Ruby rubbed at her eyes as she got the box of Sadjelin black tea blend down from the cupboard with one easy flap of her wings. She set the box down beside her mother as the burner clicked to life under the kettle.
“How was the play?” asked Marble, fiddling with the box.
Ruby paused, three cups gathered in her hooves. Setting them out one by one, she said: “Pretty good, actually. Longer than I expected.”
Marble shrugged her broad shoulders. “Some of the best plays are the ones that are three hours long.”
“Have you been to a lot of plays then?” asked Ruby, watching her set a bag into each cup before giving the box back to her.
“Many of them I saw vicariously, I suppose.” She pulled a drawer open to get some spoons. “You know, while I was guarding royalty or nobility, and they really wanted to see these productions with all the accolades.”
Ruby placed the sugar container down on the counter. “Any of them earn that kind of praise?”
Sterner looking than usual, Marble thought rather hard about this. “I’d definitely watch Fiddler on the Hoof again. The songs stuck with me, and the bottle dance is quite impressive.”
“Oh yeah?” Ruby leaned against the counter, propping up on her elbow.
The water would take a few minutes, so Marble left it for now. She turned to her daughter, pointing to the top of her head. “A whole team of dancers balance half empty wine bottles on their heads, and dance and step around on their knees, then on two legs. It’s really something to behold if they get it right.”
“It sure sounds like it.” said Ruby, impressed by the idea already.
“Maybe if it comes back to Canterlot in the spring, I’ll take you.” offered Marble.
“Really?” Ruby beamed with surprise. She smiled up at her mother and Marble smiled back.
Marble took a moment to check the water. There were a few errant bubbles, but it wasn’t ready. She sighed, glancing at her daughter. “You know… maybe this has been good for us. Shadow problem aside.”
Ruby blinked at her a moment. “Oh?”
Marble thought back with regret to how she’d protested the queen assigning both of them to this job. But Celestia, in her wisdom, said Ruby had already made some amount of emotional connection with her sister, and that would make it easier to accept the two of them. And she had been right, of course. Celestia had an uncanny ability to be surprisingly right an awful lot; or so it seemed from her years in her service.
“Just,” began Marble, “things between us were probably going to go on like that. You would have kept being miserable trying to meet my expectations. And. Well. I suppose the change of scenery and making new friends outside of the guard helped you.”
Ruby twiddled her hooves together and chewed on her lip. She wasn’t sure what to say to that, so simply said nothing.
“I know I reacted poorly to the idea of you moving. It’s hard letting go.” Marble looked at those curly locks and thought back to the girl’s father and how she missed him every day. “But if we get back to Canterlot after this assignment and you still want that, I’ll help you pack.”
She looked up at her mother’s eyes. They were the softest she’d probably ever seen them, even since they lost her dad. “Thanks, mom. I really appreciate that.”
Marble nodded slowly, then offered a hoof to shake on it. To her surprise, Ruby grabbed it and pulled herself around her large frame as best she could in a hug. She stiffened up at the gesture but tried not to protest. For Ruby’s sake.
By the time Ruby let go, the water was bubbling nicely along, steam billowing from the kettle. Marble killed the heat and went to pour their tea. “So. Are you thinking of moving in with that Hope-Heart girl?”
Ruby’s ears shot and her pinkish red cheeks turned dark crimson. “Mom!”
“I just want to know, that’s all. She seemed pretty upset when she thought her sister was hitting on you.” Marble set the kettle aside and reached for the sugar.
“Oh my gosh, we’ve gone on two dates. It’s way too soon for that.” Ruby hid her mortified face away in her hooves.
“Never too early to start planning for the future.” Marble told her while spooning sugar. “Speaking of, do you think she’ll want kids?”
Her embarrassed face sprang up to gape at her. “You’re kidding me right now.”
Marble shrugged, bemused in her own subdued way. “There are ways. And I certainly wouldn’t mind a grandkid I could spoil rotten. You could even adopt a griff-chick, I’d love that.”
“A baby griffin, mom?” While still exhausted by this entire exchange, that part added confusion to the mix.
“What can I say, they’re adorable. Their baby feathers are so airy and fuzzy, they look like balls of fluff.”
Stifling a snicker and a grimace both, Ruby made for the kitchen exit, so very done with this conversation. “Okay, I think that’s enough of that. Let me go get Luna and let’s have some tea and pretend you didn’t just say any of that last part. For her sake. And mine.”
Marble chuckled, shaking her head. “Stranger arrangements have been made. If I recall, princess Twilight adopted that cute little chubby dra—”
There came a boom from upstairs. The light above them flickered. They each whirled in place to exchange a brief look of panic. The tea was forgotten immediately, and they bolted.
Ruby shot around the corner and flew up the stairs, Marble thundering close behind. There was screaming—two distinct voices—but she couldn’t make out any words just yet. Was that something about playing? She got to the bedroom door and threw it open in time to see Luna hurl some unknown figure crashing through the window and took off after it. “Luna, wait!”
They were too late. Both of them were gone. The magic white flames licking one section of wall drew their attention next.
“I’ll chase after her;” she blurted, moving quickly, “mom, can you get the fire?” Ruby began to take off but was snagged back. Wrenching her head back around, she saw her mother’s consternated face. There had only ever been one other time she’d seen those eyes so wide and pleading.
“No. You can’t, I—we just started getting better, I don’t want to risk you!”
Ruby held her strong, but shaking hoof in her own. “I can fly after them. You can’t. I’ll keep my distance, but please, I have to do this for her. A-and for myself.” Her wings fidgeted and trembled, with fear and anticipation. “Let me go.”
Marble stared at her, mouth tight. Her eyes shut, and her bared teeth showed. “Okay.” she said at last. “Okay, Ruby. Go. I… I’m so proud of the young mare you’ve turned out to be.”
The magic grip faded and Ruby was free at last. Out the broken window she went, off into the dark mystery that awaited her in the night. The air was cold, the bristling leaves of the greatwood falling away behind as she looked around. All that greeted her at first were the stars peeking around the drifting clouds, and a waning moon hanging pale in the heavens.
“Surrrrrrprise!”
There came a flapping sound, and turning, she caught a pale figure rising behind her from just out of the corner of her eye. A hammerhead of some sort blocked out her vision, coming down too fast for her to react. She clamped her eyes shut, trying to at least brace herself for the hurt.
Wham!
When Ruby opened her eyes again, she found Luna at her side, aural shield catching the sledgehammer that looked to have been aimed for her head. When she blinked, that smiling mask seemed to be frowning now.
“Aw, c’mon. There’s no real stakes if I can’t hurt at least one character.” whined Pinkie. She spun around, slamming the other side of the magic shield, her mask smiling now. “Let’s compromise, then. I’ll kill one off, but they get to come back later. I’m sure there’s some artifact under Canterlot Castle we can borrow to make this work.”
Ruby swallowed thickly, really feeling the windchill up here. She had just gotten in so very over her head. Suddenly, she actually missed that armor she hated wearing; especially the helmet. Then, the world went spinning all around her. When it stopped, she found herself wobbling on the ground next to Luna, who seemed to be standing taller than she usually was.
She hardly recognized the alicorn. There was no fire Ruby could see, but she practically felt heat emanating off her. Those furious eyes glanced sideways at her, and she froze in place.
“Stay here.” commanded Luna before again locking her gaze and ire upon the giggling phantom haunting the skies above them. “I won’t let her hurt you, but stay out of this. She’s my responsibility.”
Before Ruby could summon a response, or the confidence to deliver it, Luna screamed skyward, a spiraling missile glowing whiter and hotter with each yard of air she blinked through. Watching her go, Ruby felt like her legs might give out under her. What exactly had she been planning to do out here?
Luna was blazing like a star by the time she veered into a crash course with Pinkie. Instead of getting out of the way, Pinkie made to fly toward her, as if she planned to meet head on. Then, at the last possible second, gave one good lash with her new wings, bounding up and over her. She planted her hooves briefly on Luna’s spinning body as she went by, as though vaulting over a simple obstacle.
“Missed me, missed me, now ya gotta kiss me.” she chanted in as intentionally irritating a tone as she could. She even blew raspberries.
Fires fading, Luna steadied herself on the air. Shooting a nasty look, she said: “Nay. Ne’er again I think our lips shall meet.”
The frowning mask took over again. “There you go again. You know, for somepony who supposedly abandoned royalty, you sure love talking like a drama queen.”
“I am what I am, beast. Could you say the same?” She lifted her chin to look down her nose at her. It was something she would never have done to the real Pinkie. Luna never imagined herself better than her, or that she ought to do more to earn her respect. Even if she did lose a lot of it after the Gala.
“I’m exactly what you made me.” said Nightmare Pinkie oh so coyly, venom and honey both dripping off her words as her hooves went out at her sides.
Unimpressed, Luna shook her head. Although, part of her couldn’t help wondering if that taunt had come from the shadow or the mare who’d been made to wear it. Surely she hadn’t been unfair to her. Pushing it aside, she presented her horn. A beam of lunar light sprang toward her.
Pinkie darted in under the beam, flying forth like a bird of prey to get at her next meal. Once she was close enough, Luna beat her wings to hop above her path, tucking her legs in kicking down upon the Nightmare as she flew under her. Pinkie went diving down, so Luna lashed her horn this way, then that. Burning white arcs went screaming, crackling, and hissing towards Pinkie.
Hearing them coming, Pinkie looked up through her flailing hooves. She turned her wings, spiraling her fall to dodge the first one. One hoof went to her mouth, and she blew a kiss to the second. The scything, surging magic dissipated into a swarm of fluttering butterflies, their glow already fading away. Luck ran out for the third, and the flame cut across her mask as she tried to turn about to find it, sending her flipping back, end over end. Her white wings violently beat the air, ceasing her nauseating descent at last. The back of her hoof ran across the scorched streak of gold.
Luna then flipped forward in place, letting loose silvery blue bolts of magic, seemingly in every direction except toward the Nightmare. Pinkie watched them fly away, then slowly begin to curve back around, arcing for her in the longest path possible. Her foe, meanwhile, took a more direct approach. What a fun gambit. She clicked her front hooves together, then spread them out to catch her tackle. The two of them went hurdling out of the skies, punching through layers of cloud as they went, each party vying to dominate the other through sheer brute strength.
“This isn’t how I pictured our first roll around would go.” chuckled Pinkie through the grunts of effort coming from the two of them. “Or even our first argument, for that matter.”
“I’ve battled your true form before.” spat Luna through gritted teeth. “And won.”
“Then why am I still here?”
“You are but a shadow of a shadow! Weak and insignificant, and I’ll break you apart from her and obliterate your sorry existence!”
“Careful you don’t break her first.” she told Luna before letting go of their grapple, then clinging tightly to her torso. Her magic missiles were nearly here, and she aimed to make sure they’d both be hurting.
Luna grimaced as the shining bolts entered her spinning vision. She couldn’t break away in time, so huffed, and put up another shield. It buckled and reverberated with thump after thump of magic catching on magic.
Pinkie caressed the small of Luna’s back. “I knew you still cared about me.”
“I… o-of course I still…” It was tender, her touch soft, and it was warm; it was so much of what Luna desired. But it wasn’t right. It wasn’t her—not entirely. Shoving her away, the two beat their wings to land hard across the cobbles, skidding in opposite directions, their backs turned to one another.
Pinkie rose on shaking legs, craning her head back to howl with laughter. “Oh, ha ha, oh man, that was fun.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way.” Luna’s voice echoed across the empty street. By now, lights were coming on, with curious heads stealing a peek to see what the noise and yelling was about. Having an audience bothered her. It was also not good for them either; any spells that went wide could be disastrous. She had to find a way to get clear. “It never did.”
The two of them leered at one another over their shoulders. Her mask frowning once more, Nightmare told her: “You should have thought about that all those ages ago before reaching out to me.” She spun about, and the mask smiled. Pinkie said: “Or before you involved me and all my friends in your centuries spanning drama.”
Luna’s entire body rippled with offense. “That’s hardly fair. They didn’t have to join m—”
“As if.” interrupted Pinkie. The mask frowned. “You were so pathetic and weak and too scared to fight your own battles. You needed us—you needed me, to be there to hold your hoof every step of the way; otherwise you would have kept crying in the dusty old library like a sorry little filly.”
Her cheeks burning maroon, Luna launched herself at her again. She flicked her horn to one side, summoning lashing strands of magic. Another twist of her head mid-flight sent them whipping towards her opponent, hoping to lacerate or ensnare, whichever came first.
“Aw, what’sa matter, did I strike a nerve?!” The taunt passed through the golden smile as Pinkie dipped under the crackling whip, spun round and flipped backwards, final word landing with her rear hoof hammering down, cleanly cracking in between Luna’s shoulder blades.
Luna went face first into the cobblestone, her chin scraping along from the last of her drained momentum. Though winded, she wearily pushed up and felt at her raw and roughed up chin and jaw. Then the movement in the corner of her eye sent her spinning across the ground. That sledgehammer from before sent gravel high into the air, right on the spot where her head had just been. She panted, gaping up as the heavy metal head was wrenched from the stone and whirled around for another attempt.
“Hey Luna!” cried Pinkie, springing after her. “Did you know that an expression considered to be amusingly accurate is called hitting the nail on the head?!”
Her powder blue hair whirred in the after breeze of another miss. Desperate azure eyes followed its path as the hammerhead arced behind Pinkie’s shoulders, went up, and started coming back down. The only good thing about an overhead swing was that it was at least somewhat predictable. Her horn flared with energy; she slid to the side and leaned forth.
A burning slice raced up as Pinkie’s hammer came down. The haft bounced harmlessly off the street as she watched the heavy metal head go skipping away, almost daintily so. Looking at the burned end piece and Luna’s horn alight with lunar flame, she quickly pieced it together. As soon as she did, Luna was lurching toward her, and planted her hooves into her chest. She went skidding back along her hooves, trying to stay upright but losing the now useless tool which clattered to the side.
Luna leapt high to the left, beating her wings in opposite directions to send herself into a full body rounding double hoof hammer kick. Pinkie barely managed to stay upright, throwing her hooves up, braced together, catching the blow with a deafening crack, her whole body shuddering from the impact. Luna cursed and flew back several paces, landing in a wide stance.
Pinkie whistled and shook her stinging hooves. She felt she had to commend her. “Not bad.”
“You’re quite the fighter yourself.” said Luna, dusting herself off. Something was terribly wrong, though. As another breath hissed through her teeth, she realized she was smiling… Was she having fun? Wouldn’t that be absurd—had any of those hammer swings struck home, she might not have woken up from it.
“Stars above, I love you.” huffed Pinkie, drawing a startled, surprised face. The two stared at one another, panting in place.
“C’mon, Luna!” came a squeaky shout above them. Peering up, they saw a salt white filly with burgundy hair leaning nearly her entire body out the window of her second story bedroom. It was none other than little Brightwick. “You’re the coolest, toughest librarian ever! No way this monster can beat you!”
All around them, the opened rowhouse windows were filling out with rambunctious faces. Shouts rang up and fumbled over each other, all cheering her on. The ruckus even drew the town guard, amidst wich ran Marble and Ruby onto the scene. Upon gauging what the noise was about, however, the guards all nervously eyed one another, wondering if they should even try to intervene. After all, if Luna was clashing with something, then this must be the stuff of demigods. Clearly above their paygrade, surely
When Pinkie turned back to face Luna, there was a bitterness to the real smile beneath the fake one. She threw her hooves out at her sides, telling her: “Well. Here’s your audience. Do what you’ve always wanted, and be their beloved hero.”
Luna hesitated, muscles suddenly tense with nerves. In these last few moments, her anger seemed to have left her. Though, she had a good idea of why.
“Go on. Slay the vile monster.” She looked at Luna expectantly, who simply took a nervous step back, suddenly getting stagefright. Shaking her head, she said: “Bit of advice, while I’m still amicable: don’t get their excitement up if you’re not going to capitalize on it. But here, I’ll give you a helping hoof, for pity’s sake.”
“Go get her, Luna!” cried a voice as Pinkie tumbled forth, sliding under her to deliver a pair of kicks to her gut, knocking air and spit from her shocked face.
“Wait.” coughed Luna, stumbling to the side. Instead of waiting, politely, Pinkie bounded up into the air, rounding about with a spinning kick across her scuffed up jaw. “Stop.” she cried again as she tried to stay upright on her hooves and bring her face back around. The response she got was having her nose bloodied by a headbutt. A metallic clang rang out over the chants and they faded away; Luna began to fall with them.
Pinkie hooted with another bout of laughter as Luna sat down hard upon the street, only managing to halfway look up into her eyes, vision clearly dazed and bleary. She began a pirouette, spinning for momentum, and hopped into a rear kick aimed heavily right for Luna’s slack jawed mouth. But then a thickset frame wearing reddish pink tackled her, and the two went tumbling off and away.
Marble offered a hoof. Taking it, Luna grunted back up and onto her feet. She licked her unscathed lips, tasting the salty red rivulets streaming hot from her nostrils. It was a sickening flavor, yet all too familiar. Again, she smiled, wryly and ruefully so. A yelp drew her attention in time to see Pinkie wrestling Ruby to the ground, stretching foreleg out awkwardly, painfully, the Nightmare calling: “Tap out. Go on, tap out.”
Whining through a face tightly wound, Ruby pushed out her free hoof and smacked the ground repeatedly. Relief washed over her as Pinkie actually let her go. She scurried away when she was off her.
Marble tried to keep her expression level. “You did well, dear. Now it’s my turn.” Turning to the guards, she barked: “Guards! I am Royal Knight-Captain Marble Glade of the queensguard, and I’m taking command of this situation! At my side, now!”
They balked. One even shook her head at her. Pinkie laughed at them, and a few took a step back.
“A-are you foals? Or adults? Come now.” Marble peered back at Nightmare Pinkie, who waved at them dreamily with an extended “yoohoo.” Marble gestured at her and said: “That’s what you’re all so afraid of?”
“Forgive them.” huffed Luna, still shaking it off. “They’re afraid because she just beat their local hero senseless.” She stepped toward Pinkie. “But we all have our parts to play. I guess I’ll have to accept mine.”
“How enigmatic.” cooed Pinkie, clapping for her. “How noble and benign and good of you and definitely not for the sake of your own fragile ego.” She turned her neck one way, then the other, then rolled her shoulders, trying to stretch and limber back up. “An ego I’ll gladly break again and again. Come on, then.”
“This is my fault. My problem to solve.” Luna shook her head then widened her stance. “Let it be my battle to wage.”
Marble stepped up next to her, hoof patting her shoulder. “One small problem. She just hurt my little girl.”
A dry laugh bubbled out of Luna. “But you’re not angry she’s hurt me? And here I thought you wanted us to be friends.”
“We still could be, in time. But don’t make me second guess this.” Marble rolled her eyes.
Luna studied the sturdy, hardened unicorn. She hadn’t exactly been her favorite person in the world, but the look of her now spoke to Luna in a language they both spoke fluently. She offered a hoof, and when Marble clicked it with her own, Luna told her: “Together, then.”
Pinkie hummed at the scene, seemingly enraptured, drinking it in. “Oh, such passion. I love it.”
Marble was first to decide that there had been enough talk. Her armor gleamed softly in the moonlight as she took one step forth. Then, she was a blur, dust and broken bits of cobble rising in her wake. Pinkie danced aside, the barreling rush missing her, so Marble slid along, turning in her skid, raising her front hooves up, and slamming them down. Stone erupted from where Pinkie landed, post dodge, sending her flying into the air without the need for wings.
As Pinkie flailed about, she found Luna above her, horn charging. A concentrated beam of moonlight landed squarely in her chest, striking her right back down into the pillar that Marble had conjured. Fragments of rock and stone flew apart from the impact.
Even as she tried to rise from the crater, Marble was leaping above her, about to slam down hard. Pinkie rolled out from under the hooves before they could land, but tremors rolled out around them, sending her tumbling across the cobbles, struggling to stay on her hooves for more than half a second. Marble meanwhile, passed over the rippling stone with ease, slowly making her way toward her, energy charging steadily on her horn.
In a desperate bid, Pinkie pushed away with another little quake rising, and as she did, produced a heavy black iron ball, which she tossed at her aggressor. The thing hit the trembling ground before Marble with a thick clink. That’s when she noticed the hissing fuse already sizzling away its last inch or so. She recoiled, trying to take cover, losing concentration over her magic.
A loud pop sounded off before all the ducking ponies. When curious eyes peeked again, brightly colored smoke was billowing in the street, with even more brightly colored confetti flitting through it. A silhouette formed in the smoke, so, thinking quickly, Marble launched a chunk of stone into the cloud, aiming as best she could for the chest.
The knight’s eyes went wide when she heard Luna’s surprised yell of pain. Jumping back onto her feet, she began searching for the Nightmare creature.
Pinkie found her first, darting from the left while she looked right. Hitting her side, she wrapped her hooves tightly round her waist, then used her wings to help lift up, and roll back through the air. The back of Marble’s shoulders and neck crashed into the busted up street, and she faltered over onto her side.
Groaning, Marble looked up to see she’d found a new hammer at some point, and the head was coming down fast. She tried to wrench herself away, but crashing contact was coming on too fast. She shut her eyes and thanked her lucky stars she’d at least gotten to share a couple healthy conversations with her daughter.
Squeak!
The shiny hammerhead crinkled in on itself upon impact and squeaked like a toy. Marble looked up, shocked, befuddled, panting. Pinkie tossed it aside and started cackling like a witch. It squeaked again and fell over. “Oh, oh man, the look on your face! I coulda won, but that was so worth it, hoo.”
“Wh—” wheezed Marble, “I don’t understand.”
“You wouldn’t,” said Pinkie with a shrug, “but trust me, comedy is king. We needed a little levity t—” She paused to assess a streak of pale blue energy snaking around her chest and waist. “Hey what now? I just said—hurk!”
Luna took off, yanking Pinkie along behind her.
White, blazing magic formed around her as she spun faster and faster. She became a comet of silver and blue and pink, racing for the clouds, only to skim them and veer back for earth which seemed to approach them now at dizzying speeds and even more dizzying rotation.
“Lunar flames!” cried Luna, her screams breaking through the blaze around her. “Light my path! And burn! Away! The shadow!”
A blue streak intercepted the crash course, sending the comet astray. The burning ball skidded across a few rooftops, scattering shingles as it rose back into the skies. Luna let the flames fade away to see the interloper.
“Rainbow?!” she spat as they spiraled cloudward once more. “What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Right back at’cha!” screamed Dash over the howling of the passing winds. “You were about to meteor shower Pinkie Pie!”
“She’ll be fine, just let go!”
Rainbow only held her tighter as she tried to get free of her. “F—wh—fine?! Hitting the ground at sound breaking speeds—you call that fine—holy cow, man, you coulda killed her!”
“If I wanted that, she’d already be dead!” swore Luna, eyes flashing. “That’s why I’ve been holding back!”
“Aw, weak.” whined Pinkie. When she’d broken free and grabbed the two of them, neither of them were sure. But two sets of smiles greeted two shocked faces before she spread her wings out to catch the air, flying away behind them.
Rainbow spun about as she and Luna disentangled. “Okay, when the crud did she get wings? W-what’s going on?” Turning her purple eyes upon Luna, who only gawked at the hovering pink menace, she yelled: “Hey, answer me!”
Luna looked over at her, guilt written all across her face. “That’s not our Pinkie. Run.”
Before Rainbow Dash could respond, Luna took off towards Pinkie, who playfully gestured for her to come to her. She didn’t understand. Two of her greatest friends were duking it out; and worse, seemingly playing for keeps. Her eyes darted from one to the other as she chewed on her hoof. What to do, what to do…
Pinkie waved goodbye to Luna, then was snatched away by Dash earning her namesake and then some. “No,” cried out Luna, “Rainbow, don’t!”
“I-I don’t know what’s going on, Pinks, but let’s let the old gal calm down a bit.” Rainbow nodded to herself, nervous and unconvinced it would be so easy. “Ye—uh, yeah, that’s it. We’ll all just calm down and chat this out like we always do.”
Pinkie Pie giggled in her hooves. “Oh, Rainbow. You really should have listened to her.”
Luna chased as fast as she could, but she’d already burned through so much magic, and Rainbow was famous for her speed for good reason. Wind whipped at her mane as she pushed herself harder and harder; she had to catch up. When Rainbow howled in pain and began to fall, Luna’s stomach clenched tight. She folded her wings back and dropped out of the sky after her. This meant having to take her eyes off Pinkie, but she needed to get to her.
She latched onto the tumbling pegasus, whispered the incantations against the uncaring winds rippling at their coats, blue hued feathers flying up all around them. “I’ve got you!”
The two blinked away from the cold night air in a flash.
Azure energy flashed above the greatwood, and two blue fliers went spilling across the branches. Luna bounced upright and pulled Rainbow with her. She looked her up and down as she shook and shivered. “I’ve got you, Rainbow, I’ve got you. Where does it hurt?”
Rainbow sheepishly turned, trembling as she revealed one limp wing hanging at her side. She blinked away the tears of pain as best she could. “What the hay? Sh-she dislocated my wing. What’d I ever do to her, huh?”
Luna felt the limb, ignoring Dash’s wincing. She was right. It wasn’t broken, just out of socket. Luna was almost thankful. Looking her in the eye, she said: “Okay. This is going to hurt. Are you ready?”
Dash practically whimpered as she saw what she was about to do but weakly nodded. A moment later there came a loud snap, and she hobbled forth onto her knees, growling into her hooves to avoid howling for the whole block to hear her pain.
When Rainbow found it in her to stand up again, she flapped the wing. It stung like mad, but it was functional. So much better than the alternative. A great sigh of relief passed through her lips. Then the last of the air was squeezed out of her with Luna’s embrace.
“Stars and moon above, that scared the life out of me. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Rainbow pushed her off. “Okay, out with it. What kinda messed up Nightmare Night prank gone wrong is all this?”
Luna chewed on her lip and looked away, ashamed of herself.
“C’mon, girl. Spill it.” Rainbow wrenched her face back this way to deal with the intense stare. “Pinkie’s out here starting street brawls and sprouting wings? That mask even sounds like the one Gilda said her director liked to wear. Something supremely weird is going down, and I want to know—I deserve to know.”
“You’re right.” Luna had to admit, nodding slowly. “You really do.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m sure you recall your history lessons, about how I had my body possessed by a nightmare entity to empower myself.”
Rainbow squinted at her. “So, what, there’s another one? Are they following you, will they get the rest of us, am I next?”
“Rather, this is a portion of my original shadow that made me Nightmare Moon. It survived, somehow, cut off from the whole. I learned of it shortly after the Gala, when—”
“Wait, you knew?” Rainbows brows furrowed inward with disgust. “You knew that thing was out there, and you didn’t tell us—you weren’t by my side searching when it got Pinkie?”
“It preys on fear, I-I wanted to keep you girls sa—”
Rainbow shut her with a solid smack across her jaw. Luckily, she hit the one that hadn’t been kicked. “Don’t—just don’t, okay? Do I look like you did a bang up job keeping me safe? Does Pinkie?”
Luna felt at the aching sides of her face. Across from her sat a proud pegasus whose eyes began to well up. “Oh, Rainbow.”
Rainbow let out a single laugh, full of rue and bitterness. “Don’t you ‘oh Rainbow’ me. Just last week at book club I told our friends I felt it was my fault Pinkie was gone—that I wasn’t doing enough for her.” She hiccuped. “And you, you let me. You didn’t say a thing. You let me feel weak and helpless and s-scared.” She blinked and blinked, trying against all odds not to cry. “B-but it was you. I seriously can’t believe you.”
Luna winced at every accusation. Somehow, they all hurt worse than having the pride and dignity beaten out of her for the entire block to see.
“Cripes.” cursed Rainbow. She couldn’t stem the flow any longer. Streaks ran down her cheeks and she shuddered with shame, turning away from Luna. “What, my wing still hurts, okay? You’re not allowed to judge me right now.”
“Nor am I.” Luna said slowly. “You’ve every right to be upset with me.”
“Whatever.” scoffed Rainbow. She shrugged and shook her head. “Psh. I shoulda never trusted you on that morning in the library.”
Luna sat in stunned silence. She had no idea what to say to that. What could she say at all, really, to make any part of this any better? Nothing came to mind, so she said nothing.
“Ouch.” cooed a new voice weighing in. They found Pinkie hanging from a branch above them, wings folded around her as though she were a giant bat. Mask frowning, she said: “Coming from the Element of Loyalty, too, so you know it’s legit. That’s gotta sting.”
Divide and conquer, Luna recalled saying, it’s what I’d do. Irksome. She couldn’t believe what a fool she’d been. Nightmare had played her like a fiddle, and she sang every commanded note in perfect harmony.
“C’mon, Pinkie, fight this thing.” pleaded Rainbow Dash, gawking up at her. “You’re way stronger than Luna’s dumb emo past.”
Luna resented that, but felt it might be more than a little inappropriate to say as much at the moment. So she let it go.
“Now, now, Rainbow.” she said, smiling again. “We can’t wrap things up after the first encounter. Where’s the fun in that?”
“This is hardly the first encounter.” balked Luna.
Pinkie rolled her eyes down at her. “Obviously I meant the first one with my new form, duh.”
“It’s not even the first time we’ve had a spat.” said Luna, unphased. “Not to keep bringing up the Gala, but—”
“Okay, now you’re just being obtuse.” Pinkie was growing less amused and patient by the moment.
“And I’m assuming when she snapped at me at the bakery, that was you as well, so—”
Pinkie let herself fall and landed hard on the branch before them. She pointed a hoof right at Luna’s chest. “Look here, you!”
“Criminy!” blurted Rainbow, drawing their attention. “Ugh, it’s no wonder you two fell so head over heels for each other, you can’t stop joking and palling around even when one of you is literally possessed by an evil shadow thing!”
Pinkie bristled up, recoiling alongside Luna as Dash let out a long, exasperated groan. Her mask frowned. “Well there’s no need to be rude.”
“You’re clearly still in there,” mewled Rainbow, “and you clearly still have a thing for Luna. Will you please fight this so you two can kiss and make up and we can all forget this? Please, Pinkie, I’m beggin’ ya here. This is crazy!”
“Heh.” scoffed Pinkie, leaning back. “There it is.”
Rainbow shook her head. “Huh?”
“‘Oh, that Pinkie Pie, she’s soooooo crazy.’ Isn’t that right, Dashie? At least now we all know what you really think of me.”
A few fresh tears rolled. “Come on, Pinks, you know that’s not what I meant. I… I’m sorry.” She trembled. “That was messed up of me, and I’m sorry. You’re one of my best friends.” Her knees gave out. “Please, please come back to us.”
“That’s enough, Pinkie.” said Luna sternly. When Pinkie turned, she found the tall alicorn looming over her.
“Aren’t you a little tired for a second round?” she asked, so low it was practically a growl. When that failed to get her to so much as crack a smirk, she shrugged. “Fine. Getting to see our Dashie’s first ugly cry is a fine consolation prize.”
Luna thought to say how twisted that was, but Pinkie leaned up, mask lifted, and kissed her on the cheek. As she stammered, confounded, the possessed pony faded away into shadows. She was left there with a fine mess, a sulking pegasus, and a lot of confused feelings.
One thing at a time. thought Luna, exhausted. She moved over to Rainbow and scooped her up into a hug. She wriggled at first before limply placing her tear streaked chin on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. For everything.”
“I’m only cool with this ‘cause I need it right now.” growled Rainbow, hooves wrapping around her. “After this, it’s gonna be a cold day in Tartarus before I speak to you again.”
“And I won’t blame you. Just let it all out for now.” Luna pat her back, easing greatly when her breathing started to even out. “Come tomorrow, all shall know of my sins, old and new. I’ll at least try to make sure our friends hear it from me first.”