Chapter Three
Chapter Three
Life, in Snarling Fang’s honest and unbiased opinion, was unfair and plain awful. It was seven in the morning, and the mare dreaded to drag herself out of bed to face the world once again. It had been several weeks since Nocturne’s address and Fang had nothing to show for it. She had been foolishly optimistic about it, even going to a nearby tavern to celebrate the news with her squad and a couple more.
The city was still celebrating their return and more than one stallion was dragged off to the dance floor. Fang later realized that going directly to the bar had been a mistake, but she had pushed herself to do this. Her second mistake was drinking the heavy stuff that impaired her reasoning. She remembered with regret how she’d acted when nopony gave her so much as a glance of attention and how she’d reacted to her squad mates’ attempt at humour on the matter.
Rolling over in her bed, Fang weighed that being told she looked better with her mask on by Night Shade did justify her getting angry enough to punch him in the gut and throw him across the counter. She also realized that doing so would also scare away any ponies that wanted to be with her and get her in trouble with the law.
She leaned into her pillow and sighed. He was right, the stupid lout. She wasn’t beautiful but she sure as Faust wasn’t ugly either. She wasn’t curvy like those plump civilians nor did she have that alluring simplistic body of a mare that had spent years in the service. Her coat didn’t make her stand out nor did her mane. She was just simply there, in the damn middle of everything that got no attention from potential suitors and the ponies that did speak to her were clearly after a one night stand or just rubbed her the wrong way.
Forcing herself to her hooves, she walked over to the bathroom and looked at herself. She knew her squad had each found themselves a partner, talking about them at length during the days they trained together. She couldn’t help but feel so much like... an outsider, like she didn’t belong with them anymore. Running a brush through her mane, she recalled how much they were trying to help her. All the blind and double dates they set up for her, all the awkward conversations and nights afterwards trying to let the pony down gently.
She paused in her morning grooming, wondering if there was something wrong with her. Grabbing the sink tightly, she did her best to push those thoughts out of her mind as quickly as possible. It was getting harder and harder to do so each day that she failed to find any pony that interested her, each day she was still alone.
Letting out a sigh, Fang looked at herself. Her coat was matted and her mane was a mess but at least this way she looked different, out of the norm.
Maybe, just maybe, it would finally get her noticed.
“Still no luck honey?” the bar owner, a grizzled old earth pony stallion by the name of Fruit Punch, asked unneededly. Snarling Fang gave a soft snort as she sat down at the spot that was depressingly quickly becoming her spot at the counter. She pulled out her coins and rolled it over to Punch, who knew her drink by now.
“Spent all day at the dance halls,” she muttered, rolling a coin back and forth. “Tried to strike up some conversation but they all are either just scared of me, not interested in dancing with me, or interested in me for the wrong reason.”
“Speaking of wrong reasons,” Punch gave a loud snort as he pushed her drink toward her, causing Fang to pick her head up. “A cute little thing over has told me, and I quote, ‘Let me pay for whatever that cutie with the nice set of flanks over there buys today.’”
Fang coughed loudly, ears reddening at the sheer boldness of this mare. Turning her head, she saw a light gray coated earth pony mare at the far end of the bar wave her hoof eagerly at her and then give her a flirtatious wink, something that Fang didn’t even know existed until she just saw it!
Licking her lips before raising the glass to her face, she tried to decide what she was going to do. “Might as well try,” Fang said to herself under her breath, trying to figure out if the fact that at least one pony was interested in her outweighed how… ‘eager’ this mare seemed to be.
“Might as well, you never know what you’ll find,” a voice purred in her ear, causing Fang to jump as she saw the grey mare was sitting very close to her. “In my life, it’s far easier to ask forgiveness than permission and you should never turn down a chance to do something new.” The mare then bumped her flank against Fang’s and giggled as the pegasus blushed.
“I... I…” Fang tried to speak, trying to say something to this mare but nothing came to her mouth.
“Are very cute, so tell me, why are you here alone Fang?” the mare asked in her seductive voice, leaning against her very closely and batting her eyes up at her.
Fang’s ears fell to the side of her head, trying to come up with an explanation to this mare when she realized that something was off about this whole thing.
“How do you know my name?” Fang asked, trying to push the mare off of her but she was far stronger than Fang expected of the small thing.
“Why my dear Fang, I know a lot of things,” the mare purred once more, causing Fang’s face to redden again. “But that’s not how one starts a conversation with a new pony, Fang,” the mare placed a hoof up, booping Fang’s nose with a grin on the grey mare’s face. “Try again.”
Sputtering, Fang did her best to focus her mind while keeping an eye on the very amused mare. “Who... who are you?”
With a tsk, the mare shook her head in a seemingly disapproving manner. “Not the best way to ask a pony their name, dear, but as you did try I will accept it,” the mare patted her cheek before pulling away from Fang. “My name is Nocturne, Snarling Fang.”
Fang grew bold at this lie, turning her head to tell this mare off when she froze. The little mare’s eyes changed, becoming pure silver. There was no way an earth pony could change her eyes like that and no pony of her tribe would ever dare pretend to be their alicorn.
Her heart falling like a stone, Fang began to backpedal. “My Lady, I did not know it was you - I am so sorry that I-”
“Tut tut tut,” Nocturne tsked, placing a hoof over her mouth. “If I wanted ponies to know about our little get together, I would send you an invitation to my palace. But as I wanted to talk one on one with you, I felt that this was a far more appropriate approach-” Nocturne broke off, staring openly as Apple Slice, a server, walked past them. Fang did her best not to whimper as she saw Nocturne lick her lips at the sight of Slice’s retreating form. Already, all of her preconceptions of her alicorn were rapidly changing and she was too sober to handle it. “And a lot more fun,” with a chuckle that shouldn’t belong to any revered leader, Nocturne turned her attention back towards the pegasus. “So tell me, how come you are so sad lately, my dear little pony?”
“I’m not sad,” Fang said, pulling back from Nocturne. But Nocturne tsked again, staring deeply into her eyes.
“Well, I see you are truly trying to do what I asked and I must applaud you for being so dedicated to finding your special somepony,” Nocturne’s face then took on a playful look. “Although you could have certainly had fun with some one night stands in my opinion.” A roll of her eyes caused Fang to blush again, feeling embarrassed by what Nocturne was saying to her.
“Well, is it wrong that I want somepony that means something to me?” Fang asked her alicorn who was taking long sips from her mug in a way that really made Fang wish for a cold shower right now.
“Not at all,” Nocturne said, running her tongue over the rim of the mug in such a way that Fang had to bite her lip to keep her mind clean. “Not everypony is suited to such an open manner of searching for their true love - can you believe that I am still searching for my own true love?”
Fang could believe that and that Nocturne was very persistent in her searches. Of course, Fang couldn’t say that and simply nodded her head. “I am just getting discouraged that I haven’t found so much as a single pony that isn’t a sleazeball or isn’t taken already or anything. Faust, Nocturne is there something wrong with me?” Fang looked at the mare desperately, her fear taking over her.
“Of course not, my pony,” Nocturne said with utter certainty and love, a complete departure from her previous behaviour. “Not all ponies can easily find love and I am sorry to have caused you so much discomfort, my dear little pony. It may take a long time for a pony to find another that they are interested in, but it is okay that you take your time Snarling Fang.”
“Thank you, Nocturne,” Fang said, letting the words roll around her head. It did make her feel better that there was nothing wrong with her, that it was okay to take her time and it was normal that not all ponies would find their true love in coffee shop or a dance hall or a common place like in one of those trashy novels that she certainly did not read. That... she should look for ponies that interested her, like that medic back on the flank.
“Ah, I know that face,” Nocturne tapped the counter and startled Fang out of her thoughts, a grin on the disguised alicorn’s‘ face. “You are thinking of somepony,” she said in a sing-song voice, her tail swishing in an eager fashion. “Tell me, I wanna know who got your attention.”
“It’s no one,” Fang said, trying to look away but Nocturne’s hoof reached up and held her chin in place.
“How do you know that?” Nocturne leaned in close, causing Fang to feel small now. “The fact that somepony caught your attention must mean that they are something special.”
“He’s no one, my Lady,” Fang said, trying to look away but Nocturne held her in her gaze.
“A he,” she tilted her head, running a hoof over her lips. “Sorry dear, but I will simply need more information about this pony of yours before I can help you.”
“He’s not my pony!” Fang shouted, flaring her wings out. “He was just some Flutter unicorn medic I saw during the conflict. He’s nothing, I-”
“Eye colour.”
“Light blue, eggshell white coat with a pale green mane-” Fang blushed as the details fell out of her mouth.
“Seems like he left quite an impression on you if you could remember him after all this time,” Nocturne purred, staring at her with half lidded eyes. “You should go looking for him.”
“What?!” Fang squeaked.
“Go out and find your medic, dear,” Nocturne said, shaking her mane out as she took another sip from her mug.
“But I don’t know where to look or his name!”
“Well, going across the Neutral Lands to the Flutter tribe lands would be a great start and asking his name is a perfect opener,” Nocturne bumped her flanks against Fang’s again, flashing a knowing smile. “Trust me, if you leave something like this alone, it will drive you to madness later on in life. The could have beens and what ifs will plague you for the rest of your days if you do not try.”
“But I just can’t up and leave,” Fang protested.
“You do realize to whom you are speaking with, correct?” Nocturne smirked at her.
Fang took a moment to collect herself, steeling herself against Nocturne’s continuous attacks. “And if I say no to all of that?”
“Well then,” Nocturne smiled too broadly now, wrapping an arm around Fang’s neck. “I shall help you myself to find your special somepony. We shall go to all the holes in the wall, dance halls, taverns and what not and find you your pony. I will take you under my wing and teach you all that I know to snag yourself a pony - why look at that one, Fang.” With her free hoof, she pointed at a towering earth pony stallion that gave the two a nod on his face, expecting something far more with the look on Nocturne’s face. “I’m sure he could easily make us feel like young mares within an ho-”
Turning her head, she saw the flanks of Snarling Fang race out of the bar, the door slamming loudly behind her. With a snort, Nocturne picked up Fang’s untouched drink and lifted it to her mouth. “Kids these days.” Shaking her head in dry amusement, Nocturne turned to leave the bar to attend another equally important pressing matter of state.
Not before asking Fruit Punch for the towering stallion’s name, of course. She’d be a fool to pass him up and she knew that she’d walk funny after a round with that mountain.
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7864101 Thank you for enjoying it and I hope I can better explain what a flutter pony is
I will ask my editor for help later on
I can, rather easily in fact
Is Nocturne Cadance's ancestor or something?
I am Nocturne in this scene
Nocturne's a delight
10203415
Nocturne's a true spirit animal.