Lunar Lights

by BlackRoseRaven

Wrath Of The Night, Love Of The Moon

Chapter Six: Wrath Of The Night, Love Of The Moon
~BlackRoseRaven

Luna and Scrivener ended up staying the night, spending it in the library’s lower levels on some old bedding Twilight insisted on dragging out for them, snuggled together beneath a blanket. Yet they slept little, instead listening to the sounds around them, knowing that in the other rooms, the ponies were resting fitfully.

Trixie in the back room of the library, on an overinflated sleeping mat, snoring quietly in a nightgown and sleeping mask… and Fluttershy and Twilight were upstairs, sharing a bed together; at the foot of this, in Spike’s basket-bed, the filly was sleeping, and Spike himself was instead snoozing in an open dresser drawer that had been stuffed with pillows and blankets, still small and light enough to get away with this without much trouble.

The pale moonlight shone in through the windows: the clouds summoned by Luna had long since passed and faded, and now Scrivener and Luna rested, curled together, basking in the lunar rays, letting it relax them both as night wore on and yet seemed endless at the same time… and then Luna sighed quietly, gazing into Scrivy’s eyes as he looked back into hers, and she reached up and stroked slowly over his scarred features, whispering: “Daydreamer… ‘tis strange. Serious events unfold around us… and ahead of us, in but a short two hours at most, we shall slip out and into battle with fools who in panic, have almost ruined that which they are supposed to protect… and yet ‘tis not thoughts of monsters or blades or the like that keeps me awake and mirthless and restless… ‘tis the thought of that poor filly… and from it, the fear that we shan’t have a child of our own. And worse, that even if we did… ‘twould be a cruel thing and a cruel life and world to bring it into.”

“Now stop that, Luna… we may live life as exiles, but you’ve been happier, freer than I’ve ever seen you in Canterlot. Yes, I… I know.” He stopped, reaching up and pressing their hooves together silently. “It frustrates me too sometimes, that no matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to… have a child… but all the same. I have faith that we can, and that we will, and it’ll just make things better. Think of how happy we are, after all… think of how good we are together. Imagine having something that’s a little bit of you and me both running around that little cottage of ours, growing up… truly free.”

“A tiny pony made from thou and myself… the thought is terrifying.” Luna surmised, and Scrivy grunted in agreement after a moment before she smiled at him, leaning forwards and kissing his nose quietly. “But I believe thy words, Scrivener Blooms, methinks I just needed to hear it from thee. Perhaps ‘tis silly… but I fear what kind of a mother I would make, all things considered. And I fear sometimes… I would pass too much of mine own inner darkness into such a poor child.”

“I think you’d pass just enough, Luna… gods know how protective you are, after all. And any child of ours would deserve a little darkness.” Scrivener kissed her forehead softly, and the winged unicorn laughed quietly before she smiled and threw back the blankets, then reached out and hugged him fiercely, pulling him against her body and making him laugh and wheeze a little at the same time. “Okay, okay, I’m glad you’re happy!”

“I am. I am, Scrivener Blooms, all the more so with how thou speaks of my inner shadows…” Luna halted, then gazed down at him softly for a few moments before she smiled a little and climbed up to her hooves, and Scrivener gazed amusedly up after her as he climbed carefully to his own. “Come then. Let us hasten out for a short walk, ‘lest otherwise I end up trying to conceive our child with thee here and now.”

She turned… then paused and grimaced over her shoulder, adding in a voice that was low but carried across the room: “And Trixie, spy not upon us.”

There was a quiet squeak… and then Trixie embarrassedly leaned out of the archway near the rear of the room, grinning awkwardly and with her magic hat on her head, her cloak floating around her as she whispered loudly: “Trixie the Unable To Sleep was just about to go for a walk… perhaps I can join you two!”

“Trixie is a better deterrent for my urges than Celestia.” Luna muttered, and Scrivener covered his muzzle to repress his laughter before the winged unicorn sighed and dropped her head, favoring her with a flat look. “If thee must, then come and hurry onwards, annoying street magician. Just keep thyself quiet.”

The unicorn immediately hurried over as Luna and Scrivener turned towards the door, the winged female easily opening it with a flick of her horn before they strode out into the brisk morning air. Trixie closed the door a little loudly, earning a glare from the other two… but she was only brightly grinning, saying eagerly: “So, Luna, Trixie dearly would love to know just how to change her own form, why… even the Great and Powerful Trixie has never seen such magic in action before!”

“Trixie, lower thy voice or be prepared to lose it entirely for a fortnight.” Luna threatened, and the unicorn winced and meekly whispered an apology before the winged unicorn shook her head and turned, muttering: “Come then. We shall walk towards the tower at the edge of town, and make use of our wandering for reconnaissance. And I swear, Trixie, that should thou alert them to our presence early, I shall leave thee for the Pegasus Guards to do whatever they please to thee for an hour afore I return to blow their home to rubble.”

“Trixie the Great and Powerful will not allow herself to be caught off-guard again by the soldiers of Celestia!” Trixie declared, but her voice was awkwardly hushed before she attempted to squeeze herself between Luna and Scrivener… and received a glare horrible enough from the female that she immediately wilted back and instead ran up to Luna’s other side with a wince, mumbling an apology.

Luna only rolled her eyes, shaking her head as they slowly made their way through the town, and Scrivy glanced up towards the moon, murmuring: “What will I be doing during this, Luna? I don’t exactly want to get in your way. Or be blown up.”

“Come now, Scrivener Blooms, thou always play an important part in my schemes. Thou art far too hard on thyself for lacking in magic, when thou hast powers enough to make up for it in many other ways.” Luna half-chastised, and Scrivy smiled embarrassedly at her before she leaned over and kissed his cheek quietly. “But first allow us to catch glimpse of the structure, then I shall tell thee thy role.”

The male nodded, and then Trixie said eagerly: “And what role will Trixie play, Luna? The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to prove that she can be useful, even in matters such as these!”

Luna began to open her mouth… and then Scrivy winced at the look that came into her eyes as a slow grin spread over the female’s face, saying slowly: “Yes, perhaps there is something thou can do as well, Trixie, but we shall have to wait and see…”

Trixie looked proud of herself already as Scrivener only gave Luna look… but the female only smiled at him cheerfully in return, tipping him a wink before she faced ahead again as they strode through the streets, and slowly she became more serious as she murmured: “The night’s cold wind and the growing unease… yes, now this, Scrivener Blooms… this feels much more like the days long since passed…” She stopped suddenly, Scrivy halting and looking at her dumbly as Trixie almost tripped over her own cloak, and then she smiled across at the male, saying quietly: “And thou art like Sleipnir, and Twilight is Celestia.”

She paused meditatively, then added easily: “Except our relationships considered, ‘tis perhaps a truly awful and awkward image to have in my mind, and ‘tis perhaps even worse how much so I do delight in that.”

Scrivy sighed and shook his head before she followed her as she once more resumed walking forwards, then they both looked amusedly at Trixie as she asked brightly: “And what about the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

“Oh, believe me, Trixie, thou art truly one of a kind.” Luna said ironically, and the unicorn smiled at her warmly even as the winged female continued to look at her mildly. “’Twas not a compliment.”

“All the same, the Great and Powerful Trixie is pleased to know there have never been any others like her in the world.” Trixie tilted her head backwards proudly, striding forwards, and Luna sighed as Scrivener rolled his eyes in amusement before all three quieted as they reached the edge of Ponyville and looked out at the sprawling encampment that had been set up as the base of operations for the Pegasus Guard.

A crude tower jutted up into the night sky, made of ugly, heavy girders, wooden paneling, and clothed in thick tarps and ropes. At the very top of this enormous structure was an immense metal bowl in which burned a bonfire beacon, casting sallow red and yellow light over the wide top of the strange outpost and making the armor of patrolling Pegasus Guards gleam and glimmer like ghostly raiment.

At the base of the tower, large cloth tents, small wooden sheds, and other structures had been set up: cheap and easy to build up and take down, they had fortified their position in the field just outside the outskirts of the village by raising a simple fence of wire and wood. In the middle of this, it looked as if they had furthered their plans to dig in and make this a permanent outpost by beginning construction on a larger, sturdier building… but Luna only smiled grimly as she glanced slowly over the layout, only needing to see this side of the encampment to understand what they had done. “Scrivener Blooms… how much of my combat training does thee remember?”

“I remember a lot of getting punched in the head.” Scrivener muttered, and Luna nodded thoughtfully at this before he winced a bit as he looked at the encampment wall. “Why do I have a bad feeling about what you’re going to do?”

“Oh, because thou always has a bad feeling, thou enormous coward.” Luna replied mildly, and then she paused and added meditatively: “Although ‘tis perhaps unfair of me to say, as much of the time… as now… I oft throw thee into unnecessary danger mostly for mine own entertainment.”

“Oh. Wonderful. Well, since we’re here, let’s get this over with.” Scrivy muttered, glancing towards the camp again and adding quietly: “Besides. It seems like for how scared they are… they still haven’t done much to go on a heightened alert.”

“’Tis true, they are either arrogant or foolish. I suspect that the guard tower ‘tis swarming with soldiers who claim to be ready for disaster, but we shall see just how ready they are in a moment’s time.” As Luna spoke, her horn began to glow, and then she quietly lowered her head and touched Scrivener’s shoulder with the tip… and the male grimaced before he hissed as his body bulged, then flexed as it enlarged, rapidly increasing until he was the size of Celestia… before the earth pony staggered stupidly backwards as his skin tingled before taking on a strange, bright gleam as he felt like his entire body tensed up, even as heat and strength spilled through his form as his heart thudded in his chest and he leaned forwards a bit, Trixie gaping in amazement. “Does thou understand what I did… and what I mean for thee to do?”

“I think so. But does that mean…” Scrivener paused, but by the time he glanced towards Luna, the female was gone… and instead, standing in her place, her mane lashing backwards and almost sparking with excitement, was the black-coated Nightmare Moon… and Trixie staggered backwards with a whimper before Nightmare Moon grinned and flicked her head towards the female even as her mane snapped towards Scrivener and stroked almost lovingly over his features, leaving part of it clinging like strange, living flames to the male’s face.

Scrivy grimaced as a tingling sensation spilled over his head as the sapphire starfire spread along his features, forming a half-mask that made him look fearsome and snapped backwards, tangling and mixing through his ivory mane. Now, with his dark and oddly-gleaming coat, he looked the role of a terrible Nightmare himself… and Trixie gaped at the two, a chill running down her spine as Nightmare Moon grinned down at her and said mockingly: “Scared, oh Great and Powerful Trixie? You can run home then, if you like.”

“Nay, the Great and Powerful Trixie will help!” the unicorn managed to splutter after a moment, leaning up with a wince… and the much-larger female smiled down at her before nodding slowly, as Trixie asked weakly: “What can she do for you, oh great dark creature?”

“’Tis still I, Trixie, be not an idiot.” Luna’s voice came from Nightmare Moon’s mouth, irritable and slightly-frustrated now, and then she shook her head quickly as Trixie cleared her throat and blushed, mumbling some embarrassed response before the female ordered calmly: “Perform thy flashy fireworks spell from before, but fill the skies with an image of Nightmare Moon. Then we shall do the rest and thou can hide back and watch us work.”

Trixie brightened at this, grinning and nodding rapidly before she closed her eyes, concentrating fiercely… and then she let out a loud ‘huzzah!’ as she reared back, her horn releasing a comet of blue light that shot high into the sky, whizzing past a startled guard at the top of the tower before it exploded in a burst of sapphire flame and lightning, the snarling face of Nightmare Moon filling the skies above as guards shouted and pointed.

Luna leapt into the air in her Nightmare Moon body, wings catching the wind as she shot straight for the tower… and without needing to be told, Scrivener bowed his head forwards and charged directly towards the encampment, gritting his teeth and chanting a mantra of ‘you can do this, you can do this’ in his head before he simply tore through the metal wire and sent wood flying in all directions as he crashed through the fencing, throwing his head back with a roar that sounded far more fearsome than he felt.

His body – empowered and enlarged, with a hide like thick rubber thanks to Luna’s magic – flexed and gleamed, not a scratch on him even as he simply barreled through a supply shack filled with hay and boxes of apples, ending chunks of wood flying in all directions as he shouted in a fearsome, deepened voice: “Run while you still have the chance, tasty morsels!”

And Luna, meanwhile, felt Nightmare Moon and her own personality mixing, her eyes glowing white as she dove towards the base of the tower with a gleeful shout of: “My little ponies, haven’t you been looking for me?”

She grinned widely, her wings spreading out as far as they could as her body shimmered before transforming into blue mist and flame that sparkled with stars, ripping through the base of the tower like a supernatural blade and sending pieces of shattered wood and burning tarpaulin and snapped ropes crashing in all directions before the sapphire smog twisted violently together and solidified back into Luna, her body corkscrewing as she shot upwards into the air, mane and tail leaving a trail of ethereal starlight behind her as the entire structure began to list slowly to the side.

It rumbled and cracked, cloth ripping and wooden boards tearing loose as chunks of debris hailed off it, Pegasus soldiers panicking as they yelled and leapt away to take flight… and many simply fled into the night even as several others shot towards Luna as she twisted through the sky, rolling over in mid-flight to glare at her pursuers through ivory-glowing eyes as she shouted over the sound of the tower collapsing in a broken pile to the hard earth: “I give but one warning, little children!”

One of the Pegasi began to raise his crossbow… and Luna snapped her wings suddenly upwards, twisting her body and sending herself rocketing almost straight up as her horn glowed brightly… and lightning hammered through the air in a powerful arc from the skies, smashing into one of the guards and sending him crashing backwards before it chained off his body into a second Pegasus, bouncing and ripping scours over his armor as he howled and the arcs of electricity struck another, then a fourth in quick, painful succession, sending them plummeting backwards and one crashing into another unfortunate Pegasus that was carried towards the ground. They struck loudly amidst debris and on soft grasses as Luna spun around… then snarled as she saw two others rushing her, dressed in full gear, one armed with a spear and the other simply barreling towards her, both intent on trying to ambush her and knock her from the skies.

Luna snapped her head downwards as her horn glowed, and she parried the spear with her own long horn, knocking it sideways as the guard stared in shock, continuing to rush upwards… and a moment later, Luna’s head slammed into his own helmeted skull, the golden metal denting inwards from the force of the blow as the Pegasus was knocked senselessly backwards as Luna propelled herself gracefully upwards with her strong wings. The other Pegasus tried to swerve away, losing its nerve… and with an almost absent gesture, Luna kicked a rear hoof out and smashed him in the unprotected stomach, making him curl up with a gargle as he was sent crashing downwards to thud loudly into the ground below.

The female grinned widely at this as she flew upwards, exhilarated, excited… and below, Scrivener barreled through several earth ponies and Pegasi that attempted to charge him, knocking the whole group flying before he leapt nimbly to the side with a wince that his mask of blue flames made into a snarl as a Pegasus fired a crossbow at him, the bolts barely scratching by: the male had several stuck in his thick hide, but they bled little, and he could barely feel the pain, instead a strange jubilation rising in him, a deep, dark pleasure even through the panic and anxiety and outright fear… and then he threw himself forwards, tackling the Pegasus with the crossbow to the ground and crushing him senseless beneath his immense front hooves before he half-turned and slammed both rear hooves hard into a storage shed, sending it crashing backwards to knock another half-panicked group of Pegasus Guards scattering in terror.

He was beginning to understand how Luna could enjoy the fight so much, as she laughed above him, now flying swiftly overhead and peppering the encampment from above with bursts of lightning and blue flame as her horn glowed… and then Scrivener gritted his teeth, still not entirely sure if it was good or bad, still not even knowing how much of this was his own feelings as he felt his emotions resonating with Luna’s, the male charging forwards to rip into a tent that had already caught on fire, sending the ponies inside fleeing with screams of terror from the sleeping area as he shouted: “Come now, aren’t you hunting us?”

He charged forwards after them, driving the group in front of him like a herd of sheep before he winced as several soldiers leapt towards his side, crashing into him with wild yells… but in his enlarged, armored state, he only staggered before spinning around and smashing one across the face, knocking the Pegasus sprawling and senseless before he slammed his hoof onto the head of another as he’d seen Luna do so many times, crushing it flat against the ground… and the last yelled in terror and bolted before Scrivener grinned over his shoulder at another Pegasus… and as it shot away, he looked up and realized with shock they had already brought much of the encampment into a state of ruin, looking back and forth at the unconscious and defeated Pegasi that lay scattered and unconscious over the ground, mingled with earth pony conscripts that groaned and whimpered in various states of injury and pain.

Then Scrivener cursed and staggered as a heavy rock slammed into his side, snarling and glaring to the side to watch as a unicorn in robes bearing the symbol of Canterlot shouted at him: “To me, everyone! Let us show these impudent beasts-”

Then his eyes widened as the enlarged earth pony broke into a charge, growling in fury as the unicorn snarled back at him, throwing another large chunk of broken stone at him with a savage telekinetic lash… but Scrivy leapt high over this, the unicorn’s eyes going wide before he began to prepare a spell… but too little, too late, as Scrivener crashed down on top of him and knocked him sprawling onto his back, the unicorn gargling as he was pinned by the chest and Scrivy glaring down at him as his blue-flame mask-mane twisted around his features, eyes glowing with a fury he felt growing inside of him despite knowing there was no point, no reason behind it as he said coldly: “I hate little unicorns.”

Scrivy firmly placed his hoof on the tip of the horn, twisting as he pushed back… and then unicorn’s eyes bulged with pain, yelling incoherently as the glow around it immediately spluttered out… likely due to the intense pain Scrivener knew caused by the unicorn’s horn being shoved almost literally back into its brain. Then he smiled grimly before closing his eyes as a shudder ran through him, and he forced himself to draw his hoof back, keeping him pinned by the other as he glanced over the mage again and recognized the seal of the Royal Court on his vestments, asking harshly: “Why are you here? You’re a Crown Mage… funny, seeing you all the way out here in what’s not even supposed to be an official outpost.”

“Oh, did you find something, my love?” Luna asked easily, as if remarking upon the weather… but when she grinned, Scrivener realized it was more Nightmare Moon than it was Luna… and yet the chill that ran though him wasn’t one of fear, or revulsion, as he gazed at her with affection in his eyes. “My, my… yes, I see. And even more, I understand…”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes glowed as she leaned down, and the unicorn lost his bravery, trembling in terror as she slowly licked her sharp teeth. “Tell me what you’ve been doing here, mage… or I’m going to enjoy taking my time in torturing the information out of you. We don’t get to indulge in such delights very often anymore, but… a unicorn like you, in a place like this… that deserves special treatment.”

The unicorn screamed, shaking his head and trying to scramble away, but he was still firmly pinned beneath Scrivener’s strong hoof, and the male only snorted and bore down hard, making his ribs creak… and finally, the mage relented, nodding rapidly and rasping: “Military… the Generals… they decided that there needed to be a greater presence, that we needed to hunt you down and destroy you… and when Ponyville refused to take the threat of Nightmare Moon seriously, it was decided it was a… a liability… that we needed to increase our presence here! That we needed to remind people you’re… you’re evil, which you’ve done yourself!”

Nightmare Moon only shook her head slowly at this, however, saying kindly: “Evil, a little. But mostly, I am darkness… your soldiers, on the other hoof, are scoundrels that beat defenseless ponies in broad daylight, with the support of their peers. We can’t have that now, can we? It makes them so much harder to intimidate, and ruins the tenderness of the meat.”

She stopped, pausing meditatively, and then her eyes and horn both glowed pale white as she glared down at the unicorn, which stared back up at her before she said coldly: “Tell me the names of your superiors. Nightmare Moon wishes to know who her enemies are.”

For a moment, the unicorn struggled… and then he finally relented, clenching his eyes shut and saying weakly: “General… Bucephalus. General Bucephalus ordered us to do this. He said it was for the good of Equestria…”

The unicorn opened his eyes, looking weakly up at them… and Nightmare Moon’s eyes flashed as the mage stared at her for only a moment before he collapsed weakly backwards, drooling weakly as his eyes fluttered and he fell into a deep sleep. Then she rose up, grimacing a little, and glanced over pessimistically at Scrivener Blooms, saying in her unearthly tones: “We do not approve of leaving so many alive. Let us kill at least this unicorn.”

“It’s wrong, Nightmare Moon. Even if I want to do it myself…” Scrivener grimaced a little at this admission, and the creature standing before him cocked her head curiously before he smiled awkwardly, glancing away and saying quietly: “Well, I’m not completely without my biases and prejudices.”

Nightmare Moon was silent… and then she smiled softly, and it was Luna’s voice that spoke, saying quietly: “We blame thee not, daydreamer. We understand all too well, in bare fact… but thou speaks wisely, too. Life… even these lives… are valued high. Come, let us find the obnoxious Trixie, perhaps we shall kill her instead.”

“Our shock tactics seem to have worked at least.” Scrivener said quietly, ignoring her last comment and falling into step beside the large, dark female as they strode silently through the wreckage: much of the encampment had collapsed or was burning and smoldering, smoke reaching up towards the moon, and the tower lay in shattered pieces across the road and field, scattered and destroyed. A few Pegasi flittered indecisively overhead, as if they still wanted to try and fight… but most of the soldiers had long fled the battle, and the male paused before adding meditatively: “I didn’t expect to see many earth pony knights but… there we were.”

“Thou has a few bolts stuck in thy body, my love.” Luna pointed out, and Scrivener merely grunted, making her smile in amusement before she leaned over and tore one out, the male wincing… and then blushing a bit beneath the mask of burning blue mist and fire as her tongue slid out of her jaws and lapped slowly at the wound, flicking quietly up against her own sharp teeth and licking her lips slowly afterwards as she grinned at him through half-lidded eyes. “It seems that weapons and knights and guards or not, they were no match for thee, my handsome shadow-struck stallion…”

“Stop that.” Scrivy finally said awkwardly, shaking his head quickly… and then he grunted when she tore another broken bolt free even as they strode onwards into the field, heading slowly through the tall grasses towards where a pale-blue unicorn was sitting and gaping stupidly at the two, even as they continued their easy conversation. “Are you going to change us back? And… are you feeling alright, Luna?”

“I… I am, yes. There is no need to fear, Scrivener Blooms… perhaps ‘twas I felt like I was embattled with Celestia’s forces, or perhaps ‘twas simply because it struck the right excited nerve… or perhaps, ‘twas because I could sense that thee too enjoyed thyself.” She paused and smiled a little, leaning down and quietly pulling a third bolt from Scrivener’s hide, before she kissed this wound softly as her horn glowed… and it healed with a visible pulse, the female murmuring: “I have corrupted thee a little, my daydreamer. No longer art thou a poet who does his battling with but his quill, nor a hesitant soldier who will take the field and yet rue the day he does. I have turned thee into something more like me… and for that, I am sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’d rather be more like you than me any day.” Scrivy said quietly, and Luna smiled warmly at this before the two enormous figures looked down at Trixie, who was still gaping from one to the other. “Oh look. Apparently the Great and Powerful Trixie broke. This is the first time I’m glad a wind-up toy ran out of batteries.”

Luna snorted in amusement, and then she finally smiled over at Scrivener as he gave her a pointed look, sighing and rolling her eyes before she muttered: “Thou makes a handsome beast of a demonic stallion, though, Scrivener Blooms, ‘tis a shame we can’t do more right now.”

“More what?” Trixie looked dumbly from one to the other as she finally seemed to regain some of her senses, and then she shook her head rapidly before exclaiming: “What manner of mayhem was that? That wasn’t magic like my magic!”

Luna sighed, then she flicked her horn towards Scrivener Blooms… and in a moment later, the mane of blue smoke and fire blew away from the male’s features as his body trembled before shrinking down, making him wince as several scratches and wounds reopened, but the one or two bolts still stuck in him thankfully fell out now of their own accord, no longer firmly entrenched in rubbery hide as this became supple dark coat once more. He wheezed as pain spread through his body, legs trembling a bit, and Luna simply tilted her own head backwards as she closed her eyes, answering even as a sapphire aura glowed over her frame and her body rapidly shank and transformed back to its regular state: “’Twas the old magic, Trixie, and true magic at that. Mastery of the elements and one’s own self, creating transformation in the world by that which lay within… ‘tis both difficult and simple.”

“Ouch.” Scrivener mumbled, poking at himself… and then he wheezed and leaned forwards as Luna, back in her normal state, looked over at him with concern in her cyan irises. “No, I’m fine. We should just get out of here, though… those Pegasi are still circling overhead.”

“Then permit me to ease our escape. Trixie, hold thyself as still as thou should hold thy fool tongue and yet so often fail to do.” Luna ordered, and Trixie winced and ducked a bit as she immediately stiffened… before staring and releasing a small ‘meep’ of terror as blue mist began to swirl upwards from the ground, slowly surrounding and engulfing them, numbness spreading through the three ponies as it rapidly spilled over them… then the cloud twisted upwards and burst apart into glittering stardust that faded from sight.

A moment later, a waft of blue mist appeared in front of the path leading into the Everfree Forest, smoothly swishing over the ground like a thick curtain… and in its wake, Luna, Scrivener Blooms, and Trixie were unveiled, Trixie staring stupidly at her hooves before she glanced sharply back and forth, her jaw working wildly as Luna rolled her shoulders with a grimace and muttered: “Now, Scrivy, I feel myself beginning to tire. Let us retreat to our cabin so I may rest, and damn the moon. Let it hang in the sky for the whole day if Celestia feels not like taking it down herself.”

“This is what I love about you, Luna, you spent how long demanding to be allowed to move the moon yourself? And now here we are again, you want her to go back to doing all the work.” Scrivener said dryly, and then he winced when Luna began to raise a hoof to smack him… and instead, she looked at him moodily before throwing herself forwards and half-clambering on top of him despite her larger size, making the earth pony wheeze as she half-curled herself over his back, clinging to him as his legs buckled for a moment before he straightened with a wheeze. “Well, at least you can’t fly us away.”

“Oh, quiet thee, and let us go. Trixie, go back to Twilight’s, and hurry on thy way ‘lest some horrible evil befall thee.” Luna yawned loudly, glaring back at her pointedly, and Trixie winced but nodded quickly, nervously looking back and forth before Luna sighed and added finally: “And thou hast my thanks for… not being awful tonight. Now get thee hence, I have but one compliment to spare thee and ‘tis well used up, but a thousand insults fester yet.”

“My… my pleasure, Luna. Thank you.” Trixie replied abashedly, and then she smiled brightly at the backs of the two before nodding firmly and turning to run quickly back towards Ponyville, looking strangely elated as Luna watched her go… and then smiled a little despite herself as Scrivener began to walk into the forest, carrying the heavy, larger female with surprising ease as his body grew accustomed to her size and weight.

Luna snuggled herself down against him as they walked, letting her head fall quietly to rest on his shoulder and smiling a little as her horn brushed quietly against the scarred side of his face… and as they moved deeper down the path, the female murmured quietly: “Scrivener Blooms, thou does not really have to carry me if thy does not wish to…”

“But I do wish to. And I don’t mind at all.” Scrivener replied after a moment, eyes flicking towards her with a slight smile, continuing quietly down the path that was hidden to the eyes of most but all too clear to the ponies who had made the Everfree Forest their home, even in the deep darkness of the night. “So how are you feeling, moon princess?”

“I am well, Scrivener Blooms… startling, perhaps, but I am well.” Luna paused meditatively, adding quietly: “Perchance not as tired after my exertions as I may act, but… a little more tired than I did expect to be, all the same. Does that make sense, daydreamer?”

“Perfect sense, Luna, but only to me.” Scrivener replied softly, leaning his face gently against hers as he ducked carefully to guide them both beneath a low-hanging branch, biting his lip lightly at the strain it put on his body to carry her so low… but then he smiled as he straightened, feeling the way she pressed down against him, curled closer… enjoying the way her mane brushed along his body, her tail whispered against his, made of night and starlight and tingling and warm…

Luna smiled a little, and her horn gave a quiet shimmer as she glanced up… then closed her eyes and whispered: “Every day we grow more connected, Scrivener Blooms. ‘Tis wonderful. And I know not how thee could feel anything but worthy… ‘tis our connection that matters, after all, and thou truly art the other half of me.”

“Or do you mean other third? Because you do love to drag Twilight into everything.” Scrivener remarked, and Luna laughed even as she squeezed him firmly with her limbs, making him grunt a bit as he continued onwards with an entertained grin. “I suppose I should stop complaining about that, though. It does have its perks.”

“It does now, does it not? But thou does love to complain so… and I wouldst never want to take away thy little pleasures.” Luna replied ironically, and Scrivener snorted in amusement before he stepped onto a wide natural bridge formed by a tall log over a deep ravine, and Luna squeezed him lightly as he began to cross, the male nodding and halting in the middle of the bridge without needing to ask.

Luna glanced up at the moon… and then she paused, before smiling slightly, settling herself down against him firmly and murmuring softly: “Scrivener Blooms, thou rose the moon on thy own, with me as but the instrument. Now thou shalt lower the same, with me again as thy conductor, and thou will do all the rest thyself.”

“Right here? Standing on a dead tree suspended between two cliffs overtop a deep gorge?” the male asked mildly, and Luna shrugged easily… but despite his usual dislike of heights, Scrivener couldn’t help but smile all the same, looking down and feeling no fear as Luna held easily onto his back, pressed herself against him… and then he nodded slowly and murmured softly: “Okay, then.”

He looked up towards the moon, standing tall and easy and proud, feeling their bodies pressed together as almost one… and then their eyes slowly closed at the same time, and Luna ground herself down against him, clutching tighter into him with her limbs as their emotions and bodies and minds mixed together, Scrivener feeling her confidence, her love, her strength spilling into him before he arched his back and rose his head.

Luna moved with him, and her horn pulsed as the glow around it rose higher and higher… and then slowly, in the distance, the moon rumbled quietly as it began to sink slowly downwards, settling slowly beyond the horizon as at almost the same time, to their backs, the sun began to rise, golden light spilling over the two as ivory orb settled quietly… and then Scrivener’s eyes opened as he stared up at the sky above, Luna’s own irises opening with a radiant smile as they pressed together, with one heartbeat, one soul, one mind… and she whispered quietly: “Yes… no surprise this time…”

“The only surprise is that I somehow knew, with you… I could do it. You make me feel like I can do anything, Luna…” Scrivener gazed off into the distance, laughing faintly as he lowered his head forwards, and Luna swallowed as she clung down to him, hugging his neck fiercely from behind as she buried her face against his mane, the male murmuring: “I never have to be afraid of losing you, when we connect so thoroughly like this.”

Luna closed her eyes with a soft smile… and then Scrivener Blooms turned and quietly continued onwards, a smile of his own on his features as they walked on in silence… and yet between them a thousand thoughts, a thousand emotions swirled as they returned to the path, until finally, as he began to cross the bridge towards their little cottage, the male murmured: “Celestia rose the sun quite quickly, didn’t she?” He paused, and on the heels of that, mused aloud: “I wonder if it had something to do with us, or with the Velites?”

“Both, perhaps… we will have to ask her to arrange a little meeting with this Bucephalus for us, as well, I think.” Luna said thoughtfully, and Scrivener smiled despite himself over his shoulder at her, as he headed towards their cottage. “In any event, I am sure my delightful sister has sent us a letter by now scolding us for our destruction. Perhaps ‘twould have been a saner gambit to have informed her of our plans before we had attacked the outpost, or at least let her know that Twilight Sparkle agreed to learn from her.”

“Perhaps, but where’s the fun in that?” Scrivy asked mildly, and Luna gave a little sound of delight as he shrugged a bit, smiling as the unicorn flicked her head upwards and the door to their cabin flew open. “I guess I’m starting to pick up your sense of mischief and trickery. Or maybe I’m just starting to enjoy your bloodthirstiness more than I should.”

“Oh, thou always loved that more than ‘twas healthy.” Luna smiled, then, once past the threshold, she finally slipped herself off his body… and Scrivener sighed in relief and a strange sense of loss as he stretched and flexed, before wincing when Luna shoved him firmly against the door leading to their bedroom with a wide grin. “Come, daydreamer, let us-”

Then she grimaced when Sammy chirped loudly and bounced down the hall towards them before the pseudodragon made a horrible rasping noise, and it leaned forwards and spat three letters out of its body-cage, the winged unicorn grumbling and Scrivener wheezing in bittersweet relief as the female muttered: “Oh, very well. Let us tend first to these…”

She glanced down at them, the three letters floating into the air and unfurling before they hovered over to Scrivener… and the male leaned forwards, reading quickly through the first and saying after a moment: “This one was from Celestia, telling us not to do anything stupid, pretty much…” The second letter shuffled quickly to the front. “This one… is from Twilight. Well… good news, I guess. The soldiers have gone into a full retreat. Not everyone in Ponyville is happy about it but… most of them are. Twilight will write to Celestia about it tonight, after she’s helped organize cleanup operations.”

He paused, then added quietly: “It looks like for now, they’re going to take care of the filly themselves. Her name is Scarlet Sage… poor girl.” He shook his head a bit, and Luna nodded slowly before the last letter shuffled to the front, and Scrivener grimaced and leaned backwards with a mutter of: “Yes, this one’s from Celestia too. What scares me is that she seems to disapprove because… well…”

“I lived with my sister for many a year, Scrivener Blooms, worry not, I know well what thou means. Celestia is not bloodthirsty… but a logical mind driven by lust for order can be far more callous than the warmonger’s.” Luna muttered, shaking her head a bit. “What else does it say?”

“I’m getting to it.” Scrivy said grumpily, and Luna smiled amusedly at him before he finally nodded and looked up at her, saying quietly: “Just imploring us to have Twilight come to her as soon as possible and assuring us that military operations in this area will cease entirely.”

“Then there is no time left to delay. Little Samael, we shall come back to entertain thee once Nightmare Moon has claimed her prize for putting on such a good show.” Luna grinned widely, and Scrivener stared at her dumbly before she shoved him firmly backwards, sending the door to their bedroom open and the male rolling back onto their bedding before the female gleefully pounced on top of him, saying playfully: “Now, where were we, my handsome stallion of the night?”

Scrivener swallowed thickly… and long after, found himself laying with Luna resting back against him, breathing softly, the male smiling a little as her starry mane glowed and tickled against his features. His forelimbs were wrapped tightly around her body, his hooves gently pushing against her stomach, and their blankets were comfortably thrown over them both… and Luna smiled a bit as she said awkwardly: “I… mean not to always come across the way that I do, Scrivener Blooms, so that thou knows. Just… as it is awkward. But even now, I must admit… ‘tis wonderful to be able to give and receive such physical attentions in plenty and all as often as I can and please…”

She paused meditatively, then reached her front hooves down to silently press against Scrivy’s, grinding her back against him and murmuring quietly: “I am perhaps… a bit too hedonistic for mine own health, but all the same… we are exiles. We are outsiders… we have no social rules or cultural norms, do we? And I love thee, Scrivener Blooms, with all my heart… and I wish to spend every day of my life showing this to thee.”

“I know Luna… I love you too. And I only want the same… and believe me, I’m not exactly about to complain about making love to you this often.” Scrivener replied with a bit of a smile, and then he kissed the back of her neck softly, making her smile wider as she tilted her head back with a soft sigh, her mane fluttering and stroking gently against the male’s face as her tail flicked lightly. “And I know we’re both… eager to have a child of our own running around here, too.”

“Or more, perhaps.” Luna added helpfully, and the male rolled his eyes in amusement as he squeezed her gently closer, and she looked thoughtfully across at the wall, adding meditatively: “I wonder if my elder sister would be less frumpy should she partake more in the physical aspects of life. What does thou think, Scrivener Blooms? ‘Twould it be beneficial?”

“I feel like if I agree with you, you’re going to turn this into some big weird thing… and yet I feel if I disagree with you, you’ll probably just hit me.” Scrivener replied after a moment, and then he grunted when she elbowed him lightly. “See?”

“Oh quiet, I always strike thee, Scrivener Blooms. Thou simply art very strikeable.” Luna replied mildly, and Scrivy rolled his eyes before she suddenly rolled over, kissing him firmly, and he gladly met her, working their mouths together slowly as their tongues teased and wrestled before they parted, gazing lovingly into one-another’s eyes. “And, for the record, thou did make for a mighty and handsome stallion of darkness.”

“You keep bringing that up and it makes me think you want to transform me into that permanently.” Scrivy remarked mildly, and Luna snorted in amusement before she stroked gently under his muzzle with a wink.

“And lose my advantage of height and strength over thee to be left with but my advantage of wit and terror? Nay, daydreamer, ‘tis only a passing fancy, I am sure… but will pass quicker if thou indulges me perchance when the opportunity arises.” She winked at him, and Scrivy rolled his eyes as he shoved at her, making her laugh before she softened and added quietly: “But… I do wish to again say… I would pass my strengths onto thee with gladness if thee asked… even if I see more and more every day why thou does not need the handicaps of the spells I weave.”

Scrivy smiled softly back at her, and Luna surveyed him for a few moments before she nodded with a blush as she began to climb to her hooves… and the rest of the day was spent in relative peace and quiet, playing with Sammy, talking with each other, and writing letters back to Twilight and Celestia when they arrived… but mostly just taking the time to relax in calm with one another, content even amidst the rising tides, confident that it would all work out one way or another as long as they had each other.

Comments

[mrmayortheiv]

I think they may have gone a smidge overboard with the camp.... they may be causing some problems... but really they could probably have used them to their advantage somehow

[Aceofgods]

1543335

I think it is for the best that the guards are gone. Better to have Luna/NM and Scrivener to protect the town unhindered by the misdirected 'justice' of the royal guard, who in all honesty would likely tremble before a pair of manticore, doing naught to truly protect the town.

[nevergone]

2801731 Tis true Sir Aceofgods. (I have knighted thee) I whole heartedly agree upon having luna & scrivy protect the homes of ponies than tia's "gaurds".

[Raven Flight]

I'm late to this party, but THESE TWO ARE AWESOME!!! I have a new head-canon---Luna is NMM under control.
Darkness is not evil, it's just dark.

[cssalpha]

so far i have enjoyed this series and loved it
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS STORY
danmcclintock.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/33003173.jpg

[AppleTank]

May I make a suggestion? 90% of all "mildly"s can be removed, to no detriment.

[Revan]

Well, I foresee potential issues down the line...

[cometstarling]

1543335
Extremely unlikely since they were beating up inncoent ponies!!!!!!!!!!!!!