Princess Luna sighed as she looked over the papers on her desk, she was barely able to focus on the task at hand. Night court had ended exceptionally quickly, mainly due to her denial to field any petitions. It wasn’t something she did regularly, but she didn’t have the stamina to deal with nobles for the night. Her chest felt empty and all of the words on the papers seemed to blur together. Not even a day after she had realized her feelings for the lone human, and already her hopes seemed to be dashed.

The lunar diarch let out another sigh and rested her head in her hooves, her eyes falling on the door. The colors were muted in the darkness of the bedchambers, the flickering light of the candle on her desk was the only thing that seemed to give off warmth. Luna looked at it for a moment, watching as the flames danced and twirled from the wick. A burning performance of ballet, between the flames and the darkness. Luna found it oddly beautiful, and was thankful that it had drawn her thoughts from the cause of her woes. With a groan she stretched and cracked her back.

This brought her thoughts to her age, and in turn, how long she had been without someone to truly care for, and this brought her thoughts back to Dominic. The human had called her a friend, which was something the princess cherished more than anything, but she wanted more. Why? She didn’t know, and jumbled into the confusion as to why, was the thought as to how it was improbable. At that moment, the mixture of emotion and confusion was all but one step away from detonating into a full fledged emotional crisis. The catalyst that held this detonation at arms length was the knowledge that Luna’s niece would arrive the next morning.

Remembering this brought the lunar diarch back from the brink, and once more she found herself lost in the paperwork that had followed the days events. Transfers of supplies, troop movement, disaster funds, the normally mundane and boring papers only served to remind her. Again the emotions swelled, threatening to push the princess over the precipice. This time, she was pulled back by three swift knocks. With a relieved sigh, the Lunar princess looked up and used her magic to pull the large wooden doors open. Unsurprisingly, her sister was standing there with a neutral smile.

“Hello, Tia.” Luna said in a tired voice, straightening up in her seat.

“Hello, Lulu.” Replied Celestia, stepping into the room and closing the doors behind her. “I take it that Dominic took his relocation well?” Luna nodded.

“Yes, though we feel that perhaps from henceforth, we should accompany him. To ensure that if anything similar should occur, we can deal with it forthwith.” Said the night princess, rolling her neck several times. It popped loudly, causing Celestia to wince.

“While I won’t deny that perhaps one of us should be keeping an eye on him, that’s not necessarily why I came to speak with you…” The solar princess sat across from Luna, a slightly worried look passed over her features. “Cadence is going to be visiting us tomorrow… At your request.”

“Can we not wish to see our niece?” Asked Luna, sounding slightly defensive. Celestia frowned at this and leaned forwards.

“Luna.” Celestia said flatly. “You and I both know that something else is going on here.” Luna sighed and hung her head a bit. For a few moments there was silence. “Tell me, what’s bothering you? Let me help you.” Celestia said, concern lacing her tone.

“We… I am not sure how I feel…” Luna said, she looked up at her sister. “In all of our years, we’ve never felt something like this. All we can gather tells us that Cadence holds the answers…”

“Cadence…?” Celestia both said and asked, a look or realization crossed her muzzle. “Luna are you saying…?”

“We do not know, sister! Please, let us drop this subject.” Celestia stared at Luna for a moment, her sisters tone had been panicked and fearful. The solar diarch wanted to push for more answers, but at the same time she knew what could happen if she pushed too hard.

“Very well then, Luna.” She said, standing from her seat. “If you wish to speak with me further, don’t hesitate to do so.” Luna nodded as Celestia started walking towards. The white alicorn stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She felt a similar sense of uncertainty as her sister felt. It was mainly directed at the object of her sister’s affection, however. Dominic was far from the ‘Romantic’ type, he probably wouldn’t know what to do with a relationship.

Meanwhile, Luna had stood from her desk and made her way to her bed. She laid down and looked out her window. The moon hung in the dimly lit night sky. The Princesses mind shifted towards the dream that she’d had earlier. The first time she’d slept in her old bed and she had seen Nightmare Moon. That was more terrifying than her new found feelings, as she could recall the feelings of doubt and fear that had driven her to such a state. The Nightmare was perhaps the most foul demon imaginable, a demon of the mind. Created and molded by self doubt. She wished she could say that she felt differently now, but she was far more scared than she had ever been before.

With a sigh, Luna rolled onto her side and pulled up the covers. Then she snuggled into the plush, soft mattress. It didn’t feel right to her, now that she’d slept in her old bed. It felt alien, as if she was in someone elses bed. It was extremely surreal how in the span of an afternoon, everything seemed to change. The mare closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep with a spell.

[♦]

The sun was shining brightly through the windows of the classroom, the desks were arranged in rows of four. The walls bleached white walls were adorned in numerous motivational posters and maps, the smell of fresh dry erase marker hung in the air like the scent of a cuban cigar. Standing at the front of the room was the teacher, a stout man with a scraggly beard and glasses. He wore his normal hooded sweatshirt and jeans, and his trademarked smile was spread across his face.

Dominic found himself standing in the doorway of the classroom, looking in at all the happy students as the lesson got under way. In the farthest row, near the back. He could see himself sitting next to a familiar girl. His other self and Maria were diligently taking notes, Dominic remembered this day well. He remembered the clothes he’d been wearing, he remembered the unusual amount of makeup that Maria had worn. How she’d flinched when he’d tapped her shoulder to ask a question. The man looked down at his chest and lifted up his shirt, sure enough, a familiar scar greeted his eyes.

The man looked back at the image before him, noting himself. His younger self was far less muscular, his eyes were less sunken, he could see brightness in those eyes. If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn he was looking at a completely different, oblivious teenager. As the time went on, the class came to an end. Dominic watched himself and Maria stand from their seats. The girl made her way to the door and passed right through him, Dominic was sure to follow behind her. As he did this, he felt as if he’d slipped back into the day. Everything seemed so real, and when he looked behind him he didn’t see the other version of himself.

“Maria.” Dominic said, walking faster to catch up with his friend. “What’s the matter?” He asked, coming up along side her. “Come on, Maria, what’s wrong.”

“It’s nothing, I’m fine. Really.” Maria tried to walk faster, the two of them ended up going down one of the unused hallways as they always did. It helped bypass the crowded main hall, running past the weight room in the lower levels. “Tyler said I shouldn’t talk with you anymore…”

“Why?” Dominic asked, coming to a stop. Maria kept walking, leaving Dominic to stew in his own worry. After several tense seconds she came to a stop and turned around. Her hair was done differently, only now did Dominic notice the sweater she was wearing. While some people wore theirs for school spirit, such as their previous teacher, Maria hardly ever wore them. Especially in the warm months. Seeing as it was April, and the temperature that morning had been up above fifty degrees, Dominic became suspicious. He walked towards her and noticed she’d combed her hair over the left part of her face. Red flags began to rise, and alarms began to blare within his mind.

“He’ll… He get’s really angry…” Maria tried looking down, but winced at the movement. Dominic reached out his hand and brushed away the hair from her face. He immediately bit his knuckle as he saw the black and blue mark just right of her eye. Even with added makeup, he could see it well. “Dom, it was my fault! I started-”

“Listen to yourself for a moment.” Dominic cut her off, beating back a boiling rage. “You’re smart, Maria. You know how this plays out.” As his friend nodded, the bell rang. “Let’s get to class, then we’ll get this all sorted out.” Maria nodded and the two of them went off down the hall. For the next several hours, Dominic sat in his classes with an ever deepening scowl. When the final bell rang he was one of the first people out the door. His fists clenched, his eyes narrowed. In the main hall he saw the target of his rage. Tyler, Maria’s ‘Boyfriend’. He was standing by Maria’s locker, glowering down at her as she got her things.

Dominic walked through the crowd until he came out on the other side, he reached into his pocket and felt around. He had a roll of quarters he had left over from buying lunch, his car keys, and his phone. He could offer to drive Maria home, get her away from Tyler. That is if he could even get to her, as Tyler turned his head and spotted Dominic within moments.

“What do you want, shit head?” He asked venomously, Dominic ignored him and started walking towards Maria. “Hey, I’m talking to you!”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Dominic replied, his tone becoming one of icy fury. He looked at Maria and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Hey, need a ride home?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Maria replied, stepping away from Tyler. The sports jock made to put a hand on her shoulder, but wasn’t fast enough as both she and Dominic were already walking towards the door. As they exited the building, the noon sun beat down on the asphalt of the parking lot. Students made their way to their respective cars, Juniors like Dominic often had to park far away from the school. “You’re right, Dominic. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Don’t sweat it.” Dominic replied, putting a friendly arm around her shoulder. “Pricks like him have a tendency of fooling smart individuals such as yourself.” The parking lot was becoming increasingly empty as they neared the edge. “And don’t start with that ‘I never could of done it without you’ crap. I mean, realizing that took a grand total of what…. thirty seconds?”

“I guess I just needed a push is all. It’s so hard finding good guys around here.” Maria replied, looking at the ground.

“When the right one comes along, you’ll know it. Or end up forever alone like me…” Dominic felt himself come out of the dream for moment, a pang of sadness running through his heart, before he was plunged back into the memories. Maria let out a small humorlous chuckle, by this point they were the only ones left in the parking lot. A beat up old subaru sat in the baking sun.

“Why do you have to be so damn negative all the time?” Maria asked, looking at her friend with a far happier demeanor. “Hell, half the girls I eat lunch with talk about you.”

“You only sit with one person.” Dominic deadpanned.

“Don’t be difficult. I’m trying to pay you a compliment.” Maria gave him a light punch, the two of them reached the car. Dominic unlocked the passenger side first, but before he could go around the other side, a hand grabbed his shoulder and sent the keys flying. Tyler stood there, seething with rage. Dominic had just enough time to register this before he was thrown to the ground.

“SHE’S MINE!” The jock roared, sounding as if he were a belligerent animal. Maria quickly picked up the keys and rushed to the other side of the car to unlock the drivers side. Dominic groaned and stood to his feet, brushing himself off. As he looked at his attacker, he could tell that something was off. It was as if he was under some sort of rage inducing spell, Dominic assumed steroids.

“Start the car Maria!” Dominic yelled, the girl nodded and got into the driver seat. She dropped the keys and quickly picked them up, Dominic jumped back as Tyler tried to lay down a beating. From across the parking lot, a teacher started yelling. No one paid it much mind. Tyler reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a knife, the blade flicked open and he slashed at Dominic’s chest.

“Shit!” Dominic growled as he felt a gash open up, he reached into his own pocket and grasped the roll of quarters. His father had told him about this trick, he’d never thought he’d have to use it. Maria started the car and got out, she gasped when she saw the cut on Dominic’s chest. She watched nervously as Dominic pulled his fist from his pocket and dodged another swipe with the knife, then he delivered an uppercut to Tyler’s chin. The added weight of quarters sent Tyler flying back, a throbbing pain made itself apparent in Dominic’s hand.

By this point, several teachers were rushing towards the scene. The fight wasn’t over yet, though. Dominic grabbed Tyler with his free hand, the jock was still dazed from the impact. Dominic had to dodge another knife attack, but quickly dealt with that by pressing Tyler’s face into the hot metal of the car. The pain caused him to drop the knife, as well as slam his foot back into Dominic’s legs.

With a pained groan, Dominic went down. He still clutched the roll of quarters, and as Tyler loomed over him he saw no alternative but to bean him in the head. The roll dazed Tyler once again, but before Dominic could do anything he saw Maria’s fore arm go across Tyler’s throat. Confused and bleeding from a wound in his mouth, Tyler feebly attempted to get loose. Dominic rolled out of the way just as the behemoth fell.

[♦]

Dominic woke up with a start, urgently searching for Tyler and Maria for a moment before he realized where he was. Luna’s old bedroom, in her old bed, alone. With a sigh, he rolled out of the bed and made his way to the bag filled with clothes. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a white sleeveless undershirt, then tied his boots. He went to grab his jacket but sighed as he saw it’s sorry state. The dream was already fading, even if the scars weren’t.

“Fuck…” He muttered, leaving the jacket and instead grabbing his flag. The man walked down the steps and into the hallway that lead to the courtyard, then made his way to the flag pole and raised the stars and stripes himself. He stared at it for a few moments before turning and walking towards the tents that belonged to the guards. Light snoring could be heard from some, while the two members of the night watch were still awake. They all sat beside a campfire, eating cooked manticore. “Hey guys, what’s goin’ on?”

“Not much.” Responded one of them before taking a bite. “Sleep alright?”

“Yeah, like a log.” Dominic replied, sitting down beside them. The warmth of the campfire was nice, it reminded him of the times he and his dad would go camping. He looked around at the castle further, it was covered in green vines and overgrowth. The stone was still clear though, and with the dew in the morning light, it actually looked somewhat nice. “This place isn’t so bad once you get past the history.”

“Most ponies can’t though.” Said the second guard, poking the fire with a stick. “They’re more interested in protesting the new arms factories and such.”

“I can see where they’re coming from.” Said the first guard. “They’re kind of noisy, and somewhat polluting.” He took another bite of manticore meat. “Then again, they’re gonna use those ‘Pollution Control’ spells they use on trains, so…” Dominic watched the two of them quietly, grabbing a piece of manticore meat for himself.

“I’m more interested in those new Spell-Bows.” Stated the second, he looked up at Dominic. “You saw those, right? They look like anything good?”

“I never saw one fired, but from what I saw you should be in good shape.” Dominic replied, taking a bite of the manticore meat. “Damn, this shit is tough.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Said the first guard. “I’m United Front, and that dipshit over there is Gear Grinder.” Dominic was going to shake their hooves, but opted instead for a fist bump. That seemed to be the modus operandi of the Lunar Guards.

“Fuck you, Front.” Gear stated with a scowl.

“Not my type, sorry.” United replied with a shit eating grin, Dominic sighed and relaxed. He turned around and pulled a small supply crate over, then leaned against it. “So, what’s the deal with that flag anyway? Night Owl never really explained it.” Dominic smiled at the question.

“Well, two hundred years ago in a little town called Philadelphia…”

Author's Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4EFddbHkRo

FINALLY! I HAVE BLASTED THROUGH THE GOD DAMNED WRITERS BLOCK!

It feels good to be able to post something again! Like... 'Firing dual machine guns while jumping out of a C-130 and smoking a cigar while blasting AC/DC with Red White and Blue fireworks going off in the background' awesome.

Like, Comment, and Favorite if you want!