Stranded Lullaby

by Quill Note

Alone at the Edge of a Universe, Humming a Tune

Nightmare Moon howled in rage against her lunar prison. Beyond the rising and setting of the moon, there was no knowing how much time had passed, but that only added to her suffering. As much as she tried, there was no body for her to thrash. She was helplessly fused to the very same moon that she'd wanted all to adore. Every morning and every night, she could... feel Celestia's accursed magic lowering and raising this prison.

There was nothing but the sound of her own screaming to keep her company. That was on a good day. Nightmare Moon's worst days were filled with silence. A small eternity was ticking by. It was maddening.

There were a few ways to pass the time, and they all were confined to Nightmare Moon's mind. Being without a body afforded her little in the way of entertainment. Her father consumed her thoughts. Celestia had always been their mother's favorite, of course, but her father was all hers. No matter what happened, no matter who said what, no matter what she did, she was daddy's girl to the end.

Yet, when Nightmare Moon pictured his face, he only looked disappointed. It hurt too much, even if he was a figment of her imagination. She longed to hear his lullaby. His voice could've calmed the seas and storms. The mighty Windigos themselves would yield to hear the sound; but, nothing lasts.

Alicorns were cursed with immortality, and he was no Alicorn.

Nightmare Moon lamented her misery. Could she have nothing in this world? No mother, no father, no sister, and no one to adore her or her night. Ah, yes; another way to passed the time. Often did she fill her waking dreams with accolades; ponies, big and small, admiring her and her beautiful stars and moon.

These fantasies could last anywhere from days to weeks. And one day, the silence stopped. The voice was faint at first, barely audible, but began to rise. It was a familiar, soft voice that she'd heard a million times before. He was singing to her, as he used to.

"I'd like to know why you," he sang, "Are all alone while I'm lost at sea."

He hummed a melody, almost hopefully. Tears burned her eyes and threatened to fall. She remembered him.

His name was...

A young man sat, playing a mournful melody on the piano. It was a strange piano by Equestrian standards because the keys were far too narrow for any pony pianist. Luna and Celestia were far too kind for their own good for having had this special piano made for him during his stay in Equestria. He jumped when he heard Luna's voice, "Thy prowess with a piano is impressive. But wherefore art thou playing as sadly as a mourning widow, Adam? Play us a melody as bright and gay as the full moon!"

Adam chuckled, "Of course, Highness. I never meant to project my own thoughts into the ether."

The jollier melody, though bouncy and easy to dance to, seemed almost hollow. Adam stopped, "Apologies, Highness. My heart doesn't seem to be joyful."

Luna frowned, her brow knitting together in concern. She sat down next to him. "What troubles thee, Adam? We see the melancholy in thine eyes," she said softly.

Adam gave pause. Luna waited patiently, but determined. She would get an answer from him whether he wanted to talk or not. Luna was often intense that way. "I miss my home," he admitted, "I don't mean to ignore the luxury and hospitality that have been bestowed unto me. Your highness has given me every kindness, and I thank you. Yet I cannot shake the loneliness I feel."

Only in this moment did Nightmare Moon understand what he meant. The loneliness of separation was crushing. Her tears fell when she realized that she had been his only companion. What must he think of her now? The song finished and left her in silence again.

Who was the bigger fool? Was it Adam for singing to the moon, or was it her for weeping when he was done? Nightmare Moon supposed it didn't matter. What she felt was a day had passed before he returned. When he began to hum and play again, she sighed in relief.

So began a nightly tradition. Every night, Adam sang and played her a lullaby. It almost felt like she still had a friend. Try as she might, she began to feel her grip on the power of the Nightmare slipping. How could she continue to hate when Adam's voice soothed her so? But, as with all joys in her life, it could not last.

”It’s a photograph,” Adam chuckled and pulled back to lounge again, “Marvelous device called a camera captures the exact likeness of a person, using something or other concerning light.”

Luna sipped at her wine. She twirled the delicate glass in her magic, “Fascinating! The wonders of thy world seem never-ending. Who is it that's captured in this photograph?”

“My son.”

An uneasy silence settled over them as Luna thought of something to say. Adam’s eyes grew distant and misty as he gazed into the image. “Oh,” he mewled, “How much time do you suppose has past in my world, Luna?”

"We... I-"

"Does time pass the same here as it does there? Or have I missed my son's childhood? My wife's death? His?" his voice grew huskier with grief.

"Perhaps," Luna began slowly, "Perhaps the two of us shall visit the bazaar come morning? We've heard rumor of a remarkable new beverage from Jona Gold. And while we don't normally indulge in alcohol beyond wine, apple-flavored spirits simply must be-"

"No."

The princess of the moon's line of thought sputtered to a halt. She shook her head lightly, "Pardon?"

Adam sighed heavily. He leaned forward, staring into the photo cradled in his hands with a gentleness in his eyes that Luna had yet to see. The man shook his head and raised a hand to stroke the dark beard on his chin, "Neither spirits, trinkets, nor coin bring me any closer to my son. I refuse to lay here as like a patient, etherized upon a table, drowning in luxury."

He inhaled sharply when he saw Luna bristle, "I do not accuse you of such, Luna, believe you me. What I mean to say is that the only way to bear this pain is to share it. And while I'm loathe to relinquish my pride, I recognize that even Christ had Simon the Cyrenian to help him bear the weight of the cross."

By then, the wine glass sat forgotten on a nearby table. "Ever the poet," Luna said softly, as soft as a secret, "Is it thy wish that I be your Cyrenian?"

As he nodded ever so slightly, he covered his face with a hand. Still, Luna could see his lips scrunch together, struggling to contain the sorrow within. She abandoned her cushioned seat. She pulled the human into a winged hug. He wept silently.

As days turned to months and months to years, she could hear the deepening and hoarseness growing in Adam’s voice. An unsteadiness settled itself into his vocal cords when he sang. He was old, and it broke her heart. Nightmare Moon tried to picture how he might look as an elderly human. Try as she might to turn his beard snowy or to deepen the laugh lines in his face, she could only see his tanned, smooth skin and rich, black hair tied back loosely.

More than that, she could vividly see his vast, green eyes. They were kind beyond anything she deserved. “You’re unsure if I am,” he crooned unsteadily, “A loose end or a strand that waits for you to mend or understand.”

He finished. It was the last time she ever heard his voice. Again, she was left in maddening silence. The days and weeks and years and decades and centuries that followed allowed her much thought. Doubt and regret and sorrow plagued her waking moments.

Nightmare Moon had too much time to think about her time with Adam. It was only he who could convince her to let go of the regal pretense and pomp that she maintained. He was the only creature with whom she felt comfortable letting her proverbial mane down with. And even centuries beyond his death, she could still recall their very last conversation with ease.

"Good morning, Luna."

Luna barely even hummed an acknowledgment. Her eyes burned and drooped with sleep. Adam had the audacity to chuckle at her expense, "Let me walk you to your quarters."

They strolled the palace halls in relative silence. There was a point at which Adam laid his hand at the base of her neck, where it met her shoulders. She pressed to his side as they walked. It didn't take much time at all to reach her room. Ever the gentleman, Adam even made sure she got into bed, as snug as a bug in a rug.

But, as he made to leave, Luna sat up in her bed. "Adam," she called softly, "I would very much like it if thou wouldst sing me a lullaby. Er- please."

The man laughed breathily and quietly. He returned to her bedside and knelt down so that they were, on some level, eye-to-eye. She smiled sleepily at him as he grinned and mentally picked out a melody to sing. "We were playing in the sand," he sang, "When you found a little band."

"You told me you fell in love with it, hadn't gone as I'd planned."

Luna knew the tune as he'd sung it before, but smiled wider regardless. Every time he sang felt like the first time hearing his voice. "When we had to bid adieu," he continued, "Said you'd never love anew. I wondered if I could hold it and fall in love with it, too."

"You told me to buy a pony, but all I wanted was," he gently poked her nose, "You."

He hummed the tune of the verse, varying on it here and there. It was a gentle melody that he could comfortably croon without being loud. The small laugh on Adam's lips as he finished was like silk and pegasus down. It was beautiful. He was beautiful.

Luna leaned forward to show him how beautiful she thought he was, but was stopped by a hand. "Luna," he rasped, "I never meant to- to... I-I love my wife."

Her heart sped up. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She couldn't even meet his eyes. Of course he wouldn't kiss her, he was married. Part of Luna wanted to ignore that and pretend that the man didn't have a wife and son somewhere out there.

"O-Of course. Yes. We offer our... our sincerest apologies, Adam. We are not in a particularly lucid mindset."

She quickly turned over in her bed, away from him. He reached out as if to touch her, to console her in any way, but stopped mid way. Adam tried to say his peace, "You're my dearest and closest friend, Luna, you know that. I-I... I'm sorry if I ever gave you the wrong idea. It was never my intention to lead you along like this. I promise you I am not so cruel."

"Thou art not at fault," she whispered, "I'm tired."

Adam stood. "Of course. I'll... I'll let you sleep. I'll see you tonight, yes?"

He got no response. He clenched his jaw to contain the regret welling up inside. His hands swung at his sides, coming up in a couple of off, aimless gestures that ultimately had little purpose. Adam left.

And Adam never returned.

What an excruciating thing to remember. How cruel of Luna's emotions to bubble up and wreak havoc on Nightmare Moon's psyche. She simultaneously cursed the memory and wished it to begone. Rage simmered in her chest so intensely that she felt as though her essence was vibrating. He told her that he never meant to lead her on.

So then, why? Why did he have to make her feel like she had been the center of his world? The stars were aligning. And it was silent.

Until it wasn't.

Author's Note:

Welcome to this thing. I don't know what this thing is, but I like it and the thing seems good, so I'm gonna keep going lol

Comments

[AFestiveTaco77781]

What an excellently crafted piece of prose! I'm not sure where the rest of this story is headed as it is written like a oneshot to me, but it was a lovely read through and through. I'm surprised it hasn't gotten much attention!