//------------------------------// // Post Common Era Chapter Twelve/War of Stars Chapter Eight: The Wedding is Getting Close // 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 Twelve/War of Stars Chapter Eight: The Wedding is Getting Close Masao was pinned down by enemy fire, in his own home to say he was upset would be an understatement, he didn’t even have his bolter on him, all he had was his magic, and that wasn’t doing him any— “Shoot it! It’s just a damned—ugh!” there was a thump followed by several more. There was no more weapon’s fire, however Masao was not going to risk getting shot to— “Leaving the fighting to your mare? If that how you do things, Masao? Because if so I am going to have to start training more.” called Willow Leaf panting heavily she was really out of shape, she was going to practi— “CELESTIA DAMN IT!” she suddenly cried as she dropped down, the adrenaline that had been rushing through her system, allowing her to ignore the pain in her hoof finally running out she collapsed in pain just as Masao rushed over to her. “You foolish, foolish mare, what in tartarus did I do to deserve you?” he said as he hugged her close, the sweat coming off of her wetting his shirt, thankfully there was no blood. Masao ordered the pegasus to round up some guards to take the enemy combatants into custody. Upon the arrival of the guards Masao, who had, until that moment, been focusing his magic to keep the humans unconscious released the magic, luckily none of them awoke, they were stripped of all military hardware. The pain from her hoof far worse then before made her pass out, not being used to that sort of pain any longer having led a soft life for the last several years. Now that there was no enemy fire, Masao was able to concentrate well enough to port him and Willow Leaf to the throne room surprising the trio of alicorns there. - - - “She was foolish! She could have—” “If she hadn’t shown up when she did, I could have been dead or worse! I am not letting you take out your anger at the Terrans out on her! If anything the fact she did that without thinking shows she cares,” said Masao and Luna looked hurt before Masao continued, not noticing Luna’s hurt look, “she had the best chance of getting to me, and not getting stopped enroute. You, however would have been stopped several times and would have been too late even with your teleporting magic, that would have been pointless in the middle of a firefight” at the end of Masao’s tirade Luna sighed, he was right, Willow Leaf did have the best chance at the time to get to him before anything happened, and she did, and she fought on a wounded hoof, that same wounded hoof that would, once the adrenaline wore off, would knock her out as she made it worse with her acrobatics, gymnastics, and martial arts. “You’re right, love, I can not be upset at her for following her heart…” “Following my what now?” asked Willow Leaf as she pushed herself up, the surface she was laying on was extremely soft, and there was a rhythmic beeping in the background. “Ah I see my patient is finally awake now!” said the doctor as he checked in on the room before deciding to check on Willow Leaf’s hoof, “The Prince and princesses were worried about you, young filly. You managed to break your front ankle, no doubt from one of your training exercises, and then going off to save the prince. Tsk tsk tsk. You could have died, though I doubt that would have stopped you” “I broke my ankle?” Willow Leaf asked and the doctor nodded before motioning for the nurse to come in and check on everything else. “If everything checks out you can be on your way home before breakfast, we just needed you awake so we could perform the procedure on your ankle” said the doctor before she levitated a small cylinder over and a red light flashed out of it on to the broken ankle, mending the bone. “That should do it, please let us know if it starts acting up again, sometimes these bone menders don’t work as well as the old tried and true methods of casting the bone” “Th-thank you” said Willow Leaf as she attempted to stand only to be pushed back down on the bed by a concerned Masao, “Wh-what?” “You need some rest, I know these devices are supposed to heal the broken bones are good, but I rather you rest up before leaving” said Masao and the doctor rolled her eyes before leaving the room. Masao leaned over the railing of the bed and gave the mare a light kiss on the lips. “Thank you for risking your neck, I owe you” Willow Leaf smiled lightly and moved her hooves around the human’s neck and pulled him close almost unbalancing Masao. “You have done so much for me, so much I owe you,” whispered Willow Leaf before she released Masao and forced herself back into a sitting position, “but I am not staying in bed, I need to get that damnable dress” “The dress can wait, you—” “I’m getting married come tartarus or high water. Imagine that, I am excited about getting married” - - - The next couple of days were busy, an ambassador from the United Earth Coalition arrived at the palace seeking an audience with Masao thinking that he was the head of the diplomacy aspect and Masao did meet with them, if only to inform him that in fact it was Princess Twilight Sparkle that handled the diplomacy part of the princedom. There was also the the fact that both Luna and Willow Leaf had just stopped sleeping with him, telling him he will get enough to sate him for a lifetime come the wedding night, but as days turned to weeks Masao was starting to get a little on edge… - - - Today was the day, Masao was more than a little frazzled from being cut off, but nevertheless he was happy, there he was standing in the suit that Rarity had made him so long ago, speak of the devil and she shall appear, a purple gem was on the floor, Masao leaned down to pick it up when suddenly the gem glowed and the silhouette of Rarity appeared. “”Darling! Oh it is good to see you! You haven’t stopped by since that disastrous meeting last when you learned that Twilight was summoning us, by the way, I am so happy you decided to wear the suit I made you, but it is so last century! you need something new! I would help but…” “You’re kinda dead” said Masao as Twilight walked in, her horn glowing as she powered the spell, “Twilight, it is good to see you, I know we haven’t talked to each other in a while—” “You told me that you were disappointed in me! You said that I was abusing my friends’ trust!” argued Twilight and Masao flinched “Really Twilight!” admonished Rarity and it was Twilight’s turn to flinch, being scolded by her dead friend, “Your teacher is trying to apologize! He doesn’t need you to attack him” “Rarity! He keeps telling me he’s disappointed in me, that I am violating the natural order of things!” “He isn’t wrong, we’re dead, Twilight, are we not?” asked Rarity and Twilight flinched at her friend’s reply, “I have been dead for a millennia at the least!” Twilight started to tear up and both Masao and Rarity looked at her sadly before there was a sigh. “Do you want me to stop summoning you?” asked Twilight and Masao cleared his throat. “What do you want?”