Moonlight Promenade

by Valorousspectre

Chapter 6

"No. No way. I am not going anywhere near that thing."

The dark carriage that Luna had sent after Septimus was quite nice, dark blue and edged in silver, with lovely curtains in the windows, no doubt a plush interior. But what really got him was the massive, eight legged spider that seemed to be sleeping, harnessed to the carriage. The two guards looked at the younger stallion in amusement.

"What? Don't like the carriage? It's the Princess' personal carriage."

"Be that as it may," Septimus said, watching the spider nervously, "There's no way I'm climbing in a carriage past a freaking spider bigger than my room!"

The pair of guards looked at the spider, then back to Septimus, and back to the Spider.

"What, you afraid of old bessy?" The younger one said with a fond smile back at the spider, "Don't be. She's a sweet girl. She doesn't even spin webs anymore. We have to fix her little lair manually these days."

"It's still a giant bloody spider!" Septimus replied, "And she's damn terrifying!"

"She's harmless," The older guard said with a shrug, "She doesn't have venom anymore, she doesn't make webs, she's harmless. Guard's honour. Come on kid, Luna's waiting."

Left without much of a choice, Septimus nervously inched his away around the spider. Her exoskeleton looked thick, like armour plating. As he walked around, the younger guard kept him company, and talked.

"They used to use giant spiders in times of war," He said, still looking at her, "See, they were meant to demoralise the enemy more than actually slay them. So I understand your fear, but she's harmless. She's actually quite cuddly to be honest."

"If it's all the same to you," Septimus said nervously, having finally reached the door, "I'd rather not test that theory right now."

"S'all good," He said, opening the door for the scared stallion, "Not many ponies understand anyway. Us Thestrals have used them as beasts of burden and valuable partners for years though. If domesticated, they're quite sweet."

"I'll take your word for it," Septimus said before closing the door, hypothetically locking the spider away and keeping him safe. As he thought, the carriage was plush and fit for a princess. Or a queen. Whichever. He sat almost reverently, savoring the plush feeling of cushioned seats on his back and rump.

"Oh wow..." He breathed quietly, "I could get used to this..."

The seat was comfier than his bed at home, though he supposed that wasn't terribly surprising. She was royalty after all, so Luna only got the best money could buy, and probably a lot that it couldn't. He felt the carriage begin to move, and quickly, feeling a bit self conscious, closed the curtains. It was darker now, but he felt a lot better. Anyone that looked at the carriage wouldn't see his face.

That said, the carriage itself wowed him on it's own. the seats had to be velvet. There was nothing else that could feel so amazing. He spent at least five minutes just feeling the velvety upholstery, even rubbing a cheek on it at one point with a guilty look around, even though he knew nobody could see him.

Then he found the little fridge.

"Oh my goddess..." He said quietly. The little fridge's doorway was under his seat, in the space between the seat and the floor, and was filled with stuff. Chocolate bars, gummy worms, snake shaped lollies, soft drinks. There was even a few energy drinks in there.

"What is this, her secret stash?" He murmured, trying to resist the urge to grab a can of cola to drink. He did manage to close the fridge though, and he did manage to resist taking anything, but it was hard. He almost fell asleep in the carriage, but when they did arrive at the castle, he was thankfully still awake, and able to walk on his own. The seats were just... so... comfy...

He was escorted through the castle to Luna's room, where he was ushered in. Luna was nowhere to be found, but he was told to wait and that she would join him soon. She did, and she seemed excited when she walked in. She was wearing another dress, this one sparkling black and much more reserved than her last, although she still looked absolutely stunning, and Septimus had to look away.

"Septimus! What took you so long?"

Septimus stammered for a moment before speaking nervously.

"W-well, we had a few interesting moments at work when your guys came to get me out so..."

"Oh," Luna replied, walking over to her vanity and taking off her tiara, "I trust nobody was hurt?"

"Only their pride."

"Good. it's always good to remind those in power they're not all powerful."

Septimus smirked.

"Does that mean you need that reminder sometimes Princess?"

Luna giggled and shook her head, turning to face him, her wings stretching out, making her look almost like a dark angel.

"Of course not, I'm the Princess~"

"One of," He corrected with a smug smile, "Not the."

"Fine, one of," She corrected herself with a roll of the eyes, "It's still me being more powerful than anyone else in Equestria, other than my sister and such."

"Except for the people," he snarked back playfully, "Your reign only lasts as long as they support you. You, your sister and the rest of your royal friends can't stand against the might of the entirety of equestria."

Luna glared at him, but he just smiled.

"Care to take that to the digital world there smartass?" She challenged. He grinned.

"Bring it on, Princess."

Two hours, sixteen minutes, fifteen colas and seven chocolate blocks later, and a momentary intervention by the guards when Luna started mauling Septimus after a map wide headshot using an LMG, Luna and Septimus threw their controllers down with a laugh.

"Alright, I give," Septimus said, holding his hands up in surrender, "You win! Name your prize princess, That's the deal."

Luna giggled and scratched her nose a little. Halfway through their first game, Luna had raised the stakes. Each win they got, they made each other do something small. Thus the reason Septimus had no shirt on, and Luna's hair was up in a ponytail. But the last game they played was the final challenge, and now Septimus was entirely at her mercy.

Oh right, and Luna was wearing his shirt. She'd changed after she made him take his shirt off, much to his chagrin.

"Hmmmm~" She teased with another giggle, "What to do with you..."

Septimus looked at her sideways with a familiar face.

Are you serious?

"Ooh, I know~" She said, running a hand through her hair, "Show me some parkour."

He frowned and looked at his shirtless predicament, and his converse.

"Well... I guess, but we'll have to leave the castle," He said slowly, "And I'll need my shirt back."

"No!" She said petulantly, "In the castle. That way, you don't have to wear a shirt, I don't have to give it back, and..."

She smirked, playing idly with his shirt.

"You can stay here afterwards for the night. How's that?"

Septimus' heart leaped to his throat and he stammered momentarily, then sighed and capitulated.

"Alright... I'll need to find a decent spot though. You can't do parkour on flat ground after all."

Ten minutes later, and now with a sheet wrapped around him so as not to disturb the servants too much, Septimus stopped Luna.

"Here, this'll do."

They were in the entrance hall. Luckily, there wasn't anybody visiting at that point in time, so it was clear except for a guard or two, neither of which would bother Septimus, so he surmised, since he was with Luna. He let the sheet drop to the floor, heedless as Luna picked it up with her magic and rested it over her shoulder, folded.

"Castle's kinda uniform, it's hard to find a decent place," He commented idly, looking around the great room, "Hard to find anywhere that would work."

"Oh no," Luna said sternly, "You're not getting out of this one Septimus, show me. Show me right now!"

He chuckled and held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright. Just be warned it won't be the best I can do."

Luna shrugged and gestured for him to get going, to show her. He looked to the staircase. It was the only real place to start. He stretched his legs quickly, made sure his fingers were ready to grip, and stretched his arms, then ran at the stairs. Judging the distance quickly with his eyes, he leapt at the banister, landing on his feet on the banister, he twisted his torso and bent his knees, jumping from one banister to catch the other, swinging himself up and over onto the upper floor. He stopped and looked down at Luna, leaning on the banister with a smile.

"How's that Princess?" He asked teasingly. She rolled her eyes.

"I've seen my own guard do that," She said with a shrug, "Keep trying."

His smile dropped and he sighed. Of course, she wanted more than simplicity. In a castle. figures.

He looked around, taking stock of his surroundings. He had to find something to impress the princess, or she'd never let him live this down. With a wry smile, he planned his next trick. He turned to face the door at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath to steady himself, then ran full pelt. The guards on either side of the door tensed, but watched as he ran up the door, and on the third step, flipped off the door, spinning in mid air to face, as he landed, the opposite direction, and kept running. The guards relaxed, but watched as well as he leaped, grabbing the railing as he went and propelling himself over it, landing on the banister at the bottom of the steps. From there, without waiting, he fired out his legs again, taking to the air as he flipped onto the banister on the other side of steps, landing perfectly and jumping again, this time leading with his right foot as he flipped onto the floor, landing on his right foot and rolling into a one handed cartwheel and a handless backflip, and there he stopped, looking to Luna for confirmation. Luna looked delighted and clapped her hands.

"Again!" She said enthusiastically, "Show me more!"

He sighed and nodded.

"Aight... gimme a minute."

He looked around again. He was quickly running out of options. Being in a castle like this severely limited his possible actions. But, again, he had to impress her, or he'd be here all night, trying so...

With a stretch, he ran this time towards one of the side doors. He hit the door and went to run up it. He hit one step, two...

And the door opened.

With a cry of shock, Septimus lost all upwards momentum and his converse covered foot came down.

Right on the guard captain's face.

Septimus hit the floor as Luna gasped, eyes wide and covering her mouth with her hands. That was not something she'd expected to happen. There wasn't meant to be anyone walking the halls. Late afternoon? Wasn't anyone that had to go anywhere.

The guard captain had replaced the previous one after his marriage to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. His name was Gild. Pegasus, mangled wing and a scar down one eye. He was known as cold, ruthless and wasn't known as very nice. Even his guards were afraid of him. And he wasn't alone. His two main lieutenants were with him, and they seemed as surprised as Luna or Septimus. Gild did not seem shaken at all. Instead, he put a hand to his now red face, then looked at his hand as though he was going to find something. Then he looked coldly at Septimus, lying on the floor on his back.

"Lestat," He said coldly, addressing the female guard beside him, "Why is there a shirtless civilian running through the halls?"

The lieutenant hesitated and, though she opened her mouth, she didn't get a word out before he spoke again.

"Better yet, why have you not yet arrested him for assault upon an officer of the law?"

Septimus' eyes went wide as Lestat started and looked at the stallion. Her hand went behind her back and he heard the jangle of cuffs and, on impulse, Septimus rolled back, over his head, stood up, turned and ran. He rushed right past Luna as Lestat and her fellow guard broke into a run, calling for him to stop, in the name of the law. He ran to the door he came in through, dodging the two guards there with a baseball slide. The hallway was deserted, which worked in his advantage. He heard one of the guards coming up on him and leapt up and onto the wall, using his forward momentum as well as his legs to leap from one wall to the other, then again, catching onto a candle sconce on the wall, leaping forward once more and rolling, reaching for the door as he burst through it. He heard a call from Lestat, something about arresting him again, and now he knew he had more guards after him. With a burst of breath wooshing out of his lungs, he pushed himself to go faster, his shoes slapping against the marble floor as he looked frantically for a way out of this predicament.

He was still in another hallway. These damn hallways would be the death of him. On a whim, he cut left into an adjoining room, dodging left and right through new hallways and rooms when he could, looking for a way out. Somehow, at some point, he managed to double back and was, once more, being chased through the hallways, until he came out back in the room he'd started and, ignoring Luna arguing with the grizzled looking guard captain to run past both of them, then skidding to a stop and running back to the stairwell as the two guards from the doors on the other side started running towards him as well. He bolted up the stairwell two at a time and, faced with nowhere else to go as the guards from the two side stairwells started running down the stairs as well, he burst through the big double doors that led directly into the throne room.

Where Celestia was still on her throne.

The throne room was massive. One the far wall was a set of stained glass windows at least ten feet tall. On either side of the big thrones, several feet from each. Big pillars held the stairs in regular intervals, made of marble, like the floor and steps. The guards on either side of the throne raised their weapons, two long halberds with nasty looking edges, from their rest positions. Another flash of fear leant the stallion adrenaline and he rushed forward, towards the throne. The three steps that lead up to it were crossed swiftly by the pair of halberd toting guards and Celestia stood, her eyes fiery. But before she could speak, Septimus had rolled under the pair of swipes the guards had swirled at him, sprung up the stairs and run around Celestia. The guard mob followed, bursting in and running after him, so he ran up one stained glass window. It was surprisingly sturdy, given it held his weight perfectly. He hit four steps and flipped backwards, much to the chagrin of the guards, and landed on the top of Celestia's throne, crouched,

"Septimus!" Celestia warned and exclaimed. But Sep didn't have the time to hear her. Instead, he leapt off the throne, the guards taking chase again, and landed on the banister for the left side stairwell, running up it. The mob followed and Luna burst into the room, Gild in tow, still arguing his case. Before Septimus could reach the top, the pair of guards from the top of those stairs had joined the chase and, instead of letting himself get caught, he jumped, flipping off the banister and once again in mid air to land in a roll.

Where he froze, surrounded in a golden aura.

"ENOUGH!"

The Royal Canterlot voice, seldom heard, spewed out of Celestia's mouth like a thunderclap, and Septimus swore he felt his eardrums burst. All the ponies in the room fell silent, even Luna, and looked to the sun monarch. Celestia looked angrily at Luna, who flinched under her elder sister's glare.

"What is the meaning of this!?" She demanded, "Luna? I want an explanation! Now!"

Luna shot a glare at Gild, who looked quite smug, and stepped forward, still wearing Septimus' shirt.

"It's my fault sister," She said weakly, "I had requested Septimus show me this... parkour... that he does outside of the castle. Just... inside."

"So why is he being chased by my guardsmen, who seem prepared to apprehend him then?" She snapped, eyes like fiery pits of rage, "Speak!"

Luna flinched, but her voice got a little stronger and she started yelling herself.

"Because your guard captain is so insecure that he ordered Septimus be arrested without question!"

"Your majesty, the boy assaulted me," Gild said coldly, "It's an offense punishable by a month in prison, or more."

"It was an accident!" Luna snapped at him defiantly, "There shouldn't have been anypony walking the halls! It's early evening!"

"Be that as it may, majesty," He replied, even colder than before, "He still assaulted an officer of the law, and thus, is a criminal."

He glared at Septimus now. Septimus, unable to move his facial muscles, could only look back.

"And criminals pay the price for their crimes."

Celestia seemed to ponder this for a while. All the guards that had been chasing Septimus were still frozen at the top of the stairs. Eventually, she looked at Luna and Gild with firm resolve.

"GIld," She said, "You are dismissed."

He started and swept a hand to Septimus' prone form, "But Majesty, he's-"

"Dismissed!" She snapped, fixing him with a glare so hot it could melt stone. Stiffly, he nodded.

"As you wish," He replied. He gestured to his guards, and left, those not previously in the throne room leaving with him. Celestia looked at the pair that were returning to their posts in this room.

"You too, dismissed as well," She said coldly. The pair flinched and bowed, leaving the room quickly. Soon the only ponies left in the room were Septimus, Celestia and Luna. Celestia, still holding Septimus in place with one gold covered hand, sighed.

"Luna," She said tiredly, "If you cannot keep your guest out of trouble, I will have him banned from returning the the castle grounds, is that clear?"

"But sister!" Luna exclaimed, distressed, "That's not fair! Gild was-"

"Gild was right," She interrupted coldly, "The assault on one of our officers, yours or mine, results in minimum one month incarceration in a prison cell once proven guilty."

She looked down at the frozen Septimus with what was approaching disdain.

"You are good for my sister," She said coolly, "But do not mistake my allowances for something to take advantage of. My sister will be protected, from bad influences and bad ponies. Do not prove yourself to be either, or I will make your worst nightmares seem like a teddy-bear's picnic. Do you understand me?"

The magic dissipated and he fell in a heap, all forward momentum gone and he groaned an affirmative. Luna pouted and looked away. Celestia sighed and shook her head.

"And Luna... Why are you wearing his shirt?"

Luna simply blushed and turned away, leaving the throne room with Septimus rubbing his neck as he followed her. As the massive doors slammed shut, Celestia smiled.

Comments

[Valorousspectre]

3783020 Does this satisfy you my man?

[Luna Secret Stallion]

Hey Celestia bitch much?

[acethesnipr]

3853239 CLAP CLAP i was like then i was like then i was likeU BITCH CELESTIA

[AetherToast]

Oh, playing the role of bitch there? Clever as hell Celestia.... gonna see how that pays off.