Chapters Fragments of a new Nightmare
Chapter I
Fragments of a new Nightmare
Rain poured down upon the lonely man’s shoulders. It hit his head, some drops coming to a stop in the wool cloth that made up the hood he wore, others streamed down the sides like the tears coating his cheeks. With his back against a crumbling wall, he was hoping it would break down any second and send him backwards into the burning inferno surrounding him. To take him away from this hell, release him from the pain.
But the release never came.
The rain kept on falling, and the fires around him roared like ever before. Despite the warmth spreading from the flames, he was soaked to the bone, shaking beyond control. Nothing seemed to be able to mend that, or the shattered heart beating erratically inside his chest. Thunderclaps echoed above him, but he never saw the lightning travel through the skies and hit the forest nearby. Nothing could make him lift his head; nothing could make him take his eyes away from the floor.
He didn’t feel the rains coldness, couldn’t feel his own body tremble. The only thing the man could feel was life slowly draining from his arms and hands. The heartbeat that he deep down inside already knew had stopped, yet he could feel it ever so slightly against his body. And it became more and more weak. Fading away together with the essence of life seeping out of the lifeless body he held.
“You… Are you still punishing me?
The man’s voice was a low, broken one. Cold and dead, without a single trace of what made a human being into a living creature. It was the voice of a man trying to reach up from his own depths, knowing that it is useless. The final whisper before the fall into oblivion.
“All of this… Is your fault…”
The string around his neck seemed to vibrate as he spoke, as if the ring hanging on it felt his words and knew he was talking to it. Blaming it for all of this death and destruction. He wanted to reach up, grab the evil thing and toss it away, but he didn’t want to let go of the pony in his arms. Didn’t want to lose it forever, and if he did let go of it, he would. The faint heartbeat would stop, and death would become a reality.
Blood still oozed from the many wounds of the creature he held in his arms, and a large puddle had formed around them. Dark and foreboding, looking more like oil in the light of the flames. A sword rested on the floor a few meters away, its blade coated in fresh blood, and red skid marks covered the ground around it after it flew across the room.
If only he hadn’t dropped it. If he’d been faster, perhaps this night would have ended differently. Perhaps he wouldn’t be holding the dead pony in his arms, crying and shaking. Perhaps this small cabin would still be standing firm and not burning to the ground with this broken man inside of it.
The distant heartbeat stopped.
“Luna…”
Dust let his head sink further down, touching the pony’s forehead with his own. His sobs became louder, turning into full screams, wailings of sorrow and anger. He held the pony close, the heat of life slowly leaving the its body. Hi pressed his face harder against that of the pony, trying his best to be as close as possible to it.
“Don’t go…”
Above him, the rain still poured down.
"Always watching."
“Do you remember what day it is tomorrow?”
The voice broke the silence in the room. The owner of it sat in his usual chair, with his usual glass of apple whiskey in his right hand. He had his elbow propped against one of the armrests of the chair with his arm straight up, allowing him to gaze through the glass filled with amber fluid in his hand. Through it, he saw a distorted image of the pony he was addressing, sitting on the opposite side of him, staring into the roaring fireplace in front of them.
His closest friend, Silversoul. A strange unicorn that joined the court on the day of their wedding so many years ago, together with his brother Goldgaze.
“Of course, sir.” Silversoul answered, averting his brilliant golden eyes away from the fireplace. The flames still reflected in his irises, dancing like burning fury within. “June 21, if I’m not mistaken. A rather special day for you and your lovely wife, isn’t it, sir?”
The man holding the glass of whiskey chuckled at the unicorn’s answer before taking another sip from the glass. Unlike most whiskey that had a strong taste, this one was smooth and sweet, without any sign of the usual smokiness of alcohol he was so used to. Because of this, he tended to drink a bit too much at occasions.
Still chuckling, he slowly rose from his chair, the whiskey already starting to affect his balance. He felt the eyes of Silversoul follow him as he staggered across the room in a very unlordly manner which most would deem unworthy for the king of Equestria. Silversoul probably pursed his mouth at his behaviour behind his back, but the alcohol told him to fuck all of them and have another drink.
On his third attempt, the man finally managed to grab hold of the bottle on the counter in front of him. It was a hand – or rather, hoof – tailored counter, chiselled out of finest ebony and adorned with sculptures and carvings depicting a warrior wielding the moon as a weapon against a withered sun. At the end of the counter, the moon shone brightly above the heads of millions of smiling ponies.
It had been a gift from his wife about five years ago, and he took as good care of it as he did her.
He did his best to not spill anything on the top of the counter, polished into a beautiful mirror sheen. As he looked down, he could see his own face reflecting in the wood. Small eyes, blonde hair and a trimmed beard. No big pony eyes, no snout. A human face, still looking exactly the same as it did ten years ago. He still couldn’t believe he’d reached his 30s and didn’t look a year older than twenty.
Luna loved his face.
“I think you’ve had quite enough for one night, sir.”
Dust spun around to look at his friend. He held his own refilled glass in his right hand, and a new glass in his left. He looked at Silversoul through his drunken haze, straining himself to focus on his face. The fact that the only light in the room came from the fireplace didn’t make it any easier.
“Maybe... But you desperately need a drink, man.”
Without awaiting a response, the human wobbled back across the room to his chair
“I hardly think it suits a stallion of such position as I to take part in those kinds of frivolities.” Silversoul answered, his voice sounding almost a bit too regal, even more kingly than Dust himself had to sound like when he held public speeches. Sometimes when Luna wasn’t there, he actually dropped that charade and spoke to his people like any other man would. Relaxed and friendly.
“See, that’s why I love you, Silver.” He stuttered in response. “Despite being friends for… I’m sorry; it seems I’ve lost the ability to count… How long has it been? Fuck it, never mind. We’ve been friends for a long-ass time, but you still refuse to talk to me like a normal pony would.”
“Because I respect you, sir, like any pony would.”
“Ah, fuck you.” Dust pushed the glass of whiskey against his friend’s snout, stirring it slowly in his hand. Silversoul looked down on the glass, and Dust couldn’t help but laugh at his eyes as they darted downwards. “Just take it, you posh little asshole.”
Silversoul sighed, and a golden aura of magic engulfed the glass in front of him. Dust smiled, glad that the stallion finally had been defeated. A few seconds later, they both sipped on their whiskey, and Dust could almost feel the tension in his friend seep away like water through a grate.
“So… anything special planned for tomorrow, sir?” Silversoul asked with a tone on his voice that sounded a bit too blurry for somepony that had only had one glass. Dust wasn’t sure how much he could take, compared to himself.
“Oh, yeah. I’m sure she’ll love it…” Dust whispered in response, still stirring the glass between his fingers.
“Very good, sir.”
The man looked away from his glass yet again, back at the stallion next to him. He squinted his eyes to see him better, since the whiskey had coated his eyes in a veil of blurry water.
“You need another drink, Silver.”
Before Silversoul could utter any potential denial he had within him, the bottle of whiskey levitated up to his face, a red glow of magic encasing it. Dust wasn’t moving, but Silversoul could see something changing within his eyes as the magic caused the bottle to tip over and pour more alcohol into his glass.
“Sir? What was that?”
“You’ve never seen it before, huh?” Dust answered. “I’ve got magic flowing in my veins, just like you.”
“I see, sir.”
“Drink, damn it.”
They drank in silence, nothing but the sound of the crackling fire and the swallowing of alcohol filling the quite room. Their glasses emptied and filled up twice, and Dust’s wold had begun to shift and spin around itself. Silversoul seemed to had dropped his guard and let the image of nobility shatter on the floor.
Dust slouched down in his chair, his knees bending as the lower part of his back slipped off the chair. In the movement, a few drops of the apple whiskey fell upon his shirt, but he was too happy to care about it. Silversoul had somehow ended up on his back in his own chair, resting his neck on one armrest and his hind legs on the other. If Dust had been sober, he would probably be choking from laughter at the sight of his friend in such a position.
“Re… remember the, uh… What’s it called again… funeral? No, wedding! Remember my wedding, man?”
“You know what; I can still feel that punch you threw in my face, Dust…” Silversoul answered, stuttering in his speech. “Did you… did you really hate the colour of my mane that much?”
Dust chuckled, his mind clearing just for a second. He remembered the first time he saw Silversoul and his twin brother, standing just a few feet away from him as he eagerly awaited his beautiful bride to be. He remembered their perfectly matched black manes and white coats. Then his mind blanked out yet again, replaced by images of the nights with his wife.
“Well, you had it coming, you bastard.” He said with a laugh that came out more like the cackle of a crazy old witch than the friendly chuckle he had intended. “You did say I wasn’t worthy of your princess.”
“You weren’t!” Silversoul responded. “A bloody human marrying our princess… blasphemy, I say, sir! Blasphemy and her-heresy!” Both of them burst out laughing at his poor attempts to mimic his own posh behaviour.
“Don’t make me slap you again, sir!” Dust answered, trying to sound as regal as he could. All that came out was a blurry line of words spoken in the same way as someone talking in their sleep. Still, the two friends only heard what they wanted to, and kept on laughing through their haze.
“You gonna throw your glove at me or what?” Silversoul said, raising the bottle of whiskey with his magic to fill his glass again. “Ah, shit… it’s empty…”
“You drank my last Sweet Apple whiskey, you-you… you… pony?” Silversoul tried to stutter an excuse, but Dust raised a hand to silence him. From his place on his back at the floor, he couldn’t see anything else than the underside of the small table over him, and when he raised his hand he accidentally hit it. His glass fell down to the floor. Luckily it hit his chest rather than the floorboards and didn’t break.
“No matter, dude. You deserved this…” Slowly the human crawled over on the floor, heaving himself back up in his chair at the speed of light. At least, in his mind he was; in reality he was moving at the same speed as that of a sloth. A very drunk sloth.
“You know something, man? I was wrong. So incredibly fucking wrong.” Silversoul whispered slowly, still not moving out of his place in the chair.
“A-about what…?” Dust asked, feeling the world spin around him, darkness approaching from all sides.
“About you and Luna. I was wrong…”
“You gonna go all fuzzy and sentimental on me, now?” Dust said back, chocking down a giggle. “If you do, I’ll throw you out the window. Ass first.”
“I’m serious, dude.” Silversoul continued, clearly not paying any attention to his friend’s drunken threats. “She couldn’t have chosen a better husband. I mean, I’ve never seen anyone… any pony at least, that shows so much caring for their beloved.”
“That’s it, sir; I’m going to have to slap the crap out of you.”
“You’re one of a kind, Dust.”
“You don’t… you don’t know… What I’ve done…” Dust began, tripping over his own words. He couldn’t feel his tongue or chin, and his mouth felt like jelly. If Silversoul said anything back, he didn’t hear it.
Dust, husband of Queen Luna and rightful king of Equestria threw up over the floor before falling over, his mind slipping away into shadow and deep sleep.
Chapter II
Happy Birthday
“Do you see it? It’s right behind you…”
The morning light hurt Dust’s eyes as he slowly opened them. It felt as if he was staring straight into the headlights of a passing car, and instantly he pulled the covers over his face and rolled around in bed. The smell of clean laundry filled his nostrils, and he couldn’t help but take a deeper breath, but it just hurt his head doing so.
He rolled around over on his other shoulder, stretching out one of his arms out of instinct at the same time. Ti was something he did every morning, and would probably do it for as long as he lived. Just as always, his hand brushed against something soft and warm, lying in bed right next to him.
“Are you finally awake?”
He heard the voice of his wife talk to him, but it took him a few seconds to register what she said. Not only because of the splitting headache, but also because her voice was like pure pleasure to his hears. He loved it so much, and could listen to that sweet voice for ever.
Dust reached out further, wrapping his arm around Luna and pulling himself closer to her. He buried his face in her neck, taking in a deep breath of her scent.
“I think I had a bit too much to drink yesterday…”
Luna pulled her head away from him before spinning herself around to face him. She nuzzled gently against his cheek as he spoke. Her snout was warm against his skin, and for a moment, all of his worries faded away.
“I’m sorry, sweetie… I probably stink of alcohol.”
She stopped nuzzling him, instead moving her head upwards to plant her lips upon his.
“It’s alright, dear.” She whispered as their kiss broke. “Besides, you should have seen Silversoul.” She added with a smile playing over her lips.
“He was that bad, huh?” Dust asked her.
“Worse. He was staggering around the courtyard, singing about Merlin…”
“Merlin, the Happy Pig?”
Luna nodded, and they both burst out laughing. Once they calmed down, they pulled close to each other again, and just stared off into the ceiling above them. Slowly, Dust felt the pain in his head decrease, and more and more he found that something was building up inside of him. Maybe it was the remnants of the whiskey still affecting him, but he couldn’t help but feel needs burning inside of him. He looked over at Luna, just wanting to throw himself over her. Her eyes was partially closed and she looked as if she was about to fall asleep again.
Carefully, he reached his hand up, letting his fingers trace down her soft cheek. She smiled and squirmed slightly at his touch without opening her eyes. Her coat was like satin against his skin, and he left his hand travel down her neck and back.
“Luna?” He whispered into her ear. She opened her eyes and looked back at him. Her breathing changed slightly the further down her body he let his hand travel. “You know… I’m still a little bit drunk.” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss without breaking eye contact with her.
“If you want to… I’m a bit buzzed, and wouldn’t be able to resist you if you suddenly decided to… use me.” He added a sly smile to his last words. Luna giggled and answered his kiss before moving closer, putting her hooves around him.
He shuddered as one of her hooves touched his stomach before moving downwards slowly. He tried to tell her he loved her through their kissing, but couldn’t gather enough air to talk properly.
Then the large doors to their bedchambers swung open.
Both of them jumped out of their skin, instinctively letting go of each other, trying to put on a disguise of innocence. They both breathed hard, trying to control their heartbeats and settle down. It wasn’t such a good situation for the rulers of the land to be caught in.
A small creature ran in through the doors, its legs flailing about randomly across the marble floor. It looked at the couple in their bed with a huge smile upon its lips, skidding sideways as it turned towards them. No more than a second later, it jumped into bed with them, going straight at them.
“Mom, dad!”
Stardust beamed from joy as he jumped on them, hugging both of them close.
“Calm down Stary, you’re strangling your father.” Luna said jokingly as the young colt hugged Dust. “That’s my job…” She said the last few words in a quiet whispering tone that only Dust could hear, giving him an almost devilish grin at the same time.
Stardust released his vicelike grip around his father, still smiling from ear to ear. “What’s gotten into you today?” Dust asked his son.
“You mean you’ve forgotten what day it is today…?” Stardust said with an unsure tone on his voice.
Dust glanced over at his wife, giving her a small smile and a wink. Of course he knew what day it was today. It would be impossible to forget June 21; the day of his wedding and the day his son was born.
“No, can’t say I remember anything special…” He said slowly, faking a wondering face. “Sweetie, do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”
“No...” Luna answered slowly. “Maybe… Is it time to change the linens?”
“Mom…” Stardust rolled his eyes at her.
Before she could answer, Dust leaned forward and scooped up his son in his arms. “We’re just messing with you, kid.” He said as he pulled the young colt into a warm embrace. The next second, Luna joined in as well, wrapping both her hooves and wings around both of them.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.” She whispered in her son’s ear.
“How old are you now anyway, four or something?” Dust asked with a smile.
“Come on, honey, he’s a big boy now!” Luna said with a smirk. “Six, right?”
“I’m ten!” Stardust exclaimed, believing himself to be smarter than his parents, not realizing they were just joking around.
“Of course you are, little star.” Luna said, carefully nuzzling her son’s cheek. “Now go on down to the kitchens, I told the cooks to make something special for your breakfast today.”
Well-mannered as he was, Stardust did what his mother said and wriggled himself free from their embrace before hurrying out of the room. Dust heard his tiny hooves clacking against the marble floor, fading in strength with each step. He sighed deeply and let his head fall back on the pillow. Grains of dust and hair flew up into the orange beams of light coming from the windows next to their bed.
He felt Luna rest her head against his right shoulder, and instantly moved his head to the side to connect with her. The fur of her forehead felt soft against his chin.
“I love you.” He whispered to her before taking another deep breath, feeling his body relax and sink further down into the mattress.
“Love you too, dear.” She answered, after which she moved her head slightly and planted a kiss on his cheek, before continuing. “But we should probably get out of bed and down to the kitchens as well.”
Dust nodded slowly before kissing her back, then sitting up straight in bed. He snapped his neck that was still a little bit tensed up, and slowly rubbed his left shoulder. Not until now that he was moving did he notice the aching pain covering the left side of his body. He probably slept in an awkward position.
Slowly, he removed the blankets from his legs, bent them slightly to spin around. Chills went through his body as he planted his feet on the cold marble floor, and he shook his shoulder slightly without really realizing it. With his elbows placed on his knees, he rubbed his eyes slowly to remove the blurriness in his eyes.
A yawn escaped his mouth, and it muffled the sound of Luna moving behind him. He froze in place as her hoof brushed against his back slowly, tracing one of the long scars covering it. He could hear Luna’s voice breaking behind him even before she spoke.
“It’s never going to heal completely, is it?”
Dust shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so.” He felt her hoof trace up to his shoulder, and heard her getting ready to say something.
“I’m… I’m so sorry I had to do this to you…”
“You don’t have to feel sorry, sweetie.” He answered her, trying to keep his voice steady. Just the memory of what had caused those scars made his body tremble. “You saved my life that day.”
He heard the ruffling of bed sheets as Luna moved behind him before he felt her warm body pressing against his back. She wrapped her fore legs around his stomach, pressing herself hard against his back. Dust almost felt like melting as she placed her head on his shoulder, drawing a loud sigh of contentment at the same time.
“Jag har sån tur som har dig, Mattias.”
Dust smiled at his wife’s words. He couldn’t help it; he loved the accent she had when she spoke his native language. They’d been working hard for a long time, and she could almost speak it fluidly now.
“I’m lucky to have you too, sweetie.” He responded. “And your Swedish is really coming along nicely.”
“I had a good teacher.” She answered. “The best.”
Dust spun himself around to face her, and looked into her perfect face. He just couldn’t believe how everything about her was so perfect. Even the little flaws she had, like her accent, o the fact that she snored, even the few arguments they had sometimes… It all came together into one perfect being, mirrored beautifully in her eyes.
He let his hand touch one of her wings, allowing his fingers to slip between the soft downy feathers. Even more perfection, right at his fingertips.
“You know…” He began. “we could just say we overslept. I don’t think they’re gonna mind us being half an hour late…”
She smiled at him and pulled him closer. Dust pressed his face against hers, pushed her down on her back in the bed and kissed her deeply.
“Jag älskar dig, Luna…"
Chapter III
Three Gems
Ponyville teemed with life as it always did this time of year. Foals ran around playing in the afternoon sun while their parents shared a few words about their day. Perhaps about work or a new friend they’d made. Occasionally they looked up to see what their kids where doing and give them a smile as warm as the sun above them.
Dust loved every second of summer in the small little town. Despite the unpleasant memories he had of this place, he found himself coming back here from time to time, simply to walk the streets, take in the sights and smells and listen to the ponies around him. He’d take a stroll past Sugar Cube Corner and buy himself something to eat from the bouncing pink pony he first met at his wedding.
During his long years as ruler of this land, he’d come to several conclusions about its people, or rather, ponies. One of them was that said pink pony, named Pinkie Pie, was completely out of her tiny little mind. It didn’t bother him much though, she was always nice and friendly, just like everypony else.
The first time he visited the library had been a strange experience. It looked so different now, without the lavender pony and her baby dragon assistant taking care of it. It was now owned by a couple of unicorn sisters, and they were probably the friendliest of all the ponies he’d ever met. At times he couldn’t help but wonder if they were interested in him, so to speak.
If they only knew what he did the last time he was in that hollowed out tree. The pain he’d caused that young mare. He still felt guilt about it, but he had to keep it a secret. If Luna found out… he had no idea what she would do. As the memories washed over him, he was forced to excuse himself to the sisters and leave the library fast.
Even though he tried to hide it, they both saw the tears forming in his eyes.
He would take a walk past the spa, looking at the oddly shaped building with longing eyes. He’d been there several times the past few years together with Luna. He couldn’t help but crack a smile and feel warm inside at the memories of the wonderful things they did in there when nopony was looking.
As he passed the spa, he walked by a small crowd of mares chattering about something he couldn’t hear. They all smiled and waved at him, and he greeted them right back with a smile and a nod before they kept on talking and he kept on walking. This was another reason he enjoyed Ponyville so much.
The ponies here didn’t treat him like the king he was. They acted like he was just another average person, with nothing interesting going on in his life whatsoever. It was a very calming change from the other towns and villages, where they treated him like a god with fine food, songs, dance and whatever a king could wish for. And truthfully, it had become a nuisance.
The man rounded a corner in the street, looking to his left as he did. Last time he turned down this street, it had been winter, and in the corner of his eye he’d seen Pinkie skipping around on the horizon like some hopped-up addict. Last time he turned down this street…
He’d been with Rarity.
And just like last time, her home now towered before him. The Carousel Boutique. It looked almost exactly the same as it did all those years ago when he came here to forgive her for what she did, except for the mannequins on top of the building that had now been removed, instead replaced by three wooden carvings depicting diamonds.
He stopped and just looked at the place. Couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. That was where she lived. That was where he could have lived with her, had he not… done what he did.
Even though he’d learned to accept the past and move on, seeing her former home again brought back the pain bottled up deep inside of him. Because of him, Rarity was gone. Nopony would ever see her brilliant eyes ever again, or be amazed over another one of her stunning ensembles. It was long since her beautiful accent rang trough the Carousel Boutique, and it would never do so again.
Dust managed to snap himself out of his trance, taking the first step of many leading him back to the place where it all began. He felt as if his heart slowed down with each new step he took. He focused his eyes on the small fence that had been built around the building, and the fillies and colts running around inside of it, playing happily. They still hadn’t seen him.
He walked up to the fence, a small wall made out of stacked stones, covered with flowers growing on top of it. A small wooden gate lead into the yard and next to it stood a rather large sign, beautifully handcrafted to perfection. He didn’t accept anything else but perfection when he ordered the construction of it years ago.
Three diamonds adorned the sign spread out across the board, crafted in such fashion that three words had been fitted inside of them.
Three Gems Orphanage
In loving memory of miss Rarity
Her diamonds will forever sparkle in our hearts
After the wedding, this was the first thing he’d taken care of. He felt that the world needed to know what an amazing mare she’d been, and so the orphanage was established in her name. The sign had been infused with magic that never waned, and as night fell upon Equestria, the three gems lit up in a bright blue colour. He’d taken extra care to make the light match that of her eyes.
Forever sparkling in the night, offering comfort to whoever that saw it.
He didn’t need to open the gate to pass it; it was so small he could simply step over it if he wanted to. Still, he opened it and stepped through without a sound. Stepping over it somehow felt like an insult to this place, and just plain rude. As the foals in the yard caught sight of him, most of them ran up to him out of curiosity. Others knew instantly who he was, and ran up to him for that reason. It’s not every day a king enters your home uninvited.
A couple of moments later, the door to the orphanage swung open, and a small Pegasus mare stepped outside, heading directly to the crowd of foals surrounding Dust.
“Come along now, little ones. Let the man through.”
Her voice was tender and gentle, soothing beyond belief. Like the sound of a warm spring breeze passing through you. Dust could see why she was the one in charge of this place. The children listened instantly and parted, allowing Dust to move towards the mare to greet her more properly. Out of human instinct, he extended his hand to greet her.
“Oh, right. Ponies don’t shake hands.” He said quickly with a laugh.
“Don’t worry about that, my lord. There’s no need to introduce yourself to me.” Her voice felt like the warm embrace of a long lost mother, and Dust could feel his entire body relax and be at ease from just her words alone.
She pointed a hoof towards the door behind them, asking him inside. Dust obliged and followed the Pegasus through the door, and as he did he caught a glimpse of her cutie mark. Three butterflies with pink wings and blue bodies. As he followed behind her into the building, he tried to piece together these butterflies with a potential name on the mare, but couldn’t figure anything out.
“Say, would you mind telling me your name?” He asked as he took in the sight of the former home of his beloved.
The mannequins had been replaced with fluffy furniture, and various toys had taken the place of the sewing and design paraphernalia that used to litter the main room. Even the smell was different. He couldn’t help but sigh as the smell of food and wool filled his nostrils, rather than the scent of perfume and clean fabric that used to make him feel so relaxed.
“Oh. I’m… Fluttershy, my lord.” The mare said back to him, observing him with what could be seen as a frown on her face.
Dust looked over to the side of the room where Rarity used to have her circle of mirrors for measuring, and felt something sting inside of him as he saw the part of the floor next to the wall on the left. There was no trace of what had happened there, nothing indicating that what Dust remembered about that place ever happened. The mirrors had now been replaced by sofas, surrounding a small table.
“Well then, Fluttershy; please call me Dust. No need for titles with me.” He turned his head to give her a smile.
He would never forget that day. When he and Rarity was pressed close together on the floor, right next to where the circle of sofas now stood. The last time they made love, and it hadn’t even been romantic or beautiful. It had been savage and wild, nothing but pure pleasure and ecstasy during a moment in which the world around them seemed to stop moving. The more he thought of it the more he realized that they didn’t make love at all… They just fucked each other’s brains out.
He found himself wishing it had all been different on that day.
“If… if you don’t mind, my lord. Dust, I mean.” The mare named Fluttershy looked at him with a somewhat shy face. “Why don’t you have a seat? Would you like something to drink?”
Dust slowly made his way towards the circle of sofas, trying his best to not look at that one spot on the floor. He let himself sink down in the soft cushions and rested his neck against the back of the sofa with a loud sigh.
“Some cider or whiskey would be great, if it isn’t too much trouble.” For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. For some reason that he couldn’t understand, the ceiling above him seemed endlessly more interesting than anything else, and his body felt like a ton of concrete.
“This is an orphanage…” He heard Fluttershy say.
“Right, sorry. How about some tea, then?”
He could hear hoof steps close by followed by the sound of a door creaking open. Fluttershy probably left the room to get him that tea, and the silence that now surrounded him was almost suffocating. As he sat there feeling like a sack of old potatoes, he began to wonder if it really was such a good idea to come back to this place again. He’d moved on a long time ago, but it was as if the walls around him refused to let him forget and just pushed more memories down his throat.
He couldn’t move and was unable to run away from the massive wave of feelings and fragments of the life he could have had washing over him. It was all around him, drowning him, and at the same time it was inside of him, trying to claw its way out.
The man could feel his body and soul tear at the seams, bursting with emotions pushed back a long time ago. He had to get away, had to stand up and get out of here before it crushed him. But he couldn’t. The only thing he could do was to move his mouth slightly and whisper into the thick silence.
“I’m sorry, Rare… I’m so sorry things had to turn out this way.”
Nothing but silence answered him. He couldn’t even hear the kids playing outside anymore. The room almost seemed to have left the real world and was floating around inside itself, forever lost within the river of nothingness.
“I used to be friends with her, you know.”
If Dust had been able to move, the sudden sound of the voice would’ve made him jump, but he remained as immobile as before, not even lifting a finger. The voice continued.
“With Rarity, I mean. She was a sweet mare, even though you sometimes had to really dig deep to see it.”
Dust nodded slowly. Quiet hoof steps could be heard close by, probably belonging to the owner of the voice. He didn’t turn to look.
“She always cared about the ponies around her more than herself, and never backed down when a friend needed her help. She had so much love to give and nopony willing to accept it. But I guess you already knew that, right Dust?”
Someone sat down in the sofa next to him, and he realized that it was Fluttershy, and it was her voice he was hearing. Slowly, something soft and downy coiled itself around his shoulders. The first thing he came to think of was Luna, since it was obviously a wing.
“Rarity loved you very much, Dust. More than anything and anypony in the world. Don’t ever forget that. You made her happy.”
Again, he nodded slowly, feeling something well up in his eyes. “I… I can’t… move…”
The wing around him tightened its grip.
“It’s okay. Just look at me and it will all be over soon. Just try to look at me.”
He tried to move his head but couldn’t. It was stuck shut, like a rusted metal gate refusing to ever budge again. It took him every last drop he had in him to strain himself enough to just turn his neck a few inches to the right. But it was enough to at least get a glimpse of one of Fluttershy’s eyes.
It burned its way straight into his heart and soul.
He started coughing and took several deep breaths, putting his hand over his chest without realizing he was actually moving again. Once he did notice it however, he immediately pushed himself out of the sofa and took a few steps forward across the floor. He almost fell over and had to put his hand up against the wall to support himself.
Through his vision that was blurry from tears, he saw he was standing in that one small spot in the corner, that one spot where he and Rarity had shared their last intimate moment.
“F… Forgive me.” He began, mumbling. “I shouldn’t toss my problems over at you like this the first thing I do after meeting you.”
“It’s fine; everyone has troubles inside of them. It’s perfectly natural. You just had a minor shock from seeing this place again, but you’ll be fine in a couple of minutes.”
“I’d say that was more than just minor.” Dust replied.
“Everyone reacts differently to stress. Don’t worry, I’m used to it. I’m running an orphanage, after all.” Fluttershy said back to him with a smile growing across her lips. Dust couldn’t understand how everything about this mare was so… comforting.
“Even adults need a mothers shoulder to cry on sometimes.” She added.
Dust removed himself from the wall, feeling his heart slowing down to a more regular pace. He wiped his eyes quickly before just putting his palm against his forehead for a few seconds. Then he pulled it up over his head, through his hair, stopping at the back of his head. As he looked back at Fluttershy sitting with a calm smile on her face, he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling slightly.
“I’m not acting very regal right now, am I?”
Fluttershy laughed a bit as well, and the paralyzing panic that just moments ago crippled him to the core seemed to be nothing more than a distant memory. Dust noticed the cup of tea standing on the table, and he once again sat himself down, took the cup between his fingers and put it up against his lips.
It was hot as it ran down his throat, warming him up and making him feel even more comfortable than before. Another sigh escaped his lips, this one out of happiness rather than sorrow.
“Now that you’re feeling better, what brought you here today, Dust? I’m sure you didn’t show up so unexpectedly just to talk.” Fluttershy asked, still smiling as Dust sipped on the warm tea.
“Well…” He began. “Today is the anniversary of me and Luna’s wedding. And before tonight’s feast and glamour I was thinking of getting her something a bit more… different, I guess. It’s no big deal really, I just want to let her know how much everypony else loves her.”
“Go on.”
“I was hoping that perhaps… The kids could help me out?”
Fluttershy’s smile grew even bigger. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you. Should we go out to them right away?”
Dust nodded yet again. He couldn’t help but notice that he’d been a nodding a lot the last few minutes. They both got up from their seats, and Dust followed the Pegasus out into the yard once again. Instantly, the foals flocked around them.
About half an hour later, the man left the Three Gems orphanage, carrying a thick bundle of papers between his hands. Behind him, the foals waved at him as he left, and he spun around and waved back at them. Fluttershy was standing in the middle of them all, still smiling.
Behind the orphanage, the sun had begun to set.
Chapter IV
Memories
The royal feast hadn’t even started yet, but already the whispering shouts and hidden arguments were giving Luna a headache. All around her, ponies she’d never seen before had all gathered in several groups, chatting and talking about whatever rich snobs talked about. She could care less about how much money that one stallion had, or who that one mare slept with behind her husband’s back.
That was all these stuck up ponies were good at; spreading gossip and rumours. Maybe they led such uninteresting lives that they had no choice but to make up these lies about others. Not too far away, she heard the distinct sound of the classic posh laughter, which always reminded her more of the sound of chickens rather than ponies.
She let out a sigh and looked to her sides. Silversoul and Goldgaze were there beside her, keeping an eye on the guests littering the grand hall. Of course, it was almost redundant to even gaze at them, nopony would even think about doing anything out of line and risk damaging their reputation within the society.
Luna smiled at the brothers, and they both answered her smile with their own. Silversoul tried his best to look sharp and well, but she could see in his eyes that he was still slightly ill after what might have been his first night of real drinking. Dust probably went a bit too hard on the poor guy.
She looked up at the massive black clock hanging on the wall above the entrance into the castle. Half past seven. Thirty minutes remained until the festivities kicked in, and Dust still hadn’t showed up yet, and a tingling worry had begun to crawl along her spine.
Once again she turned back to look at the brothers, and Goldgaze instantly met her eyes. He looked at her with a concerned face, before giving her a quick nod. It seemed he could feel Luna’s anxiety, and she hurried up from her seat and moved away from the crowded room, making her way out through a narrow corridor on her left.
She didn’t meet anypony as he took step after step through the empty hallways and winding stairways; most of the staff was busy with preparations and the royal court was already in place back where she left them. The emptiness of the castle made her feel even more uneasy, and she quickened her pace towards their chambers.
Everything was quiet once the doors to the master bedroom appeared in front of her, towering high above her, intimidating her, daring her to open it. For a brief moment, she envisioned how the thick wooden frame would tear itself from the wall and come crashing down upon her. The queen raised a hoof and knocked on the door.
No answer. Her heartbeat became slightly faster in her chest. She knocked again, and the longer she waited in the silence that greeted her, the faster her heartbeat became, eventually threatening to force itself up her throat. Even though she knew deep inside she had nothing to worry about, it was impossible to shake that lingering fear that slowly but surely crept into her.
It became too much, and she put her hoof up against the door yet again, pushing it open slightly. The door creaked on its hinges, and not a single breath came out of the mare as she opened the door all the way. Inside, pitch black shadows awaited her. Wanting to swallow her and make her become one with the fear in her mind, twisting everything into a black abyss of nothingness in which she would be trapped beyond the veil, never to return again…
“Luna, is that you?”
The fear disappeared, tossing itself back into the chasm from where it once came. Her heart relaxed and she dared to breath yet again. The voice of her husband soothed her immensely, and she almost laughed at her own stupidity and childish fears. Yet for some reason, she didn’t cross the doors threshold, and instead just gazed into the shadows to try and get a glimpse of Dust.
“Could you turn the lights on, please? I don’t want to…”
She didn’t want to what? Her own words confused her, and she didn’t finish the sentence, since she had no idea of how it would actually end. Luna stood perplexed in the doorway, her face a frown as she tried to understand what she just said.
Dust didn’t answer, and no light came to scare the darkness away. Perhaps he didn’t hear her. Shaking her head free of the slithers of doubt and fear, she took a few steps into the room and felt the shadows embrace her instantly.
“Honey?” She called out. “Where are you?”
Her voice didn’t sound right in her ears. There was usually and echo within the castle walls, but this time there wasn’t, and Luna once again felt chills running down her spine. It was as if she was trapped inside some sort of other dimension in which nothing existed, not even sound. And if sound didn’t exist, something as foreign as speech wouldn’t sound natural, or perhaps not even be heard at all.
“I’m out on the balcony!”
Again, the strange sensations went away, and the world seemed to had returned into its prior state. She was able to move through the darkness on instinct, knowing exactly where to go to reach Dust. Her hoof steps echoed loudly as she trotted across the room. As she came up to the doors of glass leading outside, she saw him.
Standing at the far end on the balcony, opposite of the door. He had his back turned against her, resting the palms of his hands against the railing surrounding the balcony. He seemed to be looking downwards, or perhaps off into the horizon. There was something odd about the way he looked, and it took Luna a few seconds to notice what it was. He was wearing his old robe, with the dusty old hood covering his head.
It had been years since last time he wore it, said it brought back too many memories, and not to mention the state it was in; filthy, torn apart down at the hemline and with two vertical cuts over the back where his wings once tore their way out. The slight summer breeze tugged on the robe, causing it to sway back and forth around his legs slowly.
“Be my queen.”
The memory of their first night together suddenly filled her mind. The emotions she’d felt, the warmth of another living being next to her. The hope that kindled within her as they kissed, the wish that she would never be alone again. Many years had passed, and she wasn’t alone and never would be. She had her husband, the man she loved more than anything, and their wonderful little boy.
Even though it was those three words that Dust once whispered into her ear that made her come to her decision, she could care less about titles and power. The only thing she wanted in her life was to be loved for whom she was, to be seen as the Luna on the inside, not the façade she put up to the world. All she ever wanted was to feel love, and thanks to the man out on the balcony in front of her, her life was filled with it for what seemed like an eternity.
At least, she hoped it would last for that long.
Dust didn’t hear her when she opened the doors, or he did hear and pretended not to. He remained where he was, staring out into the faintly lit skies. Slowly, Luna made her way towards him, taking care not to make any noise. She wasn’t breathing, but unlike what happened in the doorway, she chose not to breathe this time. Creeping closer to her husband, her legs began to tremble beneath her.
When she was right behind his back, she quietly reared up on her back legs. For a moment, a vision of glass snuck itself into the back of her head. Dust, cased in glass. One final kiss before it all shattered. The though disappeared once she put her fore hooves around Dust and placed her head close to his. His body warmed her in the cool wind tugging on both of them. She pressed herself against him, and out her mouth next to his ear.
“'Tis some visitor, I muttered. Gently tapping-tapping, upon my chamber door…”
“You still remember.” Dust said to her once she went quiet.
“How could I ever forget?” She whispered back to him, carefully giving him a kiss on the cheek as she did. His beard tickled against her lips “What are you doing out here all by yourself?”
“I just… needed some time alone. Some time to think.”
“Is something wrong, dear?” Luna asked worryingly.
Dust sighed, and slowly so as to not throw her off balance, he spun himself around in her arms so that they stood face to face with each other. He sat himself down on the railing, and Luna bent her legs to follow him downwards. It resulted in him sitting down, and her resting in a rather uncomfortable position on his lap, still with her legs around his shoulders. None of them could care about comfort though.
“I… Earlier today I visited Ponyville.” Dust said. “And I went to the orphanage.”
“Rarity’s old home?” Luna asked.
Dust nodded. “I just wanted to get you something special for today… But instead I ended up having a panic attack and froze up completely. If Fluttershy hadn’t been there…”
“Fluttershy runs the orphanage?” Luna replied, raising an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen her since… Since Nightmare Night.”
“Yeah, and she seems to be doing a good job.” Dust answered. “Anyway… I guess it brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad.” He reached forward and gave his wife a quick kiss. “I just needed to wallow in my own self-pity for a while.”
“Well, you can wallow as much as you want, as long as you’ll come back up in one piece.” Luna said with a smile. “I was just worried about you.”
“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Dust said, pressing his nose against her snout. “So… want to see what I brought back for you?”
Luna didn’t have time to answer, because just a second later, Dust stood up again, still holding her in his arms. She laughed slightly as he carried her into their chambers, and she couldn’t help but think that she must look like a giant doll, legs flailing about and all.
After a few more moments, Dust sat her down on the floor before he himself reached out to light some candles nearby. Now that she wasn’t alone in the room, the darkness didn’t feel as oppressing and strong as it did before, and Luna could see the silhouette of Dust clearly. A flame flickered up from a match in his hands, which he then used to light several candles on different tables and shelves around them.
It was enough to illuminate their bed, and on it, Luna saw the crude shape of a square, wrapped in what looked to be some sort of cloth. She took a closer look, but couldn’t determine what it was.
“Sorry about the wrapping…” Dust said as he walked past her towards the bed. “I didn’t really have time to fix it… Wallowing and all that.” He sat down on the bed next to the package and looked at her with an uncertain smile.
Luna approached the bed, frowning as she tried to see what the strange package was holding, but all she could make out as the fabric enclosing it. She looked closer as Dust moved his hands and undid the small string holding the cloth in place, opening the package with his other free hand.
“It’s not much, really…” He whispered.
Inside the package, a blue shape met her eyes. It was a crude drawing of a blue pony, with strange shimmering mane, wings and a horn… Next to it was the image of a tall man in black, and between the two, a heart had been drawn.
“The kids at the orphanage drew them.” Dust said as Luna used her magic to flip through the papers.
Drawing after drawing depicting her and Dust, or just her, and it was clear that a lot of effort had been put in by the children to make them to the best of their abilities. Dust was right; it wasn’t much, but at the same time it was overwhelming.
“It’s not as pretty as jewellery.” Dust began. “But I just wanted to remind you that I’m not the only one that loves you. But if you don’t like them, then I…”
“I love them.” Luna replied quickly. “They’re all wonderful, honey.” She smiled at her husband before neatly putting the drawings back into a perfect square using her magic.
“Glad you like them.” He said back to her. “But there will be more later on tonight…” Dust moved his head to look at the small clock resting on his nightstand. “Only five minutes left until the feast starts downstairs. We should probably hurry.”
Luna nodded, quickly levitating the bundle of drawings over to a desk to their left before turning to give Dust another kiss. Once they parted, he stood up, and together they hurried off towards the main hall.
“Try to behave yourself tonight, dear.” Luna said with a playful smile over her lips as they walked back the same way she took earlier.
“I promise.” Dust answered, laughing slightly. “But if Blueblood pulls another one of his dirty jokes about the guards, I just might have to twist his neck.”
Luna giggled at his joke, but forced herself to remain quiet as they emerged into the main hall, and every pair of eyes in the room turned towards them.
Chapter V
A Pale Dance
Luna felt herself relieved once the feast had finally ended and found comfort in the almost pressing silence that had now made its way into the castle walls. The endless chattering of the guests all around her made her ears hurt, and she’d lost count of how many lords and ladies she’d been introduced to, as well as how many of their businesses and establishments she’d been subtly offered to support. If Dust hadn’t been sitting next to her during the formal dinner, she suspected she would have just left th festivities altogether.
If he hadn’t place his hand over her hoof and kept it there almost the entire night, she wasn’t sure what she’d done.
The princess of the night took in a deep breath of cool air as she stepped out into the castle gardens. The fresh air was a welcome change from the thick air generated by thousands of gossiping ladies and lords pompously bragging about themselves to anypony nearby, accompanied by the chewing and thick breathing of the more glutinous visitors. During the hours at the table, Luna could have sworn that the warmth building up in the hall had plastered itself over her coat like some sticky second skin.
Thankfully, that disgusting shell blew right off of her as she stepped outside; feeling the dew on the grass against her hooves, and the cold dampness sent pleasant shivers through her legs. She always thought that moments like these where the best ones during the night. That initial sense of coolness against ones skin, the smell of a slowly approaching dawn in the air. The sound of crickets chirping in the tall grass, and the almost invisible murmuring of nature.
It was, as some ponies would put it, a moment to day for. Or a moment to live your life to achieve.
Up above, the stars shimmered down upon her, and the moon offered its light to guide its very ruler through the darkness of the shadows it cast over the world. Her hoof didn’t make a single sound in her stride across the dampened ground, not even the dusty gravel of the path beneath her crackled as she set hoof upon it.
Luna often wondered if the night itself could feel her presence. If the very essence of the night knew that its owner and creator was now nearby, and altered the world around her to better suit the hoofs of its queen. The night always seemed to offer her respect, in a way.
It moved along with her as one, as a long lost mother holding the hoof of her child, guiding it through life’s perils. It would sooth her when she felt alone and sad, and it would offer her comfort as the shadows wrapped around her. Yet she couldn’t shake a specific thought out of her mind; what had happened earlier in the royal chamber. Her inability to cross into the darkness.
She was the princess of the night after all, and her feeling fear before the very thing that filled her being was just ludicrous to even imagine. But somehow, she’d been afraid to step over the threshold. The more she tried to understand what had happened, the longer away and answer seemed to slip, and she lost track of time.
Sooner than she expected, Luna came upon the goal of her late night stroll.
In front of her stood a massive fountain, carved out of purest marble, with pillars chiselled out of ivory adoring it on both sides. Streams of water ran from the top of the columns and into the fountain itself, without making a single sound or ever creating even the tiniest splash or ripple in the water. The magic that had been used to prevent to water to be disturbed had also offered the surface an otherworldly aura, gleaming in all the colours of the rainbow.
It was quite a beautiful display, and Luna always felt herself taken back by the sheer awe of what lay before her. Placed exactly in the middle of the fountain, elevated slightly above the surface, a large sheet of mirror polished marble had been erected, and even despite it being late at night, the glimmering surface of the water still reflected its colours upon it, casting its rays upon the image of a large sun engraved in the stone.
It was a beautiful grave for a beautiful ruler. A perfect final resting place for the sun herself.
Without a sound, Luna sat herself down on the ground before the fountain. She paid the dampness pressing against her skin no heed.
“I wish you could have been here to see me now, Tia. So much has changed these fourteen years since you left me. Thirteen years since I married Dust, ten years since we had our son. How I wished you could’ve seen it all. I… I hope I’ve made you proud.”
As she talked, Luna hoped her sister could hear her, and she felt a few tears fall down her cheeks. Despite having a wonderful husband, a beautiful little colt and a perfect life far beyond anything even in her wildest dreams, she missed Celestia every day of her life.
“I’m sure you have.”
For a moment, Luna’s heart skipped a beat and she could almost feel it fly up into her throat. A voice had just answered her, and deep down she hoped it belonged to her sister, or at least some remnant of her, still lingering close to her loved ones.
Then she came to her senses, realizing it was no use to dream of such things. Celestia was long gone, and the voice did not belong to her. She looked around for a few seconds before catching a glimpse of the silhouette of a pony not far away behind her, coming closer on the gravel path.
After a few seconds, she could clearly make out a white Pegasus with black mane and shimmering, silver eyes.
“What are you doing out here so late, Goldgaze?”
The Pegasus stallion came up next to her and sank down on his haunches in the grass in a rather clumsy fashion, letting out a muffled groan as he stretched his back slightly.
“Well, I saw you leave the castle and figured you were heading here.” He said slowly, watching the colours float around on the surface of the fountain.
“So you followed me?” Luna asked with a smirk on her lips.
“I guess the term ‘stalked’ you might be more correct, m’lady.” The stallion chuckled slightly.
“You sneaky devil.”
Both ponies laughed together, being able to let down the façade they kept up every day in court. Just as Silversoul had become the closest friend of Dust, Luna had gained a friend in Goldgaze, and she always enjoyed his company.
“To be more precise, I stalked you here because your husband asked me to fetch you for him. Apparently he’s put on quite the spectacle in the ball room and requests your presence urgently.”
Again, Luna couldn’t stop herself from laughing at what Goldgaze said, and the over the top tone he coated his words in. Even though he wasn’t perfect, he could mimic his brother’s speech almost perfectly, even adding a quick nod of his head that was supposed to signal pride. Once he was done, he pouted his lips and raised his hoof for a slight wave, perfecting the image of a posh pony from the snobbish upper class.
Technically, they both where of that upper class, but they still both refused to act that way and constantly poked fun at them when nopony was watching. Not even Dust knew about their secret little ways of making fun of the elite.
“So… I guess I should head back then?” Luna said slowly as her laughter had died down. “If it really is that urgent.”
Goldgaze looked at her with a quick twist of his neck. “No rush, m’lady. I’m sure he can wait for a little while if you want to… be alone.”
“Thanks.” Luna said, giving him a small smile before turning her head back to the gravestone in the fountain. She then sighed quietly to herself.
“I know you miss her, Princess.” Goldgaze said. “We all do.”
Luna nodded slowly in answer. “Do you really think she’s proud of me?”
“Of course she is.”
“I still hurt her.” Luna whispered. “Her only sin was to love me, and I hurt her so much.”
“You did what you thought was best.” Goldgaze replied. “Nopony can blame you for that.”
Luna didn’t answer. Her vision had become blurred due to the tears in her eyes. She quickly turned her head away from her friend, wiping her tears before he could notice them. They remained in silence for a while, until Luna stood up once again. Goldgaze did the same, and without another word they headed back through the gardens.
“Goldgaze?” Luna whispered as they walked through a small gathering of trees, their faces lit up by the light of the torch bugs playing between the branches. “It was Dust that cut off her horn.”
“I know, Silversoul told me.” Goldgaze replied quickly. “But I still don’t blame any of you for it. Like I said, you did what you thought was best and I admire you for that. Not many ponies have the courage to stand up for their opinions.”
“I just wished things could have turned out different.” Luna said with a sigh. “If Tia hadn’t been so hell bent on keeping me and Dust apart, she could still be here…”
“It was the sickness that claimed her, not you or Dust. All she wanted was for you to be happy, you know that.”
As the two ponies approached the big gates leading back into the castle, Luna came to a stop. Still with a few tears in her eyes, she looked up into the stars above them. A few seconds later, she felt a hoof against her shoulder.
“I’m sure she’s up there, watching you.” Goldgaze said to her. “And I’m sure she’s damn proud of her little sister.” A few seconds of silence passed before he removed his hoof from her shoulder, hoping that it at least comforted her a little it.
“Thanks, Goldgaze.” Luna said before wiping her eyes free of tears yet again. “I hope you’re right.”
*
The ball room was empty and silent, save for the quite sound of shoes against the floor as Dust walked back and forth across the room, anxiously awaiting his wife. He’d planned this evening for so long, and had worked as much as he could to make it all perfect, nothing could go wrong on such a special day.
After minutes of worried pacing that felt more like hours, he finally found himself standing still, looking out through one of the many windows that lined one side of the room. From there, he could see the entire garden of the castle, ranging from the statue of Discord all the way to Celestia’s fountain. But not a single sing of anypony there, and he turned his head away from the gardens.
He let out a sigh, and the sound of it seemed to echo a bit too much within the room.
“Where are you, Luna…?” He whispered to himself as he once again paced through the room.
The robe he wore flapped around his legs as he walked without making a sound, the soft satin simply brushing against his legs like smoke. It was the same robe he’d worn a long time ago, on their wedding. Now he felt almost as nervous as he’d done on that day.
And then finally, he heard the distinct sound of hooves against stone, a clear sign that somepony was about to enter the room. He tried his best to remain calm, brushing a few strands of his blonde hair out of his eyes as he watched the doorway.
He smiled at Luna once she emerged through the open doorway, but he didn’t say anything. He walked up to her in silence, never breaking eye contact with her as he did. Once he was right in front of her, he reached out a hand and brushed his fingers down her neck.
“Goldgaze told me you were waiting…”
Before she finished her sentence, Dust pressed his lips against hers softly. She felt his breath upon her snout, and its warmth sent her heart aflutter, making her feel like some young foal, madly in love. She closed her eyes slightly, wanting the moment to last forever.
“Don’t say a word.” Dust whispered as he broke away from her. “Just follow me.”
He reached down and grabbed one of her hooves, walking backwards away from her without letting go of it. She smiled and followed on three legs, her heart skipping fast with anticipation of what was to come.
Dust led her to the middle of the ball room, where he stopped and looked at her with an almost playful smile over his lips. Luna wasn’t sure what to expect but she smiled back nonetheless. She’d forgotten just how cute he could be sometimes, when he wasn’t knee deep in paperwork or his own troubles.
He looked off to his right, before raising his free hand into the air. Luna could hear movement close by in the room, but they were so quiet it was almost impossible to make them out. Dust snapped his fingers, and instantly Luna felt her eyes burn as a bright light filled the room.
On her left on the opposite side of the wall with the windows, somepony released the giant curtain that covered the mirror, spreading out across the entire wall. The moment the mirror became visible; the moonlight hit it straight on and illuminated the room in a silver glow. In the light, she could now see a group of ponies standing in one of the corners of the other side of the room, seemingly holding different kinds of instruments.
“Oh, honey…” She began, almost feeling new tears well up in her eyes. The ponies moved slightly, setting up themselves to play.
Dust took a step forward and placed his other arm around her. “May I have this dance?” He whispered into her ears as he held her close. She didn’t need to answer him.
Slowly, they begun moving, holding each other close in the moonlight.
“Happy anniversary, sweetheart.”
The sounds of music filled the ball room, and Luna felt herself melt away. She followed Dust in his steps, moving slowly across the floor, the music flowing through her like ripples upon water.
Their shadows lay long over the floor, and Luna’s mane shimmered as the moonlight hit it, creating strange patterns on the floor as they moved. She wrapped her wings tight around Dust’s shoulders before resting her head against one of them.
“This is just perfect.” She whispered as they slowly spun around.
He still held one of her hooves in his hand, but she didn’t have any trouble moving on three legs as long as he supported her.
“And it’s all for you.” Dust whispered back.
Every worry she’d felt washed away with the soothing music, and the sorrow she’d felt in the gardens crept away from her, leaving room for an almost alien, warm sensation that spread all throughout her. She realised she hadn’t felt that way since the wedding, and it almost made her knees weak.
There was nowhere else she wanted to be, than right here in the arms of the man she loved more than anything. Feeling the warmth of his body against her, and the smooth satin of his robe against her skin made her feel like she was no longer on their planet, but rather far away in a place some ponies would call Heaven.
As the music kept playing silently, the couple came to a stop in their dance. Luna moved her head away from Dust’s shoulders, instead looking straight into his eyes. The music became louder as the couple yet again locked themselves in a deep kiss, closely entangled.
Neither of them heard or saw the rain that had started falling outside the window; the sound of it hitting the windows drowned by the music. The human and the pony remained silent as they kissed, both of them feeling their minds slipping away into another place in which only they existed. And for just one night, the royal duties didn’t exist. The troubles in court, all the work and speeches, everything faded away as nothing but they remained in this perfect world.
A world that would last for only one night.
One night of nothing but the warmth and comfort of each other, still strong after so many years. One night of moonlight dancing across the Alicorn’s eyes, creating sparkles in the brilliant cyan colour that Dust always felt like he could lose himself in. One night when Dust no longer had to worry about the Jormundgand around his neck, or what it could do to him.
Just one night. A perfect night for a pale dance.
And the music played on.
Chapter VI
Flames
Dust was unsure what to think as he wandered the halls he knew so well. Every hallway, door, stairwell, hidden passage and window had a perfect place within the back if his head, never fading to the sands of time. He’d wandered these halls for most of his life, sometimes by himself and sometimes alongside his wife. Every evening he would take a walk through the castle, just to calm his nerves before he went to bed.
He did this in order to avoid the nightmares that plagued his sleep during his early years in Equestria. After he’d married Luna, they gradually became lesser, but he still felt the need to take a walk as often as he could. And so he knew the castle halls like the back of his hand, and he could probably navigate it in pitch blackness with a blindfold over his eyes and one hand tied behind his back.
Yet this particular night, he had no idea of where he was.
Nothing in the castle seemed right, but rather completely alien and even strange to him. Like looking at the world through a filthy mirror, everything was wrong and distorted. The hallways bent in unnatural ways, twisting around themselves, forcing him to crawl on all fours to even get forward.
The windows had all been barred with strange black strings which almost looked like human hair, but Dust had no desire to examine it any closer. Particles of dust and filth stirred up in the stagnant air as he loomed slowly through the walls towards what he hoped to be their bed chamber.
As he walked past the door leading into his own study, he couldn’t help but take a quick glance into the room. Before him, the fireplace roared silently, massive blue flames licking the walls around it and spreading it eerie silver light across the floor and the furniture that slowly floated through the air. One of his chairs moved slightly as the head of his suit of armour bumped into it.
He closed the door behind him, hearing a quiet whisper from the inside as he did.
Slowly, the man pushed on through the insanely twisted hallways. Even though everything had slipped into madness and chaos, he didn’t feel any sort of panic of fear. He was so determined to reach Luna that he didn’t even care about the things around him. It didn’t even occur to him that the murder of burning crows passing over his head was anything out of the ordinary.
And then finally, he came upon the door he’d been searching for. On the other side he would find Luna, and all would be well. The castle would morph back into its normal shape and everything would be perfect again.
Dust reached his right hand up to grab the handle on the door, just then realizing he was holding a pair of roses. Red roses, shining and beautiful against the snow that had suddenly appeared on the floor all around him. He lowered his hand, instead grabbing the handle with his left. He pressed it down slowly and stepped inside.
“Luna? Sweetie, are you home…?”
His voice echoed and bounced around the walls of the empty room, no voice coming to answer it. He felt something, almost like an itch, down the back of his neck. Somehow, this all felt so familiar to him. Dust took a few more steps through the grand foyer, coming up to the door leading into the bedroom. He could hear a faint whisper on the other side of it.
The door slid up without a sound, and a silver light almost blinded him as it did. He called out to his wife yet again, but still didn’t receive a response. He walked inside, looking around the room for any sort of sign of where Luna could be, but there was none to be found. Suddenly, a sound reached his ears. A hollow whisper coming from nearby.
“I’m out on the balcony, honey.”
A weight lifted from his shoulders and he inhaled yet again, only then realizing he hadn’t been breathing for a moment, holding it back in anticipation. But he still couldn’t shake that feel that he’d been through something similar in the past. Still with the roses clutched in his hand, he hurried towards the balcony doors. Dust looked out through them, and relaxed once he saw Luna out there, waiting for him.
He was so relieved to see her that he didn’t even pay the sea of blue flames surrounding the balcony any heed. There wasn’t any heat coming from it, only coolness. The heat that hit his face seemed to come from his wife, rather than the flames. He couldn’t help but admire her, how beautiful she looked in the light of the fires.
A radiant goddess, one whose heart belonged to him.
“Dust, we need to talk… Oh, what’s that?”
He held up the roses towards her with an almost goofy smile over his lips, his mind lost in the sheer beauty of the creature before him. “I, uh… I brought you some flowers.”
“How cute.” Luna said, her voice cold and to the point, not like it usually sounded. “I’m sorry for doing this, love.”
“What do you mean?” Dust asked, still holding the roses towards her with a silly smile, unable to fully grasp what she was saying.
“I’ve met someone.”
Dust didn’t respond.
“And he’s… better than you’ll ever be. He’s kind, he’s gentle, beautiful, loving. He understands me in a way that you never did.”
“What are saying…?” Dust finally spoke, the grin on his face gone.
“I’m leaving you, Dust. I’m in love with someone else.”
“No, you… you can’t…” Dust protested meekly without moving or lowering the roses. “I… I love you, you’re-you’re… I need you.”
“I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, the blue flames burst higher and roared like an army of beasts, and Dust could see something moving beyond the flickering surface. Luna watched the movements too, a loving smile spreading across her lips.
With another roar, a massive white figure emerged from the flames, its white fur moving like waves upon water as it came to a stop next to Luna. Its yellow eyes burned brightly, staring at Dust with hate and discontent. Its jagged yet razor sharp teeth glared at him, strings of saliva dripping down its cheek.
A massive, white wolf.
Finally, Dust let go off the roses. They didn’t fall to the ground instantly, instead only hovering before him, yet still going downwards at an almost painful pace.
“Isn’t he wonderful?” Luna said, nuzzling the side of her head into its thick, white fur. “He loves me for who I am, not for who he wants me to be.”
His hands now free, Dust instinctively reached for his sword, only to realize that it wasn’t hanging in his belt. He must’ve left it in the armoury, and running back through the twisted hallways to get it was out of question. The only thing he had was the ring around his neck, Jormundgand.
He didn’t care if Luna loved this beast, he refused to believe that she could, and whatever it was it needed to die.
With his eyes pinned on the beast, he let his body relaxed and felt something inside him break as he for the first time in what felt like years let the magic he’d come to hate course through his body. His vision turned red.
But nothing more happened. He tried to focus, but nothing came, no red flash of lightning lashing out at the creature. It remained it its place, no force throwing it into the air. Dust stood perplexed as a blue light came towards him.
A moment later, he flew backwards through the air and smashed through the balcony doors. The glass shattered into a million pieces as his body slammed into it, cutting through his clothes and into his skin. The man landed on his side grunting in pain as a large piece of glass pierced into his upper left arm.
“Why do you have to make this so difficult?” He heard Luna’s voice ask. “Just accept that I’m gone and you’ll be dead without me.”
From his place on the floor, he could see his wife kissing the beast, looking into its eyes with a longing look. Enraged, Dust slowly moved around, screaming in pain as the shards of glass cut into his flesh like knives. His vision slowly faded.
He saw the big wolf clamber over his wife’s back, saw it position itself. He knew what it was doing, and screamed in anger at them both.
“He loves me.” Luna whispered as her face got twisted into a smirk of pleasure.
Dust crawled through the doorway, feeling like his body was about to snap in half from the pain coursing through him.
“… Get off of her!”
The wolf didn’t listen. Instead, it lowered its head with a growl. It clamped its teeth down into Luna’s neck, adding insult to Dust’s already injured body. Luna’s face contorted even more, turning into one of pure bliss that Dust was the only living creature to have ever seen. One he saw every night, together with his beloved.
Yet again, Dust’s vision turned to red.
“ Luna! ”
The roses finally hit ground, shattering like the glass doors. Luna’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as the pleasure became too much for her. Dust screamed in agony.
Then Luna’s neck snapped like a twig.
Chapter VII
A Raven from The North
Dust awoke from his dream, panting heavily and sweat streaming down his face and back. For minutes he stared into the ceiling above, his head banging like a drum, almost the same way it did when he had a bit too much to drink. The bed sheets got soaked in his sweat, and he felt the need to get up despite his head.
He reached up a hand and ran it over his face, wiping away a few beads of sweat before running his fingers through his hair. He needed to clean up. Turning his head to his right, he found that Luna wasn’t in bed, and instantly the dream came back to him. It almost made him want to scream, but he settled with slamming his fist into the mattress.
“Something wrong, sir?”
The question caught Dust off guard. He turned around and saw Silversoul sitting in the small sofa on the opposite wall, looking over a small stack of parchments.
“Just a bad dream.” Dust responded, sounding like he’d been smoking his lungs into nothing but smouldering ash. “A really, really bad one.”
“I see, sir.”
“Where’s Luna?”
Dust sat up straight in bed, brushing a few strands of dirty hair out of his eyes. Looking down upon the bed, he saw fresh stains of sweat, as well as a few dried ones in the middle of the bed, reminding him of what they’d done after the dance the night before. He could really use a bath.
“The queen left early this morning.” Silversoul said as Dust stood up from the bed. “Some urgent business over in Vanhoover, I believe.”
Dust mumbled a response as he stretched his arms and groaned as his back snapped slightly. He didn’t really care for the fact that he was in the nude; being best friends with Silversoul for so many years, and since he was his personal assistant, there wasn’t anything the stallion hadn’t already seen by accident.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Dust asked, walking across the room towards his closet. His bare feet slapped against the marble floor as he did.
“She told me to relieve you from any and all duties, my lord.” Silversoul responded from behind the parchments. “Apparently she thought you deserved a day off, after what you did last night.”
“Yeah, it was a long night. Oh, and speaking of which, have some of the maids change the bed sheets, will you?” Dust said with a chuckle as he pulled his pants up over his hips and buckled them.
“Very good, sir.”
Dust looked through his clothing for a while before finding what he was looking for; a black linen tunic with lacing up the sides of the sleeves. He took it out and pulled it over his head, with some difficulty.
“Well, I’m off for a walk.” He said as he adjusted the sleeves. “You gonna come with me or are you going to stay there?”
“Might as well.” Silversoul said, rolling up the parchment he had in front of him. “I was just about done with this anyway.”
Dust nodded, and awaited his friend in silence by the door as he packed up the parchments and papers in a small bag that he levitated with his magic. He then trotted over to Dust and they exited the room. As they exited, Dust’s hand broke the golden aura around the bag as he grabbed it himself instead. Silversoul was about to protest, but was silenced by Dust.
“It’s fine, I’ll take it.” He said. “I may be a king, but I’m not an ass.”
“As you wish, sir.” Silversoul replied quickly. They took a turn out into the courtyard, where a few of the newest maids giggled shyly as they laid eyes upon the king passing by. “Maybe you could enlighten me on this dream you had, sir? You seemed quite distraught.”
Dust sighed. He’d hoped that the unicorn wouldn’t mention the nightmare. Now that he had, it was best to just tell him. “Fine, I suppose it can’t hurt to tell you.” He said slowly. “Luna left me for someone else.”
“Are you two having any problems?” Silversoul quickly asked.
“No, not really.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about, my lord.”
The two friends exited the courtyard, coming into the hallway that lead to Dust’s study. He thought they might as well go there, seeing as the parchments in the bag probably belonged in his desk anyway. He decided on not telling Silversoul about the white wolf, and the stallion didn’t ask any more about the dream.
“So, what did you think of those girls in the courtyard?” Dust asked his friend with a smile. “Pretty cute, huh?”
“What do you mean, sir?” Silversoul asked, frowning slightly. “You’re a married man-“
“I mean; when are you gonna get yourself a mare?” Dust asked as he held the door to his study open. “Isn’t it about time that you settle down?”
“I’m perfectly content with my life here, my lord.” Silversoul answered, yanking the bag out of Dust’s hand after he’d spoken.
“You’re kidding me, right? You never thought of having a wife, kids and all that?”
“The thought has crossed my mind, I’ll admit, but I haven’t thought of it too much.”
“Well, maybe it’s time you think about it more often.” Dust said, walking around his desk and quickly going through some papers upon it. After a few seconds of the sounds of rustling parchments, he stopped, spotting an unbroken letter at the edge of the desk he didn’t see earlier.
“What’s this?” He asked as he picked it up. It was sealed by the usual seal of red wax, with an odd image embedded into it. A crescent moon with teeth on both sides, making it look like a gaping maw.
“A raven came with that this morning.” Silversoul answered while he picked up the parchments from his bag.
“A raven?”
“Yes, a raven. See, it apparently comes from a small island up north called Moonshimmer Island if I’m not mistaken. They don’t have any magic out there, and no means of sending mail.”
“But why a raven? I mean, what is this, Westeros?” Dust said with a scoff. Silversoul didn’t catch his joke, obviously. Dust rolled his eyes, reached over for the small golden knife net to his pencils and used it to slice open the envelope.
Your highness,
I must apologize for beings so blunt as to send this request straight to you, but I wouldn’t do so unless there was any other option. I know of the amulet you carry around your neck, and I know about its powers. I am aware that it is none of my business, but I must ask; has it been troubling you lately?
Has it caused you any stress or ill feelings?
These past few moons, we’ve seen strange things happen out here at Moonshimmer Island, things we can’t explain. Violence, murder, suicide. The kind of things you would never want to see happen to the ones you love. It is my belief that you, my lord, might have some knowledge about this that we might have use of. I’m not sure why, but I believe we might come to an answer about these tragic occurrences with your help.
You must understand that this is now a personal matter to me. My son Embershard has been afflicted by whatever curse or magic it is that is causing all of this to happen, and I fear it might drive him insane. All day he screams and yells, cries and sobs. He claims that some sort of wolf is after him, and that it’s going to get him very soon.
Do you understand any of this, my lord?
Most of the other ponies that came into contact with this curse have all said the same thing. They all feared a white wolf. Shortly after they all died.
I must ask you sir, even though I realize how ludicrous this all sounds; we need your help. Please, as our ruler we beg you for help. I hope you can find it within your heart to aid us all in this, our darkest of times.
-John Firebrink-
Dust looked up from the letter after he’d read through it several times, his brow deeply frowned. He held it out towards the unicorn, who levitated it over to himself with his magic. Once he was done reading, he gave it back to Dust.
“Firebrink?” Dust asked, raising an eyebrow.
“As far as I know, he’s the owner and proprietor of the only inn on the island.” Silversoul answered.
“Can we trust him?” Dust wondered. “All of this seems… I don’t know.”
“I don’t know, sir. I think you’ll have to decide this for yourself.”
Dust nodded slowly before turning his attention to the letter again. He read through it once more, focusing on one part in particular.
They all feared a white wolf.
A white wolf. Just like in his dream. He sighed, put the letter back into the envelope and looked over at Silversoul with heavy eyes. He was sure that his dream and this island was somehow connected.
“Tell me, where is this island located?” He asked his friend.
“Off the coast of Vanhoover actually.” The stallion responded.
Dust didn’t answer; he simply walked around his desk and made his way towards the door. Before he opened it, he looked back at Silversoul.
“Assemble a squad of Pegasi.” He instructed the unicorn. “Send word to Luna that I’ll be joining her soon. And get me my sword while you’re at it.”
“Very well, sir.” Silversoul hurried over the desk and scrambled together some papers and quills before quickly galloping off past Dust and through the door.
Dust followed soon after, hurrying back to their chambers. Once he got there, he flung open the closet again and rummaged through his belongings. He picked out a bag and stuffed down some extra pants and shirts into it, as well as a pair of boots.
Just as he was about to close the closet, a blue shimmering piece of clothing caught his eye. He smiled slightly as he pulled it out; a dark blue cloak, shimmering like the night sky above. He draped it over his shoulders, almost feeling the presence of his wife in the cloth itself. The cloak had been made out of thousands upon thousands of strings of hair that fell out of Luna’s mane and hair, collected over the years.
It offered him protection in more ways than just against the elements.
He threw the bag over his back, and left a small note in case Stardust would come here before anypony told him where his parents had gone off to. As he exited the room, he felt the amulet around his neck vibrate slightly. It could feel something, and Dust had begun to feel it too.
Moonshimmer Island was calling for him.
