32. The Time Is Right
BRAIN START-UP SEQUENCE ACTIVATED
- BREATHING: CONFIRMED
- DREAMING: CONFIRMED
- MOVEMENT OF LIMBS: IN PROGRESS
"Hnnnggg...." No way was I getting out of bed. It was too comfy. I stretched and moved my arms and legs and shuffled under the covers.
MOVEMENT OF LIMBS: COMPLETED
EYES OPEN: IN PROGRESS
It wasn't to be. I'd moved now so my body was saying 'Come on! Time to get up!' and I couldn't disobey. I opened my eyes slowly and sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Hmm...ohhh my head..."
EYES OPEN: COMPLETED
MEMORY OF PREVIOUS EVENING: NOT FOUND - SEARCH COMMENCING
I looked at my clock - 11:30. "Whoa, what the hell. What did I do last night?" I rubbed my head to try and quell the pain. "Last night was...I did..."
MEMORY OF PREVIOUS EVENING: FOUND - NOW PLAYING
"Party...and drinking. Of course..." Last night's party was a blast. The one Pinkie threw for me last week was more of a social affair that just included the Elements, Spike, me and Luna. The one last night however, was thrown by Vinyl. She told me she was totally amazed at what I did for Fluttershy so she organized a more adult party. Music, dancing and drinking...so much drinking.
"No more drinking for a while. Remember that brain, no more drinking for at least a month." I stated out loud.
COMMAND TO MEMORY: FAILED - UNKNOWN ERROR
I got up out of my bed and looked around my room. I still couldn't believe I was actually sleeping in my old home again. It felt a bit lonely but I saw a friend nearly every day. I had a quick shower and got dressed before making breakfast - bowl of Corn Flakes with sugar. My home had brought everything with it along with my food. I had to savour it though because once it was empty, that's it, there is no more of it's kind in the entire world. Man I'm gonna miss Sensations crisps.
I glanced over at my calender and saw that it was Saturday. 2nd of March to be precise. Today was a day of rest. I didn't have to work till Monday and I had no chores or errands to do.
"Yeah, today is gonna be awesome."
*10 Minutes Later*
"There must be something to do!"
That's one of my main problems in life. I can never find something to please my needs. During the last week, I had tested every console I owned to see if they still worked - they did. But even though I have them, I don't really have the urge to play them. I had my laptop but there was no internet. I don't think Wi-Fi has been developed enough to pick up laptops millions of miles away. Could be billions...who knows.
Stretching out on the sofa, I lazily flop onto my belly and let my hand fall off the sofa. I felt under the sofa with my hand, just to feel the plush carper underneath. "Hmm...feels good...rough and thin and...wait." I grabbed whatever what was under the sofa and pulled it out. It was a newspaper, a specific one at that. "Ohhh...why did I keep this?"
I started to read it. Inside was the picture of me and Fluttershy along with the most idiotic piece of journalism I had ever seen. "Is this it for Princess Luna? Rubbish. Complete bollocks." I took the paper into the kitchen and chucked it in the bin. It was then that my plan for the day came into my mind. I promised myself to find whoever took the picture and give them a piece of my mind. It shall be done.
Thinking about it, I needed to do several things in Canterlot. One, the newspaper. Two, I wanted to see Luna as we hadn't seen each in a week and I wanted to know something about the blood transfusion. Three...now three was a difficult subject. I needed advice on something. Something that only Celestia would be able to give me.
I grabbed my coat and shoes, slipped them on and was out of the door into the bright sunshine. To get all this plan into motion, I would need at least two days in Canterlot so my first stop was to a friend of mine. I walked into the town, through the market greeting the ponies who said hello, and out towards the residential area.
I came across my destination soon enough - a two storey house with a balcony. Sounds like any other house right? Nope. This one was noticeable by the rather large 'DJ-PON3' painted on the side of the house. I walked up to the door and knocked on it twice. Before long, it opened and a grey earth pony with a pink bowtie opened the door.
"Yes?"
"Oh uh...sorry. I'm looking for Vinyl?" I asked. I hadn't a clue who this pony was.
"She lives here. Would you like to come in?"
"Sure, thanks." The grey pony moved to the side and I casually walked in and stood in the living room. "So uhh...sorry, I haven't met you before. Are you Vinyl's room-mate that she tells me about?"
She looked irked at this and raised an eyebrow at me. "Indeed I am. I hope it's good things she mentions."
"Oh of course, of course, nothing but! You have to forgive me, you're name escapes me." I said, shaking my head.
She held out her hoof. "Octavia. Pleasure to meet you Owen."
I bumped her hoof and smiled. "See, you're good with names. Vinyl mentioned that. Anyway, I need to ask her something about work. Is she around at the moment?"
"She is but she's incapacitated at the moment." Octavia states.
"Oh." I remembered that she was at the party last night and smirked at Octavia. "Hungover?" She nodded and we both shared a laugh.
"Please wait a moment and I will get her for you." she said, walking away up the stairs. I chuckled as the thought of a hungover Vinyl sounded like a funny sight. The only other time I saw her drunk was way back in August when we had that party at AJ's.
"Come along! One of your friends is waiting for you downstairs."
"Don't talk so loud...ohhhh...."
I struggled to contain my laughter as I heard Vinyl's attempt to talk properly. She sounded horrendous.
"This had better be good..."
The sound of hoofsteps increased as she descended the stairs. Vinyl soon came into view and I could not hold it back any more. Bellows of laughter erupted from my mouth as the sight of her was incredible. Her mane was more messed up than usual, her eyes had bags under them and someone had drawn all over her face with a black marker. "H-hey Vinyl...*snort*...how ya feeling?"
She shook her head and sighed heavily. "Bad dude...bad. Party was good though right?"
"Brilliant. I think you drunk your own body weight in alcohol though." I said with a smirk. Vinyl nodded and plopped herself down next to me on the sofa. Octavia soon came in, carrying a mug of coffee for the hungover DJ. She gladly took it and sipped from it, gasping at the taste. "Feel good?"
"It's helping...so, what are you doing here?" she replied.
"Well, it's about the next few days. Would you please be able to give me Monday night off? I need to go to Canterlot to sort out a few things and it's kind of important."
Vinyl tapped her chin for a moment before smiling. "OK Owen. I'll give you your days off on one condition." I tilted my head. "From the look on your face, I can tell what you're going to do is real important. Tell me what you're gonna do then it'll be fine."
Surprising but reasonable. "Four things. One, I'm going to go to the offices of the Canterlot Chronicle to have a 'friendly chat' about what they printed about me. Along with their...photographer." I said, getting annoyed thinking about it. "Two, Celestia said that she had a commendation for me for my efforts in the Everfree."
"Oh dude, that was awesome!" Vinyl exclaimed. Wow, the coffee worked fast.
"Yeah, it was...kind of. At least the bandages are off now, eh?" I rubbed the spot where the manticore got me. "Three. I never really asked about my blood transfusion. See, since I have pony blood in me now, I'm curious if there's any side effects so I want to ask the Princesses about it. And four...four is kinda private."
"Oh come on...you can tell me." she said. "It can't be that bad."
"It's not bad at all." I sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you but you cannot tell anyone, alright? Not a soul. Not even...wait, you know what? You have to Pinkie Promise."
"Do I have--" I glared at her. "Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye. There, happy?"
"Thank you. What I want to do is..." I told the rest of my plan to Vinyl. Her jaw hung open in shock. "It's the truth."
"Wow...are you sure?" she replied, shutting her mouth.
"Absolutely. It's something that needs to be done. But please, Vinyl. Not a word to anyone else." I said with pleading eyes.
"I already Pinkie Promised, what more do you want?" she said with a laugh. "But yeah, I won't tell anypony. And you can have your days off. Next night on is Thursday, OK?"
"Thanks a lot Vinyl. You're a good friend." I got to my feet and stretched my arms. "Well, I'm off to the station. Got a long journey ahead. Thanks again Vinyl." I walked to the door which Octavia opened up for me. "And a pleasure to meet you too Octavia." The door shut behind me as I made my way towards the train station.
Back in the Vinyl and Octavia household, the cellist sat next to her friend, watching her drink her coffee.
"So? What was that all about?" she asked the DJ.
"I can't tell you, I Pinkie Promised."
"You do realise I was in the same room at the time he said it?" she said with a sly smile.
"Then why did you ask?" Vinyl retorted.
"To see if you would keep your end of the promise. But what I heard, that's shocking!"
"I know! To think, he's gonna ask Princess Celestia about......"
It's still a bit cold. The wind is blowing down the platform as I wait for the train to arrive. It's gonna be a much longer journey than I thought as the last train was about to depart - only problem is that it's a sleeper train. Despite it only being two in the afternoon, I'm not gonna get to Canterlot until tomorrow morning.
"I could walk there faster." I mumbled to myself.
"Tell me about it." a voice sounded. Looking left, a light brown unicorn stood a few feet away from me, staring at me. "I don't see why this train has to take so long to get to Canterlot."
"Yeah, it's a bit odd." He looked familiar but I couldn't match a name to the face. The unicorn held his hoof out to me.
"Time Turner."
"..."
"Are you alright?"
I couldn't believe I didn't recognise him. I craned my head to the left and looked at his flank and sure enough, there was his cutie mark - an hourglass. 'Oh my god, it is him! I haven't seem him since...'. I shook my head and focused on the unicorn.
"Sorry, nice to meet you. Name's Owen." I bumped his hoof. "Sorry about that. It's just I knew I had seen your face before but I couldn't remember where. You don't happen to live in Ponyville do you?"
"I'm afraid not. I live and work in Canterlot with my father, Minute Hand. I came to this charming town to visit a friend."
'So it really is him! And he's got a horn! Just like Minute said.'
I thought of a lie to make it sound like I did know him. "Ah I've met your father, a charming stallion. He owns a watchmaking shop doesn't he?" I asked.
"That's right. Our family have run the business for over fifty years now."
*WHISTLE*
"Ah, the train arrives!" Time said with a nod to behind me. I turned around to see the colourful train pulling into the station, watching it slow to a halt, letting off a gush of steam. Depsite the bright colours, it is a wonderful machine.
"Right then, best go find a cabin to stay in for the next...sixteen hours." I groaned. I began my walk to the train.
"One second! Are you travelling alone?" Time asked from behind me. I turned around and nodded. "To save on space, shall we share a cabin? There will be plenty of room and we will have company during the journey."
I nodded, thinking about it. "Yeah, why not. Let's go find a cabin." We both entered the train and started searching for an empty cabin. This being the last train of the day, it was busy so we looked as fast as we could. Soon enough, we came across an empty cabin and made ourselves comfortable. "This'll do nicely." I said, sitting back on the bed/sofa.
"Indeed. Tell me, I am intrigued by that item around your neck. What is it?"
I looked down and smiled, picking up the end of my necklace. "Ah, this is my communication gem. This allows me to talk with Luna when we are far away from each other."
His eyes widened and he nodded. "Ah, so YOU are Princess Luna's Royal Courter. Do forgive me, I rarely have the time to keep up to date with modern events."
"Haven't got the time? You work in a watchmaking business!" I joked. He took the joke well and laughed. "Sorry, couldn't resist. But yes, I am Princess Luna's courter."
"Well it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." he said with a bow. I still hated that but I didn't want to complain. "So, are you visiting the Princess tomorrow?"
The train jerked forward as the overnight journey to Canterlot began. "Sure am. I haven't seen her for a while. Might have a look around the shops as well."
"You are a lucky stallion." I raise my eyebrow. "Err...human, is it?" I nodded with a smile. "You are a lucky human. The Princess is a beautiful mare."
"She sure is. So what about you? Do you have a special somebody?" I asked.
"Hold on." Time rose from his seat and walked out the door. Did I do something wrong? Did I upset him? What if I struck a nerve? Great Owen, your big mouth has once again--"Here we are." Time returned levitating two bottles. I took one from his grasp.
"Beer? They serve beer on this train? How did I never notice?" I say to myself, forgetting who just got the beer for me. "Oh, sorry. Thanks very much."
"If we're going to talk about mares, then it's best to have a beer beforehoof." he said, taking a sip.
"You know, I promised myself this morning that I wouldn't drink for a month." I stared at the beer for a while before swigging it. "I'll start tomorrow."
*SUNDAY - 8AM*
"Canterlot! At last..." I shouted as I poked my head out of the window. The journey turned out pretty good. Me and Time spent most of the time talking and having a couple of drinks. Turns out we weren't the only ones doing that - the cabin next to ours was full of mares who were smashed off their faces and kept trying to get Time's attention. I tried encouraging him to go and speak to them but he never did. I can respect that, I was crap at talking to girls at one point.
The train pulled into the station and stopped with a jolt. Me and Time headed departed the train and walked out of the station. "Well, I'm off to the castle. It was a pleasure Time." I said, holding out my fist.
"Quite right. Please feel free to stop by my shop in the future. Until then!" Time walked off in the opposite direction of the castle. I started my walk and thought about memories past - mainly to do with Minute.
To be honest, I don't ever recall seeing Time in Ponyville after the Voice changed everything so I suppose it all makes sense. Minute got his funding, kept his business and never lopped off his son's horn to use as a spell. It made me smile, knowing that his dad's life is better now.
I reached the castle in a short time and greeted the guards who began to escort me into the castle's interior. Soon enough, we reached the throne room in which the doors were opened by the guards. I followed them in and saw Celestia sitting upon the throne.
"Owen! What a pleasant surprise!" Celestia beamed, looking towards me. I bowed to her to stood firm.
"Morning. How are you today?" I asked her.
"I am well, thank you. I take it you are here to see Luna?" she said, lighting her horn up.
"Actually!" Her horn stopped glowing. "I'm here to see you. It's kind of a...private matter that I need some advice on."
"I understand. Guards, please vacate the room. We are not to be disturbed." she ordered. The guards all heeded her words and filed out of the room, closing the door behind them. "Please sit." Her horn glowed and a sofa materialised behind me which I took a seat on. Celestia walked over and lay down in front of me so she was eye level.
"Thank you. And thanks for talking with me on such short notice."
"You are very welcome. Now, what is it that you wanted to discuss."
I rubbed the back of my head and sighed. "OK, the first thing I wanted to ask is about the blood transfusion." She raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing bad...well, I think not. I mean, I can't thank her enough for donating her blood but now that it's in my body, are there gonna be any side effects?"
"What do you mean by 'side effects'?" she replies.
"Well I hope nothing but just hear me out. I have the blood of a hugely powerful alicorn in my body. Taken into account that I have no idea how the pony body system works, having that blood in me, will it change me in any way?"
"Hmm." She held a hoof to her chin and nodded her head slowly in thought. "This has only ever happened once before, long before your time. A fellow colleague of mine, a unicorn, donated her blood to save her dying husband, an earth pony. The only change for him was that he could sense when magic was being used nearby. Now, I would like to say that would be the same for you but with alicorn blood, I do not know. I'm sorry I cannot give you any more information."
"Hey, don't apologise. You've given me all the information that you know and I thank you for it. Now, if I was to start sensing magic, how would I know? What does it feel like?" I asked.
"From what I know, you will hear a faint high pitched noise and you will feel it in your head, like a headache but without the pain."
"A headache without pain? That doesn't even sound possible. Let's try it. Perform some form of magic." I asked. She lit her horn up and levitated a cushion on the sofa. I tried listening. No high pitched sound and no painless headache. "Not a thing. That's worrying..." I said, brining a hand to my chin.
"If I remember correctly, it took time for the earth pony to begin sensing the magic. I think it was over a couple of months." I nodded slowly. "Please do not worry about it. I am sure you will be fine." I looked up and smiled at her.
"Thanks. Right, the second thing. Umm..." I had to think about it for a second. "Oh yeah. I remember you stating in the letter about a commedation for me."
Celestia's smile widened as her horn lit up. A small metallic object was summoned in front of her. "I would normally award this to you in a ceremony but as you are here short notice, I hope you don't mind it like this." She levitated the metallic object towards my shirt and pinned it on. I looked down at it.
"A medal..." I held it in my hand to get a better look at it. It was a small round golden medallion, with the sun on one side and the moon on the back. Celestia's and Luna's cutie marks. "This is beautiful." I said in astonishment.
"For saving the life of one of the Elements of Harmony, I award you the Equestrian Star of Bravery. You willingly risked your life to save another - an utmost splendid act of courage." she said in an authorative tone.
I got up from the sofa and gave Celestia a hug, holding her tight. "Thank you. This means so much." I stepped back and sat back down, admiring the medal. "Wow...awarded a medal for bravery. Never thought that would happen." I said with a snort.
"You deserve it, you really do. Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me?" Celestia asked.
I rubbed the back of my head. "Uhh...yeah there is one more thing. It's about Luna."
Celestia tilted her head at me. "Is something wrong? You look worried."
I shook my head. "No, no, no it's fine. It's just..." I breathed in heavily and let it out slowly. "I need advice on something and you are the only pony who will be able to give it to me." She nodded and stayed silent, waiting for me to carry on. "OK, what I want to know is what Luna's most favourite things in the world are. Things she gets so happy about."
Celestia gave a confused look. "Is that all? Well, let's see now. She has always loved the stars, ever since she managed to control them. She...ooh! She loves a particular bottle of wine that is made right here in Canterlot - Berry's Brook. She likes to read...is there anything in particular you want to know?" she asked.
"Something close and personal to her. Something that requires someone else to enjoy." She opened her mouth to speak. "Apart from the obvious of course..." I said, laughing at the end. She got a good chuckle out of that.
"Oh you are too funny. I do happen to know that she loves a massage on her wings." Celestia opened one of hers and pointed at a certain part with her hoof. "Right there. She'll say she's ticklish but she actually loves it."
"Good...yeah, that's good. What about jewellery?" I asked.
"I remember her saying once that she always wanted a ring to wear on her horn. Owen...why are you asking this?"
"It's something I've wanted to do for a while now. I was hoping to--"
*BEEP BEEP*
I looked down at my gem and huffed with a smile. I looked up at Celestia who was smiling back. "Two seconds." I tapped the gem. "Morning lovely. How are you?"
"Good morning my love. I am well, thank you. Are you free to talk?"
I looked over to Celestia and held a finger over my mouth - the 'shh' sign.. "Yeah, I'm free. I'm just at home at the moment." I got up from the sofa and signed for Celestia to follow me. We started to make our way out of the throne room. "It feels lonely without you here."
"I miss you too. It must be strange waking up in your old home again."
We started to ascend the stairs, both of us trying not to laugh. "Yeah it is. Still, I've got a piece of home with me now." We come across Luna's bedroom door. "Are you about to go to sleep?"
"In a moment, yes. Last night was a bit long-winded." I raised my hand and knocked on her door twice. "I am not to be disturbed!" Both me and Celestia both stifled out giggles. This was too good. I knocked twice again. "Did you not hear me?!"
"Luna, you alright?" I asked in a serious tone.
"I am fine. Somepony is knocking on my door. They know well enough not to disturb me in the daytime." I couldn't help myself - I knocked twice more. "Hold on dear. The pony behind this door is about to be shouted at."
"Oh come on, that's not nice." The door opened to reveal an angry Luna. "I don't like being shouted at." Her mood instantly went to it's opposite as she embraced me in a hug and kiss. Celestia started to laugh behind me which in effect, started me going and then Luna.
"That was mean! When did you get here?" Luna asked me.
"About thirty minutes ago. I thought I'd surprise you both." I sat down on Luna's bed. "And I'm also gonna go to the Canterlot Chronicle office to have a word with the editor."
Luna's expression turned sour. "Those..." I put a hand on her wing and stroked it softly. "I'm coming with you."
"No, you need to sleep. Besides, I can do this by myself."
Luna's horn lit up and her body glowed for a second before stopping. "Sleep is good for my body but magic will do just fine." She got to her hooves. "We will make way to the Canterlot Chronicle!" she stated.
"Only if you say so. Honestly, I can do it myself."
"Or you could make a day of it." Celesita offered. We both looked at her. "Once you finish in the offices, why don't you spend the day together? See the sights?"
I looked back at Luna and smiled. "Sounds good. What do you think?" She kissed me on the lips. "I'll take that as a yes." Luna walked out of the room and out of earshot. I began to follow behind her until Celestia cleared her throat. "Yeah?"
Celestia started to walk past me and leant down to my ear. "Golden ring, around her horn." She draped a wing over my shoulder and pulled me close. "Good luck."
I was gonna need it.
"And here it is. The Canterlot Chronicle." The building looked like the town hall in Ponyville, only more square. Above the doorway, the sign spelt out the name of the newspaper in big, bold letters. "Shall we enter? I'd like to ask why those journalists decided to--"
I stopped her mid-sentence by tapping her shoulder. "Look, I know you want to rant and shout at these ponies but I'm not here to do that." Luna looked confused. "Originally, yes, I was going to be angry but thinking about it, I'm gonna try and reason with these ponies and be calm with them. Now, I'm gonna go in, see if I can speak to their chief editor or someone important. If they refuse and start to get cocky, can you come in and demand that I see someone. Be demanding but not angry." I tapped the gem twice to get it working. "You'll be able to hear everything I and they say."
Luna nodded and nuzzled my cheek. "OK love. I'll be right here if you need me."
I leant over and kissed her before entering the building. The lobby looked kind of plain. A boring, sterile white room with a few chairs and a single desk at the end. An light blue earth pony mare sat at the desk, filing some papers. I straightened my shirt and walked up to the desk, where the mare took notice of me.
"Good morning. I'd like to speak with your editor or chief editor please." I asked nicely.
The mare shifted her eyes a second and gulped. "Um...do you have an appointment?" she asked.
"No, I do not. I'm here regarding a story that your paper printed about me that was complete lies. Also, a picture was taken of me without me knowing and I'd like to know why." I stated. I kept the facts simple.
"I'm sorry but you have to have an appointment to meet with our staff. Would you like me to arrange one for you?" she asked. Her tone was sinking into an annoyed tone.
"Listen. I'm not happy about what happened. Please just let me see them now and I'll be out of here in no time at all."
The mare put her front hooves on the table and glared at me. "Look. I cannot let you in without an appointment. Now, arrange one for another time or I will have to ask you to leave." She breathed a bit fast after that - she sounded nervous.
I sighed. "Alright, you leave me no choice." I picked up the gem and held it to my mouth. "I'm gonna need your help dear. Please come in."
The front doors opened and an unhappy Luna walked up towards the desk. "I, Princess Luna, order you to allow Owen to speak with your editor." she said. It was authorative, not an angry tone. The mare behind the desk bowed, then rose and dashed to the next room. "Was that too mean?" Luna asked.
"I don't think so. She was getting a bit angry at the end but that subsided when she saw you." I replied.
The door opened again to reveal a white earth pony with a worried look on his face. He bowed to Luna then looked at you. "I apologise for my receptionist's actions. Would you care to follow me please?"
I looked back at Luna. "Thanks for that. Listen, I might be a while, why don't you have a look around Canterlot or meet me back in the castle later?" She nodded with a smile and walked away and out of the building. I tapped the gem twice to end the communication. "Right then, after you?"
I followed him into the back room, where dozens of ponies were writing. They all looked very busy. Approaching a staircase, I swore I could hear muffled sobs. "Hey, wait one second."
There was a doorway to the side of the stairs. I put my ear to it and the sobs were louder. I opened the door slightly to see the receptionist mare, sitting on a chair with a tissue in her hoof. I walked in quietly and approached her. The white stallion followed me in. "Hey." I said, kneeling down. "Are you alright?"
She looked up at me and shuffled back in shock. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were with the Princess!" she bellowed through her sobs. She rubbed her muzzle with the tissue.
"Is this because of what me and Luna..." Damn, there goes my day. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She stared at me and sniffled a few times.
"I didn't think my first day would be this bad..." she murmured.
I shut my eyes at the revelation of that. I've made myself look mean and I felt terrible. I looked back up at the mare. "I'm sorry, I really am. You were only doing your job and I respect your for that. I never meant to upset or scare you." The mare nodded and sighed heavily. I needed to make it up to her. "Hold on a second." I walked out of the room and tapped my gem twice. Luna soon answered.
"Finished already?"
"Haven't even started. Look, something's gone wrong. The receptionist we talked to's in tears right now. She feels really bad about what she said to me and what she did and it's only her first day. Can I ask you to do something for me?"
After my conversation with Luna, I walked back into the room and sat myself down next to the light blue mare. "What's your name?" I asked.
"Summer Breeze." she replied quietly.
"Summer Breeze." I turned to the white stallion. "Would you mind if you gave her the rest of the day off? I have somethign for her."
"Of course, anything for the Princess' Courter." he answered.
"Thank you. Now, come with me." I helped her to her hooves and we exited the room and went back towards the lobby area. Walking into the area, I saw that Luna was waiting for us. Summer immediately bowed at the sight of her. "Summer, it's alright. Stand up for me." She did so but she kept her distance from Luna. "Me and the Princess talked and we both feel bad for what we did. To make it up to you...actually, Luna?"
Luna walked up to Summer and lay down so she was level with her. "As a way of saying sorry, you will accompany me to the castle where upon various treats await you."
"W-w-what kind of treats Your Majesty?" Summer asked.
"A wonderful lunch prepared by our finest chefs and an afternoon of pampering from our very own spa ponies."
Summer's eyes lit up. "Really?" She looked at me and I nodded. "Thank you so much."
"If you would follow me please. Owen, I will meet with you later." Luna said.
"Of course. See ya!" Luna and Summer exited the building. I turned to see the white stallion waiting for me. "Sorry about that, I really am. I just hope this'll make up for it."
He snorted and laughed. "No doubt! And thank you for cheering her up. I've known her a few years now and she can get a bit emotional."
"Right, right. Sorry, I never caught your name, Mr?" I asked, extending my fist.
He bumped it. "Golden Skies. I am the chief editor of the Canterlot Chronicle. If you care to follow me." I followed him once again and this time, we actually walked up the stairs. We soon reached a private office in which I walked in, with Golden shutting the door behind me.
"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."
Golden made his way into the chair, opposite from mine. "You are most welcome. Now then, down to business, I understand you have a problem."
I re-positioned myself to get comfortable. "Yes I do. I am referring to one of your editions that was printed about two and a half weeks ago regarding me and Princess Luna."
"Ah yes...that printing. We have certainly had a hefty amount of complaints about that prinitng." he replied.
"Well I imagine you would because all of it was lies! Also, someone took a picture of me and Fluttershy. Now I normally wouldn't mind but the photo was taken through her window!" I retorted with a hint of anger. The stallion didn't answer. He only sunk into his chair a bit and look more nervous. I rose to my feet. "And another thing. Not once have I seen any form of apology for this."
"W-would you like us to?" he muttered.
I realised I was still standing and I guess I looked intimidating. I sat down and sighed. "That would be nice, thank you." He started scribbling down some notes on a notepad.
"I am sorry for all of this. We go by what our photographers bring us."
"Then maybe you should check your resources before printing them first. You have no idea how much hate I got from the residents of Ponyville. Also, if you wanted a picture, then all you had to do was ask." I explain.
"I understand." He tapped his chin with his pencil. "I will print an apology in our next issue if you would kindly do something for me."
"Depends what it is." I said.
"Can we please get a picture of you, by your consent, and can I have an interview with you? So you can let everyone know how you've settled in and whatnot."
"Hmm..." I thought about this for a moment. To be honest, it would be quite good to do this as it would let people know that the newspaper made a mistake. "Sure. Why not." I said with a smile.
"Excellent!" He opened up a fresh notepad and cleared his throat. "OK, we'll treat it like a conversation. Good morning Owen, thank you for coming along."
*3PM*
Wow, that took longer than I thought. After an hour or two speaking to Golden, he then proceeded to give me a tour of their offices. Even though I didn't ask for it, I went around anyway and it was interesting to see and learn what goes into a newspaper. Golden also mentioned that he knew which photographer took the picture of me and Fluttershy and said he would be sternly spoken to. After all that, Golden handed me a printed copy of their printing for tomorrow.
It was now getting on in the afternoon and I needed to find a few things. First up was the bottle of wine that she liked. After a while, I came across a small shop that had a myriad of coloured bottles in the window. Nodding at the display, I walked into the shop, armed with my bag of bits.
I walked up to the counter and acknowledged the unicorn stallion behind it. "Good afternoon. I was wondering if you could help me." I asked.
"I shall try my best." he replied, his smile never fading. "What are you looking for?"
"I am after a specific type of wine. Berry's Brook it's called."
The unicorn nodded. "Ah, a fine wine that is." He began to search in a rack behind him. "A rare wine this is. I'm afraid it will not come cheaply. A-ha!" He levitated a dark bottle out of the rack and set it on the counter. Is this the one you were after?"
I picked up the bottle and looked it over. "Berry's Brook, yep, this is the one. How much will it cost me?" I said, getting out my bit bag.
"Sixty bits please." I was expecting a lot worse. I took out the correct change and handed it over to him. "Thank you very much. Is there anything else I can help you with?
I took the bottle under my arm. "Nope, that's everything. Thanks!" I walked out of the shop and shut the door behind me. I knew Celestia had a blanket I could borrow so all that leaves is the jewellery. Remembering my last shopping spree, I made my way towards the jewellers. I soon came across the familiar shop and walked through the door. The same stallion was behind the counter and he grinned when he saw me.
"Good day my friend. How did the Princess enjoy her necklace?" Shining Jewels asked.
"More than you can imagine. How has business been?" I replied.
"Average. It could be better. But enough about me, how can I help you today?"
"I'm looking for another piece of jewellery. A ring this time. One to go around a horn."
Shining leant down and picked up a tray from under his counter. "Here are the selection of rings I can offer you. Are you looking for anything in particular?"
I looked over the rings. Most of them had a coloured gem fixed on them - not what I wanted. "Hmm...what I need is a gold ring, no gems or additions. Just the ring. When I give it to her, I'll ask if she wants a gem for it, then I'll have to come back to get it fixed."
He put the tray back down and pulled out a small velvet box, opening it slightly. "Like this?"
It was perfect. A small golden ring but big enough to fit around the base of her horn. It glimmered in the sunlight that filtered in through the window. "That's perfect. Just what I need. How much?"
"For you my good friend, two hundred bits." Three times as much as the wine, ouch! I pull out my bit bag and hand him over the correct change. Damn, now the bag feels light. "Thank you very much and uh...good luck."
I smiled at him, picking up the box and pocketing it. "Thank you." I walked out of his shop and back into the streets. I had everything I needed.
Re-entering the castle, I made my way back to the throne room and walked up to Celestia. She was currently talking to a rather prim and proper looking unicorn.
"Thank you for your visit Fancy Pants. I will be sure to take your words into account." she said with a nod.
"Thank you Your Majesty." Fancy said. He bowed and then turned around and walked out of the throne room.
"Did you have any luck Owen?" Celestia asked.
I held out the bottle of wine. "One Berry's Brook." I then took out the velvet box and opened it. "Will this be OK?" She took the ring from my grasp and examined it.
"She'll love it. I for one know what she'll say." she said with a wink. "How did your meeting with the Chronicle turn out?"
"Overall it was OK. Started off terribly, I made a pony cry." Celestia's facial expression didn't change. "I raised my voice at her then I asked Luna to help me out. Thought it was OK but I then found her crying and then I found out it was her first day. To make up for it, me and Luna had a talk and we treated her to lunch here and a session with the spa ponies. I don't suppose you've seen a light blue earth pony around?"
"I did happen to see her. Summer Breeze wasn't it?" I nodded. "Luna was walking around with her telling her about the castle and what she and I do. She certainly wasn't upset when I saw her.
"Good, good." Celestia handed the box back to me. "Right, I need one more thing. Do you have a blanket I can borrow? One for sitting on that is?" Her horn glowed and a large rolled up piece of fabric was summoned into my hand. "Perfect. Now there is only one more thing I need to ask of you if that's OK."
"Ask away." she replied.
"For this to go ahead, I need Luna to spend some time with me after the moon has been raised. Do you think either you or you high council of ponies can cover for her for a little while? Only an hour or two." I ask.
Celestia got to her feet and walked over to me. "Of course my dear. I will ask the high council to cover for Luna for the entire night. If I may suggest something?" I nodded. "The perfect place will be at the top of the watchtower. There is a balcony which can accomodate you both and it will be illuminated by the moon."
I put my hand on her neck and rubbed it. "That's a great idea. Thanks." She smiled and nodded. "Right, I'm gonna set it up." I took a piece of parchment out of my pocket. "If you could give her this note when you join to change the day into night, that'd be very helpful."
"It shall be done." She took the note from my hand with her levitation and hid it in her mane. I laughed at that, I'd only ever seen Pinkie do that. Seriously, it's like a TARDIS...or Mary Poppins' carpet bag. "I wish you the best of luck...but I know you won't need it."
"I appreciate it. Thank you." I walked out of the throne room and towards the kitchens. I picked up two wine glasses and set off for the watchtower.
"Good evening Luna. How was your day?" asked Celestia.
"Wonderful. Summer Breeze is a marvellous pony and she greatly appreciated her time within the castle."
"Shall we?" Both of their horns cast ablaze as the sun started to descend from the sky as Equestria's satelite began to rise. The colours of the sky slowly faded into darkness as the day changed into night. "The night is yours Luna." Celestia began to walk away. "Or, it would have been."
"What do you mean?" Luna said turning around. Celestia was levitating a folded piece of parchment. "What is this?"
"It is a message for you dear sister. Please read it." Luna took the note from her elder sister's magical grip and opened it up.
Luna,
After you have raised the moon, please meet me at the top of the watchtower.
Celestia will explain more.
And please, do not teleport or fly.
Love Owen.
"Explain more?" Luna asked.
"The high council will watch over the throne for tonight. For now, please go to Owen." she said with a smile, walking away from Luna.
Luna decided not to question further and started her walk towards the staircase of the watchtower. Whilst ascending the staircase, she started to wonder what this was all about. Was it a problem? Was Owen OK? Pushing those thoughts aside, she kept on climbing. Before long, faint music started to sound.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she looked out at the balcony to see her love sitting there, watching the night sky.
"Owen?"
I turned to see Luna looking at me with most confusion. "Hey." I got to my feet and walked over to her, giving her a warm hug. "Glad you could make it."
"What is all of this?" she asked.
I led her over to the blanket. "Come and sit down for me." She did so. "I've been thinking about us a lot recently and I've come to a conclusion that we don't do many romantic things with each other. So, I thought we could spend some quality time together under the stars-" I pulled out the bottle of wine. "-with a bottle of your favourite wine and just...chill. How's that sound?"
She levitated the bottle of wine and smiled greatly when she saw the label. "How did you know this was my favourite?" she asked, still smiling.
"Thank your sister for that. Shall I?" I took the bottle from her grasp and opened it up, pouring it into two waiting glasses. I picked one up and handed it to Luna, and one for myself. I raised mine. "A toast." I leant over and kissed her. "To us."
"To us." We both took a sip of the wine.
"Wow...that is really nice." I wasn't lying, it was a wonderful taste. A sweet red wine with a hint of spice. "I can see why you like this."
Luna shuffled over and leant on me. "Mmm..." She leant her head onto my chest. I could feel the blood rush to my face. Even though we had done this plenty of times before, this time is different. "Your heart."
"Hmm?"
"Your heart is beating so fast. Are you alright?"
I wiped my forehead. "Uhh...yeah, I'm OK. I'm just happy to be spending some quality time with you. And wine gets to my head really fast." I said with a snort of laughter which she giggled at. "Yep, I'm a lightweight."
She took another sip of her wine. "How did your meeting go?"
I had forgotten all about it. "Oh, it went well. At first I got a bit agitated at talking about it all again but I gave him a...small piece of my mind. After that, we had a proper interview. I've got it here actually." I pulled out the newspaper and showed it to Luna.
"Read it to me." she asked.
"Really?" She nodded. "Alright. I haven't actually looked at what he put in yet so bare with me." I opened it up, turned to the correct page and started to read.
(For those of you that want to read the interview, the link is here.)
"That sounded pretty good. At least they apologised about what they did before." Luna said.
"Absolutely. He kept most of the important stuff in. We spent most of it just chatting to be honest." I looked up at the night sky and marvelled at the amount of stars in the sky. "Hey, Celestia said you can control the stars."
"That is correct." she replied.
"Can you show me?"
Luna turned to me, nodded and then her horn lit up. Looking up at the sky, certain stars began to glow brighter. Some moved into another place to form an intricate pattern. "Wow! That's incredible." I continued watching. How the stars moved and shone, it was a sight to see. And sitting next to the one responsible for it all made me respect her that little bit more, if that was even possible.
"Would you like to see more?" she asked. I nodded as a response. Her horn brightened further and I looked back at the sky. One particular empty part of the sky started to shine brighter and brighter. I covered my eyes just in case. The light subsided and I uncovered my eyes. The empty patch of sky was now not so empty.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"I created a new star." My jaw hung open at her statement. "And we shall name this star. We shall name it..." She turned to me and kissed me. "...Owen."
"You did that for me?" She nodded. My iPod changed onto another track. I stared longlingly into her eyes.
'Now is the moment. Ask her.'
Listening to my brain, I reached into my pocket with my hand. "Luna..." I tried to pull the box out but my hand stayed firm. Chickening out, I reached for the wine instead. "More wine?" She nodded so I refilled her glass.
'Get on with it Owen. Stop stalling.'
"Luna." She turned to me. "I need to...I need..." I couldn't do it. I got up and walked over to the railing and leant on it. I smacked my head in frustration. "Come on Owen, do it. Get it together." I muttered under my breath.
"Is something wrong?" Luna asked.
I had to do it. Now was the time. It was now or never. I turned around to see Luna had risen to her hooves. Just what I needed. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards her and stood in front of her.
"Luna, there's something I need to do. Something important."
"Oh? What is it?"
I shut my eyes, re-gaining my courage. Opening them, I fixed my gaze on her. "Ever since we first admitted our love for each other, I found myself more...joyful. Happy. Amazed. I was amazed that I had found the courage to admit my love to a girl...or mare. And then recently, I started thinking. Whenever I need help, you're there. Whenever I feel down, you comfort me. Whenever I just need to talk, your ears are always open. I have never found that in anyone I have ever known...apart from you. I love you." I kissed her softly. "So much."
"I love you too." she responded.
I cleared my throat and wiped my forehead again. This was sapping all of my courage. "There's something I've been thinking about for the past couple of weeks." I took put my hand on her shoulder. "Our future. And I've been trying to think of what our future would be like. And...what I'm about to do is the answer to my thoughts." I put my hand in my pocket and held it over the velvet box.
"I don't know how it goes in Equestria so I'll do it the old-fashioned way, the Earth way." I knelt down on one knee and pulled out the velvet box. "Princess Luna." I opened the box to reveal the gold within. My eyes started to water as the moment had arrived. "Will you make me the happiest man alive...and marry me?"
Luna gasped and brought a hoof to her mouth. Her eyes began to water and she started breathing rapidly. Her eyes darted from mine to the box and back again. I daren't say anything. She slowly brought her hoof down and stared at me, her tears now falling.
"Yes."
A single tear fell from my eye. She said it. "YES?!"
"YES, I WILL MARRY YOU!"
I stood up slowly and took the ring out of the box and slowly slipped it onto her horn. It hit the base and glimmered in the moonlight. Both of us were now streaming tears from our eyes. I immediately gave her a full, loving kiss and threw my arms around her. My sudden force on her sent us to the ground, still locked in a kiss. Breaking it, I stared into her eyes intently.
"You have no idea how happy you've just made me." I said, still smiling at her.
"I have a fair idea." she said, chuckling. She kissed me again and then rose to her hooves. "So you planned all of this? For me?"
I took her hoof into my hand. "For us." I laughed and stared at her again. "We're gonna be husband and wife. Husband and wife!" I called out. Luna laughed at my outburst. I walked up to the railing and threw my hands in the air.
"YOU HEAR THAT EQUESTRIA? ME AND LUNA ARE GETTING MARRIED!
Celestia was lying in her bed, reading up on some reports that her subjects in Ponyville had sent her. She chuckled at the one she had just read.
"A lesson learnt dear Apple Bloom. Your cutie mark will come."
"YOU HEAR THAT EQUESTRIA? ME AND LUNA ARE GETTING MARRIED!"
Celestia's head shot up at the outcry. Smiling at what she just heard, she giggled like a schoolfilly and sighed. "A Royal wedding. There hasn't been one of those in centuries." She went back to reading some more reports.
A tired Shining Jewels was just retiring to his room after spending an evening with his wife at a local eatery. Apparently asparagus soup didn't agree with his stomach.
"Bugh...that's the last time I go to that restaurant."
"YOU HEAR THAT EQUESTRIA? ME AND LUNA ARE GETTING MARRIED!"
The unicorn's head shot around to his open window. "That sounded like..." He slapped his side with his hoof. "Well I'll be. Good for you friend."
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I CAN DIE A HAPPY PONY NOW IF THE WORLD ENDS!!!!
Amazing chapter! Can't wait for the next one!
The Earth apparently meant to end in like 30 mins.
Very good chapter indeed
World gonna end.
BAH!!!
What a load of %$#@!!!
Anyways, YAY!!! Wedding!
i would of loved it if at the end someone opened a window and said "CONGRATULATIONS, NOW SHUT UP I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"
If the Mayans could predict the future, there would still be Mayans.
The world isn't ending! It's already 12/21/12 in Austrailia.
I am guessing that having alicorn blood in him gives him access to the royal canterlot voice huh.
IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME BOY!!! Come all of the multiverse! Rejoice and prepare a wedding the gods themselves shall envy for the rest of eternity!!!!!!!
troll.me/images/victory-baby/she-said-yes.jpg
Meanwhile, back on Earth.....
fridayphotos.com/fridays/friday-may-27-2011/rapture.jpg
1832810 There are.
1833699 That picture is extremely offensive! Everyone knows Jesus only uses Eureka brand vacuums!
Woo!
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/458/691/711.gif
1832524>>1832892 It's not the end of the world
then that zombie I just shot...
Excuse me, I need to get my shovel
1833377 interesting concept
1832206 likewise
I'd like to point out that gold looks terrible when placed next to either black or midnight blue and platinum would have been a much better choice
D'aaaawwwwwwww
Way to be a troll owen XD
Makes you wonder why there hasnt been one in a while...
stream1.gifsoup.com/view2/1567149/dun-dun-dun-o.gif
DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!!!!
s8.postimg.org/ek9s2mqd1/applausi.gif
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6s15wvpZ61ranhnao1_400.gif
It'd be funny if someone called back:
"Shut up! Some of us are trying to sleep!"
20 Bucks that it's Marriage
3708228 oh god yes
if I ever write a story I am so doing that!
1931498 it doesn't look THAT bad. Not as good though, but still
I can't believe someone didn't see the pun XD
It should be something