> Forbidden Love
>  by KingSombraTheTyrantRuler
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter One








Princess Luna lay on her bed, struggling to find motivation to get out of it.

What's the point of doing anything when We are cared for by no one? We will not be missed if We were to die… We do not think anyone would even notice…

Her fingers  subconsciously traced over her arm, and the moonlight illuminated the many scars that crossed over it.

Most of them were no more than a day old.

She had tried to stop… and had succeeded for a week…

And then she relapsed. Sure, she threw all her blades away, but what use did that do when she could just conjure a new one?

We are worthless. Unable to resist the urge for more than a week… How weak of Us. There is no need for Us to remain in this world… Anyone can do what We do, and We are not needed. 

She sat up suddenly and snapped her fingers. A sharp razor blade appeared, and she pressed it hard against her wrist, fully intending to slice it.

Perhaps it would be best if We ended it all now. There would be no more pain… No more anything. We would not be wasting anyone's time. 

She took a deep breath, and then… 

A knock was heard on her door. She quickly put the blade under her pillow, wiped her eyes of tears she hadn't realised were there, quickly pulled her sleeve down so it would cover her arm and then said, "Thou may enter."

"Your Highness, Princess Celestia has sent me to inform Your Majesty that the King of the Crystal Empire shall soon be here and Your Highness' presence is required. The Ruler of the Crystal Empire shall be arriving in half an hour." 

Luna nodded and the Guard left.

She forced herself to get out of bed and entered her bathroom, intending to have a shower to clear her head...







 
Princess Luna put a dark blue sleeveless dress on which reached her knees, after which she put on some sort of handless gloves to cover up to her elbow.  She continued getting dressed, and once done, she looked in a mirror.

She immediately looked away. ...Why do We look in the mirror at all when We know We'll hate what We see? 

Luna thought back on the events which had led to her… cutting.

She wanted to stop badly, but the negative feelings often overwhelmed her and she needed a way to get rid of them for a while.

At first Luna found it a little strange, that cutting herself and causing physical scars lessened the pain given by others.

But it did help her a lot, so as time passed she thought about it less.


The events that had sent her spiralling into this state had been caused by none other than her sister.

To be honest, Princess Celestia had done nothing. It was merely the fact and knowledge that her sister was more popular than she was, and unlike Luna, the Princess of the Sun was loved by the ponies of Equestria rather than feared and loathed..

But wait a second, Celestia had done something. She would always treat Luna coldly, and present her as insignificant to other people.

She made it look like Luna was a foolish and immature girl whose opinion was of no value.

It is because of her that We started this… Why can she not treat Us as her equal? We may be younger than her, but Our parents had made it clear that We would rule together. And We did… until their deaths. Then Celestia began ill-treating Us...making Us feel inferior.

She spread lies about Us, she told people rumours and they believed every word she said. Of course she did not do this without a disguise…

Do We not protect these ponies from their nightmares and imaginary monsters of their own creation? Luna thought angrily. Do We not watch over their dreams, provide the stars and the moon's light so that they may take for themselves, respite from the day's work? And yet, rather than being thankful, they ignore Us and treat us as if We were a monster.

The Princess of the Night ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. All she ever wanted was to be liked by someone. To be appreciated… Was it too much to ask?

A knock sounded on the doors to her chambers. "Thou may enter," she called out and one of her Lunar guards entered, bowing .

"Your Highness," said he "Princess Celestia had sent me to inform Your Majesty that the King of the Crystal Empire shall be arriving within five to ten minutes." 

Luna gave a stiff nod. "Tell Our sister that We shall be there soon."

Once the guard had left, Luna stared into the mirror one last time, wiping her eyes. With a flick of her wrist, a dark blue aura surrounded her crown, and once it was atop her head, she left her chambers.

What is the point of Us doing as she says and seeing all these rulers of different kingdoms? It is not as if Our presence would make any difference…

She tried not to think about it for too long, and tried to focus on other things, such as how one of the Guards seemed to be sleeping on the job, which was strange because they were batponies, and thus, were nocturnal. 

However, she didn't do anything about it.  

Instead she stared at her hands, making them glow with magic, and teleported to the Throne Room.

The Lunar Guards moved aside to let her enter, and she did so.

The King, whatever his name was, had not yet arrived.

The Solar Princess was alone in the room and paused her pacing when her sister entered.

"Luna. You're on time, for once." The elder Princess' tone was slightly bitter , but Luna tried to not pay that fact any attention.

"Indeed We are," she replied, casually staring out of a window to see her beautiful night sky. " It seems that this King has not arrived. What was his name again? We do not think Thou told Us… "

"His name is King Sombra. And Luna, do try to stop talking in such an archaic manner."

The Lunar Princess made no remark, knowing that the reason why her sister was not in the best of moods was because the time that King Sombra had chosen for their meeting was midnight, and Celestia seldom, if ever, remained awake during the night hours. 

And because she loathes your very presence, said a voice inside her mind.

She paid it no heed.

"Why has he sought a meeting?"

"He has not been the one to request the meeting. Rather it was I, as I desired to see how good of a ruler he was… and ask some questions about certain things that my guards had told me. I decided to find out if what they said was true. Ask no more questions, you don't really need to know more than that. It's not like you even do anything anyways."

The Lunar Princess turned her face away from her sister and did her best to ignore the voices.

See, she just said how useless you are. She'd do much better without your worthless presence cluttering her castle. Just die, Luna. Die.

A Guard announced the presence of King Sombra, and
Luna went to her throne and studied him as he entered. He was a light grey skinned man with flowing black hair, and seemed to be only a year or two older than her.

"King Sombra," Celestia was the first to speak. "May I inquire what the delay was due to?"

He had an air of confidence around him, and had dark green eyes.

His voice was deep and smooth. "Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. I apologise for the delay in my arrival. I promise I had not forgotten about the time of the meeting. I had simply lost track of time while admiring the beauty of the Night sky."

Did We hear that correctly? He- he said that He was admiring Our night sky… We hope this is not a dream.

He then took Luna's hand in his and bestowed upon it a kiss, after which he bowed to Celestia.

His hand then glowed with a crimson aura and he levitated a bouquet of flowers to the Lunar Princess. "For you, Princess Luna."

Luna blushed. 

"Now with the pleasantries out of  the way, shall we proceed?"

Luna paid hardly any attention to what they were saying, instead focusing on the sound of Sombra's voice and trying not to stare at his strong jawline.

And so Celestia explained the full reason of why she had wanted this meeting, as her letter 'barely said anything '.

Since her explanation was a long one, the King decided to flirt with Luna. She is cute when she blushes… he thought.

Why would he even pay attention to her when it's obvious that I'm the better option?  Thought Celestia.

"King Sombra, a while ago I had sent some of my guards to check on how things were going in your Empire, and they reported back to me saying that you enslaved your subjects and forced them to work all day?"

The young King looked confused, to say the least. "I assure you, Princess, that none of your guards ever came to my Empire, unless they were spying on which case it would be a crime, and besides, I would never have done such a thing to my subjects."

"Are you sure about that, King? Because I am certain that -"

"Princess. My Empire is nocturnal, as we are unable to get any sunlight. And I would not do such a thing for it was what the former ruler did."

Celestia opened her mouth, perhaps to argue, but Luna spoke before she could. "Sister, perhaps Thou dreamt the whole thing? We do recall seeing a dream Thou had that was quite similar to what thou are saying now."

" Yes, Princess Celestia, I think Princess Luna is correct in her assumption. "

Celestia's face turned red. "Well- I-" she kept stopping, as if unsure about what to say before she finally settled on: "You shouldn't pay any attention to my sister as she is young and therefore, inexperienced."

" Oh? Then might I know how many thousands of years of experience you have, Princess? "

Celestia grew angry at this, and thus they bickered, with Sombra not showing any signs of anger at all, while the Solar Princess' face continuously turned various shades of red, and nearly purple.

In the end, Sombra had chuckled, as if this had been amusing to him before saying, "Fine, I shall leave. But know this, Princess Celestia. I had hoped only for a meeting with the Princess of the Night, but it was you who requested this meeting."

With that he kissed the Lunar Princess' hand once again, and teleported away.

Luna's cheeks turned red and her heart started beating a little faster, with butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"Hmph. I'm going to bed." Still angry, Princess Celestia left the room without glancing at Luna. 

The Lunar Princess didn't care, too busy replaying that moment over and over again in her head.

We were planning to do Our Lunar court tonight, but since no one comes out of fear, We can use this night for...other things. 

As she teleported herself to her room and began putting some warm clothes on, Luna smiled.

For once she was thankful that no one ever came to her Night court.
> Chapter Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Two








Princess Luna looked around, making sure that no one was watching her and that her personal guard was nowhere to be seen before jumping off her balcony, using telekinesis to support her body and give her the ability to fly.

Sure, she could have used a carriage, but there were only two problems with that.

First of all, this was a secret thing she was doing, sneaking off to the Crystal Empire to see King Sombra, and thus she could not use a carriage as that would require guards. 

She had no shortage of them, but she did not want her sister to find out. Celestia would most likely take measures to ensure that Luna remained in the Castle at all times, and the Lunar Princess definitely did not need that to happen.

And she feared that would only be if she was lucky. Celestia seemed like she was incapable of giving out harsh punishments, but Luna knew her sister.

As for the second reason… Where was the fun in using a carriage? 

As she fell closer to the ground, the urge to let her body smash into it nearly overpowered her but she reminded herself that she had something to do.

Luna was aware that she had a time limit, and added more power into her spell so that she might fly faster.

As she left the borders of Equestria and began getting closer to the Crystal Empire, she shivered a little.

Upon landing, she ran into a few Crystal Guards, who questioned why she was here.

"We wish to see King Sombra."

She was then escorted to the Castle. Luna looked around as she walked and found the Empire to be a glorious sight.

This is beautiful…

She also noticed that unlike in Canterlot, there were people everywhere, some of whom greeted her.

She felt happy. Here she was not ignored…

Upon reaching the Castle, she was taken to the Throne Room and the guards left her.

Soon after that, the King made his appearance and smiled.

"Princess Luna," he kissed her hand. "It is quite a surprise to see you again, and so soon."

She blushed. Before, she had been just observing - feeling like someone of no real importance, but now, she had been the one to go to him… And now that she was directly looking at him, Luna had to admit that the King was handsome. No, scratch that. He was extremely handsome.

She felt butterflies rising in her stomach and greeted him, after which he had said, "So, milady, might I ask the reason for your visit? It is not that you are unwelcome or anything, merely that I am simply confused. "

"Confused?"

"Oh yes, indeed," he cast a devilish smirk . "After all, a beautiful Princess whose beauty rivals that of any worldly being has come here, and to visit me, no less. I haven't been very good lately, have I? Oh, please don't punish me, beautiful Angel! Let your heavenly glow purify me, and make me the best of all!" He chuckled as Luna blushed. "But seriously, dramatics aside, I'm curious."

With how often We are blushing, We wouldn't be surprised if Our cheeks stayed permanently red. 

"I- We, uh-" she stumbled over her words as her gaze was still lost in his emerald eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you? I'm the 'dramatic type,'" he made air quotes as he said that. "Why say things normally and bore people when adding a little drama makes them come back to life? Sure, the nobles here might not take me seriously, they even dare to question my rule, but the element of surprise is the best, right? so uh, basically I just like drama, " he ended his explanation, shrugging.

Still caught a little off guard after all that, Luna awkwardly said "Well… We had decided to visit Thou and see Thine Empire as We did  not wish to stay near Our sister. And there was also something Thou said? That Thou was late as Thou had lost track of time due to admiring Our Night sky? Did Thou-" she hesitated a little. "Did Thou really mean it?"

"I suppose she was not too happy after what I said to her," he chuckled quietly. "And yes Princess , I meant it. There are few truly beautiful things in the world, and your Night sky is one of them. Many a night have I sat, attempting to capture its beauty in a painting, but I rarely succeeded to capture the full beauty of it."

He suddenly took her hand in his own. "Would you like to go for a walk, Princess? I could give you a tour of the Empire."

She smiled. "Yes, We would like that."







"And this is my favourite Café," said King Sombra , pointing across the road to where the Café was. 

It was a dark blue building with stars painted onto it.

On its sign was written Belle Vie.

"The original founder of it was French, so that explains the name," he told her.

"It looks nice," said Luna. "Though, there's something We noticed. Everything here is designed or themed with a style of Our moon, and the houses have symbols of the moon on them."

Sombra laughed. "My sweet, dear Princess. As I've many times said, my Empire is nocturnal. Why wouldn't the people here want to design things after the moon and the night sky, seeing how unique it is every night? There hasn't been a night that I've seen the stars look the same- they are in different patterns and constellations every night."

Luna blushed. "We are sorry… it's just that We are not used to this."

" To taking a walk? "

Luna shook her head. "To being noticed… And for people to actually like and admire Our sky. For them not to fear Us or the moon."

"Do the people of Canterlot not appreciate you?" 

" No… They believe the lies that Our sister told them. They hate Us… They fear Us… And they ignore Us. "

"She told lies about you?"

" Yes, she led the citizens of Equestria to believe that We do many bad things, and that We use Our night for immoral things. Now children believe that monsters shall eat them if they remain awake at night, and the adults believe that We shan't give them justice if they were to come to Our court. "

She then proceeded to tell him about the whole incident, and then about how her sister treated her…

She wiped her eyes once done. "We are sorry… We did not mean to-"

"It's okay." His voice had compassion in it, but in his eyes she could see rage. "Keeping things in like that isn't healthy…  But what's not okay is how she acts towards you. I- I can't believe that. How could anyone be so cruel, and towards their own sister… "

The silence lasted a while, as they stood there, not moving. Sombra eventually broke it. "Would you like to have a drink? They have really good coffee there, trust me."

Luna nodded. "Sure."

So they crossed the road and entered the Café. 

It was warm, a stark contrast to the cold outside. Sombra walked over to a table that was situated near a window, and was in a corner. 

"Is this table fine with you?"

Luna nodded. "We are fine with this one."

He pulled a chair out for Luna to sit in. Once she had sat, he also took his seat, and they looked over the menu.

Or rather, Luna read the menu while Sombra told her about all the items, and which ones he liked most.

When the waitress came to take their order, she was about to bow at the sight of the King and Princess, but Sombra stopped her.

"Hope, I come here nearly every day. You don't need to bow. And besides, we’re friends."

The purple skinned girl with blue coloured hair laughed. "Now, who said I was bowing to you, Sombra? I was bowing to the lovely Princess over here. Finally found yourself a date, have you? It's no wonder she managed to meet all those thousands of requirements you ha-"

"Hope, we're not dating.”

“Sure you aren’t. Now, can I take your orders?”

Sombra rolled his eyes as Hope turned to the Princess. “Ladies go first. What would you like to have, Princess Luna?”

Luna briefly consulted the menu before putting it back down. “Well, We are not sure what  to have since a certain someone assured Us that everything was great.”

“Somehow I knew that would be what you would say. In that case, shall I surprise Your Highness with something?”

“We would be fine with that.” She hesitated a moment before adding as an afterthought “And thou may call Us Luna.”

“Alright then Pri- Luna.” She turned towards Sombra after writing on the notepad she held. “Now, what would our mighty King want?”

Sombra shrugged. “I think I’d also like to be surprised.”

“Okay. So we have two surprises here. Your drinks will be ready shortly.”

With that she went.

" So, Princess-"

"Please call Us Luna, King Sombra."

"If you call me Sombra."

"We suppose that is a fair deal."

"But there's one thing, Luna. Just one tiny little problem."

"And it is?"

He smirked. "I love calling you Princess."

Luna blushed. "W-well…"

 What art We even supposed to say to that?

"Yes, I really like it. And uh, be careful that you don't turn into a tomato with how much you're blushing."

" B-blushing? Who's blushing? Not Us, that's for sure. "

"You know, personally I think you should be the only Princess. Or you know what, forget that, be a Queen. You look beautiful, sound wonderful, and" he got up from his seat and put his face next to her neck, making goosebumps rise "You smell like roses. Now… will you let me know what you taste like? You know -"

Sombra was interrupted by the sound of someone laughing. "Hahah, you two should go get a room! and Sombra, stop teasing the Princess so much. She'd turn into a tomato, and we can't have a tomato as the Princess of the Night, now can we?"

The flustered Luna looked away in mock offense and said, "If ye two intend on teasing Us all night, We may as well leave this instant! " 

Sombra went on his knees with his hands outstretched and said, "Princess, Princess, there's no need to leave so soon. Why, think of how much you would miss out on! And how disappointed the citizens of my Empire would be to find that their beloved Princess left so soon… They still have many more flowers to give you, and even though you are overflowed with them, they shall give you more! "

"Alright Sombra, stop making a speech long enough to become one of Shakespeare's stories. We shall stay, but only if… "

"If?"  Sombra asked.

"If thou would grant our wish… "

"Which is?"

Luna  began batting her eyelids and drew her face closer to Sombra's, an action which he mirrored. "Which is… To…"

"By Tartarus, please stop killing me with the suspense!"

Hope chuckled quietly while Luna began to plan her next words. Their lips were almost touching and she could feel his breath on her face. She chose her words very carefully. "To come with Us to-"

"The b -"

"The Crystal Castle. Thou hast been giving Us a tour of thine Empire, and We still have yet to see the interior of thine castle! " Saying that, she moved away from the King's face, smirking as he broke out of the trance like state he had been in.

Hope rolled her eyes and put down the tray she had been holding. She then took their drinks off it, took the tray and said, "Go get a room. I mean it. Come on, you two must be dating! There's no need to hide it from me; I won't tell anyone ~"

" H-"

"I won't be upset. You two were literally so close to kissing, I wonder how much you're worrying to have to resist!"

" Hope-"

"Speak to me next, when you shall confess your true relationship. Until then, enjoy your drinks!"

With that she was gone.

Sombra got off the floor and dusted his clothes, after which he returned to his chair.

None of them were looking at each other, and there was an awkward silence.

"Well. That happened," Sombra spoke in an attempt to get rid of the awkwardness. 

" Yes. It did. "

"I...guess we should try our drinks?"

Sombra took a sip of his and smiled. "Ah. a Crystal and Strawberry smoothie with hints of BlackBerry. My favourite. Yours seems to be the Blueberry one with black currant. "

Luna stared into her glass, looking at the design of the smoothie while deep in thought. Like everything else, it seemed to be themed after the night, and it had crushed crystals sprinkled over it, looking like stars.

She turned it around, not wanting to destroy the delicate design.

Do We deserve this? To be here with a King… in a Café? To be appreciated and admired so much in this Empire? To be treated so nicely… 

Sombra chuckled lightly. "What's the matter, afraid of drinking it? There's no need to worry; it won't bite."

Luna looked up and was surprised to feel tears in her eyes. She dabbed her damp eyes with a tissue.

"Are you okay?"

" Yes, We are just… We don't know how to feel. Here We are appreciated… " She told him everything on her mind. It all slipped out. All the secrets she had kept, save for a select few, and all her pain that she had been hiding under a mask.

"We apologise… This would have been a perfect night and We ruined it… We are wasting thine time… "

He hugged her. "I'll make that bitch you call a sister pay. And you deserve this, Luna. You're not wasting my time or being a burden. I'm enjoying this time I'm spending with you. "

He looked deep into her glossy turquoise eyes. 

"You might think that you have no true worth in this world. You might think that if you disappeared, no one would notice, but that isn't true. I'd notice. Equestria might shun you and mistreat you, but you're always welcome here. You know, you don't need to stay with her. It's just going to hurt you more. "

She looked up into his green eyes, only holding his gaze for a second before looking away.

"Art thou suggesting we run away? "

"Technically, you kind of already did by coming here, but yes, I am. She'll just hurt you more. Something might happen… and I don't want to lose you."

"Even though I've known you only for a night… I feel some sort of connection to you. I feel like - like I've known you for years."

Luna just nodded, sniffling and getting another tissue to wipe her eyes. "We- I feel the same connection. I feel like I'm familiar with you, even though we only met tonight. For some reason, I trusted you enough to tell you ...everything."

Sombra nodded.

"Now, how about we get started on our smoothies? "

Luna nodded and took a sip of hers a s Sombra did the same.

Having never had one of these before, she couldn't help it gulp it all down in the span of a few seconds.

The King looked at her with an amused expression, while she used a napkin to hide her face in embarrassment.

"There's no need to be embarrassed." He drew in, as if telling her a secret. "You know, the first time I came here, my reaction was that too. These smoothies are amazing; don't you agree? "

"Indeed. It is not only amazing how they are so delicately and beautifully designed, but also the taste of them. I find this to be the best smoothie ever."

Sombra cocked his eyebrow. "Since when did you stop referring to yourself as 'we'?"

"Huh? I-We often switch between using the two sometimes. It was the way We-I mean I was brought up. My father would talk in this manner while my mother would use what people consider to be normal speech. It was rather confusing…"

"... I actually said that as a joke, but never mind."

While Sombra drank his slowly like a proper gentleman/in a manner befitting of a King, he thought over a few things.

Even my father never treated me like that… He always gave physical abuse; not mental or emotional one. I just can't believe that… I mean, this is the first time I've heard of such a thing. I might not know Luna well, but the pain in her voice… It hurts me as well. No one should have to go through such things… I fear to think of what could happen in the future of this is what's happening now.

She might hurt Luna more… When my father used to hit me for looking different than the rest of his fucking white skinned family, he was always drunk. He blamed me for the death of my mother as she died after giving birth to me. My siblings always treated me like an outcast….

…And if I felt bad enough that I had to use that way to cope…. I hope Luna isn't doing it to herself.

He looked at the Princess who was staring at her hands. She wore a sleeveless dress, but her forearms were covered with silk gloves which reached up to her elbows.

"Uhm...Sombra? Are you tired or anything?"

"Hm?"

"You seem to be bored, staring in one spot…"

"Oh sorry. I was just admiring your gloves . "

"Huh?" Luna looked at her gloves and pulled them up a little, thinking they had slipped .

"They're very nice, that's what I'm trying to say."

"Oh. Well, thanks. They help to keep me warm…"

 Or they could have a double purpose...one being for warmth, and the other to hide something…

Seeing how Luna fidgeted a little, Sombra decided to change the topic. "So, do you have any hobbies? In my spare time I like to grow crystals. " He laughed. " I've grown so many of them that Hope often says I'm obsessed with crystals."

"Well, We like to paint. It might not be as much or as impressive as Thine hobby, but it helps Us keep Ourselves occupied."

"You paint? I think that's impressive, Luna. After seeing how beautiful your sky looks, I can't even begin to imagine how wonderful your paintings would be."

"Really?"

"Really. So, do you want to come and see my Castle now? And then we can go to a very special place~"

He winked after saying that. The Lunar Princess rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Sombra got some money out of his pocket and left it on the bill that was on the table, after which they both exited the restaurant. "I would have said goodbye to Hope, but everyone knows that drama Queen's too busy planning our wedding and forming theories as to how we are supposedly dating to have a normal conversation. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she threw rose petals over us the next time."

Luna, who had just been thinking about all the ways she might have messed up by being too quiet and ruining the mood, snapped out of her thoughts at the words 'next time '.

"The next time? " she echoed. 

"Yeah, the next time."

" I mean, there's going to be a next time? "

"Ja, why not?"

" We...I… I-it was unexpected… Weren't We too boring for thou? "

"Boring?" Sombra scoffed. " On the contrary, Luna, this was the best night I've ever had. Hope can't spend time with me often due to her job and how busy she is with it, and I have no friends other than her. If it weren't for you, I'd have died of boredom. And oh heavens, that would be the worst thing ever! My Empire would be left without their previous ruler, unguided and uncontrolled! Why, who could know what would happen then? "

Sombra's antics made Luna chuckle lightly. She looked up to meet his eyes as he was a little taller than her, and caught a glimpse of the sky. More specifically, the colour it was.

Her eyes widened. "I hate to say this, but it seems We must see Thine castle another day. It is drawing near the time for sunrise, and my sister will find out…"

Sombra nodded solemnly. "I am also sorry at the fact you must go  now as the time flew by so fast. Come again when you can, but remember to not do it too often or she'll notice for sure. Before you ask me, yes, I do have experience with sneaking out and stuff. Just remember that I'm happy to have you here, and...stay safe."

"Farewell Sombra, I shall hopefully come back again."

She was about to use her magic to fly as long distance teleported would take a lot of mana, and she was currently exhausted beyond belief, when Sombra stopped her and clicked his fingers.

A red rose appeared and he handed it to her. "A little memento for you to keep. I wouldn't be a true gentleman if all I did was bid you goodbye!"

She nodded in thanks, blushing. 

"I must go now." With those words, she made her departure, leaving the King with fond memories of the Night, and to his thoughts…
> Chapter Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Three








Now having reached close enough to the Castle to teleport, Luna did so as it would be too risky to attempt flying back to her balcony as she would most likely be seen by the Solar Guards who would be coming to take the places of their Lunar counterparts.

Within the blink of an eye, there she was, standing on her balcony and looking out of it. She lowered the moon slowly and then turned to enter her bedroom.

However, as she turned around she came face to face with one of her Guards. Her personal Guard, if one were to be specific.

Naturally, she was startled and let out an undignified screech at the same time she jumped back. "Sh-sh-Shadowlance?! What art thou doing here?! "

The Guard did not look amused. "Princess." He ran a hand that was somewhere between golden and light brown in coloration through his dark brown hair, revealing his blue eyes, and sighed.

Even if he hadn't sighed, Luna would have been able to tell his displeasure. Normally he would address her by her name (as she had told him to) and would make a joke. But right now…

"Where in Equestria were you?! I was looking for you everywhere. I swear, I only took a bathroom break for five minutes or something, and when I returned you were gone! And then I remembered the lecture you gave me in my first year of joining the Lunar Guard. Actually, I only remembered one sentence which was the most important one, in which you said that a Guard shall not leave his Princess at any time unless she is in her bedroom or specifically tells them to, and that even though taking bathroom breaks are good, we are putting the lives of our Princess at risk by leaving her for even a second!" 

He took a breath. "So, where did you go?"

" Out. "

"Princess, that's obvious. I meant, where did you go? "

"To the land of Crystals." She didn't know why she was telling him. The words simply slipped out of her mouth .

"A land of Crystals sounds awesome! I'd love to go somewhere with crystals sometime! Where did you even find it? "

"I meant the Crystal Empire."

" Oh…" He said in understanding. "I've heard of it once or twice but never actually saw the place." A grin of mischief crossed his face. "By the way, I can see a rose in your hair. Did you find anyone you like? "

Luna rolled her eyes. "I surely did. But I'm not sure what I see them as, a friend or other, though there is a strange feeling that I felt around them, and I felt at ease and as if they were familiar to Us. "

"Give me a clue?"

" Nope. "

"Even their gender?"

" Nope. "

"Come on."

" Nope. "

Shadowlance was bored, seeing that this would lead nowhere. He noticed the sun rising. "I think it would be best to go inside, Princess, as the Sun is rising."

To this she did not say anything, merely opening the door that separated her balcony and bedroom, after which she entered it. Shadowlance followed her.

To his surprise, Luna did not tell him to go; on the contrary she asked him to stay a little, and they talked.

Luna, for the most part remained quiet, listening to Shadowlance telling her about what happened beyond the walls of the Castle.

The people strayed further from the night, and bat pony villages were often being attacked by the ones who remained awake at night.

A girl had found her special talent in stargazing, an act which she had been repeatedly told not to do, and as a result her parents had disowned her.

Luna hated the fact that people behaved in this manner towards the night. They did their best to avoid it and shunned all who had an interest in it or had anything related to it.

People who did not share their opinions, such as the bat ponies, who would remain awake at night would be punished for it.

Luna really disliked it. She could not help but feel as if it were due to her, as Celestia had spread rumours about Luna, and that led to the hatred of all the things she did. 

People hated the moon because her name translated to it. People hated the stars and might because it was what she controlled.

People hated everything about her.

If We had not been born, and the night under the control of Our sister, would it be treated differently?

"Luna, are you ok?"

" Yes… " Luna snapped out of her thoughts. "We were just distressed by the situation and the way in which the people treat Our night. "

He nodded and replied that something would need to be done about it soon, because things were escalating if he was correct, and the people were getting increasingly violent.

She also nodded and Shadowlance changed the topic, but the previous one still lingered on her mind, though she tried not to show it.

A while later he left, after saying "I missed this, Luna. It's been years since we finally had a chance to actually talk."

"Me too. I wish you sweet dreams. "

Now alone, Luna was free to her thoughts. She laid upon her bed and recalled the previous night, the pleasant memories, and how could she forget, the rose.

She drew it out of her hair gently and admired its beautiful crimson colour.

The colour reminded her of the blood that would come out and drip off her arm when she cut deep, but the rose itself caused a blush in her cheeks as she remembered the person who had given it to her.

"Sombra."

She quietly whispered his name, but for which reason, she knew not.

And for whatever reason, murmuring his name grew butterflies in the young Princesses' stomach.

She didn't think about it too much. She just let it be.

After all, not everything needed an explanation.

For the first time in years she felt a little happy. It was a strange feeling to feel an emotion other than sadness, but she welcomed it.

So she lay there, twirling the rose around peacefully, until her ears alerted her of someone approaching.

Her reaction was to quickly hide the rose in a drawer and fall back onto her bed, drawing her eyes slightly closed as the door handle turned. And she quickly levitated a blanket into herself for more effectiveness.

She did her best to look asleep as she entered.

Celestia never knocked. She did not care for the privacy of her younger sister, and did not feel as if she needed to show good manners to her either.

To others, she was seen as kind, caring, polite, someone to trust and so on.

But to Luna? Luna saw the true side of her sister. She hated her. To her, Celestia was a tyrant.

The Lunar Princess tensed involuntarily as her sister closed the door and drew closer to her bed.

"Get up."

She didn't even say Luna's name. It was as if she thought it would impurify her oh-so-pure-and-righteous tongue.

To tell the truth, Luna had almost never been called by her name by Celestia, save for a few occasions, such as yesterday.

Her heart beat faster as Celestia sat on the edge of her bed and then used magic to levitate her blanket off.

"When I say get up, you get up, Luna." She spat the name with as much hatred as she could muster. 

The Princess still remained unmoving save for the breaths she drew in through her slightly parted lips.

"You're forcing me to do this, even though I was going to do it anyway," was the only warning she got as the elder Princess clicked her fingers .

At first Luna thought nothing had happened, and then felt a burning sensation on her upper arm.

She opened her eyes to see that a metal rod was there, and powered by the Solar Princess, it was burning her skin.

She made no reaction to it at first, having gotten a higher pain tolerance due to her self-inflicted injuries.

But as it grew hotter, Luna could not bear it anymore and moved away from it, sitting up.

"What. Dost. Thou. Want."

It was not phrased as a question, and came out as a statement. Luna was instantly irritated as she saw the face of her sister.

"And that's why you should listen to me. Now you've got a oh-so-huge burn on that arm of yours, and that means longer gloves for you, doesn't it?"

She laughed. It was an unpleasant sound and Luna felt sick.

"And why would We need to cover that? It is not like anyone sees us or would be concerned. "

Sombra might… but We do not wish for her to know about him. 

"Huh, I guess that's a fair point. See, you finally admitted it. No one cares about you!" Her voice was full of delight, like a kid in a candy store.

"We art tired of thine games. Tell Us what thou wish to say."

" Ugh, you're such a bore and straight to the point as always. Fine, I will tell you. If you weren't here, I wouldn't have to share the throne with you, and I'd be a Queen. "

"I would have killed you myself, but I don't want to be bothered with explaining it all to Equestria, and pretending to love you."

Before Luna could react, Celestia magically pulled the girl's gloves off, and grinned at what she saw.

"Started that, have you? Well, I think these are pathetic cuts. At least go deeper if you're going to do anything. I mean, I saw someone walking in the streets the other day, and their cuts were way deeper than your cat scratches," was her remark as she forcefully grabbed Luna's arm and looked at her still healing styro cut.

She then opened her right hand to show some pictures. All were of cuts... That were still healing. Some were fresh and had blood around them.

"See all these? Compare these to yours and tell me what looks more like anything."

Luna did not respond, instead shifting as she was uncomfortable with this.

"Well, I'd just love, love, love to stay and chat forever, but unlike you, I actually have some royal duties to perform," sneered Celestia, dropping the pictures on Luna's bed, turning around and slamming the door behind her.

And with that Luna was free of her nauseating presence. She felt sick, hatred, pain, both from the burn and her sister's words...And she felt drained.

She did not put her gloves back on, instead putting a finger on the cut which had been mentioned. 

Not deep enough? What will it take to be "deep enough"? For Us to cut so deep that We art able to see Our bones?

She held up one of the pictures, which was of a fresh cut which exposed the fat in the person's arm. It also showed several others like it, all lined up or close to each other.

 My cuts are nothing, compared to this... She was right. I don't have to listen to her, but I need this. I was in a good mood for once and she took that away from me.

Before that, Luna examined the burn. It didn't look that serious, being a two degree burn, so Luna just wrapped some bandages around it from her first aid kit.

I think that was all I was supposed to do.

And then she levitated her blade from under her pillow, placed it against her wrist and then… She paused and decided to change her clothes first, as these ones restricted her movement a little.

Once she had put her pyjamas on, Luna put the blade against her arm once again.

I don't have to do this… but my arm already has so many scars and cuts on it…

I can fight this urge… Sombra wouldn't want me to do this.

And how do you know that? I don't even think he cares about you. Why would he? You were probably nothing more than a short escape from his duties, or he could have been planning to do something else. But you showed up, and because he was too much of a gentleman to tell you to fuck off, he had to entertain you.

No… he didn't feel like that. We're sure We weren't wasting his time…

Oh really? You're hopelessly naive if you don't believe that. Your skin is already mutilated. It can't be repaired and the scars will never go away. What's one more cut, Luna? What will one more cut matter when there are already so many?

No… I must...resist…. No…

She struggled, putting the blade down yet trying to reach for it, only to draw her hand back again.

And then she realised something. What is one more cut? It won't matter.

With that she grabbed her blade and began slashing her arms, ignoring the small stings of pain it gave.

Finally, she stopped to stare at the aftermath of it.

The cuts were producing very little blood.
These are only light dermis cuts… not even "deep". Is Our blade not sharp enough? 

She ran a finger across its bloodied edge only to see that her fingertip was not sliced open.

We suppose it was about time We had replaced Our blade, anyways…

Closing her eyes, she imagined the shape, size and sharpness of the blade. She imagined a pattern on its handle, one of moons and stars.

After adding all the necessary details to the image in her mind she opened her eyes to see that the blade had appeared and was floating in the air.

She put a hand out and grabbed it, running a fingertip across it to check the sharpness. She applied a little pressure as she moved it along her thumb, and to her great surprise, saw lots of blood flowing out of it.

The Princess examined her right thumb. There was a huge gash in it, which was surprising as she felt no pain.

Rather than do the normal thing and focus on stopping the bleeding and closing the cut, Luna watched the blood trail down her arm in wonder.
As she gazed at it, she felt an urge to lick the blood, but ignored it. Smiling at the beautiful rubies, she levitated a small glass jar over and held it under the cut, letting it fill…

The Lunar Princess winced as sunlight flooded the room and the clock showed that it was now around seven AM.

Damn it… I forgot to close the curtains…

Hastily, she used her left hand to cast the magic and closed her light blocking curtains, sighing in relief once it was done.

We should go to bed now. But first We must close this cut.

Getting a tissue and pressing it against her thumb while bending it so the cut now seemed closed, Luna watched as the tissue became soaked with blood.

I think I cut a vein or something…

It took a while of pressing hard, but the cut had eventually stopped bleeding. She would have to keep her thumb in this bent position for a few days, or it would reopen.

The Lunar Princess got onto her bed carefully, deciding that she would clean her mess up in the morning, and fell asleep due to exhaustion…
> Chapter Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Four


The Princess of the Night tossed and turned in her sleep as nightmares of Celestia plagued her dreams.

 "Come now, Luna," Celestia called with a voice  as sweet as honey. "I'll show you how to do it properly."

 Luna wasn't fooled by this. She ran further into the forest, not caring where she was going. All she wanted to do was  get away from Celestia who was holding a large knife with a sadistic grin on her face.

She ran until her legs gave out, and looked behind her only to see her pursuer there. She tried to get up but her legs ached too much.

She pushed herself up, ignoring the protests of her legs and turned to run...but there was nowhere to run. It was a dead end.

 "Luna~ Did you really think you could escape from me?"

The Lunar Princess jolted awake in bed, sweating and shaking.

She looked around in a panic, only to let out a sigh of relief once she had done so. She was still in her bedroom.

It was only a dream...Calm down Luna.

She took a few deep breaths.

Having no desire to go back to sleep and have more nightmares, she sat up and began to wonder…

Where did it all go wrong? When we were children, Celestia...wasn't like this.

No… she still treated me nicely, even after our parent's deaths…. It was only after a few months of ruling that she became like this,  sometime after we had banished Stygian, or the man of shadows, as he was called, if I remember correctly…

And then she became bitter towards Us, abhorring Us  and doing all...this.

What changed? 

The change in behaviour towards Us wasn't sudden… It happened gradually, with her slowly treating Us worse….

I'm sure that something must have happened for our relationship to change… But what?B

That question haunted her, even as her eyelids grew heavier and she unwillingly drifted back to sleep.








Princess Celestia was not in the throne room, doing Day Court. No, rather she was in her room, pacing as her mind replayed the...event that had occurred in Luna's room.

No...I'm losing control. I can't afford to, and yet I am. That beast will take over me completely unless I find a cure.

How could I have done that to Luna? How could I have… She grimaced as an unpleasant thought struck her. If this is what I’m like now… who knows what I’ll do in the future, when this beast has full control over me? It would be better if I stayed away from her… And probably everyone else as well until I manage to successfully get rid of it. But I can’t just disappear off of the face of Equestria suddenly, and without an explanation. 

And there’s also the fact that it made me spread lies about Luna. The citizens of Equestria will never accept her as a complete ruler, even if it will only be for a short time.

But it could also take months, even years… 

I’ve been searching for a way to rid myself of its presence in my head,  and I have been trying to do so for years, but so far, nothing has worked.

If only I had been more careful on that day, then perhaps this wouldn’t have happened.  

She gazed out of the window.

Luna will hate me forever. She doesn’t know about this, and I can’t tell her… The periods in which it causes me to act like that are only when I’m near Luna… In fact, I only lose my grasp over it near her. What can that mean?

Does that mean that Luna is the sole target of this? Whoever caused Stygian to become…that is probably behind this.

I came to that conclusion a long time ago, but I haven’t been able to find the person. But who would want to attack her? 

She never hurt anyone…

As the Solar Princess mulled over that thought all day, but found herself no closer to a conclusion, it was time to lower the sun, and she did so.






As the sunset faded away, and the yellow turned to grey, the Lunar Princess of the Night awoke for her duties.

She raised the moon and decorated the sky with stars and constellations.

As she no longer did Lunar Court, she found herself with nothing to do.

Perhaps getting out of the castle for a little would give me something to do… I would just need to disguise myself and I would be fine. I should not be too obvious… I need to blend in or fade into the background, not stand out and be noticed. I would also need to wear different clothes…

Luna opened her wardrobe and dug through it, but found nothing that fit the description of the clothing she was looking for. In the Crystal Empire, I recall that some of the people there were wearing some sort of jumper with a hood…

A knock sounded on the door, and she opened it after putting her gloves on, wincing in pain as it brushed her thumb. She then  peeked out through a gap. "Ah, Shadowlance. Did something happen?"

He shook his head as she opened the door to let him in, closing it once he entered. "Nah, I was just going to make sure that you were still here, and not flying off anywhere without me. It's dangerous for you to leave the castle without your personal guard, you know."

She nodded, opting not to say anything, so he continued. "You didn't disguise yourself when you went to the Crystal Empire, did you?" She looked away, smiling sheepishly. "Next time you want to go somewhere, you should disguise yourself and take me with you. Safety first… Anyways, I didn't come here to lecture you. I was wondering if you'd like to get some fresh air…instead of staying cooped up in here all night."

"That was actually the very thing on my mind," Luna replied, surprised. "I know what disguise I'll use, but I need to find some common clothes…"

Shadowlance frowned. "Can't you just conjure it up?"

"Many things can be conjured, but clothes, food, water and living creatures cannot be made with magic. And wouldn't you need to disguise yourself too?"

"It's easy for me. All I need to do is change out of my armour, and not smile or my fangs will show."

"If only it were that easy for me…"

"I know! I'll get you some different clothes! Have you got anything in mind?"

"Well, when We went to the Empire, some of the citizens were wearing some sort of a jumper, but it had a hood and pockets."

"So you want a hoodie? Okay, I'll get that. I know exactly what could go with it…"







Once Shadowlance returned, he gave Luna a bag which had light blue jeans and a long sleeved black hoodie in it. He then left the room, saying, "Try it on and call me once you're done."

Luna looked over the clothes first, and then put them on carefully so she wouldn't reopen her thumb. As the hoodie had long sleeves, she had no need to wear her gloves. 

It was hard doing it one-handed, but she still managed to do it.

Once done, she told Shadowlance to come in. "You look wonderful, Luna. Hah! I knew this would suit you! Do you like it?"

She looked at herself in the mirror. "I love it. Thanks a lot."

Shadowlance smirked. "Now you just need to disguise yourself and we can go."

She did so in a second. "Now you need to change your clothes as well."

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, and before she could respond, he had already flown off her balcony, presumably to the guard's barracks.

He didn't take long to return, and Luna smiled once she saw him. 

"See, we're matching!" he exclaimed with a goofy smile while Luna simply rolled her eyes.

"Let's go, shall we?"
> Chapter Five
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Five


"This is nice, don't you agree?"

"Yes, it feels wonderful," Luna replied to her companion. "Even though we both have to disguise ourselves, this still feels good. "

Shadowlance gulped down the rest of his coffee and dusted his hands of the sugar left by the sugar donuts that he and the Princess of the Night had eaten. "Donut Joe's stuff is great, it's no wonder his cafe is the most popular one in Canterlot."

Luna nodded and they both stood up, ready to walk back to the Castle. 

"I don't really want to go back, but I have to."

The vampire shook his head. "You don't really need to. You have a right to do what you want."

"I know… but as much as I want to run away to a place far away from here, I-I just can't… She'll find me, and it'll happen again… "

"What will?"

"I actually tried to run away once, a few years ago, before you became my personal guard. She was just treating me worse and worse, and I just couldn't take it anymore… So I went as far as I could, and I managed to be free for a few hours… and she still found me. "

"Where did you run to?"

" A town called Appaloosa. The people there were kind and did not judge. They didn't favour the moon over the sun or vice versa. They just said that everything and everyone is here for a reason, and that they weren't going to be like the people in other towns and just do bad things for silly reasons. Sometimes I wish that I could have just been born as a normal person, or even not at all. "

Shadowlance cast a worried look in her direction, but said nothing about that, instead opting to change the topic. "Look, there's a bat!"

He put his arm out and smiled when it landed on him. "I've been training her for quite a while now."

"Isn't it dangerous to touch bats?"

" Not for vampires like myself, it isn't. I drink blood, they drink blood. The only difference is that I'm a human who drinks blood, and they're not. "

"Wow…"

"I know, right?! " Shadowlance grins. "That's like, almost the coolest part of being a vampire. "

"Oh?" Luna cocked an eyebrow in wonder. " Then what is the coolest part?"

The Guard looks around, and then puts a finger upon his lips. "It's a secret," he whispers. At Luna's pout, he winks. "But I suppose I can tell close friends."

" You think of me as a friend? And a close one as well? " Luna tried to keep her tone neutral, but surprise leaked into her voice.

"Luna, Luna, Luna. We've been friends for ages. Ever since I was first assigned as your personal guard, we've been friends. Well, actually it was only a few weeks after my assignment to you that it happened, but it's not like this is a history book or a story where everything has to be narrated one hundred percent accurately." He shrugs and then pets the bat that's sitting on his gloved hand. " Wanna pet Moonbeam? "

"Moonbeam?"

" Yeah, Moonbeam. Her name is amazing, right? I named her myself, so of course it would be an amazing name, " Shadowlance boasts, before facepalming. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Humans can't touch bats… But wait a second, you're not just a human. You're an incarnation of the moon- wait, you're the avatar of the Moon, so I think it should be safe."

He holds out his arm, and Luna looks at the bat. "I think I'd rather be safe than sorry."

" But what fun is life without all the risks? Being safe than sorry is boring. "

Luna chuckles. "Truer words have never been said."

The Vampire scratches the back of his neck with his free hand and then pets Moonbeam again, before grasping Luna's hand and staring into her eyes with a serious look that she's rarely seen in him. "Before I tell you, you must swear by your life that you won't tell anyone."

" I swear. "

"Say the full sentence."

Luna rolls her eyes as she says, "I swear by my life that I won't tell anyone. Wait a second, does this mean that if I do tell anyone, you'll suck all my blood out? Threatening your Princess is against the rules~"

Shadowlance pretends to be deep in thought and shrugs. "I guess I'll have to. It is a secret, after all. And you're not just a Princess to me. You're my friend, and my Princess. So I totally can say all of this."

" Hmm…"

"Anyways, I'll tell you now. Vampires have the ability of mind control. We can make people forget things, do things and even act differently. In the past, some vampires used that ability to do certain things that would not be allowed, and some vampires still do it."

" As amazing as that sounds, I must admit that I have a question..."

"Shoot."

" It might seem a little strange… "

"I won't judge you."

" But… you know how you drink blood? "

"You want to know what type I drink?" At the Princess' nod, he said, " Despite human blood being the best, I drink animal blood. Not birds or fishes, just big animals, mostly horses and stuff. I mean, I would kill to get some fresh human blood, no pun intended, but since those laws were established that said that any vampire found drinking the blood of a human without the latter's  consent shall be sentenced to death or a life imprisonment. You know that one. "

Luna gave a thoughtful nod. There was a silence between them which lasted for a few moments, until Shadowlance motioned for Luna to stop walking. "We're close enough that we'll be seen if we go any closer."

Luna clicks her fingers after gathering power in her hands, and focuses on the place that both of them want to go. Namely, her balcony.

A magical aura surrounds the duo, and Moonbeam flies away after which they find themselves on Luna's balcony.

Shadowlance staggers about in surprise and then holds his hands on his mouth. A few seconds later, he returns them to his sides and glares at Luna. "You could've given me a warning, you know. It's not like I teleport every single day."

" Well, for your information, my dear friend, Shadowlance… I don't teleport every day either! "

"Well, isn't that a surprise," he mutters, just loud enough that Luna could hear him. "Anyways, did you enjoy tonight?"

"It was a pleasant time, which I thank you for. I look forward to going out with you again." She then clicks her fingers again and her disguise disappears. She takes her hood off.

Shadowlance smiles and then walks over to Luna. "Hmm… I'd say that I deserve a reward for this."

" Oh? What would it be?"

He walks right behind her and wraps his hands around her waist, breathing on her neck, causing her to breathe heavily and goosebumps to appear on her skin... His voice goes directly into her ears, as he whispers, alluringly, "A kiss."

Luna turns her neck as much as she can and looks into his blue eyes, the pupils of which are dilating slightly. He had a smirk on his face, and the moonlight shining in his hair, the shadow of which covers most of his face only makes her breathe faster. Her heart races for some unknown reason, and...
> Chapter Six
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love



Chapter Six







SMACK!

The sound resonated throughout the Castle, and  Luna swore that she could see a few guards looking up to see the source of the sound...or was that just in her imagination?

"D'AAAAH!" yelled Shadowlance as the force of the smack sent him sprawling backwards and onto the floor. He held  a  hand to his face and winced.

The Lunar Princess sheepishly held out a hand to help the Vampire up. "Sorry… I guess I put a little too much power behind that one…"

" If that's what you call a little too much power, then I fear to imagine what your full strength is. "

"Does it hurt?" Luna asked, wincing as she saw her personal guard's red cheek.

" 'Course it does. People who think girls are weak are truly mistaken…. "

She gave a fake gasp of shock. "So you thought I was weak?!"

" No Prin-"

"Then what was all of that about, huh? And here I thought you were supposed to be my friend…"

" Luna... " Shadowlance rolls his eyes.

"Doth thou dare to roll thine eyes at thine Princess?! "

"A Princess who is my friend, and yes, I dare to for I am the guard- the bravest guard in all of Equestria. And yet I was a fool to believe that you were weak. "

"Aha! So you did think I was weak. "

"No I meant to say that I was a fool to underestimate you- that's all," he said in a nervous panic.

"Indeed you were...Though, believe me when I say that I truly did not mean to put that much force behind it. If it still hurts, I can cast a numbing spell..."

"Yes please."

After that, they remained in silence for a while, standing at the balcony and looking out of it.

Many thoughts passed through Luna's head as she stood there, but none of them were voiced.

She admired the way she had arranged the stars on that particular night, and sighed as she thought of how few people appreciated it. The Vampires stayed awake at night only because the Sun would burn them.

But the citizens of the Crystal Empire appreciate it...

At last, Luna broke the silence, gently saying, "I believe it is time to lower the moon. Have pleasant dreams, Shadowlance."

"Same to you Luna."





The week passed by slowly. Luna was not bothered by her older sister, who kept mostly to herself.

This meant that Luna was free to do what she wanted, so even though she wanted to visit King Sombra, she remembered his words. As much as I love to see you, my beautiful Princess, you should be careful when choosing the times that you come. Do not come on a night that is too close to the other, as she will surely notice. Perhaps once a week is enough?

So it was with Shadowlance whom she went with instead. They went to a couple of places, to which the Lunar Princess had never been, and the Vampire was more than happy to explain to her what they were.

They mostly talked, and Shadowlance had once said I swear, all you talk about is King Sombra.

That, of course, had flustered the Princess, and she had looked away, falling silent. Shadowlance then told her that it was just a joke, and they resumed talking soon after.

She enjoyed leaving the castle, which had been like a prison to her. And she enjoyed her nights out with her friend.

But she and Shadowlance agreed that they should not go out too often or they would be caught by Celestia, the consequences of which would be disastrous.

It was on a cold Friday night, when things were quiet in the castle as usual that she decided to visit King Sombra again, as her thoughts revolved around him all night and in her dreams.

She did think of Shadowlance quite a couple of times, but that was beside the point.

This time she wore the clothes that Shadowlance had bought for her, and was almost about to set off when she remembered that she was accidentally leaving him behind.

Pausing she turned back from her balcony and opened her door a little. He is leaning against the wall opposite her.

"Shadowlance," she whispered, knowing that his sensitive Vampire hearing would allow him to detect even the quietest of noises.

He turns around upon hearing her and says, "Did you call me, Princess?"

Luna nods and motions for him to come. He enters her room and once the door is closed, asks, "So, why did you call me?"

"It's that time."

"What time?" He inquires, confused, before saying, "Oh, it's time! You're going to the C-"

"Shh, not here!" She says before he can let the entire castle know where she's going. "Just follow me," she said, standing on the railing of her balcony, using magic to balance herself.

"We're flying there," she informs him,  before casting a spell to give her wings. That other spell was rather tiring.

She then jumps off. Shadowlance watches as she flies, and then transforms into a bat, following her.

Once he's caught up, Luna looks behind her and asks, "You can transform into a bat?"

"Why do you think that Vampires are sometimes referred to as bat people?"

"Huh... Shadowlance! Let's have a race! Whoever gets there first, wins!"

"What do they win?"

"The race, of course," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But I've never flown there before!"

"I'm sure you'll find it."

"B-"

"Three...two...one..Go!"

Shadowlance rolls his eyes as Luna zooms past, and speeds up...







"Well, that was rather fun, wasn't it?" They both are collapsed on the snow, near the border of the Empire.

"Yes, it was."

"So, who would you say won?"

"Both of us," Luna says. "So, we're both winners!"

Shadowlance laughs. "The Crystal Empire looks better than I thought it would."

"Indeed, it is a place of beauty. Come on, let's go there."

They get up and start walking towards the Empire. Once they're at the gates, the guards let Luna pass, but question who Shadowlance is.

Luna explains that he's her personal guard, and they both are let through.

"Wow..." Shadowlance gazes around in wonder. "I wish I could live here..."

"You could always apply to become my guard, you know," someone says behind them...

Author's Note: This chapter must be terrible... For which I'm sorry. But I was just unable to write anything! I kept trying...and this is the end result.

I'm running out of ideas....
> Chapter Seven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love



Chapter Seven




"You could always apply to become my guard, you know." 

The duo spin around to see none other than King Sombra.

"It is pleasant to see you again, Luna. I'd almost thought you'd forgotten. And who is your companion? "

"Me? Forget? Never. And this is Shadowlance, my personal guard and friend."

Shadowlance bowed. "I hope you are doing well, Your Majesty."

"There's no need to be so formal. Any friend of Luna is also my friend."

"Wow, we're that close?" 

"Of course we are. Even though we have only known each other for a night, we have a lot of things in common." Sombra turned towards Shadowlance. "So, how did your friendship with Luna begin? Were you two already friends, or…? "

"It actually started after I was assigned as her personal guard, " said the Vampire. "We've been friends for about four to five years now. " Shadowlance turns to Luna. "We've been friends for so long, and you didn't even mention my name once! I'm so hurt… "

"Shadowlance…" Luna couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Would you like a tour of the Empire, Shadowlance? And this time we'll begin with my castle," Sombra winked at Luna as he said the last part.






"And this right here is my latest invention. Well, it's more of an experiment, merely a way for long distance communication. I came up with it recently, and it's almost done. I just need to find the right type of crystals to hold the magic which will power these books, and then we'll move straight on to testing. Would you like to help me test it, Luna? "

"I'd be happy to," Luna smiled.

"You really are an angel, " says Sombra as he wraps an arm around Luna.

Shadowlance does his best to hide his reaction. That's my Luna.

"Now that we're done with touring the castle, who would like to come to my bedroom?"

" S-sombra… " Luna blushes and Shadowlance rolls his eyes.

"I think you're being a bit too suggestive there, mate, " he almost growls. Why am I feeling this way?

"You're one to talk, what with how suggestive you yourself were being, just a few days ago. "

"Luna… That was just a little friendly teasing."

"And this isn't?"

Before the two could have a debating competition, Sombra raises both hands in surrender. "Relax guys, I was just joking. Let's go to Belle Vie, shall we?"

"Belle V- what?" Shadowlance asks, struggling to pronounce the name.

"Belle Vie. It's a café. My favourite one, if I'm to be honest."







" Heh, I knew you'd like it, " says the King.

"How were you able to tell?" the Vampire questions.

"It's pretty easy. Everyone loves this café."

"I should've guessed. But seriously, this café is great. I can see why it's your favourite. I'll be back in a second."

"I suppose you're getting another coffee?" Luna asks.

"Hey, don't laugh! What can I do if their stuff is this good?"

Once Shadowlance was back at the counter for the tenth time, Sombra turns to Luna.

"Are you okay?" 

" Yeah… it's just that since I don't talk to people that often, I rarely think of things to say. You and Shadowlance are literally the only people whom I talk to… other than her when she strikes up a conversation with m e, which is more of a one sided one, with her mostly doing her best to bring me down."

"She hasn't done anything to you recently, has she? If she hurts you…"

Luna hesitates a little before answering, "...N-no." I can't let him know. He'll try to help me...and she would hurt him.

The King looks at her with some concern, but otherwise says nothing. For some reason, I feel as if Luna is hiding something from me, but pressing the matter when it makes her uncomfortable would not help.

Shadowlance returns with a tray which has more mugs of coffee than can be counted, and sets it down on the table. He then wipes sweat off his barely visible moustache, and sighs before falling into his seat.

"..." For once, Sombra is at a loss of words to say.

"...Do I even want to know what happened?" Luna asks after a few seconds of watching Shadowlance continue to wipe sweat off his face, rub both his arms, and sip a few mugs of coffee. Well, gulp down would be more accurate as one cannot merely sip two to three drinks in the span of a few seconds.

"Trust me, you definitely don't want to know." The Vampire throws the rest of the coffee from the mug that he is currently holding down his throat and then looks at Sombra and Luna seriously. He takes a deep breath, preparing himself. "...But I'll tell you anyway, because this story is one that's just gotta be heard! So, I just went to the counter and asked the lady for another mug of coffee, and she was like another one?! And I was like yeah, of course, 'cause these stuff are flippin' awesome! And she was all like, ya know, if ya like it that much, then why don'cha get yourself a couple of them, and that's what happened. "

"So that's why you've got a tray full of sixty nine cups of coffee?" the King inquired.

" W-well, she did tell me to get as many cups as I wanted, and sixty nine is a good number… " Shadowlance blushes as he answers. "What? It's my favourite number."

"What shall we ever do with you, Shadowlance?" Luna says in a tired tone.

"I think you meant to ask what we should do with all this coffee…" Sombra chuckles.

"Oh, that's easy. We'll just drink all of it. Simple ~" Shadowlance grins.

"Actually, I have a better idea," smirks Luna.

"Let me guess, we're going to make Shadowlance drink all the coffee," guesses Sombra.

"You read my mind! Indeed, that was my idea!"

"Uh, are you sure that I should drink all of it?" Shadowlance asks hesitantly.

"Why, I thought you loved it," says Sombra.

Luna joins in. "Yes, you love it so much that you specifically ordered sixty nine coffees."

"And here I thought that you would never be able to have such a dirty mind, " sighs Shadowlance.

"Are you saying that you think I'm too innocent to think such thoughts? "

"Well, don't blame me. After all, remember the first time I swore in front of you, and you were always saying what the fish instead of what the fuck. "

"Don't blame me- I hadn't even heard anyone use that word so casually!"

"I suppose I am rather curious to hear about that. It sounds rather intriguing," comments Sombra.

" Oh, I'll tell you all about it. " 

"You better drink your sixty nine mugs of coffee while doing so."

"Ah fuck," swears Shadowlance. A silence follows. "....What even made me choose that many?"
> Chapter Eight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love 


Chapter Eight








Princess Celestia frowned as she tried to pronounce the words of a long dead spell. It was an ancient one and had been created long before the birth of her great grandad. That, she was able to tell by reading the date on it.

At last she succeeded, and spoke it aloud. The air shimmered with a magical energy, as did both of her hands, and when she opened her eyes again, she smiled.

It had worked.







"But I've just gotta go to the bathroom! Come on, ya can't be so cruel as to keep me from that!"

"But we've got a couple more places to tour! And we're almost at the place where we'll  finally find that gem! " replies Sombra in the same tone as Shadowlance.

"Couldn't you have chosen a better and more convenient time to find that gem?" whines the Vampire.

"Hey, Mr I'ma Get Sixty Nine Cups'a Coffee Cause I Love Sixty Nine, it's not my fault that my gem finding senses went off now."

"Fucking inconvenient…"

"Dear Shadowlance, please do stop swearing. I wonder, was it the coffee that's caused you to swear so much? " Luna says.

"Nah, when someone's desperate to go to the bathroom and someone else isn't letting them, and that someone doesn't even know where the bathroom is and no one else is telling them, you can't expect them to be on Cloud Nine about it." 

"Look, I'm telling you that it'll only take a few seconds for me to find these gems!"

"Can't ya just magic one up?"

"If everything in the world could be simply magicked up, then there would be no need for people to have jobs. Gems, crystals, pearls, emeralds, gold and silver are among the list of the many things that cannot be magicked up."

"Well, is it possible for you to magic up a bathroom, then?"

" ...Nope. Those need to be built. "

"Ah, Tartarus! What did I even do to deserve this?!"

" It's called fate. That's what happens if you order too much of something. " Luna states. Sombra chuckles.

"According to my senses, the gems should be here. Shadowlance, Luna, would you two like to accompany me into this cave?"

" If it means I can pee sooner, then sure, I'm coming with you."

"Luna?"

Luna looks at the cave. It's not really that big…

Sombra notices her hesitation. "Don't worry, it's not big enough that we'll get lost in it. I've been here before. It's got the width of a quarter of the size of the corridor in my castle, but it's long. "

"...I…"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to. I wouldn't want to put you out of your comfort zone. It would be unforgivable, to put such a beautiful Angel as you through any kind of torment."

"I… don't worry, I'll be fine… I think. I'm sure it won't be as bad as I think it is."

"If you say so…"

" Don't worry Luna, I'll protect you from anything that tries to harm you," says Shadowlance as he grasps Luna's hand.

"Perhaps, I should protect her as well, just to be safe," Sombra says, narrowing his eyes.

Shadowlance also narrows his eyes. "Are you trying to say that my protection won't be enough?"

"There's no need to get defensive. I am merely saying that Luna would be safer with me."

Before Shadowlance can retort, Luna says, "I'll feel safe no matter who protects me. Let's go in now, shall we?"

As they walk in, Sombra casts a light spell to let them see, and says, "I'll protect you."

" No, I will. Luna said anyone can do it, so I will. "

"That doesn't mean that I can't."

Luna facepalms as the two start arguing again and does her best not to look at the cave. Sombra wasn't joking when he talked about how small this was…







Come on Luna, you can do this. Just don't look at how narrow the tunnels are… think of big open spaces, not small ones…

Luna's breathing became heavier as flashbacks of years ago began to play.

 "Celestia, please, no! " a much younger Luna cried out as her older sister forced her into a room which was so small, only one person could stand in it. 

This retrieved no compassion from the older girl, instead eliciting a sneer. "You deserve this for being so pathetic. So what if no one gives a fuck about you? Who cares if no one wants or needs you? It doesn't mean that you need to just cry all day and become even more pathetic. Keep your issues to yourself. I don't want to hear or see you whining about it again."

With that she pushed Luna into there and locked the door. The young Princess felt as though the walls were shrinking, and she would soon be crushed by them…

Back in reality, the Lunar Princess stopped in her tracks, falling to her knees and muttering, "Celestia, no, don't leave me here, please…"

This caused her companions to also stop and look at her with concern. "Luna, are you okay?" asked Shadowlance.

"These tunnels aren't causing you distress, are they?"

Luna didn't respond, still shaking as panic began to flood her brain. The walls became smaller…








"Luna? Luna, please open your eyes and tell me that you're okay! Luna, please!" Sombra stood by Luna's side, holding her hand, while she lay unconscious on his bed.

Shadowlance was currently sweating as his eyes darted between the Lunar Princess' form, and the bathroom.

"You know, you can go ahead and use the bathroom if you wish to do so. I would prefer it if you didn't piss yourself on my carpet. "

"I can't," groans the Vampire. "What if Luna wakes up while I'm in there? And what sort of a friend would I be if I just left her? "

"I'll be with her to protect her."

"But it's not the same as me protecting her."

"I fail to see your logic here. "

"Well, why don't you go and use the bathroom?"

"Because I don't need to?"

" Well, if you don't need to, then I don't either! "

"But you were literally screaming to the heavens only half an hour ago about how you needed to go use the bathroom so badly."

"Well, I'm sure there's nothing wrong if I use it later!"

"...I guess I can't force you. But you must need to go really badly, because look, you're holding your hands over your-"

"I do not need to go!"

" ...Drama Queen. Perhaps I should get you to take the main role if there's ever a play in the Empire."

"I thought you once told Luna that you love dramatics. "

"Well," Sombra blushed. " There's nothing wrong if I do! "

"Wouldn't that make you a hypocrite then? To call me a drama Queen when it is you who loves drama? "

"Everyone's a hypocrite, whether they realise it or not. Except Luna of course. She's an angel. "

"She's my angel."

" Mine. "

"M- Luna, you're awake!"

" Where… Am… I? What… Happened?" Luna groans.

"You're in my bedroom. You… fainted in the cave. You had a panic attack..." explains the King.

"Oh…" the Princess sits up. " I'm..sorry. "

"Luna, there's nothing you need to apologise for," says Shadowlance . 

"But I should've stayed out of the cave. Even after Sombra told me what it was like, I thought it wouldn't really be that small, and even though I'm scared of small spaces.. Thanks to her, I went ahead and went in there. I should have said something…"

" Luna, you are way more important to me than some gems. It's not like they're going to go anywhere. If anything, I should have been more observant. "

"B-"

"I think I'm gonna use the bathroom now…" Shadowlance jumps up and steps forward...only to trip over his own shoelaces. "D'AAAH! Ouch…"







While all this was occuring in the Crystal Empire , in the Canterlot Castle, Celestia stood in her room. Her head felt a lot lighter now, and when she thought of Luna, she no longer felt rage. "I think it worked," she said to herself. " Finally, after all these years, I can finally apologise to Luna for the things He made me do. And tomorrow happens to be her birthday… "
> Chapter Nine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Nine


It matters not the situation,
One always needs a friend.
Even if that friend may be a demon.







Ah, Stygian. Was there a thing I could have done differently, perhaps to save you? Should we have used less magic, or have been more careful in our choice of spells, which we would spend hours reading to each other?

Perhaps we should have stayed away from the topic of summoning demons and making pacts; maybe we should have heeded Mother's words…

 We used to see each other in secret, and were always careful. 

But one small mistake, a slip of the hand, carelessness on my part, and our secret was learnt of.

My parents made sure I stayed in my tower and I was not allowed to leave unless it was for meals, and I was unable to even write a letter to you…

You hadn't any knowledge of the events that transpired, and you mistakenly assumed that I no longer desired to remain friends with you.  







When is she coming? I glance around, wiping sweat off my upper lip as I do so, but there is no sign of her.

Celestia...is late. For once, in the entire time we had been visiting each other in secret, she was late.

I could not go to her; her parents would surely lock me in a dungeon or banish me from Equestria.

So I was dependent on her for our visits. We would inform each other of the timing by letters which would be sent at a specific time, so none other than the intended recipient would read it.

I was not free; my parents were nobles, and it was only due to my magical talent that I had been allowed anywhere near the Princess at all.

I do not know why we were forced to break our friendship, all I know is that the Queen saw something in a dream, and she decided it was better to be 'safe than sorry'.

We would meet up at a cave, an abandoned place where no one else would go, and it would always be at midnight.

I remember our last day together, that is, when we did not have to hide. Celestia told me that she now had a younger sister named Luna, but she wasn't allowed anywhere near her.

Her mother would not bring her sister out of the Castle, nor anywhere in public sight. In fact, the only way she had found out was by accident.







 "Mother, who is this? Is this my sister that you told me about? I thought you said she wasn't able to be born or something."

 " This...was supposed to be your sister, but it seems like… it is somehow not. You know what, just forget about this. "







Celestia did not forget about her younger sister. Instead, she would visit her and be like...a sister, I guess.

On our last day, she told me that she couldn't find Luna (she decided to call her sister that).

We searched and found her in a concealed room at the top of the West Tower.

But there was an enchantment which stopped us from going past… Celestia sought my help in removing it, Naturally, I helped her.

We were crafting a spell together when suddenly we were separated. 

But we weren't going to give up on each other so easily.

And that brings me to now, waiting alone in the rain. My vision is obscured by my wet hair. I sigh and begin walking back to my house.

It seems as though Celestia has given up on me. Was it too tiresome for her to continuously have to stick to a schedule? 

Or did she no longer wish to see me? Was all this secrecy too much for her?

I climb in through a window which I magically open and sneak back to my room. 

Maybe she just forgot?

No...that's not like her. Celestia never forgets. 

…But no one is perfect. Perhaps she forgot the date. Perhaps she wasn't able to come.

I drop onto my bed and stare at the black sky. 

That night, sleep evaded me. There was no use just lying around if nothing could come of it, so I stood up and pulled a random book out of the shelf opposite me.

Using magic to bring it to me, I put it in my lap  and read the title. 

Or rather, I tried to. It was written in a strange language,one which I had never heard of nor come across.

And I used to read books from the Royal Library and Archive…

I flip it over. There's nothing written on the back. 

When did I even get this book? I never saw it before.

And as there's nothing written on the back, there's only one way I can find out what it's about… 







Princess Luna teleported into her room and was relieved to find it empty. This time she had arrived only five minutes from sunrise.

I should really pay attention to the time…

"Have sweet dreams, Luna," whispered Shadowlance as he crept out.

"I wish the same for you," smiled Luna.

Once the doors of her chambers shut, she clicked her fingers, changing her current clothes for her pyjamas, and hid her jeans and hoodie at the back of her wardrobe.

Then she stood on her balcony and lowered the moon, just in time for the sun to rise.

Shielding her eyes from the sun's light she went back to her bedroom, closing the balcony door, and her room's curtains.

She used a ball of light to guide her back to her bed, and as she climbed onto it, her gaze fell upon a calendar.

One date stood out to her. The 3rd of December.

She extinguished her light and threw herself under her covers, hoping to remove the sudden chill that had come over her.

That date was the date of her birthday. She wasn't sure if she could call it a 'birthday' anymore. It was more of a 'painday,' as Celestia would usually come and start hitting her…

Hopefully the day would pass quicker, and for once, I would be given peace on this particular day.

However, she could not ponder long on the matter as her eyelids grew heavy, and she was now in the realm of dreams.
> Chapter Ten
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love



Chapter Ten 


"You may have found a way to control me… to hold me back; to restrain me… but I am not powerless. If even a word of this is told to anyone; if I am even mentioned to anyone, even that sister of yours…" A dark chuckle is heard. "There will be much more at risk than the wellbeing of your sister. I will ruin you completely, and I will bring Equestria to the ground. I might be captive; no more than a prisoner in your head, but my power… is more than you can imagine."

 "But why? Why do you want to hurt Luna so badly?"

 "I care not for her; it is you whom I desire to bring pain to."

 "Me?"

 " Yes, you. "

 "But I haven't done anything to you!"

 " Oh, really? Do you really think that you are innocent of what I accuse you of? Do you dare to think that… Estrella? "

  As the hood is thrown back and the light falls on his face, showing his features, the Princess gasps. That nickname was one that only her parents addressed her by… Only the staff who worked in the old palace knew it... "I-How-"

 "Yes, my sweet darling. It. Is. I. Are the memories coming back now? Are the gaps in your mind being filled? You must be astonished. Like, you're thinking something along the lines of 'this can't be possible'. You must want to throw yourself on your knees and scream a long scream of anguish, disbelief and agony to the heavens."

 "You thought that I was dead, didn't you? Demons don't die so easily, sweetheart. You thought that you were rid of me forever. I remember that day as clearly as if it were yesterday… Do you know why I killed your parents, Celestia?"

"N-no?"

 He mutters something incomprehensible and chuckles bitterly. "Your parents weren't exactly 'heirs to the throne '. Hardly anyone remembers, but there are a few people here and there who can verify it for you if you doubt my words; not that I give a fuck if you do. Equestria belonged to my father...and then your parents came and killed him, thinking that they'd look like some sort of hero," He spat bitterly. "So what if demons eat human souls? We weren't getting all of them killed. Your parents stole my throne. My rightful kingdom. And they took my father's life. I will not rest until I avenge him. "

 "..." Celestia was silent. 

 "Remember, Estrella. If you say a word of this to anyone, there will be hell to pay. " Lightning strikes the ground in front of Celestia, and she barely manages to avoid it, jumping with a small scream. As the skies begin to turn black and the world seems to fade, His voice is the last thing she hears.

"Fear Interitus… for I am He. Heed my words, for if you stray from my orders…"

His voice fades, but she can still hear dark, sinister laughter. 







The Lunar Princess is awoken by the sound of knocking on her door. She groans, and opens the curtains to see that it is the day.

Who is that?

The Princess contemplates just going back to sleep, because whoever was on the other side should know that she slept during the day.

There's only one person who would be coming now… and on this day… but no, she'd never knock. If it was her, she would just burst in and wake me by casting some sort of torture spell…

The knocking continues and Luna yawns. She sits up and levitates her gloves to her. Once she has worn them, she gets out of bed and opens the door to see...Celestia.

Luna recoils, closing the door in a panic and her eyes dart around as her heart beats faster.

She doesn't know what she's looking for. Her mind is overloaded with fear and panic.

"Luna...Please… I'm sorry for everything," Celestia pleads from the other side of the door . The Solar Princess knows that Luna most likely would think that this is a trap. She would probably think that Celestia was just trying to fool her, just to rub it in later.

And I wouldn't blame her… After all, if someone treated me like that and then suddenly seemed to turn over a new leaf… I wouldn't trust them either.

 "Luna…" 

Should I just tell her about… it? No… that could make her worried… It would be better for her to know that I truly love her, and He's making me act this way… but she'd feel helpless, knowing that I can barely control my actions. 







 "Remember, Estrella. If you say a word of this to anyone, there will be hell to pay. " Lightning strikes the ground in front of Celestia, and she barely manages to avoid it, jumping with a small scream. As the skies begin to turn black and the world seems to fade, His voice is the last thing she hears.

"Fear Interitus… for I am He. Heed my words, for if you stray from my orders…"







No… I can't tell her… but how can I get her to trust me? I know that I should give her time… and that this new behaviour will arouse suspicions in her mind… But I want to make this birthday different from her other ones, in the sense that she'll actually be able to enjoy it.

"L-luna…." Celestia weakly pleads. "Please… forgive me."

While her sister is on the other side of the door, Luna  is wondering what to do.

She sounds genuinely remorseful for her actions… But it could be a trap… 

There is silence. The Lunar Princess contemplates her next actions.

I am not a fool. She is most likely pretending. Celestia might be a terrible actress, but she excels in the field of faking emotions. After all, she does deal with nobles all day… Does she really think that after all she's done, that I'll just forgive her in a heartbeat? No, she's done too much.

Luna opens the door, bearing a cold look on her face. She takes a deep breath and gathers her courage for her next words. "If thou really art sorry, then do Us a favour and leave Us alone for once." 

"Lu-"

"No. Cease thine begging for it is of no use. Doth thee take Us for a fool? Doth thee actually think that after all thou hast done, that We would forgive thou so easily? After all the shit thou hast done to Us, after all the shit We have had to put up with, thou should count thyself lucky if We ever choose to forgive thou. Never forgive...Never forget."

With that said, she shuts the door and locks it, not desiring to look at Celestia's heartbroken face any longer.

Celestia shakily walks away, knowing that it would take a miracle for Luna to forgive her.

I deserve her hatred… I did more than enough to earn it.







Luna removes her gloves and snaps her fingers, changing her clothes back to her pyjamas. She checks on the burn, unwrapping the bandage and nearly retches upon smelling it.

I don't know why it smells like this, but maybe it does need some air…

She discards the bandage, deciding that she'd properly dispose of it later. 

Next, she looks at her thumb and sees that it's sealed now. Which is a relief because she was honestly getting tired of having to bend her thumb like that.

Once she sees that she can now freely move her thumb without fear of reopening the cut, she ponders what to do about the burn.

It still did smell pretty bad...and she didn't want it to somehow get infected… 

I'll just magically heal it. While magic shouldn't really be used to heal wounds...I don't think I'll be able to bear this awful stench.
 
In the blink of an eye, the burn is now nothing more than a huge scar. With that done, the Princess gets back into her bed, curling up beneath the covers.

The scene that had occurred a few moments ago replays in her mind, and she wonders what caused the sudden change in Celestia's behaviour.

Why would she even bother pretending to feel remorse for her actions? Perhaps to just make it sting even more when she reverts to her old ways, but even so, I cannot understand why she'd do all this. This is not like her at all… 
> Chapter Eleven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Eleven


I open the book and close my eyes to shield them from the bright light that shines from it. Moments later, I reopen them to see that there is a blank page. Ugh...this book is becoming a little irritating now.

My mind is now occupied with the book, and I stare at it, deep in thought. Is this one of those books where you have to put some sort of liquid on the paper for it to work?

I levitate a pen over and lie back in my bed, leaning the book against my knees.

I do a random scribble on the paper. Nothing happens. I sigh. Perhaps this is just a prank someone is pulling on me.

But wait. Ink isn't the only type of liquid that can be used to activate these books… Perhaps blood might work as well?

I look for a sharp object and find my penknife. It would work perfectly. It takes a second to form the cut. A sharp pain stings me as I hear the sound of my skin being cut open, and I press the cut area against the book to let the blood smear on it.

I move my finger away and see that this seems to have worked. The drops of my blood are disappearing into the book, and a swirling pattern is forming on the page with it.

The pattern is beautiful… as I stare into it I become mesmerised by the sheer beauty of it, and fail to notice the designs glowing brighter and brighter.

And then I feel my body twisting and turning, as the book tries to pull me in. The horrifying experience lasts a few minutes, and despite all the offensive spells I fire in a panic, the book has succeeded.

I find myself in a dark place, and it feels unbelievingly hot. I cast a light spell after I recover from my disorientation,and miraculously, my magic works.

I move my hair out of my eyes and look around my surroundings. In comparison to the overwhelming darkness, my small light is hardly anything. But I can at least make sure that I won't step into an abyss or an endless void…

So I cautiously walked forward while keeping my eyes on the ground. As I went further the darkness only grew until I could barely see my light.

I pumped more mana into the spell but my efforts were of no avail as my light only seemed to grow dimmer by the second.

What sort of a place was this? It is just darkness...and heat..and as I stood there like a lost lamb, I heard footsteps.







The Solar Princess walked back to her chambers, feeling numb. Yes she had been expecting Luna to- she hadn't expected Luna to forgive her right on the spot, but rejection always hurt, regardless of whether it was expected or not.

"No. Cease thine begging for it is of no use. Doth thee take Us for a fool? Doth thee actually think that after all thou hast done, that We would forgive thou so easily? After all the shit thou hast done to Us, after all the shit We have had to put up with, thou should count thyself lucky if We ever choose to forgive thou. Never forgive...Never forget."


Luna's words echo through her head. That cold, resentful expression… It haunted her.

I deserve her hatred. I deserve it! Even if it was not my actions through which she was harmed- even if it was He who had controlled me, it's all my fault. Why was I so weak?! It was my guilt and sorrow that He fed on and even now I am doing nothing but powering him! My misery  is for Him, nothing more than a treat, and yet I cannot stop myself from feeling this way. I've caused Luna so much misery, all because I was too weak to stop Him!  I did not use my common sense, and now I have to pay the price!

She fell to her knees as the tears began to flow. For so long she had been keeping her feelings locked up and now she- they began to take hold of her.

"I'm so sorry Luna... I'm so sorry! If only you knew!" Her mournful cries were all that could be heard throughout the Castle, and none of the guards nor maids dared to disturb the Princess...







It was now the evening and the Solar Princess forced herself to stand, wincing as her stiff joints were moved.

Both the Princess and her surroundings were a mess. In a fit of rage and despair at herself, she had thrown her pillows and bedding onto the floor, and had even scattered the documents that she was supposed to read today. 

Mascara streaked down her face, and her eyes were red and puffy.

She felt a little lighter inside now, having cried her heart out for a good portion of the day, but she still felt a small ache in the aforementioned organ.

Celestia slowly walked towards the balcony and lowered the sun, returning to her room as soon as the deed was done. 

She then went to her bed and collapsed onto it in a manner that was not befitting of a Princess, but at this point, she didn't really care anymore about those things.

As she lay there, her exhaustion sank in, and she closed her eyes, becoming less conscious of the world. 

She wished that things had never changed. Now there was with her a demon which wanted nothing more than for her to suffer, and it would be a miracle if her sister were to ever forgive her. 






"Mother told me to forget about you. But I won't follow her orders. You are my sister after all. Family can't be forgotten about, and that was something that Mother herself taught me," Celestia spoke firmly.

Then she smiled at the sleeping girl, and said, "I think you should have a name. How about 'Luna '? After all, you do have a symbol of the Moon on your forehead… "

 "Yes, your name will be Luna. I love you, Luna. I'll protect you from everything."

 "This do I swear… I will be there."
> Chapter Twelve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twelve


The stars came out once more and the Lunar Princess was relieved that this year had been different. She was thankful that her sister had suddenly become remorseful, yet she could not help but ponder upon the strange and sudden change that had befallen the Solar Princess.

She felt empty as her mind replayed the moment in which she had rejected Celestia's repentance.

That broken look… 

Celestia...deserves the pain. I know that she has more than earned it for her treatment of me… she does not deserve my forgiveness. I can't forgive her, and I shan't. Unless of course, she has some sort of condition which is forcing her to act this way, unwillingly, but the chance of that is one in a thousand.

A knock sounded on her door and she opened it cautiously to see Shadowlance. 

He crept in and inquired, "You're not hurt, are you? I mean, she didn't do anything to you, did she? "

Luna simply smiled and shook her head. "No, she did not harm Us. "

"Really?"

" Yes." Luna's smile dropped and was replaced by a frown as she said, "This behaviour of hers strikes Us as most odd indeed. On this day, she suddenly became remorseful, begging Us to forgive her. "

"That's strange…"

" Rest assured for We did not fall into her trap. Surely it is a trap. Despite the fact that she sounded- that her sorrow sounded genuine, I cannot afford to be tricked. "

Shadowlance had tried many times before to interfere with the elder Princesses' plans for the one whom he guarded, but she had grown increasingly violent towards him...once even threatening to kill him.

The guard had known that he would be of more use to his Princess alive rather than dead, but even so, he could not bear to see her suffer like that.

...Which was why every year, on the night before Luna's birthday, Celestia would have the vampire chained up and only let go after.

This year, the same thing had happened to him, except the Solar guards did it automatically rather than waiting for the order.

It was all very strange.

"But the anguish on her face threatened to tear me apart. It hurt me to act so cold towards her, despite how much pain she caused me… Is there something wrong with me, Shadowlance? Is that why I felt her sorrow?"

"No Luna… that only shows that you're a human. That you have a heart, and you're capable of feeling...unlike her."

Luna did not reply. 

Her companion eventually broke the silence. "I think it would be best if we just went somewhere tonight. You never know if she might give up her act, if it really is one, and besides, I want to give you a happy birthday for once. And before you say that it's not necessary for me to treat you, to me, it's totally necessary."







By the time the evening wore away, they found themselves in the Crystal Empire.

Canterlot was too risky, and it was unlikely that anyone would be awake, so the Empire was the next option.

"...You seem to be quiet tonight," said Luna.

"We need to keep a low profile, " he whispers in response.

"Why? I'm sure we're safe here. "

"Yes, we're safe, but -"

"Ah, Luna! Why, I missed you so much that I could barely think of anything other than our next meeting!"

Shadowlance curses under his breath as out of nowhere, Sombra appears and kisses Luna's hand.

"Hello Sombra. How have you been?"

"Absolutely perfect, darling…" winks Sombra, to which Luna raises an eyebrow, and Shadowlance slightly clenches his fist. "Fine, it's actually been a very busy week for me, and the nobles are just getting...very irritating. My paperwork is piling up to the ceiling! Though, I'll be fine. And how about you? "

"I suppose it hasn't been too bad lately. It's...better than before, thanks to you and Shadowlance. "

Sombra nods, and then turns to the still cursing Shadowlance. "You do realise that I can hear you cursing, right? Is my very presence actually that distressing? "

Shadowlance's cheeks turn red and he turns his head to the side to avoid the King's gaze. "It's not your presence… It's just that someone may or may not have wanted to spend some alone time with their Princess. "

Sombra holds Shadowlance's arm and whispers into his ear, "And yet you had to come all the way to my Empire to get that 'alone time '?"

" It's...complicated. I don't want to risk being in Canterlot. Manehattan isn't an option either. And all the other cities are...not pleasant. "

"So you like my Empire? I'll take that as a compliment. But I must confess, I also wished to spend some 'alone time' with Luna, " Sombra says, smiling.

"Well, I'm the one who originally planned to do so," argues Shadowlance .

" But you get to guard her all night! Do you not spend time with her when you do so? "

"I spend time with her door."

"But that is still close to her, is it not?"

"Well-"

"We can take turns spending time with her, if it's that big of a deal."

" So you're suggesting that we share her? Luna isn't a chocolate, you know. She's a human," says Shadowlance in mock offence.

"I am aware of that fact. But our argument shan't be resolved unless we find a suitable solution. And that is the only solution I can think of. "

Luna waves at the two. "Are you done whispering? I must confess that if anyone walked past, they would imagine you two were dating, what with the way you're whispering into each other's ears continuously. Perhaps they'd think you're a new couple..."

This causes both of them to blush in embarrassment, and Shadowlance skids across the snow to Luna, wrapping his arm around her possessively. 

"As her best friend, and the person who's known her for longer, I should take her out first."

Sombra chuckles. "I suppose I can't deny you that. Your logic is sound, after all. Fine, you shall have the privilege - the honour of taking her first."
> Chapter Thirteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter  Thirteen 


Luna fidgeted as she and Shadowlance entered the restaurant, which was supposedly the best one in the entire Empire. 

They  chose a table for two, and Shadowlance pulled her chair out for  the Princess, causing her to blush.

As he took his seat opposite her, a waiter brought menus and left them on the table.

Shadowlance opened his immediately, and Luna nervously mirrored his actions.

She scanned the page. The prices...are...so high here.

 Yes, indeed… He shouldn't have to pay so much of his hard-earned money for you. You're so pathetic. They're just doing this because they're too polite to say that they don't want you near them.

No...Stop…

Are you telling me to stop? Hahaha, why should I listen to you? I'm just telling the truth.

No, these are all lies. I know it!

And are you a mind reader or a psychic to know their true thoughts? You are neither. They do so much for you, and you do nothing for them. 

T-that's not true…

Oh, so when was the last time you did something like this for them, huh? You never did. 

"Have you decided on what to order?"

"Huh?" Luna stuttered , caught off guard. The waiter had returned with a notepad and pen, ready to take their orders. She quickly flipped through the menu and said, "Deserts are too delicate to eat. Grilled food is too greasy. Seafood can cause allergies. Cheese makes people gain weight. " She noticed that the vegetable option was the one with the lowest price. "How about the vegetable combo? It's uh, good to stay healthy."

"Well, we also need some meat to make it healthy," he said, and the waiter left with their order. "One vegetable combo and a couples meal."

Luna glanced at the price of the couples meal and mentally estimated how much it would cost once added with the vegetable combo.

She groaned.

"Are you okay?"

" Huh? Oh, it's just a little cold here, " she quickly said. 

Shadowlance chuckled. "I suppose it is the Crystal Empire after all."  He then stood up and walked to the Princess, taking his blazer off. He put it on her. "Luckily, your best friend ever is here to keep you warm."

She blushed as he returned to his seat. "Thank you."

While waiting for the order, they mostly sat in silence, neither knowing how to break  the silence. 

"So… Do you like the Crystal Empire?"

"Yeah… it's a beautiful place, isn't it?"

" Indeed it is, " agreed Shadowlance. 

"It would be wonderful to live here…"

" And who's stopping us? I wouldn't mind leaving Equestria if it's for you. We can get a place here; start a new life, together."

Luna shook her head. "I...I'd love that more than anything. But…"

" She won't find you. We can disguise you. With magic, you can even prevent her from being able to track you, right? "

"My magic isn't strong enough for that."

"Sombra would be able to then. Or you two can combine your power and cast the spell. And even if that somehow fails, I'll be here to protect you."

Luna was about to reply, but the waiter returned before she could, levitating their order. He set the dishes down on the table and left.

"This smells good. I'm starving!" says Shadowlance enthusiastically .

Luna smiles. "I agree with you."







The Voice left her alone for a while. The silence from it was refreshing, even though its words stayed in her head.

They were now in a shopping mall.

"If there's anything you want, tell me, okay?"

Luna nodded and looked around.

There was a jewellery shop in front of her, and she looked at the things on display. 

"Let's go in," said her companion, and she followed him.

These all look so beautiful…

And yet, they are so costly…

I shan't listen to your words. 

But you cannot stop me.

Silence! I feel bad enough. Just leave me alone for now.

That's not possible. Without me to guide you, you would -

Guide me? Oh, and how do you do that? By telling me all these negative things? I won't hear a word you have to say.

"So, do you like anything?"

" These all look beautiful, " she admitted. "But I don't think I'll be able to choose…"

Shadowlance grinned and hugged her. "Then I'll just choose one for you."

Thus the time passed by, with them visiting almost every shop in the mall and coming out with several bags.

The Princess felt guilty that her friend had to spend so much money on her, but she promised herself she'd earn money and repay him.

The walk back to the Castle was uneventful. The streets seemed emptier than usual, and Luna suspected that was because the citizens were at their jobs.

She stopped suddenly and turned to face her companion. "Thank you," she said softly, looking into his eyes. "I really enjoyed our date tonight. "

He smiled. "And I thank you for being with me. Though, there's one more thing we need to do…"

"Oh?"

He set the bags down on a nearby bench and returned. Now with his hands free, he placed them on Luna and stared into her eyes.  

Her beautiful turquoise eyes, glimmering like emeralds under the moonlight captivated him, and as they drew closer...

A sudden urge made itself aware in Shadowlance's mind, and his gaze shifted to her lips as he ran his tongue over his. 

So tempting....

Unable to resist the temptation anymore and fearing she would be driven mad if she did not give in, their lips met.





Shadowlance had excused himself to rest once they returned to the Castle, and Luna placed the bags in Sombra's room as he had told her to.

"Would you like to have a rest before we go to our date?"

" S-sure. "

"Have a seat," says the King, gesturing to a sofa, and they both sit there. "I've been thinking a lot lately… and I think it would be safer for you to stay here, in the Empire. You could finally have the freedom you never had, and you could enjoy life…"

"I'd like to do that…But like I said before, she'd be able to track me down."

"Shadowlance told me he sort of discussed that with you. And I'm positive that our power, once combined, would be enough to make the spell strong enough."

" … " The Princess didn't know what to say.

" You turned eighteen today, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then you're legally capable of living by yourself. She can't use the law to bring you back to her."

" ...I suppose so. "

"So you can live here in the Empire without any problems. I'll protect you from her as much as I can."

She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

Sombra looked at Luna. Her eyes are captivating… Her smile is more precious than anything. Her inner and outer beauty makes her like an angel. And to me, she is an angel. As long as she's happy, I'll be happy.
> Chapter Fourteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Fourteen 


"So, what do you think of having Japanese food?"

That would be 600 bits per person.

"Um… I don't prefer raw meat. It's uh, bad for the digestive system."

"Then how about French food?"

 999 bits per person.

"Uh… Don't you think it's a bit cruel to eat snails?"

Sombra runs a hand through his hair. "Well, how about local dishes? Like, with the Empire's cuisine? I don't think you've tried it."

 30 bits per person. That's as low as it can get.

"That sounds good. "

"There's a restaurant called Crystal Delight that makes really good homemade stuff. I'll send a Guard to reserve a place for us."







The walk there was mostly silent, and Luna did her best to appear happy and cheerful, despite her true feelings.

The Voice was also quiet, and the cool night air calmed her. She would love to be free like this all the time, able to enjoy fresh air and the beautiful glow of her stars that she had arranged.

But you wouldn't deserve it anyway.

The Lunar Princess shook her head as if that would somehow silence the Voice. 

"Luna, are you okay?" asks Sombra in concern. His companion was smiling, but he could tell that she was hiding her true feelings behind that smile.

"I'm fine… It was just a fly in my ear," she quickly says. 

"Luna… you don't have to hide how you feel."

"I-I'm not hiding anything…" she mumbled, caught off guard.

How can he tell?

Seeing that the Princess didn't want to talk about it, he let it go and they resumed their walk in silence, though his concern did not decrease.

Eventually they reached the restaurant and the door was opened by a guard. "Good evening, Your Majesty."

Sombra nodded and they reached their table, which was beside a window. "You...seem to have a liking for window seats," Luna remarked.

" The view is truly wonderful, " he said, smiling. "What about you? What do you prefer? "

"I also like window seats, " she said as the King pulled her chair out for her. "If I sat at a table in the middle of the room, I'd feel like everyone was staring at me and stuff like that."

"We seem to be more and more alike as the days pass… Seats in the centre of the room also make me uncomfortable."

She nods, and a waiter arrives with two menus, which he leaves on the table.

They both take one and look at the contents…







"Have you chosen anything?"

Luna shakes her head. "Everything seems interesting, and they're all...foreign dishes to me."

" In that case, I can just tell the waiter that we want a little of everything. "

"But...that's not an option on the menu…"

" I'm the King; they'll do it if I ask. " 

The waiter comes with a notepad and pen. "Your Majesty, have you finished ordering?"

"Yes and no. My companion and I would like to try a little of everything as this is our first time here. All the items seem intriguing. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"We can arrange it if you wish," he says and Sombra nods. The waiter leaves.







The dinner had been uneventful, but Luna had enjoyed it, despite the Voice trying to bring her mood down once again.

They were now walking near the borders of the Empire.

The Lunar Princess sat down in the snow, not caring if it was undignified or not. "Luna, what are you doing?! You'll freeze and become a statue! "

"I'll be fine."

"No, you won't." He then takes his blazer off and puts it on Luna.

"But what about you?"

"This might be the coldest place in the Crystal Empire, but with you next to me, I'll be the warmest person alive, since you're so hot. "

Luna raises an eyebrow. "Where did that line come from?"

Sombra shrugs. " Nowhere. I made it right now."

"Sombra…"

" Yes? "

"Duck!"

"Huh? " The King barely has time to blink before a snowball hits him in the face. "What the-"

He wipes the remaining snow off his face and looks at Luna who is laughing. "I did tell you to duck."

Sombra facepalms and then gathers snow in his hands and launches it at the Princess who nearly dodges it. "Hey! No fair! I gave you a warning…"

"But since it's a snowball fight, there aren't any -" 

A snowball hits his mouth. He gets snow but Luna starts running. "Hey! Come back here!"








As the dawn approaches, they both return to the Castle to warm up.

The duo are a mess.

Luna shakes the snow out of her hair, and then walks forward, or rather, attempts to.

She walks back and sees that a strand of her hair has gotten stuck in Sombra's shirt button. Specifically, the top one.

She steps closer to him and leans against his chest, trying to pull it out, but with no success.

"Wait." Sombra realises what happened and puts his hand on the button and tries to free the hair, but he also finds no success. "Don't move," he says and then takes his tie off. He then pulls the top part of his shirt open, ripping the buttons off and freeing the hair.

As a result, that part of his chest is exposed.

Luna pokes it. "I think...this is the first time I've ever seen a part of your body other than your face uncovered." 

Sombra blushes and closes that part. Luna grasps his hand and reopens it. 

A sudden feeling comes over her and she traces the exposed part of his chest.

As she's a little shorter than him, she has to look up a bit, and the moonlight makes her lips shine.

Sombra suddenly starts breathing shakily, resisting the urge to touch her lips. But the charm of it was alluring and he cupped her cheek with his hand…

As their faces drew closer, he could feel the warmth radiating off her lips, and as she meets his gaze…

The distance between their lips closes...
> Chapter Fifteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Fifteen


And as I stood there in the dark like a lost lamb, I heard footsteps.

That did it.

I spun around with my pathetically small light facing the one who was creeping up on me, and waited for them to come closer, hoping that this was not my last minute alive.

A bright light appeared, almost blinding me and when it faded and my eyes no longer stung, I looked up to see a man, but with horns on the sides of his head, and wings.

He was walking down steps leading to a throne, and slowly approached me.

I was frozen in terror. I had never encountered a creature like this, nor read about it. Wait a second...That's a demon.

 "Tell me, human, how did you manage to come to the realm of demons? "

His eyes blazed red, as though there were a fire inside them, and the aura he gave off unsettled me, and so, I told him everything.

 "You seem to be telling the truth…" he mused. "If I am correct, you know that I am a demon, but do you know who I am, human?"

 The way he called me 'human '... It sounded like an insult. "I have a name, you know."

The words were out of my mouth before I could think and I flinched as he held up a hand, grasping my hair and pulling me forward, causing me to stagger.

 " And I asked you a question, " he snarled, his hot breath on my face.

He let me go, and I stumbled back, falling onto the ground.

He stood above me with a menacing grin on his face. "I am Ineritus, the Demon King. I am the most powerful demon here, as my father no longer lives. No need to offer your fake condolences, human. It was because of your kind that he was killed. "

I stood up and moved back. He moved forward, and this continued until he had me backed up against a wall.

 "Humans are despicable. I hold hatred for all of your kind. Now, give me one good reason why I shouldn't end your pitiful life right here and this very second. "

I didn't dare to blink nor breathe, and my eyes darted around. "Please...we can talk about this."

 He moves back, letting me collapse and laughs hysterically. "Talk -talk about it?" he asks in between his bitter laughter. "How about you tell me the full story first?" 

 " Full story?"

 "You mentioned someone named Celestia when you told me about how you got here. Who is she, and what does she mean to you?"

 "Celestia...is the heir to the throne in Canterlot. She's the oldest child of the current rulers. And...she's my best friend, or at least, she was."

 " What do you mean by that? "

 "Her parents forbade us from seeing each other, but we would still see each other secretly. Tonight, she didn't come…"

 "Hmm… Now, let's get back on topic. Why shouldn't I kill you?"

 " I...I can help you get revenge! "

He raised an eyebrow. "Revenge?"

 "I-if your father really was killed by humans, you must want revenge, right? "

 "So how will you be able to help me?"

"Demons were banished from the world of humans, but will a demon hiding in a human's body be stopped by the spell?"

 "You seem awfully eager for me to take control of your body."

 "I value my life. But...the ones who murdered your father would be long dead by now, wouldn't they?"

 "The ones who murdered my father are none other than the current rulers of Equestria."

 " Ah…I see… "

"Are you not going to protest?"

 "No. Celestia's parents were the ones that separated us, and it's possible that Celestia was caught, in which case their reaction would be...bad. And Celestia has a younger sister, a mere child who is locked away and treated as if she were the scum of the earth, just because of the symbol of the Moon on her shoulder. I think they deserve what's coming to them. "

 "Well, it was a pleasure to work with you…?"

 "Stygian."

He shakes my hand, and surprisingly, his touch does not burn me.

 "Well then, Stygian. I must warn you, it may hurt a little when I enter your mind. "

 "The pain will be worth it."







There was no escape. Mother and Father had me locked up in my room. Food was pushed in through a flap on the door.

I was in every sense, a prisoner.

For tonight had been planned with Stygian, a meeting, but as I had been caught…

I hope Stygian doesn't think that I don't want to see him any longer…

Every second I was trapped in this room was one that I regretted. A small slip of the tongue, and they knew everything…

Now I could not go anywhere. Luna was far out of my reach, and there were several spells on the door and window. Even if I managed to get past them, there were guards waiting for me and an alarm system which would alert my parents….

And my magic was restrained. I couldn't even cast something as simple as a light spell without it causing me pain.

Why did I have to be so careless?

The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months…

I had lost all hope of ever seeing the world again… 

Until this very night, that is.

I heard cries of pain, and my door was flung open to reveal...Stygian.

I could not believe my eyes. Stygian was in front of me!

Though he was covered in blood ... 
 "Stygian? It is you!"

 "Yes, it is I, " he said, though his voice sounded rough and his tone was one of anger.

 "Are you not happy to see me?"

 "What sort of a question is that?" he scoffed. " Of course I am delighted to see you. I am merely angered due to what your parents did… "

 "And the blood?"

 "The guards who tried to stop me all perished. Come, let's go."

I hesitated. "You...killed all of them?"

 "Only three or four. " He saw my expression. "I couldn't afford to let anything hold me back from my goal. I've waited long enough."

He took my hand in his and we left my room to see a rather ghastly sight.

The staff of the castle all lay dead with their bodies cut up into tiny pieces while guards battled with what appeared to be... demons.

 "Stgyian? What happened?"

 He merely laughed and I grabbed his face just in time to see his pupils dilate and turn to red.

 "S-stygian?"

 He continued laughing as wings sprouted out of his back and his body became encased in fire, only for the flames to disappear for me to see that he now had pale skin and black hair to contrast with his blood red eyes.

No, this wasn't Stygian.

 "Hahaha! You think that I am Stygian? Humans are so easy to fool… No, I'm not your secret midnight lover. I am Ineritus, the King of the Demons, and I have come here to reclaim my throne and exact my revenge."

I stumbled back, keeping myself a safe distance from him. "Revenge?"

 "You know little, but...you will learn… " 

 "I suppose you summoned these demons?"

 "Of course I did, Stella. Now, " he suddenly smirked before clicking his long fingers and pointing out of the window "why don't you run along and help your sister? "
 
 "My sis-" I looked towards the direction he was pointing and gasped. The tower in which Luna was imprisoned was on fire!

 "You'll pay for this," I growled before rushing, hoping I wouldn't be too late. 

Damn my restrained magic! If only it was still working, I could have teleported to Luna! 

But for now all I could do was run and hope…







Finally, these humans shall know their rightful place. Equestria will become mine again and those who dare stand against me shall pay...with their life.

I smirked as I surveyed the destruction below. The humans, those pitiful creatures, were fighting for a lost cause.

They were hopeless.

Though, there was something I could do right now...and that was taking advantage of all this chaos to locate the only ones who mattered.

The false King and Queen.

They'll rue the day they took my throne…

The day they killed my father…

Tonight they will pay…
> Chapter Sixteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Sixteen


I grinned as I found the way to the rooms of those whom I had sought, after threatening a panicking guard.

Today, I will have my revenge. I will have vengeance...I will have salvation…

Kicking open the door, I smirked as I watched their expressions change into ones of fear.

 "Hello again… False rulers. Long time no see."

 "Fiend! What are you doing here?! We specifically made sure to make it impossible for demons like you to enter the human world! " yelled the male.

 "Hahaha… You're nothing but a fool. Your spell was so weak… It can only recognize demons in their natural form, right? "

 "What are you implying?" asked the female , narrowing her eyes.

 "None of your business," I shrugged. " Anyway, I'm not here to have a nice chat with you. Come with me peacefully and I might have some mercy on you, or struggle and fight, but remember that if you choose the second option, I'll have no mercy, " I stated as I strode into the room.

Choosing not to heed my warning, the filthy bastards cast spell after spell at me, each desperately trying to protect the other.

Of course they had hardly any effect on me, and soon I grew bored and sighed. "Looks like I'll have more fun, I guess… "







The knots were tied; my instruments ready, yet now I waited, ignoring their desperate pleas and offers as they finally realised that they were at my mercy, and their guards, under my control.

I would have gagged them already, but I would love to hear their screams. And besides, the exchange that would soon take place between them and their daughter would be amusing.

Yes, that was who I waited for. Why should I merely torture and kill them, when I could make their descendant feel pain, and then live with that pain?

The Castle doors opened no sooner than I had thought that, and two guards came in, holding between them a resisting Princess.

But even though they felt the pain of the blows she inflicted upon them, they would not let go because I had not told them to.

Soon enough they reached me, and knelt, bowing their heads. I nodded and they dropped the girl, who sprang to her feet, and rushed towards me in a rage.

I chuckled as I caught her hand, ready to punch me, and twisted it, causing her to gasp in pain and step back.

 "It wouldn't be very wise of you to try and attack me, human, especially when none other than your accursed parents are at my mercy."

 She followed my gaze which was fixed upon the ones I had bound, and in an instant she forgot her pain and rushed to them instead.

 "M-mother? F-father? He hasn't done anything to you, has he?"

 "Fear not, my daughter, for if he had done so, I would have given him a worse wound."

 I laughed. "Pathetic. You couldn't even do a thing to me, and now you pretend that you have power over me?" I shook my head. "That's another reason why I despise humans. They always tell lies, and never learn from punishments. But enough chit-chat. Guards, restrain the girl but make sure she can both see and hear what I shall do."

 My orders were obeyed and they tied her to a pillar.

Meanwhile, I picked up a branding iron and looked at it. "I think I should start by marking you all as what you really are."

 Their gaze, which had previously been on their daughter as they called out threats that would never be carried out, was now on the instrument in my hands. 

As I took in their expressions of terror and Celestia or Stella's cries, I grinned.

(I had learnt of her parents nickname for her from the human who had aided me).

 "You might offer me all the riches and treasures of the world, but gold is not what I desire."

 It began heating up. I chuckled darkly. "Let the torture begin."







The girl lay sobbing as she stared at the burnt and mutilated remains of her parents, the torture of whom I had ended only after trying out every torture method known to mankind and demons alike.

The guards around the room were no longer alive; I had beheaded them as they would be of no more use.

The staff were also dead.

In short, the only ones alive here were myself and Celestia.

 "Are you going to remain there forever, weeping like a coward?"

 At my question she raised her head and glared hatefully at me.

 I pretended to yawn. "If you're going to do something, make sure it's before I get bored and rip your body apart for fun. Maybe I should cut you up into cubes."

Until this point, Stygian had been silent, but now he protested wildly. I may have seemed to be in my true form, but this was nothing but magic which made me look like myself.

I still resided in Stygian's body, and thus, he was still with me.

I would have cast him aside and made him watch the girl get tortured as well, but I was unsure of whether the spell here would send me back.

 She slowly stood up and gathered mana into her hands. "If you want something so bad, then have it!" Saying this, she flung it at me.

 I sighed. "When will you mortals understand that your magic cannot inflict any harm upon me?"
 
 "How then, was your father killed?"

 "And who said he was a demon? He was previously an angel, but rebelled and became a fallen one. He was cast out of heaven, and transformed into a demon as a punishment. The King before him was old, and his wife was barren. He saw that Father was honest and not greedy or corrupt, and he put him through many tests to determine whether he would be the right one."

 "Naturally, this was not straight away, but rather, it was a few decades after. Father passed all of them and the old King gave him power over all the places he ruled, including Equestria, which had come under his power after a war which was started by your kind. Your parents were the descendants of the ones who had started the battle, and they sought to take it back… " 

 "But even if my father was killed because he was a demon, as the child of an angel and a demon, I am indestructible. I have the capabilities of both."

 "So," I said, watching her intensely to see her next actions. "believe me when I say that you cannot ever hope to defeat me."

Obviously, she paid no mind to my words and continuously cast various spells until she was nearly out of energy.

 "Will you give up, false Princess?"

 "Never."

 She turned around and glanced for anything that could help her against me. At the same time she saw it, I saw it too.

In a far corner of the vast room lay a pedestal with six spheres resting on it.

The Elements of Harmony…

But I did not stop her as she ran off towards it and hugged the Elements, running back and laying them on the ground before me, after which she closed her eyes, seemingly concentrating.

Soon they began to glow and spin, and her eyes were  white when she opened them.

As she became surrounded by the Elements, I smirked, crossing my arms and observing the rainbow beam.

 "You shall be banished to limbo!" she declares as it nears me… 

And as it fades away, I am still standing there, yet this time, I am truly in my own form.

My fangs have appeared. The tips of the feathers on my wings are razor sharp.

I hold my hand out and levitate a dagger which was bloodied from the earlier torture session, and this time, it was my aura.

Celestia stared at me, astonished.

 "It seems your Elements don't work on me."

 "But...no...how… " she whispers in shock.

 "And 'tis declared that these objects are to bring evil out, but shall not harm one who possesses even a drop of Angel blood, lest they are evil, for Angel blood is precious and sacred, and it shall not do for it to be spilt, " I recite, remembering what my father had told me before he took me to the human world for me to see the Kingdom that shall one day be passed into my hands.

 "In short, because of my DNA, those angel-manufactured objects shan't do a thing to harm me." Looking at her expression of disbelief, I said, "What? You don't believe me? Well then, you're free to go ahead and try as many times as you want."







 I conjured a mirror and looked in it, vaguely interested in the beam of rainbow light that flew towards me for the… It seems I lost count.

And this time, it reflected off the mirror and bounced back towards the girl. I spun around to watch it.

She desperately tried to move, fearing she would be sent to limbo, but fear and shock had frozen her,  and she was unable to do anything as the beam struck her.

But instead of her disappearing a golden light surrounded her, and I realised what had happened.

As she had forgotten to cast it with an intention this time, the elements, upon finding no evil within her, had decided to protect her against evil, which could include but was not limited to, anyone who wanted to try to corrupt her.

In other words, I would be unable to enter her mind and do what I planned.

But the protection would only last for a few months. If I could wait years, then what were months in comparison to that?

She fell towards the ground, having fainted, and I went next to her to make sure.

She was out cold.

Chuckling as an idea came to my mind, I snapped my fingers and set the palace on fire.

Her unconscious form lay there, with her unknowing of what was happening…

However, the Elements would protect her.

 "Fear not, Stella… For even though you may think that your suffering is over and I shall be gone, you are mistaken. I have many plans for you in the future… The suffering of those bastards may have physically ended, but even their souls shall not be in peace, for I will torment you… I will torment all of their descendants or those close to them, and when there are none left…" Another chuckle escaped my mouth. "I shall take what was mine all along."
> Chapter Seventeen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Seventeen


The Solar Princess had lost track of time as she became lost in her grief. The nights turned into days, the days turned into weeks…

It felt like months had passed since she barricaded herself in her room, when in reality, she knew it was days.

Meals were brought to her by the maids, but she didn't eat them, for she had no appetite.

Even now, she can still remember Luna's words…







""No. Cease thine begging for it is of no use. Doth thee take Us for a fool? Doth thee actually think that after all thou hast done, that We would forgive thou so easily? After all the shit thou hast done to Us, after all the shit We have had to put up with, thou should count thyself lucky if We ever choose to forgive thou. Never forgive...Never forget."







"Never forgive...Never forget..." she murmurs. "Does this mean that Luna will never forgive me? And that what He's done has scarred her for life…?"

A bitter laugh escaped her throat. It's ironic. I changed Luna's memories to make her think that she had a good childhood, and was loved and cared for by our parents, just so that she wouldn't feel hurt… But now, that was all for nothing…

Why does He want to hurt me so badly? What my parents have done in the past shouldn't affect me…

Her tears started again... I can't seem to do anything right… I banished Stygian… I failed to protect myself and Luna from Interitus… And now Equestria is falling since the only ruler they'll listen to is staying cooped up in her room… 

Useless…
  
Perhaps my time is over… I've lived long enough. By staying in this world, I'll only bring pain to Luna because I can't even stop Him from controlling me…

Weak…

I've hurt Luna enough; I don't want Him to hurt her even more...

Pitiful…

But without me, Equestria will fall… The people will not listen to Luna… But, if I had to choose between Equestria and Luna, I'd choose Luna… 

Die… Die… It would be a pity for your suffering to end, but at least I would have had my revenge… So yes, you're unneeded now. 

...Really, I would have preferred to have you like this for all eternity, but you would have died someday, anyway… Even if it'll be painful when the spell banishes me again, I'll be content with knowing that I alone managed to cause you pain, and drove you to this.

She tried to not listen to his words, but if her life was what she had to give to ensure her sister's happiness and safety, she'd be more than willing to do so.

Celestia stepped away from her balcony, and returned to her room, searching for an object she knew she had.

Jumping would be easier, but I don't want my death to be published in the newspapers…  

She opened a cabinet and found it. It was a beautiful sword, one that her father had gifted her when she mastered all types of magic. 

It was sharp enough to do the job, yet she didn't want to stain it with her blood, for it was the last thing she had ever gotten from her father.

She almost broke down upon remembering their last happy memory together, and the torture he had been put through before death was given to him.

Once, she had wished to avenge her parents, but against a being who seemed to have no weaknesses, how could she ever hope to do so?

As much as she hated to admit it, they had brought it upon themselves. Messing around with a demon is the least wisest of acts…

She shook her head and rummaged around in the cabinet, moving random things out. 

"I'm sure there was a rope here…"

No sooner than she had said that, she found some sort of string and upon pulling it out, saw that it was string lights.

It's not a rope, but it should do…

Hoping that it would be strong enough to support her weight, she  walked to her bed, stood on it,created a noose with the lights, and then attached the noose to a hook on the ceiling, which was there for mosquito nets to be hanged from.

As she fastened it around her neck, she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, which would be her last.

This is for you, Luna...






…

…

…

Celestia groaned as she awakened, to find herself on the floor. Confused, she attempted to stand, only to find that her entire body ached, and when she breathed, it hurt.

The memories of what she had done revived themselves in her mind, and touching her neck, she felt some sort of sticky liquid there.

Her fingers came away from her throat to reveal that they were now bloodied.

She gave up on standing and looked up as she could do that without feeling pain due to the fact she had fallen in such a position that she landed on her back.

The rope was still hanging from the ceiling, but the noose had snapped, most likely after she lost consciousness, as it was unable to bear her weight despite her original thoughts, and it had only dropped her after cutting through her neck…

Thankfully, her alicorn healing had prevented the wound from becoming too serious as it had healed it while she was unconscious, but she doubted that the healing alone could help her.

She was losing blood quickly…

 I failed… If He took control now… Luna would be hurt again, just because of my failure...

See how pathetic you are? You can't even do anything right… 

Just shut up already… I don't need you to point out my failure…

Seriously, anyone would know that string lights would never be enough to support their weight for long… Wait, aren't you alicorns capable of conjuring things?

Not things like ropes…

Then how was your oh so precious sister able to conjure blades?

What?

Come on, you don't think that she'd go around and search in shops for one, do you?

…What did you do to her?

Just a little magic here and there, swirling around through the foggy air… Bringing with it a new light, ready to bid Luna good-night…

She recognized that. It wasn't merely a poem. It was a spell that would bring nightmares to the one whom the caster desired…

How dare -

You're in no position to say that to me. Look at you, bleeding out, because you can't do a single thing right. Pathetic. Useless. How could you have ever thought that you'd be able to rule, protect and control a country, if you can't even protect yourself?

…

I think I'll take your body now. Even if it would be pleasurable to see you die after so much misery… I want to bring you even more pain.

What- No - No-

Her body, weakened as it was from the blood loss, made no resistance as He began to take control once again, but she tried to shout, but all she could do was cough up blood.

 "Shh, now, Celestia. Your crying and shouting is of no use. If you behave, I might decide not to have your precious Equestria fall, but if you don't… Well, you know the answer to that, don't you? "

He smirked as he went to the balcony, and cast his gaze upon the stars. "Don't worry Luna...I'm coming…"
> Chapter Eighteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Eighteen


The Lunar Princess stood alone on the balcony as she lowered the moon to make way for the sun. She was delighted that her sister was still oblivious of her escape, even after two weeks, but she dared not to let herself feel too delighted nor too at ease, for she felt that if she let her guard down, even for a moment, she would find Celestia standing behind her, bearing a wicked grin upon her face as she dragged the girl back to Canterlot, more than ready to punish her in such a way that she wouldn't dare to even take a step without the permission of the Solar Princess. 

Thus, she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and laying a hand on her chest as if to control the beating of her heart which threatened to launch itself out of her chest from terror, turned her head to the side, only to find the King of the Crystal Empire standing behind her.

"Sombra," she gasped, "it is thou!"

"Why, yes, it is I. Who else would it be? ...I hope I didn't frighten you, " he added, noticing the paleness that had taken over her face.

Her breathing returned to normal, and there was no sign of her fear other than her hand which shook. "Next time, please don't sneak up on Us like that…"

He felt as though something was wrong. Luna only uses plural pronouns when she's feeling that good…

"Are you okay, Luna?"

There's no need to burden him with your problems.

" Of course We are! Why wouldn't We be okay?"

"Luna… You can tell me anything. There's no need to face your worries or fears alone. "

He's just saying that.

"We're fine," she insisted . Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the sun rising. A little later than usual, and not as smoothly as before, but it was still rising.

For some reason, she felt worried. Just looking at the sun made her feel sick. 

"I- We feel tired," she stuttered . "We bid you pleasant dreams."

With that, she turned from his balcony to return to her room, as she only went to his one as there was a better view there, which she required to properly raise and lower the moon.

"Luna, wait-" he called after her in vain, but it was too late for she had already left.

Something is definitely wrong. I just need to find out what.







Luna returned to the room which had been given to her, and after closing the curtains, attempted to sleep.

But her efforts were in vain, as sleep would not come to her, or rather, she would not let it come.

Two weeks had passed. Surely, that was enough time for her sister to learn of her absence, but for some reason, she was still untouched.

It seems too perfect. How could she have not noticed? No, surely she is waiting for me to lower my guard…

This caused her to become slightly paranoid, jumping at the smallest sound, panicking if anyone touched her, and… avoiding sleep.

She would try to sleep, but then her fear of being attacked while in such a vulnerable state would take over her, and she would remain awake.

Sleep Luna… You're safe…

No matter how much she tried to convince herself, her efforts were only futile, so she just groaned and started counting imaginary sheep, which despite giving the opposite effect at first, soon tired her out and made her feel drowsy...







It was a cold night in the Empire, but that didn't stop Luna from going on a walk. Shadowlance and Sombra had both offered to come with her for safety, and as she could not refuse either of them, they had both come along.

 "Seriously Sombra," she heard Shadowlance make yet another attempt at getting the King to leave, "I've been with Luna for way longer than you have. So, you should just go back to your castle and rest."

 " Well, this is my Empire. I have the right to accompany Luna if she's fine with it, and therefore, you should be the one to return. "

 "What did you just say?! Why should I return?! Since you're the King over here, you should go back to your duties."

 " I have finished all my paperwork. And in a  way, this can be seen as a duty. "

 "Oh really? What duty would that-"

 "Shadowlance. Sombra...I...I sort of came out of the castle because I wanted to have a relaxing walk… But… if you two are just going to argue the whole time, I might as well just go back… "

 "Go back? Sweet Luna, we shall both be quiet at once," promised Sombra , clasping her hand.

 "Yes, indeed," agreed Shadowlance , "you shan't hear another argument while we are with you."

 Luna just hoped that they would stick to their promise, which they actually managed to do, and thus, the entire walk was spent in silence.

...Until Shadowlance pointed to Belle Vie, which they were passing, and suggested going there. "Luna! Why don't we go to Belle Vie for a drink or two? I'm sure you must be feeling thirsty ~"

 " You needn't feel pressured to go there Luna, " said Sombra. "The choice might be yours, but we'll go with whatever you decide. "

 "Well, now that you mention it, I suppose I do feel thirsty… "

And with that, Shadowlance ran towards the Café in joy, only to turn around and see that his companions were left behind, which caused him to run back and hold their hands. "Come on! Faster!"

 " Shadowlance, I find myself capable of walking without being pulled, " stated the King.

 "I can also walk by myself,"  said Luna.

 "But you two are being too slow. The Café shall close unless we hurry!"

 "But as the King, I can just order them to open again. Why, if they did not heed my orders, then I would make them do their business in the dungeon! Which means no business at all!"

 " Fine… '' Shadowlance begrudgingly agreed.

Once they had entered the Café and found seats, the Vampire went straight to the counter and was about to order, only for Hope to speak before he could.

 "So, sixty nine coffees, all with ice cream and sprinkles in them."

 " Sixty nine coffees? No way! Not again! "

 "But you'll be sharing them with your friends this time."

 " Please, three coffees shall be enough. "

Hope laughed. "Okay…"

 The order arrived soon enough and everyone began drinking. Shadowlance finished his one within a minute, while his companions took their time and finished it in five minutes.

 "That finished way too quick! I'm gonna go get some more, " he announces and goes…

One drink led to another, and another, and eventually, an order of sixty nine coffees had arrived due to the waitress realising that the Vampire would most likely be ordering coffee all night, which she didn't really mind because more orders meant more money - more profit,  but she had decided to save both of them all the trouble and gave him enough to last a while.

He divided it by three and gave twenty six cups to each of them, at which Luna excused herself to use the bathroom and left.

As she entered it, she felt as though something or someone was watching her, but even after searching the whole bathroom, she found that she was the only one there.

…

Once she was done using it, she began washing her hands and was about to leave, but the door would not open.

Doing her best not to panic, Luna tried to force it open with magic, but nothing happened.

The lights went out, and she was now alone and in pitch black darkness. While she didn't mind pitch black darkness, she was panicking because she didn't know what was happening.

Suddenly, she heard laughter coming from behind her and spun around, casting a light spell, only to see that no one was there.

But she still heard laughter.

And then, a voice.

 "Luna…"

 It was strangely familiar, and she fancied she had heard it before, but she could not place where. The voice was that of a man, and was low and deep. 

 "Did you really think you could hide from me?"

 Her light was extinguished and did not show itself again.

 "That won't work. Give up already."

 The darkness began to envelop her.

 "You can never escape from me."

 Never  before had she been afraid of the dark…

 "Try and find me..."

 But this terrified her.

 "Oh right, I guess you can't… but that's no problem." A pair of red eyes appeared. 

 "Do you remember me?"

 She felt a pair of hands wrap themselves around her neck. 

They burned her.

 "Someone! Help!" she shouted as she tried in vain to release the other person's grip on her.

 "There's no need to shout. I've placed a soundproof spell on this room. No one will hear your pleas for help."

The hands began to tighten around her neck.

She needed to get out of here. She began to thrash wildly, letting her flight or fight instinct take over.

 "Shh… Don't struggle. It'll be easier if you just stop resisting."

 A cloth was pressed against her nose, and she began to feel dizzy.

 "Shh…"







The Lunar Princess awoke with a start, sweating and with her heart pounding in her chest.

She tried to sit up, only to find that something was wrapped around her, and she magically turned the lights on to see that she just had her blanket tangled around her.

"Luna?" The door opened and she saw Sombra there. "I heard you screaming. Did anything happen?"

" Just a dream… " she muttered. "But  it felt so real…"

"There's no need to worry," she said quickly, catching the concerned expression on his face. "I'm fine…"

He entered the room and sat beside her, wrapping his arms around her to comfort her as her body trembled.

"It's okay, Luna. You don't have to keep everything to yourself. Let me share your worries, your fears. You don't have to go through this alone…"

"... I'll be there for you. "

She lifted her tear stained face from his chest to look at him. "R-really?"

He nodded, and with his thumbs, wiped her tears.

"No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
My words will warm and calm you

Let me be your freedom
Let moonlight dry your tears
I'm here, with you, beside you
To guard you and to guide you… "
> Chapter Nineteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Nineteen 


As the time drew near for the moon to be risen into the sky, the Lunar Princess began to stir from her slumber, and stretched.

Upon reaching the world of the awake once again, she attempted to get up but as soon as she had tried, she froze because she felt arms wrapped around her body.

Turning her head slowly, she let loose a sigh of relief as she saw that it was none other than the King of the Crystal Empire who held her.

He was deep asleep, and for some reason she could not tear her eyes from his face, even though she knew that she should be at the balcony, raising the moon.

It was interesting to see him sleep, for the always formal King was now fully relaxed for once, and it was his expression of peace and contentment which drew her attention.

He began to shift slightly, and despite her best attempts to resume her former position -perhaps to prevent him from waking, for she felt not like disturbing him just yet- he awoke, his green eyes meeting hers, and his lips forming a smile.

"It's a pleasant sight to wake up next to you- for your face to be the first one to enter my sight," he said.

Luna blushed at this, and awkwardly smiled, not sure of what to do.  "I wish you a good evening as well."

He sat up and magically drew back a portion of the curtain and glanced out of the window, which revealed that the sun was almost done setting.

"Will you grant me the pleasure of watching you raise the moon?" he inquired.

"Why, you flatter me, and make the task of raising the moon sound like such a rare sight. Of course you may watch me - there is no need for you to ask permission."

"Indeed I may make it sound like a rare sight, but that is only because I have hardly been with you while you raise it."

Luna glanced towards the window to see that it was completely black outside. "J’y crois pas! " she exclaimed upon doing so.

"What's happened?"

"The sun has long since finished setting! I must raise the moon immediately!" she gasped, rushing off the bed and out of the chamber.

Sombra could not help but chuckle as he rushed after the Princess. Seriously, why do I find her so cute when she acts like that?







"I wonder where Shadowlance is," says Luna as she eats her breakfast.

"That is also something of my concern," responds the King. "Though, I think he mentioned he would return tonight. ...Do you suppose that all the news about a legendary fortune teller is caused by him?"

"It would not be something I would doubt- Shadowlance has often fantasised about being a fortune teller because he said it was to him, most amusing a job. He finds it rather interesting… "

No sooner than she had said that did a guard enter the room after seeking permission, and bowing, said, "Your Majesty, the legendary fortune teller of the Crystal Empire seeks an audience with you. "

"The legendary fortune teller? What does he look like?"

" He bears a cloak leading to the floor and a hood which covers his entire face, so I was unable to see his features. "

"And yet you still allowed him in…?"

" Your Highness, I was just about to mention that I had him reveal his face, but he lifted his hood only for a second, and while I managed to make out his dark coloured hair, it was too short for me to recall if I had previously seen him anywhere, and his facial features were still indistinguishable. "

"...Tell him to wait - we shall be with him in a second. "

The guard left, and the King stood up, with Luna mirroring his actions.

"I suppose we were done with breakfast anyway... Come Luna, let's see this fortune teller... "







Upon entering the throne room which was where this unknown person awaited, the duo perceived a figure who bore around him a mysterious air, and not a part of his body was to be seen.

Or that was at least the situation until he noticed them and stood up, offering his gloved hand to the King, which he shook.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, King Sombra, whom I have definitely not had the ability to see before, and you too, Princess Luna," he spoke with an exaggerated Italian accent, which did the opposite of convincing them of his origins due to how forced the words sounded.

"Excuse me for being so forward, but I fancy I have heard your voice before?" the Princess said with a slight tinge of confusion in her voice.

"Madame, perhaps you have confused me with someone else, for I have not seen you before."

The King stepped forward. "Now that has been cleared up, perhaps you would like to reveal the purpose of your visit? "

"Well, as for the past few days, talk of my ability to perfectly predict the future of anyone has spread, I thought of honouring your Majesties with a visit."

"Truly we are honoured to receive you…"

"I feel as though Your Majesty is confused. As I am a fortune teller who is actually able to predict what shall occur to anyone at any time in the future, I shall be more than happy to predict for you."

"Then the title of fortune teller would be misleading, would it not? You are a predictor. A seer."

"I suppose you are not incorrect," he said. "Do I have the permission to reveal my skills? And if so, for whom should I predict?"

Sombra exchanged a glance with Luna. She nodded, and he said, "The Princess wishes for you to predict her future."

The fortune teller took a bag off his back and opened it. From it he took a crystal ball and set it upon a stand on the table and knelt before it.

He motioned for the Princess to kneel opposite it, and she did so.

He had barely closed his eyes before the King stopped him. "Might I be able to at least see your face before you begin?"

"Indeed," he said and lifted the hood, revealing dark brown hair, eyes with grey irises, and a face with light brown skin.

"You remind me of a friend of mine," said the Princess .

"Shall I begin?" he asked, dropping his hood.

The King nodded his assent, turning the lights off, and the other closed his eyes, taking Luna's hands in one of his, while the other rested upon the crystal ball which began to glow as he cast magic.

He opened his eyes and observed the dark shadows and figures which twisted and turned within the ball, and a figure of a girl which seemed to be consumed by the shadows.

He immediately stopped the spell and the lights turned back on.

"What happened?"

His voice was slightly shaky. "Y-your Majesty...Are you sure you wish for me to tell you her future?"

"Are you not here for that purpose?"

"Ah… What if it were to be...unfortunate? "

Once again, Sombra glanced at Luna, and like before, she nodded.

"Reveal it."

"For this young lady awaits a future filled with misery, and one from her past shall return to her life, and they shall be the cause of the misery.  "

" Are you sure? " half whispered the bearer of this fate. "You have not made a mistake in your interpretations?"

"...Le porgo le mie più sentite condoglianze, but I can only predict the future, not control it." 

" ...You have permission to leave, unless you bear with me any other business, " said Sombra.

"As your Majesty wishes," he said, and taking his things, left.
> Chapter Twenty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love 


Chapter Twenty


A few minutes after the seer had departed, the throne room's doors burst open and Shadowlance strolled in, bearing a huge grin on his face, which, if one were to look carefully, seemed a little forced.

"I'm back!" he announced while the guards closed the doors. "...What happened?" he asked upon seeing that Sombra was hugging Luna who was crying into his chest.

The King looked up. "The 'legendary' fortune teller of the Crystal Empire came to visit us today, and offered to predict Luna's future, which he was allowed to do.  Needless to stay, it didn't turn out well…"

Shadowlance winced after hearing this. "And what was his name?"

"He didn't reveal it…"

" Oh… " After a few moments, he said, "I heard his name was Grandes Bolas. A pretty unfortunate name if you ask me."

"Really?" This question came from Luna, who lifted her head up a little.

"Luna, dearest, don't you know what it means?" She shook her head. Shadowlance strode over to her, put his head next to her ear as if to whisper, yet he said it in a normal tone, "It means...huge testicles!"

Upon getting no reaction, he sighed. "Well, it means big balls, but that and huge testicles are the same thing."

"That's a Spanish name, isn't it? Wasn't he Italian?" asked Sombra.

"I-uh...How would I know?!"

"So, what were thou doing in the week that thou were gone? " Luna asked.

"Me? " Shadowlance immediately began sweating. "Uh… what was I doing?"

" You can't remember what you were doing? " Sombra smirked. "That's another reason why you should accept me as your true love, Luna. "

The Vampire scowled. "Ah, I remember now! I was f-" What should I say? I can't let them know that I was practising fortune telling!

"You know, We think that seer sounded similar to thou. He looked similar to thou as well."

"Luna -"

"It's also pretty suspicious how he said that he definitely didn't know us. So, what were thou doing, Shadowlance?"

He sighed, raising his hands up in surrender. "Fine, you caught me. I was originally going to find myself a job since you know what happened to my old one, and then I'd come back in a week with millions of bits, enough for us to swim in! And then I'd buy us a huge mansion so we could finally move out of this castle, a-"

" Might I have the pleasure of knowing what exactly is so bad about my castle?"

"Duh, isn't it obvious? You've got way too many hallways that look the same! It's so easy to get lost… and everything is made out of crystals. The ceiling, the bed, the chairs, the glasses- I bet that the water is even made out of crystals, but edible ones of course that have been melted."

"I could go on forever about it, but I've got a story to tell. So, back to where I was. So yeah, I was job hunting, but none of the places accepted me. I couldn't even get a job as a waiter! It's probably because I'm way too awesome. And then I saw this huge sign that said 'tell your future today ' or something like that. It was an advertisement for a fortune teller job, and Luna, you know I've always been interested in that. So I went, spent a few days training, and since you've been worrying so much, I thought I'd come here all disguised and tell your future that should've been perfect! But no, it just couldn't turn out perfect, could it?"

He sighed again. "But don't think about it too much. In fact, 99% of the time, fortune tellers are incorrect, and anyways, we're all mortal. Even if someone has angel blood in their veins, only God knows the future."

This reassurance did nothing to ease the Princess' mind, and Sombra stood up. "You know what, let's get some fresh air. Luna, you're eighteen now, right?" She nodded. "According to the Crystal Empire's laws, you're officially old enough to drink…"

"To be honest, that sounds like something Shadowlance would suggest."

"Should I take that as a compliment or an insult…?" the King murmured with a smile.

"Take it as both, if you wish," she replied, winking.

"Alright, enough waiting. I know a good bar here that we can all go to," offers Shadowlance.

"I know a better one."

"What?! How can-"

"Let's not fight. How about we go to both?" suggests Luna, to which both agreed.







At the bar, an hour later…

"Come on Sombra, just drink a little," drunkenly urges Luna.

"Yes, yes, more!" enthusiastically shouts Shadowlance, pushing the bottle towards the King.

"Do you really think it would be wise for the only ruler of the Crystal Empire to get himself drunk?"

" And what, it's fine for the only raiser of the moon to get herself drunk? " 

"Are you scared…? I never thought the oh so mighty and powerful only ruler of the Crystal Empire would be scared of a little alcohol! Drink...drink...drink!"

Sombra scowls, before taking the bottle. "I'll show you who's scared…"






A few hours later, the trio returned from their night of drinking, as far from sobriety as possible but still able to stand.

Well, seeing as they were drunk, it would be more accurate to say that they staggered back to the Castle. Sombra would've used a spell so he wouldn't be seen in such a state, but it was highly advised against to cast teleportation spells while drunk because it could go wrong…

But fortunately, as it was nearing sunrise, the streets were empty and they didn't meet a soul on their way back. In short, it was without any misfortunate incidents.

Once they had entered the Castle, they went to the  'relaxing' room, a room full of soft cushions, sofas and drinks so it could do its purpose.

Shadowlance collapsed on a sofa and fell asleep instantly, while his companions did the same…
> Chapter Twenty One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty One


The Lunar Princess groans as she awakens, and naturally, tries to get up, only to find herself restricted by something.

Were it not for the fact that her head was pounding due to the after effects of the alcohol she had drank the previous night, she would have panicked. So instead of blindly punching at whatever was holding her down, she looks and perceives that she's in the middle of Shadowlance and Sombra, who both have their arms wrapped around her…

The speed of her heart beat increases, and she doesn't know what to think or do.

Should I push them away from me? No, that would be rude. ...How did we end up like this anyway?

Shadowlance turns his head and opens his eyes, the gaze of which meets that of the Princess' immediately.

He stares at her for a few moments before blushing at the realisation that his hands are around her body, and immediately retracts them.

"...Sorry," he says ashamedly. "Uh...I…"

He sits up and clutches his head. "How much did I drink…?"







After a little more sleep, they all freshen up and ignore the ever present headache.

"I'm never drinking again," says Sombra . 

"Why'd you suggest going to drink then?"

" What do you think?! "

Luna groans. "Please don't fight…"

Silence follows this statement.

"Well...What should we do now?" asks Shadowlance .

"Sleep?" suggests Sombra.

"Sure," mumbles Luna.







Being trapped within your own head. Unable to control your body. Your own actions. 

Celestia hated it. She was powerless to stop Him- all she could do was watch and wait as he slowly destroyed the things she cared about.

As he planned…

Sometimes, he'd put her in control, specifically when dealing with the nobles - "So I don't end up killing any of those bastards, not that I care, but I don't want my fun to be stopped too soon"- but even then she couldn't do anything against him.

An attempt to find a way to defeat him? A small electric shock would stop her.

Writing a letter explaining everything to Luna so she could just pass it under her door and be forgiven? Not even in her wildest dreams.

Speaking of Luna, I haven't seen her in quite a while. I haven't even passed her in the hallways, though I have been frequenting them at night… I hope she's alright… Perhaps I should check on her? No, the sight of me would distress her incredibly… Sending a maid would be just as efficient…

Ineritus didn't seem to object to this, so she walked forward, called a maid and ordered her to check on the Lunar Princess but not make her presence obvious. In other words, she was not to reveal herself- secretly check.

The Solar Princess was pacing when the maid returned, with worry written all over her face.

"Whatever is the matter?" asked the monarch, concerned upon seeing this.

"Your Majesty…The Lunar Princess…is not in her chambers," reported the maid hesitantly.

Unsure if she had heard correctly, Celestia gripped the back of a chair tightly. "What? Are you sure she is not in there?"

"Her Highness is nowhere in the Castle."

"Surely you cannot be telling the truth…" she muttered.

"Your Majesty, I have no reason to lie.  And if this is not enough reassurance for you, you can check her chambers yourself."

Scarcely had she finished talking when the Princess rushed forth, on her way to her sister's room…







"No! This cannot be possible! How…When…"

Celestia looked around the room, which if one were to look carefully, had a few things missing. The wardrobe lacked the royal dress, which was to be worn in public, from the dressing table was taken a bracelet which bore a design of the moon, and so on.

"She must have at least left a note…" 

Muttering this to herself, she began to search the desk, and pulled open the third drawer, which was usually where Luna would leave letters. There was no letter here, but in its place, a rose, and curiosity shining in her eyes amidst the tears that threatened to roll from them, she picked it up, sat upon the chair and began to examine it.

The rose was crimson in colour, and with it was a strand of light blue hair which she knew to be that of her sister. It was a little faded, but there was some magic, she could tell, that was keeping it alive.

There seemed to be nothing else, but wait- her eyes caught a ribbon attached to it. The ribbon was the same colour as the flower to which it was attached, and she swore she could see some sort of silver writing inscribed in it.

~Sombra

"Sombra?" she asked aloud. "Why is his name here? Was he then, the giver of this flower? No, that would be impossible… They only met once- in the throne room, on that day. Unless she has been sneaking out to see him… But… A rose… He kissed her hand…"







His voice was deep and smooth. "Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. I apologise for the delay in my arrival. I promise I had not forgotten about the time of the meeting. I had simply lost track of time while admiring the beauty of the Night sky."

 He then took Luna's hand in his and bestowed upon it a kiss, after which he bowed to Celestia.

His hand then glowed with a crimson aura and he levitated a bouquet of flowers to the Lunar Princess. "For you, Princess Luna."







"He flirted with her… Are they then, in love? So she has fled to have her life and relationship in peace…"

She set it back in its place, closing the draw and standing up, ready to leave.

"I shan't go after her, for if I do, I shall not be able to stop Him from ruining her peace and happiness."

With that, she closed the door and retired to her chambers. However, she had forgotten one vital thing, or rather, person when deciding this.

You might not want to go after her, but I will.
> Chapter Twenty Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Two


As of late, the Lunar Princess had been searching the Crystal Library for a way to evade sleep, but her search was futile for she found nothing on the subject.

She tried constantly drinking coffee, but that made her long for sleep more, and once she had lowered the moon two more times, when she felt so tired that she knew she could not escape it any longer,  sleep came to give her a rest, even though she desired it not.

Evading it was pointless, for she would always fall asleep...







She was there, staring at the Lunar Princess with a grin on her face as she twirled a knife around in her hands.

Gesturing to a tied up Shadowlance, her smile only grew bigger as Luna desperately began to try to free herself to help him.

But then the Solar Monarch stepped aside and revealed another whom she had captured and brought to the Forest of Everfree.

Standing between two trees, she folded her arms and gazed directly into the eyes of her sister.

 "You can only save one of them...or none of them. Give yourself up, or foolishly remain out of my grasp. Make your choice…"







Luna sat up,  gasping and covered in sweat from yet another nightmare. "Just a dream…" she muttered, placing a hand on her chest and breathing slowly.

Ever since the previous week, she hadn't had a single day of peaceful rest. Her dreams were continuously disturbed and she began to lose hope of being free.

She had found freedom in coming here, but would her dreams forever be haunted by the face of her sister?

Would she forcibly be taken back- forced to live a life she didn't want?

She did not know the answer to any of these questions, and it only increased her anxiety.

Breathe in...breathe out…

Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and she closed her eyes. 

But just as she was about to drift off to sleep, her eyes shot open, and she sat up again.

If We sleep again, We will have bad dreams. No, We no longer wish to have them. We shan't sleep, and instead find a cure. We art the guardian of dreams- the realm of dreams is under our power alone. We art highly skilled in dream magic, therefore there should be no problems if We encounter the being which disturbs our rest.







…
…
...No matter how much she tried to stay awake, her eyes begged for sleep, as did her body and mind.

She had managed to evade it for a few days, but she could do it no more.

Against her desires,  her eyes fluttered closed and she went into the land of the sleeping...






 "Hello again, dear sister of mine. Have you made a choice, or have you changed your mind? Sacrifice yourself - you shall still save one. Remain alive- you shall be able to save none."

 " S-sacrifice? " The word barely left her lips; so low was the utterance that the other almost didn't hear it.

*Yes, sacrifice. I've always wanted to try occult things. It seems like fun. But seriously, make your choice quickly or I might get bored and decide to do three experiments. "

 "I…" She still hesitated .

" Still unable to choose, are you? You already know that no one needs or wants you- you're too broken for anyone- so choose who you'll save.  This one" she pointed the knife at Shadowlance,  and then moved it to Sombra, "or this one ?"

 "I cannot just choose one of them. Tell me what you want- I'll do anything to save both of them. "

 "Anything...huh?"

 "Yes, anything."

 "Hmm… let me thin-"

 At that moment ripples began to spread across the scene before her, and everything began to fade away and turn to black.

As her dream broke, the Lunar Princess swore she heard a voice say, "No! You shan't harm my sister!"







This time when she awoke, she found Sombra beside her, with a concerned expression on his face.

"S-sombra?"

"I heard you crying and came to comfort you," he said, sitting on her bed. "Another bad dream? "

She nodded. "The more time passes,  the worse they become. Is there truly no way for Us to fully avoid sleeping?"

" Dark Magic is one method...but it can be very harmful…It corrupts and destroys what was formerly innocent and happy. "

She sighed. "We can't bear the dreams any more…We know of no solution to them, and they are all about her."

He wrapped her in his arms. "Remember that they're only dreams and can't harm you. And I don't think you have to give up sleeping… I mean, isn't there some sort of spell that can stop one from having dreams entirely? It could work…"

She shook her head.  "Back in Canterlot We tried all the spells We knew to prevent Ourselves from having dreams, but none of them ever worked… Not a single potion, spell, incantation… nothing ever did."

"But your dreams back then were most likely influenced by her…"

"And I suspect that they are still influenced by her, even now. The distance might be huge, but Our sister was never lacking in magical power…"

The King frowned. "This...is a very tricky situation indeed. But let me try a spell of my own creation and we shall see if it works."

"Okay…"

" I'll be back- give me a second, " he said, after which he disappeared in a flash of crimson light.

Luna nodded and waited…

He was quick to return, having only taken a minute. In his hands was a dark blue crystal, but it was shinier than any other, and had a design of white roses carved into it.

He set it upon the bedside table and clicked his fingers, causing a few baskets of lavender to hang around the room.

Switching the lights off, he sat beside her once again, and the crystal began to glow.

"This used to help me when I had bad dreams. I hope it'll help you too."

She nodded appreciatively. "Thank you."

He nodded and was about to stand up, but her hand moved on its own and held his wrist.

"Is there something you want?" he asked.

Half trembling in fear at what she had done, and closing her eyes, hoping he would not say no, she stuttered, "I...We...if i-it's not too much t-trouble...Could y-you...stay with Us?"

He smiled and looked at her, admiring how beautiful she was, even when scared. "Sure."
> Chapter Twenty Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Three


It was a beautiful night, and the pale, yet beautiful glow of the moon in the sky brought a smile to King Sombra's face as he stood on the balcony.

One may think he was at peace, and while that was not a lie, something still disturbed his mind.

The Avatar of the Moon herself, Princess Luna, had been, for the past week, having what would be called nightmares, however, that exact term might not be applicable here, due to the fact that the Princess slept during the day, as the night was under her rule.

Perhaps those would be called 'daymares' or something similar, mused the King, unable to think of anything but what Luna had told him about the nature of those dreams...







"Luna, you seem to be tired," remarked Shadowlance as the Lunar Princess yawned once again.

"I agree," added Sombra. "You have been yawning quite a lot, and you were close to falling asleep in your soup… "

"Us? Tired? Of course not! " denied the Princess. "We art…"

"Luna…" sighed Sombra. "I know your dreams are less than pleasant, but surely you have not been attempting to evade sleep in order to avoid the dreams? Have my spells not been working?"

"Huh? " exclaimed the Princess, for this inquiry caught her off guard. "Of course We have not! Why- why would We?"

Shadowlance exchanged a look with the King, who sighed again. 

"Luna… You can tell me anything," offered the former. "I won't judge you for it. And here's the plus side, you won't have to tell Sombra!"

"Just what are you implying?" asks the latter, narrowing his eyes.

"Luna trusts me more than you, duh! I mean, I've been with her for way longer, and I've always been there for her. "

"And I haven't? Honestl-"

"Come on, you're the one who started fighting with me just for a date!"

" Have you got a memory problem or something? You were the one who started it by cursing when you saw me! And for your information, I'm the one who's been with Luna every time she's had a bad dream! I've been the one to comfort her, to reassure her, to calm her!"

"But-"

"...Can you two please stop fighting?"

At the sound of Luna's voice, they both stopped, and all was silent, until Shadowlance decided to use this opportunity. "Luna, if we stop fighting, promise me you'll get some rest? Being sleep deprived isn't good for your health, and even if you try to run on coffee, it won't work. Trust me, as someone who had to drink sixty nine cups of coffee, I know. "

"That's because that Café doesn't make their coffees that powerful, but Shadowlance is still correct. You can't just operate on coffee alone."

"..." There's no reply.

"...Luna?" asks Shadowlance.

Sombra stands up and walks over to the Princess' chair, and taps her gently, only to confirm what he already suspected. "She's fallen asleep…"

"Well, I'll take her back to her room."

He smirks as he gets out of his seat and pulls her chair back to pick the Princess up, but Sombra gets out of his own and takes her.

"Let me take her back to her room. You look exhausted, and having to go to Luna's room and then to the other side of the Castle to your own would tire you out even more."

The Vampire scowls. "And what, your room is close to hers?"

The King nods. "Don't you know? Her room is right next to mine."

This statement of his only increases the Vampire's scowl. "Well, there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to walk a little extra for Luna."

"Shadowlance. I am more worried for Luna's safety. Should you collapse on the way there, you would drop her and she would get injured."

" And what says I would collapse? Surely it isn't that far. "

Sombra chuckles. "You know, I am really fond of stairs. They provide good exercise, are fun to slide down, and if an enemy comes looking for me, they'll have to climb all those stairs. I even put a spell that doesn't allow teleportation so they'll have no choice."

"So?"

"If you want to go to take Luna back to her room, you'll have to go up fifty flights of stairs."

Shadowlance's jaw dropped open. "I always thought you were a little crazy, but I never thought of you as a complete madman!"

"I bid you pleasant dreams," the King said, smiling, and carrying the Princess in his arms, left the room.






Shadowlance paced around in his room. He is taking Luna away from me! All my chances to do anything for her? Taken by him! He's spending too much time with her! And his room is right next to hers… No! He cannot win her heart! But he has too many opportunities to… 

My plan of becoming a seer to reassure her that the future would be fine not only backfired, but also caused her to worry even more! He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, and groaned. I need a way to stop him from getting too close, or I won't even be able to have a chance against him.

His gaze fell upon a leaflet he had received while training to become a seer the previous week. It was a travel guide.

He picked it up, and opened it, flipping through the pages, until he stopped.

Looking for the perfect island getaway? A house on an island that's surrounded by a beach?

Look no further, for this matches the description, word for word! The island is situated far from any population, so privacy is not a worry! There are also spells placed there to specifically ward any insects, so your vacation shall be bug-free...

An island getaway in the middle of nowhere? That's the perfect holiday! Luna can relax and spend time with me! And the best thing is...Sombra won't be anywhere near her! She'll be mine! All mine!
> Chapter Twenty Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Four


"Mein Gott!" exclaimed Shadowlance , collapsing as he finally reached the top of the stairs. "How...does Sombra manage to... climb up this every night?!"

"What are you doing here, Shadowlance?" 

The Vampire looks up to see none other than King Sombra standing in front of him. "You...maniac!"

" I believe I asked you a question, not for an insult. Answer me. "

"I could ask you the same question."

"My bedroom is on this floor. And besides, it's my Castle. I have a right to be here. Now, answer me."

The Vampire groaned. "Isn't it obvious? I've come to see Luna."

"Luna's sleeping. Let her rest."

"Well, even if she is sleeping, I can still go and see her."

He steps forward, but Sombra stands in front of the door to Luna's room, crossing his arms. "With how loud you are, you'll wake her up."

"I am more than capable of being quiet. Now, let me in."

"Prove it."

Shadowlance scoffs. "If I couldn't be quiet, do you think I really would've gotten the job of being Luna's personal guard?"

"I wonder if you really managed to pass the job requirements and the training, or if they were just short on guards."

The Vampire's eyes flash red. "You…"

Suddenly the door opens and Luna steps out, rubbing her eyes. "What's happening?"

"Luna! I have a surprise for you, but first, pack everything you need!"

"Huh?"

He grabs the Princess' hand and runs into her room with her. Sombra rolls his eyes.







"Luna, walk faster!"

"This is as fast as I can walk!"

"Then run!" Luna starts running, but groans as one of the cuts on her leg begins stinging. Shadowlance stops and looks back. "Are you okay?"

The Princess shakes her head. "No…"

"We won't be able to get there in time if we don't run…And since you can't run…" He grins and picks her up. "I'll carry you!"

"Shado-"

"Shh…Don't worry, you're safe."







The yacht ride was uneventful, and as Luna got off it, Shadowlance covered her eyes with one hand.

"It won't be a surprise if you see it!"

…

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Luna does so and looks around. It seems to be a room, with one bed in the centre, torches on the wall, and a clear roof. The wall has a design of flowers with a yellow background, and there's one window on the south eastern wall. There's also a small sofa next to the bed. "Where are we?"

"Look out of the window~"

She walks to it and her eyes widen. "Are we…on an island?"

Shadowlance beams. "Yep! An island in the middle of nowhere, and the best thing about it is that it's a private one, so it'll just be the two of us!"

"So,  we'll be staying here?"

He nods. "This is the bedroom, and there's a small kitc-"

"There's only one bedroom, with only one bed?"

Shadowlance nods. "I told them to put two beds here, but they didn't."

"Really?" Luna asks, seizing a pillow.

"Yes, really!"

She frowns. 

"But I don't see any problem with us sleeping toge-"

"You planned this, didn't you?"

The Vampire sighs. "Fine, you caught me."

Luna walks towards him, brandishing the pillow, and he begins to run.

"Come here!"

"No! Not today!"







The moon has been lowered, and the sun has begun to rise. Shadowlance comes out of the bathroom with his pyjamas on, and Luna sighs.

"Look, it's not that bad. We're friends, right? We can definitely sleep together."

Luna scowls. "But…"

"Look, don't think too much about it. We're friends-"

"But you love me romantically."

"So? If you feel that uncomfortable, you can even tie me up and then sleep. Or how about this? I'll sleep on the sofa, and you'll sleep on the bed."

"...You won't be too uncomfortable there, will you?"

He winks. "It's soft, and cosy."

"Okay then. …Have good dreams."







Shadowlance wakes up and stretches as he gets off the sofa. That wasn't so bad…

He's about to go to the bathroom, but as he passes Luna's bed, he hears her say, "No...Please…"

This causes him to go to her, and he notices that the blanket is tightly wrapped around her body. "Luna?"

"Please…don't hurt him…"

He tapped her face. "Luna, wake up."

This mere touch of his instantly awoke the Princess, who frantically started to try to free herself from the blanket.

"Luna…calm down. It's just me, Shadowlance."

She stops struggling and looks at him fearfully.

"Here, I'll help you."

Once he's successfully freed her from it, he looks at her face and sees tear tracks upon her cheeks. "Luna…What happened? A bad dream?"

I cannot let him worry… She wipes her face with her hands and smiles. "It's nothing. Now, let's explore the island today."







"Wow, this is actually bigger than I thought," Shadowlance remarks as he lays upon the sand with Luna beside him, both tired from walking through the whole island.

"Yes, indeed. Though, I must ask…Where did you find the advertisement for it?"

"I can't really remember…But I got it while I was becoming a seer."

"Huh…"

"Luna?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know how to swim?"

Upon hearing the word 'swim,' Luna's smile faded. "Are you planning to swim through the sea?" she asked, tenatively.

"Yes, but do you know how to swim?"

"Yes, We do. But it has been quite a while since We have," she replied, trying her best not to let her distress show.

"Well then," he beamed, "I'll teach you!"

"So…When do you plan to…swim?"

"If you're not too tired, we can swim now?"

She really wanted to say no. But seeing the hopeful look on her companion's face…she just couldn't.

Shadowlance really desires to go swimming… And who are We to stop him? No, it would be selfish to say no…

And with that thought in her mind, she said the words which sealed her fate. "If you really desire to, then sure, let's go."
> Chapter Twenty Five
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Five


As Luna stepped into the water, she did her best to keep her smile on her face. 

"Luna, come on! Swim time!"

But the deeper she got, the less she was able to. Her hands began to tremble; beads of sweat formed on her brow, and the breaths she took were shaky and drawn out.

"Luna, don't be scared. Like I said before, if you forgot how to swim, then I'll help you and teach you again."

She just nodded. Calm down…She's not here. Nothing bad will happen. Just relax…

She thought that she could manage it. However, the instant she dived to swim…

The Lunar Princess ' old memories all came rushing back to her.







 "Swim you pathetic coward. Swim!"

 Luna flailed around in the pool as her sister forcefully submerged her head under the water.

 "Oh come on. It's not that hard- anyone can swim. But I suppose you don't really count as anyone , do you?"

A cruel chuckle rang out from her mouth as the Lunar Princess began to struggle harder, air bubbles flowing through the water as she accidentally opened her mouth.

At last she was picked up and thrown onto the grass where she choked and spat out water. "I wanted to drown you, but if I did, I wouldn't be able to have any more fun, would I?"







 "Huh, looks like you've actually learnt how to swim...After years!" 

 Luna did her best to ignore her sister.

 "Now, since you're so good at swimming, let's see how you'd do in here," she said, and levitated the girl into a bigger pool which contained...piranhas.

 "Even though piranhas are usually scavengers and not harmful to humans…" A grin spread across Celestia's face. "I've enchanted these ones so that they'd be especially aggressive towards humans."

This caused her eyes to widen and she frantically squirmed, trying to get out of the Solar Monarch's grip, but as it was a magical one she was unable to.

Her eyes were fixated on the medium sized fish swimming around in the pool, and she knew that her sister would not be joking. 

In desperation, her hands began to glow, casting what spell she knew not- all she knew was that she had to escape somehow.

But the spell could not even be cast for as soon as the first spark of magic was detected, she was thrown upon the ground and when she looked up, grimacing in pain, it was to meet the hateful glare of her sister, who spat, "I was going to go a little easy on you- give you a chance of survival, but now that you've dared to use magic against me, I'll go even harder. "







"Here, I'll help you," said Shadowlance, holding Luna's hand. For him, it was a harmless thing, but for the Princess… It awakened one of her worst memories...






 "Hmm… let's see what I have planned for today's water session. Oh!" Her tormentor's eyes lit up. " Electricity! I wonder how long you'll manage to stay conscious for, and if it'll have any lasting effects. It says here that more than a few seconds of being shocked will be fatal, but that's just fine.  I'll give you a break after each one, and just so that all of it doesn't add up and stop your heart, I'll heal you after it. That way we'll be able to do this all day!"

 With that she jumped off the  sun lounger and grasping Luna's wrist, began to drag the Lunar Princess to the pool.

As it was physical this time, Luna tried to claw Celestia's hand off,  but her efforts were in vain; she just held on tighter.

The distance between them and the pool shortened; Luna could not help but fearfully beg, "Celestia, please! Let me go! Let me go!"

She usually would just accept her torture since she had long learned that begging was futile, however, this time it was a different, new form of pain that would greet her.

 This time was no different from the others, Celestia merely smiled wickedly and increased her pace.

 "Mercy is for the weak, and is given by the weak. You might be weak, but I'm not. Haven't I told you before? No amount of begging, pleading, beseeching or crying shall change my mind. In fact, your fear strengthens me. "







"Let me go!" shouted Luna, shaking her hands. "Let me go Celestia! Let go!"

" Whoa, " said Shadowlance, shocked. "Calm down Luna- it's me. Celestia's not here." 

To aid in decreasing her fear, he let go of her hand and she fell backwards into the sea, gasping.

"We're...sorry... Shadowlance, but We simply cannot swim! "

Saying that, she retraced her steps and went back to the house.







Shadowlance was unsure whether to chase after her immediately or let her go.

If I chase after her she might panic...I guess leaving her for a while and then going and checking on her would be the right thing to do… Though, I wonder, what happened…?







When Luna entered the beach house, even though she wasn't paying much attention, she felt some sort of magical energy in the air.

It's probably just the magic for the lights…

However, as she walked further into it, she knew that it was simply too much magic to power the lights.

No, it was something else.

She entered the bedroom and decided that it would be best for her to get some rest. Perhaps she was tired and that's why she detected too much magical energy.

Upon pulling back the covers, she jumped back, screaming as the face of none other than Celestia greeted her.

The Solar Princess sat up,  smiling in such a way it sent shivers down Luna's spine.

"Hello Luna," she said. "Did you miss me?"

The strange mutation of her sister's voice made the Lunar Princess shudder as she began to gather magic in her hands as a form of defence.

"What art thou doing hither? " she hissed hatefully. 

"Luna, you wound me with the harsh tone in which your words are spoken. Do you not recognise me as your sister? Why then do you treat me as though I were your mortal enemy?"

" Because thou art, " snarled Luna, and raising her hands, opening her fists as she did so, fired bolts of magic at the one whom she hated the most.

Powered by hatred, the magic was stronger- scorching Celestia's face and causing her to fall down in pain.

But a second later she rose up and threw her head back, laughing. "Oh Luna, you never learn, do you? You won't be able to harm me. You will only s-"

Luna fired another bolt aimed at Celestia's face and conjured a shield just as one was fired at her. It bounced off and hit the one who fired it.

She fired a much bigger one at the Solar Princess and watched as it hit her...again.

Why is Celestia dodging none of my attacks? Has she recently become a masochist?

Out loud she said, "What's up, Celestia? Gotten a bit slow?"

" Don't get too cocky, Luna. You should focus on...saving yourself...from your enemy's attacks instead of mocking them. "

Just as she said that a fireball went flying towards Luna, but she deflected it with her shield, returning it, but Celestia merely deflected it with a hastily crafted shield at the door, which opened.

Shadowlance strolled in. "Hey Luna, I heard you s-whoa!" He notices the fireball which is flying towards him and draws his sword, making it go back...and hit Luna who had gotten distracted by his arrival which caused her magical shield to dissipate.

As the Vampire runs to Luna, kneeling beside her in shock, Celestia laughs and teleports away.
> Chapter Twenty Six
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Six


Just as she said that a fireball went flying towards Luna, but she deflected it with her shield, returning it, but Celestia merely deflected it with a hastily crafted shield at the door, which opened.

Shadowlance strolled in. "Hey Luna, I heard you s-whoa!" He notices the fireball which is flying towards him and draws his sword, making it go back...and hit Luna who had gotten distracted by his arrival which caused her magical shield to dissipate.

As the Vampire runs to Luna, kneeling beside her in shock, Celestia laughs and teleports away.

The Lunar Princess groaned as the fireball hit her, burning her arm in the exactly same place that Celestia had burned it before.

Its impact caused her to stumble, and trying not to aggravate her injury, the Vampire helped Luna up.  She winced as his fingers brushed against her arm.

As he guided her to the bed so she might rest, he felt as though his movement was automatic. He was still processing everything while his body moved on its own.

He didn't know what to do or think. He had brought Luna here in hopes of spending some time with her as well as finding out if she felt the same feelings for him that he did for her. 

And instead of it going as he planned, with them doing various activities and then having a candlelit dinner in which he'd impress Luna with his cooking skills, the middle of which he'd propose, but no, everything just had to go wrong, didn't it? 

Perhaps that was God's way of telling him that it was too soon to propose to her. Well, he supposed that  might be the most logical explanation - people usually date and then if they like each other that much they end up getting married… But since when did Shadowlance not do anything in a rush? Even his birth was too early...

Way to go, Shadowlance… he thought bitterly. You wanted to win her heart and now look at what you've done. 

He decided to stop moping and pay attention to the one he had unintentionally hurt.

She sat upon the bed silently, opening her hand which began to glow with her aura.

Dark blue magic surrounded the burn and wrapped a bandage around it just as Shadowlance had thought of getting first aid supplies.

He was the first to break the silence. " That's a...pretty handy spell, "he remarked.

Luna nodded, letting out a noncommittal grunt. "Indeed it is."

 Well, now the silence feels even more awkward…

"...You're not...angry with me for what happened...are you?"

" No; why would We be? 'Twas a mere coincidence, nothing more, that thou would open the door at that exact moment and deflect it unto Us."

What she told was the truth. Had it been someone else in her situation, they might have become angered upon receiving the injury, but she did not feel anything. 

To her, it was just a glorified burn - much more intense than one caused by fire as magic amplified the effect, but still a burn.

In short, it didn't bother her. Her mind was fixated on Celestia's sudden arrival.

Was She here all along? Did She plan all of this?

"Luna…"

"We art not angry with thou. We art merely disturbed by the surprise visit from Her."

He fidgeted a little, looking at his hands as he prepared the next words he would speak.

"What do you say we go back to the Empire? I don't want to risk that happening again."

Luna nodded. 







The journey back was silent. So silent, that Shadowlance began to wonder if his companion had fallen asleep.

When he turned his head, he saw that yes, that was the case.

I thought that in jest and it actually happened...






"And that's what happened?" asked Sombra worriedly, glancing at the sleeping Princess.

"Yes...That's everything…" groaned Shadowlance . "It was all my fault...Why did I have to have that stupid reflex…? "

"Don't blame yourself; you just went to the wrong place at the wrong time. But I'm sure She would've hurt Luna even if you weren't there."

The Vampire nods. 

"Well, you should probably...have some rest," the King suggested . 

"Are you trying to kill me by making me go down all those stairs?"

"You can have fun sliding down the bannister."

Shadowlance rolled his eyes and as he walked out of the room, muttered, "It's obvious that you don't want me to accidentally hurt Luna again and want me as far as possible from her, but spare a thought for my safety as well…"

Sombra sighed, and magically closed the door. The sound caused Luna to stir, and she opened her eyes.

"S-sombra?"

"Shadowlance said you fell asleep on the way here so he carried you to the Castle. He also told me about everything that happened…"

"Oh," said Luna, unsure of how to respond.

"I have a spell that can make it heal faster, if you wish."
 
She nodded as the crimson magic created small sparks that were absorbed into her skin, making it instantly feel much better, with the pain being reduced. "Thanks, We really appreciate it."

"If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask me. I'll always be ready to help you." The Princess nodded again, and the King awkwardly said, "So, I'll be leaving unless you need anything else."

But the moment he turned and began to leave, Luna shuddered, and called him back.

"Sombra?"

" Yes? " he asked, turning back.

She felt like she shouldn't trouble him. He'd surely have much better and more important things to do than staying with her.

But the mere thought of being alone sent shivers down her spine.

She didn't want to be alone, in such a vulnerable state where anything could attack her.

Sombra made her feel safe.

He made her feel protected.

And so, she mustered the courage to express the desire in her mind.

"Canst thou...stay with Us?"
> Chapter Twenty Seven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Seven


The atmosphere at breakfast was tense. Shadowlance, who sat opposite Luna, today in all his bed-headed glory was for once, downcast.

No jokes or laughter. He just kept his head down and sullenly ate his Cheerios.

The Lunar Princess observed this tentatively, not knowing what to do. He feels like that because of me...

The silence was broken by King Sombra, who said, "Well, I've got to start the Crystal Court now, so I'll be leaving."

Luna nodded, and after he left, put her spoon down, unwilling to remain at the table any longer.

"Luna," Shadowlance said urgently. She stopped just in front of the door and turned around, looking at him with her perfectly blank face. To him, her eyes,  which were devoid of any emotion, seemed cold and distant. "I...I know that right now, I'm probably the last person you want to talk to, but-"

The Princess held up a hand, causing him to halt midway. "It was not thine fault. Thou were merely in the wrong place, at the wrong moment. Do not blame thineself for what was out of thine control."

The Vampire nodded, not believing it. "Do you resent me for the wound that I inadvertently caused you?"

" How can We blame or feel resentful towards one who is not at fault? "

"...Do you mean it?"

" Yes, of course We do. Now, what was it that thou wished to tell us? "

"If you don't hate me...Then, I'll get this off my chest."

He walked towards her, and went upon his knees, looking up towards her. "I love you, Luna. Perhaps, at first , you thought of it as a joke as my nature is one that makes people not take me seriously. But I really do mean it. I love you." He hesitated a little. " Do you...love me? "

"If thou meant in a platonic manner, Our answer would have been in the affirmative. However, as thou clearly mean it in a romantic manner...No, Shadowlance, We have only seen thou as a friend. Nothing more, nothing less. "

He got up immediately, staring into her eyes. "You love Sombra, don't you? I understand. After all, he's a King, rich, and I'm just a guard. He can give you a more luxurious life-"

"Love that is based on someone's wealth or good looks is not true. Money can run-"

"Don't give me a lecture on love," he shouts. " I've always tried to protect you from her, even at the cost of my life! I'm too simple minded for you, just because I don't use the complicated words that you do. I'm too unreserved in my speech, and-"

"Shadowlance -"

"No! Well then," he says, in a much calmer voice, "farewell… When I return, I will be rich, respected, and will have a love life of my own, taunting you with what you so blatantly refused."

As he storms out, the heartbroken expression on his face is one that Luna is sure will forever be engraved into her mind.

The doors open and Luna looks up. "Luna, I heard shouting. Is everything alright?" Sombra asks in concern.

She nods, letting her hair cast a veil over her face so he cannot see the lone tear that runs down her cheek. "We thought thou was going to start the Crystal Court."

"Indeed I was, but on the way, Shadowlance passed me. He seemed upset. Did the two of you fight?"

The Princess remains silent, merely staring at the ground.

"Luna...I won't make you tell me if you don't want to, but I hope you know I'll always be here to support you."

He's about to leave, but her words cause him to stop in his tracks.

"It's all Our fault. Shadowlance felt guilty because of the accident, and he revealed that he truly loved Us. Love is something that one cannot fake, and even though We art worthless - even though We do not deserve anything...Does every being not deserve the right to love someone because they do, not because they feel like they should? "

"You are not incorrect in that thought of yours, and neither are you worthless. Forget everything she made you believe...and resent yourself no more. Yes, he may be heartbroken , but if you had said yes just for the sake of making him happy, the relationship would not have been a healthy one. He would have loved you with all his heart, but you would not have reciprocated his feelings, and eventually, it would have only led to more heartbreak."

"So don't blame yourself," he continued . "How about this - I'll cancel the court for today and just go with you on a walk?"

She shook her head at this proposal. "No, that won't be necessary."

" Well, why don't you join me in the court? It's always good to have a second opinion… and the people here won't shun you like the Equestrians did. "

"But…" she hesitated. " Thou art the ruler of this land. It is not Our place to decide…"

He sighed. "I suppose your logic is not incorrect.. Why don't you paint? You  once told me  that was your hobby, and I'd love to see one of your paintings."

She nodded. "Okay."







Luna looked at her painting. It was the very balcony that she had seen for most of her life- the one attached to her room in the Canterlot Castle.

A figure stood before it, shrouded in darkness, and the moon seemed not to be present in the sky, from which the absence of the stars were noticeable.

No, it would not be appropriate to show him this painting. What would We say when he asks what it is about…?

However, just as she was about to move it and start over, the door opened and Sombra entered. "Court was exhausting - a couple came in and started arguing… but I'm sure that seeing what you have created will restore my energy in an instant. Are you done?"

" Yes, " she said, for there would be no use in pretending she hadn't finished it, when it lay there. "Thou may see it."

He walked over to the balcony and looked at it. "I must say, you are a very talented artist, and this painting is beautiful. Might I ask what inspired it?"

Luna turned her gaze to him as she carefully thought over her next words. "Something We've often thought about ," she whispered .
> Chapter Twenty Eight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Eight


"Something We've often thought about," she muttered. Sombra, who was at that moment, facing the paint, immediately turned around. 

Why did We say that…?

She flinched as his expression became concerned.

"Luna-"

She shook her head. "Forget what We just said. 'Twas merely a slip of the tongue, nothing more."

At this, he sighed.

"Luna, you don't have to hide anything from me or worry about what you say to me. I won't judge nor condemn you for what you say. It's harmful to keep your feelings bottled up. Humans are social creatures,  so communicating is vital. Please, be open with me? I'll support you, no matter what. You can tell me anything. If you're struggling with certain feelings…"

The moon shone brightly in the sky, which was coloured in shades of lavender, indigo, violet, and the stars, scattered all over it, sparkled and glimmered just like the single tear which threatened to escape from Luna's eyes as the wind gently rustled the leaves of the plants that were in the balcony. She stood there,  a frown upon her face, and her hands upon the railing, staring at him.

"Thou know, dost thou not?" she asked quietly. "The true purpose of Our gloves."

"It seems then, that my suspicions were correct," he murmured, and walked over to her. "Once, that was my way of coping. My father abused me and despised me merely because I was not like the rest of my family. Back then, Hope helped me stop, and now, I will help you stop. I won't take your blade away, but I will trust you to try to not do it anymore. Please...talk to me."

The Princess turned her face away, and her long hair fell over it like a veil, so he could not see her.

He stepped back, understanding that she wanted space, and began to sing softly.

"Night time sharpens,
Heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses
Abandon their defences
Slowly gently, night unfurls
Its splendour
Grasp it, sense it,
Tremulous and tender
Turn your face away
From the garish light of day,
Turn your thoughts away
From cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night
Close your eyes and
Surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life
You knew before
Close your eyes,
Let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live as you've
Never lived before…"







Shadowlance winced as he flew away from the brightly shining streets of the Crystal Empire. The pain was not physical; it was emotional.

She rejected me…

He did his best not to look back. Gradually, the Empire became a small speck, lost in the darkness of the night and he could tell that he had entered Equestria.

I'll show her that she was wrong to reject me… Yes, I'll become famous, be adored, and live like a King. 

His ears twitched as they picked up on the sound of footsteps. Ones that he knew well. 

Impossible...She wouldn't be here.

He cautiously landed, with his gut telling him it was a huge mistake. 

The Vampire turns around and scans his surroundings. Nothing…But I heard-

Suddenly, an axe swings at his face and he ducks, narrowly avoiding it.

Maniacal laughter rings throughout the otherwise peaceful night, and Celestia comes into view.

"Hello...Shadowlance. Would you like to...come with me?"

Her voice is tranquil and calm, betraying no emotion and giving the false illusion of serenity. If one didn't know better, they'd think of her as an angel. Though she really was by birth, her true nature was like that of a demon.

He scowls and his wings are opened, ready for him to fly off, but she draws a sword out and points it at his throat.

"Do not think that I would let you go after waiting here for you," she hisses. " You will come with me, whether you want to, or not. I will either let you have the dignity of walking, or I shall drag you by your fetlocks. "







It is time to lower the moon…

Luna did so and walked back into the room, wiping her eyes. " I bid you good dreams, Sombra," she said.

He smiled at her. "I bid you good dreams too. Would you like me to stay with you tonight? "

She nodded slowly. "If...you do not mind, I would like that very much."

He followed her out. "Okay."







Over the past few days, her dreams, as always, were haunting and disturbing. The Princess had woken up many times during the night, scared and sweating, breathing heavily as she feared that what she dreamt was true, but she would calm down upon seeing Sombra beside her.

Even now, her mind was in a great turmoil from the event with Shadowlance.

All because of me, he left. Who knows what could have happened to him...If he's safe or in danger… But surely it's not all my fault. I never told him to fall in love with me, and it was his heart and mind alone that did so. I thought he wasn't serious, but it turns out he was.  But it's not my fault… I was honest, and like Sombra said, if I pretended to love Shadowlance he'd realise the truth someday and be hurt even more. It's not my fault. It was an affair out of my control.

Suddenly she heard a groan coming from beside her and when she turned her head, was greeted by Sombra's sleepy gaze.

"Sombra?" she asked in shock . "Did I wake you up?"

" When I feel t'is angel of mine, her mind disturbed and anxious, of course, I shall wake up and watch over her, " he said with his old dramatic speech entering.

She smiled. " Thank you, O great Sombra, for watching over me to protect me… "

He knew what thought entered her head, and held her hand in his.

"No more talk of daylight,
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
my words will warm and calm you
Let me be your freedom,
let moonlight dry your tears.
I'm here with you, beside you,
to guard you and to guide you… "

She hesitantly looked into his eyes. 

"Say you love me every waking moment,
turn my head with talk of summertime...
Say you need me with you now and always...
Promise me that all you say is true
that's all I ask of you"

"Let me be your shelter
let me be your light
You're safe, 
No one will find you
your fears are far behind you… "

"All I want is freedom,
a world with no more day
and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me… "

"Then say you'll share with me
one love, one lifetime
let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you...
anywhere you go, let me go too
Luna, that's all I ask of you… "

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...
say the word and I will follow you…"

"Share each day with me,
each night, each morning…"

"Say you love me… "

"You know I do…"

"Love me - that's all I ask of you,
Anywhere you go let me go too,
Love me - that's all I ask of you..."
> Chapter Twenty Nine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Twenty Nine


The dungeon was cold, Shadowlance observed as he hung from chains attached to the wall. He groaned in boredom. Celestia had dragged him to Canterlot and chucked him in the dungeon, where he had been staying for the last three hours or something. It felt like three hours but it could actually be less.

He heard footsteps and lifted his head up so he could see who was approaching him. It was none other than his imprisoner herself.

"Finally," he muttered . 

The Solar Princess locked the cell door behind her after she entered, and looked at the former Guard. 

A few minutes passed without anything happening, and Shadowlance groaned again. "If you're going to do anything, then hurry up and do it instead of staring at me, because I'm bored as hell. "

This made her chuckle and she walked closer to him. "You're bored, hm? Well then, let me give you something to do. I know that you are close to my sister, and I am going to use that fact to my advantage. Surely hurting you would hurt her, hm?"

The Vampire laughs. It's a hoarse one that doesn't sound quite right- not as if it's actually caused by something in which humour is found.

"You are terribly behind on things regarding her, Celestia," he spat. "We had a falling out."

Celestia merely grinned and cocked her head to the side. "You may have left on bad terms with her, but surely she would not forget you so easily. I know all about it. You confessed your love yet she rejected you. You left heartbroken while she felt guilty. If she sees you in this state and knows that it is indirectly caused by her, why, that would wound her deeply, would it not? "

A grin of malice formed on her face as her prisoner realised that she was correct in her theory, and he sighed. "So, you're just going to keep me here until you get her?"

"Yes, you'll stay here for quite a while. But fear not, I'll give you something to do. After all, I wish not for my prisoner to die of boredom. That would disrupt my plans of killing you in front of her. We'll just have a little session of fun, hm?"

His eyes narrowed. "And what sort of fun would that be?"

"I despise your race," she sneered. "Venting out my frustrations on you in the form of torture will be fun, indeed. " She snapped her fingers and the previously dark cell now had a bright light. She gestured to the wall. "There are many instruments here, in my torture cell. So many ways of hurting you that neither one of us would ever get bored. I want to see if it's possible to break a human's mind purely through torture..."

She levitated a cat o' nine tails over to her and showed it to him.

"Let's have some fun, hm? Just a little taste of what's to come…"

Shadowlance managed to not show his fear, but couldn't repress the shudder that ran down his spine. 

"Fuck you… Sociopathic bitch…"







A few months pass and while Luna still feels the urge to cut, she manages to control herself and talks to Sombra instead.

He's captured her heart, and as she runs to Cafe Belle Vie despite the pouring rain that plasters her hair to her forehead, she cannot help but smile at the thought of seeing Sombra.

Yes, she should've used an umbrella spell like any other person would have done, but the rain actually didn't bother her that much.

Wiping her hair out of her eyes, she could see the Cafe lights come into view, and increased her pace. Nearly there…

A few minutes later, she reaches it and stands outside of the door for a few moments to catch her breath.

The Princess casts a drying spell over herself and then enters it.

Sombra waves to her and gazes at her fondly as she sits opposite him.

"You ran here without an umbrella spell?"

"How did you tell?"

" My dear Princess...you may have dried yourself, to avoid my detection, but… " he suddenly taps her nose. "Your nose is cold and so is your face."

Luna giggles and accepts the latte Sombra offers her..

It's been ages since she's felt happy like this, and she loves the feeling of joy. 

"So," he says, looking at Luna, who blushes and awkwardly tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been thinking about this for a while, pondering upon whether I truly wanted it…"

The King gets out of his seat and stands in front of Luna. "And I'm perfectly sure that this is the right decision."

He kneels in front of her and takes a small, black box out of his pocket. 

Its contents are revealed to Luna as he opens it and takes one of her hands into his.

At that moment, the Cafe lights are turned off and string lights at the back reveal themselves in the form of the words, Marry Me.

And around the couple, string lights in the forms of stars and moons turn on. 

"You're...you're serious?" she asks, her heart beating so fast she fears it would launch itself out of her chest.

" I'm serious.  For the rest of our lives, I will be by your side. I'll open bottle caps that you can't open. I'll eat sour oranges that you don't want to eat. If you want less stairs in the Castle, I'll turn them into slides, and considering that I love stairs, it's a lot. But of course, I love you more than the stairs. If you want the Castle to be made of something else, like ice, I'll do it. If you want the Castle to be enchanted with a special glow, or the birds in the Empire to sing to you all day long, I'll do it. "

He takes a deep breath and looks into her eyes.

"Your presence alone brightens my day. I really, truly, love you."

"Princess Luna, will you marry me?"

Luna's smile grows bigger as she nods.  "Yes, I will," she says , and he slips the silver ring onto her finger.

He then stands up and places his hands on her shoulders, smiling, and bows his head. She moves her face up, and their lips meet in a kiss.
> Chapter Thirty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Chapter Thirty


Princess Luna looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress, which was white and ended just below her knees, and had sleeves made of net while she wore long gloves. King Sombra watches her walk down the stairs and when she finally reached him, it took everything within his power not to kiss her right then and there. No, he had to wait just a little longer…

He holds her soft hand in his as they walk through the aisle and the bridesmaids throw rose petals upon them. At last they were at the stage where they would put their rings upon each other's hands after saying their wedding vows.

"I swear to remain by your side through all hardships, through wealth and poverty, through good health and illness," says Sombra, putting the ring onto Luna's finger.

She does the same, and Radiant Hope, the ring bearer, announces, "You may now kiss the bride."

However, as he lifts up her veil to finally kiss those sweet lips which have been present in his mind all throughout the wedding, the doors of the formerly relaxation room, now wedding hall burst open, instantly drawing the guests attention as they all wondered who the newcomer was and why, if they were invited,  they had chosen such an entrance.

A familiar figure, at least to the now newly married couple, enters, and smirks as malice shines in his blue eyes. He takes a moment to absentmindedly flick back a strand of brown hair, and then, focusing his gaze on the Lunar Princess herself, asks, "Hello Luna, did you miss me?"

The Crystal Guards tense as he strides through the aisle and towards the couple, not knowing whether they should stop him or leave him, but King Sombra raises his hand and they stand back.

"I suppose you forgot me, huh? I've been by your side for so many years and you didn't even bother to send me an invitation to your wedding. That really hurt, you know, " he says, and Luna gazes at him, and struggles not to show concern on her face as she notices that his face is heavily scarred.

"What happened to you? " she asks at last.

He chuckles darkly and bitterly replies, "What happened to me? What a very interesting question indeed… Well, your oh so beloved sister thought it'd be a good idea to torture me as a way of hurting you even more, so, here we are, Luna. "

"So," asks Sombra coldly, "why choose now of all times to come and guilt trip her?"

He laughs. "Have some sympathy, hm? You stole her heart and it's only because of you that she rejected me."

"Nonsense! She never felt any feelings for you! "

"Well then, let's fight it out. Whoever wins gets to keep Luna."

"Keep Luna? She's not some sort of object, and I no longer wish for you to disrupt my wedding. Either leave by yourself or I shall get my Guards to drag you out. "

"Seems like-" Shadowlance began, but the Crystal King clenched his fists.

"Guards," he shouts, having had enough, "take this man and throw him out of the Castle!"

The Guards step forward and begin to drag Shadowlance away, with the Vampire not resisting, but as soon as they pass the aisle, his eyes glow red and magic shoots out of his hands, instantly decapitating the Guards, whose limp bodies drop to the ground as the guests stare on in horror.

Sombra's eyes widened- he had not been expecting such a violent and gruesome attack from the former Guard, and especially not a magical one as he had never seen him use magic. He stands protectively in front of Luna as the former walks back to them, a huge grin on his face.

"Well," he slurs, " you don't want to play my game, hm? Then I'll just have to take her by force. "

Before he can advance any further, Sombra punches him in the face, causing him to stumble backward. "If you cannot get over being rejected, it's not my problem, or anyone else's. You have absolutely no right to barge into my wedding and murder two of my Guards. Leave and give up this delusion of yours or I shall have to take -"

" Blah blah blah. You rulers are just like I'm gonna do this to you and all these grand speeches- I'm sick of it. "

Shadowlance stands up straight and as Sombra casts a magical shield, he launches an attack which bounces off and hits the door as he ducks to avoid it.

Something isn't right here, and Sombra looks at the former Guard with askance, narrowing his eyes. Now that he thinks about it, he can feel some sort of strange energy in the air- one he's never felt before. No, whatever energy this is, it's not from this realm,  he deduces. 

He had studied about magic, different types, and knew that there were three realms - the realm of the Angels, Humans, and Demons. Luna once told him that her parents were Angels, and so, she had Angel blood in her veins. And if Angels existed, that meant Demons also existed.

Is this, then, Demon magic? Has he been possessed or sold his soul?  he pondered.

No sooner than the thought had entered his head did a fireball come whizzing past them, and to Sombra's horror, burst through the barrier.

Fortunately it did no harm to Luna, but now he had a new priority. I'll need to get Luna somewhere safe and then fight back… But if I take her to a safe place and cast some spells to make it safer, he'd still find her if my theory is correct. Perhaps she's safer here…

By now the guests had all decided to flee for their safety, but the Vampire sealed the doors shut, grinning wickedly. He snapped his fingers and some sort of liquid fell from the ceiling. 

Gasoline...Does he plan to commit arson? I can't let him do that. Looks like I'll have to use my last option…Dark magic.

Closing his eyes, Sombra concentrated and unlocked the Dark Magic he had locked away in fear of hurting someone.  This type of magic was generally used for nefarious purposes and long term use led to corruption of the user, and as much as he despised using it, this time, he must. It was much more powerful than regular magic and perhaps, he would be able to face the Demon and have a chance of winning.

He opens his eyes, which now had red pupils with a green sclera and purple smoke around them. The Crystal King sends an attack of crystal spikes tainted with black smoke at Shadowlance, who was busy making sure the entire room was coated in gasoline.

He merely tuts as the spikes lodged themselves in his back, and shook his head as he turned around. "My dear King...I would suggest you to be careful lest I decide to retaliate with a fireball, which would not only set this whole room on fire, but also claim the lives of all these people. Now, I'll give you two options. Either hand Luna over, and I'll leave you and your people alone, or continue to fight and keep her but at the cost of their lives. "

Sombra growls. He's trapped. If he attacked now, he would be responsible for the deaths of a few hundred people, yet if he didn't attack and gave Luna, he would be able to save them. But Luna was the most precious person to him and he could not let her get hurt, let alone betray her by giving her up.

"And before you try, let me tell you- the seal I put on the doors is also going to stop any sort of teleportation."

The King looks at Luna to see how she's handling all this, only to see she seems to be in deep concentration. 

Seconds later,  a white blur travelling at the speed of light slams into Shadowlance, who is engulfed by it, shrieking as it burns his body. 

The Princess turns her head away and squeezes her eyes shut, no doubt feeling guilt for the pain her former friend was going through, but she knew it had to be done.

Sombra looks at her in awe. "Is that the mystical Pure Angel spell I've read about?"

She nods. "It is supposed to be the most powerful spell, or at least, one of the most powerful…"

The Princess glances at Shadowlance just in time to see his entire body explode into ashes and a dark cloud surrounds the place he had been, only to fade away and reveal...Ineritus.

" Hm… " he says, looking around. "I suppose the enchantment banishing me from this realm has worn away… He was an easy one," the Demon comments, gesturing to the ashes of Shadowlance with his foot. 

"Who are you?" Sombra asks defensively.

"Who am I…? You can call me, Ineritus, the King of Demons…"

"You are surely here for some nefarious purpose," Luna states. I think I heard his name before somewhere… 

" My, my. Gotten a little braver, have we, Princess? And a little more expressive. "

The Lunar Princess concentrated, trying to think of where she had heard that name before, and unbidden, a memory long suppressed by a waning enchantment arose.







Luna was scared. It had been hours since her older sister, Celestia had left her alone, and now she could hear lots of loud noises and screaming, even though her tower was separated from the Castle.

She desperately wanted to know what was happening, but couldn't leave the tower because of the barrier that kept her in. And as she tried to push against it for the fifth time, she suddenly smelt smoke. 

Looking up, she gasped as she realised it was on fire, and try as she might to put it out with the various water spells she had learnt from spell books that her sister would sneak up to her, her efforts were futile for nothing happened.

She began to hyperventilate as she knew that for her, there was no escape. Unless someone came and saved her somehow, she would burn to death with the tower. 

 "Luna," a voice called, "I'm coming!"

 " Celestia?! Please save me! "

The last thing she saw before she blacked out was her sister's tear stricken face.







When she awoke, she was in a forest and her sister was by her side. "Celestia?" she mumbled , sitting up. "What happened? Where are we?"

 "Some Demon King by the name of Ineritus came and killed our parents...and burnt the Castle to the ground. But don't worry, I'll protect you. "

Luna didn't know what to say, so she kept silent, and that silence was only broken when her sister asked, "Luna, can you close your eyes?"

 " O-okay. "

She did so and shuddered as she felt magic surround her head. She wanted to know what her sister was doing.

But she trusted her. Celestia would never hurt her…







Luna opens her eyes, gasping as she realises that she'd never had the childhood she thought she had. Her parents had been her jailers, and Celestia had been her saviour.

Celestia had also been the one to replace most of her memories.

But even if Celestia was nice to her in the past, she wasn't now, and Luna still felt sick at the thought of her.

But if she cared about her before, why had she suddenly changed? Could He have possibly done something?

She clenches her fists and turns towards the Demon.

"Ineritus…" she growls. 

" What is it, Princess? " he asks mockingly.

"What did you do to my sister? "

"To Celestia? Nothing at all. Just because I'm a Demon, that doesn't mean I have to be blamed for everything."

" So, Ineritus, was it? Sombra asks suddenly. "Fire at him while he's distracted," he murmurs to Luna.

" What? "

"If you're truly a Demon, why do you have the wings of an Angel?"

He opens his mouth to speak, but Luna aims at him with the Pure Angel spell, which is supposed to be able to eliminate the one who it is aimed at.

But surprisingly, nothing happens.

"Using dirty tricks now, are we? You certainly have gotten bolder, Princess. " He chuckles, and with a wave of his hand, creates a small candle which he lights before chucking it in a random direction. The gasoline that Shadowlance had drenched the room in before plays its part, and soon, the entire room is on fire. "I'm not entirely heartless though, so I'm just going to unseal this door here. I only hate Equestrians anyway, so don't take it as anything personal. I just want that Solar Princess to feel even guiltier. I'm also going to borrow your bride, okay?"

The question was clearly rhetorical as he unseals the doors,  teleports next to  Luna and leaves with her after punching Sombra in the face before he can react. "That's for being so slow." 

As black dots begin to form in Sombra's vision, he yells, "Activate the heart!" and falls, unconscious .






Luna groans as she returns to consciousness, only to see that she's in her room in the Canterlot Castle.

She jolts upright, panicked, and her expression becomes one of fear and hatred as she sees Celestia.

" Hello Luna, it's been a while, hasn't it? "

"Why am I here?" she questions .

"Simple," laughs Celestia . "I wanted you here. It's been so long since I've had fun with you, too long…"

The Princess glances at her sister's eyes, wondering if she was possessed, but her pupils were their usual teal colour. 

"Where's Ineritus?" she hisses.

"He saved you from our parents- be grateful, hm? But I think I'll have to teach you how to be grateful. You've forgotten… "







She really tried to put up a good fight, but was overpowered. Luna winces as one of the wounds Celestia had inflicted upon her began to sting, and glances around, looking for an escape.

She ignores the pain as she stands up and walks to the door, but it's guarded by Solar Guards who brandish their spears at the sight of her. Upon entering the balcony, she finds that it has some sort of force field around it.

Great...We're trapped in here…

She returns to her bed, defeated, and lies down. Unless We find a way to escape, We'll have to endure her torture everyday…






King Sombra groans as he opens his eyes to find himself in his chambers. Hope is bedside him and her worried expression fades when she sees him move.

"Sombra, you're awake! I was so worried…"

He sits up and asks, "Is everyone safe?"

" Yeah, they activated the Crystal Heart to put out the fire, just like you said. "

"I suppose Luna's been taken?"

" Yeah… "

"Am I injured badly?" he questions , despite not feeling any pain.

"No, the doctor said that you have some minor wounds but nothing serious. "

"Good. Hope, come with me," he says, getting off the bed. "We need to make a plan. "

Sombra teleports them back to the Castle, to the throne  room and sits at a table in the middle of the room. Hope joins him as he conjures a piece of paper and a quill.

"Ineritus took Luna, and he, no doubt, supports Celestia, and her castle is most likely where Luna is. It may have some defences and I won't be able to rescue her if I get caught. Next month is the Grand Galloping Gala, in which the  nobles of Equestria are invited to the Canterlot Castle for a dance and stuff. As there'll be lots of guests, it'll be easier to infiltrate it and figure out where Luna is. As much as I hate to wait that long, it's the only way that I'll actually be able to save her, because Celestia will be busy with her guests. "

He writes all that down, and turns to Hope. "And this is where you come in. As you're highly skilled in illusion magic, I'll need you to make the two of us look like guards. When I find Luna, you'll stay outside and warn me if anyone comes.  Do you agree? "

She nods.






The days all merge into one, and Luna's hope of escaping fades. The Solar Guards never seem to leave her door, and the force field refuses to yield to her magic. 

The door suddenly slams open, revealing Celestia who has a crazed look in her eyes.

Luna tries not to empty the contents of her stomach as her tormentor's grin widens, and the door closes.

"I've realised something," she begins casually , as if it were a normal conversation and the person to whom she was speaking didn't hate her guts. "You shouldn't really get to use your magic at all, being the worthless human you are. I'm going to take it, okay?"

Knowing that it's not a choice and more of a thing that will inevitably happen, the Lunar Princess doesn't resist.






It's only been a month, but it feels like she's been here forever.

Princess Luna lays on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Tonight's the Grand Galloping Gala, due to which, Celestia will be occupied with other things. However, the twisted Solar devil promised she'd 'make it up with extra fun' later.

There's no escape from this. Sombra tried to protect Us, and he ended up getting trapped in a fire along with who knows how many people. Shadowlance was Our friend, and he ended up being possessed and then killed in the most excruciating way possible. It seems as though anyone who helps Us or has some sort of intimate connection with Us will always get hurt…

She sits up and walks over to her desk, opening the fifth drawer. Hidden under numerous artwork is the blade she had while previously here.

Her magic may have been stripped away but she doesn't need it for this. She stares at the blade as she returns to her bed.

She will always find some way to make Our life a living hell...And this time, We art helpless…






Sombra dashed through the corridors of the Castle, with Hope following him. At last a chamber which was surrounded by guards came into view, and he stopped. 

I'll need to find a way to get them to leave…

Fortunately, Hope had already prepared for this, and cast a spell to make it seem as if she were Celestia, and walked forward.

"My dear guards," she began just as the Solar Monarch would have, "I would like it if you all were to leave. I have some...business to attend to. Perhaps it would be best if you all were to resume your post downstairs."

The Guards nodded and left. Hope smiled and let out a breath of relief. "Now, let's go," she whispered to an astonished Sombra.

As he entered the chamber, she stood there and he closed the door.

Advancing to the bed where he saw the figure of his beloved lying, he rushed to her side, only to freeze in shock as he saw her bleeding wrists.

She lifted her head up to look at him, and a sad smile fell upon her face.

"Roses are red
Violets are blue
Fresh slits on my wrists
I'm dying it's true
Petunias are purple
Lilies are white
Feeling numb in my bed
I am losing this fight
Tears keep on pouring
My body feels sore
Dark clouds slowly forming
I can do this no more
After storm there is calm
In dark there is light
Red ink flows from my palm
I'm lost in the night
Now flowers are wilting
And the plants, they are dying
I said I was okay
Guess what, I was lying."

He fell upon his knees as she took her dying breaths. "I love you Sombra," she whispered , her voice weakening, and the light faded from her eyes.

Luna was dead…

It couldn't be true…

But it was…

"Fuck you Celestia!" he cried out in anguish , and then the tears began to fall.
> Epilogue (Bonus Chapter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Forbidden Love


Epilogue


Celestia knew something strange had occurred the second she felt her body under her own control again. 

It was fun to tear you apart. Farewell.

Upon hearing Ineritus' voice, she grew concerned, and excusing herself, went as fast as she could to Luna's chamber to check if anything had happened to her.

Her ears picked up the sound of sobbing as she rounded the corner, and a masculine voice cursing. Her eyes widened, for was that not the voice of King Sombra?

"Damn you Celestia! Damn you!"

The Solar Monarch finally made her way to her sister's chamber, and her heart beat faster as she realised the door was open.

Taking a deep breath to mentally steel herself for whatever lay ahead, she ventured forth...and froze as her eyes fell upon Luna's form, blood still flowing out of her veins as a girl and the King of the Crystal Empire knelt before her in sorrow. Unconsciously, she began to stumble forward, hoping that she was mistaken.

The King turned around at the sound of footsteps, and his facial expression morphed into one of the utmost hatred.
"Celestia… " he growled, with his green eyes flashing red.

She gulped as he stepped closer,  her body locking up as their eyes met. She detected numerous emotions in his - anger, pain, hatred, sorrow - and her throat clogged up as the reality of the situation set upon her.

"Luna's dead…" he whispered, before raising his voice, "All because of you! What sort of a human are you, to torture someone - your own fucking sister so badly, so much, and to break her mind until she couldn't bear it anymore?!"

A lone tear fell from her eyes, and she desperately wanted to explain that she wasn't the one who had done it, but now her voice was broken and she couldn't move.

"I'm...I'm sorry!" she gasped out at last. "It- it wasn't my fault- it wasn't me!"

She collapsed upon her knees as she broke down, the tears spilling out. "It- it wasn't me…" she whispered .

The King did not feel sympathy for her- what did she think, that she could pretend to feel guilt? No, he would get his revenge…

He stood behind the Solar Monarch, who flinched from the close proximity - she could feel his breath on her neck.

"You will pay…" he muttered, and she closed her eyes, hoping that it wouldn't be too harsh.

Just as a sword made of crystal materialised from the King's hand and was held against her neck, Hope says, "Behind you!"

Sombra looks up to see Ineritus, who bears a huge grin on his face. The Demon waves his hands and says, "Go on; don't let my presence bother you. I'm just here to watch the person whom I despise most meet her end."

The King's face merely contorts into such an expression of hatred, and his pupils become crimson yet again, with purple and green wisps of smoke forming around his eyes. "I will destroy both of you!" he declares , his voice twisted due to the effect of dark magic.

However,  before he could do a single thing, Ineritus smirks and yells, magical energy gathering in his hands, "¡Te destierro al limbo!" 

Sombra retaliates immediately, knowing exactly what that spell would do.  "¡Desterrarte al futuro!"