Author's Note

Thank you so much all for your patience for this chapter to come out! My sincerest apologies for 12 days since the last upload. I was thinking about this story constantly and really trying to kick myself into writing this chapter. Finally though, here it is.

For those wanting to see our intrepid protagonist seek the affections of the moon princess, ask and ye shall receive.

Leave a comment with your criticism if you liked this chapter or disliked it! I always appreciate criticism

Here is Ch:6 Propane Nightmares

Ch.6: Propane Nightmares

Luna truly had never been more happy than she was at this moment.

Any onlooker that might happen upon them definitely would get the tabloids, gossip magazines, and nobles seeking political power up in a tizzy. For here she was, the Princess of the nation of Equestria, co-ruler of one of the greatest countries on Equus, the mover and mistress of the moon, spooning with an alien commoner from the university.

Truly scandalous!

Thankfully, no pony was here to see them. The two of them were quietly laying in his bed, the soft fabric enveloping them in a crisp warmth, as James had his lean, pale arms wrapped around her midriff, softly stroking her with his thumb. She, in turn, was gripping said arm with her own, leaning into him with a contented smile adorned across her face.

If this didn't announce her affections for the man, he certainly must be the densest male she'd ever come across!

"This is nice," he spoke soothingly, nestling himself into his pillow. "Beats sleeping in a hole," he chuckled, a small grin on his face.

"Mhm," she hummed back, her eyes closed.

The two stayed silent for a few minutes, content to enjoy each other's company and warmth.

"Hey Luna," James asked, "Are you interested in me?"

"Well, of course I'm interested in you. You're the first alien to ever land in Equestria and you have knowledge of wonderful machines and sciences," she conceded, slightly bending her head to look at him.

"No, I meant, like, romantically," he clarified himself.

Hook, line, and sinker. I got him! she cheered internally.

She was silent for a few moments, perhaps to build a sort of pressure in the man eager for an answer.

"Yes, James. I am," she confessed.

He turned his head for a moment, not really knowing what to say, before continuing.

"I figured. I can't imagine you kept showing up to my classroom merely because you wanted me to tell you about chemistry,"

"I came to visit you because you were my friend first and foremost. I loved being around you because you accept me for who I am and you like me for who I am, not because you sought some political position or were afraid of me," she had by now turned herself around to face him and was softly poking him in the chest with her finger.

"And the more I got to know you, the more I realized what a lovely man you are and how much I really liked you," she revealed, a small blush painting her deep blue cheeks. Her eyes couldn't meet his, too anxious to see his reaction.

He said nothing for awhile, his face contorted into a deep, thoughtful expression. The silence was agonizing to the both of them, feeling like a lifetime, but in reality only a few seconds. Her hands began to feel clammy and cold as she anxiously waited for his answer to her confession.

"I feel the same way, Luna," he revealed. She let out a HUGE internal sigh of relief and her muscle physically relaxed themselves again.

"You've been so good to me from the moment I met you that day in the gardens," he tenderly spoke, "Hell, you were willing to slog through my entire memory of the War just to make me feel better. If that doesn't get you to like a person, I don't know what would."

She beamed at him, her smile the widest it'd ever been in her years and years of life.

"So, uh, where do we go from here," the man asked, a large blush and small smile painted on his face.

"Well, fortune favors the bold as they used to say in my day," she quipped, grasping his cheek, leaning forward, and kissing him.

His eyes widened at the sudden escalation of affection, but soon leaned into it as well, his eyes closing and his arms reaching under to pull her closer to him. Luna was internally squeeing at finally being able to kiss the handsome chemistry professor, leaning more into as they passionately kissed.

Their embrace soon came to an end as they came apart, gazing at each other both with passion and a small bit of surprise.

"Wow," exclaimed James, finally breaking the short silence, his eyes wide, "We... uh, we should do that more often."

She giggled, her white teeth glistening in the small amount of light from the sun shining through, "I'd like that a lot."

"So, umm, might I take you out into town sometime?" he bumbled his words slightly, "I think that would be pretty girl - Great! Pretty great."

She laughed heartily at his little slip-up, "Yes, I'd love too!"

The two lay there for a bit before the sun steadily and slowly go down towards the horizon.

"Looks like duty calls for me," she glanced outside, watching the sun softly set, "Would you like to come watch me raise the moon?"

"I'd like nothing more," he softly smiled, following her out onto the small balcony he had jutting out from his bedroom.

Luna took a position in the middle of the pavilion, while to the left James jumped up onto the railing, sitting down as he rested his back on the wood of his two-story cabin.

Her horn lit up its characteristic soft blue color as she began reaching out with her magic towards the moon. Gently grasping the celestial body, she slowly and steadily began to raise it above the horizon, its timid rays peaking through the few clouds present in the Equestrian sky. Soon, it rose high into the sky where she finally let it go, settling it into the sky until she would lower it in the morning.

She hadn't realized she had been flexing her wings out and soon relaxed them into a folded position.

James looked positively dumbfounded by what he had witnessed.

"I always had my doubts that it was you and your sister who actually raise the sun and moon. Boy was I wrong," he laughed, "That was amazing."

She blushed, "Aww, thank you," enjoying the attention she was receiving, "Would you like to pick which constellations I adorn the sky with tonight?"

James did a small double take. "You move the stars too? Goodness woman, what don't you do around here?"

He got up from his lounging position on the rails and put his hands into his pockets as he looked up into the sky.

"Could you... could you do the night sky from home?" he asked, glancing over to her.

This intrigued her. There had a few times that she and him had discussed the constellations and astronomy of his world, but she had never actually seen them.

"Of course, give me your hands, close your eyes, and imagine the sight of them. I'll glean what they look like off your memory of them," she informed, grasping his hands and closing her eyes.

A short moment was all it took for her to get the image in her head. She gasped in awe of what she looked upon in his mind.

"Goddess!" she exclaimed, her mouth open in wonder.

She opened her eyes and looked James in his.

"You get to see that every night on Earth?" she asked, a starry glint in her eye and her mouth slightly open in awe.

"Not always at home, but sometimes. You'd have to go to the open country to see it like I did," he answered, "What you saw was my memory of the sky during the war."

"During the war, when the smoke, clouds, and rain would clear away, I'd get to gaze at the beauty beyond the maelstrom of warfare and pain I'd found myself in. Sometimes, I'd wonder if my family were looking at them when I was, and maybe, in some spiritual way, they'd know that... I was ok. That their son was well and trying to come back," he spoke somberly, "Even now, when I gaze at the stars, it always reminds me of home. The people I left behind. The good friends I've lost. The... the dead and my family."

She stood silently, taking in all she was hearing, before lighting up her horn, anxious to paint the canvas of the heavens with the sky of his homeland.

What was being done was certainly a sight. Pinpricks of light danced across the sky, elaborately twirling in a free, unhindered fashion. Clouds of brown, white, and salmon pink coalesced into each other, accentuating the atmosphere around it and popping out the colors.

Millions of stars now hung on nothing in the sky, shining as beacons in the empty shadowy void of the night. A band of light stretched across the middle of the canvas, some of the astronomical clouds basking in its light. Various blues, blacks, light greens, dull oranges, and pinks popped out at her eye, adding a vibrant life to the overall "painting".

Nothing she had created could ever top the beauty of what lay before her. It was truly her magnum opus, and it wasn't even hers!

"Brings back memories," he reminisced, speaking a little slower, "It's so good to see this again."

"If I had made heavens like this, no pony would ever had neglected my night," she gazed with him at the majestic sight.

"Truly magnificent work Luna. It looks just like home," his eyes were a tad wetter than normal, smiling that big stupid grin she loved.

"What do humans call this?" she asked.

"This is the Milky Way, our galaxy. Home," he spoke, turning his head to face her, "Thank you so much Luna. For doing this. For everything."

She smiled back at him, "You're very welcome."

Silence pervaded once more as the couple continued their observation of the Milky Way. The crickets, rustling from the deer, and cicadas occasionally broke the silence, sounds off, before gently letting the quiet permeate once more. They stood there for awhile, Luna and James content to watch the sky. He had taken his position on the stone balcony once more resting his back, while she leaned forward and laid her arms on the railing. Every so often, in the dim light, she spied James trying to sneak a few glances at her butt, but utterly failing to hide it. She giggled softly, glancing back on him with a sly grin.

"Like something you see?" she jested, a slight seductive tone to her voice.

"Duhh, uhh, uhmm, ahem, yeah," the man fumbled with his words, caught red-handed in the act and looking away.

"I didn't tell you to stop," she continued, her words dripping with a flirtacious tone, and gave her butt a little wiggle, enticing him back.

The ambience soon returned, enveloping them in a warm spring night again. They continued to watch the stars and silently enjoyed each other's company for some time.

James let out a yawn behind her, "Well, I don't know bout you, but I'm pooped. I'd like to turn in for the night."

She nodded back to him, following him back into his home, and shutting the door behind her.

"Might I spend the night here, James? It's an awfully long walk back to the castle," she asked of him.

She, of course, could teleport herself back into her room at any moment she wanted,. Being a powerful alicorn allows you to do such things. Regardless, she wanted to spend as many moments as she could with the man, so she hoped he momentarily forgot she could teleport.

"Sure, go right ahead," he went into the bathroom to change into his bedwear.

She followed in his example, banishing her current clothing back to her dresser in her chambers, and teleporting her nightgown onto her person. Coming over to a small mirror he had on his dresser, she checked her hair, groomed herself, and made herself presentable, ready for any intimate interactions if such were initiated.

Hearing the door open, James stepped out into the room wearing clothes suitable for bed before climbing under the sheets. He patted the other side of the bed, looking at Luna.

"Well, you comin'?" he smiled.

She sauntered over to the mattress before getting in alongside him, nestling herself in next to him. He turned out the lamp on his nightstand, bathing the room in darkness as he laid down with her.

"Night Lu."

"Good night James. Sweet dreams,"

A few moments later, both were whisked away by a slumber and the room fell quiet.

It was too early to be stirring already.

Her eyes felt crusty, wrinkled, and achy as she lethargically opened her eyes to a squint. Through her blurred vision, only the dark graced her eyes with its presence. No rays of sun peaked through the windows for she had not lowered the moon yet and no early birds chirped outside.

In her tired, drunken-like state, she felt around for the other occupying body of the bed, hoping to wrap herself around him and huddle back into her slumber, but felt nothing but sheets and fabrics.

That's odd.

Her eyes opened fully now, taking her hand and wiping them to clear her vision. Surely enough, he was absent from her side.

Yawning, she swung her legs off of the bed and got to her hooves. Wiping her eye again, she slowly began to trudge out the room and began to search for the man. Seeing a light on downstairs, she awkwardly began "clopping" down the stairs, her hooves generating a great amount of noise on the polished wood stairs.

Stepping off the last stair, she shuffled over to the lit room, standing in the doorway.

It was a somewhat messy room, papers and other documents scattered across the various counter spaces. Big steel cabinets and cupboards lay on the ground, large warning signs painted across the doors.

Warning! CONCENTRATED Acids!

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT MIX WITH BASE

CORROSIVES! FLAMMABLE!

Across from these chemical storages, a large chalkboard hugged the wall. Chemical reactions were written all over it, the handwriting hastily written in a slightly sloppy fashion. A few notes were written next to these, detailing how the reaction would proceed and other sorts of notes.

A small hood was installed into the side of the wall, a small ventilation tube running to the outside of the house. Standing at this hood was James, wearing a white coat and working with his hands in the hood.

She heard the scraping of glass on glass, the shaking of some solid, and the low buzz of the vent. She stepped into James' "lab", rubbing her eyes a bit and shaking the sleepiness out.

"James, what are you doing up at this hour? It's not even past 4," she groggily sighed.

"I," he paused while concentrating on what he was working on, "Had an idea and wanted to see if it would work. Might be able to talk about it in class next week."

She studied the man for a few moments, squinting her eyes a little as she did. Something was off about his tone and, she supposed, his logic. Why not just wait until the morning to test his idea?

"I don't believe that for a second, James Milligan," she argued, "Why are you really down here?"

She started to walk towards him, wrapping her arms around her midriff to warm herself in the cold night. More of the man was coming into focus as she got nearer. His hands were covered in a white, stretchy glove, snugly fit around his fingers and hugging his skin. A pair of thick goggles protected his eyes from any splashing or explosion that might generate.

By now, James had put his glassware down, leaning against the rail of his makeshift chemical hood, clutching it with his hands. He had removed his goggles, hanging them lazily around his neck as he looked at the Lunar Princess who, by now, was standing to his left.

"Just nightmares, Lu. Wasn't anything big," he answered very nonchalantly, his voice low and tired.

"If you had a nightmare, why didn't you tell me?" she asked, a slight motherly tone sneaking into her voice.

He turned around, his back now facing the rail of his hood as he leaned on it for support. He crossed his arms across his chest defensively.

"You've done so much for me. I just, didn't want to be more of a burden on you. I'm sure you've got other things to do then listen to your friend rattle off about his past," he was looking away from her, suddenly finding the wall very interesting.

She felt her heart break a small bit, "Where did you get it in your head that you were a burden?"

She paused for a second, but continued, "You have never been a burden on me James. I asked you to tell me about your experiences. I wanted to know. And I still do!"

She poked him with her dark blue finger and smiled a bit, "If you're trying to get rid of me, well, I hate to tell you, that ship has sailed. You're stuck with me, James Milligan, whether you like it or not," she giggled a little at the last comment.

The man joined in with the laugh, the newfound mirth permeating the two of them and lightening the mood.

"Now, willst thou tell me what troubled you in your slumber?" Luna slipped into her old formal tongue accidentally.

He looked away a little, his face betraying an internal struggle within him. Soon, he turned his face towards her.

"I... had a dream about being shelled by Jap artillery on Peleliu. We were in our foxholes and I was hugging Howard as we prayed to God to deliver us," his composure dampened a little, "To be shelled is, in my opinion, the worst part of war. Well, aside from machine guns, or mortars, or riflemen, or snipers, or dysentery, or dehydration, or hunger, or not bathing for months, or the flies, or the land crabs, or planes. But aside from those, artillery is the worst experience a soldier can face in a war."

He wiped the growing exhaustion from his eyes and continued, "To be at the mercy of chance is something that was so... disheartening. My complete lack of control under artillery fire haunts me to this day," he reminisced.

"When was the last time you had a nightmare of the war before this one?" she murmured.

There was a long pause from James, "Last night."

She frowned, "How long have these been happening?"

"Since the war ended. Not a night goes by where I don't wake up back in the Pacific," he shook his head and grimaced, "When I have them, I come down here and distract myself with mah work. Chemistry helps me forget. It's easy for me to lose myself in. But, if that doesn't work and the war creeps back in, I try to force myself to think of the wonderful friends and some experiences with them that were funny."

His face drooped, his eyes becoming sadder, "But, inevitably, you also remember the dead... and...," his voice was starting to crack, "How many of them there were. And, they were just gone. It's... not something you can ever forget. Some things that you do and see, no matter how hard you try to forget," he closed his eyes, a small tear running out the side, "They don't ever go away."

Silence pervaded the room before James cleared his throat and wiped the tear, "Hmm, well, there it is," he mumbled out.

She said nothing at first, drinking in what he had poured out to her. "James, if you have these nightmares, please tell me. I am the overseer of dreams in the land for all my subjects which includes you," she pointed a finger at him, "I've seen what causes them and I understand now. I can help you, only if you'd allow me."

He frowned, turning his head away from her, "We'll see."

"Then please. Come back to bed. You need rest. Goddess, your eyes are practically falling out of their sockets they're so heavy," she caressed his shoulder.

He sighed, "Ok, ok, you're right," he began to take his goggles off his neck and hung up his lab coat on a coat rack. Slowly, the two walked off, back up the stairs, and hopefully, off to sleep once more.

Golden rays of sun peeked through the clouds of Canterlot, silhouettes of young pegasi mares casting shadows down on the city. A warm breeze blew through Luna's hair as she stepped out onto the porch of James' home. The weather was wonderful, the kind of day to sit back and relax under the sun while reading a book. The birds chirped, the plants blew in the wind, and all seemed right in the world. A far cry from the horrid sights she had been witness to the past couple days.

She stopped at the edge of the stairs, twirling around to give him a goodbye.

"It's been.... interesting to say the least, Lu," James joked, "I hope to see you again soon."

"As do I. I know where to find you," she giggled. James leaned down to kiss her cheek, pecking her on her deep blue fur.

"You missed a spot," she laughed, closing her eyes and puckering her lips.

She heard him chuckle before feeling the soft skin of his lips on hers. She leaned into it, letting off a small grunt of approval, before letting go with a very exaggerated smack.

"I hope that'll hold you over till next time," she seductively whispered in his ear. The man responded with a small shudder.

Soon, she turned around and began to walk down the stairs.

"James," she turned around and called back, the man looking back, "If you have a nightmare, call for me. I'll come to help you. I guarantee it."

"Thanks," he responded, going through the door and shutting it.

She began to walk down the mountain path, fighting the urge to let out a girlish "squee" from the kiss they shared.

"What an adventure," she muttered to herself.

Soon, she left back to the castle, eager to tell Celestia all she'd seen.