Journey with a Batpony

by Gulheru

Chapter LXXXIV – Who Is Asking

The echo of Luna’s last question bounced around the chamber. It returned to her ears, multiplied, haunting, piercing her to the core. It hanged in this, unfathomable space like a warning, hidden in plain sight.

After what she had seen, with what she was seeing, she had no other choice but to inquire, and inquire desperately. Who was the pony right before her? What was this distinct, entwined manifestation? Was this Moonwarden and only him? Was this how he viewed himself, how his mind was projecting itself, in a split manner? Or was this Luna’s terror which had invoked, behind her beloved’s visage, a dark shadow, a phantom of gloom, looking at her with its grim gaze?

Or was this but a terrifying amalgamation of everything in the unicorn’s core, put together? Invoked by his state, the forced slumber he had been put in, for his own health?

She had to know. So she repeated herself, with a little bit more force and keenness.

“Who are you?”

Another pause, one occupied by tension and awaiting. The chamber around formed itself even firmer in preparation, though its reinforcement came with the shadows growing more still and impenetrable.

Moonwarden’s visible eye squinted a little just a moment later, an expression which was simultaneously copied by his shadowy companion. The unicorn’s monocle, too, shined brighter for a second, sending a pulse throughout the entire room, one that Luna felt both passing through and encompassing her.

There it was again. That desire to submit, that crushing weight on her back, that unthinkable promise of respite in the nothingness of obedience, even if it all lasted only for a second. Though, for all of the terrible, insidious power, it didn’t feel like an attack. More like… like a spell rebounding from pressure applied to it.

Luna shook her head awake from the numbness, just in time for the unicorn to speak up, in two, identical voices.

“And who is it that is asking me thus?” he inquired, turning his head just a little, with his shadowy counterpart following without fault. An expression of curiosity was blatant on the visible muzzle, but there was something hidden behind it, something fleeting, something he himself couldn’t discern. “I have a feeling that I should know you, that I do know you.”

Luna wasn’t sure how to reply to that, at first. She had so many things to say, and yet she was stuck with the simplest one – explaining exactly who she was. She immediately felt her concern rising, for the confusion in Moonwarden’s gaze… or gazes, was genuine. Had he suffered enough injuries to have his brain muddled and memories tossed around haphazardly? Or was this but the effect of the coma?

“I’m…”

She hesitated for a breath, wishing to focus a little more first. She wanted to catch whatever reaction her introduction could coax out of her servant. Her dithering, however, brought forth a feedback from him, outright, one that she was not entirely expecting.

“Your reluctance speaks for and by itself. I would prefer to hear the truth, mind you,” he warned her, and it was a stern suggestion, as well. “I have ways of extracting it, of course, reliable ones. But I will grant you the benefit of my patience for the next moment or so, so speak up and plainly.”

Luna wasn’t sure what was more terrifying. That he spoke with so much authority and conviction, behind which hid the threat of his mentalism, or that he sounded so polite in tone while still projecting undeniable dread all around. So much so that she could see the chamber around bending, twisting, like a creature trying to get away from an angry handler, before settling down a moment later.

And while she wasn’t concerned for Moonwarden’s abilities in the waking world, she was now on his turf. She had already been experiencing the pull of mentalism in its, silver, domineering splendor around here, she didn’t want to risk any more of it if she could help it.

“I am Princess Luna, the Alicorn of the Night,” she spoke, trying to gather enough confidence in her, despite her caution, to sound truthful or convincing, at least. She wasn’t lying, but that didn’t mean that reluctance could not make her sound like she was.

There was another matter that scared her to no end at that moment, however. Moonwarden’s form didn’t even move at her name. There was no shudder, no flinch, no widening of his eyes. She wasn’t sure if he was even breathing.

She was expecting recognition, she was foreseeing spotting something in that silvery gaze, or even a stirring in the dark stare behind it, but there was just… nothing. As if she had never existed for the unicorn, and was only now making a formal introduction.

His words also reinforced that horrific scenario. “A princess? As in – a royal? How riveting,” Moonwarden judged, the light of his monocle glinting almost playfully. “Welcome, welcome. Might I inquire which domain do you call your own, then? Or is the ‘night’, by itself, your calling, actually?”

Luna tried to hold back the feeling of utter despair at the lack of recognition, and wanted to speak up again, but the unicorn shook his head and waved his hoof.

“Actually, regardless of your response, I should show a modicum of good breeding to somepony claiming such a station. Just on the off chance that you are entirely truthful, I do not wish to look a fool.”

A strange sound from behind made Luna turn her head, to witness another armchair manifesting from… the carpet. Shadows rose from the dark material, weaving themselves, one after another, into a semblance of a piece of furniture. They bent and twisted, trying to hold their form, until a silver strand came, descending from the ceiling like a tailor’s needle. It pierced them, stringing them together with blinding speed. In a short breath after, a copy of Moonwarden’s own seat was present behind Luna. An idea made manifest, ready for her to rest upon.

Regardless of her concern, she needed to keep it together and show some of her own dignity, even if to uphold her brave face in this terrible scenario. “Thank you kindly.”

“Think nothing of it. It is also a form of precaution,” he claimed, a little enigmatically. “Now, if you would be so kind as to provide me with an answer – where do you hail from?”

“Equestria,” she told him, right away, though decided to add some more details, to hopefully help him remember. “I am one of the diarchs of it, alongside my sister, Celestia. While she takes vigil through the Sun and during the day, I rule the night’s sky, and the Moon. I also safeguard the domain of dreams.”

Moonwarden didn’t react in any other way than simply looking at her with this focused, yet empty gaze. Meanwhile, his shadow was sharing his interest, taking in Luna’s presence with a taxing, grim stare.

“What do you say?”

Luna opened her mouth to ask for more context regarding that particular inquiry, though she was given apt information almost immediately. For only one voice had asked that particular question, and the same one, though simultaneously separate, provided an answer.

“She is not lying, that much I can tell.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I am. We could check, however. Better safe than sorry.”

“No, I do not believe that necessary for the moment,” Moonwarden, the corporeal one with the monocle, deemed.

Much to Luna’s relief, not that the sheer fact that she had just witnessed that conversation was making her any less nervous. Just how many times she had been a spectator to her servant’s ramblings and dialogues with himself? Was that shadow, that grim, dark emanation, his conversation partner? What was it even, she still pondered. A part of him? Something else that she had never discerned?

Was that… But, no, this didn’t feel like the Nightmare. She knew that presence all too well, she would recognize it immediately.

Whatever it was, Moonwarden didn’t show any signs of realizing that he had shared this conversation out loud, especially as a kind smile came upon his muzzle. “I see, then. I am in the presence of royalty. Truth be told, the alicorn form was a hint, but one should not trust everything they perceive,” he informed, sounding most polite, though there was that spicy hint of sarcasm in his tone, as well. “Do forgive me for not standing up to greet you properly, with a bow and a curtsy. I seem to be a little unwell. I have been sitting here for quite some time now.”

“That is quite alright, I understand,” Luna responded, and let her curiosity ask the next question, hoping to discern something from it. “For how long, if I might ask?”

Moonwarden’s brow furrowed, then he looked up at something unspecified, with his shadow following. There was visible strain on his muzzle before he actually answered, one that made the portion of the chamber creak and bend, as if he was trying to pierce out of it, break the ceiling apart by sheer gaze.

“It feels like decades at this point. I might be mistaken, however, a lot of time looks the same way here.”

Decades?

Luna’s own muzzle grimaced as she tried to make out something out of that claim. Was the treatment causing her servant to perceive time differently? Or was this a mark of something more profound, a feeling or a sickness that had been affecting him for so long?

“And before that?”

Moonwarden looked at her and blinked with three eyes at the same time, taking a second to formulate the answer. “There was something, something less substantial, I believe. Hard to tell,” he admitted, before deciding to switch the topic, as if reaching so far into himself was straining him. “If I might – what brought you here, Your Highness? I am sorry to say, you were not invited. I have a rather strict policy of not inviting anypony.”

“I take it that all of those traps I’ve avoided are the said ‘policy’?”

Luna realized what she had just asked about, and dreaded that she had done so. However, the question seemed to amuse her host a great deal, as a sly smirk appeared on his lips, and even his darker self looked somewhat tickled by that curiosity, and the exasperation.

“A necessary one, I assure you, Your Highness. I find that it is for the good of both mine, and the potential intruders,” Moonwarden claimed with a calm smile that hid something deathly serious. “There are places around here that are off limits, for a very valid reason. One should not peek, it is extremely rude. And rudeness deserves a modicum of repayment.”

So he claimed, and that dark solemnity of his stance prompted the next question from Luna. “Yet, here I am. What should I expect from you, as the host?”

“Yes, that is a good topic to tackle,” the unicorn admitted, and would clearly rub his chin if he only could, as much as Luna knew his mannerisms.

His shadow looked similarly impaired, though provided its commentary instead. “There are the usual means.”

“And the unusual means, for… highly unusual situations. Do you think it could be managed?”

“Agreed, and I believe it possible. But would they be warranted here?”

“We will soon see,” Moonwarden, the corporeal one, assessed, and another pulse from his monocle caused Luna’s head to throb.

This one felt more… directed, however. He was probing her resistance, as much as she could tell. She had to keep it together, not show anxiety. It could actually prompt him to turn to… ‘unusual means’, whatever that meant. It couldn’t be anything good.

The unicorn spoke again, his voice kind, but with that sort of poisonous cordiality that could bring good health in minuscule amounts, but only despair in its abundance.

“I admit that my answer to your presence, Your Highness, depends on your intentions. Consider it an utmost courtesy on my part,” he told her, his lips smiling and his eyes piercing her through. “You still have not revealed the reason for your arrival. You have a moment longer to do so.”

“I…” Luna said, taking but a heartbeat to decide on what to say, hoping it wouldn’t prompt him to act straight away. “I came here for you, Moonwarden,”

Again, her revelation didn’t seem to affect the unicorn before her in any way. Well, no, that was a lie. He looked like he was debating with himself what to do with such a statement, which made Luna realize exactly how she had phrased it.

“For me, hmm?”

“Sounds like a threat, does it not?” the shadow suggested, though Moonwarden didn’t follow that train of thought, thankfully.

“Not necessarily. And there is one more matter,” the unicorn then claimed, continuing to speak with Luna directly. “How do you know my name?”

She bit her lip just a little. Explaining exactly everything was making her more and more nervous about Moonwarden’s state. “I… You are my Royal Advisor, my confidante. In Canterlot, at the Royal Palace.”

There was a moment of silence, one that suddenly filled Luna with hope, hope that the title and his position would awake something in him, that the memories would return, come back to life and emerge like a tide.

Instead, her moment of roused anticipation quickly turned sour, to the point where her muzzle scrunched.

For the stallion laughed. He actually laughed, and his shadow laughed with him, creating an incredible, blood-curdling echo of acrid merriment that penetrated Luna to the core. More so when Moonwarden explained the reason for his exhilaration.

“Oh! Oh, Princess Luna, that is quite the claim,” the unicorn pointed out, trying to contain his further chuckles. “Who, in their right mind, would allow me so close to themselves?”

The… sincerity of that question was like a hot iron right into Luna’s chest, piercing her reasoning and wounding her on a level she was not anticipating. She wasn’t certain if that was Moonwarden’s intention in any way, it looked more like the stallion was genuinely amazed that somepony had made such a choice. And that somepony, lamentably, was her.

“Why… why do you say that?” she asked him, hoping that he would explain it a bit more, that it would turn out to be a comment made out of different reasons than she was dreading.

Moonwarden smiled, and there was something biting and further wounding in that genuine smile. “Oh, Your Highness, it is quite actually transparent. You see, I happen to be… a bit of an opportunist. Looking for a most advantageous position to settle in I do consider a bit of a hobby. And, as I imagine, the role of a ‘Royal Advisor’ must bring with itself certain freedoms and favourable circumstances.”

“You… You would think so…” Luna replied, though she didn’t know why. She should have just listened, as the unicorn was aiming to be quite candid, with or without her commentary.

“Oh, it is only logical. These are opportunities that cannot be ignored. At leverage, at manipulation, at taking some actions, and weaving some intrigues to get oneself safe and comfortable while advancing one’s agendas,” he admitted, being able to nod to himself, something that his shadow joyfully copied. “Also there has to be a dosage of immunity from prosecution and jurisdiction, otherwise the position would not really mean much, and it sounds like it does, from your own tone, Your Highness.”

Luna didn’t reply, for she had nothing to say about that. Thankfully, and dreadfully so, Moonwarden enjoyed elucidating.

“Actually, you would be the one pony to exercise judgment upon me in such a situation, if I am reasoning correctly. Not that I would allow myself to leave that option entirely open, that seems like utter foolishness. And I do not consider myself a fool.”

Even Moonwarden’s own shadow added to that little monologue which was dragging Luna’s heart further and further down, and it did so with no less noxious eloquence. “Being placed outside of a regular chain of command within a court, such a treat. That station must involve a form of private connection with the sovereign, surely. It means having less angles to worry about regarding a successful reckoning from potential enemies,” it paused ever so briefly before continuing in the same, silken tone of the silver unicorn before it. “Fewer angles does not mean ‘none’ at all, and it would be absolutely idiotic not to assure that the one, specific one is not accordingly secured. With all due respect.”

“Agreed, entirely,” Moonwarden, himself, concurred, looking deep into Luna’s eyes, as if trying to read something out of them. “As I presume that I am under your direct employ, Your Highness, allow me to ask, out of sheer intrusiveness – stone the crows, who would suggest to you that I would be a good choice?”

Luna gritted her teeth, feeling her eyes welling up with tears. This was the amount of sincerity that was the most burning, the most rough and debilitating, for hiding behind nothing at all. There was no politeness here, no fake softness, that was a question directed from a mind most twisted and villainous towards a naïve little filly.

“Myself,” she admitted.

Much to the unicorn’s empathy, which was not something that she was expecting at all, especially after all of his words. “How regrettable. I am one of the last ponies anypony should trust, without a doubt,” he admitted without shame. Just stating the fact, as if he was making an off-hoof comment about bad weather, which was a most Trottinghamian thing. However, of all the things, there was compassion in him for the situation. “I am so dreadfully sorry, Your Highness. I am good at what I am good at, as tautologically as I shall make that sound, which means that I must have skulked myself quite proficiently into your inner circle.”

Luna’s mood fell even further, if that was possible, though that did invoke a sentence that she recalled all too well. A lesson that, despite her having heard often enough, clearly she hadn’t taken to heart.

“Distrust shields us better than an armor of steel…” she muttered.

Something changed.

She didn’t know what at first, but the room they were in it… it shook. It was like a tremor had passed right underneath it, something that made the walls wobble, the armchairs move, and the fireplace produce a subtle, bright flame, one that immediately extinguished itself a moment later, however.

Luna looked up, curious and a little frightened, though Moonwarden didn’t seem moved in any way, even if his own seat slid a couple of inches across the floor, crumpling the carpet’s side.

“Wise words, indeed. Distance, caution, wile. Those are not necessarily the core values of life, of course, but one should have a blade, or know how to put on armor, even without the intention of using it. Sometimes, while lacking the intent, we need to reach for our arsenal. We might as well know how to wield it, and it might as well be vast.”

“The only way we would have no need for it,” Luna replied, considering that she might as well join in this dark philosophizing, having nothing else left, “is for everypony else also emptying theirs entirely.”

“A utopian vision. Credulous, even, painting a target on one’s back,” Moonwarden admitted, not without satisfaction. “Again, if I am, indeed, your Royal Advisor, Your Highness, then you have made a dreadful mistake. I can only offer my sincerest sympathies, and express the hope that, while my service is surely stellar, I am exercising only the smoothest of intrigues right under your muzzle, and that you are blissfully unaware of them, or kept blissful on purpose.”

She gave him a sour smile, a proper repayment for his vile sincerity. “I appreciate your… two-faced compassion. I take it from your further words that your polite ‘sentiment’ never does stop you from abusing such opportunities? Especially one such as this? With me as the victim?”

“She is hurting.”

That comment made Luna look behind Moonwarden, for it was the shadow that made it, and she didn’t necessarily hear any dark satisfaction from that sentence. If anything, there was reluctance to reveal the fact.

“She looks like it, yes. I wonder what atrocities I have committed already,” Moonwarden pondered aloud.

“None too great, she would not want to even converse otherwise. She is not here to exact vengeance.”

“Definitely not, nothing about her says so. Are we that ingrained in her?”

Luna wanted to comment, but another pulse from the grey pony’s monocle stopped her dead in her tracks. She steeled herself for what was to come, but the argent force merely washed over her, not finding its purchase.

A fact that surprised even her host. “Most astounding.”

“No strings?” the shadow asked, as perplexed as the pony casting the spell. “At all? Not even the smallest? Are we that efficient, or have we been so careless?”

“That is unlike us…” Moonwarden deemed, giving Luna a most curious glance.

It prompted her to formulate a question, having in mind all of those ponies that she had passed by on her way to this place, though she still didn’t know where exactly she was. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt to try and find any more logic about her predicament, especially since she was clearly tackling the unicorn’s darkest aspect.

“Surprised, Moonwarden? I take it you weave your devious strings around all that you meet, don’t you?”

She didn’t mind the accusation manifesting in the question, the displeasure of a sovereign, but also the indignation of a normal pony at encountering such a stance and such a dark mind.

Neither did he mind her tone, as it happened. “Strands of one sort, or another, I would say. My power and abilities are not a crutch, they are an embellishment,” the unicorn claimed, with his shadow adding on top of it.

“Mentalism takes its toll. Not to mention that no mind can control everything, despite one’s ambition. But there is always an approach, a chance, an opportunity to influence a pony. And, while not always immediately one to use, it is good to pay attention to those. Safer to do so.”

“Of course,” the corporeal pony agreed. “It is like the weaving of a great web. Some parts can be necessary later on, or not at all in the grand scheme of things, but it is better to always visualize them. Makes it easier to take the necessary steps when the time is right.”

Luna listened and tried to understand it all, regardless of how that was making her feel. It was, actually, giving her a perspective that might not have been the absolutely worst one.

“So… All of the ponies I have seen when I was journeying here…?” she offered the imperfect inquiry, hoping for Moonwarden to share the information she needed out of his own volition.

He did, in a way. First, there was a shift in his monocle, one that caused a surge of light to traverse from it, and upwards. It followed alongside all of those strings attached to it, those that were disappearing above the unicorn, hiding themselves from sight in the deep shadows above. Even that pulse was devoured by the darkness, but Luna felt something stirring all around her. It was as if a throng of ponies just began marching on a renewed cue, creating a stomp that echoed all around, and spoke of the magnitude of Moonwarden’s mental devising.

“A few do bear my mark, some I just… know…” he said, and the realization itself made him pause. “I do not recall from where, right now, strange. But their forms are familiar. Their minds are recognizable. My emotions for them… linger,” he explained, both to her and to himself. “I like to envision them that way, in a form that I can control, organize... Regulate, so that everything goes according to plan. So there is no… mishap.”

Luna’s eyes squinted at the gravity of Moonwarden’s words. Even his shadow must have felt it, as it took upon itself to offer a cryptic explanation.

“Existence is unpredictable and chaotic. It is scary how quickly it can change and turn. How, in a matter of seconds, one’s life can take a tragic turn, with approval or not. With justification and intention, or… not.”

Luna heard something, though it came only as if an echo from the outside of the room. A series of sounds. Quick trotting, a cart’s wheels on a cobblestone street, a screech of a sudden, unplanned turn.

A foal’s scream, cut abruptly.

The chamber shook once more, almost displacing the armchairs again, as another flicker came from the fireplace, extinguished a second later. It left behind only wispy smoke, like the one that had been emitting all this time.

And something clicked in Luna’s mind. She knew that feeling, that weight, which had manifested in the recent sentences and was equal to the feeling that she recalled from her travel to meet Moonwarden in this place. This… was the burden of trauma.

Had the unicorn made it like this on purpose? Had he reformed it to be a safety measure in his own being? So it hadn’t been pointed at her, precisely, to stop her from advancing. It was something he carried, and was ready to share with any intruders in his mind? A remarkable, if troublesome, technique.

Unfortunately, she didn’t think it was the wisest thing to ask about it outright.

Also, at least she was now aware that, while projecting many ponies in that way, her servant was not a monstrous spider that had sunk his fangs and weaved his schemes all over Equestria. He was a monstrous spider that planned that, just in case. How far along this vision he was? Luna remained aware that he must have had some ponies trapped in his silver strings directly. Like Summer Rainfall, that mare she had witnessed him entrancing, one of the informants that the Royal Office was using. And there was the Second Chance. she knew of the bond on them…

Regardless of that, Luna’s curiosity pushed her in another direction. He had apologized to her for being in her vicinity and scheming against her, but his surprise at the lack of strings attached to her had been genuine.

This was Moonwarden’s mind without context, she realized. He knew himself to be a manipulator and a schemer, but he couldn’t remember her, precisely, so… he couldn’t remember that he was in love with her, which would be a reason for his restraint, right? Well, she would think that he only needed to search his feelings to remind himself of the fact, but a pony entrapped in a healing coma was, perhaps, debilitated in a way that made it extremely difficult.

She looked down, ever so briefly, at the gown she was wearing. She focused on the pocket portrait, that talisman of their connection, almost entirely transparent against her chest. No wonder Moonwarden hadn’t managed to even spot it yet. It wasn’t supposed to be here.

Maybe it was meant to be a tack, a way out, for both of them? Luna just needed to push him in the right direction.

“So, Moonwarden, it is unlike you to just… be careless with me?” she asked.

It made the unicorn focus his gaze on her again, after it had turned vacant and unsure for a brief moment, with his shadow diligently following.

“Yes. I would think that I would be most keen and cautious, synchronously, to make sure you are in my thrall one way or another. Honestly, I should rectify that outright,” he admitted, which scared Luna to the core. However, he didn’t follow through with the thought, not yet anyway. “Having a royal at my behest seems like quite the way to go. Alicorns are beings of extreme power, however. Which means that I clearly exercised prudence so far. Perhaps I have taken another approach altogether.”

“I enjoy being useful, for example. Indispensable, even,” his shadow added, looking at Luna with all the more interest and intensity. “A good word here, a supportive action there. I could even stoke some fears and anxieties a tad, just to extinguish them later on, earn for myself some gratitude. Also, I think this is a perfect opportunity for a little bit of false deference, some faux prostration.”

“Why ‘false’?” Luna’s lips let a question slide, though she would have asked it anyway. The feeling in her heart demanded to know.

“And why ‘real’?” the shadow replied, sounding almost snarky.

Moonwarden’s own response was a little more balanced. “I do not particularly enjoy having anypony above me. A fault of pride, without a doubt. I would be hard-pressed to find even a pony of royal breeding that would invoke my undisputed loyalty. I would have to have tremendously good and powerful reasons to abstain from plotting.”

“Would that be even possible?”

Luna asked, not leading with her question, though dreading to present it all the same. She wanted to hear the cold, hard truth, regardless of anything. Was Moonwarden’s affection even possible, could it be pure, could it harbor no ill intent? Though she felt that it could, that moment of consideration from the unicorn felt like it lasted an eternity, far greater than even her imprisonment. She hoped, she so hoped, with every fiber of her being, that he could actually foresee a scenario in which his entire nature would be kept contained, because those ‘good and powerful’ reasons existed.

“Yes.”

When he finally admitted that, Luna’s relief, even when experienced in these, troubling circumstances, almost caused her to slide off the armchair.

Of course, Moonwarden had some caveats. “There would have to be truly extraordinary circumstances, Your Highness. Defying logic, to some degree. I am a creature of manipulation and plotting, as vainglorious as that sounds.”

“Actually,” the shadow resounded from behind him, “it sounds pretty overstrung.”

“Perish the thought. I am not an anxious stripling, trying to express some form of overblown, ersatz confidence. We both know what we are capable of.”

That banter, for some inexplicable reason, caused Luna’s lips to shudder in amusement. Maybe it was the confirmation that Moonwarden could love her and abandon his scheming ways for that sake. But, also, there was something familiar about this irritation with himself, and she took it as an improvement. Perhaps she could further cause the unicorn’s mind to recognize even more about itself, and the situation they were in, after all.

“You are quite prideful, however, Moonwarden. You aren’t ashamed to show it,” she told him, causing the pony to give her a curious look, followed without a fault by the shadow behind him.

“A facet of my nature,” they both admitted, and something of a familiar smirk appeared on the unicorn proper’s lips, though Luna was convinced that his dark reflection was also smiling, she just couldn’t see it.

Moonwarden followed the conjoined declaration. “I know my worth, and I am not afraid to project it. Besides, it gives me an advantage to do so.”

“Oh?” Luna was quite interested to hear what that might have been. “Why would allowing oneself to be pompous and boastful be so helpful?”

“Why it is quite simple,” Moonwarden admitted, and his shadow agreed, without delay.

“Most ponies reaching for such an abysmal stance of conceit have nothing else going for them,” the dark emanation explained, quite convinced in its wisdom. “They hide their inadequacy behind a façade, a projection of narcissistic and overweening poise, one that has nothing else behind it but contemptible qualities.”

“Which is exactly why,” the corporeal unicorn added, in a tone of certainty and determination alike, “self-centered ponies are often disregarded as incapable. It is a useful disguise for potency.”

“And that does not apply to you, I imagine?” Luna asked, anticipating the point.

But not the following action, screened by a hypothetical question. “Why ‘imagine’, Your Highness?”

There wasn’t a warning.

Moonwarden’s monocle lit up in a split second, then its power ran through and focused at the very tip of the unicorn’s horn. A tether shot forward from it, like an argent asp which had been hiding in the tall grass of a conversation all that time.

Luna acted fast, but not fast enough. She projected a mental barrier before herself on an instinct, which the spell did impact against, yet it only served to slow down its advance somewhat, forbid it from burrowing itself fully into her forehead and her consciousness right away. Yet the magic continued to pour forth, stronger and stronger.

At least Luna’s attempt impressed Moonwarden to a degree. “That… does look like my own technique,” he admitted as the whole chamber shook once more and a blaze of in the fireplace made itself visible for but a blink. Only to grow cold, just like the unicorn’s frigid, if polite tone. “Quite impressive, however, a little lacking, Your Highness. Do observe.”

Moonwarden’s argent might surged and the tether, as if a living, thrashing creature, wiggled forth, pushing itself into Luna’s space more and more. It was hard to keep notice of where it was, unfortunately, to focus on pushing it back precisely, as its aggression was making it flail and move forward with great dexterity.

It was finally enough for it to make contact with the base of Luna’s horn.

She heard a hiss that shook the chamber further. A searing sensation was now attempting to drill right into her skull. She tried to cut the string off entirely with her barrier, tightening the point that the magic broke through, but that did nothing, only caused another gasp from her, though her lips didn’t move.

In the middle of this sudden battle, Luna realized that it must have been her body, in the waking world, fiercely protesting against whatever had just happened.

And what followed was not any less terrible. Luna was being subjected to the brunt of Moonwarden’s abilities, something that she was hoping never to experience. She had confidence in her own strength, and that of her alicornhood, but… not here. This was the unicorn’s own mind, his territory, his kingdom, and he didn’t seem keen on giving her any quarter, like a proper despot in his domain of dread.

His attack damaged her resistance outright, she could tell it, and she had to muster all of her focus to fight the unicorn’s influence. Her mind was besieged, like a defiant castle, but one that had already suffered a breach, when a rapidly sapped wall partially collapsed, allowing the assailants to push through.

They had a crafty and merciless commander leading them, one that was even kind enough to explain to Luna why he had just decided to attack in the first place. “You distracted yourself, Your Highness. And, clearly, a mistake had been made on my part, not having influenced you directly in any way. It is better to amend it outright,” he spoke, calmly and solemnly, like a confident strategist of ancient times and legends. “Please, do not resist. It will not hurt that way.”

“M…! M-Moonwarden!” Luna let out a pained cry, feeling her hooves digging into the armchair, though the material felt like the marble of the dais she was on, back in the Palace. Her battle was fought on multiple fronts, inside of her consciousness, in the projection of the unicorn’s mind around her, and in the waking world. It didn’t make it easier for her, torn as she was between all of the sensations at once.

The stallion before her did acknowledge her protest, seemingly finding no joy in how this was progressing. “Do not worry, I will make you forget the displeasure after I am done. For your pain does not please me, Your Highness…”

“… it hurts.”

Luna registered that somepony stated the obvious. Actually, she had enough awareness to realize that the sentence came from the shadow behind Moonwarden.

“Why does this hurt back?”

“I am… uncertain,” the unicorn replied, sounding concerned. “Let go, please, and it will be all over.”

Luna wasn’t sure who was Moonwarden trying to convince, exactly. If it was a poisonous suggestion for her, she had to focus on one, simple and yet difficult response to it – not losing herself to the assault which had already found its purchase in her mind, and… and began filling it with blissful nothingness.

It was the same feeling as before, a numbness of obedience. It was a vile suggestion, one that tried to convince her that following the bright delineations, abiding by the design of the silver magic would bring with itself the sweet release of euphoria.

That there would be no worries, no anxiety, no concerns… None of her manifold troubles, none of her dirty conscience, none of her depressive tendencies, that it would all be gone.

She could give in. She was invited to do so, she was coerced towards it through the silver, magnificent light, trying to fill every crevice of her mind. She could give up everything… and… and receive, in return, the… the heavenly and rapturous nothing.

Luna felt herself gritting her teeth, and that also didn’t take place in Moonwarden’s mind. For a brief, terrible moment, she felt herself being yanked back and forth, between the waking world and this place, as the unicorn’s influence was trying to force more if itself in, trying to penetrate her mind further, gain full access to it. Like a worm, burrowing itself in the earth, looking for its softest spots, trying to make itself most comfortable and safe in its new lair.

The unicorn’s voice, terrifying and doubly powerful, and not only due to the magic’s pull, reached her ears. “Please, there’s no need for fighting. This will be better. And your suffering is truly bringing me no j—”

“S-stop!” Luna managed to protest, putting up a gallant fight, regardless of the domineering presence trying to squash her resistance through the argent force and the silken suggestions alike. “M-Moonwarden, please…! It’s…! I-it’s me!”

She was granted a question which weaved in itself both interest and utter lack thereof. “You? Why, again, do you matter, specifically?”

Why did she, indeed?

She wasn’t sure if that last thought was her inquiry, or Moonwarden’s, or anypony else’s.

If his mind had allowed him to strike, did that mean that he had never cared after all? Or were confusion and amnesia letting him act against her, because…! Because he… he couldn’t…

No! No, she couldn’t…! She couldn’t distract herself with… with doubt!

Luna held on and held out, gathering her whole strength to fight, to resist, but the battle was skewed in the unicorn’s favor, and strongly. She could try to influence the realm around her, though it would be exceedingly hard to find in herself more focus, to actually reach out for those abilities. Besides, she wasn’t in a dream. She was, right now, an intruder in Moonwarden’s consciousness, and he wasn’t taking kindly to her, or the fact that he hadn’t dug his proverbial claws in her in some way. Even escaping back into the waking world felt an impossible task.

His magic was slowly spreading, push by push, trickle by trickle, and with it arrived… oblivion. The sweet, sticky, specious and seductive, mental oblivion. A shelter from all of her worries, from the memories of the past, from the judging stares, from the inadequacy, from the failure…

This offered nothing in return, but that nothing felt better than everything in Luna’s own mind, all that she cradled deep in her essence.

… almost everything.

Why did she matter?

She knew why. It was him who couldn’t remember it. So… So there was a way out.

She would allow him to remember, with her own memories. She just had to… She had… to…

Luna gathered the remnants of her resistance, preparing for what was to come. And if it wouldn’t work, then… then she hoped that her succor from the waking world would arrive before it would be too late.

With a final hiss, and the ultimate, fearful throb of her heart… she let go.

Immediately the silver influence of Moonwarden spread across her mind, like a water erupting from a ruptured dam. It washed across it with its nigh titanic power, a conquering force that tolerated no opposition. It made Luna immediately feel small, inadequate, frightened, but with her surrender came the benevolent will of the unicorn before her, and his imperious, paired voice.

“Ah. Good. This is much better,” he commented, relieved to see her making her choice, though his tone split almost immediately after.

“Why… Why is it still hurting?”

“I… do not know. But we shall. Let us explore a little, perhaps?”

Luna heard Moonwarden’s dialogue with his shadow, but… she couldn’t care about it anymore. She registered it as a distant buzz, some insignificant distraction from the wonderful nothingness inside of her. It felt liberating, and she didn’t have it in her to even realize how ironic that was.

She… She felt as if she was floating, suspended on the surface of a silver lake, bound and carried in the embrace of argent strings. She had never before felt so carefree, so calm. Not in her most distant memories could she recall such bliss, not that she was searching so strongly. No, it was much better to focus on the constant present, on the unthinkable stillness and surrender of compliance. After all, the moment her resistance gave, the pain escaped, and she could barely remember the discomfort of combating Moonwarden’s magic, the very thought fizzling out and dispersing in the silver all around her.

Why had she fought, even? This feeling, it was… It was divine, and there had never been a reason for avoiding it. And, how magnificent and curious alike, she wasn’t currently the one with any claims to divinity. No, that power, that bright, silver influence of Moonwarden’s magic, it was far more suited for the role than her, and it was mercifully allowing her to feel its majesty and serve its will.

“So… You say that you are a Princess, and I am the Royal Advisor to you, is that correct?”

That inquiry, coming from everywhere and nowhere, felt like it was twisting, bending, cradling and fondling her from all directions at once. It was ecstatic to abide by it.

“Yes,” she gave her answer, without even thinking of opposing.

“In truth, then. Show me, please. There might be work to be done on the subject.”

Luna didn’t protest at all, as she allowed Moonwarden’s might to enter her memories. Not that it couldn’t already, but she felt euphoric that he was expressing interest in them. They seemed so insignificant to her there and then, yet worthy of this power’s attention.

But, also, behind that feeling of blissful obedience, there was… satisfaction, one that she couldn’t quite name.

Not that she cared to, not at the moment. The silver magic was now sifting through her mind, finding more and more reminders and recollections. For Luna, the process felt rapturous, beatific, as the more images Moonwarden’s influence grasped, the less she had to worry about remembering at all. There was a pull within her, a most wonderful and pleasurable desire, to surrender it all and become vacant, emptied, wonderfully spent, and content with it.

Yet, the more was escaping her, the more… uncertain the voice from beyond her mind did become. How could something divine turn imperfect like that?

“What… What does this all mean?”

“Are we bowing down? Kneeling? This… Wait, this does not feel staged, this is… sincere.”

“I… I know. And this is… a terrace. A beautiful view. How wonderful that Moon is.”

“It is… for us? Did she say that… that it is especially for us?”

“I… are we appreciating it?”

“… why are we not looking at it? Why at her?”

“We are worried for her. We want to help.”

“That… That is her sister. She is chastising us, and we…”

“Holding our tongue? Agreeing to this, for…”

“… for her?”

Luna felt her muzzle scrunching. The voice, it was falling apart, piece by piece, cracks appearing in the overwhelming silver illumination. The argent majesty sheltering her was dimming more and more. She felt herself becoming unpleasantly heavier, even if she… she wanted to keep floating. She desired not to think, for it felt so wonderful!

But something was piercing through that silver light now, something that Luna was again capable of seeing with her own eyes, though still within Moonwarden’s mind.

A flame. A flicker of it, trying to light itself firmly, to bring clarity, to reinstate the warm understanding into this dark chamber. To enlighten the mind, so far filled with but strands of faint, wispy smoke of memories.

And the conflagration was gaining in strength with every sentence.

“Who is she? Why is she so special? Why do we care?!”

“We did not care before! But that…!”

“Is this… the first time we saw her?”

“She is… She is perfect.”

“She is like the Moon. No, she is more than that.”

“For… for she’s more than just light.”

“But… why do we…?”

“We are…”

“We are her warden…”

“Then…! Then this is…!”

“My lady!”

A blaze exploded from the fireplace. It pushed away the cold, silver light from Luna’s mind, burning away all the strands of argent influence. A voice reached her ears, filling them instead with panic, regret and disgust.

“No! No, no, no, no!”

For a moment, she had no idea who was protesting, only that her mind was awakening at a rapid pace. So rapid that it hurt, that it burned and bit, for being released from the entrancing hold felt like being denied another dosage of an illicit, addicting substance. A withdrawal that was bringing with itself nothing but pain and discomfort, at first at least.

Luna blinked when the tether of magic detached itself from her head, being pulled back with remorseful dedication.

She was back in the chamber, the same one as before, yet… different. The place changed dramatically. No longer was it filled with strands of smoke, emitting from a cold fireplace. Now a bright flame was raging in it, bathing the room in its cozy, if delicate glow, making it almost a pleasant place to be in. ‘Almost’, for the chamber was suddenly missing the most vital detail.

The host. Not that Luna had to search hard to find him.

Moonwarden was not in his armchair anymore, but, instead, at her very hooves. He was almost flat on the dark carpet, bent in a gesture of utter yielding and submission, and the only reason she looked down outright was that the strands from his monocle which were still leading up towards the room’s ceiling. Besides the unicorn, a dark emanation was also giving her a deep, loyal bow, one that felt almost too embarrassing to receive.

“Moonwarden…” Luna whispered, but her faint voice sounded booming in the dead, repentant silence of the chamber.

It didn’t last for long, however. Her servant looked up, with a stare that she had never seen before.

His silver eyes, so keen and piercing, and dangerous, were filled to the brim with tears and shame.

“My… my lady…”

---

“Well now, that was an extremely eventful and fun activity!”

Ivory Crescent’s excitement and unbridled joy were palpable, especially as she clapped her hooves and did a little stomp of joy right as she got up from the chaise longue.

Twilight felt a little less merry and decidedly more confused, especially considering what she had witnessed during this ‘evening breakfast’. She didn’t even remember what she had eaten, her mind almost entirely focused on the memory of Ebony Crescent, instead. To be precise – on the very moment in which the stallion had realized that his sister had caught his two guards leaving his tower in… dubious circumstances, the exact ones that had made the Count Brother late, and appearing decidedly too disheveled.

The implication alone was enough to make Twilight fight a blush, and constantly, which wasn’t particularly pleasing to her.

The Countess didn’t seem to mind this crimson embarrassment, instead keen on celebrating this, apparently, little victory she had achieved over her sibling. “You know what, Honored Princess, we have to do this more often! I mean, have you seen him?”

“Do… what exactly, though?” Twilight had to ask, since she found it harder and harder to understand what exactly was making Ivory Crescent so… jubilant.

“Embarrass him,” the mare claimed, looking up towards Ebony Crescent’s spire, as he had retreated inside to get himself properly presentable, now that his little ploy was up. “It is a powerful tool, ridicule. I find it that it has a strength to push many ponies back on the straight and narrow, as it is said in your tongue.”

Twilight blinked, confused for a second longer, though Ivory Crescent’s intention seemed a little apparent. Still, there was a question to present, if only to find some point of reference among these peculiar circumstances. “You… uhm… I take it that you disapprove of your brother’s ways?”

“Yes, I do. True, our Family has a specific approach and... distance to certain matters,” the noblemare pointed out, her gesture encompassing the many, and suggestive, sculptures all over the courtyard, “but a healthy one. Not everything that my dumb brother does is healthy.”

Twilight didn’t focus on the insult, having something else to say, instead. “I am aware that, well, Noctraliya has a very strict approach to some matters, especially if ponies could be… unreasonable and careless.”

“Oh, no, he’s actually very reasonable and careful there,” the Countess admitted, rolling her pear eyes in the same way that her uncle and brother did. “The problem is that his proving to be ‘reasonable and careful’ a little too often for some tastes, I would say.”

That… was a telling statement, indeed, though Twilight didn’t know if she felt actually capable of having such a conversation. She had her own opinions on the topic, though she wasn’t going to particularly care for anypony else’s… uhm…

Ugh, even thinking about the matter was making her unpleasantly warm on the face. Not to mention that, after what she had felt in the Gallery, there was a surge of confusing thoughts resurfacing in her, clashing against well-established concepts, like reason and prudence.

And, after that last day of tossing, turning and stomping around the chamber, Twilight really didn’t want to dwell on anything of the sort.

She spared a glance at her two, other companions, especially at Midnight Wind, though both the batponies were back to their regular expressions. She had spotted, however, that their gazes followed the two, leaving guards with great caution and interest. It wasn’t surprising in the slightest, but there was more to those stares than just curiosity.

Ivory Crescent’s voice once again caught Twilight’s attention. “I think I will actually write something about this very moment, I’m feeling inspired! Maybe a little limerick, at least. Do you wish to be included?”

“Pardon?” Twilight asked, not really comprehending the proposition.

“Do you want to be a part of it? I can write of your exasperation and the shock at the sight!” the Countess explained with a wink. “Don’t worry, this will be for my own pleasure, if you are worried about being immortalized while abhorring promiscuity. I only aim to tactfully and tactically torment my brother, in the most loving way.”

“I… no, thank you,” was the only response Twilight could think of. She found no joy in such a pastime, and especially not after what she had just witnessed. It felt more to her like she was a part of a ploy she wanted to have nothing to do with, and she actually decided to make the Countess aware of it. “While I appreciate the meal, and I sincerely thank you for your company, I am a little less thrilled about everything else. I’d rather leave the topic behind me entirely, for the sake of my comfort, and wishing to have a pleasant night at the Mountain, Honored Countess.”

Ivory Crescent acknowledged her discontent, without a doubt, though not in a way that she had done so before, when she had learnt about Twilight’s bad day. Yes, there was still genuine, empathetic recognition, but something else also hid behind that pleasant expression and the warm gaze.

“Very well, I won’t push at all. I am more subtle than that, even if I tend to get a little excitable,” the Countess spoke, shrugging, then giving Twilight a small curtsy. “I, nevertheless, thank you for your attendance, I hope the meal was tasty. May your night be as nice as you want it to be. And, again, if you feel like talking at any point, my spire remains ever so open to you.” Twilight was about to reply, when another sentence left the other mare’s lips, whispered in that perfect volume that would leave it for two pair of ears only. “Be careful, that’s all I want you to be.”

Now that was nothing if not a warning. Subtle, quick and almost forgettable, especially as even Ivory Crescent looked like she wasn’t aware that she had uttered it, still with the same smile, and still having decided to leave. She only spared a moment to playfully curtsy once more, give the other two batponies a nod, then trotted away. Her absence was soon replaced by the arrival of the servants, cleaning up after the meal.

Twilight anticipated Ebony Crescent to arrive in a matter of a few minutes, which did give her an opportunity. One that she didn’t want to squander in any way, as she trotted closer to her entourage.

Her entourage which, out of respect and due to the newly harbored feelings, on both sides, tried to move away from her.

“Please, don’t,” Twilight let them know, hoping to speak quietly enough not to alert the courtiers to anything. She took a deep breath, then looked at Midnight Wind, trying to muster in herself just the right amount of conviction. “I’m sorry. For what I have said last day. Something came over me, and I didn’t think any of it through,” she declared, keeping in mind the volume, though not holding back her sincerity.

The stallion didn’t react in any particular way, his eyes meeting hers. There was sadness in them, and despite Twilight’s attempt, she couldn’t see any of those sparks she was so used to, or anything else that would signify... well, anything.

Nevertheless, she meant her words. She hoped that he accepted them.

Rowan Berry glanced at the two of them in curiosity, perhaps even one connected to the fact that the two of them had talked in the first place. However, the mare offered no commentary on that, lowering her gaze a moment later, in fear and shame.

Nothing about this situation was pleasant, though that was not Twilight’s fault, she knew. Things simply… weren’t currently working. Could they, ever again? She didn’t know. She was used to the hope that everything could work out in life, but... right now the hope seemed minuscule indeed, regardless of the smoldering of it, one that she could feel persisting in her chest.

The sounds of hooves interrupted her ruminations, as the speed was different from the shuffling of servants and courtiers. Those were the steps of a stallion who was both reluctant to appear and pressing on through sheer resolve, to be a host again.

Ebony Crescent, for it was indeed him, returned at that point, and he was looking far, far more seemly and proper. He chose a particularly somber, darker gown, cut in a much more conservative fashion than Twilight had so far seen in the Mountain of Crescent. Was this a way of balancing what had happened? It wasn’t the worst of choices, quite the opposite, giving the stallion a stoic aspect, even if hardly making anypony forget the most recent blunder.

The Count Brother was aware of that, though he tried to act natural, regardless. “A thousand pardons for being late, and for the... upsetting situation, as I would put it. It wasn’t my choice to make anypony uncomfortable, and I am dreadfully sorry.”

He, allegedly, meant it, at least he spoke it with some measure of honesty, as Twilight would judge. And he also addressed everypony with those apologies, not only her, which was a rather responsible and polite thing to do.

“Good night to you once more, Ebony Crescent,” Twilight greeted him, giving him the once-over. “I must say, you look much better now.”

She didn’t even mean that sentence as a tease towards the stallion, though he looked like he definitely recognized that it could have been the case. “Well... Yes, I admit. It’s been... quite a chaotic evening so far, and, ah... Yes.”

His tone almost made Twilight’s lips twitch. She wasn’t, however, planning on ridiculing him quite in the same way as his sister had done, and was planning on doing further, surely.

“Ebony Crescent, I wish to ask, and I would like to receive an honest, transparent answer, if I might - does what happened ruin the entire night in your mind?” she asked, instead, and that too wasn’t a loaded question, simply a polite one, remembering his stress from yesternight.

“I... won’t allow it to, with all of my abilities,” Ebony Crescent, nevertheless, responded, and it looked like he already had something in mind, actually. “Could we proceed, then? I, too, want to create some distance from… the mistake.”

“Lead the way, please,” Twilight encouraged him.

She was soon trotting by the Count Brother calmly, as he didn’t choose a fast pace anyway. Whatever his idea was, it certainly was taking them away from the palace, and onto what turned out to be a little, elegantly paved and prettied route, going around the residence proper. It served as a form of boundary, yes, but was also a representative alley. The delicate, light colonnade which was placed on both sides of the road created an idea of privacy and sophistication about it, and the pathway offered relative solitude, at least from the traffic of locals, as it didn’t seem to be popularly used.

Something about the scenario felt a little off-putting for Twilight, though her and Ebony Crescent were still quite visible from the palace itself, considering the grand, arched windows facing this way. The Count Brother didn’t seem worried about any onlookers, though he seemingly had eavesdropping in mind, as his tone was rather mindful when he spoke again.

“I... want to profusely apologize, Honored Princess. It was unbecoming of me to make you wait, and... well, the circumstances of that must have also left quite the stain on your image of me. I won’t pretend that nothing happened, it would self-delusional. And I, honestly, prefer for you to see me as... passionate, rather than foolish, attempting to deny something strenuously and fruitlessly.”

Twilight spared a glance at her entourage, but they were still keeping their distance, and an eye on her companion. She then decided to reply in the only way she could think of and muster. “I won’t say that... well, it is the sort of topic that I am comfortable with. I do not want to sound judgmental, but...”

“But you can, I completely acknowledge that,” Ebony Crescent relented outright, sounding like he was throwing himself at her mercy without hesitation. “I know that Equestria also has its traditional ways, I imagine that you are preferring those, and that I have went quite far away from those.”

“I am of the more... conventional preferences and approach, yes,” Twilight admitted, though she had no idea why she was the one feeling abashed by revealing it, all things considered. “That being said, even as a Princess, I am not one to enforce anything in matters like... that. It’s just that, well, as long as things are kept private...”

“Well, this wasn’t anything like that... thanks, in no small part, to my sister,” the Count Brother begrudgingly admitted, and a bitter note in his tone suggested that he wasn’t planning on overlooking the fact. “I’m dreadfully sorry, for I must have offended your sensibility in a mighty way.”

“I think I’ll manage,” she told him, trying to stop her mounting curiosity. Actually, trying to stop the blatant prying and failing miserably at it. “So... those were your personal guards, as I could see.”

“Yes, they were. Well, actually,” Ebony Crescent immediately wanted to explain his answer a bit more, “wartowneci, the sentinels, are considered to be a Lord’s bodyguard unit, though they can be delegated to watch over the closest family of the haspadr. I... do find myself referring to those two as ‘mine’, because... well.”

“Well,” Twilight parroted him, and the Count Brother recognized what she meant by that.

“Not to play the guessing game, Twilight Sparkle, for I see no point in it – Ruby Seam and Harebell I do like the most out of my uncle’s unit. They are diligent, loyal, easy on the eyes, and we have reached a genuine friendship very quickly. They care for me, and I can always count on them… and I don’t mean any of what I have just said in a carnal way,” he explained, his last remark again making Twilight warmer on the muzzle. “When I am, however, feeling a certain... mood, then I am not against sharing my time with them ‘in the alcove’.”

“I... alright, I understand. I take it, though, that your sister is not—”

“My dear sister, aside from being the annoying sibling she has the right to be, has certain opinions about me that she holds, unfortunately and without foundation,” Ebony Crescent strenuously claimed. “Yes, I find myself a passionate, rather romantic individual, but I am not some flippant…!” He shook his head, stopping himself from saying something unpleasant and getting worked up more. “I beg your pardon, once more. It is just that… I do respect tradition, in the sense that I am utilizing proper care, and I realize that what I am doing is undesirable. I’m not tempting anypony else to disregard those matters, I don’t seek to propagate that among others. And I never, never, deceive anypony.”

Twilight believed she understood what he meant, not that she would agree with the Count Brother’s stance. Still, a part of her respected that he had certain boundaries. And, was it her, or was he making it additionally transparent that he was not suffering from this strange ailment of wild abandon, the one that he had told her the Crescents were prone to?

However, he was definitely admitting to being at least a little hedonistic, though showed particular conviction when he spoke again. “I am myself. I especially do not feign affection, neither am I cynical about love. In the face of all the… aridity and disenchantment around us, it is as perennial as the grass.”

“Beautiful words, Ebony Crescent. I feel that you mean them,” Twilight praised him, which caused a little smirk to come from the stallion, which was a welcome sight after all the vicissitudes of the evening. “I take it that your guards are more than alright with the arrangement, then?”

The stallion gave her a glance, trying not to make it sound like he got worried again about her opinion, and somewhat failing. “This isn’t a form of a power play, or currying favors, or anything of the sort, no. I enjoy their company, whether it is in a formal setting or an intimate one. They also… help me through difficult times.” He paused there, and his stare lingered on Twilight for a moment longer, almost to the point that she commented on how intense it was getting. However, he finally continued, his voice turning a little more delicate and decidedly more respectful. “Speaking of which, and hoping that you will agree to the choice, I… would like for us to visit our shrine, if that’s at all possible. As part of the sightseeing and spiritual cleansing, should I say.”

“Oh? Well, naturally, that’s more than fine with me,” Twilight replied, giving Ebony Crescent a smile, somewhat glad they could abandon the previous topic. “I was eager to ask about it at some point, actually. I made a note that the way in which the Families embellish and organize their holy places is a wonderful example of your cultural differences. The respective architectural styles, with each of the Mountains’ preferences, traits, with it all being exposed in the herami… Those offer a wonderful insight into Noctraliya’s intricate traditions,” she explained.

Earning for herself a most wide smile in return, as it happened. “Has anypony ever told you that you are even more charming when your academic side is showing?” the Count Brother asked her, causing another flush to manifest on her muzzle.

“Well… maybe?”

The stallion only shook his head. “I swear, they certainly weren’t appreciating it like I am doing right now.”

That was quite the statement from the Count Brother, especially after what he had just been talking about.

And so Twilight found herself on the back hoof a little bit. It was obvious that Ebony Crescent managed to again gather his confidence in record time, even if he definitely meant all of his apologies about making a specific, bad impression. Was he… Was he bluffing that well, or was there something else giving him such a boost of poise? Something far more serious behind that very last comment?

Twilight wasn’t blind, deaf or ignorant. She had hope that he had meant the part about being truthful and open about having a certain, clear approach to the matter of ‘relations’, and not seeking to deceive. For she hoped that she could make matters transparent soon enough, as she definitely wasn’t looking for a fling. Even considering that was making her feel both uncomfortable and… troubled, in that rather personal way. These sensations were actually the more concerning for her after that moment of weakness in the Gallery. Could she actually see the Count Brother in that way?

Well, she wasn’t planning on doing anything with that attraction!

… right?

Twilight felt doubly concerned, upset even, that she couldn’t respond to that, inner question with full, unequivocal belief. It’s not like she didn’t have enough troubles with her emotions as they currently were. She needed to do something about it, perhaps tonight still. First, however, she had sightseeing to do, and she welcomed the distraction for the time being.

As it turned out, the path which Ebony Crescent had chosen was actually the shortest route to the local herame. It made sense that the palace had an almost direct access to the shrine, though, at first glance, Twilight wasn’t certain if the whole cavern didn’t have that privilege.

Among the lightness and openness of Crescent’s architecture, between the arches, the columns and the gardens made of stone, the site devoted to the Goddess presented itself as the most ephemeral and the most delicate, overtaking, in this aspect, even the Lord’s own palace. It was quite difficult to try and grasp the herame’s actual size, as the outer walls were like a subtle weave of marble and granite, providing quite the open access to the holy space.

It was a most intricate design, like a tangle of vines and wispy clouds made of stone. It was as if the divine presence of the Goddess, arriving at the shrine through supplications and the silver light of the Moon above, was being allowed to spread, emanate from the place of worship and inspire everypony around without much of a boundary.

Light was, as it happened, the most prevalent manifestation of that supernatural guidance. As Twilight remembered, the access of moonlight to a herame was vital for the sake of creating the right, blessed atmosphere and, more importantly, it was crucial for a number of rites. The Crescent Family saw that as critical, too, but the former application seemed almost overshadowing the latter, however ironic that could sound.

For a brief moment, Twilight was nearly convinced that she had witnessed another Equestrian pony, of a familiar color, among the shrine’s columns, but it was a trick of the light, indeed. And mirrors, many, many mirrors, hanging from various places around the herame, held in the hooves of various sculptures emerging from the pillars. These elegant servants of the Immaculate Moon herself, done in marble and ever-vigilant, were searching for the bounty of illumination from the tunnels above and gladly sharing it forward with everypony inside. The whole shrine was filled with glints, glitters, gleams and glimmers, as if single strands of moonlight danced through the space around, creating a fantastical, whimsical theater that nopony could ignore.

To be perfectly honest, Twilight found it a little distracting, though she imagined it was simply the initial shock of seeing such an overabundance of lights and flickers all around. It created this peculiar, silver aura about the shrine, one that was to signify the Goddess’ closeness. And, perhaps, her nature in the Crescent’s eyes, a guiding, if lively force, hard to grasp but definitely there, awakening one’s senses and inspiration.

“I see that you are a little overwhelmed with the design, Twilight Sparkle” Ebony Crescent whispered when they trotted deeper into the place, between the soft, prayer cushions, each embellished like a tapestry in its own right. ”I don’t blame you.”

“I wasn’t expecting this place to be so… bright. It is—Is this not upsetting your sight?” Twilight asked, almost catching herself on revealing the enchantment on her own eyes.

The Count Brother only smiled. “Almost, to be honest. However, first of all, it has been properly adjusted ages ago, so that nopony is hurt and the place can look as resplendent as it can. Even the priests, spending all their time around here, are safe. Then again, they should be. For they bask in the light of the Mother, that is not something that should bring hurt in any way,” he claimed, and it was hard to tell whether he strongly believed in that, or simply was making a statement out of religious propriety. “I take that, behind all the brightness, out shrine is already telling you something about us? Or are we simply ‘overbearing’, maybe?”

“No, actually,” Twilight admitted quietly, much to the stallion’s joy. “There is forethought and beauty behind that.” She looked about some more, taking in the decor, trying to catch all the details that she could draw inspiration from. “This is almost… This is an atrium of Silverheaven, if I could make such a comparison. The approach to the Gallery was one thing, it was one’s, individual pathway towards the heavens. This… This works in a different way, this is a sanctified route, open to everypony pious and seeking guidance of the Goddess. It brings with itself… a feeling. Of… being close. Being right next to… something far more brilliant and… and otherworldly.”

“Oh! What a wonderful assessment!” Ebony Crescent praised Twilight, though she didn’t speak metaphorically, not solely.

Something was here.

Something was happening, though she couldn’t understand what. Was it the growing proximity to the altar, and the silver discus that… that shone with that bright, argent light, which seemed almost… hypnotizing?

Twilight blinked, as she found it suddenly hard to look away from the symbol, as if something was pulling her through it. Those strands of light above it, reaching towards it to provide the argent shine, looked almost like… a web. Like strings of silver material actually leading up from the holy symbol, vanishing from sight somewhere above, for Twilight couldn’t keep her attention on them for long.

Something felt wrong and right at the same time. Whatever it was, she felt that something began gripping her chest, like a sudden pull, forcing her down, below, underneath, and she had no idea where it was coming from.

She shook her head, almost missing Ebony Crescent’s further words. “Actually, the idea behind the mirrors came through with haspadr Lum—hello?”

“I’m so sorry, something—”

She was initially convinced that the Count Brother meant to gather her attention with the expression, but it turned out to be a more general reaction to something he had spotted, something that stole her own focus a moment later, too.

Normally, it wouldn’t be a surprising sight, witnessing a member of the priesthood in a shrine. However, that particular time, Twilight spotted not a humble arcemandr, or even a dignified antas, but an effit or effite – one of the seers. She realized that she had her first chance of seeing one of the members of that esteemed role with her own eyes, and it was a sight to behold, indeed.

As befitted a soothsayer, as Twilight had imagined them, their robes were long, flowing and multilayered, covering most of the pony itself, enough to hide almost everything but the color of their mane and tails. The dark material they had on, clearly influenced by the Crescents attention to style and quality, still appeared heavy, foreboding in its volume, especially since a thick veil was covering their muzzles in entirety. It all made the seer look like a spirit, almost, a dark presence floating around haphazardly, following old memories and remnants of life, desperately hoping for somepony to understand their plights. It was, perhaps, an unkind comparison, but Twilight couldn’t quite shake it off her mind.

The only brighter detail of the otherwise grim wear of the seer was the sign of the Immaculate Moon resting on the front of their veil, a discus made of silver strands, embroidered right on the level of the pony’s eyes.

Twilight would ponder for a moment longer on the significance of that symbolism, but what was happening with the soothsayer was far more gripping than even that detail. Followed by a number of antasi who were cautious and ready to provide any assistance, and yet gave the proper space to their charge, the prophet waddled about the shrine. They looked as if confused, unaware of their surroundings, almost tripping over one of the closest prayer pillows. Were they receiving a vision? There was a certain, erratic quality to their movements, though… weren’t they supposed to be usually confined to their sanctums while embracing their foresight? Just like the one in the Mountain of Fang?

That was the place that allowed them to see, through the arcane currents, though they didn’t know the magical mechanics of that phenomenon. Twilight, aside from that strange sensation crawling against her skin, couldn’t feel nor see a surge of raw power. So why was this, particular seer—

She didn’t finish the thought, as the prophet’s legs wobbled further, making them nearly fall… and at the same time, Twilight felt that pull in her chest, that sudden weight, multiplying tenfold. Her forelegs almost folded right underneath her, and before she could steady herself, she already heard hoofsteps closing in.

“Hwalba knaze?” came Rowan Berry’s question, as she and Midnight Wind were almost immediately by her, with Ebony Crescent also closing in, glancing in between her and the seer, most perturbed. “Is something wrong?”

“I… I don’t know, I feel—”

“Tue!”

A scream, a euphoric shout broke the pious silence of the herame, as the soothsayer’s voice, a shrilling male tone, filled everypony’s ears.

Twilight looked up the moment she regained balance, and saw the prophet pointing at her. There was fervor in the gesture, though not accusation, no, more like utter and unbreakable focus. Despite the veil and the robes, she had a strange feeling that his gaze was meeting hers, and that his legs were shaking in sheer excitement.

“Tue! Tue simte to!”

It wasn’t a question, she knew that much. And she had a pretty good feeling of how she would respond, even before Ebony Crescent tried to translate for her.

“The effit is saying that y—”

“Tac. Iae simte to,” Twilight replied to the seer, guessing that the verb must have meant ‘feeling’ or ‘experiencing’ something. “Kwo bid to, hwalbu effit?” she asked, hoping she was asking clearly, and that she wasn’t making a mistake doing so.

“Uaia Mate!” the priest exclaimed, in a rapturous shout which seemed to echo much more than even the hallowed space was allowing it to, especially since all of the priests and everypony else present stirred at the words. “Gdye bide Tue, Mate?! Ze kwi dicte Tue?!”

Twilight could have been mistaken, but the seer was clearly asking to whom was the Immaculate Moon speaking. Was he considering that… that Twilight could be, once again, the mouthpiece of the Goddess, like back at the Mountain of Fang? But how would that be possible without—?

Another pull happened. Another weight was added to Twilight’s shoulders, and the sensation almost made her fall, while the seer crashed onto the ground as if physically struck. He scrambled up, with unearthly agility, in readiness for more signs, while the ponies around Twilight rushed to help her up, trying to steady her.

It was meant to be a losing fight.

Twilight couldn’t quite describe what occurred but a moment later. It was as if… as if there was a second, a blink, a heartbeat of bliss, pure bliss. A tick of utter calm and relaxation, of the pressure going away entirely…

And then came the strike, the greatest one yet.

Burden. Responsibility. A tragic past. Worries. Doubts. The judging stares. Fears. Anxieties. The inadequacy. The failure.

Everything.

It was as if… as if…

At first, Twilight couldn’t even find a comparison for this overabundance of feelings and sensations, the assault which sent her to the ground.

Somepony had just piled the culpability for everypony she knew right onto her mind, right across her back. It was crushing, it was terrifying to the core, as she suddenly became burdened with overseeing… everything! Everything at once! The only image that came to Twilight’s mind was one of the entirety of Equestria suddenly ceasing to work, out of nowhere, leaving her as the one and only pony responsible for keeping it moving on, left on her lonesome to undertake this task.

Did… Did this fate come for her, specifically? Or… or was something, somepony, sharing this sudden trial with her…?

Twilight wondered if the shout she could hear was her own, or was that just her imagination. Regardless, the terrible weight persisted, crushed her spirit, mangled her hope, pressed down on her more and more. For a few, excruciating seconds, Twilight could know nothing else but that sensation, being lost and locked underneath this burden, one which was threatening her very being…!

Yet… it finally began lifting. Slowly, ever so slowly, the tribulation was being replaced by another sensation.

It was… otherworldly. It was as if witnessing a pony who had just crumbled under their task taking a deep breath, steeling themselves, and then diligently and heroically rising up again, to meet the challenge. Even with this dreadful weight upon them, they persisted, knowing they had a role to play, their part to do. That there was an ancient, sacred task to undertake, because…

… because somepony had to do it.

As soon as Twilight could formulate the thought, everything went away and returned to how it had been. As if nothing ever occurred.

She blinked, finding herself on the herame’s floor, looking up at her companions… who also appeared like they had had to steady themselves a second before.

“What… what happened?” she asked, hoping for somepony to explain what had transpired, though everypony she locked her gaze with was wide-eyed and aghast.

Midnight Wind, Rowan Berry, Ebony Crescent, even the priests of the herame looked about in shock, as this sensation must have travelled through the sacred space like a pulse, like the sign from a stone thrown into a mountain lake.

The only pony to stand tall already was the effit, approaching the altar in a rush. He slammed down into prayer position right before it, lifting his forelegs to the moonlight discus, his voice filled with exhilaration that had a lot in common with insanity.

“Tac! Tac, tac, tac, tac!” he screamed, filling everypony around with pious fear. “Uaia Mate!”

Even among the lit interior of the shrine, and against the dark hues of his robes, his silhouette seemed preternaturally bright, bathed in moonlight and grace.

Twilight shook her head. Had that been the Goddess…? Had it been Her presence?

But… wasn’t she…?

Twilight didn’t know if she wanted to ask. She just knew that, after that moment of utter fear and crushing responsibility, the feeling in her chest returned, reinvigorated and intensified.

And, at the effit calling for the Immaculate Moon, the warmth which Twilight had grown accustomed to suddenly felt like a fireplace that burned with renewed flame, once again.

Comments

[RangerOfRhudaur]

Translations of the Noctraliyar:

“ Tue! Tue simte to! ”

"You! You feel it!"

“Tac. Iae simte to,” Twilight replied to the seer, guessing that the verb must have meant ‘feeling’ or ‘experiencing’ something. “Kwo bid to, hwalbu effit?” she asked, hoping she was asking clearly, and that she wasn’t making a mistake doing so.

"Yes. I feel it." "What is it, honored seer?"

“ Uaia Mate! ” the priest exclaimed, in a rapturous shout which seemed to echo much more than even the hallowed space was allowing it to, especially since all of the priests and everypony else present stirred at the words. “ Gdye bide Tue, Mate?! Ze kwi dicte Tue?! ”

"Our Mother!" "Where are You, Mother?! With whom are You speaking?!" (Last line very difficult to translate, best guess offered.) (Edit: Thanks, Gulheru!)

“ Tac! Tac, tac, tac, tac ! ” he screamed, filling everypony around with pious fear. “ Uaia Mate! ”

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!" "Our Mother!" (Side note, did this make anyone else think of Twilight getting her cutie mark?)

[Gulheru]

11659625

The translation in the third section would be: "With who speak You?/With whom do You speak?". Regardless, fantastic work, as always.

[Numinos]

There's something weird going on. So, I don't read all that deeply and thoroughly as I probably should, but still... This is not the first sign that these bats' religion is not just means to the end, but has roots in something. Moonlight, magic, all that stuff. I wonder just how it all would mesh with actual Princess Luna. It feels like Luna is an avatar of this higher force, but is not herself aware. Is this higher stuff an entity? Self aware?.. who knows.

Anyways, another great chapter, thanks for that: )

[Gulheru]

11659633

I admit, I like to hide stuff and drop nuanced hints. But, as long as the tale is fun one way or another, I am pleased!

[Numinos]

11659643
Oh, it definitely is enjoyable : ) I mean, I think I'm not hugely oblivious of the hints, but there's still a huge spectrum of options between "Yep, this right here is a hint" and "Yep I definitely know what I've been hinted at" : ) Still, yours is a nice story, and nice stories are not like those mean ones, that like leaving plot points hanging around without proper closure: ) I think I'll get my answers sooner or later : )

PS. Can Luna and Moonwarden kiss already? All this tension, oof.

[RangerOfRhudaur]

His silver eyes, so keen and piercing, and dangerous, were filled to the brim with tears and shame.

This chapter showed Moonwarden without mask or pretense, who he is at his core, and who he is is horrifying. He tries to reduce other ponies to marionettes or clockwork dolls, trying to play God and make a world with fewer accidents and less free will. While at first I was a bit annoyed when I read the word "trauma," thinking it would oversimplify Moonwarden, I think you've done an admirable job preventing him from becoming a one-dimensional "it must never happen again" anti-hero. Instead, I feel that Moonwarden's been revealed as an arch-bureaucrat, one whose mentalism and skills at manipulation allow him to make sure ponies stop acting irrationally and stop messing up his world and stop being ponies, ugh, that's so inefficient.

And, of course, where Moonwarden goes, his philosophy follows. All that matters, in his worldview, is self-interest, the only rules those we put on ourselves or those Leviathan imposes through overwhelming force. "Every man ought to be supposed a knave, and to have no other end, in all his actions, then private interest" (David Hume). His attempt to control Luna is the pinnacle of his philosophy, an attempt to establish dominance over an authority figure before the authority figure can do likewise, all because it wouldn't be logical to just trust them. There is no room for friendship in Moonwarden's world, no room for loyalty or honesty or generosity; if it's everypony for themselves, then trusting others only marks you for meat. Reprising his role as Tempter, Moonwarden tries to convince Luna of his philosophy, but, as all masks fall away in his heart of hearts, he does so in the most blatant way possible, trying to force her to accept his influence.

But then she accepts him, and shows him the times where he accepted, trusted, her. She is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, not resisting capture and even healing one of His captors, acting in a way that the dominant worldview finds irrational, inconceivable, and yet a way that works. She shows him the strength of friendship in her surrender; the law of the jungle only offers support as long as one maintains one's strength and vigilance, but when one who trusts in friendship has no strength left, friendship still supports them. Moonwarden's worldview, in the face of the challenge Luna's memories pose, comes crashing down; Twilight's worldview, even in the face of all the challenges Noctraliya presents to it, still stands strong.

Just like its speaker, Moonwarden's philosophy is laid bare here, and reveals its bankruptcy; not only has it failed to defeat one who trusted in friendship, even on ground most favorable to it, but the battle it fought against Luna's will is one that Moonwarden probably never wanted to fight. Egoism has turned Moonwarden into a monster, even towards those he wanted to protect, and that monster proved unable to defeat the one it most often boasted of its superiority to. Egoism is empty, powerless, and monstrous, deserving to be kicked to the curb by its own beliefs as well as the world's. If Moonwarden has any sense, he'll accept Twilight's philosophy of friendship and the Elements of Harmony, not just because they're right but because they're strong, much stronger than the posturing of egoism.

[Gulheru]

11659657

Oh, I do hope I will provide all the answers in the end. I'm aiming at making this a full, complex experience.

PS: I don't know, my friend, maybe.

[Gulheru]

11659667

Quite the interpretation, my friend, I love it so much! And I am glad that I could delve a little bit more into Moonwarden. I think he is still hiding a couple more secrets.

[Chaos_Silver]

stallion had realized that her sister had caught his two guards leaving his tower in… dubious circumstances,

. Maybe his sister would be better?

Interesting! At this point, however it's more interesting to follow Luna-Moonwarden part of story.

Twilight's part of the story seems to be a little... sleepy? Beside the very ending of this chapter, thought. Feeling the echoes of Luna's adventure in the mental world? This mountains are needed to be studied!

[Gulheru]

11659681

It would be better, definitely.

Well, interesting things might be happening in Equestria right now, but I have intrigues planned on both "sides" of the tale that I don't want anybody to miss.

[Chaos_Silver]

11659688
I'll definitely be here to see. At some point I was expecting Luna to kiss Moonwarden This is truly the most effective spell against memory issues. Cadence also would approve!

[RangerOfRhudaur]

11659633
Between the "The stars will aid in her escape" prophecy's accuracy, the Test of Faith, and now this, I'd say that there's almost certainly something behind the Noctraliyan religion. There are a few possibilities I can think of off the top of my head;

- Noctraliya itself is alive in some fashion, similarly to, as keroko pointed out, the Tree of Harmony.
- The Immaculate Moon is a real benevolent spiritual entity, and Luna and/or Twilight are unknowing avatars or emissaries of Her.
- The Immaculate Moon is a real benevolent spiritual entity, but misidentified with Luna.
- The Immaculate Moon is a real spiritual entity, but one in some way malevolent towards Noctraliya. (Perhaps Noctraliyan religion seems so xenophobic as a way for Her to isolate them?)

Personally, I believe that the third option is the most likely, as Whatever calls itself the Immaculate Moon has demonstrated benevolence (reinvigorating Twilight's hope this chapter) and some measure of will, as seen here:

Twilight could have been mistaken, but the seer was clearly asking to whom was the Immaculate Moon speaking. Was he considering that… that Twilight could be, once again, the mouthpiece of the Goddess, like back at the Mountain of Fang? But how would that be possible without—?

If the Immaculate Moon were simply a force, like magic, this wouldn't be happening; the conditions for this kind of action, namely luneeit or quicksilver, do not appear to have been met.

As for Luna not being the Immaculate Moon, personally I feel that this ties into a theme I've been noticing as the story goes on; Noctraliya has genuine metaphysical heft in its corner, but misunderstands it. They're on the right track, but draw the wrong conclusions, similar to their interpretation of the Tale of the Lost Gifts; yes, the story is a warning against misusing the Gifts of the Goddess, but a warning against present misuse, not a condemnation for misuse in the past. Of course, this opens up a whole new can of worms in the form of why the other tribes don't remember the Immaculate Moon who created them, but between the Tale of the Lost Gifts' account of their disdain for the Immaculate Moon, the potentially destructive effects of the Windigos on Equestrian historical records, and the potential for Noctraliya to be exaggerating the Goddess' deeds, it should be possible to empty that can. In return, I believe this theory serves very well narratively (the Immaculate Moon is trying to contact Twilight to let her know that Noctraliya is wrong) and thematically (what better indictment of the corrupt system that Twilight has encountered could there be than that they misunderstand the very Goddess they worship?).

[Bregon]

Oh no, with Moonwarden's memory gone, I doubt that he will remember anything about the attack that almost cost his life....

[MathBrony173]

I'm starting to get the feeling that the Immaculate Moon is like a higher aspect or being. Perhaps the reason by the batponies view Princess Luna as the Immaculate Moon is because this aspect addressed them by taking control of Luna's physical being, as it appears to be doing with Princess Twilight. If this is true, I wonder if this could also occur with Princess Celestia (or perhaps there's a deeper reason why she's known as the Judging/Unforgiving Sun).

We already knew just how egotistical Moonwarden could be, along with his manipulative tendencies. And yet, I feel the reason why it was a bit chilling to hear Moonwarden speak of it in such a blasé manner was because it revealed just how ingrained those traits are within him. His fascination and love for Luna really must have been, and currently still is, monumental; curious how knowing he nearly forcibly took control of Luna's mind will affect him in the future, if at all. It'll also be interesting to see if this sudden recognition of Luna in his mind will lead to any significant improvement physically.

[Gulheru]

11660289

We shall see, won't we?

11660328

Happy that I inspired you to make those observations. My plans regarding both "sides" of the story continue.

[redmar]

It seems that Moonwarden using his mentalism on Luna has restored some of his memory and it may help his healing process.
Twilight at least acknowledges that she isn't emotionally well enough to consider anything of a romantic nature at this moment. I feel that she wants to repair the realtionship with Midnight Wind to friendship first and then see if romance is still an option for them. I don't know what to think of what happened at the shrine other than that the priests felt what Moonwarden did to Luna.
Ebony Crescent still continues his flirting with Twilight and doesn't seem dissuaded from it by what Ivory revealed about him. I get the impression that Ivory Crescent is aware of her brother's flirting with Twilight and disapproves of it. It's certain that Ivory Crescent thinks her brother has too many nights in the company of his guards.

[Gulheru]

11660358

There are a lot of issues to deal with, no?

[RangerOfRhudaur]

11659681

Feeling the echoes of Luna's adventure in the mental world?

A faint echo, yes; the tone of Twilight's experience in the shrine (first a general tugging, then the weight of the world's sins, then a lightening of her load) seems almost opposite to the tone of Luna's experience with Moonwarden's magic; the initial dragging-down stays the same, yes, but after that the arcs invert, with Luna first having to hold onto her actions, despite the sinfulness of some of them, then feeling her load return to its normal weight after her struggle. Twilight is Moses before the burning bush, Luna is Jesus being tempted by the Devil in the wilderness.

However, you're right, we're clearly supposed to draw parallels between the two sections. This alone

Twilight blinked, as she found it suddenly hard to look away from the symbol, as if something was pulling her through it. Those strands of light above it, reaching towards it to provide the argent shine, looked almost like… a web. Like strings of silver material actually leading up from the holy symbol, vanishing from sight somewhere above, for Twilight couldn’t keep her attention on them for long.

screams that there's a connection between them.

What if it's a more literal connection? What if Moonwarden is, unwittingly, relying on the divine?

The Tale of the Lost Gifts describes the gift to the unicorns as "thy will alone shape shall and create," but also "thy gaze will see what is hidden." What is more hidden than one's thoughts? Moonwarden does describe mentalism as being related to clairvoyance, another example of seeing what is hidden, in Chapter XXIII - Dos and Don'ts. Of course, this runs into the problem of the Tale not necessarily being true, but even if it is false the link it makes between the Immaculate Moon, magic, and revealing what is hidden is still noteworthy. Perhaps the noctrali resistance to mentalism is another legacy of Radiant Glory's.

The Sancturians use luneeit on their amor, which, as we saw in Twilight's vision in Chapter LXVI, has magical properties. They also drink quicksilver, which, based on her encounter with Constellation in Chapter XLVI, acts as a magical enhancer. Could this explain the Test of Faith? Raw magical energy from the quicksilver, using the luneeit as a channel, being fashioned into a flash of telepathy? It wouldn't even necessarily contradict the religious explanation the Sancturians have for the Test; they would still be using the gifts of their Mother to discern the subject's heart, all science would do is provide names for those gifts and a more technical explanation of how they're used.

I propose that mentalism is not something unnatural or abhorrent, but rather an easily-misused tool, like free will. Moonwarden represents the dark side of mentalism, the kind that sees it as nothing more than a weapon to dominate others with. But look at the memory-viewing this chapter; would not this be useful to maintaining harmony, transcending the barriers of language and allowing the communication of information without lie or misunderstanding? Look at Twilight and Midnight; if they could see each other's thoughts, they'd be able to hash out a solution much easier. Midnight would be able to let Twilight know just how deep his regret is, while Twilight could let him know how much his hiding of his affair hurt her. They'd be able to be fully honest with each other, while providing enough context to that honesty to invite sympathy instead of rage.

While the boundaries between the Immaculate Moon and magic are rather murky (How transcendental is the Goddess? Is She like Celestia and Luna, powerful but still of the world, or truly beyond it? How powerful are the Goddess and magic relative to each other?), I believe that the Immaculate Moon played a significant part in the development or discovery of mentalism, desiring a more harmonious life for Her children. Yes, creatures ended up misusing it, but that's the story of the world; the Creator makes something good, then creatures figure out a way to break it. The point is that mentalism isn't inherently evil, anymore than the Lost Gifts; they can be corrupted, like Radiant Glory corrupted his magic, but there was some goodness to corrupt because, at their base, they're good.

[The Great Derpsby]

11659667
I wish this was an actual defeat of Moonwarden. His being is repulsive and disgusting. But he's once again doted upon by Luna, unreasonably and irrationally. Protected and shielded from actual CONSEQUENCES to his vile nature. Being stabbed will means nothing with how things are going. He's only crying because it's Luna he's mistreated, his crush, his obsession, the thing he wants for himself who sadly returns all his feelings and more.

What good is this supposed failure of his egotistical mindset if he simply gets what he wants anyway?

[The Great Derpsby]

11661916
11659681
Random thought: what if the Immaculate Moon is the literal opposite to Nightmare Moon?

As in, Nightmare Moon is Luna's evil potential unleashed. Her wounded pride, her desire to be recognised and worshipped, her need to rule and control. I dimly remember being told that in this setting here, the Nightmare is at least in some ways its own, distinct entity.

So what if the Immaculate Moon is the opposite? Luna's good potential, reaching out to help and guide Twilight in ways Luna herself can't? I'm not saying I believe this is the case, but it's somewhat interesting still since this would also be a potential source for the Judging Sun: Celestia's evil potential, perhaps glimpsed by a Batpony seer in the past. The thing Starlight Glimmer will later learn might be named Daybreaker, if it ever were allowed to become real.

[Chaos_Silver]

11662145

Celestia's evil potential, perhaps glimpsed by a Batpony seer in the past

Quite the Idea! That leads us to another one - what bats did to make 'Daybreaker' leave her comfortable lair in the darkest corner of Celestia's mind and soul?

[The Great Derpsby]

11662198
If they did anything at all. Prophecy appears to be a fickle thing, filled with uncertainty and potential truths and observer bias.

In fact, it would be SO interesting to know how old those ideas of the goddesses actually are. Maybe the Judging Sun isn't all that old, a result of the Marshall's ill-fated quest for revenge. I've said it before, but the Batponies idea of Celestia is just so utterly strange since it has almost nothing in common with the actual person of Celestia herself. Nevermind that it makes no sense in the context of Equestria either: a merciless, pitiless judge from whom you can't hide any transgressions leading a nation of (supposedly) indolent, frivolous weaklings?

Coming back to your question: perhaps one of the effits, after the attack on Noctraliya, plunged the streams of magic rushing through their mountains to understand WHY it happened. Why the Solar Crusade was allowed to be unleashed upon them, as their own nation would never do something like it without the express endorsement of the Goddess herself. And since they expected to find evil, they caught sight of it—a potential, what could happen if Celestia lost control like Luna had just before... and decided that THIS must be the actual Celestia.

[RangerOfRhudaur]

11662117

He's only crying because it's Luna he's mistreated, his crush, his obsession, the thing he wants for himself

Moonwarden's persona is The Devoted Servant, one who, though they might do things their monarch can't be seen to do, will never cross their master.

But Moonwarden just did.

Now, he could justify it as him not being in full possession of his faculties (Gulheru, I fall upon my knees and beg you, don't let him take the easy way out, he needs this character growth), but I doubt he'd really believe that; after all, it wasn't that he was acting irrationally (from his point of view), it was that he was acting on incomplete information. To put it another way, Moonwarden didn't try to mind-control Luna because he was insane, he tried because he didn't recognize her.

Which means that Moonwarden, the ubermensch who treats his whims as law, and who, based on those whims, made himself The Devoted Servant of Luna, crossed a line he promised himself was red in the sand, a line he would never, ever cross, no matter how many others he stomped over. His talents, which I don't doubt he promised himself he only used to protect him and those few he loved, ended up hurting those he swore to protect. He's Boromir after trying to take the Ring from Frodo, realizing just how deep in darkness his folly has landed him.

Yes, what Moonwarden's done has been despicable, but now he sees that; up til now he's been able to hide behind his mask of The Devoted Servant, characterizing everything he's done as "for the greater good" even when it's only been good for him (your point about him preparing to mind-whammy a beggar for the crime of bothering him still stands), but now he's demonstrated that, when the chips are down, he'll stride over his red lines with the utmost confidence. He knows what monstrosities he's capable of now, what he'll do even without the justification of "for the realm." You're right, he's upset because it's Luna that he hurt, much like St. Peter was upset because it was Jesus he denied three times after swearing he would die with him.

However, I will agree that Luna seems rather sanguine about the evidence of Moonwarden's monstrosities that she's seen. If it hadn't been for her pre-existing relationship with him, he would be prison-bound faster than Cozy Glow. The only guesses I can offer are that she trusts that what she's seen has been necessary (like Moonwarden himself said this chapter, how foolish of her) or that she's going to confront him about them as soon as she's sure he's safe.

[Gulheru]

11662486

Please, do not beg for anything. It's the story's choice, not mine, at this point.

[Backlash91]

Loved this chapter so much!

also BIG THANKS to

RangerOfRhudaur for translating the language. that really helps folks like me stay in the story!

[The Great Derpsby]

11662486
I do think you are being too generous to Moonwarden here. I don't believe he had even the pretence of moral qualms regarding his mind-rapes. That he believed, even if falsely, he was only doing what had to be done for the best of the nation, because he was the only one who could do it.

I think Moonwarden's mindset is generally summed up in a quote from the Angry Beavers show: "There's losers, and me. Guess what? You ain't me." As you said, he's the Uberpony in his little world, his own abilities elevating him to control and direct and use as he wants because everyone else is beneath him. His only supposed red line was Luna, over his weird, obsessive crush on her, and anyone powerful enough to squash him flat if he tried to meddle with their minds. And out of those, I firmly believe he only "respected" Luna and nobody else—which isn't respect at all, because it has nothing to do with what either of them are and can do and only his fixation with THIS ONE PONY. Whom I don't understand yet what he sees in, even less what Luna sees in Moonwarden other than a megalomaniacal creep given far, far too many breaks.

[Gulheru]

11662924

My pleasure. And, indeed, Ranger's work is stellar.

[GCU Poke It With A Stick]

Going to wait before saying Moonwarden's had a change of heart. It means south of jack and shit if he recognizes the mind rape of Luna as inexcusable regardless of reasoning while still doing that to people he sees as beneath him.
And his actions need to be publicized. Equestrians need to know what the princesses have allowed to walk amongst them. Might finally get the country some badly needed checks and balances implemented.

11660009
11662145
I'd hesitate assigning benevolence to the Immaculate Moon at this point. The katorge is still in use throughout the country and (as far as I know) no attempts at messaging "STOP THIS INSANITY YOU CAVEDWELLING FUCKWITSAAAAAAAAAA-" via the seers or some other form of communication has been made, implying the Immaculate Moon either approves it or doesn't care enough to stop it. For whatever reason it may have, both choices preclude benevolence.

[Gulheru]

11663186

Checks and balances in Equestria? That's not what the series showed!

[The Great Derpsby]

11663186
That's an understandable position. On the other hand, katorge looks to me like it's a sympton of a fundamental issue. That has already been discussed, the racism, xenophobia, ignorance, obsession with purity to the point anything too "impure" is simply deleted from the communal memory. But if we look at it from this angle, it's also a valid interpretation that the Goddess IS shouting at her children to finally get their heads out of their behinds. Why else would Twilight Sparkle be called to Noctraliya and showered with her blessings once she's there? I don't think the Princess of Friendship and Avatar of Harmony would be allowed to go anywhere NEAR that place if the Immaculate Moon wasn't desperately trying to reach out.

[RangerOfRhudaur]

11663040
Personally, I don't think it's actually Moonwarden that Luna loves, it's the devotion he's shown and the self-confidence he's given her. Like you said, he's basically served as Luna's emotional support animal, and I feel it's the emotional support he provides that Luna truly appreciates.

And, I will admit, I am probably being too generous to Moonwarden. The problem is, I want there to be a reason to be generous to him, because otherwise I feel a bit of cognitive dissonance between Moonwarden's actions and the tone of the writing featuring him which, unless I am a very bad reader, seems to indicate that he's intended as more of a protagonist. I don't like the idea of cheering for someone who, at the moment, seems very similar to A Song of Ice and Fire's Littlefinger.

Also, would you say it's more likely a sign of weakness or simple preference that I'm considering dropping out of these discussions about Moonwarden? I mean no offense, but sometimes reading through them can be a bit hard, perhaps due to the cognitive dissonance I mentioned earlier, or perhaps due to the frankly de-energizing effect of reading criticism, however warranted.

[Gulheru]

11663501 11663482 11663186

If I might add my, writer's perspective – I am quite pleased with seeing those discussions. Yes, they might be criticizing and harsh towards the character, but that means, at least for me, that he's an interesting piece of work! Is he destined for a good ending? Well, that's a different topic entirely. And I've been given apt insight into how some of the readers view him. It's even the more interesting that there are also voices of support, especially in relation to his and Luna's feelings!

I'll accept all of that as my little accolade, if you'll allow that.

[Piemaster128]

Poor moonwarden is going to be so distraught next time we see him. Meanwhile Twilight’s flame of hope might have just gotten the boost of power it needed to help her survive the coming days. And yet everyone felt that pulse of power. Was it twilight who did it? Did she just amplify what was already there, or was it something else entirely? Many questions yet so few answers. Love it.

[Gulheru]

11664153

Thank you so much! Answers, when they start appearing, tend to snowball. I want to gather enough snow first, so that I can have an avalanche come down at some point.

[Piemaster128]

11664155
Makes sense to me. I’m likely going to do something similar for one of my stories.

[The Great Derpsby]

11663501
No, I don't consider it a sign of weakness. That would be very hypocritical of me indeed, seeing as how I used to skip entire parts of the story because Moonwarden was in them! For much the same disconnect as you mention, in fact: that he comes across as extremely vile with horrifying views but the story seems to intend to portray him as someone to root for and mostly in the right.

If we step back from Moonwarden himself, there's something about Luna I completely missed so far. Our Princess of the Night has some very personal experiences with outside forces manipulating minds. One could say her dreamwalking magic is precisely this, but she uses this generally to pull a pony out of nightmares their minds already created for them. Giving them back their autonomy by making them realize what they're seeing isn't real, just something their subconscious is grappling with. Then there's her own losing her mind to the Nightmare, a state she did invite into herself to some extent and that then twisted her into the absolute worst version of herself.

And this now makes me wonder: just what is Princess Luna's opinion of all the brainwashing her champion does? Does she think it okay because she, too, regularly glimpses into the thoughts of her subjects as part of "her job"? Or does what she went through as Nightmare Moon make her more sensitive to some external magical force controlling your mind and body? It seems like this chapter is the first time she actually, truly considers the ramifications of what she unleashed. Like she never really thought that deeply about what violation Moonwarden actually inflicts on, well, everyone who doesn't have the power to fight back.

Heh. Wouldn't it be something if Moonwarden was eventually reassigned to Noctraliya—a place where everypony is immune to his powers..?

[bkam]

“Oh! Oh, Princess Luna, that is quite the claim,” the unicorn pointed out, trying to contain his further chuckles. “Who, in their right mind, would allow me so close to themselves?”

This conversation is starting to get really interesting.

“Please, don’t,” Twilight let them know, hoping to speak quietly enough not to alert the courtiers to anything. She took a deep breath, then looked at Midnight Wind, trying to muster in herself just the right amount of conviction. “I’m sorry. For what I have said last day. Something came over me, and I didn’t think any of it through,” she declared, keeping in mind the volume, though not holding back her sincerity.

“Yes, they were. Well, actually,” Ebony Crescent immediately wanted to explain his answer a bit more, “ wartowneci , the sentinels, are considered to be a Lord’s bodyguard unit, though they can be delegated to watch over the closest family of the haspadr . I... do find myself referring to those two as ‘mine’, because... well.”

“Well,” Twilight parroted him, and the Count Brother recognized what she meant by that.

Yeah

Did… Did this fate come for her, specifically? Or… or was something, somepony, sharing this sudden trial with her…?

Weird...

And, at the effit calling for the Immaculate Moon, the warmth which Twilight had grown accustomed to suddenly felt like a fireplace that burned with renewed flame, once again.

...What in the Sam Hell? Is this implying she's linked to Moonwarden/Luna somehow?

[Gulheru]

11732625

I like to make things and happenings mean more.