Nocturnality

Chapters

Stars
Night
Moonlight
Eclipse
Nightmare
Dream
Diurnality
Nocturnality
Crepuscularity
Shining Eyes
Loyalty
Royal Treatment
Messages and Chaos: Part I
Messages and Chaos: Part II
Paradiso Luna
Sunrise
Primus Lune
Darker Magicks
Lullaby From a Princess

Stars

{Today was my big day. I was going to Canterlot Castle! I mean, I've been there before, but now I was going to meet Lu- I mean, Princess Luna. I had to straighten myself up though. I had to be professional. It wasn't like I was going on a date. I wasn't even going to think about her that way. She was a princess, and I... I was just another student now, a learner of the stars and all night-time heavenly bodies. But I would be close to her. Maybe... no, stop those thoughts. I'll botch things up if I think like that.}

Let me introduce myself: my name is Novalis. I'm just an average unicorn, with average looks and above-average intelligence. My friends and quite a few mares say that I inherited the best of both my parents looks. My mane and tail are a slight powdery blue, with streaks of silver and black, the same as my mother's. I sighed as I looked in the mirror, noticing my mane was unkempt as usual. I picked up my comb, attempting to brush it into behaving. Growing frustrated with its characteristic stubbornness, I decided to gel my hooves. With the mane product glistening, I brushed my irritating mane back smoothly, finally taming it.

I looked down to check my coat for dust. I have a dark blue coat, the same color as the night sky, but with a strange white crescent on my chest, which I got from my father. It was emblazoned on my chest brightly, standing out starkly against my dark coat.

I have soft silvery hooves, which show when I actually bring my long and unsightly fetlock hairs up so they don't drag on the ground, like they were now. They shimmered slightly in the light, accentuating my dark coat. I looked back into the mirror, glancing at my odd horn as I did so. My horn was unlike my dark blue coat: it was a strange gold-flecked silver.

My eyes are the only thing I am proud of, although they were often the cause of malicious teasing, when I was a foal. They fluctuated between green, blue, pink, yellow, and teal, much like the Auroran Lights of the coldest reaches of Northern Equestria. Those lights were the favorite thing that Princess Luna had created close to home. I was told by my mother that my eyes started changing colors when I was a foal, unable to control my magic; my young eyes had absorbed a spell, and doctors didn't know if that would be permanent.

The last notable trait I had was my Cutie Mark which was a full moon, surrounded by stars, with a telescope cutting through it. I received my Cutie Mark on the day of my graduation from Astrology School, when I graduated with the highest grade in that class.

I had one major vice with my appearance right now, which was my utter and complete lack of fashion, which normally didn't bother me. Lu- I mean, Princess Luna was a fashion queen, and she always wore a perfect outfit to any occasion. I want to impress her, and right now I was trying to choose between a black suit I wore to funerals and weddings, or a grey suit I once wore a long time ago. That grey suit was one of my favorites, with an accentuating trim of gold flecked silver thread, much like my horn. The body of the suit was dark grey, and the lack of color helped bring my eyes out more. It was my favorite article of clothing, but I HAD worn it on a date. What if Lu- 'I MEAN PRINCESS LUNA!' knew that? Would she think I was coming on to her? Sighing, I ran my hoof through my mane again in agitation, causing it to become messy like it normally was. Panicking, I levitated my brush to myself, frantically straightening my hair. I was going to have to control my nervous habits in front of Princess Luna.

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I looked around my room. The comforting blue walls were decorated with pictures of the night sky, all taken from different parts of our world. I had enlarged the picture I had taken of the Auroran Lights, and had incorporated Princess Luna into the picture using magic to copy her from a picture I had from the day she had first touched my life. She was standing on a mountain in the picture, with her eyes closed and her mane and tail flowing back in the wind. Her wings were outstretched, and the look of peace on her face helped to calm me when I was distressed. Looking at her hanging over my bed, I fell into the trance I always did. My breathing slowed, my eyes became half-lidded, as I imagined that day once more.

Princess Luna was walking down the road, on an annual parade to honor her solstice, the longest night of the year. It was a night that was devoted to moonlit, romantic walks, soft music, candles, and stargazing. She had closed her eyes, enjoying the scents and sounds of the crowd around her. Each pony present had brought a different candle scent to try to capture her attention and earn a place next to her on the float that year. I had brought an unassuming scent: the soft fragrance of moon lilies. I wasn't trying to stand out. I just wanted one picture of her, one immaculate image using the camera my brother had gotten me for my birthday that day, and this was the perfect moment for it.

I had raised my camera, focusing on her, when I was jostled aside by the throng. I raised my camera, focused once more, and was delighted to see her in the same stance, and this time I took the picture. Almost immediately, the Night Guard was upon me, and I watched as black unicorns surrounded me on all sides and aimed their glowing horns at me. The Captain of the Guard, a renowned stallion with a reputation of severe punishments came forth to stand before me. He demanded that I hoof my camera over, saying I had no right to take any photos if I wasn't a reporter. I reluctantly levitated it into his hoof, and hung my head shamefully as he walked away. A single tear streaked down my cheek and fell with an audible sound to the ground. I was surprised, as I thought I had imagined hearing it, until I noticed the deathly quiet around me.

I warily raised my head, and I saw Princess Luna standing before her captain, whispering in his ear. He nodded to what she was saying, and hoofed my camera over to her. She took the most recent picture and held it before her as it developed. I winced, knowing the picture was likely an unflattering and ugly picture. Her eyes narrowed, then widened as she studied the photo. She took another couple pictures from the camera, pictures I had taken of the night sky earlier that night. She smiled at the pictures, and whispered to the captain once more. He nodded, gesturing towards me with his horn. My eyes widened as she walked over to me, levitated my candle up to her nostrils, and inhaled delicately. She smiled, her eyes half-lidded, and gave me the flower she had embedded in her hair, which to my shock was a moon lily.

I followed her back to her float, having received the honor that year of standing beside her. When I joined her on the stage, she levitated my camera around my neck, and returned all my photos to me, talking animatedly about how she loved them. She told me she thought I had captured her sky beautifully. She was impressed with the picture I had taken of her, telling me it had an air of tranquility within it, and she said I could keep all of them. I smiled nervously, and stole glances at her when she wasn't paying as much attention to me. She was stunning up close, wrecking my nerves with her gorgeous beauty.

The night eventually drew to a close, and my time allotted to be by her side was almost up. I was stepping down from her stage when she called me. I walked back, curious as to why she called me, and froze when she had asked me if I was interested in astrology. At that time, last year, I had more interest in photography than astrology, but I had said yes. She had been delighted, and her entire face lit up with joy. My heart began to beat faster, telling me that I was falling for her. She then offered to tutor me,which would allow me to take private lessons with her when she started teaching astronomy again this year. I promised to be there.

I have my Cutie Mark thanks to her. I had been a blank flank for so long, but shortly after my promise to her, I began to study Astronomy, star charts, heavenly bodies, and various other celestial phenomenon, eventually learning that not only did I love it, I was GOOD at it. I was excellent, really, astounding my teachers with my meteoric rise to knowledge. My Cutie Mark appeared the day I had graduated, much to my family's surprise and delight. We had a celebration that night, with festive partying, until a grey mailmare showed up with a letter for me. It was from Luna, congratulating me for my graduation, and asking me to show up on this date for my first class with her. My parents were excited for me, and my brother kept ribbing me, as I had already made the picture now hanging over my bed.

And now, here I was, trying to figure out what to wear. I decided I was going to take a chance, and wear my grey suit. I fitted my hooves through the sleeves, tightening and straightening the cloth over me. I recombed my mane and tail, straightening them so they didn't look so unkempt. Looking in the mirror, I criticized my appearance, wanting to add an accessory, but not knowing what. 'Ah, that will work.' I placed the moon lily I had preserved into my jacket, letting the delicate flower stick out of the pocket. 'Now I'm ready.' Today was a big day after all; I was going to Canterlot Castle! I took a breath, and stepped out of my door into the night, and into my destiny.

Night

{Tonight is beautiful. The night sky is clear, without a single cloud, and the stars are in pristine shining condition. I could even see The Aeternam, a constellation honoring the father of the princesses, who controlled time. The Eternal was revered, although not seen since his sleep cycle began over 6,000 years earlier. I looked for the constellation honoring their mother, The Caeli Continuum, but it was not visible tonight. She often disappeared when journeying through her domain far from Equestria, but it was still a disappointment for one of the two to be missing. The Aeternam only appeared every ten years, while The Caeli Continuum was sporadic and random. But when the two shone together... Such magnificent beauty...}

I averted my eyes from the night sky, checking the path before me. It wouldn't be the first time I stumbled into another pony while stargazing, in fact it was a running joke among my peers. I just couldn't stay still when staring at the vast expanse of stars, and I always found new angles to study them from. Speaking of studying... tonight was the night I was to spend with Lu- buck buck buck, PRINCESS LUNA, and I needed to focus on the studies, not my own rampant emotions. I knew my feelings, which was good, as I could prevent any surprise uprisings that might ruin our relationship. Tonight, I was student. The next night would be the same. And the night after that. I would always be her student, but at least I could be close to her.

I began to walk along my path once more, which was surprisingly light on traffic. Sure, it was dark already, but this was a main throughfare, usually teeming with large amounts of other ponies on romantic walks. Huh, I guess tonight seemed like a good night to stay inside. Humming lightly in my throat, I began to trot down the path, exercising my muscles. I made sure to keep my workout light, to prevent perspiration. It wouldn't do to appear before royalty sweaty and out of breath. Soon I saw the vast walls of the Canterlot Castle looming over the forest path, the white walls rising high into the sky, almost seeming to reach for the heavens from this angle. The door I was entering was a private entrance, used only by students of the teachers and servants, in order to keep more common ponies from disturbing the Princesses. Anyone with a request went through another door which led directly to the court hall, while supplies were airlifted by pegasi to the upper floors housing the kitchens. It was a strange design for a castle, but efficient as it let smoke from cooking vent easier.

I was almost at the door when it opened up, revealing two guards, a black unicorn and a white pegasus. The Night and Day Guard. I bowed respectfully to them, and reaching with my magic into my saddlebag I procured my letter granting passage into the castle. After skimming the letter twice, the guards moved aside to escort me to my destination. I walked between the two, who kept quiet, which allowed me to examine the castle's interior at my leisure. We passed through the Hero's Hall first, with its stained glass windows depicting scenes from Equestrian history. The first Fall of Discord was the second of the images, following after the Creation by Caeli and Aeternam. I studied the rendition of Princess Luna carefully, watching as she and her sister harnessed the Elements of Harmony to entomb Discord in stone. This marked the fall of Chaos, when ponies would kill each other without rhyme or reason, when the sun and stars would shine and disappear at a glance, and the time when life was difficult because of the lack of friendship between the pony races.

We continued through the hall somewhat slowly, soaking the images into our heads, and keeping hushed in the face of such hallowed scenes. We eventually passed into the Art Hall. This hall was filled with exquisite paintings from artists such as Pablo Ponisco, Ponytello, Jean Hay, and Poni-angelo. The ceiling itself was personally painted by Poni-angelo over 400 years ago, and yet still remained vibrant. After the painting showcase, we came to the musical anthology, featuring many great classical artists. I was reading the dates of the artists when I came upon a surprise. Two ponies at the end of the list, Octavia and DJ Pon3, were yet still alive. It was a prestigious title indeed to be alive when your name was transcribed on any art wall, and I was impressed.

We eventually made our way from the Art Hall, and turned onto a stairwell leading upwards towards the Princess' private quarters, where my lessons were to begin. Eventually I fell into remembering that night again, zoning into the night I first met Princess Luna.

<Princess Luna was in the regal pose once more, but it was different this time. I immediately noticed that instead of memory, I was in a daydream, imagining once more a different route to how the day could have went, if I was luckier.

Princess Luna had seen my photos and was walking towards me, smiling broadly at me, which in turn made my knees weak. Upon reaching me, she leaned down and I could feel her soft breath on my ear, causing it to flick in reflex. She was whispering to me, telling me how much she adored my picture I had taken of her, and the pictures I had taken of the sky. She told me to join her on the midnight blue stage she was currently being ferried on, giving me the moon lily from her mane to let all know I was chosen.

I followed behind her carefully, making sure to leave room in case she stopped, so I wouldn't bump into her. Her tail and mane billowed out in the wind, releasing a soft scent I could not at the time place, but which made my head swim dreamily. It took all my effort to avoid collapsing, and I almost ran into her when she stopped at the stairs in order to prepare climbing them. With great effort I shook my head, clearing my dizziness slightly. After Princess Luna had reached the top of the stage, I followed her up and took my honored place by her side.

Looking out over the crowd, I was surprised to see my mother waving joyously at me, with my father standing next to her with a proud look. My brother was shaking his head and laughing, making obscene gestures towards me, as he was one of the few who knew I was a bit infatuated with this particular alicorn. I shook my head at him, causing the mentioned Princess to swing her head towards me, scrutinizing me with curious eyes. I told her that I had something in my eye, and reached a hoof up to push an imaginary fleck of dust from my eye, giving me the cover necessary to glare at my brother. He simply laughed at me. Looking back to the Princess, I assured her I was fine, no need to be worried. She nodded, though she looked doubtful, and resumed waving to the crowd and speaking to her Captain by her side.

I looked out over the crowd again, avoiding the magnetic pull she seemed to have on my eyes when I was this close to her. Eventually the parade died down, ponies returned home to sleep, but she held me back. She asked to speak to me alone, which I was more than happy to oblige. She asked me of my history, my life, and I spoke of growing up with a dream to take pictures of the world. She asked me if I had any interest in star pictures, which I jokingly made a point of showing my earlier pictures that night, although she took my picture of her. I tried to get it back, out of desperation, but overshot my attempt, and knocked into Luna, surprising us both and ending with me on top of her, staring into her eyes. I leaned forward and...>

"Well, that is certainly an interesting daydream, Novalis. But I'm afraid that such thoughts would interfere with our lessons tonight."

I was jerked back to awareness by HER voice. Looking up in fear, I found Princess Luna staring dryly at me, a disapproving frown on her face. I immediately dropped to a bow, apologizing profusely.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me, please forgive me, your Highness."

"It is alright this time, Novalis, as long as you remember your place here tonight. We will begin your lessons when you have cooled your head. Oh, and for the record, that is a lovely suit. It really compliments your eyes, which are very strange, but not in a bad way."

I looked up as she returned into her bedroom, leaving me in the antechamber outside of it that I had no recollection of entering in the first place. I examined the room, as an attempt to calm my nerves. Apparently the rumors of her being able to dreamwalk, or read other ponies' dreams, were true. I shook my head, ashamed that our first meeting since that night started so badly. Looking around, I noticed the furniture was all made of sequoia, an ancient tree that didn't grow in many places, and was therefore very expensive. The room had light blue drapes over the windows, the same color as Princess Luna's mane when it wasn't energized. The east wall was covered with a massive bookcase, showcasing ancient tomes of the celestial heavens that were so rare they were likely not found outside this room. Her west wall was a great bay window, with the drapes held to the side to allow the perfect full moon's light to shine through. I had entered through the south wall, and the north wall was the wall leading to her bedroom. I patiently waited for about fifteen minutes before tentatively calling out.

"Princess Luna? I'm calm now, and ready to begin my class whenever you wish."

"Very well," she said as she emerged from the shadows of her room, "we will start with what you know of the moon."

Moonlight

I watched as Princess Luna walked into the room, and my eyes widened slightly. She had changed into a flowing gown of diaphanous silk, which hugged her body tightly. The silk was of a light silver, catching and reflecting the moonlight, sparkling incandescently. Starting at her throat, lines of gold flowed through until the end of the dress, studded at intervals with black onyx gemstones. The fabric around her chest and hips hugged to her body tightly, while it began to flow like water off of her hips. Her mane was held back by her tiara, flowing freely over the cloth on her back, while her tail was constantly molding the gown over it as it moved. Her wings were folded at her side, and I could see a strange accessory within her primary feathers. At evenly spaced areas were feathers of jet black, which upon closer inspection I could see were made of onyx, clipped to her wings to hold them in place. The entire effect set my heart racing, and I swallowed dryly as I attempted to speak.

"Ahem... Princess Lu-Luna... That is, oh how do I put this... It is rather distracting, and may interfere with my studying."

"And why should that be," she asked, looking at me. "This is my teaching gown, and I have never had problems with my students before."

Yeah, and I doubt any of them would voice their opinions out of fear. Royalty was highly respected, to the point of terror at the prospect of offending them. But since that night, that parade, I knew she was a kind princess, and wouldn't hold anything against her beloved little ponies. She valued her subjects, loving all in her shared domain equally. So with my assessment of her character, I opened my mouth to speak words that might ruin my life.

"Excuse me for being forward, Princess, but I believe that you would not likely hear any complaints from your students. Most of the ponies in this world revere you and your sister as goddesses, and with that they respect you greatly, yet also fear you."

She looked down at me in surprise. Apparently she had never given any thought to those implications.

"As such, they fear you may banish them, no matter how kind they think you to be. So most keep their mouths shut, but I want to learn your sky and all of its glorious wonders, without too much distraction."

Luna looked at me for a few moments, her expression unreadable. When she opened her mouth to speak, I winced inwardly. I hoped I didn't offend her too much.

"What if I decided to banish you for your words? Why would you speak these words, words which neither my sister nor I have ever heard directed towards us? Why aren't you afraid of punishment?"

"Because I respect both of you enough to let you know what I believe, even if you don't like it. I trust in your character enough to feel able to speak easily to you, with all respect accorded, but none of the unfair fears that hold other ponies back."

She closed her eyes for a few moments, and after a bit of silence, smiled as she opened her eyes once more.

"Very well, if this dress is distracting you, for whatever reasons, I will find something else. Pray tell, however, why it would distract you forcefully enough for you to mention it?"

I gulped. I didn't want to tell her I had a crush on her. I certainly didn't want to confess that I love her, really. So I opted for a different approach.

"Well, the material hugs your body very well. To be honest, I think anypony would find it difficult to concentrate around you when that gown is worn. You are a beautiful Princess, just like your sister, and I really feel that anything you might wear that further bolsters that natural beauty would end up distracting me."

She frowned slightly, as if disappointed in something I said, before shaking her head and heading back into her room. She emerged five minutes later, with only her tiara and her typical chest and leg adornments of wrought silver and onyx. Looking back to me, she reiterated her earlier statement.

"We will start with what you know of the moon."

Nodding, I launched into speaking my knowledge of her own celestial body. I spoke of the ebb and flow of the tidal currents, the reflective light of the sun on the other side of our world (she was surprised to learn that I knew our world was round, as most ponies disregarded that knowledge), and the fact that the moon was far closer to our world than the sun was. Although we had the technology of telescopes, looking at the sun through them was a bad idea, but I had invented a small spell to lower the sun's effects enough to glean that knowledge.

She was astonished to learn of my spell, asking me to recreate it for her so she could provide future students with that knowledge. I happily obliged to teaching her something new, knowing that spell would be more useful in her hooves than mine. Finally, she began to teach me more of how she controlled the moon. She told me of her ability to connect to the "soul" of the moon, manipulating it to keep it moving on its path. To a lesser extent, she could move stars, forming the many constellations within the sky, but it took great effort to do so, often leaving her unable to leave her room for long periods of time. She only did it when a heroic feat was accomplished, and only then if it literally saved the world.

After speaking of these wondrous abilities, we broke for a midnight lunch, courtesy of the night staffed kitchen workers. For the first few minutes, we munched lightly on daisy and sungrass sandwiches, and drank rogberry wine. The strange bluish purple wine was made from a berry found only where a timberwolf had died, and only if the wolf had died at the teeth of a manticore. This made me almost stop drinking it out of sheer rarity, but at my mentor's insistence, I at least finished my glass.

After our lunch, she led me out onto her balcony. Now I began receiving a more hands on lecture, as she guided my eyes through her telescope to study far away stars. Some of the stars were new to her, which shocked me, but she told me that there were always new stars. She further surprised me by telling me that most of the stars I was seeing now were dead stars. but that their light took almost four million years to reach Equestria. That bit of knowledge blew away every fantastical story of stars exploding or falling due to Princess Luna's wrath. I chuckled a bit, and when she asked me what was so funny, I told her about what people thought of dead stars. She laughed too, joking about not letting me leave (my heart skipped a beat) to tell the world. After our giggling subsided, she went on to tell me that nopony could breathe outside of a certain space above Equestria's surface, that eventually air stopped existing. I was puzzled at this, and was surprised to know that the air around me had weight, almost four tons of it floating above me, held to the planet by gravity. My head was starting to swim from this knowledge, and I swayed uneasily on my feet. Noticing my sudden lack of balance, Luna reached with a wing to steady me, which gave me a flashback to that day.

Shaking myself awake from the memories, I noticed I was on the couch in Luna's antechamber, while she stood over me with a wet cloth she had been using to wipe my forehead. Upon noticing me awake, she stood back to give me space to stand, which I did so awkwardly. Looking up at my mentor, I noticed a look of concern in her eyes, and suddenly I was afraid.

"Princess, is something wrong? I'm sorry for passing out during your lesson..."

"Novalis, when was the last time you had seen a doctor? You just woke up after two hours of having a 116 degree fever. I thought you were lost a couple of times there."

My eyes widened in shock. I had a fever of such high degree? I reached up to my forehead, and found that indeed my temperatures were skyrocketing. I looked to Princess Luna with fear in my eyes, and she rushed over to me as I fainted.

Eclipse

{Ugh, my head. I feel like a piano fell on me. And that incessant beeping, what is that?}

I opened my eyes, and let out a whimper as the glaring light stung my sensitized eyes. I tried again after a few moments, gingerly opening them to let my eyes get used to the bright lights. Looking around me, I noticed first that I was in a hospital bed. Hmm, Princess Luna must have brought me here after I fainted. I hope the night wasn't completely ruined. Eventually my wandering eyes found the source of the irritating bleeps, a monitor hooked up to me via cords and patches... A heart monitor? Really? I wasn't in that much danger, was I? The walls of the room I was in were a lime green, and I could see that the walls and tile floor were pristinely cleaned regularly. Almost everywhere I looked was shining and sparkly. Looking towards the door, I could make out a vague outline, and upon calling out the door opened slowly, admitting a sight for sore eyes.

Princess Luna walked slowly in the room, keeping her eyes on me the entire time, concern etched into her features. Underlying the concern was fear, which was disguised well enough to most ponies, but I was good at reading expressions, due to my perceptive vision. The fact that she was afraid chilled me to the bone, as I must have been really ill for her to be fearful. I fumbled with my words for a moment before finally asking what I wanted to know.

"What happened to me? Why are you so worried and scared?"

She seemed taken aback by my question, apparently not expecting me to see her fear, but she recovered quickly to answer me.

"The doctors are running blood tests right now. Rest assured, the doctors here in Canterlot are the best and brightest of our world, they'll fix you up quickly, so you can return to your studies."

So, I wasn't banned from her lessons, which was an amazing relief to me. I smiled at her, but the merest motion hurt my head, causing me to wince. I looked down at myself, noticing that I was covered in hives and blisters. I averted my eyes from my ruined body, pulling my blanket up to cover my unsightly form from her divine eyes. She raised an eyebrow at me, before proceeding to speak.

"Due to short staff problems, I'm afraid I've been delegated to helping you recover. I have some knowledge of healing ability, so I'm more than qualified. As such, please remove your cover, it's time to heal you."

I balked at this development. Princess Luna, healing me personally? That would fuel so many dreams. Doing my best to prevent an embarrassing blush from appearing on my cheeks, I shed my cover slowly, wincing at the widening of her eyes. She came over to my body, professionally surveying me before her horn started charging her magic. I felt her magic entering my body, causing a strange tingling in me. I could feel her presence entering me, which was different from most pony doctors. Looking at her, I could see her concentrating as she performed the task of bringing my fever down again. I could almost glimpse her thoughts, as I could feel her concern, her fear, and most surprisingly, her respect. She respected me?

After awhile, I could feel her presence slip from me, which left a hole in me, a void. I could feel a strange depression settling in, which unsettled me, as it showed how strong my feelings were. I was unnerved, thinking that I could previously keep my feelings in check, but my control was wavering the most when I spent time with her. To avoid an awkward situation, I assured her that I would be fine, ushering her out of the room. It pained me that she seemed to have a hurt expression on her face, but I couldn't risk losing to my carnal urges.

After awhile, the doctor came into my room. Dr. Needlepoint was very professional, speaking to me in archaic doctor terms. The only thing I really understood was that I was allergic to rogberries, and that the wine I drank was also tainted with a few bacterias. When I asked about Princess Luna, he assured me that as an alicorn, she was immune to most diseases that afflicted common ponyfolk. This information filled me with comfort, knowing that she would be OK. But it raised questions of her serving status. It would seem that her servants were less concerned with her guests' well-being.

I chatted with the doctor a few moments, and learned that I would be kept over a couple days. Just for stabilization, since I had been unconscious for a day. That news startled me, but he assured me it was only because of the allergic reaction coupled with the infection. He said I should be fine by tomorrow, and left me to sleep and recover.

After he left, I mused over the lack of staff security, eventually slipping into dreaming of Luna and how I could better serve her...

IF the quality is low, I apologize, as I am buzzed from some bourbon. I don't get drunk, but buzzed will lower some of my inhibitions and expectations.

Author's Note

A/N: Shout out to Tom Juraszek for choosing what happened to Novalis, and for how long. As such, now is the time to reveal that comments will be used via quality to decide a question to be asked. In other words, at certain parts of the story, there will be a private choice for me that I don't want to make. When that time comes, I will choose a reader, one who actively comments or privately messages me, to choose for me. Never will it be plot altering, just minor things, and you have 24 hours to make a decision. Sorry for rambling, this is the only time you have to deal with this... NOW! Onwards to GLORY!

Nightmare

I woke up with my heart in my throat. Looking around my darkened room, I began to calm down, but I knew I would need something to kill my dreams. Looking to my bedstand, I reached a hoof over and tapped my bell, ringing for some attention. Almost immediately my door opened, and in walked the object of my affections, but also the first source of my nightmare, Princess Luna. She had a disapproving expression on her face, causing me to visibly flinch in recollection. Noticing my body's reaction, her lips pursed together as she stood by my side. Asking me what I needed, I requested sleep aids, preferably a heavy enough dose to kill any dreams I might have. She procured them almost immediately, as if she knew what I would ask for, but before hoofing them over, she hesitated.

"Novalis, I saw your dream."

I sighed, knowing that she likely saw the entire night terror. I looked up, expecting a questioning glare, but saw the same disapproving stare from before, making me cringe into my bed. She exhaled a deep breath, her features slackening slightly, conforming to a more sympathetic expression. She hoofed me my requested pills, and as I was about to pop the red and black capsules, I felt her weight sink into the bed next to me. Her soft blue wing wrapped around me, comforting me as the pill began to take effect. I fell into a dark and dreamless sleep.

I tossed in my sleep, fitfully refusing that request. I couldn't have her poking in my head right now, even if that dream scared the buck out of me. I tried to communicate that this was a matter I would prefer to solve myself, and was relieved when she reluctantly withdrew from me. I breathed a mental and relieved sigh as I slipped into the black void of dreamless unconsciousness.

I awoke the next evening with a new warmth that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Looking around, I saw a blue blanket over my vision. Pulling it down with my hooves, I peeked my head out at my room. Tonight I should be out of the hospital and back into my lessons with- OH HOLY MOTHER OF CELESTIA WHAT IS PRINCESS LUNA DOINGSLEEPINGNEXTTOME?!

After settling down from my near heart attack, I looked down at the blanket in my hooves, which turned out to be one of her wings. It seemed like the position of it might be uncomfortable, but in order to straighten it out better I would need to duck back under it. Sighing at my predicament, I burrowed back under the feathery appendage, savoring the closeness, even though I knew that I was taking advantage of the situation. The warmth of her body, the soft rise and fall of her ribs as she breathed softly, the sweet scent of jasmine wafting from her fur; I was in my own paradise underneath her wing.

Eventually I felt a change in her, muscles that were lax before were tensing up, and her breathing was becoming stronger. Eventually she raised her wings as she stretched and yawned cutely. She blinked her eyes and looked around her until she saw me, at which she let out a small yelp, reflexively smacking me with a hoof and sending me flying. I hit the wall on the other side of the room, making the TV shake from the impact. With my head spinning, I could only vaguely make out some yelling about ruffians in the Royal Bed, which soon turned into apologetic cries when she calmed down a bit.

Luna lifted me up and set me gently on the bed. She fussed over me, especially the knot on my forehead. I laid back, unwilling in my dizzy state to try to fight off the ministrations of a princess, and I eventually fell into a trance as her sweet jasmine aroma wafted over and into me. Soon she had lessened the pain in my throbbing skull. I opened my eyes and gave a grateful smile, which helped soften the look of concern on her face.

I was interrupted in my appreciation of her presence by Dr. Needlepoint's entrance. He busied himself with needles, drawing a bit of blood to be fed into a device on his back, which spat out papers after a few moments. Reading the output data from this strange contraption, he determined that I was fit and sound to leave the hospital, although he dodged all the questions about the strange machine on his back. I shared a joyous look with Princess Luna before catching myself and reserving my emotions. After signing myself out of their health center, Princess Luna and I parted ways. I began to head home as she rushed back to the castle to catch up on some of her late work.

The path to my home was peaceful this morning, so my walk was enjoyed with relative silence, except for the occasional chirping bird or buzzing insect. I breathed deeply of the refreshing country air, taking in the scents of flowers and grass, which helped my mind relax. I allowed my eyes to roam the familiar countryside, although this late at night I couldn't make out much detail. If the moon was brighter, it would help clear the deep shadows hanging underneath the tree branches. Sighing, I continued down the path, occasionally catching glimpses of the stars above.

Eventually I made my way to my front doorstep, standing outside my home for the first time in almost four days. Opening the door, I called out to my parents, and received a shocked cry from the kitchen. Making my way through the living room, I shed my suit, hanging it on the rack next to our laundry room. I looked around the room, contentedly basking in the comfort of my familiar home. The comfortably used cotton covered sofa was facing the small TV set we used sometimes. My father's recliner was empty right now, so either he was out in the shed he used for wooden projects, or disastrously helping with dinner. I really hoped he was working on a bird house. Walking down the hallway I poked my head into my brother's room, where he was lounging with some music. As usual, his room was an absolute disaster, all I could really see were junk wrappers and his magenta bed. Giving a disappointed sigh, I continued into the kitchen, where my mother was cooking up some delicious smelling spaghetti.

I walked up to my mom and planted my forehooves around her neck in a hug. She turned and returned the loving gesture, before shooing me out of her kitchen. Even when she might be concerned about me, if I looked OK, I wasn't allowed in her kitchen while she cooked. As I was walking back to the living room, I heard a knocking on the front door. Wondering who in Celestia's name would show up at this time of night, I made my way to the door and opened it, only to find a very regal looking Princess Luna standing before me. Biting back a yelp of shock, I admitted her entrance to my abode.

Wiping her hooves on a hooftowel, my mother came into the living room to greet our guest, although upon seeing who it was, she fainted. I managed to catch her before she hit the ground, but it took a little while for her to come to. By the time she woke up from her place on the couch, my father had already come back into the house, and instantly set about setting a perfect table for Royalty. Princess Luna had tried to insist that there was no need, but good old dad was having none of it. After everything was set up, and my mom was awake, I fetched my brother from his room for dinner.

Finally, with the whole family sitting at the dinner table, we tried to eat in peace, but HER mere presence made that awkward. My dad decided to lessen the tension by introducing the rest of the family personally to the princess. Starting with himself, he began to talk about what he did. All attention was focused on the dark grey pony with the black mane and tail. I couldn't help but lose interest as I decided to study his crescent.

His name was Nutcracker. He found a talent for working with wooden toys when he repaired his own toys as a child. He got into a toy business around the time he got out of high school, when he showed his skills and earned his Cutie Mark. Unsurprisingly, his Mark was fit to his name. It was when he delivered a shipment of wooden toys to my mother that he found his love. When he went into describing his first look at his future wife, my mother was seen visibly blushing. He said that her bright blue coat with her powder blue mane and tail streaked with black and silver was the singular most stunning thing he had seen. He had taken a long time to ask her out though, as being an earth pony, he thought that the unicorn mare of his dreams might ignore his unmagical self. It took him two years to propose to Doll House, but he never had a regret for it. My mother decided to add to the story, saying that even without magic, he was worth the world to her.

The sappy romance of my parents made me and my brother gag, but Luna seemed strangely interested. Eventually the princess turned her attentions to my brother. He sighed as he began to relay his own short life experiences. His talent was rather strange. He was a unicorn with powerful illusion magics. His flank hardly ever showed his Mark, but with Princess Luna's insistence he released the magics that concealed it. His flank was adorned with a picture of a mirror, which puzzled Luna. He showed the reason for it as he began to perfectly copy the princess' appearance. After holding that image long enough for Luna to study him, he released it with a bored yawn. Red Haze wasn't sure what he wanted to do in his life, although we had suggested a guard position. Haze was a lazy pony though, he had no motivation.

After the introductions were done, we began digging into our dinner. Eventually Luna began to tell them what had happened to me, so I focused on eating. As usual, the spaghetti was delicious. My mother's blend of paprika and oregano full leaves helped give it a rich flavor, while the light cheese sprinkled over top gave it a chunky texture. The noodles were made with egg instead of wheat, to add a different take on the dish. As I chewed my supper, a thought occurred to me, making me ask Luna when my next lesson would be. She informed me that she expected me back tomorrow night, and to be prepared to catch up on lost work. Ouch, she could be a cruel taskmistress...

Dream

I was standing in front of Princess Luna's room, nervous about how much she would be making me work this night. Sure, I loved the night sky, adored it really, but I wasn't sure how that would change if I was suddenly forced to do a massive amount of work concerning it. I knocked lightly on her door, watching as the large, heavy oak door swung in, revealing her antechamber to be empty. I made myself comfortable on the couch, studying the room, trying to see if anything was new. And there was, a small black and silver orb was sitting on her desk, which caught the light and fractured it into a hazy aura. Intrigued by the strange object, I went to the desk to give it a closer inspection. Once I was closer I could feel power emanating from it, resonating in my horn, vibrating through my body in a not uncomfortable manner. Soon I began to hum, although I knew not why, and picked up the fascinating object. When I touched it however, my world exploded.

White light shot from the orb and enveloped me, crushing me into a snow white void. I could hear crying voices, gentle murmurs, and laughing. I could hear what sounded like prayers, beseeching the Princesses to help them, and I could hear thanks given to them as well. After awhile I realized I could focus on the voices, and even some I could recognize. Within this maelstrom of voices, I could make out the voice of my brother, low, and in pain. He wanted to be in the Royal Day Guard, to my surprise. But what really shocked me was his reason. He prayed to Celestia for guidance in his heart, for he loved her, much as I loved Luna. He wanted to be a guard, but not if it would cause problems between himself and Celestia. He was also afraid of his power, saying that his illusion magic made him feel like a changeling, and he felt no one would ever trust him.

I backed away from the orb on Princess Luna's desk, shaking from the overwhelming power of it. A noise from within the room caused my head to snap up, my eyes searching and finally focusing on the night princess. Luna was staring at me strangely, and came over to stand before me. I tried to drop into a bow, apologizing as I did so, but she caught me in her wings and lifted me, gently using her hoof to force me to look into her eyes. Staring into her beautiful blue eyes, I felt myself relax, as I saw no anger, no hatred, not even disappointment. No, rather, I saw surprise. As she set me on the ground, she told me that the orb I just had the pleasure of communing with was her half of a set of ancient orbs. Her sister owned the other one, and they allowed them to listen to their little ponies, allowing them to travel where they needed to do the most good. She also said that she was amazed I was still alive, though. The orbs chose who could listen to them, and of those who have without going insane, I was one of three. Shocked, I belatedly realized that she meant I was the only other one aside from the princesses who the orb had protected from the onslaught of prayers. Falling heavily onto my flank, she began to tell the story of the orbs.

Long ago, before the Elements of Harmony, the Orbs of Praying were created. They were made with the task of trying to help the creator's family, but she had put too much power into them. The orbs exhausted her magical reserves, and when she lay beside them, she tried to touch them, to make sure they worked. The orbs assaulted her, exhausting her further, eventually breaking her mind. When her family found her, they shunned and reviled the orbs, using their magic to send the orbs flying to different ends of the world. Jump ahead 500 years, to Discord's Reign. The world was in the grip of Chaos itself, and everyone was miserable. Celestia and Luna, the last two Alicorns of their race, had distanced themselves from the world, ashamed that even with all their power they could do nothing to help. On the run from Discord, they stumbled into a cave, finding the Orbs nestled within. With shaky hooves, each sister picked up a separate orb, the one that resembled themself. Luna had her black and silver orb, whilst Celestia had a white and gold one. The orbs soothed them, coursing revitalizing power into them, and shielding them from the prayers' assault. Listening to the voices within, the two young Alicorns made a pact, to bring the six top prayers into the world. Ponies across the land prayed that their neighbors would be more Honest. Some wished the shopkeepers to be more Generous. Friends were often in trouble because their friends weren't Kind. Spouses were heartbroken when their life mates weren't Loyal. They wanted more Laughter in the world. They wanted the world to be Magical. Focusing all their might together, the Princesses forged the Elements of Harmony into existence, drawing upon the purest energies in the world, and beseeching the ancient world spirits embodying the different qualities. The Spirits, in turn, engraved themselves willingly into the Elements, focusing more power within them, creating the tools necessary to end the rule of Chaos.

I looked in pure amazement as Luna finished the tale of the Elements. Many knew of their powers, and what they've done, but few ever asked where they came from. To know that the orb I just touched was the key to making the princesses stand and fight was mind boggling. Luna was facing away from me, and refused to look at me after she concluded her story. I walked up to her, inquiring after her, and received a response that shocked me. Luna was ashamed. Both her and her sister were ashamed that they had not fought from the beginning, had run away while others suffered. They were afraid that anyone who knew would hate them. But most of all, they hated themselves for continuing to let themselves rule over us, knowing they didn't deserve it.

I was very negative towards this idea, as you could imagine. They had done so much for all of us, helping us establish order, rescuing us when they could still have ignored us, and raising the sun and moon to give us our much needed day and night. Without the constant cycle, our crops would never grow, without their wisdom, we would all fight and bicker, without THEM, WE WOULD BE LOST!

Luna looked at me when I vented, her eyes wide. I told her how much the ponies of Equestria absolutely adored her and her sister, how much they meant to us, how much they were a part of our lives. We needed them, and nothing would change that. They may have fled in the beginning, but since the fall of Discord, they have steadfastly defended Equestria from outsiders. They helped us rebuild our lives. They WERE our lives. After my tirade, I calmed down enough to realize I had been shouting at a Princess, and I looked to her fearfully.

But instead of anger, I saw joy on her face. Before I knew what was happening, she had rushed over to me, lifting me into a crushing hug. To my surprise, I could feel wetness on my shoulder. She was crying on my shoulder?! In my ear she was whispering thanks to me, thanking me for forgiving and accepting her. I was speechless. There was no class in the world to tell me what to do with a crying, yet happy, princess.

After awhile she calmed down, and released me. Wiping away her tears, she asked me the single most life changing question I had ever been asked. She asked me to be her advisor. Her most trusted advisor. A position in the government that would allow me to be by her side whenever she needed me, a liaison between herself and the more common pony. Her voice in council when she was away.

Of course I said yes.....

Diurnality

"Novalis, Celestia wants to meet you."

And that is how I ended up here, alone. The second of the Diarchs in Equestria was standing before me, an unreadable look upon her royal features. Her white coat gleamed in the sunlight, which streamed through the high windows within her courtroom. Shafts of light illuminated her armor, glittering and glinting in a subtly dazzling display. The light refracted off the white stone, making it seem almost as if the light danced in her sanctum. Empty of all other ponies, the large white room was quite intimidating, having no furniture aside from her mahogany throne. Her lustrous pastel mane and tail billowed behind her as she slowly began to walk towards me, scrutinizing me with her magenta eyes, full of weight and power. This was the princess who handled judgment of crime and wrongdoing in the world. Her authority, was absolute.

I was nervous, to say the least. Luna assured me that I wasn't going to be punished, but the stare I was receiving right now was oppressive and suffocating. I felt as if all my past sins, even ones I was imagining on the spot, were laid bare before her almighty gaze. She finally came to a stop before me, staring down at me, at which point I literally began to cower before her. Her expression changed slightly, a look of discomfort fleeting across her features before vanishing within the mask she wore. Though at first this was something I ignored, it began to eat at me the longer we stayed like this, until I spoke up.

"Your Highness, if I may, you called me here to speak to me, yet you have been most intimidating. I would like to have... a good conversation?"

The change that came over her features was instantaneous. First came shock, then confusion, then joy. She came to me and enveloped me in a hug, laughing and talking quickly. I couldn't make out much, aside from her happiness that Luna spoke true of me. Apparently my gift for being unable to keep my mouth shut was handy around royalty. Eventually she calmed down enough to speak normally, and release me from her crushing embrace. She began her story simply, without much emphasis or emotion in her voice, but her face spoke volumes.

She told of the time before Discord, when she and her sister roamed far and wide to avoid his clutches. When I asked of his interest in them, she divulged a secret to me. Discord wasn't after both of them, not at first. He was a creation of their father, who had shaped Discord into being to balance the world. Celestia had been betrothed to him, but could not find it within herself to love the creature he had become. As chaos was who he was, his shape had warped and twisted itself, creating the vile and monstrous visage everyone came to know. As she could not love him, he gave into insanity, using his formidable powers to try to coerce her into his marriage. Soon after fleeing his grasp, spies began to report to her that he was now quite deranged, believing to have both sisters to himself. Soon after Luna joined her in exile, and they spent the greater part of two centuries trying to find a way to vanquish him.

When they finally fashioned the Elements of Harmony, they returned to Equestria for their final stand. They were haggard and tired of fleeing, ready to fight or fall. Discord was unrecognizable, his madness consuming his once playful nature and twisting him into a cruel fiend bent on torturing anypony he saw. When they arrived before him he had been encasing ponies in a realm of reality where their every move would trigger a catastrophe, but standing still would allow lava to reach them. While the horrors unleashed by moving never touched them, their fear paralyzed them, leaving them defenseless until Luna and Celestia interrupted him.

Turning slowly to face them, his face at first showed a sick joy until he saw the Elements upon their necks. As he was a Spirit of the world, he recognized the ensorcelled Spirits of Harmony, and his face twisted in rage and scorn. His laughter echoing from his mouth, he began to conjure his reality warping abilities. The castle around them began to melt, and the stone puddles began to coalesce into golems. The golems were strong and slow, with the only intent of capturing the two alicorns trespassing on Discord's territory. While they battled the stone amalgamations, Discord sat upon his throne, cackling and teasing the two mares. Sensing his greatest weakness, arrogance, within him, the two allowed themselves to be captured. Commanding the golems to bring the two before him, he began to give a speech about his vision of the world. He closed his eyes, laying for them a picture of absolute anarchy, where ponies were never able to find peace, where they would suffer as he did. When he raised his arm at a particularly vile dream of his, they had enough. They charged the magic within the Elements, sending their power directly into Discord. But the aim of each mare was different. Luna wanted to vanquish and destroy him, but Celestia wanted to imprison and rehabilitate him. The conflicting ideals joined together with the will of the Elements, encasing Discord in living stone, where he remained to this day.

As she finished her tale I felt conflicting emotions. I had grown up with the story of Discord, but there was never background to it. Everyone merely thought he was a monster, borne from pony nightmares and given life by their fears. To know that he was once merely a creature in love shed new light on the subject. I looked to Celestia, and found tears running from her eyes. I spoke softly, alerting her to the wetness on her face, which she rubbed away with an awkward smile. Talking gently, I asked her if she felt anything towards him. She didn't know. She had given much thought to him over the millenia, and at times she felt the revulsion of her youth, but at other times she knew it was immature to base her opinion on appearance alone. She knew him when he was young, when he was merely mischievous and playful. He never hurt anything with his pranks as a child, but she never saw his love until much later.

Thinking back to the night when I touched the orb, I remembered my brother's prayer. I hadn't spoken to him of it, and now I had no idea what to say to her. I had planned on mentioning him to her, in passing, but I wasn't about to play matchmaker to a mare in confusion, especially when the mare was a princess and the one likely to be heartbroken was my brother. I decided to play it safe, for the time being, and asked her to speak more of herself.

She spoke of her father and mother, whom she knew, but Luna never had. Luna was born and left on Equestria after The Aeternam had gone into sleep, and was two thousand years younger than Celestia. The Aeternam was wise beyond belief, but his wisdom was enigmatic to anypony younger, especially his daughter. Caeli was detached, travelling space to try to find something in the void to fill her own void. Being raised more by her father gave Celestia greater wisdom of the world, but she raised Luna as she had wished to be raised by Caeli, with nurturing love. Because of the lack of motherly love, Celestia had grown accustomed to wearing a mask around most, which was why so many seemed to fear her. She was grateful to me for speaking to her normally. She even told me she was glad to have this... good conversation.

I left her courtroom feeling burdened by my new knowledge of the world. I wracked my brain, trying to find a way to help my brother, losing myself in my thoughts and almost missing my class with Luna. When I realized the time, I galloped to her antechamber, where I found her in the most stunning outfit I had ever seen grace anypony.

Nocturnality

"I have decided to send you on an errand my sister requested of me, in my stead."

Hubbageebrixagrushmah?!

"Novalis! Are you listening to me?"

Dumbly, I nodded my head. I was listening, but not paying attention. Does that count? I didn't care. I was entranced by her dress. Dark purple velvet, luxuriously soft, ran down her chest and lithe body, dissolving into a black satin skirt by her flank. It was held to her body with crisscrossing straps on her back, allowing her wings room to be free. The straps crossed her back until they were nearly at her tail, at which point the two sides of the dress converged into a v shape which met the skirt. Two straps over her shoulders held it snug over her heart, and it left her forelegs bare. The satin skirt flowed due to the lustrous tail it hid underneath, billowing in a way only the Royal Sisters could obtain. Braided into her hair were strands of silver silk, which were all connected to her tiara. The effect was flowing streamers of silk through the night sky, or at least that's how my numb mind interpreted it. On her right foreleg was a bracelet of intercrossing bands of white gold, traveling from just above her hoof to her knee. Finally, to complete her outfit this evening was a necklace. A beautiful necklace. Thin silver chain. Large gold pendant with a sapphire the size of her eye. Glinting. Shiiiinyyyyy.....

"Novalis! At attention in my class!"

Her voice, coupled with a loud clapping noise, shook my attentions to her face and cleared my mind more effectively than my mother's voice waking me up on a schoolday. She looked smugly at me as I remembered where I was and guiltily dropped my gaze to her floor. Which was immaculate, by the way, so shiny and reflective. Shiny...

"Nooovaaalisss... Waaaake uuuup... My, where is your mind today?"

I shook myself again, trying to clear the last vestiges of stunned amazement from my mind. Here I was, at class, and I was moonstruck(hmm, interesting word choice, brain) by Princess Luna's dress again. I think I have a thing for fashion all of a sudden. I looked from the floor at met her deep turquoise gaze, doing my best to remain professional and reclaim my mind.

"Let me guess. The dress is too much, yet again?"

I almost nodded, but she sighed at the end of her statement. I looked at her and noticed that she seemed disappointed, and for the first time in my life, I lied. I shook my head. I told her that I was merely tired, having been up all night before studying, and all day today meeting her sister. She seemed to perk up a little bit, bringing her gaze back to meet mine. She gave a small smile, then turned to her balcony door, vanishing through it with naught but a whisper of fabric. I followed her outside, pausing at the doorway in amazement.

The sky that night was astonishing. The various stars gleamed brightly, and the moon seemed very large. I could even make out stars and nebulas the naked eyes usually could not. Looking over to Princess Luna, I saw her busying herself setting up her telescope, humming softly as she worked. She was always so happy during these sessions, seeming to be vibrantly alive when teaching. As she busied herself with setting everything up, I leaned my head back, opened my clasps with my mouth, and reached into my saddlebags for my own things.

Using magic I levitated my quill, parchment, and books out, and reclosed the bags with my teeth. I set everything up in front of me, and began to write.

June 17th

Princess Celestia Year, 9

Novalis Shiningeye

The night for this class is bright. The moon is approximately twice its normal size. Several galaxies normally invisible to the naked eye are within sight. Everything is bright and clear, so airborne molecules tonight are low. Tonight's class will be on further than normal galaxies, which are normally hard to see even with our telescopes, which would account for the closeness of the view. My notes on this night are as follows:

After writing the introduction to my notes, I patiently waited until Princess Luna had finished getting the telescope ready and called me over. I joined her in gazing through the telescopes, listening as she named each new star I saw. I periodically returned to my notes to write down their names, along with any notable features. One star in particular caught my interest. Helios, the last star for the night.

Helios, our final topic of the night. It is the central point of its solar system, and the eight planets surrounding it orbit it, unlike our own Sun. What is most strange is the third planet orbiting it on an elliptical path. This planet seems capable of supporting life. In fact, not only is it capable, it DOES harbor life. Whether or not that life is intelligent is unknown to Princess Luna, but she does know that it is populated dominantly by a race of bipedal creatures resembling primates, although hairless. She and Celestia have both tried contacting the planet, albeit with disastrous results. The magic Luna used over 3,000 years ago caused twelve magical catastrophes, scaring the inhabitants of a large desert country, which subsequently caused a migration of sorts. Celestia also attempted, also with poor results. Nearly a thousand years later, she tried to instill good magic onto the planet, but it all magnetized to one of the hairless apes. It gave him incredible magical skill, even allowing him to ressurect the dead, but the others seemed to grow afraid, nailing him to a piece of wood crossed with another. After these failed communication attempts, Celestia and Luna withdrew from contact.

PS: I should mention this star to Lyra, she always was fascinated by primate hands.

After recording all of my notes, and taking her nightly test, I packed my things to leave. Just before saying good night to her, however, she asked me to wait.

"I told you earlier that I would be sending you on an errand."

She did? Oh... yeah... oops.

"As you know, the Summer Solstice is quickly approaching. The day my sister visits the nearby town of Ponyville to raise the sun. She is sending her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, to Ponyville to oversee the preparations. This is a lot of work for one pony, even Miss Sparkle. So my sister asked me to go. My schedule is unfortunately busy, but seeing as you are my proxy, I will be sending you in my stead. You will accompany Miss Sparkle to Ponyville, and cooperate with her in setting up. Maybe you can make some friends while you're at it."

Friends? Oh no... Last time I tried to make friends I got into a fight over my eyes. Ponies were a little intolerant of differences at young ages. I learned that the hard way. But this was a request by Princess Luna, I would not turn it down. I would go to Ponyville, set up the celebration, and get back to Canterlot as soon as possible. I didn't need to make friends along the way.

I did find it interesting that I, personal student of Princess Luna, and Twilight Sparkle, the renowned magical prodigy, and personal student of Princess Celestia, would both be overseeing this project. Twilight and I had both gone to the same University, and although we studied different majors, mine being Astronomy and hers being Magic, we often shared some courses. She was like me, in a way, always studying, hardly ever making any friends. This was a mare I don't think I'd mind working with.

I nodded my acceptance of my mission, and bidding her farewell, I returned to my home to get ready for my trip to Ponyville.

Oh... joy...

Author's Note

A/N: Somewhat of a shoutout to DragonBornIdentity for the dress, the choice I gave him/her was a triple choice. Sexy, simple, elegant. He/she said all three.

A/N2: Also, now you have a basic time setting for this story, oh joy! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and brohoof on y'all!

Crepuscularity

Alright, today it begins. My checklist is made already.

[ ] Get to the carriage that will take myself and Miss Sparkle to Ponyville

[ ] Introduce myself cordially to Miss Sparkle and explain my presence, to forego any grey areas to our

arrangement.

[ ] Board the carriage and arrive in Ponyville.

[ ] Meet up with the various ponies in charge of different tasks, and oversee their work.

[ ] Attend the festivities, and keep to myself to avoid disputes over my eyes.

[ ] Return to Canterlot, and attend my classes once more.

[ ] OPTIONAL(but highly recommended) Avoid making friends.

I checked my bedside clock, and noticed immediately I was late. My carriage was to leave at 9:30 am, and I was bordering 9 am already. I shot out of bed and grabbed my saddlebags, glad I had packed last night. I dashed out of the door with barely a farewell to my family, and galloped to the carriage pickup location. Everything was a blur as I ran past shopping stands and other ponies along the way, thankfully not hurting anyone or myself.

I arrived with five minutes to spare (check), and immediately noticed Twilight Sparkle looking around agitatedly. No doubt looking for me. I trotted up to her and introduced myself (check), and apologized for my tardiness. She laughed nervously, mentioning my frequent tardiness in school, which we both chuckled about as we boarded the carriage (check) and began our long flight to Ponyville.

As we got comfortable, Twilight looked over at me with curiosity. Raising an eyebrow, I asked her to elaborate on her staring.

"Well, you have interesting eyes. I had heard about them, but we had never teamed up on projects, so I never got a chance to look at them. They are quite pretty."

"Glad you think so, Miss Sparkle, but I'm afraid not everypony would agree with you. I seem to often find myself on the short end of a group beating because of them."

"That's so terrible! Ponies really ought to learn how to behave. If only they read the book I did on behaving, which..."

My brain zoned out at this point. The stories of this mare seemed true, when she got started about what she read she could go on for awhile. Luckily I managed to bring my attentions in focus at the right time.

"... And furthermore, just because you're different doesn't mean you should be picked on, don't you agree?"

"I do indeed, dear heart. But then again, I'm usually the one being picked on. It seems to be a power game, of which I am poorly lacking."

She huffed and sat back, staring moodily at the book she had been quoting. Apparently she had brought nothing else, I noticed in surprise, as her bags were overflowing with books. I silently admired her collection, and envied it. My parents thought toys were what I had needed as a child, when all I had wanted were books.

"Excuse me, Miss Sparkle, but are each of these books your own property?"

"Well... yes..."

I could sense hesitation in her voice, and looked over to her. She wore a look of which I knew well, the fear of being ridiculed. So this was her vice. Come to think of it, anytime I heard about Twilight Sparkle, she was always described as a self important snob with her nose always in a book, with no time for anypony. Admirable, that she could so easily keep her attentions in a book with all the, shall we say less intelligent, members of our classes. I nudged her gently with my forehoof, and when she looked up at me I offered as gentle a smile as I could.

"Well, dear heart, these books are quite the collection. I have a penchant for reading as well, but my family of toymakers never quite got around to book collecting, I'm afraid. May I borrow a book for the long flight?"

She nodded enthusiastically as she began to rummage through her saddlebags. I noticed one of the bags seemed to be moving, and carefully levitated it open, only to find a baby dragon inside?! When I inquired about it, she laughed and said that without his basket, Spike (he has a name?), liked to sleep in this bag, because it never shut too much to suffocate him. As we talked about him, he snorted once in his sleep, a green tongue of flame breezing out of the window, and rolled over, mumbling for five more minutes. I chuckled slightly. I remembered that a test for magic majors was the hatching of a dragon, phoenix, or sea serpent, but had never actually thought they kept them.

Twilight finally found a good book for me to read, an astrology book I had yet to read, and I set to it with contentment. Twilight herself pulled a large tome about The Elements of Harmony, and quickly became engrossed within it. After reading quietly for a few minutes, punctuated only by occasional birds passing by and chirping, Twilight let out a gasp. Looking up from my book, I noticed she had a look of concern and was reading over notes she had been taking. After inquiring her, she told me that some previous signs in our world pointed towards an ancient prophecy she had just read. After I asked her to show me, she presented the book to me, on a page explaining the imminent revival of Discord. Not once, but twice. It said he would be weak the first time, but even weakened, he could only be banished by the Elements. I scoffed lightly, telling her not to put her not to worry, before she pointed out a star chart, asking me if this would be happening anytime soon. Looking at it, I immediately recognized it. It showed an extremely rare phenomenon, an alignment of the stars I had only just learned from Luna's latest class. This would be the night when Helios would be closest to our own far drifting planet, and Earth would be barely visible in the sky. Apparently the book foretold that a strange energy from space, rife with chaos and destruction, would reawaken Discord.

It said that with the right alignments of the stars, and the proximity to Earth, this negative and tainted energy would reach Discord, giving him access to his old powers, allowing him to undo the age old enchantments placed upon him. He would break his seal, causing chaos and malicious events with a whim, tormenting all ponies to the edge of sanity. It foretold that the Princesses would be unable to help, having lost the mystical connection to the Elements after exhausting their power on him the first time.

Finally, the worst part, this night would be on the night of the Summer Solstice. Our preparations would be interrupted by Discord if this prophecy would come true. Impossible. The only way Earth could possibly cause this, according to Celestia's description of him, would be if the bipedal creatures on it waged ceaseless wars. I doubt any race of intelligent beings would kill themselves so senselessly, and any non intelligent creatures wouldn't know how. I laughed it off lightly when I told Twilight my thoughts, but she remained concerned, returning to her book and frowning. I left her alone and returned to my own book, but in the back of my mind the prophecy nagged me ceaselessly.

Author's Note

A/N: So, I changed the Celestia Chapter's name to kind of fit in with this chapter and the last one. Hope y'all don't mind. Brohoof, and thanks for reading. Enjoy.

A/N2: Stupid library... This chapter was supposed to be out on Saturday, August 4th. However, due to a reservation on the computer, my time was cut short. I apologize to anyone expecting it Saturday.

Shining Eyes

Twilight Sparkle and I arrived in Ponyville five minutes early. We spent a few minutes getting used to being on the ground once more, marvelling at the small town. Twilight had Spike on her back, allowing him to wake up without pushing him to walk too much. Their relationship seemed to be a sibling bond, with her being the older sister. Cute. The buildings were small, quaint structures with gingerbread trim. A large building near the town center seemed to be made of cakes and pastries, with a sign proclaiming Sugarcube Corner. We passed by a building that resembled a small castle, elegant and whimsical in its construction. This building seemed to also be a business, as it had a sign calling itself Carousel Boutique. The last major building that caught our eye was a building built right into an immense tree. No, that wasn't quite right. It would be more accurate to say the tree was the building. This building caught Twilight's eyes immediately, for the sign hanging over its door simply said Library. I had to clap my hooves together in front of her face to get her attention back to our task.

Blinking her eyes back into focus, she pulled a large checklist from her saddlebag. Impressive, I think this mare is even more prepared than myself. After looking over her list carefully, she proclaimed it to be too much work if we stuck together. Pulling a quill and inkbottle from her list along with a large piece of parchment, she began to copy part of her list, perusing it twice before giving me the new list. Looking down at it, I was surprised to see she had copied a comprehensive map of Ponyville, along with markers that moved, showing where I could find some ponies. Underneath this magical map, she had given me each pony's duties, so that I could quickly and efficiently check their work. I thanked her for her efforts before packing the map into my saddlebags.

Before parting our ways, however, a bubblegum pink mare bumped into us. After picking herself off the ground, she looked at each of us, stopping when she saw my eyes. She let out a loud gasp, and faster than my eyes could follow she had dashed away. Great, not even thirty minutes in town and my strange eyes had sent a pony running for the hills. How rude. Twilight looked at her list and in the direction the mare had run off, shrugged, and told me to get started. I nodded, drily commenting that I hoped my eyes didn't have that effect on the ponies I was to meet. She assured me that I would be fine, perhaps that pony was the town loony.

So, here I was, making my way to my first charge. Twilight was handling the fanfare music, and tasked me with talking to the party DJ who would be in charge of the after hours music. I walked up to the entrance of her home, a large light blue building with magenta trim. I knocked on the door, my trepidation building as I imagined her opening the door, seeing me, and slamming it in my face. What happened was quite surprising. The door was opened by a white unicorn mare with a shock of electric blue mane, wearing sunglasses. She took one look at me, appraising me, before she reached my eyes. A large grin broke out on her face before she enthusiastically grabbed my hoof and started pumping it up and down.

"You have got to be the most radical customer I've ever seen! Those eyes are seriously sweet man, are they natural?"

"Umm, yes, Miss DJ, they are indeed natural."

"Oh geeze, lighten up man, you're not at Octavia's place now. I'm Vinyl Scratch, stage name DJ Pon-3, that 'ee' is a three. Welcome to my home, I do all sorts of parties, although I am booked for tomorrow night."

"Actually, that's the reason I'm here, Miss Scratch. I-"

"Hey buster! I just told you you're not at a fancy pants Canterlot home here, now drop the Miss!"

"Err... Fine. I'm here about tomorrow night. I have come on the Princesses' orders to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Festival. I am merely here to check your progress."

"Oh, why didn't ya say so earlier. Come in, come in, I have been working on this sample all day, you can be the first to tell me how it sounds."

I followed her into her home, noticing immediately the abundance of electronic gear she had hooked up. Everywhere I looked there was something new. DJ booths with different discs set up, lights of all shapes, sizes, and colors on her ceiling, various hoofheld lights and even sparkling outfits with miniature lights set right into the fabric. I also saw large collections of vinyl discs for scratch recording. Impressive, but slightly strange. The only music I'd ever heard before was the sing alongs at my dad's workplace and the various classical pieces that could be heard during parties in Canterlot.

She led me into one of the rooms that would normally be used as a bedroom, where the centerpiece was a large booth with at least seven discs being set up. Heh, having magic was useful, I doubt a pegasus or earth pony could achieve this impressive machine. She motioned for me to take a seat on a cushion she placed on the floor as she walked up and behind the booth. Once she had stood up, she gave a loud whoop and began to play her song.

It was loud, it was fast, it was... unexpected. The piece wasn't as overly uncouth or unsophisticated as I had expected. Sure, it wasn't slow and melodious like Canterlot, but it did seem to suit the sun Princess. When she finished, I clapped my hooves together, telling her that I liked it. But... some changes would need to be made. Some of the song seemed unnecessary, and some was just strange. I pointed out my opinions to her, and she actually agreed with me. After reworking the song a couple times, changing it up and rearranging, we both were quite pleased with the result.

After perfecting the song, she offered me something to drink. I politely declined, although my unintentional slip up and calling her Miss again made her threaten to bludgeon me if I didn't take the drink. I decided for my health and future prospects at children to take the drink. As we were sipping on her wonderfully sweetened homemade lemonade, the conversation ended up including my eyes. She asked me if I had been bullied over them in the past. I told her I had, and she seemed to get angry. She started raving about the fact that it wasn't our choice to be born with different eyes, that we weren't monsters just because we were different. When I questioned her on her use of 'we', she slowly took off her sunglasses. She stood in front of me with her eyes closed, trembling slightly as she slowly opened them, revealing a pair of beautiful crimson eyes. After a few moments of staring, she laughed nervously and told me I had broken the record for not running away screaming about vamponies.

I told her that anyone screaming about vamponies could go buck a boulder up a hill, and that got her back to her normal self. She pounded me on the back and proclaimed us to be great friends. Oh... crap...

Author's Note

A/N: Hey all y'all, hope ya liked this chapter. I added a song into it for fun. Brohoof on y'all, have a great day.

Loyalty

"Say, how would you like a pair of shades for your eyes? I honestly wouldn't want to hide them, but I know how folks around here can be."

"Well, Mi- err, Vinyl, that would be appreciated. I already had one pony run away from me today."

"Really? Do you know who it was?"

"Well, she was pink, very vibrantly... pink. She took one look at me and my partner, and dashed off without a word."

"Oh, you must be talking about Pinkie Pie. I wouldn't worry about her so much. She has this thing with new ponies in town. She absolutely has to throw them a party."

Oh great. A party. A social event likely involving members of this society I haven't met yet.

"Wait a minute. I've seen your name before. You're on a plaque in Canterlot's Castle. I probably would have said so earlier, but my mind is busy making sure things go well for the Princess."

"Oh yea, I was interviewed one day. Busybody bugger too, wouldn't let me just chill out and make my music, he had to keep asking questions."

"Well, it's an honor to meet you in person. But I must excuse myself now, as I still have other preparations to check on."

Vinyl nodded as she led me back to the front of her home, stopping only once to levitate a pair of sunglasses from a table in the hallway. She presented them to me, and I placed them over my eyes. Instantly the world darkened considerably, and I was amazed she could find her way around without tripping. I left her home with another farewell and a thanks for her time, making sure to not accidentally call her 'Miss' again.

I checked my map again, searching for the next closest name, which happened to be a mare named Berry Punch, in charge of party refreshments. I turned towards her dot, following it slowly until I was almost on top of it, before looking up for her. I saw a small group of ponies gesturing and laughing, pointing at a slightly dark pink mare with a rose colored mane and tail, who was clearly tipsy. I checked my map again, and sure enough, the drunken mare was my target. Perfect...

Sighing, I made my way over to Miss Punch, tapping her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. She blearily raised her head and looked at me, before letting out a drunken laugh.

"Whatsh dish? Do you thinksh that jusht cuz I'm drunk I'm an easy target for a young colt shuch as yourshelf?"

"What? No! Miss Punch, may I escort you home? You aren't fit for public right now."

"Ha! Public or private, you aren't getting any of thish."

"Huh? No, wait. That's not what I meant. Look, my name is Novalis, I'm here in town overseeing preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow. You're in charge of the beverages, correct?"

At the mention of the impending celebration, she seemed to sober up at a speed I've never heard of. She straightened up, her coordination returned, and her speech improved drastically.

"My apologies for the state I was in. Yes, my name is Berry Punch, and I was asked to provide drinks for the party some time ago."

Huh? What just happened? She sobered up quicker than... I don't really know what to compare it to.

"Umm, yes, well about that. Could you make sure not to put anything alcoholic out, at least not until the little colts and fillies are away?"

"But of course! What type of mare do you think I am? I have a little filly of my own, after all."

Huh, that's a surprise.

"She's currently at a friend's house for the night."

Oh, that's why she was drinking.

"OK then, Miss Punch, I thank you for your time then. I'll let you be on your way then."

"Wait! Why don't you come with me, and sample some of the drinks I already have on my list? None of them are alcoholic, so you can be assured you will be capable of continuing."

"That's actually a good idea. Although, I'm assuming that from your name and Cutie Mark, you deal primarily in berry related drinks?"

"That's correct. Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, I'm allergic to rogberries. I am not able to judge anything with them in it."

"Rogberries? You must have important connections to have been able to drink anything using them. They're rare, you know. Unfortunately, I'm afraid you'll have to settle for lower closs beverages today and tomorrow."

Oh yeah. Duh. Princess Luna did mention how hard they were to come by. But I couldn't take the risk, either. I nodded my head and followed as Berry Punch led me to her home. She led me through Ponyville, ignoring the looks of distaste from some of the citizens. I could tell that today wasn't the first day she walked through town hammered. The looks of dislike even passed over me, and I felt increasingly uneasy until we finally arrived at her home.

She lived in a small, two story home, red brick with light orange trim. Her garden and home were impeccably clean, which went against my first impressions of her. She was obviously a good mother, as nothing was in reach for a filly that ought not to be. She was humming to herself as I followed her into her cellar, which was about twice the size of her home. She had various wines in all shapes and sizes, locked inside safety glass cases. In the center of the room was a long oak table, which already had a few drinks on it, along with notes about consistency, taste, and alcohol content. Impressive.

She proceeded to mix different concoctions of drinks, some sweet, some sour, some bitter, but they all had one thing in common. Perfection. These had to be some of the best drinks made from the basest ingredients I had ever tasted. I gave due compliments, bringing a slight blush to her cheeks. She told me to stop over exaggerating, to which I told her I was merely telling the truth. I discussed some of the more obscure combinations she had thought about, and found out that any new drink she thought of she tested on herself first. Thanks to her self testing process, however, new alcoholic drinks would often get her drunk, and so she suffered in silence when she needed new ingredients.

After going through a large quantity of these beverages, it was only natural when I needed to relieve myself. I excused myself and went upstairs, making my way into the bathroom at the end of the hall. Her bathroom was light pink with pale yellow accentuating it, a very light and comfortable room. After I was done, I made sure to clean up and left, almost bumping into Berry on my way out. Looking at her, I noticed she was exhibiting very nervous signs, with her eyes looking left and right, and shuffling her hooves.

"Miss Punch, is something bothering you?"

"Umm. Well. My husband left awhile back, and Pinch, my daughter, doesn't have a father. You've been very sweet, and didn't try to hurt me today. I was wondering if you were in a herd, or a pony interested in single commitments?"

A herd? I knew of them, small groups of mares with one or two stallions. I had even been invited to one in school. But I didn't have interest in them right now. In my heart, there was only one mare.

"I'm sorry, Miss Punch, but I'm afraid I currently only have one mare in my heart."

"I understand. She's very lucky to have you."

"Oh dear, no. I haven't made my intentions clear. And besides, it would be me lucky to have her, not the other way around."

"Why not confess? I'm sure you would make a great couple."

Yeah, right. Me with all my imperfections, with the Princess? Most certainly not a match made for the history books. I shook my head lightly, smiling at her. I excused myself again, as I still had a couple more ponies to check on. I gave my sincerest thanks and lavished more praise on her drinks before making my way away from her home. I was almost on the road again when she called out to me.

"Well, thank you for your time, Novalis. And come on back anytime, I'm more than happy to have a friend like you around."

Celestia damnit! Another friend? I think avoiding friends in this town is harder than it should be. I sighed, turning around and waving a hoof at her, with a large smile on my face. Then again, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I could use some friends, if they're true.

Royal Treatment

I watched as Berry turned to return into her house, contemplating my current situation. I was quickly making friends here in this small town, which was new for someone like me. I was turning around to head back into town, ready to continue my work, when I heard a malicious voice speak up behind me.

"We've been watching you since you showed up in town. Already you're hanging out with drunks and strange ponies. Do you have so few friends that you have to stoop so low?"

I looked up and saw a dark blue Earth pony stallion standing in front of me, with a violet mane and tail. His ice blue eyes were staring directly into mine, giving me chills. Two more Earth ponies flanked him, also staring at me with dislike. The mare on his left was olive green with orange eyes, tail, and mane, whereas the colt on his right was dark grey with a white mane and tail, along with purple eyes.

"And who are you to judge me?

"Would you listen to him? He sounds like one of those uppity snobs from Canterlot. I think we should welcome him to Ponyville, personally," the mare said, snickering to her companions.

They began to advance on me slowly, until the sky began to darken. Ominous clouds rose from thin air, and I gasped as Princess Luna appeared in front of me. I could tell immediately that it was merely an astral projection, but the three ponies in front of me hesitated.

"If you three dare to touch my advisor, you will be met swiftly by Canterlot Guard. Touching him is tantamount to touching me, and his business in town is important. Begone!"

The three ponies in front of me gave me one last glare before turning and galloping away. Sigh, I just got the equivalent of my mommy coming to school to save me from bullies...

"Oh dear, is that so? I apologize. On the other hand, getting your flank kicked and being unable to perform your duties is just intolerable right now."

I looked up to see a grinning Luna, holding her magic prayer orb. Great, right now she can probably hear all my thoughts. This is abuse of power. Bah!

"Oh, I'm sorry Novalis, I'll stop. I was wanting to have a little fun, but saw you were in trouble."

I saw the orb disappear from her grasp, and sighed.

"Yes, but now my business in Ponyville may be impeded by them."

"Not if they fear me as much as you claim."

This was true...

"Anyways, Novalis, I'm here to see if you got my message yet? I left it in your school bag the other night."

Wait. A message. From Princess Luna. That I didn't read? What if it was important?! I mentally bucked myself.

"Uhm, no, Princess. I haven't."

"That's OK. Just give me an answer later, after everything is set up for the procession."

I nodded as the projection faded away. Looking down at my map, I noticed that I was actually halfway done. The other two ponies I was scheduled to meet were even in the same place. I made my way through town again, avoiding any accidents by bumping into vendors. Soon I found myself standing in front of a cream colored building with two fuschia peaks. There was an image of a cream colored pony with an orange mane and tail, which were billowing in a way vaguely resembling Princess Celestia's. A sign on the door proclaimed this building to offer spa services. If I walked in there... For shame...

I grumbled under my breath about embarrassments and shame as I pushed the door open, causing a small bell to tinkle and announce my arrival to the owners, who showed up at the same time. Standing before me were two pretty mares, twins by the look of it. One was pink with a light blue mane and tail, along with ocean blue eyes. Her sister, if I was to judge, had the same eyes and was the same shade of blue as her sister's mane, with her sister's shade of pink for her own mane. Bah, I think I mentally twisted my tongue. They gave me a looking over, tsking at my worn and disheveled appearance. Not even giving me time to speak, they both spoke at the same time.

"Look sister, if anyone needs our services, it would be him."

"Yes, I do agree, sister. He is sorely in need of a makeover."

"Should we give him traditional treatment?"

"Really, sister, look at him. He might need Rarity's treatment."

"I confess that I agree, dear sister."

Uhm, what? Oh wait. NO!

"Excuse me, ma'ams, but I'm not here for any treatment. My name is Novalis, and I'm here because tomorrow you're supposed to be in charge of..." I looked down at my map before continuing. "Royal treatment?"

"Oh. It seems that we are being checked for preparation."

"Fear not, stranger, we are always prepared."

"In fact, since you need treatment yourself..."

"We shall give you a courtesy treatment showing our talents."

No no no. Buck no. Nuh uh. No way. No spa for me. Buck that!

I turned and attempted to run out of the spa, but I was too late. The pink one caught me in a surprisingly strong grip, dragging me into the bowels of torment. The blue one kept a constant stream of chatter, explaining different services such as exfoliation, skin rejuvenation, horn filing, and... *shudder*... pedicures.

I soon tired myself out trying to escape, and shortly after was dumped into a sauna. The blue pony immediately set steam roiling in the room, and without much time I was sweating profusely. They made sure I didn't escape, blocking the doors and chattering about the beneficial effects of a sauna.

After I had seemingly sweat myself dry, they dragged me out and placed me into a lawn chair, covering my face in sticky green goo at the same time. With two cucumbers over my eyes, this part was apparently complete. I didn't dare try to run anymore, and they continued educating me on the health boosts I was currently receiving. Finishing this ordeal thirty minutes later, they took me to a table and began to file my horn.

I watched as years of caked on grime and dead cells fell from my horn, listening to them ramble on. I was beginning to get used to this. And I admit, it wasn't that bad... Finishing my horn filing, the blue one began to massage my back, drumming over me with practiced ease. I could feel knots I never knew about easing away. Almost done with me now, according to them, they wrapped me in what seemed like seaweed, before dumping me into a tub of mud.

Here they began to explain different ways the mud helped, but I could only think about my mother yelling at me about playing in it. My final treatment was a simple hoofbath, followed by a pedicure. I was leery about my hooves being touched, but I didn't have a choice.

When they were through with me, they propped me in front of a mirror. I noticed immediately that my coat was shinier, and my hair had lost all of its tangles. My hooves and horn were polished almost to mirrors as well. I even looked a couple years younger. Wow.

Turning back to them, I gave them a deep bow.

"Well, ladies, this is certainly not as bad as I expected. I compliment you on your skills, and know the Princess will enjoy herself as well. One last thing, though, simply for my curiosity. I have two names, Aloe, and Lotus, but no idea which one of you is which. Please clarify this for me for the future."

The pink one spoke first, "My name is Aloe."

"And of course, I am Lotus," the blue one said.

Thanking them once more, I turned to the spa doors, walking out and past a pristinely white unicorn.

"Oh, Miss Rarity, are you done with your own preparations?"

"That unicorn you passed just received treatment testing our preparations."

Rarity, huh? So that's who ordered that treatment often. I wonder what her 'preparations' are for...

Author's Note

A/N: I hope this chapter is OK. I'm unsure about it right now. But still, I hope you enjoy it, and as always, brohoof on y'all and have a great day.

Messages and Chaos: Part I

I left the spa feeling clean, refreshed, and younger. I hadn't realized how much that tension in my body had been holding me down. I felt like I could win a fight with an Earth pony... not that I was going to test that anytime soon.

I looked down at my map and noticed that Twilight was currently being followed by a pony named Fluttershy. Hmm, so she's making friends too, is she?

Sitting down on a nearby bench, I contemplated what I wanted to do for the evening. I wasn't scheduled to go back to Canterlot until after the parade, which was seemingly doing fine. Oh wait, I have to get my bags! Luna did mention a message for me, and I would think that being asked about it would imply importance...

I made my way back to the library, humming a tune under my breath. Maybe it was an order to return tonight to my studies. Maybe it was... no... not that. Hmm...

Lost in my own thoughts, I almost bumped into Twilight, who was carrying Spike on her back and looking extremely frustrated. Following close behind her was a yellow pegasus with cyan eyes and a pink mane. She was talking adamantly to Spike, who was apparently regaling her with his life story. With the level of interest between the two, I'd say he found a girlfriend. Way to go, Spike!

"Ahem, excuse me Miss Sparkle, I just need to slip by."

At my voice, the yellow mare instantly stopped speaking and, with a frightened squeak, vanished into a bush. Dabuck?

Twilight rolled her eyes, stepping out of my way with a look of annoyance.

I sidled past her, shooting a questioning look at Spike. He simply shrugged his shoulders, holding his claws in the air, showing his lack of understanding as well.

I made my way into the library, which was completely darkened. Before I could even find the light switch, I heard Twilight and the pegasus outside, arguing about putting Spike to bed. Not even thirty seconds later, the door burst open and Twilight rushed inside, chasing the yellow mare carrying Spike. Spike looked dizzy, at least from what I could see before the door shut again.

Shortly after the door closed, the room brightened up as the lights were turned on, and a lot of ponies appeared.

"SURPRISE!"

I damn near had a heart attack!

I recognized the pink mare from earlier, who looked ecstatic in this environment. Alongside her were a cyan pegasus with a flamboyantly multicolored mane (putting my eyes to shame), an orange earth pony with a hat and ponytails, and the sparkling white unicorn from earlier, Rarity.

Looking around more, I noticed a punch table, along with a sheet of cupcakes. There were also games set up, and a music booth. After the initial coronary crisis, I noticed ponies immediately getting to the partying. I even recognized my new companions. Vinyl was revving the music up, while Berry kept the punch bowl refilled. Aloe and Lotus were set aside from the party, with a booth advertising free massages, if you could correctly guess which one you saw the eyes of under a sheet. So unfair. It's hard enough to tell them apart.

Twilight, with an obviously irritated expression, was making her way to the punch table while being followed by the pink pony who seemed to be in charge of everything. She was bouncing around exuberantly, beaming and chattering, completely oblivious to Twilight's obvious annoyance. Suddenly, in the middle of a sentence it looked like, the pink mare let out a loud gasp, much like she had earlier today. After the gasp, she resumed speaking normally. Was that a strange medical condition?

I watched them for a few more moments, until Twilight picked up a bottle to pour in her drink. I noticed it was hot sauce, but before I could warn her she had already taken a drink. She seemed to be set alight from it, and without much ado, ran upstairs. That had to burn. Shortly after, the pink mare picked up the hot sauce and slathered it on a cupcake... And ate the cupcake... Eww...

I trotted over to Vinyl's booth, chatting with her about the selection of music she was giving us tonight. Apparently, this music was her normal fare, and was far more upbeat and hectic. She had a couple switches on her board that controlled strobe lights, even changing their colors. Without even seeming to try, she had the party in her hooves, almost scaring me with how easily she controlled their dancing. She even managed to get a couple ponies eying each other across the room to be pushed together in order to meet and dance. Damn... Scary.

I finished chatting with Vinyl and was about to head downstairs to get my bag when I was stopped by a slightly inebriated Berry Punch. Heh, bartender's been snitching some of the stock, it appears. She simply wanted to thank me for giving her a good conversation earlier. She wasn't used to anypony actually communicating with her as an equal.

I bid her farewell, and finally made it downstairs. The noise of the party drifted away, but my heart was pounding loudly. The time had finally come to see what message the object of my adoration had left me. Fumbling with my magic, I shakily opened my bag and rummaged through in search of her letter. I finally found it in my notebook, bookmarking the page that was reserved for the next lesson. I opened it hastily and read over her neat writing. Scanning the letter twice, I could not believe the words that were on the page. I put the letter down, catching my breath as I looked around the basement. The shadowed corners gave the room an eery feel to my panicked mind. I recalled the letter perfectly, burned into my mind.

My faithful student, Novalis,

You have progressed finely through your studies, and have shown that you have a keen and quick mind, even if you can get distracted easily. You will need your wits in the upcoming days. My sister and I have discerned that an ancient prophecy will be fulfilled, a prophecy that is hidden within a book Celestia gave her own student. While Twilight Sparkle has a knack for prophecy, I can tell that you would be rather skeptical of them. Be warned, the creature Discord will awaken in two days time, and there is nothing my sister nor I can do to prevent this. Nor can we stop his subsequent rampage. The only way we can stop him is for the Elements of Harmony to be rediscovered. I pray that you will be successful, for all Harmony now rests with you and your friends. Goodbye, Novalis. I know you will all succeed, and free me and my sister.

Sincerely,

Royal Princess of Night

and Holder of Providence

of All That lies Within:

Luna ex Somnus et Astra

Twilight was right! This ancient enemy of the Princesses, the one made for and rejected by the solar Princess, would return. I could only imagine the horrible destruction he would cause. Images of blackened towns, ruined castles, and ponies in agony sped through my mind. But the worst image of them all was of Princess Luna in his clutches. The cruelest ministrations he could perform on them. I felt my head becoming light, and my senses grew fuzzy. My vision clouded, blinked, and faded as I fell to the floor.

A/N3: OK, it may not be the best... I probably disappointed on many fronts. But this is how I am choosing to build this story, so please bear with me. I hope that you still enjoyed it. Hell, I hope y'all are still actually reading it. Farewell for now, and brohoof on y'all.

Author's Note

A/N: Argh, I wish my work had a uniform schedule, and not this randomized bullshit... Sigh... I'm sorry to all of you for my lack of writing, but I hope this chapter is good enough to at least make up a little for it.

A/N2: Well, I finally regained my writing urge. I am dearly appreciative to those who waited. Two months have passed since my last chapter. And either you are all patient and understanding... or... Have left me, haha. Let's see which group YOU fall into. Who will read this chapter?

Messages and Chaos: Part II

I awoke with a pounding headache. Note to self, don't faint on a stone floor. Second note to self... Stop fainting already, before I'm accused of being weak. Third note to self... I am weak... Fourth note to self, work on that weakness. Fifth note to self, stop making notes to self already.

I groaned as I picked myself up off the floor. I almost immediately noticed that the noise of the party above had faded. Perhaps everyone else went home or passed out? Either way, I needed to tell Twilight about Discord. I made my way gingerly up the stairs, wincing when I opened the door and light blared into my sensitive eyes.

Once my eyes adjusted, I looked around the room. Books were strewn on the floor, and tables of refreshments had been emptied. The music booth where Vinyl worked her magic was empty as well. Making my way upstairs, I found that all the rooms up here were empty as well. OK, where was everyone? Scanning around for a clock, I found one and was shocked. I had fainted for the entire night! Discord's rise was imminent, buck, it may have already happened!

I rushed outside into the warm air, praying and hoping I was not too late. Making my way to the city hall, where the Princess of the Sun was set to make her appearance, I became uneasy at the lack of sounds on the air. With increased haste I finally arrived at city hall and opened the doors. What I found shocked me. Inside the infrastructure were dozens of life sized statues. Looking closely I could recognize some of my friends, including Berry frozen in the act of running in terror. I saw Twilight and her new friends in a bunch, seeming to stand defiantly against whatever had done this.

Feeling a touch of inspiration, I recalled all the spells I could perform. One in particular, taught to me by Princess Luna herself, stood out. I focused my energies on Twilight, feeling out the formation of stone encasing her. Shocked, I learned that instead of stone, they were encased in some sort of static energy. Right now they could probably all see me, but were unable to move at all. With some on the spot tweaking, I began to undo the magics that kept Twilight frozen. After about a minute and a half, I succeeded in fully freeing her, leaving her stumbling groggily as she tried to regain bodily control.

Leaving her to sort out how to move her hooves instead of her tail, I began to work on her friends. Stretching the spell to encompass all of them, I freed them all within seven minutes. Spells used over greater distance tended to take longer, which was why Celestia and Luna usually started their rituals about an hour before they worked. Even with their vast power, they still needed a little time.

When Twilight and her friends were free, I paused to recover. This was the most magic I had used in my life, and I still had a way to go. Twilight wanted to help free the rest, but I knew that she and her friends had more important business. I felt in my heart that they were destined to great things. I told them to track down Discord, before all of Equestria was his. Unfortunately there were no leads to follow...

"Ha, ha ho ho ho."

We all heard a deep, resounding laughter. Looking around for the source, I noticed that one of the decorative ribbons had started floating overhead. Looking closely I could see a strange, lopsided face on one end, peering creepily at us.

"So, this must be Princess Woona's little apprentice. And he's freeing Celestiuck's little student as well. How precious. In return for touching my heart, I will tell you where I am. 'Under the sun these do dwell, although in the moonlight they grow well. A field of perfection, lit only by the light of the heavenly selection.'"

With these final words, the ribbon vanished in a tuft of smoke. Twilight was sitting there trying to figure out the riddle while her friends had already given up. Seeing Twilight stumped made me decide to try to figure it out. I knew she needed to find him quickly, but it seemed like this obviously night based riddle was directed towards me...

Author's Note

A/N: Can you guys figure out the riddle? Haha, let's see if you can get the answer.

Paradiso Luna

Under the sun these do dwell, although in the moonlight they grow well. A field of perfection, lit only by the light of the heavenly selection.

My mind raced quickly, attempting to discern this riddle Discord left behind. Under the sun these do dwell, although in the moonlight they grow well... It was obviously a reference to flowers that bloomed only at night. Or was it a nod towards mushrooms? They grew best in the darker areas, untouched by the sun most of the time. A field of perfection, lit only by the light of the heavenly selection... Obviously whatever field this was had a structure to it. But lit by the heavenly selection? Mushrooms usually grew in caves, so they saw barely any light, not just a lack of sunlight. But a normal field is often lit by the sun at some point. So this field was either a trick from Discord, or it... Wait... Of course. OF COURSE!

"OF COURSE!" I shouted in glee without realizing it.

My outburst made Fluttershy squeak and hide behind Rainbow Dash, while the rest of Twilight's friends stared at me in confusion.

"Twilight, does Celestia have a garden in her part of the castle?"

"Yes, she... Wait, does Luna have one, too?"

"Yes, Paradiso Luna, the Garden of the Moon. It's located three doors from her teaching chambers, on the left side of the hall. Now, please go on without me, I need to finish freeing the townsponies."

"If I lend my strength, we can free them faster and go together..."

"No time. The Princesses are captured. I won't be of much help as I am, but you have your full reserves of magic. I have enough to free them, so go on, while you are still fresh."

Twilight bit her lip for a moment before nodding. Turning around she began to gallop out and towards the train station. After a brief hesitation, her new friends nodded at each other before running out to follow her. I had a feeling they'd stick together with her. Hopefully their friendship would be of use to her this night.

Looking away from the entrance, I glanced out across the room, finally accepting the magnitude of my task. Their were a lot of ponies here, and most of them were Earth ponies, who were naturally resistant to Unicorn magic. Deciding to try to make this job easier, I began to free the Unicorns scattered to and fro. I started with Vinyl Scratch, frozen as she was by her booth. Drawing slightly from the vitality of my target, I began to slowly weave my spell around her. Once she was free, I taught her the formula for the spell, including how to control how much she drained the target. When Luna had first shown me the spell, she had stated many times that it had originally been a war spell. Unicorns would encase their target in unbreakable stone, and then drain the target's vitality to break their own spell. An ingenious manipulation of life energies that ensured the Unicorns' status among the elite.

Once our work started, we quickly freed the other Unicorns and taught them the spell. As our ranks swelled, we worked on releasing the Pegasi. Using their aerodynamic metabolisms to bolster our energies, together we released the Earth ponies. Once the population was freed, I gathered the few friends I had made along the way.

"OK, I know that we have a major problem here concerning Discord. For one, he may have the Princesses hostage. Now, I've left this matter in the more capable hooves of Twilight and her friends. Twilight was top of magic school, and her friends will be there to lend support. Now, we need to get this mess here cleaned up, for when the Princesses return. So what say you? Ready to get this show ready for their return?"

As one they nodded and spread out into the crowd. I watched as they tidied up the mess, brought the decorations back into place, and brought out food reserves to replace what had been destroyed. As they worked, I looked over the preparations, hoping my judgment was good enough for our Royal Solar Sister.

Today was not just the celebration of the sun, nor was it merely the longest day of the year. Both of those were merely by products from the fact that this was the Solar Princess' birthing date. This fact had been lost to time, as was the Winter Solstice being the longest night and the birth date of the Lunar Princess.

As the preparation were wrapping up, a loud bang outside the auditorium caused everyone to jump and look around in fear. After calming my shaking heart, I went outside and beheld a wondrous sight. The Celestial Sisters had returned, along with Twilight and her friends. Around each of their necks, save Twilight, were large and beautifully ornate necklaces. The jewels within resembled the respective wearer's Cutie Mark, signifying a deep bond with the wearer. Upon Twilight's head was a magnificent tiara, complete with a massive jewel that also resembled her Cutie Mark. Each of them looked exhausted, but pleased with themselves.

Celestia nuzzled her student gently while Luna walked over to where I stood. She stood by my side for a few moments, making me very uncomfortable before she spoke.

"Twilight and her friends have reawoken an age old power within their friendship."

I nodded my head and looked up at her. She was staring towards her sister without any expression. I gulped as I looked back to my hooves.

"I had expected you to follow her in this battle."

"My apologies, Princess Luna. I woke up late today, and by the time I arrived here, he had already arrived and vanished. I needed to free everypony imprisoned here, but it drained my magic. As such, I asked Twilight to help while she was well rested."

Luna was quiet for awhile before she spoke again.

"And after that? What have you been doing?"

"You sent me here to help oversee the preparations for your sister's celebration. Since Twilight was occupied with Discord, I took that responsibility into my own hooves. After freeing everypony, I organized the few friends I made here, and returned the auditorium to a presentable state. I had high faith in your return, and decided to make sure your return was splendid."

Luna fell silent once more, and after a few moments returned to her sister. She leaned in and whispered into her sister's ear. As one, both sisters stood up straight and proud. Turning towards the auditorium, they strode regally and purposefully into the reception awaiting the Princess of the Sun.

Author's Note

A/N: As promised, the latest chapter of Nocturnality has arrived. Within are a few choice pieces of world building, as I see the world of Equestria. I hope you enjoy, and as always, brohoof on y'all.

Sunrise

My mentor, my crush, and more importantly, the Princess of the Night, seemed disappointed in me. I watched as both Princesses disappeared into the auditorium before I sat down hard. I should have gone with Twilight. I should have fought against Discord. I should have...

I was interrupted from mentally berating myself by a large shadow looming over me, stretching across the ground before me. When I looked up and behind me, I gasped as I saw Princess Luna standing over me. I stood up quickly, turned around, and dropped into a deep bow, bending both forehooves underneath me in a sign of accepting any punishments.

"Rise, Novalis. Walk with me."

Not wishing to raise any further punishments against myself, I did not hesitate in following her as she turned around and began to walk away. Her regal form was accentuated by the night's shadows, but soon the Sun would be raised and wash the darkness away.

We walked in silence for about ten minutes before she spoke to me again. We had come very far from the celebration, and were walking alongside the town's nearby forest, which Luna informed me was named the Everfree.

"So you stayed behind, repairing the damage Discord wrought with his emergence. You sent Twilight to help us."

"Yes, your Highness."

"Tell me exactly why you chose to send her and her friends."

So I did, to the best of my ability. I told her about the bond I sensed between them, even in spite of the short time they knew each other. I admitted that I was not strong enough to free all the townsponies by myself, and that I had to teach the other unicorns the spell I had been using. I told her that I had absolute and complete faith in Twilight, and figured I would be of most use making sure everything went perfectly for Celestia on her special day. And finally, I expressed my deep regrets that I could not have been there to help save her in person. I finished recounting the night's details with a deep bow.

Seconds passed as I knelt before her, with naught but a cool morning breeze stirring. After awhile I felt warmth spreading across my body, and looked up. The sun was rising over the mountains, washing everything in the warm and radiant rays of the summer morning. As the rays of sunlight washed over Luna, she began to shrink, and her mane and tail lost their starlit luster. When the sun was fully over the mountain, Luna was about my height, and her mane and tail were now a light, powdery blue.

"Wha- what happened to you?!"

I fell back on my flank, staring in shock. Luna looked like a normal pony, albeit still sporting both wings and a horn. But she was smaller and... well... cuter. She looked cuddly, instead of imposing. I immediately had to fight the urge to squeal, pick her up, and nuzzle her.

"Ah, I forgot to show you before. As darkness exists without light, so too does light weaken and diminish the darkness. My sister and I share these qualities. Her Sun restrains my power. The only time it doesn't is when I am angry, like when we fought Discord so long ago."

"But, why?"

"Our father, in his infinite, but ambiguous, wisdom, created each of us from Light and Darkness. We also embody some of their qualities. For example, Celestia is extremely skilled at revealing secrets, raising spirits, spreading happiness, and leading strongly, just as the light reveals hidden obstacles, raises pony morale and happiness, and shining through even the darkest places. I, on the other hoof, possess higher stealth, can keep secrets better, can hide and shield somepony with great ease, and I am more in tune with my prayer orb, since the darkness is everywhere, even under the brightest of lights."

So, she was weakened by her sister's light? That still seemed unfair, and I said so without thinking. She went on to explain that the darkness holds more evils within it, and as such she wages a constant war against dark thoughts. While she was in this form, those thoughts were cleansed from her mind, so her sister's sun actually helped her. She also reassured me against thinking it was a dependency issue. Celestia had no control over it, and Luna had accepted it.

We ended our conversation with her transformation, and I almost forgot about disappointing her. As we were walking back to Celestia's celebration, she picked up on my darkening mood and asked me about it. Figures. I'm going to have to get used to not hiding secrets... oh no... can't hide... buck. She knows. She has got to know. Lunadamnit...

Author's Note

A/N: Another short chapter, although hopefully not a bad one. Have a good day, and brohoof on y'all.

Primus Lune

Luna didn't inquire much further into my mood, and I didn't want to slip up. We walked in silence, with her greatly diminished form swaying in front of me. With her lighter appearance, her mood seemed more cheerful and peaceful. I guess the mental strain that was lifted from her was intense.

My mind eventually lost itself in thought. Without any conversation, I lapsed into thought, including worry that Princess Celestia might not have been very pleased with my preparations. My worry grew more and more until I was broken from my mind by a gentle bump from Princess Luna.

"Well, you did complete your assignment here, Novalis. Well done. Celestia was quite pleased with your preparations."

"You're not mad at me for staying behind?"

"I had hoped my chosen advisor would be more interested in my well-being, and had thought you abandoned me. It was my fault for not showing faith in your judgement."

"No, Your Highness... There is no need to apologize to me..."

"Very well. Putting that aside, you did as I commanded. Your presence in Ponyville is no longer needed, so we shall be returning to Canterlot in the evening, after I have had my rest. During the remainder of the day, you should prepare to leave, including saying good-bye to any friends you may have made."

With no further words, she vanished in a flash of teleportation. Sighing softly, I began to make my way back to Celestia's ceremony. Anyone worth saying good bye to since my stay was already there, and I wanted to get some rest today. I was hoping that my classes with Princess Luna would begin immediately upon our return, and the last thing I needed was to be tired during them.

As I drew closer to the auditorium, I noticed that the music had changed since I had last left. I could hear the familiar thrums and heart pounding bass points that occurred a lot with Scratch's music. I could feel the ground shaking under my hooves as I came closer. Apparently the party was getting into full swing.

Walking into the door, I saw Twilight and her new friends looking extremely pleased. I made my way over to chat with them, and found that Princess Celestia had changed Twilight's assignment to studying friendship. I hoped Luna wouldn't assign such peculiar lessons to me. I knew I was terrible at making friends, but to actually need classes on it would be brutal.

Not wishing to intrude into their circle too long, I made my way over to the DJ booth, where Vinyl was just warming up. I saw Berry Punch and the Spa Sisters, and waved them over as well. Once we were all together, I told them about my impending return to Canterlot. There was some initial protesting from Berry and Vinyl, while the Spa ponies seemed disinterested. Hmm, I suppose I didn't really get to know them enough to make much of an impact. I apologized to them for telling them something they wouldn't care about, and watched as they returned to their makeshift spa.

Turning back to Berry and Vinyl, I saw pouts on each of their faces. Holding up a hoof to stall further objections, and decided to confess. I told them that I would not mind returning and visiting them, but I had two reasons to stay in Canterlot. My family lived there, and I didn't want to leave them just yet. I also confessed my crush on Princess Luna. I explained that everything I was today was because of her. I saw Berry's eyes spark with realization, and I knew that she knew why I hadn't confessed earlier. Finally, as a gift to each of them, I used my magic and some tricks I learned from my father to turn a log, which was only going to be burned anyway, into a couple toys for Berry Pinch and I even crafted a few wooden knick knack music notes for Vinyl. Finishing them with a magical glaze, I handed my gifts over and bid farewell.

As I walked through the town, I took note of how the rising sun slowly illuminated the quiet town. Shadows slowly melted off the gingerbread trim, and the darkened colors lit up vibrantly. Ponies who trickled from the party went into homes and businesses, livening up the place further. On this one day, every pony was infused with a lively essence from our beloved solar princess, allowing us to go through the day without ill effects from the lack of sleep we were sure to have. With little time, Ponyville was bustling away, and the bazaar was in full swing. Ponies haggling over prices so low that ponies in Canterlot would be shocked, vibrant colors everywhere, and a throng of ponies impeding my progress to the library.

Eventually, I made my way back to the library, and came upon Twilight dusting a few books and looking frazzled. Glancing over her checklist, I saw she way reordering the library in an overly detailed layout. Seeing Spike tottering on top of a ladder, I sighed and began to levitate books into shelves. Glancing gratefully over at me, Spike offered a weak smile as he continued shoving books into shelves.

After we finished organizing the library to her perfect standard, Twilight went upstairs and collapsed. I stayed awake and had a casual conversation with Spike. He was so smitten with Rarity it was funny. He spoke of a future family with her, obviously forgetting that someday he would be about twenty times her size. He made a simple lunch for us, with smoked daffodil sandwiches for me and a large sapphire for himself. Finally, yawning, he retired to his basket upstairs in Twilight's room, leaving me in peace so I could finally go to bed.

I collapsed into the bed I had used the night before. As I lay there, I pondered the previous day and the experiences within it. I had made friends, even though I had tried not to. And tonight, I was returning to Canterlot. But deep down, I felt regret for having to leave my new friends...

Author's Note

A special segment just for Author's Notes? Finally! Umm... Hi guys? I don't really have one for this chapter. So I guess I'll just point that I'll probably be moving my other AN's here on the other chapters. Brohoof on y'all, and sorry for the prolonged wait.

Darker Magicks

It has been six months since the Summer Sun Festival ended. Much has happened, including my new training.

"Novalis, pay attention! You've already proven inadequate at controlling some schools of magic. If you have any hopes of passing my spellschool, you will need to be more disciplined. Now, AGAIN!"

Sighing, I picked myself off of her floor. The smell of singed fur, likely mine, permeated the air within the midnight chamber. Focusing my inner reserves, I felt my horn begin to glow. Dark green light arced from the base to the tip, and it crackled viciously while causing the air to literally burn. Fine ash fell around me as I channeled the hatred I was unfamiliar with towards a large stone statue.

The statue, a joke from Celestia to Luna, raised incredible rage within me. Apparently, Celestia had thought it would be funny to make a statue depicting the time Discord had kissed Luna. The first time I had seen it, I had let loose a rather powerful bolt of lightning at it.

"I understand that you don't appreciate this statue anymore than I do, but Celestia says you may only destroy it when you master anything I can teach you. Until then, I have to 'protect' this tasteless gift."

With those words, Luna lazily crushed my spell in midair. The returning energy from the cancelled spell surged through my body, lighting it up like a candle. Struggling against the pain, I worked on focusing my returned energy into a new spell. The air around me chilled instantly as I let loose a blast of void energy. Instead of simply burning the air, this new spell killed everything in its path. I could feel the many miniscule organisms in the arc as they died, feeding their life into my magical disc.

"Not bad, Novalis, but not good enough, either. I hope this doesn't hurt you too much..."

I braced myself as she let loose a flash of brilliant white light, which negated and neutralized the darkness of my spell. The resulting explosion of energy seared my mind, and caused me to scream silently in my head. I reached deep within my mental reserves, and succeeded in absorbing my violent energies.

"Princess Luna, why must I learn these strange magicks again? They're violent, harmful, and go against everything in our world."

"Everything in pony world, Novalis. Outside the kingdom of Equestria live many races. Dragons, Gryphons, and Diamond Dogs come through often, But some of the other races, like Medusans, Chimereans, and Hydras are both rare and exceedingly dangerous. If you are going to be my ambassador outside of our lands, you simply must be able to protect yourself."

I nodded my head and rose shakily to my hooves.

"That's enough for now, Novalis."

"I can continue, I'm not exhausted yet..."

"WE SAID THOU HAST TRAINED ENOUGH!!!"

A shattering blast of sound and air sent me tumbling through the air; I saw stars when my head cracked loudly against the stone chamber walls. Before I had even recovered, I felt Luna's soothing healing magic surround me.

"Oh dear student, I apologize for losing control like that. Are you grievously hurt anywhere?"

"No, Princess. I apologize for disobeying you."

Luna's magic lifted me effortlessly and brought me into her hooves. Her worried (but incredibly beautiful) face came into my vision as her warm legs and wings surrounded me. Her large and luminous turquoise eyes scanned my face briefly, causing my heart to flutter before she began to scan me with her ethereal touch. A trickle of her power flowed through me, mending my exhausted and burnt body, repairing miniscule fractures in my skull, and even repairing the wear and tear the darker power left on my mind.

After healing me, I expected to be released immediately. Instead, she held me in her embrace and nuzzled me, whispering into my ear.

"I'm truly sorry for losing my temper. Of course you wouldn't know, Novalis. You were only trying to learn your lessons. Don't worry, for I will tell you eventually why I lost my temper. But not right now, you are not ready."

Caught in her soft warmth, with her magic only just having receded from me, I was unable to form a coherent sentence.

Her shining and gorgeous eyes locked onto my own. The warmth of her body surrounded me, and her scent muddied my senses. My heart raced heavily, but my mind slowed. Every detail of her face and form was imprinted into my mind, vividly and eternally. My eyes widened as her face neared mine, her eyes half-lidded. Her sweet breath washed over my face, causing my heart to instantly stand still. Slowly, her lips neared mine, my mind completely scattered. Eventually her soft mouth made contact with mine, reminding my heart that it could beat, even if it wanted to race at the speed of light. Her sensual and beautiful lips moved over mine, coaxing a response from deep within my primal subconscious. She held the kiss for several long moments before releasing, leaving me panting for breath. Staring down at me, she opened her mouth to speak...

"Hmm, do you really have such high feelings for me?"

My mind snapped back to reality quicker than lightning. I could feel a heavy blush creeping up my throat, and my eyes rose to meet hers. Her expression was inscrutable, denying me access to any of her inner thoughts. Deeply ashamed, I quickly turned and bolted from the classroom.

"Novalis! Wait!"

Not heeding her voice, I raced from her room, her side of the castle. I raced from the castle entirely, blurring through Canterlot until I stood outside of my own home. Streaking through the house, I slammed into my room, leaped onto my bed, and locked the door behind me.

{I can never show my face in Canterlot again...}

Author's Note

And now the second part of my story, entitled within my mind as the "Shining" arc, has now begun. Enjoy. And as always, brohoof on y'all.

PS: Sorry about the later updates recently. I am trying to make much higher quality, but it hurts my brain a lot more.

Lullaby From a Princess

{What do I do now? Should I leave Equestria forever? How could I ever face her again...}

In my dark room I could feel the crushing weight of my embarrassment. I forgot that she would have been able to see my fantasies.

{Why couldn't I keep myself in control?!}

I buried my face in my pillow and screamed myself hoarse. Everything I had hoped to attain just went up in smoke, all because I was too stupid to control my impulses. I knew I had been playing a dangerous game, but had foolishly believed I could keep myself in check. Eventually, I exhausted myself and drifted into my dreams.

I was running from her chambers again. My hooves were a blur underneath me as I panted, desperate to outrun my mistake.

Now, let the day
just slip away...
So the dark night may watch over you.
Velvet blue,
Silent, true.
It embraces your heart and your soul

A haunting melody arose in the air around me. A soft, familiar voice sang within it, and drew me off my path. Luring me into the dark woods near my home, I could only keep approaching that ethereal songstress.

Never cry; never sigh.
You don't have to wonder why.
Always be; always see.
Come and dream the night with me

I could feel my heart being lifted, as though this mysterious presence was able to sense and alleviate my burden. I slowed down as I caught a glimpse of a meadow through the trees.

Have no fear
when the night draws near,
and fills you with dreams and desire.
Like a child asleep,
so warm, so deep...
You will find me there waiting for you

Pulled ever closer to the melody of unsurpassed beauty, I finally made my way into the open grove. Soft moonlight filtered through the trees overhead, and it converged upon and illuminated none other than Princess Luna.

We will fly, claim the sky.
We don't have to wonder why.
Always be; always see.
Come and dream the night with me.

I watched, starstruck, as the moonlight surrounding her began to swirl and coalesce into a vision. Once more I saw the room with the statue where I had been practicing spellweaving. But I could see myself as well, straining as I attempted to perfect my lessons. The black death spell launched from my horn, flying towards the hated sculpture. Suddenly, the image exploded with a bright white flash. When the vision cleared, I saw myself struggling to absorb the returned energies. After awhile, I rose to my hooves, ready to continue. A few silent moments of dialogue later, I watched myself fly across the room, propelled by the wind that seemed to come from the... Wait, was this how the scene looked to Luna?

The scene continued to the point when she healed me, and I saw myself as she looked down into my face. My eyes grew brighter, and the colors changed faster, as an image appeared over my head. The fantasy I had while laying in her embrace replayed itself, taunting me with my abject embarrassment once more.

Nothing could have prepared me for the next part of my dream.

As my fantasy was peaking, imagining her mouth descending upon mine, the vision in the clearing neared my face more. The image flickered and darkened, eventually blacking out entirely. Replacing the darkness was a soft pink effervescence, which swirled around Luna as she finished her nightsong.

Though darkness lay,
it will give way.
When the dark night delivers the day.

Nocturne

Finishing her song, she turned and looked at me.

"Dear Novalis... You ran off tonight before I could say anything. Your dreams, your wishes, your hopes, they are nothing new to me. I know how you feel towards me, and always have. I'm not offended by your heart's yearning. Tonight, in the midst of your imaginings, I kissed you. I'm not going to lie; I harbor the same feelings for you, but at the same time, I do not. When you are ready, I will explain what exactly that means, but for now, do not leave my side. I expect you to return to me tomorrow night. Someday, everything will be clear to you.

My dream faded after that, and I awoke to the sounds of chirping birds. My heart felt a great deal lighter, and I decided that I would not run. I would return to her side, patiently waiting to learn everything she could teach me. And someday, I hoped to become ready enough in her eyes to be enlightened on her riddle.

Author's Note

Well, look at that, another chapter in such short time? What sorcery is this?

In all seriousness, I simply had to put this scene down before it bugged me too much. The song used within the dream is called Nocturne, by Secret Garden, and is linked within the dream, in case you missed it.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, even if it was short and slightly ambiguous. Brohoof on y'all, have a great day.