Music of the Night

Chapters

Music of the Night
Hear as the Outcast Hears
Stallion of Music
All I Ask of You
Mare of the Night Time
Masquerade
Preparations for the Opera
Night Mare, Triumphant
Finale
Epilogue
Help Me Make the Music
Ponyville Intermission

Music of the Night

A/N: Songfic ahead, be wary if you've not seen at least one version of the Phantom of the Opera.

Music of the Night (Part 1)

Twas a night like any other, a warm summer’s eve, in a place that perhaps you seen in your dreams.
It was another evening in Equestria and all through a pony town, it twas past time for ponies to be lying down.
All snug in their beds, warm and tired, even Pinkie Pie was in bed (no longer sugar-wired).
The stars not yet twinkling, for you see, Luna was looking at the sky, a pitch dark sea…

“It seems even a thousand years does not change the habits of ponies.” Luna sulked just a little. “They still do not appreciate our beautiful nights.” She flapped her wings open, her horn aglow with deeper magicks than most ponies could even dream of. Slowly, stars began to wink into existence and the moon began its ascent into the evening sky. The sun had been tucked away by Luna’s sister, Celestia, so it was her turn to look after all things heavenly. That meant bringing out the moon and aligning the stars just so. But with everypony asleep it hardly seemed worth it anymore. She sighed. This was the same sort of problem she’d felt a thousand years ago. Ponies playing and running about all day, and then lying asleep all night unappreciative of her beautiful starry nights. Atop that, a thousand years of being feared wasn’t exactly cured overnight. The recent success at Nightmare Night had been a substantial victory, but many ponies still feared her. “Was a thousand years exile not enough for our foolishness?” she mumbled, admiring the random plots of stars in the sky. Standing regal on the crest of the hill, she almost didn’t notice when somepony wandered past on the road, past some park benches and stopped under a tree. “Huhm?” she leaned a little, blink-blinking. The hour was late, who was that out wandering around thus?

He was a white colt, with an electric blue mane and black glasses on. The lenses were colored so darkly Princess Luna wondered how he saw anything at all in the night. She watched him find a good spot under a tree by the lake, seat himself, and heave a happy sigh. Someone enjoyed her night, perhaps? She NEEDED to go meet this pony! She approached noisily, her hooves clopping along as she sprinted down the hill to greet him. He whirled about, standing up. “Who’s that?” he said, his head veering in all directions.

“It is us.” Princess Luna said, standing plainly in the middle of the path. His head stopped veering around and his ears perked. His head cocked and he turned his head slightly to hear her more closely. “We saw you here beside the lake and wanted to say hello!”

“Oh, hello there.” He said carefully, hoofing at the ground lightly.

He didn’t seem to be looking at her directly, but past her. Luna briefly checked over her shoulder. Nothing there. Trying to be more sociable, even with one pony, she took a couple of steps forward. “Do you enjoy the stars?” her tone was a little obnoxious, but she was still getting used to speaking outside the normal Royal Canterlot Voice. She leaned forward as though upset with him, and he leaned back a bit. “Uhm,” she put a hoof briefly to her mouth. “The stars are nice, did you come out to see them?” she said much more sweetly, leaning back out of his face.

“Not exactly, no.” he smiled gently, his eyebrows bunching. “But I hear they’re nice.” He inclined his muzzle just a little, and his dark glasses slid down his face a bit. His eyes were milky and the color muted. Blind. He was blind.

“What brings the blind out into the summer night?!” Luna was shocked, approaching rapidly and peering at him with bold curiosity. “Thou couldst fall and get hurt or something!”

“I’m alright. Night time is actually the safest for me.” He said, smiling and pushing his glasses back up.

“What dost thou mean safest?” Luna’s wings folded down and she blink-blinked at him.

“Well, I can’t see so I have to rely on all my other senses to get around on my own.” He told her. “So, at night when it’s quieter and there are fewer ponies moving around, it’s easier for me to… see, the world. Y’know what I mean?” he gestured vaguely with his hoof, trying to explain. Luna was leaning to one side, looking at him from different angles. He didn’t appear to be injured or lost or anything of the sort. He seemed quite capable.

“Forgive us, we did not mean to insinuate that thou art helpless.” Luna said, her ears turning back.

He smiled at her rather broadly. “Well, thanks. It takes people a long time to realize that just because a pony has a disability, doesn’t mean they need to be coddled. My name is Cleff, what’s yours?”

Luna’s mind instantly raced. If she said she was Princess Luna, she would automatically be linked to the legend of the horror of Nightmare Moon, her evil incarnation. “Uhm… eh-ehrr…” the powerfully-voiced alicorn stuttered a moment.

Cleff cocked his head. “Well, you don’t hafta tell me if you don’t want. You’re probably some high-ranking official or something, right?” he sat on his haunches and turned his head towards the lake. The frogs and crickets serenaded the night.

“How didst thou KNOW?!” Luna demanded, her Royal Canterlot Voice slipping for a moment. The force of her voice made Cleff’s mane flap wildly. Her hoof jumped to her mouth. “Wh-what gave us away?” she asked a little more softly.

“The way you speak.” Cleff said, pausing briefly to scratch at his cutie mark. Adorning his flank was a circle, a dot, a circle, and another dot. Luna surmised perhaps it was brail, the written language of the blind. But surely his cutie mark, which was supposed to represent a pony’s talent, would not be a herald of his disability? That seemed unfair to him. But, she did not bring it up. “You sound like you’re talking to a crowd, or maybe in front of ponies of much lower rank. Not used to relaxing for five minutes?” he cocked his head, smiling gently.

Luna wilted a little, even her wings unfolding to droop on the ground. “Forgive us, we didst not mean to speak down to you, Cleff.”

He smiled, nodding. “Forget about it, you’re fine.” Cleff cocked his head at the barely audible sound of feathers on the ground. “So, out flying in the clear night, or just getting some air?” he said conversationally.

“I… uhm…” Luna thought fast. “Our work takes place at night, you see, when all the other ponies go to bed.”

“Ohh, I see.” He nodded sagely. “What do you do?”

“Wuh… weather.” It was an outright lie, but he seemed to believe her.

“Lots of Pegasus ponies work on the weather around Ponyville. I hear it’s the gem of the kingdom, outside Canterlet.” Cleff nodded. “It’s nice of you to keep thunderstorms away during the night. They would keep ponies awake, and they’d lose sleep.” He praised her. “It must be a thankless job, huh, since everyone else is asleep?” Luna blushed despite herself. Even through her web of lies he spotted some truths, this one!

“We look after as many ponies as we can. Whether they appreciate it or not.” There was some bitterness in her tone that even she heard, and she found herself sitting slowly. “Tell us about yourself, Cleff. We seem to have the night together.” She offered so that he would do the talking instead of her.

“Well, I’m DJ Pon-three’s little brother.” He said conversationally. “I’m musically inclined, but not like that pounding, deafening stuff she likes to play.” He shuddered. “When I can’t hear at all, I really am helpless, so I have to stay far away when she’s playing that stuff.” Luna had never heard of DJ Pon3, but nodded. Then she remembered he couldn’t see her nodding and sighed a little. “I sing, personally.” He said, smiling coyly. “I’m pretty good.”

“Thou dost?” Luna said, a little surprised. “Thou are?”

“Mhm. I sing the music of the night, sometimes.” His cheeks colored even as he said it. How lame did it sound to say out loud, even to a stranger?

“There is music for the night? We didst not know this!” Luna stood, leaning into his face with her mouth in a perfect o-shape. “Whilst thou share the music of the night with us, Cleff?!” it sounded almost desperate, but she really was very excited at such a concept. Imagine, a form of music just for her vocation! It was exciting!

“O-oh, okay.” He nodded slowly, a little put on the spot suddenly. “Can you… make a little breeze, here by the pond, weather-pegasus?” he asked her, gesturing in the vague direction of the whistling cattails. Luna bit her lower lip a little. Weather ponies controlled the clouds, not the wind currects. Well, if he was blind he probably didn’t know that. Concentrating a moment, she wavered the waters, and then the whistling cattails. They bent accordingly, and began to whistle. It was a good thing he was blind, or he would see her horn glowing. Cleff nodded his approval when a sweet melody slowly emerged from the plants. He stood upon the embankment of the pond, on a little flat rock that suddenly became his stage. His chest inflated with breath while Luna looked on, her magicks sparkling silently. With something simple like a phantom breeze, she could keep it up effortlessly for hours. She watched him do what looked like breathing exercises for a few moment, his frame moving in an up and down motion for a bit.

Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation.
Darkness wakes, and stirs imagination.
Silently the senses, abandon their defenses…

Cleff trailed off a moment, turning to the left and beginning a slow and easy walk. The tweeting crickets and night birds paused in their activities, positively mesmerized by the voice. Luna followed, rather slack-jawed for a princess of such high standing. His voice was haunting, practiced, whispy. She loved it instantly, and her wings flapping open in genuine excitement.

Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor.
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day!
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light!
And listen to the music of the ni-iiight…

Cleff’s vibrato was simply stunning. Luna felt heat blossoming hard in her face as he inclined her head to one side with a careful hoof. This was not just singing, but a performance with a partner intended. Opera? It was hard to tell. The cattails whistled spectrally along, and she followed him a bit closer. She was curious, and strangely light-headed. His voice was beautiful. She dared not speak while he pranced forward, behind a tree and then around it. His footing was unsure because of his blindness, but he made it around unscathed. All the owls looked upon the pair of them, halted in their hooting.

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to so-ooooooooar!

He was crescendo-ing and Luna felt her eyes go soft and wide in exhilaration. The final word was far higher in key than any colt had the right to be, and Luna felt her eyebrows jump. When he came back down to earth, he gave a shuddering whisp,

And you’ll live… as you’ve never lived… before.

She came near to him to hear better, leaning to take in all he would say. Luna could feel the twinkle of the stars, bits of magic escaping her control as she rode the jubilation of someone singing for the night. The thrill was immeasurable.

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you!
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you.
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind!
In this darkness that you know you cannot fi-iiiight…

Cleff steered her about the clearing and near the pond, around the trees and through the path. Like a dance between a snake-charmer and a flutist. He paused a moment for breath.

The darkness of the music of the ni-iiiiiight…

The princess followed Cleff about as though they were waltzing, entranced by his wonderful voice and its lovely lyrics. So true were they, his words of the night and their wonderful tune! She wanted to be nearer, and she stopped as he almost stepped into her. He read the sounds of her body language and stopped mere inches from her.

Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world,
leave all thoughts of the life you knew before!
Let your SOUL take you where you long! To be-eeeeee!

He was crescendo-ing once more, to the very mountaintops! Luna gasped in exhilaration, rearing up in her wordless joy. He held the note until the very foundations of the pond and surrounding area shivered. Luna fell to gasping, having been holding her breath throughout the held note. Her head drooped until it was almost to his level. They were nose to nose, almost.

“Only then— can you belong—to me.” He whispered, the vibrato bringing them back to earth, but the words backing Luna’s frame shiver.

Then the words registered and she jolted back to reality. She stood upright. “What?!”

Yanked out of the flow of his song, Cleff stutter-stepped. “H-whut?” he said, cocking his head back and forth blindly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! We are just… just…” there was a thundering in her stalwart frame, one of flushed excitement. “Thy song UPLIFTS US FROM SADNESS!” her Royal Canterlot Voice exploded back into being, and she reared up joyfully as lightning split the sky in a fantastic display. “MOST WONDERFUL OF NIGHTS!” She embraced him, throwing him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He let out of a squeaky toy sound when she squeezed, wiggling a little until she put him down.

“Th-thank you?” he said, trying to ignore the new chink in his back. Though he was blind, his eyes displayed dazzled swirls of dizziness.

The Next Day…

The street traffic of ponies was parting frantically, for a dark armored alicorn and twin guards walked among them. Trying to be regal and upright, Luna held her chin high and her eyes closed in the way that was only proper for royalty to do. She stopped in front of the only record store in Ponyville, Vinyl Scratch’s Beats. The place was not hard to find after Luna had asked enough palace staff about where one goes to find recorded music. That sort of thing hadn’t been around a thousand years ago, so she was especially excited to try out such an attractive idea. If music could be contained on a flat circle in all its magnificence, then surely it was just as wonderful as in real life.

Luna pushed the door open, regal as always. The scattering of ponies in the store turned, their pupils shrinking into terrified expressions. Princess Luna nodded at her twin guards and they stood on either side of the entrance to give her privacy. She stepped slowly among the aisles of records, CD’s and other devices. Frowning and quickly becoming overwhelmed at technology she’d never seen before, she went instead to the counter.

A white pony with an electric blue mane and purple rave glasses stood there, nodding to whatever was pounding in her headphones at the moment. When she spotted Luna she gasped in terror, the headphones falling off. “P-princess! Princess Luna!” she said, quavering and then sinking into a low four-legged bow.

Luna sighed inwardly. Still the commonfolk feared her. Well, she may as well give them what they wanted. “We have experienced the JOY OF THY SIBLING’S VOICE!” she said, pointing powerfully at her with a hoof. “WE WISH TO FIND A RECORDING, TO EXPERIENCE IT WHEN WE PLEASE!” she cuffed the counter a bit, spider-webbing cracks across it. “HAVE YOU SUCH A THING IN YOUR RECORDS!?”

Vinyl Scratch’s mane flapped about and the shop’s windows threatened to burst in the concussive force of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Uhm-m-m! You mean my brother C-Cleff? Sure th-thing!” She reached under the counter with her mouth, setting the desired record, wrapped and a little dusty, on the counter. Luna scanned the cover where, sure enough, the image of Cleff was there, beaming in his dark glasses.

“THIS PLEASES US! THANK YOU!” Luna dropped a small bag of bits, way too much for a single record, on the counter. She took her prize and spun about on her hooves, heading back.

“Th-th-thank you! Come again!” Vinyl Scratch stuttered, staring at the princess as she left, and then the bag that could no doubt buy an entire rack of records with ease. The bell above the door jingled, and the princess was gone. She watched the silhouette’s wings flap open, and the twin guards take off with her, gone.

Luna got home to the palace with her prize under her wing. When she got at last to her private chambers, guards stationed at her door as per usual, she unwrapped the record. It was a circular thing with tiny grooves up and down it on both sides. There was a hole in the middle, as though it needed to be mounted on something. She stuck the tip of her horn briefly into the hole, wondering if magic would activate it. No.

“Reveal to me thy secrets, record…” she murmured, turning it over and over as she lay on her belly on a cushion. She frowned, biting her lip. The packaging picture of Cleff smiled up at her brightly and she frowned back at him. “Did I miss something?” she pondered over the record and how to coax music out of it. Her royal temper was slowly bubbling up within her, for she was an alicorn easily frustrated by simple problems. Growling, she ignited her horn, ready to blast the record and make it play the music she so desired.

“Something troubling you, little sister?” The voice was feminine, and the horn-blast went off in Luna’s startlement! An arc of dark magic blasted across the room, hit a mirror, then shot out into the afternoon sky via the balcony windows. Luna turned, her face hot with embarrassment.

“Celestia…” she murmured, trying to fight down the heat in her entire face. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears. Her sister was elder and wiser, perhaps she would help. “I’ve acquired something amazing, big sister, please show me how it works!” she showed Celestia the mysterious record and all its grooved riddles.

Celestia smiled despite herself. “I keep forgetting that you’ve been away for a thousand years, little sister. Records are a relatively new invention, when you live as long as we do.” Her horn was alit with magic, taking both the record and its slip package with them. Celestia led the way to her own quarters, ponies parting the way as they travelled the hall. Luna and Celestia’s guards all four nodded to each other, still trying to get used to each other’s presence. When they arrived at Celestia’s room, she produced a record player from a closet and taught Luna how to use it.

Coaxing the record onto the tray and placing the needle just so, Luna turned the crank and waited anxiously with perked ears. Soon, after a bit of crackling, Cleff’s voice emerged from the horn and Luna beamed happily! Childish wonder poured from her and she pranced a bit, until she saw Celestia staring at her with a bemused expression. She calmed down, going and standing under her sister’s wing. They nuzzled each other affectionately, then sat upon a big cushion to enjoy the music of the night while the afternoon wore on.

End of Part 1

Hear as the Outcast Hears

Music of the Night Part 2: Hear as the Outcast Hears

It had been several months since Princess Luna had met Cleff by the pond. Though he’d never learned her identity, it did not keep them from meeting over and over to share the music of the night. By day, Luna pined for his beautiful voice with her records, and by night they shared real music together. She’d even taken to borrowing her sister’s record player on a somewhat permanent basis. Celestia allowed this, happy that her sister had found a passion to bring her happiness. Though, she did not know of her night time friend.

Cleff heard some weeks later that Princess Luna herself had heard of his singing voice, and had stopped at his sister’s music shop to buy his record. After the public heard about this, his popularity exploded and many other ponies wanted to hear him sing as well. So few had ever even heard of opera, much less given it a chance if they had. But, when a princess of the realm sought a specific musician by name, the public definitely noticed, and wanted to hear it for themselves. Now Cleff had an entire rack in his sister’s music store devoted just to him. He’d laughed when some ponies asked for his autograph and pushed a record into his hooves. He didn’t exactly know how to write, being blind and all. So, he’d gotten an ink pad and used his hoof to substitute as a signature. It was certainly an exciting time to be Cleff, being such a sudden success.

It took all his stealthy skills to sneak away in the night and not be spotted by anypony, much less to make it all the way out to the pond to meet with his shadowy friend the weather pegasus. He had a feeling it was through her that Princess Luna had learned of his voice, but didn’t ask about it. One did not look a gift pony in the mouth.

What’s more, she wanted to learn how to sing as he did. She’d blind-sided him with the request perhaps two months ago, but with her Canterlot accent and apparently powerful lungs, she had a serious talent for opera. The only thing was to do it in small doses, so they didn’t rouse everypony in a three mile radius in the dead of night.

Finally arriving at his destination, hearing the lapping of the still pond, Cleff perked his ears. Even the slightest sound or scent would tell him where she was. The warm summer night caressed him nicely, and he called out, “Hullo? Are you there?”

“We are here.” The voice was hers and he smiled, coming towards it and moving carefully along the path until he judged her near to him. “It pleases us to see you again, Cleff.” The voice was affectionate.

“Glad to be here.” He smiled, moving his face around into a winking motion. She giggled lightly. “It’s been a little crazy lately.” He smiled embarrassedly, cocking his head to one side. “Vinyl Scratch says that she’s going to expand the music shop soon to include more instruments and stuff, since my records have been selling so well.”

“Dost thy sibling not allow you the money thy voice earns?” she sounded surprised.

“Oh yes, but most of it goes to running the business and making sure bills get paid and such. Running a shop’s not cheap!” he said, chuckling and seating himself when he thought he was on flat ground. The ruffling of feathers said that she was seating herself near to him. Something had always puzzled Cleff, though. The sounds she made were always much higher up than they should have been. Either she was always hovering, or she was much, much taller than almost anypony. He considered, not for the first time, trying to put his arm around her. But knowing his luck and her height, he might end up grabbing her butt and that was no good.

“We wonder, Cleff, if further practice would be suitable for tonight?” she asked him, hopeful.

“Sure thing! Have you been doing your scales like I told you?” Cleff said, turning and smiling past her shoulder.
She nodded, but then stopped herself and said, “Er— yes. We have been doing our best.” She sounded embarrassed. Princess Luna had tried many times to do musical scales with her voice, and had blown out half the windows in the palace in the process. The Royal Canterlot Voice was simply too powerful. So, instead, she’d been trying to learn to keep her voice down while still working on her voice. Celestia had gently forbade her to use all of her might within the palace, for the sake of Canterlot’s peace of mind. No one wanted to be awoken in the middle of the night to see the windows of the palace explode like they were under attack.

“What are we in the mood for?” Cleff said, playfully emulating her plural-proper and accent.

Princess Luna chuckled a little. She liked Cleff. It was his blindness that saved her from yet another fearful pony shrinking away from her in terror at the memory of Nightmare Moon. Or maybe that he was not quick to judge her when she refused to even give her name, nor did he pursue it after they’d become close friends. In the night, names and identities never seemed to matter to either of them. One was a voice in the dark, and the other was an unconditional friend. Both brought comfort to the other. “Perhaps something— slower, tonight?” she said, not wanting to shake the mountaintops that particular night. He nodded, gesturing lightly. She sat upright and regal as he’d taught her, closing her eyes in concentration. Her throat had grown much, much stronger since she’d started taking his lessons, and considering the power of her voice beforehand that was saying something. She did breathing exercises while he listened, nonsense do-re-mi’s that meant little other than to work one’s voice a little before a proper song could be sung. One of Cleff’s first lessons was to ‘respect the material.’ A serious singer never simply burst into song in opera. It took warm-up time. After a few minutes, he bade her to stop.

“Go ahead.” Cleff whispered, ears up and perked forward. Luna whisped out a breath, before inhaling to begin. Sitting there on the pond’s edge, she serenaded him with a silky tenderness:

No one would listen
No one but him
Heard as the outcast hears

Cleff shifted a little, quietly. There was a certain sadness in her voice. This reached beyond a normal song. Certain things could only be sung with the proper mood. His nameless friend was reaching into some personal issue to pull such tones from her heart.

Shamed into to solitude
Shunned by the multitude
I learned to listen
In my dark, my ears heard music

He felt heat rising in his face as he quickly connected the dots. It was for him. To him, she sung. Not just any song. Why would a weather Pegasus always be out in the dead of night, fixing clouds? He’d not wondered it up until now, but it suddenly struck him as odd. Weather hardly needed controlling at night, beyond the violent storms. Was she somehow punished to roam the night alone? Was that how they’d met? It took an opera singer to peer so deeply into the heart of somepony else’s lyrics.

I longed to lead the world
Rise up and reach the world
No one would listen
I alone could see the nighttime.

So she was someone important. Surely not a simple weather pegasus with such thoughts. He did not know what to make of his friend. Though her pitch, vibrato, and voice were perfect, he sensed a certain torment there. Someone reaching out to meet the public, obviously, because of her high station, but… rejected? He knew of no such scenario. What sort of high-ranking pony would be rejected by all the world around her?

Then at last; a voice in the gloom
Seemed to cry “I hear you;
I hear your fears,
Your torment and your tears.”

She sang of their first meeting, which touched him deeply. Cleff had no idea he was so important. Luna was scaling slightly higher than she’d revealed to Cleff before. It was a more feminine tone, rather than a more powerful one. She was reaching higher in the notes, rather than higher in volume (which had taken her weeks and weeks to master). Sitting so close to her, he could almost discern the quiver of her body from the blades of grass around them on the embankment.

He saw my loneliness
Shared in my emptiness
No one would listen
No one but him
Heard as the outcast… hears.

The last word was a lump in Princess Luna’s throat and she almost lost the note entirely. The quiver in her belly had worked its way up to her throat, ruining her song. She bowed her neck down, tilting her head until her bangs shadowed her face. She’d gone too far. It had been too personal, and now she’d embarrassed herself. “F-forgive us, Cleff. Music should not make us weep, especially that which we make ourselves.”

Cleff sat deep in thought for a long time. Then, he cocked his head and turned his face towards her. “No. Just the opposite.” He heard a small sniffle from her. Sidling over until they were mildly pressed together, he at last got a good judgment on her height and size. She was roughly twice as big as he! Speaking softly, he tried his best to make it look like he was looking into her eyes. Not quite, but close enough to get the meaning across. “When you can weep over a song, it means you’ve embraced music entirely.” He whispered to her.

“Wh-what does this mean to us, then, Cleff?” Luna said, arching her neck like a swan’s to look at him.

Cleff’s black glasses slid down a bit on his face and he gave her his most dazzling smile. “It means you’re a singer, friend. That’s all.” He then braced hard, and sure enough:

“MOST WONDERFUL OF NIGHTS!” Blasted across the pond, made a handful of trees groan and bend, and scared away every woodland creature for miles around. Leagues away Fluttershy woke with a startled yip, having no idea what had disturbed her. Luna sprung up upon her legs, trotting back and forth like a filly that had just graduated from school. Cleff chuckled, a little pink in the face.

“Oh by the way, I wanted to share some news with you.” He said a little shyly, turning to work his nose into his saddlebag. “I’m going to be singing at the Royal Opera House in a few weeks.” He showed her what he was sure was a flyer. Luna studied it with a great smile. “I’ve gotten so popular, I get to perform before royalty!” Princess Luna suddenly gave a start. Upon the flyer, in the left and right corners respectively, were pictures of herself and Celestia. “The princesses always go out of their way in their busy schedules to do something cultural every week, and that week it’ll be me on stage!” Cleff said jubilantly.

Luna’s stomach turned knots. It was true, she and Celestia often went to plays, dinners, and all manner of other events each week. To remind ponies they were not just god-like beings who persuaded the sun and moon to move about the sky, but a part of the society they ruled together. Celestia was trying to get Luna at least somewhat back into the public eye as a normal member of the royal family. And since the family had only two members, it was very important. “Oh my.” She said at last, unable to form a clear sentence.

“I told them I would only do it on one condition.” Cleff smiled at her conspiratorially, then shoved his face into his bag again. Turning about with a snap of his neck, he presented Luna with a glowing golden ticket! “I got you a box seat!” he said. “High, and near to the stage! Box five!” he said, presenting it to her. Luna took it with shaking hooves. Ohhh, this had all gone so suddenly and horribly wrong. Princess Luna could not be in two places at once, much less hide her identity from Cleff. She would need to be in the royal opera box and in box five? She gulped.

End of Part 2

Stallion of Music

Music of the NIght Part 3: Stallion of Music

Tonight was the night. Luna was seated next to her sister and co-ruler, Princess Celestia. The Royal Opera House was filling up slowly with the cream of the crop of Canterlot, the grandest city in Equestria. “You seem a little jittery tonight, Luna.” Celestia said with a tinkling chuckle. Luna smiled nervously. “I know you are a big fan of tonight’s main performer. What was his name, again?” she said.

“Cleff. His name is Cleff, and his is a talent above the others.” Luna said, her ears wilting back as she leaned on the lip of the opera box. She stared expectantly down at the maroon curtains. The show was far from starting, but she was very anxious to see him perform on stage. When she thought Celestia was not looking, she chanced a glance over at the shadowy box five. Her ticket had dictated that she be there, but her royal duties put her in the royal box. She squinted at the figure she’d set up there.

Princess Luna’s twin royal guards were seated, one on the other’s shoulders, in the singular seat in box five. There were thick, thick curtains of privacy around three of the box’s edges. Anypony in the audience that peered up into box five would only see a large figure watching the show. One grunted at the other as a hoof found an eyeball. How embarrassing was this?! But, the Princess of the Night commanded it, so here they were. What exactly one was supposed to accomplish stacking one bat-winged stallion atop another in an opera house seat was anypony’s guess. If Cleff were to ask anyone if box five were occupied, they would look up and see a figure in the dark, surely his nighttime friend.

Below, in the crowd, sat a pair of Ponyville ponies. Rarity and Twilight Fluttershy. It was a rare occasion for them to be in Canterlot, much less doing anything that was for neither woodland creatures nor selling dresses. But here they were, coming to an opera for the first time! How exciting! Rarity looked about with a great big smile plastered over her face. High society was just fantastical for her, and she enjoyed every moment of it. Fluttershy ooh’d and ahh’d at all the golden statues of ponies supporting the ceiling and buttresses of the massive auditorium. This had to be the biggest, fanciest place she’d ever been in.

The lights were beginning to dim, and everypony was struggling to their seat in the packed house. Up in the royal box, the lights flared briefly. Celestia and Luna rose, smiling down upon the crowd as was tradition, giving their silent blessing as everypony bowed before them. They loved that the princesses came to public events like the opera. It kept them current, and visible to the masses. Celestia gave a kind gesture with her hoof and the lights around the royal box began to fade out until they were in shadow. Luna’s pupils expanded hard, used to the blackness. “How exciting!” Princess Celestia said in earnest. “I am glad we found something we can both enjoy together, little sister.” She nuzzled Luna with sisterly affection. “Music is such a wonderful thing to be passionate about.”

“Yes… yes it is.” Luna said vaguely, sitting as regally as she could on their cushion and waiting torturously for the curtain to part. Celestia’s twin guards smiled privately from their posts at each other. It was healthy for their princess to have an equal at last, to be social and pal around with. Her subjects loved her dearly, but fell over themselves to please her far too often. Luna’s return was a very healthy thing for everyone involved.

Below, Fluttershy and Rarity whispered excitedly together. It was their first high society opera. Sure, there were plays in Ponyville now and then, but certainly nothing on this scale. “Just think darling, this Cleff fellow is the main attraction, and he’s from quaint little Ponyville!” Rarity gossiped with her friend, who giggled good-naturedly and nodded. Rarity peered at Cleff’s grinning face from the show program pamphlet. “I’ve not had the opportunity to hear him sing, but if the local spa gossip is to be trusted then perhaps he’ll bring a bit of small-town flavor to the high society of Canterlot!” she was chirping like an over-excited bird, just happy to be there amongst all the nobility and high-breeds.

“Oh my, it’s so nice to know there are success stories like his from Ponyville.” said Fluttershy as they finally settled into their seats while the remainder of the lights went down. Suddenly the orchestra STRUCK up, startling the audience into growing applause. Fluttershy gasp, clutched her chest, and nearly fell out of her chair like a fainting goat. Rarity fanned her with the program until she recovered. The curtain slowly parted.

A white stallion with an electric blue mane stood alone on the stage. Sharply dressed in a suite and bowtie with costume make-up and prop sword on his hip, he bowed and the audience clopped their hooves on the floor more loudly. His cutie mark was that of two circles and two dots. He smiled dazzlingly. Rarity’s eyes sparkled. It was music, there on his flank. The sign meant ‘ten beats’ to any who could read in three-quarter time. It meant his talent lay in holding notes for a long time, long and loud. She shuddered with excitement. He was so handsome! Fluttershy caught her not-quite-drooling, and playfully reached over to close her hanging jaw. Rarity’s face colored and she sank into her seat.

The show began. It was the story of a stallion who fell in love with a pony obsessed with knowledge and books. When he pursued her, she wrote her name and address in a book for him to find, so he spent ages searching high and low in an entire city. He found the book by fate, and eventually reunited with her. His test completed, he was able to declare his love and live happily ever after. The reading part drew a few chuckles since Cleff himself was blind, but nopony dared point it out. He moved about the stage with practiced ease, and his voice rang loud and true. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. High society ponies in the audience wept into handkerchiefs, and one of Celestia’s guards gave a noticeable shudder of emotion as the play ended out with a wedding, as all good comedies do. When the final note was sung and finally cut out, the audience leapt to its hooves with thunderous applause! Thousands of stomping hooves rolled back and forth through the rafters, screaming their love for the talent that was Cleff.

A few flowers fell from here and there, offerings to Cleff and his grand musical talent. Rarity pulled a rose from her saddlebag and tossed it. It wafted past Cleff’s nose by pure chance and he bent to pick it up in his teeth. His glasses slid down his muzzle a little, revealing his milky eyes as he tried to wiggle his eyebrows at whoever had thrown the rose. Rarity got more than a few laughs and approving gestures from other ponies. Even Fluttershy was grinning widely as Rarity put her foreleg over her forehead and made a swooning motion.

High, high above, Princess Luna glared directly at Rarity with all the fury of a thousand cold full moons. Celestia eyed Luna silently, blink-blinking. It took ages for the applause to die down, and by then she’d swept from the royal box and away. Celestia looked at her armored guards, who shrugged a little after a moment.

The rest of the opera’s cast came forth to stand in a long row and bow. The audience grew thunderous again, roaring their approval for the grand art of the opera. Meanwhile, over in box five, the two guards collapsed into a heap of flailing hooves and out of sight, exhausted. They did not see Luna leave, nor the whispy cloud formation of her fast-travelling form.

=-=-=-=

Cleff was laughing good-naturedly as he was swarmed by fans and fillies of all smells and voices and presences. Though he could not look upon the beauty of the denizens of Canterlot, all his other senses told of the soaps, the sprays and manicures, all the attention taken to make everything perfect and beautiful. It was entoxicating. He finally made it to his dressing room with an audible, “Whew!” It was a good thing security was so good in the royal opera house. No one would bother him here.

Cleff found the basin and began to wash off all the make-up he’d been caked under. One thing they didn’t tell you about performing in opera was that there were tons and tons of make-up artists to work on you. If you character was mostly happy, your face would be painted to look obnoxiously happy so that even the poor ponies in the BACK rows could see the smile. Up close it looked ridiculous, though. He didn’t want to wear the make-up, but it was all a part of appearances. Or so he was told. He dunked his face a few times, then pawed around for the scrubbing cloth.

“Here you are, dear.” A feminine voice said to him, making him jump when a cloth pressed to the side of his face.

“ACK! Who’s there?! Who’re you!?” Cleff yelped, cocking his head back and forth. Why had he not sensed her when he came in? Well, his head had been clouded with the perfumes and such of all the other adoring fans that had crowded around him as he’d left…

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you darling.” She sounded apologetic and genuinely sorry. He relaxed a little. “I just wanted to come and compliment you, and tell you I’m EVER so excited to see someone from Ponyville making a big name for themselves here in Canterlot.” The tone was certainly excitable, but the carefully hidden accent was still there in the underlying tones. Ponyville, a pony from ponyville, where he was from.

“Do I know you?” he ventured, wiping his face and trying to examine her a bit more closely. “Your voice… you’re from Ponyville right?”

“Oh course, darling! A friend and I came to see you sing here at the Royal Opera House!” She said. “My name is Rarity, and your voice is simply divine!”

Cleff was understandably flattered. Forget the faceless crowds of high society. The strangers he would never know, cheering for him on singular nights when he got lucky enough to perform before the high breeds. Here was some-filly from back home, come all the way from Ponyville to see him. “Th-thank you, Rarity. It’s nice to hear from somepony who’s from back home.” He smiled brightly.

Rarity’s voice caught a little when she saw her tosses rose cradled in his lapel. “You kept my rose…” she said in a small voice, and both of them blushed at each other. He nodded silently. “Say Cleff, uhm…” she looked to one side, then summoned up her courage to speak again. “Would… would perhaps you like to join me for the evening meal? My friend Fluttershy has already retired for the evening, and the night life in Canterlot can’t be missed on a short visit like this!”
Cleff cocked his head. She was so direct. He wasn’t sure he liked it. But then he remembered. Would he rather hang out with ponies who did not know him, or perhaps find time to be with a seemingly attractive philly from his own hometown? He tilted his head a little, working the thought in his mind. Although it was crude to say something like ‘local flavor’, he did think it was a better idea to fraternize with females from his own hometown, than the high and mighty pedigree of Canterlot. Finally, his beaming smile worked its way up his muzzle and he bobbed his head a few times. “That sounds good! Alright Rarity, let’s do it!”

“Excellent!” Rarity bounced a little, so excited! “I’ll order a carriage for us, you get washed off and I’ll come back to get you. Ten minutes, dear Cleff!” she tagged dear onto the end of the sentence like a tone of affection. He decided he liked it. What stallion did not like sudden feminine attention after such a triumph over the masses. A local girl, no less! He smiled wider and wider after he heard to door shut. He scrubbed his face animatedly, his haunches bouncing up and down excitedly. This opera thing was really going places for him!

The candles and lights in the room flickered. Cleff could only tell this because he was sensitive enough to feel the heat of each tiny flame. He stopped midway in drying his muzzle as his ears perked forward. It was quiet. Too quiet. His milky eyes darted back and forth, and he recovered his dark glasses so that he felt a little more presentable. He turned about, listening. Nothing. He could not smell a second intruder, but he certainly sensed a heavy presence. “H… hello?” he said timidly, his voice a little tired after the powerful opera.

INSOLENT mare this slave of fashion!
Basking in your glory!
Ignorant FOAL this brave young suitor!
Sharing in your tri-ummmph!

A familiar and angry singing voice rolled through his room like thunder and Cleff shuddered. His night time friend, from the pond on the meadow. His mouth was a little agape. Where was she? He could not pinpoint her voice, it seemed to be everywhere in the room. If Cleff could see, he would’ve spotted the swirling, sparkling cloud of darkness hovering around the ceiling of his dressing room. Princess Luna’s gaseous form.

Cleff’s face was apologetic and his ears wilted down. How could he have forgotten so quickly, his practicing partner and close friend from Ponyville. They sang together at least once a week, and all it had taken was a single successful show to turn his head towards another bit of flank? No, no, he could pick what he wanted, thank you very much. But… but surely he owed part of his success to his nameless partner? The mare of the night?

Night mare I hear you, speak, I listen
Stay by my side, guide meee—
Night mare my will was weak, forgive me
Enter at last, mistress---

He sang back to her, wilted and bowing low on his front knees. He’d gained in strength and volume because of trying to emulate the thunderous voice of his nameless pegasus friend. How could he have turned her aside so quickly? Guilt washed over him and his face saddened. The returning voice was bemused and accepting, brimming with soothing confidence—

Flattering stallion you’ll know me
Feel why in shadow we hi-iiiide
Feel the face here before you
I am there, be-siiiide!

Large, gauntleted hooves stuck the floor as a large pony landed. Cleff startled, rearing a bit. When he came back down, he was hooked onto the shoulders of a larger pony. At least twice his size. She was big, so very big! And not in a way meaning fat, she was simply a larger pony. Not built like a stallion, but just… just… a larger version of any normal mare he’d ever touched. Yes, yes this was her. The scent, the voice, it was as though she’d materialized out of a whisp of smoke (which, she just so happened to have). His hooves slowly embraced her.

Night mare of music, guide and guardian,
Grant to me your glory-yyyy
Night mare of music, hide no longer,
Speak to me, strange pony-yyy

Cleff shivered as he continued with her, the odd duet that carried their frustrations with each other’s identities and actions. With no eyes to guide him and his hooves quite full, he leaned with a slow and timid grace. Luna closed her eyes as he dared to nuzzle her. He took the submissive position, his head under her chin, apologetic. His cheek then explored her face, taking in the features in a slow, almost erotic way. She let out a quiet and happy sigh, leaning down to make it easier. There was a long silence as heat slowly worked its way into both of their faces.

Suddenly, a firm knocking came at the door, it was Rarity come to collect Cleff for their evening together. “Cleff? Who’s is that voice?” The doorknob JERKED itself into the locked position by magic as Luna glared daggers at the door. A black mist secreted from her eye sockets, barely contained godly rage. It was all she could do not to blow it off its hinges and end the pony behind it for good. She was an obstacle, and already she was starting to make Luna angry. “Who is that in there? I hear voices!”

Cleff’s head was turned towards the door, and Luna could sense her grip on him slipping. She leaned, pulling his head to her breast briefly. Then, she backed off just a step with her hoof out, careful to scuff it along the floor to make sure he picked up the body language.

I am your pony of musi-iiiic
Come to me stallion of musi-iiiiiic…

If the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice could whisper sensually, this is what that tone would sound like. Cleff turned his head one way, then the other. The mysterious mare of the night? Or Rarity, the pony he’d just met and wanted to take him to dinner? There were a few powerful moments of silence while Luna stood there with her hoof out to him.

Slowly, gently, Cleff’s hoof reached out to hers. Luna smiled darkly. By the time Rarity gathered the sense to use magic to unlock the door and go in, the two of them were gone. The pale unicorn peered around in confusion. “Cleff…?”

End of Part 3

All I Ask of You

Music of the Night Part 5: All I Ask of You

The winter cold had driven Cleff from the pond and the meadow, especially after dark. The mare of the night was scarce as well, having promised to return when the weather was warmer so their rituals could continue. She’d promised to wait for him, and he’d shakily agreed. After the night in the din of the cave they’d scarcely seen one another, and the silence was a quietly bubbling cauldron of want to Princess Luna. Two or three months had passed, and the chill of winter was at its height. Winter Wrap-Up wasn’t for another month.

Celestia noticed her sister’s happiness. Luna walked with a certain bounce in her flanks, ate with more gusto, gave honest hugs more often when Celestia was near… it was odd, but a welcome development. Perhaps Princess Luna was finally settling down and becoming the joyful princess of the night once more?
Luna kept commanding more and more cloudless nights to the weather pegasi, and the moon and stars shone like never before. Brilliant meteor showers drove the star-gazing community wild with love for her. She walked the streets of Canterlot some nights with an undeniable smile plastered across her royal muzzle. She even earned a few less-than-stellar rumors about her private guards in the process (they WERE always together, perhaps something gossip-worthy was happening in her royal chambers? Oh my!). The Royal Canterlot Voice appeared less and less, though it did occasionally pop up in her enthusiasm for life. She was, for lack of any better words, very very happy. “What is this?” She stopped at a fancy toy store, her nose pressed to the window.

Both of her bat-winged guards peered in at the display. They squinted through the glare. There were little pony dolls of Celestia and Luna in the window. Fully posable and certainly cute to look at. The princess threw her head back and laughed gaily, which drew more than a few looks from the ponies on the street. Shaking her head, she gestured for her guards to continue to follow her. She treated them more like ponies these days, and less like accessories she could never escape from. It was royal law to have at least a pair of guards with her at all times (as though anypony could harm a goddess), but she treated them with smiles and even little gifts now and then. One of them looked at his twin, raising a silent eyebrow. He shrugged. Their charge was like a blushing school filly, but it wasn’t exactly a bad look for her. Whatever shift that had caused her amazingly good moods, they weren’t about to question it.

Meanwhile in the palace, Princess Celestia looked down from on high with a loving smile. Perhaps her sister was beginning to adjust to modern life in Equestria after all. And if the local populace saw her cantering down the cobbled streets of the city laughing like a filly, perhaps they would be less afraid of her. All the better. She nodded with quiet approval.

That night at dinner, Luna talked animatedly about everything she’d seen that night. To Celestia, it was like having a second Twilight Sparkle telling her about the city of Canterlot and all its sights. Though the sun princess knew the city like her own hooves, it was wonderful to hear Luna talk in great length about the citizens and the going-ons. “I was also thinking of something, sister.” Luna said, pausing for a moment for reflection. Celestia smiled with interest. “Perhaps, since it is another month before Winter Wrap-Up celebrations begin, we might have a ball at the palace, just to keep spirits high in the cold weather?”

Celestia gave a laugh that resembled a tinkling wind chime. “You say that like you need my permission, sister. This is your home too.” She gestured to the sweeping ceiling and massive columns on either end of the royal dining room. “If you desire such a thing, put it together and put our staff to task. I’m sure they would love the very thought of you heading such a grand event yourself.” The sun princess watched the smile on her sister’s face grow and grow until it tugged hard at her eyes and she bounced a bit on her sitting cushion. Her eye flicked to the two bat-winged guards, whose mild smiles vanished into the at-attention-stare the moment they felt the eyes of royalty on them. Celestia smirked just a little, nodding and returning to her food.

“Why, I could probably even deliver a few of the invitations personally!” Luna elated.

=-=-=-=

Cleff awoke in Rarity’s bed. Stirring lightly, he flicked his ears a few times to waken them and start up the blood flow. The mare pressed innocently into his chest gave a slow sigh of waking when his weight shifted. “Mmmhh, Cleff…?” she whispered, eyes slowly lidding open. He smiled, stroking her face to admire her beauty again.

After returning from Canterlot, Cleff had been gently pursued by Rarity and with the mare of the night all but gone… it had not been a hard decision to drift towards the dressmaker. She was kind, gentle, and sensitive to him. She was also very generous, and upright. He adored her. They’d spent many evenings together, often with her head to his breast while he quietly serenaded her under the harsh shadows of the colder nights. It had been a hush-hush relationship since Cleff was relatively famous, and Rarity did not want either of them to be a source of public gossip. But, it hadn’t taken more than the second month together before word got out that Cleff was often seen around her dress shop. Since he obviously wasn’t buying dresses, that only meant one other thing since Rarity wasn’t the sort to make a stallion’s garb.

Ponyville, quiet little town that it was, accepted the new couple and many eagerly anticipated the idea of their joining. Though rumors ran rampant of their being lovers already, a proper wedding would be a joy to the town like any other. The denizens chuckled at seeing either of them walking on the street, especially any member of the mane six when they spotted Cleff. Then, one day, an engagement circle had appeared around Cleff’s neck like a hoop of gold. It hung from a little chain about him, pressed to his chest with a quiet sort of romantic gleam. He would wear it on his hoof when they were married, but for now it showed off that he was no longer on the market. The rumor mill went into overdrive for a week, given that Rarity had been the one to propose, quiet coupling or not. But, back to the present.

Cleff quietly nuzzled Rarity awake, not wanting to lose the warm afterglow of the night before. She nibbled on him a little and he gave a pleasant shudder. Their quiet romance was everything she’d ever dreamed and then some. He was truly her prince charming, and such a handsome thing to boot! “Good morning, Rarity…” the stallion whispered to her. The chill of the room made him not want to leave the sheets. He sank back into them, wrapping his fore-hooves around her. The mare giggled scandalously when his teeth found her ear, her hoof pawing at his chest good-naturedly. She buried her face in his chest, smiling privately to herself. He stroked her mane, taking in her perfumed scent. “Ah, Rarity…” he whisped out in such a way that she gave a little giggle.

“You’re not thinking of doing anything scandalous, are you Cleff?” she said with a giggle, rubbing his chest a bit. He snickered shyly, his face coloring. At night in the dark was different, but during the day, even the chilled morning—! Rarity gave a shrieking laugh when he suddenly pressed his lips to her belly and blew a hard raspberry. “Ack! None of that! NONE of that!” she squirmed like a ticklish filly, laughing heartily. Music to Cleff’s ears as he poised over her with a grand smile. She stared up at him when she’d calmed, and after a time he came down upon her for shy good morning kisses.

“I had bad dreams last night.” The opera pony whispered into her neck after a time. “Of the mare of the night, taking me away somewhere… I don’t know where.” It occurred to Rarity to wonder how the blind dreamed. Did they just hear sounds and have other phantom sensations, other than sight? It was hard to imagine. How could they ever tell the difference between reality and dreams?

“Oh Cleff, whatever mare you kept running into is probably back in Cloudsdale or something by now.” Rarity said gently, wavering her hoof in his white fur. “I’m sure she’s long gone by now, and you can be all mine.” She nuzzled his mane on the top of his head while he hugged her quietly around the chest. Cleff had told her, briefly, about the day he’d vanished and the mare of the night had taken him… someplace. The odd winged one had a strange scent about her, he’d not forgotten it. But, three months with no signs of her had thankfully dampened the memory and the rather blatant lust she’d displayed for him. It was better left alone. The blind pony cocked his head up and giggled when Rarity mouthed playfully at his ear.

“But, it was all so odd.” Cleff insisted softly, enjoying very much her chewing on his ear while they lay there. “The mare of the night was—” Rarity hushed him with a gentle but firm hoof, over his wonderful, music-making lips, before she drew breath to quietly serenade him back to calmness.

No more talk of darkness, forget your wide-eyed fears.

I’m here, nopony to harm you, my horn will warm and guard you.

Let me be your freedom, from night time now dry your tears.

I’m here, with you beside you, to guard you and to guide you—

Cleff smiled apologetically, turning his face so she could see it. How dare he talk of another mare while they were in bed together? A guilty expression flitted across his features, but he still lamented of the night mare’s influence over him. Both in his dreams and upon the night they’d last encountered one another.

Say you’ll love me every waking moment?

Turn my head with talk of summertime?

Say you’ll need me with you now and always?

Promise me that all you say is true? That’s all I ask of you—

It was a quiet and quivering voice, that of a needy lover or a vulnerable companion. Rarity slowly squeezed Cleff’s head to her chest, cutting him off from his quiet lamenting. The poor thing needed guidance, a strong mare to keep him upright and healthy and happy. The pale unicorn knew she was just the one for him, even to guard him from mysterious mares of the night. Or was it nightmares? The play on words made it hard to tell. She stroked his mane lovingly before she continued, eyes lidding into a lover’s gaze.

Let me be your shelter, let me be your life.

You’re safe, no one will find you

Your mare of night is far behind you

Cleff lifted his head a little, his milky eyes soft and pleading as he tried to find the right angle to make it look like he was looking into her eyes. It was a trick he’d been trying for months and months, but was never able to get right. Rarity cupped his cheek as she saw how slowly upset he became in his quiet pleading to her. His singing voice quivered with a vulnerable shudder:

All I want is freedom,

A world with no more night mare,

And you, always beside me,

To guard me and to guide me—

Rarity quickly took his face in both hooves, turning them until she was astride him on the bed, very hard for ponies to do but still it happened. She stroked his soft white face over and over to soothe him. He gave a quiet whimper of vulnerability, shutting his eyes and leaning the weight of his head into one of her hooves. Such a trusting gesture, it made her heart thunder with the desire to protect her dear Cleff. Swallowing, she whispered to him lovingly:

Then say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime,

Let me lead you from your solitude.

Say you need me with you here, beside you?

Anywhere you go, let me go too?

Oh Cleff…

That’s all I ask you—

She pressed him into the sheets, pulling the comforter up over them both so they could preserve the warmth of their bed. He’d not yet moved in with her, but it very much felt like his just as much as Rarity’s. The purple-maned unicorn had guided him there several times, and sometimes his masculine scent lingered for a few days after he’d gone. He still lived with his sister at the record store, but it was hard to tell that these days, eloping with Rarity as he was. “Say you love me—?” Cleff trilled just a little, pawing at her chest with his hoof in the darkness of the folds of the sheets.

“You know I do.” Rarity whispered sensually in his ear, making him give another shy and flushed shudder. She brushed his mane to one side so she could reach more of his face to kiss him. Their hearts were in unison for that sweet and tender moment:

Love me, that’s all I ask—of – you-uuu…

The only witness to what happened next was the quiet protest of the bedsprings. Well, almost. Outside, in the biting winter cold, was Princess Luna standing in the tree line. She’d approached Ponyville on chariot, but had chosen to walk the rest of the way into town so she wouldn’t have a repeat of Nightmare Night. But, she’d come at the town at an odd angle when she heard a familiar, though muffled, singing voice. It was coming from a dress boutique, and although it was coming from the second floor it had only taken a single flap of her wings to see inside. Luna stopped dead, coming to a halt on a sturdy brand. Her mouth went agape. She saw them. She saw the whole thing. Her heart quivered and her pupils shrank into a shocked, completely shocked expression. Her bat-winged guards cocked their heads from where they were at the base of the tree (Luna’s chariot lay hidden in the foliage).

Luna tried to make a sound, to call out to Cleff and demand what was going on. How DARE he… he… with that unicorn she’d seen at the Royal Opera House. That Rarity she’d met a few times after her defeat as Nightmare Moon. HOW DARE SHE make a move on Cleff after she’d so clearly staked a claim on the stallion! And there around his neck, an engagement circle of gold?! Furious, boiling, godly anger began to billow in Luna’s chest, and she shuddered to the ground on groaning wings. Her twin guards saw her expression and turned their ears back. Such an expression was alien to them after weeks and weeks of a happy, bouncy Princess Luna. She landed with all the daintiness of a snowflake, the snow under her hooves crunching lightly. Her head bowed forward, and her star-riddled mane glimmered weakly. She gave a groaning shudder, and neither of them asked what she’d seen through the window.

From under her wing, a hoof-written invitation to the Winter Lunar Ball fell into the snow. Addressed to Cleff Scratch. It crumpled a little with the wetness of the white powder. One of her escorts bent respectfully, coming to his knees to retrieve it for her. He held it in his mouth, held it out for her to take back. It burst into flames and he gave a panicked whinnie, shoving his muzzle into the snow. Luna looked up, heaving great, angry breaths of barely-bridled rage. She stared at the boutique, sorely tempted to cause it to burst into flames as well.

The snow around Luna’s hooves was melting rapidly, and wriggling aura of super-heated air drove her twin escorts back. “Tell. Everypony.” she whispered slowly under her mane. “Our Winter Lunar Ball is a masquerade, and that I must go to prepare my costume. Alone.” She punctuated with all the fury of a thousand icy moons, and the two of them could only nod dumbly. Finally, she let her gaze rise to the window where that blasted mare Rarity was having her way with tender, virginal Cleff. She sullied him with her touch! A shuddering moan fell over her, one of deep betrayal. Her wonderful, weeks long good mood came crashing down as she murmured:

We gave you our music, made your song take wing,

And now, how you repay me? Deny me and betray me?

She was bound to love you, when she heard you sing--

Oh Cleff...

A diamond-like tear forced its way from one of her eyes, and she gave an audible sniffle. But then, Luna’s pupils narrowed into serpent-like slits. Her aqua eyes flashed a brilliant green. Her jaw set itself into a furious, shuddering scowl as her fur began to dip closer to black. Both of her bat-winged guards looked at each other in a panic. That looked just like—! Luna vanished in a cloud of sparkling magic, her gaseous form racing back to the hidden cave beneath the foundations of the world. She ignited the candles so hard they burst into showers of sparks. The Royal Canterlot Voice was her outlet of unbridled, agonized RAGE!

YOU WILL CURSE THE DAY YOU DID NOT DO---
ALL THAT YOUR NIGHT MARE ASKED— OF— YOU-UUU!

The foundations of all of Equestia gave a barely-discernable rumble. Celestia looked up from her business in the royal court. Something had sent a ripple though her tea. Luna stomped angrily to the wall, yanking a dirty sheet from where it hung. Nightmare Moon’s armor gleamed at her, full of black anger. A perfect costume for the upcoming ball. She wrenched the helm from its resting place. Behind her, dozens of scrolls and quills rose by magic. Her project was almost done anyway, what better time to unveil it for dear Cleff?

End of Part 5

Mare of the Night Time

Music of the Night Part 6: Mare of the Night Time

Princess Luna’s twin guards had not dared to enter the secret passage in over a week. Her angry orders had been handed out, and the Winter Lunar Ball was well under way for its debut. The two stallions, however, lingered in front of a particular section of featureless wall between two columns. Their mistress was gone to a place they could not follow without her consent, and they silently distressed day and night. But, there was nothing they could do until—!
The section of wall slid away suddenly, a secret switch having been pulled someplace. They stood shoulder to shoulder, then looked at each other with raised brows. A whisp of cold air rushed up to meet them, and they shuddered just a little. Checking over their shoulders that nopony was watching, they descended into darkness and the wall closed behind them.

From shadow, Princess Celestia watched them go. She didn’t move from where she stood at the corner, carefully hidden by magic from any observer. Her mouth, for the first time in a long time, was a neutral line. She’d not seen her sister in too many nights. Although the moon still rose and fell each night like it was suppose to, Luna’s sudden absence concerned her. Luna was the only pony in existence that could truly hide from Celestia. Then again, they were both goddesses, so it took one to hide from one. She chose not to go down the secret passage. If her sister wanted her privacy for a time, surely it had to do with her upcoming ball. Since costumes were a must, she was more than likely working hard on her own. Celestia didn’t like the silence, but if her sister was doing something that made her happy, who was she to interrupt? “Hmm.” She said, going back to her own chambers as her guards flanked her.

Below, many stairs later, Luna’s twin escorts emerged into her lower chambers. They peered about, for the place was drowned in shadow. Meek candles held the blackness only barely at bay, and the fireplace looked cold and disused. “You came, go-ooood…” glowing green eyes appeared in the darkness, and the cooing voice had an icy chill to rival the deepest winters. Both stallions stood at attention, then bowed low with folded wings. Out of the blackness emerged Nightmare Moon, in full regalia. Not Princess Luna. Silver sparkles of candlelight shone from her newly minted armor. It had taken a long time to return it to its former glory, much less to make it fit her again. “Rarity is trying to take somepony that rightfully belongs to me.” She told them, earning satisfying frowns from both. Who would dare keep something from their princess? “Because of this, I must accelerate my initial plans.” Her serpent-like pupils dilated a little. “When the Winter Lunar Ball occurs, I am counting on you to ensure that nopony interferes.” They nodded obediently at the rather vague orders.

When both stallions straightened, they gasped aloud, having finally gotten a good look at her. “Mistress—!” One of them said, leaning back and lifting a hoof in mild panic.

“The unicorn Rarity has angered me.” Nightmare Moon growled to both of them, startling them back into the stoic at-attention pose expected of them. “No doubt stirring this— development.” She gestured vaguely to herself, looking over into a mirror. “All the better that my ball will be for costumes. Nopony will know the difference until it is far too late and Cleff is all mine.” She smirked at the idea. “If he does not love me, I shall make him love me.” Two fangs that had not been there a moment ago grew in her mouth, though she did not notice. “Now, go to Ponyville and distract Rarity for a bit. Cleff is mine.” She raised a hoof to command them both. The gauntlet on her long leg shimmered with an icy light, then SLAMMED upon the ground and spider-webbed cracks in several directions.

“Yes, Princess!” both stallions said in unison, wings leaping open to do her bidding.

=-=-=-=

Rarity had a grand idea that evening. It was far too cold outside, and the cold weather tended to depress some ponies. So, she decided that she would host a picnic for all of her friends right there in her own boutique! With a roaring fire and season-appropriate foods, of course, but the windows might even steam up when she made it feel like spring inside her home. “A marvelous idea!” she clucked, going and nosing around in her closet. She found her picnic basket. “Why, I could have this ready tonight and invite everypony over tomorrow for a luncheon!” She trotted about, congratulating herself and beginning to move furniture to make space. When it looked like there was enough room, she went to her pantry and frowned. “Why, I haven’t any food to serve a large group!” she said, “I’ll need to do my shopping quickly, before all the shops close tonight.” Turning, she put on her saddlebags and grabbed her picnic basket to carry bread in. “An inside picnic will be just charmi—!” she stopped on the threshold of her open doorway on the way out of her house.

Two rather terrifying-looking stallions stood there, shoulder to shoulder, frowning at her severely. “Halt.” One barked at her. Rarity leaned back, raising a hoof a little defensively. They were so pale-looking! Their armor was silvery and their expressions angry. Their wings were so strange too, they looked leathery instead of feathered…

“Beg your pardon?” she said, trying to look friendly and not afraid. She left her door open behind her, not sure if she should retreat back into her shop or not.

“You are under house arrest.” Said the other officially, equally frowny-faced at her.

“What?! What for? Under who’s authority?!” Rarity demanded, stepping up to go hoof-to-hoof with the strange pair. They certainly resembled royal guards, but they seemed so dark and distant from the golden, sunny soldiers she was used to seeing. It certainly didn’t help that they were a full head taller than Rarity herself, either. It made it very hard to argue up at them.

“You will stay at these premises until bidden otherwise. Failure to do so will result in… consequences.” Said the left one dangerously, lowering his head to be eye to eye with her. Rarity tried to hide her shudder from him, but the bite of winter wouldn’t let her. He took a small step forward. She stepped back, visibly intimidated. He took another step. She retreated once more. They walked her, backward, into her own home. Reaching with his mouth, the stallion on the right closed her door with a rather harsh slam. Rarity yipped at the sound, then slowly sank in spirits. What was happening? House arrest? But why? Had she done something wrong?

=-=-=-=

Vinyl Scratch surveyed her store. Well, hers and her brother’s. They’d been turning quite a healthy profit since the day Princess Luna had visited them, demanding a record of Cleff’s singing. Now all the ponies in Ponyville considered it the hot spot for all the best music in Equestria. Business was hot, to say the least. Her face was often plastered with a great big grin, she’d hired a couple more ponies to help run the shop, and had even started a scholarship program for young musicians. It was just that good around the Vinyl’s Beats store these days.

Currently, the store-owning, disc-jockeying mare was behind the counter. As be usual she was nodding her head with a big smile, her ears held in a nice set of headphones as Celestia-knew-what pounded at her. Many talked that she might be deaf someday at that rate, but she didn’t care. She loved music. Of course, the happy feeling was lost when her door flew open and a tall, intimidating figure whacked its horn on the chime above the door. The chime was torn apart by magic, melting into ashes and then blowing away. Green eyes accented the black shadow, and Vinyl pulled her headphones off as it approached. “H-hello?” she tried, her voice quivering. Slowly, the customers that were in the stacks and stacks of music looked up and were paralyzed by fear.

Massive wings snapped open and a visible shudder of magic went through the building. The figure’s great head turned left, then right. Then, the serpentine eyes settled on Vinyl Scratch, the only one to speak. The figure’s hoof raised, and then lowered in an easy gesture. “Sleep.” She hissed softly. Everypony in the store dropped like a stone, flopping over onto their sides and unconscious. Nightmare Moon fully emerged into the light at last. The door slammed behind her and the locks clicked into place. The shades of the windows pulled, and buttoned themselves at the sills. The alicorn walked slowly along the tiles, eyeing the aisles of music for a moment, and the handful of ponies laying in them. Casting her eyes upward towards the bedrooms on the second floor, she smirked wryly. It was very quiet. Nightmare Moon mounted the stairs gracefully, sweeping up them and into the hall upstairs. Forcing the lock with magic, she found a little living area and adjoining kitchen. Then the bedrooms. She saw one plain one and one decorated one. She chose the plain one, for the blind would never need to decorate much beyond the functional.

Nightmare Moon pushed the door gently open, and found Cleff asleep in bed under the covers. Smiling, she melted into the room soundlessly and left the door open. Raising a dainty hoof, she surveyed his room with interest. Simple furniture, all of his things placed just so, plenty of personal records in his own collection on a shelf… nothing really very unexpected. She eyed the clothes in the closet, and noted with interest the little tags that were on each. Clipped to each article of clothing was a little metal tag that read what the item was, and then had a series of dots under it. Things like ‘blue suit’ and ‘orange tie’ had a little chain of raised bumps under them. Ah, that was how he dressed himself. Clever! Nightmare Moon saw herself in his mirror, scowling without realizing it. Shaking her head a bit, she returned to the topic at hand: her dear stallion Cleff. She had forgiven him for his transgression with Rarity already, knowing herself how easy it was to sway male desires. But what they had was deeper than that. They’d shared music together, and shared the night. Just the two of them. Nothing could be more sacred. Nightmare Moon did not know what scheming Rarity had done to snatch fair Cleff’s heart, but it could not have been good.

The Princess of the night loomed over Cleff, blocking out any moonlight that was streaming in the window. He slept deeply, his black glasses set to one side near a clock with no face glass on it. She smiled slowly, merely stopping a moment to admire his innocence and handsomeness as he slept. Her massive hoof came up and stroked him just once. Then, she began weaving a complex web of magic around him. Back and forth went the strands, back and forth until the pattern was so complex even the arch-mages of the royal academy would have no idea where to start. Smile and twitching her horn just so, she pricked him with a tinkle of midnight’s magic to wake him. “Cleff Scratch.” She whispered softly, spreading her wings wide in a slow and loving greeting of adoration. “Rise.” She lifted her hoof slightly, and deep within Cleff’s mind the spell she’d woven went off. His eyes flicked open.

Cleff sat up like a zombie, his dead eyes staring at nothing at all. His ruffled mane pressed to one side, he cocked his head to listen for her. “It’s you isn’t it?” he whispered to the night. “The Night Mare.”

Luna chuckled, admiring the irony of the name he’d given her. “Yes, dear one.” She cooed softly, leaning over his bed and nuzzling him quietly.

He leaned instinctively into her advances, still half-asleep and already feeling rather heady. Had she broken into his home? Where had she been all these months, how did she—“Ouuh-h-h…” he gave a quick pant when her fangs draped across his neck, igniting the nerves playfully. He could think not of what to do but sing quietly as she pulled him bodily from his bed:

In sleep she sang to me, in dreams she came,
That voice which called to me, that strokes my mane,
And do I dream again? For now I find—
The Mare of the Nighttime is here, inside my mind.

He could feel himself being pulled along towards the sitting room, gently led by a power far greater than he could grasp. The hoof-falls sounded metallic. Was she wearing something heavy and metal on her legs? A slight brush against her side told of some sort of armor. The cool touch of the metal made him tingle slightly, and he shivered away. She turned her head with a slow and seductive smile. Her wings blanketed out, ensnaring him in its warm feathery embrace. She joined him in a louder, more firm voice as she led him down the stairs and out of the shop:

Sing once again for me, our strange duet!
My power over you, grows stronger yet!
And though you shrink from me, to leave me behind,
The Mare of the Nighttime is there, inside your mind.

Magic slowly coursed through all of Cleff’s very being, warming him as they stepped outside into the cold and icy night. He flushed at the press of her body to his. He heard the hiss of retreating ice during every single one of her hoof-steps. Was she magical? He could not tell. All he knew was that a certain glaze was coming over his mind, like he were about to fall asleep but just couldn’t quite do it. His senses blurred just a bit, and he followed her wonderful voice into shadow. He could not help but cock his head at her to ask:

Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear?
Is there a mask you wear, sweet voice I hear?
Your spirit and my voice, in one combi—ned,
The Mare of the Nighttime is here, inside my mind.

They both knew he questioned the day she’d jerked away from his probing hooves. He was started to suspect, she knew. But by the time he’d pieced it all together the night's embrace would’ve closed around him entirely, so it mattered little. She stopped a moment on a bowed bridge to nuzzle him, one wing extended over his entire back. Cleff swooned as though drunk or still half-asleep, sighing out a little cloud of steam.

You’re there! The Mare of the Nighttime!
Ahh-hh—

Cleff could find no passionate words and instead fell to a siren-like cry of pure, unadulterated song. Nightmare Moon gasped openly, as though she’d suddenly been set upon by a virile stallion. Careful not to stagger and break the stallion’s trance she held, she moaned to him, “Sing, my stallion of music!” Having stopped on the bridge, she had only a thin railing to lean on and little else. Cleff drew breath, going up one step for another great and shiver-enducing cry of song. “Sing, my stall-ion—” Luna whined out in a husky voice, as though in the throughs of passion. Her wing tightened around him as though they’d tumbled into bed together. She was careful not to squeeze him and ruin his song, but it was all she could do not to take him right there on the bridge. “Sing, for me—” she swooned with a reddening face. Cleff suddenly leapt up onto the thin railing, walking along it in his magic-enduced trance and lifting his voice higher! “Sing, for ME!” Nightmare Moon demanded in a desperate, panting gasp. It was too much, but she didn’t want to go back. Her back knee’s knocked together and her flanks sank down. Her god-like powers quavered as his song back-lashed into her spell and took her over instead. Entranced, Luna was upon her knees before her stallion. “Sing my stallion! SING FOR ME!” the Royal Canterlot Voice concussed the night and a tight grouping of trees had the snow blasted off of them. She was so close, it was exactly like—

Ahh-hh—!

Something in Cleff snapped. Perhaps it was his unicorn blood. Perhaps it was his passion for song. Maybe even that his entire body was laced with Nightmare Moon’s seductive magic. But, something deep inside him cracked and pressed his voice to the next height of heights. With a passionate, furious bellow, the Royal Canterlot Voice imploded from his chest like it was his own! A non-alicorn, wielding the voice of the gods!

Snow rushed away from the pair in a great ring. Every window in Ponyville exploded from its frames. Every building shuddered. Every single resident was startled awake and Fluttershy hit her own ceiling with a powerful panic attack. The Princess of the Night purred a quiet, syrupy sound, leaning on the railway to recover for a few precious seconds. She pushed her mane behind her ear, a giggly smile rising across her face. She’d lost a few feathers in her… moment. Nightmare Moon marveled at him with shock and joy— until he crumpled to the ground, exhausted and unconscious. “Such talent, my dear one. But mortal ponies should not use the voice of the gods.” She whispered lovingly, nuzzling his mane a few times with her nose. Cleff moaned, laying there in the snow. She turned her head, eyeing the streets that were rapidly filling with ponies looking for the cause of the impressive disaster. “I’ll expect you at the Winter Lunar Ball, Cleff.” Licking his cheek rather lovingly, she pressed a hoof-written invitation into his pajama hat where it would not be seen. “Do not disappoint me.” With that, Nightmare Moon’s wings snapped open and she launched herself skyward, leaving the ponies of Ponyville to figure things out. Before she was even out of sight, she saw Cleff had been discovered by the crowd. They would take care of him, until it came time for her next move.

When her twin guards joined her in the sky, she was a little off put by the long pink yarn-ball that had mysteriously tangled itself over one of the stallions. Rarity was not a happy prisoner, but she’d been contained nicely. Nightmare Moon nodded happy acknowledgement to both of them as they began the flight back to Canterlot. Everything was going according to plan.

End of Part 6

Masquerade

Music of the Night 8: Masquerade

“Rarity are you sure this is okay?” Cleff said worriedly. He teetered back and forth on a round little platform while the pale unicorn fussed with him here and there. The under-layers was tight against his sides, but the outer ones seemed to shift and flow about like the wind. “It feels like a dress.” He shifted uncomfortably.

“It’s called layering, dearheart.” Rarity chided a little, giggling as she moved rapidly about him to make adjustments. “You look simply dashing, I promise! White and gold really suit you!” she winced as soon as she finished the sentence, for a blind stallion could have no concept of what white and gold were. Thinking fast as he opened his mouth to scold her, she got up onto the tiny platform and put an intimate hoof through his mane. “White is what color you and I are, Cleff.” She whispered right in his ear like a lover, drawing crimson across his face. “And gold is the color of our engagement hoop. Think about it that way.” She kissed him briefly, then hopped down to fuss with the ends of the legs for a bit. Cleff was understandably flattered and embarrassed, trying to stay very still.

Cleff wore a white body-tight stocking with a place for his hooves, tail, and head. Atop that was a flowery layer of the finest white silk, and then a coat that covered his back but showed off his cutie mark. The collar and outer edges were trimmed with the most sparkling sort of golden thread Rarity had in stock, which she called Dragon’s Hair. He looked absolutely stunning, and was to be the handsomest stallion at the Winter Lunar Festival. “I feel a little stiff.” He said, trying not to move.

“Fancy clothes tend to be stiff since you only wear them now and then, darling.” Rarity tutted, scampering around to make sure his tail wasn’t caught anywhere, and that the two circles and dots on his flank were completely visible. “But it’s all a part of the style, I assure you.”

“I’ll have to trust you with that part.” Cleff clucked at her, being playful.

“One last bit.” Rarity turned and went to cross the room. There, she found a wooden box that flipped open. Using her magic, she came close to him at set a new pair of black glasses on his face. The old ones had been lost who-knew-where, and his milky eyes sometimes wandered about. “Perfect…” she whispered, aghast at the absolute work of art he’d become. Leaning, she kissed him in earnest and helped him down from the raised platform. “You look perfect.” She said, nuzzling him. He let out a gurgling purr in his throat, and they shared a quiet moment.

“I love you.” He whispered shyly. She nodded into their nuzzlings, coy and a little playful.

“N-now, I’m going to have you taken to your own room, and I have to get ready myself, alright?” Rarity said chipperly, cantering over to the rows of things she’d brought with her from Ponyville for dresses. “The ball is in only a few hours, and it takes a lady a bit of time to prepare, as I’m sure you know!” Cleff snickered a little, nodding his head. “Oh, and make sure you’ve got your engagement hoop on, I want to show you off, dear Cleff!” she added over her shoulder.

Cleff’s smile slackened. “B-but… what if the mare of the night sees?” the name was like a black blanket over the happy occasion, and the room turned a little still.

“Then let her see!” Rarity said. “It’s an engagement, darling, not a crime! It’s not my fault if she wasn’t quick enough to snap up the finest stallion in Ponyville!” Cleff gulped a little, pawing at the marble tile. Rarity had not directly met the mare of the night. She didn’t know how strange or powerful she appeared to be. His brow tilted up in open worry while his eyes raced back and forth, trying to think of something. But, Rarity didn’t like the worried look upon his handsome face. “Ohhh, alright. Wear it under your suite for me, then? I’ll not even mention it.” She pouted a little. Cleff looked relieved and agreed. “Now shoo out, you naughty thing. I’ll not be having you witness me getting dressed!” she bopped him with her hoof and steered him towards the door. His laugh delighted her, and she gave him to a waiting solar guard stallion. As they were away, Rarity smiled with her eyes.

When they were out of earshot, Cleff spoke to his keeper. “Thanks for taking me, the palace is so big and echo-y!” he said with a grin. “It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is where by sound.”

The guard spoke, a rare thing but his special guest called for it. “The palace is several thousand years old. It’s held together by magic so it doesn’t wear.” He said with a knowledgeable deep bass. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your stay. My wife has seen you sing on stage.” He chuckled a little, steering him with an extended wing to turn a corner.

The two of them talked politely until they came to Cleff’s room, and he was given his privacy. The white stallion didn’t want to flop into bed, it might ruin his exotic outfit. Instead, he clambered up onto it and gingerly lowered himself onto his belly. Pawing around until he found the bedside table, he sought the engagement hoop he’d promised to wear.

Dear… Cleff….

The golden hoop slid to the other side of the little table, seemingly on its own. He gave a start. Had he heard a voice on the air? He cocked his head, ears up. He could’ve sworn he heard… He shook his head and got the engagement hoop, fiddling with its silvery chain. Fastening it around himself, he hid it under the layers of the amazing suite Rarity had made for him. He smiled at the cool touch of golden metal. In just a few months, he would be a married stallion. It warmed his heart.

=-=-=-=

Princess Luna had spared no expense for the Winter Lunar Ball. She’d demanded one hundred percent clear skies for her starry night, the moon was full and the air was crisp. The ballroom of the palace was decorated with hanging pennants, white streamers, and many long tables covered with delicacies. Mint tea, fine chocolates, bonbons that bite the tongue and soothed the throat when you bit into them… it was just beautiful. White, silver, and shades of grey accented the night while snowflake decorations floated slowly about the rafters by magic. It gave the illusion that it was snowing inside. The massive gathering of ponies was from all walks of life.

Everything from the high breeds of Canterlot to the mailmare from Ponyville, wall-eyed darling that she was, was present in the Winter Lunar Ball. Even the froo-froo elite of Canterlot was trying to be on its best behavior and not turn their muzzles up too hard at the commonfolk from the little town in the valley nearby. After all, they’d just been the victims of a great disaster, rumor said, so they needed a nice party to boost morale. The fact that their very own Princess Luna was at the head of the ordeal was an even greater prize for the party to behold. They could only wait until her majesty decided to make her appearance. Being fashionably late often came with being royal, but that meant making an entrance and probably giving a speech. They liked that. The rumor mill told of how very happy Princess Luna had been as of late, so perhaps this would be the public’s chance to get to know her a bit better.

Outside, arriving by chariot, was Cleff and Rarity. With Twilight Sparkle and Spike in Ponyville and the other Mane Six scattered to their own chariots (a couple with their own dates, mind you), the pair of them were alone together for the ride, and for the gala. “Mister Cleff!” Rarity stepped daintily out of the chariot when it had stopped at the entrance.
“Miss Rarity!” Cleff said with a chuckle, stepping off as well to walk beside her. They made their way down a silvery carpet towards the ballroom. There were fireworks, laughing and partying ponies, and plenty of food and drink to go around. The orchestra was playing gaily with none other than famous musician Octavia leading them. She kissed his cheek with a foolish giggle, shoulder to shoulder with him in a ravishing dress of silver and diamonds. She’d done a bit much on the make-up, buuuut… it was Rarity:

(Cleff) Dear Rarity, a splendid party!
(Rarity) The premiere to a bright new year!
(Cleff) What a night, I’m impressed!
(Rarity) Well one does one’s best!
(Cleff) Here’s to us!
(Rarity) A toast before the city what a pity that your night mare can’t be here!

They’d grabbed drinks from a table, toasting the glasses together and then chuckling after Cleff choked on the alcohol a little. It was a little mean of Rarity to mention the night mare, but she was sort of right. Anypony would spot a giant pony in the crowd instantly, and the mare of the night had always acted quite privately, when nopony else was around. She wouldn’t dare come to a giant, well-lit place like the Winter Lunar Ball. He allowed himself a small laugh, tipping his glass again before letting Rarity take it and set it down at a table (less than three seconds later a butler vanished it out of existence).
They emerged into the grand ballroom and Rarity let out a squeal of delight. “Simply amazing!” She kept her stallion close to her side, knowing the noise and animation would confuse his sensitive ears. “Oh Cleff it’s so vast, so many ponies! It looks like there’s going to be a show!” Rarity said. Cleff opened his mouth to ask what she meant when a choir of almost a hundred trained ponies burst into song while arranged over a massive, wide staircase:

Masquerade! Paper faces on parade! Masquerade!
Hide your face so the world will never find you!
Masquerade! Every face a different shade! Masquerade!
Look about, there’s another mask behind you!

Cleff reared a little at their volume, but laughed nervously when Rarity steadied him with her shoulder. He felt the press of her silken dress and the scent of lavender calmed him. She leaned over him, rubbing her chin up and down his mane. He smiled, soothed and calming down as the soung shifted to the mares only singing:

Flash of mauve, splash of puce,
Fool and king, Ghoul and goose,
Green and black, queen and priest,
Trace of rogue, face of beast,
Faces!
Take your turn, take a ride!
On the merry-go-round,
Of a non-pony race!

Rarity was only half-paying attention to the show by that point, for the masculine scent of Cleff drew her eye. Very much a young mare in love, she nuzzled him while the crowd focused on the hundred-pony dancing choir. “Think of it.” Rarity said so only he could hear. His ears perked and he lowered his head so she could whisper. “You’re hiding our secret engagement under your suite, dear Cleff.” She giggled conspiratorially. Her hoof wandered flatteringly over his chest a few times and he smiled with a genuine giggle. “But why is it secret here, darling?” she asked him. “What are you afraid of in this mare of the night?” she sort of had him pinned between herself and the next ponies over. The crowd was pressed tight to enjoy the show.

“Rarity, I just— she’s from Canterlot. I knew by her accent.” Cleff said with a slight huff. “She could be in this room right now. I don’t want there to be an argument.” He tried to defend a little, but at her silence he nuzzled her cheek. “Just think of the wedding day, love.” He consoled her, unable to defend his fears of the power of the mare of the night. It was not something he could explain. The power, the music, the lusty passion that seemed to just appear when she was near— it defied logic. “Just stay close with me, okay?” he asked meekly. She nodded while their cheeks were together, reassuring and a little sorry she’d pressed. He hadn’t noticed she’d dangled the engagement hoop outside his suite’s front in the process, though.

Masquerade!
Burning stares and turning heads!
Masquerade!
Stop and smile and the sea of smiles around—!

A blood-curdling scream brought the entire one hundred-pony choir to a screeching halt. The orchestra stung off-beat and there was confusion in their ranks. Even the conductor was looking back and forth with a raised brow. The fires in the hearths whisped out. The candles about the vast ballroom went low. A winter’s chill settled hard upon the room as all eyes drew up to the top dais of the stairs.

There, upon the highest step, stood none other than Nightmare Moon.

Half a dozen mares passed out, hitting the floor. Many flung themselves onto their bellies in a bow for mercy. The choir parted like a white tide, turning to look up at the black alicorn in full regalia. Her armor was liquid silver, swirling with magics nopony could dream of. Her eyes were a serpentine green, sweeping back and forth across the room with a mischievous glare of confidence. Clop. Clop. Clop. She descended one stair at a time, staring out over the terrified crowd as more and more ponies flung themselves upon their bellies to tremble before her. It was easy to tell from her face that she liked this.
Cleff’s nose twitched. There was the scent. The pure and dark scent of pure feminine want. He pressed himself to Rarity, whispering hotly. “That’s her! That’s the mare of the night!”

“What?!” Rarity demanded with a shriek as the room shifted in panic. The choir fled to the bottom stair, backing up in a horse-shoe shape to give the black princess of the night plenty of room. “THAT is your mare of the night?!” she demanded.
“What is it? What’s the matter with her?” Cleff asked, cocking his head back and forth. “She’s a little bigger than normal ponies, but—!”

“She’s Nightmare Moon!” Rarity shrieked, seizing him by the shoulders. “You’ve been singing for months with Nightmare Moon!” Cleff, already a white stallion, went pale and suddenly looked rather ill. Rarity steadied herself on him for a moment, pupils dialated with fear and anxiety. Had they not defeated Nightmare Moon ages ago and turned her back into Princess Luna?! What was happening?!

“That’s why she wouldn’t let me feel her face all the way…” Cleff said softly, his cheeks twinging pink when Rarity thunked his chest rather openly in jealousy. “She’s been hiding—”

Nightmare Moon surveyed the room, speaking at last. The Royal Canterlot Voice rang hard to all in the long ballroom and some even in the halls beyond. “WHY SO SILENT, MY DEAR PONIES?” She asked, turning with her long horn to the left, then to the right. “DID YOU THINK NIGHTMARE MOON HAD LEFT YOU FOR GOOD?” she mused over them, admiring a shaking pair of mares that clung to each other in her wake. Clop. Clop. Clop. The silence was deadly as she went down a few more stairs, the only pony in the room that was moving. “HAVE YOU MISSED US, MY DEAR PONIES?” she asked, and at the silence raised up what appeared to be a thick folder of some sort. It was bulging with music sheets, drawings, scraps, notes, and lots of other things. “WE HAVE WRITTEN YOU AN OPERA!” She gestured with it mildly, levitating it into view with her black magic aura. Cleff gulped, and began to shake. It was her alright, the scent and the voice unmistakable. He’d known her to shout now and then when she was excited, but no… no this was the voice of a goddess. She could use that much volume whenever she pleased. She’d been hiding it from him and using normal tones to make herself seem mortal to his blind eyes and sensitive ears. “HERE I BRING THE FINISHED SCORE,” She thrust it down over the orchestra pit, knocking Octavia right off of her instrument. She fell with a cry, crashing to the ground below with a painful-sounding bump. “NIGHT MARE, TRIUMPHANT!” The goddess said, naming her new work of art for all to hear.

Rarity slowly slipped away from Cleff, and he gave a little confused whimper. The pale unicorn moved, hunched, through the crowd. It didn’t take her long to spot Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy doing much the same. Twilight was still in Ponyville, but the five of them perhaps could… what? Fight her? It was madness, but they were more qualified than any. Even the solar stallion guard would be useless against the might of a dark goddess. “What do we do?!” Applejack said in a whisper while they hid in the cowering crowd. None of them could come up with an answer. They turned to look, for their enemy was moving slowly through the crowd.

Nightmare Moon grinned at the display of fear and respect from all around her. It was too long since she’d been in the spotlight, truly in the spotlight. Though Rarity may have driven her into her ugly demonic form, she was still the Princess and she would be obeyed!

Fondest greetings to you all,
Thank you for coming to my Winter Lunar Ball.
A few instructions just before rehearsals start.
Rarity must be put to task,
No normal rags for strutting ‘round the stage!

“Well I never!” Rarity completely gave away the position of herself and the other elements. Nightmare Moon’s head turned about with a fang-filled smile. How dare she insult Rarity’s very vocation?! Her friends all went pale. “N-now see here, Nightmare M—!” the concussion of magic and air slapped the pale unicorn right upside her face, and with a sound like a bowling alley she smashed bodily into her friends. They collapsed into a mess of hooves, legs and moaning. It only then occurred to Rarity that she’d been competing for Cleff with none other than a goddess of the night, and had thus far been winning. Now the goddess was angry and she was feeling the brunt of it. A massive pressure pressed down on her rib-cage and she groaned. She was being held down by pure, angry force. She lit her horn, doing her very best to surround herself with a shielding that would let her breathe. It worked, but only barely. Nightmare Moon continued playfully:

Our main musician must lose some weight,
It’s not healthy in a mare of Octavia’s age.

From where she lay Octavia whimpered vulnerably. Vinyl Scratch, dress torn from leaping through the crowd and into the orchestra pit, turned and glared at Nightmare Moon with her deep red eyes. She held Octavia to her breast, chest heaving with angry breaths. Clearly Nightmare Moon’s words had struck home, for Vinyl Scratch shouted some horrible obscenity over the crowd that made the goddess chuckle. How strange it was to be sworn at with one’s own name. Right on cue, there was a mad rush of solar stallion guards, leaping into action to stop her. Nightmare Moon closed her eyes a moment, not even bothering to defend herself.

From out of the blackness leapt only two of her night time private guards. Their bat-like wings flashed, and the magic focused in their bodies let them quickly overpower the dozen or so solar guards. Being only two of them rather than the hundreds Celestia kept of her own guards, Nightmare Moon had imbued her trusted entourage with truly incredible powers. It was a rather terrible sound to hear when they turned to buck and almost snap the necks of their opponents, turning areal tricks that made even Rainbow Dash blush. The battle was brief and terrible, sending terrified whimpers through the crowd. Nightmare Moon’s wings snapped open ceremonially as they landed behind her on either side, snorting and out of breath. Smiling briefly over her shoulder at them, she continued forward and put a massive hoof on one solar stallion’s chest.

And my sister’s guards must learn that their place is in the DAYTIME!
Not the dark…

She crushed the unlucky stallion’s chest plate until he could barely breathe, forcing him onto his back on the floor while he writhed about for air. Unicorns rushed forward to get the metallic prison off of him as soon as Nightmare Moon’s gaze turned from him and onto a new target. Cleff. He could feel her eyes on him, though he could not see her. Her scent had grown stronger, he could feel her massive hooves shuddering the marble tiles beneath her. He tried to stay steady, to stand up to her.

And as for a star—? Of course—Mister Cleff Scratches!
No doubt he’ll do his best, it’s true his voice is good, he knows,
But should he wish to excel, he has some yet to learn, if pride will let him return to me,
His student now teacher, his teacher…

Cleff knew what she spoke of. The massive voice. The Royal Canterlot Voice. She intended to teach it to him for the opera she’d written for him to star in. He quivered before the gaze he could not see, gulping quietly. Nightmare Moon towered over him and he could feel her warm breath on the top of his head as she stood very near indeed. She forgot the fearful crowd for a moment, slowly and gently resting her head atop his and between his ears. The light touch of desire quivered between Cleff’s thighs, pressed forward by magic that saturated the air because of her want for him. He gave a breathy sigh despite himself. From the pile of ponies, Rarity watched in shock.

Nightmare Moon looked upon him, backing up a step to admire his handsome face. She smiled, panting lightly after all of her announcing and shouting. The flow of energy between them was palpable, and her eyes lidded with a loving look that more than a few ponies could see from where they were bowing at the floor. She looked upon him like a lover, like a husband that she desired like a newly married filly. Her lidded eyes trailed down his handsome chest— to the golden engagement hoop hanging on the chain around his neck. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she looked over at Rarity with an angry snort of hot air. Reaching up and returning her gaze to Cleff, she snapped the chain and took the hoop from him. “YOUR REINS ARE STILL MINE!” she roared angrily, then leaned forward to whisper like a snake. “You belong to me!” With a flourish she shattered the hoop upon the ground, sending shards in all directions. Cleff’s heart sank.

Suddenly the massive doors of the ballroom snapped all the way open and golden light poured in. Celestia herself stood in the archway, followed by a pair of battered-looking guards that had slipped out during the spectacle. Nightmare Moon whinnied at the blinding light, rearing up and covering her sensitive eyes with her black wing. Turning towards the night the black goddess fled at full speed, leaping into a stained-glass window. It shattered spectacularly, showering ponies with bits of glass. She became a gaseous mist and vanished into darkness, beyond the biting ice of the winter night. “This party is over.” Celestia said, flapping her wings exactly once to fling herself over the crowd. She landed before Cleff, looking down at him with a rather terrifying neutral expression. The usually kind-faced goddess frowned at him a little, then spoke to one of her commanders. “Send everypony out, keep the elements and this stallion here.” The guards not struck down by Nightmare Moon’s two soldiers started herding everypony out of the massive room as bidden. Octavia had to be carried out on Vinyl Scratch’s back, for one of her back legs was twisted at an unnatural angle.

End of Part 8

A/N: I really don't like the Masquerade song, that's why only part of it is in the chapter. So there. :P

Preparations for the Opera

Music of the Night 9: Preparations for the Opera

“Cleff Scratches, the stallion with the golden voice.” Princess Celestia, goddess of the sun and of the day, said. She looked at him carefully, having only seen him from a distance before. He was a slender, frail looking thing with milky eyes and an electric blue mane. He stood before her, quivering with what looked like shame. “Why do you cry, Cleff?” her massive wingspan slowly extended outward, then lay folded again.

“I-It’s my fault all this happened.” Cleff whispered, lowering himself upon his belly to bow to her. Even in his blindness he knew to almost touch his muzzle to the floor before Celestia. The goddess tittered a little, coming down to rest in front of him a moment. She saw five of the mane six approaching. “I’m so, so sorry…” he whispered, his beautiful voice cracking. “If I hadn’t—”

“Oh no, it was nothing you did.” Celestia watched Rarity rush forward to nuzzle him, and the others gather in a small semi-circle. “If my sister had been less jealous, she would not have steered things this way.” She gestured around. The grand ballroom was in shambles. The food lay wasted, tables overturned, and ancient marble tiles were cracked from the heavy hoofsteps of the princess of the night.

“Cleff, are you alright?! I thought she might take you away or something, to some dark corner where I couldn’t find you!” Rarity wailed, throwing her hooves around his neck and crying into his mane. He smiled sadly, leaning his cheek upon her for comfort.

Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash looked on with visible discomfort. None of them had expected anything like this. They looked to their Princess for guidance, and she spoke. “Nightmare Moon has her sights set on you, Cleff. I do not think even I could deter her from what she plans.” He cocked his head fearfully, ears perked forward. She turned with an elegant gesture, and the stacks of papers that made up Night Mare, Triumphant slowly hovered into view. The papers rattled a little, and she flipped the folder open. Scanning through it, she saw pages of scripting, costume ideas, platform set-ups for the stage, and sheets of music. All of it was meticulously hoof-written, no doubt after many copies of trial and error to make it perfect. “Night Mare… Triumphant.” The sun goddess said like she was tasting the words. The pages flipped rapidly. “My sister wrote an entire opera. It takes talent to cover all the aspects so thoroughly.” She trailed off, peering at the extras, the way the ropes were meant to be laid to change the scenery, and every little detail in between.

“Nevermind the opera, we gotta stop her! If she’s turned into Nightmare Moon again we need to grab Twilight and get the Elements of Harmony to—” Rainbow Dash halted in her blaring mouth when her Princess looked up at her with a patient eye that told her to hush. The blue Pegasus lowered her head meekly, falling silent.

“Nightmare Moon is hiding from me.” Celestia said carefully. “I cannot sense her, especially on this night.” Her gaze lifted toward the shattered stain-glass window. Outside was a perfectly clear winter’s night, and a full moon. “She is at the height of her powers during the full moon, I am afraid.” She shook her head. “It takes a goddess to hide from another goddess.” Celestia sighed with a wispy sound. “She will only come out when she pleases. When she wants to be found.”

“What should we do?” Fluttershy asked, her face meekly half-hidden in her mane.

Celestia looked down at the piles and piles of organized papers for Night Mare, Triumphant. Rarity was the first to catch on. “You can’t mean—!” she looked at her goddess in horror, pulling Cleff’s head protectively to her breast. He cocked his head with an inquisitive face, then realization washed over him.

“We’ll have to perform her work.” Cleff said, pulling away from Rarity and hoofing gently at the folder jam-packed with details and perfectly-written notes. “If I appear on stage, she won’t be able to resist attending the opera. You’d be able to catch her, then.” He sounded sad when he said it aloud. Celestia made a little noise that confirmed this, nodding her head.

The five of the mane six present looked up at Princess Celestia, then it was Applejack who spoke. “Well we ought ‘ta go get Twilight outta Ponyville then. We’ll need all the elements again for this one.” Cleff shook his head, though. “What? We gotta stop her if she’s become Nightmare Moon again!”

“It’s not that, no.” Cleff said a little bashfully, running his hoof over the scores of pages and finding the ones written in raised bumps. The goddess of the night had made a personal copy for the blind stallion to read. “The estimated time of this opera is over two hours. It would take about a month to learn, rehearse, and perform even halfway properly.” He told them. "Doing it shoddily, she may not even bother to attend."

“Precisely.” Celestia confirmed. “It will take time to lay such a trap, much less prepare the opera itself.” She sounded pained to use the word trap against her own sister, but little could be done for it. She gave a slow nod, and all of them could see the carefully masked pain in her eyes. Princess Luna had returned from her exile for less than two years, and already she’d descended into darkness again. To those that knew the subtle facial twitches of Celestia’s muzzle, she may as well have been sobbing on the spot. Only her twin private guards could surmise such a thing, though, and they looked at each other with silent worry.

“We’ve gotta wait a month?!” Pinkie Pie piped, holding her head. “But that’s like— like— forever!” she moaned, swaying back and forth on her back hooves. “Can’t you learn it faster?”

Cleff shook his head, tracing his hoof over the notes and words laid out. “These songs and lyrics are complex, even Octavia’s orchestra will take serious practice to learn it all correctly.” He said with some resignation. “Even a month would be pushing it.” He sighed, and Rarity put her hoof around him again. “I’ll need to stay here in Canterlot to work closely with everyone.” He said to her softly.

Rarity was silent for a few moments, then coughed a little haughtily. “W-well then, I shall have to stay with you.” She heaved a rather uneven and distressed sigh. “Besides, you heard Princess Lu— Nightmare Moon,” she corrected. “Apparently I’ve been drafted to do costumes for her opera.” She pawed through the papers a bit, coming to the expertly-made drawings. “Good heavens!” she said, pulling one up under her muzzle. “These will take ages to complete as shown!” The other mares gathered around to see. The designs were intricate, complex, and perfectly suited to some of the ponies working in the Royal Opera House. Some of them even had specific names in the corners, telling whom the costume was for and what part they would play. The goddess of the night was nothing else if not thorough.

“Hey lookit this one!” Rainbow Dash said, lifting up a particular design. She read from the descriptive paragraph on the parchment. “The costume for the Night Mare should be tall, slender, and cloaked in black. The mare who plays her must be a Pegasus with a supreme sense of balance.” Rainbow Dash’s voice drolled into her rather flat reading-aloud voice. The picture of the costume showed a Pegasus mannequin with stilts, to represent the amazing height of an alicorn. The actress really was supposed to dress up like Nightmare Moon and, with the aid of the stilts and other implements, look exactly like her. “Recommended actress unknown, arial ace or similar required.” The blue mare regretted those words as soon as she spoke them aloud. She looked up at the gathering of ponies and saw them all staring at her. “Ohhhhh no no no no—” she began to defend.

“We’ll need someone up on the stage with Cleff.” Rarity said with a pout in her lip.

“Someone with good balance, an arial ace.” Fluttershy had taken the paper and was scanning it over. “That sounds like you, Rainbow Dash.”

“I can’t sing!” Rainbow Dash said, looking back and forth as she slowly backed away from the group. Even Celestia seemed to mildly like the idea, but said nothing.

“We sang together when you were choosing a pet…” said Fluttershy meekly. “I thought your voice was nice— I mean— eep!” she retreated into her pink mane when all eyes went to her while she was talking.

“Voices are like muscles.” Cleff interjected. “They just need a daily workout and before long they’re just as strong as the rest of you.” He gestured vaguely in Rainbow Dash’s direction. “I know you like to do a lot of physical competition. Opera’s no different. It would be nice to have one of the Elements of Harmony on the stage with me, in case…” he trailed off a little pathetically. It occurred to almost everypony in the room that the blind stallion was by far the most frail pony in the room. All he had was his voice. Beneath his suit and handsome face was a frail and maybe even sickly stallion. He would need protecting. Rainbow Dash moaned when she looked over at Rarity, who was begging with soft eyes and a pouty lip.

“Ugh!” she finally grunted her assent. “At least make sure the stupid thing fits me!” she slapped the costume design page back into the pile, folding her arms and levitating in the air with grouchy, flapping wings.

“It’s a brave thing you’re doing, Rainbow Dash.” Princess Celestia said gently. She watched the mare blush a little, and quickly added. “Not just anypony can get up in front of hundreds to perform. I’m sure your daily training to be a Wonderbolt will come in handy if anything happens. Just make sure you practice as Cleff asks.” Her servant bowed rather bashfully, nodding, and it was settled.

“A month may seem like a long time.” Cleff tried to make himself sound brave, but there was a quiver on the end of his voice that didn’t allow it. “But it’s really not. We’ll need to work hard to make this work.” Rarity put a hoof over his. Then Rainbow Dash’s appeared atop hers. Then Applejack. Then Fluttershy. The massive hoof of royalty reached gracefully atop them all, eclipsing the entire pile of hooves. Princess Celestia gave a serene smile of reassurance. “L-let’s do it.” Cleff said, nodding seriously.

And so one month went by, each one a serious and task-filled day…

Rarity toiled hard to complete the costumes on all of the design pages, and still made time to watch over Cleff. They stayed at the Royal Palace in Canterlot, and slept in the same bed each night. Rarity did not want Nightmare Moon snatching him away in the dead of night. Though the dark goddess had never made good on her royal voice lessons, the mare didn’t trust her not to suddenly grab her stallion in the dead of night.

Cleff practiced hard every day for the upcoming opera. Though he may have been soft-spoken, shy, and rather frail in day-to-day life— on the stage he was like a god. Though he occasionally ran into stage props or tripped on stairs, he was always on his hooves again before stagehooves could reach him, ready to try again. He gained more than a few bruises this way. Before long, it got around to others that things should be left in regular locations so that he could mentally map his surroundings and not run into anything. Before long he walked about the stage and scenery as though it were his own home, heedless of any obstacle as though it were supposed to be there.

Rainbow Dash was a hard case, practicing from day one on the stilts. She’d made fast friends with a small medical team that treated plenty of bloody muzzles and bruises on her path to stardom in the opera. She was resented by the staff for awhile, but when they learned her true identity and purpose they no longer disliked her. She was a mare with a mission, and if she was going to protect Cleff on the stage during the opera, she needed support and focus. Her voice coaches could tell she had no capacity for high opera, so they worked with what they had. She would not be the most amazing voice to ever grace the stage but there were few ponies that could walk, talk, fly, sing, and still stay graceful at the same time while on stilts. If anything the mare could multitask, and that was nothing to take lightly. By the end of the month she could hold a note like a fresh young filly taking to the stage for her first real play. Good enough to blend in with the veterans, according to the meek words of Fluttershy. If anything, Rainbow Dash felt very tall and the stilts had become a natural extension of her body. Sometimes she kept them on all day, just to practice and show off.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle practically tore her mane out when she heard what had happened. Of course the only one with black feathers was Princess Luna herself! (Or Nightmare Moon, rather) Of course alicorns were the only ones that could make such massive hoofprints! It took a lot of coaxing and fine chocolates from Sugar Cube Corner to even get a shadow of her confidence back, but when she heard of the confrontation to come, she turned just as serious as the others. If Nightmare Moon was going to pounce on Rarity’s fiancée, she and the other Elements of Harmony would need to be there to stop her.

There was little for Applejack, Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy to do for the opera so they returned home to finish reconstructing Ponyville. It had taken a long time to refit every single window and streetlamp in town, but they’d helped all the residents migrate back to their homes and get resettled. There was plenty of work to do in order to restore the town to its former glory, especially with snow still on the ground. Applejack was worried about eating into their food reserves, but with Winter Wrap-Up just around the corner, this was alleviated by food aid from a few other towns and even Canterlot itself. Pinkie Pie had to cut back on making cakes for awhile, and Sugar Cube Corner shifted into making more staple foods like bread and rolls to keep everypony fed and happy. It was tough, but doable. Fluttershy busied herself adjusting the local wildlife to the wild fluxes of pony presence in the area. First they were there, then gone, then strange ponies rebuilding, then gone, then the old residents back again— it was enough to make all the woodland creatures nervous with all the foreign smells and strange noises. But, slowly, Ponyville morphed back into its normal state and life could continue. Coming up on the final day of the fourth week, the town looked… well… normal again. Whatever blast that had struck the town and shattered everything glass was just a memory now, thankfully.

Then, before anyone could see it coming, the night was upon them. Night Mare, Triumphant sold out is tickets in less than an hour, and the opera house was going to be packed to the gills with ponies of all sorts. Celestia would make sure all the doors and exits were kept clear and open in case there was any sort of rush or panic. It was a very real threat in the back of her mind that Nightmare Moon might try something deadly in order to get the object of her obsession, Cleff. That meant keeping a much closer eye on his betrothed, Rarity.

That Evening…

Box number five had been carefully kept empty for Nightmare Moon, the same box she’d supposedly been in to see one of Cleff’s other plays. Celestia sat perched in the Royal Opera Box, Twilight Sparkle next to her. Her faithful student had been flattered when she got to sit in the special place next to her mentor, but the serious tone of the night allowed for little more than nervousness.

Twilight mumbled to herself, looking out over the packed opera house. She saw a few choice ponies looking up at them from the crowd below. Fluttershy and Applejack were seated in a box across the way, nervously look about. Rarity was in one of the front rows, looking over her shoulder to be sure Celestia was present and ready to… do whatever needed to be done, when Nightmare Moon showed her face. Rainbow Dash was of course backstage getting suited up for her role in the play, a little jittery but playing it cool (though her ten seconds flat boasting didn’t make much sense when the play was, in fact, over two hours long).

Suddenly the lights flared up a bit and Celestia stood ceremoniously. “Stand, Twilight.” She mumbled out of the side of her mouth. “You sit in Luna’s stead.” Twilight understandably turned scarlet, leaping to her hooves and standing beside her mentor. The eyes of hundreds of ponies looked up at Celestia for her silent blessing. She bent at the neck with her eyes closed, and Twilight emulated her as best she could. There was a murmur of approval from the crowd below. They did enjoy seeing their princess at these public events. When the lights went down again, it occurred to Twilight Sparkle that she really was sitting in the place of a goddess. She didn’t know whether to be honored or overwhelmed.

The orchestra struck up, startling the audience into applause. The curtain parted, and Night Mare, Triumphant began.

End of Part 9

Night Mare, Triumphant

Music of the Night Part 10: Night Mare, Triumphant

The massive velvet curtains parted, revealing a run-down version of what was very clearly the lower tier of Canterlot. Celestia frowned at the all-male cast, thankful that the opera house was dark and she did not have to mask such expressions. There was a group of all stallions, dressed in complexly layered rags and none of them with shorn fetlocks. Prostitutes. They were male prostitutes. It was not an unheard of concept in Equestria, for ninety percent of the population was female and it really was a competition to find a companion of the opposite gender (even Ponyville could attest to this). So, it had given rise to what came to be called ‘Stallion Barns’, in which a lonely mare could find male satisfaction for a price, if only for a night. Seeing something like that displayed so explicitly on the stage curled Celestia’s stomach a little. Even the crowd below had murmurs of uncomfortable disapproval. It had been almost twelve hundred years since even Celestia herself had maintained a consort, but such ideas still remained. Twilight shifted uncomfortably next to her, and she put a massive wing around her for support.

Cleff was in the group, displayed as symbolically clean and ‘new’ to the group of stallions. The opera was a relatively simple one. A stallion had shamed his family and run away into the night, joining a stallion barn in order to feed himself. But, because of his silky white coat he was intimidating to both customers and the other stallions. To touch him would ruin his virginal white coat, and none dared for he seemed supernatural. (Cleff had been specially groomed with light flecks of diamond dust, fastened in his fur and on his outfit.)

As the play progressed, the mane six kept a sharp eye on box five. Pinkie Pie had taken up residence in box four, especially close to the action and wearing an army helmet complete with twigs and leaves. She’d not moved from where she was crouching for the duration of the evening. From the front row in her seat, Rarity kept turning to check that everyone was in position. Applejack and Fluttershy eyed the crowd. Wherever Nightmare Moon approached from, glittering cloud or not, they would spot her before she did anything bad.

As the play went on, it painted a tragic story for another character. A high official of renown whose people feared her, who spent every night alone pining for a companion. Not only for her bed, but for her love of the night. It was certainly strange to see a character like Nightmare Moon shown this way. Rainbow Dash did her very, very best to look graceful in the stilts and thankfully the script only called for her to walk slowly back and forth on a terrace high above the stage floor. She’d been painted jet black from muzzle to tail, and from a distance like stage performance she made a fairly impressive representation of the dark goddess. The flashy armor was expertly done as well, though thin and just for show.

Rarity watched the play carefully, trying to read between the lines and see into Nightmare Moon’s plans. Cleff she saw as some sort of perfect companion, like a milky spirit who could be stained by a mere touch. Nightmare Moon saw herself as alone and unloved, and had made motions to find a companion in her beautiful nights. The story, the real story, unfolded in front of her. Cleff’s character sent away customers, telling them he could not bring himself to mount strangers in the night. Just like in real life, the character was shy and easily shaken. Rarity saw the parody of events that had probably already happened.

Rainbow Dash groaned a little on stage, then looked down upon Cleff’s character struggling with pawing hooves. She made a very fake-looking angry face that the make-up she had on only magnified into a glare. The stallions swarming around poor Cleff shoo’d the wanting mares away, and burst into chorus at him:

Here the mistress serves the male!

Here the mistress takes her meat!

Here the sacrificial lamb!

Utters out a panicked bleat!

It was strange to see so many bass voices rising in song at the same time. Much less to see so many non-soldier stallions in one place. But, the lewd motions they made towards Cleff during their booming song made even the most jaded opera-goer shift uncomfortably. This was hardly normal play material! What if there were foals in the crowd?! Cleff’s character was shuffled around and made fun of while he looked distressed and frail against their massive shoulders and trained manes. The underbelly of society didn’t look any better when it was dressed up for an opera. One stallion thrust himself forward, pulling poor Cleff to his side with a lewd smile and a conspiratorial guffaw:

Poor young stallion, for the thrill!

On your tongue, for food and sweets!

You will have to pay your bills,

Dancing nightly in the sheets!

Rarity’s face was hot with anger. How DARE Nightmare Moon involve Cleff in an opera that had such bawdy lyrics and themes?! It was beneath his wonderful talent. What was there to possibly gain? She shifted in her seat, a little flushed and short of breath. She pulled at her collar a little (she’d dressed up for the opera, of course), trying to stay calm and just watch the play. Everyone was ready. They just had to endure until the dark goddess made her appearance. She flicked her eyes up to box five. Nothing. The stallion continued, gesturing to a fake room with a waiting mare dressed in cloak and cape.

Serve the meal and serve the mare,

Serve the mistress so that when,

Tables are set and plans are laid,

Nightmare Moon triumphs again!

It wasn’t unusual to take the name of the dark goddess in vain when referring to lewd acts performed in the darkness. Celestia herself frowned a little darkly, but wiped the expression when Twilight glanced up at her. She hadn’t known her sister could write something so… colorful. There was a puff of air, a sound of disapproval, from her nostrils.

Above on the terrace, Rainbow Dash took her cue and reared up. When her stilts struck the ground, ponies hidden in the backdrop crashed cymbals and rolled drums to symbolize a massive storm. The mare meant for Cleff’s character to please fled in terror from the elements. Sprinkles of water went back and forth across the stage to show the storm. Cleff cocked his head, tilting his head back and perking his ears at the dark figure that had saved his virtue. Then, he scampered away. Suddenly, a painted grey Pegasus landed on the terrace next to Nightmare Moon Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash looked pensive over the terrace, looking down at the bawdy scene below. Then she raised her voice:

Aegis Shield my faithful guard and friend!

Once again recite the plan!

Rainbow Dash was NOT the best singer, but she was doing her very best to keep up with the pace of the play and really sell that she was a dark goddess drawn by the sight of a milky white stallion in a stallion barn. It was embarrassing, but the black face paint hid her blush. The grey Pegasus announced to her and the audience:

Your young stallion believes in you,

As the mistress of the night!

When you saw him it was so dark, he could not have felt your face!

He believes he dines with them, those stallion whores at their quick pace!

Furtively I scoff and quaff, stealing what in truth is yours,

For when it’s late, his modesty,

By wine will mellow of out course!

Nightmare Moon Rainbow Dash nodded with grand excitement at the idea of stealing the virginal stallion from among all the filth he’d become entangled in. For what greater prize was there than a stallion who worshipped you and still maintained his virtue in the worst circumstances? Moving slowly on her stilts with a toss of her head, she acted out excitement and eagerness. Her servant was to steal the virginal stallion from the lewd place and make him all hers! Rainbow Dash raised her voice in excitement while her servant went down to the stage to steal Cleff away. The Nightmare Moon character went on:

I shall say ‘come hide with me!

Where, oh where of course my room!

Rainbow Dash threw back her head and gave a great villainous laugh, moving off stage and behind a curtain while the fight scene went on below. The servant Aegis Shield was bucking the snot out of the other stallions, fighting off the mares and doing some rather impressive choreography to fend them away. When all of them lay strewn about the stage Aegis Shield took the submissive Cleff and put him upon his back, cantering away off stage. The audience applauded cautiously, for the play was pausing to shift scenery and such behind the curtain.

Rarity felt herself feeling tensed up all of a sudden. She tried to relax, checking around the room once more. Everyone was still in place. Celestia sat still as a statue, Twilight leaning worriedly into her. Pinkie Pie was still on the lookout in box four, and shrugged when she saw Rarity’s eyes on her. Applejack and Fluttershy had nothing either. Where was Nightmare Moon? The opera was almost over and they’d seen neither hide nor feather of her.

Backstage, Rainbow Dash was drinking greedily from a waiting trough of water. Careful not to smudge her face paint, she gasped animatedly. This opera thing was hard work! The lights were so hot, and she had to shout so loudly since they were not using any sort of sound equipment. Not to mention the big fake horn they’d glued to her face, ugh! She only had a few minutes before the next scene where Nightmare Moon would seduce the virtuous stallion into being her consort of the night. That was the longest song she’d had to memorize and—!

“Sleep.” A voice told her quietly. Magic gripped her mind. Rainbow Dash, stilts and all, pitched over. She was dragged into darkness, hidden amongst ropes and crates. A black figure went the way Rainbow Dash was supposed to go to get ready for the next scene, cloaked in blackness and magic.

When the curtain parted again, it was a bedroom. There was a massive bed of black velvet, stocked bookshelves and a window that looked out into a starry night with a full moon. The lights dimmed and the spotlight behind the moon in the window turned on. It gave the entire stage an eerie almost-blue glow. The virtuous stallion lay sprawled out open the massive bed, his fore-hoof dramatically over his face. The half-empty wine bottle nearby told of what was probably foul play. The audience shifted uncomfortably. This was starting to get just a little too erotic for a stage play, at least more so than they were willing to admit was good for a stage. There were whispers amongst the ponies in the audience, and the room was dead silent while they waited for the scene to start.

The cloaked figure emerged from one side of the stage and into the bedroom. It was under hood and shadow, as was dictated by the script, sliding gracefully around the room and hidden from the beam of moonlight. “Mistress?” Called Aegis Shield from off-stage. “Was this as you wished?” he was indicating the provocative posing and setup of the room.

“Go away, Aegis Shield!” said the cloaked figure, the voice smooth as silk. That was not Rainbow Dash’s voice. “Go away, for the trap— it is set— and it waits for its prey.” She trilled her voice just a little, lowering the mouth-covering of the hood so she could be heard. Cleff’s ears perked in a very obvious way. That was the signal.

All six of the mane six were on their hooves, looking up at Celestia for the go ahead. The sun goddess raised a hoof quickly, steadying them. She did not want them to simply rush the stage and throw everything into chaos. There had to be a proper moment… Rarity was hyperventilating with burning need to just attack Nightmare Moon. But she had to obey her princess. She was barely able to contain herself. She and the others moved discreetly through the audience, trying to find a better vantage point. Meanwhile the play continued, and the character of Nightmare Moon had plenty to say:

You have been brought here,

In pursuit of your deepest urge,

In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent,

Silent.

I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge!

In your mind you’ve already SUCCUMBED TO ME,

Dropped all defenses, completely SUCCUMBED TO ME!

Now you are here with me, no second thoughts, you’ve decided…

Decided.

Nightmare Moon gave a swish of her beautiful black cloak. Magic was already lacing Cleff’s mind and he could feel it now. A warm, bubbling desire from his goddess, no longer hiding but completely out in the open. Want me, the magic said. Yes, his mind said back, I want you. He rose slowly from the bed, a slow and erotic motion that was careful to show a little more than just his flank to her, though not the audience. He could feel her wanting eyes burning into him. He could hear her barely controlled panting, and smell the mild sweat under her armor. The stallion was completely in-tune with his mare of the night, and her haunting song drew him ever-closer:

Past the point of no return—

No backward glances.

Our games of make believe are at an end—

Past the point of if, or when.

No use resisting,

Abandon thought, and let my night begin—

She stood before him, and drew gasps from the crowd when she suddenly grasped him up like a rag-doll. He let out a strangled yelp while she stood over him like a stallion might a mare before furious mating. She was that much taller than he. Nightmare Moon ran her muzzle harshly over the most sensitive spots of his shoulder blades and back.

What rage and FIRE shall flood the soul?

What rich desire unlocks its door?

What sweet seduction lies before— us?

Beyond the point of no— return?

Nightmare Moon stood away from him for a moment, panting a little wildly for a moment. The mane six begged Celestia with their eyes for the go ahead. Her hoof was still held up to stall them, though. The moment had not yet presented itself. All the elements of harmony itched to leap into action. The sun goddess watched with careful eyes, eyeing the body language and hearing the words. So this was the deep and erotic secret her sister had been keeping for so long, her desire for this stallion. She turned her gaze when suddenly Cleff heaved a great breath:

You have brought me to that moment where words run dry,

To that moment when speech disappears into silence—

Silence.

I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why,

For in my mind I already imagine our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent…

Now I am here with you, no second thoughts, I’ve decided—

Decided.

Nightmare Moon pressed erotically to him, and he reared up to put his arms around her. They cheek-nuzzled, which very nearly sent Rarity into a boiling frenzy. Forgetting all about the play she made to mount the stage and impale Nightmare Moon on her horn. It was Applejack who had to tackle her. The audience didn’t even notice. They were mesmerized by what was happening on stage. Cleff continued, slow-dancing on his back legs with Nightmare Moon leading him about the stage-bedroom:

Past the point of no return, no going back now,

Our passion play has now at last begun!

Past the point of no return, one final question,

How long do we two wait before we’re one?

When will the blood begin to race?

The sleeping stars burst into bloom?

When will your night at last, CONSUME!!— us?

Nightmare Moon was walking Cleff backward towards the massive, alicorn-sized bed. There was more than one audience member wildly wondering if perhaps there would be an explicit scene of sex in this play. They’d certainly crossed every other boundry and broken every other rule, why not this one? Not one eye dared leave the stage, they were so drawn in to the scene of passion— of lust— of the virtuous stallion and the goddess who loved him. Their voices raised together as one:

Past the point of no return!

The final threshold!

The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn!

We’ve passed the point of no— re—turn.

Cleff and Nightmare Moon fell into a quiet silence of slow nuzzling, of her hooves playing slowly with the flaps of his coat. Every mare in the Royal Canterlot Opera House leaned forward in her chair, chewing on her lip. The mane six also watched as Nightmare Moon laid Cleff slowly, erotically back onto the bed on center-stage. Celestia’s heart quivered at her sister’s passion, misplaced and dark though it was… she could see her love just in the slow motions of her lips and hooves. It was a strange thing, and often not Celestia’s realm. Ponies tended to make love at night when the darkness hid them from sight. Her sister had seen far more of such things than she. Rarity looked up at Princess Celestia desperately, whimpering under Applejack’s powerful headlock. She couldn’t let Cleff be molested right up there on stage! Celestia have mercy, she begged silently. It was Nightmare Moon who continued alone, as though whispering to the virginal stallion she’d stolen from the stallion barn. She stroked his mane in slow, loving motions:

Say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime?

Lead me, save me from my solitude?

Say you’ll want me with you here, beside me?

ANYWHERE YOU GO, LET ME GO TOO!

OH, CLEFF! THAT’S ALL I ASK OF--!

The Royal Canterlot Voice was cut off when Cleff’s hoof seized her cloak and ripped it right off! Nightmare Moon’s disguise fell away with a flourish, the cape and hood flapping away into shadow. The audience was on its hooves in shock, gasping and shouting in fear and confusion.

Celestia’s hoof thrusted forward, and the mane six leapt into action!

End of Part 10

Finale

Music of the Night Part 11: Finale

Rainbow Dash awoke with somepony weeping over her. She moaned, and her caretaker gave a start. It was Fluttershy. Turning her head weakly, she looked up at the bleary-eyed mare. “Oh Rainbow Dash!” she flung her arms around her and squeezed tight. Dashie became aware that her stilts and costume were gone, but how had she ended up on the floor? “I was afraid— I was afraid she might have—” Fluttershy squeezed even harder, bawling.

“Whoa-whoa-whoa, easy on the waterworks, Fluttershy. What happened?” Rainbow Dash sat up, shaking her head quickly. She peered around. There was a big hole in the middle of the stage, and the theatre seats were all empty. The place looked mostly intact, aside from the massive hole in the ground.

“It’s Nightmare Moon! She snatched up Cleff, blew a hole in the floor and then vanished into thin air! Everyone is running around looking for them, even Princess Celestia.” Fluttershy gestured to the patrolling solar stallions in the upper boxes of the auditorium, peering about like even a flake of dust might be important. The buttery mare whimpered, steadying Rainbow Dash when she tried to stand. “Easy now, you were hit with such strong magic, you might be--!” on cue the cyan mare flopped over again, disoriented. “Yes, like that.” Fluttershy said gently.

“I thought you guys were gonna grab her or something!” Rainbow complained while the world in her eyes spun. “That was the plan, right? Lure her out and then stop her from taking Cleff? But, she got him anyway?”

“We jumped onto the stage to challenge her.” Fluttershy said, lowering her head shamefully. “But the Elements of Harmony only work if you’ve got all six…” she trailed off, absentmindedly stroking Rainbow’s mane while she tried to stand again.

“—And I was on the floor backstage, got it.” Rainbow harrumphed a little, embarrassed and angry at the same time. Her hooves made bicycle motions for a bit, wings flapping a few times until she was upright again. The world spun slower, and she blinked rapidly. “What about Princess Celestia?”

“Nightmare Moon grabbed Cleff and vanished before she could do anything. I’ve never seen her move that fast.” Fluttershy said meekly, leaning back into the strands of her mane a little. There was a touch of color on her cheeks. “Are you sure you’re okay, Rainbow Dash?” she tried to be supportive as the proud mare struggled to her quaking hooves.

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine!” she said, walking shakily forward. She didn’t have the coordination to fly yet, but the fuzziness around her mind was wearing off slowly. “I’ll have this dizziness beat in ten seconds fl—” she crashed face-first into the floor in front of herself after that, front hooves having stutter-stepped a little. “Ow. My face.” She mumbled into the wooden floor. Fluttershy sighed sympathetically. “Where’d you say the others were again?”

“They split up to look for Nightmare Moon and Cleff.” said Fluttershy gently. Using a mound of rope from the stage area she propped Rainbow Dash up so at least her vision would be right-side up. The blue mare smiled thankfully, still quivering a little as the magicks slowly wore off. “I can only imagine where Nightmare Moon dragged that poor stallion, or how Rarity must be feeling now!” the butter-colored Pegasus whimpered sadly, wilting.

Elsewhere…

Cleff was struggling hard against his captor, whimpering as his hooves dragged the cold stone stairs. They’d been going downward for ages, and he could no longer keep up with Nightmare Moon’s rushing. Panting and tired from the opera, he distressed and yelped when she turned a sharp corner and kept pulling him ever downward into a blackness he dared not fathom.

Nightmare Moon held him sharply with her wing, angry and spitting as her fangs grew just a bit longer in her transformation. Almost completely monster now, she roared just below the tone of the Royal Canterlot Voice:

Down once more to the dungeons of my black despair!

Down we plunge to the prison of my dark!

Down that path into darkness deeper than NIGHT!

Cleff could hear her lighting torches on sconces as they went, for each gave a growling woosh of magic and a blast of heat. If he could have seen them, he would’ve known the flames were an unnatural greenish color. He struggled against her, hooves flailing about as the dark goddess kept pulling him mercilessly along. She suddenly jolted to a stop, rounding on him with an angry snarl. Seizing his shoulder she slammed him forcefully against the wall. He cried out on impact, but she went on despite it:

Why do you ask was I bound and chained on that cold and dismal place?

Not for any mortal sin but the wickedness of my selfish aberrant face!

Cleff yelped when she continued to drag him along and down some ramps, then more stairs, then another spiraling ramp. She spoke of course of her exile to the moon. What a horrible scar that must’ve left on her mind and heart, he knew. Now it was all being brought to the forefront, with he as the recipient of her angry cries. All the audience had to do was get a good look at her, and they’d panicked like frightened school fillies. It was a small wonder, Cleff suddenly realized, that she’d fallen in love with him. He could not see her and make such fearful judgements.

I was hunted down by Celestia,

Then met with hatred everywhere,

There were no kind words from anypony,

No compassion anywhere, oh Cleff!

Cleff’s hooves found familiar plush carpet, and he knew they’d come to the secret underground place once more. The smell of parchment and the drip of water told him so. But, for now all he could gleam was the panting mare of the night and her upset ramblings. She seized him, almost knocking a desk over in the process. “Why?” she panted to him. “Why, Cleff?! Why expose us to the audience like that? You’ve ruined everything!” he yelped when she shoved him powerfully over onto a smaller platform. “I grow tired of playing all these games and competing with a mere mortal like the unicorn Rarity!” she reared up and slammed her hooves down, shaking the cavern. Cleff staggered, and then there was silence. The whir of powerful magics in the air snatched at him, pulling off his beautiful opera garb until he was naked. “I am the goddess of the night! It is not too much to ask to merely have a stallion all to myself and I choose YOU, Cleff!” one of her words sent his mane violently flapping as the Royal Canterlot Voice echoed about the cave. “You will be mine! My consort of the night, no matter what anypony else does!”

Cleff was pulled into the air, and about him formed a new oddity. Small, slender plates of ceremonial armor clanked into place on his body. They form-fitted, making him look sleek… dark… handsome. The crescent moon of royalty concealed his cutie mark, marking her as his own (not very different from her twin stallion guards). His black glasses gleamed, turning to a more slender version of themselves. A flowing, sparkling cape exploded from his collar, draping over him. “C—consort of the night?” he whispered, his voice quivering. Cleff knew that there would be nopony to save him this time. Not Princess Celestia. Not anypony from the opera house. Not Rarity. He was all alone in the deep, cavernous dark. Screwing up his courage, the opera pony squared his shoulders and finally stood up for himself!

Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for fear?!

Am I now to be prey to your lust for flank?!

Nightmare Moon hesitated for a moment as she set him back on his hooves. She towered over him, but her fang-filled smile was wide. Bits of her saliva dripped down to the floor, hissing like potent acid and sending the scent of sulfur into the air. Her wings flapped open, a powerful display of royal authority and winged strength. Leaning down to his eye-level, though he could not see her, she hissed her response:

That fate which condemns me to wallow in fear,

Has also denied me the joys of the flank.

This face of horrors has poisoned our love!

This face which earned Equestria’s fear and loathing,

This dark, my own, its only scrap of clothing…

She turned tender for a moment, reaching out with a massive hoof to tenderly stroke his handsome face. Surely her stallion could understand why she hid in the dark? Anypony who looked upon her would seize up in fear and never give her the time of night. None of them ever gave her the chance, until dear Cleff looked upon her with eyes unseeing. Could he not understand how very important he was, the object of a goddess’ love?! Angrily, she turned about, finding a slender silver circlet on a table. Rushing back to him she thrust it onto his head around his ears. It chafed hard.

Pity comes too late!

Turn around and face your fate!

And eternity of THIS! Before your eyes…

The darkness was consuming Nightmare Moon and her beautiful black coat was turning hard and almost scaly. Her fangs were turning longer, hooking, and dripping with bright green acid. Her temper growing worse and worse, she could think only of having Cleff to herself and destroying that wretched unicorn Rarity. Nopony could stand in the way of a goddess and her prize, Nopony! Whinnying with anger and bottled lust, she reared up and slammed the ground again to scare him. Acid dripped to the floor, hissing clouds of white smoke as it did so. Cleff flinched, but stood his ground. His back knees quivered, but he tried to get through to her regardless. Rearing up slowly, he put his arms about her to plead and have her see reason.

This haunted face holds no horrors for me now,

It’s in your soul that the true distortions lie—

There was a sound of hooves coming down the tunnel. Nightmare Moon was about to touch her muzzle slowly to Cleff’s, but it tore her attention away. The white stallion winced, for he already knew who was coming. As though on cue, none other than Rarity emerged into the cavern! All of the dark goddess’ fangs were suddenly on display, a grand and wicked smile of amusement. “My my, Cleff, I think we have a guest!” she slowly pushed him back to all fours, walking past him and flaring her wings aggressively. “It takes more than mere courage to descend into such darkness, dear mare!” she spat, glaring at Rarity with all the chill of a thousand full moons.

“Rarity!” Cleff said, rushing forward a few steps and tripping right over a wayward stool. He spilled over himself, his awkward armor clanking loudly. Being consort of the night made it hard to move as well as he usually did, even compared to the stiff ball garb Rarity had made! Grunting to his feet he perked his ears, straining to hear anything from his beloved.

“Let. Cleff. Go!” Rarity said, teeth clenched. “Everyone is looking for you, Nightmare Moon! Do you really think you can just snatch him and get away with it?!” She splish-splashed through the cave waters until she came upon a little island to make her stand. She threw her chest out, rearing a bit. Nightmare Moon jeered. “Let him go!” she demanded again.

“I hoped to see you again before I took Cleff away into the night with me.” Nightmare Moon started walking sideways, a strafing motion meant to show off one’s peak physical form and warn away the opponent. The pale unicorn would not budge, only stood there and panted from all the ramps and stairs she’d taken to get down there. “And now here you are. Wonderful.” She lowered her horn a little, lighting it with black magics.

“Have you no pity? Let him go! Can’t you see what you’ve done to him?!” Rarity demanded, gesturing. Nightmare Moon looked over her shoulder. Cleff looked distressed, but otherwise regal and handsome in the new regalia she’d given to him. Everything she’d ever wanted in a prize stallion. Turning back to Rarity, she smiled another acid-dripping smile.

“You say that like I’ve harmed him. Why would I make him pay, when the sins are all yours?!” She made a gesture with one powerful hoof and suddenly both of Nightmare Moon’s bat-winged guards dropped from the ceiling! They’d been hanging upside down like bats, silent as the grave. They tackled Rarity to the hard floor, who squealed like she was being molested. Cleff cried her name, cocking his head back and forth while she struggled. The sheer weight of both stallions held her down, and all attempts at magic got her a hoof in the face. She yelped several times until, quivering, she panted into surrender. They held her, powerful, snorting hot air upon her face. “Did you think I did not see you take advantage of my Cleff that winter’s morning?! You sullied him with your touch, Rarity! Soiled the bed that was rightfully mine to enjoy!” Nightmare Moon came close, almost nose to nose with her and shaking with teeth-clenching rage. “Now look where you are! Face down with two stallions upon you! FITTING!” Rarity coughed when the Royal Canterlot Voice blasted her from point blank range. It made her ears ring. She wiggled, and the stallions beat her again. And again.

Her cries were heart-wrenching to Cleff, who stood helplessly on the main island of the cave’s waterways. “Stop! Stop it!” He begged. “You’re hurting her! Stop it!” twin streams of tears rushed from behind his black glasses, dripping to the floor. “Please--!” his voice, Cleff’s beautiful voice, it cracked with misery and his head hung low until the beating sounds stopped. "Please..."

“None can save you now, except perhaps my Cleff!” Nightmare Moon pointed at the mare dangerously. She rounded on the white stallion, splashing across the water until she was in front of him again with her massive height. “Come with me, into my dark. Be mine till the end of your days! Buy Rarity’s freedom with your love for ME!” she turned, gesturing to her stallions upon her. They pressed powerful hooves into the back of Rarity’s neck, and she gagged loudly. Tears of pain sprouted in her eyes, and she gave a belting cry when she was struck again. “Refuse me and I’ll send your lover to the moon!” she gestured to a tapestry on the wall, stars and constellations with the iconic picture of the mare in moon. Nightmare Moon threatened to make Rarity the new mare in the moon! Could she actually do that? Well, she was a goddess so— “This is the choice! This is your point of no return!” The black goddess demanded, her voice having gone ragged. Her mane hung about her head in a wild, savage look that bore no resemblance of the regal princess she once was. This darkness, this monster, it was all fangs and wild hair and scales. Even Cleff’s acute senses could no longer recognize her. The transformation was complete. She no longer smelled of feminine want, of rain-pregnant wind and night time. Now, the monster smelled of sweat and desire and violence. She had become something else entirely.

“Why make him lie to you to save me, monster?!” Rarity called out haughtily, trying to draw the monster’s attention from her love. She cried out when one of the stallions blasted her temple with pain once more, a deadly hoof the size of a dinner plate. She moaned, barely conscious anymore. Blood seeped from her temple and her eyes fluttered.
Cleff perked his ears to listen for Rarity’s breathing. She sounded terrible. Both stallions panted from the effort of holding her and beating her into a pulp. The monster of the night stood across from him, gasping raggedly with eager desire. He reached up slowly, removing his black glasses and dropping them to the ground. They shattered with a meek tinkle of glass, and he turned his head to try and look up into her eyes. His milky gaze tried to find hers, and his voice was a shuddering sound of sadness.

Pitiful creature of night time…

What kind of life have you known?

Faust give me courage to show you,

You are not alone—!

He brought his muzzle up into Nightmare Moon’s as her fangs and acid saliva vanished just in time to receive him. Hot, flushed happiness washed over the mare of the night. Cleff’s head slowly cocked to the side to deepen the kiss, the first he’d ever shared with her. Her huge hooves suddenly pulled him into her with a moan of undeniable, fantastic release. Tension flooded out of Nightmare Moon’s body, and her wings rose to their full black span. She moaned into him, breathing hotly out of her nose as her tongue came forth to— his tears touched the tip of her nose. She pulled away with a heady pant, looking at him. His brow was tilted up, and new waves of wet saltiness slowly worked their way down his face. Nightmare Moon opened her mouth to speak. She glanced over at Rarity, who was wearing a purely dumbfounded look. Both bat-winged stallions were staring as well, for this was their mistress’ prized moment of victory. The monster looked back at Cleff, who kept himself still despite his silent weeping.

Shame flooded over Nightmare Moon.

She backed away a few steps, staring at the stallion she’d just molested. Turning, the princess gave a harsh gesture that Rarity be let go. Her guards hesitated for only half a moment before vanishing into shadow once more. A horrible, wrenching tightness seized Nightmare Moon. She clenched her fangs in distress, bowing her head and then shaking her mane with a wild whinny of frustration and shame. Rearing up, she turned about and began quickly striding away. “Take him! Take him away from here!” she commanded Rarity, who rose on shaking hooves to stagger towards Cleff. “Leave me alone! Forget all that’s happened!” it was a painful wail to hear from such a powerful creature. “Go now, get out of here!” she made a harsh gesture and a phantom wind pushed Rarity and Cleff towards the exit tunnel. They stood close together, shaking, both just trying to make sure the other was okay. Their loving whimpers lingered a little too long for the princess' garroted heart. “GO NOW! GO NOW AND LEAVE ME!” she roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice. They staggered away, towards the exit tunnel as she fled into the darkest corner of her cavern.

Rarity coughed heavily when they came to the bottom stair. “I can’t make it, I need to rest a moment.” She panted, holding her throat where she’d been kicked so many times.

“Stay here. Rest.” Cleff bade her, and he slipped away after the princess. He wandered in the aimless darkness of the cave, but then he found her scent. It was mellowing out slowly into the same milky, feminine scent it had been before. A growling sound came from the blackness, and then the sound of a turning record table. The white stallion was surprised to hear his own voice singing softly in the distance. He followed it.

Nightmare Moon sat on her haunches, leaning over a beat up looking record player while Cleff’s voice serenaded her with the volume turned most of the way down. She tried to sing along, but it came out as a defeated little mewl, “Masquerade… paper faces on parade. Masquerade.” Her head dipped lower as diamond-like tears dripped from her face. “Hide your face so the world will n-never— f-find you.” Her wild mane hung in unruly strands over her muzzle and face. She looked like a monster, according to the puddle of water next to her. Fangs and sweat and darkness. She wept quietly, until she heard the sound of approaching hooves. When she looked up, she saw her stallion Cleff standing before her. Eyes lidding, she tried not to sob as he slowly took off the silver circlet she’d given him. He pressed it into her hooves, but she let it fall to the floor and crack. “Oh Cleff, I love— you.” She tried to tell him, but her voice failed her entirely, and her head lowered in defeat. He turned and slowly walked away, back to Rarity. Nightmare Moon sniffled quietly, watching them go.

Cleff let Rarity lean against him in her bruised and beaten state. They mounted the stairs using his strong body and her strong eyes. Together, they would be able to make it up and out of the darkness of Nightmare Moon’s lair. Together. Rarity winced with each step of her front-left hoof, limping. Eager to soothe her, the stallion hummed to her intimately:

Say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime?

Say the word and I shall follow you…

Say you’ll be with me each night, each morning?

Nightmare Moon rose without realizing it, watching the two white ponies rounding the corner as they struggled their way up the stairs. She sniffled, wiping her face of the tears and snot. Pushing her mane out of her eyes she strained to get one last look at her beloved stallion, her Cleff. “You alone can make all songs— take flight.” She struggled to keep her voice intact, but the Royal Canterlot Voice suddenly boiled up inside her with a vengeance like no other. She had but one more line of singing to give before she never sang again:

“IT’S OVER NOW, CLEFF'S MUSIC! OF--! MY--! NIGHT--!”

Nightmare Moon sat hard upon her haunches, thrusting her hoof into the air and suddenly her regalia exploded into shards of hot metal! Her helm blasted shrapnel in all directions, exposing the true baldness of a head with an ethereal mane. Her wings were no longer weighted with metal, and flung black feathers in all directions. Her cutie mark was exposed to open air as bits of metal and magic imploded off of her like she were an alicorn made of black powder. She coughed violently as her fangs turned to useless bits of nothing, spattering the floor while normal teeth took their place. Falling weakly upon her knees with a moan, she sputtered and weaved in and out of clarity.

Instantly, her twin stallion guards fell from the ceiling to be at her side. They guided her slowly to her belly, crooning that she rest and breathe. No longer was she Nightmare Moon, but an exhausted and mewling Princess Luna. “Aegis Shield… Stalwart Hooves…” she whispered their names for the first time in years, addressing them directly. They smiled at her gently, and as her great head lolled to one side, they brought her gently to the ground. When they were sure she was unconscious, they moved her with gentle hooves to the bed. There, they waited.

End of Part 11

Epilogue

Music of the Night: Epilogue

Princess Luna stood upon her balcony, and it didn’t take long for her to feel the immensity of her sister’s aura coming. Celestia exploded into existence, a sunburst of boundless magic. She landed daintily with a tap of four hooves, head veering back and forth. She saw her sister was alone, and now back to her normal self. “Sister?” she said cautiously.

Luna was draped mournfully over the railing of her balcony, crying quietly. She was looking out over the points of light that made up downtown Canterlot. Even at this hour there were hundreds of ponies moving about, going about their night lives. It was a small comfort for Luna, knowing that a few of them actually gazed up at the moon and stars when it struck them to do so. “Come to exile me to the moon, Tia?” she whispered vulnerably. “Again?” Luna could not bring herself to turn around and face Celestia. She leaned her head over the railing by gravity, as though she were being ill, and dangled there. There was a long silence.

“No.” Celestia said gently. “No, I think not.” She came up behind Luna, spreading her vast wings and slowly wrapping them about her sister. Enveloping her with a slow, quiet grace, she rested her chin atop Luna’s head.

“Why?” Luna said softly. “After all I’ve done— after all the ponies I manipulated and hurt and forced myself on— Why?” she couldn’t move, the heaviness in her heart had drained her of all strength. She shivered with cold, but Celestia’s warm body comforted her. Even at her full stature, Luna was not nearly as big as her sister. Spending a thousand years chained in the moon had set them apart, at least physically.

“Because despite everything you did, you made the right choice in the end.” Celestia said delicately. Luna shuddered in response. “You could’ve forced that stallion to stay with you forever. It’s not as though anypony could have stopped you. You’re a goddess, and your powers rival even mine.” She stroked Luna’s mane with her muzzle in a slow up and down motion. The princess of the night whimpered despite herself, new tears washing down her cheek.

“I’m sorry!” she suddenly wailed. “I’m so sorry!” she threw herself at last into her sister’s embrace, bawling like a filly. Though both were goddesses and ancient in their thoughts, something as simple as heartbreak could still rip one of them down. “Tia!”

“There now, just cry… it’s alright.” Celestia held her sister, tucking her under her chin. Luna wuzzled into Celestia’s breast as though she were mother, not sister, and wept bitter tears. It hurt, it just hurt so much. The solar goddess stayed quiet, stroking her over and over. “Shh-shh, it’s alright.” She crooned over her sister. Leaning down, she began a ritual that they’d not done in a millennia.

Luna squirmed a little when she felt Celestia’s teeth pressed into her wings. Then, she relaxed into her as she realized what was happening. The solar goddess’ mouth searched gingerly, and found a broken feather in Luna’s vast wings. Plucking it gently, she spat it to one side. It fluttered away into the night. It looked so strange, Celestia preening her sister like they were young lovers. Or perhaps birds. One after another, Luna lost more feathers from her span. They sprinkled out over the edge of the balcony and into Canterlot below. More than just a couple of ponies saw them drifting on the breeze, wondering where they were coming from. They could not see all the way into the highest towers of the palace. The stress, the transformations, everything that had happened seemed to melt away from Luna’s mind at the therapy. She’d been frazzled almost beyond recognition, and the wings were just the start. By the time Celestia was done, Luna’s wings were damp and it was decided to be bath time. The wee hours of the morning were approaching, but they could order hot water anytime they pleased.

It was so. Luna dozed heavily in the steamy room of their bath. Silent servant ponies worked with their Princesses. Luna felt her wings being pulled open so that ginger brushes and oils could be applied to her. Celestia sat in the hot waters, keeping careful watch. When they were left to soak, the princess of the night found herself mewling softly and drifting back to her elder sister’s embrace.

Celestia heaved a great, relaxing sigh. “So much music, my little sister. So much love and passion, it was beautiful.” She crooned quietly, stroking her sister’s aching back. “I’ve only tasted a bit of it for myself, though I’ve not the talent that you or your stallion had.” She said gently, a touch of pink on her face.

“You sing…?” Luna said vaguely, the steam of their hot bath making her head swim. Celestia nodded, and Luna rested her chin on the lip of their massive bath. She looked out the stained glass window, into the night sky. “Sing for me, Tia?” she begged in a whisper. “I want to hear.” The solar goddess nodded gently. The silent servants aiding their bath eyed them both out of the corner of their eyes. Such a thing would be something to tell their foals and grandfoals about. They could not help but listen. Celestia allowed them to stay, slowly drawing breath to soothe her ailing sister’s woes:

Foal of the night time, yes,

Born into to the dusk, yes,

You’ll learn to be lonely,

If darkness is your one companion.

None would be there for you,

To comfort and care for you,

If you are lonely,

Learn to reach and find companions.

You’ve never dreamed out the world,

There are hooves to hold you!

You’ve always thought you’ve known,

Your heart was on its own!

And laughed in your loneliness,

A foal deep in the darkness.

You’d learned to be lonely,

Life isn’t lived

Life isn’t loved,

Alone—

Luna came to tears anew, and her heart was aflutter with the blush of a newlywed mare. “Want to hear a secret, sister?” Celestia leaned conspiratorially. Luna blink-blinked, then leaned with some interest. “The stallion whom I was with when I lost my virginity-- left me for a mortal mare.” She whispered. Luna’s brow rose with a hot gasp. How scandalous! “You know what I did when he left?” Celestia whispered, careful of their nearby servants. It had taken ages to erase all the evidence of what had happened.

“You picked yourself up and moved on?” Luna said helpfully.

“No. I moved the stars in the sky to spell ‘Rockshoulder has red warts on his stallionhood’, and left them that way for a week. That was his name, Rockshoulder.” Celestia said with a rather coy smile. Luna stared in dumbfounded awe. There was a long silence. Then she burst into high-pitched, scandalous laughter. This startled all of the servants into a frenzy of work, whatever they happened to be doing in the room at the time. Celestia smiled at the genuine laughter, nodding confirmation that it was absolutely true. “I was an angry goddess, for a long time.” She chuckled, then steadied herself back into her normal serene stance.

Luna smiled gently. “I do not think I should do that to Cleff, but… having a stallion around seemed like such a dream come true.” She swooned a little, already starting to feel better now that she was talking about it.

Celestia nodded with a wry smile, then glanced to one side. “Well, the dawn is coming, Luna. I must go for now.” She rose and, with a flick of magic, superheated her body until it was dry. Every hair in her coat laid down perfectly, and she looked divine. “Why don’t you stay and enjoy your bath a little while longer? I’m sure you’re exhausted from your long night.” She kissed her sister on the forehead, and then was away. She flicked her eyes upward, then smirked as she headed out the door. The servants followed, and Luna was left alone.

Princess Luna studied her reflection in the waters of the bath, sinking in with a content moan. Sure, her reputation would be ruined. And Equestria would be abuzz about Nightmare Moon for another few decades. And she would certainly be out of the public eye for awhile while Celestia smoothed things over. But, for now, she had this lovely bath. She could certainly enjoy that. She heaved a new sigh, pushing her mane out of her face. How did Celestia always know exactly what to do to cheer her up?

It would be a long time before she was over Cleff, but for now she was nicely distracted. And by distracted, one meant that she’d spotted the twins hanging from the ceiling staring down at her. “It’s impolite to watch a mare bathe.” She said mildly, closing her eyes and lowering her brow with a dark chuckle. On the ceiling, upside down like bats, her twin guards gave a start. They were usually so discreet! How had she spotted— well she was a goddess, she could do that. One stallion smiled guiltily at the other, and they glided down to her. Their hooves clopped noisily on the bathroom tile as they landed in unison, bowing deeply. “I’m afraid that’s not good enough.” She chided them for their spying. They looked at each other, then humbly sank to their knees to bow even deeper. “Sorry boys, still not good enough.” They looked up at her with questions in their silent eyes, but a rather evil glint had grown into Luna’s eyes by then. They had just enough time to look afraid before Luna’s magic seized them and yanked them bodily into the bath with her! They flailed about, splashing, while their armor vanished from existence. Luna’s tinkling laugh stilled them, and they smiled bashfully at her. “Aegis Shield. Stalwart Hide.” She smiled at them both. “Sit, relax with me.” She commanded playfully. They obeyed, and only one of the two flinched when the servants reappeared to scrub them. Luna found grand amusement in watching them be fussed over and lathered. “Perhaps a look but don’t touch policy would be better for me. For now.” Luna leaned back, watching the naked stallions get furiously brushed, scrubbed and polished up. They’d not bathed in ages, always following their princess around. She smirked a little, very much enjoying the view. Cleff remained in the back of Luna’s mind for decades to come, but for now she could certainly enjoy the strained smiles of her two personal guards, and giggle when mares came to brush their bellies.

A week later…

Celestia sat upon her throne, looking over at her sister. She tended to doze sometimes during the royal court. Ponies referred to the solar princess, not the lunar one, during the day. But there was a small smile on her face. She sent questions to her sister with her eyes, and Luna turned over a newspaper that was in front of them both, pressed between their sitting pillows. The headline read, ‘Royalty Throws Best Opera of All Time: Princess Luna Casts Self As Nightmare Moon’, which made Celestia raise her brow. She scanned the article briefly. All of Canterlot had assumed it had all been part of the play: Cleff’s kidnapping, the real Nightmare Moon’s appearance, and even the stage-leaping of the mane six. She stared, unable to believe the pure, dumb luck. Night Mare, Triumphant had been praised as a triumph of romantic lust and dark passion, an opera that Canterlot had never seen the likes of before (nor would it again). the bad guy had gotten away at the end, what a new and inventive concept! Not to mention the virginal stallion, who's character hadn't had a name in the opera, had been whisked away into the night. How romantic! Both royal sisters gave a chuckle.

“I should write another opera, sister.” said Luna, grinning. Celestia was good sport enough to roll her eyes and smile.

THE END

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A/N: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed! Its been fun and this took ages to write so please leave an honest comment or a thumbs-up if you have the time. I love to hear from my readers when they're not pointing out every other typo I just happened to have missed. This is probably the longest work I will EVER do that is pony, haha. All my other stuff is much shorter, one-shots and the like. If you've come this far I thank you deeply, dear Brony, for reading everything I've churned out. You've got my profound thanks and respect. :)

Help Me Make the Music

Music of the Night 4: Help Me Make the Music

Even Cleff’s astute sense of direction and location was completely thrown off when Princess Luna led him off of his room’s balcony and into the night. He could not sense her flying, but he knew he was being lifted somehow. If somepony had told him the god-like magic had gripped every molecule of his being, morphed him into a mist and then whisked him away for transport, he would’ve laughed. But, it was the truth. Luna’s gaseous form could extend to others if she merely touched them and concentrated hard enough. As soon as they settled into the cloud-like form, she took off like a shot into the night sky. Just as she did, she heard the confused voice of a mare that had just forced the door by magic. “Cleff…?” Luna chuckled at her calling. As though a normal unicorn could compete with a goddess. Feh.

Steering their transport skyward into the highest towers of Canterlot’s royal palace, she lingered on the balcony of her own room. The palace hosted three high towers. One was for Celestia, one for herself, and the third for the astronomy department of Canterlot (what I high honor!). But, there was little privacy given that one could see from any one of the towers into the others. Curtains would not do well if Celestia decided to peek at her this night, after she’d basically fled from the Royal Opera House.

Frowning inwardly, Luna instead took to a different section of the castle. A deeper, darker section. The sparkling whisp of cloud forced itself into a closed window, then down a hall, through a secret passage, down hidden stairs, around and around a stairwell that had not been touched in centuries, and into the deepest din. Below the dungeons, below the sealed archives of forbidden knowledge Celestia only trusted to her closest advisers., and into what could’ve been a cave system or a waterway. There was standing water in a good portion of it, though there were enough dry portions to warrant candles and even furniture. Luna’s old room.

Forgotten by all, it was her sanctuary. Someplace the sun would never touch where she kept her greatest treasures and deepest secrets. When she arrived with Cleff she solidified them both again, snapping the candles alight with a thought. A fire roared into existence, and someplace miles away a stack of wood vanished from a lumberjack’s woodpile. How? Well, Princess Luna was a goddess after all.

Cleff shuddered, hoofing at the ground a little. A whole new set of information flooded his senses and he snorted a few times, trying to take in his surroundings with perked ears. The drip and echo of water told him it was underground. The stench of old parchment said it was furnished like an archive. The heat of flame and touch of light on his sensitive skin told him it was at leasted capable of hospitality. He cocked his head, his breath quivering in the cool air while the fire worked hard to heat the enclosure. The cave was monstrous, and it would take a bit of time to make it pleasant. “This place.” He whispered with a quivering voice. Luna looked at him as he hoofed the ground carefully a few times. “It’s old— very old— older than memory.” The Princess marveled not for the first time at how very aware the blind stallion was of his surroundings. It was true, the room hadn’t been used in a millennia.

Luna looked around, frowning at the cracked armor hung on the wall. Nightmare Moon’s armor. She’d thrust it into this room after her resurrection as Princess Luna, promising never to look at it again. But, this room had other uses now and it could easily be covered by a sheet or something. Ancient scrolls lay in cubbyholes covering one of the walls, and a placid lake of mineral water burbled quietly nearby. Light reflected this way and that, and the fire was slowly warming the place. The massive bed in the center of the madness was covered with a thick sheet. She thrust it aside by magic, and the black velvet with gold trim bed was revealed. She smiled, remembering it well. Time had been kind to it, all things considered. Moving about the secret place, she took sheets from all of the furniture. The desk, the Equestrian border map, all of the statues and trinkets and surfaces she’d carefully covered before leaving the room a thousand years ago. Nostalgia rushed back to her like a great wave. Cleff coughed a little in the disturbed dust, drawing her attention back to him. If only he could see its magnificence, she thought. Tossing one of the sheets over the suit of armor hanging on the wall, she turned and ignited any remaining candles so that the sanctuary was finally completely lit. The stench of burning dust permeated for a bit, so she lit a dozen ancient scented candles to rid the place of the smell. They were slow to start working, but soon helped. Luna turned to Cleff with a seductive look he could not see, so she let her voice do the talking:

We have brought you

To the seat of sweet night time’s throne

To this kingdom where all must homage to night time…

Night time…

Cleff’s head cocked and his ears rose. This was a new tone, a new emotion from the mare of the night. His mind glazed just a little as older magicks massaged his mind and temples. He tilted his head back a little, his eyes closing. His mouth went just a little bit agape, and Luna was reminded of a stallion’s… well… happiest moment in bed. The way his brows tilted up and his mane shuddered just so, it was palpable. She smiled bemusedly, widening the tiny thread of magic she’d pressed into his moldable mind. She wanted him, and he would want her before this was over.

You have come here, for one purpose and one alone,

Since the moment we first heard you sing,

We have needed you with us, to serve us, to sing,

For our night time.

Our night time.

She’d slowly crossed the room over a centuries-old plush carpet, muffling her approach as her wings slowly opened themselves in a slightly lewder greeting. Luna could only see Cleff before her, handsome stallion that he was. She panted. Just once. He tilted his head a little so it looked like he was looking up at her. Whispering her song to him, she stood beside him. Lowering one extended wing over his back, she pulled him strongly to her side. He was warm, warm and alive and shivering just a little. She’d put an end to that shivering soon enough. Heh. She smiled grandly when his back slowly extended and he raised his head to her. She lowered her head, nuzzling up and down his long neck. Cleff moaned quietly, a needy and male sound. Luna’s smile lowered into a smirk of confidence. Leading him slowly about the room, she would pause on occasion to let him examine ancient artifacts: Music boxes, instruments nopony had seen in centuries, scrolls telling of ancient secrets, and even the caress of her black velvet bed.

“Thou didst not sing the entire song the first night we met, Cleff.” Luna said softly, nosing his mane a little bit. He gave a light and blushing shudder. “The Music of the Night has more lyrics than we let you sing that night.” she was backing him slowly onto the bed. His back hoofs caught on the end a little until he fell spread-eagle onto his back with a grunt. “We have found the rest, do not worry…” she gave a quiet and seductive coo.

Floating— falling— sweet intoxication—

Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation—

Let our dreams begin,

Let your darker side give in—

To the power of the shadows in our nights…

The power of the darkness in our ni-iiiights ...

Cleff was overwhelmed. The scent of her, the warmth of her quietly lusting— well maybe not quietly lusting, but lusting none the less— body shimmying atop his. The quiver of her hooves slowly rolling small circles on his temples. He felt her remove his glasses and toss them into darkness where they never struck the floor. The heat of his face, the shiver of her muzzle slowly coming over his. Magic he could not sense pressed in around him, molding her hot desires into every fiber of his— Luna stopped suddenly when the poor stallion passed out.

The Princess sat up, blink-blinking in surprise. Had he… had he just fainted? She looked at him, poking at his face a few times. Sure enough. She frowned, sighing as her hair seemed to sag over her face for a moment. Shaking her mane out and rising, she gave a tinkling giggle. “Perhaps we’ve used a bit too much magic on dear Cleff.” She admitted to herself. Males were so easy to inspire desire in, perhaps she’d gone a bit overboard. Just a little. She severed the Want-It-Need-It spell that connected Cleff to herself. Promising not to use such powerful magic again, she brushed his mane to one side with a careful hoof. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead tenderly.

The Princess laid Cleff out on his side so he’d be more comfortable. Pulling a black velvet comforter to his neck, she sidled off of the bed so that he could rest alone. She smiled gently, her eyes lidding before she quietly turned back to the mess that was her sanctuary. She had work to do.

You alone can make all songs take flight…

You’ll help us make the music of— the— night.

Quieting herself, she set about the task of restoring her chambers while he rested. Occasionally she would glance at his handsome face over her shoulder, and smile. With a surgeon’s precision to keep everything completely silent, Princess Luna sat on her haunches to focus as the entire room began to rearrange itself to her new likings.

=-=-=-=

Cleff awoke feeling warm and soft. Like he’d just risen from a hot bath, or had fallen asleep in the afternoon sun. He took a deep breath of waking, shifting just a little and touching his face with a hoof. His black glasses were gone. He sat up, pleasantly achy from his long slumber. He heard the dripping of the cave around him, the echo of quiet movement nearby. He perked his ears slowly, pawing gently at his matted mane and his slowly heating face. He did not know exactly where he was, the mare of the night had made sure of that, no doubt. The next thing he noticed, as he was slowly rising, was that his suit was gone. The bowtie, the jacket, and everything else had been removed and stowed Celestia knew where. Ponies had no concept of nudity, but undressing someone else still held the same connotations. His face colored a little more when he heard more sounds of movement to one side, and he called out in a meeker voice:

I remember there was mist, swirling mist upon a vast endless night,

There were candles all around and on the breeze there was a voice,

And with the voice there was a— mare…

Luna looked up from her work. There were dozens of books and scrolls floating around her, new ones that had quills dancing across them. Song books and tomes on the theory of music and opera lay open all around her. Her work area had been transformed from a large writing desk to a semi-circle of scrolls and paper chaos. But there was a mild order in the chaos, for it all pertained to a new project she was working on, though secret for now. Her face lit up a bit, and she stood with a clip-clop of her back hooves. Cleff’s ears perked at the sound, straining against the echo to pinpoint her. He moved slowly across the room, gingerly bumping into a statue here and a chair there. He could smell her now, her quiet and undeniable feminine scent.

Who was that pony in shadow?

Who was the mare in the da-arrrrk?

Cleff’s hooves came up, higher but close enough to stroke Luna’s face. She closed her eyes in pure, undeniable bliss. His touch was gentle, probing, trying to memorize the beauty of her face. His hooves began to wander higher to stroke her mane, up over her forehead—

Luna JERKED away with a sudden loud pant. He’d almost discovered her horn. He could not know she had both wings and a horn, he would discover her identity. Panting a little, she tried to come up with something quickly, “Uhm… C-Cleff, thou rested well we hope?”

The stallion looked a little at a loss for a moment, his face red and his head cocked to one side. Perhaps he’d been a little too forward? It was hard to tell with the mare of the night. “Y-yes.” He said softly. Luna turned, snatching his black glasses off her workstation and putting them on his face with a flourish. He adjusted them with a nervous smile. “Thank you.” He said embarassedly.

“Er…” The Princess thought for a few awkward moments, then licked her lips and spoke up again. “Come, we must return. Those foals that run the Royal Opera House will be missing their star.” She put a hoof on his shoulder, and Cleff’s stomach clenched as the odd rushing feeling began to wash over him again. Out of the cavernous deep, Luna’s gaseous travelling form worked its way rapidly to the surface.

End of Part 4

Ponyville Intermission

Music of the Night: Part 7 Ponyville Intermission

Rarity was frazzled. She’d had the worst. Night. Ever. First, she’d been held hostage in her own home, then without warning the two strange stallions had gone. But that was nothing compared to what happened next. While the pale unicorn was making tea to calm her trembling, every window in the entire building exploded violently! She screamed full-throatedly, diving under the kitchen table and covering her head with her hooves.

Ahhh-----ahh----ah----

Something echoed on the breeze, but Rarity’s ears were still ringing from the blast. Wavering back and forth from whatever sonic boom had decided to strike her boutique in the dead of night, she shook her head to steady herself. “What in Celestia’s name!?” she gasped, a hoof resting on her breast as she tried to calm her thundering heart. She peeked out from under the tablecloth. “My windows! My china!” she ran mournfully to her cabinets. Sure enough, her special occasion tableware was in pieces. A few shards sprinkled out onto her when she opened the highest cabinet. She stood in her kitchen, quivering, so overwhelmed she just didn’t know what to do. So, after a long time, she did the only thing she could do. She screamed.

=-=-=-=

Twilight Sparkle emerged from the library, an official-looking frown on her face. In times of disaster, she had to be stalwart and true. She had to help organize the clean-up efforts. She cocked her head over her shoulder, nodding to Spike. Her young assistant sat on her back, quill and parchment ready. Her saddlebags were full of more paper, ink and quills. “Town-wide.” Twilight said as they trotted along. She peered about. Everywhere it was the same. Confused ponies wandering around in their jammies or nothing at all, staring at all the destruction and broken glass. It was as though the entire town had been struck by some sort of sonic wave. “Sound-based.” She said. Spike took notes as she spoke. “Glass, crystal… maybe porcelain as well.” She said observantly. The shop called ‘Pencils and Toilets’ was flooding like someone had installed a waterfall inside.

“Any ideas, Twilight?” Spike said worriedly, scribbling as she spoke.

“I thought maybe Rainbow Dash at first but…” she trailed off, looking skyward. “No, it can’t be. Even her sonic rainboom doesn’t do this kind of damage.” The purple unicorn shook her head sadly. She didn’t like having a conundrum she couldn’t solve. “We need more evidence.”

Madam Mayor Mare was running to and fro, trying to organize search parties to look for wounded, but there was little progress to be made. Everypony had been caught off guard, in the dead of night, and no one had been unaffected. The entire town had been hit. “Twilight Sparkle!” the Mayor said, her pajama hat flapping as she galloped over. “The entire town’s been hit, we need an organizer to help us assess the damage!”

Twilight’s ego inflated juuuust a bit. It wasn’t often her particular skill set was needed. But after Winter Wrap-Up and all the ceremony that had gone with that, everypony knew they could trust her. The confused murmur of the crowd died down and they were all looking at Twilight. She coughed a little. Spike nodded at her, making a go-on gesture. She didn’t want to be bossy, but… if they wanted her help, she would try. “Alright.” She nodded. Faces brightened. When it came to big disasters, Twilight would know what to do. “Send everyone with wings to the rooftops. Look for the edges of the damage, so we can set up a blast radius and find out where it came from.” She gestured to the bend rooftops. “See how the roofs are angled just a bit? That says it was some kind of shockwave. That means it started somewhere. We have to find the epicenter.” Right away wings were snapping open and handfuls of pegasi took to the skies. Twilight turned to the crowd again. “It looks like it only shattered glass and other things similar, but that doesn’t mean nopony was injured. Break into groups and search every home and building.”

“I’ll be on standby!” Nurse Redheart shrieked over the crowd, rushing away with several assistants to wait for injured ponies to be brought her way. Hooves started moving.

“Pay special attention to buildings with more than one floor!” Twilight shouted over them as best she could. “Make sure everypony is accounted for!” Turning to her assistant, she nodded. “We need to contact the Princess, Spike. This is big.”

“You got it!” he whipped out another piece of parchment, setting the notes aside for a moment.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight recited. When she gathered breath to begin, a high-pitched shriek belted out over the din and she almost tripped over her own hooves. “That sounded like Rarity!”

“Rarity!” Spike hopped right off of Twilight’s back. They turned, running along the street and through the sharp wreckage of the sea of shattered glass and broken streetlamps until they came to the boutique. Because of its design, the building was in shambles. So many windows, just gone. “Rarity!” Spike ran and made to kick in the door like the hero he was. It didn’t work. “Ow!” he hopped about, holding his foot. He tried again, and got the same result. Twilight ran, turned and bucked hard. The door flew open. Spike rushed inside, shouting her name.

The pair found her on the kitchen floor, hooves over her head, quivering fearfully. “Rarity are you okay?” Twilight rushed to her side, magic making a path across the tiles in the broken glass.

“This was the worst. Night. EVER!” Rarity said theatrically, flopping onto her back. “First I get held under house arrest and now this?!”

“House arrest?” said Spike curiously.

“It’s all over town, Rarity. Some sort of disaster has hit all of Ponyville!” Twilight said when she saw Rarity wasn’t hurt. “All the windows and streetlights blew out like a shockwave had hit us.”

“Oh goodness!” Rarity suddenly sprung to her hooves. “Cleff! He’s blind! If he goes anywhere, he could fall or get hurt or cut himself on all that glass!” Her pupils shrank in a panic, and she ran right out the door without saying goodbye.

Twilight noticed Spike sag. She patted his back gently, and he sighed. He’d not taken Rarity’s marriage announcement very well, and even now Twilight could see it hurting him. “C’mon Spike, we have to help who we can in town.” She gestured. Spike climbed slowly onto her back and they were off again, out into the street.

=-=-=-=

Cleff woke in the hospital. The familiar scent of lavender touched his muzzle, fighting to stay relevant amongst the other smells of cheap plastic and stiff cleaners. The sheets he lay in were uncomfortable to his sensitive skin, and he stirred slightly. “Rarity—?” he said hoarsely to her scent.

“Shh.” She whispered, already stroking his chest and then his cheek. “I’m here, sweetling. Right here.” She took his trembling hoof and brought it to her face so he could ‘see’ her. Leaning her face into his touch, she smiled softly. “We found you out in the snow, lying on the bridge.” He cocked his head, but with her coaxing he lay down again. He could hear lots of other ponies beyond the tiny room they were in.

“My throat hurts.” He said softly. It was true, his throat felt like he’d been screaming for hours and then left raw to fester while he was unconscious. He heard Rarity shift, and soon she brought water to his lips. He drank greedily.

“There you are, much better.” Rarity said. “Twilight said some sort of disaster struck Ponyville. You must’ve been right out there in the thick of things!” she coddled him with stroking hooves. His face colored a little. “Do you remember anything?”

“No, I was at home in bed. Then, when I woke up I was here.” He said, the frog still in his throat.

“Really? You don’t remember how you got outside or onto that bride?” she said. He shrugged, a gesture he’d learned from her after having felt it many times. “Goodness, perhaps you were thrown from your home! I’ve heard that tornados can do that sometimes. Pick up some poor unsuspecting pony and then toss them like a hayseed, miles away!” She flung her arms about him, trying not to weep over him. She sniffled, thankful he was alive. Cleff was very, very fuzzy about the night before. He remembered music, and cold. Frowning into Rarity’s chest while he struggled to remember, his thoughts were cut off when she spoke again. “Oh, I recovered your pajama’s from the hospital. Your invitation as well.” She put them next to him so he could inspect.

Cleff frowned, running his forehoof over the invitation several times. “Uhh, I can’t read this.” He said after a few moments. “It’s printed in flat writing.” He told her.

Rarity blushed embarrassedly. It had been a long time since she’d done something that he had to remind her he was not able to see. She snatched it back with her magic, coughing a little. “It’s an invitation to Princess Luna’s Winter Lunar Ball, Cleff.”

“What’s that?” he asked, tilting his head.

“It’s a costume party.” She read from the description. “Princess Luna cordially invites you and one honored guest to the Canterlot Royal Palace to partake in a masquerade ball. Goodness, Cleff! A personal invitation from royalty!” she chided him a little, giggling.

“Princess Luna is the one that came to Vinyl Scratch’s shop all those months ago.” Cleff said vaguely, trying to remember all the details. He sat up a little straighter with Rarity’s help, and the engagement hoop around his neck tinkled with its tiny chain. “I kind of owe her my fame in the opera business.” He said after some thought. “She came in, asking for some of my music by name. After that, all sorts of ponies came in asking for it too, wanting to hear what the princess was listening to.”

“Ohh, well then you must certainly attend and thank her!” Rarity said excitedly.

“It says to bring a guest also.” He smiled broadly at her. “I could introduce you.”

“Oh, we’ve met a few times.” Rarity said mysteriously, chuckling.

“You’ve met the princess?” Cleff said with a gasp. “When?!”

“Oh, well…” Rarity remembered the vow she’d taken not to talk about the battles with Nightmare Moon. All of the mane six had sworn from it, to help the horrible memory pass and help society forget the demon. Their princess was well now, and Equestria should only know her as Princess Luna. “We… we’ve run into each other at a few high society gatherings, is all. She remembers my name when we see each other.” The unicorn tried to come across as bashful.

“Ahh.” Cleff said, catching the lie like a buck to the head. But he didn’t press. If there was anything Rarity was about, it was dresses and crooning over high society ponies in Canterlot. Mentally shrugging, he smiled again. “Well, you’ll have to design a costume for me, Rarity.” He offered.

“You’d let me make something for you, a stallion?” Rarity said, a little aghast. “Even though I make dresses all day? Won’t you be embarrassed that your costume was made by a dressmaker?” she snickered just a little.

“It’s not as though you’ll put a big sign on it that says so.” He ribbed her just a little, grinning. Rarity laughed a little, that musical laugh he loved so much. “It’s settled then! Good.”

“What shall I have you be, then?”

“Does the invitation say anything about costumes?” he scrapped his hoof on the paper a little.

Rarity let her magic pick up the paper so she could read it again. “It just says Lunar Winter Ball.” She tilted her head. “Well, if the theme is night time and winter, perhaps something…” she trailed off, then her eyes lit up. “Oh! Oh! Ide-ahhhhh!” she practically squawked at Cleff. He chuckled a little warily. He’d only heard that particular phrase a few times before, and that was right before Rarity went into an obsessive creative storm. “You rest here, Cleff. Nurse Redheart said she’ll be releasing you in the evening. You’ll report right to my boutique won’t you?” She settled him onto his back again so he might find more rest.

“Of course.” He nodded. Cleff felt her lips press to his cheek, and she began away. “Hey.” He said, catching her with his hoof. She looked at him for a long moment of silence. Then, she lowered herself to really kiss him. He wrapped his hooves daintily around her, the moment quiet and intimate. “See you later.”

“Ta-ta!” Rarity was out the door, walking on sunshine with her creative mojo on full blast. Cleff rested, playing with one of the black feathers that had been lodged in the folds of his pajamas. He worried. Why could he not remember last night? It didn’t take a smart pony to know whose feather he was holding. He was only thankful Rarity had not seen it. She would’ve worried far more. The gaze of the mare of the night was still upon him, and he knew she was from somewhere in Canterlot.

Several Days Later…

Ponyville had been evacuated. With the winter chilling everyone’s homes, Canterlot had become full to the bursting with refugees from the little town. Now the place was crawling with both royal guards and plenty of commissioned workers. Celestia had been quick to hire dozens and dozens of crafts-ponies to fix the entire town, one street at a time. The guards were there to prevent any sort of funny business-- looting and such. Everypony’s homes and businesses were exposed not only to the elements, but wildlife and less-than-upright sorts. Already an under-hooved stallion had been carted away for gorging himself on Sugar Cube Corner’s display case of apple turnovers. (To add to that, he was violently ill later, for stuffing himself had not been the smartest idea.)

Twilight Sparkle was in the midst of all this, puzzling over a massive map. Adjusting her fluffy scarf, she placed colored pins in it by magic. “There. There. There—” she eyed all of the reports and notes she’d gotten from everypony. A vaguely circular shape was forming. “Looks like I was right.” She said to herself, leaning over it. “It didn’t drop out of the sky like an explosion. It was a wave. It started somewhere and went outward like a sonic boom.”

Spike was on his tippy-toes, shivering and adjusting his earmuffs. “Twilight can’t we move into city hall or something?” he complained, giving her the next handful of notes.

“No Spike. Everypony else is out here working in the snow and ice. So are we.” Twilight could see her own breath as she scolded him a little. She unfurled the next few to inspection, placing a few more pins. Red pins were for homes with exploded windows, yellow for foundational or structural damage, blue for leaning buildings, orange for destroyed structures. There was a lot of red, and very little orange. But, after each address was checked off on her town map, she saw the shape forming. “Perfect circle.” She mumbled.

Spike leaned to see, tapping his claws. “Still think the town was attacked? By who?”

“Not sure.” Twilight got a quill and carefully marked an X at the perfect center of the disaster. “That’s it, there.” She said, indicating it in relation to the town. “If someone was trying to just destroy the town, the epicenter would’ve been… well, here.” Twilight gestured with her horn to the town hall behind them. The government building marked the exact center of town, thusly it being a round building (to ensure the “round table” mentality of smaller democratic government for Ponyville… despite the monarchy of the Princesses. It was hard to explain…) “This isn’t centered in the statuary either, so Discord is still in his statue.” She pointed a bit further away from the town on the map, where Discord was held. He wasn’t the culprit. “I can’t think of any reason for this spot. In fact I think there’s a bridge there.” She said, frowning. “We should go check it out.”

Spike nodded in agreement. “Maybe it was just some kind’a—” he gestured in circles with one paw, grasping for a word. “Some kind’a freak accident? Like a super lightning strike or something?” Twilight gave him a look and he shrugged. “I dunno! I’m just trying to come up with ideas.” Twilight put her muzzle under his tail and tossed him onto her back. She cantered forward briskly, and they made their way across town. Spike shook his head at all the damage. “It’s worse than just a wind storm or somethin’, huh Twilight?” he said with a measurement of awe.

“Mhm.” Twilight said, frowning sadly at the state of Ponyville. She knew it would be rebuilt to its former glory in no time and that all of its citizens were safe, but for right now it was a sorry place indeed.

“There it is.” Spike pointed. They approached the bridge, stopping to observe the scene before setting hoof on it. “Hm.” The little purple dragon turned his head this way and that. There were hoofprints everywhere, the snow had been stirred up, but… there wasn’t much snow there. “Weird.” He said carefully.

“Yes. Whatever happened here pushed the snow back.” Twilight walked forward carefully with Spike on her back, scanning the ground for anything unusual. “I expected burn marks, or a crater or something.” The unicorn could see nothing had struck the ground, for there was no indication of such a thing happening. Spike hopped off of Twilight’s back, walking to the bridge while she examined the road leading to it.

“Hey Twilight, look.” Spike bent and held something high. She cantered over, leaning to see. It was a black feather. “Know anypony with black feathers?” he said, letting her magic take it from his paw so she could turn it over and over.

“Uh uh.” Twilight said with a deep and troubled frown. “But this is definitely a clue.” The purple unicorn had been pretty thoroughly stumped up until now, but— what was that? She saw hoofprints up on the railing of the bridge. She leaned and squinted at them. They were stallion-sized. There was another set as well, muddied. “There were two ponies here recently.” She said.

“Well yeah, lookit all the hoofprints.” said Spike, gesturing to the road.

“But these are melted in place, look.” Twilight gestured at the vague indentations that were made. “Two ponies were standing here when whatever it was happened.” She said, nodding in a way that made it final and fact. Spike rolled his eyes while his mistress tried to grasp at straws with her logic. “But this is really weird, Spike.” She waved her hoof to make him come closer. “Look here. This set here on the railing belongs to a stallion. See how big they are?” she put her hoof out to show him by comparison.

“Uh huh?” said Spike, tilting his head. Twilight lowered her hoof to the other said of hoofprints. Those were even bigger, rivaling that of Big Macintosh. He was arguably the biggest stallion anypony knew of. Twilight and Spike somehow doubted he had anything to do with this, though. “Whoa…” The baby dragon said, looking flummoxed.

“Whoever was here, it must’ve been an enormous pony.” Twilight said with some wariness. She could only imagine what had happened on that bridge. What could have possible exploded with enough force to ruin the town, but not destroy the bridge or vaporize the two that had been here. She sweated as her brain worked overtime. She hated being stumped so, so much!

“At least everypony is safe in Canterlot.” Spike said helpfully when Twilight sighed. She nodded her assent. “There’s no place safer if this was some kind of attack.” He gestured to the big hoofprints. “Luna and Celestia must really have their hooves full with all the refugees!”

=-=-=-=

Celestia blink-blinked when a black scroll morphed into existence in front of her. Royal correspondence from her sister. Automatically, she broke the seal and unfurled it by magic. “Dear Sister Celestia, I’m so sorry you cannot attend tonight’s ball. I was looking forward to seeing what sort of costume you might decide to wear.” Celestia paused to smirk just a little. “With the flood of refugees from Ponyville I know you’re very busy, so I will save plenty of cake and punch for you. We can share it together another night, under the stars.” The solar princess mused about Luna going on with her Lunar Winter Ball despite the disaster, but there was some debate to be had there. A massive party like that would definitely increase morale, and in light of the recent disaster the ball would only swell in numbers because of all the Ponyville residents staying in Canterlot. “I know ponies turn to you in time of crisis, so I will respectfully bow to their wishes, and continue with the ball as planned. Do not worry, I’ll not be offended. With love from your sister, Luna.” She furled up the letter with a slight nod. It popped out of existence like any other royal correspondence did. Luna had a point, as much as Celestia hated to admit it.
Shifting on her throne, Celestia nodded to the guards to allow the next group of ponies into the room. She’d been assigning temporary lodging to hundreds of ponies all day. The citizens of Canterlot had been very giving, opening up inns, taverns, and even their own homes for all the refugees. The city was swelling with the sudden intake of people, but it wasn’t permanent. Another week or so and Ponyville would be restored, according to the reports she’d received. Twilight Sparkle had remained in the town to oversee the work and search for the cause of the disaster that had befallen it. The sun goddess smiled inwardly. Her most faithful student was always investigating every little thing, it made her proud to know how diligent she really was when the bits were down.

Twilight would miss the Winter Lunar Ball, which Luna had no doubt invited her and the other mane six to. But, if she felt her duties were to her home, Celestia would not think to stop her. If she forced Twilight to come relax in Canterlot, she would have no fun at all knowing Ponyville lay in ruin. Not for the first time, Celestia thought of dear Twilight Sparkle as a mortal version of herself. She chuckled, a quiet and chiming sound.

Celestia shook her head with a smile. This night was Luna's ball, and it would surely be one to remember.

End of Part 7