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A Chance Meeting of Two Moons

by Evilhumour

Chapter 22: Chapter Fourteen Artemis

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Chapter Fourteen - Artemis

With a simple, controlled and hidden yawn, Celestia looked around the table and smiled at the assembled group. Twilight and her friends were all chatting blissfully away, although a few were clearly not morning mares. Rarity seemed to be in the midst of either waking up or hiding her displeasure at being unable to do her beauty ritual and Rainbow Dash was steadily drinking from her mug, trying to be perky for her friends. Lifting a pancake that Spike had made to her mouth, she had turned her attention to the lone stallion at the table, sitting on her other side and by himself. Artemis was somewhat better; he seemed to be more well rested, but he almost certainly had a nocturnal lifestyle and thus being up at this time must be playing havoc with his inner clock.

Again, she corrected herself. Pausing, she realized that Luna must have stayed awake for nearly two days straight if things had remained the same in both their worlds. She looked at the stallion again, closely now. Artemis was nursing one of their special coffee blends weakly as he nibbled at the food when he thought she wasn’t looking, otherwise he was forcing the food down his mouth. Of course he was still completely exhausted, he was just trying not to worry her, just like Luna would do in the same place for her.

Biting back a sigh, she was about to ask him how he’d really slept last night when her former student spoke up.

“So Prince Artemis, how did you sleep?” Blinking, Celestia turned her head to see Twilight move her plate to the other side and seat herself a few seats from the pony in question.

“Fairly decent, all things considered,” he answered, raising an eyebrow at Celestia, and then at Twilight.

He didn’t think she had something to do with this, did he? Why would anypony think she had manip- oh…

“Yeah, last night was pretty crazy, Arty.” Rainbow Dash smirked, flying over to his left side and sitting down to eat her breakfast. She reached over to pat him on the back, to which Celestia caught the flinch from the stallion when contact was made. “Don’t worry, once Discord gets back, I’ll make him talk to find out why the hay he did this to you and Luna.”

“Um, Dash, I would like to talk to him first,” Fluttershy spoke in her soft voice, but there was some steel in there for some reason… oh! It seemed Celestia owed her niece a hundred bits now and she had to do a certain dance. “I mean, if that is okay.” She hid behind her mane, looking down at her plate. Celestia paused as the pegasus had somehow moved over to the other side without her noticing. She had assumed that Pinki-

She was surprised to be surprised to find Pinkie Pie already over there, eating a tooth aching amount of sweets for her breakfast along with the pancakes that Spike had made them. She still had to learn not to be surprised when the pink mare did something unusual. According to the guards last night, she had turned into a dead end hallway only to both disappear and exit from Artemis’s wardrobe at the exact same time. Of course, she’d then managed to make it even worse by simply leaving the room and walking the normal way to the bedroom for the mares. A few of the guards had asked her to warn them when she was coming as they found her worse than Discord; according to them he was constantly random which was somewhat accustomable while she chose randomness which was unaccustomable.

“Of course darling, we wouldn’t dream of letting anypony getting first shots beside you,” Rarity smiled, rubbing the pegasus’s back. “After all, a marefriend always has the right to yell at her coltfriend first, right Prince Artemis?” She gave Artemis a knowing wink, with the mares in the room smiling at the slight joke at the stallion’s expense.

“I would not know, as I have not had a marefriend before nor am I Prince Bolero,” he frowned, seemingly confused for some reason. “I would guess it is as you say.” He shrugged his shoulders, missing the look of concern the alicorn of the sun gave to Rarity, the most knowledgeable pony in the room regarding relationships.

“Well sugarcube, a bit of warnin’ Ah can give ya is that Luna will always be right, no matter what ya say or what the case will be.” Applejack grinned, elbowing the stallion in the side as she sat down next to him.

“Wait, wha-” Artemis’s eyes seemed to bulge out a bit, his face becoming red as he began to understand the implications being mentioned. “We hath only just met with thy Princess, We were not, nay We meant-“

“I get it!” Pinkie Pie smiled, looking up from her plate at the hyperventilating pony. “Everypony thinks the two of them are already in a relationship when Arty sees things as a friendship now but not like the one we have girls but a bit more deep due to them having the same past and the two them understanding each other and the fact being around mares seems to really bother-”

Enough, Miss Pie!” Artemis roared out in his seat, struggling to keep his voice low and steady as he tried and failed to get his blush under control. “We… I… buck it all; this is bucking confusing as all Tartarus, we, Luna and I, are still trying to understand everything that has happened, and as such, I am hesitant to label anything as of yet.” He grumbled, settling back down in his seat before glaring at Celestia. “I do care for her, you need not jump down my throa-”

“No, no Artemis,” Celestia smiled softly, trying to defuse the situation. “I suppose I was imagining situations for my sister that were not there yet.” Letting out a small giggle and contented sigh, she looked out the window. “When I first heard Luna speak of you, I believed she had found somepony that would help her truly connect with the modern world as well as be somepony for her to love and who loves her back. I forgot it takes time for most ponies to really reach a point where they will call themselves a couple, and I suppose you two are no exception. I do apologize for putting that excess stress on you, Artemis.” She turned to look him in the eyes; telling him that she had not forgotten their little discussion before in Luna’s bedroom. That must be weighing heavily on him as well.

Artemis only looked at her for moment before nodding his head. “‘Tis fine Celestia.” He sighed, and then snickered a bit. “I’m far from the most knowledgeable pony about matters of the heart. My expertise is on the art of warfare and the war of controlling muses, my moon and my stars and…” Artemis blinked, tapping his chin in thought. “There is not much more, to be honest.”

“Well,” Rarity said as she fluttered her eyelashes. “I can certainly be of help, if you wish. I do have a wide range of books on the topic and a number of connections who are familiar with the subject… and I shouldn’t even have to say this, but my number one piece of advice?” She leaned in a bit. “Do not take any recommendations from Blueblood on the matter.”

“I may be inept but I am no fool,” Artemis replied. “From what little I have seen of him, I know to take any advice he may give on anything with a very large grain of salt.”

Rarity sat back, a satisfied look on her face. “Now, Fancy Pants, on the other hoof, is quite the charmer - he and Fleur are an absolutely darling couple, and they are certainly worthy of respect, having earned it through their actions and behavior rather than demanding it by right of their positions in the nobility.”

“Ah, so that is what they are called here,” Artemis said, nodding his head. “If they are like Royal Splendor and Flavien de Los from my world, I know exactly what you mean. Still I would be a fool to reject your offer and I do think I will be spending my time here in your Ponyville.” He began to lift his coffee mug to his lips before pausing, deciding it would be proper to inform Luna of his decision, if he thought it would be the same one.

Artemis? Luna spoke to him in his head before he could do so.

I have made a decision to where I should be while I am in your realm.

Good; we can be ready for the return of Eris and Discord here in Canterlot.

What? She sounded incredulous now. Then where do you plan to be?

I see. Luna did not sound completely confident at this point but she put a strong front on.


And why is that?

Tilting his head around, Artemis saw the looks he was getting, and after a moment, raised a hoof. “It’s all right, everypony. I was just talking with Luna.”

“Is she all right?” Celestia asked, sounding worried.

“She’s absolutely fine,” Artemis replied. “Though it appears our plans have diverged somewhat, since I intend to go to Ponyville and she plans to stay in Canterlot and wait until Eris and Discord return.“

“How curious,” Celestia mused to herself. “But I think that this decision holds a great deal of possibility for Luna; if you can send her my best wishes, I would greatly appreciate that.”

“I shall once I have freshened up,” he said as he stood up from the table and walked out of the dining room.

Author's Notes:

Give a big thank you to https://www.fimfiction.net/user/172032/AnoneMouseJr for this being a thing again.

In fact, I ask all of my fans to go his page and follow him right now!

Next Chapter: Chapter Fourteen Luna Estimated time remaining: 3 Minutes
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