Lunar Lights

by BlackRoseRaven

Gifts And Revelations

Chapter Four: Gifts And Revelations
~BlackRoseRaven

Twilight Sparkle stood in the den of the small cottage, quietly fitting her satchel back on as Luna rested on the heavy cushion in front of the fireplace, gazing meditatively into it. The expression on Luna’s face was moody and thoughtful, and the violet unicorn only wanted to help… but standing here, she didn’t quite know what to say, and so she only lingered and gazed quietly down at the female who had become a dear, true friend to her.

Finally, Luna glanced up, starry mane quietly swishing around her as she met Twilight’s eyes, and she said softly: “I apologize for sending thee away so soon and sudden, Twilight Sparkle… but ‘tis best thou does not dally here during daylight hours, ‘lest thy presence go amiss in Ponyville. And furthermore, I must think upon events that have transpired… never did I expect to have a second student underneath my care.”

“Third, you mean.” Twilight smiled a little, meeting her eyes with a bit of a laugh. “Scrivy’s always been kind of a student of yours.”

“Nay, if ever, I have been a student of his.” Luna paused for a moment, then she looked down and said softly: “Poor Scrivener Blooms. He has trouble seeing himself as mine equal… but pray do me a favor, Twilight Sparkle. Distract him by means fair or foul, I have a surprise for him that I wish to give unto him today, but ‘tis difficult to find the time and means for us to part… I dislike being away from him, I dislike even more him being alone somewhere.”

“You’re very protective, you know.” Twilight said softly, gazing gently at the female, and Luna smiled a little up at her.

“Aye, and possessive, especially of those I care for such as thyself.” Luna paused, then stood up and approached Twilight, leaning forwards and kissing her for a soft moment… and Twilight blushed deeply, but returned the kiss quietly before Luna winked as she drew back. “Now get thee hence, Twilight, or I’ll tie thee up and present thee as a gift to mine husband beloved, and teleport Trixie to some foul den of inequity to prevent her insurgence.”

Twilight grumbled a bit, but she nodded awkwardly, then turned and hurried to the door with a blush and a smile despite herself as she pushed back outside… then rolled her eyes at the sight of Trixie and Scrivener arguing with each other, the unicorn saying loudly as her flush faded: “Trixie, stop causing trouble.”

“’Tis his fault!” Trixie whined, and then she glared at him as her horn glowed slightly… only to squeak when she was knocked backwards by her own telekinetic attack, cursing under her breath before she looked up miserably and added: “Trixie needs her magic hat!”

Twilight grumbled… but before she could say anything, the hat shot out of the open door, spinning through the air like a discus before it smacked into Trixie’s face with enough force to sending her flopping backwards, and then Luna laughed loudly from inside the cottage before the door slammed shut. Twilight couldn’t help but grin a little at this as the baby-blue unicorn picked herself slowly off the ground, looking embarrassed more than anything else as she carefully settled her hat and cloak around her before she said loudly: “Trixie shall use her magic to lead the way!”

“No, I’ll lead the way. Using the fact I’ve walked this route more than a hundred times now.” Twilight replied flatly, brushing past the fellow unicorn as Scrivener fell in step beside her, and Trixie grumbled before hurrying to catch up as Twilight continued: “Magic isn’t everything, Trixie, I think that’s part of your problem. For magic to be at its most effective, you have to understand when to use it, and that sometimes the indirect method is a better choice than the direct… I thought that lesson would have been clear in the whole ‘moving Scrivener’ test.”

“But ‘twas direct. Well, direct as possible, the Intelligent and Sly Trixie lifted him with the vines, not her magic or her telekinesis because he’s been enchanted with a telekinetic reflection aura.” Trixie replied quickly, and Twilight looked surprised, but the unicorn only grinned, tilting her head back as they crossed the bridge over the creek and began to make their way down the dirt path together. “Trixie knows her magic better than you realize. Furthermore, as I said… telekinesis has always been a talent of mine. Thus it made it very important to learn how to stop others from using telekinesis against me.”

Scrivener rolled his eyes, then he said dryly: “Did you ever consider just giving up this whole magic show nonsense, going back home, and finding yourself a comfy little position in life? You’re a talented unicorn, Trixie. You’re wasting those talents on the road.”

“But Trixie’s not on the road now, she’s learning from Luna beside Twilight Sparkle and… the earth pony.” Trixie said cheerfully, leaping forwards to shove herself between them and grinning brightly back and forth, and Twilight grumbled before glaring at her, her horn glowing faintly before Trixie’s hat was yanked down over her eyes, and she cursed and staggered to a halt, shaking her head wildly until she was able to shove the brim of her hat back up from her eyes and quickly following after the two. “Besides, Trixie has many talents, as you’ll no doubt see! She is a detective, an adventurer, a master tracker, a-”

“Speaking of which, you promised to tell me how you followed me from Ponyville if you got to be Luna’s student, and now you are, so spill it.” Twilight interrupted, and Trixie looked torn between sulky and gleeful as they made their way down the path. “Seriously, how did you do it? Because if you didn’t notice those guards-”

“That Trixie saved you all from with her incredible showponyship and acting talent!” Trixie said brightly, and when both Scrivy and Twilight glared at her, she grumbled about a tough audience before finally relenting and smiling at the fellow unicorn, saying easily: “But very well, this one time, and one time only, Trixie shall reveal the answer to one of her incredible skills.”

She paused for dramatic effect, halting in the path and closing her eyes as she almost posed for a moment, and the other two ponies sighed as they came to a halt… and then Trixie grinned slightly, opening one eye as her hat tilted back to reveal her horn. It thrummed quietly, a faint light building around it… and then Twilight blinked stupidly and looked up sharply as her own horn pulsed quietly in response, Trixie saying proudly: “Don’t you know the old nursery rhyme, Twilight? ‘A unicorn wanted to find her friend, so a special spell she penned. It let her horn vibrate clear and far, so one can find the other no matter where they are.’ It’s not hard at all for the Great and Powerful Trixie to lock onto another unicorn by sensing the distinct signals their horns give off when you know just the right frequency to check…”

Trixie preened for a moment, looking proud of herself… and then Scrivener shook his head and smiled a little as Twilight only stared dumbly at the female, before Trixie said brightly: “So will you admit now that Trixie is the greatest and most powerful magician of all time?”

“No.” Twilight said disgustedly, and then she turned and grumbled under her breath, storming down the path as Scrivener laughed and followed and Trixie bounced behind the two… then glanced dumbly up, her eyes almost crossing as she looked at her horn as it gave a second reverberation. “It’s a childish trick, Trixie, and while I’m impressed you seem to have extended the range enough to make it useful, I still don’t think-”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has divined the fortune of the earth pony!” Trixie declared, and Twilight gritted her teeth as Scrivener Blooms rolled his eyes, the two mostly ignoring her as she bounced along behind them before she said slyly: “Except he is not an earth pony. He’s a hornless unicorn.”

Scrivy ground to a halt, his features tensing up and glasses falling slightly askew before he glared over his shoulder as Twilight winced, but Trixie only smiled brightly… then faltered and suddenly glanced down as if abashed, adding quietly: “And I would not have referred to you as a slave-hoof if I had known that, Scrivener Blooms. I only meant it as a joke, seeing how Luna and Twilight spent their time bossing you around, but… I did not think you really were… well. You know.”

She shuffled a bit on the spot, and Scrivener sighed before relaxing, muttering after a moment: “It’s fine, Trixie, just… let’s keep moving.”

Twilight, however, tilted her head curiously even as Scrivener grumbled and walked forwards, but Trixie brightened as she ran along behind them, looking at the violet unicorn and explaining happily: “Oh, no, it’s very simple… a unicorn that never grows a horn still has the same horn base in their skull as we other unicorns do… not enough to give them magic, enough to make a distinct resonation with my powers. Earth ponies don’t give that vibration at all, but Scrivener Blooms did. So the Great and Powerful Trixie used her detective skills and deduced-”

“We get it.” Twilight said flatly, and Trixie grumbled under her breath as the three walked onwards through the Everfree Forest, falling into an awkward quiet as Trixie bounced along behind them, apparently eagerly waiting for a chance to talk more about her powers but neither sparing her so much as a glance.

Finally, as they came out onto a broader dirt road that led out of the forest and towards Ponyville, Scrivener came to a halt and said quietly: “I’d love to walk all the way with you, but I’d better stop here. I can’t let myself be seen in broad daylight, after all.”

But a moment later, Trixie’s hat dropped firmly over Scrivener’s face before her cloak floated over and quickly snapped itself onto him, the pony wheezing and then looking stupidly down at himself as Trixie clapped her front hooves together gleefully, saying cheerfully: “No, here! Now if anyone asks, you can simply say you’re Trixie’s assistant!”

Scrivy blinked slowly beneath the brim of the floppy wizard’s hat, the cloak fluttering a bit around him as Twilight cleared her throat and glanced away with a half-hidden grin before the baby-blue unicorn bounced forwards, calling easily: “Now come on, Trixie wishes to move quickly into her new best friend Twilight’s home!”

“Oh, Fluttershy isn’t going to like this.” Twilight muttered under her breath, and then she sighed, the two trudging slowly as Trixie cheerfully paced ahead, looking proud of herself and completely oblivious to the glares she received from several passing Pegasus Guards overhead, even as both Scrivener Blooms and Twilight instinctively kept their heads low. “Do I really have to do this?”

“Well, no. You could leave her out in the cold, but you’re a soft touch, Twilight. And furthermore, I think you’re more worried about what the Pegasus troops will do to her than the cold.” Scrivener said mildly… and then he glanced at her with surprise as she smiled a little and stepped closer to him, letting their sides firmly bump together. “What?”

“I don’t even know.” Twilight admitted honestly, and Scrivy laughed a little before he glanced at her amusedly as she added dryly: “You know, though, sometimes I get the feeling that Luna wants me to move out there with you two. Form our own creepy little family together or something that she gets to control. Kind of like a cult.”

“Probably. Luna’s possessive.” Scrivener smiled all the same, however, adding mildly: “But who am I to complain, really? There’s a lot of perks to being married to such a crazy pony, even if…”

He halted for a moment, glancing down, and Twilight looked at him softly as he said quietly: “I dunno. I am just a slave-hoof, Twilight, and even with Luna’s essence transferred to me, I’m little stronger than an earth pony, and I panic easily and can’t do much in a fight, while Luna’s a heroine and a savior. And she’s so very attached to you and you’re such a better fit for her. I think often that if things had been only a little different…”

“Well, they’re not. She cares about you, Scrivy, she really does.” Twilight said softly, gazing at him kindly. “And I’m not just saying it, honestly, when I say that she loves you more than she ever could love me. I know it must be difficult sometimes, the way she… wants both of us in her life in this way, and I worry about you, because I do care about you too. But you shouldn’t worry like this. You’re the one she chose.”

“I just wish I could do more for her.” Scrivener smiled up at Twilight, and Twilight gazed back with a quiet laugh as she nodded a little, understanding this sentiment all too well. “Still, I don’t think I’d change things, given the chance. Luna says I just like to complain, and she’s probably right.”

Twilight smiled, then she leaned over and kissed him quietly, and Scrivener stumbled a bit as his eyes fluttered before he kissed her firmly back… then tripped over his own hooves when the kiss broke, landing in a sprawl with a grunt as Twilight looked down at him amusedly. “From Luna to me and me to you, Scrivy. At least, that’s my story.”

“Twilight, the Great and Powerful Trixie feels she must inform you that is not the proper way to get more magical power.” called the blue unicorn cheerfully from where she was standing only a few feet away, and Twilight turned scarlet as she glared ahead, seeing the female grinning widely. “Furthermore, she must add that she will have just no choice at all in the matter of telling Luna what’s transpired here if you continue to try and seduce poor, defenseless Scrivener Blooms.”

“Oh, yeah, you go ahead and watch what happens if you do that.” Twilight said dryly, and then she rolled her eyes before glaring at Trixie when she began to open her mouth, and the unicorn squeaked as she was bowled backwards by a firm telekinetic shove as Twilight’s horn fiercely glowed for a moment. “Also, bigmouth, we’re almost at Ponyville, so shut up. If you have to talk about them, we call them Miss Poet and Mister Poet, okay?”

“Trixie fails to be impressed by your attempts to be cunning, Twilight Sparkle.” the female declared grumpily, climbing up to her hooves and shaking herself off as Scrivener found his own footing and continued forwards with Twilight, looking amusedly at her as the violet unicorn glowered moodily across at the overloud female. “I shall think up much better codenames, as my first gift to you all.”

Twilight only sighed now, lowering her head and muttering under her breath as the trio walked forwards, Trixie gazing cheerfully back and forth as she declared: “The Great and Powerful Trixie likes it here in Ponyville. It is much more peaceful than Hoofston… much nicer than many other places I have been through. Yes, and since many ponies have forgotten my almost-defeat, and I have now reclaimed my mighty throne from you, I shall once again be glad to put on magic shows and-”

“No, Trixie. You won’t.” Twilight said irritably, and Trixie pouted over her shoulder at her as they passed through the outskirts, heading into Ponyville as Scrivener lowered his head a bit to shadow his face beneath the hat, glancing curiously back and forth. The village was bustling with ponies, but more than a few of them seemed nervous… and even Twilight was frowning a little at the sight of more than a few Pegasus Guards on slow patrol, their golden, sun-inscribed armor glinting in the light. “You’re going to be learning magic from Miss Poet, and you’re not going to cheapen it or screw things up by showing it off in the streets. If you really want to learn, you’ll have to study and put effort into it, just like me.”

“Oh, come now, you can’t say all of what the Great and Powerful Trixie did was bad.” Trixie replied reasonably, and then she stopped and smiled at several fillies that gazed up at the stranger in their midst with wide eyes, before the female flicked a hoof out… and a moment later, a bouquet of flowers appeared with a poof of smoke, making the foals giggle before she tossed the bouquet to one of them and patted another on the head with a warm smile that made even Twilight lose some of her seriousness. “Trixie is very proud of herself and her talent and is determined to prove she is the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria, but she likes it when ponies smile at her, too.”

“You were a lot more arrogant when you first passed through here.” Twilight said softly, and Trixie glanced up with surprise… then she smiled hesitantly and shrugged a little as they began to walk towards the library again, the unicorn blushing a little as she hung her head.

“Well… Trixie’s show-carriage was destroyed, her reputation ruined, and she had trouble scraping together the money and materials to fix herself a new wagon and new props.” She stopped, looking down at the ground and smiling a little as she added in a murmur: “And little as Trixie wants to admit it… she was forced to realize she had to actually learn more about magic instead of just imitating others and blindly using telekinetic abilities to try and win the day.”

She quieted as they continued forwards, and then Trixie brightened as she pointed out a large, almost-spherical carriage on four enormous wooden wheels, with a hitch on the front and several stacked trunks chained awkwardly to the back. “There, Trixie’s wagon!”

Twilight blinked after a moment as Scrivener snorted in amusement, the two approaching: the oak carriage had been crudely painted blue and was covered in stars and astronomical symbols drawn on in gold, the large, single door in the side of the wagon almost hidden thanks to the thick layering of paint and the patterning of stars… and then Trixie spun around to a halt, standing in front of it and declaring proudly: “Yes, you may have caused my last wagon to have been destroyed, but-”

“The Ursa Minor destroyed it.” Twilight said slowly and firmly, and Trixie sulked as she dropped back down onto her hooves before the female grimaced a little as she glanced at the enormous tree behind the female: inside it was housed Ponyville’s library, and Twilight’s home, and the female mumbled to herself before she said finally: “Alright, Trixie. I guess… you can stay inside. But please, please, please behave yourself, don’t mess with Spike, and god help you if you upset one of my friends if they visit.”

“We’re friends now! Roommates even, my good friend Twilight!” Trixie said brightly, and Twilight gritted her teeth as Scrivy snorted in amusement before Trixie cheerfully spun around, twisting her head to the side to yank the carriage door open before items of all shape and size began to fly out of the carriage, drawn by the female’s telekinetic grasp as Twilight winced and stared at the slowly-growing pile. “Oh I have so much to teach you, Twilight… the Great and Powerful Trixie won’t lord her victory over you, but she knows so many ways you can improve and is so eager to help you better yourself…”

Twilight only sighed at this, however, and then she glanced over at Scrivener, saying flatly: “Come on. I have a cloak you can wear on the way back to Luna’s, and you can help me deal with getting Trixie settled in here.”

“I. Really don’t want to.” Scrivy said carefully, then he sighed when Twilight favored him with a sour glare. “Oh, fine, I’ll help you figure out a way to deal with the Great and Powerful Trixie. But you owe me for this.”

Twilight, however, only grunted in response, looking moodily towards the baby blue unicorn as she only continued to cheerfully sort through her wagon, and she wondered how long it would be before she eventually threw Trixie off the second floor balcony just to try and get a little peace and quiet as the unicorn continued to ramble incessantly away.

Luna sat quietly in the den, her head bowed forwards, mane and tail swaying quietly around her, burning almost like flames as the starlight inside them intensified and diminished in pulses. Her eyes were closed, her breathing steady and regular… but she was deaf to the entire world, meditating and pushing herself deep inside herself, walking a silent, moonlit path through a field towards a high stone platform upon which stood the enormous, black-coated Nightmare Moon.

It was inside herself, inside her mind… and yet it all felt real and physical as Luna quietly stepped up onto the platform, looking across at her own inner darkness… and Nightmare Moon gazed back, but her expression was strange and gentle. Not vicious or cruel, not monstrous as the legends depicted… what ponies seemed to forget, to miss, was that Nightmare Moon had been brought about because of jealousy, because of spite… and what she craved was not to hurt and destroy, but to make ponies admire and respect her. To love her… and ever since Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle had come into her life, Nightmare Moon had become a force not of good, perhaps… but one that no longer felt the need to try and steadily extend her dominion over all of Equestria.

Still, however, Nightmare Moon would sometimes want even more… and even if her lusts and needs could be sated or would return to normal after a little while, it could be frustrating for Luna. They looked at each other now, studying one another, this subject on Luna’s mind… but Nightmare Moon only smiled at her, leaning forwards and saying quietly: “But you deserve it. We deserve it.”

“We… do not wish to argue.” Luna murmured awkwardly, looking away and blushing at the way she found herself even now sometimes speaking in two minds even to her own other half: her normal, conscious self… and her mostly-accepted Nightmare Moon self. “I… I mean… I have come to understand this, Nightmare Moon. Thy desires are reflections and exaggerations of mine own desires… and whilst thou were brought to the surface by manipulative shadows, for thou to come into existence so powerfully… thou wouldst have had to been inside me in some form all along. And no longer do I pretend… that it cannot be true.”

“Yes, my little one, but still you have a problem.” Nightmare Moon stepped forwards, pacing slowly around Luna and studying her thoughtfully: all around them was darkness now, the path back gone, the full moon that hung in the black nothingness above lighting only the stone platform they stood on. “You fear that your desires will become too strong, that you will one day once more become what you did before… a force of gravity, a deep dark black hole that desires to pull everything towards it, and into it. But how can I reassure you, when I am what you fear? Strange little Luna… you trust in me even as you fear me…”

She laughed quietly, straightening and standing side-by-side with Luna, gazing down at her with a strange, affectionate smile as her eyes glowed… and Luna looked back up, her own cyan irises nervous before Nightmare Moon said quietly: “Why should you not have the entire world, though? We both deserve it… we have both done much good now. It may be immodest for me to include myself as well as you, but without me… Celestia would have burned Equestria. We have saved Equestria… we delight every single day in this fact, in how many ponies owe us their silly little lives… even if we can never tell them, one day they will doubtlessly know. One day someone will uncover the truth… and the horror and shock that will come with it will feed us in ways that being seen as savior never could.”

Nightmare Moon threw her head back and laughed again, and then she smiled lovingly down at Luna, saying kindly: “You long for both Twilight and Scrivener. You see no flaw in your desires and needs. You are a physical creature, and nor do we see any problems in this… you deserve them both. I would also say that you deserve to have Celestia kneeling before you, helpless and overwhelmed by our combined magnificence, but… by now I know that you will not take kindly to these images, however they may tantalize you.

“Yes, I do not wish to push too hard. I will only say that we are outside of the rules and norms of society, and there is no reason not to indulge in this.” Nightmare Moon tilted her head upwards, almost arrogantly… but her eyes were measuring, judging Luna’s reactions as she kept her gaze firmly upon the winged unicorn. “I do not mean to say we are better than them, even if we are. And… although you may find it strange… I never mean to say we are better than our friends, our loved ones. They have accepted us for who we are, they have never shunned either side of us… it humbles me to think of this, but I must consider them at least on equal ground to me… because without them in my life, I would once more be easily manipulated by the shadows which first awoke me.”

“The force of evil… the heart of darkness.” Luna murmured quietly, looking down and shaking her head briefly, and then she looked up as Nightmare Moon lowered her head with an almost-motherly smile. “But I… we… cling so hard to them. To protect them, to possess them, to have them always near and dear… even now, I wish to run to Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle. All too often, I wish to have Twilight move here, even if I would never ask because such would be asking all too much, ‘twould be asking her to give up a wonderful life for pains she hast done nothing to deserve.

“And Nightmare Moon, they are a source of…” Luna closed her eyes, trembling once before she shook her head, looking up at her silently. “I almost killed a foolish, annoying, mouthy unicorn over a mere misstep of the tongue, an assumption made in obvious half-jest. ‘Twas not thee… ‘twas mine own temper, again, lashing out. ‘Twas… I am sure thou remembers all too well what I, not thee, did to the Pegasus Guards that caught Scrivener with a lucky hail of arrows.”

Nightmare Moon nodded, then she tilted her head back and gazed up at the full moon, her expression terribly cruel and yet almost benevolent. “And you enjoyed it, which made me delight in it all the more. But what is wrong with that, Luna? You gave them warning… you told them to stop… and more than half the squadron fled the battle before the remaining cowards shot not at you, but at Scrivener as he attempted to head for the trees-”

“Where I had told him to run, ‘twas my fault.” Luna said bitterly, and the tall, dark equine gazed down at her with a sympathy that made her flush and look away. “I need not the pity of demons, creature.”

Nightmare Moon only smiled, however, leaning down and whispering quietly into her ear: “Then have instead my congratulations for protecting him, little Luna. They would have killed him, and you know it. They would have killed you too, if they had the skill or cunning. It is only fair that instead, you slaughtered the three of them like the insignificant animals they are. Not even Celestia spoke harshly to you of it…”

“Celestia refused to speak of the event at all, even after helping me tend to Scrivener’s gored body.” Luna muttered, shaking her head and giving a shiver. “’Tis a thing that reminded me of the past, creature. ‘Tis a thing that reminded me of the terrible times when Celestia the Dragon Slayer would decide, in her cold-hearted, logical way, that ‘twas better to suffer a little collateral damage than risk the lives of others… and then ‘twould execute innocent and guilty alike in one great fireball that came down as if vomited out of the maw of Hell…”

“We are not Celestia, neither you nor me. We both do what is necessary, but at least attempt to save life… we do not simply brush past it, as if it is not of any importance.” Nightmare Moon replied coldly, and Luna looked up, meeting her eyes before the darkness-clad equine softened, her starlit mane and tail swishing backwards as she said kindly: “You have a request for me, Luna. You have a topic with which you discuss. Do not fear me, and say it… our intrinsic link lets me know only so much, only so long before you speak.”

Luna nodded after a moment, closing her eyes and trying to free her thoughts… and then, eyes closed, she asked quietly: “Scrivener Blooms… has he been touched by thy dark powers?”

“Oh, I see now…” Nightmare Moon smiled slightly, leaning down and pushing almost nose-to-nose with her. “You fear that we both have manipulated him… held him in awe. You are afraid that when you shared your life force with him, you gave him more than that… you passed a shard of the darkness that has further empowered you into his body. You are afraid that I have done something to further leash him to you, to make him more a servant to your desires… and yet it’s funny, isn’t it? For how aggressive you are… if he spoke out against it, we would both submit gladly to his desires. Because love makes us weak in a delicious way, because love binds our fury and frees our positive aspects… but it is not a question I can answer for you, Luna. If you do not know, I do not know… we are one being at the end of the day, and I cannot reach out and affect the world around me unless you permit me to.

“And the magic you did was old and complex and dangerous for you both… you risked much. You have lengthened his life and shortened your own, and tied yourselves together. And yet you would do it again, wouldn’t you? You would give this same gift to Twilight if it could bind her to you… and you both fear and hope that Celestia truly intends to pass her crown to Twilight one day, because it will mean Celestia will be forced to do her own bonding with the unicorn you love… sealing a pact between them, and yet at the same time, giving you more time, more connections, to the unicorn you hold so dear.” Nightmare Moon paused, tasting these words and nodding slowly. “It is difficult. We wish to possess her, to make her ours, as much as we love her and want her to excel and be free, as much as we know that ultimately, we will always return to Scrivener Blooms. It is a conundrum we do not like, because it confuses.”

Luna muttered and looked away… and then she blushed when Nightmare Moon reached down, stroking a hoof beneath her muzzle and kissing her forehead softly in a tender gesture. “What I can tell you is that I will not risk losing either of them. They are precious to me. They are my treasures. And as we are one being, I wish to see you closer and closer to them, to be more and more important. Now go, my little Luna. Finish your endearing surprise for Scrivener Blooms. You have lost much time with these worries and fears, that are better discussed with someone like your husband, not like me.”

Then, before Luna could react, Nightmare Moon smiled as her eyes glowed… and around her, the dark world disintegrated as the full moon’s light vanished, leaving the black equine’s eyes glowing points of light in the pure nothingness for a moment before they too flickered out of surreal existence… and Luna grimaced as her own eyes open, shaking her head a bit as her eyelids fluttered before she murmured: “Some help thou art, Nightmare Moon.”

She sighed after a moment… then grumbled under her breath as she climbed to her hooves, wandering through the kitchen and towards one of the rear swinging doors. She shouldered roughly through it to look meditatively into their so-called backyard as she stood on a narrow, shielded patio, glancing back and forth as she murmured: “Come, come, cease thy obsequious thoughts. Thou hast a more important purpose to focus upon, Luna.”

She grumbled under her breath as she walked forwards, stepping off the small patio beneath the shadow of gnarled trees and the enormous cliff that loomed next to their cottage, and she walked quietly along a small, groomed dirt path, gazing softly back and forth with a small smile: they kept a little garden back here, in this hidden splotch of shadows… and what grew here were tenuous, thorny vines that formed natural fencing around beautiful, tiny gardens of black roses, night herbs, and moon lilies. They called it their Garden of the Night, filled with strange and exotic flora that was hard to find anywhere else in Equestria, except those few other parts of the country kissed more by the moon than the sun.

At the back of the small, hidden yard, leaning against a large rock outcropping, was a tiny-looking shed… and Luna glanced at this, a lock on the door clicking loudly before it swung open to reveal a magically-enlarged, spacious interior filled with all manner of tools, jars, pottery, and other implements… and a large painting easel, with several clean, closed jars of paint and an oiled, well-kept paintbrush. Luna approached this with a blush, the figure on the canvas familiar to her in every detail, and nearly complete… and safely back here hidden from Scrivener’s eyes, as she gazed at the brush… then picked it up quietly, clasping it gently by hoof instead of her powers, saying softly: “Yes. It requires but the finishing touches.”

And with that, Luna quietly began to paint, sitting back on her haunches, working without the use of her powers as she drew lines back and forth along the canvas, her eyes narrowed slightly in concentration as she smiled a little to herself, falling into almost a trance as she worked. For all she loved to use the powers she had been blessed with, there were other things that required simple physical work… and this was one of them.

She wasn’t the best artist in Equestria… far from it. But she moved deftly and quietly, with practice and skill and respect for the craft: to her, it was like battling an invisible opponent, only using a different kind of weapon, requiring a different kind of skill… and even though the enemy had a tendency to conquer her round after round, making her grumble and curse the fact she wasn’t better at this than she was, all the same, she loved it. And at the end of the day, the war with this opponent was not won by whoever defeated the other the most often… it was won by whether or not this thing she strove to create and to conquer and to force into being upon a blank canvas was judged worthy or not.

Thankfully, for this image, she needed no live model. She knew every detail of who she was painting, every inch of his form, every notch and scar and twist. She smiled to herself, continuing to work, murmuring quietly: “But I think he may know me all the better… ‘tis a strange feeling. Yet I enjoy it, all the same…”

She laughed a little to herself, lowering her head forwards with a warm smile… and, an hour later, she finished. She smiled at her work, feeling like she had tied with her enemy, like her skills had fought to an uneasy stalemate with her fears… and then she shook her head slowly, murmuring: “I remember so long ago… Celestia all but ordered me after we had restored peace to Equestria to take up a hobby that did not spill either the blood of ponies or mine own. ‘Twas silly at first, sketching… but I soon found respect in it. I soon found honor, even, in it, and ‘twas enjoyable to learn the craft deeper as I took upon painting… although a thousand years of being sealed away in the moon left me unpracticed, ‘twas something I was able to do even in Canterlot, when no one was around… and that I have had time and patience and support to further improve upon, here, at our small domicile… our tiny kingdom inside the Everfree Forest.”

Luna smiled… then she glanced at her used brush and the messy paint jars, and she flicked her horn upwards, lifting them carefully away from the easel. She stepped outside, the paints and brushes floating with her, and she hummed quietly under her breath as she began to clean them, horn glowing as a sphere of water formed beside her that she used to wash off the brushes and then gently dab away excess spills of paint from the jars.

Just as she finished, Scrivener Blooms poked his head out the back door, and the male smiled awkwardly across at her as Luna looked up affectionately, calling easily: “Daydreamer, come here. ‘Tis an important day today so I wished to celebrate with a gift for thee.”

“I… no it’s not, our anniversary isn’t for another few months.” Scrivener said mildly, and Luna grumbled, the male rolling his eyes even as he strode easily down the path through the garden. “And it’s not your birthday… I’m not seeing what’s special about today.”

“It simply is.” Luna said grouchily, and when Scrivener gave her an amused look, she rolled her eyes… then stepped forwards and hugged him firmly, and Scrivy blinked in surprise before he hugged her tightly back, and she said quietly: “’Tis not perhaps… a day remarkable for any particular reason. But all the same… today feels special. And have we not cause to celebrate in any event? Have we not both survived great catastrophe, do we both not feel fortunate to have the love of the other?”

“I still don’t get that. I’m the luckiest pony in Equestria and you’re the one stuck with me.” Scrivener said mildly, and Luna grumbled before she reached up, putting her hoof on top of his head and shoving him firmly down into the ground, making him grunt in pain. Then he winced as she bore down lightly, flailing a bit beneath her as he squawked: “Okay, okay! You win!”

“I always do.” Luna replied comfortably, and then she stepped back and blushed a little as Scrivy picked himself up and awkwardly smoothed out his messy mane, looking at her mildly before he frowned a bit as she mumbled and suddenly spun around, dashing into the shed… and Scrivener stared, then his eyes widened in surprise as she emerged with the painting floating quietly beside her, the winged unicorn gazing at her quietly as she asked hesitantly: “Does thou… like it?”

“Oh, Luna, it’s… wow…” Scrivener murmured, laughing faintly as he sat back and took in the details of it: a picture of him in mid-sprint along a dusty forest path, black and white roses all along the ground, the only splotches of detail here and there with indistinct, shadowy trees in the background and a painted moon that nonetheless almost gleamed off the canvas… and yet he could see she had gone to such lengths, such details on him, making it breathtaking in how lifelike it was as he murmured softly: “Horses of Heaven, you made me look better here than I do in real life…”

Luna smiled warmly, looking delighted as she rambled: “’Tis… ‘tis all hoof-painted, not a moment of magic was used… well, but to clean my brushes and whatnot, but that ‘twas all, ‘tis all, truly! I wished… I wished to paint thee as I see thee.” She stopped, looking at him quietly, saying softly: “Scrivener Blooms, thou art… truly important to me. I care not what thou art or art not. Thou thinks the world of me… thou thinks thyself undeserving but… thou soothes me in a fashion… that not one pony else ever could. I am greedy in how I grasp at the world around me, perchance, but know this, and know it well… at the end of the long, hard days and nights we oft live, my heart… my soul… belongs to thee. Would thou wish it, my powers would go to thee, without hesitation… would thee wish it, may my horn be cut from mine head, may my wings be torn from my body, all to be beside thee.”

Scrivener swallowed thickly at this, lowering his head and closing his eyes… and Luna stepped forwards, embracing him fiercely as the painting silently floated beside the two before he hugged her tightly back, squeezing her close… before he smiled faintly and kissed her cheek, murmuring softly: “That’s why I feel I don’t deserve you. Not your power… your loyalty, your generosity, your kindness. Some ponies may question how the terrible Nightmare Moon might have once used the Elements of Harmony alongside Celestia but I see it every day…”

“Oh, cease now.” Luna smiled all the same, though, stepping back before the two nuzzled each other gently, and then Luna cleared her throat before she leapt past, a bounce in her hooves as she called easily: “Come, come, let us find a frame and a place for the painting then! Come, ‘tis important!”

Scrivy laughed… and the rest of the day passed in ease between the two as they rested together, Luna for once not overly eager to go and stir up trouble, Scrivener all too glad to entertain his beloved as they spent most of the day in the den. It was both the same and yet different from many days, as they talked, wrestled, acted like children and relaxed with one another, bodies pressing together, trading affections and teasing and laughter.

As evening descended, however, Luna smiled and made her way outside with Scrivener as the sun set, the two walking quietly around the edge of the house to gaze up at the beautiful darkness of twilight, watching the stars glimmer for a little while before Luna tilted her head upwards… then suddenly paused, glancing over at the male mischievously. “Perhaps… I shan’t raise the moon tonight. Perhaps I shall just leave the world only lit by the stars… ‘tis romantic, is it not?”

“Well, yes, but then either Celestia will raise the moon or worse, she’ll show up here and scold us.” Scrivy pointed out, and Luna grumbled and nodded, then looked at him thoughtfully, making the male wince a bit. “What?”

“Thou shalt raise the moon.” she said seriously, and Scrivener laughed… then stared at her as she only looked at him pointedly, before she grinned and pounced on him, the male yelping as he was flattened against the top of the cliff before she dropped her body overtop his, covering him completely and pushing her face down beside him, saying in a voice was playful and affectionate and completely serious: “Come, through me… the same blood runs in our veins, Scrivener Blooms. I shall be the instrument, but thou shalt be the one who raises the moon tonight.”

“Luna…” Scrivy started nervously, but then she only growled at him, and the male grumbled under his breath before he nodded after a moment, saying moodily: “Okay, but… if this all goes to hell for some reason, it’s your fault… even though all that’s probably going to happen is I’m just going to look like an idiot.”

Luna only smiled, however, pressing herself down against him, the black pearl on her ivy necklace rubbing quietly against the back of his neck… and it was strangely warm, like a heated sphere against him as she whispered softly into his ear: “First, concentrate and open thy inner eye… the source of thine imagination, ‘tis the same as the source of magic… ‘tis why thee never needed a horn to weave the enchantments in thine words…”

Scrivy smiled at this despite himself, nodding slowly, closing his chestnut eyes… and then blushing a bit when Luna reached a hoof up to brush away his glasses, then gently sweep his mane from his face as she murmured: “Focus, now, daydreamer, on what thou wish to happen… think of me not as another pony, for I am not another pony. I am thee… as much as thou art, and as much as thou art me. I consider us one… even more than I consider myself and Nightmare Moon one. ‘Tis why I fear no secrets, ‘tis why I need keep no secrets from thee… ‘tis why all is permitted, for all ‘tis only selfishness upon mine own part…”

Scrivener nodded a bit, breathing slowly as he pushed up against her… and Luna pressed back down, their bodies seeming to pulse in time as she slowly tightened her grip around him, pushing herself firmer over him before her eyes closed as her horn sparked and began to glow… and yet the blue radiance that surrounded it was lighter than its usual deep sapphire aura, white electricity crackling along the length of her horn as she spoke softly: “Yes, yes, thy needs no instruction now… follow thine instincts, Scrivener Blooms…”

Scrivy arched his back slightly, gritting his teeth, feeling Luna’s heart thudding against his back in perfect rhythm with his own, every thud, every stutter, every rumble, as they breathed as one, moved as one, felt like only one being… and then he tilted his head back, and Luna moved like liquid with him her horn becoming a beacon of blue and white before in the distance, the horizon gleamed… and the moon, searing ivory, rose slowly into the sky along its course, invading the star-dotted heavens, casting an ivory glow over the world… and Scrivy and Luna both laughed as they opened their eyes, the aura beginning to fade from around the female’s horn before Scrivy rolled with a wide grin, knocking her sprawling onto her back as he jumped on top of her, elated as she laughed loudly again and shouted cheerfully: “Well done, Scrivener Blooms!”

“Well done indeed.” said a kind voice, and both Scrivy and Luna flinched and looked up in shock to see Celestia quietly hovering in the air, her majestic wings holding her easily aloft as she smiled kindly at the two… and they both immediately flailed at each other, limbs half-tangled, bodies struggling to pull apart before Scrivener half-flopped and was half-thrown to the side with a wheeze and Luna rolled quickly onto her stomach, glaring daggers at her sister as Celestia calmly landed on the end of the cliff. “I have great respect for the powers of friendship and love, but between you two there seems to be a bond even deeper. I’m very impressed.”

“Well how delightful to hear, sister, I’m so glad that once again thou came all this way merely to intrude upon yet another important close moment between myself and mine husband. Thy timing is most impeccable.” Luna said sourly, continuing to glare at her, and Celestia only looked patiently back before the female grumbled moodily and then sat back, flicking her starry mane as it swirled before settling slowly as her emotions settled, a faint tinge still in her cheeks as Scrivener mumbled and felt around for his glasses. “Oh, very well… why art thou here then, Celestia?”

The Princess of the Sun lowered her head for a moment, looking from one to the other quietly as Scrivener straightened a bit as well, settling his glasses back on his muzzle… and then the ivory equine sighed before saying quietly: “The Velites have returned, my sister.”

“Impossible!” Luna barked, leaping up to her hooves and looking shocked, and Scrivener glanced up dumbly as the winged unicorn lost her usual attitude, saying sharply: “Veliuona was defeated without remorse, without fanfare, by the three of us, long before thou and I toppled Discord! Thou thyself set her aflame, sending her crashing down like a comet to the spires below, where her body was torn apart by stone and gravity and the tides of the sea!”

Scrivy looked up with a frown, remaining silent for the moment as Celestia said quietly: “But we were not able to destroy every single Velite. They fled. They hid. They used their evil magic to spread their disease into others, even as they made their way down into the darkness. But they too sense the darkness returning… and their numbers swell as they prey on ponies who have forgotten even their legends. After all, sister… remember, in a thousand years, they had forgotten that even you were fact, not fable.”

Luna lowered her head, then she shook it grimly and muttered: “Where were the wretches spotted, sister? Scrivener Blooms and I shall head there at once.”

“No, sister… the campsite found by my Pegasus Guards was long corrupted and destroyed. A family was… taken.” Celestia fell quiet, and then she continued softly: “They fought, though, and the Guards found and brought back a straggler. Enough to confirm my worst fears… and they march towards us, undoubtedly bent on revenge, and who knows what they will unearth along the way?”

“Will they attempt to resurrect their goddess Veliuona?” Luna asked sharply, but when Celestia only smiled grimly, the female winced and looked away, muttering: “Every time thou smiles in such a way, Celestia, a baby dragon dies.”

“The Velites may follow an avatar of their queen, but she will never regain her true power, she will never resurrect in full glory, in her ancient body. I have seen to this.” Celestia said softly, and then she turned her eyes to Scrivener Blooms as he only continued to look from one to the other, apprehensive and uncertain. “I will require the aid of yourself and Twilight Sparkle, Scrivener Blooms. And I will require Twilight to put all her suspicion and contempt of me aside, if only for a little while… we will have to work together.”

“But what are these creatures, Velites?” Scrivy asked quietly, and Luna glanced at Celestia… but when the ivory equine only shrugged and gestured at her with one golden-clad hoof, the female nodded and turned to her husband.

“Long ago, when Celestia, Sleipnir and I were but very young compared to the years we have now lived, we pitted ourselves against a savage adversary.” Luna explained quietly, breathing slowly… but as her eyes met the male’s, she visibly began to relax. “This enemy was Veliuona… the Queen of the Spirits, the Mistress of Cursed Shades.

“Veliuona’s rule was in the north and west, in the cold and in the marshes… and to a point, the mountains, but there were things in those great peaks that would make even embodied death hesitate to linger.” Luna shook her head slowly, glancing down and murmuring quietly: “Veliuona may not have been a true goddess, but she was very powerful… and she was far from alive, but further from dead. She was terrible, and wicked, and desired the world to be hers, desired to make all creation suffer the pain she felt, unable to truly live… so she corrupted ponies near and far to her bidding. These she made into Velites… the living dead, whom she stripped of flesh, of life, of dignity, and made them heartless and mindless in every sense… whom she indentured to her will and used to control her territory and spread her influence.

“The Velites are terrifying to behold, and are fueled by evil magic, sealed inside them by runes burned into their bones, and sometimes wicked objects fused to their mangled skeletons.” Luna grimaced, shaking her head slowly as Scrivy repressed a shudder. “And not only are they of ponies… but anything that once lived can be enslaved by their cursed darkness. Long after their mistress was destroyed, they sought to continue to spread her pestilence… for her hatreds became theirs, her wishes live on in their bones even with her corrupt mind and body and spirit more dead and gone than the ancient fortress that once sat near the vast western sea.”

“And these things… they were gone for more than a thousand years, and yet they’re back?” Scrivy grimaced a little, shaking his head and murmuring: “Equestria… was once so peaceful. So beautiful… but now the Stampede runs wild through the skies, Nightmares once more roam the land, and even the dead are rising from the caverns below the earth…”

Luna nodded with a sigh, and Celestia said quietly: “But we will force them back, and we know our enemies well. Still, we must prepare all the same… they are moving inwards, and they will seek revenge first against Canterlot, and against myself and Luna. They are brittle, but they do not tire, and they do not fear… your home may not be safe.”

“There is no place safer than my home, Celestia.” Luna replied firmly, and the ivory equine smiled a little down at her sister as their eyes met for a moment, before they both slowly nodded. “All the same, we shall be careful… and I would prefer to prepare Scrivener Blooms for what may come myself. ‘Tis more than my right, as his friend and lover, as thou knows… but if it will settle thy heart, sister, know that I shall permit him to aid thee if thy truly wish it, and I shall speak to Twilight Sparkle tomorrow to ensure she knows of the enormity of the situation, and send her thy way in peace and seriousness.”

Celestia looked meditative for a moment at this, then she finally nodded hesitantly, saying quietly: “Very well. But I also wished to let you know, sister, that the military council and the Royal Court are both blaming the appearance of these creatures on Nightmare Moon… and likely, the hysteria through Equestria will only grow worse as the Pegasus Guards continue to trace the path of the Velites to its source and rumors begin to spread.”

“’Tis not unexpected, nor is it important.” Luna only shook her head briefly, saying quietly: “Of much more importance is defeating the Velites before they are able to grow their numbers beyond what we can handle ourselves, and doing it as soon as possible. We should prepare and then hunt when the opportunity arises.”

“I cannot, sister… I am Princess of Equestria. Its sole leader now… and the more panicked the ponies of Equestria grow, the more they demand my presence in the Royal Court and the Grand Hall.” Celestia said quietly, and Luna frowned, looking strangely disappointed as she slumped a bit, before the tall ivory equine smiled faintly. “My days of adventuring are over. But as we’ve seen, yours don’t have to be… and hesitant as I am, I… I do promise to tell you when and where the creatures are found. I will send a letter to you immediately if any news arrives… scared as I am of my little sister going into battle without me.”

“Celestia…” Luna groaned, rolling her eyes… but she smiled faintly all the same, glancing awkwardly up at her. “’Tis a foolish thing to say, considering I once toppled thee from the skies.”

“I know, but I love you, little sister. You’re very important to me.” Celestia said quietly, and Luna’s smile grew a little wider as Celestia gazed from her to Scrivener Blooms, the female saying quietly: “I have to leave now, but I will come back when I can and remain in contact through letters. This time, I promise to… tell you everything as it happens. No secrets, no betrayals. You have my word.”

“Thank you, Celestia… I… love thee too, sister.” Luna said awkwardly, and Celestia smiled at her after a moment before she nodded, turning slowly around and leaping into the air as her mighty wings spread.

They carried her upwards into the night sky with strange grace, her large body cutting through the air with surprising agility before she turned slightly and then simply vanished in a burst of white light, leaving the two looking after her, thankful she had shared the news with them… and yet worried now all the more for the darkness that seemed to lurk in the coming days ahead.

Comments

[mrmayortheiv]

They're not real Spike, she said....
There's no such thing Spike, she said....
There's nothing to worry about Spike, she said....
'
But Spike knows what's up.

[Aceofgods]

1537599
My very thoughts when I read this chapter.
_
I must say that the scene of Scrivener Blooms raising the moon through Luna... Bravo.

[Axel van Daeren]

They carried her upwards into the night sky with strange grace, her large body cutting through the air with surprising agility before she turned slightly and then simply vanished in a burst of white light

And then Pegasus guards came to investigate, and it ended badly for all involved.

[Revan]

Zombie apocalypse incoming.

[TacoBlend]

Luna grimaced, shaking her head slowly as Scrivy repressed a shudder.

"HELP! HELP! I'M BEING REPRESSED!!!" Cries the shudder in vain.

[cometstarling]

Ahhhh poor Spike, and daaaaamn evil zombies.

[thaecrasis]

I thought at first when she said Scrivy would raise the moon and then laid down on him, that she wanted him to try and lift her up xD

Great chapter - the velites sound horrible; I hope they don't get too out of hoof

[lazyreader19]

6928372
This is my kind of silly