Chapter 6
Luna was the first to leave the party. She had to raise the moon, and there were duties to attend to. She'd begun to take on some of the responsibilities of Canterlot, to help the populace become acquainted with her presence. As their energy dwindled, the other ponies began to migrate towards the exit, and Seeker, sensing their hesitance to be the first to go, bid them adieu. With the pressure off, they began to disperse.
Pinkie Pie was the last to leave, remaining behind and helping Seeker clean up. It was a side of her he'd never before witnessed. While still definitely cheery, it was a much more subdued Pinkie, diligent in her tasks. Her system was impeccable, and he quickly fell into step, following her directions as she guided him to each task at hoof. In short order, the room was back to normal.
“Thanks Pinkie,” he said, giving her a warm smile.
“Oh no problem. Nopony would want to party with me if I left a big mess behind, so it was super important to learn how to clean everything up.” They were standing only a few feet apart, and the blue of her eyes was simply striking. He felt a blush creeping onto his face, as he regarded the party pony's visage. The silence between them lingered, looming awkwardly as he was devoured by her cornflower gaze.
She cleared her throat.
“Well, I should probably get going, Mister and Missus Cake are going to need my help with the shop tomorrow. See ya later!” Without waiting for his response, she turned and trotted out of the room. He continued staring long after the cotton candy tail had disappeared beyond the door frame. Finally, he turned back to the room, as worries began to nag at him.
He'd managed to diffuse the situation, but it was clear he'd shaken their trust in him. His thoughts drifted to Luna, smiling as he recalled how she'd defended him. He hadn't been able to put his head in order, but she'd managed to say what needed to be said, despite how terrifying it must have been to face Celestia's wrath, having only recently returned from her banishment.
“I'll have to come up with some way to thank her...” he muttered aloud, as he shut down the consoles in the room. He hadn't yet figured out how to layer the devices in such a way that he could just make a super terminal to control all his machinations, so, for now, he had to make due with a separate device for each purpose. As he was about to turn off the lights, he heard hoofsteps approaching. Spinning to face the door, he activated a defensive rune mechanism, completely ensnaring the intruder.
“Aah!” the feminine voice yelped, before being silenced by the spell. Seeker quickly dashed out of the room, and came face to face with a midnight blue alicorn.
“Luna!” he said, shocked. Immediately he deactivated the spell, releasing her, but the paralysis was designed to function like a toxin, and it would take some time for it to fully get pushed out of her system. Thus, she collapsed. His quick reflexes led to him catching her before she hit the ground, her head lolling around his own, coming to rest on the back of his neck.
His ear had become squished against her chest, and he listened to the strong rhythm of her heart. It wasn't until she cleared her throat that he realized just how long he'd been holding her. Blushing furiously, he carefully released her, watching her rise to her hooves, a pink glow on her own cheeks.
“Well, that was certainly... friendly.” she said, raising an eyebrow to punctuate the last word. Somehow, Secret Seeker's flush deepened. Fortunately, it was then that he noticed the barrel strapped to the Princess' back.
“Is that the wine you were talking about?” he asked, desperate to change the subject. Luna's eyes lit up, along with her horn, as the barrel was magically removed.
“Yes! I tested it before coming back, it's quite excellent.” They made their way back into the room, and Seeker brought out two of the glasses he and Pinkie had cleaned. Luna pulled two chairs over, and plunked the barrel down between them, seating herself comfortably before magically removing the cork in the top.
“It's a blend of my own devising,” she said, pride evident in her tone, “using some very rare fruits that grow in hostile regions. Sulphur springs, Froggy Bottom Bog, and a volcano located beyond the mild west.” She gave him a wink, “That last one gives it a bit of a kick.” With a grin, he plopped down in the other chair, and magically filled both glasses, floating one to her. They clinked them together,
“To friendship.” she said.
“And harmony,” he added. With a nod, they sipped their drinks. As they drank, he asked Luna about her work with the cosmos, and she described the methods she used to design different clusters of stars. It was largely intuitive, the way she moved them, the bodies reacting more to her will than any code or stricture.
He spoke a bit about how it worked in his world, but thinking back to that time always unnerved him, like it would come looking for him if he spoke of it. Only time would tell if the spell he'd devised had worked to anchor his soul. Luna watched him carefully, noting his discomfort.
“I feel the same way sometimes, you know,” she said, after a lull in their conversation. Seeker met her gaze, lowering one eyebrow and arching the other. She waved a hoof dismissively,
“The way you feel when you talk about your dimension. I feel that way sometimes when I talk about the moon.” He could see it now, the slight hint of fear as she remembered.
“When I think back to my banishment,” tears welled in her aquamarine eyes, “or the fight with my sister...” a sob escaped her, and she brought a hoof to her mouth.
“I'm sorry,” she said, wiping the tears away with her forehoof. Seeker placed a hoof on hers,
“Tell me about it,” he said. For a long moment she stared at him, debating.
“Please?” Finally, she opened up. A trickle at first, as she described how it all began, but soon the words poured out in a rush. Tears flowed freely as she depicted her sense of hurt and betrayal, feeling like she was always living in Celestia's shadow as ponies glorified the day and slept through her night.
When she described the fight between her and Celestia, she broke down in sobs, and Seeker wrapped his forehooves around her as she wept into his mane. As she calmed, she continued talking, her voice vibrating against his neck. She spoke of the pain, both physical and emotional, of the elements tearing her from the world, and imprisoning her in the moon.
“Many seem to think I waited and wept,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper, “but in reality I spent most of my time training. I was still consumed by the Nightmare, and I hungered for vengeance. But,” another sob shook through her,
“there were times where I would regain control. Where the reality of what I'd done, and all that I'd lost came through to me. In those moments, I did cry. I even tried, once, to... end it.” Seeker's own tears trailed down his face. He'd been doing well so far, but this...
“The pain was excruciating, and the Nightmare took over with such fury and vengeance that I was unable to regain control for a century. I never tried that again.” Her speech drifted off, and they sat like that for a long while, listening to each other's breathing.
“I'm glad it didn't work.” he whispered after a time. Luna leaned her head back, looking into his eyes. For a moment, they shared the joy of having somepony who understood their pain. Luna placed her head back on his shoulder, nuzzling against his neck.
“So am I...” she breathed.
It was almost three in the afternoon when Luna awoke, lying on the reclined chair beside Secret Seeker. She rose and stretched, working out the kinks from sleeping on the awkward furniture. With a smile, she leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on the unicorn's cheek, careful not to wake him.
“Thank you,” she whispered, “I needed that.” Seeker slept on until the early evening, a smile on his face.