A rush of red spurted forth as the skin cracked. White teeth sunk deep into the soft tissue. She savoured the moment, sucking out the sweet nectar from within. She bit onto the piece, torn with near surgical precision, chewing it gently before putting it away for good.
A lone red drop hung from her lips. She lifted a single hoof and picked it off with a sensitive motion, taking care not to ruin the droplet's perfect round shape. She brought the hoof up before her eyes and took a quick glance at the shining bead one last time. She closed her eyes and moved the hoof to her lips again, taking the drop off with a delicate flick of her tongue. Then, opening her eyes slowly, she looked tenderly at me.
For Cadence, even eating a cherry was an act of grace.
I took a look at the cherry, bit in half and floating not far away from her mouth, suspended in shimmering blue light. Then I looked back at the Cadence, returning her warm smile. She took what was left of the cherry in her mouth and softly chewed around the core before placing it on a small paper plate next to herself. It was a curious sight, seeing the whiteness of the plate being driven back by the creeping redness as more and more stems piled upon it.
Laid out on our picnic blanket were fruits galore; from the familiar peaches and apples through grapes and oranges and mandarins to ones from distant lands I didn't even recognise, there was quite a selection to choose from. Yet Cadence seemed only interested in the basket of beautiful cherries right between the two of us. I, personally, was more than flattered by the exquisite hospitality. Still, I had a hard time stomaching any of the delicacies, in light of recent events, and in light of what was to come. Truth is, I was only in Canterlot to speak with Luna. What can you do, though, when you're spotted by the princess-wife of your brother?
The green fields around us were filled with the laughter and cheers of foals and their parents. Not far from our blanket was a solitary tree, standing high and strong, serving as the starting point of a race between a few fillies. The cherry tree blossomed beautifully in the sunlight, its bright pink flowers shaking lightly in the breeze.
I directed my attention towards Cadence again. I felt I had much to say, yet at the same time, I could not say a thing. Too much had happened in the past few years, too much that nopony must ever know. She looked at me with curious eyes, but said no word. Her silence I did not understand, yet at the same time, I was glad for it. We sat there, enjoying the serenity of the Canterlot Park.
The idyllic moment was broken by a loud stomping not far from us. Ah, I thought, Shining Armor has finally arrived.
My brother walked across the field of grass with long, heavy steps. The closer he got, the louder the rattling of his heavy armour sounded. Finally reaching us, he threw himself down beside Cadence with a tired huff. The purple plating covering his torso moved up and down weightily as he heaved. I couldn't blame him; with the heat of the Sun, the interior of that suit of armour must've been boiling. Indeed, I quickly noticed that a sudden emergence of the smell of sweat coincided with my brother's arrival. The reeking odour didn't stop Shining Armor from leaning in to smack a quick kiss on Cadence's lips. After perhaps a split second of careful consideration, Cadence complied. By the time I looked away, it was already over.
"Look who decided to show up," I said, greeting my brother with a smile.
"I've missed you too, Twily," he said, lifting his helmet off. "You know I came as fast as I could." He paused for a bit, looking at me closely. "What happened to your face?"
"My face is quite alright," I said. Would this scar just heal already?
"She fell down some stairs," Cadence said. "Don't worry about it."
Shining raised a hoof and took a breath.
"No, really," I said, interrupting him before he could speak. "Let's talk about you two instead, not this little scar. Honestly, I'm just glad you could come at all. I thought they heightened security after..." I looked at Cadence, then back to Shining. "Well, you know."
"Celestia did order that, yes." Shining leaned a bit closer, shifting his eyes left and right cheekily. "Don't tell anyone, but I've actually been relieved for today."
"Relieved?" I asked. "That happens?"
"Not normally," he replied. "It's the Night Guard, you know. Occasionally, they just pop in and take over. Luna's orders."
"Isn't the Night Guard supposed to be active, you know, at night?" I asked. "Why in Equestria would they take over during the day?"
"Wish I knew!" he chortled. "Frankly, I'm just glad. It gets pretty boring up there." He waved a hoof at the city walls in the distance. "It might be only a few times a year, but it feels like rapture every time." He sent a knowing smirk towards Cadence.
Cadence seemed perhaps just a little bit embarrassed, but smiled back regardless.
"Besides," Shining continued, "they'll be collecting the debt soon enough by making us take the night shift one of these days."
"Must be quite terrible," I said. "But why are you still in your armour then? It seems rather uncomfortable."
"W-well," he stuttered.
He took a quick glance at Cadence, who only returned a confused look.
"It's, er," he stammered, "training. I have to keep in shape. Set an example, you know, for the rest of the Guard."
"A-ha," I said, giving a slow, uncertain nod. "Well, it's a good sign, I suppose, that they're not afraid of juggling with security like that. I guess things have settled by now."
"Well, it's been nearly five years," Shining replied. "That's plenty of time to..." He paused for a moment. "I think we've all managed to get our lives in order by now."
I wanted to respond, but I didn't know the right thing to say. Judging by the sudden silence, neither did my brother or his spouse. We could try to dance around the issue as much as we desired, but in the end, we all knew what we all pretended not to remember. Almost five years ago, Queen Chrysalis led her changeling spawn against Canterlot, kidnapping Cadence and locking her away in the mines for weeks. A few months afterwards, Shining and I had to deal with our own personal tragedy. Situations like this were the exact reason I avoided seeing Shining or Cadence now.
The basket of cherries floated up between the three of us, glowing blue.
"W-who wants some cherries?" Cadence stuttered, showing an awkward smile.
"Oh, I'll have some of that," Shining said brightly, turning to her. Then he paused, looking over the blanket. "You're not expecting anypony else, are you? " He pointed at all the prepared fruits before us, shooting a confused look at Cadence.
"No, no," she said, "I just got so excited when I saw Twilight. I mean, it's been so long."
"It's quite alright, Cadence," I said.
I picked out a ripe green apple from a dish and levitated it to my lips. As I leaned in for a bite, I saw from the corner of my eyes a football flying right for my head. It would have been a hit, had I not ducked. I looked in the direction the ball came from and saw a group of small colts looking our way not too far from us.
"Sorry!" came the high-pitched apology from one of them.
I shook my head to let them know that I disapproved, then turned back to my hosts. Cadence laughed; trying to relieve the tension, I imagined. Then she picked the ball up in her hooves and readied to throw it back for the colts. Right before she did, however, she dropped the ball and cringed, hissing in pain. She bit her lower lip and wrapped her left hoof tightly around the base of her right hoof. Between her intermittent gasps for air and painful hisses, she kept giggling.
"Oh, look at me," she chortled, "I can't even throw a ball."
"Is everything okay?" I asked, hopping up.
"It's fine," Cadence replied. "Really. It's just my fetlock. I..." She paused, giggling tensely. "It's funny, honestly. You fall down stairs, and I hit my hoof on a doorstep the other day. We're a clumsy bunch, I suppose."
I looked questioningly at Shining Armor. He looked at me, then away immediately and at the offending ball, lying on the blanket. He enveloped it in magic and flung it in the colts' direction. Then he turned to me again.
"It's nothing serious, really," he said. He then looked at Cadence for a second before continuing. "Well, I didn't think it was."
He walked up to Cadence and reached for her aching fetlock, but Cadence gently pushed his hoof away.
"It's okay, Shiny," she whispered. "Really, it is."
"If you say so," Shining said, raising an eyebrow as he sat down again.
Have I stepped into the inescapable mire of family matters? I pondered, eyeing my brother and his wife up and down. I don't consider myself an expert on romantic affairs, never have, but something seemed off. They sat in an undefinable distance—too close for friends but too far for lovers.
I wonder what's going on.
I've been called nosy before.
"All those pesky kids, huh?" I asked before finally biting into the apple. "I don't remember the park ever being this lively when I was a filly."
"Yes, well," Cadence said, "love is in bloom, right?"
I chuckled. "So how is that starting a life thing working out for you two?"
"That!" Cadence said quickly, as if she had been expecting the question. "It's, well, I..." she stammered, "I mean we, Shiny and I—"
"Our marriage is perfect," Shining cut in. "She's more than anything I could have asked for."
Cadence began nibbling nervously on a cherry. I could tell she was trying to stay calm. I could also tell she wasn't doing a good job.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, leaning closer to her. "Don't take this the wrong way, Cadence, but you're being kind of fidgety."
"Everything is fine," Shining replied in her place. "You can be certain of that. Isn't that right, Cadence?"
"Yes," Cadence mumbled. "No!" she then burst. "Everything is not fine."
Oh dear.
I looked at Shining Armor, but he seemed as puzzled as I was.
"Sorry," Cadence muttered, covering her face with a hoof. "I just..." She took her hoof off but still didn't look at us. "You know about our trip to Cloudsdale? A few weeks ago?"
"Yes, I heard of that," I replied. "You and half the Royal Guard visited Cloudsdale. Something about the Grand Galloping Gala? I recall that Luna went as well."
Ah, the gala. Once a year, every year, all the proudly self-absorbed ponies from across the realm gather together for a night devoted entirely to sucking up to one another. The most prestigious guests receive their invitations from the princesses in person. Among those guests are the haughty pegasus nobles of Cloudsdale. It is said that some of them trace their lineage right back to Commander Hurricane of old.
It is also said that with every invitation these pegasi receive purely on grounds of their heritage, somehow, somewhere, the great commander rolls once in her grave.
Even through her fur, I could see how red Cadence's face was. "You know Celestia asked me to host the gala this year?"
"Of course," I said. "Between the three of us," I continued, leaning a bit closer to the couple before me, "I've been doing my absolute best to avoid Canterlot during the time of the gala for the past few years. I think you know what happened last time I attended. But now?" I winked at Cadence. "I'm genuinely excited for it."
"Bet you are," Cadence said. "At any rate, in Cloudsdale, I was delivering the invitations the city's nobles. Celestia had taken great care teaching me how to go through the whole procedure beforehand."
"Go on."
"I blew it," she said, giggling to herself. "I totally botched it. In front of all those ponies!" Her giggling escalated into full-blown laughter. "Can you believe that? I can barely sleep because of it." She turned away, hiding her face with both hooves. "Don't look at me!"
"Really? That really happened?" I chortled, turning to Shining.
"Oh, I led her escort," Shining said. "I was first in line. Figured she might not want to talk about what happened."
"You really had me worried there for a minute though," I said to Cadence jokingly. "The tension was killing me." I turned towards Shining again, nudging him in the side. "And you, stonewalling like that? Shame on you."
"Well, what's a good husband to do?" he responded. "Anyway, Twily, why don't you let Cadence take a break? Maybe you could do some answering now."
I looked at Cadence to see her still cracking up, turned away from us.
I gave in. "Oh fine."
"So, what have you been up to recently?" Shining asked.
That was one of the many question I didn't want to answer. I didn't even get a chance to try either, as a new voice spoke out from behind me.
"That will have to wait."
I turned around to see who interrupted us. I gulped involuntarily, for behind me stood none other than Princess Luna herself. She held her chin high, looking down at me with a disapproving stare.
"Twilight Sparkle," she said coldly.
When Luna looked at Cadence, she wasn't laughing any more.
"Princess Cadence," Luna addressed her as well.
Shining sprung up into a salute, as is proper for a Royal Guard. Without moving her head, Luna looked at him with the same chastising stare. Although it was just past noon on that sunny day, Luna's presence seemed to have brought with itself the cold sting of night. Her deep-blue mane flowed in the breeze, stretching its dark shadow across our meagre picnic blanket.
"Excuse us, Captain Shining Armor," Luna said. "We require an audience with Princess Cadence."
Her "request" sounded more similar to a command.
"With all due respect, Your Highness," Shining hastily began, "we—"
Luna shot an impatient look at him, clearly uninterested in what he had to say.
"Yes, Your Highness," Shining said, bowing his head and taking a step backwards.
I looked at Luna nervously, but she wasn't looking at me. She and Cadence were looking at each other; Cadence seemed frightened, yet resolute. It appeared that they could perfectly understand one another without words. Cadence stood up and began walking away, and Luna soon followed her with long, calm steps.
I did not know what had just happened. What I did know was that I wanted to find out.
"What was that about?" I whispered to Shining as the princesses left.
"Cadence has been spending quite a lot of time with Luna recently," he answered. "Luna usually isn't so invasive about it, though."
"But why?" I asked.
"It's because of what happened before our wedding," he said. "Luna's helping her process all of that, or so Cadence says. Especially now, with the gala coming up. She tries not to show it, but she's been incredibly stressed these days."
"I noticed. Yet I don't think tearing her away from her family like that is at all helpful."
"Neither do I." He shook his head slightly, looking towards Luna and Cadence, quite a distance away now. "But what can you do?"
Funny, because that's exactly the question I've been asking myself, albeit with a little less resignation and a little more willingness to actually take action. What can I do?
"Hey kids!" I shouted over to the foals playing nearby. "We're going now, and we're leaving all of this food completely unattended!"
"Twilight?" Shining asked. "What are you doing?"
I saw the foals' little eyes light up as they exchanged shifty looks among themselves. I turned back towards my brother.
"I'm doing something," I said, "that's what I'm doing."
I didn't wait for him to respond. Instead, I quickly ran up to the two princesses, easily catching up with them and leaving my brother behind. I trotted up next to the Night Princess. She turned her head just enough to be able to look at me from the corner of her eye.
"We will see you at midnight," she stated plainly.
For all his bravado, Shining Armor knew his place. He wouldn't come with me, not daring to upset Princess Luna. It's only the immortal Princess of the Night. Some husband you are, brother.
I made no pretence; I was following the two princesses as they walked the streets of Canterlot. I knew that they knew. Or at least, Luna did. As a form of courtesy, I did give them some room, paying attention to stay a good distance behind them, close enough to keep my eyes on them but far enough not to hear their words. That latter part didn't matter, at any rate, since they weren't talking at all.
They walked forward at a steady pace. Cadence kept a short step's distance ahead of Luna, who followed by her right. Cadence hung her head and kept her ears pulled back. Sometimes, she moved her head slightly to the right, as if turning towards Luna, but then quickly looked straight forward again. She looked like she was intending to say something; something she couldn't quite muster the courage to speak aloud.
I couldn't blame her, for I recognised the way Luna walked beside her. Luna still had her head held high, and her steps, graceful as they were, still showed a certain kind of authority and power. Cadence clearly was in no mood for the forced march. Luna was herding her. Not by words or threat of punishment, it seemed; merely hearing the forceful impact of the Night Princess' hooves behind you was motivation enough for anypony to keep moving. No wonder that Cadence dared not turn her head.
I expected that their way would lead to the Canterlot Palace, yet after a few "wrong" turns, I realised that I was, in fact, wrong. The two of them were headed for the city's residential area, the same place were I was raised before moving to Ponyville. I still have fond memories of the tall, white towers. As a foal, just climbing the high staircases that spiralled upwards around them to get home was an adventure in itself.
What I noticed was the distinct lack of your usual Canterlot guards. Normally, there would be one or two posted on every corner, and a few patrolling the streets. Most ponies at Canterlot had grown used to this by now, as since the changeling attack, the safety of the city was guarded ever more vigilantly.
This was why the Night Guards, who now stood beside the streets and doors, were an interesting sight. Just as Shining had said previously, they seemed to have taken over for the regular guards, at least for today. Interestingly, none of the other ponies on the streets seemed to be fazed by this fact. Or, perhaps, they just thought it'd be impolite to stare. Indeed, the distinctive scaly manes and bat-wings of the Night Guard were a most unusual sight to behold this close to midday.
My questioning looks towards the Night Guards were returned wordlessly with condescending stares. In fact, I was pretty sure that most of them were watching me. Luna mustn't be pleased with my unabashed presence here.
The pair of princesses stopped, and so did I in turn. Luna prodded at Cadence's side gently, and looked upwards at one of the residential towers. Cadence looked as well, seemingly at the same spot. Luna said something I couldn't make out and turned towards Cadence. Cadence then looked down, and after a while, back up again. Then she nodded with an exaggerated motion, hanging her head afterwards.
A door then slammed open on the tower that the princesses were looking at. Out rushed two Night Guards, carrying what looked like a large trunk between them, each biting onto a handle on either side. The trunk seemed heavy, almost as big as a pony in its size. The two then flew up into the air as the door closed behind them. They passed over the streets, right above us, and seemed to be headed for the mountainside.
I was absorbed by the sight, trying to make sense of it all. When the two Night Guards disappeared behind the rocky formations of the mountain, I looked back towards the princesses.
Cadence had pressed her head against Luna's neck, and Luna laid her own head onto hers, extending a wing with which to pull the younger princess closer. Gone was the iron-willed ice queen that Luna seemed to be before, and now instead she hugged Cadence close. Is Cadence crying? I couldn't tell.
All I knew is that I grew curious. When the pair of princesses left—Luna keeping Cadence under her wing, both figuratively and literally—I made my way to the apartment they had been looking at. I quickly ascended the spiral staircase and soon I was standing before the closed door.
On every door of the residential district, a small sign in ornate lettering designated the owner of each apartment. This one read "Aurora Iris." A unicorn, no doubt, probably of the Canterlot high-class.
I hesitated a second before knocking. I was acting solely on instinct, with no idea as to what I actually meant to accomplish. Remembering Omen's words, I guess, I felt the need to check this out. I had to admit, the sudden changing of the Royal Guard to Luna's private force was reason for suspicion.
I needed to prove Omen wrong.
I knocked, long and persistent, but nopony came to answer the door. I heard the sound of many hooves walking about inside, and the noise of the wet splashing of rags and mops; whoever was inside, if they were going for the "nopony's home" act, they weren't very good at it.
Leaning closer to the door, my nose was pierced by the unmistakable, pungent odour of purifiers and detergents wafting outside.
No matter how long and hard I knocked, however, the door never opened.
"So, how did you deal with those no-gooders?" I asked, teasing him with a smile.
"W-well..." he stammered, choking and gulping as he forced his voice to the surface through his increasingly lazy mouth, each word less comprehensible than the last. "I, f-first I took that, the big one out," he hicced, "jush' one kick, I tells you. Down he went!" He then proceeded to mimic the sounds of struggle using his tongue and lips, squirting spit with every imaginary punch.
It was not amusing.
I was once again in the Mental Ward. No, not an actual one; it was the name of the night club where I knew the vampire Vinyl Scratch worked. Although, let it be said, I keep thinking that I may very well end up in a real asylum if I ever spend more than a few minutes in that place.
The club could afford but one lonely security guard—or perhaps they simply decided to spend that money elsewhere—and even he was of the lower quality. So low was his quality, in fact, that he let himself get completely drunk while on duty. This pride of security guards was my ticket through the door that leads into the back rooms.
He simply couldn't help but fall victim to my ladylike charms.
He stood by the door in question, holding onto his consciousness just enough to put the moves on me. I leaned on the wall, by his side, trying my hardest to look interested.
"Do go on," I said flirtatiously in his ear, levitating another drink to his mouth.
Granted, the only reason I leaned so close to that walking mass of sweat and alcohol was because otherwise the disco-music would have drowned out all of my words.
He took a quick sip. "An' then there was the, then there was the small 'un, right?"
"How small was he?" I asked, offering a wide smile.
"Well, smaller than me, 'fyou know what I mean." The guard smiled proudly.
The corners of my mouth dropped lower involuntarily, my smile getting that little bit closer to a snarl. I fought with every last one of my remaining braincells to stop myself from planting a hoof in my face with the fury of a thousand suns. I walked straight into that one, though, I had to admit.
"No, really," I squeezed the words though my tightly clenched teeth, "how small was he?"
"Right 'bout..." He leaned forward, kneeling down before me. "This small."
"Whoops!" I said as I accidentally kicked one of his shaky hooves out from under him.
His head came crashing down.
"Sorry," I pleaded.
I don't think he heard my apology, though. The one solitary security guard was out cold on the floor, and nopony in the club cared. Don't you just love this place?
I opened the door and quickly walked into the backspace of the club. With a sturdy door and concrete walls separating me from the main dance floor, I could finally hear myself think. I sighed in relief.
I made my way through the narrow back-corridors, looking for the door labeled "Vinyl Scratch." Seeing how it was past 10pm, and she wasn't out there DJing, I knew she would have to be in her dressing room.
I opened her door.
Inside, there were a number of curious things. There was a dressing table complete with a fancy mirror; why a constantly naked vampire would need such a thing was beyond me. There was a smaller desk, and a chair by an open window. Sitting upon that chair was the familiar white-coated, neon-maned DJ looking at me with eyes wide.
We locked eyes. Once that short moment passed, and Vinyl's dead brain computed who her uninvited guest was, she sprung from her seat and leapt for the window. She collided with the glass as it was violently slammed on her in a purple glow. The wooden windowpane cracked, the glass shattered, its shiny shards shredding Vinyl's head. The impact forced her to fall clumsily back onto her rump. She sat there, slouching as she faced the now-closed and broken window, rubbing her head with a hoof and hissing in pain. The cool night air seeped into the otherwise warm room through the ruined window.
Through all the times I've had to deal with that terrible excuse for a monster, I'd grown used to her twitch reflexes. The art of escape had, indeed, always escaped Vinyl Scratch.
"Relax," I said, kicking the door closed behind myself. "I'm not here to pass righteous judgement unto you."
"What?" Vinyl asked as she turned towards me, her raspy voice carrying a mix of genuine surprise and utter confusion.
"Really," I said. "I'm off duty. Not on an assignment. This isn't a business-related visit."
Vinyl stood up, shaking a few shards of glass out of her mane. Her white fur was spotless; not a single drop of blood had been spilled when the window collapsed on her.
"Although," I added, "your profound desire to flee at the very moment of my arrival does make me wonder. Have you been a good girl lately, Scratchie?"
"Well, actually—" she began as a nervous smile crept onto her face.
"Don't answer that," I interrupted. "See? I don't care. Calm down."
"To what do I owe the honour then?" she asked. "Because you know, this really isn't the right time."
"And I have an appointment with the Princess of the Night," I replied. "I intend to make this quick, don't worry about that. Besides, you can't be that busy. I'm sure the riff-raff in the club can bear their favourite DJ being a few more minutes late."
"It's not them, Twilight," she responded, looking out the broken window for a moment. "I-I have obligations," she stammered. "Responsibilities!"
"What kind of responsibilities could you possibly have, Vinyl?"
"Vampire responsibilities. So please, if you would be so kind as to leave, I'd greatly appreciate it."
I pulled the chair towards myself with a spell and made myself comfortable. "Allow me to get right to the point, then. I have a question to ask. I've come to you because you're the only pony I know that could help me."
"Well that just raises a whole lot of questions," she said. "First and foremost, why should I help you?"
"Maybe because I've been so nice to you, reattaching your head that last time, and all?" I smiled innocently.
"Get out," she answered, pointing at the door.
I crossed my legs.
Vinyl gave a tired sigh. "You sure this can't wait?"
Considering that I'm about to meet my very angry boss with memory-erasing powers....
"Probably not," I said.
"But this really isn't—"
Before she could finish, a cold breeze swept into the room. The sudden chill made me shudder; Vinyl seemed completely unfazed. I looked towards the broken window. Through the empty, broken panes, a barely visible greyish mist began pouring inside like some sort of liquid. When Vinyl saw this, her expression changed from frustrated to one of fright.
"No, no!" she yelled as she watched more and more of the mist flow into the room. "Don't, don't do that now, gosh! Can't you see?" She then pointed towards me, looking at the mist quickly collecting along the floor.
The mist seemed to be guided in a very deliberate path as it crawled across the floor. The mist crept under and between Vinyl's hooves and began moving in my direction. I instinctively stood up, bucking the chair to the side before taking a step back. The mist stopped halfway between the two of us, though, and as the last patches of it entered the room in one continuous stream, it began swirling in place. The strange cloud of mist then rose from the ground, to a height roughly matching mine.
The cloud's shape was amorphous at first, bobbling and spouting towards all directions seemingly at random. In a moment, though, it began forming into a very recognisable shape. The light contours of a pony began appearing in the mist. At first, it was four slender legs, followed by the shapely curves of a delicate mare's torso. The head was the last to be formed.
Long, dark mane sprouted from the mare's head and neck, falling gently down behind her neck as the last patches of the mist disappeared. When she opened her purple eyes to fix them on mine, my jaw could really have hit the floor. I recognised the grey-coated mare now standing between Vinyl and me.
"Octavia Melody?" I asked, still agape.
"Simply Octavia will do," she replied, smiling. Her voice was confident, and at the same time uncannily soft.
The last I had heard of Octavia, the famous cellist was in critical condition after a nasty vampire bite. It was Vinyl Scratch's bite, right after that vapid waste of vampirism bit her without proper preparation. Octavia had been injected with an unholy mixture of bloodborne diseases, courtesy of the lowliest dumps of Canterlot; Vinyl's usual playground.
It took me a moment to process what I had just witnessed. How could she be here? I closed my mouth, then my eyes, and then I shook my head clear.
I turned towards Vinyl. "Please don't tell me you actually sired her."
"N-no!" Vinyl snapped. "No way! It doesn't work that way, you know? If everypony we bit turned into a vampire, there'd be no ponies left by this point. Seriously!"
"And," Octavia said, shifting her gaze to Vinyl as well, "I believe you've been made aware of the penalty that unauthorized siring brings with itself." She blinked once at her. "Isn't that right?"
For a moment, Vinyl looked blankly at Octavia. Then she quickly looked over to me. "Y-yes!" she stuttered, trying to contain her shaking. "Yes I have been. Really, I'm not even prepared to do that, like, mentally." She lifted a hoof and circled it around beside her head a few times. "It's not worth seeing a sunrise, believe me."
Octavia turned to me again. "Miss Vinyl speaks the truth. You may or may not already be aware, but it would have been impossible for her to sire me."
I raised an eyebrow. Bringing in an unruly vampire and her unsolicited offspring would surely sway Luna away from that Code Blank...
"Explain," I said.
"Well..." Octavia began calmly.
A sudden draft of cold air burst from where Octavia stood; in the same instant, her form dissolved into mist once again. Before I could react, the cloud was already behind me.
"She can't do this, now can she?" Octavia asked, laying a hoof—solid once again—on my back before I even turned around.
"She can also turn into a wolf," Vinyl said. "It's pretty cool."
It was then that I remembered. Vampires have different castes, bloodlines—or clans, as they refer to them—and reproduce accordingly. Vampire politicking had always been rather too confusing for my tastes, however. Since I only ever was tasked with dealing with the lowest and youngest of them—such as Vinyl Scratch—I never bothered to get too involved.
Octavia casually walked around me, taking her place at Vinyl's side. I looked at the former.
"You're one of the..." I scratched my head. "The Voradors, correct?"
"Devorador," Octavia corrected. "Shapeshifters." Then she pointed at Vinyl. "And she is of Nupraptim descent, with powers over the minds of others."
"Yes, I've been briefed extensively on her abilities," I responded. "She never used her vampire powers on me, though."
"Believe me, I've tried!" Vinyl retorted.
"It's her age," Octavia added with a sleek smile, baring her fangs. "It also has to do with your own resistance to magic. If what I hear is true, you are truly an extraordinary mare."
"What do you know about me?" I asked.
"Oh, Miss Vinyl's told me much about you, Twilight Sparkle."
I glanced at Vinyl. She was looking towards Octavia, and although no words escaped her lips, she was quickly waving a hoof in front of her neck. I decoded her body language as "cut it out, damn it!"
"All good, I hope?" I asked.
Octavia chuckled. "Of course. She's told me of your most recent run-in with her as well. That was awfully nice of you, by the way, reattaching her head."
"Thank you," I said. "See, Vinyl? At least somepony appreciates my work."
Vinyl moved a forehoof about in the air, looking away and frowning, and making an agitated "nyeh-nyeh-nyeh" sound.
"Pay no attention to her," Octavia said.
"I never do," I said. "Do tell me then, Octavia, how did this happen?"
"Well, I was dying, as you no doubt know. I remember waking up briefly in the hospital. Then the next thing I remember is lying on a cold thing, like an operating table. But I clearly wasn't in the hospital any more."
"Where were you?"
"Princess Luna called it Containment. I was delirious, though. Most of it is a blur."
"Go on."
"The princess visited me in a fever dream. She told me everything. That I'd been bitten by a vampire, that I was going to die. She said she wouldn't let me die. So she offered me this, and, well, the rest is history."
"Who sired you?"
"Luna arranged it, or so I'm told. She keeps in touch with the eldest of all clans."
"And you accepted this, just like that?"
"Ponies make some strange choices when faced with death, Miss Twilight." Octavia took a deep breath. I assumed it was out of habit, since she needed no air to live now. "I never wanted fame anyway. I enjoyed playing the cello, and all the celebration I received was an unintended side effect that I just... put up with. When I got a chance to leave all that behind, to be able to simply play in secret, I couldn't possibly say no."
"And I bet," Vinyl said, "sucking on the blood of innocents sounded rather tantalising."
"Well, no, I take no pleasure in that," Octavia said. "And I'm going to miss watching a sunset from time to time. Still..." She looked back at me. "Immortality isn't such a bad deal."
"Heck yeah, immortality!" Vinyl burst. "You should totally see her sire! The guy's ancient. I heard Luna actually knew him before the whole Nightmare Moon fiasco."
"Is that true?" I asked Octavia.
"Well," she responded, "that really isn't for me to say. All I know is that I'm here now, and that Miss Vinyl had been tasked with... teaching me." She sighed. "Although, I already think it's mostly the other way around."
"Vinyl, really?" I asked. "Why on Equestria would they pick you?"
"Oh, thanks for all the trust and faith you have in me," Vinyl said. "Truth is, Octy's sire said he was too preoccupied right now and went on to remind me of a favour I owe him. It's a long story."
"And I'm sure it's a fascinating one," I said. "But I really don't have much time."
"Oh, right, because interviewing us wasn't enough," Vinyl said.
"It's quite alright," Octavia said. "What did you want, Miss Twilight?"
"I came here to ask Vinyl a question, as I'd been saying. But I wouldn't reject your assistance either, Octavia."
Octavia nodded. "Of course."
"Whatever," Vinyl said.
"Can you tell me anything about a pony called Aurora Iris?"
Octavia shrugged, turning to Vinyl. "A local, I presume?"
Vinyl stroked her chin. "If that'll get you to leave. Yes, I know her. Kind of a lonely gal. Hung out a few times in the club with a couple of friends, on and off throughout the past year or so. She never really seemed to get much into it, though."
"Either you have exceptional memory," I said, "or there was something special that made you remember this quiet girl so quickly and so well."
"Her blood was terrible," Vinyl answered. "Like burnt juice. I gotta remember those."
Bad blood....
"When did you last see her?" I asked. "It's important."
"I don't know. Last week, maybe?" She shrugged. "I think it was last week. She seemed desperate. Begging to be picked up, you know? Then she just yelled at everypony that offered her a drink, real banshee-like." She rolled her eyes. "Weird chick."
"Did her blood always taste like that?"
"I only tasted it once, when I first saw her way back when. And she looked so nice too."
Perhaps...
"Octavia..." I turned to her. "Tell me, what do you know about this bad blood business?"
"I've never tasted it myself," she replied, "but I've only ever fed a few times, and only from the ones that Miss Vinyl had so thoughtfully picked for me."
Hmm...
"Vinyl, can you do me a favour?" I asked.
"What?" she asked back with a sigh.
"Keep an eye out for this Aurora Iris, would you? Not just at the club. If you see her anywhere...."
"Why should I?"
"To earn brownie points with Night Shift. Believe me, you need them."
Vinyl grumbled something in response.
"I'm sure she'll consider," Octavia said in her place.
"I see."
I turned around and put a hoof on the doorknob.
"There is something important I must see to now," I said. "I'll leave you to your business."
The door creaked open. Before stepping outside, I couldn't stop myself from saying one more thing.
"I might not return."
It was well past midnight. The Night Guards patrolling the Lunar Wing of the palace let me through every door and gate without a word. Luna's study was atop the highest tower of the wing; I made my way up the long, steep staircase that spiralled inside. While my eyes were used to the torches and magical glows that illuminated the rest of the palace at night, now I saw no artificial lights of any kind. The only light within the tall tower was what seeped in through the small, narrow windows, each reminiscent more of those in stone fortresses and strongholds of ages long past, rather than the golden-gilded Canterlot Palace.
Everything was quiet. I knew I was running late. I had always hated being late. Yet this time—perhaps understandably so—I felt a certain sense of sadness that made me walk slower with each step. In the relative darkness of the seemingly endless stairwell, it was as though the night itself spoke to me. No, more than that; it was singing. The silence sang a sad song. The higher I walked, the quieter the night became. The quieter the night became, the clearer it sang.
Two guards stood at the top of the stairwell, looking down into the darkness from where I ascended. They made no eye contact as I walked past them, opening the door behind them.
Luna's study was a single, spacious room with not much in the way of furnishing. To the right, there was a simple bed; to the left, there was an even simpler desk. A few parchments lay disorganised upon it, and star-charts and other maps were hung upon the wall above. A tripod and telescope were leaned against the wall nearby. On the bare stone of the floor, I saw protractors, rulers, compasses, and many other measurement tools scattered about. At the far end, directly in line with the entrance, was a large opening that led to a wide balcony. Luna sat out there in the moonlight, her back turned towards me, her head hanging low.
I made my way out onto the balcony. Luna spoke before I reached her, still turned away from me.
"Am I not good enough, Twilight Sparkle?"
The ominous question I could not answer. I assumed—I hoped—that she didn't want me to.
"Do I not try my best?" she asked again, her head still down.
I sat by her side. She moved her head, looking at me for a moment. Then she moved her head up and stared at the stars. It seemed like she was about to cry. Perhaps she already had.
"I spend my waking hours, night after night," she continued in a melancholic monotone, "doing everything in my power to keep them safe. You know that, don't you?"
I couldn't guess what Luna meant with her question. Unsure what to do but take it at face value, I nodded in silence.
"Tell me," she said as she turned to me, "why does Night Shift exist?"
This question, now, I could answer.
"To protect those who sleep at night, and to guide the ones who don't," I said.
"Why can't they know about us?"
"If they knew what stalks them in the shadows, they might not dare to sleep or venture forth."
"You recite the poetic passages easily," Luna said. "But do you know what they mean?"
"What do they mean?"
"I cannot afford to let my subjects fear the night. I must protect them, no matter the cost."
"Is it true, then, about Octavia?" I asked carefully.
"I couldn't let her die," she answered with unexpected blatancy. "Nightmare Moon has committed many crimes. No more." She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "That, Twilight Sparkle, is why Night Shift exists."
There was silence for a while, until I mustered the courage to speak again.
"What happens now?" I asked the inevitable question.
"I am a princess of my word, Twilight Sparkle." Luna turned to me, indecision in her gaze. "Yet I love you, possibly more than I've ever loved any of my subjects. I owe my life to you."
She sighed deeply, turning away again before continuing.
"But now you've done what must never be done. You've broken the code, and that breaks my heart."
"I know the consequences."
"What would that say about me, then?" She looked at the stars, as if asking for advice. "If I let you go, I have failed as a princess. If I don't, then I have failed as your friend." She then looked at me, and I could feel her gaze weighing down on me. "You've put me in a very hard position, Twilight."
"If it may help your decision, princess, I believe I have proven myself an able agent by getting the living dead under control a few nights ago."
"Yes, I know all about that. It would have been hard not to notice your unique shipment to Containment."
"I collect that there was—" I paused.
I have to tell her everything. I found Rainy Day, and Omen. And all the things he said....
"I collect that there was meant to be another operative there, to handle the matter in my place. I only found the letter, though."
My curiosity wouldn't let me.
"I have been contacted by that agent since," Luna responded, "and you're right. You have proven yourself, as you have time and time again in the past."
"Does it not help my case, then?"
"On the contrary."
"I see."
I sat silently for a moment.
"And what about Rarity?" I asked. "She promised never to mention what happened, to me or anypony else."
"You care greatly for your friends," Luna said. "I respect that in you, Twilight Sparkle."
"Will you let her go?" I asked.
"My word binds me," she answered.
The gravity of those words sunk in slowly. "But she—"
Luna held up a hoof, silencing me.
Well, it is only just a day or two for her....
I took a deep breath. Then I stood up, stepping behind Luna. She, in turn, stood up as well and turned around to look at me. I lifted my head and stood straight, looking the princess dauntlessly in the eye.
And for me, I always knew it would end like this. I had made peace with the fact a long time ago.
"Is that what you wish, Twilight?"
"Yes."
At least I thought I did.
"I can't help but ask something before you do it, however," I added hastily.
Luna spread her wings wide, blocking out the light of the moon from me. Her visage held no joy, only an expression of grim resignation. From behind the white of her eyes, a bright glow began emanating. Her iris darkened, turning dark blue, nearly black. Her horn glowed dark blue as well.
"What would that be?" she asked, holding the spell.
"I saw your Night Guards take something from an apartment today. What was it?"
Luna's eyes widened. Whether this was part of the ritual or merely out of surprise, I couldn't tell. She did not answer my question.
"I won't remember, princess," I said. "I want to know. I want to know if the rumours are true."
"Explain," Luna commanded. Her voice resonated with both anger and sadness.
"It is said that you're involved in murder," I stated. "That my parents were the beginning of a long list of victims."
The white glow of her eyes was blinding me now, and the pitch-blackness of her dilated pupils seemed a pair of all-devouring black holes. As I felt her magic grip my head and body, I kept looking into her eyes with an unbroken stare. At that point, I knew I couldn't look away if I tried.
I felt her soul press against the walls of my mind. The light rushed in through the cracks.
"If you don't answer this," I spoke at the edge of consciousness, "then realise this: I will go in the knowledge that it is all true."
I couldn't see anything now, only the light. I couldn't feel the floor under my hooves, and I couldn't hear the sound of wind on the balcony.
"What if I find Night Shift again?" I asked. At least I think I did. "Or are you going to make me forget that I had parents?!"
In an instant, the light was gone. I fell down, finding myself once again on Luna's balcony. My head hurt, but as I came to my senses, I realised that my memories were intact.
I stood up again and looked at Luna. She was taking deep breaths, waiting a few seconds before exhaling each one. Her eyes, now their normal colours, twitched as they looked at me, and she snarled in barely contained rage.
"You are a deceitful mare," came her shaking voice. "You've changed much."
"You have not answered my question, princess."
"It is all lies!" she snapped. "To suggest that I would—"
She turned away, groaning from behind gritted teeth.
"Of course," I answered. "It's insane, isn't it?"
"Insane!" she cried, turning to me again.
Then she closed her eyes, resuming the deep breaths. In hindsight, perhaps accusing the princess of murder wasn't a bright move.
"What shall I—" I tried to ask.
"Be gone," Luna whispered, her eyes still shut. "We will grant you a new assignment by morning," she said between two breaths. "One that will take you far away from here. Do not return to Canterlot unless called."
"I—"
"Go!" she yelled, opening her eyes.
I took the earliest train back to Ponyville in the morning. I watched the spires of Canterlot shrink in the distance as the train rolled out of the mountain range.
It's such a silly place, anyway, I thought to myself.