Luna sighed as she trudged through the dark, cold woods of yet another world. She didn’t even know why she was still trying. Of the last three worlds, only one had compatible life, and the ponies were all self-consumed, focused solely on personal comfort in their separate, isolated homes. If she had been searching for a peaceful place to retire, it would have been perfect, but in her search…
Luna let out another sigh as she walked forward. It had been well over a century since her search for a lover had begun. Initially, she had thought it would be quite simple. Sure, Celestia had taken one of the best eligible bachelorettes, but young Twilight had brought dozens of powerful, interesting ponies into the spotlight, one of which Luna was certain she could find a connection with.
That had unfortunately proved false. Not a single stallion or mare in Ponyville had clicked with her, and they had put in a great deal of effort. She had gained dozens of goods friends in the process, had helped her reputation of rigidity fade into oblivion, but she had not found the one thing she wanted.
At the time though, she had brushed it off with a smile of absolute confidence.
“Bah,” she had said. “The world is wide, and I am not the kind of pony that says no to foreign courters! My love waits out there, I can feel it. Beyond Equestria I shall travel, until I can return with a marvelous lover in my wings. You shall all see!”
And she had left with the best wishes from her sister and all of her friends, new and old. With a map from Twilight, Luna had traveled the world, seeing new places and revisiting old haunts, and despite the wonderful experiences, and joys she shared, she had still not found her lover. As soon as she had returned to Equestria she had sought out the help of her niece, the Princess of Love, asking the pink alicorn to scan her heart and mind for love.
“Have I gone mad?” she asked. “Is this some new form of jealousy of my sister?”
“No,” Cadence replied with her ever kind smile. “Reading emotions is a complex thing Auntie, and while I can detect a bit of envy in your heart, I do not detect jealousy. You’re genuinely happy for Auntie Celestia, and you genuinely have a true love, they’re just….”
She frowned with a look of confusion, then poured magic into her horn. Luna waited nervously for what seemed like an eternity as Cadence scanned her heart, but after a while, the pink alicorn let out a long sigh and powered down her horn.
“They’re far away Auntie,” Cadence said. “Like, really far. Maybe not even on this world far.”
“But they do exist?”
Luna knew she sounded like a desperate mad pony, searching for some hidden city of gold, but just the thought of a true love, waiting for her, even if they were hidden amongst the stars, was so tantalizing that she had to know. Luckily, Cadence’s reply boosted her flagging morale.
“Yes,” she said, meeting Luna’s eyes with every ounce of sympathy she could offer. “But they are far Auntie. It may take you centuries to find them, and while I know we alicorns have life spans in the millions of years, it may take you every second of that time to find this true love of yours.”
Luna snorted as she thought of the words she had said.
“Then I will use every second! Thank you, niece, but I have goodbyes to say and a bag to pack. You of all ponies know that love is all! I will not rest until I give every ounce of my heart to my true love!”
Then came the going away parties, and the tears, and the hugging. She had even made foolish promises to visit, to see old friends as they aged and faded. To check in.
Luna stopped and looked up at the canopy of stars above her head. The math took a minute, but if she was keeping track of her days properly, it had been approximately thirty-seven years since she had last been home, since she had last spoken to her friends. Twilight and Celestia had crafted a marvelous journal that let her write to them, but she was beginning to forget what they sounded like…
She looked back down to the darkness and sighed again. Her search for love had always brought her back to a single question; was it worth it? All of the friends that were gone, passed on to an afterlife she wouldn’t see for millennia uncountable. Equestria would be dust, as would whatever planet her sister and the other alicorns created, by the time she perished. It was the way of alicorns. It was why it was so dangerous to love, and why she questioned her search. But each time she returned she had Cadence scan her heart, and every time she said that her love was still waiting. After almost a century, it seemed to indicate that whoever it was, they were at least relatively long-lived, perhaps a dragon, or a draconequus.
Luna felt a slight touch of mirth at the thought of the more mature Discord. Due to the nature of chaos magic, he couldn’t reliably extend his life, and while he had made his chosen love into a draconequus, both he and Lady Fluttershy were beginning to age. Perhaps in another century or two he would be bearable to be around, perhaps even pleasant.
That was one thing Luna hoped she never had to find. Of all the variations of Discord she had met, not one had she liked, and she had tried. She prayed to the gods above that her love wasn’t one of his alternates. She didn’t believe she could bear it. But then again, with how long she had been alone…
“Weak,” Luna spat at her hooves. “A measly century alone and I am already so soft? What happened to the alicorn who survived on nothing but vengeance for a thousand years?”
The leaves crunching under her hooves gave no answer, nor did the slight breeze passing through the trees. Luna knew the answer already however, and she almost wished for her colder, hardier self-back, if only for a moment. Nightmare Moon would at least have the fire to drive away the melancholic mood she found herself in.
Luna snorted and straightened, moving forward with forced pride in her steps. She drew her mind away from her repeated failures, and instead focused on the adventures she had. The first world had been the most exciting, what with the dimension traveling being brand new. It had been a world lit only by the moon, ruled by her darker self. The guards that had found her in the woods had been so confused that she had been able to order them to take her to their princess.
She was only slightly surprised when she had found Queen Nightmare Moon sitting on a striking velvet throne, and the midnight mare only had the barest traces of surprise on her muzzle before she had burst out in laughter. Introductions had followed, but hadn’t lasted long, not when the queen heard of Luna’s quest. Nightmare Moon was nothing if not an opportunist, and she was more than skilled enough to sweep a blushing princess off her hooves. Luna smiled and had to hold back a purr at the thought of those beautiful nights spent with the queen. Oh, the times they had. They had lain together on more than one occasion, delighting in each other’s company, playing pranks and jokes on her subjects, eating whatever they wished, reading and relaxing.
Weeks had vanished under the weight of their fun, but it had only grown exponentially when Luna had begun telling stories of inventions that didn’t exist in the Nightmare’s realm. The lunar princess had quickly righted the wrong of course, and with the help of a few capable scientists and electricians she may or may not have kidnapped for a month or so, Nightmare Moon’s castle had been outfitted with electricity. True, the new technology was set to rocket her kingdom into the future, but more importantly, it had served to deepen their fun with one of Luna’s favorite past times; video games. There was but one problem with introducing her new lover to her favorite pastime…
“Useless fetid piece of minotaur shit!” Nightmare Moon shrieked as her character dropped to the ground.
Smoke rose from Nightmare Moon’s horn, and Luna had to suppress a giggle as the ‘You Died’ screen popped up. Nightmare dropped her control to the floor and turned away from the T.V.
“I care not for these games of yours. They do not function like reality. If I had my alicorn speed and agility, this so called “Asylum Demon” would be naught but dust.”
Luna chuckled openly.
“True, but where is the challenge in that? Have you never wanted to put your skills to the test Moony? Have you never wanted to see if your mind was sharper than your body?”
She slapped Nightmare’s flank with her wing, drawing a yelp from the midnight mare.
“Or are you really just a pretty face?”
Luna could see she had pressed just the right buttons, and Nightmare Moon scooped up the controller again. She narrowed her eyes, scrunched up her muzzle in that cute way she only did in private, and she leaned forward as she pressed the continue button.
“I am Queen,” she hissed. “My mind conquered kingdoms. I’ll show you.”
Luna reclined on her beanbag chair, unashamedly staring at Nightmare Moon’s flank.
“Oh please do,” she said, “I’ve always been one to enjoy a good show.”
Nightmare Moon may have had a small issue with rage quitting, but Luna couldn’t have cared less as she finally found a pony who could keep up with her day long game sessions. Nightmare Moon had been a fast learner too, occasionally turning the tables on Luna’s decades of gaming experience. Eventually, when their playing field had just about evened out, the raging stopped, and it had become a competition to decided how they “rested” together.
Luna felt a shudder pass through her lower half, running all the way to the tip of her muzzle. Her teeth brightened the night air as she smiled, letting out a long puff of fog into the air. Never ending night had seemed so sweet with Nightmare Moon, and she had thought she had finally found the pony she was looking for, and on the first new world no less!
But then the argument had started. It began with a question about the day-night cycle in a game; Fallout Equestria. The game had been a long time favorite of Luna’s, and since it had a party mode, she had introduced Nightmare Moon to it. Since the tutorial was in a vault, and then the first trip outside was during the nighttime, there had been no issues. Then as the cloudy day had brightened however…
Nightmare Moon’s brow furrowed as the screen brightened.
“What is this Lu?” she asked. “I thought you said this game was based more in reality, rather than pure fantasy, yet there is a bright light. Is that the sun?”
Luna snorted and flicked her muzzle with her tail.
“’Of course it is; it’s cause it’s daytime silly. Just like the intro said, the sky is clouded up by the pegasi, by the sun still rises.”
Nightmare’s muzzle curled in distaste.
“And who informed the creator of this game of the sun? Did some rebel cell manage to hide away forbidden knowledge?”
Luna stared at the screen for a moment, then rolled on her side to stare at her black furred counterpart with a slight frown.
“Moony, I know I told you that I didn’t succeed in overthrowing my sister. We ruled as equals upon my return, until we decided to pamper ourselves and retire, leaving our kingdom in the hooves of the newer alicorns.”
Nightmare Moon looked at her aghast.
“Nay, I did not know that. When did you tell me this?”
“At our first dinner,” Luna replied. “I had asked you the story of your world, and then…”
She frowned, then blushed.
“Oh my. It seems I misremembered our first meeting.”
Nightmare Moon huffed.
“Thanks for making me feel loved Luna. I’m glad you appreciated my affections.”
Luna’s gaze softened and met the larger alicorn’s eyes.
“Moony, you know that I love you. I just forgot is all.” She put on a smile and giggled in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Believe me, it’s because every night in bed is special that they’re beginning to blur into one long series of mind-melting-“
“This isn’t a time for jokes Luna!” Nightmare Moon spat, jumping to her hooves. “If I had known there was an entire world of ponies suffering under that tyrant’s sun, I would not have wasted so much time playing games!”
Luna recoiled.
“G-games?”
“That’s right,” Nightmare Moon growled. “Games. You speak of love, but you have no idea what the word means. How dare you abandon your ponies? How dare you run from your failure and cower here where I have created a paradise?”
Her magic ripped her control in half, and she threw the remains in a corner, drawing another flinch from Luna as Nightmare Moon towered over her.
“How do you defend yourself, Princess?” Nightmare hissed. “Do choose your worlds carefully, because it is only now that I realize that I was courting a snake, and unlike you, I have the strength to deal with snakes.”
Luna stared at her with tear filled eyes, then felt her heart harden as her own anger rose.
“How dare I abandon my ponies?” she growled, slowly rising to her feet. “That is bold talk coming from a tyrant who rules with fear and suffering.” She butted heads with Nightmare Moon. “I do not torment my servants. I do not routinely send out sorties of guards to terrorize MY villages. I am loved and respect, where you are reviled and feared.”
She spat at Nightmare’s hooves.
“I have nothing to defend Queen Moon, because my Equestria is the actual utopia. We are allies with all, our enemies are defeated for all time, and it is my Equestria that progresses into a golden age while you sit here in your medieval squalor.”
Nightmare Moon’s nostrils flared with rage.
“Do you think your trinkets make you better than me?”
Her horn sent a lightning bolt through the TV. The electrical current quickly rippled through Luna’s Ponystation, frying it instantly. The blue alicorn stared at the smoking remains of her one material love, then slowly looked up to Nightmare Moon with a look of cold fury.
“We are through,” she said quietly. “I am gathering my belongings and returning to the sister that loves me. Enjoy your kingdom of slaves Nightmare.”
And then she had turned around, ready to walk away with her head held high. Nightmare was not so easily left, however. Luna winced as she rubbed at the long scar that marred her face, running from her hairline to her muzzle, passing over one of her eyes. She had received it in the second hour of their battle, and as soon as she had, Nightmare had frozen. Luna had used the opportunity to flee in disgrace, teleporting back into her sister’s arms. She had ended destroying the meeting table for the annual Equus Summit, but with her body badly beaten and her face weeping blood, Celestia had shown no hesitation in sweeping her away to nurse her back to health personally. It had taken less than month, but when she had prepared to set out in search of her love again, she had kept the solitary scar. It would have been easy to restore her perfect beauty, but she had refused, instead deciding that she should bear the mark of her lost friend; the mare who she thought was her true love.
Luna froze as her hoof touched water, and she glanced down to find a small pond, its surface twinkling with starlight. Removing her now damp hoof, Luna took a seat, taking a blanket from her saddlebags to rest for a short time while she journeyed through her memories. While Nightmare Moon had been her first, there had been other ponies. One, creepily enough in hindsight, had been a variation of her sister.
Luna strolled casually through the strange city, its populace a mix of ponies and a monkey species she had learned were called humans. While they were highly advanced in technology with their fancy space travel and their laser weapons, they were fully magicless. What had truly surprised her when she had stumbled upon the tall white alicorn serving hot chocolate, was that so were the ponies.
“Number 13?” Sunny, as Luna would learn to call her, called out.
Luna trotted to the counter with a smile and tossed her hood back.
“I believe I am 13 madam.”
Sunny giggled and pushed her cup across the counter.
“Wow, so formal. Are you from Francia Minor?”
Luna didn’t let her confusion at the unknown location play out on her face.
“Nay, a smaller planet. You’ve likely never heard of it.”
Sunny scoffed.
“Please, I’m not just some coffee serving rube, I know stuff! Especially planets, so spill.”
Luna lit her horn and lifted the cup to her lips, taking a long sip before answering.
“Well, if you believe me or not, I’m actually not from this dimension. I am on a personal mission, and come from a place called…”
“Holy shit you have magic,” Sunny whispered, latching onto her horn with her hooves.
It took every ounce of Luna’s willpower not to moan. Her horn had always been sensitive, and with Sunny’s hooves stroking it, as well as her hot breath just inches away, she was quickly put on the edge of a very embarrassing situation. She cleared her throat and caught the mare’s eyes.
“Um, please release me,” Luna squeaked. “My horn is rather sensitive.”
Luna sighed dreamily. Ah, the first interaction with a new friend was always special, and Sunny, despite her lookalike status to Celestia, had been wonderful, and different in many ways, while also similar in other, comforting ways. Her dreamy thoughts turned down, however.
After their interaction at the coffee shop, and an explanation of why grabbing an alicorn’s horn was a bad idea, Sunny had insisted they return to her place once she was off her coffee serving duties. Luna had taken offer her scarf and saddlebags and lounged around the coffee shop, reading a science fiction novel she had picked up days earlier but hadn’t had the chance to read. She made it about half-way through the book before Sunny’s shift ended, and once the white alicorn had hung up her apron, they had set off into the city.
It didn’t take long for Luna to notice that their trip took them in the direction of slums, but Sunny had seemed rather cheery about it. She chattered about her interests in astronomy, something Luna had taken an instant liking to, and though she occasionally snuck in a question about Luna’s magic, Sunny had remained overall very relaxed about the other-dimensional traveler trotting with her. Luna couldn’t help herself; she was captivated.
Not captivated enough to avoid noticing that the apartment building they stopped at was particularly slummy. A pair of humans sat in dirty clothes with strange colorful patches on their arms, and a haunted look in their eyes, and it was here that Luna had her first real question for her new friend.
“Why do you live here? Is there not a place more habitable for one of your beauty?”
Sunny blushed and giggled.
“Oh you flatterer, I’m afraid this is all I can afford these days. I’m trying to pinch every penny I can to make sure my sister goes to a really good school so she can get off this rock.”
Her cheery demeanor didn’t diminish whatsoever as she led Luna into the dilapidated building. Opting to take the stairs, Luna cautiously lit her horn to be able to see. Sunny had again marveled at her magic, but had led the way up the dark staircase. Coming to a stop near the top, Sunny led her to a semi-clean door, which she unlocked with a wrought iron key.
The door swung open to one of the most pitiful dwellings Luna had ever seen. Easily a third of the size of her personal bedroom, Luna couldn’t hold back a look of shock at the tiny apartment. Sunny noticed and sighed slightly.
“Not exactly dreamy, but it works Luna,” she said. “Moon Moon and I are happy together here, and I make sure that it’s as clean as can be. Believe it or not, this would be the one room in the whole complex up to fire and safety code, if my books weren’t everywhere.”
Everywhere was an understatement. From floor to ceiling, in every available space were stacked tall piles of books, ranging from well-worn to brand new. There was little walking space, but Sunny weaved between the stacks, looking back to wave Luna along.
“Please, come in!” she said cheerily. “I’ll see if Moon Moon is still napping, then I’ll get us some grub!”
Luna closed the door behind her and simply stared around her. The ceiling was sagging slightly, and if there had been a carpet, it was nearly gone. The only hint she had that it had existed was a patch under a television. Compared to the T.V in the coffee shop, the one Sunny possessed was clearly ancient, looking far more like the lower quality models Equestrian electronic stores sold. In a realm with technology so prevalent, it meant Sunny’s T.V was positively archaic.
If the white alicorn cared, she didn’t show it as she carried a drowsy looking blue foal from another room. Sunny set the tiny creature down on the clean-ish couch, and smiled at Luna.
“Luna, meet my sister, Moon Moon!” she prodded the foal with the gentlest of taps. “Come on Moon Moon, wake up! We have a visitor!”
The tiny blue alicorn yawned broadly and blinked herself awake. Her eyes locked with Luna’s, and after a moment, the little alicorn’s wings began to buzz as she tried to achieve lift off. Luna saved her the effort and trotted over, sitting just before the couch.
“Hello little one,” she said.
Moon Moon giggled and managed to build up enough flight power to lift herself onto Luna’s head. Settling in the alicorn’s starry mane, she continued to giggle and proceeded to play with her hair. Sunny looked aghast, but Luna could only smile at the giggling filly.
“Tis alright friend,” she said. “If a foal is giggling, it is best to let them.”
‘Especially in a place as dreary as this,’ she thought, but left unsaid.
Sunny had then offered food, which Luna had countered with an offer to pay her for, but the white alicorn had scoffed away the notion.
“I have enough bits to spare for a guest,” she said, “especially one who gets along with Moon Moon so well.”
Luna had let the alicorn keep her pride for the moment, and at Sunny’s insistence, had settled on the couch, turning on the T.V to fill the apartment with further noise. Luckily, even with the T.V’s lack of quality, the programs were such that could be found anywhere, and Moon Moon had enough vocal skills to tell Luna to turn to ‘Pwony Show!’
‘Pwony show’ ended being a children’s show featuring a trio of ponies who went on epic adventures in space. The violence was very much toned down, and the dialogue wouldn’t win any awards, but Luna found it enjoyable enough, while Moon Moon was positively ecstatic. She nested in Luna’s mane and watched the T.V with wide eyes, absorbing as much as she could.
Dinner had been a simple fare of leafy greens, after which Sunny had put Moon Moon to bed. Minor protest was offered, stomped out quickly by a wide yawn. With her sister put to rest, Sunny had settled with Luna on the couch, something the blue alicorn had enjoyed greatly. Sunny was every bit as warm as her lookalike, and they had fallen asleep together.
The following days had been a blur. The next morning Luna had told Sunny of the purpose of her journey, and the white alicorn had wished her well in her quest before rushing off to work. The only problem was, Luna was fairly certain she was right where she needed to be.
The first day had been spent looking for odd jobs, some way to earn enough money to save Sunny from her squalor. When she had found little, she had returned to the coffee shop, where Sunny had been excited to see her. The previous night had repeated, with Luna again trying to fund her meals. Sunny had again refused, but when she went to use the bathroom, Luna had snuck in a low value credit chip in the mare’s purse. It would go unnoticed, and she would at best think she had miscounted her money. When Sunny had settled in with her on the couch again, Luna knew she would get away with it.
The second day Luna had tried again to find jobs, and had again failed. She quickly began to understand the situation of the ponies of the human worlds, but she didn’t let that stop her. She spent another night on the couch with Sunny, this time slipping a low value credit into the mare’s key bowl. The third day, Luna decided to do some research. Luckily, access to libraries was free, so she spent the day searching out tomes and combing through them for answer. The picture became clearer when she sifted through several history books. The humans were world conquerors, and without magic, the dimensions ponies had wisely joined the confederation the humans had at the time. Their oppressive rule didn’t last long however, and the confederation was replaced by the current regime; The Republic of United Worlds. It was here that she found true headway. The Republic had many aid programs for those in need, and while most were bloated with bureaucracy, Luna stuck gold when she found program targeted directly at special ponies; namely alicorns.
Luna copied down as much of the information as possible, then had managed to secure a flyer from the librarians. She raced to the coffee shop just in time to catch Sunny leaving for the day. The white alicorn had lit up at the sight of Luna, and she had given the blue alicorn quite a surprise. A hello kiss on the lips.
The action had left Luna sputtering in shock, something that didn’t go over well with Sunny. Strands of her mane had popped free of her ponytail, and she had danced in place in raw panic.
“Oh no, no, no, no!” she squealed. “I messed up! I’m so sorry, Luna, I thought you were trying to st-“
Luna used her centuries of romantic expertise to silence the white alicorn. Twirling her around, she pulled Sunny into a deep kiss, making sure she used plenty of tongue, just as she had been shown. She continued until her breath ran short, then she pulled away, leaving a strand of saliva between them, and a very flushed looking Sunny.
Recovering her wits, the white alicorn giggled madly and gently slapped Luna’s chest fluff.
“Wow, who knew I would get lucky with such a catch?”
They had returned to her apartment to celebrate their budding relationship, and her days work had been forgotten. They had a slightly classier dinner, leafy greens with some overripe cherry tomatoes, but with Sunny, it might as well have been ambrosia. Moon Moon had been allowed an extra hour of T.V before going to bed. That left Luna and Sunny alone, and they had gotten… intimate. Hours passed, and eventually they both fell asleep, exhausted, but well satisfied in each other’s arms.
Luna rubbed the tears away from her eyes. The good days hadn’t lasted, and all the love that had been developing, the happiness they had begun to build, it had all crumbled due to a single mistake. She had thought her ideas perfect to improve Sunny’s life, but she hadn’t done enough research. Beating herself up over the failure was in the past however, and she felt only the slightest tinge of pain as she lowered her head and closed her eyes to finish the memory.
Sunny cursed as she combed her mane.
“Shit, shit, shit! I can’t believe I slept through my alarm!”
Luna giggled and nuzzled the frazzled alicorn’s neck, taking the opportunity to nibble on her new lover.
“Relax dear, take the day off. I actually wanted to talk to you today anyway.”
Sunny gave her an exasperated look in the mirror.
“I’m sorry Luna, but I need to be at work. If I lose this job, we’ll lose everything, and then-“
She pushed past Luna and into the living area, where Moon Moon was watching T.V. Luna followed, positioning herself by the door as she levitated over her saddlebags.
“Sunny, please, take a moment to listen to me. You don’t need to slave away in a cramped coffee shop!”
The white alicorn paused in her frantic movements and stared at Luna.
“What do you mean? This is the only job on the entire planet I could find!”
Luna smiled and drew her research materials from her saddlebags.
“Please, sit. I did some research and have three options to over as improvement of your current situation.”
Sunny glanced toward her clock, then took a deep breath.
“Alright, but just know I’m missing out on breakfast to let you talk, and you’re going to need to put Moon Moon down for her nap.”
Luna clapped her hooves together.
“Excellent!”
She spread out all of her materials, as well as her large bag of credit chips.
“First, even if you just wanted time to consider your options, I have found myself with quite a bit of wealth from trading gold bits,” Luna said. “I don’t know how much fifty million chips is worth, but imagine it is quite a bit.”
Sunny sat carefully on the couch.
“And where did you get gold?” she asked. “It’s one of the rarest materials anywhere these days, next to titanium of course.”
Luna smiled at the white alicorn.
“Our currency in Equestria is made from pure gold, and recently we made trade agreements with the Dragon King. In exchange for Equestria’s gems, we got all the gold in their hordes, making it so that we have an overabundance. I brought three hundred bits with me in case of emergency, and in your world, gold is a premium!”
She waved a hoof.
“But that is trivial. I have money, and you are more than welcome to take it all should you choose.”
She finished laying out her materials and met Sunny’s eyes with a smile.
“My first solution finds all of this money moot, because I would like to offer you a unique opportunity. I can take you and Moon Moon with me back to Equestria, and there I can make sure you never have to work a day in your lives again! I may no longer be a Princess, but I still have plenty of funds.”
Her grin widened.
“And if you enjoyed last night, I can show you a truly good time on my bed. Moon Moon can be taught by the best scholars in Equestria, and you can both do anything you wish!”
Sunny’s eyes lit up.
“You have space travel? I could help build spaceships, could see the stars?”
Luna’s smile dipped slightly.
“Not… exactly. I control the stars in Equestria, and we are not nearly advanced enough to travel into the great unknown yet. Perhaps in time, and with your help….!”
Sunny frowned, then shook her head.
“I’m sorry Luna, but… I wouldn’t trade the best bed in reality for the opportunities Moon Moon and I can have here. Mom and Dad always encouraged my dream to see the stars up close, and I won’t let them down. Our only issue has ever been money and getting into the right places.”
Luna nodded in understanding.
“Of course, but that leads me to solution two!”
She pulled out the flyer about special programs for alicorns.
“In my research, I found these marvelous facilities that offer high pay for little effort! What I found wasn’t very specific, but the facilities sound wonderful! Four meals a day, exercise equipment, libraries that stretch miles, and you wouldn’t have to-“
“Get out.”
Luna froze and looked up from the flyer to find Sunny glaring hateful daggers at her. Luna blinked in surprise and set the flyer on the floor.
“W-what?” she stuttered. “Sunny, I was merely trying to offer solutions to your current situation.”
“Solutions?” Sunny spat. “Do you think I’m an idiot? Did you stupid fuckers really think that sending a robot that could do cool tricks would work?”
“Robot?” Luna echoed. “Sunny, I assure you that I am not a machine.”
“I don’t care what you are!” Sunny screamed. “I told you fucking monsters a hundred times that I wouldn’t go into your stupid labs, and I’m tired of you coming here!”
She scattered Luna’s papers with her hooves and shoved the blue alicorn, who fell back out of surprise.
“Did you really think you could bribe me?” Sunny shrieked. “’Oh, here you stupid animal, have some money, that’ll make all the torture better!’”
Luna’s ears flattened.
“T-torture? Sunny, please, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Sunny groaned at the ceiling.
“Oh that’s fucking rich. ‘You don’t know’. Sure, and I’m the president. Get out of my house ‘Luna’, if that’s your real name. I’d rather stay in this shitty apartment and my shitty job for the rest of my life than ever take your blood chips.”
She froze in thought, then her fur bristled.
“But you weren’t after me. You were after…”
Luna glanced at the alicorn filly lounging on the couch, who was seemingly oblivious to her sister’s rage. Luna looked back up to Sunny and shook her head.
“Please Sunny, I was just trying to help! Why would I offer to take you to Equestria if I wanted you to go these labs? Why would I offer you the credits without asking anything in return?”
Sunny slapped her, but Luna barely recognized the pain. All she could see were the tears of hurt flowing down Sunny’s face.
“Because you’re a lying stupid bitch who was told that the intelligent approach doesn’t work!” Sunny cried. “Because you had to worm your way into my heart with your perfect lies! You knew I’d say no to your fake offer, and then you bring up this shit? I won’t let you fool me like you fooled Mom and Dad!”
She shoved Luna to the door, then after nearly yanking the wooden portal from its hinges, she shoved the alicorn out, tossing out her saddlebags and her scarf after her.
“Never come here again!” Sunny cried. “And you stay the fuck away from the coffee shop!”
She slammed the door closed, leaving Luna in shock on the dirty carpet. It took her a few moments to collect her thoughts and get to her feet. She gathered her belongings in her magic, then just stared at the door. Moving forward with aching slowness, Luna gently rested her ear to the door. She heard nothing.
Luna felt tears streaming down her cheeks, but she did nothing to stop their fall. She lightly pawed at the doorknob to find it locked, and she vaguely remembered a window that had been blocked by books. No doubt Sunny had slipped away. Luna closed her eyes and rested her head on the door, crying quietly.
“Oh my Sunshine, how could I lose you so soon?”
Luna sniffled softly and wiped the tears from her eyes. She had tried to approach the mare again, but Sunny had ignored her completely, asking her to leave the coffee shop or be arrested. She had little else she could do then. She withdrew to a toy shop, selecting a few choice options from Moon Moon’s shows, and then she had returned to Sunny’s apartment building. She had turned into smoke and slipped into the apartment, glancing in only momentarily to ensure that Moon Moon was sleeping, then Luna had cleared a place on the kitchen counter. There she had left the gift of toys and her remaining credits, still numbering in the millions, as well as a simple note that read;
I’m sorry my sunshine. My only wish was that we had more time. I will cherish our nights together for all time.
-Luna
Then she had teleported away. She didn’t know if the mare would accept the money, but ultimately, it was out of her hooves. Luna had once again sought solace in her sister’s arms, and once again she had found it. Though she lacked new physical scars, the new emotional scars ran just as deep as those from her time with Nightmare. It had taken her months to get back on the road, but as she healed, she came to realize that loving Sunny could never have truly worked. She was a beautiful flame, but her world was so very different, and in time, the novelty of her magic abilities would have faded. Then she would have simply been left in the dust, and what then of her love?
Luna sighed and rose, putting her blanket back in her saddlebags. She had tried different methods after that, had tried remaining more aloof to prevent pain, but ultimately she had always failed to find love. Each dimension had new wonders, new places and peoples and experiences, but she had never found the one thing she had been looking for.
She was beginning to think the search fruitless. She imagined that Twilight would learn some lesson about how the journey was what mattered, but such a lesson rang hollow in her ears. Luna sighed and trotted forward in the dark.
“Maybe I should just settle back at home,” she muttered. “Tia would welcome me for certain. I wonder if she and Twilight would accept a three-way marriage?”
The idea was stupid, she knew that, but she had to use something to beat away the hopelessness she found consuming her heart. So many failed loves; pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies, alicorns, humans, dragons, everything. She had shared time with Celestias, Sombras, Discords, and every incarnation of the other Elements of Harmony. She had tried being a bad girl, she had tried being herself. She had tried quick intimacy, she had tried taking it slow, but with each failure she had gotten more and more disheartened, to a point that she knew she would always fail. She wasn’t immortal, nor was any alicorn, and she was wasting her long life on a pointless journey. A journey without end, without victory. The journey mattered, yes, but there had to be an end, had to be some reward.
Luna blinked as her horn thudded into a door. She backpedaled and looked up to find herself on the doorstep of a simple log cabin. A warm glow emanated from within, visible through a twin sent of frosted glass windows to either side of the door. Luna took a few steps back and looked the cabin up and down. There was no way it just appeared, she was careful, and always watchful, reminiscing or no. For some reason she couldn’t place a hoof on however, Luna felt like using her magic to try and scan the building would be cheating. A structure that defied her ability to see through normal methods of camouflage warranted investigating, especially given that it was the first building she had seen since coming to this new realm.
Luna walked around the perimeter of the cabin, sniffing the air occasionally. The only scent she could detect was a feint hint of lavender, but that was explained by the plants growing behind the cabin. A simply lovely bed of lavender grew in a small garden against the side of the house, and Luna paused to smell the flowers for a few precious moments.
Resuming her walk, Luna returned to the front of the cabin and tried to peek inside one of the windows. Unfortunately, she could see much aside from the fact that the cabin had only one room, and that a body of some kind was laying in front of a roaring fireplace. Without using magic, that was all she could tell.
Luna frowned softly as she moved back to the door. She could feel tension in the air, as if something significant was about to happen, but she had no idea what it was. Was this it? Had she, in her moment of desperation, been finally led right to her love? The forest had a lovely view of the night sky, and the natural sounds would be perfect for relaxing most days away with whomever was inside the cabin. As for the sparse dwelling, she was sure that she could add a small underground chamber for gaming or a library of some size. Something small enough to add space, without ruining the tranquility of the forest the mystery creature had set themselves up in.
Luna took a deep breath and made sure her saddlebags and her scarf were on straight and were free of dust. She then raised a hoof and knocked on the door.
Rather, she would have, had it not pushed inward on the first knock. Luna immediately took in the dwelling, noting some rather familiar violet carpets, and her favorite blue wall rugs. The form before the fire raised her head sleepily, and Luna blinked in shock as a pair of green, slitted eyes stared at her blearily.
“Nightmare?” Luna asked breathlessly.
The midnight colored alicorn rolled to her feet and she charged across the cabin.
“Luna!”
Luna stood frozen in place as the onyx alicorn hugged her tight. Tears streamed from Nightmare Moon’s eyes as she rocked Luna back and forth.
“Oh my beautiful moonbeam, how I’ve missed you.”
She pulled back from the hug with a wide smile on her face, but she quickly noticed the scar across Luna’s eye, and she let out a loud gasp.
“Moony, no! I did this, didn’t I?” Her horn charged up. “Don’t you worry a bit dear, I can fix this without effort. Just a bit of healing magic, and-“
Luna’s brain finally restarted, and she pushed Nightmare Moon away.
“Fix?” she spat. “You are correct in one thing Nightmare, and that is that you did do this to me, but I have always been capable of removing it!” She jabbed a hoof at the scar. “I kept this because I needed a reminder about how dangerous love can be when you know nothing about the pony who supposedly loves you back!”
Nightmare flinched, and her ears pinned to the sides of her head.
“Moony, please, I know I hurt you, but I’ve changed! Come in, rest by the fire! We can talk all about my many screwups and how I can repay you!”
“Repay?” Luna hissed. “So this is a transaction now? And what, did you really expect me to accept? I won’t give you another opportunity to attack me Nightmare.”
She took a step forward, her muzzle curled in a snarl.
“I’ll have you know that even a century later, my sister still helps to rule over a sunny Equestria. Last time I wasn’t clear enough on that point, and you decided to throw away months of companionship because of it. I will not welcome an early death so foolishly again.”
Nightmare sniffled.
“It’s not like that Moony, please don’t do this. I just want a chance to apologize for what I did. I want to tell you in detail how wrong I was, and I want to show you everything I’ve done to try and mend that mistake. I want to fix things between us.”
“There’s nothing to fix,” Luna spat. “I’m leaving. I don’t need to hear your explanations to know them as further lies.”
She turned and began to leave the cabin, then froze as her words touched her ears. Thoughts of Sunny, pulled to the forefront by her remembrance, sat clear as day in her mind. She hadn’t listened, hadn’t care about explanations. She had ignored what was plainly in front of her, all out of fear of past hurts. But Luna hadn’t been lying, had only been trying to do the right thing.
Her eyes looked to the cabin walls, noticing little specks of dirt and dust. Nightmare’s castle had been impeccably clean, had been manned by hundreds of ponies to keep it that way. This was no castle, was little more than a well-built shack. And Nightmare was completely alone, with few of her old comforts. Her furniture was sparse, and on a second glance, Luna realized that only the pieces she had always used were there. Her old rocking chair, her beanbags, her bookshelves, the mountain of pillows she insisted on being buried under when she slept in her ex-lover’s hooves. The bed was dressed in her favorite sheets, the floors covered in her favorite rugs. The only piece not hers was a simple T.V stand, sans T.V.
Then the sound of weeping reached her ears. Luna looked back to find Nightmare crying. Not once in all the months she had been with the mare had Luna ever seen her shed a single tear. Not once. This though, this was ugly crying. She was clearly doing her best to stay quiet for Luna’s sake, but fat tears rolled down Nightmare’s cheeks, and snot poured from her nose as she sobbed. It was the crying of somepony who was losing everything, who was given a chance for something more, but it had slipped through her hooves.
Luna’s heart couldn’t help but ache at the sight of the broken mare, and she closed her eyes to hide the image, but it stuck in her brain like a splinter. It was painful, impossible to remove without further pain, and if left to fester, would only grow worse.
“Why are you in a cabin?” she asked at a whisper.
Nightmare’s sniffle was thick as she tried to choke back her snot.
“W-What?”
“Why are you in a cabin?” Luna asked again, louder. “You have armies of servants, and you’ve never shied away from using ponies as slave labor. You have all of Equstria’s resources at your disposal. You could have a castle build anywhere in a day. Why are you in a tiny little cabin?”
Nightmare sniffled and rubbed at her muzzle as she looked toward the floor.
“Because I deserve to suffer and be alone. I deserve nothing better than this.”
Another tiny little splinter dug into Luna’s heart, and she took a step back into the cabin.
“And what does that mean?” she said, trying to sound angry. “You got mad at me and decided to take it out on your ponies by abandoning them?”
“I ABANDONED NOBODY!” Nightmare bellowed.
Her anger quickly melted away as she met Luna’s eyes. She drooped again and stared at the floor.
“I’m sorry for yelling,” she whispered. “But I didn’t abandon anypony. I gave it all back. You were right about me. I- I was an unloveable monster, a- and I didn’t know the first thing about making a paradise where ponies could actually be happy, a-and I gave it all away because I drove you away, and…”
Luna didn’t know when she moved, but she couldn’t help but feel more complete as she wrapped Nightmare in a hug. The onyx alicorn quivered, then began to softly cry as she leaned into Luna’s chest fluff. Luna closed her eyes and placed her muzzle in Nightmare’s starry mane, nuzzling her angel soft hair.
“Once you’ve calmed down, I’ll let you say your piece,” Luna whispered. “I can’t promise what will happen after that, but I will let you explain yourself, alright?”
Nightmare whimpered softly, but she nodded as Luna continued holding her. Luna used her magic to shut the cabin door, then lifted her saddlebags off. By the time she levitated a blanket over from the bed, Nightmare’s tears were coming slower, and the alicorn was beginning to compose herself. She sat up, and Luna let her out of her hugging hooves. Nightmare sniffled and wiped at her eyes as Luna placed the blanket around her shoulders.
“Better?”
Nightmare nodded.
“Much, thank you.”
Luna waited quietly for the mare to finish recovering her composure. She settled on the carpet, not bothering to wipe the drying tears from her fur. She had no doubt more tears would be shed before she left. Nightmare gave out one last sniffle and wiped the tears away from her eyes before looking up to Luna.
“Would you like anything to drink? I have a great deal to say, so this may take some time.”
“A cup of hot chocolate would be lovely,” Luna answered.
Nightmare smiled faintly and got to her hooves.
“Is it still a teaspoon of chilled milk, seven marshmallows, and a chocolate kiss?”
Luna nodded.
“You remembered,” she remarked.
“How could I forget?” Nightmare said as she levitated two cups from a cupboard. “You drank the same thing every morning just before we went to bed.”
“As did you; a simple chamomile to make you drowsy because you were always so full of energy, so ready to continue the day.”
They fell into another silence as Nightmare used her horn to boil a kettle of water. Luna could tell some of that energy was still there, could see it in the flicks of the onyx alicorn’s tail, the way she kept casting glances back at Luna, as if to check if she was still there. This was clearly something Nightmare had been looking forward to, but the real question that had suddenly popped into Luna’s mind was;
“How did I end up in your dimension again?”
“Pardon?” Nightmare asked, suddenly very focused on the stove.
Luna felt a small smile creep on to her lips. She knew that look. Nightmare always got it when she had just pulled a prank that she either thought Luna wouldn’t approve of, or one that was executed against Luna herself. The game was as old as they were, and Luna felt a bit warmer as she began to play her part.
“Well it’s just, there are a literal infinite number of universes,” Luna said, her eyes never leaving Nightmare’s back. “And the chances of me not only teleporting to the one where you existed twice, as well as near to your exact location, is well…. It’s a bit odd, don’t you think?”
Nightmare nodded jerkily.
“Yes. Very odd.”
Luna waited patiently in silence as a quiver ran from the tips of Nightmare’s hooves all the way to the tip of her horn. It was about when the quiver reached her withers that Luna knew that Nightmare would break. The alicorn let out a deep sigh and turned around, staring at the floor as her whole body drooped.
“That is my doing,” she said. “It was to be included in my telling, but you were always the smarter of us.” She kicked at the floorboards. “I have been tracking you since just after you left. It took some doing and some consolation with my sister, but I managed to create a spell that-“
“Your sister?” Luna asked. “But isn’t she-?”
“That was to be part of the story!” Nightmare bellowed.
Luna couldn’t help but jump at her sudden change in volume, and as soon as Nightmare noticed the reaction, she shrank back against the stove and tears entered her eyes again.
“I’m so sorry Luna. I- I’ve tried to s-stop yelling, but…”
Luna let a calm look settle on her muzzle.
“It’s fine Nightmare. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Nightmare nodded and turned back to the stove. Energy bled from her body as she stood, watching the water heat in silence. Luna stared into the fireplace until Nightmare cleared her throat, drawing Luna’s eyes. The black alicorn tried to put on a smile as she spoke.
“So, how has your search been going?”
Luna looked at her hooves. Another great question to keep the mood up. The real trouble was, she had no interest in lying to Nightmare.
“It’s been… adventurous,” she said.
“Ah.”
Luckily, the third silence was short as the kettle began to whistle. Nightmare poured the boiling water into two mugs, then mixed Luna’s hot chocolate first, giving extra time for the kiss to melt. She then fixed her tea, and, wrapping both in hot pads. Finally, she levitated them over to where Luna was seated, then took a seat opposite the blue alicorn.
They both sipped at their drinks, using minor cooling spells to chill them enough to be drinkable. Luna closed her eyes and let out a sigh as the hot chocolate warmed her belly. She reveled in the sensation, then, opening her eyes, she crossed her forehooves and met Nightmare’s eyes.
“So, you said you had a tale to tell?”
Nightmare nodded.
“It begins right after you… left.”
*****
Queen Nightmare Moon sat stony-faced on her throne. Her castle was in its normal pristine shape, with everything in its proper place. Not even a speck of dust, a mere molecule of rubble was off. It was how it used to be.
She hated it.
Her guards no longer smiled; her servants no longer gossiped. There were no rubber snakes, no childish whoopee cushions. There was no lavender scattered in hidden corners; no little messes left to be found days later, hidden shamefully. There wasn’t even a trace of joy, or happiness.
She hated it so very much.
It had been less than a day, her servants were experts after all, yet Nightmare Moon could feel nothing but hate. Her fur roiled with dark tendrils, the magic spitting angrily in stark contrast to the expression on her muzzle. There were no longer stars in her mane. They had been snuffed out; their careful maintenance ignored. Her blue armor was in a similar state. It still bore scratches and dents, had only been cleaned when the staff had passed through the throne room to sweep away the destruction.
Nightmare’s ear twitched as a faint pop reached it, and her stony expression vanished, as her voice tore through the castle.
“WHO DARES APPROACH ME?”
Nightmare’s horn lit, giving her the power to see through walls, to detect heartbeats, to hear even the insects draw breath. Whoever it was would pay, they would pay so dearly for interrupting her… anger. For interrupting her anger.
Another pop reached her ears, and with her enhanced hearing, Nightmare was easily able to track its location. Her eyes shot to the ceiling, and she bared her teeth as she readied to rip whatever fool dared enter her throne room asunder, but then…
The ceiling of her throne room had clearly been ignored by her servants. A massive crater bowed in the roof, but the structural supports had kept it aloft. What should have driven her to supernova levels of anger was ignored however, as she spotted a single flickering bulb. A light. She didn’t use lights, had continued insisting on the use of magical fire. But Luna…
Nightmare’s first instinct was to teleport to the bulb, to save its diminishing light, but she held back her magic. The slightest pulse could kill it. Instead, Nightmare unfurled her wings, and with gentle flaps, made her way to the ceiling. When the light flickered more at the air disturbance, Nightmare cast a reverse gravity spell on herself, followed by a feather-fall spell. She drifted upside down to the ceiling, ignoring her helmet as it slid from her head and plummeted to the ground with a clang.
Once she was standing on the ceiling, Nightmare lowered herself so that her eyes were at the bulb’s level. The little white electrical bulb flickered at her presence, and Nightmare merely watched, enraptured. It was all that was left. Everything else had been destroyed into non-function. Her little moonbeam, her perfect Luna with all of her joy giving toys, and all that was left was a single bulb.
She was hesitant to engage, but she had to try. If she could find a way to replicate the light, then maybe she could fill the empty void in her heart. She liked thinking, and discovering the wonders of electricity would be perfect to push her people into the future.
Nightmare reached a hoof out and gently prodded the lightbulb. As soon as her hoof tip touch it, it sputtered out. Nightmare’s eyes flicked to her treacherous hoof, the stealer of light, but quickly realized that she cared not for the light, cared not for any study of electricity. She cared for who had brought the light to her life.
The treacherous one was her, the terror that had driven away an angel, all out of jealousy and hate for a world she had never even seen. Jealousy and hate that had taken for her the one thing she found more precious than her crown, or even her night sky.
The scream of anguish that left her throat cracked the peak of Canterlot mountain, sending thousands of pounds of rock tumbling to the ground below. Nightmare Moon slammed into the ground, destroying the stone floor. She found her helmet first, crushed it with her bare hooves, then did the same to her cursed armor. Taking the equipment in her magic, she crushed it into a tight metal ball, then threw it at her throne. It was immediately chased by a blistering array of magic.
The tears in her eyes obscured her vision, and her aim was off. Her attack destroyed only the corner of the throne, leaving it largely intact. The wall behind her throne exploded, and her magic dissipated into the night as she collapsed into tears. Another failure. Nightmare Moon felt a crushing weight on her back, felt the breath leave her lungs as she sobbed.
It was almost accidental when her horn lit up again, but as her magic worked through the release spell, Nightmare knew what she so desperately wanted. A brilliant yellow light filled the night sky, and the first sunrise in over a decade painted Equestria orange. A ball of light descended before Moon’s weeping form, and she continued to sob as a white alicorn touched down at the base of her scorched throne.
Celestia’s eyes opened and she looked about, only to jolt as a jet-black form tackled her in a crushing pin. Her eyes flashed and she prepared to lash out, only to notice the tears soaking her fur, accompanied by loud sobs. Her sisterly instincts took over, and she gently stroke Nightmare’s back. The black alicorn hugged her tighter and cried out.
“I ruined everything! I had everything and I ruined it!”
“Shhh, it’s alright,” Celestia said. “Everything is going to be alright. Whatever has happened, we will get through it together, alright?”
Nightmare looked up and sniffled.
“Promise?”
Celestia smiled and returned the hug, embracing her sister fully.
“I promise.”
*****
Luna sat in open mouth shock. She stared at the alicorn, her eye twitching slightly as her scar shrank ever so slightly.
“You…”
Nightmare nodded, staring at her tea.
“Released my sister from her prison. Risked her using the Elements on me once more. Forfeited my crown and kingdom. Begged forgiveness and shamed myself repeatedly until pride didn’t exist as a word in my mind.”
She sighed and looked up.
“I missed… miss you terribly. I should never have said anything, should have accepted your sun-filled world for what it gifted me.” She let out a humorless chuckle. “You would think that I was intelligent enough to realize that I would never consider romance with myself, but you? You, who is another version of me full of life and love and happiness from the shared sky? You are perfection and I…” Her shoulders sagged. “I was too stupid to see it.”
“After that,” Nightmare continued, “Celestia spent what free time she had helping me to research spells that assisted me in tracking your magic. Once the other alicorn, Cadenza, was drawn from hiding, I passed her my royal duties, then fully devoted myself to my pet project.”
“Pet project?” Luna said, her tone low with mild irritation. “You gave everything away, and you still valued me no more than a passing fancy?”
Nightmare’s head snapped up.
“No! Nothing like that, I merely called it that because I had more than one! Look!”
She whipped around and tore a book from one of her cabinets. Luna found it shoved into her face almost instantly, and only once she overtook Nightmare’s aura was she able to put it back to a respectable reading distance. The black alicorn sat down, her tail flicking nervously.
“Please, read as much as you like, save for the last page. I would like that to remain secret for the moment.”
Luna nodded and began thumbing threw the notebook. She quickly realized that it was more akin to a therapy journal, even noticed several headings that were from therapists.
· Project 1: Anger Control
· Project 2: Greater Emotional Control
· Project 3: Government Reform
· Project 4: Reconnectiono Pet Project 1: Trackingo Pet Project 2: Anchoring
· Project 5: Relocation
· Pet Project 3: Preparing for The Talk
· Pet Project 4: SECRET!
Luna looked over the first few sections, noted many written in notes with little tactics she had already witnessed Nightmare use. She slowly closed the journal and passed it back to the onyx mare. Her mind was alight, and now small portion of her brain was ecstatic. So much growth, so much improvement. Surely they could… No. It… It wasn’t… It hurt her heart to speak her next words.
“It is good to see you taking steps to become better,” she said slowly, “but Nightmare… it isn’t enough. Bringing the sun back to your world is a great feat, and I applaud your new strength of character…” She sighed and met the alicorn’s eyes, saw the tears there. “But you didn’t do it for the right reason. You did it because you wanted somebody’s shoulder to cry on, you did it because you wanted me back. Despite the personal sacrifices you’ve made, you’ve done it all for the wrong reason. I’m sorry, but I am still leaving.”
Nightmare Moon withered.
“I know,” she whispered. Tears dropped into her tea, and she rubbed at her muzzle. “But,” she continued, looking up, “I was never tracking you down to win back your love. I know that I went too far to ever hope to have that again.”
She motioned to the cabin around her.
“Does this look like a home for two? Nay, it is but a hovel for one, one who was waiting your arrival. I just wanted the chance to apologize, and…” she sighed. “And you have granted me that. I thank you Princess Luna of Equestria. If you’d like, I can power your next jump. It’s the least I can do.”
Luna got slowly to her hooves, looking away from the black mare. Already her heart ached to embrace her, to lavish herself in that lovely, soft fur. She thought of forgiveness, racked her brain to remember all of the trials Twilight had suffered. She had taken the time to read the young alicorn’s book on friendship, but couldn’t remember if there was a limit to forgiveness. Nightmare had taken such great steps, and maybe if she stayed, she could help her be truly better! Who was she to talk of selfishness anyway? She had retired. She was equally as selfish, had done essentially the same thing in leaving Twilight her kingdom. The thought of staying, of trying to work their relationship out made her smile lightly, and unbeknownst to her, the scar on her eye faded slightly.
Luna felt her scarf around her neck, and blinked as she felt her saddlebags rest on her flanks. Nightmare trudged toward the door, her tail dragging behind her.
“Come Princess, I have already prepared a spell circle outside.”
She opened the door, squinting as a cool breeze carried snow into the shack. Nightmare chuckled dryly.
“Perhaps you can visit a sunny place next. Somewhere nice and warm.”
Her tail flicked, and she spoke as she stared into the snow.
“Do you remember that Celestia look-alike? Sunny I believe her name was? She took the money. Escaped that hovel, bought a small cargo ship, became a captain. She named it after you, The Magical Moon.” She smiled faintly. “Moon Moon became a novel writer. Her first story was about the mysterious pony from the stars.”
Before Nightmare could take a step over the threshold, Luna slammed the door shut with her magic. Nightmare blinked at the closed wooden portal and looked back to the blue alicorn, who smiled.
“Perhaps…” Luna started, “perhaps my words were in haste, and all the warmth I need is right here?”
Nightmare Moon cocked her head and turned around slowly.
“Luna… I apologize if I have guilted you in anyway, that was not my intention. You should leave, should find the love you have been promised.”
“I am tired of leaving,” Luna responded, “and I am just as complicit in the breakdown of our relationship as you are. You might have gotten the better of our duel, but I know I hurt you too.”
Nightmare frowned.
“Absolutely not, that was my fault, and mine alone, and if you insist on assigning yourself blame, I will insist that you l-“
“I have a proposal,” Luna interrupted.
Nightmare fell silent, looking the blue alicorn up and down. Luna watched as hope entered the black alicorn’s eyes; but it was cautious hope, one prepared for the worst.
“Go on,” Nightmare said with a nod.
Luna smiled.
“Like your journal, we shall operate in stages. I think the fundamental failure in our relationship is that we moved too quickly, and that we didn’t communicate fully. We rushed to the fun parts without putting forth any work. Let us start from the beginning, learn about each other fully, then approach our future.”
Nightmare swallowed dryly.
“And if we learn things that we don’t like?”
Luna sat down, sliding her saddlebags off.
“Then we separate on good terms this time. No hate, no isolation. I will personally see you to a proper home before leaving.”
Nightmare walked over slowly and sat before her.
“A-and if we learn things we like?”
Luna grinned slightly, and her scar healed further, nearly disappearing. A faint white outline still marred her face, a sign of healing yet to come.
“Then you’re going to need a stronger bed.”
Nightmare flushed and scuffed the ground silently. A small smile decorated her muzzle, so Luna left her to her silence. She sighed as she looked around the diminutive cabin.
“Tis a shame that you have no electricity here. I could summon us a new Ponystation so we have something to do.”
Nightmare’s eyes lit up and she gasped.
“I had forgotten!”
She trotted to the T.V stand and tapped it twice. The top opened, and Nightmare gently reached inside the secret compartment. She glanced back at Luna and smiled.
“My surprise Moonbeam, could you close your eyes?”
Luna snorted and rolled her eyes, then did as the black alicorn bade. She heard a slight squeal of joy, then her the careful steps of Nightmare’s approach. Her ears flicked as the black alicorn placed something on the pillow in front of her, then took a step back.
“You can open your eyes now.”
Luna did so and looked down, then let out a loud gasp. Sitting on the pillow was her original Ponystation, the signature on the side was evidence enough of that. It was vastly different however. Every place where it had been broken had been filled in with gold, which held the pieces together. Luna reached out a hoof, curious as to if it would turn on. She touched its smooth, seamless surface and looked up to Nightmare, who smiled.
“It works too. Celestia learned a time reversal spell to reverse the internal damage, and we filled the surface damage in with enchanted gold.” She drooped and rubbed the back of her neck. “But while your saves are on it, ours are gone.”
“B-But if you do leave, then that’s for the better!” she offered. “You and your Celestia can make new saves, and so can your lover!”
Luna smiled at the black alicorn.
“What a quaint way to start a session then Moony.”
Nightmare blushed.
“We’re… we’re not… there yet, right?”
Luna grinned and opened her wing.
“No dear, but this… this is a good start.”
She summoned a television, followed by a magic powered generator. Setting both on Nightmare’s T.V stand, she glanced at the frozen alicorn with a slight frown.
“Is this your way of saying you are unintereSTED!”
Her shriek turned into a soft moan as Nightmare’s illusion dissolved. The black alicorn licked her lips and settled next to Luna with a grin.
“Consider that the first step in my long, continuing apologies my princess.”
Luna swatted the back of her head and put on a playful scowl.
“The first lesson you need to learn is boundaries! We are barely friends again!”
Her wing descended and dragged Nightmare slightly closer.
“That being said, I am susceptible to bribes,” she whispered. "As long as they are only used with permission from now on. Clear?"
Nightmare nodded and sighed softly and rested against Luna’s neck. Her eyes closed, and Luna hear a sniffle.
“Thank you my princess,” Nightmare whispered. “Thank you so much for this chance.”
Luna nuzzled the top of her head.
“You’re welcome, my queen,” she replied. “Let’s just take this smart, and slow, alright? Let’s reconnect properly, and build ourselves to a point that blows never even come to mind.”
Nightmare smiled and nodded.
“Agreed.”
Luna used her magic to flip on the generator, then turned on the T.V and her Ponystation. Conjuring two controllers, she offered one to Nightmare.
“So friend, what should we play first?”