Living Under The Moon Chapter 8 (124-135))

The ground sloshed as you moved through the swampy march of the everfree forest. "I swear..." you mumble as you follow behind Luna

"Swear what?" she asks

"I don't know." You were still a bit flumoxed over everything that happened in the training library. "Did you know I needed physical contact for that?"

"For what?" she asked sounding rather playful

"What happened back there" You fling your hoof into the air

"I may have" You could hear the smile in her voice

"And you didn't tell me....why?"

"The physical contact needed to have a spark of intense emotion behind it." She noted "Repressed feelings specifically."

"I hope you're not implying what Ithink you're trying to imply." You say with a slight grimace.

"Implying; That word shows up in your memories a lot."

You walk besides her as the growth get's thicker andharder to manuever through. "It's a good word."

"Well. I may be implying you have been keeping feelings back inside you" She states "You live with two Mares...."

"Your point?" You ask

"Well now you're just trying to play dumb" She says "You're denying feelings that you've been having"

"No I'm not!" you're voice sort of raises an octave as you get defensive.

"And you're defensive" she says keeping her smile as you look at her beside you,

"Alright." You say to her a moment "If you know so much then prove it."

"You've had dreams about me and Trixie"

You stare at her.

"And twilight"

You point your hoof a moment

"And one nightmare involving Ms. Shines."

"How?!"

"Princess of the night, I can waltze through others dreams when I'm not attending to my own duties"

"Now that doesn't even make sense!" You gripe.

"Well, you could perhaps try and admit you have attractions to those around you"

"And what get shut down? Like every time I ever admit to liking anyone?" You're getting brief flashes of memories from high school..bleeuu high school...

"I'm sure you'd be elated to know more than one has some reciprocation toward you."

"You're bull shiting me now" You laugh. You finally find a solid piece of ground as you stand oun it, the nagging itch of curiousity getting you "Who?"

"That I'm not at liberty to say."

"Tell me!" You say looking her in the face now from your perch.

"It's not me" she tells you with a straight face.

Damn it!

"One night we'll have to sit down so you can explain all these profanities to me." She says

"I said that out loud didn't I?"

"Very loudly" She tells you. "Alsoo That isn't a log you're standing on."

You're suddenly aware that the ground has been moving up slowly as you've been gradully looking down at Luna.

"I'm standing on some sort of terrible monster aren't I?"

"Yes."

You hear a guttural growling under you as suddenly the 'Log you'd been standing on snaps it's mouth open quickly, your reflexes barely keeping you from getting killed as you manage to stay out of it's jaw's.

Suddenly you fly to the ground as you look at the creature. Yellow scaly wood like skin, long legs that seem to stretch as long as a human's. The beast was longer than anything you'd ever seen, it's teeth shining as it stared you both down with soulless wrath.

"That is the most terrifying aligator, I just completely forgot my stupid joke."

"That is a Mons gator"  Luna stated simply as it growled and hissed in your faces.

"I don't know what that means, but okay." you suddenly have a slight idea on what is was like for Trixie back at the NightMare's temple.

"So...uhm, any idea's on what to do?" You ask Luna trying to sound as calm as possibly.

"You're my body guard." she states "You handle it" and with that she suddenly vanishes in a flash of dark blue light.

Fuck.

The Monsgator hisses at you as you stare into it's wide open mouth.

"You know...you're teeth are really white" You're dumb joke came back "I'm sure you get that alot but DAMN they are clean!"

The beast just let's put an angered roar as it lunges. it's teeth snapping down as you leap up flying in the air as you look down .

"HA!" You have no earthly idea why you're laughing at something that has intent on eating you.

You quickly turn and speed off wings spread and flapping as fast as you can make them.

The Monsgator's feet boom as the make contact with the wet swamp ground, it's speed keeping it on your tail as you try to weavce through the forest.

Soarin says rely on reflexes, you remembe that much. You look up quickly noticing the canopy of the forest making an aerial escape impossible.

Just keep going! you repeat in your head as you fly at break neck speed.

You make a quick duck through an arched set of trees, the monsgator following,

Suddenly you hear a loud thump followed by a loud screaching hiss behind you.

You look to find the arched set of tree's having collapsed as a giant boulder lay a top it.

You walk forwatrd toward it seeing one of the gator's legs laying limply from the heap of.

"Well, congratulations Anon, you killed it." Luna speaks up as she stands beside you now

"Where the hell did you go?" You ask in slight surprise from jumping, having not noticed her before

"It's not quite relevant is it?"

"Well it would help me not feel as mad for you abandoning me."

"If it helps...I went back to  dryer land. not far but just enough to not get in your way"

"I question your need of a body guard when you can just teleport with out delay" You quip.

"There are magic disruption spells you know, next time I might not be as lucky."

"Who's in my swamp?!"  A suddenly loud and deep pitched voice calls out nearly making you crap yourself.

"Amos!" Luna called out as a zebra walked out of the brush and overgrowth.

The Zebra appeared to be wearing a deep red vest, atop his head rested a widely brimmed hat, he seemed to have a slight limp as he walked as well "Ah...princess" his voice was deep, the accent sounding something of the carribean or perhaps cajun sound. "It's been quite some time" he commented as he looked to the both of you "And you have a guard...." he acknowledged you there. "Hmm, he's not originally of this plain is he?" he turned to Luna

"MY sister and I had do pull somepony from elsewhere "This is Anon"

You extend your hoof to him momentarily "Nice to meet you"

His first action is to hold up his left hoof....It's missing. Gone up to the elbow joint, extending from the joint area was a stong bamboo stick with a small flattend rock tied to the end, clearly a sort of make shift cane "I'm Amos." he tells you

You hesitantly click your hoof gently on the rock at the end of the cane.

"Well..." amos shifted his stance to his other 'hoof' adjusting the tea shades infront of his eyes slightly "How long has it been since I last seen you Miss Luna, I remember last seeing you from the Eve of Harmony."

"The fall of Discord." She gave a light smile, Looking at the Zebra with the same admiration you'd give to a grandparent.

You give them both a bit of a goggled eyed look "Wait wait wait, This guy's how old now?"

"Old enough" Amos said you feeling a slight glare from under the shades he wore

"I appologise, Anon does not have the most training in etiquette, How has life treated you?"

"Well." Amos began "I've spent most my life here since the Zebral migration here." he noted "I think I may be the last one still in equestria."

"Well, we have good news There is one more" She smiled a bit  "Closer to ponyville is another Zebra named Zecora

"Ah, I can't remember the last time I've seen a female" he smiled a bit, wrinkles on his face stretching about.

"Perhaps one day we can formally introduce you to her." Luna told him as you watched the both of them "Unfortunately Her ties to my sister keep me from having her assist me,"

"Ah, Understandable, it would make sense that any Zebra left from our populace would ally with her due to how everything with the migratrion was."

Luna gave a frown to him "I am truly sorry...had I been around I would have tried my best to keep the migration from being so forced."

"Excuse me?" You butt in just a little "What happened?"

"Well, boy. Her sister, used her position to make most of the zebra's leave equestria, as helpful as we were I think she saw us all as a liability."

"As always, I still am very sorry for my sisters actions in my absense, however, if it's possible, may I ask for your support in some plans I have for the future?"

"I gladly would, if you would like to follow me to my home for s0ome tea...perhaps assist me in retrieving the traps kill as well?"

---

So then you Dragged the Mons Gator all the way to Amos' home.

Which was a giant tree.

You didn't get to stay long however due to Luna deciding to have you leave to check on Trixie and Ivory, as well as Twilight were she still in the castle by this point.  Luna said that she would use a teleportation spell to insure that she made the trip safely by herself.

the flight back felt particualrly lonely.

You land in the front of the castle, the weather was a bit cloudy.

For some reason all you can do is try to remember how long you've been here.
A week? You feel a week and a half, maybe two at it's shortest.

Everything has sort of blended together with how tight the schedule you've kept has been.

"Hey, Anon!" You hear Shining from off to the side as you just now enter the castle.

"Hey."

Standing next to Shining was a slightly taller Guard unicorn "Good evenin sir" the man said in a vaguely familar voice you couldn't quite place.

"Evening, How is everything Shining?" you ask as you walk down the halls.

"Well, I believe it would be good to let you know that we have some Recruits coming in"

"More guard members?" You ask.

"Lunar Guard members." Shining says with a larger than expected smile.

"So more ponies to trian for you"

"For us actually"

You pause "I'm not sure I'm processing this properly. Did you say for us to train?" You look at him  "I'm sort of new to this too"

"Well, We're gonna find out, from what I've been told you're going to be getting some more responsibilities from Luna."

"Next thing you you'll say is I'm going to be assigned as captain to the guard" You laugh a bit.

His face sort of doesn't change as you say that, keeping the odd smile.

"...Keep your mouth shut shining." You say.

"Also, for the next few days I'll be attending to various political goings on in the crystal kingdom" He tells you "Until then my position is going to be taken up by my second in command Lance Jousting."

"Lance...jousting." You look past Shining loking at the Guard behind him.

Pony world....Noun Verb names.

"Well, I'll look forward to training with you for the next few days Lance"

Lance nods a bit "I'll be sure to make them worthwile." he says turning off to go elsewhere,

"I should be back in time to meet you and the new recruits." shinin said

"Okay good." You take a moment to scratch an itch in your mane "Now, I have to go make a check on someone." You say excusing yourself to go walk toward the medical bay.

here came the part that had been nagging at your head since you and Luna had left.`

(Re) Meeting Ivory.