Option Three

by Mirta

Chapter 7 - Princess Luna

”...so, to summarize: The creature, who introduced himself as Anonymous, has not displayed any signs of violence towards anypony despite the size difference and the fact that he is partially carnivorous. We have discovered a way to talk to him, and that he is at least as intelligent as any one of us. There is, however, reason to believe that not all of his kind are as benevolent as he is. Consequently, we have decided to do everything we can to prevent any more of his kind from gaining access to Equestria.”

Her sister's word echoed in the hall, the only other sound being the scribbling of press ponies' pens as they took notes.

”Yes, go ahead.”

Celestia pointed towards one of the reporters who had a hoof in the air. Luna rolled her eyes and said goodbye to her hopes of the 'brief press conference' she had agreed to have with her and Twilight.

”Why is Anonymous not here himself?”

”I believe Twilight knows the answer to this one. Would you?”

Celestia looked at Twilight, sitting behind her from Luna's perspective, and nodded.

”He, uh...”

Twilight stammered, thrown off by suddenly being cast in the spotlight.

“I asked if he wanted to come a bit before we began but he said he dislikes reporters for personal reasons and declined.”

Her recovery was immediate, and she even managed to sound casual. It reminded Luna of the time she'd spent with her in this room after her ascension. She'd sat where she was now and Luna had been playing the press and trying to come up with the most difficult and least expected questions she could. She had been a fast learner, just as her sister had told her.

”Okay, we only have time for one more question.”

Luna jerked in surprise as she heard the line she was hoping for, but not expecting in the least. The reporters' prattle filled the room as her sister threw you a sideways glance and flashed a smile.

”There's something you should know about him that we didn't have time to tell about.”

Celestia's voice was just barely loud enough for her to hear. She was briefed on what Twilight had found out before the conference, but they had practically dragged her there straight out of bed, so it was understandable if there was something else.

“There was something you wanted to tell me?”

Luna was in Celestia's room, where she had requested her and Twilight to come after the conference.

”Yes. After Twilight talked to Anonymous today, she asked for a sample of his blood. He agreed to give one.”

Her sister's horn lit up and a drawer under her desk opened. A small glass vial of dark red liquid, coated in her magical aura, floated out of it. She made it float over to Twilight, who then took it into her magical grasp.

”I didn't think there would be anything special with it, but...”

Twilight continued from where her sister had left off, a serious expression on her face.

”I'm... I'm not sure. It seems like it's... well, you should see it for yourself.”

The vial floated over to Luna and she intensely stared at it for a second but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

“Is there something I should see?”

Looking at the other alicorns, she felt a little dumb for not realizing what was so special about the blood.

”Try levitating it yourself and you'll see.”

She skeptically raised an eyebrow at Twilight before focusing her magic and grasping the vial with it.

“What-”

It hit her.

Hard.

It was like an explosion of raw magic going off inside her, starting from her horn and rapidly flooding her veins with pure, glowing power. It felt as if her body was filled with molten steel. She opened her mouth to scream.

But, as suddenly as it began, it ended. All that was left was a feeling of raw magic coursing through her veins, empowering her spell thousandfold. She nearly crushed the vial before being able to adjust to the surge of energy.

“What?”

She was at a loss for words, much of her attention focused on containing the magic.

“I'm not sure how, but it seems like his body is absorbing vast amounts of Equestria's magical energy.”

Luna barely listened to Twilight's words, still trying to prevent accidental outbursts. The power inside her was slowly settling down to a more manageable form, though.

“But- He- Whe- Does he know?”

“He hasn't said anything about it so I don't think he does. But even if he did, I'm sure that he can't use it since he lacks a horn or anything else he could use as a focus.”

She felt her sister's magic tug at the vial and let go of it. The ludicrous amount of power rapidly drained away, leaving her feeling like her own magic was but an insignificant speck.

“How did you pick it up like you did? I was completely overwhelmed and it seemed like you weren't affected at all.”

Twilight and Celestia glanced at each other as Luna asked her question.

“It happened to both of us on the first time, but Twilight found a way around it. A deflection spell will prevent it. Even a weak one.”

Luna threw her sister a skeptical look before focusing on the vial, now resting on Celestia's table, and did as she had suggested.

...Nothing. Just as she said, the deflection spell blocked the surge.

“What do you think we should do?”

Celestia's question confused Luna as she had been about to ask the same thing herself.

“I haven't-”

There was one thing that sprang to her mind.

“It feels a bit wrong to keep him locked up. He hasn't done anything wrong and even this-”

She pointed at the vial with a hoof.

“-isn't really his fault.”

The room was silent for a moment.

“I admit, you have a point. What do you think, Twilight?”

“Huh? Sorry, what?”

Twilight had had an absent look on her, and now looked at her mentor with a hint of red on her face while Celestia repeated what had been said.

“I agree, he hasn't done anything. On the other hoof, I'm certain there are some who would be ready to hurt him if they knew about this issue. But I just remembered that there's something important I have to take care of in Ponyville.”

“I think we're done here, unless...”

Celestia looked at Luna, one eyebrow cocked.

“I do not have anything to add.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow!”

Twilight trotted to the balcony, spread her wings and leaped off. Luna wondered what could have been important enough to make her leave out of the blue like that.

“What do you think of all this, sister?”

Luna was still looking at the spot where Twilight had dived off the balcony from when she heard the grating of wood on wood, caused by her sister closing the drawer she'd taken the vial from. She then heard her sister's deep, long sigh.

“I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.”

Celestia spoke slowly and her voice was deeper than usual.

“I feel as if we are being drawn into another conflict. I'm not sure why, but it reminds me of the return of the Crystal Empire.”

Luna turned around to face her sister, only to find her staring at a spot on the floor in front of her, an empty expression on her face. She wanted to say something comforting and place her muzzle on her sister's withers to make her feel better, but a certain half-remembered dream haunted her.

“I have felt it too, sister.”

Luna spoke quietly, hoping to soften the impact of her words.

“A gray unicorn, a guard in your gilded armor, gallops into the throne room, shouting my name.”

It was as if the memory had come to life in her mind, as if the hurried hoofsteps were echoing in the room as she spoke.

“'Princess Luna, you've got to come quick! Something's happened to Princess Celestia!', he says.”

She closed her eyes and saw the floor of polished marble, shiny enough for her to see her own reflection.

“I ask him what's happened, but he does not know.”

Celestia's worried face filled her vision as she opened her eyes.

“I know there is more to the dream, but I was woken up at that point.”

A heavy silence filled the room.

“I agree with you about one thing, sister. I do not like this, not one bit.”

Luna closed the distance between them, her insignia bumping into her sister's regalia, resting her muzzle on her withers. Celestia reciprocated in kind. She also felt her sister's hoof on her back. Closing her eyes, she listened to her heartbeat and let the warmth of her body drive away the lingering remnants of doubt.

“But whatever there is to come...”

“We shall always face it together.”

They said the last part together, as if one.

The door to her sister's room closed behind her.

“I still think we should tell him, he can keep a secret.”

They had concluded that Anonymous was in need of the services of a tailor, and that Luna would take him to one tonight. But her sister had insisted that they keep him in the dark about both their ominous feelings and the properties of his blood. Celestia's point of view was understandable: a few careless words in the wrong place and rumors would start to spread.

“I'm worried about what could happen to him if someone like Chrysalis found out.”

For a moment the only thing to be heard was the sound of Luna's and her sister's hooves as they headed towards the tower where Anonymous was. Then she heard her sister sigh.

“You're right, sister. I should trust him more, and not think of him as a threat but as a friend.”

Luna looked to her side, at her sister, glad that she had let go of the role of a lone ruler she took on all too often.

“Perhaps you should ask him if he wants to be more than friends. It is not often that you get to be with someone your own size.”

Celestia rolled her eyes at her younger sister's quip and lightly kicked Luna's flank. It stung, but Luna knew how much Celestia hated what she just did. Which was precisely why she did it.