//------------------------------// // Imprisoned Together // Story: Night and the Moon // by Sailor Aether //------------------------------// He didn’t know how to explain this so he thought about things from the beginning of what he could remember. There was a war going on and he, a part of it. Though he’s been here too long to remember the name given so he gave himself one, the only thing he could see, Night. However, he remembered the cause he fought for, Unity. That word was the savior, his hope, and goal. He fought for the unity of all pony kind, pegasi, unicorns, and earth pony. Night, a former platoon leader, and his comrades fought so that all could be free of prejudice. Though he doesn’t know if his goal has been accomplished since he sees his homeland from afar. Though afar doesn’t do it justice, he was looking at Equestria from Princess Luna’s moon, as it moves in accordance to her will. He was drifting alone on the moon for Faust knows how long. Alone on the moon, without friends, companions, food. Though the last surprisingly he did not feel a need for, and this bothered him. Though the last thing Night remembered was the end of war, he and his brethren celebrated the last fight. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them he was staring at what was his home. “I wonder what has become of home?” Night said into the endless expanse of space. Another thing that Night questioned was how he could breathe. Though not being versed in magic and the strangeness of being on the moon he decided to not waste his time thinking about it. Night had walked around the moon to stay in shape countless times, he knew every dip, every ravine, and every cliff. To His surprise there was a pool of water on the rock he inhabited. It was icy cold but it was better to feel cold over the endless stone of the moon. Night looked at his reflection to see staring back at him; his pale pink eyes, a scar on his forehead that disrupted the flow of his forest dew colored fur. Shaking his head, he turned to see the makeshift shelter in the ground next to the water source, though it wasn’t much; it was what he called home. Night spent the better half of his time thinking about why he would be on the moon. Why was he sent here, was there a purpose? What did he do wrong? These were all of the thoughts he had when he wasn’t angry. Angry that he was ripped from his home, angry that he was alone, and angry that he was missing out on a life. He felt abandoned and cast out from the life he knew. Night didn’t truly feel the passage of time and the only update he got was in the form of watching the sun peak out on the horizon signifying a new day. He counted the days, the years, the decades, what turned into centuries. Night was losing his mind slowly, but surely and started to wonder what the point of continuing on was. That was until his routine was interrupted one day as he sat facing the planet he once called home. A loud thud behind him broke his concentration on his thoughts. This was the first time anything had happened here in YEARS and frankly Night was thankful. Getting up, he turned around and walked towards the sound and stopped when the dust settled around it. A dark coated, Alicorn? This couldn’t be there were only two alicorns that Night could remember but then again. He remembered his time here and a lightbulb went off in his head. “Are you here to bring me home? After Centuries…Am I redeemed?” Night called out with all the hope he could muster. This prompted a turn of the head towards him, with the icy blue eyes with slits for pupils bore into his very being. It was unsettling but yet, Night felt a familiarity within. “How dare thee speak to us without kneeling first,” The feminine voice said in a loud voice that was deeply ingrained in Night’s head. The royal Canterlot voice, used to project to the soldiers, and to large crowds. “Well considering, I have been here for over a Century. Sorry for not kowtowing” Night shot back, much to the alicorn's disdain. “How dare thee speak that way to a ruler of Equestria, Damn thee, and damn thy sister who banished us!” The alicorn said angrily, still blowing out his eardrums. Sighing Night relented, “Yea my bad, I’m just…bitter after so long here.” Noticing the mare walking towards him he sat down again. “So are you here to take me back home or?” This made the mare stop, and look away from him. “We are… banished here.” The mare said sadly, the malice from her voice upon landing fading. “We battled our sister for control, but lost. Celestia must be rejoicing at her win as we speak.” Night noticed a tear rolling down the mare's jawline. He knew after listening to her speak that he was stuck here, on the moon. Though this time he wouldn’t have to be alone and that made him feel something, he wasn’t sure what but it was better than he felt when he woke up. “Well, we can talk about the details later if you want to, I’m Night and I have been here since the end of the Unification war.” He said getting back to his hooves and walking over to the mare. “We are, Nightmare moon, ruler of the night” She said proudly wiping away her tears. “I thought Princess Luna was the ruler of the night?” Night asked raising an eyebrow Scowling at him responded, “We are one in the same, thou will know the difference.” Deciding not to press the issue, Night just nodded. “Alright then Nightmare Moon, I have a small encampment over that way” Night motioned behind him, “It’s not much in the face of royalty, but it’s what I call home here” “As if we need permission to be anywhere on our moon” Nightmare Moon said bitterly at him. Sighing Night turned to walk back to his ‘home’ “Alright fair point, sorry to bother you,” Night trudged back, Nightmare moon watching him walk away. She was confused as to why a Pegasus would be on the moon. She was sure this was a banishment, a punishment, and worse yet a prison sentence. So why would someone else be here unless they were like her. “Hmph, We will not be caged, we will make the night last forever, we will have our vengeance and respect we deserve” Nightmare Moon muttered to herself before walking off to the dark side of the moon. She paid him no mind when she saw him walking around the moon, and outright ignored him when he would greet her. Though slowly she began to return his greetings, and eventually it became a habit. This bothered her as why would somepony else be on the moon, she was going to unveil his true intentions, surely he was sent by Celestia to monitor her. Nightmare moon studied Night, surely if he was here he was somepony of evil intentions for Equestria. Though the more she observed him the more she was curious about him and how he ended up here. She noticed when he woke, he would bathe in the water outside where he stayed, then pray, then stare at Equestria. The longing expression on his face resonated with her, she knew that look all too well. One of wishing for things to be different, and wanting to be accepted. Years went by in the blink of an eye, and his routine didn’t change, he got up to bathe, prayed, and stared and repeated. Finally she had enough of just observing him and decided to speak with him. “Why doth thou do the same thing every new day?” Nightmare moon said to Night breaking his reverie. “It keeps me sane” he said dryly chuckling, ‘I have been here for the better of a millennia, I think anyway I feel like a few years passed and I missed them.” Not breaking his eye contact with the planet in front of him. “Why was thou imprisoned here on the moon? What did thou do?” Nightmare Moon asked, getting to the point of her visit. “If I knew, I would tell you, I was a platoon leader fighting for unification in Equestria, When the end of the war came, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply happy to be done fighting” Night paused holding back the tears that came with the memories of home. “Was that really all that has happened to thou?” Nightmare Moon Inquisitively asked. It didn’t make sense to her that a simple platoon leader fighting for the crown would be sent to the moon.. “When my eyes opened, well I ended up here, alone…abandoned and discarded” Night finished hollowly. Nightmare Moon could all but relate to the feeling of being abandoned and alone. She felt that way much of her time when she was ruling Equestria with her sister, as Luna. She hated that most ponies were scared of the night, hated that no one respected her and her work. The final straw was when her own sister would no longer defend her from the accusations that she was not fit to be a ruler. “I…We can somewhat understand thee, abandonment and loneliness are familiar to us” Nightmare moon said. “Oh well, maybe I’ll serve my sentence here, after finding out this is a prison and all…” Night’s gaze not once leaving the planet that he longed to go back to. “If, no When we leave our banishment, if thou dost not leave with or before us,” Nightmare Moon began before she was cut off. “I appreciate the sentiment, but how?” Night said finally turning to face Nightmare Moon, “Something I have thought about since being here, was that maybe I am suffering for those I had to kill in the name of peace” he said, sighing. Nightmare moon was puzzled at his attitude, she figured he would be more angry, more spiteful, and unstable. “How hath thee come to that conclusion?” She asked. “I am not innocent by any means is what I have come to feel, so instead of cursing and spiting whoever put me here, I simply pray for the prosperity of my former comrades, the crown, and all who find themselves astray.” Night said with some hint of emotion. “We umm, we see” was all Nightmare Moon could manage. “I used to be angry, but now well,” Night turned back to face Equestria, “Now I simply wish to live a simple life, maybe farm, nothin fancy” he smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. Nightmare Moon softened hearing this, “Tell me off your past I am curious and maybe I can help” Her slits for pupils slowly returned back to normal, and her fangs retracting. Now Nightmare Moon simply looked like Luna, albeit with a darker coat. “Alright, I’ll recall what I can, it has been quite a while so bare with me” Night said, patting the ground next to him. Nightmare Moon sat next to him and Night recalled what he could of his past. Night and Nightmare moon, no she was Luna now. This was a surprise for Night, when he woke up one day to see and hear her tell him to call her Luna now. Over the years that they were on the moon, Luna’s magic slowly came back to her, which allowed her to help Night build a better dwelling for himself and her. One that was above ground, and around the pool of water he was previously next to. Though Night’s routine didn’t really change much, besides the fact that Luna would come and join him each day. She wouldn’t pray with him, but she would join him in the water, and sit in silence and enjoy each other's company. Luna was a little awkward at first, having over the years slowly reverted back to her regular self. She was as Night could remember her before and during his time in the war. He wanted to ask what she was banished for, and why she looked so different but he figured he should wait a little while longer. As time dragged on Night was more distracted with the what ifs and how's of Luna’s change. After who knows how long while the two were sitting looking through the expanse of space Night turned to Luna. “So if you do not mind me asking, What led to you ending up here?” Night asked gingerly. Sighing Luna didn’t look at him, “I figured thou would ask eventually,” Shifting uncomfortably she took a moment to respond. “Take your time, we have plenty of it,” Night said, smiling at her. Luna simply giggled at his remark, it was the first time Night had heard mare do anything of the sort. It was adorable and he wished to hear more of it, he wanted to hear more of her and yet he felt he didn’t really have the right to. “We tried to make thy night eternal, so that ponies would no longer cower in fear of the night, we tried to gain respect through means that do not command respect. We have had plenty of time to think of thy folly.” Said Luna dejectedly. Luna didn’t keep track of the days like Night did but she knew they had been there sometime and with said time she had all of it to think about where she went wrong. “Go on, I'm listening,” Night said, encouraging her to continue. He was curious, he wanted to comfort her. Maybe it was a savior complex, no that wasn’t it. No-one was there for him when he anguished over the centuries alone here, Luna should not have to do the same. “We became twisted by our own loathing, hatred, and jealousy of thy own sister. The ponies rejoiced in the day and denounced the night and its comfort.” Luna said bitterly. She was holding back tears at this point thinking about the incident. “We simply wanted to be respected and loved by the ponies we ruled over, like Celestia.” A tear ran down Luna’s cheek as she explained what happened. All Night could do was listen for now, something he wished someone would have done for him. He offered no solutions to the endless questions Luna posed as to why things ended the way they did. One moment she was bitter and cursing those that did not respect her, the next she was apologetic and remorseful. Night wasn’t sure how long they had been talking but by the end of the conversation Night was holding the Princess of the moon in his arms and wings. She sobbed into his shoulders as he gently stroked her mane. This would carry on until Luna would stop crying. She rested her head on his shoulder and laid in his embrace, enjoying the warmth that radiated off him. It felt calming and soft, yet strong and protective and she liked that. She felt guilty for assuming he was an evil pony who deserved his time on the moon. “Luna, I know I don’t really have the right to say this,” Night paused for a moment, tightening his hug on Luna, “But every pony deserves basic respect, I may not agree with your actions but you are a good pony. And one that deserves more than any pony to feel accepted.” Night finished. These were words he wished he could have told his comrades, these are words he wished someone could have told him, but those weren’t possible. What was possible was making sure the pony in front of him knew that she could change. Luna said nothing nor did she move, it wasn’t that she couldn’t. It was that in all her time ruling with her sister she hadn’t heard comforting words like these since she was a filly. She felt Night understood her, and she was overcome with emotion once again and began to sob. Night counted 9 centuries since Luna had come to the moon, and they were closing in on a millennia together on the moon. Night was closing in on 2 but he decided not to count those years of his life. He wasn’t really living when Luna wasn’t with him and it took him a while to realize that. The years they spent not talking to each other and learning about each other and their views was time Night now saw as wasted. Knowing this he chose to not waste anymore time, he knew it was a big risk but he was willing. Around century 2 or 3 he asked Luna to be his friend. She accepted happily. She laughed when he asked and said, "Thou have been thy friend for quite some time, we would think so anyway" Then around century 5 or 6 or maybe even before that Night wanted more, he liked the way Luna laughed, the way she talked, and more importantly who she was. She warmed his heart that he had feared been lost to time. He was grateful in so many ways for her, he hated thinking he was happy she was sent here, but in a way he was happy. By century 7 well, he couldn’t bear to think of anypony he’d rather be with, though he doubted himself. He doubted these feelings were real, if all his time alone had done this. He wondered if anyone else showed up would he have felt the same way. “Gah I can’t do this anymore” Night shouted, surprising Luna who was sitting next to him. “Hast thou finally lost it?” Luna said to him sarcastically. “Yes and No, I” Night stopped for a moment and collected himself, “What I can’t do is this” he motioned to himself and to Luna. Tilting her head confused, “Hast thou grown tired of our presence?” Luna asked, clearly hurt by the notion. Night quickly corrected her, “No I haven’t that's just it, I… I like you Luna” he said, looking deep into her teal eyes. “Oh, thou scared us, we like thee too! Most agreeable company” said Luna. “No I do not think you get what I mean,” Night said, sighing. He had to just go for it, he thought. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek gently. Luna froze when this happened, processing what just happened. “Did thou just-”Luna began but was quickly cut off. “I did, Luna. I like you a lot more than just friends, It’s been centuries since we’ve known each other. We have our disagreements but that only made us closer and I would like more, So I ask you” Night closed his eyes tightly before finishing his sentence, “Please be my mare friend Luna Is what I am asking you.” Luna didn’t say anything, though Night couldn’t see it she was smiling at him. She felt overjoyed, and overwhelmed, and worried all in the same emotion she couldn’t describe. “What dost thou like about us?” Luna asked after a brief silence. “Everything, your demeanor, your voice, your laugh, the way you think, and how far you’ve come over the years.” Night said no longer speaking with his head but what was in his heart. The heart he had thought long since stone cold was beating again and frantically so at the very moment. “And when did thou feel differently about us?” Asked Luna inquisitively. “I… I am not so sure about that, maybe a few centuries ago, but this time thing is confusing after the first few centuries. I do know that I do like you a lot though, even if you don’t feel the same way I-” Before Night could finish, Luna had kissed him, making him stop talking and open his eyes. His face was rosy red underneath his green coat. “Thou art adorable when thou are flustered, we accept thy feelings and return them, colt friend” giggling Luna lay her head on his shoulder. “I uh, um I’ll stop talking now Luna” Night sputtered trying to get his head right. The feelings, doubts, and insecurities he had previously were melting away. He didn’t know if he and Luna would ever get off the moon but he didn’t care. As long as he had her, as long as she was by his side he would stay on the moon a millennia or more if he had to. It had happened not too long ago, and Night was still reeling from the fact that he was alone again. He was accustomed to being with Luna albeit for such a short time, well if one could call a century a short period of time. The time flew by in the blink of an eye to him though, as they began to talk more and enjoy each others company. Luna had endless stories as she had lived a longer span than he and he was content listening to her talk. She would happily tell him of past battles, history he never knew, encounters with the other species on the planet. He would listen to her endlessly and he never got tired of hearing her voice not once. Now it was gone, and he didn’t know she had to leave him. She didn’t even seem to realize what was going on either. She was dissolving into light slowly from her hooves up, She smiled and assured him she would be back for him. That was another set of years behind him now, he stopped counting. Night just lay on the floor of the place he and Luna once called a home. They had almost spent a millennia together, before she vanished from his life. “I hope she is doing ok, I miss her,” Night said to himself. He trusted Luna endlessly and yet the twinge of doubt in his head gave way to the thought that he’d been abandoned yet again. Shaking his head he left the dwelling and sat and looked at the place he once called home once more, as he did everyday. He never got tired of it much like how he never got tired of Luna. “I am never getting home am I?” Night questioned the expanse of space. Yielding no reply he put his head down and let the tears flow from his eyes. Centuries worth of tears came forth, his hope of going home shattered, and the loss of his beloved was the final straw. Yet when he went to get up, a door of light opened and out emerged Luna. “Did thou think I would leave my beloved alone, come I have much to show you my Night” Luna said lovingly. Without a word Night scrambled up and ran over to her. He followed her through the door to see green grass, and an endless expanse of ocean that he could only see from space. He saw a castle atop a cliff and a city around it, he knew he was finally home. The two that were imprisoned together were no longer alone, and were free to finally live.