To Wage The Moon's Heart

by Mes Amis

The Wager

Monday November 3rd, 1975. 12 years before the main storyline.

"Tia, I don't feel comfortable with getting engaged. I mean shouldn't I get to know my fiance first?" Said a young Princess Luna.

"And why do you think you're getting engaged now? You can spend the next five years getting to know whoever your fiance, whoever he may be, so stop worrying about it." Princess Celestia said reassuringly.

"I am not so sure, sister."

"Everything will be fine Lulu. You are thirteen years old now, and there is no better time for you to get engaged." Princess Celestia said as she approached a balcony overlooking a sea of her subjects, waiting for the highly anticipated announcement.

"B-but what if my fiance does not love me?" Luna muttered uncomfortably.

"Like I said, you will spend the next five years together and in those five years he will fall for you, I'm sure of it." Celestia said with a grin on her face. She then turned and walk out onto the balcony to address her subjects.

"Loyal subjects, today we gather here for a very important moment. I, Princess Celestia, here by offer you, my subjects, a wager. Beginning tonight my younger sister, Princess Luna, will spend each night from sunset to sunrise in a small cabin out in the forest that borders our great city of Canterlot." Princess Celestia stopped her speech to hear the uproar of the crowd below, cheering and whistling. "The first man to find the cabin within this time frame will be declared the victor and will be granted the greatest honor any man would dream of, my sister's hand in the sacred ritual of matrimony. The wedding will be set a month after Princess Luna's eighteenth birthday." The crowds' cheers doubled. "Thank you for your time and I wish all of you the best of luck." Celestia soon returned inside.

"W-wait Tia you can't be serious? Why must I stay in the forest alone? Why can't I stay in the city?" Luna questioned.

"Don't fret little sister, you only have to stay in the forest until someone finds you and seeing the hundreds of men outside, I'm sure someone will find the cabin in no time." Celestia said trying to be as reassuring as possible.

"But Tia..."

"No buts Lulu, the challenge has been set and there is no way to undo it. I'm sorry Luna but you must go through with this, so please don't make this harder than it has to be. Now if you'll excuse me there is some royal business I must attend to." Celestia soon exited the room and left Luna alone.

"But I don't want to be someone's prize." Luna said as she lowered her head.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, there was a knock at the door. "Princess Luna, your sister has left yet you are still here. Is there something the matter?" A guard asked as he opened the door. The guard was Lieutenant Augustus Spencer, Luna's personal guard.

"Please Spencer, just leave me be." Luna pleaded as the guard walked into the room.

"I'm sorry Princess, but your sister ordered I stay near you at all times." he said sitting next to Luna. "Come on, I got a surprise for you."

"I'm not in the mood Spenser. Just escort me to my room, and leave me alone."

"But Princess I think..."

"You, Lieutenant, are a guard and nothing more! You are here to protect me from any harm, not to give me advice on what I should do. Now I gave you an order and I expect you will follow it! Am I understood?" Luna screamed at Spencer in her Royal Canterlot voice.

"*sigh* As you wish, your highness."

---

October 31st, 1987 Present day

"Quitting time!" yelled the Construction Foreman to his crew as a loud whistle began to blow.

"Man, I thought he'd keep us here for the rest of the night." groaned a tall blonde man as he removed his hardhat and sat on the dirt floor.

"James you're just lazy, man, and you know that." retorted a similarly tall man with dark brown hair.

"McCartney, Spenser both of you over here now!" yelled the Foreman.

"On our way boss." James said as he got back to his feet. The two men walked over to the Foreman and then into his office. It was a small bungalow, mostly populated by filling cabinets and a large desk in the far corner with a couple of chairs siting in front of the desk and a refrigerator a few feet from the desk.

"Take a seat." the Foreman said as he walked over to a small fridge near his desk. He pulled out three beers and handed one to each of his employees.

"Thanks Jack." James gestured.

"So Jack what did you want to tells us?" the brown hair man wondered.

"Well if you must ask Logan, I just wanted to tell my best workers and friends that Mary is pregnant."

"That's awesome Jack. Congratulations." Logan said, downing his beer.

Jack began to stiffened up a bit as he prepared to speak. "So Mary and I have been thinking about it for a while and well... We were wondering if you two would be our child's godparents?"

"Jack, pal look as close as me and Logan are we don't roll that arrg." James exclaimed as Logan smack his friend upside the head.

"We'd be honored to be your kid's godfathers, right James?" Logan said as he glared at James.

"Right, it'd be an honor Jack. Man, Logan can't you take a joke?"

"That's great news!" Jack chuckled. "Well I shouldn't be holding you guys so long so I'll just tell you that Mary would love if you two could come to dinner tomorrow night?"

"Of course. I'll tell you this right now Jack, your wife's cooking is the best." Logan said appreciatively.

"Perfect! I'll let her know that you two will be coming. Well I guess we should all be leaving." Jack said as he grabbed his coat and briefcase.

"Yeah, well I guess we'll see you at dinner Jack." James said as he and Logan walked out the building.

The two men walked off towards the edge of town, chatting about the usual fare. Eventually they made it to James' apartment. "So I guess you'll be heading home now Logan?"

"No actually I'm gonna go for a walk through the forest. It's a beautiful night."

"Logan, what's with you man?"

"What?"

"Every night it's the same thing with you. You go out for a walk in the woods, and then get home some time pass midnight."

"Well I just love nature, I guess."

"Well as much as you love nature, its scheduled to rain so you better make that stroll a short one if you don't want to catch a cold."

"You don't have to worry about me." Logan said as he walked down the steps. "I'll catch you later James."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."