Starstruck

by Vest

Chapter 16: Beginning

Despite the gala going on, louder than ever, a mere hallway behind them, Devon felt a silence more oppressive than he had ever experienced all around him as he and Princess Celestia strode away from the revelry and into the darkened halls of Canterlot Palace. Neither of them spoke, but both experienced the guarded tension, the forced lack of eye contact or conversation as they would back into chambers and rooms that Devon had very no clear idea that they even existed. However strictly they avoided interaction, both threw the occasional glance towards the other, fleeting glances to gauge the other. Minutes passed in the hallway before they ascended a dizzying spiral staircase, the staccato pattering of hoofsteps only broken when the charcoal unicorn put too much weight on his sore shoulder, wincing and hesitating. Celestia mirrored his pauses with her own, waiting for him to catch up or recover before continuing her wordless trek upwards.

Devon found himself struggling to hide his growing aches and lack of breath. The staircase only rose and rose, and with every passing twist in the spiral, Devon took longer breaks, unable to hide his huffing, heavy breath. As always, the alabaster alicorn only paused long enough to allow him to catch up. Finally, mercifully in the unicorn’s case, the stairs terminated in front of a pair of glass sliding doors and with a single regal ave of her head, Celestia cast them open and led Devon forward.

“I believe this will suit our need for privacy.”

Stepping forward, the bookkeeper gazed out on a sight that earthbound ponies ever experienced. He stood on the balcony of Canterlot Palace’s highest spire, the Princesses’ roost where they observed and watched over their nation. Frosty whorls of air washed the platform in a cooling breeze, yet in a single pulse of light from her horn, the Princess bathed it in a comfortable warmth and allowed him a moment. Even with the gaze of Celestia following him, Devon took in the view with a small measure of reserved awe. Below him, the glittering lights of Canterlot were only the smallest detail on a tapestry that stretched for miles, mostly dark by this time of night but the towns and homes still showing pinpricks of light. Like a sea of stars below that mirrored the ones above.

From her perspective, Princess Celestia marveled, as always, at what the world of Equestria can lay before her. This battered unicorn, apparently, held a deadly threat to her, Luna and all ponies under their protection. Fate itself danced at the whim of this unicorn.

“So, how are we going to settle this?” It was the charcoal unicorn who broke the silence. Celestia did not expect him to be so matter of fact, or to seek the point so quickly. Part of the Princess hoped that he might be defiant, so that her mind could be made up more easily. How much simpler would it have been if he lived up to be everything Stormblade had warned her about, but instead he simply was...a pony.

“I have to admit, Mister Bookmark...”

“Devon is fine, your Highness.”

“Devon.” Celestia sighed as they finally were away from the gala and in the frostily silent halls of the Canterlot palace. “You don’t exactly look like the image I was expecting from what Second Captain Stormblade told me. He didn’t mention the patches of missing pelt and the bruises. Or the powdered sugar all over your muzzle.”

“Well,” Devon said with a small shrug. “Like you told me before the gala, I’m full of surprises.”

“Devon,” Celestia’s tone changed again, forcing herself from the flighty and approachable monarch to the role of an arbiter of justice. “You are a Bookmark, and inherited a gift that I thought was gone. The same time this comes true, my sister is sent back to the moon and my citizens are attacked by the statues of those who conspired with your ancestors to manipulate all of Equestria.” Each fact was laid out before him with no emotion or inflection, her tone neither understanding nor accusatory. “And my acting Captain of the Guard has laid out charges that you were conspiring to enslave Princess Luna.” Celestia sighed, all of this was too familiar. She felt an exhaustion, a deep desire to simply make a quick choice and be done with it. She had every right in Equestria to do so, and ample evidence to create a nefarious villain out of the battered unicorn who stood before her. She did it before. But this time something was different, it was too familiar. For the Princess, where the passing of a decade was more akin to the passing of a season, she had the experience to recognize that such a second chance was by no means happenstance.

This was her second chance.

“But what do you have to say about all of this?” she asked. It may be her second chance, but Celestia could not afford the luxury of blind pardon.

“Well, you’re right about some of it,” he finally said after a hanging pause. “I did inherit this power, but I wouldn’t really call it a gift.” Lifting the leg still clad in brass, the unicorn held it out for her. “It’s more like I’ve been given an ability with a lot of strings attached.” Devon smiled bitterly, “strings that are attached to me and anypony who might try to benefit from it. Strings that I’ve been hooked to for nearly my whole life.” Seeing a growing frown of confusion taking root on the Princesses’ face, he continued. “You were right in that I inherited that old power. I can change fate, sort of…”

“Sort of?” Now the confused face had a rising eyebrow. “I would think that controlling fate would mean that you didn’t need to worry about things like that. It’s total control, is it not?”

“Hardly, Princess.” Devon shook his head. “It seems like it would be, but fate isn’t just a blank slate for somepony to change. If you change one fate,” the unicorn took a breath, doing his best to form the complexities of weaving fate into simple terms, “every other fate changes.” He had an idea. “If I were to change fate to do something with Princess Luna, then you would be affected, and all the way down. Also, anypony who makes that kind of change winds up making a deal with the stars.” For as true as he knew this to be, the unicorn couldn’t help but feel like the explanation only added to the image of being unstable and dangerous.

That eyebrow didn’t help his concern, either.

“The stars, Devon?” she asked, evenly and patiently, but her tone spoke of her struggling to take the concept seriously.

“Yes,” he repeated, attempting to be sober in tone even though the content of his words spoke differently. “When you use this kind of power, you aren’t just making a wish, but it is a contract with the stars, a pact. They make what you want happen...but they want you to keep changing things. One tiny mistake in your contract, one mishandled word and you’re trapped living through it over and over, until you think to make another pact to break free. It’s what happened to my ancestor-”

“Ghasen.”

“Yes.” Devon felt a twinge of relief as Celestia helped him with his logic. “He made one pact, thinking it would make his life better, but he didn’t realize that the stars don’t understand us. To them, they had done exactly what he asked for, when it was a nightmare for him. He tried to fix it with the stars, and that led to problems...until he was doing what they wanted. It would happen with anypony making deals-”

“And the stars would conspire in her escape.” Celestia’s interrupt brought the unicorn up short, turning to her with his own mask of confusion now. “I always wondered how that line always survived in that story. Over a thousand years, and that tale was told and re-told and re-written so many times. But the line was always there.” She laughed slightly, hiding a wellspring of emotion. “I always thought it was some poetic license.” However, the mirth passed quickly, and the Princess of the Sun remembered her place, and the gravity of the situation. She could not be distracted. “Devon, how much of all of this were you involved with?” she finally asked directly.

“Well, what exactly are we talking about?” he asked. “I know a lot of it but…” he paused to remember Stormblade’s venomous glee. “What have you been told?”

“That you were plotting to do something terrible to Luna.”

“Plotting? No. Yeah I kinda got tangled up in things awful happening to her, but I didn’t plot them.” Seeing Celestia about to speak, he quickly followed. “Luna had a contract from a thousand years ago, and I would have stood to gain from it if I didn’t break it. Everything after breaking it...well I was partially responsible.” All of it seemed so long ago as he tried to explain it. From the shift from brave leader to clinging dependent, to the battle atop the tower as it crumbled around them, and even further to the depths of his guilt when conflicts within the contracts sent her back to the moon.

For the whole time, the Princess listened intently, not making any move to interrupt or delve for more information. Celestia had enough experience and insight to know that pressing now would not get her more information. Lies were never constructed with such personal responsibility, even as she saw numerous chances for the charcoal unicorn to shift the blame, or change the subject. Stopping him now would do nothing for her.

“And then I got help into the plaza in front of the Archive earlier tonight. And that’s where I met Stormblade, I think that was his name, right?”

“That’s correct,” Celestia replied, taking a breath before recalling his words. “According to him, he caught you in the middle of a ritual to enslave Luna. And even though you fought viciously, you used some foul magic to escape.”

“Do you believe that?”

“He’s the pony we’ve entrusted the command of the Guard with until Shining Armor returns.”

“That’s not really answering the question, Princess.”

He was right, of course. Both Celestia and Shining Armor agreed that the best thing for the overly ambitious officer was a taste of command. It was hoped that the minutiae of leading the guard on a daily basis might blunt the edge and soften his approach. Also, in a time of peace, during Hearth’s Warming, both figured that nothing could go wrong with giving the stallion his chance to prove himself. Naturally, Celestia knew of his single-minded approach, but aside from missing the occasional patrol, his record was flawless, and his drive admirable in a strange way. Celestia wished more of her guard would have the kind of motivation. But it did not take long for power to find its way to his head, and the folly of the promotion to reveal itself. Were it not for a robbery and errant train car through a window, Stormblade’s promotion would have ended as a mistake and caution to remember.

“I should believe him.” Not even the Princess liked the idea of what she just said. “He’s the acting Capta-”

“Look at me,” Devon pressed. “Do I really look like the kind of pony who needs this much to take down? I have barely ate or slept in four days now. And I was hardly able to walk when we finally ran into one another. He attacked me, Princess, he found out about what I could do and thought he could...talk...me into making wishes for him.” The unicorn hesitated, wondering if he should go into the details, wondering if he should ask for Luna’s help or to get her testimony.

“Stormblade warned me that you’d try to say something like that,” Celestia replied evenly, recalling his frantic words as he made it to the gala. “That you would try to...ahem...twist your thoughts and make you seem like the victim when I, Captain Stormblade, only tried to help your sister, my Luna.”

“Well-”

“And, in all honesty, I must wonder. If you can manipulate destiny, would this just be you changing things to your advantage?”

“I’d have a strange idea of what an advantage is, considering how beat up I’ve been in this whole thing. If I was going to do something like that, I wouldn’t have made you doubt me like you’re doing, Princess.” Everything he had seen and learned up to this point boiled forth in Devon in a wave of comprehension and understanding. “This is not as if I need a convincing cover, your Highness. If I used the power to save my, you’d believe me, there’s no way around it. You wouldn’t even question my story. That’s how potent it is. But that’s why I would never use something like that. Nopony should.”

Celestia remained silent, though her face betrayed the activity within her mind. The charcoal unicorn could tell that every word and angle of his story was being scrutinized. After all previous conflicts a millennium ago, Celestia felt compelled to forgive the entirety of the Bookmark family name. Despite the meddling, their stubborn demeanor and their haughty candor towards the Princess and her sister, if she could credit them for one thing...

"It's best to understand something before using it. And I don't know if anypony can understand the stars."

...They ultimately ended up with a level-headed stallion who comprehended the incredible power he had, and felt no desire at all to even use it. "That's astute wisdom, Devon." A selfless Bookmark, free of the desperate need to change fate. "You are certainly a reassuring breath of fresh air, and I'm willing to make..." Celestia paused, contemplating the next course of action. She eyed the brass gauntlet intently, then raised her head proudly above him, leveling a hoof against his shoulder. "...I'm willing to extend a particular..." The device’s sleeve shimmered in the moonlight, a pensive twitch tugged the bottom of her ear. "...Offer...to you."

Devon lowered his head, noticing the Princess' stare was no longer zeroed onto his eyes, but peering with a steadied apprehension at the brass adornment. With a couple pulls, he gingerly pulled it from his foreleg, feeling the shiver of unusual emptiness as borrowed magic left him and with a final kick, let it fall before the Princess. It shone brightly as it twisted to a rest, catching the reflective glow of the moon, projecting the dazzling caustics against his black foreleg like a hundred stars being torn away from the tip of his hoof. He was ready...to offer it away.

“Just like that?” Celestia balked. She was fully prepared to plead her case, expecting a price for this influence to go away. At the very least, she expected him to reluctantly part with the magic that had been denied to him for his life. “You don’t want it at all?”

“If it helps Luna, and helps me, then no.” The reply was blunt and simple. “But I’m worried about something else, Princess. What are you planning to do with it?” As he slid it across the porch, Devon lifted his eyes in an attempt to read Celestia’s intentions. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Princess, but I don’t want this to fall into the wrong hooves.”

"It's simple," the Princess began with resonating confidence. "We have an elite guard of Canterlot. Our greatest stallions. They take charge of the gauntlet, watch over it, protect it, shelter it." Celestia turned, peering out the over the cityscape, the edge of her face outlined in the moonlight casting from above. "You will no longer have to worry about it, be free of the stars' decrees, and also hold a really good standing with me." She attempted to reach a hoof to the gauntlet, but a vestigial pulse in her elbow timidly yanked it back. "The gauntlet..." Exhaling deeply, she lowered her hoof, looking again out over Canterlot. "It will be in good hooves."

"Well," Devon sighed. "I would like to be in good standing with a Princess." His thoughts wavered to an entirely different Princess. Celestia, however, grinned with assured closure as she circled around him. Finally, a Bookmark she could reason with. A Bookmark that actually appreciates her. She thought she'd never even see the day. "Yet...there’s more to it than simply locking it up. The gauntlet allows me to change and make those contracts, but it won’t silence the stars, and it won’t take this out of me.”

Celestia felt her hopeful optimism recoil. It was never quite as simple as she’d like it to be.

“I agree that we need to make sure this power is not used by anypony. And putting the gauntlet out of my reach is a good start. But that still leaves myself and the pendant. If I have that, it’s how I hear the stars. How I speak to them.” Closing his eyes, he started piecing the system together, hoping that in its explanation, he might offer a solution. “Myself, the gauntlet and the pendant, any two together is perfectly harmless. Split them apart, and it is no longer a threat. But…”

Devon needed more understanding. He deeply yearned to learn even more about the pendant. His mind travelled back to the journals of Ghasen, to his even further distant ancestors who used it for the betterment of others, scrying fate to glimpse at a pony’s road and not just a shortcut to making some ill-thought wish come true to the determinant of many more. There was nothing like this before Ghasen, maybe the words and decrees of the stars could cease being binding contracts, but return as guidance. It seemed like a safer arrangement. Their own words played in his mind again:

We are truth, pure and painful.

But was it truth? Despite their rage and rock-solid insistence on his fate, Devon defied the stars, broke fate’s plan for him. On top of that, he resisted their temptations, all of the joy of instant and unstoppable gratification he denied for a chance to allow others to share their destinies and not simply ride it. There was vastly more to it, but Devon could not tell if the paths led to further devious traps, or something of a return to normalcy, where the Bookmarks simply observed and skimmed fate, passing on wisdom and glimpses to others. Devon knew with certainty that he could not simply leave it be, not for long. In a way, hiding from the gift entirely would be an admission of defeat, clearly proclaiming that he could not handle the stars further.

There’s nothin’ worse than giving up,, Gina told him in the hospital. And finding out later you coulda won.

"Princess, I think I'll..." Devon lowered his hoof, the pendant sinking away from Celestia's gaze. Her lips parted slightly as she leaned foward in a subtle reach to the brass leg adornment, then her eyes finally tore away from them in a quivering jolt that locked those pink irises firmly against Devon's. "...I think it's best if I..." He pulled his head back a smidgen, slowly rolling his eyes down and to the side. “...if we found a way for me to observe the power further. You can lock the gauntlet up, bury it in Tartarus if you want my opinion.”

"Why?" The Princess softly inquired. This was not how she wanted it to go. Her mane twitched again as her thoughts started coming to grips with trusting the power to read fate in the hooves of this archivist. True as he has proven so far, what could he find? “Why not bury both the gauntlet and pendant together?”

"Because..." Devon began in a dejected whimper. This was now how he wanted it to go. His mane twitched with the perceptible tension descending upon them. Not because of the grave concern on the Princess' face, no. "...It's best if it was divided otherwise." His thoughts attempted, but refused. Outright refused. "Because you have..." Devon's mind refused to come to grips with the image of the pendant in the hooves of... "...Royal Guard." ...Stormblade.

"And this fortified castle, a secure tower," the Princess began. "It would take a demigod of chaos to break into that."

"Indeed," Devon agreed, still feeling the burning sting of the image of Stormblade even adorning the pendant, an abstract caricature of his brash shenanigans flaunting it like a schoolfilly with new ribbons, attempting to woo and flirt with... "Eygh..." Oh, how the image hurt his brain. "You certainly have the best defenses in Canterlot. And it would take a lot more than little ol' me screwing up somewhere to make a bad situation."

"Your understanding is-"

"-But," he interjected, holding the pendant over his head and weaving his horn and ears through the looped adornment. "Little ol' me screwing up shouldn't even be a fear if I was in charge because you see, Princess..." He shook his mane, the pendant resting with a shimmering ding against his chest. "You have protection." The reflected caustics of light twirled like a hundred points of starlight sucking into his heart. "I have more at stake."

"I don't think I know what you mean."

“The stars still will be looking for some way to interfere with our fates, and since I have that gift, I think I need to understand it fully to prevent it from happening again. Prevent another Ghasen from happening, prevent another incident like happened to Luna again. I want to learn more about this, but I don’t want to place anypony at risk by doing it.”

Celestia’s expression was guarded, restrained. The opportunity to end this whole affair had just seemingly slipped by her hooves, the power to alter fate still laid in an unsafe place. However, if what he was saying had truth, it was a valid point.

“But I understand what you want to do,” Devon continued, his laughter falling back into another sober expression through his bruises. “As secure as Canterlot is, something like this whole bundle, the gauntlet and the pendant, needs oversight by only somepony who knows what the weight is. Anypony else would only have instructions and stories, and those give way to curiosity. They start to wonder about that old gauntlet and that dingy pendant, and they get to talking about what they’ve heard. Curiosity gives way to thinking that one can overcome it, or that the stories were overwrought and meant to scare ponies away and nothing more. Sooner or later, somepony thinks it is a means to a wish.”

Celestia was silent.

“We can lock one of them up. Lock this gauntlet up in the tightest room you have. But I won’t trust the pendant unless it is with somepony who appreciates the weight of the responsibility. Somepony who knows exactly what it and the pendant are capable of.”

More silence.

“Somepony who I can trust. Not just to keep it safe, but to keep me safe from it.”

A small flicker of understanding took root on Celestia’s face.

“Somepony to watch over me.”

“Luna?”

Devon nodded.

“Princess Luna, what aren’t y’tellin’ me?” Sara pressed over a plate of cold beignets. “What’s the matter with m’Devon and Celestia?”

“Tis…” Luna found herself struggling for words. She could not betray her worry, lest it spread out of control, yet she could not lie to Devon’s mother either. “Tis a matter that thy son aided us greatly with, but our sister did not knoweth of the extent of his involvement.” The Princess lifted a sugar-coated piece of dough to her mouth, but when she bit down, all she could taste was her own growing concern.

If it was minor, surely he would hath returned.

Looking down at the table, Luna’s eyes fell on the silver pendant that Devon pressed into her before turning away with Celestia. But what did he mean for her to do with it? Was it a gift? Was it some message? Was it...his last memento before he was locked away in stone? Shuddering, Luna did her best to banish those thoughts. “Tis something all of us shalt simply have patience for.” Hooking her hoof around the pendant’s chain, she lifted it over her horn and head and looped the silvery chain around her neck. “We art sure that thy son and mine sister whilst be able to explain things further.”

I shall wait for thee, Devon. Thou shan’t keep me waiting.

“Reckon yer right, Highness,” Sara muttered over another bite of dough. “But I certainly didn’t expect my Dev’n t’be such an important pony fer Celestia to take him away in such a serious want. Ya don’t think he’s in any trouble, do ya?”

“Well, we think that…” Luna stammered, “mayhap it is a mere misunderstan-”

“Pfft!” A bawdy laugh and sudden rush of orange interrupted Luna as an orange unicorn mare flopped into the bench next to the Princess of the Night. “Nah, Dev’s has got this whole thing wrapped up snugger than a parasprite in a pickle patch!” Following the bizarre statement, an orange hoof lashed out at the plate, awkwardly scooping up half a dozen beignets into a ravenous maw. As one, Luna and Sara turned at the new presence, each unsure for a moment if it was a pony or some erratic alien force.

“Mmhmwow...Dev’swuhshright…” the orange unicorn spoke through a mouthful of dough and sugar. Realizing that she could not speak, she swallowed hard and let out a little, satisfied burp. “Ah, as I was sayin’, Dev’s was right ‘bout pickin’ these things. They’re great!”

“Gina?!” Luna blurted, the first of the other mares to realize that it was not just a hungry orange tornado that visited them. “What art thou doing here? Why art thou here? How dost thou know about Devon? What happened to thy guardspony companion?”

“Woah, woah, one at a time, Princess!” Gina laughed, “just gimme a sec, okay?” Allowing her a moment, the Princess and mother watched her obliterate another hoof-full of fried dough, mashed into a single titanic piece rather than trying to manage a dozen bouncing pieces at once. With another mighty swallow, Gina smiled. “Okay, well...I’m here cause you told me to be here, remember?”

“Ah...er...right,” Luna muttered. “Mine apologies. What didest thou hear about Dev-”

“What do ya’s know about my Dev’n?!” Sara exclaimed, bursting into the conversation without shame or restraint. The energy with which the mare called out the question caused even the unflappable Gina to hesitate, turning to look at Luna with a confused, questioning look.

“Devon’s mother, Gina. Miss Bookmark, this mare is another of our…” The Princess hesitated. “Well, we shalt call her an assistant for now, but tis far more complex than that.” Falling silent, the erratic orange unicorn squinted at Devon’s mother, sizing her up as if she was looking for some kind of hidden picture before snapping back with a bright smile.

“Ah yeah,” she laughed for a moment. “Yeah I can see Dev’s came from ya!” Seeing Sara blinking in confusion, the orange mare continued. “Y’got the same kinda look about the both of ya. Both of ya’s remind me of him a lot. In all the good ways, y’understand!” Gina’s rapid fire attempts at reconciliation and small talk only deepened the baffled expression on the stout mare.

“Gina!” Luna snapped, bringing her attention back to the issue at hoof. “Devon, what didest thou see? How art thou so sure he shall be fine?”

“Mmmwell…” the orange unicorn rolled her eyes. “I caught a look just ‘fore he got off with Celestia, and I got a good feelin’. Hey,” she guffawed. “I was in his horseshoes once, an’ he’s doin’ WAY better than I ever did!” Gina beamed triumphantly. “An’ come on, he’s faced down ponies way angrier than Celestia! He’ll be just fine.”

Luna sighed, she had hoped for something more substantial, at least more than Gina’s hunch and gut instinct on Devon’s fate. She could only watch as yet more beignets vanished into the unicorn’s mouth, forced to be content with more ambiguity. More worry. Without thinking, Luna found her foreleg grinding over the silver quill around her neck.

“And to answer yer last question,” Gina added between bites. “The guard and I are workin’ on our own. We weren’t able to catch up to that creep ‘fore he got to Celestia, but I reckon ya knew that one already.”

“Aye...we figured from the way he gleamed with victory…” Luna muttered, turning her gaze to the far end of the donut shop. Without any hint of subtlety, Second Captain Stormblade paced near the door that Celestia and Devon vanished behind, too cowed with fear to dare approach Luna alone, yet still delighting in an impending victory for his bruised ego and dashed ambitions.

“That guard, Jetwing or Jetstring or something, we’re makin’ sure that he doesn’t get too far,” Gina explained, pausing her feasting to speak fully. “If we just pounce on him right now, that’ll probably make it seem kinda bad for Dev’s.” The orange mare gave a pouting face, “I wanted to just kick him all the way outta the city, but we kinda have to be heh...patient. So we’re just gonna take our time, an’ make a move to stop him once Celestia an’ Dev’s get back.”

“Gina, for thee to embrace patience and a plan…” Luna murmured, torn between admiration and bewilderment at the mare’s adherence to a plan that curbed her wild impulses.

“I know, right? It’s killing me,” Gina muttered grimly. “But if we’re doin’ what we can to help Dev’s out, I gotta swallow this one.” Settling in the booth, she scooped up another hoof of sugary dough. “But don’t think I’m lettin’ him off the hook. These are his way of payin’ me back for it, otherwise I’d be kickin’.” Gina gave Luna a firm nod of solidarity before returning venting her frustration on pastry.

“But of course,” Luna groaned, rolling her eyes and feeling a small smile return to her face. Worry still clung to every thought she had, but at least she could take a small measure of strength from Gina.

“So...iffen both of you are finished,” Sara finally piped up. “Can one of ya explain how both of ya know my Dev’n?”

“Oh! Oh! Can I start?” Gina piped up with a sudden rush of glee. “Please let me start, Lulu!”

“Lulu?” Luna balked. “Nopony ever calls me-”

“Anyway!” Gina giggled, completely breezing past the comment. “So I ran into Dev’s way deep under Canterlot if ya’d buy that…” And without further ado, the orange mare was off, retelling their story with a gusto and bravado that Luna did not expect. Listening to the unicorn’s recollections relaxed the Princess slightly. She was not fully herself in those tunnels and dungeons, yet in Gina’s telling of her view, Luna found comfort in it. Her hoof returned to the pendant, twirling it around her fetlock as relaxation and calm struggled to take root. If even Gina could find the wherewithal to calm herself for Devon’s sake, Luna could as well.

It took all of Luna’s willpower not to simply follow Celestia and shout down her desire to meet him alone, and every minute that passed without either of their return spurred her harder and harder to change it.

Thou art a colossal fool, Devon.

She let him go to face his fate alone. But in letting him go, she showed a deeper trust, a deeper commitment. Luna trusted Devon to not disappear, to do the right thing. Just as Devon expressed his connection to Luna by allowing her to be free to make her choice, she too allowed him to choose how to handle this encounter. It was the choice of a noble fool, but it was his choice. Nopony, no force, coerced him into it,and he would own his choice.

But thou art my fool.

Luna went for another bite of beignet and found the sweet flavor again.

I am waiting for thee.

“Very well,” the Princess conceded. “You’ve shown wisdom to this matter before, and I am convinced that you are no threat to Canterlot, or my sister.” Devon could finally breathe normally, his relief showing in a rush of exhalation. “I will take possession of the gauntlet, and Luna shall be entrusted with the pendant.” She evened her tone. “I’m not certain of your idea to...listen in on the stars, but your talent should be there in case something arises. I’d be more happier and more comfortable with you lending us aid and warning than it catching us by surprise.”

“Phew…” the unicorn made no effort to hide it as his muscles finally relaxed and his mind eased slightly away from the icy resolution of facing down terminal judgment. Of course, he still would need to face the stars in the future, but for the time being, he landed safely. Fate had thrown his life to the wind mere days ago, and though battered and nearly broken, the unicorn endured and held out. Finally, he could relax slightly and put his mind to more pleasant thoughts an-

“But I have some other concerns that require your insight.”

Shoot. So close and yet so far.

“Like what, Princess?” Devon asked, his tone hiding the sudden surge of nerves and wondering just what she meant. Did his desire to act as a monitor of the stars land him in some kind of new role? Did Stormblade make up some other story? All of those questions were made all the more agonizing when they came hand in hand with Celestia’s relaxed tone, yet intent and focused eyes.

“Well, on a more practical note, Devon,” the Princess began. “those tunnels beneath the Canterlot Archive. You’ve been in them for the first time in many centuries. Are they still dangerous?”

Devon blinked at the oddity of the question. “Well, some of the dangers are gone, sure, but it isn’t any place a smart pony would just want to wander down into...why?” Sure, they had sprung most of the traps, and the dragon was long gone, but that mirror still haunted the depths, and far too many pitfalls into molten rock deep beneath the earth.

“Oh, quite simple.” Celestia’s vibrant tone returned quickly now, seemingly matching the relief felt by Devon. “It certainly is not something that should go unexplored, and if I am to send ponies down there to recover the history contained within, I would imagine that your expertise could be a valuable resource to keep them safe.”

“Oh, is that it?” the charcoal unicorn asked, tone brightening. While he would never admit it, Devon feared some underhoofed curve, a final twist of fate to completely turn things around again. “When you start doing that, I’ll be happy to give as much advice as I possibly can. In fact,” the bookkeeper added in a surge of optimistic relief, “if there’s anything else you might need for it, feel free to ask. There’s a lot of history down there, and a great library full of books that haven’t been seen in generations and-”

“I was hoping you’d say something like that!”

“What do you…”

“If Canterlot is going to explore this newly rediscovered underground, I’ll need a team of some of the best explorers and historians I can get my hooves on. You’ll do wonderfully helping put that group together.”

“I mean I-”

“It’s Hearth’s Warming, so go ahead and take some time off, but I’d like to meet again to speak with you about organizing an expedition. Please see me when you get a chance, I’ll make sure to make a little room in my day for you, whenever you can make it work.”

“Are you really sure?” Devon blurted. Mere moments ago, he worried that he might be banished to the moon or worse, and now the same Princess laid out an invitation to share his experienced with her. “I mean...after everything that happened up to that point. And then there’s…”

“There’s what, Devon?”

“The matter of your Second Captain. Stormblade.”

“Ah.” Princess Celestia’s hopeful tone faded as she revisited that point in her mind. Yet another loose end to be dealt with. “Him.” Drawing in a long breath, the Princess exhaled, letting the sound explain her frustration with the situation. “He’s the one who put you in the state. And he would seek to indict you further by misleading me.” Celestia was no fool, even after Stormblade came to her with his ‘warnings’ of a devious unicorn making a slave of Luna, centuries of dealing with other ponies made her wise to these kinds of ploys. He was not the first, not even the first officer of the guard, to fabricate danger to suit their own ends. But with the events of the tower and statue garden, who else to rely on by her Second Captain? All it took was one look at the bruised and battered stallion before her, pushed down into honesty by his trials and seeking no gain, to remind Celestia of honesty.

As soon as Stormblade made his report to Celestia, he did not return to his duty, or even meld back into the gala. Instead, he lingered, badgering the Princess to act sooner on his advice, or for him to be there when it happened. Even those without Celestia’s wisdom and experience could see him preening, priming himself for a victory. Despite all of his oaths to serve Canterlot and its citizens, the Second Captain’s actions spoke loudly of his service first and foremost to a ravenous ambition and ego.

“I regret his selection,” Celestia sighed. “But I wished for him to have a chance. Everypony should have the opportunity to prove themselves, no matter the way that ends up being.” Turning, the Princess gazed out over the wintry swirls of snow that settled over the city. “I suppose that is the risk I take by allowing others that chance. But in giving him the opportunity, I fear that Stormblade used my trust to pursue his selfish goals and left you as a victim of it.” Celestia’s head rotated, one pink eye meeting Devon’s orange pair, piercing even in such a passing glance. “When I pressed him for more information about what he accused you of, he simply told me that there was not enough time, and that I needed to act quickly and not to think about it.”

In a strange way, Devon empathized with his attacker. After all, were they not both pursuing the same goal in their own way? Could he blame him for doing anything it takes to make his dreams come true? Looking down, he gave voice to his thoughts. “I wasn’t really his ‘victim’, Princess,” he explained quietly. “To him, I was just a tool, something he could use to get what he was really after.” Celestia turned, her mouth opening in question, but he pressed on before she could speak. “If he had his way, he’d be dancing Hearth’s Warming away with Princess Luna, and she’d have no choice, and no way of knowing she even had a choice. Would have been just me handing her over to-”

“Devon?” Celestia interjected as she fully faced him. Behind her eyes, the unicorn watched as her thoughts rattled and finally starting to see the complete picture. “You...you feel more deeply for my sister than you let on, don’t you?” The Princesses’ expression mixed subtle amusement with a new sense of protectiveness.

Devon winced. In his mind, he had just avoided one kind of punishment for his deeds, but now the next dreadful judgment was coming straight his way. However, exhaustion worked into his very core, weakening his willpower and ability to obfuscate only honesty existed. Even if he wanted to play off his feelings as less than they were, his mind would no longer abide another falsehood, or another misleading trail. This road had gone on long enough, it’s time to make the risk.

For her.

“I do, Princess,” he confessed. “I really, really do think she’s the best mare in Equestria.” As before in the archive, the flowered prose from before was gone, all he had were his feelings, all he needed were his base feelings. “The stars they...” he hesitated at letting Celestia know such a truth, but he was too far in now to pull back. “The stars offered her to me, several times over the past few days. I’d get her if I just went with their plans. They even,” he shuddered at the memory of how much he bought into it, “had Luna bound to me for a while. It was like everything I thought was the only thing she wanted and nothing else mattered.” Bitter memories of the library, moments of bliss irrevocably tainted by the realization that they were never shared, and were the selfish fantasies of one unicorn. “It could have been everything I wanted.”

“And you refused? But she’s the mare of your dreams,” Celestia asked, taken aback both at the force of will on display, and the depraved angle with which the stars would attempt to manipulate a pony. “Like you said, there would have been no way for anypony, even me, to know about it, in fact I’d be just as affected as Luna. Everything I did would be to help it grow and blossom.”

Devon nodded. “Exactly, Princess. It wasn’t right to force it. It wasn’t right for Luna, it wasn’t right for you, it wasn’t right even for me.”

“But aren’t your own dreams what you want?”

“Oh goodness no!” Devon exclaimed. “Well, yes, but…” He hesitated, struggling to put it into proper words. “Imagine living in a world where you could have anything you wanted,” he couldn’t believe he was using this analogy for Princess Celestia, “and everypony was happy to give it to you. But what if you knew that the only reason you’re getting it is because you forced them into it. Forced them so subtly that they aren’t even aware of it. I couldn’t live with that kind of knowledge. I’d be the only one who knew it was not genuine.”

Closing her eyes, the alabaster alicorn tried to imagine the position. Even from her seat of power and leadership, Celestia always made every effort to earn the loyalty and affection of her subjects. She had a great responsibility to lead and teach them, but she would never force anypony to adore her. “I think I understand, Devon. That would be a nightmare. It is much better to earn your place then to have it given.”

The charcoal unicorn smiled. “Everything goes both ways. If you love somepony and they don’t love you back, it just won’t work. I want to be with Luna, Celestia, I want to be with her more than anything in the world. But I want her to want want me there as well, not just be forced into it by the stars, or fate or by thinking she owes me. Or even by this whole…” he flailed his foreleg in the direction of the gauntlet, “this whole adventure. Luna doesn’t owe me anything for any of it.” Turning, the unicorn looked down at the Palace beneath their perch, the lights of the dance hall leaking out through skylights and windows. “Whatever happens, I’ll be happy with it. Luna deserves it.”

Celestia was silent, contemplative for a long minute before she strode towards Devon, joining him in contemplating the gala beanth. “If that’s the case,” she mused. “This would have been a wonderfully storybook night for you.” Drawing in a deep breath of frosty winter air, she smiled down at the unicorn. “All it would need is ‘and they lived happily ever after’ and it’d be perfect.”

“Oh, definitely,” Devon agreed without hesitation. What he would give for a chance to stun Canterlot by escorting Luna onto the gala dance floor. “But there’s more to love than the climax. You miss all the good parts if you just rush to the big dramatic moments.” He let out a wistful sigh. “But you know, I’ve learned that it can’t always be the storybook ending because I don’t want this to be an ending...I want it to be a beginning with her. Big difference there. I suppose there’ll be another Hearth’s Warming, huh.”

“Perhaps, but…” The Princess turned to him and before he could speak again, closed the small gap between them in a series of stern, assertive steps. As she loomed over Devon, Celestia’s horn ignited to magical life.

Uh oh.

“Hey wha-”

With a single sweep of her horn, Celestia pressed down onto Devon’s forehead. To the dark unicorn, everything was lost in a blossom of light and warmth. He tensed, certain to feel the eternal casing of stone within moments, but just as suddenly as he was blinded by the light, his vision returned and Celestia was smiling at him, satisfied. Dazzled, he started to life one of his legs, mostly to see if he was turning into a statue, but to his surprise, it lifted smoothly. And without pain.

“It may be too late for the storybook ending,” Celestia said, “but if you are going to make any kind of beginning the gala, it’d be a shame if you were limping and worrying about your pelt and shoulder.” Blinking in confusion, Devon lifted a foreleg and rubbed it over where holes in his pelt used to be and found new fur. Likewise, the bruise was gone, and his shoulder felt strong and fresh again. Looking back to Celestia, all Devon found was a small, encouraging smile of unspoken approval and satisfaction. “This is your moment, Devon. I feel like you’ve been through enough and I’ll skip the big sister, I think you know that line.” Celestia giggled. Devon did not need to be told what the next move was and turned towards the gala doors.

“Devon!” Celestia’s voice brought him up short. “One last thing.”

Striding towards his frozen form, Celestia lit her horn again. “Please hold still.” The Princess dipped her head again, lightly touching first one side of his neck, and then the other. “Perfect,” she said with a growing smirk. No longer was she having to be the wise and regal leader, and for at least this moment, Celestia got to indulge in the joy of sisterhood. Confused, Devon could only stare for a moment before a scent lifted up into his nostrils.

“Apple cinnamon?” he asked, looking up to the Princess for guidance and explanation.

“It’s Luna’s favorite scent,” she said breezily. Seeing his deepening confusion, Celestia indulged in a giggle. “That’s my one favor to you. Though I think she’ll know it was from me. It isn’t very often I get to enjoy giving my sister a little jab.” Behind all of the royal countenance, the wise leadership, there was still an older sister, immensely protective of her sibling but not above a good-natured tease or slipping a small privacy to a stallion seeking her affection.

“Thank you, Princess,” Devon murmured, his astonished gratitude forcing his voice into nearly a whisper.

“Thank yourself, Devon,” Celestia corrected. “You have earned this opportunity, but like you said, it is a beginning. And…” she added, “it’s something you better hurry to get. The gala is nearly over.” Flaring her wings, the Princess lifted off from the balcony. “I’m going to go ahead and tie up a loose end, correct a mistake of mine.” In a rush of movement and displaced air, Celestia was gone, replaced by a descending white streak headed for the gala far below. After only a moment of reflection, Devon turned for the door, wasting no time as his hooves kicked into a full out gallop.

From his position, Private Jetstream never lost sight of Stormblade. While his ad hoc partner stuck near Princess Luna, her focus rapidly went to the plate of fried dough. Without a snack of his own, all the pegasus could do was watch and observe the earth stallion as he mingled and spoke with the royal guard. Even after attacking another pony and being chased down, the audacity of the Second Captain stunned Jetstream, easily milling from one guard to another, giving pep talks and making small talk as if nothing were wrong. Of course, as he managed to speak to Princess Celestia first and get his case made before anypony else could speak, what did he have to worry about?

At least it wasn’t the main ballroom of the gala anymore. The donut shop was much easier to keep track of, and the Second Captain paced and floated around the same door that Celestia disappeared behind with that unicorn, giddily anticipating his opportunity to enact his flavor of self-serving justice on Canterlot. Leaning back against a tall window, Private Jetstream shivered as winter cold transferred into his body. Ignoring it with a shrug, he allowed his attention to turn to Princess Luna, seated with two unicorn mares. Even from across the room, he could see just how much of a struggle it was for Luna to maintain a calm conversation, as well as not glare daggers at Stormblade.

With every passing minute, the plan he whipped together seemed weaker and weaker. Stuck waiting for Stormblade to make a move, or for Celestia to arrive allowed his mind to wander. And when a tense mind wanders, mostly into how a plan might go wrong. Depending on Stormblade’s talk with the Princess, Jetstream may have to worry about saving his own skin, and convincing her that his was the right side. And should it come to that, new worries arose as if he could count on the orange mare for help, and if Celestia would believe him given the situation. Stormblade was a decorated officer, this mare cackled wildly to a private madness and for him impulsive would be a gross understatement. Not exactly the most convincing team to make a case for supporting his cause.

The pegasus turned his attention back to that door, worry breeding impatience. Apparently, Stormblade had similar thoughts as his prancing parade around the room ended, and now he stood conspicuously in front of the door, staring at it with eager expectation of his triumph.

Jangle...jangle…

Over the din of conversations and merriment, the constant jingle of medals added a subtle, stealthy percussion, even though the room was loud, Jetstream’s ears focused on the steady, incessant jingle. Like the drum of a hoof in an empty room, or a drip from a broken faucet, there was something utterly maddening in the simple sound.

Jangle…

Evidently, the pegasus was not alone in the irritation as a blur of cobalt movement drew his eye. Perhaps capitalizing on the Second Captain’s turned back, or driven to desperation by the ceaseless jingle, Princess Luna swept past the crowds, moving rapidly before the stallion could turn again and track her down and corner her. The Princess said nothing, barely even acknowledged any other ponies in the room as she took an opportunity to disappear into the ballroom, the only sign of her passage being a small wake of new gossip amongst the partygoers. Jetstream allowed himself a sigh of relief for her sake, and a moment of jealousy. At least Luna could escape and get out of here, and he had to keep ready to make his move the instant Princess Celestia showed.

“Hey everypony!” a magically amplified voice called from the ballroom. “This is your most excellent mistress of music, the one, the only and the incomporable DJ Pon-3 here! Hope all of you enjoyed the few hours of mareiachi, or at least the pony who needed it to be happy, because you sure got a lot of it!” Scattered applause leaked into the room, far less enthusiastic than the sharp approving whistle from one of the mares at Luna’s table. “Now I know all ya ponies are achin for some more jams, but we got time for two more tonight. So here is what we’re gonna do!” Jetstream sighed, his attention turning away from the voice from the dance hall as the voice continued.

“First up is our last real dance. So all of ya ponies out there wantin’ to make a Hearth’s Warming memory with your special somepony, well, my dancefloor’s the last chance you got if you wanna make it a real awesome ending of it!” In the donut shop, Jetstream closed his eyes and counted backwards…

Three...jangle…

Two...jangle…

One…

“Where did Princess Luna get to?!”

Called it. He didn’t even need to open his eyes to know that Stormblade had abandoned his vigil in front of the door to brazenly demand a dance from the Princess, and to so loudly proclaim his outrage at the knowledge that she was no longer where he had left her. As his gaze returned to the table, Jetstream observed the black stallion sputtering in front of the remaining mares, the smaller, older one clearly confused at his outburst while the orange unicorn, Jetstream’s companion, had a face that unashamedly struggled to keep the hooves restrained.

“I know you did something with her! Out with it!”

This next exclamation was punctuated by a heavy hoof slamming down onto the table, scattering the plates and silverware with a mighty clattering tumult. A tumult so dramatic that it obscured the sound of a door opening behind Stormblade. Even Jetstream failed to notice as he moved, tensing as he strengthened his resolve, not allowing the officer to mistreat another Canterlot citizen and get away with it. All he could focus on was getting there to help out, and not the other ponies nearby, whose attention first went to the scattering plates, then to an alabaster figure striding purposefully towards the table.

“How dare you ruin this! Admit defeat and I’ll let the spirit of Hearth’s Warming allow you a moment of reprieve!” Gina’s face morphed from orange to red at this time, cheeks puffing as a verbal tirade to rival Luna’s best was held back by the most intense show of willpower in Equestria’s history. “I even gave you a chance to enjoy a final Hearth’s Warming before judgement for you and your whole outfit.” Suddenly, the mare’s face shifted again, paling to white. “I suppose that is the price I pay for being too merciful to criminals. I wish you well, because I’m certain that this outburst will only make Princess Celestia more than happy to-”

“To what?”

With mouth still open, Stormblade turned slowly.

“Please continue,” Celestia said with a low, irritated tone. “I’m all ears.”

“Ha...well..habba...I was…” The officer stammered, stumbling over words as he once again scrambled to pass the blame, to find a quick escape from responsibility, or at the very least, draw attention away from his actions. “Princess Celestia! Th-thank goodness you’ve shown up! The unicorn mare who aided the villain who tried to enslave Luna is right here!” Brushing his foreleg over his medals, Stormblade put on his most smug sneer. “Just as I warned you!”

“Oh fer…” Gina groaned.

“Quickly!” the Second Captain leapt back to stand alongside Celestia, dropping into a bizarre combat stance. “Between our powers, even this devious mare stands no chance!” The alabaster Princesses’ only move in time with the stallion was a backwards roll of her eyes. “I’m eager to see how I stack up to a Princess when facing one of Equestria’s most devilish-”

“That’s more than enough,” Celestia spoke firmly. While she never used the bombastic Royal Voice anymore, Celestia had found ways to apply soft words and the force and meaning behind them to even greater effect. With four simple words, everypony ground to a halt, shocked into obedience and observant listening. “This is the mare?” she asked evenly, her voice only showing a sharp irritation, but not leanings.

“Of course, m’lady,” Stormblade bumbled into the conversation. “We need t-”

“And the other one?”

“Well I imagine she is some sort of collaborator, a pony just as greedy for pow-”

“‘ey!” Sara, never one to let dire circumstances stifle her voice. “Jus’ what are you blabberin’ about?! Think he mighta had one or twelve too many ciders!”

“Don’t listen to her lies!” Stormblade wailed. “You were here! She is associated with that Bookmark and she’ll-”

“She is responsible for-” The Princess began, eyes closing in a soft, but obvious sign of taxing patience.

“I knew it! I kn-”

“-for the organization and planning of this gala.” With a brief shake of her mane, the Princess of the Sun turned to Sara. “My deepest apologies, Miss Bookmark, there’s been a matter of slight confusion in the guard and I had hoped to sort this out before it got out all over the donut shop, but at least now that we’re all calm,” Celestia glared down at Stormblade, “we’ll handle any misgivings and can finish the gala in peace.”

“But Princess,” the officer bleated before Celestia’s eye opened, a baleful gaze centered directly on the shaking guard captain.

“I have had enough of your stammered explanations, Stormblade,” she began, internally relieved to vent her frustrations at long last. “If I recall your warnings correctly, this mare would be throwing the worst kind of magic at us by now.”

“She-”

“Her horn is cracked.”

“Ah, well…”

“You also promised me that she would summon a great lava dragon to level Canterlot if we attempted to even speak with her before capturing her.”

“Wait!” Gina interjected. “What?! Really?!” Her tone was unusually excited at the very image of it. “Hey, what else can I do? This is pretty cool!” Nopony could tell if her laughter was at Stormblade’s expense, at the giddy thought of actually doing that or if it simply spawned from the ether within her mind. “But I think I could do better, hyeh, I mean, how about instead of a lava dragon, I summon some kind of...lava train? Yeah!” Gina’s words came to a sudden halt when the Princess cleared her throat. “Oh...heh. Sorry.”

“Lieutenant Stormblade,” Celestia continued, squarely addressing the officer now. “If your idea of protecting Canterlot from great threats is harassing citizens who are merely trying to enjoy a gala, then I believe that you may need to step back slightly from your narrow view on the issue.” While normally, the Second Captain always had a word to deflect blame or press his advantage, silence overtook him like a heavy blanket. “After interviewing the unicorn that you claimed to be conspiring against Canterlot, I have concluded that he, in fact, has had no ill intent, and indeed provided a great help in helping me prevent this from occurring again.”

“You can’t be serious!” he blurted. “He’s...he’s keeping me from my…” Indignation and terror fought for dominance in the earth pony.

“I, and Canterlot, thank you greatly for your service and enthusiasm stepping forward to assist when Captain Shining Armor was away, but this behavior cannot be tolerated.” Taking a long breath, Princess Celestia lowered her head to even with Stormblade. “However, we can discuss the nature of your reassignment in the morning. We all have a gala to enjoy, but I think it is well past your time here, Lieuten- no...”

In response, all the officer could do was muster a small whimper from the back of his throat.

“Sergean...hmm...no.”

A single medal fell from Stormblade’s coat, its jangle ending abruptly when it slapped down onto the linoleum tile of the donut shop. “Private Stormblade.”

“Privat-” Celestia began, then smiled. “Sergeant Jetstream. Please take a few of the guards here and make sure that the Private makes it back to the barracks safely, and that he is comfortable.” For a moment, the Princess could not tell who was more shocked, Stormblade or Jetstream, but eventually she realized that neither would leave that state without a little encouragement. “Hurry up now, Sergeant,” she cooed warmly, “you don’t want to miss enjoying the last part of the gala, do you?”

“Yes ma’am!” Jetstream barked, then blinked. “Er...no ma’am! I...yes ma’am we’ll go and no ma’am I don’t!” Finally, the cyan pegasus’ mind had caught up with the events, and to his relief, the movements and duty of his training helped keep his cool. He could handle this, especially as the royal guard who spoke with him before joined him on either flank. While his focus returned, Jetstream saw the trembling form of Stormblade, emotion barely contained as he looked down at his medals, his pride. “Actually, your Highness,” Jetstream added as he approached the earth pony. “I think it’ll be best if I make sure that Stormblade is well all night.” Even with all his now former superior’s misdeeds against him, the pegasus felt a twinge of sympathy. He knew that look in the stallion, and he should stick with him, if nothing else to allow him to vent. “I think he may need it.”

“That is most kind of you, Sergeant. Please let me know if you need anything.”

“I think we’re good, Highness,” Jetstream confirmed, joining Stormblade at his side and lowering his tone. A silent corridor of ponies opened up as the guards walked the officer out, a strange combination of sympathy and scorn in their movements, except for the cyan leader, whose focus shifted fully to the black stallion. “C’mon, sir, let’s get you out of here.”

Even when threatened by giant statues, even when he held Luna and Canterlot’s fate in his hooves, Devon had never run this fast before. His heart soared with new strength and clarity as he rounded the last flight of stairs and barreled through the donut shop towards the gala. He could hear music, slow and simple songs for the end of the night providing a somber contrast to the blaring theme he entered on, where the exhausting partying had given way to sentiment and deep meaning. Rounding a corner, Devon skidded into the main gala hall and started desperately scanning the crowd and throngs. There was one shape he was looking for, and he hoped deeply that she was still there.

Oh come on...come on...where are you…

The unicorn sought any kind of height. She had to be here! Carried by momentum and a newly invigorated body, Devon sprinted for the the far side of the dance hall. While his mind burned with intensity, all around the charcoal bookkeeper, ponies clung softly to one another, each one in their own world of affection and bonding. The music, a soft, romantic tune, did nothing to ease the seething beat in Devon’s chest.

Every slow step of the dance, every synchronized movement of the dancers added to the impenetrable wall blocking his sight. Certainly, he could simply barrel through the middle of the dance, but Devon knew that ruining the dance for everypony else would do him no favors, so he skirted around another edge, eyes scanning the crowds on the margins. A massive surge of emotional music added further to the distractions as Devon turned another corner.

Luna please tell me you stuck around…just be...ah-HA!

With the second bend, he spotted the telltale shimmering cobalt mane near a far table. Devon’s hooves clattered and stumbled as he began sprinting to meet her, but as he drew near, he slowed and slowed again as he got a clearer view of the Princess of the Night. While she sat on the margins of the dance, her attention was not on the dancers, or even the gala as a whole, but on the small silver quill around her neck. What further brought him to a halt was the heavy look in her eyes.

Princess Luna could not help but admire her wisdom. What better spot to avoid an unwanted invitation to dance than the dance itself? Though loud and noisy, and still prone to draw attention, at least Luna felt secure for now, secure and alone with her worry. Gina’s optimistic view helped, but the Princess could not fully shake the concern, at least until a figure sat down in the corner of her vision, peripheral to her downward gaze. “Please,” she spoke softly, concern forcing her into a polite, but dismissive voice “we do not wish to be disturbed, please speakth with a guard if tho-”

“Hey.”

Devon smiled as he fully entered her view. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Thou shouldn’t have gone alone,” Luna murmured, unable to hide her own growing smile. “Thou left me to deal with Gina AND Stormblade alone.” Her smile cracked into a soft laugh. “And I thought thou wished me to be safe!” Like a rolling tide, relief washed through Luna, all of her concerns unwinding to see the unicorn safe. “Is my sister…? What did she speak to thee of?” As she spoke, the Princess lit her horn, wrapping the silver quill in cobalt magic before a hoof pressed it back down.

“Just clearing up a few loose ends, is all,” Devon explained. “It’s not the best way to give a gift, but the pendant is yours.”

“Mine?” Luna tilted her head, dissipating the magic around the charm and letting it fall back against her neck. “This treasure belongs to thy family though, it is what thou needeth to speak with the stars, is it not?”

Devon nodded. “It is. And that’s why you have it. We decided that there may be times I should listen to them, in case they try to change things again. But if I do,” his hoof rested against the silvery feather, “it will only be with your say-so. You know what they can do to a pony, and,” he pursed his lips in a shrug, “you would stop me if I started to put myself or anypony else in jeopardy. Can I trust you to do that?” While the plan seemed so perfect up on the balcony, he never fully considered if Princess Luna refused.

She was silent for a long moment. “To be honest, Devon, I hadn’t expected that question from thee. In truth, I was braced for another question entirely.” Turning her head, Luna gave a brief nod. “So long as thou dost keep the consequences in thy mind, and that thou dost not get lost in it, I shall be happy to help thee.”

“I promise, Luna.” The charcoal unicorn felt the last concern melt away. At long last, the worries of the pendant, the gauntlet and his gift with the stars had, at the very least, fell into a state where they were no longer an immediate danger. Naturally, it could change as he taught himself to scry the stars’ voices in the future, but so long as he observed and gave the astral bodies no leverage, he was confident that he could manage. And with Princess Luna at his back, Devon felt a surge of courage. He wouldn’t just manage his gift, he’d master it, and turn any malfunctions of fate around. The stars would never take another destiny away. “What was the other question you expected out of me, anyway?”

Across the ballroom, the couples dance finally wound down, soft music giving way to the trotting applause of the dancers and those who were on the sides. It was a wonderful choice of romantic ballad for those with dates to end their nights on. It was given all the more poignancy with the memorable night. Not only was it Hearth’s Warming, but the Hearth’s Warming where Luna returned again. As dancers moved away, all closer than the other, both Princess and bookkeeper watched romance in different stages of bloom. From the outer edges were those most comfortable, and towards the center, the boldest and most youthful of risky attempts.

Their words spent from earlier, Devon and Luna had watched the whole dance in something of a companionable silence, recognizing that they did not need to speak every word for now.

"Well?" Devon asked, an ear perked as his attention settled back on her face. What he found was a playful smirk, something he'd expect to see moments before he lost a game of cards. Freedom and reprive from worrying about fate did wonders for Princess Luna, and for the first time in many nights, he saw the witty, but friendly smirk crossing her lips. “What was I going to ask you?”

"We were waiting for thee to inviteth us to dance." Luna's grin grew as Devon's ears flinched and his face crunched into bashful embarrassment.

"Really? I..." Wait a minute. He narrowed his eyes and returned a grin of his own. "You were waiting for me to ASK...not to actually dance, right?" Luna's grin broke into a laugh. "I think I'm starting to get this now..." Devon added, his relaxation growing. “You’re terrible!”

"Well, if thou asked...we MAY have considered it. Thou must admiteth that t'would be like one of the tomes we shared earlier." Clearing her throat, the Princess adopted a poetic tone. “And they did dance into the night, earning the admiration and jealousy of all other ponies until yonder crowd did realize that the Princess still hath powdered sugar ‘pon her muzzle.”

Devon laughed. "And the unicorn and Princess flew off into the night, happily ever after, only stopping to pick up more beignets because they are amazing.” As his mirth faded, he shrugged. “Oh I know I should have asked, it would have been great, but it’s just a dance after all. There’ll always be another chance to make a good start.”

Before Luna could speak again, the lightning-maned unicorn dominating the music booth seized her microphone. "Alright everypon-!" A moment's pause as her excited voice caused the microphone to squeal with ear-piercing shrillness. "Alright everypony, last song, and you all know the drill. Fillies and colts only! Grown ups had their fun, now you get to cleaning up, or getting your hats! Now git!"

Tradition held that the last dance of the Hearth’s Warming gala be for the foals and fillies, mostly born as a way for the adults to say their goodbyes and collect their things while their children were more playing than dancing. Whatever its origins, it never lost its appeal and soon, the fillies who had boredly watched their parents dance, or suffered through the mareiachi, had their chance to cut loose. As the dance hall filled with the sounds of dozens of small hooves crowding towards the center of the room, Devon threw Luna another look. It was his smirk’s turn.

"Thou wouldn't dare...we see thy grin..."

"Princess Luna," Devon said, summoning up all of the pomp and formality he could while still on the verge of laughter at the unadulterated ludicrosity of their situation. "May I have this dance?"

Tonight was going to be a memorable beginning.

"This childish dance wrought with fillies? Is THIS thy storybook image, Mister Bookmark?" Luna tried her best to match his artificial formality, playing her part of an offended noble who would never consider lowering herself to such a crass, immature thing.

Devon turned his head towards the dance floor, then back to Luna. And he smiled.

"Nah. But it'll do just fine."

"Thou doth realize, our mockery unto thee will hitherto be hefty and eternal,” Luna warned.

Devon paused for a second, seeing a small gap forming between the gathering fillies and colts to the center of the ballroom, a triage of blue, pink, and yellow light converging into an inviting orb of illuminated floor. No other words ever rang so true as he uttered them in dedicated confidence.

"Worth it. In fact, I was hoping that would happen."

He extended his hoof and Luna hesitated. After such a struggle, they had found safety from the stars by dividing Devon’s gift between them. The unicorn found freedom and purpose by releasing his destiny from astral overlords. Luna shook the last vestiges of a thousand year old mistake, and had no force able to enslave her again. For both of them this time, it was a choice, with no compulsion pushing her away from him, no pulling her towards him. For the first time in their lives, in a way, they were free of the ever present spectre of a bonding fate. Free from some other force that drove them from their choices. Free from the chains of self-imposed false destiny.

Luna made her choice.

Hoof-in-hoof, they strode towards the gap in the dancing fillies. Instantly, the room buzzed with electric chatter and gossip, with the fillies and colts squealing in delight that a Princess was dancing with them, and adults left gobsmacked that a Princess was dancing with them! If Luna’s re-entry to the gala by means of the donut shop caused a stir, this would easily make that stir a meager memory. Young ponies leapt and bound around them as the pair made a stately course for the center of the twinkling ballroom, Devon pausing to allow Luna to take her place across from him.

“Sorry,” the unicorn smiled, his hoof extending as Luna passed, turning her around to face him. “But I don’t think I know this dance.”

“We knoweth just the thing, Devon,” Luna whispered as she rounded on him. Even though they had only shared the dance in distant, dreamlike memories and magic, the movements were smooth and natural. Luna placed one foreleg around Devon’s healed shoulder, and drew her other to cradle his cheek, just as they had done in the depths of the tome. Devon’s breath came up short as he felt her hoof tracing delicate, lazy patterns across his cheek. It was out of a dream, but clear and pure both in sensation and in its spirit. He could feel his heart fluttering and his hooves tightening in a similar grasp around Luna. The unicorn never expected Luna to return to this, as the memory of the first dance was so irretrievably corrupted. Meeting her turquoise eyes, Devon fell into their warmth. The stars ruined the last time they did this, but the Princess would not let it stand.

Unlike their trip into book, Devon could not rely on the imbued knowledge and skill, his steps and turns nowhere near in time with the song or Luna’s movements. To his relief, the unicorn found that even Luna apparently was out of practice as well. She was clearly better than he was, but not by much. But their dance was not about precise skill, or hitting every step, but the tender closeness and shared support. Around them, young ponies pranced and played in only the vaguest sense of rhythm, further out the adults could only watch as their Princess shared a slow dance with some unknown unicorn, in the middle of those fillies.

Devon pressed forward, finding his pace at last, and stepping into the dance with Luna. As one, the two rose onto their hind legs, forelegs wrapping around another to support the other. Rolling his head to the side, he found Luna’s hoof turning to cradle his face. Reflexively, the unicorn turned into it, grinding his cheek across her hoof before returning to meet her eyes. Neither spoke, words would have simply been a waste as mere music and movement did all the speaking for them. The steps were clumsy, the music was unfitting…

And the dance was perfect.

Just as the dance rounded past its climax and began to slow again, Luna’s nostrils flared. Even though he only caught it out of the corner of his eye, Devon still found the small motion as charming and beguiling as the first time he saw it. To his surprise, the Princess sputtered in a very mild surprise.

“Apple...cina...Celestia! I shalt...she didest...ack!” Luna’s cheeks seared into a soft shade of red as her nostrils flared once more, confirming the scent, much to her rushing heat.

“Is it...a probem?” Devon asked, an eyebrow raised in competing amusement and concern.

“N-nay...mine sister believeth that yonder scent doth work strongly on me.” Suddenly, her eyes snapped wider and locked onto Devon’s. “Didest...did she put this on thee?!” The accusatory tone betrayed a sudden heat, and she continued before he could even answer. “She did! I cannot believe mine own sister would…” Luna sobered quickly, and her smile returned. “And thou willingly allowed her to do this!”

“What?!” Devon gawped in good-natured shock, turning the dance around as a physical expression of the banter. “I hardly had a say in it, I am an innocent bystander!”

“A most likely tale, Mister Bookmark,” Luna countered, and with a flip of her wings, overtook Devon’s position and dipped him in her forelegs. “But stand by that line if thou wish. I shall simply enact a suitable vengeance ‘pon you both in time.”

“And I look forward to it,” Devon smirked, making a mental note to remember to find some apple cinnamon cologne before then. Once again, music and movement replaced conversation. Both could sense the impending conclusion of the song, and as if on cue, Princess and bookkeeper pressed fully into one another in a powerful embrace. Even as the music ebbed away, and the roar of cheering colts and fillies superseded the melody, the pair only minded one another at that point. The stars found no purchase against their choices, and no pony could undo their bonds, whatever the future of that connection may be.Devon closed his eyes, and if he focused, he could feel Luna’s heartbeat through her chest, matching his own nervous, but excited rhythm.

It was a perfect beginning.