//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Luna vs. a Tiny Italian Car // by totallynotabrony //------------------------------// September 7, 2015 The anime convention in Dallas was held at a downtown hotel. The group of us arrived and made a plan to meet up later. Rusty and his girlfriend went off by themselves while Maria, Luna, and I went to get our badges. Luna looked around at the crowds as we waited in line for tickets. “Who are these people?” “Uh…” I glanced around and pointed at the cosplays I recognized. “Hellsing…” Maria added, “Soul Eater, Host Club, Hunter X Hunter, Sword Art Online, The Devil is a Part Timer, Full Metal Alchemist, Inuyasha…” I realized that I was a casual. We got three badges. I asked for one that said “Princess Luna of Equestria,” telling the ticket-seller it was for a friend. As we walked away, I put the badge on over Luna’s head. She stared at the anime character on it. “It’s very strange to observe, rather than interact,” she noted. “Much different than the last convention.” “I know the feeling,” I said. My badge had a name I’d never used before. Trying to come up with something that no one would recognize, I’d gone with a porn name: take the name of your first pet and the street you grew up on. We wandered through the convention center. There was the standard art gallery and dealer’s hall. Lots of plushies, trinkets, and assorted bric-a-brac. Near a few of the event rooms, I saw a large crowd and tried to figure out what was going on. A group of people were gathered around a woman wearing what might have been the best cosplay I’d ever seen. Several had cameras on her as she chatted with the crowd and signed autographs. She glanced up and we made eye contact. She winked. Oh no. Chrysalis managed to get free of the crowd and sauntered over. “Why hello. Fancy seeing you here.” “Just passing through,” I said. Chrysalis glanced at Luna. “I heard what happened. I take it you haven’t managed to find Celestia yet.” “We have located her,” growled Luna. “Several times. The problem is Tirek.” Chrissy made a show of checking an imaginary watch. “Wasn’t it almost a month ago that this all began?” Luna gritted her teeth. “Then why don't you try defeating Tirek?” “I’m a little too attached to my magic, thank you very much.” Chrysalis paused, frowning. “Wait a minute...I don’t feel your magic at all.” A beat. “Did he really…?” “Yes,” Luna confirmed quietly. Chrysalis’ brows knit, but then she shook her head. “Nevermind. Not my problem.” “Not your problem? So then, what happens when Tirek comes after you?” Luna said. “She makes a fair point,” said a mysterious voice. My eyes almost bugged out of my head when I saw who it was. Chrissy smiled at the newcomer. “Sandy, you’ll like this. Allow me to introduce you to Buzz Aldrin.” “Respectfully, sir,” I stammered, “what in the Sam Hill are you doing here?” “‘Sam Hill?’” he said. “Uh...we’re in Texas. It just sounded right.” My face flushed red. “I'm raising awareness for NASA and promoting space exploration,” he answered. ”There are lots of nerds at an anime convention.” Made sense to me. “How did you come to meet Chrysalis?” “A while ago, we were both at the same zero-g photoshoot. I did it to raise awareness for NASA and promote space exploration.” I remembered how he had come into the conversation. “Wait, you can see Princess Luna? Aren’t you surprised?” “Kid, I flew combat missions in Korea, walked on the moon, and at the age of seventy nine recorded a hip hop song with Snoop Dogg. There isn’t much that surprises me anymore.” “Fair point. Speaking of, Luna, you make a fair point. If Tirek’s after magic, Chrysalis might be next on the list. She’s the only one on this planet that still has any.” We all looked at Chrissy. She faltered. “Well...it isn’t as if he knows where I am.” “You’re a public figure,” I said. “All it would take is for him to make the connection to your real identity. Then, he could just hang around conventions until you showed up. Plus, using so much magic to create your outfits, he might just pick you off anywhere he pleases.” Chrysalis crossed her arms. “I think I can handle myself.” “Tirek has proven devilishly difficult to pin down,” warned Luna. “Don’t forget that I once easily beat Celestia,” Chrysalis reminded. “And even since Tirek drained your magic and now has two alicorns’ worth, surely he can’t wield it effectively enough to add up to the original sum of that power.” Luna started to argue, and then looked at me. “Sandy, get her.” I said, “Chrysalis, when you beat Celestia, you were high on more love than you’d ever had before. Since then, you haven’t had real love in years, just fanboy lust.” "Well, at least I'm good at coming up with plans," Chrysalis countered. "All you've done is chase Tirek." Buzz Aldrin said, “It sounds as if you’ve been behind the ball in your pursuit. What if you could get ahead of Tirek and set up a trap?” We all considered it. “With help, it could work,” Luna said. “But what would we use to set the trap? What could not only get Tirek’s attention but draw him in?” “Tirek wants power,” I said. “We’d have to have magic for bait.” We all looked at Chrysalis. She said, “Wait, this is a terrible idea! If he wants my magic, then we’d be leading him right to me! Besides, how are we supposed to reverse his magic absorption?” “I have an idea,” said Luna. “But first, we need to contact Equestria.”