Dusk’s mind was reunited with her body in a sudden jolt, and for a split second a searing pain swept across her body, as though a blanket of molten lava had been pulled over her. Her entire frame tensed up, eyes widening at the sudden shock. And then, it was over, leaving her wide-eyed and her coat standing on end. She stood there for minutes and more, before letting out a deep sigh. That was not so bad; some part of her psyche told her. She looked down at the horizon, an itch in the back of her mind.
Her interaction with Celestia had been… interesting, she was surprised at Celestia’s lack of hostility. And yet at the same time she knew that Celestia knew that there was no point in hostility, either way she’d still be trapped.
Dusk pondered this for a long time, before she looked up towards the glowing silver orb in the sky.
~~
“Trixie?!”
All five mares shouted in surprise at the blue unicorn in front of them.
“Er, yes, that is my name,” she replied, bewildered at the odd reaction. Had she not gained their forgiveness?
“Who’s Trixie?” Shining Armor deadpanned.
“I’m Trixie,” the unicorn replied with a smirk. “Surely you’ve… wait, never mind. You haven’t heard of me yet!” she said quickly, and Shining Armor narrowed his eyes.
“Wait a minute, I do know you! You’re that show mare who got showed up when Twilight defeated that Ursa Major!”
“Agh!” Trixie facehooved. “It was an Ursa Minor! Minor!”
Suddenly, Pinkie pressed her face right up to Trixie’s. “Don’t you dare use your tricks to take my mouth away again! Don’t even think about it!”
“Trixie would do no such thing!” The unicorn defended, “The Alicorn Amulet took control of me!” an excuse she used just a little too much.
“The Alicorn Amulet?” Cadance blinked curiously.
“It’s a long story,” Rarity said, “we can tell you another time.”
Pinkie stared suspiciously at Trixie for a moment, her face uncomfortably close to the unicorns before she smiled. “Okay! I believe you! “ She pranced off, leaving Trixie feeling more than a little disturbed at her lack of concept of personal space.
“What are you doing here?!” Rainbow Dash took Pinkie’s place in Trixie’s face, and Trixie backed up against the door.
“Actually,” Trixie growled, “I was hoping to find a book! But I see now that I am unwelcome here! I…” she stopped completely when she finally noticed Cadance. Her eyes trailed up and down Cadance’s form, widening the whole time.
“P-princess Cadance?!” She blinked in shock. What was the Princess doing in such a place as Ponyville?
Cadance smiled warmly, “Hello, and… yes, I’m staying here for now,”
Trixie blinked, almost speechless. “…Shouldn’t you be in Canterlot Castle?”
“Are you joking?” Rainbow cried, “Where have you been all this time? Has the never ending night really slipped your mind?”
“Of course not!” The unicorn scoffed, “That’s the reason I’m here! Where’s Twilight Sparkle? Doesn’t she live here?”
A silence fell over the library that even Trixie was not oblivious to. She blinked, looking at the grim expressions of the ponies around her.
“So… she’s not here, I take it?”
“Dear, are you really unaware?” Rarity asked, head low.
“Unaware of what?!” Trixie said, getting annoyed.
“Our new ‘Queen’ is Twilight!” Applejack groaned.
“What? No,” Trixie scoffed. “That evil Queen is Nightmare Dusk! Not Twilight Sparkle,” her words elicited annoyed groans and depressed sighs around the room. She paused, brows furrowing.
“…Enlighten me, would you?”
~~
‘Monster! Traitorous, foul, beast!’ Luna’s rather unprincess-like, primal screams of rage echoed across the lunar landscape, and yet none but one pony heard her.
‘Free me or go!’ Luna cried, voice wavering. ‘Do not visit if you are to ignore me, to simply watch me suffer!’ and yet everything in Luna’s voice told Dusk that the lunar princess felt her cries were in vain. For one thousand years the combined Luna and Nightmare Moon had suffered, and now Luna was reliving it all alone.
‘Luna,’ Dusk whispered softly, guiltily. Luna was startled, surprised – this was the first time Dusk had tried to communicate with her since her imprisonment. Luna seized advantage of that; ‘Nightmare! Speak, worm! Tell me why you torment me!!’
‘Luna, listen, We come-‘
‘NO! You come, I refuse to believe that… that…’ Luna’s voice wavered off, and she continued more so to herself than Dusk, ‘She didn’t deserve that…’ she whispered to herself. ‘It was my fault… I should have known, I should have…’
‘It was not your fault,’ Dusk told her, inching closer. Unlike with the unstable, raging plasma within the sun, the inside of the moon was hard and cold, but somehow much more comfortable for the ethereal deity’s.
‘Than who’s was it?!’ Luna hissed, ‘’Was it not I who was to make sure you were never freed again?! Was it not I who created you in the first place?!’
Dusk had no answer, and instead replied; ‘I’m willing to free you, Luna.’
Silence. Cold, empty silence.
‘…You would?’
‘Yes…’
Luna remained silent, thinking intently. ‘You… would just… let me go?’ she didn’t believe that. ‘There is a penalty, isn’t there? What is it?’
‘Penalty? There is no penalty other than that you must promise not to harm us.’ Dusk honestly couldn’t say she didn’t feel she deserved it, but Twilight definitely didn’t deserve it.
After some time, Luna slowly moved towards the surface. While she was trapped in the moon, she could still see as though she were on it. She could see the cold, emptiness of space and the small, circular shape of the earth. It looked so far away from here. Did she really want to spend the rest of eternity trapped like this?
Dusk moved up close to her, watching the earth. ‘We can put this behind us,’ she urged. ‘We could-‘
‘I promise nothing,’ Luna interrupted. Dusk sighed in disappointment.
‘Are you positively sure?’ she urged gently.
‘Positive.’ Luna said quietly. She wanted Dusk to go, to never come back, and to leave her to her misery.
But Dusk didn’t go.
‘Go!’ Luna nearly yelled, and while Dusk backed away some and her presence started to fade from Luna’s senses.
‘If only I could do the same for Twilight,’ Dusk murmured more so to herself than anything, ‘I will visit you again,’ she promised before her presence faded entirely.