Moonstruck (Anon x Luna)

>You are Anonymous: scholar, tactician, and youngest son of the Crystal Emperor
>And you are late
>It was a relatively innocuous mistake, you thought
>You had been practicing a new application of telekinesis
>Most people used it just to pick things up that were out of their reach
>Of course, it had military applications in that capacity, but they were limited
>Weapons could be manipulated and thrown, but many warmages seemed to favor more extravagant rays of magical energy
>Your idea was to apply that telekinetic force in a very concentrated point
>As the pressure and momentum were what really did damage, by focusing the amount of force it would take to lift a medium-sized stone over an area the size of a quill's tip, you could do some major damage
>You had gotten fairly good results, and were experimenting with different ways to make it either more or less lethal when you remembered that you had been summoned by your father
>You weren't too nervous about the situation
>You simply concentrated on a teleportation spell, and whisked yourself away...
>...only to be deflected by the anti-magic barriers that the Crystal Guard had put up around the castle
>The rebound was both physical and mental, and you ended up just outside the front gates with two minutes to go before you needed to arrive
>So, here you were, rushing towards your own solar as the sunset crept nearer
>You were running like a madman through the castle's many passages, single-mindedly crashing through the corridors in an attempt to avoid your fathers' ire
>It was never as easy for you to defy his wishes as it was for your brother Tristan
>The guards had long stopped giving you strange looks during your mad dashes
>All that mattered was that you got to the Solar before-
>Well, shit. There was the Equestrian delegation
>And, there was your family, waiting for you
>Verita, your only sister- she sharned your interest in magic, but was much more outgoing and political than you
>Orion, the middle child. Budding captain in the Guard, and a crack shot with the bow
>Tristan, the crown prince. Dark and somber, and always with a rebellious streak
>And your father, Emperor Magnus II of the Crystal Empire
>You knew that it would be futile to try and sneak in
>You resigned yourself to simply hold your head high
>As you passed into the meeting room, you got a clear view of the delegation from Equestria
>As a nation, Equestria had always been a good neighbor to the Crystal Empire
>There were no conflicts, and little cultural difference
>When things grew heated on the borders with the Tribes of Minos and the Gryphic Kingdoms, your father had sought a formal alliance with the Equestrian royals
>In the end, the counter-offer he received involved a full merging of government
>Many thought that this was a good idea
>Others thought it was vassalage
>Either way, it was what the Equestrians had come here to negotiate
>Leading the delegation was a tall, imposing woman clad in white
>A gilded breastplate acted as ceremonial armor for her
>Celestia, you thought. The elder princess and the real ruler
>Also a minor sun diety
>Equestria was weird
>Beside her stood a man you recognized as the foreign minister of Equestria
>He had been serving for a while
>You remembered seeing him when you were a boy, coming to discuss the Discordian Rebellions with your father
>But it was the third member of their party who really caught your eye
>She's surprisingly young, probably in her early twenties like you
>Long legs, thin, decent bust, piercing blue eyes
>Strangely, her midnight blue hair seems to flow more than fall, but you suspect it's an illusion
>The tattoo on her forehead does mark her as a magic user, after all.
>You have a similar one
>The woman looks over at you, then appears to take a deep breath
>She puts on a smile that is fairly obviously forced
>You step into the room, wondering what's going on to make her so uncomfortable
>As you make yourself known, your father sighs in exasperation
>Celestia looks at you with an inquisitive eye, as if sizing you up
>And the foreign minister puts on a winning politician's smile as he speaks up
>"Ah yes! Here he is! Luna, I'd like to introduce you to Anonymous, your fiance"
"Your what?"
>A stunned silence meets your words
>You probably shouldn't have said that
>Your father is gritting his teeth
>Celestia looks surprised
>And... Luna looks on the verge of tears
>Yeah, definitely shouldn't have said that
>"Anonymous, you and Princess Luna are to be married"
>There's your father, patronizing you once again
>"It cements the deal that will bind our nations as one"
>His tone carries heavy unspoken connotations of 'We'll talk about it later'
>Along with 'No, you have no choice'
>"You'll be pleased to know that we have arranged the wedding for one week from now. It will be held in Canterlot"

----------

>It's been a few hours since you learned you were getting married
>You didn't pay attention to the rest of the meeting
>Being in shock from suddenly being engaged kind of took away your listening abilities
>After the meeting, you had a nice long talk with your dad
>Where he did the verbal equivalent of shoving a boot so far up your ass you tasted leather
>Essentially, he struck a deal where the Crystal Empire still got to keep its own constitution and parliament after the merge
>In return, the Equestrians demanded a bond to the royal family to discourage separation down the line
>You never expected them to be that shrewd
>Leave it to a kingdom that has a bunch of magical artifacts based on friendship to exploit the weakness of their neighbor state
>Anyways, Celestia wasn't about to take a husband, since she was the more powerful of rulers
>Plus, once you're immortal, you don't need heirs
>You're actually pretty sure that the ritual that made the princesses what they are actually rendered them infertile
>But anyways, it ended up with your dad taking the chance to get rid of you
>Your mother was the one who appreciated learning
>After she died, you became a bit of a black sheep
>So it's really not surprising that your father would see sending you away as a deal in his favor
>Either way, there you were, in your room
>Newly engaged
>With a week left at home
>Your melancholic reverie was broken by a knock at your door
>You rise to your feet and walk to the door
>When you open it, you are greeted by your oldest brother, Tristan
>Your oldest brother has always been a bit odd
>In a lot of ways, he's the most like your father out of the four of you
>Intelligent, stoic, calculating
>Sees easily through the facades and silver tongues of politics
>But he's also been the one of you most at odds with your father's rule
>The two have an only slightly-veiled hostility towards each other that baffled you
>Because of this, you thought he'd be the first one to talk to you about your impending nupitals
>With his ashen skin, green eyes, and curling black hair, Tristan always looked vaguely somber
>Now, as he looks pityingly at you, the feeling is intensified
"Come on in"
>He enters your room, pulls up a chair before the fire, and sits down at it
>"You know this is bullshit, right?"
>Naturally, the first words out of his mouth are questioning your father's judgement
"Yeah, but we need that alliance. We're kind of surrounded"
>"We don't need anything from Equestria. We can take care of ourselves"
>That's Tristan alright
>Stubborn about independence to a fault
"I'm not sure about that. We've never faced aggressors from two sides at once, especially not in these numbers"
>The Crystal Empire defended itself with an elite professional military
>It was highly trained, and used a unique brand of magic that relied on the crystals for which your empire was named
>The only problem was, it was small
>While normally your nation could hold your own against the odds, a war of attrition against a much larger foe would drain your supplies
>You'd take casualties much faster than you could replenish them
>"Still, this doesn't sit right with me"
>You can only answer that with silence
>In truth, it doesn't sit right with you either
>But what are you going to to?
"We can't just defy fathers' orders. He's still the Emperor"
>"Can't we?"
>You're stunned that Tristan would be so forward
>By the look on his face, he is too
>He quickly gets up to leave
>"Good luck with your wife, brother. Know that the Empire will always remain your home."
>And with that, Tristan walks back out the door.

----------

>The next few days go by in a blur
>The Equestrian delegation is staying in the Ambassadors' wing of the palace, so you won't even see your bride until the day before the wedding
>You busy yourself with your studies mostly
>The hardest part about it all is adjusting your sleep cycle
>After your talk with Tristan, your father informed you that your future wife was nocturnal of all things
>You've been shifting your sleeping hours slightly ever since you heard
>It's exhausting
>On top of that, you have incredibly strange dreams
>Normally, you find it hard to remember your dreams
>What you do remember is always unclear and ever-shifting
>But these past few nights, they have been amazingly vivid
>You dream of your favorite places in the palace
>Your haunts around the Capital
>Even some places you've never seen before
>You also feel a strange sense of being watched
>As if there was someone next to you as you dream
>Yet you are unable to communicate with this presence
>Before you know it, the five days before you leave for Canterlot have gone by
>And so you find yourself waiting for the Chariot that will come to take you to your new home
>It's the first time you've seen Luna since the meeting in the Solar
>You have to admit, she's beautiful
>Still, you wish you had some say in the matter
>You've said your goodbyes to your family
>Verita was the most sincere, exchanging teary farewells
>Orion was the picture of discipline, giving you a very formal goodbye
>At the very end, he broke composure to give you a hug
>Tristan was slightly withdrawn, no doubt about his outburst about disobeying your father
>And your father himself...
>He gave you advice on the wedding
>Talked about possible duties
>Did his best to prepare you for marriage to a princess
>But did almost nothing to say goodbye as a father
>All you got from him was at the very end
>It was so subtle, you almost missed it
>As he shook your hand goodbye, he slipped something into your palm
>You were surprised, but he inclined his head as if to say not to mention it
>You could feel that it was a ring from its shape, but you slipped it into your pocket without inspecting it immediately
>At this, you turned around and stepped up to the platform where the royals awaited the chariot
>Well, where Celestia awaited Luna and the chariot
>The Princess of the Night was still rushing around the courtyard to take care of things
>It was just going to be you and the princesses on the ride to Canterlot
>The Dignitary was staying behind to work out the details of the Crystal Empire's integration into Equestria
>It annoyed you that you were just a bargaining chip in the dance of politics
>But there was no time to think about that now
>It was time to make introductions
>You walked toward the princess, putting on your best 'court smile'
"Celestia, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry we haven't been properly acquainted"
>"Do not worry, Anonymous. It's been a busy few days for all of us"
>The princess seems preternaturally calm
"Nonetheless, I feel like we should know each other, seeing as how you will be my sister-in-law shortly"
>She chuckles at that
>"I think it's your fiancee you should be getting to know, Anonymous. I can wait until then"
>You certainly feel a bit foolish now
>You were never good at this people stuff
>Only Verita and Orion were
>You were too bookish, Tristan too gloomy
>"It appears you'll have a chance now"
>You look up
>There she is
>Luna is walking towards the chariot

>"I'll let you two get acquainted"
>Damnit Celestia
>She was your lifeline
>And now she's walking up to the front of the chariot, leaving you alone with Luna in the passenger's booth
>Luna just sits there
>Looking slightly bashful
>And very awkward
>Shit shit shit
>Say something
"Uh... hello"
>Smooth
>Better try to salvage it
"I'm Anonymous, nice to meet you"
>Slightly better
>Still sounds more like something you'd say to an employer than a lover
>But you can work from there
>"Hello, Anonymous. We are pleased to meet you as well"
>Ah, so Equestria still uses the "Royal We"
>You hope she'll drop it once you two are more familiar
>Otherwise, this might be hard
>Silence again
"So, you're the princess of the night? What does that entail?"
>Anything to break the silence
>She seems to actually be relieved by that line of questioning
>"We control the cycle of the moon and the stars, ensure that peace reigns even in darkness, and can explore the dreams of others"
>It seems like a daunting task
"That sounds like an incredible responsibility"
>Luna smiles at that, and seems to ease into the conversation a little bit
>"Our work is doubly important, considering the influence our heavenly bodies have over the tides"
>She's almost absent-minded now, caught up in her descriptions
>"And it is even more complicated because of the necessity of maintaining its facing towards our planet"
>Okay, now it's even more daunting
"You must be incredibly powerful to manage all that"
>She takes the compliment in stride
>"Yes, it is quite difficult to do properly, but we accomplish it each night nonetheless"
>Her brow furrows
>"Although some in our domain do not appreciate the efforts we put in"
>Ouch, it seems like she has a raw deal
"I've always loved the night, myself. I find it much more peaceful than the day"
>Luna smiles at that
>"Then it seems that I am in good company. Tell me- er, us of your own practices"
>Well she seems to be getting more relaxed
>That's a good sign
>Although she still won't allow herself to fully drop the "we" bit
"You know, we're going to be married before the week is out. I doubt you have to be formal with me"
>She blushes a tiny bit
>Damn, that's cute
>"I apologize, Anonymous. I am simply not used to familiarity with those other than my sister"
"No need to be sorry, Luna. Just reassuring you"
>She loosens up again
>She really must feel like she's walking on thin ice in this conversation
>You don't blame her, being introduced to someone you're going to spend the rest of your life with and being told to play nice isn't the most relaxing situation
>Either way, you'll do your best to assuade those fears
"As for what I do, it's mostly magic. I spend most of my time in the library, studying either spells or history"
>She seems vaguely interested, so you take it as a cue to continue
"Being a younger son, I probably wasn't going to inherit any real political power, so I figured I would devote my time to aiding our generals in battle"
>Well, first you thought you were going to be a soldier
>Then, you saw the training that Orion had to go through
>You wouldn't have lasted a day as a grunt, much less made it to an NCO
>Armchairs are the right place for your military skill, thank you very much
"Combine that with a natural grasp of magic and a slight aptitude for tactics, and I found a niche in the castle
"Although, I'm not exactly sure how that will pan out now..."
>Your impending nupitals have kind of thrown a wrench in your plans
>"I'm sure that the Captain of the Guard will appreciate your advice"
>You appreciate her consideration, but you're still not sure
>"After all, the Discordian Rebellions were crushed largely by your people"
>And there's the touchy subject
>Ten years ago, rebellions broke out across the continent
>They were oddly synchronized, but it was causing chaos everywhere
>Some countries got hit harder than others
>The Crystal Empire got the worst of it
>The fighting was more intense than your military had ever seen
>Over the three years the Rebellions lasted, two thirds of your military were killed or wounded
>That didn't stop you, though
>The Crystal Empire fought back, hard
>The Crystal Empire tracked down the various splinter cells
>The Crystal Empire broke their agents, pieced together their command, and figured out that one person was behind it all
>The Crystal Empire lost good men and women launching a desperate attack on the Rebels' remote stronghold
>And then Equestria waltzed in and turned their leader to stone
>Naturally, Equestria ended up with all the credit
>Your Empire, on the other hand, got nothing but a weary people, a shattered army, and a nation half in ruin from rebels
>In fact, it was that devastation that led to the desperate alliance with Equestria now
>If you had the military now that you did before the Rebellions, you could easily defeat your foes
>But since you had paid the price in blood to bail Equestria out, you now had to come running to their feet
>Everyone expected that Equestria would remember its debts to the Empire, and offer an alliance freely to even the score
>Instead, you are sold into marriage and your nation becomes a glorified vassal
>It's understandably touchy
>But you remind yourself that Luna obviously didn't mean all that
>That she was not raised learning of the debt that her people owed yours
"Thank you for the confidence in my skill"
>You said that much more coldly than you intended
>Luna's face shows small signs of confusion and hurt, obviously sensing that something is wrong
>Yet before you have a chance to explain yourself, Celestia steps back in to inform you that the chariot is about to land
>Canterlot awaits

---------

>It's dusk as you land in the capital of Equestria
>The twilight bathes the white marble of the city in oranges and pinks
>It's breathtaking, honestly
>You step off the chariot, taking a place beside Luna as a group of guards escort you
>You take Luna's hand, to which she quickly assents
>As you start walking along the streets towards the palace, you start to wonder how you should start a conversation with her
>You might as well try to like each other, considering you're going together "til death do you part"
>Wait a minute
>Luna is immortal
>Okay, now you've got to ask
"Luna, you don't exactly... age, right?"
>"No, Anonymous, not anymore. And neither will you, shortly"
>What
"What?"
>"Were you not aware? Many of the spells woven into my being upon my ascension shall extend to you once we are married"
>You were not expecting that
>Okay, Anon, you're going to be immortal
"I was not aware, actually"
>You're pretty sure you've gone a little pale at the prospect
>"We do not mean to overwhelm you with this so soon. We know it must be a lot to take in"
"I think I'll be fine, Luna. Just need some time"
>It doesn't surprise you that she's back to using the royal we now that you're in public
>You still need to wrap your head around this immortality business
>You take the rest of the walk to the palace as time to process your thoughts
>On one hand, you've hated the thought of death
>And never growing old will also be nice
>But this means seeing your family and your friends wither away around you
>Suddenly, this seems like a much more lonely existence than you thought

----------

>You reach the castle as the sun is about to reach the horizon
>It really is a sight to behold
>Marble spires reach to the sky with ornate roofs
>Statues and gardens line the courtyards
>The whole thing clinging to the mountainside that dominates Canterlot
>It truly is a royal place, in every sense of the word
>When you cross into the gates all but one of your escort leaves you
>The lone soldier introduces himself as Captain Ironheart, saying that the royal guard has assigned him as your escort to your quarters
>But before he can start you going, Celestia speaks up
>"I thank you for your service, Captain, but we shall be taking a slight detour before you show Lord Anonymous to his quarters"
>Luna echoes her sentiment
>"Yes, there is something he must see"
>You wonder what that is as the guard salutes and falls into step behind your group
>Celestia quickly leads you through a few halls and out into one of the courtyards you saw earlier
>It has an amazing view, with an unobstructed, semicircular balcony facing to the North
>You now realize the importance of having Canterlot be build on the north face of the mountain
>The balcony has a clear view to both the East and West
>As the Princesses step towards stone chairs facing the two directions, you know what you came to see
>The sisters reach their "thrones" at the same time
>Each sits down
>Then, their tattoos glow with arcane energy as pedestals rise out of the ground before them
>The two step forward to the pedestals, and plant their hands on the smooth surface
>They bow their heads, and the glow intensifies
>Slowly, the two start rising into the air
>You look on, dumbfounded, as ethereal wings begin to extend from their backs
>Then the princesses open their eyes
>Each one of the sisters has their eyes glowing the color of their magic: Celestia's are a blazing orange, where Luna's are a bright azure
>Their ghostly wings are now fully stretched out, and they raise their hands to the sky
>The Sun sets
>And the Moon rises
>As the heavenly bodies complete their daily dance, you can practically see the magical sparks fly from the princesses
>So much energy is flowing through them, out of them, intermingling and entangling in the air between that it looks like a star is burning right before your eyes
>The magical waltz rises to a crescendo as the sun and moon push along their paths across the sky
>Their powers intensify in a moment of blinding glory
>And then, as if nothing happened, the sisters gently float down to their seats
>You can see from their faces that it took a nontrivial amount of effort
>But as they rise and glance toward each other, you briefly glimpse the immense satisfaction that they gained from performing their duties
>They meet back in the center of the balcony before walking towards you and the guard
>You now notice the slight differences in them
>Where Celestia looks tired yet satisfied, Luna is practically glowing
>Her hair flows and shimmers in the twilight, giving off the impression of stars being woven into it
>Her eyes sparkle like a full moon on a still lake
>She truly comes alive as the night comes
>Celestia bows to the guard and thanks him for his time
>All of this barely registers with you, as you cannot take your eyes off of Luna
>She walks to you and takes your hand before poking fun at your dumbfounded expression
>"What is the matter? You act as if you have never seen a sunset before"
"Not like that I haven't"
>She laughs at your disbelief
>It's high and clear
>So much about her changes once the stars come out
>The whole walk to your quarters, Luna's demeanor continues to be very bright
>She's smiling, laughing, and in her element
>It's actually infectious, and you find yourself being cheerier as well
>This is kind of looking up for you
>It's not long before you find yourself at the crossroads where Celestia and Luna go their separate ways
>Their quarters are in different towers, Celestia's to the South and Luna's to the North
>Celestia goes off tiredly with Captain Ironheart, leaving you alone with your fiancee
>Luna looks over at you, as if pondering something
>"Anonymous, you practice magic fairly regularly, do you not?"
"Guilty as charged. Also, call me Anon"
>"Very well then, Anon"
>She stresses your name somewhat teasingly
>"I believe that I have just the person that you should meet"

----------

>A series of twisting passages later, you find yourself at a strange structure
>It's designed to look like a branching tree coming out of the stone of the mountain face
>Yet what's more strange about it is the complete impracticality of its inside
>There are shelves upon shelves of books haphazardly placed around a central spiral staircase
>Said shelves must be fifty feet high, and contain thousands of strange tomes
>You can see a few wheeled ladders attached to the shelves, and as you look up, you see that the "branches" are walkways to more esoteric sections of the massive library
>Luna uses a spell to amplify her voice before calling into the grand archive
>"STARSWIRL! I HAVE A VISITOR FOR YOU"
>You wish you had some warning before she called out
>Your ears are ringing from having such a loud voice right next to you
>But it apparently did the trick, as you see a middle-aged man with an impressive beard appear on a wooden disk that he is levitating
>"Luna! It's been too long. You should visit your favorite teacher more often!"
>"You know I would if I weren't so busy"
>Luna seems to pout a bit at the Wizard's admonishment
>"Yes, yes, quite so. Now who's this strapping fellow? Finally get yourself a boyfriend?"
>"Starswirl! He's not-"
>It appears Luna is so used to defending visitors that she's on autopilot. Too bad for her you're actually an item
>You decide to step in
"My name is Anonymous, and I am actually Princess Luna's fiance"
>You offer your hand to Starswirl
>He shakes it, looking you up and down
>"Well, I suppose you could do worse, Luna"
>Then, his eyes find the tattoo on your forehead
>"At least he's gifted! Here I was worried you'd end up stuck with one of those fliers"
>Luna appears equal parts pleased and indignant
>Still pouting
>It's incredibly cute
>"Now then, boy. If you're so worthy of my prized student's hand, I think you should show me what you've got"
>You're excited at this prospect
>In the past five days, you've not had the chance to really use your magic
>You square your shoulders
"I'd be honored, sir"
>"This one has fire. I like him already"
>You grin at that
>If there's one type of people you're comfortable with, it's those that practice magic
"I'll warn you, I'm a kineticist, so don't send anything at me that you're not comfortable being broken"
>Now Starswirl grins
>"I'm a conjurer, lad. If it breaks, I'll make a new one"
>The real introductions have been made
>Starswirl gestures to another wooden disk and you step onto it
>He flicks his hand upwards
>The two of you rise through the library
>If he's capable of this outside of his specialization, you wonder what he can do within it
>Not much time to think, though, because he's already started conjuring
>You gather your power in you as he makes his first move
>Clay pots start hurtling towards you
>He starts with two, and you erect a simple force barrier before yourself
>The clay pots smash harmlessly against it
>You smile as you feel the rush of eldritch power flow through you
>This was going to be fun
>The next wave of Starswirl's attacks were similarly lackluster
>He was going through the motions of using the banal cantrips of Conjuration just to make sure you weren't some pompous noble's son who liked to dabble
>You were certain that you had disabused him of that notion
>It was standard in magic duels to spend the first round reading your opponent with the tried and true basics
>In fact, magic duels were quite popular among the more accomplished of you
>They were very rarely carried out to any degree of harm, and generally served as friendly contests between mages
>Generally, the two competitors started by stating their schools of specialization
>Then, the challenger would begin by using spells from his school to "attack" the other
>This would go on until the attacker's spell wore off, and then the challenger would defend themselves
>So, after either batting away or stopping the rest of the pots, you gathered your power to launch into the basic forms of a kineticist
>Your hands played out the jabs of force that were characteristic of basic telekinesis
>However, you tried to fake him out
>While your hands were telegraphing your basic attacks, you directed slightly more intense jabs of force with nothing but your mind
>Of course, the older conjurer was having none of it
>He deftly summoned shields of metal and stone to absorb the force from your attacks
>Your mental jabs were countered as soon as he felt the slightest force rocking him
>Starswirl was damn good
>Your last strike signalled the end of your first attack
>Now that you had each probed each others' fundamentals, the fight escalated
>You were surprised by the ferocity with which it came
>No sooner had you relented in your offense that a spike of marble shot up from the floor below you
>This was more advanced stuff, but you wouldn't give up your secret quite yet
>You elected to use a more mobile strategy
>Taking hold of the disk you were standing on with your telekinesis, you started weaving it around the pillars that shot up from beneath you, threatening to unseat you
>You skimmed through the branches of the library, dodging spikes that came from every angle
>Starswirl was grinning like a madman, his arms moving as if he was conducting a symphony of stone
>As he accelerated, you realized that moving yourself wasn't quite enough
>The spikes started coming faster, and you had to resort to sending shockwaves through them to make them break and crumble before they could hit you
>The display was taxing on you, and you felt relief as the spikes stopped coming
>Sadly, there was no time to relax
>If you wanted to win this, you needed to be as quick with your offense as he was
>You kept your disk flying through the air, electing to keep him on his feet
>Your assault was two-pronged
>First, you broke off the pillars and spikes that he had so kindly created for you
>You flung them at him, sending them criss-crossing across the air between you
>Then, you decided to fight dirty
>Just as you had manipulated your disk to allow you greater mobility, you grabbed hold of his
>It was a cheap trick, only useful to shake him
>After all, you couldn't maintain control of two disks at once as well as all of the spikes
>However, his reaction surprised you even more
>With a laugh, Starswirl jumped off of his disk
>Stone materialized in mid-air beneath his feet
>But he didn't just make a new disk for himself
>Starswirl kept running, conjuring stepping stones just as he moved to put his weight on them
>It was impressive, you have to admit
>You felt your grasp on the immediate spell slipping somewhat, and realized you needed to redouble your efforts to unseat him if you were going to do it before he got a chance to retaliate
>You decided to change up the patterns of the flying stone, trying to get past him
>Your efforts were fruitless, however. Starswirl was incredibly light on his feet
>Your spell slipped away from you at last, and Starswirl took his place back on his disk
>He paused for a second, allowing the two of you to come to a stop facing each other
>He was winded from the effort of dodging and running, and looks you in the eye as he catches his breath
>He smirks, and takes a deep breath
>As he exhales, a thick mist pours out of his mouth and nose
>It quickly fills the room, obscuring your visibility
>Looks like dodging won't be an option this time
>You settle back, breathing deeply and heightening your control over your telekinesis
>The first thing you did was create a shell of force around you that would block any direct attacks, just to be sure
>Then, you extended your senses through the mist, feeling for objects
>As a blind man would feel his way around a room, you extended your ethereal touch through the mist
>There, from the right
>You quickly direct a burst of force to your right, catching a stone as it flies towards you
>Just as you do, you feel something from the left coming
>You drop the stone and turn your attention to the new threat, but not fast enough
>A stone fist crashes against your force shield, and while it stops the attack from reaching you, the shield falters
>You push backwards on your disk, searching the fog for the next threat
>Stones fly at you from all sides, but you've determined that they are simply distractions
>The main threats come in the forms of iron and stone fists and shackles that come at you
>Whether trying to bind you, knock you off your disk, or simply pummel you, you eventually have to resort to simply changing their trajectory rather than really catching them
>Yet even now you can feel the tides changing
>The fog is wearing thin, and Starswirl's time is almost up
>Suddenly, you sense something big coming at you from straight ahead
>A breeze suddenly blows the fog away in front of you
>And you can see a figure of iron and rock charging at you
>It seems that Starswirl used his abilities to create an exoskeleton for himself
>He's big, powerful looking, and has enough momentum to face down a bull
>It looks like it was time for you to pull out all the stops
>You can feel that the spell is about to go out
>Technically, you can retaliate as an attack now
>And it's a very good thing
>Starswirl is almost upon you when you fall into the familiar routine of your new spell
>You shape the burst of force before it comes to be
>A wedge of kinetic energy with as much power as you can push into it shoots forth from your hands and hits Starswirl square in the chest
>His stone armor shatters around the impact as it sends him flying backwards
>For a moment, you're worried that you overdid it
>But as the older Wizard falls back onto his wooden disk, he's smiling
>"Damn, boy! I yield"
>The disks lower themselves to the floor as the magic of the Library restores it to its orignal form
>You touch down and go over to Starswirl
"It was my honor to face you, Starswirl"
>He grips your hand in a tight shake
>"Aye, mine as well. You have some fight in you, lad"
>You go over to an awestruck Luna
>"Anonymous, you are just as guilty of modesty as I am"
"I don't know about that, Luna. I didn't manipulate any heavenly bodies"
>She grins
>Starswirl's rough baritone rings out between you
>"Well, Princess, he has my approval. It's been ages since I had a proper duel like that"
>You can't help but swell with pride at that
>"Now get out of my library, you damned kids. I have studying to do"
>You smile and leave, looking to Luna
>"I will be with you in a minute, Anonymous. Give me a moment"
>You comply

>After you've left, Luna turns to her wizened Mentor
>"Are you going to tell him that conjuration isn't your specialization?"
>Starswirl simply winks, then returns to his work

>You wait outside for Luna, your blood pumping
>It's been too long
>You're glad that there's someone else here with a grasp on the nuances of proper magic
>Luna and Celestia are all raw power without refinement
>It probably comes from how they inherited their gifts through ascension instead of having to hone a meagre natural talent meticulously
>Either way, you were looking forward to studying with Starswirl more
>You could tell that he held back to an extent, but you expected that you wouldn't see his full power in your first meeting
>At least now your power could grow with one of the largest repositories of magical knowledge in the world
>This was shaping up to be a lot better than you expected
>Luna comes out of the study, and you offer your arm to her
>She accepts it, looking amused at your newfound vigor
>"Pleased with ourselves, are we?"
"I got to demonstrate my sole valuable asset. I'm quite pleased with myself"
>Luna laughs again
>"I'm sure that's not the only thing you're good at"
"You got me. I've been hiding an unparalleled skill at underwater basket weaving"
>Luna looks at you oddly
>"I was thinking of other skills that you might be hiding"
>She leans ever so slightly closer to you
>She's moving her lips towards yours
>You move to meet them in a kiss
>Your lips touch, hesitantly at first
>Then, you two relax and let it happen
>After a moment, you pull away
>Luna is blushing furiously
>Seems like she doesn't have the werewithal to back up her teasing
>"Thank you, Anon. That was... nice"
>She stammers out the words with her eyes firmly fixed to the ground
"No need for thanks, Luna"
>"Well, um, anyways, we should keep looking around the castle"
>She's speaking very quickly now
>She seems to be incredibly embarrassed
"Luna, was that your first kiss?"
>"ONWARD TO THE THESTRAL BARRACKS IT IS"
>You'll take that as a yes
>You let your flustered fiancee lead you through the castle grounds
>She takes you through a garden on your way back to the North Tower
>It's really quite beautiful, yet you find the hedge maze incredibly easy to get lost in
>Luckily, Luna knows how to navigate through it almost effortlessly
>She seems to calm down a bit by the time you get to the tower
>You're glad, too, because you are met by guards there
>The guards aren't like anyone you've seen before, though
>They're gaunt and tall, with piercing eyes of orange or yellow
>Their armor is pretty fearsome looking, made of blackened metal and ornamented with curves and crescents
>However, the strangest part about them is the fact that they have wings
>Now, a lot of people you knew could fly
>It was about as common as being able to use magic
>But they almost always only had ethereal wings from some latent magical energy taking form within them
>The wings would only show up when they were actively flying, and looked feathered like a bird's
>It was not so for these guards
>They had black, leathery wings more suited to a bat than any bird, folded behind them at rest
>Luna walks up and they immediately snap to attention
>"Eclipse, Umber. This is Lord Anonymous, my betrothed. You are to treat him as you would me"
>A hint of surprise registers on the guards' faces, but they quickly get over it
>"As you wish, Princess"
>Luna nods to them, then leads you inside
>This is actually the first time you've been inside Luna's tower
>It's decorated sparsely, but tastefully
>A bit of a gothic theme runs through it, with high ceilings and arches
>All around, you see what you presume to be the Night Guard going about their duties
>They are all members of that strange race that you encountered earlier, and they all seem to be loyal to and friendly with Luna
>She knows most by name, and frequently stops to ask how they are
>After a long climb, she reaches a large room directly below her chambers, and stops with you there
>The blush is back
>"Anonymous, we are about to enter my bedchambers"
>This should be good
>"I assume that because of the demands of travel, you are tired and need rest. I, however, need to take care of the castle and the kingdom in the night"
>"Feel free to use my- er, our bed for rest today. The marriage ceremony tomorrow will be held at midnight, so please try to be awake around dusk at the latest"
>"As it is not proper for us to sleep in the same bed before we are married, I shall take my repose on the couch"
>Aw, she's trying to be gentlemanly
>Gentlewomanly?
>You knew that Equestria's society was based around female primogeniture, but weren't sure if many roles were reversed
>The guard forces seem to be an equal split, but apparently Luna thinks that it's her job to be uncomfortable for your sake
"That's really not necessary, Luna. I can sleep on a couch with no problem. It's your bed"
>"Nonsense, I insist that you take the bed"
>She's blushing even harder now
"No, no. I'll sleep on the couch. You're the Princess here"
>Luna gets a devious smile on her face
>"You're right, I AM the Princess of the Night. And dreams"
>Uh oh
>You quickly start trying to think of ways to avoid what's coming
>No caffeine around
>No way to run laps
>"Go to sleep, Anonymous"
>Damn her!
>You feel the words laced with magic rushing into your brain
>You were doing a decent job at staying awake despite being tired before
>Now, it's as if all your defenses crumbled away
>You feel your eyelids drooping
>To make matters worse, Luna starts singing what sounds suspiciously like a lullaby
>"Goodnight, Anon"
>You feel magic gently lift you off your feet as you doze off
>Your subconscious is a bitch
>That's all you can think of as you find yourself back in Adamas, capital of your Homeland
>As with most dreams, it's a strange version
>It's colors are more saturated then it ever was in real life
>You float lazily through its skyline, pulled by some unknown force to the castle where you spent your childhood
>Damn, only a day away and your subconscious is already homesick
>The only weird thing is the people in the streets
>Normally, they weren't this packed unless there was a special event
>You can't see well, but there appear to be seas of people lining the avenues around the palace
>Your vision shifts once more, to a scene familiar from your childhood
>It's you and your family playing chess
>Yet, as you look down at yourself, you realize that you are on the board itself
>Dressed richly, with a heavy crown upon your head and a white base below you
>To your right is Verita, playing the part of the bishop
>Ahead of her is Orion, leaping ahead as a knight
>And to the left is Princess Celestia, the shining white queen
>Pawns are moved ahead, and suddenly your father's hand reaches down to move Verita forward
>Right into the gaze of a monstrous, towering beast perched atop a rook
>You see his mistake, and try to call out
>Yet no words come out as you watch Verita be devoured by this beast
>You want to rush forward and destroy it, but your fathers hand reaches down, bringing you further away, placing you behind a protective rook as he castles
>But this leaves the white queen unprotected
>You look on helplessly as a black bishop streaks forward towards Celestia, and time slows as you hear your older brother Tristan laugh
>As the bishop springs onto Celestia, blackness closes in until her crown is a pinprick of light in a sea of darkness
>Then, that too gets snuffed out
>And you wake in a cold sweat
>You sit upright, panting
>You always hated nightmares
>As you calm down, you take in your surroundings
>Soft, comfortable bed
>Silk sheets
>Spells over the windows that turn the light of day into a more comfortable twilit glow
>Same gothic decoration
>...Couch five feet away with a disheveled Princess sleeping on it
>You feel kind of bad about that bit
>Checking a clock on the wall, you see that it's four in the afternoon
>You're in the last stretches of Autumn, so that gives you about an hour until dusk
>Which means Luna should be getting up soon
>You have to act fast
>You take a seat on the foot of the bed, waking up your mind from the recent shock of the nightmare
>You close your eyes, reaching into your inner reserves of magic
>As you open them, the faint magenta glow coming from your forehead confirms your success
>You carefully pull the covers of the bed back as your telekinetic powers slowly envelop Luna
>Slowly, gently, you lift her from the couch, and move her over to the bed
>As she slips out from beneath the blanket she threw over herself when she went to sleep on the couch, you can see that she doesn't sleep in anything from the waist down
>Except for a pair of black lace panties
>Damn
>You shake your head slightly, and continue bringing her over to the main bed
>When you place her down, she turns slightly, but stays asleep
>Flawless Victory
>You bring the covers back up over her, letting them rest slightly below her shoulders
>Releasing your grasp on the magic, you let her settle into the bed
>Time to get dressed for your wedding

----------

>"Stop fussing, boy! If I'm going to get this crown to fit without covering up that tattoo, you need to sit down and shut up!"
>Apparently getting dressed for your wedding was a more intensive task than you expected
"I wouldn't be fussing if you weren't trying to asphyxiate me with this amulet"
>When you had left the room, you realized that you had no idea where your formal clothes were
>"It's called a choker for a reason. Now what did I say about shutting up?"
>Of course, in what turned out to be a mixed blessing at best, you had been promptly greeted by the arrival of Starswirl the Bearded
>It seems that he was, as the male closest to Luna, in charge of making you respectable for the wedding
>"There. Now that the crown is on, it's time to review the spells you'll need to cast"
>Equestrian ceremonies were quite different from yours
>Admittedly, you never enjoyed all of the pomposity and opulence of the Crystal Empire's traditions
>But upon being sold off as part of a deal with a larger, more imposing power, you kind of wish for all the familiarity you can get
"Why do I have to cast spells for this? I thought it was about joining of lives"
>It turned out that instead of your custom of having the bride be accompanied by a female friend and the groom by a male, Equestria had it reversed
>The bride's choice would work with the groom, and the groom's with the bride
>It made sense as a ritual of bonding the friends of the betrothed, but wasn't particularly applicable in this case
>"Magic IS life. I swear, the Crystal Empire never teaches the theory behind these things. If you're going to be with this woman for eternity - and it had damn better be for eternity - you need to mix the very essence of your beings"
>You didn't know any women in Canterlot, and Verita was sure as hell not coming over for a single day
>Therefore, your choice was Princess Celestia
>You imagine that this would be easier with a beloved sister reassuring you instead of a curmudgeonly wizard berating you
"Okay, just go over them again, please"
>You were slightly nervous about what you'd have to cast as part of this
>Apparently, you needed to display your prowess in a way that would carve an image of you as a ruler
>Normally, this is done at the ritual of ascension, but you're bypassing that rite through the marriage
>You could just be married in, but it might leave resentment, or lead to questioning your capability
>It was better to just prove yourself and find a signature style
>Luna had done it with shadow and night, just as Celestia had done it with sunlight and warmth
>"It's not hard. Just imagine it as your kinetics, but shaping the energy with the force. It's all potential, whether it's kinesis or electricity doesn't matter"
>You and Starswirl had wracked your brains trying to figure out something suitably flashy that would be based off of your skill as a kineticist
>The two of you, after much debate, had settled on lightning
>It was rarely used in magic because of its unpredictability
>It wasn't easily controllable matter like ice, water, or stone
>And you couldn't control it with fuel like you could fire
>Yet, Starswirl had theorized a way to fully harness it using its scientific properties
"Yeah, breathing and focus and all that, but what's the order again?"
>He had spent the last two hours teaching you the theory of it while he got your traditional outfit ready
>It was a beautiful set of clothes
>A midnight blue sleeveless tunic, inlaid with silver thread that shone in the moon, with jet-black pants
>A cuirass of black oxidized steel with matching greaves and plate boots
>An amulet inlaid with a sapphire around your neck, and a steel diadem with a hole in it that fit neatly over your tattoo
>It's a shame that it might all get fried
>"Hands, body, eyes, crown. Keep the insulation up, it won't hurt you if it can't go anywhere"
>Hands, body, eyes, crown.
>Simple enough, really
"Thanks, Starswirl"
>"Don't mention it"
>A clock rung out, striking 11
>"Get out there. It's showtime"
>You step out into the moonlight, Starswirl coming up behind you
>Two guards are waiting at the door to accompany you
>You believe their names are Diana and Nocturne
>They respectfully incline their heads toward you before taking up stride beside your wizardly companion
>Your group makes their way through the hedge maze until you come to a part of the garden that you hadn't seen before
>It's a beautiful grove, with ancient oak trees planted around it
>In the center of the grove is a still, clear pond with a wooden structure built on it
>The boughs of the oaks create a circle that lets the moonlight shine down onto the platform
>The grove is situated on a balcony that faces the north
>Beyond the marble railing is a courtyard in Canterlot proper where you can now see thousands of Equestrian citizens gathered
>The wedding of a royal is a big deal, even if Luna isn't as beloved as her sister
>You step up to the wooden platform, taking your place as the few palace guests start to shuffle in
>Starswirl is dressed in his court fineries, sitting in the first row of seats
>Then, after about fifteen minutes, the guests fall silent
>As silence descends, a lone refrain rings out in the night
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imGaOIm5HOk
>You look back, and you see her
>Princess Luna is absolutely stunning
>She is wearing a midnight blue dress with gems woven in that shine like stars
>Her hair is artfully drawn back, still flowing with the magical wind that seems to blow through it at all times
>Makeup is minimal, but expertly applied
>Her eyes shine forth in the moonlight
>You need to give some credit to Celestia as well
>She's dressed elegantly, yet understatedly, letting all of the attention fall on her sister
>And on Luna the attention does fall
>As she shows up on the magical projections that broadcast this event to the Canterlot citizenry, an awed murmur ripples through the crowd
>She is smiling a subdued, royal smile, yet you can tell that she's quite happy
>She steps forward, slowly, to the beat of the music
>You're not usually one for sentiment, but your heart nearly skips a beat at the sight
>You can't help but smile too
>She slowly makes her way down the platforms, coming up next to you in the middle of the lake
>The two of you stand on the platform, gazing into each other's eyes
>Starswirl and Celestia come up beside you
>Celestia guides Luna's hand to a pedestal between the two of you
>Starswirl shows yours to the same spot
>Your hand intertwines with your bride's
>For a moment, you can't believe you're doing this
>But it's certainly too late to do anything about now
>And Luna's smile tells you all you need to know
>Starswirl and Celestia shake hands, then step off of the platform
>The officiator tells you that it is time for the exchange of magic
>Luna steps backwards first, drawing her hand away from yours
>She closes her eyes, then brings her hands to her lips
>She blows into them gently, then opens her hands to reveal wisps of light hanging in the air like stars
>They fly around her, nestling into her dress and hair
>Finally, one flits up to her diadem, growing in size until it became a miniature moon above her head
>You step away from the pedestal, and dare a glance over to Starswirl
>He smiles knowingly at you, and simply nods
>As if to say "You can do it, Anon"
>You step back, and focus your energy into your hands
>You focus, remembering what you went over with Starswirl
>You imagine the electricity running through your fingers, yet never leaving you
>Staying within your body, not escaping to the ground below
>You send a surge of magical power into the image, and lightning crackles to life in your hands
>Gasps come from the assembled audience in the city
>Looks like you made an impression
>You let the energy flow up your arms, into your body
>Holding the electricity within you, letting it run through you
>It's exhilarating, and amplifies your every feeling
>You imagine the lightning flowing through you fully
>Circling from foot to head, along the currents of your being
>You open your eyes, and find them alight with blue sparks
>Luna looks slightly awestruck
>Starswirl simply beams like a proud father
>You smile, and bring a hand up to your forehead
>The power surges into your crown, lighting it up with the same coruscating energy that pulses across your body
>You look towards Luna
>She grins
>You reach out to take her hand, extending the barrier preventing the energy from going into the ground to protect Luna from it as well
>She grasps yours, the pinpricks of light flitting around her wrist
>At the contact, you feel a sudden surge of energy, like a dam barring you from her sprung a leak
>All that's left is a kiss to seal the marriage
>You lean in towards her
>She meets you halfway
>At the contact, the dam fully breaks
>Magical energy flows through the gap now bridged by your lips, mixing the essence of your souls
>It obviously shows externally, judging from the cheers of the crowd
>You pull away from your wife, and see an aurora playing out above your heads
>The cheers of the crowd are uproarious, and the magical video cuts out
>You turn to Celestia and Starswirl, Luna's hand in yours
>You're confused, though
>You thought they would look happy, or at least congratulatory
>Not angry and scared
>You had just begun to wonder what the reason was when you feel the knife in your back

----------

>You are Luna, Princess of Equestria
>And you are NOT going to be a fucking widow
>It's been a few days since the wedding, and Anonymous is currently being tended to by the best doctors in Equestria
>He's still in critical condition, and they're keeping him under a sleeping spell to make sure he doesn't accidentally hurt himself while their magic works at his internal wounds
>In the meantime, you have taken it upon yourself to figure out what the hell was behind this
>Sure, you didn't love Anon yet, but he was your husband damnit
>And even more pressingly, an attack in the middle of Canterlot Castle is a sign of something going horribly wrong
>The attacker was apprehended by Celestia and Starswirl before he- before IT could get away
>It was soon revealed to be a strange, partially insectoid creature, standing upright yet utterly alien
>The thing had changed its form to disguise itself as one of your Night Guard, and had waited for your wedding to strike
>However, as soon as you took it in for questioning, it babbled something in a language no one knew, barked out a rasping laugh, and died
>An examination of the body revealed that its brain had simply abruptly ceased to function
>The only sign of damage was to a strange organ that the doctors couldn't decipher the function of
>It connected the brain to the antennae of the creature
>Since then, you've covered up the news of the attack
>Thankfully, the video to the masses cut out beforehand
>They are currently none the wiser
>In fact, they've nicknamed your new husband "The Stormbringer" for his display
>The irony of it lets you laugh in the face of what is undoubtedly a storm to come
>Right now, you're standing in the main wing of the palace, in a room with only your Sister and her most trusted advisors
>Equestria's Spymaster, Field Marshal, State Minister, and Canterlot's Guard captain all stood around a circular table
>You swallowed your anger at the circumstances, and spoke
"Does anyone have any idea as to how the hell that happened?"
>First to speak was the Spymaster, a woman by the name of Nyx
>"Not as of yet, my Lady. We have no records on anyone like the would-be assassin, at least that I've found"
>Next was the Field Marshal, a grizzled veteran with a fiery beard named Magnus Guldrensson
>"Aye, we've no reports on anything like this, apart from old myths from my home. Changelings, they say"
>On cue, the State Minister, Ellipsis, interjects
>"And do you believe that every freak snowstorm is a resurgence of the Windigos? It was obviously powerful magic, but there are many nations that have means and motive to sour the alliance with the Crystal Empire"
>Celestia looks unconvinced by this
>"With all due respect, Ellipsis, we do not know of magic that can persist after the subject's death"
"The attacker did not revert to human form when killed"
>Your sister smiles at you
>You're not sure if you're just on edge, or if you detect a hint of condescension in the expression
>"Correct, Luna. Therefore, we can conclude that this is the assailant's natural form"
>Magnus grins, looking pointedly at Ellipsis
>"Score one for the superstitious barbarians"
>At this, Vigilus weighs in
>The Captain of the Guard is a soft-spoken soldier, having served in the Royal Guard since you could remember
>"That does not rule out permanent alterations by magical means"
"We'd be so much further along if the damned thing hadn't died!"
>You are fed up with this
>You've been talking about doing something for the last three days
>Talking and talking and talking
>How not to cause panic in the populace
>How not to cause an international incident
>It was time to DO something
"We cannot simply stand here and debate while the threat of more of these things goes unaddressed"
>Magnus throws his lot in with yours
>"I agree with the Princess. I'm a man of action, sitting idly by is no way to go about this"
>Nyx adds her thoughts
>"We should be watching our neighbors for signs of mobilization. Those that launched the attack will be preparing to follow through"
>You had momentum
>You had supporters
>You were starting to feel good about this
>And then your sister chimed in
>"To act before knowing more about who caused this problem would be unwise. We need to wait to discover more"
>You're floored by this
>How can she propose just sitting there while Anon is on death's door
>More than that, how could she so blatantly contradict you in front of everyone?
>You knew that she sometimes questioned your judgement
>But to outright shoot down your authority like that?
>You see the effect it has
>Nyx settles down, ruminating on the though
>Magnus grimaces, but nods his head in deference
>"Sorry lass, but your sister has the word of it. We cannot act hastily against her order"
>You glare at Celestia
>Does she not know what this means to you?
>You'd been playing second fiddle to her for years
>Vigilus steps in between you two, attempting to placate you
>"I will make sure to conduct thorough inspections of the guard, and double security on the palace. Rest assured, Luna, you will be safe here"
>Nyx inclines her head
>"I'll have my agents searching for any signs of military activity from the surrounding nations"
>Magnus and Ellipsis similarly make shows of support
>Celestia sighs
>"Thank you. This meeting is adjourned"

>You feel... impotent
>You're powerless as your advisers walk out of the room
>No, they're Celestia's advisers
>You turn to your sister, anger in your eyes
"Why would you do that to me?"
>Celestia looks surprised
>"Do what to you? I simply thought that we could not act with so little information"
"You know damn well! You overrode me out of hand!"
>Your sister frowns at that
>"Luna, I didn't mean to block you out. I merely thought-"
>No, damnit, you hear this every time
"You thought that I was just your inexperienced little sister who can't rule"
>"Luna, that's not what I meant"
>Celestia steps towards you and raises a hand
>You don't comprehend what she's doing
>She couldn't possibly mean to strike you, could she?
>Then, your sister reaches out and brushes a tear from your cheek that you didn't know had fallen
>"Luna, I worry about you"
>Damnit, no
>You can't take this
>You turn around and storm out of the room
>You were a Princess, you had to get it together
>Even when you were scared out of your mind
>You know what you'll do
>You turn, and make a path for the Hospital where Anon is being treated

----------

>The Hospital is just outside of the castle proper
>It's technically the Canterlot Hospital, but has a special access from the palace, and utmost confidentiality
>There's a floor reserved for Royals, Diplomats, and the Royal Guard
>It's there that your feet take you
>The guards outside of Anon's room swiftly part for the Princess of the Night
>You step into the room, passing by weary doctors that have spent their energy trying to heal Anon
>But an unfamiliar sight greets you when you see the bed where he lies
>The doctors aren't currently tending to him, but a tall figure stands at the side of Anon's bed
>All you can see right now is his long, dark hair, and a black crystal clutched in his hand
>His head is bowed
>You approach him, shocked that the guards would let him in
>The man hears your footsteps behind him and turns around
>He regards you with trepidation, and you instantly see a family resemblance
>He has the same prominent cheekbones, the same angular jawline
>"I'm sorry we couldn't be introduced under more favorable circumstances, Princess. My name is Tristan, and I'm your brother-in-law"
>Okay, he's royalty
>And a family member at that
>You should really make your best attempt to be formal
>Yet after all this and the fight with Cel, you don't have the energy to
"And I am Luna. It is good to make your acquaintance, although I sorely regret the timing"
>Tristan looks grave at that
>Not the affected gravitas that many nobles put on, but a genuine care
>"I am to extend my family's condolences that they could not be here"
>That, however, was a standard noble tactic
>He's saying what needs to be said without stating it outright
>He actively wanted to come see Anonymous
>Their family were willing to sign their names on the get-well card
"And I extend my sincere gratitude for your journey and their concerns"
>Play it carefully
>Acknowledge that he made an extra effort, but don't alienate the family
>"I will relay it when I see them next. Truthfully, I did not expect you to be here"
>That came as a surprise to you
"Why not? Anonymous is my husband. I care for him"
>You do care for him
>Maybe not in a romantic way yet
>But he's attractive
>And one way or another, you're with him for eternity
>You see him as at least a friend, and you sincerely hope he makes it out of this
>...and, if you must admit, you might have more than a bit of romantic attraction to him
>"Really? From where we stood, he was more hostage than husband"
>That's harsh
>Not entirely undeserved, but harsh
>You knew that the Crystal Empire thought that your nation owed them a debt for taking the brunt of the Discordian Rebellions
>And maybe you agreed with them
>But it wasn't your call to make
>And Celestia's advisors thought it would be best to make a move towards unity with a long-time ally that had many cultural similarities
"It was not I that sought him as a price. I had no more choice in this matter than he"
>Tristan raises and eyebrow at that
>"Yet you are a ruler of this nation, are you not?"
>You sigh
>It's the same question that everyone asks when talking about Equestrian politics
"My beloved sister is the primary authority in the land. I serve to assist her, and rule over the night"
>Tristan smiles a hollow smile
>"It appears you have more in common with dear Anonymous and I than I presumed"
>He then gestures to the spot by Anon's bed beside him
>You walk over and stand at his side
>"We have a type of ritual in the Crystal Empire. It's a silly superstition, and is more like a prayer than any true magic, but it reminds us of our origin. I was wondering if you would wish to perform it with me"
"I would love to"
>Tristan holds up the black crystal, revealing the silver chain it hangs from
>He starts singing softly in an old language, one you recognize from school
>It's what was spoken in the Old Crystal Empire, before Equestria conquered it some 700 years ago
>The Empire had regained its independence a few centuries later, but not before the language died
>You hum along to the melody, the notes coming naturally after hearing it
>As the music fills the room, the black crystal starts to change
>It looks as if the insides shift slightly, and colors start to form in it
>A full spectrum of blues and teals opens up, catching the light of the room and dappling it over Anonymous
>You look over at Tristan, and see him smile knowingly
>He continues singing, letting you continue the melody as he slips into a haunting harmony
>It goes on for around two minutes, before he resolves the tune
>As the last notes fade, the crystal shifts again, turning opaque and black once more
"What was that? Magic?"
>Tristan laughs quietly
>"No, I'm afraid that Anonymous was the sorcerer in the family. This is simply a Harmonic Stone, a crystal that responds to the resonance of a voice by shifting its components at slightly different frequencies"
>"The light bounces through it differently as the different parts resonate at different tones, creating the colors. It's more of a parlor trick than a prayer"
"Nonetheless, it is impressive. I thank you for showing me your customs"
>He smiles again, yet it is still that melancholy smile
>"I care about my brother. I really do. Treat him well, Princess"
>At that, Tristan turns from you, walking back through the room and out of the doors
>The guards let him out, they must recognize him as the Crown Prince of the Crystal Empire
>You reflect back on what Tristan said about it not being magic
>The Crystal must have played tricks on the light in the room cast over you
>After all, you could swear you saw a purple glow from his tattoo

----------

>You stayed with Anon for the next few hours
>Just sitting by him, waiting and hoping for him to wake
>Doctors came and went, and from what you could tell, he wasn't getting any worse
>Of course, he wasn't getting much better, either
>As you hear the clock strike eleven, you remember that you have a court to hold
>It was more formality than anything, petitioners rarely came by in the night
>Yet it was your chance to exercise what power you had, and you wouldn't miss it
>You leave the hospital, spreading your ethereal wings, and catch a passing breeze up through the city
>You soar beneath the stars, circling around the spires of Canterlot Castle as you flew towards the main hall
>You had always loved flying ever since you gained the ability from the Ritual of Ascension
>That didn't mean you were good at it, but you were steadily improving
>You just felt so free when you were flying, unfettered by gravity
>Able to just glide on currents, soaring to the heights
>It was always a short-lived reprieve, though, because you always had to come down
>You sigh, and land on the balcony leading into the main hall
>Now, it's just going through the familiar motions
>You recieve your ceremonial breastplate at the royal access to the hall
>Don your crown of silver
>Walk into the empty hall, and take your seat on the smaller throne
>You still have a good thirty minutes before court opens, and you take the time to prepare the hall
>A snap of your fingers sets blue flames alight, igniting the torches on the walls
>The glass of the skylight lets in the moon and stars
>And you are profoundly alone
>Finally, you let the pressure of the weeks weigh down on you
>Anonymous being stabbed
>The ensuing squabbles as to how to react
>The reports of your enemies to the North, East, and South raising armies to fight
>Most recently, the fight with Celestia
>It was almost too much
>You were expected to lead, but not make decisions
>Saddled with the responsibility, but given none of the power
>Such was the burden of your position as Princess of the Night
>No one lived in your night
>They slept through it, never to appreciate the beauty
>Wait a minute
>Sleeping
>You were the Princess of Night; you had power over dreams
>You could talk to Anonymous after all
>You could gain some respite at last, and ask his input and advice
>Excited, you quickly gathered your magic to you
>It wouldn't interfere with your holding court, time in the world of Dreams was convoluted
>Hours there were minutes here
>You would have all the time you needed
>Anxious, you reached out to find Anon's mind

----------

>What you found surprised you greatly
>You were used to fever dreams
>You knew that when the body is in pain, it creates even stranger images in its subconscious than usual
>Which is why the normality of all of this seemed so unusual
>You saw the gardens of Canterlot, specifically a small grove that had a lone white birch in its center
>Beneath it sat Anonymous, idly bouncing a sparking arc of lightning between his hands
>He was leaned up against the tree, dressed in his wedding clothes, and still wearing his diadem
>You were about to go down to him and make yourself known when you see... yourself
>Fascinated, you watch as your dream-self walks towards Anon
>You watch her go, and you know that this is how Anon sees you
>She's more beautiful than you think you are
>Her features are more accentuated, she walks with more confidence, and she smiles an effortless smile like the weight of the world ISN'T on her shoulders
>You sorely wish you could be that woman
>She sits next to Anonymous, leaning her head on his shoulder
>His arm wraps around her
>She leans in, and he kisses her
>You find yourself getting slightly flushed
>Seeing your husband's attraction towards you is not only validating, it's also slightly... arousing
>You're tempted to wait and watch when you remember that you have a purpose here
>You drift down towards your dream-self, and take over from her position

----------

>You are Anonymous
>You're having a wonderful night
>You're out in the gardens beneath a starry sky, with your arm around your wife
>Life couldn't be better
>You feel Luna stir under your arm
"What is it, sweetie?"
>"Anonymous, you're dreaming"
>Goddamnit
"Well that's a darn shame. I was getting used to this, even if it is just talking to myself"
>You smirk
"Say, subconscious, would you mind giving me a few more minutes with my hot-ass new wife before waking up? Please and thank you"
>You lean back in to kiss Luna again, but she pulls away, blushing furiously
>That's odd
>"Um, Anonymous, it's me. This isn't your subconscious anymore"
>Nah, that's impossible
>You're wife is just the...
>Magical sorceress Princess of the Night and therefore dreams
>Fuck
"Wait- it's you?"
>Your wife grimly nods her head
>Okay brain, time for some serious work
>Run full damage control
"I apologize thoroughly, you know that I would never speak to you in that way-"
>Luna looks away, brushing a strand of hair over her eyes
>"It's alright, let's just... put it behind us"
>Okay, could have been worse
>Seems like she's too shocked to be offended
>Proceed with acting as if it never happened
"So, why are you in my dreams?"
>Luna squares her jaw in determination
>"You were wounded grievously at our wedding, and have yet to awake"
>Well that's bad
"That doesn't sound good. What prompted you to come to me like this?"
>She sighs heavily
>Her shoulders sag and she slumps back against the tree
>"The aftermath has been total chaos"
>You raise an eyebrow inquisitively, prompting her to go on
>"Running the nation becomes much harder in times of war. I was shielded from involvement in the Discordian Rebellions because of my youth, but this time I take the full force. Add to that the oddity of your attacker, and it becomes overwhelming"
>Wait a minute
>You get stabbed on your wedding day
>Your possibly-demigod wife decides to access your coma dreams
>And her purpose is to come to you for moral support
>You let out a laugh at the absurdity of the circumstance, one that is obviously not appreciated by Luna
>Her glare quiets you, and you think up a proper response
"I understand, getting asked to make life-or-death decisions is never easy. It never should be. Now what was this about a strange attacker?"
>Luna explains what they found out about your would-be assassin
>You never saw anything about it in your studies, but...
"It sounds like a Changeling"
>Luna looks surprised, and her look betrays her recognition
>"I heard that from our General"
>It doesn't surprise you
"Changelings are a folk tale from Minos. The legends say that they abused the gift they had to change forms, using it for sowing chaos and feeding off of the love of others. The Gods punished them by making their true form horrible to look upon, and casting them out of the world, into mountain caves and underground hives. They follow a Queen, a being of terrible power that exerts absolute control over her followers"
>Luna looks at you inquisitively
>"If this is a legend of Minos, how do you know it?"
>You smile to her
"The Royal Family of the Crystal Empire is descended from the land's original inhabitants- I share more blood with that general than with you"
>From her face, Luna appears to be taking this Changeling theory much too seriously for her own good
>You don't want to scare her with legends
"Of course, these are tales told to children that try to explain how the Glaciers are castles constructed by Giants made of Frost, and how thunder is the sounds of an eternal battle between the Gods and Giants"
>She looks unconvinced
"If you don't believe me, ask Starswirl. He'll know that there have been absolutely no sightings or other proof that Changelings are anything more than a faerie tale"
>She starts to protest, but her voice is drowned out by a strong wind
>You look confused, but not nearly as much as Luna
>A split second later, her look of confusion turns to one of joy
>She starts shouting over the wind, but you can barely make it out
>"Anon, you're waking up!"
>That's nothing to be worked up over
>Oh, wait
>You were stabbed
>Luna surges forward, wrapping you in a hug as the wind blows your hair and clothes
>"I will see you before the sun is up! As soon as court concludes, I'll be there!"
>The wind starts blowing away the gardens that you were sitting in, and Luna starts to fade with the landscape
>Your world coalesces into a single point of light
>Then, you wake up with a jolt to startled doctors and a burning pain in your back


>You're pretty sure your back is on fire
>At least it feels like it
>The doctors are talking to you, instructing you on all sorts of things
>You aren't listening
>The one thing that you caught was that they didn't expect you to be back so soon
>After what seems like an eternity, the doctors stop speaking and leave your room
>You start reaching back to explore the wound, using a couple of mirrors to see it
>The wound was as much of a cut as a stab, yet you know it went deep
>Oddly enough, the skin is knit back together almost seamlessly
>The only evidence that the wound was there is the blackened scab
>But when you touch the skin, you realize that what you thought was a scab is actually just your skin
>It's pulled taut and blackened, but it is smooth and unbroken
>Even now, you feel the burning subsiding
>You hear the door open quickly, and turn around, expecting to see your wife
>Instead, Tristan stands before you, with one of the most genuine smiles you've ever seen him sport
"Tristan! Get over here!"
>He walks to your bedside, reaching an arm out and clasping you in a hug
>"I came when I heard you were badly wounded. Neither Father or Orion could be bothered, but it's their loss"
>You're not surprised at this news, merely glad that Tristan came
"How long are you here for?"
>Tristan grins sheepishly
>"Only until tomorrow. Things are tense back home with the deal, and I need to get back"
>You're saddened by that
>You were hoping you'd get some more time with him
>He immediately notices
>"Cheer up. We have now at least. By the way, I met your wife"
"Oh really? What'd you think?"
>"Not my place to say, but I think you could have definitely done worse. Her sister seems like she was born with a whip in her hand"
>You can't help but laugh at that
"She's not that bad once you get to know her"
>Tristan looks unconvinced
>"Yes, but imagine being married to her. If she's this strict with her sister and country, her husband would be manacled to her side"
"Don't jinx yourself, Tristan. Never know when the Empire will need another Alliance"

----------

>You spent the next hour joking with Tristan
>It was relaxed and easy, just like when you were kids
>You caught up on each others' lives and the changes that happened when you went away
>You told Tristan about Starswirl and your new nickname, he told you that he had started practicing a bit of magic himself
>Apparently, he finally found something that helped him materialize the power
>You were glad
>Eventually he had to sleep, and so Tristan bid you farewell
>"Good night, Little Brother. And remember, you owe me"
>He closes the door on his way out, leaving you alone with your thoughts
>You had missed this side of Tristan
>He had been much gloomier in the past few months as he became more and more frustrated with the Empire he was expected to rule
>You didn't know what caused the change, but it was a good one
>As you sat contemplating the change in your brother, you almost didn't hear the door creak open
>You definitely heard the scream of "ANONYMOUS!"
>And you definitely felt the impact of approximately 140 lbs of excited princess slam into you in a hug
>"Anonymous, I came as soon as court was out!"
>Luna is clinging on to you
"Hey, no worries. I'm glad to see you here"
>You hug her back
>She obviously needs some comfort right now
>"You won't believe how worried I was. I am NOT becoming a widow a week after marrying"
>You chuckle at that
"I had no intention of letting you become one"
>She stays in the hug, pulling you close like she's afraid you'll slip out of her grasp
>You sit there for about a minute, one hand stroking her star-flecked hair while the other held her
>Eventually, her grip relaxes, and she sits up to face you
>You can see her eyes are misty with tears that she would not let fall
>"We have a lot to talk about"

---

"So, to sum it all up: We have no idea who or what attacked me, who or what they were working for, why they did it, or how they got into the castle. Apart from that, the Gryphic Kingdoms have made an alliance with Araby, who are both massing manpower; the tribes of Minos have started raiding villages in the northern Crystal Empire, and Dracosia has been negotiating with the burgeoning alliance."
>Luna looks weighed down by a lead balloon
>"Yes... that's about right"
"Wow. I take a nap for a week and the whole country goes to shit"
>Luna was not expecting that response
>She frowns and lightly hits you on the arm
>"These are the affairs of your nation, and you would do well to take them seriously"
>Well, looks like the fun police are here
"Okay, okay. Well, our most pressing concern are the Gryphics. Their knights are formidable, and their diplomats are currently a nexus of cooperation between otherwise disparate nations. If we shatter them, then Dracosia never enters the war, Araby bails, and we're left to clean up Minos"
>"How do you propose we 'shatter' one of the most powerful militaries in the world?"
>Ay, there's the rub
"Well... they don't have much magic power, so a few groups of battlemages from the Crystal Empire would be invaluable. Apart from that, I don't know yet. I've only been awake for two hours"
>Luna sighs, and turns her head away
>"I'm sorry. I'm just lost right now and need something that Celestia can't possibly shoot down"
>Celestia?
>That's a new problem
"What's wrong with Celestia?"
>Luna withdraws even more
>"It's nothing. I've just not been myself lately"
>Damnit
>Problems aren't fixed by being ignored
>No matter how much you try, you can't seem to get her out of the shell she's built up
"Come on, Luna, if you can't talk to me, then you can't talk to anyone"
>She nods quietly
>"In time, Anonymous. For now, we have larger matters to worry about"
>Her attempt at stoicism gives you conflicting emotions
>On one hand, it's not the way to deal with problems, and just leaves ill-will to ferment
>On the other hand, you DO have larger matters at hand, and Luna needs to pull herself together
>And she's cute when she tries to be tough
"As long as that time isn't too far away, I'll concede"
>Luna hugs you again
>"I promise. Let's just relax for a moment"

----------

>The moment had turned into an hour
>You sat with your wife, taking in as much of the hour of peace as you could
>You talked about things of no importance
>And it felt damn good to just make small talk
>To put the stresses behind you and just sit
>Apparently, it was so relaxing that you fell asleep
>You awoke to doctors hurriedly discussing something at the far side of the room
>They notice you sitting up, and one steps forward
>"Lord Anonymous, it is good that you are awake. We have something to discuss with you"
>Oh no
>That's never good
"Alright, just get it out there"
>The doctor looks confused at your grimace
>"Oh no, my lord, I'm afraid you misunderstand. You've made a recovery we thought impossible"
>Another doctor speaks up
>"There appears to be almost no residual damage after you woke up. Apart from the blackened scar, it's as if you had never been stabbed"
>You're floored
>"While we would like to keep you for tests as to your tremendous recovery, your request has been requested at the Palace as soon as you are able. Therefore, you're free to go."
>You leave the hospital room in a daze
>You've been given back your clothes, and are now dressed in the standard court attire- an Iron breastplate over a midnight blue tunic
>As you take a chariot back to the palace, you think to draw on magic again
>You decide on something simple- you'll just juggle some rocks with telekinesis
>It's fine control, but not any great amount of force
>You reach out with your mind to connect to the ether, and find a gateway easily
>You slide into the familiar currents, choosing a set of pebbles along the roadside
>You grasp them gently, and swiftly pull them into your waiting hands
>Your magic didn't decay at all from the coma, and it almost seems a bit easier
>You think that it must be the effects of marrying a princess
>Better magic probably comes with the whole "immortality" thing
>Effortlessly, you make the rocks spin through the air, guiding their paths easily
>Then, for fun, you decide to add a little flair to it
>If the country was going to call you the Stormbringer, you might as well practice with your signature
>You go back to the place of mental discipline that Starswirl taught you to go towards
>You insulate yourself from the world, making sure the current does not leave except for where you wish it to
>Then, you draw upon the electricity all around you and send lightning surging into the stones
>You feel much more in control of it now
>There's still the rush of danger as the electricity struggles against your hold, but it's much easier to guide it along your intended paths
>Satisfied, you withdraw the current and let the stones fall to the roadside once more
>The guard driving the chariot smiles at you
>You think you recognize her
>She was one of the guards you met on your first night in Canterlot
"Eclipse, right?"
>She looks mildly surprised that you remember her name, but more amused than shocked
>"Sure thing, guv. Er, sir. Eclipse, Centurion in the Lunar Guard, at your service. Right good thing with the rocks and all, especially after all that you've been through"
>She's cheeky
>You think you like her
>Now that you get a better look at her than a passing glance in the middle of the night, she looks the part of a soldier
>She's tall, just an inch or two shorter than you
>Her black hair is cut short, but unruly, as if it protested its confinement in a helmet
>Her eyes are a bright hue of lavender, and her impish smile betrays her short fangs
>She winks at you
>"So you aren't freaked out by the fangs and wings and all? I've been told we look right scary to normal folk"
>You laugh
"I got stabbed by a myth. Speaking of that, should I be thanking you for not draining my blood?"
>"Don't mention it, cap. Oh, I should say- I've been told I'm a part of your new personal guard. Princesses need people watching you that they're decently sure aren't freaky bug assassins"
>Her nonchalance is infectious
"Hey, as long as you promise not to stab me on my wedding day, you can't be worse than my past experiences"
>"Alright, easy enough. Won't do none of that. So I get the seal of approval?"
"Yeah, sure. Now get your eyes back on the road"
>Eclipse sticks her tongue out
>You're really surprised she hasn't gotten reprimanded for behavior yet
>Actually, she probably has, just ignoring it
>After her minor protest, she fixes her attention on maneuvering the cart towards the palace
>"We don't actually suck people's blood for the most part. They put up too much fight. We figure it's easier raising livestock than descending upon unsuspecting townsfolk in the night"
"I suppose us unsuspecting townsfolk should be grateful to the cows, then"
>"Righto, cap. They're the real heroes here"
>You laugh, and Eclipse soon joins in
>Not long after, you're pulling up to the palace gates
>The sun is about to finish its descent now, and you see the figures of the sisters far above, getting ready for their daily rite
>Eclipse whistles as she looks up at them
>"You sure are a lucky man, cap. Them Princesses are a class apart"
"They really are"
>You say it under your breath as you watch the royal sisters rise up like goddesses of old
>Your chariot is waved through the gates, and you lose sight of your wife and sister-in-law as you pass through the gatehouse
>After a quick trip to the stables, Eclipse salutes you halfheartedly
>"Alright, where to next?"
"I think I'm alright on my own, Eclipse"
>The guardswoman grins sheepishly
>"Sorry, cap. Your wife's orders. Not to let you out of my sight 'til we know what's up with the creepy buggy thing"
>Lovely
>Eclipse grimaces at your expression
>"Look, it's not all bad. You get to spend lots of time with a lovely girl like myself"
>You crack a slightly smile
"Might be a better prospect if I weren't newly married"
>Eclipse just shrugs
>"That's not my fault. Now, as I said, where to?"
>You sigh, resigned to your fate
"Let's go to the library. There's a certain scholar I'd like to talk to"

---

>The trip up to the Royal Library was quick, if tiring
>This palace has too many damn stairs
>Nonetheless, you and Eclipse arrived at the building in good time
>Opening the doors, you step inside seeking Starswirl only to find him in the midst of a heated argument
>He's leaning over a round table with a few maps on it, talking with two people
>The first was a slender woman with silver hair, dressed in black, form-fitting leather armor
>The second was a giant of a man with a thick red beard and an axe at his belt
>Who was currently fighting to keep a smile off his face as Starswirl shouted at the woman
>"What in the depths of Tartarus do you mean, can magic do that? No one knows, because no one in their right mind would create an EVIL BUG MONSTER!"
>The woman argues back in a quiet, venomous voice
>"I am merely relaying the inquiries of the Princess. If you have an objection to the matter, raise it with Celestia, and please refrain from shooting the proverbial messenger"
>She turns around sharply on her heel and makes for one of the exits from the Library
>The bearded man offered a grin of condolence to Starswirl before following on her heels
>Eclipse whistles behind you
>"Never knew that Nyx could get so feisty. Looks like the wizard's grumpy too, cap"
>After thanking the guardswoman for her astute observation, you call out to Starswirl
>He sighs in relief when he sees you
>"It's about damn time, boy. You had us scared out of our wits with that stunt"
"What stunt!? I got stabbed, damnit"
>Starswirl cracks a wry smile
>"Excuses, excuses. Now what brings you in?"
"Do you have any books on rare forms of magic in here?"
>The aging wizard doesn't respond, instead causing a stone disk to rise out of the floor and carry him towards one of the nearby shelves
>He pulls up to it, then peruses for a second before calling back down to you
>"What kind are you looking for?"
>You start walking over to him
"Any type of magic that could cause a wound to knit back up in remarkably short order"
>Starswirl goes down a row, then looks displeased
>"I'm afraid that you'll have to give me more to work with than that. Any side effects?"
"None other than blackening around the area"
>Starswirl nods, looking back at the books
>He contemplates for a second before levitating three off the shelf and down to you
>The titles are pretty esoteric
"Dragon's Blood and the Sanguine Order, On Obsidian as a Crystalline Focus, and Hexes of Ancient Slavia?"
>Starswirl puts on a comical scowl as he registers your hesitance
>"That's all I can think of off the top of my head. If you're going to be an ingrate, go do it somewhere else"
"Thanks, Starswirl. I'll make sure to return these when I'm done"
>"Bah, you had better. Not all Librarians have world-altering powers, but those that do don't take kindly to overdue grimoires"
>You chuckle and leave with Eclipse, heading to the next stop on your list
>As you walk through the grounds with the books in your arm, Eclipse starts to idly hover alongside you
>It's slightly disconcerting to see the leathery wings carry her partially aloft
>However, things get quite unnverving when she takes out an apple and hooks her fangs into it
>You watch with slight fascination as the apple starts draining of juice, crumpling and drying out
>After about 30 seconds, it's just a husk that she discards
>Seeing your expression, Eclipse laughs
>"Sorry about that, cap. Forgot that you folk always seem to think that your neck is next"
>While you're still slightly freaked out, you don't want to show it to your guard
"It's fine, I suppose I do much more dangerous things with magic than walking along with a vampiric guard who's sworn to protect me"
>"That's the spirit! Why think about how I could kill you when you can think about how YOU can kill you"
>These people certainly have a sense of black humour
>They probably need to considering the suspicion they must generate
>Before long, you end up at the tower that leads up to Luna's chambers
"Hey Eclipse?"
>"Yeah, cap?"
"I'm going to try something to avoid all those damn stairs. But before I do, do you know if the tower has a teleportation shield?"
>"Don't think so. Bubble should only protect from teleportation from outside"
>That's a relief
>You judge the distance, then visualize the distance compressing into a neatly folded wall
>You mentally rip a hole in the wall, and step through...
>Coming out on the balcony leading to Luna's and your bedchambers
>You take a couple of moments to let the teleportation sickness wear off, and by the time you're composed, Eclipse has flown up
>"Right good, there. Glad you're all in one piece"
>You smirk at the guard
"Well, I'm off to see my wife, wish me luck"
>Eclipse feigns a worried look
>"Ooh, dangerous. Well, I'll be out here if you need me"
>You push open the door, walking into your bedroom
"Luna, I'm-"
>"ANONYMOUS!"
>Oh dear
>It appears that you've walked in on Luna in a bit of a compromising position
>Your wife is lying on her back
>Blushing scarlet
>Topless
>With a pair of midnight blue panties around her ankles
>And a hand between her legs
>Well
>You quickly avert your eyes
"Agh, sorry!"
>Luna sighs
>"No need to be sorry, we're married"
>You hear her swallow, and mutter under her breath
>"I knew this had to come sooner or later"
>You hear her footsteps on the floor
>Soon, you feel a hand on your cheek, guiding it around
>Luna turns your head and presses her lips to yours
>It's a sweet kiss, but she soon pulls away
>Revealing that she's done nothing to dress herself but pull up her panties
>She's stone cold gorgeous
>Her breasts are perky C-cups with pale nipples
>Her stomach is toned, leaving a nice set of curves at her waistline
>Coupled with the ass of a goddess
>She smirks at you with eyes meant to be sultry but betraying a slight hint of trepidation
>"Like what you see?"
>In return, you pull her in for another kiss
>This time, it's passionate for both of you
>She pulls herself closer to you, pushing her bare breasts against your chest
>You cling to each other in passion before you pull away, leaving a single strand of saliva hanging between the two of your mouths
>Luna looks up at you
>She wipes her lip with the back of her hand
>The motion causes her breasts to jiggle ever so slightly
>You're at full attention by now
>She looks down at your crotch
>She blanches a little bit, but then looks back up to you as if steeling herself
>"Anon... I think we should, uh... fuck?"

>Damnit
>Sometimes you think the universe is definitely out to get you
>You're married to a Princess
>Easily one of the three most beautiful women in the damn kingdom
>She's practically naked in front of you, proposing sex
>And yet the way she said it...
>You can't do that to her
>She doesn't want it, she just thinks it's expected of her
>'Lie back and think of Equestria' or some shit like that
"I would love to, Luna, but..."
>You struggle to come up with a justification, drawing out the conjunction
>As you do, you see a highly contradictory set of emotions play out on Luna's face
>First, relief
>Then, hurt
>Bewilderment comes next, followed by embarrassment, and a sudden burst of shame
>"Oh... I understand, Anonymous. I was getting ahead of myself"
>She hastily moves to cover up her chest with an arm, turning her head aside as a blush plays over her cheeks
>"I know that developing attraction takes time, and that maybe I'm more attracted to you than you are to me right now, and I should have-"
>She's starting to ramble, so you cut her off there
"Luna, it's not that I don't find you attractive. Quite the opposite, in fact. I just think that maybe we should wait a bit"
>Luna doesn't fully buy it
>"Anon, we're married. I don't think we really need to wait much longer"
>Yet under all her protests, you clearly see the undercurrent of relief
"Look, just give me a bit of time, okay. I need to... recover from my hospital stay. Can't exert myself too much..."
>That excuse was full of shit
>Luna seems to buy it, however
>"Alright. I suppose that means I should probably get dressed"
"Yeah, I guess"
>This did not go well
>You kind of awkwardly shuffle around in a corner while Luna starts re-dressing herself, eyes glued to the wall
"I mean, we can still, you know, talk about stuff right now"
>Good to know you're still smooth as ever, Anon
>You hate your brain sometimes
>Luna seems not to take that too well
>"While we would love to share our thoughts with you, we are afraid we must attend to functions of court before too long"
>Ouch, you're back to the royal we
>Way to go, Anon
>Should have just listened to the shoulder devil and fucked her
>Plus, you know that court doesn't begin for another three hours at least
"Good luck, Luna. And, uh, we can talk more when you get back"
>She turns back to you slightly before walking up and giving you a stiff peck on the cheek
>"Certainly. We shall see you before sunrise"
>And, with that, Luna walks out of the room, stiffer than a crystalline spire
>You sigh, slumping back against the door to the balcony
>You must have made a thud, because your guard knocks on the door
>You crack it open
>"Everything alright in there, cap?"
>You let out another deep sigh
"Eclipse, I think I fucked up..."

>Your Thestral guard comes through the door, lowering herself next to you
>"You... wanna talk about it?"
>She sounds pretty inexperienced with this kind of thing
>She probably didn't become a guard so she could play counselor to a Prince
>Too bad, you need to unload this
"I think I might have pissed off Luna"
>"How did you manage that so fast?"
>How do you put this
>You did just meet Eclipse
>You tentatively phrase your explanation
"I might have turned down an offer that I clearly wasn't supposed to refuse"
>Eclipse looks momentarily confused
"I mean she's pretty, but she obviously didn't want to give what she was offering, and I couldn't do that, you know?"
>The confusion turns to embarrassment when she figures it out
>At least she wasn't one for blushing
>"Well, uh, good on you for not taking that offer, right? I think she'd be grateful for that"
"I think it made her feel unwanted or something. I don't know"
>Eclipse kind of sits there for a bit, not knowing what to say
"How do you deal with boy problems?"
>Your guard clears her throat a little
>"Well, I mean, I've never really exactly... been involved with anyone to have said problems with"
>That surprises you
"Really? I would have thought-"
>Eclipse cuts in tersely
>"Training didn't leave much time for a personal life if you wanted to make it to the Lunar Guard, okay?"
"Alright, alright. Sorry, I'll leave it"
>And, tense silence rules the room again.
>You're about to decide that it's probably time to go figure out something to do when Eclipse speaks up
>"I guess you could try being all romantic. Make her feel wanted and such. Seems like a husband thing to do"
"It couldn't hurt. Thanks"
>She seems to regain a bit of buoyancy at that
>"Happy to help, cap. Now, if you want directions to a place that sells flowers..."