Moonrise

by BlackRoseRaven

Waning Gibbous

Moonrise: The Gibbous Wanes In Impure Skies
~BlackRoseRaven

Luna convulsed and cursed, kicking her hooves outwards on the ground with a snarl, her eyes clenched shut… and then a voice that was both impossible and familiar said quickly: “Sister, sister, calm thyself! ‘Tis a nightmare, nothing more!”

“And I’ll have my hooves in it ‘fore long!” Luna snapped in response, and she finally succeeded in tearing herself up to her feet as her eyes opened, looking sharply back and forth… and then staring in stupid surprise as she found herself standing dumbly in a small field, a few bits of hay falling from her frame as she looked around in shock… and then simply stared in amazement as she whispered, recognizing all too well the emblem of the reaching ash tree upon his haunch: “B-Brother?”

Sleipnir smiled at her warmly, the immense equine nodding: almost as tall as Celestia, but with a thicker, powerful frame, he had a deep chestnut coat and a mane and tail made of vines, soil that flowed like liquid, and precious gemstones that twinkled quietly throughout this as he said affectionately: “Always so dazed after thy naps… tell me, sister, did thou have wild dreams again?”

Luna looked at the huge, smiling male, nonplussed as she stared at his sapphire eyes, then let her gaze rove over his body: his black hooves shone as if polished, and silver armor covered his upper chest and shoulders, but it was ceremonial, not war armor… and when she looked sharply down at herself, she realized she was wearing no peytral plate, and could feel no tiara upon her head… instead, she was wearing a flowing black cloak with decorative metal plates over her forelegs and back, an amulet with the symbol of the crescent moon engraved over it hanging around her neck as she blinked rapidly a few times and then said dumbly: “But… Fenrir…”

“Yes, ‘twas a mighty battle, but no silly wolf is a match for the three of us!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, throwing his head back with a laugh, and Luna continued to simply stare up at him in disbelief as she felt a strange fuzziness whisper through her mind, looking dumbly back and forth again to try and at least take in her surroundings… but before he could process little more than the fact there were several tents and what looked like stands in the distance, Sleipnir added: “’Twould have been an impossible battle were it not for thy grace and strength, fair little sister. ‘Twas why Celestia abdicated in place of thy rulership, after all.”

“What?” Luna spluttered, staring up at him in shock… and Sleipnir simply favored her with a kind, doting smile before he gestured with one hoof, and the female staggered around to see Celestia herself, talking calmly with several guards, dressed in simple golden armor: not her royal wear, not her peytral plate and tiara… but only the simple, unornamented gear of the Pegasus guards, with a heavy helm over her face, the only thing that denoted she was of any rank at all the beautifully-shaped dove’s wings that stretched up from either side of the helm, and the crescent moon carved of ivory diamond on the front of the sloped head protector.

She glanced towards Luna… and smiled almost shyly, bowing her head courteously, and Luna’s jaw dropped before Sleipnir added kindly: “Thy beloved student Twilight is here as well, Luna… or shall we begin to call thou Queen Luna? This is thy coronation ceremony, after all… ‘tis fortunate thou did not sleep through it.”

Luna turned around, then looked down at the plush, heavy cushion she had apparently been napping on, before looking dumbly at the Pegasus guards that stood silently on the other side of it, inscribed not with symbols of the sun, but proudly wearing symbols of the moon… and Luna gritted her teeth, trying hard to think through the fuzziness, feeling like she was missing something big before she remembered what Sleipnir had said and her own response… and she looked at him sharply as she asked quietly: “Where is Scrivener Blooms?”

“Who?” Sleipnir asked curiously, tilting his head as he frowned a bit. “It sounds like no pony I have yet met of thy servants or friends, fair Luna. But thy student and consort, Twilight will be here any moment… and thy doting admirers, I might add. Thou art popular with the people, ever since thou killed Discord-”

Luna snorted in derision, and Sleipnir stopped cold, frowning at her as the dark sapphire winged unicorn looked up at her brother and said quietly: “Nightmare, thou art more foolish than I had thought at first. Thou tries to mimic mine dead brother, and pretend mine friend had never existed when he has become so engraved in my mind that even now, I feel his presence… and then thou art foolish enough to think that my thoughts and actions must be as warped and cruel as thine own, merely because I had the misfortune to fall to thy so-called sister’s trickery. Nay, I would not have slain Discord. Cast him down into ruin and defeat, beaten, broken and blasted him… but I would have preferred to drive him from Equestria or send him back to whatever accursed place he spawned from, than kill the foolish wretch.”

Sleipnir frowned at this… and slowly, the blue sky above began to blacken as the grass beneath their feet withered, and Luna gritted her teeth as she felt terrible, malicious presences surrounding her. She looked to the side, and Celestia loomed there, her eyes now glowing red, her face cold and emotionless… she gazed ahead, and Twilight Sparkle grinned as she leaned over her, now as large as Celestia, her maw filled with sharp teeth and her eyes terrible crimson flames as she hissed: “Then maybe Celestia’s a better teacher than you after all…”

“Doesn’t that make you weak and pathetic?” asked another voice coldly, and Luna looked over her shoulder to see Scrivener towering over her as well, his armor gone, his coat stained as if splattered with ash and blood and liquid darkness as red light shone out of his eyes, and he whispered: “I’m starting to enjoy this whole ‘Nightmare’ thing, after all…”

Luna cursed and shuddered, and then she looked to the side as Sleipnir leaned down, the four towering equines seeming to grow larger as the shadows and darkness pulsed around them, as the blackness grew ever deeper and the ground beneath her hooves cracked and rotted. “Why do you fight, little sister? Give in. Give in, and you can have me back… you can have everything you ever wanted…”

“I want you to imagine it, little sister, just for a moment…” Celestia’s voice whispered from her other side, and then Luna clenched her eyes shut and shuddered as the female leaned down and slowly licked up the side of Luna’s neck, hot breath washing out and sending a chill through her body. “You could become even stronger than me. You could be the true ruler of Equestria… of perhaps this whole world, if darkness is allowed to surge through it. Imagine it, controlling not just your big sister… but the Wyrms, and maybe one day, even sleeping Fenrir…”

“Wouldn’t that be justice?” added Sleipnir, sounding almost pleading as he leaned down towards her again, whispering into Luna’s ear as she shuddered weakly: “Caging, taming the great beast that killed your big brother? We can give you that… we don’t want to hurt anyone, after all. We only wish to be free…”

“And for what we ask, we give you power in return…” Twilight said quietly, leaning down and smiling as she half-lidded her crimson eyes. “Power that will make you loved and adored. Power that will let you show your superiority over Equestria, over Celestia, over all others who stand in your way…”

“The power to make not only the ponies bow to you and appreciate the glory of eternal night, but the power to make me care for you…” Scrivener said softly from behind her, leaning down and teasingly kissing the cloaked back of her neck as he stepped forwards half-over her, and Luna gasped and clenched her eyes shut, gritting her teeth as she bowed her head forwards. “Haven’t you noticed it? The only thing that impresses me is your shows of strength. And soon I’ll be bored of what you can do… maybe if I knew what Celestia was capable of, I might have to turn my attentions and affections to her…”

Luna clenched her eyes shut at this as the giants around her threw their heads back and laughed… and then she gritted her teeth before looking up, and in the deep darkness above, she saw a single point of light. It was faint and golden and strange, like a gleaming amber disc… and for a moment, Luna frowned a bit before she concentrated on it, blocking out the laughter of the creatures she knew weren’t real, shoving fiercely back against the terrible feelings worming through her body and putting her all her effort into seizing that glowing amber shape and yanking it down towards her.

It shivered in the shadows… and a moment later, began to slowly descend, growing larger as it did so… and the four ponies around her hissed and fell silent, suddenly backing away as the golden light spilled over her and Luna’s horn glowed brighter and brighter. And more and more, the shape became distinct, larger… until she realized she was looking up at the harvest moon as it loomed high above, lighting not the area, but instead its focused rays surrounding her in a golden glow like a spotlight, a perfect circle of almost-supernatural luminosity around her body, driving the ghastly giants backwards as their features distorted and their red eyes burned out of their skulls, Celestia hissing: “Stop fighting us, little sister! You are one of us… you were born in the darkness, you live in the darkness, one day you will die in the darkness, the very same as we are cursed to… why fight it? Why help the light? Why strive for pointless harmony? Better to have a short and crazed existence than live for another terrible millennia in misery, watching everyone around you praise others, forced to smile back at their happiness, never to be a part of their families, their joys, always reviled and hated!”

“I will not allow thy poisonous words to sway and corrupt me again… I will not succumb to thee, and even less will I be touched by the words of what I know is nothing but a coward’s mask! Reveal thy true face, monster!” Luna threw her head back with a snarl as her horn took on a brilliant sapphire glow, rearing back on her hind legs with a shout that shook the black air around her: “Show thyself!”

A shockwave emanated through the air, knocking the four giants staggering before the moon above glowed, losing its ill yellow sheen as white radiance tore from the floating sphere like the birth of a sun, and there was a terrible scream as Luna gritted her teeth at the blinding light before she dropped forwards and blinked rapidly, her entire frame seeming to sizzle as she looked back and forth… but the four once-giants were now nothing more than crude, unpainted wooden dummies, enormous puppets with silver strings attached to them, laying on their sides and faces with splintered cracks here and there through the moldy wood. Some of the strings were still taut while others lay broken, silver and bright, holding limbs and bodies in awkward positions… and when Luna’s eyes roved upwards, she saw they seemed to simply vanish into the night sky… but framed high above against the moon, one of the Nightmares was panting hard, her face contorted in agony as her smoky body slowly dissolved, smoke and steam hissing up off her as the light in her red eyes slowly faded.

They looked at each other in shock for a moment, and then the Nightmare gave a curdled smile as she rasped: “Three of us still live, and we still have your friend under our power, Princess Luna… don’t… think you’ve won just yet… even if… oh… oh sisters, I have failed…”

And with a long, discordant wail, the Nightmare threw its head back as it began to fall out of the skies, rapidly dissolving before it could strike the featureless ground, and Luna wobbled on her hooves for a moment as vertigo tore through her before she flopped down on her side with a gasp as a roll of pain shot through her frame… but when she opened her eyes, she was back in reality, looking sharply back and forth as she rasped: “S-Scrivy?”

There was no answer… and Luna cursed quietly as she slowly forced herself up to her hooves, shaking her head quickly with a grimace. She swayed for a moment, but she could rapidly feel her strength returning to her sore muscles as her cloak fluttered around her, looking sharply back and forth… and then she cursed as she saw Scrivener laying on his side a few feet away, his eyes closed, his body terribly still.

She began to step forwards… and then a rock whistled through the air past her head, and she leapt backwards to turn towards the source of it… but there was nothing else in the room. Or rather, there was nothing visible… but a hiss filled the air, and a shadow flitted across the floor to vanish into a dark corner beneath the cracked but intact roof, as a voice whispered furiously: “You’ve killed my sister…”

“And I suggest thee flees, lest I be forced to kill thee as well.” Luna said coldly, her horn glowing faintly blue before she shrugged off her cloak, standing tall and ready as there was a snarl… but before Luna could lock onto it, she sensed more than saw it flit quickly to another location, making a tapestry rattle as it passed. “I doubly heed thee to take my advice, since thou seems to be alone.”

“The eldest sister has retreated to try and force open the vaults… we’ve read your minds, we know treasures we did not suspect lay inside.” retorted the invisible Nightmare, and Luna let out a sharp ‘ha!’ as she suddenly snapped her head towards the sound, a bolt of lightning erupting from her horn… but it only struck the stone wall, tearing a crater in the heavy blocks even as the Nightmare shrieked and fled across the room, its shadow trailing over the floor as it screamed: “Murderer!”

Two rocks picked themselves off the ground and flung towards Luna… and the female gracefully sidestepped, both heavy stones flying past before she winced when a third, smaller rock shot like a dart towards her and struck her in the shoulder, hitting with enough force to make her stagger and leaving a large, ugly welt as her foreleg trembled for a moment… and then she steadied herself, gritting her teeth and replying icily: “Funny, I suspected thy so-called sister was the one who made me a killer in the first place, considering what Nightmare Moon bade me do simply to reach Celestia.”

“You murdered scores long before sister touched your heart!” shouted the Nightmare, voice tainted with derision and contempt and hatred, and another rock shot out of darkness towards her, striking Luna in the face and knocking her back a step as a bit of blood splattered from her muzzle… but then she closed her eyes and straightened, looking coldly up as her tongue swept out and slowly licked the blood from her swelling lip. “Nay, you deserve no mercy! It is not us that made you wicked, Luna… it is you who decided your own course, it is you who chose to take the actions, sister merely presented you with the option and opportunity!”

Another rock flew at her… but this time Luna bowed her head forwards, and her horn glowed brightly as she caught the rock before flicking her head, sending it shooting back… and there was a yelp as it struck home into something corporeal and soft, Luna saying quietly: “Then that should be all the more reason for thee to reconsider thy current stance and use this opportunity to leave, creature of darkness. Thou art weaker in this realm, and thy dares not raise magic against me… ‘twill give away thy position, or requires thee to draw close. I ask thee one last time: surrender and flee back to the netherworld.”

“I would rather die!” the Nightmare snarled from somewhere ahead, and the tapestries rustled before the creature hissed: “All I have to do is stall you until my sister corrupts your precious Scrivener Blooms… and then you’ll be begging to join our ranks, but no, we’ll make him pull out your heart!”

Luna’s eyes slowly narrowed even as the Nightmare laughed… and then she reared up, her horn glowing brightly before there was a powerful flash of white light, and a beautiful, sparkling ivory sphere burst into existence, casting ivory radiance throughout the entire room and making the Nightmare’s laughter choke off into screams as the entire room became bright as day, clearly revealing the outline of the almost-invisible, ethereal creature, its shadow stretching back behind it as it staggered, shocked… and then Luna leaned forwards, pointing her horn towards the Nightmare as she concentrated, her anger amplifying the spell further as electricity surged along her horn before a blue fireball shot towards the silhouette of the hellhorse.

It shrieked… and then the eldritch flames crashed into it and burst over it, consuming it in a matter of seconds in a terrible swathe of black and blue that burst quickly apart into nothing but ghostly smoke and ashes, and Luna dropped back down to all fours as the floating orb of light died out overhead. She breathed hard, looking coldly towards where the Nightmare had once stood… but it was gone, completely erased as anger warred with a burst of shame through her being, before Luna clenched her eyes shut as something inside her whispered: No, it’s good… it’s very good, little Luna… you should be pleased…

“Retreat from my mind, foul spawn of shadows.” Luna murmured, and there was a soft titter inside her head before she felt the presence slide backwards… and a shudder ran through her before she shook her head and turned around, muttering: “There will be time for recriminations and rest later. Scrivener Blooms… I will not leave thee in the clutches of these abominations.”

Luna walked quietly towards the male, looking down at him as she breathed quietly for a few moments, and while she knew she should pause… seeing him looking so empty, so silent, so still, it sent a surge of… something through her she wasn’t used to feeling anymore. She knew that every precious second was needed… and she gritted her teeth before lowering her head, touching her horn gently to Scrivy’s forehead as she murmured: “I’m coming, my friend. I will not abandon thee.”

She concentrated… and a moment later, there was flash of light before Luna was standing in a strange gray world, frowning quietly as she looked back and forth. For her, it had been a dream world… but this looked far-less-inviting, like twisted memories of a lost past.

A wide, frost-speckled dirt road was beneath her hooves, and to either side there were tall snowbanks that stood unwelcoming sentinel in front of ramshackle houses and squat, ugly stores. Slowly, Luna walked forwards, glancing up at the sky above… but it was dusky and cloudy, the same color and atmosphere as the gray, white, and blacks of the homes and snow and even the crusty dirt road beneath her hooves before she frowned a bit as she looked ahead and saw Scrivy sitting quietly in the middle of the road, a surly expression on his face as he rested childishly on his haunches, glasses on the end of his muzzle and dressed only in his old half-coat.

A grayish Twilight Sparkle with red tinted eyes was at his side, looking both eager and frustrated as Luna drew closer, frowning and tilting her head as the false Twilight said: “Come now, why not? We’ll give you Twilight Sparkle… we’ll give you Luna’s love… we’ll give you them both, in fact. Yes, they’ll both vie for you, do anything you want-”

“There was a law passed against polygamy in Equestria roughly two hundred years ago, although current statistics indicate that it may make a small resurgence if the male to female ratio continues to remain in the thirty-to-seventy percent range.” Scrivener retorted, sounding sulky at most, and the gray Twilight visibly fumed a bit as he childishly crossed his hooves. “You can’t offer me anything with meaning, Nightmare.”

“Not even Luna’s love has any meaning?” the creature asked almost mockingly, almost slithering around and grinning knowingly with Twilight’s features… but Scrivy only leaned back before he reached a hoof up and shoved Twilight’s head away, making Luna grin despite herself as the gray phantasm looked flabbergasted.

“Will you please take off Twilight’s face? It’s disturbing, not enticing, and the last thing I want to look at all day is Twilight Sparkle. Furthermore, Luna has probably already beaten the horseapples out of your sisters.” He stopped, then glanced up quietly, and smiled a bit as his eyes settled on the Princess of the Night that stood silently only some dozen feet away now, before he said softly: “Besides, forcing someone to care about you steals all the meaning from it. And I want to see Luna happy… whatever that means. I’ve never felt worthy to even be in her presence, Nightmare. I would not degrade her by thinking for a moment that you forcing or tricking her into caring more about me than she does would be good for either of us.”

Twilight gritted her teeth… and then her features became smoky and black, the Nightmare’s true form shining through as it slammed its smoky hooves against Scrivy’s front and knocked him onto his back, the pony wincing and gritting his teeth as it leaned over him and pinned him, hissing: “Don’t force me to become unpleasant.”

“Your breath is unpleasant.” Scrivy retorted, and then he shoved his hooves against the Nightmare’s face, knocking it backwards off him, and the creature looked startled as Scrivener gritted his teeth and stood up, glaring across at it angrily. “You can do whatever you like to me, but it accomplishes nothing, creature. I won’t give in because I don’t want to fail Luna. And if Twilight Sparkle can take down Discord, I’m sure as hell not going to let a living smoke-bomb that’s scared of a little sun beat me.”

The creature looked infuriated… and then its eyes widened as Luna threw her head back and laughed, and a moment later the Nightmare turned invisible before fleeing, leaving hoof-prints in the snowy powder as it charged towards a house and flung open a door. Scrivener glanced with surprise towards Luna, realizing that she was actually, physically there and not just an image conjured up from his mind… but a moment later, his joy turned to a wince and a slight slouch as the Nightmare called mockingly: “Fine, if you’re so confident, then why not bring our sister on a little tour through your memories? I’ll be waiting at the end of the road, Scrivener Blooms… but you can just give up any time you’re ready and we’ll gladly end this silly charade!”

“What a jerk.” Scrivener muttered, and then he glanced quietly towards Luna as she smiled and walked towards him, asking hesitantly: “Is that… really you?”

“’Tis I, Scrivy… and I applaud that thou seems to be capable of taking care of thyself better than I had anticipated. I feared… well…” Luna halted, then looked down embarrassedly before she shook her head and cleared her throat. “Well, what is important is that thou art here, and alive and well. Now come, Scrivener Blooms. I have not the energy nor the patience to exorcise this Nightmare via the difficult path. Instead, permit us to perchance play this creature’s game… besides, I wish to know more about thee.”

“Wait Luna, I… I…” Scrivy halted, wincing a bit as he held up a hoof… and then he sighed a little, glancing awkwardly down and blushing with embarrassment and the Princess of the Night looked curiously over her shoulder at him. “I… don’t know if… I mean…”

Luna only shook her head slowly, however, and then she turned around and approached him, quietly nuzzling him… and Scrivener blushed deeply as her starry mane quietly brushed against his face before she met his eyes, saying softly: “Thou art my closest friend. Hide not thy past and pain from me, for thou have been compassionate beyond any other. Let us face thy history together, side-by-side.”

And Scrivener only smiled faintly, swallowing thickly and not trusting himself to speak before Luna turned around and waited for him, and they walked side-by-side through the trail of the Nightmare’s hoofprints, Scrivy breathing a little harder as they looked up at the open doorway… and a moment later, half-leaning against one-another, they stepped forwards and entered the decrepit-looking building.

There was a sound of tinkling glass and a sigh as light surrounded them for a moment… and then they both stopped to watch as an earth pony foal struggled to sweep up a broken jar as a Pegasus paid for something at the counter, a sharp-eyed unicorn glaring at the youngster. Scrivy grimaced, shaking his head a bit at his younger self as he fought with the dustpan and ugly, broken brush… and when the Pegasus left, the unicorn walked around the counter, tossing his black mane as his white coat gleamed ghost-like under the lights, shouting: “What did I tell you about stocking merchandise?”

“His… his wings flapped, father, see, everything’s back away from the edge but-” the foal started, and the unicorn only held up a hoof with a disgusted look, and the foal fell silent and lowered his head, trembling.

“Pick up every piece of broken glass.” the unicorn said distastefully, and then his horn glowed, and the brush was yanked out of the male’s hand as a faint aura surrounded it before the foal was swatted with it firmly, and then the unicorn turned and left, carrying the brush with him. “Bad children don’t get to play with toys.”

The foal was left trembling, trying to sweep up the pieces of glass with his hooves… and then the images faded, leaving them standing in an empty store full of shelves of dust and forgotten merchandise, a door at the back of the room opening as Scrivener murmured: “That was one of the better days…”

Luna gazed at him silently, but she said nothing as they walked across the store and stepped through the doorway and into shimmering white light… only to somehow reenter the store by the door they had just left, vertigo twisting at the senses of both as they watched the foal emerge from behind the shelves and head behind the counter with a sigh, climbing up on a stool as two unicorns approached: the father, and a female unicorn with a darker coat and a grayer mane, her features vain. Luna’s eyes roved to their flanks after a moment… and she saw that the male had a symbol of brambles, and the female had a vine of grapes. After another moment of simply looking distastefully at the foal, she said calmly: “Your father and I will be meeting the Dallies for tea… and… what’s this?”

She frowned and concentrated, and foal-Scrivy winced and grabbed at the apron around his body, but a moment later a notebook and quill were torn free, and she gave a sound of disgust as these floated in front of her. “Look, he’s at it again. He’ll never learn, will he?”

“Can’t keep him away from it. We’ll have to do something about that.” the male said darkly, and there was no joking manner about it before he glanced at the notebook… and a moment later it was simply torn into four pieces even as foal Scrivy whimpered, then covered his muzzle with his hooves as both unicorns glared down at him. “What was that?”

He lowered his eyes and head… and there was silence before the male unicorn said quietly: “That’s what I thought. I expect you to do a satisfactory job for once in your life today. Your mother and I will be back in an hour. We will discuss your punishment then.”

Foal-Scrivy nodded, keeping his eyes lowered… and then the figures faded from sight as Scrivener sighed a bit, saying quietly: “They never taught me to read or write. I learned a little of that in school… but mostly I taught myself. I could never do my homework with them around, you see… they didn’t think I could learn anything, had any right to learn anything. The school didn’t do anything to help, the teachers thought I lied when I said my parents wouldn’t let me. And every time they interviewed them or I got in trouble or sent home with a note, well…”

Scrivener shook his head a little, glancing over his shoulder… and Luna silently turned around and followed as they walked outside, and this time stepped out into a back alley. The male nodded to the side, and Luna followed his gaze… and shuddered at the sight of what looked like a falling-apart doghouse made of cardboard and wood with a steel fence door and an ugly, simple bar-lock that could only be opened from the outside. “The point isn’t that if I needed to, I could probably break out of it. The point was that… well… that was where they put me when I was ‘bad.’ That was where the unicorns felt I belonged.”

He stopped, then lowered his head and turned away, walking quietly down the alley… and Luna quickly ran to catch up to him, opening her mouth… but Scrivy only shook his head quickly and glanced up, murmuring: “Look.”

She did so… and they watched as foal Scrivy walked down the street, trembling and alone: everywhere else, the sky was gray, but overtop and around the foal, it was black and dark and night. Scrivener and Luna quietly stepped out to follow him, watching… and then the male closed his eyes as two unicorns and a Pegasus walked out into the middle of the street, grinning at the little earth pony: they looked almost the same age, perhaps only a little older… the real difference was that this gang had their cutie marks, and Scrivener didn’t.

“Hey, blank-flank, I hear some slave-hoofs never get their cutie marks because they don’t have any real talents… I bet that includes you.” taunted one of the unicorns, and foal-Scrivy barely raised his head, trudging along quietly before the unicorn snarled and shouted: “Hey, listen to me, slave-hoof!”

He reached out and smacked foal-Scrivener with his hoof, knocking him down… and the other foals looked surprised for a moment before, not wanting to be left out, they leapt forwards and hit him as well… and it went on for several minutes, until finally they ran away, leaving Scrivy laying beaten and bruised in the middle of the street. He panted roughly as Luna lowered her head, but found herself unable to close her eyes or tear herself away as Scrivener murmured: “More than an hour. Ten ponies went by. Not one of them helped.”

Then, finally, foal-Scrivy hauled himself up and dragged himself onwards… and the two followed quietly before they watched as a unicorn stormed out of a house ahead near the end of the street and shouted: “You’re late and… filthy! Your mother and I have been waiting for… don’t you give me that look! I have had enough of this, Scrivener, we have been generous enough as it is, you are no longer to set hoof inside this house, understood? You will live in your kennel behind the shop from now on, where an animal like you belongs!”

The unicorn turned and went back inside, slamming the door… and foal-Scrivy sat, dumbstruck and silent, before the scenery and environment peeled away like paper, transforming in front of their eyes into the interior of the store… and bruised, dirty, battered foal-Scrivy was carefully carrying baskets of flowers outside as his father glared in disgust at him from behind the counter and in front of it, another unicorn stood… but the expression on his face was veiled sympathy, his top hat pushed back and expensive coat flowing around him before he asked quietly: “Whose child is that?”

“No one’s.” Scrivy’s father muttered… and a moment later, the scenery shifted as they were watching a play and the set was being moved before their eyes, Scrivener carefully loading the flowers into the carriage as the well-dressed unicorn left the shop with a disgusted look on his face. Then he looked down curiously as one of his hoofs trod on something, and he picked up a battered notebook, opening it… and he smiled a little as he paged through it.

Scrivy turned around, and almost dropped the empty flower baskets as he stared in shock before lowering his head and whimpering, as if expecting to be beaten. But instead, the unicorn closed the book and stepped forwards, saying kindly: “Forgive me for prying, young child… I must say, you have quite a talent for someone your age, though. Here now, look up at me, it’s okay. Could you perchance write something for me? For my wife, rather…”

“Scrivener, get up here!” Scrivy’s father appeared in the doorway, snarling… and then the other unicorn turned around, and their eyes locked before Scrivy’s father said distastefully: “I need my worker back.”

“I require him for a moment longer. Official business, you understand… and I am in a bit of a hurry as tonight I dine with the mayor and must be prepared. There will be many important ponies there, after all… ‘twould be a shame if they heard I was late due to unfortunate circumstances at a gardener’s shop. They may wish to investigate. They may wish to hear the whole sad, sordid tale.” The unicorn smiled even as foal-Scrivy’s father drew slowly back into the shop, looking suddenly scared and unsure at the iciness of the male’s tone. “Good. I see we understand each other.”

Scrivy’s father nodded mutely and vanished as the unicorn turned back to Scrivener, who stared up at him with silent, still-scared eyes, not understanding back then this was one of the few good ponies he’d met in his life… but the unicorn only reached up and gently patted him on the head with one hoof, saying quietly: “Talented young ponies should grow up in better places.”

The images became fuzzy, then simply turned to darkness… and Scrivener laughed a little, shaking his head slowly and saying quietly: “Hindsight is twenty-twenty, huh? Now it all seems so clear… and back then I was so confused. I was filled with conflicting feelings, too… it’s very difficult for a child ingrained with servitude to realize his parents are… jerks.”

Luna looked at him quietly, then opened her mouth to ask a question as he turned, following him… and then she simply stared as Scrivy looked, unsurprised, over a skyline of larger brick and wood buildings and homes, everything with a busier, heavier feel to it, featureless ponies walking up and down cracked city streets… and a young Scrivy with his cutie mark now almost shining on his haunch walking through the semitransparent people, staring back and forth in awe as the kind unicorn’s voice said calmly: “I understand it is terrifying to step out into the world on your own, especially at such a young age. The hell we know seems safer than the hell we don’t… and even a toxic environment can be home when we grow used to it. But I believe this is best for you… and I shall give you enough to help you get started. Why? Well, why not? I am obviously of well-to-do persuasion. I would rather spend the money on a young writer in need than the fiftieth frilly new dress for my wife.”

“Not that it worked out very well…” Scrivy murmured, even as the foal version of himself laughed and pressed himself against a store window with shining eyes, staring inside as Scrivener and Luna walked forwards and joined the young version of the male… and they gazed in to see a stack of collected poetry books, Scrivener saying quietly: “It started good though. Three poems in that collection were mine.” He stopped, and the books changed as foal-Scrivy grew a little at the same time. “Five published in that volume, and regular magazine publishing.”

He stopped, and now past-Scrivy was almost an adult, standing beside present-Scrivy as Luna looked at him softly, before gazing ahead… and smiling a little at the books on display. “‘Rose Thorns.’ My first published book…”

But then he closed his eyes, and Luna frowned a bit as she and Scrivener both turned around… and they watched as a unicorn leaned over the desk in a sparse office, shouting angrily at the wincing past-Scrivener. “-suing for libel! It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, the whole town is up in arms! Listen kid, I’m sorry, and I admit that things would be different if my brother was still alive, but he’s not, and you’re a liability, not a windfall. Every other day I have to put up with letters from your family demanding they get a slice of your profits, and now they and that whole crazy town you come from is trying to sue us. Sure, we’ll win in court, no sweat. But it’ll waste my time, it’ll make the magazine look bad, it could hurt my publishing house. So we’re not going to publish your next book after all. I’ll give you a stellar recommendation but I’m not publishing anything else by you, poems, books, nothing. Go find some other poor sap… you got talent kid, but I ain’t after talent. Talent don’t sell. I need something that can sell without putting me through this crazy nonsense.”

Scrivener shook his head slowly as the past him stood stupidly… and before he could open his mouth, the unicorn shook his head and muttered: “Sure, this is weird to happen, but guess what? I can say no to anyone, I own the company, and that’s all this is to me. I don’t publish what I don’t want to publish. Get out of here, kid, and… good luck.”

Scrivy lowered his head and turned around, the ghostly past-Scrivy walking towards them, and the male said quietly: “I was making money, and to my family… I was still their servant. Heaven’s Horses know how much they spent trying to keep up with me, trying to wrestle pennies away from me… but that’s what it was like, until I made it to Canterlot.”

He stopped, then looked up… and Luna silently gazed ahead, before frowning a bit as she saw not Canterlot in the distance… but instead, smiling and sitting beside each other, her and Scrivener in her room. They were talking, laughing, little Samael twining around them… and then the image became still and faded, as if painted onto a cloth wall… and a moment later, the Nightmare faded into existence in front of this, pacing along the now-cement ground as darkness fell around them, only the painted tapestry providing any sort of background as she snarled: “And we can give you the strength to take revenge on all of them! To punish them! To hurt them!”

“The best revenge is living well.” Scrivy paused for a moment, and then he smiled a little over at Luna as she gazed at him quietly, meeting his eyes. “And maybe… one day… visiting them, with one of the most powerful unicorns in existence by your side.”

“I think not, Scrivener Blooms.” Luna smiled slightly, leaning against him and bowing her head to gently touch her horn against his forehead, and then the male smiled warmly as she said softly: “’Twould be far better to force them to visit us, in our home… together.”

The Nightmare snarled at them in disgust, and then she turned around and waved a hoof at the painted tapestry, and it burst into black flames before the creature spun back towards them as they both looked up at her, dark looks in their eyes as the Nightmare hissed: “Fools! As if I’ll allow you to leave, as if I’ll… give in so easily as the others did, as if-”

And then, before it could go any further, the tapestry collapsed forwards and the Nightmare had only a moment to glance stupidly over its shoulder before the burning, enormous painted cloth crashing down and suffocating the creature as flames greedily spread along it, making it shriek and panic as Scrivy reared back in shock but Luna only shook her head slowly, saying quietly: “To creatures of such black dreams, feeding off impassioned feeling… ‘tis more real here inside our minds than ‘tis outside, in the shadowy night’s veil.”

The Nightmare flailed beneath the tapestry for a few moments… and then the heavy painted cloth and the creature that had been trapped beneath it both went up in a wave of black smoke and ashes, and as this floated quietly skywards, Scrivener’s eyes blinked and his legs buckled, Luna turning towards him as he gazed down at her, leaning down silently… and her horn touched his forehead as their noses pressed together, looking eye-to-eye for a few long moments as reality faded quietly into being around them, Scrivener’s glasses hanging askew and Luna’s starlight mane swaying forwards, brushing invitingly against the male’s face as he began to lean upwards and the female’s eyes started to close…

And then a loud squeak echoed through the hall, and both Luna and Scrivy looked sharply to the side with a wince as something barreled towards them before it leapt up and tackled Scrivener back to the ground, the male wheezing before staring dumbly at the sight of the skeletal pseudodragon as it clung to his face, and Luna threw her head back and laughed despite herself as the male grumbled: “I’m both glad to see you and ready to kill you again, Sammy.”

The skeletal beast only chirped cheerfully and continued to hold tightly to the pony’s features, however, and Scrivy sighed before he sat up with a grimace… and then blushed deeply when Luna leaned over and kissed his cheek before she said kindly into his ear. “’Twill be time for such things later, Scrivener Blooms. Perchance if thou act the role of hero yet, thou shall be rewarded as such… but for now, we cannot waste another moment. I doubt the last Nightmare will be able to pierce the sealed Vaults… but ‘tis better not to run such a risk when treasures as the like that lay sealed here are involved.”

Scrivener nodded after a moment with a sigh, but he was still smiling dumbly to himself even as he stood up, before shaking his head firmly when Sammy continued to cling to his face, gnawing at his golden helm as he rolled his shoulders and grimaced at the feeling of the armor more than the skeletal beast clutching tight against him. “Come on, get off me.”

Sammy chirped and responded by scuttling over his head and down his back to perch safely between his shoulders, and the male shook his head before he glanced up to see Luna with her head bowed and horn glowing faintly, a pair of doors in the distance slowly creaking open as dust and a few pieces of broken stone crumbled out of the archway. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, but as I said, we should hurry. The leader of the Nightmares seemed much older and wiser… and these creatures can become invisible and weightless, flying as easily as any Pegasus would sail the skies.” Luna replied quietly, once more serious before she glanced at him curiously. “Tell me, court poet, does thee know the Song of Melinda?”

“‘Sixteen black horses pulled her carriage through the skies, four teams of four that cut the air like a scythe.’” recited Scrivener, and Luna nodded before she led him forwards into a ruined hallway, grimacing a bit as she examined a large mound of collapsed concrete from the walls and ceiling before carefully beginning to climb over it. Scrivy followed after a moment, a little less sure-footed than the winged unicorn as he continued in a mutter: “Most of it is about Melinda the Sky Witch, but that long verse I started is dedicated to Nightmares… it’s said she was one of the first to help them into this world, yes?”

“Yes, but ‘tis a rotten lie. Only the most foolish unicorn would believe that ‘twould be a simple task of horsehair herbs and ash to bind down such deceitful entities… they are conniving vampires, demons that delight in manipulating ponies into following their dark desires. They feed and thrive off it.” Luna muttered, shaking her head quickly. “Yet the Song does bear truth in its verses, too. They must be allowed into the heart of hearts to feed and do their damage… otherwise, the most they can do is put us to sleep and torment us, as thou hast experienced thyself.”

“And they can’t stand sunlight, but as far as I can tell, it’s still very deep and dark here.” Scrivy paused after a moment, and then he said slowly: “Wait. There were four of them, right? Where were the other two, or were both attacking you?”

“Nay, one Nightmare at a time will attack one soul. The other was standing guard over us, likely after scaring away poor Samael, and I dealt with it accordingly.” Luna paused, glancing over her shoulder and saying kindly as the pseudodragon glanced up with an embarrassed chirp. “’Tis fine, my friend. They would have no use for thee, being… as thou are. I am only glad they did not destroy thee.”

Sammy chirped again, and then Scrivy smiled a little as he looked towards the female and said quietly: “Thank you, Luna. You saved all our lives.”

“Nay, thou did more than thee may yet believe, Scrivener Blooms. For both of us.” Luna replied softly, not gazing back at him even as she smiled slightly, her cloak fluttering around her form as her starlight hair rolled slowly, as if blown by a gentle wind. “Think, though. What else does the Song hint at the bane of Nightmares being?”

Scrivener looked thoughtfully at the female… and then he brightened and nodded after a moment, saying quietly: “Okay, I get it, yeah. But still-”

“Fear not, Scrivener Blooms, should worst come to worst I shall merely take out my growing frustrations with this entire endeavor upon its head.” Luna replied comfortably, and Scrivy sighed and rolled his eyes even as he smiled a little, and the female looked over at him with quiet entertainment before she returned her eyes forwards, adding quietly: “Careful here and watch thy step.”

It took them only five minutes to work their way through the ruins and find the door leading down into the vaults… but the staircase beyond the heavy iron door was darker than dark, the inky blackness seeming to swallow up all the light that touched it. Luna grimaced a bit as she simply flicked her head, her horn glowing bright blue and lightning the way… and Scrivy stayed close as Samael’s eyes glowed in the darkness, the two ponies carefully making their way down the long, sloped tunnel until they came out into a natural limestone cavern.

Water dripped from the ceiling, and stalactites and stalagmites dotted the length of it, with only a narrow path carved through the mostly-empty room past several rotting wooden crates… but at the very back was an enormous, rusted bronze wall, an immense heavy gold door at the halfway point of this. A deep, dark hole sat in almost the exact center of the door, surrounded by ancient runes… and Luna shook her head slowly as she walked towards this, murmuring quietly: “Sister’s ancient seal. I hope that time has not weakened my memory of this…”

She closed her eyes, taking a slow breath, and the aura around the female’s horn grew for a moment before it seemed to strangely tighten around itself, becoming almost golden as she lowered her head forwards and slid her horn into the orifice… and a moment later, blue light spread through the door, the runes lighting up as the sapphire light touched them and glowing bright gold before Luna drew back as there was a loud clanking sound. She stepped away, watching as the blue continued to spill through the hidden veins in the substance, the runes glowing brightly before the door clanked again, and finally swung slowly open… and then something tore past the two ponies, knocking Scrivener sprawling with a wince and sending Luna skidding aside as the voice of a Nightmare hissed: “Fools! And now, revenge will be mine!”

“Nay, night-beast, thou art the fool.” Luna said disgustedly, and then she flicked her horn firmly to the side and the heavy vault door slammed closed, the Nightmare giving a muffled yell of surprise from the other side. “Thou cannot pass through stone nor metal, and I have sealed thee away in a tomb. Grasp all thee wish to at the artifacts locked therein, learn the secrets and the histories if it pleases thee to do so in the moments before thine strength is sapped. No longer can thou see the sky, nor the stars, no longer can thee feel the breath of the moon-”

“No… stop…” the creature almost gurgled, whimpering on the other side of the door, and there was a clawing sound before it hissed in agony, rasping: “Holy magic pervades this vault… this deep… deep dark vault beneath the earth… cruel, conniving monster! You know-”

“Know what? ‘Tis not merely the shadowy darkness thou feeds from, but ‘tis the essence of the night? And now thou art locked in true shadow, sealed beneath the earth, like the graveyard thou once rose up from? As the old legends say, the dead fear nothing… but the undead fear nothing more than being sealed back in their tombs.” Luna said coldly, leaning towards the golden door, and there was a howl of misery from the other side of the vault as Scrivener winced and even Sammy gave a weak whimper, the pseudodragon curling tightly down against the male’s back.

There was another shriek from inside the vault, followed by silence… and then the wall seemed to tremble before there was a final, almost-whispery gasp as Scrivener grimaced a bit towards the door, looking distasteful as dark smoke hissed quietly out from beneath the sealed vault… and after a moment, he couldn’t help but ask, as Luna lowered her head to once more open the door: “So… are they undead or demons?”

“Who knows? All that is certain is they are terrible things, feeding off the pain of others… and so ethereal, so dependent upon emotion and thriving off the real or imagined agonies of creatures that imagined death and torture is oft more effective upon their cursed souls than true physical harm. Against these sad remnants, fear is the ultimate weapon… perhaps it is why to Nightmare Moon, drinking in the fear of others is also the ultimate delight.” Luna murmured as her horn slid into place, and there was silence between the two as light spilled through the door before Luna stepped back and smiled a little as the vault swung open once more, saying quietly: “But I do not believe Nightmare Moon was so simple a creature, either. Sisters, perhaps they were… but these arrogant creatures would see themselves as sister and kin to anything their equal or greater that lurks through the night.”

Scrivy nodded awkwardly after a moment… and then he walked forwards as Sammy chirped quietly against his back, the two stepping into the vault beyond as Luna said softly: “I do not fear being beneath the earth, after all… and…” She stopped, then closed her eyes and whispered: “And I am Nightmare Moon, Scrivener. As often as I push the blame upon the darkness that tainted me, it only exacerbated what already lay inside my very soul. In time, I would have done the awful things I did anyway, as my jealousy for mine sister grew. I am Nightmare Moon.”

Scrivener looked at her quietly for a moment as they stood together at the front of the treasure vault, the faint glow from Luna’s horn only amplifying the expression of sorrow upon the female’s face… and then he quietly stepped towards her and rested a hoof upon her shoulder, Luna looking up at him shamefully for a moment before he said quietly: “Whether you are or were or not or… whatever, I… I still see you as someone… truly special, truly incredible.” He paused and smiled a little, nudging her quietly under the muzzle with a hoof. “But hey. We can talk about what a wicked pony you are after we safely get out of this crazy place. I’d rather be back in the Everfree Forest than here.”

Luna looked at him for a moment, and then she laughed a little and nodded, straightening and murmuring: “Perhaps thou art right, Scrivener. It does no good for me to weep.”

“No, Luna, I think that’s fine.” Scrivy said softly, and the female looked at him with surprise as he gazed at her quietly. “If anyone deserves a good cry, it’s you. What… what I’m getting at is… no matter what you are… it’s who you are that makes me… like you so much. Like being around you so much. And whether you’re Nightmare Moon or Princess Luna… I don’t ever see myself wanting to… to ever be without you around in my life and… stuff.”

Scrivy cleared his throat, turning away and gazing instead into the darkness of the vault… and Luna smiled a little at his back before she murmured: “Some poet thou art.”

“Is that a challenge?” Scrivener asked over his shoulder, giving her a small smile… and then Luna flicked her horn upwards, and point of light shot from her horn to strike an enormous crystal inset into the ceiling, this rapidly growing brighter until it cast a glow like daylight over the vault, Scrivy grimacing and blinking a few times… and then simply staring, dumbstruck, at what lay in the roughly-octagonal room before him. “I. May need a moment.”

Luna only smiled amusedly at him as she stepped up beside the male, nudging him firmly with her side as she asked playfully: “What, Scrivener Blooms? Struck wordless not by my beauty but instead the assortment of artifacts and treasures my sister and I gathered here over the years? ‘Tis a thought that makes me think thou canst not appreciate a fine mare’s form but instead only her jewels and bangles.”

“I… you… shut up.” Scrivy said finally, and Luna laughed as Scrivener only continued to look stupidly out over the vault: immense trunks and chests that were in some cases literally overflowing with gold and precious gemstones lined the walls, and pedestals upon which sat strange and often beautiful idols, jewelry, and trinkets of every sort and size stood throughout the room, as did large racks filled with scrolls, ancient texts… but what had truly caught his eye stood at the back of the room.

Upon three featureless stone statues of three enormous equines rested three different ornate, beautiful sets armor: upon the largest was armor made of beautiful gold that seemed to glow in the light, almost painful to gaze upon in all its splendor… and the second largest was made of heavy, gleaming silver, with enlarged coverings that would obviously fit firmly over the hooves and locks on the forelegs where the huge kite shield that rested over its back could be clamped firmly on.

The last, the smallest set – yet no less magnificent for its stature – was made of gorgeous black, smooth plating and supple blue dragon-scale leather, the most lightweight of three sets. Luna slowly strode across the vault towards this, standing in front of it with a soft smile as she reached out and gently brushed the beautiful, hoof-weaved black cloak that covered it back, murmuring softly: “’Tis breathtaking though, I do admit… and after all these years, I am endlessly impressed with how this armor has fared under the weight of its own age.”

For a few moments, Luna only stood, admiring her old armor: sectioned plating that securely interlocked along the limbs, the heavier, thicker breastplate that shielded the body and protected her spine without interfering with her wings, and the thicker peytral inset with a border of obsidian gemstones and a swirling design of the entire lunar cycle over the front of it in silver… and the helm, designed perfectly to cup her skull and with a slightly-triangular, flattened hammerhead top, the metal curled slightly upwards to offer extra support to the base of her horn… and then Scrivener laughed a little as he quietly approached, and she looked up at him curiously as the male looked mildly at the goliath golden armor. “Tell me that’s not Celestia’s.”

“’Tis just so… her armor was even heavier than mine brother Sleipnir the Mighty’s.” Luna said softly, then she reached out and gently brushed a hoof against the dark sapphire leather of her own gear. “Mine was the lightest, for I had to be quick upon my hooves to fence properly and cunningly… and Sleipnir also required some mobility, for all he relied upon brute strength alone to accomplish his tasks. But Celestia could boost her not-insignificant abilities all the more with her own magic… and required no great speed to keep up against an opponent, no great agility to avoid a monster’s strikes. She needed merely to stay a distance back, be it moderate or far, and provide us with support in the form of spells and enchantments of all manner, shape and size. Her enchanted armor would do the rest, deflecting all but the most powerful of attack.”

Scrivener nodded a bit, looking quietly at the beautiful, polished golden metal, which seemed as pristine as if it had only just arrived from the forge. The immense plate mail was strangely terrifying to behold, from the crown-shaped helm to the glimmering celestial symbols and archaic, ancient runes that were embossed over much of the gear… and then Luna smiled a bit as she reached out and nudged Scrivy gently with a hoof, saying quietly: “Come now, snap out of thy dreaming daze, Scrivener Blooms. Let us tarry no longer than we must here… drop the saddlebags here and I shall begin to gather up the armor, and thou can look through the chests and pedestals for all else that is desired.”

The male nodded after a moment, turning away… and yet he couldn’t help glance over his shoulder, smiling a bit at Luna as his eyes lingered on her for a moment as Sammy leapt off his back to explore the vault. A moment later, however, his eyes roved instead to the featureless stone horse and, more accurately, the golden armor that rested upon it… and it sent a chill down the male’s spine as he wondered silently what terrible force could make the Princess of the Sun so eager to drag such a beautiful and yet dreadful relic up from the long forgotten past.

Comments

[mrmayortheiv]

I really liked this chapter, good to see Luna kicking some ethereal flank! Poor Scivy though, I didn't imagine his early years could have been so bad.

[cometstarling]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE
AER
Cometstarling

[-Brutus]

1524728 I agree!

[Narcosis]

I'd forgotten just how much I hated bramblethorn (I think I'm remembering right)

You really have a knack for making people love or hate your characters

[Axel van Daeren]

Scrivener's family seems a bit over-the-top.

[Revan]

The old ways must be revived, else all is lost.

[cometstarling]

Abuse fucking sucks, but at least he is living well.