//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10 
// Story: Satellite Lovers 
// by whatmustido 
//------------------------------//

	When you and Luna got to the gardens, you quickly realized what she meant by the weird one. A dozen normal ponies and one bemused bat pony stood around a really weird tree lady. Her ‘hair’ was made of thin pine needles that hung all the way to the ground. Her face was close to human, but her eyes had no pupils. There were some kind of bumps on her chest that could be breasts and you saw two large leaves on her back that presumably worked as wings. Her arms ended in six strange tendrils that didn’t seem to have any joints, but were curled around a tree anyway. Her legs were jointed backwards and ended in hooves rather than feet. Her entire body was brown, seemingly a smooth wood, though there were a few cracks here and there and it looked like her bellybutton was a knothole.
As soon as she saw Luna, she started walking to the two of you. The ponies quickly jumped out of her way, not that she paid them any mind, and the guard began to move forward to stop her, but Luna gave him a short glance that made him stop.
When the tree thing got right in front of Luna, she gently gripped both of Luna’s cheeks and slowly leaned down to press her nose against Luna’s. “It is good to see you again, Herald of Darkness.” Her mouth didn’t move as she spoke.
“It’s good to be seen, Poira,” Luna said, finally smiling. You don’t know how she wasn’t feeling uncomfortable, because that thing was creepy and she was right in Luna’s face. “Was your journey well?”
“Yes. May I examine the ape?”
“No, you may not. Though you can speak to him if you desire. But even if he says yes, you will not examine him.”
“Very well.” Her eyes turned to you for a moment before looking back to Luna. “I will walk. You both may follow.” She let Luna go and started walking away. It was then that you noticed the grass under her feet grew several inches when she stepped away and every few steps, flowers sprouted. Luna started to follow her, so you sighed and began walking as well. Before the guard could start moving, the tendrils on Poira’s right arm shot into the dirt. Moments later, roots came out of the ground and grabbed the guard’s legs, holding him in place. “He may not.” She sucked her arm back out, leaving the guard stuck.
The common ponies watching decided that would be a good time to leave. Luna rolled her eyes and freed the guard with some magic. “Return to your post, Shadow Fall,” she ordered.
“Y-yes, Princess,” he stuttered, trying to get over the fear of being grabbed by the earth. That’s probably why he chose to fly away instead of sprinting away.
“So what does being examined entail?” you asked when everyone else was out of sight.
Luna fielded that one. “She would rip off your clothing and send tendrils inside every open orifice until she had your entire body mapped. Most find the experience uncomfortable. Except for that one griffin. He made quite a mess on the carpet…”
“And that wouldn’t… I don’t know, kill me?”
“No, surprisingly.” Poira gently caressed a nearby tree and it grew several feet and instantly sprouted ripe pears. “Do not eat those,” Luna warned.
“Yeah, I know. The last time I tried eating pears, Applejack tackled me. I figure they’re poisonous to apes or something here.”
“...No, that is not why. Her fruits are full of magic after being forced to grow. Should you try eating one right now, it would pop and then we will both be covered in pear. Give it around three hours and they will be fine.”
“Oh. That makes more sense. So uh… Poira, what exactly are you? Most species here were legends where I come from, but I’ve never heard of you.”
“I am the one that guards the glades. I am the one that silences those that seek to harm my trees. I am a nature spirit, a tree sister. I am a madremonte, mother of trees and guardian of the wilds. Dearest Herald of Darkness, why did you bind your future with one so young? His spirit is practically an infant. Should you not seek an ancient such as yourself? Would you not find more in common with one?”
“I do not expect you to understand mortal politics, spirit,” Luna said. “As far as I remember, you avoid even Fae politics. I expect you even less to understand romantic love. The heart wants what the heart wants, regardless of age. That said, I bonded only my immediate future with Anonymous.”
“He will stay with you forever, Moon Mistress,” Poira quietly said before bending down to touch the grass. Where she spread her weird finger-things, amazing flowers of all colors sprouted. “When he rejoins nature, his memory will stay with you always.” She started walking around the general area, rubbing her legs against trees.
“That is the way of life, for one cursed with emotions,” Luna answered. “He will be remembered and there will be pain attached to the memories, but just the same, there will be happiness. Hopefully more happiness than pain, which is the eternal gamble of life. Again, I cannot expect you to understand.”
“I pity you mortals,” Poira sadly said. She suddenly stopped moving and lifted up her arms. All the trees she rubbed against started slowly… shifting around. “You flitter about looking for purpose, looking to make a mark on the world, looking for glimmers of happiness.” Soon, a glade formed around the three of you.
“I am no more mortal than you, old friend.”
“If you strike me down, I will grow again from the trees around us. If you burn down this grove, I will be reformed miles away. Wherever I walk, I set down new roots for myself. Should you be struck down, what will happen? I believe you and your sister have come close before, have you not? Did you ever see the darkness waiting for you on the other side, Luna? Did Celestia? You are ageless. I am eternal. And better, I have a purpose. Nature is my muse and I am its guardian.” One of her hands shot toward you, growing just long enough to caress your cheek and then cup your chin. “What is the purpose of your life, Anonymous?”
“Whatever I decide it is, whenever I decide it.”
She removed her hand and lowered back down to the grass. “There are hidden shackles in your freedom.” One of her tendrils began digging a small hole around grass stems and the other slowly pushed the grass out of the way to let the hole grow bigger.
“Maybe. But I’ll go to the grave feeling happy. To me, that’s enough.”
“Finding certainty in a mortal is uncommon. What tree do you want?” she asked you.
“Uh. Well… Do you know what a black sapote is?” 
She slowly reached into her belly button and pulled something out, then dropped it into the hole and covered it. Then she leaned in and kissed the dirt. When she stood up, the seed was already starting to sprout. By the time she began walking away, it was about the size of a sapling.
“Young or not, I approve of your marriage,” Poira said. “Though it is disappointing you two do not love each other.”
“I was wondering when you would point that out,” Luna said, following her. You were still watching the tree grow. It was already taller than you were and showed no signs of stopping.
“I can read all animals,” she said. “I could feel the hormones in both of you, though I could not interpret his without a comparison.” She stopped and turned to you. “May I examine you?”
“...No.”
She turned back and continued walking. “At least you may use him to satisfy your physical needs. I remember you wearing many paramours out.” Luna immediately blushed bright red. “Many apes are known for their stamina, and from gazing upon his hands and face, I can tell that he was built for it. He could likely break you in easily.” And that made it your turn to blush, though you weren’t turning the kind of colors Luna was.
You didn’t really want to say anything to that, so you looked away and just watched the trees. They seemed to be swaying slightly toward the madremonte. After nearly a minute, Luna finally spoke up. “I am not… interested… in things of a carnal nature, dear Poira. Not with my sister’s lover.”
“You have been jealous of your sister before, have you not? Now, when it is offered, you refuse it. Yet before, when you had to take it, you tried your hardest. How many lovers of your sister did you seduce away?”
“I have changed!” Luna shouted. “Something you eternals would never understand. Those that truly live change as our life goes on. I learned from the mistakes of the past and changed myself to not make them again. I am no longer interested in cravings of the flesh, especially not with one who is bonded so with my sister. I will never again attempt to take that which is not mine, more so when I hold no interest in it. Not after last time.”
Poira stopped and turned to you for a moment before looking at Luna. “And what of his desires, Nightbringer? Have you not said before that males tend to think more with their penises than their brains? There are many that found you attractive. What makes you think he is any different?”
That one actually insulted you a little, so you jumped in. “Just because we’re attracted to something doesn’t mean we’ll jump at the chance to stick our dick in it. You can appreciate beauty or looks without lust. I happen to have all my needs fulfilled, both emotional and physical, by the one I actually care about, and I’m not greedy enough to expect or want more.”
Luna spared you a small glance before staring at the spirit. “I have said many things in my life. Several of them have since been proven wrong. To one who cannot see change, this might be confusing. Why are you so interested in my love life, Poira?”
“There have been times you called me friend. Is it not considered courteous for one friend to ask about another?”
Luna smiled. “There have also been times I held the flame while you and your glade burned.”
“You have. And there have been times that I poisoned you and entire regiments of your troops. Do you not find the times we were friends preferable?”
“I do not know… Remember that time we were trapped in a jungle during the year-long eclipse? You mutated dozens of species to try to get me even while I was constantly at full strength. I think it was plenty of fun.”
“And even now, the Everfree is too dangerous for most beings to enter,” Poira said, slightly mimicking her smile. “It’s a wonderful refuge and a perfect glade. But I still think you’d prefer being friends. Remember what happened to that one traitor general?”
Luna winced and shivered. “I still cannot believe you used parasitic spores like that. Where did you even leave what was left of his army?”
“I used them to start a war between the griffins and the naga because they were both getting too close to one of my enclaves. It settled that problem quite nicely.”
“At our expense,” Luna muttered.
Poira smiled. “Didn’t you tell me muttering was unbecoming of a princess?”
“I never said anything of the sort. I am a perfect pony princess. If I mutter, it must be natural for princesses everywhere. Is not that not right, dear husband?”
“Well, Celestia does like to mutter,” you said with a shrug. “But she usually makes up for it with a few kisses.”
“Are you asking me for a kiss?” Luna slowly asked.
“What? No, that’s not what I… I didn’t specify that Celestia kissed me. There’s nothing stopping you from kissing Poira.”
Luna gagged and Poira giggled. “It would not be the first time, Moon Princess,” she slyly said.
“That was love poison and you know it!”
“And yet you begged so sweetly and cooed so lovingly… I imagine your body still remembers how I broke the curse, too…”
“I do not know what you are talking about,” Luna hotly said, turning her head away in disgust.
“Then perhaps a reminder is necessary.”
“No!”
Poira smirked and looked to you. “She begged me to use my… ahem, ‘tentacle arms’ to please her. I did such a good job that her back legs couldn’t move for an hour and then I walked away, so the curse broke when she couldn’t see me.”
Luna was blushing up a storm yet again. “I will never forgive Celestia for that one,” she muttered darkly. You grinned.
“I think you enjoyed it,” Poira said.
“It was in front of all my soldiers!” You started giggling.
“They enjoyed it, too.” And then you started laughing.
Luna glared at you, still blushing. Honestly, it was kinda adorable. “If you are going to just laugh at me, I will be going!”
“Well, you two are talking about things that happened over a thousand years before I was born,” you said with a shrug. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to follow the conversation, so laughing at the funny parts seemed understandable to me.”
She humphed. “And now you are calling us old.”
“Whoa now, if I call you old, that’d be calling Celestia old. And the last time I did that, she pretended to be sad for a week. It was adorable, but also annoying. So no, I’m not calling you old.”
At least that made her stop glaring, but she was still blushing. “So you do not want me to be adorable.”
“Luna, you’re always fucking adorable.” She blinked. “...That came out wrong. All ponies are always adorable, and you’re not an exception.”
“But you think Celestia is more adorable.”
You sighed. “Alright, now you’re just looking to be upset. Come on, Luna. I know how your dirty feminine wiles work.”
Poira chuckled while Luna looked away, muttering. “At least you got an intelligent one,” Poira said. “An intelligent one that is willing to give you at least some attention. Is it not the time that most slumber? And he could be with the one he loves at the moment. Yet here he is, awake and with you.”
“It is his responsibility,” Luna replied.
“And what a friend would do,” you quietly said. Neither of them commented on that, but Poira smiled.
“We have spent far too long with you,” Luna said as a way to change the subject. “Anon and I need to get back to the main body of the party.”
“Says who?” I asked. “You’re the princess. If you want to catch up with friends, you can catch up with friends.”
“Says the princess. I need to be seen by my subjects. I can speak with old friends later. I will speak with them later. But for now, we need to return to the others. Besides, I am interested in what they have made for me, and I am interested in what Poira will make when we are not here. She always did like surprises.”
“You didn’t like some of them, I recall…” Poira said, her smile turning into a smirk.
“The giant venus ponytrap was not funny! It is good that I escaped when I did, or it might have dissolved me.”
“Chrysalis enjoyed it, I believe…”
“Chrysalis is not a pony. She is also a—” She pursed her lips. “My sister has informed me that it is impolite to use such words these days. Especially when describing a head of state. I will speak with you later, Poira. Anon, let us tour the rest of the art.”
Before you could say anything to the tree lady, she shot her arms into the ground, then just sank. “What in the…”
“That is one of her modes of movement,” Luna explained. “She can travel along root systems. So if there are a lot of trees in the area, she can move around easily. She will pop up somewhere in the garden. Probably.”
“Neat. Also, are all of your friends so weird?”
“That is a trait of those that have lived a long time. She is a fae, and does not see time or life as we do. Vamponies lose a part of themselves when they turn, and being separated from everypony else makes it worse. Especially when they are feared. Dragons are very different, mentally, from ponies. They are powerful and know it, making them overly confident and foolhardy. They also do not view time the way we do.”
“...And yet, you chose to befriend them rather than ponies.”
“Or the ponies that I befriended died years ago of old age, leaving only these behind. It is unwise to try to make judgments about the mental and emotional state of an eternal when they only have friends that are also eternal.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course not. Let us return to the party.” She began walking back. You followed, of course. “Something Reginald said sparked a curiosity in me. Why did you decide to court my sister, of all ponies?”
“The first time I met her was at the Gala, a few years back. When I got there, she said she wanted to speak to me privately, because she had never seen something like me before. When she got me alone, she asked if I would dance with her, because I was tall enough to properly lead. After that, I decided I could probably talk less formally, princess or not. Something about her personality sparked with me and before I could even think about it, I asked if she’d mind going out for coffee some time. Of course, she had no idea what coffee was, so when I changed it to tea, she seemed delighted to. So I guess what drew me to her was her personality. Open and honest, funny and playful. And of course, she’s very adorable.”
“I see. All valid—”
“And Jesus, have you seen her ass?”
She sighed and shook her head.

The first place you two went was the crafting hall. It was closest, so you weren’t complaining. After all, it was the only place you were really familiar with and it was full of people with a more practical mind, instead of annoying attention-seekers.
Though after a quick glance, it seemed even those that crafted solid art were eager to be seen by a princess. Normally, the entrance hall was fairly bare and all the workshop doors were closed to keep it quiet and to stop wood and metal dust from getting everywhere. When the two of you got there, the entrance was decorated fully in Luna’s colors and all the doors were open. The entrance was sparklingly clean, but the halls were full of dust as crafters hurried to get their work done.
You were honestly expecting the forgemaster to be the first to greet her, and you definitely weren’t disappointed. And what’s better is that he had an entire suit of chainmail armor set up on a ponequin for her. He smiled and bowed when you both walked in. “Princess Luna. Is your night going well?”
“Indeed it is, forgemaster. What is this metal chain?”
“This is chainmail, a human invention given to us by your dear husband,” the fellow said with a polite nod to you.
Luna gave you a sidelong glance. “That is something I had not considered…”
“None of us had, your majesty,” he said with a smile.
“...Right. Tell me about this chainmail,” she said, looking back at him.
“It’s light but very strong, though it is not so good against piercing weapons. We might be able to fix that later by magically altering the strength of the metal, but for now, I believe the earliest series of the model should go to you, Princess. I know you have little need for armor, but it holds value as a curio.”
“Indeed it does, forgemaster. And it is an idea from my husband, which adds extra value. It will remain in this hall for now, as a showpiece. At the end of the week, I will add it to my collection. Do you happen to have any scraps lying around that you could use in a demonstration of its capabilities?”
“At the moment, no. The sets we had were sent off to other cities so other armorers can learn how it is done and to test it for themselves. However, I can have a simple vest made before the week is out, so you may see firsthoof what it can do.”
“That will be acceptable, forgemaster. And if arrows or spears are giving you trouble, put heavy silk under the armor. The cat auxiliaries I fought with three thousand years ago swore by it.”
“...Silk?”
“It is so often used in fashion these days that it is easy to forget how powerful silk is,” Luna said with a smile. “A heavy layer of silk can stop an arrow from a minotaur’s longbow. Archduke Catz Furdinand was wearing a vest of it, which stopped the first few arrows from hurting him. Then they aimed for his throat and his luck disappeared.”
“I was not aware of that, Princess,” he quietly said. “When the vest is made for your demonstration, I will put a silk sheet behind it, to see what effect it has.”
“I look forward to it, forgemaster,” Luna said with a nod. “For now, Anon and I will tour the premises. I look forward to seeing what else the craftsponies have made.”
“Do you need a guide, Princess?” he asked.
“Anon should know the way. He has been coming here often enough.” She looked over at you.
“I can show her around,” you said with a shrug. “It’s pretty straightforward anyway.”
“Very well, your majesties. If you need anything at all, let me know. The prince consort knows where my workshop is.” He bowed shortly before walking down the hall to his place.
As soon as he turned around, Luna shook her head and started walking down another hall. When he was out of earshot, she humphed and said, “I have used more sets of armor than that young colt has ever even seen.”
“Yeah, but didn’t Celestia censor a lot of history?”
“Yes. And history in general is not really taught in schools these days. When I came back, there were very, very few ponies that knew who I was. Even Nightmare Moon was little more than a legend.”
“At least it gives you something close to a fresh start.” She didn’t reply. You didn’t blame her. “Anyway, anything you want to see first? Glass? Metal? Clay?”
“I am interested in what your partner has made. Having obtained information from you will give her an interesting advantage.”
“I don’t know if she’s finished yet, but we can check. Our room is right this way.” The two of you started walking. Luna looked into every room the two of you passed. In most of them, the occupants were too busy finishing or perfecting their creations to pay the two of you any mind. The entire place was hot, musty, and loud. Once upon a time, you would have thought any proper princess would hate a place like that. A short glance at Luna as you walked showed you that she was smiling.
She didn’t have time to smile delightfully for long, though, since your workshop wasn’t that far away. As with all the other rooms, its door was open and gentle scrapes escaped it. Since there was no obstruction, you both let yourselves in and beheld Goldie’s greatness. Or, more accurately, her ass, as she was currently stretching under a table to put the finishing touches on a model.
“This looks familiar,” Luna quietly said, staring at the display before you. As soon as Goldie heard that, her body tried jerking to attention. This resulted in her head slamming into the table and she fell right back down. “Do not hurt yourself on my account, please.” Luna’s horn lit up and a very blushed Goldilocks was dragged out from under the table.
“So how’s it coming along?” you asked, trying to defuse the awkwardness she was probably feeling.
“G-good…”
“Cool. No problems?”
“No.” She finally got to her feet and turned around so she could properly bow. “Princess Luna, it’s an honor to be invited. I’m sorry for not being fully—”
“It is fine, Miss Goldilocks,” Luna said with a nod. “Please, there is no need for prostration. Tell me about what you have made. It seems familiar for some reason.”
Of course, Goldie propped herself up when she heard that. “It’s you, Princess! Or at least, you’re in it.” She pointed to a figurine that did, in fact, look quite like Luna. It was all metal and none of it had been painted, though, so for all Luna knew, it was just her sister or another alicorn with weird, wavy hair. “It’s the defeat of the Iron King!”
Luna blinked.
“I asked Celestia and she suggested it,” you quickly added, hoping that if Luna got mad, she’d get mad at you instead of Goldie. Or better yet, get mad at Celestia.
Luna started slowly walking around the expansive diorama, taking it all in. She was in the very center, of course. To her left was a strange tree creature that you figured was Poira. To her right was a pony with fangs you could just barely see, probably Ambrosia. On the table above them was a very large dragon, what you assumed was Reginald. In front of Luna was what looked like a broken robot. A strangely humanoid broken robot. In one of its hands was a brutal looking polearm. The other was reaching toward Luna, while one of her hooves was descending to its head. Dotted around them were nondescript figurines of various other races, though you couldn’t put names on any of them.
“I remember,” Luna finally said. Her eyes seemed to be staring at the Iron King. “That was a very long time ago. Long enough that I am surprised Celestia thought of it. She wanted peace. They wanted war… I obliged them. With assistance, of course. That war lasted far too long and we came too close to defeat for comfort. It is also around that time that I met three very close friends and learned a lesson that my sister had been hoping I would learn for years.”
“What lesson is that, Princess?” Goldie asked.
“That friendship is magic,” Luna said, somehow managing to keep a straight face. After a few seconds, you realized she was serious. Goldilocks also appeared to be taking it seriously. She was certainly nodding at it like it was the most natural thing in the world, at least.
You chose to assume they were only pretending to be retarded.
“There have been many things made to commemorate the event,” Luna continued. “There are not many that are aware of just how close all sapient life in Equus came to extinction. How do you feel about paint, Miss Goldilocks?”
“I hate the way it smells. And please, Princess, you don’t need to call me miss…”
“How would you like your diorama painted? I would also like to have others add to it. Rock sculptors, for the cavern we were in. Glassmakers, for the crystals embedded in the stone. Gem cutters, for the gems next to the crystals. Perhaps I can find a griffon bone carver as well. There are many artists that would appreciate the honors. I would let you have the final pick of who does what, if you would desire.”
Goldie looked over to her presumably unfinished diorama. “I really like the simplicity of just metal itself, but…” She looked back to Luna. “I’d also like to see what everypony else can do. I’d be happy to let others work on my art, Princess.”
“Excelsior!” You barked a laugh before you could stop yourself, but they were both too excited to notice. “I shall speak to the others tonight, Goldilocks. You shall be given a larger area in which to work and others will come to assist you come the morrow.”
“Thank you, Princess!”
“And thank you, smith. Your gift is a wonderful reminder of my greatest triumph, and the bond I share with my friends. I will send them to you as well, so you may meet the others that stood by my side when I defeated that monster.”
Goldie’s smile cracked and she blinked. “M-meet them, Princess? W-wasn’t that… a really long time ago?”
“Indeed it was! And yet, I imagine they still remember it just like it was yesterday. Anon, go fetch Reginald post-haste. He will not be able to fit within the hall, but I can still introduce him to Goldilocks and let him describe the room for her.”
“A d-dragon?!” Goldie squeaked.
“That dragon,” Luna said as she pointed to the dragon figure on the table. “Anon, I will talk more with your friend. You and Reginald may meet us at the main entrance.”
“Alright. See you two soon.” Goldie was still adorably squeaking, so you beat feet before she could recover.
As you walked down the halls, you couldn’t help but wonder how Goldilocks was gonna get you back for doing this to her.