The Fate Turner (Luna, Adventure, Incomplete)

“Luna.”
>You softly drive and elbow into the mare
“Come on, wake up.”
>You nudge her slightly harder and her head lifts from her hoof to look around
>She takes in her surroundings and blinks fervently in a poor attempt to rouse herself
>”I’m awake Anonymous.”
“Yeah, sure you are. Listen, you just have to get through this meeting and then you can head up to bed alright? I know you’re exhausted but it won’t be much longer.”
>Sitting up straight in your seat once again you turn down the table at the council of Equestrian advisors
>None of them had noticed Luna drifting off to sleep for the tenth time as they were all too busy arguing amongst themselves to care
>Three unicorns, three pegasi, and three earth ponies representing the different races within Equestria
>Voices rise and fall back and forth as representatives from each speak in turn in distressed voices
>”This cannot go on forever; we have to find her or elect someone else to take her place. The populace is beginning to panic and rumors are starting to run wild.”
>An earth pony mare with graying hair pulled back in a tight bun puts forward
>Her statement is met by a younger unicorn stallion whose coat was a dark shade of green
>”Electing someone else would cause a mass panic, ponies are scared and we can’t go feeding that if we are to maintain order.”
>You drown out the conversation to stare back at Luna who is once again on the verge of sleep
“That’s enough, talking in circles will get us nowhere. We should recess for the time being so that the princess may rest before we reconvene. We need to come up with a plan of action so that we can address the public before too long.”
>All eyes in the room rest upon you now as the words project from your mouth
>”And on who’s authority do you think you can give orders or decide what this council shall do? Just because you are the sole representative available of you kind does not mean-“
>”Enough!”
>The occupants of the room jump before falling quiet
>The gathering watches as Luna rises from her seat
>”Both I and my sister have entrusted Anonymous with a spot on this council and I remain under the notion that you will treat him with respect deserving of his position. If you wish to challenge his motion than put it to a vote but know that I may over rule any decision made here and in this instance I most assuredly will. I am weary and in need of rest. In my current state deciding the fate of the land would be foolhardy and rash so we shall recess until the following day. Good evening councilors.”
>The room remains frozen in time for a split second before the pony who had retorted to your motion quickly began making their way towards the door
>Luna waits until the guards have let the councilor leave before turning to walk to the back entrance to the room
>Before exiting she peers back over her body and motions with her head for you to follow
>Quickly rising you make your way to her side and traverse the doorway into a secluded hallway
>You walk for some time before reaching another door that leads you both into the chilly autumn air that blankets the royal garden
>The moon shines down brightly upon your forms as you are guided towards a bench overlooking the city of Canterlot bellow
>Luna situates herself on the right side of the bench as you take your place on the left
>You sit in silence gazing out at the shining lights twinkling in the distance
>A heavy, tired sigh punctuates the stillness to your right
>You turn to see Luna staring up at the sky as her celestial mane billows in the non-existent breeze
>Her eyes stare past the moon and the stars, searching the sky for something that could not possibly be there
>You scoot closer to her and wrap and arm around her form pulling her into a hug
>You hold her tightly before letting go and inching backwards slightly
“They’ll find her.”
>She looks up into the abyss for a few moments longer before her gaze settles on you
>You see trails of twinkling light on the sides of her face
>Her head slowly falls to stare at the wooden bench beneath her body is slowly racked by heaving, silent, sobs
>You embrace her once again in an attempt to comfort her as your own grim visage stares off at your mind’s eye remembering that night two weeks ago
*Celestia, where are you?*


>Ugh, what time is it?
>You open your eyes
>Or at least you think you do
>Nothing but darkness assails your vision
>Are you still dreaming?
>You shift your body and feel your bladder protest
>Definitely not dreaming
>You push yourself up and see streams of moonlight pouring in from the slats in the window
>You feel your way around in the darkness until you find yourself in your bathroom
>You light a small candle to aim by and relieve yourself before rinsing your hands and heading back into your room with the candle in tow
>You head over to the wall to check the time on the clock hanging there
>Raising the candle you stare at the face of the contraption for a second taking in the time
>9:30 A.M.
>You turn around and begin heading back to bed
>You’re about to reach the mattress but stop dead in your tracks
>Turning back around you stare at the dark space on the wall where the clock was hanging
>You glance at the beams of light drifting through the shutters and slowly walk your way over to them
>Grabbing the draw string you pull downward revealing the world beyond
>The moon remained low in the sky to the west with the sun nowhere to be found
>Down below the city was filled with lights and moving masses roamed through the streets
>At that moment your ears begin to pick up on noises outside your door
>Frantic hoof steps going to and fro accompanied by shouts
>You blow the candle out and set it on your night stand before making your way to the door
>You pull it backwards and a blast of light pierces your eyes
>Taking a moment for your eyes to adjust you look out into the hallway as ponies rush from one end to the next
>You call out to a servant rushing past stopping them in their tracks
“What the hell is going on?”
>The servant looks up at you with their ears splayed out on the top of their skull and terror in their eyes
>”T-T-The sun never rose this morning. Other ponies are saying that Princess L-Luna has… has… reverted. B-back to Nightmare Moon.”
>What?
>Before you can ask the servant dashes off down the hall and skids around the corner
>That can’t be right
>You close the door and flip the light switch dousing the room in a yellow hue
>You quickly get dressed as your thoughts race
>Fully clothed you make your way out the door and down the hall heading for Luna’s chambers
>It takes you several minutes but once you reach the doors you find them shut and flanked by a pair of guards with leathery, pointed wings
”Where’s Princess Luna?”
>The guards look at each other before the one on your left answers
>”She’s in the throne room. We roused her once the dawn light never came to pass.”
“Thanks.”
>You take off in the opposite direction heading towards the throne room
>More half walking, half jogging places you in front of the grand double doors of Celestia’s throne room
>One of the two stationed guards swings the door open granting entrance
>Inside you find a frantically pacing Luna surrounded by most of the members of the Equestrian council
>As she takes note of your approach she ceases pacing and her horn begins to glow
>A crackling pop sounds throughout the room as you halt your footfall now being only feet away from the princess whereas moments before you had been across the long length of the entire room
>A barrage of voices assault your ears from both sides as guards are being sent running after receiving their orders
>You take a moment to collect yourself before directing your attention at Luna
“What in the hell is going on?”
>Five voices talk over each other at once as they each attempt to convey the situation to no avail
>You raise your hands up to silence them
“Stop! One at a time. What happened? Why isn’t the sun up?”
>The council quiets down as Luna looks deep into your eyes and speaks in a terrified tone
>”My sister has disappeared.”


>Luna stirring brings you back to the present
>You release her and sit back against the bench staring out at the city
>It had been two weeks since Celestia had vanished from the castle grounds and not a single lead had been found
>Luna had since taken up double duty by controlling both the sun and the moon leaving little time for sleep
>Sleep wasn’t the problem though
>Every waking and possibly dreaming second she’d been in a constant state of distress
>She had wanted to look for Celestia herself but the council had forbidden it and she was needed to keep the cycle of day and night in check
>All anyone could do was wait to see if she turned up but so far nothing of the like had happened
>So many guards had been dispatched that they were having trouble manning the castle and less than familiar faces had begun dotting the halls
>The council continued to bicker providing little in the way of consolation so that job settled on your shoulders
>Even if the others had been more comforting you still would have been the one to take on the role of confidant
>It’s been close to four years since you found yourself in Equestria and for the majority of that time you had been able to consider yourself close friends with both Luna and Celestia
>Back on earth you had longed for a life of intrigue, something more than the mundane boredom that you had been so accustomed to and you were given that in the form of the magical world you came to find yourself in
>You came to in a small town outside of the city where you were quickly ushered to a castle and processed by Twilight and her friends
>After being brought before the royal sisters and deemed harmless you were released from the light custody that the ponies had held you in
>Over the course of the following weeks as you were studied and a group of unicorns attempted to devise a way back you spent several nights racked by nightmares
>Each time the Princess of the Night would intervene removing you from your terror
>After several nights of this went by Luna held you in a lucid state within your dream and began to converse with you in an attempt to get to the root of the problem rather than simply letting you continue in similar fashion
>You talked for what felt like hours as you divulged all memory of your life prior
>It felt therapeutic just having someone listen to your story
>No one had thought to ask how you felt since being trapped in a place far from home
>She listened and seemed intrigued by who you were and where you had come from
>Eventually she began to open up as well being able to sympathize with your need for adventure
>She explained how she had been trapped in the moon for her transgressions and the loneliness and boredom that seeped into her bones there
>She spoke of how once she returned she was forced to resume her political and celestial duties leaving no time to escape and explore the vastly transformed countryside
>You’d spend the following nights awake with Luna talking over your shared desires and treating her to stories of grandeur from home
>The more time you spent with her the more her flame seemed to kindle and life poured back into her mood
>Once the conclusion that you were not going to go home any time soon had made itself clear you were given a choice of staying in the castle or in ponyville choosing the former as you had felt more at home there than anywhere else
>It was there that you remained for the majority of your time in Equestria
>Eventually you were appointed a spot on the council as your words of wisdom had often proven insightful and you were the sole representative of the human race in Equestria
>You always had the right words to soothe their fretting minds and the strength of will to support them in times of doubt
>That was before Celestia vanished though
>Now you were at as much of a loss for words as anyone who wasn’t too busy throwing around meaningless arguments
>Now all you could do was hope
>Ponies had begun blaming Luna, thinking that she was the culprit behind her sister’s disappearance
>You knew otherwise but had been hard pressed to make others outside the council see the truth
>Now you find yourself outside on a cool autumn night next to a beautiful blue mare with more worry in her head than the rest of the nation combined
>At least it sure seemed like that was the case
>Luna’s head lying to rest on your shoulder snaps you out of your thoughts for the second time
>It was getting late and the night was getting cold
>No good would come from staying out in the open
>You gently pull yourself out from under her and prop her exhausted form up
“Come on Lulu, let’s get you to bed.”
>Without a word she slowly follows your lead and steps down from the bench trailed quietly at your side
>The walk to her chambers is a long one but eventually you reach the doors which now have four guards of varying races lined on either side
>Security around Luna had skyrocketed since the incident and it didn’t seem it was going to lighten any time soon
>You give Luna a final hug before ushering her in the door and shutting it behind her
>You face the guards assorted before you looking them each up and down
>None of the ponies were familiar
>Most seem pretty ramshackle and unofficial which seemed odd to you
>Even with the castle in such a state of disarray you would have expected the best guards to be posted outside Luna’s door, not these fresh faced rookies
“Make sure she stays safe.”
>You say addressing all of the guards
>The closest one turns to you
>”She will be taken care of; you have no need to worry.”
>The words come from the guard in an oddly implicit tone but you chalk it up to a new guard wanting to prove his worth
>You turn and head down the hall towards your own chambers
>You’d have to make sure the more suitable guards were stationed outside her door in the morning but tonight the new stallions would have to do
>Once inside your room you strip and prepare yourself for bed
>You crumple onto the edge of the mattress before letting out a long and low sigh
>The weight of the events of the past fortnight felt as though they were crushing you into the ground
>You could only imagine how Luna must feel
>You fall back into the pillows and draw the blanket up over yourself before closing your eyes
>As you lie there a memory plays out in your head
>One that had been playing itself over and over on repeat every night before you fell asleep
>On the day that you came to Equestria through a portal or tear of some kind you heard a voice as you fell through a milky expanse of galaxies
>It cried out in anger and anguish
>You heard it again, ringing in your head
>”I will not let this happen!”
>A cry rings out in pain and exertion
>An explosion of noise and then a gale of wind tore into you
>Then nothing, blackness
>The voice you heard still haunts you in the night
>You know that voice
>It was Luna’s


>You find yourself walking through a forest
>You feel the breath of wind lightly tickling your face and the soft mat of leaves underneath cushions your foot falls
>The tips of your fingers brush against the bark of a tree feeling its contours and texture
>You smell the life of the foliage around you and the scent of rich earth rises to fill your nostrils
>You’re not alone in these woods
>Not tonight
>You can feel a pair of eyes watching you from behind the trees
>The wind wraps around you and dissipates into nothing
>The sky looks down upon you
>It’s everywhere
>And it is nowhere
>It is a watchful gaze you have felt many times before
>Suddenly the presence is focused and farther off
>You watch as a shadow walks behind a tree several yards away
>You follow it
>Slowly you weave your way from one trunk to the next as you follow in time with the shadow
>You walk for an eternity
>You walk for but an instant
>In here the two are one and the same
>You turn and before you lay a great lake stretching out for miles innumerable
>Coming down to the shore a mere few feet from the tree line you stand before the gently lapping waters
>The presence is nearer now
>You turn to look behind you and miles more of ocean extend where trees once resided
>You exist on a tiny spit of land amidst the vast inky black waters
>Light dances across the surface reflected from the grand body hanging far overhead
>Turning back to face forward once more the presence is right beside you
>You sit down next to the mare who lies with her legs curled beneath her much the same as a cat
>No more than a foot apart you sit together in silence staring up at an impossibly large moon
>The soft sound of waves comes up to your ears
>You hadn’t noticed its absence before but now that it’s present you’re keenly aware
>A long moment passes as the two of you sit watching the waters
>Or was it a short while?
>You could never tell in here
>You come close to breaking the silence but it’s done for you soon enough
>”Thank you Anon.”
>Your nickname
>Finally you’re talking to the real Luna
>Lulu as you called her
>She always called you a nickname so you felt obliged to give her one as well
>At first it was to tease her but it grew to be endearing and heartfelt rather quickly
“Any time Lulu.”
>She looks out across the vast sea before speaking again after a pause
>”I’m sorry I’ve been coming here so often recently. It just… helps me relax. You… I…”
“You don’t need to explain yourself.”
>You scoot slightly closer and rest a hand on her withers
>She relaxes slightly at your touch and lays her head down on the sand
>A time passes in content silence while you grant company to each other
>Far off in the distance you hear a thunderclap pierce through the night
>As you stare off at the noise Luna sits bolt upright sending your hand back to your side
>She turns to you and you see a strain in her face
>”Anon I-“
>She vanishes
>You look around and only the tiny spit of land surrounded by water remains
>You hear something though
>Off in the distance but rapidly approaching
>A ripple in the water rushes towards you with the force of an angry god
>In the span of a second the shockwave covers the distance from the horizon to directly in front of you before slamming into your form
>You’re sent flying through the air, sailing like a plane in the sky
>The sand disappears into the night and the water fades from view as the world begins to dissolve
>Your eyes close as you feel wind surging past you ever more
>You hear a voice cry out in the night
>”Anon!”


>You gasp in a tremendous breath as you bolt upright in your bed
>Sweat pours from your form as your chest heaves frantically filling your mind with oxygen
>You scramble out of bed and flip the lights on to gather your bearings
>Moving as quickly as you could you threw on a pair of pants and a shirt before flying out the door and bolting down the hallway
>In all your time dream-walking with the princess something like this had never happened before
>You run as fast as your legs will take you without stumbling over your own feet towards Luna’s room
>Using your hands you brace against the wall and cushion your impact when you round a corner trying to maintain momentum
>You come into view of the hallway that Luna’s chamber resided within
>You see the doors are flung open and the guards are nowhere to be seen
>A crash and a scream cascade out of the doorway and down the hall piercing into your ears
>You resume your dash but the wind has left your lungs and acid has begun to tear at your legs
>Skidding to a stop in front of the doorway you heave drinking in oxygen that sets fire to your throat
>The room is black with only a soft shining moon beam illuminating the scene
>Your hand quickly finds the light switch and with a flick color bathes the room
>The scene before you is horrific
>You watch as three ponies dressed in guard uniform shield their eyes with their hooves at the sudden outpouring of light
>Luna is sprawled on her back being pinned to the bed by two of the guards
>The third stands over her holding a black blade aloft in its magic
>Your eyes find the fourth crumpled against the far wall of the room, motionless
>Your mind takes all this information in in an instant
>That instant was all Luna needed
>A blast of magic sends the unicorn skyward smashing into the ceiling
>A crackling pop resounds and Luna appears to the side of one of the two earth ponies
>You watch as her horn charges with magic but fizzles out just as quickly
>Luna’s face contorts in anger and frustration but she wastes little time and jabs forward piercing the smaller stallion with her sharpened appendage
>A wail of pain rings out from the chamber as the pony stumbles backward past its compatriot
>You watch as Luna attempts to charge her now bloodied horn once again taking aim at the second guard
>The spell fizzles once again and the large earth pony wasted no time in pressing his advantage
>Charging forward he drives a shoulder into Luna’s chest throwing her off of her front hooves and off balance
>Using his weight and momentum he flips her onto her back with a hard thud sending the air from her lungs into the atmosphere
>Seeing her tossed like a small child sends your legs flying as you dash towards the pair of wrestling individuals
>Positioned above her the stallion reels backwards before plunging downward towards her throat
>In the time it took him to do so you’re across the room and your body slams into his sending the pair of you careening into a night stand
>A loud thud beats its way into your ear as a carved, moon-shaped, ornament finds its way to the floor
>Picking yourself up off your chest you turn to see a hoof smashing itself into your face as dull bomb detonates in your mind
>You stumble on your hands and knees to the side as another hoof plants itself in your rib cage
>You whip your head up just as you see a hind leg aimed at your face ready to let loose a kick
>You duck just in time as the hardened hoof sails over your would-be soccer ball of a head
>You dart your hand out and grasp the extended leg before it can retract back to safety
>With a hard yank the pony tumbles to the ground and you quickly scramble to get on top of him
>Hoofs fly into your gut and face as your use your hands in an attempt to hold him at bay with little success
>Cocking back your arm you send your fist sailing into the pony’s face stalling his assault for a moment
>A short series of blows later and the pony is bloodied but still thrashing like a wild animal
>You feel him escaping out from under you and feel his body wiggling free from your grasp into a position better to launch you off
>You know you can’t let him escape or you might not subdue him again
>You reach out and grab the lunar decoration tightly in your hand
>You heft the heavy carved object above your head before bringing it down on the skull of your foe
>The first blow stuns him and leaves him reeling
>The second nearly knocks the consciousness from his eyes
>After the third the body goes limp
>You bring the stone down a fourth time before realizing the assailant is no longer moving
>You look down at the creature before you
>Its face now unrecognizable
>The floor surrounding the head as well as the length of your arms and the front of your shirt is matted in dark crimson liquid
>You can feel something dripping off your face as well pitter pattering onto the body
>You drop the moon and sit back looking at your gory canvas
*Jesus Christ*
>A blast and a scream from behind you draw you back to your senses
>You dismount from the corpse and turn to see the other injured earth pony writhing on the floor clawing at its face
>Luna stands a few mere feet away with rage in her eyes
>A crackling pop to your right forces both of you to turn
>The unicorn had vanished
>Seeing the flash of light Luna bolts into the hallway and around the corner
>You follow close behind rounding the same corner
>In the hall you see the harried unicorn flanked by a row of four guards on one side and Luna on the other
>You jog up beside the panting mare holding your sides in an attempt to catch your own breath
>”Guards! Arrest that unicorn for attempted regicide and treason!”
>Luna bellows out with righteous fury staring death at the ragged form before her
>The guards push forward and come right behind the unicorn before parting and continuing forward leaving him unmolested
>Both you and Luna stand gaping at what’s unfolding before you as the unicorn dashes away
>Luna charges her horn aiming past the advancing guards and lets loose a burst of searing energy
>The bolt strikes the sprinting figure on its left hind leg
>The figure shouts in pain and skids to a crash against the far wall but you see as it picks itself up and limps away as quickly as it can
>Luna nearly collapses next to you from the exertion and you reach out to steady her
>The guards have broken out into a canter and are making a B-line for you with spears leveled to kill
>You wrap your arms around the princess and begin to drag backwards through the doorway
>Once inside you release her and quickly turn to slam the doors shut
>You turn the lock and bolt the door right as a clattering of hoof steps makes it to the door frame
>Loud thuds can be heard from the other side of the passage as hoofs met with wood in a mock siege
>Stepping back you search the room and Luna has vanished
>The bowing and creaking of wood brings your attention back to the door
>You can hear it bending and nearly breaking with each new blow sent against it
>It would not be able to hold for much longer
“Luna!”
>You call out into the air
>You dash into the side room and find her sitting at a desk frantically writing on a piece of parchment
>After a moment of hurried penmanship her horn begins to glow
>The light falters and begins to fade as she strains to work her magic
>She closes her eyes and with a grunt the spell flares to life as the message vanishes in a puff of smoke
>She sits over her desk gasping from the effort as the sound of splintering wood fills your ears
“Luna we have to go!”
>You rush forward and grab her heaving as you lift her large form into your arms
>You have her but where is there to go?
“Is there a secret passage out of here? Something, anything!”
>Luna Weakly lifts a hoof point you into the main room
>You walk as fast as you can in your exhausted state and with the mare in your arms
>Her hoof guides you to the glass doors behind her bed and out onto the balcony
>Once outside you search around but all there is to see is the masonry and the city shining far bellow
“Where do we go?”
>You press her for the answer as you hear the door nearly torn off its hinges
>You turn to see a single guard nearly able to squeeze his way through but he pulls back once he finds the sensation of hundreds of splinters in his abdomen displeasing
>Luna wiggles and motions for you to set her down to which you comply
>She looks up at you and speaks quickly between breaths
>”Get… on my… back”
>You look down at her and then out over the balcony then back to her as realization dawns
“No, no way, you’re exhausted and we’d both just plummet. Go, you can get out of here if you’re alone. I’ll stay here and…”
>And what?
>Go toe to hoof with four armed guards with your trembling, spent, body?
>”I said… get on… my back”
>Luna pants out once more
>A crash sounds out and you turn seeing the guards enter the room having demolished the wooden barrier
>You start to make your way towards the four but a pair of fore-hoofs on your chest have other plans
>You feel yourself shoved backwards into the railing by Luna before a second, harder, shove sends you toppling over the edge
>You feel your balls rise into your chest as gravity drags you down tumbling through the air
>You let out a yell that is whisked away by the roaring wind as you free fall through empty space
>You right yourself somewhat and face the rapidly approaching ground and your doom
>A black and blue blur rushes underneath you and presses itself against your stomach slowing your descent greatly
>You feel muscles and tendons strain with great might as wings flap attempting to slow your plummet
>When it’s clear that flapping is helping not in the slightest Luna stretches out her appendages and lets the air fill her feathery grasp
>You are slowed by the dense, cold, air but you continue to fall at an alarming rate
>Steering your descent as best she can Luna careens in a wide arc out over the city
>Over a matter of seconds you find the ground closing in as you fly directly towards the walls of the town beneath the castle
>Barely clearing the top of the parapets you descend over the river created by the waterfalls in the side of the mountain that Canterlot was built into
>You drop to roughly ten feet above the water before you feel Luna falter beneath you and her wings collapse sending you hurtling into the frigid waters bellow
>Your body is engulfed by the icy liquid sending a shock throughout your form
>Reflexively you open your mouth to gasp from the sensation and a mouthful of water greets your innards
>The current begins to drag you downstream as you writhe in the sapping cold
>Your arms tear at the water overhead and your feet kick as your drive yourself towards the surface
>Breaking the barrier between water and air you gasp and splutter as water begins to exit your lungs and throat
>Regaining some composure you pivot your vision from side to side as shivers overtake rock your core
>Nothing but rolling water greets your eyes as you scan the surface
>Your arms and legs begin to grow heavy as the cold drains life from your body
>You drift farther and farther downstream towards the falls that plunged down farther over the edge of the cliff
>At the corner of your vision you see something dark barely breaking the surface of the water in front of you and to the right
>Blending in with the water you nearly missed it as you searched
>The body lay unmoving, floating downstream
>You dive forward and clumsily splash your way to her
>The bridge into the city was close to overhead now and just beyond that the sheer face of the cliff awaited
>You reach Luna and wrap an arm around her mostly submerged barrel
>Using your free arm and legs you begin to struggle under the weight of another as you force your way closer to shore
>Half way there and the bridge is overhead
>You drive your body harder and faster ignoring the complaints of exhaustion it sends to your brain
>You feel the current begin to drag you faster as the falls approach along with certain doom
>You reach the far shore but are on the opposite side of the bridge by the time you do so
>Grabbing a fistful of slimy weeds you hold yourself and Luna against the hungry force of the water
>Arduously you heave upwards and onto the muddy bank dragging your compatriot with you
>It is a long and grueling process but you manage to get past the bank and onto he grassy flied beyond
>You collapse next to the still form you had just excavated from the water as your body convulses in shock
>You can’t stop now though
>Dragging your form up you grab one of Luna’s forelegs and use your body weight to pull her onto her back
>You place a hand against her throat but your body is shaking so badly and your fingers so numb that you can’t tell if she’s breathing
>Assuming the worst you straddle her chest and form a fist with one hand before cupping it with the other and dropping your weight where you believe her heart to be
>Over and over you drop down felling her ribs bow beneath your force
>You stop to cup her head and tilt it backwards
>Steadying your own breath you hold a lungful of air and press your lips against her own
>You feel her chest rise beneath your legs as you do so signaling the air had filled her lungs
>A second breath is passed before you resume pressing down on her heart
>You feel yourself slowing with each passing second
>The remainder of your energy slips through your fingers and soon you can barely move her chest down at all
>Not nearly enough to pump blood even if you were sure you were hitting her heart
>Gasping from the exertion you clamber off her and crawl next to the side of her head
>Once again you tilt her head back and take two deep breaths to steady yourself before filling your own lungs with air
>Pressing down into the kiss of life you release one breath into her body
>Nothing
>You pull back and swallow a second gulp of air
>Returning you place your mouth to hers and exhale heavily
>Half of your breath is taken into her body before part of it comes surging back into your own throat
>Quickly followed by air is a torrent of liquid as the unconscious Luna begins to vomit water back into your mouth
>You reel back, coughing, as Luna expels a large quantity of the stream back out onto the grass
>Your body takes this as its cue and ceases to function, collapsing to the ground in a heap
>You feel your body quaking as your muscles spasm in a pitiful attempt to remain warm
>Your head goes light and senses begin to fade from the edges of your body
>You don’t know how long you remain there but your body ceases its convulsions
>The world begins to fade around you as darkness crawls over your eyes
>The last thing you see is a bright flash of purple light as all turns to black


>Your eyes open only to shut once again immediately afterward
>Squinting, you let a small beam of fluorescence into your cranium
>It takes you a moment but you manage to open your eyes fully and survey the room
>Stale air hangs in you nostrils and rough fibers scratch at your body when you shift
>Looking down you see yourself laying on a bed in a white room with a single window
>Outside you see dim rays of sun peaking over the threshold of the glass
>Muscles ach and protest as you sit up in your bed
>You test your body to make sure everything works as it should before scooting to the edge of the bed
>Shakily you rise as you brace yourself with an arm
>Blood drains out of your head and it’s all you can to keep your body from toppling like a sack of stones
>Once the moment passes you regain your composure and take measured steps along the bed frame
>Once you reach its end you let go and journey into open ground as you find the strength in your legs once again
>You make it to the door and tug it open with some effort
>Outside you find a familiar hall within Canterlot castle
>Two guards positioned at either side of the door turn to look at you
>”You’re awake! I’ll go get the nurse.”
>The guard to your right begins to trot off but you stop him in his tracks
“No, where’s Princess Luna?”
>He raises a hoof and gestures to a door down the hall to where four guards stood
>”That’s her room. You can go see her once-“
“Thanks.”
>You begin to teeter down the hall growing more powerful with each step
>You hear noises of protestation behind you but continue regardless
>Reaching the indicated door you’re stopped as two spears cross in front of you
“Let me in.”
>A chestnut earth pony stallion with a black mane rumbles a low sentence at you
>”Only those with the permission of the princess may enter.”
>You glare down at him
>He should know full well that she would allow you inside
>Ignoring the steel tipped wooden shafts you raise a hand and knock
>You hear shuffling from inside before a voice you hadn’t heard in some time calls out
>”What is it Dust?”
>You take a second to look down at the guards marked ass
>A small tornado of dirt adorns his flank
>Wonder what the fuck that means
>You turn back to the door
“It’s me.”
>You hear a slight gasp before the sound of a bolt unlatching meets your ears
>The door swings inward revealing a lavender mare
>Seeing the crossed weapons in front of her she bats one with a hoof before stating exasperatedly
>”Will you put those things away?”
>The guards, slightly annoyed, bring the spears to stand directly upward facing the ceiling and out of your path
>”Thank you. Come in Anon.”
>You follow Twilight as she turns and leads you into the room
>Similar to yours but with seemingly more luxurious amenities the room presents itself to you
>Sitting up in a large bed you find the mare in the moon with her eyes fixed directly upon you
>A purple aura grips the doors and closes it before latching the lock once more
>Making your way to the bed side you take a chair and lower yourself gingerly into its confines with a groan
>Twilight stands on the opposite side of Luna’s bed, her gaze drifting between the two of you
>”Now, I need to know what happened last night.”
>You raise an eyebrow at Luna
“You didn’t tell her?”
>Twilight answers for her
>”I’ve heard a rough explanation but she wanted to wait until you were awake for the full thing. Now that you are I need to know. What. Happened.”
>You look at Luna who gives you a small nod
>Taking a breath to clear your thoughts you begin
“Luna and I were dreamwalking together. Everything seemed normal but then something shook the dream.”
>Luna turns to face Twilight and picks up where you left off
>”I felt myself being pulled from the dream. I was being awoken by something. When I opened my eyes four guards were in the room. They attempted to restrain me. I launched one into the wall but the unicorn within their group was able to place this upon me as I did so.”
>Luna raises a hoof to her horn
>At its base you see a dark metal band wrapped around its girth
>Small engravings are etched along the sides that softly glow a dark blue hue
>”It seems to block my magic or restrain it in some fashion. I was not prepared for it and they were able to hold me down in my dismay. Two of them held my legs while the unicorn amongst them stood above me rambling about ‘their master’. He called him the Fate Turner and spoke of how he would rebuild the world anew. He was working himself into a frenzy like a zealot before a sacrifice. That was when Anonymous arrived.”
>Looking back to you Luna signals you to continue
“I turned the lights on and it stunned them. Gave her a chance to get free. One of them had her pinned though so I tackled him. He was about to get out from under me so I…”
>You search your mind for the correct phrasing but find it unnecessary to do so as Twilight speaks up
>”I’ve seen the room. I can guess which one is the one you’re referring to.”
>You nod grimly
“The unicorn started getting away and we chased after him. We had him pinned between us and four other guards but when they got to him they just let him pass and kept on coming toward us. I got us back in the room and bolted the door before they could get to us.”
>Luna’s voice rises from your right side once more
>”That was when I wrote to you.”
>Twilight nods in understanding
>You think back and let the memory of Luna struggling fiercely to cast a spell as her horn faltered wash over your mind
>You had been wondering why simple spells had been causing her so much trouble but it would seem you had your answer in the form of her new horn accessory
>”Anon carried me to the balcony at my behest as the other guards were nearly through the door. We took to the air before crash landing in the lake just outside the city.”
>Twilight takes that as her cue
>”And that’s where I found you both laying on the grass freezing to death.”
>She sure is frank about the whole thing
>You look into her eyes however and you see deep bags running underneath them and creases line her forehead
>Small spider webs of red running through the usual white of her globes
>The shine that’s usually ever present now faded and forgotten from her coat
>Her hair is hanging in strands and skewing out in odd directions
>How long had she been in such a state?
>She sighs relaxing a tension from her muscles
>”At least you’re both alright.”
>You sit in silence for a moment before speaking up
“Did they find the unicorn? What happened to the four guards?”
>Twilight shakes her head
>”The unicorn vanished. The other four are currently being questioned though. Hopefully we can start to figure out what’s going on here soon.”
>You take in the information with a grunt
>Another pause before you turn to look at Luna’s horn
“Why do you still have that thing on your horn?”
>Twilight and Luna turn a disturbed face to look at each other
>Twilight looks back at you to reply
>”I wasn’t able to get it off of her. It just absorbs whatever magic tries to mess with it making the enchantment stronger. I’ve only ever heard of something like this a few times before. That ring on her horn is a relic of some kind. No normal pony could have made it.”
“Is there any way to get it off?”
>”Yes but it would be extremely difficult. There are two ways to remove it. The first being to simply have the one who put it on remove it by imbuing it with the magic they used to lock it in the first place but something tells me that won’t be happening any time soon. The second would be to overload it with magic but the kind of power required would take me Cadence and Celestia all working together and focusing on it at once. So that’s not really an option either…”
>You look at Luna whose face is drawn taught in anger or anguish
>Which one eludes you and is irrelevant
>You turn back to Twilight whose demeanor is much the same
>One princess is gone and her sister was nearly murdered
>No clues have been found as to where the first went and the second is now magically muzzled
>Crazy ponies were able to infiltrate the castle with apparent ease
>You let your vision drop the edge of the bed and let out a long, low, sigh
>Shit
>The rest of the day goes by in a blur
>You’re forced to recollect the events of the previous night several more times as both security and medical personnel piece together information to make their jobs easier
>You’re informed that you’re lucky to be alive on numerous occasions to which you shrug mentally
>It’s hard not to know how close you were to death; you don’t need a second opinion reinforcing the matter
>Whenever you’re not being poked, prodded, or questioned you remain by Luna’s side as she has the same done in turn to her
>Upon your eventual release you accompany the midnight mare to her interim quarters
>You piece together where you’re headed as you make twists and turns throughout the familiar castle walls
>Your eyes sit and hold above the doorway you stand before once you’ve reached your destination
>Luna moves past and into the room as you hold your attention on a large depiction of a rising sun
>Looking up at the symbol you feel a wave of exhaustion wash over you
>The events of the past two weeks were beginning to take their toll
>Scrunching your eyes shut tightly you try to blink away your worries
>Lowering your gaze you pass the threshold and into the room after Luna
>A menagerie of solar ornaments decorate the room as you press inward
>Brightly colored bedsheets lay unused on a massive oval of cushion oriented at the middle of the far wall
>The room itself is similar in design and capacity to that of Luna’s but furnishing and decorative design were obviously more personalized by its regular occupant
>Spying Luna on a mound of cushions arrayed around a fireplace you move to join her
>You take a seat amidst the numerous posh pillows across from the mare and gesture with your hand at the room around you
“So was this your idea?”
>Luna seems to ignore your question instead focusing on the fireplace
>With obvious effort you see a glow emanate from her horn and strain draw itself on her face as a small, blue, fire sparks in the hearth
>The flames of the fire fade from midnight blue to a usual orange as the magic begins to drain from its essence
>Taking her silence as an affirmative you opt for another question
“How hard is it for you to use magic now?”
>Luna sits in silence for a moment before responding still gazing into the flames
>”It is a challenge, I feel as though I were young once again when I was first learning. Each spell takes far more energy than it should and takes my entire concentration to simply cast it.”
>Well that’s just fucking dandy
>You hold you left wrist in your right hand and tuck your knees into your chest as the fire bathes your body in its heat
>Staring out the glass doors of the balcony you watch as the sun makes its final descent past the hills
>Watching it do so raises a question in your mind and an eyebrow on your face as you turn back to the mare whose horn now lied dormant
>Raising a hand you start to gesture outside at the waning beauty of the sun’s last dying rays
>Seeing your hand and expression Luna follows your finger
>Seeing what you’re pointing at she turns back to the fire
>”Twillight. She’s taken over my duties due to my current circumstance.”
>Oh
>You drop your hand and lean back into the cushions
>Day turns to night as you sit by the fire in silence
>Ease of mind and body fails to reach you as you sit in quiet company
>Thoughts of the night before play through your head on repeat
>The dream
>Dashing through the halls
>The fight
>The splatter against the floor and along your arms from the mess of flesh you created
>Falling through the air
>The sheer cold of the water
>Over and over again it cycles uninterrupted until a knock expels itself into the room
>”My princess, we have brought dinner for you and Anonymous should you feel the desire.”
>You share a glance with Luna before rising and making your way to the door
>You pull it slightly open while keeping your body shielded by the wood
>A weathered earth pony mare dressed in servant’s clothes resides on the other side of the barrier way a cart carrying refreshments
>You open the door fully and gesture for her to come inside
>She brings the cart to a stop just beyond the assortment of pillows
>”If you require anything else simply ask and I will bring it up right away.”
“Thank you Prim.”
>At your words the pony bows slightly and exits the room
>You grab the two platters setting yours down in front of your seat and handing the other to Luna who takes it in a shaky magical aura
>Grabbing the pitcher of water that was also brought along with the two glasses you sit and fill one for each of you
>Your meal is consumed quickly and quietly as any attempt on your part to speak is met with empty air
>By the time you’d placed the spent dishes on the cart and wheeled it outside the moon had started to hang high in the sky
>The silence is eerie
>Unnerving
>Ringing in your ears and a slight crackle of flame is all that fills the silence
>You take a breath and stare across the small distance separating you
“Listen, I know what happened last night was hard but it’s over now. If it’s bugging you we can talk about it.”
>Luna takes her eyes off the fire and stares into yours
>A cold, dead, tone emanates from her mouth as she speaks
>”This is not the first time there has been an attempt upon my life Anonymous.”
>The words hit you off guard and you stare taken aback slightly
>Luna’s eyes drift back to the fire and after a moment so do yours
>A small moment passes before you get up and search around the room
>Finding spare blankets you bring them over to where you’d been sitting after locking the door
>You drape one over your friend who nods in thanks before lying down and covering yourself
>You watch the flames begin to die as weariness drags itself across your body
>You close your eyes and fall down, down, down into infinity

>You’re running
>A stampede of hoofs tramples the stone behind you
>They’re getting closer
>Your lungs burn with fire and your legs pump acid as you make a crazed flight through the hall
>No matter how long you run or how hard you try you never reach the end
>You duck left into a room and slam the door behind you
>You face the door backing away as sweat pours down your countenance
>Heavy breaths fill the air as loud thuds slam into the oak
>The door holds
>The noises pass
>You feel your heart beginning to ease as part of the tension passes
>Then from behind you hear galloping
>You whirl around in time to be caught in the full brunt of a charge
>Landing on your ass you skid to a stop on the stone floor
>The stallion wastes no time and forces itself onto your chest
>His hooves bear down on your throat as your open mouth fails to inhale what it so desperately desires
>You look up into the stallion’s crazed eyes as your body begins to convulse in its search for air
>He’s frothing at the mouth and snarling as he crushes you beneath his hoofs
>Your vision starts to go black at the edges as you start to creep your way into unconsciousness
>You reach your arm out to the side seeking something to help you
>Your fingers brush across smooth marble that’s cold to the touch
>You wrap your hand around it and swing upwards
>You hear the stone crack against the stallion’s head as he lurches off of you
>Gasping in air you drag yourself on top of him
>You raise your arms up and bring them down with the force of death
>You swing over and over hitting the stallion
>His head bashes against the floor and a gout of blood is set free with each blow
>Wet cracking and shifting of bones can be heard beneath the skin
>Squelching and sucking resound as blood and air fills spaces once filled with muscle and cartilage
>Above it all a horrid moaning assaults your ears
>You hit again and again trying to silence the wailing cries but only succeed in making them ring louder
>You drop the stone in your hands and scuttle across the room
>You watch as legs flail in the air until the body finds itself on its side
>Lurching to its feet it begins to shamble towards you as blood pours from its ruined face
>The muzzle hangs lamely towards the ground unable to support itself with the pulverized bits of bone that remain
>It inches forward stuttering and shaking as it does so
>You push yourself harder against the glass door as it approaches
>You shoot a hand up scrambling for the handle as the mass gains speed in its approach
>You find the metal handle and yank down to open the door
>You fall backwards through the now empty space onto the stone that lay beyond
>Scurrying backwards on your hands you hit another wall and push yourself to your feet
>The deformed, moaning, mess has reached a full gallop and is charging towards you
>Stepping backwards you hit the edge of the balcony
>Peering over you find a cliff face ending in crashing waves breaking against jagged rocks
>Looking back the wailing horror is almost upon you
>You fling yourself backwards over the edge
>Air rips at your form as you sink through space, racing towards the angry waters below
>A cry escapes your mouth as rocks rush past and you smash into the icy depths
>The shock of cold forces the air from your lungs and water fills the vacant space left behind
>Your hands find themselves at your throat grasping for air that will not come
>You convulse in fits trying to expel the water from your system
>You feel your body begin to die as the water suffocates you
>Staring up at the surface you watch as it drifts farther and farther away while you sink to the bottom of the abyss
>Inky dark surrounds you as light fails to reach you so far below the air
>Your arms reach up and drag at the water with seemingly no response
>Your legs kick until they can kick no longer and your body goes limp, motionless
>Beneath you the darkness lights up as two fiery eyes snap open
>You watch as a shadowy maw opens revealing a gaping mouth of fire and magma
>You begin to struggle anew as you are drawn closer and closer to the monster about to feed on your flesh
>You continue to sink down just to the edge of its mouth as it opens wider to accommodate for its meal
>You feel a tugging on the back of your shirt just as you are about to pass into its depths
>You are pulled upwards through the water with tremendous force
>Like a rocket you shoot upwards towards the shimmering light of the surface
>You break through the barrier and are dragged onto coarse land
>You gasp and splutter as you expel liquid from your lungs
>Gulping in air you rise to your hands and knees
>Beneath you is a sandy bank
>You lift your head to look around
>Around you is an endless sea with you doubled over on the sole spit of land in its vast embrace
>Directly in front of you stands a mare of midnight blue frowning down at your form
>You flip onto your back and stare up at a different sea as you catch your breath
>One filled with stars like dots of light in its vast blackness
>The sole spit of land amidst it being the ever present and impossibly large moon
>The mare sits above you cupping your head and resting it in her hooves
“Thanks.”
>You pant up at the figure lording over you
>A sad smile plays across her face as she holds you
>”Close your eyes Anon.”
>You stare up at her for a second but comply soon after
>You suddenly feel immeasurably tired and you begin to fall backwards
>Soon sensation leaves you and you are taken by nothingness into the void
>You awaken in front of a cold hearth
>The last embers must have died late into the cold night
>Pulling the blanket off of yourself you sit up and survey the room
>The brisk air grabs at you like hungry hands feeding on warmth
>You shiver and wrap the blanket around your shoulders
>The sun is rising outside the glass door to the balcony and standing under it you find your friend
>You stand and make your way to the door
>Pulling it open garners some attention from the mare and she nods with a small smile in welcome
>You lean your elbows against the concrete railing hunching your shoulders in weariness
>Your tired eyes blink against the piercing rays of the sun, squinting to shutter the incoming light
>You work your tongue in your mouth as bit by bit your senses are brought back to life
>A yawn forces its way out of you making your face scrunch and contort as it does
>A small puff of air comes from your right
>You look over with half lidded eyes at Luna
>Taking her gaze off you, you watch as her own eyes conceal themselves slightly behind their lids
>Her mouth opens as she takes a deep breath
>She holds it for but a second before letting it out and blinking twice to clear some water from her eyes
>You look at her with an eyebrow raised in question
>She looks at you deadpan for a second and you let out a small chuckle
>She blinks again in slight surprise before chuckling as well
>Your small bout of laughter slowly subsides and a more concerned expression trickles onto Luna’s face
>”Anon, last night in your dream… You haven’t had a nightmare in years now. When you asked me if I wanted to talk about what happened I should have known that maybe it was you who needed to talk. I’m sorry.”
>You shrug your shoulders noncommittally
“You know that’s only because you taught me how handle my dreams. I should have been able to calm down. It was just a lot is all.”
>”You’ve never been through something like this before. If you need  to talk to me you know you can.”
“I know, I’m ok though. You have enough on your plate as it is.”
>She looks at you with concern in her eyes but remains quiet
>You turn back to enjoying the sunrise for a time
>You take the moment of tranquility in silence, forgetting for an instant about the woes that plague you and the land
>As quick as can be the sensation passes and reality comes back in tumultuous waves
>You break the peaceful silence soon after
“So what needs doing today?”
>Luna continues to stare at the horizon as she speaks
>”I need to speak with the guard captain, make sure that an incident like this cannot happen again and how it happened to begin with. After that I’m going to speak with the prisoners. They’re our only lead as to where Cel might be.”
>You nod at the plan of action
“You don’t mind if I tag along do you?”
>”If you believe it to be a wise idea then I will not protest your company.”
>You swear she sounds like a book sometimes
“I do, will you be alright here if I go change really quickly?”
>”You know I will be.”
“I know, I just like asking.”
>You see a faint smile cross her lips as you turn to head back through the castle to your quarters
>You make your way back through the cold halls of the castle before arriving at your room
>Look around the room seeing that nothing has been moved and stand caught in indecision
>You look to your right at the door leading into the bathroom
>Your head swings left to look at your dresser
>Your head slumps slightly as you turn away from the door and head to the dresser
>A bath would have to wait until the day was over
>It’s not like it you wouldn’t get the chance later
>You pull open a drawer and rifle through it until you find a somewhat professional outfit
>Sloughing off your spent clothing you don your new attire and head out the door
>It takes you a few minutes to make your way back to Celestia’s room and when you do you see Luna waiting for you just outside
“Ready?”
>She nods and you both continue on down the hall
>Luna leads you as you proceed towards the throne room
>Two guards remained stationed outside the double doors and swing them open once you arrive
>Walking through onto the long carpet you stand next to Luna as she seats herself stiffly on the throne
>Looking over she calls to a stallion who then rushes off
>You stand waiting for several minutes in silence before the door to the throne room opens and the stallion returns with another stallion in a deep blue vest behind him
>The messenger resumes his position waiting for royal order while the guard captain places himself before you
>The guard captain was an older stallion with a coat spotted with grey around the muzzle
>As he bowed deeply you could see rigidity in his form as his joints protest the motion
>Rising he looks up to Luna and presents himself
>”Your highness, you summoned me.”
>”I have, we wish to discuss the circumstances of the attempt on my life and how to resolve any possible situations such as this in the future.”
>The captain nods curtly before speaking
>”We have determined the source of the breach in security. The individuals who attacked you and Anonymous were newly recruited to the guard. One of our staff in charge of assigning guard duty has been found dead. We believe the ponies who attacked you orchestrated the guard shifts that night in order to create as much vulnerability as possible.”
>He pauses before continuing
>”With how stretched for men we are no one had found our man before the attack had already happened.”
>Luna takes in the information with a stern look as she processes before speaking
>”We must not allow such a thing to happen again. I want all castle staff assigned a partner so as to not let them be caught alone. Do not let anypony roam these halls without support.”
>The captain nods
>”I’ll have the men assigned to groups immediately and make sure the staff are included and accounted for as well.”
>Luna nods in return
>”Thank you, have the prisoners divulged any information?”
>He shakes his head before staring up at the princess
>”No, one of them has been asking to see ever since we locked him up however.”
>Your gut tightens a little at his words
>Luna looks over to you before turning back to the captain
>”Let us not keep our guest waiting then.”
>Luna stands and begins making her way out of the room
>You follow behind her quickly as you speed up to keep pace
>You get closer and lean in to quietly speak
“Are you sure this is a good idea? He might just try and make a move on you, you know that.”
>”I know that more than you Anonymous but I had planned on speaking with them anyway and there are no fears that will keep me from prying them for information.”
>You roll your eyes in their sockets
>Whenever she used your full name you knew there was no way to change her mind
>As you pass the old stallion Luna dismisses him as he bows yet again before following out the door
>Leading once again Luna marches down the halls until you come to a large wooden door flanked by guards
>Seeing Luna one guard grabs a door ring between his teeth and pulls open the portal to the other side
>Beyond was a dimly lit stair case that was shrouded in candle light and shadows
>Keeping close behind you descend the stairs as the door swings shut behind you draping you in darkness
>You proceed downward for a lengthy amount of time before coming to another door that is pulled open as you approach
>Beyond it lay a room with three guards and rows of cell doors coated in candle light much like the stairway
>Walking to the guard sitting behind the desk in the room Luna speaks
>”Which one has been asking for me?”
>The guard looks down the hallway before grabbing a key ring and standing
>”The one at the very end, seems to be the oldest of the bunch. Hasn’t shut up all morning, muttering about his master and how it’s all inevitable. Every time we ask him what he’s talking about he just laughs. Guy’s off his rocker if you ask me.”
>You hear muffled sounds of movement as you pass a few of the cells
>Each cell had a heavy wooden door with a metal shutter in the middle for dispensing food
>Once at the end of the hall the guard goes to a door on the right and unlocks the door
>Pulling it open light spills onto a figure lying on the floor cuffed at the fore hoofs and chained to a ring on the wall allowing freedom of movement throughout the room but no farther
>As the light hits his eyes the stallion flinches backwards and blinks several times letting his retinas adjust
>Upon seeing the figures arrayed before him a bright, wicked smile spreads across his face
>”You came.”
>Luna raises her chin and stares down at the pony before her
>”Why have you been calling for me?”
>The stallion lets out a deranged laugh at the question
>”Because I have a message for you.”
>You turn to look at Luna
>Her eyes have narrowed to slits
>”What message would that be?”
>The stallion attempts to rise but is quickly pushed back to the floor by the guard who remains holding him in place
>”Our master has been planning for years. He sent us to make sure you didn’t interfere. He didn’t want it to happen again. You interfered last time but he wasn’t going to have it this time. No he wanted us to make sure it didn’t happen.”
>The stallion erupts into a fit of unnerving giggles and laughter
“You’re unnatural, a freak, you defy nature. You had to be stopped. You just had to interfere. Now look at what you did. Our time is over and you’ll have to accept it. Once Celestia dies then the world will be right again. We can start over. We can start… we can…”
>The stallion’s head droops as his speech slowly drifts off into incomprehensible mumbles
>The guard stands from his position where he was holding the stallion down
>You stare down at the mumbling pony before turning and heading out the door
>The guard turns and locks the cell as you proceed down the hall
“Luna, what the hell was that about?”
>Luna shakes her head
>”I do not know. Whoever it is seems to believe that I’ve done some wrong to them in the past but there are plenty who would consider me an enemy. The problem is that most of them are dead by now.”
>You come to the desk where the guard tosses down the key ring and seats himself again
>”Sorry about that your highness. It doesn’t look like our prisoners are going to be giving anything useful up anytime soon.”
>Luna’s eyes glaze over in thought for a second before she looks to the guard
>”Did any of them have anything on them when you brought them in?”
>The guard shuffles under the desk and pulls open a drawer before procuring a small pendant on a leather thong
>Placing it on the table he pushes it towards the mare
>”Each of them had one of these around their necks. The dead ones too, we don’t know what it means though.”
>You look at Luna before picking up the necklace and holding it up so that the two of you could both examine it
>On its face was a single tree and landscape cut into four quadrants
>Each quarter of the picture depicted the landscape in a different setting as though four pictures had been taken at different times and overlapped
>The bottom left showed bright flowers blooming and grass surrounding the trunk of the tree
>Above it you could see a blue, cloudless sky with a shining sun
>The top right showed the tree with leaves of yellow, brown, and red
>The bottom right depicted snow surrounding the trunk of the tree and a dead bush with few leafs remaining on its branches
>You study the design for a few more minutes before turning it over to look at the reverse
>On it was inscribed a small phrase in elegant font
>”We await the great turn of the wheel so that all may be reset. Let all die and return once again to be reborn anew.”
>You look at Luna and see her face taught with unease
>She looks to you and you see a great worry in her warry eyes
>”Come with me.”
>She turns and quickly begins striding up the stairs and out of the dungeon
>Several books hover shakily in the air as you read the titles of each
>”Of Gods and Mystics”
>”Cults of Equestria”
>”Life with Living Deities”
“You gonna tell me what we’re looking for?”
>Luna stares at an open page for a few moments longer before dropping all of the books heavily onto a nearby table
>Turning to you she queries
>”Anon, how much do you know about gods?”
>You take the question with a curious questioning look but answer despite it
“Well, I know that what my people think of as a god is different from what ponies think of as a god. For us it’s more of an omnipotent being that doesn’t really intervene too often, at least not in any blatant manner. For ponies aren’t you and Celestia technically gods? I mean I know that you’re flesh and blood but a lot of ponies basically worship you like a deity don’t they?”
>Luna nods at your understanding
>”You are correct or at least partially so. Most do not know the true nature of my sister and I because only those who we tell personally know and those are few and far between. My sister and I, we’re spirits that embody magic that have taken physical form. We’ve lived for thousands of years but we were at one point born and we can in fact die. When our physical form dies our spirit remains until it needs to be reincarnated. We have no memory of our past existence and we don’t know if we were even similar to the beings we are now, we just know that this has been happening over and over again for a possibly countless number of years.”
>You stare and nod as she speaks letting your brain take in and review all the information given when a question makes itself apparent
“Wait, so if you can’t recall anything from your past then how do you even know all of this about you being a spirit and all that?”
>Luna takes in a deep breath before continuing
>”We know another like us. One much older than us that has been alive for an amount of time even he probably can’t comprehend. Discord, it’s hard to ever get a straight answer out of him but over the course of years we were able to gain some small clues about our nature from him.”
>Discord, he’s probably loving the absolute shit show that the kingdom has become since Celestia disappeared
“Is that why you live so long?”
>”Yes, many attribute it to us being alicorns but that is not the case. Twilight and Cadence and even Flurry Heart will not live to an age anywhere close to ours.”
“Alright I get all of that, sort of, but what does any of that have to do with these books or what that pendant had on it?”
>Luna at this point has turned and is holding another group of books in her magical clutches
>”Anon, what did the pendant have on it?”
>You think for a second and recall what you saw
“A picture of a landscape in four different seasons on the front. There was an inscription on the back about death and a wheel turning or something. Why?”
>Luna, with her muzzle in a book, gives a somewhat muffled reply
>”The inscription and the picture both represent the passage of time and how life goes through cycles. There have been a group of somewhat radical ponies that worship a being known as the Fate Turner. They believe that the rise and fall of life is the only true course of nature and that their idol is what brings about the “changing of the seasons” so to speak but on a much larger scale. They’ve tried to disrupt the peace my sister and I have attempted to usher in several times before but it seemed as though they had disappeared after the last time we chased them away a few hundred years prior to my… confinement. They used that picture as their symbol. The phrase is new to me though.”
“How large of a scale are we talking here?”
>”Toppled empires, societies breaking down, they want everything to return to nature because they think that us thriving for too long is unnatural and heretical to the one they worship.”
“They sound like a bunch of lunatics.”
>Luna turns and glares at you
>You raise your hands up in front of your chest defensively
“Sorry, I forget that certain things have different meanings here sometimes.”
>Her expression softens at your words
>”It is alright, I know you meant no offense by it.”
>She resumes her search and your eyes scan the shelves until another question crosses your mind
“So, why’d you bring up the whole god thing exactly?”
>Luna continues her search as she answers
>”I believe that this being they’re worshipping is like Cel and I, a spirit in physical form. There are too many accounts of it interacting with its followers to be a complete lie and we’ve never known of any other type of being that could exist that long. The only thing that makes sense is if this Fate Turner is something like us.”
>What does that have to do with Celestia disappearing though?
>Before you could ask however Luna has dropped all but one book and beckons you over
>The label shows it to be a history of affairs in the kingdom within the past five-hundred years
>Luna points out a passage titled “The Followers of Fate”
>It seems to be documentation on a group of ponies operating out of the badlands to the south
>”It would seem that within the past century they have started acting once more. If we are to find them this will be the most likely place to begin searching.”
>You nod and cross your arms
“That’s great; we can dispatch a group to check it out first thing tomorrow.”
>Luna closes the book
>”I’ll be leaving within the hour Anon. I need you to make sure that everything here runs smoothly while I’m gone. I cannot risk letting any more time go to waste.”
>You stare incredulously at her statement
“You can’t be serious. The kingdom would fall apart if you left now. You can’t go. We’ll send the best men that we can and they’ll do whatever it takes to fix this mess but you have to stay here.”
>”You believe that I will simply sit by while my sister is in danger? That I will let these terrorists keep me cooped in this castle while the wreak havoc on my kingdom? You are mistaken if such a thing will pass by me without judgement.”
>Her voice is cold as stone and each word drips calm fury as it flows from her mouth
>You see her chest rising and falling heavily and a slight glint of moisture in her eyes
>What could you say to her? She couldn’t go running off looking for her sister alone
>She couldn’t leave Equestria like it was, without a ruler
“Luna, please. You know that this will only make things worse. You have to stay here, for everyone’s good.”
>You brace as the air in the room tenses
>You wait as Luna’s jaw grinds together in frustration
>Her eyes are wild and deep within them you can see a monsoon of emotion spilling over on itself
>You fear she may explode on you at any moment
>But it never comes
>Just chilling words in a tone that hadn’t changed from when she’d previously spoken
>”You’re right Anon, I must remain here. We shall send a group to investigate in the morning.”
>Her words lack every emotion but anger as she lets them drop from her mouth
>The book that was still floating in the air quickly finds itself tucked underneath one of her wings as she strides past
>She exits the room and the door slams behind her as it’s pulled closed magically
>You stand staring at its wooden surface while a bad feeling churns within your gut
>The rest of the day goes by quickly
>You send out orders and begin to have things arranged while deliberating with several council members
>You get food and spend an hour or so thinking of what else needed to be done
>As much as you think your mind continues to run in circles at the sheer number of things that need doing
>Eventually you give up and mindlessly chew at your food until it disappears
>After that you take to wandering the halls hoping to calm your mind
>You see the sun setting fast in the distance as you pass by a window and dark overtakes the castle soon after
>Following hallways lit by candle light you find yourself outside of Celestia’s room
>Once again the previous events play themselves over in your mind
>You get up to where you’re recalling what happened in the library
>Luna’s expressions
>Her demeanor
>Her tone
>She switched gears quickly after your second attempt to dissuade her from leaving
>Usually she was bull headed about such things, always the stubborn one looking to get her way
>But today she just… didn’t fight
>She stopped almost immediately
>That had you thinking as to why
>Then you remember the way she said those last words
>Ice cold, angry, defiant
>Then it clicks in your head
>Shit
>You take off down the hall at a quick walk
>You break into a jog soon after as you begin to fear the worst
>Coming to a stop in front of Luna’s room breathing slightly heavily you hear rummaging coming from inside
>Pushing open the door you step inside
>There you see her standing with a pair of saddlebags slung over her back fastening them
>God damn it Luna
“You mind explaining what you’re doing?”
>She was so preoccupied with her preparations that she hadn’t noticed your arrival and turned to face you with her horn charged
>At seeing who it was a pained anger and morose splays itself across her face
>”You know exactly what I’m doing. Now leave before I am forced to make you.”
>You look at her and sigh heavily with a deep set glower
“You wouldn’t do that.”
>You hope she wouldn’t anyway
>Not at a time like this when the world’s gone to shit
“So you’re leaving?”
>”You can’t stop me if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Did you even tell anyone? Did you even think of what would happen if you got into trouble out there and no one knew where you were?”
>”Twilight is well aware of my plans. She will be the acting ruler while I am away. This trip will be kept a secret from the public and only the council will be informed of my departure.”
>She seemed to have put more thought into this than you had originally believed
>Which would make it that much harder to dissuade her
>Luna stands up straight and looks down her muzzle at you
>”If you have nothing else to say then I will be departing.”
“You can’t do this alone.”
>You don’t see how she could with that magical binding on her horn
>You know you can’t stop, that much is obvious
>You’re left with little choice in the matter and you can’t just let her leave
“I’m coming with you.”
>The proclamation actually takes Luna aback in a stunned silence but she is able to regain her composure with a fierce expression quickly afterwards
>”No.”
“What would have happened if I didn’t help you the other night?”
>”You are staying here Anonymous.”
>Both of your voices begin to swell within the room
“What do you think will happen when you get stuck in another jam?”
>”I forbid you to come with me.”
“Why do you think you have to handle everything alone?!”
>”Because I cannot lose you as well!”
>Luna’s voice bellows out at you like a fist punching into your gut
>You can see her chest heaving and tears rolling down her face
>Her breath is coming in ragged, uneven, gasps
>”I…You are the only one besides my sister who seems to truly care for me. I cannot let you fall into harm’s way because of my own actions. I have lived for thousands of years and I have experienced what the world has to offer but you are so young. You have so much left to see. I can’t take that away from you.”
>You’re slightly stunned by her words
>You were expecting the anger but not all of this
>You walk up to her and wrap your arms around her neck
>You feel her head droop down past your shoulder
>You remain for a moment before pulling back to look at her
“Luna, you’re right. I’m young, even by my people’s standards, and I will probably die long before you do. So let me come with you. There’s only one being that can stay by your side forever and you risk losing her. I know it’s going to be dangerous, but my life isn’t worth as much as hers in the long run. I can be your friend for maybe the better part of a century if I’m lucky but she can always be there for you. All of Equestria needs her. At least let me try and do something with my short life that might actually make a difference. The world needs her more than me.”
>Luna’s voice drops low into a whisper
>”I need you Anon…”
>You take her head in your hands
“I know, that’s why I’m coming with you.”
>You reach in and hug her tightly
>Looking at her bags you query
“What do you have packed?”
>Luna wipes her eyes with a faint wisp of magic and answers
>”Food, some clothing, a map and the medallion we took. The book we found.”
>You nod
“We’re going to need more food. I’ll go pack my clothing. How are we getting there?”
>”I intended on flying. I’m strong enough now to carry you as well.”
>You feel a little uneasy at the prospect for multiple reasons
>Not to mention riding bareback wasn’t exactly an experience you enjoyed
“You don’t happen to have a saddle or something do you?”
>Luna looks at you queerly
>”Why would we need such a thing?”
>You suddenly realize that you’d never taken the time to explain what a saddle’s purpose was back on your side of existence
>You quickly fill her in and she nods
>”I believe I have something that could be of use.”
“Good, get it ready, I’ll go pack some clothing and get some food from the kitchen.”
>You turn to leave but as you get to the door you stare back at her
“Don’t leave without me.”
>”I won’t.”
>You believe her but linger a little longer anyway before heading down to your own room
>You grab a shoulder sling bag that had been made for you in the fashion of messenger’s bag back home where one strap went over the arm and the bag itself was in the shape of an oblong triangle
>Going to your drawers you fling them open
>Grabbing a warm coat that allowed plenty of movement you don it and search for others like it
>You pack an assortment of clothing quickly and head to the kitchen
>There were a number of boxes and bags designed to keep food fresh over longer periods of time in the kitchen and you grabbed one before piling it full of food and plenty of water
>Once finished you head back to Luna’s room slightly anxiously
>To your relief you find her waiting for you with a few new items of her own
>At her feet sat a deep blue and black saddle surrounded by torn bits of frivolous lace which had once adorned it for fashion
>The saddle itself had no stirrups but looked as though it would function well as a seat and you could at least wrap your legs around her barrel if need be
>The other items were more of a surprise
>Luna had apparently taken a short trip to the armory while you were away as a spear and a short sword sat before her
>You motion to the extra items with a hand and a questioning look
>”If we are to be in danger you ought to have better weaponry than a marble decoration. I believe you told me humans had been known to use the in battle.”
>You nod at her and take the sword in your grasp
>The grip was oddly shaped with divots in it running up the handle
>Turning it you could see the imprint of a set of teeth
>You recall seeing a few guards at ceremonies brandishing swords with their mouths; it must be how they were held by them seeing as they don’t have hands
>You play with the blade in your hand and find the odd grip to not be too obtrusive
>Returning it to its sheath you pick up the spear
>The guards had special slings that would position the spear in a forward position leaving them free to charge and gore whatever they may be attacking
>This being unnecessary for you, you simply had the weapon itself
>You place it through a loop of fabric on your back pack and make sure it is securely fastened before strapping the sword and sheath to your hip
>Placing your food in one of Luna’s saddle bags you stand back and take a breath while nodding
“I think we’re ready.”
>Luna nods in return but questions you nonetheless
>”You do not have to do this. Are you sure?”
>You simply nod
“Couldn’t stop me if you tried.”
>She absolutely could
>She doesn’t however and turns to the balcony
>Her head swings around to look at you slightly impatiently
>You follow her out onto the stonework and place a hand on the saddle
>She lowers down onto her knees allowing you easy access onto her back
>It never ceases to amaze you how powerful both magically and physically she is as she rises up off the ground
>Placing her fore hooves on the edge of the railing she raises up forcing you to hold onto her shoulders
>You hear her voice in front of you
>”Are you ready?”
>You swallow hard and steel your gut before replying
“As I’ll ever be.”
>”Hold on tightly.”
>As she says the words her wings unfurl to their great length and beat down slightly
>Her pace increases and you feel her hind legs coil with tension as she loads them ready to pounce
>Then all at once a burst of energy explodes from her and the two of you are sent sailing over the railing
>You drop slightly as she becomes accustomed to the added weight but soon she begins increasing her pace
>Angling off to the south the wind rush past your face and you pull your hood up before tightening it around your head
>The two of you sailed off into the night not knowing what might lie before you
>Cold air enveloped you and you take a moment to wrap your coat tighter around you
>The steady beat of Luna’s wings against the air and the rhythmic pulsing of her muscles underneath you were all that accompanied you in the dead of night
>You can feel the strength in her motions as each rotation of her wings propel you forward with a sense of determination
>No more than two days ago had you both been laid up in hospital beds
>You can feel the effects of the cold river in your lungs still but you had refrained from mentioning it to Luna
>She had enough to worry about as it was
>She however seemed entirely recovered
>Physically at least
>The chill of the air began to seep into your bones and you could feel the rest of the day weighing upon your eyes
>There would be no rest tonight as you feared that falling asleep in the saddle would lead to falling of a different kind rather quickly
>So you sat there, arms tucked into your sleeves and your body curled in on itself for warmth
>The landscape below you slowly scrolled by as mountains turned into the forest surrounding ponyville and further into plains of grass
>An undiscernible amount of time passes as the landscape below continues to change
>Your vision begins to drift and blur again and again as you snap your eyes back open forcing yourself to stay awake
>Your mind drifts to thoughts of many things ranging from the castle and the current predicament to what your family may be doing
>You hadn’t thought of home in a long time, where your family was, what kind of things their lives might entail now
>Watching Luna in despair over her missing sister had begun to leave a pang of regret in your heart
>How must the people you left behind feel now that you’re no longer with them?
>You disappeared without a trace and there’s no way of telling them that you’re safe
>You shiver, whether from the cold or the eerily similar circumstances is unknown
>You put thoughts of your old home out of your mind
>What’s important right now is to try and do what you can to help your friends
>Looking down you see that plains have turned back to sparse trees opening up into a great expanse of desert
>On the horizon you could see the sun rising past distant clouds painting the land in a warm hue of gold
>Your head is heavy and your mind more so watching to sun rise in the distance
>You remove a hand from your jacket and place it on Luna’s neck
>Her muscles there are strained and taught
>Looking down to her wings you take notice for the first time at how they are now often idly spread rather than flapping
>She must be tenfold more exhausted than you but she hasn’t stopped regardless
>At this rate neither of you would be going for much longer
>You open your mouth to speak but words find a hard time forming after your long silence
>Coughing to clear your throat you shout over the wind to be heard
“Luna!? I think we should stop. I can’t stay upright in this saddle much longer!”
>Luna turns her head to look back at you with large bags under her eyes
>She nods and keeping her wings outstretched you begin to slowly glide down towards the earth
>Once near the ground you begin to search for a suitable form of shelter and find it in a large outcropping of rock curved in the shape of a half wave
>You tap Luna’s shoulder and point it out to her
>She catches your meaning and angles towards it
>A few more moments pass before you begin your final approach
 >Beating her wings to counter the momentum Luna lands heavily upon the dirt and sand underhoof
>The impact is jarring but you manage to remain in the saddle
>Slowly she kneels down onto her knees letting you extricate yourself from the seat
>Stiff legs and sore muscles greet you as you hobble off of her back
>The two of you slowly make your way under the rock’s cover and fall down next to each other
>Luna takes a position with her back against a bit of rock while you collapse in front of her and prop your head on her barrel
>You feel your head rising up and down in time with her breathing as you lay on her
“We should try and get some rest. We can eat when we wake up.”
>Luna merely grunts as she curls her head back towards your own
>You raise your hand and gently run it along the top of her head before pulling it back and curling into a ball
>Within seconds the world drops away from you and is replaced by an endless abyss that stretches on to the ends of eternity

>You feel warmth seeping into your body from all around within the darkness
>Shifting slightly you feel material shift along with your body
>You open your mouth to breath but a rush of debris fills your open passage
>Coughing you attempt to open your eyes to much the same result
>You shove your hands out in front of you as the lack of air begins to strain upon your chest
>You feel like you’re being crushed and as you thrash your hands in an attempt to dig upwards
>It feels as though every movement sinks you further down into the dark abyss
>You start to panic and frantically you force yourself to move with all your might displacing whatever lay on top of you
>Your limbs have started growing heavy and you know that you will soon have little strength to struggle
>You feel your essence fading and with a final burst you claw at whatever lay above you
>Your hands bursts past the darkness and you feel wind in your fingers
>Pushing desperately you force your head and torso up as well finally breaking the surface
>You choke and splutter trying to expel the contents of your mouth and throat as a coarse material leaves your body
>Able to breath somewhat you then rub your eyes and blink as tears begin to flush your globes
>Finally you are able to open your eyes fully and you look around
>You find that your lower half is still impaled within the earth in a vast sea of sand and rock
>Heat beats down from on high as the cloudless sky above you gives no quarter
>You pull yourself the rest of the way out of the sand onto your hands and knees
>You sit there catching your breath but within seconds you feel the earth underneath you shifting and falling
>You scramble forward as the earth opens up threatening to swallow you
>You turn back but for a second and see a pit of fiery wrath chasing your legs as you stumble and trip up a dune
>The dune seems endlessly high and death is hot on your heels as you finally make it to the top
>You throw yourself over the side and find nothing there to catch your feet
>Instead you fall, fast through rushing winds
>You hear screeches all around you as you fall from thousands of feet above the ground yelling all the while
>You see water bellow you and it rushes up to meet you impossibly fast as you smash into its surface
>As a stone you sink further and faster than is possible as you are whirled through the watery depths
>Below you you see light and what looks to be air as you rapidly approach
>You break the barrier and you’re falling once again through open air
>Below you see a vast ocean with a sole spit of sand sitting in its midst
>You fall towards it and just before impact an unseen force slows your descent letting you alight softly
>You look all around and find yourself encased in a bubble of air surrounded by roiling waters
>You can see enormous, looming, shadows pass by in the waters surrounding your pocket of life
>You scoot to the edge of the tiny island and peer over the edge
>All you find there is the reflection of a starry night sky shimmering in the lapping waves
>Your eyes turn upward to find that same night sky had replaced the waters that were present but a moment before
>You sit down and cross your legs with an aggravated sigh
“I could have handled that one you know.”
>”Yes but I did not wish to let it go on when I could intervene.”
>You look to your right and find Luna sitting next to you staring out across the expanse
>She turns her head to stare at you as you ignore her gaze and stare out across the water yourself
>Her eyes search you for answers and seemingly finding none she speaks
>”Talk to me Anonymous.”
“About what? So I’m having nightmares again. Big deal, I can live with a few bad dreams.”
>”You are scared.”
“I’m just out of my comfort zone.”
>”Then let me drop you off at AppleLoo-”
“Don’t.”
>Your words come out hard and cold
“I’m not going anywhere you don’t go.”
>You see her open her mouth to speak out of the corner of your eye but she closes it soon thereafter
>She gaze quietly returns to the ocean before the both of you
>A pregnant pause permeates the air
>You turn to face her but she is no longer there
>Turning, you find nothing behind you
>You lay on your back staring up at the moon which now has the image of a shadowy mare emblazoned upon it
>Your eyes grow heavy instantly at the sight and before you can think you are taken by the darkness

>You awake to find yourself under the shade of the rock formation you had spotted the previous night
>Luna is nowhere to be seen but you spot the saddlebags a few feet away from you
>Standing you move out from under the rocks and cover your eyes as the sun pierces into them
>Walking a few feet from your shelter you begin to relieve yourself onto the ground
>Looking around you spot Luna sitting on top of the rocks staring down at you
>You finish and re-button your pants before turning around and making your way back to the saddlebags
>A flapping of wings float down to you as Luna gingerly lands upon the ground a few feet away
>You rummage through the bags as you pull out a few bits of food and some water
>You look up at Luna who’s staring at you intently
>You dive back into the bag and procure an apple handing it towards her
>She steps forward and takes it in her mouth before sitting under the shade
>You sit cross legged across from her in the shadows as you both begin your meager breakfast
>The silence bears down on you as you eat but you find it hard to speak until you’ve finished the meal
“I’m sorry about last night.”
>She looks up from her apple core that she’d been twirling in her magic to focus on you
“I know you’re just trying to do what’s best.”
>She lowers her head slightly staring into the ground while speaking
>“It is I who is sorry. I have been harsh as of late and I am most grateful for your support. I know that may not have been apparent over the last few days.”
>You internally agree
>It wasn’t like the two of you to be at odds as you have recently.
>You look at her for a moment before looking away with a heavy breath
“It’s ok Lulu.”
>She nods relieved
>”I accept your apology as well.”
“You don’t have to be so formal about it. Making me look bad…”
>Your jest receives a small chuckle and a smile ever so small creeps its way to your mouth
>You stand and place the remaining water back in the bag after offering some to Luna and seal the compartment
>Luna rises standing next to you as she levitates the saddle and bags onto herself once more
>”We have a great distance ahead of us. Let us be off.”
>You nod and when she was ready you vault onto her back
>Wasting no time she trots out from behind the rock and moves into a gallop
>As she does so she spreads her wings and begins to flap before leaping into the air and taking flight
>You gain altitude quickly as powerful beats of her wings push you further skyward and soon the land far bellow was but a scrolling canvas of nature
>From this height you could see for miles upon miles in each direction and far to the south east you could make out rocky plateaus dotting the sparse desert landscape of the badlands
>Your jacket proves quite useful as the wind tears into you while you soar through the air
>You wish you had brought something to cover your eyes and face however as the biting wind quickly drys both out
>You can feel your lips cracking as you continually lick them in a vain attempt to moisturize
>You continue on with nothing but the howling breeze the keep you company for several hours
>By the time evening has begun to roll around you feel Luna starting to slowly descend from the great altitude
>Her wings ceased their rhythm and the two of you sailed peacefully downward over the course of miles while gliding
>By the time you reach the ground you’ve made it to the edge of the valley that lead deeper into the little traversed desert landscape that apparently hid a ruinous cult
>Luna’s landing is a little stiff but as she hits the ground she strides forward decelerating as she goes
>Once able to come to a full stop you hop off of her back and stretch your stiff limbs
>You find a small patch of dry grass after some walking and sit to eat
>Your lips crack and bleed slightly as you open your mouth to bite into your meal leaving the taste of iron on your tongue
>You ignore it and finish your meal before waiting for luna to recuperate
>Not wanting to sit in silence you put forth a question
“We’re almost to the badlands but what now? We can’t just scoure the whole place looking for them. Did you have something in mind?”
>She nods and with her magic retrieves a rolled paper from one of the bags
>You do not fail to note the look of concentration on her face as she does so
>It is accompanied by a faint glow of deep blue from the runes on the ring adorning her horn
>She places the paper down and unrolls it revealing a map of the badlands with small notes and markings on it
>”I procured this from the royal records after I left the library. It denotes the movements and known whereabouts  of any of the cults followers
>With a hood she points towards a spot near the southwestern border of the valley
>”This is where the majority of their activity was recorded in the last century but most bits of information are vague. The only true lead we have is a structure here…”
>She points to the large plateau in the southwest
>”...carved into the rock. It was being used as a base of operations but it would seem that my sister never had it fully routed as the forces needed and the effort involved would be beyond what she was willing to expend.”
>You take in the information with an understanding nod
“If they’re still there we could probably find something on their plans or even interrogate one of them if we’re lucky.”
>Luna nods
“How long will it takes us to make it there?”
>”It will take just over a day at our current pace.”
“Alright, we’ll get there, rest during the day, and then make our move the following night.”
>Luna affirms with a look of steely determination
>A few more minutes of rest go by before Luna rises signaling she was ready to begin again
>You both relieve yourselves quickly on opposite sides of the grassy patch before reconvening and preparing to set out
>Before you get on you search through your bag and grab a T-shirt and wrap it around your mouth and nose in the fashion of a balaclava
>Feeling as though it should stay securely in place you then attempt to mount the saddle
>Your stiff body does not make the movement easy but you do eventually find yourself atop the mare
>Securely in place you pat Luna on the withers signaling your readiness
>Moving over to the edge of the cliff face leading into the valley Luna begins to trot before breaking into a gallop and launching the two of you into the air past the ledge
>Her wings unfurl quickly thereafter slowing your plummet
>Angling upward she soars as the land naturally drops out from beneath you the further into the valley you went
>The remaining daylight doesn’t offer much time but you do manage to make it to one of the closer towering rock formations before night falls
>Finding an outcropping in the side of it you make camp for the night
>The open air of the outcropping is unnerving to you but refrain from mentioning this to Luna as the ground was even enough that you didn’t fear rolling off in your sleep
>Not rationally anyway
>Eating a small dinner you once again lay your head on Luna’s barrel as you share the warmth of each other’s bodies in the cold desert night
>Her head curls down to rest on the ground and you gently scratch under her chin eliciting a content hum
>As the night grew darker and your lids grew heavy Luna spoke softly
>”I shall ensure your night is dreamless. We must both be rested for tomorrow.”
>You grunt an acceptance before closing your eyes and traversing the passage into sleep

>You awake the following morning significantly more rested than the previous night even if your muscles protest from laying on the hard ground
>Standing you walk around the small amount of ground that was available as Luna eats her breakfast
>You quickly shovel down your own before you make preparations to leave
>Soon you find yourself mounted once again and Luna lunges out into the sky taking flight
>The boredom of the flight is only punctuated by your rising unease and anxiety at what you are flying towards
>You had personally never been trained for combat outside of simple self defense taught by the royal guards that you had volunteered to participate in
>Even then most of it was for pony on pony situations which left you wanting in terms of technique
>Thinking back to the night of the failed assassination attempt you deem that instinct will most likely be your best friend
>At least you knew in theory how to use a sword and spear
>Your mind’s wanderings soon quiet as you spot your destination peeking out from behind a smaller bit of rock
>As you approach Luna begins to lower your altitude and skims close to the ground
>Within another hour you are able to reach the outskirts of the base of the formation and you begin scanning it for the structure you hoped to see
>Nothing reveals itself to you initially as the two of you circle the rock twice over roughly another hour
>On the third pass Luna’s horn flares as she sparks a spell into life
>As she works a magic of some kind beyond your understanding you refrain from asking fearing you may break her concentration
>She veers off course a few times while doing so seemingly paying more attention to the spell then your flight trajectory
>Eventually as you nearly circle to rock once more she ceases the spell and angles towards the ground roughly two hundred yards from the base in the massive shadow that it cast
>Coming to a stop she kneels down to allow you to dismount easily before righting herself and walking to stretch
“So what was that spell you had going?”
>You inquire as you follow her lead and attempt to make yourself limber once more
>”I was attempting to detect traces of magic. There were faint signs along the eastern side of the mass but here specifically it became more prominent. I believe this is where the entrance lies. Let us rest for the time being.”
>You follow her lead as you settle down and begin to prepare for what lie ahead
>You honestly couldn’t be sure of what to expect and a series of possibilities play out in your mind as you try to mentally prepare yourself
>You figured taking on an earth pony would be relatively easy but a pegasus had the air advantage and a unicorn could pull out any number of tricks
>You figured that the best thing to do would be to try and outsmart them but you had no idea what that might entail
>You realize that your heart is beating rather quickly and your body is heating up
>You take a deep breath and let the thoughts release from your mind as you attempt to truly rest before night falls
>The time is spent mostly in silence as neither you nor Luna has much to say while plenty weighs on your minds
>Sunset turns to night and soon the desert sky is dotted with stars gleaming down at you
>You know that you didn’t have much time left before you’d venture into the proverbial lion’s den
>Your mind trails back to the thoughts you had previously put out of it and your anxiety begins to make itself apparent once more
>You don’t know how long you go through scenarios in your head but eventually you are broken from your thoughts
>”Anon, it is time. Are you prepared?”
>No, you think to yourself, you’re not
>You nod
“Let’s go.”
>You rise and reach back to the shaft of the spear that rested on your back
>You shimmy it up through the loop holding it in place and pull it free before moving your hands around to find a good grip on the weapon
>Satisfied with the weight of it and knowing where was best to hold with one or both hands you look to Luna who then proceeds walking towards the magical signature
>The walk takes several minutes as you step over or around small bushes or rocks and you keep your eyes leveled towards the ground the whole way
>”Have you been in a fight before Anonymous?”
>You look up to Luna as she speaks somewhat sternly
“Once, and you know how that turned out.”
>She nods
>”I never properly thanked you. If you had not come I would not be here today.”
>You raise your eyebrows and cock a half smile
“Yeah well what are friends for I guess. Talking, hanging out, braining someone to save each other. The usual.”
>A wry snort escapes Luna as you draw close to the rock
>”Somepony Anon, it’s somepony.”
“You know I’ll die before I start saying that.”
>Any other time you would have received a laugh but instead you get a concerned look from the mare
>You both fall silent as you reach the base
>It takes some searching but you find a small tunnel carved into the rock that was hidden behind shadows and bushes that would have been practically invisible from the air
>Peering inside you see the rays of light slowly die as they reach as deep as they can into the hollowed passage
>Turning back you see Luna start to flare her horn grabbing the saddle and bags in her clutches and placing them upon the ground outside the entrance and behind a rock
>You opt to keep your bag with you and you both stand at the entrance inward
>You watch as Luna lights her horn again emitting a dim glow of blue light that illuminates the darkness as she steps forward
>You follow close behind her as you venture deeper
>You walk for several minutes through the winding passage until through the darkness you see an outcropping that holds a fork in the corridor
>Two paths leading separate ways split to the left and right
>Stepping into the opening you come up beside Luna
>Both of you face separate doors as you walk forward
“Which door do you think-”
>You’re cut off as a twang rings through the air
>A bolt of red light shoots out from Luna’s fore hoof revealing a trail of wire in its wake
>The light shoots up to the ceiling and a tumultuous rumble comes from above
>You hear shifting rock as you watch a segment of the ceiling open up sending a rain of small boulders down towards you
>Simultaneously you and Luna both shout
>”Run!”
“Shit!”
>You dive into the corridor to the right as a thunderous crash explodes behind you
>Dust pours over you sending you into a coughing fit while bits of rock shower you
>You cover your head until the last of the earth has settled before getting up and checking yourself for any injuries
>You don’t feel any but you can’t see in the total darkness
>You call out into the hall
“Luna! Are you alright!?”
>No response
>You step further into the hall and shout again
“Luna!”
>From behind you through the pile of debris you hear a faint voice
>”Anon! Are you alright?”
“Oh thank god.”
>You whisper under your breath before calling back
“I’m ok, where are you?”
>”I am on the other side. Are you able to make it here?”
>You squint your eyes at the rubble
>It had pile up to the top of the doorway leaving only a space small enough for a human child to move through
>You attempt to push anything that you can out of the way but it proves to be a fruitless effort
>You shake your head to yourself
“Fuck.”
>Speaking louder you call to your companion
“No, It’s too tight to fit through and I can’t move any of this shit.”
>There’s a brief pause before you get a reply
>”Stay where you are and I will come find you.”
>You shake your head incredulously
“If there’s anyone here they’re going to know where we are and I’d rather not get stuck in a tight hallway that I can barely see in. I’m going to see if I can find a way out of here or some way to meet up with you.”
>”Anonymous you cannot proceed alone, I will move the rocks.”
“No, even if you could move all of them you’d be exhausted by the time you did it.”
>There’s no response for a while and time begins to drag
>You start feeling the urge to move so you speak
“I’ll be fine Luna, just go, we can’t stay here.”
>Another pause before you hear her once again
>”Stay safe Anonymous.”
“You too.”
>You wait for a second but nothing more comes from your companion
>Fumbling in the darkness you pick up the spear you had dropped and start to trudge forward through nothingness
>Your eyes slowly adjust and you eventually can make out very rough shapes
>After a minute of walking you see something blocking your path up ahead
>As you draw closer you make out the blockage to be a door of heavy wood with bands of metal reinforcing it
>You stop just before it and place the spear back through the loop on your bag opting to draw your sword instead
>Slowly you push the door open with a resounding creak
>Before pushing it the entirety of the way open you check the frame and notice a string trailing from the top right corner through a metal hoop on the door frame leading off somewhere you can’t see
>You reach up with the sword and after some trouble saw through the twine
>holding the two pieces together you release them before jumping back from the door
>The next second a heavy object crashes into the door with a thud slamming it shut
>You wait for a moment expecting more but when it next comes you slowly push the door open once again
>You search the floor but find nothing and quickly survey the room before you
>The room itself is small being roughly ten feet wide and fifteen feet deep
>Shadows dance across the low ceiling as the dim light of four sconces on the walls provide illumination
>The light and the fires generating it was a deep purple in hue accompanied by a smell of incense
>At the center of the room stood a statue of a billowing robe with no form underneath that had two purple fires for eyes that lapped up at the stonework surrounding them
>The hair on your arms stands up at the display but you slowly step into the room
>Searching behind the door you find a large bladed piece of metal sticking into the wood
>You recoil slightly at the thought that it might have been you instead of the door that the blade was sticking out of if you had been reckless
>Looking upwards you find a small rig the must have been holding it in place before you cut the string
*This place is a fucking death trap*
>Your thoughts flash to Luna but you quickly put it out of your mind
>You had to focus on your own safety for now
>You turn your attention back to the statue and let your eyes scan the room taking in every detail attempting to spot anything designed to end you abruptly
>Finding none you tentatively step into the room moving one foot at a time methodically
>Getting closer to the statue you can see and inscription carved into the base of its pedestal
>Reading it over you take in the words
>”I am the ever looming. The inevitable. I am the end of all things.”
>You take your eyes from the engraving to look at the billowing cloak whose eyes stared back into your own
>You take your gaze away from it and peer behind it
>There was another door similar to the previous one resting there waiting to be opened
>As you did before you carefully let your feet hit the ground with each footfall expecting something to lash out at you
>It never comes however and you make it all the way to the door
>You check the ceiling
>Nothing
>You check the floor
>Nothing
>You check the door frame
>Nothing
>You reach for the door handle and slowly tug on it
>It doesn’t budge
>You tug harder and find that the door is stuck in place
>Great
>You take a step back and examine the door trying to find a weak spot that you might be able to force
>Nothing makes itself readily apparent but you do see another inscription on the door itself
>”Speak my name and gain safe passage or falter and exist no more.”
>What?
>It takes you a second but you eventually turn around and head back to the statue
>You read over the engraving once again
>Really, a fucking riddle?
>Assholes
>You’d always felt pretty good with this sort of thing but your life had never depended on it before
>You go over the saying several times rolling it in your head as you try to decipher its meaning
>You take a second and study the statue instead
>There’s not much outside the obvious that you’d already gleaned upon your first viewing
>You go back to the inscription
>”I am the ever looming.”
>That could be any number of things
>”I am the inevitable.”
>Seasons? Time? That’s what was on the pendant you’d taken
>”I am the end of all things.”
>That last line seemed a bit more blatant than the others to you
>Reviewing your thoughts and looking at the statue once more you have an answer in mind but you’re loathe to try it given the price of failure
>Standing here wouldn’t do you any good either however
>You go back to the door and stand before it
>You feel pretty sure of your answer but you hesitate going over all the information one more time
>Taking a deep breath you speak
“Your name is Death.”
>The engraving on the door flashes a bright purple at your words and you brace for whatever comes next
>As you watch the door pops open slightly with a jolt and then slowly swings out towards you as you gain entrance
>Oh
>Cool
>You’re not dead
>Not yet anyway
>Looking through the doorway you’re stunned by what you see
>An enormous room with a ceiling that stretched up into the darkness of the shadows hundreds of feet above the floor
>Braziers the size of a small wagon lie up a flight of stone stairs near the center of the room ascending towards a dias lorded over by a similar statue to the one you had just inspected
>This one however was nearly the size of a small home and looked to be made of a material that pulsed with energy
>Small veins of what you assume to be purple magic course through the statue running over its surface like spider webs
>You quickly check the door frame and surrounding area before stepping inward to get a better view
>The entire room was bathed in the same purple light as the previous one giving off an eerie glow as it splayed across the altar
>Moving to the center of the open floor in front of the stairs you glance to the left and right seeing two doors leading either way
>You slowly begin to climb the set stairs going up an entire story as you start to hear low voices chanting
>Your head crests the top of the stairs to find an odd sight
>You see three ponies
>Two robed ponies are sitting on either side of a third naked one who was laying across a much larger depiction of the landscape depicted on the pendant
>The one laying down looks visibly panicked as its head whips from side to side looking at the other two
>You see now that its fore and rear hoofs had been restrained as it struggles to break free from its restraints
>The two chanting individuals voices rise higher and higher in volume until their two intertwining voices drown out the sounds of struggle
>You watch as the one on the left moves to the head of the restrained pony while the one on the right heads to its feet thankfully blocking his companions line of sight to you
>You can merely see the back end of the one pony but a few flinging limbs can be spotted
>The frantic pony begins to shout as a dagger held aloft in magic floats over his chest
>”L-let me go! I didn’t agree to this! Stop! Stop!”
>You see the dagger start to slowly move downward and you bolt up the remaining stairs
“Let him go!”
>The two figures jump with a start at your shout
>One turns to face you while the other’s head cranes to do the same
>You stop five feet from the three sword in hand
>You freeze up as you stare at the group and they at you
>The pony on the ground is looking between you and the captors wildly
>A confusion and fear tinged with a small glimmer of hope dot his eyes
>You hold the blade somewhat protectively in front of yourself
>You should move
>You don’t
>You should strike
>You don’t
>You should-
>The pony on the ground begins thrashing wildly in an attempt to break free
>Without so much as turning to look the unicorn holding the dagger in its magic acts
>The blade plunges downward in a flash staking the figure beneath it
>You recoil slightly in shock at the sight as the pony begins wheezing from the pain
>A second later the blade is dragged downward bisecting the sacrifice’s abdomen
>The being on the floor gurgles and shudders before quickly growing still
>You mouth goes dry and your limbs grow heavy
>You see the blood start to pool within the carved picture
>Everywhere it touches a brilliant purple light begins to emanate from the grooves that quickly filled
>The knife is removed with a squelch as the two remaining ponies start to approach you
>You take a step back noticing as you do that the veins of pulsing magic on the statue had begun growing brighter
>By the time you reach the lip of the landing The veins’ light is blindingly bright and pulsing in time with a hum filling the air
>Your eyes flick from the statue back down towards the advancing ponies
>Your eyes land just in time to see the dagger rapidly making its way towards your own chest
>With a small yell you flick your sword up just barely sending the dagger off course
>It tears into your left arm releasing a gout of blood as it goes and leaving a burning crevasse in your tricep
>The pain brings life back to your body
>You don’t wait for the blade to come around for a second stab and instead lunge forward arm extended
>The unicorn had gotten close enough with his advances that he’d put himself just barely within striking distance
>You extend your body as you lunge forward and point the tip of the blade to stab at your assailant
>It just barely connects as it plunges into the soft flesh of the unicorn’s neck
>The stallion falls back just after the blow raising a hoof to its throat as liquid pours out from behind the appendage
>The very tip of your blade is stained with the same crimson liquid and you hear a clatter from behind you as the dagger hits the stone landing
>The unicorn collapses onto its rear trying desperately in vain to staunch the bleeding
>As it pools in the sigil on the floor the humming in the air increases and the pulsing of the light quickens
>Your wild lunge had put you off balance and as you attempt to right your footing the second of the two cultists barrels into you
>His head lands squarely in your chest sending you flying backwards but not before you’re able to grab a handful of mane
>You pull the smaller figure with you as you fall backwards and over the edge of the stairs
>You fall abruptly with the pony on top of you and explosions of pain shoot through you as the stairs slam into your back
>Your hands lose their charges and both your blade and the cultist go flying off in opposite directions
>You twist and arch your back as the pain shreds your nerves and you tumble further down the stairs
>Each step adds a new layer of sensory overload as a small fire is set ablaze on every part of your body
>The fall feels eternal until you finally come to a stop slumping motionless at the base of the stairs
>Your body feels as though it were put through a centrifuge filled with rocks and broken glass as you lay throbbing in pain
>A sharp hiss escapes you as you attempt to push yourself to your knees
>You turn your head to get your bearings as your arms wrap around each other in a feeble attempt to hold back the sensations raging through them
>The pony lays five feet away from you slowly rising to its own feet with a groan
>You start to back away on a hand and your knees searching for your lost weapon
>You find it resting ten steps up and you start scrambling for it as the pony pushes towards you
>You reach the blade and grasp it before turning around to face your foe
>Too late do you attempt to raise the sword to defend yourself as the cultist pushes himself on top of your body
>You shove a hand up and grab it by the throat as it pins you to the stairs underneath
>You try to force him off of you but it manages to bring a hoof down hard into your face
>The blow clocks you and sends your head reeling back as thoughts vacate your brain
>A second lands quickly thereafter but lacks the stunning effect of the first
>You raise your blade from the side and plunge it sideways into the barrel of the attacker
>Using what strength remained in your left arm you shove the figure backwards and let it slide off your blade before tumbling back down the remaining stairs
>It lay motionless as a pool of blood spread out from underneath it
>You lay on the stairs panting heavily letting the protests of your body slowly dull into a manageable state
>You sit up and gingerly paw at your face
>You can feel swelling as the tender skin sends out jolts of pain from your touch
>You push yourself up onto your feet and begin shambling up the stairs once more
>At the top you look down at the two corpses decorating the ground and the pool of now brilliantly shining purple light that had overtaken what had previously been the etched picture
>The intensity of the light forces you to slightly cover your eyes as you try to scan surroundings
>Over the din of the buzzing you hear a loud series of crashes down the stairs and to the left
>You turn to see the door on the far left side of the room behind which a tremendous series of cracks and explosions could be heard
>You stare at it for a second before it flies open and a stream of figures charge through the door
>Your heart sails then plummets as you see Luna at the head of the pack followed by a deluge of figures both robed and otherwise
“Luna!”
>Her head whips up and spots you as she charges across the room
>”Run Anon!”
>A second after her words a storm of magic flies at you as several unicorns send magical bolts at you
>You duck as they sail past your head slamming into the statue behind you
>A large portion of the statue is blown away as it is struck by the multitude of attacks
>Arcs of energy burst forth from the  fracture in the statue and lash out at you from the source
>Spurred by the crawling energy you start dashing down the stairs taking multiple at a time
>Moving sideways as you do to keep pace as well as you can with Luna you reach the bottom just before she reaches you
>You turn and dash towards the other door shouting over your shoulder as you do so
“This way!”
>As you turn your head to shout your eyes catch a glimpse of the damaged statue
>Pulses ripple up through the stone work blowing it apart as it went sending shrapnel in every direction
>A deep rumble resounds through the cavernous room but your eyes whip back towards their goal
>You make it to the door with Luna hot on your heels as you grab the handle and throw it open
>You let her run past and you quickly follow slamming the door shut
>You slam the lock bar into place and back away from the door as several beings slam into it
>Whirling around you scan the room
>There is a large table in the center of the room with a map of equestria and three doors on three separate walls
>You quickly sheath your sword before your feet carry you forward
>Luna is standing in the middle of the room over the map and you run for the door on the far left
>You throw it open
>On the other side is a small room with inscriptions covering the the entirety of the floor the walls and the ceiling
>Nothing more however
>You slam the door and run for the one opposite the door you’d entered
>The same door that had fallen silent
>Silent for but a moment as it quickly burst into dark green flames that began to burn away at the wood
>You reach the second door and throw it open
>On the other side is a long hallway with five figures rushing towards you
>Pushing it closed again you shove the lock bar into place as well
>You angle for the last door and sprint
>You grab the handle and wrench it open
>Another short hallway but this one remains empty
>You turn back and shout in time to see the burning door explode inward with a violent blast
“Luna come on!”
>She remains unmoving standing over the map studying it intently
>You see the first of your pursuers come through the now vacant doorway followed by a billow of smoke and dust
“Now Luna!”
>Your second shout brings her out of her focus
>She turns and runs for you grabbing the map with her magic as she does so
>You turn and resume sprinting yourself as the adrenaline carries you forward
>Reaching the door at the far end you throw it open
>A swirling pool of light floating above a stone base sits before you within a tiny room
>You stop just before it unsure of what to do but find the indecision taken from you as Luna slams into your back shoving you forward
>You step into the swirling vortex and stumble forward roughly onto your hands
>You push yourself to your feet and brush off your hands as your eyes take in the surroundings
>Dark blue sky hangs overhead and beneath you a combination of rock and dirt adorn the ground
>To all sides you see the ground extend in a rough oval before ending abruptly at more blue skies
>Behind you is a portal and surrounding base identical to the one you had just walked through
>In front of you there are rows upon rows of kneeling figures chanting in unison
>Your abrupt arrival had caught the attention of some of the figures at the back of the group who had turned to stare at you
>Their stare only lasted for as long as it took for them to turn and begin shouting to their companions
>Rows upon rows of figures rise up and turn to face the two of you
>For a brief moment the whole world seems to stand still with not a sound daring to make itself known
>Then the world erupts into chaos
>Shouts, magical cracks and pops, stampeding hooves and more explode into the air as you listen
>A blur of dark blue and black shoot past you and you soon kick your feet sprinting after it
>Bolts of multicolored magic shoot past you as you run towards the edge of the plateau
>You cover the distance in seconds refusing to slow as you reach the edge of the rock face
>You drive your legs hard into the ground and fling yourself out into open air arms flailing wildly
>You spot Luna falling beside you as she tucks her wings and angles herself in your direction
>When she gets within arm’s reach you snake your hands out and pull yourself into a sitting position on her back
>You tighten your grip as best you can without choking her and clamp your legs around her barrel
>As soon as you do her wings snap open filling with air slowing your descent
>You find the map forcing itself into your hand as Luna releases her clutch on it to focus on keeping the both of you from plummeting to certain doom
>She angles steeply at the ground towards where you had entered the rock
>Diving hard and fast the wind tears at your body threatening to rip the map from your grasp
>You hold fast and keep your fingers wrapped around it as Luna shakily levels out your descent
>You rocket through the air as her horn lights once again
>You skim the base of the structure searching for the entrance and after a brief moment Luna rapidly descends once again
>The two of you land somewhat roughly and you dismount quickly to grab the bags
>You stuff the map inside of one and latch them into place on Luna’s back before quickly remounting
>The sound of flapping wings falls down from on high as Luna preps to take off
>Looking up you see a multitude of flapping specs descend upon you
>With a running start Luna launches herself into the air flapping furiously sailing into the night
>You rise under the powerful beats of her wings
>20, 30, 40, 50 yards into the air
>In the time it takes you to get there the pegasi are upon you
>A few begin to sidle up to either side of you as others take turns dive bombing you
>The first one strikes catching Luna off guard causing you to clamp your legs to keep from being sent over her side
>She was prepared for the following attacks and began swerving unpredictably in an attempt to avoid other blows
>Doing so drove her closer to the flankers who proceeded to kick at her wings when they came within range but being careful to avoid being with range of a counterattack from the larger mare
>You feel as you start to lose altitude as you’re being herded towards the ground by the harriers
>Holding onto the saddle with one hand you reach the other back and draw the spear from your back
>Once you have it in hand you lean forward and shout past the wind
“Dive hard into the ones on the left!”
>Luna spares a second to peer questioningly over her shoulder at you
>You nod determined and ready yourself
>You level the spear across the saddle like a lance and aim at the closest pursuer
>You tap Luna on the shoulder and a second later she banks hard sending you hurtling towards the group of three to your left
>The pegasus you were aiming at attempts to gain altitude to get over your attack
>He was too slow, however, and takes the spearhead under the joint of his wing
>He recoils and a moment later he peels off and begin gliding towards the ground shakilly
>Two hard thrusts of her wings puts Luna atop a second attacker whom she bucks in the back of the head
>He seizes and becomes motionless as he plummets towards the ground
>The last of the group peels off and joins the group on the right bringing their number to five
>Three remained attempting to dive bomb you but had become significantly less successful with the threat of a spear looming every time they tried
>You pull the spear tight against your body as you wait for one to make its move
>You see one look at you before tucking its wings and shooting towards you
>You hold and just as it reaches you you strike out at it
>The spear grazes across its side as it sails past forcing the attacker off course
>A long gash sprouts where the spearhead whistled across skin and the pegasus continued its downward spiral leaving the rest of the group
>Raising your head you’re barely missed by a second plunging pony who almost brains you
>You see him begin slowly gaining altitude far to your left and you turn your attention back to the group of five to your right
>As you do a deep blue light emanates from Luna’s horn
>She holds it for as long as she can building the energy before turning and releasing it in a burst
>The energy travels ahead of the group of five and explodes outward leaving a translucent, pale blue wall of light behind it
>The wall quickly stretches out to twenty feet in either direction
>The five scramble to move out of the way but the momentum carries them forward far too quickly
>Two hit the barrier head on before falling either lifeless or unconscious to the ground below
>Which one it was mattered little as one would quickly turn into the other when they met the ground
>Two others had collided partially with the edge of the wall and both seemed to take the impact poorly
>One began gliding downward as a few of the previous attackers had but the other was having a hard time maintaining control as one wing flapped while the other hung useless at its side
>He fell hard and soon was lost to the darkness as his form disappeared in the landscape below
>The single pegasus that had avoided the wall entirely quickly veered off and doubled back in the direction you had come from
>You hold the spear tense for several minutes as you sail through the air with the wind ripping past your ears
>Eventually you reach back and shimmy the spear back through its loop before resting your hand on Luna’s withers
>You gently rub there and pat her on her shoulder before pulling back and holding onto the saddle
>You fly for what feels like ages but from the way you see the moon shifting you assume it's actually closer to an hour or two
>You start to see the fringes of the southern jungle approaching and over the next hour you begin to break the treeline
>Once past it Luna begins a familiar and slow descent on stiff wings
>Once you reach the canopy from your altitude Luna beats her wings again and starts to slow your forward momentum
>It takes you a few minutes to find a clearing large enough but when you do Luna angles towards it and slips under the cover of the leaves
>A vertical hovering descent that takes only a few seconds soon leads you to the ground
>You both land heavily and you dismount on tired legs that had spent most of the flight tightly gripping Luna’s barrel
>The ground underfoot is a mix of dirt and fallen leaves that provide a suitable place to rest as you both take a seat
>You wait for Luna to get comfortable before you scoot over to her and lay back against her
>As you do a sharp grunt of pain escapes you when your back presses into her
>You feel her tense under you as you shift again to lay more on your side than your back
>You don’t have long to lay though as Luna shifts sending you into a sitting position
>”Anon are you hurt?”
>You roll your eyes
“I’m alright, just a bruise probably.”
>You had been able to ignore the pain during the fight and for most of the flight afterwards but now that the adrenaline had faded and your mind wasn’t so occupied it had begun to make itself very apparent
>”Let me see.”
“It’s really not that bad.”
>You have no idea how bad it actually is
>Then again you’re not an owl so how could you?
>”Take your shirt off.”
“It’s cold though.”
>That was a blatant lie
>It had actually been getting gradually warmer the further south you went
>You feel as Luna begins to tug at them hem of your jacket and shirt first with teeth and then with magic
>You bat at her aura with a hand
“Alright geez. Hold on.”
>You reach back and grab both pieces of clothing before gingerly pulling both over your head
>As the fabric drags on the skin you can feel the dull spread of pain across your body
>A small gasp gasp is let loose behind you and when you put your clothing in your lap you turn back and look at Luna
“See? Not so bad right?”
>You were asking her than telling her
>”Anon your back looks terrible. What happened to you?”
>A light hoof on your back makes you arch slightly attempting to get away from it before you steel yourself and halt the reaction
>Luna retracts her hoof quickly and apologizes which you shrug off
“I fell down some stairs.”
>You feel like a domestic abuse victim trying to placate the cops for just a moment
>A small fragment of memory peaks through as Law and Order flashes through your mind before dissipating in a sea of other more relevant thoughts
>”How badly does it hurt?”
“Well it sure as shit doesn’t feel good I’ll tell you that.”
>”Are you going to be alright?”
“Luna you know that it won’t kill me.”
>”That’s not what I asked.”
>You take a deep breath and let it go before nodding
“I’ll be alright, there are more important things to worry about. They’re probably going to regroup and come after us tomorrow.”
>Luna hums in agreement
>”We can study the map in the morning. We need our rest now.”
>You silently agree as you put your shirt back on and stow the jacket in a saddlebag
>You resume your earlier position lying just below Luna’s forehooves with your head next to the joint where her leg met her chest
>You close your eyes but sleep fails to take you as you lay awake staring into the darkness of your eyelids
>Long minutes pass in relative silence as you try to formulate the question that came to your mind in your restlessness
>You find no easy way to phrase it so instead you opt to be blunt
“Luna?”
>She hums in response
“How did you become Nightmare Moon?”
>The body beneath you tenses once again
>She remains silent and you begin to wonder if you had overstepped your boundaries
>You had only ever brought up the subject once back when you had only been friends with her for a short time and suffice it to say that she had reacted negatively to your prodding
>Since then you had let the subject lie but it had always gnawed at your curiosity as well as your concern for her well being
>She was obviously still heavily unsettled by what she had done but she’d never spoken to you about it
>Perhaps she had only ever truly discussed it with Celestia
>You don’t know why she wouldn’t tell you, it’s not like you would think any less of her for-
>”I was greedy.”
>Your thoughts grind to a halt
>”I was childish, ungrateful, and I was blind. I let those things get in the way of what truly mattered and I let it take over who I was.”
>You slowly form your next question before speaking again
“I think I understand that much. It’s common knowledge why you did what you did. I just don’t really get how. From the way people talk about it it’s like there were two different versions of you and when the elements were used you kind of reverted back to the way you are now. They say you *transformed* into Nightmare Moon. Not that you just took the name and started a coupe. How did that happen?”
>Luna remains silent for another long pause and again you fear that you should drop the subject
>You don’t say anything to end it though and eventually Luna does reply
>”Anon, how powerful do you think I am?”
>You think back on what you had read about and heard from word of mouth
“Well you seem to be able to do things that basically no other unicorns can do. And from what I’ve read there’s not much else in this world that can compete with some of the feats you and Celestia have accomplished. I was actually kind of surprised by that given the fact that half the time Twilight ends up cleaning up whatever shit goes down. Even with all the power you have though it seems kind of inconsequential compared to what Discord can do. He’s just kind of on another level even if he doesn’t care enough to do anything besides annoy people with it.”
>Another hum reverberates through you from the mare underneath
>”It is quite understandable that you find it odd that Twilight takes on most of the duties regarding protecting the kingdom. The reason being that we simply cannot handle those events without potentially causing a far worse calamity. Within my sister and I there resides a reservoir of magical energy so potent and vast that it is somewhat incomprehensible to other beings. With that power comes a price however and it is one I do not wish to pay again. Should a being hold too much power within itself it will start to become corrupted; the magic begins to seep into the mind of the host and alters the personality of whoever they were before to something else. In most cases they become crazed and power hungry only seeking to further bolster that magic which they already hold inside themselves. When I turned on my sister I released the power that we usually kept suppressed and it changed me much faster than it would another being. I became Nightmare Moon and from then on it felt like I was a passenger in my own body. It moved on its own and during my captivity it schemed to escape. When it finally did it was short lived as Twilight and her friends quickly freed me by sealing the power within me once again using the elements.”
>Luna falls quiet for some time giving you a moment to sift through her words
>Several questions pop up but you take a second to prioritize them before proceeding
“So Twilight doesn’t run the risk of this happening and so you send her out to handle threats?”
>”You are partially correct. It is possible for Twilight to become corrupted just as Celestia and I could but for her and Cadence it is different. For them to actually go through what happened to me they would have to actively attempt to infuse themselves with enough magic to begin the process. For Cel and I it is a constant struggle to not accidentally let that much magic out. We find it safer for all to hand the duties off to another.”
>Her explanation raises yet another question
“Wait, so what about that time Twilight fought Tirek? Didn’t she have her own magic plus that of you, Celestia, and Cadence all wrapped up in her body?”
>”You are correct. That has by far been the most ill advised thing my sister and I have ever done but we knew that we could not let Tirek have our power as his own or he may destroy the entirety of existence. We were lucky as Twilight ended up expending as much magic as she was generating during the fight either directly or simply through her body venting it to prevent itself from being torn apart by the energy. Thankfully because of that the corruption did not have the time to manifest correctly. There have been side effects we’ve noticed; namely a significant increase in her own magical potential. Outside of that we were extremely lucky that far worse did not come to pass.”
>There was a lot to take in and you did so over the course of several minutes
>Even as you did more questions pushed their way to the forefront of your mind
“So Discord...?”
>”Yes, we do not know when it happened or how to fix him but he had undergone something similar. The elements simply turn him to stone most likely because he has been the way he is for far too long to properly reverse the effects.”
“And that ring on your horn?”
>”I could easily break it but as I’ve said before that is not a price I’m willing to risk paying.”
>Guess that doesn’t solve very much
“So even is Celestia escaped she would go supernova on us?”
>You hear an odd sound from the mare beneath you
>”I am not familiar with the term.”
>Oh
“Uh, she’d get corrupted is what I mean.”
>”Yes, that is correct.”
>A long silence fills the air
>Minutes pass as only sounds of insects and the wind ring out in the night
>You feel the weight of sleep finally tugging at your eyelids as you process the conversation
>You rouse yourself slightly however and speak
“Hey… I know you don’t like talking about this stuff so uh… thanks.”
>Silence yet again as you wait but not for very long
>”I’ve never talked to anyone about what it was like. Not even Cel. It… it helps. Thank you.”
>You nod into her fur before releasing a large yawn that you stifle with your hand
>Luna does much the same following suit
>”That is enough talk for the night. We must rest as there is much to do in the morning.”
>You silently agree and shift to a more comfortable position before closing your eyes yet again
“Goodnight Luna.”
>”Goodnight Anonymous.”
>You find yourself walking
>Walking aimlessly through the dark with no recollection of how you came to be here
>Along the sides of the passageway you see veins of glowing blue energy pulsing with faint light
>You hear a low crackling in the distance up ahead and see a shimmer of purple light
>You get closer and closer over the course of a few minutes
>Or was it hours?
>Seconds?
>In your thought you find yourself at a bend in what you now see to be the rocky walls of a cave
>You turn into the light that’s been casting deep purple hues over the walls as you round the corner
>Ahead you see enormous braziers lining the walls of a circular room the size of an auditorium
>You stood at the top of a staircase that circled the wall on the right side of the room leading down to an alter and upon it sat a giant statue
>It’s likeness was carved in the shape of a robe with no figure beneath with flaming purple eyes
>Inspecting the walls as you make your way slowly down the staircase and find the same blue veins running through them
>You feel your hair stand on end as you walk up to the base of the statue to gaze upon it
>You can’t shake the feeling that it gazes back
>You move past it towards the back of the room and your eyes go wide at what you see
>Suspended in a column of purple light bobbing up and down in the air ever so slightly lay the motionless form of Celestia
>You rush up to the column and stop just before you touch it
>Celestia floats a few feet above your head serenely
>Her eyes are closed and her wings are extended
>Presented in such a fashion she seemed almost tranquil
>”Enjoying my work?”
>You wheel around shocked by the sudden voice
>You see what was once the statue has now come to life and turned to face you
>”Life embodied, it is beautiful is it not? Such a serene being. And one so loved as well.”
>You follow the flaming eyes that have sharpened to stare past you at the floating alicorn
>”Although what is life without death? Order without chaos? Nothing, inconsequential, meaningless.”
>You back up closer to the purple column as the figure glides closer to you
>You hear a muted sound reverberate through the walls around you as you do
>”I simply seek to give it all meaning. To turn the wheel. Not that I would expect you to understand.”
>Your back is now pressed into the wall of light as the figure looms over you
>”If you wish to continue existing give up your effort to save this one,” The eyes flick back to Celestia for a moment before returning to you. “A stranger out of time such as yourself has no business meddling in the affairs of the past.”
>You hear the muffled sound once again but slightly louder
*nnnn*
>The figure turns to look at Celestia again
>”I was so close. But that wretched eidolon…” the voice trails off
>”Know this, Interloper, I did not repeat years of work to be foiled once more.”
>The sound grows in the distance
*nnon*
>You stare up at the fiery purple eyes
“What do you mean ‘the affairs of the past’?”
>The sound turns into a voice that’s now beginning to rumble through the walls
>”Anon!”
>The ground beneath you begins to destabilize and shake as the voice shouts louder
>”Anonymous!”
>Cracks begin to shoot through the walls of the cave as it splintered and began to collapse
>The figure looks towards the ceiling and its eyes ignite into a roaring flame
>”Must you meddle so!”
>The figure turns from the ceiling to you once more and rapidly approaches
>You run as it descends upon you threatening to envelop your form
>The voice had risen to a thundering boom as the cavern fell apart
>”ANONYMOUS!”
>You turn to find the figure upon you
>A purple tendril of energy reaches out to grab you but just before it does you feel yourself hoisted backwards with tremendous force
>You feel your body crash into water before being pulled through it
>You’re sent hurtling out of the liquid and into the air before you crash land hard onto a sandy bank
>You realize you’re enveloped in damp feathers which uncurl from around your body as you attempt to move
>Coughing you roll onto your side and push yourself up into a sitting position
>Once again you see the familiar image of an ocean with a dark night sky above
>For once however the waters are turbulent instead of their normal glassy appearance
>You turn to see what had been holding you and find Luna picking herself up into a similar sitting position
>”Anonymous! Are you alright?”
>Her voice is panicked and lined with worry
>You calm your pounding heart and take deep breaths to steady yourself before speaking
“Yeah, yeah I think so. What the fuck was that? Was that him?”
>Luna nods still trying to calm her own breathing
>”He pulled you into some kind of pocket dream. I tried to get to you but he was blocking me out. What did you see?”
>You sift through your memory at light speed
“I saw Cel, I think she’s alive. I was in this cave and he was there. He was talking nonsense, said I was interfering with the past.”
>You look at Luna as she thinks it over quickly
“I think we need to leave, like now.”
>She looks at you and nods in agreement
>When she does you feel your head grow heavy and soon blackness takes you
>A moment later you sit bolt upright in a clearing of the jungle
>Luna rises from behind you and begins stretching as she takes out the map you had acquired the previous night
>Laying it out on the ground she begins to inspect it and you join her in doing so
>You can see a few landmarks that you remember but others seem odd
>Among the names and places were a few areas denoted with the symbol of the tree in different seasons
>The closest of these markings was present on a city to the south of the badlands by the name of Hoofington
>This struck you as odd because as far as you were aware there was no such city there on any maps you had ever seen
>You point it out to Luna and voice your question
“What city is that? I’ve never heard of it before. On most of the maps I’ve seen it just looks like a bunch of rocks and trees. What gives?”
>She looks down at the city shown for a brief moment before responding
>”That would be because this map is very, very old. That city and the surrounding region are now in ruins for lack of a better term.”
>You raise an eyebrow
“What do you mean?”
>”You will see once we’ve arrived. They may be using it as base of operations since no pony in their right mind would go there.”
>She rolls the map up and places it back in the saddlebag
>”Let us be off.”
>You mount Luna once the saddle and bags are in place and hold tight as she lifts off into the early morning light angling to the south east

>The sun beats down on you over the course of hours as you sail past the remaining canopy of trees to be met with a sea of green plains
>Wildflowers spread across the countryside in all directions with sparse rolling hills dotting the otherwise flat landscape
>Once the sun had past it’s zenith Luna began her usual slow descent
>Over another hour you drifted slowly downwards on infrequently flapping wings until you found yourself touching down in a small valley between two hills
>You both go through your usual routine of stretching before taking out some provisions and having a quick lunch
>In the small downtime it affords you ask a question that had been nagging at you since you’d left
“So you said that this city we’re heading to, which isn’t even on the map by the way, is apparently in ruins right? How old is this place? And what happened there?”
>Luna chews her bite and swallows before responding
>”I remember telling you that you would see when we got there.”
>You roll your eyes heavily
“I don’t really think now is the time for dramatic flare Lulu.”
>She sighs and shrugs as best she can from her seated position
>”I suppose you are correct. The city of Hoofington was a marvel. It was the largest city this far south in equestria but it still managed to have a bustling populace. Roughly 1,200 years ago a magical scourge was spread within its walls infecting and killing many of its citizens. A large amount of the populace was able to be evacuated once Cel and I had heard of what was happening there but for many it was too late. Those who didn’t die outright were transformed into arcane monstrosities that roamed the streets that now played host to a group of unicorns who orchestrated the whole disaster. I was openly enraged that anypony would commit such an atrocity but Celestia was far worse. She was silent but I could see underneath her demeanor a burning, seething, rage. It came as no surprise when she told me that we would personally see to the matter.”
>She takes a pause and you patiently wait for her to continue
>”Once we were sure that there were no more innocents left within its walls we began our assault; or should I say, Celestia began hers.”
>She stares off into her imagination as she recounts the event
>”I have never seen her in such a state before nor after but it can only be described as God’s fury being unleashed upon the world. She had no restraint and it was quite obvious. She leveled the entire city in a matter of minutes. I could see her beginning to change as she exerted herself and before she could fully lose herself I began siphoning off what I could and dispersing it into the air. Bits of the destroyed city began floating into the air suspended on the raw energy I had displaced and it has remained there thousands of feet in the air ever since. The whole ordeal took no more than 15 minutes but the sight was surreal even for one such as I. To know that kind of power was resting within my own body and to see what it could truly do both scared and tempted me. When it was all over Cel sat in the crater where the city once resided and only broke her silence to say ‘thank you’. I assume for keeping her from transforming. No one dared to openly oppose us from that point on until the changelings attacked the castle
>You don’t know how to react
>It’s almost impossible to imagine Celestia being the kind of person who could snap like that but you could tell from Luna’s tone that she told nothing but the truth
>You had always assumed there were dark things in the sisters’ past
>That kind of comes with living for thousands of years and ruling over a nation for most of that time
>This had outclassed everything your mind had dreamt up though
>You decide to file the information away for later extrapolation and decide to redirect the conversation
“So how does that relate to that map we found? Which, by the way, how is that thing still intact?”
>”It’s had a spell placed over it to preserve it. As for how it relates we were aware that there was a small group of these cultists residing there for some time but as I said before they were never much of a threat so instead of worrying the city with a faceless hunt we let them remain largely unmolested. It would seem they may still have dealings there.”
>You suppose that makes sense
>Wait, what’s a faceles-
>”We should be off. The ruins are not too far from here and I would like to make it before the sun begins to set.”
>The question is whisked from your mind as other matters fill your head
>You agree and pack your belongings before saddling up and taking flight once more
>She was right with her guess on time as you begin to see dots of shapes floating in the air after an hour
>Another hour brings you close enough to decipher huge bits of floating rubble and what looks to be stone work some of which is connected by vines hanging loosely like seaweed
>You gain some altitude as nearly a mile out you begin to feel your body slightly lighten as the magic permeating the air surrounds you
>By the time you get to the outlying pieces of debris you feel like you’re nearly floating and Luna’s wings have aimed themselves to provide more forward thrust than upward
>Your pace has decreased significantly with the altered gravity and an idea strikes you
>You push yourself out of the saddle while holding on to the sides of it to keep yourself from drifting off
>As you do s your body floats softly behind Luna’s and you can’t help but let out a delighted laugh
“This is awesome.”
>Luna chuckles softly at your amusement
>”It is quite a sensation indeed.”
>A second idea fills you with excitement and fear as it hits you
>You contemplate it for a mere second before throwing caution to the wind
>You grab Luna’s shoulders and thrust yourself forward out past her and float softly through the air looking back at her
>You laugh into the open air as you slowly drift in front of your friend
“We’ve got to come back here once this is all over.”
>You watch her eyes sparkle with laughter as a truncated chuckle leaves her muzzle
>”I’m sure we could find the time to do so.”
>You laugh as Luna gently nudges you to keep you from drifting downwards to far
>You look down into the open air watching as a piece of rubble begins to drift underneath you
>As it does you feel a sharp increase in speed as you quickly begin falling towards it
“Shit!”
>You shout as you begin to drop far faster than before
>A second later once you’d passed over the debris you resumed falling at the previously dreamy speed
>Luna had tried to rush to you as fast as she could at your shout but found it difficult doing so
>You see her begin to fall much more rapidly than expected as well before regaining her bearings in the further reduced gravity
>She catches up to you and you retake your seat upon her back
>Your heart settles over the span of a minute and you breath out to Luna
“Was uh, was that normal?”
>She shakes her head
>”I do not know but I have a hunch as to why it happened.”
>She aims you towards a larger piece of floating wreckage before gliding over it
>When you do you feel a gut churning sensation as you begin to fall faster than before
>Luna keeps her wings motionless as you fall slightly slower than one would normally expect
>You fall forward past the edge of the rubble and once again your descent is greatly slowed
>Luna nods to herself and speaks over her shoulder
>”It would appear that the floating masses are taking up much of the magic holding us aloft. I suggest you remain seated while we navigate through the more densely packed regions.”
>You agree and hold yourself to her with your thighs
>You survey the landscape from on high picking out broken watchtowers and obliterated buildings
>You can see sections of stone that were somehow bisected cleanly and others that floated in the remains of what they used to be
>You surveying stops abruptly as you see several dots shoot up from several of these floating islands before decelerating quickly
>The masses dart through the air in bursts like a swimmer in the water heading towards you
>You tap Luna on the shoulder and point them out
“What are those thin-”
>A wailing screech pierces your ears and stabs into your mind as the figures draw closer
>You raise your hands to your ears but the sound persists even through the covering
>Luna is likewise covering her own ears with her wings in an attempt to block out the sound to seemingly little success
>Another, louder screech sends a blast of white to your eyes as you clutch at your skull where the sound stabs at you like a knife
>When the sound finally subsides you see creatures darting all around you as you drift downwards away from Luna who is still covering her own head
>A form slams into you and sends you flying through the buoyant air until you drift over a large rock formation and begin to plummet towards it
>You fall at half speed towards the ground below as the wind rushes through your clothes
>Below you a group of the creatures are circling and as you fall past they begin keeping pace downward in their oddly jolting movement
>Three spiral around you as you draw closer to the surface of the rock and you can see their features clearer
>The bodies had scrawny, hooked arms and backwards knees covered in loosely fitting feathers
>A short beak protruded from its face where large and beady black eyes were socketed
>The one nearest you dashed downwards even further past your falling form kicking it’s back feet rather than flapping its wings
>You see it turn around and open its mouth letting out another blaring screech that stabs at your mind unnaturally
>You clench your eyes and cover your ears
>In the darkness you smash into the figure of the creature which proceeds to claw at you tearing at your flesh
>You feel two more pairs of claws grab onto you and dig into your skin along with other piercing sensations racking your body
>When you’re finally able to open your eyes again you see the three beings pecking at you tearing away tiny bits of flesh as you descend
>You’re held aloft by your right arm and leg leaving your left side free
>You reach up with a hand and grab the neck of one of the flying monstrosities before jerking it harshly at an angle
>A strained squawk escapes its throat and before it can regain its bearings you wrench it off of yourself
>The two others still had a firm grip on you and you held the third tightly in your fist
>You shove its body between your legs and clamp down tightly before jerking its head once again more violently
>You feel the bone snap and you release your grasp on it to reach up and grab the second that had been holding you by the arm
>Your hand finds itself on a leg and you pull yourself upwards with it
>You rear back a leg and slam it into the final of the trio
>The first kick dazes it and the second sends it careening off into the air
>The last one has trouble holding you aloft with its bursts of acceleration and you drag it towards the ground at a steady rate
>By the time you free yourself from two of the three you were only twenty feet off the ground
>Your speed has decreased considerably but before you were all the way down the final creature peels off dropping you the rest of the way
>You crash into the foliage growing on the rock feet first and your legs buckle underneath you
>A sharp pain sears its way through your leg as it twists on impact
>You slam into the ground and cry out in pain
>The grass rubs against your face as you writhe on the ground in pain
>It takes you a minute to regain your composure and push yourself into a sitting position
>Your leg is throbbing and when you test it your knee explodes in pain
>You don’t think anything’s broken but you can tell you won’t be walking correctly any time soon without assistance
>You drag yourself out from the cover of the sparse trees and level your eyes skyward searching for your companion
>All that you find there are the blue hues of the sky as the sun starts to make its descent
>You scan the nearby islands searching for any sign of life but nothing catches your eye
>You sit there for what feels like close to an hour before you drag yourself back from the edge of the rock
>The sun beating down on you from above has you pouring sweat so you find one of the few trees and prop yourself under it
>Every few minutes you test your leg again only to further cement the idea that it won’t be of any use
>Your mind races with worry as you think about what fate could have befallen Luna as you sit powerless to do anything
>Even if you were able to walk you’re unable to think of what you might do
>The nearest island to yours was nearly a hundred yards away and at a higher elevation than your own so there was no way you’d be able to make it even with a superhuman jump
>So you sit
>And you wait
>A chill begins to creep over you as the sun starts to set and the winds pick up blowing across the surface of the rock
>Hours pass and day slips into night all while you grow stiff and cold in the cooling air
>Your eyes start to grow heavy over the next hour as the stars start to shine brightly overhead
>You begin to drift in and out of consciousness when the soft sound of flapping wings lands on your ears
>You perk up immediately and drag yourself towards the sound
>In the distance you see a form shaped like a pony and shout out to it to get its attention
“Luna! Over here! LUNA!”
>The form stops in mid air and hovers slowly flapping its wings
>You watch as it turns around and heads in the direction that it had come from
>Your gut sinks as it disappears into the night
>You sit there watching where it had gone while time passes around you
>When you finally see something more you can make out four figures dotting the horizon
>You watch as four pegasi slowly drift towards you on the wind
“Shit.”
>You quickly crawl further back towards where you had rested against the tree and draw your spear hoping that the group would pass you over
>The sound of wings drawing nearer told you that you would have no such luck
>The four pegasi circle the air before landing on the ground in front of your form
>Your eyes dart from one to the next as they take stock of your condition
>They remain outside of the reach of your spear but spread out to surround you against the tree
>You turn your head to and fro as they slowly start to bear down on you
>You tense your arms and tuck the spear close as the four come at you
>They pounce simultaneously launching themselves at you and you strike out at the one at your front
>The spear grazes its side splashing the metal head in crimson as the three others tackle you
>The force of one of the three smashing into your bad knee sends a blast of excruciating pain through your leg forcing you to let out an anguished cry
>A second later a blow to your head sends stars to your vision
>Your body goes limp and you can feel as two of the pegasi lift you up and take flight into the air
>Your vision goes black and when it returns you see more of the floating islands drifting beneath you
>Nausea sends you back into the darkness for a while and you’re only roused once you felt your ride land on solid ground
>You’re dragged off of its back and once again throbbing pain gnaws at your knee as you’re placed against a tree
>Your hands are bound by a unicorn who then leaves you in silence in a grove of some kind
>All around you is a thicket of trees with a clearing in the middle that had a small raised altar of stone set into the earth
>The clearing is surrounded by a ring of purple torches lighting the area
>You can only catch a sidelong view of the top of the slab but you can tell from what you see that it has a familiar design emblazoned upon it
>You’re left there in the flickering light for a lengthy period which allows you to take stock of your body
>Your knee was still in bad shape and any movement to it did little but cause pain
>You could tell that you had been bleeding from the head since you took that hit from the pegasi but it didn't seem terrible
>You arch your back and feel the dull pain reminding you of the bruises that had been forgotten recently due to other more pressing matters
>You feel stiff
>You feel cold
>You feel like shit
>You hang your head and breath deeply before letting it out slowly
>This was looking bad and you couldn’t see any way out of it
>You test the restraints on your wrists and find them to be more than adequately fastened
>You cross your good leg under you and resign yourself to waiting
>They hadn’t killed you outright so that must mean that Luna was still out there and probably had been able to evade them
>They must want you for information
>They can go fuck themselves
>You’d rather die than tell them anything that might help them
>You probably will too you think to yourself
>No point in being delusional about that
>Not like it would matter anyway since you have no idea where Luna is
>A rustling in the bushes cuts off your mental rambling and through a small path to the side of the clearing comes a procession of ponies
>All robed in the usual fare
>There are a few more than you would expect for an interrogation
>That’s when you see the floating mass held within a magical grasp
>The form was of a very thoroughly bound and restrained Luna
>Fuck
>Your eyes trail her form as she floats to the opposite side of the clearing and is placed against a tree much like your own
>The light and distance makes it nearly impossible to tell what her condition is but you can see her moving at the very least
>A pony of some kind walks up to her and raises her head from the awkward sitting position she was forced into that was more befitting of a human
>A hushed voice drifts across the quiet glade falling too softly on your ears to decipher what is being said
>The pony drops her head before reeling back its hoof and striking her across the muzzle
>Your weariness takes a back seat as your blood rises at the gasp of pain that Luna lets out
>You sit up straight and lean forward shouting at the figure
“Don’t fucking touch her!”
>The figure turns around to face you with its features hidden in the shadows of its cloak
>It shifts its gaze back towards Luna and continues assailing her with strikes
>With every grunt and gasp of pain you feel your fury rising and the frustration at being incapable of doing anything eats at your nerves
>When the beating finally stops your breathing is furious as the adrenaline from the anger courses through you
>The abuser slowly rubs its offending hoof with the other before turning once again to face you
>You only have eyes for Luna as you watch her head hang low only to rise and fall with her ragged breaths
“Luna! Luna look at me. Listen to me, it’s going to be ok. You hear me!? Stay awake Lulu.”
>She lifts her head to look at you
>You can see one eye has started to swell shut but the other is trained on you
>Dark ichor gleams down the side of her face in the moonlight as she raises her head
>”A-Anon. I’m sorry. It is my fault we were separated.”
>You shake your head
“It wasn’t your fault. None of this is.”
>Any other words you might have had to say are cut off as the figure makes his way across the platform to stand in front of you
>You can see the stallion’s features now at this distance
>As soon as you do you recognize him from some time ago
>This was the unicorn who had escaped after trying to kill Luna in the castle
>He gets right up to your face and expect him to give you much the same treatment as he did with Luna
>He just smiles however and turns to two of the surrounding guards
>”Get him on the altar.”
>With that the two remove you from your spot by the tree and drag you on to the middle of the circle laying you on your back
>One grabs your hands and holds them to the ground above your head while the second does the same to your legs
>The jerking motion causes you to let out a slight grunt as the stabbing pain penetrates your knee
>You start to feel an impending sense of dread as the unicorn approaches procuring the same black blade he had in the bedchamber
>You start to writhe and struggle against your captors gaining little advantage as they keep you firmly subdued
>He stops above you holding the dagger in his magical grasp hovering over you and turns to Luna
>”Do you not see Princess? This is the natural order of things. There is life, and there is death. There is order, and there is chaos. Without one the other has no meaning. And so we must let the fate of the world turn as it may. Your everlasting lives are an affront to the god of death so I shall assure you that he is still ever present.”
>You wail in pain as the blade plunges into your abdomen causing you to curl forward only to be stopped by your captors
>You hear Luna shouting but you can’t hear what as your senses are overpowered by the blaring throbs of pain that accompany each breath
>The world around you falls away for what feels like minutes as all you can focus on is the excruciating sensation ripping through your gut
>A mixed variety of moans of pain and growls and grunts leave your mouth as you try to get your breathing to level out
>You don’t know how long it takes but you’re eventually able to feel the world around you rematerializing through the pain
>The first thing you notice is that you’re no longer being held down
>The second being the shouting and the sounds emanating from past your head
>You roll to the side and shift your head to see what’s happening behind you
>You stop as you see Luna standing tall holding every single one of the robed figures in her magical grasp
>A small vortex of energy surrounded her as magic poured from every pore of her body slightly distorting the air
>Her coat and mane are caught in a limbo between their usual appearance and that of another
>Her coat had blotches of black spreading across it that seemed to be battling back and forth with the normal deep blue as the patches raced across her body in a volatile dance before slowing down and smashing together only to begin racing each other once again
>The effect was somewhat dizzying as you watched the colors swirl around each other in the small patches
>Her mane seemed to be dissolving at the ends as the normally contained galazy within her hair expanded outward unbound
>One by one she sent the guards flying into the trees of the clearing at tremendous speed
>Most of the ponies screamed out on impact and continuously thereafter with the ones who did not remaining limp where they fell
>This continued until only one remained that sat hovering before Luna
>Above all the screaming you could hear a deep, hearty, and slightly unhinged laugh of delight
>You initially think it’s coming from the stallion but after a moment you notice it’s Luna who’s laughing
>When she stops and speaks it is not a voice you are familiar with
>”Ooooh I forgot just how good this feels. My power truly is something to behold isn’t it? Perhaps it is I who needed to remind you that death is ever present.”
>She punctuated her words with the crack of the stallion’s neck before tossing his dead body to the side
>She stands there ever so softly laughing to herself as you watch the black splotches in her coat begin to over take the blue
>You begin to weakly drag yourself in her direction calling out to her as best you can
“Luna. Luna!”
>Your voice falls on deaf ears as her thousand yard gaze reaches off into the abyss of whatever the magic was doing to her mind
>You roll down the side of the altar and get to your hands and knees
>From here you can feel the immense pressure being exerted by the magic attempting to shove you back but you persist
>The closer you get to her the stronger the force is and you can see that the black shade has nearly fully enveloped her coat
>It takes all your effort as you push through and make it to her hoofs
>You grab hold of one leg and use it to hoist yourself up to a standing position in front of her
>You hold on to her shoulder to keep from being blown off balance by the energy and look at her
>Her eyes were wide with shrunken pupils and her mouth had twitched into a tiny smile
>A few lonesome tears trickled down the sides of her face as she quietly laughed to herself above the noise of the expelled magic
>You cup your hands under her muzzle and hold her there
“Luna, please, you have to stop this!”
>The dark fur had crept up to her neck at this point
“Listen to me! Don’t just give up like this, you can’t let yourself turn!”
>It had begun to crawl over her scalp as you spoke
“God damn it Luna come back to me!”
>The darkness had almost fully enveloped her
>You can’t think of anything else so in desperation you reel your hand back from her face and ball it into a fist
>With all the force you can muster you send it flying into her jaw
>The blow throws her head to the side and sends you off balance making it easy for the energy to blow you backwards onto your back
>Quickly after you land the force ceases and leaves you staring up at the canopy of trees in silence
>Exhausted, you roll onto your side fearing the worst
>Luna stands stock still in the clearing unchanging for several moments
>You begin to see the dark hue of the fur gradually fade away from her coat and her hair begin to coalesce back to its normal appearance
>When her features revert entirely she looks down at you on the ground before collapsing off of unsteady legs
>As soon as she hits the ground weeping sobs burst forth from her form as it heaves up and down in the night
>You drag yourself the few feet over to her and throw an arm around her trembling figure
>You hold her and shush her as she cries for as long as you can but you can feel yourself losing consciousness
>You feel your limbs grow heavy as blackness creeps in from the corners of your vision to cover the world