Celestia's Finest: Moonlighting

[Elbeyon]

Love had been digging into this whole elements of anti-harmony herself. Along the way, she looked into what became of Crow Lock. Whatever happened, she knew she wasn't going to like it. You don't just betray a magically paranoid, super cursed, helm of opposite alignment batpony and expect them to take it well. She really did mean her last few lines. In her own way, Love was trying to protect Luna. Not in the direct manner, she has plenty of guards. But, she felt she knew how Luna feels about her old companion. She was trying to avoid letting a batpony go whose actions would hurt his master. Every sin, he commits Luna feels deeper than Love can imagine, she imagines. Love swipes through the texts in her hand until she gets near the end.

"Let's meet on the water's of the moat. I'll leave the lights on."

Love puts her phone in her saddlebag, kicked her hooves up, and checked her fishing line. Nothing. A spotlight atop of the boat shoots into the air, illuminating the water below, glimmer's off the waterfall to the north, but pales in comparison to the majesty of the city night lights nearby. She looks up to the glass-encased helm, at the alert (bored?), pony within. She'll shoot him a salute when he spies on her. Not that she minded, it was his boat. He was just taking her out for some night fishing. Of course, he knew that she was reeling in a big fish, one Luna. Just in case, Love had a chromebot with drinks and snacks at the ready. Matching in theme, a hearty fisherman's soup & sandwiches. The robot matched the boats metallic nature; however, it was a strange compassion seeing, a shiny chrome bot next to the earthly nets and ropes.

[Miltonian]

Love sees Luna long before the princess is in earshot. The alicorn wheels above, highlighted by the glow of the moon and accompanied by two of the Night Guard dressed in full armor. After a minute, they zero in on Love's boat and glide towards her in a casual, unhurried fashion. They swoop low over the waves, kicking the crests with their hooves. Luna pretends to gallop across it, building up a trail of ocean spray behind her as she approaches. A few moments before she would run into the side of the boat, she launches into the air and lands with a flourish and coat of mist that lightly wets down the deck. "Thy Princess of the Night has arrived!" she announces with a thunderous voice, "Ah! Refreshments. Excellent. And not laden with sugar, as my sister prefers." She makes a beeline for the soup.

[Elbeyon]

Why did Love feel nervous all of a sudden? She had little respect for nobility - titles meant nothing in her formative years. Ah! That's it. It's that its Luna, someone special. She breathes deep as the guard's go about their fancy entrance. Very nice, if anyone asked her. Love shouts at the captain to turn the spotlight to the deck for they can stick the landing.

Love wasn't expecting guards, which was a little foolish in hindsight. A switch hit. Love barely stops herself from clapping and cheering at the royal entrance. It was so Luna. So, showy, yet refined. 'Don't embarrass me chromebot; serve her the food.' Love starts to follow the taller mare. She tries to mimic a stereotypical sailor's accent, "Welcome aboard, Luna!" Which turns out is a gruff old man's voice that smoked a little too much? Weird... Love grabs a ladle and pours a bowl for herself. Steam rises off it into the chill night air. A cool breeze brushing against it as Love blows away the wisps. Hmm, it smells so good. This one is definitely going in her recipe box. Uh oh. The nerves were back. "The breads tough by design. It really compliments the soup; mixing them together. The bread softens with a unique taste while becoming deliciously coated. The stew thickens around it offering a welcoming, fuller bite." Oh Luna! Why did she just tell a millennia-old creature how to eat soup?

[Miltonian]

'Oh Luna' is correct. The princess of the moon, though shorter than Celestia, is almost twice Love's size. She looks down at the bowls set aside for them and pauses for a moment. It's a bit small for a pony her size. But she doesn't say anything and ladles herself a very full bowl with her magic. She murmurs in appreciation as she begins to eat.

The two guards, come close, big, fanged grins on their faces. They aren't unfriendly smiles, but they are a little unnerving to other species of pony. "Yar! Be a fine night for a trip 'cross the briny sea. Don't ye agree, Zenith?" the first says.

"Aye, aye, Cap'n Eclipse! That it be!" the second agrees. They both giggle, a strange, high-pitched sound that reminds Love of bats.

Luna fixes them both with a mock-glare. "Belay that talk, ye scurvy scallywags!" she bellows, though in a very well-practiced pirate accent, "How dare ye mock our good host with yer poor imitations of proper piratical plundering...Ponyfeathers, I can't think of a word for 'speech' that begins in 'p'." The two night guards collapse in a fit of giggles and Luna harrumphs self-importantly. "Yes. Well the confounded language changes so often. Ye can hardly blame me." She takes a bite of soup-soaked bread. "Thou wert correct. Tis very tasty," she says.

[Elbeyon]

Onward to soup! Love steals a glance at the giant mare's flank, outta reflex, while looking her over. Her eyes darting forward, after she just realizes what she had done.

When the guest compliments the host, Love smiles, some of the tension leaving her. She takes a sip outta the bowl. "It is pretty good.." A hidden lovebot on the boat whispers over the comms into her ear. 'I checked a thesaurus. She could have used the word. "prattle."' Love coughs on her soup as her backseat driver speaks up for the first time. "Prattle? Maybe?" Putting her own pirate voice on, "How dare ye mock our good host with yer poor imitations of proper piractical plundering prattle." Love smiles to her. She only needs to host Luna till she brings up why they're here. The topic seems unapproachable to Love; it's best if Luna brings up Crow Lock.

Topics... Luna likes technology, but what kind? Technology is a topic love can do and Loves! "Did you know my body is a bot? I mean, I know you know. Do you want to check it out? I mean, do you want to see my schematics?" Love hides her mug in her soup, blushing.

[Miltonian]

Love is not sure if Luna caught her staring or not, for Luna gives no sign. However, Love's quick suggestion amuses both the batponies. They giggle. "Prattle!" the first says.

"Prattle indeed!" the second agrees.

"Aye," Luna says with only a half-serious glower, "And spare us all from thine own. Sit. Enjoy thy soup." She nudges them both toward chairs and forces them to sit. "Better."

At Love's babbling offer, Luna raises an eyebrow and an amused smirk appears on her face. "Yes, I was aware of thy particular circumstances," she says, "And I would love to examine thy schematics. Tis a fascinating think thou hast done."

"Are you sure you don't want to go with her first offer?" Eclipse asks. Luna glowers at her and the guard goes back to her soup.

"Thou art welcome if thou wishes, oh dearest Eclipse," Luna says through clenched teeth, "A young, strong mare like yourself. Thou wouldst be quite the catch, though not, I'm afraid, anywhere near a princess." Eclipse smiles nervously and turns to Love.

"Uh, geez. Is it hot all the sudden or what? So, changing the subject! Can I get seconds on that soup?"

[Elbeyon]

Things got very scary, very quickly. The guard asking for more soup, love shouts, "Yes! Please! I insist that you fill your mouth beyond the capacity for you to speak." Geez, it looks like she managed to piss off the princess. Luna must have caught her. Great, now Luna thinks she's a creep. She didn't mean to look. She sighs. She only has herself to blame.

Straight forward, "I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean... I didn't mean to upset you. I've been a horrible host." Love winces in mental anguish.

[Miltonian]

Eclipse sits flabbergasted while Zenith bursts out laughing and falls out of her chair. "Need...need some aloe for that burn?" she says. Eclipse turns red and mutters something while she ladles herself some more soup.

They both sober up when Love suddenly turns serious. Luna tilts her head to the side and rises. "Whatever dost thou mean, dear Love, oh greatest of my fans? Thou hast not invoked my displeasure. And thou could teach some nobles how to be better hosts." She brings Love's chin up with her hoof and looks her in the eye. "What could thou have done to offend me?"

[Elbeyon]

Love turns her gaze to the side. Her cheeks burn red as she hits peak fluster! "I... If you say I haven't displeased you then I've done nothing wrong."

[Miltonian]

For the first time, Luna looks completely serious. "The measure of right and wrong does not depend on whether or not thou are caught, good Love," she says, "One who steals is not absolved because she gets away with it. But I will trust thee if thou sayest that thou hast done no wrong. Thou art still mine host."

[Elbeyon]

Love breaks Luna's hold. She points to her guards and says, "Cover your ears. I have a confession to make to the princess in private! Please?" She'll wait till they do. She's not afraid of embarrassing herself, but saying something that will tarnish the princess' honor.

Love drops to a bow. "No pony is above admitting their errors, me included. I've committed a wrong by stealing that which does not belong to me. I make no excuse. I only seek to explain my folly. You're highness' height and beauty is a thing of splendor, enough to catch a pony off guard. I... When examining the holy body in front of me, my darker emotions took hold and I examined certain impeccable traits too closely. I apologize you're highness. It was lowly of me. I will steel my lustful heart. Please, accept my wrongdoing and allow the night to continue as if it never happened."

[Miltonian]

The guards do cover their ears. At a look from Luna, they also take off and fly a good distance away. "Their kind possesses very sensitive hearing," she explains.

At Love's confession, she turns her head away and almost turns around, but then thinks better of it. "Ahem. Yes. Let's...do that." she says. Love has done what many would consider impossible. She has made Princess Luna feel embarrassed. "H-holy body?" she repeats.

[Elbeyon]

Love nods to her explanation. She says "Thank you" assuming the guards can still hear her even with their ears covered.
Love, never letting sleeping dogs lie, puts her hoof into the air. Shocked, curious, Love asks, "Are you embarrassed? I thought with how popular you are that you'd be used to every other pony confessing their undying love to you? Not that that's what I'm doing. I mean. You are very attractive, hence my impish behavior earlier, but I don't really know you. Sure, I know about you. I am your biggest fan. Your famous persona is partly a front, a shell though. You can't really get to know a pony by watching them on streams."

"Please, excuse me for what I'm about to ask. It's very personal and none of my business. When's the last time you've made a new friend? Not an online friend, not to belittle them. But, one that you spend time with in the flesh on the regular?"

[Miltonian]

Luna turns away and looks up at the moon shining above them. “Look thee upon the moon and tell me what thou sees. If thou art most ponies, thou willst say ‘the moon’. Tis the right answer, but there is no wonder in it. My moon is a mere rock, gently shedding light o’er the darkened plains and forests of night. Ponies have landed there in ships and even built a ‘resort’ on its surface. And mine royal advisors have showed me plans to keep it in rotation, should I fall. And yet thou speakst to me as if I were a goddess, as ponies did of old. Of old when what my sister and I did defied mortal understanding.I am no longer used to being addressed in such a way.”

She looks down at Love, a sad expression on her face. “Tis no great hardship for me. Tis sad, yes, but I have found a different role. Tia, though, she was loved as if by countless children. Now, they pay her little mind. She is another voice on the news to the commons, one easily ignored, an obstacle blocking their way to the Assembly, and a fool who understands not the modern world to the rich and famous. We often wonder if ponykind still needs us. Perhaps we shouldst retire, move to a remote island, and find others who need us more.”

And then, she looks weary. “I have countless friends. My advisors, my staff, all the ponies dedicated to making my hobby into something to keep us princesses in the modern eye for positive reasons. ‘Don’t stand so straight’. ‘Drink coffee’. ‘Don’t wear your crown on the stream’. Yes, I have many friends.” Her tone grows a little bitter at the end. “And I despise them all.”

For a moment, there is a flicker of something in her. She looks at Love and her pupils are narrow, like a serpent’s or a nightmare’s. She smiles and her teeth have little points to them. She grows taller and terrible, dark as a moonless night. And then, she sighs and shrinks.

“Thou art, of course, sworn to keep this conversation secret as a servant of the crown.”

[Elbeyon]

Love pulls some coffee to her mouth for story time. Wisps of steam gently being blow away before each sip. She'll even pour Luna's drink for her while she speaks. "Hey, I can keep a secret. Again, you'll have to forgive me for counseling the ageless princess." Love smiles big at her, the stiffness to her movements easing after hearing her speak and freak out. Sure, it was super scary, but the fear came from finding a wounded animal protecting itself, not an animal on the hunt. A desire to help taming fear into a tempted cautiousness. "Those people don't sound like friends at all. Ugh, they sound like you're boss. You can't be friends with your bosses. Now, I'm not exactly a pony that should be giving life advice. Heck - I joined a military organization because I thought it'd be fun. A place to test my invitations out in the wild while adventuring. Course, my thinking has changed a bit since my first mission."

"If I despised a friend on the regular there is no way I could call them a friend." Love waves her hoof back and forth. "No, friends you want to hang out with and be around. It's fun, exciting, sad. It's a whole ball of emotions, but it should have a nice positive hue to it all. Isn't there anyone you want to be with on the regular?" Love shakes her head. "Oh, my. The situation could be worse than I imagined. What do you do that makes you happy?"

[Miltonian]

Luna’s expression grows dark. “I shouldst not have shared that with thee. Nopony commands me, Partial Charge. I am a princess of Equestria, for what that’s worth nowadays. And their advice is valuable. Nay, indispensable even. I wished to be popular and they made me so. I shouldst be grateful. Thanks to their efforts, I shall never feel the loneliness and isolation that made me Nightmare Moon again.”

[Elbeyon]

Love rubs her mane outta nerves. "I get that. Maybe, I could have worded that a little better. You certainly get my recognition as a princess. One of the few tittles I respect. The princess have done a lot for the world. It's a tittle engraved in deeds."

"A pony is allowed to change their mind. What they once wanted isn't what they'll always want. Luna" Love puts her hoof over her scarred heart "I. I want to be your friend. I won't tell you what to do. I won't care if your famous or popular, only recognizing that you care about that. I'll try my best to keep you from being isolated or lonely. I want to do fun things with you, I want to spend beautiful nights like this with you." Love motions to the moon over the waterfall. "I'll meet and dance with you in dreams. I never thought this would happen" Love moves to hold Luna's hoof "but I'm worried about you as a friend."

[Miltonian]

Luna withdraws her hoof and moves to the side of the boat. "Your offer is kind," she says, "But one I shall refuse. My sister and I have too many enemies who wouldst use or offer such a bond. And, were it to reach the press how I met for late night rendezvous with a high-profile member of the military, forth wouldst come old rumors of my being a licentious strumpet, simply because ponies choose to have their own liaisons during my night. They wouldst demand to know everything and say to each other, 'so the only thing different about her is her power. All her good. All the things she has done. I could have done the same, if I had the moon'."

"And those same enemies that make life living hell for my sister seem to love thou and thine squad. Curious, is it not?" She glances down at Love. "Now, thou had a reason for calling me here. Pray, what was it?"

[Elbeyon]

A pain shoots from her hoof to her heart. Defeated, Love says, "I understand. You needn't think of me as a friend, but I already consider you one of mine. If you ever need to talk or a pony to listen, I'll be available. I do hope that you'll visit my dreams sometime..." Love sharply inhales. Dang, she's going to do a lot of crying later. She stiffens herself, 'stay strong Love'.

"Crow Lock. I want to talk to Crow Lock. He's my friend, and I betrayed his trust. I let him down because I wasn't strong enough to help him. Still, what's happening to him... He may hate me. He may not want to talk to me. But, I want to help him. I don't care if he never forgives me or hates me forever. He's hurting. He's all alone. And, I just can't leave him like that. I have to help him."

[Miltonian]

Now I feel bad. Like, really bad. Poor Love

Luna can't look Love in the eye. "I already have," she says, "I visit everypony's dreams." She looks down. Please understand, I wish to say yes. But I cannot. I am first and foremost a princess of Equestria, for the good that carries and bad. And in this fragile time, we must appear strong, incorruptible, cut from a different cloth, and able to handle far more than the average pony. I do not know why thou art so favored by our political enemies, but meeting you here, I no longer fear that you have any part in their plots."

She listens to Love's request without looking at her, gazing out over the water. "Thou speakst rightly. Thou did betray him. And I cannot release him now. 'Twould have been better if he had escaped. Now, he shall never know freedom. But he is beyond thine ability to help. The sickness in his mind has entered the final stages. Those on the station accelerated the decay. I fear thy betrayal validated all that he feared. He sees enemies in every shadow and behind every door. Thy remorse is too little too late. Soon, he will be nothing more than a ravening beast that devours and destroys. Once that happens, once there is nothing left of my old friend, I shall be forced to destroy the monster he left behind."

"If thou wish it, I shall arrange for thee to visit him."

[Elbeyon]

"My dream on the station?" Love curiously asks. "It was a very nice dream. Thank you." Love smiles with weakness. "I'd like to talk to you in my dreams though. It's your domain. No pony would ever fully know. We can talk and I could play a part in helping you with your political enemies. I truly, fully support you Princess Luna. If I can publicly poke some gasbag politician to let some hot air out of em, I'd be glad to do that. Forget about the EDF publicity shoots. I don't mind losing some popularity. If I can aid you're goals, let me know. I'll stand strong with you against the oncoming storm. I now your in the right - you're a kind ruler that's looked - looks - out for the ponies for a long time. I can trust your benevolence."

Love's ears drop as soon as Luna confirms what she's saying is true. "I did what I thought was the right thing to do. I didn't want any ponies to get hurt by him. I didn't want his errors to hurt you. I didn't want to hurt you." Love sighs. "I might have been wrong. Maybe, I should have trusted him more, but I'll never know. I've done the deed. Now, I can only try to live with what I've done. I can only try to help him from here on out. I'd appreciate if you could arrange my visits. I - I'm not sure I'll ever forgive myself If I lose him. If he loses himself. Could you tell me a bit about him? What he was like before he got cursed? When you were Nightmare Moon?"

Before she can say anything about her request Love jumps in with an "Oh!" Love reaches under the table. "And, here." She offers her a notebook wrapped in plastic. "Crow Lock wanted me to give you this personally. He swore me not to read it. He said that it was yours only. I kept my word to him. I never looked inside. I am curious to what's in it... Really curious." Love looks at her with begging eyes. "Of course! I understand it's private... He did say it was only for you."

Yar. Love is putting up a strong front, but she's crushed. :smallfrown:

I can roll acting if you'd like to see how well she's hiding it. She's holding back the waterworks the best that she can for she can accomplish her goals.

[Miltonian]

Luna does not seem terribly impressed by Love's speech. "Thy words are nice, but I have heard many like them before and not all those were honest. Words are no measure of trustworthiness."

At Love's distress, she softens and speaks tenderly. "Aye. 'Twas your duty to protect Equestria. And 'twas only a slim hope to begin with. Maybe not worth risking so many other lives. If he had fallen into darkness free and unhindered, the land would know terror like it hasn't since the elder days. It was a difficult choice for one so young. Thou made the safest choice, but the surest one for his demise. My fondness for him blinds me to that sometimes." She sighs. "He was noble and brave. Heroes have come after him, but he was the first mortal worthy of standing beside us in legends. Not the greatest. That title belongs to Celestia's tutor, Starswirl the Bearded. But he was also kind and loved foals more than anything. He could not bear to see them cry. And so, when he was cursed and they fled from him, that was the first blow of the many that have torn him apart piece by piece."

Luna takes the journal and begins to read it. Only a few pages in, and her eyes begin to water. A few more and she sniffles. She closes it before her tears can fall and wet the pages. "I...I will read the rest in private. But...this...is proof, I suppose, I thy loyalty. I dare not share it, for it touches on things too near my heart. But no enemy of mine would have let this pass unread or allowed it to fall into my hooves. I...I am sorry. When thou offered to be my friend, I feared that I had to be cruel. To quash that so thou wouldst not try again. It is a dangerous time and I cannot afford to...I need not belabor that point anymore. Tis an excuse for my cruelty. If you can forgive me..." She leaves the thought unfinished, allowing Love to fill in the rest.

[Elbeyon]

Course her words cut deep, to hear it from another. It wasn't anything Love had thought about herself. Her choice about Crow Lock had kept her up at night. A personal betrayal, a choice to sacrifice a few to potentially save many. Crow Locks files were quite extensive. The princess isn't really saying anything Love hasn't heard before, but to hear it from a first hand source adds a certain romanticized feel to the information. Someone that cares about him, recalling stories of him. It seemed like three ponies were the only one's that cared about the bat pony in the world. At least Love's not alone, not crazy.

Love rubs her mane. "I think I understand a bit more about the situation. My request had an unintended cruelty to it. I asked far too much. A request can weigh on a pony, make them have to turn it down. I'm sorry that I put you in that position. Now, I'd normally be hugging a pony. I'm kinda touchy like that. However, I can understand that you have to defend yourself from unfair rumors. Hugging a lecherous pony like me would do you no favors. So, I'll say: All is forgiven." A tear in her eye, love wipes it away before smiling up at her. "I may not be able to help you now, but I'll be there if ever you need."

[Miltonian]

Luna nods. "The time is drawing nigh when I may have to call up all who still claim loyalty and see how far those bonds extend. I will be happy to count thee among that number." She pauses and, after a moment, places a hoof on Love's shoulder. It is not as intimate a sign of affection as Love is used to, but more like a parent with a foal and much harder to misinterpret should anypony take pictures. "And there is no reason I cannot visit thee in thy dreams. Or online. Yes, twould make good sense for me to challenge the new heroes of Equestria to a few matches. Test their mettle, so to speak. Dost thou game?"

[Elbeyon]

Loves eyes grow larger. "That sounds serious." A happy smile. "I'll come when you summon me." She nods in accept of the hooved gesture.

"I'd like that a lot - if you saw me in my dreams. Heh. I always wanted to try to help someone dream. Just knock first, alright?" Love chuckles. "Do I game? Well! I'll have you know I was MoonMistress' biggest fan. I play all sorts of games. Not all virtual - I've been thinking about getting back into robot fighting. See, I got this sword, and it awoke a slumbering beast." She blushes. "I'd gladly accept any matches! Don't expect me to go easy on you. I'll put up my best fight and win!"

[Miltonian]

Luna smiles. "Then let us call the guards back, finish this nice meal, and I shall send thee a challenge to a game of my choice. And...I shall ensure thou gets to visit Crow Lock, though I warn thee it may not be pleasant and thou may not like what thou finds."

[Elbeyon]

"Sounds like a plan. And, I'm not visiting to make myself feel better. I expect to feel worse." Love sips her coffee and props up her head on the table. "So, what type of games do you really favor? Not that I'm scouting out my opponent. That'd be an added benefit. I've never really had a chance to talk to a princess in a normal conversation. I got lectured by Twilight once, but that hardly counts, I think."

[Miltonian]

Luna chuckles and signals for her guards to return. "I have always been fond of chess. And VR games too. Sword fights remind me of the my childhood, so those are a particular favorite." She smiles. "And many have been unfortunate enough to find themselves stuck in a Twilight Sparkle lecture. I hope thou wert not too put out."

[Elbeyon]

"Wow~ That's a huge range of games. I can only imagine what you've had to do to keep yourself entertained over all these years. I'm not sure if I could have done it myself. A solid two-hundred is probably where I'd put my limits. Then again, maybe that's what every pony says until they hit their number. Ponies always seem to want more time."

Talking about games, "I've never been into chess. It's a little too cerebral for me. Never had the ponies to pit myself against anyway. VR games are great in general." She smiles at the sword fighting. "I've done a bit of sword fighting. Sword is my preferred weapon for my ponyoid arena bots. I don't have any warbots now. For some crazy reason citizen ownership is frowned upon. Still, I might start building a regulation bot soon. Works had me so busy, I can't even do my hobbies. It'd be fun to dive back into that world. I have missed it. I wonder if I have any sword skill left in me."

"Twilight's lecture. It really wasn't unfortunate at all. I went to one of her Friendship Day's. See, I grew up in Junk Town. I only moved into civilized pony space later in life. I was having trouble adjusting - as one tends to do when they move from total anarchy to the world's best effort at a utopia. I was struggling with my Royal Guard partner. Twilight gave me some great advice that probably saved our friendship. Not that the struggle afterward wasn't hard. It was so hard to understand you ponies at first. I guess that friendship day was what triggered me into looking into the Princesses and Equestria's heroes."

[Miltonian]

Alright, I feel like we're getting a little far afield now. What is the next point you would like to touch on?

With a wave of her hoof, she discards the concern about her age. "My sister and I were born to be immortal. Tis sad to see our friends come and go, but we art more adapted to such things. In truth, I worry for the five Elements who are not alicorns. Their bodies and souls may be immortal, but not their hearts and minds. I do not wish to see them wither away." She takes a sip of coffee. "Twilight believes she can help them. Her methods are sometimes ill-advised, but rarely does she fail at her goal. We shall see what this latest project turns up."

Luna nods. "Tis good to hear that we still have a positive influence on society. We still believe so, or else we wouldst step down. However, many ponies are convinced otherwise and have no qualms about saying so on the internet. They never say it to our faces, though, as I have noticed in the past." She smiles. Perhaps my beauty terrifies them."

[Elbeyon]

Oh, it looked like they weren't going to be discussing games. Love buckles herself in for a bumpy ride.

Love rubs her mane. A curiosity hits her, but she must not be cruel in her questioning. And, it looks like she just might fail. 'How are you more adapting at such things. You have an unbreaking heart? A faulty memory? ... Do you care less?' As much as Love wants to ask an honest question she can't bring herself to ask such a thing. She'd have to know Luna more, have Luna trust her more before she'd feel comfortable asking.

Love listens, sipping away at her coffee. "I think I understand, a tad presumptuous on my part. On the mission, I got to meet each of the elements, but they were in battle against mind control. I could never make a judgement call on their state of being. Their hearts. Their minds. They and we were tested. I know not the results. That mission and all of history could weigh on a pony. We survived with our injuries. I'm not sure how many times the squad could go through the wringer, however." Loves ears twitch at the sounds of twilight's project. A fellow class S inventor. Oh, what she'd pay to see what she's working on. "Things sound tough... I hope she can help her friends."

Love chuckles. "You are terribly beautiful. I best stop before I flatter you too much and make myself blush," she says blushing.

"There is no doubt in my mind how much good you princess do. No offense: Ponies seem different nowadays compared to how they were in books. Seems. I could never say for sure. It looks like things have changed. Things are more... complex. In this new world, I see you as the grounding that keeps things from getting worse. You are the good that draws people to the light. The positive force in times of unrest." Love chuckles. "Not too unchanging, though, MoonMistress." She smiles. "I understand the waves of change are heavy, battering away at the ground. The stress that must cause. How difficult it is to stand strong." Love tries to hold her hoof.

"It must be akin to a foal turning into a mare or stallion. Your little ponies are growing up, going through turmoil, and finding themselves. A parent can try to guide them, but it's a self-journey." A light bulb goes off in her head. "You should ask Princess Cadence! She has perhaps the most experience with being a parent of us all. I'm just a filly compared to her. A filly who is talking above her pay grade right now." She laughs. "Being a parent is hard. She'd surely have some good advice for you." Love looks proud of herself for thinking of her best answer - ask a better pony than her.

[Miltonian]

Luna scowls darkly, though not at Love. "Growing, aye, but headed straight into peril. All the evils that we sought to protect thee and thy kind from, thou art inventing for yourself. I pray thou never has to learn the meaning of the word 'genocide'."

She softens. "Cadence hath been an invaluable guide. But I fear that her advice works for individual foals, not for a nation. Foals know not a better way. Adult ponies do. Or they should. Yet some choose to do evil anyway. To hurt others and take what they will without regard for who they trample in the process." She sighs. "We knew thou had the capacity for it, but tis disheartening to see thee choose the path we told thee was wrong."

"Dost thou know the difference between a Queen and a Tyrant? Tis not blood nor birth. Tis whether or not a pony rules for her subjects or for herself. One born to be the heir can be a tyrant and a revolutionary who deposes her can be a true queen. I pray Equestria never knows a true tyrant. But I fear that hope may not come to pass. If we are deposed, I do not trust those who wouldst come after us."

[Elbeyon]

It was becoming very apparent, very quickly that Love was way out of her depth. She figured as much, but now she saw the cliff ahead of her and wonders how much more is above the clouds. She goes support mode, and nods along, engaging with Luna when it seems she needs reassurance. She can provide an ear she thinks, but council seems beyond her capabilities.

Love clicks her hooves together. A frustration about her, "Oh! I thought the metaphor might transfer over. Watching a child become independent. Watching a nation grow independent. The feelings might have been similar." Love, "hmpfs. I'm no politician. I'm realizing how powerless I am in this whole situation. I can rally my support behind you, but I'm not sure what else. My help in the military is almost inconsequential. I'm a inventor you know." Love 'shrugs' with her hooves. "I'm not asking for your support here. I wouldn't want to entangle you any further; however, no pony knows more than you what this kingdom needs. How ponies struggle. I can make things. I could try to make things that would help guide ponies on a better path. Only, I don't think I have the wisdom to do such a thing. Maybe, you could tell me what it is that ponies need to prevent their lanterns from going out?"

[Miltonian]

"Thou dost not need support," Luna says, "Thou hast done well on thine own."

She thinks for a long moment. "Power corrupts," she says, "For a long time, my sister and I alone held the reins of power. And then, my sister bored them herself when I...departed for a time. The nobles of those days attended tournaments, held banquets, and left the government to us. They had status, but little power. They were silly, sometimes annoying, but never insidious. But then, they began to grasp and plead for it, snapping up whatever scraps they could find." She sighed. "And with power came greed, pride, lust, envy, and all the other myriad of faults that plagued...well, that's a story for another time."

"I do not mean to claim these sins, for lack of a better word, existed not in times before now. But...it is hard to pin down. The innocence of ponykind seems to be disappearing. Stolen and taken away. I fear some outside influence, but know not where to look for it."

[Elbeyon]

Still in support mode, Love tries her best to be a good listener. She was sure she could learn a lot more about Luna's struggles; however, the unknown seemed a good point to change the conversation toward a lighter note. At the moment, Love flicks her hoofs down. "Bah! How foreshadowing. Here I invited you to a boat party and all I've managed to do is get you to talk about work!" Love shakes her head and refills Luna's cup. "Here!" She runs off to where she was sitting and starts hauling a more comfortable chair to Luna. "Why not relax a bit more, enjoy the wonderful night, and tell a more enjoyable story. I want a glimpse at history from your eyes is all." Love chuckles. Course the ageless creature has a few happy tales. "If you want, I'll go first? Or, we could just enjoy the night air together in silence?"

What do you think? The scene winding down? You want to do a couple posts about swapping stories or fade to black? Or, something else?

[Miltonian]

Luna nods and lets out a sigh. "I fear my mind is now fixed on sadder things. I can tell a tale, but I do not promise it will be happy."

Sorry, though I'd posted something here. Yeah, I think it's winding down a bit. However! I can give one story in Luna's voice if you'd like.

[Elbeyon]

Love pulls herself up to the table. The silence ever-present while she pours herself a cup and beings the process of sipping away at it. A long pause. She stumbles into her first couple words. "I'm digging real deep for this one. I don't usually talk about my past, not honestly. Not in-depth." She clears her throat. "I'll try to drag out the details."

"It was war." She waves her hoof through the air. "The high ground was filling the ranks with countless opposition. The low ground was nearly as bad. A pony could barely walk without tripping over another horrible mistake. The war chests were running dry. My mouth was full of cotton. The nerves, the heat getting to me." She pretends her mouth is all dry and pulls on her tongue. "Then, it hit me out of nowhere. I only needed one piece of armor to win. My black studded collar." She motions around her neck. "Eh, so, I put the competition pieces away and turned on the AC. I really let things get out of hand by waiting till the last-minute." Love smiles like she was some genius for obscuring the story for a few seconds.

"See, it was my birthday. My then girlfriend thought she was being all sneaky by inviting my father to our dinner together. See, I knew he was visiting Canterlot on business." She interrupts her own story. "I don't get to see my father that often. He lives in Griffonstone, always busy with work." She continues, "And, I knew exactly where we were going. Tasty Treat. I wasn't too subtle talking about the place. A big surprise, right?" She grins. "I always wanted to try the food there. It wasn't anything like I had at home, but the price was a touch high for our finances. It had to be a special occasion."

"I got the call and met her at the door. To my surprise! My dad was with her. Even though I was expecting as much the emotions hit pretty hard." She looks all embarrassed. "My father is always business, but I know he has a soft spot for me, cares real deep. Calls me Charro. Called me Little Charro way back when I was younger. He's stern, doesn't really know how to express himself. I could tell he was a little embarrassed at meeting me after such a long time. He had some energy in him trying to escape."

"We both got a ride there. The place was nice. The atmosphere was really welcoming. It almost had a home feeling to it. Not really my dad's sort of place, but it was exactly how I had hoped. We got our seats. I really should have expected this, but I got caught off guard. My dad had memorized the menu and knew exactly how to impress our wait. He never did like to be embarrassed. He is always prepared." Love smiles a little harder than she had been.

"The food was great, if expensive. I tried some type of spicy stew that burned as much as it was delicious. It took half the meal before my father even got comfortable." She laughs. "He was a real charmer that night. I bet you the staff could still pick him out even if he visited today." Love reaches into a pouch on her hip and pulls out her amino raccoon key chain. "He got me this as a birthday present." She offers it over. "It matches my pet raccoon back home". She smiles. "He hadn't seen my pet in years, but he knew how much my little fur ball mattered to me." She'll take the key chain back. "It was nice talking to him. It felt, it had been years. He was able to spend the full-time with us, except it was getting a little late and he left the restaurant by taxi to get back to his place. He must have worked months to get me that much time." She finishes off her coffee cup. "I love 'em. I should pay him a visit sometime." Love wipes the tears from her face. It was supposed to be a happy story, and it was happy. But, now she was missing her father. She pulls the little animo closer to her heart like it was some piece of her father.

May you suffer me telling a story. Mwhahaha! :smallamused::smallbiggrin:

Feel free to wrap things up in the next post with a matching story or a fade to black! Love wants to spend some time with Luna either way though. D:

[Miltonian]

Luna leans back. "The horrors of war," she says with a smile, "It is good that thou hast family. Thou shouldst visit again. I am certain he misses thee."

"Now...tis my turn to tell a tale."

She thinks for half a minute before speaking again. "I know the tale I will tell. Tis the tale of how I was born. There was a time," she says, "That horrible monsters walked the surface of the earth. Before my sister arrived, the land was full of such things. And when she did, there was much to do and many to fight. The Lich King of Anklepoint. The Cursed Crown. The Whispering Wilders. Sombra was tame in comparison to them. Tirek and his ilk. And then beings of power far greater than our own, such as Discord and Pan and the Bandersnatch and a nine-tailed fox named Akwensu, beings who came from another, parallel world. Thou wouldst call it Faeryland, but tis far darker and more terrible than it is described in the tales that colts and fillies read."

"Celestia came to bring order. Born of the Sun, she strove against creatures far more powerful than herself to set the world into its proper rhythms, as was her purpose. In those days, she was defeated many times, but when she fell she merely returned to the Sun to heal and recover her power. Yet when he enemies fell, they fell for good. Yet she did not know what friendship meant or what it meant to love. She lived only to fight chaos and bring order to anarchy. And forever and always, her main enemy was Discord, the King of Chaos, who sent his armies of twisted abominations to foil and despoil her efforts at every turn. Yet there were ponies back then too. At first, she did not notice them, they who hid in holes and caverns away from the monsters that stalked them. But as Celestia brought Order, they began to come out and sit in the sunlight, marveling at its beauty."

"But the day never lasted. And always they had to hide and flee. And so, they called out to Celestia and begged her to keep the sun in the sky that they would be safe from the worst terrors of the night. She ignored them, considering them beneath her notice. After all, she was a goddess and they merely dust before her." Luna sighs. "But then, there was a time when the monster known only as the Worm that Walks trapped her beneath the earth. Unable to return to the sun, she would have remained his prisoner forever if the ponies had not come to her rescue. Though she paid them no mind, they were willing to die for her. And so, the Solar Conqueror felt her heart warmed by the sacrifice of these creatures and wept over their fallen bodies. For they could not stand before the Worm and fell to his might and magic. Celestia fled, only able to save one dying mare from the Worm's grasp."

"For the first time in recorded history, an alicorn wept. Celestia felt her heart break free of the cage of black and white, order and chaos, that had contained it. She swore not just to bring order, but to protect those who sacrificed themselves for her. But she could not protect them during the night and told them so. So they gathered their most powerful mages and returned to her with an idea. If she would permit them, they would create another one like her to watch over them during the night. She did not believe it possible, but agreed. But their work succeeded. And thus, I was born. Their magic could not create life, but the dying mare that Celestia saved was tranformed, transfigured. Their magic bound her life to the moon. As long as it hangs in the sky, I shall remain."

She grins. "They originally hope that I wouldst become Celestia's lover, but my sister favored our current relationship, for the feelings of love and affection were new to her, and we hath never considered changing it." She boops Love on the nose. "Of course, this story could be one I made up just now to entertain thee."

[Elbeyon]

Luna leans back. "The horrors of war," she says with a smile, "It is good that thou hast family. Thou shouldst visit again. I am certain he misses thee."

[...]

She grins. "They originally hope that I wouldst become Celestia's lover, but my sister favored our current relationship, for the feelings of love and affection were new to her, and we hath never considered changing it." She boops Love on the nose. "Of course, this story could be one I made up just now to entertain thee."A smile for a smile. No, giggling or chuckles though. Love suddenly feels a need to work on her storytelling ability. A sudden curiosity about her parents father hits her as well. He's always so far away. When was the last time they've met in person or even talked?

Love lit up as soon as she mentioned it'd be a tale about her beginnings and never stopped, even when she says it may all be a lie. She was trying her hardest not to "fan" anymore and act like an ally or dare she say friend, but it was difficult. Celestia and Luna would make a great power couple (if they're not related.) Love speaks up with playfulness to her words, "Hey! That's not fair! I didn't lie about anything in my story, probably." She chuckles. "Always the entertainer? Would you like to hear about the time I discovered Equestria food? Or, the time I went sand surfing and almost got eaten by a giant worm? Maybe, a tale from my old guard days?" Love lists off a couple more story ideas while trying to get Luna in the mood for them.

I still want to do that Crow Lock side thread! :smallbiggrin:

[Miltonian]

Luna smiles and requests the first option. In turn, she tells Love a tale. And then Love tells one and so they trade, back and forth until the moon sets in the sky and leaves only the stars behind. At long last, Luna rises and stretches her wings. "Thank you," she says, "This night has been pleasant. And I am glad to make your acquaintance." She winks at Love so her guards cannot see. "Thy request is granted." Though she does not say which request that is, "Fare thee well."

She takes to the air, flanked by her two guards, and rises into the night sky. Love's eyes follow her until she vanishes into the night.