Ch 5, A Dance with Moonlight

Garn remained on the balcony, staring at the stars feeling the weight of his consciousness weighing him down. It had already been three days, and he began to worry that the elements would not be ready to take on chaos. Then again, would he be ready to take on chaos?

“Garnet?”

He turned around and saw Princess Luna behind him, her deep blue eyes full of worry and something he couldn’t figure out. Fear?

“Luna, What are you doing up so late?”

She smiled and gave him a “really?” look.

“Right, princess of the night and such.”

She walked up beside him and watched his sullen movements, his preoccupied stare.

“You told me I could use the words of power when I came here, were you speaking the truth?”

He nodded and let his eyes fall on her pale and lovely face.

“You were one with Miasma, you will have more access to your power than even I. Would you…”

He paused as she smiled, her eyes peering deeply into his own.

“Would I?”

He quickly looked away, embarrassed at being struck mute by the innocent yet very old princess.

“Would you like to learn a few of the ancient words?”

She eagerly nodded her head.

“Where can we go that will be safe?”

He glided off the balcony and held his hand out, suddenly afraid the motion would be ill-accepted. She held his hand as his mind wandered with self-doubt, and he looked down to see her rising, holding his hand tightly all the while.

“You lead.”

He lead her off the balcony, soaring slowly away from the house and over the forest.  She was awestruck by the way the moon cast its soft light over the trees, and in the near distance she saw where Garn was taking her.

“By the stars.” she sighed.

He smiled as they landed on a beach, and before them sprawled a wide lake, the moon had its reflection perfectly mimicked on the surface.

“It’s…It’s beautiful.” She whispered.

Garn saw how wide her smile was, and he found his gaze could not be taken off of her.

“Yes it is.” He agreed, but on a totally different muse.

She looked to him and blushed, her heart fluttering over the way he was looking at her. In all her life she had never had a man, a colt, even a mare look at her the way he was.

“Garnet?”

He snapped out of his fantasy and shook his head. But for an instance he thought he saw her looking at him the same way.

“the first word I’m going to teach you is one of the simplest, but the most powerful. It is the word for stop, but is also synonymous with cold.”

He stepped behind her and guided his hand down her arm, and held it out over the water.

“the louder you speak a word of power, the more powerful it becomes. I am going to whisper the word to you, As softly as I can.”

He brought his lips close to her ear, and as his breath reached her flesh she shivered.

“Are you ready?” He asked, her body pressing closely to his.

“Yes.”

He felt the thrum of power echo inside his soul, and felt the familiar dark weight as he recalled the word.

“Frije” He whispered as quietly as he could.

  Luna shivered and a gasp escaped her lips, the word made her felt cold all over, but the heat of the man holding her created a warmth she had never felt before.

“Now focus your power into that word, feel the coldness, grasp it, control it.”

She opened her eyes and gazed over the crystal surface of the lake.

She straightened her hand and focused, feeling the word itself swell inside of her.

“Frije” She whispered. The surface of the water shimmered, and  small trail of frost stretched from her finger and touched the water, making no visible mark.

“Louder.” Garn urged.

She smiled, feeling some form of familiarity with the way he said it.

“Frije.” Just above a whisper.

The frost extended in a thicker field, and a small disc of frost began to form on the edge of the lake.

‘Louder.” Garn said with a smile, taking in the scent of morning dew from Luna’s hair.

She turned her head trying to look at him, to say something she couldn’t quite grasp. As she turned her head his lips brushed against her ear, and a fire inside her burst into life, filling her with heat she never felt before.

“Frije!” she cried out.

A piercing bolt of glowing frost leaped from her hand, spreading across the lake like a blanket of snow. The power grew stronger, and Luna struggled to keep control of the sudden explosion of emotions and energy that coursed through her body. She fell backwards, letting Garn hold her tightly. She had been alive a hundred times longer than the man, yet in all that time she had never felt this way.

“Luna. Open your eyes.” He whispered laughing lightly when he finished.

She did, looking at him first. His eyes sparkled, and he smiled at her warmly. That smile was something Luna had never seen before, and it made her feel good.

“Not at me, look at what you did.” He laughed.

She blushed fiercely and looked forward to avoid his eyes, but gasped at the sight before her. The entire lake was frozen, a thin layer of sparkling diamond snow shining on top of the still frozen waves. She marveled, her eyes filling with tears from the sheer beauty.

“Did…Did I do that?” She asked, covering her mouth with her hand, hiding the smile.

“Yeah you did, that’s the power we share. Just us.”

Luna nodded and turned to see him, and saw his eyes were filled with a deep sadness.

“what about Chaos?” she inquired.

“Chaos has twisted the words into his own. The words are…Horrid, and only can be used for pain. My mother taught me the words of power, and I suppose its only fitting I share them with you.”

He paused and looked away, scratching his head in thought.

“I want to teach them to you. There are so many words that can be used for joy, to bring happiness.”

She smiled and suddenly closed her eyes, swooning and then falling over. Garn grabbed her and shook his head. He remembered his first time using the words of power. He was knocked out for a day. He lifted her up and carried her in his arms, ascending past the frozen lake back to the house. He looked at the moon, and then to Luna, feeling a blossoming feeling of protection, of…

She stirred in his arms and opened her eyes, watching him as he flew closer to the house. She nestled her head into his neck, not even caring about her fear of what he might do. To her surprise he held her tighter, and she smiled as she heard his strong heart beating in his chest.

“Do you have nightmares? Of miasma?” she asked.

“I used to, but my mother taught me the words of power necessary to stop it’s influence.”

She marveled at him and held tight even when he landed on the balcony.

“Will you teach me the words?”

He paused and bit his lip, he knew she was in no condition to learn new words. So he thought for a moment and came up with a solution.

“you are to weak to learn them, but It creates a repellant field, so If I’m close enough to you, you too will be protected.”

She blushed and let him set her down. She took his hand in hers and led him to the room she and Celestia were staying in. she looked inside and motioned for him to follow, and Garn noticed the princess was not in the room.

“Where’s Celestia?” He asked, watching as Luna pulled the covers back on the bed.

“She usually sleeps near the elements, she wants them safe in case of another possible attack.” She slipped into the bed and patted the spot next to her. He walked to the other side of the bed and went to take off his shirt, but stopped as he realized his habit would possibly make Luna uncomfortable. As if reading his mind Luna smiled and shook her head.

“You know, in Equestria we don’t wear clothes.” she giggled.

He gave her a “seriously” look and smiled as he realized she wanted him to be comfortable.

“Yeah, but you are also ponies in Equestria, we don’t have the same… customs as Equestria does.”

Luna shook her head and looked deeply into his golden eyes. His body was young, much younger than hers, but she knew he was different.

“would you be more comfortable if I removed my clothes?” she asked, unaware of what she was implying.

“No! Well… uh…” Garn muttered, blushing a deeper red than he ever had before.

Why did this woman, this princess make him so nervous?

“you can remove your shirt, I really don’t mind.” Luna coaxed, secretly hoping he would.

He finally obliged and removed his shirt, laying on the bed a good arms length from Luna. He was feeling incredibly warm, and was hoping she would fall asleep.

Luna sighed and inched closer, wrapping an arm across his naked chest, locking her eyes on his as a finger trailed across his shoulder.

“So what are the words?”

Garn collected his power and found the words within him.

“Frije Vas Nora.” He whispered. The room hummed silently, and Luna made out words in a strange language phase in and out across the walls.

“What does it mean?” she asked in wonder, instinctively laying her head on his chest to hear his heart beat.

“It means, Stop the Night.” He whispered, making sure not to look at her as she trailed a hand across his chest, nuzzling into him as she got closer.

“Garn?”

He could tell she was half asleep, but he placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair slowly.

“Yes princess?”

She opened her eyes halfway and nuzzled him, feeling safe for the first time in a thousand years.

“When we defeat Chaos, would you consider coming back to Equestria? Our kingdom could use one with talents such as yourself.”

Garn swallowed his tongue and choked back a tear.

“I guess that would be alright. I would like that. Very much.”

She smiled and sighed.

“I would like that very much too.”

He didn’t have the heart to tell her he wouldn’t be able to go.

Garn opened his eyes and saw he wasn’t in his bedroom with Luna any longer. He looked around and saw banners of twin Alicorns adorning the walls, the red carpet beneath him soft like clouds.

“Garnet?” He heard someone call his name.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Celestia, but no longer a human. The tall white Alicorn approached and smiled at him, motioning for a table laid out with assorted foods.

“Please sit.” she beckoned.

He sat down and Celestia sat beside him, towering a foot over him at least.

“I didn’t know you could converse through dreams Celestia.” Garn stated, drinking the tea set before him. For a dream the tea was quite delicious.

“I am a goddess, and you are as close to a god as I.”

He choked on the tea and shook his head.

“I told you, I’m no Alicorn.”

She nodded her head thoughtfully.

“That’s because you believe you are human, and that’s why your power is limited. But that’s not why you brought me here, is it?”

Garn swore beneath his breath, she was smart. He sighed in defeat and served himself more tea, watching Celestia's regal eyes drill into his soul.

“No… It’s about Luna.”

Celestia smiled and closed her eyes.

“she feels very strongly of you.”

Garn looked up with a smile before it disappeared.

“I…I know. that’s what I wanted to talk about.”

“I fail to see a problem, if you hadn’t brought me here you would have dreamed of her, and even now she dreams of you. If there was a problem you wouldn’t have agreed to share your power with me.”

Garn found himself suddenly frustrated.

“And with chaos gone, you can take your rightful place with her forever.”

He clenched his fists, and Celestia glanced at him with a stern expression.

“Or is there something you’re not telling us?”

“I wont be joining you all when we defeat chaos.”

Celestia lowered her hovering glass and lowered her head.

“It’s that final word isn’t it? The word that caused the Alicorns to lose the knowledge?”

“Yes. I have to use that word to destroy Discord and Miasma once and for all. It’s a word that my mother made me swear never to use…because she doesn’t want me to pay the price she did.”

Celestia wrapped a wing around him and he saw a tear fall from her eye.

“The word she used to help me banish Luna. It sent her to this world didn’t it?”

“Yes. The same word she uttered when I was born, giving me her power and the power to bring you all here.”

Celestia began to understand what was at stake, and why they all had to be ready for Chaos.

“Garn, I am about to ask you something of great importance, and you must answer truthfully. Do you understand?”

Garn solemnly nodded, not knowing what the princes was about to ask.

“If there was a way for you to return with us, to be with us in Equestria, would you come?”

Garn nodded his head and tears began to fill his eyes.

“Why would you come with us.?”

Garn looked at her and laughed.

“I think you know why I would.”

Celestia smiled and nodded, holding him closer in the wing embrace. She did indeed, but he needed to tell her, it would help with his power.

“Who is making you stay?”

“Luna. I want to be there with her. She knows all the pain I felt, the promises of power. She knows what the price is, and she didn’t take it. Neither did I.”

“Do you love her?”

Garn opened his eyes and saw the sun shining through the windows, casting a glowing light on the woman asleep in his arms, her head still nestled against him. He reached over and stroked her midnight blue hair, and she smiled and cuddled against him.

“Yes.”