Night Life
She made it even more beautiful this time, but she doubted anypony would notice.
Princess Luna blinked as a flake of snow settled on her muzzle, and she blew it away. She stared up at the sky and sighed. Once again, it had been time for her to raise the moon for her subjects, but a last minute call for snow had put a damper on her hard work. Her moon was obscured by clouds, preventing those below from seeing it smile down on her subjects: an extra treat she planned for Hearth’s Warming Eve. Unfortunately, her treat turned sour, since she doubted anypony in Canterlot could see the moon amongst the thick clouds. Perhaps the citizens in Vanhoover or even the Griffin Empire could see her work. Perhaps they wouldn’t, and instead remain comfortable in their homes with their family.
Luna turned around and walked back into her bedroom, closing the doors behind her with a simple glow of her horn. Since her gift to her subjects was going to be ignored, she decided to let it go and focus on her royal duties. Luna walked over to a lectern in the corner of her room, adjacent to a beautiful mahogany desk with scrolls, ink, and quills. Upon the lectern were numerous opened scrolls and a newspaper, all held in place by paperweights. Luna picked up the newspaper and began to read to refresh her memory.
“Ponyville nobody turned DJ sensation, DJ Pon3 (real name Vinyl Scratch) once again shocked crowds in Vanhoover this week. Teaming up with Vanhoover’s local gag shop, Vinyl lit up the finale of her show with numerous fireworks that shot into the crowd, but turned out to be edible and harmless for those who dared open their mouth. The owner of the shop, Gag Gifts, said that he was ecstatic to work with Vinyl, and that her reputation as a party animal would go down in history.”
Luna paused. Shooting fireworks into a crowd was a way to end a party? Perhaps it was just her, but that seemed extremely dangerous. If Luna learned anything from her entrance in Nightmare Night, it was that first impressions were important, and the slightest mixup could ruin everything. Luna was still thankful that Twilight Sparkle managed to fix her image within Ponyville, but she wondered if it was still dumb luck that eventually came through for her.
Nevertheless, Luna folded the newspaper and placed it on her desk. With a sigh, she stepped away from her lectern. There didn’t seem to be much else to Vinyl Scratch, it appeared, as Luna looked through the other newspapers that all raved about Vinyl’s energy and charisma. She had popular music, and a reputation that pitted her as the preferred choice for a Canterlot party, so Luna decided that her research was done. After all, it wasn’t hard to smile, shake hooves with the guest, and introduce her to the party. If Vinyl was the “party animal” and everyone wanted her, then who was Luna to argue? Vinyl could probably just introduce herself and start the party without Luna.
Luna looked towards a small tree, decorated in a plethora of bottled fireflies, baubles, and expertly crafted silver ornaments. It was an excellent piece, one that Celestia probably had set up while she was sleeping. Luna would be more impressed, if this same tree hadn’t been in her room the year before.
“Knock it off, Luna,” she muttered to herself as she looked away from the tree and back to her bed. “It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve. Just a bit of bad luck is all.” Luna turned to look under the tree, and she smiled at the numerous presents sitting at foot of it, waiting to be enjoyed. One of her gifts began to glow a dark blue and floated next to her. Luna checked the tag. “From Aegis Night. To Luna,” the tag read. Luna smiled and set the present back under the tree, but her smile slowly turned into a frown. She bit her lip and glanced towards her clock. It was 7:25. She still had 35 minutes before she needed to be in the Great Hall, perhaps she could open one of her presents early? It wasn’t as if anyone would notice.
Maybe someone would surprise her with a gift that was out of this world? And maybe she’d also turn into Discord and sprout a second horn. As Twilight would say, there’s always a chance. Speaking of Twilight, Luna looked towards her fireplace, where a group of letters were piled up on the mantlepiece. Luna raised the pile and set it on her bed, before she began to comb through the parchment, looking for a familiar crest that belonged to Twilight Sparkle. Luna had kept in touch with her since their last Nightmare Night. She hoped to see some sort of holiday letter, even one that looked copied, or perhaps written by Spike since Twilight was very busy this time of year, and probably didn’t have the time to sit down and write. Alas, nothing seemed familiar. Luna sighed.
“Perhaps I should just go to the Great Hall early,” she mumbled. “There’s nothing left for me to—”
Luna blinked as she heard a knock at her door.
“Your Highness?” the hesitant guard asked beyond the door.
“Yes, my loyal subject?” Luna asked as she passed a glance towards her vanity. Her eyes widened as she remembered her royal regalia, and she levitated her shoes, crown, and peytral into place.
“I come bearing a gift for you… Princess,” the guard beyond the door replied.
Princess Luna wasn’t sure if she should be smiling this wide, but she couldn’t help it. “Of course, my subject!” she said as she straightened her crown and looked back to the door. She stepped towards it and opened it with her magic.
The guard met Luna’s eyes and flinched upon seeing her smile. He nervously laughed and set his present down on the floor. “I uh… good evening… Princess Luna,” the guard mumbled.
“Good evening to you as well, Bright Night,” Luna replied as she toned down her smile to avoid scaring the guard any more. “I thank you for coming up to my room to give me a present. Some of my presents were already under my tree when I woke up.” Luna raised a hoof. “Perhaps the traditions changed, but I miss the times when you needed to meet someone to give them a gift.”
Bright Night smiled and nodded. “That is why I came to your room, Princess. I wanted to make sure that you saw my present first hoof before the party. I’m sure that you must get buried underneath all the presents once you come back to your room.”
Luna nodded, trying to keep her composure by preventing a bigger smile. “Indeed! It’s all a formality now!” Luna turned around and walked back over to her tree. She set the present down next to the others and looked back towards Bright. “Thank you, Bright Night. I can’t wait to open it.”
“I really hope you enjoy it,” the stallion replied as he leaned against the doorframe. “You know, I wouldn’t mind if you opened it right now.”
Luna looked towards the present and then giggled as she shook her head. Luna noticed that the guard’s smile had dimmed. “I appreciate the present, Night, but I’d rather save them for tonight when I come back from opening the party. I’m not planning on staying there for long.”
“Aww, are you sure?” Night asked as he took a step inside the room. “We’re only a few hours from tomorrow anyway.”
Luna took note of his insistence, but remained hesitant. She kept her smile, however, as she levitated the card out of the present and slid it open. “I’ll meet you halfway and read the card.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Night replied with a brighter smile as he leaned against the doorframe.
Princess Luna opened the card and her smile slowly disappeared as she read the front aloud.
“For the boss that means the most to me, have a gift for you and your tree.”
Luna’s smile returned, but hollow and small. She had read this kind of card before.
“Do you like it?” Night asked.
“Yes, of course! This card is excellent! It brightens up my whole night!” Luna exclaimed, obviously lying as she opened the card and read what Night had written down below.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve to you, Your Highness! I hope that yours is full of Hearth’s Warming miracles! Speaking of miracles, I was hoping that I could take the Veteran’s test relatively soon.” Luna passed a glance towards Bright, who was smiling as wide as a child asking to go in the candy shop. Luna looked back to the card. “I’ve been training and hitting the gym a lot more and I’m sure I’m ready to become an Elite Guard.”
Luna felt something inside her shatter. She levitated the card back into its envelope and tucked it underneath the present’s bow. Her smile was unwavering, but her voice lacked its previous energy.
“So… what do you think?” Night asked.
Princess Luna’s eye almost twitched, but she held her composure. “I’ll definitely think about it, Bright Night. Thank you for the card. I’ll open your gift later,” she said with a tone of finality.
“Oh, alright.” Night stood straight and saluted as Princess Luna looked back to him. “I’ll… see you at the party then?”
“You shall,” she replied as she levitated the door halfway closed. Night, taking the hint, began to walk away.
“See you later, Princess Luna!” he yelled as he walked away. Luna merely slammed the door once the guard was out of sight and sighed. Part of her wanted to lay back down, but the night had only just begun. She couldn’t afford to be tired, or sad.
Luna glanced at her clock. Only seven minutes had passed, which left plenty of time for her to reach the Great Hall. If she was really strapped for time, she could simply jump off her balcony and fly right into the Great Hall via the front entrance. She decided against it. The last thing she wanted was to take the ostentatious route. She looked back to her presents and sighed. She levitated Bright Night’s present over to her and ripped the wrapping paper off. After taking off the lid, she sighed deeply upon seeing a familiar silver moon decoration, the exact same one that decorated her tree dozens of times over.
With a deep sigh, Princess Luna closed her eyes and tossed the package into the corner of her room. Her anger permeated her thoughts. “Did he even try to act subtle about the intentions behind his gift?” Luna fumed as she grabbed the present, emptied it of the decoration, and tossed the packaging into her fireplace. The paper caught flame and burned along with Luna’s rage.
“Did he even try to ask somepony what I liked?”
Luna seethed and grit her teeth together to try and burn out her anger. Once she felt calm, she sighed and gulped down the rest of her negative emotions, returning to a regal and royal facade.
“I can’t blame him. I doubt I’ve told anypony except Sister what I like.”
She looked back to her clock. Two minutes had passed. “Perhaps this is all just a formality. Just like last year. It’s 7:30… which means the next guard should be appearing in three… two… one…”
Another knock at her door.
~~~
Luna couldn’t exactly remember what this guard wanted, even though she had just said it. Something about transferring her to a different division that her very special somepony was on as she gave Luna a present that was suspiciously the same size as the first guard’s. Either way, Luna closed her door once she managed to end the conversation and opened the present to make sure her suspicions were correct. Another box was fed to the fireplace, another ornament tossed into the corner.
Luna looked towards her clock and gasped. She had only five minutes until she was supposed to meet up with the special guest! She had never wanted to attend to her royal obligations more than right now, as she heard another knock upon her door. “Just leave the present at my door, please! Your Princess needs to meet up with the guest!”
“But Princess,” the stallion guard replied as Luna heard him set down the present, “I apologize if I’m speaking out of turn, but there’s something I really need to talk to you about!”
Princess Luna sighed. “Is what you want to talk about on your card?” she asked.
The guard was silent for a beat, before he admitted that was the case.
“Then I will talk to you later. Please leave me be.”
Without another word, Princess Luna heard the guard walk away, which freed her up to think. She checked herself in her vanity again and straightened her mane back into place, before she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Terrible and obvious attempts at using the holiday season to try and flatter her aside, Princess Luna still had obligations. She smiled into the mirror and walked outside, sighing in relief when she found that no Guard was in the hallway. She walked down the hallway to one of the many castle staircases, picking up her stride as she descended the floors.
After the seventh floor, Princess Luna felt that she had to give the guards some credit. Her room was certainly quite the journey from the Great Hall, so at least their flattery had some sort of challenge behind it. But apart from that, Luna grit her teeth behind her smile as she waved and nodded at Royal Guards that she passed, those who were off the shift or heading to bed. A few Night Guards tried to get her attention, but thankfully her back was to them, so she could feign ignorance.
“Yes indeed, it is a happy Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Luna thought with cold sarcasm. “Happily a chore…”
If was only a few moments before Princess Luna stepped into the Great Hall, joining the crowd of ponies that had arrived early or were currently putting the finishing touches on the party. Luna surveyed the room and raised a hoof to her chin as she continued forward, taking notice of the decorations.
It was certainly exquisite. The pillars on both sides of the rooms were decorated in tinsel and enchanted to glow the colors of Hearth’s Warming Eve. Tables of food were near the entrance, mostly against the pillars, presumably so that the back could be used for chatting and dancing. Luna felt the guard’s conversations halting or growing quieter as she walked past them, but spark back up once she was a few feet away. Luna remembered to stop gritting her teeth, but a rogue pony’s voice addressing her made her blink.
“Yo, Princess Luna.”
It was the pony up at front. Luna didn’t even notice her because she was taking in all the decorations. The mare appeared to be setting up her DJ stand while looking at her, but Luna couldn’t be sure since the DJ’s glasses obscured her eyes. Luna was taken aback by the DJ’s informal greeting. As far as she knew, all eyes were on her, so she had to keep her composure. She lowered her hoof and plastered on a smile. The DJ didn’t seem to smile back.
“Vinyl Scratch, I presume?” Princess Luna asked as she stepped onto the stage.
“Yep,” Vinyl replied. Once Vinyl had attached the wire in her hoof, her speakers emitted a low boom. Vinyl adjusted the volume before two large strobe lights raised from the stage and turned on, shining up to the ceiling.
Luna’s smile slowly brightened into something more genuine. Vinyl’s impassive expression changed to mimic Luna’s. “Nearly every member in my Guard wanted you as the main event for this party. Your reputation precedes you,” Luna said as she stepped back while Vinyl continued setting up.
“Yours as well,” Vinyl replied as she looked down to her soundboard. “For obvious reasons.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Vinyl’s glasses slid down slightly, and Luna could see the faintest glimpse of her violet eyes. However, both mares seemed to shift focus back to the task at hoof.
“First of all, on behalf of both Princess Celestia and myself, I would like to thank you for working on Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Princess Luna raised a hoof for emphasis. “You have certainly, how shall we say, more than doubled the fun of this party?”
Vinyl chuckled and took her hooves off of her soundboard once it was properly calibrated. “I’m just glad to be back, Princess Luna.” Vinyl scratched the back of her head, her smile growing a little more sheepish. “I haven’t really had a gig from you guys since the Canterlot Wedding. I thought that… I wasn’t up to your expectations.”
Princess Luna lowered her hoof and her smile warmed up. “Contrary to popular belief, Vinyl Scratch, the citizens of Canterlot do listen to more than just orchestral arrangements. Your previous show was excellent, and we are simply wishing to see you again.”
“Thanks, Princess,” Vinyl said as she sighed in relief. She brushed a hoof through her electric blue mane, making sure that it was still spiked. “Hey, Princess, do I look okay? I tell you, it takes a while to look like you just got out of bed.”
Princess Luna chuckled as she turned to face the guards. “Agreed.”
The room was beginning to fill with guests. Both Night and Day Guards were invited to attend, but there seemed to be more of the former than the latter, as Luna expected. Those who already had a shift were probably sleeping after guarding their favorite Princess. Luna tried to avoid frowning at this sudden and random thought, but all she could manage to do was plaster on the fake smile. It worked for the guards, who smiled back, but Luna could see Vinyl’s smile disappear through her peripherals.
“Hey, one last thing,” Vinyl said as she played one long bass loop that beckoned the guards to come forth for the beginning of the show.
Luna slightly jumped, but turned to face Vinyl. “Yes?”
“You said the fun is being doubled. Does that mean that you are gonna party with us?”
Luna could feel Vinyl’s eyes staring her down. She felt her stomach turn at the idea, but Luna kept her smile and shook her head. “Unfortunately not. The main event is you, that’s what they wanted.” Luna’s fake smile widened. “Somepony has to watch the night.”
“Even if it’s overcast outside?” Vinyl asked. She chuckled. “No vacation days? Sick days? Nothing?”
“Unfortunately not, when the entirety of Canterlot rests on your shoulders.” Luna replied, aiming to close the subject.
“Suit yourself.” Vinyl pulled a set of headphones out of a duffel bag near her hooves and put them on. She flicked a switch on them and smiled at Luna, who took it as her cue to address the guards. Luna cleared her throat.
“May I have your attention?” Luna asked.
The room grew silent as all the guards flooded to the back of the room, crowding around the stage. A few familiar guards that brought Luna presents had randomly started to cheer for her. She gulped back an outcry against their flattery and continued.
“As a thank you from both Princess Celestia and myself, we have brought the famous DJ Pon3 to headline your party.”
The crowd cheered for Vinyl, who smirked and waved at the fans. Luna had to wait at least a full minute before the cheering died down. She also noticed that many of the guards were now staring at Vinyl instead of her.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, both Night and Day Guards, for protecting us when we need it the most.”
Luna passed a glance to a random guard, who had her eyes on Vinyl.
“And it is your bravery—”
Another Vinyl.
“And courage—”
Another Vinyl.
“That makes us proud to be Princesses, with you as our subjects.”
All eyes were on Vinyl. Luna gulped down her emotions and smiled as she laughed lightly, but didn’t know why.
“Well… enough about that. You came for Vinyl Scratch, right?!”
The guards cheered again as they began to chant her name. “Vinyl! Vinyl! Vinyl!”
“Without further ado… take it away Vinyl!”
Vinyl’s smirk widened as she started to play a song, the noise booming through the room. “Gladly!” she yelled to Luna, who stepped off the stage.
Princess Luna made her sure posture was impeccable. Her eyes stared straight ahead, smile still plastered on while she walked alongside the crowd. As the giant double doors slowly appeared amongst the crowd, Luna could feel the music reverberating through her. The pounding of the drums and bass sounded excellent, a harmony that Luna doubted could even exist without a cello or violin. Yet, much like Cadance’s wedding, Vinyl knew how to mix.
Luna reached the double doors and stood near the wall, watching the crowd of guards jump, cheer, chant, and do everything they could to show their devotion to Vinyl. The DJ had her head down as she turned knobs and switches, playing her own orchestration before the guard’s very eyes. As the synth lines climbed in one of her songs, Vinyl looked up to stare directly into Luna’s eyes.
Luna turned to stone. Her heart raced. Her legs clenched while her smile faltered.
“She’s looking at me. Why? This party is for the guards, not me.”
Vinyl’s smile faltered for a moment, but brightened back up as she looked back into the crowd. At around the same time, a few guards followed Vinyl’s gaze over to Luna. Their cheering and hoof pumping promptly stopped as their smiles turned sheepish.
“H-hey, Princess Luna,” one of the guards said amongst the roaring crowd. The other two near him looked away.
Luna paused. She noticed that her own brows were furrowed and her teeth still gritted together, but in thought instead of what the guards assumed to be anger. “Hello there, Safeguard. Are we enjoying the party so far?!” she yelled back amongst the music.
“Yeah! I mean… it just started!” the guard replied with a nervous laugh. He looked to the Guard to his left, who piped up with a question.
“Are you going to be here the entire time?” he asked.
Luna blinked. “Why do you ask?”
“Well I mean…” the guard paused, looking like he was searching for the words. “I can feel you staring at the back of my head.”
“But I wasn’t—”
“And I mean… with all due respect... you already look into our dreams, sometimes without telling us.”
Luna felt a cascade of sadness engulf her. Her chest throbbed in pain while her hooves suddenly ached. She had an immediate urge to throw this guard out of the party and dump an entire table of food onto him, but suppressed it.
Star Shine placed a hoof over the other guard’s mouth and laughed nervously. “He didn’t mean any of that, Princess Luna,” Star Shine said. “I think Safeguard’s been drinking a little too much cider.”
“No, it’s okay, Star Shine,” Luna replied with a small smile. “It is imperative as the Princess of the Night that I’m aware of the toll that my job takes on my subjects. I appreciate everything he said.”
“Make sure that your back is straight. Shoulders tense.”
“Now, if you don’t mind, I am going to be looking after the night for the entirety of the party.”
“So you don’t have to worry about me staring into the back of your head.” Luna acrimoniously added into her thoughts.
“So if you don’t mind, I will be leaving now.”
“Alright, Princess. Have a good night!” Star Shine replied with a quick wave of his hoof. The other unnamed guard smacked the middle one across the back of the head, looking at him with disdain. The three guards turned back towards the crowd, but found themselves unable to cheer anymore.
Luna’s hoof brushed along the marble floor, before she turned her back on the Guards and walked outside. The music slowly faded into a dull roar as Luna examined the hallway and stopped to look back at the double doors. Luna's head hung low as she gazed sullenly at the party she had just left behind. Her eyes grew misty as Safeguard's words played over and over again in her mind. Luna turned away and shut her eyes tight. It was all she could do to keep the tears from flowing as she choked back a sob.
“Fine, if it makes everypony else feel better about the party, then I won’t stay,” Luna muttered as she wiped her eyes. With a sigh, she straightened her posture once more and opened her eyes. Princess Celestia had just reached the bottom of the staircase that Luna faced. Celestia smiled as she walked over to Luna.
“Hello there, my dear Sister. How are you doing this beautiful, yet frigid night?” Celestia asked. She passed a glance out the front door, where the snow was still falling and late guards were quickly running inside with their dates to the party. “Hello there, nice to see you,” Celestia added to the late ponies with a wave.
Luna quickly followed suit. She smiled and ushered the two towards the party with a wave. “Please, enjoy the party,” she said.
Both ponies uttered their thanks as they walked inside. Luna attempted to walk past Celestia, avoiding her gaze as she sped up. However, Celestia caught her.
“Luna, are you leaving the party so soon?”
Luna slumped in defeat and nodded as she turned around to face Celestia. “Yes, Sister. I have gathered that my attendance at the party was more harmful than good, so I will watch over the night. I trust you can take the party from here?”
Celestia took a few steps towards Luna and placed a hoof on her shoulder. Despite every nerve in Luna’s body begging her to jump away in shame, she remained. “Luna, why would you think that you don’t belong at the party?” Celestia asked.
“I never said that,” Luna fired back as she stared at the floor. She made a mental note to give a raise to whoever cleaned the hallway, because it was spotless.
“You never said it, Luna. But am I wrong?”
Luna paused. Her heart throbbed with pain once again, like a needle of poison injected into her chest. As a guard entered the front doors in her peripheral vision, Luna immediately pretended that nothing was the matter. Her posture straightened and another smile graced her face. The guard and his date both smiled in return and waved as they passed the doors into the party. Luna shot another glance towards the door, before she looked up at Celestia with her fake smile.
“You are not wrong, Sister,” Luna finally said, her smile turning into more of a defeated grin. “But neither am I. I have the spoken word of a few guards who would prefer if I stayed out of the party.”
“Now, I doubt that they said that too—”
“Sister,” Luna interjected through her grit teeth. “I do not wish to speak to you if all you’re going to do is try and lecture me. I know what I heard.”
Celestia bit her lip and looked away for a moment. “I’m sorry. You’re right.” Celestia passed a glance towards the front doors, before she moved in for a hug. Luna accepted it, placing her head on Celestia’s shoulder while the two held the embrace. Luna pulled back first, her smile more genuine now as the pain in her chest began to ebb away.
“I forgive you, Sister,” Luna said as she straightened herself. “I know that you want me to stay for the party and reach out towards our subjects. But I just think that you are more suited for it, not me.”
“Please stay for the party?” Celestia begged. She drew her head close to Luna’s and stuck her lower lip out. “Please?
Luna rolled her eyes and looked away. “Put your lip away, Sister. Someone will see.”
“Please, Luna? I’ll wear Pinkie’s trademark silly suit to our next border hearing if you stay.”
Luna smirked and put her hoof underneath her chin. The guard’s words still radiated through her mind, but if Celestia was so insistent… then perhaps Luna just had a stroke of bad luck? Maybe the party would be more fun than she thought?
“Fine, Sister. You win.”
Celestia giggled with excitement, but Luna held up a hoof.
“I will stay for a maximum of fifteen minutes and we will consider this against my will. If I do not have fun within those fifteen minutes, then I will leave. Deal?”
Celestia’s eyes twinkled as she held out a hoof to shake. “Deal!”
~~~
The music was just as booming and inviting as ever. Luna paused as she passed through the room’s doors, as if it was a portal to another dimension. A dimension where she could pretend that she was wanted. The music radiated through her, drowning out any self-defeating thoughts when she stepped over the threshold. The music slowly lowered as Vinyl stepped onto the edge of the stage and pointed towards both Princesses.
“Allllright fillies and gentlecolts! It looks like your favorite dynamic duo is in the house!” Vinyl roared. The crowd turned towards Luna and Celestia and erupted into a cacophony of cheers. Luna slightly jumped, but smiled sheepishly as Vinyl silenced the music to give her a window to talk.
Luna’s mind went blank. Nearly every single eye was on her and Celestia. Her eyes widened. She gulped and felt her legs start to tremble. They wanted her to do something outlandish, something that would cement her as an excellent addition to the party.
“Uhh…” Luna looked everywhere she could, until she set her eyes on Vinyl’s speakers. Sure, the guards probably came for the party animal behind the speakers, but since Luna wasn’t that, she could possibly amplify the second best thing? Luna’s horn glowed, and the music slowly grew in volume. It grew louder and louder until the chandelier on the ceiling began to vibrate. The pillars began to chip and crack while its decorations fell off.
“MAY THE WUBS CONSUME US!” Luna roared. She laughed maniacally as she rose up into the air, stretching out her hooves. The music ejected the food from its tables, landing on unsuspecting ponies or on the ground. The crowd screamed until Celestia stepped in.
Celestia’s horn glowed and the music quickly tapered down to a dull roar while the pillars were surrounded in magic and slowly repaired from the ground up. She closed her eyes and lowered her head while the crowd screamed and voiced their outrage at Luna.
“Was that some kind of cruel joke!?” One guard yelled as he pointed at his date, who had a mane that was completely covered in punch and cake.
“Is this your idea of a good time!? Premeditated murder!”
“I thought that Luna was a little off, but what kind of message does that send!?”
“Hey, hey guys. Let’s all calm down!” Vinyl said as she paced back and forth on the edge of the stage, smiling at whoever she could. “Luna’s just a little more of a party animal than me. No harm no foul.”
“We could have been harmed!” Another guard yelled back. “And that’s foul enough! Can we even have a simple party without being or feeling threatened?”
“But… I thought you guys wanted—” Luna tried, but Celestia had cut her off.
“I think it’s best if we continue with this party as if nothing had happened,” Celestia said. She raised her head to reveal eyes flashing with quiet fury, no doubt disappointment as well.
The emotional poison shot through Luna’s veins once more, and she took the hint. “Very well,” Luna said as her face contorted into a mixture of rage and sadness. Tears slid down her cheeks as her wings flared. A voice that she had kept dormant for a while echoed through the room. “IF YOU DONT WANT WE AS A PARTY GUEST, THEN SO BE IT! ENJOY THIS PARTY AND THE REST OF THE HEARTH’S WARMING NIGHTS WITHOUT ME!”
Luna heard the faint sound of Vinyl jumping off her stage, before she stomped out of the room and over to the staircase. Vinyl slid out of the room and tailed Luna. “Princess Luna!” she yelled as the Princess ascended one step.
Luna stopped, shoulders hunching over as she turned to face Vinyl. “WHAT DO YOU WANT!” she roared. “GO ENTERTAIN YOUR GUESTS! DO YOUR JOB!”
Vinyl frowned. “Hey, what the hell is the matter with you!? You messed up. This isn’t the end of the world here!”
“OH WELL EXCUSE ME, MASTER DJ! PRINCESS OF PARTIES!” Luna stepped closer to Vinyl, towering over her as her eyes glowed a menacing white. “DOES THOU HAVE A CODE OR ETHICS OF PARTYING THAT I MISSED? WAS THERE A MEMO THAT I WAS NOT GIVEN BEFOREHOOF?”
Vinyl stepped back and took her glasses off. She wiped off Luna’s spit and then put them back on. “Alright, I’ve been as nice as I can be. But if you’re going to be like this, then fine. I don’t care if I’m never invited back to Canterlot.” Vinyl stood up on her hind legs to match Luna’s height. This time, Luna knew for sure that Vinyl was staring directly into her eyes. “If this place has entitled and elitist royalty like you, who feels like they need to feel in their safe zone whenever they want to have fun, then I’m never coming back! Buck off! Who needs you!”
Luna felt one of her eyes twitch, before her wings retracted back against her sides. She sobbed and looked down as she took a few steps back. Someone would no doubt clean her newly forming tears. “I knew it,” Luna muttered as she met Vinyl’s eyes. Her horn glowed, and she blasted Vinyl back with a powerful shockwave. Vinyl’s glasses flew off of her head and crashed to the floor behind her. The middle of the frame snapped in half and slid along the floor, until it hit a wall and stopped. Vinyl stood back up and gaped at Luna, who sobbed and bit back any more of her rage.
Vinyl tried to say something, anything, but words failed her. Luna’s anger began to subside, but the damage had already been done. Numerous guards had peeked their heads around the corner, just in time to see Luna assault the main event. Luna’s reputation, or whatever was left of it, had been soiled for good. With a tone of finality that she never thought she would need to use, Luna turned her back to Vinyl. “I’m sorry. You’ll never see me again.”
With another flash of her horn, Luna teleported out of the hallway and into her room. She magically locked the door and collapsed on her haunches, her back to her bed. She buried her head into her forelegs and sobbed as the nightmare she unfolded onto her guests played over and over in her mind. The pillars crumbling and almost falling, food flying like the Wonderbolts onto other ponies, and her booming, Nightmare Moon voice scaring the rest of those who managed to keep their wits. Her thoughts began to assault her again as her chest flooded with pain.
“What kind of quick thinking was that, oh young and naive one?” Luna shut her eyes tight. “What were you aiming to accomplish by making the music unbearable and damaging to pony’s ears? Are you sadistic or something?”
“I’m not sadistic,” Luna said out loud as she looked up from her forelegs. “I just… don’t know. I try so hard to stay up to date with today’s turns of phrase and customs, but it seems the more I know, the more I don’t.” Luna sighed and looked towards the clock. It was 9:00. A little more than an hour had passed since she had single-hoofedly alienated all of her subjects. Perhaps it was a new record, something that Discord would love to shove in her face. She wouldn’t blame him. She was practically doing the same thing right now.
Luna crawled into bed and laid down, sobbing as her head hit the pillow. She didn’t bother pulling the blankets over herself, or kicking off her shoes and crown. She was emotionally exhausted, had a headache from her spell, and didn’t want to leave her room for the rest of her eternal years. Maybe if she slept enough, she could go through the motions and have her mind somewhere else. She could swim through the vast ocean of a seapony’s village, or find out what it’s like to feed off of pony’s love and adoration. Maybe if she dreamt she was a changeling, she could feel the love and adoration that somehow slipped through her hooves. That pathetic thought permeated her mind as she finally fell asleep.
~~~
“Princess Luna?”
A pause.
“Princess Luna? I want to talk to you.”
Luna thought she had a dream, but she couldn’t remember it for the life of her. Her eyes shot open from the familiar voice, She sighed upon hearing Vinyl trying to open her door, and she turned to face it. “Who brought you to my room?” Luna asked.
“Princess Celestia. She thought that it would be best if I talked to you, for some reason.” Vinyl chuckled. “Although from what I’ve heard, she doesn’t come up with the best plans, so perhaps this is just another one of those.”
Luna was surprised at Vinyl’s immediate honesty. While Celestia didn’t condone lying, Luna remembered many a guard that tried to tiptoe around the fact that they were asking Luna for something because of her. She pulled her pillow to her chest and sighed as she sat up. “I guess it’s not just me, you really weren’t listening. I don’t want to speak to you, Vinyl. I’m not meant for whatever fun you ponies have,” Luna said.
“Whether I helped arrange it or not,” She added in her thoughts.
“Well I mean… you’re speaking to me right now. So that ship has sailed,” Vinyl replied.
Luna heard a loud thump, which was probably Vinyl slamming herself against the door. “Come oooooon, Luna!” Vinyl whined. “Let me in your room.” She paused. “I’ll be your best friend.”
“I highly doubt that,” Luna replied with sarcasm as her horn glowed, but the door wasn’t unlocked yet. One of her previous guard’s presents levitated in front of her.
“Fine. You don’t have to open the door. But I’m not leaving until I get some sort of apology for breaking my glasses. They were custom made, and while I’m sure you could afford as many of them as you want, I am not so lucky.”
Luna looked back to the door and threw her present back under the tree. With a sigh, she opened the bedroom door and stared at Vinyl, who was leaning in the air against where the door would be. Luna’s apparent spell along with her levitation was a barrier that prevented Vinyl from entering the room. Vinyl leaned off of the barrier and met Luna’s eyes, who adjusted the crown on her head. Vinyl held out the two pieces of her glasses and Luna levitated them in the air, past the barrier. She jerked her head towards her tree, and one of the silver ornaments shot over to her.
Luna’s horn brightened. The silver chain that held the ornament slowly melted into a white hot liquid. The ornament slipped through her grasp and onto the floor while Luna repaired the glasses. Any missed plastic was replaced with silver instead, which melded together with the chipped frame until two were one. Luna blew on the glasses and the silver cooled. The glasses were good as new.
Vinyl smiled as she outstretched her hoof, but Luna still held the glasses. She examined them, and the new silver lining that filled in the missing pieces. Vinyl looked like she was going to say something, but closed her mouth when Luna spoke.
“An old tradition of the Countries In The East was to repair items with silver or gold,” Luna said as she floated the glasses to her other side for another inspection of her work. “They believed that something broken could be even more beautiful when repaired.”
Luna gave Vinyl back her shades through the barrier. She glanced at the lining of silver and chuckled. “Do you believe in that?”
Luna’s expression turned blank. “Would you?”
Vinyl paused, looking away as if searching for an answer. Finally, she smirked and shook her head. “Not really.”
With a blink, the barrier disappeared. Vinyl stepped inside of the room and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against it and slid down to her haunches. Luna sat against her bed, folding her legs underneath her as she watched Vinyl. “But I wouldn’t say it’s because I don’t believe in that saying. We can’t solve for X just yet.”
Luna blinked. “I am having trouble with ascertaining your point, Vinyl,” she muttered. “Will you explain?”
“Sure.” Vinyl readjusted herself and sat with her hind legs crossed underneath her, freeing up her forelegs. “You are implying that you are broken in some way, both by bringing up this old saying and relating it to you, even if you were looking at the glasses.” Vinyl said. “I don’t believe that you are broken. Not at all.” Vinyl casually held out a hoof. “Flawed, maybe. But who isn’t? Not even the Alabaster Queen is perfect.”
Luna watched as Vinyl eyed the dropped ornament that was used to repair her glasses. She picked it up with her own magic and placed it into her lap. “I think a more fitting simile would be that you’re like this ornament.”
Luna wasn’t sure if she should feel complimented or insulted. It felt more like Luna’s point was just being corroborated. “So I’m the one without a chain? The one who cannot hang on her own?”
Vinyl bit her lip. Luna assumed it was because Vinyl’s comparison had backfired, but she had quickly come up with a response. “No. You’re like this ornament because… you don’t need to be on that tree.”
Luna blinked again. “I… don’t need to be a functioning member of society? I don’t need to be able to do something that everypony else can do?”
“Not exactly.”
Vinyl placed the ornament in her lap and crawled closer. Her hind legs were close to touching Luna’s, which admittedly made Luna a little more comfortable. “What do you do, as a job?” Vinyl asked.
Luna frowned. “I oversee the dreams and lives of my subjects.” She looked down. “Apparently against their will.”
“Hey, look at me,” Vinyl said as she raised a hoof underneath Luna’s chin to meet their gaze. “And you do this even while sick, tired, or you simply just don’t want to?”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “What’s your point?”
Vinyl smiled. “My point is that, despite what you said back in the hallway, I doubt that you would give up on your job. Much like this ornament,” Vinyl placed the ornament into Luna’s hooves and then took off her glasses. “You’re willing to give part of yourself to your subjects. Even if that part hurts, or brings up terrible memories that you wish could just go away, you want to make sure that they don’t suffer the same hardships that you have.”
“But… I took the chain by force.” Luna held the ornament between the both of them to glance at the remnants of the melted chain. “Wouldn’t the chain still be usable if we were to go along with this comparison?”
Vinyl sighed and sat against Luna’s bed, right next to her. “That’s where the comparison ends. Sorry, that’s the best I could come up with.”
Both mares chuckled as Vinyl placed her glasses back over her eyes. “To be honest, I’m a little jealous. Your job practically lets you remain in the shadows, while I have to stay in the spotlight,” Vinyl added.
Princess Luna looked towards the door. She removed her crown and placed it in front of her. “It is true,” Luna admitted, “I do stay in the shadows. Maybe that’s why I’m not respected.”
“Why would you say that?” Vinyl crossed her forelegs. “You’re one of the Alicorn Princesses of Equestria. How could you not be respected?”
Luna sighed. “I pull as many strings as I can to make sure that the Royal Guards are attended to, respected, and enjoy their jobs. And yet, one of the guards I was speaking to thought that me entering his dream was intrusive. He said that he felt like I was staring into the back of his head at the party, even though I did no such thing.”
“But you gave off that vibe,” Vinyl said. She leaned her head back against the bed, looking up at the ceiling. “Random question: when’s the last time that you took some time off from your royal duties?”
Luna blinked, then frowned. “I had a thousand year break, Vinyl Scratch. I can assure you that I do not need another one for quite some time.”
Vinyl held up her forehooves in defense. “Alright alright, calm down.” Once Luna’s expression softened, Vinyl put down her hooves. “I’m just saying… do you think that your job defines you?”
“No,” Luna said, probably quicker than was needed. “It doesn’t.” Luna sighed and ran a forehoof through her starry mane. She had not done this in a while. The feeling of her hair flowing across her hoof felt comparable to nirvana. It calmed her. “My job doesn’t define me. I’m not intrusive. I don’t just...go into somepony’s dreams whenever I want. I do it when I feel somepony needs my guidance, when they need a helping hoof to point them in the right direction.”
“You do it as Princess Luna, not Luna.” Vinyl smirked. “I get what you mean.”
Luna’s eyes widened as she stared at Vinyl. “You do?”
Vinyl looked down at her forelegs. Luna assumed she was contemplating her answer. After a moment, Vinyl nodded and took her glasses off. “I'm not the party animal that everypony thinks. I'm just... boring's a good way to put it.” She stared at her glasses as her chin rested in her other forehoof. “I was the kid in school that didn’t have many friends. My night at Prom was spent home, putting together my first homemade synthesizer since I didn’t have the money to buy one.”
“I… never would have thought that about you,” Luna admitted.
Vinyl nodded again and shuddered. “My first show was a disaster. I was playing for my sister’s wedding, and I had the hardest time keeping the rhythm. I could barely keep a record of ‘Here Comes the Bride’ from skipping. Once it was time for me to actually play my music, I had a nervous breakdown. Bashed my head against my speakers and passed out.”
Luna winced at the image that played in her head.
“Yeah, it was all of them staring at me. They all saw how nervous I was, how I was scared of failing. My fears came true. But on my next show, I brought the glasses. Apart from a few audio hiccups, all I had to do was fake a smile. Everyone assumed that I had my cool, that I was ready to party with them until dawn. Eventually, I didn’t have to fake it for long.” Vinyl sighed in bliss. “The energy and excitement became enough to keep me going.”
“Then, why do you still use those glasses?” Luna asked.
Vinyl shrugged. “Good question. Want them?”
Luna gasped as Vinyl held them in front of her face. “No, I can’t accept those,” she said as she pushed Vinyl’s hoof away. “I just repaired them. They obviously mean a lot to you if you were willing to demand a Princess to apologize for breaking them.”
“I thought they meant a lot. You convinced me otherwise,” Vinyl said with a matter of fact tone. She waved the glasses again and tossed them in Luna’s lap. “Get rid of them, wear them, I don’t care. I just don’t want to wear them again. It’s time to take the training wheels off.”
Luna felt her stomach fill up with butterflies as she brought the glasses up and stared at the silver lining.
“Something broken could be even more beautiful when repaired.”
Luna pushed the glasses up her muzzle until they were perfectly in place. Her vision was permeated with purple. As she turned to look at Vinyl, the shades made the DJ look like a shining amethyst in the candle light. Luna smiled and adjusted her new gift. “Thank you, Vinyl Scratch,” she choked out. “I finally feel like I got a gift that meant something.”
“As did I, Princess,” Vinyl replied as she leaned back against the bed. “As did I.”
Luna did the same. After a few moments of silence, Luna remembered the reason that Vinyl was sent up here. “So, I’m assuming that any minute now, you’re going to want me to come back down to the party and pretend that nothing happened?”
Vinyl shrugged. “I had a three hour set on autoplay when I left. So at this point, I don’t give a buck what you do. Go there, stay here, as long as it’s what you want, I’ll roll with it.”
Luna stood up and levitated the damaged ornament over to her tree. She shortened the chain and fixed it before hanging it back on the tree. She turned back to Vinyl and held a hoof out with a smirk. “You have enough on that stage for two?”
~~~
The crowd quieted down and scattered when she entered the room. She wasn’t surprised. She was just thankful that not a single guard had ran out the doors once she was seen. With a glow of Vinyl’s horn, the music dulled down to a dull roar as Princess Luna cleared her throat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Princess Celestia. She stared back with a vacant expression, as if wondering whether or not Vinyl’s talk worked. Luna smiled as she turned back to the crowd.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts, my apologies for losing my temper in front of you all. I believe that it was a simple misunderstanding on my part,” Luna said. She heard a few guards scoff, but she ignored them. “In order to make it all up to you, I shall be behind the DJ stand all night! We can all, how do you say, rock out to sweet jams together!?”
Luna’s question was met with a barrage of cheers and roars of approval. Luna pumped her hoof to the ceiling along with the crowd. As the crowd calmed down, Luna turned towards Vinyl and flicked down her new glasses. “But before we start, there’s one more thing that I would like to do. Something outlandish. Something that is completely unlike me.”
Princess Luna took off her crown and levitated it over to Princess Celestia, who took it without a question. Vinyl looked over at Celestia, but her vision was obscured by Luna as she moved forward for a kiss. Vinyl’s face turned bright red as Luna pressed her lips against her own. Luna’s wings flared slightly while both mares closed their eyes. For Luna, it was a minute that she could savor as the closure to a chapter of life that held her back. In its place, an old chapter. One that needed a few edits, but would no doubt be accepted. As Luna broke the kiss and stepped back, Vinyl opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t find the words.
Luna giggled. “Did I get your tongue?” she asked.
The crowd laughed, and Vinyl did as well once she managed to stop blushing. “Yeah.”
With a wide smile, Luna spread her wings and flew over to the stage, right behind the DJ stand. Vinyl ran along the side of the crowd until she stood alongside Luna. She pointed at a switch. “All the way up!” she yelled in excitement. “Let’s blow the roof off this place!”
“But not like I did?” Luna asked.
Vinyl laughed. “Yeah! Gotta find that sweet spot!” she said.
Luna winked.
Vinyl gasped and then blushed again. Luna pressed the switch all the way to the top of the board. The speakers fired up with sound once more. They boomed and shook on the stage as the crowd got back into the beat. Vinyl nudged Luna, who leaned her head in.
“So, what was the point of that kiss? And how did you know that I only liked mares?” Vinyl asked.
“I didn’t,” Luna replied, without missing a beat. She smirked as Vinyl dropped a bass loop on the crowd. “It’s just what I wanted to do.”
Now it was Vinyl’s turn to smirk. “Well then, I think I could give you a chance. As long as you have room in your schedule for me.”
Luna’s eyes twinkled.
“Princess Luna doesn’t. But Luna definitely does.”