Lost Without Love

by AnnEldest

Shot In The Dark

The walk home seemed even more pleasant after Luna departed the train. For the first time in a long while, she felt as if she finally had the time to enjoy the night that she had created for everypony. And she was going to enjoy every last moment of it.

She skipped her way home, not caring a bit about the way that some of the ponies were watching their Princess of the Night acting like a filly who had gotten her first formal dress. In all her life, never had Luna felt such a wonderful mixture of happiness and uncertainty. Yet, she knew that how she felt about another was felt about herself.

The memory of Capper’s lips upon hers made Luna tremble, nearly tripping over the curb as she crossed the street. After collecting herself, she resumed her walk home. A small part of herself was embarrassed at how long it had taken to find somepony. But for Capper, it was worth the wait.

Ahead of her, the castle loomed into view. Luna spread her wings, ready to fly the rest of the way home. Before she ever flapped her wings, another pedestrian bumped harshly against her wings.

“Excuse me?” Luna irately said as the stranger walked on as if she wasn’t there.

There was no time for her to berate the stranger for their rudeness. Past the rude stranger was an even more unpleasant sight. A rat face that she hoped she would never have to see again, who disappeared into one of the alleyways as soon as their eyes met.

No mistake, there was trouble in Canterlot. And she was going to end it. For the kingdom. For Rosy Flower. Most of all for Capper.

Luna quickly trotted after the shadow, following it into the winding alleyways of Canterlot. Even though she could barely see anything she followed. When she shined a light down the alley, the shadow had gone. But, she would not be deterred. Steeling herself, she marched onward into the darkness.

The shadow traipsed lightly through the dark passages, moving as if it had lived there in the dark all its life. Its steps were deliberate and slow, knowing what was behind it was coming ever closer. A smile spread across the face of the shadow, just as there was a flash of light before it. Light filled the alleyway, illuminating the shadow to reveal Needy’s impish grin.

“Princess Luna!? Goodness, you gave me a fright,” Needy said.

“Why were you following me?” Luna demanded.

“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to ask?” Needy said. “Suffice it to say, you made quite the spectacle of yourself, galavanting around town like you just won the lottery.”

“You didn’t answer me,” Luna sternly said.

“Now, Princess. What is wrong with a tourist like me going out to enjoy this lovely night that you’ve granted us? One might almost think that you were particularly inspired tonight.”

“Yet, you walk away when I see you,” Luna said.

“So I did. I meant no offense,” Needy shrugged.

“Or perhaps you’re on the run. Like your pegasus friend,” Luna said.

“You’ll have to be more specific. I know many pegasi in this neck of the woods,” Needy replied.

“She tried to mug somepony. They were stabbed by her,” Luna said, her voice seething with low contempt.

“You can’t think it was one of my friends,” Needy said, clapping his paws innocently.

“Are you aware that harboring a fugitive is a crime? What am I saying? Of course, you do,” Luna said, standing taller before Needy.

“Oh! Princess! That is a very serious allegation. As it is, I have no knowledge of any wrongdoing by any of my associates,” Needy said. His eyes narrowed, and his smile shrank to a devious smirk. “Or is there something else that you wanted to discuss?”

Something unpleasant fizzled in Luna’s brain, like so many times before when a topic she didn’t want to discuss came up. It was now or never.

“Whatever your business is with Capper, you need to leave him be,” Luna said, trying to sound resolute.

“Capper? How is that old tomcat?” Needy said, feigning surprise.

“You can’t hide behind your duplicitous smile this time. I know how you’ve been tormenting him since the Gala. This is the only warning that you’re going to get from me, so heed it well.”

Needy eyed Luna curiously. She thought she was a towering fortress before him, but he had just found the one crack in her defenses.

“You do care about Capper, don’t you?” he said. His smirk grew ever so slightly when he saw Luna tremble for just a moment. “You know, for the longest time, I never thought he would open up to anypony. Not after what happened with his friend.”

“Well, I’m not like Chummer,” Luna said.

“Oh! He told you about that? You must be very special to him,” Needy said, smiling broadly. “Then he told you about what happened next?”

“He left him,” Luna replied knowingly.

“He left him with a mountain of debt to pay,” Needy scoffed, spreading his paws wide and raising them over his head. “He owes Verko big. And when Verko doesn’t get his due…Well–” Needy illustrated by smiling widely as he dragged a claw across his throat.

As the moments passed, Luna was more and more disgusted with the cat before her. She scoffed loudly, “That’s it, then? It’s all about money.”

“Verko is a businesscat,” Needy matter-of-factly said, his smile shrinking to almost nothing. “When money is not made, business is bad. Capper is bad for business. If he is not an asset, then he is a liability. And you know what happens to business liabilities.”

The inside of Luna’s mouth bled as she clenched her teeth. Losing Capper wasn’t something that she was willing to do. Not when she had come so far. After everything he had done for her, she felt she had become a better mare.

There was one thing to do. Something that would save Capper, put Rosy on a better path, and possibly take her to Verko.

“If that’s all, then I’ll pay it,” Luna said.

“Say again?” Verko said, his smile vanishing.

“I’ll pay Capper’s debt,” Luna repeated.

“You understand that this is no mortgage or cart payment. This is an entire life of bad mistakes we’re talking about,” Needy said, squeezing his paws.

“I don't think it’s you who understands. I said I’ll–Pay–It,” Luna said, enunciating each word.

Needy’s eyes lowered as a thoughtful frown appeared on his face.

“Is that not enough? I’ll even allow you and your entourage free passage back to Kludgetown, on the condition that you leave behind Skylar Rose,” Luna said.

There was a flash from Needy’s eyes, and his needle-toothed smile slowly grew from one ear to the other.

“I suppose that’s fair,” Needy replied. "We will have to take a small trip to Manehattan if you wish to find Skylar Rose."

The sun was supposed to come up in only a few more hours. Some of her wondered if she should wait until the next night to go with Needy. She knew if she wasn't back that her sister would have a lot of questions, especially since she had already done it once already. She didn't want to have any more problems with anyone else. But does she really want to wait any longer for this to be resolved? She could see how miserable Capper was because of them and how much he was trying to move on from it and they weren't allowing him to.

Maybe it was better to wait. The more she thought of it though, the more she saw that there was no point in waiting. Capper had waited for so long to get his life back in order and they were the ones preventing it. She needed to stop them all for Rosy, for Capper, and in some cases maybe even for Skylar.

"Very well," Luna said. "Take me to her."

Author's Note:

Not going to lie, I have like three different ideas for where this story could lead to. Not sure which one I want to take it. But we'll see. As Always...

Till Next Time!!!!