//------------------------------//
// A Royal Lunch 
// Story: Revenge of the Nightmares 
// by Commander_Pensword 
//------------------------------//


A Royal Lunch


They all began to sit down calmly, while William pulled out his folding knife from his pocket and slit open one of the MRE’s; he was hiding it well, but his head was starting to hurt from going so long without any food to eat. So he began to pull it out and without even so much as explaining what he was doing, he just went to work, first ripping open a small clear green bag with, well, something in it that seemed strange to the ponies in the room. He quickly opened the main meal box, Meatloaf, and placed it into the bag, then he took some of his canteen, poured some water into the bag, then placed it all into the cardboard box, and set it against one of the legs of the table. He looked at those looking at him.

“It needs to be propped up against something to let it cook.” he smiled as white wisps of smoke started to come from the packet. “There we go, cooking due to a chemical reaction, water, with that pad, causes heat, and well, makes a warm meal.” he smiled, sat back and watch as the others meals were brought out. Most of them were salads, with what looked to be sandwiches and some tea. He just sat there as the actions of getting the meal started happened. So there was not much to do while the servers were handing out the food and, after a few more minutes he began to take the meal out and taking out a spoon from another packaged item and smiled as he worked to tear it open, but not burn his fingers. Still it was in his mind kind of funny to watch it happen, but soon he was digging into his first part of the meal with joy as food finally touched his lips, teeth, and tongue. He ate at a dignified pace, but still at a pace that they knew he was hungry.

The meal started in peace, but Twilight began to look at William in curiosity and was, to his eyes, itching to ask some questions, but it seemed was trying to not be rude during eating. William, to the shock of the two Princess and the Element holder of Magic, was already cleaning the meal from his spoon, having eaten the entire meal. He looked at their shocked faces, “Sorry, years of having a set amount of time for getting food, sitting down, and eating and cleaning up, you learn to scarf down the food.” He sighed as he turned to root through the MRE before blinking and pulling out another heater. “Oh wow... The Nightmares fixed the problem with not enough heaters in an MRE.” He looked at Twilight. “So,  you have questions? Go on, ask them. This is something I am used to, talking during meals. It makes the meal last longer.”

Twilight actually looked happy and chirped a little in joy as she tried to start asking questions, but she had to slow down to where she began to ask questions. “So, are their ponies in your world? I mean you are not -- or were not -- freaking out about meeting another sentient species that you are able to understand and communicate with.”

William laughed and slowly faded into a smirk. “Well this is a bit... awkward.” he looked at Twilight as he cooked the side meal. “Well, to be honest, we do have ponies, but only similar to your Earth Pony.” he looked at Luna to keep up his charade of knowing things. “Which I must thank you for the information of. It makes conversations more... well, smoother or more awkward.” he smiled to show he was trying to be funny.

Luna only smirked back. “We feel it is only fair that since you gave us so much knowledge, considering that we know your nation, the strength it wishes to convey, the economic troubles, and it was best to make a human Equestrian expert somewhat, since we have become the Pony Human expert.” She was returning it just as much as he was trying to give.

He looked back at Twilight, “Still, they look only like Earth Ponies, but I never saw a Pony in real life except when I was...” he looked around and pointed at the table. “About as high as this table, Which now comes up to my waist...” He paused, “I’ll have to see for sure later, but seeing as the Princesses are both taller than I am, I know this since every time I talk to Luna, I have to look up to her, and I do not know how tall you are Twilight, and Princess Celestia is taller than Luna,” He paused and put a hand up to his head. “Ouch, a lot to think about on size comparisons, but we can handle that more after lunch.”

He realized now that while the two Princesses were sitting at the table with only cushions to sit on for them. He and Twilight were sitting in specially designed chairs for Ponies, amazingly to him, the chair that was made for a Pony, was also comfortable for a Human to sit on.

“Okay,” Twilight responded having somehow pulled out quill and paper to take notes on. She was silent as she took her notes before looking back to William, “Do you have magic, or an understanding of your world’s mechanics?”

This made William actually paused and pondered, he pointed to his knife, “Well, we have metalworking as with this knife. We know how to make composite materials,” he paused, “that is mixing different materials to create new ones, and usually lighter ones,” He pointed to his M16A2, “We know our earth is huge, and a globe,” He paused, “I cannot remember the actual diameter, but it was actually calculated in the ‘BC’ era,” he paused, “Well, that is ‘Before Christ’, but the modern days use ‘Before Common Era’, or ‘BCE’,” he smiled softly, “Mind you, this is our time reckoning, the ancients I doubt used BC, at least I don’t think so,” He smiled and continued on, they could tell he was trying to not make too many waves, “The time I am from is going off the ‘Gregorian Calendar AC’, or ‘After Common Era’, or ‘After Christ’. Anyway, I live in the year two thousand and thirteen.”

“Ah,” Twilight interrupted, “Like how we are in year four of Luna’s Return, or ‘LR’,” She smiled as she tried to help a little, “The time before was called ‘Celestia’s Reign’,” She smiled and settled down a little.

“Right,” William looked down and laughed, “Oh my, I got off track from your actual question -- we don’t really have magic. We rely on a lot of tools and mechanics to compensate. We know that the world is made up of atoms,” here he was stopped with a hoof of Celestia.

She looked at Twilight, “I’d rather not have us know too much, or we could be here for a long time. I think we have enough for now, however I do have something I need to ask before this proceeds any further.”

She looked right at William, “You said your people know of the atom. Tell me, what have you done, or what is the biggest development you have made with the atom?” Her hard glare at William made him realize just what she was getting at. He felt that -- when looking back on it -- she knew about nuclear fusion, as she dealt with a sun on a daily basis. She added a small modifier, “What have you, as in your nation, your people, your race of Humans done?”

He looked right at her, not cringing, “To stop a force that would not stop under normal events, we had to create, and here,” he paused and looked at all present, and he looked at Luna with a sharp look realizing she was going to speak. “You might know what it is, but this discovery has colored, shaped, and defined all of human history after this event,” He looked back at every single pony in the room, stopping on Princess Celestia. “But for me, how this event affected me? It has affected including me, three generations of my family, but longer for others I think.”

Celestia looked at him with a tilt of her head, “You speak of differing generations between your family and others, has your family longer lived than others?” She looked at Luna, most likely asking it on her behalf.

William shook his head in a negative with a small chuckle,“Not really, it is because, my father married late, he is, speaking based on father, son, grandson. My father’s tree, because of how late he married, he is actually, about as old as some of my younger brother’s friends Grandparents. So, for me, I can say my father grew up during the Cold War, but friends of mine, would say their grandfather was in my father’s generation.”

There was a few nods from the Princesses, they to William’s eyes understood what was being said. Twilight spoke next. “So, because your father married and had you later then normal for a human, you are, more connected to these events, and as such, they weigh more heavily on your mind?”

William nodded his head, “That is correct,” he looked back at Celestia. “To put it simple, this weapon, the mechanics behind it, was used to create powerful power plants, that would create electricity and energy to power our society. But every human on earth that is worth anything in knowledge, knows what I know.” he closed his eyes, but he was not to finish his words.

Celestia slowly spoke. “Your people, have found an artificial means of creating an event that happens in every star in the Universe, you can create a miniature star’s reaction on your planet’s surface.” Here she looked saddened. “Yet, I can see that society, at least from your home region, think heavily upon what it is that you as a people have created, you mentioned a Cold War, what is that?” William could see that she was asking this to try and keep Twilights mind from connecting the dots, reading into the words spoke. He was grateful for this distracting question.

“That,” William began, “Is where their is a war, but the two players do not fight directly, they either fight by weapons production,” He looked around and tried to grasp at something before seeing a painting of a Griffin. “Say you and,” He stopped as Luna filled it in.

“Say we and the Griffin Kingdom decided to start producing weapons, let’s keep it simple, and we count it by the number of spears that we can launch at eachother.” Luna’s simple analogy worked for the moment.

“Right. Now, you and the Griffins know that since you have, now let’s place these spears with special spear heads that could kill a small village.” He saw they were nodding their heads. He was amazed that Twilight was just, well, she was a researcher and so, she was most likely listening to this, still, he had to keep on topic. “Anyway, you all have enough to wipe each other out over Sixteen times.” This paled all faces, and he grimmiched. “Yeah, that was the Cold War. Two sides facing each other and fighting in other regions to give their influences.” he closed his eyes. “The Cold War was a time, it changed to world, and now, our world is changed again, the second of the two world powers in the Cold War crumbled and the war ended,but there were many moments when many thought the end was going to happen and all life would be gone. However, their political systems failed and the world moved forward, and then... came terrorists, groups without a nation’s flag or a face of a government, they are... rebels, and the like. That is what we were fighting, we didn’t know our enemy and we are learning a new system of fighting.”

Celestia paused and held up a hoof. “I am pleased to know this, but we are getting off task, and you are rambling, and from your face you seemed saddened, why?”

William looked up and at Celestia, as he had bowed his head while talking. “Because, I am speaking of war to a nation that, I from what I Could see, is not fighting any wars, and is almost a utopia.” He barely caught a small smile from Luna before her voice caused him to turn, and he wondered if he imagined the small smile.

Luna looked at the table. “As I have seen your mind, what I see of your world is a utopia as well, war is not ravaging your own nation’s land, you have problems, but problems that can be solved easily, do not be so quick to think we do not see fighting, we keep our borders safe from more of the, nasty dragons who would eat our little Ponies.” Luna smiled. “Even though you do not feel like talking, I can tell you feel no shame in your nation, even though it has made mistakes. It make a special pony to keep faith in something, even when it messes up.” Her small smile seemed to say that she knew about messing up. Then again, she was Nightmare Moon four equestrian years ago. He took her words as a compliment.

Celestia smiled as they each took bites of their food and after chewing and swallowing she asked another question, after giving Twilight a look that said she would have her time again. “I must ask this as well of you,” She began as she gave him what he was realizing was her look of you better not lie to me or you will be in a lot of trouble. “What, would you rate your own people as against my own?”

William looked right at Princess Celestia. “I cannot say, I do not know your military might, nor what Magic can do or not do, however I do know that your Royal Guard’s armor is magically enhanced,” Celestia looked back at Luna, he had a feeling she was not liking Luna giving him the information now, “But still, I cannot say anything, but an open fighting conflict will do heavy damage on both sides, especially if I take into account if you or Luna join the fight directly, or the Elements of Harmony,” He shivered a little.

“What,” her voice suddenly hard. “Do you know of the Elements of Harmony.” Her eyes blazed and her horn began to glow with a golden color.

“That it banished me to the moon.” William snapped in horror and fear as if reliving a memory, something triggered in his mind that he knew was not right, but it was right at the same time. “That it left me knocked out, but still semi conscious of the flow of time, the loneliness and the actual barren surface of the moon.” he had returned the glare with a cold haunted look as well, tears in his eyes. “The pain of the light when it finally burned the Nightmare from my mind, and then again when the ghost of those memories were used to purge my personal Nightmare from me as I lay on bedrest in a cottage of the Element of Kindness, the scent of the magic in the air, ready to be unleashed and incase me in whatever it was they would do, from shadow, to stone to,” he was silenced with the sound of a metal horse shoe hammering on the stone floor.

His mind it seemed to snap back into focus and he found himself standing, actually standing and leaning towards Celestia. he was momentarily in confusion seeing the pain and horror on Celestia’s muzzle as her eyes were drifted between Luna and William.

She looked at Luna, then at William. “Luna, since you have this mess, you will be escorting him around the castle, and to his guest quarters, I think it is time we reopened some in your tower.” her face was suddenly emotionless and very hard to read.

Luna only nodded her head. “Very well Sister, We shall do so at the end of lunch.”

Twilight looked just stunned. “You,” Her face darkened with anger. “How dare you speak to Princess Celestia like that, and with such familiarity, And how dare you mock Princess,”

She was cut off by a small movement of Celestia’s wing covering her student in it and pulled her closer to her body. “Please Twilight, I am not mad, in fact, I think I need to explain to you.” She paused and looked at William. “As well as you, why for now, he is able to get away with verbally assaulting and speaking with personal pronouns on an event he should never have witnessed.” She looked at him with her own pained look, as if seeing another suffering as her sister did those thousand years.

She smiled softly and let her student settle down, and waited for William to sit back down, she cleared her throat and William saw a new side of Celestia. The Teacher.

“The short of it, for all to understand.” She smiled and looked at Twilight. “I will have an advanced book of this for your to read later.” She looked back up and spoke in the louder clear tone. “He and Luna,” She began fully. “Had to share their minds, Luna I know protected her mind of the more private and personal matters, but William.” She turned to face the human. “Being a man who was drowning in his own mind, and losing a war he did not wish to lose and become an observer in his own body, flung his whole soul into giving Luna what she needed to defeat the Nightmare. In doing so, she got a lot of his thoughts and memories, most of which are locked up, and will never be looked at, while others she will have bursts of what William have.” She looked at Luna. “hopefully you will time them to be in your dreams.”

Celestia took a breath to allow the information to sink in a little before proceeding more. “What you saw Twilight, was a memory emergence. TO William at that moment in time, he was not fully himself, but he was part Luna as well, and part of the Nightmare, and could feel the pains, the anguish of all that happened as if it happened to him. Because of that, he is a curiosity. At times he will act like a human, and others, he may very well, think he is my sister for moments of time, though I worry what will happen if he gets my sister’s pranking tastes.”

William looked shocked, and spoke aloud. “What? But I never prank, it should be I who is worried of what you would do to my tea or food, I cannot forget that itching powder.” the last word was spoken more of a trailing off as he looked at the now laughing Celestia, he knew she was laughing even though she was not, it was the way the light glistened off her eyes.

Luna however was not one to keep her shell when in private areas and began to laugh. “Oh, Tia, this is so much fun, we have an ally in our work to keep the boredom away, and more eyes to keep thy pranks from harming him.”

Celestia only sighed, “So says the one that scared me with your first new moon by saying you lost it.” That made both Luna and William to laugh aloud at the memory. Celestia waited patiently before she continued when the laughing was finished. William realized he was laughing not fully from the memory, but from seeing Luna actually laugh.

“As you can see Twilight.” She looked back at her student. “Because of what Luna did to save William, he is a bit more...”

“Crazy.” She spoke, using the same vocal manners she did when she first describe the citizens of Ponyville, all crazy. “But in a good way.” She finished. “It might be interesting, if nothing else, if we can get William home, we will have a spokespony for us if we have to keep in contact with his world.”

“I hope not.” Celestia responded. “His world can, from what my sister showed me from the memory sharing she gave me, I saw a world that lacks the jewels and gems we have, and many wars were fought over resources. While others fought for control, and other wars were fought for the ideals he believes in. The people on the individual levels could be reasoned with, it is the governments of his world that I worry about.”

Twilight slowly nodded her head at seeing her mentor and Teacher speak of matters that worried the minds of the Princess. She had seen her like this many times while she tutored and mentored her.

Luna spoke up, “Well, I guess I shall get into this, and ask thee a question.” She smiled and looked at him. “How late do you stay up at night? Seeing as you are going to be a part of the castle life, we rather not wake you up by accident.”

William looked at the group. “depends, lately I have stayed up till, oh, about an hour or two past the middle of the night.”

The mixed emotions of Luna and Celestia was funny to see to William. Celestia looked a little nervous as she gave the now grinning Luna a sideways glance of worry. “Now Luna,” Celestia started. “just because he is a semi night owl like you, does not mean he will become a permanent fixture in your night court, he will have to sit in and watch some of my court as well.” She looked at William. “As well as be taught a little on our rules and laws. If he is to be here, and stuck, I rather have him taught so that he does not make a mess of our legal system.” She turned her head to Twilight, “Now, I believe we have taken enough time from your questions, You and your friends do have lives to return to in Ponyville, and for the time being, Luna and I will be having more time to ask him questions ourselves. So ask any more you have.”

Twilight smiled and grinned wide, she took a bite of her salad first before looked at William. “I saw all these tools you have, is there anything that is more advanced than in your rucksack that is not connected to war?”

William looked at her. “Anything can be used to fight a war, you are in fact, the first intelligent none predator that we can, I mean to say, I can think of.” He looked around. “But many things are used for helping humanity.” he looked at Luna and Twilight. “I noticed you removed my blouse and tan undershirt.”

“Oh,” Twilight spoke in wonderment, “Are you going to tell me about that scar that goes from the bottom of the fleshy part of your neck that connects to your sternum? Then goes down to the stomach?”

William looked at Twilight in confusion. “You read a lot of books, and amazingly we have the same words, no wait, I am speaking Equestrian but my mind is making it English.” he muttered. “Anyway, yes, I was going to explain that.” He took a breath. “While in the ROTC, I went in for a deep physical, and they found that my heart was not doing well, in fact, they had to operate on it.” He smiled a little. “Just twenty years before and they wouldn’t have had the tools to even notice that something was wrong. They caught it and while they saved my life, and extended it. I could not be accepted into the United States Army.” he smiled softly. “That was when I was a year one Cadet. They let me stay the full two years a civilian is allowed to attend.” He smiled softly.

Celestia only nodded her head. “Of course, Luna did tell me that as well, but please note that we shall still treat you as a military officer, otherwise we would have to treat you as a potential spy, and we rather with the Nightmares around, treat you as an exchange officer program.”  Her words were hinting at something much deeper it seemed.

“Very well, but I would like to talk about getting something other than the three changes of Military clothing I have with me, I do wish to have Civilian wear.” William responded, he was picking his fights and he was not going to pick a fight over military standings, it might need to be done later, but at the moment, don’t rock the boat too much.

It was about then that the meal was wrapping up and Celestia looked at those gathered. “I wish we had more time, but as lunch is finished, I feel that Luna should get our guest settled.” She looked at Twilight. “I would consider it a personal favor if you and the Element Bearers would stay the night in the castle. They will be invited to dine with Luna and I.” She looked at William. “As well as Cadet Captain Howard, afterwards you all should be able to crash in your tower.”

“you, but I thought, why keep my tower?” Twilight asked in shock. “I thought  you would have given it to somepony else.”

“Why would I redo a impromptu library tower? And I think it would be nice to have more than one Pony and one small Dragon staying the night in that big of a tower. I feel your friends would still see you as Twilight Sparkle, after all you are my personal student.” She was smiling, and William had the feeling that there were other reasons why she was suggesting it, but still, he got up and began to pack away the gear that was on the desks, they were eating at a table.

“William?” Luna walked over to the Human as he began to pack things up. “We can have the staff do that for you.”

William turned to looked at Luna. “No, thank you.” He was rather firm in his words, “I would rather maintain an accounting of all my gear that is not locked up in the vault, because I do not want any of this to fall into any wrong hoofs or claws.” He admitted.

Luna only nodded his head and waited for Celestia and Twilight to leave before speaking to William again. “William,” Her voice making him stop, it was the tone of voice he was learning that she was going to say something that would turn into an order if he was not careful. “What I said in the clearing, about calling me Princess, that is only when I am with my guards, in the Castle proper, and in the gardens, and it is just I, or my Sister. I want you to drop any title at all.” She bowed her head. “I am still unsure if I am deserving of being called a Princess after what I did those thousand years ago, and on the night of my freedom.”

William only smiled a little. “As you wish Luna.” Was all he said before returning to loading his rucksack of the items that he still owned. “Though,” he added, “You think I could later find Rarity and ask her to make me some,” He trailed off at the small giggle that Luna gave.

“I have already done so.” She replied to question. “So do not worry about that. We shall keep thee well dressed.” She nodded her head upon seeing him finish the packing and tilted her head towards the door. “Shall we begin our tour?”

William nodded his head after placing the rather light Rucksack onto his back, it felt under twenty pounds but it had to be carrying more than that, since he placed everything, even his rifle inside the ruck. Luna had pulled one magazine out of the Vaults to have him have something for protection. He was wearing the leg sheath for the K-Bar, and after checking the outside pockets, something he didn’t do during the actual unpacking in front of Princess Celestia, he had found seven magazines each for his Ruger Mark II and the Beretta M9, in the large front pouch he found side holsters for each one as well.

Luna held the door open and with a chuckle spoke to him. “I should hire the royal painter to get a painting of you with all of your weapons gathered around you, from your knife, to your two pistols, the Rifles, and that,” She paused and spoke the next weapon with the one that was speaking a new language. “RPG.” She smiled at the look William gave her. “IT would only be stored in either my sister or my own tower, and no one outside of our circle of permissions would ever see it.”

William could only smile at her, but with a nervous twitch of his mouth. “That may be fun, but it scares me on how much fire power I have. I am just happy they didn’t give me a Saw.”

“What would be the problem with having a wood cutting tool?” Luna asked as they started down the hallway, she chose not to give too much notice to him looking out the windows and the gardens below them. She waited for him to answer.

“The Saw is what we call a squad carried Machine Gun.” He pointed a thumb to the ruck. “This machine gun uses the same size ammunition that the Rifle carries, but it is all connected in something we call a belt, making it a belt fed machine.” He paused. “Actually, you might want to grab a ladder, just in case I didn’t clean out the entire rucksack. I did clean out everything that my arm could reach, but I didn’t want to fall head first into the thing. Later we need to make sure we did clean that thing out entirely.”

Luna figured that William was being paranoid, but then again, there was a lot of stuff that fit into the rucksack, that RPG launcher certainly in a non-magical logical bag, would never fit inside. She finally nodded her head. “I shall help thee with a ladder so I too may know that all is well, It would be bad if their are more surprises for you.”

William nodded his head and stopped as Luna paused and looked around a corner. “First stop.” She replied, “Will be my tower, and your quarters.” She smiled. “My sister didn’t like the idea that the last two years I was sleeping in our old ruined castle.” She admitted. “I must say, it is, interesting living in a new place.”

William smiled at Luna in understanding. “Sounds about right, I had a friend who went overseas for a tour, when he came back, he didn’t get the letter that his family moved houses.” He laughed. “That was a funny story after the events were said and done.”

Luna only glanced back at him. “I thank you for your trying to cheer me up, but it doesn’t help that we might end up lost, as I am still learning the layout of this castle, it is not only different, but bigger as well from the old one.”

He slowly nodded his head. “Very well,” He replied deciding not to ask if she was going to call her guards. he felt she was doing this herself, maybe it was something she was use to, he wasn’t sure.

Still, it was barely fifteen minutes later that it seemed he was facing what he was feeling was an interdimensional incident in the form of Luna standing in front of him, wings flared. She was staring down two royal guards who were standing in front of a Unicorn with a very manicured yellow mane. His eyes were seething rage and his voice was high pitched and showed anger.

“Aunty Luna, you are letting this ruffian? Or your pet run loose? Why he got in my way during my afternoon walk in the castle.”

“He is not my pet.” Luna glared. She was wishing now she had called for her guards. She had not expected William to meet Blueblood, this would be a disaster. “He is a dignitary from his nation.” She spoke in slow even tones now, trying to defuse the situation. “You are trying to have what done to him?” She was also belittling herself for letting him go one way and her another.

“He was trying to interact with me, and ask my guards rather sensitive questions, I was only to have him thrown into the dungeon and questioned in the morning after no food or water to soften him up.”

Luna looked at the guards. “What, were the questions.”

The left guard broke first under her gaze. “That he was looking your your tower as he had guest quarters being prepared in the tower, however blueblood tossed him back and ordered the arrest for security problems. Then  you came into the room and here, we...” He wilted from his battle buddy and Blueblood. His voice falling silent now.

William stood behind Luna but moved to attention as he heard commotion from behind him. He turned and found himself face first on the stone and shouting, lots of shouting for the first few seconds, it took a little bit of time before a loud bellow sounded from somewhere.

“HALT!” He quickly realized that this was the royal canterlot voice, but it was not Luna who was speaking. He found himself enveloped in a magical aura, and he realized, he could feel a difference, like the sound of footfalls of family members, and then he was pulled up to face a shadow that could only be one other pony with that loud of a voice, but he found he was unable to place the name, he remember Luna, but who was this other voice? It was then that he felt something running down his face, and he felt like he was having trouble breathing through his nose. Before he could move to see what it was, he felt his nose tingle and then a piece of fabric, it felt like silk to his skin, then a command of “Blow your nose.” the command he felt came from the source, he was dizzy, and disorientated, but he did so. He was able to as the tingling move to his head, he realized he was able to think more clearly and see now. He looked down and saw a pure white silk handkerchief covered in what he knew was blood, a lot of blood. With fear he moved his hand to his nose but when he withdrew it. There was no blood.

He looked up and widened his eyes. There looking upon the scene of chaos was Princess Celestia, with the elements of Harmony behind Celestia, the elements on their bodies and they looked ready to use them. She looked at Twilight. “You can stand down now, there was no real threat, only a lot of,” She looked back at the group. “Miscommunication.”

Blueblood moved forward. “Auntie, you, how can you be, he was asking where Auntie Luna was living.” He looked at her. “Are you, is that wise to have an alien sleeping in the same tower as your sister?”

Celestia looked at her nephew. “Blueblood.” Her voice even, “I know this, because I am trying to keep Luna in the castle, as to the human in the tower?” She looked at Luna and the Human. “It is one reason why she might stay in the castle more often.” She looked at her nephew a little harder now. “He also faced down the same thing that took my sister and turned her into Nightmare Moon. So I rather have him watched by Luna’s own personal guards then my own. They have fighting techniques to take down nightmare possessed creatures.”

At those words Blueblood actually paled even more and looked at William as if he was going to grow wings and attack every pony in the room. He barely muttered out an apology and promptly galloped away.

Princess Celestia looked at Luna. “Next time, contact your guards, don’t go wandering around the castle with new guests that have not yet been cleared to the rest of the guards.” She looked at the Elements of Harmony. “You may go about your business, I believe Rainbow, that you should be talking to Spitfire,” She smiled a little. “Congrats again on being flight lead pony back at the Academy.” She smiled and patted Rainbow Dash on the head with a wing.

Rainbow Dash only widened her eyes as she went into an Oh my gosh rant at being complemented by Princess Celestia on the Wonderbolt Academy. When she finished she looked back at the human. “You know what, you are rather cool when you are not all beat up or out of the head.” her voice squeaking a little before she trotted off. “See ya all later, I guess I should find out what Spitfire needs.”

Twilight just looked at the scene as some unicorns moved to clean the blood off the stone floor that came from the humans nose. “So...” She looked around. “You all need anything?”

Luna with a bit of a blush at just what happened, and under her watch and authority only shook her head as she saw one of her guards standing at the end of the hallway. Which was at the connection of a T intersection of the castle hallways. “Nay Dame Twilight.” She spoke, not seeing Twilight’s blush at one of her titles. “I think we shall follow our guard to our tower, Come Cadet Captain Howard, I believe it is time for thee to set up your FOB.” She blinked and looked back at William. Her voice returning more to a less nervous tone and her language returned to the modern day. “You humans have a strange need of making acronyms out of everything.”

William only smiled a little. “It happens, but I am a little shocked that, well you had that show up in your head. Besides I would just call it a base of operations, just a place to crash when I am done exploring or needing to be hiding from certain insane unicorns...”

“I must apologies for Baron Blueblood.” Luna began, interrupting William only to blink when William over spoke Luna, the shock that the guard went through of seeing another being over talking a Princess, let alone the one that he was to protect was a bit, well, new to him.

“Nah, I don’t mind, I saw his eyes, and he was really and truly worried about your well being, a bit over the top maybe.” he looked softly at Luna. “But still worried about family.” He smiled very faintly. “Be thankful for that. Family is something that you only get one of.” He blinked a little to get the water out of his eyes and his nose stung a little from the emotions in his body, but he steeled himself to at least hold it in till in the privacy of his room. However he had one hitch in his steps as he realized just what Luna had said, he would hold off till he talked with Luna as to why Blueblood was a Baron.

Luna however saw the pain and moved a wing to place at his back. “Walk with me Human, we shall drop thy stuff off, and then,” She trailed off as she led William away, following the guard.

Twilight stood there, with Princess Celestia also watching the scene as well. “Celestia?” She spoke finally, and softly, not realizing that the others had left to their own devices leaving the only ones now being the two ponies. “Did, do you think he might be Luna’s first student?”

Celestia only blinked and looked down at Twilight, a strange look in her eyes but voicing a thought she had been having now for a while. “Maybe, but more than that.” She looked up at the place where the two had left. “She might have found a friend that can finally understand just what she went through those thousand years.” She sighed, a scene Twilight had seen a few times in private when it was just student and teacher. “Still, I just hope this will heal the holes that still follow my sister. Who knows, those dark mages might just have given my sister the hope she needed.”

“Dark Mages?” Twilight asked in confusion, “Are those,” She stopped at the gentle but firm look she got from Celestia.

“That is for a subject for later in your studies Twilight, just, not right now, and not so soon after those,” She looked at Twilight. “It has open holes and pains that are still healing. You gave my sister back to me. I am forever grateful for that.” She leaned in. “You gave my sister back to me.” She then pulled back. “But there are things done, that neither Luna, nor I are proud of, and this... this is why I never spoke of her to you.” She looked at the wall and a tapestry of the new symbol of Equestria. A Sun and Moon on a shield, only the moon was on a gold background, and the sun was on a silver background. A hope for a more stable ruling.

Princess Celestia spoke finally from her inner musing. “These wounds will take time to heal. Maybe far longer than a generation, but still.” She smiled then. “It is amazing what joys one can find in the strangest places.”

Twilight only nodded her head. “Like finding friends when all you can think of, is to stop an event that you read in an old book.” She replied and have her teacher a friendly nuzzle like the one she did all those years back on the summer sun solstice. “Thank you.”

Princess Celestia only smiled. “Your welcome my most faithful student. You are most welcomed.”