The yelling was so sharp, so sudden, that Luna very nearly had a heart attack right then and there.
“I’M ANGRY BECAUSE -”
“What are you yelling about!?” Luna demanded, her voice a sharp stage whisper. “You’re - you’ll - yelling!!”
“I’m lettin’ my feelings out.” Joe said briskly, rolling onto his side, then onto his back, all four legs in the air, as casual as can be. “It’s good to let feelings out, now and again.”
“But yelling? Yelling isn’t - appropriate, yelling isn’t -” Luna sputtered, ears flicking back and forth as she tried to get a good look at him - which was difficult, when he was upside down.
“What is more appropriate? Where else are you gonna yell, but out here in the middle of nowheres?” Joe asked, folding his forelegs neatly on his chest as he looked up at her. “No one’s gonna hear us. It’s you, and me, and the river. And maybe some crickets, but they won’t tell.”
“Yelling isn’t - it’s not - the Nightmare -”
“Where is more appropriate for this?” Joe asked, and this time his expression was less jaunty and devil-may-care. “No one’s gonna hear us. No one’s gonna say it’s not ‘appropriate’ for a princess. And no one’s gonna see the Nightmare if she comes out, just you and me. And I won’t let it get that far.” A beat. “Promise.”
Luna frowned down at him, even if he was upside-down, and did her best to stare him down. When his expression didn’t change, she broke the stare, ears flat against her tangled, mussed mane.
“You said you trusted me, Loo. I trust you, too. If you’ll let me, I want to help.” Joe added, his voice softer and gentler this time, despite the way it rumbled in his chest. “Cuz you’re my friend.”
Luna continued to glare at the grass, for one, two, three minutes, and Joe figured she was just coming up with a way to tell him off. When she eventually flopped down on the grass, he didn’t protest, or voice any of the surprise that was clear on his face. Instead, he said, “Okay. So - ya just yell why yer mad, up at the sky. Real simple. I’ll start.” He cleared his throat, and began to yell to the distant stars. “I’m mad because those colts were supposed to be my friends, and instead they called me names!”
Luna listened to his yelling, and when she didn’t respond, Joe whispered to her again. “Okay, yer turn.”
She took a deep breath - then released it. But she tried again, and this time, she answered him in a loud, booming voice: “I’M MAD BECAUSE MY SISTER TOOK OVER MY ROYAL DUTIES.”
“That’s good, that’s good!” Joe praised her, clearing his throat before he gave it another stab. “I’m mad because I never asked to be scarred up, it’s not fair!”
“I’m mad because my sister wants to marry me off to some blueblooded jerk, for no reason! It’s not fair!”
“It really burns my biscuits when ponies think I’m dumb, just because I’m fat!”
“I’m mad because everyone’s afraid of me!”
“I’m gonna kick the next guy who makes a fat-donut-maker joke!”
“I’m mad because I never asked to have the Nightmare happen! It’s not fair!”
“It’s not fair that Mom and Dad don’t approve of my donut shop!”
“It’s not fair that I was banished! I never wanted the Nightmare to take over!”
“It’s not fair that I’m still stuck wearing this shirt!”
“It’s not fair that everypony acts like the Nightmare was my fault! If someone would have just listened to me - and now no one listens to me, not at all - and I feel so alone and it’s not! fair!” Luna screeched, tears rolling down her cheeks, kicking her legs at the sky.
Joe fell quiet, and for a moment, Luna wondered why; then, she realized that her breath was heaving, and she was full-on sobbing now. She hadn’t noticed it until the shouting had died down, she supposed, because she was so caught up in the words that kept spilling from her mouth, unbidden. She opened her mouth to say something to Joe, something intelligent and controlled, and instead all that came out was a shuddering, drawn-out sob.
“I know.” Joe murmured, scooting over to her until his side pressed against hers, offering her his comforting bulk to press against and hide her face in. “I know.” he repeated, resting his chin against her hair, listening to the princess cry.
Luna hid her face in his tan shoulder for a long, long time, even after the tears had stopped. She lay there, and while Joe worked on weaving the mats, she took full stock of herself.
Her throat hurt; that was the screaming, she supposed.
Her eyes hurt; but so did her head, and her nose. That was the tears, it always hurt after she cried - how had she forgotten that?
Her legs ached, but that was to be expected, after surviving a Kelpie attack.
But there was one thing that she didn’t notice, one thing that hadn’t happened: she hadn’t become the Nightmare. She hadn’t taken over when Luna lost control. Luna had been completely at her mercy, screaming and crying to the sky, her every emotion running wild - and nothing had happened. She was still herself, still Luna. Shaken up, but wholly, utterly herself.
When she opened her eyes, red-rimmed with tears, the stars had been blocked out; the mat-tent that Joe was weaving was nearly finished, shielding them from the sky’s seeking rays. But Joe remained beside her, even as he twisted and magicked the tent poles into the ground, straining to see from where he laid on his back.
“Joe, you can get up now. I’m sorry I made you stay.” Luna sniffed, rubbing her nose with the back of her hoof - most unladylike. Good thing she wasn’t a princess anymore.
“You didn’t make me do nothin’ - friend, not servant, remember Loo?” Joe smiled, pulling himself to his hooves with a grunt.
“I remember.” she murmured, a wan smile curling her lips. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” Joe smiled, and gave an elegant little nod. “Now, this is about done, but we’re gonna have an issue with the beddin’ situation. I was only able to fit one bedroll into the saddlebags, so that means you’ll be sleepin’ with that, and I got a woven mat I’m gonna finish up for me.” he explained, digging in the pouch for the bedding, pulling it out with a grunt of effort. “So yer gonna need ta -”
“I don’t want to have a bed, if you don’t have one.” Luna interrupted him quietly, giving her eyes another rub as she received the bedding, pulling herself into a sitting position.
“You gonna fight me on this?” Joe asked, lifting one dubious, forceful, manly eyebrow at her.
“To the death.”
“Ladies melt like buttercream frosting when I give them this look. You still wanna fight?” Joe asked, waggling both eyebrows at her now, eyes slitted and very, very roguish.
“I am royalty. We do not melt so easily.” Luna said firmly, pushing the bedroll back towards him.
“Alright, I was afraid of this.” Joe sighed, bringing up one hoof to rub the base of his horn in frustration. “Okay, here’s an idea: we unzip the bedroll, and we both sleep on grass mats, with the blanket thrown over us. We don’t have to get close or nothin’, just close enough to share.”
Luna considered it, then gave a small nod of agreement. “Sounds fair to me.” But instead of unzipping the bedroll, she pulled herself to her hooves, and began to tug stalks of grass from the earth around their camp.
“What’re you doin’?”
“If there’s grass on the top of our hut, it might look more like a hill. I am camouflaging it.”
Joe watched her for a moment, considering it, then gave a small, impressed nod. “You know, you’re actually really good at this wilderness-survival stuff.”
“It was how we camouflaged our troops during the Great War.” she murmured as she worked, tucking sprays of grass into the woven covering.
“The Great...? Oh, right. A thousand years ago.” Joe nodded, brows lifting as he watched her.
“There is a lot you do not know about me.” Luna replied, finally returning to lie under the covering with him, folding herself up on her mat. It was itchy, but it kept her from rolling in the dirt, at least.
“Are you implyin’ I’m as shallow as a puddle, or somethin’? I’ll have you know, Loo, that I am a veritable stallion of mystery.” Joe huffed, and when she chuckled, he threw the remainder of the bedroll over her head. “Go to sleep, yer Royal Rudeness.”
“Good night, Joe.” Luna murmured, smiling at him from under their shared blanket.
“Good night, Loo.” Joe grinned back, resettling himself before he left his eyes slip shut, drifting off to sleep.