//------------------------------//
// Under a Midnight Sky 
// Story: Fickle Winds 
// by Toric 
//------------------------------//

Under a Midnight Sky
A cool breeze blew through Canterlot as the last rays of the sun vanished.  Already, stars were beginning to appear in the eastern sky.  The moon, only revealed as a thin slice of light against the heavens, began its journey as it did every night.  Crickets chirped their regular chorus from every crack in the walls or blade of grass.
In the palace gardens, a lone figure moved silently through the greenery.  The figure wore a dark black cloak about herself, and effortlessly navigated her way through the gardens.  For an instant, the wind picked up and blew the hood off her head.  To see the one underneath, colored a blue dark enough to be mistaken for black all the way to the tip of her horn, anypony would think the cloak was unnecessary for stealth.  However, the length of the horn and the shimmering royal blue mane of the mare would give her identity away instantly.
Using her magic, Princess Luna pulled the hood back over her head.  The last thing she wanted was somepony to see her and begin a lengthy session of formalities and decorum.  It was not that she didn’t like spending time with others.  Ever since Twilight Sparkle had helped her to make friends, she had begun to enjoy meeting new ponies.  Unfortunately, very few had managed to get past the fact she was a princess, even if they weren’t scared on sight anymore.  But now, as she stole through the palace grounds to reach her goal, she wasn’t in the mood to be bogged down by nobles bowing, scraping, and saying ‘your Highness’ or ‘your majesty’. Glancing briefly at the sky, she noted with satisfaction that the night proceeded apace.  Star after star began to wink into existence, and the sky already glittered with dots of white fire.  Luna allowed herself a brief moment of pride in her work, before continuing towards her destination.  
For the last few months, the moon princess had been making this same trip once every week.  Her goal was a reclusive overhang on the edge of the palace gardens.  Known to almost nopony else, the spot afforded one an exceptional view.  Directly below lay the city of Canterlot, whose lights would shine bright and colorful in the dark.  Above, a broad and unobstructed view of the sky.  And straight out, one could see the beautiful land of Equestria, sprawling for miles before being swallowed by the horizon.  The ledge was just close enough to the Canterlot Falls that a faint, comforting rumble could be heard.  Luna pushed her way through the final row of bushes that concealed the overhang.
To her dismay, somepony was already there standing with their back to her.  What’s more, a large portion of the ledge was occupied by a sizable construct.  Further inspection revealed it to be a large telescope of some sort, though it was nothing like any she’d ever seen.  At various points along the scope’s length, numerous lenses hung outward from slots she assumed they could be slid into.  The stand was some combination of a tripod, a desk, and a scooter.  Levers, pedals, and valves adorned the device in every conceivable place.
If the device was strange, the unicorn using it was just as strange.  By his size and build, she could tell it was a stallion, albeit a somewhat small one.  The pony was only barely taller than most mares, and rather scrawny.  His coat was the black of fresh coal, making him an inky blot against the night sky.  His mane and tail, however, were both a snowy white that were easily visible in the low light.  He’d cut his tail short, so it ended in a compact brush, and his mane was neatly trimmed and parted around his horn, hanging over his ears.  The back cut off right at the base of the skull, and a meteor shower cutie mark adorned his flank.
The peculiar stallion had a pencil stashed behind his ear, and seemed to endlessly adjust the apparatus.  After every tweak, he’d glance through the lens, mutter something, and scribble on either a small notebook or one of the many star charts littering the desk area.
Ire began to build up within Luna.  This is my spot, not his! she thought.  How did he even find this place?  How did he get past the guards?  Angrily, she stalked up to the intruder.  “What dost…do you think you are doing here?” she demanded.  Her speech had gotten better over the last few months, but she still occasionally slipped into the older dialect, especially when upset as she was now.
The stallion never even looked up from his work.  “What does it look like I’m doing?” he asked dryly with a hint of scorn.  His tone caught Luna off-guard, and she did not like it.  She quickly scanned the skies in the direction the telescope pointed.
“It looks like you’re attempting to graph the location of the stars Cronus, Hyperion, and Oranos,” she answered smugly.
The stranger did look back up at her this time, sizing her up with green, calculating eyes, before returning to his adjustments.  “Perhaps you’re not as ignorant as I expected,” he said casually.  “But don’t take that personally; I assume everypony I meet is ignorant until evidence to the contrary arises.”  His words carried no apology, only explanation.
Luna seethed with anger.  Ignorant?! she fumed.  “Do you know who I am?” she demanded imperiously, forgetting for a moment she was in disguise.
The stranger was not impressed.  “What I know is that this is much easier when I’m not being interrupted,” he replied dismissively.  “But since we’re asking questions, do you know who I am?”  That was the last response Luna had expected, and she stood there silently for a moment in surprise.  He took her silence for an answer.  “I didn’t think so,” he continued.  “Now that we’ve established we don’t know each other, would you like to start this whole thing over?”  For none of this did he remove his gaze from the telescope.
Seeing his point, she fought back her temper and decided to attempt diplomacy.  “Forgive me, but this is my spot.  If thou…you would be so kind, I would like it back.”
“Hmm,” he muttered.  “Point zero one three degrees up, point two degrees right.”  He recorded the coordinates in his notebook.  “If this spot were yours,” he began, “I imagine you would have been here already, or else would have placed some sort of sign or notice of ownership.”  His horn glowed a mild green, and a knob higher up on the scope twisted.  “As for my leaving, I worked rather hard to reach this place and set up my equipment.  I think I’ll stay.”  He looked up at her again, briefly.  “But might I ask why you are here?”
Luna heaved a sigh.  Figures, she thought unhappily.  The first night I decide I don’t want to be recognized, and I encounter this…nuisance.  “As you’ve no doubt discovered, this is perhaps the single best view in Canterlot,” she explained.  “I come here when I can, which is not as often as I would like.”  I suppose it doesn’t matter that much, she decided.  I can come back next week.  “But if you need this place for research…I guess that is more important.”  As much as she disliked it, she meant it.  Nightmare Moon had been born of selfishness and jealousy, and Luna had been doing her level best to avoid both wherever she could.
This brought an entirely unexpected reaction from the dark stallion.  He face-hoofed and began gathering up his assorted charts.  “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” he muttered.  “Of all the nights!”  He produced a case from under the desk and stuffed the charts in.  Then he turned and bowed his head slightly.  “Forgive me Princess Luna,” he stated courteously.  “I forgot that today was Tuesday.”
Luna felt her eyes widen in shock.  She pulled the hood off of her head.  “Thou knewest it was us?” she asked, slipping for a moment into older speech.  “The whole time?”  He nodded and pushed a hidden button on his device.  Before her eyes, it began to fold itself together.  The scope retracted and slid into place on the desk.  The legs came up into the body and wheels on the bottom touched the ground.  “How?”
“The cloak may cover your wings, horn, coat and mane, but as an alicorn you are still larger than most ponies,” he pointed out.  “Another clue was your ability to determine what I was looking at so quickly.  The archaic bits of dialect were also a dead giveaway.”
Luna hung her head.  So much for my disguise, she sulked.  The pony used his magic to grab the device, now the size of a portable chest, and began walking away.  “Wait a moment,” she called after him.  “Who are you, and how did you get here in the first place?”  The black stallion kept walking.  “Answer me, or I shall summon the guards!”
At that, he stopped and turned to face her.  An expression of resigned disdain appeared on his face.  “Very well.  My name is Stargazer, and I’m sure you can guess why,” he stated dryly.  “I arrived here after spending the day in a combination of climbing, sneaking, and wandering in search of it.”  He paused.  “It’s actually thanks to you I found it.  As I observed the night sky from the roof of my house,” he pointed somewhere into the city, “I noticed you up here one night.  Since then, I’ve seen you come up here to admire the view every Tuesday.  It struck me that this was the perfect vantage point for my stargazing, and I decided to find this place and make use of it.”  He rubbed the back of his head.  “Somehow, I must have lost track what day it was, and as a result I allowed myself to be short with you despite your…station.”
Luna raised an eyebrow.  “So you’re only apologizing because it is our…my usual night to come here?” she asked slowly.  “You intentionally treated me in such a disrespectful fashion, knowing full well who we…I am?”
Stargazer snorted.  “It was my assumption,” he scoffed, “that you went to the trouble of disguising yourself because you did not wish to be treated like a princess.”  He sighed.  “I’m not a very pleasant pony, highness.  I treated you as I treat most anypony I don’t know.  If that offends you, then I truly am sorry.”
His reasoning mollified Luna slightly.  This is what you wanted isn’t it? she asked herself.  To speak frankly and without decorum with somepony?  She let out a sigh.  “I suppose I can’t fault your logic.  We…I am not used to being brushed off,” she confessed.  Sudden, obvious realization struck her.  “You said you enjoy stargazing?”  Rolling his eyes, he gestured first at himself, then his cutie mark, and finally the folded up device right next to him.  Perhaps it was a stupid question, she admitted to herself.  “May I ask what your favorite star is?”
Without even looking, he pointed at a spot somewhere in the northern sky.  “Theo, fifth star to the right from the Manticore’s stinger.”  For the first time, the coal-colored stallion smiled slightly.  “Its light first appeared in the sky on the day I was born,” he explained.
Luna may have spent a thousand years cut off from Equestria and even her power over the night sky.  However, she had an intimate connection with the stars that had never left her (and indeed, allowed for her eventual escape).  As a result, the moon princess was able to approximate the date of Stargazer’s birth with ease.  The information put him at several years older than Twilight Sparkle and her friends, more firmly into adulthood.  She could even remember the moment when, sitting on the moon’s surface, she had felt the star wink into view.
Luna found herself smiling back.  “Mine,” she pointed, “is Iocasta.  There in the west.  It is always the last star to fade in the morning light.”  She used a tiny bit of magic, and the star gave a brief twinkle in response.  “It is depressing how few of our…my subjects know her name.  Or know more than a half-dozen stars’ names.”  The smallest bit of the old bitterness resurfaced, as it did every time she thought about it.
Stargazer nodded in sympathy.  “Well, for what it’s worth, I know every one of them,” he told her.  “I can come back another night.  Honestly, I was mostly here for the view myself.”  He began to walk away again, dragging the device behind him.
Luna wasn’t sure she liked the pony leaving, or would even be able tolerate his company for longer than a few moments.  But it had been so long since she’d met anypony more than passingly interested in the night she worked so hard to create that she was loathe to let him leave.  She was trying to come up with an excuse to keep him there a few more minutes when the faintest of sounds reached her ears.  Luna recognized it instantly.
Wordlessly, she wrapped Stargazer in magic and yanked him back towards her.  He struggled of course, eyes wide with surprise and fear.  She shoved a hoof in his mouth and shushed him.  Stargazer blinked once, twice, and stopped struggling.
From beyond the bushes concealing the ledge, the faint clank of armor could be heard.  Guard patrols, she calmed herself.  Another moment and they’ll be gone.  Sure enough, the clanking moved past them and quickly out of earshot.  Luna sighed in relief and released her dark captive.
“Forgive me,” she apologized.  “The guards are not kind to intruders.  And I wish to be found even less than you.”
Stargazer brushed himself off and quirked an eyebrow.  “Forgive you?  I should be thanking you,” he told her.  “I have, in fact, been caught by the guards twice already.  Neither event was particularly pleasant.”  He looked at the sky for a moment.  “Worth it for the view, though.”
“Unless you want to get caught again, you’d better wait until just before dawn,” she cautioned.  “The guards aren’t hard to slip by getting here, but even I can’t get by them going back.  I’ve never understood why that is really.”  Biting her lip, she decided to continue.  “If thou…you will continue to talk to me like any other pony, then I welcome you to stay.  I’m actually very interested in that strange telescope of yours.”
He thought it over.  “The princess of the moon, creator of the night sky I devote my life to, and the single-most admired pony of any two-bit astronomer worth his lenses, is offering to discuss my telescope and the stars with me in the palace gardens,” he summarized thoughtfully.  “Oh my, whatever will I say?  This will require quite a bit of thought.  I’m not certain saving me from some guards merits quite this amount of compensation on my part.”  He looked at her.  “Perhaps I’d better jump off the ledge and let you catch me to even this out.”
Luna couldn’t help herself; she began to laugh.  It bubbled out of her without warning, and she stuffed a hoof into her own mouth to contain herself.  After a few seconds, the laughter subsided.  “It may not seem like it,” she began, a few chuckles still leaking out.  “But it will do us…me a world of good.  Except for my sister, I have had precious little conversation these past months.  Least of all about my nights.”
Stargazer shrugged.  “If you say so Luna.  May I call you Luna, seeing as you wanted to be treated normally?” he asked.  Blinking, Luna nodded.  He adapts quickly, she thought.  He pulled his device back into its original position and pressed a panel on its front side.  In seconds, it had unfolded into the telescope-desk-thing once more.  “Now, allow me to introduce you to my custom-model telescope,” he said grandly.
He began to explain the functions of the numerous levers, lenses, pedals, cranks, and countless other parts of the device.  The larger such pieces were meant for general direction and angle: basically to point vaguely at the area he wished to observe.  As the valves and dials and such got smaller, they allowed for more precise movement, especially as the distance increased.  The telescope held exactly thirty-seven lenses.  Some were for magnification, to increase range.  Others allowed viewing in different spectrums of light.  A few even had markings on them, allowing for some sort of measurement or alignment.
As he walked her through its use, Luna became more and more impressed with the telescope.  I want one, she decided enviously.  Then he laid out his multitudes of star charts.  The princess had never seen such a collection outside of the palace archives.  Stargazer explained that these were copies he’d drawn from memory, and that the real ones were plastering his attic at home (which he’d converted into a small observatory).  As a personal challenge, he liked to check his work against the stars themselves.  Looking them over, Luna could see no errors larger than displacement by thousandths of an inch.
The night passed, and they talked away the hours.  Stargazer’s initial cold haughtiness proved to be a façade.  Once he began talking, especially about the stars, he became rather amiable.  His tendency to slip into lecture was rather annoying (and reminded Luna of Twilight Sparkle), but not once did he even touch on formality.  Whenever she spoke he listened intently, but in such a way as to make her think he always did so.  She was discussing how the constellations had changed in the last thousand years when the drain on her magic began to wane.  Looking to the east, she saw the earliest signs of dawn.
Stargazer turned his head to where she was looking.  “Oh dear,” he muttered.  “It seems I have perhaps overstayed my welcome.”  Once again, he touched his telescope and it began folding into itself.  “Which way should I leave?”
Luna barely heard him.  Panic began to fill her.  I meant to have him leave half an hour ago, when the guard changed! she berated herself.  I have to meet my sister mere minutes from now!  She thought quickly.  “Change of plans,” she decided.  “Where is your house?  From here?”
Stargazer kept his composure.  “Right.  It’s over…there!” he pointed.  “Thirty-seven Cherry Wood Lane.  The thin, tall building in blue.”
The princess saw it.  “Alright.  It’s too far away for perfection, so brace yourself.”
“For what?” he asked.
In answer, her horn began to glow with indigo light.  A circle of flame, hued in the same shade as her magic, ignited in a circle around the stallion and his contraption.  “Thank you for the company,” Luna said sincerely.  “It was pleasant to talk to you.  Goodbye.”
The fire flared up around Stargazer.  “It was—“  he got out before both he and his equipment vanished with a loud Pop!

*	*	*	*
Within the city of Canterlot, a burst of light filled the early morning.  Had anyone been roaming the empty streets nearby, they would have seen a jet-black unicorn and some kind of large, wheeled chest appear out of nowhere on top of a narrow, blue building.
“—nice to meet you too,” Stargazer finished when he materialized.  For a moment he was disoriented by the change in scenery.  After a brief moment of confusion, he recognized the skyline before him and the well-worn slate upon which he sat.  He was on the roof of his house.  He scanned the mountainous edge of Canterlot, eyes finally settling on the ledge he’d occupied seconds ago.  A flicker of midnight blue rested on the spot for a second, and then vanished from view.
“Well that was an efficient mode of transport,” he commented to himself.  “Good thing I ended up on my roof and not one of my neighbors’.”  He walked a few places and wrapped a section of the tile in magic.  The trapdoor lifted easily, and he levitated his equipment down inside it.  “You sit on somepony’s roof one time, and they never talk to you again.  Hmph.”  He descended into his attic and closed the door behind himself.

*	*	*	*
After Luna saw the flash in the distance and confirmed her visitor had landed safely, she teleported herself directly to her room, where she’d be expected.  The view of Canterlot shifted into the walls of her personal chambers.  After checking the door to make sure her room had not been entered while she was away, she sighed in relief.  “I made it,” she told herself with a smile.
“Made what, exactly?” a voice asked with amusement from behind her.  Luna spun, eyes wide.  There, sitting on her bed with a small smile, was her sister. Luna gulped loudly.  For nearly two years since she’d returned, she’d been working on her behavior and attitude.  In the last several months, especially after Nightmare Night, she had managed to make significant headway towards regaining the respect of her subjects.  But the whole way, she’d been under watch.  Probation, one might call it.  She was escorted most everywhere by guards, and rarely left the palace.  To reach her weekly refuge required her to slip past sentries.  Celestia may have been benevolent and kind-hearted, but caution was something she wasn't shy about using.  It was also an appeasing gesture to the countless nobles and wealthy who still felt her to be dangerous.  As much as Luna hated it, she couldn’t blame them for their concern.
“Tia,” the moon princess stammered, using her sister’s nickname.  “I…didn’t see you come in.”  She fumbled for an excuse.  “I…uh…meant I ‘made it’ through another night.  Without difficulty.”  She smiled, sweating slightly.
“Would you mind telling me what you were doing?  And who was that pony you were talking to?”  Celestia quirked an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
Luna’s mouth opened and closed.  She knows?! she thought incredulously.  Reluctantly, she realized she had no alternative but the truth.  “I went to the edge of the gardens for a better view of the night,” she admitted.  “The tower is passable, but not quite the view I desire.”
The elder alicorn just nodded thoughtfully.  “Yes, that ledge does offer a marvelous vantage point, does it not?” she replied.  “And the stallion?”
Luna shrugged.  “Some pony that snuck his way into the castle just to find that ledge.”  She snorted.  “A rather poor-mannered fellow.  Called himself Stargazer.”  Her sister stared at her, expecting more.  Luna looked at her hooves and traced circles in the ground.  “He…talked with me about my nights.”
“I see,” Celestia said, smile never fading.  “And why did you feel the need to visit the ledge without your escorts?” she asked gently.
Indignation welled up within the midnight alicorn.  “To be alone!” she shouted angrily.  “To have time to myself!  To go somewhere because I want to.  To do what I wish when I wish!”  Frustration from the last two years began to pour itself out of her in a single rush.  “Ever since my return, I have not gone anywhere or done anything without somepony watching me!” she yelled.  “Even at Nightmare Night, my keeping was trusted to Twilight Sparkle!  Not once have I ever complained about my restrictions.  I do so now!”  She stomped a hoof to emphasize her point.  “I am not dangerous!  You’ve been trying to teach me to make friends, but to what good if I am never allowed to attempt it?  Why must I be caged like this?”  Luna had no trouble addressing her sister; Celestia was perhaps the only one she could ever speak naturally to.
Surprisingly, her sister did not get angry.  But then, she rarely did.  More surprising was when she began to laugh uproariously.  “Relax, Luna,” she chuckled.  “I…hahaha…I’m not…haha …mother punishing you for swiping cupcakes.”
Luna flushed at the memory.  Her flank had stung for hours after that particular incident.  Her anger was replaced with confusion.  “Then what…why-?”  She trailed off, waiting for some kind of explanation.
“I’m not the least bit angry, sister,” Celestia assured her when the chuckles subsided.  “Quite the opposite.  It’s good to see you exercising some freedom.”  Stretching legs and wings, her sister hopped off the bed in a decidedly not regal manner.  “Actually, I have some good news.  The council has agreed to lift your restrictions.”  Luna stood there stunned for a moment.  Then, with a cry of joy, she sprang forward and embraced her sister.  “It will mean a few new responsibilities, but you have free reign to come and go as you wish,” she continued, returning the hug.
“Finally!” Luna exclaimed happily.  “No more guards!  No more curfew!  I can do what I want!”  She stopped, and disentangled herself.  “What should I do, though?” she asked thoughtfully.  “Visit the museums?  Wander the bazaar?  T.P. the council members’ houses?”
Celestia gave a small chuckle.  “Before you go on one of our little prank sprees, perhaps rest would be a wiser move,” she advised.  “But afterwards, it is your choice.”  She began to walk towards the door.  The first light of dawn reached Luna’s window, and she began to feel drowsy.  “Perhaps you could visit that stallion you talked with,” she suggested, opening the door.  “Anypony you can spend a night in conversation with must be interesting indeed.”  She offered Luna a final smile.  “Good morning, sister.”  The door closed behind her.
The moon princess yawned tiredly.  The extra magic to teleport twice had taken its toll.  She often would stay up an hour or so past dawn before succumbing to sleep, but for once she chose not to do so.  Still, with plans and schemes rolling through her mind, it was some minutes before sleep took hold.  Perhaps I will visit Stargazer, she thought before drifting off.

*	*	*	*
“Be on the lookout for opportunity today,” Stargazer read from his horoscope book.  “Don’t dismiss anything until you’ve examined it thoroughly.  The ridiculous may in fact be true today.  Absolute rubbish,” he grumbled.  He tossed the book across the room, where it quickly disappeared amidst the sea of papers, books, and charts piled high around the room.
His house was fairly spacious on the inside, but the enormous amount of clutter in every room shrank the living spaces to cramped, narrow islands of empty space and furniture.  The first floor was marginally the clearest, with a small section cleared out for the exceedingly rare guest to sit.  A cozy fireplace embedded in the back wall made the chair next to it his favorite spot to read.  The second floor was his study.  There he would write, or deal with bills, or other matters that would qualify as official.  His desk was set with a back to the window, facing a large mural of the Canterlot skyline.
The attic, which he currently occupied, was easily the most cluttered place in the building.  Nowhere was wall or ceiling visible under the countless star charts nailed against both.  Mere steps from the ladder to the roof, a worn mattress lay in the middle of several stacks of paper, used and unused.  Light from a single round window poured in, hurting his eyes.
Cursing and rubbing his eyes, Stargazer retrieved the book.  Despite his disdain for the horoscope industry, this particular publication fascinated him.  While the average horoscope calendar was relevant maybe one day in twenty, The Galaxy’s Plan maintained forty-eight percent accuracy with its predictions and advice.  The anomaly had become a pet project for him several months ago.  He’d begun to chart the stars of the correct predictions and cross-reference them with the stars’ histories, mythology, and any other information he could dig up.
Of course, that was only one hobby.  He also dabbled in law, politics, and philosophy.  On the positive side, he was fairly well rounded and able to view most subjects objectively.  Unfortunately, it also made him incredibly elitist.  He did not prefer the company of nobles, or even scholars, to the average pony.  Instead, he preferred to speak with anyone, rich or poor, wise or foolish, who could simply be open to the thoughts of others.  Closed-mindedness, even more than ignorance, was to him the greatest enemy of civilization.
But try telling that to anypony else.  Stargazer sighed, and looked out the window.  Judging by the sun, which had finally woken him moments ago, it was nearly two in the afternoon.  I suppose I’d better get moving, he thought joylessly.  In no hurry at all, he ran a comb through his snowy hair as he descended the stairs.  Absently, he levitated his plain brown jacket over to him and dismissed the comb.  It shrugged onto his shoulders as he walked to the door.  The handle glowed with his own green magic and turned.  The door swung outward and daylight flooded into the house.
Stargazer stopped as a wall of noise intruded into the silence of his home.  Hooves clattering on pavement, voices chattering and bartering and carrying on conversations.  The noises of a city.  The black stallion shook his head and ventured outside.
Picking his way through the streets, he felt the noise gradually fade into a distant background hum.  Bits and pieces of conversation drifted into his ears.
“…carries only the best lace…”
“…buy it for me please daddy?”
“…brings out the color in your eyes.”
“Why don’t we go stop by…”
“…two already, darling.”
“I simply love that hat!”
Tedious.  That’s what it is, he thought as he plodded along.  Thousands of ponies, with nothing better to think about than clothes, sports, food, or flashes of interest.  No thought farther than the next five minutes, or perhaps some event later the same day.  Before his eyes, dozens of passer-by went about their afternoons, most not even noticing the beggar on the corner, the bent old garbage-mare, the run-down mother trying to control five foals of varying ages.  No view of the bigger picture.  No concept of others’ worries.  He kept walking, right past each of the aforementioned ignored plights.  Each one he passed, he slipped a few of his coins into pockets without their owners noticing.  No need to get involved.
As he continued, Stargazer’s mind wandered to the previous night.  He was not quite sure how he had kept his head (attached to his neck, that is) when confronted with Princess Luna.  As soon as he’d turned and seen her, he’d been sure his rudeness would land him in a dungeon.  Instead, the princess had displayed an unusual amount of humility and hadn’t fed him to the guards.  Perhaps it was the result of guilt for her actions two years prior, but regardless it gave him pause.  The princess herself had been a joy to talk to.  It was clear she made an effort to adapt to the new age, and was willing to listen to any voice, even his, for the sake of conversation.
Stargazer was pulled from his musings by a familiar smell.  Coffee, he noted blissfully.  His hooves had carried him on autopilot to his destination:  Pony Joe’s Bakery.  Licking his lips in anticipation, Stargazer pushed his way through the double glass doors and into the shop.
The light brown unicorn behind the counter looked up as the bell above the doors tinkled.  “Well look who it is!” Pony Joe greeted in his gruff, husky voice.  “I was wondering when you’d drag yourself in today.”
Stargazer smirked as he approached the bar seating.  “My usual joe, Joe,” he said, using the same pun as every other day.  Despite its corniness, the baker laughed every time.  “And a donut with sprinkles.”
Before he even finished ordering, Pony Joe had slapped down a tray with the requested items already in place.  “One sprinkled, double-glazed donut, and one searing hot coffee stronger than a buffalo and blacker than clouded midnight,” he recited habitually.  “I’ll put it on your tab.”  
Stargazer sipped the coffee blissfully, and immediately felt the rejuvenating power of caffeine.  “You are a miracle-worker, Joe,” he remarked.  The baker shrugged, and began cleaning the counter.  The whole thing was like clockwork, a daily ritual the two had performed for six years without fail.  Despite Pony Joe’s rough speech and loose tongue, Stargazer rather enjoyed the other stallion’s company.  He would listen—intently—to anything the astronomer told him.  His views on what was said may be rather one-track and repetitive, but at least he did not condemn other perspectives.  Additionally, the baker was an excellent source of current events, keeping an ear open for anything remotely interesting happening around town.
“So what brings you here so late in the day?” Pony Joe inquired curiously.  “I expected to see you here around noon, bruised up and battered from the guards.  Did you make it to that amazing spot you were talking about?”
Stargazer bit into his donut with relish.  As irregular as his sleeping habits were, the daily application of sugar and coffee was the stimulant he relied on to wake him up.  “In fact, I did,” he confirmed triumphantly.  “It is easily the best view in Canterlot.  And while I was there…” he stopped short.  “Well you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he explained, resuming his attack on the donut.
“Aww, come on!” begged Pony Joe.  “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just have to guess,” he warned.  Stargazer shrugged.  “Fine.  Did you meet a pretty mare?”
The black unicorn, caught sipping his coffee, did a spit take.  “What?!” he gasped at the baker.  “No!  Well I mean…yes…but not like…NO!” he spluttered.
“So there was a little cutie involved,” the baker teased.
Stargazer shook his head.  “Honestly, don’t you ever think about anything other than mares?”
This time, it was Pony Joe who shrugged.  “Hey, you wouldn’t tell me,” he replied nonchalantly.  The bell tinkled, and he looked toward the door.  Stargazer saw his eyes go wide.  “You know, something unbelievable just happened to me, too,” he said quietly.
Stargazer snorted.  “What would that be?” he asked dryly.  He took another big sip of coffee.
“Well I don’t know about your story, but Princess Luna just walked into my store,” Pony Joe answered distractedly.
For the second time in a minute, Stargazer spat coffee in surprise.  He spun, expecting a trick, a costume, some kind of joke.  Instead, the princess herself stood uncertainly in the doorway, drawing the eyes of spectators both outside and inside the bakery.  As he watched, she approached the counter slowly, eyes locked forward to avoid the gazes of onlookers.
Pony Joe rushed over to greet her.  “A pleasure and an honor, princess,” he said with a bow.  “May I offer you something?  Pastries?  Refreshment?”  Stargazer had to give him credit:  Joe could be very charming and proper when he needed to be.
The moon princess seemed taken aback for a second before recovering.  “Yes please,” she responded stiffly.  She scanned the menu on the wall for a few seconds.  “How much is it for two chocolate éclairs?”
Pony Joe’s jaw dropped.  “I wouldn’t dream of charging you anything, princess,” he answered humbly.
She shook her head.  “No, we…I insist upon paying full price for them.  And that you calleth…call me Luna, not princess.”
Pony Joe looked stunned.  Stargazer quirked an eyebrow.  She really is trying to distance herself from her title, he observed.  Is it a ploy to make her subjects more comfortable around her?  Or is it a genuine dislike of special treatment? he wondered.  He kept his silence as Pony Joe nodded wordlessly and practically scurried to retrieve her order.  The baker set a tray with two piping hot chocolate éclairs on the counter.
“Here you are prin-uh-Luna,” he stuttered.  “That’ll be seven bits.”
The midnight-hued alicorn blinked in surprise.  “Oh.  Right,” she muttered, and pulled out a small clamp purse.  It was clearly new, as the price tag still hung off of it.  Using her magic, she fumbled with trying to open it.  It was obvious she was unfamiliar with the style of purse, because her attempts to unclamp it failed for many seconds.  At last, the clamps came apart with a vicious tug, and coins were sent flying in every direction.
Princess Luna looked about in embarrassment, and everypony, even Pony Joe, averted their eyes so as not to see her shame.  “Sorry!  Sorry!” she apologized, and began gathering coins of the floor, both magically and manually.  Nopony made any move to help her, and growing flustered she heaped the coins on the counter.  She tried to count out the seven bits, but quickly became confused by the different sizes, markings, and metal types.  “Umm…I think that’s…no, that’s not right…perhaps it’s this…” she rambled, growing frustrated.  Pony Joe dared not offer assistance.  Moisture began to well up in the princess’s eyes.
“Just put it on my tab, Joe,” Stargazer ordered from his seat at the end of the bar.  “She can just owe me for it.”  Both Luna and Pony Joe turned towards him, the first wearing a mix of outrage and gratitude, and the second shock.  For a moment, the bakery was dead silent.
Maybe she won’t recognize me, he thought.  It was dark.  I’m sure she won’t even remember my name if she does recognize me.  She probably won’t have me arrested if she does have my name.  I need to stop this line of thought right now, he told himself.
“You!” she exclaimed in surprise.  Well, there goes that hope.  “I…didn’t expect to encounter you here, Stargazer.”  Yay, I’m memorable, he thought cynically.  The princess hesitated.  “Thank you for your assistance with my purchase,” she said in stiff formality.
May as well keep going, I’m not mounted on a pike yet.  “It was nothing,” he replied with a cheesy smile.  “You should eat those before they get too cold.”  He pointed to the éclairs.  “There’s room to sit over here if you have time.”
The princess seemed uncertain of how to respond.  After a moment of consideration, she magically lifted her tray, carried it over, and sat down next to him.  Stargazer saw the pile of coins she seemed to have forgotten and levitated them over to sit in front of her.  “Thank you,” she whispered gratefully, before taking a bite from one of her pastries.  After the first bite, her eyes shot open.  She gulped it down and began tearing into the donut with less grace than was proper.
Pony Joe crept over and leaned in close to Stargazer.  “Don’t tell me that this is the pretty mare you met last night!” he whispered frantically.
“I can hear you,” Luna said quietly between mouthfuls.  Stargazer slammed his face against the bar.  Nice one, Joe.  “You called me…pretty?”  The way she asked made it seem like a foreign concept to her, but there was a certain shyness to it as well.
Stargazer was grateful for his black coloration, because it hid the heat suffusing his cheeks.  “Um…yes…I guess I did,” he stammered, avoiding her gaze.  “But…um…I notice you were having trouble with your money…and purse,” he remarked, changing the subject.
The princess averted her own gaze and stared sullenly at the pile of coins.  Pony Joe made a subtle escape, moving to the main counter.  “I was…excited to visit the market today,” she explained.  “In our…my haste, I got ahead of myself and neglected to prepare.”  Her face fell further.  “Such a simple thing, and yet here I am making a fool of myself.”
Stargazer finished his coffee and stared longingly at the empty cup.  “If it makes you feel better, it’s always the simplest things that trip me up,” he admitted.  She looked over at him, sensing false pity.  “I always forget the smallest things.  Where my house keys are, what day it is, sometimes even where I live.  Most of it happens because I think too hard and lose focus.”  Her expression softened.  “Just once,” he continued, “I’d love to be the victim of something big and complex, something I could be puzzled by and not feel stupid for it.  But alas,” he waved his foreleg dramatically, “here I am assailed by thousands of tiny, mundane mistakes.”
Her laughter washed over him then, as clear and musical as he remembered it from the previous night.  “Thank you for that,” she told him when she regained composure.  “I’ve just been released from two years of being monitored and sequestered, and now that I can do more or less as I wish, I find how unprepared I am for it.”  
So she was being ‘protected’, he thought.  For her own good, no doubt.  Perhaps Celestia is not as magnanimous as she would have us believe.  “If you like,” he began before he knew he was talking, “I would happily provide assistance.”  He froze when he realized what he said.
“That would be wonderful!” she agreed before he could back out of the offer.  “I have several more places I’d like to go.  But we…I…hehehe,” she chuckled nervously.  “I am…perhaps …lost in these streets.”  Stargazer stared, then swigged the imaginary coffee still in his cup.  Chalk one up for the book, he thought, remembering the morning’s horoscope.

*	*	*	*
Luna practically bubbled with energy.  With Stargazer’s help, she’d managed to make several new purchases, fully capable of counting her own money and opening that wretched thing that dared call itself a purse.  She’d mostly bought things that caught her fancy, including an ornate flute, two pinwheels, sunglasses (a marvelous invention by her reckoning), and a dress designed by a unicorn whose name she recognized as a friend of Twilight Sparkle (she did not recall meeting the pony, however).  It was only when she found herself examining a pair of star-patterned socks that she realized she was perhaps being a little ridiculous.
Stargazer insisted upon carrying her purchases, though she couldn’t be sure if it was out of respect for her title or simple courtesy.  Luna talked with him as they walked.  Inch by inch, she slowly prodded him into opening up about himself.  With each tidbit she pried from him, it became more and more clear she’d merely scratched the surface of the dark unicorn the previous night.
In fits and bursts, he revealed his enrollment in a law school against his wishes.  Though his talents lay in astronomy, it did not pay bills.  His keen eye for detail and quick wit led him to lawyering, which he gave up in disgust when he realized how often he’d need to dirty his hooves.  Instead, he’d taken up a teaching position for philosophy.  This too, he tired of to some degree.
“So how exactly do you make your living?” Luna probed.  “It sounds like you can’t find anything that suits you.”
Stargazer looked around cautiously.  “Have you ever read any of the works of Deep Thought?” he asked her.
“Of course,” she answered.  “I own a full collection of his books.  His satire and prose are the most insightful I’ve ever read.  From what I’ve heard, it’s the most popular set of books on the shelves for academics, scholars, and nobility alike.”
Stargazer gave a heavy sigh.  “I know.  I wrote them.”
Luna stopped dead in the street and looked at him.  “What?!” she demanded.  “But… Deep Thought has his picture on the cover!  I had a book signed by him just weeks ago!  You must be joking.”
Stargazer snorted derisively.  “Deep Thought is a two-bit actor with a big smile and a bigger ego,” he scoffed.  “Perfect for the lime-light.  Shocking though it may be, fame is the last thing I want.  I gave it to him, as well as twenty percent.  All I need is the money and the pride that people are reading my work.”
“Prove it then,” she commanded.  “Come up with something insightful.  Topic…” she looked around.  “Cutie marks,” she decided, seeing blank-flanked foals at play in the streets.
Stargazer cleared his throat.  “What is the use of a cutie mark?” he mused aloud.  “Of course, it identifies one’s special gift, an individual’s calling.  But what for?  Why are we stamped with our talents as soon as we realize them?  For many ponies, I imagine it is great comfort to know, unequivocally, who they are and what they are meant to do.  But not for me.  I wonder instead if it means we are too simple, too weak, to find our own way.  That these cutie marks are merely labels, signs on a path we’ve been forced to take.  Many ponies have names to match these cutie marks.  Does this mean we have no choice?  That our destinies are written before we are born?  Worse, does this limit what we can accomplish?  Are we unable to rise above the skills prescribed to us by pastel drawings on our flanks?” He shook his head.  “No.  It is my conviction that we are the masters of our own destiny.  That we may choose anything we wish to aspire to.  It is my belief that a servant can compose a symphony, that a painter can command armies, that a cook may write a nation’s laws.  That no matter who you are, there exists the potential to become something greater.  That anypony can meet their dreams, and dream of anything.  A cutie mark is not the sum total of who you are.  It is the universe’s best guess at what you will choose to do.  But don’t let it restrict you, or narrow your gaze.  Dare to prove it wrong, to pursue other goals.  Be the pony you wish to be, not the one your flank tells you to be.”
When he finished, Luna’s jaw was on the ground.  Her eyes blinked in astonishment.  “That was…incredible!” she managed through her shock.  Around her, a small crowd had gathered to listen, and they began to applaud.  Stargazer looked around in surprise, not having noticed their approach.
The black stallion politely moved through the dispersing crowd to get to her.  “Convinced?” he whispered smugly.  She nodded dumbly.  “Then perhaps we could avoid doing that again in public?”
“I suppose,” she conceded.  “Although my second topic was going to be ice cream, and wouldn’t that have been amusing?”  He rolled his eyes at her.  “Now, which way to the arcade?  The idea of games on flickering screens fascinates me.”

*	*	*	*
The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon hopping from place to place.  At the arcade, Luna discovered she was good at video games (though Stargazer had probably let her win a few times) and resolved to acquire some for the palace.  Admittedly, she probably could have been less vocal about her success, and she did feel bad about making that one foal cry.  But without a doubt, video games were one of the coolest things the modern world had to offer.
Next, they halted by a gang of street performers screeching songs in falsetto.  To her surprise, Stargazer dropped a few coins in their hat.  They paused to thank him, and the two of them moved along.  When asked, his reply was that “It was well worth it to shut them up a few moments.”
Museums, stores, even a theatre for children’s plays all became stops on her spree.  Everywhere they went, they attracted attention from nearby ponies.  Stargazer patiently answered her every question, seeming to enjoy himself secretly.  In the walking distance between each attraction, he filled the silence observations about their surroundings.  The astronomer called attention to things and ponies she would never have noticed, drawing conclusions from posture, expression, and minute details.  It was fascinating, but she began to sense some sort of unrest or disdain behind it, especially when it came to the downtrodden.
However, this was the most fun she had ever had, including Nightmare Night when Twilight Sparkle first introduced it to her.  Definitely worth waking up early for.  It occurred to her that she had best reduce the pace of her adventures, or else she would quickly grow bored.  After all, she had an eternity to fill.  The thought nagged at her for a moment before she was distracted by a magical tingle.
The sun was setting rapidly; in an hour it would be night.  Idly, she wondered if she need bother getting back to the palace or not.  At the very least to drop off the purchases still carried by Stargazer.
“Do you need to return to the palace?” the stallion asked politely, reading her thoughts.  “If not, there is a place I’d like to show you.”  His expression betrayed nothing, only patience.
Luna considered it.  What good my new freedom if I do not take advantage of it?  She focused her will and surrounded her purchases in magical indigo light.  With a flash, and a loud Pop! the bags disappeared, teleported safely to her room.  Unlike the previous evening, the destination was clear in her mind and she held no doubts about her success.  “Why not?” she answered with a smile.
Stargazer stretched stiff muscles.  “Could you perhaps have done that sooner, Luna?” he said in exasperation.  “There is a reason I don’t lift weights.”  She chuckled at him, and mumbled an apology.  With a sigh, he gestured down the street.  “It’s this way.”

*	*	*	*
Are you feeling alright? Stargazer asked himself as they plodded along in the sparsely occupied streets.  The sun had nearly set, and the first stars had begun to dot the eastern sky.  Most ponies had abandoned the streets in favor of their homes and families.  First you pour your life story out to her, then you tell her you’re the pen behind Deep Thought.  Now, you’re taking her there of all places.  You met her less than twenty-four hours ago!
Stargazer was used to talking to himself.  At least it meant intelligent conversation.  Of course I’m alright! he spat back.  Besides, it’s different.  She’s a princess, for one thing.
Hmph, he replied.  Right.  Has nothing to do with the fact you’re fascinated.
Goddess of the moon, stars, and night, everything I treasure most, and I’m supposed to be unimpressed?
Seems more like you’re trying to do a little impressing of your own.
Would you shut up?  he snapped wearily.  I’m a little new to this whole ‘impress the girl’ nonsense I seem to be undertaking.  I’d like to get it right on the first try, and you’re distracting me.
The voice went silent.
The new moon was tomorrow, which worried him.  It might not affect the surprise, but could just as easily ruin the whole thing.  “We’re nearly there,” Stargazer said over his shoulder to the princess.  When he glanced her direction, it took considerable self-control not to stare.
The previous evening, her cloak had mostly obscured her from view.  Likewise, sunlight had somehow muted the alicorn’s features.  Now, directly under the starlight, her midnight blue coat took on a velvet-like sheen.  Her mane, long and flowing, almost perfectly matched the color of the night sky.  The hair was translucent, and one could not tell if the shimmering lights upon it were natural or merely stars shining through it.  There was another, subtler difference.  As the night fell, she walked more confidently.  The princess stood taller, appeared more regal.  He looked away quickly.
Down an alleyway, a scream split the air.  Stargazer exchanged glances with Luna and ran toward the noise.  She followed him down the alley as voices became audible.
“Please…I don’t want any trouble,” said a frightened female voice.  They rounded a corner to see a dark grey earth pony backed into a wall by three large stallions.  From the posture of the three and the terror in her purple eyes, it was clear there was trouble coming.  An instrument case, sized for a cello or perhaps a bass guitar, lay on the ground.
“I don’t shee how it’sh trouble,” one of the stallions, a white pegasus, slurred drunkenly.  The other two chuckled and murmured their agreement.
Stargazer didn’t get angry:  that wouldn’t help anything.  Instead, he tried to keep calm and think clearly.  “Stay here,” he ordered the princess thoughtlessly.  He didn’t wait to see if she obeyed or got indignant, but instead moved towards the group.  “Oh there you are honey!” he shouted as he approached.  Immediately, all heads swiveled to face him.  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
He sauntered straight into the group, passing by the stallions like they weren’t even there.  The mare gaped at him in confusion until she caught on.  “Oh!  Yes!  Darling, I got lost on the way home.”  Stargazer put a hoof around her as she picked up her instrument case and began walking her out of the ring.
The drunk pegasus in the middle moved in front of him.  “Where d’ya think you’re goin’?” he grunted.  The other two closed in.
Stargazer lashed out with a vicious kick to the pegasus’s right knee.  A cracking noise emitted from the joint and the drunken pony toppled sideways, screaming in pain.  “Go!  Run!” the astronomer yelled at the mare.  Needing no further encouragement, she took off with her instrument case strapped across her back.
As Stargazer moved to follow, he was dragged backward by a yank to his tail.  Flailing blindly scored him a few small hits, but nothing solid.  In quick succession, he received several blows to the ribs and head.  “Show you for kicking our buddy!” one of the two ponies yelled at him.  Stargazer curled himself into a ball to try and withstand further abuse, but the onslaught ceased as quickly as it began.
Opening his eyes, he was shocked to see the two stallions, both earth ponies, pinned against the wall by glowing indigo light.  Their faces were masks of fear, and as he followed their gazes it was easy to see why.  Princess Luna stood over him, eyes blazing and face locked in a snarl.  The pressure against the two must have increased, because they both let out cries of pain.  “How dare you?” she demanded of them.  “HOW DARE YOU!?”  A small crackle of thunder sounded overhead.  “What kind of filth dares to intrude upon this city?  All of you will be brought before the guards and—”
A meaty thud filled the air, and Luna collapsed to the ground mid-sentence.  Behind her, the pegasus had managed to stand and held a makeshift club in his teeth.  Either too drunk or too pained to think clearly, he’d landed a solid blow to the back of the princess’s head.  When she went down, the other two drunks slumped unconscious to the ground as well.
Rage, cold and terrible, chilled Stargazer’s body.  Snarling, he stood and summoned his magic.  Focusing his will around the pegasus, he snapped his head to the right.  The injured knee followed his movement, twisting violently.  His target let out a howl of pain and dropped the club.  Stargazer snapped his head sideways twice more, and dislocated both wings.  Finally, he lifted the club and cracked it across the pony’s forehead.  The drunk slammed bonelessly against the pavement.
The jet-black unicorn stood there a moment, gulping in air to calm down.  He took a few seconds to memorize faces before turning to the fallen princess.  She bled from a cut to the back of the head, probably a fracture.  Her breathing was shallow, but steady.  Stargazer used his magic to tear off a section of his brown overcoat and wrap it around the injury.  Finally, relying mostly on magic, he hefted her onto his back and began moving away from the scene.  She was heavy, and the going slow, but Stargazer vowed not to stop or even slow until he reached the nearest safe place.

*	*	*	*
“Ungh” Luna groaned when she awoke.  It feels like my skull was used as a drum set, she thought painfully.  The moon princess slowly opened her eyes.
She had no idea where she was.  The ceiling above her was an earthy brown, as were the walls.  She lay on a somewhat lumpy mattress covered by a worn, ragged blue blanket.  Luna sat up, rubbing the back of her head (which she felt was bandaged) to examine the room.  The bed occupied the corner of a moderately sized single-room apartment.  A stove and pantry filled another corner, a bathroom sat next to it, and the rest was sparsely furnished living space.  A couple windows by the door lit the room with starlight.
Luna could perfectly recall the events before her unconsciousness and looked about for Stargazer.  The house sat empty.  Briefly she wondered if she’d been captured or something, but these fears were quickly dismissed.  That didn’t stop her from startling when the door to the apartment began to open.
Surprisingly, she recognized the pony that entered.  It was the pale-brown earth pony from behind the counter at the bakery yesterday.  Joe, she thought his name was.  He noticed her immediately.  “Princess!  You’re awake!” he exclaimed in relief.  “When Stargazer brought you here earlier, I thought you were nearly dead with the way he fussed.  I’ve never seen the guy so worked up about anything!”  He closed the door behind him.
It touched Luna a little that she was the object of such concern.  “Where is here?  And where is Stargazer?  Is he alright?” she asked in a rush.  Another thought.  “Does my sister know?”
“By now, probably,” Pony Joe (that was it!) answered.  “He brought you here to my place until we could get some help. After we got you settled, princess, he only stayed long enough to get patched up himself.  Then he went to swear out a warrant against those three ponies that jumped you and notify the guards of your condition.”  He chuckled.  “It’s nice to see fussy-britches expressing himself for once.”
Before Luna could ask any more questions, the door slammed open.  Pony Joe moved himself to stand between her and the door as five guards filed in, two carrying a stretcher.  Once the baker realized who the intruders were, he stepped out of their way.
The officer in charge, a stocky dark brown unicorn, approached her.  “Your highness,” he stated with a salute.  “We have been instructed by your sister to move you to the palace at once.”  He dropped the formality a moment.  “She’s really worried about you, ma’am.”
Luna sighed, and allowed herself to be moved onto the stretcher.  They carried her outside and attached the stretcher to four armored pegasi.  Waiting for her was the stallion she sought.
Stargazer’s face was torn between guilt and relief.  He wore bandages of his own around his midsection, and his lip and left eye were swollen with bruises that barely showed up.  The dark unicorn said nothing as she was positioned by the guards.  That was fine.  It was enough that he was there, and still concerned.  Luna smiled encouragingly as the guards lifted off and gently carried her towards the palace.

*	*	*	*
Princess Celestia strode purposefully through the halls.  How could this happen? she wondered.  She was so distracted she did not even manage the polite greetings she always gave the servants.  Ponies rapidly cleared from her path.  How could this happen!? she asked herself again.
Rumors of the attack had already spread through the palace.  Most likely, the whole incident was a random accident, and even the injury would prove inconsequential against the near immortality they shared.  What worried Celestia most was the effect it would have on her little sister.  Will this make her resent our subjects again?  Anger her?  Dare I let her go out again for fear of her safety?  A chilling thought.  Dare I remove her freedom and risk alienating her further?
The night still darkened the skies through the large palace windows.  Worse still, what if she chooses to retreat into solitude? worried the sun princess.  What if she gives up on making friends or becoming accepted?  Will the thoughtless actions of a single drunken fool jeopardize the last two years of work?  At last, she reached the infirmary.  Celestia flung the doors open ready for anything.
Luna looked up at the noise.  Her sister’s face lit up when Celestia entered the room.  Three nurses were working to clean, stitch, and bandage the fracture with commendable efficiency.  “Sister!” Luna cried.  She winced slightly at one of the nurses prods.  “I had the most wonderful time yesterday!  Except for…well…this,” she added sheepishly, gesturing at the head wound.
Celestia blinked in surprise.  A slow smile spread across her face and she came fully into the room.  “Please, tell me all about it,” she said.  Immediately, her little sister launched into a full account of her time in the city.  Celestia had already discovered the bags in Luna’s room, but did not interrupt.  Her eyebrows rose a little at her sister’s sudden enthusiasm for video games.
Then Luna mentioned Stargazer, and his assistance both with purchasing and as an escort.  Celestia’s estimation of him increased with every sentence; he appeared to be highly capable and well-mannered.  The revelation that this pony was the pen behind Deep Thought troubled her slightly, but she put that aside for now.  At last it came to the incident in the alley.  Luna described the way Stargazer had attempted to rescue the mare (it sounded like Octavia from the orchestra) from the three troublemakers.  While Celestia admired the stallion’s bravery and tact, she did not like the gleam in her sister’s eyes as she recalled it.  The sun princess had lived far too long and experienced too much not to recognize a spark when she saw one.
She wished her sister a speedy recovery and granted permission to invite Stargazer to visit in the palace before leaving.  The pale alicorn proceeded straight to her chambers, head buzzing with worried thoughts.  Celestia studiously ignored the small chest by her window as she crawled into bed to enjoy the few hours of rest left to her.  The princess fell asleep determined not to jump to conclusions…yet.

*	*	*	*
Over the next few weeks, Stargazer became a common face in the palace.  The ebony stallion acquainted himself with nearly every servant, cook, and guard and quickly found himself welcome in their company.  He accompanied Luna on her various forays into the city and even a few social events.  The pair were nearly inseparable, Stargazer intrigued by her immortal perspective on every subject and Luna captivated by his conversation and philosophy.  It was only nearly because Stargazer refused to accept guest rooming at the palace, choosing instead to walk the long distance from his house every morning and evening.
Luna visited his home one evening to investigate the claims he made about owning obscene amounts of star charts.  As she wandered through the stacks of charts and ogled the walls plastered with constellations, galaxies, and even a panoramic star system or two, it seemed a wonder he found room in which to live.  Stargazer explained that, thanks to his books, he was rich enough to live comfortably but comfortable enough not to live richly.  Despite his shabby furniture and wardrobe, he always kept a few nice things in storage for when the occasion warranted class.  Luna left the house with bags stuffed with star charts, purchased to fill in gaps in the palace library.
The first time she brought him with her to meet with some of the lesser heads of state, he entered into a shouting match with Gold Standard (the head of economics) over progressive tax rates.  The second time, it was the Minister of Education, Curriculum, who ended up trading screams with him.  By the third time the astronomer showed his face, the nobles and officials knew to give him a wide berth lest his obnoxiousness fall on them.  Luna couldn’t help but smile as he swaggered past them, equally glad not to be bothered.
Acquaintance became friendship, and friendship companionship.  The two grew ever more at ease with each other and even changed outwardly.  Stargazer began to smile and laugh more often in public.  Luna grew ever more outgoing and confident, soon ceasing her relapses into her more archaic speech.  The astronomer finally understood what was going on when he stopped to think about why he was walking four miles every day just to see her.  The same evening, the princess caught herself pacing her room waiting for him to arrive.  As simply as that, the two realized they were dating.

*	*	*	*
“Are you certain I should be meeting them?”
For the tenth time in an hour, Luna ignored Stargazer’s complaints.  “Yes, I’m quite certain.  I’m just as certain as I was when you asked five minutes ago, and when you ask again in five minutes I will still be certain.”  Despite her obvious annoyance, it amused her greatly how flustered he was.  “It’s astonishing that we haven’t run into them already, or my sister for that matter.”
“Hmph,” Stargazer replied gruffly.  “I’m not exactly complaining about that, you know.  Frankly I wouldn’t mind never crossing paths with Celestia.  Most older siblings already wish they could lock the ponies courting their family in a dungeon.  I’m not eager to encounter one of the few that actually can.”
The princess chuckled at that.  “That’s ridiculous,” she assured him.  “Tia hasn’t locked anypony in a dungeon for over a decade.”  Walking beside her, the astronomer gave a small cough.  His continuing fatalism drew a sigh.  “Remind me why it is you think this is a bad idea.”
“You’ve read my books haven’t you?” he countered.  “Not only do they challenge conventional rule, but some of the passages have blatantly anarchist themes and messages.  Several even call for civil disobedience to combat specific failures of the power elite in Canterlot.”  Luna had read the passages he meant, and agreed with a number of their conclusions.  She’d even acted on an article concerning the working conditions in local granaries.  “To make things worse,” he continued, “I’ve actually instigated over a dozen protests and participated in dozens more.  With that kind of record, do you still think it’s a good idea to introduce me to Canterlot’s newest prince and Captain of the Guard?”
They reached the door to the Royal Dining Chamber, and when it opened for them it no longer mattered if it was a good idea because the pony in question was there to greet them.  “Princess Luna!” Shining Armor greeted warmly.  “I’m so glad you could make it!  We’ve been hoping to get a chance to talk to you.”  His eyes trained on Stargazer, but either through the stoicism of the Royal Guard or an honest amiability his smile didn’t falter in the slightest.  “And you must be the infamous Stargazer.  I’ve heard that you’ve been making a nuisance of yourself in the court.”
“Honestly, I’m not even in the door yet and he’s insulting me,” the darker stallion complained.  “I haven’t been a nuisance since I was eight.  By now I’m definitely a menace at least.”  Luna stifled a giggle, but her host chuckled out loud.  “It’s nice to meet you…do you prefer Captain or Prince?” he asked.
“Stick with Captain for now.  I’m still not used to being royalty yet,” the larger pony admitted.  “But by all means, come in!  Dinner is almost ready, and Cadence is waiting at the table.”  He backed out of the door and walked further inside.
Stargazer moved to follow, but Luna magically grabbed his ear to stop him.  “Behave,” she ordered.  “I’m fond of them both, and I would like to keep good relations with them.  If this dinner even remotely resembles what happened with Gold Standard…”
The stallion rolled his eyes.  “Honestly, have you ever known me to be anything but charming and polite unless I’m provoked?
“I don’t care if he provokes you!  No politics, ethics, economy, or any other inflammatory topics!”
“Fine, fine!  I promise!” he whispered back.  He stepped through the doorway.  “But it isn’t my fault Gold Standard is a complete buffoon,” he muttered.
Luna took a deep breath and followed him into the room.  Rather than the large ornate chambers spread throughout the rest of the castle, the Royal Dining Chamber was a small, simple affair.  Another, smaller door leading to the kitchens stood directly across from them.  A square wooden table, large enough for at most a dozen seats, sat squarely in the middle of the room.  A single large window occupied one wall while the other three were sparsely decorated with portraits, candleholders, and the odd memento of notable events.  Once they were both inside the threshold, the doors closed quietly behind them.
She’d gone to great lengths to explain the gravity of this room to her guest.  Rather than ambassadors and VIPs, who dined in one of the castle’s many great halls, this chamber was reserved exclusively for royalty and close friends thereof.  By rights, Stargazer probably shouldn’t have been allowed in at all.  Had Shining Armor not personally invited them to come together, he would never have gotten within forty yards of the door.
Seated at the table was one of Luna’s favorite relatives, Princess Cadence.  After a thousand years of absence the older princess was uncertain of the actual relationship, but considering the various intermarriages and bloodlines that had existed even in her day she had no doubts that the other pony was family.  And unlike many of her other cousins, nieces, and nephews (especially Blueblood), Luna truly enjoyed her company.
Cadence nodded politely to them both as they entered.  “Good evening to you both.  I hope you’re hungry.  Chef Cordon Bleu had a gleam in his eye that makes me think we’ll be putting on some weight,” she said good-naturedly. “Thank you so much for coming.”
Stargazer approached the table and gave a small bow towards her. “It was an honor to receive your invitation, princess,” he answered politely.
“Please, just Cadence,” she corrected.  “At least in this room, we can forget about decorum for a little bit.  Isn’t that right, Luna?”
Luna nodded, but decided to wait for her companion’s response before replying verbally.  In many ways this was a test she’d given him, and she wanted to see how he would react.
“Decorum, perhaps, but not courtesy,” he returned seriously.  “Even if this were a common dining room, I would still thank my host for allowing me to share their table.”
Luna smiled and nodded slightly to herself.  “I’m sure they appreciate the gesture, Stargazer.  Such was the custom even before my absence.  But let us dispense with niceties and be seated.  I can already smell the freshly baked rolls from the kitchen,” she added. 
Stargazer nodded and moved to a seat on the opposite end from Cadence.  Instead of immediately sitting, he waited for Luna to reach her seat before using his magic to pull it out for her.  Pleased, she accepted the seat without comment.  It’s like he’s a completely different pony when he’s not in court, she mused as he sat next to her.  Perhaps he just likes being hostile to the nobility.  It made sense.  Out in the streets of Canterlot, he was respectful of every worker and beggar he met.  He only became obnoxious when confronted by ponies with obvious contempt for those they considered beneath them.  And Gold Standard was a complete buffoon.
Shining Armor, having apparently left to check something, reappeared from the kitchen door.  “Everything’s finished.  They’re just waiting to bring it in,” he informed them.  The tall white stallion walked over to his wife and sat down next to her.  “All right, we’re ready,” he called out.
Before he was even finished, the door opened and a dozen ponies dressed in white emerged with steaming trays.  With mechanical precision, they placed their burdens in perfect arrangement on the table, filled everypony’s glass (with wine that was definitely too expensive) and vanished back into the kitchen without a word.
Then Chef Cordon Bleu himself, an orange unicorn with little left of his mane, entered and cleared his throat.  “Tonight, for your pleasure, we have prepared several recipes of hors-d’oeuvres to be served with freshly baked bread,” he began, stroking his thick brown mustache.  “Next will follow light salad and a specialty soup of my own design.  Your entrée will be a three-bean casserole served beside a well-seasoned baked potato.  My staff has prepared a fabulous apple custard for your desert that I confess I may have oversampled.  Please enjoy,” he finished.  Without waiting for thanks or questions, he turned around and took his leave.
Luna watched Shining Armor as well as Stargazer while she lifted the lid off of her own tray.  Neither one twitched a muscle as she raised the first roll to her mouth and bit down.  That was good; this was an ancient and sacred act to assure guests of their safety, and even her sister still upheld it.  Trying desperately not to simply inhale the delicious bread, she chewed slowly and deliberately before at last swallowing.  Across the table, Cadence did the same.  After a few seconds of silence, the elder princess gave a small nod.  “It is good,” she said simply.
“Yes it is,” Cadence agreed enthusiastically.  Luna’s stern look slid right off the other princess.  “I just don’t know what the rest of you are having.”
Luna felt her scowl slip, and couldn’t help a few chuckles.  She looked at the two stallions, who seemed to be holding their breath.  “You are permitted to laugh, you know,” she assured them.  “The formalities really are finished now.”  
She expected the relieved sigh from Stargazer, but Shining Armor gave one as well.  He is still new to his responsibilities, she reminded herself.  And we haven’t shared many meals.  Perhaps I make him nervous.  Luckily, he seemed to perk up as he began eating.
For a few moments as everypony took the edge off their hunger, the four sat in silence.  Stargazer seemed hesitant to initiate conversation and sipped his drink, while both Cadence and Shining Armor were too engrossed in the appetizers to speak.  It fell to Luna to break the ice.
“Shining Armor, I heard you visited Ponyville recently.  How fare Twilight Sparkle and her friends?” she asked politely.
“They’re doing just fine,” he answered in between mouthfuls.  “The first thing Twilight did when I got there was let me have it for not visiting sooner.  I was actually there to deliver a summons, but I had time afterward to relax.   She made a point of showing me around town and telling me all about her friends.”
“Twilight is your sister, correct?” Stargazer interrupted.  “Princess Celestia’s student and hero of Equestria?”
“That’s right,” the pale unicorn confirmed.  “She’s pretty amazing, but we’ve been out of touch for a while.  Even at the wedding we didn’t get much time to catch up.”  He gave a chagrined smile.  “After the changeling invasion, I was a little…occupied.”  Cadence gave him a playful shove.
“I can imagine,” Stargazer commented dryly.  “There’s a day I could forget.  I was at Pony Joe’s bakery when the barrier fell.  One minute I’m enjoying a nice cup of coffee, and the next thing I know I’m hanging upside-down from the ceiling in that sickening slime.”  He shook his head in disgust.  “Lousy changelings ate my donut right in front of me.”
Luna, caught sipping her drink, let out an embarrassing snort of laughter and nearly sprayed the table.  Cadence and her husband, having caught the gesture, exchanged glances and turned to stare at her.
“You know Luna, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” the other princess began with a smile.  “It’s been bothering me for months.”
Luna felt herself begin to sweat.  “I would be happy to answer a question for you, if I am able,” she said nervously.
“Where were you when the changelings attacked?”
The question held absolutely nothing remotely resembling blame or anger.  It was merely curious, even teasing.  It still made Luna’s stomach turn.  “I was…indisposed at the time,” she replied evasively.
“That’s pretty vague,” Shining Armor chimed in.  “I could understand that you weren’t at the wedding, but why didn’t you show up when the barrier fell?”
Luna took a nervous sip from her glass.  “I would prefer not to answer.”  She hoped that would be enough.  Her tone notwithstanding, neither of the younger royals was willing to push her for answers if she did not wish to give them.  It wasn’t fair, but she really didn’t want to discuss this.
“That hardly seems fair, Luna.”  Of course, she’d forgotten about her companion.  “Obviously Shining Armor was in the throne room being controlled, and Cadence was locked away somewhere…” Stargazer waved at her leadingly.
“The Canterlot Caves below the city,” she supplied.
“Yes, thank you,” he acknowledged, “and I was getting dangled in a donut shop.  We’ve all told our parts.  What were you doing that was so important you missed out on all the fun?”  He wore a smile, but his eyes were alight with wicked humor.  It was clear he wasn’t going to let her dodge the question again.
I knew this dinner was a bad idea, she thought with resignation.  She sighed heavily and glared at the astronomer.  Her expression must have been grim, because Shining Armor seemed to tense up and shift about at the edge of her vision.  Fine.  Let’s have done with this.
“If any of this leaves the room, I shall not care which of you is responsible,” she warned darkly.  They all nodded and leaned in closer to hear.  She took a deep breath.  “I was playing checkers.”
The three ponies around the table blinked and said nothing.
Luna squirmed in the silence.  “It wasn’t that I didn’t care,” she explained.  “When the barrier fell and the creatures began filling the streets, I knew that something was wrong with my sister.  But I had given my solemn oath to play a game with Pipsqueak, a young colt from Ponyville.”
“And that was more important than defending Canterlot?” Stargazer demanded incredulously.
“It was arranged well in advance,” she protested.  “I had given what is known as a Pinkie Promise.  ‘Twas an oath I would not dare to break.”
“How does a game of checkers last longer than a changeling invasion?!”
“We played until one of us achieved a two-game lead over the other.”
“YOU DIDN’T EVEN SHOW UP FOR THE SECOND WEDDING!” the astronomer roared.  Cadence and Shining Armor still seemed shocked, but Stargazer seemed to be shaking with wrath.  “HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY HAVE KEPT YOU BUSY THAT LONG?!”
“Young Pip is very skilled,” Luna deadpanned.  Stargazer’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he struggled to find words.
Shining Armor recovered his wits enough to speak.  “I can respect that you had to keep a promise,” he began carefully, “but the city was being overrun.  Your sister was captured and put in a cocoon.  Don’t you think it might have been better to stop your game and help?”
Luna nodded glumly.  “Tia made her displeasure abundantly clear afterwards.  Had she not sound-proofed her room, the entire castle would have shook.”  A small smile curled her lips.  “Although,” she admitted, “it would be wrong to say my sister’s capture did not amuse me slightly.  I made sure to keep a picture hidden away for later.”
Shining Armor’s face twitched slightly, and Cadence appeared to bite down on her tongue.  Only Stargazer openly smiled at the statement, but he quickly retrieved his angry scowl.  I never imagined it would make him so furious, she thought unhappily.
“I still can’t believe you were detained by checkers of all things,” he said.  “And it brings up a very important question for me.”
Oh no, Luna panicked.  Please, don’t let him be that angry.  Cadence’s ears perked up immediately, and even Shining Armor’s eyes widened at his tone.  Even if the younger princess weren’t particularly attuned to others’ emotions, Luna and Stargazer had been together in public far too often for them not to guess at their relationship.
“What question is that?” the elder princess asked, fearful of what it might be.
The ebony unicorn just stared at her for a moment, and the tension hung in the air.  “Well obviously I want to know who won the game,” he answered tartly.  Luna felt her own jaw start flapping open and closed and Stargazer’s smile returned, warm and genuine.  “Of course if you lost, I suppose I won’t make you admit it.”
Relief and chagrin filled Luna in equal measure.  “Young Pipsqueak defeated me on the twenty-sixth game,” she admitted.  “As per the stakes, I surrendered one of my favorite marble pouches.”
The laughter didn’t die down until the next course arrived.

*	*	*	*
With the last of the heavenly apple custard consumed (after a tense standoff between the princesses for the last bite) Stargazer sighed contentedly.  I must apologize yelling at the chef, he resolved.  Anypony responsible for that kind of food can set the table any way he bloody well pleases.
Between the company and the superb cuisine, the dinner had been fairly pleasant.  He and Shining Armor had traded leading questions to fish out information, while Cadence and Luna routinely lightened the conversation with jokes and stories.  At his companion’s insistence, he had even reluctantly recited an excerpt from one of his books for their hosts.  All-in-all, it went far better than the travesty he’d expected.
“Thank you both for a wonderful evening,” Luna said graciously.  “We really must do this more often.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Luna,” Cadence replied, rising.  She rounded the table to embrace the older princess.  “Thank you so much for coming.”  She turned to look at Stargazer.  “And you as well, Stargazer.  It was a pleasure to meet you.”
The astronomer inclined his head.  “I’ll take your word for it, princess,” he answered lightly.  “Thank you again for honoring me with an invitation.”  He walked over next to Luna, who rose to head for the door.
Shining Armor had already reached it and held it open for them as they exited.  “Good night to you both,” he offered pleasantly, before closing the door behind them.
For a moment afterwards, the only sound was the clopping of hooves as they walked side by side through the halls.  It was far from uncomfortable, but Stargazer decided to break the silence.  “Well I hope you’re happy, Luna.  I’m completely ruined now,” he remarked.
She looked at him in surprise.  “How so?” she asked, annoyed.  “I thought it went splendidly.  You were charming, funny, well-behaved.”  She gave him a stern look.  “Mostly.”
The astronomer suppressed a grin.  The checkers part was funny, he thought.  “That’s exactly what’s wrong!” he assured her.  “It’s been hard work staying so hostile and obnoxious to everypony.  One word about my performance tonight and I’ll be reduced from a combative outsider to a common snob.”  He gave an aggrieved sigh.  “Goodbye unilateral hatred, hello familiarity and contempt.”
Beside him, Luna chuckled.  “If it cheers you up, Shining Armor is also isolated from the court,” she mentioned.  “Many nobles were unhappy that he joined their ranks the way he did.  So you are still an outsider, but I believe you’ve been a snob a long time already.”
Stargazer considered that for a moment and smiled.  “That does cheer me up.  I can already feel myself becoming more pleasant by the day; it’s a comfort to know my status as troublesome menace is safe.”  This time, the princess laughed outright.  And just like every other time, the musical quality of the sound filled him with warmth.  It was a feeling he’d come to relish in recent weeks.  Stop that, he chided himself.  You need to mind yourself before losing your head, literally or otherwise.
She was still laughing when they reached her chamber.  The doors opened, and she turned to face him.  “Thank you for tonight,” she said seriously.  “It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed dinner so much, and never with so good an escort.”
“It was my pleasure, princess,” he replied stiffly.
“No, the pleasure was all mine.  Even when you yelled about the checkers,” she added, smiling.
Stargazer felt his face flushing a little.  He gave a nervous cough and allowed himself to ask what was on his mind.  “Will I see you tomorrow, Luna?”
The midnight-blue mare blinked in surprise, but her smile grew wider.  Instead of saying yes or no, she leaned over and nuzzled his ear.  “Good night, Stargazer,” she whispered.  Then she disappeared into her room and closed the door, leaving him standing in the hall with half of his face feeling like it was on fire.
“That wasn’t an answer,” he grumbled.
*	*	*	*
The Summer Sun Celebration approached, still some days in the distance.  Having completed its circuit the previous year, the ceremony would take place in Canterlot Square.  Celestia spoke to her sister less and less, caught up in planning for the event as well as other matters of state.  Somehow she completely failed to encounter Stargazer in person as he came and went through the palace.  That is, of course, until she summoned him to an audience with her for just that purpose…

*	*	*	*
For the tenth time, Stargazer adjusted his bowtie.  The wretched thing refused to sit right on him.  Or perhaps he was simply so unused to it, as well as the silver-colored silk coat he’d chosen, that it merely bugged him when it did sit right.  Don’t choose today to skimp, he recalled from the horoscope book.  The chances you take today will be important, so pull out all the stops.
To preserve the spotless shine of the loathed outfit, he’d called for a carriage to take him to the palace.  The driver, a kind old gent a week from retirement, happily accepted his request to take it slow.  The purpose was twofold:  firstly, it would ensure a smooth and pleasant ride, virtually free of bumps.  Secondly, it meant more time to think between now and standing before the princess.
Odd, he thought, that I think of Celestia as ‘the princess’ and Luna as simply Luna.  Perhaps Luna is more down-to-earth?  He shook the distracting observation away.  Come on now, focus.  How shall I proceed?  Obviously I can’t rail at her about politics and oversights and the like.  I prefer my head on my shoulders and my home to a jail cell.  He stopped to ponder.  Meekness?  I haven’t much stomach for it, but perhaps it would be wiser.  Stargazer frowned and shook his head.  No.  I may restrain myself, but I refuse to sacrifice principle.  Perhaps honesty.  He nodded in agreement with himself.  Yes.  Say what you think, but do not push.  She is an immortal sun-goddess, not a fool to be lectured to.  Besides, he thought, Celestia is known for an even temper and magnanimity.  Even if I offend, I doubt she will show her anger.
The carriage pulled to a stop.  Too early.  Out the window, he could see the train station a short distance away.  The setting sun was in his eyes, however, and he withdrew his gaze quickly.  Voices reached Stargazer’s ears from outside.  “I’m sorry sonny.”  The driver, he identified.  “I’ve already got a passenger, and I’m headin’ to the palace.”
“Oh good!” a much younger voice responded.  “That’s where I’m going as well!”  Male, age sixteen to twenty-five, Stargazer analyzed.  Pitch and tone suggest broad shoulders and chest.  Location and syntax might mean non-local.
“Well, I suppose I can take one more,” conceded the pony pulling the carriage.  “Get in.”
The door to the carriage opened, and a steel-gray pegasus entered the vehicle.  True to his guess, the stallion was of a similar age to himself, perhaps couple years younger.  He had an athletic build, lean and muscular, and was about six inches taller than Stargazer.  The pegasus’s dark hair was combed and slicked back, and a simple blue vest with gold trim was slipped over his torso.  An open, honest face was twisted in annoyance at both the clothes and the carriage, and a pair of blue eyes studied him quickly.  The pegasus sat down across from him, and the carriage began to move forward again.
“You’re heading to the palace?” Stargazer asked, testing the waters.
The stranger nodded.  “So are you, it seems.  Nothing bad, I hope?” he probed in return.
Stargazer smirked.  “So do I,” he remarked.  “What about you?  Anything good?”
The pony gave a resigned sigh.  “I wouldn’t bet on it,” he answered.  He stuck out a hoof.  “I’m Zephyr, nice to meet you.  Yes, I know it’s a strange name,” he added, seeing Stargazer’s mouth opening.
Strange indeed; definitely not a usual name for anypony in this part of Equestria, Stargazer noted.  “Stargazer.  I’m not sure it’s nice to meet you yet,” he said, shaking the hoof.
Surprisingly, the stranger chuckled.  “Lucky me.  A city full of stuck-up snobs, and I pick the carriage with an honest pony,” Zephyr remarked.  “You probably don’t play well with others around here, do you?”
Stargazer raised an eyebrow.  Maybe he is worth talking to.  “I tend to avoid high society when possible.  Unfortunately, I’ve somehow attracted personal attention from Princess Celestia.  In less than an hour,” he mentioned, hoping for some kind of reaction.  Probably disbelief.  As much as Stargazer hated to admit it, there was some small satisfaction in impressing other ponies, either with knowledge or news.
He was not disappointed.  Zephyr stared at him like he expected some sort of joke.  “Now that can’t be right,” he said.  Stargazer was about to tell him just how right it was when the pegasus continued.  “My audience with the princess is just under an hour away.”
They stared at each other for a moment in confusion.  “So let me get this straight,” began Stargazer.  “We both have an appointment with Celestia.  At the same time.  The wise and powerful goddess of the sun made a scheduling error?”  The statement sat in the air a moment.  Then they began laughing at the same time.
“Must be,” Zephyr told him in between bursts of laughter.  “I know…the two…of us don’t…hahahha…have anything…hehe…to do with…each other.”  Gradually, they regained control of themselves, breathing heavily.  “I guess we need to decide who goes first, don’t we?” he suggested.  “I’ll happily go second if you want.”
Stargazer shook his head.  “Not a chance.  I’m in no hurry to meet the princess,” he refused.  They thought about it a moment.  “Maybe,” the black unicorn proposed, “whoever has the worst reason to be here should go second.  That way, one of us won’t get stuck with an angry Celestia to deal with.  What are you here for?”
Zephyr grinned wryly.  “I’m what’s called a ventus, a pegasus with the supernatural ability to manipulate weather with magic,” he explained.  “The last time I was here, I was led in chains by six guards.  This time, I was politely invited by a personal letter delivered by the Captain of the Guard strongly encouraging me to come.  Because I nearly leveled the town of Ponyville by accident a few weeks ago, I can only imagine I’m here to be evaluated as a threat to the public and possibly experimented on.  I don’t intend to surrender myself if it comes to that.”  He smiled smugly.  “Try and top me.”
Stargazer blinked in surprise and shrugged.  “I’m dating Princess Luna, and this is the first time I’m meeting her sister in person,” he said simply.
This was much closer to the reaction he’d wanted earlier.  Zephyr just stared at him with his jaw open, stunned.  When he recovered his senses, he shook his head.  “Okay.  You win,” he replied.  “Now I’m glad I’m going first.”
It was Stargazer’s turn to grin.  I like this pony, he decided.

*	*	*	*
The two of them stood before the ornate double-doors to the audience chamber.  Neither pony made any move to open them.  Stargazer looked over at Zephyr, strangely relieved to see him sweating.  They still hadn’t decided who was going in first.  A clock in the hallway said they had forty-two seconds to make up their minds.
“Maybe we should both go in,” Zephyr suggested.  “Put her off-balance.  Get it over quickly.”
“Well, at least there’ll be a witness if she murders one of us,” Stargazer commented dryly.  “Why not.  Good luck with your bizarre magical storm powers.”
The pegasus sighed.  “I’d wish you luck as well,” he replied, “but I need the little I have, and I doubt luck will save you.”  He offered a hoof.  “Even so, it was good to meet you before the execution,” he added cheerfully.
Stargazer shook his head in disgust.  I detest gallows humor.  The clock struck the hour, and they both pushed their way through the door.

*	*	*	*
Celestia could’ve kicked herself when the two stallions entered together.  Of all the stupid…!  Fine.  It appears I must adjust, she determined.  No court officials or petitioners occupied the chamber, reducing her annoyance considerably.  Zephyr stared squarely at her, dislike plain upon his face.  The black unicorn she assumed must be Stargazer, however, turned his gaze immediately to her left.
Luna, sitting next to her and visible from the corner of her eye, returned the gaze with a smile.  Merciful heavens, it’s worse than I’d expected, she thought wearily.  This will not end well.  Luna turned and inspected Zephyr curiously.  Thankfully, it was clearly only a passing interest.  At least she didn’t have to worry about that set of problems.  Celestia turned her attention to her guests.
“Greetings, to both of you,” she welcomed.  “Luna, this is Zephyr, the one I told you about recently.  And I’m guessing this charming young stallion is Stargazer?”  The white-haired astronomer nodded his head, but said nothing.  “I apologize for the confusion with your appointments.  But I suppose this allows me to deal with both of you at once.  Zephyr, would you care to go first?”
Zephyr’s expression soured at the word choice.  “Of course, princess,” he replied evenly.  “And greetings to you, Princess Luna.  It’s my pleasure to meet you.”  He bowed his head slightly.
“Thank you, Zephyr,” she acknowledged stiffly.  She still wasn’t quite used to receiving subjects this way.  “Tell me, is it true you have this power over weather my sister describes to me?”
The pegasus took a deep breath.  “Yes,” he said simply.  With no warning, wind without clear source picked up in the room.  Celestia watched fascinated as the blue of Zephyr’s eyes became rimmed with a billowing grey.  The wind stopped, and in the center of the chamber a thin, wispy cloud began to form.  Static crackled around it, and a small lightning bolt struck the floor.  The cloud dissipated and a sooty black stain marred the tile.  Zephyr lowered his eyes a little.  “Sorry about the floor,” he apologized.  “I could show you more, but there isn’t enough moisture or airflow in here for a better demonstration.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow.  The first pegasus in centuries to magically craft weather, and he thinks we need a better demonstration? she wondered.  Despite her surprise, she kept her expression neutral.  From what she remembered of the venti (no small amount), many of them required complex rituals to access their power.  The ones that didn’t still would struggle to craft the little he had without windows open to the outside.  And she could remember perhaps three that could possibly create something like the storm he’d made less than a month ago when he first unlocked the magic.  I’d best not provoke him; he already resents me, she decided.
Luna, unfortunately, was less reserved.  “After all the years since I’ve seen a ventus, I’d say it’s unreal to even see that much,” she stated.  Stargazer looked pensive, obviously equally impressed with the display.  “How did you come by such a unique ability?”
In short, direct phrases, Zephyr explained the whole event.  He admitted that he wasn’t sure about the three lightning strikes causing the change or even if he really was a ventus.  It seemed he was running with the best guesses of her student Twilight Sparkle.   He told them of the storm he couldn’t control, how he overcame it, and what it felt like.  The sun princess allowed herself a small relieved breath that he didn’t understand the real origin of his abilities.
“Are you aware,” Celestia stopped him, “that before Nightmare Moon was defeated, one of the powers she revealed was to create storms out of thin air?”  Luna looked away.  “That she used this skill to repel the guards?”  This was part of her plan, to introduce doubt.  If she played this right, she might convince him to stay.  He would study, and be studied, directly under her watchful eye.   A useful tool, if necessary, and a nullified potential threat.  Zephyr nodded slowly in answer.
“It was purely rooted in magic,” her sister explained sullenly.  “Both storm and lightning were completely arcane.  Magic created them, and without magic they ceased to be instantly.”  Celestia hadn’t meant it to be a jab at Luna, but she needed her for this to work.
Zephyr shook his head.  “I don’t know why I can do what I do, princess, but it isn’t some sort of evil magic,” he said solidly.  “I can’t actually create anything.  I can only move and control what already exists.”  He gathered the cloud together once again to emphasize his point.  It grew no larger.  “My senses have also heightened because of it.  Outside, I can feel the air a good mile or so in every direction.  More, if I concentrate.”
“So you’ve been playing around with your abilities?  Learning control?” Celestia asked leadingly.  He nodded.  “Have you tested your limits?”
He hesitated.  “I’ve made a couple of full storms on purpose,” he replied.  “I’ll admit that if I use more than a little energy, I start getting…light-headed.  And after… what happened…I haven’t really tried to push myself.  Too many possible consequences.”
Celestia gave a calculated sympathetic smile.  “Indeed,” she agreed.  “All the clouds and moisture you gather must come from somewhere, even if it is from nearby towns.  Potential disruption of weather schedules is quite serious.”  Zephyr shifted uncomfortably.  “Then there’s the chance you might lose control again.  A storm the size of your first one could do real damage.  Harm ponies close to you.”  The princess of the sun disapproved of twisting ponies’ limbs to get her way, but she felt it would be the only way to ensure his cooperation.  “It’s dangerous for a single pony to possess that kind of power,” she added, every inch the concerned elder.
Zephyr appeared troubled, and opened his mouth to speak.  “Excuse me, your highness,” interjected Stargazer.  All of their heads swiveled to face him.  Celestia had nearly forgotten he was there.  He cleared his throat.  “Excuse me,” he repeated, “but could not one say the same about you?”
Luna’s jaw dropped, and even Zephyr seemed stunned by the statement.  Celestia herself recoiled as if she’d been slapped.  In the silence that permeated the room, Stargazer cleared his throat and continued.  “Your argument,” he explained calmly, “is based on the assumption one pony should not hold such great power.  But by comparison, your control over the sun and Luna’s over the moon are more perilous by a degree of magnitude.”  He seemed not to notice--or perhaps did not care--the stares of the three others in the room.  “The very sky as well as the cycle of night and day are under the control of two ponies.  The same power that keeps you on the throne, I might add.  Really, if either of you wished—or for some reason you both vanished—you could bring about the end of Equestria.  But a pegasus who can control storms?  Too dangerous, yes?”
Celestia fought down the urge to magically gag the unicorn.  Instead, she took a deep breath.  “My sister and I have had centuries, millennia even, to master our gifts,” she replied politely.  “Age has brought us wisdom and insight, both on the use of power and its effects on the populace.”
“Ah, so it’s a private club, is that it?” the ebony stallion asked.  This time, scorn was apparent in his voice.  “You must have this many centuries to enter?  Nopony without sufficient age or wisdom may hold any valid supernatural abilities?”  He adjusted his tie.  “Tell me, princess, how is one to acquire wisdom and control over their talents if not allowed to possess them in the first place?”
It was good that Luna intervened, because Celestia would have regretted her next response.  “Stargazer,” she said emphatically.  “I believe she sees your point.  Please let her finish with Zephyr.”
“But what about your student, Twilight Sparkle?” Stargazer continued, ignoring her.  “I’ve heard of her magical prowess from numerous sources, as well as her impressive accomplishments.  A pony with that kind of power could do nearly anything she wanted, even destroy entire towns, with little effort.”  He glared coldly at Celestia.  “But then, she’s your ‘student’, isn’t she?  Completely loyal.  Would do anything you asked.  Perhaps that’s what you want.  Another faithful, powerful, well-trained dog.”
“Enough!”  The shout filled the room like thunder.  Incredibly, it hadn’t come from Celestia.  She blinked in surprise as Zephyr stood in front of Stargazer, glaring at him.  “If you want to pick a bone with the princess, fine.  Be my guest,” he said angrily.  “But wait your turn.  I appreciate the help, but this is my problem.  And since you don’t know the first thing about Twilight, I’ll thank you to shut your mouth and keep quiet about her.”  Stargazer’s mouth immediately closed, and he seemed genuinely intimidated.  Zephyr rounded on Celestia.  “You were saying, princess?”
Celestia wasn’t sure if she should thank Zephyr or murder him.  While he’d successfully disengaged her from a political debate she couldn’t afford, doing so the way he had put him in a position of power for any negotiation.  She suspected he’d waited until Stargazer’s rant had given him a solid advantage, but quickly dismissed the notion.  She’d seen inside his mind, and it did not work that way.  “Stargazer is more or less correct about why I called your powers ‘dangerous’,” she admitted grudgingly, deciding a direct approach was all that remained.  “I do not trust you to use your gift responsibly.  Not without our tutelage.”  Luna gave a surprised look at being included.  “I want you safe, and I want you loyal.  I want to ensure you don’t turn against us or Equestria with the kind of power you have.”  Celestia almost said more, but caught herself.  If that is not enough, nothing will be, she thought grimly, keeping her face serene.
Zephyr nodded.  “I know.  I knew before I got here,” he said simply.
Luna voiced the astonishment Celestia felt.  “If you knew, even if I didn’t,” her sister responded with a sideways glare at her, “why bother letting her try to convince you?”
Zephyr’s gaze never left Celestia.  “I came here to convince the two of you I could control my…gift…and that I would not waver as a subject.”  His tone was both pleading and firm.  “Despite my personal feelings towards you—”  It was clear that he meant her specifically.  “—I have every respect for your authority.  I don’t care about how you rule, and certainly don’t want to hurt anypony.  But believe this.”  His voice took on an edge of anger.  “I belong to only one pony, and it isn’t you.  If you ask, I will come.  If I’m needed, I will help.  But my friends come first.”  He sighed, and rubbed his eyes like he was tired.  “Don’t make me an enemy, princess.  I am still your loyal subject, and I will not turn against you.  The only thing that could do that is you deciding I’m a threat to be dealt with.”
Celestia rarely made impulse decisions, but instinctively she felt his words were true.  I suppose it’s only to be expected, she told herself.  I did see how he thinks, after all.  And I agree; Equestria will be torn asunder before this upstart deliberately turns violent or disloyal.  She hated losing, however.  And if his power was anywhere near as strong as she guessed, she intended to monitor him carefully, with or without his knowledge.  “Very well.  Forgive me for doubting you, Zephyr.  When you see Twilight, give her my regards,” she dismissed him.  The pegasus nodded, and walked to the door.  Luna was about to protest, clearly still curious about him, but Celestia glared her into silence.  Zephyr shut the door behind him.
The sun princess heaved her own heavy sigh.  Now for the fun part, she thought, turning to Stargazer.  “So tell me,” Celestia began, “just what have you and Luna been up to these past weeks?”  The astronomer gulped loudly.

*	*	*	*
“Well that could’ve gone better,” Luna heard Stargazer grumble an hour later.  “Lousy book.”  They walked next to each other through the palace hallways.
Luna knew about the horoscope book he was referring to, and giggled quietly.  “Oh come now,” she said, trying to cheer him up, “I thought she rather enjoyed the story about your argument with the royal chef over correct way to arrange a table.”  He snorted.  She didn’t blame him.  He was right:  it hadn’t gone well at all.
After his outburst (which, despite its consequences, tickled her immensely), her sister had stopped just short of open hostility.  Luna never expected that things would go perfectly, but she’d hoped for some approval.  Instead, the simple meet-and-greet became an interrogation, Celestia picking apart anything she could.  Stargazer had kept his composure, even courtesy, until the end but it clearly hadn’t been comfortable.
“Oh well, at least it’s over now,” he sighed.  “Sorry I lost my cool at first.  I don’t like liars or bullies.”
She would have defended her sister if she weren’t bitter about being blindsided by the whole situation.  Especially when she found out her sister had already invaded the pegasus’s mind on a previous meeting.  “Honestly, it was rather amusing to see you stand up to her like that.  I thought she was going to grind her teeth to dust listening to you,” she chuckled.  “Still, it’s pretty clear she doesn’t like you.”
“I may never get over my shock and worry,” he sniffed sarcastically.  “I’m not dating her, I’m dating you, remember?”  He gave her a quick grin.  “Which reminds me, where are you taking me exactly?”
Luna didn’t answer him.  It was much more fun to keep him guessing.  Instead, she began running down the hall, forcing him to chase after her.  She led him in a twisting path through the palace, causing servants to leap out of the way.  After seven minutes of nonstop movement, she stopped by the door she wanted.  A few seconds later, Stargazer rounded the corner and trotted over to her, huffing and puffing from the effort of keeping pace with her.
“Was…that…really…necessary?” he panted.
She smiled at him.  “Not really,” she admitted.  “But ‘necessary’ doesn’t seem to be the operating word today, does it?”  He glared at her, making her smile wider.  It’s…fun to tease him, she noted.  “In here.”  She opened the door and stepped inside.  Stargazer followed her.
The inside of the door was the base of a large spiral staircase carved of stone.  It climbed ever upward along the walls of the eastern tower, reaching a good fifteen stories high.  She led the way up, their hoofsteps clattering on the stone. Halfway up, she realized Stargazer was lagging behind.  He’d told her before he wasn’t built for labor or exercise of any kind, and perhaps making him climb like this after chasing her through the palace was rather cruel.  Luna walked back down to him and wrapped the two of them in magic.
They appeared on top of the staircase with a pop that echoed through the stairwell.  Stargazer nodded gratefully, still trying to catch his breath.  Before them gaped an opening onto balcony.  Leading the way, Luna walked along it and up a final couple of stairs onto the tower’s main platform.  Stargazer moved up alongside her, and his jaw dropped.
“Welcome to my observatory,” the moon princess announced.  Telescopes of every shape and size were built into the floor around the tower’s edges.  Equipment and instruments for nearly any purpose lay about on desks and tables.  In one corner, a canvas sat on a tripod, and several finished portraits of the sky lay finished beside it.
“Oh my,” Stargazer breathed.  “You have all the toys, don’t you princess?”  It was a measure of his shock that he fell back into calling her by title.  “And this location, I wish I lived somewhere this high up.  It’s perfect.  In every way.”  He began moving from one device to another, identifying their make, model, and function.
Luna rolled her eyes.  I better stop him soon, or this may last for hours, she thought.  Before she made any effort to do so, he came to a stop by the paintings.  Stargazer picked one up and inspected it closely.  His eyes grew wider and his mouth stretched into a smile.  “Luna,” he whispered, “this is beautiful.”
Luna, ancient immortal and princess of the moon, felt herself blushing at the compliment.  Get a grip! she scolded herself, quickly erasing the treacherous blood flow.  “Thank you,” she replied steadily, betraying nothing.  “It took years of practice, but it was worth it to learn to paint.”
“May I ask why you painted the night you met me?” he asked casually.  Luna froze.  “When I compare it to the others, Nightmare Night last year, the Royal Wedding from months ago, even…” he hesitated.  “Even the night of your return, this one doesn’t quite fit.”
Luna didn’t bother asking how he could tell which night was on each canvas.  She could have done the same by locating specific stars.  Instead, she looked away shyly.  “Well, they are all nights that were…important,” she told him.
He quirked an eyebrow.  “Important?” Stargazer echoed.
Luna’s face flushed again.  “Yes,” she answered tersely.  “It was the night I gained the freedom to go where I wished, and the opportunity to have fun around town.  With you,” she added grudgingly for the sake of accuracy.
The eyebrow climbed further, but was accompanied by a small smirk.  “Of course, Luna.  How could I forget?”  His tone was serious, but his expression betrayed his disbelief.  “So what was it you brought me up here for anyway?”
Grateful for the change of topic, she stepped over to the southern edge of the tower.  “In precisely fifty-three seconds, you’ll find out,” Luna informed him.  “I wouldn’t bother with the telescopes, if I were you.”  Curiosity piqued, Stargazer stepped up next to her and followed her gaze.
As the seconds counted down, Luna braced herself for the display.  Exactly as predicted, when the remaining seconds elapsed, it began.  A single streak of light raced across the sky in front of them.  Then another.  In seconds, the sky lit up with dozens of streaks as the meteor shower grew to its full strength.
Beside her, Stargazer gasped.  He said nothing, only remained transfixed by the phenomenon.  Luna herself could hardly tear her eyes away.  For nearly three minutes, the sky was filled with the iridescent lights.  But soon, the shower began to wane.  Fewer and fewer meteors fell until, at last, the final streak winked out of existence.  Luna released the breath she’d been holding and shook away the weariness she felt.  She looked at Stargazer.
The black unicorn stared longingly at the last place the shower had been visible.  A single tear made its way down his cheek.  “What’s wrong?” Luna demanded, worried.  “Didn’t you like it?”
He closed his eyes and took a breath to steady himself.  “Yes.  Very much,” he answered softly.  Stargazer wiped his eyes.  “That wasn’t a predicted meteor shower.  Maybe a few hundred ponies all over Equestria were just lucky enough to see it.”  He turned to her, eyes moist and wearing a broad smile.  “Thank you, Luna.”
She’d known he would figure it out.  He was too smart not to.  But I never guessed it would mean this much, she realized.  They stood in silence for a moment.  Luna knew what she’d meant to say, but couldn’t force the words out.  Come on!  Ponies all over Equestria talk about it every day!  Say something! she screamed at herself.  “Do you love me?” she blurted at last.  Panic filled her.  Not that! her remaining sense scolded.
Stargazer blinked.  “Of course,” he responded quickly.  He seemed somewhat affronted.  “But I wasn’t…I mean I can’t…”  He became flustered.  Here it comes, Luna despaired.  He’s going to say—  “I can’t believe you needed to ask such an obvious question!” he almost yelled at her.
“W-wha-?” Luna stammered, poleaxed.
“I mean, really Luna!” he shouted.  “I haven’t been leading you around town and spending all my time with you for my health!”  He looked furious.  “But how can I possibly ask you, the most beautiful, charming, intelligent, and mystifying mare I’ve ever met, the moon princess, to love me back?  You’re an immortal, all-powerful moon goddess, and I’m just a regular pony!  This has to stop, or else—“  She never found out the ‘or else’ part.  It was cut short when she pressed her lips against his.
Until recently, Luna, despite her many years, had never once had so much as a dinner date that wasn’t an arranged political meeting.  While Celestia had entertained the odd stallion every now and then, Luna had kept herself buried in books of science, history, and magic (much like Twilight Sparkle).  She’d certainly never actually kissed a colt before.  But as soon as she heard Stargazer admit that he not only loved her, but thought she was beautiful as well, she was overcome by joy and instinct.  The sensation was…novel.
It was several seconds before either of them regained enough sense to disengage.  Luna pulled away, head spinning.  When her vision stopped swimming, Stargazer’s green eyes stared back at her.  They held no accusation, no anger, not even surprise.  All that reached her from the other pony was happiness, in an abundance she’d never seen in the unicorn before.  “Hang it,” he whispered.  “I’ll get logical and upset later.”  Laughing, she pulled him close and kissed him again.
A final, colorful streak of light filled the sky, unnoticed by either pony.

*	*	*	*
Celestia sat at her desk, an open file before her.  In it were documents containing every scrap of information to be found about Stargazer.  Pictures of him in various locations, most of them full of gathered ponies, were spread out on the desk.  “You’re sure these are accurate?” she asked of the guard who’d brought them.
“Yes princess,” the brown unicorn replied.  “Sources say he’s been at every political rally, protest, or noteworthy arrest scene.  Even started a few protests of his own, though he was never picked up for them.”
Celestia nodded thoughtfully.  An agitator and a coward, she noted.  Radical, eccentric, unpopular with the nobility.  Reason after reason to justify this.  “Thank you.  You may go,” she dismissed the guard.  He saluted and left.  She scanned the documents again, at last finding what she sought:  the report on the thugs that attacked her sister.  Reading quickly, she was astounded at the damage he’d inflicted upon her assailant.  It solidified her resolve.
She’d already expressed concern to her sister.  Stargazer had a history of creating connections to achieve political goals.  Since he’d met Luna, her sister had begun investigating civil and legal claims against several members of the Canterlot elite.  What’s more, he’d devoted an unusual amount of effort into making friends within the palace.  There was no doubt in Celestia’s mind that he was using her sister to further his own agenda, just like the nobles he held in contempt.
Luna, of course, refused to see it.  She was far too captivated with his honeyed tongue and interest in astronomy.  Nor would she hear any argument about his inevitable aging.  In every way, the wretched stallion had her completely enchanted.
She glanced at the chest by her window and sighed.  If this continues, it will only bring Luna pain she does not deserve.  Wrapping the photos and documents in magic, Celestia gathered them in a neat pile and put them in a drawer.  This will be unpleasant, and for a time my sister may still feel pain, but what must be done is for the best.

*	*	*	*
Seventy-eight hours until the Summer Sun Celebration, Stargazer reminded himself.  He slipped into his white vest and buttoned himself up.  Ninety-five until the new moon is in the right position.  He shook his head vigorously.  No, focus on tonight.  Just relax and enjoy the evening.  Using his magic, he wound a tie about his neck and inserted a rose into his lapel.  Looking himself over in the mirror, he thought the outfit seemed flashy and ridiculous.  However, it was a well-dressed, sharp, fashionable ridiculousness the blue earth pony at the market had convinced him would perfectly compliment his looks.  He still didn’t see it.
Satisfied he could do no better, he grabbed the small, brightly colored box and went to the door.  Before exiting, Stargazer paused and stared at the horoscope book lying on the floor.  He’d been so busy getting ready for this evening that he’d neglected to look at today’s prediction.  Its accuracy was up to a solid fifty-seven percent, and it currently held a four-day streak.  His magic lifted the book up and brought it over, opening to the current date.
Abandon adventurous notions, it read.  Misfortune favors the pony that endeavors to tempt fate.  The best laid plans come to naught.  Events beyond your control will soon impact you.  Stargazer blinked at the cryptic warning.  “Probably just a marketing technique,” he said dismissively.  He tossed the book aside, certain that at the least, probability was on his side.  He opened the door and left his house.
Outside, the night sky twinkled with starlight, completely clear of clouds or fog.  Lanterns lit the streets of Canterlot, and shadows danced along the walls of buildings.  A carriage he’d hired to chauffeur him this evening waited in front of his house.  Eighteen past eleven, plenty of time to get there by midnight, he assured himself.  Still, The Galaxy’s Plan echoed its dire forecast in his mind.
It’s just a dinner date, he told himself angrily.  Quit worrying!  He approached the carriage and opened the passenger door.  “To the Golden Vineyard, please,” he said to the driver as he entered.  The door closed, and the carriage lurched into motion.
The night was warm and humid, indicating summer’s imminent arrival.  Stargazer closed his eyes and enjoyed the near silence.  He checked his pocket every couple of minutes to ensure the small box was still there.  Despite his confidence, the horoscope had set him on edge.  He refused to allow tonight’s date with Luna to go astray.
The carriage turned and his eyes opened instantly.  They were going the wrong way.  “Hey!” he yelled from inside.  There were no windows, only slits near the roof, he noticed.  “The Golden Vineyard is the other direction!”  No response.
Testily, Stargazer attempted to open the door so he could talk to the driver.  To his surprise, both doors of the carriage were locked and beyond even his magic’s ability to open.  “Hey!  What’s going on?” he yelled in irritation.  He began trying to slam the door open.  The carriage increased speed, pitching him violently inside.  Stargazer struggled to reach his seat and held on as the vehicle careened down the streets.
About half an hour, several more turns, and exactly fifty-eight painful bumps in the road later, the carriage stopped.  The door to his right opened.  The astronomer shakily moved to the opening and looked out.  A bulky unicorn guard stood in front of him, face expressionless as a stone.
“Forgive the rough ride sir,” he said in a gravelly voice.  “The princess regrets to inform you that she had to cancel your previous arrangement.  Instead, she asked that you join her here immediately.”
“Oh…that was…thoughtful,” Stargazer replied, still disoriented from the trip. Looking around, he saw an empty street lined with houses in ill repair. Another guard stood at the head of the carriage, ignoring him.  “Where is here exactly?”
The guard stepped out of the way and gestured to a dark, quiet building.  “The princess is waiting for you inside.”  There were no windows on the building either.  A single wooden door was built into the otherwise solid stone structure.  Stargazer gingerly lowered himself out of the carriage and walked to the door.  It opened without a sound, and closed silently behind him when he entered.
Before him was a small, dark room.  A table, just big enough for two ponies to sit across from each other, sat in the very center.  A tea kettle and cups rested on top of it.  Two candles flickered dimly in the darkness, serving to illuminate only the table itself and pony on the other side.  Stargazer suppressed the urge to batter down the door and escape as Princess Celestia beckoned him over to sit.
As much as he didn’t want to, he approached the table.  “What is this?  Why am I here?” he demanded, barely concealing his nervousness.
“The guard told you why,” she answered vaguely.
Stargazer took a moment to recall the guard’s exact words.  “Clever wordplay, I must admit,” he conceded.  “Your instruction, I imagine?”
She nodded and poured tea in both cups with her magic.  Celestia’s cup rose to her lips and she drank.  “You’re here because your relationship with Luna…concerns me,” she told him flatly.  “I’m not certain it is, shall we say, healthy.”  Her voice was cold, but not yet threatening.  “Please, have some tea.”
Stargazer lifted the cup and almost drank, but either by a trick of light or reality, he saw a gleam in the princess’s eye.  She’s immortal, he remembered.  Just because she drank the tea doesn’t mean it isn’t drugged.  She could drink it and be perfectly fine afterwards.  He didn’t put it past her after she’d hijacked him in the dead of night.  The astronomer pretended to sip his tea and put it down untouched.  Celestia’s face betrayed nothing.
“What does ‘not healthy’ mean, princess?” Stargazer asked.  “Has Luna said something?”
“I do not believe she realizes the potential for trouble yet,” the alicorn replied serenely.  “Luna is rather…naïve.  She has had very little interaction with other ponies.  Particularly stallions.”  Whose fault would that be? he thought coldly.  “And then she meets you, a pony almost custom-built to impress and fascinate her,” she continued.
Fear or no fear, princess or no princess, Stargazer was losing patience.  “Is there a point you want to make, princess?  Or will we beat around the bush all night?” he snapped.
Celestia quirked an eyebrow.  “Very well.  I want you to end your relationship with my sister.  Immediately.”  Her voice was soft, but rigid and unbending as steel.  “I don’t want to see you in the palace any more.  Ever.”
He had more or less expected this, but nonetheless it shocked him to hear the words plainly spoken.  Anger, hot and vicious, rose up within him.  “Forget it,” he growled.  “What gives you the right to—”
“The crown on my head and the sun I bring every day, for a start,” she interrupted him.  Her voice became icy enough to freeze a large lake.  “I wasn’t asking.  I love my sister, and I will not see her exploited by some pompous, radical, cowardly nopony.”  Stargazer’s anger became fear as Celestia drew herself to her full height and spread her wings.  “You are never to speak to her again.  Nor will you try to pass messages to her.”
“Or what?”  He tried to sound defiant, but his voice trembled and shook with terror.
“What would happen if somepony were to break into your house?” she asked.  “Light a match?  Set the place ablaze?  Who knows if the Royal Guard and local firefighters would make it there in time?  Or perhaps it might be discovered that Deep Thought is a fake, and the real writer was found possessing illegal drugs or weaponry.”  She might have been discussing the weather with him.
“You…you wouldn’t…you couldn’t!” Stargazer stammered in horror.
“Not so eloquent under pressure, I see,” she said.  “I can, and if necessary, I will.  I do not relish blackmail, or violence, but know this.”  She leaned closer, staring into his eyes.  “I will do anything to see Luna is not hurt.”  A clock chimed midnight outside.  “You may leave,” she dismissed him.
The candles went out and the door opened behind him.  Stargazer could make out nothing in the darkness and numbly walked to the door.  As the first breath of night air reached him, he regained some of his wits.  “If she finds out you did this,” he said quietly, “what do you think will happen?”  Then he left and closed the door.

*	*	*	*
Luna entered The Golden Vineyard just as the evening bells tolled midnight.  The royal blue gown she’d specially chosen for this evening trailed behind her as she approached the counter.  The tan unicorn behind it seemed to simultaneously gush with respect and praise while still managing a snobbish, superior attitude.  The contrast was quite fascinating, if annoying.
“I have a reservation, with a pony named Stargazer,” she said patiently after a long-winded speech about what an honor it was to see her.  “I’d guess he is already here.”
“Ah…I’m afraid not, princess,” the unicorn sniveled.  “Though some dark fellow did leave this note.  We were instructed to give it to you if you came here.”  The manager produced a small, sealed letter.  Puzzled, she took the letter, opened the seal, and read the note.  
Dear Luna, it said.  I’m afraid I cannot continue to see you or be seen with you.  My continued presence by your side is nothing but invitation to controversy and rumor.  Any life we might have would be a fiction.  I would grow old and feeble-minded, while you would never age a day.  It would only end in shame for myself and pain for you.  I choose at this time to withdraw from your company and return to my studies and writings.  I would also like to thank you for your help in my efforts to chip away at the nobility.  However, your continued presence beside me in public undermines my position with my associates.  I wanted to tell you in person, but I confess I feared your reaction.  I hope you forgive me, but understand if you don’t.  Sincerely, Stargazer.
Her eyes blinked.  She couldn’t have read that right.  Luna read it again, slowly.  The world seemed to drop out from underneath her.  Her head spun.  This…can’t be right! she wanted to scream.  This is a joke!  It has to be!  Moisture filled the princess’s eyes.  You knew it would never work, a darker corner of her mind whispered.  He couldn’t love you.  Not the renegade princess who nearly destroyed Equestria.
“Are you alright, princess?” the manager asked cautiously.  At the sound of his voice, her shock became anger.  The note burst into flames, and ashes crumbled on the desk.  Silence hit her like a hammer, and suddenly Luna became aware of everypony looking at her.  The rage evaporated.  Luna turned and ran out the door, tears flowing freely.

*	*	*	*
Stargazer ran the whole way to the Golden Vineyard.  When he arrived, it was too late.  The manager told him she’d left, and in a very upset manner.  With some rather vigorous encouragement, the sniveling coward revealed both the note he’d been told to give Luna and that he’d been paid to give it.  Stargazer left the place swearing aloud.
After pacing in front of the building for fifteen minutes, he decided on a course of action.  Stargazer spent the next few hours dashing from place to place in Canterlot, making the necessary preparations.  It was four-thirty, little more than an hour until dawn, when at last he stood before the palace gates.  Two guards stood before him, both white unicorns.  Both white unicorns he knew, actually.
“Oy!  Sentinel!  It’s you-know-who!” one called to the other as Stargazer walked up.
“Really?  At this hour?” Sentinel demanded.  “What d’ya suppose he’s up to, Blockade?”
Stargazer rolled his eyes.  “Look you two, I don’t have time for this,” he growled impatiently.  “I need to get inside.”
The brothers exchanged glances.  “Nothin’ doin’, sir,” Sentinel said.
“We ‘ave orders not ta let you through the gate,” added Blockade.
“At all.”
“Under any circumstances.”
“We also can’t mention you on palace grounds,” Sentinel told him.  “Princess Luna’s personal command.”
Stargazer sighed.  “That bad?” he asked.  They nodded.  “Wonderful," he sighed.  "Then how do I get to her?”
The brothers looked at each other again, this time seeming to wage some kind of silent debate.  After a maddening wait, they reached some sort of conclusion.  “Ya know somethin’?” Blockade asked him.  “Me brother and I, we’ve never seen Princess Luna as happy as she were with you.  But our orders be specific,” he continued in his completely fake accent.
“Explicit, in fact,” agreed Sentinel.  “We can’t leave these gates unguarded or let you through them.”
“We’d be sacked.”
“Fired.”
“Court martialed.”
“Out of the job.”
Stargazer’s head began to hurt from looking back and forth between them.  “Thanks guys.  I know you’d help if you could,” he said, turning away.
“In fact, were you to enter elsewhere,” Sentinel continued, “we’d be powerless to stop you, bound as we are by orders.”
“Especially if ya climbed the gap thirty yards to me right,” Blockade added nonchalantly.  “And if ya did, why we could nae mention it ta anypony.  As per orders.”
Stargazer turned back towards them to see a matching pair of grins.  Not bothering to say anything further, he ran along the wall towards the aforementioned gap.  “Good luck sir!” he heard Sentinel call after him.  In seconds, he found the gap in the wall.  One chunk of the top was missing, creating an opening wide enough for him to fit through two feet up.
Stargazer allowed himself a small smile as he scaled the wall.  “You want to play games, Celestia?” he asked the air around him.  “Fine.  Let’s play!”

*	*	*	*
Luna lay on her bed, crying into a pillow.  A single thought repeated itself over and over again:  Why?  She’d finally done it.  She’d broken down the last of her barriers, committed herself to friendship—no, more than just friendship, to love—and it had crumbled around her.  And she just didn’t know what went wrong.
When she’d given in to darkness a thousand years ago, and become Nightmare Moon, it was out of jealousy.  The hurt she’d felt was false, a trick she’d invented as a retreat.  Her subjects had still loved her; she was just too blind to see it.  She’d never been truly rejected. Until now.  And it hurt.  A lot.
A knock sounded at the door.  “Go away!” she cried.  The last thing she wanted was for any of the servants to see her like this.  The knock came again, louder this time.  “Leave me alone!” she yelled at the door.
It opened, and her sister walked in.  “Never again, Luna,” Celestia said softly, closing the door.  Luna buried her face into the pillow once more as her sister approached.  “The servants told me you were upset.  What’s wrong?”  Warmth and concern reached her ears.
Luna did not answer right away.  She heard her sister reach her bedside and sit down next to her.  The moon princess sniffed loudly before looking up with tear-stained eyes.  “He… he left,” she sobbed.  She fell to weeping, and found her sister’s shoulder perfect for crying on.
“Shh,” Celestia calmed.  “Tell me all about it, Luna.”
And she did.  It all poured out of her in a flood.  Not just about the note, but how excited she’d been to go, how much she loved being with him, and how much it hurt that it was all over.  When she finished, she felt drained.  The pain and sadness had been replaced by cold and numbness.  An occasional sob or shudder still shook her, but she could feel nothing.
“I tried to warn you, Luna,” her sister chided softly.  “I tried to spare you this pain, but you wouldn’t listen.  Stargazer…”  Luna flinched at the name.  “…was nothing but a charlatan, a puffed up pony who wanted to use you to further his own goals.”
Luna couldn’t believe that, wouldn’t believe that, but she did not argue.  She just put herself back on her bed and once again buried her face into her pillow.  She felt a blanket slide over her and her eyelids grew heavy.  “Sleep now, sister.  Tomorrow is a new day,” she heard before falling asleep.

*	*	*	*
Celestia left her sister’s chambers with the smallest edge of a smile.  Her efforts had paid off marvelously.  She’d be surprised if her sister ever wished to see Stargazer again.  The fact that she’d already ordered the guards to deny him entry to the palace was encouraging.
Still, it hurt to see Luna so upset.  It was necessary, she told herself.  What would have come later would hurt her far worse.  Her smile evaporated.  Necessary or not, she hated having to do this.  It left a bad taste in her mouth.  She began walking down the hall.
A servant in a hooded cloak passed her by, mere steps from the door.  “Good acting, princess.  I was moved,” he said from behind her.
She recognized the voice.  Stargazer?  Here!? she thought, startled.  Celestia spun, but the servant was gone.

*	*	*	*
The next two days were miserable for Celestia.  Every moment of her schedule was devoted to overseeing preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration.  Meetings with planners, builders, fire marshals, and every bureaucratic headache in the book.  Routes had to be mapped out, guard patrols set, supplies ordered and paid for.  One thing after another.
But that wasn’t all.  Left and right, some new catastrophe seemed to spring up.  Supplies went missing, food spoiled because somepony hadn’t sealed it properly, orders were sent to the wrong guard squads.  Celestia herself was assailed by dozens of inconveniences.  Her breakfast arrived cold and stale, lunch hot enough to burn her mouth, and she’d never discovered what happened to the previous night’s dinner.  In a conference-on-the-go with her chief planners for the ceremony, she and her counselors wandered into a freshly waxed hallway where they’d slipped and slid into a disoriented heap on the floor.  Her morning shower was ice cold, and she could not find her conditioner.  In the heat and humidity of a rapidly approaching summer, her hair frizzed and tangled into a frustrating mess.
Several more times, she thought she encountered Stargazer in the palace.  Each time, however, he disappeared before she could get more than a sideways glance at him.  None of the guards seemed to have any idea where he was or what he was doing.  Luna remained withdrawn and secluded, cloistering herself in her room.  She refused to come out, although she allowed servants to enter and bring her meals.  Celestia only hoped that she would recover soon.
The princess of the sun entered her chambers as night fell, wanting nothing more than to collapse with exhaustion.  Duty, however, required her to drag herself to her desk and sort through the paperwork.  Only one full day remained until the Summer Sun Celebration, after all.  She looked down at the stack of papers with disgust.  Then something caught her eye.
On top of the stack was a letter, already opened.  Picking it up, she realized why. The broken wax seal was in the shape of a crescent moon.  It was a letter she’d already received, quite some time ago.  What is this doing here?! she thought.
“I assume you recognize it, princess,” a voice from behind commented.  “It was certainly unique.”
Celestia spun.  She was not surprised to see the speaker was none other than Stargazer.  He lounged in a chair out of view from the door.  “How did you get in here?” she demanded angrily.  “I should have you—”
“Praised, celebrated, or in the royal court, I should think,” he interrupted casually.  “After all, I’ve been such a help to you.”
Celestia bristled angrily.  “Help?” she echoed.  “How dare you—”
“No, how dare you, highness?” he barked, standing up.  His response knocked her on her heels.  “How dare you try to take the moral high ground after what you pulled?  Especially with me!”  Anger was evident on his face.  “You had your say two nights ago.  Now it’s my turn.
“I want you to think back, princess.  Almost five years today.  Five years ago, on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, you received the letter on your desk.”  He lifted the document in front of her for emphasis.  “In it, the exact time, date, and location that Nightmare Moon would appear were revealed.  Three years before she arrived, and one-and-a-half before your court astronomers confirmed the information.  The letter’s source was never discovered.”
Celestia’s eyes widened.  She had never told a soul about that letter’s existence.  Nor had she known when and where her sister would return to Equestria, partly because of changes in the calendar through the centuries.  It was the letter itself that had inspired her to consult the court astronomers at all.  “How do you know that?” she demanded.
“Because I sent it,” he answered.  “I gave you three years to prepare, three years to discover and position the wielders of the Elements of Harmony.  Without me, your sister might very well still be Nightmare Moon.”  He let the words hang a moment before continuing.  “You owe me a debt, princess.  I once planned on using that letter to secure a position in the court, but things have changed.  I suspect you’ve been enjoying the trials and tribulations of your throne?”
Celestia gritted her teeth.  “So it was you causing all that trouble,” she growled.
He nodded.  “And now you’re going to give me what I want, or the last couple days will be paradise by comparison,” he threatened.  “I will rain vengeance upon you in the worst way.  Inconvenience.  Discomfort.  Paranoia.  Every moment of every day, you will be subject to one of thousands of torments.  You might never have a proper meal again.”  Her expression became a hateful glare.  “And don’t even think about having me arrested right here and now.  I’ve got contacts in the city with instructions to raise ten kinds of havoc if I don’t meet them tomorrow.”
She believed it.  “Cowards never do come out into the open,” she spat.
Stargazer chuckled at her.  “Princess, I am the perfect coward, I will admit,” he agreed graciously.  “I am a weak, craven pony who won’t play fair.  I am more than happy to sit back and take potshots at your sanity rather than confront you directly.  And I promise you, it may be years before you stop me.  Coward?  Yes.  Stupid?  Not even close.”
“So what do you want?” she asked, barely maintaining any composure at all.
“I want Luna back,” he replied simply.
For a moment, she was shocked.  He would sneak into the palace, infiltrate my chambers, and threaten me just to get her back?  The weight of the realization hit hard.  I misjudged him, she thought, stunned.  She’d allowed personal dislike to impede her judgment, to turn her sister against this pony and bring her pain out of a misguided notion of who he was.  She still found him distasteful, and would probably never like him, but perhaps he wasn’t the deceitful coward she’d branded him.
Her mind at last registered the demand.  “How do you expect me to get her back for you?” she questioned neutrally.
He shrugged.  “That’s your problem,” he replied coldly.  “Tell her the truth, make some excuse, I don’t care.”  He pulled a small, bright red box from his coat pocket.  “I was going to give this to Luna the night you ambushed me,” he explained.  “See that she gets it.  It has a note with it asking her to meet me somewhere on the night of the celebration.”  His eyes narrowed.  “If she shows up, none of this ever happened and it won’t be spoken of again.  Otherwise…”  He trailed off threateningly.  The ebony unicorn walked right past her on his way to the door.  When he reached it he looked back at her.  “Cowards can’t swing the blade with very much force, princess,” he told her with a smirk.  “That’s why the blades we carry are so much sharper.”  The door opened and closed, leaving the princess alone in her room.

*	*	*	*
Luna stared intently at the little red box.  “The note was fake?” she asked again.  Her sister stood at the door, watching her.  “Why would it be fake?  Who would do something like that?”
“I have no idea what kind of pony would want to do something so…despicable,” Celestia answered.  “But Stargazer swore to me on his life he did not write it.  He was most convincing.”
She wasn’t sure she believed it.  Wasn’t sure she wanted to let herself believe it.  Luna didn’t think she could handle more heartbreak.  But this maddening box in front of her nagged at her relentlessly.  “Why wasn’t he there at the Golden Vineyard?” she asked to distract herself from it.  “He said he’d be waiting for me.”
Celestia cleared her throat.  “From what he told me,” her sister began, “it seems he was set upon en route to the restaurant.  At least two, perhaps three large ponies in the dark.  He escaped with a few bumps and bruises, but the delay made him late to your reservation.”
Luna’s curiosity was growing with every moment.  What is in this box?  She almost yelled.  Instead, she asked “How did he even get inside the palace to talk to you?”
She felt Celestia’s shrug from across the room.  “I have no idea,” she admitted.  “It must have been an effort, though.  Especially with your orders to the guards to keep him out.”
The guilt that washed over her shook her concentration on the box.  “He probably never wants to see me again,” she said miserably.  That’s why she wouldn’t open the box.  It was easier to believe he had used her, that what was inside would confirm her worst fears.
Her sister sighed.  “Luna, it’s time I showed you something,” she announced.  There was a flash from the door, and Luna turned to see a chest from Celestia’s room sitting on her floor.  The lock clicked and fell off, allowing the lid to open.  “These,” Celestia explained softly, “are my most prized possessions.”  A host of small items flew out from the chest.  There were ribbons, earrings, brooches, fine jewelry.  Many of the objects were mundane and common, such as a scarf, a bag of marbles, a chess piece, and a simple bead necklace.  “Every one of them was given to me by somepony I loved.  This,” she gestured to a glass rose as blue as the sky, “is the most important to me.  Prince Valiant gave me this flower, still alive and fragrant, on our wedding day nearly twelve hundred years ago.”
The cascade of artifacts from her sister’s past was enough to overwhelm Luna.  “There are…so many!” she gasped.
Celestia nodded.  “And every one completely irreplaceable,” she added, getting lost in reminiscence for a moment.  “So many wonderful memories.”  A sigh.  “So many wonderful ponies.  And I loved every one of them.”  She began carefully replacing her treasures into the chest.  “I’m afraid I did not stand still while you were away, Luna.  Or even before.  Some of my relationships ended badly, and others lasted for decades.  The only similarity was that they ended.
“I’ve been trying to protect you from reaching that end, the inevitable conclusion of any love you might have,” Celestia confessed.  The last object, the blue rose, hovered before her for a moment, before setting itself into the chest.  As it closed, Luna saw a single tear trickled down her sister’s cheek.  “But I shouldn’t deny you the chance to experience all the happiness that goes with it.”  She wiped away the tear and looked Luna in the eye.  “Don’t just let him go, Luna.  Keep him close, and make your time with him last.  Just because the story must end, does not mean it isn’t worth reading.”  She looked out the window.  “Dawn approaches.  I must get ready for the ceremony,” she said quietly.  “Will you join me?”
Luna bit her lip, pondering her sister’s words.  She remembered the way Celestia had always looked at Prince Valiant, and the happiness they’d shared.  She remembered how far her sister fell into grief when he died.  Is it worth it? she asked herself.  Then she remembered how she felt around Stargazer, how happy she was just to talk with him.  How much she loved his smile and ready wit.  How much she loved him.  “I’ll be there in a moment, Tia,” she answered.  
The use of her sister’s nickname elicited a small smile.  “Of course, Luna,” she acknowledged.  The door closed behind her as she left.
Luna’s gaze invariably gravitated towards the box.  Using her magic, she lifted it up to her face and took a deep breath.  It’s worth every bit of it, she decided, and the box opened.  Inside, surrounded by a plush velvet cushion, was a metallic gleam.  A silver-chain necklace pulled free of the box, twinkling like starlight.  Hanging from the chain was a crystalline charm of dazzling blue.  It was worked in the shape of crescent moon half the size of her hoof.  Inset within the crescent was an incredibly detailed figurine.  Princess Luna gazed in wonder at the replication of herself in full color, wrought from what appeared to be gemstones of some sort.  Along the moon’s edge, she found a small inscription:  To my jewel of the night, may you ever shine bright.
Luna couldn’t find breath.  Never had she laid eyes on such a beautiful, carefully made piece, let alone received one.  Her vision blurred as tears began to fill her eyes.  While she furiously rubbed the moisture away, she caught a glimpse of something else in the box.  Investigation revealed a folded up note with the words ‘For your eyes only’ written on it.  She unfolded the note and read its contents eagerly.
Her face positively radiated joy when she left her room for the celebration.

*	*	*	*
After seventeen hours of fanfare, noise, and ceremony, the Summer Sun Celebration ended.  The last of the day’s sunlight disappeared in the west, and stars began to dot the night sky.  There was no moon, not tonight.  In its absence, the usual sounds of evening deserted Canterlot.  No crickets chirped, no bats shrieked, no wind stirred the air whatsoever.  The night was cool, even without the breeze, and silence rang out over every roof and through every window.  In a word, it was perfect.
Stargazer paced back and forth along the ground, as he had for the previous two hours.  It’s almost time!  A few minutes remain at best! he worried.  Where is she?  He looked up at the palace, windows lit in the distance.  Please, he prayed.  Please let her be here tonight.
“Stargazer!” called the voice he prayed for.  “Are you here?  Wherever here is?”
‘Here’ was a narrow path carved into the cliff-side directly beneath Canterlot.  Stargazer paced in front of a large opening, the mouth of a cave.  He looked up the path and was not disappointed.  Strolling down the walkway was none other than Princess Luna herself.  She wore the necklace he’d left for her about her throat.  And with time to spare! he thought gratefully.  Grinning, he ran up to meet her.
Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she began racing towards him as well.  They met in the middle and attempted to crush each other with hugs.  She nuzzled him mercilessly, happier than he’d dared hope for.  “I missed you,” they said together.
She opened her mouth to say something more, but Stargazer stopped her with a kiss.  “I know you want to talk, but right now I need you to follow me and trust me,” he told her afterwards.  “Please.”
She nodded, and he led her to the mouth of the cave.  It yawned open, an empty, black maw that promised oblivion.  “Don’t try to light it,” he instructed.  “Just keep behind me and hold on.”  She grabbed him by his tail, and he walked forward into the darkness.
Stargazer counted his steps carefully, tracing a path he’d worked out months ago.  Fifteen steps forward.  Eight to the right.  Turn fifty degrees left.  Twenty-three steps.  He recited the directions in his mind over and over again.  He’d discovered from previous visits that one wrong step in these caves, and one might step off an edge, or impale themselves on the protruding formations.  Just four more steps, and…
“Stop,” he whispered back to Luna.  The blackness around them seemed to swallow the noise, but the pressure on his tail vanished.  “Now, we need to wait here for a few seconds.  It’s almost time.”
“For what?” she whispered back.  “Where are we?”
As if in response, a low hum filled the air around them.  Stargazer felt the area pulse with energy.  He couldn’t tell, but he’d bet his hair was standing on end.  The astronomer turned to face where he guessed Luna to be and waited.  The hum became louder.  The pulse quickened, and gained strength.  Almost.  Just a few seconds more!
At last, a bluish glow appeared in the darkness.  Light emanated from the pendant on Luna’s necklace, illuminating the both of them.  His companion’s face gaped in astonishment at the charm.  “What’s going on?” she asked nervously.
“Just watch,” he told her.  The light intensified, and the figurine changed from opaque to transparent blue with the light.  The glow filtered itself into the crystal of the crescent moon, revealing countless miniscule facets on its surface.  Light bent and refracted, filling the crystal to its limit.
All at once, the humming ceased.  With a final pulse, light exploded outward in millions of tiny beams.  The beams stretched out in every direction setting off a chain reaction of epic proportions.

*	*	*	*
Luna could barely keep track of what happened.  From the initial burst of light, she saw they stood at the edge of some massive cliff, scarce inches from a deadly fall.  All around them, crystals of various shapes and sizes jutted out from the rocky cave walls.  The beams of light lanced outward, revealing a cavern large enough to hold the palace with room for half of Canterlot besides.  Each beam struck a crystal imbedded in the wall or ceiling and lit them with blue light.  They refracted again, striking yet another crystal across the cavern from the first, and so on.  In seconds, the entire cavern was alight with crystalline lanterns.
The sight was beautiful; awe-inspiring even to a princess of the night sky.  But something else nagged at her about the view.  Almost like…
Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.  “It’s the night sky above Canterlot!” she exclaimed.  Immediately, her voice echoed out into the vast crystal canyon.  She turned to Stargazer.  “How?” was all she could manage.
He smiled.  “Four years of tedious, dangerous work,” he answered.  “Right here in the same mines Princess Cadence mentioned.  And not just any night.  Take a look over there.”  He pointed at a large, glowing mass of crystal.  From this angle, it resembled a full moon.  A section of it, shaped like a mare’s head, alternatively glowed and dimmed.
“The night I returned to Equestria,” she breathed.  Luna looked down at necklace, still glowing.  “But how—?”
He laughed, a merry sound that rebounded over and over across the cavern.  “I spent one year planning what it would look like, and the next four working off-and-on to complete it.  I finished it just two weeks before I met you,” he explained.  “The light source was the tricky part, though.  Magic wasn’t enough, not for a project like this.  So I used—”
“Moonstone!” she cried in realization.  “The figure of me is made of moonstone!  Which always glows brightest when the moon wanes!”
He nodded.  “I’d had a piece crafted to refract enough to light the whole cavern.  But then I met you.”
She didn’t let him say anything else.  She wrapped her forelegs around him and hugged him, laying her head on his shoulder.  “I love it, more than anything I’ve ever gotten before!” she told him.  “How did you find something so beautiful?”
“I ask myself the same thing every time I see you,” he said.  Luna blushed at the compliment.  Stargazer continued.  “I won’t live forever Luna.  I could die tomorrow a happy pony.  But what time I do have is yours if you want it.”
Luna remembered her sister’s words and smiled.  “As if I was giving you a choice,” she murmured back.  The light from the moonstone began to dim, its energy spent for the night.  One by one, the stars of crystal faded into the artificial night.  By the remaining light, Luna moved her face closer to Stargazer’s.  Their lips met, and the last of the light in the cave disappeared.

*	*	*	*
Princess Celestia lay awake in her room.  Exhausted as she was after the ceremony and other events of the Summer Sun Celebration, she could not yet allow herself sleep.  The chest by her window opened, and out levitated the glass rose.  Bringing it close, Celestia allowed herself to grieve as she did every year.  She’d fallen in love with dozens of ponies, but never a one to match Prince Valiant.  Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions of her wedding day washed over her.  The memory was infectious, and soon she smiled through her tears.  Celestia looked out the window, and stared up at the night sky.  A shooting star passed before her eyes, and for the first time in centuries, she made a wish.  Be happy, Luna.