"O I forbid you, maidens a', that wear gowd on your hair, to come or gae by Carterhaugh, for young Tam Lin is there."
Luna's voice rang out on the still night air as she sang an old song. She walked through the streets of Ponyville, towards the crystal palace that sat on the edge of town, and the ponies that passed her stared in wonder to see the princess of night, walking, singing on a summer's eve.
She was waning, but the moon was still almost a week from new, so her power yet wrapped her in its mantle and her mane flowed with the light of the starry sky itself. Her coat was dark and her wings were broad and her voice was rich and low as she sang. She sang of love with a light heart, for she was going to see her love. Her Twilight fair and fey, the alicorn of magic, powerful beyond imagining, who had rescued her from the Nightmare, taught her of friendship, and watched the stars with her on countless nights. Twilight, who she had entrusted with so many of her secrets. Twilight, who she had entrusted with her very heart. Twilight, sweet, brilliant, and—to use the modern parlance—an utter dork, but Luna loved her for that as well. Her awkward moments and panicked flailing were endearing. She was utterly adorable when flustered, and Luna was looking forward to flustering her in the best possible way this evening, for kisses did sometimes tend to make her blush and turn charmingly incoherent.
The gardens around Twilight's castle were young, yet. They'd had bare three years to grow, and three years is a brief moment in the lives of trees and hedges. But they were beautiful all the same, tended with loving care by gardeners from Ponyville. So Luna found much to admire as she circled the castle and strolled its grounds. Twilight had said to meet her there at midnight. Luna was early, but the gardens occupied her attention as she waited for Twilight to emerge.
Midnight passed, and Luna paused to stare up at the castle. No purple speck stood on any of the high balconies. No door cracked open to show her love.
Well, Twilight always was easily distracted. No doubt some fascinating book was making her late. Luna would wait. When her love arrived, the wait would be worth it. After all, she had waited more than a thousand years to find this love. It was a new love yet; the castle gardens were older than their relationship, by a significant margin. Yet Luna thought it was already flourishing well. Probably. As best she could tell. She had to admit that she was hardly an expert at such things. She had guarded her heart closely down the centuries, and given it seldom. From her own perspective, her love for Twilight had only grown in the months since she'd first confessed it. But she wasn't entirely certain if Twilight felt the same. They had less time together than she liked, and they spent much of that time in companionable silence.
Perhaps tonight it would be time to discuss the progress of their love, if Luna could think of some way to bring it up with more grace than flatly asking Twilight if she loved Luna as much as Luna loved her.
Time passed and Luna continued to walk the gardens. When it had been half an hour, a little grain of fear lodged in her heart. Had Twilight simply decided not to come? That terrible thought grew stronger when a full hour had passed. Twilight was often tardy, but not by so much. Luna stared up at the castle again, then finally circled it to knock on the front door. The palace was large but the door was enchanted so that knocking was audible throughout. Yet the door remained, unopened, her knock unanswered. Hesitantly, the grain of fear now grown enough to make a lump in her throat, Luna knocked a second time. Still there was no answer.
She had been stood up.
Rather rudely, even. If Twilight wished to break things off, she should have the courtesy to say so! But no, that was too harsh, Luna told herself. Twilight was still a little bit awkward and anxious. No doubt she had fretted herself into a state trying to decide how to break the news, and so her lack of proper action was excusable. Still, it hurt.
But she would not stand here and cry on Twilight's doorstep. Lifting her head proudly, shutting her hurt behind a mask, Luna spread her wings and took flight, setting her course towards Canterlot, and perhaps the solace of her sister's shoulder to cry on.
Luna was strolling in the Canterlot gardens after raising the moon, indulging herself in lonely melancholy, when Celestia soared down out of the peaceful nighttime sky and landed beside her.
"Greetings, sister."
"Greetings."
"What passes?"
Celestia shook her head. "Trouble, perhaps. You told me two days ago that you'd gone to meet Twilight for a date and she stood you up, yes?"
Luna flinched slightly from the bitter memory. "Aye."
"Did you see her at all?"
"Nay," Luna shook her head while looking down at her hooves, feeling a deeper melancholy settle over her. Would seeing Twilight have made her rejection any easier to bear? She had been writing and re-writing a letter to Twilight, asking for some final resolution, but even if she perfected it she wasn't certain she should send it.
"It seems that nopony has seen her since then."
Luna's head and ears came up, her eyes widening in surprise. "What?"
"She left her castle a little bit after sundown to take Spike to Sweet Apple Acres for a sleepover with Applebloom. She dropped him off safely with Applejack, and as far as I can tell that's the last time anypony saw her."
Luna's heart began to pound, a strange mixture of elation and fear racing through her. Twilight had not rejected her. But she might be in danger, perhaps even injured or, heavens forbid, dead. "Has there been a search?"
"Yes, but nopony has found any sign of her yet."
"They have searched with magic?"
"No. Ponyville is an earth pony town. The only powerful unicorn living there is Twilight."
"I see." Luna's face set in an expression of determination. "Very well." She glanced at the sky and nodded. "I shall depart for Ponyville within half an hour's time."
"Shall I have a chariot readied?"
"No, I will travel faster alone." She spread her wings and with a bound was airborne, leaving Celestia behind. She flew without hesitation to the balcony of her chambers, and went directly to a particular room within. It was somewhere between an armory and a closet, smaller than her bedroom but large enough to walk into. Hangers held ranks of clothing, shelves displayed crowns, decorative peytrals, and other bits of jewelry. Some shelves bore weapons as well, though, and several dummies held not gowns but armor. She selected a suit of light, pegasus-style armor and donned it with the swift efficiency of long practice. It had been many centuries since this armor had been needed, but it might be required now. She donned a helmet too and sheathed a pair of slender, hiltless unicorn swords at her side.
One last glance around the room to be certain she had all she needed and then she was gone, off the balcony once more and winging her way into the night.
As she arrowed towards Ponyville she focused her pegasus magic. Her speed increased even as her wingbeats slowed. A trail of indigo light formed behind her as she streaked across the sky, wings spread.
Soon she arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. The farm was still and silent, but warm light spilled from the windows of the farmhouse. Luna wanted to simply fling the door open and demand Twilight's last-known whereabouts, but she managed to knock instead, though she was aware that the knock was probably a little bit too loud and urgent.
Applejack was obviously startled to find the Princess of Night on her doorstep in full armor, but she showed Luna where Twilight had left Sweet Apple Acres.
"This is the very spot she stood on? Not a span to either side?"
"It was just here. I remember she turned around and waved, and then just about knocked herself out on the fence post turnin' back. Twi's a mite clumsy, you know?"
Luna smiled, fondness mingled with worry. "I know. So, let us see what path she took from this place." Luna's horn lit, and her magic gathered. Knowing the place and time made the spell much easier. A moment later a blurry purple blob appeared in the spot where Twilight had stood. Luna smiled. She could pour more power into the spell and get a true image, but this would do to follow Twilight.
"Thank you, Applejack. You may return to your rest now. I will see what has become of Twilight."
Applejack gave her a look that said she was considering insisting on coming along, but after a long pause she nodded and turned back towards the farm. "You do that, Princess. And I hope, for all our sakes, that what you find is good news."
Luna nodded, then set in motion the final portion of her past-viewing spell. The purple mist of Twilight's presence began moving, headed down the path towards Ponyville, and Luna followed, striding along beside it.
Her heart ached within her as she walked. In the worst possible world, this might be the closest she ever came again to walking beside her love. She hoped that Twilight was well, but few indeed were the things that could keep an alicorn imprisoned. Few too were the things that could kill one, admittedly, but Luna was all too aware that such things did exist.
She had lost lovers before. She had survived those losses, but she did not want to bear that pain again. And all too soon! Their courtship had barely begun a season ago, the seeds of it planted, rather appropriately, in spring. It was now just past midsummer. So little time for love to blossom between them.
Perhaps that would make the loss easier. But perhaps not. Luna knew their love was young yet, but she felt it strong within her. She could see a possible future stretching before her, a marvelous eternity with Twilight at her side. Perhaps it would never be, even if Twilight was well and whole, but Luna hoped for it all the same. To have those hopes crushed in their first flower would be ever so cruel.
But no. She would not think of such things. Twilight would be well and whole, and Luna would find her and deliver her from whatever force held her captive. She shook herself, settling her armor more firmly into place, and continued on her way beside the faint ghost of her love.
The blurred purple shape made its way through town, threading a path fairly directly to Sweetie's chocolate shop. The shop was still open, and Sweetie Drops stared as Luna's armored form loomed in her doorway. "Princess?" she asked uncertainly. Luna paid her no heed, but watched as the dim ghost of Twilight interacted with the even dimmer ghost of Sweetie herself, and left the shop bearing a faint red smudge that was almost certainly a velvet-wrapped box of chocolates.
Luna felt her heart lurch within her as she walked away, the candymaker still staring in confusion after her. Twilight knew how much Luna loved chocolate. She had no doubt bought the box as a gift for their date.
Twilight, and the spell, led Luna next to a flower shop, but it was shuttered and closed, as it must have been two nights before. The purple ghost paused there for a moment all the same, then turned and took a new course, headed out of town. Her path went neither back to Sweet Apple Acres nor towards Twilight's castle, but rather to the eaves of the Everfree. A road ran along its verge for a time, and Twilight had followed it. Luna followed as well, puzzled. After a time she saw Twilight's ghostly form stop and bend, coming up with a faint bright speck of color. The moonlight washed the colors out now, but Luna could see wild flowers blooming all along the edge of the forest, and she suddenly understood. Unable to buy a bouquet, Twilight had come here to pick one.
"Oh Twilight, my sweet love. Wouldst that thou had counted the chocolates enough. Some peril from the forest must have fallen on thee," said Luna, feeling almost as if she might cry. Twilight had put herself in danger for Luna's sake. Whatever harm had befallen her was at least in part Luna's fault. But the past-image of Twilight continued on unheeding, and Luna could do naught but follow.
Then, with no warning whatsoever, the ghost image vanished.
For a moment Luna thought that something had broken her spell. But a broken spell would collapse back on the caster, and she felt no such energy. The channel of power she'd been funneling through her horn remained unchanged. The spell was still working. Twilight had vanished here on that night, simply gone, without even the flash of light that heralded a teleport spell.
Luna looked around, seeking some sign in the spell or in the present day, of what had happened. She noticed at last that there was a series of pale smudges in the grass. When she bent close to examine them, the blurry ghost-images overlaid black patches of rotted slime. Mushrooms, in full "flower" two nights past, dead and gone now. Luna straightened, surveying the pale patches. They formed a circle around the spot where Twilight had vanished.
A fairy ring.
And two nights' past had been the summer solstice, Midsummer's Eve.
"Buck," swore Luna flatly. She knew exactly what had happened to Twilight, and it was not good. Still, her heart lifted a little bit. Her love was in great peril, but she was not dead. And Luna knew exactly where to find her. The only trouble would be getting there.
"A fairy ring," said Celestia. She looked at Luna, standing before her, still armored, poised to fight. "And I suppose you think we should go after her?"
"Of course." Luna frowned. "What other option have we?"
"The option of not sending ponies to die invading the fairy realm, sister mine. I love Twilight as dearly as you, and I am not writing her off, but we barely defeated the fae when they attacked Canterlot. And that was only through Twilight's determination, the power of true love, and quite a good dose of luck, if I'm being honest. If we face them on their own ground, we will be destroyed. Chyrsalis alone is a match for either of us."
"But both of us together..."
"Could take Chrysalis alone. If she were ever alone. Which she is not."
Luna scowled, hunting for a counter-argument, but she knew Celestia was right. The fae—the changelings—were powerful and dangerous creatures. Even out in the pony world of daylight and cold iron they were difficult to handle. At their own seat of power... no. Celestia was right, and throwing away countless lives in a futile invasion of the Otherlands was pointless.
"Then what shall we do?"
"We shall trust Twilight, first of all. She's overcome changeling glamor before. It may be that she will rescue herself before we can come calling. And recall that time tends to flow differently there. It's likely that for her it's only been minutes since she was captured. She will hardly have had time to consider how to escape yet."
"So you counsel that we do nothing?"
"I never said that," said Celestia mildly. "But what would you have me do? Go in, horn blazing?"
"I... I would, in my heart. But no, you are right."
"We know far too little about the changelings. Most equine dealings with them were even before our day. I must do what research I can, though I fear I will find little that was not found after the Canterlot invasion. Still, it is important to gather information and make plans."
Luna looked at her for a long moment, then she nodded. "Very well." She stalked off, her armor clanking faintly as she went. She knew well the kind of careful, convoluted plans that Celestia might lay. For herself, a remembered scrap of song told her there might be another, more direct route to Twilight's freedom. So she had her own research to do, and her own plans to lay.
Luna paced beneath the eaves of the Everfree and waited for the sun to set. She almost wished she could ask Celestia to set it early, but upsetting the pattern of the heavens might well ruin everything on this very special night, so even the wish remained but half formed.
A cold breeze blew over her bare coat and ruffled her silver-blue mane and tail, which moved only under the wind's power, not heeding the cosmic breeze that moved them at other times. Dead leaves stirred and rustled in the gust. While Luna was wishing, she might wish it were a night other than the new moon. Her powers were at lowest ebb now; no more, truly, than those of any mortal unicorn. Her stature reflected this, she was just about Twilight's height currently.
But if she was right, merely mortal power would suffice. In fact if she was right, she would need no magic at all. Nor would she need her armor, though the thought of having cold iron between her and Chrysalis was comforting. But it was likely to do more harm than good, given what she intended, so she had left it behind. If this didn't work she would do things the other way. But this would work. It had to work.
Three months had passed since Twilight's vanishment. Celestia had spent those months talking to historians and soldiers.
Luna had spent those months talking to bards and poets. Historians too, but ones in very different fields than the ones her sister had nigh-monopolized. Celestia's plans were still nebulous, forming. Extracting one mortal pony from a profoundly different elsewhere—Underhill, the Otherlands, the Fairy Realm, whatever one wished to call it—was a difficult endeavor and Celestia had found no clear path to that goal as yet. She was counting on the time differential to run in their favor, telling Luna—and herself—that Twilight would have been there only hours, days, perhaps weeks at most.
She was not the only one who mightily hoped that was true, Luna hoped so as well. But her plan, kept secret and silent for she suspected that Celestia would forbid it if she knew, did not depend on invading the other world that lay somehow beside their own. It depended instead on that one mortal, precious pony coming within her reach on this special night.
It was Nightmare Night, the Hallowed Eve of old, a time sacred to Luna, but a time also special for the fae, for this was one of the nights, like Midsummer, when the fairy realm and the world of Equestria ran side by side, and one could much more easily travel from one to the other.
Could, and did, for the old songs spoke of how the Fairy Queen's procession would appear at a crossroads on such a night. Luna had traced them back, finding the oldest, truest versions of the songs she had already known as ancient a thousand years past, and they all said much the same: that when the fae took a mortal, there would be one way, one chance to win that mortal back.
Luna paced and waited while the sky turned to red and the sun slowly sank out of sight. She was pacing up and down the same road Twilight had been following before being abducted. The fairy ring had stood perhaps half a mile from this spot. She'd chosen this place, however, because it was a crossroads. Crossroads were in between places, and there the veil between worlds was especially weak. On the edge of the Everfree, on this night, in this place, if the songs spoke true, the Queen of the Changelings would come walking at midnight, the in-between time that was neither one day nor the next, and for just a heart's beat she would be walking in both worlds.
Or so Luna hoped. She did not truly know, her plans might be in vain. Even if the songs were right, she might visit some other crossroads, or she might not have Twilight with her, or...
With a snort Luna shook her head, as if she could shake off those thoughts. Dwelling on what could go wrong would accomplish nothing. If this plan failed she would try Celestia's way, or come up with some other plan. What she would not do, not if a thousand years passed, was give up on Twilight.
Time passed and Luna paced. The stars danced their timeless dance overhead. Her pacing grew more agitated as midnight drew nearer.
Finally the moment was almost at hoof. Luna left her pacing and found a place in the bushes beside the road. It was so close that she could reach the crossroads in one bound, but had just enough cover that she might not be noticed until she moved. She could have wished for a better hiding place, but it was what it was, and hopefully Chrysalis would not see her until it was too late.
Now part of her that knew well the calm before a battle took over, enabling her to wait with patience. Her mind focused on the crossroads, and her body remembered its ancient discipline and kept perfectly still.
The stars continued to wheel above, and just as midnight arrived, Luna heard a faint hint of sound. It was a thin piping; an eerie, alien song. She peered between the bushes and saw a glimmer of light, ghostly and translucent, waver into being some distance down the road. Slowly it drew nearer and slowly, as the worlds merged closer, it became clearer. She could see the other road on which the approaching procession trod, paved with shimmering gems and lined with fungi that glowed with a sickly green light. It overlaid the more ordinary road of dirt and dust strangely, in some places a little above it and in some places dipping below it, for the hills and hollows of the two worlds did not quite match perfectly, save at the crossroads itself.
Along that road came the changelings, decked in their holiday finery, strolling the way nobles might stroll along a Canterlot avenue on a fine summer's day, laughing and singing and even dancing.
Among them were other forms. Kelpies dragged manes of water weed, leaving wet trails behind them. Hobgoblins capered, waving their thin, strange fingers about. Boggarts grinned, their white fangs showing sharp against their dark, warped, canine faces. Trolls stomped, vast and hideous. All appeared from thin air, fading into reality as they approached the crossroads, then vanishing again once they were past.
Luna waited, watching intently. Finally she saw what she had come here to see. Chrysalis herself, decked in jewels and draped in clothing of fluttering gauze and delicate silver strands, loomed out of the darkness. Fairy lights in a dozen colors danced around her. Soldiers marched ahead and behind her, though they too smiled and laughed and sang as they came, their oddly perforated hooves keeping time for their songs.
And by the queen's side, in the place reserved for her consort, came Twilight, also clad in silver and gossamer and attended by flitting lights that moved with solemn purpose about her. Her face smiled and her voice laughed as she walked, yet her eyes were blank and vacant, seeing nothing save the one who walked at her side.
Twilight set hoof in the crossroads and the moment that Luna had been waiting for came. In that instant, Twilight belonged fully to both worlds. Had Luna leaped but a moment sooner or a few paces later she would have passed through Twilight as though she weren't there, but she timed her spread-winged jump perfectly and her hooves wrapped tightly around her love, bearing her down to the ground in an untidy heap.
There was a screech from Chrysalis, and a raucous mixture of howls, whinnies, and less easily describable sounds spread along the procession. They all stopped, at least all the ones Luna could see, and stood, staring at her where she lay in the dust, clutching Twilight Sparkle close.
"Who dares lay hoof on my consort?" The queen's voice was haughty, her cold tone promising punishment to whoever had offended her.
"I dare." Luna lifted her head to meet Chrysalis' eyes, but did not loosen her grip on Twilight.
"Release her!"
"Nay. She is my own true love, and I shall hold her till your procession has passed and she is free."
Chrysalis hissed at Luna, her glaring eyes suddenly narrow slits. "I think not."
"I think so. It is the law of your magic, you know that as well as I."
The glare became a snarl. "Very well. Hold her if you can, then!"
All at once Luna was holding not a pony but a snake, a vast serpent whose coils writhed around her. Its head came around, gaping, fangs dripping with venom.
Luna flinched, but she held fast. If she let go, all was lost. Serpent or not, this was still Twilight, so she did not loosen her grip.
The serpent's form suddenly squirmed, swelled, and Luna found herself holding a massive, shaggy manticore. It roared at her, and poised its scorpion's tail above her. Luna stared it down and held on. The tail whipped down to strike, but just before it hit the manticore was gone, replaced by a timberwolf.
Hard wood thrashed and flailed in her grip with bruising force, and the creature's twig-claws scraped and scrabbled at her. Still she clung tightly, silently repeating to herself that this was Twilight and she must not let go.
A moment later her arms were embracing a softer form. A terrified doe lay in her grasp, delicate hooves kicking, wide eyes fixed to hers, silently pleading to be released. Luna almost laughed. That particular strategy would not work on her. She steeled herself easily and continued to hold tight. Chrysalis apparently realized that this ploy had failed for the deer swiftly changed again, this time to a swan, whose wings beat and flailed, buffeting Luna. It was difficult to hold the bird while neither crushing it nor letting it go, yet Luna persevered.
Chrysalis growled, a low sound of anger and frustration, and suddenly Luna found her forelegs wrapped around a cluster of kindling that was entirely engulfed in flame.
She nearly let go. It was shocking and terrifying. But it was also her Twilight, and she would not. She clung to the bundle, despite the fire. It did not take her long to realize that she was not being burned. The fire was hot, its heat radiating through her, making her hide feel crisped and dry, but it did not burn. She grinned triumphantly, keeping her grip tight, and met the Changeling Queen's eyes. "I shall not let go, no matter what you change her to, foul thief!"
"Oh no? What if she changes like so?"
The fire flared to green and suddenly Luna was holding Chrysalis herself.
"Will you embrace me as willingly, Princess?" said the Queen's voice, strangely doubled.
Luna flinched. Almost she let go at finding her enemy in her arms. Chrysalis was in some ways far more terrifying than any of the other forms Twilight had taken. Yet Luna kept her grasp, holding the changeling queen close, despite how repellent she found the changeling's hard, chitinous form and haughty smile.
"Release me, moon's shepherd, lest I visit unspeakable horrors upon you."
"No."
"Release me. I am not your so-called love. She does not love you in any case. She loves me. She will stay with me until the stars have fallen from the sky."
"She will not. Twilight is my love, and I shall not release her. You are an illusion. She is real."
"Am I?" Suddenly the version of the Queen that Luna was not embracing took Twilight's form. Her expression, though, was still haughty and aloof, an expression that had never crossed sweet Twilight's face.
"You will not fool me so easily, Chrysalis. I know who you are. I know who I hold in my arms. Twilight, who I love, is here." And with that she kissed the seeming-changeling that she embraced.
The false Twilight, watching, hissed, rage turning her familiar features into an alien mask. Abruptly magic fire flared and Luna found herself holding the warm, trembling form of Twilight Sparkle, while Queen Chrysalis stood above her, her lips twisted in a sneer of superiority and revulsion.
"Fine! I want nothing of your tawdry mortal love. It disgusts me. Be gone, both of you!"
A vast, swirling wind rose, and tumbled Luna and Twilight off of the road, into the grass and bushes beyond.
Then the music began again and the swirling lights returned, dancing around Chrysalis in radiant obeisance. With her eyes fixed resolutely forward, giving no heed to the pair lying by the side of the road, the Queen took a step down the path. As she did the other fae resumed their procession, dancing and singing as if they had already forgotten the momentary interruption that had paused their journey.
Luna kept hold of Twilight until the last flicker of light and sound of song had faded completely. Twilight lay quietly in her embrace, her eyes still distant, vacant. But suddenly, as the final glow of fairy light vanished into the night, she blinked, her eyes focusing. She looked around, her expression dazed and puzzled. "Luna? What happened? Am I late for our date?"
Luna laughed, the sound a peal of joy, and at last let go of Twilight. She climbed to her feet and reached out a hoof to pull Twilight up as well. "You are ever so slightly late, aye, but I shall not hold it against you."
"She had na pu'd a double rose, a rose but only twa, till upon then started young Tam Lin, says, Lady, thou's pu nae mae." Luna was walking and singing once more, on a cool autumn night with the wind blowing between the feathers of her wings, though it scarce stirred her starry mane. She walked in the gardens beneath Twilight's castle, and as she did she heard a voice from above.
"Why pu's thou the rose, Janet, and why breaks thou the wand? Or why comes thou to Carterhaugh, withoutten my command?" And as Twilight's voice blended with Luna's in ancient song, the princess of magic herself leapt over the edge of a high balcony and soared down from the blustery night to land beside Luna, laughter shining in her eyes.
They sang together, "Carterhaugh, it is my own, my daddy gave it me. I'll come and gang by Carterhaugh, and ask nae leave at thee."
Then Luna broke off the song and said, "When did you learn that?"
Twilight shrugged. "This morning, actually. You mentioned that you'd learned how to get me back from Chrysalis from a song, and I was curious about it. It wasn't too difficult to find the song in question."
"There are several songs, but that's the most common one, yes." She smiled and added, "your singing voice is quite lovely," and bent and kissed Twilight's nose.
Twilight blushed. "Thanks. I had voice lessons for a year when I was a filly. Celestia suggested it. I liked it quite a lot. Maybe if I hadn't been so focused on magic I might have done more with music. But singing is always fun."
"Aye. I have long enjoyed it myself, though I've had no formal teaching. When I was a filly, 'voice lessons' as such did not exist."
"You sing better than I do!" said Twilight.
Luna chuckled softly. "Long practice, I suppose. And I am glad of it, for my interest in song led me to your freedom."
"Yes." Twilight gave a little shiver. "I still don't remember much of it, but being with Chrysalis was really creepy. Sometimes I thought I was with you, I suppose she took your form to feed on my love for you." Twilight shivered again, and Luna took that excuse to step along side her and put a wing over her back. Twilight leaned into the gentle embrace. "Mostly, though, she seemed to think I was some kind of toy. She wanted to dress me up and have me sit next to her and say nice things about her. It was more than a little absurd. Like the inverse of that old story about the king who had a servant to remind him that he was only equine. She wanted me to remind her that she was a goddess." Twilight made a face. "Or that she had the ego of a goddess, anyway. I am very glad you rescued me." She flashed a smile up at Luna then, and tilted her head up to kiss her cheek. "My hero."
Luna smiled and gave Twilight a little squeeze with her wing. They stood together in silence for a while, and the wind washed softly around them, ruffling Twilight's mane and tail. Luna's mind returned to the thoughts she'd been thinking months ago, when she'd first come singing to court Twilight. She wanted to ask, again, about their love, but it was hard to find the words.
At length Twilight said, "I have hot chocolate ready inside, if you want some."
Luna, feeling as though going inside would mean letting the moment to speak those words pass, said, "That sounds delightful, but first... I would speak of love with thee."
Twilight looked up at her, sensing at least some of her seriousness from her lapsing back into her more archaic mode of speech. "Of love?"
"Aye. Thou saidst that Chrysalis took my form that she might gain thy love. Dost thou in truth love me, then?"
Twilight tilted her head, her expression one of mild confusion. "Of course. I mean... you called me your love when you were rescuing me."
"Indeed, for I do love thee dearly. Yet love given is not always love returned in equal measure. I knew thou wert fond of me, and that thou wert willing to court me. That thou hadst the beginnings, at least, of love. In my heart such feelings had blossomed and grown greatly since we first spoke of love beneath the moon. I knew not if thine own feelings had blossomed as well. I hoped they had, yet on closer acquaintance such feelings may wither rather than grow."
"I see." Twilight considered this for a moment. "Well, I do love you. I mean... I guess I don't know a lot about love, you have way more experience with it than I do. But what I feel for you isn't like anything I've ever felt. It's bigger and stronger and more amazing, and even when Chrysalis had my mind all wrapped up in spells, somewhere inside I knew I didn't really want her, I wanted you. I'd want to be with you under a changeling mound or ruling Equestria together or anywhere in between. You're the most amazing pony I know, and you only get more amazing the more I know you." She paused, hunting for more words, then simply pressed her muzzle to Luna's and kissed her deeply.
Luna turned, folding both wings around Twilight, and kissed back, while her heart felt like it would burst with the strength of the love within her.
When at last they parted, Luna smiled joyfully at Twilight, and gave her a second kiss on the tip of her nose, and said, "Having spoken of love I would now go partake of hot chocolate."
Twilight laughed. "Sounds good to me." She stepped back from Luna and spread her wings. Luna spread her own to follow and, as she leaped into the air, she burst into song again, skipping to the end of the song she'd been singing. Twilight again joined with her, the two voices melding as one.
"Sae weel she minded what he did say,
And young Tam Lin did win,
Syne covered him wi her green mantle,
As blythe's a bird in spring
Out then spak the Queen o Fairies,
Out of a bush o broom,
'Them that has gotten young Tam Lin
Has gotten a stately-groom.'"
Author's Note
Thanks, all, for reading! (And thanks as always to my wonderful patrons over on my Patreon, who support me in writing these.)
A note for the nit-pickers: I did consider trying to ponify the lyrics of Tam Lin, but I really couldn't think of a good pony name for "Tam Lin" that scanned with the song's meter. So... oh well.
This story now has a sequel. Check out Falling Moon.
