Moonrise

by LEPShot

The Descent

I trembled against the body next to me, holding her close and pressing our coats together as my legs twitched with cold. She felt warm, now, for the first time in twenty three years. I couldn’t really make up my mind on whether that was a comfort or a curse.

The shivers had started yesterday morning, but they weren't nearly as bad as they were right now. They came and went in bouts of cold, but at first, all I had to do to keep them in check was ask for a blanket. Now, even three couldn’t keep the attacks at bay. They seemed to take my body by siege, and all defenses crumbled to them.

My veins ran with the arctic waters, my bones were forged from the inside of a glacier, and my mind was assaulted with lunar winds. My breathing was uneven and disjointed as I fought the cold, telling myself that, if Luna could face the moon for one thousand years, then I could deal with this for a few minutes, but I was in a losing fight. I bucked and jerked occasionally with the mind-shattering cold, and with every contraction of my muscles, my will to fight eroded.

I lay across her chest, my nose buried in the crook of her neck with my forelegs around her shoulders and the back of her head. Her forelegs were wrapped tightly around me, with her chin on my right shoulder. Even though she was here, the only thing I really wanted to do was pass out. I just wanted her to touch our horns together, to let her take me away to her realm, the land of dreams, and be with her there. I opened my mouth to try and say this, but as I went to speak, a powerful shudder rocketed through my muscles, and I choked on my words. I coughed, mercilessly and violently into the pillow below her as my body continued to spasm. I felt her forelegs tighten around me.

I just wanted it to stop. The cough, the shudders, the pain, for somepony to just end it. Whatever waited for me after this, it wouldn’t be as bad as having every single one of my friends in the room, watching me convulse and sputter pathetically on a hospital bed. For me to die right now would be a blessing.

They stopped. My body settled down, the wave of frigid cold passing by me, leaving behind only the thick sheets of arctic ice that covered my bones. A thousand pounds of dead weight seemed to settle on me, and I could think straight again, though how I was supposed to focus on anything other than what had just happened was beyond me.

I completely lost it. Any semblance of composure I had held onto until that attack had shattered, and I sobbed uncontrollably into the fur of her throat and jaw. Instead of cold shivers, my body now shook with whimpers and cries, and I felt the nape of my neck heat up as her own tears ran down her cheeks. I heard the door open and shut multiple times as ponies left the room, whether disgusted or pained or startled by me, I didn’t know. Through my breakdown, I prayed to a god I didn’t believe in for death.

Luna’s leg rubbed my withers, down to my tailbone, then back up. She didn’t try to shush me, or calm me down, or do anything other than cry with me. She made sure that I knew she was here, and that I wasn’t alone. Eventually, that’s all I needed.

My breathing slowed down, interrupted only by the occasional hiccup or sniffle. Luna’s foreleg still massaged my back, and I was oh-so tempted to continue to lie there, basking in the vehemenistic warmth she gave off. Sleep pulled at my eyelids, exhausted as I was from earlier. Her new-found heat was definitely a comfort, I thought, even as I released her upper body from my grasp and pushed myself onto my front hooves. This was not as easy as it sounds, however. I didn’t just move my legs and get up; It felt like my forelegs had been tied down with boulders, and my torso might as well have been made out of lead.

I struggled to push myself up, feeling like my legs would snap in half any moment and crumble into icy crystals, but I inched upwards, knees shuddering under the strain. Luna tried her best to help, keeping her chest close to mine and her hooves hovering over my shoulders in case I fell, but let me handle my own weight; She knew it was a pride thing, even if she disagreed with it. If she had her way, the only thing I would be doing would be staying wrapped up tightly in her embrace.

I locked my knees as I completed my task, and some small portion of me filled with pride. Most of me, however, thought that the only thing I had really accomplished was a menial task even a foal could do in a shorter amount of time. I was breathing heavily from the effort, and the pain in my limbs told me that my victory would not be enjoyed for much longer.

I let out a sigh, then rolled to the right, letting my body fall limply back onto the bed. My body objected to that, and it felt like I was being ripped into two, but I ignored it as best I could as I looked on at the ponies still left in the room. I blinked sleep from my eyes and pushed myself up slightly, so my head was raised.

There was my dad, in a chair towards the center of the wall opposite the bed, his head bowed and lips moving in silent prayer. He had always been a religious pony; Why would he abandon faith now? Spike sat next to him, one clawed arm around the back of the Unicorn’s neck. His two-toned head was also lowered, but I wasn’t sure if he was praying alongside my father or just listening. I had never known the dragon to be one for prayer, but I’d seen ponies turn to crazier things in times like these.

Celestia was still on her cushion, though she looked marginally better than she did two days ago after we all convinced her (with extreme difficulty) to get some sleep and freshen up. Her coat was shinier, her mane glossier, and she resembled the Princess that had ruled Equestria our entire lives. But that was just her physical appearance. Her eyes, the way they were red and puffy, the emotions held in them... they showed her true state.

Rainbow was the only one of my friends still in the room, curled up on the same chair she had been in since the day after I was attacked. I knew better than to ask her why she hadn’t left with the others; I had asked the same thing last night, after the first bad attack, and her response had almost brought tears to me. “What if that had been it, huh? What if you had... I’m not going to leave you, Egghead. Not a chance.”

Then there was Luna, laying to my right, like she had been since day one. She had already replaced her foreleg and wing across me, and her warmth seeped into me, filling and comforting me. I looked to her despite the searing pain in my muscles, met her eyes, and they scared me worse than anything in the world. There was... nothing. No happiness, no emotion. The cyan that normally sparkled and sang with passion whenever she saw me was replaced with a dead emptiness. It looked like she had detached herself from the world, in order to spare herself from the pain I was bringing her.

If I hadn’t been so drained from crying a few minutes ago, I think I would have now.

I lightly pushed against her nose with mine, and some traitorous part of my brain found it funny that I was comforting her, not the other way around. A tiny smile formed on her lips, but it was an odd one, like she had forgotten exactly what a smile is supposed to look like. She nuzzled against me, and right after I felt an odd warmth on my cheek. Then again, a little closer to my throat. The wet warmth continued to move down my neck, across my shoulder... Luna was grooming me.

That was the last straw. I caved in to the exhaustion, letting the relaxing feeling of her tongue moving across my fur carry me away to dream of a happier time, and hoping that maybe, when... if I woke up, it would be in a place like that.

We walked along the sands of the beach, basking in the final hour of golden sunshine of the day. The little granules underhoof were still warm from the summer’s day, and their parting softness brought a smile to me.

She stayed on my left, letting me feel the heat from the sun while covering my flank with her wing. The soft feathers seemed to curl and contour to match my body perfectly, and that let their coolness become even more pleasant. I had my head tilted so that it rested on her shoulder, and I closed my eyes as I let her become all that I could feel in the world.

We walked along for a few minutes, her guiding me along in silence, simply enjoying the other’s company. The sound of the crashing waves was calming, and the occasional seagull flapped overhead. If every second of every day felt like this, I could die happy.

I felt her slow down, her gait eventually bringing us both to a stop. I looked to her, and she smiled serenely while slowly dropping to all fours, motioning for me to do the same. I complied, settling my head on my hooves, facing the sunset, and felt her head rest on my withers. Her body was just behind mine, and I could feel the beating of her heart through her chest as it pressed against me.

The sand was almost as soft as a cloud, something that I could attest to, thanks to Rainbow. It was much warmer, however, and for that I greatly preferred it. I let out a small sigh as I observed the setting sun, admiring its sweeping colors and rosy hues, drinking it all in.

I could feel Luna’s breathing slowing down, becoming more even as she slowly fell asleep, but who could blame her? We had spent almost all of yesterday running around the castle, trying to chase down books that were running through the halls after Celestia made almost half the library grow legs. I turned slightly to look at her, finding her already snoozing, and figured that she’d earned a nap... as long as she didn’t start snoring, I thought with a chuckle.

The ocean’s waves sparkled with sunshine, the blue water turning to a brilliant orange at the sunset. A few clouds hung around the setting star, and the darker shades they wore contrasted beautifully with the lighter, warmer colors of the sky.

With Luna sleeping next to me, seeing how peaceful she was, I thought that taking a nap of my own wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I reset myself so that I was more comfortable, making sure not to jar Luna awake while doing so. I set my head down on my hooves again, gazing out towards the west, and let out a deep breath.

A few blinks later, and the sun suddenly teleported quite a ways down in the sky, deepening in color as it did so. The clouds also changed completely, spreading further apart in the sky. I huffed at myself for missing out on such a beautiful sight, even though I did feel much better with some sleep. I had been out out about half an hour, judging by the sun’s position, and there was only about half of that time left until it set completely. I smiled contently at the scene, closing my eyes again, and let all tension and worry drip away into the sands below with a deep sigh. This was perfect. This was Heaven.

Not long afterwards, I felt Luna start to come back to the world. Even the Shepherd of Dreams couldn’t stay asleep forever, it seemed. She stayed still for a moment, then I could feel her head turn towards me. I felt her gaze on me, and it seemed to send a current through me, making my heart buzz with excitement. On top of the already-warm sun and sand, my chest and stomach grew hotter the longer she stared. After a long while, I had endured too much; I felt like I was going to melt into putty if she continued.

“I would have thought that a Princess knew how impolite it was to stare.” I thanked Celestia for not letting my voice crack. Even so, I couldn’t help but let a small grin escape onto my lips. She caught on immediately, and wouldn’t even pretend to let me have the upper hoof for just a moment.

The current under my skin tingled and my fur stood on end as she gave a soft huff. She knew I was only joking, but she went for the throat anyway. “I would apologise, but you know that I can’t help myself.”

My heart jumped a little in my chest, and my ears reflexively flattened in embarrassment. As if my face weren’t already warm enough, a blush graced my cheeks as my light grin became a grimace. Only a heartbeat went by before she relinquished. “What would you have me stare at, instead?”

I went to turn my head towards her as I opened my eyes, but the sight before me froze me in place and withered any snappy comeback I prepared.

There was no doubt that Celestia was responsible for the sunset. The way the clouds reflected the color of her eyes perfectly, the way the soft colors surrounding them flowed and accented the warm patches beautifully... It was a mirror image. Beauty and grace, with an underlying tone that made it a powerful sight. “The sunset is beautiful right now.” That did my teacher’s creation absolutely no justice, but it was really the only thing I could think to say.

I could almost sense Luna’s hesitation to looking at anything other than me, but she still raised her head from my withers and complied. The gulls and waves filled the air for a minute while we both looked on. “The sunset is lovely, you are right.” She paused momentarily, readying the killing blow. “I don’t think it’s a fair trade, though.”

There were few things at that moment that could have torn me away from the sunset, but her words succeeded where a Manticore might not have. My ears flattened again as I looked away, but I wouldn’t let that reaction last for long.

I forced myself to meet her eyes as I faced her, and the cool cyan captured me, drew me in, held my eyes in place and promised to never let go. The way she met my stare, her emotions burning into me with passion and intensity, spreading like wildfire to my body... There was no way to stop myself. I started to close the distance between us, tilting my head to the side as I did so. I saw her start to do the same, and I let my eyes close as we met in the middle.

Her cool lips sent my body haywire, every nerve humming with electricity. The buzz in my ribs spiked into my throat, and I forgot how to breathe through the contact.

We broke away after only a few seconds, and I let out a shaky breath before meeting her steadfast gaze again. There wasn’t a single thought on my concupiscent mind as I moved forward again, pressing against her snout and pushing forward. I felt a hoof coming to rest on my flank, starting to move slowly towards my underside. The movement against the grain of the fur sent sparks flying across my skin again, and I let out a tiny squeak as she hooked her right hoof around my abdomen, gently pulling me onto my back.

She gave me a quiet smirk as she pulled away from the kiss, like a predator who has their prey trapped and all but caught. The hoof on my belly continued upwards, brushing against my collarbone and neck before sliding up my leg, lightly pushing it back and onto the sand. The teasing speed only amplified the voltage under my body, and I was having difficulty keeping my breath steady.

As the tip of her hoof met mine, my leg was pressed firmly, but comfortably, into the warm sand, and she pressed our chests together before resuming the kiss. I let out another noise as she put some of her weight on me, letting her other foreleg trail its way across my right side and up my leg, ever so slowly, until both my front hooves were pinned beneath hers.

My heart was going insane, thundering against my ribs and replacing the roar of the surf that filled my ears with its own sound. Every point of contact between our bodies seemed to burn and smolder on me, and my lower body was no different, even before she swung her leg over it, positioning herself fully ontop of me. Our coats rubbed and sparked against one another, setting fire to me, from the outside of my hind legs, to the center of my stomach, and up to my forelegs. I couldn’t help but moan once more, completely under her control.

She broke the contact of our lips once again, pulling her head out of reach from my restrained body and forcing me to meet her eyes before she spoke. “You know you have to say it,” Her tone was as light and airy as she could make it, but I could hear the desire hidden behind it. Her body was just as hot as mine right now.

My voice came out as shaky and shuddering as my breaths, and I stuttered on the first word, something she was quick to remind me of. “I-I...” I couldn’t recover before she moved downwards, towards my neck, and trailed her tongue in a feather-light lick up to my jaw.

“Sorry, dear, I couldn’t really hear you.” She whispered into my ear, her warm breath almost making it flick in response.

“I love you, Luna!” I shot the words out as quickly as I could, before she could strike again, and after that, she broke me completely. She moved our lips together firmly, pressing down on me with her hips, and ecstasy crashed through me as the sun sank below the waves...

For the second time in as many hours, I blinked myself awake while laying on the sand. Stars and the low-hanging moon greeted me, but I really didn’t see them. Instead, I focused on the weight of the pony still partially on top of me, and the supreme comfort her body brought to me in my sleep-hazed state. Her chest was halfway atop mine, the other half lying in the sand beneath us, and her leg still somewhat covered mine, draped across my shoulder and up my foreleg. Her nose was pressed into the side of my neck, just below my jaw, and her warm, even breaths relaxed me into the makeshift bed.

The sand had lost some of its warmth, no longer reflecting the sun’s heat, but I didn’t mind at all; It matched her body.

I let my head roll back in the sand, looking up towards the sky and doing nothing but smile dreamily. My body still tingled with some electricity, but it was mild, and pleasant, and euphoric. The stars winked at me, like they knew what had happened below them, and I just sighed in response, content with their playfulness.

A few moments later, Luna pushed against my neck, nuzzling against the fur and tickling me slightly. We both raised our heads to find each other, still somewhat addled by sleep, but still tingling with the afterglow. She moved forward quickly, giving my nose an affectionate lick, and I laughed her off. She was reluctant to stop, and did the same thing on my cheek, then again on my chin, and again, going lower and becoming more tender every time. I lowered my head again as her tongue continued across my throat, and a few moments later, my eyes closed with sleep again.