Chapter 18
Luna wasn't joking when she said today had been a very dull day presiding over the kingdom. Over the course of the proceeding few hours, only a handful of ponies have appeared before Luna with an issue to resolve. Fortunately for her, you've been there to make idle chat, sitting beside her throne on an oversized cushion.
The two of you have made no mention of the earlier conversation, choosing to avoid the topic entirely and enjoy each other's company. Even so, you can sense Nightmare Moon is peeved with how that whole talk went down.
"I do appreciate you willing to spend time with me, it has made today enjoyable rather than dull," Luna gushes, leaning over to you with a pleasant smile.
"No problem, Moonbutt," you say, booping her nose with a finger. She blushes deeply as the guards in place at the base of the throne stairs exchange looks.
"Could we refrain from that name in public? It is a bit embarrassing," she mumbles through the link you share.
Sorry Moonbutt, you reply, making her blush yet again. She looks up, craning her neck to see the clock on the wall behind her.
"Well, it is just about time to call it a day," Luna announces aloud, rising up from the throne and stretching. You hear a few audible pops from her joints, making you realize how long the two of you have been sitting here. Likewise, you pick yourself up off your seat with a groan, feeling stiff.
"Wait!" shrieks a voice, before a flash of color bolts through the double doors marking the entryway to the room. The guards are caught by surprise, before assuming an attack posture with swords raised. Luna herself quickly stands at attention, while your heart skips a beat with the sudden excitement.
"Halt!" calls out Luna, just as the blur screeches to a stop. Everyone in the room freezes, including the intruder, who is none other than Rainbow Dash. Luna takes a deep breath upon seeing who it is, relaxing her body.
"Rainbow Dash, it is unwise to rush in here as you just did. What were you thinking?" Luna scolds, as Rainbow tries to catch her breath. But Luna's words seem to register with Rainbow Dash after a moment, as her ears drop and she drops her gaze to the floor.
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking," she laments, turning her gaze upwards to the princess. "I heard you say the day was over and I just panicked. I need to talk to you."
"Just because court is over does not mean I cannot make time for a friend," Luna replies, softening up her tone. "What troubles you?"
Rainbow Dash's confidence returns somewhat as she raises her head back up, scanning over the soldiers who have relaxed after the excitement just moments ago. "Actually, maybe it would be better if this was a more private conversation," she mumbles nervously.
"Of course, Rainbow," Luna replies, before turning her attention to her guards. "You are all dismissed, assuming nopony else is waiting outside."
"She is the last visitor, your majesty," one of the guards near the door calls out, as the rest of them bow and head towards the door in an orderly fashion. As the last one leaves, the massive doors glide closed, stopping with a resounding thump that echoes through the room.
"Is it all right if Anonymous stays with us?" Luna asks. Rainbow Dash seems perplexed at first before her eyes dart over to you. Apparently, she was too preoccupied with everyone else in the room to notice your presence, as she jumps a bit in surprise.
"What are *you* doing here?" Rainbow growls, pointing a hoof accusingly towards you.
"Whoa, what did I do, Rainbow?" you ask, trying to figure out her major malfunction. She was fine earlier today when you saw her, when she barged in when you were with Twilight...
Oh.
Hey, I think Rainbow's got the wrong idea about something that happened earlier today, you tell Luna. She doesn't turn her head, but she looks at you out of the corner of her eye.
"It would be impolite to jump to conclusions without letting her speak," Luna's voice echoes before her eyes shift back to Rainbow Dash.
"I believe it is safe to say you would like Anonymous to excuse himself, as it involves him," Luna says, her voice flat and calm.
Rainbow's anger softens up as her attention shifts from you back to Luna. "It's.... kinda. More about you, actually," she replies, her voice cracking with the uneasiness of her words.
"Very well," Luna announces, before turning her head to face you. "Anonymous, would you please excu-"
Before she finishes, a burst of fire appears in the air in front of Luna's throne. As it quickly dissipates, a scroll falls, landing on the floor soundlessly with a light bounce, before beginning to roll towards the stairs leading downward. A faint blue glow envelops it as Luna levitates and unfurls the note, while you and Rainbow Dash exchange glances.
After a short time, Luna pulls herself away from the scroll and back to the conversation at hand. "My apologies, Rainbow Dash, but I am needed immediately by my sister," she says, much to the disappointment of the rainbow-haired pegasus.
"What is it, Luna?" you ask, before backtracking a bit with another question. "Where is your sister, anyway?"
"My sister is in Pintonesia, surveying the damage done due to an earthquake just a few days ago, and seeing what we can provide to aid them. She doesn't seem specific in why I am needed though, which is odd..." Luna says, examining the scroll closer.
"Why don't you two just instant message each other through your link like we do?"
"Such a long distance requires much more effort on our part to get through to the other side, more effort and energy to expend than practical. It is a wonderful gift, but it too has its limits," Luna replies, before rolling up the note and tucking it under her wing. "I must get going if I am to reach Celestia before nightfall, but I should be back sometime tonight if all goes well."
"I can just wander around the castle while you're gone, maybe do some reading in the library," you tell Luna, as you feel Dash staring at you again.
"That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps you and Rainbow Dash can..... discuss the issue she came here with as well," Luna says as her eyes dart between you and Rainbow Dash. "Again Rainbow Dash, I apologize."
"It's okay, I understand," Rainbow says politely.
With that, Luna trots down the stairs and through the doors at a brisk pace, leaving you and Rainbow alone with an uneasy silence.
Good luck, and I will be back as soon as I can, Luna tells you through the link.
"So, Rainbow Dash," you start, before Dash's expression quickly snaps back to one of barely contained anger.
"You have a lot of nerve being here," she shouts, taking to the air to quickly reach where you are seated. In an instant, she's practically nose to nose with you, her fierce magenta eyes shooting daggers into you while you try to push yourself further into the cushion upon which you are seated.
"Dash, I know you're upset, and I know why you're here. Are you willing to listen to me?" you ask as gingerly as possible.
Rainbow Dash doesn't blink or respond in any sort of way for what seems like an eternity. The silence in the room at this point is nearly deafening as you decide what to do next.
"You have thirty seconds to explain yourself, so you better talk as fast as I fly," she demands, flitting backward just a bit to give you some breathing room.
"I don't think that's possible," you tell her, trying to get her to relax a bit so you can put enough of this story together to convince her.
It works as she anger melts away, her face breaking out into a cocky smile as she slicks her mane back with a brush of her hoof. "I know," she boasts, before quickly regaining control over her ego. Shaking her head out of the clouds, her anger returns with a vengeance. "Enough flattery, you're wasting time."
"Okay, first of all Dash, I'm sorry you came out all this way to talk to Luna because Twilight can't make up her mind what she wants. No, there's not really anything going on between me and Twilight, aside from the occasional light display of affection, and she's probably going to kill me for telling you this," you ramble, before taking a breath to continue. "Luna knows about all this. In fact, I was just discussing it with her earlier. This goes way back to when the three of us spent a night in the abandoned castle months ago."
Rainbow's eyes focus on nothing in particular as she mulls over the wealth of information given to her, even as her face remains gruff and unhappy.
"If all of this is true, why wouldn't Twilight have told me? I've known her longer than you have, there's no way she would keep a secret like this from me," Dash protests.
"You kidding me Dash? You know how neurotic Twilight can be, if she isn't sure about something, she bottles up that anxiety until she figures it out," you reply, unable to hold back a slight chuckle.
Rainbow Dash seems to come around as the anger displayed on her face melts away. "If this is all true, then why didn't YOU say something to me? I could have helped out, I could talk to Twilight," she responds, with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Wasn't my choice, Dash. Twilight didn't want anyone to know she was trying to decide whether a relationship was something she desired. Hell, the scene in the library you barged in on earlier today? That was just a hug. And you saw how freaked out she got."
"So, you two weren't.... 'doing it'?" she asks, emphasizing the last phrase with a motion of her hooves.
"Wait, hold on. You thought me and Twilight were getting it on?" you say, not quite believing Rainbow is being serious right now.
"I don't know how all that works with your kind, how am I supposed to know?" she barks back, as all you can do is laugh at the absurdity.
"Wow Dash, that's something I would have expected to come out of Twilight's mouth," you tell her, as you calm down.
"I don't care," she says, slightly irritated. "I'm just glad I was wrong, for the most part."
Finally getting up after sitting for a few hours, you stretch and get a few pops out of your joints, just as Luna had. Slowly you descend the stairs, with Rainbow by your side.
"I have to say I'm glad you were concerned about Luna in all of this mess, if that means anything," you tell Dash.
"Hey, she's my friend," Dash replies with a smile, before her expression grows a bit uneasy. "Well, that and I guess I was a little worried about what Luna would do if she found out about this for herself later on. You know, with her... 'history'."
"Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about that," you respond. Rainbow gives you a confused look, indicating Twilight hasn't told her about the latest development. "She's gotten a lot more resilient," you quickly add. You figure there's no real reason for her to know, why stir up more drama?
"Right," Dash agrees, still unsure. She shakes her head free of confusion. "Anyways, I should probably be heading home now, next train leaves in just a few minutes, I think."
"You don't want to hang out? I'm sure Luna wouldn't mind, and she will probably be back before you know it," you suggest.
Rainbow Dash reluctantly shakes her head. "Sorry, I gotta work tomorrow morning. We're preparing for a big rainstorm in the afternoon, it's going to be a rough day," she says. It still amazes you they create their own weather here and don't just make it as sunny and warm as possible.
"Alright, at least you get to leave on a positive note, right?"
"Yeah, sorry for snapping at you, by the way," Dash apologizes, rubbing the back of her head in shame. You take the time to reach a hand up and ruffle her mane playfully.
"No worries, you're looking out for your friends, I can respect that," you tell her. "Have a safe trip home."
"Thanks. We'll hang out sometime soon, I promise," Dash says, before darting off through the castle in a blur.
With not much else to do, you push through the doors as well and head down the hall towards the library. With any luck, maybe you can find a book to help make some sense of what Twilight is trying to teach you.
"That is an interesting way to read a book," a familiar voice coos as light suddenly hits your eyes. It takes a moment to adjust, but once your vision focuses, you find Luna leaning over you with a smirk on her face. Just barely in your field of view is the book you were "reading," levitating in the air with the help of Luna's magical aura.
"Your bed is way too comfortable to lend itself to anything other than sleep," you joke, garnering a slight giggle from the night princess. Slowly propping yourself up on your elbows, Luna gives you some space as you turn to look out the balcony, expecting to see a starry night sky.
Instead, the sun hangs just above the horizon, with the moon nowhere in sight just yet.
"Wow, you got back really early, what happened?" you ask.
"Oh, by the time I got halfway there, she sent me another message saying she had everything figured out and didn't need me," Luna grumbles, motioning for you to move to the side so she can join you on her bed. You oblige her, scooching over as she clambers up and lays next to you.
"That's not so bad, at least we get to spend more time together," you say, trying to spin the situation into a positive, before switching gears. "I got Rainbow Dash all sorted out by the way."
"Er, Rainbow Dash? What did she want?" Luna inquires, much to your surprise. You think maybe she's playing with you, but her serious expression says otherwise.
"You know, the thing between me, you and Twilight? That whole mess?"
"Right," Luna says, nodding her head but still seeming to not quite get it. "It doesn't matter, I suppose. What matters now is we have all night to spend with each other," she gushes, a sly grin crossing her face.
You feel that familiar prickling sensation in the back of your head again, rapidly getting more and more intense as Luna pulls you closer to her with one of her soft wings. Before long, the sensation becomes almost unbearable, forcing you to pull away from Luna. As you scramble off the bed, you turn to see Luna visibly upset and concerned by your reaction.
"Sorry, I suddenly have to go to the bathroom real bad," you lie. "I'm going to use the one down the hall, instead of your personal lavatory. I don't think this is going to be pleasant," you add, causing Luna to wrinkle her nose in disgust.
"I uh, I understand," she says with unease. "But hurry back."
You rush out of the room and down the hall, confused and a little scared yourself by what is going on. Slowly, the feeling fades away, and by the time you reach the bathroom, it has fully dissipated. Even so, you close and lock the door behind you as you step in. The mirror over the sink reveals you don't exactly look the greatest either, beads of sweat from the stress of the situation forming on your forehead. You lean over the sink and turn it on, splashing some cool water over your face.
This is getting ridiculous. Maybe Luna was right, Nightmare Moon could be trying to wrest control of your mind away from you by acting like something other than a pain in the ass. After all, these sensations didn't really begin until you started to speak with her. What the hell were you thinking?
You feel a bit better with the sensation gone, but your thoughts are no less comforting as you turn off the water and grab the towel hanging up by the side. Drying off, you stand up straight and nearly fall backward when your eyes return to the mirror in front of you.
"You have no idea how much effort it took to get your dumb ass to pay attention," Nightmare Moon growls, her visage in the mirror panting as if she just finished running a marathon.
"What?" you exclaim.
"Keep your voice down," Nightmare hisses, finally catching her breath somewhat. "She isn't going to be able to hear me, but if you keep shouting-"
"What the hell are you talking about? I mean, I'm not even supposed to be talking to you right now," you snap back in a low tone. You really don't know why you're heeding her instructions, but at this point, your frayed nerves are getting the best of your rationale.
"There is no time for me to fill you in, you just need to get out of this castle and run as far as you can," Nightmare instructs with a stern voice, motioning with her feral eyes to the door to your side.
"Right, because I'm going to listen to the boogey-mare in the mirror. That makes complete sense," you sharply reply, in no mood to deal with these mind games. "That's fine, I get you're pissed at Luna because she said you're a bad influence, but don't take it out on me."
"That isn't Luna, you dolt," Nightmare shouts, baring her fangs. "Did you stop and think how odd it was she didn't even remember the whole thing with Rainbow Dash? That happened just a few hours ago?"
A knock on the door prevents you from answering or mulling over Nightmare's questions. "Are you all right in there?" calls Luna's voice from the other side. " I thought I heard you mumbling to yourself."
"Yeah, I'm just... trying to talk myself through this," you groan, trying to sound sick. Your eyes dart across the bathroom, centering on the bar of soap nestled in its own tray above the sink. You grab it and chuck it into the toilet, making a loud splash. Everything goes deathly quiet in an instant.
"Er, okay then. Just wanted to check on you, I'm going back to my room," Luna replies cautiously. You hear her gag quietly as her hoofsteps trail off down the hall. As you turn your attention back to the mirror, Nightmare Moon smirks with amusement.
"Shut up, it bought us time," you grumble, not giving her a chance to comment.
"I said nothing. But try contacting her through your link, see if she responds," Nightmare says.
Hey Luna, is there more toilet paper in here somewhere? you ask silently. Waiting a few moments, your blood runs cold when there is no response. Even without an answer, you should be able to sense her presence when you reach out, but the connection feels empty.
You focus turns back to Nightmare Moon, whose eyes light up as she eagerly awaits to hear the outcome. Your mind reels from the number of questions you have, but you calm yourself enough to keep your voice low.
"How the hell did you know that wasn't going to work? And if that isn't Luna, who or what is that thing out there?"
"I could sense the magic emanating from her when she climbed up on the bed next to you. It only got stronger when she pulled you in closer." Nightmare Moon replies flatly, before mulling over what she just said. "Though I'm not sure why I could feel that while you could not. Perhaps because I wasn't the focus of her feeding-"
"We can analyze this shit later, what is she?" you interrupt.
"That thing out there is a changeling, and she wants you for dinner."
The term isn't entirely unfamiliar to you. You remember having an interest in folklore for a time back on Earth and coming across the old English monsters once or twice.
"So you could sense its transformation magic, or what? I don't get it," you confess. Nightmare sighs, rolling her eyes in irritation.
"Here you are criticizing me for being analytical, and you are doing the same shit," she complains. "But no, I could sense her drawing energy from you, trying to feed."
"Energy? Don't they feed off of bodily fluids, like blood?" you ask, confused.
"What? No," Nightmare replies, somewhat disturbed by your question. "They feed off of love. Wow, your world really is sick and twisted, isn't it?"
"Screw you," you snap back angrily. "So where is the real Luna?"
"How in Equestria should I know? I'm stuck with you, dingus. Now, get moving before that thing comes back to check on you."
Snapping back to the reality of your situation, you grab the door handle, before rethinking it and bending down to the floor. Looking underneath the door, you see no sign of anyone or anything waiting to surprise you when you walk out. As you rise back to standing up straight, you quickly unlock the door and shuffle out into the hall quietly.
Fortunately, there's no sign of anyone in either direction the hall leads, but you certainly won't take the chance of going past Luna's room. You're going to have to find an alternate way out of here. Not an easy task, considering the vastness of this place. Now you regret taking a nap in Luna's room, rather than exploring.
It is a delicate balance, trying to be quiet while covering the distance as quickly as possible. The carpeted floors certainly help your cause, as you rush down the hall in the opposite direction of Luna's room. Wherever this way leads, it at least gives you a head start on that.... thing before it realizes you're gone. Eventually, the hallway comes to an end, intersecting with yet another long, vast hall that leads in either direction. You consider your options, unsure where to go.
"Where are you going?" Luna's voice calls out from behind you. Your blood runs cold as you slowly turn around, finding "her" standing behind you. She doesn't look pleased in the slightest.
"Hey, I just decided... I worked up an appetite after all that. Just looking for the kitchen," you lie. The absurdity of what you just said doesn't escape you, but it was the first thing that came to mind. There is no change in the cross expression of the thing standing before you.
"I suppose I'm a little disappointed, but this was an experiment after all," she replies, her eyes suddenly flashing from their usual cool teal color to an iridescent emerald green as she takes a step towards you. "No matter, you aren't the main course."
Thinking fast as the situation becomes dire, you point a finger behind the faux Luna. "Princess Celestia might have something to say about that," you shout. As she turns her head to look back, you quickly turn and book it down the hallway to the left, running faster than you ever have in your life.
You don't get far before something hits the back of your head, causing you to stumble and fall flat on your face. A warmth suffuses throughout your body, dulling your senses even as you hear Luna's chuckling from behind you, growing deeper until it is entirely someone else's laughter.
"Nice try, but did you really expect to get far from me?" the voice asks. You feel too fatigued to respond or even move, your mind growing hazy. Something pushes you on your side, rolling you over with little regard for your comfort. "Luna" stands above you with a sinister grin upon her face, before your vision fades into nothing.
"Sweet dreams, freak."
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Damn.
Dang what a cliffhanger!
8325677
Nightmare is sort of an enigma in all of this, she has her own agenda.
That's not to say her intentions are malevolent. Considering Nightmare Moon in this universe has been cooped up for most of her existence, she lacks any sort of social grace, and had a lot of time to dwell on her issues.
That's about all I can say without spoiling the upcoming chapters, which I'm hoping to have the next one done fairly soon. Been busy with a lot of real life projects.