Chapter Five: Selene's Heart

~BlackRoseRaven

Celestia mused as she tilted her head back and forth, while Luna pawed a hoof impatiently at the ground, waiting for an answer.

Finally, she couldn't help herself, blurting out: "Well, damn it all, Celestia, 'tis not a difficult question! 'Tis no riddle or contest, just tell me what it is thou fears so damned much, that thou art here, happily allowing me to blow things up!"

"I am not 'happily allowing you to blow things up,' and I actually would prefer you try and practice a little more control, Luna." Celestia responded pointedly, and her sibling grumbled in response. "It's good for you practice magic, even if that magic is more destructive than I might like. And it's also better for you to be prepared, for whatever it is that you might encounter."

Luna grunted, looking suspiciously up at her sibling. Celestia looked back down at her, then she sighed tiredly before saying almost grouchily: "Demons. Zombies. Tyrant Wyrms. Ten Tyrant Wyrms."

"There, see, was that so hard, Celestia?" Luna asked mildly, and Celestia closed her eyes as if pained before the sapphire mare said in a gentler voice: "'Tis only strange, my sibling. In the past thou hast always known, one way or the other."

"Not always. Sometimes I just pretended to, and you and Sleipnir always believed me." Celestia shrugged and Luna snorted in amusement. "And it is true, you know. You're doing much better with your magic. I was … I'm not going to lie, I was worried this might lead to an outburst, or more confusion, but you seem in control."

Luna huffed, but smiled all the same, even if part of her was still almost suspicious of this new Celestia. They had been talking a lot these last few weeks: rather than the expected arguments and fighting, they had been sharing a lot, as siblings, friends, and to her surprise, equals.

It had done a lot for her. Celestia, of course, still wouldn't let her raise or lower the moon, which annoyed her, but she understood a little: Celestia, ever the clever and efficient princess, had devised a spell she used that rotated the sun and moon at the same time. She said she used the help of a small amplifier to do it, but it was still a testament to both her strength and genius.

The talks were nice, though. So were the hugs and the time they spent together, just being sisters. She didn't think that even in the past, had they talked so often, or had such a good relationship.

Something that made her even more suspicious, in some ways. But what reassured her was that Celestia was a manipulator, but she had never been much of an actress or a pony for long-term deceit.

She was also glad that Celestia was still encouraging her little quest, and hadn't had any sudden second thoughts or attached any other strings to it. She knew that even with Celestia's concerns, this would still likely be little more than just a peaceful walk, and one where she would be confronting her own demons more than actual monsters.

That just made her all the more glad she had Scrivener Blooms for this journey, and his help was already proving invaluable. He was researching the flora and fauna of the Everfree Forest and had compiled a list of artifacts from the vault for Celestia, and she had outlined what she wanted from the treasure trove.

The thought of the castle made Luna nervous: she wondered if maybe Celestia had some alterior motive for sending her there, rather than going herself. But she was trying to extend a little bit of faith and trust to her big sister, and recognized all too well by now how... duty chained you down.

Besides, she was very curious about the things Celestia had outlined that she wanted: the armor they had all used to wear – Sleipnir included – was high up on that list. Luna had been rather surprised it was still there, but Celestia had only shrugged: with the Tyrant Wyrms annihilated, and Equestria's problems becoming less conflict and more domestic, she had thought the vaults were probably the safest place to leave her old battle gear.

Then time had passed, and before she knew it, a thousand years had gone by: a thousand years where the Everfree Forest had spread and grown over the ruins of the abandoned castle that was now nothing more than a testament to failure, on both their parts.

Perhaps removing the Elements of Harmony had expedited the rot of the castle's wards and protections, allowing darkness to slip inside, or maybe it was just the ebb and flow of light and dark as time passed, and now, after a thousand years, the shadows were taking hold in the strange and wild places of the world again.

Either way, Celestia thought it was a good idea to retrieve these artifacts and equipment. Luna had to agree, even if she wondered still what it was her big sister sensed, and if there was some other design hidden in the artifacts she was asking for; not just their and Sleipnir's old equipment, but the bark of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, an old set of alchemical tools, and Sleipnir's old smithing hammer.

Finally, she looked up at Celestia and nodded, saying quietly: "I shan't lie, sister. The thoughts are still there. Not just the impure, of course..." She waggled her eyebrows, and Celestia sighed and rolled her eyes. "But the wicked urges, the cruel desires. But I am in control of them and I feel more confident that I will be able to resist the urge to... how did Scrivener put it? Blow up?"

Celestia nodded, and she gave a little smile before she said softly: "I'm a little jealous, you know. You have something special with Scrivener Blooms. You've made friends with Twilight Sparkle, and unlike me, your friendship with her will always be pure. Not tinged by selfish motivations or maternal lies."

Luna frowned, and Celestia shook her head, saying softly: "I have to pass the torch at some point, Luna. I'm tired after a thousand years of rule, and I realize that I've made many mistakes, because just like any other pony, I have my biases, my prejudices... and a nasty little voice in my head that for so many years was there, compelling me to extremes."

She halted, then frowned musingly, looking down as she murmured: "That voice isn't here anymore, though. And it's hard, because even though I feel more at peace than I ever have before, I am also hyperaware of all the mistakes I made listening to that voice, all the problems I've caused, and the fact that... maybe I'm not fit to be Equestria's ruler after all."

"Celestia..." Luna stopped, then she shook her head and smiled. "Nay. Thou hast always been a good ruler, a leader of ponies. And methinks this newfound awareness will only help make thee a better, stronger princess. Thou fits the role better than I, and there... there is no reason thou cannot have both Celestia the Dragon Slayer and Celestia the Sun Princess inside of thee."

The tall ivory mare looked thoughtful at this, and then she nodded slowly, her amethyst eyes meeting her sibling's oceanic emeralds as she murmured: "You know, sometimes you can be very wise, Luna. Well, rarely." She smiled, and Luna grumbled but smiled back all the same. "But you have your moments."

"Thanks, Celestia." Luna said drolly, and then she blushed when her sister walked forward and kissed her forehead, dislodging her tiara slightly and making her flail and whine: "I am not a foal!"

"I wonder about that sometimes." Celestia noted, before she gestured ahead to the open, smoldering field. "Alright. Let's get back to work. And try and show me some control this time, Luna, and maybe I'll believe you're at least a teenager."

Luna huffed, but was glad for Celestia's correction as much as her encouragement, even if she'd never admit it. She didn't want power to control her, after all: she wanted to make sure that no matter what happened, she was the one in control of her own strength.

Sometimes it was just too tempting to let loose and flex her magic a little, though.

They trained, and Luna was honestly delighted and surprised when they didn't just stop at target practice, but Celestia sparred a little with her. She said modestly that she was rusty, but by the end of it, she was smiling and Luna was sweating and panting a little, left a little in awe of the strength Celestia still had even after all these years.

After training, they always found a place to sit, and talk about old times. Luna could feel Celestia opening up more and more, blossoming as they shared memories and stories together.

Luna made sure to always find a little bit of time before bed to spend with Scrivener Blooms as well, though. It always felt important to talk to him, whether it was about the events of the day, or some anecdote she'd been reminded of while chatting with Celestia, or just to see his face. And of course she also enjoyed his grumbling and frustration about the armor she had prepared for him.

He was wearing the gear of a Centurion, modified with silver plating that were inset with the symbol of the moon. She was honestly surprised how well Scrivener was doing wearing what was almost full plate: he complained about it all the time, but rarely took even the silver helm off, and she knew that a lot of his grumbling and complaining wasn't irritability over the armor, but because he was nervous about the upcoming journey.

Every now and then, Celestia would drop some comment or other about how close she and Scrivy were. It made her grumble and blush. She wasn't sure why it was embarrassing: he was just a friend, after all. Her best friend, and sometimes she felt like her only friend in Canterlot, which was still by and large hostile to her.

Scrivener had also gotten a secondary assignment under Celestia, working with her personally to help categorize her archives. It wasn't very taxing work, and even if he wasn't known for being the most respectful pony in the world, he still felt honored that Celestia was actually spending some of her own personal time with him and trusted him with documents that clearly held a lot of sentimental value to her.

He did admit, though, she did have this unexpectedly mischievous way of poking and prodding him about his relationships and in particular, Luna.

Luna hoped this wasn't Celestia trying to play matchmaker or something ridiculous like that.

Even if she was, though, well, it was fine. She and Scrivy were friends, that was all, no matter what sisterly meddling Celestia might have in mind. Good friends. Best friends.

Honestly, though, even with that in mind, Celestia was going above and beyond: more than keeping her word that the bat ponies would all be freed of duty, she had awarded those who had left a small sum to start a new life wherever they chose to go.

Many had remained, though, and added a bit more life to the dim halls on Luna's wings of the castle. Without being asked, they had cleaned and furnished some of the rooms, so they could always be on call to the Princess of the Night, and a few had put down their armor but decided to instead try out other roles. She was embarrassed to suddenly have devoted servants but... it helped her feel a little less lonely. Like maybe there was a role for her in this world after all.

Still, she was glad when the time came for her journey to begin: it had been far too long since she'd experienced the freedom of an open road. She was looking forwards to tasting that old life again: no servants, no soldiers, no Celestia: only her and Scrivener Blooms, her friend, on a short hike into the wilds.

Of course, as she had learned on her travels more than a thousand years ago, things rarely went as planned. She was confident this wouldn't be that difficult, especially with how peaceful Equestria was. It was no longer the land of chaos it had once been: demons and monsters were only the stuff of legend now, and the greatest threats to Equestria had long been destroyed.

But all the same, even if it was just a little walk, she all the same felt like she was on the threshold of adventure.

There would be no grand sendoff, and that was just the way Luna preferred it herself. The rest of the reason why was because this was a secret mission, that only Celestia and Twilight Sparkle really knew the extent of. If there was an emergency, they would contact Twilight in Ponyville to ask for help, but Luna didn't think that would be necessary; what she did foresee, however, was a surprise visit to Twilight after she finished her given task, although she hadn't felt that was important to mention to Celestia.

Luna's eyes gleamed beneath the starry blanket of the night sky: it was past midnight, so almost all the ponies of Canterlot were comfortable in their beds, asleep. Celestia had accompanied them a little ways down the road towards Ponyville, and here they had stopped to say their goodbyes.

Luna was dressed in a sapphire cloak, and a simple lightweight breastplate, with leather bracers over her lower legs to offer some extra support. Her mane and tail were largely concealed by the cloak, dimmed down to help hide her identity, but hopefully traveling by night and through the darkness would be enough to conceal who she was and would avoid drawing any unwanted attention.

Beside her, Scrivener sat back on his haunches, doing his best to scowl, but not able to hide his nervousness. Sammy was perched happily on his head, and saddlebags hung at his side: at a glance they looked perfectly normal, but each bag had been altered to be able to hold more than twenty times its size and yet weight only a fraction of the total they were carrying. Very useful, but there would be hell to pay if either bag ripped and all that altered space exploded, along with everything packed inside.

"Luna, my sister. Scrivener, my friend." Scrivy stared up dumbly at this, and Luna smiled warmly. "I wish you both well on this journey, and I give you the full blessing of Equestria and the Throne of the Sun. May the Horses of Heaven guide your path to success. And remember you do not do this as my servants; you do this as my equals, as ponies I trust to triumph against any odds you face."

The two before her nodded firmly, and then Celestia stepped forwards and kissed first Luna's forehead, and then Scrivener's, the stallion almost falling over before the ivory mare smiled at them and said kindly: "Say hello to Twilight Sparkle for me when you stop in."

With that, she turned and flew off, and Luna threw her forelegs wide in consternation, complaining: "Damnation, Scrivy, can I not have a single mischief wretched Celestia does not know about?"

Scrivener looked at her dumbly, touching his forehead lamely, and Luna looked back at him before she said: "If it burns, 'tis likely because Celestia had been spending more time with stallions than I thought."

Scrivener groaned and rolled his eyes, asking in spite of already knowing the answer: "Are we really leaving Canterlot on that note? On a joke about herpes?"

"Oh, shut up, Scrivener Blooms, great prude. I shall thee know that in my day-"

"Stallions were stallions and mares were mares." Scrivener said tiredly, and Luna gave him a wry grin. "Okay, okay. You win."

"As always." Luna said comfortably, before she turned with a flick of her hips and began down the road, and the stallion sighed before he followed, ignoring the cheerful chirping of Sammy that sounded far too much like giggling at his expense.

They walked for a little while, Luna breathing in the fresh air and simply enjoying the sights and sounds, Scrivener plodding along with a slight rattle from some belt or another he hadn't tightened properly, until he finally remarked: "Still. It's kind of funny to be traveling at night." A pause at Sammy's chirp. "Oh, you're gonna protect us from the terrors of the night, huh?"

"Do not be silly, both of thee." Luna grinned over her shoulder, a flash of fangs. "I am the terror that lurks in the night."

Scrivener didn't know why that made him smile, but it did. And after a moment, Luna continued easily: "Still, though, Sammy is most welcome, and not just because he can ensure we always have a line of communication, but because he will be able to guard us when we stop to rest. Although I am less concerned about Nibelung or bandits, and more some dumb pony stumbling upon us and interrupting our sleep."

Scrivener grunted, before he said: "Nibelung. Those were the dwarves, right? I know nasty things come out at night, but I don't think there are any of those left in Equestria."

"Bah, who knows?" Luna shrugged, then she winked at the stallion as she dropped back to walk beside him, teasing: "Do not tell me the great wretched poet is afraid of the dark now, all of a sudden? We leave our gilded cage and now thou wants to return to it, is that so?"

"More that I'm not looking forward to all this walking. I'm a poet, Luna, not a superhero like you." He glanced over at her, then winked as he bodychecked her playfully, making her yelp and stumble sideways in surprise, almost tripping on her long cloak. "Good thing that's all I have to worry about with you to protect little old defenseless me, huh?"

Luna huffed as she hopped quickly back up to his side, then she firmly hip-checked him in return, knocking him sprawling as Sammy flew off his head with a squeak to vanish into the tall grass. The stallion cleared his throat as he looked up from his prone position as she looked down at him, remarking: "Assuming I don't decide to gobble thee up, of course."

She offered a hoof, and Scrivener took it and grunted as she yanked him up to his hooves, answering dryly: "I'm just going to keep my mouth shut in response to that. I wouldn't want to offend the dignity of the poor princess' ears."

Luna laughed at this as Sammy came skittering back to climb back on top of Scrivener, the mare answering: "Whilst we are upon this trek, I am no Princess of the Night. I am only Luna." She blushed a little as she turned her eyes ahead, saying in a softer voice. "I am only Luna, thy friend, as thou art mine, Scrivener. My friend, my equal, and partner."

Scrivener blushed as well as he looked back at her, deeply touched by this sentiment, and then Luna huffed at him and strode quickly ahead, complaining: "Oh, hurry up, Scrivy! I do not have the time to comfort a crying pony!"

"Ever the ray of sunshine." he retorted, and Luna grumbled and kicked a rear hoof at him absently before they jostled together, then settled into a comfortable pace side-by-side.

They found a good, comfortable stride together, safe in the embrace of the beautiful night, the stars and moon lighting their path. Sometimes they walked in silence, and Scrivener couldn't often help but watch Luna during these times, relishing all the sights, the smells, the sounds after so long quarantined away in Canterlot.

Sometimes Luna would just start talking: she would ramble away about old journeys, how much had changed since she had last walked these roads and yet how much had also stayed the same. She knew all sorts of legends that were older than Equestria itself, and the hidden stories of trees and grasses and flowers as had been taught to her by Sleipnir, and yet she always confessed modestly she didn't know nearly as much as Celestia did: Celestia had been the mind of the trio, as genius as she was cunning and ruthless, all her natural talents amplified by her peerless magic.

And sometimes, Scrivener would fill the quiet with his own stories: he wouldn't even know what he was going to say until he started saying it, but Luna listened to him as intently as he did her, even if he felt like his stories were boring and trite compared to her grand adventures. He told her about life in North Neigh and then Trotronto, and how he'd come to Canterlot with no savings and a single saddlebag. He told her about meeting Twilight Sparkle for the first time, and she laughed at his story, about how he'd swapped her books with erotic literature and stolen them.

Not quite the start of a grand friendship: they had a lot of static between them, aggravated further by Twilight's complete lack of social skills and Scrivener's caustic sarcasm. More than once, they'd been thrown out of the library for their arguments.

"I guess when you think about it, though... we would go out of our way to get into each other's, you know?" Scrivener meditated, tilting his head back and forth. "Maybe I phrased that badly, but you get what I mean. I don't know... maybe we were trying to be friends, in some way or another. But back then Twilight Sparkle certainly didn't have any time for friends, and maybe I was a little too prejudiced against magically-gifted unicorns who also happened to be Princess Celestia's apprentice."

Luna chuckled, saying easily: "No, no, Scrivy, never! Thou art obviously made of the most generous of moral fiber, after all. Funny to think that Twilight Sparkle wouldn't get along with the Court Poet of Canterlot."

"Well, the Court Poet was a huge jerk, from what I've heard. Always abusing his position and his power." Scrivener said blandly, and Luna snorted.

"I am curious, though, Scrivy... just when wert thou named Court Poet, and why?"

"Beats me." Scrivener answered, and Luna laughed loudly, grinning in amusement. "Okay, I think it was... Rose Thorns? I didn't expect to get the position, but I had only recently arrived in Canterlot and I was looking for a job. I was getting pretty desperate at that point, so I was just throwing out applications everywhere I could.

"I think I was just as shocked as anyone else when I actually was selected for the job." Scrivener shook his head, then he looked up at the night sky, admitting: "It's a really cushy job. I have to write and present one poem a month minimum to the Royal Court, take commissions from the nobles – that was easy to get out of by making them all hate me – and do any research and presentations Celestia asks.

"It was something to be proud of but... I guess for me, it was more just something to flaunt. It wasn't important to me, like being your aide is important to me." Luna smiled warmly at this, but Scrivener was still gazing at the moon in the distance thoughtfully, like he wasn't even aware of what he had said. "It was something that should have given me some kind of sense of self-worth, but I just used it to be a nuisance. Maybe I really am as worthless as Bramblethorn always said."

Luna softened before hiding this with a scowl, but then Scrivener looked at her and said: "The important thing though, is that I'm here now, and I'm not gonna go anywhere. We'll see this through together, Luna, because I'm your friend."

The sapphire mare blushed, not knowing what to say; she was almost relieved when she heard a loud, brazen yell in their direction, cocking her head as she turned her eyes towards the noise.

The two halted as Sammy arched his back and hissed as he leaned overtop Scrivener's helm, but Luna only shook her head, saying wryly: "Hooligans. I do not think they are even worth being called ruffians, let alone bandits. Well, let us see what they shall demand, Scrivy. Hopefully it is not sexual favors, 'lest I be forced to offer up thy supple buttocks."

"Hey guys, can you just take her off my hooves? Thanks!" Scrivener called to the three approaching stallions, who laughed like donkeys rather than horses.

Beady eyes and nasty grins focused on them as they came closer: they were young, dumb, and overconfident, brash idiots rather than hardened criminals who were probably used to harassing ponies coming back from Canterlot's late-running parties. "Yo, you hear him, boys? Giving up his girl already!"

Scrivener Blooms only shrugged: the stallion in the lead had a heavy chain around his neck, mane all done up in a mohawk and some big cheap hoops in his ears. Really going for that punk look, but not quite managing to pull it off.

His cronies were even less impressive, just following him around like loyal little dogs. Luna snorted in contempt at the sight of them, remarking: "Thou offends me, Scrivener Blooms! As if this little colt and his puppies would be enough to handle me!"

Scrivener snorted as Punk snarled, while his cronies traded dumb looks. "You better watch what you say, lady!"

"Or what? What will thou do, pray tell?" Luna mocked.

"Oh, well, let me put it in a way a proper lady like you will understand." he sneered as he leaned in closer, while Scrivener only watched with almost-apologetic amusement. Almost. "Milady, I seekethest thine monies, so hoofeth over thine bits, because we're a long way from civilization and you wouldn't want anything to happen to you and your friend, now would you?"

Luna gave a soft, ominous laugh, and Punk frowned as his cronies uneasily stepped back before her eyes glowed out from beneath her hood. The world around them darkened as the world groaned and moaned around them, and Luna slowly leaned forwards, her hood falling back as her starry mane crawled in serpentine tentacles out from beneath her hood as she asked almost teasingly: "Oh stupid child, does thou not know that to threaten a stranger is to tempt Fate?"

"Oh my God you're-" He was cut off as Luna's horn flashed and she stomped hard into the earth, the ground erupting beneath him in a flare of blue flame that sent him flying high into the air with a squeal of terror. Immediately, his thugs turned to bolt, and Luna snapped her horn out, blue-fire phantasms erupting from thin air and leaping after them, screaming and shrieking as the skull-faced ghosts whipped and danced behind them.

They screamed in terror as they galloped off, the horrifying ghosts they didn't realize were just illusions dancing and leaping behind them, leaving static zaps where they made contact. It was rather impressive how they managed to vanish into the distance by the time Punk fell out of the air and thumped back down on the dirt road on his face.

He groaned in pain, then looked up in terror as Luna stepped forwards, raising her head imperiously, her voice thunder as lighting crackled through the air around them: "So, thou thinks thou art strong enough to duel Nightmare Moon, to steal from the incarnate of darkness, and night?"

"Oh no, n-no no no no no!" squealed the Punk, crawling rapidly backwards, his eyes wide with terror. Luna continued to advance on him slowly, her steps seeming to shake the earth as blue flame wafted up from every stomp of her hooves, baring teeth that were too large, too sharp, as her eyes glowed with malevolent light as pitiless and alien as the cold stars above. "I-I-I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Then instead, let us play a game, tender morsel; I shall give thee ten seconds to run, and then I shall hunt!" Luna roared as pillars of blue flame erupted around her and lightning struck from the sky, and Punk screamed like a filly before he spun and sprinted away at full speed even faster than his friends had, as if the hounds of Hell were nipping at his heels.

Luna laughed loudly, and then she relaxed with a wide grin, her illusions fading as Scrivener and Sammy traded mild looks. "Ah, that was even more fun than during Nightmare Night! It always makes it so much sweeter somehow when they are such idiots!"

She sat back and clapped her front hooves together like a happy foal, and then Scrivener half-questioned: "The fun has been doubled?"

Luna immediately dropped into a sulk, scowling horribly over her shoulder at him, and he cleared his throat and looked away as Luna complained: "Damn thee, beetle, I had never even imagined such delightful diversions could exist as wert in Ponyville! 'Twas an altogether gentler sort of fun. There was no maiming, murdering, or mating, and 'twas still very enjoyable!"

"Thanks for that disturbing mental image, Luna." Scrivener said finally, and Luna looked pleased with herself. "Okay, okay. Thank you for dealing with them, Luna. It saves me the embarrassment of pretending to be a big strong stallion and getting beaten up by some kids. Even if I have to admit, I'm cowed by how strong you are."

"Thou art not a cow, thou art a pony." Luna said pompously, and Scrivener sighed tiredly as Sammy chirped cheerfully in agreement on his head. "Now come, Scrivy, stop wasting time. We return to the march!"

Scrivener grunted, then he followed Luna as she almost bounced cheerfully down the path; her mane fanned out behind her as she didn't bother putting her hood back up, instead enjoying the gentle breeze on her face, which felt all the better, elated as she was from the minor bump in the road. They fell into easy pace with one another, quiet but comfortable, Scrivener able to feel that joy traveling through Luna at the fact she was not only back on the road, but able to put her reputation and powers of terror to a positive use.

It might be funny, considering how ferocious and mercurial she could be, but he felt safe in her presence, and there was nowhere else he'd rather be. She was powerful and alluring but also well, a lunatic – no pun intended – but her passion and eccentricity were two of his favorite things about her. She was unpredictable and brave, and even if she thought of herself as the relic of a lost age, the stallion only wished he could have been there with her, to see her in her true element.

He could only imagine what it must have been like, considering that he thought the very best thing in the whole wide world... was her.

Luna quieted a little as they continued on the path, tossing him a few nervous little looks before she finally asked almost hesitantly: "Did I frighten thee, Scrivener?"

"Oh yeah, absolutely. Shaking in my little metal booties over here." Scrivener paused to hold up a hoof, and Luna huffed at him, but visibly relaxed, and her eyes glowed with gratitude as they fell into step together again.

Scrivener hesitated for a moment before he heard Sammy chirping at him, as if encouraging him, and he sighed before saying grudgingly: "I guess I... I'm really amazed by you, you know? It seems like there's nothing you can't do and you're... well... you're amazing. Especially compared to a little old earth pony like me. You're... everything I wish I could be."

He cleared his throat and blushed: that had just sort of slipped out. Luna was looking at him warmly, a blush at her own collar before she laughed and shook her head, declaring: "Oh, do not be so hard on thyself, Scrivy, with a bit of cleaning up thou would be a fine mare too!"

Scrivener laughed and shook his head, and Luna softened before murmuring: "But we shall see which of us is amazing by the end of the journey, Scrivy. Thou does me far more honor than I deserve with thy loyalty and compassion."

They continued down the road as they fell into comfortable quiet with one-another, simply enjoying the hike and the good company. Every so often, Luna or Scrivy would look back at Canterlot, its massive marble towers almost glowing in the moonlight in the distance, its position on the mountain making it a beacon even miles and miles away. At least it would be easy to find their way home.

After an hour or so, as late became early and the stars began to fade from the sky, Luna led Scrivener off the main road, finding a side path leading through a field of wildflowers as easily as if she'd walked this route a thousand times before. "Come, Scrivy. This should lead us to the edge of the Everfree Forest, and is away enough from Ponyville that we shan't have to worry about any ponies stumbling upon us while we rest during the day. We can make camp at the edge of the forest: it might add another night to the journey, but I would rather be safe than rush our journey, and..."

"It's nice to be outside. Away from Canterlot for a bit." Scrivener finished, and Luna nodded with a smile. "Hey, you know all this adventuring stuff better than me. Wherever you want to go, I'll follow."

Luna smiled warmly at him, then led the way through the field, down into a shallow valley and through a narrow strand of trees as the path vanished beneath their hooves. Some instinct seemed to tell the sapphire mare where she should go, however, and soon enough, they were walking along the edge of a thick wall of wild, untamed land.

The sapphire mare stopped at a thin veil of scraggy trees, testing the ground with a hoof: the ground was pebbly and hard here, and a broken tree lay dead nearby to one side of the field, which looked as if it had been scarred by flames. They would be hidden from sight here from the road, and the thin but numerous trees would make it difficult for any predators to sneak up on them from the forest.

The mare nodded, more to herself than anything else, and she decided: "We camp here. 'Tis a good enough spot, and we have supplies enough to make ourselves comfortable on this terrain."

Scrivener nodded back, and then he started to shift and reach back to the saddelbags, but Luna winked at him and tilted her head towards him, lifting the bags loose with telekinesis and dropping them at the edge of the field. He gave her a look, but she only shrugged and winked. "Well, 'tis a stallion's duty to help the helpless mare, is it not?"

"I hate you."

"Hate, love, 'tis all the same." Luna said comfortably. "Dig out the rations and our bedding, and I shall take a short look around and ward the area."

Scrivener nodded, pulling one of the bags open and peering inside into strange, stretched space, and then he made a face before closing it. Wrong bag: that empty space was never going to not freak him out, though.

With a little bit of digging and swallowing his fear of being gobbled up by the tiny void, he was able to pull out a pair of bedrolls, and a barrel-like container filled with hay and apples. Scrivener pried the lid off this before starting to turn away, but then Luna came back and shoved her head down into the container, munching loudly as Scrivener scowled at her. "What? 'Tis food."

"'Tis food." Scrivener sighed and rolled his eyes, and then he leaned over, reaching in to dig an apple out of the barrel. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Luna, it's rude."

Luna huffed and flicked a pebble at him, and he grumbled and kicked absently in her direction. But as they ate, they both steadily relaxed, and while the meal was far from extravagant, something in its simplicity, and the fact it had actually been earned, made it one of the best Scrivener could ever remember enjoying. His body ached from the hike and the fact he had been wearing this armor all night, and yet it was a good kind of ache; he felt alive, invigorated, and ready to follow Luna to the ends of Equestria, if that was what she wanted.

Then he blinked in surprise as the helm was lifted off his head with telekinesis, glancing over at her as Luna set it down beside him and she said: "Come, Scrivener Blooms. Thou can take off thine armor now, and we shall rest here and sleep until evening. I fear neither bandit nor beast, and Samael shall be more than enough to warn us should anything happen."

Sammy chirped in agreement from where he was perched now on the dead tree, and Scrivener smiled. He started to remove the plates, and Luna moved to help him; somehow, the fact she used her hooves, rather than just her magic, made that act feel so much more intimate, and he blushed at the sensation even as he pawed awkwardly at the clasps and mumbled: "Feels weird to be wearing this still when my pen does all the stabbing for me, not my sword."

"As if thou could ever swing about a sword. Besides, thou hast more honor with thy quill than the blade." Luna answered, and Scrivener chuckled quietly as they finished removing the last of his armor from his frame before Luna easily tossed off her own breastplate.

Once it was all set down and aside, they rested together for a few moments before the stallion glanced over at her. She wasn't wearing her cloak anymore, but...

He hesitated only a moment before he reached up and poked her dark metal peytral, asking: "Don't you ever take that or your tiara off?"

Luna smiled lamely, as if embarrassed, and Scrivener looked at her before he smiled back and reached up to gently grasp that small, black crown. He gently pulled it loose from her mane, even as the starry locks almost seemed to nervously tangle against it for a moment, before they released their grip and allowed it to be placed aside with his armor.

She lowered her head, a faint redness tinging her cheeks, and Scrivener gazed at her for a few long moments. It didn't make that much difference, and yet it made all the difference in the world, he thought: he had never seen a mare who seemed less like a princess in his entire life.

After a moment, she bit her lip, then her horn glowed, finishing the job by removing her peytral, and tossing it aside. She reached up, resting a hoof against the faint indentation in her own breast where the peytral had sat for so long, and then she mumbled: "'Tis strange, Scrivy. I feel naked. And thou knows what I mean, we do not normally wear much in the way of clothes but... I feel naked."

"I do." Scrivener sat back, gazing at her tenderly, and then he said finally: "If it helps, warrior princess, I think you look better without them."

Luna huffed loudly, but she gazed at him with warmth before shaking her head rapidly and instead she glanced towards their sleeping mats. With a flick of her horn, she unrolled them both, laying a few feet apart... but after a moment, the sapphire mare flicked her horn again and the mats were pushed close together, Luna saying: "Let us rest now, so we may start early this evening. Fear not, Scrivy, I shall not embarrass thee by forcing thee to be the big ladle."

"Spoon." Scrivener sighed tiredly, giving her a mild look, and Luna shrugged cheerfully before the two headed over to the sleeping mats. Scrivener slid the sheets over his body, but Luna only laid on her own, the two looking at each other for a few moments before the stallion asked impulsively: "Are you sure you're warm enough?"

"Nay, 'twill be day soon enough. Besides..." Luna halted, then feigned a yawn and rolled over to hide her blush and smile as her eyes flicked up towards the stars, seeing in the fading constellations two ponies that strode side-by-side together, bound by fellowship, friendship, and even more...

"I have all I need to stay warm. Sleep well, Scrivener Blooms."