//------------------------------// // C // Story: The Lesbian: One Hundred Nights // by Undome Tinwe //------------------------------// "May I open my eyes yet?" "Patience, my love. Good things shall come, in time." "Unlike some, I do not have centuries to spend waiting." "Only a few moments more... there. Now you may open them." "You know, you could have simply teleported me wherever this surprise is, instead of teleporting me part of the way and then making me walk across this... cave?" "See for yourself." Sappho's vision took a few moments to adjust to the dim light around her, but when it did, a gasp escaped from her lips at the sight before her. Indeed, they were standing in a vast cavern, with jagged rocky walls surrounding them that glistened in the light of the moon that filtered in from a small hole in the ceiling. Infinitely complex protrusions of crystal captured and redistributed the illumination to cover the whole area, aided by the light from a single lantern hanging by a pier. A pier that led out to a gentle river the flowed through the centre of the cave, its waters as dark as Styx itself. To Sappho's amazement, two small trees grew in a patch of grass next to the river, their boughs intertwined in a beautiful embrace as they basked in the moonlight directly overhead them. It was a scene out of a story, and capped off perfectly by the small wooden table filled with fruits and grains and other foods. "I decided to take some inspiration from the tales you told me," Luna said proudly as she led Sappho to the table. "This cave was used as a secret entrance and exit to Canterlot in times of old, and I kept it maintained as a retreat for myself. With a little work, I managed to create a scene that I think will please you well." "The river Styx," Sappho whispered, recognition dawning in her mind. "The lantern of Hero and Leander. The twin trees of Philemon and Baucis." Looking down at the table, she smiled. "And of course, Hades luring Persephone into his realm." Sappho picked up a pomegranate seed from the table placed it in her mouth, showing off each slow movement of her body for Luna as she did so. Luna sucked in a quick breath at the sight, to Sappho's delight. "I hoped you would appreciate it," she said as they both took their seats. "It's beautiful," Sappho replied simply. "Almost as beautiful as you." They shared a quick kiss, Sappho revelling in the fact that she could be intimate with Luna any time she wanted without judgement. "So, what is the occasion?" she asked. "I do not recall any feast-days falling around this time." "Do I need an excuse to dazzle my beloved?" Luna's playful smirk lit up her whole face, and Sappho could have stared at her lover all night and been satisfied without ever taking a bite of her meal. "Though, there is one milestone we might celebrate. Today is the hundredth day since you arrived here in Equestria, and graced me with your presence." "Has it?" Sappho tried to remember the day she arrived, but her accounting of time had never been the best. "In truth, the days have flown by so quickly, and yet it feels like I have known you for a lifetime." "Those are my sentiments as well," Luna replied. "My life has changed so quickly since your arrival that I can scarce believe the sort of pony I was not four months prior. Before that fateful meeting in the gardens, I was a bitter, jealous sister who had neglected my duties to stew in the gloom of my loneliness." Eyes of night blue glimmered in gratitude as Luna continued to speak. "And now? The world is brighter than I have even seen it, and not just because you wear that pendant still around your neck." Instinctively, Sappho reached for the object in question. She had grown accustomed to its presence, and now felt bereft of a part of herself when she was parted from it for too long unless Luna was beside her to shower her with mischievous and titillating attentions. "I was a shackled woman," Sappho said in response, her heart warming as she and Luna shared a gaze filled with so much love that Aphrodite would have envied them. "The Muses had left me barren of wit, and I could not write a single word with passion. I thought I was fated to spend my days with a man I could not love, to bear children and waste away in a pale imitation of life. "But then I was blessed by the gods themselves, and by some power beyond mortal reckoning was I brought here to this realm of Harmony and Love. Since then, I have been inflamed by passion, and each night, I have found the wisdom and wit to compose a new poem to this wonderful, amazing, divine world." Sappho reached out to stroke Luna's coat. "And I have found love. My heart soars as it never has before, and I have heard music worthy of the gods themselves. I never thought I would be worthy of the affections of a goddess, yet here I stand before you, as Psyche did before Eros, in this stygian cavern. And, as Persephone to Hades, I wish to be with you always, no matter what forces might seek to drive us apart." To seal that oath, she ate another pomegranate seed, and saw Luna do the same. The princess then picked up a goblet of wine, raising it into the air. "A toast, then," she said, "to making one's own choices, and to freedom from the shackles of Fate." "To freedom." With the toast finished, the pair dug into their meals, the conversation flowing seamlessly into discussions of the day's news. Luna spoke of the addition of Cross Stitch's tapestry from the Mistmane Festival to the Palace in Everfree, and Sappho expressed her excitement at visiting the capital city of Equestria. Clean Sweep was pregnant with her second foal, which led to a discussion about expanding the now centuries-old nursery to deal with the increased staff population. It was delightfully mundane, and at the end of the meal, Sappho found herself lured into a blissful stupor. "The kitchen has outdone itself this time," she commented as she finished off the last of the grains in her bowl. "I feel as if I have drunk ambrosia and eaten at the tables of Mount Olympus itself." A sheepish smile crossed Luna's muzzle. "I tried my hoof at cooking for tonight, but within five minutes Glaze Roast had forcefully seized control of his domain back. And when they heard why I had wished to make you a meal by hoof this night, they were all too happy to use the best of everything they had in the cellars." "Oh, so there is a special occasion tonight!" "Indeed." Luna stood up and walked around the table, determination evident in every step of her trot. "Sappho of Lesbos, in the many centuries that I have walked this land, I have never met a being as worthy of love as you. Your wisdom pierced through the veil of my loneliness, a feat not even mine immortal sister could achieve. Each night, my spirit stirs in excitement at the prospect of listening to your wit and verse. "You are a boon companion, one whom I can share my hopes and fears with in total confidence. I walk the World of Dreams each night, and yet your imagination enthrals me as you spin your tales. Your kindness is an example to us all, and your beauty is without peer." Sappho's heart pounded as her lover approached closer, the previous hesitation in her eyes disappearing and being replaced with a fierce fire. "Luna?" she whispered, a faint suspicion giving rise to a bud of hope within her heart. Luna's horn glowed, and a moment later a small box appeared from the aether. "There is no one else I wish to walk the path of Life besides. You have already promised me an Eternity of love, Sappho of Lesbos." The box opened, revealing the glittering sapphire ring inside. "Will you do me the honour of standing beside me as my wife?" Sappho's heart bloomed with joy. "Yes," she whispered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Yes, I will. Oh, Luna, how I love thee." They embraced, and neither human nor pony needed to speak, for they knew in their hearts the depths of their love for one another. And now, all the world would know that Sappho of Lesbos belonged to Princess Luna of Equestria, body, mind, and soul. "My most sincere congratulations!" Luna and Sappho both stiffened as a loud male voice echoed within the cavern. They quickly disengaged and turned around wildly to seek the source, Luna's horn already lit up and danger radiating from her entire body. "Show yourself!" she ordered, every inch a wroth Princess of Equestria. "I will not suffer a spy within my domain!" "Oh, Luna, is that any way to address an old friend?" Luna's eyes widened as footsteps sounded out from behind them. Sappho turned around and saw a massive centaur — easily twice her height — trotting towards them. Power and malevolence infused every step, and despite standing next to the Princess of the Night, Sappho felt fear chill her spine. "Tirek," Luna hissed, stepping in front of Sappho. "I knew they wouldn't have gone through all the trouble of breaking into Tartarus for some lesser monsters. So you're the one who has been raiding the frontier towns?" "It is not my way to hide in the shadows, but after you banished me to Tartarus I had to regain my power before I took my vengeance." Tirek's horns lit up with a sickly red glow. "We were going to use this tunnel to stage our surprise assault on the city, but now that you've so carelessly delivered yourself into my hooves, I think I'll simply take your power and use it to crush your sister while you watch." His cruel eyes shifted over from Luna to Sappho, who had to draw every ounce of strength from Luna that she could to remain standing and not run away. "And I suppose I shall have to deal with your fiancée as well." Genuine curiosity seemed to flash across his expression. "In all my time on this world, I have never seen a creature such as you. I look forward to discovering what kind of power you hold that allowed you to seduce the Princess of the Night when I drain it from your soul." "You shall not touch her!" Sappho had seen demonstrations of Luna's magical prowess before, but nothing compared to the bolt of pure moonlight that she now fired from her horn, straight at Tirek's heart. Tirek raised a shield of magic to defend himself, and Luna took the opportunity to charge him, leaping into the air with a combination of her Earth Pony and Pegasus traits. In response, Tirek raised a fist to strike her, and the battle between the Titans of Equestria began. As physical might and ethereal magic clashed within the walls of stone, Sappho began to slowly back away, not wanting to draw the attention of either. This was a battle of beings far beyond her mortal self, and she had to trust that her Goddess of the Night would prevail as her champion. Unfortunately, Luna was being beaten back by Tirek's repeated assault, which drove her closer towards Sappho. A stray bolt of red fire caught her in the side, causing her to stagger. "This will be much easier for you if you give in now," Tirek said as he approached the flagging mare, flames wreathed around his right fist. "You are only making things worse for yourself and your lover. Or do you wish for her to watch you meet the fate she shall soon meet?" "You shall not touch her!" Darkness swirled around Luna, blotting out most of what little light illuminated the cavern. A dread chill coursed down Sappho's spine as tendrils of inky blackness seeped into Luna's coat, darkening it. Her eyes closed as fangs grew from her muzzle, sharp and ready to rend flesh from bone. Luna opened her eyes, and Sappho reeled in terror at the slitted, inhuman gaze of her goddess. There was no love in those eyes, only darkness and anger, and some base part of Sappho's mind gibbered away in horror, pleading with her to run from this monster that had once been her fiancée. Even Tirek seemed taken aback, surprise flitting across his expression before he schooled it back into a haughty mask. "You parlour tricks will not impress me, Luna," he said. "I am made of sterner stuff than your subjects." Luna laughed, and it was awful. "Oh, Tirek," she purred, her voice layering on it itself in an alien fashion. "You cannot even begin to imagine the power I wield." Her horn glowed, and black lightning struck Tirek square in the chest, cutting through his shield like a sword through papyrus. Tirek grunted and backed away, firing his own salvo of magic in response. This time, when the fight was re-engaged, it was savage. Luna was a creature drawn from the worst nightmares of ponies, biting and slashing and creating abominable magical constructs that defied sanity to aid in her fight, shadows and Chaos twisting and writhing against Tirek's onslaught. The air turned cold, and Sappho felt as if she was suffocating. Truly, she had been right. A mortal such as her could not even stand in the presence of such horror for too long. Fortunately, the dark powers Luna had called upon was turning the tide of battle, and hesitation appeared to be cracking through Tirek's cocky exterior as he was driven further and further back. After one particularly vicious exchange of lightning blasts, Tirek and Luna both staggered back, panting with exertion. "You are stronger than I remembered, Luna," Tirek said between breaths. "It has been many centuries since we last fought," Luna replied haughtily, black magic still seeping out from her frame. "If you surrender now, I shall make your death quick and mostly painless." "How generous of you." Tirek scoffed. "Still, you forget that I possess knowledge of the most advanced unicorn spells, and the power to cast them. For example..." His horn glowed once again, and Luna's stance shifted in response. But instead of an attack, Tirek vanished from sight. Sappho had less than a second to realize that he had teleported before his dread voice sounded out from behind her. "Short-range teleportation is most useful when one needs leverage in a fight." Sappho had no way to stop Tirek from grabbing her from behind with his massive arms. He lifted her roughly into the air despite her kicking and shouting and held her in front of his chest, forcing her to stare ahead as Luna's eyes widened. "Now, shall we discuss the terms of your surrender?" The darkness fled from Luna, shadows dissolving into the aether as her coat regained its blue tint. She gazed at Sappho with normal, terrified eyes. "You fiend!" she snarled at Triek, her voice also returning to normal as she stomped angrily against the ground. "Release her! She has no part in this fight." "Oh, Luna," Tirek chided, "you are still so naive. You made her a part of this conflict when you made her your lover, and now she shall have to pay the price for your perfidy." His grip on Sappho tightened, making it difficult for her to breathe. "Of course, if you but gave me what I desired, I would have no need to harm your beloved." Tirek extended a hand towards Luna. "Submit to have your magic drained by me, and I shall release the human." Hesitation and anguish flashed in Luna's eyes. Terror coursed through Sappho as resignation slowly dawned on her lover's features, and she knew what choice the Princess of the Night was going to make. The passionate and irrational nature that Sappho so loved in her was going to lead to the downfall of Equestria, and there was no doubt in Sappho's mind that Luna would make the trade. That could not come to pass. Sappho would not be used as a weapon against her beloved. Tirek appeared to believe that she possessed some great power. She could use that false assumption against him. Her mind quickly sifted through options until she found one that could work, and before she could truly contemplate the consequences of her actions, she cried out to Luna. "Don't do it! He cannot harm me while I still have my magic!" That confused Luna long enough to prevent her from taking any rash action. At the same time, a cruel smile twisted Tirek's lips. "Oh? Well, I suppose I should deal with that first, then." Realization dawned in Luna's eyes as Tirek opened his mouth. "No!" she cried out, horror etched onto her expression. "She lies! She has no magic for you to take!" Tirek's eyes narrowed. "I can taste the power that emanates from her," he said. "It is weaker than I thought, but once I strip it away from her, you shall have no choice but to submit to me." As Tirek's jaw widened, Sappho felt something being ripped from her soul. It didn't physically hurt, but an immense sense of loss that threatened to drown her in darkness clawed at her mind as a silver light drained out from her body. The world began to grow hazy and indistinct around Sappho, like she was trapped in a dream that was fading away. Her last sight before Equestria vanished from her senses was of Luna's sorrowful expression as she desperately galloped over towards her, shouting her name in a voice that was carried away by some arcane wind. Sappho could only mouth a silent "I love you" before she was spirited away in a violent storm of magic and colour. When the world reassembled itself, Sappho found herself lying on a cold stone floor. As the edge of battle wore off from her mind, tears began to form in her eyes. She had done what was necessary to save her love. Luna would have sacrificed her magic and her life for Sappho, and Sappho could not have allowed that. She had no doubts that, without her presence as a distraction, Luna would triumph over Tirek, and safeguard her realm from his threat. She would continue to serve as Equestria's Princess and Guardian. But she would have to do it alone. "I'm sorry," Sappho whispered between choking sobs. "I'm so sorry, Luna. I promised you the rest of my life, but it seems I could not escape the clutches of Fate." She looked around and found that she was lying in the same temple of Artemis that she had last stood in, before her life had been transformed. The statue of the goddess stood imposing over her, its cold, stone face harsh and uncaring. Beside her, the alicorn statue that looked so much like Luna also stared ahead with dead eyes. A bitter laugh escaped her as her memories sliced her heart to pieces. What a fool she was to expect her story to end in anything but tragedy! Mortals were not meant to stand beside gods, and Sappho would now pay the price for her hubris. "Sappho? By the gods, is that you?" Sappho looked up towards the source of the familiar voice, and found Charaxus running towards her. It was a sight she'd longed for these past three months, but in this moment, she could only take comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone. She embraced her brother, crying freely into his tunic. "Oh, Charaxus," she sobbed, "I know not how I can continue." "Shh," he whispered, patting her gently on her back. "All shall be well. You are home now." Home. This was not her home, not anymore. She had chosen Equestria, chosen Luna even as it had ripped her heart in half and yet mended it whole. Sappho cried harder, and silently thanked Charaxus for allowing her to do so without interruption. Finally, when the sharp anguish had faded to a dull ache in her heart, and she felt as if she could stand again, she broke away from her brother, wiping the tears from her eyes. "How long have I been gone?" she asked. "And how did you know where to find me?" "It has been over three months, since you were taken from us," Charaxus said. "There was a storm of divine fire around this temple then, and when we saw another one forming today, we came here hoping for the best." He smiled at her, and the smile pierced her heart with anguish. "We thought you lost forever, sister, but it seems the gods have smiled upon us today. Where were you? Erigyius said he saw you sucked into some other realm." Sappho thought back to the imposing peaks of Mount Canter, and of the shining jewel of a city that sat near its top. "Mount Olympus," she said simply, for that was what it must have been. "The gods took an interest in my poetry." Also true. Luna and Celestia had both delighted in her verses. Her brother grinned. "Truly? You must have some grand stories to tell, then. Will you be returning to the heavens?" At that, Sappho's tears returned. "I cannot," she whispered. "The Fates have decreed that I shall not return." She fingered the pendant around her neck. "I have but this token from them as remembrance." A sympathetic look crossed Charaxus' face. "I cannot imagine what it must be like to return here after living on Mount Olympus," he said, "but we shall endeavour to remind you that this is your home." He placed an arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him, drawing on his strength. "Thank you, brother," she said, though her heart was still elsewhere with a beautiful and wondrous Princess of the Night. Charaxus simply nodded. "Are you prepared to leave this place?" he asked. "There is a crowd outside that will wish to hear your story." "I cannot stay here forever." Sappho began walking towards the exit. "Let us go." As Charaxus had said, most of the city seemed to be waiting outside for her. Her father and other brothers held off the crowds while she told her tale. She spoke of the mountain that reached to the Heavens, and of the magical creatures that lived there. The griffons, the dragons, the children of Pegasus. She spoke of divine power being used to summon food and drink and riches at will, and of the two goddesses who had been her patrons. Some details had to be changed, of course. Luna became Artemis and Celestia donned Apollo's name, and mentions of speaking creatures as more than oddities were purged, but the core of her narrative, about her finding a place in this magical realm, stayed the same. There were some who doubted her story, but as the moon rose and her pendant began to glow with Luna's enchantment, they came to believe her. Sappho's mind raced as she spun her tale, making sure that it sounded true to her audience's ears. It was a blessed task that she had taken upon herself, for it kept her mind busy and unable to dwell on the magnitude of what she had lost this day. Long into the night did Sappho speak, until the crowds dispersed and returned to their homes to rest. Sappho endured the well-wishes and tearful reunions with her family as best she could, but breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she was allowed to go to her room to rest for the night. When she saw the writing materials someone had supplied for her on her desk, she wept once again, the sorrow of being untimely ripped away from Luna slicing her heart to pieces. She knew that Luna would not want her to mourn, would want her to move on and to find happiness once again, but she could not see a way out of the darkness. Her light — her Moon — was gone, sacrificed in a desperate attempt to save her true love. A lifetime of loneliness and loss awaited her now, and Sappho would have to learn to be strong without Luna. But first, she needed to make sure that this realm knew how wonderful her Princess of the Night was. Sappho picked up the quill, and began to write once again the words that flowed out from her shattered heart. I loved thee, Luna, in the long ago, When the great oleanders were in flower In the broad herded meadows full of moon. And we would often at the rise of dawn Wander together by the silver stream, When the soft grass-heads were all wet with dew, And purple-misted in the dawning light. And joy I knew and sorrow at thy voice, And the superb magnificence of love,— The loneliness that saddens solitude, And the sweet speech that makes it durable,— The bitter longing and the keen desire, The sweet companionship through quiet days In the slow ample beauty of the world, And the unutterable glad release Within the temple of the holy night. O Luna, how I loved thee long ago In that fair perished summer on the mountains!