Tonight I Shall Be Laughter

by Cloud Wander

At Last, Ponyville

Ponyville. Midnight:

Captain Bucephalus flapped tiredly into the Ponyville marketplace. He had flown more in this one night than in many a month before.

He touched down and looked about. Ponyville was more than a one-horse town, but at this time of night the streets were empty and silent, save for the soft batting of the lantern bugs in the streetlamps.

Ponyville had some small association with Princess Luna. There had been a welcome celebration here, after Her return. The Celestial Guard had taken the lead with security, of course, as their Principal was involved. Captain Bucephalus doubted that anyone remembered the lone pegasus in silver, hovering at a respectful distance.

It didn’t seem likely that Ponyville would offer many clues to the Princess’s location. But the night was young. One never knew.

During his flyover of Ponyville, Bucephalus had found that most of the buildings were dark. But there was one structure that was alight and so it caught his attention.

It’s a hollow tree, he realized as he approached. It reminded him of Canterlot, in a way. It sprawled more vertically than horizontally. It had balconies and terraces. And, yes, there! At the top: an observatory platform.

Its windows were all alight. And it stood out from the buildings around it in another way: from the branches and windows hung chains of paper lanterns, each glowing with a warm yellow crescent.

Someone must be home, Bucephalus thought. Perhaps I can gather intelligence about the Princess’s whereabouts here. I could use more intelligence, he admitted to himself.

Bucephalus stepped around a papier mâché crescent, ducked under some crescent-shaped lights and lifted a pennant adorned with a crescent to examine the sign underneath. A book. This is a library, he realized.

Research! That’s the key! Perhaps here, in some obscure tome, Bucephalus could pick up the subtle thread that would lead him to Princess Luna!

Never say die! he reminded himself. Bucephalus to the fore!

Bucephalus released the crescent pennant, ducked under a string of crescent balloons and approached the door festooned with a crescent banner.

As he touched the door handle, the ground floor lights went out.

Ominous, Bucephalus thought. Still, who dares, wins. Boldly, he opened the door.

Darkness and silence greeted him. He stepped inside, letting the door swing shut behind him.

“Hello?” he called. “I’ve come to use the library.”

No response.

Bucephalus moved into the center of the room. Perhaps I can find a lamp, he thought, groping in the shadows.

Then, behind him: a rustle of movement. Ahead: a cough.

It’s a trap, Bucephalus thought, grimly. Well, whoever these foals are, they will find they have met their match with me!

Captain Bucephalus lowered his head, bracing himself to charge. “All right,” he hissed under his breath. “Come get some, you mudders.”

The room lights came on.

“SURPRISE!” shouted Princess Luna and her friends.

Here’s an obvious fact: the distance from a pony’s brain to his hind legs is greater than the distance from his brain to his forelegs. Consequence: when startled, a pony’s rear is slower to react than his front.

When the lights came up and Bucephalus realized he was facing a roomful of harmless ponies, his forelegs slammed down into an immediate stop. His rear, however, prepped for a charge, carried on regardless.

His wings, caught between the two extremes, shrugged helplessly. Whatever, they thought.

The result was that Captain Bucephalus described a lazy forward loop-the-loop into the refreshment table, terminating with a faceplant into a tray of cupcakes.

Struggling blindly, Bucephalus brought one hoof down heavily onto the punchbowl, which flipped over and discharged its contents onto his head.

Ouch, he thought.

There was much excited shouting in his ears, little of which he could make out. Raising his fore hooves to his face, he scraped smooshed cupcakes out of his eyes.

Looking down his muzzle, Bucephalus discovered that a small alligator, wearing a tiny party hat, was clamped painlessly but firmly to the end of his nose.

Bucephalus found he could no longer help himself. His desire to grin became a desire to laugh wildly, and from that it became an urge to bray.

“HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW,” he bellowed, holding his sides. The little voice that clucked in his head, Dignity! Dignity! was simply overwhelmed and forgotten.

“HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW!” Bucephalus struggled but failed to raise himself from a floor slick with icing and fruit punch.

“Oh, Captain! Captain Bucephalus!” came one sweet voice from the center of the commotion.

Bucephalus looked up to find a handsome young unicorn with a thick black moustache standing over him.

That’s the second largest moustache I’ve seen tonight, Bucephalus thought. Somehow, the notion caused his laughter to re-double.

The young unicorn flashed his horn. The punchbowl lifted off of Bucephalus’s head. A pink pony rushed forward to claim the tiny alligator. Another sturdy orange pony moved to help Bucephalus upright.

“Hehhehhehheh, well, I guess he was surprised!” declared a blue pegasus wheeling above him.

“Oh, Captain Bucephalus, are you all right?” implored the midnight blue unicorn.

“Hahahaha! Sure, thank you, young fellow, hehe, I’m just fine,” said Bucephalus, finally back on all four hooves.

“Fellow?” said the midnight blue unicorn. “Oh, this ridiculous moustache!” The unicorn reached up and, to Bucephalus’s amazement, pulled away his moustache.

“Princess Luna!” Captain Bucephalus drew himself to attention.

(“Whoa! No way!” called the blue pegasus.)

(“Whut the hay?!” exclaimed the orange pony.)

(The purple unicorn rolled her eyes. Jocks, she thought.)

“Your Majesty, are you all right? Are you safe?” asked Captain Bucephalus, eagerly.

“Yes. Yes, thank you, Captain,” said Princess Luna.

“All is well, then,” said Captain Bucephalus, relieved. He bowed.

“Oh, Captain,” said the Princess. “Just look at you. So bruised and hurt…”

“Please forgive my lack of uniform, your Highness,” said Bucephalus. “I appear to have mislaid my armor.”

“That’s all right, Captain,” said Luna, her eyes shining. “I think I’ve finally mislaid my own.”

Luna turned to her friends. “Here is our Special Surprise Guest! Everypony! Please welcome Captain Bucephalus, Commander of the Lunar Guard!”

“Woot! Woot! Woot!” “So distinguished!” “Yay!” “Best knight ever!”

The assembled ponies (and dragon, and even alligator) stamped their approval.

Bucephalus waved, uncertain how to respond to the unexpected recognition.

Duty! Duty! called a tiny part of Bucephalus’s mind, quietly now.

Ah, yes. Orders, he thought.

Bucephalus paused. What he contemplated now violated all of the protocols of the Lunar Guard. Still, orders were orders. And what was life without a little risk?

“Luna?” he said.

“Yes, Captain?” she said, turning to him.

Very deliberately, Bucephalus placed a hoof gently across her shoulder.

“Caught you,” he said, grinning.

And Luna laughed.

Comments

[Thorax]

“Best knight ever!”

I assume you were using this to not only say best Knight but also Best night? If so that's quite clever.

[Cloud Wander]

414112 The "Happy Luna" competition included a few "signposts" to ensure that stories written for the competition were just that, rather than old stories dusted off and handed in.

Some of the signposts included in my story were: "Best (K)Night Ever", "I hate socks", "Luna baking" and "Covered in treesap".

I didn't include "Bunny Stampede." Well, what's a pony to do?

[Martsigras]

“Woot! Woot! Woot!” “So distinguished!” “Yay!” “Best knight ever!”

Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash?

[toafan]

I rather doubt I'd have noticed it on my lonesome, but the phrase "one horse town" takes on some new meanings in this 'verse. Hmmm........

[Crimson Dawn]

I loved it where Twilight calls AJ and Dash jocks.

[BlueYoshi]

“Luna?” he said.
“Yes, Captain?” she said, turning to him.
Very deliberately, Bucephalus placed a hoof gently across her shoulder.
“Caught you,” he said, grinning.
And Luna laughed.

Oh, he got you, Luna!