New Moon (My Little Pony)

26 Night Shift with Lazuli (5/5)

The sun finally began its entrance upon the sky as Lazuli walked the quiet streets of Manehattan. Artemis was fast asleep after being free of the headphone and shades.

During her travel back to her apartment led her to a jewelry store that would open in the afternoon. Her eyes laid a ring that held jade sculpted as a rosebud. The price of that ring was astronomically ridiculous but was working tirelessly to come with the bits. She imagined how it would look on Bud. She wondered what Bud would say if she presented it to her, down on a knee as she said, "Will you marry me?"

"No," Lazuli jumped startled at the voice. She quickly traced it to a familiar stallion that she should've expected to come here.

"I wasn't talking to you, Leaf Clip?"

"And I was expecting you to bring Bud's colt to that indecent nightclub," Leaf Clip glared at her. "What would you think Bud would say if she learned about this?"

"Hopefully nothing if we both keep our mouth shut about it."

"That still doesn't explain why you brought Artemis to The Dove."

"Oh come on, you already know the answer to that."

"...Clip Art?"

"Clip Art."

"Every day I feel more ashamed of that stallion being my older brother."

"You're telling me. You two have nothing in common."

"Don't think that you're still forgiven for taking an innocent colt to that sinful place."

"It's alright, I put a shade and headphone on him. He's 100% guaranteed to not adopt any bad words or memories of the whole thing."

"Pray to Celestia he didn't, or else Bud is putting you on a pike."

"If you're going to keep scolding me, can we at least get a drink first?"

"And what if he remembers the smell of the nightclub," Leaf drawled on and on in his lecture to Lazuli for her action. "What if one day he passes by that place and he suddenly finds it familiar? If he asks Bud about it and it won't take long till she links it back to you."

"Dude, will you chill out," Lazuli took a sip of her coffee. "Why are so paranoid about the whole thing?"

"Because Lazuli, I'm the one that recommended the job to you. You were so desperate for money and so picky for something so simple that I resigned to sharing information about that position to you."

At the same cafe nearby by the hospital that Bud resided in a few weeks ago, Leaf Clip and Summer Lazuli shared a table together as Artemis continued to sleep, leaving a trail of slobber for Lazuli to constantly wipe with a napkin.

"I still think you're taking it too far. Nothing bad happened at the club, so all is good. Arty won't remember a thing, so we can just pretend that the whole thing didn't happen."

"Do you feel comfortable keeping secrets from the pony you love?"

"Hey, don't use that on me. You should figure your own thing before scolding me about that."

"What thing? With Passion? I already said I don't intend to do anything about that."

"Then why not tell her you're not interested? I might not like her very much, but it does seem unfair that you're going to egg her on a pointless chase."

"Look Lazuli, I'm not as well versed in love as the rest of you hope to be. It's a subject that is far too complicated for me to understand, therefore, I refuse to participate in it."

"Then why not tell Passion that?"

"Well...that would be participating?"

"That's a lame excuse, I think you know that yourself."

"It's no different from you lying to Bud."

"Okay, I get it. That's unfair. But, I'm scared of how she'll react if I told the truth. You get that don't you."

"You and me both. But the truth will be revealed at some point. Why not make it easier and do it now?"

"Okay, but after you turn Passion down first."

"That's not up for negotiation."

"Then neither is mine."

"..."

"What?"

"Artemis, isn't it strange he looks nothing like a thestral?"

"No, he's Bud's son. Course he'd look like a pony."

"But he's also part thestral. You have to wonder which trait of it he inherited."

"Look Clip, I'm not really interested in that topic."

"You're still upset that Bud paired with some creature, aren't you?"

"..."

"I can sort of see how frustrating it is to see the pony you love to be with some pony, not yourself. You feel abandoned, but I guess in your case, you feel like you deserve it, right?"

"I thought you weren't a love expert?"

"And never will be."

"...Bud never talks about him. It sort of makes me wonder if that thestral wronged her. But, I don't feel like I'm strong enough to find out the answer. Above all else, I want Bud to be happy. I've already caused her enough trouble for her to probably look at me that way, but..."

"You don't want to give her to somepony else. Love is a terrible conundrum. That's why I try to avoid it."

"Do you," Lazuli started. "Do you think she could...even after what I did to her?"

"That depends," Leaf said. "What did you do to her?"

"Heh," Lazuli weakly smiled. "You're really going to have me talk about it?"

"Well, I can't give you my opinion if I don't know the context."

Lazuli leaned on her chair and sighed. "Fine. Might as well share it with at least one pony."

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Maybe to you it isn't, but it means everything to me."

"Alright, so where does this story begin?"

"At Baltimare of course. Me and Bud were much younger when we first met at Baltimare Academy. I was the ace flier and she was...well, the weird pony that everypony avoided..."