Luna's Story 3: Long Live the Night

Chapters

Burn to Ash
Melt to Tar
Scorch to Cinder
Raze to Ruin
Blister to Breaking
Intermission
Quench the Flames
Stomp the Embers
Stir the Ashes
Epilogue

Burn to Ash

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 1: Burned to Ash

If anypony had told Aegis Shield he was going to be bathing with another stallion, he would’ve made himself quite scarce that morning. His lover and heart, Princess Luna, had invited him to share a bath at the end of the night and he’d accepted. What she’d failed to mention was that Celestia and another stallion would be there. Ponies had no concept of nudity, but a community bath just felt awkward to him. He’d almost picked up some flowers to eat and a bottle of wine to share in the bath, now he was glad he hadn’t. He’d not expected the other royal sister and her… who was he anyway?

Aegis Shield tried to size up the stallion across from him in the springs. He was a huge, barrel-chested thing with a not-too-intelligent look on his face. He was scarlet in color and orange in mane, a green apple on his flank. Had the lunar stallion stood in front of him, he would’ve had to look up to see his face. He also noticed, when the stranger reached to push his mane out of his eyes, that his fetlocks were unshorn. He cocked his head a little. Who would’ve thought Princess Celestia would be into country bumpkins like that? Hmm. He was trying hard not to pass judgment. The poor guy hadn’t said a word yet.

Luna settled into the hot waters, finding a sitting slab. Laying on her belly, she moaned in happiness while the heat soaked into her fur. Celestia found one as well, and the sisters relaxed while they made idle conversation. The Princess of the night had playfully called it a double date, but had failed to mention the double part until her sister and her stallion had shown up. Aegis wasn’t sure he was comfortable with it.

Both stallions looked at each other, standing at the shoulder of their respective Princesses. Aegis didn’t think the scarlet stallion particularly aggressive, in fact he almost looked a little bored. Maybe that was why Celestia liked him? He didn’t fall all over himself to impress her? Yeah. Princesses needed real friends like that now and then. “Er… hi.” Aegis tried, sloshing in the waters a little. He opened his wings to let the steaming bath soak his feathers. “I’m Aegis Shield. Captain of the Lunar Stallions.” He offered.

Celestia looked over when she saw them making contact. “Oh, forgive me, Aegis Shield.” She smiled. “This is Big Macintosh, from Ponyville.” She introduced him. “Big Mac, this is Aegis Shield. My sister’s… er…” the princess of the sun let the sentence hang. ‘Lover’ was probably not the word for polite company. Then again, bathing together wasn’t for polite company either. She struggled for a good way to put it.

“Companion.” Luna put in. The word seemed to please Aegis, for he smiled.

“Companion.” Celestia agreed with a bemused smile, nodding at Big Macintosh.

Big Mac sloshed forward and offered his hoof. Aegis was shocked when they shook, for the stallion’s grip was enormous. Easily as big as an alicorn’s. The pony’s hoof dwarfed his own. Stallions in Canterlot just didn’t come this big. Maybe it was his Earth pony genes or something. “Nice to meet you.” Aegis said.

“Eeyup.” said Big Mac with a genuine smile. Well. Wasn't her friendly? Stallion of few words. Aegis found he liked this Macintosh fellow. Being a soldier himself, he could respect a stallion who's actions spoke louder than his words.

“Come sit with me, Big Mac.” Celestia said with a playful wink. “Your mane is untidy.”

“You too, Aegis.” Luna said, smirking. She and her sister locked eyes, and a pair of soap stones floated over to them via magic. Both stallions moved to their respective… 'companions', and sat on their haunches in the water. It was just deep enough to come up to Aegis’ chin, and Big Mac’s upper chest. Feeling playful, the royal sisters started to scrub them down.

Aegis sighed in embarrassment. He’d not signed up for this. From now on he’d need to make sure any shared baths with Luna were just him and Luna. Her tinkling giggle made him turn his head while the suds were working. Her horn was aglow, as was Celestia’s. ‘Hey. Hey Lulu.’ Celestia said privately in thought-speak. Luna looked up from where she’d been scrubbing Aegis’ mane, grinning. ‘Mine’s bigger.’ She gestured to Big Macintosh. Luna looked at the stallion, then at her sister, then burst into wild laughter. Both stallions jumped a little. Celestia nickered, bobbing her head a couple of times.

Big Mac regarded Aegis Shield, cocking his head. He seemed like a nice fella. The circular shield on his flank was sure neat to look at. Though he did wonder how a pony could end up with the name shield-shield. That was a little silly, wasn’t it? He smiled gingerly at the stallion, adjusting himself while Celestia scrubbed at his mane.

The four ponies shared the springs for a long time, relaxing quietly and not much else. It was a nice day of rest. “So, any plans for Nightmare Night this year, Luna?” Celestia asked with a slight purr. Princess of the sun though she was, she melted like any other mare in a hot bath. “It’s in just a few days, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Luna said with a wide smile. “I am going back to Ponyville again. Their festival means the most to me.” The Princess of the Night splashed her wings a bit. “Ever since my first Nightmare Night, there’s been no better place. Will you join me this year, sister?”

“Oh no,” Celestia said mildly, shaking her head. “That holiday is specifically for you. My presence would draw attention and rob you of some of the glory.” The white alicorn wasn’t being mean when she said it, she merely wanted her sister to soak up the adoration of her people. It was her special night, after all. Perhaps it would aid her in her slow integration back into normal modern society.

“Very well.” Luna said. “Perhaps you can relax for the evening while everypony is out in costume.” Aegis Shield nodded his encouragement as well. He’d been looking forward to Nightmare Night himself. Spending it with the Princess was going to be amazing and he knew it.

=-=-=-=

It was finally Nightmare Night. Luna squealed with delight as the chariot arrived on the pad. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide had hitched themselves to the spike-covered, terrifying vehicle and they were ready to make their way to Ponyville. Cantering up to it and throwing on her travelling cloak, she leaned and spoke to a nearby pony. “Is everypony ready, Hammershot?”

“Yes your majesty. Everything is in place.” Hammershot bobbed his head, very careful to keep his wings very, very closed and pressed to his sides. “They’ll be receiving you on schedule, and Ponyville is all set as well.”

“Very good.” Luna nodded her approval, dismissing him. “Aegis Shield! Stalwart Hide! Suite up!” she mounted the chariot, giggling with filly-like excitement.

Both stallions smiled at their giddy Princess. Then again, if they had a holiday created just for them they’d probably be just as excited. Aegis looked at Stalwart, who nodded. Reaching as one, they tapped their medallions and spoke the oath together. “In the dark, we tear and rend. To end all evils, with spines to bend. Lust and power, hunger and might! By Luna’s will, and dark of night!” Their medallions whistled as the magic took hold. Rearing up with wild whinnies, they opened their wings as armor flooded over both of them like quicksilver. Encased until they looked like ponies made of liquid metal, they stomped their hooves down so the excess would explode away from them like droplets of water. Lunar armor clanked into place, platelets thick enough to stop a knife. Their wings lost all their feathers, melting into a bat-like membranes. They roared out ferally as their teeth vanished and were replaced by terrible, jagged fangs. Fur stained grey, eyes flashed to gold and turned serpentine in the pupils. Lunar Stallions!

Princess Luna smiled and pulled her hood up. “Let us away, my stallions! Nightmare Night in Ponyville awaits!” she thrust a hoof forward, and their wings started flapping. The chariot jerked forward, and they launched skyward. The Princess of the Night covered the full moon and stars with clouds for her grand entrance. This was going to be the best Nightmare Night ever.

=-=-=-=

Celestia tip-hoof’d along down a hallway, trying not to be seen. She’d cast an invisibility spell on herself, but it didn’t hurt to be stealthy. Smiling and giving a tinkling giggle, she found herself in front of Luna’s bedroom door. Flicking the lock with magic and checking the hallway both ways, she slipped inside. Closing the door behind her, she smiled around the room. Nightmare Night was the best night of the year for pranks, and even if she was the princess of the day, she didn’t want to be left out.

For the longest time Princess Celestia had been above such pranks, but really what was the harm? She wanted to play with her sister like they did, all those centuries ago. She’d decided if she was going to play a prank it would need to be harmless and easy to fix. Just something playful. She didn’t want to be seen as a horrible troll like Luna had thought of her in the olden days. Their prank wars were the stuff of legend, and both alicorns had had to work very hard to destroy any record of some of their older pranks. Ponies didn’t find it very funny when a volcano emerged downtown, or when a flood of banana cream pudding flooded the city. Because of their powers, alicorns could be vicious in their pranks.

Calming herself, Celestia peered around the room, wondering what to do. The last place Luna would expect a prank would be at the end of the night in her own room. It was the perfect place to set something silly up. Rubbing her chin for a moment, she suddenly smiled. Ah, that would be harmless, and rather funny. Tilting her head and making sure the door was shut behind her, the princess ignited her horn. Concentrating, she lifted Luna’s bed and stuck it to the ceiling upside down. Then she did the same for a locked chest, her mirror, and all her other furniture. When Luna came home her entire room would be upside down. “Happy Nightmare Night, sister…” Celestia chuckled, surveying her work. She looked around. “Oh, almost forgot you.” She turned and lifted the vanity upside down, making sure the drawers didn’t spill. She stuck it to the ceiling, but in the process a secret panel popped open and dropped something to the floor. “Whoops.” The white alicorn finished fastening the vanity to the ceiling, upside down, and went to fetch the object. It was a jewelry box.

Curious, Celestia opened it. Inside was a smattering of jewelry. Old hoof rings, earrings, a necklace or two, and a black medallion. All of them looked quite old, and the dust inside said Luna was not a fan of the contents either. Perhaps they were no longer in style? Both princesses were known to favor royal trappings, though lately regalias and crowns were their style. Celestia couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn earrings or a necklace. The white alicorn gave pause, for the black medallion called to her. She’d not seen black gold in ages. Ponies thought it clashed with her white coat, so she was never given any for her own. She did like it though, it was a handsome precious metal. Smiling slowly, she lifted the medallion out of the jewelry box and set the rest aside. She peered at it. The hanging ornament in the middle was the size of a large, black marble. She thought it was glass for a moment, for there was smoke curling inside. She squinted, but could see nothing within. Her sister certainly had the strangest baubles. Smiling and unable to help herself, Celestia opened her wings and flew up to the full length mirror where she’d fastened it on the ceiling. Chuckling at the cleverness or her rather harmless prank, she held the necklace in front of herself. “Huh.” She said, smiling bemusedly. “I wonder when Luna wore this last…” she froze, for she could hear approaching hoofsteps.

The Princess of the Day landed as daintily as she could, casting a new invisibility spell on herself. A lunar stallion opened the door, no doubt on his rounds for the evening. “What the HAY?!” he shouted, looking around the room in shock. It was all Celestia could do not to burst into laughter. “Pen Maker! PEN MAKER!” he shouted down the hall. “Come quick! Her majesty’s room! It’s upside down!” he jabbed a hoof into the oddity. Celestia had to think fast. She didn’t want to be caught. Turning quickly, she rushed to the balcony and opened her wings. Just as the stallions rushed into the room with a shout of confusion, the invisible alicorn lifted off and quickly left the scene of her prank. She giggled despite herself. Even Princesses could play pranks. “How the hay did all this happe--” their voices faded with distance, and Celestia swooped to one of the other palace towers. Her own room. Landing quickly, she went inside and cancelled her invisibility spell. Snickering and feeling rather proud of herself for pranking her sister, she cast herself onto her massive bed. Now then! She could spend the rest of the evening with a wonderful book and wait for Luna to return. The concussive blast of the Royal Canterlot Voice would be enough for her to know when she arrived home and saw her room. It would be the bes—Celestia looked down into her hoof. She was still holding the black medallion.

“Oh dear.” She said a little guiltily. She’d stolen it without realizing. Frowning, she put it on her vanity next to her regalia and golden horse shoes. She would need to return it as soon as she could, perhaps without Luna realizing. For now she couldn’t for the Lunar Stallions would no doubt spend the entire night trying to dislodge her furniture from the ceiling. Going back to her bed, she opened a random book from her shelf. It was the diary of Starswirl the Bearded. He’d left it to her in his will. Such a brilliant pony. She’d been more than honored to keep it in her private collection, and make sure his vast knowledge made it out into the world of ponies in his era.

After a time, however, she found herself frowning at the black medallion. Shifting a little, she tried to return to her book. It was no use. She sighed, getting up. She would need to return it now, set Luna’s furniture right, and put it all back how she’d found it. The guilt was just eating away at her. Closing the tome and going back to the vanity, she lifted the medallion and opened her wings to leave. She stopped a moment, looking at herself in the mirror. It was rather handsome. Maybe she could just try it on? Just for a minute? Smiling and swearing she would return it right after she saw how it looked on her, Celestia used her magic to open the clasp.

The chain tinkled, and a hard wind suddenly gusted through her room from her balcony. She squeezed her eyes shut as her mane flapped wildly. “…Huh.” She said. Luna must’ve had the Cloudsdale weather patrol working on extra phantom breezes this night. Now that she’d learned to enjoy her own holiday, she was sparing no expense. Celestia’s eyes were drawn back down to the large black marble on the necklace. It seemed to call to her like a tuning fork, tingling the edges of her brain. Smiling, she bowed her head a little so she could affix the bauble around her neck and under her mane. She felt the cold weight of the thing pressing to her chest. Looking into the mirror, she pushed her chest out to admire herself. “Pretty.” She said to herself, smiling bemusedly. She'd expected it to glitter or maybe change colors when somepony wore it, but no, it was still a shiny black marble. Hm. “Alright now, Tia, go put it back. It’s not yours.” She scolded herself with the same tinkling chuckle. “Luna would be upset if sh--!”

The alicorn was suddenly driven to her knees and her entire room burst into wild yellow flame! Celestia cried out as the necklace suddenly tightened itself into a choker, sprouting spikes to attach itself to her neck. Her doors instantly burst open and a pair of solar guards rushed to her aide. “Princess!” One stallion shouted as she staggered about clutching at her neck. “The room is burning, get a team in here!” he roared at the other guard. He roughly grabbed the white alicorn and started dragging her out of the room. The furniture burned brightly and she gagged at the smoke plumed like liquid night. When they emerged into the hall and were a safe distance away the Princess thrust him aside and clutched at her neck desperately. “What is it?! Are you choking?!” he shouted, rushing back when he saw the black line collar around her neck. Rearing up her tried to rip it from her with his hooves. Golden, shimmering blood was starting to drip from her poor body, and suddenly her wings flared open. He was horrified, for he’d never seen his Princess bleed. The stallion was tossed, bodily, into a table and vase. He hit the ground hard, staggered, and rushed back to his Princess.

Lines of black were starting to sprout from the black bauble around Celestia’s neck. It began to envelope her chest, working violently under her skin and staining her blood vessels with its magical poison. The solar guard heaved against the tendrils with all his might, but they slapped him away like they were alive! He bounced off the ceiling and landed hard with a crunching of bones. He whinnied in agony, one of his legs broken. “It’s hurts!” Celestia shouted in more than one voice. “It hurrrrts!” she flailed about, clutching and ripping at her chest. Powerful solar magic ignited and she ripped off great strands of the living blackness as it rushed over her shoulders and front legs. They were like tree roots, powerful and rubbery. Even the ones she ripped off flailed about like they were alive. She blasted herself painfully over and over, bashing slender body against the wall and spider-webbing cracks over the stone. The hall shook while the alicorn fought for her life.

A thundering of many hooves heralded the fire brigade and a dozen solar guards. They screeched to a halt in horror when they came upon the scene, for Celestia was already half-consumed in the inky, living blackness. “Dear Faust!” shouted one of them. “C’mon! Let’s go!” the group rushed into battle, the fire brigade squeezing past with their buckets and lit horns. The solar squad tackled Celestia to the ground, biting and ripping and hoof-stomping the otherworldly force trying to eat her alive. It only seemed to get bigger, the more pieces they ripped away from it. Black blood spilled upon them, became new tentacles of madness, and coiled around them like snakes. Shouts of battle became shouts of terror and agony as the battle raged on. It consumed them all, pulling them into darkness.

“No! NO! My Little Ponies!” Celestia cried out as the tendrils of demonic force clutched at her spine and undercarriage. “Run away! You can’t—you can’t--- AHHH’HHH!” Her screams were cut short, for it had suddenly forced itself over her flanks and face. Celestia was pulled into darkness, forced to the floor and set ablaze! The flames consumed the Princess of the Sun and she cried out into the merciless night. The fire brigade rushed to douse her with smothering spells and water, but soon they were pulled in too.

More and more ponies started pouring into the corridor, armed with buckets of water and powerful magics. The teeming, swirling mess of darkness retreated into the flames, and they were fought down for over an hour. All the steam and swirling ash choked the gathered ponies, but they would not let the palace burn down. Word traveled like wildfire, and soon dozens of ponies were rushing water to the scene. Even the Lunar Stallions that could be found rushed back and forth with buckets. They made a long line, passing buckets of water to throw over the fires while unicorns did their very best to contain the disaster with force fields and other spells. They even resorted to blasting out parts of walls to smother to stubborn fire with debris. Repairs could be made, but the palace had to be saved.

When it was over, it was snowing ash and the fog of steam made it hard to see more than a few feet. Ponies were laying everywhere, panting and sweating and covered in grime. What a terrible night it was. Solar guards rushed forward when it was clear, ruffling wildly through the debris. “Princess Celestia! Princess Celestia!” they called back and forth, shifting boulders and beams to find her. “Say something! Where are you?!”

One stallion thought he saw a small orange light under a mound of debris. Rushing over, he started shoving rocks and mortar aside. “Princess! Princess is that you?!” he said. A golden, armored head with a horn and a mane of pure flame burst from the debris. A slathering, feral maw opened to reveal rows and rows of jagged fangs. The monster roared, and it was like putting your face into a furnace. The poor stallion whinnied and tumbled backward, holding his burned face. He pulled wildly at his helm, for it had started to melt onto his head. He tossed the steaming helm aside, back-peddling as fast as he could to get away from the beast.

A massive figure started to emerge from the snow of ash and the fog of steam. She was on fire, both in tail and in mane. Her eyes were bright pink, serpentine and feral. Her gaze darted back and forth, animalistic. Hungry. The triangles that were her teeth dripped with molten metal, hissing a dripping path across the marble floor as she took slow steps. She peered about, looking at the gathering of terrified ponies. She sucked in a breath of ash and steam-- then roared like a wild beast, concussing the air with heat and unbearable light! Every single pony in the corridor violently burst into ash. None of them had time to scream.

End of Part 1

Melt to Tar

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 2: Melt to Tar

Little Pippen had never been more terrified in his life. The speckled white and brown colt was flailing in the hooves of evil. His little friends lay strewn about the floor, unmoving, their faces frozen in expressions of horror. “And now, little whelp, thou shalt meet thy end!” Nightmare Moon breathed cold, white air upon his face. Lifting him high by the front of his tiny collar, she opened her maw to show the massive fangs dripping with neon green goo. The acid dripping from her mouth hissed upon the ground, burning holes in the wood. Her great black wings spread to their full, bannered span and she lifted the poor foal to her mouth to eat him alive. Pippen screamed, all four hooves kicking.

“Stop right there, Nightmare Moon!” A pair of Lunar Stallions descended from on high with the flapping of bat-like wings. They landed so hard the floorboards shot splinters, startling the onlookers. Snorting with flared nostrils, they threw their chests out and reared as their hooves flailed like war horses. “Put the colt down!”

“Lunar Stallions!” Nightmare Moon set Pippen down quickly, hissing like an angry snake. The colt ran for his life, to one side. “Another night, then!” she told her prey.

“Begone! Even Nightmare Night has no place for your evil!” whinnied one of the Lunar Stallions, leaning forward and lifting his jowls at her. Such teeth! Nightmare Moon roared in frustration and she slowly backed off. She could not stand against such mighty stallions. Curling her black wings about herself, the dark alicorn coiled into a sphere of sparkling midnight smoke. Rocketing into the sky she burst into green sparks like a shower of brilliant fireworks!

The crowd watching the play burst into cheers and hoof stomping. Pinkie Pie fired the party cannon over the crowd, howling fireworks imploding across the suddenly clear and starry night. The foals that littered the stage suddenly sprang up from their pretend deaths, laughing and rushing until they could get into a long line. They bowed to the crowd, receiving whistles and loud applause. They turned to look up at the pair of Lunar Stallions, who smiled embarrassedly and bowed too. It was for the children after all, they could bear it. Stepping out from behind the curtain came Princess Luna, smiling grandly. She’d dropped the Nightmare Moon illusion and was back to her starry-maned self. The squealing children gathered around her, hauling her forward to the lip of the stage. The gathering of ponies whooped and cheered. She smiled, soaking in their adoration. “CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!” She blasted the Royal Canterlot Voice over the crowd like rolling thunder. The recoil was funny to all the little ones. “LET THE NIGHTMARE NIGHT FESTIVITIES-- BEGIN!” She thrust out a hoof. More fireworks split the sky and lit up the night.

Lunar Stallions appeared on surrounding rooftops and in the alleys between buildings. Melting out of the night like the golden-eyed mysteries that they were, they opened saddlebags to see to their duties. They cantered about the crowd bearing treat baskets, punch-bowls, and other goodies. The foals pranced off of the stage, and Luna herself dismounted so the band could get into place. Music started up somewhere, and the kick off began. The Princess of the Night snagged a caramel apple for herself, smiling and bowing when she was addressed. A whole night, just for her! There was a bounce in her step as she walked among the crowd, passing out blessings. Good luck would follow those ponies around for a few days, her alicorn magic willed it so.

“Your majesty.” Stalwart Hide bumped into her in the crowd, a saddlebag full of orange suckers on his back. He looked quite Nightmare Night…y, with the gobs of black eyeliner under his eyes and the traces of ink on his ribs. It made him look dark and otherworldly.

Leaning, Luna blessed Stalwart Hide with a tap of her horn as well. He smiled, thanking her with a bow of his head. After they’d parted, she was delighted to see him nod to a little filly who wanted to ride on his back. The Princess snickered, eyeing her Lunar Stallions over the crowd. She’d managed to rope over fifty of the seventy of them to come to the festival for the evening. Nightmare Night was a foal’s holiday, sure, but it was very popular. What better opportunity to expose ponies from outside Canterlot to the Lunar Stallions? They needed some social interaction with normal citizens, to show they were just as upright and dependable as their solar counterparts. Besides, hosting a festival was something fun and laid back they could do as a group.

“Princess.” Aegis Shield appeared out of the crowd, smiling broadly. He was wearing a jet-black tabard with a crescent moon over his normal Lunar Armor. His golden mane was slicked back with oil, and his grin was devilishly handsome. “May I have this dance?” he offered her his hoof, which she took right away. He pulled her into the hopping, dancing crowd. They made space for the alicorn’s long strides, and soon the couple found a proper rhythm.

The festivities and merry-making went on for hours and hours, well into the night. The moon was reaching its apex by the time the foals were all put to bed in their respective homes. It was then that the cider and other more grown-up entertainments were broken out. Hammershot was swooping the crowd, back and forth, dropping black flower petals like snow. The slow dance of the night was starting, and the band turned it down a few notches so ponies could pair up. Luna once more paired up with Aegis Shield. Stalwart Hide was approached by a strange Pegasus mare with a rainbow mane. One by one, the Lunar Stallions found themselves with mares eyeing them up. Bashful smiles were exchanged, and the pairing off didn’t take long. The huge influx of stallions in Ponyville made sure that just about every single Lunar Stallion got a dance partner. Ponyville was 90% mares anyway, so it was a good fit. Luna knew her festival location well, it seemed.

While she danced cheek to cheek with Aegis Shield, Princess Luna sighed happily. Flicking her gaze over the crowd, she spotted more than one of the mane six bashfully dancing with a Lunar Stallion. An orange earth pony mare, dressed as a scarecrow again this year, was giving soft eyes to Panzer Hoof. The titanic stallion gulped when she traced a hoof flirtatiously on his big chest plate. He shook like a leaf, smiling as convincingly as he could. Invulnerable indeed! A purple unicorn mare was trying her best to dance, but seemed to be staring at her hooves and counting more than she was actually paying attention to her dance partner. Poor Pen Maker-- the poor guy looked bored out of his skull. Smirking just a little, Luna yipped when Aegis Shield nipped her ear. Blushing, she returned her attention to him in earnest. He kissed her cheek with a quiet smile, and they leaned into each other.

“Think we could get away?” Aegis Shield whispered flirtatiously.

“The night is young, my love and heart.” Luna said, cheeks warming. “I think they would notice if I slipped away from my own festival.” She flicked her gaze towards the Everfree Forest, dancing her eyebrows at him playfully. “But perhaps later, after the festivities are--!”

Suddenly a pony fell from the sky, crash-landing into the crowd! It was a solar guard, a mare, knocking Hammershot out of the sky and spilling his entire bag of black petals over a wall-eyed grey pegasus mare. The crowd shrieked as she skidded along the ground, tumbled, and crashed finally into a snack table. The wood splintered and she yelped, staining her bent golden armor with red punch. She righted herself with a moan, clutching at an injured shoulder. It hissed with… heat? Odd… “P-princess!” she managed. “Where is Princess Luna?!” she cried.

The crowd parted as the dark alicorn rushed through and to the scene. “What is the meaning of this?!” Luna said, then gasped at the state of the solar guard. “Dear Faust!” she reached and touched the armor, “Ssss!” she hissed in pain and recoiled. “The armor is hot! Remove it from her!” she commanded. The crowd separated like oil and water as the Lunar Stallions began to crowd around.

Pen Maker had rushed forward, his horn aglow. Concentrating, he wrenched her helm from her head, spilling her sweaty mane out into the night. Bright blue color exploded over her body, her mane washing into ocean-blue. He dropped it into a punch bowl, where it hissed for a split second. How had she been able to withstand hot metal pressed to her body like that?! Other stallions rushed as well, pulling her armor off so her body could breathe. The poor more was soaked with sweat and fever, and she staggered forward from the sudden lack of weight. “Ahh! Sss!” The mare limped to her hooves at last. “Your majesty! Grave news from Canterlot!” She said, distress in her face.

“Speak!” Princess Luna said, wings snapping open to make room for fresh air.

“It’s Princess Celestia! She’s… she’s…!” She fretted and danced about on her hooves while the entire crowd leaned forward in anticipation. “She’s turned into a monster!”

Luna stared at her for a long time, mouth slightly agape in shock. She blinked a couple of times. Then, she broke into a nervous chuckle. “Oh? Has our sister sent thee to prank us on Nightmare Night? Cute, but not very effective. We expected her to perhaps switch the salt with the sugar at the dinner table this year. Her pranks have not been up to her usual standard since we returned from exile.” Luna turned to gesture to the band to start the music again.

“Please! You must believe me!” The mare shrieked. She stepped forward to grab Luna’s shoulder with a hoof, but suddenly swooned and fell with a yip. Her face was tan and red, they saw, when the light was better.

“She looks like she’s got heat exhaustion! My cousin used to get this all the time!” said one stallion, rushing forward to fan at her with a Nightmare Night poster.

“In the middle of the night?” said another. That struck a chord with Luna.

Luna jerked back around, leaning over the fallen mare. The sweaty look of flushed misery was familiar to her as well. She’d seen a few Lunar Stallions look like that during summer training, when the sun was high and the armor was heavy. She came to her knees to be closer to her, frowning seriously. “What happened?” she asked.

“Celestia. She just... She just...” She was panting, paying for her hard flight all the way from Canterlot. Luna prodded her sharply so she wouldn’t pass out. “She killed them all. There was so much fire. So ho-ooot…” she moaned, her eyes starting to roll into her head. Luna jabbed her again, rather cruelly.

“Fire? Canterlot burns?!” Luna stood tall, peering up at the city perched on the mountain. No. There was no column of smoke rising from it. She knelt back down quickly. “What happened to our sister?!”

“I don’t know-www…” the mare whimpered, curling up and shaking despite the heat in her skin. One of the stallions leaned down, pressing a hoof to her side. She was hot to the touch. Luna called for ice, for water, and for anypony with medical expertise. The Lunar Stallions scattered, clearing the dance floor of the gawking crowd. Aegis Shield remained, looking between the miserable pony and his Princess. “There were so many ponies… all gone...” she whispered, tears streaming down the sides of her face as she stared up at the sky from where she lay. “All ash. So much ash.” She moaned, both hooves leaping to her face so she could sob. The poor thing was beyond traumatized.

Luna stood slowly, looking visibly rattled. Her eyes didn’t see what was around her. Her gaze was tight and nervous. Aegis stood with her. Reaching, he touched her shoulder and she snapped out of it. “Captain Aegis Shield.” She snapped from party-goer to powerful Princess in the blink of an eye. “Muster the Lunar Stallions. We’re leaving.”

“Princess Luna!” Twilight Sparkle had forced her way through the crowd and even past the stallions guarding the dance floor. “What’s happening?!”

“Twilight Sparkle.” Luna turned with a serious frown. “Canterlot is in danger, as is Ponyville now.” She said. She didn’t have the heart to repeat what the solar guard had reported, that Celestia had apparently gone mad somehow. “You and the Elements must get thy fellow villagers to safety.”

“The entire town? But where?” Twilight gasped, her eyebrows leaping into her bangs.

“We do not care!” Luna snapped a little more harshly than she meant. “The farther from Canterlot, the better! Someplace secluded and closed off!”

“Everfree?” Twilight wondered. “No… the canyons!” She gestured westward. “They’re rocky, and there’s plenty of caves down there.” Luna nodded her quick approval. “Please, Princess! Isn’t there anything we can do to help in Canterlot?” Twilight gestured over her shoulder, where the rest of the mane six had gathered.

Luna eyed them, then swallowed for a moment. She just couldn’t tell Twilight. She looked at Canterlot, then at Aegis Shield, then the mane six. Choosing her words carefully, she denied the purple mare, “Thou cannot contest with the powers in motion. Not even with the Elements.” She leaned down and dutifully nuzzled the confused mare. She raised her voice so many could hear. “We hereby charge you, Twilight Sparkle, with the leadership and safety of all the citizens of Ponyville! Do not let us down.” She stared into her eyes, cold and commanding as the Princess of the Night was wont to be.

“C-c’mon girls!” Twilight switched over into her own leader role. The mane six scattered to spread the word. The Princess was evacuating the town for the western caves, effective now.

Stalwart Hide appeared suddenly, the second Captain of the Lunar Stallions. “Princess!” he saluted quickly.

“Stalwart Hide.” Luna said. “See to this mare.” She gestured to the shivering solar guard at her hooves. The stallion bent, pushing his muzzle under her side and hefting her trembling form onto his back. Just then the errand ponies from earlier came with ice and water and salve. They vanished into the crowd with her. “Hammershot!” she roared, bringing the Pegasus down from the sky. He landed hard and bowed. “You have one hour to make sure not a single stallion, mare or foal remains in this town! Fail me and we shall wing-stomp thou into the ground!” The Princess of the Night handed out barbed orders faster than she had Nightmare Night confections only hours before.

Ponyville worked itself into a wild frenzy. What disaster had befallen them, nopony knew, but when the Princess herself said run, they weren’t gonna stop and ask questions! Foals were roused from bed and thrown onto a soft-strawed cart. Foodstuffs were roughly bagged. Extra blankets and other things were carelessly packed, stocked, and shoved into saddlebags. Lunar Stallions ran up and down the streets, shouting for everypony to take only what they needed.

“Aegis Shield.” Luna turned to him again at last. “Fetch us a tub of water.” Looking around quickly, the stallion found the bobbing-for-apples tub he'd seen earlier during the festival. Balancing it carefully on his back, he hauled it over to her with all speed. She sat slowly on her haunches, eyes fixed on Canterlot. She squinted into the far distance, her horn slowly lighting up. While Aegis fished out all the apples and tossed them aside, Luna reached deep into her inner well of magic. She closed her eyes to concentrate. “Let’s see now…” she mumbled. Her starry mane twinkled, and magic gave her sight beyond sight.

=-=-=-=

The molten creature looked about herself, surveying her surroundings. Hers, all hers. That room there? Hers too. She walked by a pair of double doors and they burst into flame, revealing the room beyond. Her long, slow strides left melted stone in their wake, twisted goop of tar-like substance where her hoofsteps fell. Molten metal dripped from her maw as she swiveled her head back and forth. The very air seemed to wriggle with her presence.

Her head suddenly snapped to one side when she reached an intersection. A stray pony was running away from her, terrified. The heat boiled down the hallway after the fleeing pink unicorn mare. The carpet caught flame. The paintings began to melt before their frames warped into nightmares. The floor tiles cracked under the severity. Leaning forward, the creature opened her maw. Behind her metallic teeth were more teeth, and behind those teeth were even more teeth. A concussive, earth-shattering roar exploded from her maw. To look down her throat when her mouth was open was to look into the sun itself. Heat and light lanced forward and the fleeing pony burst into ash with a yelping shriek.

Bored again, the creature continued slowly down the hall. Things continued to melt and burst into flame where’er she went. She liked that. All forms of matter bent and died to her will. None could withstand her. She emerged into the throne room. She liked that dais. Leaning, she touched her horn to it. The stone instantly warped from grey to black, like obsidian or lava-rock. A nest-like structure took shape at the top, and she walked slowly up it. Blowing out the stained glass windows behind the dais with a thought, she absorbed the extra oxygen to feed the fire. Her mane and tail exploded with length, sucking in the fuel the night air gave. She mounted the stairs of the dais, stepping into the nest and settling on her belly.

A figure suddenly emerged at the entrance of the throne room, and she looked down upon him with a surge of anger and heat. Who DARED--?! He was a large pony, red as the fires she started and mane as orange as the sunset. The large red stallion shielded his face, setting down the bucket that had been in his teeth. Kicking it, he tumped water over himself and stepped cautiously into the chamber. The heat was terrible, and the creature of molten fire looked down at him with mild curiosity. Well then! Wasn’t he handsome and brave? Or was it handsome and stupid? She pondered it for a time.

“Suh-LESS-tia!” his deep bronze voice was even pleasing to the ears! Interesting! She found she liked this strange creature. Turning her head, her glowing pink eyes flashed with wild magic. Horn lighting up, she seized him bodily. He was suddenly engulfed in an angry crimson magic, and jerked into the air. The stallion cried out as he was quickly hauled front and center to the top of the black dais. As he approached his body was dunked in thick magic, protecting him from the heat. He peered around cautiously, fully expecting to burst into flames as soon as he’d landed. When he didn’t, he relaxed just a little. “Suh-less-tia..?” he asked again in his delicious accent. The creature didn’t react to the name, only stared at him. He was a fine specimen, she decided. Horn lighting up again, she conjured matter from pure energy. Feeding the flames of her magic, she dressed him in a shining black saddle, stirrups and silvery bit. He gaped at himself, looking at the silver studs and shiny things on himself. He didn’t know what to do about that, really. She cocked her head at him, looking him up and down. Casting again, once more to make something from nothing, she chained him to the platform. He gasped, pulling on the chain that was attached to the bit in his mouth. He had maybe ten feet of chain, not enough to even leave the dais. He tugged on it with all his might, but even his massive strength wouldn’t let him free. He sagged after a time, lying on his belly to rest and pant. She nodded, satisfied. Hers. Her pet.

She sat there for a time, surveying her domain. Something prickled at the back of her head. Something was… watching…? Some familiar… presence…! She turned quickly, glaring up at the moon with all the fiery anger of the sun. Drawing breath, the creature roared!

=-=-=-=

“Auh-haugh!” Luna pitched backward like she’d been bucked in the teeth!

“Luna!” Aegis Shield rushed to her aide, then recoiled with a cry when he touched her. She was so hot! Rushing to the tub of water he bucked hard, pitching the whole thing over her. Steam erupted from her shoulders and back. She lay there moaning quietly, wet and miserable but no longer overheated. “Luna! Are you alright?!”

Luna looked up at him, grateful for the sudden bath. He helped her sit upright so she could breathe. “It’s true… It’s true!” She panted in a whisper, looking up into his golden serpentine eyes. He blinked at her. “My sister has become a monster!”

End of Part 2

Scorch to Cinder

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 3: Scorch to Cinder

Big Macintosh was pretty miserable, to tell the truth. He wasn’t the sort of pony to complain about every little thing, or even do much more than grunt when he hurt himself on the farm. But, there was a certain line to draw when it came to his current situation. He was chained to a massive dais, pulling on the chain that bound him to it. The bit in his mouth was blessedly cold compared to his heated surroundings, but that’s not really what was bothering him the most. There was a great, fiery beast lying atop him, weighing him down onto his belly. He just didn’t know what to make of her. The orange of her fur seemed to swirl back and forth with an inner light, and her mane and tail were living flame. She didn’t burn up, either, she just existed that way. Like somepony had reached into a forge and pulled out a blob of living heat, then molded it into a pony. The crimson stallion grunted uncomfortably, pulling on his bit and chain again.

She was enjoying playtime with her pet. She’d quickly learned how fragile and sensitive he was to heat, and had turned down the aura just a bit so she could touch him. When he didn’t seem to want to pay any attention to her, she’d tackled him to the ground instead. Setting up residence on the stallion’s strong muscled back, she’d spent hours and hours just licking him behind the ear. Her hot tongue was long and rough like a feline’s. His frustrated sighs were music to her ears, so occasionally she would switch to chewing playfully on his ear instead.

Big Macintosh sighed, not really able to do much of anything. This was just plumb embarrassing. Keeping his face in its usual somewhat bored expression, he looked for a way out. The chain and bit in his mouth were pretty solid. But perhaps the platform he was hooked to could be broken? He was strong enough to kick a good-sized apple tree over, surely he could split a bit of stone? He turned to look behind himself when his captor let out a low growl. What was she on about now?

She rose from him, turning and perking her ears at the moon. She knew she was being watched again, she could sense it. Igniting her fiery aura, she went to the lip of the throne room balcony and cocked her head. Lifting her jowls to show off the rows and rows of teeth, she snapped at the celestial body angrily. The choker around her neck glittered with a smoky inner light, stark against her glowing orange fur and pink eyes.

Big Macintosh quickly rose, raising up and stamping hard at the obsidian platform. Making sure she was still entranced with the moon, he coiled his great muscles and tried to imagine a stone in his plowing fields. Crashing his hooves down upon the black rock again, he winced at the recoil in his ankles. She flicked her gaze back at him and he froze, looking around innocently. My, wasn’t the ceiling fascinating?

She cocked her head, then went back to growling at the spying moon. Molten metal began to drip from her mouth, hissing on the stone floor like acid. Drawing breath she belted a great cry at the pale sphere. Big Macintosh flung himself to the ground to cover his ears with both hooves!

=-=-=-=

Luna fell forward, panting heavily and drenched with sweat. Aegis Shield dutifully doused her with another tub of water. “I think that’s enough, Princess.” He said worriedly, scrubbing at her back to work out the heat. “Whatever you’re doing is hurting you.”

“Two looks is enough, yes.” She said, rising a little shakily and whipping herself about like a dog to fling the water off. “I saw what I needed to see.”

“Which was?”

“My sister has taken up residence in the throne room of the palace.” Luna said, pushing her mane behind the ear. “She has one hostage, and can most certainly sense when I am spying on her.” She frowned and looked over at Aegis. They stared at each other warily. Suddenly Hammershot arrived, landing hard and flaring his wings when he bowed. Luna almost groaned. She hated the gesture, despite it being a point of pride to the orange Pegasus. “Report.” She barked when he rose.

“Ponyville has been evacuated, your majesty.” Hammershot said quickly. “There are several Lunar Stallions re-checking some of the buildings to make sure nopony is hiding out.” Luna nodded her approval. “What should we do now?” he asked.

“For now it hasn’t occurred to my—” it very suddenly occurred to Luna that almost nopony knew exactly what was going on. “Muster the Lunar Stallions. I want them all right here.” She stamped at the floor a bit.

Within fifteen minutes it was so. Aegis Shield took point, arranging them in a proper grouping of five rows of ten. They weren’t used to such a formation, since not all of them were present, but they made do. To one side was the bandaged solar guard that had crash-landed into the festival. She’d been revived enough to stand, thank goodness, and did so with as much dignity as she could. Her armor had warped from the heat and then rapid cooling, so she couldn’t don it again. The stallions regarded her cautiously, not used to having a female in their formation. Luna cleared her throat a bit to call attention, and as one they snapped to salute.

“Lunar Stallions.” Luna said, addressing the corps. “Something terrible has happened, and we must inform you of the implications before we leave Ponyville.” She paused, trying to choose her words carefully. But, she couldn’t think of any gentle way to say it. The stallions watched their Princess fight an intense mental battle, then sag and give up. “My sister Princess Celestia has become a monster.” She said. They gasped, and a murmur rippled through the group. Aegis Shield turned his head about, glaring them into silence. “She has donned a black necklace that once belonged to m… to Nightmare Moon. I spied on her via the moon moments ago,” she gestured skyward. She winced, still trying to separate herself from her darker half. “It has attached itself to her neck and is feeding her all the hatred and feral violence that was ever poured into the bauble.”

There was a long silence, and Stalwart Hide leaned forward to ask aloud, “W-what can we do, Princess Luna? How did this happen? Can we undo it?” he was voicing the thoughts of every stallion (and the one mare) present.

Luna looked unsure, but did her best to explain. She’d not been the head of a military force for almost a year for nothing. But, she’d not ever thought she would be giving this particular speech, either. “Pen Maker! Step forth!” she called the unicorn forward. He went to her, bowed, and she steered him to face his fellows. Leaning, she struck the eye in the center of his breastplate. His dark fur turned a shade darker as his armor retracted, and his serpentine eyes went from gold back to their normal soothing blue. The lunar medallion appeared around his neck, and Luna pawed at it as an example. “Imagine one of these, meant for an alicorn.” She told the entire group. Their brows rose in shock, but she went on. “Imagine one thousand years ago, when we were Nightmare Moon. The same magic I used to create the Lunar Stallions and the Moon Champion, I used to make another medallion. A master medallion.” She paced back and forth, frowning angrily at the ground. “As I began to stage the coup to overthrow my sister, I knew I would need to assure that all of my Lunar Stallions were with me, and had no doubt that we would win.” She gestured, letting Pen Maker return to the ranks. “The Lunar Stallion armors are purple, and the Moon Champion’s was white. The one I made for myself was as black as night. As black as my jealousy and possessive hatred.” She sighed.

“What happened to it?” Aegis Shield asked, speaking for the group.

“I forged the armor and compressed it into a medallion, much like the armor you all wear now.” Luna gestured, and more than a few stallions looked down at their chests. “If you remember, Nightmare Moon wore armor at all times? It twisted my body into an odd and lithe shape to compensate for its powers. It was… addictive.” She admitted, pacing again. “When my plans were complete to enact the coup a thousand years ago, I planned to don it and lead the Lunar Stallions into battle against my sister. Connected to me thus, they would all follow.” All the ponies present listened with morbid interest. This was certainly not something they’d ever seen in a history book or learned in academy.

“Then what happened?” prompted Stalwart Hide.

“I failed.” Luna said a little snappishly. Stalwart shut his mouth, looking to one side to avoid her glare. “Celestia donned the Yoke of Harmony before the armor could fully embrace me and struck me down. The rest, as they say, is history.”
“So it was like the Moon Champion? It made you crazy?” somepony in one of the rows asked.

“I was already mad with jealousy. You might think of the black necklace as a… magnifying glass, for my powers.” Princess Luna tried to explain it clearly. “You must remember, Celestia was always the older and more powerful sister. She insists that we are twins, but truth be told there is a bit of time between us.” she let a moment pass in silence so that they could soak all this in. She heaved a great sigh, then spoke. “Celestia put on the black medallion, how she found it I do not know, for it was hidden. Now that it is around her neck, she’s become something else entirely. A… monster.” She finally forced the last word out, ears turning back.

“Well let’s go grab her and rip it off!” somepony in another part of the gathering said.

“If you know somepony that can lay his hooves on the very sun without being scorched to cinder, please, let us know.” Luna snapped. The speaker wilted, and Luna sighed. “It will not be that easy. The necklace was going to augment all of my powers so that I could fight Celestia and win. Now Celestia is wearing it, and she’s augmented beyond anything ever meant for an alicorn to have. She’s become… feral. So bloated with power and magic that her mind is gone.” That was the best word she could come up with.

“It’s true.” The mare stepped forward on shaky hooves, hissing at her bandages. “I only got a glimpse before I got away, but…” her lip quivered a little. “She’s like an animal. I saw her kill a whole group of ponies just by shouting at them! They burst into ash like it was nothing.” She shuddered at the memory. The Lunar Stallions murmured warily, looking at each other.

“What can we do, Princess?” Aegis Shield asked firmly, frowning back at the corps to silence them again. “We’ll do everything we can to help, just tell us what to do.”

Luna looked over the group, swallowing a little. She got brief flashes of the great wars of old, and the terrible battles that happened. And here she was with fifty soldiers against Celestia herself? “We must return to Canterlot, and gather thy brothers.” She said after a moment of careful thought. “After that, we will make plans about what to do about Celestia.” She couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud, but it was the truth. “For now she lingers content in the palace, but when she grows bored and decides to leave…” she didn’t need to finish that sentence.

The Lunar Stallions looked at each other, then back at their Princess. It was Stalwart Hide who spoke next. “We’re ready, Princess. We’ll follow you anywhere.” He said firmly. Luna smiled at the confirming nods of all those gathered. Such loyal, handsome stallions, the lot of them.

Luna cocked her head suddenly, her ears turning. It was almost time for dawn. It hadn’t occurred to her that the feral Celestia might not know to raise the sun. Looking troubled, she turned about and reached with powerful magics. Rearing up, thrusting her hooves high and spreading her wings, she lowered the moon slowly. Darkness washed across the land and the only comfort in the inky blackness were the stars. Luna waited in silence, shushing any that tried to speak. They waited a long time, but there was nothing. No touch of pink on the horizon, no blast of peach and light that signaled dawn. The dark alicorn turned, swallowing a little. “She won’t raise the sun.” she said. “Or she doesn’t know how.”

=-=-=-=

She cocked her head when the pesky moon went away. She’d been up on the lip of the balcony, baying at it like a wild animal. Then, without any explanation, the pale circle went away past the horizon. Perking her ears, she listened and sniffed for any sign of more spying. Nothing. She was alone now, save herself and her pet. Nickering and tossing her mane a few times, she jumped down from the railing with a loud clop. She’d won! She’d scared the moon away! Thrusting out her chest, she closed her eyes and tilted her muzzle up regally. Basking in her own strength for a bit, she returned to the throne room.

Big Macintosh lay on his side, trying to sleep. He’d been awake for almost a day, and the heat of the place wouldn’t let him sleep. So, he’d laid down and closed his eyes, hoping that the exhaustion would help drive him into the darkness of sleep. No such luck, for it got hotter when she approached. He looked up at her, frowning. She paused to nip at him affectionately, then went straight down the stairs of the dais and to the main floor below.

Stopping when she stood in the dead center of the place, she looked around. It was so empty. This simply wouldn’t do. She was still holding many of them from before. It had pulled them all into darkness, but hadn’t killed them yet. They would be more useful alive, when she needed them. Cocking her head, she hunched forward. Pulling forth something large from the abyss of the space between spaces, she started working her throat and abdomen. She began to gag and haulk audibly, drawing Big Macintosh’s gaze. What was she doing now? Was she going to be sick? She stamped her fiery hooves, sending sparks across the floor and leaving huge indentions in the tile. Haulllllk! Hauuuulllk! Gag! Hauuuulllk! Gag! Gag! Gag!

Plop. A slime-covered sack of some kind finally dropped from her jagged maw. It wiggled and turned over like a jumping bean, and she stepped back. Leaning over it and scratching at it with her hoof, her jowls lifted into a terrifying smile. An onyx-black hoof suddenly burst from the fleshy sack, spilling something gooey across the floor. Big Mac’s eyes turned to pinpricks of terror, but he couldn’t rip his eyes away from the horrific nightmare he was witnessing. Out of the twisted cocoon emerged a grown stallion, wet and red with afterbirth.

He’d been there when the fire had broken out. He’d been the one to shout ‘Charrrrrrge!’ when Celestia was being engulfed by darkness. Now here he was at her majesty’s side again. Struggling to his hooves like a newborn foal, his legs quivered and dripped goo all over the floor. She watched him peer about curiously, reborn as something more useful than before. He let out a high-pitched whinny scream, rearing up and exposing triangle-shaped fangs in the process. Spotting his mistress, he pranced over to her and rubbed his face affectionately on her breast. She nickered with approval, but didn’t return the gesture. When he stepped back, she touched him with her horn. His warped, melted armor bubbled into motion, melting down over his face to form a visor and slits for his mouth. He almost looked like a robot pony by the time it was over, for barely any of his fur could be seen anymore. He was like a large, golden beetle with black hooves. He made to rub up against her again, but she stopped him with a savage growl. He recoiled a little, whining at her.

She took him to the entrance of the double-doors that led out of the throne room, thrusting him to stand in a certain spot. He did so, planting his hooves loyally. Turning, she returned to the center of the room to repeat the gruesome process while Big Macintosh watched. The red stallion felt ill, very ill. Visibly shaking, Big Mac took his chain in his teeth, desperately tugging on it harder than ever before. He had to get out of there. Hauuulllk! Hauuuuullk! Gag! Gag! Gag!

=-=-=-=

Luna was perched on the edge of a cliff, hovering in the air with her front hooves above her head. Eyes shut and teeth clenched, she was flapping hard just to stay in place. Her mane was disheveled and beads of sweat worked down her face and breast while she heaved at something. The Lunar Stallions looked on in awe, gathered in a loose semicircle behind her while their Princess tried her very hardest to raise the sun. It looked like it was seriously draining her, but she hadn’t given up yet.

Lunar magic was not meant to grasp at the sun. It had been easy for Celestia to move the moon, no doubt, because it was a cold rock. The sun, on the other hand, was a molten ball of eternally burning fire. It didn’t have a definite shape, a solid mass to grasp, nor a particularly safe way to move it. The Princess of the Night struggled hard. Perhaps she could form a force field around it and use that to tug the whole thing upward? No, not even she could make a shield that big. A solar wind, perhaps, to shove it over the horizon? No, what if it fell right onto Equestria and killed them all? There was some secret to moving the sun that Celestia had never shared with her sister, and it was driving her mad. Luna roared in frustration, her eyes glowing white and her horn blinding any that looked directly at her. Eventually, though, her spell went out and her concentration broke.

The alicorn tumbled to the ground, landing with an ungraceful bump and losing a few feathers on the way. Aegis Shield rushed to help her to her hooves, and she wiped her brow fretfully. “I can’t do it.” She panted, shaking her head. “It’s too big. Too hot.” The gathering of ponies wilted. “I’m sorry.” She said, resting on her belly for a long few moments. They brought her water and a cloth for her face. She drank deeply before she was revived. “I could raise the moon again, that would at least shed some light on the land.” She stood again with Aegis’ help, looking to the other horizon. “I don’t know what is worse, there being neither a sun nor a moon in the sky, or the moon coming up a second time with no dawn. I can only imagine what sort of ‘endless night’ rumors this is going to start up.” She grumbled a little despite herself. Aegis Shield opened his mouth to get her to rest, but her horn was already aglow again. She raised herself up on her tired wings, thrusting her hooves skyward in a jubilant expression of unfathomable power. The moon jerked from beyond the horizon, and set itself on its normal course across the sky. Luna sighed a little guiltily, watching it as she landed. “Until we’ve gotten all this sorted out, it seems it really will be an endless night.” She drooped from all the magic and effort of trying to move not one but two celestial bodies.

“Princess, you’re exhausted.” Aegis Shield said with concern, coming to help her stand up straight when he saw her tilting to one side. “Moving the sun and moon must be immense!” he said it loud enough that the other ponies gathered around nodded and murmured in agreement. “You need to rest. We can’t go charging into Canterlot if you’re not at your best, right?” When Luna didn’t answer, a little stubborn with her pride, he looked over at his brothers in arms instead. “Right?” he said, giving them a severe look.

“Right!” they chorused.

Luna sagged a little, a bead of sweat blinding her in one eye as it rolled down her face. Finally, she nodded her submission to the idea. All the magic from performing for Nightmare Night, moving the moon and trying to move the sun had exhausted her. She couldn’t try to save Celestia like this. “A recess then.” She finally panted, putting a slow arm around Aegis Shield. “But be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.” The Lunar Stallions brightened, nodding and promising it would be so. “We’re on the eve of battle, my stallions.” She said as Aegis helped lead her away to rest. “Spend this night as you please.” She bade them to relax as best they could. Aegis coaxed her into an empty house at the edge of the square. When the door closed and the light flicked on, the corps melted into wary conversation and quiet murmuring. Princess Celestia herself? They could not imagine a more dangerous foe.

End of Part 3

Raze to Ruin

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 4: Raze to Ruin

“Thou realizes we art intruding?” Mumbled the exhausted Princess Luna as Aegis Shield guided her to the couch. “This is not our home.” She peered around slowly, looking at the rustic furniture and humble bookshelf. The home was maybe four rooms total, plus a storage room.

“I’m sure if we’d asked whomever lived here would’ve let us in.” Aegis said gently, going into the bathroom. Luna heard the water turn on, and the shuffle of the shower curtain. The plonk of the drain stopper was loud, and when he returned he had a cool washcloth for her.

“We art not a foal.” She said, turning her muzzle up at him. Snorting, Aegis pressed it to her face and she yelped a little at the chill.

“You need to look your best when you come back out.” The stallion said. “You’re the corps’ morale. If you look sick and miserable, they will be too.” Luna knew he had a point and sighed, leaning down a bit. He lifted her bangs, wiping firmly at the sweat and grime that had gathered since the start of the night.

“This is all our fault, Aegis.” She mumbled after a long time, staring at the floor. “If only we’d destroyed the black medallion, perhaps at the same time as the Moon Champion’s, none of this would’ve—!” she was silenced when he pushed the cool cloth to her lips.

“If Equestria worked on should-haves and could-haves, it would be a very different place, Princess.” Aegis said. “Let’s just focus on the solution, not the problem, huh?” he soothed, drawing the cloth across her cheek a few times. Luna sighed guiltily.

“But we feel as though, over and over, we are causing the greater problems.” The dark alicorn sighed sadly. “The Moon Champion was a product of Nightmare Moon’s poison, and we had to kill her for something that was partially my fault as well.” She wilted with guilt, a haunted look in her eyes.

“We can’t put you on the chopping block for one mistake.” Aegis said, holding the side of her head so he could get at her ears. She felt like a foal, though truly she was thousands of years older than him. Her insecurity made her feel so much younger and ignorant. “What would we have done with the Moon Champion? Tossed her in a cement box for the rest of her life? Community service?” It had been almost six months since the incident with the Moon Champion, but it greatly bothered his Princess and he knew it.

“And now it is happening again. A poisonous relic of mine is twisting somepony into a monster.” She hung her head. “And this time it is our sister. We cannot put Celestia herself on the chopping bl-!”

“Hey.” He said, holding her face with both hooves. “This is different. She’s been like that less than a day. Not a lifetime like the Moon Champion. We can save her.” Luna smiled uncertainly, looking at him. There was a long silence, and he continued to scrub gently at her face with the cool rag. Finally he smirked a little and spoke, “You... don’t have any other magic necklaces laying around that turn ponies into monsters, do you? This is the last one?”

“Aegis!” Luna shrieked, wounded by his words. He snickered a little, turning to go back to the bathroom. “How could you say such things?!”

“We’re on the eve of battle, gotta keep our spirits up somehow.” Aegis Shield gestured that she come to the bathroom. A cool bath awaited her. Luna bobbed her head slowly in agreement. She was, however, a little distracted by the framed picture of a blueberry muffin on the wall. Who on Equestria framed a picture of a muffin? “Ahem.” Aegis Shield said, calling her back to herself. She cantered slowly down the hall and into the bathroom. The bath did look inviting. “Looks like a mare’s bathroom.” Aegis mumbled, peeking into the medicine cabinet and a few other places. “I’m sure we can brush you and such when you get out. You’ll look like a million bits when we set out.” He smiled encouragingly.

Luna dipped a slow hoof into the waters, then daintily settled down on her belly while she removed her horse shoes, regalia, and crown. The waters made her sigh softly when she finally settled into them. The quiet murr made Aegis smile, and he backed out of the bathroom to let her bathe in peace. “Aegis?” she asked.

“Huhm?” he was out in the hall, sitting on his haunches and leaning against the wall.

“Dost thou…” She paused and then tried again. “Do you really think we can stop Celestia?” Luna asked quietly.

“If not Princess Luna and the Lunar Stallions, then who?” he said confidently. Luna stared at her rippling reflection in the water. Who indeed.

Meanwhile, outside, the Lunar Stallion corps had settled into clusters all around Ponyville. Some had started little campfires. Others had gone into stores and left money for the food they’d taken. Others still camped out in or under trees, preferring to be alone before the ordeal that was to come.

Pen Maker, a unicorn of no small magical prowess, had borrowed somepony’s laundry right off the line and was using a set of sheets like a hammock. Deactivating his regalia and pawing at it with a hoof, he tested his weight and then flung himself up into it. Sighing, he stared up at the moon and stars. He’d never been in a battle before. Then again, nopony had been in a battle since the great wars over a thousand years ago. Sure, the Lunar Stallions dueled and had physical training every day, but going hoof-to-hoof with Celestia… he frowned worriedly, and he felt a coming headache.
“Hey.” Hammershot was leaning out of the tree above him. Every since the incident with Stalwart Hide being attacked in the alley, they’d been very close friends. “Thought I’d find you scarfing food with the rest of the guys.” He smiled playfully.

Pen Maker shrugged a little, turning to lay on his back. Hammershot’s eyes flicked up and down him. “Who can eat at a time like this?”

“Well, Lunar Stallions of course.” Hammershot nickered, laughing nervously as he slid out of the tree and glided to the ground. “Everypony knows we eat like teenage colts, and then some.” Both stallions laughed, knowing it true. The Pegasus deactivated his Lunar Stallion armor, turning back to his natural orange with blonde mane. He leaned over Pen Maker. “C’monnnn, you gotta eat something.” He said, leaning to one side and waving cornbread over Pen Maker’s nose. “I got it from the palace kitchens before we left for the festiv-uhhhh-l.” He teased his friend with the long syllable, waggling it back and forth. Pen Maker rolled his eyes and smiled, leaning up and grabbing the block of corn bread with his teeth. His friend nickered, bobbing his head at his victory. Producing another block for himself, he lay on his belly next to his friend’s hammock.

“So.” Pen Maker said after a long time, looking at the sky while he chewed.

“So.” Said Hammershot softly, feeling a bit awkward.

“What kind'a name is Hammershot, anyway?” Pen Maker asked. “It’s been bothering me for ages. Does it mean something in particular?” the unicorn turned on his side to look down at his friend. It was now or never to learn such things.

Hammershot laughed, looking up at him. “It’s an old pony’s phrase. It means ‘to knock down whatever is standing the tallest’.” He inflated with pride, just a little bit, wings lifting.

“Like the tallest nail gets the hammer?” Pen Maker mulled it over in his brain. The orange Pegasus nodded at him. It sounded rebellious and energetic, when he put it that way. Like one would always aim for the greatest challenge. And, surely enough, this Hammershot was a Lunar Stallion.

“What kind of name is Pen Maker?” Hammershot snickered, firing the question back. “And don’t tell me you actually made quills your whole life. No parent would name their foal after a job he didn’t have yet.”

“It’s not that literal.” Pen Maker’s cheeks colored a little. Hammershot put his chin on the lip of the hammock so he could listen more closely. “You know the phrase ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’?” he asked. His friend nodded. “Well, if you’re a pen maker, you’re solving problems without violence. You bring the tools to solve things peacefully.”

“And yet you became a soldier!” Hammershot burst into laughter, falling on his side and kicking his legs. Pen Maker’s blush deepened. “That’s just priceless!”

“I’ve never studied attacking magic, it’s a legitimate name even for a soldier.” Pen Maker turned away from his friend grouchily.

“Ohhh, hey now.” Hammershot rose up again to prod his friend with a hoof. “I was just pokin’ fun.” He smiled apologetically. “We’re chargin’ into battle soon, we’ve gotta have a few good laughs, right?” He stood over Pen Maker’s hammock, rousing him until he turned on his back again. “There y’are.” He said, flaring his wings out and grinning.

“You’re right, we could both be dead by tomorrow evening.” Pen Maker said somberly. Hammershot’s smile fell like a ton of bricks, the happy mood gone. “This could be the last moon we ever see.” The unicorn said softly, eyebrows tilted up into a worried and miserable expression. He turned and looked at his friend quietly. “What’re you supposed to do the night before you’re prolly gonna die?”

“Hey now, don’t talk like that.” Hammershot said, wings wilting down. “We’ll make it out jus--”

“What’re you supposed to DO on your last night, if you might die?!” Pen Maker said angrily, trying to force an answer out of his friend. They glared at each other. “Huh?!” he demanded.

“Whatever you want I guess!” said Hammershot defensively, backing up and lifting a hoof. “You do whatever you want!”

“I want to take a nap!” Pen Maker said loudly, turning away from his best friend. “Go do whatever you want someplace else!” he was shaking just a little, Hammershot could see it in the tip of his horn. The Pegasus wilted a bit, staring at his comrade’s back. The stress was getting to him. The anticipation of battle could do bad things to a pony.

Hammershot pressed his chest to the lip of the hammock, and with some strength pulled his friend back to lay on his back again. Pen Maker glared up at him, then yelped softly when his best friend leaned down and kissed him right on the mouth! His wings flipped up and open, and he pulled away before the unicorn tried to gore him or punch him in the head. Backing up several steps and red in the face, he gave Pen Maker a quick salute. “Whatever I want.” He held the phrase up like a shield, smiling nervously. “Have a good nap.” Hammershot flared his wings and took off hard, running for his life. Pen Maker scrubbed hard at his mouth, alone and confused now.

=-=-=-=

Big Macintosh tried to ignore the grumbling in his belly. He’d been awake all night, and his situation had only seemed to have gotten worse and worse as time went on. The throne room was doused in a magical red light, and was now dotted with a series of ponies the likes of which he’d not even seen in his nightmares. Then again, the monster had haulked them up like loogies, and then positioned them about like guards. Were they her children? Somepony else? Not ponies at all? He couldn’t tell, their armor was thick and covered them almost entirely. But, that wasn’t what was worse about his situation. After the first six or so, he’d almost gotten used to the sickening birthing process. After that, the beast that used to be Celestia decided it was time to rest.

And by rest it meant to go and lay next to her pet and show him her plush belly. After he’d found that her mane and tail wouldn’t set him ablaze, he’d patted it a couple of times. When he stopped, she’d savagely growled at him and showed her teeth. So, of course, he rubbed her belly some more. Then, he’d stopped again, and gotten the same result. So, he’d decided to rub her belly with his massive hoof until she got bored of it, for his own safety. That had been over two hours ago.

The apocalyptic creature seemed frozen in place, head tilted back and all four hooves in the air. Now and then she would purr-growl. Big Macintosh could only think of a large, terrifying dog at this point. That’s what she was acting like. Feral. Hungry. Animalistic. Now? Belly rubs. He sighed a little, turning his ears back. She leaned and liiiiicksh’d his face before flopping back down again. She liked her pet. He could find all the right spots t—

Suddenly a pony appeared in the doorway of the great throne room, garbed in thick black robes and hood. “I’ve come to stop you, demon!” He pushed his hood back when the guards spotted him. They screeched like angry fruit bats, rushing to rip him limb from limb. Leaping wildly, he threw his cloak over their heads and hoof-stomped two of them into submission. The beast turned her head, ears perking. Pitching her pet off of herself and almost hanging him on the chain, she ruffled to her hooves and hissed shrilly. Spreading her fiery wings she leapt from the dais with her teeth out.

The pony looked like some sort of clergy, for a book-with-holy-symbol was on his flank. Plucking something from his saddlebag he tossed holy water over one of the charging guards. It struck him in the face and the glass got into his eyes. Blinded and whinnying, the poor creature ran face first into a wall and stunned itself. Turning quickly, he tossed a pair of phials into two more guards. They were hit in the chest, and were un-phased by the blessed water. The brave-- or perhaps very stupid-- stallion saw his plan fall apart just as both the guards tackled him to the ground in a flash of piranha teeth. He whinnied in agony, blood spurting to one side then the other.

The great beast lunged forward before they simply ended him, pushing them roughly aside with her armored head. She peered down at the bleeding stallion with interest. Cocking her head, she snarled when he jingled a series of necklaces with his hooves. She cocked her head, for the sound was pleasing. “Celestia s-save me, the sun watches over her crops.” He said, hoof shaking as he held up the symbol for the sun on the end of one necklace. The beast’s jowls lifted, exposing no less than three rows of metal teeth. He tried another necklace. “L-L-Lady Luna compels you! The night suffers no demons!” he showed the monster the symbol of the moon. She hisssssed again, coming closer and pressing a hot hoof on his chest. She could crush him in an instant, just use her weight and end his ribcage. The stallion jingled his medallions about, holding up a square with zebra stripes painted on it. “Mumbuh-jiggga-waka no deeb-bee-doo! Dasta-gan ooh-chii-wa!” he rambled out a prayer in Zafrican instead. No reaction, but her jaws drew nearer to rip his head off. Reaching desperately into his saddlebag, he found a last phial of holy water and SMASHED it on her cheek when she got close enough!

The beast shrieked in shock more than pain, but her mane hisssssed as the water quenched part of her. Recoiling in surprise, she shook her head. Super-heating herself in mere moments, her whole body caught fire with a roar of rage! He cried out, covering his face with both forelegs. That didn’t keep her from twisting his head off with her teeth. Nor tossing the body to her guards. Her little minions rushed forward like savage animals to fight over the corpse. They didn’t want to eat it, per say, just play with it and lord over it and rip it into tiny bloody pieces. The fiery mistress of the room cantered, tossing her head several times to right her molten mane. Nickering, she watched her guards fight over the body. Leaning, she took the necklaces in her teeth. Nodding rapidly, she made them jingle-jingle-jingle. She liked the sound, she decided.

Big Macintosh watched in horror as the remains of the would-be demonslayer were torn asunder. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, trying not to shake. When he looked again, there were medallions of various holy symbols jingling in his face. The beast set the prize down in her nest atop the dais, throwing her chest out and looking proud of herself. Laying on her belly, she gloated with a series of snarling sounds, flapping her fiery wings. Big Mac had to move to dodge the embers she sent into the air.

Hundreds of yards away, under cover of night, a group of solar guards spied on the throne room from the clouds. Laying on their bellies and using telescopes to the see the scene more closely, they all frowned in distress. So, it wasn’t anything demonic. But it was certainly more serious than they’d thought. The youngest of the group leaned to throw up over the side of the cloud, unable to look at the gruesome scene anymore. “Golden Cross gave his life for that tidbit of information. We need to adjust our strategy.” Said one of them with a low growl.

“She reacted pretty violently to the water. Maybe we could… I dunno, put her out?” said another. “I mean, she’s on fire all the time. Maybe if we could get enough water, just--”

“Can you get enough water into the throne room to put THAT out?” the third interrupted. “Much less get it past all those little gremlins she’s got in there.” He said, eyeing the armored monsters the beast had spawned from her throat. There was a long silence, and the same one spoke again. “What about him? The stallion she’s got chained up?” she gestured to the barrel-chested prisoner.

“I don’t know.” said the leader with a frown. “He’s going to get hungry and thirsty eventually. Maybe we can air-drop something. If we’re lucky, maybe she’d let him have it?” he rubbed his chin with a hoof thoughtfully. “She’d keeping him like a pet, but it hasn’t occurred to her to feed him yet.”

“Not sure anything’s occurred to her, really.” The first guard was peering through her scope again. “She’s acting like a…” she paused for the right word. “Like a dog, or a beast or something.” Her gaze suddenly flicked to one side. There was a flickering light in one of the buildings on one of the lower teirs of Canterlot. She watched it flicker some sort of code, silent until it was done. “The evacuation is done. Canterlot is empty.” She gestured to the signaler. “What do we do now?”

“Stay and keep observe. Pray she doesn't go out and raze the whole city to ruin.” said one of them firmly. “We’ve gotta gather all the info we can.” As a group, the four pegasi sighed. Pulling fluffy clouds up around themselves for better cover, they stayed on their bellies to observe the monster further without being seen.

=-=-=-=

“Mhhh, what was that called again?” Luna purred quietly, curling up on her side.

“Missionary style.” Aegis chuckled softly, stroking her mane while she rested. They’d stolen the home-owner’s bed for a bit of stress relief after Luna’s bath, and it had of course gone swimmingly.

“We have never heard of these ‘missionaries’.” Luna said, pushing a ragged strand of mane out of her face. “But they certainly knew how to get things done!” She murred aloud, closing her eyes to nuzzle his chest.

“Your pillow talk is adorable.” Aegis Shield shook his head with a laugh.

“Thou bit the pillow in half mid-way through.” Luna snarked, gesturing to the pile of feathers and fluff on the floor.

“You wouldn’t let me take my armor off till after. I could’a gone for your neck instead. Lunar Stallion teeth.” He gummed at her playfully, and she giggled.

“Well, if thou art to follow me into battle tomorrow, I had to try it at least once.” Luna giggled, pinkening in the cheeks. “Atop that, thy strange face-to-face mounting.” She flushed at the very thought. Whoever heard of ponies making love face-to-face? It was just silly! But ohhhh, it had been very nice. Aegis’….’face’ had been worth every red-faced second of it. She laughed a little louder, rubbing her forehead and grinning at the ceiling. Turning to face him, she sidled closer until they were pressed together again. “Mhhh, my stallion.” She mumbled, resting her head under his chin.

There was something very satisfying about a lover that took charge, in Luna’s mind. Perhaps it was because she was a Princess and ponies were always seeing to her wishes first. Perhaps it was because she was in charge of just about everything during the night. Having somepony to just whisk it all away, even for just a little while, was its own bliss to Luna. Not that Aegis Shield was a selfish lover, oh no, but he didn’t treat her like glass or trip over himself to ask permission for every little thing. He knew what he wanted and he wasn’t afraid to rut it out of her like a spring-ready beast. Given her life, her responsibilities, she was more than happy to be submissive in bed. She’d felt the muscle, smelled the sweat, and heard the feral groans of a stallion having his delicious, vicious way with her—and she loved it. Aegis was the only sort of stallion to make those noises and smell like those smells. She moaned a little, content, when he kissed the top of her head. “Ohhh Luna…” he said in his syrupy, post-love purr.

“I shalt need another bath when we rise.” Luna said thoughtfully, twisting her mane a little on a hoof. “I cannot charge into battle looking as though I’ve been ravaged by a beast.” Aegis burst into laughter, face-hoofing. She snickered at him, smiling.

End of Part 4

Blister to Breaking

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 5: Blister to Breaking

“Aegis.” A soft voice accompanied the massive hoof gently shaking the stallion awake by the shoulder. He moaned a little, but it was insistent. “We can delay no longer.” The stallion’s eyes slitted open, and he looked up at Luna. He gave a start, staring up at her. She looked… amazing. She saw his rather slack-jawed look and smiled privately. “Rise. Don thy armor. It is time to go.”

Aegis quickly obeyed, leaping up onto his hooves. Splashing cold water on his face in the sink of the bathroom, he clutched his medallion. “In the dark we tear and rend, to end all evils with spines to bend. Lust and power, hunger and might. By Luna’s will, and dark of night.” He coiled up, hunching over a bit as his wings snapped open. Armor melted over his body, his eyes changed, and you certainly know the rest dear reader. Puffing a little, he shook like a dog to get used to the weight of the armor again. Nodding his affirmation to his Princess, he spoke at last. “What’s inspired the… new look?” he asked, scanning her up and down.

The Princess shifted a little. “As you said, Aegis Shield, it is part of my job to inspire my Lunar Stallions. I’ve not taken this shape since the great war, and they deserve to see it for themselves.” The dark alicorn turned on her hooves, jingling a little as she made her way towards the door. He nodded dumbly, unable to stop staring at her. Shaking his mind out of darker thoughts, he followed his Princess outside. It was still night of course, for the moon and stars still lingered. How long had the night been so far? Twenty hours? Thirty? It was hard to tell, since soldiers like Aegis were often trained to read the time of day by the movements of the sun and moon. If the moon never moved, his internal clock stopped. His body said over a day had passed, and even wanted food, but for now he would have to wait.

Princess Luna drew eyes as soon as she stepped outside. The stallions all stared at her, more than a few jaws dropping. She made her way slowly, regally, to the stage. It had been left there since the Nightmare Night festival, band instruments still strewn around. Kicking a trumpet aside, she stared out over the rapidly gathering crowd. Word spread like wildfire, and within a short time everypony had gathered. They gazed up at her dumbly, eyes wide and ripples of awed murmuring going through the group. She held her eyes closed for a time, muzzle tilted up. Regal. Powerful. Royal. The moral compass and the morale inspirer.

“P… Princess?” it was the solar guard mare who spoke, slowly coming forward from the crowd. She looked equally entranced as the others. Some of her bandages had been changed for fresh ones, but she looked much better after having been fed and watered, with rest. “What… what is all that?” she asked, voicing the awed silence of everypony else present.

Princess Luna was in armor. Where it had come from and what it was made of, nopony knew. Had she magically shape-shifted her regalia and horse-shoes? Had she conjured it all from solid moonlight? Maybe so. There was an intricate, beautiful breastplate of liquid night attached to her chest. Her usual horseshoes had been replaced by some rather impressive gauntlets that, with proper hinges, reached all the way up to her knees. Her crown wrapped all the way around her head, the shapes sharpened into spikes and the hinges attached firmly to her head and mane. Little leaflets of armor protected her neck and flank. Her starry mane had shortened into a more manageable short-cut, barely touching her shoulders. It had become real hair rather than the ethereal sort that alicorns seemed to always have. She looked like a war horse!

The Lunar Stallions murmured back and forth, unable to take their eyes off of her. She was positively majestic. Luna looked down at the mare. The only female in a sea of males. The only solar in the expanse of lunar. The poor pony leaned back a little, lifting a hoof, afraid she’d somehow offended her Princess. “Dust your face, my little pony. Tonight you travel with the Lunar Stallions.” She commanded. Slowly, while many watched her, the mare knelt down. Gathering a cupped hoof-full of gravel dust and dirt from the ground she looked up at Luna. The Princess waited patiently. The stallions shifted, as though nervous. Taking a deep breath, she scrubbed her face wildly with it. Her dark blue fur stained grey. She grabbed another hoof-full, rubbing at herself. Suddenly many ponies around her got the idea, and they stepped forward to help. They grabbed hoof-fulls of gravel dist and dirt, scrubbing the mare down until she looked like a pony made out of dark chalk. “Pen Maker, where is her armor?” she asked the crowd.

“Right here, your majesty.” Pen Maker appeared, levitating the solar guard’s armor along ahead of himself. “I couldn’t save the helm, sorry.” He told the mare while stallions worked to suit her up. Now she looked like a grey mare in golden armor. Luna’s horn ignited, and she tensed up like she were about to be struck down. She couldn’t see it, but the spell had turned her eyes golden. “Looks like you’re one of us for tonight.” He smiled a little encouragingly. The mare smiled nervously back, and there were nods and murmurs of approval. The Lunar Stallions as a whole had learned not to baulk at females among them after the incident with the Moon Champion. For all they knew she might turn around and kick all their flanks, it was best to be welcoming.

“Thank you, your majesty.” The mare came to her knees and bowed, almost to her belly.

Luna nodded slowly. “Now, the rest of you! It is time to go! Armor up!” she flourished over the massive gathering.

Aegis Shield stepped up onto the stage, standing to one side of Luna. “Recite!” he threw out his chest and the corps of more than fifty stallions drew breath. Hooves rose to medallions. Brows set themselves down. The sacred oath rose from many throats. The entire Lunar Stallion Corps bellowed as one:

“IN THE DARK! WE TEAR AND REND!
TO END ALL EVILS! WITH SPINES TO BEND!
LUST AND POWER! HUNGER AND MIGHT!
BY LUNA’S WILL! AND DARK OF NIGHT!”

Dozens of wings exploded out of their feathers, showering the night with a brilliant rainbow of fluttering madness. Horns lengthened, sharpened, and grew more powerful—their points glittering with the promise of both magic and stabbing. Muscles expanded and hardened while normal skin became all but impenetrable. Eyes of all shades and colors turned aglow, filling the night with bright yellow serpentine eyes. They roared, howling out as teeth erupted into place, countless fangs at the ready. Fur and manes stained grey, hiding the madness of colors down into a stealthy, dark set of coats. Armor exploded in all directions, melted over their bodies, consumed them until they were the war machines they had been in the times of old. Lunar. Bucking. Stallions.

Silence fell over the massive group. They looked to Princess Luna. They looked to Aegis Shield. They looked to Stalwart Hide, standing on the opposite end of the stage, ever vigilante. What happened now? The Princess eyed them all with a neutral frown, including the mare in their midst. “Come, my stallions.” She said, a smile rising on her lips. “We make for Canterlot.” Their roar of approval and excitement concussed the night no less than the Royal Canterlot Voice could have.

=-=-=-=

“Huhn. Gree. Hungry.” Big Macintosh had been trying for ages to get it across that he needed food. His stomach roared at him, and he could feel his abdomen clenching. “Don’t y’all understand ‘hungry’?” he made a whole sentence despite himself. The beast was staring at him, uncomprehending. Did she not need to eat too? They’d been there for over a day with no food. Thankfully, the beast had rested for a bit after the holy-water-throwing pony had been slain. This let the stallion catch a quick and blessed nap. But it hadn’t lasted long. Soon she was up again, snarling and growling about the different ends of the room and on the balcony. She didn’t seem to have an agenda, just-- He moaned, holding his belly again.

She finally decided to investigate him. Leaning, letting her body temperature fall a bit, she nose-nosed at his ribs. He grunted, but his belly growled louder. She snuffle-snorted, staring at his belly like it had just insulted her. She looked up at him, then down at his belly. She considered ripping him in half to get at the growling sound. Hmmm. While she was close, Big Mac made eating motions with his hoof, then mimed chewing, then rubbed his belly. Blank stare in returned. He sighed, flopping down with a miserable moan and laying on his side. She poked him a bit with her muzzle, making a keening sound. Why was pet so sad? She cocked her head, going over all the evidence. Belly rub. Chewing motion. Moaning. Loud belly… the gears in her feral mind turned for a bit, then she arrived at the answer at last!

Leaving the nest at the top of the dais, she went down to the floor of the throne room and rather unceremoniously kicked one of the decorative pillars over. It CRASHED to the ground, crushing one of her armored guards and killing her instantly. Uncaring, she crashed her hooves down on the massive piece of stone until a sizeable piece broke off. Seizing it in her metallic teeth, she cantered back up the dais. Feeling proud of herself for her great communication skills with her pet, she dropped the shard next to him. She nosed it at him. Take it!

Big Macintosh stared at her. You are a really stupid bucking animal, he wanted to say. Then he looked closer at the stone she’d given him. Then at the black rock he was laying on. Seizing the grey stone shard, he started scrawling on the floor like a chalkboard. The creature leaned with interest while he drew a rather perfect rendition of an apple for her. He literally saw the light come on, for her eyes went from swirling, molten shades of orange—over to yellow and white. She understood now! He wanted food! Pffft, how silly of her, not feeding her pet! Spreading her fiery wings, she launched herself off the ground and out into the night. The red stallion flopped onto his back, sighing with relief. Finally, she understood. He suddenly jerked upright when an icy realization hit him. He’d just sent her away. As in… outside. Where there were other ponies. Big Macintosh Apple, you are a bucking idiot, he thought. He went as far as the chain would let him, squinting out into the night. She was already long gone.

As though on cue, a trio of Solar Guards suddenly swooped in from on high! Two pegasi carrying a unicorn, all in the glorious golden armor of the day. “The beast is gone for the moment! We’re here to rescue you!” one of them said, landing hard. There was a chorus of hissing from below. The creature’s guards had noticed them. “Take care of them, I’ll get this chain!” The leader snapped. Big Macintosh felt relief fill him, and he held the chain as tightly as he could so she could cut it or something.

“Twilight Sparkle Special!” shouted the unicorn. The Pegasus nodded, getting into position behind her. They’d seen it at the battle for the royal wedding, and the Solar Guard had taken it into their own playbooks. The unicorn planted her hooves wide, lowering her center of gravity. Aligning her spine, she stuck her tail and horn out. Her partner rushed up behind her and seized her tail in a rough hoof. She gritted her teeth, igniting her horn with all her might. Just as the armored monsters were getting to the top stair, the fireworks started. The Pegasus guard gave a shout of battle, turning his comrade’s tail like a crank.

Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew!

It was like a unicorn-powered gatling gun, spraying out over the crowd of monsters. They shrieked like angry fruit bats, falling back over themselves and tumbling down the stairs. The fall broke more than bones, and the bolts of magic spraying forth didn’t stop. The Pegasus kept turning her tail, relentless to keep them at bay.

Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew!

“Almost got it, keep them back!” The Pegasus leader was working hard at Big Mac’s chain. Right at the base there was a thinner clip that could be manipulated, jiggled, and broken if given the proper whiplash of force. Wrapping the chain around his arm , he bade Big Macintosh to sit still. The stallion planted himself with a coil of his muscles. Leaning at just the right angle to stress the metal in twine, the solar guard SNAPPED it sharply. He was free! “We’re done, let’s go!” he shouted over the onslaught of screaming monsters and blasting magic.

Snapping back into motion, the unicorn mare threw herself into her partner’s arms. His wings locked and he threw himself over the edge of the balcony. Letting wind and gravity do the work, they glided quickly down and out of sight. “Nnope!” said Big Mac, backing fearfully away from the edge. It was a long way down from the throne room balcony. A long way down.

“Sorry pal, no other choices!” The leader landed hard on the red stallion’s back, spidering his legs around his midsection like a claw machine. The stallion yelped as he was mare-handled over the side. They were gone. All that remained in the throne room was a pinch of red hair, and most of the chain that had bound him to the dais. Well, that and a scattering of wounded, armored monsters.

=-=-=-=

It was the tune of a song they all knew. “The stallions go marching two by two, hurrah. Hurrah.” Hammershot was walking alongside Pen Maker, who scowled at him. The kiss hung rather neatly between them. Hammershot was into stallions. Pen Maker was not. There was a sudden new dimension between them, and it was making it very awkward to march together. “They go to face a big monster, hurrah. Hurrah.” The playful stallion tried again. “They’ll prolly die but what the hay, it was a brilliant battle anyway. And they all go marching down. To the ground. To get out. Of the rain. Bum-bum-bum-bum-BUM-oomph!” Pen Maker had shoved him for the crappy lyrics, rolling his eyes. The ghost of a smile came across his face, though. Hammershot knew that things were already forgiven, and smiled back.

“At least make up all the new lyrics.” Pen Maker scoffed, shaking his head with a smirk. "Not half of the song."

“I’m not that creative.” Hammershot mockingly sighed. “You got better?” he asked.

“No.” Pen Maker admitted.

“Mine wins by default then.” The Pegasus grinned, flapping his wings at him attractively.

Pen Maker thought back on all the times that he and Hammershot had hung out together. Had he had romantic intent since the beginning? All the times they’d shared food? Or slept across from each other in the barracks so they could mumble conversations after lights out? Or, Faust forbid, that one time they’d been to the Bouncing Bunny bath house for a day of relaxation? Puzzle pieces were sliding into place for Pen Maker, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He’d never looked at stallions that way, and he hadn’t planned to start now. But, looking back at all the facts, there did seem to be a certain… well… bro-mance between them. He scowled at the word, it was so goofy. While he frowned in his own thoughts, Hammershot looked at him with concern.

“Hey. You okay?” he asked.

Pen Maker looked over, barely having heard him. “Huh?” he asked. “Oh. Fine. Yeah.”

“Its okay to be nervous, you know.” Hammershot said with a comforting smile.

“Well, I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before.” He admitted, looking away.

“Hey, it’s new to me too.” Hammershot was sure Pen Maker was talking about the upcoming siege of Canterlot. “It’s what we’re here for right?”

Pen Maker was sure he was talking about loving another pony. In his case, another stallion. After all, wasn’t Equestia all about love and tolerance and such? The unicorn scowled again, staring at the ground as they walked. “It gives me the willies, is all.” He told his friend. “I’m not comfortable with it.”

“Well no, me either. But things are the way they are, huh? You can’t help it.” Hammershot said. Ah, the soldier’s life. Always under orders, never knowing where you were gonna go next or why. Much less if you were gonna go into BATTLE like they were. It wasn’t anything to be comfortable with, Pen Maker was right.

“No, I suppose not.” Pen Maker said softly, sighing. He forgave his friend in that moment for the intruding kiss. Hammershot was right. You couldn’t help who you fell in love with. He didn’t return his best friend’s feelings, but it was a little flattering he supposed. They’d been buddies for ages, and the Pegasus found him attractive… well… that was something to feel honored about, right? He wasn’t the most handsome stallion in the pasture, but it was a good mark on his record if his best friend found him attractive, he supposed. Shrugging to himself, Pen Maker looked over at his comrade and smiled. The Pegasus smiled back. They marched on toward Canterlot with the other Lunar Stallions. The Princess, Aegus Shield, and Stalwart Hide led the column.

=-=-=-=

She was back, landing hard on the balcony. She’d returned triumphant, with exactly what her pet had asked for. She found it difficult to walk with an entire pear tree in her massive metal jaws, but somehow she managed it. Crossing the balcony with her fiery wings on proud display, she threw her chest out and spat the fruit bearing tree onto the dais. It was only partially singed, and only five or six ponies had crossed her path during the entire trip. Not bad! Surely her pet would be happy… with… this?

She peered around. Her guards were heaped on the ground, a pile of broken bodies. The chain had been broken and her pet was gone. She rushed down the dais to check on her… babies? Companions? Underlings? Something like that. Leaning down, she nosed at one limp body after another. She looked at the bruises and broken bones. Saw the magic burns that had broken through their armor and thick hides. She squinted at their pooled blood and set her jaw when she saw the strange hoofprints all over her nest’s platform.

She went back up to the top of the dais, picking up the broken chain in one hoof and sniffing at it a few times. Somepony had stolen her pet. Who the buck did that, just came in and stole your beloved pet?! She threw the chain down and it melted from being too close to her. She started to shudder. Her fiery wings grew to twice their normal fiery brilliance. Her tail and mane ignited to higher levels of heat. The normally orange flames dipped towards the yellow end of the scale, where it was even hotter. Her entire body shuddered with pure, unfiltered feral rage. She curled herself, and then violently took off. A crater of melted obsidian rushed away from her, and she didn’t even bother with the balcony exit.

She launched herself straight through the ceiling. She crashed through layer after layer of marble, spackle, stone, metal, and more stone. A small tower toppled as she exploded through the ceiling of the palace with all the force of a cannon shot. Spreading her fiery wings and lighting up the night like an apocalyptic yellow butterfly, she let out a roar that shook the heavens.

“Ah should’a stayed there.” Big Macintosh mumbled miserably from his hiding place. None of the three solar guards dared speak to disagree with him, for fear of attracting the monster.

Miles away, Luna suddenly shuddered. The Lunar Stallions looked up, all their conversations halting. Even from the great distance, they could hear the roll of thunder and see the speck of yellow light. They feared it.

End of Part 5

Intermission

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 6: Intermission

“Has everypony gotten their meal for this shift?” Twilight said, Spike dutifully following behind her. He nodded, checking the checklist. “And everypony has blankets, right?” The purple dragon nodded again, placing another check. “And all the foals have been moved to the deepest part of the caves right?”

“As far back as we could move them.” Spike said with all seriousness.

The entire population of Ponyville was less than four thousand, truth be told. It didn’t sound like much when it came to a town, but it was a lot of ponies to lead on a mass Exodus. Twilight Sparkle was only thankful that so many of them had heard that the princess had endowed her with the powers to lead them all to safety. Safety from what, they didn’t know. Not even Twilight knew. If she had access to her library, she would’ve looked up a scrying spell and tried to find out.

She and every other unicorn present had felt the ripple of magic, just minutes ago, though. It had come from the direction of Canterlot. It was like someone had tossed a massive stone in a pond, and they were feeling the ripples on the opposite shore. Foals that were magically sensitive whimpered and hid under their mothers, and Twilight had taken notice immediately. Her response was to move everypony deeper into the caves. If there was something so powerful in Canterlot that they could feel it miles and miles away, they needed to be as hidden as they possibly could be. No wonder Princess Luna didn’t want them to come help. If this was alicorn-grade magic or something, then mere mortal mares like herself would only get in the way. She only prayed Luna would meet with Celestia and they would take on whatever it was together. The sisters together would be neigh unstoppable.

“Everypony’s moved, Twilight. They’re takin’ up the deeper chambers now, and we got all the lights moved so everyone’s comfy.” Applejack came to report. Applebloom was on her back, looking as sweet and pathetic as a child could be. After settling Granny Smith safely near a cooking fire, the foal would not be parted from her older sister. “Has anypony else come?” the orange mare asked the purple one.

Twilight gave her a soft look. That was code for had anypony seen Big Macintosh. The answer was no. She shook her head a little, and the farmer deflated. Applebloom was not stupid, she knew what it meant too. She deflated sadly, looking at the ground.

Big Macintosh had gone to Canterlot for another produce meeting with the Princess. How and why he’d been chosen for such things when the stallion barely ever said a word was beyond them, but he seemed very happy whenever it was time to visit the big city. Three times a month, he would go and always return with empty apple baskets and a hoof-full of bits. Perhaps the princess and her royal kitchen staff were very picky about their apples, and wanted the best? But now, with some great threat looming over Canterlot, they feared for the stallion’s life. If Luna herself forbade the Elements of Harmony from facing down this foe, they couldn’t even begin to guess at what was happening.

“There you all are, lingering so close to the exit could spell trouble!” It was Rarity, Sweetie Belle walking alongside her. Sweetie Belle looked up at Applebloom hopefully, but the little filly shook her head. They both deflated, staring longingly at the cave’s entrance.

“I’ve got to keep guard in case anypony comes looking for shelter. Or to tell us its all clear and we can go home.” Twilight said with a sigh. “It’s okay if it’s just me.” Spike elbowed her with a frown. “Well, me an’ Spike.” She smiled apologetically.

Rainbow Dash suddenly came around the bend, Scootaloo trailing behind her. “Hey, any sign of Big Macintosh yet?” she trumpeted, flaring her wings up. All the grown mares winced and Applebloom suddenly burst into sobs, covering her face with her hooves. Rainbow Dash winced, and she was suddenly on the receiving end of half a dozen deadly glares. “W-what? What’d I say?”

“Rainbow Dash you… you ruffian.” Rarity huffed at her, cantering over and stroking Applebloom’s mane. “Can’t you see we’re all worried about him? His sisters especially!” Rainbow wilted a little, looking down at Scootaloo. She wasn’t related to the little filly who idolized her, but she could certainly understand how upset she might be if the little one went missing.

“S-sorry…” Rainbow Dash mumbled, wilting her wings down. A quartet of shadows suddenly cast themselves over the entrance of the cave, and every pony whirled around. Voices followed. Twilight’s horn lit up, and Applejack turned broadways to shield all three of the little fillies, who gathered under her undercarriage. Almost by instinct, the group of mares lined themselves up as the massive shadows grew and came closer. They crossed the threshold of the cave, revealing--!

“Big Macintosh!” They shouted as a group. It was, indeed, the missing red-furred stallion. Accompanied by three solar guards, he was walking on shaking hooves. His mane was sweaty and disheveled, and he was dressed in… in… Everypony stared.

Applejack’s hoof instantly came down to cover Applebloom’s eyes. Rarity’s hoof rushed to cover Sweetie Belle’s eyes. Rainbow Dash missed the cue and didn’t move. Scootaloo got her very first wingboner, right then and there. It was glorious. Rainbow Dash suddenly felt guilty and fought down a powerful laugh, face-hoofing at the little Pegasus filly. The grin plastered on her face was just adorable, in its own sick way. “Uhhhh—I think I’ll take them. C’mon Cutie Mark Crusaders! Let’s go check on Granny Smith!” Rainbow Dash scooted forward, using her muzzle and forehead to push the protesting fillies away. Applejack and Rarity made a very good wall to keep them from gawking at the now blushing stallion.

“Spike, go with them.” Twilight said. The baby dragon made to protest, but wilted under the unicorn’s glare. He sighed loudly, going after Rainbow and the Crusaders.

“What in the hay are you dressed at?!” Applejack exploded as soon as the fillies were gone. Big Mac stared at his hooves, scratching at the ground a little. “You look like you wandered outta one’a them colt-cuddlin’ bars in the city!” she walked in a slow circle around him, looking at all the straps and such all over him.

Rarity stepped forward, a little impressed with ensemble. Big Mac was wearing what basically amounted to stallion’s lingerie. Black and silver with a saddle. The criss-cross of straps across his barrel chest had a clip that was clearly meant for a leash or a chain of some kind. A twisted portion of metal told of a forceful extraction. “This is leather. Soft oiled leather and…” she leaned forward to inspect more closely. “Chaste virgin silver snaps? Expensive!” she said. Applejack glared at her and the white unicorn smiled nervously. “W-well, let’s get this thing off of him.”

Twilight turned to the trio of solar guards, bowing politely. “Thank you for bringing him to us. We were all really worried. Whatever’s going on in Canterlot must be awful.”

The solar guards chose their words carefully, looking at each other and then back to her. “We had to rescue him from a pretty risky location. Things may turn worse very soon. It’s best if you all stay deep in the caves for now.” Said the leader, saluting a little. “Until all this blows over, no citizen is safe.”

“What is going on in Canterlot?” Twilight asked a little desperately. “Are the princesses alright? Why has it been night for so long?”

“I’m sorry, we’re under orders not to answer.” The captain said in earnest. “We can’t spread panick among the masses by describing the threat. We’re sorry.” He did seem genuinely sorry, but Twilight was only frustrated.

“You want us to hide from some sort of massive threat in Canterlot without even telling us what it is?!” She shouted, upset and angry. All three guards nodded and she let out a feminine huff of frustration, stomping away.

Applejack appeared in her place, taking off her hat for a moment. “Thank ya’ll for bringing my brother back safe an’ sound. Ah can’t thank ya enough.” She smiled in earnest, and all three guards bowed.

“Doing our duty ma’am.” Said the Captain. “If you’ll excuse us, we have to get back to the front before it gets worse.” They turned and quickly exited the cave. Lifting their unicorn friend, they took to the skies rather than hoof it. Applejack stood there, cocking her head. The front? Like a battle? What the hay was going on in Canterlot.

Turning, Applejack went back to Big Macintosh only to find Rarity working in a very sensitive area with a pair of heavy fabric scissors. How she’d just conjured them up, nopony would ever know. But, she was coaxing Big Mac to stand very still if he didn’t want to lose anything important. The stallion gulped nervously, and after a few careful incisions they pulled the entire outfit off of him. Big Mac smiled, stretching back and forth. The whole silly thing had been so constraining. He flinched, though, when he found his elder sister Applejack leaning to stare at him closely. “You got some ‘splainin’ to do, Big Mac.” She said while the others gathered around. “What were you doin’ dressed like that, huh? Are you some prostitute in the city?!” she demanded, jabbing his chest. “Shamin’ our family for the extra bits?!” she was already going off the deep end.

“Nnope!” he said, scowling at her and lifting a hoof.

The orange mare suddenly threw her arms around her brother's neck, trying very hard not to cry. Every hour he'd been missing in Canterlot had been torturous on the whole Apple family. His scent was still there, the comforting smell of apple sugar and stallion sweat. She shuddered a little, thanking Celestia, Luna, Faust, and anypony else up there for looking out for her big brother. His massive leg came up to hook around her neck, and he embraced her back. "Ah'm so glad you're back." Applejack said, shuddering again. "Ah was afraid somethin' terrible had happened to you..."

"Eeyup." the stallion mumbled, relief flooding through him now that he was truly reunited with his family.

Rarity was turning the outfit over and over. “Odd.” She mumbled. “There’s no maker’s mark on this anywhere.” The unicorn zapped it with a quick spell. The leather and silver glowed, then went back to normal. “Not even a hidden one.” She said with a furrowed brow. “This can’t possibly be home made. It’s too professionally done!” Twilight looked over at the unicorn with questions in her eyes. “Er-well, not that I deal in lingerie, mind you, it’s just…” she held up the uniform for all to see. “If Big Macintosh had bought this somewhere, it would have a maker’s mark on it. A tag. A little logo. How to wash instructions. Something! But its blank.” She tossed it on the ground at last, puzzled.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed, bobbing his head.

“So you weren’t out sellin’ yourself?” Applejack asked, only half-serious now, pulling away from him at last.

“Nnope.” He shook his head, smiling to reassure her.

“Big Mac, I know you don’t like to talk much, but you’ve gotta tell us.” Twilight actually reared up to use the stallion’s massive chest and make herself taller. She looked into his eyes with deepest concern. “What’s going on in Canterlot? What’re we hiding from?” Right away, she was trying to break the ‘eeyup/nnope’ rule. Maybe, just this once? The red stallion lowered his head glumly, saying nothing. Twilight sighed after a long few moments of silence.

Applejack eyed the strange leather outfit and saddle. She knew her brother could talk when he really, really wanted to. He wasn’t mute or deaf or anything. Furrowing her brow, she snatched up the stallion’s strange and embarrassing getup that Rarity had cut off of him. He eyed her nervously. “I ain’t above stickin’ this back on you, Big Brother.” She said lowly, approaching him with it. Big Macintosh was startled, slowly backing up until his butt hit the wall. Applejack’s shadow fell over him. “How many stitches you reckon it would take to repair it and get it back on him, Rarity?” she said over her shoulder.

The white unicorn caught on. “With the little cuts I made?” Rarity said with a haughty smile and a toss of her perfect mane. “Less than ten, I assure you.” The stallion’s face turned scarlet, and he tried backing up further even though he was already against the wall. His hooves scuffed the ground over and over, eyes terrified. Not that! Anything but that! He’d just gotten it off of himself!

“Big Mac?” Twilight said as the three mares closed in on him. “Sure you don’t feel like talking?” she said gently. The game was mean, very mean, but they had to know. The purple mare’s curiosity drove her. Big Macintosh gulped, sweating beads down his temples.

“Ah’ll let Rarity parade you through the caves in front’a everypony like she’s makin’ a fashion statement with you.” Applejack threatened. She was being a little cruel, but it had to be done. They couldn’t just be left in the dark. Her brother would forgive her eventually.

“What’s everypony so afraid of, Big Mac?” Twilight pressed as the stallion looked back and forth between them. “What’re we hiding from?” she repeated. Twilight lit her horn and took the outfit from Applejack, lifting it nice and close so he could see it properly.

The stallion’s will broke. “Suh-LESS-tia!” he suddenly belted, falling to his belly and covering his head with his hooves. “Dun put that thing on me! Suh-LESS-tia’s become a monster!” Two short sentences conjured themselves out of the normally silent stallion’s throat. Twilight’s jaw dropped, and the bizarre outfit hit the ground in a little heap. There was a deafening silence. Big Mac quickly got to his hooves and rather foalishly scampered away, deeper into the caves.

Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack looked at each other. “Princess Celestia?” Applejack whispered.

“Become a monster?” Rarity echoed.

“No…” Twilight whispered, sitting hard on her haunches. Her eyes filled with tears. She began to shake visibly. Turning quickly, she made for the exit. If she could get a high enough view she could teleport straight to Canterlot! Applejack panicked and tackled her, hard.The purple mare started screaming. “Let me go! Let me GO!” she shouted. “The Princess needs me! If something’s turned her into a monster she needs my help! Let me go!” she writhed and screamed like a foal throwing a tantrum. Flipping onto her back, she ignited her horn to knock Applejack off of her. Rarity’s horn lit just in time and deflected the spell. It ricocheted into the ceiling, blasting a few rocks free.

“Sorry, Twi!” Applejack grunted working her over until she was in a full pony nelson. Then, she simply sat on her. Entangled, the purple unicorn couldn’t escape. It didn’t keep her from shouting and squirming, though. “Princess Luna told us to look after everypony while she handled it, and she meant it!”

“Let! Me! Go!” Twilight fought and squirmed, but there was no escaping an Apple family full pony nelson. Especially with a mare that was mostly muscle laying down on her. A scholar was powerful in mind, not in body. She moaned, then broke down crying.

“Twilight, that’s no way for a lady to act.” Rarity came around to stroke her face. Twilight looked up at her with soft eyes, whimpering like a little filly. The Princess needed her, the eyes said. Surely her most faithful student could restore her back to normal? She could think of something! She could! “Applejack is right. If Princess Luna told us to flee and take care of everyone in Ponyville, then she did it for a reason.” The unicorn mare stroked her friend’s mane comfortingly. Twilight whimpered, her lip quivering. But… but the Princess… “If we went charging in there and got hurt or something, do you think either of the Princesses would be able to forgive themselves?” Twilight looked at the ground, knowing she was right. Rarity pulled a hoofkerchief, putting it on her muzzle. “Blow.” She said tenderly. Twilight did so, and she put it away again.

“I’m sorry.” Twilight croaked, turning her head to look at Applejack. “I won’t run, I promise.”

“S’alright, sugarcube.” Applejack said, smiling gently. “I know you care the world for Princess Celestia. I’d-uh worried more if you didn’t freak out a little bit.” She smiled apologetically. Slowly, the earth pony got off of her friend.

“We can’t tell anypony. No wonder Princess Luna kept it from me.” Twilight rose to her hooves, then sagged a little. “I just wish I could do something… anything…” she said glumly.

“Why, we are, darling!” Rarity chuckled, trying to cheer her up. “We’re protecting an entire town’s worth of ponies right now!” She smiled grandly, and Twilight smiled a little bit too. “C’mon, we should check on the others. I think I left Pinkie Pie with a group of senior citizens.” The white unicorn winced.

Suddenly, thunder without sound. As though the sky itself had shuddered. Applejack kept walking, but Rarity and Twilight Sparkle stopped. The farmer pony turned. “What?” she asked. Both unicorns were staring at the ceiling in awe, unmoving. “Hello?” she said, stamping a hoof a little. She looked where they were looking, but saw nothing.

“You feel that?” Rarity asked in a whisper.

“Yeah.” Twilight Sparkle said, her eyes wide with fear.

“Hello?! Somepony keep me in the loop!” Applejack said. “Us Earth ponies gotta be filled in now and then!” she said, her temper rising a little in her frustration. “What’re y’all sensing?”

“Solar magic.” Twilight whispered, shivering as the roll of silent thunder made its way past their cave and kept going. From deeper within the tunnels, she could suddenly hear the whimpering of unicorn foals and the upset murmuring of the adults. Even they could feel it, though Twilight doubted anypony in the cave other than herself and Rarity could identify solar magic by feeling it thus. They’d never been around the Princess of the sun like they had.

“Solar magic?” Applejack cocked her head. “You mean-- Celestia?”

“Yeah.” Twilight said, suddenly very glad she’d not left to go see her Princess. “C’mon, let’s go check on the others like Rarity said. I don’t even wanna be near the entrance anymore.” The purple unicorn gulped a little. Applejack had never seen her look so rattled. She tried to meet Rarity’s eyes, but the expression was the same. Something the unicorns felt had set them on edge. The Earth pony was suddenly glad she didn’t know any of that magic stuff.

End of Part 6

Quench the Flames

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 7: Quench the Flames

Canterlot. The city of splendors, some ponies called it. The one city in Equestria built on the side of a mountain, designed by the geniuses of old architecture. They’d build it up, not out, and not inside the mountain itself. It perched on the sheer cliffs like a great white lizard, full of massive balconies that held entire neighborhoods. Home of royalty, center of government, and--!

SHK-BOOM! SHK-BOOM!

She roared at the nearest building, demanding her pet come out. She perked her ears, listening for signs of movement. Hovering there on her fiery wings, she sprayed embers upon the ground with every flap. Hearing nothing within the building she opened her metallic, fanged mouth and blasted it with a beam of super-heated light! The building collapsed into rubble, shaking the ground and the tier of Canterlot it stood upon. She cantered around the ruins, looking for any signs of the red pony. He wasn’t there. It made her sad. Moving to the next building, the beast stuck her head inside and repeated the process. No pet there either. She couldn’t seem to pick up his scent, so she’d resorted to looking, building for building, in the city. A long trail of destroyed buildings was behind her, for she’d been checking at random. Entire district tiers were already smoking, and the only thing that kept them from falling was the genius of the old mathematicians that had designed them to hold their weight with the mountain, rather than with the stones themselves. The beast had created a new group of underlings to check in pipes, under market stands, and through the alleyways. She would find him, somehow, and bring him back to where he belonged by her nest.

Meanwhile, on the lowest tier of Canterlot, the Lunar Stallions corps reached the edge of the city. They looked around with nervous curiosity. The train station was deserted, the train long gone carrying scared citizens far away to Appleoosia. The invading group had heard the blast and felt the ground shake, somewhere above them. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide flanked Princess Luna as she brought the entire column to a halt. Turning about, she addressed them. “Split up into groups of five. Look for the other Lunar Stallions. Meet back here. If anything bad happens, send some sort of signal and we shall all converge to start the battle early.” She knew it was a flimsy plan, but she needed to gather their fellows if they were going to take on Celestia. All of the stallions bowed to her, and began separating into little squads of five or so.

“We took around fifty Lunar Stallions to the Nightmare Night festival.” Aegis Shield reminded his Princess. “I hope we find the others.”

“Have faith, Aegis Shield.” Luna said, peering upward and spreading her wings. “The night is not over yet.” Nor will it be until this is sorted out, she added silently. He seemed to understand, and both Captains launched off the ground to follow her skyward. They rose through the tiers of the city. It really was a silly design when you thought about it.

“Look.” Stalwart Hide pointed, for there was movement on one of the tiers. “Is that the Solar Guard?” Luna and her two trusted guards landed on a rooftop and he called down to them. “Hey! Hey there!” the stallion called down to the group of golden-armored ponies. They looked up at him, and instantly he regretted shouting.

“Sweet Faust above…” Luna swore under her breath.

The armored ponies began to crawl up the walls like insects to get at them, snapping their piranha-like teeth back and forth. Chittering like cicadas, they came up over the lip and onto the rooftop. The close-up view was even worse. It was as if somepony had poured liquid gold over a group of ponies, grown their teeth out into fangs, then scorched their hooves black. Their eyes glowed red, no pupils or colors of their own to speak of. “What are they?” Stalwart Hide said, eyes wide.

“No idea, but I don’t like those teeth coming towards the Princess.” Not waiting for any commands, Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide rushed at them. Rearing up, they hoof-stomped one right off the roof before he could rise over the lip. He fell with a shriek, hitting the pavement with a sickening crunch. Turning quickly, Aegis used a wing buffet to toss another off his hooves and quickly shove him over the side as well. Stalwart Hide tangled, wrestled, and finally overpowered an opponent before bucking her in the teeth and sending her sprawling. She rose with a shriek, launching herself at him and biting his leg. The stallion whinnied in agony, blood blossoming out of his leg. Turning, he punched her in the temple, over and over, until she let go and he punted her over the side! Luna gasped as a pair got past her guards. Rearing up angrily, she brought her dinner-plate sized hooves down on both of them . One fell, the other dodged and leapt upon her, fangs out. She shrieked, tumbling backward and barely holding its fangs off of her neck. It writhed and shrieked at her, squeaking and chirping with an otherworldly voice. Its jaws locked over one of Luna’s gauntlets, but thankfully the moonsteel held. Aegis bucked hard, sending it right off the roof with the others. The three of them quickly recovered though Stalwart Hide nursed a bleeding leg. “We’d better move. If there are more they’re on the way h--!” He was interrupted when the ground shook again. Somewhere about them was a rumbling that could only be a collapsing building. Squinting, the Lunar Stallion started to take off and investigate.

Luna stopped him. “No, not yet. If that is Celestia, it’s too early just yet.” She shook her head. He obeyed, landing. “We must find out what happened to the other Lunar Stallions. This city is empty, they must’ve gone somewhere.” She peered about, through the buildings and streets. “I refuse to believe all twenty of them lost.” She scowled at the very thought, turning and cocking her head when another building high above was destroyed. Canterlot shuddered a little.

“Princess?” There was a whisper that turned their heads. “Princess, up here.” The same sound barely carried on the wind. Luna peered about, squinting. A crouching statue on the building next to theirs turned its head. A Lunar Stallion! A Pegasus, no less. Spreading his wings, he moved quickly and quietly, carely not to let his hooves make too much noise when he landed. “Your Majesty.” He bowed. “What… happened to you?” he cocked his head, eyeing her armor and new mane look with awe.

“We art dressed for battle as we should be. Report.” Luna said, smiling and thankful to find the stallion alive.

“The… the beast has left the palace. She seems to be looking for something.” He told her after a few moments of gawking. “She’s been going from building to building for over an hour, spawning those… things here and there.” He gestured to the gold-armored monsters they’d just taken out. “Whatever she’s looking for, it’s made her mad. According to the Solar Guard, she’s been perfectly content to stay in the throne room up until now.”

Luna processed all the new information for a few moments. “You heard from the Solar Guard?” she suddenly asked.

“There are a few of us hidden around the city, both Solar and Lunar. Avoiding the beast and the little golden gremlin things is a chore though.” His wings wilted a bit. Luna didn’t like that her sister was being refered to as ‘the beast’, but there was little to be done about it. She certainly wasn’t Celestia when she was like this… “We’ve been able to do little more than watch and bode our time.” He looked up at his Princess.

“There’s a gathering of Lunar Stallions on the lowest tier. Go and join them.” Luna commanded, gesturing. “When we’ve mustered, we shall make for the upper tiers to confront my sister.”

The Pegasus saluted. “Yes, Princess.” He spread his wings and, flying as low as possible, took off towards the lower tiers of the city. They watched him go until he was safely out of sight.

Over three hours of sneaking around later, almost all of the Lunar Stallions had been found, hiding in some form or another. Escaping detection by sticking to shadows, old drain pipes and various hiding spots, they all had the same story. Celestia had been destroying Canterlot one building at a time, and they’d been waiting for Luna’s return. They were missing a few stallions, but they could delay no longer, for the beast had already destroyed almost half of the city.

=-=-=-=

She looked up suddenly, sniff-sniffing. Her ears perked. She could smell him. Her pet. He was near. Spreading her fiery wings she dove towards an alleyway. Peering about and snarl-growling, she stuck her head into a dumpster. Then, she poked a trashcan with her face until it tumped over. Maybe he’d been by here recently? His scent was here, sweat and a certain sweet smell. Cocking her head, she put her nose to the ground like a dog and walked slowly along between the buildings. Suddenly aware of movement, she looked up.

Princess Luna stood before her, less than five paces away. Surrounding her in a horse shoe shape were dozens of Lunar Stallions. The beast looked over her shoulder, back to the other end of the alley. More were there. Then up into the sky, she could see them hovering on the wing. Growling savagely, she heaved a great breath. “Shield!” Luna roared. Over a dozen horns lit up and a magical barrier formed just as the blast of heat and light erupted from the maw of the monster. The blast lanced forth like a sunray of molten death, splattering upon the barrier and spraying in all directions. The Lunar unicorns grunted, teeth gritted as they held it as best they could. The barrier bent and groaned as though made of tin, but thankfully held.

The best stared, and they finally got a good look at each other. So, these new arrivals would not burst into ash like the others! Forgetting about her pet for the moment, she leaned forward and sniffed at them. Her jowls lifted and she drooled liquid metal from behind rows and rows of silvery teeth. More than a couple of stallions turned their ears back. The heat was overbearing. She tilted her head back and roared skyward, scattering the Lunar Pegasi. Suddenly, from around corners and clambering out of windows came her minions. Golden armored demon ponies with red eyes and black hooves.

“There’s so many!” Hammershot whispered, shouldering up next to Pen Maker.

“Hrmg-g-ghhh.” Panzer Hoof was looking around with a scowl, scratching at the ground with a hoof.

Aegis Shield adjusted his helm, making sure he could see properly.

Stalwart Hide reached, clutching at the little Lunar Stallion action figure he hid in his breastplate.

“Fight the minions! Celestia is mine!” Luna shouted to those gathered. A hard breeze pushed her mane like a banner, making her look majestic and awe-inspiring. “Lunar Stallions!” she shouted, raising a hoof. Wings opened. Horns lit. Hooves scraped at the ground. The Royal Canterlot Voice concussed the city. “CHARRRRGE!”

=-=-=-=

Twilight Sparkle held her head just a little. She was laying on her belly in one of the caverns where they’d gathered everypony. She saw every unicorn in the room flinch just a little. They could feel it too. They didn’t know what it was, but they could feel it. “Oh Princess…” Twilight whispered, laying her chin on her hooves worriedly.

Meanwhile, the foals of the gathering were having a sort of campout. Who said hiding in caves had to be boring? They could still have fun together! “And then, the little filly looked up at the boss of the rainbow factory,” Scootaloo was looming over the campfire, telling scary stories to her friends and other foals that had gathered around to listen. “You have such beautiful… eyes.” She said in a whispery, scary tone. “The end.” There was an ooooh of apprieciation from those gathered. Faust only knew where she’d heard such a gruesome tale. Pinkie Pie was among the audience members, chewing on her hooves and shaking she was so scared.

Twilight flinched again, a new subtle wave of solar magic hitting her from Canterlot. She slowly stood and went towards the exit. Applejack saw and followed her worriedly. “Y’okay Twi?” she asked.

“I can feel it. Luna and her stallions have reached Canterlot.” Twilight said softly, rubbing at her runny nose a little. The farm pony couldn’t feel anything, being not magically inclined. “The waves of solar magic are coming faster and faster. They must be fighting now.”

“Can you tell what’s happenin’?” Applejack said eagerly.

“No. Only that Celestia is using a lot of really powerful magic.” Twilight said softly. “I know its hard to describe since you can’t use magic, but…” the purple mare paused for a few moments to make up a good explanation. “If you blindfolded a unicorn and then had another unicorn perform magic near them, they would feel it if they were in the same room or something. The more powerful the magic, the further away you can feel it.” She said.

“Uh, Twi, we’re hours away from Canterlot.” Applejack said worriedly.

“Exactly.” Whispered the purple mare. She stuck her head out of the cave, peering out of the canyon they were hiding in and up at Canterlot. Even from the great distance, she could see the curls of smoke. “I’m even more worried about when I won’t be able to feel it anymore.” Applejack hugged Twilight to her strong chest, stroking her mane. Twilight hugged her back and whimpered just a little.

=-=-=-=

The streets were in chaos, for battle was upon them. Lunar Stallions and Solar monsters rushing back and forth in a furious blood-bath of carnage like no other. Grey with purple bodies were rushing back and forth over golden ones. Whinnying, screaming, biting, tearing, fighting like it was doomsday.

Hammershot and Pen Maker stuck together, shoulder to shoulder as they held one end of the alleyway together Pen Maker crossed horns with a unicorn monster, grunting with effort and lighting up his horn with its sparkling magic. Grunting, he jabbed himself at the beast’s chest and tazed him, using his enemy’s armor as a conductor. The beast went down hard and Hammershort swooped to tackle another one out of the air. Twisting just in time he smashed into a brick wall with a yelp, then head-butted his opponent before they both fell to the ground. Bleeding a little, Hammershot spread his wings aggressively, pumping into the air and divebombing over another monster just in time to get slide-tackled by yet another one. Pen Maker grabbed the beast bodily by magic and hurled it into the sky. That one didn’t have wings. The chaos continued as the best friends danced wildly amongst the enemies.

Pen Maker let out a howl of pain as he was rammed into a wall, then lunged with his horn to pierce the eyeball of his attacker. The spray of blood was fantastic. Shaking his head quickly, he barely had time to move before another solar-armored monster was upon him and charged at him. Rearing up with a feral whinny, he tangled hooves until they both went down hard, spattered with bruises.

Hammershot grunted, trying to get greater altitude and then dive-bombing again and again to smash his foes into the pavement. After the fifth one, though, they caught on and his sixth target twitched out of the way. Grabbing the Pegasus by his middle, the creature slammed him into the ground and leapt upon him with fangs outstretched. Hammershot had been stunned by the impact and didn’t have time to recover. White hot agony filled his mind as his leg was ripped and torn as though by a wild animal. Screaming in pain he flared his wings and sucker-hoof’d his attacker with his free front hoof. The clang of hoof on metal was loud, and they rolled about on the street like wild animals.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Panzer Hoof sighed to himself. There were over half a dozen golden-armored enemies attached to him at this point. Two on his back, one on each leg, and one biting and tearing furiously at his chest. Sure, he bled a little, but it wasn’t doing much more than annoying him. There was too much weight for him to simply throw them off so he had to sit still and hope that having distracted six enemy combatants, he was helping. “This is just embarrassing.” He grumbled, straining against all of their weight.

“Heee-yah!” One of the monsters went flying off of Panzer Hoof’s back and through a shop window with a glorious explosion of glass. He whirled his head around to see the soot-stained mare! “Need some help, big guy?” The one Lunar Mare of the entire corps reared up with both hooves, hoof-stomping one after another until he was free.

“Wow!” Panzer said, grinning like a fool. “You’re good.”

“I’mma Solar Guard too, don’t think I’mma whimp!” She reached and yanked him to his hooves, turning quickly when a group of the little beasts started to rush at them. “No accounting for numbers, though!” she said fearfully.

“Allow me.” Panzer Hoof said in his deep, gravelly voice. He reared up slowly, coiling his massive earth pony muscles. The blast of sound would be mistaken for thunder by many, and the street shook. A massive crack spider-webbed away from them, opening up into a black hole of who-knew what. The gaggle of solar monsters fell in with a series of shrieks, and they fell for a long time before they were silenced. “Let’s go!” he slapped the mare right on the flank and they charged into battle with matched roars of victorious violence.

All throughout the district ponies were being flung through walls and buried in rubble. They were viciously fighting, all of them augmented to be far more powerful than anypony was ever meant to be. One of the solar monsters even ripped a streetlamp out of the ground and began beating Lunar Stallions with them. The crunch of bones and the sprays of blood were breath-taking.

Pegasi of opposing armor types swooped at each other, crashing into one another in midair as they tried to out maneuver each other. Tree Knot met his unfortunate end after receiving a ten-story long drop while being held in a Germane suplex. His head was crushed into the pavement, and the rest of him lay limply to one side with a crackle of crushed bones.

Bolts of stray magic lanced back and forth like a spectacular laser light show, unicorns blasting wildly at the other side. Rubble blew from buildings and sidewalk kiosks exploded like they’d been hit with bombs. A Lunar Stallion screamed as he lost an eye, only barely able to scrape between buildings to avoid being killed. When his enemy chased him he crushed him to death with a heavy dumpster before flopping back, unmoving.

A pair of earth pony Lunar Stallions tackled a single solar beast through a shop window, hoof-stomping her mercilessly until she stopped moving. Leaping back out into the fray, both of them were instantly killed when opposing unicorns blasted them with icy spikes of magic. Despite the overwhelming numbers, the Lunar Stallions were holding their own—but not invulnerable. Neither side could seem to overpower the other. Blood and death was ruling the streets, and carnage screamed across Canterlot.

Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide were keeping the alleyway clear as best they could so Luna could deal with… the beast. They whinnied wildly, dive-bombing back and forth. Aegis Shield never thought he would have to use his teeth to kill anypony, but gold is a soft metal my dear reader and I must tell you even his noble muzzle was stained with blood. Lunar Stallions show no mercy, for the ancestors scream and sing for battle. Drunk on the high of battle, he reared and flailed his hooves. Stalwart Hide tackled another enemy, only to be cuffed in the face by a stray hoof and then knocked down. Rolling, skidding on the ground and flaring his wings to stop himself he charged again with a roar of battle.

Hammershot cried out when a particularly fast trio of solar pegasi slammed into him in midair, crushed him through a building, out the other side and into the plaza past that. He let out a whinny of agony as his body rag-dolled over the lip of a fountain and he smashed a statue that overlooked it. He fell into the water, and the statue fell on top of him. The three solar beasts drew near, watching him drown as the fountain began to stain red with his blood. They leaned over the edge, hissing and chirping like the monsters they were. They tossed their heads, manes flapping as they whinnied their victory—until they were smashed by a stone column. Pen Maker leapt over the deaths he’d just caused, “Hammersho-ooot!” he roared. Igniting his horn he THREW the entire statue to one side, destroying a small shop and crushing another beast in the process. Diving into the waters he wrenched his friend to the surface. “Hammershot!” he shouted. “Hammershot!” he shook his limp friend.

The gravely wounded pegasi turned his head slowly, his wings giving a weak little flutter. He couldn’t fold them properly, one had shattered its bones on the way through the building. “Puh… Puh… Pen Maker--” he whispered, his entire body shaking like a leaf. “S’cold… s’cold…”

“Hammershot, nuh-nuh-nuh! None of this!” Pen Maker said, his eyes sprouting tears. He stroked his friend’s mane, pushing it out of his face. “You’re fine! You’ll be fine! C’mon! We’ve gotta get you to a medic or something!” he knew the Lunar Stallions hosted no medics. Maybe there was a drug store or something nearby. He could patch his friend up there with a first aid kit.

“S’okay…” Hammershot whispered as the cloud of red grew in the waters around them. His hoof reached up, slowly caressing Pen Maker’s cheek. “I’ll be… okay.” He said, coughing a little as blood dripped from his mouth. “I love…” his hoof was scraping Pen Maker’s cheek, weakly. “I love…” he tried again. “I love…” his hoof began to fall limp. Pen Maker, tears streaming down his face, pressed his muzzle firmly over Hammershot’s. The pegasi’s wings fluttered weakly, then he slowly, slowly went limp. Pen Maker took the stallion's last breath into his mouth-- and when the kiss broke his best friend was dead.

The unicorn let out a great, echoing cry of agony. But, over the shouts and explosions of battle there was nopony to hear him. He hunched over the fallen Lunar Stallion in the fountain, weeping hysterically and stroking his face while the war raged on in the background.

End of Part 7

Stomp the Embers

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 8: Stomp the Embers

Luna found herself staring at her sister as they walked in slow, cautious circles around one another. The battle raged around them, but neither side dared step into the alicorn conflicts. The Princess of the night eyed her sister up and down. So this was her ‘nightmare’ form, when all the hate and frustration SHE had ever felt got forced onto her sister. The armor was beautiful, the fur a shimmering orange, and the eyes pink. Why her teeth had turned into a silvery, metallic color she’d never know. The row and rows of teeth reminded her of the Lunar Stallions. Well, the magic was similar, so perhaps the reaction would just be on a grander scale. Frowning into the beast’s hungry pink eyes, she shook her head softly. “I hid that necklace for a reason sister.” She whispered. “I should’ve destroyed it when I had the chance. I’m so sorry.” She gazed piteously upon the monster that Celestia had become. “I’m going to fix this, I swear it.” She eyed the black bauble that had dug itself into Celestia’s neck and chest. The chain didn’t matter so much, but the bauble did. If she could just rip it off, or blast it off, her sister would be free.

The beast wasn’t sure what to make of Princess Luna. Was she mother? Was she friend? Was she food? Did she need to be eaten? They were of similar size and body makeup, long legs and certainly greater magics. She leaned forward, snffing at her curiously. Cocking her head, she came closer slowly, head low so she chould inspect the strange creature’s chest. She did seem familiar, but she couldn’t figure out why. Sniff-sniff. Sniff-sniff.

Luna looked down at her, the muzzle of the beast only inches from her armored chest. Licking her lips for a moment, she reached up to stroke the fiery mane. The monster flinched back a little, threatening her with teeth. The dark alicorn suddenly saw all the similiarities. Celestia had donned a medallion similar to that of the Lunar Stallions. She was frenzied. Making sure not to move too quickly and panick the animal, Luna offered her hoof out and was sniff-sniff-sniff’d animatedly. When she passed that inspection, she purred softly and tried to stroke the mane again. The beast bit her on the leg, crunching heavily into her gauntlets! Luna yelped and recoiled, staggering back. The flames of the monster’s mane and tail ignited, sending a new wave of heat that pressed her back. Trash and refuse in the alleyway began to burst into flame all on its own. Concentrating hard and surrounding herself with a soothing aura, Luna withstood the heat and stood stubborn against the waves of solar magic. It pulsed at her, wave after wave of probing heat and light. Each one was like a solar flare of cautious magic, trying to figure out just how much intensity would be needed to make her burst into ash. She wasn’t so fragile. “Don’t make me hurt you, Celestia.” Luna said, scowling at last. The beast snarled savagely, picking up on the threatening tone and baring its fangs at her. “If I must strike you down to end this madness, I will!” Luna snapped.

The monster tossed her head a few times, waving her horn at the stranger. How DARE she stand there and growl at her like that?! She would have to be taught a lesson and shown who was the alpha around here. Her jowls lifted high to put all her fangs on display, and she suddenly charged forward. Luna barely had time to react, igniting her horn just in time as their horns clashed together. The crackle of opposing magicks sent ripples away from them, rushing away dust and pebbles in the recoil. Suddenly, it was like fencing, for they arched their heads back and forth, horn’s snapping wildly back and forth. Solar clashed with Lunar, gold against midnight. Crash! Crackle! Pshht! Crackle! Sparks and bolts of magic rushed away from their opposing horns, blasting small holes in the walls of the buildings they stood between. The ground they stood upon began to heat up. Luna’s stance was that of a practiced horn-fencer but Celestia was a wild animal, thrashing erratically back and forth. With no discernible style or pattern to follow, Luna was forced to parry and step back and forth while the beast tried its best to put her eye out. They met again, pressing hard at each other, muscles quivering with powerful effort. Sparks of magick sprayed back and forth, igniting the ground into a furious gold and purplish flame. A vague circle of fire formed as they danced around each other, flailing their hooves and crashing horns over and over. Nearby, a dumpster collapsed into itself from the sheer magical pressure. One solar soldier was unlucky enough to get thrown into the fray and he burst into ash with a short cry. Luna turned a wild parry suddenly and, not to waste the chance, jabbed her sister in her armored chest! The beast screeched, rearing back and knocked down by the zap of furious Lunar magic. Bolts of electricity played across her and she was driven briefly to her knees. Luna backed off, panting heavily. “Sister.” She said. “You’re not well! Come back to us!” She cursed herself for missing the bauble, but it was so very small it was a hard target.

The beast rose with a growl, more than just a little annoyed. Spreading her wings threateningly, she sent embers across the ground and then shot skyward with one powerful pump of her wings. Luna’s wings snapped open and she followed. The monster led her from rooftop to rooftop until deciding on one and turning around. Luna yelped as a blast of pure heat and light drove her off course and forced her to land. She’d barely managed to deflect it skyward, and no doubt anypony that looked at Canterlot would be able to see the rebound of the beam. Landing hard, Luna brushed at her smoking shoulder before it caught flame. She was thankful she’d donned armor for this.

Just as her hooves touched the rooftop the creature heaved a great breath and roared! Her mouth lit up like the sun herself and Luna barely had time to raise a shield. She groaned with effort, driven to her knees as the fires and flames consumed the tiles around her hooves. The shield began to bend and she was driven back against a chimney. Yelping when she crashed into it, she tumbled end over end when the blast ended and her sister rushed forward wildly. She didn’t have time to recover, and was rammed off the rooftop! Crashing through a shop window with a cry, Luna found herself laying on a display of Lunar Stallion action figures. Snorting, she rose and shook like a dog. The beast landed hard, cracking the sidewalk with her weight. Luna lowered her horn, blasting wildly out the window display. Kicking the door down she boiled out into the street and rammed into the beast. Tumbling over each other, they wrestled wildly in the street until Luna’s wings took her skyward. The beast followed.

Trying to control her breathing, Luna pressed her diaphragm animatedly. “K’AHHH!” It was a wordless, feral belt of a shout in the Royal Canterlot Voice. The beast’s wings suddenly locked up and she fell with a shriek, crashing to the ground. Luna landed hard, panting and rushing to press her opponent.

The beast that used to be Celestia caught her sister in her momentum, grabbed her around her middle and SMASHED her into the road. Luna cried out, blood exploding from her nose. She lay there, stunned, the beast looming over her. Turning over onto her back, Luna looked up at her, panting. She was strong. She was so strong. The Princess of the Night glanced over at the streets and buildings. The Lunar Stallions were fighting for their lives, she could do no less. The beast reared up to hoofstomp Luna, but she rolled out of the way and slapped the beast with her wings, launching skyward. “Come on! Follow me, sister!” She shouted over her shoulder. The beast narrowed her eyes, watching the black alicorn climb skyward. Igniting her fiery wings from orange to yellow, she roared up at her and shot upwards after her like a rocket mare. Luna’s entire body shuddered at the vibration of air that followed her sister’s roar. The prickle of solar magic suddenly spiked and she DOVE out of the way as blasts of heat and light split the air like thunder. Flying in wild loop-dee-loops, dives and between buildings the alicorns chased each other like fighter jets, blasting back and forth with beams of magic. Luna turned in a moment of desperation, saw her sister coming and illuminated an entire building in her magic. Wrenching at it with all her might, she brought the whole thing down on the beast. It screeched in surprise, pressed under the tons of stone.

Luna landed, panting hard and wiping the blood from her muzzle. Praying hard that the beast would stay down, she stared hard at the wreckage. A few stones shifted and the dark alicorn moaned, trying to ignore the ache in her lungs and injured leg. The beast exploded from the rubble with a concussion of solar magic, boulders and debris spraying in all directions. Spreading her wings, Luna launched herself skyward again. The beast followed.

The two alicorns circle-strafed each other from a great distance, blasting back and forth with wild bolts of magic. Explosions lit the sky like fireworks when they clashed with horns instead of magic. It was like thunder on the breeze. Luna yelped when a massive hoof struck her chest and she pinwheeled through the air until she was grabbed around the middle and slammed into the mountainside. She cried out into the night, turning the ears of many Lunar Stallions. While the royal sisters struggled and wrestled against the sheer cliffs, pebbles rained down around them. The beast’s teeth found Luna’s exposed shoulder and sank savagely into her. Blood bloomed from the wound and she screamed in white hot agony. The cry echoed over Canterlot. Pinned to the cliff it was all she could do to head-butt her sister and twist the teeth in her own flesh. “K’AHHH!” The Royal Canterlot Voice blasted into the beast’s ear at point blank. It screeched, body seizing up and hooves coming up to clutch at its head. Wings flapping out of sync it fell, tumbling over itself and crashing through a rooftop. Luna landed hard, nursing her bleeding shoulder.

After a short silence, Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide swooped in. “Princess, you’re injured!” Stalwart Hide said, eyes wide.

“That tends to happen. In. Battles.” Luna panted, glaring at the hole she’d just launched her sister into. “She’s very strong, I’m not sure I can keep this up.” The Princess of the Night admitted. “How goes the battle on the wayside?”

“We’re holding them, but frankly there’s only seventy Lunar Stallions to start with.” Aegis said wearily, rubbing at his bleeding ear. He’d been cuffed hard by a pegasi solar beast, and it had split his right ear into three tufts. It pained him, but he could still stand. “We need to end this as soon as we can.”

“I don’t suppose you can banish your sister to the moon?” Stalwart Hide chuckled bitterly. Luna glared at him, and he quickly apologized. “It’s just a thought. Containing an alicorn has never really crossed my mind until n--!” the beast suddenly exploded from the roof underneath their hooves, long horn aimed for Luna’s neck. Seeing no other option, Stalwart Hide dove into the way and knocked his Princess aside like a rag doll. Luna yelped, falling flank-over-tea-kettle and down into the alleyway below. Lunar armor was no match for angry solar magic, and the horn pierced Stalwart Hide’s breastplate. He cried out, impaled in the most gruesome way imaginable as the beast lifted him high! Writhing as blood dripped from his armor, he yelped when the monster tossed him aside to tumble over the roof like a skipping stone. A flicker of lunar magic followed him, and Princess Luna's Nightmare Night blessing snapped like a twig.

“Stalwart Hi-iiiide!” Aegis Shield roared as his comrade landed in a heap. The beast advanced on the fallen Princess Luna, but Aegis squared his shoulders. “Th-that’s as far as you go!” the Pegasus threw his chest out and reared up, whinnying his challenge. The beast gave pause and cocked her head. With a flick of powerful solar magic, she crushed him through the roof he was standing on so hard he ended up on the ground floor of the two story building. He cried out and lay there, stunned.

Stalwart Hide suddenly sat up, clutching his chest. He reached inside the hole in his breastplate, pulling out the broken pieces of a Lunar Stallion action figure. The one the Moon Champion had given him on their date. He smiled bitterly, tossing the pieces aside. He was bleeding from the chest, but not dying. Lady luck, it seemed, had a sick sense of humor. Spreading his wings, he launched himself skyward and dive-bombed at the beast. She didn’t see him coming, and he got a free four-hoof’d shot right at her head. The beast yelped, turning with a snarl of pain. Igniting her horn she blasted at him like a wild gatling gun! While he dived and looped around the sky to distract her, Luna turned over and groaned. Pulling herself to her hooves, she wiped her mouth again and looked up. The beast was perched on the edge of the roof.

Her horn lighting with dark magicks she blasted the roof’s edge apart, watching the beast lose its balance and fall. Before she could open her wings and fly away Luna seized her around the middle, pinned her wings and rode her like a living sled into the pavement. The shudder of the ground was felt by many. The Princess of the Night rose, panting and backing away while the beast thrashed to her hooves again. No matter what she did to her, she kept getting up again! “Why won’t you just stay down!?” Luna roared, high on the thrill and terror of the battlefield.

The beast roared back at her, slathering liquid metal onto the pavement and working herself into a frenzy. Her wings grew in size and heat, the tail bursting into wilder flames as the orange fur rippled with insurmountable heat! Luna groaned, pouring more of her magicks into shielding herself from the fire. She backed away slowly, and the monster followed her with a hiss. They emerged into a street, and she almost tripped over a fire hydrant. Lunar Stallions and Solar minions alike gave them a wide berth, for none could withstand the heat. Suddenly Luna’s eyes flicked at the fire hydrant. Gritting her teeth with concentration, her horn lit up and she ripped it out of the ground. The geyser of water sprayed in all directions. The beast screeched, staggering sideways to get away from the water that was already quenching her mane and tail. She hisssssed, walking quickly backward.

“You don’t like the water, do you?” Luna suddenly smiled, angling a light shield to send the spray at her. The beast spread her wings, much smaller because of the water spraying at her, and labored into the air. “Get back here!’ Luna grabbed a few gallons of water, molded it into a sphere and launched it at her sister! Psh-sshhhhh! The solar beast roared, forced to the ground and laboring with her wings. Whirling about she blasted the pavement open, showering Luna in rocks and debris. Suddenly it all made sense. Celestia, at her core, was a creature of air and fire. Robbing her of either would weaken her. She watched the beast heave herself weakly into the air, trying to get away from the sprays of water and reignite herself.

Luna followed, dousing herself in the spray as she went. Was she fleeing the city? Following her higher and higher, Luna put everything she had into her wings. Sparkles of her magick made her eyes white out entirely and begin to glow. Sparkles began to rain in the trail of her wings while she followed the steaming monster higher and higher, beyond the clouds. She would only get one chance, and this idea was the most mad thing she’d ever done. Swooping harder, harder, faster than she’d ever done, Luna SLAMMED into her fleeing sister and drove her ever skyward with all her might! The monster flailed and screeched, the flames of her body growing hotter and hotter with her anger. Luna gritted her teeth, trying hard to balance between her heat shielding and her wing propulsion. Roaring with effort she pressed higher, higher, HIGHER!

The air was growing thinner, colder, and less forgiving of anypony that was gasping from effort. Luna clung to her sister from behind, and they fought into the upper ozone of Equestria herself. Wrestling wildly and trying to hold onto consciousness, Luna saw what she wanted at last. Her sister’s fiery wings began to choke out, frost inching its way over their bodies. Metallic teeth snapped back and forth, but Luna held her all the firmer. She didn’t have much magic left in her, she was about to pass out. Just— a little— higher! Just! A little bit! Higher! The beast head-butted her wildly, blasting Luna right in the face with bolts of magic. The close proximity of the super powers fighting each other for so long began to rip at the fabric of time and space. Goddesses like they were not meant to clash like they were, the universe could not handle it! Luna recoiled, clutching desperately at the alicorn while they began to freeze in place. They blasted eachother, point blank, back and forth in desperation. Luna quite suddenly blacked out.

Almost one year ago, Luna pitched over as though struck down in the middle of the Midnight Court and fell into a coma.

=-=-=-=-=

“Princess…” Twilight whispered in fearful awe. She was watching the gold and purple speck of light travel high into the sky, and then out of sight. She couldn’t sense the waves of solar magic anymore.

=-=-=-=-=

Luna was aware that she was falling. When had she passed out? She didn’t know. Loosely entangled with the beast, she looked at its fearsome face and the long tongue the flapped in the wind. Moaning softly, she embraced the beast that was once Celestia. She couldn’t move much, she hurt all over. Pawing weakly at her sister she found the black bauble and, unceremoniously, ripped it from her chest. Golden blood flowed, but not much. It was like removing a surface cyst or a wart. Crushing it between her hooves, Luna could finally relax. The wind whistling in her ears, she looked down at the ground. She couldn’t find the strength to resist the wind. Ohhh, she hurt so much…

“Oh sister…” Luna pulled the monster’s head to her breast. “I’m so, so sorry…” She could see the ground rushing up to meet them. She held her close, gritting her teeth and waiting for the bone-crunching impact.

Suddenly the beast woke, locking her teeth onto Luna’s shoulder. She cried out and thrashed, but it only held her firmly. All four of the massive, muscled legs wrapped around her like a claw machine, and suddenly wings made of feathers (not fire) exploded from the beast’s back. Banking hard and brunting the speed of falling, they flared with all their might as the powerful muscles screamed against the wind and gravity. The wind whistled around them, screeching like a falling bomb, until they crashed hard into the ground, carving an earthen path in the Royal Gardens. Both alicorns screamed in pain while they tumbled through bushes, a tree, seven flower beds, and finally ground to a halt at the edge of a pond. Landing in a mess of feathers and hooves and bits of armor, they couldn’t move much. The beast groaned, shifted her weight, and rolled off of Luna. They lay there, panting, splayed out.

Celestia turned, curling on her side and clutching at her chest. She coughed up something black, some sort of terrible goo, into the pond. It disintegrated in moments. Her armor began to crack like a fragile candy shell, falling into little pieces around her. Her metallic teeth fell out one by one, and she spat them upon the ground while her real ones began to shove themselves back into her mouth. Her muscles shrank, and the fearful orange began to fade from her body. She clutched at her stomach, vomiting blackness again while her mane exploded with length behind her in all its normal pastel colors. Her eyes flickered, flashed, then flickered back to their normal royal purple. Moaning and holding herself, Celestia flopped down into blessed darkness. Luna was already there.

All over Canterlot, solar beasts and minions froze in place, their armor falling off like so many Hearth’s Warming Eve ornaments from a tree. Then, they flopped over. Lunar Stallions peered around in awe, ears perked. Aegis Shield limped into the moonlight, looking around at the quiet that had befallen the city. “Is it over?” Stalwart Hide whispered, limping into view.

“I... think so…” Aegis Shield whispered.

End of Part 8

Stir the Ashes

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 9: Stir the Ashes

Princess Luna awoke to the quiet beep, beep, beep of medical equipment. There were little prods of plastic in her nose, forcing oxygen into her nostrils. She could feel herself being handled and moaned, turning her head. “Easy, easy there.” said a soothing male voice. “Don’t try to move too much.” Her vision was swimming.

“Luna?! Luna, Are you awake?!” That was Aegis Shield’s voice. He sounded terrible and raspy.

“I’m telling you for the last time, Mr. Shield, if you leave your bed again I’m going to have you strapped into it!” the soothing voice turned scolding. “Now go back to your room before I have you escorted!”

The Princess turned her head away from the brightest source of light, taking a deep breath of waking. More handling, she could feel her body being moved around. Grunting in annoyance, she slitted her eyes open. There were doctors and nurses, all clad in Royal Medical Garb, leaning over her from all sides. Oddly enough, they were armed with pliers, cutting tools and other implements that really should’ve been at the local academy metal shop. Luna panicked briefly, but the head doctor put a strong hoof on her face to make him look at her. “Your Majesty, take it easy, we’re just prying your armor off. It was damaged in the fall and wouldn’t come off properly. We had to improvise.” He gestured to a nurse who was working with a massive pair of bolt cutters at the bottom of Luna’s ribs. The curve of vicious metal was pressing into the Princess’ side, and she let out a relieved sigh when the intruding pressure was relieved. “See? See? Isn’t that better?” the doctor soothed. Luna lay back at last, swallowing raspily. “Don’t worry Princess, we’ll have this off of you as soon as we can, then we can start on the stitches and such.” He smiled a little painfully. “May I give you a sedative? I’m not sure if it works on alicorns, but…” he trailed off, clearly wanting to give her mercy over the processes that were going on. Luna, feeling weak and tired as it was, slowly nodded. She whimpered at the pinch in her arm, and fell into darkness once more.

When she awoke who knows how long later, she was drenched in sunshine. The beam of light coming in her window warmed her, pressing her into the waking world. She yawned, but ached painfully and held herself. She had stitches on one of her shoulders, and across part of her side. The Princess of the night found her crown, armor, and other trappings gone. Stirring a little, she lifted her head and gingerly sat up with gritted teeth. “Guard.” She said without thinking. Cocking her head and remembering where she was, she fiddled with the little remote pressed against her hoof and hit the call button for a nurse.

A white unicorn mare stuck her head in, and her face lit up. “Princess! You’re awake!” she beamed and cantered over, checking her chart and then her forehead for fever. “I’m glad. We’ve been hounded by your Lunar Stallions for days now!”

“Days?” Luna rasped. Hearing her voice the nurse went to the sink in the corner of the room and got her a generously large cup of cold water. The Princess drank deeply, spilling water over her front. “How long have I been here?”

“Almost a week, Princess.” The nurse said. “We were afraid you may have fallen into another coma! You do have a history of staying asleep for a long time, when injured.” She said, gesturing vaguely to the chart. Her eyes bore concern, so Luna knew she meant well with her comment.

“It's daytime… my sister?” she asked, lying slowly back again.

“Princess Celestia is still recovering, much like you.” The nurse said gently.

“PRINCESS!” Aegis Shield shouldered past a trio of hospital security stallions, rushing into the room to grasp her hoof in both of his. “You’re awake! We’ve all been so worried for you!” he kissed her hoof, practically pressing his face into it. Luna burbled a little with approval, setting her cup aside and patting his mane.

“I’ll let you two alone for a bit.” The nurse smiled. “He’s been here eight times a day since you got here, checking on you.” Turning and signing off on the chart for something. With that, they were at last alone.

Aegis Shield tore off his helm and it vanished in a pop of Lunar magic. He reared up over the bedside and kissed Luna fiercely. She whimpered, pawing at the hoof that was pressed against her side. He adjusted himself with an apologetic grunt and returned for a second, gentler kiss. When it broke he finally spoke. “I’ve been worried.” Aegis said softly. “We’ve been worried.”

“How are you? How are the Lunar Stallions?” Luna wanted to know, finally relaxing back into her pillows. It was only then she noticed that she was actually laying on four hospital beds strung together, not one. Her alicorn-sized body had needed the extra space to be laid out properly.

“Oh I’ll live.” Aegis Shield smiled, showing her an impressive slash under one of his wings. “All the mares dig battle scars, y’know. Makes me look tough.” She snickered at him, putting a hoof to her mouth as he showed off for her.

“And the Lunar Stallions?” Luna pressed. Aegis’ face fell, and his eyes drifted to the floor as he looked at his hooves. “What is it?” the Princess asked.

“We took heavy losses, Luna. Heavy ones.” He mumbled, ears turning down and wings wilting almost to the floor. “Can we talk about it later? I mean, you just woke up and--”

“How many of them are left?” Luna said, sitting up a little.

“Please, you’re still in a hospital bed and--”

“I command thee to tell me.” Luna pulled rank on him without hesitation and he flinched at her hard look. “How many Lunar Stallions remain, out of the seventy?” She watched him fidget for a long time. He really, really didn’t want to tell her.

“T… twenty-four.” He whispered.

“Twenty-fuh…” Luna’s hoof rushed to cover her mouth, eyes softening. She squeezed them shut and tears sprouted down her cheeks. “Twenty-four... Twenty-four!” she whimpered the number, both hooves rushing to cup her face miserably. Two-thirds of her stallions, gone! Aegis moved slowly to the railing of the hospital bed. She leaned into him and began to quietly cry. He stroked her mane over and over, sighing quietly. So many lost…

=-=-=-=-=

Princess Celestia awoke in darkness. So, Luna was awake now too. The Princess of the Sun had barely been able to raise the sun after waking up, but somehow she’d managed. It had been a truly miserable week. The constant stream of well-wishers and servants left her little time to relax, and eventually the hospital staff had posted a dozen guards to keep everypony away so she could bucking rest like she was supposed to.

She was stretched out on a massive, strung-together series of hospital beds. They’d worked diligently to get the candy-shell-frail armor off of her. It had been mostly gone when she’d been brought in, but they’d picked the rest of it off of her.

Lifting her head with a quiet sound of effort, she looked across the room and found two ponies with her. She’d not had any lingering guests for the first few days, how had they gotten past the guards…? Oh. One was her most faithful student Twilight Sparkle. The poor little thing was drooling over a massive tome of Equestrian mythology, her face pressed into the crook between the pages. The other, asleep on his hooves, was Big Macintosh. He was sleep-neighing quietly, his head dipped down almost to his ankles. Her heart quivered just a little. “Big Macintosh?” she asked, slowly trying to sit up a little.

“Yup?” it came out of his mouth like a knee-jerk reaction, and his eyes snapped open. Not so asleep anymore, he cocked his head and peered at her. Smiling, he crossed the room and wordlessly leaned to nuzzle her. She accepted his affection, sighing quietly. He leaned back, silent once more and beholding her. He gestured with a hoof at the bandages around her middle and neck.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Celestia smiled gently at him. He gestured to her bruises. “That either.” He nodded at the scrapes and other things that dotted her body.”I’m getting better, I promise.” Her tinkling chuckling told him she was telling the truth, and he smiled. “Have you been here all night, watching over me?”

“Eeyup.” He said, bobbing his head a few times.

“Did you come in with Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia asked.

“Eeyup.” He serenaded her again.

“P… Princess?” Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath of waking, and Big Mac sidled aside with a smirk as the purple unicorn launched herself to her hooves. Her book tumbled to the floor in a heap and she swept across the room as quick as a flash. “Are you okay? Are you you again? Does it hurt? Are you in pain? Can I get you a nurse?” she babbled through a dozen questions.

Celestia smiled serenely, laying her head back on the pillow again. “I’m alright, my most faithful student.” The white alicorn said. “Just a bit tired.” She put a hoof over Twilight’s head and scrubbed her mane a little. Despite being a grown pony, Twilight still loved it when she did this.

“We’ve been so worried about you, all of us.” Twilight said, leaning over the bars of the edge of the bed. “I knew you were awake again, at least a little, when the sun came up. All the ponies in Ponyville were glad to move back home again, lemme tell you.” She started pacing back and forth. “And since Canterlot is sort of abandoned right now it’s going to be awhile before everypony gets to come home again. I could feel your battle magic from all the way out in our hiding spots, Princess. It was intense, I didn’t know you could use so much magic all at the same time.” The poor thing was rambling by then, and the Princess lifted a tender hoof to stop her.

“Twilight, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She said slowly. “What battle? What’s the matter with Canterlot? Why did all the ponies in Ponyville leave?” the Sun Princess was completely out of the loop.

“You mean… you don’t remember?” Twilight stopped mid-pacing, turning with big eyes. “You don’t remember anything at all?”

“The last thing I recall, I was…” her royal brow bent a little bit, and she cocked her head. “In my room, then…” the memory of the necklace taking hold of her suddenly flooded back. Her eyes turned into little pinpricks. “Oh no…” she whispered. “What have I done?” she looked at Twilight Sparkle, who wilted a little at her gaze. She looked over at Big Macintosh. “You must tell me, my little ponies.” She said, concern lacing her every syllable. Twilight fidgeted uncomfortably, not sure how to begin. Big Mac didn’t talk much to begin with, but… “Big Mac, will you come to me?” the Princess reached a hoof out.

“Yup.” He dutifully came forward, leaving the Princess to wonder how exactly she knew Big Mac by name. He’d insisted on coming with her to Canterlot, but he’d not filled her in on all the details of how everything worked between them. Celestia stroked his cheek with a hoof, and suddenly Twilight knew. It didn’t take a scholar like herself to recognize the softness in the stallion’s eyes, nor the look of adoration he was radiating. Stallion of few words, he hadn’t even needed to try to hide it. Twilight’s jaw fell a little, but she could find no words. Her mentor and… Big Macintosh? She would’ve blown a fuse if she were a switchbox, but she only stood there in completely stunned silence.

Celestia reached out. “I’m going to read your mind, Big Macintosh.” She said softly. “Is that alright?”

“Yup.” He leaned forward and closed his eyes serenely. He had nothing to hide from his Princess. Turning his ears back, he felt the warm caress of her hooves on his face, head, and then his temples. The solar magic glittered to life and took hold of his mind.

One Week Later…

Celestia didn’t know what she was doing when she appeared at the mass funeral of the Lunar Stallions. It was because of her foolishness that they were dead. Was she there to apologize? Was she there to suffer the slings and arrows of the survivors? Was she there to take the verbal lashings from their families and lovers? She didn’t know.

The funeral for the fallen warriors was held at precisely midnight. A small courtyard in the Royal Gardens had been cleared and lined with hewn stone. Every few feet one could find an etched name with a pair of dates, and a heroic phrase for the stallion buried under the stone. He died for Canterlot serving his Princess, said one stone slab. He died honorably in combat with many foes, said another. He died defending his home. He died protecting his loved ones. He died defending his comrades. Good stallions all. Celestia walked slowly from one written slab to another. There were ponies scattered around the fresh courtyard, all of them stealing glances at her.

Celestia was still wrapped in a few bandages, and there was a stitch or two in her undercarriage that were still healing. After finding out what had happened, she refused all magical healing. Suffering her own wounds was the least she could do for those she’d slaughtered while under the influence of darkness. She stopped at a particular headstone, for a quill-marked stallion was quietly crying over it. Here lies Hammershot, the slab stone said. His heart of gold uplifted us all. Celestia sat slowly on her haunches and waited for the mourning stallion to notice her, quietly. When he did, he looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and tears on his cheeks. “I’m… I’m so sorry…” Celestia finally managed, leaning down and bowing her head until her muzzle almost touched the cobble. “Nothing I can do would ever make up for this.” She looked up at his face. His eyes were not angry, nor accusing. She couldn’t read his expression, which was really something given her vast age.

“Endure, Princess.” Said the stallion with a quill on his flank, with a steadier voice than she thought he might have. She straightened, looking at him carefully. He sniffled and rubbed his nose a couple of times. Turning back to gaze at the burial marking, he heaved a great breath. “The Lunar Stallions will endure and rebuild ourselves. You should too.” Unable to think of anything comforting to say to the mourning warrior, Celestia leaned daintily to her little saddlebag. Drawing out a scarlet rose, she laid it tenderly under the etched name and slowly walked away. He watched her go, but said nothing.

The Princess of the day saw her sister, garbed in the deepest of blacks, a silken veil over her face. Flanked on both sides by her usual two guards, she was tenderly walking from one mourner to the next and exchanging sympathetic words. Crying mares who had lost husbands, friends and lovers. Locals from Canterlot who had grown friendly with one mysterious Lunar Stallion or another. She even saw one pony, her entire body smudged with ash, standing pressed up against a massive earth pony Lunar Stallion. They nuzzled quietly while standing over a grave and her quiet whimpering put tears down her cheeks, making the ash that covered her run.

“There are far too many graves, and not enough Lunar Stallions remaining to mourn their kin.” Luna had appeared next to Celestia, startling her. “We hope thou hast not come to apologize to the dead, and throw thyself at the mercy of the living, sister.” The darkness of the gathering had pushed Luna back into her old dialect.

“How will they ever forgive me, Luna?” Celestia whispered mournfully, turning to observe the scene. “How can I even look my little ponies in the eyes anymore?” There were ponies standing in clusters, laying down flowers, lit candles and other offerings.

“Thou were under the influence of darkness, Tia.” Luna reached up, pulling her sister’s face down and kissing it tenderly. “Those that blame thee entirely are fools.” She whispered. Celestia’s massive wings opened, and the two sisters embraced in a way that only winged creatures can, a massive curling of wings from both sides.

“They must think I am a monster.” Celestia whimpered softly, pressing her eyes and forehead into Luna’s shoulder.

“You were a monster, for a bit, but no less than I as Nightmare Moon.” Luna said. “And I’ve been forgiven for that, have I not?”

“Y-yes…”

“And you did not step down my dark old path by choice. You were taken over.”

“Y-yes…”

“There you have it then.” Luna smiled gently. “Just as Nightmare Moon and myself were different entities, so were you and that beast you became.”

There was a mild coughing, and Celestia looked over when their wings had dropped. A Lunar Stallion was looking up at her. Stalwart Hide, one of her sister’s top guards. “Your Majesty.” He said, a little intimidated but not fearful. “With all due respect…” he turned a little to show her the massive hole in his breastplate. She gasped, her hoof jumping to her mouth. “I got stabbed in the chest and impaled on the beast’s horn. I don’t blame you for that.” He said, smiling in earnest. Celestia stared down at him, her eyes soft.

“Ahem.” Said the other guard, Aegis Shield. “And I was slammed through two stories of department store, like a rag doll.” He told the white alicorn, showing her the stitches on his left ear that kept it from splitting forever. “I don’t blame you for that, either.”

The Princess of the Sun looked back and forth between the two stallions. “Th… thank you.” She said, lowering her head once more.

“Come sister, we must go and mourn for our fallen.” Luna said, extending a wing over Celestia’s back. The day princess walked slowly, as though in a daze. She met the eyes of many ponies while they went from grave to grave. Luna told her stories. Stories about this stallion and what made him special. Stories about that stallion and how strong he’d become over time. Celestia saw not a single accusing gaze, angry face, or anything of the kind. Why did none of them blame her? The massive guilt pressed on her. “What will you do now, sister?”

“Canterlot must be rebuilt. I… the monster destroyed almost half of it.” Celestia sighed, drooping. “Not to mention the massive damage to the palace, the Canterlot balconies, and the surrounding area.”

“It will take many ponies to rebuild our city.” Luna said, walking side-by-side with her sister. They approached a monument covered with the names of the fallen soldiers of the night. All of them were written in Ancient Equestrian, thanks to Stalwart Hide. Luna looked slowly up and down it. The calligraphy was beautiful, and inlaid with silver. She smiled bitterly. Stalwart Hide must’ve figured out that the wall in the barracks was not only a list of names, but a tablet declaring all those listed as killed in action. She doubted he knew about the extensive crypt behind it, though. This monument and courtyard, however, was for the new generation to rest in.

“It will provide many with jobs, at least. It will take a long time to return it just the way it was.” Celestia said quietly, running her hoof over the name of a stallion she’d never met. “Just the way it was…” she mumbled. “Brick for brick.”

“I imagine you won’t be resting until it’s well under way.” Luna nodded slowly, understanding her sister’s itch to repent. Despite all the damage and death not being her fault, she’d been the vessel. No amount of convincing would make the Princess of the Sun feel better. At least not until the mess was cleaned up and the dead honored.

“Why did you have that necklace, Luna?” Celestia suddenly asked, looking over at her sister. “Why not destroy it when we sent the Moon Champion’s medallion into the sun?”

“In case you decided to drop the sun on Canterlot.” Luna said without hesitating. Celestia flinched as though slapped in the face. “Sorry, Tia.” She whispered apologetically, looking at the ground. “Nightmare Moon was intelligent, at least. Your darker half is an animal, apparently. If you ever went mad as I did, I would have to stop you. That necklace was my secret weapon, dark magic or no. I made it to strike you down when I became Nightmare Moon, but never got to use it. I decided to keep it, though, just in case you went down the same dark path I once did.” She pulled her sister into embrace. “But it’s gone now, I smashed it when I pulled it from your chest. It’s over.”

Celestia was a little taken aback at Luna’s frankness that she’d created a super weapon specifically to stop her. But, it made sense. If she went mad and decided to drop the sun onto Equestria one day, Luna would be the only one even remotely capable of stopping her. It made sense that her sister would have some sort of augmentation for herself. The Princess of the Day sighed, returning the embrace.

“Excuse me, sister. I must go and speak to those gathered.” She pecked her sister’s cheek, and then went to a small stage that had been set up. Ponies gathered around, looking up at her with sad eyes. Luna pulled her veil back so she could properly address the crowd. She gave a long, uplifting speech about the bravery of the Lunar Stallions. She praised their valor and strength. She mentioned many by name, honoring their answering the call. She spoke of their ancestors, and how proud they must be of their descendants. Luna paused to thank the Solar Guard as well, but there would be separate ceremonies for them, so that part was brief. Turning and surveying the smattering of Lunar Stallions in the crowd, she heaved a deep breath. “I am sure you are all wondering what will become of the Lunar Stallions now. I shalt not lie, we are down to a paltry two-dozen. The battle for Canterlot was not kind to our numbers.” She said, trying to keep her face regal and her tears in her eyes. It didn’t work. “But! Know this, my stallions.” She was speaking to her armored warriors directly now, not the crowd. “We shall honor our dead. Then, we shall rebuild. The Lunar Stallions shall rise again.”

There were quiet nods and confident smiles from the stallions, and the remainder of the crowd seemed uplifted as well. Celestia allowed herself a small smile. There was much rebuilding to be done, and there was no time like the present.

A Week or so Later…

Luna lovingly wrapped the fourty-sixth Lunar Stallion medallion in black silken cloth. She kissed it respectfully, then placed it in a special jeweled case amongst its brothers. The stallion within, the one who had worn it last, blushed happily and whinnied at her. Though his soul had gone on past the great beyond, a little part of him remained behind in the necklace just like all the others that had worn it before him. His ancestors greeted him, rushing to thwap his back and exchange hugs and other such things. The space between spaces inside the medallion was a true Valhalla for any Lunar Stallion who had bore his armor with honor. All of them had, Luna knew.

Gently closing the case, Luna cocooned it with a magic spell only she could break. Using a particular shade of light that was lower than anypony could see, she locked it firmly. Pushing it reverently under her bed, she sighed about bowed her head. Saying a silent prayer to her mother, she quietly praised them. Such handsome stallions. So brave. Laying down their lives like that, for their Princess and for Canterlot. Neigh, for Equestria. She could never repay them, only honor their memory and--!

There was a firm knock at the door. “Come!” Princess Luna rose, turning about and folding her wings. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide struggled into the room, pushing what looked like a fat sack with them. Grunting, pressing, they struggled to get it through the double doorway. “What is that?” Luna gapped at the fat sack. Aegis Shield flopped down, panting with his tongue out. Reaching up at last, he pulled the cord that held it closed. “Uh-WAH!?” Luna was avalanched with mail! Rushing to the surface so she could breath, she peered about in wonder. “What… what…” she couldn’t make a sentence.

“They’ve been piling up like crazy, this is just the first bag.” Stalwart Hide sat on his haunches, panting. “They’re heavy!” he complained, wiping his forehead of sweat.

Furrowing her brow, Luna reached for a random envelope and opened it. “Dear Princess Luna, I heard that Canterlot was partially destroyed while the Lunar Stallions drove off a terrible threat. I’ve enclosed a check for one hundred bits to help with the rebuilding efforts.” A broad smile worked its way over the Princess’ face as she dug out the check. “Hahaha!” she reached and grabbed another envelope. “Dear Princess Luna. I heard that the Lunar Stallions suffered heavy losses, and wish to apply for their academy, but can’t seem to find the paperwork to apply. Can you help me?”

“We have an academy?” Stalwart Hide asked.

“I don’t think we do, no…” Aegis Shield frowned.

“Dear Princess Luna!” Luna was already grinning at the third letter. “We at the Artist’s Academy on Los Pegasus heard that many pieces of fine art were destroyed in the battle for Canterlot, and would like to send a team of artists to… hahaha!” Luna face-hoof’d, reaching greedily and opening the next letter. “Dear Princess Luna!” she was jubilant and reeling with joy already. The two stallions had never seen their Princess so happy. “Dear Princess Luna!” she started the next one. “Dear Princess Luna!” and the next. And the next. And the next. Eyes bright and glittering, she looked up at her two guards. “Aegis Shield! Stalwart Hide! Muster the Lunar Stallions! We have mail to answer!”

“Yes your Majesty.” They said in unison, turning to leave.

“Niegh! Niegh! We shall take it to them! Some are still recovering from the battle in the Lunar Barracks. No doubt they could use a pick-me-up!” Using her magic Luna mare-handled the mountain of mail and rudely SHOVED it all back in the bag, pulling the chord tight. Levitating the massive weight, she started down the hall. The bag was easily four times her size and ten times her weight, but she managed with magic.

“…why didn’t we get a unicorn to help us bring it here? That was five flights of stairs we could'a avoided.” Stalwart Hide sighed. They had to hurry to keep up with Luna, for she was almost galloping towards the Lunar Barracks. There was much to be done. Canterlot needed rebuilding, as did the Lunar Stallions.

THE END

Epilogue

Luna’s Story 3: Long Live the Night
Part 10: Epilogue

One Month Later…

Canterlot was crawling with ponies like so many pastel-colored ants. They’d cleared out all the rubble, and were most of the way through knocking down the buildings that could not be repaired. Bits were changing hooves like crazy and literally thousands of jobs had been created that would last for months on end. Ponies came from all over Equestria to get a chance to help rebuild the capital.

In the end, the battle with the Celestial Beast was another feather in Canterlot’s hat. They’d faced the great wars, and Discord, and a Changling invasion, why not one more thing? The population as a whole was surprised the city hadn’t ever been wreck before, to be honest. But, the chance to rebuild was also a chance to get rid of anything old or rickety, so there was plenty to do. Cartload after cartload of rock, rubble, and refuse was carted all the way out of the city and into the valleys beyond. Artists searched the wreckage for free giant chunks of marble and stone, while woodcarvers jumped at the chance to carve something that had once been a part of ‘Old Canterlot’. So, even in the wreckage that had been taken out of the city, progress and new things were being made.

Princess Celestia was among the workers, and to be quite frank, she had not stopped to sleep in over four weeks. As an alicorn, she could power her body with all the force of the sun, and as such she never halted in her efforts. She was in there with even the most unimportant worker. She moved piles of rubble into carts, mended cracks, pulled carts, and even helped feed everypony when the time came. The workers and builders had seriously high morale, seeing their Princess get her hooves dirty with the rest of them. She loved her city very much, they all said, of course she was out there helping. Only a selfish Princess would stay on a fluffy pillow somewhere and watch. Celestia was starting to worry a few ponies though, none could ever recall her resting. Didn’t she need to at least pause for a little bit, now and then?

Word about Celestia reached Princess Luna, who was busy planning a Lunar Stallion academy and training grounds. Using her personal coffers, she’d bought a balcony neighborhood that had been destroyed. It had been run down and disused anyway, being one of the older, lower tiers. With the money she would repair it, and then build the academy from the ruins for the next wave of Lunar Stallions that was to come. When she heard about Celestia, though, Luna gave pause and frowned over the message. “What is it, Princess?” Aegis Shield asked, looking up from the table holding all the blueprints.

“Our sister is still not resting. She still harbors a little bit of guilt for what happened.” Luna said.

“She shouldn’t. It wasn’t her doing all those horrible things.” Stalwart Hide cocked his head with a frown. “Everypony knows that. She’s gonna make herself sick at this rate.”

“I agree.” Luna said, rolling up the scroll. “Tiz time to take things into our own hooves, I think.”

“What do you have in mind, Princess?” Aegis asked, leaning over the table.

“Mischief, Aegis Shield. Of course, mischief.” A slow smile worked its way across her muzzle. Both Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide knew that look. Luna knew exactly what to do.

=-=-=-=

“A little higher Princess. A little higher!” A pegasus mare was coaxing Celestia to help mount a new statue in the middle of a fountain. The Princess was leaning forward, squinting at the precision work with her horn lit up. The statue of three frolicking foals would look perfect in the new plaza. One of each pony species in various dancing poses, the highest one spouting water from her muzzle, it was pretty charming. “Liiiiittle to the left. Little more. Now towards you some… okay Drippy! Connect the pipe!” she called. A stallion rushed forward with a wrench and connector, working under the statue while Celestia held it. When he was done and gave the signal, the mare nodded. The Princess set the statue down. “Turn it on!” she shouted from her perch on the roof, opening her wings to come down. Somepony twisted the valve open, and the uppermost foal started spraying cool, refreshing water. The Princess smiled, watching the fountain begin to rapidly fill up and cycle itself so the water would keep going. “Perfect, Princess! Thanks!” she cantered and stuck her hoof in the water, nodding with approval. Celestia leaned over the lip of the fountain, smiling faintly at her reflection.

Turning, the white alicorn made to find another group that needed help. But, she was halted by a group of armored guards. She blink-blinked. Three Solar Guards and three Lunar Stallions. Sandwiched between them was a white-coated doctor. “Princess Celestia.” He said, coming forward as the guards fanned out to make a loose circle. “I’m hereby placing you under medical arrest.” He thrust out a slip of paper to her.

The alicorn blinked at him, eyebrows shooting up. “Uh… arrest?” she asked, taking the slip of paper and frowning at it a little. “Extreme exhaustion, mood swings, lack of appetite… home arrest!?” she said with a little squeak. “I’m sorry, doctor, but I must refuse.” She pushed the slip back to him with a little chuckle. “Besides, I’m a princess, I’m afraid my authority trumps yours.” She turned her nose up a little regally, and began to canter away. The guards, both solar and lunar, closed ranks around her to block her path.

“A-Actually your majesty, mine trumps yours at this point.” said the doctor a little hesitantly, bowing his apology. “According to eyewitnesses you have not retired to bed, nor had a decent meal in over four weeks. You have worked greater than sixty hours per week. By Equestrian law 430-3B-0, Article 2, Paragraph 3, that means that you may be legally declared overworked and be forced by law to stop for a twenty-four hour period.” He said, showing her another slip of paper. Celestia took it, squinting at the fine print. Why, she'd written this law! Ages ago! It prevented ponies from overextending themselves and simply dropping dead of exhaustion, but that was back in the dark ages. Who would’ve known to pull such an obscure law? “Now, your Majesty, these six guards will escort you to your room in the palace.” said the doctor, scribbling on a little notepad and ripping it off, giving it to her. Celestia glanced down at the prescription. One meal, eight hours sleep minimum. She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, then opened it again. She’d… just been arrested, by her own guards. Nothing so outrageous had ever happened before, in the entire history of her rule. She mentally kicked herself for always reminding her little ponies that not even the Princesses were above the law. “Guards?” the doctor said, bowing and standing to one side. “Take her away.” There was a liiiittle too much smugness in his voice for her liking, but she knew that the young doctor would be telling his grand foals about this so she had to chuckle just a little bit.

“This way, Princess.” One of the Solar Guards said, bowing her head and steering Celestia’s shoulder towards the palace. The palace was still mostly in ruin, as both Princesses had demanded that it be the last thing in Canterlot to be restored. Of course their little ponies thought all the more highly of them. So humble, their Princesses were, letting their own home be last in the grand project to rebuild all of Canterlot! Celestia was led down familiar hallways, past dusty avenues and through ashy bits of corridor where there was nothing at all to draw the eye. “We’ll be watching your balcony in case you try to fly away, Princess. Please stay in your room for the next twenty-four hours.” said the guard mare when they’d arrived at her door. She was being serious! Celestia almost scoffed a little, but had long since given in. Whoever wanted her to go rest had been perfectly serious about it. Well, it had been a month of nonstop work, and she was getting a little achy. Despite switching her body over to being completely solar powered, she did miss eating too.

“If anypony needs me--” Celestia said, but all six of the guards scowled at her. Wilting a little and feeling a little wounded at their mean-ness, the alicorn slunk into her room with droopy wings. The door shut behind her and she heaved a long, deep sigh. “House arrest.” She mumbled. “Well, worse may have happened to me, if the circumstances were different.” She folded her wings a little, crossing the room and lighting a lamp. She let out a startled shriek, for there was somepony else there too! Standing in the corner, pressed into shadow, a stallion stared at her. She held her breast to calm her beating heart. “Oh! Oh! Forgive me.” Celestia chuckled a little. “I didn’t see you there. You must be here to make sure I don’t leave, hm?” she peered at him, opening her wings to reflect a bit of the light his way.

“Eeyup.” A barrel-chested stallion stepped out of shadow, nodding slowly.

“Big Macintosh!” Celestia was shocked, then she got a good look at him and her face went scarlet. “Wh… what’re you wearing?!” she looked him up and down. Her ears flicked back when she heard a chuckle behind her door, and the lock clicked into place. “Who’s there?” Celestia turned and put her eye to the keyhole, but couldn’t see anypony. She turned back around to survey the stallion again.

Big Mac was clad in criss-crossing black leather on his chest. A black-with-silver-lining saddle was on his back. The virgin sterling silver snaps held on in only certain hidden places. “Suh-less-tia.” He bowed, gracing her with his wonderful twanging voice.

“O-oh… my.” She said, backing up a little. How had he known? How had he KNOWN she had a secret thing for black leather? She hadn’t told anypony for hundreds of years! Then, she remembered. Her other self, the Celestial Beast, had indulged in the fantasy without thinking about it. The white alicorn smiled embarrassedly at him as he came forward. Smiling lazily, he took her shoulder and led her across the room to a longtable covered with a cloth. He pulled it to reveal several exquisite dishes and a long, bent sofa. The sort that one laid down on during therapy. “It does look delicious.” She said, leaning over it all.

Kuh-WHAP!

Celestia let out a very real yelp, jumping and grabbing her left flank. Big Macintosh had a crop in his teeth suddenly, and used it to point to the sofa. Heart beating fast, the white alicorn moved slowly and sat on it. Stuffing the crop away and out of sight, Big Mac’s chest began to inflate a few times, bigger than normal. Her heart skipped a beat. He only did that when he was about to speak more than a few words. “Somepony sez that ya’ll aren’t takin’ care of yerself.” He said a little sternly, his country twang mezmerizing her. She nodded dumbly, feeling a little guilty that it had come to the point where Big Mac had had to speak. “So yer gonna lay right there an’ rest while ah feed you proper-like-- Then we’ll go from there.” He came forward, done speaking, and nosed her down until she was on her back. She stretched out on the sofa, crossing her legs and daintily folding her wings. The Princess flushed, not used to being fussed over so forcefully. It was kind of exciting, really. She was always in charge of everything, but no, not right now. The red, barrel-chested stallion was in control, and she was gonna lay on the damn couch when he said so. It made her shudder with a rather guilty delight.

Leaning over the table, Big Mac inspected the delicacies. He frowned. What they hay was all this crap? There were so many colors, light crèmes and fancy cheeses he didn’t even know what ninety percent of it was. Rolling his eyes, he leaned and inspected the Princess’ chest and belly. No wonder she was so skinny, they didn’t feed the poor thing for a hill’a’beans. Rolling his eyes, he went and stuck his head under Princess Celestia’s bed. Pulling out his saddlebag, he flipped it open and got her some real food. Chilled apple delights, crisp cold celery, an assortment of berries and grapes, along with a staple of cornbread. Dragging it over, he decided she would have his lunch, rather than feed her the royal garbage on the table. Sidling up next to the couch, he smiled kindly down at her and draped grapes over her.

Celestia smiled shyly, leaning up and plucking one from the bunch with her teeth. Then another, then another. Big Mac was very patient, very stoic as he fed her every last bit of what was in the saddlebag. He became more and more impressed as time went on. He’d never known a mare that could put so much away without getting sick. Then again, she was a big pony like he was, so her stomach was probably big too. It made him smile when she pawed at her lips a little, trying to get rid of the cornbread bits on her face. The stallion leaned over her with an approving, lazy smile and then kissed her on the lips. She flinched a little in surprise, but then cupped his face with one hoof.

Out, beyond the balcony, a Lunar Stallion swooped away.

Big Macintosh nuzzled her strongly, then stuck his muzzle rudely under her side and hefted the entire alicorn onto his back. “Hey!” she yelped, giggling like a spring-time mare. His fur was barely brushed, and had a certain ruggedness to it you could never find in Canterlot. The Princess of the Day blushed despite herself, and hung down over either side of him like a sack of potatoes. With no trouble at all he carted her to the bed, and bucked her right off. She landed on her back and her mane bannered wildly out. She smiled shyly up at him, curling to one side and then over onto her belly. The stallion mounted the bed, clambering up behind her. It didn’t take long for his massive hooves to find her spine. “Auhhh-hugghhh!?” she cried out when his hooves found achy bones and made them crackle like the world was ending. “Ooohhh-ACK!” it was very un-princess-like, but she no longer cared.

Big Macintosh knew he was big. He had big muscles, pulled a big load on the farm, and knew about everything that came with knowing about his big-ness. How to be careful around foals with his massive hooves. How to not put all his strength into apple-bucking, or he’d take out the tree entirely. How to play chiropractor with an ailing mare. Granny Smith and even Apple Jack had asked for his help many a time in the past, and Celestia was certainly no exception. She was still a pony, and her bones were all where everypony else’s were. His powerful pressure really did show off to her how strong he was. And when it came to a stallion whose gruffness came from working on a farm, Celestia could ask for no better. He knew where the muscles were, and how much abuse they could really take while flirting between real pain and healing pain. Crackle! She groaned out again, shifting until her legs were splayed out behind her.

Panting a little, she finally looked back over her shoulder at him. His massive hooves were working as furiously as they did when they usually did this. Smiling and eyeing his rather raunchy attire, she caught his gaze. “Big Mac?” she whispered.

“Yup?” he asked, pausing for a moment to look down at her.

“I know we’ve never gone beyond anything like kissing or… this…” she said softly, blushing. “But perhaps… today…?” the Princess trailed off a little, so very embarrassed.

“Yup.” He said, mounting her Majesty without warning. Dear Faust and all the heavens was that his---!?

(Yup. Yup it was.)

=-=-=-=

Outside, things were going very well. A table had been set up for Luna, her captains, and a couple of architects to conference and exchange ideas over. Princess Luna loomed over complex plans and blueprints. Making very precise mathematical calculations, she’d put on her half-moon glasses and was squinting over a particular area. Using a pencil with her magic, she traced a few lines while Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide watched. She back up, looking at the new line in comparison to the whole picture. The new Lunar Stallion academy was going to be a complex thing, to say the least. Housing two hundred candidates and graduating forty-six was going to be grueling. Very suddenly, her messenger appeared. “Report.” She told the Lunar Stallion.

“Everything is in order, your Majesty, just as you planned.” He bowed low, spreading his wings upon the ground and smiling. Luna nodded her approval, dismissing him.

“Excellent. While Celestia is tied up for the next day or so, maybe we can make some headway on choosing the proper layout for the buildings of the academy.” Luna gestured for Aegis Shield to come close. He did, leaning over several design choices. “What do you think, Captain?” she asked, spreading them out so he could see them all at once.

“YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAS!”

Canterlot ROCKED on its foundations. Pegasi fell out of the sky. Stained glass windows in different wings of the palace imploded with all the violence of a hurricane. Workers rushed to hold onto things that might tump over or break. Very suddenly a wild piece of furniture fell from the sky, blasting apart into a million pieces right next to Stalwart Hide! He flung himself under the table in a panic. “What the buck was that?!” he roared. “Are we under attack?!”

“S’nothing.” Aegis said a little thickly, face-hoofing and leaning closer over the plans. His face was scarlet.

“Don’t worry about it, Stalwart Hide.” Luna nodded, smirking. “Nature is... running its course elsewhere, we must focus on the task at hoof.” A bed sheet fluttered slowly through the air from on high and landed right on Stalwart Hide’s head. The sunburst design was a bit of a giveaway. He fought back and forth, trying to get it off of him. Luna vanished it with a flick of magic. “Pay attention, Captain.” She scolded playfully. Stalwart Hide moaned, face-hoofing a little and coming to stand and peer at the plans too. The Princess knew best, he supposed.

“Seriously, what was that?” Stalwart whispered to Aegis.

“Don’t. Ask.” Aegis Shield said. “You don’t wanna know.”

“I do.”

“No. No you don’t.”

Luna snorted with laughter, but shook her head. She knew that the mighty Celestia would sleep like the DEAD that night. Whether she wanted to or not she’d be relaxing for awhile. If she could walk properly the next morning, that is. Luna grinned with mischief in her eyes.

END OF EPILOGUE