A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back again with the next installment of my MLP fanfic! hehe. I have to say that there's not much going on in this chapter, just an excerpt where Twilight and Artemis are finally going to the castle to meet with the princesses. :)

I had thought about making this chapter longer and including the part where Luna and Artemis first see each other and feel that "spark" tee hee but I actually found that kind of hard because I was soooo stuck between two chapter names that I had been thinking of and I couldn't use both of them, you know :o

So this one is a bit shorter than the last few i've written...which was actually kind of intentional because sometimes I feel like I write too much...it didn't work in this instance really so I decided to give up :3

And god dammit! Again with my pacing. lol. Luna and Artemis won't actually meet and speak to each other until the 9th chapter. What's wrong with me? XD

Next chapter for sure. I really mean it this time. hehe

But it's ok though. I'll just try to update the next one faster *0*

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! :)

The next few moments were a complete and utter blur to Twilight, even more than when she had used the princesses' magic to locate Prince Artemis. Similar to when she had used the spell to find him, she could see different landscapes quickly passing before her eyes, but only briefly. Before she even knew what was happening, they had entered something which Twilight could only describe as a tunnel of magic. Upon entering, the young princess had so many questions to ask, however her lips weren't able to even come close to forming any…in fact, she couldn't say anything. The only thing that she was paying attention to was the place where they seemed to be flying through to get back. In that moment, it didn't seem like they were anywhere in reality…as if they were simply passing through space and time, surrounded by all kinds of magic in their purest of forms. Yes...it was completely true that Twilight had no idea where they were or what strong sorcery he had used to bring them to…where they were...but right then at that moment, Twilight didn't care.

Her body tingled with the different energies that seemed to make up the space, incredibly strong but also gentle, making her body feel as though she weighed nothing more than a feather on the prince's back. It felt like rays of energy were piercing through her, lifting her up and filling her with life, so softly yet undeniably strong…it was a feeling that she'd never once experienced before…that she couldn't even begin to imagine was possible. At the same time, she could feel both Artemis' and even more surprisingly her own magic passing around her body. Twilight already knew that she had not used any of her own power since coming to this place but somehow she knew it already belonged to her…magic that she had not even begun to tap into. Even more incredible than the energy she could feel surrounding them was what she was seeing before her own eyes. Everything…was sparkling. There were so many colors…they were bright and intensely vivid...some of which she never even thought could have existed. They dancing around each other, streaming in the nothingness they were floating in, as if beckoning them to follow. It was amazing…so beautiful. Twilight let out a silent gasp, blinking a few times, realizing that tears were streaming down her cheeks. For just a split second, she had thought of wiping them away but could not bring herself to, fearful that if she did, she would miss even a second of the incredible beauty of the place she was in. Instead, she only smiled, still completely in awe of the strength and purity of the magic that was around her.

The princess was so preoccupied with where she was that she barely noticed that the prince had slightly increased his speed, making the lovely colors pass by them in streams of beautiful light, trailing behind and all around them. Twilight instinctively held on tighter to Artemis' neck, poking her head over his shoulder to see where he was now headed. She squinted her eyes slightly and could see a watery image of what looked like a very small city in the distance. However, she guessed she would have known better than that. As they approached the image, it grew increasingly large in size and Twilight was soon able to recognize the familiar buildings and structures as those that only belonged to the royal city of Canterlot. Her body tingled with excitement seeing it, as she happily realized that what she was seeing wasn't an image at all...it was a portal home. She couldn't help a smile making its way onto her face again. The young pony was about to say something but stopped, seeing the very tall Canterlot tower appear in front of them. Twilight yelped, feeling a bit scared of how quickly they were approaching the city now…scared they would run right into something. She wanted to say speak but could only manage a yelp of surprise, before closing her eyes as they swiftly passed through the portal to the kingdom. The young princess blinked a few times, shaking her head, feeling that she was slightly wet. They had passed straight through a cloud and were now flying through the very family skies of the city. She couldn't help but breathe a loud sigh of relief that they hadn't actually flew straight into the tower, which was now a distance away…or anything else, for that matter. Prince Artemis must have read her mind because he glanced over his shoulder, a slightly concerned expression on his face.

"I do apologize if I frightened you just now…when traveling through those portals, things truly do appear closer than they actually are", he said, giving her a small smile, which she immediately returned, her eyes still twinkling in wonderment at how powerful he was.

"That's ok. I was really just caught off guard", Twilight said, with a small laugh.

"You need not worry again. I shall try my best to make the rest of the trip a bit more enjoyable". Artemis said.

"Sounds good to me", the young princess said, as he continued to swiftly fly through the skies, his large powerful wings, beating steadily. Even if she knew it might scare her a bit, Twilight couldn't stop herself from looking down. She gulped slightly but was a bit surprised when it didn't really bother her…maybe because she knew that the prince would save her if she fell. Nonetheless, she gently gripped his shoulders as he made his way through the air. Like last time, they were at a very high altitude, making it difficult for the young pony to even see the vast lakes and forests that surrounded the outer areas of the kingdom. However, that changed within a moment. Artemis looked over his shoulder again at her and uttered two simple words.

"Hold on", he said. Twilight nodded and immediately complied, pressing her body against his back. A second later, they had dipped down, quickly descending to the empire, which had now become visible in the near distance. The young princess could feel her excitement grow as she smiled again.

"We're here!", she let out, happily. The prince simply smiled at her, bringing them down lower into the sky, where a city busy with ponies and other creatures was waiting. Twilight could feel a moment of hesitation in his movements but he quickly brought them down directly over the city, making them visible to those in it. Again, the young princess felt a small pang in her heart, feeling both joy and great respect for Artemis. He was really making an effort. Below them, Twilight could see other ponies' gasps of complete shock, as their mouths hung open watching after them. She couldn't help but wince, feeling slightly guilty that she had brought Prince Artemis out in the open like this. He had been alone for so long that the young princess feared that being in such a populated place may be too much for him. Twilight was about to say something but stopped, seeing the wonderment in his own amber eyes, as he took in the new surroundings. Twilight breathed a silent sigh of relief, seeing that pleasant look on his face.

"So many…other ponies", let out, casting one last look down below.

"Yep. There's a lot of us…", Twilight said, trailing off.

"Well, not like you, of course, your majesty but still", she said, smiling. Before she even knew it, they had flown to the outskirts of the city, leaving it miles away within seconds, and were once again surrounded by the peace of large grassy mountains and untouched nature. Both pairs of eyes of eyes gleamed with joy and curiosity. Just up head was the castle…the place where the other princesses were awaiting their arrival.

"Can you take us down there?", Twilight asked, pointing to the front entrance of the palace, which she could already see had two royal guards standing in front, as it usually did. Artemis nodded and quickly them lowered them to the soft dirt a few feet away. Before she could even ask, the prince's horn glowed, and Twilight was gently lowered to the ground. The young princess took a moment to stretch her body and wings, feeling for any damage she may have sustained while she was chasing after Prince Artemis. She was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't any…she actually felt great. Twilight smiled, having a strong feeling that she could thank the prince for her now completely healed body. She turned to the prince, and could see him waiting in the near distance, smiling up at the palace and then at her. The young pony hastily trotted over to where he was standing.

"Are you ready?", she asked, her eyes already shining.

Artemis smiled.

"I am…but…perhaps you should go first…It may have been quite some time since I've interacted with other ponies but I have a strong feeling that it would be…troublesome to for somepony to arrive at a palace so suddenly", he said. Twilight gasped, slapping a hoof to the side of her head. She had completely forgotten that the princesses hadn't said anything of his arrival to the even the guards, in order to keep the secretive aspect of his visit. The young pony nibbled, embarrassedly on her hoof, looking up at him.

"I guess that could be a problem" Twilight said, smiling at him.

"We really didn't plan on telling anypony about you…not until you were ready", she added.

He lowered himself to her level, making her blush slightly.

"I am very grateful for all of you wanting to respect my privacy but…there was great truth in your words earlier. I cannot stay hidden from others forever…it may be time", Artemis said, returning her smile. He sat straight up, wrapping his wings around his shoulder.

"Please…you may go and explain the situation to those guards…I will wait here", he said.

"Alight. I'll be back soon", Twilight said, taking a few steps back. The young princess really did want to tell the guards about everything, but at the same time she really didn't want to take her eyes off him. What if he disappeared again? Prince Artemis must have read her mind because he smiled a moment later.

"I shall not leave", he said, letting out a low laugh. Twilight gave him another smile before hastily walking towards the castle door, feeling completely thrilled that Artemis would soon follow her and meet with the others. Once she reached the castle door, the guards looked at her and quickly bowed.

"Welcome back, Princes Twilight Sparkle", one of them said.

"The princesses have gone back into the throne room", the other added. They were about to push the large door open for her when she put a hoof in front of her, stopping them.

"Oh…wait….I…we also have one more pony coming in", Twilight said. They looked at each other for a moment, clearly confused, before speaking.

"We didn't get word of any additional visitors coming for the day", one said.

"Please…he's a very special guest", Twilight said. One of them furrowed, his brow, noticeably feeling bad for saying no to her so quickly. She knew that rules were important but this time was different. The other guard must have noticed the stance of his partner weakening, because a moment later he cleared his throat, speaking in a more stern voice.

"We're sorry, Princess. We can't let a stranger in without a proper notice", he said, placing his spear across the door. He gave the other guard a look, who sighed in defeat and did the same thing.

"We will allow you entry but can't let anypony else in. We apologize", the guard said, this time also looking a bit regretful.

"The other princesses and I didn't want to tell others about him", Twilight said, not giving up.

"We can't just let visitors in. It might be dangerous", the guard said.

"He's not dangerous", Twilight said.

The guard narrowed his eyes, looking suspicious but also very interested.

"We haven't heard anything from the princesses and you don't want us to know who he is…who is he, exactly?", he asked, glancing from left to right. Twilight nervously rubbed her neck. She really hadn't planned on saying anything out in the open like this. Maybe it would have been better to slip a note to a guard before she left but…no that could have been risky too. Still…she now found herself standing in front of the castle but had no plans of going in without the prince. The young princess let out a tired breath, feeling like she had no other choice right now. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped, blinking in surprise, feeling a strong gust of wind next to her. Twilight turned her head and could see Prince Artemis standing beside her. Obviously, the guards saw him too, probably before she did even. The second they laid their eyes on him, their mouths hung open in complete shock, not even able to say anything. She could completely relate. They continued to mouth words but unable to say them as they looked up at prince, with expressions which were both dumbfounded and even a bit frightened. Since the guards were understandably at a loss for words, the young pony quickly turned her attention to the prince when he spoke.

"I'm sorry for coming over. I was beginning to feel concerned", Artemis said.

"Oh…nothing's wrong. Just…kind of a misunderstanding", Twilight said, looking back at the two royal guards whose eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. By now, one of them had managed to say something…though it wasn't very much coherent.

"Buh-buh-buh-buh…he-hoo-buh…I-I-I…he-he-he", one of them let out, followed by a few more inaudible words. The other one was pretty much the same way, his hoof quickly losing grip of his weapon. It fell right on top of his partner's helmeted head, which he didn't seem notice. The young princess decided to use their shock as an opportunity to repeat what she had just said. Hopefully, they would be able to understand why she couldn't say who he was.

"Ahem", Twilight began, clearing her throat.

"This is the princesses' guest", Twilight said to the still dumbfounded guards.

"Hello", Artemis said, giving a slight nod.

They could only move their lips a few times, as their jaws still looked like they were about to hit the ground.

"I hope you can see why we didn't say anything to anypony else", Twilight said.

One of them soon vehemently began nodding.

"Of-of course, Princess", he hastily said, his eyes still big.

"We-we-we had no idea. We're so sorry", the other said, already beginning to bow.

"There is no need for that. I am just…visiting", Artemis said, giving them a small smile.

"Y-y-yes. Of course…your highness", a guard said, still not knowing his name and not even having the courage to ask. Without another word, they pushed the grand doors open, allowing both of them entry into the castle. Artemis and Twilight quickly thanked them before walking through the doors and into the grand corridor. They could already hear the two guards excitedly talking amongst themselves before they closed the heavy wooden structures behind them. The inevitable occurrence that they had seen the prince didn't worry the young pony too much, as she was fully aware of the loyalty that all the guards possessed. Twilight already knew that they wouldn't tell another soul of the stallion's arrival. Twilight hastily lead them through the large hallway, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She could hardly wait for the prince to sit down with the other princesses, particularly Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. She couldn't help but wonder what kinds of conversations they would have amongst themselves. If Twilight was lucky, then she would be able to be part of them. She quickly peeped up to Artemis' tall frame to see him curiously looking around in every direction. It was good that he seemed to be enjoying himself. As they made their way towards the throne room, the young princess could see the wide eyed stares and gawking of the other royal guards stationed at other doorways. She admit that it was kind of funny, considering that they were expressionless most of the time. Twilight held in a small laugh, thinking about it. The young pony turned her head in both directions for a moment noticing something slightly different about the castle as they walked. She noticed that there were only guards in the building only and not any cooks, scribes, or librarians which were usually busying themselves around the place even late into the night with various tasks. Twilight could only have come to the conclusion that the princesses purposely sent them away, knowing that she had gone to find the prince. She couldn't help but feel pride glowing in her, realizing that they had done so because they had faith in her that they would find him.

Twilight led them down another hallway, and could already see the tall doors of the throne room only a few feet away. She smiled in excitement and glanced up at the prince to say something but stopped when she saw what she thought was a serious expression on his face. Seeing him look like that also caused her to feel a bit antsy. The young princess couldn't stop herself from wondering what was on his mind. She furrowed her brow a bit before speaking.

"Is something wrong, Prince Artemis?" Twilight asked, as they stopped walking. He looked away for a moment before answering.

"No…it's just…this is the first time I've seen another…pony like me. We don't know anything about each other…and it is not my intent to make them uncomfortable in any way", Artemis said.

"You won't", Twilight said, standing in front of him.

"Trust me…they've been waiting to meet you for hours", she said.

Artemis smiled a second later.

"Then I look forward to meeting them, as well", he said.

"You really don't have to worry", Twilight said, leading them in front of the throne room door, which the princesses had left unguarded. She could already feel her heart beating loudly with anticipation in her chest. If she was like this, the young princess could only begin to imagine how Artemis felt. Left alone for so long…for centuries...all this time thinking he was alone. That was going to change today though.

"I think you're going to like them", she added, opening the door with her magic.

"I'm sure I will", Artemis said. At that moment, even he didn't know just how much an understatement that would soon turn out to be. After a silent nod from him, the two walked into the grand room, ready to meet with the other royal ponies.

A/N: Please rate and comment! ^0^