The Escape

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12

Chapter 1

This was so wrong, this was all so horribly wrong.

Well, there was nothing to do for it, was there? She had no other recourse.

She was going to have to run away from Canterlot.

She hadn’t begun her week in a state of panic; she’d actually been very happy. A funny thing to imagine, considering all of the years she’d spent in exile. Being ‘happy’ was something she was not particularly used to, but it was something she’d sorely missed.

Princess Cadence’s wedding had been a beautiful affair, despite a surprise attack by the Changeling Queen. She’d missed all of that, thankfully, because she just wasn’t sure how she would handle another royal coup. She had made it in time for the ceremony, for the beautiful cake and flowers, the happy guests and the smiling, joyful couple. It warmed her heart to see two ponies so in love with one another. She hadn’t known Cadence well, but she had immediately liked her. Kind, compassionate, warm - someone who genuinely deserved to find love.

The warm feeling from the ceremony stayed with her in the hours and days afterward, kindling a fire in her heart she had thought long-dormant. It warmed her from the inside out, as if she carried a piece of a white-hot star in her chest, glorious and bright, shining from her every pore, glimmering in her eyes when she spoke to the night-guards.

“Sister, may I speak with you?”

Just like that, the little piece of star flickered and died, and dread took its place. Celestia was smiling, but Luna did not know her so poorly as to miss the line of tension in her body, despite how she tried to hide it. Celestia did not rise during the night; she woke in the moments between nighttime and day, rising just in time to bring the sun up and end Luna’s night. This was just after midnight, in the middle of Luna’s rule, and she would not be awake now unless something was very, very wrong.

“Of course, Celestia.” The words came out automatically, as if it were someone else speaking to her sister, someone else guiding her legs towards the large throne room.

It was only once the large, heavy doors were closed behind them - how confining those doors could feel, with their dark, unforgiving wood - that Celestia began to speak again, her voice taking its stronger ‘regal’ tone, as if she was making some royal proclamation. She never used to speak to Luna in that voice; once, there was no distance between them, for they were one heart beating in two bodies. How things had changed.

“Luna, as you well know, the marriage of Princess Cadence to Captain Shining Armor has been a joyful occasion for all of us. We have all been overjoyed to see their love blossom, and take shape.”

Well, this wasn’t as bad as she’d anticipated, Luna thought with abject relief. Probably just some official business to take care of, once Cadence was gone from the castle.

“She will be very missed by all of us, of course, because we all loved her very much. But in each of our lives, there must be change, and for some of us it comes later than others. There is a duty for all of us to fulfill, whether it be ruling the kingdom or carrying on our line, so that there will always be someone to protect our Little Ponies.”

Something was wrong. Something in Celestia’s gaze, the way she said it, belied the growing anxiety in her words. “I know mine duty very well, sister; hath I been lacking in it? Prithee make clear thine frustrations, and I shall remedy it.” Luna spoke a little hastily, slipping back into the Old Tongue in her distress.

“No, sister, you have been carrying on your duty with great excellence.” Celestia hurried to praise her - she’d always been fast to praise her, nowadays, after the Nightmare had taken over. She had changed, almost as much as Luna had. “But your duty is going to ... change.”

Luna frowned, and her wings twitched on her back, wanting to rise and flap anxiously. Wing-flapping was not a princessly action, her mother had chided her; now, there was no one who dared to critique. “Change? Change - how?”

Celestia bravely tried to soldier on, but it was obvious she was losing the battle of keeping a smile on her face. “Well, in light of Princess Cadence’s wedding...?” and she trailed off, hoping Luna would take up the thought. When she didn’t, Princess Celestia sighed, tightened her wings, and forced herself to continue. “There has always been a royal duty for every member of our bloodline, for as many generations as we have existed. Our mother and father fulfilled their duty, as did theirs, and so on. There is a place and a job for every royal, and there is no shirking of that duty.”

“And my duty is to raise the moon, as yours is to raise the sun.” Luna finished, in what she hoped was an intelligent, good-student sort of way, but her smile vanished when Celestia did not return it.

“That had been our duty, for many years. But when you were banished …” Celestia trailed off, eyes softening, and Luna knew that she was remembering the many, many lonely years that her sister had suffered through. But the softness vanished, and she soldiered forward in her speech, doing her best to keep her voice even and calm. “When you were banished, I was forced to call on a power I did not know I had, to lift both the sun and the moon. It is a ceremony that every firstborn princess must undertake; I merely undertook it many years before it was necessary.”

“Necessary...? Sister, what art thou saying?” Luna spoke, her voice rising, her old dialect returning.

“There are always at least two sisters, Luna; you know this as well as I do, for you have studied our royal bloodlines as far back as I have.” Celestia said, struggling to keep her voice calm, but Luna could see something in her gaze, some kind of fear; why wasn’t she understanding this yet? “The eldest sister is the one who must protect the kingdom from harm, and dedicate her life to its care. The younger sister-”

“Is the one who must carry on the bloodline.” Luna finished her sentence, blood draining from her face, dread tightening its grip on her heart. “Thou cans’t - you can’t mean that! How am I supposed to - I’ve been gone from the royal court for a thousand years, I have no beau, no prospects, I cannot -”

“I have found a suitable stallion for you. He is of royal blood, of a good house -”

“You cannot do this!” Luna cried, and for a moment, her voice rose in volume, becoming sharp and loud; it startled her as much as it startled Celestia, and when she spoke again, it was with a carefully modulated voice, struggling to keep it low. “You cannot, sister! You cannot - marry me off to some stranger, some stallion I have never -”

“Luna, calm down. If you would only listen -”

“No! I will not - I will not have - returned from a thousand-year prison to walk into - you can’t do this!” her voice rang through the tall, stone room, sharp and loud. She whirled, wings flapping as she galloped from the room, abandoning her sister as Celestia cried out her name.

The halls and stairs passed in a flurry; she had some dim awareness of where she was going, but it was only once she was back in her private chambers that she realized where she was. She kicked her door shut, slapped the lock into place, and began to pace.

This was all so wrong, this was all so horribly wrong.

Princess Luna paced her room like a madmare, ears flat, nostrils flaring, circling her room over and over again. Her wings rose every so often, giving a sharp, anxious flap, then returned to press to her back, quivering with the force of her muscle tension. There was a circle worn in the carpet, from all of the times before when she had paced. Pacing helped; pacing kept the anger at bay, kept it at the back of her mind, kept it from rising up and taking over again.

Keep calm, Luna, stay calm. You’ll get through this all right. Your sister wants to marry you off to some blueblooded - stars above, was she going to be wedded to Blueblood? He was so pompous, so arrogant, so unkind, so - so -

Deep breaths, close your eyes, keep circling, think about happy things. Think about the moon on your back when you fly, think about the stars that reflect in the lakes, think about the night birds that sing you their lullabies.

Think about never seeing those things again, think about being trapped in a marriage with a stallion you despise, think about raising his selfish, spoiled children, think about looking into his eyes for the rest of your life and seeing your dreams, your beautiful night, slipping away a little more every day.

Stop that. It took a lot of deep, heaving breaths to get that last nightmare out of her mind, and when Luna had calmed her breathing and opened her eyes again, she was standing in front of her mirror, grateful that she had managed to keep any tears from falling.

She would never be able to keep the Nightmare at bay, not in that life. She could barely keep herself calm here, where she was happy; how could she do it in a nightmarish world of forced marriage? And then the Nightmare would rise again, and who knew what she might do, this time? How many ponies she might hurt? How many countries would she lay waste to, and how long her imprisonment in the moon would be this time? Would a prison on the moon be a better prison than one in Equestria?

She stared at herself in the mirror for hours, refusing to let herself cry, as her mind went over every option over and over again, trying to find some other solution. As the sun rose, marking the end of her reign, she came to one, final conclusion. There was nothing else to do for it, was there? She had no other recourse.

She was going to have to run away from Canterlot.

Chapter 2

She fell into her bed at the end of her night, drawing her curtains tightly closed and propping a chair in front of her door. It wouldn’t keep her sister out if she really wanted to get inside, but she hoped it would provide a deterrent to any other servants who might try to bother her. And, as illogical as it was, it made her feel safer.

Marriage. Running away. They both sounded like outlandish solutions to a simple problem, and yet here she was, contemplating one to avoid the other.

Sleep only came briefly, and in intermittent patches; dreams of fanged suitors and clawed children kept her awake, violently jerking her from sleep. She finally gave up around five, bleary-eyed but determined.

She would need to pack appropriately; one couldn’t run away without some pre-planning. Food would be most important, but she couldn’t very well stride out of the castle wearing a big saddlebag filled with pastries. No, it would need to be something she could easily conceal, something uninteresting to any guards or even her sister herself. She packed as much as she could fit into a small side-satchel, and took a long look at herself in front of her mirror.

Oh. The crown and jewelry. It would make her immediately identifiable, even in the most backwater of towns. After a moment of contemplation, of trying to convince herself that it would be okay to bring them along, she slowly began removing her bangles and beautiful crown, sadly placing them on her dresser. How she had fought to regain them, fought against the Nightmare that consumed her from within; it hurt to leave them here.

She was almost to the door before she turned back, taking up a quill and parchment. Celestia might not listen to her when she was speaking, but perhaps she could get through to her with a note.

Dear Sister,

I have run away. I cannot marry a stallion who I despise. I will destroy me, and it may very well destroy our land as well. I cannot risk bringing back the Nightmare.

~Luna

She folded up the note and tucked it under her crown, and on second thought, tucked the crown and bangles into her bed, propping up a couple of pillows on top of them in a pony-ish shape. If they thought she was sleeping, it may give her a few extra hours before they realized she had gone.

That done, she picked up her satchel, tossed a towel over it as a disguise, and opened her door - and found herself face-to-face with a pair of guards. She might have been able to sneak back into her room, if she hadn’t made the mistake of giving a very sharp, audible gasp, and froze in place.

“Your Majesty.” the unicorn said gruffly, his eyes traveling over her briefly, before he gave a deferential little nod. “Anything we can help you with?”

“Why - why are you guarding my door? Is there some danger in the castle?” she asked, flustered, but struggling to be polite. A good Princess, after all, was kind to all of her subjects.

The knowing glance the guards shared, and the way they hesitated to answer, was all the answer she needed. “I see. There is no danger, other than myself.” she said, sadly.

“Princess, that isn’t -”

“I understand perfectly, sirs. I hope that I am permitted to take a bath?” she asked, and when they hesitated again, she added, “It is very calming, and I find that as of late, I am in great need of … calm.”

That got the pair nodding, quick and eager, as they followed her down the hall. They paused in front of the door to the bathroom, and when one took a step forward, Luna cut them off with a sharp glare. “A lady does not tolerate men in her bath. You may remain guarding here if you wish, but I will not be exiting through this door. I will take a brief flight when I am finished, so if you wish to return to guarding my bedroom, I will return there in an hour’s time.”

The pair looked at one another, then slowly nodded, turning around to guard either side of the door. “Have a pleasant bath, Princess.” the first stallion spoke, and his companion nodded quietly. Loyal, and obedient - but not to her, not anymore.

She stepped into the magnificent bathroom, and looked over its high, vaulted ceilings, its pale marble and elegant pillars. How many happy childhood memories were held here, with its carved images of ponies and mer-ponies prancing in every nook and cranny, spiraling up and down the pillars?

But the sculpted images held a secret, one that she didn’t think even Celestia knew of, and after she turned on the faucet, she wasted no time in scurrying over to the furthest corner of the room to push aside a decorative towel holder. Yes, the fourth mer-pony on the left; it was just as she remembered it, just as elegantly polished and smiling as the others. She reached out with her hoof and twisted the figure to the right, and gave a mighty push. With a soft groan, the square of marble swung inward, revealing a darkened inner passage, barely high enough for an adult pony to walk through. It would be especially cramped for her taller frame, but she shoved her satchel down there all the same, and turned back to the tub.

After the tub had filled, she waited for a few moments, then unstopped the plug, ever so slightly. The water would drain slowly, making it appear as if she was taking a long, luxurious bath, while she would be scurrying down the secret passage. She propped open the window an inch or two, to mask her true source of escape, and took one final look around the bathroom. If everything went as planned, this would be the last time she ever saw this bathroom; a chilling, yet exciting proposition.

With that thought, she slid herself into the passage, carefully pushing the slab of marble back into place, and began her slow, hunched descent down the tunnel. It was dark, but by the light of her horn, she could see a few feet ahead of her at a time, and what she saw gave her great relief - and disgust. The path was dirty from disuse, and several times she had to bat away massive clumps of spiderwebs with her wings. “This isn’t so bad,” she thought to herself from time to time, and then was inevitably forced to scramble away in a panic when a rat appeared. She may be abandoning the lifestyle of a princess, but it would seem that abandoning her sense of gross-itude would be slower to come.

Finally, after what felt like hours of cramped, dark, dirty hunched-over steps, she made it to the end of a passage, to a light-limed door. Behind this door was the secret exit of the passage, which would lead her out into the public view. And before she went there, she knew she would need to be properly disguised.

She twisted in the passage to reach into her saddlebags, a difficult feat; after a moment, she managed to untwist herself, and drape her disguise over herself. A short cloak to hide her wings and symbol, and a horn-eraser. A horn-eraser, of course, was a small magical ring, which one slipped over one’s horn to render it invisible. It was a family heirloom; such a deceitful kind of magic had been outlawed after the Unicorn Wars, but there were still some places where they could be found, she knew. A quick swish of her now-invisible horn, and her mane and tail were braided and tucked back. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do; coming up with a more intricate disguise would waste precious time, and only make it more likely that she would be caught or shipped off before she could escape. Shipped off to the Mare knew where, or with whom -

Deep breaths, Luna, you’re okay now, everything is going to be okay. Deep, deep breaths.

Her nostrils filled with the dust and mildew of the small, enclosed passage, and by the time she had calmed herself, she knew she wouldn’t ever be able to forget the smell. But she was ready, and time was running out; when nightfall hit, her sister would know she had gone, and she had to make her move, and fast. So, with a tight, cramped turn, she faced away from the door, and kicked her back legs into it as hard as she could.

Nothing happened.

Not a dent, not even a noticeable difference; the same door, with the same light from behind, and no change. She gave a little huff, and repeated the motion, with greater vigorousness. Something sounded like it was beginning to give, but still it held fast. Her horn glowed, and with a final, powerful kick, a surge of magic, and an angry shout (not very ladylike at all, she thought with a wince), the door finally crashed open, sending her sprawling onto her belly.

The princess - now simply Luna - got onto her hooves hurriedly, twisting in the small passageway to look through the door she had opened. Strange; she didn’t remember the passageway opening into much of anything, a thousand years ago. A grassy field, she remembered picking flowers there with her mother. But now there was a strangely bright light, a warm, glass-fronted room, and the delicious smell of baked goods. Something sweet tantalized her nostrils, and set her stomach to growling; suddenly, she wished she had partaken in supper before fleeing the palace.

“Toots, are ya gonna explain why you just came bustin’ in through my display case?”

Chapter 3

“I said, lady, are youse gonna explain why you’re smashin’ up my shop?”

The second angry growl seemed to awaken the part of Luna that had frozen up. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear it, and looked over the stallion for what she was sure was the second time. Tan body, brown mane, green eyes, a strange hat and a shirt. Birth designation - ugh, what was the new name? Cutie Mark, that was it - was a pink-frosted donut. A unicorn, and a fairly large, heavyset one, from what she could see.

“Toots? I ain’t got all day here.” A sharp accent, as well; strong, and not of Canterlot.

“I - ah - that is to say -”

“Lady, why don’t I call a guard, I’m sure they’ll know what to do with ya.” he said, and began to turn away from her.

“You will do no such thing!” she barked, rising onto her hooves to her full height, a sudden desperate, powerful energy seeming to fill her.

“I won’t, ey?” he growled suspiciously, turning back to face her.

“You mustn’t! I am Lu - Lulu, and I have just escaped from - the royal castle’s dungeons.” she spoke as resolutely as she could, her pounding heart threatening to escape her throat with every moment. “I have been falsely imprisoned, and the only way I can escape banishment is - by banishing myself. To the outlands, to somewhere outside of Equestria. If I can make it to the Griffonlands, then - I will escape whatever fate awaits me here.”

The donut pony eyed her suspiciously, and inwardly, Luna wondered whatever foolish pony had told her that fat ponies were jolly; this one appeared neither jolly nor holiday-inclined. “Alright. Say I believe you, toots. What crime did you commit that’s so awful?”

“I didn’t commit a crime! I - was framed! For the loss of the royal crown!” Luna ad-libbed as quickly as she could, heart racing all the more desperately when the stallion didn’t immediately run for the guard.

“Royal crown, eh? Seems to me that I haven’t heard about no princesses losin’ no crown - “

“A lesser crown! Belonging to - some long-lost line of the family, more of an heirloom than anything.” “Lulu” added in a rush, eyes wide, heart fit to burst. “It must have been lost, but - but when it went missing, I was the last person to see it, and - and they thought I must have taken it.”

“Hmm.” the donut pony frowned, listening to “Lulu” build lie upon lie, certain to doom her to a speedy return to the castle. So much for your brilliant escape, you foolish filly!, Luna thought in a panic. Escaping into a pastry shop, and that’s as far as you get? How unbecoming of a princess, how -

“Alright then. So you need help gettin’ to the border, that’s whatcha sayin’?”

Luna was so startled that she couldn’t answer him for a moment, and merely gaped at him in wonder. “I … you... you’re going to help me?”

“Well, I’ve been meanin’ to take a vacation for awhile, anyhow. And I got family over in th’ Griffonlands, some kook on my mom’s side married one, and I’ve been owin’ her a visit anyway.” He sniffed, using his hind leg to scratch the other one as he spoke. “So I’ll go along with ya, toots.”

“It’s Lulu.” Lulu nee Luna corrected softly, but without any real malice. “Do you need to pack? We should be leaving immediately, who knows when the princess might realize I’ve gone? We should keep moving as fast as we can, Mare only knows how much of a lead we have on her -”

“Woah woah woah, lady - Lulu. You’re goin’ about this all wrong.” The donut-pony corrected her, gently guiding her aside to close the passage door and begin cleaning up the display case she’d knocked over. “Celestia’s strongest when the sun is up. If that sun is out, ain’t nobody doin’ nothin’ that she ain’t gettin’ a good look at.”

“... pardon?” Lulu asked, brows crinkling in confusion. How many negatives could one sentence have?

“I’m sayin’ - move yer hoof - Celestia’s gonna see any escape plans we make if we’re outside in the daylight, see? So we gotta wait til nighttime, when she’s asleep, when her sister’s at the wheel. Seems to me, she don’t expect much to be goin’ on, and she ain’t payin’ too much attention to what the Little Ponies’re up to.”

Luna’s face burned, but she kept her mouth shut, aiding the shopkeep in cleaning up his spilled wares. Asleep at the wheel, was she? Despite how it galled her, it seemed to her that the plan could work - Celestia could raise the sun and the moon, but the moon was not her servant, as it was for Luna. She could not see the goings-on of every pony with its aid, as she could with the sun.

“Stop stackin’ the floor-donuts with the clean ones; we can’t sell those.” The stallion’s gruff voice interrupted her, pushing her hoof out of the way as he cleaned. “You wouldn’t want ta eat a donut that’s been on the floor, right?” he asked, popping several into his mouth and chewing enthusiastically.

“No, that would be disgusting.” she agreed, expression souring as he wolfed a few more down.

“Want one?” he asked, holding a few out to her, sprinkles ringing his mouth.

Luna’s heart said No!, and her mind said Mare, No!, but her starving stomach said, “Yes, please!” So, while the stallion cleaned, ate, and swept up the rest of the mess, Luna filled her belly with the delicious assortment of baked delights. Jelly-filled, fruit-filled, creme-filled, double-fried, extra-frosted, extra wide, extra small - such a dazzling display of donutty delight she had never laid her eyes on before!

She felt she must be more donut than pony by the time she’d finished, but somehow managed to pull herself over to a seat behind the counter, sighing softly. “Those were incredible.”

“Thanks, Lulu.” the donut pony grinned, setting his broom aside, only to pull out a pair of heavy saddlebags and begin loading up donuts.

“I never got your name, sir.”

“Awful fancy, aintcha?” he asked in his usual gruff voice, but when he turned around, Luna saw he was grinning. “Joe’s the name, donuts are my game. I go by Donut Joe most times, seein’ as it’s the name out front. But jus’ Joe’s fine.”

“Thank you for helping me, Joe.” Luna said quietly, smiling up at him from where she sat.

Joe glanced over at her and rolled his eyes, wiping a bit of powdered sugar from his foreleg. “Naw, ain’t helpin’, I’m just takin’ you along on my vacation. I’d been meanin’ ta visit for years, anyhow.” He whuffed, turning away, but when he’d turned back he had a mug of hot cocoa for her. “Y’gotta be thirsty.” he said swiftly when she opened her mouth to thank him, cutting her off.

The pair passed most of the early evening in silence like that, Joe working and Luna sitting quietly, occasionally taking another donut. They didn’t talk much, and Luna thought that was for the best; if she said anything else, she’d probably snap her fragile web of lies within the first sentence. She just wasn’t used to lying - but she’d need to learn, and fast, if she wanted this to work.

Finally, heart in her throat, she turned her eyes to the sky as the sun set, darkening the small donut shop - and watched in silent, awestruck wonder as the moon rose, all on its own. Or, rather, under Celestia’s power, instead of her own. She hadn’t seen the moon rise since her mother and father had done it, and that had been so, so long ago, she had almost forgotten how beautiful it looked...

“Alright, Lulu, looks like it’s Luna’s turn to take over, which means we gotta skedaddle.” Joe said briskly, putting the final touches on his ‘Out for Vacation, Back Whenever’ sign. He taped it to the door, then hefted his saddlebags over his haunches, along with a backpack, and some kind of wrapped-up tarp.

“You certainly have a lot to bring.” Lulu murmured, brows lifting as she watched him struggle to get through the door.

“Yeah, well, one of us needs to.” He grumbled, and that was the last Lulu said on the subject.

He leaned out of the glass-fronted door, peering around the darkened streets, and waved Lulu on. “C’mon. Coast is clear, time to fly this pigeon coop.”

“Time to what?”

“Time to blow this popsicle stand, toots.”

“Pardon?”

“Wouldja just follow me already?”

The pair darted from darkened street to street, through a quiet Canterlot that Luna had never seen up-close before. None of these buildings had been here, a thousand years ago; it was like wandering into an alien landscape. But Joe knew his way around this area like the back of his hoof, and every time they saw an approaching pony, Joe knew just which alleyway to dart into, which awning folded down to provide cover.

Finally, after a seemingly-endless dash from one shadowed spot to the next, they emerged on the side of the mountain, staring out over a long, winding stretch of railroad track. “Isn’t this dangerous?” Lulu asked, hesitating near the gates as Joe walked on.

“Unless you wanna hop a train and risk someone recognizin’ ya, this is the only way down the mountain.” he called over his shoulder, continuing down the winding path. Luna hesitated for a moment, then darted after him, her long legs carrying her to him within moments.

They walked all through the night, waiting and listening for trains whenever Joe directed them to. Sometimes, it was a false alarm, and sometimes they had to hug the furthest edge of the path, and do their best to hang on to the railing as the train went screaming past. Joe ran them through every tunnel, and although Luna did it without much effort, Joe tended to start huffing and puffing about halfway through. But he had shorter legs than her, she mused; she shouldn’t judge him for something he couldn’t help.

By the third or fourth tunnel, Joe was panting, and having to take brief breaks to re-adjust the heavy packs he carried. So when they approached the last tunnel, when Joe panted that they should ‘just walk this one,’ Lulu didn’t dare contradict him.

“Haven’t - walked this path since - since I went fishin’ with my - great grandpappy.” Joe wheezed, walking behind Lulu, his head down in the darkened tunnel. “Down by the - lake that the - Great Waterfall drains to.”

“It’s a beautiful lake.” Lulu agreed softly, and before she could open her mouth again, something caught her ear. Something off in the distance. Rats? She hated rats!

“Yeah, haven’t - been there in years, since I was - younger.” he coughed, wheezing all the harder. “Remembered - having -”

“Joe, it’s the train! I hear the train!” Lulu cried out in a sudden panic, taking off at a gallop. “We have to run for it!” she gasped, turning back to watch him catch up with her - but he didn’t. He continued plodding along behind her, attempting to trot for a few steps, before he fell back into a long-gaited walk.

“You - go - can’t - keep up -” he choked out, wheezing desperately as he tried to lift his knees, fighting for a trot, in vain. “Get up and go - got up and went -”

“I’m not leaving you!” she whinnied, the panicked sound intermingling with the distant sound of a train whistle. She galloped back and planted both forelegs on his back end, shoving him forward. “Come - on!”

“Giving - her - all she’s - got -” Joe gasped, managing to break into a trot for a few steps before his legs faltered and gave out, crumpling under him in a sweaty, exhausted heap.

Luna lifted her head, and before she could give another sharp, pleading demand, a whistle blew - much closer than last time, rounding the last bend before it came to the tunnel they stood in. “We’re not dying tonight!” she barked, and reared onto her hind legs, horn glowing under the invisibility ring. Donut Joe’s entire body lit up with the outline of her power, and slowly, his body began to rise. There was no time for delicacy, and so as she ran, his body burst into motion as well, provoking a sharp, panicked cry from the stallion.

“What’re you - flying -?”

“Keep your legs tucked to your body, this is going to be close!” she roared, and this time, it was an effort to keep the train whistle from drowning her out - it was almost upon them! With a panicked whumph, Joe jerked all of his legs to himself, and as Lulu raced to the end of the tunnel, he could do nothing but watch the headlamp of the train get bigger and bigger in the darkness. The whistle screamed and screamed, and with each scream, the light seemed to get brighter and brighter, as if it meant to swallow them up whole.

Suddenly, they were out of the tunnel, mere moments before the train went screaming past them and through it, the whistle echoing into nothingness as the pair darted to safety - and into thin air.

“PRINCESS!” Joe howled, as his magic-imbued body went flying past the guardrail, soaring into the darkness. Luna leapt into the air after him, her magnificent wings spreading from under her cloak as she dove to save him. The pair spiraled through darkness for a few, heart-stopping moments, but gradually, Joe felt the falling sensation begin to lessen, until they began slowly coasting to a stop, landing on the gravelly base of the mountain.

Joe rolled onto his belly and began to kiss the ground, whispering praises for whatever Mare or Goddess had brought him through that death-defying leap untouched. This time, he swore, he would never leave the safety of the ground again - although he added in much more colorful language to properly explain his exuberant thankfulness, much to Luna’s distaste.

“I’m safe, I’m safe,” he gasped, gravel in his mane as he rolled around on the ground, panic being gradually replaced with relief. He was quiet for a moment, simply taking in the silence, before he bellowed, in a loud, triumphant roar, “I’M ALIIIIVE!”

Despite herself, Luna laughed.

Chapter 4

It took a good few minutes for them to get up from where they landed, being as Joe was on his back screaming to the skies and all, but he soon rolled himself to his hooves, shaken but unhurt. He spat out a stray bit of gravel, shook himself off, and began moving again, heading in the direction of a nearby forest.

“Hold on!” Luna frowned, trotting after him on long, elegant, still-rubbery legs. “You can’t just act like nothing happened!”

“Alright, alright, thank you for savin’ me Lulu. I woulda been pony puddin’ if you hadn’t gotten me to safety back there.” he turned back to face her, still walking.

“No! Not that! I mean - the part where you called me Princess.”

Joe turned back to look at her, then rolled his eyes, twisting his head back towards the forest. “I was callin’ on a higher power to save me, don’t flatter yerself toots.”

But as he continued walking, he heard no answering hoofbeats behind him. “Toots, if ya don’t get movin’, Celestia’s gonna find you in the mornin’ standing out here.”

Silence.

“And I’m not gonna feel bad or nothin’, cuz I’ll be in Griffonland! And yer gonna feel awful bad if you missed out on comin’ with me!”

Luna remained steadfast.

With a small, defeated huff, Joe turned around, walking back towards her on similarly rubbery limbs. “Alright, fine. I called you Princess cuz I was flyin’ over the edge of a cliff and I couldn’t remember the fake name! Happy? I’ll call you Lulu from now on, scout’s honor.”

“When did you find me out?” she asked, her voice low and deadly-cold.

“When did I - When you first smashed in my freakin’ display case! When else?”

“I was disguised!”

“Lady, if you think a disguise is enough to keep your royalty hidden from a bred-and-born Canterlot fella such as myself, then you are mistaken.” Joe whuffed, puffing his chest out a little bit.

“Your accent is clearly not one of Canterlot’s.” she sniffed, a little stung by how quickly he had been able to figure her out.

“I was born here, but then I moved to tha Broncs! Is that gonna be a problem?” Joe asked defiantly, frowning down - or rather, slightly up - at the taller princess.

“You certainly speak to me rudely, for someone who immediately knew I was a princess!” she snapped, ears flattening back against her braided mane.

“I call every filly ‘toots,’ it’s a term of endearment!”

“It’s offensive - especially to a princess!”

“You didn’t want me to think you were a princess, remember? You woulda gotten all huffy, like you are now!”

“I am not huffy!” Luna snapped, voice rising, before she suddenly cut herself off, eyes widening into frightened circles. Abruptly, she turned and walked away, and began to turn in small, tight circles, over and over again.

“... Toots?” Joe ventured, eyes wide and ears flat, watching the princess perform her odd ceremony. “... Princess?”

“You’re okay Luna, deep breaths, deep breaths, don’t get mad, deep breaths,” she intoned to herself in a low, subvocal mutter, eyes locked steadfastly on the ground, ears flat and jaw tight. She circled for several long, tense moments, then abruptly straightened up, heading towards the forest.

“Princess...?” Joe asked, eyes a little wide as she glided past him.

“We have to keep moving or we’ll never get far enough by dawn.” Luna said coldly, her voice flat and expressionless.

“Right you are, Majesty.” Joe murmured, one ear flicking forward as he followed her.

As they stepped into the forest, a sudden chill fell over them, and their hoofsteps began to crunch as they stepped into the light dusting of snow. Everywhere Luna looked, icicles hung from every bowed branch, rattling in the icy breeze that whistled through them. There were no trees but evergreens; what forest could survive such an icy winter otherwise, she mused.

“What forest is this, where it is always cold?” Luna asked at length, head tipped up as she stared into the trees they passed. No singing birds, or playful squirrels to throw nuts to them; all silence. “I thought I knew every realm within my kingdom.”

“The Evergreen Forest.” Joe answered her softly, some of his previous blustery good nature dampened. “You wouldn’t know it, because it only appeared after you were banished. It is said that this used to be a bright, warm forest, but that after you left, it withered from longing. What regrew were trees like these, and an ever-present chill fell over the forest, because it never stopped snowing. It is said that this is the only forest in the realm that is truly subservient to you.”

“How strange.” Luna murmured, her eyes still on the trees, blinking away the snowflakes when they began to fall. “But beautiful.”

“Agreed.” Joe murmured, his hoofsteps crunching softly behind her.

They continued in silence for a long time, even as the snow fell softly around them, coating their saddlebags and manes. When the snow began to fall in earnest, Joe broke away from Luna, searching for a tree.

“Where are you going? We have to keep moving.” Luna asked, far too tired to sound anything but weary.

“We won’t do ourselves any services by makin’ camp outside’a the forest. And besides, it’s stormin’ pretty bad; it’ll be better by tomorrow, I bet.” he said simply, ignoring her command in favor of unburdening himself, pulling the tarp from his pack. As she watched, Joe magicked the tarp over one of the low-hanging branches, then staked it to the ground, forming a tent. Then he cleared the snow, and gathered some sticks to build a fire. At last, he rolled out his bedroll - and, she couldn’t help but notice, one for her.

“I didn’t bring any bedding.” the princess said softly, slowly approaching the camp.

“I figured. Hard to smuggle yerself outta the castle with a big ol’ camping bag.” Joe rumbled, pulling out a few donuts from his saddlebag. “Hungry?”

“Ravenous.” she murmured, gorging herself on the proffered donuts.

Joe chuckled, and began to tuck himself into his bedroll, snuggling down into its warmth as he swallowed the last bite of donut. “Well, I’m going to get some shut-eye until the sun goes down again; can’t be too safe, bein’ on the run and all.”

“Sounds good.” Luna agreed quietly, her eyes locked on the fire, nibbling slowly on her last donut. At last, as the first beams of sunlight began to pierce the stormy gloom of the forest, she tucked herself into her bedroll, hiding her face under the blanket, as if she could hide from Celestia’s prying eyes simply by covering her own. For all that it was her forest, she couldn’t help but feel - alone. She had never been without Celestia for very long, aside from her exile, and this trip was starting to feel unsettlingly familiar. It was cold here, and snowy, and her bedroll wasn’t warm enough. She wanted to be back home, in her real bed, with hot stones to warm her hooves on cold winter nights like this. She wanted her sister to be happy again, instead of constantly anxious, afraid to upset the delicate balance of Luna’s mental state. She wanted to go back to how things used to be, before all of this - before the Nightmare, the marriage, and this betrothal nonsense happened. If only -

“‘M cold.” came a low, grumbly rumble, as Joe began to wriggle his way closer to her. He worked his bedroll across the few inches between them, only stopping when their backs touched. “Better.” he whuffed, and went back to sleep, apparently.

How pleasant to be a commoner, Luna thought darkly, to be able to fall asleep anywhere! But as much she hated to admit it, this commoner was a veritable hot-rock of warmth, and as she snuggled down against his side, she found herself quite comfortably warm, despite the snow and ice. They had the bedroll between them, she decided, so there wasn’t anything untoward about it. It was necessary for survival, that was all.

That day, Luna was too tired to have any bad dreams.

Chapter 5

Luna slept late, an impossibility in a life where hitting the snooze button meant the sun didn’t go down on time. She awoke to the smell of something sweet, and when she emerged from her cocoon, she found Joe already scarfing down his breakfast - more donuts.

“Mornin’, Princess.” he rumbled to her, as he caught sight of her peering blearily out of her bedroll. He pushed a blue-and-white speckled plate of donuts over to her. “Breakfast’s served.”

“Don’t you get tired of donuts?” Luna asked softly, her voice thin with sleep as she obligingly began to eat.

“Nah. They’re my favorite. Could probably live the rest of my life eating only donuts, I bet.” Joe chuckled, but the expression dimmed somewhat as he watched her eat. “I can try ta find you something different if you’d like, Princess.”

“No, donuts are fine. Beggars can’t be choosers.” Luna murmured. She hesitated, and then added, “You don’t have to call me Princess. I’ve abandoned my title. Just ‘Luna’ is fine.”

“So no ‘Lulu,’ then?” Joe asked, and under his playful grin, she could see a hint of unease.

“No.” she snapped, a little sharply, and immediately regretted it. She took a small breath - in, out, relax! - and loosed it in a sigh before she answered him again. “Perhaps we should use it if we run across any other ponies, though. Just in case.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me, Pr- Luna.” Joe agreed, licking his hooves clean of frosting before he began to pack up their camp. “We better be on our way - moon’s already up, gotta put as much distance between us and the capital as we can before dawn.”

Luna nodded tiredly - how exhausting a hike could be, after a quiet life in the palace! - and did her best to help. It was obvious that Joe didn’t really need her aid, but she did her best, rolling up her bedroll into a loose, messy ball. When Joe saw how she’d wrapped it, he did his best to stifle his chuckle, but packed it up with his own much-neater one all the same.

“It was a good effort.” he said encouragingly, catching sight of her dismayed visage. “You’ll get better at it.”

Once they’d taken down the tarp and put out the fire, they were on their way again, abandoning their warm little campsite for the frigid cold of the forest. There was no storm tonight, and so their path was clear, all the way until the edge of the trees. Ahead of them, a wide, expansive meadow opened up, filled with tall grass and many varieties of wildflowers. Painfully warm, after the cold of the Evergreen Forest.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Luna asked, her voice low as she hesitated under the spreading branches of a Douglas Fir. “It’s so … exposed.”

“We can’t travel by forest the whole way, unfortunately.” Joe murmured, joining her under the branches. “But under Celestia’s sun, she’d be able to find us immediately; in the moonlight, we may manage to slip by undetected.”

“I hope so.” Luna whispered, eyes locked on the moon, once her beloved companion, and now a potential spy for her sister.

“Keep your hood up, and your mane tucked back; from a distance, you won’t look like you.” Joe murmured back to her, helping her pull up the hood with a smart little tug, double-checking the magic ring around her horn. “C’mon.” And, just like that, he was on his way, his wide body cutting a path through the tall grass.

Luna hesitated at the edge of the forest, looking back into its wintery depths. It would be safer to remain in there; Celestia may never find her, not if the forest itself could dedicate itself to hiding her. But what kind of life would that be, trading one prison for another? She looked back to find Joe - only to find him vanished in the tall grass. “Joe?” she called, hesitating for a moment longer, then broke into a trot, trying to follow the path he’d made in the grass. “Joe!” she repeated, her voice rising.

“I’m just ahead’a ya, follow the sound of my voice.” he called back to her, his voice even and clear. “That, or the smell of the donuts.”

“Not funny!” she snapped, but allowed herself a small smile, despite herself. She continued forward for a few steps, but when she came up empty, she called again. “I can’t hear you! Say something else.”

“Hmm.” he hummed, and when he spoke again, his voice was louder. “You know, I’ve been meaning ta ask why you were runnin’ away from home.”

Luna frowned at the invisible figure of Joe, wishing he was closer so that he could see her distaste. “That doesn’t seem a very fair question to ask, when I’m trying to find you.”

“‘Pologies, Princess, you don’t have to answer.”

Her scowl intensified, but after a moment’s silence - “I ran away because she was putting our kingdom at risk.”

“The entire kingdom? That is bad. No wonder you left. You gonna ask the Griffons to help ya save everyone?”

“... no. It’s not - a direct threat, exactly.”

“Well, what kinda threat is it?” he asked, and she could almost imagine his brows lifting in confusion.

“It’s - complicated.”

“Well, then ya better make it simple for me, toots. I ain’t the complicated type.” he teased, and even from where she stood, she could hear the grin in his voice.

“My sister wishes to have me betrothed to a stallion I’ve never met before.” Luna said brusquely, her voice low.

There was a moment of silence while he considered his answer. “That ain’t right, folks should be allowed ta marry who they like.” Joe called, and now the grin was gone from his voice. “Why don’cha just tell her no? Seems like she can’t get you married against yer will.”

“It’s not - it’s not that simple. I can’t just tell her ‘no,’ it’s a tradition that my family has carried on for generations. And if I say no, that means we’ll argue - and that means I’ll get upset. And if I get upset, and I lose control of my anger - something terrible will happen. But if I consent and marry someone I hate, it’ll be even worse, and ponies might - everyone might -”

There was a rustling of grass, and from her left, Joe emerged, making Luna wonder when she had stopped moving. “What’s wrong with getting angry?”

“Wrong -? Don’t you know who I am? Who I was?” Luna hissed, desperation sharpening her voice. “I can’t take that kind of risk. I have to keep calm, or else - Mare above, it might - she might -”

“But you can’t go through life suppressing your anger, it’ll only make it worse once it finally comes out.” he rumbled, tilting his head at her in confusion, as if this was obvious.

“Not if it doesn’t come out at all. I can control it.” Luna insisted, her brows lowering as she squared-off with the bulkier stallion.

Joe frowned at her, his head-tilt increasing, but he said nothing for a long time. At last, he turned around, and continued leading her through the tall grass. “Well, alright then.”

Luna said nothing, but followed him obediently, frowning at the back of his large, heavy pack. What did he know of her life? Nothing. So he had no right to make judgement on it. He didn’t know what kind of burden it was, carrying this - thing around inside of her.

They passed through the tall grass in silence, and the appearance of the forest was greeted with similar silence. She wondered what this forest was called, or if Joe had any funny commentary on the strange, blue squirrels that darted overhead; but she kept her mouth shut, for right now, she was enforcing the Royal Silence Freeze-Out. So for the moment, she admired the gently-glowing moss in silence, and kept her head tilted up to catch sight of the stars that twinkled through the breaks in the branches. The song of nightbirds filled her ears, and as a quietly hooting owl passed overhead, she thought to herself: You know, this is actually a really nice forest.

Chapter 6

From the corner of her eye, she saw it; something that darted out of sight, dark-on-dark in the background of the forest. Princess Luna lowered her chin, abandoning her study of the stars for the moment, hoping to catch a better glance at whatever it was. A squirrel? No, those had some kind of bioluminescence, they glowed blue as they lept from branch to branch, leaving light-trails behind them. This thing was - there!

As if hearing her mental cry, the unidentified object slowly revealed itself, peering its head shyly out from behind a large trunk. It was a pony - no, a baby pony, a little filly with a star-patterned coat, as if a bit of the sky had been snipped out and dropped down to earth. Tiny wings, bright blue eyes, a shaggy mop of pale, glowing hair; to Luna, she was one of the most beautiful, most delicate foals she had ever seen in her entire life. She was like the night incarnate; a pony who lived in the forest, perhaps?

But before Luna could open her mouth to ask, the little filly opened hers, and as tears filled her large, shining eyes, a single, tearful word slipped out: “Lost.” The word was filled with sorrow and longing, with the music of every tear-soaked love song, with the heartache of every lost child.

Luna’s heart melted, and she nearly stumbled over herself to get closer to the little thing, lowering her head on her long, graceful neck. She was such a small thing, Luna didn’t want to frighten her! “Don’t be afraid, I’ll help you, little one.”

“Who’re ya talkin’ to?” Joe asked, twisting his neck on his shoulders to try and get a better look at Luna.

But just like that, the filly had turned and fled, disappearing into the undergrowth, the glow of her mane rapidly vanishing in the darkness.

“Wait!” Luna called, and took off like a shot after her, exhaustion forgotten.

“Luna!” Joe yelled, but she was gone, his voice an afterthought in the shadowed forest behind her as Luna lept from the path and into the dark, tangled underbrush.

Luna tore through the forest, a mare on a mission, as she followed the fading glow of the child’s mane. Every time she seemed to be losing her, she’d catch a glimpse of something glowing, or hear a tearful sob, and it renewed her desperation. Plants and trees whipped around her at a dizzying speed, whipping against her sides when she wasn’t careful, tripping her up if she didn’t lift her legs high enough. But she made it through, somehow, yet every time she seemed to be getting closer, the filly would vanish again - and no amount of pleading could get her to slow down.

Finally, Luna burst through the trees into a clearing, and as she panted, she tried to catch a glimpse of the filly. There was some grass, trees ringing the area, some gravel leading down into a - oh no.

In the center of a muddy, opaque river, the filly struggled, crying out feebly as her mouth filled with water. She coughed and kicked, but despite her efforts, the little one was slipping under.

“Hold on!” Luna called, and with a mighty leap, she leapt into the river, paddling towards the star-filly. It was especially difficult, as the river seemed to be more mud than water, but she struggled in the thick water mightily, fighting her way to the filly’s side. “Grab on!” she commanded, holding out a foreleg to her.

The filly grabbed a hold of her foreleg tightly, winding both of her own forelegs around her - and abruptly dragged her down.

Luna screamed as the muddy water suddenly closed over her head, and closed her eyes and mouth tightly as water tried to pour into them. What the - the filly was strong! She could feel herself being dragged down, down, down, and despite how she kicked and flailed, she couldn’t bring both herself and the filly back to the surface.

Then, she felt the sharp teeth sink into her flesh.

Her grunt of pain came out as a trio of bubbles, and she fought with a desperate, panicked energy to free herself. The teeth suddenly released her foreleg, and the powerful force dragging her down loosened. She freed herself with one powerful kick, and she swam for the surface, lungs burning. She broke the surface with a gasp, panting desperately as she struggled to remain above the water - it was just so difficult to paddle, with the water so heavy and her pack dragging her down!

A few feet away, the filly’s head popped out of the water, too - and honed in on Luna’s position immediately, paddling closer to her. She didn’t have to struggle for breath; Luna saw that now, in the way she swam so easily, and in the way she didn’t really look like a filly, either. Or even any sort of star-clad; no, she was looking more and more like an adult mare, but a little too long and stretched-out to be any kind of normal pony, with jet-black, oily-looking skin and pupiless white eyes. She slowly swam over to Luna, and the more Luna struggled, the slower she went, seeming to enjoy her panic - the wide, toothy grin was evidence enough of that.

Luna was going to die out here, she knew that now; this - thing was born for the water, and had lured her out here to drown her. She had no hope of fighting it off - she could barely keep herself afloat, much less fight. Still, she couldn’t give up just yet, so she began to paddle furiously, trying to fight her way to the shore. If she was going to be this monster’s meal, she wasn’t going to make it an easy one.

“Come at me, foul river beast!” she screeched, aiming her hind legs at the monster as she paddled. The first few kicks swung wide, but when the third blow landed in the center of the monster’s face, Luna allowed herself a sharp, gasping laugh of relief.

When the monster unhinged its jaw to enclose Luna’s hoof in its mouth, Luna couldn’t stop the shrill, high shriek of terror from escaping.

As its teeth closed around her leg, cutting into her flesh as it began to drag her back down into the river, Luna continued to fight. She dug her hooves into the thick mud of the riverbank, fighting its pull even as she felt herself slipping backwards. She struggled to keep her head above the muddy water, gasping out what she imagined to be her final breaths, trying to mask the small, sobbing cries of panic that rolled over her each time the water got into her mouth. She was a princess, and she would die with some measure of dignity, even out here with no one to see it.

“Hey! Ugly! Get over here, ya smelly old bag a - a - manure!”

It was hard to see now, with the water getting higher and splashing into her face, but for a moment it almost sounded like Joe had found her. There was a loud, heavy splash behind her, and she felt the teeth loosen, just a little bit.

“Yeah! You! Get over here, I got somethin’ you’ll really like, you ugly son of a gun!”

That hideous accent! It had to be Joe, no one else in the forest would talk like that on purpose! Luna’s struggles redoubled in their energy, and as she fought, she felt the teeth tighten for a brief, terrifying moment - then abruptly release, so that the beast could lift its head and examine the new threat.

“Joe! Joe, thou must flee!” Luna screamed, desperately fighting her way to the shore, her body shaking with each muddy, suckling step. Even as Joe taunted the creature, she could see it getting closer and closer to him, moving at a deceptively slow pace.

“Hey, you like snacking on ponies? I think you’ll like these donuts more!” Joe yelled, throwing a donut at the monster’s face. It batted the fried dough away with its snout, but seemed to reconsider it after it licked some stray powdered sugar from its nose. The beast eyed Joe, then darted its head to the side, snarfing down the donut in one quick bite.

“Joe, flee!” Luna called to him, another step dragging her deeper into the muck. Ugh! Every step she took got her closer to the shore, but deeper into the mud! A sharp twinge from her bitten leg drew a surprised, wounded cry from her, driving her to her knees - and nose-deep into the river.

“Here! Take ‘em all!” Joe barked, throwing his bag of donuts into the far end of the river, where it began to sink and float downstream. The monster, now fully distracted, darted away from him, swimming towards the bag of sodden delights.

But that was all that Luna could see before her head disappeared under the water. She held her breath for as long as she could, steeling herself for another attempt at escape, when something grabbed at her mane. Her breath vanished in a cry of pain, and as she tried to fight off the attacker, she felt herself suddenly tugged free of the water, and another sharp tug yanked her free from the mud, despite how it made her follicles scream.

“Hng ‘nn!” Joe grunted, his teeth clamped down on her braid, dragging her back to shore by brute strength alone. He paused once her head was above water, resettled his hooves on the uncertain shore, and gave another mighty yank, tugging her forelegs free. A few more yanks, and she was free of the muck, leaving her panting on the shore.

“Joe - Joe, thou savest me - I cannot - thy bravery -”

“Don’t thank me yet, toots, we’re not out of the woods yet.” he huffed, unbuckling his saddlebags and pack, quickly looking over his belongings before he began to hastily shove as much as he could into the saddlebags, emptying everything else out.

“The beast - Joe, it will surely return, we must - hasten ourselves -” she gasped, struggling to her legs, keeping weight off of her wounded hoof.

“I know, but I gave ‘em somethin’ that’ll slow that scum-sucker down. Nightshade berries’re deadly to ponies, and they’re probably not very tasty for Kelpies, either.” he whuffed, pushing his saddlebag down with a grunt, finally managing to tie it shut. He strapped the bulging bags to his sides, then bent down beside Luna, tugging her up onto his back.

Luna was too surprised to do much but stare at the back of his head in a shocked sort of wonder as he took off at a run - no one yanked and dragged her around, because she was a princess. But as she heard the Kelpie’s angry shrieks echo behind them, she wisely decided that the indignity of a piggy-back ride was worth it, in this instance.

Joe tore through the undergrowth with a desperate speed similar to her own previous gallop. Glowing squirrels and various fauna moved and called around them as they tore through the forest, and large, dark shapes seemed to haunt the edges of Luna’s vision as it blurred, only to vanish when her panicked gaze focused on them.

After a run that was probably much shorter than it felt, Joe and Luna broke through the forest cover, galloping into another wide, empty meadow. Luna thought it was the same meadow at first, before she saw the wide, shallow river running through it. Despite its lack of aerial cover, and lack of cute, glowing creatures scampering through it, Luna couldn’t help but feel relief at the sight. If Luna had to make the choice between facing the Kelpie or fighting Celestia, she was pretty sure she would choose Celestia.

Chapter 7

A bone-deep shudder ran through Luna as she watched the starlight glimmer off of the surface of the river - and her shuddering increased considerably when she felt Joe heading towards it.

“What art thou doing! This river doth surely connect to that of the Kelpie’s -”

“Yer leg’ll get all kinds’a nasty if we don’t clean it up, Princess.” Joe said in his gruff voice, although with an undertone of surprising gentleness. “Water’s too shallow for Kelpies, anyway.”

Luna expected him to let her off on the banks, and keep himself dry; instead, he carried her over into the middle of the river, and knelt down so that she could slide off without putting any weight on her wounded leg. But once she was off and he got a good look at it, he didn’t bother to keep quiet about it.

“Sheep’s brains, Princess, that looks bad. Did she take a bite outta ya?” he asked, washing the mud from his own forelegs before he began helping her, splashing little bits of water over whatever part of her was closest.

“No, I was trying to kick her face before I went under. She caught my leg in her mouth.” Luna said simply, focusing on washing her muddy, thoroughly-un-royal-looking coat. Joe’s sharp, amused laughter startled her, painfully loud in the silence of the meadow.

“You just keep surprisin’ me, Princessy.” Joe grinned, giving her leg another little splash.

“Surprising you? You of all people shouldn’t be surprised, after you hauled me over your back like a sack of potatoes!” Luna sniffed, doing her best not to pay attention to the way he looked at her, the way that pride mingled with shock in his expression. “And now you are splashing me like - some washmare’s laundry in the market fountain.” she huffed, giving him a little splash to demonstrate. “You, of all people, shouldn’t be shocked that I’m suddenly acting in a way that is not in accordance with my station!”

Joe stared at her for a moment, then broke out into another loud, amused bout of laughter. “Oh, I’m splashin’ yer royal coat now, am I? I’ll show what splashin’ really looks like, toots!” And with that, he lifted up both forelegs, and began splashing her in earnest.

Luna gave a surprised cry, and tried to escape him as best she could, but all she ended up doing was rolling onto her side in a helpless heap as he fairly showered her in river water. “Oh, you - you brute!” she whinnied, flailing her legs in a rather helpless fashion, half-sunk in the river.

Immediately, Joe felt bad. “Aw, c’mon toots, I’m sorry, I was just teasin’ ya. Just havin’ a little fun, trying ta take the edge off … you’re not hurt, right?” he asked, peering down into her face worriedly. “You aren’t mad?”

His answer was a mouthful of water, spat into his face, and as much water kicked onto him as three good legs could manage.

“YOU ARE THE WORST PRINCESS EVER, YOU KNOW THAT?” Joe whinnied, trying to shake his head dry, torn between amused rage and laughter as he landed on his hindquarters in a soggy heap.

“You should not start a war you cannot win, Joe.” Luna murmured, and this time, her staunchly-royal tone was more playful, a smile playing around her mouth.

“The. Very. Worst.” he whuffed, trying to blow the wet forelock out of his eyes between laughs. “Alright, Princessy, you’d better be clean by now or else I’m gonna splash you again.”

“I think you got the worst of it.” Luna murmured, trying to look herself over. The braid was a total loss, but at least the mud was out of it. Her wounded legs were another issue entirely. Although they looked cleaner, they were a sorry sight. Still, she had expected a lot worse, and she was just glad she came out of it with all four legs intact. “I’ll need something to wrap them with, so they don’t get infected. Did you bring anything like that?”

“Sorry, Princess. Left most’a the med kit in my backpack, back at the river.” Joe rumbled, ears sliding back in frustration. “Tried to grab the most important bits, though. Didn’t think to grab gauze. Wasn’t thinkin’.”

“It’s alright, Joe. You thought very fast on your hooves, in my opinion.” Luna praised him softly, and when he turned away, the nervous way his ears flicked back and forth told her that the praise was much appreciated. “You saved my life.”

“Well, just payin’ back the favor. You saved mine, an’ all.” Joe rumbled, clearly uncomfortable with the praise, as he focused on rinsing his hooves off in the river, and knocking over stray pebbles. “Wasn’ta big deal, or nothin’.”

“You fought off a Kelpie. I was lured in by her deception, and you knew how to save me. I would call that a ‘pretty big deal.’” Luna stated simply, pulling herself to her hooves with a wince. Her hind leg hurt - but it was a good hurt. You couldn’t hurt if you were dead, after all.

“Yeah, well, jus’ - returnin’ the favor.” he mumbled, but this time, he flashed her a small, pleased smile. “You okay over there? Need help?”

“I’ll be all right, if camp is close.” she murmured, turning her eyes towards the sky. Still dark out, with plenty of stars to admire - but open, too open to hide from Celestia. But the closest cover was that of the Kelpie’s forest, and ahead of them, a low mountain ridge crested the horizon. They would be out of luck, unless they could scale that overnight. And with the moon waning and the exhaustion from the Kelpie fight starting to hit them, it seemed almost as likely as Celestia dropping from the sky to bestow forgiveness on both of them. “Where will we stay tonight?”

“Well, camp is going to have to be out here. And since the tarp stayed with the Kelpie, we’re gonna have to come up with some kind of cover for ourselves.” Joe frowned, leading her further into the meadow, its grasses less high and formidable than before.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and when Joe didn’t complete the obvious thought, Luna spoke up. “Well, why don’t we just weave a covering out of the grass?”

Joe looked over his shoulder at her, brows knitted tightly together. “‘Scuse me?”

“Weave a covering. You know, like - a woven mat, but in a bowl shape?” Luna clarified, and tilted her head at him in confusion, a smile curling her lips. “Does this mean I know something about traveling that you don’t?”

“Don’t get all cocky about it, Princessy.” he chuckled back at her, giving his tail a little whisk towards her face, earning a laugh in return. “Okay, so you show me how to do the weaving, and I’ll use my magic. Can’t be too careful, if Celestia’s tryin’ to find ya through yours.”

The pair set to work, and within a short time, they had a fire started - which wasn’t much effort at all, being as Joe was a unicorn in the business of baking. But it was a welcome respite nonetheless, being as they were both soaked through from the river. But while Luna was soon significantly warmer and dryer, Joe continued to shiver through his weaving, his sodden uniform sticking to his coat.

Luna eyed him, but didn’t say anything about it; it was his choice, wasn’t it? And, she couldn’t help but notice, his shirt seemed to be the only stray bit of fabric around, and it could be cut very neatly into handy strips, such as for bandaging Kelpie bite wounds, or forming a sling for a disabled hind leg, for example. But such a selfish thought was not befitting of - a princess? No, princesses could ask for whatever they wanted and be given it. And it wasn’t out of the realm of fairness, either - it was perfectly fair to ask for a bandage, if you were wounded. But it wouldn’t be right, because - well, because it was Joe. She didn’t know why that made sense, but it just did. So she’d figure out something else, like perhaps Joe could weave her a sling out of the grasses.

“Why’re you starin’ at me, Loo?”

Luna practically jumped, unaware of when her eyes had begun to glaze over. “My apologies, Joe. After so many years alone, I have gotten out of the habit of certain social norms.” she said quickly, eyes darting to his before very studiously darting elsewhere, like at the extremely-interesting grass, or the absolutely-thrilling fire.

“You’re pretty funny, for a princess.” Joe chuckled, shivering gently as he continued to weave the grass together, forming the next panel that would extend over their heads.

“Are you cold, Joe?” Luna asked, eyes returning to his bulky form as he shivered. Their coats were warming, sitting beside the fire; his shirt remained damp.

Joe didn’t respond at first, which made Luna immediately curious. He had a quick tongue; to see it quieted meant something strange was going on. “Well, it’ll dry just as well if it’s on my back.” he said at last, as self-assured and even as if he actually believed it.

“Really.”

“You know, since we’re asking invasive questions, here’s one for you: how scared were you, back there, with the Kelpie?”

Luna’s ears abruptly went flat against her head, and she stared at him for a moment in wounded silence before her hurt transitioned into anger. “You’ve made your point.”

“No, I don’t think I have. I’m asking you, honestly, what you were feeling.” Joe continued, his eyes on his weaving, purposefully avoiding her.

“I was terrified.” Luna said flatly, her voice sharp and cold. “I realized I was going to die. But even though I knew that it was a certainty, I fought like an animal. I lept on every chance that might give me a few more moments of life, and every time the water closed over my head, I realized anew that I would never see the moon again. That I would never see my sister again, even if I hated her, even if she hated me. I have never felt such terror, not even when I was banished.”

“Alright.” Joe said quietly, listening to her, as if he hardly cared at all. But when he looked back, the intensity of his gaze startled Luna - and scared her, too. “So, here’s my question to you: why didn’t the Nightmare come out?”

Luna stared at him for a moment, her brows lifting, abandoning their anger to shift to confusion. “Why didn’t...? I wasn’t angry.”

“No, but you told me you were fighting. The Nightmare doesn’t have to do with anger alone - wouldn’t it be activated by any strong emotion? Or if it thought you were going to die, wouldn’t it come out to save you both?” Joe asked, his eyes riveted on her, his weaving forgotten.

“I - it doesn’t - it doesn’t work that way.” Luna stammered quietly, eyes wide as she stared at him.

“I think it does. I think you lost control, and the Nightmare didn’t come out.” Joe pressed, eyes locked on hers. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“How would you know?! It was - a thousand years ago, you weren’t even born then!” Luna snapped at him, ears flattening out against her soggy, tangled mane.

“If it would have saved your life, wouldn’t you have wanted the Nightmare to come out?”

“Why would I want a thing like that? She - laid waste to Equestria, destroyed lives, ruined so many -”

“You said you would have done anything to stay alive, right?” Joe said, and this time, his voice was much less accusatory, more soft and - pleading, almost. “Ponies do crazy things when they think they’re going to die. I would have, if I’d been in that water.”

“I … that’s not … it doesn’t work like that.” Luna repeated, and even to her own ears, it sounded weak. He made a fair point; if the Nightmare was there, why didn’t it save her? If she died, the Nightmare would die.

“You asked me why I wouldn’t take off my shirt, right?” Joe shifted subjects, his eyes hardening as they focused on some point in the distance. “When I was born, I had a couple’a birth defects. Not big, not dangerous, but it meant I had to have a couple of surgeries on my back, and it left some scars behind. Well, foals don’t take too well to differences, so I got teased pretty bad when I was little. Even took to wearin’ a shirt, and it didn’t change things none. But when I moved to the Broncs, no one knew what was under it. No one called me Razorback, or Patchwork-Coat; foals called me Joe. Just Joe. And I decided I liked that, liked havin’ friends. So I never took off the shirt, and no one had to know I was scarred. And you know what? Even now, I’m scared ta take this thing off, even though it’s freezin’ out here, and even though you could use it for your leg, because I’m scared I’m gonna be Razorback again. I’m a buckin’ grown-up stallion, and inside I’m still the little colt who thinks he’s not gonna have any friends anymore.”

The silence stretched out between them. In the distance, crickets chirped, and the river ran through its banks, light and bubbly. When Luna spoke again, her voice was low, and her eyes fairly burned in the darkness with the intention in her words. “I promise you, Joe, on my honor, that I will never call you those things. My trust in you will not waver because of how you look, this I swear.”

Joe’s eyes drifted back to her from where they’d been focusing on the river, and his tense expression lightened, just a bit. “You trust me, Loo?”

“Well, I - I saved your life, and you saved mine, correct? That implies a certain sort of - camaraderie, at least. And you are - pleasant to talk to, and you seem to be very focused on aiding me, so - that makes us -”

“Servant and master?” Joe grinned, nice and slow.

“No! No, nothing of the sort! I would not wish it to be that way, because - because then you wouldn’t call me ‘toots,’ even if I told you not to. And you wouldn’t … challenge me, even if I don’t like it.” Luna started out quickly, then slowed down, trying to think of how to phrase what she was feeling. “No one’s ever called me ‘Loo’ before, either.”

“That a problem, Princessy?” Joe cracked, some of his Broncs swagger returning.

“No. Actually, I quite like it, which is undeniably strange. You are undeniably strange.” Luna continued, watching him with dark, intense eyes, provoking a laugh from the bulkier stallion.

“You ain’t exactly normal either, Loo.”

“Precisely. That’s … why I like you.” Luna said quietly, resting her chin on one foreleg, frowning as she considered him. “You don’t pretend I’m something I’m not. You don’t pretend that everything is okay if it isn’t. I find myself attracted to your frankness, and your honesty, because it is something I have been lacking as of late.”

“You forgot my be-yoo-tiful face, and my rippling physique.” Joe teased her, blowing off her praise with a whuff.

“Your wit, too, is entertaining. I quite enjoy it, even though you are using it right now to try and dismiss my praise of you.” Luna persisted, frowning at him intently until his laughter quieted. “I think you are a good stallion, Joe. I was very lucky to find you, when I needed your aid most. If … if we are not friends, then I would very much like for us to become thusly.” she asked formally, holding one foreleg out to him.

“Right now?” Joe looked at her, then down at her hoof, and chuckled quietly. “See, I knew I liked you. Okay, you got it, we’re friends - just so long as I don’t have to shake your hoof, or kiss it, or whatever you think you’re doin with it, ‘kay?”

“Understood - friend.” Luna said, a little stiffly, but a small smile crinkled the edges of her eyes when Joe did.

“So, now’s the part where I get to talk about all your little weirdnesses, huh? In a super high-falootin’ Canterlot accent?” Joe teased, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

But instead of laughing, Luna pulled herself up very straight, crossed her forelegs as politely as she could, and gave a little nod. “Very well. Please proceed.”

“‘M just kiddin’ Loo, sheesh, ya’d think every conversation was a speechifyin’ occasion with you.” he chuckled, flicking his tail so that it slapped against the grass. But when she fell silent, he fell silent too, watching her for a moment in thought. “You know,” he said at last, “I think you’re a pretty nice pony, too. You’ve got yer weird moments - like that pacing thing, that was really weird - but you’re not a weird pony. Yer just - different, from most’a the ponies around here. That’s all. And ya think yer gonna blow up at any second, like you’re a bomb waitin’ ta go off, but I don’t think that’s true. I think yer just scared, like me.”

“Like you?” Luna asked quietly, her voice small and delicate, wanting to believe him so badly that it almost ached.

“Yeah. Inside, yer just a little filly, who’s scared that if she lets other ponies know how she’s really feelin’, bad things’re gonna happen again. And I think, if you just tell other folk how yer feelin’, you’ll actually end up feelin’ a whole lot better.” Joe replied, equally soft.

Luna looked down at her forelegs, and frowned, as if the answer to her problems lay somewhere in the center of her hoof. But of course, it was still the same hoof it always was, with no answers to be found there. “Maybe so.” she murmured at length, letting the silence stretch out between them.

“I’M ANGRY BECAUSE THE OTHER COLTS WERE BUCKIN’ JERKS TO ME WHEN I WAS LITTLE!”

Chapter 8

The yelling was so sharp, so sudden, that Luna very nearly had a heart attack right then and there.

“I’M ANGRY BECAUSE -”

“What are you yelling about!?” Luna demanded, her voice a sharp stage whisper. “You’re - you’ll - yelling!!”

“I’m lettin’ my feelings out.” Joe said briskly, rolling onto his side, then onto his back, all four legs in the air, as casual as can be. “It’s good to let feelings out, now and again.”

“But yelling? Yelling isn’t - appropriate, yelling isn’t -” Luna sputtered, ears flicking back and forth as she tried to get a good look at him - which was difficult, when he was upside down.

“What is more appropriate? Where else are you gonna yell, but out here in the middle of nowheres?” Joe asked, folding his forelegs neatly on his chest as he looked up at her. “No one’s gonna hear us. It’s you, and me, and the river. And maybe some crickets, but they won’t tell.”

“Yelling isn’t - it’s not - the Nightmare -”

“Where is more appropriate for this?” Joe asked, and this time his expression was less jaunty and devil-may-care. “No one’s gonna hear us. No one’s gonna say it’s not ‘appropriate’ for a princess. And no one’s gonna see the Nightmare if she comes out, just you and me. And I won’t let it get that far.” A beat. “Promise.”

Luna frowned down at him, even if he was upside-down, and did her best to stare him down. When his expression didn’t change, she broke the stare, ears flat against her tangled, mussed mane.

“You said you trusted me, Loo. I trust you, too. If you’ll let me, I want to help.” Joe added, his voice softer and gentler this time, despite the way it rumbled in his chest. “Cuz you’re my friend.”

Luna continued to glare at the grass, for one, two, three minutes, and Joe figured she was just coming up with a way to tell him off. When she eventually flopped down on the grass, he didn’t protest, or voice any of the surprise that was clear on his face. Instead, he said, “Okay. So - ya just yell why yer mad, up at the sky. Real simple. I’ll start.” He cleared his throat, and began to yell to the distant stars. “I’m mad because those colts were supposed to be my friends, and instead they called me names!”

Luna listened to his yelling, and when she didn’t respond, Joe whispered to her again. “Okay, yer turn.”

She took a deep breath - then released it. But she tried again, and this time, she answered him in a loud, booming voice: “I’M MAD BECAUSE MY SISTER TOOK OVER MY ROYAL DUTIES.”

“That’s good, that’s good!” Joe praised her, clearing his throat before he gave it another stab. “I’m mad because I never asked to be scarred up, it’s not fair!”

“I’m mad because my sister wants to marry me off to some blueblooded jerk, for no reason! It’s not fair!”

“It really burns my biscuits when ponies think I’m dumb, just because I’m fat!”

“I’m mad because everyone’s afraid of me!”

“I’m gonna kick the next guy who makes a fat-donut-maker joke!”

“I’m mad because I never asked to have the Nightmare happen! It’s not fair!”

“It’s not fair that Mom and Dad don’t approve of my donut shop!”

“It’s not fair that I was banished! I never wanted the Nightmare to take over!”

“It’s not fair that I’m still stuck wearing this shirt!”

“It’s not fair that everypony acts like the Nightmare was my fault! If someone would have just listened to me - and now no one listens to me, not at all - and I feel so alone and it’s not! fair!” Luna screeched, tears rolling down her cheeks, kicking her legs at the sky.

Joe fell quiet, and for a moment, Luna wondered why; then, she realized that her breath was heaving, and she was full-on sobbing now. She hadn’t noticed it until the shouting had died down, she supposed, because she was so caught up in the words that kept spilling from her mouth, unbidden. She opened her mouth to say something to Joe, something intelligent and controlled, and instead all that came out was a shuddering, drawn-out sob.

“I know.” Joe murmured, scooting over to her until his side pressed against hers, offering her his comforting bulk to press against and hide her face in. “I know.” he repeated, resting his chin against her hair, listening to the princess cry.

Luna hid her face in his tan shoulder for a long, long time, even after the tears had stopped. She lay there, and while Joe worked on weaving the mats, she took full stock of herself.

Her throat hurt; that was the screaming, she supposed.

Her eyes hurt; but so did her head, and her nose. That was the tears, it always hurt after she cried - how had she forgotten that?

Her legs ached, but that was to be expected, after surviving a Kelpie attack.

But there was one thing that she didn’t notice, one thing that hadn’t happened: she hadn’t become the Nightmare. She hadn’t taken over when Luna lost control. Luna had been completely at her mercy, screaming and crying to the sky, her every emotion running wild - and nothing had happened. She was still herself, still Luna. Shaken up, but wholly, utterly herself.

When she opened her eyes, red-rimmed with tears, the stars had been blocked out; the mat-tent that Joe was weaving was nearly finished, shielding them from the sky’s seeking rays. But Joe remained beside her, even as he twisted and magicked the tent poles into the ground, straining to see from where he laid on his back.

“Joe, you can get up now. I’m sorry I made you stay.” Luna sniffed, rubbing her nose with the back of her hoof - most unladylike. Good thing she wasn’t a princess anymore.

“You didn’t make me do nothin’ - friend, not servant, remember Loo?” Joe smiled, pulling himself to his hooves with a grunt.

“I remember.” she murmured, a wan smile curling her lips. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” Joe smiled, and gave an elegant little nod. “Now, this is about done, but we’re gonna have an issue with the beddin’ situation. I was only able to fit one bedroll into the saddlebags, so that means you’ll be sleepin’ with that, and I got a woven mat I’m gonna finish up for me.” he explained, digging in the pouch for the bedding, pulling it out with a grunt of effort. “So yer gonna need ta -”

“I don’t want to have a bed, if you don’t have one.” Luna interrupted him quietly, giving her eyes another rub as she received the bedding, pulling herself into a sitting position.

“You gonna fight me on this?” Joe asked, lifting one dubious, forceful, manly eyebrow at her.

“To the death.”

“Ladies melt like buttercream frosting when I give them this look. You still wanna fight?” Joe asked, waggling both eyebrows at her now, eyes slitted and very, very roguish.

“I am royalty. We do not melt so easily.” Luna said firmly, pushing the bedroll back towards him.

“Alright, I was afraid of this.” Joe sighed, bringing up one hoof to rub the base of his horn in frustration. “Okay, here’s an idea: we unzip the bedroll, and we both sleep on grass mats, with the blanket thrown over us. We don’t have to get close or nothin’, just close enough to share.”

Luna considered it, then gave a small nod of agreement. “Sounds fair to me.” But instead of unzipping the bedroll, she pulled herself to her hooves, and began to tug stalks of grass from the earth around their camp.

“What’re you doin’?”

“If there’s grass on the top of our hut, it might look more like a hill. I am camouflaging it.”

Joe watched her for a moment, considering it, then gave a small, impressed nod. “You know, you’re actually really good at this wilderness-survival stuff.”

“It was how we camouflaged our troops during the Great War.” she murmured as she worked, tucking sprays of grass into the woven covering.

“The Great...? Oh, right. A thousand years ago.” Joe nodded, brows lifting as he watched her.

“There is a lot you do not know about me.” Luna replied, finally returning to lie under the covering with him, folding herself up on her mat. It was itchy, but it kept her from rolling in the dirt, at least.

“Are you implyin’ I’m as shallow as a puddle, or somethin’? I’ll have you know, Loo, that I am a veritable stallion of mystery.” Joe huffed, and when she chuckled, he threw the remainder of the bedroll over her head. “Go to sleep, yer Royal Rudeness.”

“Good night, Joe.” Luna murmured, smiling at him from under their shared blanket.

“Good night, Loo.” Joe grinned back, resettling himself before he left his eyes slip shut, drifting off to sleep.

Chapter 9

“Luna! Luna, where are you?”

She was in her mother’s garden, which she had loved so dearly. Her mother’s duty was to lift the sun, and so she directed its gentlest rays to her little patch of green, warming all of the flora and fauna that thrived there. Flowers of every color glowed in their beds, bright and happy, and the grass was a velvety blanket that she and her mother would play on for hours. Birds sang in the trees, and rabbits darted from bush to bush, nibbling on the clover that her mother planted there.

She was a small filly, and no matter how quickly she galloped across the warm grass, her hooves seemed to slow her down, dragging to a crawl as she ran.

“Princess Luna! Princess Luna!”

Her mother was coming to find her; that was the game, after all. So Luna continued to run, stifling her giggles, and dove into a flowerbed, hiding her face under its warm, soft cover.

“Princess! Where are you? Luna?”

She did her best to hide her giggles as she saw her mother’s hooves approaching, all that she could see from her low vantage point. This was her favorite part; her mother would burst into sight, and then they would chase one another around the garden, until they finally collapsed from exhaustion, giggly and breathless.

“Princess Luna!”

She could see her mother lowering her body, crouching down to surprise Luna out of her hiding space. Luna crouched her legs under herself, eyes wide and excited, nearly shaking with anticipation. Here came her favorite part!

“PRINCESS LUNA!”

The face that exploded out from behind the cover of flowers was that of the Kelpie.

Luna awoke with a start, kicking at the blankets, her hooves landing in the soft bulk of her companion.

“Loo! Ssh!” Joe hissed, trying to mask his grunt of pain as she kicked him.

“The Kelpie - Mother’s garden -” Luna gasped, eyes rolling, trying to remember where she was.

“Princess Luna!” The voices echoed in her ears - from above her, this time, distant and soft. “Princess Luna, where are you?”

“The Royal Guard.” Luna whispered, eyes widening as she stared at the top of their grass hut, as if she might see them through it.

“That’s what I figured.” Joe whispered back to her, his eyes hard and narrow. “They haven’t found us yet. Started hearing them about half an hour back, so far they haven’t gotten any closer than overhead fly-bys.”

“They will find us.” Luna whispered, her voice filled with dread, her heart starting to pound in her chest.

“No they won’t.” he whispered back to her, and he said it with such vehemence that she was forced to look at him, abandoning her attempts to sight the Royal Guard from the tent opening. “It’s a good cover. The forest is a better place to hide - they’ll search there first. If I hear them getting close, I’ll wake you up, and we’ll run for it. You have wings; you can probably out-fly them, and I’ll use my magic to hold them off.”

When Luna said nothing, merely stared at him with naked fear in her eyes, Joe gave her shoulder a comforting little bump. “C’mon. We’ll be okay. You get back to sleep, or at least rest for the next couple’a hours. I’ll wake you up when it’s your shift.”

“I do not think that I’ll be able to sleep.” Luna whispered, huddling down against his side, hiding her face in his shoulder.

Joe cleared his throat, but when he spoke, his voice was calm. “Try. You’re gonna need rest, if we’re gonna be making a run for it tonight. Over that hill is a mountain, one of the closest borders to the Griffonlands. If something happens, you need to fly for it. Once you’re in their realm, Celestia would have to risk a war with the griffons to extradite you.”

“You certainly know a lot about international law, Joe.” Luna whispered back to him, resting her face on her crossed forelegs, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the voices calling her name.

“Stallion of mystery, remember?” Joe whispered, lowering his head as well, loosing a soft, tired sigh.

Luna was awake for a long time, listening to the voices overhead and the slow, steady breathing of her tentmate. She began to notice the pattern of his breathing more keenly; when it sped up, it meant there was someone overhead. But when he slowed and breathed more deeply, it meant they were safe. She did her best to rouse herself every time his breathing sped up, but when he awoke her in the late afternoon, she realized she had fallen asleep.

“Your turn.” Joe grunted, rolling onto his side and covering his eyes with a foreleg. “Wake me up when it’s dark, or if you fall asleep.”

“How am I supposed to wake you if I am already asleep?” Luna asked, trying to tease him, but he was already out.

The hours passed slowly, alone with only Joe’s breathing and her thoughts for companions. The calls for her came less and less frequently; she was glad for it, at least, because it meant that she would be less and less tempted to give herself up. She passed many hours like this, watching the sun sink lower and lower into the sky, listening to the sound of the day birds giving their last calls as they retreated to their nests.

At last, the sun was gone, and as the moon slowly rose, Luna pushed her hoof into Joe’s side. “Joe, it’s dark. Time to wake up.”

“Rghgrnnnghr.”

“Awaken, Joe. The moon is rising, we must be on our way.”

“Okay, okay, just - gimme a sec.” he growled, hiding his head under the bedroll. Instead of forcing him awake, Luna set to work, mimicking the actions she had seen him do several times before. She buried the remains of their fire, and tucked whatever stray objects they had removed back into the saddlebags. Lastly, she pulled the bedroll off of Joe, wrapping it as tightly as she could before squishing it into one of the pouches on his saddlebag.

“Hnghrhrng. Cold.” Joe whuffed, searching for the bedroll in vain for a moment before he sat up. “Wazzat?”

“It is time to start moving, Joe. I have packed the camp. We must be on our way if we are to reach the Griffonlands before dawn.” Luna murmured, giving him another little push.

“Packed the …?” Joe rumbled, and looked around, brows lifting as he slowly pulled himself to his hooves. “Well, I’ll be darned. Nice work, Loo. But we gotta get that leg wrapped up first.”

There was a moment of hesitation, then Joe stripped off his uniform, trying to give a strong impression that he couldn’t have cared less, really. Within a few moments, he had cut the uniform into pieces, using the middle section to form a sort of sling around the princess’s much slimmer waist, and the rest was cut into strips and tied over her wounds, along with a hefty dose of antibiotic cream.

“Nothing’ll kill you faster in the wilderness than an infection.” Joe said staunchly, as if the donut-symbol on his haunches somehow implied that he was a wilderness expert.

“Thank you, Joe.” Luna murmured, looking over her bandaged legs gratefully. When she looked up at him again, she took him in more slowly, appreciating how different he looked without his crisp, white uniform on. (Even if, by now, it had dirtied to more of a cream.) “I know how difficult it was to let me have it.”

Joe colored, and shook his mane out, avoiding her gaze. “Wasn’t a big deal. Had to wrap your leg.”

“No, it is a big deal.” Luna insisted quietly, her eyes riveted on his face.

Joe continued to avoid her gaze for a moment longer, but finally looked back at her, and gave a small, grateful nod. “You’re very welcome, Your Majesty.”

“Just Loo.” Luna murmured, bestowing a small smile on him.

“You’re welcome, Loo.”

Luna bowed her head to him, the motion as graceful and exquisite as was befitting of a princess of the realm.

“Man, no offense Loo, but you’re kind of a mess.” Joe chuckled, reaching a hoof forward to brush away some of the tangled mane from her face. “Lemme help. Braiding hair can’t be much different than braiding bread, right?” he murmured as he crawled closer to her, his horn lighting up in the dim tent as he began to brush her mane with his magic.

“Joe?” Luna murmured back to him, afraid to break the silence. “May I see your scars?”

There was a beat, a pause in which Luna could almost hear him considering it, and when he spoke, his voice was similarly soft. “Sure, Loo.”

She lifted her head and drew a little closer, looking over his back while he worked. They were almost invisible in the dim light of the tent, but sure enough, there were two very small, lighter marks near his shoulder blades. Almost invisible, unless you knew where to look.

“Weird, huh?”

“No, not weird. They are very small, hardly noticeable.” Luna murmured back to him, low and reassuring. “They are sign of your bravery; scars show that we survived. They are nothing to be ashamed of.”

This drew a small smile to Joe’s face, but he brushed it away as he straightened up, looking over his work. “A little lumpy, but they’ll hold. Might as well try to keep you undercover, if we can.”

“Thank you, Joe.” she smiled to him in reply, doing her best to pull herself to her hooves with three legs. It took a little help from Joe, but she was soon up, finding her balance without the fourth.

“You gonna be okay?”

“Yes. I will walk for as long as I can.” Luna said firmly, walking out of their low grass hut, Joe close behind her. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 10

The hill seemed deceptively close, and deceptively flat; but as they climbed, they found themselves becoming more and more winded, each step seeming to drag the breath from their lungs. But still they soldiered on, heads low and breath coming in sharp, choked gasps. They walked for as long as they could, climbing the rocky, uneven soil, their hooves providing little traction in the mountainside. There were few plants here and there, only an occasional scrub-brush or tumbleweed, but for the most part it was a colorless, flat landscape in the moonlight. Luna’s stomach growled something fierce, wishing they hadn’t thrown all of the donuts at the Kelpie, wishing there was some kind of berry around to eat. Unfortunately, the only sign of life around them was the occasional whisper of a snake slipping out of a hole, or the skitter of a rodent darting from bush to bush.

When her good hind leg began to slide on the mountainside behind her, Joe ordered them to a halt, trying to find a less-rocky spot for them to rest. “Mare above, this is a tough hill.” Joe whuffed, shaking his head as he panted.

“We’ll make it up.” Luna said softly, similarly tired, but determined. She loosed a soft, tired sigh, and stared down at the tops of her hooves, scuffing them in the dust of the path. “Getting close.”

“I don’t know if ‘not even halfway’ is close.” Joe chuckled, flashing her a grin, shifting his weight on his hooves. “How’s yer leg feelin’?”

“Good. Let’s go.” Luna grunted, and dug her hooves into the earth, resuming her hike.

“You know, you can ride on my back, if it’s too tough on three.” he called up to her, shuffling into a trot, trying to keep up with her. “I can handle it.”

There was a moment of silence, the only sound that of Luna and Joe’s grunted efforts as they climbed. “I’m angry because this mountain is too steep!” Luna called back to him, a laugh in her voice, despite the frustration.

“I’m angry because I’m out of shape! If I ever go mountain climbing again, I am gonna practice on a smaller mountain!” he laughed back to her, giving an angry little grunt as he climbed.

“I’m angry because if my leg slips out from under me one more time, I’m going to hack it off and become a mer-pony!” Luna laughed, gritting her teeth as she dug her hooves deep into the soil, trying to find purchase.

“I’m angry because -”

“Princess Luna!”

Their playfully-angry tete-a-tete came to a sudden halt as a pair of pegasi suddenly appeared overhead, their pale bodies like comets in the night sky.

“We’ve found her! Thunderhoof, this way!”

“Luna - go!” Joe snarled, and broke into a sudden gallop, pushing Luna further up the hill. “We’re almost there! You have to fly!”

“But Joe -”

“GO!”

Luna struggled ahead, using her wings to help build up speed when her three legs weren’t strong enough. As she leapt into the air, cape fluttering behind her, she looked back to Joe. He remained on the ground, swiping his horn at the pair of pegasus guards, spewing vitriol whenever they tried to head back towards Luna. When insults alone didn’t work, he used his magic to lob rocks at them, striking against their armor.

“Joe!”

“Get yer royal butt movin, toots, or I’m gonna - nngh, take that - capture you myself!”

Luna dove towards the mountain range, obeying Joe’s command - but even as the banners of the Griffonlands came into sight, proudly proclaiming that she was within flying distance of the craggy, mountainous region, she turned back to see how Joe was faring with the Royal Guards.

In a word: Poorly.

Guards were accustomed to taking down unicorn assailants, and in order to follow Luna, it became clear that Joe was an obstacle that would need to be gotten rid of. Every time they advanced a few feet, Joe was hot on their heels, throwing rocks and insults, using his magic to drag them down when they tried to fly. And so, as Luna watched in horror, the guards dove for him, and after several sharp blows, Joe was on the ground.

“Joe!”

Time was a broken clock; it sped up and slowed down at seemingly random intervals. In one moment, she was still in the air. The next, she was on the ground. The guards were in her way, and then they were lying in the dirt. Joe was far away, then right next to her, so still and quiet.

“Joe, you can’t die, Joe, you have to be okay, you have to get up.” Luna whispered, pushing her face into his shoulder, hiccuping her words. “You can’t die, you can’t, I won’t let you. Joe, answer me!”

“Not dyin’, toots, but if you keep pushin’ yer face into my bruise like that, I might.” Joe grunted, trying to wriggle out from under her. “You were supposed to go. You ain’t very good at listening, are ya?”

His next cry was a louder one, responding to the sharp smack of Luna’s hoof on his side. “Don’t you ever dare scare me like that again.” she hissed, her voice venomous and low, even as she pressed her face into his coat.

“Yeah, yeah.” Joe rumbled, a tiny smile curling his lips. “By the way, ow.”

“Your Majesty...” the first guard said hesitantly, adjusting his helmet from where the princess had knocked it askew. “Your sister...”

Luna kept her face in Joe’s coat for a few moments longer, seeming to ignore the guard, but finally managed to pull herself away, nodding. “There is no need to fight. I surrender myself willingly.”

“Luna!”

Luna’s eyes darted to Joe’s, her own pair stormy and intense. “I must speak with my sister. I know that now.”

Joe stared at her for a moment, then gave a small, slight nod. “Okay. I’m comin’ too.”

“Your Majesty -”

“He’s coming too.” Luna interrupted sharply, directing her glare towards the guard.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” he murmured, dipping his head to her deferentially.

Luna eyed him for a moment, her eyes cold and regal. “My apologies for shoving you earlier. I hope you are both unharmed.”

The guard looked at his partner, then gave a small, tentative nod. “Yes, Your Majesty, we’re fine.”

“Good.” She scanned the horizon for a moment, silent and thoughtful. At length, she murmured, “We will need some sort of cart for Joe, unless you wish to walk home.”

“Of course, Majesty.” one of them murmured, and leapt into the air, flying away from the mountain range.

“I do not fancy facing the Kelpie a second time.” Luna murmured, her gaze dark and unfocused, unaware of the way the guard looked at Joe with a vague sort of panic. Her thoughts were elsewhere now, wondering how, precisely, she would face her sister.

Chapter 11

The trip back to the castle was uneventful; once the first guard (Storm’s Eye) returned with a two-pony cart for Joe, the other members of the search party started to slowly join them as well, appearing in near silence as they flew through the night sky. If their numbers were any indicator, her sister had sent a significant portion of the Royal Guard out to find her. A wise decision, she thought bitterly, if the Nightmare was going to return. They flew in silence, but Luna could feel their eyes on her, despite how they tried to hide it. These guards were no mere protective cavalcade; protective, yes, but not of her.

They reached the castle just as dawn was breaking, spreading its comforting warmth over the sleeping inhabitants of Canterlot. But to Luna, it was a warning, a promise of her sister’s omnipresence spreading over the land. A promise of danger - and she was flying right into the center of it all.

“Luna!” There were no other servants up this early; no guards, either, which meant Celestia must have sent out her own protective cadre to find her. She was alone in the throne room, and the similarity to the night that Luna had fled was distressingly similar.

“Hello, Celestia.” Luna murmured, her own quiet tone in stark contrast to her sister’s surprised, overjoyed cry.

“Luna, I was so worried - where have you been? Why didn’t you come home? Oh Luna, your leg!” Celestia’s eyes shifted, slightly, to watch the guard ponies draw back - while Joe remained.

“I was going to exile myself. It seemed the only fair thing to do, when presented with an impossible choice.” Luna said carefully, trying to keep her voice even.

“Impossible - ? Luna, you know that’s not true. I would never purposefully -”

“Truly, sister? You were - are - planning to marry me off to some stuffed shirt - like Blueblood!” Luna accused, ears flattening against her mane as her voice rose.

“Blueblood? Sister, surely you cannot believe me to be so heartless.” Celestia gasped, a brief expression of revulsion passing over her face. “I would never marry you off to someone like - him.”

“But you would marry me off to some other stranger?” Luna snapped, taking a sharp, decisive step forward.

“Only to do what was best for you! Luna, please, we can discuss this later - you’re getting upset, it’s been a long night, everything will seem better in the eve-”

“No! We will discuss this now!” Luna barked, her voice rising to a shout. The response in the room was instantaneous; she could have heard a pin drop.

“Luna, you know that it’s not good to get upset. Why don’t we have a nice, calming cup of tea-” Celestia began, her voice carefully calm, soft and imploring.

“No! I will get upset, because sometimes, there are things worth getting angry about!” Luna snapped, her eyes locked on her sister, her heart beating like a caged bird. “I’m angry that you never take my concerns seriously! It happened with this marriage, and it happened back then!”

“Luna - please -”

“I’m angry that you keep telling me to calm down when I’m upset! It doesn’t make things better, it just makes me angrier! Trying to keep me from being angry won’t ‘fix’ the Nightmare!” Luna shouted, her voice now ringing through the hall.

The hall fell to complete silence, and Celestia let it hang between them for a few moments before she ventured again. “Luna, that’s not what I think.”

“Celestia, won’t you just listen?” Luna pled with her, her voice softening. “I’m madder than I’ve ever been, and the Nightmare hasn’t come out. It didn’t come out the whole time I was gone, even when I got so angry I could’ve - could’ve done some quite unprincess-like things.”

Celestia frowned at her - the first honest frown Luna had seen in she couldn’t remember how long - and gave a small, begrudging nod. “I’m listening.”

“You treat me like a porcelain doll, like you have to decide my every action for me, to prevent me from getting upset. But a pony can’t live like that, there has to be some frustration in their life!” Luna hissed, and when she gestured to Joe, she did it so sharply that he flinched. “I’ve had more frustration than I can recall on this trip - and it was the most important thing I’ve done in ages. I achieved something, and it was under my own power. Everything we did, I helped to earn. It wasn’t given to me, and that’s what made it worthwhile. Without frustration - there is no gain.”

Celestia nodded as she listened, her frown softening, although her brows remained crinkled. “Very well, sister. You make a valid point. May I speak now?”

Luna colored, but nodded, returning her leg to the floor. It was difficult to hold oneself up on two legs, after all.

“Thank you. You make a valid point - and I had not intended to, ah, cage you, as you believe. Sister, you know I love you - I’ve loved you for as long as I’ve known you.” Celestia said softly, her voice soothing and sincere, and for a moment, Luna almost believed her.

“But then - why would you doom me to a life with a stallion I despised? Take me away from the moon I love?” She replied, and instead of sounding cool and controlled, she sounded sharp and distraught. Mare’s teeth!

“I never intended to do those things - I only wanted to make you happy.” Celestia murmured, her expression falling. “You have been so - this isn’t something we should discuss, with others here.” she said suddenly, her expression tightening as she looked around the room, as if remembering the guards and Joe were still there.

“Joe can hear whatever you have to say to me.” Luna said with a little huff, her hooves positively tingling with anticipation.

“Very well.” Celestia frowned, and loosed a soft sigh, as if steeling herself to say what was coming next. “I won’t dance around it, as I have up until now: you haven’t been yourself, Luna, not since you came back from the moon.”

“A thousand years in solitary confinement changes a pony.” Luna murmured, her voice dark, her gaze challenging Celestia’s.

“I know. But you also know I did what I had to do - to save our world. I would never have done it if it hasn’t been the only option left to me.” Celestia said, and to Joe’s ears, it sounded as if she was pleading with her sister to understand.

“I do.” Luna murmured, and this time, her eyes found the floor.

“It wasn’t something I wanted to do. It was something I had to - and I thought it might kill me.” Celestia admitted softly, her eyes finding the floor as well. “I missed you so much, Luna.”

“I know. You told me.” Luna murmured, her voice petulant.

“I never told you how much. How it felt like I was alone in the world, how it felt like I had lost my only friend, like half of my heart was missing. Luna, I never told you because I didn’t want to burden you with that guilt, and risk sending you into another - spiral, and bring back the Nightmare.” Celestia insisted, her eyes locked on Luna’s, waiting until she looked up at her to continue. “I never want to lose you again, not ever. I would give anything to keep that from happening. That’s why I’ve been so careful with you. I never wanted you to go away again, and I thought - if you didn’t feel those feelings, then it meant you would be happy, and I could make things up to you.” She paused, and added, in a softer voice, “I thought I could make up those thousand years to you, by making the next thousand the happiest you ever had.”

“By forcing me into a marriage I didn’t want?” Luna snapped, ears flattening, struggling to be angry at her, even when she looked so guilty, so very sorry for what she had done. It made Celestia seem almost … mortal.

“Luna …” And she spared a brief look to the guards, and Joe; when Luna frowned at her, she continued on. “You have no friends. You have no stallion companionship. I knew, with the lingering fear of the Nightmare - even if she was completely under control - you might never find a stallion willing to take the risk of falling in love with you. You might never know that happiness.”

Luna’s face burned, and she purposefully avoided looking at Joe; if she did, she felt as if her whole body might catch aflame. “So? It was never a problem for you.”

“I have friends, students, many servants and other companions who have become close to me in the time that you were gone - you have none of that. And I thought, you cannot arrange friendships, but sometimes, in arranging a marriage, friendship … happens.” Celestia finished, lifting her shoulders very slightly. “I have seen many arranged marriages, in the brief mortal lives of the Royal Court; many, many of them have become extremely happy couplings. And I thought, that if your husband became your best friend, that you wouldn’t need any other companionship.”

And here, Celestia smiled, a brief moment of happiness spreading over her features. “Cadence is so overjoyed when she is with Shining Armor. I realized you might never know that joy, and ... it seemed unfair. For someone who was deprived of so much, who had suffered so greatly, to be deprived even further. I wanted to spare you that unhappiness.”

“You couldn’t have asked me? Couldn’t have - helped me, instead of deciding for me? What if the man you thought I would like, wasn’t right? What if there was someone else I would have liked more?” Luna pressed, her words sharp and accusatory.

“But, sister,” And here, Celestia looked genuinely baffled, and Luna knew it was no act. “You seem to have become very close with him, without any help from me.”

Her heart, which until now had been beating like a wild animal in a cage, suddenly seemed to freeze as her blood curdled. “Become …” Slowly, unable to move any faster than a crawl, she turned her head to face Joe.

Joe couldn’t meet Luna’s gaze.

“You knew.”

“Luna -”

“You knew, and you didn’t tell me?” Luna snapped, cutting off Celestia’s soft, apologetic words. “All of this time, through all of those trials, all of that - you knew, you knew the whole bucking time, and you didn’t say anything.”

“Luna!” Celestia gasped, positively shocked by her language.

“You knew!” Luna cried out, and to her embarrassment, she could hear tears entering her voice, beginning to drip from her lashes onto her cheeks. “You bucking knew, and you played me for a fool. Mare above, it must have been so funny, watching me trying to escape my fate - was it amusing?”

“Luna.” Celestia said it softer this time, trying to stop her crying tirade, but Luna would have none of it.

“Was it?” Luna demanded, her voice rising into a sobbing shriek. “Was it?”

“I did it because I knew no one else would help you.”

Luna paused in her sobbing, just for a moment, because she wasn’t prepared for the soft, guilty words. His heavy brows were lowered over his eyes, but it was hard to see, because he kept staring at the floor. Despite her words, he looked about as far from amused as someone could get.

“I didn’t want you to go alone.” Joe murmured, his harshly accented voice softer than usual, low and heavy as he spoke to the floor. “I didn’t … want you ta get hurt.”

Luna tried to make a sharp, derisive noise, but it came out as a sob, and it just made her more frustrated. Even her own voice betrayed her, it would seem. “So I could come home safe and marry you?”

“I’m not marrying you.” Joe said this part sharply, and he lifted his head on his massive shoulders to frown at her - and Celestia. “I’m not marrying her. I knew that the first time she - the first time I laid eyes on you.” he said the last part a bit softer, slowly bringing his eyes back to Luna’s face. “I didn’t want to marry you, not if you would go to such lengths to avoid marrying me.”

“Why would Celestia pick - you?” Luna asked, and although she tried to make it sound curious, it came out sharper, more derisive. “You aren’t a member of the Royal Court. You - you work in a donut shop.”

“He is a duke, from a family whose title has been passed down for many generations. It is a lesser title, but he is technically royal, which makes him eligible for your hoof.” Celestia explained softly. “The proof of the bloodline sometimes shows through in failed alicornism - extra bones in the shoulders that have to be removed at a young age. I thought … he would suit you.”

“Suit me.” Luna snorted, far more wetly than she would have liked, sardonic and harsh. “Didn’t happen to mention that, when I w-was in your shop.”

“I knew if I said m’name was Joseph Ciambella di Impastare, you’d probably figure it out.” Joe mumbled, his ears falling back at her harsh tone. “I love makin’ donuts. Mom and Dad didn’t approve, but … not exactly the same as running away from the Royal Court, I guess.”

“I thought you were my friend.” Luna snapped, her voice harsh, wounded.

“I am your friend.” Joe murmured, and took a small, hesitant step towards her. When she didn’t rebuff him, he took another step closer, and just stared down at her, his expression sad.

“I am angry at you.” Luna hissed, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“I know. I’m kinda angry at me, too.” he whispered, and moved a little closer, until he could press his forehead against hers, his larger, bulkier face lining up against her slim, elegant one. “‘m sorry, Loo.”

The gentleness of the motion only made her cry harder, and she didn’t protest when he shifted his body around hers, moving forward to wrap his neck around hers, resting his chin on her shoulder, letting her hide her face in his thick neck.

“I thought I was doin’ the right thing.” he murmured, giving her coat a little nuzzle as the guards looked on in mixtures of surprise and uncertainty. “Didn’t mean ta make ya cry.”

“I am sorry as well, sister.” Celestia murmured, long, elegant legs carrying her to her sister’s side, so that she could drape her neck over her as well. “I was only doing what I thought was best. But I see now that I was not being fair to you. I hope you can forgive me.” she said sadly, nuzzling her crying sister’s mane.

“I’m mad. And I’m hurt.” Luna sobbed, pressing her face into Joe’s neck. It was strange, being so forthcoming about her feelings - and yet, liberating. There was no obfuscation, or avoidance; it came out so freely, so organically. Gradually, the tears stopped, and when she lifted her face from Joe’s neck, her face was dry. “But - I won’t be forever. And ... I know you were only trying to help. So maybe - this time, you can just let me do things on my own? And if I fail - then it will be my fault. And I can learn how to do things differently the next time.”

“That sounds like a wise plan to me, little sister.” Celestia smiled, and lowered her neck once more, wrapping Luna and Joe up in her wings. “A very wise plan, indeed.”

Chapter 12

The next few days passed in a blur. There was food - so much food, a glorious cornucopia of delights, all far too tantalizing to resist after days of subsiding on donuts and air - and hair brushes, and soft beds, and things she had missed, so dearly, that she had hardly realized how much she adored them until they were gone. The royal physicians had come to tend to her and Joe’s injuries, and replaced her sling with a fancier, cleaner one. She was scrubbed, wrapped, bathed, combed, and then allowed to sleep, for as long as she wanted. It was heavenly.

But after the meal, after her first, basic needs had been fulfilled - she wondered where Joe was. She missed his playful banter over meals, she missed the way he walked behind her and gave running commentary on their surroundings, and the way he always knew what to say when she wasn’t sure what to do. She even missed the way he smelled, and the heavy tread of his hooves behind her on the road. She missed him. But that was to be expected; she had been with him for days, had been her only companion. She would get used to him being gone, and her life would go back to normal.

Except it didn’t. She woke up on the second day, and thought, I wonder if Joe woke up early to make donuts today, or if he’s taking the week off. She had blueberries at lunch, and wondered how Joe had ever been clever enough to know to pick the nightshade berries to poison the Kelpie with. She brought the moon down in the morning, and wondered if he knew she was the one doing it now, that he had nothing to fear from the night. She wondered if he missed her as much as she missed him.

The third day came and went, and nothing changed. On the evening of the fourth day, there was a knock on her door, and inwardly, she wondered when her servants would just start letting themselves in, like they used to. “Yes?”

“Mrrghph -” Joe tried to talk around the flowers in his mouth for a few moments, then flushed deeply, using his magic to levitate them. “So, uh. Hi.”

“Hi.” Luna murmured back, just as soft, her eyes moving between his reddened face and the bouquet.

“I, uh, brought youse - some flowers.” Joe rumbled, his voice low in his chest, face turning redder with each passing moment. “Night-blooming jasmine. Seemed - appropriate.”

“They’re lovely, Joe. Thank you.” Luna murmured back to him, offering him a small, shy smile.

Joe stared at her for a moment, his face as red as a beet, as he clearly struggled with what to say. Idly, Luna noticed that his mane was carefully slicked down, and his uniform was freshly ironed. Finally, he burst out, “Look, I can’t stop thinkin’ about you, okay? I go home, and I can’t sleep. Can’t make donuts, can’t even eat donuts.”

Luna colored deeply, and it was her turn to look away shyly, ears flicking back and forth in agitation. “Really?” she asked at last, peeking up at him from under her forelock.

“Oh for the love of - yes, really!” Joe chuckled, playful frustration immediately fading. “Really really. So I thought - if you liked me, like I like you - maybe we could … y’know … go out, or somethin’.” Joe trailed off into a low voice, more of a murmur, rubbing one hind leg against the other nervously. “Don’t hafta get married or nothin’, just … see how things go.”

“I would really like that, Joe.” Luna murmured, a smile stealing over her mouth, which was soon mirrored on his face. “Really, really like that.”

“So, uh - you, … like me, too?” Joe asked, casting her a sidelong glance.

“Very much so.” Luna smiled back to him, positively glowing now.

“Well. That’s, uh … that’s … good.” Joe replied, a little clumsily, giving a tiny, nervous chuckle. “I mean, that’s great.” He grinned at her for a moment, the expression so wide as to almost appear goofy, before he lost himself in self-conscious chuckles. “Sorry. Never really done this before. ‘m really - not good at it.”

“I think it’s perfect.” Luna smiled, and leaned forward, pressing her face up against his. “I think you are perfect.”

“Well, I, uh, - I think you’re, um, perfect too, Loo.” Joe grinned, pressing his face back against hers, rubbing their noses gently. “I really do.”

“Thank you, Joe.”

“Thank you, Loo.”

Dearest Sister,

I know you usually receive these missives from your students, but I felt it was appropriate that I send you one, for I feel I have learned many things in these past weeks. I have grown in my knowledge of myself, and in my relationships with others; but one of the most important things I have learned about is love.

I have known love all of my life - our family is filled with it, our friends share it between one another gladly and freely. But I had imagined that love, romantic love, was like how you read about it in stories - brave, loud, obvious when it comes to you, filled with grand gestures and majestic moments that make your knees weak. Because I had never known it, it was strange to me. Love is like that, yes - but it is also the smaller gestures, the shyer admissions, the quiet moments spent together and the thoughts shared. When love found me, I did not recognize it, and so I was not afraid. Love is warmth, comfort, protection and protecting. Love is … him.

I adore him, sister, more than I have words to tell you. And so I am writing you, both to tell you, and to thank you. Without your help, I may never have found him. Although your actions caused me great pain at the time, I want you to know that I fully, wholeheartedly, and joyously forgive you for it.

With all of my heart,
Your sister,
Luna