Underworld Relations

by Rubahhitam

Chapter 2: Down the Mountain

Nazgoroth begrudgingly cracked open his eyes. A shard of dawnlight crept into his room, but it was enough to jar him awake. With much groaning and occasional scratching, he made his way to the bathroom. After his morning rituals, he closed the curtains and sat down in the cushioned chair. The darkness delivered a measure of homely comfort, bringing his thoughts more into focus.

He crossed his legs, chin in hand, and began to think. Darting his eyes around the room, he was once again reminded of being in a different dimension. The smallest things told him he wasn’t home, from the style of furniture to the color schemes, though his train of thought made a stop at a familiar face; his dimensional studies teacher.

A chuckle escaped his ears, imagining the look she’d give him. First draining of all color, only to flush with warmth, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She would poke and prod his mind for detail after detail, cataloguing every minute scrap of information for further research.

With a blush, his hands covered his face as he pictured her questions about Moonlight. How deep blue her mane was, how her eyes were always half-lidded and the soft, soft fluff that was her coat-

A knock at door brought him back to reality. Removing his hands, he called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Moonlight. Mind if I come in?”

“Uh, just a minute.” He rose and threw open the curtains. Too little too late, he’d realized his mistake. He let out a cry of alarm and fell to the floor, covering his sun-pierced eyes. While curled into a crumpled ball of pain, he heard the door open and felt a presence by his side. She knelt beside him, and opened her mouth to ask what had happened, but a brief glance to the curtains made her close it.

“You forgot about the sun again,” she deadpanned, one ear flicking.

“What gave it away?” he groaned. “The open curtains, me lying in a fetal position, or the blinding ball of fire outside?”

She rolled her eyes, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Since it looks like we’ll have the time, how about we, like, get you those sunglasses today?”

He nodded, the heels of his hands still rubbing at his eyes. “I’ll likely be needing them for what’s ahead.”

Moonlight raised an eyebrow, closing the curtains with her magic. “What do you mean?”

Carefully, he removed his hands and blinked into the dark. Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he stared at her. “If it’s okay with you, would you mind waiting until we meet with the Princesses? That way, you won’t have to hear it twice.”

She looked up at the ceiling, tapping a hoof to her chin. After a few moments, Moonlight looked back to him and nodded.

As if on cue, a maid knocked on the door to escort them to Princess Celestia’s personal quarters. The walk was mostly silent save for the occasional yawn, until a guard trotted down the hallway towards them. He stopped perhaps five feet away.

Nazgoroth raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “Can I help you, sir?”

The guard nodded. “I’d like to apologize for yesterday. I’m the one who knocked you out.” His gaze dropped to the ground. “I was so caught up in my own fantasies that I disregarded the situation in front of me.” He bowed his head. “ And for that, I’m sorry.”

After a few moments, Nazgoroth nodded. Unfolding his arms, he knelt down and looked the guard in the eye. In the space of a blink, the hallway was flooded with the dark light of grey fire. “There are many who would sooner strike you down than accept an apology. Not all are as kind as I.” He leaned in closer to the shaking stallion. “Be grateful we didn’t meet in the Cavern of Echoes, lest I would have shown you what true repentance is.”

He somehow managed a trembling smile. “B-believe me, that’s a lesson this featherbrain won’t be forgetting.”

With a slow nod from Nazgoroth, the fires went out as quickly as they’d come. He and the guard shook hand and hoof before continuing on their respective ways.

Once out of earshot, Moonlight looked up at Nazgoroth from the corner of her eye. “Glad to see things worked out between you two. Didn’t expect to like, see him again so soon.” A small smirk crept up the side of her face. “A bit over-the-top, but I guess he did kind of deserve it after knocking you out.”

Nazgoroth shrugged. “The chances are good that his superiors made him do it. His actions yesterday soured the whole situation, but today his words were full of sincerity. He’s fortunate I’m a devil and not an actual demon, though.”

“Why’s that?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

His eyes crinkled in a mouthless smile. “The spear would’ve broken over a thicker skull. He’d have gotten reprimanded, and would’ve had the cost taken out of his pay.”

Before she could say anything in response, they arrived at Celestia’s chamber door. Upon entering, Nazgoroth and Moonlight glanced around in surprise. Everything they saw had the mark of a master crafts-worker, but bore less decoration than they expected. The sparse furniture was light in color, contrasted by the deep orange of cushions and seats. Seated at the table was Celestia herself, sipping from a floating cup of tea. She waved them over, gesturing to the two other chairs with a smile.

“Good morning you two. I trust you slept well?”

Moonlight spoke first as they took their seats. “Yes, Princess Celestia. Like, thanks for asking.”

Nazgoroth scooted his chair up. “If you don’t mind me asking, where’s Princess Luna?”

Celestia’s ears lowered a fraction, as did her smile. “Unfortunately, after our conversation last night, she spent nearly all of her time dealing with an outbreak of nightmares. She was so exhausted that I found her not more than a step away from her bed, sleeping on the floor.”

He tilted his head to the side. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Princess Luna can, like, go into ponies dreams,” Moonlight supplied. “It’s one of the reasons she’s Princess of the Night.”

His eyes nearly shot out from his head. “Wait, that isn’t just a legend? That actually happens?!”

“Among other things,” Celestia raised a hoof to her mouth, stifling a giggle. “Now then, before we begin any other discussions, what would the two of you like for breakfast? The castle kitchen is open for anything you’d like.”

Moonlight’s eyes went wide, a stream of drool forming at the corner of her mouth. She quickly rubbed it away and cleared her throat. “Could I, like, have waffles? With bananas? A-and blackberry syrup? Please?”

Celestia nodded, turning her attention to Nazgoroth. “And for you?”

He gulped, soundlessly drumming his fingers on the table. “You wouldn’t happen to have any… coal… would you?”

With a flash, a piece of parchment and a quill appeared in her magical grasp, and quickly scribbled. As swiftly as it appeared, it vanished.

“Should we discuss the finer details of the Tartarian Recompense Act while we wait, Esquire Nazgoroth?”

He groaned, rubbing his temples. “Princess Celestia, we're not in a courtroom. Tacking on the 'Esquire' isn't necessary. Please, just call me by my name.”

“Only if you agree to stop calling me Princess,” she countered, the corners of her mouth quirking upward.

“Bargain struck!” He stuck out his hand wreathed in grey, illusionary fire, which Celestia shook. “And if it’s not too much trouble,” the flames went out as he pulled it back to rub his neck, “could we save the details for after we eat? Legal matters are best settled on a full stomach.” His gaze narrowed. “Though I will give you credit for trying to get the jump on me so early in the morning. Well played, Celestia. Well played.”

She smiled playfully. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had to ‘deal with a devil.’”

He barked a series of laughs and clutched his stomach, desperately trying to keep his face from smashing into the table. Moonlight raised an eyebrow, but kept her silence throughout the spasms that rocked his frame. Nazgoroth eventually noticed her stare and, wiping the tears from his eyes, gave her his full attention.

“Sorry about that, Moonlight,” he chuckled. “Devils, such as myself,” he touched his fingers to his chest, “are more often drawn towards intellectual careers such as doctors, lawyers and professors. The phrase ‘deal with a devil’ means having to dispute an argument with a very knowledgeable individual. One who is likely to turn things around towards their own favor. I just wasn’t expecting Princess Celestia to be familiar with the term.”

“I’m more interested in why you chose coal for breakfast,” Moonlight said, resting her hooves on the table.

Just as he was about to speak, Celestia cut in, “Would you mind if I explain this, Nazgoroth?” With a shrug, he motioned for her to go on. She offered her thanks and then faced Moonlight. “The inhabitants of Tartarus are geovorous, much like the dragons in our world. Minerals and stones such as basalt, granite and sandstone make up the majority of their diet. While they can subsist on other sources such as vegetables and even meat, doing so for too long is detrimental to their health. Coal is considered a delicacy.”

One of Moonlight’s ears went to the side. “Why’s that?”

“Coal is basically composed of plants that died a long time ago,” Nazgoroth chimed in. “The flavors accumulate and build over the course of many years, making coal one of the most sought-after treats to my people.”

She blinked. “Huh. Neat. So like, how expensive is coal in Tartarus?”

“In bits? It’s, um, hmm. I’m not too sure, exactly.” He turned to Celestia. “Do you happen to know the exchange rate of bits to drachmas?”

The Princess tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. “I believe the current rate is roughly two drachmas for every bit.”

He nodded. “Then a pound of coal would be two hundred drachmas, or one hundred bits.”

“Whoa,” Moonlight yawned. “That’s a lot of bits.”

Nazgoroth scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry this isn’t the most exciting thing to talk about first thing in the morning.”

She waved it off with a hoof. “No, it’s fine. I’ve just never been a morning pony.” A smile grew across her face as she continued, “Learning all this stuff is actually pretty neat.”

A knock on the door stalled any further conversation. “Princess Celestia? Your order for breakfast is ready.”

With quick precision, the group of servants and a couple of miners served the plates of food and coal respectively. Not even a full minute had gone by before they bowed to Celestia and made their way out.

As Nazgoroth stared at his plate, the Princess gently cleared her throat. “There’s a small library through that door if you’d like to use it, Nazgoroth. I can assure you that nopony will disturb your breakfast. Feel free to take the time and enjoy your treat.”

With a nod, he lifted his meal. Taking a step back, he bowed with the plate above his head. “Many thanks, Celestia.”

Moonlight watched the door close behind him with a raised eyebrow, before looking back to Celestia. “Um, Princess Celestia? Like, what’s all that about?”

She sipped at her tea. “Hmm?”

“Why did Nazgoroth go off to eat on his own?” she asked, her ears down.

“Ah, that.” Her ears perked up as she put down her tea. “In short, it’s a cultural norm. Tartarians always converse before a meal, but disperse when it arrives.”

Moonlight blinked, staring back at the door. “Wonder why that is.”

“It would be simple to just ask him.” She smiled before continuing, “But it would be best for him to tell you of his own will. Meals are a,” she twirled her hoof in circles, looking for the right word, “sensitive topic for his people. However, it would appear that Nazgoroth would be more inclined towards an explanation.”

“What makes you say that?” she asked, crossing her fetlocks on the table.

“Something rather simple, actually,” Celestia replied, raising her teacup. “His birthplace.”

“Wait, what?” Moonlight’s eyebrows shot up. “When did he mention that?”

She sipped before answering. “Last night, he introduced himself as ‘ug Avernus.’ Avernus is a city in Tartarus, one of the Nine Circles. At last year’s Summit, Ambassador Zariel was kind enough to share some stories of her childhood home. Her citizens are among the most friendly towards outsiders.”

One of her ears went to the side, as the other perked up. “Outsiders?”

“It would be best if Nazgoroth explained it.” At which point the library door opened, causing Celestia to smile. “Speak of a devil, and he shall come.”

Nazgoroth snorted a laugh and nearly dropped his empty plate. His gaze switched back and forth between Moonlight and Celestia much like that of a colt who had broken the good plates. “Um, can you two forget that happened?”

They looked at him with blank expressions, before looking at each other. Slow smiles mirrored their faces before the giggling began. Which quickly devolved into chuckling, then full-on, gut-busting laughter. While Moonlight quickly settled down to wipe the tears from her eyes, Celestia’s guffaws rang so loud that one of the guards poked his head in to check. She waved him off, and he nodded without a word.

Nazgoroth watched the entire scene with an unamused frown. “It wasn’t that funny.”

Once she had settled down and used a handkerchief for her tears, Celestia apologized. “Indeed, it wasn’t. But the fact it sounded like a kitten snorting dandelion fluff was.”

He rolled his eyes. “Well now that you’ve both gotten it out of your systems, I think it might be a good time to go over the Tartarian Recompense Act. That map in your library says I’ve got a journey ahead of me and the sooner we start, the better.”

Celestia rolled her eyes with an insincere pout. “Spoilsport.”

Their bantering went back and forth for hours as they haggled and rationalized for nearly every single bit like a pair of stingy merchants. One of the castle staff was kind enough to bring Moonlight some popcorn as she intently watched the whole exchange. Most of Nazgoroth’s arguments were met with a coy smile and a counter-offer he just couldn’t refuse, though there were a few moments where he managed to have Celestia momentarily pause in surprise. Her smile reappeared at those times, and she’d humbly acquiesce to his reasoning. Had it not been for his stomach growling, they likely would have continued until sundown. After lunch, the details had been hammered out, drawn up and signed by the two of them.

With a smile, Celestia rose from her seat. “As enjoyable as that was, I’m afraid I must return to day court. Feel free to roam around Canterlot for any additional supplies you might need or want for your trip. I’ve made a statement for the city’s newspaper, and notified the guards to spread the word you’re not a monster intent on devouring the citizens.” As she walked towards the door, she called out over her shoulder, “Do be back by sundown, however. There’s a great deal of paperwork that needs to be signed. It should be ready for you by then.”

He nodded. “Will do, Celestia.”

Moonlight stood up and stretched. “I’ll keep an eye on him, Princess. He’ll need a guide for Canterlot, and I’m the least likely to freak out around him.”

Celestia’s smile grew sly. “I see. Very well, Moonlight Raven. Be sure to take care of him.”

Once she’d left, Nazgoroth and Moonlight made their way down to the castle gates. He kept one hand on her back and the other over his eyes as they walked past the guards on duty. They had to walk the whole way as every carriage and taxi either refused to take them as passengers, completely ignored them, or in three cases, sped away in wild-eyed terror.

“Remind me to never again try bargaining with Princess Celestia. She’s ruthless enough to give my mom a run for her money.”

Moonlight looked up at him as they rounded a corner. “What’s your mom’s job?”

He nearly crashed into a pony with their face in a newspaper. “She owns a small pawn shop, ‘Traded Treasures.’”

“So is the shop in Avernus?” she asked, stopping with him at a crosswalk.

Nazgoroth frowned behind his hand. “Wait, how’d you know that? I never told you where I was from.”

“Princess Celestia explained it.” She looked up and down the street. Seeing no carriages, she led him forward.

He hummed in thought. “That… huh. That makes a great deal of sense. Anyway, what does your mother do for a living?”

Moonlight’s ears lowered a fraction, and was thankful he couldn’t see her. “I’ll tell you later. We just need to cross one more street and we’ll be at Canterlot Mall. Cool Shades has a stand outside.”

“Why not set up shop inside?”

She chuckled, walking across the street. “The outside vendor spots are cheaper. Besides, it’s easier to test out sunglasses in actual sunlight.”

His ears wiggled. “I know you can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes right now. Smart business move, though.”

“Thanks, my dude!” a familiar brown stallion all but shouted, his hoof raised high.

Nazgoroth tilted his head towards the new voice. “Mister Cool Shades, I presume?”

“That’d be a major positive,” he said with a grin. “And Moonlight! How’s my fave gloom-cookie doing?”

Moonlight smiled. “I’ll be a lot better once you, like, give me a better nickname.”

He shook his head, dropping the smile. “Sorry girl. No can do. Once a gloom-cookie, always a gloom-cookie. So, this the new coltfriend Sunny’s been talking about? Thought she was kidding when she said you were into tall guys.”

Moonlight’s eye twitched. “Has she told everypony in Canterlot or something?”

“Nah. Just everypony she knows,” he said, grinning. “Besides, she didn’t tell me. Just heard her talking to the new sno-cone pone two stands over.”

She frowned. “Shades, my sister knows almost as many ponies as Pinkie Pie.”

“Aww, but you two look totes adorbs together,” he said, nudging her with a brown wing.

After pushing it away and rolling her eyes, she pointed to her blind companion. “Just for the record, no, he’s not my coltfriend. His name is Nazgoroth, and he needs a pair of your custom frames.”

Shades lowered his sunglasses. “I can tell. Hands are a really bad substitute for shades. You from underground, bro?”

Nazgoroth and Moonlight’s ears perked up together. Speaking as one, they asked, “How’d you know?”

He snickered. “Saw a diamond dog with the same prob last month. Kept saying hi to everything with his face. You lucked out with Moonlight here, Naz.” With a smile, he put his sunglasses back up and looked at her. “Think I got just the thing for our friend-o here,” he said, reaching under the stall with a wing. “Try these.”

Moonlight gently levitated them to Nazgoroth’s open hand. As quick as he could, he brought the frames over his ears and cracked open an eye. Much to his relief, the light didn’t hurt at all.

Nazgoroth snapped his head around, looking every direction but down. “These are perfect, Shades!”

Shades grinned as he held up a string of leather. “Thought they’d work out. Oh, and take this strap, too. Since you don’t have a nose, you’ll need it to keep them from falling off.”

“How much do we owe you?” Moonlight asked, pulling out a pouch from her saddlebags.

He tapped a white hoof to his chin. “Tell you what. Any time somepony asks where you got those awesome specs, tell them where they can find me. Deal?”

Nazgoroth paused and Raven thought she almost caught a smile as grey flames erupted behind his horns. He stuck out his hand and shook Shades’. “Bargain Struck.”

They bade goodbye to a nervous-looking Shades, venturing once more into the streets of Canterlot. With his newfound eyesight, Nazgoroth finally saw the expressions on ponies’ faces as they looked at him. While a small number still passed out or scrambled away in fear, most simply gave him a wide berth and wary glance. He made a mental note to thank princess Celestia once he got back for putting in a good word with The Canterlot Chronicle.

***

Moonlight couldn’t help but snicker every time she caught a glance of him.

Nazgoroth frowned, keeping his gaze forward while holding firmly to the plastic bottles in his arms. “You know I can hear you, right? I still don’t get what the big deal is.”

She shook her head with a smile. “Most guys I’ve seen don’t gush about all-natural shampoo. I swear, your eyes like, almost popped through your sunglasses with sheer joy or something.”

He looked up and away from her in indignation. “Can I help it if normal shampoos and soaps wreak havoc on my skin and scalp? You try getting anything done with a full-body rash!”

“Okay, okay,” she smirked, “calm down, mister sensitive.”

“Hmph!” His grip on the bottles tightened.

Though she stopped snickering, Moonlight kept a small small on her face. For three blocks they walked in relative silence, until Nazgoroth sighed.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

She turned an ear towards him. “Hm?”

He grumbled before raising his voice, “I said I’m sorry. My classmates used to make fun of me when I was young. Even after the rash had run its course, I was bombarded with jokes and impolite nicknames. Though one in particular stayed with me through my teenage years. Took me forever to finally shake it off.”

“Now I don’t get what the big deal is,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “You had a really big, really bad rash. So what? I don’t think that’s enough reason to keep making fun of somepony for so long.”

“Perhaps if I was a pony,” he sighed, “it wouldn’t have been. But because Tartarians live and tunnel underground, it’s something like a source of pride to have tough skin, regardless of heritage.”

Moonlight looked up at the sky. “So it’s like making fun of somepony for impure bloodlines or a particularly traumatic experience with pastries?”

Nazgoroth stared down at her while he walked. “Precisely. Does that happen here as well?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Sounds like it sucks about as much. Here, the name’s just ‘blank flanks.’”

He frowned. “Blank flanks?”

She stopped in front of a door. “I’ll tell you about it later. We’re here.”

A quick look at the window answered his question, Gilbert’s Satchels & Saddlebags.

Inside was row upon row of stocked shelves, each sporting various styles, colors and materials. Even the walls were lined with products, hanging off hooks from floor to ceiling. A griffon sat behind the counter, absently reading a book. Without looking up, he addressed them in a deep, raspy voice.

“Feel free to look around,” he said, not even bothering to look up. “If you’re having trouble finding something, or want to put in an order, just let me know. We’ve also got a discount today, half-off on any color changes.” He thumbed the next page, going silent.

Thankfully, signs were placed to help prospective customers. When Moonlight walked over to Mares section, Nazgoroth went to the Stallions. It wasn’t too long before he found one that caught his eye. A simple denim bag, with separated spaces inside. He brought it up to the counter as Moonlight watched him from the corner of her eye.

The griffon kept his eyes on the book. “Ten bits for the bag. You want it as is, or interested in a color change? ”

Nazgoroth raised an eyebrow. “Color change?”

His expression remained neutral. “It’s usually ten bits, but we’ve been running a special this week. I’ll let my assistant do the explaining. I make satchels for a living, not magic. Spectrum Shift!”

At his raised voice, a young unicorn mare stumbled out from the door behind the counter. “Y-yes boss? What-”

Before she could say anything else, her eyes fell on Nazgoroth. Her pale gray coat blanched to as white as Celestia’s feathers.

Moonlight rolled her eyes, but kept silently watching.

She tapped his shoulder with a hoof. “Gil-b-b-bert?”

He didn’t so much as blink. “What have I said about bothering me when I’m reading?”

“That I’d get d-docked five bits e-each time I do it?” she gulped.

Gilbert smiled. “That’s five bits, Shift.”

“But, boss! He’s a-a-a-”

“Company policy number one!” he barked, turning another page.

Shift suddenly snapped to attention, standing as straight as she could, still shaking. “Company policy number one. It doesn’t matter if our customer is a griffon, pony, dragon or living pile of bubble gum, we’ll serve them to the best of our abilities!”

He nodded. “Good. Now explain to our customer what a color change is.”

She saluted, looking at Nazgoroth. “I can use magic to alter the colors of any of our products to suit a customer’s preferences. By manipulating the dyes and pigments on a molecular level-”

Gilbert poked her in the cheek. “Company policy number two.”

Spectrum Shift sighed, pushing away his talon. “Company policy number two. A customer should be given an in-depth explanation only if they ask and express an interest in hearing one.”

He patted the top of her pearlescent mane. “Good mare. You’re learning.”

She grumbled something under her breath.

“I heard that,” he said, poking her cheek again. “So, mister. Interested in a color change?”

As Nazgoroth looked towards Moonlight, she quickly returned her gaze to a pair black canvas saddlebags. Trying to look as oblivious as possible, she stopped listening for a moment. Though even a deaf pony would’ve heard Shift’s shout of, “A-are you M-m-moonlight’s coltfriend?”

Moonlight’s eye twitched, her ears perking up ever so slightly. Without even taking her eyes off the saddlebags, she called out over her shoulder, “He’s not my coltfriend! Sunny’s just been gossipping again.”

“S-sorry, Moonlight!”

With a roll of her eyes, she considered the saddlebags more intently. Her own pair were far from falling apart, but it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra set just in case. And while the standard brown wasn’t a bad color, she liked the black better. But before she could make her final decision, her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of jingling bits, a register’s ring and the telltale chime of magic. With a sigh, she resolved to come back for them later, and trotted up to the front.

Moonlight stopped mid-step as her eyes fell on Nazgoroth’s new bag. It hung off his shoulder as if made for him, and was already bulging from his bottles. What made her pause and stare, however, was that its colors matched her coat and mane.

One of her eyebrows rose up in confusion, before it clicked in her mind. Within the space of a blink, here eyes shot wide open, trying to bore a hole into the bag with her gaze. She could feel the beat of her heart grow quicker and stronger, keeping pace with the smile climbing up to her eyes. With a fierce shake of her head, Moonlight freed her mind and trotted towards the door without another word. Less than ten steps down the street, and she heard Nazgoroth’s steps quickly catch up to her.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, sounding concerned.

Moonlight’s ears drooped halfway. “I just remembered I need Sunny to mind the bookshop while we’re gone. Business hasn’t been great, and mostly we’ve been scraping by. Doesn’t help that my landlord raised the rent a few months ago.”

Nazgoroth scratched his head. “Is that where I was summoned?”

She nodded. “And if we can’t make rent, we’ll lose the shop.”

Nazgoroth raised a finger as if to say something, but let it fall to his side instead. Moonlight shot him a thankful smile as he looked off in thought. They arrived before too long and found Sunset Smiles sweeping the outside, humming a cheerful tune.

Once they were in her sights, she stopped to wave. “Hi Moony, hi Nazgoroth! Like, how’d the talk go with the princesses? How scary was Princess Luna? How much cake does Princess Celestia eat? Did you two share a r-”

Moonlight’s hoof quickly plugged her sister’s mouth. “Talk was good, she’s not really scary, and not much unless you count pancakes. Listen, Sunny, I’ll be gone for a few days to help Nazgoroth get home. That means you’ll have to watch the shop until I get back, okay?”

Smiles nodded, her brow creased with determination. Once she saluted, Moonlight removed her hoof. “You can count on me, Moony! We kind of have a little problem, though. Blueblood came by and raised the rent again.”

Closing her eyes, Moonlight sighed. “How much this time?”

“... a hundred bits?” she said, tapping her hooves together.

“What?!” Moonlight whispered through clenched teeth. She quickly took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Composure restored, she looked her sister square in the eye. “Okay, okay. Here’s the plan. Get Spectrum Shift to help while I’m gone. She only works part-time for Gilbert, and probably wouldn’t mind the extra bits. Once I get back, we’ll plan out what needs to be done.”

With a nod, Sunset pulled her sister in close for a firm hug. “Love you, Moony. Stay safe on your trip.”

Moonlight returned the hug. “Love you too, Sunny. I know I can count on you until I get back.”

They held each other at hoof’s length, smiling all the while. Once done, Sunset waved goodbye as her sister and Nazgoroth made their way back to the castle. Nazgoroth left Moonlight to her thoughts, as she didn’t say a single word the entire walk. After seeing the mountainous heap of paperwork when they walked into Celestia’s room, though, a few choice ones sprang to her mind.

Their signatures were necessary on hundreds of official forms, documents and identifications that needed to be swiftly taken care of before they left. Not only for Nazgoroth’s safety, but for Moonlight as well since she’d volunteered to be his temporary guide and guardian. By the time they were done it was well into the night, and both never wanted to see another quill or inkwell for at least a year. Celestia reminded them of the stops they’d be making on their way the Gate of Tartarus, the first of which would be in nearby Ponyville.

After the numerous hours of slogging through paperwork, Celestia filed away the last sheets with a smile. “I’ve already sent word ahead to my former pupil of your arrival. Her name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’d like for you both to meet with her tomorrow. She’ll be able to help you along your journey, and I’ve no doubt she’s currently poring over the D.I.L.D.I.B as we speak. Now, you’ve both had a long day, and I think a late dinner is in order before your train leaves. I’ve also made arrangements at a newly opened hotel, they have an attendant who’ll meet you at the station and escort you to your rooms. Enjoy your dinner, and have a safe trip.”

After dinner, they thanked Celestia for all her help and boarded the train. Though the ride was relaxing, it nearly lulled Nazgoroth to sleep with its repetitive melody of ka-chunk a-chunk. He and Moonlight had a private room all to themselves, and while there was only one bed, the couch suited him just fine. A yawn escaped his ears in dark comfort as the train passed through another tunnel. Moonlight snored softly, which brought a mischievous smile to his eyes.

Comments

[Little Tigress]

Aw, this is great!