> It's Kind of Dark, Actually > by RunicTreetops > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > It's Kind of Dark, Actually > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “So? How do I look?” Anon squints his eyes in the cold, dim room. “Uh… it’s kind of dark, actually. I’m not really sure.” “The fact that your immediate response wasn’t ‘oh, my queen, you look absolutely dazzling’ is a bit troubling to me. We will need to work on that.” Despite the darkness in the spacious bedroom, Anon can feel Nightmare Rarity slowly sashaying towards him, using her size and presence to her advantage. She rubs up against him as she passes by, clearly doing so on purpose. Her tail brushes against both of his legs, lingering for much longer than is necessary. He feels a tingling sensation crawl up his spine. “Come, darling. The moonlight will make me look simply radiant.” “O-okay,” Anon squeaks with an audible voice crack. “I’m right behind you.” As the two exit the bedroom made of moon rock, they enter a grand hallway that is also made out of moon rock. This hallway eventually leads to a staircase made of moon rock that descends onto an upper layer of a foyer that is, you guessed it, made out of moon rock. This is Nightmare Rarity’s palace, a grand structure of her own making using the only thing she has on the moon: moon rock. As a result, not even the brilliantly creative mind that once belonged to Rarity can make the palace particularly fabulous. But she has certainly still tried. The rocks themselves are covered with intricate carvings, designs never before seen by anyone except Nightmare Rarity herself and her consort, Anon. Speaking of, Anon has gotten quite good at feeling his way around the dark palace. While there are windows, it still manages to be awfully dim. This isn’t a problem for his companion, who has no trouble seeing in the dark. Of course, just as Anon starts feeling confident in his ability to get around, he finds himself tripping over seemingly nothing. Even with the moon’s reduced gravity, he sends himself careening forward until he smacks his face against Rarity’s flank. Considering how large of a cushion that is, it ends up being a much softer landing than he was expecting. “My goodness! Aren’t you getting quite bold?” Her words are light and playful, clearly meant to get a rise out of Anon. “C-come on, that was an accident and you know it.” Anon, with reddening cheeks and wounded pride, clambers back to his feet. “Figured I’d be better at getting around by now.” “Hmhm, well, why don’t you save your ‘accidents’ for tonight, hmm?” Anon looks away with a huff, causing her to laugh. After a moment, she speaks up again with a warmer, more genuine tone. “In all seriousness, you are getting better. Not that it truly matters, of course. As soon as I’ve regained my strength, we will descend upon Equestria once more. I will still bathe the land in eternal night, but it will certainly be more accessible for my king, now, won’t it?” Rarity purposely slows down as they continue forward, allowing Anon to walk by her side. “Y-yeah,” Anon mumbles. “I’m sure it’ll be great.” “Still having second thoughts about the whole affair? I know it’s difficult to betray your friends.” She turns to look him dead in the eyes. That is perhaps the one part of her Anon can see clearly; Her big, beautiful eyes shine brilliantly, even in the darkest of spaces. To some, it would likely be intimidating, but he finds it strangely comforting. “Do not forget, darling… they’re my friends, too.” The situation that the pair has found themselves in is a strange one. One day, Rarity was overcome with a mixture of self-conscious thoughts and crippling envy towards her friends’ successes. Such thoughts were, of course, unfounded, but emotions aren’t quite that simple to the one experiencing them. This mental state led to Rarity being overcome with the same type of power that once controlled Princess Luna, transforming her into Nightmare Rarity. She quickly attempted to take control of Ponyville with that newfound power. However, Rarity was not as strong as Luna, and as such, she wasn’t as big of a threat as she thought she was. It didn’t take long for Twilight Sparkle and the rest of her friends to defeat her.  Yet, without Rarity, the Elements of Harmony could not be used, and as a result, they couldn’t figure out how to bring the old Rarity back. It was then that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna offered some advice, suggesting that they send her to the moon. Not for a thousand years or anything like that, though. Just enough time for Rarity to sort things out in her mind on her own, as it was clear that their presence was only exacerbating the problem. So, Nightmare Rarity found herself trapped on the surface of the moon, with nothing to fill her time except her thoughts and plenty of moon rocks to make a palace out of. After some time had passed, Twilight suggested that their mutual friend, Anon, should be sent to the moon to accompany Rarity. All he had to do was press a button on a tiny little device she gave him and they would teleport him home. His mission? To report back to them whenever Rarity showed signs of improvement. Anon, while wanting to help, wasn’t exactly on board. How was he supposed to breathe? What was he supposed to eat? And what about the lack of atmosphere? Twilight happily informed him that you apparently don’t need air, food, water, or anything else like that in space. Equestria is weird. Then, to make matters even weirder, upon arriving on the moon, Nightmare Rarity immediately understood why he was there. However, not only had she not improved, she also misinterpreted Anon’s willingness to help his friend as a sign of his undying love and devotion. After all, why else would someone willingly banish themself to the moon with her, who could very easily kill them? She was so moved by the gesture that she happily returned his “affections,” doting on him and proclaiming that he is her new “king.” And poor, poor Anon immediately became putty in her hooves. His button ended up broken soon after. Needless to say, Rarity has no intention of getting better, and Anon is probably going to be on the wrong side of history when everything comes to a head once again. Right now, however, he is content to just sit back and enjoy his quiet moon life with his boisterous moon wife. Especially when he considers what their return to Equestria might mean. Anon doesn’t respond to his queen’s reassurance for a moment, leaving the two of them to walk in awkward silence down the steps leading to the ground floor of the foyer. Eventually, however, he speaks up again, his voice uncertain. “Do you still really consider them your friends?” “Well, of course I do,” she says as she sticks her nose to the air. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have become the mare I am today.” “You also wouldn’t be on the moon,” Anon mumbles. “True,” she replies with a click of her tongue. “Though perhaps that isn’t such a bad thing, either. I mean, it brought you to me, didn’t it?” “I… suppose so, yes.” “Hmm…” Rarity trails off, but after a few moments, her eyes snap open and a smile makes its way to her face. “How about this? I won’t harm them, I’ll just take their magic away! That way, they can’t make any schemes to overthrow me again. Well, none that will work, at least.” “Y-yeah, I think that’s a step in the right direction.” “Ooh, I just knew you’d be on board, darling! Now, come! The moon shines brightly today!” With an excited gait that’s not very fitting for a mare like her, Rarity throws open the grand set of double doors that acts as the palace’s entrance. Light pours into the room, forcing Anon to take a moment to let his eyes adjust. When he regains his full sense of vision, he sees that his lover has already made her way outside and has now turned around, waiting for him to follow. He does just that, and he’s quickly met with a surprising sight. Nightmare Rarity is dressed in an absolutely gorgeous gown, no doubt a Rarity original. The light purple hues mesh shockingly well with the gentle blues, and it seems to sparkle in the moonlight. Never before has Anon seen such a beautiful piece of clothing, and never before has his queen seemed so alluring. “Well?” “Y-you look… absolutely stunning. M-my queen.” “And?” “And you’ve never seemed quite so radiant. I’d say I’m speechless, but it’s more like there aren’t enough words to do you justice.” “And?” “And I’ve never felt so attracted to you in my life. You could probably get Equestria to bow before you with that dress alone.” “...Hmhm.” She closes her eyes and chuckles while lifting her head. “Perhaps you’re right. I am the most beautiful thing Equestria has ever seen, or ever will see.” “How did you even make that?” “Hm?” “Where did you get the materials for it?” “A lot of complex magic, darling. I’ve had plenty of time to experiment.” Rarity saunters up to her human companion, clearly putting great emphasis in the way her hips and tail sway. She stops mere inches from his face, her wide, knowing grin never fading. “And it won’t be long before that magic brings us home.” Anon looks deep into her bright, diamond-filled eyes. He can feel her breath hitting his face, and the scent of lavender fills his nostrils. “I’m looking forward to it.” “Will you stick by me, my love?” “...I’d follow you anywhere.” “Wonderful.”  Suddenly, she turns away from him. He briefly feels his heart skip a beat. Something about the way she speaks, and the way she moves… it leaves him craving more. He pushes these thoughts to the back of his mind as he follows his queen’s gaze. She focuses intently on their home planet, thousands of miles away. He briefly considers speaking up, but ultimately finds himself getting lost in the planet’s beauty as well. Despite having come to the moon willingly, he feels an emptiness in his chest as he looks at his distant home. It’s a feeling that never quite goes away. So, the two remain like that, the entire moon completely silent save for their quiet breathing. Neither really bother to move, instead choosing to remain right where they are. After quite some time, Anon finally forces himself to turn away. Doing so reveals to him that Rarity has already done the same, and he has caught her staring deeply into his eyes. “M-my queen?” “Hush.” Without another word, Anon feels his head being pulled forward by magic. Sure enough, a gentle glow emanates from Rarity’s horn, though he has little time to focus on that as his queen quickly closes the gap between them, forcing his lips against her own. He doesn’t resist, and instead melts completely into her large, purple form. After a few moments, the kiss starts to become more passionate, with Rarity taking complete control over him and his mouth. He doesn’t bother fighting back, and in fact submits to her “authority” quite willingly. Even on the cold expanse of the moon, such a gesture would make anyone feel warm. Finally, she pulls away, a trail of saliva still connecting them. They both breathe heavily while staring longingly into each other’s eyes. Eventually, Rarity speaks once more. “Inside. Now.” “Y-yes, my queen.” Anon turns to head back towards the palace, but stops when he hears her voice yet again. “Just…” Somewhat uncharacteristically, she sighs. “Just call me ‘Rarity.’ If you’re serious about sticking by my side…” She slowly makes her way beside him before locking eyes with him again. “You deserve at least that much.” “...Of course, Rarity.” The two continue their walk back to the palace, their hearts and minds racing in anticipation for what’s to come. Beyond those feelings, however, Anon is caught off guard by her words. He knows it’s probably just wishful thinking, but in the back of his mind, a single thought keeps making itself known. Maybe she is getting better.