=Helios 12=

>You sat in your room at your table, hands digging into your hair as you worked.
>You weren't guarding any bodies today.
>Today you were solely focused on trying to solve these disappearing citizens. 
>You sat at your desk with a book on magic laid out in front of you.
>All of this was so far over your head it was in orbit.
>But you had to power through, this was the only way to make sense of what Grogar said and what he said was the only way to find the missing ponies.
>Okay...so the phases of the moon would pull mana around the world like it would the tide...and that was fed through a magical array...which was stabilized by...
>Crap.
>This wasn't working to well.
>The sound of hooves knocking came from your door.
"Come in."
>The door magiced open and a tall white alicorn stepped in.
>Wait, alicorn?
"Celestia?"
>The regal pony glances around your spartan quarters. "Anon, I can get you a picture if you want, it's not trouble." She teases.
>You turn back to the book.
"Unless that picture can give me enough magical understanding to solve these missing ponies reports, don't bother."
>You hear Celestia walk up behind you before you see her head peering down at the book over your shoulder. "Hmm...If you're having trouble with magic circles, simply remember that the magic flows along the path of least resistance, meaning that the denser inscriptions will be the first portions to activate."
>You close up the book and rise from your seat.
"That'll have to do, I need to start pounding the pavement if I'm gonna find these ponies."
>You feel a pair of soft lips against your own. "Please be careful, Anon." Celestia says.
>Y-yeah.
>Right...

>You left your room and walked through the castle.
>A bit flabbergasted, mind.
>Celestia had never come to your room before...
>You would have prepared if she had said something, royalty always warranted preparation.
>Grogar's other words creep into your mind...
>Celestia doesn't know where this thing is going, she said that.
>You have no real idea either.
>That absolutely frightens the hell out of you.
>It might be just nerves, but it still messed with you
>Were you and Celly really that obvious?
>Crap! Why were you calling her Celly suddenly!
>CELESTIA and you were getting a bit too close for comfort lately.
>The kissing...the nuzzling...
>That night in her room...
>You hate to admit it, but that night felt good.
>It felt almost right.
>Which sucks because there's still so much you have to work out!
>You weren't a hundred percent sure about that night, it was by some miracle that it worked out.
>Grogar didn't get a clear answer because you didn't have one. 
>You had NO IDEA where this was headed or where you wanted it to go.
>Yeah, you liked Celestia. Even had affection for her.
>But at the same time, you were wondering if this entire relationship was just a band-aid that needed to be ripped off.
>People didn't understand time from an immortal perspective.
>They thought that they would be at least a footnote on the page, but they normal people weren't even drops of ink in the grand scheme of things.
>You had heard Celestia talk about ancient civilizations like they were yesterday.
>To think that you were really as significant as an entire civilization was egocentric and nuts.
>You breathe deep once you get outside the castle.
>Think about this later.
>It's time to play detective.

-Celestia PoV-
>You stepped out of Anon's room shortly after he left.
>He really should get a plant in there or something...
>But at the same time...he may not be staying there much longer.
>You suppress a giggle as you pass some saluting guards.
"Gentlecolts."
>Still...
>You were a bit worried about Grogar's words getting to him.
>Grogar had always been a chess master of sorts, and that had only intensified after he had been detained.
>You weren't lying when you said you couldn't see a reason why Grogar would want to drive a wedge between the two of you, not entirely.
>You really couldn't see much from Grogar's perspective.
>This magic business was something new entirely as well.
>Anon had always worried whenever somepony was reported missing.
>He had said that he understood the fear of being completely alone in the world and that no one should have to go through that.
>Still, you were worried.
>This headfirst rushing into things of his would end badly.
>And you really didn't want your boyfriend to die.
>It was clear that Grogar said SOMETHING to put him off a bit.
>True...your kiss was a bit sudden...
>But the two of you had done if before and spent an entire evening together, and that was after you both SLEPT together.
>A little more of a show of affection was fine...right?
>You really hope so.
>You have enjoyed the time you had spent romantically with Anon immensely, and you were excited to try and see it through to the end.
>You take silent pride in the fact that something you hadn't planned out in advance has worked so well.
>Never let it be said that Princess Celestia Lulamoon couldn't adapt to the times.
>No relation.
>Still...
>You were worried about Anon.

-Anon PoV-
"Alright, thanks anyway."
>Damn...that was the third shop you had visited this hour and still nothing.
>You had been going to every magic shop in the city.
>The plan was to get a copy of their manifests and look for anything suspicious.
>It...wasn't going too well.
>You already didn't know much about magic, but throw in ingredients?
>It was like your first day in boot camp with the guard all over again...
>Okay, try to put this thing together.
>They needed to cast in phase with the moon, so they'd need an astrolabe.
>The problem was that astrolabes were fairly common purchases, most of the students at the Magical University had to buy them for classes.
>Slightly less common were stabilizing agents, those being bought only by those involved in magical research.
>Unfortunately, there were dozens upon dozens of different agents that you had to sift through.
>It had to be someone in the city itself casting this shadow spell.
>Canterlot was protected from outside spell casting by wards at every tower on the wall.
>You explosively sigh and gather up the manifests you had and begin walking.
>The park was your destination, somewhere quiet you could pour over this stuff.

>You unfurled your half dozen manifests on a large table in the park.
"Alright, let's see what we have here..."
>Anyone doing this would need lots of equipment.
>Your eyes shift along each manifest.
>Astrolabes, mana batteries, conduction cable.
>Platinum wiring, gear works, an Orbitron.
>Micro Wrenches! Anemometers! Microscopes!
>None of this was connecting!
>You slam your head on the table.
"Dammit..."
>You NEEDED to help.
>All those ponies would be scared witless if they were still alive...
>And they needed justice if they weren't...
>You groan and place your hands over your head.
>All this crap...With Celestia and now citizens missing.
"Gonna get an ulcer..."
>Look, you were already talking to yourself.
>Grogar said that it needed to be cast in phase with the moon.
>Celestia said that the magic flowed along the path of least resistance.
>You lift your head up again.
>Alright, they'd have to track the moon to cast in phase...
>And the stabilizing agents would have to work with the circle.
>What works with lunar circles? Totems mostly...
>They'd need space if they were casting any lunar magic, as well as power.
>It was probably underground...
>Your eyes darted around the manifests as you tried to build a rudimentary magic array in your head.
>Factor in reach as well as power needs and the items required were...
>You drop your quill as you come to realize the truth.
"No friggen way..."
>Astrolabes, ankhs, and scrolls for power.
>All of those items were bought recently, in bulk.
>Some of them were bought by someone you know.
>You were even there when they were getting purchased.
"Blueblood..."