A/N - Hiya! A quick update: apparently the motherboard of my laptop bit the big one, turning the thing into a big paperweight, so for as long as it takes for me to save up for a new one, I'll be writing chapters on my phone or at the library. The crash also corrupted portions of the data on my hard drive, including chapters 15-20 that I had saved on it, meaning that I'll have to rewrite them. Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to thank Shade the Dark Latios, HYBRID BATTLESHIP INFINITY210, GhostChris, and KillerWoW for their awesome reviews; as always, it's great to hear what you guys think of my story and I'm grateful you all enjoy it. To be honest, I never expected it to be as popular as it is when I posted the first chapter.

I came to sometime later; the first thing to come into my blurry vision was a wall of white. I could vaguely make out other blurry shapes, quickly realizing that I was staring at a white ceiling. I instantly regretted the reflexive deep breath I took, as it caused a large pain in my chest; though I quickly managed to get that under control with a shallow breathing exercise my granddad taught me. The next thing I noticed was the rhythmic beeping of an EKG machine. I was confused at first; not thinking Equestria had that kind of technology. My confusion suddenly gave way to a mixed feeling; hope, laced with a twinge of regret as a thought came to me: what if this isn't Equestria? What if all that was really just a dream? If this was really true, I was certainly glad that it was, although I couldn't help but admit to myself that I had started to like what I had perceived to be my new life.

I was broken from my thoughts when the door to my hospital room slowly and quietly opened, causing me to realize that my vision had returned to normal and bringing my attention back to the sharp ache in my chest. I focused my attention on the door, wondering who could be on the other side; it wasn't until I noticed it opening that I also noticed that I had been the only one in the room. A familiar midnight blue head poked through the door a moment later. I was both relieved and a little disappointed to see my royal friend, as she represented not only a welcome bond of friendship, but the realization that I wouldn't be seeing my loved ones from Earth.

Her cobalt eyes sparkled when they met mine and the realization that I was awake struck her. "Blake?! Oh thank the moon! You have awoken, this is wonderful!" she exclaimed as she hurried to my bedside.

I groaned slightly as she wrapped me in a gentle hug, which she thankfully quickly released. "Hi Luna." I said with a smile. "What happened, it feels like I got hit by a train."

The lunar princess's face turned serious. "My guard captain went against my orders and used offensive magic against you during your sparring session. I had intended to discipline her myself, but I wished to know what you thought to be an appropriate punishment, as you are the one who was injured."

I shook my head. "I don't think she should be disciplined for that." Luna's jaw dropped when she heard that. "It may have been a mock-up, but it was still combat, and those in a combat situation tend to react to threats before they've had a chance to consciously register said threat. This is especially true if the combatant perceives themselves to be in imminent danger, such as captain Midnight likely did when I charged her. Honestly, if our situations had been reversed, I don't see myself acting differently."

Luna's eyes widened, but before she could speak, we both heard a feminine giggle coming from the door. As we both turned our attention to it, none other than the princess of the sun herself walked through; that warm, motherly smile beaming and lighting up her entire demeanor. "It seems you never cease to amaze Blake." She said warmly. "Not only do you believe that one who has wronged you should not be punished, having a logical explanation to your beliefs as well, but during that sparring match, you showed a talent I thought long gone from your race."

"I don't really know what to say…" I said, somewhat confused; I honestly didn't know how to respond to that kind of praise. "Though speaking of the match; just who was it that saved my hide with that barrier?"

Celestia's smile widened. "Why, you did Blake. Luna told me of what happened, and I must admit I am surprised to see that the bloodline you carry still exists amongst humans." My face screwed up in confusion. Bloodline? What is she talking about? Celestia noticed this and cleared her throat. "Perhaps I should explain; among the humans who once lived on Mythis, there were three primary groups, defined by blood: those who could not use magic, referred to as Blanks, those who could use relatively weak magic with much training and discipline, called the Magi, and those who could use powerful magic, seemingly on a whim, called the Ancients. You are of the last of these three bloodlines, otherwise you could not have cast that spell; Blanks cannot use magic to begin with, and Magi cannot cast magic that powerful at all, let alone spontaneously, as you did. It is said that the power of this bloodline can rival even that of an Alicorn, given time, training, and the purity of the individual's blood; and given how powerful my sister claims your shield to have been, your blood must be very pure, something I wouldn't have thought possible at all, let alone by random chance."

I blinked several times at this revelation, not quite sure what to think. "So let me get this straight: not only can I use magic, not only is the ability to use said magic all but impossible, but it can potentially rival your ability; you, whom as I understand, are two of the most powerful beings on the planet?!"

Celestia nodded, "Your understanding, while somewhat crude, is more-or-less correct."

I was speechless for nearly a minute. I finally found my voice and spoke up. "Wh-where do we go from here? I…" I took another moment to compose my thoughts. "Humans have always dreamed of such things, from fanciful daydreams of casting simple spells to a downright lust for unrivalled power… I… I honestly don't know if I want this; I mean, what if I were to accidentally hurt someone, or worse, become corrupted somehow and do it intentionally?"

Celestia and Luna smiled at one another. "Your concerns and desire not to harm others with this gift show us that you are likely the most deserving of it. With proper training, this power will be no more dangerous to those around you than the fighting ability you possess; now that it has awakened within you, the magic will answer your call, you must simply learn how to call it. And I believe I know just the unicorn to guide you through this time of discovery." Luna said with a pride-filled smile and tone.

Celestia then looked back to the doorway. "I must take my leave now, I have royal duties to attend; I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt too badly." She then turned to leave before looking back to me. "Farewell for now Blake, I hope you get better soon." She bid before she walked through the door, closing it behind her.

I looked over to Luna. "So how long was I out? It doesn't feel like it's been that long."

Luna shook her head. "It has not. You were unconscious for only a few hours, more from the shock of suddenly using that much magic than from your injuries."

I looked down at my chest to see that it was bandaged. "I see. How bad was I hurt anyway? It hurt pretty bad when I came to, but it doesn't seem to anymore."

"You were lucky; Midnight Flash did not have time to properly charge the first spell, so it was not as powerful as it could have been. You only received minor injuries from the impact; mostly bruising, as well as two fractured ribs, so you are significantly better off than you could have been. As for the pain, the physician cast a delayed pain-blocking spell on you, set to activate once you awoke. It is standard procedure in case a patient awakens while there are no doctors around to ease that patients suffering. This spell also has low-level healing attributes, which even now are hard at work mending the worst of the damage."

I nodded at the information. "Well that's good to hear, I was afraid I was pretty bad off. So I take it I won't have to stay here for much longer?"

Before Luna could answer, there was a knock at the door; there was a momentary pause before an earth pony mare in an old-fashioned nurse's outfit with a pale tan coat and two-tone pale blue mane done up in a bun and aqua eyeshadow surrounding green eyes opened the door and entered the room. "Good afternoon your Majesty." She said warmly with a small bow to Luna before picking up the clipboard hanging from the end of my bed. "Good afternoon Mr. Marshall, I'm nurse Snowheart, how are you feeling?" She asked cheerily. I wish doctors and nurses on Earth had been this pleasant.

"Well, I seem to be much better than I was when I got here; I mean, I'm awake after all."

She giggled slightly. "That you are. It seems you were quite lucky; if you had landed on your neck, you might not have woken up at all. That aside, your injuries were relatively minor; you should be able to go home as soon as the doctor comes by and clears you." She took a quill in the wrist joint of her hoof and made a few notes on my chart before heading towards the door. "I'll go fetch him now, and he should be by shortly." Nurse Snowheart said before leaving the room again.

I turned my attention back to Luna. "So, do Twilight and the others know what happened?"

She hesitated a moment. "Your other friends are aware; my sister sent a letter to Twilight Sparkle via Spike as soon as she found out. However, it would seem Twilight did not board the train with her friends. We have a few guards searching the city in case she is still here, but the chances of finding her will be low until she attempts to board the next train to Ponyville."

I shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, she'll find out one way or another. I'm getting pretty hungry though, after I get released, I'm going to find someplace in the city to eat before I head back; I'd like it if you joined me Luna." I said with a warm smile.

Luna's face lit up in a blush. "I… I would enjoy that Blake; I believe I know just the place too." She said with a smile of her own.

Before either of us could say anything else, there was another knock on the door, followed by a unicorn stallion with a deep brown coat and auburn mane wearing a doctor's lab coat walking in. "Ah, greetings Princess Luna, Mr. Marshall. Nurse Snowheart informed me that you were awake and in good spirits. We can have you cleared and on your way once I cast a medical diagnostic spell to ensure your injuries will be alright once you leave."

I nodded my head signaling him to proceed. He wasted little time casting the spell; both his horn and my chest were enveloped in a light blue aura. The spell only lasted a moment before it faded. "It looks like everything checks out, you have a few contusions, but nothing too serious. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to outpatient processing where you'll just need to fill out a release form before you leave, and then you'll be free to go." The doctor said cheerily as he turned to leave.

I got up to follow only to realize that all I was wearing was a hospital gown that was too small to cover me properly. "Uh, Doc? I think there might be a bit of a problem with that…"

He turned back to me with a curious look. It only took him a moment to realize that my garment looked like it was ready to explode off of me. "Oh, right. The princesses informed me of your species' taboo against… exposure. I'll have nurse Snowheart bring your belongings up to you and show you out. Good day Princess, Mr. Marshall." The doctor said in a strangely flat tone compared to his previous speech.

It didn't take long for Snowheart to reappear with my clothes on her back. Fortunately, they didn't appear any worse for wear. She and Luna then both departed to allow me some privacy while I changed. It only took a few minutes, and once I was done I opened the door to see Snowheart and Luna standing across the white marble hall in relative silence. They both seemed to perk up at my arrival; I could only guess at the awkward silence I had broken. "Ah, Mr. Marshall, shall we?" Snowheart asked, a little too enthusiastically.

I gestured for her to lead the way. "You can call me Blake, you know. I won't bite, I promise."

Snowheart and Luna both giggled at that. "Alright Blake, right this way please." She said with a smile, gesturing to a door to our left.

Luna and I passed through the door with Snowheart staying behind, waving us farewell. The paperwork was fairly routine hospital release fare, verifying I felt I was well enough to leave and the like. After it was all done, Luna and I made our way out of the hospital, with her leading us through the main thoroughfare of Canterlot, the both of us receiving more than a few open stares. Most of these seemed to be more out of curiosity than anything else. We both managed to shrug off the stares and managed some pleasant conversation while we walked.

"So Blake, how do you like Equestria thus far?" Luna asked after a short lull in the conversation.

I looked up at the sky, thinking about what I had seen and done so far. "Honestly, I still find it hard to believe that it's not all a dream… when I woke up earlier at the hospital, I had thought it was and I had woken up in a hospital on Earth. I still think about what I lost… but thanks to you and your sister, I've also gained so much. I've only been here a few days, but it almost feels like this is where I was meant to be; like I was born in the wrong place and I never realized it till I came here. I'll likely always miss Earth and the life I had there, but this life feels… right…"

Luna gave me a soft, sad smile at that. "I am glad to hear you say that Blake. While I dearly wish I could return what has been taken from you, I cannot; I can only do my best to ensure your new life is as fulfilling as it can be." She then turned her attention ahead of us. "Ah, we have arrived!" She exclaimed happily.

I looked at the establishment in front of us. It seemed to stick out amongst the ornate buildings that surrounded it, seeming to resemble an ancient Roman structure, carved from white granite and sparsely decorated. Compared to the ostentatious buildings around it, carved from marble and other high class materials and often adorned with gold and various other precious metals, this place seemed… plain. Just the way I like it. As we neared the entry door, a familiar aroma wafted into my nostrils. No… it couldn't be… could it?

Luna seemed to pick up on my delight, as she giggled slightly before saying; "Your senses do not deceive you Blake; that is indeed cooked fish you smell." I turned my attention to her with a confused look. "While most ponies choose to eat only vegetable matter, we are quite capable of ingesting fish as well. Though there are few, some ponies do enjoy indulging in recreational pescatarianism, myself included. This restaurant is one of few in Canterlot that caters to such tastes. Shall we?" she asked, gesturing us onward with a hoof.

I wasted no time in snapping from the daze the heavenly aroma had put me in and quickly opened the door, gesturing Luna to go through first. This prompted a giggle from the midnight Alicorn, "My my, such a gentlecolt." She almost purred as she passed me. "And handsome too…" she said with a flirtatious wink.

I could feel my cheeks begin to warm at the unexpected compliment, but I managed to keep my composure and follow my fiend into the restaurant. We were greeted and quickly seated -likely due to Luna being a princess- by an earth pony stallion in a tasteful black vest with a white undershirt and red bow-tie. He handed us our menus and took our drink orders before returning to the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with our drinks -we had both ordered sarsaparilla- before vanishing again, giving Luna and I some privacy.

I decided that now was as good a time as any to bring up what I had read the previous night. "So Luna, I came across an interesting book last night in my room." Luna looked up from her menu with an interested look, so I continued, "It had to do with the history of Equestria, more specifically, a being called Nightmare Moon…"

Her face, as dark as it was, somehow paled at this and her pupils shrunk to near pinpricks. "Blake, y-you must understand; that was a dark time in my life, I-I was so angry and jealous and resentful of my sister and how our subjects loved her day and shunned the night that I worked so hard to craft for them. My negative emotions got the best of me and-" She stopped as I held up a hand to interject.

"It's ok Luna; you don't have to explain yourself to me. Whatever happened in the past will stay in the past; I'm not going to judge you for it. I just thought you should know that I'm aware of what happened, at least from history's perspective. I don't care who you were then, all I care about is who you are now; and who you are now is a kind, compassionate ruler and a caring friend whose company I enjoy." I smiled warmly at her, and she returned that smile tenfold. "I also wanted to say that if you wanted to talk about what happened sometime, whether it be to simply have someone see things from your viewpoint or if you have some lingering doubts or something you'd like to get off your chest… you can count on me to be there to listen…"

Her smile distorted somewhat and her eyes began to glisten with barely restrained tears. "Thank you… Thank you Blake… I cannot tell you how much joy it gives me to hear you say that… to know that there is someone that I can talk to, not as a subject or a sibling, but as a friend." A single tear escaped her restraint and danced its way down her cheek as she looked down at the table. "As a princess, I can have almost any luxury or comfort I could dream of… but that always seemed to be the one thing my title could not bring me; in fact, it seemed to make having such a luxury impossible… I do not know how I can ever thank you for that…"

I got up from my seat and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "We're friends Luna; you don't ever have to thank me for that." I pulled back from the embrace and placed my hand on her cheek, wiping away the tear with my thumb and turning her head so we were eye-to-eye. "I'll always be here for you Luna, whenever you nee-" I was cut off as Luna lunged forward, wrapping a foreleg around my head and planting her lips on mine in a deep, passionate kiss.

The kiss ended just as abruptly as it began as she pulled away suddenly, a look of shock and embarrassment on her face. "I-I am sorry, I do not… I need to go!" She exclaimed an instant before her horn glowed and she disappeared in a flash of light, leaving me momentarily stunned as I processed what had just happened.

That only lasted a split-second, however, and I quickly came to me senses. "LUNA! WAIT!" I shouted in vain. I got up and turned to leave to try and find her until I remembered our meal. I stopped only long enough to fish out what I thought to be a sack of thirty bits and tossed it on the table; hoping it was enough, though we had yet to order, before taking to the streets of Canterlot in search of my friend. I hadn't noticed, nor did I particularly care, that every pony in the establishment, patrons and staff alike had stopped what they were doing and were now staring at me.

Unfortunately, I had no idea where she might have gone, nor did I have any idea where I was going; I simply took off in the direction that I hoped would lead back to the palace, as the narrow streets and tall buildings in this part of the city made viewing the immense structure all but impossible. After around what I guessed was five minutes of running, my surroundings finally opened up enough for me to spot the palace, and I took off towards it without hesitation.

By the time I reached the palace's main entrance, I was thoroughly winded, doubling over to catch my breath before announcing myself to the guard. Thankfully, they had been told who I was and that I was to be granted access to the palace, so getting in was easy. Once inside, I realized that the hard part would be finding Luna, if she was even here to begin with.

I decided instead to find the one being who would be able to help me find Luna, to try and understand what happened and try to make amends for anything I might have done wrong, though by this point I had a pretty good idea of what had happened. My progress was slowed however, as the running I had done had aggravated my chest injury and breathing had become more difficult. I fought through the pain and sought out my objective almost single-mindedly, once again paying no mind to the odd stares I was receiving from the palace staff.

Eventually, I stopped a palace guard, one of Celestia's Solar Guard by the look of him, for directions. He pointed me in the direction of the throne room, which fortunately wasn't that far away from where I was. I didn't waste any time in heading that way, thanking the guard for his help as I left.

Minutes later, I was at the large, ornate doors that signaled the entrance to the throne room. There was a guard posted to either side of the doors. "Excuse me, would either of you know if either of the princesses are available in the throne room?"

The guards looked to each other momentarily. "I'm sorry sir, but the Royal Court has been adjourned for the day; if you wish to speak to the princesses, you'll have to make an appointment."

My shoulders sagged at this news. "I'm sorry, but I really need to speak to them, it regards a matter that occurred in public involving one of them earlier this afternoon."

The guards looked to each other once again. "Alright, if it's that urgent, I'll show you to the royal sitting room; one or both of the princesses should be present there. Be warned, you'll be under constant surveillance during your visit unless we are commanded otherwise."

I nodded my understanding and the guard led me down a confusing string of twisting, turning corridors. After what felt like an eternity due to my desire to find Luna, we stopped in front of a single, plain wooden door. The guard knocked three times and we waited. After a moment, a voice from within called; "You may enter."

I waited outside while the guard entered, only to return momentarily. "You may see the princess now." He announced.

I stepped into the room, which seemed to be fairly cozy; there was a desk with a quill and inkwell, as well as several sheets of parchment resting upon it against one wall, while books lined the remaining walls and a plush pillow rested next to a white marble fireplace.

My focus was locked onto the occupant of that pillow, however. I approached, still unsure of where to start. The room's occupant was eyeing me expectantly, waiting for me to speak first. I managed to find my voice enough to croak out the being's name in a desperate tone.

"Celestia…"