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// Domestic Disturbance 
// Story: Starlit Knights 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
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Chapter Nine: Domestic Disturbance
~BlackRoseRaven

As dusk began to fall, Twilight Sparkle sat quietly with Scrivener Blooms and Luna in the library, comfortable in the silence even as their eyes lingered over one-another affectionately. The day had been long, but now they had a moment of respite after a long discussion with the others… which Scarlet Sage had sat through most of herself, the filly quiet but Luna giving her the choice to leave or stay despite the subjects at hand after a long, solemn explanation of what exactly Scarlet Sage’s special talent was, and what her emblem represented.
And now, everyone had headed out to their work around Ponyville: Applejack and Big Mac were finishing work and repairs around the farm, Rainbow Dash was out on patrol of the perimeter, Rarity was back at work on the last of the equipment for the Starlit Knights and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and Scarlet Sage were helping collect supplies and food for the journey that still waited ahead. After all, there was still Canterlot to travel to… and North Neigh beyond.
In the drawn-out battle against Sol Seraph, they had all almost forgotten why the Starlit Knights had been formed in the first place… and Twilight Sparkle glanced up quietly, studying Scrivener Blooms as he looked back at her with a bit of a smile before the unicorn said softly: “I really admire that you’re pushing through with this, despite everything, Scrivy. I know you don’t talk about it much but… well, from the way Luna gets…”
“Aye, my daydreamer is a better pony than I to want to do this. I still say we should let the fools rot.” Luna grumbled, but when the others gave her an amused look, she huffed a little and pawed absently at the floor with her front hooves. “Alright, alright, perchance… I understand we must put our own selfishness aside for what is to come, but all the same… I like it very little. I have become too accustomed, perhaps, to Ponyville’s accepting ways over the poisons that the rest of the country seems so content to stew in.”
“Oh, Luna, you and I both know it’s not always that bad.” Twilight said reasonably, but Luna only grumbled in response and looked at her moodily, making the unicorn roll her eyes before she continued: “You know, back in Canterlot-”
“Thou wert a unicorn that spent most of her time inside the safe walls of the magic academy, apprenticing beneath Celestia, well-versed even from a young age in the arcane arts.” Luna interrupted, and Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat awkwardly as the winged unicorn leaned forwards with an amused look. “Saying that thy experiences were not all bad is like saying all the buildings in a city are the same, from the palatial manses to the tar-paper shacks.”
“And I wonder which building I am in that metaphor.” Scrivener said mildly, before he grunted when Luna absently smacked him with a hoof. “I swear you’re a masochist sometimes, Luna, really.”
“Far less of one than thee, with how often thou speaks knowing it shall only result in thee being pummeled.” Luna replied dryly, glancing towards him pointedly, and the earth pony shrugged meditatively before the winged unicorn returned her eyes to Twilight Sparkle with a bit of a smile as the violet equine studied them softly. “Besides, why must pain be such an awful thing? ‘Tis a reminder that thou still lives.”
Scrivener smiled despite himself at this thought, then they both looked towards Twilight Sparkle as she said softly: “I really like the way things have turned out.”
Scrivy cocked his head curiously as Luna looked at the female with interest, and the violet unicorn blushed a bit as she glanced awkwardly down for a moment before gazing up, saying quietly: “Despite everything… despite the way you’ve been treated, and what happened with Celestia, and… all the ideas of society and normalcy and good and evil and right and wrong and… what I thought… my destiny once was… I don’t miss the world I’ve come from anymore. I think about that a lot, and I wonder if that’s wrong or not… and… yet… I don’t care whether it is or not now. I wouldn’t want to change this back… because you’re right. Pain isn’t awful. Mental, physical, emotional… if we survive it, it can make us stronger, it can teach us so much more than I ever learned while I was happily standing around… everything I’ve ever learned has come from conflict, small or large. In peace, in joy… it was all just static and plain. 
“I’ve learned that… too much happiness is like anesthesia. It makes you placid, it makes you numb… and you end up forgetting you should try hard at everything you do. You forget there’s other ponies in the world apart from everypony inside your own little cone of being … and after so long, when something awful does happen, you don’t… you don’t deal with it properly.” Twilight halted, looking down quietly and nodding slowly to herself. “And then, instead, you end up blindly following the orders of whoever’s in charge to fix it, and that… doesn’t always turn out very well.
“I’ve seen now, that ponies react with anger and cruelty towards things they don’t understand… that they don’t want to understand. And I know that I used to be just like them, trying to ‘fix’ problems that weren’t really problems, not trying to simply show a little understanding, a little compassion… but my experiences with my friends opened my eyes. The research I did into their… difficulties, but even more than that, just… being there for them when they were scared, refusing to turn them away, holding their hooves instead of rejecting them…” She stopped and shook her head slowly. “I only feel so fortunate that everyone was willing to work together, and that… Ponyville is so understanding.”
She paused for a few moments, looking thoughtfully down at the floor, and then she gazed back up and smiled softly from Scrivener to Luna. “And don’t think I’m going to forget what you two have done for me, before and after… what happened with Celestia. That, too, opened my eyes, and please don’t take this the wrong way but… I’m glad it did. I hate… I hate to think what would have happened if… I hadn’t seen what I did. If I hadn’t known…”
Twilight paused, then laughed a little, smiling wider when Luna and Scrivener Blooms only gazed at her with warmth. “Imagine! I might have decided to try and chase you down… I might have tried to even bring the others together, Elements of Harmony or not, to fight Nightmare Moon and try and get her to once more give in to the magic of friendship. I don’t think we would have ended up here… the only reason I ever started… following more of your lifestyle, Luna, is because I was childishly rebelling against everything Celestia had taught me, after all. I’m… I’m only glad that you and Scrivy… you’ve been so kind to me…
“Anypony else, I know, would have been tempted to… take advantage or control, would have… well, I just don’t see it ending well in most other cases.” Twilight smiled a little, eyes roving silently to the winged unicorn. “But for all you… make fun of her, talk about how evil she is, grumble about her blowing things up… I know you love Celestia. And you always… you helped me see that she made a mistake. An awful, terrible mistake, but one that I couldn’t hold against her forever, hard as it’s been for me to move on, to let go.
“But you helped. You introduced me to a lot of things, you and Scrivy both. You made me do stuff I’d never thought I’d do and you both can be real jerks but… I don’t want to lose that.” Twilight stopped, looking quietly at Luna and saying softly: “I just… I want you two to know, I’m always going to be there for you both. Luna, you’re something to me… Celestia never was, and never could have been. I have a lot of friends now, and a circle of very good, very close friends… but I want you to know, Luna, that you’re… special. But don’t worry, Scrivy, I still don’t like you all that much most of the time.”
“Good, I’d have it no other way.” Scrivener Blooms replied with a slight smile, and he and the unicorn laughed as the dark sapphire, winged unicorn blushed but gave her own radiant look to the violet pony, seeming honored beyond words before Scrivy nudged her gently. “Luna says thank you, too.”
Twilight smiled awkwardly, eyes meeting the winged unicorn’s for a moment before she nodded a little to her, and Luna nodded slowly back before she murmured: “Thou thinks far too grandly of me, Twilight Sparkle… for thou art a treasure to me, almost as special as Scrivener Blooms, and know that if I had the strength to share, that I did not suspect Celestia of her own designs… I would gladly spread my vitality to thee as well, even if it meant halving my own life again.”
She stopped, then smiled amusedly over at Scrivy as he nudged her playfully, saying mildly: “Well, I’m glad you’re still ready to make decisions that now affect both our lives, dear, as always. But… I do suppose it’s much better to live one life, in the company of friends… than it is to live for eternity alone.”
“And for once, the poet speaks wisdom.” Luna said softly, gazing at him lovingly, and Scrivener laughed and shook his head slowly before she smiled again even as she cleared her throat and became a little more businesslike, asking kindly: “Does thou have a schedule in mind, young Twilight, for our journey to Canterlot?”
“A little. In her letters to me, Celestia still sounds very eager for us to visit… she says she needs a few more days, thanks to some meddling in the Royal Courts, but also urges us not to rush on her account. Still, I’d like to get this over and done with… and with Ponyville under additional protection from the minotaurs, I don’t feel nearly as worried as before over leaving with the Starlit Knights.” Twilight replied quietly, nodding slowly. “The damage that… Sol Seraph did is still here, and her… mechanical guns are still in place, but we have all her papers and information on them. They’re all being disabled and shut down by Kilby Kwolek and her team of mechanics… I think she’s actually one of the Starlit Knights, too.”
“Good, I remember her. Cowlick.” Luna smiled slightly, and Scrivener laughed a bit at the nickname Luna had fondly attached to the slightly-crazy mare engineer. “’Tis most reassuring to know that we shall have the accompaniment of such talented ponies.”
Twilight smiled a little, saying quietly: “Well, I’m glad to know you approve, Luna… and I’m sure she’s excited to be part of the team. Rainbow Dash is certainly glad to have her on board… they’ve been good friends for a while now.”
The two nodded, and then Luna said thoughtfully: “Truly, though, it sounds as if Celestia has done well in picking the candidates for these Starlit Knights… and while I am glad for it, mistake me not, I also have to wonder how close an eye she must keep upon myself and Scrivener Blooms even in times like these from her scrying mirror.” She paused, then peered up at the ceiling meditatively. “Celestia, thou art a sick-minded voyeur. I bet thou art watching right now, aren’t thou, hoping to see some horrible scene of debauchery… well, I shan’t give you that until later tonight, so focus thy gaze elsewhere.” 
Then she paused and looked placidly across at Twilight as she apprehensively looked upwards, Scrivy only smiled amusedly before Luna said amusedly: “Worry not, Twilight Sparkle, ‘twas only a joke.” She paused, then added cheerfully: “Although, knowing Celestia, she probably does use her scrying glass to peer down on ponies at most inopportune moments. Not that I would do any different, had I such artifacts, but at least I would be more honest about it, if only to see the looks upon the faces of ponies as I detail their embarrassing intimate encounters back to them…”
“Luna, behave now.” Scrivener Blooms said mildly, as Twilight blushed a little and leaned awkwardly back, and Luna grumbled under her breath at the male before he leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. “Besides, you get bored too easily to manage any of that. And I thought if you really wanted to, you could watch events in the stars.”
“Yes, but Celestia can actually see images, I can only divine what is going on at the time.” Luna almost whined, and Scrivy rolled his eyes in amusement before the female grumbled a little. “But yes, yes, I know, husband, this is all aside the main point, and ‘tis all for our benefit, I understand. Treat me not like a child, Scrivy, or I shall roundly pummel thee and then drop the moon upon thy cowardly head.”
Twilight sighed a little at this, lowering her head meditatively before she looked up and asked mildly, obviously trying to move back onto a more serious subject: “And what about that stuff you told the others today, and Scarlet Sage? I always thought only unicorns could do magic. And are you sure… about bringing her to Canterlot, to Celestia? You were very quick to inform her, it sounds like… and I know that usually, your favorite thing to do is to undermine Celestia in each and every way possible.”
“For the lighter things, perchance, and every now and then for something more serious… but this is truly grave, Twilight, and in answering this, I shall answer all thy questions and concerns for the poor filly.” Luna replied quietly, softening visibly as she nodded slowly to the unicorn. “The magic of the Pegasus… it is not like our magic, Twilight. As I am sure thou art aware, there are many forms of what we call ‘magic’ in the world… our unicorn magic is but one and the most common. It is what allowed us to gain superiority in this nation: in texts old when I was but young, there were legends that we had been chosen for some great purpose… and sad to say, fools who believed that we, the winged unicorns, were the apex of the species.”
Twilight frowned a little at this, tilting her head and asking quietly: “Why is that sad, Luna? You and Celestia… you’re almost unique in this world, aren’t you? And you two are special… very special.”
She blushed a little even as she studied Luna silently, and Luna gave a small smile before she shook her head slowly and murmured: “Aye, ‘twas wonderful to be loved, Twilight. But ‘twas far less wonderful when the ponies looked at themselves, and began to make judgments upon their hierarchy, to use what they saw as our perfection as rationalization to further encourage the superiority already bred into unicorns, and the thought-inferiority of slave-hoofs… for in those days, they were not called earth ponies. They were named ‘slave.’”
Luna fell quiet as she looked towards Scrivener Blooms, who gazed back at her with soft love. “Even back then, I knew it was wrong. For our brother was no winged unicorn… he was merely a mighty earth pony. He had the blessings of preternatural strength and powers that no other earth pony possessed, aye, but he always said, from hoof to head, he was a pony of the earth. Perhaps… that is where the term even originated. And in those days, Celestia did not ever seem to care one way or another, perhaps thought it was only ‘instilling order,’ but I am glad to see that… if she has done one thing right, it is that she has made the mighty unicorn and the middling Pegasus bow their necks to the low earth pony, and realize they are not better nor worse. This is what I love most about Ponyville, Twilight… all here walk as equals.”
She smiled a little, glancing up as the unicorn blushed a little. “And ‘tis what I love about thee, Twilight. Well, ‘tis one of many things I adore about thee, that thou art so… pure, in this sense. I have never seen thou judge another pony based upon who they are. Always, thou hast treated all ponies as equals… when even Celestia and I are guilty of sometimes lording our power and position over others more than was ever merited.”
“You, lord yourself over someone else? Never.” Scrivener said amiably, and then he winced when Luna smacked him lightly with her horn, making him grumble a little and shove at her before he glanced towards Twilight with an amused look, adding: “But she is right, all the same… then again, you were too busy always telling me what a genius you were and how dumb I was to bother with the whole ‘unicorn superiority’ deal.”
“I’d rather be better than you because of hard work than better than you because I’m a unicorn, anyway… which is still true, by the way, since everything you can do you steal from Luna, being soul-bound and all.” Twilight smiled all the same, however, and Scrivy laughed despite himself as Luna snorted in entertainment. “Remember that poem you wrote about me?”
“Oh, it wasn’t about you, Sparkles, don’t be so self-centered.” Scrivener retorted immediately, and Twilight grumbled at the nickname even as Luna cocked her head curiously, and Scrivy glanced towards her, explaining in an amused voice: “You know me and how I tend to deal with… well… anything that irritates me. I immediately have to undermine and frustrate it, and after getting tired of dealing with the unicorns of the Royal Court constantly bothering me to do my job better when I was already doing my damn job fine enough-” 
“You wrote one poem a month, Scrivy, and otherwise you loitered around, being a jerk to everyone in Canterlot and bossing around anyone who was a lower rank than you in the Royal Court.” Twilight interrupted, and Scrivener slowly turned towards her, giving her a flat look, and she gazed grumpily back. “Well, it’s true.”
“Do you want quality or quantity? But in any case…” Scrivener loudly continued, half-glowering at her as Luna looked at him with entertainment. “After that, I went home, wrote up a little poem, and the next day presented it to the Royal Courts. I vaguely remember a lot of yelling and objects being thrown at me afterwards. I wasn’t fired, though, so I think that counts for something.”
Twilight rolled her eyes as Luna looked at him thoughtfully, and Scrivy gazed back after a moment with amusement, feeling her searching through his mind, collecting scraps of memory and piecing them together, images mixing with speech and words… and then she threw her head back and laughed. “Scrivener Blooms, thou art horrible! And yet I can but envy that thou could escape my sister’s wrath; all the same, perhaps we have been similar from the very start, more so than I first thought with thou insufferable whininess.”
Scrivy smiled a bit, then he said softly: “But that reminds me we’re getting off-topic… and we’ll be dealing with the Royal Court of Canterlot among even-less-pleasant things. And this time, I don’t think I can just flail around and order people to listen to me anymore because I work under Celestia.”
“Yet Celestia, all the same, seems to want us to march into Canterlot, as invited guests.” Luna shook her head after a moment as Twilight looked up as well, softening. “’Tis a puzzle that I fear she will not answer until she deigns to. Sister has always been… difficult in such matters.”
“And North Neigh, afterwards.” the violet unicorn murmured, her eyes roving to Scrivy, but he only shrugged awkwardly. “I… haven’t told the Starlit Knights yet about… you know. I mean, my friends know, but I don’t hide anything from them.” She paused, then looked embarrassed when both Luna and Scrivener smiled amusedly at her. “Okay, I don’t hide much from them, better?”
“Aye, and less from us, but still I rest assured that thou yet has a secret or two to discover.” Luna replied with a slight smile, and Twilight Sparkle blushed a bit before the winged unicorn turned serious again, looking towards her husband with both tenderness and exasperation. “And thou has to learn not to think of thy past with such shame.”
“Yes, well, you know me, I-” Scrivener paused, glanced over at Luna as she glared at him, and then he slowly closed his mouth and cleared his throat before saying in a quieter voice: “Fine, fine. Okay, usual defenses aside, I know. I just… don’t like to talk about it, though. I don’t want… pity, or even sympathy. That’s… in the past now, and who I am now is not the same slave-hoof they used to beat around all the time. I’m the luckiest damn earth pony in Equestria… but you know… there’s always something that lingers, deep inside, when it comes to your parents. Maybe it’s fear; maybe it’s even worse, and it’s the remnants of love, no matter how they’ve treated you. Maybe it’s a desire to be accepted… or the anxieties that come with the worry that… even now, even after so long, even after pushing so hard to get away… you always end up going back home.”
He paused, brooding for a moment and muttering: “And I wonder. Brambles and Teacup always were awful parents who hated me and never much liked each other. They married one-another for privilege and status: for power. I hate the thought of going back home: I hate the thought more of going back to North Neigh and them to look at me as if I finally succeeded at something, because I married you, Luna… not because I care about you, because you’re the most-powerful creature in Equestria, if not the world.”
“Scrivy, can you go back to being a cynical jerk about everything? Because seriously, when you’re smart and brooding, it really scares me.” Twilight grimaced a bit, leaning back and shaking her head quickly as Luna looked silently towards her husband. The male, however, was looking moodily at the floor, still, and Twilight softened before she said quietly: “And you’re nothing at all like them, Scrivener. You’re a jerk, yes, and… selfish, whiny, frustrating, cynical, sarcastic…”
“Wow, Twilight, all this flattery at once is going to make me blush so deeply I’m going to fall unconscious from all the blood rushing to my face.” Scrivener said drolly, and the unicorn gave him a sour look before he smiled despite himself. “But thank you, all the same. I’m glad to know I’m a selfish, whiny, frustrating, cynical, sarcastic jerk. But I’m not like my parents at all.”
“Thy power of making a mockery of insults and compliments truly is something, Scrivener Blooms.” Luna said dryly, and then she shook her head slowly before her eyes roved back towards Twilight with a bit of a smile. “Worry not, he understands. And if thou has faith in the knights, and Scrivener has faith enough in himself… let us canter ever onwards. ‘Tis more than ample enough to reassure me between thee. But there are other subjects to attend to, and with greater speed and vivacity as well, so let us move to them with all haste.”
The other two nodded, and Luna nodded firmly as she looked back and forth before she grinned slightly, and Scrivy and Twilight both immediately glared at her, both knowing the winged unicorn well enough by now to predict her next words as she said cheerfully: “And perhaps after all is said and done, we may switch business for pleasure.”

Late that night, Luna dragged Twilight Sparkle out to their cabin despite her protests, the winged unicorn grumbling that Ponyville would be fine for one night without its self-appointed protector. Before Twilight could protest, Luna zapped her with an alertness spell to restore her energy, then allowed her a few quick, stumbled goodnights before dragging her out to walk with them through the Everfree Forest.
Twilight’s complaints settled as they passed into the Everfree Forest, the unicorn slowly going from grumpy to admiring the scenery and enjoying the quiet calm of their surroundings as Luna and Scrivener held easy conversation, feeling more at home in the dark, living forest than they did in normal pony society. It only added to the surreal atmosphere, but made Twilight smile as she listened to their conversation and looked from one to the other softly.
The walk back was peaceful and comfortable, and they reached the cabin in good time, smiling to each other as Sammy chirped cheerfully at the sight of company and immediately ran over to Twilight, bouncing up and down on his hind legs. She laughed and reached down to pet him as Luna headed to the den, shaking her head in amusement as Scrivener made his way towards the kitchen, saying amusedly: “Give me a few minutes and I’ll put on some coffee for us, or tea if you’d prefer, Twilight.”
“Coffee’s fine, Scrivy.” Twilight said softly, walking now to join Luna in the den with Sammy perched on her back, gently nibbling at her flowing mane… and then she laughed a bit as Luna firmly patted the bedding, shaking her head and saying softly: “I have to wonder why of all the ponies in Equestria, I ended up with you two as… such close friends. I also have to wonder why you insist on dragging me out here some nights, Luna… again, you could always move into Ponyville, or at least closer to the outskirts. You’re deeper in the Everfree Forest then Zecora is.”
“For safety, Twilight. ‘Tis deeper than most ponies would dare to tread, be they filled with thoughts of adventuring and heroism or hatred for my husband and myself… and while in most things I am brash, in some things I am cautious.” Luna stopped, then smiled a little as Twilight settled quietly on the bedding beside her, leaning her side against the unicorn and adding softly: “And as wonderful as Ponyville treats me, and fond as I am of my… little kingdom, as I do so enjoy calling it… all the same, I am not a pony who is at her most comfortable in normal society. Let Celestia have her castles and brick and mortar and societies. I wish instead for the trees and the rivers and the sap and the freedom and safety of nature.”
Twilight smiled a little at this, then she blushed a little when Luna leaned over to press almost forehead-to-forehead with her, smiling slightly into her eyes. “But come, Twilight, ‘tis not what truly surprises thee about things. ‘Tis the way they have developed… but I do not blame you, I am a truly alluring winged unicorn of vast beauty and strength, ‘tis only natural thou art so attracted to me.”
The violet unicorn rolled her eyes in amusement at this as Scrivener Blooms returned with a tray loaded with mugs of coffee, and then Luna’s eyes flicked towards him as her horn glowed, easily lifting this away to carry it in front of the bedding. “Thanks Luna. But you know, you should really stop being so modest. We all might just start believing you, after all.”
“Worry not, Scrivener Blooms, thou knows well I speak only the truth.” Luna replied comfortably, and then she picked up one of the mugs and tried to drink from it… before grimacing and rearing back in surprise as she looked down at the empty mug. “What trickery is this?”
“Patience, warrior princess, patience.” Scrivener Blooms replied mildly, and Luna gave him a sour look even as the earth pony headed back towards the kitchen, beginning easily: “Look, I know you like your-”
He was interrupted by a sudden loud rumble, Luna looking up sharply as she leapt to her hooves, and Twilight frowned at her before Scrivener cursed and ran across the den, shooting towards the doorway as the winged unicorn’s eyes snapped to the unicorn, saying sharply: “I sense invasion, Twilight Sparkle, come with me!”
She jerked her head towards the back door, and Twilight frowned even as she leapt to her hooves, wincing and looking up as there was another rumble, asking hurriedly: “But wait, how do you know-”
“The earth quakes and the air rumbles, ‘tis all too clear to my instincts from the whispers of the Forest that we are under attack.” Luna grimaced as she snapped her head forwards, throwing the back door open as she muttered: “And we show no mercy and no quarter to those who dare to invade our home and sanctuary. Now hurry, Scrivener Blooms is laying the trap.”
The earth pony himself was glaring back and forth, standing out in the middle of the yard… and with both Luna’s thoughts and his own sharpened instincts, he was able to pick up on the presence of what were definitely other ponies. They were silent, thinking they were hidden even as their eyes gleamed under the light of the moon… and even more telling, the horns of the unicorns here and there shimmered quietly, as if they were preparing magic. “You guys really aren’t so subtle, you know that? Listen, I’m sore and tired. Can we put off this whole ‘rout Nightmare Moon and Scrivener Blooms’ stuff off until later?”
There was another rumble, and this time Scrivener felt the grass beneath his hooves almost writhe, looking down with a frown before a voice murmured from the shadows: “Be not so bold, earth pony. We are here for Nightmare Moon, to bring her to the Black Baroque… the only reason we have not incinerated you is because we know you are connected to her.”
Scrivener snarled, setting himself now as his eyes flashed, and slowly, several unicorns emerged: unicorns with staring, wide eyes ringed in black that glowed unnaturally, faces tattooed with constellations and lunar sigils, their bodies clothed in crimson cloaks and heavy capes. The male looked sharply back and forth, but before he could even take a step, the earth beneath his feet rumbled again before it collapsed violently around the male, leaving him trapped inside a bowl-shaped depression as vines snapped back and forth over the top in a crisscrossing pattern, the earth pony staring stupidly up from where he’d half-fallen in the hole.
Then a unicorn approached, gazing down with his unblinking, yellowing eyes, and he said softly: “Stay out of our way, slave-hoof. Helheim and our own planet longs for this, knows this is the only way to bring about purification, to bring about peace. Nightmare Moon shall come with the Ekleíp to the Black Baroque. The Gates of Hell will be thrown open and the Black Wolves will emerge from the tunnels, and Nightmare Moon will destroy Equestria. The world will be lit with fire, and then it will fall into a slumber of darkness when life has been extinguished. The ancient ones will awaken. They will praise Nightmare Moon. Then they will rebuild the world together… and all those who have died will be brought to new consciousness, new life, in paradise.”
“But first we must send a message.” murmured another unicorn, striding slowly past the pit as Scrivener Blooms cursed under his breath and scrambled upwards, only to wince as the net of vines repelled him as if he’d run into a rubber wall. “Nightmare Moon has been disoriented. Is trapped inside the one they call Luna. We shall awaken her by whatever means necessary.”
“Genius plan, guys.” Scrivy called drolly, and the four unicorns that had gathered in the field all paused to look down… before Scrivener winced as small spikes shot out of the earth in a circle around him, the conical blades of rock almost glowing in the moonlight. “Well, okay. I think it’s safe enough for me to shut up now, anyway.”
“Nightmare Moon does not come to save you. This is a good sign. But we shall further awaken her.” spoke another unicorn after a moment, and the four looked up as their horns began to glow brighter. “We shall make her see reason. We shall make her understand what she must do. The halls of the Black Baroque await her grace.”
And Scrivener snarled as he heard the awful rumbling building again, felt waves of force travel through the walls around him… but a moment later, it was no longer the earth shaking around the pony, but rather the enormous cliffs that shuddered with growing violence and strength, the earth pony’s eyes widening as he clawed his way up to the vine netting overtop the pit he was snared in to stare in horror as the rocky crag began to crack and rumble before the top of the overhang slowly started to list forwards, stones and dust hailing down to patter like heavy rain onto the rooftop… before the first of several enormous chunks of rock ripped free of the side of their treasured vantage, collapsing to smash heavily into the cabin below.
Wood and dust and shingles flew in all directions as Scrivener felt a physical pain in his gut, shouting wordlessly as the entire side of the cliff gave away and heavy chunks of stone hailed down on top of the cabin, sending up a cloud of dust as the avalanche of heavy rock buried the cabin completely… and the male snarled in frustration as he yanked uselessly at the vine net as a unicorn said quietly: “Nightmare Moon belongs in the Black Baroque. We must show her our desires. We must prove that Ekleíp is strong. We must prove we are ready for Ragnarok.”
“Then Ragnarok thou shall receive!” Luna shouted furiously, and the four unicorns looked to the side in surprise that was emotionless and bland before the winged unicorn crashed into the first, slamming her shoulder into him to knock him crashing through the others and sending them spilling over like dominos as she snarled in fury. “How dare such fools attempt to ravage my home!”
Luna’s horn glowed brightly as she snapped her head upwards briskly, starry locks sizzling with electricity, and a blast of lightning issued from the air above to crash into one of the unicorns as he began to get up, sending him crashing backwards in a flash of light, rolling bonelessly several times before he crashed to a halt in a smoldering heap. The other unicorns barely reacted to their comrade’s demise, however, and it seemed to only fuel Luna’s rage all the further as she leapt forwards, swinging her head down in a vicious smash to another unicorn’s forehead, the pony flopping to the ground in an unconscious heap before Luna snapped her horn to the side, and the limp body of the cultist was flung with savage force into the face of another unicorn, almost snapping his neck as he was sent flying backwards and knocked out cold.
They both crashed and rolled violently several times as the last unicorn calmly rose his horn, and rumbles travelled through the earth again before vines tore up from the ground, lashing on all sides towards Luna… but she snarled in response to this, rearing back as her mane snapped upwards behind her, her body almost shimmering as blue flames exploded in a short ring through the air around her that incinerated the vines around her and blew a wide gap in the plant netting covering the cage, Scrivy wincing away from the eldritch fire before he threw himself upwards and leapt free of the pit, standing ready beside Luna.
The unicorn looked slowly towards his fallen allies, then back towards Luna and Scrivy, leaning forwards as he began to lower his horn, apparently intent on continuing the battle anyway… but then a faint blue glow sizzled over his body, the unicorn twitching and taking a short, sharp breath before his eyes rolled up in his head as his legs wobbled beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground, drooling, eyes staring listlessly, half-open. His body jittered on the grass, and Twilight made a face as she walked in from the side of the field, murmuring quietly: “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
“Thou hast my thanks, Twilight… I am glad thou art so dependable. And thou too, Scrivener Blooms…” Luna glanced down with a grimace as the earth shuddered deep beneath their hooves, shaking her head slowly before she silently looked up towards the cliff face, murmuring: “We are fortunate wards were prepared in event of an occasion such as this. But still… there is damage done.”
She halted, then looked down with a scowl, walking towards the unicorn that Twilight was nervously looking down at before the violet pony winced when Luna seized the paralyzed cultist by the mane and yanked his head up, throwing him onto his back before she leaned down to look at the fastener holding his cloak together… and as expected, it was a large white circle rimmed with red and yellow flame. She sighed and shook her head at this, then began to raise a hoof… but at a look from Twilight, she halted and mumbled to herself, stepping away from the cultist and saying darkly: “There is little to be done otherwise, though, Twilight Sparkle. Let all others be shown mercy, but the fanatics of Ekleíp pray every day for death. If they must pray so much and strive so hard, I am more than glad to give it to them.”
“Still. I know you’re better than that, Luna. I know you are.” Twilight said softly, as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, her horn glowing for a moment as a purple aura enveloped the male for a moment before becoming solid ropes that tightly bound his limbs together. Then she straightened, smiling a little as she glanced awkwardly towards Luna, asking quietly: “What about his magic? I don’t know how to stop him from using that.”
“We could remove his horn.” Luna said sourly, but when Twilight favored her with a flat look, she sighed and muttered: “Very well. Scrivener Blooms, prepare a poison.”
Scrivy nodded, turning around… and then he paused to silently survey the wreckage covering their cabin, hesitating for a moment before Luna smiled faintly as she quietly looked back at him, saying softly: “It will be alright, my husband. There is damage done, but the shielding wards will hold the worst of it at bay for now.”
She stopped, then stepped forwards and buried her face quietly against the side of his neck for a moment, closing her eyes even as her horn began to glow… and Scrivener smiled faintly as he tilted his head to the side and several of the boulders and stones that had collapsed over the front of the cottage rumbled as they spilled to the side, heavy rocks and dust trickling to the ground and over the fallen stones as the cracked, broken front of the cottage was revealed. Blue light pulsed faintly through the splintered wood, making the structure glow dully as Twilight shook her head slowly, murmuring quietly: “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to charge the wards faster, Luna. We could have been out here faster… or you could have left me to tend to that and they wouldn’t’ve been given the chance to-” 
“Oh be not self-loathing, ‘tis the job of Scrivener Blooms. Bind the other unicorns who yet live, and I shall begin repairing the cliff while my husband goes about his work.” Luna grumbled after a moment, then she halted and glanced awkwardly towards Twilight, adding in a softer voice: “And I am sorry I invited thou out to relax with us, only to find our night interrupted by the machinations of Ekleíp. Be assured, I shall make this up to thee… ‘tis not fair that after thou has fought so hard beside us in Ponyville, now we drag thee out only to defend our own home from ambush.”
“Luna, it’s fine. It really is…” Twilight glanced up, watching as Scrivy carefully walked towards the cottage, stepping around broken chunks of rock and nervously glancing up at boulders suspended awkwardly here and there, several flat, cracked pieces of stone half-hanging ominously through the broken roof over the patio. “I wish I had done more… could do more for you… instead of always relying on you to fix everything for me. You’re the one who always goes out of her way for everypony, Luna… this was just an accident of coincidence.”
The winged unicorn only grumbled a little at this, however, and then she took a few steps towards the cottage before laying down, Twilight half-watching curiously even as she went about the process of binding the other unicorns. Then, slowly, Luna’s horn began to glow as she lowered her head forwards… and Twilight turned towards her to stare as the very air around the female seemed to tremble for a few moments as electricity ran through her glowing mane, her back arching slightly, breathing slowly in and out as she slowly tilted her head until she faced towards the sky.
With a mighty rumble, enormous chunks of rock and collapsed mountain began to rise up, glowing dark sapphire as they pulled themselves with cracks and creaks from the glowing roof of the cabin, and lifted one-by-one from where they had collapsed on top of a sparkling dome of sapphire energy, powered by circles of glowing white runes hidden here and there amidst the bramble gardens of the small back yard.
Scrivy glanced up from where he stood on the dirt path leading between gardens fenced in by thorny vines, surveying the cracked forcefield: here and there, heavy rocks had pierced through it, shattering the surrounding shielding like glass and leaving spiderwebs of cracks pulsing with ivory light through the fractured energy shield. It sizzled against the inanimate stones as they lifted free, floating silently upwards into the air as Scrivener Blooms shook his head slowly, then sighed a bit around the glass jar he was carefully carrying by the rope handle in his jaws, muttering around it: “I hate unicorns.”
He made his way through the back door and grumbled quietly as he stepped into the faintly-glowing interior, looking moodily back and forth: several particularly large, sharp chunks of rocks had torn through the roof, and dust and debris littered the floor, as Sammy chittered and skittered back and forth, the skeletal little pseudodragon looking as frustrated as Scrivy felt with the destruction that had been wrought to their home. Paintings had been knocked from the walls, glass fractured, furniture damaged, their bedding ripped… and while magic could repair some of it and fix most of the dust and grime, Scrivy knew that if the painting above the mantelpiece had been damaged at all, there was nothing that would have stopped Luna from ripping the unicorns apart.
He grimaced as he headed carefully towards the front door, knowing all the same that the winged unicorn was struggling hard not to simply bring the broken pieces of cliff crashing down on top of the unicorn cultists that had done this, as he heard heavy chunks of stone slamming one after the other rapidly back into place with hisses of heat and steam as they melted and melded back together. The sounds grew louder as he approached the dully-glowing door, and louder still as he shouldered it carefully open, static sparking through the doorway for a few moments and glanced up with a bit of a smile at the sight of the enormous rocks silently gyrating through the air as Luna sat with her back arched, her eyes closed, her horn glowing brightly.
Twilight sat beside her, staring at her with what was almost rapture… and behind them, a unicorn had managed to break his bonds, his own horn glowing darkly as he shakily stood, Scrivener’s eyes widening… but the moment his emotions flared, he knew Luna could feel the warning, knew her instincts were already reacting… and that she was well-aware of the unicorn by the almost-coy smile on her face and the way her eyes half-opened as they flicked to the side before an enormous boulder shot through the air like a meteorite, smashing down into the unicorn and crushing him beneath it, Twilight flinching at the sound of the crash before she looked over her shoulder… and staggered away in shock at the sight of one of the cultist’s legs sticking almost comically out from beneath the boulder.
A moment later, the rock was hefted back into the air, revealing the broken body beneath it as Twilight grimaced and looked away with a shudder… and it joined the other floating stones before they shot forwards, locking loudly into the mended cliff face as red and blue cracks shone vibrantly throughout the stony wall, broken and jagged but slowly on its way to being restored as Luna said quietly: “I believe that in mercy is strength… but some days I am prone to weakness.”
Luna halted, looking moodily up at the reconstructed cliff face, and then she shook her head slowly before closing her eyes and bowing her head forwards, her horn glowing brighter for a moment and the pulsing, colored cracks throughout the jagged, damaged stone overhang growing brighter as the heavy rock fused in a final hiss of steam. Then Luna relaxed slowly, lowering her head and taking a long breath as Scrivener Blooms approached, the two trading hesitant smiles as Twilight finally pulled her gaze away from the crushed unicorn to look up at the reconstructed rock wall, murmuring: “Your powers are incredible, Luna… but… I mean…”
“’Tis alright, Twilight Sparkle. I am glad thou art not a warrior… that thou hesitates to kill.” Luna said quietly, glancing towards her with a small smile as the violet unicorn blushed a little and dropped her head forwards. “But sometimes, sadly, it is necessary as well. The Ekleíp are… they are barely even ponies anymore. Death is a mercy, and the only thing that will stop them from pursuing us… and nothing we do shall intimidate these death-worshipping creatures into halting until they are dead, or we are dragged to the Black Baroque for their terrible, warped rituals.”
She stopped, then looked silently towards the last two unicorns, which were both still unconscious, one of them spasming a little from the paralysis spell, and the female murmured: “’Tis awful though, Twilight Sparkle… what they have become, in pursuit of magic, in pursuit of knowledge. And I know not where their foolhardy beliefs stem from… old mares’ tales, prophecies, or whispers from the treacherous demons of Helheim. All I know is that they are lies… and that for all they worship Nightmare Moon, she reviles them with even greater hatred than mine own for these dregs, these scum, these lost and broken spirits.”
Luna paused, then glanced quietly towards Scrivener Blooms as the male strode towards one of the unicorns and knelt, opening the jar as he carefully pushed one of the unconscious unicorn’s mouths open. He paused to look questioningly towards Luna, but she nodded firmly as Twilight frowned, asking nervously: “Luna, this is…”
“Diluted Bitterweaver poison, mixed with the root of lunar lilies.” Luna replied quietly, looking down at the bound unicorn as Scrivy carefully poured only a little of the poison into its jaws. “It is a crude method, perchance, but one that will render the best results for what we require. Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle, he will not die, and we will not force him to suffer miserably, much as he deserves it. Daydreamer, wait, worry not about the other unicorn… we only need one.”
With that, Luna stepped past Scrivy as both he and Twilight glanced up towards the winged unicorn, watching as she leaned down by the other cultist, her horn glowing as she closed her eyes… and slowly, she leaned down and tapped his temple with the very tip, the unicorn’s eyes snapping open as he gasped and stared sightlessly forwards… and then they slowly closed, a bit of drool spilling out of his jaws as he gargled quietly on the ground and kicked a little, then slumped silently.
Luna straightened with a grimace, shaking her own head out briskly and muttering: “More mercy than thou does deserve, wretch… and we shall cast thee out to some distant corner of Equestria where thou may live in peace even in these days. Such compassion not even I receive… so I hope that thou truly knows how fortunate thou art, mindless knave.”
She stopped, then grouchy kicked the unicorn once in the stomach, Twilight wincing a little and Scrivener Blooms rolling his eyes but giving a small smile despite himself before he grimaced and glanced down as the poisoned cultist gagged, then shivered as foam frothed out of his jaws, convulsing once again before his eyes snapped open as his breathing roughened and he spasmed weakly against his bonds.
Twilight flinched back a bit, looking awkwardly down at the cultist as he spasmed again on the ground, but Luna only smiled grimly, saying quietly: “Worry not, Twilight. The initial pain will pass quickly… and is nothing compared to the other methods I would have been glad to employ, had you not already asked for mercy for this sallow vermin. But it will numb him, and then paralysis shall set in… and the essence of the lily root shall char his will and loosen his mind. I am not as well-versed as Zecora in the arts of alchemy and potions, but in poisons my knowledge is more than adequate.”
“You are a very scary lady.” Scrivy said mildly, studying the unicorn with a grimace as the cultist cursed on the ground, eyes bulging for a moment as he coughed hard several times before slumping as he breathed hard in and out. “Will it be enough to keep him from using magic?”
“Worry not, daydreamer, they shalt not harm a hair of thy mane.” Luna smiled slightly over at him, and then she grimaced and glanced down as the earth rumbled beneath their feet, saying moodily: “Although they have already disturbed the forest… and look, the pawn wakens towards consciousness. Speak to me, unicorn of Ekleíp, and speak truly and quickly, for my patience is in short supply and my wrath stands ready at full swing. And think not I will be foolish enough to kill thee, lost one, for I know there are worse ways still to punish and torment thy accursed kind.”
“N-Nightmare Moon… we worship you… why will you not listen to our prayers?” rasped the unicorn, half-rolling on the ground as he stared almost longingly up at Luna, who gazed icily back. “We seek to bathe this world in shadow. We seek to heal the world. We are the Ekleíp, who will bring about Ragnarok… who will cleanse this planet of the evils that have infested it. Death is freedom. Death is purification.”
“Death is death, wretched fool, and the destruction of the world will be nothing grand or glorious. Ragnarok may lead to a rebirth, aye… but it will not be the rebirth of ponies, and it will not be the rebirth of ancient gods and knowledge lost. Thou speaks only of fairy tales and nonsense.” Luna said disgustedly, shaking her head slowly. “Except that nay, even fairy tales have rhyme and reason, are based upon fact… thy precious Ekleíp is naught but fools listening to the ramblings of self-proclaimed prophets!”
“The demons of Helheim hold dialogue with us… the spirits of the ether, and the planet itself whisper to us, tell us that life is corrupt, that the Aesir lied, that the gods no longer care for our planet, our Midgard.” The unicorn faltered, then grimaced on the ground, muscles tensing, body flexing as he rasped for air, smearing foam against the grass as Twilight slowly shook her head and Luna looked pitilessly down at him. “Come with us, Nightmare Moon. The planet needs you. The planet begs for you. Midgard begs for sleep, so she may heal… so we may all be reborn in a paradise guarded by the Black Wolves… our seers and prophets have seen this, the gifts… the gifts that Ragnarok will bring…”
“I have heard enough of thy ramblings, of baseless legend and lies whispered to naïve fools by wicked spirits and their consorts.” Luna muttered, shaking her head grimly before she asked sharply: “Answer this question then, knave. Nightmare Moon wishes to know why now the Ekleíp move against her… against myself and mine. Why have thou disturbed the Black Baroque, why have thou engineered the awful schemes against me? And wert thou and thine truly so foolish as to try and leash the devil in Pegasus’s skin, did all of thee truly believe that a monster such as Sol Seraph could be controlled?”
“Nightmare Moon… no… you…” The unicorn shivered on the ground, his eyes rolling in his head as emotions flooded his features: strange in the black-ringed eyes of the unicorn that hadn’t seemed to care in the slightest about pain, or the death and destruction of his comrades. “No, Ekleíp… I must stay strong… I will…”
“Kill thyself? I think not, knave.” Luna said softly, looming down now over the unicorn, her eyes glowing steadily brighter as the unicorn stared up at her before he arched his back, shivering and gritting his teeth. “Struggle if thou must, but the poisons have already leeched into thy mind and stolen the little strength and will thou once possessed. Now answer the questions of Nightmare Moon… ‘tis ironic, but it is not only the poisons that compel thee to… ‘tis the creed of the Ekleíp, who claim their loyalty lay to her, does it not?”
“Y-Yes… Nightmare Moon…” And, as the unicorn grew visibly weaker from the influence of the toxin, more and more, his emotions seemed to shine through the mask of toneless indifference that had first shielded him, even the tattoos on his skin seeming to writhe and recede as he whispered: “The time is drawing close now… Nightmare Moon has been led astray from her path, from why she was released from the moon… but the Ekleíp exist to place her securely back on the right road. To help her once more find her destiny… find the darkness… Sol Seraph was a part of this grand scheme, grand machination. She did her duty… and found you, as we hoped… she marked the path, so we could follow… and she tried to fight you, and was judged unworthy. Destiny destroyed her… the ether destroyed her… because she failed the Ekleíp. She thought herself better than Nightmare Moon… she thought herself better than the loyalists to the night, to the darkness, to the natural state of things. The sun is an invader… it must be… blinded… the world… we must not allow…”
And the unicorn shivered again before he slowly slumped, rasping hard for breath as he fell unconscious, and Luna shook her head grimly as she muttered in disgust: “Maddened ramblings of a maddened fool… they think themselves purifiers, and yet never have I witnessed atrocity so foul, minds so corrupted and warped. But now the pieces begin to fall into place, and ‘twas not his words that spoke worlds, but the way he became more like a pony and less like a machine as the toxins invaded his mind… I believe that these fools are being puppeted by blacker magic than Nightmare Moon’s. Twilight Sparkle, Scrivener Blooms… it is not an idea I relish… but we shall have to take one of the Ekleíp to Celestia, by methods fair or foul.” 
She stopped, then shook her head slowly, looking quietly down at the bodies of the cultists as she murmured softly: “But first, we shall burn the bodies of the dead… toss the fortunate survivor to the winds of travel… and last but not least, ensure our unicorn friend is given proper lodgings for the night, and in the morning, we shall take him to Ponyville.” Luna paused and grimaced, adding darkly: “And all too soon, our reprieve has been interrupted by time’s merciless forwards march.”
Scrivener Blooms nodded slowly as Twilight Sparkle looked up nervously, but Luna only shook her head silently as she stood over the fallen unicorn cultist, not speaking and not needing to for her husband and confidante to feel her fears for the future more clearly than if she had given them voice.