“Princess Luster Dawn was banished to the exact tree that cursed me ten years ago, which had its magic sucked out and now she’s likely about to be on a rampage across Equestria?” Irradiance gaped up at his superior, mouth open and eyes wide. “And what’s my role in this?”

“You and your friends understand the tree and the layout of the Everfree Forest in its most recent form. Should Luster Dawn take cover under the darkness of the forest, you would be my first choice of explorers,” Twilight’s voice wavered. She was clearly nervous to request this of her student so early into his learning. “Would you accept?”

Irradiance was silent for a moment. He’d just enjoyed one year of being in pony society again, with friends and a partner who all supported him. And he was being given actual royal treatment! Giving up all of this to return to the forest that made him leave in the beginning? That wasn’t an easy task. It wasn’t an easy thing to answer so quickly! Holding up a hoof and scrunching up his face in thought, Irradiance responded, “Can I have a day or two to think about it?”

Twilight seemed far too understanding, “Of course!” She finally descended from her throne and called over another Pegasus guard. “Please, take all the time you need. I’ve only felt the magic shift in the forest, I haven’t felt any breaking through of the barrier that the tree places around Luster Dawn,” Twilight looked at the guard with mischief in her otherwise very serious eyes, “Please, escort Irradiance to his room, will you?” The guard nodded, grunting in acknowledgment.

“Thank you, Princess Twilight,” Irradiance bowed his head to his teacher before turning to leave out of the throne room and down the hall, up the stairs, toward his room. So early in the day and things were already stressful! The stallion would have to call his friends back sooner rather than later to discuss the adventure that may lie ahead. If they didn't go back to face the issue, who would?

“You seem tense,” The guard piped up, helmet hiding his face. Irradiance just scoffed, half surprised the guard was still standing there, half surprised that he hadn’t recognized him! Irradiance knew most of the guards’ names. Except this one… he seemed familiar, though.

“Yeah, well, I am tense. Didn’t you hear Twilight?” The guard nodded. The green of his mane shifted with the motion. Irradiance swore he could place him. He let out a massive sigh, flopping on top of his bed in exhaustion. “I was getting comfortable here! I don’t want to go back into the forest already!”

“Even if I come with you?” The guard spoke, confusing Irradiance. Sitting up quickly to face the stallion, the Unicorn scoffed once more.

“You? Why would–” The Pegasus had removed his helmet, revealing a green Pegasus with a darker green mane and brilliant blue eyes, grinning at Irradiance. “Leviathan!” Irradiance leaped across the room and embraced the other stallion in a tight hug, breathing him in. “I thought you weren’t visiting until later in the month!”

The Changeling laughed heartily, changing into his actual form in a flash of red light with his red and purple mane, jewel-like wings, and ruby red eyes, “Princess Twilight wanted to continue discussing the alliance between Ponies and Changelings, as well as the pony brewing in the forest… I knew you’d need support so I pushed some things back and made time to visit!”

Irradiance pressed a swift kiss to Leviathan before pulling back and reiterating the conflict at hand, “Thank you. I do need support,” He sat back on the bed, thinking. “Should we go back to the forest?” Leviathan just shrugged, red eyes gleaming. The Changeling approached the bed, seating himself beside the Unicorn as they discussed their options.

“You managed to convert me and defeat my mother with all the magic in that horn,” Leviathan tapped a hoof to Irradiance’s crystal horn that zig-zagged as it emerged from his head. “If anyone can face an Alicorn in the forest, it would be you!”

“Just me?” Irradiance repeated, unsure. Leviathan rolled his eyes.

“And the others, duh. Amber, Marigold, Cobalt, Hibiscus… and an army of Changelings that support your defeat of the old queen and made way for a magical reign!” Leviathan grinned, incredibly supportive and proud of his accomplishment in getting his kingdom to unite. Mostly. Like 75 percent of the way there. He was pretty sure. “I can hear you overthinking, Irradiance. We’ll all be with you if you decide to go into the forest and see what’s happening, okay?” Leviathan nudged the purple stallion’s muzzle with his own, trying to get him to perk up out of his anxious state. The Unicorn smiled, leaning into the touch.

“Okay, okay. Thank you, Leviathan. I’ll think about it,” Irradiance settled himself, deciding to shelve the idea until a later date. “Have you visited anyone else in Canterlot yet?” The Changeling shook his head.

“No, I came here first. Spoke with Twilight and now you.”

“You should visit! We were all just talking about you and Amber before I came back here,” Irradiance suggested. He picked himself up and approached the balcony, looking out on the town below. “We stopped at that cafe over there!” He pointed a purple hoof toward the small cafe where he’d just enjoyed a latte at.

Leviathan walked over and looked down as well, waving as he made eye contact with a couple of passing ponies within his eyesight. “How’s teacher life treating Hibiscus?”

Irradiance groaned humorously, “She loves it, don’t get me wrong. But she’s always stuck with students and in advising and blah, blah, blah!” The Changeling Prince chuckled at the mumbling.

“You’re not a fan?”

“I was in a school for years, Leviathan. I don’t need to hear about my old school days that I missed out on while I was away in the forest because I was too insecure about my appearance,” The stallion said in a huff, leaning his head on his hoof as he continued to gaze out at the ground below. He, too, waved at a few passing ponies. The missing student was a famed name, and no matter how much Irradiance tried to get used to it, it was strange to always be recognized. Quickly inhaling, Irradiance stood up and backed away from the balcony, approaching the door to his room, “We should go down there!”

Leviathan cocked his head, “To the school?” Irradiance scoffed.

“No, silly! To the cafe!” Irradiance went to turn the doorknob with bright purple magic, but it faded away right as he walked up to the exit, making him walk directly into the door instead of through it. “What the-?” Irradiance shook his head, irritated at the strange accident he’d just caused. Leviathan was laughing behind the Unicorn, approaching and turning the doorknob with his own red magic.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it for you, clumsy.”

Irradiance laughed awkwardly at the incident and stepped through the door with a peck on the cheek from Leviathan. He was confused. He’d never stuttered with his magic before, especially not after he’d been cursed with all of his Element Tree magic. Must have been anxiety spiking, he figured. “Sorry, I have no idea why that happened!”

Leviathan waved a hoof, “Don’t stress. Let’s just go down to the cafe and I can try one of your fun pony drinks!”

“Have you really never been here before?” Irradiance watched as his partner shook his head.

“I’m only here for diplomatic meetings with Princess Twilight when I come by. Or to see you,” The Changeling sent a wink at the purple stallion resulting in giggles. Irradiance was never going to get used to Leviathan being such an open flirt after they’d established their relationship.

Getting to know each other in about five days wasn’t a healthy start to a relationship, they knew that. But the chemistry they felt was real and the pair of stallions had wanted to chase it. So, with some distance between the two, they’d gotten to know each other a bit more as the year went on and Irradiance had come to realize that the Changeling Prince was an immense flirt. It was a marvel he hadn’t already found love in that Changeling Hive of his!

“Mother said romance between myself and drones was off limits,” Leviathan had explained one night in bed. Irradiance understood, but still! He had plenty of fanfillies in Equestria now, he was sure.

“Do you like sweets?” Irradiance asked and Leviathan grinned devilishly.

“Very much so,” Another wink.

“Stop that!” Irradiance exclaimed, turning red. “I was going to suggest the salted caramel latte, but since you’re so adamant about making jokes and doting on me maybe I won’t take you there at all and we’ll just sit at home allllll day,” Irradiance drew out the syllables, exaggerating his words as the pair exited the castle, waving to Canon Ball and Spearhead as they left.

“Hi, Leviathan!” Spearhead waved. The Changeling waved back with a smile.

“Did they know you were in there?” Irradiance asked, receiving a nod in response.

“I told them not to tell you so it would be a surprise,” He said simply as he walked alongside the Unicorn.

The path from the Canterlot Castle down to the city itself was simply paved and easy to navigate. It wasn’t longer than about ten minutes before the pair had made their way back down to the location Irradiance was at just an hour or two prior to now! He half-hoped that the staff had switched over since it would feel awkward to be there again on the same day.

“Watch out!” There was a warning as a ball flew toward Irradiance, who went to stop the ball with his magic before it fizzed out in a flicker of purple and black, evaporating entirely as the ball smacked the stallion in the face.

“HEY!” Leviathan raced toward the offender: a young colt and his friends playing ball in the center of the street. “Watch where you’re throwing things!”

The colt looked up in fear at the king, quickly retrieving his ball and returning to his friends with a timid, “Sorry!” Called back in apology.

Leviathan huffed, flaring his nostrils before coming to the aid of his partner, “Hey,” He turned the stallion’s head toward himself to see if there was any outward injury. Indeed, there was a bruise beginning to form on the stallion’s muzzle, “Oh, Irradiance! Are you okay?”

Steadying himself, Irradiance just looked at the stallion with confusion. How had his magic fizzled out not once, but twice now? In the same day! Something was wrong and Irradiance had no clue what it could possibly be. He was imbued with the magic of an Alicorn and yet it was failing? And only just now?

“Maybe we should tell Princess Twilight about this,” Leviathan suggested, tone unsure.

“Yeah,” Irradiance agreed, moving out of his partner’s grasp, turning away from the cafe, and heading back toward the castle for a second time today.

Author's Note

new chapter!!! its fun writing these characters after i already established all their lore in the first book. i LOVE irradiance and leviathan btw. I've already commissioned an artist to draw them kissing :3