Lunar Epilogue 8:
She was not alone.
She could feel It's presence, and for once It had come to Her.
She had seized It from the shifting void, clung to It as It had resisted her grasp.
The tendrils of darkness clinging to Her struggling to keep them apart.
She would not let It go, screaming in excitement, despite the joyful agony.
It burned, as the void was struck with a singular light.
The inklike tendrils retreating in the sudden luster of brilliance.
It pained Her to gaze upon the light, as the tendrils slowly drained away, like inky water falling away.
As She was pulled from the darkness.
It lurched forward, It's orb like polish almost slipping from Her hooves, yet she managed to hug it tighter.
As it dragged her closer to the light.
The darkness fading away, until all was consumed by the incandescence.
Even Her...
But She didn't care.
She was finally free.
The first breath of life was the hardest, it caused pain. As She began to acclimate to her newfound existence. The noise was deafening in it's silence, as she lay on the cold smooth platform beneath her. She ran a hoof curiously over it's rough polish, and then discovered that she in fact had hooves. She screamed with terrified jubilation, as She had struggled to stand, to cower or run. To simply do anything, as she flailed about like a newborn calf. Before collapsing exhausted to the hard smooth floor. Staring up into a sky full of lights, mixed with the brighter darkness. A mockery of her abyssal home, but at least comforting to her weary gaze. As she fixed her eyes upon the largest orb that hung in the night sky. Of which shone it's pure white hue mercilessly in return. It was a curiosity to her, and despite the pain in her gaze, she found it's glow soothing. Perhaps even, beautiful.
She tried to stand again, struggling to fully rise, before suddenly feeling weightless. As gravity vanished altogether. Confusion struck Her, as she began to float away like an untethered balloon. She flailed her forehooves reaching for something, anything. Before being rocketed into the sky. Rolling in all manner of directions, spiraling in chaotic control, as she cried out in newfound terror. Another brilliant flash, and She was gone.
She opened her eyes, to find herself seated at a large round table. Finely set with cups with slowly steaming contents. She stared down to find a cup set before her own seat, and she studied it curiously. Delicately nudging it with her hoof, trying to figure out how to pick up such a strangely shaped object.
"More tea Angel bunny?" The voice surprised, Her as she cast her eyes around the table of stuffed animals. Before finding Her hostess. A merry pale yellow pegasi, who proceeded to pour more liquid from a pot into a cup settled in front of a bunny doll. One of it's black button eyes popped out of place comically, and the pegasi hastily set down the teapot to catch the button.
"Oh my..." The pony muttered, before placing the eye back to the bunny's face. Where it magically stuck. Satisfied the pegasi cheerily went back to serving tea to any other empty cups.
"More tea?-" A loud gasping scream caught in the pony's throat, as she turned to find her recently added guest. Hooves clutching the teapot tightly, as the pegasi's mouth opened and closed in soundless gapes. Like a fish out of water, finding it hard to breath. Finally managing to stutter,
"N-n-nightm-m-mare... M-moon?...."
The silence to follow was breathtaking, as She glanced nervously about, wondering what could possibly have struck fear into the poor pegasus. She clasped her cup in both hooves, and lifted it to her lips. Taking an awkward slurp from it, before meeting the stone faced shock of the pony. Wide eyed like a deer caught in headlights, her gaze had never left Her.
Realization dawned on Her, as She fumbled to lower the teacup. Bumbling desperately as it bounced aloft for a moment, before clattering to the plate and spilling across the table.
The pegasi jumped away, like being struck by lightning, as she cowered away from Her. She glanced about at the stuffed animals, nervously curious as to why She had caused such a visceral reaction. Despite being lost in the foreign world around Her. She should've been the one cowering, not this pegasus pony.
She was about to apologize for spilling the tea, when an uproar exploded from her right. She jumped in fear, as the teddy-bear warped and bubbled, growing larger in size. Before swiping a paw at Her. She ducked in exclamation, as She fell backwards in her chair. Rolling across the floor away from the immediate danger. Retreating to the wall, as the hulking form of plushie pudge continued it's approach. The pegasi was cowering behind the table at this point, eyes closed in fear. As the bear defended it's mistress.
She glanced around Her looking for any path to flee, as the stuffed animal came bearing down. She ran for what looked like a door, screaming all the way. Fumbling for a way to open it, but nothing She tried worked. This seemed to have caught the yellow pegasus by surprise, as she was cautiously watching from her hiding spot. As the bear wrapped Her in it's arms, despite Her outcries of dismay, and flailing attempts to free herself. Before finally submitting to Her defeat, weighed down by the massive bulk of a crushing cushion of fluff.
Her screams for help muffled under it's overbearing mass. Until it lifted Her in it's clutches, and carried Her back to the table, to a now. Slightly curiously inquisitive caring pegasi. She was sat back in Her seat, while the pegasi righted the teacup in front of Her. From where She'd spilled it, and proceeded to fill it halfway with freshly steaming contents.
"More tea, miss *ahem*.... Nightmare Moon?" The uncertainty in the question implied more than just asking if She wanted more than half the cup filled.
"Uuuuh, s-sure..." She replied hesitantly, shifting in Her seat. As the pegasi filled the cup completely, with slightly wavering hooves. The question started to boil in Her mind, however. As She watched the tea being poured.
"W-who is 'Nightmare Moon?" As She spoke Her mind, the pouring stopped, as the pegasi studied Her for any sign of fake ignorance. Yet seemed to find genuine innocence in Her inquiry.
"Uhhhhmmm," The pegasus seemed as if she wasn't sure how to respond. Glancing about awkwardly, but eventually settled for answering with her own inquiry. "Are you not her?"
She didn't know how to respond. She didn't know whether or not She was this 'Nightmare Moon.' What if She was? Judging by the panicked reaction from the Pegasus earlier, perhaps it wouldn't be a good thing. Concern wrote itself in Her face, as She stared downward at the cup of tea. Searching for answers that didn't come.
"Well, if you're not Nightmare Moon, then... W-who are you?" The pegasi eventually asked.
"Uh..." Her mind was trying to think of anything to answer, moving at a hundred miles a minute. Deciding to try to make an answer, if She couldn't remember it. "S-s-spang..."
"Spang?" The pegasus' eyebrow rose in curiosity.
She wanted to facehoof herself for Her stupidity, for blurting out random nonsense. What had She been thinking? But She didn't want to correct herself and look stupid. Or worse, suspicious for not having a name. So, She doubled down, and went along with it.
"Yeah, Spang..... Shortened for 'Spang...-le Bright'.... I'm just a little nervous, sorry...." She apologized, running a blackened hoof through Her wavy blue mane.
"Right...... Spangle Bright..." Her hostess replied, a bit uncertain it seemed, over the authenticity of the name. But shrugged it off, and proceeded to pick up her own cup and saucer to enjoy the tea.
"Well, my name is Fluttershy, and it's nice to meet you Spang" Fluttershy replied cheerful once more. Taking a sip of the still steaming tea.
"Uh, yeah.... Nice of you to... uhm.... the tea?" Spang replied trying to pick up her own cup with clumsy mimicry of Fluttershy's effortless motions. Glancing about nervously to have found the teddy-bear had returned to it's original size. Seated at her right, as if nothing had ever happened. No longer a nightmare. Everything was peaceful as it should be.
Lost in the world of Dreams.