And I'm back! No new reviews to attend to, so read on!
Chapter 7
The house of Erit Guption was wrought with anxiety. Aria Stargazer, Nightline's mother, spent hours pacing in their living room, unable to fathom what may be happening to her foal in Canterlot. Erit was equally stressed, wondering is his son would be able to handle this enormous leap into the life of a grown stallion. Though the previous day, they had received word though Twilight Sparkle that Nightline was safe in Canterlot, they found little comfort. Their son had earned his Cutie Mark only a few months prior, and yet he was already in a far off land meeting royalty and being offered a position under their employment. It was difficult for them to come to terms with what was happening, so they rarely exchanged any words about it.
At the same time, a lightly tinted Pegasus also spent her days wondering why was becoming of her friend in Canterlot. Iris often approached Spike, the assistant of Twilight Sparkle, in hopes of hearing news from him. She had done so thrice since he'd departed, and it had only been a day. Still, he didn't write. The only news came the morning after he left, when Word was sent to his parents announcing his arrival in Canterlot. For all in Ponyville awaiting his return, the few days of his absence were long and grueling.
For Nightline, however, the days short. And though the days were short, his time in Canterlot as a whole seemed long. It felt as though he'd been gone for weeks, and yet each day began and ended in little over a half hour, it seemed. The phenomenon was strange to say the least, for the young Wordsmith. On the third morning, he woke as the sun was rising. It's golden rays shined through the window in his room, turning dark into light in a beautiful way and at the same time glaring into his closed eyes in a rather unpleasant manner. With squinting eyes, he stood from the bed and yawned, stretching the sleep from his body. After he straightened out his mane and hoody in the mirror, he exited the room. Strangely, there was no worker outside his door to lead him to breakfast this time. Luckily, he had memorized that path already and was able to lead himself.
When Nightline entered the dining hall, he was met by the sight of the Princesses facing away from him, not even seated. They were conversing amongst themselves, waiting for breakfast to arrive. "Good morning, Princesses," he greeted, grabbing their attention.
"Good morning, Nightline," Luna replied, turning to face him. She looked better than his previous morning, though still run down.
"Good morning. You're up earlier than usual," said Celestia, also turning.
"Well, a certain light in the sky decided to come greet my eyes. It told me I should wake up," Nightline replied, winking at Celestia who laughed at his remark.
Before any more words were exchanged, all three sat in their usual places. When they were there, Celestia was the first to speak, inquiring to Nightline, "So, you'll be going into town today?"
"I will. If nothing else, to explore. And suggestions as to where I should go?"
"Well, most of our guests tell us good things about Pony Joe's Donut Shop. We can never really go into town ourselves. It creates a fuss," Luna replied.
"How do you mean?" The colt asked without thought.
Both Princesses stared at him blankly. Confused, Nightline began to think. His puzzled expression amused the two, causing them to grin when he realized what they meant.
When he figured out the answer to his own question, he stated simply, "oh, right."
All three shared a brief laugh which came to a close when a few workers brought out three plates of food. It was pancakes and toast again, though Nightline didn't complain as it was a treat he got little of at home and to top it off, the food was masterfully created. The three didn't hesitate to begin eating. They ate in relative silence, until the food was no more. When the last bite was swallowed, they all stood and began walking towards the bedrooms. Though none had said so, all three silently understood that before he departed, Nightline would ease Luna into a more peaceful sleep. And so he did, this time with Celestia watching. When his Lullaby concluded, the young colt turned only to find that the sun princess too had passed out in the doorway after hearing his silky tones.
With a grin, Nightline approached the snoozing Celestia and, activating his spell, whispered into her ear, "awaken."
Much to his surprise, the spell worked just as he had intended it. And just as he commanded, Celestia swiftly woke and stood, looking as though she hadn't an ounce of drowsiness in her. "What happened?" She asked.
"You fell asleep while listening to my lullaby. I woke you up, though, so you haven't missed anything."
"Oh. Thank you, Nightline. Well, I have some more political matters to attend to. Enjoy your time in the town. We'll all meet in the dining room at dusk for a final farewell before you return home," she explained, before departing out of the room and out of sight.
Nightline spent a few more minutes watching over Princess Luna before making his own exit. His path to the exit of the castle went undeterred, and soon enough he was on the road leading to the town of Canterlot. The town was bustling when he entered. Mares And Stallions alike trotted through the streets in no less than a shirt; most of them were dressed up nicely. Seeing this, Nightline felt slightly more self conscious about his form and raggedy sweater. Swallowing his damaged pride, he continued on.
Everywhere he looked, there were tents and buildings full of different merchandise. From food to clothing to furnishing items, the diversity of product far exceeded that of the Ponyville market. Every so often, a high-class Pony would give Nightline a cross glance, but for the most part, the townspeople seemed friendly. Much friendlier than he had expected, anyways. After a short while of wondering, the ivory unicorn finally turned a corner and found a building with large words above the door, which read:
Pony Joe's Donut Shop
Nightline wasted no time entering, surprised to find it relatively empty. There were a few ponies within, it seemed only for breakfast dates.
"You must be the Wordsmith," the pony behind the front counter shouted out, causing all eyes to find his surprise expression.
Nightline approaches slowly. The pony behind the counter was more or less a Stallion, tan/orange with a blond mane. He wore a white shirt and apron, which was partially stained with dough.
"You know me?" He asked.
"A lot of people around here do. You've been the talk of the town since the workers in the castle got word of special primary staff member being recruited. Little by little over the past few days, we've been getting information about what you can do," Joe explained.
Nightline then remembered the staff members he had heard lurking outside the dining hall when he told the Princesses of his journey to Canterlot. All was slowly becoming clear to him. "I see. I didn't know I was so famous."
"Ah, it'll die down after a week or so. You'll be one of us in no time."
"Well actually, I don't know if-"
"Say, can I interest you in a donut? I've got this new flavor I've been testing, cherry and cinnamon."
At that moment, Nightline's mind left his body. Through his mind's eye, he was carried back to his room, where his bag and bits were still sitting. He had come into town without any money.
"Uh...thanks, but I didn't bring any bits."
"Don't you worry about it. Just tell everyone about it, and we'll call it a square deal," Joe replied, and without waiting for an answer, pulled out a red and pink doughnut which was covered in a cinnamon-sugar mix.
Nightline was appalled by the bargain made, even moreso when Pony Joe shoved the treat into his hoof. After a few moments of contemplation, the young Unicorn decided it best not to refuse and took a bite of the pastry. The flavor which enter his mouth was euphoric and nostalgic; it tasted exactly like the Cherry Changas his mother had made a few months prior. Without hesitating, Nightline finished the doughnut.
"Wow," he said through stuffed cheeks, "that is amazing!"
Joe nodded in pride, smiling. His smile soon turned to a look of concentrated though, however, which was followed with a sigh. "You know what, I am gonna need you to compensate me for that."
"You scumbag," Nightline thought, surprised by this nice stallion's sudden change.
"Now don't get me wrong, I won't take a bit from you. You see, every morning, I donate a few boxes of assorted doughnuts to a place across town, but my delivery boy didn't show today. If I could ask a favor, could you head over to the Filly & Foal Caretaker Lodge with my donation?"
"So, charity?"
"That'd be the case, if you have a liking for it."
Knowing he couldn't fill well dent himself the chance to help the town in such a way, nor could he deny little children such treats, he smiled warmly and nodded. "I'd be glad to."
Pony Joe smiled widely, before momentarily vanishing behind the counter. When he returned, he carried with him three white boxes. Nightline took them and balanced them on his back to carry. Before leaving, he turned to the Stallion and gave him another warm smile, "I think it's great that you do this."
There was no reply. With that, Nightline left and began following the directions Pony Joe had given him. The directions led him through many streets, and around many corners. There were a few points when he was forced to ask for directions after getting lost, but soon enough, Nightline found himself outside a large building with the desired text over the door. However, below the text he expected, another subtitle stood which read "Sanctuary and Orphanage." The colt felt his heart wrench. Wasting no time, he entered the building.
The inside was nothing like he expected. It was fairly gloomy, with little color on the walls. Everything seemed to be the same pale tan or deep red, save for the pony behind the front desk, who was blue.
"Uh, hi. I have some special treats from Pony Joe-"
"Down the hall and to the left. The fillies are all in there."
"Thank you," he relied, ignoring the blatant interruption.
As he went to the location designated, he was again taken aback by the lack of any sort of joy in the room. Most of the children seemed to be sitting around bored while others quietly muttered utterances about finding parents and Cutie Marks to each other.
"Special Delivery from Pony Joe!" Nightline exclaimed, breaking the atmosphere in the room.
"Doughnuts!" One Filly shouted before Galloping over.
Nightline was quick to drop the boxes on the floor, so every Filly and Foal could grab a pastry. After getting her doughnut, the first Filly to charge the boxes approached Nightline curiously.
"You're not Dave," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Nope," he agreed, "Dave couldn't make it, I guess, so I'm here instead."
"Can you do tricks?" A brown Foal asked.
"Hmm?"
"Dave juggles things to make us smile. What can you do?" Another Foal, red, backed the first.
Nightline chuckled, "honestly, not much. I'm not really good at anything."
"But you have a Cutie Mark. You're at least good at one thing," another filly stated, "not like us. We don't have any talents yet."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed again. It returned to a gloom and depression which Nightline wasn't accustomed to in a world such as his.
"Hey now, you're all still young. Take it easy on yourselves."
"Is that why nobody wants us?" Another new voice chimed in.
Nightline could feel his heart splitting in two. What kind of cruel fate would drive children to such mentalities? Worst of all was the fact that every word of encouragement was met with two words of discouragement. Finally, after many minutes of a back-and-forth discussion about the worth of these children's lives, the colt had a spark in his mind. His magic could help them. It could bring them some ounce of joy, or even give them hope.
"Now you all listen, and listen carefully," he commanded, activating his spell, "not having your Cutie Marks yet isn't a bad thing. You're young, and have plenty of time. Parents or no parents, you're all very special. I know because I was almost exactly like you…"
Nightline then went on to tell them the story of his Cutie Mark, while at the same time, filling his every word with nothing but positive emotions surrounded with hope. As the story continued, each one of them grew more and more captivated, watching his life before their very eyes. And as their captivating grew, many of them gathered close to him, almost to the point of them being in a large pile of ponies. It took over an hour to finish the story, but as it concluded, he continued to use his spell.
"Sometimes, life in Equestria isn't all sunshine. But I promise you that if you hold strong, you will find that your hardships will shape you into something truly fantastic." His magic ended.
Many of the ponies had to blink or shake their heads to find a place back in reality. They all stared at him in amazement, the looks in their eyes different than before. As if their entire world had just shifted for the better. None spoke, however, save for one little pink Filly sitting to Nightline's right.
"Will you adopt me?" She asked, genuinely and full of hope.
Nightline was struck speechless. All he could do was stare down at the Filly, who at first looked hopeful, but as the silent moments drew on, seemed to become guilty for making such a request. Many of the other children in the room shared Nightline's astonishment and continued to shift their gazes between the two. After nearly a full minute, Nightline smiles warmly down at the Filly. Hope returned to her eyes.
"I wish I could. If I could, I would take you all away from this place and these struggles. But I'm too young, myself, for that kind of responsibility."
Hope drained from many of their faces. It seemed that his magic could be just as easily undone as it was done. Seeing this, a sense of purpose filled the young colt. His responsibility was as Celestia had told him: to create hope and happiness where none should rightfully exist. That was his ability, which none other than him could do.
"But how about this," he offered, "I'm going to keep coming back here, any time I'm in Canterlot, to see you guys. I'll tell you stories, bring doughnuts, and do whatever else I can to help you. I promise, I'll make things better for you."
No magic was needed for them to know how serious he was. With knowing eyes, they all seemed content. Nightline spent much more time at the orphanage, playing random filly's games and telling more stories. The children were especially fond of the story of his journey to Canterlot, and the trials it showed him. After many hours, and to everypony's disappointment, Nightline had to leave to return to the Castle.
After saying his goodbyes, he exited the orphanage and found himself in a town less rampant than it had been before. He wasted no time observing, however, as he was determined now to reach the castle and accept the job he had been offered. That in mind, he began to run. It didn't take long to arrive back at the front gates, where posted guard once again readied themselves for an intruder when the saw him coming. They relaxed when they saw who it was that was charging the castle.
"Me again," Nightline said humorously as he ran by.
Nightline's speed, much to his surprise, had gotten him to the castle earlier than expected. Neither of the Princesses were in the dining hall yet. He refused to wait, however, and instead went searching through the castle to find them. His searching led him on an indirect path towards the royal throne room, where he was glad to find both Princesses conversing amongst themselves. Both seemed surprised when he entered; they hadn't been expecting him so early. As he began his walk down the long red carpet of this very long room, the two Alicorns decided to meet him halfway, so they stood and began walking themselves. It took only a few moments for them to reach each other.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," he said, bowing, "I've come to a decision."
"That being?" Luna asked, her voice hopeful.
"While I was in town, I visited an orphanage. The children there; they were all so sad. I couldn't let them feel that way, so I used my magic to give them hope. I see now, what you intended for me to do, Celestia. I would be honored to accept the job."
Both Princesses let out a sigh of relief. In truth, they both feared the sacrifice would be too great to ask of the young colt so soon after discovering his talent. It lifted a great weight off of their backs to know it wasn't.
"Then kneel, noble Wordsmith," said Luna with conviction, "and prepare to take an oath to us, the high Princesses of Equestria."
Nightline did as he was told, kneeling down before them and bowing his head.
"Nightline Wordsmith, bearer of the magic of voice, do you swear your allegiance to the Princesses of Equestria, and before even us, give your loyalty to the betterment of Equestria?" Celestia asked, her voice strong and formal.
Nightline was well prepared to swear for everything they wanted, but he felt that in his position, he needed to do more than give an oath of scripted words. So, knowing how to make it special, he allowed his horn to begin its enchanting glow, using it as a way of conveying the true purpose of his words and the truth within them.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, my horn and my magic and my life belong to you. May you use it for the good of all in Equestria; May you use it for the good of your own well-being. My words will forever flow with the purpose you've given me. I swear all fealty to you."
"And do you swear," Luna continued, "to never use your magic against the Princesses of Equestria, for your gain or for others?"
"Princess I swear, my voice will never cross your ears in malice. Let it bring you only peace."
The two next spoke in unison, "then rise, Nightline Wordsmith, as our vassal and a servant of Equestria."
As he stood at their command, opening his eyes, Nightline noticed that his horn wasn't the only one glowing. Celestia and Luna were both in the process of activating a spell. The spell they were using soon created a white aura which enveloped the Unicorn completely. After only a few moments, the glow faded, leaving Nightline feeling quite different. As he examined himself, it became clear what the Alicorns has done.
The first thing he noticed was that his sweater was completely new, with a sturdier fabric and all. Looked around his torso were two saddlebags, both brown leather and gorgeously crafted. On each one, there was a golden button which sealed the top cover to the body of the back; a button which was engraved with the insignia of Canterlot. The next thing he noticed, perhaps the greatest change of all that the spell had done, was that he himself was different. He was taller, and had more muscle on his body than before. His legs were no longer skinny, but instead toned like a racehorse. His jaw had shaped up more maturely, and both his hair and main were in a fluffier yet more aesthetically pleasing style. It was as if they had aged him into a Stallion in seconds.
Answering his astonishment, Luna stepped forward and said softly, "You've grown, Wordsmith. Thanks to that spell, you will live the next many years of your life without age. Until your true years reach that of which you appear, you will remain untouched by time."
The not-so-young Stallion has no words for what had just been done to him. He didn't know magic like that could exist even in the world of Equestria, and yet it was just shown to him in all its glory. Knowing how speechless Nightline truly was, Celestia assured that he needn't say anything and instead led him to the dining hall for dinner. After quickly eating a hefty salad, the three got straight to discussing business.
"So, you will return to Ponyville tonight to spend time with your friends and family. Give them the news and explain everything," Celestia stated.
"When do I come back?"
"Give yourself a fortnight. Goodbyes are never easy. When you return, we'll give you a few more days to settle in before sending you on your first assignment."
Nightline nodded to indicate his understanding, but remained silent. It was all happening so fast. The previous day, he was a colt without answers as to what he was meant to do, nor any clue on what path to take. But on this day, he became a Stallion, and all of the answers became clear. After they were done eating, Celestia led him and Luna out to the main quartyard where a chariot with two white Pegasus was waiting.
"Guess I'll be doing it right this time," Nightline joked, earning giggles from the two Princesses.
"Indeed you will, Nightline," Luna agreed.
"Send us word when you're ready to leave," Celestia said as Nightline boarded the chariot, "we'll send another to retrieve you."
"Yes princess."
With no more words, the two Pegasi reared onto their back legs and took to the sky. At first, Nightline had to recover his footing, but he soon was balanced and enjoying the view from the sky. It was strange; he had never flown before, and though it was amazing, the experience seemed dull in comparison to the previous three days. After all that he had seen and done, the bar seemed set too high for even flight to reach. One thing about it that did impress the Wordsmith was the speed at which they covered distance. It took only a fraction of the time to reach Ponyville that it would've taken if he were on foot again, even if there was another Timber Wolf on his tail. It was just past dusk when they arrived, but the town was still quiet as all prepared to sleep for the night.
"Thank you," Nightline said to the Pegasi, "have a safe trip back."
The two nodded, before taking off once again. Nightline watched until he lost them in the evening clouds, after which he sighed and began trotting through Ponyville towards his home. As he had observed before, the town was for the most part sleeping. Only a few ponies were still out and about, mainly ones who were closing their stores and stands in the market. As Nightline passed them by, they all stopped and glued their eyes to him, or more specifically, the Canterlot Insignia on his saddlebags. It was strange, but simply walking through his hometown as a Stallion and servant of the Princesses gave him a feeling of empowerment which was rather new, but it caused his strides to be taken with new confidence.
After a short while of walking through the streets of Ponyville, Nightline's home finally came into view, illuminated by the moon and stars above. Standing outside the house was his mother, Aria Stargazer, who was observing the many shimmering lights in the sky and writing certain things down on a piece of paper. She was oblivious to his approach, or so it seemed. Aria wasn't unaware of another pony coming near, but what she would never have guessed was that it would be her own Foal turned Stallion.
"The stars are lovely," said Nightline, his voice more mature than it had been the day he left.
"That they are," she replied, not turning away from her work.
"Anything interesting tonight?"
"Well, the Ursa Major and Minor constellations are shining brightly."
"Well how about that; newborn Ursas don't come into Equestria very often," he stated.
"Impressive. You know the meaning of stellar activities?" Aria asked, still not making eye contact.
Nightline chuckled, "I'm more a novice than anything, but I'm not completely ignorant. I also dabble in construction and carpentry. I learned both trades from my parents."
The mare froze. Her quill was still suspended in the air by magic, creating an ever-expanding blot of ink on the page. Slowly, she turned her head to face the stallion before her, only to find a white horse wearing a grey sweater, carrying two leather saddlebags with the Canterlot insignia on the buckle. As he saw the realization in her eyes, Nightline let a smile spread on his face.
"Nightline?" she asked, her voice shaking as she was barely able to believe that it was her son standing before her, "Is that really you?"
"It's me, Mom. It's me," he replied, his voice beginning to quiver as well.
Aria slowly approached, glancing up and down Nightline's body as if searching for evidence for or against the claim of his identity. After only a few seconds, it seemed she finally came to terms with the truth, and with an outburst of emotion, wrapped her front legs around him in a tight hug. He returned it with only his left, using the right to keep them from falling. The hug lasted a few minutes while Aria quietly cried, both in joy and pride. Nightline's own eyes also began to water, but he hadn't the time to cry, for a single male voice broke their emotional moment.
"Who in the name of Celestia are you?" it asked angrily.
Nightline immediately identified the voice of his father, Erit Guption. Knowing this, he broke the hug and faced the angry carpenter smiling, and greeted, "Hey dad."
Erit stood speechless, glancing between Nightline and Aria in hopes for some explanation. Feeling that there was none, he simply accepted what was before him and approached his son with a growing smile. "Look at you; you're all grown up," he said, before wrapping Nightline in a hug, "What happened to you?"
Nightline's explanation began as the entered their house, beginning with his departure from Ponyville and every event that followed, including his trip to the orphanage and the spell cast by Princess Celestia. The only details he spared were those of the job itself. When his story was complete, it was already much later than any of them wished to be away, and so with many goodnights, Nightline left for his bedroom. He found sleeping rather difficult, seeing as his bed was now too small for him, but he managed. The next morning, Nightline joined his parents for breakfast. Prepared for him on a plate was a sandwich of various greens, along with a fruit salad. After exchanging greetings, the three sat down and began eating.
"So Nightline," Erit inquired, "tell us about the job. What will you be doing?"
"Well, I'll more or less be working as an Ambassador for Canterlot. I'll be there for political meetings and the like, so that I can use my magic to settle disputes between equestrian dignitaries. On the side, I'll be using my magic to maintain peace wherever I am, as I did with the Orphanage. Thirdly, the Princesses want to study my magic in itself, so I'll be using it around them quite often." Nightline's parents seemed very impressed by his sudden high status, but his next words stifled their joy quite quickly, "But there is some bad news."
"Bad news?" Aria asked.
Nightline nodded. "I'm moving to a room in Castle Canterlot." He waited in silence for his words to sink in before continuing, "I'm going to be traveling around Equestria a lot on business, but my home base will be there. After that, there is a danger. I'm working as royalty, now, so I'm a target for dangerous ponies. But don't worry, I'll be well protected and well paid, and for the difference I can make, I think it'll be worth it."
All fell silent. Erit simply had his eyes glued to Nightline, but Aria was a different story. Her eyes fell low, and locked onto the oak table as if an invisible thread prevented them from moving. Seconds turned to minutes of the dreary taciturnity, and none could break it. The stillness in the room, though it changed nothing of the atmosphere, was ended when Erit glanced over to his wife, and by some unheard message, knew that there was a battle raging within her. Without hesitation, he moved to directly beside her and wrapped his forehoof around her own.
"Aria?" Inquired Erit, concern evident in his voice.
She raised her eyes, finally, to look at her husband. Her gaze soon shifted to Nightline, and as it did, he finally caught a glimpse as to what she was feeling. Her pride was overshadowed by an emptiness; a fear of knowing that her own Foal was about to enter a world without the luxuries and protections he had grown up with. He would be unprotected, and would face Equestria alone. This was the message he received in her eyes. Gulping down the lump in his throat, Nightline stood and walked around the table to his mother's side.
Taking her only free hoof into his, he locked her eyes in a gaze and spoke softly, "Mom, I'll be alright. I'm going to make you proud."
Aria replied quickly, "I've always been proud of you, Nightline. You're my Foal; my foal! And every night when I see the stars, all I see is the sparkle of your horn. You're going to be so far away." Her voice quivered as tears began to form in her eyes."
"You're wrong. I'll always be here, and you'll always be with me. Every night, I'll look up at those stars and know you're seeing them same ones. The same moon will watch over me as you watch it, and we will be greeted every day by the same sunrise. I'll be safe out there, and I'll be secure right here."
An onslaught of tears ended the emotional morning. None could dispute his wise words, and none wanted to. With nothing left but joy, the three finished their breakfast. As usual, Aria collected the plates and brought them to the kitchen to wash. Only seconds after arriving did she call attention to a potted flower sitting on the windowsill.
"Honey, look! My flower is blooming! I can't believe it survived after what happened," she exclaimed excitedly.
As Nightline gazed at the plant, he could help but admire it. The single purple flower stood proud on its own, beautifully taking in the sunlight. It's color reminded him of the flower which his Pegasus Friend Iris wore in her mane. This Segway of thought brought the stallion to an abrupt realization.
"Iris!" He thought to himself, before saying quickly, "I'm gonna head out for a bit. I'll be back!"
Without waiting for a response, Nightline stood from his seat and rushed to the door, bursting through it like an angered yak. His mad dash was interrupted only seconds after leaving the house when a pink blur found itself directly in his path. Nightline and the pink mass went tumbling onto the street, leaving Nightline lying painfully on his back while the blur in question found itself lying atop the Stallion.
"What did I hit?" wondered Nightline as he shook the daze from his head.
"That you, Nightline?" A rather shocked female voice from the blur asked.
Opening his eyes, the Stallion found that it was none other than Iris Pinkberry herself who had found herself in the path of a speeding horse.
With a smile and a pained chuckle, he replied, "I'm not sure. I lost feeling in my everything."
Giggling, Iris stood and proceeded to help Nightline do the same. "Well, maybe you should watch where you're going when you- whoa," she said, but stopped dead when she saw him standing tall. Only then did she fully realize how different he appeared.
With ears folded down, she took a few moments to inspect the Stallion before her; who, only a few days prior, was no taller than she. Nightline couldn't help but blush not only at Iris' judicious staring, but by the fact that his parents were also watching closely from the kitchen window as if expecting some amount of dramaticized entertainment to come of this reunition.
"What in the name of Celestia happened to you?" Iris asked, letting her wondering eyes rest on Nightline's face.
"Celestia," he replied, creating a small joke out of the expression his pink friend had just used; a joke which actually earned laughter. "She cast a spell that made me a more suitable age for the job after I accepted it."
"Wait, you got the job? That's great!" Iris exclaimed, rushing forward and hugging him tightly. This was followed by the excited squeak of his mother from the window she was spying through. "Tell me everything," the rambunctious Pegasus demanded while leading Nightline into town.
There was no real destination in mind as she led him through the streets, but even still, they walked excitedly. Nightline explained every detail of the trip, including the job details which he had spared from his parents on the first telling. Iris seemed unfazed by the news of his departure, too caught in her own joy to notice. They spent the entire day together without a care in the world, as did the following days pass in the same manner with his family. Nightline basked in all the joy he could, for he knew that the goodbye was yet to come.
Here we are again. Next chapter will be up some time next week. I hope you all enjoyed! Leave me a review or two!