Handyman in Equestria CH 4

>It's early morning in Equestria.
>Not your favorite time of the day.
>Even worse, you're being carted to the castle for something by order of Celestia, herself...
>You continue to simmer on it before something else catches your attention.
>Why the fuck is the city empty?
>Not a skittle colored pony to be seen.  You figures something has to be up.
“Things are a little quiet this morning.  Something going on, sir?”
>It takes a second for the taller of the two guard p0nies to respond to respond.
>“Most of the city is-”
>His shorter partner seems to shove your only lead on this turn of events in the shoulder before cutting him off.
>”I'm sorry, sir.  We were ordered not to divulge any information until we reach the castle.”
>Well shit.  You try another angle.
“I only ask because I had something I wanted to drop off to a client since her home is on the way to the castle.”
>The taller one chips back up.
>”She should be at the ca-”
>Short stack gives him another punch with a bit more force, shooting him a grim look.
>”We. Don't. Have. Any. Information.  We SINCERELY apologize.”
>He didn't take his eyes off his partner the entire time.
>Yep.  Spitting image of authority, these two...
>Right.  No point in keeping this up.  You would learn soon enough anyway, you guess.
>After a few minutes, you stand in front of the gates to the main hall of the castle.  Some sort of ruckus can be heard from the other side.
>”We have Anonymous to see the Princess.”

>The four guardsponies standing at the door look you over before two break off and go to open the door.
>What you see next was not what you expected...
>The entire grand hall is stuffed to the gills with ponies and tables.
>That explains why the city was so empty, you suppose.
>A hostess pony comes to the door to greet you before the shorter of your two escorts chimed in.
>”Please take Anonymous to the Princesses table.”
>She nods.  “This way, sir.”
>You oblige, sticking close to the mare.
>You wonder what the blazing blue fuck is going on.
>Surely the Princess wouldn't need your business in the middle of a banquet.
>You make your way around the massive crowd of ponies to the back of the hall where you notice the Celestia sitting at a table located up a short flight of stairs alone.
>She takes notice of your arrival and gives you a slight wave.  You return it, walking up the steps.
>”Please enjoy your meal”
>The hostess mare quickly takes her leave.
“Wait... What, now?”
>”Anonymous!  So good of you to come.  Please have a seat.”
>The princess is motioning to an open seat to her left.
“Ugh.. alright then...  Thank you Princess.”
>She smiles warmly, pulling a cup of tea to her mouth.
>”We hope you've had a pleasant morning so far.”
“Yes.  It's been lovely.
>You do your best to hide the lack of sleep and and the slight hangover from those drinks.
>Celestia returns your smile.
>”Wonderful.  I was so please with the table you made for us that I thought it only proper that your eat from it when we use it.”
>What did she just say?

>You take a look at the table at which you were sitting.
>Must have been the tablecloth that cause you not to notice at first.  It really was your table.
>Well.  It was a nice gesture, and you took pride in work work being valued.
“Well, thanks for the consideration.  I just wish I'd known.  I'da worn my fancier tshirt.”
>She chuckles a bit at your joke.
>“I apologize.  I wanted to surprise you.  You did such fantastic work with the table.  Besides the Summer Sun Celebration banquet is always so stuffy.  The extra company is more a favor to me than to you.”
>Oh stop it, you.
>Wait... What did she just say?
>Seems that lack of sleep is starting to take its toll.
>The city being a ghost town.  Shops closing early left and right yesterday.  That party Bon Bon and Lyra mentioned.
>You make a mental note to use your calendar for more than just order deadlines.
“Right...  Well I hope I can lighten the party for you.”
>”You have already, my dear.”
>She chuckles a little more.
“So this table is a little large for the two of us.  Should we expect company?”
>”Indeed we should.  My sister should be returning with them shortly”
>You're admittedly happy to hear that Luna would be making an appearance.
“Anyone I know?”
>”You would had you made it to the sunrise ceremony”
>That cheeky grin is back, it seems.
>You pour some coffee into your cup, keeping the carafe close by.  Lord knows you're gonna need it for this one.

“My apologies.  No rest for the weary I'm afraid.”
>She face becomes softer at your comment.
>”I understand, Anonymous.  I'm just glad you were able to join us for the feast.”
>You take a long swill of coffee, feeling better as it enters your empty stomach.
>”Ah.  Seems they've arrived.”
>She turns her attention to her right.  Luna has entered the hall with a small gaggle of 6 ponies.  One is familiar, the are new faces.”
>”Anon!  What are you doing here?”
>You stand up to meet the group.
“Hey Dash.  The princess invited me to breakfast.  Good to see you.”
>”Right on!  Hey! Let me introduce you.  These are my friends form Ponyville.  This here is Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.  Guys, this is Anonymous.”
>You take a note to put the names to faces.  Purple with the stripe in her hair.  Cowboy hat. Fake eyelashes.  Cotton Candy. Yellow and quiet.  Easy enough.
“Anon is fine.  It's nice to meet you.”
>They seem to respond in unison.
>”Hello; Howdy; Charmed; Hiya!; ...”
>Quite the motley crew, you have here.  Still, they seemed nice, even though Fluttershy seemed reserved almost to a fault.
>You turn your attention to the other mare in the group.
“Morning Luna.  How've you been?”
>Celestia raises an eyebrow at you for some reason.
>Dash's face is a little more of the shit eating variety.
>”Oh?  I wasn't aware you two were so well acquainted.”
>Seems addressing her so informally wasn't the best idea.

>Luna blushes slightly.  You do a little better job of fighting off the blush.  Still though, the memory of her little 'gift' from the other night is front and center in your mind.
“We... me the other night in the garden while I was out on a stroll.”
>Luna chirps back in quickly.
>”Th-that's right.  Anonymous was taking some time for himself and we chatted a little.”
>Celestia keeps her curious stare on the two of you for a second before going back a a warm smile.
>”I see.  That's nice to hear.  Now come and sit.  The food should be out shortly.”
>You taker your seat back at the large, circular table.  Dash joining you at your left.  Luna sits to Celestia's right while the rest file into the remaining seats.
>”So hey, Anon.”
>Dash whispers in your direction as you polish off your coffee, reaching for the carafe.
>”I think I left my book at your place...”
“You left a lot more than that, sweetheart.”
>You shoot her a glare out the corner of your eye, refilling your cup.
>She winces a bit, rubbing the back of her head with her hoof.
>Fucking adorable.  No way you could stay mad at that...
“Heh.  Don't worry about it, Dash.  No harm done.”
>You tussle her hair a little, her usually playful grin comes back in a hurry.”
“Come and pick it up any time.  You guys staying long?”
>The purple one... Twilight chimes in.
>”Unfortunately no.  We're heading back to Ponyville at noon.”
>”So whereabouts are yall from, Anon”
>You turn your attention to Applejack.
>”I live in the city.  I run a workshop not far from the castle.  Right outside the city circle.”
>Rarity is the next to join the conversation.
>”Oh really?  And what is it your workshop specializes in, Anon?”
“I'm a tradesman.  I do repairs, woodworking and special orders for the most part.  Whatever needs doing, really.”

>Celestia interjects.
>”That's correct.  It was Anon who crafted this very table.”
>Pinkie Pie joins the conversation.
>”Wow Anon!  That's amazing!  Was it hard making it?  How do you make something like this anyway!?  What other things can you make!? Do you...”
>Her voice trails off in your mind.  Christ, this was too much enthusiasm at this hour...
>You wonder what it would be like if she and Roy ever managed to get into a room together.
>The thought sends a chill up your spine.
>This carafe won't last at this rate, you think to yourself as you polish off your cup and refill.
>She finally finishes her verbal tirade, staring at you with bulging, expecting eyes.
“Not really, practice, plenty of stuff, no, no, yes, mushrooms, fall, and only on the weekends.”
>The table chuckles as at your ability to field the interrogation.  Fluttershy keeps quiet the entire time, only shooting you glances from behind her pink mane.
>”Ah.  It seems the food has arrived.”
>The entire table's attention is pulled to the corners of the great hall as a cavalcade of ponies start to wheel out cart after cart of admittedly delicious looking food.
>You begin to salivate at the assortment of pastries, fruits, egg, dishes...
>Thank god, you notice they're bringing more coffee pitchers, too!
>A gaggle of ponies start to put the spread on the table in front of you.
>Damn and blast!  They put the coffee on the other side of the table!
“Luna, could you pass that coffee over.”
>”...Of course”
>Her voice is sharp.  What was that about?
>She magics the pitcher over to you as you grab it.
>Celestia jumps in.

>”So how are things in Ponyville, my faithful student?”
>Twilight shoots her ears up at the question, breaking into a cheery rant.
>She starts to go into details, but your mind lingers for a second.
>Luna seemed upset about something.  She seemed to be in a better mood earlier...
>You make yourself a plate as Twilight continues to blast Celestia with details.
>Maybe she was mad you addressed her so informally in front of the group?
>Either way, you figure it would be a good idea to apologize to her afterwards.
>”so I told Spike to make sure the library was cleaned up before I get back.  I swear, that dragon will never change.”
>Celestia snaps back to reality as soon as Twilight's life story wraps up.
>”Well.  It seems you've learned quite a bit.  I'm very proud of you, Twilight.”
>Twilight beams at the compliment.  You smirk at how well the princess handled that one.  You couldn't have handled it better yourself.
>Seems she's had some experience.
>The rest of the meal goes as well as you could hope.  Conversation stays jovial for the most part, an occasional question is thrown your way.
>They seemed like a great group of ponies.
>You can see why Dash stuck around with them.
>Fluttershy was the only one who didn't speak a word.  You figured it was just a quirk of hers, or a namesake.  Whatever.
>You could do without her staring, though.
>Come to think of it, Luna was a little quiet, too...

>You continue to keep up with the pleasantries in spite of your worry.
>After an hour of merry making, the meal is coming to a close.
>Ponies are starting to file out of the great hall as you notice Celestia pull her chair back.
>”Well my little ponies, it has been a joy to see you all again.
>”The pleasure is all ours princess!”
>Twilight smiles heartily as the group gathers from the table.
>Rainbow Dash floats over to you.
>”I'll come by and pick up that thing before I go  Is that cool?”
>Tired as you are at this point, you keep yourself cordial.
“Sure thing, Dash.”
>She grins a little before returning to the group.
>You gather yourself for the task you weren't really looking forward to.
>It seems Luna was quick about the parting thing.  Seems she's already relieved herself.
>You head over to Celestia.  She would probably know where to find her.
>”Excuse me, Princess?”
>She turns to you, smiling warmly.”
>”Yes, Anonymous?”
“Thanks for the breakfast.  I'm glad the table was to your liking.”
>”No problem at all, Anon.  It was a pleasure having you.”
>Your gather yourself for this part.
“I wanted to say goodbye to your sister, but it looks like she had somewhere to be.  Do you know if she's available?”
>Celestia's smile becomes a little more devious.
>”I believe she said she was going to the castle garden.  She tends not to linger in the daylight hours.  Best be quick if you want to catch her.”

“Thanks, Princess.”
>”Likewise, Anon.”
>You nod in respect as you make your leave, heading to the south end of the castle.
>You make your way to the south end of the castle, weaving between the castle staff going about their own business.
>After plenty of side stepping, you make your way back to daylight.
>You'd never been in the garden at this hour.  The sunlight played off the leaves in a way that gave it a certain charm.
>You then notice Luna sitting alone under the tree you both had sat the night before, staring out to the landscape.
>You miss your bed so bad you want to buy it a present, but this needs to be done.
“Luna?”
>She snaps to reality with a visible jerk across her body, turning her head to you with a look of shock.
>For a second, you think she might have actually smile, but it turned into a dead pan stare just as quickly.
>”Oh.  Hello, Anon.  Is there something you needed?”
>You needed some sleep, but you try to stay strong.
“I just wanted to thank you for having me today.”
>”You're welcome.  Is there anything else?”
>Her voice is still caked with annoyance.
“Well... You seemed a little down at breakfast.  You alright?”

>”I'm fine.  You shouldn't worry.  Besides, Miss Dash won't be here for very long.  Shouldn't you be bidding her fairwell?”
>...
>You remember giving Dash a head scratch earlier.
>What?  Is she... No...
“Luna, are you sure you're alright?  It's not because I was so informal in front of the others, was it?
>You start to walk over to her.
>Luna looks at you with a tint of anger that stops you dead in your tracks.
>”It's nothing you need to concern yourself with!”
>Her head flicks back to the horizon.  You notice a light blush along with a little sadness.
>Too tired for this...  But you couldn't leave it at this.
>Luna was a good mare, and someone you were happy to be able to share the garden with when work allowed.  Only right you set this right.  You figure you know where this is going anyway.
>You keep walking over to her and take a seat under the tree.
“Me and Dash have been friends since I got here, ya know.”
>Nothing from Luna.  You continue.
“We met at the tavern downtown.  I was a bit of a mess from readjusting to a life in Equestria.  She saw my miserable ass and offered me a drink.”
>Luna drops her head slightly.

“She tried to cheer me up, asking me to help her the next day with setting up some obstacles for her training.  If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have found my love for woodworking, so we've always been kinda close.”
>Luna sniffs a little, motioning to take her leave.
“But I paid her back.  A year ago, I was asked to do some renovations at Wonderbolt Stadium.  I managed to hook up Soarin and Dash into a couple.”
>Luna's frozen in place now.
“We're still close though.  She keeps me company from time to time, but not often.  It's nice that I can count on some company from you, though.”
>She turns to you, her eyes a little wide from that last part.
>”I...”
“What are you doing tomorrow night?”
>It takes some time before she answers.
>“I... Have my duties to attend to...”
“Well if you have some time, a friend of mine is playing at the amphitheater at midnight.  If you're free, I'd love to have you along.”
>Luna stares at you for a minute before a faint smile appears.

>”I'd... like that.”
>You pick yourself up, brushing off your pants.  Looks like you did good here.
“Good.  I'll see you then.  Now if you don't mind, it's a little past my bed time.”
>Luna chuckles.
>”Very well.  Take care, Anon.”
“You too, Luna.”
>She walks back to the castle.
>You stand in place for a second.
>As soon as she's out of sight, you release every ounce of strength in your muscles, almost dropping to your knees.
>Bed.  Now...
>You stumble your way back to your workshop.  It takes significantly longer than usual.
>Thankfully, the streets are still pretty empty.
>Better not to be seen in this state.
>You finally make it back home, entering the door and making a bee line for the recliner.
>It'll do.  The bed was too far at this point.
>You fall like a boulder into the chair, relieved to meet it's cloudy comfort.
>Sleep comes like a rock.
>Still, you were looking forward to tomorrow.