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Blood Moon Part 5 By DontWannaKnow

By Anonimoose
Created: 2022-06-06 06:32:56
Expiry: Never
anonlunaaie

  1. Created: 2014.07.23 07:25:27 UTC
  2. Last modified: 2014.07.23 07:25:27 UTC
  3. Archived from https://pastebin.com/H41cny22 on 2020.10.25 06:10:01 UTC
  4.  
  5. >Tonight, all the bat ponies of Equestria awoke to find they were no longer bat ponies
  6. >It’s been, to put it bluntly, a bit of a kerfuffle
  7. >Some panic
  8. >Some rejoice
  9. >But the cumulative effect is the same across the board: complete and utter chaos
  10. >You stick to Nova like glue
  11. >Your mind reels and you desperately need familiarity
  12. >You feel small
  13. >Like a child – lost, scared, and confused
  14. >You feel incredibly homesick
  15. >You want to see Twilight
  16. >You want her to tell you everything’s going to be okay
  17. >You want her to tell you that Luna is going to come back, because this book or that book says so
  18. >Luna can’t be dead
  19. >It’s impossible
  20. >She’s too powerful
  21. >She’s immortal for fuck’s sake
  22. >You will not accept that she could just suddenly be gone
  23. >A seething mass of thestrals-turned-pegasi roils around you as you struggle to keep from becoming utterly lost in your thoughts
  24. >You nearly lose Nova in the crowd several times
  25. >She’s doing her best to try and calm them, but she’s one among hundreds
  26. >The catacombs are fast approaching the point of riot, and you’re afraid someone’s going to get killed
  27. >Then a familiar voice meets your ears
  28. >Forceful and omnipresent, yet serene and soothing
  29. >“My subjects, please be still”
  30. >The command is gentle, but it is spoken with an authority that leaves absolutely no room for argument
  31. >The pandemonium around you grinds to a halt
  32. >“Return to your homes and see to your families. You have my word that all will be explained in time”
  33. >The bewildered ponies shuffle out of the great hall and towards their respective dwellings
  34. >You instinctively head towards Luna’s chambers
  35. >It’s the first place you think of when you hear the word “home”
  36. >“Except for you two”
  37. >You once again hear Celestia’s voice, but this time at a normal volume with discernable direction
  38. >Right behind you
  39. >You and Nova both turn to face her
  40. >“Would you be so kind as to come with me?”
  41. >There is an edge to her tone
  42. >She is asking, but only as a courtesy
  43. >You are going with her, and that is final
  44. >You nod, as does the artist formerly known as Nova the bat pony
  45. >You feel heat and pressure, as well as the smallest wash of nausea, and suddenly you are no longer in the catacombs
  46. >Despite your current state, you’re impressed
  47. >Twilight tried teleporting you twenty feet one time and you spent the entire rest of the day puking your guts out
  48. >Celestia just brought you from the spire of Canterlot Mountain to some room in the castle with only the barest amount of discomfort
  49. >“Where is my sister? Where is Luna?”
  50. >There is a hint of desperation in her words
  51. >As if she already knows the answer
  52. >Nova bows low
  53. >“With respect, your majesty, if I’ve already deduced what happened, I’m sure you have as well”
  54. >Celestia’s eyes narrow
  55. >“But how?” she asks, “and why?”
  56. >You realize it’s not so much that she can’t understand
  57. >But that she doesn’t want to understand
  58. “She wanted to be better”
  59. >It takes you a full minute of wondering who said that before you realize it was you who spoke
  60. >“What do you mean, Anonymous?”
  61. “That’s what she said”
  62. >This might be the first time in your life you’ve uttered those words with complete seriousness
  63. “She said she was being better,” you repeat
  64. >For the first time you can remember, the sun princess shows some real emotion
  65. >She slumps, as if defeated, and her eyes close heavily
  66. >You could swear you see a wetness at their edges
  67. >And yet a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth
  68. >“Nova, you may return home. I can send you back if you like”
  69. >The former bat shakes her head and unfurls her feathery new appendages
  70. >She takes flight through an open window
  71. >Celestia turns to you
  72. >“Please stay for just a moment longer, Anonymous”
  73. >The princess sighs
  74. >She beckons you to follow her across the room
  75. >She sits down at a small table upon which rest a teapot and a few elegant-looking cakes and biscuits
  76. >“Please, take a seat if you’d like”
  77. >She indicates the chair across from her, and you sit
  78. >She pours herself a cup of tea, and then one for you
  79. >The quantities of milk and sugar she heaps into hers are a bit frightening
  80. >“Trust me, Anon, once one has sampled every variety of tea the world has to offer a thousand times over, it becomes necessary to find ways to keep teatime interesting…or at least bearable”
  81. >Oh, right
  82. >The mindrapist
  83. >“That’s…one way of thinking about it…”
  84. “Uh…not to be rude, princess, but could you stop? Just, you know, keep your hooves off my mind? I feel like we’re not really on even footing, conversationally”
  85. >She throws her head back and laughs
  86. >It’s not the demure, melodious sound you usually hear at formal functions
  87. >It’s harsh and cracked
  88. >It sounds almost unhinged
  89. >Her eyes are practically burning when your gazes meet once again
  90. >“Would that I could turn this curse off so easily, Anon, it would be like the sun on my heart for a thousand years”
  91. >She gives you no time to ponder that thought
  92. >“I know you haven’t seen hide nor hair of me for the last week, but my sister and I, we…communicated more than it appears, and I am aware of the progression your relationship took”
  93. >This doesn’t sound like it’s going anywhere good
  94. >“I have just one question for you”
  95. >Yeah, you’re fucked
  96. >“Was she happy?”
  97. “Um…what do you mean?”
  98. >Her eyes close once more as she tries to reign in her emotions
  99. >“Anonymous”
  100. >When she says your name, there is hurt in every syllable
  101. >“I have walked this mortal realm for untold centuries”
  102. >“I am so old that my memories of my own mother grow hazier and more vague by the day”
  103. >“But in all those aeons, there has always been one unassailable constant in this sorrowful thing I call a life”
  104. >“Luna, my little sister”
  105. >“We were partners – two diametric opposites bound together by duty, blood, and love”
  106. >“She was always there for me, and I for her”
  107. >“Even during the thousand years of our separation, I knew that somehow, someday, I would cure her of her madness, and that we would be sisters once more”
  108. >“It was always the two of us, watching time pass and the world change”
  109. >She opens her lavender eyes, and they shimmer with profound lonesomeness
  110. >“But tonight, I felt something I thought I never would”
  111. >“I felt her light leave this plane”
  112. >“When I banished Luna, I could still sense her presence. I knew she was there for me, even if she did not want to be”
  113. >“But no more”
  114. >“She has left me”
  115. >“So I ask you again, Anonymous: was my sister happy when she died?”
  116. >You pause a moment before answering
  117. “Yeah, she was”
  118. >“How do you know?”
  119. >It’s not a challenge to your statement
  120. >It’s an earnest question
  121. “Because she knew she was doing something wonderful”
  122. “She knew we loved her”
  123. >You’re not usually a particularly articulate guy, but right now you just seem to have the proper words
  124. “She was loved, and she died giving love. I can’t really imagine a more peaceful death than that. Can you?”
  125. >The sun princess takes a moment to think on it
  126. >“No,” she finally replies, “I suppose I can’t”
  127. “Besides”
  128. >You lean towards her
  129. “I think there’s a way to bring her back”
  130. >“As long as you wear this, I will always be with you”
  131. >The key
  132. >The key is…the key
  133. >It has to be
  134. >Luna wouldn’t give it to you, she wouldn’t say something like that without reason
  135. >When you told Princess Celestia about it, you could see a ray of hope pierce through the gloom of her thoughts
  136. >Now you pace back and forth across the lavish guestroom she bid you stay in for the rest of the night before you return to Ponyville
  137. >You twirl the object in question between your fingers, examining the blue stone and tarnished silver from every possible angle
  138. >Whatever it unlocks is what will return your princess to you
  139. >You’re exhausted, but you resolve to stay up and catch the first train back to Ponyville
  140. >If anyone knows what to do, it’ll be Twilight
  141. >She’ll have some pre-Moonfall book of obscure night lore that will tell you exactly what the key is and what it does
  142. >Hell, if you’re lucky, she’ll either draw you a diagram or already have one
  143. >Luna bless that obsessive-compulsive spazz
  144. >Oh wow
  145. >You’re using your dead girlfriend’s name instead of “god”
  146. >Maybe you could use a few hours of sleep after all
  147. >Your room’s bed is luxurious in the extreme
  148. >The mattress feels akin to what you imagine resting on a cloud would be like
  149. >The white silken sheets are heavenly against your skin
  150. >But even so, they’re missing something
  151. >The loving warmth of your princess
  152. >You toss and turn but cannot find sleep
  153. >A small cabinet that sits against the far wall catches your eye
  154. >You get up and walk across the cool, alabaster marble
  155. >Inside you find just what you were hoping to
  156. >Well, not exactly
  157. >You were hoping for some real liquor, but a bottle of rosette will suffice
  158. >You pop the cork and chug it rather unceremoniously, then crawl back under the covers
  159. >The weight of this past night suddenly becomes nigh-unbearable, and your mind flees into unconsciousness
  160. >You are surprised to find yourself in your dream field
  161. >You didn’t think you could experience this without the aid of alicorn tears
  162. >But here you are, atop the same hill upon which you and Luna spent the past few nights
  163. >Walking under two moons and a very suggestive constellation
  164. >The thing that was so funny to you just a little while ago now feels like a lead weight in your chest
  165. >Without her, this place seems vast and empty
  166. >You don’t want to stand still, so you pick a direction and start moving
  167. >You hope against hope that you’ll see her
  168. >That maybe she’ll materialize in the darkness, still able to communicate with you through dreams
  169. >But you are alone
  170. >As you stroll aimlessly through your own psyche, something catches your eye in the distance
  171. >A pale-blue shine
  172. >When you finally draw near, you regard a pedestal carved of moonstone
  173. >You certainly didn’t put this here
  174. >Atop it sits a small chest, crafted of the same material
  175. >It opens of its own volition at your touch
  176. >Within is a book
  177. >Bound in black leather that is inlaid with silver
  178. >It is heavy and thick
  179. >It has a lock on it, like a diary might
  180. >But you have the key
  181. >With a click it opens, and a folded sheet of paper falls out and drifts to the ground
  182. >You pick it up
  183. >It’s midnight blue, and your name is written on it in silver ink
  184. >You unfold it, and you can almost hear Luna speak its words into your mind
  185. >“Dearest Anonymous”
  186. >“If you are reading this, two things are most likely true”
  187. >“I have succeeded”
  188. >“And I am no more”
  189. >“But there are two more things that are true as well”
  190. >“As I write this, you sleep next to me, and I know these truths to be incontrovertible, as they are not mired by the uncertainty of the future”
  191. >“I love you”
  192. >“And you were right”
  193. >“I know I love you, for I have been happier during this past week of my life than any other time that I can remember. Though my memories span millennia, I have never known such tumultuous joy and confusion as you have brought me”
  194. >“I know you were right, because I have realized that I can, in fact, be better than I ever was or thought I could be. It’s funny, really. My sister has told me the same thing countless times, but when it comes down to it, the words do not matter so much as the one speaking them”
  195. >“You may be wondering what happened, or you may have already figured it out”
  196. >“I have searched for a way that I might share the Lunar Rebirth’s casting with my children, or a way that I might redirect it from myself onto them”
  197. >“But I cannot find one, and I doubt that even if I knew the way that I would have the power for such a feat”
  198. >“I only have until tomorrow night, and though I am not afforded the necessary time to think this through, it feels absolutely right”
  199. >“I know in my heart of hearts that waiting another two-hundred years would be a graver mistake than I can afford”
  200. >“So if you’re reading these words, then I have prevailed; I could not channel it, so I instead repelled it. I resisted the spell and turned it outward, away from me and onto my land and my people”
  201. >“In concurrence with my unfortunate prediction, the effort has annihilated me”
  202. >“But if my many assumptions are correct, the effects of my actions will be worth so much more than one life”
  203. >“I cannot be sure how far-reaching they will be, but I believe I can ask you to do this: please give my regards to Nova, and tell her she will soon understand her mark”
  204. >“I would tell you to give them to my sister as well, but I have prepared her an explanation similar to this one that she will receive in time”
  205. >“I know you are not overly familiar with her, but please give to her any support you can; I expect my departure will weigh heavily upon her”
  206. >“I am so sorry, Anonymous”
  207. >“I’m sorry to have ended us before we’d even begun. I’m sorry for my hurtful words. I’m sorry that I could only be better in death. Most of all, I’m sorry that we could not live a life together. I wanted to be with you forever, even if it was only your forever and not mine. I only hope that when you see the good I have done, you will forgive me”
  208. >“I have two final gifts for you”
  209. >“The first you are experiencing right now: the realm you created in your slumber”
  210. >“I have given you a vestige of my power; you will not be able to walk in others’ dreams, but you will forever be the master of your own”
  211. >“You will never again see those cruel nightmares of your past”
  212. >“The second is the book you now hold”
  213. >“It is my journal”
  214. >“I have kept it since my youth, a time when the world was still young and vast”
  215. >“You will not be able to read every page in your lifetime, but its words are my words, and you can look upon them any time you want”
  216. >“As long as you wear its key, I will always be with you”
  217. >“The journal is enchanted”
  218. >“New pages come into being when its owner feels the need to write”
  219. >“You are now its owner, and I hope you will record your thoughts in it”
  220. >“We can be together forever in those pages”
  221. >“I know you do not believe in life after death, but I do”
  222. >“I do not believe that something so beautiful and imperfect as a soul can cease to be simply because the body deteriorates”
  223. >“I have faith that on some distant night, beyond the veil of this world, I will see you again”
  224. >“That I will see my sister again”
  225. >“The only real difference between hope and faith is conviction”
  226. >“I miss you already, Anonymous, but I hope you forgive me and I have faith that this is not the end”
  227. >“For now, though, I must sleep”
  228. >“As strange as it may sound, I look forward to not dreaming”
  229. >“When you look into the moon’s eyes, I will gaze back at you”
  230. >“With endless love”
  231. >“Your Princess”
  232. >“Luna”
  233. >“Miracles across Equestria”
  234. >You stare at the headline for a few minutes before moving on to the sub-header
  235. >“Officials and doctors alike are baffled yet overjoyed by spontaneous healing”
  236. >You never read the papers back on Earth, and the ones in Equestria hold even less interest for you
  237. >But today is different
  238. >Yes, today
  239. >Light bleeds through the windows of Twilight’s palace as you read the article
  240. >“Cities as far as Stalliongrad are reporting empty hospitals and confused doctors as seemingly every infirm pony in Equestria awoke this morning to find their illnesses cured. According to our roving reporters, many citizens recounted seeing a flash of red light last night that appeared to originate from the spire of Canterlot Mountain. Whether that light has anything to do with the sudden abolishment of ailment in our kingdom is yet to be determined, but we at the Canterlot Times speculate that this may not be a coincidence. Princess Celestia could not be reached for comment”
  241. >You get bored and look at the other articles below
  242. >Among them is one that reads “Residents of Hollow Shades Bewildered by Disappearance of Bat Ponies, Influx of Pegasi”
  243. >Your interest in the front page expires, and you turn the paper over
  244. >The back is full of various columns
  245. >One of them catches your eye
  246. >The title reads “A Thank-You to Whomever Did This”
  247. >The author is a pony named Moondancer
  248. >“My longtime readers will know that over the past year this column has devolved into little more than a chronicle of the hardships my family has endured. Last April, my daughter Starsong fell ill. Three months ago, as some of you might know, we were told it was terminal. Two weeks ago, she slipped into a coma that I was told she would not come out of. This morning, she woke up. What’s more, she’s as right as rain. I do not know how or why. Maybe it has something to do with the eclipse or that red light over Canterlot, but to whomever or whatever did this, you have my eternal love and gratitude. Thank you for giving my daughter a second…”
  249. >You hear the sound of hooves tapping the floor and look up
  250. >Twilight’s eyes are bloodshot
  251. >Her normally immaculate mane is ruffled and frayed
  252. “Twilight wh–”
  253. >She doesn’t let you finish
  254. >“Anon, I don’t know what to do!”
  255. “What’s–”
  256. >“It’s Princess Celestia, she’s upset”
  257. “Well, everyone’s kind of upset r–”
  258. >“Look!”
  259. >She throws a sheaf of parchment down on the table before you
  260. >Lines of impossibly neat writing are scrawled across it
  261. >“My dearest Twilight”
  262. >“I will make this short”
  263. >“I am no longer fit to be the princess of Equestria”
  264. >“I am so sorry, but I cannot do this for one more moment”
  265. >“My throne is yours”
  266. >“I have contacted Cadance. She will assist you until you are fully able to shoulder this responsibility”
  267. >“Let me say again that I am so very sorry”
  268. >“But I am broken, completely and utterly”
  269. >“I can barely muster the strength to write this letter”
  270. >As you read, the penmanship becomes rougher and more angular
  271. >“My sister is gone, and I am a wayward ship, dashed against rocks and punctured to the point of sinking”
  272. >“I want to give you more explanation”
  273. >“You deserve more”
  274. >“But I have nothing”
  275. >“I have less than nothing”
  276. >“I am so very tired”
  277. >“I wanted there to be many more years before this time came, but I’ve run out of everything”
  278. >“I hope you will one day forgive me for what I have thrust upon you”
  279. >“With regret”
  280. >“Celestia”
  281. >The moment you finish reading, you feel your heart burst to life like a diesel engine
  282. >One princess has been lost
  283. >But another can be saved
  284. >You grab Twilight’s ears and pull her so close that you are nose-to-nose
  285. “Go to her”
  286. >“Anon, I–”
  287. “Twilight, she needs you. Go to her now. Right now!”
  288. >“I can’t teleport that far!”
  289. “Spike!”
  290. >You bellow at the top of your lungs
  291. >No matter where in the castle he is, he’ll hear you
  292. >“What’s your problem now, Anon?”
  293. >The little dragon rounds the corner and regards you crossly
  294. >You ignore his attitude
  295. >Luna’s sister is not going to fade under your watch
  296. >Though you are not overly familiar with her, you will give to her what assistance you can
  297. >You tear off a piece of the sun princess’s scroll and turn it over
  298. “Tell her you’re coming”
  299. >Twilight looks as though she’s about to break down and cry
  300. >“Anon, I don’t know what I can say or do”
  301. “You can say you love her, and you can help the hurt stop”
  302. >Her eyes shift nervously
  303. “Twilight”
  304. >You gaze at her with gentle encouragement
  305. “You can do this”
  306. >A look of resolve crosses Purple’s face
  307. >Her horn sparks
  308. >A quill and bottle of ink drift over from the desk across the room
  309. >The quill touches the parchment
  310. >She scrawls six words on the page
  311. >“Hold on, I’ll be there soon”
  312. >She hoofs it over to Spike, and he incinerates it, sending it off with his fiery breath
  313. >By the time the last ashes have drifted away, Twilight has already taken flight through an open window
  314. “Do you miss being a bat pony?”
  315. >Nova shakes her head
  316. >“Not for a moment, Anon”
  317. “But I thought you were all about bat pony pride”
  318. >Her eyes narrow
  319. >“Yes, Anonymous, I was proud to be a bat pony”
  320. >“But that was because of the way we persevered in the face of adversity”
  321. >“I wasn’t proud of what we were, but who we were”
  322. >“Who we’d been forced to become”
  323. >“I wasn’t proud of fangs and photophobia, but of how we coped such things”
  324. >“You couldn’t pay me to return to that”
  325. >It’s been over a week since Twilight left for Canterlot
  326. >You finally got sick of waiting around
  327. >You decided to come check on her, but while you were in the city, you couldn’t risk stopping by the catacombs
  328. >Things are so different here, you hardly recognize the place
  329. >Windows are everywhere, letting the light pour in and expunge the dusty air accumulated over millennia
  330. >It’s the middle of the day right now, and while the place isn’t overly lively, you see quite a few bat ponies…er former bat ponies…
  331. >Whatever
  332. >You see more than a few of them out and about, enjoying the light
  333. >The great hall’s black marble walls sparkle, taking on a new cast under the sun
  334. >You wonder if this is the first time they’ve known true light
  335. >The most striking difference in the place, however, is the statue in the center of the hall
  336. >You’re surprised such a thing could’ve been created in a week, but then again you’ve learned not to underestimate the work ethic of ponies, especially those who are dedicated to something
  337. >And Luna’s children are utterly dedicated to her
  338. >The night princess stands proud, rendered in stone
  339. >The sculpture is so accurate that the lack of color is all that prevents you from believing that she is before you once more
  340. >Nova leads you toward her
  341. >Looking upon the image of your princess, the haze that has plagued your mind since her departure finally dissipates
  342. >You feel a profound emptiness and sense of loss
  343. >She is not coming back
  344. >She is no more
  345. >“The one thing that saddens me about all of this, Anon, is that the culture I hold dear, the very pride of which I spoke to you, will diminish”
  346. >“I’m sure some of us will stay, for this is all we know”
  347. >“But many will take this second chance her grace has given us, and disperse across Equestria”
  348. >“I wanted there to be a reminder, so that we who remain here in these caverns will remember our roots”
  349. >As you draw close to the statue, you’re able to make out the inscription at its base, inlaid in silver
  350. >“Procer Luna Invictus”
  351. >“Bringer of darkness and of light”
  352. >“She who gave us the night”
  353. >“Also returned to us the day”
  354. >“Luna nobis providet”
  355. >You stare at it for a moment, feeling both joy and immense sadness
  356. >Then you turn to Nova
  357. “And what are you going to do?”
  358. >She is gazing at the statue as well, with reverence
  359. >“I have wondered, Anon, for all the years of my life, why I was born with my cutie mark”
  360. >“Why I was born under a nova”
  361. >“I just wish it had taken less than my princess’s death to finally understand”
  362. >Her eyes glisten, gazing into the distance
  363. >Over two decades ago, she came into this world with a nebulous destiny already emblazoned on her flank
  364. >Only now does she finally know what it means
  365. >“My people need guidance, and I will give it to them as best I can”
  366. >“I am not Luna, I am fallible…”
  367. >So was she
  368. >“…but I will be the steward of her throne, or at least I will try to be”
  369. >“We may no longer be bat ponies, we may no longer be thestrals, but we will always be the children of the night”
  370. >“I hope to help us become something better, but I will also make sure we never forget”
  371. >“I will, to the best of my abilities, provide”
  372. >Nova pointed you down a passage that led out into the streets of Canterlot
  373. >She wondered why, if you wanted to see Twilight, you wouldn’t take the one that leads directly into the castle
  374. >She even offered to escort you past the guards
  375. >But you feel like taking a walk and thinking a bit
  376. >The streets are buzzing with gossip and excitement
  377. >The ponies are so distracted you can actually walk around without attracting attention for once
  378. >You’re not paying all that much attention, but a few things catch your ear
  379. >“…a spell…”
  380. >“…heal all of Equestria”
  381. >“…Princess Luna…”
  382. >You check your pockets
  383. >More than enough bits
  384. >Everything in Equestria seems disproportionately cheap considering how much even the meanest of jobs pays
  385. >You suppose that’s just one of the benefits of a harmonious, cooperative, post-scarcity society
  386. >You sit down at an outside table in front of a small café
  387. >The waitress – a light-pink pegasus – is before you fast enough to give you whiplash
  388. >She puts a menu in front of you, then speaks
  389. >“Hello, and welcome to The Baudelaire Café, may I start you off with a drink?”
  390. “Yes,” you state simply
  391. >“And what would you like?” she asks, raising an eyebrow ever-so-slightly
  392. “Take the biggest glass you have, fill half of it with gin, and the other half with tonic water, then give it to me. I don’t care what it costs”
  393. “Also, if you don’t mind, bring me a copy of the Canterlot Times”
  394. >“Of course, sir. I will be right back”
  395. >You’ve always been under the impression that Canterlot was inhabited primarily by unicorns
  396. >But looking around you, pegasi and earth ponies abound as well
  397. >You catch more snippets of their conversation
  398. >“…my cousin’s lame leg…”
  399. >“…blessed Celestia…”
  400. >The waitress returns to you in short order
  401. >The glass she sets in front of you probably passes for large among ponies, but for you it’s a decided “eh”
  402. >You take a sip
  403. >Hey, at least they don’t water down their liquor
  404. >She puts a newspaper down on the table as well
  405. >“Have you had a chance to look at the menu?”
  406. >You had the chance, but you didn’t
  407. “Do you serve any kind of meat?”
  408. >“I-I’m sorry, sir, but we do not”
  409. >Figures
  410. “What about fries? Potato, not hay”
  411. >“Yes, we do have those”
  412. >She looks markedly uncomfortable
  413. “I’ll have some fries then”
  414. >“Large or small?”
  415. “Large”
  416. >She nods and hurries off
  417. >You hate the fact that you’re missing Luna even more because of how she fed you
  418. >Of course you loved her
  419. >With all your heart
  420. >But you cannot deny that some of your initial attraction to her had something to do with the feasting
  421. >“Royal Sisters Cast…”
  422. >The folded paper catches your eye
  423. >You open it and read the full headline
  424. >“Royal Sisters Cast Healing Spell”
  425. >Your heart quickens
  426. >You read the sub-header
  427. >“Massive Curing Blast Claims Princess Luna’s Life”
  428. >No
  429. >She wouldn’t
  430. >She couldn’t
  431. >You read on
  432. >“Exactly one week ago, the ill and disabled ponies of Equestria awoke to find themselves healed. The Canterlot Times secured an interview with Princess Celestia, and she had this to say:”
  433. >“The spell that was cast was an idea that Princess Luna and I came up with long ago”
  434. >“But the power required to bring it into being was beyond our abilities alone”
  435. >“It was only after Princess Twilight’s coronation that I realized the three of us working in tandem might have the power to bring this plan to fruition”
  436. >“It is with terrible regret that I must tell you that while we were able to cast the spell, the effort consumed and destroyed my sister”
  437. >“Her effort was heroic, and I hope Equestria will always remember the sacrifice she made”
  438. >You can’t believe what you’re reading
  439. >Liar
  440. >Filthy, greedy whore
  441. >How dare she
  442. >Glass shatters upon the ground
  443. >Your table is overturned
  444. >Your heart pounds and your legs fire like pistons as you make a beeline for Canterlot Castle
  445. >You aren’t sure how clairvoyant Celestia is, but when you arrive Twilight is already there, telling the guards to stand down
  446. >“Anon!”
  447. >You brush her aside
  448. >You’ve read Luna’s journal carefully enough that you know the way to her sister’s chambers
  449. >Twilight trails after you, shouting things you choose not to hear
  450. >You burst through the door of Celestia’s private quarters
  451. “You!”
  452. >Instead of seeing the powerful alicorn you expect, you are greeted by a different sight
  453. >Celestia shivers in the far corner of the room
  454. >She trembles upon hearing you call her out
  455. >But you are incensed
  456. >You need only recall the words in the paper to remember your rage
  457. >“Anon, stop!” you hear Twilight shout from behind you
  458. >You scream at the shuddering form opposite you
  459. “How could you watch her give everything, and then say it was your idea?”
  460. >A weak whimper meets your ears
  461. >“Anon, stop it!” Twilight yells
  462. >A purple aura envelopes you
  463. >You are paralyzed
  464. >You thrash and struggle, but you're no match for Twilight’s might
  465. >You still can’t see Celestia’s face, but you can see her shudder
  466. “Fuck you, Purple, she’s…”
  467. >The sun princess finally turns and faces you
  468. >Her eyes are puffy and so badly bloodshot it looks physically painful
  469. >Her cheeks are stained with what looks like several days’ worth of tears
  470. >“Let him go, Twilight”
  471. >Her voice is still as even and regal as ever
  472. >You almost wonder if she’s even capable of speaking with any emotional inflection
  473. >Twilight drops you
  474. >Hard
  475. >“He has every right to be angry”
  476. >Celestia looks you square in the eye
  477. >“You wish to hurt me, Anonymous?”
  478. >No, you don’t
  479. >You came here ready to kick some ass, even though you knew you could do nothing to her
  480. >But that was blind rage
  481. >Really, you’re just confused and sad
  482. “No,” you sigh, “nobody here needs any more hurt. I just want to know, why? Why would you take credit for what Luna did?”
  483. >“Because,” Celestia shudders, as though the idea is repulsive to her, “she asked me to”
  484. >Her horn ignites
  485. >She picks up a piece of parchment and floats it over to you
  486. >Unrolling it, you see familiar script in silver ink
  487. >You start at the top, hearing the words in Luna’s voice
  488. >“My dear Tia”
  489. >“I–”
  490. >“Anonymous,” Celestia interrupts, “I’d rather you didn’t read the whole thing. Fifth paragraph”
  491. >You nod and skim down
  492. >“I’m sorry to leave you to rule alone, dear sister. I know Cadance has her own responsibilities, but I hope Twilight will provide you the support you need. Then again, let us be honest, you are quite capable of governing Equestria without me; I daresay that it is currently in a much better state than when I left it so long ago, and that to all beside my children, my return has proved to be of relatively little consequence”
  493. >“Still, I know we both have our share of dissenters, myself more than you, but that truth still stands, and so I ask of you a favor: If the results of my actions are favorable – and I believe they will be – say that they were your doing. As Equestria’s monarch, you will need the unwavering faith of our subjects, and I believe that purging it of sickness and corruption might win you that. There will be a few who know otherwise, but we both know the power of popular belief and opinion”
  494. >“Should there be any unforeseen negative consequences – and though I do not possess your sight, I’m nearly certain there won’t be – place the blame upon me. At best you will gain support from this, and at worst you will lose nothing”
  495. >Celestia chokes when you read the last sentence, and you realize she was probably listening to your thoughts as you read it
  496. >In Luna’s voice
  497. >You feel your own eyes brimming with tears
  498. >You suddenly feel like a complete toolbox
  499. >“I couldn’t do it, Anonymous,” Celestia whimpers, “I couldn’t say it was just me, so I told them it was our plan, and yet now I feel as though I’ve failed her…I didn’t really do what she asked me to”
  500. >“I couldn’t live with the thought that my subjects would never know what she did for them, but now I-I’m not sure I can live with being a disappointment to her”
  501. >Twilight is at the princess’s side in a heartbeat, a gentle hoof touching her cheek
  502. >“Princess, no, you’re not a disappointment to her or anypony else”
  503. >The mighty sun alicorn sniffles piteously
  504. >“Twilight…”
  505. >“No,” Purple says adamantly, “I won’t hear it. Not only did you do what your sister asked, you found a way to do it while still honoring her. You did well. You did great”
  506. >They stare into each other’s eyes for a long time, and suddenly you feel as though you should leave
  507. “I’m gonna go…”
  508. >Twilight’s head snaps in your direction, her expression cross
  509. >“You and I are going to talk when I get home, Anon”
  510. >You sit at the kitchen table in Twilight’s castle
  511. >You’re about halfway through a fifth of gin
  512. >Luna’s memorial service was today
  513. >The pomp, circumstance, and general fanfare almost made you forget who was being commemorated
  514. >There wasn’t even a body to bury
  515. >Quite literally, all that’s left of her is memory
  516. >Twilight is with the princess again
  517. >After your encounter with Celestia yesterday, she came back home for a night basically just to chew you out and then take you to the funeral this morning
  518. >You half-expected that there might be some sort of more private ceremony after the public display
  519. >If there was, you weren’t invited, but Celestia already told you she knew about your involvement with her sister, and you can’t see her being that callous
  520. >Everyone is grieving in their own way
  521. >The remaining princesses have each other
  522. >Nova is busy trying to fill Luna’s shoes, and she has Nebula and the rest of her family
  523. >When you were leaving Canterlot this afternoon, you had half a mind to stop in and see them
  524. >But for some reason you can’t quite put your finger on, you didn’t
  525. >You feel lost
  526. >Twilight’s place doesn’t feel like home
  527. >You don’t feel at home with Nova in the catacombs
  528. >Nor do the memories of your old life offer any such comfort
  529. >Your time with Luna was fleeting, but with her you had found where you belonged and wanted to stay
  530. >She was home
  531. >The week since her departure from this world has been so tumultuous that the full weight of her absence hadn’t sunk in
  532. >But today in Canterlot, when Equestria’s flag flew at half-mast, and the clear ring of silver trumpets met your ears, it hit you
  533. >Now you’re dealing with your grief the only way you know how
  534. >It was the only way she knew how until you found solace in each other
  535. >Two orbs of fire descend steadily below the horizon as you look out the window, watching the sunset with double vision
  536. >On the table next to you is Luna’s journal
  537. >You were perusing it until you got too hammered to read
  538. >You can hear the faint scrabbling of claws as Spike organizes books in a room down the hall
  539. >You think about going and talking to him, but you’re a depressing motherfucker right now and you don’t want to bring him down with you
  540. >Darkness is falling as you look about you, an alcoholic haze clouding your mind
  541. >You pick up the book and the bottle and make your way out onto one of the building’s balconies
  542. >Night has fallen
  543. >A speck of silver light crests the distant mountains, and the moon begins to rise
  544. >Very slowly, not the way your princess would raise it
  545. >You watch it climb, taking a few more swigs of liquor
  546. >Finally, the waning silver disc comes to rest above you
  547. >You stare at it, unblinking
  548. >“When you look into the moon’s eyes, I will gaze back at you”
  549. >You raise your bottle toward it
  550. “I see you”
  551. >“Purple!” you holler frantically
  552. >You are Anonymous
  553. >And all you wanted was a bagel
  554. >With cream cheese
  555. >Cutting those things is hard
  556. >You know you’re supposed to cut away from yourself
  557. >And that you shouldn’t use cutlery when drunk
  558. >But you took the quick and easy path, and your folly has been rewarded with a flesh wound that you can’t really assess the extent of, mostly owing to the massive amounts of blood gushing from it
  559. >You’re lucky she’s home today, as it’s becoming increasingly rare
  560. >“Anon!”
  561. >Twilight skids into the kitchen, eyes going wide when she sees your cupped hand full of red ichor
  562. >She uses her wings to stabilize herself and grabs a dish towel with her magic, not even bothering to check if it’s clean or not
  563. >She ties it tightly around your palm and you wince in pain
  564. >She dashes out of the room and returns with some first aid supplies
  565. >You’re down on your knees on the marble floor so that the two of you are at eyelevel
  566. >When she tries to open your hand, you recoil
  567. >“Anon, let me look at it!”
  568. “Can’t you just fix it?”
  569. >“I can’t do anything if I don’t see what I’m healing!”
  570. >She stares you down and you relent
  571. >Surprisingly it doesn’t hurt so much
  572. >At all, actually
  573. >“Wait, where did you cut yourself?”
  574. >She turns your hand over
  575. “Right here…”
  576. >You’ve had your head turned away out of squeamishness
  577. >You’re kind of a pussy about this stuff
  578. >But when you look down, your supposedly injured palm looks normal aside from being covered in blood
  579. “What the fuck?”
  580. >You flex and stretch your fingers
  581. >Everything feels normal
  582. “What did you do?”
  583. >You raise your eyebrows at Twiggles
  584. >“Nothing,” she insists
  585. >You scan your arm in bewilderment, wondering if the cut migrated somewhere else
  586. >Who knows because magic
  587. >“The spell,” Twilight says with a look of dawning comprehension
  588. “What spell?”
  589. >“The Lunar Rebirth. It must still be affecting you”
  590. “Dude, T, it’s been almost a year”
  591. “Also, I’m pretty sure ponies have gotten hurt just like normal since then”
  592. >She looks over you intently
  593. >“But you were right there”
  594. >“You were at the epicenter of the blast, and you bore the brunt of a spell that was meant to remake an alicorn. Not just heal her, but recreate her entirely”
  595. >“That’s a kind of power that even I can barely fathom”
  596. “So what does that mean?”
  597. >“I’m not sure, but it may be a while before you have a use for bandages again, Anon”
  598. >You are Anonymous
  599. >You’re an old man
  600. >And you are still one handsome son of a bitch
  601. >You stand in front of the tall mirror that sits in the corner of Twilight’s library
  602. >You’re examining your hair rather closely
  603. >Purple sits at the table in the center of the room
  604. >She set the place up to look exactly like Golden Oaks
  605. >She keeps giving you funny looks
  606. >Satisfied, you stride over and take a seat next to her, rapping your knuckles on the table
  607. “No gray yet, knock on wood”
  608. >She casts you an unreadable glance
  609. >She’s been doing that a lot lately
  610. >And by lately you mean the past five years or so
  611. >Tomorrow is your birthday
  612. >Your fifty-fifth birthday
  613. >You don’t even know what to expect
  614. >Somehow the pink one just keeps getting crazier and more energetic the older she gets
  615. >Shit, they all do
  616. >The party-mix of wackjobbery that is Twilight and her five friends has only grown zestier with age, acquiring distinctly nutty undertones in its maturity
  617. >Twiggles is still staring at you
  618. “What?”
  619. >“What do you mean, what? How can you not know what?”
  620. >Mares
  621. >You give her a “really?” look
  622. “I can’t read your mind, man. If you’re pissed at me about something, just spit it out”
  623. “And just for the record, I haven’t touched your horn warmer, that was all Spike”
  624. >“Anon!”
  625. >The shout comes from the next room
  626. >His voice is getting deep
  627. >“Ugh, you males are all so gross,” Twilight huffs, “and I’m not mad, Anon, I’m just completely and utterly dumbfounded”
  628. “Why?”
  629. >“Do you really not see what’s going on here?”
  630. “Quit being such a chick! Out with it!”
  631. >She gets up and yanks you out of your seat, wrapping a wing around your waist and dragging you back over to the mirror
  632. >Girl’s getting tall
  633. >Her horn sparks to life, and she levitates a picture frame from the shelf above the fireplace into your hands
  634. >It’s a photo of you and her at one of Celestia’s dinner parties
  635. >You recognize the plate of eggplant parmesan that sits in front of your past self
  636. >Your memory may be an alcohol-soaked clusterfuck, but you never forget a meal
  637. >This was just hours before you met Luna for the first time
  638. >“Anon, look at yourself in this picture”
  639. >You scan your eyes over the photograph
  640. >“Now look at you here”
  641. >She points toward the mirror
  642. >You look at the equally sexy image in the glass
  643. >“What’s different?”
  644. “Well,” you eye yourself as critically as you can, “I’ve lost some weight, and I’ve finally found a hair stylist who isn’t out to ruin my life…”
  645. >“Besides that!”
  646. >Your eyes dart back and forth between your past and present selves
  647. “Not much, really”
  648. >Twilight scoffs incredulously
  649. >“No, not “not much”, absolutely nothing!”
  650. “So? I’m aging gracefully”
  651. >“No, Anon, you’re not aging, period”
  652. >Holy fuck
  653. >She might be right
  654. “Well why are you so pissed off about it?”
  655. >“I’m not angry, Anon, I just…how did it take you this long to notice?!”
  656. “How did it take you this long?”
  657. >“I figured it out twenty years ago!”
  658. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”
  659. >“Why are you denser than a neutron star?!”
  660. >“Why are you both so retarded?!”
  661. >You and Twilight look at each other and then turn towards the towering, irate dragon standing in the doorway
  662. >“Seriously! Can you two just stop bickering for ten seconds and shut up?! Every fucking day!”
  663. >You’re both dumbstruck
  664. >Spike is the most easygoing guy in the multiverse
  665. >He never gets mad
  666. >Well, he didn’t used to
  667. >Lately things have been different
  668. >His eyes are wide and wild
  669. >“Just”
  670. >“Shut”
  671. >“Up!”
  672. >He storms off, and after a few moments you hear the familiar crunching of gems being devoured
  673. >“Dragon puberty” Twilight mutters
  674. “We do kinda argue a lot,” you concede
  675. >“I consider it banter”
  676. “Whatever, nerd”
  677. >“I’m not a nerd!”
  678. “Are too!”
  679. >“Nuh-uh!”
  680. “Yeah-huh!”
  681. >“I WILL EAT BOTH OF YOU!”
  682. >“Anyway, Anon, I want to do some tests on you”
  683. “No, I need to go see Nova”
  684. >“Okay, just one test”
  685. “Fine, fine, as long as you don’t anal-probe me with your horn”
  686. >“Eww!”
  687. “Is that what you said when Celestia asked you to do it?”
  688. >“I– n– how did you know about that?!”
  689. “Lucky guess”
  690. >“Oh gross!”
  691. >A disgusted cry echoes from down the hall
  692. >“S-Shut up, Spike!”
  693. >Twilight insisted on taking a blood sample
  694. >She was pretty rough with the needle and you’re almost certain she took twice what she actually needed
  695. >You felt pretty woozy on the train ride to Canterlot
  696. >The catacombs are quite different from the place you first became acquainted with all those years ago
  697. >The ceiling of the main hall is gone, leaving it open to sunlight
  698. >Daylight illuminates and sparkles against the dark marble
  699. >Several earthy-toned pegasi circle above it
  700. >But in its center is the statue of Luna
  701. >The one who gave them back the day
  702. >“Anon!”
  703. >A happy voice meets your ears
  704. >Nova is trotting toward you
  705. “Hey dude”
  706. >“Why haven’t you visited me in so long?”
  707. >Her eyebrows knit
  708. “Because I’m a lazy sack of shit”
  709. >Her face doesn’t move for a second
  710. >Then she cracks a smile
  711. >“I know, Anon, but for some reason I like you anyway”
  712. “What can I say? I’m just that charming”
  713. >She rolls her eyes and chuckles
  714. >“So, what brings you here? Do you miss the beer?”
  715. >It’s hardly even a joke
  716. >Equestria’s normal alcoholic fare just doesn’t stack up to the stuff Luna’s children crank out
  717. >You are forever spoiled
  718. “Nah…I mean, yeah, but I came here to ask you a question”
  719. >“And that is?”
  720. “Uh, this is gonna sound really weird, and don’t take it the wrong way, but…are you aging?”
  721. >She cocks an eyebrow
  722. >Her expression is one of utter bewilderment
  723. >“Anonymous, are you seriously telling me it took you this long to notice?”
  724. >“I realized years ago that neither of us were”
  725. “Goddamnit why did nobody tell me this?”
  726. >“I didn’t think I needed to”
  727. “I’m not a chick, dude, I don’t keep track of this shit”
  728. >“You don’t keep track of…life?”
  729. “Not really”
  730. >“I sometimes envy you, Anon. Then I come to my senses”
  731. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
  732. >“Care for a drink? We should catch up”
  733. “Hell yeah!”
  734. >Canterlot’s distant, moonlit spires look just like you remember
  735. >It’s been quite a while since you last saw them
  736. >Staying in the same place gets a bit boring after a century or so
  737. >Twilight had enough on her plate, so you decided to fuck off for a bit
  738. >You wandered Equestria and the lands beyond
  739. >From the Griffon Kingdoms to the Zebrahara
  740. >You were gone a little longer than you intended to be
  741. >Quite a bit longer
  742. >You’ve missed your friends here, but you don’t regret your travels
  743. >For the first time in your life you can finally say you feel like an adult
  744. >Like a man
  745. >A guy who can handle himself in the world, and doesn’t need to drown himself in alcohol just to cope with life
  746. >But it was time to come home
  747. >It took being away for a long time, but you realized that this place – Ponyville, Canterlot, and the rolling hills between – is your home
  748. >Your two dearest friends in this world – in any world – live here
  749. >Twilight and Nova
  750. >Spike’s okay too
  751. >You wonder how big he’s gotten
  752. >Even without Luna, this is where you belong and where you want to be
  753. >Even after centuries, you still remember her and think about your short but wonderful time together
  754. >Two hedonistic basket cases falling for each other as hard as can be
  755. >You’ve always remembered her and kept her close
  756. >A tarnished silver chain is draped over you neck, holding a heavy key against your chest
  757. >Her journal rests in the pack slung over your shoulder
  758. >You still haven’t finished reading everything she wrote, though you flip through it most nights
  759. >But you’ve been writing, just as she asked you to, filling it with your own adventures
  760. >You think she’d be proud of some of the stuff you’ve done
  761. >You think she’d make fun of you endlessly for some of the other stuff you’ve done
  762. >You spend quite a lot of time thinking about what she would think
  763. >It’s one of the reasons you’re back
  764. >She would want you to spend tonight with your friends, especially Nova
  765. >Ponyville looks remarkably unchanged
  766. >Sure, it’s expanded outward, but you weren’t sure whether to expect thatched roofs or skyscrapers
  767. >You wonder what kind of obtuse zoning laws Twilight had to enact to keep the place so quaint
  768. >There aren’t many ponies about at this time of night, but the few that you wander past give you strange looks
  769. >It takes a moment for you to remember that if any of the Ponyvillians who know you remain, they’re probably very old and in bed by now
  770. >You pay them no mind and try not to frighten them
  771. >You stride up to Twilight’s giant-ass castle thing and knock
  772. >Still the only giant-ass castle thing in town, you note
  773. >You’re going to ask Twilight about those zoning laws
  774. >Nobody’s answering the door, so you knock again
  775. >Spike’s gotta be here even if Twi isn’t
  776. >She never takes him anywhere
  777. >Then again, you wonder if he can even fit in the building anymore
  778. >When last you saw him, he was having more than a bit of difficulty getting around certain parts of the place, specifically the doorways
  779. >Still no answer
  780. >This is a bit anticlimactic
  781. >You expected Twilight to jump into your arms with a hug and a million questions
  782. >Either she’s passed out hard, or she’s in Canterlot
  783. >You decide to bank on the second assumption and head towards the train station
  784. >The city is alive
  785. >You expected find yourself more or less alone in the streets
  786. >But there are ponies everywhere, celebrating
  787. >Despite the darkness, the atmosphere is bright and lively
  788. >You make your way toward Canterlot Castle
  789. >You’re honestly surprised by the apparent lengths Celestia has gone to in commemorating this night
  790. >Different songs from different sources dance in your aural periphery, lending a dynamic – if slightly discordant – atmosphere to the gloom
  791. >The palace’s front gates are in sight
  792. >You’re already preparing your “let me through” speech for the guards when a pony-sized purple bullet renders your concerns moot
  793. >“Anon!”
  794. >Princess Twiggles is on top of your now prone body, hugging the fuck out of you
  795. “Hey dude”
  796. >She breaks the embrace and gives you a furious look
  797. >“Hey dude? Hey dude is all you have to say?! You said ‘I’m going for a walk’ and I didn’t see you for a literal century, Anon!”
  798. >“I thought you were dead!”
  799. >You’re confused
  800. “I wrote you…like, a lot. You didn’t get a single one of my letters?”
  801. >“No!”
  802. >“How did you even send them? It’s not like I didn’t check my mail!”
  803. “Well, I wrote them and then lit them on fire, so they should’ve come out of Spike, right?”
  804. >She stares down at you, and the look on her face is approaching awe
  805. >And not the good kind
  806. “I thought that’s how Celestia did it”
  807. >She runs her hoof through your hair and shakes her head
  808. >“You poor, poor thing”
  809. “Don’t act like I’m stupid, I don’t get magic”
  810. >You gently shove her off of you and the both of you stand up
  811. “Holy shit T, you grew like, a foot”
  812. >“Thanks?”
  813. >You gaze around, taking in the festivities taking place about you
  814. “So is this what I think it is? Where’s that taller, sexier princess you’re dating? Do you have anything to eat?”
  815. >“Yes, shut up, and yes. Follow me, Anon, we’re having a private gathering up on the balcony. I know a couple of ponies who will be very happy to see you. I also owe one of those ponies twenty bits”
  816. >“And it appears I was right”
  817. >Nova looks very satisfied with herself
  818. >You follow Twilight out of the palace’s alabaster walls and onto a large balcony that looks like it could host an entire party
  819. >It overlooks the palace gardens, which stretch out in the distance below you
  820. >At a small table near the far railing sit two other ponies
  821. >The iconic sun alicorn, and a gray pegasus with a moss-green mane
  822. >The latter is smiling wide
  823. >“It’s good to see you again, Anon,” Celestia intones warmly
  824. >You grin and bow slightly
  825. “Your highness, bat horse”
  826. >Nova rises from her seat, trotting over and hugging your leg
  827. >“I knew you’d be back”
  828. >You ruffle her mane
  829. “I missed you too”
  830. >“Nova here was the only one among us who thought we’d ever see you again,” Celestia tells you
  831. >You wonder exactly when the former bat pony became so chummy with the princesses, but you’ve been gone long enough that you have little right to question it
  832. >Seeing as she is acting as the steward of Luna’s throne – at least to the noctae – it was probably inevitable
  833. >“Would it have killed you to write?” Nova asks
  834. >Twilight chuckles
  835. “I’ll uh…I’ll tell you about that later. I’ve only been back here for a couple hours and already I feel like a dumbass again”
  836. >“Come and sit with us, Anon, there is plenty to eat”
  837. >You take a seat across from Celestia and Twilight
  838. >Nova sits next to you
  839. >There’s a bottle of red wine in the center of the table, and you pour yourself a glass
  840. >As you sip it, you notice a dearly-missed smell
  841. >Nova pushes a plate in front of you, and what you see fills you with unbridled joy
  842. >And in a land full of equines, the word “unbridled” carries a lot of weight
  843. >A strip steak, accompanied by thinly-cut hay fries
  844. “I love you”
  845. >You give Nova a rough squeeze
  846. >“Think nothing of it, Anon. You don’t even have to fellate my firstborn”
  847. >The other two members of your party crack the best pair of unsavory expressions you’ve seen in a while
  848. >“Inside joke,” Nova explains as you ravenously attack the delicious slab of meat
  849. >The few times you glance up, Celestia is looking perplexed and Twilight downright disgusted
  850. >“His manners have actually improved a little,” Nova offers
  851. >Once your hunger for meaty goodness is sated, you gulp down the remainder of your wine, slaking the thirst you worked up
  852. >“No, you know what, I take that back”
  853. >The night wears on, and the four of you eat, drink, and spend time catching up
  854. >It’s a strange and exclusive little clique you’ve become a part of
  855. >The immortals
  856. >The few who can talk about what’s happened in the last century like most people talk about the last year
  857. >You regale them with tales of your travels in the Griffon Kingdoms, your time at sea, and your journey across the Zebrahara
  858. >Twilight is especially fascinated as you describe to her places she’s only read about
  859. >Even at the age of two hundred and twenty-four, she really hasn’t gotten out much
  860. >She, Celestia, and Nova recount to you what’s happened in your absence
  861. >Spike is apparently the size of a large house at this point, and is currently off in the northern badlands, serving as an ambassador to the dragons who live there
  862. >Twilight’s friends? Well, that’s a tale for another time, but suffice it to say the story is as crazy as they are
  863. >Ponyville does, in fact, have extremely tyrannical zoning laws
  864. >The descendants of Luna’s children still live in the catacombs, and Nova presides over them
  865. >Many have left, integrating their bloodlines into the rest of Equestrian society over the generations, but some have remained to keep their traditions alive, celebrating the night, the day, and the princess who gave them both
  866. >Nova smiles wistfully as she tells you about the progenies of her immediate family members, many of whom passed before you even left
  867. >You look at the purple alicorn across from you
  868. >She and Celestia are sitting very close, but keeping things relatively formal
  869. “So, T, you gonna let me move back in, or do I have to get my own place now?”
  870. >Twilight makes a point of thinking about it
  871. >“I dunno, Anon, I’ve found I really like having nice things…”
  872. >“You’re welcome to stay in the catacombs, Anon,” Nova chimes in, “I think it may be best considering how much Princess Twilight likes her current horn-warmer”
  873. >You glare at Twilight before giving a genial nod to the former bat pony
  874. “Why thank you Madame. It’s nice to know there’s a mare here who is both hospitable and has the courtesy to keep her friends’ embarrassing secrets to herself”
  875. >“Oh, no,” Twilight chuckles impishly, “Nova’s told us about all the ridiculous things you did”
  876. “Well…fuck”
  877. >Generations have passed and the world around you has changed before your eyes, but your spaghetti remains
  878. >“It’s time”
  879. >Celestia, who has remained fairly quiet, cuts through the playful banter with tranquil authority
  880. >Her eyes are cast skyward, toward the full moon
  881. >Darkness encroaches at one of its edges
  882. >The pale light diminishes further and further, swallowed by shadow
  883. >The distant sounds of music and merriment linger in the periphery of the night’s quiet soundscape, but your three companions are silent as the grave
  884. >The eclipse wastes no time
  885. >It reaches totality with near-impossible swiftness
  886. >You watch with reverence as the moon is swallowed by blackness
  887. >The world goes dark
  888. >Then the lunar disc reappears above you in blood red
  889. >You stare at it unblinkingly
  890. “I see you,” you whisper
  891. >Two ovals of silver light pierce the moon’s ruddy surface
  892. >It opens its eyes
  893. >“And I see you”
  894. >A shockwave rattles the balcony as the arcing column of red light slams into its surface
  895. >You can practically hear Celestia’s breath catch in her throat
  896. >Objects on the table before you rise into the air
  897. >The table itself follows suit
  898. >You feel a cooling sensation as the silver spoon you are holding dissolves into thin air
  899. >The key you wear around your neck drops into your lap as its chain likewise dissipates
  900. >The silver inlays in the nearby castle walls disintegrate, atom by atom, shimmering as they float towards the steadily-growing orb of red light before you
  901. >Within it, a silhouette begins to form
  902. >You feel your own body drift weightlessly into the air
  903. >Sparing a glance around you, you see that the others – even Celestia – are rising as well
  904. >Whispers dance in your ears
  905. >Words in an ancient, powerful tongue that you cannot comprehend
  906. >They are accompanied by a deafening roar as a blinding flash of red and silver light washes over you
  907. >The entire palace seems to be shaking
  908. >You cannot look away, and somehow the impossibly bright light does not hurt you
  909. >It is gentle
  910. >Bolts of electricity crackle around the glowing orb, piercing the night as their sharp reports ring in your ears
  911. >One strikes the railing behind you, shattering a section of the gilded marble like glass
  912. >In a second flash of light, the figure at its center begins to solidify
  913. >You feel your every hair standing on end, both from wonder and the charge in the air around you
  914. >There is a final burst
  915. >One of pure silver
  916. >You only vaguely aware of the jolt of pain as you hit the floor, landing on your back
  917. >Twilight looks dazed, and Nova is hiding behind her wings, possibly due to some residual aversion to bright lights
  918. >But Celestia stands rigidly, and you follow her gaze, your eyes taking in the sight of a blue alicorn standing in the center of the balcony
  919. >“I am remade…”
  920. >The distantly familiar voice utters something halfway between a statement and a question
  921. >She seems vaguely surprised, looking over her new form as her mane billows in a gentle breeze
  922. >Celestia is upon her sister in an instant, pulling her into a desperate embrace
  923. >Luna smiles warmly
  924. >“It’s good to see you again, Tia”
  925. >Twilight and Nova join the two elder princesses
  926. >You stand back, vison blurred with wetness as you witness the happy reunion
  927. >“Nova?” Luna sounds perplexed, “How are you here?”
  928. >The former bat pony says nothing, simply hugging her princess and friend tighter
  929. “You kinda made us immortal on accident,” you comment
  930. >Luna’s head snaps up, and her eyes meet yours
  931. >You give her a small wave, watching both comprehension and joy break across her face like dawn
  932. >No, not like dawn
  933. >Like dusk
  934. >Like the moonlight
  935. >Her features are exactly as you remember, but her eyes are not
  936. >They are silver
  937. >Many smiles and tears have graced this night
  938. >But all is said and done
  939. >You are asleep, yet wide awake
  940. >You sit on a hill of green grass, looking up at the sky of your dreams
  941. >Alone with your princess
  942. >You blissfully drink in the sight of her
  943. >The sight you need long for no more
  944. >She is just the same, but entirely different
  945. >Her midnight-blue mane is streaked with silver, the color of her new eyes
  946. >The inky marks on her flanks have been replaced by the same pale, metallic sheen
  947. >Within each is a black crescent moon
  948. >She is something more than she was
  949. >Something better
  950. >You both are
  951. >You gave her the words
  952. >She gave you the time
  953. >You gave each other what was needed
  954. >To make you better
  955. “I missed you”
  956. >Her lips press against yours for the first time in aeons
  957. >After a few minutes’ eternity, she pulls away and meets your gaze once more
  958. >You run your fingers through her mane, and a contented smile spreads across her face
  959. >“I should very much like to hear what you’ve been up to, my love”
  960. >You chuckle and scratch the back of your neck
  961. “Damn, it’s gonna take forever for me to tell you all about it…”
  962. >She kisses you on the cheek
  963. >“That’s just fine, Anonymous”
  964. >She looks at you with misty eyes and endless love
  965. >“We have forever”

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