• Published 5th Sep 2012
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Lunar Lights - BlackRoseRaven



Old enemies return to Equestria, seeking revenge on Luna and Celestia. Second of six stories.

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The Wedding

Chapter Thirteen: The Wedding
~BlackRoseRaven

Sweet Apple Acres was filled with dancing, cheerful ponies, most of them members of the vast Apple clan or citizens of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had both gone all out for the occasion, and everything from barn to the ranch house were decked out with streamers and balloons, Pinkie Pie dashing gleefully around, helping to keep the not one, not three, but five enormous banquet tables stocked with delicacies and delights between breaks where she danced happily among the other excited, rowdy ponies in the enormous, sawdust-speckled square that had been set up in one field as a band loudly played on a rickety wooden stage.

Rainbow Dash’s family had long since rejected him as the black sheep, his parents not just unable to comprehend, but absolutely refusing to even try to understand why exactly the once-she had become a he, and why the now-he was marrying a female. Of course, it seemed that to them, Rainbow Dash had never been anything but an outcast anyway… considering the fact his own family hadn’t even shown up when he had been in Cloudsdale long ago now for the best flyer competition, it just went to show how little they had always thought of their own child. But Rainbow Dash had moved past this… and the people who stuck by him even now had shown up, at least.

Gilda, a griffin with an attitude problem, was moodily storming around, looking grouchy but at least attempting to make nice for Dash’s sake. Not that they had ever really made up, but a wedding was an excuse to mooch free food, and Gilda has been Dash’s friend for a long time in the past, so they had a temporary, awkward truce for the moment. And one of Dash’s cousins was here, another black sheep from the family… and the Wonderbolts who had become more than just co-flyers, but friends with him, despite his particularly-odd background.

Scrivener and Luna had been able to walk through the crowd without attracting much attention, despite the fact they were both wearing heavy cloaks, milling with people, Luna greedily sampling a little bit of everything from the banquet tables and every now and then glancing up to watch as fillies and colts weaved and danced through the laughing, happy crowd. And at some point, they caught sight of Rainbow, sitting beside Twilight and looking flustered as he breathed hard in and out of a paper bag, Twilight gently patting him on the back before he looked up stupidly as Luna and Scrivener approached and the female asked mildly: “Getting cold hooves, Rainbow Dash? Thou truly art a male.”

“Hey, that’s a horn on your head, Luna, not a butt, so don’t be that way.” Scrivy replied mildly, and Luna grumbled at him. “What Luna means, Rainbow, is that we both want to offer our congratulations. I know this is a big day for you, even if…”

“Awkward? Hell yes it is.” Rainbow muttered, wincing a little as he looked up at them: a tall, well-built blue Pegasus, he had a strong frame and a mane and tail that was, like his namesake, streaked all the colors of the rainbow, cut both messy and short. His body was clothed in a tight black suit, a white dress shirt beneath a black jacket and matching vest, and a tie neatly done up around his neck as he said flatly: “I’m a guy, who used to be a girl, who no one really understands why he decided he wanted to be a guy not a girl and half the people here probably disagree with and some people even told me flat-out this was wrong and horrible and I’m getting married to a country girl who some people still see as the most trustworthy and responsible pony in Ponyville and other people are all like ‘whoa, no, she can’t be, she likes that dude who was a chick’ and like-”

“Rainbow.” Twilight said firmly, and Rainbow wheezed before shoving his muzzle back into the paper bag, almost hyperventilating as he leaned back on haunches decorated with a cutie mark of a rainbow-colored lightning bolt shooting down from a white cloud. “Calm down a little. You’re in the presence of friends here… and AJ’s worth it, isn’t she?”

This made Rainbow grumble, then grudgingly draw back and sigh a little, saying finally: “I guess, yeah. She is. She… she really is. People don’t always get us, but… she is.” He stopped, blushing awkwardly and rubbing at his face with one hoof before saying finally: “You guys… I… thanks for coming, Luna, Scrivy. You guys have supported me a lot. Helped me a lot, especially you, Luna… and Scrivener, you’ve never judged me, and I appreciate that a lot more than I can say.”

“It was our pleasure to help… thou art a friend, Rainbow Dash.” Luna said firmly, and then she said quietly: “My experiences are different, but believe my words… care not for the stones they throw, for ‘tis only from ignorance of how thou has suffered, and a wish for the world to revolve according to their own views. It matters not what others think. What only matters, is that thou art happy with thyself and thy life and thine loved ones.”

She smiled a little, and Rainbow nodded a bit and smiled back awkwardly, glancing over at Twilight and saying finally: “I guess… since you and AJ are always saying the same thing, I better start listening sooner or later. Maybe that can be one my wedding vows, what do you think?”

“You still haven’t written them? Rainbow, go and do that now!” Twilight said crossly, shoving at him, and Rainbow blushed a little as he attempted to babble excuses before Twilight grumbled, shoving him onwards and glancing over at Scrivener and Luna moodily. “I’ll catch up with you two later, after I make sure Rainbow doesn’t ruin his own wedding.”

“Oh come on, it can’t be that hard!” Rainbow retorted, then he winced and scurried onwards when Twilight glared at him, shaking her head and grumbling under her breath.

Luna snorted in amusement at this, then she smiled slightly over at Scrivy, saying mildly: “Remember our wedding vows, my beloved?”

“Oh, when you promised to protect me from all the evils of the world, and a few other touching but awfully emasculating things?” Scrivy said mildly, and Luna laughed and checked him playfully with her body.

Then she grinned at him, adding teasingly: “Well, thou didst not seem to mind in entirety… and thine own vows to me were very sweet and tender. Loyalty and love, as I remember, thou spoke of in great flourish… truly, ‘tis I who draws on the wagon in our relationship.”

“Yes, well, excuse me for being just a simple earth pony, not a thousand year old epic heroine.” Scrivy replied dryly, and Luna snorted in amusement before she nudged him firmly, and the male smiled even as he rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright. Then what would my husband like her wife to do?”

“Oh, spare me, Scrivy, thou sexist pig.” Luna said playfully, slapping a hoof at him lightly, and he snorted as he ducked away. “Come though, let us dance. Even in our cloaks, I wish to dance with thee.”

Scrivener couldn’t help but smile, and they stopped only to drop the saddlebags at the gifts table that sat in front of the ranch house before making their way to the dance area, falling into a quickstep with each other… and Luna laughed, neither of them caring for the odd looks they got, eyes only for each other as their cloaks swirled around them… and even as their hoods fell back, they didn’t stop moving together, gazing warmly at one another, neither caring for the moment if anyone saw who they were.

But finally, they stepped out of the square and put their hoods back up, Scrivy a little apprehensive but Luna pleased beyond words… and for the following comfortable hours, they simply enjoyed the party and everything it had to offer.

The Wonderbolts put on an incredible show of aerial acrobatics and stunts, ending with a message of congratulations to the newlyweds written in lightning and smoke… and not long after, as they wandered away from the main party, Luna and Scrivy found Applejack and Apple Bloom and Big Mac together at the shaded side of the ranch house, Big Mac looking surly in his own rough suit, his collar and brace gone as Apple Bloom bounced around anxiously and Applejack grumbled under her breath, dressed in an elegant, deep blue wedding dress that hid the cutie mark of three red apples on her flank, a band of white lilies around her neck, her blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders instead of tied back and a ribbon in her tail, fiddling with the veil over her eyes before she winced when she saw two ponies approaching… then gave a sigh of relief and said tiredly: “Am I ever glad to see two friendly faces who ain’t gonna ask me a thousand awkward questions.”

Luna and Scrivy pushed back their hoods back, smiling across at the female: pretty, with an orange-blonde coat and gemstone green eyes, she was a country girl used to working the farms and taking care of herself and everyone around her, a dependable, responsible pony who cherished her family, friends, and freedom. “’Tis a pleasure to see thee at such a happy time… although I must say, thou doesn’t seem as pleased as I expected thee to be.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, it ain’t that… it’s just… awkward.” She stopped, then glanced embarrassedly at Big Mac, who glanced up at her calmly before giving a slight smile, and she huffed at him, saying moodily: “Oh, you wipe that dang look off your face, y’hear?”

“Yup.” Big Mac only smiled a little wider, however, his handsome, freckled country-boy features lightening with it. With a velvety red coat and a short-trimmed hay-colored mane and tail, he was strong and tall, built much larger than most ponies and with a large cutie mark of half a green apple on his flank. He was calm, more-intelligent than most people would give him credit for, and had spent his entire life taking care of Applejack and Apple Bloom… and Granny Smith, too, up until the day she had quietly passed away. “Little sister, stop worrying.”

“It ain’t worries for me, I’ve learned to block that out and don’t give a hoot what ponies think of me these days. I learned that from you and Dashie and well… you two too.” She smiled awkwardly at Luna and Scrivy, and the female looked touched as she smiled back and Scrivener laughed a little, nodding. “But I am worried about poor Dash. It ain’t fair to him… I get the wedding of my dreams, with my big brother’s support and as the best pony, and all the family here to support us… and Dash, well… there’s that nasty piece of work Gilda, his cousin, and a few of the Wonderbolts. Everyone else…”

She stopped, shaking her head before she smiled a little. “But I guess… ain’t no turning back now, and hey, we got you all here too, right? And that’s what really matters… even if this thing went and turned into a whole big to-do that went way beyond what I expected. And god, ain’t the timing ever awful but… well… maybe it’s a little of what we need, too.”

“I must admit I had my worries at first, Applejack… but now that I am here, amidst this energy, this joy… yes. ‘Tis better this way. We mourned Trixie’s loss, and will mourn her still… but ‘tis not reason to put this off, and ‘tis no better way, perhaps, to celebrate the loss of one but with the coming together, and perhaps new life, of others.” She stopped, then smiled a little, meeting Applejack’s eyes with her own. “I warn thee, though. If thou has foals before us, I shall be rightly furious.”

Applejack laughed at this, shaking her head with a wide grin. “Me as a mother, can you imagine that? I don’t see that happening in this near future, no sir. Me, Rainbow, Big Mac and Apple Bloom got lots to worry about and figure out before that can happen.”

“But I bet you’d be a real good mom, big sister.” Apple Bloom said warmly, smiling up at her, and Big Mac nodded firmly in agreement as Applejack blushed a little, rubbing at her face embarrassedly. “This is just so exciting! I know it’s weird and all, too, but… I’m just so glad, and I think Scootaloo’s even a little jealous of me.”

Applejack laughed at this, saying warmly: “Then you just tell her that livin’ with Rainbow’s a pain in the butt, considering all the nonsense he gets into.”

For a little while, they talked, comfortable with one another… and then, as cheering went up through the air, Luna and Scrivener slipped their hoods back on and walked with Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom to stand beside Rainbow Dash and Twilight, who both smiled warmly at the others, AJ and Rainbow gazing with true fondness into one another’s eyes… and then they both looked up as a chariot landed, drawn onwards by two Pegasus Guards in golden armor as four others flew slowly at either side of the beautiful, ornate white half-carriage in which stood the Princess of the Sun, Celestia.

All present bowed low, Luna grumbling as Scrivener nudged her and they dropped as well… but Twilight only bowed her head respectfully for a moment before Celestia calmly stepped out of the chariot, striding slowly around it and walking towards Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who both gazed up at her with respect and awe as she looked down, smiling softly as her rainbow mane flowed slowly outwards, twisting with a life of its own. “Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. You both have my congratulations… I know you’ve both come a very long way, and earned this marriage, and I have faith that you will live in happiness for many years to come.”

She paused, surveying them slowly, then glancing towards Scrivener and Luna… and she smiled a little after a moment, saying quietly: “It’s good to see you both. I’m glad… we could all be here today, for this young couple, to see them off into the adventure of marriage. Let’s talk later, after the ceremony… for now, please excuse me.”

Celestia bowed her head to them, then smiled from Rainbow to AJ before she turned to head towards the crowd, as four of the Pegasus Guards warily began to patrol and the other two pulled the chariot out of the way of the festivities as they resumed, ponies talking excitedly, the air seeming all the brighter now even as the sun rolled slowly towards the horizon.

And, as the sun began to set, everyone was called out to the fields, where seats had been set up with the front two rows reserved for special guests, and Luna and Scrivener were escorted up to sit beside Princess Celestia, as her six soldiers grumbled but stood at the very back of the rows of seats, yet lowering their guard all the same as Sweetie Belle blushed and stepped up onto a small, round platform. Beside her, several ponies started to play a gentle wedding melody, and she began to sing slowly, not in words, but only letting her beautiful voice ring out over the ears of those present, countless members of the Apple clan, friends and others all gathered sitting and watching as Rainbow strode up the aisle between the rows of chairs, Big Mac already standing at the front with a smiling priestess dressed in a flowing white robe, nodding respectfully to him.

He took his place on the polished oak dais they had built beneath a beautiful, trellised archway of red roses and white lilies, and Luna and Scrivy both pushed their hoods down, their hooves finding one another’s as Celestia glanced at them, but only smiled softly as well before gazing to the side past them as Applejack began to walk down the aisle, smiling blissfully beneath her veil, Apple Bloom following behind her with head proudly raised.

She stepped up beside Rainbow, and they gazed lovingly at each other even as Rainbow stood flushed and almost dazed, swaying a little on his hooves… and then they both looked to the priestess as the unicorn said quietly: “Dearly beloved… we are gathered here today to witness the union of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, two ponies who have benefited Ponyville and Equestria in deep and wonderful ways… and who have given their love to each other, overcoming all obstacles in their way to do so. Today, under the gaze of friends and family, we are here to bless their union… we are here to wish them well on this journey they begin together, ending their life apart and beginning a new life, together, as one.”

She spoke, and it was beautiful, Luna pressing closer to Scrivener as their heads rested together, the two looking almost enviously at the pair… and yet with pride and joy as well. They deserved it, and all the happiness in the world they could find and make together… and, then Luna squeezed gently against Scrivener’s hoof as the priestess asked softly: “Do you, Applejack, take Rainbow Dash as your husband, for now and forever, to stand by each other in the good and the bad, in illness and in health, until death do you part?”

“I do.” Applejack said clearly, swallowing thickly as she smiled brightly over at Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow gazed warmly back, seeming to steady as he reached a hoof out, and Applejack took it tightly in her own.

“And do you, Rainbow Dash, take Applejack as your wife, for now and forever, to stand by each other in the good and the bad, in illness and in health, until death do you part?” asked the priestess softly, and Rainbow breathed hard, nodding rapidly before he found the words:

“I do.”

“Then, by the power vested in me by Equestria and the Princess of the Sun, I bless the love I see here and congratulate you as you begin this journey, as I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now seal your pact together, and begin your marriage and new life with a kiss.” the priestess said warmly… and Rainbow reached up with a trembling hoof to brush the veil gently back, the two looking into one another’s eyes, emerald into reddish-violet… and then they both leaned forwards, and met with a quiet, firm kiss.

The crowd cheered, many leaping up from their seats to stamp their hooves as Celestia smiled softly and Luna leapt to her own, yelling raucously as Scrivener laughed and applauded and Twilight, on his other side, shouted warmly… and even as the two drew back, Rainbow giving his dumb, happy grin, Applejack smiling brightly as the two looked out over the others, they continued to cheer them on.

It was warm and bright and happy, as the two ran down the aisle together… and as dusk began to settle in, hanging lanterns were lit all throughout Sweet Apple Acres and ponies began to sing and chant and dance, Applejack and Rainbow Dash leading in a jaunty, quickstep as Celestia relaxed, for once losing her imperiousness as she laughed and Twilight stood beside her, for the first time the two looking as if they were at peace and Scrivener and Luna both stamping their hooves and laughing as well as they rested flank-to-flank as others began to dance as well in the fields and the tireless band played quick and happy tunes, joined by singing, yelling, screaming…

And then the screams rose in pitch and volume, and Luna’s eyes widened as Scrivener felt a chill rip down his spine, the two spinning around as ponies shrieked and the band ground to a halt, Rainbow and Applejack both staggering to a stop and staring as out of the shadows of an apple tree, a Pegasus Guard desperately flung himself into the light, splattered with blood, his armor ripped and shattered… and then a skeleton of a unicorn, covered in grisly runes and with ugly gemstones melted like savage ornaments into his very bones leapt onto the pony’s back, stabbing a knife down into his spine and making him gargle before he collapsed, and ponies panicked and immediately began to flee with shrieks and screams of horror as Luna and Scrivener both set themselves with snarls, Twilight joining them as the unicorn Velite looked up with a long hiss… and from the darkness, more of the awful undead abominations emerged, some striding forwards on their hind legs, others on all fours, many of them carrying rusted, gleaming weapons and wearing broken, ancient armor and torn rags.

Then Celestia stepped up beside them, even as the three remaining Pegasus Guards ran in front of her… but she only shook her head grimly, saying curtly: “No. My sister and I shall handle these monsters ourselves. I require you three to get as many ponies safely to Ponyville as possible, and to secure the village.”

One of the guards began to open his mouth… and the three Pegasus ponies stared in shock as both Luna and Scrivener threw off their cloaks, one of them hesitantly stepping forwards… but then Celestia stomped a hoof down, shouting: “It is not of your concern right now, you have been ordered to save these ponies, now go!”

The Pegasi immediately saluted before taking flight as the Velites formed a rough line in front of them, more than a dozen grinning skeletons standing in the shadows before Celestia said quietly: “Twilight, perhaps you…”

“No, Celestia. I stand and fight… for Trixie, for my friends…” Twilight readied herself, gritting her teeth even as she shivered at the sight of the undead abominations, breathing hard and readying herself. “For Equestria!”

“Trying to ruin my damn wedding day, I don’t care if they just crawled up out of the bowels of Hell, I’m gonna send ‘em back down there!” Applejack snarled, her dress discarded, leaning forwards aggressively with Rainbow Dash beside her, the Pegasus growling in agreement. “I might not be a warrior like the rest of you, but I’m a damn pissed off bride!”

Then a scream rose up from behind them, and Celestia cursed as she looked over her shoulder, the Velites in front of them laughing as another group of the undead abominations leapt out of hiding from around the ranch house, charging towards a group of ponies that had attempted to flee inside… and Celestia said sharply: “Then if you truly wish to aid us, help them! We can deal with the monsters here!”

Applejack cursed, then she and Rainbow turned and bolted across the field, heading towards the group of skeletal ponies chasing Rarity, Fluttershy and others as they screamed and panicked. Near the banquet tables, another two Velites ran towards Pinkie Pie as she shrieked in terror, fleeing from them before spinning around and staring in horror as they drew close… and then her eyes rolled up in her head as she collapsed, the grinning skeletons trading a look that was strangely eager before they began to lean down over her. A moment later, Pinkie’s body dulled, her hair flattening out before her eyes snapped open, and a sharkish, sharp-toothed grin spread over her face as Pinkamena greeted kindly: “Hello boys.”

She sat up and slammed both her elbows firmly into the table, and it tilted, spilling several plates, bits of food, and other things around her in a twinkling rain as she reached her hooves back, catching a large bowl and a wine bottle without looking. She grinned as the Velites looked startled, then, before they could react, she was up on her hooves, shoving the heavy ceramic bowl into the face of one and sending it crashing backwards in surprise, splattered with pudding as the bowl shattered over its skull and slamming the heavy wine bottle into the head of the other, breaking both bony crown and bottle open and knocking it down in a heap before almost primly jumping upwards and crushing its skull beneath her rear hooves.

The other Velite began to scramble away with a hiss, but a moment later, Pinkamena tackled it from behind, leaning her body over its own as she seized it by the muzzle and licked up the side of its skull, whispering into the hole where its ear had once been: “Too bad we had to meet like this. You boys seem just my type. Tall, vicious, and dead.”

Then she twisted firmly and yanked upwards, ripping the skull from the skeleton’s body and tossing it away with a laugh before she grinned callously as she caught sight of a large, sharp cutting knife… but then she grimaced as she looked towards the Velites that were chasing other ponies, saying moodily: “No. I need something bigger. Something better.”

And then she looked up sharply and winced a bit as in the distance, the sun trembled… then rose slightly, covering the area with light, making the Velites stagger and Celestia rose her head imperiously, pulling the sun just above the horizon, just enough to light the farmland and reveal any of the creatures that were left hiding in the shadows… and then her eyes widened as Twilight gasped and Luna snarled in fury, as a familiar voice asked mockingly: “Oh Celestia. Is such a show of power really necessary?”

The Princess of the Sun’s eyes hardened as she looked towards Trixie, the unicorn grinning widely, wearing a long black cape with pony skulls over the shoulders as she strode easily forwards on her back hooves, her hair almost floating out behind her, her eyes an awful, terrible dead black. Velites of all shape and size walked around her, kowtowing visibly to her will… and then Celestia’s eyes narrowed, and she said softly: “Veliuona.”

“Yes, it is me… and finally, I’m alive.” Veliuona sighed in bliss, drawing her hooves slowly down the sides of her body with an almost-sultry smile as Twilight shuddered in horror and repulsion, and Scrivener and Luna both snarled in fury. It only made the unicorn throw her head back and laugh, however, turning her eyes to them with a vicious glee as she added lovingly: “And wouldn’t you know, Luna Lightblade… I was able to rise back from death because of a very special friend of yours…”

Luna frowned at this… and then looked up in horror as a rough, masculine voice murmured mockingly: “Yes, Luna… even after all these years, I haven’t forgotten you…”

“Ignominious…” Luna whispered… and Celestia’s eyes narrowed balefully, Scrivener feeling even his own body tense up as the air seemed to grow colder and darker despite the sun lighting the fields as an awful, terrible black shape strode slowly up beside Veliuona.

The enormous black unicorn smiled, his eyes – so dark, so deep, so awful – not gleaming, but instead seeming to pull all light in around them like black holes. His mane and tail were made of writhing, ever-flowing black smoke, and his body and head were corporeal and solid… and yet here and there, his huge frame flowed like liquid, and every so often screaming faces of ponies seemed to push themselves into being. He had no hooves, despite the clear sound of grass crunching beneath him, but instead his limbs grew translucent as they went downwards, turning into baleful, semisolid fog that rotted the grass beneath his feet into wet corruption… and he threw his head back and laughed wickedly, the long, spired black horn standing up from his skull glowing with dark light as he said easily: “Hello, my beloved. We meet again, at last.”

“That was a long time ago, Ignominious. Before thou made thy awful bargains in Helheim… before I knew that thou wert nothing but a weak, evil coward.” She stopped as the stallion snarled at her, then added almost meditatively: “Before I killed thy wretched soul twice.”

“And yet here I am again, stronger than ever.” Ignominious glared at her, then he leaned forwards and asked mockingly: “Did you like the demon I sent your way? I hear he had quite an effect on you, poor weak little Luna. I showed you that anyone can be corrupted, and we all know by now what a nasty little pleasure you must take in being Nightmare Moon-”

“Enough!” Luna shouted angrily, and she stepped forwards and snarled, as her eyes glowed faint ivory: “I am more than that, and better than thou art, and neither myself nor Nightmare Moon want anything to do with thy scheming, soul-thieving monster! Thy wicked, evil self should have stayed dead and gone!”

“Fine, Luna, we’ll do this the hard way. I’ll just kill you, make an adjustment or two, then bring you back as a nice, obedient little girl.” Ignominious said disgustedly, and Veliuona grinned through Trixie’s mouth. “Come, Goddess of the Cursed Shades. Let’s take our revenge.”

“Monster!” Luna snarled, charging forwards as her horn glowed terrible blue, and Ignominious grinned widely at her even as Velites surged forwards, two of them diving at her… and without slowing, Luna snapped her head to the side, sending out a terrible blue blade of force that smashed into both of the skeletal beasts and blew them backwards in pieces before she threw herself at the black, smoky stallion.

He lashed his own horn down as it pulsed with black energy, clashing them together as he laughed, before slamming his head forwards to butt Luna backwards with a curse as her starry mane sparked with electricity, wafting back around her as she snarled in rage and stepped forwards, horns crashing together with shocks of force… and meanwhile, Twilight winced as a Velite lunged at her, but Scrivener leapt in front of her and slammed both his hooves into it, sending it crashing backwards as he shouted: “We don’t have a choice, now fight, Twilight, fight!”

Twilight snarled, rearing back as her horn glowed… and as Velites swarmed forwards, she snapped her head down and released a bolt of red flames that smashed into the body of one of the skeletons and exploded, blowing away most of its upper body before she whipped her head to the side, and the ground itself tore upwards in response: chunks of stone and a wave of soil flowing upwards, crashing with hurricane force into the onslaught of the undead, snapping bones and knocking Velites sprawling as Scrivener pushed forwards. He ducked under a wild bite from a Velite before he seized it around the front and yanked it over, slamming it down on its side and then smashing a hoof down to crush in the brittle skull.

Celestia, meanwhile, snarled as Trixie’s horn glowed, laughing as she spread her forelegs and bolts of blue light hailed down towards the ivory equine… but the Princess of the Sun only flicked her horn to the side, a translucent barrier appearing in front of her for a moment that the bolts of blue harmlessly bounced off of before she tilted her head forwards… and Veliuona cursed as golden bands locked around her body and sent her sprawling backwards, as the female said coldly: “Your cowardice does you no credit, Veliuona. You should have stayed dead.”

The unicorn shrieked as the golden bands began to implacably tighten… and then she threw her head back and yelled a command, and a rumbling tore through the air before Celestia looked up in shock before an enormous skeleton of a drake crashed down on top of her, knocking her flying backwards as the undead beast roared, terrible, unholy light glowing out of its sockets as the runes burned and etched into its bones sparked, the leathery webbing between its wings trembling. It leaned down and breathed a terrible blast of blue flames over the female, covering her entirely with eldritch sapphire fire that burned upwards and twisted savagely around her.

But a moment later, a rumble spilled through the air… and then the great, terrible blue bonfire that had covered the Princess was blown to ribbons of smoke as Celestia reared back, her wings flapping open, her eyes and horn glowing as the shockwave of force burst from her with enough strength to knock the drake staggering and stumble the eager Velites charging past, even Twilight and Scrivener wincing at the force of it… before Celestia tilted her head upwards, shouting furiously: “Veliuona, I was known as Celestia the Dragon Slayer… and you pit a worthless lizard against me?”

The thirty-foot long skeleton roared as blue flame began to gather around its maw… and then Celestia snarled and her eyes flashed, and there was a terrible hissing before a ray of light exploded downwards from the sky, ripping in a long, merciless arc through the beast and tearing through its ribs and shoulder, an entire limb and wing falling away in a smoldering heap as its roar turned to a shriek before Celestia stepped forwards, bowing her head down. Then she arched her back, lashing her horn upwards with a roar before the ground beneath the massive skeleton burst upwards in a massive, awful mess of stone spikes and spires that tore through the beast, shattering more bones and lifting it into the air with a shriek, flailing its limbs wildly before the equine snarled at it as her horn gave a final, bright pulse.

A golden glow surrounded the drake’s skull… and then it simply exploded in a starburst of light and fire, the bone all but dissolving before the skeleton slumped and collapsed into broken fragments. Veliuona shrieked from where she was standing, staggering backwards with a look of horror before her eyes widened in terror, raising her front hooves. “Wait, you wouldn’t harm one of your own subjects, would you?”

Celestia responded by snapping her head forwards, and a golden fireball shot into Veliuona, exploding with enough force to send Trixie’s body flying limply backwards, cape bursting into flames as she crashed to the ground and skidded away… and even as Twilight screamed, Celestia closed her eyes and strode forwards, fearless and heedless of the Velites as they scrambled around her, only having to crush one beneath a hoof when it attempted to get in her way, swatting it down and stomping on it like it was nothing more than garbage. “I promised Twilight once not to kill, Veliuona. But I can still hurt you. And I can hurt you without hurting that unicorn’s body.”

“I don’t think so… I’ve bound our souls together, so that if I die, she dies… there is no separating us, and no defeating me!” Veliuona snarled, as she picked herself up… and she and Celestia glared at each other before the unicorn leapt forwards, her horn glowing as she screamed: “Die, Celestia!”

Twilight cursed as she watched with horror as Veliuona snapped her head down and sent a flurry of spears of dark magic shooting towards Celestia… and then the violet unicorn saw too little, too late, a Velite lunging at her from the corner of her eye. Before it could contact, however, even as she flinched, an axe head slammed into the skeleton’s ribcage, knocking it sprawling before it was brought down into his skull, shattering it… and Pinkamena grinned widely, cuts and bruises over her body, but only looking all the more eager for it as she yanked the axe free and cried gleefully: “Yes, yes, this is what I was talking about, Twilight Sparkle… this is the kind of party I want to enjoy forever!”

Twilight gritted her teeth as she stepped past Pinkamena, lowering her head and releasing a bolt of electricity from her horn into another skeleton, the blast of lightning causing the unicorn Velite to explode backwards in pieces as Pinkamena threw her head back and laughed, and the violet unicorn shouted: “I don’t have time to argue… just do your part then!”

“Let’s make a game of it, Twilight, let’s see who can kill the most!” Pinkamena laughed again, snarling and grinning at the same time as she swung her axe almost wildly, and it ripped through the upper spine of another Velite, sending its skull toppling as its body staggered backwards before she slammed the axe into its ribcage, shattering it in a puff of white dust and sending it spilling to the ground. “Oh, if only they could bleed!”

Twilight gritted her teeth at this, looking back and forth for Scrivener… but the male had been separated from her, two Velites attempting to pin him down before he managed to kick one backwards and then roll with the other to force it beneath him, shoving its skull down into the ground before he slammed his hooves into its back, and its spine snapped loudly beneath the rags over it. Then he howled in pain as the other Velite seized him from behind and bit savagely into his lower back, slamming his hoof into the Pegasus Velite and breaking the brittle creature almost in half before he managed to shake it off and crush its skull under another stomp of his hooves, cursing as he looked up, then tried to force his way towards Luna, as she battled savagely against Ignominious.

Their horns clashed together, both of them cursing the other, struggling for supremacy before Luna slammed a hoof forwards to knock the stallion stumbling, then twisted her horn in a J-curved slash that ripped across the front of the demon horse, and he released a howl of pain, the wound glowing white for a moment in his black body before it sealed closed as he breathed hard, glaring at her from his black eyes as he rasped: “You’ll pay for that, Luna.”

“I fear not thy words, Ignominious, and I fear even less thy wrath.” Luna retorted coldly, leaning forwards and gritting her teeth… and then the two lunged towards each other once more, as only ten feet away, Celestia dodged out of the way of another almost wild magical attack from Veliuona, more darts of dark energy shooting past before she snapped her horn downwards with a shout.

A golden blast smashed into the unicorn’s body, and she spilled backwards with a shriek as a flash of white filled the air before Veliuona gargled on the ground, her eyes flickering violently before she threw herself up to her hooves, wincing and twitching wildly, then howling at the grass… and when she looked up, one of the unicorn’s irises had returned to normal, and the other still glowed and burned black, as Trixie's voice shrieked: “What’s happening to me?”

She staggered, then looked to the side and cried out in terror at the sight of a gaggle of Velites that was passing by, lashing a hoof towards them. And, in response to her gesture and her panic, a terrible blast of lightning erupted from the heavens, smashing into the ground and sending down a hail of bones and earth as Velites exploded into pieces before Trixie looked down at her hooves as Celestia’s eyes widened… and then she gargled again, twitching to the side as Veliuona’s voice rasped: “Stop it! Stop fighting me, unicorn, we are one… you cannot win!”

“Then… then there is only one thing to do…” Trixie gritted her teeth… and then she grinned even as tears filled her eyes, shouting as she threw her hooves above her head: “Prove that Trixie the Great and Powerful is the greatest magician in all of Equestria!”

And with that, she gestured violently to the side, towards the Velites that swarmed over the field… and lightning hailed down, blasting them apart as other Velites glowed, before Trixie lashed her hooves to the other side with a snarl, and flames and spikes of rock erupted from the rumbling earth, shattering more of the undead abominations, thinning their hordes all the further as her head jerked to the side and Veliuona screamed: “What are you doing? What are you doing?”

“Proving that Trixie is the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria… with one final show!” Trixie snarled, shoving her hooves forwards… and lightning blasted from the skies above, peppering over the fields, setting one of the banquet tables aflame as Velites that were still chasing and attacking ponies exploded and burst into ivory fragments, before she screamed, throwing her hooves towards the sky: “For what other unicorn could hope to kill a goddess!”

And Trixie smiled as she gestured towards the sky, even as Twilight screamed and Celestia looked on in horror, as Ignominious shoved Luna back with a roar of frustrated denial… and then a massive bolt of lightning shot from the skies, spilling over Trixie, the unicorn’s body convulsing even as she continued to grin… and then she simply exploded in a burst of light, gore and lightning arcing through the air in a terrible shockwave of energy and force, a wave of dark fire erupting a moment later in all directions with an awful, supernatural scream before slowly fading.

All was silent and still for a moment… and then the savage Velites, the skeletal, awful beasts, shrieked and turned, beginning to flee wildly in all directions even as Ignominious stumbled backwards, yelling in a horrified voice: “No, no, stop! Wait! Flee not, redouble your efforts… we’re… no!”

But the Velites were deaf to his half-plea, half-order, as Luna grinned at him darkly, her eyes glowing as she leaned towards him, and then he snarled at her even as Celestia’s cold eyes turned to him, even as Twilight and Pinkamena began to advance… and then he shouted furiously, leaping towards her: “I’m not done yet!”

Luna lunged… but Ignominious became a terrible swirl of black smoke that ripped past her, chillingly-cold and miserable and awful, knocking her sprawling as it zigzagged wildly through the air before shooting downwards… and Scrivener Blooms looked up in shock before it slammed directly into him, knocking him backwards with a gargle as the awful black smoke filled his jaws, spilled through his eyes, poured into him…

Luna screamed, turning and running towards him before skidding to a halt, breathing hard, staring as Scrivy slowly picked himself up off the ground with a shake of his head… then a cold, cruel smile spread over his face as a black horn of flames slowly flowed into existence up from his skull, his eyes opening to reveal the dead, awful black gaze of Ignominious, as he said quietly: “Hello, darling.”

She stared at him weakly, trembling… and he grinned slowly as he began to advance towards her, even as the others surrounded them, Twilight shaking her head and Celestia looking at them with terrible coldness and Pinkamena snarling as she licked her lips almost hungrily. Then Ignominious mocked through the earth pony’s jaws: “What’s wrong, my sweetheart? Don’t you want to give me a kiss? Or do you just want to bleed and die?”

He lunged forwards, and Luna barely parried the attack with her own horn, before she gasped with a curse as a hoof struck across her face, staggering… then snarling as tears leaked from her eyes, and she whispered: “Scrivener Blooms.”

“Is gone, dearest… but I know, you’ll hope he comes back… and you won’t let your friends hurt me, will you?” Ignominious lunged towards her, and Luna cursed as she dodged to the side, then ducked under a second easy slash, the monster laughing through Scrivy’s mouth. “Yes, you can’t stand the thought of hurting your poor little husband, can you?”

He lunged again, and this time Luna met him, but she only shoved him hard backwards with her hooves to send him sprawling, as she shouted: “Scrivener Blooms!”

“Foolish filly!” Ignominious rolled to his hooves and ran towards her with a snarl… then he staggered stupidly and almost tripped, shaking his head with a curse, trembling for a moment, but even as Luna’s hopes began to rise, they were crushed as the male leapt forwards and swept his horn towards her, their horns clashing and grinding as he hissed: “No, this body is mine now!”

“Scrivener Blooms!” Luna yelled, even as their horns ground together… and then Ignominious screamed, lowering his head forwards, even as he tried to continue to force against her, and Luna shouted: “Scrivener Blooms, I will not harm thee, now force him out!”

And, deep inside himself, Scrivener snarled as he stood imprisoned in darkness… and before him, immense, gigantic, titanic, stood Ignominious. He was the size of a building, and Scrivener was only himself… a small earth pony, staring up defiantly, fearlessly, all the same at this creature, black chains draped around his body and shackles binding his limbs to the dark floor… and Ignominious shook his head slowly, asking in a frustrated voice: “Why fight? She loved me once, Scrivener. She did. And she killed me because I was on the path to greater power than she or even Celestia had ever dreamed!”

He leaned down, the expression on the nightmarish beast’s face almost moody as he said softly: “This is better for us both. Come now, I can give you infinite power… I’ll even let you rule your own body now and then, once I know I can trust you. Then you and Luna can be together forever, just like you want… wouldn’t that be wonderful? And if you help her see my way, maybe I’ll even give her to you, as a present, and leave you both alone in some hedonistic little world to cater to your dark delights, once I’ve regained myself, once my strength is full and returned. I, after all, have courted true goddesses… and I must admit, your care for her would be endearing, did it not also make you so weak.”

“Never. This is your last warning, Ignominious… get out while you still can.” Scrivy said coldly, and the giant laughed, shaking his head even as Scrivener strained against his shackles, before he anchored himself and grit his teeth.

“Oh, you threaten me, really? Why should I listen to you? You and I both know you can’t break out of those chains… and you have no magic, while I have so much dark power at my disposal I can crush you out of existence at any time. Why should I be afraid of a little slave-hoof hornless unicorn?” he mocked, leaning down and glaring coldly at him… and then he frowned when Scrivener suddenly smiled up at him, losing his anger, his tenseness and becoming calm and in a strange, almost-alien way… content.

“Because our hearts beat as one, and the same blood flows in our veins.” Scrivy said quietly, and then he closed his eyes… and Luna felt her horn glow before her own eyes widened as she shoved against Ignominious, before her horn suddenly flicked upwards, forcing the male to rear… and then she twisted her head around and thrusted forwards, unable to control or stop herself, her horn burying deep into Scrivy’s chest.

Ignominious screamed, blood exploding from the pony’s breast, his eyes bulging in shock as red-tinted spittle flew from his jaws as his hooves quaked… and then Scrivener’s back arched before he vomited black smoke upwards as his dark horn dissolved, his eyes clearing, and then dulling as he collapsed backwards, Luna only able to stare, trembling in horror, as her husband’s body fell back to the ground even as Ignominious came into half-being, terrible, white-glowing cracks through his chest as he fled backwards… but Celestia snarled and stepped forwards, her horn glowing gold before the air around the dark creature simply exploded in golden, holy flames, knocking the airborne demon flying to the side as chunks of the semisolid, Nightmare-stallion dissolved, howling and trying to flee in another direction… and then Twilight stepped forwards, screaming: “Go back to Hell!”

The demon, smoke bursting up from his wounded, half-dissociated body, snarled over his shoulder at her before a terrible vortex crackled open in midair as tears streamed down Twilight’s face, and the monster almost crashed into this, shrieking as it tried to haul backward… but with a snap of her fiercely-glowing horn, a blast of white energy shot into the monster’s back, knocking it towards the portal… and countless black and red claws and hands reached out, seizing into the dissolving demon, Ignominious shrieking in horror as he was rapidly dragged into the portal before it slammed shut with a crackle of awful energy and a gush of black, corrupt essence that rotted the earth where it spilled. A moment later, Twilight gasped before she collapsed forwards in a dead faint, her eyes rolling up in her head as a bit of blood trickled from her nose and her horn sparked from the overuse of her powers.

Celestia gritted her teeth, looking towards Luna… and she had Scrivener Blooms curled close, staring down at him as tears leaked from her eyes, before she smiled faintly as pain throbbed in her chest… before she leaned down to kiss his cheek tenderly, her tears dripping onto his face as she whispered: “Accursed creature… how dare thou try and leave me here alone, Scrivy? I shan’t stand for that… I shan’t…”

And as her horn began to glow, her velvety mane swirling backwards, Celestia’s eyes widened before she stepped forwards, shouting: “Sister, wait-”

“Halt me not, Celestia. But I fear thou will have to once more move the moon in the coming nights… I may be indisposed.” Luna murmured softly, closing her eyes as her horn glowed brighter before she silently squeezed Scrivy closer… and then she gasped, her eyes snapping open, her mane and tail sparking violently before they lost their ethereality and instead formed into solid blue strands of hair that fell flat along her features and the ground as she poured every last ounce of her energy and strength and vitality into the spell… and there was a single, almost-insignificant pulse before she leaned forwards, then coughed hard, blood splattering out of her jaws as she whispered: “I love him, Celestia… he is me, and I am him.”

Luna smiled weakly… then her eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed overtop Scrivener Blooms as Celestia closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards. Then shhe looked silently up as she heard a quiet laugh, her eyes roving towards where Pinkamena sat now on top of a pile of bones and skulls she had gathered, grinning darkly even as blood spilled over her frame from the cuts in her bruised body, her axe resting in her lap as she said softly: “This is how many I killed. But I gotta ask. How much of this is all your fault, Princess Sunshine? How many died because of what you did… and what you didn’t do?”

Celestia only looked silently over at Pinkamena in response, not daring to speak before she looked down at her sister’s still body where it lay sprawled with Scrivener Blooms, and then she simply closed her eyes again, surrounded by mayhem and destruction and broken bodies, not hearing the yells of other ponies as they approached and only aware of the fact that her own lost and lonely heart continued to beat on and on and on.

Scrivy and Luna sat silently together on top of the cliff above their cottage… but when the male glanced down, he realized that there was no vast Everfree Forest beneath them… only a sea of darkness. Just as above, the moon was in the sky, but the stars weren’t arranged in any actual constellations… only a wild spiral that spun ever outwards from the vast white iris of the night. “Have we died?”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” Luna murmured softly, squeezing his hoof gently with her own where they were entangled… and then she smiled a little over at him, and he gazed at her softly, smiling a bit as she reached her other hoof up to touch quietly against the black pearl hanging around her neck as she met his eyes quietly. “But whatever happens, Scrivener Blooms… we do it together. I will not permit thee to sacrifice thyself for me… not now, not ever again. We do all together, and perhaps it is selfish… but I will not let thou die alone.”

“Luna, I wanted to save you…” Scrivy said quietly, looking down and closing his eyes, and then he smiled faintly as he felt her glare at him. “I know. I know. But if things had been reversed…”

“Then I would have forced thou to strike me down, yes. But no more, Scrivener Blooms…” Luna looked up silently towards the night sky, her starlight mane floating backwards quietly as she said softly: “We live and die together now. We are two bodies, yes… but the same blood flows inside our veins… and now, we share the same soul.”

Scrivy looked at her sharply, and she smiled a little, gazing at the moon quietly before she returned her eyes to his, saying softly: “I love thee, Scrivener Blooms. I love thee with all my heart and more. And I do not fear what this means for me… or for thee. To save thee, I have mixed our spirits and souls together… when we dream, we will share dreams. When you bleed, I shall bleed. When I smile, thou shall smile. Yes, thou cannot use my magic, and I cannot write epic poems… but through each other, we can use one-another’s skills and talents, and share in one another’s victories and failings. We exist together, forever now.”

She stopped, then blushed a little, glancing down and murmuring: “I… I know that it is selfish. It is awfully, horribly selfish. Thou canst never be rid of me now… perhaps, in reality, this was only another of the workings of Nightmare Moon from deep inside me, as I have undoubtedly spread my darkness all the deeper into thy soul now, and how she has always wished to possess thee deeper, in this way that never can thou be without us now…”

“What, did you inherit my ability to be self-loathing, too?” Scrivy asked flatly, and Luna laughed a little at this before she blushed when he leaned over and hugged her fiercely, saying quietly: “Weren’t we as one before? What changes now?”

“Nothing, Scrivener Blooms, except that we shall either both live, or both die.” Luna whispered back, hugging him fiercely in return before she closed her eyes and bowed her head forwards, the two curling tighter together before she smiled faintly, and as they pulled apart, she met his eyes and said quietly: “Does thou remember Celestia’s words?”

“All too clearly. It seems… bright in my mind, somehow. Our mind?” he ventured, and Luna nodded to him, the male grimacing before he made a face at her… and she rolled her eyes before he asked finally: “Did you see that?”

“In a sense. Just as thou knows intuitively now what I think… I can see the same. We may share thoughts with practice, I think.” Luna paused meditatively. “But ‘tis only instinct that speaks. I never believed I would ever… perform such a deep pact, after all. Tampering with souls was what transformed Ignominious into the monster he became.”

She stopped, then smiled a little, and flicked her horn outwards… and a piece of folded parchment appeared in the air in front of them before it unfolded and quietly floated in front of Scrivener… and as they pressed their sides together, he reached up to take it quietly, Luna leaning against his shoulder and wrapping a forelimb around him as he smiled a little and glanced at her… and when she nodded, he read softly: “‘I am writing this entry on the magic of friendship regarding two ponies who have affected me in a very strange, particular way. Who fill me with joy and sorrow, and who I constantly find myself craving the companionship and company of. Yet from observing their relationship, and from learning more and more about them… I’ve come to understand that if I ever want to truly understand the magic of friendship, what it is, what it means, how it can be such a powerful force… I must be willing to tell them the truth, even when I know it may hurt them.

“‘I am sure by now it is clear of whom I speak: my sister, Luna, and her husband, Scrivener Blooms. I have come to consider him my brother… not simply my brother-in-law, not simply my sister’s husband, but a male truly worthy of respect. In the old days, he would have been considered nothing more than a slave-hoof, and I had my doubts about his worthiness to be my sister’s beloved at first… and yet now I understand that their relationship is deeper than this. That they give strength to each other that could never exist otherwise. And I even admit that I’m jealous of Luna… and yet I feel great sympathy for her, too.

“‘I have not told her this… but neither her nor myself are capable of bearing foals. We are ancient, powerful beings, blessed by the Horses of Heaven and what gods may roam alongside them… but all things come at a cost. Yet still… I can’t bring myself to tell her. And moreover, now that darkness has surged upwards throughout the world… part of me says that to tell her now would be too cruel, and would distract her from what she needs to focus on, protecting Equestria. Protecting the innocent.

“‘And part of me, a part I once called childish, tells me that to not tell her is worse. And I realized, after much meditation, that this was true: so I have decided to speak with her at length… but if that opportunity does not present itself, or should something happen… I have still written it here, so it may be shared with her at the discretion of my student, Twilight Sparkle, after she receives this journal.

“‘The more I think about this, though, the more I know it is unfair. The more I worry about my sister. The more I understand… how dearly I love her. And I love him, too, even, and value his opinion, and… his friendship. I will do anything and everything in my power to gather the information I can to see if there is any possible way for Luna to have a child. Once, she mocked me, asking if I would bear it myself, and I do not think she understands how gladly… I would. For her, I would do anything. For her, now that I understand what I have done… I would bow my head to her wishes, and allow her to plunge Equestria into night for a thousand years, if I thought it would make the nation know and appreciate how beautiful the darkness can be. And I am all to blame, for everything that has happened, for drowning the old stories out, for luring the ponies of this nation into a false sense of security… for killing Sleipnir, and Discord, and turning Luna into Nightmare Moon. She never would have been corrupted if I had simply let her choose, instead of making decisions for her, instead of deciding that I, Celestia, was worthy enough to be the Princess of the Sun… and she should be the Princess of the Night.

“‘I want to apologize to her. I want to tell her I love her. But every time I see her these days, I am afraid, and I become… imperious and cold and callous. I hate what I have done to her… and that I was never just ‘sister’ instead of ‘big sister,’ that I never bowed my head to learn what she had to teach until she was forced to knock me off my high perch… and then showed me mercy I didn’t deserve. I love her. And I swear by the sun and moon and stars and the grim mountain peaks that mark my brother’s grave… I shall march to Helheim if that is what it takes to give Luna and Scrivener Blooms even a slender chance of having a single foal… and it is from this I have realized that friendship and love are so powerful because they give you goals, and something to always drive towards in even the darkest of times… and that it can breathe life back into even the most callous of clockwork hearts.’”

Scrivener quieted, then he gently let the parchment pages slip away… and the floated quietly into the darkness before he returned his eyes to Luna, the two looking at each other before he frowned a bit as his eyes roved upwards curiously, tilting his head as strange shapes and figures spilled across the night sky, glimmering quietly beneath the stars like curling serpents of light and shadow… and he asked curiously: “What are those?”

“Lunar lights.” Luna said softly, and she dropped her head against the side of his neck with a faint smile as the moon and stars began to slowly fade, as the cliffs beneath them were slowly but steadily swallowed up by shadow… and as the two curled together and watched the display of strange, glimmering lights above, she murmured: “We used to see them across Equestria now and then… like the trails left from the Horses of Heaven, calling us home to the Elysian Fields after a long, hard-fought battle, telling us… it’s time to rest.”

“I like that.” Scrivy said softly, and Luna smiled a little at him as they curled their bodies closer… and then the two shared a silent, soft kiss before they both gazed quietly upwards again, watching the lunar lights play through the nothingness above even as they were swallowed up in the nothingness below, until only darkness remained.