Well, I have returned once more, and working to rectify the situation between our two star-crossed ponies! Yeah, while it may take me a while, like usual, I won't abandon the fic. Hope you all like it!
Aversion awoke sometime just before noon, his head was spinning. His body was still clearing out the alcohol from all the wine he had with Luna last night, and he was still a bit hung over.
"...A-ah..." he uttered, rubbing his eyes and straining to sit up from his futon. "...wh... what happened...?"
He noticed a rolled piece of parchment sitting on his coffee table. It looked quite out of place to him, since he was so used to seeing office stationery more so than traditional Canterlot parchment. He pulled off the silken string tied around it and let it unfurl. There was text written with what appeared to be a broad-pointed quill.
Mr. Aversion of Ponyville,
While we may not be entirely aware of the circumstances of your presence in Canterlot Castle, we are sending you this notice to inform you that we cannot allow it to happen again. As you may know, commoners are not permitted inside the upper levels of the castle, except in very special or dire circumstances. Princess Luna, despite her pleading to your defense, was unable to provide an adequate reason for your presence in the historic building.
I am sending you this notice to inform you that you cannot return to the castle. If word of this had gotten out, it would likely result in a scandal, and you could face ridicule, defamation, and possibly a smear campaign by other civilian ponies. Please understand when we say it is for your own good. If there is any further consent between you and any party of the castle to gain entry, we will have no choice but to issue disciplinary action.
I wish you well, and hope you have a nice day!
Your benevolent ruler,
Princess Celestia.
Aversion frowned as he read through the note.
'Benevolent'? Yeah, right... from what Luna told me, you're quite pushy with the rules, Celestia!
It took a moment of thought... but suddenly, Aversion was overcome with the same depressive disposition that he was quite familiar with. If this warning was official... he would not be allowed back into Canterlot Castle. He would not be allowed to see Luna again. If he tried sending any letters, they would likely be discarded upon recognition of the address.
"Oh, no..." Aversion said, somberly. "...what am I gonna do now? Luna was my sunbeam... or rather, my moonbeam... in this stormy world... and now, she's been separated from me... by the damned wall of the red-tape aristocracy!"
He retreated to his bedroom, and laid on his bed. The more he thought about being separated from his newest friend, the more he longed to be back in her sweet, gentle embrace.
"Oh, Luna... where did we go wrong?" Aversion said to himself.
He squeezed himself into the tucked covers, tears filling his eyes. It fully dawned on him that this whole interaction with a Princess really was too good to be true.
"...I'll never forget the scent of Luna's fur when we hugged..." Aversion uttered, staring at the ceiling. "...she smelled like lavender and berries... she had me right up against her barrel...!"
He had never been so intimate with a mare in the twenty-six years he had been on Equus. It was oh, so addicting, the way her hug felt. Not only that, but her uplifting words... her gentle tone... he wanted to hear it again. With his own ears.
However, Aversion knew that, since he received an official warning from Canterlot Castle, any further hope to visit Luna was moot. Not only that, but even if he were willing to bite the bullet and go anyway, he did not have the means of reaching Canterlot on his own. He could not afford a train ticket, and walking the whole way was impractical, since he did not have the resources for hoof-travel at his disposal either.
Aversion simply laid in his bed, feeling utterly defeated and backstabbed by the world.
"...What am I gonna do?" the stallion asked himself.
Luna was utterly despondent. For many days, she remained shut up in her room, not doing hardly anything. She did a very minimal amount of work, refused to eat or sleep much... and had fallen into a deep depression, akin to what she had felt over a thousand years ago. She placed a spherical shield around her room on the spire, and magically sealed her door.
Being the older sister, however, Celestia decided to check in on her sister... but it was also for reasons that were causing some problems with the overall workload in the castle.
Celestia knocked on Luna's door. "Luna, are you going to stop acting like a foal and come out of there?"
Silence was the response she got.
"Lulu..." Celestia said, deepening her tone. "...this is getting ridiculous. I get that he might have been a good acquaintance to you, but you need to remember: protocol! We can't risk ruining our reputation with favoritism! Not to mention... there is a great deal of work you need to catch up on! I am not going to keep filling in for you!"
Once more, Luna refused to respond... sitting on her plot... facing the opposite wall with her cold, dead eyes... not a single part of her body moving (except her perpetually-rippling mane and tail)...
Celestia sighed impatiently. "...You really haven't changed, Lulu... always rebelling against your older sister..."
With that, the white alicorn turned to walk away.
"...Now then, I am going to continue fulfilling my duties and not let myself risk getting kicked out of the castle by the Royal Council!" Celestia warned.
She walked away, knowing Luna would not budge. Luna had indeed understood what Celestia meant... but she did not care. Abandoning her entire lifestyle... having her subjects look down upon her for her failure... being exiled from her home... it all looked like the abandoned amusement park in comparison to never being allowed to see her Avey again.
After what felt like several hours of a staring contest with the wall... a tear fell from Luna's eye, rolling down her face. She let her gaze fall to the floor.
"...Why must this be how it is? Commoners and royalty... royalty and commoners... why must there be a social barrier that alienates one from the other...?" Luna said to herself.
After contemplating the issue for a while... this got her to wondering something. Aversion was only banned from Canterlot Castle... but she was not banned from Ponyville in any way. Maybe she would not be able to bring him to the castle, but perhaps...
...If I'm not allowed to call Avey to me... Luna thought. ...what if I brought myself to Avey?
Once this realization hit her brain, Luna's eyebrows came down over her eyes as a wicked smile appeared on her face.
"Well, sis... I do believe there is one substantial aspect of this situation that you have failed to take note of!" she thought.
She was about to head out... but realized that it was still midday. If she took off now, her sister would no doubt realize her absence, as she could not keep the shield up around her room from a long distance, and Celestia would, of course, barge right in like the older sister she is.
"I suppose I shall wait until after dark..." Luna said. "...the right time... is nighttime! Heh, heh!"
She chuckled at the little rhyme she made up on the fly.
But in any case, she would simply pretend to mope until she was sure Celestia was asleep. She was always out like a light after a long, hard day of royal duties. This would give her ample time to make a getaway. Plus, she was sure Aversion would be surprised to see her at his doorstep.
Later that evening, Luna was waiting for everypony to fall asleep. There was the occasional sound of hoofsteps, which meant she had to wait a little longer before leaving. It would seem rather strange to everypony if she randomly lowered her shield and released the lock on her door.
Once thing began to settle down, Luna heard one final set of hoofsteps, accompanied by some singing. It was a voice she knew all too well...
"O', there once was a stallion, his name was Storm Crow! The mightiest warrior in Equestria, more so than most know!" Blueblood sang in a tone-deaf, off-key voice.
Luna recognized this tune; it was the first line of an old folk-song that originated back in Medieval Canterlot. There were rumors that Storm Crow was a warrior unicorn who was reincarnated after the death of each incarnate... and Blueblood believed that he himself was Storm Crow. But of course, to more intelligent ponies who have done their historical research... it was just a folk-song, and nothing more.
Oh, Blueblood... when will you learn to stop staying up so late, and sleeping well into midday? Luna thought.
She knew both she and her sister were not very good at issuing discipline, as Blueblood did not take too well to it. Luna herself would give him what he deserves... but Celestia always argues against it.
In any case, Luna waited a bit longer, and there were no sounds to be heard. She was certain there were two batpony guards standing outside her door... but they would not care about the shield disappearing; all they were concerned for were threats. Now that it was a good time, she proceeded out to her balcony, standing just before the guardrail.
With that, Luna spread her wings, and giving one defiant glare back at the door, the moon beaming from in front of her as she did... she spread her wings, preparing to take flight. The wind blew in her main and tail, and making the feathers of her wings rustle. She was pointed in the direction of Ponyville. Oh, how she wished Celestia could see her ice-cold, piercing glare.
You won't keep me away from my Avey, Sunbutt! Luna thought with fury.
With a massive gust that propelled dust across the balcony, the Princess of the Night took to the sky, flying high above the blind spot above the spire, and proceeding to glide to Ponyville. From this distance... she would appear as little more than a common bird.
Aversion was asleep later that evening, after a long, hard, miserable day at work. He was harassed by many customers over stupid things, and Star Buck had, yet again, scolded him and made him feel terrible about himself. Stewing in his self-pity, and lacking any hope again, like he always did... he simply went back to his usual routine of work, sleep, repeat.
However, at some point in the night... the doorbell rang out, causing the young stallion to jolt awake. He sat up, rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
"...Ngh..." Aversion groaned. "...who the hell's ringing the bell at this hour...?"
After a few seconds of sitting and doing nothing, the doorbell rang again. Irritated, Aversion trudged out of bed, making his way out of his room into the foyer of his small house. At this point, he was really tired of being constantly sleep-deprived with his out-of-whack schedule and whatnot.
"I swear, dude... the instant I open the door, I'm gonna buck the crap outta you for waking me in the middle of the night...! I don't care if you're a stallion, mare, colt, or filly...!" Aversion uttered under his breath.
He opened his door to tell whomever was bothering him to buck off... only to become wide-awake at the sight before him. A very unreal sight. A very beautiful sight. The tall, dark-blue alicorn mare before him had a massive smile on her face with her eyebrows pointed up.
"Avey!" Luna said.
Smiling with tears filling his eyes, Aversion stepped outside.
"Luna!" he said, lunging at the Princess and pulling her into a hug.
Luna hugged him back. After a moment, they looked at each other.
"What are you doing here?" Aversion asked.
"I came to see you, silly!" Luna said.
The two then separated.
"May I come in?" Luna asked.
"Sure..." Aversion said, darting his eyes. "...but... I don't know if... I have much to really offer..."
Luna stepped inside, taking a look around the shabby house. She managed to smile weakly upon observation.
"Yeah... I know it's terrible." Aversion said.
"Oh, balderdash!" Luna said. "You should consider yourself fortunate to have all this over being without a home."
However, the Princess was quick to turn around and head back out the door.
"But, given what you've been through... what's say you and I head somewhere a little... nicer?" Luna offered.
Aversion tilted his head. "But... I thought commoners can't enter Canterlot Castle! If I'm caught in there again, I'm busted for sure!"
"That's not what I meant." Luna said. "What I mean is... let us go someplace I showed you naught but a fortnight ago."
Aversion was a bit confused... but had a feeling of what she was implying.
With that, he got on her back, and she flew far out from Ponyville, above the woods just outside of the small town. She took him in a familiar direction, almost out to Everfree Forest... and then came into the view of the repaired Castle of the Two Sisters.
"We're back here again?" Aversion asked.
"Yes." Luna responded. "I decided that it is only fair you have yourself a better place to stay for the time being. And I have just a way to make it long-term with some special... devices I spent some of my free time working on..."
"Really?" Aversion asked.
Luna gave a single nod in response. "I'll show you what I mean once I have the proper chance to do so."
The two flew beyond the defensive wall, and landed just in front of the main door, which Luna opened with her magic. Once again, they walked into the great entry hall of the castle. Being accustomed to lower-class conditions... Aversion was, yet again, awestruck by seeing such a grand hall with his own eyes after many days of not doing so.
"And now, let us head to an isolated room where nopony would think to look for us, even if they were to come here." Luna said.
She led the earth pony to a room somewhere on the mid-height of the towering fortress. It was a moderately-sized bedroom with a writing desk, bookshelf, recreation space, and a fireplace, just to name a few of the amenities. It was extremely fancy to Aversion, having slept in a crammed room that many would compare to a walk-in closet.
"Wow!" Aversion said, walking around. "This is amazing!"
Immediately, he went to try out the bed. He laid to find that it was as soft and comfy as the spare bed Luna let him sleep in during his one night in Canterlot Castle.
"Ah... it's really nice." Aversion remarked.
While he laid for a bit, Luna happened to walk up right behind him, gently rolled him onto his stomach... and proceeded to start gently knead his back with her hooves.
"Ohhh..." Aversion moaned quietly.
Luna smiled. "Just seeing you lying there... I couldn't help but want to do something special for you, given the circumstances that rose up on that one morning."
Aversion, even after knowing Luna for quite a while, was still dumbfounded at the fact that he was getting a massage from a Princess! Typically, he always expected just about everything to be the other way around. After many minutes of alternating, but even, patterns, he let out a pleasured sigh as the alicorn continued to knead his back.
"...You're very tense, Avey." Luna commented. "Your loin is utterly saturated with knots."
After what seemed like half an hour, or maybe more, Luna slowly retracted from her massaging session for Aversion... and the latter felt such immense relief. He had become accustomed to the pain in his muscles, to the point that it was so constant, he did not feel it, and now that it was gone... it was like he had died and ascended, leaving his deteriorated body behind.
"So... how do you feel?" Luna asked.
Aversion took a moment to let the feeling from Luna's massage really sink into his mind.
"...Unbelievable." Aversion said. "You can't imagine how good I feel now. Thanks for doing that for me, Luna."
Luna pulled him into a hug. "Anything for my dear little Avey."
Aversion yawned. "Ah... I'm sleepy..."
Almost immediately, Luna climbed onto the bed... laying on top of him, spoon-style. This caught the stallion a bit off-guard.
"Uh, Luna... what are you doing?" he asked.
"I wish to sleep with you, Avey." Luna said.
Sleeping with a mare! A mare! Aversion could not believe how lucky he was, given this opportunity. It was all too good to be true indeed... but why shouldn't he enjoy it?
"...I'd love it!" he said.
Luna then closed her eyes as she wrapped her hooves around Aversion, still laying in a spoon position. Aversion himself could not help but have a smile as he laid with his eyes closed in Luna's tender embrace.
So warm... so cozy... Aversion thought blissfully. ...I wish I could just lay here with her, forever...
Luna's hide was very soft. With her especially luxurious bedsheets combined with it... Aversion felt like he was enveloped in clouds. He imagined this is what it must be like for pegasi.
Soon enough, the two were both off to sleep... both knowing that each other's presence would make for a very lovely sleep between them.
Well, that was quite nice, wasn't it? I can see these two hitting it off quite well when their time comes for their relationship to truly flourish. So, that's it for right now! More to come soon! Keep holding on...