Dark Paradise: the TwiLuna Group Collab

by Habanc


Instant Regret - Habanc

Instant Regret
Written by: Habanc

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Somewhere below, off the nearby cliffs, she could hear the lake rippling against the rocks, quiet noises that were only allowed to come out during the void of night.

And then Applejack burped. Loudly, in fact.

The girls around the campfire all broke into laughter, collapsing against one another. They all knew they were somewhere within White Tail Wood, but the specifics were hazy. To be honest, almost everything was hazy.

Bottles littered around the logs they used as seats. It was a cider of five years' past, aging perfectly in a barrel kept in the basement of Sweet Apple Acres. It tasted wonderful a few hours ago; now it flowed like water.

"Luna. Lunaaa."

The lunar princess rolled her head around, coming to her equal. She was sitting beside her, albeit on another log. "Y- yes, Twilight?"

"I'm bored." Twilight pawed at her foreleg. "Do something funny."

"Uh," Luna mumbled as she took a moment to go over her options. "No."

"Come onnn. I figured you'd actually be fun like this, not all stuffy and... and pompous like in Canterlot." Twilight tilted her nose up into the air.

Luna recoiled, and almost too far as she had to keep from falling off her seat. "What? Takest back thy foul words!"

"Okay, nevermind." Twilight giggled. "The archaic speech is– is actually kinda funny."

"We shall not– what? Art thine words true?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a nod.

Luna sputtered internally, not sure what to make of this. Perhaps it wasn't too bad. Twilight certainly liked it, or at least laughed at it, and that made her heart flutter.

"Dost thou wishest Us to continue Our dialect?"

"No, no..." Twilight paused for a moment, happily gazing out into the distance. "No, but it's funny every now and then."

Luna fought to keep her faltering spirits up. "I see. Well then, what do–"

"Hit it, Applejack!" rang out Pinkie Pie's voice. Within seconds, a harmonica began playing at a lightning pace, folky and inviting all at once. Bewildered, Luna looked to Twilight.

"Come on!" The unicorn rose to her hooves. "I'm bored! Let's dance!" Before Luna could complain or contest, she was whisked away to just outside the camp, along the grassy knoll by the bluffs. Drunken and unashamed, Twilight began to... do something between a rocking chair impression and a dying worm. Luna watched her in equal parts confusion and amusement. It was adorable, really – or so her inebriated goggles told her.

Luna coughed into her hoof to hold in her laughter. "What do you call this, uh, dance?"

Twilight looked up to her as she spun around in circles, hooves bucking out and flailing. "No clue! It's freestyle!" She panted for breath between sentences. "You just, y'know, let it all flow through you. Feel the music!"

It's demonic, Luna quipped. Never before had she seen this outlandish side in Twilight, and after tonight perhaps she wouldn't want to either. She smiled. "I see! Well then, can I join you in this pagan blood ritual?"

"Of course!" Twilight brushed the damp hair out from her face.

Taking a deep breath, her courage fully enforced by alcohol, Luna tried to mimic her. Front legs out, hind legs out... and that leaves no hooves on the ground.

Luna crashed into the earth. Grass was firmly shoved into her teeth, the womp of her landing still echoing into the night.

Returning to her hooves, Luna breathed pure relief as Twilight made no indication that she saw. Again, she started, placing her hooves as carefully as a drunken mare could. It was rough at first, but soon she was getting the hang of it.

"There you go, Luna!" Twilight called out. Luna nodded in turn. There was too much concentration on her hooves to be able to do much more. Looking up for a moment, Luna caught her eyes, and watched as Twilight winked at her. It was gone in a flash, but by all things divine she was sure she saw it!

Excitement surging in her heart, Luna pushed her hooves faster. She danced harder and harder, not sure why other than to perhaps-maybe-possibly impress Twilight, but she dare not admit it to herself yet.

In the blur of vision that overtook her spinning form, Luna nudged her steps closer and closer to the purple blotch that could only be Twilight. Perhaps she'd think of something brilliant, witty, or romantic! Or maybe all three! She didn't think of why she was going to her, only of what she might say when she got there. And yet, so wrapped up in her own hopes, dreams, and delirium, Luna failed to heed how close Twilight was growing.

Her rear hooves actually connected with something. Something that yelped.

Stumbling about as she spun out from her dance, Luna watched the purple blur fly over the bluffs, descending towards the blue water below. There was a large splash, followed by a bright flash of light.

Regret – over everything, over this whole stupid, silly dance – sunk in her stomach like a weighted witch. The next thing Luna knew, a large weight came crashing down on her.

Tumbling into the grass, Luna's bleary vision began to pick up the other body atop her. It was familiar... In fact, it was the same purple blur as before!

"Wooow..." Twilight's voice murmured. "That was fun."

Cogs scrambling into place, Luna nearly shot out of her skin. "Wha-! What!? I– I kicked you across–"

Twilight burst into giggles to silence her. "I know, but I– I don't mind a dip in the water every once in awhile. That was fun, Luna."

"Twilight, you... well, you and I, I suppose, are both heavily inebriated. Don't you realize the weight of what I've done?" Luna squirmed, trying to get out from under her.

"Well, of course. I weigh a perfectly healthy amount." She smiled and stuck her tongue out at Luna.

"But– but–!"

Twilight planted a hoof over her lips. "Shh... I said I was bored, and you did something to fix it. That's all I care about. Th– thank you, Luna."

"M'okay," Luna managed from under her hoof.

Pulling her hoof aside, she leaned in and planted a kiss on Luna. She held it for just a few seconds, and those rose back up. "Now, come on! I have a few other "pagan blood rituals" I wanna try to this next song."