Chapter Ten
Luna & Bolero Brilliance
A Sortie Of Hearts
The next day, Luna was beside herself. Had she really kissed Bolero last night? Maybe it was a bit hasty for her to have done so. After all, she had only met Bolero briefly that night. She needed somebody to talk to about this. She tried to approach Celestia, but she dismissed her with an aloof tone. “I’m far too busy right now, Luna. We can talk later.” Luna was miffed, but she tried again and again throughout the day. Yet, as it dragged on, she started to feel that what she was doing was for naught. Night soon came, and Celestia went to bed soon after Luna raised the moon. Luna sighed. When had they started to drift further and further apart? Celestia had been all too happy to talk in the past, back when the ponies were prying too much into her pain over Discord. Yet now… she felt far too distant.
Luna sighed as she looked to the night sky. What was she to do about this? Who could she turn to for respite? It was when she heard the sound of Bolero’s violin again that it hit her. She raced off, a certain giddiness rising. Why had she hesitated before? If nobody else would listen, certainly he would. It wasn’t long before She reached Bolero’s house once more. He stood to meet her with a gentle smile. “Luna. I was getting a bit anxious when you weren’t showing.” His smile started to fade. “I was afraid that something had gone wrong.”
Luna sighed as she laid down to meet his gaze. “Sorry, it’s just… I was feeling unsure. I thought that I might have been rushing things last night. After all, we still hardly know each other. Plus…” she bit her lip slightly as she debated on what to say. She decided to confide in him. “My sister has become much more distant from me lately. We used to be so close, we could talk about anything. But now… it seems that all she cares about these days is the kingdom.”
A pause fell as Bolero digested what Luna had said. He was pensive for a while before he placed a hoof on hers, causing her to look him in the eye. “I’m sure that she has her reasons, Luna. Just know that… no matter what, I’ll be here for you, okay?”
Tears welled as Luna came close to him, laying a wing across him, causing him to blush heavily. She sighed with relief. “Thank you, Bolero. I think… I now know what I should do. Not about Celestia, but… about us. I think we should give our relationship a serious shot.”
A hoof reached to dry her tears, and she saw Bolero look at while smiling. “I’d like that, very much,”
Her smile returned, and for a moment, silence reigned as they looked at the stars. After a moment, Bolero began to regale Luna about his life. “I once lived in a mansion, you know. It was my dad’s place. He was pretty well off because he was the royal armorer. Because of this, I wanted for nothing as a child. Yet… It always felt empty. I was never satisfied by the things that we could buy. It was only when I got my first violin that I started to feel happy. I received my cutie mark while writing my first song with it. After that, I left the mansion to find my own place to belong. I still visit home sometimes, though. You can never forget who you once were, otherwise you might wind up going down a dark road.”
Silence settled as Luna digested Bolero’s words. He came from immense wealth, but he found his life dreadfully unfulfilling. It was not quite what she felt about her situation, though. She felt like she was being shut out by her sister. This had been going on ever since a few years after Discord went mad. Luna also couldn’t help noticing that, aside from Bolero, the ponies tended to not stay up in the night time. She understood why, of course, but it still hurt her to think about it. She pushed the unpleasant thoughts aside as she turned her attention back to Bolero. She intook a breath before replying to Bolero. “There’s not much about me that most ponies don’t know. Aside from being the Princess of the Night, I genuinely like to bask in the night air to clear my head. That was part of the reason I decided to follow the sound of your music that night. Though I appreciate that you enjoy the night that I bring like I do, I sincerely wish more ponies would…”
She was looking downward at the start of the last sentence, and she soon felt Bolero’s hoof guid her face back up so their eyes met. He then spoke to reassure her. “Luna, ponies these days are mostly blind to the beauty that your night brings. Ponies tire themselves out during the day, so that when night comes they just want to sleep. Sure, it’s a shame that more people don’t appreciate it, but I think that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ponies feel safe going to sleep at night because, on some level, they feel how gentle the night is in comparison to the day. You need to at least try to take the positives where you can get them.
It might not be ideal, but sometimes, it’s okay to make due with the small happiness you can find.”
Realizing that he had a point, Luna sighed deeply. “It might be hard at first, but…” She looked into Bolero’s eyes, and kissed him. It was a deeper kiss than the quick peck from last night. Emotions swelled as they realized what they had was real. After a moment that felt like forever, they pulled apart. Luna smiled with a heavy blush as she took in Bolero’s astonished face. “That was a thank-you, as well as me accepting how I feel about you. I’d love to learn more about you sometime.” She stood, and started to get ready to leave.
Bolero came out of his stupor and called out to her. “Wait!” Luna looked back at his pleading face. “Do you really have to go right now? Can’t you stay just a little longer?”
Luna shook her head. “I can’t stay, even if I wished to. It’s almost time for Celestia to raise the sun. If we just had a little had more time…:”
Bolero nodded in understanding. “Go. Though it pains me for you to leave, you have a duty to uphold.” He then chuckled. “I mean, it’s not so bad, you can always visit me tomorrow night.”
At that, Luna smiled as she lifted off. “Tomorrow night, then. I’ll miss you dearly until then. Adieu, mi amor. ‘Till we next meet, be well.” She saw Bolero’s blush for a quick second as she started flying away.
Before she gained much distance, she heard Bolero call out to her. “I’ll await you with bated breath, my princess!” Lund blushed as she flew towards home.