Three Months Later
3:15PM
Edward’s Suite
Castle Canterlot, Canterlot
Edward sat at his disorganized desk. In the past three months, he had been swamped with new things to learn about this magic he was being educated about. Quite an interesting topic, though he could perform none of it himself. He had replaced the ordinary floorboards with exotic hardwoods and exchanged the red carpet and bed with blue ones to reflect his teacher’s color pallet. Somehow, Edward managed to squeeze in more bookshelves into the already crowded wall space. Most were on magic, others were on Equestrian culture, history, and legends. On the space above his desk were very painful-looking cross-section sketches of Equestrian anatomy. Under one of a unicorn horn, where nopony would notice it, Edward had drawn a black-and-white picture of Princess Luna. It was so detailed that it seemed to come from a photograph and was accurate right down to the point. Edward had used every single minute of his spare time working on it, and had finished a few days ago. It was this photo that Edward looked at now. He was surprised of how fond he had grown of the alicorn, and would have never suspected how great friends they would become, due to her chilly welcome when he suddenly appeared in her bedroom. Although she was very important and powerful, she too, had feelings like any other pony. She often spoke with him on personal matters, and he was honored to be one she trusted
A sharp rap at his door jarred Edward out of his thoughts. He quickly hid the picture and slumped over his desk so as to look busy.
“Can it wait until later?” he called out, for he did not want to be disturbed. “I am a little tied up at the moment.”
“Edward this is not a joke. You will let me in at once!” replied the all too familiar imposing voice of Princess Celestia. Edward had a feeling he knew what this was about and he also knew that he was in very deep trouble.
Yesterday
10:09AM
Edward’s Suite
Castle Canterlot, Canterlot
As the rest of Equestria bustled busily, Edward sat quietly by his desk. He had so many things he wanted to learn, that his desk was covered by a pile of books and papers he hadn’t read, and an even larger pile full of notes and diagrams on magic. His reading was interrupted by a gentle knock at his door. He was slightly startled, as it was currently his day off and he was not expecting any visitors.
“Who’s there,” he said in his usual calm demeanor.
“It’s Luna,” The soothing voice of the moon goddess flowed back through the door, yet Edward noticed it quavered slightly. “May I come in?”
“Certainly,” Edward turned around in his swivel chair as Luna’s majestic form graced his room. “What seems to be the problem?”
Luna sat on his bed, the edges of her eyes slightly irritated from what Edward figured must have been crying “I had another dream about Nightmare Moon.” Edward knew about Luna’s horrifying adventure with Nightmare Moon, and was all too keen on how it had scarred her. He sat with her on the bed and coaxed her to explain the dream. “…And then she locked the door and left me there to die. But I could see all the horrible things she was doing to everypony and… and…” The tears came back as Luna sobbed into Edward’s shoulder. He gently patted her on the back, feeling slightly cliché.
“There, there. Nightmare Moon will never show her face again. You have my word.”
“Edward… I know this may seem very odd, but is it alright if I sleep here for a while?”
“Go ahead. Make yourself comfortable. My room is your room.” Luna went over to Edward's bed and snuggled up beneath the covers.
"Um, Edward?"
"Yes Princess?"
"Do you think you could, er..."
"I could what?"
"Well... I realize this may sound awkward," Luna blushed, turning her face a deep purple. "Could you... er, sleep with me?"
"Uh, well, I don't think humans and ponies can really-"
"Eeww! Not like that! Just so I can have someone to keep me company, and I trust you with that. You've been a good student, but you've been a greater friend."
"Oh, heh, okay. Well, I really cant say no, now can I. I suppose I’ve stayed up long enough anyways. This tea you make here keeps me wired all day and night. No funny business, promise me?”
"I promise."
Edward joined Luna in his bed. She rested her head on his shoulder. Edward felt like he was on top of the world. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest, the quiet beating of her heart, her fuzzy coat, her warm breath blowing gently on his cheek. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, he thought as he fell into the depths of sleep. Nothing like this would have happened to me on Earth. It feels so wonderful to know that someone this important trusts me this much. Then, a darker thought crossed his mind. God, I sure hope her sister doesn’t find out. Maybe she won’t jump to conclusions…
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Now we return to Edward, cowering at his desk as Celestia entered his room. He never really noticed how frightening she looked when she was angry. And he had never even seen her that pissed before. “I think you know what this is about,” she said. Edward cringed slightly with each word. “You coaxed my sister down here and got with her!” Edward was astonished. He didn’t expect her to think that he… copulated with Luna. Edward retched internally. He was disturbed just entertaining the notion.
“EUGH! Is- is that what you think?” he sputtered angrily. “I wouldn’t do anything of the sort. I refuse to believe that you really think I would stoop so low as to- GACK!” Celestia used her magic to lift Edward up into the air and slammed him into one of the bookshelves. Books rained down on the floor. “What… on Earth… on Equis… whatever… are you *gasp* doing?” Edward choked out as he was being ground into the wall. So much for not jumping to conclusions. “P-Please… let me explain.” Celestia spoke through clenched teeth.
“How dare you touch my sister! We both trusted you. This is inexcusable!” She flung Edward into his chair which spun around wildly to stop with Edward facing Celestia.
“W-W-What are you going to do?” he asked, truly afraid.
“What I do to all that betray me.” Celestia’s horn began to glow a magnificent white. Edward shut his eyes. He sure he would be liquefied into nothing. Just then, a voice spoke in the back of his head.
Are you just going to sit there and do absolutely nothing like a coward? Are you really going to let this… horse lady simply snuff out your light? You imbecile! Edward opened his eyes. The voice was right. He was not going to fold over like an unlucky gambler. Mind racing, he remembered a banner that hung outside his window. As the beam left Celestia’s horn, Edward made his move. He sprung out of his seat, scooping up his umbrella. The beam hit the chair with a loud ‘ping’. As the room filled with light from the spell, he jumped out his window. As Edward looked back into the room, he saw that his wood chair had been turned into a dull-grey, coarse stone. Not taking any time to ponder it, he reached out for the banner. To Edward’s relief, his hand made a connection and he was hanging on the end of the banner. Edward surveyed his options. There was a window across from him leading into a diplomatic room. Below him was a patio that overlooked the sculpture garden. It took Edward only a second to think of a plan. Using his weight, he swung into the diplomatic room. The glass shattered loudly as he had hoped. He ran over to the door and flung it open. He then tied the banner to the curtain bar above of the window. Grabbing his umbrella, he jumped back out the window. As he sunk below the windowsill, he heard the familiar pop of a teleportation spell. Hopefully, Celestia would think he had run out into the hall, thus buying him some time. Edward opened his umbrella. It did not slow him down much, but it was enough to make him not break his legs when he hit the patio.
Edward looked out over the sculpture garden as he regained his composure. Would he have ended up here if he had not escaped? He looked at a particularly ugly one of a creature that seemed to be a mish-mash of all sorts of animal body parts. The statue’s mouth hung open in a silent scream. Edward folded his umbrella. He would have to get to Luna; Celestia would be more likely to listen to her than him. He figured she would be sleeping in her room at this hour. Getting there would not be easy, and Edward still did not know the entire layout of the castle just yet. He would have to get lucky a few times, but it would be do-able.
Edward entered the castle. There was a short hall that turned a corner, and around it, Edward guessed, was the main hall. As he walked down the hall, a single Solar Guard turned around the corner. Edward froze. Did he know about the incident and was going to apprehend him? The guard looked at him oddly.
“Is something wrong?” he asked. Edward shook his head.
“No,” he said, equally as cordially. “You just startled me, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m gonna have to ask you to come with me. Celestia must be pretty riled up to get you to her ASAP.” The guard did not get any farther. Edward picked up the pony and slammed him into the wall with a loud clash. He slumped down against the wall. Edward checked the guard’s pulse to find he was alive, only unconscious. He dragged the stallion’s body into a supply closet in the hall. He put an empty cider bottle in his mouth for good measure and to make a more believable story. Closing the door, Edward ran out of the corridor and into the main hall. The ceiling seemed to stretch on for miles, or so it seemed. None the less, Edward was always impressed with the illusion. A lone guard was at the entrance to the dining room. He did not acknowledge the scientist, so he must not have heard the news yet. Edward swiftly entered the dining room without attracting too much attention.
The empty dining room shared the illusion with the main hall of a seemingly never-ending ceiling. There was a gigantic chandelier made of precious metals that was hanging in the center of the room. The table was covered with beautiful bronze plates and utensils. Edward paced around the table, thinking on how to get to the Lunar Wing from here. He was cut short by hurried voices outside the main door. Edward knew that wasn’t good. The guard from outside entered the room, with another stallion that Edward recognized as Shining Armor, the Captain of the Solar Guard.
“There he is!” he exclaimed. Edward jumped on the table. The private shot a silvery bolt from his horn that just barely grazed Edward’s side. Picking up one of the plates, he threw it at the subordinate like a Frisbee. It smacked him squarely in the front of his forehead putting him out like a light. Shining jumped up on the table as well and fired a purple bolt from his horn at Edward. Edward scooped up another plate and deflected the blast upward at the last moment. The bolt severed the chain holding the chandelier. The shocked captain was unable to teleport out in time, and the chandelier crashed down around him. Wait staff ran out of the kitchen to see what was the commotion was all about, quickly followed by the chef who shouted at Shining, still lying in the ruins with a bewildered expression. Not seeing any other way out of the dining room, Edward quietly slipped into the kitchen unnoticed by the crowd.
Edward stepped into the gleaming white kitchen. He knew that the guards will be back to attempt to apprehend him. There was a back door at the other end of the room that led into a back hall. But Edward needed to delay the guards first. He opened all the ovens. Each had some sort of pie or other foodstuff baking in them. Edward turned up the heat so the food began to give off smoke. Soon, the room was filled with smoke, making visibility virtually impossible. Edward found his way to the door and went through it. He closed the door and listened to it.
“What the hay happened here?”
“I can’t see a dang thing in this!”
“Get the Fire Brigade in here at once!”
“NO! Lunch is ruined!”
Edward had bought some more time. He remembered that Luna’s private library was close to here. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out. He set off down the corridor towards the Lunar Wing.
Edward arrived at the door to the Lunar Library without incident. He pushed it open gently. A quick search proved a failure. Edward meant to leave immediately after, but a sharp pain overpowered him. He sank down into a chair, clutching his side. The spot where the silver bolt had grazed him had left a large gash in his skin. White hot pain blossomed from the throbbing wound as his adrenaline dissipated. Red blood had stained his indigo suit a very deep maroon. As he clutched the wound, blood seeped slowly through his fingers. Come on, this is a library in an old castle. There’s got to be some sort of secret passage. It’s an obvious cliché which is never overlooked. He gazed at the titles. Most of them were on moon-related topics. One caught his eye, because of it being so dusty. "Atlas of the Moon" the title read. Luna is the goddess of the Moon; she probably has the surface memorized. Why would she need an atlas? He took it off the shelf to blow off the dust, but it wouldn’t come off. Instead, the bookcase to his right opened up to reveal a secret passage. Edward looked inside. This must go all the way up to Luna’s bedroom, Edward thought. He stepped into the passage as the hidden door shut behind him.
Edward sat on the first step of what looked like a very long staircase. He couldn’t believe how much running and jumping he had done. The adrenaline was really starting to wear off. Edward looked again at the staircase. Torches were placed every fifteen steps or so for illumination. He hated stairs, especially with his wound, which throbbed with every step. Edward stood up. If he wanted to keep living the life he was living, he was going to have to climb some stairs. He began his tiring ascent
In the hallway outside Luna’s room, there was a lone Lunar Guard clad in dark blue steel. His name was Midnight Fog, he was positioned next to a painting of Luna, and he was bored out of his mind. Being a Lunar Guard, though it paid very well, was a rather dull job, as nothing really happened during the day shifts. The most exciting thing that had happened that day was when a few of Princess Celestia’s Solar Guards came and sealed Luna’s door. Naturally, they wouldn’t answer any questions and left as quickly as they had come. Midnight was considering a nap, when the painting of Princess Luna that hung in the hall fell off its hook. The wall behind it opened to reveal a hidden passage from which the human, Edward Lawton, jumped out. Edward held his side, which was bleeding rather profusely. The Lunar Guard got over his shock quickly, for he was trained that way, and confronted the man.
“Hey!” Midnight shouted. “What are you doing here?”
It took Edward a little longer to get over his shock. “You aren’t here to arrest me too, are you?”
“Why in Equestria would I do that?”
“I’ll give you the short version. Luna is the only one who can save me from a long boring future in the statue garden.” Edward walked to Luna’s door. “I need to talk to her straight away.” As he reached up to knock, Midnight hurriedly stopped him.
“No, don’t touch that door. It’s been sealed by Celestia’s guards.” Edward slowly lowered his hand to his pocket. He took a pencil from inside and threw it against the door. It flew back with such force that it shattered against the stone wall across the hall. He winced. Another hit taken for the team. You will not be forgotten Ticonderoga No.2.
“Do you know of another way I can get into that room?” He asked Midnight.
The guard spoke. “There’s an attic upstairs. That door,” he said as he gestured to a door a little further down the hall, “leads into it. You can drop down on the Lunar Balcony from the window. If the guards come up here looking for you, I will delay them for as long as I can.”
“Thanks, uhhh… Midnight Fog. Right? Right. I guess I really owe you one.”
“Nah, it’s no problem. You’ve been doing my duty for the Lunar Court. I still owe you several more. Now hurry. That wound looks pretty bad.”
Edward ran into the attic. It was full of dusty boxes, furniture, and other artifacts. He opened the window. It was quite a drop to the Lunar Balcony, and if he used his umbrella again, it would undoubtedly break. His wound beginning to take its toll, Edward’s vision began to swim as he quickly came up with a plan. A quick search resulted in some dusty old curtains on a rusty iron hanger. Looking down at the balcony again to judge the distance, Edward tied the curtains into a rope that he estimated would be long enough to reach down all the way. Next, he bent the curtain hanger into a hook shape, and tied one end of his curtain rope to it.
“Lieutenant Fog. You are dismissed. We need to search the Lunar wing for Lawton.” Edward heard voices under him.
“Under Lunar Decree 21, you, as a Solar Guard, are not allowed to interfere with daily duties of the Lunar Guard Organization. You of all ponies should know that Captain Armor.” Edward worked fast as the soldiers argued in the hall under him. His time was now limited severely. He quickly made a note not to forget Fog’s Birthday, which he later found out was next month, and attached the hook to the window sill. He dropped the rope and was pleased to see it dropped down all the way. Taking a deep breath, he climbed down the rope to the balcony.
Princess Luna was asleep. At the moment, she dreamed she was in the dining hall downstairs. Her sister was there, as well as Edward, and everypony else she cared about. Celestia was putting away all the cider in the house and everypony was laughing and pointing and encouraging her. One voice was louder that the rest. It was Edward, and he was shouting her name. “Luna. Luna! LUNA!”
Luna woke from her slumber with a gasp. It took her a second to shake off the grogginess of sleep. But no matter how hard she tried, Edward’s voice was still there. There was a sharp rapping at the balcony door. Luna parted the curtains with magic to find Edward standing there with a pained look on his face. His side was stained a black-purple, and his hand was covered in blood. Luna opened the door.
“P-Please…” Edward began to stutter from blood loss. “I need… medical attention” Luna’s horn glowed its magical blue hue. Edward shuddered as the wound became very hot, and gasped as the pain vanished. His blood was replenished by the spell and the wound was closed. Even the blood from his suit was cleaned so it looked good as new.
“Edward, look at me!” Luna ordered. Her student slowly raised his head. “You must tell me what happened. Do not leave anything out.” She listened in shock as Edward told her every detail from his nerve-wracking adventure, from his harrowing escape from his room, to his crafty use of the makeshift grappling hook. "I see. You will probably get a brief sentence on Kitchen Duty for burning those pies, but other than that," Luna stood up in her full regality. “Edward, my sister has acted irrationally.” Luna said gently. “I will talk to her, and she will never do this sort of thing ever again.”
The duo was interrupted by a voice on the other side of the door. “Take down the seal, he’s in there!” Luna stood up from the bed.
“Edward, leave this to me.” She said. Edward nodded and sat down on the bed, examining where his wound had just been. The door opened as a team of Solar Guards entered the room. Luna spoke in her Royal Canterlot Voice, which was deafening to poor Edward “WHAT IN EQUESTRIA DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?!”
“W-w-we were just f-f-following orders Princess.” The guard in front quivered in fear as he replied.
“Well here’s an order for you,” Luna said, her voice now a normal, angry level. “Get my big, fat, potato of a sister down here RIGHT NOW!” The guard nodded fearfully and the squad all teleported away.
Edward sat on the bed shaking his head, his ears still ringing from the RCV. “See?” Luna said calmly. “I will get this resolved straight away.”
“What!?” Edward shouted. “I think I’ve been temporarily deafened! Did you say something?” Luna quickly cast another spell. With a slight pop, Edward’s hearing came rushing back to him. “Thank you,” he said with a slight smile. “Now what happened?”
“My sister will be here in a moment.” Luna said. “I hope you can keep your temper in check with her, because now would be one of the worst times to lose it.”
Edward closed his eyes and raised his hand politely. “I’m sure I would have done the same thing given the circumstances.”
A minute later, there was a loud pop. Celestia had arrived
“Is something the matter?” she asked, kindly at first. Upon sighting Edward, her brow furrowed and opened her mouth to speak.
“Not so fast sister,” Luna said with a scowl. “The way I hear it is that you sent an entire brigade of the Solar Guard after MY student because you thought he had courted with me? Is that so?”
“Luna, you must see-”
“Oh, I see all right! I thought I was the one who jumped to conclusions all the time, but I have never seen you make such a gigantic err in judgment!”
“Luna, I thought you were in trouble, you must understand I was only trying to protect you-”
“From who? A thin, possibly underfed human?”
You could have picked a less degrading set of adjectives you know. Edward thought, frowning at his charge’s poor description.
“And anyways, how did this thin underfed human manage to outsmart the Solar Guard? Some military you have!”
“Hey!” Edward interjected. “Let’s get back on topic here! The argument continued for a good ten minutes. At last, the two princesses came to a conclusion. Celestia turned to Edward
“Edward,” she began. “I am truly sorry for how much trouble I caused you. I suppose I overreacted horribly.” Edward blinked. Celestia was apologizing… to him? “Please forgive me.” She finished. Edward said nothing for a moment. He pretended to think about it to milk the moment. At last he looked up and smiled
“I forgive you.” Edward said. “Everyone overreacts. Some a little more than others I suppose.” This statement provoked laughter from the three. “Now,” Edward continued. “I think Luna wants a few more winks of sleep before her duty calls. Am I right? Right. I am famished.” He looked to the sun goddess. “Would you be free for dinner?” She nodded. Edward bowed curtly to Luna, then he and Celestia left Luna’s room. Although from that day forward, Edward and Celestia were always slightly distrustful of each other. Perhaps this was for the better, or maybe... Well that’s for another story.