The Laughter and the Nightby AugieDogChaptersBook IBook IIBook IIIBook IFlame in torrents, blasting and echoing, Searing from Daylight's remorseless eyes: Night, her shackles holding the fugitive, Shivers, ignoring his jagged cries. 1. The dappled, drowsy afternoon Each evening without fail Allows herself to settle low, Her sun to dim and pale. Her blueness fades, and shadows grow, Relaxing gold to gray: Across Equestria, so fair, Another lovely day. It's then that ponies ev'rywhere Beneath the dawning night Watch silver spots bloom overhead, The stars' sweet glinting light. Content to rise like baking bread, The moon at last appears. Celestia responds with smiles While Luna laughs and cheers. The sisters dance, their diff'rent styles Reflecting diff'rent roles, And so the world around them turns While each pursues her goals. Oftentimes, the talons of history, Catching the world, spin it unaware: Past to present marching unstoppable, Crushing the future without a care... 2. At midnight's peak, a lantern burns And flickers through the dark From deep within her tower room When Luna strikes its spark. The palace slumbers like a tomb Around her and below As Luna rolls a parchment out Beneath the orange glow. Awash with dust, but there's no doubt: This scroll's the one she sought, Reviving in her memory When she and Tia fought To harness all the Harmony The Elements allowed And turned that strength upon a threat That held the nation cowed. So long ago it was, and yet, Defeating him at last, She'd always felt Bucephalus Would not stay in the past. Stony shape, so looming and thunderous, Haunting her dreamscape since she's returned, First to plant the dissatisfaction that Started her simmering, feeling spurned. 3. She hadn't wished to raise a fuss, So newly she'd arrived. Exchanging armor, black and cold, For plainer dress, she'd strived To reassure, had put on hold All complicated thoughts About the roots that caused her change: His whispered ropes and knots. Herself again, she would arrange Her face aright at dusk And act as if she'd never gone, Her heart a hollow husk. She'd greet her sister with the dawn, Excuse herself to bed, And stare at ceiling, floor, and wall, An itching in her head. For if she slept, that raspy call Would creep, would crawl, would creak, And Luna, mistress of all dreams, Would waken with a shriek. Shrouded, shadowed, whispering urgently, Never pursuing but always there, Dead, she'd hoped, for over ten centuries, Smoldering stallion of her nightmare. 4. At last, her patience snapped its seams: Unable to endure The daily onslaught, Luna looked For confirmation sure. Librarians she quickly booked From all of Canterlot To find the scroll she knew would hold The awful truth she sought. And now it lays outstretched, unrolled, Its basic meaning clear. A shiver rattles Luna's frame From cutie mark to ear. There's nowhere she can place the blame Except upon herself, And knowing that she has no choice, Her pride goes on the shelf. Despite the hour, she lifts her voice And asks: "Celestia? I'm sorry, but we need to talk For all Equestria." Ego cold and haughty's a luxury Luna decides that she can't afford: Lessons learned that lonely millennium, Fostering virtues she once ignored. 5. Awakening in quiet shock, Her sister, standing, speaks— "Of course! I'll be there straight away!"— As through the air she streaks. In Luna's room, she hears her say, "The name means much to us, But none among our ponies knows Of dread Bucephalus." "Bucephalus?" Her blinking shows Celestia's confused. "Some fifteen hundred years or more I'd call it since we used The Elements to slam the door Upon his stony face. I don't recall a prophecy That lets him leave that place." "The fault," says Luna, "lies with me Because—" She hesitates While deep within her swirling mind, They rage: the old debates. What to say? For nothing can come of it: Nothing, she's sure, that won't spawn regret. Still, the years that faithful Celestia Waited for Luna conferred a debt... 6. A sigh from Luna. "Please be kind. You know I've turned aside From all the petty jealousies That fueled my hate and pride. But when my heart began to freeze That day so long ago, It was Bucephalus, in fact, Who set my grudge to glow. Before he'd ever once attacked A village or a town, He courted me within his dreams, His touch as soft as down. Romantic in his ruthless schemes, His words rang sweet and pure As nightingales upon the wing, His whispers all allure. And I—" She chokes to say the thing. "I ate the filth he dished. Completely lost before we won, I fed him as he wished." Locked away, his voice emerged slithery, Knocking to enter her eager door. Centuries she listened and, festering, Burst into Nightmare with rage and roar. 7. In silence, Luna feels the sun Bestow a warm caress: "You loved him?" Luna heaves a snort. "I thought. But nonetheless, His plan, he said, involved a sort Of magic puzzle stone To free him, then Equestria Was ours to rule alone." "So why, then," asks Celestia, "Did he not follow through?" "You beat me." Luna gives a shrug. "There's nothing he could do." "Oh, sister..." With her gentle hug, Celestia forgives. But Luna sighs. "There's more. You see, Bucephalus still lives. Since I returned, he's called to me Each night from out his cell, Reminding me of promised deeds Both blasphemous and fell." Oh, the beast had captured her thoroughly, Spoken the words that she'd wished to hear. All she thought she wanted, he offered her, Wrapped in self-righteousness, pure and clear. 8. Her sister gasps, and Luna needs A momentary breath. "You're sure?" Celestia inquires. And Luna nods: "His death Entwines somehow with my desires. I've kept the brute alive Despite my knowing he's a fiend! I can't deny the drive To rescue what has been demeaned, To turn him from the path That so consumed his wretched soul, Enflaming him with wrath! It's hopeless!" "No." As hot as coal, That single burning word, And Luna stares, her sister's face So strong and undeterred: "There's always hope." Like steel lace— Unbreakable but soft— Celestia straightforwardly Sends Luna's heart aloft. Warmth, acceptance, love without attitude: Does she deserve it? She can't see why. Luna nods and nuzzles Celestia, Turns to the scroll with a teary eye. 9. "For here you'll find that prophecy You never knew." She flares The lantern brighter with her horn. "You'll see the way it pairs Bucephalus—'The Rage Forlorn,' It talks about at length— With me—'The Night Suspensible'— But also mentions 'Strength, The Element Insensible.'" She sighs and starts to read: "'The Element will gape the Door, The Strength the Night will need To clear the Way for Rage before The Lorn can lapse and rest.' Impossible!" She stomps. "So who's The one these words suggest? I've not found any other clues Which Element is meant! I've got to end this madness now Before my mind is rent!" Luna sags, Celestia holding her: "Ponyville beckons, I'd have to say. Trust our friends. They'll do what you need them to. Nap, then have breakfast, then on your way." 10. His whispering does not allow Much napping, but at dawn, The cosmos shifts from Luna's back: A kiss, and then she's gone. Unfurling wings despite a lack Of sleep, she soars among The fleecy clouds, the morning breeze A song too long unsung. Its perfect fit and heft appease Her inner turbulence, Caress her cares and raise a smile: Such tangy succulence! And so she travels, mile by mile, Until her fears recede. She's not alone. She does have friends To help in truth and deed. Alighting, then, her journey ends Outside of Ponyville. Determined—trust the Elements!— She starts on down the hill. Faith and reason, allies and enemies, Count on each other but argue, too. Love and hatred, friendship and apathy, Change under pressure to something new. Book IISleepless Night, as dawn turns to morning, has Journeyed to Ponyville searchingly. Strength she seeks, a prophesied Element, Never before part of Harmony. 1. She covers without incidents The distance to the square. With nods for ev'ryponies' bow, She comes at last to stare Upon the door she thought by now Would surely be ajar: The library, the focal point, The township's shining star. But no. Instead, some signs annoint The door, both locked and closed. Gone camping, says the one, and then If Cheerilee's disposed, She'll open for the evening when The school bell's rung at last. Astonished, Luna stands agape, Displeasure mounting fast. A camping trip?! While snorts escape Her tightened, royal snout, Some pony calls: "Hey, princess! Hi!" Surprised, she whirls about. Watch yourself! Remember your dignity! Must be the princess and in control! Luna squints, then tries to stop squinting, and Ends with a face like a cranky foal. 2. Before her bounces Pinkie Pie, Her cotton-candy scent And gleaming teeth too sweet and bright For Luna's temper'ment. "Or is it you? It isn't night—" Her eyes start from her head. "Unless I'm dreaming and asleep! Let's see if I'm in bed!" She spins and trips, her sprawling leap Impacting nose to dirt. "Be careful!" Luna cries and flares Her magic. "Are you hurt?!" "Who, me?" The grin she always wears Shines up and down the street. "A little crashing into stuff Just makes the day complete!" "I'd never thought you quite so tough." The princess rubs her chin. "If I might share a bit of truth And speak to you within?" Up the street and into the bakery, Pinkie explains, "See, the girls all took Apple Bloom and Sweetie and Scootaloo Camping and star-gazing down the brook." 3. A sigh from Luna. "Yea, forsooth, It smells to me of fate That Laughter is the tool at hoof To help me conquer Hate." "Adventure?!" Pinkie shakes the roof. "So where?! And when?! And how?!" But Luna winces. "Please don't yell. In fact, it's here and now." "OK!" As clear as any bell, It tolls from Pinkie's throat. "And not just 'cause the rest are gone: I'll help you stay afloat!" Uncertain till another yawn Reminds her she's not slept, The princess sighs. "Then thank you, yes. Your aid I shall accept." She sternly points. "But not unless You understand the risk. We face a larger menace than Some simple basilisk." "'Basilisk'? Or do you mean 'cockatrice'?" Pinkie Pie blinks, and she cocks her head. "Monsters sure are totally int'resting: Almost as tasty as pumpkin bread!" 4. "Oh, no. They're not." The lengthy span Of centuries roll back, And Luna sees her monster clear. "The devastating track They cut through all you hold most dear, You never can forget, And list'ning to their honeyed words Will fill you with regret. They warble sweeter than the birds, And while you're so beguiled, They tear, they burn, they trample down: Destroying, still he smiled." "The monster?" Pinkie gives a frown. "I'm gonna take a guess: You're talking 'bout a pony, right? Is that it more or less?" "A pony monster," whispers Night, "Bucephalus by name Who reveled so in cruelty, He saw it as a game." Laughter huge, magnificent, horrible: Groaning, his victims lay bruised and bent. Luna stared, attracted repellently, Driven to action but hesitant. 5. "A game?" asks Pinkie, shrill with glee. "I'll show him how it's done! 'Cause being mean with games is wrong, The opposite of fun!" "Be certain, Pinkie," Luna's strong But quiet voice replies. "The games he plays cause ponies pain." "That proves it!" Pinkie cries. "I mean, I know you hafta train For hoofball and like that Unless you want the kind of aches That make you fall down flat." She waves a shaking hoof and takes A breath both loud and long. "But hurting ponies purposef'lly, I said before: that's wrong." The words emerge so forcefully That Luna's doubts disperse; She plants her hoofs and spreads her wings. "Then come! We'll break this curse!" Fickle Time records what it wants to and Buries the rest in the silent dark. Night, however, seeks to illuminate, Kindling the starlight with Laughter's spark. 6. "All right! Let's do this!" Pinkie sings. "Oh, wait." She bites her lip. "I kinda hafta work today: That's why I missed the trip." The princess stares. "You mean to say You must stay here and sell?!" A laugh from Pinkie. "No, I bake." Shouts Luna, "Very well!" An eldritch glow begins to take Possession of her horn, Expands to fill the bakery Like moonlight newly born. "Arise!" she cries. "I summon ye, All pastries from beyond! DeLuxe Moon Pies, eclairs, and scones! Enough to fill a pond!" Explosions shake the building's bones, And floods of goods appear While Pinkie spins: "The greatest thing That's ever happened here!" From the Cakes come blessings and puzzlement, Luna insisting she could make more. Pinkie grabs her pack and her tambourine, Pushes the princess right out the door. 7. "I'd guess we're not just wandering," Says Pinkie Pie, her mouth Half-full of powdered doughnut holes. "So! North or west or south?" "It's east, in fact." The duo strolls Across the bridge and out Along the road away from town. "He had his foul redoubt—" "His what?" An instant's shadowed frown, Then Pinkie's face goes bright. "You mean he had a bachelor pad? Too cool! He sounds just right!" The princess sputters. "Art thou mad?! A monster, pray recall, Was how I classified the brute! Dost listen thou at all?!" "I heard some fancy root-de-toot," Says Pinkie. "But that's far From saying monsters aren't your thing Like bad boys sometimes are..." Anger flaring, Luna controls herself, Starts to denounce him more fervently— Stops again, her tight throat constricting and Wedging her words up so they can't flee. 8. "Relationships can really sting," Continues Pinkie's voice, Unusual and quiet now. "You think you've got no choice. He's poison, yes; you can't allow His garbage in your head. But when he whispers sweet and low, You cling to all he's said. He tells you he can change, and so You let him hang around— Until it's your stuff he decides To sell off by the pound! A fling can be the best of rides, And love is great, I guess, But friendship's got to be a part! That's truth: no more, no less." She glances up, and Luna's heart, An iceberg in her chest, Explodes to life as Pinkie winks: "'Cause friendship, that's the best!" Blushes burn, transparently obvious; How can this one little pony know All her private secrets and shamefulness?! Shivering, Luna prepares to go. 9. She stretches out her wings and thinks She'll make this trip alone, Depart before her loss of face Can crush her like a stone. But Pinkie speaks: "That awful place: I've been there more than once. You've got to kick him to the curb When he's a stupid dunce." "You've been there?! But that's just absurd!" Conflicted, Night remains. "You're perfect innocence and joy! You can't have known such pains!" "You're sweet," says Pinkie, looking coy. "I always try my best. 'Cause if you break, that means he wins. But, hey! We're on a quest! No mopey talk!" She leaps and spins. "We've got a jerk to kick!" Infectious Laughter makes her smile, Makes Luna's tail flick. "Yes!" she shouts. "We'll stop him and censure him, Teach him a lesson most grim and dire!" Magic billows; Luna grabs Pinkie Pie, Bearing her skyward on sparkling fire. 10. With Pinkie on her back, each mile Proceeds till stroke of noon At which point Luna spies ahead The Mountains of the Moon. "Our journey's end," she says with dread. "And lunch time!" Pinkie adds. "I've peanut butter, hazelnut, Assorted goods and bads—" Here Luna spares a glance. "You what?" And there between her wings, A mini-smorgasbord is set In three concentric rings. The baker gestures. "Come and get! These cabbage rolls are grand!" "But how?!" cries Luna. Pinkie blinks. "You're right. You'd better land." The breezes play as Luna sinks And settles to the grass. A grin, and Pinkie offers her Some seltzer in a glass. Deep within these mountains, she senses him; Battlements looming, his traps await. Still, she smiles and nibbles some sandwiches, Confidence growing from small to great. Book IIIHigh above, the sky stretches cloudlessly, Till to the east with a jagged smack, Mountains stab like claws bent on sundering: Luna observes them and eats her snack. 1. The luncheon passes in a blur Beneath that perfect blue, The grasslands rustling all around, And Luna rustles, too. When Pinkie swallows at one bound A dozen candied fruits, The princess laughs, a sound she's heard Compared to crystal flutes. Yet all the same, unease has stirred Through Luna from ahead, From where the Mountains of the Moon Lie cloaked about with dread. That voice, that silken little croon Bucephalus has used To touch her thoughts, is quiet now But still, she feels bruised. The sweat that starts upon her brow Is cold, then hot, then cold, And sensing his benighted gaze, She trembles, less than bold. "Power," comes a whisper from Pinkie Pie. "Beauty and life: all the things he fears. You're so near, he's feeling his nothingness, Feeling how empty he's been for years." 2. She startles, then, when Pinkie lays A hoof upon her leg. "He knows you're strong, and in the end, He knows he'll hafta beg." For what? the princess can pretend She doesn't think at all. She stands and spreads her wings. "Perhaps We'd best pay him our call." Her tongue extending, Pinkie laps Up all remaining crumbs; She climbs aboard at Luna's nod, The air around them thrums, And Luna launches from the sod, Outracing ev'ry doubt To land sure-hoofed upon the stone Outside his foul redoubt. "It's nice!" says Pinkie. Luna's thrown: "Excuse me, Pinkie Pie. It's meant for his imprisonment." "You sure?" She squints an eye. Redwood trees, ten dozen and fully grown, Latticed together both good and tight: Curving, vaulted, massive, a palace-sized Palisade butting the mountains' height. 3. A bouncing Pinkie laughs. "The scent Of all this gorgeous pine! The dappled sunlight... Ooo! A stream! This place is mighty fine!" While Luna's glare's been known to steam The dew from off the grass, Against the wall of Pinkie's grin, It shatters like it's glass. But then a rumbling voice—"Come in."— Makes Luna gasp and freeze: Caressing, gentle, promising, The perfect summer breeze. "Is that—?" asks Pinkie, whispering. The princess somehow nods, Her words again all jammed inside Her throat like soiled clods. Unbidden, Luna's glance goes wide; It settles on the door, Half-hidden in the undergrowth, And sparks her inner war. Step on through? Bucephalus never could Squeeze himself out from a gap that small. Step on through?! That's absolute craziness! Sever your ties to him quick! That's all! 4. "The rules," says Pinkie, "state that both The breaker and breakee Must meet each other face to face Before you can be free." "The rules?" asks Luna. "There's a place Where these things are defined?" "Just in your heart." Then Pinkie taps Her head. "And in your mind." Another rumble: "If perhaps You fillies would allow, Your safety here in my domain I'll solemnly avow." "You what?!" A stab like real pain Makes Luna wince and glare. "You have no standing, prisoner! What right have you to dare—?!" "Ah, Luna." How it shivers her To hear him speak her name! And how revolting that she feels Affected by his game! "That's enough!" she bellows while blasting a Bolt from her horn to remove the gate. Striding through, she strives to maintain herself, Wants indignation displayed, not hate. 5. The space within the prison steals Her breath: the redwood beams Immense to keep the spell contained, So cavernous it seems. And there, his rocky hide unstained By dust or time or age, Bucephalus stands towering, Still locked within his cage. He isn't grim or glowering, Although the arrow clenched Between his teeth makes Luna think Of all the pain he wrenched— And suddenly, a fetid stink Invades the piney smell, A stench of fear and blood reborn; She rears and starts to yell: "You're nothing to me, Rage Forlorn, A blot I've cast aside! Begone from all my dreams and thoughts! I shall not be defied!" "Glorious," he whispers. "You're ev'rything I had remembered and so much more. Luna, please, accept my apologies; Grant me forgiveness, I do implore." 6. She tells herself of all the plots And schemes he might attempt, This one is simply juvenile, Too ragged and unkempt. But if it's true... A tiny smile Tugs squirming at her lips— When Pinkie bursts out into tears. "That's beautiful!" she drips. "You've pined here all alone for years Just waiting her return!" She jams a kerchief to her snout. "Oh, how your heart must yearn!" The princess stares, this turnabout Unnerving her a bit Especially when Pinkie turns On her: "You hypocrite! Remember those who had concerns Right after Nightmare Moon? But ev'rypony knows you now And sings a diff'rent tune!" Once again, the old inner argument: Save him? Impossible! Must it be? "Princess?" Pinkie holds up a hoof to her. "Step yourself back now; leave this to me!" 7. A bounce, and Pinkie bends a bow. "Hello, Bucephalus. My name is Pinkie Pie, and I'm So glad you met with us!" "Indeed." The statue seems to chime The word, its mouth unmoved. "It's nice to find my ancient name By some not disapproved." "I understand you like to game," Says Pinkie with a grin And something Luna thinks a wink. "And that you play to win." The statue's head with creak and clink Adjusts a slight amount. "I never lose," his voice declares, "At least in ways that count." "Terrific!" Pinkie further bares Her teeth. "And goodness me! The prize we're playing for today? The key that sets you free!" Gasping, frozen, Luna's eyes widening, Staring as out from her tangled mane, Pinkie pulls an object of blue and white, Holds it up, shivering Luna's brain. 8. "The puzzle stone." His words like clay Take shape upon the air And harden fast. "Where did you get—?! It's mine, you stupid mare! I've sought for centuries, have set My spies upon its trail Without success, and now you pull The thing from out your tail?! I'll kill you, you contemptible—!" A choking sort of gasp. "I mean," he goes on, soft and sweet, "I only wish to clasp—" "No more." The princess sighs. "Deceit Was ever your lifeblood." A flame inside her gutters low; She stomps it in the mud. "No more." She growls this time. "You show At last your one, true face! I thus dismiss you from my heart, This world, and ev'ryplace!" Luna flares her horn, and the puzzle stone Hurtles against him to crack the spell. "Here's your freedom! Let us confront ourselves, Settle the truth, and no more rebel!" 9. He splinters, scatters, bursts apart, His rough and stony skin Exploding in a storm of dust— But standing there within, Bucephalus, as dark as rust, As bloody red as Fate, Expels a snort, and lightning flares Around his armor plate. He shouts, his voice all trumpet blares: "Oh, how I've longed for this! To crush you after savoring One final, loving kiss!" The princess laughs unwavering, Her ev'ry sense alive. "But now I've seen you truly, dear! My kiss you won't survive!" He charges, roars, but Luna's fear Has vanished like the dew. She meets him solid as a fist, As righteous and as true. Time goes spinning, she and Bucephalus Dancing a galliard of fire and death. Battered, both, but when she decides they have Paid for their crimes, Luna takes his breath. 10. A roll of thunder, then she's kissed His cold, unmoving mouth, The storm that raged around their brawl Now clearing to the south. "I'm sorry," comes a gentle call, And Pinkie's standing there. "But now at least you'll start to heal. You've washed him from your hair." "Except," says Luna. "Was he real? When fighting, I could tell I made him move. I pulled his strings. I rang him like a bell." "Until you stopped it!" Pinkie sings, "'Cause now you've got no need! Forgive yourself and take the blame!" And Luna nods. "Indeed." But ev'ning's falling, clouds aflame And fading with the light. Together, then, they raise the moon, The Laughter and the Night. Friendship shines, a beacon of hopefulness, Sharing a burden to banish doubt. Here, two friends descending a mountaintop Quietly watch as the stars come out.
Book IFlame in torrents, blasting and echoing, Searing from Daylight's remorseless eyes: Night, her shackles holding the fugitive, Shivers, ignoring his jagged cries. 1. The dappled, drowsy afternoon Each evening without fail Allows herself to settle low, Her sun to dim and pale. Her blueness fades, and shadows grow, Relaxing gold to gray: Across Equestria, so fair, Another lovely day. It's then that ponies ev'rywhere Beneath the dawning night Watch silver spots bloom overhead, The stars' sweet glinting light. Content to rise like baking bread, The moon at last appears. Celestia responds with smiles While Luna laughs and cheers. The sisters dance, their diff'rent styles Reflecting diff'rent roles, And so the world around them turns While each pursues her goals. Oftentimes, the talons of history, Catching the world, spin it unaware: Past to present marching unstoppable, Crushing the future without a care... 2. At midnight's peak, a lantern burns And flickers through the dark From deep within her tower room When Luna strikes its spark. The palace slumbers like a tomb Around her and below As Luna rolls a parchment out Beneath the orange glow. Awash with dust, but there's no doubt: This scroll's the one she sought, Reviving in her memory When she and Tia fought To harness all the Harmony The Elements allowed And turned that strength upon a threat That held the nation cowed. So long ago it was, and yet, Defeating him at last, She'd always felt Bucephalus Would not stay in the past. Stony shape, so looming and thunderous, Haunting her dreamscape since she's returned, First to plant the dissatisfaction that Started her simmering, feeling spurned. 3. She hadn't wished to raise a fuss, So newly she'd arrived. Exchanging armor, black and cold, For plainer dress, she'd strived To reassure, had put on hold All complicated thoughts About the roots that caused her change: His whispered ropes and knots. Herself again, she would arrange Her face aright at dusk And act as if she'd never gone, Her heart a hollow husk. She'd greet her sister with the dawn, Excuse herself to bed, And stare at ceiling, floor, and wall, An itching in her head. For if she slept, that raspy call Would creep, would crawl, would creak, And Luna, mistress of all dreams, Would waken with a shriek. Shrouded, shadowed, whispering urgently, Never pursuing but always there, Dead, she'd hoped, for over ten centuries, Smoldering stallion of her nightmare. 4. At last, her patience snapped its seams: Unable to endure The daily onslaught, Luna looked For confirmation sure. Librarians she quickly booked From all of Canterlot To find the scroll she knew would hold The awful truth she sought. And now it lays outstretched, unrolled, Its basic meaning clear. A shiver rattles Luna's frame From cutie mark to ear. There's nowhere she can place the blame Except upon herself, And knowing that she has no choice, Her pride goes on the shelf. Despite the hour, she lifts her voice And asks: "Celestia? I'm sorry, but we need to talk For all Equestria." Ego cold and haughty's a luxury Luna decides that she can't afford: Lessons learned that lonely millennium, Fostering virtues she once ignored. 5. Awakening in quiet shock, Her sister, standing, speaks— "Of course! I'll be there straight away!"— As through the air she streaks. In Luna's room, she hears her say, "The name means much to us, But none among our ponies knows Of dread Bucephalus." "Bucephalus?" Her blinking shows Celestia's confused. "Some fifteen hundred years or more I'd call it since we used The Elements to slam the door Upon his stony face. I don't recall a prophecy That lets him leave that place." "The fault," says Luna, "lies with me Because—" She hesitates While deep within her swirling mind, They rage: the old debates. What to say? For nothing can come of it: Nothing, she's sure, that won't spawn regret. Still, the years that faithful Celestia Waited for Luna conferred a debt... 6. A sigh from Luna. "Please be kind. You know I've turned aside From all the petty jealousies That fueled my hate and pride. But when my heart began to freeze That day so long ago, It was Bucephalus, in fact, Who set my grudge to glow. Before he'd ever once attacked A village or a town, He courted me within his dreams, His touch as soft as down. Romantic in his ruthless schemes, His words rang sweet and pure As nightingales upon the wing, His whispers all allure. And I—" She chokes to say the thing. "I ate the filth he dished. Completely lost before we won, I fed him as he wished." Locked away, his voice emerged slithery, Knocking to enter her eager door. Centuries she listened and, festering, Burst into Nightmare with rage and roar. 7. In silence, Luna feels the sun Bestow a warm caress: "You loved him?" Luna heaves a snort. "I thought. But nonetheless, His plan, he said, involved a sort Of magic puzzle stone To free him, then Equestria Was ours to rule alone." "So why, then," asks Celestia, "Did he not follow through?" "You beat me." Luna gives a shrug. "There's nothing he could do." "Oh, sister..." With her gentle hug, Celestia forgives. But Luna sighs. "There's more. You see, Bucephalus still lives. Since I returned, he's called to me Each night from out his cell, Reminding me of promised deeds Both blasphemous and fell." Oh, the beast had captured her thoroughly, Spoken the words that she'd wished to hear. All she thought she wanted, he offered her, Wrapped in self-righteousness, pure and clear. 8. Her sister gasps, and Luna needs A momentary breath. "You're sure?" Celestia inquires. And Luna nods: "His death Entwines somehow with my desires. I've kept the brute alive Despite my knowing he's a fiend! I can't deny the drive To rescue what has been demeaned, To turn him from the path That so consumed his wretched soul, Enflaming him with wrath! It's hopeless!" "No." As hot as coal, That single burning word, And Luna stares, her sister's face So strong and undeterred: "There's always hope." Like steel lace— Unbreakable but soft— Celestia straightforwardly Sends Luna's heart aloft. Warmth, acceptance, love without attitude: Does she deserve it? She can't see why. Luna nods and nuzzles Celestia, Turns to the scroll with a teary eye. 9. "For here you'll find that prophecy You never knew." She flares The lantern brighter with her horn. "You'll see the way it pairs Bucephalus—'The Rage Forlorn,' It talks about at length— With me—'The Night Suspensible'— But also mentions 'Strength, The Element Insensible.'" She sighs and starts to read: "'The Element will gape the Door, The Strength the Night will need To clear the Way for Rage before The Lorn can lapse and rest.' Impossible!" She stomps. "So who's The one these words suggest? I've not found any other clues Which Element is meant! I've got to end this madness now Before my mind is rent!" Luna sags, Celestia holding her: "Ponyville beckons, I'd have to say. Trust our friends. They'll do what you need them to. Nap, then have breakfast, then on your way." 10. His whispering does not allow Much napping, but at dawn, The cosmos shifts from Luna's back: A kiss, and then she's gone. Unfurling wings despite a lack Of sleep, she soars among The fleecy clouds, the morning breeze A song too long unsung. Its perfect fit and heft appease Her inner turbulence, Caress her cares and raise a smile: Such tangy succulence! And so she travels, mile by mile, Until her fears recede. She's not alone. She does have friends To help in truth and deed. Alighting, then, her journey ends Outside of Ponyville. Determined—trust the Elements!— She starts on down the hill. Faith and reason, allies and enemies, Count on each other but argue, too. Love and hatred, friendship and apathy, Change under pressure to something new.
Book IISleepless Night, as dawn turns to morning, has Journeyed to Ponyville searchingly. Strength she seeks, a prophesied Element, Never before part of Harmony. 1. She covers without incidents The distance to the square. With nods for ev'ryponies' bow, She comes at last to stare Upon the door she thought by now Would surely be ajar: The library, the focal point, The township's shining star. But no. Instead, some signs annoint The door, both locked and closed. Gone camping, says the one, and then If Cheerilee's disposed, She'll open for the evening when The school bell's rung at last. Astonished, Luna stands agape, Displeasure mounting fast. A camping trip?! While snorts escape Her tightened, royal snout, Some pony calls: "Hey, princess! Hi!" Surprised, she whirls about. Watch yourself! Remember your dignity! Must be the princess and in control! Luna squints, then tries to stop squinting, and Ends with a face like a cranky foal. 2. Before her bounces Pinkie Pie, Her cotton-candy scent And gleaming teeth too sweet and bright For Luna's temper'ment. "Or is it you? It isn't night—" Her eyes start from her head. "Unless I'm dreaming and asleep! Let's see if I'm in bed!" She spins and trips, her sprawling leap Impacting nose to dirt. "Be careful!" Luna cries and flares Her magic. "Are you hurt?!" "Who, me?" The grin she always wears Shines up and down the street. "A little crashing into stuff Just makes the day complete!" "I'd never thought you quite so tough." The princess rubs her chin. "If I might share a bit of truth And speak to you within?" Up the street and into the bakery, Pinkie explains, "See, the girls all took Apple Bloom and Sweetie and Scootaloo Camping and star-gazing down the brook." 3. A sigh from Luna. "Yea, forsooth, It smells to me of fate That Laughter is the tool at hoof To help me conquer Hate." "Adventure?!" Pinkie shakes the roof. "So where?! And when?! And how?!" But Luna winces. "Please don't yell. In fact, it's here and now." "OK!" As clear as any bell, It tolls from Pinkie's throat. "And not just 'cause the rest are gone: I'll help you stay afloat!" Uncertain till another yawn Reminds her she's not slept, The princess sighs. "Then thank you, yes. Your aid I shall accept." She sternly points. "But not unless You understand the risk. We face a larger menace than Some simple basilisk." "'Basilisk'? Or do you mean 'cockatrice'?" Pinkie Pie blinks, and she cocks her head. "Monsters sure are totally int'resting: Almost as tasty as pumpkin bread!" 4. "Oh, no. They're not." The lengthy span Of centuries roll back, And Luna sees her monster clear. "The devastating track They cut through all you hold most dear, You never can forget, And list'ning to their honeyed words Will fill you with regret. They warble sweeter than the birds, And while you're so beguiled, They tear, they burn, they trample down: Destroying, still he smiled." "The monster?" Pinkie gives a frown. "I'm gonna take a guess: You're talking 'bout a pony, right? Is that it more or less?" "A pony monster," whispers Night, "Bucephalus by name Who reveled so in cruelty, He saw it as a game." Laughter huge, magnificent, horrible: Groaning, his victims lay bruised and bent. Luna stared, attracted repellently, Driven to action but hesitant. 5. "A game?" asks Pinkie, shrill with glee. "I'll show him how it's done! 'Cause being mean with games is wrong, The opposite of fun!" "Be certain, Pinkie," Luna's strong But quiet voice replies. "The games he plays cause ponies pain." "That proves it!" Pinkie cries. "I mean, I know you hafta train For hoofball and like that Unless you want the kind of aches That make you fall down flat." She waves a shaking hoof and takes A breath both loud and long. "But hurting ponies purposef'lly, I said before: that's wrong." The words emerge so forcefully That Luna's doubts disperse; She plants her hoofs and spreads her wings. "Then come! We'll break this curse!" Fickle Time records what it wants to and Buries the rest in the silent dark. Night, however, seeks to illuminate, Kindling the starlight with Laughter's spark. 6. "All right! Let's do this!" Pinkie sings. "Oh, wait." She bites her lip. "I kinda hafta work today: That's why I missed the trip." The princess stares. "You mean to say You must stay here and sell?!" A laugh from Pinkie. "No, I bake." Shouts Luna, "Very well!" An eldritch glow begins to take Possession of her horn, Expands to fill the bakery Like moonlight newly born. "Arise!" she cries. "I summon ye, All pastries from beyond! DeLuxe Moon Pies, eclairs, and scones! Enough to fill a pond!" Explosions shake the building's bones, And floods of goods appear While Pinkie spins: "The greatest thing That's ever happened here!" From the Cakes come blessings and puzzlement, Luna insisting she could make more. Pinkie grabs her pack and her tambourine, Pushes the princess right out the door. 7. "I'd guess we're not just wandering," Says Pinkie Pie, her mouth Half-full of powdered doughnut holes. "So! North or west or south?" "It's east, in fact." The duo strolls Across the bridge and out Along the road away from town. "He had his foul redoubt—" "His what?" An instant's shadowed frown, Then Pinkie's face goes bright. "You mean he had a bachelor pad? Too cool! He sounds just right!" The princess sputters. "Art thou mad?! A monster, pray recall, Was how I classified the brute! Dost listen thou at all?!" "I heard some fancy root-de-toot," Says Pinkie. "But that's far From saying monsters aren't your thing Like bad boys sometimes are..." Anger flaring, Luna controls herself, Starts to denounce him more fervently— Stops again, her tight throat constricting and Wedging her words up so they can't flee. 8. "Relationships can really sting," Continues Pinkie's voice, Unusual and quiet now. "You think you've got no choice. He's poison, yes; you can't allow His garbage in your head. But when he whispers sweet and low, You cling to all he's said. He tells you he can change, and so You let him hang around— Until it's your stuff he decides To sell off by the pound! A fling can be the best of rides, And love is great, I guess, But friendship's got to be a part! That's truth: no more, no less." She glances up, and Luna's heart, An iceberg in her chest, Explodes to life as Pinkie winks: "'Cause friendship, that's the best!" Blushes burn, transparently obvious; How can this one little pony know All her private secrets and shamefulness?! Shivering, Luna prepares to go. 9. She stretches out her wings and thinks She'll make this trip alone, Depart before her loss of face Can crush her like a stone. But Pinkie speaks: "That awful place: I've been there more than once. You've got to kick him to the curb When he's a stupid dunce." "You've been there?! But that's just absurd!" Conflicted, Night remains. "You're perfect innocence and joy! You can't have known such pains!" "You're sweet," says Pinkie, looking coy. "I always try my best. 'Cause if you break, that means he wins. But, hey! We're on a quest! No mopey talk!" She leaps and spins. "We've got a jerk to kick!" Infectious Laughter makes her smile, Makes Luna's tail flick. "Yes!" she shouts. "We'll stop him and censure him, Teach him a lesson most grim and dire!" Magic billows; Luna grabs Pinkie Pie, Bearing her skyward on sparkling fire. 10. With Pinkie on her back, each mile Proceeds till stroke of noon At which point Luna spies ahead The Mountains of the Moon. "Our journey's end," she says with dread. "And lunch time!" Pinkie adds. "I've peanut butter, hazelnut, Assorted goods and bads—" Here Luna spares a glance. "You what?" And there between her wings, A mini-smorgasbord is set In three concentric rings. The baker gestures. "Come and get! These cabbage rolls are grand!" "But how?!" cries Luna. Pinkie blinks. "You're right. You'd better land." The breezes play as Luna sinks And settles to the grass. A grin, and Pinkie offers her Some seltzer in a glass. Deep within these mountains, she senses him; Battlements looming, his traps await. Still, she smiles and nibbles some sandwiches, Confidence growing from small to great.
Book IIIHigh above, the sky stretches cloudlessly, Till to the east with a jagged smack, Mountains stab like claws bent on sundering: Luna observes them and eats her snack. 1. The luncheon passes in a blur Beneath that perfect blue, The grasslands rustling all around, And Luna rustles, too. When Pinkie swallows at one bound A dozen candied fruits, The princess laughs, a sound she's heard Compared to crystal flutes. Yet all the same, unease has stirred Through Luna from ahead, From where the Mountains of the Moon Lie cloaked about with dread. That voice, that silken little croon Bucephalus has used To touch her thoughts, is quiet now But still, she feels bruised. The sweat that starts upon her brow Is cold, then hot, then cold, And sensing his benighted gaze, She trembles, less than bold. "Power," comes a whisper from Pinkie Pie. "Beauty and life: all the things he fears. You're so near, he's feeling his nothingness, Feeling how empty he's been for years." 2. She startles, then, when Pinkie lays A hoof upon her leg. "He knows you're strong, and in the end, He knows he'll hafta beg." For what? the princess can pretend She doesn't think at all. She stands and spreads her wings. "Perhaps We'd best pay him our call." Her tongue extending, Pinkie laps Up all remaining crumbs; She climbs aboard at Luna's nod, The air around them thrums, And Luna launches from the sod, Outracing ev'ry doubt To land sure-hoofed upon the stone Outside his foul redoubt. "It's nice!" says Pinkie. Luna's thrown: "Excuse me, Pinkie Pie. It's meant for his imprisonment." "You sure?" She squints an eye. Redwood trees, ten dozen and fully grown, Latticed together both good and tight: Curving, vaulted, massive, a palace-sized Palisade butting the mountains' height. 3. A bouncing Pinkie laughs. "The scent Of all this gorgeous pine! The dappled sunlight... Ooo! A stream! This place is mighty fine!" While Luna's glare's been known to steam The dew from off the grass, Against the wall of Pinkie's grin, It shatters like it's glass. But then a rumbling voice—"Come in."— Makes Luna gasp and freeze: Caressing, gentle, promising, The perfect summer breeze. "Is that—?" asks Pinkie, whispering. The princess somehow nods, Her words again all jammed inside Her throat like soiled clods. Unbidden, Luna's glance goes wide; It settles on the door, Half-hidden in the undergrowth, And sparks her inner war. Step on through? Bucephalus never could Squeeze himself out from a gap that small. Step on through?! That's absolute craziness! Sever your ties to him quick! That's all! 4. "The rules," says Pinkie, "state that both The breaker and breakee Must meet each other face to face Before you can be free." "The rules?" asks Luna. "There's a place Where these things are defined?" "Just in your heart." Then Pinkie taps Her head. "And in your mind." Another rumble: "If perhaps You fillies would allow, Your safety here in my domain I'll solemnly avow." "You what?!" A stab like real pain Makes Luna wince and glare. "You have no standing, prisoner! What right have you to dare—?!" "Ah, Luna." How it shivers her To hear him speak her name! And how revolting that she feels Affected by his game! "That's enough!" she bellows while blasting a Bolt from her horn to remove the gate. Striding through, she strives to maintain herself, Wants indignation displayed, not hate. 5. The space within the prison steals Her breath: the redwood beams Immense to keep the spell contained, So cavernous it seems. And there, his rocky hide unstained By dust or time or age, Bucephalus stands towering, Still locked within his cage. He isn't grim or glowering, Although the arrow clenched Between his teeth makes Luna think Of all the pain he wrenched— And suddenly, a fetid stink Invades the piney smell, A stench of fear and blood reborn; She rears and starts to yell: "You're nothing to me, Rage Forlorn, A blot I've cast aside! Begone from all my dreams and thoughts! I shall not be defied!" "Glorious," he whispers. "You're ev'rything I had remembered and so much more. Luna, please, accept my apologies; Grant me forgiveness, I do implore." 6. She tells herself of all the plots And schemes he might attempt, This one is simply juvenile, Too ragged and unkempt. But if it's true... A tiny smile Tugs squirming at her lips— When Pinkie bursts out into tears. "That's beautiful!" she drips. "You've pined here all alone for years Just waiting her return!" She jams a kerchief to her snout. "Oh, how your heart must yearn!" The princess stares, this turnabout Unnerving her a bit Especially when Pinkie turns On her: "You hypocrite! Remember those who had concerns Right after Nightmare Moon? But ev'rypony knows you now And sings a diff'rent tune!" Once again, the old inner argument: Save him? Impossible! Must it be? "Princess?" Pinkie holds up a hoof to her. "Step yourself back now; leave this to me!" 7. A bounce, and Pinkie bends a bow. "Hello, Bucephalus. My name is Pinkie Pie, and I'm So glad you met with us!" "Indeed." The statue seems to chime The word, its mouth unmoved. "It's nice to find my ancient name By some not disapproved." "I understand you like to game," Says Pinkie with a grin And something Luna thinks a wink. "And that you play to win." The statue's head with creak and clink Adjusts a slight amount. "I never lose," his voice declares, "At least in ways that count." "Terrific!" Pinkie further bares Her teeth. "And goodness me! The prize we're playing for today? The key that sets you free!" Gasping, frozen, Luna's eyes widening, Staring as out from her tangled mane, Pinkie pulls an object of blue and white, Holds it up, shivering Luna's brain. 8. "The puzzle stone." His words like clay Take shape upon the air And harden fast. "Where did you get—?! It's mine, you stupid mare! I've sought for centuries, have set My spies upon its trail Without success, and now you pull The thing from out your tail?! I'll kill you, you contemptible—!" A choking sort of gasp. "I mean," he goes on, soft and sweet, "I only wish to clasp—" "No more." The princess sighs. "Deceit Was ever your lifeblood." A flame inside her gutters low; She stomps it in the mud. "No more." She growls this time. "You show At last your one, true face! I thus dismiss you from my heart, This world, and ev'ryplace!" Luna flares her horn, and the puzzle stone Hurtles against him to crack the spell. "Here's your freedom! Let us confront ourselves, Settle the truth, and no more rebel!" 9. He splinters, scatters, bursts apart, His rough and stony skin Exploding in a storm of dust— But standing there within, Bucephalus, as dark as rust, As bloody red as Fate, Expels a snort, and lightning flares Around his armor plate. He shouts, his voice all trumpet blares: "Oh, how I've longed for this! To crush you after savoring One final, loving kiss!" The princess laughs unwavering, Her ev'ry sense alive. "But now I've seen you truly, dear! My kiss you won't survive!" He charges, roars, but Luna's fear Has vanished like the dew. She meets him solid as a fist, As righteous and as true. Time goes spinning, she and Bucephalus Dancing a galliard of fire and death. Battered, both, but when she decides they have Paid for their crimes, Luna takes his breath. 10. A roll of thunder, then she's kissed His cold, unmoving mouth, The storm that raged around their brawl Now clearing to the south. "I'm sorry," comes a gentle call, And Pinkie's standing there. "But now at least you'll start to heal. You've washed him from your hair." "Except," says Luna. "Was he real? When fighting, I could tell I made him move. I pulled his strings. I rang him like a bell." "Until you stopped it!" Pinkie sings, "'Cause now you've got no need! Forgive yourself and take the blame!" And Luna nods. "Indeed." But ev'ning's falling, clouds aflame And fading with the light. Together, then, they raise the moon, The Laughter and the Night. Friendship shines, a beacon of hopefulness, Sharing a burden to banish doubt. Here, two friends descending a mountaintop Quietly watch as the stars come out.
