A Light Lunch (Open)

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz shuffled through the streets of Canterlot with her head low, making sure not to make too much eye contact. Not that she was trying to avoid ponies, she had just been trained to not lock eyes with ponies that are 'above you' so to say. She paused for a moment to make sure her ratty looking vest hadn't ridden up too much, and the bottles and brushes were still secure in her saddlebag. She had just finished cleaning a house nearby, and was making her way to get a bite to eat before her next scheduled appointment. She slipped into her favorite bistro, one that knew her name and order well. She came here once a week, the same time every week. Ordering a small cucumber and tomato salad, with a water. She settled into a seat on the open-air porch, near the fence, so she could watch a few of the ponies that were passing by. She felt bad spying on the ponies, but all of them were so pretty! The hats, the dresses, the stride. So confident and pristine. Topaz wished, someday, she could be among one of them. She started humming a light tune as she awaited her lunch. Light, airy tones that carried well despite the bustling city. An old lullaby that she used to sing. No lyrics, just a tune that she remembered from childhood to pass the time.

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Yes, all was right with the world, or so it seemed. The sun was warm and bright, the wind was cool and clean, and the very world around seemed to hum a counterpoint to Topaz's gentle melody in an almost inaudible undertone. Yet slowly, a dark feeling seeped over all. The sun's light seemed to dim, colors faded. The undertone was silenced. And then the shadow fell on Topaz as a tall, dark, looming figure towered over the crystal pony, with a regal bearing and insubstantial mane. And then it spoke. "Would it be possible that we might share thy table?" Princess Luna spoke these unlikely words gently, uncertainly. She did not feel at all herself, though she had no illness to speak of. She had woken, terrified, from a sound sleep and dreams that she could not well remember. Not wishing to return to them, she sought refuge in a midnight... well, midday snack. And then she had heard the faint strains of Topaz's soothing lullaby. She did not intend to frighten the mare. Indeed, it was the Princess who desired comforting! Her posture and presence were, unfortunately, natural for her.

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz jumped just slightly at the voice she wasn’t expecting. The shadow, in her mind, was just a passing cloud. Something she didn’t focus on too much. But the voice made her realize it was a pony, and that she should respond. She spoke as she turned around, ”S-sure~ I wouldn’t m-mind a little com….” Her sentence was cut short and her eyes widened as far as they possibly could. It was Princess Luna! AGAIN! Topaz slipped out of her seat and bowed low, with what seemed to be a very practiced precision in the face of royalty. ”I-I Mean, Y-yes, Princess Luna. I w-would be honored a-and humbled t-to have you s-share a t-table with m-me.” She spoke softly, her head almost touching the ground as she spoke. Most ponies were taught to keep eye contact as they spoke with someone. Topaz was taught to never make eye contact, and to keep her head down in the presence of royalty. But, this was Princess Luna. She’d met the Princess once before, and she knew the Dream Princess was a nice pony, and nowhere near as bad as her previous ruler… Topaz took a shaky breath and slowly lifted her head out of the bow, glancing up slowly, first to Lunas hooves, and the dark shoes she wore. Then slowly, her eyes fell on the Peytral, and the crescent moon that was emblazoned on it. She didn’t dare look any farther up, at least not unless given permission. She hurriedly shuffled over to the other seat and pulled it out slightly for the Princess, as she’d seen the servers do several times before.

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It really wasn’t the reaction that Luna had expected or hoped for, though it occurred to the Princess that it was probably better than she had a right to expect. Coming up suddenly behind one of the usually gentler and timid crystal ponies, even with the most innocent of intentions as she had… Well, there were earth, air, and magic ponies who might have been quite frightened. Who might have screamed, fainted, or caused a scene. In light of that, this somewhat humble obeisance should be a relief. Even if it didn’t exactly delight the heart at the moment. Looking into the face of this crystal pony, however, the alicorn felt a spark of recognition. Surely, she’d seen this mare before… was it in some nightmare of hers? Or some dream…Dreams! Memory clicked for her then. ”T’was… Topaz, was it not? Topaz Dream. Thou wert one of those who went into the dream world to rescue others. If I recall, thou actually went in more than one. Thy heroism is no small feat.” Luna seated herself with a pleased feeling. But of course. A pony with the courage to face the terrors of others would not do anything embarrassing out of fear. ”We thank thee kindly for thy invitation, but please, take no further trouble with us. Treat us as thou would any fellow pony. Still, we would ask, if 'tis not improper… what bringeth thee to Canterlot? Do the charms of the Crystal empire not appeal for thee?” Despite Luna’s grand way of talking, her words had quite a friendly tone!

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz's breath caught in her throat. Luna knew her name. Why did Luna know her name? Sombra remembered her name once... It wasn't a good sign. It was... Did she just say heroism? She was talking about the dreams, wasn't she. Topaz's eyes went wide and she looked up, blinking a few times. She opened her mouth to say something, but waited. Then she tried to say something again, and only a short squeak happened. "T-the foals n-needed me..." She said quietly, lowering her head again. "O-one pony... told me my lullabies could cure a p-ponies nightmares... S-so it w-was only natural t-that I went into t-the dreams to s-save them." She explained, a small smile creeping across her lips and looking back up. "T-thanks for what y-you did, too." She said, with just a little hint of fear in her voice. She didn't want Luna to think she was insinuating that she wouldn't have helped otherwise... She shook her head to break herself out of thought as Luna asked her reason for being in Canterlot. "W-well..." She paused, shifting slightly in her seat and nervously adjusting her vest to make sure it was on properly. She took a deep breath. "S-some Crystal Ponies l-left because of h-his memory. M-me included. I g-got a job here i-in Canterlot with a m-maid service. A-and I rent a small a-apartment downtown." Topaz said with a smile. "H-how about you? I h-heard the sisters h-had a Castle somewhere b-before Canterlot. I-is that true?"

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Luna's instinct was to wince, and only many, many years of training to keep her face neutrally impassive saved her from cringing at these most innocent of darts. She wondered if there were ponies who had suffered terrorizing memories of Nightmare Moon. She wondered... Was she ever going to be free from them? Of course, Celestia excluded, any pony so scarred would pass from living memory in time. in time. She really didn't want to wait for it, though. "There is... was," Luna corrected herself, gravely, "Was indeed a castle that Princess Celestia and I designed and shared together, once upon a time." Another sad memory. Keep thy face impassive, Luna. T'was kindly meant, and beside, thou couldst take offense at most anything, given half a chance. she warned herself. She even smiled a little "The ruins of it can be found in the Everfree Forest, though I would strongly urge a pony not to seek them out alone. The castle be safe enough, though crumbled, but the road is overgrown and the forest dangerous. T'was different in those days. Canterlot Castle is..." how to word this "Something of a strange home for me, in comparison. 'Tis built in a style that...I suppose is modern. Built for beauty, rather than security. A palace, really. Not a castle. The Crystal Palace, I hear, is quite beautiful too, though must be difficult to clean. So many shining surfaces."

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz listened as Luna spoke, giving tiny nods to show that she was listening. She remembered when Sombra thought the ponies weren't listening, and didn't wanna figure out if Luna would react the same way. The Crystal castle was mentioned, and Topaz's nodding stopped. She stared at the liquid in her glass for a long few moments before she broke out of the trance. She gave the smallest of smiles as she looked back to Luna. "It was v-very pretty. B-but there are m-memories there that c-cause some of us some... Restless n-nights. B-but I'm sure that w-will fade eventually... I h-hope." She said. She knew it was beautiful. She'd been outside during sunrise a few times, and has yet to find anything that has quite the same type of wonder to it. Topaz thought for a moment about what Luna was saying about the almost jarring change to the modern castle. She grew a little more confusion on her face, gently nudging the plate for a moment. "I k-know the Crystal Ponies d-disappeared for a w-while. Leaving the K-kingdom and coming here was... a l-lot of information t-to take in. B-but..." She paused, looking back up, her eyes finally seeing Luna's for the first time. "Y-you weren't trapped in the e-empire. And Ponies s-said it was you and P-princess Celestia were the ones that s-saved us..... W-why does it seem the change w-was jarring for y-you as well? Wouldn't it h-have been gradual, like a tree g-growing?"

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"No..." Princess Luna nearly whispered. "We did try to save the Crystal Empire... however..." She gave Topaz an apologetic smile, "The best we seemed to have been able to do wast to seal it away, to spare it from future torments, until such a time as was truly ready to be saved. But that t'was not our intention. Destiny magic is stronger even than ourselves, sometimes." The alicorn's face grew a little graver and rather sad. "As for the culture shock... " She paused and wondered if there was a gentle way to say this. Somehow, she doubted it. "Let us just say that for... just reasons, I, too, was sealed away for one thousand years, shortly after the Crystal Empire disappeared." If it mattered to the crystal pony, she could go look it up in history books, later. But surely, surely for the moment, they could relax like friends. Plenty of time in the future for fear and revulsion. Could she not have just this moment?

[Topaz Dream]

Topaz shifted a bit in her seat as Luna seemed to dismiss the fact that her and Celestia /didn't/ Save the empire. She looked at Luna with a serious face. One that faltered with just a small hint of fear as Topaz realized how she was looking at the Alicorn. "Y-you did save us, though. E-even if all t-that you and Celestia d-did that day was put us i-into a magical... thingy. W-when we came out, the C-Crystal Princess returned, and b-brought with her the Ponies that saved the Empire." Topaz said with a definitive nod. "W-without y-your magic, we m-may not have e-ever met the Crystal Princess" Topaz said, looking back down to her salad as she took a drink, her heart beating rapidly in her chest since she was basically arguing with royalty. Then, she looked back up and saw the sad face on Luna, hearing about being sealed away as well. Topaz blinked a few times. She was sealed away? She wanted to ask why, but saw the sadness, and knew, just as Topaz didn't like talking about what Sombra put them through, Luna didn't want to talk about what happened. Instead, Topaz shifted, putting her hooves around Luna in a hug. Not too tight, but tight enough for Luna to know Topaz knew what the Princess meant. One that would show that the Little Crystal Pony cared, and didn't need to know any more. After a few long moments, Topaz returned to her seat, not looking at the Princess. Her eyes widened slightly, as if realizing she had done something wrong. "I'm S-sorry. I s-shouldn't have... I should h-have asked first. B-but... For one m-moment I... I f-forgot that you w-were royalty..." She said. "I j-just saw... A P-pony... that n-needed a h-hug... S-sorry." Topaz didn't look up. And waited to hear her punishment for such a transgression. Laying her grubby hoof on royalty... It was a serious offense, she knew.