His vision started to blur as he flew his way home, as the tears started to flow. How could he even of went, she was no different than the rest of them. He didn't see a tree fast approaching until it was too late, looking up to see the massive trunk of an oak tree everywhere. He hit the trunk full speed, and fell to the ground. He looked up and saw a bunch of yellow birds flying around his head. He groaned a little as he fell over, passing out.
Twilight and the others started their search around the town, except for Pinkie Pie, who bolted off for the old dirt family farm.
Latenighter opened his eyes to see the trunk that had knocked him out, and turned his head a little to see a starry mane. He followed the mane to see the violet alicorn it was connected to. He looked over and seen Princess Luna, jumping up, he tried to bow, holding his head.
"Art thou alright?" Princess Luna asked. "Or are you just sleeping under the tree."
Latenighter looked up at the princess before he spoke. "Princess Luna, what are you doing here?" He asked the bringer of the night.
"I have noticed that your dreams have been troubling lately, and I was on my way to talk to you when I saw you under this tree," Princess Luna said as she used her magic to heal the massive bump on his head. "So can you tell me what is wrong Latenighter, my friend?"
Latenighter looked at the princess, before turning away. "You are a Princess of Equestria, you don't have time for my daily struggles," he said, a little embarrassed.
Princess Luna's face went from caring to almost a snarl. "Latenighter, don't you ever insult us like that again," she said, bringing her hoof over to Latenighter's chin and bringing his face back to hers. "Yes, I am a princess of Equestria, but that doesn't mean that I don't have time for other ponies. I make time for all of my subjects, either in the waking world, or in the world of sleep, even for their daily struggles," she said as her face returned to it's previous caring state. "Now tell me what has my first friend from this time so troubled?"
Latenighter sighed as he opened his mouth to speak, he wasn't going to be able to keep it in forever. "Well, I guess it all started when Pinkie told me a couple days ago that I was finally going to meet Twilight Sparkle," he started.
"So you met the unicorn that freed us from the moon?" Luna asked. "Was she like you expected?"
"No Princess, she wasn't. She was just like the rest of them," he said slowly.
"Whatever do you mean, I have seen the way she cares for her friends, why would meeting another make her any different?" the princess asked, deeply interested in the conversation.
"Well, I guess looking back, it could of kinda been on me too," Latenighter said. "We had lunch at the local hay burger joint in town, and the prices were so high and I didn't have enough bits to even afford a single hay burger," he said.
"And you didn't ask for any help for payment?" Luna asked, a little confused.
"No Princess Luna, my family, we have deep rooted traditions that we were raised by, and I couldn't let them pay for my meal," Latenighter said, a little embarrassed.
"Ahh, traditions, I see now. Yes, I know how hard it can be following traditions, and I understand now why you left, but do you think that you could of went about it differently?" Princess Luna asked.
"Well, maybe I could of stuck around and watched them eat, but that would of just been degrading," Latenighter stated, looking back to the oak tree that felled him earlier.
"What I mean was you could of talked to them about it, maybe gotten them to go somewhere a little easier on bits, or even asked if they could help you out on the payment," Princess Luna answered, moving so that Latenighter was looking at her again.
"Maybe Princess, but it was my first time meeting her, and I thought that she and Rainbow Dash were going to start making fun of me," Latenighter said before breathing out another speech under his breath. "Like the others."
Luna's ears perked up at the sound of his whisper and looked deeply into his eyes. "They have been bothering you again, those three mares, haven't they?" Luna asked, looking extremely concerned.
"Yes Luna," Latenighter said just above a whisper. "I used to fly over Ponyville when I went to check the fields on the other side of town, but now that Pinkie and I have been hanging out, I have been walking through it again, and everypony has been noticing again. All I heard the week before last was Poor Farmer and....., Blank Flank," Latenighter said, a single tear coming to his cheek, and rolling lazily down until it became air born and fell to the ground.
Luna Brought forth one of her wings and pulled the stallion to her side. "Let no pony tell you that you are not unique Latenighter, I have seen through your words that you will become an author Pony one day, and one day will possibly change the world with those words. and I do understand your financial situation, but I do think that in time the bits will come to you as well, and know that through these times, the ponies that take time out of their day to talk to you and be your friend, will be there for a long time," she said with a comforting smile. She noticed out of the corner of her eye a pink fluffy tale poke it's way over a bush, as if looking to make sure the coast was clear. "And I don't think I am the only one who thinks this Latenighter," Luna said as she gestured to the tail that had popped back up.
Latenighter looked over and smiled as he seen the tail reemerge from the bushes.
"I will leave you to make your apology Latenighter," Luna said as she took a couple of steps back before taking off the ground. She began to fly north when she stopped and turned around, "And I am still waiting for your newest story," before returning to her path and flying out of sight.
The tail in the bushes began to wag and Latenighter sighed as he called over to the pony that the tail belonged to.
"Pinkie, you can come out of the bushes now," Latenighter called.
As if on queue, the tail grew a body and jumped out from behind the bush. Pinkie Pie walked over to the young Pegasus before exploding in speech.
"Latey, we have been so worried about you, Twilight thought that you left because of her and she felt so bad and now she and Rainbow Dash are out in Ponyville looking for you, I knew that you wouldn't be in Ponyville so I ran straight for your house when I saw Princess Luna talking to you, hey, I didn't know you were friends with Princess Luna," Pinkie said, all in a single breath. She gulped in another and began to speak again, but Latenighter placed his hoof over the pink mares mouth.
"I am sorry for leaving earlier Pinkie, and no, I didn't leave because of anything Twilight said. It was stupid of me to leave without asking if we could do something else or help me," Latenighter said, pawing the ground.
"Ok Latey, well now we want to know if ma can cook for us?" Pinkie asked, looking to where Latenighter used to be, but found only a dusty replica of him there. "Now why would he leave this time?" Pinkie asked herself, "Sounds like bad writing to me, am I right," Pinkie said to a nearby cloud, that said nothing in return.
Just then she heard the voice of one of her friends, Applejack coming up the path.