//------------------------------// // Post Common Era Chapter Two/ Pre-War of Stars Chapter Two: Thieves Have a Price, Is Mine is to Marry You? // 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 Two/ Pre-War of Stars Chapter Two: Thieves Pay a Price, Is Mine is to Marry You? Masao stood there, a bolter in his hand, ready to fire at the first misstep of any of the ponies there, Luna however had a look of sadness on her face, and that sadness cut into Willow Leaf’s heart, she didn’t understand why, after all she was just some pony who lived in the castle, a pony she never gave a thought to, except when she read the gossip PADDs. So why did it hurt so much to see the mare in emotional turmoil. “I don’t know what you have on her, but you will release her” “Wait are these really the real Elements of Harmony?” asked Willow and Masao nodded and the mare rounded on the fence, “You lying sack of shit! You were going o turn me in! Or otherwise buy them off me for practically nothing!” “I don’t know what is more insulting, the fact we were robbed, or the fact that the robber was almost robbed” stated Luna and Masao chuckled as two Lunar guard lighted beside the duo, equipped in their battlesaddles as Masao called them, which was quickly adopted by the bat ponies, were a twin set of bolters. “Take them in my little ponies, if either of the males resist, kill them, they attempted treason via robbery, we will handle the mare, we have business to finish with her” the bat ponies nodded and with very little prompting the two stallions were herded through the busy streets, after the unicorn stallion had its magic blocked with a set of anti-magic cuffs. - - - “Please, I don’t want to go to prison!” said Willow Leaf as she was shepherded through the portal that Luna and Masao had originally came through. As soon as she was through her voice fell silent as she found herself in the presence of the two other Alicorn Princesses of Equestria, the fourth alicorn of Equis was actually the ruler of the city-state called the The Crystal Empire so she was not a ruler of Equestria. “So she was there… Pity” said Celestia her looks as unchanging as ever, Twilight’s looks however had changed. Where her hair once laid flat, it now seemed to move as if flowing through water, or a breeze only it could feel, just like the other two alicorns manes. “Hey Celly!” said a familiar voice and Celestia sighed as Discord’s head popped up from the ground and Willow nearly scrambled back through the portal as Masao and Luna stepped through. “Hey Discord, what are you up to?” asked Masao nonchalantly as he walked up to Willow and placed a comforting hand on her back. “Oh not much, I was just out and about, and I find a soul thread that, Oh you already found her! Good! I was worried that she would be in some serious trouble! I mean she did steal the—” “We know Discord” interrupted Luna as she tried to herd her fellow princesses out of the room as Masao turned to Willow. “How much you have changed… You used to be captain of the Lunar Guard, now you are the thief who managed to steal the Elements of Harmony, a feat to be proud of to be sure, but you could be so much more” said Masao with a smile and a nod, the security on the Elements of Harmony was extensive, the fact she managed to get away with the gems and nearly fence them off was a testament to her skill, skill that could be put to use for good, if she had the right mind for it. “Well sorry I don’t live up to your expectations of your dream mare—” Masao chuckled softly at her comment. “I’m sorry it is just funny that you would say that when technically Luna is my dream mare dreams are so much more fun anyway” “EWW! I did NOT need to know that!” said Willow Leaf as she backed away from the human shaking her head trying to clear it of the image that had shoved itself into her mind’s eye. “Now who’s mind is in the gutter?” teased Masao before a serious expression took over his face. “And no, you’d never live up to any expectations, other than greatness, and trust me you have, that feat you pulled off is one of the best done by any thief in the past four hundred years.” “So what is it going to cost me? Huh? Are you going to force me to marry you now? Is that my only way to avoid prison?” “Far from, I was hoping we could use your skills, you once served the crown, and now it has need of you once again” said Masao and the green mare looked at him her eyes narrow before she motioned for him to continue, “Your skills are top notch, to be honest only a dark mage could best you in getting in and out without detection, I only found you because I was looking for the soul that pinged mine” “I am no unicorn, so I don't know how—” “I am getting to that Willow Leaf, you have skills I have use for, even if you will not accept my hand, then perhaps I can offer you a job that will still put you in the lap of luxury as I had planned before, but this time…” - - - “Sister, what do you plan on doing? That mare reminds me of Evening Star for sure, but even if it is her, she broke the law—” “So? She is our friend! Celestia, if we can not forgive our friends than what can we do?” asked Twilight as she sat straight beside her former teacher, Twilight became the first royal to officially practice dark magic alongside light magic, starting a branch of mage that followed her namesake, Twilight Mages. No twilight mage could equal a pure light or dark mage in their respective fields but because of their versatility, they were the perfect ones to apprehend any mage that betrayed the crown. Twilight was also still the Princess of Friendship, and had, with the occasional help of any of her fellow rulers, or sometimes by herself, had forged many an alliance and peace treaty with races that otherwise would have had no use with the ponies of Equestria… “She still needs to—” “No sister, she is my closest friend and I will not have you lock her up just because we could not catch her before she committed a crime, perhaps she became a thief because she had no choice? You know as well as I that there are still parts of Canterlot that are impoverished and where our ponies live in squalor!” said Luna as she stamped her hooves against the ground as the mare in question walked into the room followed by Masao who had a grin on his face. “Willow Leaf… Are you OK?” asked the Lunar Princess as Masao walked around the green mare and stood beside his wife. “You had something you wanted to say, something you wouldn’t tell just me, so go on.” “You mentioned that you wanted me part of your lives, does that mean I would have to marry you immediately? Or does that mean you would have a proper relationship with me?” asked Willow Leaf and Masao was honestly surprised he had not expected that, he expected her to bargain for her freedom, not, in her words, trade one pair of shackles for another. “That is entirely up to you, I would prefer to just get the marriage over with, but—” “What I mean is that thieves all have their price, is mine to marry you?”