Pearple Juice With Bits

by Pearple Prose

Demon [TwiLuna]

Author's Note:

Technically a continuation of Archonix's 'Demon', but doesn't really require you to have read it. (Arch's is better anyway)

The wind howled against the mouth of the cave in the mountainside as a icy storm thrashed against the rock and wound through the desolate peaks. Water dripped and echoed loudly, creating a steady beat that resounded throughout the cave.

A metal shod hoof reached up and clung tightly to the lip of the cave entrance. It slid uncertainly on the icy stone, before finding purchase on the uneven crag. Muscle rippled beneath black fur and a pitch black alicorn heaved herself up with a grunt, collapsing against the floor of the cave. She allowed herself a moment to breathe before dragging herself further into the dark crevice, away from the howling gales and biting cold.

Shudders wracked the alicorn’s body. Blood dripped slowly from fresh wounds and slashed skin. Cracked and twisted shreds of armour still clung to her chest, legs, and head. Her battered wings hugged a small purple body tightly to her side.

A hacking cough racked her body. She was alive – barely. That wasn’t important, though, not as important as her precious cargo.

The Nightmare slumped against the wall and numbly unfurled her wing. A muddy and bloody purple alicorn slipped out from beneath it, and she hugged her tightly to her body and wrapped her wings around her to conserve heat.

The Nightmare couldn’t feel anything at first, and she fell so very, very close to losing what sanity still remained. But she pushed the dark thoughts away and went about cleaning the comatose body of Twilight Sparkle carefully and lovingly with her tongue, grooming her hair and mane and licking away the blood and mud that coated her.

Then, she felt it – the faint beat of a heart inside Twilight’s chest. Tears stung the edges of the Nightmare’s eyes, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. Instead, she slumped over, and curled up around her love.

There was silence in the cave, save for the steady drum of the water and the matching thud of Twilight’s heart in the Nightmare’s ears.

Twilight began to stir. Nightmare opened one teal eye and watched her features shift and her eyes open, slowly. Twilight looked at her, purple eyes glazed over with pain, and there was fear there.

Nightmare– Luna– Whoever she was now, she stroked her love’s hair and shushed her as she began to whimper. Her horn glowed and the battered and cracked champron slid off her head and dissipated into ether once more.

“Luna…?” Twilight whispered. “Is that you?”

Teal eyes flickered to draconic slits and back again. “Yes, dear.” She tried a smile. “‘Tis Us, in the flesh.”

“I… I thought I was…”

“No, Twilight. You’re okay. We’re all okay.” Luna repressed a sob and hugged Twilight tighter. “It’s over now. It’s all over.”

Twilight whimpered and pushed her feebly away. “B-But you’re hurt! Luna, you’re bleeding!”

“It doesn’t matter.” Luna held her close and whispered reassuring nothings into her ear. “It’s okay, Twilight. Just rest.”

The cave was quiet again. Liquid shadows mixed with blood as they ran down Luna’s back and pooled in the cracks of the cave. Her mane dimmed and corporealised as the magic receded.

“...What happened to Sombra…?” Twilight asked quietly. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was laboured. Luna didn’t say anything at first, just lit her horn and swept a healing spell across Twilight’s bruised and broken body.

“We’re going to be okay, Twilight.” Luna repeated. Twilight nodded. She understood.

Luna’s magic went out with a small, pitiful spark. She collapsed again, breath escaping with an ominous rattle in her lungs. Her light blue mane fell limp across her face and clumps of black shadow still stuck to her indigo coat.

“Luna!” Twilight tugged at her with her hooves. “Luna, wake up!”

Luna didn’t respond.

Twilight choked on a sob. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not after all they’d done to survive. She lit her horn and gathered the darkness that coated the floor around them. The shadow mixed with her magic, dying it a thick black. Ignoring the pain that threatened to tear her horn apart, Twilight wrapped her and Luna in a thick cocoon of solid dark magic, cutting off the unearthly cold and the howls of the blizzard outside.

And as the spell finished, Twilight collapsed onto her marefriend and blacked out.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

An enjoyable pile of blurplepony fluff with some fascinating dark bits. Thank you for sharing these with us.

[Pearple Prose]

8118494
8121235

Well, thank you guys very much.

Do you mind if I ask where/how you found this story? It's been getting a bit of attention recently it seems, but it's a pretty obscure thing.

[Ice Star]

8121741 I was just browsing through your stories to find some quick quality reads in between my own writing breaks and decided to add it to some groups (I was surprised it wasn't in many) so that other people could read it too.

Stories that haven't been added to enough groups bother me just a teensy bit, and for half hour prompts, these are really spectacular.

[Pearple Prose]

8127004

There's actually a couple more things I've yet to publish on here that I stalled out on just because I'm a little embarrassed about them – if you remember that OC tournament contest thing from way back, they're two stories I wrote for that, and I don't hold them in that high a regard. I'll prolly post them now since people seem to like these shorts so much.

[Ice Star]

8127277 Oh, neato! And I do think I recall it. OC Space Jam or something?

*Slamjam. Yeah, that was it, right?