//Begin Personal Log
//
//June 7th, 2559
//
//20:38 Local Time
It’s been just over a month since we landed in Equestria, and things just keep getting stranger. Today I had the lovely privilege of meeting a Draconequus, a chimera of sorts, as well as Celestia and Luna’s nephew. I’m really not sure what to think of the two, seeing as how we all just got back from a very impromptu trip. At least it gave the Grafton a chance to see Equestria.
I’ve also had some time to spend getting to know Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. The two of them have been taking some extra time to visit friends and family in Equestria before heading back to the Crystal Empire, to which they offered to have me and my crew visit. I told them that we would be happy to, once an opportunity arose
Though for some reason, Celestia has been quite stressed recently. She has just seemed on edge and worried about something. But every time anyone asks, she just says it’s nothing. I’d like to say she isn’t losing sleep over it, but we all know that’s not true. So Luna decided to do something to lighten her spirits.
Anyway, in two days we are packing up and flying to Praris, the capital of Ecotonia, to watch them launch the joint spacecraft. So that should be fun to go do.
//End Log
It was early in the morning as Daniel was rudely awoken by a knocking on his door. The Captain looked to the clock on his night stand.
“Four in the morning... who the fuck needs me at four in the morning...” Daniel muttered as he pulled himself out of bed, wearing nothing but a pair of baggy sweatpants.
There was another knock on his door.
“Enter.” He called out.
The door slid open as Luna poked her head into the dark room.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Luna asked sheepishly.
“Yeah, but whatever. What’s up?” Daniel asked groggily.
“I need your help with something.” Luna said as she entered the room, closing the door behind her.
“With what?”
“Well, you know how stressed Celestia has been lately?” Luna asked.
Daniel replied with a nod. “Yeah.”
“And you have a bit of musical talent, right?” Luna inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“I like to think so,” Daniel answered with a chuckle.
“Then would you be willing to lend your musical ability in helping me cheer her up?” Luna replied , grinning from ear to ear.
Daniel paused for a moment before answering. “Sure. Just tell me when you want to do this.”
~~~
Celestia was not having a good day. It had started with a rather bad cup of coffee. Followed by holding the day court, which turned into a shouting match between three nobles. Then she received a letter from the gryphons and minotaurs, both threatening to declare all out war on her and the deer. Over a millenium on peace was on the brink of being destroyed, and Celestia felt truly helpless to stop it.
“Tia?” A familiar voice brought Celestia out of her depressing thoughts and back to the real world. Luna stood next to Celestia’s throne, looking at her sister with concern.
Celestia quickly put on a fake, but well rehearsed smile. “Hello, Lulu.”
Luna softened a bit at her sisters employment of the nicknames they had used for each other when they were still fillies. “Is everything okay? You seemed out of it.”
“I’m fine. I was just thinking about some things.” Celestia replied, keeping her facade up.
“I know you better than that. Something is bothering you deeply, what is it?” Luna asserted.
Celestia chuckled softly. “It was a hard day in court. The nobles are squabbling among themselves more than usual.”
“Uh huh... I’ve seen you deal with the nobles before; never have I seen you get so distraught over their antics. So what is it really?” Luna deadpanned.
“For some reason the coffee this morning was atrocious, not a nice way to start the day.” Celestia answered, not noticing the pair of letters Luna was currently reading.
“Really? Are you sure it isn’t because there are two nations threatening us with all out war?!” Luna nearly shouted.
“Not so loud Luna.” Celestia’s smile broke as she looked to her sister with a frown. “Yes, alright. They have been sending threatening letters for the past few days. Though I think it is merely them pounding their chests trying to intimidate us.”
“Right, so the line about burning Canterlot to the ground is just them pounding their chests?” Luna asked with dismay.
Celestia sighed as she took the letters from Luna. “I know they’re serious. I just want to believe that they aren’t.”
“So what are we doing about it? Shouldn’t we have the army and airforce prepare?” Luna responded with a hint of urgency.
“I’ve already sent out orders to have our forces begin training and arming.” Celestia responded with a sigh, her ears going flat against her head.
“So you are already mobilizing troops?” Luna was slightly shocked at how quickly her sister had responded to the threat.
A single tear rolling down Celestia’s cheek. “Yes, I have already given the order that will endanger the lives of many of our ponies.”
Luna sat next to her sister in silence. Centuries of peace had made both Princesses forget the horrible cost of war. Ponies would die if war broke out, and Celestia was the one who would give that order. However, Celestia was determined that no matter what, she would stop her ponies from coming to harm. Even if it meant some of them would have to die.
“C’mon, Tia. I know what might make you feel better.” Luna offered with a smile.
Celestia replied with a sigh as she wiped away a few stray tears. “I can’t. There are still four hours left in court.”
Luna turned to the open doorway. “Guards! Please inform any waiting petitioners that the Princess has been called away on an urgent matter and they will have to wait until tomorrow, or attend night court.”
The two guards looked to Celestia, who offered nothing in response, then back to Luna.
“Yes, your highness.” They replied in unison before slipping through the doors.
“There, problem solved. Now c’mon, I know what will make you feel better.” Luna said in a much more excited tone.
Celestia slowly got up from her throne and followed her younger sister toward their shared lounge. “And what might that be?”
“Well, I know how you always enjoyed having quintets perform, so I made some calls.” Luna replied happily.
“Luna, while I appreciate the thought, I’ve heard most modern music groups.” Celestia stated.
“I know, but this one is different than all the others.” The indigo alicorn responded.
“Oh? And what makes this group so much more different?”
“They’re a bit more... exotic.” Luna said as she opened the door to the lounge.
Celestia’s eyes went wide as she noticed five humans standing in the middle of the room with various musical instruments. Before she could say anything, they began to sing in perfect harmony, all pointing at her.
"Carry on my wayward sun
There’ll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don’t you cry no more.”
Celestia watched in stunned silence as the band played. She recognized Daniel who was standing in front of the group with an odd six stringed instrument and did a bulk of the singing. Zerom stood behind a keyboard and also had a microphone in front of him. Celestia then looked to the short and stocky ODST sat behind a drumkit, who she believed was named Mikey. Next was a human who she didn’t recognize. He stood behind a microphone and was also playing a similar six string instrument to that of Daniel’s. Then there was a human who Celestia recognized as the pilot of the Tuscany. He held an instrument that only had four strings and was longer than the other two six string instruments.
After a few minutes, the group finished their song and looked to Celestia who still sat in awestruck silence.
“I... I’ve never heard such... music...” The Princess said, mouth still agape.
“Looks like she needs more convincing.” Daniel chuckled as he began to play.
As the song progressed, Celestia felt her mood improving. She found herself forgetting about the gryphons, the minotaurs, the nobles, and all her worries. For a moment, she was here with her sister, enjoying music from another world.
Luna looked to her sister and wrapped a wing around her. Celestia replied by slightly leaning against the smaller alicorn as the humans continued to play, enjoying themselves as much as Celestia was.
The group continued to play a few more songs before coming to the end of their set. Celestia sat quietly on a couch with her sister as the final song came to an end.
“Thank you... that was... incredible.” Celestia said with a heartfelt smile.
“Glad you’re feeling better. Makes having been woken up at four in the morning much more bearable.” Daniel replied with a chuckle.
“Indeed. And thank you Luna, for setting all this up.” Celestia added as she hugged her sister.
Daniel removed his guitar before gently leaning against an amp. “So, got any other plans today?”
“I have to meet Discord and Prince Blueblood at the train station this evening.” Celestia stated.
“Don’t worry about that. Daniel and I can get them.” Luna quickly interjected.
“You sure?” Celestia asked her younger sister.
“Of course. Plus it will give Daniel a chance to meet the two of them.” Luna replied with a nod.
“Is this okay with you, Daniel?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.
The Captain responded with a shrug. “Fine by me. When does their train arrive?”
“This evening, around seven.” Celestia answered.
“Great, we’ll be there.” Luna replied happily.
~~~
Seven rolled around as Luna and Daniel sat in a Warthog outside the Canterlot train station. The pair received a few curious glances, but nothing more. Daniel was wearing his usual ODST armor, while Luna had decided to forego her normal regalia.
“So, this Discord guy... what’s he like?” Daniel asked, turning to Luna who was sitting in the passenger seat.
“He’s... interesting; the self proclaimed Lord of Chaos.” Luna said with a roll of her eyes.
“Huh... magical abilities?”
“Yup. Chaos magic.” Luna replied with a nod.
“So he’s some chaos driven unicorn, anything else?” Daniel mused with a chuckle.
“He’s not a pony, he’s a draconequus.” Luna corrected.
“The fuck is a draconequus?” Daniel asked with a scoff.
“A chimera of sorts. Though he was a statue for a number of years.” Luna shook her head as she recalled the memories.
Daniel paused and looked to Luna dumbly. “Okay, start talking.”
“Short version is that Discord went crazy and plunged Equestria into a few years of chaos and mischief. Day and night times varied, seasons and weather changed on their own, strange creatures were created, just general chaos.”
“That’s it? That sounds like a normal day on Earth. Seriously, you just named the normal conditions of every planet in the UNSC.” Daniel deadpanned.
“Then the two of you will get along great.” Luna said sarcastically.
“I take it there is some bad blood between you two?”
“ You can say that. He’s only been reformed for a few years now. Even that took Twilight and her friends quite a while to accomplish.” Luna responded dryly.
“And yet...?” Daniel pressed.
“He and Celestia have... history.” Luna said with hesitation.
“Ah...” Daniel mumbled.
“Yeah. Celestia was forced to turn him to stone shortly before my fall to madness.”
“So what about Prince Blueblood?” Daniel said, quickly wanting to change the subject.
“Honestly, I’d take Discord over Bluebood any day.” Luna replied with a shrug.
“Wait, what?” Daniel continued with a dumbstruck look.
“While Discord is unpredictable, mischievous, and the all around spirit of chaos, he is still fun to be around. Blueblood... he’s a Prince, and he won’t let you forget it.” Luna said with a sigh.
The Captain chuckled. “Let me guess, arrogant, narcissistic, egotistical... am I missing any?”
“Nope, that’s about it. The only reason he gets away with any of it is because he is technically Celestia’s and my nephew.” The lunar Princess answered with a deep sigh.
“Huh, so he’s the son of a third sister whom you have never mentioned? That seems unlikely.” Daniel said, trying to piece everything together.
“I have no idea anymore, and quite frankly, I don’t care.” Luna replied with a dismissive snort.
The pair sat in silence for the next fifteen minutes, quietly watching the night sky, until the sound of a train whistle brought them back to reality. Daniel watched as the steam engine slowly pulled into the station and as dozens of ponies crowded near the doors, eager to board.
“There they are.” Luna said, motioning toward the forward most car.
The lunar Princess quickly dismounted, followed closely by Daniel, before making her way toward the pair. Prince Bluebood was a unicorn of a slightly taller form than the average stallion, though his well kempt blond mane could be the envy of every mare. He held his head high, as if he was trying to ignore the common ponies around him. The draconequus however, was much more relaxed as he walked through the crowd. It was odd for Daniel, seeing another bipedal creature. Discord was easily tall enough to look a SPARTAN in the eyes.
“Hello, Auntie Luna.” Blueblood greeted, never shifting from his holier-than-thou stance.
“Hi, Blueblood. Hey, Discord. How was the Crystal Empire?” Luna said to both.
“It was good. They truly know how to treat a Prince right.” Blueblood said with a proud smile.
“Ya know, I was expecting to be bored out of my skull. Thankfully that wasn’t entirely the case. Those crystal ponies know how to have fun.” Discord beamed.
“I’m glad your trip was successful. I’m sure Celestia will be glad too. Anyway, this is Captain Daniel Ryan of the UNSC Tuscany.” Luna said, motioning to Daniel with a hoof.
“Ah, so you’re the human I have heard reports about. Tell me, have you had a chance to meet the other leaders of the world?” Blueblood asked while carefully eyeing Daniel.
“Yeah, I had a lovely little sit down with the other leaders.” Daniel replied, thinking back on the duel.
“Oh? And how did that go?” Blueblood continued.
“It went fine up until the part where I had to suplex the gryphon king and Commander Dior had to choke out three Minotaurs at once.” Daniel said matter of factly.
Blueblood looked horrified at the last part while Discord began laughing and threw an arm over the Captain’s shoulder.
“Oh I just knew I would like you ever since I first heard about you. Now, I’m thinking of a number between one and ten.” Discord quickly asked with an excited expression.
Daniel looked to Luna in a confused manner. The alicorn merely shrugged.
“Fish.” The Captain replied after a few silent moments.
Discord’s jaw hit the ground in a literal manner before wrapping both arms around the human and pulled him into a tight hug, suspending him in the air.
“I love these humans!” Discord exclaimed.
“Well, I’m glad I was so well received.” Daniel chuckled.
Discord then set the human down and looked to Luna.
“So, we heading back to the castle?” The draconequus asked.
“Yeah, so lets go.” Luna replied before walking back to the Warthog.
“We’re going in that thing?” Blueblood asked, as if offended.
“Is that an issue?” Daniel replied, putting his helmet on.
“How could you expect me to ride in something so... uncivilized?” The Prince stumbled for his words.
“Umm... I don’t think that word means what you think it means. Anyway, it’s either you ride with us, or you walk back.” Daniel answered with a chuckle.
“Or I could just teleport us all.” Discord offered.
“No.” Luna quickly interjected.
“Awww, why not?” Discord asked, slightly hurt.
“Because, chaos magic is notoriously unreliable for teleporting places.”
“But I’ve been practicing normal magic. Blueblood can tell you, I’ve gotten good.” Discord pleaded, pointing to Blueblood.
“He actually has been practicing.” Blueblood offered.
Luna sighed. “Alright fine. Just, don’t screw it up.”
Everyone climbed into the Warthog, with Daniel and Luna in the front, and Discord and Blueblood in the back.
“Alright, one express trip to the castle coming up!” Discord seemed to focus on the spell as an orange aura encompassed his claw. With a pop and a flash, the Warthog and its occupants disappeared.
~~~
The blinding light of the teleport gave way to a very sharp jolt, as if the Warthog had been dropped from a moving Pelican. Daniel had been smart enough to brace himself against the steering wheel, keeping him from smashing his head against it. Though, that was not what worried him.
What really worried the Captain was the barren landscape in front of him. Gone were the buildings of Canterlot, replaced instead with a never ending sea of grey. Daniel slowly looked to Luna who had a truely horrified look on her face. All eyes slowly shifted to Discord, who was trying to hide behind Luna’s seat.
“Eh heh... so I may need a bit more practice.” The draconequus said sheepishly.
Luna let out a blood curling scream and she lunged at Discord, tackling him out of the Warthog and proceeded to beat him mercilessly. Blueblood just sat in shocked silence as he looked to the sky. Daniel too looked up and chuckled.
“Huh, well that’s new.” Looking up, the Captain saw the entirety of Avalon. “So this is the moon huh? Neat.”
Blueblood never said a word, keeping his eyes on the planet. Luna was still straddling Discord’s chest while using her front hooves to deliver blow after blow to Discord, who was trying in vain to protect himself.
Eventually Luna got up and walked back to the Warthog before sitting in the passenger seat.
“So... this is the moon.” Daniel stated, trying to break the silence.
“Yes, yes it is. I suggest you get to love it seeing as how we will be here for a long time.” The lunar Princess said angrily.
Daniel looked back to Discord who was using a paw to stop a nosebleed while leaning against the Warthog for support.
“So, can’t we teleport back off the moon?” Daniel asked.
“No, no we can’t...” Luna stated, glaring off into the barren landscape.
“I’m not really familiar with this whole magic thing, is there a reason?”
“The moon is unique in that it is a one way magical barrier. Spells to teleport away from the moon don’t work. Once you teleport to the moon, you’re stuck there.” Luna grumbled.
“But what about the whole thousand year banishment thing?” Daniel replied.
“That spell is a bit different. Think of it as a delayed teleport. It’s a loophole in the moon’s barrier. Basically, once the spell is cast it teleports the target to the desired location, then after a set time it teleports them back.” Luna answered with a sigh.
“So it counts as a single spell from the planet.”
“Exactly. But because we arrived with a one way spell, we’re pretty much fucked.” Luna said with a snarl.
“Umm, Auntie, how are we even breathing right now?” Blueblood asked with concern.
“Magic. I would expect you of all ponies to understand that, Blueblood.” Luna replied with clear disappointment.
“So the moon has a magical atmosphere?” Daniel inquired with bewilderment.
“Pretty much.” Luna said as she leaned back in her seat.
Daniel then got out of the Warthog and walked around for a moment, constantly looking up at the planet. Luna watched him, but paid little attention, her mind still furious at Discord.
“Look, Luna, I’m sorry.” Discord offered sincerely.
“Sorry? You’re sorry?! You trapped us all on the moon, and all you can say is sorry?!” The Princess yelled.
“I thought I could control it, I really have been practicing.” Discord said sheepishly.
“I was a bucking foal for agreeing to this...” Luna muttered.
Daniel then walked back to the Warthog and climbed back into the driver seat. He then turned the engine on and buckled his restraints.
“What are you doing?” Luna asked, still agitated.
“I was gonna drive around on the moon. Maybe go jump a few craters, see if I can’t find some cool space rocks for the science guys back on the ship.” The Captain replied happily.
“You don’t get it... we’re not leaving here. We can’t leave.”
“Uhhh, spaceships?” Daniel stated with a grin.
Luna paused for a moment as she looked at Daniel’s expression before he continued.
“Grafton will be here in about an hour to pick us up. As far as Celestia knows, we stopped for a bite to eat.” The Captain replied as he began to drive around the lunar surface.
~~~
The group spent the next hour driving around the lunar surface, jumping massive craters in the low gravity, finding ancient space rocks, and generally having a good time. The group was in the process of writing “UNSC” on the moon using the tire marks of the Warthog. So far the U had come out well, but the N and the S were lopsided and horrible. Soon though, the radio came to life.
“Tuscany Actual, this is Grafton. How copy, over?”
“We hear you Grafton.” Daniel replied.
“Tuscany Actual, stand by for pick up. We have you on sensors and will be touching down in five mikes.”
“Tuscany Actual copies all. Thanks for the ride, Grafton.” Daniel answered.
“Glad we could help. Grafton out.” The radio went silent again as Daniel gave up on his moon writing.
“See, told ya it would be fine.” Daniel said with a chuckle.
“I’m just wondering, how are we going to explain my current condition?” Discord asked, his nose wrapped in gauze bandage and a number of bruises covering his face.
“We’ll say you grabbed some mare’s ass in the restaurant and she beat the ever living hell out of you. None of us intervened because we were either laughing too hard or were enjoying the display.” Daniel replied with a smile.
“That’s... insane... I like it.” Discord said with a pained smile.
“Good, cause that’s what I’m going with.” Luna commented dryly.
“Oh c’mon Luna, it all turned out okay in the end.” Discord said.
“We wouldn’t be in the bucking position, had it not been for you!”
“Hey look, the ship’s here.” Daniel quickly interjected before things got violent again.
Sure enough, the Grafton was slowly descending toward the surface of the moon. Her landing struts slowly extended from the underside of her hull, causing dust clouds to erupt from the weight of the ship. Grafton was quite a bit bigger than the Tuscany. Though, this was because the Grafton was a proper warship. She was much longer, more narrow, and much better armed than her Prowler counterpart. Luna sat in stunned silence as the much larger ship touched down.
Daniel began driving toward the frigate's lower cargo bay, near the back of the ship. The bay doors were already open, with a few sailors standing on catwalks. With the aid of a ramo, the Warthog grove up and into the ship. Daniel then shut off the engine as the bay doors closed behind them. The entire ship vibrated slightly as the landing gear retracted and the entire frigate took off back toward Canterlot.
“Well, Daniel this was certainly one of the last places I expected to find you.” Captain Daviston said from a nearby catwalk.
“Yeah, well, I like to mix things up. I don’t wanna get too predictable.” Daniel replied with a shrug as he got out of the vehicle.
Daviston casually made his way down a set of stairs as everyone else got out of the Warthog.
“Princess Luna, Prince Blueblood, Discord, this is Captain Richard Daviston.” Daniel said, motioning to his friend.
“A pleasure Captain, and thank you for getting us.” Luna said with a polite nod.
“Any time ma’am. So, just how the hell did you get on the moon without anyone noticing?” Daviston asked, looking straight at Daniel.
“It’s a long story...” Discord interjected quickly.
“Actually it’s not. That one there,” Daniel said pointing to Discord, “fucked up a teleportation spell and got us all sent to the moon.”
“Huh... well then.” Daviston replied, at a loss for words. “We’ll be in orbit in about half an hour. Join me on the bridge?”
“Oh, but of course.” Daniel replied, locking his arm around Daviston’s.
Daviston sighed, but couldn’t help but chuckle. He had known Daniel for over ten years, this was just normal for him. The group walked through the passageways of the warship until they finally reached the bridge. It was a similar design to that of the Tuscany, though it was more narrow and box-like.
“So, how’s life on the planet?” Richard asked as he sat in the Captain’s chair.
“It’s interesting. Definitely interesting.” Daniel replied.
“In a good way?”
“I’d say so. I mean hell, we’ve met a race of magical talking ponies. I’d say that counts as a good kind of interesting.” Daniel replied with a shrug. “You read any of my reports?”
“I have. You think the gryphons are really going to go at it?” Daviston asked.
“I’d like to think they are just beating their chests like fucking gorillas, but the ONI agent part of me says otherwise.” Daniel replied.
“Fucking spooks.” Daviston said with a chuckle.
Daniel looked over to see Blueblood staring out the window, while Discord was busy talking to the ship’s AI.
“So Luna, would Equestria be ready for war with the gryphons? I know you have the solar and lunar guards, but there must be an actual army.” Daniel asked.
“At this time, no. The guard is the army. It pains me to say it, but centuries of peace has made us soft. So no, we are by no means ready for a war.” Luna replied with a deep sigh.
“Ah, don’t worry. Soft things can be more easily shaped and molded into what is needed. It’s the more rigid things that have problems changing.” Daviston added.
“Look at this motherfucker getting all philosophical. They teach you that in officer school?” Daniel chuckled.
“Not quite, though I suppose you wouldn’t know that, seeing as how you probably slept through OTC.” Daviston countered.
“Touche.” Daniel said with his hands raised.
~~~
The ride back to Equestria was uneventful. Discord happily sat on the deck and talked with the ship AI, Blueblood stared silently out the window, while Luna swapped stories with Daniel and Richard. Though with their trip complete, it was time to go home.
“So Daniel, am I dropping you off in the city, or what?” Richard asked.
“Nah, we have a cover story to maintain, so a warship showing up would kinda blow that.” Daniel replied with a shake of his head. “I was just gonna borrow a Pelican.”
“Go for it.”
With that said, Daniel and the others made their way to the lower launch bay before entering one of the Pelicans.
“Alright everyone, grab a seat. This is gonna be a fun one.” Daniel chuckled as he made his way toward the pilot seat. “Luna, wanna ride shotgun?”
“Sure.” The alicorn replied.
Discord and Blueblood tool seats opposite each other. Daniel then walked by and pulled the restraints down over their heads, holding them against the seat.
“Is this really necessary?” Blueblood asked with indignation.
“Yup. I don’t want to have to hose your remains out of the cabin when we land.” Daniel mused as he locked Discord’s restraints.
“What, ah... what exactly are we going to do?” Discord asked curiously.
“Simple really, we’re going to do an orbital drop. Essentially free fall from a few miles high before pulling up and flying the rest of the way to our destination.” Daniel stated.
No one knew what to respond with.
“Since there are no more questions, lets go for a ride.” Daniel said happily as he buckled his own harness in the pilots seat. Luna sat in the copilot’s seat, located in front of Daniel.
“Everyone ready?” Daniel asked over the intercom.
“Yup!” Came the excited voice of Discord.
“Great. Sealing cabin.” With a dull thud, the ramp folded up, sealing the cabin.
“Grafton Control, this is Tuscany Actual, ready for launch.” Daniel said over the radio.
“Copy that Tuscany, you are clear to launch. Have a nice day.”
“How about some music?” Daniel asked as music began to play over the intercom.
With a loud click and a shudder, the Pelican dropped from the underside of the Grafton and quickly pitched nose-first toward the planet. Daniel pushed the throttle all the way forward as the drop ship sped toward the planet surface.
“This song is amazing!” Discord shouted over the roar of the engines.
“I figured you’d like it!” Daniel shouted back.
Soon the Pelican began to shake as it came into contact with the atmosphere. Occasionally the entire craft would violently jolt, causing Blueblood to yelp in surprise. Luna looked over he shoulder to see flames engulfing the craft as the continued their descent.
“Uhh, Daniel... is this thing supposed to be on fire?” Luna asked with concern.
“What did she say!” Blueblood shouted in terror.
“Yup. That’s normal for re-entry.” Daniel replied calmly.
“Oh... okay...”
The drop ship continued to plummet toward the ground at an incredible speed. Discord seemed to be enjoying the ride, throwing his arms in the air as if it were a rollercoaster. Blueblood, however, was in a state of pure terror, shrieking at every jolt. Eventually, though, the ship began to slow. The flames that liked up the hull went out as Daniel pulled into a more level flight.
“Hey Luna, check the map in front of you and tell me where we are.” Daniel called forward.
“Ten miles west of Cloudsdale, coming up on the Wonderbolts academy.” Luna replied.
“Neat.” Daniel replied.
The rest of the flight back to Canterlot went by without any major incident. It had been an interesting night, one which everyone onboard was more than happy to see come to an end.
“Now remember the cover story. Discord grabbed that mare’s ass.” Daniel repeated.
“And she totally kicked his ass. Got it.” Luna replied.
Daniel brought the Pelican over the city and around the back of the castle, where he quickly docked in the Tuscany’s launch bay.To everyone’s surprise, and somewhat fear, Celestia was waiting for them.
“Shit.”
~~~
Celestia paced in front of the four as they sat on couches in her private lounge. Nothing was said as the solar Princess continued to pace. Discord quietly sat next to Blueblood, holding an ice pack against his bruised face. Luna and Daniel sat together, across from Blueblood and Discord. Eventually Celestia stopped her pacing and turned to the group.
“Discord... I can’t begin to fathom why you would do something so... foalish.” Celestia began.
“I was just trying to help.” Discord muttered through his icepack.
“I understand that, but I can’t understand how such a simple thing like a teleport spell could go so wrong.” Celestia continued.
“I... I kinda made a mistake.” Discord mumbled.
“We know.” Blueblood commented.
“That’s quite enough, Blueblood.” Celestia quickly cut in.
“Well at least it didn’t end with us stuck on the moon for the next eternity.” Daniel said with a shrug.
“Indeed. You’ll have to thank Captain Daviston for me when you get the chance.” Celestia added.
“I’m sure you’ll get a chance soon.” Daniel chuckled.
“Anyway, Discord, no more teleporting until you’ve had more practice. You’re still new to pony magic, so keep practicing. I don’t want a repeat of tonight. Got it?” Celestia said with an intense glare.
“Yes Celestia.” Discord replied in a defeated tone.
“Good. You can all go now.” Everyone in the room silently got up and began heading in various directions, though Daniel stayed behind.
“I’m curious, Discord seems like a free spirit who doesn’t really answer to anyone, so how do you do it?” Daniel asked, leaning against a nearby table.
“Let’s just say I’ve had time to learn his quirks and how his mind usually operates.” Celestia stated with her usual smile.
“Oh? So you would say you know him a bit better than the average pony?” Daniel pressed.
“I would say so.”
Daniel began looking at Celestia with a critical eye. She seemed to return his look with interest.
“How long were the two of you dating?” Daniel soon concluded.
Celestia recoiled slightly in shock. “I’m impressed.”
“That’s why ONI pays me the big bucks. So, back to the question at hand.” Daniel replied.
“A few decades. Keep in mind, time is different when you live for upwards of ten thousand years.” Celestia said with a smirk.
“Yeah, humans live for about two hundred years. So the two of you were dating for awhile?” Daniel continued.
“Yes, just up until Luna’s descent into madness.” Celestia replied.
“Were the two events related?”
“I’m afraid they were. Discord was becoming more distraught as Luna turned to darkness, I’m ashamed to say he saw and even tried to stop it. I was blinded by the love and admiration of everypony, that I was ignoring my sister and even Discord’s attempts at bringing it to my attention.” Celestia said with a deep sigh.
“So he tried to get your attention by acting out with chaos?” Daniel questioned.
“Indeed. He thought that if he could bring my attention to what was crumbling around me, I might see the turmoil that was consuming Luna. Instead, I convinced myself he had gone mad and had him imprisoned in stone. Again, not a proud moment.” The solar Princess concluded. “Though I am happy to see him back and functioning at a, mostly, normal pace.”
“Well, I’m glad things worked out.” Daniel said with a nod.
“Just, do me a favor.” Celestia quickly added.
“Of course.”
“Please keep this to yourself. I don’t need this getting out to the masses.” Celestia said with pleading eyes.
Daniel looked at her in confusion. “Princess, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Celestia smiled at this. “Thank you.”