The Affection of Princess Nightmare Moon
Part 26: My Beloved, Bandaid

Bandaid looked at his royal apartment, the little stack of boxes and suite cases that had finally been assembled. He’d put his two weeks in after getting out of the hospital wing. He hadn’t told Nightie, either. And that was hard information to keep from the Princess, when the head nurse of the palace staff suddenly decided to step out.

It wasn’t anything personal. Well yes, yes it was. It was freaking dangerous around here. Sighing to himself and wondering where the movers were, he noted the time and took a few bits off the tip he’d intended them. Sitting in the kitchen, he opened the cooler where he’d packed all his food and fetched a glass-bottle soda. Spiffing it open with a flick of his hoof, he sat on the cooler with a sigh. Nightie was not going to be pleased and—!

There was a knock at the door. “Ah, finally,” he rose, going to the door to let the movers in. Instead, he found the Princess of the Night at his door. “Oops,” he said without thinking.

Nightmare looked past him because of her height. She looked startled. “Bandaid…?” she asked, wilting in the ears and posture. “Are you going someplace, my heart?”

“Er… you’d better come in,” the nurse finally admitted. He gestured and closed the door behind her. “Nightie I kind’a realized that I can’t stay here. Here at the palace, I mean,”

“Why not?!” she gasped, alarmed. “Are you not happy here,” she paused, then added. “With me?” she said more softly. “Have I done something to displease you?” the walked side by side to the couch.

“It’s not you, it’s everypony else,” Bandaid said, taking a long drink from his soda before setting it on the coffee table. “L-look, your brother broke my leg on a whim. You sister kidnapped me, three times no less, and has the ability to turn me into a berserker with no regard for life. You’re still acclimating to the modern era. And your mother,” he paused for effect and gestured, “Is god.” He sighed, rubbing his shoulder a bit. The healing spell had done fine, but the phantom pain was there in his mind. Discord so casually hurting him had been the final straw. “It’s really dangerous around here for me, y’know? I don’t like being the victim or the bargaining chip or the damsel in distress in all of your family’s power games.”

“Are... are you leaving me…?” Nightmare said very softly, her eyes getting big and wet.

He looked at her incredulously. “Oh no, no Nightie I’m not,” he smiled a little bitterly, upset that she was upset. He cupped the side of her face and she leaned into it a little. “I just think being here at the palace just isn’t for me right now.”

“Where will you go?” Nightmare said, a hoof already stroking his side in a needy way.

“Not far. Just… away from Canterlot,” he said guiltily. “There’s always need for nurses out there, it’s just a matter of where. And with credentials from the palace, and your recovery after coming back from the moon, well, I can go wherever I like!”

“I see,” she said, looking at the floor miserably. “What of… what of… us?” she said, putting a hoof on his chest. “I love you,” she said softly.

“I love you too,” his chest ached. “I just think this is for the better, for now. You can come see me whenever you like. We can still date, and see each other, and you can come stay at my new place whenever you like.”

“Whenever you settle in some foreign place,” Nightmare wilted, looking to one side. “What of our midnight trysts? I can never just come have you to myself anymore?”

“I know there’s no place on earth I could hide from you or any of the gods,” Bandaid said. “But the distance might put me out of sight, out of mind, y’know?” He pawed at his midnight necklace a few times. The black stone within glittered. “There’d be less opportunity for me to get used or abused if I just wasn’t around the palace here, right?”

Nightmare didn’t like it. Didn’t like it one bit. But she could not argue with his facts. She hung her head, trying not to let the tears slip out. “You would… still be mine?” she asked softly. “Just… further away?”

“Hey,” he whispered, leaning and kissing her softly. “As long as you want me, I’ll still be yours.” He stroked her mane a few times. “I love you, Nightie.” Rearing up a bit, he pressed her back and down over the couch. There he showed her just how much he loved her.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Bandaid got off the train in Ponyville, just one town over. Canterlot was a vague shape on the mountain horizon, but at least within sight. He rolled his eyes a bit, wondering if this would be enough. Discord could see him no matter where he went, but perhaps the others would leave him be. He hadn’t waited for the only male child of Faust to offer an apology, but from what Nightmare had told him over a few days there was now a peace between all five of the gods now. That was good to hear.

Gesturing for the movers, he led them through the streets. All he carried was his own medical bag and vest. Coming to a quaint, cream-colored little cottage he fumbled and unlocked the door. It was nice inside, clean and well-kept. His furniture had already arrived, and now there were merely boxes of possessions. While the movers went back and forth he explored for a bit. A nice little two bedroom, one bath sort of place. A kitchen, sitting room, and two closets. So large for a single pony to live in, but, it wasn’t his old economy apartment either. The royal palace apartments had spoiled him, he knew. Chuckling a little, he tipped the movers when they were done and stepped outside. A tiny little backyard with an ancient-looking tire swing, a wild and over-grown garden, and a mailbox. Though he was a stallion of barely thirty, he almost felt like he was retiring or something. Snorting and shaking his head, he decided to go exploring.

Leaving his new home, he turned down the street. Watching his hooves, he nearly ran into a massive red stallion carting barrels of apples. “Oh sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” he said, shrinking back at his size.

“Eyuup,” said the stranger mildly, politely stopping so Bandaid could go by first.

“I’m Bandaid, I just moved in, over there,” he gestured to the little cottage nestled among other cottages. The scarlet stallion swiveled his great head to have a look, then nodded some. Not much of a talker, was he. “Do you live around here?”

“Nope,” he nodded towards the end of the row. Beyond it among the hills was an apple orchard.

“Ah, I see,” Bandaid said, coughing a little awkwardly. “Well I won’t keep you,”

“Welcome t’town,” the stranger offered before lumbering along on his merry way.

“Yeah,” Bandaid said, looking around. It was so quiet. No rhythmic chank of armor. No constant quibble of nobles. No sweeping, echoing grand halls. He could hear birds. He could hear the waters of a river nearby. He smiled despite himself. “It’s so quiet…” he mumbled, looking around fondly.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Two Weeks Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

“So basically what you’re saying is that you’re cashing in a bunch of favors, forgiving a few past transgressions,” Discord said in mild amusement. “And now asking another favor of big brother?” he smirked, leaning on the wall.

“Yes,” Nightmare was holding a scroll of pure spun gold. On it were the written signatures of the five children of Faust. Even Chrysalis had agreed, with almost no prodding at all. On it? A contract for the safety and non-molestation of a single mortal stallion. “Think of it as a thousand missed birthday presents, yes?” she said eagerly. She gave him her best pleading eyes.

Discord grumbled a bit, tilting his head at the drawings and designs she’d made. “It’s so simple though,” he complained.

“It has to be simple so it blends in with the environment,” Nightmare insisted.

Discord sighed, “Very well. I did break his leg, I suppose. And I do love my little sister,” he stuck his tongue out, then snapped his fingers. The two full-length mirrors leaning on the wall shimmered. “It’s done,” he confirmed. Sticking a hand in one, they saw his hand emerge out of the other.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Princess Nightmare Moon arrived to a gathering crowd of onlookers in Ponyville. She had to have her guards and chariot-pullers push them back here and there to make room. Grumbling and fishing about for her packages, she approached the new house of Bandaid. It was a plain, slumpy looking house with a straw roof and a cheery-looking painted picket fence. She chuckled at the clumsily painted cutie mark on the door and mailbox.

Taking a deep breath, the alicorn ducked her head so she wouldn’t ding the gutters and knocked. There was a pause, and she knocked again. Bandaid came to the door, and his face lit up as soon as he saw her. “Nightie!” he threw his arms around her, then they quickly stepped inside.

“Disperse the crowd,” she told her guards over her shoulder.

Bandaid saw all her packages and smiled a little lopsidedly. “You don’t hafta bribe me with gifts, Nightmare, I said I’m still yours didn’t I?”

Nightmare gave a big grin, putting down the gift-wrapped bathroom mirror and boxed golden contract. “I think you will like this, beloved. You’ll have to make exception.”

“I was just chopping fruit, wanna come help?” he offered, heading into the kitchen.

Nightmare stood in the living room, looking curiously about. So this was a modern, mortal pony dwelling? It didn’t seem so bad. She ducked a bit in the doorway, smiling and nodding as she did so.

Bandaid was making fruit salads and had a neat array of little tupperwares to make portions. “I’ve been having serious fruit-cravings lately, so I went to market. The market here is huge, and most of it is locally grown!” he went on and on about how Ponyville was quiet, peaceful and self-sufficient in its crops. Nightmare looked around the kitchen before slowly picking up a knife. She started carefully slicing apples. This was nice, she decided, smiling softly. Who could want for more than to spend such times with their companion?

“Hey, I… I wanted to thank you, by the way,” Bandaid said, without looking up at her. She looked across the counter at him. “The old you, I mean… the you that got back from the moon, would not have let me leave the palace so willingly.” He told her. “It means a lot that you would trust me to live out here and… y’know, still be yours. Not stray or anything.”

“I would suggest no such thing!” Nightmare put the knife down.

“You’re a goddess, Nightie,” Bandaid said, looking up at her seriously. “If you wanted, you could keep me all to yourself in that big castle of yours forever.” She made to speak, but he interrupted. “But you’ve gotten better, more mature even since the first day I met you. It means a lot that you understand my needs and put me before yourself.” He walked around the counter to kiss her.

“O-of course,” she said a little headily.

“I love you,” he said softly. “And if it works out between us, I mean…” he’d suddenly said too much. “I… I think I could see us together. More so than just dating like before.”

“Are you suggesting we wed?!” Nightmare gasped, serpentine pupils shrinking into lines.

“No, no! I-I, I mean-!” Bandaid blushed and tucked his head under hers. “I just mean… if it ever came to that, it seems like a… possibility, y’know?” he nuzzled her chest. Nightmare felt her eyes moisten, standing there in silence. She embraced him, tucking her stallion under her head. She sat on her haunches, pulling him harder to herself.

“Oh, my beloved,” she whispered slowly. He hugged her, stroking her back over and over. They made their way from the kitchen to the sitting room. A large dark purple pillow sat in front of the unlit hearth. Nightmare flicked it with magic and there was a roaring fire.

“I-I won’t pretend I’m good enough for a goddess, much less somepony that’ll live forever,” he said. “But, for what years I’ve got, I don’t mind being all yours.” He confessed, burying his face in her breast. Her great black wings settled around him in a wing hug. The darkness was soothing to him. They rested in front of the fire.

“My Bandaid,” she whispered softly, rather emotional now. “You will always be worthy of the affection, neigh, the love, of Princess Nightmare Moon.” They shared a tender kiss.

THE END

Author's Notes:

Have a matching Blog entry, if you like, with notes from the author:

http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/550432/affection-of-princess-nightmare-moon-completed-spoilers