//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Elder Scrolls: Return of the Crystal Empire // by Urimas Ebonheart //------------------------------// The Elder Scrolls: Return of the Crystal Empire Chapter 2 After lunch, Luna, Moonbeam, Tala, and I head up to Luna's room where Luna strips me of my armour and weapons leaving me in just my tunic and trousers. She looks at Sheogorath's staff with a frown before putting it on the table. She then pushes me onto the bed and lays next to my left side with her head on my chest and a smile on her face. "Hmmmm, I missed this. It just doesn't feel the same in a dream," she says quietly and closes her eyes. I can agree with her there. When she visited my dreams, it just didn't feel like she was really with me. I felt her fur, the muscles underneath, but not the warmth like I'm feeling now. I look to my right and watch Moonbeam using her telekinesis to roll a rubber ball around the room where Tala gives chase. The sight makes me smile as I gently stroke Luna's mane with my left hand. "So, Luna. What would you like to do later?" I ask her. She cracks open an eye to look at me. "I'd like to go out for dinner. A nice quiet restaurant, just the two of us. Candlelight, roses... I want to feel like a mare with her stallion," she replies and nuzzles under my chin while being careful of her horn. For four hours we just relax in Luna's room, just enjoying each other's company. I'm revelling in the calm after all the fighting I did. Moonbeam stopped playing with Tala and was reading another one of those Daring Do books. But Luna gets hungry and wants to head out for dinner now. "Wait here, my love. I'm just going to get myself ready," she tells me and heads into a walk in closet while Tala and Moonbeam are just looking at me. I rummage through the pouch I had during the Gryphus incident and pull out the necklace Discord gave me and then a suit Luna had made for me from my clothes drawers. I quickly make my way into the bathroom and get dressed. After I finish getting the jacket on I can hear Luna stepping out into the bedroom. "Farengar?" I hear her call out. "I'm in the bathroom!" I reply and quickly put the necklace on. I feel my body shift back into an earth pony, but my right hoof feels harder and there's grey dragon scales going up to my knee. The suit also changes to fit my new form. Luna then walks in wearing a beautiful black form fitting dress. It has small diamonds attached that make the end near her hooves look like twinkling stars. There's a V cut on her left flank showing off her cutie-mark and she's wearing a silver necklace with an oval sapphire attached to it. Which reminds me, I need to get a necklace of the one I used to propose to her in the Dreamscape. "Looking beautiful, Luna," I tell her as she stares at me with wide eyes and her wings spring out knocking over a bottle of shampoo on the counter next to her. "Farengar? How are you a pony again?" Luna asks me while looking me over. "Discord gave me this necklace as a thank you for dealing with Sheogorath," I reply and lift the necklace with my left hoof. I then walk over to her. "So what will Moonbeam and Tala do while we're out?" I ask her. She manages to get her wings back to her sides before walking into the main bedroom. "I'll have one of the maids bring dinner and keep watch over Moonbeam and Tala for us until we return," she replies. "Alright, so where are we going?" I ask as we walk out of her room where Luna has her right wing wrapped around my back. "We shall be heading to a restaurant called the Rose Garden. I've been there once before, and it is very beautiful and the food is wonderful as well," she tells me. Luna gets a couple of maids to retrieve food and watch Moonbeam and Tala for us before we walk out into the city where guards bow to Luna. The ponies walking by move aside to allow us to pass while bowing to Luna as well as gawking at me since I'm as tall as Luna. 'Hmmm, we could attach a pair of fake wings and a horn to me and see how they’d react to me then.' I think to myself with a light chuckle. After a nice ten or so minute walk, we arrive at the restaurant which looks more like a garden than a building. The front is covered in vines with a few roses on them with the words The Rose Garden written in what appears to be roses as well. Luna uses her magic to open the door and walks in while holding it open for me. I walk in and stare wide eyed at the decor. It looks like someone took a piece of nature and stuffed it inside a building. Crystals line the ceiling simulating sunlight, small mounds of dirt covered with grass act as seats while the tables are made from tree stumps. Bushes, flowers, and small waterfalls line the walls and in the centre of it all is a fountain with fish swimming in it. "P-Princess Luna!" a white stallion with a short light blue mane in a suit stutters and quickly comes over. "It's an h-honour to have y-you here today!" he says nervously and bows to her. "We would like a table for two please," Luna tells him with a small nod. "O-Of course! Please f-follow me," he replies and leads us to a table near the fountain. We both sit down and the sweating stallion speaks up again. "A waitress will be by m-momentarily with y-your menus," he tells us and bows before running off. "He seemed a bit nervous," I comment with a smirk. Luna sighs and faintly smiles. "I would prefer everypony not tripping over themselves at my presence," she replies. I glance around at the other ponies eating here who quickly look away once I make eye contact with them. "Don't worry about it. So, how's your pregnancy coming along?" I ask her quietly. "I could do without the morning sickness every time I get up... but I'm getting used to it. And while some of the cravings I've been having seem to make others nauseous and the chef to almost throw away his five star rating, I find them delightful," she tells me. "Especially ice cream covered in hot sauce." I raise an eyebrow at what she just said. I'm curious as to what that would be like? Is it hot yet cold at the same time? "That sounds... interesting," I say in an unconvincing tone. "Maybe you should try some next time I have it?" she says with a smirk. "Maybe I will," I reply and smirk back. She giggles and then sighs. "Oh. Tia and I have been talking and have decided that with your performance at Gryphus, we're going to make you Captain of your own squad," she tells me without warning. Good thing I'm not drinking anything at the moment or I would have inhaled my drink. "What? Don't I have to pass the elite exam first?" I reply with confusion. "You did. You're overall results were more than satisfactory to allow you into the elite guard, but it was your performance during your trip to Gryphus that made us decide this," she tells me. "I see. So, what will I have to do as a Captain?" I ask her. "You will train your squad and get to know them," she replies as a waitress comes over. "Hello! Welcome to the Rose Garden! My name is Sweet Pea and I'll be your waitress for the evening!" The food was good and Luna seems happier than I've ever seen her. She tells me I’ll be able to select my own people for my squad and I have a few in mind already. We both pay half for the dinner each and then head back to the castle. A jeweller's shop catches my attention and I smile. "Luna, I'll meet you back at the Castle. I got something I want to check out first," I tell her getting a confused expression from her. "What do you want to check out?" she asks me. "It's a surprise. Go on, I'll be back soon," I reply and she sighs. "Very well. You better be back within the hour though!" she says and teleports away. I quickly head into the store and look around. "Welcome to..." the mare behind the counter starts but stops when she sees me. "Oh my... you're a big one aren't you," she comments as she has to tilt her head up to look me in the eye. "So I've been told. I'd like to know if you take custom orders?" I ask her. "Erm, we do. Is there something you'd like?" she replies and asks. I smile and begin describing the necklace I would like made for Luna.