The Voices of Nobody

by BowtiesandFedoras

Chapter 18

Back in the fawyer of the castle, things were calmer. I saw Twilight greeting guests in her sparkling dress with stars all over it (she was quite big on astronomy). Celestia was by her side in her normal, though still fancy, attire.

I stopped to listen to the pianist for a while, enjoying the beautiful tinkling of the keys.

While I was listening, a woman stumbled into me. I quickly turned to face her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..."

She looked up at me with a flushed face and dazed eyes, and her pink hair was somewhat messy.

"Nah, man. Iss totally my fault... Iss all good, though; I didn't spill mah drink!"

She was apparently very, very, very intoxicated. She took a swig of her beverage, and stumbled onto what she assumed was the dance floor.

I amusedly watched her sway and stumble and trip over herself as she "danced" to her "jam" before she passed out in one confused man's arms.

The music stopped, and everyone's attention was drawn to the main stairway of the fawyer. I looked, and I saw Luna descending the stairs, and I was instantly awestruck.

I had certainly seen her before, and was used to seeing her, but never had I seen her like this.

She had an amazing purple dress on with peacock feathers of dark blue stylishly placed at the bottom, and the front of it was slightly open, revealing just a glimpse of her legs. Her hair was draped over her right shoulder with a light blue flower behind her left ear. She had dark eyeliner and blue lipstick that matched her hair.

As she came down the massive steps, I noticed an odd expression on her face. It was not a happy one, nor a sad one. As I realized that it was worry, people around me began whispering things, incoherent things, but from the sound of them I could tell that they weren't pleasant. The face of worry was soon replaced by one of mixed fear and embarrassment to the point where she stopped walking down the stairs.

I began understanding the whispers.

"Is that Luna?"

"What's she doing here?"

"If you ask me; I don't think she should've left the moon..."

It made me sick that people thought these things about someone as innocent as her.

She scanned the crowd, obviously contemplating leaving. She looked at Celestia and Twilight, who also wore looks of worry on their faces, but she saw me, and stared for a few seconds, and so did I. I gave her a serious look and nodded slowly. She knew exactly what I meant, and so she inhaled deeply and found the resolve to continue down the steps.

When she reached the bottom, people spread out so that she could walk through, and she came in my direction. It was then that I felt the room get warmer. Although, it was not the room, it felt more like an internal heat inside myself. Was I having an allergic reaction to something I ate? No, I had no allergies. What was this? I stared into her eyes as she came toward me, and got warmer. I got warmer whenever she took a step, whenever those eyes got closer. I felt sweat on my lip when she got right next to me. She leaned in a bit and whispered, "Thank you... again," and passed me to enter the gardens.

I let out a deep breath that I didn't realize I was holding.

"What just happened?" I asked myself quietly as the heat subsided. However, I was peculiarly answered.

"What do you mean?" asked Rarity, who was hiding behind me and trying to make herself look small.

"Ah! Oh... You startled me. What are you do-"

"Shhh! Hiding..."

"From whom?" I whispered. She pointed at a man across the room with smooth, blonde hair and bright blue eyes and wearing a clean, white suit.

"Why?" I whispered again.

"Because he might recognize me."

I decided to just humor her and let her hide until he left the area.

"Okay, he's gone," I told her.

"Oh, thank you so much," those two words gave me a flash of mild warmth again, "I know you're wondering whi I was hiding from him, but trust me, it's a long, and filthy story."

The way she practically spat out the word "filthy" made me curious.

"Is he your ex, or something?"

The question nearly made her gag.

"Oh, heavens no! I wouldn't dare soil my good name for him."

Apparently, that man and she have a negative history.

"What's his name?"

"Prince Blueblood," she spat.

"What's his deal?"

"Well, he's arrogant, selfish, greedy, narcissistic, self-absorbed..." and the list went on for longer than expected, but when she was done, I went out into the garden and sat on a bench to enjoy the cool air and watch the people go by.

While I was people-watching, I was two men talking to each other, and couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Did you hear about that nurse that died recently?"

"Die? She didn't die; she was killed!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. That's what I meant. Hey, d'you know about those other six?"

"What do you mean 'others?'"

"Well, six more died just like the nurse: no cuts, no bruising, no signs of suffocation or poisoning, no anything!"

"Oh, yeah. I vaguely remember hearing about them. Hey, I think that the guy from the first one, the nurse, did it."

"You mean that guy they found unconscious at the scene?"

"Yeah, him. I heard he's actually here at the Gala."

"There's no way the Princess would let him in here!"

"I don't know... She's gotten pretty lax lately."

Their words burned inside me. Not only had Vesania killed three more people, which bothered me above all, but they were blaming it on me, which irritated me as well, and questioning the Princess.

One gave me a glance that lasted just a bit too long, and then he turned back to his companion.

"Hey, uh, what'd that guy look like again?"

"Uh, black hair, kinda tall, slim, why?"

The other one then whispered rather loudly, "I think he's looking at us."

Then the second looked at me, and they both speedily walked away with looks of surprise on their faces.

After the small feeling of anger left me, I put my face in my hands and let dread consume me as I thought of the six others he's killed since he left me.

"Oh, God..." I said quietly, "Why is this happening?"

I held back a tear as I noticed footsteps from behind me.

"Do not mind them," Luna said, "They are just ignorant."

She came up and sat next to me on the bench. I tried my best not to look sad and sat up straight, though I knew not why, as I got warm again. Funny: it seems our roles have been reversed.

"Are you enjoying the Gala?" she asked half-heartedly.

"Uh, the Gala: yes. The people: less so."

"I feel the same..." she said before sighing.

I looked down, feeling sympathetic for both of her.

"Well, maybe things would get better, for you I mean, if you would give them more time to get used to you," I said, referring to how she thought the people disliked her.

"I don't think it's that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because I've already been back for two years. If that hasn't been enough time for them, I don't know what is."

Her tone sort of made a transition into a more lighthearted one.

"Well, do you get out and make pulic appearances to give them a chance to see the real you?"

"Yes... Well... Two, really..." she said, a little embarrassed.

"Just two?! It's no wonder they don't take to you very well."

"Yes; one was during Nightmare Night last year, and the other was at my niece's wedding."

"You've got to try harder than that if you want them to li- er -understand you. Where I come from, there's a saying: It's not the amount of hours you put into your work; it's the amount of work you put into the hours."

I could tell this helped her a bit, because she sort of perked up.

"So, if I just show them me more often, they will start to accept me?"

"Couldn't hurt to try."

She breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at me with her starry eyes, and I couldn't help but feel almost deja vu, like I recognized her somehow.

"You're a good person, Nobody. I feel happy finding someone I can talk to other than Tia and some of the castle folk."

"Tia" was her nickname for Celestia.

"Thanks," was all I could manage to say.

"I've, um, heard gossip around the castle. I'm sorry to hear about your... um..."

Apparently, she saw that I didn't want to talk about it, so she changed the subject.

"So, have you enjoyed your time here?"

"Yeah, I have. This place is so... peaceful. Everybody I've met's been so nice to me. Me! A total stranger who just fell out of the sky! Where I come from, they would've thrown me in an asylum"

Whatever this world was, it was more welcoming that anything on Earth. The people were, for the most part, kind, and almost always had a smile on. The whole place was busy and calm at the same time. And the colorful architecture just eminated happy thoughts.

"Good. I am glad you are liking it," she said. She then paused for a few seconds, and then looked up at the night sky. I chose to do the same.

Author commentary:

I am sorry about this. I didn't like this chapter, either. Slow, uneventful, etc. But trust me, it will get better.

Comments

[white_raven]

is good story.

[SpikeDark]

berry punch on the dance floor

Lunas grand entrance

nobody's awkward moment

[Fireeaters]

for a supposed magic user he's only used necromancy once the entire story

[BowtiesandFedoras]

yeah, I agree. I can't say I don't regret having him use it more that once, but it will occur again in the future of the story, and it will be so, so cool, if I do say so myself.