Author's Notes: Alright, another chapter. And it seems that many reviewers are asking me to bring back long, involved notes answering these reviews, which I must admit has surprised me a little. But still...ask, and you shall receive! Now to see what kinds of things I need to discuss today...

"Grim Reaper": No reader likes waiting for updates. Even us writers hate it when we take time writing out chapters. Trust me, we all feel the pain...but sometimes, patience is a virtue, and a necessity. I try and get these chapters out as fast as I can, but I can't promise anything.

"Princess Luna of the Night": I wouldn't stop seeking out repetitive mistakes if I were you, since I know I still do them from time to time. And nice pick-ups on the grammar errors, I really need to be more careful about those, particularly since my word processor's spellchecker doesn't find illogical sentences and general grammar isues.

"anon": I assure you the feelings are more than mutual. I grow very emotionally attached to my character, so writing these last few chapters has been particularly painful for me. Hopefully things will start moving in sunnier territory soon enough.

"Alamandorious": Well done on giving this story a chance despite the concept not being to your tastes, and I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far! And yes, this is a little fast-paced compared to some of my other work, and I admit I feel like my last few chapters have not been up to my usual standard, so hopefully I can find a way to change that soon.

"VirusChris": Your idea of adding Crimson to the story has merit, but I'm afraid there's little room for new OCs now...I have the rest of the story planned out in moderate detail now, so most of the random character appearances are already set and done.

"Phaedrolous": The cliche of Pinkie Pie hosting a party for everypony she meets comes from the way she behaves way back in Season 1, and while episodes such as "A Friend in Deed" have sort of eased that cliche a bit, I like the idea of a party being thrown for Starfall. Plus, Pinkie's famous for throwing a party for just about any reason, as the Mane 6 have said on numerous occasions, so if she's going to be in my story, she's most likely going to throw at least one party. Still, I'll keep that in mind, and may add a slight twist to things now.

Finally, I'll respond to the feedback about my song usage collectively. I'm glad it was met with positive response. While the song (called 'Rule the World' by a band known as 'Take That', for those who were curious) is indeed one of my favourites, I thought it was so fitting for my story that it had to be included in some form. Since feedback has been so positive, I will probably end up throwing in one or two more at various points throughout the story. Characters are not going to start spontaneously singing, except perhaps Pinkie, but I have a few scenarios in mind for songs, so we'll see.

And that's all from me for now! Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved, alerted, and even just had a peek at this story. And of course a huge shout-out to "DiamondGirl400" for beta-reading this chapter! Read on, fellow Bronies and Pegasisters!

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Chapter 18

Wake-Up Call

Starfall's night ended up being rather restless, if a confusing mess of senses he couldn't quite piece together. There were screams of hundreds of ponies in the midst of a frightened panic, the sound of many hooves galloping this way and that in a panicked beat. His vision swam horribly, meaning all he could see was a blurred rainbow of colors that shifted and changed in random patterns, leaving him unable to discern anything.

An ethereal, slightly smoky scent reached his nostrils, something he now understood was the scent of recently discharged magic, though the fact that he could smell it so clearly meant some seriously powerful magic had just been cast, many times more powerful than Starfall had personally ever seen.

As the nightmare of sorts progressed, Starfall's ability to see anything was still not cooperating, and even his hearing was distorted, though he discerned what he thought were explosions, several of them...large ones, too. Large enough that the way each explosions caused the screaming to lower in volume sent chills down his spine. What was going on?

Before Starfall could even try and figure out what was happening, and why he could not see, his weak, blurred vision was overcome by a dark shadow of some sort, and just as everything went completely black, he heard a distorted, but still terrifyingly evil cackle, the voice sounding somehow familiar as all his senses shut down.

Starfall blinked back to wakefulness, his heart racing as he looked around, finding himself in his room in the tower, the sun having already risen, letting him know it was early morning. It had just been a nightmare...though it was a rather strange one. Why was everything so distorted? He may have heard the screams of what sounded like hundreds of ponies, but considering how bad his hearing had been, it could have been just one pony...and he could not be entirely certain it was a scream at all.

But as the nightmare receded into the back of his mind, he remember the previous evening, which had been the likely caused of the nightmare, and sighed, his whole body seeming to deflate at the memory that everything he had been living for up until yesterday was all-but gone. Luna hated him, which meant Celestia and Twilight would soon hate him, if they did not already. His time living in this tower was likely coming to an end, meaning he would have to leave soon and start looking for some way to pick up the broken pieces of his life.

Before he could muster up the energy to get up out of bed and start packing, though, he heard the rapping of somepony's hoof knocking on the front door. Too depressed and sleepy to really bother worrying about who was calling at this time, he grimly hauled himself out bed, taking a second to make sure his mane and tail were at least vaguely neat, before heading to the front door as it knocked again, a little more insistently.

The moment he opened the door, though, he wished he had stayed in bed and faked sleeping in. Once again, his surprise visitor was the snow-coloured alicorn who ruled Equestria...and this time, Princess Celestia did not look happy.

Starfall had barely even begun to give her the customary bow of greeting before Celestia raised one of her gold-shod hooves, stopping anything he might have been about to say or do as he froze, anxious for what she would do to him. It was obvious in her expression that she had heard about last night, as she stepped inside, Starfall quickly moving aside to clear the way as Celestia's magic flared to life, shutting the door behind her as the yellow pegasus rapidly sought to regain control of himself.

"Morning, Princess Celestia," he greeted softly, though his voice already sounded strained...something he was sure the Princess would notice. "Can I get you anything?" he asked. He figured asking the reason for her visit would only irritate her further, since he knew full well what was going on. Feigning ignorance was the last thing either of them wanted, he figured.

"Just one thing," the Princess replied shortly, in a tone that suggested she had a purpose, and was chasing it down with single-minded determination. Clearly, she was telling him, with unspoken signals, that she did not want to be messed with this morning. "I want answers. It has come to my attention that there was an incident last night between you and my sister."

As the Princess of the Sun paused, Starfall winced, his fears now confirmed. Princess Luna had told her sister about the previous night, and Celestia was here to see that Starfall's actions were given the proper response...most likely punishment.

Still, despite a strong urge to flee, Starfall simply hung his head and sat down on one of the cushions in the living room, offering up any of the others for Celestia. He figured there would be some Royal Guards waiting outside if he tried to flee, and all it would do was make things worse later on. He might as well just get this over with now. "What do you want to know?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice as level as possible.

Princess Celestia seemed mildly surprised that Starfall was being cooperative, but did not call him out on it. "My sister came to see me last night, and she was furious, to say the least. She is forbidding you from continuing your lessons, and from teaching her, and has been demanding that I arrest you."

Starfall cringed at this, though was mildly surprised at Celestia's gentle tone. He figured she was just trying to be nice to him so he would be honest, but in truth, her kindness was only making him feel even worse, making him feel even more guilty for upsetting Luna so badly last night.

The Princess was not quite done, however. "Now, although my first instinct is to follow her wishes, especially with what she told me about last night, I know she has a habit of overreacting. I want to hear your side of the story before I make any decision regarding what to do with you."

The words left Starfall stunned. Princess Celestia was actually putting her personal feelings aside to give him a chance? That gesture alone was enough to give Starfall a fraction of hope. Even so, his curiosity acted before he could stop himself. "Why? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're willing to give me a chance. But if Luna's told you even half of what happened last night..."

Princess Celestia silence him with a raised hoof. "Starfall, in your brief time under Luna's watch, you have proven yourself to be an exceptionally kind and considerate pony. I believe it is only fair that you be given a chance. But," here her voice took on a hard edge, reminding Starfall that this was not in any way a social call. "I want you to give the truth, and nothing else. Now why don't you start by explaining what happened last night from your view?"

Starfall nodded, and sighed, figuring his faint hope was dashed now. Once Princess Celestia confirmed the details of last night, he would be in huge trouble. "I was...distracted...to say the least last night. It was a cloudy night, which was frustrating enough on it's own. But I was having difficulty focusing that night, and had been for some time. The two combined just conspired to leave me barely able to do any studying that night," he started softly.

Princess Celestia nodded, though she did seem curious...suggesting this was the first she had heard of Starfall's struggles to stay focused. "Go on," she prompted.

"Eventually, it got so bad that Princess Luna asked me what was wrong," Starfall continued, his voice growing more stressed and pained with each sentence. "I tried to avoid the subject, not really wanting to talk about it, but she persisted, eventually deducing that I was distracted because I had become interested in a mare recently." He paused here, clearly getting to the really painful part of the story. "At first she...she thought it might have been Twilight I was interested in," here Celestia gave Starfall a surprised look, though the soft smile on her muzzle that briefly appeared suggested she was able to picture just such a situation.

Starfall continued on hesitantly, though, trying to get this mess out of the way as quickly as he could. "I quickly dismissed that theory...Twilight's a good friend, but I haven't seen her since she went back to Ponyville. In the end, Princess Luna realised that there was only one other mare who could possibly be the one I was starting to get interested in." Here, Starfall found himself unable to continue, screwing his eyes shut and hanging his head.

He still heard Princess Celestia's murmur of agreement, though. "Her response to that discovery was...lively, to say the least, from what I was able to gather from her," she said, though a sigh at the end of her words suggested this was growing into a tiresome and trying day for the Princess of the Sun as well. "She's certain that you took up these studies with her for the sole purpose of chasing her affections, a betrayal she's not taking lightly, especially since her traditions dictate that it is forbidden for somepony of your social status to show any kind of romantic affection for a Princess."

Starfall nodded, the memory of Luna declaring him a traitor causing him to sniff slightly. "I know, Princess...that's why I never said anything. I knew she would never be accepting of any feelings I had, and I didn't want to ruin the friendship we did have. But I never decided to study with her just because I wanted to win her over, Princess Celestia...I promise," he added, all-but pleading with her to believe him. "I didn't even get my crush on her until a few weeks later. I just wanted to have her there as a friend while she taught me about something I've loved since I was a little colt."

Princess Celestia was silent for several moments, clearly thinking about what Starfall had said. The wait made Starfall even more nervous than before, but he remained patient, not wanting to push the Princess of the Sun, not sure of just how fragile her mood was at the present. It was nearly impossible to tell whether she was believing him or not.

Finally, she spoke up. "So what you're saying, Starfall, is that despite your growing feelings for my sister, you never intended to act upon them?" she asked, her tone slow and deliberate...clearly making sure Starfall understood every syllable.

Starfall nodded. "I swear to you, on my wings, that I was more than happy with Princess Luna as a friend...even if that's gone now..." he added sadly. He knew that even Princess Celestia could not salvage this situation. She could not force Princess Luna's feelings about last night to chance, and even if she could get Starfall back into his studies, he knew he would never have the trust of the Princess of the Night again. And that was even if the Princess wanted to, which he still somewhat doubted.

Princess Celestia nodded slowly, before looking back at Starfall, her usual, gentle expression back in full force, giving Starfall some hope. "Thank you, Starfall. I can tell you have been honest with me, which I am glad for. I now understand the events of last night a bit better, thanks to you."

Her words left Starfall ready to faint with relief. Princess Celestia had not only given him a chance, but had believed him! It was a better result than he had dreamed of when he had opened the front door some time ago...though the whole day so far felt like it had been a lifetime.

Princess Celestia's next words were enough to put a nasty dent in his relief, though. "However, there is still the matter of what to do about this situation. Could you follow me, Starfall? We still have one more thing to take care of."

Deflated slightly, Starfall gave a slow nod, before moving to follow the Princess as she lead them out of the tower, wondering what it was they needed to do...and whether, despite believing him, Princess Celestia was still angry at him for upsetting Princess Luna so thoroughly. Remembering his bad habit of getting pessimistic, he forced himself to cling to the positives of that conversation...and pray that whatever happened next went just as well.