A Nightmares Love

“Do you know why I called you here?”

An annoyed sigh left the lone human as he gazed up at the white alicorn before him, “No I don’t Celestia, how about you remind me?”

“I don’t find your sarcasm amusing.” Celestia deadpanned, her eyes narrowing on him.

There was a pause as they stared at each other. Joseph, pouting like a child caught red handed and Celestia, the mother that was about to viciously beat said child.

“Though you were given permission to assist Nightmare Moon during her reformation, that does not mean you can leave castle grounds whenever you wish.” Celestia stated.

Celestia paced back and forth slowly, silent in thought while she waited for his rebuttal. Meanwhile Joseph sat quietly in anger before the Sun Princess, attempting to not flip out on the ruler of the country, and the one that let him stay in the castle.

“All we did, was go out for pizza.” He replied, keeping his tone level.

“While your intentions may have been innocent, the consequences were not.” Celestia added, “I would appreciate it if you notified me next time, so a guard escort can be arranged and a warning sent to the nobles.”

“Celestia, she was fine. She was almost too nervous to step outside, let alone hurt anyone.” Joseph said, “And what do you mean ‘warn the nobles’?”

“It is not her I worry about, Joseph.” Celestia said in harsh tone, “Do you know how many nobles came to court today with complaints?”

“Are you serious?” He asked, his blood beginning to boil.

“Yes, because a national villain was walking amongst the public unsupervised.” She stated.

“Fuck ‘em.” Joseph said under his breath.

“What was that?” Celestia asked, her frustration starting to boil over.

Joseph paused in thought for all of one second before replying, “Fuck. Them. Celestia. Fuck them and their petty shit. Fuck their complaints, fuck what they think. And fuck. This. Horse. Shit.”

The chair he sat in teetered on its back legs as he got up and began trudging away.

“Do you think it’s that easy?!” Celestia all but screamed, stopping Joseph dead in his tracks.

Slowly he turned to her as she sighed, “They can have her taken away. And you, for that matter.”

Joseph’s anger melted away as his heart sunk, “What?”

Celestia’s head lowered as she looked away.

“What do you mean, ‘they can take us away’?” His tone was low and in awe as he slowly approached her.

“Banishment, imprisonment...Execution.” Celestia said, nearly mumbling.

“Not so much in your case, but had this happened a few hundred years ago, Nightmare Moon could’ve been put to death for what she did.” She added.

Joseph eyed her intently, watching as her expression grew somber.

“When Nightmare Moon and yourself entered this world, the nobles demanded I do something to remedy the situation. As you know, the nobles aren’t exactly accepting of those who are different. So, I proposed a plan, which entailed reforming Nightmare Moon and moving the two of you into my castle.” Celestia spoke, her tone level as she winced with pain as the words left her.

Joseph felt like his world was falling apart around him, “So you’re saying, that the only reason I’m here, is to appease the nobles?”

Celestia’s silence told him more than enough. A breath of air left him like he had been punched in the chest, as he slowly returned to the chair he had occupied earlier. His gaze went off into the distance, as he thought about his existence in the world her currently resided in.

“That’s just-” He sighed, “Wow. That’s-that’s fucked.”

“Please, Joseph, know that what I have done was with everyone’s best interests in mind.” Celestia reasoned, “It was a way of keeping you safe, and Nightmare Moon.”

A long sigh left her before she continued, “But, if they see her roaming freely, or you for that matter, they will think that my proposal isn’t working. Which-opens up the floor for ideas how to address the situation.”

“And they have radical ideas…” Joseph finished.

Another sigh left the white alicorn as she slowly came to a rest next to him, “Exactly.”

“How can you live your life dealing with these-monsters on a daily basis?” Joseph asked, looking over at her.

“Politics.” She simply stated, “I don’t expect you to understand, and I understand if you resent me for what choices I have made.”

Joseph sighed, “No, no, I understand why you’ve done what you’ve done. It’s, well, politics…”

“Mhmm.” Celestia hummed in acknowledgement.

“I just, I don’t know. Everything feels false and hollow, like me being here doesn’t make sense.” He said, “It’s not like it did before, but it just feels-empty.”

“While I may have ulterior motives, know that my kindness and hospitality were pure.” Celestia spoke, her friendly smile working its way back onto her face, “Know that I would never let anything happen to you while you stay here.”

Celestia paused, earning a glance out of Joseph.

“And even Nightmare Moon.”

A small smile crossed his lips as he scoffled lightly, “Thanks Celestia, I-just, need to go take a nap or something.”

“Very well. If you need to talk, I’ll be here for the rest of the day.” Celestia said, before rising and slowly wandering away.

“Celestia.” Joseph called out, making the Solar Monarch pause and look back, “Thanks.”

Her smile widened before she nodded slightly, before turning away and exiting the room.

Joseph aimlessly wandered to and fro as he trudged down the corridor. His thoughts were a constant repeat of the conversation he had with Celestia. No matter how much he tried to talk himself into thinking everything was fine, he found himself breaking down. His body seemingly carried on by itself, while his brain all but shut off and began wallowing in self pity.

His thoughts drifted elsewhere. He tried his best not to be overcome with bitter hatred for the nobles of Canterlot, and Celestia herself. Joseph was an emotional mess. He understood Celestia was trying to do what’s best for everyone, and given the other option, had been doing a good job.

Though he couldn’t help but feel hollow. What if Celestia had faked the hospitality that he received? What if his friends from Ponyville were informed, and faked friendship with him? Was everything part of a master plan set by Celestia? His stomach dropped with his next thought. What if Nightmare Moon was apart of this?

Joseph broke himself from his caustic thoughts, attempting to rid his mind of the concept of her being in on Celestia’s plan. In a twisted way, he began to understand the hatred Nightmare Moon held towards the Solar Goddess.

Before he could follow anymore thoughts, he was interrupted by the mare in question. Her dark fur was a great contrast to the bright light that reflect off of the white walls of the corridor. A gentle smile crossed her lips, as her feline-like pupils dilated slightly. Her eyes locked onto his as he gazed up at her.

“Goodday, Joseph.” Nightmare Moon said, her smile widening.

A low sigh left him before responding, “Hey Nightmare Moon.”

Nightmare Moon eyed him carefully as his form seemingly deflated.

“Is something the matter?” She asked, her head cocked slightly.

Joseph physically deflated, as he slowly slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. Nightmare Moon watched on in a mild panic as he stilled himself. Another sigh left the distressed human, sendling slight relief through the black alicorn. Carefully, she knelt down onto the cool marble floor, carefully watching Joseph.

“I don’t really know where to begin…”

“That insufferable mare!” Nightmare Moon shouted, pacing back and forth in an effort to contain her rage. She was resisting the urge to confront the sun princess.

“Nightmare Moon, It’s-just-”

“Just what, Joseph?” She started, “That it is acceptable for her to answer to the peasants she calls nobles!”

“I don’t know, I-”

“I should address this issue immediately.” Nightmare said harshly, starting to head towards the throne room.

“Nightmare Moon!” Joseph yelled, surprising the dark mare and stopping her in her tracks, “Don’t. What if it makes things worse, what if she has me taken away...Or you? I mean, it’s not that bad right? We get treated okay.”

A growl escaped her, “Why should we settle for being treated like prisoners.”

Joseph sighed, before letting his head rest against the wall, “Because there’s nothing we can do about it, and you know it. All it’ll do is get us in deeper.”

Nightmare Moons’ head lowered in acknowledgement, “I swear, when I rise to power I’ll enslave them all, and show you the treatment you deserve.”

Joseph remained silent, losing himself in thought. He was defeated, there was nothing they could do to revolt against Celestia. Either way, something would happen to them--to her.

His train of thought was interrupted by the black mare, “Come.” She stated in an almost emotionless tone, “I will not let her ruin your mood and the rest of the day.”

The imprisoned duo found themselves wandering aimlessly down another one of the many hallways inside the castle. Unbeknownst to the downtrodden human, Nightmare Moon was silently steering their travels to accomplish her need to assist her friend.

“Nightmare Moon, I’m fine, honestly.” Joseph said in a persuasive tone.

“Nonsense,” She retorted, “I will not allow you to wallow in self you own misery.”

A scoff left the now slightly annoyed human, “Seriously, I just need a nap or something.”

“Joseph, this is not up for debate.” Nightmare Moon said in a stern tone, stopping the two along their journey.

Joseph sighed, “Alright, what do you have planned then?”

Nightmare Moon was struck silent for being put on the spot, “Would you like to go listen to some of your world’s music?”

“So you’re saying you want to listen to music?” He said, a grin spreading across his lips as Nightmare Moon blushed and began stuttering slightly.

“Alright, let's go.” Joseph quickly added, cutting short her self inflicted awkwardness.

“Splendid!” Nightmare Moon all but nearly shouted, her mild embarrassment melting away.

In a literal flash, Joseph found himself on the floor of his chambers. A blur of black looked down upon him, presumably his dark furred companion. It was hard for him to tell, since the room was spinning so fast. Though slowly, it slowed down and she came back into focus. Nightmare Moon was in obvious distress as she frantically watched his unmoving form. Her lips moved quickly and silently, the sound of her muffled voice and ringing mixed within his ears. Nightmare Moon’s eyes shimmered with worry as she gently prodded him. Ever so slowly, the numbness left his body as his senses came back to him.

Weakly, his hand cupped her cheek before he spoke, “I’m fine, Nightmare Moon.”

Nightmare Moon sighed with relief before slumping down to the floor, “Please forgive me. I never wished to hurt you. Please, don’t hate me.”

“It’s okay, Nightmare Moon.” He said softly, letting his hand run down her neck.

“I didn’t know…” She solemnly said.

“Magic affects me in different ways than it does you. My body isn’t exactly made to teleport, so it’s not recommended I do. Or else, it throws all of my senses out of whack. Though I can prepare for it, in an effort to reduce the symptoms.” Joseph stated, carefully sitting up and facing the upset mare.

Nightmare Moon turned her head and looked at the floor.

“Hey now,” Joseph started, “I’m fine alright? C’mon, let’s at least get up off of the hard floor and on to the couch.”

Nightmare Moon nodded and got up before mopping over to the couch.

A smile crossed his lips as he rolled his eyes, taking a seat on the couch next to her, “Alright grumpy, let’s start off with something a little mild.”

Celestia’s afternoon light crept through the castle windows in beams, which Joseph freely passed through. Beside him, his dark partner in crime attempted to keep pace with him. He was on a mission of destruction and inconvenience.

He was hungry. Since the oh-so wonderful Sun Princess put an abrupt and immediate end on him and his new pal going out and getting artery clogging food, he was going to find a way to make up for it. His plan mostly consisted of raiding the castle’s kitchen in hopes of finding something appetizing.

Nightmare Moon still kept paced, slightly worried about their current destination. It didn’t help that she had suggested the idea in the first place. Though she usually carried a ‘to tartarus with it’ attitude about most things in and around the castle, this was one of the few occasions where she shied away from that mindset as they neared the kitchen.

The previously spoken words of her human companion frequently made it’s way back into her thoughts. Maybe this was too soon of a stunt to be pulling, given Joseph’s recent interaction with the only pony that cared enough to not let something worse happen to them.

“Joseph,” Nightmare Moon started, breaking the silence, “Maybe we should reconsider this adventure.”

He turned to her with a smile before speaking, “Come on now, Nightmare Moon. You getting cold feet?”

Nightmare Moon was pretty sure she didn’t have any ‘feet’, and was almost certain they weren’t cold, “It may not be wise to go breaking into the kitchen, given your most recent interaction with Celestia.”

“Are you turning into the voice of reason on me?” Joseph asked, not losing his smile.

“While I may not be considered a reasonable pony,” Nightmare Moon said, shocking herself with her own words, “Yes.”

“What’s the worse that’s going to happen, she banishes us? Or makes it so we can’t be near each other?” He questioned, not losing his smile and air of happiness.

Nightmare Moon on the other hand was becoming annoyed by her friend’s care free attitude, not realising the gravity of the situation, “Yes, actually.” she snapped.

Joseph stopped in his tracks, turning towards the dark mare as his smile dissolved, “You don’t really think that she’d try that, do you?”

Nightmare Moon sighed and deflated slightly, “I am unsure, but I would rather not push our luck.”

“Well it won’t happen.” Joseph said, locking eyes with her, “I won’t let it.”

Nightmare Moon lost herself in thought, her chest tightening in that weird way it did when he was around. But she sighed, turning her head slightly as thoughts of separation as punishment filled her head.

“Hey…” He said, laying a hand on her shoulder, “I promise, I won’t let anything happen.”

She couldn’t help but focus on his touch as her chest tightened again. Her negative thoughts leaving her mind as she looked back to him, locking her teal eyes with his, “Promise?”

“Promise.”

The sound of cabinets being thrown open haphazardly and the clinking of pots and pans being shuffled about filled the large kitchen. Nightmare Moon leaned against the large island in the middle of the room, idly chewing her lip. Her eyes flicked between Joseph and the two entrances to the kitchen, anxiety slowly building up inside her at the possibility of being caught ransacking the kitchen.

“There’s nothing here.” Joseph huffed, standing up and catching his breath, examining the carnage he left in his wake.

“Perhaps if you looked in the cooler instead of the cupboards, you may find what you’re looking for.” Nightmare Moon said slowly.

Joseph deadpanned, “They don’t keep junk food in the fridge, Nightmare Moon.”

Nightmare Moon was about at her wits end with her cryptic human friend. Most of the time she hadn’t a clue what he’d be talking about. It didn’t help when she asked him to elaborate, he would smile childishly and laugh. Though the more she thought of that, her annoyance and anger would melt away.

A small sigh accompanied with a small smirk left the dark mare, “I suppose not.”

Joseph left the now destroyed cabinets, to look into the large freezer. He was slightly shocked by the resemblance of the refrigerator to the ones back on Earth. It seemed weird to him to only have one for such a large kitchen. Though he rationalized, they probably didn’t make that many left overs worth keeping cool.

Within lied what one would expect inside a refrigerator. Vegetables, dairy products, sauces, the usual.

“This place sucks.” Joseph stated plainly, before closing the doors and reopening them in hopes of something better appearing.

Caught off guard, Nightmare Moon seemingly choked on air as she chuckled, “Oh?”

“Yeah, there’s not mini-microwave pizzas or hot pockets.” He started, his tone getting louder and more agitated, “And on top of that, there’s no internet!”

“Internet?” Nightmare Moon asked, stoking the growing fire.

“I mean, there’s pony internet. It sucks, it’s slow, and there’s no porn!” He exclaimed, “Well, I mean there’s pony porn, but it’s just not the same.”

Joseph fell silence, wallowing in his own self misery as Nightmare Moon fought back the urge to burst out laughing.

“Anyways…” Joseph said, regaining his composure.

Nightmare Moon grinned as she watched him open the doors to the freezer again. Seemingly satisfied with not finding anything new after the third look through, he moved on. The silence was interrupted by the grumbling of Nightmare Moon’s stomach.

He looked over with a smirk, “I can take a hint.”

She simply scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Pulling open the lower freezer drawer, Joseph became paralyzed. Metaphorically speaking, the golden light of a very large african-american man's soul shone upon him, mesmerizing him at the sight of something so beautiful. In reality, it was a drawer full of ice cream and cake.

“Jackpot.” He breathlessly spoke, earning the curiosity of his fuzzy friend.

Peering in, Nightmare Moon didn’t see the value of the contents within, “What is it?”

“Ice cream.” Joseph said simply.

“Ice cream?” She asked.

“Are you saying you’ve never had ice cream?” He retorted, about to lose his collective shit.

“No?” Nightmare Moon added, wincing slightly and bracing for impact.

Joseph look mortified, “You poor, poor soul.”

Snatching up a container of the frozen dairy product, he handed it to her, and gave her a rather large and oversized spoon.

“Here, start with that, I’m going to make some milkshakes.” Joseph said, with a renewed vigor to help ease her pain and suffering.

Silently she followed his orders, opening the container and digging the spoon into the hard, frozen treat. Carefully lifting the spoon with her magic, Nightmare Moon took a tentative bite, before being delighted by the taste of vanilla.

“This has to be the food of gods. What a shame that, gluttonous, sun loving mare had kept it from me.” Nightmare Moon spoke, before shoveling as much of the cold treat into her mouth as she could.

Joseph turned in time to see the disaster of a brain freeze happening. In an instant, the spoon and container dropped onto the counter, as Nightmare Moon collapsed. Her eyes were sealed shut, as her hooves attempted at relieving the pain by rubbing her temples.

“Yeah...I should’ve warned you.” Joseph said empathetically.

“Nay, but the swift retribution for my greed.” Nightmare Moon spoke in a strained voice.

Joseph carefully set her freshly made milkshake before her on the floor. One of her eyes peeped open at the sound of clinking glass.

“Is this another cursed treat?” She asked, slowly losing the edge of her brain freeze.

“If you don’t try to drink it all at once, no.” Joseph replied, a smile working its way onto his face.

Carefully he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her up to her hooves, “Come on, let’s get out of here before we get caught.”

Slowly they trekked out the kitchen, Nightmare Moon taking her cold drink in her magical grasp while leaning against Joseph for support. Her brain freeze had long ago subsided, but she wouldn’t have told him otherwise.

After a long trip of silent sips, the pony-human duo found themselves outside in the castle’s garden. The now empty glasses floated alongside them in Nightmare Moon’s grasp, as they waded through tall grass and flowers. Both seemingly content to enjoy each other's company while taking in the beauty of nature.

Hours seemed to pass by as they slowly walked towards one of the few hills within the garden. The lump of earth jutted out from the mostly flat landscape, and atop it stood a lone oak tree. Wordlessly, they both traversed up the hill, seeking the refuge of the shade beneath the ancient tree.

The shade caste from the tree by the late afternoon sun was cooling. Unceremoniously, Joseph flopped down at the base of the tree with a grunt, leaning against the trunk as he kicked off his shoes, enjoying the cool grass beneath him, "Man, I could use a nap."

As if mimicking a dog, Nightmare Moon carefully pranced around in a circle, lying over the short grass before laying down next to her human companion, "I concur."

She crossed her forelegs in front of her, as she shifted her weight to the side and leaned against Joseph’s side. His mind went blank as circuits began to fry, a small blush crossing his cheeks as his gaze passed over Nightmare Moon’s prone form. Moments passed as his blush darkened by their current position. Deciding to end any possible thoughts, he turned himself around before sliding down beside her.

Nightmare Moon grinned while looking at him, “You’re odd, you know that?”

Joseph chuckled and shrugged before laying back, his world now upside down. They had fallen into silence for only a moment before he spoke, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it.”

“Quite.” She replied calmly, her eyes closed, though her head remained raised.

“Nightmare Moon-” Joseph started, before being cut off almost immediately.

“How I wish you’d call be something other than that” She spoke in a solemn tone.

A little voice inside his head told him to not pursue the argument over her name, and seemingly settled on a better choice, “So what do you want me to call you?”

Nightmare Moon blushed furiously and began sputtering, before Joseph continued on with his thought, “I wasn’t really good at nicknames. Usually they happened by circumstance. I don’t know. Honeybunny?”

Her blush intensified, “Honeybunny? What sort of name is that?”

“It was from a movie.” Joseph said nonchalantly, before returning to his thoughts, attempting to conjure up a decent nickname.

Nightmare Moon was silent as she encouraged herself before speaking, “I-I’d like you to call me N-Nighty.”

Joseph was pulled from his thoughts, “Hm? What’d you say?”

“I-I said,” Nightmare Moon tried her hardest to steel her voice, “I’d like you to call me, Nighty.”

“Nighty,” His lips curled up in a warm smile as he repeated her desired name, enjoying the way it sounded, “I can live with it. How about you, Nighty?”

“Y-Yeah…” She trailed off, averting her eyes and turning slightly in an attempt to hide her blush.

They fell into silence, as Joseph closed his eyes and returned to his thoughts. In his head, he continued to repeat her name. He didn’t know what, but it stirred something within him. Though he let it go, as his mind began to wander.

“Hey Nightm-Nighty,” Joseph stuttered.

Nightmare Moon hummed softly, turning back to him, her blush long gone, “Yes?”

“Can I ask you a question?” He said.

“Of course.” She replied, slightly raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t have to answer, and I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but, like, it’s kind of difficult.” Joseph added.

“Like I said, ask away.” She replied, taking note of his nervous demeanor.

“Are you sure-”

“Joseph, you’re testing my patience.” Nightmare Moon stated, earning a nervous chuckle and smile from him.

“Okay, but promise you won’t get mad.” He slightly begged.

“Joseph-” Nightmare Moon added sternly.

“Okay, alright.” Joseph said, falling silent in a last ditch effort of reason, “What was it like on the moon?”

Nightmare Moon’s breath caught in her throat as she froze. Her stomach turned as Joseph paled.

“I mean, what did it look like?” He added in a small voice, like a kid in awe.

She was silent for a moment, before responding in low tone much like his, “It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever witnessed in my life.”

Joseph was quiet, his eyes closed as he tried to imagine what it’d be like. It was obviously a sore subject, but Nightmare Moon seemed to warm up to his child like innocence, recalling the breathtaking images that were forever in her memory. While it was a prison, she never assosiated such pain with her beloved moon. In his mind’s eye, he could see the magnificent lunar landscape, but it seemed to be nothing without her being there.

Not that he enjoyed the thought of his four legged friend imprisoned on the thing she loved the most. But it seemed to be nothing without her, and vise versa. Nightmare Moon seemed to harness all of the beauty and wonder of the moon itself, he thought. She resembled it all, and he felt amazed, that she was lying there next to him in the cool grass. He had his own moon right at his fingertips.

His eyes reopened as he looked at her. She as well lost in thought, hopefully not succumbing the the repressed memories of her imprisonment.

It was then, when his own voice shocked him, “D-Do you think you could show me it one day?”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes shimmered slightly at the question. His demeanor like a child, as he gazed up at the sky in wonder. Nightmare Moon was in shock of his reaction, seeing someone else react to her moon the way she did.

“I promise, one day.” She spoke, earning a warm smile out of Joseph.

They fell silent again, returning to their own rushing thoughts. A sigh and yawn left the human, his arms stretching out before he laid his right hand along his side, and draped his other one across Nightmare Moon’s forelegs, and over her shoulder.

Nightmare Moon froze once again, as her eyes traced along his arm and back to him. His eyes were closed and a smile on his face. The muscles of her shoulder, twitched slightly, as the warm feeling of his fingers running through the fur of her shoulder. All thoughts had stopped, as she attempted to take in his touch.

Her chest tightened again, as she focused on his delicate touch. Nightmare Moon found herself enjoying the sensation of his fingers on her dark coat, as a smile took over her shocked expression.

An unexpected yawn left her, as she eyed his shoulder. It seemed only logical to do the same to him, as she gently laid her head down on his shoulder. She softly nuzzled into his shoulder, before letting her eyelids flutter shut. Nightmare Moon lay there, reveling in the peace of the moment and the touch of Joseph. His slow breathing filled her ears, as the warmth from his touch spread through her chest and through her cheeks.

Though the silence didn’t last long before he slowly, and softly said, “Hey, Nighty, we need to return those glasses.”

Nightmare Moon chuckled softly, picking up the glasses beside them and teleporting them away with a soft pop. Her mind returned to the sensations around her as she began to succumb to the comfort of sleep. Through her last bits of conscious thought, she found herself growing attached to her human friend, never wanting for this moment to end.

“Your majesty, I haven’t a clue as to what has happened.” One of the many frantic chefs said to Celestia.

The Sun Princess was silent in her thoughts, surveying the disaster zone of the kitchen. Cooks and waiters ran about frantically in an effort to fix and return everything to it’s designated spots. Several guards stood posted nearby, as a few looked through the kitchen for clues.

“Everypony was out of here by the end of lunch.” He continued on, nearly wailing in pain at the sight of his kitchen.

“Yes, yes, we’ll get to the bottom of this.” Celestia said idly, looking around the kitchen.

Out of nowhere, a pop sounded in the room and a puff of dark smoke appeared, catching everyone’s attention. Before anyone could react, two glasses appeared midair, before falling to the floor and shattering into hundreds of pieces. The room had become so silent, that Celestia could hear each individual piece of glass go skittering around the tile floor.

Before the silence, like the glass, was shattered by a cry from the chef, “Those were special crystal glasses!”

The room erupted into chatter and chaos as the chef continued to cry, while the others went back to running around. Each guard in the room simultaneously began talking to the Sun Princess with solutions and ideas.

Celestia resisted the urge to hit her head off of the counter-top as she sighed, “Well, that answers that question…”

Joseph’s eyes opened to darkness. Celestia’s bright sun had long ago set, leaving Equestria in the pale blue light of the moon. His eyes slowly adjusted, revealing the inside of his chambers. Though he groggily attempted to recall his memories, he was certain this was not where he had fallen asleep.

Sitting up, he stretch slightly, earning cracks and pops from various bones in his body. He was still in his clothes, he noted, laying on top of his large bed. Tiredly he looked around the room, until his eyes landed on two letters, resting on his nightstand.

Lazily throwing over a hand, he grabbed the first letter before opening it. Joseph squinted his eyes and angled the paper into the light of the moon before reading.

Dear Joseph,

You were resting too soundly for me to wake you. I’ve returned you to your chambers to sleep in comfort.

Sweet dreams,

Nighty

A smile crossed his lips as his heart seemed to flutter. His thoughts drifting to the Mare of the Moon, as he carefully reached over and grabbed the other letter before unfolded it.

Dear Joseph,

I would appreciate you and Ms. Nightmare Moon not ransacking my kitchen. The kitchen staff are rightfully upset with how you treated their workspace. Also, you owe the kitchen staff two new crystal glasses for the ones you broke upon their return.

P.S. Had you touched the cake in the freezer, it would’ve been the end of you.

All the best,

Celestia

Joseph scoffed and chuckled lightly, before tossing the letters back to where they originally were. Gingerly he rolled out of bed and shuffled his way over to the french doors that led out to his balcony. Opening them, he was met with the cool air of the night as his gaze was cast up into the night sky. Slowly he made his way to the railing, before leaning against it while being memorized by the sky.

He’d always liked the night sky back on Earth, but here it seemed better. Each night was a new experience looking up, but now it seemed even more so. It had changed, it was no longer just the night sky, but it was her, in all of her beauty.

Joseph smiled again, gazing upon the bright full moon. It seemed larger than ever, taking up a good portion of the night sky, unlike back on Earth. He felt, more than he thought, that she had been waiting for him to emerge and look up. Like she was beside him, looking up with him.

* * *