//------------------------------//
// Learning Military Secrets 
// Story: Revenge of the Nightmares 
// by Commander_Pensword 
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	Luna just stared in wide eyed shock. She was, this was impossible. She promptly closed her muzzle with a glare. This was her taint; of course she would know the conflict she was having in her own mind. “That is a low blow.”

“Really?” The newcomer spoke with the silky voice of language that was many years outdated. “I do say that you cannot hide your feelings from your own self, and why fight? You can have what you want, for once we both want the same thing.”

Luna snapped her head to glare at her taint, taking the shape of Nightmare Moon, her failure, the symbol of the madness she had been tricked, but also deep down welcomed in a twisted manner. “I cannot believe you.” Her horn flared and turned to face the other form and the new attack from the Nightmares.

“You are not William, You cannot be, you would be some Nightmare that Nightmare Moon would  trust having a seat of power equal to her own.”

“Oh yes,” Came that infuriating silky voice, “I am Nightmare Moon's stallion. So for her to have found the perfect body and mind that would, who would have thought the body meant for me in conquest of the next world you would fall for.”

“It wouldn’t be the same, you cannot create immortality,” With those words her horn released a wave of magic that distorted things making all around her swirl and twist like some water ripple in a reflection pool, and to her shock and sadness the Alicorn body lost all skin and turned into a skeleton. SHe could tell the bones were mismatched to create the illusion of an Alicorn. “Just as I thought, another trick and mockery of what I hold dear.”

The Nightmare on the throne only blinked. “My, My, we see thou hast spent time with the human again, you speak like him now once more.” The Nightmare only began to laugh harshly with a mocking grin. “But come now, you know that we shall win, it is only a matter of time. The question is, by your actions and your crush’s actions, where will you both be situated?” Nightmare Moon flared her wings. “Shall it be both of you together?” She slowly lowered her wings. “Or would it be?” Around Luna the landscape changed the throne room changed and melted away to that of a battlefield. Around her she saw the shattered remains of, she blinked and looked around herself, this was not a city she was familiar with.

“I see I have confused you.” Came the words of her taint from behind her. “That is because this is not your precious Equestria, or your Moon.” She spread her wings wide. “This was the Wyoming flatlands... those burned out buildings and trees? That was once a rest stop for travelers called Little America, your boyfriend.” Luna bristled at the word and Nightmare Moon laughed. “Your boyfriend would stop here on trips across state lines with his family... this would also be a place where we can see them fighting us. She motioned a wing to the sky as massive dragons both living and skeletons flew through the smoke filled sky. The sun turning things a sickly color that created a bittersweet image of beauty and at the same time, the light and feeling of death and despair..

She saw two more of the metal contraptions from William’s mind battle fall from the sky and a third blowing up in midair. She looked down and saw the Nightmare possessed forms of her citizens and beasts of Equestria. “So, this is Earth... or your twisted interpretations of it.”

“Maybe, but see the fate of what will happen if you do not agree, we shall have William, he will be ours, and with us telling him things.” Luna found that no matter where she looked now she saw only the same thing; both William and her fighting it out, and William winning as he used what was suppose to be his secret form hiding from the Nightmares to fight her fully.

“You shall fall to him.” She winced as the killing blow was landed upon her form and she blinked before it changed, it was Nightmare Moon fighting William as he fought in both forms but was losing and Luna gasped at the final end. Nightmare Moon ending his life with a pierce of the horn to his heart.

With that Luna found herself in the throne room. “We shall leave thee to thine thoughts Oh Queen of Nightmares, let you stew over these scenes and consider your own happiness, for even if you are enslaved as you so fondly love telling me, at least you and William or Nightstar shall be together in the same bondage and chains for as long as you two amuse us both.” Nightmare Moon with those words got up and began to walk away. “Oh, don’t worry, we won’t get rid of you till we are bored of both of you, don’t want to separate you both in the afterlife, you may just get to taste paradise, or more likely Tartarus of what we have planned for these worlds.”

Before Luna could do anything the images and surroundings began to fade and like that she found herself feeling like she could 





Luna bolted to her hoofs and looked around her room before slamming the doors shut and locking them. She trotted quickly to her personal desk as she picked out of the piles a black bound book with a gold etching of her cutie mark in the book cover. She then with her magic took a quill pen quickly began to to write. She spent a few hours before she looking up and out of a window to raise her moon and returned to writing in what most likely was her own personal journal. She was only interrupted when the loud pop of a letter appearing on her desk. She ignored the scroll for another while before making a mark in the book, placed the quill pen in the inkwell and closed the book. It was here that she picked up the scroll sealed with her sister’s cutie mark. She unfurled the scroll and began to read it. Towards the end of the scroll Luna actually looked shocked. “Dear Sister, what are thou thinking?” She placed the scroll down upon her desk and quickly turned to head down to the royal throne room. “Canceling my royal court without my input? Placing my guards, As well as taking WIlliam or wishing to take him under thine wing?” She began to stomp now as she descended the stairs.

She exited her personal quarters only to find the hallways empty. “Wha?” She did not finish as laughter began to sound around her. She spun and flared her horn only to have the voice change to a tsking sound.

“Come our dear Queen, surely this should show you just what you think of your sister and thine subjects, even thy precious human. You want him all to himself.”

“Nay,” Luna growled out. “I want his well being in mind, mine sister,” She shakes her head. “Mine sister plays too much with the slow movements of pieces and chess.”

“Oh yes, amazing since it was thee who took to the tactics of that game more then your dear sister. Tell us, do you not want to be seen as an equal by the Canterlot elite?”

Luna only snorted, “Nay, it is in fact better now, as I feel more able to work for the betterment of Equestria if I can work from the shadows. Know this, we shall fight thee with every ounce of power we hold.”

“Oh,” The voice quivered in mockery as shadows began to twist about. “I am shaking in my armored shoes,” There was silence, but short lived before a small snarl came from her left ear. “Though I or We should remind thee that it was we who should be making the threats. You really think the castle can remain safe forever? Can tho really protect William for the rest of thine combined lives? We shall have what we want.”

Luna growled. “Enough!” She shouted as she flared and let lose the spell the dream world exploded and she felt pain within her head. While screaming came from somewhere, it was moments later that she realized it was her own voice screaming.

Her eyes shot open and looked around as her soldiers were already securing the curtains and a few others had spears and swords pointed at her. She blinked before smiling and chuckling a little. “You have been trained well, I, You did well in fearing, but we are still here.” She rolled out of bed and stood before her troops.

Before she could speak one of her hoof maids came into the room and bowed leaving a scroll  “Your majesty, this was given to us to give to you when you wake up.” With another bow after Luna took the scroll from the small earth pony, the hoof maid left the bed chambers of Princess Luna. 

Luna with a quick move, broke the seal before unrolling the scroll, she slowly begin to smile as she continued to read. Soon she was re rolling it up and laughing aloud. “So,” She chuckled again, “My sister plans on showing our guest something to break his fear over treading lightly on military powers. We think.” She looked at her guards suddenly, “Leave, We have much to do before dinner with our sister,” he looked at another guard. “What is the list of petitioners for this night?”

“None your highness,” the guard paused before looking right at Luna, “Shall I cancel the court and have those that come get a priority meeting for tomorrow night?”

Luna only nodded her head. “Get to it, The guard has much to do, and little time, we have to be ready by dawn tomorrow.” She sighed with a smile upon her lips. “Poor, Poor William, he shall not know what hits him.” With that, she moved to her desk and taking a feathered pen and the same journal from her second dream she went to work writing down most likely what she dreamt, soon the only sound in the room was the scratching of the feathered pen on paper or parchment.





William slowly woke up after another long day and a restful night of sleep. He had ate dinner in the barracks with Spitfire and Rainbow Dash before heading back to the lunar tower to sleep. However when he awoke the next morning. This being the ninth of November according to his marking on the calendar. It was then that he noticed something different, there were solar guards in his room as they stood at attention and there in the middle sitting in the middle of the room waiting for him to wake was Princess Celestia. “hello my little pony.”

To Celestia’s amusement, the first question out of William’s mouth was “What are you doing in Luna’s tower?”

“Simply checking in on how you are handling four hooves and to invite you to a weapons testing grounds.” She smiled at Williams face as if he was going to try and talk her out of it, so she preempted the argument. “Someday, you shall return to Earth, when you do, I would like it if you could tell your people, I will let you pick if you tell your nation or this… United Nation of what it is that we as a nation, what I as an Alicorn willing to protect my people  can and will do to protect them. As well,” here she really began to smile. “As getting a chance to, well, let loose and go full power.” She sighed and looked up at a spot over William’s four post bed. “I get so few chances to show the full power, that some are starting to think that I am a pushover.”

William couldn’t help but think back to the defeat of Celestia at the magic of the Changeling Queen. He sighed and gulped a little before looking at the guard. “Very well, I shall accompany you to your testing grounds.”

Celestia only smiled widely. “Oh good, I was hoping you would say that, I would not like to make it an order on a military scale for you to attend, I much prefer willing ponies then ones that I have to order around.”

Nightstar, as he was still in the pony disguise, only nodded his head and moved to a part of the room where some temporary armor was stored for him to wear. He found that before he could buckle any of it on that it was enveloped in a golden glow of Celestia’s magic aurora.  Nightstar just turned and looked at Celestia. “I would rather you not have your armor on at the moment. I will conduct a magical scan and look over on your disguise, as I would rather you watch as a human, not a pony.” Celestia finally sat up from her lounging spot in the middle of the room and began to move to the door. “If you would follow me.” She was then walking out the door making Nightstar needing to do a fast trot to catch up with the princess of the sun.

They skipped the main dining hall and were quickly escorted toward where the royal chariots were kept. WIthout waiting for Nightstar Celestia stepped onto the chariot and he had to actually take off and fly to the chariot as it began to move and rise from the ground. He saw a look of something from Celestia but nothing afterwards. The rest of the ride was done in silence. Which he didn’t mind, as he was captivated by the beauty and scenery all around him. Soon he saw that they were flying out over the coastline and then over the blue of the oceans on one side of what he felt was Equestria.

after what felt like two hours straight of flying over the water, thankfully it had been broken up with Celestia running a few scans and quite suddenly and to Williams shock he was on his hands and back legs in a cramped position. Grunting he stood up and found that while a few bones creaked and popped he was able to stand up right. He looked around in amazement from under the bill of his Patrol Cap. “Woah, so… the form is settled?”

Celestia did not answer his voiced question and only stared forward into the empty sky and water that now surrounded them on all sides. WIlliam could not see any land at all.

Once more William found himself holding onto the edge of the chariot and looked out over the ocean surface, his mind wandered back to an old movie that he felt shaped his life when he first saw it. he slowly began to hum the theme song from the movie. In fact it was the first score of music in the entire movie. He slowly moved his eyes to look over the expanse before him. The scene really feeling like he was in the movie.

Celestia turned an ear towards him and then without moving her head she spoke. “What is it you are humming, it seems… intense.”

“A song, from a former enemy of my nation that was used as a theme for a movie that I loved your highness.” he responded. “It was a movie that I have memorized scenes, it was based on a best selling book as well.” Celestia only remained silent as she felt William would speak, one small question and she got him revealing a little more of his culture.

“The song is called the Hymn of the Red October, a revolution in the Soviet Union, now Russia, in the movie and the book their brand new sub, was named Red October and they used this song to help convey the opening scenes and introduce us to the main characters rather brilliantly.” he smiled softly, “A movie I would recommend seeing.”

Celestia only nodded her head. “Duly noted.” She smiled and rose her right wing and pointed to the horizon where the masts of a ship began to rise above the curve of the planet. “Ah, that is the Solar Flare… we are almost to our destination.”

William adjusted his Patrol Cap, and his field uniform as they moved closer towards to the ship and William saw a moderate sized island, well it was more like an atoll with a small jungle on one end of the atoll and the other side was covered in nothing but sand a few palm trees. For some reason something tickled the back of his mind but he pushed it back. It couldn’t be what he was thinking, they didn’t, could they? He thought to himself.

They soon landed with precision of a helicopter on the deck of the Solar Flare, even as they landed the crew of the Solar Flare went to work as they lowered the chariot into the hold of the ship. As this was happening, Celestia was talking to the Admiral of the ship. William was a little confused as he looked at the exchanged and listened, what or why was an Admiral in charge of a lone ship out this far?

“Princess Celestia, and Military Attache William Howard of the United States Army requesting permission to stay aboard.” William bristled a little at being called an Attache, he was a cadet, and not trained for this, yes he was told to let it slide but he realized he could go only so long living this lie.

“Permission granted,” The Admiral turned and whispered something to the officer next to him before turning back to the Princess and William. “I take it you are here to show off and flex your power a little?” 

“Yes, I would like him in a prime viewing section, be sure he has the proper gear, the testing will begin in about ten minutes.” She smiled and snapped opened her wings and took off in flight. William saw no other sailors or guards take off to follow her.

“This way sir.” The Admiral called out pulling William out of his thoughts and him watching the Princess of the Sun grow smaller and smaller as she flew out to the atoll itself. He turned and followed the Admiral to the rear deck of the sailing vessel. The ship to him looked like a stylized Man of War from the Caribbean but he had a feeling it was special built, at least his gut told him that. 

For example the rear deck of the ship seemed to have been set up for viewing of the island. While at the same time acting as the ships bridge. William was lead to one of the front rows of two rows of chairs facing the island. 

“Here you are sir,” A female voice spoke as he saw a light blue wing holding out thick dark goggles to wear. “Please put them on when you hear the bell toll like made.”

William looked down at the googles and paled. They, it was just like, he snapped his head up and looked around. “Uh… protection against fallout? The wash?” he asked in worry.

All he got was a few looks of confusion and the Admiral smirking and laughing. “I assure you the Princess would not allow us to be harmed by the dangerous particles of her charge.” he turned to the blue mare. “Cadet Lightning Dust, please return to your post at the helm and prepare for the tests.” 
“Yes Sir.” Lightning Dust saluted and turned around to move back to standing in front of the helm of the ship.

The Admiral moved and sat down next to William, as William looked at the Admiral, he was a Pegasus, A black coat with storm grey eyes. The Cutie Mark he noticed which was visible at the bottom of his white Admirals coat was that of a two mast sailboat.  On his head was a large two corner hat with the corners originated with the points pointing forward and behind him. “Good mare.” The Admiral spoke suddenly shaking William out of his reprieve. The Admiral looked behind him. “Working off her time for some… troubles she caused. Manning the helm of a ship that moves, maybe once a month at the most.” The Admiral looked sideways at William with a smile. “I was ordered by her Royal Highness to tell you that, not sure why, but…”

Suddenly the ships bell began to be run like mad and without a word the Pegasus Admiral slipped the goggles over his eyes. William quickly followed the example as the Admiral with pride and awe spoke slowly. “You get to see our Princess’ full power.”

William stared at the island and suddenly a blast of light that would have been blinding if not for the goggles, which amazingly to him still allowed him to see the sight in front of him, and as he watched complete fear began to wash over him he actually began to push back in his seat before he began to move his feet as if he was going to bolt. “Got to be safe, duck, inside… no the wooden construction...doomed” he moaned the last word as the mushroom cloud rose higher and higher, as it did so his mind mentally played the age old air raid siren that was always accompanied the scene before him. It was then that he noticed that the debris and material seemed to at that second hit some invisible wall right at the beaches edge and slowly seemed to be pushed up a little. Still even with that, those around him could feel the fear radiating from him, this was to those around him confusing, as for guests, they have never seen such a reaction of almost instinctual fear and terror from the most powerful spell. The cloud growing taller and the sounds they now could hear was that of the most angry of storms, howling winds, the sound of debris being shot around the land and just the unholy roar of the heart of the monster cloud as it worked to finish its one destiny.

It was here that William saw something that literally broke his mind and he lost track of time and sat there as he saw the cloud begin to actually, rewind itself? He just sat there and stared dumbfounded as it looked like he was watching a movie being rewound on the TV. He did not know how to react, he knew he was seeing real life but at the same time his own mind was telling him that it was impossible what he was seeing, the complete reversal of the destruction was impossible but he was seeing it with his own eyes.

He was still sitting and staring at the horizon in just slack jaw horror and amazement at what he just saw. He did not even flinch when Celestia teleported onto the deck with a ball of blazing light the size of a baseball floating over her horn. She blinked and looked at William and then over to those gathered around.

“How long?” She asked with worry as she moved closer to William. However she stopped as her ears picked up a small side conversation from the main deck of the ship she turned around and looked at the two sailors conspired near one of Luna’s cannons. Her gaze when the two caught it slowly slinked away. It was here that the Admiral walked up and saluted. “Admiral,” She began, “How long as the attache been like that? I also do not like the idea of having my little ponies betting on how long the alien will play statue.”

The Admiral only nodded his head and directed her a little away from the seats towards the other side of the vessel before speaking. “He went like that soon after the cloud formed. As those nearest him, myself included, we could feel his entire body racked with terror and complete horror. Whatever it is he came from, that image he saw of your power means more,” he paused as if to find a correct word to describe what he saw. “It was like he was seeing a nightmare from his past coming to life before his very eyes.”

“That is because it is,” A new voice called from the air as the second Princess of Equestria, the Princess of the Night as one of her titles proclaimed landed on the main deck of the Solar Flare. She walked up in full battle armor and looked at her sister with a look of disdain. “I had hoped you would have waited for me, not only do I enjoy seeing you cut loose in a controlled environment, you do not know the Military Attache that well.” As she spoke a small squad of about ten Lunar Guard ponies landed around the deck as well. They were contrasted by the Solar Guards that came with Celestia with their still black coats and blue manes and bat like features.

The Admiral actually stepped back at the rather forward way of speaking of Princess Luna towards Princess Celestia. He was even more shocked from when Celestia returned in the same manner.

“I did not wish to harm our friend, but I wanted to see him unwarned or rather give him the full information on what I have hinted at. It seems that humanity’s finding of the atom and the power of the sun even as small as I did… has an effect that I have not seen in many, the Griffins see me as a controlled force of nature, those in the Military see the spell as a spell of last resort. The Dragons respect me for the heat of fire I can produce by that. Yet… Our guest here.” She moved her head and Luna saw the ball of magic fire on her horn, but said nothing as her sister continued. “Fears it like an uncontrolled force of nature that is unleashed by monsters.” Celestia actually looked conflicted here. “Why does he fear the thing that he in the rail car, defended so hard as a correct path of humanity?”

Luna paused and looked like she was thinking before speaking again. “Because, even if it was the right path as he believed. It still represents the most powerful weapon out there. A weapon that can level an entire city, and that was their weakest made. Their first one. They…” She closed her eyes. “In one college class he was shown a website that showed the radius of damage one of the new bombs could make…. it covered almost the entire state he lived in.”

Celestia just stared. “You’re, you’re telling me sister, that these humans have brought the very power of the sun to their planets surface?”

“Yes.” A weak voice spoke as all heads on the deck turned to the chair where William had just been sitting in. He was weakly standing up and still looked pale. “Yet, we also have some of the most powerful power plants around, we have means to produce power in such safely controlled plants of today, that we could power entire cities off one plant… we we are allowed to build them… even in the modern age, almost two generations removed from our World War where we first used the power of the atom. Folks hear the word Nuclear and think right away to the bombs and missiles that can be launched from silos, planes, and subs.” He took a steadying breath and moved to try and stand closer to the group but only managed to get to the last row of seats and use the back of a chair for support.

“What is a sub?” Celestia asked ignoring her sisters small nicker.

“A vessel that is enclosed and able to dive to the depths of the ocean.” William replied with a small grin and smirk that showed pride in knowing this little bit of information.

“You, but you don’t look all that strong, how can you build things without magic?” Came a voice from the helm and Lightning Dust just stood there grinning as well. “I say you are just bluffing, only thing that can dive in the ocean for extended times are the Sea Ponies.”

William only laughed before clearing his throat. “We humans appear weak to  you on the outside, but we have through technology, conquered the air, land and seas; above and below, as well as on a daily basis launch artificial satellites to orbit our planet to help with everything from communication to studying the far reaches of space.” William smiled not seeing Luna smiling as William got on a roll. “We have created from days of ancients abilities to pipe water from lakes to cities far away, bringing water and redirecting its flow. We have created seeds and agriculture that just fifty years would not have existed, we are growing more food now than a hundred years ago.” William’s face fell a little. “Yet, because we have had people in the past, and even in the present that wish to kill us, conquer us, take over the tech, or just have unnatural power and dominion over us, the worst are those of which have expressed such a hatred against certain ethnic groups… we have our weapons to defend ourselves… while others have the weapons to wage war for the sake of conquest… Earth, you may see us as violent, or what not, but we are not violent on purpose, we are doing our best to be peaceful, but, others, others just wish to take what power or authority they have and try to ram it down others throats, Vikings from ancient history, though all they wanted was to really pillage and plunder, or so the collective cultural memory of them goes, I don’t know much about them. Then there were the Communist Russian a few times, most recently was during what we called a Cold War, and today, our enemy we seem to face, are not any one nation or nations, but small groups of radicals that wish to push their small closed minded beliefs on others by the point of bloodshed. EIther you go with us or you die.” He moved and closed his eyes. “I saw the attack on two symbols of my nation, one civilian, and one military, three planes,a  fourth went down in a field when the passengers fought back to gain control of the plane again… I know many of that same religion that are peaceful, but a small few…” he smirked a laughed. “On a planet of over seven billion a small few can still seem like a lot. Still we..”

Luna held out a wing. “You do not need to explain or make reason on your own feelings, your own feelings are you own, and you do not need to feel shame for them.” She looked at Celestia’s horn with a discerning look.

William slowly nodded his head before stopping it and looking at Celestia, mainly at the ball of light and fire above her horn. “Is. but… you’ll irradiated, you have irradiated the entire area, do, the radiation the, what are you thinking?” he yelped and looked like he was about ready to actually lecture the Princess of the Sun.

Celestia only began to laugh. “You think I, being Princess of the Sun, you think I could not control the radiation that is made from the burning of this power?” She smiled a little and tossed her head up into the air and sent the ball of fire and light into the air. “So, I shall let that go and warm the sea a little, the radiation will be like that of a very warm day, you need not fear dying of sickness.”

William only stared at the sky, and missed the look exchanged between Luna and Celestia. He was surprised when suddenly he felt his body be teleported and his surroundings changed. He looked around and found that instead of on the ship, he was in a place he had not expected to be.

He felt the warm breeze and the scent of the ocean as the trees around him swayed in the breeze, As he turned around to look, he just froze as he stared as he could hear the chuckling of Celestia at his side as he stared. “That…”

“Glass from the explosions that I have let loose in the past. Completely harmless, the radiation I cannot dissipate into the high atmosphere I just absorb it into my body.” Celestia spoke cutting William off with a small light laugh. “In about a year I will harvest this and let some of my glass blowers craft it into something for the castle.”



Celestia only laughed and spread her wings wide open. “Yes, this island is home to families of Phoenixes… in fact my own companion came from this island.” She smiled and turned her head away from William only smiling.

He then felt a cold presence and a shadow pass over him and stay over him. William spun around and saw Luna with an odd grin and a glint. “Now that my sister has gotten to show off her own little powers, I think I should show that I have more than a keen mind to lead troops but I too will be able to terrify humanity with my unthinkable means of control.”

She spread her wings and William felt darkness but a kind that had substance that seemed to slowly begin to press in against him and he tried to breath and yet it felt like he could draw air into his lungs. Just as suddenly it started he felt warmth, a breeze over his body and he could breath and the sunlight, it was wonderful to his eyes but so bright that he had to close his eyes and they still watered. “That was one of my first tricks I wanted to show you… I can travel in the shadows,” She paused and he could hear her horseshoes crunching the sand under him. The warm sun heating his back and the air around him warm. It was almost like a paradise island from the pacific he read about.

Suddenly the air chilled and he opened his eyes to look and while the sun shone down around him he slowly began to see frost and his breath turning out puffs of clouds from his mouth. He began to shiver as Luna stood a ways away her wings spread out and her eyes glowing an icy blue glow. Suddenly it was warmth and he could feel his body slowly lose the feeling of being an ice cube.  Slowly he could stand up and when he did he notice her motioning him to follow her with a wing. 

He stepped forward and slowly followed the Princess of the Night. As he walked he could only hear silence, the breeze was nice and as he listened he realized that the breeze somehow was making some kind of musical sounds. He found that Luna had stopped and looked down at the ground. He followed and found himself up on the bank of a pound. It was beautiful and crystal clear. WIthout a word Luna lowered her head and her horn touched the surface of the lake and from where her horn had touched the water, ice began to form and spread, first a small thin layer but as time went on, the ice spread and thickened until he had a gut feeling that she was freezing the water solid.

Without warning Luna lifted her head and stepped back a few steps before charging across the ice, and with a small motion William felt he should follow her, and so he did only to find his boots freezing solid to the ice about ten steps onto the ice, and as he looked down he saw ice slowly spreading up and over his boots. He knew that if not stopped the ice would spread and turn him into an ice sculpture on the lake surface.



	

Luna paused and turned around in confusion on the other shore as instead of panicking and yells, she heard instead laughter, and there on the ice was William holding his stomach as he laughed. The ice had risen now to his ankles and yet he kept on laughing about something. With worry for the mental health of the only human and a great tool for the war ahead she fired a magic shot from her horn hitting WIlliam in the chest and the cold ice magic spread over him and he found himself free from the icy prison that was or had been working its way up his body, and still laughing he began to move over the icy surface and soon he was on the beach next to Luna laughing and now rolling on his back laughing his head off about the situation he had been in. She waited till he had finally calmed down before looking at him or rather looking down at him from her stance at the beach edge. “So… what caused you to break up laughing in that situation? I mean usually I had found in the past warrior either fight and try to break out, or break down and scream and beg. Yet, you start laughing like a man who was attacked by feathers.”

William remained on his back and looked up at the palmtrees swaying in the breeze before he began to speak. “to be honest, the situation actually reminded me of an old family story of an ancient uncle. He was a school teacher in the east coast and would take the same route home every night. Now we do not know what or why, but he had an enemy and so one dark winter night. He carved a hole into the floor of the covered bridge, and the uncle fell through the hole and died in the river. Now the name of the river is the neversink river and the next morning due to freezing weather, the ice had pushed the man’s body to look like he was standing on top of the ice. Now, how we know this is, because the man that did the deed, the story goes, came down to see his actions and saw the sight, the frozen body of his enemy standing on the ice, it says he went crazy right there on the bank and confessed to the deed. So,” here he was grinning again and tried to keep from laughing. “So, for me, I felt that if I did become some sort of ice sculpture, it would be somehow one that would drive any who looked upon it, it would drive them insane.” He began to laugh again.

William was surprised when Luna began to laugh and she leaned in a little. “I doubt you could ever get me to get so insane as to confess if I turned you to ice, but if you want… anyone who wishes to take your life… and morbid if it does happen, They will be the ones who will find themselves driven crazy.” William noticed that her lips were twitching and trying to keep composed and not laugh. This only made William to start laughing a little more, and that finally broke down the wall and Luna feel to the ground on all four of her knees and began to laugh as well.

“It appears,” She began between laughs, “Thou hast an power of thy own.” She smirked at the confused look from william as he still smirked and laughed. “Thy power it seems, is one of seeing light in darkness.” She smiled. “When thou seest the night sky, thou seest the lights not the darkness.”

William blinked and looked over at Luna and slowly his face clouded with confusion, “Uh? What?” he asked a little confused by what she was saying. Only to have Luna laugh even more and give him a cryptic look that William found a little annoying.

She stood up and smirked. “Come, I think You need to rest and you look like you might need a drink now.” She raised a wing to stop William from speaking, “Yes I know thou dost not take strong drink, but this I assure you is not strong at all, like a fruit juice drink and nothing else.”

William blinked and slowly got up and followed her towards another part of her island, and soon he found a small open air hut with only support beams and struts that supported a thatched roof, in a way it reminded him of some of the pictures he had seen from the pacific islands. Without missing a hoof step, Luna stepped into the middle of the building and closed her eyes as if to concentrate, and then the wind began to pick up.

William remained still and standing while leaning against one of the main support beams of the interesting hut as the wind began to tug at his clothing a little. In the middle of the hut Luna’s mane was slowly being teased and tossed about by the wind, a wind that William to his amazement and shock was forming a small tornado as she then with control and precision picked up some fruits before tossing them into the tornado. Yet again an Alicorn was trying to break his mind as the tornado took on a mixture of the fruit’s colors as the tornado or hurricane… he was not sure what to call what he was seeing before his eyes. All he knew was it was a miniature malstrume.  

Luna smirked and with a flash and crack of thunder with lightning the tornado seemed to split itself and dropped its contents into two waiting glasses. The drinks he saw were garnished with a little umbrellas and a good layer of salt around the rim of the glasses. 

Luna lifted the two glasses with her magic and walked to the back of the hut and their in the sunshine was a table with two comfortable chairs. “Usually it is I treating my sister, not a guest from another world. Or a common colleague.”

William only nodded his head a little as he and she settled down at the table. After they were seated Luna placed the drinks onto the table. “Now, an Equestrian way of drinking this Fruit concoction,” She smirked a little. “Which have not fermented, We doest not like giving strong drink to our soldiers as it can affect their night duties in an adverse manner.” William only blinked and before he could speak Luna continued. “Now… the proper and elegant manner to do so is to sip the drink while twirling it so that the juices dissolve and carry the salt to the pallet, of course in high society it is not uncommon for a noble-mare or stallion to gently suck on the edge while doing so. The important thing is to when you are finished, to leave no salt around the edge of the glass.” She raised her own glass up to her muzzle. “Now observe. Afterwards you try.” She smiled or smirked, William was not sure which as she began to drink it as she described.

She took the glass and slowly sipped the glass, as she twirled it around as she licked and politely sucked on the edge with the salt. She paused halfway and motioned with her glass to the one in front of William. “Now you try.” With that William slowly picked up his own glass and slowly copied the actions of Luna, he did smiled a little, as the taste was, unique to his taste buds and he actually liked the taste and the texture of the drink. Soon they both had finished the salt rim and Luna with a grin tossed the rest of the drink down her throat while tossing her head back. William decided to try and follow suit and found that he had to take two gulps to finish his own drink off. He only smiled a little. “That was a good drink.”

Luna only nodded and grinned. “As well as a good way of getting you ready for your next stop in this small military tour. You see, I put some extra stuff in your drink.” She giggled at William’s shocked face. “Oh nothing too serious just enough of a boost to let you handle some heat and visit an semi active volcano site.”

“A,” William began, “An active Volcano, are you sure Your sister and you are not trying to kill me?” William asked as he stood up at the same time as his question. Mentally, he was questioning the sanity of these two Alicorns. He had heard of tourists wanting to visit and see the volcanoes in Hawaii but this, the way she was speaking he was thinking that they were going to get closer than those tourists did, and it worried him.

Luna only smirked and looked to the sky as one of her chariots landed from what might or must have been a holding pattern over the island. As William looked up he noticed that Celestia was in her own chariot and a small flock of Pegasi guards were surrounding the Princess of the Sun. William looked back at Luna’s Chariot and slowly stepped forward to climb on board. “Don’t be so worried, I doubt anypony will be falling into lava.”

William only smiled weakly before his mouth dropped into a thin line at the joke, but he said nothing as the chariot took to the sky and Lunar Guards began to take up positions around Luna and William. With a silent comment from the two monarchs the two chariots took off into the horizon. He blinked as he tried to stay awake, however he soon found it hard and found himself suddenly being shaken awake from something. He didn’t remember speaking or muttering but when he was looking up and fully awake he was seeing the ponies in Luna’s Chariot just smirking and one doing very hard not to laugh.

“What? What happened?” He asked as he sat up fully in the stopped chariot.

One of the Guards only rolled their eyes. “Sorry it is just… Humans seem to be very… peaceful and, cute when they sleep.”

William only rolled his eyes as he stood up and looked around. One thing he noticed right away was the heat; a heat that far greater than when he at the islands. He took a hand and rubbed his forehead a little. He also noticed that the landscape was barren and no vegetation was growing, and yet as his eyes swept the land he began to notice something else.

“Uh… woah, did not expect a diamond field here.” William breathed in awe at what he was seeing.

“Well, it is good to have a place for them to eat when they get hungry, don’t want them flying all over the countryside looking for both food and collecting for later meals.” Luna replied as she snuck up behind William. She smirked as William jumped a little and turned to face her. She spoke before William could voice anything. “Yes, this is a Dragon roost.”

“A Dragon Roost? So, all this for one Dragon?” William asked only to blink and furrow his brow at the laughter from all the other ponies around him. “Uh… more than one?”

A rough rumble like sound soon echoed around them, and to William shock a giant green dragon with wide wings landed next to Luna with the only sound of the ground taking the impact of the large dragon. “Ah… so, you have brought me a new toy to terrorize?”

William felt his heart which had started up a little bit faster after stopping at seeing the dragon, a live dragon other than spike and looked like it could eat him in two or three painful bites. The words of toy and terrorize sent it even faster and higher into his throat. 

Luna shook her head. “No… he is like others, he is to report back to his people just how many are in command of the Equestrian Military, and… a little show of force.”

The rumbling sound emanated from the dragon and William realized that the dragon was laughing. “Of course, of course. Just hold on, and I shall gather a good show of force.” Without another word the dragon took to the air and flew towards one of the mountain peaks, not even reaching it there was a roar and William stepped back in fear and terror as even more of the dragons flew up into the air, some smaller, other larger and all it felt were different colors or different shades of the same color… and they were flying right towards him. The fear and emotions were finally too much and William knew now that he was going to black out. After all, only seeing dragons in fiction and lore, suddenly having an entire flock or herd or something heading right towards him with the sky darkening to their shapes, it felt like a fleet of B-17 bombers were going to wipe him out. That was his last thought really, of bombers heading towards him.

William came to not in the mountains, nor in the chariot, but to his surprise he was in the bed that he had been sleeping in for what felt like the past week. He also saw the Luna was sitting next to the bed and she smiled a little at seeing William. However he could feel a bit of, well something in the air. 

“I am sorry.” Luna spoke as she bowed her head a little. William’s face fell into a confused look as she continued to speak. “I am afraid that we, my sister and I overdid it… your heart, it went a little funny and it was only my sisters actions that kept you from having… a worse condition.” She shook her head. “I forgot that you only saw Dragons as a mythos and fiction. So many of them, and with the knowledge of the stories in the past and seeing so many of them…”

William tried to smile weakly but still he was now miffed. “Well, if you wanted to freak out the human for the day, you all succeeded.” He didn’t laugh but kept talking. “Still, if I did this, imagine the average citizen on a wider scale, or the military leaders, just showing you have dragons that listen to you… well, if they are like legends of the past.” he paused. “Yeah our leaders are not going to be happy if they learn their weapons will not harm them… that they in fact bath in lava. Just…. yikes.” He shook his head again. “Still, whatever ideas that you all would be hard pressed to hold a defense against modern militaries… controlling storms like hurricanes, the Atom, Dragons, Ice, water, tides…. you, you are both controllers of nature and weather, you can shape the weather to your advantage on a whim… and that scares me.”

Luna only raised her head. “But some day I wish to show humanity that ponies are peaceful and only show or use force if threatened. That what we do is to use our powers to make more lands habitable, especially after the Discord era.”

William looked at Luna. “I know, but so far, it seems that only I am here as an ambassador of cultures.” He sighed and looked down. “I still feel sleepy, may I rest?”

“Of course, you may, and I promise you no nightmares will be too much of a problem for thee.” Luna replied with a faint smile. WIlliam returned it with his own faint smile his mind trying to understand just what it was that Luna was saying, still his body was rebelling and he slowly closed his eyes drifting off to sleep.