Sorcha
It had been raining by the time the two fledglings reached the bar, a few miles away outside the walls surrounding the castle territory. It had been by mere chance that Luna had heard about the secret location, hearing the whispers by the servants in their hall. A race, the whispers went, to declare the fastest flyer in all of Canterlot.
It took her best manipulation skills and some mane pulling to get Celestia to agree to accompany her, and even more for her to abandon thought of bringing any guards with them. Luna wanted nothing with the guards, not only because they were annoying, but because un-doubtfully, they would report her activity back to her parents, who would be less than thrilled about her nighttime adventures out of the castle.
It wasn’t her first adventure; often she liked to fly out, race her shadows along the light beams the moon casted, feeling an eerie glow of strength every time she basked in the pure, white light. Each time she went out flying, and she felt as if she could circle all of Equestria and the unknown lands beyond. There was nothing stronger than her during her night races, and she wanted her chance to prove that for once, she was better than her sister at something.
Celestia had turned up the collar of her cloak by the time they reached the door that was guarded by a burley stallion, though Luna let her mane stick to her neck as the rain licked her betwixt her ears, her hooves disturbing the puddles as she approached the guard. The door pony looked like he belonged more in a field pulling a field plow than standing there with the longsword strapped to his flank. Then again, Luna wasn’t one to judge; she wasn’t supposed to be in places like this, at least as far as royalty went. Not that it ever stopped her from going places as she pleased before.
“Coin entrance fee,” the postpony grunted before they could enter. Celestia paused, blinking past her cloak hood at him.
“Entrance fee? To a pub? Since when?”
“Since for one, it is after pub hours, and for two, it’s a special occasion. Three coins.”
Glaring at her sister as if she blamed Luna for the waste of coin, Celestia started to summon forth the coins with her horn, but with a low snort, Luna interrupted her with a significant look. Celestia paused, and then remembering that their identity as princesses were supposed to remain incognito, she grudgingly lowered her head to nudge underneath her cloak to the secret pocket, fishing out three coins.
“That’s three coins, each. Sorry,” the guard said as Celestia dropped the coins into his sidesaddle pouch, not sounding sorry at all. Scowling, Celestia looked like she was about to argue, but with another snort from Luna, snorted in anger and dipped her head into her cloak again.
Luna stared at the guard as he stood there with a bored expression, waiting for his payment. He gazed straight ahead, hardly flinching as she leaned in, studying him.
“Can you sing?”
The guard blinked, finally glancing down at her. “I open the door.”
“But can you sing?”
The guard considered it, look her as if he expected it to be a trick question. “No…I have never attempted.”
“Luna.” From behind her, Celestia dropped the coins into the guard’s saddle again, giving her sister a small glare. Raising her shoulders in a shrug, Luna flicked her ear at the stallion before moving her hooves forward to the pub, her older sibling following at her flank silently.
There was a din to the pub, and immediately her senses were attacked with overload; the smell of tart apple liquor and fried or roasted snacks swirled her scent glands, accompanied with the smell of sweat on damp pelts, sour breath and the faint smell of stable hay. Tables and bar counter tops were flooded with ponies lingering around, all nursing their drinks or cracking a peanut, eyes flashing as the eerie glow of the lanterns bounced off their pupils. Cloaks kept faces shadowy and indistinct, and Luna couldn’t help but notice with a practiced eye how many of the garbed ponies were concealing weapons under their cloaks. She wondered if regular earth pony civilians were suffering with mysterious disappearances or deaths like they were inside her castle.
There was an undertone of excitement and maybe some anxiety among the pub-goers, and Luna’s ears couldn’t seem to decide where to settle as they flicked and pivoted on her head, catching snatches of conversations.
“…Fastest sky-flyer in all of Canterlot-“
“-Of Equestria-“
“…Injured, might not show up-“
“-Rises the chances of ours winning then…”
“…16 coins on the rookie…”
“Hard to wrap your hooves around the concept of under the table races, Princess?”
It took Luna a moment to not only hear, but realize that the figure nearest her, sidled up into the booth. Withholding her flinch, she blinked at the speaker, opening her mouth.
“Don’t bother denying it, your dark aura spells out who you are well enough. And don’t look so panicked, I won’t blow your cover.”
The speaker was female, garbed in a dark woolen cloak, the hood falling over the crisp cut purple mane, falling further over the violet eyes, shadowing her darker indigo pelt. Oddly shaped hooves peeked out from under the booth, and Luna realized that they had been sharpened, so the tip curved inward to a dangerous looking point, similar to a claw. Around the ankles a leather strap were buckled securely, and Luna had seen stuff similar to the guards in the castle; they were meant to support the ankles during a fight, and keep them strong for fore hoof strikes.
“Are you of the guard? Have you been told to follow us?” Luna found herself questioning, shifting forward to speak in a low voice. Something about the pony’s presence drew her forward with the urge to keep a low voice.
The mare snorted in amusement, the eyes sparkling in mirth. “Nay, I left that service years ago. But I am of a guard,” she added, and then went no further into explanation.
“City’s Watch?”
“As if. But I see all, am all, do all.”
“A spy?”
Instead of answering, the mare rolled around back to her original question that had caught the princess’ attention. “Been to one of these events before?”
Despite the coy cryptic-ness and shady character, something drew Luna to this mare and found that she wanted to trust her. Celestia would have disapproved entirely, but as it were, her sun-sister was across the bar, flagging down a bar tender with a hoof. “No,” she finally admitted. “This is my first time even hearing about it.”
“Well, it is a sure event not to miss. Full of danger and excitement, a little blood here and there, thrills, danger….peril…”
Luna studied the figure, not sure if she was pulling her leg or sincerely meant it. “The race has its dangers?”
“Of course,” the mare nudged her drink closer, “As all events do, really. Don’t tell me you don’t have your royal spars or jousts within the walls of your castle.”
Luna tried to recall the last one she had been to, when she was a young filly. She hadn’t been allowed to witness the whole thing, especially with Celestia making a big fuss about it being boring, so septa Nanny Hoof had brought them to the town instead for sweet treats.
“Names Sorcha, by the way,” the mare –Sorcha – filled in the silence. Luna dipped her head in greeting instead of exchanging breaths. Something about Sorcha made it apparent that she wasn’t one to close proximities like that for the sake of proper exchanges, which she could respect.
“Luna,” she introduced herself in return, the same time from somewhere to her left, another called out her name.
“Luna!”
Her ears pricked at the familiar voice, and she turned to see the familiar stallion weaving his way between tables over to her, jerking his muzzle up in greeting. Luna couldn’t help but grin when she saw Forest Canter, raising her own muzzle in welcome. “Forest Canter!”
The young stallion was breathless by the time he reached her, golden brown eyes appraising Luna as they touched muzzles briefly. She hesitated, lingering longer than what was probably necessary as his scent wreathed around her once again, feeling as if she was in a woods again, pine needles crunching under her hooves. Drawing back, she grinned at the stallion.
“What are you doing here?!”
“Same thing you are doing here! The Vheryian races are something you don’t want to miss,” Forest Canter exclaimed. The emerald pelted pony had lost the hard wooden saddle platform for a simple leather pouch, and a small cloak that covered his shoulders and most of his flank. His brown mane fell across his nose easily, giving him a more carefree look than the straight pinned look had given him when they first met.
“How did you escape Mistress Pumpkin?” Luna found herself asking.
“Ah ‘scaped ‘er presence when she won’t be lookin’, takin’ ‘teh side door quick as a squirrel,” Forest Canter responded with a wink, mocking his mentor’s accent, making Luna nicker in laughter.
“You won’t get into trouble if she finds out?”
“No more than you will if you are discovered missing, I recon.”
It was then from where she observed, Sorcha spoke up again, reminding Luna of her presence. “Speaking of trouble, you might want to catch your sister while she’s ahead,” she murmured, eyes across the room.
Luna turned, just in time to see Celestia blow up at the barpony. “I ordered water, or is that not allowed for underage ponies either? Fine, you keep your drinks, alebreath, and when you get a notice of building and business evacuation anytime soon, it wasn’t from me!”
“Oh dear,” Luna muttered in dismay. Could she not take her older sister out anywhere? She had warned her older sister that flaunting her identity for what it was unwise dangerous, especially in this sort of night activity, but she knew it was too much to hope for her Celestia to remember anything that she said that didn’t have to do with handsome guards or the latest cloak or dress fashion.
Forest Canter chuckled though, shaking his mane. “I suppose we should distract her before she puts the whole town out of business,” Luna sighed, rippling her pelt in irritation.
“Can she even do that?”
“She’s a princess, I’m sure she can try to at least attempt to do anything she wants,” Luna responded grudgingly.
This made a pause for Forest Canter. Glancing at Luna, he tilted his head, making his mane fall with him. “You speak as if you aren’t a princess yourself.”
Luna met the stallions glowing gaze, his eyes reminding her of the bark of a tree and a mix of warm caramel. “I’m not, at least not in the sense that Celestia likes to carry herself around in.” She didn’t feel need to say any more, and if Forest Canter couldn’t keep up, she really didn’t see it as her job to explain. But to her relief the stallion seemed to understand perfectly. He eyed her over with a new expression, one that she couldn’t put her hoof on, but once again it made her pelt crawl with pleasant shivers, her blood heating under her fur.
From the booth, Sorcha stirred, moving to her hooves. Her movement was silent with grace, and quick, faster than Luna had seen in other ponies. “Well, you two seem to know each other. If I have your permission, I will be tracking one of the sketchy racers who, if I had money to put a hoof on, don’t belong here. By your leave,” she directed to Luna. Luna could hear the mocking tone in the violet mare, and instantly took to an even deeper liking to her.
“Be gone with you,” Luna dismissed formally with a sweep of her tail, and then cracked a smile. Though Sorcha didn’t seem the smiling type, a touch of an amused chuckle met her eyes, through it remained silent. With a shift of cloak and hooves, the only thing that proved that she was ever there was the left over mug of ale left at the booth, leaving the two young ponies together alone.
There was a moment of silence, though not uncomfortable as Luna was left with Forest Canter. They stood side by side, observing the activity around them, though for her own sanity, she just so happened to ignore the area that Celestia was. She could take care of herself, Luna decided, and once the race started, all focus would be on the event, and whatever blunders her sister made would be forgotten.
If only she could have predicted that the complete opposite would occur.
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Who wants another chapter up before tonight! ?
First off, a couple of things! (I'm a real chatterbox!)
Okay, so first: I love all the GoT references you guys have down here! It makes the story even more fun.
Second: I just have to ask because I would feel really dumb if its true--are the Vheyrian races an actual thing? Like races in real life? Because I read a story on Goodreads (it's another site I have an account on) a couple of years ago that had them in it and I thought they were fictional, but then they were on this story so...I was just curious!
Third: I agree with MrMojoRisin: more Miss Pumpkin!
Oh, and another chapter would be great!
But only if you answer all my fan-mail questions first!
Yeah - read MoJo's!! (He is the one below lookin' like Jon Snow) And fan me! And press that thumbs up icon!!
Trust me, death amuses me too. Especially his. Especially since it is like Martin; introduce a character then slaughter them off. Mwuahahahahhaaha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Will be fixing that shortly. XD
Yes~good! I do go for different character developments, try to vary from what people know - it is supposed to suck them in to reading! Also, I have a sort of Arya/Sansa relationship thing happening here - did ya notice it?
Don't worry, I laugh too. Seemed like an apt name.
Good! I got one too! And no the Races are not actually real (wow what a small world if you actually heard and read of it) because my best friend published a book with the Races in it, and since she is not a MLP fan, I thought I'd share a private joke with myself by referencing it. XD
Now we just gotta see if she notices.
As for publishing yer work, you are such a greenbeard to it all, this is great. I was too.
Yeh' have 't push the 'publish' button, BUT you actually have to go through the mods first....gotta press the 'submit' button first. Usually they get back to you within a few hours.
Keep reading! And hit that 'fav' or 'thumbs up!" icon if you think it is worthy! And follow me! And have some chocolate! And give me some too!!
Welcome to FIM,
~Arya Stark
4696039 Another chappa coming up, please hold. :)