"Okay, I'm not moving, I promise I won't move," you say nervously to your mystery captor. Pain radiates through your ribs and shoulder as he - or by the sounds of it, she - continues to rest a foot or hoof on your back. Unfortunately, your words of surrender have the opposite effect you were hoping, the pressure on your back increasing. You can't really look around at all with your head turned to one side, eyes relegated to a close up view of the wall.
"We have company," the being above you shouts down the hall. Soon, a flurry of hooves upon the cobblestone floor echoes through the hall, getting ever louder as whoever it is comes closer. They seem to slow down as this second guest approaches, before stopping mere feet away, by what you can tell. An audible gasp follows almost at once.
"Cadance, let him go," shouts the familiar voice of Celestia, causing you to breathe a sigh of relief. Sure enough, the hoof in your back quickly disappears, allowing you the chance to finally get a decent inhale of air without pain. As you try to compose yourself, you are pulled to your feet gently, a golden glow surrounding your body. It radiates off of you, leading to the horn of Celestia, who stands before. Her face is a mixture of shock and concern as you finally feel well enough to speak.
"What a way to make an entrance, thanks," you joke quietly. But Celestia doesn't laugh, nor does her expression change.
"What are you doing here?" she inquires, before shaking her head. "I mean, how are you even here? And how did you find your way down here?"
"The hospital staff said I was well enough to leave," you lie, doubting the princess will believe you. Her skeptical expression confirms it, but you continue onward. "Car was fine too, so I decided I had to make my way here. One of the guards told me how to get down here, and then I got jumped by..." Turning around, you face this 'Cadance' whom which Celestia referred.
Yet another alicorn is present in this world apparently, this one being a light shade of pink. Her mane remains static like Twilight's, though her mane curls at the ends, with contrasting shades of magenta, lavender and cream. She stands roughly as tall as Luna, and she seems quite embarrassed as you look her over.
"I'm - I'm sorry, I didn't know if you were friend or foe," she apologizes. "Though now that I stop and think, you must be Anonymous, the one the royal sister told me about. You fit the description."
"The one and only," you announce with a cocky smile. But you quickly drop the facade and put a hand out, Cadance likewise meeting your offered handshake with a lending of her hoof. "No hard feelings, I should have probably knocked before coming down here."
"You should not be down here at all," Celestia scolds, making you turn back around to face her. Cadance meanwhile joins your side, rather than being left out of the circle, but remains silent as Celestia continues. "My sister and I are trying to find something - anything that can help Twilight break free of Chrysalis's influence, and thus far, we have not been successful. I think you should -"
"I want to see them," you interrupt, taking Celestia by surprise. "Luna and Twilight I mean. Please."
Celestia sighs and shakes her head disapprovingly. "While I think it better you return to the castle proper and get some rest, I will not stop you. Follow me if you must," she replies forlornly. At that, she turns away, slowly walking back down the hall from which she originally came. Despite her reservations, you follow the princess, with Cadance right beside you. As you go along, cells begin to appear to your right, at this point empty. By the looks of it, the barred prisons have not been used in quite some time, dusty and littered with cobwebs.
Now that you have time to think, you vaguely remember Luna referring to Cadance by name once, in a brief mention of another princess in the world. But by the tone of her voice, she did not seem to be very thrilled, so you had not asked further questions.
"I'd like to say it's nice to meet you, but the circumstances kinda put a damper on that," you say quietly, trying to break the silence. Out of the corner of your eye, Cadance relaxes just a bit, some of the awkward tension in the air dissipating.
"Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you. The royal sisters have mentioned you quite a bit, Princess Luna in particular. I gather you two have a close relationship," she replies, sounding a bit more upbeat.
"Yeah, we're pretty close," you respond hesitantly. If only she knew how much of a mess Luna and you had going between each other. It's easier to just agree with Cadance than try to explain the story right now, but it may be a short-lived reprieve from reality. Depending on Luna's reaction to seeing you, Cadance may be in for a rude awakening.
It is a short walk before Celestia turns a corner, and as you and Cadance do so, there is Luna. She is rested upon her haunches, facing towards a prison cell. In front of her, she levitates a rather hefty leather-bound book, flipped open and obscuring much of her face as she focuses in on the contents. From what you can see of her, Luna is an absolute mess, her mane and tail frizzled and unkempt, much of their ethereal properties having died down as they lay almost completely static.
As her sister approaches, Luna finally pulls her gaze away from the tome she is buried in, and it's quite clear she has had no sleep in quite some time. Her eyes are bleary, with heavy bags underneath them. All liveliness is gone from them, as if sheer willpower and determination are the only things keeping her awake.
"Sister, memory restoration is a dead end, I'm afraid," Luna sighs. As she turns to focus on Celestia, her eyes are instead drawn straight to you. They open wide in surprise for just a moment, before piercing through you, her face twisted into an ugly scowl.
"Why is he here?" she demands, catching everyone but you by surprise.
"Hello to you, too," you reply back, with an edge of sarcasm cutting right back. It does nothing for her dour mood, while Celestia and Cadance exchange concerned glances with each other.
"I did not ask for you to speak," she shoots back, venom in her voice. Even this catches you off-guard, your voice getting caught in your throat as you attempt to respond. "Sister, why is he out of the hospital?" she asks, turning her focus to Celestia.
"I.... he came here on his own, Luna," Celestia stutters, looking quite uncomfortable with her sister's attitude. "I think you need to get some rest, Luna, you've been down here fo-"
"I'm fine," Luna cuts her off. "I just did not expect to see the one that caused this whole mess down here." as she speaks her eyes once again shoot daggers through you.
"I may have screwed up, but that's not fair and you know it," you shoot back, frustrated over her vile tone. Eager to see your other friend's condition, you stride over to where Luna sits, ignoring her as she recoils back a bit in response to your presence.
In the dim light the cell is afforded, your eyes take a moment to fully adjust. Sure enough, Twilight lays towards the back of the cell, not on the bed provided, but upon a pile of straw. She turns to look at you, noticing another set of eyes. But her eyes, to your horror, are dull and lifeless. She only stares back blankly, before closing her eyes and lowering her head to rest.
"Now do you understand why I told you let my sister and I take care of Chrysalis? Look at what you've managed to do to Twilight," Luna scolds. You turn to her, getting the full experience of her disapproval. Her disgust only seems magnified by the lack of sleep evident from her appearance, making you feel as if this is not even Luna at all. At least, not the one you know.
"Sister, that's not fair to Anonymous to say such a thing," Celestia responds in a motherly tone. Luna's ire shifts over to her sister, as you take the chance to back up a few steps. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Cadence looking on,
visibly uncomfortable with the bickering.
"You may not approve dear sister, but it is true. I specifically told him to not interfere, and yet here we are," Luna snaps. Celestia's own somber face begins to show some impatience at this point, but her sister continues to lay it on thick. "Here we are, with almost no hope of restoring your student to normal. The one hope we have is the changeling queen, and we aren't even sure if she will ever awaken again, because nopony has a clue what she managed to do to Twilight. So yes, this is on Anonymous."
"Because you've never done any wrong, right?" you shout back, frustrated by the public shaming. " I'm not even referring to the obvious one, I'm talking about all the other crap you've done since I've been here. You managed to screw up a spell that set a lot of this in motion, you've lied to me time and time again. And I think there's something else you haven't divulged. Or perhaps, more fitting, that I haven't figured out yet."
All at once, Luna's mane abruptly comes to life, the flowing colors practically awash in a gust of hurricane winds as she storms over to you, her jaw clenched tight.
"You dare to talk to me that way? After all I have done for you? I feel as if I am talking to somepony else right now, and not the Anonymous I know," she growls. You only fold your arms, not backing down from her intimidating pose. Silently, you ponder that her anger about Twilight is more of a facade for Celestia, and has more to do with your defense of Nightmare earlier.
"What's that supposed to mean Luna? I feel like you have some deeper meaning behind that," you taunt. Luna rears up, pressing her face up to yours.
"You know what I mean, I don't have to say it," she hisses all but confirming your suspicions. But without warning, Luna is yanked backward, much to her own surprise. You see now with some distance her whole body is bathed in a golden glow, emanating from her sister's horn.
"That is enough," Celestia shouts, her own temper simmering, the first time you have seen that happen. She spins Luna around and sits her next to you with authority, before you as well as her are pulled toward the sun princess. She stares down at the two of you, the shame from her gaze almost palpable.
"I don't know what has gotten into the two of you, but this is hardly the time for bickering," Celestia scolds, shaking her head. "We are all tired, nopony wanted this to happen. But this is the situation we find ourselves in, and if there is any chance of saving Twilight, we need to stand together. Blame has hardly any importance at this point, or at any point for that matter."
"With all due respect sister, you do not understand all that is going on at this point, it goes beyond just Twilight," Luna grumbles, shooting you a glare.
"Luna, with all due respect, shut up," Celestia snaps back, catching the whole room by surprise with her blunt response. In an instant, Luna stops her protests, perhaps in more shock than you or Cadance.
"I want you both to go upstairs and get some rest. Luna, you have been up for well over a day," Celestia continues, before turning her bright pink eyes to you. "Anonymous, you should still be in the hospital, but I suppose since you came this far, I will allow you to stay here. I'll send a message to the nurses on station so they are not searching the countryside for an escaped patient. I will be up tending to Twilight, so you may use my bed if you so desire."
"Thank you," you say, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the offer. Then again, it's a lot better than trying to share a room with Luna after tonight's blowup.
"Tia, I am not tired. I will continue to work with Twilight," Luna argues. But Celestia stands firm as her gaze hardens.
"Luna, I am not asking you to get some sleep. I am telling you - as your older sister - you need to get some rest. No buts about it," she responds. Luna's ears drop, clearly embarrassed by Celestia as she shies away from making further comments. Unceremoniously, the solar princess releases the two of you from her magic, and under her watching eyes, you and Luna shuffle back down the hall.
Most of the walk is silent, with Luna leading and you in tow just a few feet behind. After all, what is there to say at this point?
But once the two of you get back to the castle proper, Luna finally breaks the stalemate.
"How did you manage to get here? And how did you find out about the dungeon entrance?" she asks, a certain tone in her voice making it obvious to you she already knows the answers.
"Got here with the car," you answer with a short reply, before giving the second response some thought. However, you decide there's no real way around it. "Found the dungeon because a little birdie told me about it."
"A little birdie that is black and has the tongue of a snake, I would assume," she replies, irritated. "Why am I not surprised you continue down this troublesome path?"
"Honestly? She saved my ass here when there was a changeling masquerading as you, I think I owe her the benefit of the doubt," you respond, quickening your pace until you are beside Luna. She does not meet your eyes.
"Talked you into confronting the changeling queen as well? Yes, that was intelligent," she replies, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"No, that was my own stupid decision. I at least will own up to my mistakes," you say. At this point, Luna tenses up, finally meeting your gaze with a cold, frightening glare. Maybe that comment was best left you yourself.
"What is that supposed to mean, Anonymous?" she asks, her voice oddly flat and calm.
You don't answer her, two things stopping you from continuing the argument. First of all, you sense Nightmare Moon listening in, and silently reminding you of the promise to keep what she had divulged to you a secret.
But second, and perhaps most importantly, your head clears for the first time since arriving. You did not head all this way to fight with Luna. You love her, why would you try to hurt her? What the hell is wrong with you? The emotions of the disaster at hand have gotten you so twisted up and backwards by now you're doing the exact opposite of what this trip was meant to accomplish.
By now, both of you have reached the private bedrooms of the princesses, Luna's room lying directly across the hall from her elder sister's. Luna is still staring at you expectantly, having been silent since asking for clarification of your previous statement.
"Luna, I don't want to do this. I didn't sneak out of the hospital and drive half the night to argue," you sigh. I came all the way here to try to make amends. I didn't want all this to happen, I just plain screwed up. Nightmare hasn't convinced me to do anything, it's all on me, Luna. I know you don't like me defending her, but she is trying to change."
Luna is caught off-guard by your sudden change in attitude but quickly affirms her judging stare. "While I appreciate your apology, it changes nothing that has happened. Until we can resolve Twilight's issues, I will not accept your apology, Quite frankly, I do not believe I can trust somepony that is willing to listen to a word of what Equestria's greatest evil has to say. Or perhaps worse, try to defend her."
"Luna, please," you beg, your heart sinking as she turns away from you and heads into her room.
"Goodnight, Anonymous," she replies dismissively, not bothering to look back. She closes the door behind her with a resounding thump.
You don't know how long you just stand there in front of her door, staring. There's no sense trying to knock, you decide, but you just can't force yourself to turn away. But eventually, you do pull yourself away, and head into Celestia's room.
Much like her younger sister's room, Celestia has her room catered to her liking, this room being a stark contrast to the deep, dark hues of Luna's personal quarters. Most of the room is a warm shade of cream, with vibrant accents scattered throughout, not unlike her own mane. It is definitely a more welcoming atmosphere, though perhaps a bit too vibrant for your personal tastes, especially for a bedroom.
It doesn't really matter to you at this point, shuffling over wordlessly to the bed and falling back upon it, forgetting your injuries momentarily. However, they do not hesitate to remind you of your idiocy, a fresh wave of pain shooting through your shoulder. Fortunately - or perhaps, unfortunately - the physical pain dissipates, leaving you with just the emotional turmoil festering inside.
"I had a feeling tonight was not going to go as well as you had hoped," come's Nightmare Moon's voice. You turn your head to the side to find the black mare laying on the bed beside you. You end up doing a double take, realizing she lacks the helmet and chest-plate she normally possesses. Oddly enough, her hair is quite similar to Luna's now that you can see it. With the tight fit of her headpiece, you assumed she would have a rather bald appearance.
"What?" she asks impatiently. It dawns on you that you have been staring at her silently for some time now.
"I'm not used to.... this. What happened to the normal crap you wear?" you ask, feeling awkward as hell.
"Well, I said I am trying to adapt and change my attitude, I figured maybe that would help my cause? I don't know, is it that big of a deal?" she replies. Clearly, she finds the extra attention uncomfortable, as with a flash her armor is once again adorning her form.
"I didn't say it was unwelcome, I just wasn't expecting it," you tell her. Finally, you peel your eyes away from Nightmare and stare up at the ceiling, not waiting for a response back.
Time passes as you just lay in silence, not really focusing on anything in the room. You still sense Nightmare Moon beside you, but she has said nothing either. What is there to say, honestly? It was a mistake coming all the way out here, it would have been better to give Luna some time away from you rather than talking to her tonight.
Yet here you are, and even worse, you're still speaking to the one pony Luna despises the most. But you're beginning to think Luna has other reasons for wanting you to avoid her. Yes, the main reason is obvious, but there just seems to be something under the surface bubbling up. Or, could it be Nightmare Moon influencing you? Maybe her recent actions and change of heart are a charade. Either path ahead is unclear, and by now your head is spinning. The choice a toss-up at this point in time. Nightmare Moon has a history, but Luna has also proven herself to be a pathological liar recently. Perhaps you can't trust either of them?
With that though, you feel a pain that seems to emanate from your very soul. Or perhaps from Nightmare Moon, as she disappears without another word. It's hard to say, nor does it matter, with as miserable as this night has been. You kick your shoes off onto the floor and rotate your body, laying on the bed proper. Eager to escape reality, you close your eyes and try to relax, but still find yourself desperate for one last try.
With a final attempt for the night, you probe through the link you and Luna share. Just as you reach out to her, a sensation akin to a door slamming in your face greets you. Rolling over, you bury your head in a pillow and wait for sleep to take you away.