//------------------------------// // Post Common Era Chapter One/Pre-War of Stars Chapter One: Willow Leaf // Story: The Lunar Knight's Willow Leaf // by Moonlit Novel //------------------------------// Author's Notes: Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit Post Common Era Chapter One/Pre-War of Stars Chapter One: Willow Leaf “I guess, thank you for the story, but I really don’t understand why you are telling me this” said a green mare with a darker green mane and tail and with red eyes as a human with red hair, untouched by the ravages of time which made discerning his age impossible, his eyes, once green in the long almost forgotten past, now were red, with the former whites of his eyes a sickly green. His skin was pale white, having spent more time in the dark of night and indoors rather than the light of day. This human had just finished telling her about the history of Evening Star and Sharp Sword, two mares that she had no clue ever existed, let alone played such a pivotal role in Equestrian history. The human in question was none other than Ser Masao Darkheart, Prince-Consort to Princess Luna and royal protector of the thrones of Canterlot, with all the authorities given to that of the Princesses themselves. “Because, Willow Leaf, I believe you are the mare I have been looking for after all these years…” “No, not possible! I am not some four thousand year old mare!” argued Willow Leaf as she shot up and started to back away, Prince-Consort Masao Darkheart was not known for throwing out stuff like that, every few centuries it would get out that he was still looking and a few families hoping to get in good with the royal family would bring their daughters in hopes that Masao would claim them to be his own. But to be approached by him? In all her years she had never heard of it. “No, that title belongs to me” said a dark blue Alicorn as she walked into the room and sitting next to her husband, their wedding had been a grand affair, much to their displeasure, having wanted a small ceremony, with only friends and family, but they had forgotten how large the Apple family was. The elderly Applejack, who was still as spry as ever at the time had joked that the wedding was so far long in coming she was surprised that it took them so long. “Princess! I am sorry! Prince Masao said I was some reincarnated mare! Please don’t—” “What is it with ponies and assuming that we will punish them for saying things?” asked Luna as she trotted up to the cowering mare and nuzzled her, “Are you sure she is Sharp Sword? Are you sure that she is the mare we have been looking for?” asked Luna in a voice that suggested hope, hope for a friendship to be renewed, hope for her husband and lover to be reunited with his first love once more, and hope that finally after all these years, that they would finally be wed. “I am sure, but, understand Willow Leaf, if you are not sure, if you don’t want to be a part of our lives, we will understand, we will let you be, you’ll never hear from us again” said Masao as Luna sat down on her haunches and a large smile grew on her lips as she looked at Willow Leaf. “C-can I… Can I think about this?” “Of course I understand that this is quite a lot to take in all at once. Take your time, we aren’t expecting an answer anytime soon, but, I would prefer it if you stayed in the castle, we won’t keep you here against your will, if you wish to leave so be it, but it would probably be safer if you remained” said Luna slightly rambling, much to Masao’s amusement. “Th-thank you princess” said the green mare before she shot out of the castle stopping only once she had gotten far away and was soon lost in the streets of Canterlot, now a city of lights and sounds, a technological marvel, standing alongside the ancient architecture it was easy to lose any one tailing you in its twisting and winding streets, the Solar and Lunar Guard however were also similarly upgraded, no longer did they carry spears or even the old revolvers, now they carried more advanced weaponry, the Solar Pegasus guard that flew over her was wielding what the Prince-Consort called a bolter, joking that it looked like a gun from a video game he used to play. Slipping down into an alleyway, Willow Leaf sighed as she pulled a bag that she had been carrying on her in front of her, inside the bag were items that did not belong to her, but rather the original reason as to why she was in the palace, a set of jewelry known as the Elements of Harmony, not the real ones of course as everyone knew that the real ones were sitting in the Tree of Harmony which was under guard at all times to protect it from thieves like herself. However these Elements of Harmony were a gift from Discord using the essence of the tree to give them form, they didn’t have any power by themselves, but if a alicorn—or unicorn she hoped—cast the right spell, they would cast a beautiful light that covered all of Equestria in a beautiful rainbow, the best part for her however was not that, as she was an earth pony, was that they were worth a fortune, and she would be set for life, if she found the right buyer. - - - “What do you mean a fake?” she asked in surprise and the fence she was at simply shook his head and responded as if he was talking to a foal of limited understanding. “I mean, they aren’t the real jewels, seriously, are you thick in the head?” Willow Leaf huffed at that and whipped around and walked away hitting him with her tail. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going? You still owe me some money, especially since you got me out here thinking that you got the Elements of Harmony. Seriously what if this were a trap huh?” “I’d be surprised if it weren’t” said a burly unicorn stallion as he walked into the light, his job was to protect his employer, who at the moment was the fence. “It’s not a trap! I had them, I swear! I even used that authenticator spell gem you gave me! Something must have happened between then and now!” said Willow Leaf and a purple and black oval appeared behind her, mere moments later, Masao and Princess Luna walked through it, Princess Luna wearing a customized cybersuit made for her wings. Cybersuits were an innovation that Princess Twilight Sparkle invented, it magnified the magic of a unicorn, or alicorn several fold, it was never really recorded by how much as she only ever made twelve, as well as the custom ones for her fellow princesses, herself, and a even farther customized one for Masao. Luna’s was a medium blue with darker blue circuit lines running across it, Masao’s a white with black circuit lines. On Luna’s head was a set of tech goggles, with one eye pulled down and the other folded up, Masao had forgone the tech goggles for a helm made of alumice, a cross between aluminum and wrought iron, all the strength of wrought iron and at the weight of aluminum. “Well, I was hoping you wouldn’t be here, Willow Leaf, I was hoping that it was a coincidence that you had visited the castle on the same day the gems were taken. But I guess it was for naught…”