Opa's Goddess

by neorenamon

Now that she was living with her true love Zecora, Opa felt that she was living a life of love and peace at last. As Zecora taught her the finer points of herbalism and potion making, she knew that she would be as useful as the zebra was to her pony friends. It was her dream to remain in a land that seemed so peaceful compared to the war torn land she thought she had left so far behind her now.

But their reverie was disturbed as they heard somepony smack into the side of the tree that was Zecora's hut. Opa glanced out the window to see that Derpy the Mailmare had misjudged distances once more and crashed into the side of the tree. She heard it was something Derpy was known for doing back in Ponyville.

"Message for Opa," she moaned as she slipped onto the ground.

Zecora shrugged. She wasn't used to anypony sending messages out to her hut let alone from somepony in town. If Twilight needed to consult with them about anything, she surely would just come over and ask about it. There was no formality between them as the Celestial Elements now. And if Celestia needed them for some task, she would simply send a message to her student Twilight and let her bring them into the matter herself.

So Opa opened the window as a scroll was held before her.

"How can this possibly be," she asked, "that there's a message for me?"

"Then let us read the message now," said Zecora as she came over to look, "and find what the sender intends and how."

Opa took the message through the window as she heard Derpy moan, "Thanks for using Equestria Postal Service. Have a nice day."

She closed the window as she looked at the scroll's seal. It looked like the official seal of Princess Luna, now living all but in exile at the Library Estate of Ponyville's own Queen Sombrarity. Now that the darkness of Nightmare Moon was again living in Luna, she had to appear to be away on sabbatical even as her older sister resumed her responsibilities for raising the sun and moon once more for the time being. Until the day that Luna prayed that Nightmare Moon was a distant memory once more.

As the Celestial Element of Dreams, she was one of the few beings who could monitor the dreams and nightmares of her own alicorn Goddess. Her soul was tormented by what she remembered of being Nightmare Moon now. The old feelings of envy and hate that drove her to rebel against her older sister's rule were now plain to see like an old battle wound reopened. The way she felt so small in the glory of her older sister's ironic shadow, underappreciated by all of Celestia's adoring subjects. How so few ponies paid homage to the night as they rested between days of labor and toiling to make a living.

While the throngs were willing to break their backs for her older sister, they all but spat in her face when it came time to rule the night once more. Her Night Court seemed all but empty as she took her duties and performed them without any fanfare like that gushed all over Celestia.

Yet her older sister seemed all but callously indifferent to her own sister's suffering in silence. Her soul was consumed with the need to take her sister's place as the favorite of the ponies, and yet she knew it would never come to pass on her own. In her own mind, she thought that if there was no more day, the ponies would have no choice but to celebrate her as she deserved, but that required that Celestia be removed from the picture so she could be the one and only Princess.

But as she lived with Queen Sombrarity, no pony seemed to realize that Nightmare Moon was the real deal. They all believed she was some royal groupie that used her magic to just pretend to be a nightmare like her friends. She was relieved to be serving Queen Sombrarity, as it was by her control collar that her unending rage was kept in check. That Nightmare Moon couldn't just lash out and hurt those around her again.

Now Luna was requesting Opa formally to attend the needs of her Night Goddess now. Opa secretly dreamed of the day her Lunar Goddess would summon her to attend some need of hers. She longed to meet her Moon Goddess privately almost as much as she loved living at the side of Zecora. While she learned during the day, Zecora learned about love from her at night.

"Your Moon Goddess now has a need," said Zecora softly as she read the scroll, "Go to her side with great speed."

"Will my love be okay," she asked, "should I be gone a day?"

She leaned in to kiss Opa's neck as she sighed. "I shall ache every moment that you are away," she replied, "but I have no right to demand that you stay."

"I love you so that you understand," she said as she kissed Zecora back, "that my moment of audience is at hand."

"So I shall wait for what is best," she whispered in Opa's ear, "while I wait for you to get dressed."

While the two of them were all but naked on their own, it was quite a sight they made when they forgot to get dressed going to town. The stallions stared at their motherly breasts, and the mares just simply looked down their noses at what they were sure was exhibitionism on display. It was just the way things were back home when a maiden freely showed her chest in her attempts to attract a warrior's attention to herself. It was the display of a maiden's chest that signalled she was open to a warrior's affections, and perhaps she should be taken back to his own village to be his wife. That was pretty much the limits of what was allowed of mares when she lived back home.

She was content to let Zecora slip a tube top over her breasts and cover them as she slipped on a mid length red skirt. As she secured the belt, Zecora slipped her black silk vest over her shoulders and playfully buttoned the bottom two buttons. Even though bare chested maidens were frowned on by civilized ponies, it was more than okay to suggest what treasures lay beneath a thin veil of cloth. Then Zecora helped her into her sandals as she lied the laces up her lower legs. Then she helped Opa shoulder a bag of what she thought she might need as she travelled to Ponyville. She then took up her trusty staff. It was the only weapon she bothered to take with her, as innocent as it appeared.

"Go and aid you Goddess true," whispered Zecora, "and I shall wait here aching for you."

Opa kissed her on the lips even as she replied, "And while I shall rush back as fast as I can, I shall relish the time together that we plan."

She knew that it had to be some private matter to discuss since Twilight herself was apparently not a party to the summons. But Opa travelled swiftly through the Everfree Forest as she rushed past the new dog community on her way to Ponyville. On her way to the Library Manor of Ponyville's own Queen Sombrarity. It was one of the traits of an Okapi that she could run great distances swiftly without undo tiring. It was one of the things she had to live with with the packs of Hyena warriors always nipping at her tribe's heels.

Opa was always content to blaze her own trail as she went. She always like to find her own way. The air felt so good as it rushed by her, and even the long jump she took over a patch of Poison Joke was not going to slow her down one bit. She could feel a manicore glaring at her as she ran by, but even the monster knew this mare was not somepony he should be messing with. When he got whacked upside the head the last time he tested her, he figured the feisty mare was just not worth the trouble to try and make a meal of.

She even managed to pole vault over a sink hole that collapsed into an underground cave before she even noticed it was really in her way. As swift as she moved, she didn't have much time to take in the sights and smell the flowers. Only evaluate the obstacles and threats, and avoid them as best she could.

It was just the way she liked living.

She watched Applejack tending to the apples as she ran by. The orange mare waved as she paused from her chores to eat one of her delicious apples. Then she ran by the new School complex as she hit the border of Ponyville proper. Like a passing wind, she weaved in and out of the traffic easily as she headed for her final destination.

The smell of muffins baking from Sugarcube Corners was almost enough to make Opa stop, but she simply waved at Pinkie as she ran by. There was no time for treats now that her Goddess had summoned her. That she was invited to privately meet Luna even as she looked like a Nightmare Moon wannabe. She skid to a stop at the Library door even she heard somepony coming to answer the door.

It was amazing how Bakabaka just seemed to somehow know when somepony was going to be at the door as it opened, and the maid in her black lace silk uniform curtsied before Opa. The thin small chested Oryx was always happy to see one of her sisters that came from her homeland to Equestria with her.

"It is a pleasure that you should visit us here with a smile," she said with a smile, "so please come in and stay with us for a while."

But Opa simply showed the maid the summons as she looked it over.

"Who ever is it at the door, dahling?" she heard Sombrarity asking from somewhere in the library.

"Opa is who it appears to be," she replied, "and Nightmare Moon has called for her to see."

"The poor thing has so been down in the dumps lately," she replied, "I hope you can do something to cheer her up."

"I shall inform Miss Luna that you are here," she replied, "There may be a little wait is what I fear."

"A little wait I don't mind," answered Opa, "so inform should you be so kind."

Bakabaka nodded as she slipped back and ran off someplace. Opa waited for her to return.

"I hope you didn't just streak over here again," sighed Sombrarity, "Each time you cause a commotion when you come streaking into town like that. I'd swear I have to beat those colts away from you with a large stick when they come to gawk at you motherly breasts, my dear. And ponies say the Equestria Geographic Magazine is just soft porn for colts these days."

"I am sorry to trouble you," she replied, "It is not something I intentionally do."

Then Bakabaka came back as she said, "Mistress Luna is waiting for you. She is so distressed to meet you too."

So Opa followed Bakabaka into the private quarters wing as the climbed the stairs to the room labelled 'Nightmare Moon's Room'.

"Mistress Opa is now with me," she said through the door, "answering your summons for her to see."

"Please come in," she replied.

She was surprised to see Luna naked curled up on the bed in a fetal ball as she laid staring at the door. Opa moved swiftly over to her side as Bakabaka slowly closed the door behind her.

"Oh living Goddess of the Night that I love so," she pleaded, "tell me your troubles that I should know."

"You know the monster I have inside me," replied Luna as tears welled from her eyes, "and yet you still think of me as some kind of Goddess. I'm no Goddess. Just a nightmare of a monster now."

"Please tell me what I might do," she pleaded, "to aid a Goddess and comfort you."

Opa drew Luna into her embrace as she began to cry as well.

"A Princess shouldn't be such a crybaby," she said as Opa hugged her, "I feel such shame for being... so weak."

"I will never judge a Goddess for crying," said Opa as she cradled Luna, "It only means she cares and is trying."

"I have no right to demand your help," she wept, "I'm such a selfish monster now."

"My Goddess should not herself berate," she replied, "Her pain is some to which I can relate."

"I don't deserve you loyalty!" bawled Luna, "I'm not worthy!"

"How many days have you lied awake?" asked Opa with concern, "How much more of this can you take?"

But now poor Luna was crying her heart out as all her suffering was laid bare. She seemed desperate as she hung her arms about Opa's waist. Opa's own tears streamed down her face as she watched her Goddess weeping. It didn't matter who could hear Luna's bawling should they come by the door now.

"I shall not stray from your side or leave," she said softly, "Until you no longer have a need to grieve. Until I have removed the stain that is your suffering and pain."

"You must think I'm the most horrible older sister ever," sniffed Celestia.

Opa looked up to see that Celestia was looking in one them as she watched them holding each other. She could see that Celestia had been crying as well.

"Even a Goddess can sometimes fail," replied Opa, "but they should live to tell the tale."

"But I was so callous to my little sister's suffering," she said softly as the tears flowed down her cheeks freely, "She blames herself for Nightmare Moon now, but I'M THE REAL MONSTER HERE!"

"Queen Sombrarity told you I was here?" she asked, "She secretly care about you two she holds dear."

Celestia walked in wearing naught but a little harness of ropes as clothing. She appeared to have been paddled as some punishment either by Sombrarity or perhaps her Master in Training, Spike.

"There has been enough suffering and blame," said Opa as she gestured for Celestia to join them, "I know you both love each other just the same."

"Forgive me, sweet Luna, for letting you down again," cried Celestia as she walked over.

"I'm the one who left you all alone these past 1,000 years," cried Luna, "I'm the one who should be begging you for forgiveness!"

"You both need your rest and sleep," said Opa, "and in your place should I so weep."

Celestia crawled on the bed behind them, as her backside was still to sore to sit.

"A thousand years I've blamed myself for having to banish you, little sister," she cried, "and I've let Rarity punish me secretly for letting you all down."

"Even a Goddess is not perfect," she replied, "so to you both should I give such respect."

She reached into her bag and pulled a small pot out from it.

"This medicine should help both of you to sleep," she said as she opened it and offered it to Luna, "Just one good sip and I shall help your dreams to keep."

Luna took a swallow, and then Opa turned to offer a drink to Celestia. Celestia took a draught herself, and then Opa took a drink of it herself. She stoppered up the pot before putting it back in her bag. Then she set aside her bags and shed her clothes as she crawled between her two Goddesses. She laid to Luna's back and spooned her even as Celestia lay to Opa's back and spooned her.

Nightmare Moon slowly yawned as she waited for sleep to finally overtake her. She had not slept a wink in three days, she was so distressed. Now she could sleep in peace knowing that her loyal worshipper and her older sister would now be in her dreams with her. Opa wrapped her arms about Nightmare Moon's waist even as Celestia did the same for her.