The Strange and Secret Life of Lumen Sky

Chapter 4- Recruiting

-Night-

     After Twilight's visit to my store I have been working on the Mark III and doing more safety and output tests. I was also working on "recruiting" other ponies to use my labs so they didn't sit and gather dust. I also improved the controls of the jet which I dubbed the F-23 so it could handle better at faster speeds and higher altitudes. After being seen by Twilight it had a maximum altitude of fifty thousand feet. Now, it can reach almost one-hundred thousand feet above sea level. Now, back to me meeting Rainbow Dash, well, that definitely could have gone better. She seemed just a little threatened by how I could create a sonic rainboom without wings. She may have been also slightly annoyed that Twilight made her do that so...I had also been looking for ponies that would greatly benefit from the complex. I picked Vinyl and Octavia because they could definitely help me with my music. I almost told them I could make music but I didn't, I just told them it would be a nice place to test acoustics for songs down in the amphitheater. They did get a little skeptic about why I had an amphitheater down there; I was not ready for that. I almost buckled under the pressure, almost. Okay, I did, but, I made them swear not to tell anypony I could. That was the hardest thing to say for me up to that point in time. I kind of felt good to tell somepony, it also kind of made me feel bad about how she really didn't react the way I thought they would. Then again, it is not that uncommon to play a musical instrument. Octavia was more interested with how I conduct an entire orchestra by myself, even though it had half the instruments a full size one had. She thought that was rather extraordinary and told me that I should play at a music festival when I decide to tell others what I could do.

     About an entire month had passed since I had told Vinyl and Octavia when I got a letter from Twilight saying that she wanted to know when I was going to use the particle accelerator and demonstrate my jet. She also mentioned that she may have told Luna about this whole thing and she wanted to know more. After reading that I rushed to my desk in the office and started writing back.

Dear Twilight,

What were you thinking when you told Luna. Her sister is who I have been hiding all this from and she is the last pony I would want to know after Celestia, but none the less, send her over and I will let her in on this. I am not mad at you I am just very, very afraid that the compound will be seized. Also, I will be testing the accelerator on Tuesday at midnight so get everypony who you want to witness this (strictly your friends) over here around ten to go over safety protocols. I am still testing the F-23 so it may not be ready any time soon but I may demonstrate it after we are done with the particle accelerator. I will also be taking some ponies on rides at cruising altitude. Just something to think about for Tuesday.

Sincerely,

-Lumen

     After that I went out behind my shop and my horn started glowing. My eyes dilated into slits and my fangs grew longer and sharper. I took a deep breath and blew on the paper sending green flames spiraling over the parchment burning it to ashes and the smoke drifted very quickly away. My horn stopped glowing and my normal form returned. That was the transfiguration spell I had mentioned to Twilight during her first visit so I can send her letters without being discovered by postal workers. It was nice and could be a very good party trick but that would have to wait.

     Later that day a pony came into my store and the bell rang and I heard the clicking of shoes on the tile floor. I looked up from by project and saw a darkly tinted distortion of Princess Luna's hair though the visor on my mask. My anxiety level went up, my heart rate increased, and my hooves started shaking very slightly. I told my self to calm down to keep from ruining the small figure I was blowing.

"Hello," came the voice of the princess.

"Yes," I replied, taking my mask off to come around the front to kneel.

"Are you the Lumen Twilight has told me to see?"

"Yes my liege," I said kneeling on the ground.

"Well then, let's see this compound of yours." 

"Okay then." I said trying to sound happy. I walked back around the counter and turned off the burner with a hissing click. I pulled the locking pin on the gate and motioned for her to follow. As we walked back I had the realization that I was still shivering very slightly. 

"What am I to expect while here." She said while looking around. 

"Anything and everything. Lots of things exist down there that will blow your mind."

"Should I expect to  have my mind blown in that case?" She asked while eyeing me suspiciously. I felt uncomfortable under that look.

"Thoroughly." I said with a slight grin. 

     Two hours later we emerged back to the store front and Luna was thoroughly impressed and was wondering and had asked lots of questions...and then some. She said she had an amazing time and was looking forwards to Tuesday morning.

"Thank you again for letting me see your compound," Luna said.

"Oh sure it was my pleasure." I replied, trying to hold back my anxiety. As she walked out of the store she took a breath before crossing the threshold and disappeared into the late afternoon. I closed my store and headed to the amphitheater where my grand piano sat on stage. I went up to it and played a single chord and listened to it dissipate. I sighed and played from memory a song I remember from my days at the orphanage. I involved several instruments and they played with me as my problems and feelings poured out in the song. When the song was over I felt better. I almost started singing during the next song but I stopped my self. I really did not want to hear myself sing that evening. That was when I zoned out and started thinking. There was definitely something more special about Luna that made me feel anxious around her. That was when other instruments started and made the song I was playing even more emotion filled. That was when a single thought came to mind.

"Aw crap." I said dismissing the thought. I put my head down on the top of the piano. I really thought that was true but I really did not want to admit it. I played several songs that evening and by the time I was done it was late so I went upstairs where I ate dinner, showered, and went to bed. I had a dreamless sleep that night.