Luna wakes up in a nervous sweat. She groans, and as her senses come back to her, she feels stuck, pinned by a leg. Trying to get up, she struggles against the fur. Desperately looking around to find her assailant, she sighs, fears calmed when her eyes set on Celestia. Her lover is still holding their tight embrace from the night before. With a smile, Luna, still on autopilot, says "Wake up, sis…"

Celestia flicks her right wing, flapping it open above the pair. The way the sun shines against her only highlights her beauty in Luna's eyes. "You don't… h" A yawn. "...Have to call me that, considering Ponyville knows about us," The Diarch sounds somber. "Which means Rarity knows, which means…" Her lips fall, forming a frown.

"Wake up, Celly…" Luna lets out a small sigh as she smiles. "That sounds much better," She nuzzles into Celestia's mane, who merely groans in response. Mmm, si warm. "Oh, if only-"

"Uh… ahem," A stallion coughs in the doorway. Panicked, Luna struggles to get up. Once she gets on her front hooves, leaning up, she sees James looking in through a crack in the door. His eyes are full of worry. "Y'all, uh, know that, umm, incest's sorta… bad for the gene pools, right?" He scratches the floor. Really? Lecturing royalty? New… not really a low. But really?

"We aren't sisters. Go away," Celestia says, not looking up. She brings Luna back into their hug, against Luna's wishes to appear dignified. "Hmnh…"

Luna starts to tear up in fear. Oh mom they'll hate us like I hate me they-

"Oh, uh... 'kay then. I'll lock the door," He gently locks them in the room, then continues his way down the hall. The sun shines in his face, filtered through the windows. Odd thing to hide from us all, but they were what, a hundred? Probably wouldn't be accepted back then, if Earth's anything to go by… "Hey you!" James nods to a nearby guard, who straightens up. The shiny armor makes a little clink as he does so. "How old is Celestia?"

"Technically born since time immemorium, physically over 1000 years ago sir!" The cadet mentally rolls his eyes at the easy question whilst preparing for worse. I hate these random checks. Stupid Shi-

"'kay, thanks," The guard was used to random checks, so a legitimate question startled the guard. He immediately relaxed, calm once again.

"Glad to be of service!" Idiot.

"Yeah yeah, of service my ass…" Damn, oldies in there! He moves into his assigned room; he hated it here, but Twilight wanted the stallions, and Starlight, out of the library for fuck knows why, so here he is.

With a sigh, he departs to find Starlight, his original objective still incomplete. "Hey Starlight! Where are ya?!" The halls amplify his voice as he trots along.

DIARCHS

As soon as the door shuts, Luna lets herself cry, fear spilling out. Stupid weak worthless wrong idiot… Luna was still under the presumption that loving mares made her wrong.

Celestia wraps a warm wing around her. She looks at her love, eyes full of worry. "Hey, don't cry… hawt's wrong?"

"I… what… what are they going to do to us?!" Luna starts having a panic attack. Her breaths quicken as she tenses up, pouring herself out. "They'll hate us, won't they?! They'll hurt us and-"

"I banned that, remember?" Luna had been concerned about their relationship when she got back; even being shown openly gay ponies in all sorts of positions did nothing to help.

"Ok, but they'll still hate us!" Luna starts to shake, tears threatening to spill. "Stupid nobles! And that won't be fair on you…" She flinches as she feels her mane pet. Stupi-

"Luny, you know I want this just as much as you," Celestia hugs her lover tight. "I'd abdicate to stay with you, and that is not a joke,"

"But that wouldn't be fair on you!" Luna, being held too tight to shake, starts shedding tears. "And then you'd hate me, and I deserve to be hated, so I wouldn't feel bad…" Luna weeps into her marefriend's fur. The couple lay there as Luna lets her fears spill. After a minute, she looks up, eyes teary and full of thanks. "Why…?"

"Why what?" Celestia frowns. Her right hoof pets Luna's mane, straightening it. She looks messy, poor thing...

"Why do you stay with me?" Luna tightens her own hug, embracing Celestia. "I'm… just a burden on you…"

"Luny… it's because I love you," Celestia holds up her marefriend's chin with a hoof. "Hey, it'll all be fine," She gives Luna a quick kiss on the cheek, attempting to calm her down.

It does not work. "But… I'm broken…" Luna lets the sobs wrack her body as she cries once again. I'm so weak and dumb an-

"Then I'll have to fix you," Celestia grins, causing Luna to choke on her tears.

"I…" Luna hugs Celestia as tight as she can. "Thank you thank you thank you…" Celestia barely hears the whisper as she wraps the two in her wings.

"No problem," The two maintain their hug for quite a while, lying in peace. However, someone eventually comes a knocking.

OUTSIDE

"Oi, what's in 'ere?" Tommy asks his 'guide'.

"This is the Diarch chambers," Twilight replies, audibally annoyed. "It's on your map,"

"Da. There is also sign," Ivan points to the sign above the door. He adds "Not bright," nodding at Tommy with a chuckle.

"You could've just read it," Twilight adds, giving a grin. A lot like Dash, isn't he? Stupid and unobservant.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Let's just go," Tommy looks pissed, as if something set him off. Which it has.

"You missed a sign. No big deal," Ivan winces, realizing what he has done. Way to go, you-

"I said let's go!" Tommy's angry voice causes Twilight to jump back a step.

"Ok, sheesh…" Twilight takes a tentative step forwards, making up the lost ground. "Hey, you o-"

Tommy stamps his hoof on the ground hard. "Fuck you!" A tear comes to his eye as he gallops off. Stupid nazis. Stupid school. Stupid Earth. He turns a corner, running past surprised guards. After some more aimless running, he finds his room and slams the door behind him.

"Fuck!" Great job, now they know something's wrong. Tommy sighs, slinking to his bed. Slamming himself down, he picks up his canteen and takes a drink. A knock sounds at the door. "What?!" His mouth forms a snarl as he shouts.

"Woah, bad time?" James pushes open the door slightly, peeking through a crack. Peeping Tom… wait no, that'd be Tommy. He chuckles at his own joke.

"Oh, hey…" Tommy sighs and hangs his head. He waves a hoof in James' direction.

"Everything alright?" James shuffles through the door, gently shutting it behind him.

"Sure, sure…" Tommy takes another drink.

James takes a seat next to the blue pony, close enough to touch if they wanted. "Now, that's a lie. What's wrong?"

Tommy sighs. Well fuck. He picks up the nearest book. "What's this say?" He points to the title.

"'Daring Do and the Temple of Doom'. Why?"

"The picture makes sense…"

James snorts. "Could've just read the title,"

"You can," Tommy's voice is bitter, full of hatred.

"… Ah," James puts a hoof to his neck as he sheepishly continues. "I forgot how good America is, even with its flaws… Anyways, what was with the breakdown?"

"Purple princess power pony mocked me for missing a sign," Tommy sighs again. "I hate the fucking Germans," He finishes his canteen. "And I need some more water, too,"

"I hope I do not count?" Both stallions look to see Hans enter, bottle in hand. "I saw the door shut, so I figured I should make myself… available, if nothing else," He gives the two a knowing look.

"No, I suppose you don't count," Tommy accepts the water and fills his canteen. "Stupid teachers…"

"Ya know that they have schools here," James informs Tommy. "Why it's on the- signs,"

"Yeah, harharhar, mock me some more because the fucking nazis said I shouldn't learn to fuckin' read!" Tommy punches the bed as a tear runs down his cheek, lips snarled. "Fuckin' hell…"

A shocked gasp attracts three looks. Twilight stands in the doorway. "What… heresy did I just witness?!" She looks genuinely frightened of Tommy.

"Fuck off! Go taunt someone else!" Tommy throws the canteen at Twilight, who deftly avoids it. It hits the ground and rolls into the hall.

She gives him an ashamed look. "I'm sorry. I just… wow. I… have some work," She turns around and starts walking off, but stops at the door. "Uh… if you want help, I'm a teacher…"

"Noted," Tommy sneers. Sighing, Twilight walks off. "Now I'm goin to take a shower and you bloody wanks won't stop me," He heads into the bathroom and locks the door.

"Eh, mebe we should go…" Hans nods, silently agreeing with James, as they shuffle out of the room.

Author's Note

Pog

Story/arc 1 is shutting down soon. Decided to make three arcs. This one is mainly introduction, so... long intro.

Most of this arc is done, but I still have a bit to write.