Saros

by shortskirtsandexplosions

The Spirit of Luna

"T-turn yourself in?!" Choral gasped. She trotted limply after Myrk as the sarosian marched his way towards the front gates of the shadowed temple. "Myrk, have you lost your mind?!"

"Much rather, I think I have found it," he said in a neutral tone. "It's the only logical course of action now."

"How?!" Choral snapped, frowning angrily as she tugged on his right wing. "Stop and tell me how in the name of Entropa that is anywhere close to being'logical!"

"If I resist the Lunar Rune Guard, I will only provoke the wrath of Stellar and his subordinates," Myrk stated. He turned to face her with a serious expression. "By turning myself in, I will undoubtedly undergo a lengthy trial. I have closely served Her Majesty for ten years as captain of the Night Wraiths, after all. I may yet have a chance to speak personally with Nightmare Moon. Perhaps, by the grace of Nebula, I'll be able to appeal to the spirit of Luna inside her so that she may summon her siblings with the beacon herself."

"Myrk!" Choral growled. If her sarosian blood had granted her fangs, she would have been brandishing them. "You yourself said that both Stellar and members of the Lunar Cabinet have been fighting to squash your kind underhoof for years. You'd have to be a fool to think they'd let you get one word in to Nightmare Moon, much less even look the Empress in the eye! They'll sick a lynch mob on you and have your body hanging from the towers of Ponymonium by next sunrise and you know it!"

"Then that's a risk I shall have to take."

"Myrk!" she shouted.

To her surprise, he turned and embraced her, cupping her muzzle and stroking her face with a pair of strong hooves. "Choral, you've been the one constant joy in my life, my guiding star. I know that we've drawn apart these last few years—"

"Please..." Choral stammered, clutching his forelimb and trying to hold back her tears. "Please don't do this—"

"I just want you to know that I am sorry, Choral," he said gently. The owl pendant around his neck rattled in the candlelight and he leaned in and nuzzled her dearly. "You've had your own hopes and aspirations, and all this time I've done nothing but judge you unfairly for them. Yes, I am a stallion of certain conviction, but that doesn't give me the right to tell you how to live your life any more than the Imperialists who know and love you as dearly as I ever could."

"Nopony..." She sniffled and stared firmly into his black eyes. "Nopony has ever loved me as you have."

"You..." He struggled with speaking suddenly. After an anxious gulp, he managed to say, "You have a full life ahead of you to test that belief, Choral. Pursue your dreams; I beg of you. But please don't lose sight of the divine spirits that has preserved us here in spite of the Empress' dogmatic ways."

"Myrk..."

"Your have a fantastic career waiting for you in your father's industry, as well as with the Lunar Energy Commission..."

"Myrk, I..." Choral's face winced as she fought back a choking sob. "I-I have no future with the Energy Commission."

To that, Myrk's features sank. He gawked at her in shock. "But... But what do you mean? Choral, you have dedicated your entire life to the sciences..."

"But there is no going back to the facilities," she said with a shuddering sigh. "Not after what I've done."

Myrk squinted at her crookedly. Just then, a bright blue light strobed from the center of the room. He flinched, covering the front of his sensitive coat with a length of leather wings. Slowly, his black eyes adjusted, and he gazed in breathless shock at the source of the light.

Choral had just reached into the depths of her cloak. When her hoof came out, it was holding a thick black cylinder glowing with burning blue energy from deep within.

"The sp-spirit of Luna..." Myrk breathlessly exclaimed. He gulped his dry throat and fell on his haunches. "Her pure, unfiltered mana. Choral..." He gazed numbly at her. "Where... Where did you get this canister?"

"Like I said," Choral said in a low tone, her tears shimmering from the pulsating glow between them. "These were relocated to the building where my father works after you, Chaar, and Pulsade fell into the trap. Because of my connections, I... I-I managed to get access..."

"But... But why, Choral?" He exclaimed. "You realize that this brandishes you as a traitor as well! You're as good as dead if you return to Ponymonium, for even your father must kn-know by now!" He stood up limply, shivering. "Why... Wh-What could have possessed you to do this?"

"What else, you silly?" She smiled at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "I love you, Myrk."

His ears drooped as a soft smile melted over his face. He stared lengthily at her, and his black eyes glossed over, and just when it looked like he was about to say something—

A loud crash emanated from the burrowed streets of Tranquility directly outside the temple gates. Choral shrieked. Myrk spun about, his wings stretched out instinctively.

There were flashing strobes of light waving left and right through the avenues beyond the musty, dirt-stained windows. Several sarosian voices gasped and murmured as the bodies of armored equines marched steadily through them. Above the noise and militant thuds, a single voice could be heard shouting over the rest.

"Wh-who is it?!" Choral whimpered, clinging to Myrk. "The Rune Guard?!"

Myrk produced a high-pitched noise. He craned his neck. As soon as his leafy ears twitched upon the echo's return, he frowned. "Stellar," he grunted.

Comments

[Csquared08]

Ahhhhhh, now I understand these chapters. It all makes sense now.

[Revan]

Now it all makes sense.

[AppleTank]

Nek-romantic lesbian--

Wait, wrong fic.

[FOXTrot2]

Myrk produced a high-pitched noise. He craned his neck. As soon as his leafy ears twitched upon the echo's return, he frowned. "Stellar," he grunted.

Man, fuck that guy. What a stellar role model for obstinacy.