Chapter 69: A Confession of Love

“… And how many aislings does the Beyond have in reserve?” James asked after he had recovered from his initial shock.

“A hundred million? five hundred million?” Luna said.

“There's a big difference between one hundred million and five hundred million. Which one is it?” James asked, exasperation and fear welling inside of him like a geyser.

Luna shook her head. “I can't say. The aislings aren't independent entities. They are extensions of the Beyond. Think of them as being like limbs of a body or fingers of a hand. But each time one of those fingers is cut off, the Beyond can spawn a new one. It can spawn new aislings until it runs out of energy. But it draws its energy from the dark energy in the universe. It feeds off it. You're the physicist, James. Do you know how much dark energy there is in the universe?”

James shook his head.

“Then I can't say. It could be five hundred million. It could be a billion. All we know for sure is that the Beyond grows stronger by the day, and will continue to do so. The initial thirty million aislings are just the first wave of the invasion force that will be attacking your world.”

So it's like those video games where enemies just keep respawning after being killed, James thought with dismay. His mind raced for several moments before he spoke quietly, more to himself than to anyone else in the room.

“There's no way the humans can defeat an army of thirty million. Especially not when reinforcements can keep arriving indefinitely.”

“No, they cannot,” Luna said, shaking her head. “But if you and Twilight do your part, they won't have to. They will only have to hold them off.”

“We don't even know what our part is. And it seems that no pony can tell us. All we have is some vague prophecy that no pony understands written by some pony who was probably –” James cut himself short. He had almost said 'written by some pony who was probably out of his mind.' He was glad he'd caught himself. That likely wouldn't have gone over well with Luna, and it certainly wouldn't have gone over well with Twilight. Instead, he just pounded his fist on the table in frustration. Despite the sun shining brightly outside, and the rapidly warming temperatures, the top of the table felt as cold as arctic sea ice.  “We don't even know what our part is,” he stated again.

“Then I suggest you and Twilight start spending all of your time trying to figure out what it is. You should have time to do it now that I have returned and can take over the duties of ruling Equestria. All of Canterlot's research facilities, all of our libraries, are open to you. The entire Royal Council is at your disposal, as is the entire staff of the Academy. And I will make myself available to you whenever you need and answer whatever questions I can.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” James responded, calming himself down a bit. “But the humans need to be warned. We need to send another messenger to earth.”

Luna shook her head. “It's unlikely that my sister and Eric are still in Chicago. We don't even know if Captain Swordstorm was able to find them.  Another messenger would have virtually no chance of finding them.”

“But they must be warned.”

“They will be. We have time. The aislings cannot break through to your world until the barriers are nearly shattered.”

“Are you sure, Your Majesty? They've already entered our world. And the barrier is still mostly intact.”

“A few battalions have entered our world. The Beyond won't do that with your world.  It knows the humans of your world know nothing at all about the Beyond, or even that they face any threat at all. The Beyond will not give up its element of surprise. It will wait until the barrier is about to shatter, then send a massive invasion force all at once, hoping to catch the humans entirely off guard.”

James nodded. It seemed to be a sensible strategy for the Beyond to use.

“If there is nothing else,” Luna continued, “then we should all get to our duties. The Council is dismissed. We will meet again as needed. I will be in my study if any pony needs me.”

The Council and the Guard Captains stood up, the Guard Captains saluting. Then Luna left the meeting room, and each of the Council members and captains followed her out. But James remained where he was, looking at the floor.

“Are you coming, James?”

He looked up to see that Twilight had stopped at the door and turned to look at him quizzically.

“I have to tell Luna about Theory Point,” he said.

“What are you going to tell her?”

James hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment, before responding. “The only thing I can tell her. The truth. The most important bond between Royal Council Members and the Princesses is the bond of absolute trust. I have to trust her enough to tell her the truth. I have to trust that she will believe me. And she has to trust me enough to believe I am telling the truth.”

“And yet, you look nervous,” Twilight said, concern evident in her voice.

It was true. He was nervous. But it had nothing to do with Theory Point. The nervousness he felt about telling Luna about Theory Point paled in comparison to the fear he felt over telling her about his relationship with Twilight Sparkle. In good conscience, he couldn't continue to hide that from Luna. Besides, she was bound to find out sooner or later, even if he didn't tell her. No matter how careful they were, sooner or later, one of them would make a mistake and the wrong pony would see it. A slight gesture in public, a look, the wrong thing said at the wrong time. Rumors could start over the smallest thing. And once that happened it would be all over the tabloids, just like the rumor that he and Octavia were a couple had been after she had taught him to dance that night so many months ago. And if Luna confronted him about a rumor of a relationship with Twilight? He knew he wouldn't be able to deny it. He couldn't lie directly to her face. It would be far better if he were up front about it, he had decided. And then … a shiver went through him as he thought about what would happen then. He was in direct violation of Council law, and had willingly and knowingly been so for quite some time now. But there was no sense putting off the inevitable. If would only be worse if Luna found out some other way before he had a chance to tell her.

He turned towards the door now, not acknowledging Twilight's statement. No sense in telling her that he planned to reveal their relationship to Luna. There was no reason to make her worry about it any longer than she actually had to.

“I'll come find you when I get done,” was all he said to Twilight before he stepped out of the room and began to make his way towards Luna's Study. He didn't look back. He didn't want to see the expression on her muzzle. Somehow, he suspected she already knew what he planned to do.

As he made his way closer to Luna's study, his legs seemed to grow heavier, as if someone was adding a lead weight to them with each step he took. Walking, which was something that could usually be done without thinking, became a chore he had to focus on. He had to consciously tell himself to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Even with the constant attention to it, he found himself slowing down several times. His heart pounded in his chest and his mind looked for excuses to delay the conversation. That pretty tapestry on the wall. The one with the unicorn fighting the manticore. He'd walked passed it hundreds of times, and never stopped to pay much attention to it. It told an interesting story. Maybe he should stop and examine it closer? He shook his head and forced himself to walk passed it, but it called to him as if it were a magnet and he were a fleck of iron. Still, he forced himself to avoid stopping, reminding himself that the longer he put this off, the later it would be before he could get started on the research needed to solve the problem with the Beyond. He tried to distract himself from the coming conversation by thinking of the Beyond and how he might stop it, but he was unable to focus. His mind kept snapping back to the looming talk with Luna. That was another reason, he had to get this over with, he realized. He couldn't stay focused on the task he needed to do. Not while keeping a secret like this from Luna.

He reached the door, acknowledging the two bat pony guards standing outside of it. Then, he forced himself to raise his hand and knock.

“Come,”

The bat ponies opened the door for him and he stepped inside. Then, descended to one knee, bowing.

“James, please rise. What's on your mind?” Luna asked as she stepped out from behind a table where she had been studying a scroll. The door made an ominous sound behind him as the bat pony guards closed and locked it. James stood up, and looked at the Princess of the Night standing before him now. His eyes wandered slightly to the left and right. The sun was shining outside, but the midnight-blue curtains were drawn, blocking any of the light from entering. Candles flickered on the table, casting shadows on the bookshelves that adorned the walls. Everything about the study seemed darker than he had remembered it, but he knew it was probably just his mind playing tricks with him. The room smelled strongly of lavender. Somehow, that smell seemed appropriate for the Goddess of the Night.

“Your Majesty, I've found one of the traitors.” Might as well get the easy part out of the way first.

“Oh?” Luna's ears perked up.

“Yes … It was Theory Point. The unicorn I'd been working with. She … she was using me the entire time.”

“Tell me everything.”

James told her about his encounter with Theory Point at the armory. Then, he proceeded to tell her everything from the beginning. He told her about how the evidence at the Northern Outpost had been intentionally planted for him to find, because they needed his physics expertise. He told her that Theory Point had been the one who had broken into the lab and stole their own research so that she could give it to her co-conspirators.  And he told her how for the entire time, Theory Point had been funneling his research to the group of traitors. When he finished, he kept his eyes on Luna. Her expression gave no indication of what she was thinking. She was silent for a few moments before speaking.

“Would it do us any good to go after her?”

James shook his head. “I don't think it would be worth spending a great deal of resources on, Your Majesty. She doesn't know anything about their plans that I don't already know. And I believe she was telling the truth when she said she didn't have any more information than she needed to do her job. Their plans are thwarted now that we've rescued you and you were able to raise the sun. They can do nothing to help us bring Celestia home. Our resources would be better spent on other tasks than trying to capture a fugitive who is no longer any threat.”

Luna nodded once. “I believe you, James. I believe you had no involvement in any of this. And please, don't beat yourself up over it. There was no way you could have known.”

James should have felt relief. But instead, he only felt more fear. He'd exhausted the topic of Theory Point, and now had to move on to the topic that terrified him.  It was as if the clock were about to run out on a looming death sentence, and Luna herself were his executioner, waiting to lower the ax. She already knew he was nervous, which was no doubt why she had reassured him that she believed him, and that there was no way he could have known. But she had misjudged the source of his fear. James stared at the floor, wishing he could disappear into it. He tried to speak, but found that his mouth wouldn't move and his tongue felt like sandpaper. Maybe he could delay the dreaded conversation just a little while longer?

“There is something else you want to tell me,” Luna said. There would be no further delay, then. James took a deep breath, his legs feeling like rubber, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. He looked at her again, doing his best to compose himself.

“Yes … Your Majesty.” He paused again. His courage threatened to abandon him. He took one more deep breath, then forced himself to continue. “Twilight Sparkle … I  … I mean we –” He stopped when Luna raised a forehoof.

“I already know about your relationship with Twilight Sparkle.”

“Your Majesty?” James questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“It was woven into the pattern. I have known for a very long time. Even since before I was kidnapped.”

“And you didn't tell me this was going to happen,” he stated, his tone reflecting the anger rising within him.

“I didn't tell you because when it happened, I wanted you to know it was real and not just something you had convinced yourself was supposed to happen because I told you it was.”

“I wish I didn't think it was real!” he shouted, his anger bursting forth like hot lava spewing from a volcano. “I wish more than anything I didn't think it was real! Then I would never have told her and I wouldn't have to break both of our hearts now! But that's not the real reason you didn't tell me, is it? It's because if I had known I was going to fall in love with Twilight, I never would have agreed to join the Council. And you knew that!” He knew he was treading on dangerous ground now, accusing his Princess of such deception and underhoofed tactics. But he was too angry to care.  Let her accuse him of insubordination. Let her do whatever she wanted.

“Who said anything about breaking anypony's heart?” Luna asked.

“Don't pretend you don't know! Romantic relationships distract from a Council member's –”

“We do not believe that your relationship distracts you from your Council duties,” Luna said, speaking in a calmer voice than he knew he deserved, although it was not lost on him that she had switched to the Royal Canterlot voice, using the We pronoun instead of I now. She was speaking with all of the power and authority of the crown. She continued calmly. “We are not going to order you to end your relationship with Twilight Sparkle.”

He felt a rush like cold water go through him dowsing the flames of the volcanic anger. Had he heard her right? “But –”

“We believe your relationship with Twilight Sparkle only makes you stronger. Makes you more loyal to Equestria. After all, what would you not do to protect and defend the homeland of the pony you love?”

The room itself suddenly seemed brighter, and he felt lighter and more free. It was if a dark cloud that had hovered around him for the last several months had dissipated. As if a great weight he'd been carrying had been removed. Still, he half expected he had imagined her response. That any moment now, he was going to come back to reality and hear what she had really said.

“But Council law says –”

“Am I not a sovereign Princess of Equestria?” she asked in an authoritative tone, raising her head for emphasis. “Do I not have the authority to overrule and change any law as I see fit?”

“It is as you say, Your Majesty,” James murmured, bowing his head and chastising himself internally. Why was he arguing with her about Council law when she was giving him exactly what he wanted? To Tartarus with Council law.

“Court Twilight Sparkle. And treat her every bit as well as she deserves. And do so with Our blessing,” Luna said, a slight smile appearing on her muzzle.

James just stood there, staring at her. The sense of relief washed over him like a strong wind, completely wiping his mind of any response. Outside, the Sun was blazing. But inside him, it was the stars and the Moon that shown brightly. The stars of Twilight's cutie mark, and the light of the Queen of the Moon, who had granted those stars to him.

“James, I believe you and Twilight have a lot of work to do. Further delays in starting may be detrimental to the future of the universe.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” he responded stupidly, bowing deeply before her in gratitude.

“Get out of here. Go find Twilight.” She waved him off with a forehoof, a humorous grin on her muzzle.

“Of course, Your Majesty. Right away, Your Majesty,” he said, barely able to contain his giddiness.

With that, he rose from his bow, turned around and waited impatiently as the bat pony guards opened the door for him. He stepped out of the room, walking for a moment, but he was unable to resist the urge to break into a run, even before he was out of sight of the guards, or the door had closed behind him. For the moment, he felt as if he could fly. All of his concerns regarding the Beyond and their looming task had receded far away, as if they were a distant illusion, on the edge of the horizon. For now, his mind only had room for one being in the entire universe. And he couldn't wait to find her and tell her.