Old Dog, New Trick
"Alright, so remember, DON'T bow. It may be a sign of respect here, but to them, it's a sign of submission."
"Understood."
"And always keep eye contact."
"Yes."
"And whatever you do, don't insult them."
"Princess Luna, it will be fine. We have prepared for this for weeks."
"Well, I'm glad you have confidence."
"They are ambassadors. Politicians. We can handle them."
"Lark..... I did not tell you before as I did not wish to worry you, but at the gate were no mere emissaries. It was Rothak himself, and his personal guard." That is not good. Not good at all. While I appreciate her not telling me to spare my nerves, I was going to find out eventually. Now I'm worried. Nobody knows what he will attempt. From Luna's description, he's as cruel and heartless in his negotiations as he is in battle, and definitely something to be afraid of, especially if you haven't had much practice in the past thousand years......
"Okay then, we can't panic. If we panic, he'll tear us apart. It's simple, I'm your lycanthropic butler, who willingly offered his services in return for help controlling myself. It was completely voluntary. If they say I should come with them to complete my training, It's no longer required since I already finished it. I'm staying here no longer from debt, but because I still haven't decided where to go, which will be entirely up to me and I won't be swayed by political influence."
"Yes, that's good..... but what if they don't buy it?"
"Well, I'll just have to stay near you and look at you affectionately. Well, if it comes to it, we can always play the 'romance' ploy."
"Romance ploy?"
"While I hope it will not come to this, given no other alternative, in order for both of us to save face, we can claim to be in courtship. I, the lowly musician, became entranced with you when I first saw you. This would be ample explanation for why I decided to remain with you instead of seek them for assistance with my condition. Your kindness in aiding me where no other could only deepened my feelings, which I would confess on the spot. The profession would then provide ample reasoning. You reject my advances, stating you are of noble blood, and I am a lowly butler, at which point I proclaim my determination to win your heart, regardless of circumstance. It would be a convincing show, and that would get them off our backs. If they ever return and I'm not there, just say I've gone on a quest to prove my worth. After all, I am a wanderer." Luna blushed at the explanation of my contingency plan.
"Well, it is quite the clever ruse...... let us hope that we can avoid that, and save us both some humiliation."
"Of course. It is a last resort."
"Attention. High King Rothak demands presence in the court of Princess Luna." A lowly squire hound proclaimed.
"His request is granted." Luna replied spitefully while sitting on her throne, next to her sister. I stood by the lunar princess's side, holding a tray with teacups and pot, with my violin strung over my back. The main doors opened, and a ten foot tall diamond dog, covered in scars, wearing full knight armor of a dark steel, with two wicked great swords on his back in a cross, entered the hall, flanked by a dozen or so lesser dogs carrying spears. The ground shook as he walked, until he reached the center of the room. Several other dogs struggled to carry a large throne into position behind him, which he unceremoniously slumped into. His eyes were dead locked on me, and I returned his gaze.
"High King Rothak, a to what do we owe the honor of this visit? It is a long way from Cavernicus, I trust this is not a social call." Celestia stated. The titan of a hound cleared his throat, and spoke in a gravelly voice.
"Celestia. It has been far too long. I see your sister is once again in your company?"
"Indeed I am. My banishment ended three years ago."
"And who is this? I do not recall....."
"I am Lark Wolfe, Luna's butler and the very reason for this meeting." I replied, pushing up my glasses.
"This is a royal discussion, not a place for servents whelp. I suggest you learn your place." I moved closer to Luna.
"I know my place, and it is right here. Perhaps you should learn yours....." He fixed his piercing gaze on me and growled, a growl which I returned with equal force. Then to my surprise, he began to laugh.
"Bahaha! That's good. Good. I was worried for a moment that the princess had managed to break your will. You are indeed strong. Not even my highest general has dared to look me in the eye and state his defiance. You will make a great addition to the pack."
"I will not. My will is my own, and I submit to none." His laughter stopped, and his voice turned sharp.
"You will not submit to me, yet you bow to the ponies? Pathetic whelp." He stood. "You try my patience. You are our kin, and you will submit to my rule, or face me in battle."
"I am NOT your kin. I am of no relation to you or your pack. I am a hound by demon's curse. The waters of Styx flow through my veins, and my mere presence brings ruin."
"Then your keepers will not mind if I take you off their...... hooves. You are canine. Regardless of origin, you ARE kin." This isn't working. For every reason not to go, he finds three more for why I belong to him. Looks like it's time to pull the trump card. Luna, forgive me. I turn to her and nod, and she nods back.
"I do not mind his presence, and he has yet to bring me to ruination." She stated.
"Perhaps.... but for what reason does he remain here? If he is not bound by shackle or chain, nor by duty, then he is free to return with me." Here goes.
"You are correct. What binds me here is not shackle, cage, or chain. Nor is it duty or debt. I am a slave in no way but one. My heart."
"Oh?"
"I came to this world by a witch's spite, and found myself beaten and broken. I sought Princess Luna of my own accord, in hopes that the spirit of the moon might help me in taming my curse. When I first saw her.... I was stricken with her beauty. I begged for her aid, which she offered freely. She charged no fee, but I insisted that I serve in any way I can as recompense. Over time, her caring and kindness ensnared my heart, and I would gladly supplicate myself to her. In these many months, I have made great pains for her comfort, in hopes of winning her affections. Princess Luna, I may be a fool, but it is my earnest desire that we may enter courtship, in hopes that I may one day marry you. Will you accept my love?"
Now, turn me down. Then I can proclaim that I will continue my efforts regardless, and that'll get him to leave. Here it comes......
"Lark, in the time you have been here, I have grown fond of you. You have seen me in a way that no other has, looking not in fear but with admiration, something I have not felt all my life, and led to my banishment. You have cared for me in ways that no other has, and so I am glad to accept your offer of courtship." Wait..... WHAT?!?! No, no no no, she was supposed to refuse! Luna, by all that is good what are you doing?
"As co-ruler of Equestria and spirit of the sun, I bear witness to the proclamation of courtship between Lark Wolfe and Luna Moon." Celestia, you traitor!
"As ruler of the hound lands and spirit of the earth, I bear witness to the proclamation of courtship between Lark Wolfe and Luna Moon. Who am I to break up blossoming love?" You too Rothak? "But it seems we have made an error. No hound would romance a pony. This is a mere butler. Where is the werewolf, our spirit ancestor?" Oh, you little.....
"I am he. If you require proof, I would gladly provide it."
"Very well, show me."
I closed my eyes, and turned my focus inwards, mimicking the sensation of the full moon's light on my skin, and picturing the pale circle in my mind. I removed my tuxedo shirt to not tear it as the changes came, my hair growing into fur, my mouth turning to a muzzle, and fangs coming in. My knees reversed, and my fingers turned into thick claws. Finally, a tail sprouted from my spine, and the changes were complete. I stood before the titan of a dog, now only slightly shorter than he, and looked proud as I wrapped my arms around Luna from the side, allowing her to nuzzle me.
"I believe that confirms the claim?" Luna smirked.
"Very well. Treat him kindly. We do not take it well when our kin have broken hearts." He grumbled, then stood and left, the ground once again shaking as he walked. As soon as he left, I scooped the princess up and carried her to her quarters, where we waited in silence for my changes to reverse, as I could not yet control that aspect, and could not speak while transformed.
"Princess Luna.... what the HELL was that?"
"Why are you upset? The plan worked flawlessly."
"Yes, but now we're courting. You do know what that means, do you not?"
"Of course I do. It means we will go on romantic outings until the point in time that we decide that either it isn't working out or that we shall wed."
"Why did you not refuse my advance?"
"Well, one thing you did not take into account in your brilliant plan is that one of the actors may actually have feelings for the other, and would change the scene to fit her desires. Why, did you not mean what you said in the throne room?" Luna pouted playfully.
"I.... well....."
"You cannot lie to me. I am the spirit of the moon after all, your governing body. I could tell quite easily that you meant everything you said in there, and for one, I am quite glad you feel that way, because so do I."
"You mean to tell me that you are interested in me romantically?"
"I do. You are one of the kindest, most generous and caring beings I have ever met, and were not afraid to look past my frightening exterior. Not to mention I haven't had a date in over a thousand years, and while you aren't a pony..... you have a certain...... attraction about you. This doesn't mean we're going to be 'involved', merely that we're going to give it a chance. Don't ruin it or purpose either, or I shall be very cross." She flicked her tail in my face and looked over her shoulder at me while biting her lip as she walked out.
"What have I gotten myself into.........."
Well, that escalated quickly. No, this isn't going to be mindless romance. Spoiler, it doesn't work out, and they break up. Luna is too manipulative for him to actually enjoy being with her, as there's always a hidden agenda.
938822 CURSE THY SPOILERS MUST THROW FIT AND UNTIDY ROOM
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........ Ok then. Didnt see that coming. I was rather more hopeing for a bit more of what I call the court battle, an argument which uses evidence to see which side has the better claim.
.... his wolf Dick will change Luna's mind Blackwing.
yay cool
The limit for character tags is five. How in the world did you manage to put in nine?
Aww, c'mon! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Twilight_Sparkle.png It doesn't work out? But it was so cute.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh sweet Celestia this is fun
938983 Because I'm the mutha bucking BLACKWING that's how.
Thanks for the spoiler, never would have enjoyed the story if it wasn't there
939002 Can't tell if sarcastic or sincere.......
938994 If you don't want to tell me you can just say so.
939014 I'm not going to tell you because I honestly don't know......... It's magic.
939013 No, I seriously don't enjoy watching a story play out.
939026 I put the spoiler because if I didn't....
"OMG, Luna ship fic? Lame! Gary Stu! Unfaving. Great, another fic devolves into mindless wish fulfillment."
938983 BECAUSE HIS WINGS, SOUL AND HEART ARE OF THE SAME SHADE! YOU DO NOT DOUBT THE MIGHTINESS OF BLACKWING!
...
That and this story was made before the 5 tags only rule...
939040
Oh. Thanks, that makes sense.
Now. It's time to read....
424181 We channel the Internet DIRECTLY INTO OUR BRAINS!!! HEE HEE HEEE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
right out of left field that one
Seemed a bit rushed to me. Though then again, when I see just lines of dialogue without any descriptions or details I always assume a rush job. It definitely could be when compared to those wonderful earlier chapters, especially the first few!
I am wondering if he's ever gonna be in an action scene again, perhaps against a diamond dog? If I remember correctly he tore apart a manticore with ease. Can't really imagine a diamond dog or the High King himself would be much more difficult even with those weapons and all that armor... Though if I read and interpereted the text above correctly then is Rothak as old as Celestia and Luna? Or did I read that wrong?
Always the fuckbuddy option.....JUST THROWIN IT OUT THERE.
939152 Nope, you got it right.
939036 Does that really happen? I was thinking of shipping a few characters in my story. But I won't if people hate it that much.
938919 Holy shit. My sides!
"Lark..... I did not tell you before as I did not wish to worry you, but at the gate were no mere emissaries. It was Rothak himself, and his personal guard." That is not good. Not good at all. While I appreciate her not telling me to spare my nerves, I was going to find out eventually. Now I'm worried. Nobody knows what he will attempt. From Luna's description, he's as cruel and heartless in his negotiations as he is in battle, and definitely something to be afraid of, especially if you haven't had much practice in the past thousand years......
I'm not a paragraph expert, but the story focuses on Luna's dialogue and suddenly shifts to Lark's thoughts. To me I think these should be two separate paragraphs. The paragraph after the one I just quoted felt a bit...jagged. Sentence structure seems a bit crude for Lark. Also the scene with Rothak seemed a tad short/rushed. It felt a bit too "straight to the point."
Don't let that get to you I thought it was a great chapter, I just think it could've be improved in places. I'd suggest reading up on when to use commas as well as on how to avoid fragments/comma splices. Fragments aren't "illegal" in dialogue, and can help bring out the fic when speech pacing matters, but for large sentences it can appear sloppy.
938822
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938983 The tags never apply themselves until you go in to change it, little design flaw there.
BlackWing, what the hell man? I got all worked up, and now you gotta spoil it?dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_RageFace.png
This better be the best damn breakup scene I've ever read, or else I will fucking eat you.dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Rainbow_Dash.png
939583 My thoughts exactly.
Rothak shoulda made them kiss. That would have been awkward, yet, humorous. All I can see in my mind is the 'Now KISS!' meme
938822 ...Now you made me wonder...I'd be willing to be you have a twist in there where they get back together again....Or you're just trying to make us think uselessly, to power your brain machine that absorbs the thoughts of people...Is Luna REALLY the manipulative one here? Damnit...I just can't figure it out...
well....this is...BUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!
Don't question it Lark. Embrace it gently......or put it in a blender on "Annihilate" mode.
... K then...
Whoooaa moving pretty fast kinda, but I guess since they took a long time training I guess its ok.. But I'm holding you to your word that this wont become some cheesy romance thing!! But I've liked it so far werewolf in equestria. At first I was thinking skyrim, but this is better. Just plz.. don't go overboard.
Well. you gotta give it to Luna, when she sees a chance she takes it.
Dear Princess Celestia,
YOU TRAITOR!
-Lark-
938822
I'm not sure if you're serious or trolling with that "Spoiler" so I'm going to keep an open mind.
939036 Ironically I was about to hit the like button when I saw the *spoiler*. That was a close one!
939198 Bullshit, YOUR origin story for the Diamond Dogs make the species younger than the Princesses. Ergo "Rothak" the diamond dog, king or not, CAN'T be as old as Celestia and Luna.
938822
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942283 Not so. I said thousand 'S' of years ago, not 'A' thousand. Therefor, they could have been diamond dogs BEFORE the banishment. He's not AS old as the princesses, he is younger, but not by much....... only a couple thousand years, and he became the immortal spirit of the earth by means I won't explain.
942363 Who mentioned them post dating the banishment? Given that Luna is the one that taught the original pony-lycans control and thus laid the ground work for their descendants to become the Diamond Dogs you would have to be a complete idiot to believe they DID'T originate at least two thousand years before the Banishment. I was calling bullshit on your saying oldtimeydude interpreted the text correctly when he said, "Though if I read and interpereted the text above correctly then is Rothak as old as Celestia and Luna? Or did I read that wrong?". ON GUARD! *parry, slash, THRUST!*
(Plus: "became the immortal spirit of the earth by means I won't explain."?! Dude everyone KNOWS Lycans are the only logical choice for Immortal Earth/Forest Spirits!)
Good going Lark, you old dog getting with Princess Luna, she is best princess.
942418 Ho! Haha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust! My bad. So, he's not as old, but just about.
943751 *GASP* Now you just got yourself killed! NEVER ~thrust~ against a crazy like me! We will LET you then kill you while you try to recover your blade, then who will finish this story?!
938822 Or what you could do is listen to readers and have them fall in love. Luna could play the part of what she thinks to be a passing fancy and him fall in love with her. When she ultimately turns him down he shouts something about true love and stuff and run off to Everfree or the diamond dog kingdom. She then finds she truly loves him and chases after him. Then they meet in some battle and (for lack of a better phrase) kiss n' make up. You get to have a nice emotional roller coaster and a Huge Fight all ending with true love. Whats not to love?
Anywho morale of the story listen to your readers all powerful voices, delete that first comment, and beg for forgiveness mwahhahahahahahha.
Hint: Forgiveness in the form of a shipping is the only acceptable outcome.
I had busted out some music from the Ace Attorney series for this one...
...I still used it. Definitely made the scene more epic.
Because the author is always sincere when stating what will happen, and this is in no way just a method for throwing the reader off and sparking debate.
I for one look forward to seeing how it plays out, whether or not the ship sets sail for high waters. Even if the Luna Lane has been thoroughly explored by other adventurous captains before. I'm hoping that the ship sails by Luna Lane and docks in Celestia Bay, even if the ship goes by black sails and prefers the dark cover of night.
I like where this is going, although, I think it went a little too fast since the Diamond Dogs knew about Lark and his Lycanthropy to this chapter
And I'm saying this now, BlackWing is lying to us !!!
They are gonna fall in love, get married and have Human-Alicorn-Lycan-Somethingmore Babies !!!