Śikār Honā
The Gentle Nights
Audience of One
Chapter XX
Śikār Honā
Succumb
“Hello again, Aunt Luna.”
Luna turned to find Cadance walking up the steps. The sight of her adoptive niece sent a pang through her chest. “Please tell me you talked my sister into letting you do this again.”
Cadance had none of her usual cheer. She shook her head, worry marring her young features. “I am afraid not. This time it was she who asked me to step in.”
Luna frown deepened. “This is getting out of hoof.”
“I wish I knew what troubled her so much.” Cadance sat beside her and stared at the moon. “I’ve never seen Celestia so… weak. It’s as if something were draining her.”
“Emotionally, perhaps.” Luna considered Cadance with a studious frown. “How much do you know?”
“Only that she is exhausted, and appears to be physically ill.” Cadance turned to Luna, eyes imploring. “She told me to remind you of your promise.”
“My promise?!” Luna growled at her niece, who retreated from her expression. “That’s her concern? Not her health or wellbeing or the trust she claims to have for me?!”
“I-I don’t understand.” Cadance raised her hooves in a placating motion. “What was this promise?”
Luna growl yet again and turned away, silently reprimanding herself for unleashing her emotions on Cadance like that. “Centuries ago, I promised to never enter Celestia’s dreams except under extreme circumstances or her request. Her problem involves a nightmare, Cadance.”
“I… I see.” Cadance kept her distance, but her curiosity laced her tone. “So you knew all along?”
“Indeed.” Luna kicked at the stone floor and snorted. “She’d rather wallow in misery every night and suffer than trust me to do my job. So much for her faith in me.”
Cadance fidgeted and rubbed her hooves together in a sheepish display. “I know I shouldn’t pry in your relationship, but—”
“Don’t bother.” Luna raised her head high and focused her magic on the moon. As it began to slide towards the horizon, she continued, “There is nothing you can say that would ease my mind. Celestia has made her position clear. If I deem the situation to be such that I must break my promise, then I will. Until then, I will keep very close watch.”
Cadance said nothing. For that, Luna was glad. She had enough issues to deal with, like deciding whether or not the current situation was enough of an emergency to override her sister’s wishes. Yet no matter how much she wanted to invade her sister’s privacy, there still came that nagging doubt and those horrible questions:
What did Celestia face in her dreams, and why hadn’t Luna heard from the Nightmare in two nights?
Octavia sat in the hallway, staring at the ponies in her cramped kitchen. “Guys, you really, really don’t have to stay. I’m fine.”
Parish, with a steaming cup of coffee in one hoof, pointed at her and turned to Vinyl. “She’s not serious, is she?”
“Of course she’s serious,” Vinyl answered from the synthesizer that was squeezed in a corner. “Octy has no sense of self-preservation.”
“You had us scared half to death,” Symphony reminded Octavia from her spot opposite Parish. “We’re not leaving you alone until we know you’re okay.”
“But I am okay!” Octavia groaned, head rolled back on her shoulders. “You all bought me lunch and dinner yesterday, helped me arrange my sheet music—”
“Throwing away the crappy parts,” Vinyl broke in.
“—and all in all I feel a lot better. I don’t need you all holding my hoof.”
Beauty spoke from the bedroom behind her. “This from the mare who spent two whole days without food or water and barely any sleep.”
Octavia looked back to her friend’s smirk. “And I appreciate all that you guys are trying to do, really.”
“Good, then you’ll shut up and let us keep working.” Vinyl put on her sunglasses as she adjusted some knobs on her synthesizer. “We’re going to help you finish this song, and the only way you’re going to get rid of us is to get started.”
“But…” Octavia chewed her lip and turned her face away, staring out her cracked window at nothing in particular. “But I wanted it to be my work. It’s important.”
“Princess Luna’s going to appreciate this no matter what,” Parish countered.
“Yeah, the fact you’re going through all of this for her would wow any mare.” Symphony flipped through the sheet music on the table. “This is really good stuff, Octy. Well, the parts that weren’t a jumbled mess from you being a zombie.”
Beauty laid a hoof on her shoulder from behind. “We know this is important to you, but—”
“No, you don’t.” Octavia pushed her leg away. “I… I need this to be me, to be my voice! I have to prove it to myself that I can do this on my own.” She turned to Vinyl. “You understand, don’t you? Look at that beautiful piece you wrote!”
Vinyl sighed and rested her cheek in her hoof. “But I didn’t do it all by myself. I attended your concerts, asked the opinions of a few friends, things like that. I mean, sure, the majority of the work was mine, but I had to get at least some help.”
“B-but… I…”
“Octavia, please.” Parish shot her his best pleading expression. He was pretty good at them. “You can’t do this all by yourself. Yesterday proves it.”
“But I have to!” Octavia stomped, but there was no force behind the act. She bowed her head and said nothing more, feeling horribly drained. They weren’t going to give in, were they? Why couldn’t they understand? If only she knew the right things to say.
The silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. Octavia ignored it and continued to stare at her hooves.
“I’ve got it,” Vinyl said when the knocking came again.
Another quiet pause. Octavia knew she should at least try to look decent for whoever was at the door, but couldn’t muster up the energy to bother straightening herself out. She just kept seeing Luna’s distraught face and wishing she could do something.
Vinyl’s voice rose hesitantly from the door. “Octy? I really think you wanna take this one. Let’s go, guys.”
“What?” Parish turned to her. “What do you mean? We can’t just—”
Vinyl looked back, pulled her sunglasses off and leveled him with a hard look. “I said let’s go. All of us. We’ll be back later, Octavia.”
Good. At least now she’d have some time alone to think. Octavia shuffled aside so that Beauty could slip past her, barely catching her worried eye. Soon the apartment was clear of everypony save Vinyl, who shot Octavia one last, fretful look before leaving. With a sigh, Octavia began to approach her door.
It closed. The visitor was in her room. Had she the energy, Octavia might have snapped at the guest for invading her home without asking first. As it was, she only looked up.
Her heart stopped, along with her breath.
A dark orange coat.
A grey mane almost a match for her own, neatly brushed about a long horn.
Startlingly familiar mulberry eyes.
“B… Benjamina?”
Benjamina remained expressionless, her eyes set upon her younger sister. “Hello, Octavia. It’s been a while.”
At first, Octavia could only stare. Then a familiar fire rose within her, and her gaping turned into a teeth-baring sneer. “It has, indeed.”
Silence and a distinct tension filled the apartment. Octavia maintained her glare as her eldest sibling’s eyes began to roam about the apartment. She said nothing to this, waiting until Benjamina focused upon her once more. “I know,” Octavia growled, “I’m a disappointment.”
Benjamina started to step forward. “Octavia—”
Octavia recoiled, and Benjamina paused with hoof still raised. After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped back once more. “I see time hasn’t made the heart grow fonder.”
Octavia only sniffed.
Another moment of quiet staring. Benjamina lowered her head, eyes shifting in thought. Never did she lose that willful expression. She met Octavia’s steely gaze. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
With a sigh, Octavia turned her face away. “Not yet.”
“Why don’t we go somewhere, then?” Benjamina gestured invitingly. “A quiet breakfast, just you and me.”
“Is that why you came halfway around the world? For breakfast?”
Her sister sighed heavily. “I just wanted to see my little sister again.”
Those words gave Octavia pause. She glanced at Benjamina and saw… something. She couldn’t be sure what, for it had vanished into that neutral, firm expression as fast as it had come. She had to admit, it had been many years. “Just breakfast?”
Benjamina nodded. “If that’s all you’ll tolerate. You might want to freshen up.”
A swipe of her hoof through her mane reminded Octavia that she still suffered from a nasty case of bedhead. “Right. Make yourself at home.” Not that Benjamina would have awaited permission.
Octavia retreated to her bathroom and went through the motions; hot water to the face, brush teeth, brush hair, so on. Anger continued to bubble under the surface, and she could see it clearly in the tiny scowl that never seemed to leave her lips. She wondered what her sister could possibly want, for there was no question she wanted something. How long before she started throwing around insults? Probably as soon as she had what she came for.
When Octavia finally stepped out of the bathroom, her sister was in the hallway staring out the window. Octavia brushed past her for the bedroom, voice dripping with bitterness. “Nice view, isn’t it?”
“That depends,” Benjamina replied without missing a beat. “Is your next-door neighbor a stud?”
Octavia paused, hoof reaching for her bow tie, and slowly stepped back to gaze at the door. She could barely see her sister’s shoulder from this angle. “Uh… no.”
“A pity… but then I suppose you prefer mares.”
There was something off about Benjamina’s tone there, but she didn’t elaborate further. There was a sinking feeling in Octavia’s stomach; how much did her sister know? Should this be something worrisome? Of course it should, this was Benjamina! But Octavia sucked down a calming breath and refused to jump to conclusions. She set her bow tie and closed the closet.
“Ready.”
Benjamina led the way out, Octavia pausing only to lock her door. When they came to the apartment lobby, they were joined by a pair of burly-looking nilgiri. Their presence caught Octavia by surprise; they were larger than the Equestrian goat, and that went for their horns too. Both wore expensive-looking suits and possessed blank, hard expressions designed to intimidate.
Octavia felt just a little nervous with the two brutes marching behind her. “Is the banking business in Nildia so rough you have to have bodyguards now?”
“You have no idea.”
Given how serious Benjamina said it, Octavia thought it better not to doubt.
Octavia was startled to find a large carriage waiting for them outside the apartment. It wasn’t some busted up rental, either; the thing looked brand new, and the two pegasi who lead it were quite the specimens of masculinity. Octavia hesitated to enter, but Benjamina had no such qualms. The two nilgiri climbed aboard the front of the carriage.
A distinct bitterness filled Octavia as she lay on the felt cushions opposite her sister.
“I have a friend who claims there’s an excellent Quinese restaurant on the north side of town,” Benjamina said. “Any objections?” With none presented, she knocked her hoof on the side of the carriage, which promptly rocked forward and into the sky. The rising sensation brought Octavia’s stomach to her knees; it was a most unpleasant feeling.
“You get used to the takeoffs after a while,” Benjamina assured her.
“I don’t think I’ll be flying enough to do so,” Octavia countered while rubbing her stomach, not daring to look out the window.
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
Octavia stomped her hoof against the cushions. “That’s twice you’ve hinted at knowing something. Spill it, Benjamina; I know you’re not here for a casual visit.”
Benjamina flinched, yet still she maintained that calm manner. She turned to stare out the window as her face softened. Octavia didn’t buy it, crossing her legs and waiting impatiently for the explanation.
“Tell me, Octavia, do you spare me much thought?”
“More than I care to admit.”
Benjamina glanced at her, but there was no harshness in her expression this time. “I… see. I guess it’s to be expected, isn’t it?”
“After how you treated me?” Octavia held her head high and turned her face away. “Most certainly.”
Benjamina was quiet, her gaze searching. At last she turned back to the window. “I still remember that day. Vividly. I’ll admit, for the first two years I didn’t give you a passing thought.”
Octavia huffed. “I’m honored it only took you two years.” Another flinch from her sister. She didn’t recall Benjamina being so… jumpy.
“I started dreaming about it.”
Octavia’s blood ran cold. Slowly, she turned her wide-eyed gaze to her sister, but Benjamina continued to stare out the window.
“It seemed like such a stupid dream at first,” Benjamina continued. “There was nothing to it. Just me and you, reliving that moment exactly. Yet it came again, and again. At first it was once every month or two, but gradually I started having the dream on a weekly basis. The… ‘quality’ of it kept shifting.”
She leaned against the back cushion, her expression gradually falling. “I noticed that I didn’t have control anymore. I’d stand in front of you and I’d say those things, and I realized that I didn’t want to say them. I tried to stop myself, but it was like my mouth had a mind of its own. It’s not a dream anymore, but a nightmare where I have to sit there and listen to a pony who used to be me insult my only sister. I started to avoid sleep, then sought mages who could keep me from dreaming for short periods of time.
“Then… something changed.” She turned to Octavia, who was startled to find a distinct wetness in her sister’s eyes. “One night, I’m having the nightmare. I’m laughing at you, and you’re so angry, and I want to throw myself off that balcony if it’ll just make the words stop. Then I heard a different voice, a voice I didn’t recognize. I looked for it, and for just a second or two…”
“You saw us.”
The sisters gazed at one another, one with her mouth slightly agape in comprehension, the other calm but on the verge of tears. No sound filled the carriage save Octavia’s heart pounding in her chest.
Benjamina’s horn shined, the color of her aura matching her mulberry eyes, and something rose from a pocket of the carriage door. It was a small piece of folded paper, which floated into Octavia’s waiting hooves. “I read that a week later.”
Slowly, her hooves feeling like lead, Octavia unfolded the item. It was an article ripped from a nilgiri newspaper. Though she could have read the foreign symbols easily, there was no need: the picture of Octavia and Luna at the Ailes du Plaisir said enough.
“You really were there, weren’t you, Octy?”
Octavia’s hooves shook. “You’re not supposed to call me that.” She set the newspaper aside and tried to ignore the pain in her heart. “Luna thought she was doing me a favor. She wanted us to talk in our dreams and… and bridge the gap between us.”
“‘Luna,’ is it?” Benjamina offered a weak smile. “So you’re close enough to not require the title?”
“She’s my friend,” Octavia whispered, turning away.
“Is that all she is, Octy?” Benjamina leaned forward. “I saw the title you used for that song in your kitchen.”
Octavia sneered. “You’re looking through my things too?”
“It wasn’t exactly hidden, Octy.”
“Don’t call me that!” Octavia jumped to the middle of the carriage to get in her sister’s face. “You are not allowed to act so… so bucking familiar with me! And my relationship with Luna is none of your business. It’s… it’s not.”
She lost her steam, slumping to a sitting position and staring at her hooves. “What do you want, Benjamina?”
“To do something that should have been done ages ago.”
Octavia sighed and rubbed her cheeks. “Whatever it is, I don’t want it.”
With another silent moment moment between them, Octavia thought her point had been made. She started to turn back for her seat…
Benjamina caught her up in a hug. It came so suddenly that Octavia had to think for a moment to understand it. Her immediate reaction was to try and push her sister away. “Let me go, or I’ll—”
“I’m sorry.”
She paused, legs pressed against Benjamina’s chest, mind frozen. “W…What did you say?”
Benjamina shivered, but her hold was tight. “I’m sorry. That’s all there is, Octavia. I am sorry.”
Octavia’s mind swam with the words, words she’d imagined would never, ever come from her sister’s mouth. “B-but you… You’re not… Can’t be…”
“I had no right to say those things to you.” The sniffling pierced Octavia’s ears. “I am so proud of you, and I was so wrong.”
“Proud?” Octavia pushed her away, but only so she could look upon her sister’s tear-streaked face. “Why? What have I ever done to make you proud? I haven’t done anything to prove you wrong!”
“But you have.” Benjamina's lips turned up to form a trembling smile. “Just because I live in Nildia doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention to my family. You have a successful career, built through hard work and determination.”
“B-but I’m not…” Octavia turned away with a scowl, her anger refusing to fade so quickly. “I’m not rich or elite like you.”
“It doesn’t matter, Octy.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Benjamina repeated. “Your career is blooming. Your performances are earning rave reviews, your name is on the lips of ponies all over Canterlot. You’ve built a reputation, Octavia, and you did it in spite of everything I said would hold you back. I have never been more wrong in my life.”
Octavia shook her head with a sniff that only left her feeling more pathetic. “You don’t really think that. You… you can’t.”
With two light raps against the wall from Benjamina, the carriage came to a rocking stop. She reached forward to cup Octavia’s chin in her hooves and looked her in the eyes. “I know you hate me, Octavia. You have every right. I should have been there for you, and instead I…” She swallowed audibly and pressed her forehead to Octavia’s. “I won’t ask you to forgive me, but please… I want to at least try to get us back on the right path.”
For just the slightest instant, Octavia thought she might accept. Yet as soon as the idea came to mind, she quashed it and pulled back. Benjamina winced and stared at her hooves, but Octavia leveled her with a hard look.
“Benjamina, I can’t trust this.”
“I know.” Benjamina heaved a sigh. “It’s going to be a long road. I didn’t expect you to accept me readily, Octy.”
Octavia opened her mouth to snap at her over the nickname, but held it back. She stared at her sister, looking for any sign of deception. She found none, and she had no idea how to respond to that. Should she be relieved? She couldn’t just… trust it. Even if she wanted to.
“Benji, I…” She paused to consider her words, noting how Benjamina’s head lifted slightly at the use of her own nickname. “You hurt me, Benji. You know that, right?”
“I do.”
Okay. Another moment to think. “For the past seven years, I have based all of my decisions on proving you wrong. I gave up my life, my friends, my home. I’m not saying it’s been a bad seven years, but… I worked so hard and for so long, all because of that moment.” Despite herself, Octavia smiled. “I suppose I should thank you; if you hadn’t been such an insensitive witch, I might not have worked so hard or made it this far.”
Benjamina cringed and turned away.
“Now you come back and suggest that everything can be right again. We can’t just turn the ship around, it’s not that easy.”
“Octy, I…” Benjamina chewed her lip and could say no more.
Octavia bumped her sister’s shoulder with her muzzle, but Benjamina wouldn’t look at her. She continued anyway. “You say that I’ve proven myself to you. It’s your turn, sister.”
At last Benjamina met her gaze. Octavia offered a weak smile. It was difficult to achieve, and it probably looked as forced as it was, but it was something, and Benjamina returned it. “I think that sounds like a good deal,” she replied.
“I won’t make it easy for you, though.” Octavia’s smile dropped as she leveled her sister with a hard frown. “I’m sorry, Benji, but I just can’t trust you yet.”
“I know.” Benjamina didn’t lose her smile. If anything, it became warmer. “It’s going to be a long, hard road, I know that. I don’t care. Thank you for giving me the opportunity, Octy. It means more to me than you can imagine.”
They shared one last smile, faced with the mutual understanding that no more needed to be said. After a time Benjamina bumped the wall behind her once more and the carriage rocked forward yet again.
“So,” Benjamina said once they’d both settled back into their seats, “You and Princess Luna, huh?”
Octavia rolled her head back with a groan. “Not you too.”
Her sister chuckled. “Hey, it’s a good thing. You say you haven’t made it, but at the same time you’re having romantic dinners with princesses. I’d say you’ve come farther than me.”
Those words put Octavia on high alert, but she kept her emotions in check when she said, “Don’t tell me you came all the way here to try and worm your way into Luna’s good graces.”
Benjamina’s response came with such a professional seriousness that it left little room for doubt: “What possible use could I have for that? My business is centered in Nildia, not Equestria, and I see absolutely no reason to expand.”
Octavia blinked. “I thought it was a business rule to constantly expand.”
Her sister waved a dismissive hoof. “You’re confusing me for some greedy Stall Street tycoon. I could retire right now and live the rest of my life wealthy. Finagling my way into an Equestrian royal’s good graces to make a few more bits isn’t going to improve my quality of life one iota.”
Octavia peered at her, but Benjamina seemed entirely unperturbed by her skepticism.
“What I do want to know,” Benjamina went on with a wicked grin, “are the juicy details of how my little sister managed to nab the Princess of the Night. And here you had mom thinking you’d die a spinster. If only she knew you were waiting to land a dish like that.”
“My relationship with Luna isn’t like that.”
“No?”
Benjamina lifted the newspaper with her magic, but Octavia batted it down before it could be thrust in her face. “I know, the dress. And...” She eyed Benjamina’s curious expression before sighing. “Okay, maybe I’d like it to be. Things are strained between us at the moment.”
“Hmm…” Benjamina glanced away with a thoughtful frown. “How serious is it?”
Octavia turned her face away as well. “I’ve got it pretty bad, Benji. I’m sure she has no idea, or else she’d have never asked me to keep away.”
“She ‘asked’ you to keep away?”
Caught by her sister’s tone, Octavia looked up to find Benjamina studying her with a peering gaze. “Um, yes?”
“But not ‘ordered,’ right?”
“Asked, ordered, what’s the difference?” Octavia pouted and kicked at the cushions. “She’s dealing with a lot of… let’s call them ‘personal issues.’”
“I see.”
Another long, uncomfortable silence, interrupted only when the carriage abruptly descended. The motion shot Octavia’s heart into her throat and she couldn’t resist a tiny squeak of surprise, her body going rigid in rebellion against the sudden motion.
“Spend the day with me, Octy.”
Despite her pattering heart, Octavia looked to her sister. “What?”
“Spend the day with me.” Benjamina offered a warm smile, clearly unaffected by the rocking motions of the carriage. “You and me, a sisters’ night on the town. My treat. If we’re going to start healing, we might as well start now.”
Despite her physical discomfort, Octavia ran the idea through her mind. Healing the gap between them was a worthy goal, no doubt, but her thoughts drifted to the song she longed to complete.
Then again, the song wouldn’t be finished for a while yet.
Luna didn’t have time to wait!
But Benjamina did seem to be trying. Was that more important than the song?
Nothing was more important than the song, except Luna.
Her friends devoted an entire day fretting over her. They’d want her to relax.
Was Luna relaxing?
She groaned and covered her face in her hooves.
“Octavia?”
“I’m sorry, Benji.” Octavia leaned back against the seat and stared at the carriage ceiling. “I have a ton on my mind right now. I don’t know if your timing is perfect or all bucked up. Let me think about it while we eat, okay?”
Benjamina’s face fell, but she nodded. “Alright, Octy. You don’t have to do it today, and I won’t hold it against you if you just say ‘no’ outright. I’ll be in Canterlot for a week anyway, so… so you’ve got a little time.”
“Time.” Octavia shook her head with a long sigh. “I’m not sure I have any time at all.”
The day had been uncomfortable at best, but Octavia had to admit that it wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. She’d returned home, promising to have dinner with her sister that night. Trusting Benjamina to be honest had to have been one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but now that it had been done Octavia was committed to the road ahead. If her sister’s display proved a farce… well, Octavia had no intention of giving her a third chance.
Once at home, she caved to her friends demands and allowed them to help with her song. Maybe she was too tired to argue. Perhaps giving Benjamina a chance left her feeling more susceptible to their offers. Or it could be that she simply felt good to be in the company of such caring friends. Whatever the case, she gradually grew used to the idea, and steadily came to even like it.
By the time Benjamina had arrived, Octavia and the others had worked out their planned approach to Luna’s song. Yet even as they helped, they all made one thing abundantly clear: this was Octavia’s work, and she would be doing the majority. They only lent their aid when asked, and otherwise stuck around for a more supportive role, distracting her when she grew frustrated and cheering her when she started to doubt. The entire day left her with a warm sensation, which made her more receptive to her sister when they left for dinner – after some brief introductions, of course.
Now, with the moon close to the horizon, the carriage rumbled across the streets of Canterlot – Benjamina wanting to take a more ‘scenic’ ground route. Yet they weren’t on their way to Octavia’s apartment.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to wait for you?”
Octavia rolled her eyes. “For the fifth time, yes. I’m a big mare now, Benji, you don’t have to escort me everywhere I go.”
“Big mare or no, I don’t want my little sister to have to walk home alone if—” Benjamina bit her lip and glanced out the window just as the carriage rocked to a stop.
“That’s not going to happen,” Octavia declared with head raised. “I’m just going to talk to her, that’s all.” She reached for the door handle, but her sister’s hoof caught hers before she could grasp it.
“I get it, Octy.” Their mulberry eyes met, and Benjamina’s face was marred by a deep frown. “You think you know the princess. You believe she’ll listen to you. What if she doesn’t?”
Octavia sighed and pulled her hoof away. “One day and you’re already trying to give me advice. You don’t understand, Benji. There’s a lot more to this than me being attracted to Luna or vice-versa. Regardless of whatever you concluded from the papers, she is my friend and I need to show her that I’ll be there for her.”
Benjamina huffed and stared at the floor, her frown growing hard. “I wish I could share your confidence.”
“It’s because you’re here that I’m doing this.”
Her sister blinked and looked up. “Me? What did I do?”
Octavia paused to collect her thoughts, knowing she had to choose her words carefully. “I… I’m not saying I’ve fully bought this… this attempt to get back into my life. I’m still on the fence about it, but if it’s true…” She sighed and met Benjamina’s gaze once more. “If you’re really here to make amends, Benji, I can’t imagine how hard it must be. After what you did, you must be scared to death.”
Ducking as if to avoid a blow, Benjamina turned away. She said nothing, but the worry in her eyes spoke volumes.
“You came all the way here, knowing I could very well have rejected you outright.” Octavia set a hoof to her sister’s shoulder and offered a warm smile. This time, it was genuine. “That’s the courageous older sister I used to look up to. If you can do that, I can risk talking to Luna.”
Benjamina stared at her, her frown gradually shifting to a smile. “W-well, it’s good to know I can still be a role model.” She chuckled and reached up to squeeze Octavia’s hoof. “I know it’s going to take a lot to regain your faith in me, but allow me this one act of sisterly concern.”
She hugged Octavia, her hold tight and warm. Octavia returned the motion with no hesitation.
“If things go wrong, you know where I’m staying. If you wanna talk, I mean.” Benjamina sat back with a grin and pink cheeks. “Now go woo your princess.”
“I’m not wooing her,” Octavia grumbled, hoof already on the door latch. “We’re just going to talk.” Her face felt a little hot, though.
“Yeah, sure, we’ll see.” Benjamina leaned out the window of the door after Octavia closed it behind her. “Good luck Octavia. Thank you for giving me another chance.”
Octavia gave her a smile. “You’re welcome.” Then she raised her hoof and shook it with exaggerated force. “And don’t let me catch you lingering here when I come out!”
“Okay, okay, I won’t get into the ‘overprotective sister’ role quite yet.” Benjamina rolled her eyes with a grin and a wave of her hooves. “Bye, Octy. See you tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.” Octavia nodded. She sat by the castle gate and waited expectantly, and after a while the carriage began to roll away. Despite all her misgivings, she couldn’t help but feel that Benjamina might be honest about her intentions. It felt… good, like a huge weight had shifted off of Octavia’s shoulders.
Now she just had to get rid of the other major issue that had been holding her back these past few days. With a deep sigh, she turned back to the castle and stared up at its tall, gleaming towers. Luna was up there right now, and Octavia could put off talking to her no longer. And if Luna was gone on her nightmare patrols, then she’d wait in her chambers. One way or another, Octavia was determined to show Luna her support.
Octavia felt no hesitation, only an empowering confidence. Luna couldn’t avoid her; she wouldn’t allow it. She stood and began her march. Even if she had to face Nightmare Moon herself, Octavia wouldn’t abandon the Princess of the Night.
No matter what.
The night was aglow with lines of light, all rising up to the moon in a brilliant display of colors. Blues, greens, purples, yellows, even the occasional red. Though her eyes were closed, Luna took in the sight. She examined their little pulses, some moving slowly and with a serene calm, others possessing a passionate beat, and more than a few shifting erratically. All of it familiar, all of it pleasant to her dream sight. This was a normal night with nothing to concern her.
With a deep breath to steady herself, she turned around. The multitude of chromatic columns faded into obscurity behind the behemoth before her, a thick trunk of powerful red lighting that seared her mental vision. It throbbed at a frenetic pace, the edges seeming to quiver with barely contained energy. Its very presence weighed on Luna, working to crush her mind.
Another breath. Another. She had to keep her calm. Gradually, she opened her eyes.
Celestia lay tangled in her sheets, sweating profusely and breathing in shallow gasps. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her lips worked, though Luna could hear nothing through the glass. The image rent her heart in two.
“Why are you doing this?” she whispered, placing her hoof on the window pane. “All you have to do is ask, and I can rid you of this torment. So why, Celestia? Why won’t you let me in?”
As if in response, her sister arched her back and cried out so loudly even the glass didn’t prevent it from reaching Luna’s ears. She fell back on the bed, still asleep, still tossing.
“This has to stop.”
Luna’s horn ignited and a latch clicked. She pulled the window open, the curtains billowing out around her. Though her heart hammered against her ribs like a drum, Luna forced herself to enter.
“I won’t let it play its games anymore.”
She tried to sound confident, but her tone slipped. Nonetheless, she forced her shaking legs to move.
“I know I promised.”
Passing over the threshold, Luna began to tremble.
“This is an emergency. It more than counts. You see that, don’t you, sister?”
She stopped before Celestia’s bed. Did she sit, or did her legs give out on her?
“Tell me what you dream of, Celestia. Please.”
Her sister turned away, shivering and sobbing.
Luna swallowed to appease her dry throat, but it brought no comfort. She leaned back to stare up at the hideous column that vibrated with vile energies. She forced her face into as firm an expression as she could muster. “Speak to me, you damnable thing. What are you doing to my sister?”
Maybe it was only an illusion, but Luna thought she saw something in that mass of light and menace: a fanged grin.
“I won’t let you have her.” Luna took one last, long breath. Her voice came out strong. “I will protect all I love from you, even if they do not wish me to. If you do not leave her now, you will force my hoof.”
There came no response. Luna hadn’t expected one, but still she felt her stomach curl with this final confirmation. She turned her gaze back upon Celestia, who twisted onto her back and spoke indecipherable nonsense.
It took every ounce of willpower she possessed, but Luna lowered her horn. The movement felt sluggish, as if her muscles were made of molasses. Her sister’s cringing visage loomed in her vision as she came closer. If she listened closely, she could almost hear pleading from those pale lips.
Their horns touched. Luna focused on her sister’s troubled face.
“Forgive me, dear sister.”
One last pause to reconsider.
The world flashed white.
Stats
Page generated in 0.023 seconds
Total duration
737 users online
764,988 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
no hype ITS ENDING D:
Now, will the finale leave enough time for cuddling?
I'm pretty hype! I think you did a good job portraying the estranged relationship between Octy and Benji here, the awkwardness fit well.
Extremely hype for finally getting to see Celestia's nightmare and the likely feels it will bring too.
Are you gonna wrap it all up in one extra large chapter or is there gonna be an epilogue?
I can't believe that you are going to be able to resolve all of this in one chapter. If you hadn't said that, that I would really have to question whether Benji's being sincere or not.
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how this all plays out, although I'll be really sad to see this excellent story come to a close.
Am I wrong or is Benji a mob boss? Hmm, looking forward to the next part. Bring it on!!
5909650
Yes. Yes it is. BWAHAHAHA! *hides his tears*
5909688
Maybe?
5909783
There will indeed be an epilogue.
5909855
Yeah, the Benjamina part of this equation is a problem that I'm pretty sure won't be satisfying to a lot of people, but I felt it was important to at least show that they're starting the path to reconciliation.
5909891
I turn your attention to Chapter 12: Pahalā Ciṃgārī, in which we find that Luna did some digging and discovered that, yes, Benjamina is a mob boss.
5909939
About Benjamina: sidequel/mini-sequel material? Not that you need any more universes to juggle, it's just a thought. Though I would love to see some follow-up to Luna and Octy in this iteration someday.
5910176
I can see two or three potential side stories to this AU: one for Vinyl, one for Benjamina, and one for an as-yet unnamed third character (I know who it is, I'm just not sharing). I don't know if I'll ever actually write any of them.
The Benjamina one in particular is tricky, because she has a very similar history in my No Heroes universe. I'd have to decide which universe to write her story for. There's no point in doing it for both because the circumstances are so similar and thus the stories would be more or less repeating one another for the vast majority. That said, if I did ever write her prequel story, it would probably be for this AU rather than No Heroes. I already have a sequel story in mind for No Heroes that would heavily feature her, so it would make more sense.
5910203
That's interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing whatever you end up doing.
Hype engaged, liftoff in 3, 2, 1...
I am so full of hype I'm like an eclair made of pop rocks
5909939 now that i'm awake good chapter about time we get too see whats up and octi did something :D it's been a great journey ready to see it end even if im sad to see it go.
Excellent. The final countdown is almost upon us.
This chapter hits home kind of uncomfortably. I had a brother I had not spoken two in ten years and our last words were in anger. I didn't even want to go to his funeral. I had to for my parents more than my own desire. Which shows the amount of utter hate I had for him. Of late though he has been on my mind...
That was an intense chapter.
This clearly extreme circumstances, this is one of the most dangerous forces in all Equestria if not the world.
Part of me still doesn't trust Benji either, but greater problems have arisen for Octavia... I'm really looking forward to how this intense, fun ride ends, but part of me still doesn't want it to, y'know, end so soon!
And one hundred thousand-some words can be 'soon'!
I must say I am eminently pleased with how the scenes with Benjamina went. :D I think the awkwardness was just perfect!
but oh no Luna don't noooo D:
11602047
If there's anything I regret for this story, it's that I didn't take time to really explore Benjamina's presence in this story. While I built up to her arrival quite a bit, the presence of the mare herself came way too late. At least that's how I feel in hindsight.