Chapter 3
Luna opened her eyes. Groaning lightly, she checked the clock. She smiled as she read 6:56 pm—there was still time for a little bit more sleep before she had to wake up for her royal duties.
And, of course, time for cuddling.
She gently stroked one of the dark hooves wrapped around her body. Funny, isn't it? Arguably the most powerful mare in Equestria, ruler of the Night and Keeper of Dreams... and she liked being the little spoon.
And, as luck would have it, she wasn't the only one awake.
“Good morning, Lulu,” he said softly.
“Good morning,” she responded, settling deeper into his embrace.
“You're such a great cuddle-buddy, you know this, right?” Midnight asked.
Luna giggled and opened her mouth to say something, but her stomach decided that right then and there would be a good time to announce its hunger.
Luna blushed slightly, but Midnight took it all in stride. “Oh, oh... Looks like somepony has a rumbly in their tumbly,” he said cheerfully. “Tell you what. I'll make you a quiche for breakfast.”
“A quiche?”
“Of course! You've never tried my homemade quiche?”
Luna shook her head.
“Oh, Lulu! You haven't lived, then!” He happily hopped out of bed. It was amazing how he was able to put his excitement in everything, even the mundane things like waking up. “Come on! The quiche won't make itself!”
As they walked down the halls, Luna couldn't help but feel happiness as Midnight trotted beside her. “I only use the greatest ingredients, you know. It's a secret family recipe from way back when. Learned it from Great-granny Dreamer when I was a little colt.”
There is where a little yellow flag should have gone up in Luna's mind, but she was too busy giggling to notice.
“And quiche just isn't complete without some of my homemade hummus!”
Luna laughed. “Surely, you are perfect.”
At this time, almost as if it were scripted, two Lunar stallions walked by, each giving a slight bow to Luna as they passed.
Luna turned to watch them as they passed, two shining (pardon the term) examples of how a Lunar Guard should behave. Her smile flickered as she noticed that Midnight was also staring, but his eyes seemed to show a little more than admiration.
This suspicion was confirmed by his next sentence. “I gotta say, the best part of the Night is all those Lunar Stallions.”
“Not me?” Luna asked, pouting lightly, giving him a playful nudge.
Midnight laughed lightly. “Well, you're my best friend, of course, but some of them are way cute.”
The last word of that first clause actually did cause a little yellow flag go up in Luna's mind. The second clause raised another.
“They are... something else, are they not?” Luna managed to say.
“They sure are! Which one's your favorite?” The way he wiggled his eyebrow indicated that the question was not referring to their personality.
“I...” Luna stammered. “I have no favorite.”
“Well,” Midnight continued, “if you asked me, I'd say Aegis Shield is the best looking of all. I mean, have you seen the way he rocks that armor? I'd say his flanks are the only thing tougher than that solar steel! Wouldn't mind doing extra training with him. And that jawline...” His voice trailed off and his eyes went up, obviously lost in another place.
Luna bit her lip. “So, you like... you like both, then?” she asked. Strange new sexual customs were more common in these days than before, many of which she didn't understand; but if they were happy, so was she. And if Midnight had an eye on another stallion, she could be ok with that, right? Wasn't love about overlooking your partner's small faults?
“Well...” Midnight rubbed his hooves together nervously. “Not exactly, no. Just... just colts.”
Luna stared.
“You didn't know?”
Luna stared.
“I thought you did.”
Luna stared.
“Please say something.”
Luna finally managed to speak, and her voice rose in anger as she spoke. “So... all the time we spent together, all our outings, our date nights, our cuddling, that meant nothing to you?”
“I didn't know you meant it like that,” Midnight said, raising a hoof defensively. “I thought we were just friends?”
“Just... friends?” Luna hissed. “I shared everything with you! Secrets I have not even told my sister you know!”
“I know, but...”
“I love you, Midnight!”
Midnight looked down and nodded before placing a hoof on her cheek. “I know. And I love you too. But not like that. I'm sorry, I really am, but you're a mare, and I'm just not attracted to you like that. We're just... friends.”
Her Royal Highness Princess Luna, Diarch of the Night, with many, many years of diplomatic engagements and negotiations under her belt, responded in what would be considered a perfectly normal manner in such a situation.
She screamed.
One of her servants came bursting in, closely followed by a solar guard. “Your highness!”
Luna sat up and caught her breath. “I...” She looked around. Her bed was empty, the time was early, and she had been dreaming. Stars above, it had all been a dream. “I had a bad dream.”
Oh, she sounded like such a foal...
The mare cocked her head, a look of worry crossing her face. “I thought you controlled the dreams?” she asked.
Luna suppressed a sigh and shook her head. She did no such thing. Visit them? Yes, hence the title 'Keeper of Dreams'. Create them? No. Dreams were a thing in and of themselves. Sure, night was made for dreams, but night was also made for loving, and that was also out of her jurisdiction.
But seeing her servant's face, it suddenly occurred to Luna that she might as well have told her that the sun raised itself. This was apparently an important part of the servant's beliefs; and Luna, being the kind pony she was, did not feel like completely destroying somepony else's world this morning.
“I mean... I must have mixed up a dream jar. I was expecting a dream about a sandy beach, and a large group of muscular stallions playing volleyball together.”
Much appeased and looking much calmer (albeit with a slight blush in her cheeks), the mare nodded and bowed again. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Luna rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Ensure that there is extra chocolate at breakfast this morning,” she ordered. She also mentally added a cursing on whoever thought that chocolate was a dessert. It was clearly meant as a pick-me-up, and what better time for that than early night? And after that nightmare, she deserved something special for herself. Seriously. Aegis Shield? What a silly name. “Protective shield shield”? Really? Whose mother would be so unkind? (1) And most importantly, there's no way Midnight would be like that, right?
Right?
She shook her head as she left her room. The only way to know for certain was to be there when he awoke.
* * *
Dressed in her full armor, G entered the common room and her eyes instantly flicked over to Stone, who was sitting at the end of a table, holding the large responsibility tag in his mouth.
“You picked a good one, right?” she demanded. For some reason, Stone always seemed to be first there, and therefore the one to draw the lot of shifts. Sure, she could have looked at the board, but she liked hearing it from him.
Stone nodded, grinning widely. “We're chariot drivers tonight.”
G rolled her eyes. “Yay,” she said sarcastically. “Because everypony loves standing around in harnesses all night.” Luna never went anywhere at night unless it was a special occasion, and that pretty much never happened, barring Nightmare Night, of course. Sometimes she wondered why it was still on the responsibility board when the reason the position had been created in the first place was to have a quick getaway in case of attack or war—and that hadn't happened in forever.
“At least we get to listen to music. I've got a new track I've been working on that I want to show you.”
G grunted noncommittally. “If you spent half the time training that you did singing, you might be a decent guard.” She jerked her head. “Come on. Those hitches aren't gonna tie themselves.”
* * *
G listened to the music with moderate interest, and was impressed against her will. Of course, she couldn't say that to his face, so it came out a little bit differently. “It doesn't suck as bad as the rest of your songs,” she said. “Maybe you're not a failure at life, after all.”
Stone grinned, knowing what that had translated to. “Aw, thanks, G, you're too sweet.”
“If I wasn't wearing chains right now, I would kick you.”
“We ask that you do not,” a third voice broke in behind them. Both spun around to see Princess Luna, in her normal regalia with her wings spread majestically as she entered (2), walking slowly up to the chariot. “For I will have need of both of you tonight.
Both bowed. “Yes, your highness?”
Luna gave a dignified little jump and landed directly in the middle of the chariot. “Take us to...” Luna cleared her throat and rephrased her command. “Take me to the hospital.” She smiled, pleased with herself.
G already knew which one she referred to, but decided to ask, just in case. “Which one, your majesty?”
“The one with Midnight, of course!” Luna said, as if it were obvious. “We... I wish to see him.”
That second correction was right, G thought bitterly. The one night she actually decides to go somewhere... and it's to see that pony. G turned around and hoped that her expression of disgust was not as obvious as that of Luna's delight.
* * *
Regulations required that when either Princess had business at any location, the chariot would be hidden in an easy-to-access place, and the two drivers keep guard of Luna by hiding in the shadows or in natural hiding spots. Chariots were replaceable; princesses were not.
Unfortunately, hospital rooms are designed for efficiency, and for appearing cleaner than they are. Their dark fur stood out like a beacon against the white walls, and so, after scaring the hiccups out of one filly and nearly giving one stallion a heart attack, both guards decided to simply stand next to Luna, who seemed lost in thought.
And thus they stayed, watching ponies and injured patients go by, for approximately an hour, until finally, G couldn't take it any longer.
“Um, your majesty?” the mare couldn't help but say. “Permission to speak freely?”
“Granted,” Luna said distractedly.
“Shouldn't... uh.. Wouldn't... uh...” This had to come out right. You don't just correct a princess, after all. “Aren't there royal duties to perform?”
With just a shadow of bitterness in her voice, Luna replied. “Nopony comes to Night Court. Ever.”
“But...”
“Calm down, oh mare-who-is-known-by-a-single-letter. I know what I am doing.”
Frowning, the guardsmare returned to attention by the door. She didn't have long to wait. Not thirty seconds later, all three spun around as a doctor holding a clipboard in yellow magic walked through the swinging doors. “Your majesty? The subject has woken up.”
The way he said it made it sound as though that sentence wasn't finished, and so Luna prompted for more. “And?”
The doctor looked up. “He seems weak, but we haven't talked to him yet. We thought you would like to see him first.”
Something awoke in Luna, a feeling of... what was that? She wasn't sure what it was, but somehow she knew that she would need to take care of Midnight.
“Remain here,” she commanded her guards. “I will see him alone.”
* * *
At Luna's entrance, the male alicorn rolled over to meet her eyes. “Hello. Are you my savioress?” he asked. His voice was not loud, nor was it rough. Had she been pushed to give a description, Luna would have to say it seemed 'saturated with innocence'.
Luna blinked, unsure at being addressed like that. She settled on, “I could be called that.”
A smile graced his lips. “I thank you. You are surely as kind as you are beautiful. What may I call you?”
* * *
Outside the recovery room, a sudden, crippling wave of nausea washed over the mare standing guard, and she gagged violently.
“G? You ok?” her partner asked. A brief look of worry crossed his face. He had worked with G for a few years now, and she had never once gotten sick. Ever. Not even germs wanted to get on her bad side.
“Ugh...” she groaned, licking her lips gingerly. “Must've been something I ate at my cousin's today... Great guy, terrible cook.”
Stone nodded sympathetically. “Want to take a quick break?”
“I'm sick, not dead,” G growled with a firm sense of finality. “I'm staying.”
* * *
Princess Luna paused, not sure how to introduce herself. Should she introduce herself as the Princess? The Night Princess? Just Princess Luna? The Mare of the Night? The Starbringer? The Nightwatcher? The Queen of Dreams (even though that was a misnomer)? The Keeper of Dreams? One of her many other titles and aliases? Finally, she settled on a simple, “I am Luna.”
“Luna...” The alicorn rolled the name off his tongue. “A lovely name for a lovely mare.”
* * *
“G? Are you sure you're fine?”
“Shut it, Stone. I'm fine.”
The stallion sighed. “G, you're laying on the ground, quivering, in the fetal position. I don't think you're telling me the truth.”
This observation earned him a swift kick in the knee. “I said I'm fine,” G growled.
* * *
“Why am I here?” the alicorn queried. “Do you live here? I didn't take your bed, did I?”
Luna couldn't hold back a gentle laugh. “Of course not! We live in a castle.”
He looked around at the strange place, with its white walls and charts. “Then where am I now?”
Luna raised a hoof and directed it all around the room. “This is a hospital. You are here for healing purposes.”
A look of confusion crossed Midnight's face. “Was I in an accident?”
Now it was Luna's turn to look confused. “You... don't remember?”
Midnight shook his head. “No.”
“Nothing at all?”
“No, Luna.”
"How about your name?"
The stallion opened his mouth, only to shut it again a moment later. "I... I can't remember." He looked up helplessly. "Do you know my name?"
Luna felt a surge of... something. “I do not. But we had taken to calling you 'Midnight' until we knew otherwise."
"Midnight..." The stallion repeated the name to himself a few times. "That feels right. Thank you, Luna."
"You're welcome."
Now that that was settled, he noticed a few more details. "What does that thing on your head mean?"
"This is my tiara," Luna said, a little surprised that she should have to explain this. "I wear it because I am a princess."
"And what does a princess do? Am I one?"
Luna suppressed a laugh. "No. A princess is a leader. She leads and guides her subjects. She shows them care, she teaches them, and makes sure they are happy."
Midnight considered this, and then looked up. "Will you be my princess?" he asked.
Luna smiled. "Yes. I will be your princess. Welcome to Canterlot.” And, she silently whispered, perhaps your lover, too.
* * *
The stallion raised a hoof hesitantly. “G?”
“Shut it, Stone,” the mare growled.
“But...”
“I'm fine, Stone.”
“G...” he said disapprovingly.
“Luna help me, I will buck you into next week. I said I'm fine, Stone.”
Stone sighed. “G, look at yourself. You're crouched over a hospital trash can and you've thrown up everything you've ever known but your cutie mark in the last ten minutes; and at the rate you're going, that's next.” His voice took on a playful, sing-song tone. “I think you're lyyying to meeee...”
“You're going to be 'lying' on the ground in pain if you don't shut your mo- *hrk!*”
A unicorn orderly walked by and paused as she watched the Lunar Guard have another attack. “Uh... is she ok?”
“She's fine,” Stone waved a hoof dismissively. “She might have anorexia, though.”
The orderly was not amused. “It's bulimia. And that's not funny.” (3)
Stone returned to attention. “Sheesh,” he muttered. “Tough crowd tonight.”
* * *
The two guards snapped to attention when Luna walked back out through the doors. Well, Stone did. G raised a hoof in salute from her position over the trash can.
“How is he?” Stone asked.
“Midnight is awake,” Luna said, “but remembers nothing. Not even his own name.”
G found this startlingly convenient, and her suspicions rose even higher. He was planning something; she knew it.
Luna continued, “The doctors say he will be released in twelve hours, and I wish to stay until then. After that, I will take charge of him myself.”
Stone nodded, but G had a slight issue with that. “Our shift ends in three,” G pointed out.
“I will wait alone.”
“That's against protocol,” she protested.
Luna's eyes narrowed. “I set protocol.”
G shut her mouth. Frankly, she wondered why she had even brought that up. If Luna wanted to spend more time with the memory-less freak that fell from space, more power to her. Nopony would ever accuse G of being a studious pony, but today, after her shift ended, she intended to do a little personal digging in the Canterlot Archives. Something was wrong here, and she intended to find out just what it was.
If she ever stopped puking, that is.
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imma read the shit out of it. tomorrow.
2043721
Thank you!
Oh, good. I like it when people get my references. Hope I got a laugh, or at least an eye-roll.
Yo got a good amount of laughs, and a few eye rolls. Keep the good work up
Too bad I had ALL my finals today, or you would have gotten more:)