Chapter 21: Mistakes

Las Pegasus Military Base had the only known military prison in the entire region, so naturally, that's where Helmuth had known to head immediately. Upon dashing unexpectedly out of the hotel, he had hailed a cab and had the driver double-time it to his destination. He needed to figure out what the hell was happening and why... the words 'arrested' and 'Princess Luna' did not belong in the same sentence at all. Not soon enough, the driver pulled up as far as he legally could in front of the main entrance.

"Here we are, sir. LP Army Base." Helm handed him the cab fare plus a hefty tip.

"Thanks," he said as he made to get out.

"I don't know what you're up to, sir, but you look like you're in trouble. Whatever you need to do, good luck, that's all I have to say."

Helm did not reply, merely giving a gentle, determined grin and a gesture of farewell before exiting the cab completely. He shut the door and tapped twice on the vehicle, giving permission to leave. There he stood alone, clad in a nice suit, in front of a Military Base. Taking in his surroundings for just a few moments, he, with great conviction, strut up to the main entrance, which looked like any military installation entrance: several layers of gates, two guard towers with soldiers over-watching, and two troops on either side of the open-able gate. As he approached, one of the guards moved to meet him and held his hand out parallel in a familiar gesture.

"Halt. This is a restricted area, only authorized military personnel are permitted on its grounds. State your business or leave immediately," the not-so-young soldier spoke stoically.

Right, I look like a civilian!

Quickly, Helm reached into his coat pocket, the sudden movement prompting the over-watch to clutch their rifles just that much tighter. After a few seconds of fishing, he pulled out his Military I.D. The guard took it and looked back and forth between Helmuth proper and his photo identification, scrutinizing every feature that could possibly be different. After a few more, tense seconds, he handed Helm his card back.

"That still does not answer my question. What is your business?" the soldier asked a bit more forcefully, borderline demanding.

"I'm here to see Princess Luna."

"That is none of your concern and her location is classified," he responded immediately, growing irritated with the Lunar Guard's presence.

"Actually, it's completely, my business, recruit," Helmuth spat out, growing impatient by the second and actually pulling the rank card. Even as a Private First Class, he still technically outranked the Recruit, despite different branches, although the differences in rank were almost negligible. "First of all, I know she's here, this is the only military prison within tens of miles and subject to its own jurisdiction. I got word when she was arrested and I came immediately, so don't try to play that game with me. Secondly, I'm a Lunar Guard. By royal statute, I'm entitled to see my corresponding Princess, in this case, Luna, whenever I desire should she be under government custody for whatever reason. Be it violation of the law, or during times of war."

The soldier listened intently to his modestly-spoken, but venom-laced ranting of Equestrian Military Law.

"So, you'll either let me pass or I'll have you Court-Martialed on the spot!"

No more words were spoken, only a small, unnecessary staring contest. Without further ado, the soldier turned around.

"He's cleared to enter. Open the gate and have an escort take him to the Princess."

Once the gates were opened, Helm strode past the guard soldier and straight down the center of the entrance. He was immediately flanked by two more Equestrian Privates.

"Follow us."

"Thank you."

They did not have to walk far. The brig in LPMB was notoriously placed closer to the entrance for whatever reason. After about a five minute, silent walk through the corridors of the tightly secured installation, they finally arrived in the designated building. Strangely enough, the registry only showed one inmate... three guesses who it was. Another soldier behind the registry desk looked up at the new arrivals.

"Sir, this Lunar Guard has been granted access by royal statute to see the Princess."

"Very well. Take as long as you need, son," the older soldier spoke in an oddly sympathetic tone to Helmuth as he handed him an appropriate key.  

"Thank you, sir."

With that, Helm entered the prison corridor, the entire room silent save for the taps of his dress shoes against the concrete floor. Of course, the registry showed that Luna's cell was all the way at the end... figures. However, once he arrived at the last cell on the left... Helm didn't think the could ever see a more depressing sight:

Princess Luna, his best friend, was slumped against the wall, head hung down and hair lifeless... her eyes bore a far-off gaze and her face did not reveal any features at all. He did not say anything, merely unlocked the cell door and opened it. The loud clanging got some attention from Luna, having been stripped of her uniform and wearing a light-blue inmate's uniform. He gazed up curiously and found her best friend and most loyal guard staring down at her.

"Helm...?!" she asked in a clarifying manner, almost pleading that she was not seeing things. He nodded.

"Luna."

He sat down next to her and, in her most vulnerable moment, she immediately latched onto him, embracing him in a tight hug and burying her face in his neck. Helm reciprocated the gesture, wrapping his arms around her middle back as she began to cry into his neck. He was content to let her just cry it out for however long she needed. That being said, he rested his head on her shoulder as he felt the small, subtle, and rhythmic lurching of her body as she gently sobbed. He began to stroke her back up and down soothingly.

"It's okay, Luna... It's okay..." he cooed with a whisper right into her ear.

"No... No this is not okay. None of it is okay!" she was able to get out through her crying fit, tears unceremoniously falling down her face and leaving darker spots on his suit-coat. He did not care in the slightest.

"Shhh-shh-shhh... What happened, Luna...? Tell me."

"I've... I've been such a child!" she finally got out.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm here because I...*sniff* overreacted."

"The letter, right?" Helm took a wild guess, still stroking her back.

"They're gonna take you away! And I could not seem to deal with that..." Luna conceded, devolving into another sniffling fit laced with even more tears of a fresh cry brimming.

"You and I both know it would only be temporary... then you and I could just shoot the shit like we always do!" he attempted to console his grieving Princess.

"Yet I was blinded... blinded by my regained impulsiveness and saw only that they were to completely strip you from under my command. And now here I am after assaulting a superior officer." Helm nodded to himself after remembering that Luna would only enact her command as Princess outside of military business... a self-imposed power check. But then he did a mental double-take when he processed her words completely.

"Wait...you assaulted a superior officer?" he asked for clarification.

"Indeed. I decked Marshal Contrail in the face pretty hard. I'm certain I broke his nose," Luna affirmed. Helmuth had to call upon every ounce of strength to not bust out laughing at that particular image.  

"Remind me not to get on your bad side, ever," he replied, attempting to lighten the mood if only a bit.

"You're my inferior in rank, Helmuth... and as my personal guard I may abuse you as I see fit. You have no say in the matter," she replied with equal jesting. She needed it, that was for sure. After a gentle fit of giggles from the both of them, still in each others' embrace, a comfortable silence fell upon the two of them for who knew how long, they sure were not keeping track. They were content to just be close and hear their soft breathing. Luna never thought she could respect and love Helm even more than she normally did. The fact that he came to her instantly upon hearing of her condition spoke volumes of them... and reminded her tenfold just why she loved him so much. After a while though, certain thoughts began to enter her head again.

"Marshal Contrail was right though..." she dejectedly spoke up.

"About what?"

"When they cuffed me, he told me how he had been against my 'rehabilitation' in Ponyville for that one month... that it was a bad idea for my future career. Ironically it was what gave me the confidence to go back into the military, yet shall be my downfall..." Luna trailed off.

"I'm... I'm not understanding. I thought you loved what happened?" Helm was not following her thought process very well. The Lunar Princess sighed heavily, rubbing some of the ruined mascara off her cheeks before returning to her embrace. Eventually, her arms fell off of him and she was just content on letting him cuddle her... she liked that, a lot.

"It is a story you know well, Helm. Tia thought I was much too uptight about everything, so she sent me to Ponyville to mingle amongst the Elements, stripping me of my duties forcefully in a bid to get me to loosen up. However, I took to it a little too well. Within days... hours even, I began to change. My whole demeanor around them dropped to almost unrecognizable levels. I'm using language now that I would absolutely abhor and scold myself for in years passed... hell, I practically jumped Seafire for our first time... Ugh what will he think of this?!"

"Okay, I can reason through this a bit but, just what are you getting at? I know that tone of yours when I hear it," Helm urged her on. Luna took a few moments to shift her eyes around and find her words.

"Truthfully, I really think I've changed... for the worst. Now that it has all been put into perspective, I do not feel like myself anymore..."

"While I'll admit, you've laced your dialogue with some questionable words over the past half a year... and you're not afraid of cussing anymore, that's for sure... nevertheless, aren't you happy? I had never seen you so happy when you returned!" Helm reasoned. Luna sighed again and gently shook her head.

"I was. But my happiness is no excuse for insolence, downright tomfoolery, and being completely obnoxious." There was a word that she had not used in a very long time.

"I understand, but you can't go from one extreme to another, that's not healthy." Helmuth absentmindedly ran fingers through her hair, and Luna visibly relaxed more.

"I know, and I do not hope, nor intend to regress completely... but maybe some downtime would be necessary. Some time in this cell and a Court-Martial to figure things out. All I know is that I cannot continue the way I am, for it shall only cause more trouble," she conceded even more dejectedly, yet with an odd sense of determination. Helm was already detecting subtle changes in her speech, changes that she was forcing upon herself... trying to return her old formality.  

"You don't have to stay here, Luna. By statute we can free you..." Luna stopped him as he was speaking. She then gave him a sad smile.

"No, Helm. I need to stay here and think things through. This will be for the best, I promise." Helmuth sighed and met her gaze once more, nodding in acceptance. "Now, I believe you have a date tonight with Rarity..."

"That was the original plan. I think it's past the time I'm supposed to meet her, or the very least very close to said time. She surely knows what happened by now, as have all the girls," he affirmed.

"The night is still young, and you still have some girls to make swoon. Go on, have your date and have a good time tonight," Luna urged, wiggling out of his grasp. Helm would have none of it.

"Luna, you know very well that..." he was interrupted again when Luna placed a loving, chaste kiss on his lips for a single second and stunning him enough for her to get her words out.  

"I'll be okay, Helmuth. I promise. Thank you for seeing me though, it really means the world." She hugged him again, tightly. He returned the embrace.

"Always, you know that, Luna." She pulled back from the hug and looked at him straight again with the most adoring smile she could muster... her eyes showing nothing but undying love and respect for the individual in front of her.

"I love you," she muttered.

"I love you too, and do you ever forget that," he replied, earning yet another grin out of her.

"Now go out tonight and have fun. You'll be updated immediately as my position changes," Luna assured him. With any other protest dying at her reassurance, he nodded, releasing her completely and standing up. Helm then made his way to the cell entrance.

"I'll see you soon, Luna."

"You're goddamn right," she replied with a coy grin. He smiled in return before exiting the cell and closing it behind him (one of the more painful things he had to do, but protocol was protocol). Taking one last look at his best friend and Princess, and she him, they parted ways for the night, Helm making his way out of the prison ward and Luna moving to the cot in the cell, just thinking to herself.