The Nyxing Hour

by Nagel Navari

Chapter 5

Midnight Storm knew her first trip into Ponyville was going to be a disaster. It wasn’t just that she was accompanying a group of Royal Guards who had been investigating a mysterious cult—though that certainly had something to do with it. But Midnight had been to cities all over. Ponies were the same creatures wherever you went. That was why she chose to live out in the forest.

For all he had seemed reasonable, Silver Shield couldn’t find her a cloak. “I’m afraid even my largest stallions don’t wear anything in your size,” he had said. “There’s a tailor in Canterlot who could make something to fit, but that wouldn’t help you.”

At least the Royal Guard hadn’t locked her in irons for the trip back. There were several ponies joining them who were bound at the hoof with heavy manacles, with tight cords wrapped around the wings of those who had them. Despite her professions of ambivalence, Midnight tried her best to get a look at them as they made their way down the well-trodden path to Ponyville.

They looked like regular ponies to her, though even she had to admit she couldn’t watch their glazed, distant expressions for very long without feeling uneasy. None of them spoke, not at any point she was near them. They’re barely even alive. Midnight Storm didn’t pester them as they walked, but a few of the guards did.

The filly rode on her back the whole way, though she seemed to be growing more alert and curious the further they walked. “What are those?” she might ask, pointing at something off the path.

“Those are whip-poor-wills,” she would answer, as they passed the little flock of birds calling out at the caravan. “You can guess why they got their name.”

“I can’t,” the filly answered. “Why?”

“Listen to them.”

She did. The filly’s eyes widened, and she nearly bounced right off her back. “They’re saying it! Over and over!”

There were no guards holding weapons to them as they walked—those were mostly guarding the cultists. But there were always a few nearby, and several of them stared. Even so Midnight had a tough time telling the filly to be quiet.

“That’s right,” she said.

And then there would be another few minutes of relative silence, until she asked about something else. This continued until they reached Ponyville. Maybe the child could sense just how much Midnight herself was dreading it. Exactly as she had been expecting, a crowd had arrived to point and stare as they passed into town on their way to the train station. Well, here we go. Time to see just how wrong Zecora was about them.

She braced herself for the fearful gasps, for the pointing… and sure enough they came.

For the cultists at the front of the group. “Kidnapped Twilight,” she heard a few of them whisper. “What could they have been planning?” Oh, sure, there were plenty of curious glances her way, enough that the child riding on her back started to cower again. Shy little pony, she was.

She passed a creamy colored mare with a bright red mane whispering to another mare with a gray coat and a slightly walleyed look on her face. “What kind of pony is that?”

“I dunno,” the gray mare whispered back. “Guess they brought in the strongest guards they had.”

“Oh, yeah. That makes sense.” That appeared to be the sentiment as they passed through town to the train station. The ponies were angry and scared all right—of the cult. Me a Royal Guard? As silly as that might be to consider, it was far better than her previous memories with ponies. Even the Guard themselves hadn’t been so immediately willing to accept her. They did find me while they were looking for cultists.

Fortunately, the guards kept back Ponyville’s citizens, and they didn’t get in the way. They had already cleared out the train station. Silver Shield walked down the empty wooden platform. The only civilian pony still here was the conductor, looking more than a little nervous about what was going on around him.

“Those of you returning to Canterlot, passenger car. Officers and guests…” Silver Shield gestured at the open doors. “Let’s get going. Princesses are waiting.”

Twilight Sparkle hobbled her way out of the medical cart, gently nudging Nurse Redheart away from her. “No no, I’m fine. I’m feeling much better.” She still looked a little drained, in a way that was difficult for Midnight to immediately identify. Like some of the color had been sucked out of her whole body. But she didn’t fall over. Tough mare.

“Are you absolutely certain, Miss Twilight?” Redheart glanced over her shoulder at Dr. Horse, but if she’d been hoping for help she didn’t get it. He just shrugged.

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Twilight said. “I grew up in Canterlot, my family is still living there. I’ll make sure to spend the night before coming back to Ponyville.” She lowered her voice. “But if you wanted to help, you could pass a message to Spike for me. He should be in the lobby, assuming he isn’t already running here. Let him know I’m okay. Pass the message on to my friends. I’d tell them myself, but…” She glanced up at Commander Silver Shield. He was already slamming the passenger car doors closed. Then he turned, making his way towards them. “Well, I don’t think I’ll get the chance.”

Midnight didn’t stay to listen to any more of her conversation. The longer she stayed outside, the more ponies were stopping to stare at her or the filly. Still not with half the hostility of the guards, but… It’s only a matter of time. She hurried into the open passenger car.

Midnight had never ridden first class before, and she was a little taken aback by the opulence of the car. The dark mahogany paneling, the plush carpets and the glittering crystal fixtures on the gas lamps. She immediately felt underdressed.

The dirt she had tracked in from the Everfree couldn’t be good for all this fancy stuff. It’s okay. The crown is paying for it.

She immediately noticed something else about this particular car: it had a bar. She could smell the horderves. Her nose latched on to one scent among the others, one she very much wasn’t accustomed to sensing around other ponies. Fish. They serve meat?

Instead of taking the seats furthest back in the car, Midnight selected those closest to the tray of food, settling the filly onto the seat beside her. The child immediately starting scrambling over her towards the food, her attention nearly as transfixed as Midnight’s own. “Not yet,” she whispered, pushing her gently back into her seat. “Wait until we get moving.”

“Moving?” The pony looked around at the fancy interior, skeptical. “We’re in a house. Even nice houses don’t move.”

You haven’t heard of a train? Midnight didn’t let any of her surprise make it to her face. That became easy, as the pony Twilight Sparkle took the empty seat just across from her. The conductor stepped inside just behind Shield, the doors snapped closed, and soon enough they had started to move.

The child’s reaction was immediate. Her eyes darted around them left and right, and she bolted for a window, dodging around the hooves of a few of the Royal Guard officers as she rushed to press herself against the glass. She stared out at the station as it began to pull away.

Midnight followed her over, though she crossed the car with a little more dignity. “I told you it moves. Have you never ridden a train before?”

The pony didn’t take her eyes away from the window, but she did speak quietly. “I guess I never did. It doesn’t seem… possible. What makes it go? How come we don’t hit the buildings? Why doesn’t it fall apart?”

“Those are all excellent questions,” said Twilight, speaking from just behind her. Apparently she had followed them to the window as well. She didn’t actually answer the questions, though, but instead met Midnight’s eyes. “I think we spoke earlier? I think I was delirious.”

“You were,” Midnight said, finally looking away from the filly.

“Did I apologize to you for missing our appointment yesterday, Midnight Storm?”

Midnight was a little taken aback, though not for very long. It makes sense Zecora would’ve told her. I gave her permission! “You did. Apparently you were kidnapped by an evil cult or something. I don’t really understand what’s going on here.”

“Hopefully you won’t mind rescheduling,” Twilight said, picking back up with the exact tone she had before. “A few days, perhaps? I’m still eager for the chance to meet Equestria’s first… Kirin, I believe… in all these years.”

“Zecora told you that much?” She couldn’t help but sound a little dry. Even so, she grew more impressed by the moment. Twilight Sparkle was far more like the ponies from Ponyville than the guards—interested, curious, but not fearful. “A few days would be fine,” she said. “If I’m still nearby. Your town saw me march right through the streets all uncovered.” She glanced over her shoulder, glaring daggers at Silver Shield. “I’m not sure I’ll be welcome for much longer.” To say nothing of the filly.

“I don’t understand,” Twilight said, seeming genuinely confused. “Did you hurt somepony? Was there an accident?”

“No.” She took a subconscious step closer to the filly, who had already started to lose interest. Well, not quite. More like remember her interest in the many trays of food. “That’s just the way ponies usually act.” She didn’t stay to explain this, or to admit that her brief trip through Ponyville hadn’t gone nearly as bad as she had expected.

The filly didn’t seem to have any particular preference for the options in front of them. She wanted to know what each one was—but the serving staff had evidently been removed from the train, so there was nopony to ask. In many cases, Midnight had to guess.

It didn’t really matter. The child wanted to try all of it. Midnight herself used her nose, selecting the thinly sliced fish resting atop rice or vegetables. Who is this for? Did this train come from Griffonstone? But there was nopony to ask that question, not without drawing more attention to herself.

It seemed the mare Twilight Sparkle couldn’t really take the hint that she wanted to be left alone. She approached with her own tray, this time sitting right beside her. She didn’t say anything at first, just watching the child with intense interest. “I didn’t know Equestria had a fourth Alicorn. Who is she?”

Midnight almost repeated the same story she’d been saying all afternoon—but this time she hesitated. “Her name is, uh… Nightfall.” She wasn’t sure where the word had come from, exactly, but there it was. At least it matched her looks. She had to be very careful what else she said, with the filly watching her so closely. “And she hasn’t been able to tell us. Have you remembered anything else, Nightfall?”

The filly shook her head vigorously, hard enough that she spilled a few expensive crackers off the side of her plate. She didn’t seem to know how to use her magic, because she ate the way an earth pony might, picking the food up with hooves alone. “Nope,” she said. Though she didn’t sound very convincing. She spoke like a pony who wanted what she said to be true, more than one who knew it was.

“I’m sure Princess Celestia will be able to figure this out,” Twilight said, taking a delicate bite from one of the horderves on her plate. “The princess always knows what to do, even about the hardest problems. I’m sure she already knew about this…” She swallowed, and a little of her confidence faltered. She sounded a little like the child had sounded a moment before, actually. Like someone remembering something extremely unpleasant.

“I’m sure she will,” Midnight said. “So long as Nightfall gets back to her family, that will be fine for me. The cultists can throw themselves into Tartarus for all I care…” Midnight’s eyes widened as she realized what she was smelling. “Twilight Sparkle… you’re eating fish?”

“Oh, yeah?” The unicorn looked shyly away. “I know how strange it might seem to you, but I…” She trailed off, noticing Midnight’s own plate. “Oh.”

“I haven’t known many ponies to eat meat,” Midnight said, swallowing another one. This was far better than the kind of meat she could usually afford. Better than anything she could hunt.

“Yeah.” Twilight looked away. “It’s more of a high society thing I guess, but growing up in the castle as much as I have, well… guess I was around ponies like that a lot.”

A door on the far side of the car banged open and a pony poked his head in. “Canterlot in five minutes,” he said, before hurrying from the car as quickly as he could.

As the train began to slow, Midnight found herself feeling more and more overwhelmed. It seemed as though the more time she spent around ponies as herself, the more she discovered things weren’t quite what they seemed. But would that translate to Canterlot as well?

Author's Note:

Written by Starscribe as a reward on Patreon

Comments

[xbox432]

It's cute watching Midnight take care of Nightfall, a lot of adults I know don't keep their patience nearly as well when kids start asking a lot of questions. I'm looking forward to the reactions of everyone involved once you have the group from everfree meet up with the royals, I can't wait to see how you have Luna act in particular. If she's understanding of the filly's situation or if she'll blow her top. Heh, I don't think Midnight would appreciate the latter.

[FolkloreBrony]

Nightfall. That's adorable