Unforeseen Consequences - Chapter 25


                                            >It was a relatively peaceful night of autumn. The lights of the city outshone the stars in the sky, the occasional siren from a patrol airship followed by blasters detonations sounded in the distance, and the heat was unbearable.

                                            >By all accounts it should’ve been a stormy night, but those were the slums for you. They just didn’t care about yours or anyone else’s problems. Not even to bring some rain to wash away your tears and blood.

                                            >You’ve been having similar dreams like this one for days now. In essence, they all were a recollection of particularly terrible events in your life. Your parents abandoning you, Eris being taken away, the beat downs you had to endure, and of course, a horrible and indescribable monster made up of everyone you ever knew trying to eat you at the end.

                                            >By this point, all of these superficially different dreams already should’ve been grown old. They should have, but they didn’t. The amazing thing nightmares is that no matter what, you never get used to them.

                                            >This meant that despite the fact that you knew the terrible creature in front of you wasn’t real, you still were as terrified as if it was the first time it happened. You still raised your front-hooves in a futile attempt to protect yourself from that abomination.

                                            >All of these nightmares always ended in the exact same way: the moon grows and grows until it engulfs everything. After that, you wake up soaked in cold sweat and tears. Much to your surprise, the former happened but the later went on a completely different direction.


                                            >For a second, you were standing in a completely empty landscape composed only by the pale moonlight. The next moment, you were on an endless grass field with the gentle wind and the sea of stars above as your only company.

                                            >You cleared some of the blood dripping from your muzzle and let out a sigh in relief. It felt like ages since the last time you were at peace in your own dreams. You laid on the grass and looked up to the starry sky.

                                            “No moon, huh? That’s a shame”.

                                            >You heard hoofsteps coming from behind, followed by a kindred familiar voice, “The moon is right here, my dearest Resonance. It shall always be here for you”.

                                            >You turned around and saw Luna standing a couple meters away from you. Her rippling long mane filled with stars looked almost the same as the sky above. Her soft teal eyes expectantly looked at you, “What is the matter, my dearest Resonance? Can you not spare your mother a greeting hug?”

                                            >You sat on the grassy field and whipped your muzzle from a couple of new blood droplets. You just came out from a nightmare and Luna was standing there? It was all too tempting, and terribly convenient too.

                                            “Sure I could! If you were the real Luna, I mean”.

                                            >Luna raised a perfect eyebrow and tilted her head with all the regality you’d expect from the real deal, “Pardon me?”


                                            >You rolled your eyes and spit a bit of blood that managed to get in your mouth.

                                            “Well, it’s simple. This is a dream so nothing of this is actually real, which means you ain’t real either. I mean, I could still hug you, I really love Luna so I don’t mind hugging an imaginary one. Thing is, for all I know this could still be a nightmare, and I really hate bait-and-switch scares. I don’t wanna take any chances with this kinda stuff, y’know?”

                                            >She let out a sigh and walked to you, “My dearest Resonance, I can fully assure you that… ouch!”

                                            >Moved by sheer instinct, you immediately adopted a defensive stance as Luna hit her face against an invisible wall and fell onto the ground. She quickly got back on her hooves, “A barrier? You set up a barrier?” she said as she poked the translucent force field.

                                            “S-Stay away from me, man! I ain’t gonna let a potential nightmare to just walk to me like that! I ain’t going back to that stuff, so stay away!”

                                            >After tapping the barrier a couple more times, Luna took a deep sigh, “Resonance, I came here to soothe your nightmares and have a nice moment with you”.

                                            >It’s true that the Luna standing in front of you looked, spoke, and behaved exactly like what the actual Luna would do, but the risk was too high and those nightmares brought you too much pain, the last thing you wanted was to fall from a trap from your own mind.

                                            “How do I know that ain’t a trick, huh? I ain’t gonna let you through!”


                                            >There was a brief silence, where the only thing to be heard was a breeze of wind passing by. She laid on the ground and plucked a blade of grass, “I realize now that it may be a little more complicated than expected”.

                                            “C’mon, man! Did you really expect me to believe that the real Luna somehow got inside my head and is now in my dream? Get real!”

                                            >Luna stood up and stretched her limbs. She then turned to you with a proud look on her face and said, “The real Luna is who I am, and worry not, for the perfect method to prove my claim has just occurred to me.”

                                            “C’mon, man! There’s no way that can be…true? What’s that?”

                                            >A soothing song started playing across the entire grassy field. Its sweet notes were carried by the wind, making each grass blade dance at its gentle tune. When you turned back to Luna again, she wasn’t there anymore.

                                            “Is this… music?”

                                            >Gentle as the breeze of wind, Luna’s voice echoed across the landscape, “Do you like it? This is my favorite musical piece. It is called “Where the lavenders grow”.  Beautiful is it not? ”.

                                            >You desperately looked at every direction in search for her. To your amazement, the stars had changed, they now were perfectly aligned to resemble her eyes.

                                            “Yeah, it really is. I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard this one before, though”.

                                            >The stars kindly looked down at you, as Luna’s giggle could be heard everywhere, “That comes as no surprise. Nopony has heard this piece in over a thousand years, my dearest Resonance. It lives solely in my memory”.


                                            “H-Hold on! How can I know this isn’t some weird dream logic, huh?”

                                            >“Quite easy! When you wake-up, I shall be laying at the edge of your bed, humming this very song. As young ponies like to say, I shall see you in the other side, my dearest son”.

                                            >Just like every other time, you woke-up covered in cold sweat and panting. It was still night, part of your bed, placed by the window was lit by the pale moonlight, and amid the the darkness that reigned in the rest of the room, you could hear a gentle, sweet humming.

                                            >There was no doubt in your mind that the humming was the same song from your dream. Millions of questions and possible scenarios rushed to your mind. You gulped down, slowly stood up on the bed, and shyly said.

                                            “L-Luna? Is that you?”

                                            >The humming stopped, leaving in its place a few seconds of tense silence. You felt a body turning on the bed. The moonlight then increased its intensity, illuminating the entirety of the room. It was Luna, your Luna.

                                            >Her rippling mane filled with stars looked even more spectacular under the moonlight, those beautiful teal eyes of hers were looked on yours as a kind smile appeared on her face, “The very same, my dearest son”.

                                            >All of those endless questions were immediately drowned by an intense feeling of guilt and shame. Luna did enter your dream to help you with your demons, to show you a miracle, and you shunned her away.

                                            “I-I… I’m sorry. I thought you…! I’m sorry! I don’t deserve…!”

                                            >Tears flooded your eyes and ran down your face like waterfalls. At that moment, you felt like you weren’t even worth of looking someone like her at the eye.


                                            >Luna tightly embraced you in her warmth as she lovingly caressed your mane and whispered, “Do not cry, my son! I am the one at fault here. I made the assumption that you would know the reaches of my magic. A fairly stupid mistake given that I never once told you about it”.

                                            “But I still acted like an idiot! I-I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t…!”

                                            >You buried your head into her warm chest and continued crying. Luna simply let the moment to go by, limiting herself to caress your mane and saying that everything was alright.

                                            >Once your tears stopped, you broke the hug and looked up to Luna. By this point, you were calm enough to ask some questions that had become impossible to keep to yourself.

                                            “So you can really go into others’ dreams, huh?”

                                            >Luna nodded, “Mhm, that is correct, my dearest Resonance! And from now on, if you see me in a dream, you shall know that there is nothing to fear anymore. For it is my royal duty to guide others out of the darkness of their own nightmares”.

                                            “That’s… frickin’ awesome, actually! Wish those books about magic mentioned something like that.”

                                            >Luna tapped her chin as she turned her gaze to the pile of fifteen or so books laying on close to your bed, “Most surely because this is a type of magic that only I can perform. With that in mind, I am happy to see that you have started reading the collection that Celie gifted you yesterday”.

                                            “Yeah, I started reading those as soon as I got them! Well, I haven’t started with the Star Catcher’s trilogy of “Magic and you”, but I’ve already finished both tomes of Starswirl’s “A new world” and Star Chaser’s complimentary stuff”.


                                            >Luna raised an eyebrow, “Those books are 500 pages each. You cannot possibly expect me to believe that you finished both in merely a couple days, my dearest Resonance”.  She levitated one to her and flipped through it, “Sweet stars! You were not jesting! You even made hoofnotes!”

                                            >You stood up on the bed and gave Luna a proud smile.

                                            “Well, I was the fastest reader back in the slums! I could’ve finished all of them by now, but I had to force myself to finish the Starswirl’s stuff. That guy is one of the worse authors I’ve ever read. He’s the kind of guy who seriously needed an editor behind his back”.

                                            >“Really now?” She sarcastically replied, “Would you care to share your criticisms on one of the most revered authors and magical researchers in equestrian history?

                                            >You couldn’t help but to look at Luna with serious bafflement.

                                            “Revered? That guy?! Why, though? He goes on these rambles for multiple chapters when the point could’ve been easily summarized in about two pages. His writing style tries to be poetic it reads as if some random foal wrote it. And his explanations about spells? Oh, man! All of them are filled with bad examples, and completely non-related anecdotes! I could go on for hours about this, but… uh, you get the idea. ”

                                            >“Indeed I do, in more ways than you realize”. She let out a sigh and looked out the window, “Tell me, Resonance. Are you feeling tired? It would be my pleasure to sing you a lullaby if that is the case”.

                                            “Nah, I’m good. We can keep chatting for the rest of the night if you wanna!”


                                            >Luna let out sigh and looked at you with expectant eyes, “I was hoping that would be your answer. Say, would you like to join me for a midnight snack?”

                                            >You eagerly jumped out of the bed and gave Luna a wide smile.

                                            “Oh, man! You just read my mind. I was starting to feel super hungry! So uh, lemme grab my goggles and then we can ransack the dinner!”

                                            >She giggled and levitated your goggles to you. With the utmost delicacy, she put them on you so they could hang from your neck, “Oh, I am deeply sorry, my dearest Resonance; but we shan’t be going to the royal dinner”.

                                            “But where we gonna get the food then?”

                                            >Another giggle escaped from her lips as she elegantly hopped off the bed and firmly placed her hoof on your shoulder, “You shall find out soon enough. In fact, the answer will come in the blink of an eye”.

                                            “…what?”

                                            >As her horn started to irradiate with magic, you realized exactly what she meant. Desperately, you tried to run away, but her grip had an unnatural strength, way more than any patrol you’ve ever encountered.

                                            “Oh, c’mon lady! We can walk over there, or we can just order a pizza! Just don’t cast the…!”

                                            >It was too late, in less than a second, you were no longer in your room, but in an unknown street of Canterlot City.

                                            “…teleportation spell. Ugh!”

                                            >At least Luna was kind enough to levitate you onto her back and wait until the dizziness wore off. Once your stomach finally realized it couldn’t puke anything, you took a good look at your surroundings.


                                            “Man, I really need to explore this city!”

                                            >The street itself was surprisingly narrow. From the cobblestone, to each and every house in the street, everything in here looked remarkably older than the rest of Canterlot. This combined with the warm, yet flickering light emanating from the light posts, and a distinct fragrance of grass and wood lingering in the air, gave the street a particular rustic atmosphere. Almost like you were transported to a distant, simpler past.

                                            “Hey, Luna?”

                                            >She turned her head to you, “Yes, my dearest son?”

                                            “Are we still in Canterlot?”

                                            >Luna giggled at your question and after giving a quick, yet deep glance at the street, she started advancing in rhythmic hops and sways, almost like a little dance, “Amazing is it not? This is the city’s oldest and first neighborhood. Can you guess its name? I will give you a hint: Celie picked the name in my honor”.

                                            “Well, I dunno… the stellar block?”

                                            >“Close enough! This is the Stella Avenue” A melancholic smile appeared on her face, “I feel incredibly humbled that my sister would make this name choice considering…”

                                            >Suddenly, she went silent and looked up to the night the sky. While you couldn’t read Luna’s emotions in the same degree as you could with Celestia, it became absolutely clear that something was going through her mind. Something that wasn’t pretty.

                                            “Are you alright, lady? Did something bad happen here?”


                                            >She snapped back into reality and vehemently shook her head. She then turned to you with a wide, yet slightly sad smile “Oh, do not worry! I am quite fine, in fact I am feeling wonderful!!”

                                            “You sure? I mean, the way you spaced out… Uh, but I think I’m being sorta nosy here. Liste, I dunno what was that about, but I’m fine if you don’t wanna talk about it. Really!”

                                            >The cracks in her façade started to emerge as a tired sigh escaped her lips. Her ears dropped and her gaze went back to the moon, “Please accept my apologies, but this a topic that I would prefer to leave for a different occasion, my dearest son”.

                                            >She extended her wings and briefly hovered until both of you reached a somewhat hidden alleyway. Right between what looked like a bookstore and a regular house, “For tonight is about fun, and fun is what this establishment offers in spades!”

                                            >You looked at where she was eagerly pointing at. At the end of the alleyway, there was a sign placed by a set of stairs that led to what seemed to be a basement. Unlike the fluorescent neon lights like the ones from your world, this sign was illuminated simply by a couple of lanterns with fireflies in them.

                                            “The trombone café, huh? Is it even open, though? The place looks empty as heck”.

                                            >Luna energetically nodded as she hopped like a little filly to her destination, “Absolutely! This establishment always opens its doors from dusk until dawn, and it is home for some of the best musicians that Equestria has to offer!”


                                            >That was a statement that you found hard to believe. Even when you were so close to the entrance door, the only sounds in this street besides your conversation were crickets and dogs howling at the far distance.

                                            >As much as you wanted to believe her, you thought that either Equestria had a bizarre concept of music, Luna wasn’t very good at directions, or the guys at the café took the night off.

                                            >All of these options turned out to be stupid assumptions, of course. After all, this was Equestria, the land that has been blowing your frickin’ mind at almost every turn since day one.

                                            >When Luna opened the door from pair to pair, your senses were assaulted by music that could only be described as pure movement. One that moved through the air waves into your ears and down through every fiber of your body, filling you with an overdose of energy.

                                            “WHOAH!”

                                            >This was something that you’ve never heard before. None of the music from your world could ever hope to compare to it. It was an energetic combination of saxophones, bass, trumpets, and drums that urged, almost demanded you to dance to its tune.

                                            >While the café itself was just a moderately large basement with some wooden tables spread around, a bar on the left side, and a humble stage at the opposite extreme from the door. Somehow, it managed to perfectly synergize with the music.

                                            >At least in your opinion, this synergy was achieved by the smaller details. The decorations and paintings on the walls, the small candles laying on every table, the small bulbs with fireflies hanging everywhere, and the faint smoke lingering in the air gave the establishment such a cozy, yet elegant atmosphere.


                                            >The song that filled you with so much energy came to an end, and amid the intense cheering from the audience, a female griffon of a dark blue color entered the stage. She gave some indications to the band, and a couple seconds after, they started playing.

                                            >You were completely hypnotized by this new song. It was calmer than the previous one, but somehow spicier. The griffon was singing in a very deep, and raspy voice that both gave you goose bumps and made your heart race.

                                            >Sadly, this magical experience was interrupted by someone from the café staff. He was dragon of magenta scales, and purple wings. Similar to some of the dragons you came to know, and sometimes fight back in the slums, the height of this one was slightly taller than a grown stallion, or in this case, Luna.

                                            >Unlike most of the dragons in the slums, who by company’s policies weren’t allowed to own actual physical possessions like clothing, this one was dressed in a fairly elegant tuxedo. Curiously, you could see traces of makeup applied on his cheeks.

                                            >Holding a greeting smile, the dragon theatrically bowed to Luna. Then, he waved his arm in an exaggerated motion and addressed her with flamboyant voice, “Your majesty, you’re the perfect sight for these sore eyes! We’re so honored to have you here!”

                                            >Acting with utmost familiarity, Luna simply giggled and joyfully tapped the dragon’s chest, “Oh, Grazzes! Why the formality? You know quite well that it is always a pleasure to be delighted by your masterful musicians”.


                                            >The dragon offered her another theatrical bow, “Thank you, your highness! We simplu…!” Finally taking notice of your presence, the dragon placed a claw under his chin and raised a sly eyebrow, “Oh but what do we have here?! Pray tell, you majesty. Who is this fine looking gentlecolt that joins you?”

                                            >Luna gave you a quick glance and caressed your mane, before speaking the dragon with a more regal tone in her voice, “Grazzes, I want to introduce you to Resonance. He is Princess Celestia’s new personal student. Likewise Resonance, this is Grazzes; a good friend of mine and the owner of this fine establishment”.

                                            >You carefully stood up as to not trip off from Luna’s back and gave the guy a greeting nod.

                                            “What’s up, man? Cool place you’ve here, really digging the music!”

                                            >Grazzes sighed loudly, “Aww, I was hoping that you’d be the princess’ son! I’ve been telling our majesty for ages about how great it’d be if she had a little heir of her own. Guess you can’t have everything, anyway…” he shrugged in an overly exaggerated manner and even winked at you to boost, “Charmed to meet you, Rezzy! I must say, that’s a lovely voice you have there! What if you drop that magic nonsense and join my musical gang?”

                                            “Listen, man; I like the music here but I ain’t into doing it myself”.

                                            >A sly smile appeared on Grazzes’ mouth as he started to walk around Luna in a rhythmic fashion, almost as if he were dancing, “Oh, what a shame! I’m absolutely sure that you could make for an amazing singer! Trust me, it’s better than getting into street fights!”

                                            >Your ears perked up at that comment. That guy had some mighty observation skills, and if you’ve learned something from the slums, is that you had to be on edge around guys like that.

                                            “Oh, yeah? And how the heck do you know I’ve gotten into fights, huh?”

                                            >Grazzes chuckled, and quickly patted your head a couple of times, “Puh-lease, Rezzy! Music has taught me a thing or two about being on Lady Luck’s bad side, besides you don’t get those kind o’ scars just by opening a jar of peaches. Anyway, table for two coming right away!”


                                            >Before you could say anything else, Luna quickly whispered into your ear, “I know how Grazzes can be, my dearest Resonance; but please do not concern yourself any longer. Simply relax and enjoy the music”.

                                            >While you really wanted to get back at this guy, the sheer fact you’ve been a massive jerk to Luna enough times for one night was what made you to simply sit back and comply.

                                            “Alright, but I’m just gonna do it for you, lady! Screw that guy!”

                                            >Luna quickly kissed your cheek and whispered into your ear, “You have my eternal gratitude, my bravest little warrior!”

                                            >Thankfully, Grazzes didn’t open his mouth while he led the two of you to a table located at a corner of the café. You and Luna sat next to each other, so both could look at the stage.

                                            >A new song had just started. Unlike the others with their joyful trumpets, drums and saxophones, this one was composed by the melancholy of the guitar, bass and piano.

                                            >It was borderline depressing, and yet, it was so beautiful in its execution that you became completely absorbed in it. So much that Grazzes had to snap his claws a couple times to get your attention.

                                            “Huh? Did you say something, man?”

                                            >He playfully rolled his eyes and tapped a small and elegantly adorned menu laying on the table, “See this little thing? I want to know what you’ll want from it”.

                                            >The music still had you in a sort of hazy state. You shook your head to regain your senses and after quickly reading the contents in the menu, you shrugged.


                                            “Uh… I’ve no clue what any of these things are. Can I just have what Luna’s having?”

                                            >Grazzes frantically jolted on his notebook and picked up the menu from the table, “The house’s specialty? A fine choice there, Rezzy!”

                                            >Luna slid her menu to him, and calmly replied, “If it is not much of a bother, please exchange the red wine for something more suitable for Resonance’s age”.

                                            >He put the notebook in one of his pockets, and ceremoniously waved a claw, “Why, but of course! I’ll bring Rezzy the best ginger ale we have to offer!” He then walked away without saying anything else.

                                            >You laid back on your chair to comfortably keep listening to the music. Everything in here was so relaxing and comfortable, that you didn’t notice the moment when you rested body on Luna, until she covered you with her wing.

                                            >“I realize that this is not the music that a young foal would listen to”. She whispered, “So I do hope that this is not too boring you, my dearest Resonance”.

                                            >You nuzzled a bit on her fur and chuckled.

                                            “What the heck are you talking about, lady? I’m having one heck of a time! I mean sure, this ain’t nothing like what I listened back in the slums… but that’s because there was nothing this frickin’ awesome back the slums. Seriously lady, I’m loving every note of… whatever this music is called”.

                                            >“Depends, this particular musical piece belongs to a genre named jazz”. As she turned her gaze to the stage, there was a smile that irradiated a warm sense of happiness and even accomplishment grew on Luna’s face, “You cannot fathom the joy that your words bring to me, my dearest Resonance. I can finally share something which I love with somepony else”.


                                            >That particular statement snapped you out of the musical trance and instead put you into a state of utter confusion. You tilted your head and looked up to Luna.

                                            “So you always come here alone? I don’t get it, lady. What about Moonlight, I mean you are friends, right? No wait! What about Celestia? She’s your sister, right? She gotta come here too, right?”

                                            >Luna rested her head on her hoof and let out a long and tired sigh, “Moonlight has to take care of the little Cherrywood, and I could not possibly take the precious moments she spends with her daughter. As for Celie… she does not share my musical tastes, thus gives no importance to these type of events. Not to say both have problems with my preferences in food”.

                                            “Know what, lady? I love Celestia, but this is her frickin’ loss! This music is awesome, and no one can deny that! Just a question: What’s that food thing about? I mean, it ain’t like your tastes can be that…!”

                                            >You were interrupted by Grazzes, who loudly placed the order on the table as he announced with a lot of fanfare, “TA-DA! Two house’ specials for two special ponies! I so hope you enjoy them, they were made with a lot of love… almost like a mother would do!”

                                            >With a masterful display of avoiding any incoming question, the guy quickly vanished to attend to the other clients. You looked down at the table, and while the glass of bubbling golden liquid was strange on its own, most of your surprise came from the actual dish.

                                            “…weird. Is this a fish?”


                                            >It was a dumb question, but one that you couldn’t refrain from asking. The plate laying in front of you had indeed a cooked fish, almost as big as your head, accompanied by fries with ketchup and adorned with little flowers.

                                            >Luna laughed whole heartedly, before turning to you with a wide grin, “Now you know why neither Moonlight nor Celie approve of my tastes in food”.

                                            “Well, not gonna lie to you, lady. It is a bit weird, I mean, I ain’t an expert in Equestria, but where I come from only griffons eat this kinda thing”.

                                            >“It is the same here, my dearest Resonance. You could say that I am the one exception to the rule”. She used her magic to pick up a fork and knife to elegantly cut a small chunk of the fish. After taking a small bite she chuckled, “You do not have to eat it if that is what you desire”.

                                            >You looked at the fish while poking it with your hoof a couple times. It felt like its frickin’ eye was staring right back at you. That was some creepy stuff alright, but on the other hoof, you really wanted to keep Luna happy.

                                            “Nah, I’m gonna eat it. I hate to see food go to waste”.

                                            >“If that is your answer…” Luna rested her head on her hoof and used her magic to cut a small chunk of your fish. She then levitated it to your mouth, “Say aaah!”

                                            >You nervously glanced at the chunk of fish meat floating in front of you and gulped down. Then, you closed your eyes and nervously opened your mouth.

                                            “Here goes nothing!”

                                            >Initially, you had fully expected to spat out the fish as soon as you took the bite. The memories of those creepy fish stands back at the slums, made you to believe that this would be greasy, bloody, coarse and hard to chew.

                                            >However, a different story unfolded as you munched the piece of meat. Against all your assumptions, the darn thing was actually tasty as heck. The texture was juicy and so soft that it felt like it was melting in your mouth.


                                            “Oh, man! This is frickin’ awesome!”

                                            >After gulping down the piece of meat, you leaned forward and prepared yourself to devour the rest of the fish. Luna quickly used her magic to stop you from slamming your head against the plate, “Careful, Resonance. I am glad that you are enjoying the food, but eating a fish is different from Celie’s cooking”.

                                            “What are you talking about, lady? Food’s food, there’s no science to it. You just put it in your mouth and eat it”.

                                            >“Is that so? Well then, let me demonstrate my point”. Luna’s magical aura enveloped the fish like a candy wrap, then, with the mastery of a surgeon, it removed its entire frickin’ skeleton, “Ta-da! What do you think now, my dearest Resonance?”

                                            >You had to rub your eyes twice and poke the now boneless fish to confirm that it wasn’t some kind of illusion. It was almost comical how soft it felt to the touch, like you were poking some weird belly.

                                            “I dunno, lady. My mind too blown away to think anything. You frickin’ removed a skeleton! That’s so creepy… and so awesome!”

                                            >Luna gently placed her hoof on the back of your head and moved it so you could stare at the fish   skeleton floating in front of you, “Well, it is not an easy spell, but that is beside the point I wanted to make. Please take notice on how sharp most of the bones are. Griffons have no problem with this due to them traditionally swallowing the fish whole. We however must be careful about it”.


                                            >Glimpses of books you’ve read flashed in your mind in quick succession. While the artistry of cooking never caught your interest, you had previously delved into the subjects of biology and anatomy. It was something you found interesting for a good while, especially when most aquatic species, and wild-life for that matter, had gone extinct in your old world.

                                            >Feeling a bit disappointed with yourself, you leaned back on your chair and scratched the back of your head.

                                            “Man, now I feel like a doofus! I’ve actually read about this stuff. Their bones are kinda like that so they can swim really good and be able to stay deep underwater. Hey, did you know that their… uh, butt fin is what balances fish while they swim?”

                                            >Luna covered her mouth with her hoof and made a subtle but noticeable, at least for you, frown, and “No, I was not aware of that fact, Resonance. However, I have a magnificent idea! What do you say if we drop the subject of…animal’s posteriors and enjoy our meal? Yes, in fact I believe that is the best course of action!”

                                            “Oh, yeah! Between the awesome music and butt fins, I almost forgot I was starving here!”

                                            >You contemplated the boneless fish like if it was some kind of treasure and cleaned the drool that started to leak from your mouth. You were fully ready to slam your head on the plate and eat the whole darn thing in one gulp.

                                            >Luna quickly used her magic to stop you once again from devouring your food. When you glanced back at her, she nervously combed her mane and offered you an awkward smile, “On a second thought, I think it would be for the best if I feed you the fish myself!”

                                            “But why? It’s supposed to be safe to eat now, right?”


                                            >“W-Well yes, but…” She said as she nervously tapped her hooves together, “B-But I have always dreamt to feed my child like this! Yes, that it is! Please, my dearest Resonance, do it for me!”

                                            >You looked at the fish and then at Luna. Being fed like a little baby wasn’t exactly an idea you were fond of, but there was no frickin’ way you could say no to that mare. So you crossed your hooves and begrudgingly opened your mouth.

                                            “But just this one time, okay?! I don’t want anyone to think I’m cute or something!”

                                            >Luna giggled and giggled, then she caressed your mane and rubbed her check against yours, “Dully noted! Now say “aah” my adorable little colt!”

                                            “I’m cool, gosh darn it! COOL! I AIN’T…!”

                                            >You were shut up by a piece of fish meat. Not that you complained much considering it was tasty as heck. After the two of you were finished eating, your attention went back to the stage. None of you said anything for the next couple hours, there was no need to. The mere of act of being cuddled by Luna at the rhythm of this music was more than enough.