choked on her bath water as a sudden thud sounded from outside her bedroom, followed by a stifled snicker from one of her guards. She could hear one of the stallions speaking, but his words were lost in the air between her door and bathroom. She swam to the edge of her bath, neck craned to the side to get a glimpse at her doorway. Suddenly, three loud knocks sounded out. “One moment.” She called out, huffing slightly. As she exited the bath, she summoned all the water into a small orb, her coat drying perfectly as she crossed into her bedroom. She sat down in the middle of her room, a comb plucking at her magical mane as she closed her eyes. “Come in.” Several long minutes dragged by without a sound. “I said, come in.” Silence. She strode across the room irritably, yanking the door open quickly as she stuck her head out into the hallway. She froze at the sight of Trixie, head flat on the floor as the mare snored lightly. Luna glanced at her guards, who stared forward as if there was not a unicorn snoring at their princesses door. “Trixie.” Luna prodded the mare, who, after almost a minute of this, finally stood up ungainly. “Didn’t I just put you to bed?” “Iwash coming to give you your plush…” The mare murmured, trailing off quietly as she stared at Luna. “What?” “I came to give you… The plush.” Trixie said, shaking her head as she went nearly cross eyed. “No, Trixie. Do you not remember? you won it fair and square.” “I know you let me win.. Yhour a allycorn..” Trixie snorted, horn sparking erratically as she pulled the plush off of her back. She pushed it into the alicorn’s hooves, despite the princesses protest. “Trixie, please. Just take the plush, go back to your room and get some r-what are you do-mmf!?” Luna squeaked as Trixie snagged her head in her magic, pulling the surprised alicorn closer to the unicorn and mashing her lips to Luna’s. The kiss was sloppy, but warm and earnest. Luna didn’t get the chance to figure out how she felt about it, as it started and ended far too quickly for her to keep up with. As Trixie released her mentor’s lips, she turned and sprinted down the hallway, hooves clattering as she stumbled over her own forelegs. Without another word, the mare vanished around the corner, leaving a dumbstruck Alicorn holding a tiny plush of herself and two slack jawed guards. Luna’s tongue licked over her own lips nervously. She could taste the alcohol in her mouth that wasn’t there before. Had Trixie used her tongue? She didn’t remember Trixie using her tongue, but, the last half a minute was a blur in her head. “I thought I said no visitors until mid morning?” Luna finally stammered after the silence stretched slightly too long. “I-I didn’t see anyone. Did you Silver?” Quickshot muttered, feigning ignorance. “Nope. Nothing happened out of the ordinary. Night Mother went into her room and we didn’t see her again until the morning.” Quickshot nodded, “That’s about all I remember as well.” “Y-yes...well…” Luna turned around and walked back into her room, plush firmly under one foreleg. She was going to have a hard time sleeping after this. “Good night.” It was several minutes after the door closed before either of the Night guard looked at one another. “So,” Silver started. “Tonight totally happened, right?” “Pfft, just try and stop me from telling the others about this.”