I’m really, really bucking screwed
“Princess Luna!” Shining Armor seemed almost more shocked than Solar did, something that the now arrested pony was willing to bet was impossible. “I’m so sorry, we had no idea you’d be there”
The look Shining then gave to Solar was one he never knew Shining could even create. Such was the anger and shock it conveyed, it almost scared Solar. Not that it was unwarranted however. He had stupidly collided with, which essentially was, a goddess, not to mention his swift departure from the guards was very much intertwined with Luna.
Shining Armor, directly as he could, then shot a sharp and commanding whisper to his escorted criminal. “Bend your knees you idiot!”
Demands through gritted teeth however were quite futile against the ears of the Princess. Surprisingly, and against all prior evidence, Luna smiled.
“Thou should not worry, my dear Shining. Twas but a simple mistake” Luna replied, composed and regal as ever.
“But your highness…” Shining attempted, resulting in a surprisingly harsh return look by Luna. Sensing his mistake, he cleared his throat before making an apologetic bow. “As you wish Princess, but…. Solar here is under arrest. As you seem to remember him, I trust you understand why not to so easily forgive him”
This attempted collusion with Luna did nothing to subdue Solar’s anger, an anger which was only rising every moment he was in this damn castle. Were it not his over eagerness to stalk some Princess who now evidently had no clue on what was going on, and instead just travelled to Canterlot like a normal pony, he would have been spared the time it’d take to break out of jail, an act quite achievable he knew, but also would have been able to quickly investigate these new beings without bumping literally into his old Princess.
This was all wishful thinking of course, With Luna personally here, his future was far more uncertain. The only silver lining her was the looks of annoyance Solar had just see on Luna’s face, as she had to listen to, which essentially were, Shining Armor’s demands. In his time in the Night Guard, Solar could at least claim to know the truth that was Luna was a very independent pony, and pure demands were often met on uninterested ears.
“Indeed.” Luna elegantly stated, returning her deep gaze back to Solar. “What was it again that he so…bluntly said, pray tell?” Solar watched her face, her trail of thought turned physical. The moment she remembered would be clearly conveyed on her face, most likely with bared teeth and narrowed eyes. A face of pure anger.
A face that never came. On the contrary in fact.
The small, but amazingly significant laugh that then escaped her lips shocked both Solar and Shining equally. “Ah yes! I dost believe it was ‘Buck that starry ass! She is as distanced and an ineffectual ruler as the stars are that she so dearly loves. She couldn’t figure out a plot to coup her ass even if it was written in the bucking stars. What’s funnier and has even more symbolism with the stars is that she’s just as lonely as each one. Honestly, regardless of her lack of ability to act even close to any socially adept pony, she’d be better just being that and not somepony with actual responsibility. Perhaps I could hasten that vacation’. If my memory serves me correctly, of course”
Really bucking dead now
Solar gaze immediately switched to Shining Armor. What could either of the ponies do in response to that? Luna’s rendition of Solar’s words was spot on, quite unfortunately, their clear and dirty intentions brought out for all to see.
“Yep, you got it, Princess” Solar said, filling the wordless void now existing. If Shining wasn’t angry a few moments ago, now not even a dumb bug would be able to deny it. Luna’s shock was met with Solar’s own, in form of his usual uncaring and callous personality, at least two sure ways to grind Shining’s gears.
“Well, at least thou does not lie.” Plainly said Luna, face disciplined and blank again.
A moment passed. The Princess made no further move nor comment, yet the two idle males just stood there, shock remaining from Luna’s apparent unconcerned attitude to the words she had just recited. It was a deadlock Shining had to break, for justice to prevail against Solar.
“Your Highness?” he asked, drawing Luna’s curious gaze. “If you do remember what crimes and insults Solar here did do, it is with your permission that we skip the tediousness of the court. He admits the crime, and any time debating it would be time lost. In your command, we will have him thrown into the darkest cell.” Shining’s tone was so full of overconfidence and boarder line delight that he may get the Princess herself to charge Solar it was a wonder why he had never been beaten up in the basic training barracks.
I swear Shining, when I get out, I’m coming for you
“Thou will have neither permission nor a command, Captain” Luna quickly dismissed, her previous curiosity for Shining all but faded away.
“But your Highness, he is a criminal! The things he said about you are practically treasonous!” Now Shining, desperateness in his voice, moved closer and closer to Luna, throwing personal space out the window.
“Shining Armor, does thee have such a low opinion of your Princess of the Night?” Luna’s words were sharp, and now all focus was on the Prince, who stuttered a failed response. “You think me so foalish that I would so easily forget and disregard such vile words?” Shining didn’t respond? “Well, Prince Shining Armor, is thy tongue no longer able to function?”
“Princess I…” again, the shock of the tables being so quickly turned against him, which Solar could only take great delight in, essentially paralyzed him from a proper response. Still, Luna impatiently awaited a justifying response. “Princess, I apologise truly. I know you have not forgotten, but the law, your law, does state for him to be imprisoned at least until further action is decided”
Luna pondered for a moment, providing Shining with a much-needed reprieve. “Thou does speak the truth.” The princess’s eyes moved back to Solar, curiosity rekindled. “Solar Virtue, this all concerns thee, but thou hath nothing to say on the matter, enlighten us with your thoughts.”
Suspicion arose in Solar’s head. Luna was always a bit of a trickster at heart, or if not applicable here, then a shrewd player in the art of intrigue. He would have to tread lightly.
“Eh, lock me up now or later, it only depends on when you want me to break out” he said with a shrug.
Goodbye subtlety.
He expected, a fit of rage from Shining, and a total dismissal from Luna, instead, he received a laugh from her. Shining’s rage probably remained however.
“Ha hah!” Luna cried out almost triumphantly. “It does seem that young Solar here hath not changed greatly so”
“Preciously my point Princess” again interjected Shining. “he’s still the same scoundrel he always was, lets arrest him already.
Just like a repeat of their previous conversation, Luna’s relative good mood quickly dispersed as soon as the words came out of Shining’s mouth. “True as that may be Shining Armor, it does not determine a pony’s future nor portend Solar here to be of no use to Equestria.” now Luna’s eyes gently rested on Solar, with an almost proud look to them. “Young Solar may be all you say he is, but I cannot stand idly by while thou so easily dismiss a pony whose talents now lay idle.”
This time however, before Shining could argue his point, Luna held a hoof, silencing the Prince. “Thou hath just stated so, Shining, Solar has changed little since his timely departure of thine treasured Guards, and since none of us hath forgotten Solar’s personality, qualities and…. unorthodox methods.” mentioning this, Luna recalled her more regal side, clearly not quite approving of such methods. “Nonetheless, skill and talent will remain whatever our opinion may be of them, and it does just so happen, on today of all days, I may be in need of such talents”
Say what?!
Shining then put this into words, one’s Solar could have easily said himself.
“Princess, are you serious?!”
“Quite” was Luna’s simple and dignified response.
A spaghetti of a sentence proceeded to flow from Shining’s mouth, while Solar could just stand there in confusion and shock. This had to be some sort of trick surely, one of Luna’s infamous pranks.
Even when Shining managed to actually string together a comprehensible sentence, it was one still full of confusion and disbelief.
“B-but…. This pony has committed crimes, multiple inexcusable crimes! You simply cannot give him a choice in this matter. He must be trialled by the law!”
Luna’s patience was wearing thin, but centuries worth of experience at least provided a lifeline. “Shining Armor!” she cried in her Royal Canterlot voice, while still retaining composure. “Again, we ask thee, does thou believe truly we have forgotten Solar’s past misdeeds?”
“N-no your Majesty but- “
“But nothing Prince Shining”.
Ha! Eat shit shining!
Lowering her voice and discarding the pulsing Royal Canterlot Voice, Luna never the less did not decrease any of her disproval. “Solar here does indeed have a choice.” Solar received a quick gaze. “He may accept an offer of assistance to his Princess, or he may continue on his imprisonment. Shining, thou does misinterpret an offer of assistance with favourable opinions. He now has the option of repaying his heinous crimes, some of which have directly impact me, to me personally, in my personal service, or he may repay his crimes conventionally, with whatever our great courts decide fit and appropriate for one such as he.”
Shining did not make the same mistake as before. His head bowed, and he relinquished all power in this situation to his Princess.
Full attention now was placed onto Solar, who had to make a rapid decision. “What say thee then, Solar Virtue. Does thou wish to compensate and repay thine crimes to our fair land in repeated servitude to me, or does thou desire a more conventional approach in the courts?”
Putting aside the surreality of this entire situation, the choice was harder than it seemed. He had left servitude for a reason. Many reasons in fact. In servitude, one was essentially at the bottom of the social ladder and this had never fulfilled Solar’s true desires for more. Yet, in today’s unique twist, and all he had thought and decided on in these past few hours, this opportunity provided more substance than the one with Twilight ever did. Being able to use his talents and exclusive initiative was just the icing on the cake.
Though could he achieve a similar ambition by accepting this offer and then making his escape? It was quite the gamble.
“I’m your pony then, Princess. You got a job for me, I’m game” Solar decide, his hoofs opening acceptingly.
A smile emerged on Luna’s lips. “The we are concluded, Shining Armor. Solar Virtue shall repay his crimes as I see forth.”
Shining at first said nothing. From knowing the now Prince, Solar could tell whatever Shining was currently feeling, failure was definitely a part of it. His criminal had been taken from him, And Solar couldn’t be happier.
“As you wish, your Highness. I will fill in the necessary paperwork. Just…be careful ok Princess? This one can be trouble” The look he then gave to Solar was as sharp as his sword, a look that really to convey ‘don’t buck this up’ rather well.
It was with this look that he gave a quick, albeit frustrated, bow to the Princess and quickly set off, obviously not wanting to spend any more time with the remaining two.
Now moments passed completely silently, allowing Solar to truly understand the gravity of the situation. Unless he wanted to truly piss the Princess off, he was now not as free as he was just a few minutes ago. He could feel the chain around him connected to Luna, and the more thought he dedicated to this, the more anger he felt.
“Now then Solar, I trust you have hath not forgotten all appropriate and required customs thou will depend upon now you are mine”
That last comment sent a shiver down Solar’s spine. No doubt meant for such an effect, it still made Solar feel a bit uneasy.
“I don’t forget much” he simply replied.
“Good. Now, we must move with haste. It is to be understood that we are in the midst of an encounter with a new species, a true rarity nowadays, and my dear sister did not have the decency to wake us up. A foalish decision, she does indeed forget my diplomatic clash with the Black Beak Griffin tribe.”.
Interesting, perhaps a little disagreement between the two Royal sisters? Probably nothing, but still.
“No matter, we make our way to the Throne room at once. Come Solar Virtue, tis not as if thou hath a choice in the matter now”
If that was a joke, then Lunar was crueller than Solar remembered.
With a stiff upper lip however, he put aside his personal feelings and began his new duties.
Walking briskly down the corridors to the Throne room, and as guards saluted as the Princess passed them, Solar allowed a little sincerity.
“Princess? Thank you for what you just did. I hope I can at least be of more use to you than I was last time”. Of course, he was only being a little sincere. He was thankful, but not determined to make Luna proud or anything.
“You do flatter yourself, Solar Virtue” Luna replied, calmly yet plainly. “do not fool thyself. I did not set you free from Shining Armor out of kindness. You were quite simply in the right place, in the right time. I can very easily acquire another pony with a similar skillset, so I advise against feeling too proud of thy self. In fact, had I not remembered you, thou would surely be on his way to a cell.” Her voice became more and more strict and accusing as she went on. “ironically, the reason I remembered you does you no favours, Solar Virtue. What thee said about me is not forgotten. Were you born a thousand years earlier, you would be surely receiving the worst possible punishment, one I would see carried out, until you knew no more”.
Solar swallowed hard. Despite her calm posture and composure, her threat was thinly veiled, and her severe disapproval of him was plain for all to see.
It was clear now that Solar was simply lucky.
Approaching the great golden door to the Throne room, Luna stopped, and stared accusingly at Solar, a look full of command and dominance. “Thou will now cease his talking. You are not to speak unless spoken to by me, do you understand?” The question was one that only had one answer, such was the severity of her tone.
“Yes Princess” Solar replied, his freedom now feeling at all-time low.
Luna didn’t even dignify Solar with a response, such was his basic responsibility to obey his Princess. It was then the great ornate door to the Throne room was thrown open, and both Solar and Luna were offered their first look into Celestia’s secretive meeting.
Just ahead of him, standing in parallel lines, with one of them at the middle front, stood a number of the strangest creatures Solar had ever seen. Clad in dark plate armour, and standing at attention, they paid no attention to the entrance of Luna and Solar. Only the individual situated at front, who had probably been conversing with Celestia, did turn around. He bore no helmet like the rest, allowing its odd facial features to be on show to all.
With a smile, his eyes fixated themselves to Luna.
“Ah, so this the other Princess. Humanity is truly honoured today, we are in the presence of gods themselves…!”