//------------------------------//
// 14: of Stars and Salads 
// Story: One Way 
// by jroddie 
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Chapter 14

“This is amazing, Berry.” I said through a mouthful of salad. The Plum mare blushed lightly and looked away.
“Thank you, Edwin.” She replied quietly. Antony smiled at her with crinkled eyes. She giggled, looking back at him. I ate some salad inconspicuously. They shared their moment. I coughed. Antony looked at me.
“So, Edwin.” Antony asked, placing a forehoof on the table. His horn glowed a pale purple as he summoned a small pocketknife. He began to pick at his hoof with it.
“Not at the table, Antony.” Berry said. Antony’s eyes grew wide, surprised. He looked back at berry, then at me.
“Sorry, force of habit.” He said as the pocketknife dissolved into thin air. He held a hoof up to his mouth. He cleared his throat, and put the stone grey hoof back on the ground.
“Tell me, Edwin. What brings you to my home?” He asked, looking at me. Berry looked on as well.
“You promised me that you would teach me to summon swords, Antony.” I said. Antony smiled out of the corner of his mouth. He brushed a hoof through his mane and chuckled.
“You most certainly a persistent pony, Edwin. If you will help me with my chores for today, I will teach you to summon blades.” Antony said. I could hear the smile in his voice. I thought about his condition, finding it deceptively simple.
“Are you sure that’s it?” I asked, perplexed. Antony lifted up a steaming cup with magic and sipped it.
“Yes. I hope you aren’t averse to it. Having another magician help me would make it go so much faster.” He reasoned as he wafted the cup under his nose. He closed his eyes and hummed, relishing in the scent.
“Tea from our peach tree. Would you like some, Edwin?” Antony asked.
“Yes, please.” I said. I really was not a big fan of peaches when I was a human, but for some reason my pony senses just loved them. The taste, the soft feel, the smell. They were all so much better in this body. Antony set down his cup, but his horn continued to glow. I could hear soft noises in the kitchen. I was curious about what it was, and I got up to go look. Antony waved for me to sit. He chuckled again.
“I’m making your tea, Edwin.” The stone grey pony said. I sat down, feeling rather stupid. Antony pawed the ground under the short table. Berry blew some of her puffy plum hair out of her eyes. I looked around the small dining room of the cottage. It was warmly lit by a small window on the opposite wall from me. A painting hung on the wall to the left of me. It was of a small blue foal laying next to a wrinkled  old colt. They were in a large fall clearing, with a book open on the ground beside them. The old colt’s cutie mark was of a curved scimitar. 
“That blue foal is my father, Edwin. My grandfather was teaching him how to summon in this painting. Nature itself is a considerable part of magic, and thus summoning swords. We will go into this later, but now, your tea is ready.” Antony said, A small clay cup was floating toward me, it’s contents steaming. I could smell the tea, with the faint smell of peaches wafting toward me. The cup set itself down in front of me. It had a large handle on the side of it, apparently for putting your hoof through it. I picked it up with magic, floating it over to my mouth. I tilted the cup, and the warm tea flowed into my mouth. It tasted amazing. I sat there and chugged the hot tea, scalding my throat. When I was done I floated the cup back to the table. I gasped, trying to get air into my mouth. Berry and Antony were staring at me, eyes wide. I chuckled once, embarrassed. 
“It was very good. Thank you, Antony.” I said in my defense. Antony shrugged.
“It’s Berry you should thank, it’s her tree.” Antony said. I looked over to Berry, who had a large lettuce leaf in her mouth.
“Thank you, Berry.” I said. She stopped chewing on her leaf. She looked mortified.
“Yoor Whelcum, Edwuun.” She said, her mouth still clamped on her leaf. Antony looked at her, and smiled. She smiled back, chewing on her leaf. Antony looked back to me.
“I think it’s time we go, Edwin. We have to do much, and have very little time.” Antony spoke. He sighed, getting to his hooves. He craned his neck forward, stretching. His muscular frame shuddered. He opened his mouth wide and yawned. He shuddered again, and drew back to standing normally. He walked away from me to the door. He stopped next to berry.
“We’ll be back in a few hours, Berry.” He said. He leaned down his head and kissed her on the cheek. She blushed a deeper shade of pink than she was already. Antony straightened himself and walked out of the door. 
“Thank you so much for breakfast, Berry.” I said, following Antony out of the door. Berry poked me as I walked past her. I looked back at her.
“About last night, Edwin-” She started nervously, her expression filled with worry. I smiled.
“I didn’t see a thing.” I replied. She visibly relaxed, knowing her secret was safe with me. I walked out of the door, out into the morning sun. 

“Why are you doing that, Edwin?” Antony asked, trotting down a dirt path. I looked down at him, floating through the air.
“It’s very enjoyable.” I replied, wafting on a breeze. I leaned back, placing my hooves behind my head. Antony chuckled.
“Why don’t you join me, Antony?” I asked, looking down at the grey colt. The wind gently blew through his mane. He looked up at me, confusion spread across his face.
“What?” He questioned.
“Why do you spend all of your time on the ground when you could fly? You are a magician, aren’t you?” I replied. Antony threw back his head and laughed. I stopped my wafting and looked at him. 
“What’s so funny?” I asked, my tone serious. Antony walked under me, still laughing. I floated fast enough to keep pace behind him.
“I asked my father that once when I was young. There was a spell going around amongst foals, like fads often do, that could make you fly. He told me: ‘Why would I want to get where I am going faster if I enjoy the journey it takes to get there?’ I never flew again, taking his words to heart.” He said. I felt touched by his short story. 
“That does make sense...” I said, floating gently to the ground. I cut my magic about a foot from the ground, dropping the rest of the way. My hooves made a small cloud of dust as I landed. It reminded me of the moon. Luna.
“Antony... I must do something, I am afraid I cannot help you today.” I said as I immersed myself in the flow. Antony looked back at me, his expression dissapointed.
“Well... If you must, Edwin. We can do this another day.” He said, continuing down the path. I closed my eyes on the scene of a bird flitting past him as he walked down the dirt path. I thought of Luna. The cool night wind blowing through her mane, her powerful wings spread wide.
I felt a cool breeze. I opened my eyes to see Luna sleeping on her blue rug, my blanket wrapped around her. I inhaled, feeling satisfied. The smell of oranges assaulted my nostrils. I smiled. Luna always found a way to make me smile. I looked at her laying on her rug, her chest moving up and down lightly. 
“Moon...” She mumbled, rolling over on her side. She dragged the blanket around with her, exposing a wing. Strong blue feathers were layered all over it. I smiled as I leaned down to whisper in her ear. The scent of oranges was strong in my nose.
“Sweet dreams, Princess.” I whispered. She hummed a soft note. I smiled, walking back to the door. I pushed it open with a hoof and walked out into the hallway. I could feel all of the animals and ponies around me. There was a meal going on in the dining hall, the ponies down there milling about. Celestia was in the throne room, talking to an entity I was unfamiliar with. But what caught my attention was the pony hiding behind the curtain in front of me.
“Hello Doctor.” I said. He swore loudly, coming out from behind a curtain. 
“How could you possibly know I was here?” He said, shaking dust out of his mane. I thought about this for a second. 
“I guess I’m still in the Flow.” I said, cutting myself from the power. Immediately, all of the creatures around me faded from my senses. The Doctor looked up at me, disgruntled.
“Hmph. I suppose so. But I’m here because Celestia and Marcus want you in the throne room.” He said, dragging his hooves to try and get the dust off of them. He left light grey tracks in the deep purple carpet. 
“How did they know I was here?” I asked. 
“I am not the only one who notices what goes on between you and Luna.” He said, smirking at me. I stomped my hoof, making a surge of electricity flow under the carpet to him. It shocked him, making him practically jump out of his skin. He fell and made a solid thud as he hit the ground. I walked up to him as he shuddered on the ground. I craned my neck down to him, nearly touching his nose with mine. He looked up at me, completely shocked.
“I do expect you to keep quiet about our little trip to the moon, Doctor. I have a feeling that Celestia would not be too happy if she was to learn about me tampering with her sentence for Luna. As an accomplice, she would not be too happy with you either, I think. Best we keep it between ourselves.” I threatened him in a calm voice. He looked up at me, his wide eyes full of shock.
“I think you are right, Edwin. Now help me up.” He said. I craned my neck back up. I picked him up with magic. He wiggled around in the air, not used to being airborne. I set him down. He landed on his hooves awkwardly, but managed to stand. I looked at him. He looked at me. He coughed into a hoof. He walked down the hallway.
“Let’s go, Edwin.” He said as he broke into a gallop.

“Ah, Doctor. It’s good to see you again.” Said Celestia as we walked into the throne room. Her hair waved as if there was a gentle breeze in the room.
“Likewise, Princess. I brought along Edwin, I heard you wanted to see him.” The Doctor spoke in an off-handed way. I could see Marcus standing to the side of Celestia, his deep green coat glowing in the morning sunlight. He had a strong jawline, accented by his corded neck and stocky build. He reminded me of a smaller Othello. He looked at me and smiled. Celestia cleared her throat. We all looked up to her. She looked at me, her light purple eyes spearing me to the carpet. I gulped. She smiled out of the corner of her mouth, and began.

“Edwin, I have been meaning to talk to you. I have seen that my sister, Luna, has taken quite a shine to you. Far be it from I to interfere with her whims, but I am not above interfering with you. She may be a grown mare, but she has responsibilities. She cannot comport herself with the likes of you. Be you immortal? Yes. Be you strong enough to defend her? Yes. But you are far from what Luna needs, Edwin. The two of us have safeguarded Equestria from the moment of it’s very inception! Yet you, a pony merely days old, think that he can claim one of the Princesses on high for his own? Madness! Pure insanity! You must shed yourself of such childish notions. She is old enough to be your grandparent a hundred times over! You cannot continue this way with her. Please, be done with her Edwin.” She slaughtered me with her perfect elocution. 
My hopes of being with Luna were smashed, decimated. I had left Angelics in better condition than Celestia just left me. I gasped, the breath held during her speech finally leaving me. I could feel something brewing inside of me. I felt cold. Yet...
“Now, Edwin, I have brought Marcus here toda-” Celestia began.
“No.” I whispered firmly. She perked her ears, looking at me. Her hair stopped waving for a second.
“What was that?” She asked, her voice spiked with venom.
“No.” I said, stronger this time. Her face broke into an expression of disgust
“I do beg your pardon, Edwin?” She said with a tone to match her face. 
“No, Celestia. I will do nothing of the sort. I would kill myself before I parted with her willingly. You would have to pry my cold, dead hooves away from her.” I said, my voice growing stronger.
“I hope you know full well wha-” She started.
“I do! I do know what I am doing, Princess Celestia! I would do anything for Luna! Anything at all! I would climb the highest peaks, dive to deepest depths! I would slay one hundred dragons! A thousand! No, I would kill all the dragons in Equestria, just to see Luna smile! Anything that I could for her to make her the slightest bit happier, consider it done!” I shouted. My lungs were heaving from the passion of my words. Celestia looked shocked upon her marble throne. She stared at me for a second or two. She then grinned, getting up from her haunches. I could feel the room grow hotter.
“Silly foal.” She said, placing one long, gilded leg in front of the other. I would have sworn that it made a small hissing noise as it touched down. The room grew hotter still, and I began to sweat. She stepped again, setting her long legs down in tandem. She continued to walk towards me.
“You know not the import of your actions.” She declaimed, her perfect voice spiked with hate. The room grew hotter still. I was still panting, but now with the effort it took to draw the hot air into my lungs. I was dripping with sweat. Celestia placed another hoof down, this time making a noticible hiss. The carpet flared with a small tongue of fire. I could feel Celestia walking closer to me, the searing heat radiating off of her in waves. I gulped, but there was nothing to swallow. My mouth was completely dry.
“You should not interfere with your betters, Edwin.” She said softly, walking with a slow laziness that drove me mad. The air grew even hotter, and I could barely breathe anymore. my ears drooped, dripping with sweat. I looked up at her with no expression at all. She placed a hoof down, making a flame shoot from the carpet. The flame spread, slowly licking it’s way across the carpet. Celestia’s horn glowed, and everything went black.
“You are lucky, Edwin.” She said, floating in front of me. I inhaled, drawing nothing. I gagged, trying to inhale. I gasped and sputtered and choked, unable too draw any air. The heat was gone, but Celestia drew ever closer to me, her hooves not even moving. I wheezed, struggling to get air.
“I have killed ponies in more gruesomer fashions for far less than what you have done.” She said, her horn glowing. She spun me around, turning me. I knew why I couldn’t breathe. I was in space. I was looking straight at the Sun, My eyes burning. It was all but the grace of Celestia that kept me from shooting into it.
“Goodbye, Edwin. I hope that Othello will forgive me.” She said. She pushed me. Gravity took hold, hurtling me to the sun. I spun as I fell, turning back to look at Celestia. She had a smug grin on her face. I opened myself to the flow. I could feel the flaring of her presence. I could feel magic bubbling within her, about to take her back to Equestria. I looked at her with wide eyes. I closed my eyes. 
I imagined Luna. Luna, frolicking through the clearing where the Doctor buried her. Her dead body, levitating in front of me. I thought of Antony, kissing berry on the cheek. His dagger with the plum gemstone. His humming swords. 
No... I thought. I looked at Celestia. Her head was thrown back in laughter.
NO! 
I broke the hold of gravity, shooting back to Celestia. She looked at me flying to her with a look of surprise on her face. I could sense the magic flowing from her before I could see her horn glow. I closed my eyes as I could feel the world rip. I thought of Luna, and Antony’s swords. I wrapped my hooves around Celestia's long neck as she left the Sun.
“NO!” I screamed. I lashed out at Celestia with my mind. I heard a sharp sound, and Celestia screaming. I opened my eyes. Celestia was looking down at me, a shallow slash across her face. It was bleeding. 
“I would bathe Equestria in an ocean of it’s own blood before I would give Luna up!” I shouted. Celestia looked down at me in surprise. I was staring up at her with wide eyes, panting. My teeth were bared at her.
“You really are lucky that Luna and I are so close, otherwise you would have killed me.” She said in her perfect tone, gesturing to something off to the side. I looked in the direction she pointed. It was a sword. I looked at it in awe. The blade was the exact same color as Luna’s coat, the crossguard was in the shape of two crescent moons placed end to end. Even looking at it, I could tell it was hideously sharp. There was a brilliant teal gem mounted in blued steel on the hilt. I was taken aback by my burst of magic.
“Get out of my throne room, Edwin. Take your sword with you.” She said, turning her back to me. I followed my heart and ran headlong out of the room.