One Week Later

Luna's POV

Finally. It is the day that Lucas that arrives to Manehatten. This has been a tough week. Sister has been burdened with bureaucrats, military officials and scientists. It is just this day though, that she gets a rest from her worries. The day was running smoothly, now that all of sister's policies are in place.

The city of Manehatten was glorious indeed, but it isn't home. I looked out of my bedroom window, overlooking the metropolis. Carriages filled the roads and the ponies looked like ants. I just hope that Lucas is OK. I saw a golden carriage pull up to the hotel. I went on the balcony and adjusted my telescope. I saw Lucas walk out of the carriage, and several ponies looking in confusion or panic.  

He entered the hotel room and I ran towards the door. Awaiting his return. No wait, this should be a nice welcome. I ran my bedroom and took the candles I brought some time ago for Lucas. I turned off the artificial lights and lit the candles. I shut the curtains to stop sunlight getting through. I wanted it be a nice mood. Luckily, Celestia was out in the park so I had the room to myself. Now ourself as I heard a knock on the door.

"Your highness, somepony wants access to your room. It's a creature, is it your pet?" A voice asked.

"Yes yes, bring him in. Give him a key as well". A few minutes later I heard a key go through the lock and turn. A tired, angry and tense Lucas dragged himself through the door. Registering the romantic mood, he smiled.

"Hi Luna," He sighed. I ran up to him and gave him a big hug, he grunted in pain. I eased off a bit.

"Thanks, the testing wasn't exactly tension free," Lucas sighed. Dropping his bag near the door. He shut it to and began to rub his back. I pulled out a chair which he didn't hesitate to sit down on. I began to massage what I presume to be his shoulders. I could feel the tenseness of his shoulders unwind as my hooves began to work on his shoulders.

I heard his stomach rumble louder than I ever heard.

"Uh," Lucas trailed off.

"I'll call room service". I went to press a button which called a waiter to take our order.

"How has Manehatten been?" Lucas asked, looking out a window.

"OK, I guess. It isn't home though," I sighed. Lucas looked at me and smiled.

"Well, I heard that Canterlot Castle will be ready to move back into tomorrow, thanks to some over clocking". A knock on the door was heard.

I answered it to find a waiter with several menus had come up.

"Ah". I picked up the menu and scanned the choices. "I will have a Daffodil and Daisy sandwich".

"And for the sir?" Lucas was having a hard time choosing. He flipped a page his face lit up.

"Ah that's more I like it. Large steak, medium please with salad." He handed the menu back to the waiter, who looked at him in confusion.

"You eat meat?" I asked.

"I do, Humans are omnivores," Lucas stated, "How come you serve meat?"

"Griffons".

"Oh."

Waiters came in with a large bowl of salad and a...ugh. Large slab of meat. I was served the biggest sandwich I had ever seen though. I began to devour mine but Lucas looked at me, trying to hide a chuckle. I noticed how I was eating and stopped.

"You sure can put it away," He teased.

"Excuse me," I apologised.

"Don't matter anyway, food is food". He got a fork and stabbed into the meat and cut it up. Still can't believe he can eat that though.

"Lucas?" I got his attention, he looked up at me while chewing on a piece of meat, "Do you like me?"

"Of course I like you," He replied, "How can I hate you?"

"Not like friend, but, more than friends". Lucas began to cough, nearly choking on his lunch.

"Might as well be straight forward with you Luna," He said, "I don't just like you. I love you Luna". I began to cough now. Doing the same as Lucas.

"L...l...love?" I stammered.

"Yes. Princess Luna. I love you". He leaned in for a kiss but I leant back.

"Err, not being mean but, you have meat juices on your lips". He went across his lips with his finger and observed it.

"Oh". He went in the bathroom and began to remove all traces of meat in or on his mouth.

After lunch, Lucas was much more relaxed. He seemed much happier than morning. We opened the curtains and sunlight filled the room instantly. He looked upon the city skyline.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He said. I nodded as I went in for a hug.

"However, It isn't the most beautiful thing here," He flirted, looking down at me and smiling. I began to blush bright red again. Darn this human. We were staring into each other's eyes again. Wrapped around one another. Our lips pressed against each other and formed a beautiful kiss.

"Good to have you here," I whispered.

"Good to be here," He whispered back. Kissing me once more. I saw his eyes open fully as we heard an explosion on the street. Lucas dashed to the balcony and looked down.

"What the?" Lucas exclaimed. I looked down and saw panic spreading across the streets. Several explosions of green mist littered the streets. Suddenly Lucas went into high alert and smacked the emergency button.

He dragged me onto the balcony, he took out a stick with a green line on it. He pulled the top, igniting green smoke on the roof. He threw it on the floor as green smoke bellowed from it. He began to mutter to himself and walking from one side to the other. He went up to me and hugged me tight. I could only watch in horror as I heard the screams of my subjects from below. I began to cry as the screams went through me. We broke the hug and I went back inside. I couldn't stand it. I looked out of the window and saw him looking down. He just stared down at the war zone. No sadness, no fear. Just standing there emotionless.

Suddenly a white pod was seen on the horizon, it flew at a speed that even Rainbow Dash would be jealous of. It slowed down and hovered near Lucas. A door opened and it lowered platform to get inside. How in the name of Equus is this possible. First deadly weapons now artificial flight. What's next? A spacecraft made of grass and dirt! He called me out and walked on the hovering pod. I trotted hesitantly. There is no way this is possible, but there it is, hovering in front of me. I walked inside of the machine and got even more confused. The inside was hollow, and spacious. The 'front' of the machine was where Lucas sat, looking at 3 windows. I looked outside again, there were no windows!

"Lucas. How are you looking outside?" I was hyperventilating, this is way too much! He gave me a paper bag to blow in.

"I'll just say magic to put you at ease," He said. The door snapped shut and we moved away from the hotel.

He pushed a button on a piece of glass that had moving pictures.

"Lucas? What is this," I asked. This is all too much for my head, moving pictures, non piloted carriages.

"This is a Unmanned Transport Pod. I built it before arriving here but it needed to be fuelled". I simply nodded along as he talked about his contraption. Of course I had no idea what he was saying. Suddenly I heard Celestia's voice.

"Hello?"

"Princess Celestia, order your guards to relocate to Canterlot Castle. It should be clean now, Manehatten is under biological attack".

There was a pause for a few second.

"I...I can't believe it. Why is this happening?" I heard her sulk in pain. She has been having headaches for the past couple of days now.

"Do not go back to the room. Go to Canterlot Castle".

"No! I will not do this again!" Lucas then pressed another button. Celestia was quiet for some seconds before she spoke again.

"This is what is going on. Manehatten is lost! Go to the castle if you wish for your ponies to live through this!"

"Understood. I am trusting you Lucas. I believe that you know the best for my subjects", she sobbed, "Do not put me through this again please".

A force suddenly pulled me back as I saw Manehatten being left behind me. We were in the air travelling at speeds greater than any pegasus. He put his finger on a screen where Manehatten was in view. Several parts of the city filled with green mist as several attacks were made. All I could do was watch as I know I couldn't do anything. Lucas was more distressed though, clenching his fists in rage he switched off the glass. I shuffled up to him.

"Lucas, we can't do anything".

We landed at Canterlot Castle on the tower platform. I stumbled out, feeling sick from that episode.

"What was that," I panted.

"High speed travel". Lucas rubbed my back as I began to vomit. I don't know which is worse, the motion sickness or the fact that Manehatten is under attack. 2 young guards approached us.

"Your highness. You shouldn't be here for another day," A guard notified with respect.

"Tell the captain that Manehatten is under attack. Princess Celestia is safe but inbound to the castle". The 2 guards looked at me in shock but quickly nodded and ran off inside the castle.

Lucas' POV

The captain requested me in the war room. I met Mystic Bloom who was waiting outside. He had become my friend, after all, we had 1 week to become friends so I called him with me. We entered the room. Several guards were around the room but in the centre lied a table where 4 guards stood near their respectable chairs. On their chairs was a symbol that represented their job; A dumbbell which represented training, a spear which represented weapons, 2 wings which represented air support and a golden shield which represented the captain. At the end of the table was a set of chairs which were ours.

We all sat down and the 4 guards took off their helmets.

"So human, you report that Manehatten is under attack?" The captain asked.

"Yes, biological attack. I predict that they are carriers of the new fungus going around". The captain looked at me.

"And what do you suggest we do? We just have the pony power to protect Canterlot," The personnel officer asked. I grinned as I rummaged through my bag. I took out a large blueprint. I rolled it out on the table.

"What is this?" The weapons officer asked suspiciously.

"A force field generator, usually you would rely on Unicorns to generate them. However this can cause serious fatigue to the caster and as you saw from the Crystal Empire incident, they don't last long," I replied, "It requires a magic energy crystal to power the mechanism. The energy is focused onto a tablet which generates a force field," I continued, pointing to several parts of the generator.

"I see, and this helps us how?" The captain asked.

"Several generators can be used to quarantine Manehatten, it's the best choice we have," The guards looked at me in shock.

"You are not considering that surely!" The air support officer shouted. Slamming his hoof on the table for extra effect.

"I am. Unless you want everypony to die at the hand of this vicious plague," I shouted back.

Princess Celestia then entered the room. Everypony but me bowed, they then stared at me.

"Bow human!" The captain ordered.

"No no, that's OK captain," She dismissed, moving to her chair on the table, "So what are the plans?"

"This foal wants to seal off Manehatten using some weird technology that we know nothing of!" The training officer shouted, pointing a hoof at me.

"Then do it".

"Excuse me your majesty?" The captain asked in disbelief

"Do it. Seal off Manehatten".

"With all due respect your highness, but do you trust this human?"

"I do, so does my sister. Do you distrust us?"

"N...no your highness," The captain stammered.

I began to brief the officers on the plan. First the mana crystals would be imported from the Crystal Empire to Canterlot using a secure train line. Then they will be fitted into the field projection devices and then activated to surround Manehatten. Simple enough plan. After a few debates, the plan was accepted by Princess Celestia. We left the room and I went with Mystic into the gardens. The entire place was razed down and replanted, I could tell.

"Mystic, how is Project Sol doing?" I asked regretfully.

"75% complete by my calculations, we could set it up by the end of the week and it would be operational by the end of 2 weeks," Mystic stated. I simply nodded.

"Hopefully we don't have to use it. Last thing I want to do is use something that devastating upon this world, but if I must, I must."

"Should we tell Princess Celestia?" Mystic asked.

"No, she will just cancel it. We need this to be secret, not even Celestia can know".

"How do you think the fungus is spreading so fast?"

"Well it can't be spores, the pattern is too inconsistent for that," I lectured, "I'm guessing that there is some sort of migration leader, some sort of queen that leads the infected to place and then leaves". Mystic looked at me for a few seconds but then looked away.

"What gives you that idea?"

"Just a theory that crossed my mind, plus I heard that a guard saw a monster skulking through Canterlot Gardens before it got infected".

"Let us hope that we do not have to use Project Sol so soon my friend". We walked off back into the castle.

I went up to the tower that Luna requested me to stay in like a dog. I opened the door to find her crying. I rushed up to her and put my hand on her shoulder. She turned around and hugged me tightly.

"It's too much, I want it to stop. Please make it stop!" Luna sobbed.

"What? What is happening!" I asked, trying to get through to her.

"This. This plague, too many innocent lives have been lost. So many lives have been destroyed! Make it stop Lucas!"

"I will try my best my love," I stroked her chin.

"No! Do not try. Make it happen! Even it resorts to you eradicating Manehatten off the world itself!" Well that will be easy once Project Sol is finished.

"I hope you have a backup plan my love," Luna asked, rubbing her tears from her eyes.

"I do, but I do not want to resort to it unless it there are no more options".

"I know you care for my subjects, you protect them without any hesitation. Why Lucas? What compels you to do this?" She asked with curiosity. I sighed as I sat on the bed.

"I like this world. This world tries to retain harmony and fights to keep it. Unlike my world where we fought for greed," I explained, "This dedication to harmony and peace interests me. I do not want to see you in any form of harm, but this fungus kills me more than the infected. I hate to see pain in such a peaceful land".

"So you fight for peace?"

"Yes, I fight for peace".

"I guess that is a better reason than any".

"Lucus, do you mean what you said back at the hotel?" She asked.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"That you...love me?" she hesitated.

"Do you need me to declare it to the world," I joked, "Princess Luna, I love you more than anything that exists in the universe. I would rather die than see you come to harm. You are the most charming, beautiful, kind person I know in the entire universe. It is impossible not to love you." I looked down at my feet, she was staring at me. Either in disbelief or in shock, either way I best prepare for a slap around the face. I closed my eyes and braced. I felt her lips on mine and then a force pulling me forwards. I landed on the bed face first and was then pounced on by Luna.

"If that is the case then, show it," She flirted. Let's just say we had fun that day and I woke up in the night with her.