Bunsen Burner looked toward the Princess of the Moon, who had just announced herself. Princess Celestia looked toward her sister as well, and her eyes softening a little at seeing her beloved sister, but her voice still carried a grimness due to the gravity of the situation, “Luna, it’s good to see you. Bunsen Burner here was just briefing me on a matter of utmost importance.”
Bunsen Burner internally seethed. Princess Celestia was easy enough to lie to; she trusted him after all. Princess Luna, however, was a different matter altogether. He and the Princess of the Night had no deep bond of trust through which he could suggest certain actions and use as leverage for one thing. Another fact was that she was telepathic; however this was no problem to Bunsen Burner.
With the initial return of Princess Luna to Pony society, he had been placed in charge of designing a reeducation program for her, along with helping her to redevelop her powers. The Elements of Harmony had not been surgical when they had stripped Nightmare Moon of her powers, and for a time, the Princess was as weak as any mortal pony. It had taken her several months to regain her powers and her usual physical appearance, which Bunsen Burner used to his advantage. Even as he taught her about the new culture, laws, and policies of Equestria, he was gleaning her for her powers and trying to learn from them. He had eventually found a way to passively reflect Luna’s telepathic powers, which suited him wonderfully; he didn’t want anypony poking inside his mind or reading any of his thoughts. Bunsen Burner had found other ways of distracting Princess Luna; such as suggesting research and reevaluation of Equestrian economic law: that would keep her occupied for years, and out of the way of Bunsen Burner’s attempts to maintain Equestrian order as he saw it. But now there was a new problem; the subject had mentioned he had met Princess Luna, and Bunsen Burner had no way of knowing if she had been contaminated by the subject. For now, she was a risky element in his orderful system.
“Yes, Princess Luna. We stand on the brink of invasion by a race we have not encountered before, and they have already made an attempt on your sister’s life.”
Princess Luna gasped; this had been the reaction he had played for. “Sister, you remain unharmed? You are of sound body and mind?” the purple alicorn asked of Princess Celestia with caring worry. It was only natural for her to feel such compassion and love for her sister, Bunsen Burner mused.
“Yes, I am well.”
“Oh, thank the heavens,” Luna said with a small relieved sigh, but her face hardened into cold fury, “But let us keep our minds to the matter at hand; how shall we seek retribution on our foes for this vile act of black warfare?”
“Our highest priority now is protecting your subjects, Princesses. This race of beings has scientifically utilized your magic of Dimensional Phasing, Princess Luna, and they have force fields which can absorb unicorn magic seemingly with great ease.”
Princess Luna’s eyes widened in wonder, “Well, what is the name of our enemy; who be they?”
Bunsen Burner had hoped it wouldn’t come to this; he had to reply to the Princess’ question, but it also meant he had no way of predicting Luna’s reaction. Who knew how much the human had contaminated her perceptions of itself.
He simply decided to play dumb for the immediate future, and he spoke the honest truth, “It should be of little concern to you, but they call themselves the human race.”