The Ash of Fallen Stars

Chapters

Luna Dreams...
Call for Aid
Ashborn Monster
Midnight Skies
Falling Stardust
Empty Echo
Friends
Family
Parents
The Mind Undone
Rupture
The Ash and the Monster
Despair Again
Clashing Thunder
Death by Despair
I Forgive You
Reconstruction
Antique
Apologies and Injuries

Luna Dreams...

Luna dreams. Quite unlike every other pony.

Here in the realm of dreams, she can do anything. If the horizon bothers her she can lift mountains and move seas. If the heavens displease her she can paint the sky whatever color she wishes and rearrange the stars with only a thought. She can experiment with the past and the future and the now and the never. Relationships, physical or mental or emotional, they all bend and twist to her whims. Nothing is beyond her, nothing.

In dreams, she is a goddess.

Or not. There’s just one problem. None of it is real. If she wants, she can do anything within her dreams, but she rarely does.

Luna dreams. Just like every other pony.

Her reality is subjected to the random impulses of the unconscious mind as it processes the day's events. Images, feelings, probabilities, and impossibilities flit in and out of view, a mixture of color and sound and noise which cannot be truly understood or even truly remembered. Most of the time, dreams like this are simply lost.

In all those dozens or hundreds of formless expanses of wild what-might-be a few stand out. They can be understood, experienced, and remembered. Often they are amalgamations of events that have happened, or that might have. Perhaps a half-recalled stray thought leads down a street not once traveled. Or maybe an overheard conversation triggers a wild ride down an imagined river. These are what most recall and call dreams.

Luna dreams. Indistinct colors in the faint shape of a pony she knows walk about a castle that hasn’t stood intact in a thousand years, yet is still somehow recognizably Canterlot in that strange way that dreams work. The figure, bright and white, glides effortlessly past marble halls adorned in silver and gold and descends the staircase into the ballroom. A thousand multicolored eyes turn towards her and applaud, hoofs a rolling thunder on the sky below. Laughter and celebration in union as the sun rises to the horizon through the stained glass windows. White and color mix and swirl, dancing and swaying to music only they can hear. Everything mixes together like paint until each pony is recognizable only as a blotch of color.

Behind the sea of spiraling swells that is the party sits a single orb of a dark shade. It slinks behind pillars of alabaster stone, approached never by another. Where it goes it trails a path of inky black, but not because it wants to. Where it tries to get close to the party it finds itself pushed away, in fear or disgust or simple misunderstanding. These futile efforts continue until it gives up and hides in the corner, slowly melting away.

Out in the circle of color, there is another dark figure, not quite as shadowed, not quite as repulsive. Its eyes find the patch of darkness in the corner, and for a moment they are the only shapes in the room. Curiosity beckons the second to join the first, slipping through the mass of ever smiling faces until it stands nearby.

Cyan and neon-blue eyes meet, unblinking. One pony extends a hoof for the other, inviting them. The figure in the corner hesitates, unsure. With a shaking arm, reaches out to accept the invitation.

A new eye opens behind the blue, glowing red with dying embers. In the air between the two, a black pit opens, the sharp edge bleeding fire. All the dancers in their formless colors shriek and scream as they are drawn into the black hole. They spiral in, a vortex of light and loss as a cruel voice laughs. The vortex collapses in on itself, and the painted walls flash-burn into ash. Then all is still, silent, and only the two dark ponies remain in a ruined courtyard full of dust.

A hoof reaches out to the other. Despair swats it aside.

Luna blinks, one arm outstretched towards nothing. Was it to invite, or was it striking the other away?

“What an odd dream.” She blinks again, lying in bed, alone. Judging from the light leaking out under the curtains, it’s far too early to be up. Annoyed, she turns over and pulls the blanket up, facing away from the bright crack in an attempt to go back to sleep. The little bit of sunlight that reflects off the wall is still too much, even through closed eyes. Throwing an arm over her eyes finally blocks out the light, and she lets out a contented sigh.

The dream lingers in her mind. The imagery was vague and misleading, as many are. Had it meant something? Probably not. Still, the pony in the corner… so alone, had it been her? Or perhaps she was the one from the crowd? Either, neither, both?

“It doesn’t matter.” It was only a dream, one she was letting run wild as randomly firing neurons and impulses of an unconscious mind. After only a few more minutes of blissful quiet and roaming thoughts, her arm starts to tingle. At least her arm is sleeping. “Oh, that’s not fair.” Rather than let it go completely limp she hauls herself up and blearily looks about the room. She frowns at the cut of glaring sunlight coming from under the curtain. It hasn’t been more than half an hour, maybe less, than when she first woke. “Still too early.” A quick glance down at her pillow is all she gives herself before she sighs in resignation and slips out of bed. “May as well just get up.”

Her will opens the curtains a little more, and the room brightens. After some stretches to free up her joints, and get the blood flowing to her arm again, she slips on her decorative peytral. It doesn’t sit quite right, and she readjusts it a few times until it settles snugly into its proper comfortable position on her chest. A disheveled mare in the mirror tells her to brush her mane and tail, and she obliges before placing her crown where it belongs. Lastly, she slips her hooves into the shoes by the wardrobe.

“Remember, Luna, to smile.” She practices before the mirror, but the grin that her reflection gives back is most unsettling. A sigh later and her face settles into her more comfortable expression. Some might call it disinterested, or glum. To her, it’s just her face. Feeling properly prepared for the day at last, she turns towards the window and opens the curtains fully. She blinks against the blinding sunlight until her eyes adapt. “Good afternoon, Canterlot.” The beautiful city beyond the glass does not respond.

Hollow echoes of her hoofsteps click off the alabaster stone walls as she descends into the palace. Nopony is there to greet her when she steps into the dining hall. At least the fruit bowl on the table is full, and she snags a fresh pear before heading to the throne room. The twin chairs welcome her from atop their elevated place, both empty.

A brief flash of an ashen castle in ruin comes to mind, a remnant of her dream. The image sends a brief shudder down her spine, but it was never real. Where, then, is her sister? Wracking her mind for answers, she concludes that Celestia must be teaching at her school today.

Only when she steps out onto the balcony behind the two thrones and looks out over the city does she finally see another pony. A cluster of Pegasus flit past the palace, on to their business elsewhere. None of them are familiar to her, but simply seeing them fly by is reassuring after the dream and wandering the empty palace. Looking now at the city she can see Canterlot is awake and busy. The bulk of the populace is too distant to see clearly, but motion is apparent as ponies go about their day on the streets below. A small number of the royal guard patrol the city, from here little more than silver or gold specs as they move, just enough to be visible to assure everyone they are safe.

One of the tourists being shown the palace courtyard below points up at her, causing them all to gawk and murmur. She politely waves back, but it’s not a real connection, and a moment later she turns back into the cavernous throne room. The hollow halls hold no comfort for her, perhaps the gardens will lift her mood.

There is quiet among the trees and the grass and flowers. Not a wholly empty silence, as a few birds are singing elsewhere and small things move about when they think nothing is watching. Settled beneath the leaves of a maple tree, she waits for Celestia to return, alone.

Or perhaps not quite so solitary. Something shakes the leaves of a thin branch above her; a little tree swallow, hopping from twig to twig. In swift jerking motions, it turns its head side to side, watching her.

“Hello there, my little feathered friend.” Her soft words calm the animal, and it stops jumping about. “What are you up to, today?” It sings a few notes, short little chirps. “Alone?” It trills something affirmative. The flash of the pony in the corner comes back to her again, the dream still lingering. “I understand the feeling.”

Luna holds out a hoof and the swallow considers it. She holds herself stiff, letting the other make the decision to join her. She remains that way for a while until the bird finds her company acceptable and deigns to land on her raised hoof. The two gaze at each other, not really doing anything. The little bird’s white underside is a bright contrast to its black body and dark-blue wing feathers. Somewhere out in the garden, another swallow lets out a short song, and the bird on her hoof perks its head up, searching for the owner of the other voice.

“An acquaintance of yours?” The animal blinks and shakes its head. “You can go find them if you wish.” It hops once, turning around on her upraised hoof, and then looks back at her hesitantly. “You don’t have to be alone if you don’t want to.” Birdsong from elsewhere again and the swallow darts off without another glance back. “Good luck, little feathery one.” But the swallow is already gone, disappearing beyond the trees as it searches for the other.

Luna considers the dream again, her face raised to the sky. One hoof had been reaching out to the pony in the corner. Had it been her reaching out? The clouds give no answer, not that she expected them to give one.

Motion through the windows of the palace draws her attention, perhaps Celestia has returned. Luna stands. Two birds, moving too quickly to identify, flit into view for just a moment before vanishing behind the hedges.

“You don’t have to be alone.”

Author's Note

Part 1: "Luna and Twilight" begins.

Call for Aid

“Good evening, sister.” When Luna enters the dining hall, Celestia looks up from her meal and breaks out into a sincere smile.

“Luna! Did you sleep well?”

“Not as well as I would have liked.” Luna takes her seat beside the Princess of the Sun, pulling another pear from the bowl.

“Oh? Is there something wrong?”

“Strange dreams, that’s all.”

“You aren’t subjecting yourself to the Tantabus again, are you?” Luna almost frowns at the thought Celestia would believe she would do that to herself, but she refrains. Her older sister is simply worried about her.

“No, nothing like that. Just… ordinary strange dreams.” Luna does not elaborate further. Celestia eyes her carefully, waiting for her to continue. “How was your day?”

“Satisfying, and exhausting. I am looking forward to a relaxing rest myself.” Luna continues to chew on her fruit as Celestia speaks, her eyes not focusing on anything specific. “Luna? Do you want to talk about it?” The midnight blue Alicorn blinks, bringing her gaze to meet the white one’s. Celestia is ignoring her slice of cake, in favor of a concerned glance her way. “You’re even more contemplative than usual. Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing you haven’t heard before.” If anything, the concerned look on Celestia’s face only deepens. “I will be fine. It’ll pass.” Luna looks away, pretending to be inordinately interested in her fruit, but she can still feel Celestia’s eyes on her.

“If you’re lonely, you can always go out into the city.” Luna smiles quietly to herself, Tia always understands. “I hear the nightlife has been growing more exciting as of late.”

“I have my duty to attend to. I can’t just ignore the well-being of the ponies in Equestria just to party in a club.”

“Oh, Luna.” Celestia giggles. “Equestria managed without you shepherding their dreams for a thousand years. They can manage for one night. You can take a day off every now and then.”

“Do you?” Luna’s retort seems to take her by surprise. Then she smiles and shakes her head.

“I plan my days off early in advance enough that the administrators know when it’s coming, and we can plan around them.” A second retort starts to build on Luna’s tongue, but Celestia continues. “Even then, on rare occasions, I just take the day for itself. Just know that you can.” Luna rotates the remains of the pear in the air in front of her. It might be nice to get out of the castle, even if only for a single evening. “Think about it.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“See, was that so hard?” Then she glances out the window at the descending sun. “Although you may not have much time, it’s almost sunset.”

“Then I’ll consider it quickly.” Celestia giggles again at Luna’s joke.

A flash of green fire in the air above the table is a sudden surprise. The scroll that forms from the flames nearly drops onto Celestia’s plate before she can catch it.

“A letter from Twilight! How wonderful.”

“I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be on the balcony.” Luna stands and nods as Celestia unfurls her message. But then she stops, watching her sister read the message; Celestia’s expression shifts from one of simple joy to a sort of understated confusion, and then shifts again to match her earlier concern. “Is something the matter?”

“Here.” Celestia passes the message to Luna, her voice much more subdued than it was even a moment ago, borderline pained. “It’s for you too.” Luna blinks again, it’s rare that Princess Twilight needs to contact her. Rarer still when she doesn’t simply send her a message directly.

The scroll is not what she expected from one so detail-oriented and organized. Instead of clean letters written in steady lines, as is normal, this message is outright unkempt. Numerous lines are crossed out, written unsteadily, or scratched in without enough ink on the quill, and in places it looks like somepony has been crying over the page.

Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

Today the word almost endedEquestria almost died the world almost ended. First, I want to let you know that everything is fine. In the broadest sense of the word. I was able to prevent it. This time. I wasn’t able to the first time, it’s a long story. I’ve already told everypony else here all about it, and I don’t feel up to repeating it again. I’ll tell you about it some other time.

The short version is that a pony found and stole the Alicorn Amulet. With its power - was able to cast a spell which destroyed the cutie-marks of everypony in Equestria. We tried to stop it. We failed. We barely won our fight in the end, so we survived, but Despair had taken everypony’s lives already.

We I had to use time travel come back in time to save the world to stop ███. It wasn’t without cost. I had to leave a ███████ friend behind, in that ash-filled future. I don’t think I’ll ever see him again, because I - - -

Several lines of text are too badly smudged, blurred, or scratched out to read with any sort of clarity.

Again, I want to let you know there is no more danger. I’ve secured the Amulet. For the time being, it is safe here. I know, for a fact, that there is no pony coming after it in the immediate future. In the days ahead I’ll come up with a new hiding place for it where it’ll never be found, even by accident. Equestria can rest easy, never knowing just how close it came to ending.

The same cannot be said for me. Before I came back, I went through a traumatic event. I had my I think I’ll recover, my friends here already know about it and are helping me through it. But, I’m terrified about reliv afraid I’ll have nightmares about it. I’m sorry to have to ask this of Princess Luna, but will you please watch over me, specifically, as I sleep in the next few weeks? I’m alright physically, coming back in time the way I did undid the injuries I sustained, I never took them in the first place. Time travel is confusing.

Your faithful student, fellow Princess, and friend - Twilight Sparkle.

“So much for my night off.” Luna sighs, passing the message back to her sister.

“It must have been some terrible event, to shake her so badly. I’ve never seen her so distraught that her letters are nearly illegible.” Celestia stands by the window, eying the horizon out towards Ponyville. “Do you think I should go see her?”

“I think you should wait.” The wing Luna places over Celestia’s shoulders startles the other Alicorn. “Until the morning, at the very least. I can only guess she must be exhausted after the ordeal and would like to rest.” This doesn’t seem to put Celestia’s mind at ease, her concerned face twitching from Luna to the town of Ponyville and Twilight’s castle in the distance. “I will watch for her dreams, and let you know in the morning if she suffered any terrors.” The tension in Celestia’s shoulders starts to release, slowly.

A second scroll appearing in a green flash before them is another sudden surprise.

“Another message?” The white Alicorn catches the note and reads it quickly. Her earlier apprehension lifts, and she laughs gently. “Ah, that explains it.” She passes it to Luna to read.

I’m so sorry! You weren’t supposed to get that one! I’m very tired and gave Spike the first draft by mistake. I would send the real one, but it doesn’t say anything you haven’t seen now. Goodnight.
- Twilight Sparkle.

“She makes drafts of her letters?”

“That’s exactly the kind of thing she would do. But it does let me put my worry aside if she is well enough to do so.” Celestia sighs, reassured. “Am I correct in assuming that you will do as she asks?”

“Yes sister, I will make sure that she does not need to fear her own mind.”

“Thank you. It warms my heart to know you are always watching over us.”

“It warms mine in return to know that.” The sisters share a quick hug, wings over each other. Celestia then returns a quick response letting Twilight know she is in her thoughts, and that Luna is watching for her.

The sun sets. The moon rises.

Ashborn Monster

The door shuts quietly behind me, and I look around the room. Along one purple wall is a four-poster bed with thick covers, with an accompanying side table, next to the door a dresser full of empty drawers, and a few bare shelves. A single window lets in the pale light from outside. It’s well furnished, I think, not that I have much to compare it with.

I set the two things we were able to recover from the ruins of what they tell me was my old home on the shelf; a blue bowl with a crack down the side and a strange silver mask with a broken right eye and filigree like lightning. As I look about, I consider the scale of the chamber. It’s almost larger than the entire charred rubble by the pond, which was my house.

“So… this is home now?” The bed is inviting, especially because my chest still hurts, but my mind runs in circles. Instead I go to the window and look up at the pale circle of light in the sky. “The moon?” That’s right, that’s what it is. All those little pinpoints beside it? Ah, yes… “and the stars.” The window swings open, the latch enveloped by a neon-blue aura which takes me a moment to recognize as my own, and I extend one arm up towards the silvery circle in the sky, as if balancing it on my hoof. “Maybe you know who I am?” The moon has no answers, neither do the stars, but something inexplicable about them is comforting nonetheless.

“She said I could stay here for as long as I need…” She, the pretty purple one, Twilight Sparkle. I don’t know her or any of her multicolored friends. “Why are they helping me? What did I do to deserve this kindness?”

I don’t know.

I don’t know… anything.

Luna stands on the balcony of her chambers, looking out over the city of Canterlot. The decaying lavender throughout the palace has been replaced with fresh flowers, the candles lit, and every pony is asleep. The moon overhead is like an eye, her eye, looking down benevolently upon those below. The sky is quiet, a few scattered clouds drift by. The world is at its very best, it would be a lovely night to walk a moonlit field.

“Not tonight. Duty awaits.” Her eyes close, and she focuses her powers. Her body falls away, or rather, her spirit floats away into another world. The world of dreams. Not hers, not now, everypony else’s.

It’s a void, an endless expanse of darkness, lit only by the glow of millions of tiny drifting orbs. Each one a dream, the minds of the sleeping ponies who depend on her to keep them safe from the terrors of the unconscious realities. It takes her only a quick glance to see them all. Walks through parks alongside loved ones, dancing in the stars, singing atop stages before all the world. The hopes and wishes of the happy.

Not all are quite so peaceful. There are monsters that go bump in the night. Claws on windows, eyes in the dark, strangers in shadows. Ponies shake and shiver with fear as their minds turn down black roads.

“Not tonight, nightmares.” It doesn’t take much effort for her to fix them and restore peace. Claws on glass become trees swaying in the wind, eyes behind bushes become playing rabbits, shadowed figures become close friends with smiles on their faces. The shaking stops, the joy returns. “That’s better.”

She spends her evening walking along a rainbow road through the endless expanse of pinpricks of light, watching for those in need. A pony screams, a voice she knows and hoped not to hear tonight. Her experienced eyes track the shout through the fields of lights to the dreamer, Twilight Sparkle. The dream space parts to allow Luna to approach and view the vision up close.

This is no simple nightmare, no mere shadow in the gloom. This is personal for Twilight in ways that ordinary bad dreams are not. She battles at the bottom of a crater, facing a monster made of black ash and fire. Marks of the battle upon the Princess of friendship show it has not been easy, and the battlefield is littered by spell strikes and shattered steel.

“Fight on, Twilight! I know you can win this.” Her will grants the purple Alicorn strength, allowing her to stand tall against the monster. Or it should. Something interferes, and Sparkle is forced back against a large boulder glowing red with evil runes. Luna frowns, Twilight should be winning this fight easily with her aid. The monster advances, making to violate the helpless pony. Then Luna realizes her mistake. “Oh, no. This isn’t just a dream; it’s a memory!” She dives into the orb, entering Twilight’s mind directly, and suddenly she no longer has the benefit of objective distance to see what her friend fears so.

The monster wears the shape of a pony, body burned black like charcoal, smoke billows from its mane and tail like a great machine, and a bright burning triangular star blazes where its heart should be. Lightning dances across its face in an intricate pattern and its eyes boil volcanically. Atop its brow, a jagged metal spike protrudes in a hideous parody of a unicorn’s horn. In the split on its face where a mouth should be, open and hot like a pit into hell, it takes sick joy in the pain it inflicts on the much smaller Alicorn before it.

“Begone, beast!” Her blast of energy catches the monster square in the face before it can inflict the violation onto Twilight. The creature’s head explodes into a burst of ashes, and the body is flung away, crashing limply upon the bonfire at the center of the crater. “I will not let you harm her!” Luna lands beside Twilight, wings and spells at the ready. “Princess Sparkle, are you alright?” She glances down, the smaller pony is crumpled like a crushed origami swan, shuddering and frail, eyes shut as she tries to brace for the pain to come.

“No, don’t! Stay away!” Terror and despair blind her, giving the nightmare more strength. A voice laughs, a voice Twilight recognizes, although it is foreign to Luna. The dreamwalker shifts her attention back to the monster of ash, pulling itself upright in the flames. Its head renewed, and its power growing. The burning star at the heart of the monster flares and the core of the Alicorn Amulet glows with infernal fire.

It laughs again, whatever reason it once had draining away as it grows ever higher, the terror granted the power to face Luna by the fear it draws from Twilight. Larger and larger, until it dwarfs Luna and Twilight, until it overshadows the crater itself. Dark clouds above gather upon its back and harden to volcanic obsidian, opening like wings of black glass. It’s horn ringed by a black void in the sky she had not seen before she arrived.

Luna blinks, she’s seen red-ringed hole before.

The mountainous monster attacks, a wave of volcanic force and fury and molten rock pours from its jagged mouth. Luna shields them both against the blast, surprised at the power the nightmare can bring to bear against her. No nightmare short of the Tantabus has ever been a match for her, but the creature here is drawn not of dream imagery, but of violence and pain Twilight remembers. The broken ground shakes as the volcano steps closer. In that instant, Luna knows she can’t beat it alone.

“Twilight! Listen to me!” The force pressing down on her shield intensifies, nearly driving Luna to her knees. The broken Alicorn on the ground wraps herself tightly with her one functional wing, drowning in her own terror. “Stand, Twilight! I know you are stronger than this!” Twilight twitches, daring to open one eye to see why the monster hasn’t violated her.

“Luna? What are you doing here? Doesn’t the curse affect you?”

“This is a dream, not a memory! You’ve already faced this and won!” Twilight looks down at her side, at her cutie-mark, and her eyes go wide. She looks back up at the midnight blue Alicorn, and a golden spark flashes in her eyes. The force of the advancing volcanic monster eases as Twilight stands, whole and healthy. The Princess of friendship takes her place beside the Princess of the night and nods once.

Light flashes, not the blazing burst of fire from the monster, but golden and glorious. Between them and the monster, a mystic shield forms, heart-shaped, with broad spread wings of lightning. At the core of the golden shield blooms the six-pointed star on Twilight’s flank. Although Luna has never seen the image before, it gives her friend hope. With the flames held at bay, Luna can focus all her power again and become the goddess she is in the realm of dreams.

“Enough of this!” Her voice booms down at the monster beneath her. If the monster is a mountain, Luna is the sky, and one cannot compare with the other. Wings spread wide over the horizon, blowing away all the smoke and ash. It shrinks away, too small to fight back now. “You are nothing!” Luna’s hoof comes down on it like a meteor. Dust rises from the impact site, a crater within a crater. Luna blows a gentle wind to clear the air around them and let the sun shine down on the former battlefield.

“Is it really over?” Twilight looks up at her as she returns to a scale comprehensible to mortal minds.

“Yes, this was only a nightmare. You are in no danger anymore.” Luna surveys the remains of the monster at the side of the other Alicorn. “This is what you feared?” In the crater lies a defeated and dead stallion, fur like blacked charcoal, ashen of mane and tail. Burned across his face are marks in the same pattern of the monster’s lightning scars. On his chest, the Alicorn Amulet has been shattered, split in two by the impact of a unicorn’s horn right through the middle. “He doesn’t seem quite so threatening now, does he?”

“That monster… that wasn’t a dream. That really happened.” Twilight glances around the crater, looking for something in the dust.

“What?!” At first, Twilight doesn’t respond to Luna’s outburst, sifting some of the ash away. The purple Alicorn finds what she is looking for, a block of stone, and cradles it with her wing as she brings it over for Luna to see. Discord’s eyes stare up at her from the granite, begging for help.

“He stole Discord’s magic, killed him, and then…” She points up at the sky, where the black pit ringed by fire had been.

“All this really happened? It wasn’t just your terrified mind making things worse?” Luna shudders, a monster like that is not a terribly rare thing in nightmares, but in reality? That would be a whole new level of terror. Twilight glances around again, shading her eyes against the sunlight.

“Some of the details are a little different, but yes. We faced him together, but we weren’t enough.” Twilight’s eyes fall upon the body of the defeated pony.

“You had an ally?” Luna looks around, there is no sign of another pony here.

“I don’t want to be here anymore, please…” such pain in her voice. “Take us away.” Tears start to roll off the small Alicorn’s face from beneath shut eyes.

“As you wish.” To where should she bring them? Somewhere safe and comforting. She knows just the place. An instant later and they are standing together in a grotto she knows, not far from Canterlot. A small waterfall pours down into a clear pool, surrounded by willows and high cliffs. The moon overhead glows between two peaks. “You can relax here, there is no danger in this place.”

“Thank you.” Tears stain her arm as she cleans her face. “This is much nicer, thank you.” Twilight settles down by the water, clearly still troubled. Luna considers leaving her here, to rest and recover, alone. But the dark blur from her own dream and the outstretched hoof flash once again in her mind.

“What did he do to you?”

“In reality? He stole my magic, and…” She looks back at her flank. “I’ve had my cutie-mark taken before. When Tirek drained my magic, and then again when Starlight took it. But this was different…” The sky darkens as Twilight starts to crumple again. The echo of a vile laughter drifts in on the wind. “Those times were quick and painless, it wasn’t personal. He… he wanted me to hurt, to lose something special, and know there wasn’t anything I could do about it…” An ember red eye opens under the water’s surface, filling the pool. The reflection of a monster starts to walk towards them on the water, a jagged white arc splitting its obsidian face in a cruel smile.

“Twilight, you are safe now.” The purple Alicorn blinks, and everything is back to normal before the monster can make another move. “You don’t have to fear him, he can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Yes, you’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Luna sits down beside her and sets one hoof on her friend’s arm. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. But… I still feel responsible for what happened to him.” Somehow, Luna is sure the subject of the conversation has shifted. Exactly why Twilight would do so, she doesn’t have any clue.

“Your ally? I did not see any other pony at the battle.”

“You didn’t?” Twilight blinks, utterly confused. “But… he was there!”

“Who?”

“Sable S-” Luna finds herself standing on her balcony, alone, ejected from the dream. Twilight had awoken without warning, the shock sending the Princess of the night back into the real world. After a moment to gather herself, she dives back into the dream realm, searching for Twilight again. The star-field of dreams is devoid of the battle or of a purple Alicorn by the grotto. Luna sighs, at least Twilight’s night terror was banished.

“Rest well, my friend, if you can. I will be here if you need me.”

Author's Note

Part 1: "Luna and Twilight" ends

Midnight Skies

We stand at equidistant points around the Crystal Heart, spinning slowly atop its plinth. This is our best shot at removing the curse crippling the Crystal Empire.

“Is everypony ready?” Sunburst is nearby, holding the infant Alicorn out of the way while we work.

“Ready.” I nod. Starlight makes an affirmative noise, her voice still affected by the memory theft spell.

“Yeah!” Twilight‘s confidence is infectious, and despite my reservations, I feel stronger already.

“Begin!” As one, we each launch a beam of energy at the Heart. Our plan; to use the Heart to amplify our magic and dispel the runes manipulating the emotions of the Crystal Empire. The runes all glow crimson red, with each passing moment the threads of power connecting them smoldering brighter as the power coursing through them starts to burn them away. It’s working!

The curse fights back, sending some of that energy back towards us, towards Twilight in particular. Her focus begins to falter, but that’s why Starlight and I are here. We weave our magic into a protective net, bolstering Twilight’s strength, and the curse hits back at us like bricks to the face.

Energy crackles in the air, electricity snaps and sparks as the first runes reach a breaking point. It’ll only take a moment more…

“Twilight! Look out!” Sunburst saw it first. New runes on the stone above us! These aren’t like the others, not part of the curse. These are here to prevent the exact thing we are doing. Ropes of magical power swirl down and grasp the purple Alicorn at the core of our ritual. Starlight stumbles as more energy rebounds off her but holds her place. My fragile nets are no match, it’s too much, too much!

They snap and hurl me out of the spell. I can’t see the flow of magic anymore, the ritual too complicated to re-enter, especially with the trap above surely gaining in intensity. Additional energy ropes emit and tie themselves about Twilight. She screams but forces herself to remain standing. Come on, power through it…

“It’s going to rebound!” Sunburst calls out the warning. If it does, all Twilight’s magic will be burned away, or the searing energy ribbons will reduce her to ash.

I wasn’t good enough.

I failed, again.

The house in the valley flashes in my thoughts, buried in mud and rubble with my family inside. No!

No.

Not this time. I will not let more die because I wasn’t good enough! Not Starlight, not Sunburst, and not Twilight!

I reach out with my magic, tying my own ropes around the energy ribbons from the trap and pull. If I can disrupt the trap, break her free, then she can finish the spell! The ribbons resist, straining against me, but I grit my teeth and pull harder. I pulse what magical strength I have all a once and rip some of the strands of energy free from Twilight.

But now I’ve made them mad. All the remaining runes turn on me, letting Twilight go in the process. I guess that works… whatever it takes, right? I don’t have a chance to catch a breath before the bindings wrap themselves around me, scorching hot even through my coat, acrid burning fur fills my nose.

“Keep going!” All my nerves ignite, my limbs writhe without instruction. I think the ritual is still going, I can’t see past the pain. “Don’t stop!” More pressure on my chest, was that a rib cracking again? I can’t even tell, there’s just static in my mind, burning flesh in my nose, and my own screams in my ears.

Something bursts nearby, not a palpable pulse, but an emotional one, like a wave of euphoria. All the burning pain dissipates and I’m left standing, panting. I creak an eye open with some difficulty. There’s something strange with the light… there are so many colors on her face, like dozens of rainbows. Is that normal? She’s smiling… isn’t she? So pretty… The world tumbles to the side and slams into me.

“Sable!” Is that Twilight next to me? It sounds like her. “Sable, say something!”

“I think… I need to lie down.” Something brushes against me, or off me, I can’t tell. The motion sets off singed nerves again. I can’t even know if I grimace.

“Why did you sacrifice yourself like that?” Is that what I was doing? I guess it was.

“Had to.” True enough. “We were losing the spell.” The one breath is too much, and I cough, almost retching from the pain. “Couldn’t let everypony down again.” Never again, it doesn’t matter the price I pay… “Needs of the many, you know how it goes.”

“No jokes, you need to stay still. We’ll get you some help soon.”

“Not… going… anywhere.” I try to focus on her, I can still see that smile on her face, or is it only a memory? The pain is too much, then only sweet painless unconsciousness.

“Of her ally, Sable, I have seen nothing.” Luna sits in the garden late this afternoon, speaking with her companion. “I don’t understand why he is never present. Twilight tells me he was essential to her survival during the actual encounter. He should be there, fighting alongside her. Even the memory of him should be a support. There is something I am missing in all this…” Her companion tilts his head one way, then the other, listening intently. “Of course, none of this you understand, because you are a swallow.”

The little bird on the nearby branch hops from place to place, listening but providing no useful commentary. Unfortunately, the tree swallow is unable to give an answer for her. Although he does chirp something that sounds encouraging.

Luna sighs, looking at the trees and flowers around her. It’s a pleasant enough afternoon, marred only somewhat by the fact she has once yet again found herself without another pony to speak to. Fortunately, the little bird from the other day is here once more, and she has been thinking aloud about Twilight’s dreams.

“Luna?” A voice calls out nearby, and the tree swallow darts away, startled. Luna’s eyes track the feathered one until it vanishes, frowning at the interruption. “Are you out here?” Celestia walks around the hedge and smiles brightly when she spots Luna sitting in the shade. “I thought I heard you speaking with someone.”

“Good afternoon, sister. I was just conversing with a little animal friend. I thought you were meeting with the Canterlot historical society today?”

“I did. The meeting went smoothly, and I find myself with some free time to spend with my sister.”

“Please, sit with me.” Luna sweeps a wing open, indicating a place for Celestia to sit. The taller Alicorn places herself nearby and takes a long deep breath. Something bothers her, Luna can tell, something subtle about the curve of her neck and the posture of her wings give it away. “I thought the meeting went well?”

“Ah, that is not which lingers on me.”

“You wish to know how your student fares?”

“Twilight’s wellbeing does concern me; she hasn’t sent me anything new regarding her adventure. Are you willing to discuss her dreams with me?”

“You know that I do not violate the privacy of those whose dreams I enter.” Certainly not with any creature which is liable to speak it, but she doesn’t say it aloud

“Not even in this case? She is a close friend of mine.”

“It is the principal of the thing. If I break it for this, then why not again?” Luna pointedly shakes her head. “No, I am sorry, her dreams will remain private unless she gives me permission to share them herself.” She doesn’t say it, but there is a point beyond which she would be willing to violate that privacy. It would take a life on the line, or worse.

“What can you say, then? No specifics, I understand.” Celestia affixes her eyes on the princess of the night, who takes a long moment to consider.

“I feel as though her progress has been slow. Every night so far, she has suffered…” she pauses to find the right word, “the event again.” Celestia’s face twinges and her eyes dart momentarily off towards Ponyville. “To her credit, she resists it longer and longer each night before I feel the need to intervene.”

“Assuming I am reading the metaphor correctly, am I to believe it means she is beginning to overcome the trauma?”

“I agree. Although one can never be quite certain with imagery of the unconscious mind.” Luna giggles softly. Celestia lets out a held breath, and her wings subtly shift as she lets the tension free. “I see your mind is settled.”

“I wish there was more I could do for her.”

“If you wish to go see her, that is your prerogative.”

“Maybe, I will. Tomorrow maybe.” Celestia smiles. “For now, dinner?”

Her shoes click softly on the stone floors with the steady rhythm of a metronome as she glides through the hollow halls. The sun has set, and the moon lights her way in silvery shafts where the windows are open, she needs no candles tonight. The city outside lets out a silent breath as ponies drift quietly away to slumber and dream in peace.

Luna wanders the palace, mainly without aim. Her path takes her to the throne room and the magnificent stained glass windows depicting the great moments in Equestrian history. She pauses before one celebrating Twilight Sparkle’s ascension to princess-hood.

The past nights have not been easy despite what she told her sister earlier. True, Twilight fights back against the ashen monster, but she still requires help to fight it off entirely. Now that Luna knows how to face it, the creature should pose no threat anymore.

“Why then, do I hesitate to enter the dream realm?” She turns away, looking up at the other stained glass artworks as she passes.

Most of the time, the dreams of ponies are happy fantasies or nonsensical and formless. Even when she does need to step in to shift a nightmare to a softer scene, she rarely has to approach the dreamer directly. There are too many dreams to spend more than an instant or two on any single instance. Only when the dreamer is most distraught does she enter and intercede with force. Even then, they are mostly uncertainty about some social interaction in the days before or upcoming events ahead of them or concern about a troubled family member. Often a simple message of encouragement is enough to dispel those.

Only the most terrifying and traumatic night terrors require her complete attention, and these are thankfully quite rare.

Unfortunately, this is what she has faced repeatedly, Twilight continues to suffer night after night. In some respects, it might be easier for the princess of friendship than for Luna. Some part of the little purple Alicorn grows stronger with each encounter, only for the nightmare to be largely lost by the dawn. Luna, on the other hoof, witnesses the entire event unfold in perfect clarity, forced to watch her friend be nearly violated nightly, and remembered with the same such clarity.

“It is an ugly thing to see.” A slight sigh escapes her lips as she steps out onto the balcony behind the twin thrones and lets her eyes rest on Canterlot, quite dark and still in the pale moonlight. “How lucky you are, to be not troubled by your own mind.” The remark is not directed to any single pony or creature, or anyone at all really. Her gaze comes to meet the moon above, her lovely argent orb in the sky. “At least you don’t need my constant attention.” The moon has no response for her, not with words. “I can’t put my duty aside for too long.”

Still… she hesitates, procrastinating for no explicable reason. Her hoofs bring her back inside, through the halls lined by marble pillars. Everything is in order, except for Luna herself. Out each window, she can still see the moon hanging in the sky. She slows to enjoy the moonlight for just a moment longer, before heading up to her chambers and her high balcony. Just as she arrives, something flickers out of view out the corner of her eye.

“Hmm? What was that?” She looks back up at the silver orb, something had disturbed its surface. There’s nothing there now, nothing unusual she can spy at a glance. It had been like when a bird quickly passes above and its shadow clips the sun. Not really observed, but… seen. “Maybe just a passing bat.” The distraction provides her only a moment longer before her duty calls, and she steps over to the railing to ready herself for the world of dreams.

Then she blinks, and sees it. A tiny black figure perched atop a wisp of cloud, just at the very edge of the moon in the sky. Had she stood even half a stride to the side, she wouldn’t have seen them. It’s a pony.

“What are you doing up there, so late?” No answer, and she doesn’t expect one; they are very distant and couldn’t possibly hear her. She realizes now it was the blip of shadow she had seen over the moon, flying past to land upon the distant cloud. They probably are not aware she’s spotted them.

For a moment, she watches them, curious and still reluctant to go into the dreams. A thought passes before her to go see who they are. Her wings spread wide, and she puts one hoof on the railing to leap off before she stops herself.

“No, Luna. Why else would they seek solitude under the stars, other than to be left alone?” No, she will not intrude on them. She shakes her head to clear it and resolves to her duty, folding her wings again. Before she finally goes into the world of dreams, she takes one last curious glance at this intruder in her midnight skies.

Author's Note

Part 2: "Luna and Stardust" begins.

We finally meet our other protagonist... sort of.

Falling Stardust

“Rarity? Are you here?”

“Yes?” The white unicorn looks out from her back room. “May I help- Goodness!” The pins and scissors in her aura clatter on the floor when she spots the bandages around my chest and side. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“I’m intact, mostly.” I look down at my own right forelimb, and the one bandage tied a little too tight. I don’t really need them anymore, but it prevents ponies from seeing my blank flank. “We had some trouble in the Crystal Empire.” For a moment she tries to fuss over my injuries, and I shift away. “I’m alright, really.”

“You’re sure?”

“My wounds are not the reason I’m here.” I sigh. “I’m afraid my coat was destroyed, and I’ve come to ask you for another replacement.” Her eyes twitch, and I can see a frown forming. “I’m sorry.”

“The last one was a rush job anyway. It wasn’t really up to my usual standard of quality.” She huffs. “I’d be quite pleased to replace it.”

“I’ll pay for this one, somehow.”

“Nonsense.” She flips her hair as she shakes her head. “You’ve lost enough, I can take the loss of a little bit of fabric to help you get back on your feet.”

“Wait.” I block her way before she can escape into the back room. “I’ve taken enough of your charity already. I insist I repay you in some fashion.”

“Hmm…” She taps one hoof against her lips as she thinks. “I suppose… I could use some help around the shop.”

“That would be acceptable.” I nod. “Twilight wants me to spend time helping everypony anyway. She thinks it’ll be healthy for me.”

“She’s right, you know. I’ll even pay you for your time.” I’m about to protest before she continues. “It’s my turn to insist. I’ll expect you to genuinely work hard to earn that pay.”

“Very well.” I could use the bits, at least until I can find some real employment.

“Now, just stand over there, and we’ll get started.” She waves at the center of her workspace, where a mannequin is sliding out of the way in her aura.

“I thought you already had my measurements?”

“Oh, I do. I could use a model, and I don’t get nearly enough practice on stallion’s fashion.”

“You want me to start right now?”

“Why not?” Why not, indeed? It’s not like I had any plans. I shrug and take the indicated place. “Now, where was that vest…”

Luna sighs contentedly, listening to the birdsong of happy avians in the garden and sipping her rose tea. For the first time in days, she can properly relax. Last night the princess of the night watched as Twilight fought the monster, without Luna’s aid, and won. Perhaps this means she can have that night off, at last. Or perhaps not, as there is always the chance Twilight may have a relapse. For the moment at least, she can push Twilight’s worries out of her mind.

Something shifts in the branches above, and she glances up to see a now-familiar little swallow sitting there. It peeps a greeting when she spots it.

“Hello again. You seem to enjoy my company.” She holds up a hoof, as she did on that first day, and the little swallow flits down to land on it without hesitation. “What are you up to today?” It hops a few times, excitedly chirping rapidly. “Slow down please, I can’t quite keep up.” She giggles as the bird on her hoof slows his chirps nearly to a stop. “Oh, you know what I meant.”

The swallow ruffles his own feathers, taking a little pride in his joke, and then settles to a more reasonable pace. As he speaks, he hops from one side of her hoof to the other, really more like strutting and puffing out his tiny chest. She sips at her tea as he describes another swallow at length. Everything from their eyes to their down; at a surface level, it’s nothing exciting to hear, but it brings a slight smile to Luna regardless.

“She sounds lovely.” At this, the swallow tilts his head and stops his tweeting, his expression confused. “Have you spoken with her?” The little head shakes negatively. Luna giggles again. “Maybe you should.” His head tilts the other way. “You told me before you felt alone. I suspect you will not feel that way for much longer if you do.”

Luna blinks, and looks up at a patch of blank sky. Suddenly, the empty space around her feels a bit more profound. The swallow is fine company, but he’s no pony. Most of the time, Luna only has Celestia to talk with. Even then, most days her sister is busy ruling Equestria. Living her life in the dark, where few others tread, tends to leave one solitary. On good nights, it’s quiet and comforting and gentle. On bad nights… it’s cold and empty. Since her return from her lunar exile, she’s made precious few friends and fewer still who are readily available at a moment’s notice.

Her silent musings are interrupted when the swallow lands on her nose, demanding her attention with irritated peeping.

“Oh, I apologize. I lost myself for a moment.” She plucks the bird from her nose, too close to even focus her vision on, and drops him on the lowest of the branches above them. “You were saying?” He resumes his chirping, asking a question she hadn’t heard the first time. “Oh, I have my reasons for believing it.” She giggles softly one more time. “It’ll spoil the fun if I simply tell you.” The swallow ruffles his feathers again, giving the Alicorn an annoyed glare, or what passes for one from a bird. Then he flits off without another peep. “Good luck.” He’s moved beyond the hedges before she can even finish calling out, leaving her alone once more.

As has become her ritual as of late, Luna slips through the palace halls after the sun has set. The click of her shoes on the stone is the only sound, echoing quietly. When she stands at her balcony, she hesitates before diving into the realm of dreams. Not particularly procrastinating tonight, but waiting for something. The intruder in her midnight skies.

Each night since she first noticed them, they have appeared without fail. Never in quite the same place, or at the same time as the night before. Always resting on some wisp of cloud off in the distance, almost too far to be seen.

That first night she left them alone, assuming they wanted the solitude. When they came back the next night, she did the same but allowed herself to wonder who they might be. A starstruck artistic soul out enjoying the night, or maybe an astronomer tracing the movements of the planets. Perhaps they are something even stranger, such as a Griffon visitor or a lone Hippogriff, possibly even a visitor from some other world. She has no confirmation of any guess or even any real idea of what they look like. From so far away, they were nothing more than a black speck against the moon.

Seeing another pony out in the dark, it’s a comforting thing to see one who enjoys the night the way she does. It gives her a sense of camaraderie she cannot find elsewhere, even if she hasn’t shared a single conversation with them.

“Where are you, stranger?” Tonight, they are late, and Luna paces on her balcony. She knows she should be performing her duty, but for a while longer, she waits.

Her mind drifts, as the moon does. Maybe her previous assumptions were wrong… and they hate the night but were unable to sleep due to some unknown cause. Possibly they just needed a quiet place to think for a few nights or maybe moved away. For whatever reason, the moonlit sky is empty. If she had wanted to speak with the stranger, she seems to have missed her chance.

She sighs, disappointed, at the mysterious visitor’s disappearance and at her own reluctance to have gone to meet them.

The moon is well past its apex when she finally decides she can no longer wait any longer. She focuses her mind on the dreams of Equestria and lets the world fall away. The millions of tiny dream spheres has barely manifest in front of her before she pulls herself out of the sleeping world.

“There you are.” In the instant before she had gone in, she had spotted motion against the moon. “Hello again.” The intruder in her sky, although late, has come again. The tiny black figure has once again set themselves on a cloud, far out from the Canterlot cliffside. She smiles, the cold night air just a little less chilly. For a few moments, she sits and watches them, allowing her thoughts to drift once more.

Then her words to the sparrow come back to her. She can imagine who this intruder might be, for as many nights as they appear, but she’ll never know anything about them unless she works up the courage to go say hello in person. It wouldn’t be hard, just fly out and greet them. Why, then, does she resist so? Is it not that simple?

The wind flows under her wings as she opens them, caressing her flight feathers in the sudden breeze. Her hooves leave the stone balcony below, and she swoops between the palace towers as her route takes her out over the cliff. It takes her some time to get close, climbing higher in a long spiral. She approaches slowly, not wanting to startle them with an unexpected appearance.

Something flashes in front of the figure, silhouetting them momentarily. Not terribly bright, but in the dark the flash would be blinding that close to their face. Then it bursts again an instant later, brighter and more fierce. It’s no explosion, no thunderclap follows, but the afterimages still prevent her from seeing exactly what happened.

A tiny sparkle of starlight flashes on something silver as it falls past her, she can’t tell what. Now something larger falls, black in the night, and nearly unseen. She blinks, but the figure on the cloud is gone.

Without any hesitation, she dives. Below her, falling in an uncontrolled spin is her stranger. Something flaps in the wind around their body, and she can’t make out any details. She closes on the falling pony, grasping at what should be wings. Her hooves close on fabric. When she tries to pull the tumbling pony out of the fall, she finds the material slipping off their forelimbs, leaving her holding a black coat and nothing else.

She dives again, reaching out this time with magic and slowing their fall to catch him. She slips her arms under the stranger’s shoulders and pulls up, swinging out over the forest below to bleed off some of the speed before rising again. She doesn’t feel any wings against her chest where they should be. The figure groans, disoriented. They start to shift and struggle as she climbs them back up towards the cloud.

“Not the clouds, not the clouds!” It sounds like a stallion. “I’ve lost my spell!”

“Spell?” Despite the effort to lift him, she glances down at the pony in her arms. No wings, and a horn on his head. It’s a Unicorn. “Ah, I see.” She halts her ascent and sets him down on the palace courtyard where it juts out over the cliff. “Are you alright?”

“I’m intact.” He wobbles uncertainly but catches himself on the railing. She lands gently a few strides to his side. With her eyes readjusting to the night, and in the light of the moon, she can see him clearly for the first time. The dark purple unicorn has a black mane, shot through with a streak of neon-blue, it matches his tail. As he rubs at his head with his right forelimb, she holds out the coat she accidentally pulled off him during the rescue.

“Your coat.” He blinks rapidly, facing out towards the sky. Then he snatches the coat from her outstretched arm with an aura that matches the streak of color in his mane and flings it over his back. For just an instant, she spots his blank flank before the coat conceals it. Luna blinks, mildly surprised that he doesn’t have a cutie-mark, and then draws her attention back to his face.

“Thanks.” He mumbles it, still rubbing at his head.

“Are you sure you are unhurt?”

“It was just a minor backlash, I’ll be fine by morning.” He suddenly pats at his face, feeling for something missing. Then he lurches towards the edge, placing both hooves on the railing as he stares down at the ground far below. “Where is it, where is it?!” Panic seeps into his voice as his gaze sweeps across the landscape directly below them, neck craning out so he can see straight down.

“Where is what?” Luna tilts her head slightly.

“Did you see where it fell?” He hasn’t even looked at her yet.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see anything clearly.”

“Rats.” He sighs deeply, rubbing again at his temple. “It’ll take me days to find it.” She ignores that he didn’t answer her earlier question, assuming he is still somewhat disoriented.

“What were you even doing up there?”

“I doubt you would understand if I tried to explain.”

“Really? You doubt my ability?”

“It’s not that, I just don’t think a Pegasus…” only now does he turn to face her, “…oh.” She smiles softly to herself, amused at his stunned expression. “Princess Luna.” He finally gathers himself enough to give her a bow, where he tilts his head just a bit and nods deeply with closed eyes, which are the same color as his magic aura. It’s not the ordinary bow she is used to receiving, but it still seems respectful. “I didn’t think it was you.”

“I can tell.” Luna steps up beside him at the railing, he steps aside to keep her out of reach. “I am relieved you are not hurt.”

“So am I.” His deadpan reaction causes her to giggle just a little.

“Although you have not answered my question.”

“I was…” He looks down at the distant ground again. She observes him carefully as he considers what to say. “Trying to fix a mistake.” She tries to look him in the eye to read his expression, but he refuses to meet her gaze. He snaps out of the momentary trance he had fallen into and bows again. “Thank you for saving me from the fall.”

“You are lucky I was on my way up towards you when it happened.” He tips his head in confusion, frowning. “Had I been further away, I don’t think I would have caught you.”

“Was I intruding where I shouldn’t have?”

“Not at all. The night may be mine to safeguard, but I do not claim ownership of the sky. You are free to be where you wish.”

“Then…” His head tips the other way. “Why were you…?”

“I was curious.” Luna shrugs. “I have been watching you for over a week.”

“Watching me?” His eyes narrow, suspicious of her. “Why?”

“Aren’t you the interrogative one? I don’t mind. As I said, I was curious.” Luna casts one hoof out at the sky. “There are few who stay up this late into the night, and fewer still who sit upon a cloud where I can see them.”

“Ah…” His voice drops to a near whisper, and he turns out towards the horizon, “not even here…”

“You are new to Canterlot?” Her question seems to catch him off guard.

“Yes… I arrived not long ago.” Luna blinks, having caught a tiny flash of hesitation in his voice.

“I see you do not wish to discuss it. I will not insist. If you do not mind my asking, why are you out in the night?” His eyes twinge, just a tiny twitch. “I suppose I am stepping on a sensitive topic, I apologize.”

“No, don’t. It’s my fault for not expecting something like this.” He sighs. “Back where I used to live, this is something I would do when I needed to think in peace.”

“There is something calming about the evening sky on a clear night.” She holds her head high to let the breeze flow over her mane. “Sometimes, I do the same when I need to think. Out here, it’s just me, the wind, and the stars.” Her words bring him to look back at her, surprise writ clearly on his face. “Is something amiss?”

“No… I… I just don’t know what to say.”

“Your name, perhaps?” He makes to respond, but then his eyes defocus as if he were struck by a hammer. For an instant, he remains there, mouth half-open, just long enough for Luna to begin to be concerned about his health. At last, he shakes off his strange shock and whispers too quietly for her to really hear him. Something about an inquisitive princess? “I didn’t quite hear that, would you repeat it?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “That was… something else.” Still, he hasn’t said his name, and she refuses to look away until he does. He hesitates for another moment. “Stardust. You can call me Stardust.” Slowly he turns from her, looking for the castle gates. “I apologize, Princess Luna, but I think I should go sleep this headache off.” Inwardly Luna’s hopes droop, but she maintains her neutral expression.

“Very well.” He takes a few steps away before she continues. “Should I expect to see you in the night sky again tomorrow?” He halts mid-stride. Once again, Luna feels as though she has somehow stunned the poor stallion.

“I suspect you will see me, from time to time, up in those midnight skies. Although, probably not tomorrow.”

“Then, Stardust, I hope you rest well.” She gives him a shallow nod. He mumbles a quiet comment that she suspects she was not intended to hear.

“So do I.”

Empty Echo

“I didn’t think I was going to see you today.”

“I wasn’t sure I was going to show up.” I place one hoof over my chest as Fluttershy lets me in. “My ribs still ache.”

“Oh dear. Are you sure you’re up for this?” The yellow Pegasus puts a hoof on my shoulder, her eyes locked on mine with some concern.

“I know my limits.” I glance around her small cottage, the place is full of animals. Most of them seem to be hiding from me, including a bear poking his snout around the door frame from the kitchen.

“We’ll go easy for today.” She smiles and nods. Privately I think that’s why Twilight sent me here, knowing Fluttershy wouldn’t push me.

“Where do we begin?”

“I think we’ll go for a walk, I want to make sure the bird’s nests are alright.”

“In the Everfree?”

“Absolutely not.” For the moment in which she shakes her head, her voice is full of determination. “Not in your condition. Besides, that forest takes care of itself.” I consider saying that I’d be up for it regardless, but that would be foolish, prove nothing, and possibly result in further injury. So instead, I simply nod. Fluttershy looks over at the little white rabbit on the sofa. “Coming, Angel?”

The critter’s ears perk up, and he hops over to us, staring up at me. He wrinkles his nose and narrows his small eyes, his distaste for me quite evident. While Fluttershy is gathering her things, the rabbit kicks my hoof and then scurries back to the sofa, glaring menacingly at me from his place on the pillow there.

“I don’t think he likes me.”

“He’s just shy around new ponies.” Somehow, I doubt that. She waves to her pet, and then we head out. From my perspective, we just sort of randomly wander around at the edges of Ponyville, but Fluttershy seems to know exactly where we are going, and we frequently stop while she checks on small bird nests.

When I move too quickly and startle a nesting bird, she reminds me to be gentle, demonstrating what I need to do to avoid frightening them. Even when she corrects me, she is quiet and speaks softly, I’m not sure she can raise her voice in anger at all. A soft smile is never far from her face as she handles the animals.

She’s sweet. It’s easy to work with her. The ache in my chest doesn’t seem so bad around her.

“Oh no, what happened here?” We approach a tree overlooking a creek, whose branches have broken, spilling a nest out onto the cold rocks. Fluttershy lifts the crumbling mess of twigs and twine, it’s empty. “Where are they?” Chirping and peeping above us, I think they sound worried, Fluttershy flaps up to meet the family of birds. “Oh no, one of them is missing!” While she calms them, I glance around, listening carefully. Something whimpers from nearby, wheezing in pain, barely audible over the frantic bird-speak. There, between a heavy fallen branch and a large stone.

“Fluttershy, over here.” I get as far down as I can, looking under the wood. Wedged between the two objects is the missing bird, it can’t seem to move. It blinks at me, terrified. How it managed to get there, I have no idea.

“Try to stay calm, we’ll get you out of there.” She shoves on the branch, which creaks as it bends.

“Wait, stop. The bird is stuck; if you twist the log, it’ll crush it.” Fluttershy stops pushing on the wood, and peers in at the creature.

“Can you use magic to get him out?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I can barely teleport myself. Give me a moment to think.” For a few minutes, Fluttershy does her best to calm and reassure the trapped bird while I consider the possible solutions. The problem is that the branch is split down its length, and the bird is stuck at the narrow end of the split. The two halves of the branch are barely held apart by the angle at which it is wedged by the rock. Move the branch or the stone, and the bird is crushed. “We need something to get between the two halves of the log.”

“What do we do?” I don’t have an immediate answer. For a few moments, I look about, finding only small twigs and old rotting branches, none even close to strong enough for our needs. The sun shining down into my eyes through the leaves is distracting. I shade my eyes using one of my magic wings, and the panel of glass gives me an idea.

“I think I can get him out.” Fluttershy moves aside, and I carefully shove the longest of my artificial feathers into the crack along the branch. “Now, pull hard, and my wing will hold it open long enough to get him out.”

“Won’t that hurt?”

“Not really. It’s a fake wing.” Fluttershy hesitates, so I try to give her a reassuring smile. Inwardly, I’m not looking forward to this.

“Alright, here I go.” She grabs hold of the branch and pulls, the crack widens, and I twist my wing further to keep it open. The little bird, quite terrified, struggles to free itself. I strain my focus, trying to keep the wing spell from breaking, I can hear the glass cracking. Fluttershy reaches in past me, cradling the bird with both hooves and lifting it free just in time. The flight panel snaps in two, and the branch comes crashing down. My spell collapses, sending a cold sting up my spine and into the back of my head as my wings disintegrate. “Are you alright?” She somehow directs it towards both the bird and me.

“We’ll live.” The pain starts to fade down an uncomfortable tingle. Fluttershy lifts the bird back onto the tree, leaving it panting in relief and surrounded by its family. The fate of the bird really doesn’t concern me; for the moment, I’m lamenting the loss of my wings. Then I spot the genuine smile on Fluttershy’s face, and the pain was suddenly all worth it.

Luna breathes the cold night air in, standing atop a cloud not far from Canterlot. The stars tonight are clear and bright, mirroring her mood. Last night, once she finally went to her duty, she was unable to find Twilight Sparkle’s nightmares. Hopefully, this means the Princess of friendship has fully recovered. Without the monster of ash to trouble her, the evening had passed quickly and without serious incident.

Hoping today would be the same, she has delayed her entry to the dream-world a little longer than usual. If asked, she would say she wanted to take a good look at the landscape from above. This is true enough, but not entirely accurate. Despite what Stardust said yesterday, she is still hoping he will show. As of yet, she has not been surprised to see the other clouds empty.

As the minutes slip by, she takes a seat, watching not the sky but the city below. There isn’t much to see, in all honesty. The lights are almost all extinguished, aside from a few nightlights barely visible from afar. In the streets, she can see no movement, save perhaps for the occasional cat skulking about looking for an easy meal.

The thought of a predator in the dark worries her, reminding her again of Twilight’s monster. From her place on the cloud, she momentarily enters the dream-world, just in case. Her quick survey reveals nothing particularly frightening. In fact, tonight seems to be unusually peaceful, nothing more severe than a Pegasus stuck up on a cliff. She pauses for a moment on her patrol to witness a mare and stallion dance at what appears to be a joyful wedding before returning to reality.

Luna blinks when she looks down, seeing nothing but open sky below her. Her cloud had nearly dispersed while she was mentally elsewhere.

“Perhaps that was not a good idea.” Before the cloud can completely disappear, she leaps off to find a new perch. She watches it entirely disintegrate, mentally reprimanding herself for not considering the possible consequences. When she looks for a new place to sit, she finds that one of the remaining clouds below her is already occupied.

Stardust has returned, balancing a silver object on one hoof. From afar, she cannot see what it is. Her wings cut through the wind silently as she descends towards him. Only once she has drawn nearer can she see it is skull-like, a mask. Possibly the object he had last night before he fell.

“Good evening.” Stardust startles and glances up as she glides down to his level, the silver mask slipping off his hoof. Luna catches it with magic before it falls through the cloud. Now she can also see how he got up to this height in the first place. A pair of clearly magical black wings rest upon his sides, structured like panes of glass. They could be part of his coat, but she doubts it. “I didn’t think I was going to see you today.” Neon-blue eyes defocus for an instant.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to show up.” He grimaces slightly and places one hoof over his chest. “My ribs still ache.”

“You are injured?” Luna lands nearby and inspects him as carefully as she can, he doesn’t appear to be hurt as far as she can tell. He blinks rapidly, his eyes sweeping across the horizon without recognition.

“I’m… unhurt.” His confused state seems to pass. “That was just déjà vu, I guess.” He takes the mask from Luna’s aura, holding it with both front hooves as he looks into its empty eyes.

“Is that what you dropped last night?” He nods sharply. “I’m pleased you were able to recover it.”

“It only took me all day to find it. I was just resting a bit before going home.” Luna frowns; he had just said he wasn’t sure if he was going to show up. Curious. Maybe he had planned to go right home and remembered her request?

“It must mean quite a lot for you to spend all day searching for it.”

“That much is true, I think.” His feelings towards this mask must be complicated.

“I’ve never seen a mask quite like it. Do you mind if I ask what it is?”

“It’s…” Now it is his turn to hesitate, obviously considering the responses he could give. “A gift, a curse, a reminder, and possibly so much more.”

“That is a complex, albeit utterly useless answer.”

“Ha! That’s fair.” Nevertheless, he does not elaborate.

“May I take a closer look at it?”

“Any reason why?”

“Is pure curiosity satisfactory?” Also because she’s still trying to find some sort of center to the conversation. He shrugs and then passes it to her.

She takes it with her hooves, the mask appears to be made from silver, but it’s lighter than she thought it would be. Intricate lightning bolt filigree crosses the face and around the eyes and jawline. Some of the bolts even stretch off the back and might resemble a crown of sorts if you could see them through the wearer’s mane. There’s a hole for a Unicorn horn, two more bolts intertwine around the empty space where the horn would be. On a whim, she slips it over her own face.

“Wait! That’s not…” But it’s already settled in place. Stardust stares at her for a moment, struck silent in surprise.

“How do I look?” The mask doesn’t really fit her, it’s a bit too tight to be comfortable. The lightning bolts around the hole scrape against her own horn irritably.

“Interesting… It must only work on me.”

“What do you mean?” The discomfort of wearing the mask reaches her limit, and she removes it. It was clearly designed for a smaller pony.

“It’s enchanted.” A dozen possibilities flash through Luna’s mind, none of them pleasant. She hurls the mask back at Stardust, who snatches it out of the air before it can tumble past him. “I should have warned you.”

“Obviously!” For a moment, her anger snaps to the surface.

“I didn’t think you would put it on! Besides… I’m pretty sure it’s broken. The spells forged into it were far too complex for the creator to manage properly. In his arrogance, he thought he knew what he was doing.” Something slips into his voice that sounds like loathing, or disappointment, or both. “Last night, I was trying to… undo the damage. I suspect, given what happened, that all I’ve done is ruin it further.” He shakes his head, running a hoof along the lightning filigree around the hole for a Unicorn horn. “It was given to me, not particularly long ago.”

“A gift from a friend?” Her earlier anger subsides.

“Not as such. I do not wish to go into details, it is quite personal.”

“I understand.” Luna nods. He pries his gaze off the mask to look at her, and she allows herself to be judged.

“I suspect you do.” He gives her the same respectful bow he did last night. The mask had been the center of their conversation, and Luna searches for a new topic as the silence drags on.

“So, why did you appear tonight?” It takes him longer to respond than she would have thought for such a simple question.

“You could say I was talked into it. Maybe it would be more accurate to say I was talked out of not coming here.”

“I fail to see the difference.”

“It depends on how you think about it.” He shakes his head again. His eyes wander away from Canterlot, and they linger in the direction of Ponyville. “I was trying to follow some advice I got from a… a pony I used to know.” His voice drops along with his gaze.

“I sense discomfort. I apologize for stepping on a sore subject.”

“If you feel the need to apologize every time you bring up a subject I find uncomfortable, I think you’ll find yourself unable to do anything else.”

“Do you prefer silence then? If you wish to be left alone, I will leave.” Luna stands, opening her wings.

“Wait, that is not what I meant.” He sighs and rubs at his forehead. “It’s just… life has been harder than usual recently.”

“I am going to guess you don’t want to speak of that either. So I will not press the issue.”

“That would be appreciated.” Neon-blue eyes focus on her as she seats herself again. “What about you? What brings you out here tonight?”

“As I have said now three times, I was simply curious.”

“Why do I doubt that?”

“Yet, it is the truth.” He shrugs at her assertion in place of a real response. “To be perfectly honest.” She almost hesitates. “I don’t have many ponies to speak with. My position doesn’t give me many opportunities to make friends. It is perhaps my only regret.”

“Now that I don’t believe. What of Nightmare Moon? You do not regret that?” She shudders slightly when he uses the name she once bore.

“My greatest failing. I allowed my jealousy and my anger and my loneliness to overcome me.” Up towards the moon she looks, remembering her thousand years held prisoner there. “For my crime, I was punished. Sometimes I wish to go back and change things, this is true. But no, I accept what I did and who I’ve become because of it, and who my sister has become in my thousand years of absence. I still atone for what I did, I suspect I will do so for the rest of my life. There is a difference there, between regret and atonement.”

“Yes.” His eyes fall back to the mask. “I suppose there is.” His voice drops to a whisper once again, so low she almost cannot hear him. “What would I give to have that kind of willpower?” It is clear the question was not directed to her, and so she pretends she didn’t hear it. His voice returns to its earlier volume for what he says next. “What of me? Do you consider me a friend?”

“I have not yet made that determination. I still know little of you, and you are quite reluctant to speak of it.” Another pony might be insulted by her answer. But this one listens quietly, obviously considering what she’s said. He nods, accepting her conclusion and her honesty without complaint.

“I suppose it might be nice; to have even one pony to talk to…”

“I may be isolated, but I am not quite that lonely.” She can’t stop a little of her annoyance from seeping into her voice.

“I meant for me.” He stands, opening his glass wings as he does, his mask held by his side via magic. Little sparkling points of light dot the underside of each feather panel, a little bit of beauty hidden beneath the black. “Goodnight, Princess Luna. I think we’ll meet again.” He nods deeply once more and then drops through the cloud. He turns as he falls, letting the wind catch him as he angles towards Canterlot. She watches him descend into the city until he vanishes between the buildings, heading towards a tower not all that distant from the palace.

For a while longer Luna sits out in the open, watching the moon above and considering the conversation. From what she can tell, he is not like most ponies. Undoubtedly his isolation stems from his blank flank, and the history one without one must have. It was a conscious decision on her part not to bring up that topic. As for his last question, she still hasn’t decided.

Then a dream of her own she had some days ago comes back to her mind. The details are long forgotten, yet a single image remains. A lone hoof reaching out towards another pony. She never did figure out if it was her or not.

“Maybe it doesn’t matter.” She stands, and then reaches up towards the moon, mimicking the dream. “Maybe we could both use the company.” A new image comes to mind, of another dark-furred limb taking the first, and both ponies helping the other to stand. “These midnight skies don’t have to be quite so empty.”

Author's Note

Part 2: "Luna and Stardust" ends.

Friends

“Note to self. Glass wings make poor fins.” Still trying to get a deep breath, I can’t help but try and laugh anyway. “I’ll be alright. Although, I think I’ve had enough lake for today.”

“Dude, I know you just almost drowned and everything, but you so won.” She had bet she could dive deeper into the lake than me. I guess she conceded when I hit bottom.

“Rainbow Dash, that’s not funny!” Twilight’s voice is full of concern for me, I think. It’s a bit hard to hear clearly through the water still plugging my ears.

“I think maybe that was one bet I didn’t want to win.” Slowly I get my hooves under me to stand. Even once upright, I feel the need to let my lungs and burning muscles relax.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I need a moment to rest, and then I’ll be good as new.”

“Let me get your things, and we can go back to the castle.” Twilight waits until I nod in thanks before flitting over the lake to where we were having our picnic.

“Hey, I’m sorry I pushed you into that diving contest. I didn’t think you’d get hurt.” Rainbow Dash’s apology comes only after the Alicorn has left earshot.

“My friends don’t need to apologize when I make mistakes.”

“I’m actually kind of surprised you think of me as a friend.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Why wouldn’t you what?” Twilight returns, passing me my coat and the rolled scroll I was using for my sketching.

“Consider her a friend.” When I’ve draped the heavy fabric over my blank flank, I already feel more comfortable. The scroll I drop into a pocket, I’ll worry about it later.

“Well, there was the time you exploded at me for getting your name wrong when we first met.”

“Exploded?” I jokingly inspect my own body confusedly. “I don’t feel exploded.” Twilight chuckles.

“I mean the first first time.” Really? I wonder what other little details I’m missing. I shoot Twilight a meaningful glance, but she says nothing.

“I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t remember that.” I head off towards town, letting a mildly confused Dash follow along a moment later. We have to make our way around the lake to get to Ponyville, and I have a sudden thought. “Do you think you can beat me to the other side of the lake?”

“Wha? That’s hardly fair!” Rainbow Dash, of course, thinks she could easily beat me there by flying. She would be correct.

“It really isn’t.” I grin at Twilight. “Even without flying?”

“Ha! Even without wings, I’m still one of the fastest ponies in Equestria!” It seems Dash’s competitive nature has gotten the better of her once again. We both turn to Twilight, already accepting her role in this.

“OK, you two, get ready, and I’ll start your little race. First one to that tree wins.” I nod and crouch, not even bothering removing my coat, which will undoubtedly give me a disadvantage in a hoof race. Dash does the same, wings at the ready, and then she clearly has to remind herself about the no-wings rule and carefully folds them. “Go!” Rainbow Dash bolts ahead, kicking up clouds of sand and dirt. I don’t even try to run, slowly strolling forward. “Uh, Sable? You’re going to lose.”

“A hoof race? Yup.” I grin at her. “Good thing this was never a hoof race.” I concentrate on my destination and cast my spell. Thunder booms as I teleport right there, just ahead of Dash. She skids to a halt right as I lean casually against the tree.

“Hey! That’s not fair!” I can hear Twilight laughing back at the starting line even over Dash’s complaint.

“That’s what I said, Rainslow.” If there was any real anger in her voice, it rapidly gave way to giggles. At least she can take a joke.

“We were trying to discuss how to split that month’s rent, but I could tell he wasn’t really paying attention.” Stardust stands at the railing of the palace courtyard, watching the moonlit clouds drift by while he speaks with Princess Luna. “He kept looking over at a red mare and her friend across the park, it was pretty clear he was interested in her. It wasn’t the first time I’d caught him staring at her.” Luna patiently waits for him to finish the story. “After a while, I got tired of his indecisiveness, so I pegged her with a snowball and teleported away.”

“That’s cruel!” Nevertheless, Luna laughs, already having figured out where the story goes.

“She came over and nearly chewed his ear off about it, and he just stood there with this hilarious dumbstruck expression on his face.” Stardust laughs briefly himself, it’s still a bit hollow. “So I nailed him with one too. I swear when she figured it out, she blushed bright scarlet, even considering her fur color. He asked her out on the spot. They’ve been dating ever since.”

“And her friend?” The sly tone in her voice makes the meaning behind her question obvious, and Stardust catches it.

“One double date, it was quite clear we couldn’t stand each other, and it went nowhere.” His gaze drops from the clouds to the ground. “Wave Dasher should be proposing to Ruby Song sometime in the next couple of weeks.” There is a strange certainty to his words.

“I thought you said you have not spoken with him in some months. How can you be sure?”

“That’s… a good question.” His head tips to the side, and he frowns. She eyes him out of the corner of her vision, but he doesn’t answer the question. A few moments later, he shakes his head and changes the subject. “I left Fillydelphia maybe a month later.”

“Was the rent more than you could handle?”

“Not terribly, it was stressful to be sure… but that wasn’t the reason.”

“What was?” He doesn’t answer, refusing to meet her eye to eye. Still secretive, so much more to his story is left unsaid. So she changes the subject herself, in an effort to relieve some of his stress. “You seem to be quite the traveler.”

“All the way up until I settled in Ponyville, I wandered pretty far.”

“Why did you stop? I wandered like that with my sister for a time, so very long ago, it was an interesting experience.”

“I’m not entirely sure myself.” He sighs again, rubbing at his temple. “My funds ran dry again, but that hadn’t stopped me before. My will to keep going… just ran out.” He blinks, glancing her way. “Alright, enough of that, or I’ll get us both depressed. Your turn. Tell me about one of your friends.” Luna considers before responding immediately, thinking over exactly who she considers a friend. That pool is, unfortunately, a shallow one.

“I’m fond of Octavia Melody, refined and elegant, measured of tone and temper.”

“To be clear, this a pony you are speaking of and not a musical instrument?”

“Well, she is a cellist.” They both giggle momentarily. “Although we don’t speak often.”

“I’m beginning to see a pattern with that.” Silently Luna concedes that point. “Is she any good?”

“She plays in the orchestra during the Grand Galloping Gala and a few other events my sister and I sponsor.”

“I guess that answers my question, indirectly.”

“You say you lived in Ponyville?” He nods as his only answer. “She resides there, it is possible you may have met her.”

“In passing, perhaps.” He shrugs. “That’s not a name I recognize from my time there.”

“I suppose that is not surprising, considering how you keep to yourself. It was just a thought, pay it no mind.” Stardust’s eyes drift upward to the skies above, and their conversation lulls to a stop. For several minutes they simply stand there, saying nothing. There is one aspect of the story she has been able to piece together about Stardust she has yet to understand. “May I ask why you left Ponyville?”

“Leave Ponyville?” There is honest confusion in his voice. “Why would I do that? This is my home.”

“Stardust? This is Canterlot.” Now it’s Luna’s turn to be confused. He blinks and glances around, there is no sign of recognition in his face as he scans the city skyline. When he lays eyes on her, he backs away, as if surprised to see her standing there. Luna frowns, worried. “Are you well?”

“I… yes. Yes, I’m alright. I just lost track of what I was thinking.” Now he rubs his eyes and squints as if his vision was blurry. “I must be more tired than I thought.”

“It has gotten late.” Luna glances up at the moon, climbing now to the top of its nightly arc.

“It’s not that. Well, maybe it is. I haven’t gotten much rest recently.”

“Have I been keeping you up?” For an instant, her ears and her mood droops, worrying that Stardust will choose to no longer stay up late to speak with her. When that thought pops into her mind, she knows now that she does actually think of him as a friend. The moment that second thought comes to her, she also realizes she will miss these conversations when he stops staying up late, she’ll be alone again.

“I doubt I’d be sleeping even if I weren’t here.” He pauses to yawn. “I doubt I’d be resting even if I were sleeping.”

“Something in your dreams disturbs you?” Delving into her own memories, Luna searches for any signs of Stardust in the dreams she has seen. Although she doesn’t keep a mental catalog of every little dream she has seen, or indeed dreamer she has visited, Luna thinks Stardust might be recognizable now if she were to look back on them.

“That might be one way to describe them. It’s not nightmares; they aren’t frightening or disgusting. The strange thing about them recently has been how realistic they seem. Almost like a memory, but I know it’s never happened.”

“I’ve had plenty of realistic dreams myself, I’ve seen thousands more.” She’s still looking back to see if she’s seen Stardust in any. She frowns as she realizes she has not. Stardust continues as if he hasn’t heard her.

“When I wake up, it’s almost as if I never went to sleep. How many days has it been since I’ve had a good night’s rest?”

“Stardust?” She sets a hoof on his shoulder, and the touch shocks him out of his near trance. He startles slightly, flaring his glass wings for a moment as he searches for balance. “You are not well.”

“I think you’re right. At the very least, I should really get some sleep.”

“If you would like, I can at least ensure tonight you do not dream.”

“You think that would help?”

“I can cast a spell on you that will let you rest until dawn, your mind at ease. It should allow your body to recover from a sleep-deprived state if that is what you are experiencing.”

“That actually sounds… really appealing.” He even smiles, just a little upturn at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes remain downcast. “How will this work? You enchant me, and when I go to bed it will take effect?”

“Unfortunately, it is not that convenient, the spell will render you unconscious on the spot. Out here in the castle courtyard is not where you would choose to slumber, I assume.”

“You assume correctly.” Slowly he turns towards the courtyard gate. “I guess I’ll have to show you to my new home.”

“Then, you wish to have my assistance?”

“Yes. Please.” The second word there is almost pained. Luna eyes him carefully as he leads them into the city. The stress caused by his sleep-deprived condition must be worse than he previously indicated. Either that or asking for help must be difficult for him. He walks slowly, so much so that he almost drags his feet.

At one point, he trips over an uneven paving stone, stumbling for footing, and Luna catches hold of him with magic. His recoil against her magic is actually more severe than his minor stumble, and his wings clatter as he struggles to stay upright.

Luna recalls how he shied away from her earlier touch. What she had assumed was due to exhaustion may actually be a distaste for being touched. In the future, she will be more careful and only handle him physically if he absolutely requires it, or he asks.

“This is me.” Stardust’s path has taken them across a small grassy park and to a tower not terribly far from the higher quality estates, or the palace for that matter. He leads them up the spiral ramp to the door at the top.

“I had expected something a bit more modest.” Luna glances up, the tower is rather ornate, with marble walls and golden roof. “Didn’t you say you only recently found employment?”

“I don’t actually own the place. My landmare is letting me stay here because she feels she owes me. If I weren’t desperate at the time, I might have turned her down.” He fumbles briefly with the lock, mumbling incoherently as he does so. He’s not particularly quiet.

“Do you not worry about waking her?”

“She doesn’t live here anymore. She told me she essentially abandoned it some years ago.” He scoffs, little more than a grunt. “Lucky me.” The door creaks slightly as he opens it. The interior of the tower is almost entirely open, the kitchen, dining area, and bed all visible from one another. The ceiling, particularly over by the bed, is covered by little glow-in-the-dark star stickers mimicking constellations.

“It sounds as if you do not like her.”

“Oh, I don’t.” Something much stronger than dislike sneaks out of his control, just for that instant. “But there is an old saying, beggars can’t be choosers.”

“Do you mind if-”

“Yes, I do.” He cuts her off, probably correctly guessing she was going to ask who his landmare is. “Drop the subject, please. It’s a sensitive topic, and I’m tired enough to do something else I’ll regret if you push me on it.” Somehow, despite their conversations, Luna gets the feeling he is still trying very hard not to say or do something to offend her. It is something she is also familiar with, as she has been deliberately avoiding the topic of his cutie-mark.

Before he climbs into the bed, Stardust glances at his black coat and surely his blank flank, and then at Luna. He still doesn’t know she knows about his blank flank. She pretends to be interested in the star stickers on the ceiling while he slips under the covers. He shuffles about for a few moments, struggling to get his coat off while underneath the quilt. Fortunately, Luna is actually interested in the constellations on the ceiling; they portray accurate constellations, whoever lived here must have been an avid astronomer.

“Alright. How does this spell work?” Luna pries herself from the stellar stickers and looks over. Stardust’s coat is pooled on the floor, and the stallion has drawn the quilt up nearly to his neck. Exactly how he got it off with his magic wings still present eludes her.

“Now, you make yourself comfortable and close your eyes. Leave the magic to me.” Luna steps over and stands by the bedside. Stardust’s eyes flicker towards her, the Alicorn’s presence nearby him being too distracting to let him rest naturally. Luna washes her magic over him, gently slowing his breathing and heartbeat. “Close your eyes.” She repeats her command softly.

Even when he does so, something about him resists her. For some inexplicable reason, his mind tries to push back, as if he doesn’t want to rest. There’s a force repelling her. It reminds her of a pony in panic when she discovers a nightmare. If this were a dream, she would banish it quickly, but in the waking world, a more delicate touch is needed.

Luna starts to hum a simple melody, enveloping him a bit more deeply with the calming magic. Softly she lets the ebb of the magic rise and fall like the tide, rolling over his mind in soothing waves. His mind, in which she can glimpse only the barest of peeks with this spell, begins to still. Despite this effort, he remains awake.

“Gentle and calm as new-fallen snow.” She starts the lullaby slowly, keeping in time with her humming. “Rest your head upon your pillow. Sleep my friend and close your eyes. Be soft and still until sunrise. Safe, you will be, here by my side. Into the night, I will be your guide.”

“Hmm… very… lovely…” Then, at last, her spell overcomes him, and he sinks into his bed and pillow, breathing slowly and evenly. His face, now familiar to her, relaxes pleasingly as all his stresses fade away. She continues to hum for a few moments longer, to be sure he is fully asleep. Centering her focus on the pony before her, she momentarily enters the dream-world. True to her expectation, she cannot find his dreams.

As quietly as she can, she turns to leave him to rest. Before she reaches the door, she finds herself looking over at a dresser with a pair of silver objects resting atop it. In the dim light cast only by her own magic, she has to lean in close to get a good look at them.

One appears to be the mask he had the night they met, the other… also seems to be that same mask. The two silver masks are nearly identical, save for only two significant differences, the eyes. The one she saw that night had both eyes open; this second mask has its left eye shut, and its right socket broken out. The edges of the almost star-like jagged break appear to be quite sharp.

She lifts them to take a closer inspection and takes them up to the upper floor, so she doesn’t disturb Stardust. The upstairs is an ample open space several stories tall, dominated by a single immense window through which the moon shines. By its light, she can tell they are even more identical than she had thought. Near exact replicas of each other, even down to the tiniest defect. She flips the second mask around to look at the interior. The break over the right eye is offset slightly from where it should be to see through it clearly. She judges that it would be impossible to see if the mask were whole. Why anypony would create a mask you can’t see out of is a question she has no answer for.

Then she recalls how he said the mask was enchanted and decides it would be better not to test her luck on either of them. She sets the twin masks down on a table by the window and glances about the room. The walls are covered in bookshelves, reaching all the way up the high ceiling, ladders allow access to the highest shelves. Although they are mostly bare, stacks of boxes presumably contain the missing books. So the previous resident was not only an astronomer but a well-read astronomer.

The night outside is a cold one, and she finds this place to be comfortable. Instead of returning to the castle, she sets herself by the high window and looks up at the moon in the sky before turning her mind to her nightly duty.

Family

“Sable, are you awake?” I blink blearily as the room I’m in starts to come into focus. It looks like it belongs to a young foal. Toys in a box in the corner, a few posters for musical groups, and a plastic sword that looks like it belongs to part of a nightmare night costume. Everything here is covered in a surprisingly thick layer of dust. “Would you like breakfast?” The voice belongs to a stallion on the other side of the door. A pony which two days ago I thought I’d never see again, my Dad.

“I’ll be down in a minute.” I listen carefully to his hoofsteps as he descends back to the first floor. Despite what I told him, I don’t really want to get up. I don’t really want to face what I’ve done. But I can’t avoid this now, my chance at that passed when Twilight stopped me from running. I had almost let her fall…

The thought hits me right in the gut, doubling me over, and I pull the blanket over my head as if it could give me some manner of protection. I have to gasp for breath, and I refuse to fight the tears I can feel coming.

It’s far more than a minute before I can bring myself to stand and put my coat on. By some minor miracle, my wings haven’t dissolved even after all the stress of the last few days, so at least I don’t have to re-cast that spell.

The smell of cooking pancakes wafts up to my room, and my stomach complains loudly. My body doesn’t seem to care about what my mind is doing. Before I go downstairs, I take one more look around my childhood room, it’s going to take some time to clean it up. Later.

“Good morning.” The light blue pony smiles at me when I arrive downstairs, my Mom, trying to be supportive. Both my parents are waiting for me around the table, three plates loaded with pancakes. Still mildly unwilling to speak, I sit down and face my plate rather than them. My breakfast is a small pile of thin pancakes only a little more than an inch across each, drizzled with maple syrup.

“Don’t you want them?” Dad questions me when I don’t dig in immediately. “I thought you might enjoy your favorite.”

“They are?” Silence. I risk a glance up. Both my parents are eying me with some worry and confusion.

“Don’t you remember? I would make them on special occasions.”

“What makes today special?”

“Sable…” my mother gently brushes a hoof down my mane. “You’ve come back to us. We’re a family again. There hasn’t been a day as special as this.”

“Not to us, anyway.” I think she shoots my father a glare for the comment, but I’m still staring at my food.

The smell of the mini-pancakes is more than I can resist, and I take one to taste. The little circle isn’t hard or overly crumbly, just the right degree of smooth. The warmth of the fresh pancake rests on my tongue, and the maple is complimented by just a touch of vanilla. It is, undoubtedly, one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

“Sable? You OK?” I can’t wipe the tears away, somewhere between joyful and painful. Even knowing they would be better one by one, I still can’t stop myself from stuffing the tiny disks into my mouth, leaving no time to chew. I almost don’t even stop to breathe and nearly gag when I try to swallow too many at once.

“Why? Why did I run?” I have to choke it out before I start to sob again. “Why was I so stupid to ever give up on this?”

“They’re just pancakes, Sable.” I would’ve laughed if I wasn’t so distraught.

“On you! On just being here!” All I can see is a blur, not even shapes, past the tears in my eyes. “I didn’t just steal your life, I stole mine!” Arms wrap around me, both my parent’s. Reflexively, I try to jerk away, but I can’t do more than flinch. They probably don’t even notice.

“You’re here now."

“We can rebuild that life.” After everything I’ve done to them, and to myself, I don’t think that will ever be true. “One breakfast at a time, if we have to.”

Equinox lifts the old book with the black cover from atop the stack in the old trunk and flips through it. It’s some kind of old journal or something, but the quillwork is so terrible that it’s near to the point of complete illegibility.

“Here, pack it with the others.” He passes it to Stardust, filling a barrel with the other books pulled from the trunk.

“Is there some reason you are having me move these from one container to the other?” Stardust similarly flips through the old journal before setting in the barrel with the rest, going so far as to flip it over in a futile attempt to read it.

“It’s the trunk I want in my shop, not the books. I don’t carry books, old or otherwise. There are other antiquity dealers who do, as well as specialty shops. They can worry about appraising them.” He recently acquired the old trunk from an acquaintance out west, and it got shipped to his house for some stupid reason instead of the shop. He didn’t know at the time it was full of books. It’s more weight than he’s willing to drag all the way down there, so he got Stardust here to help unpack it.

“I can think of a pony or two in Ponyville who would probably be interested.” The two of them are outside, just inside the gate, where the delivery pony left the trunk.

“Good, I’ll get in contact with the antiquities dealer there. I’ve got a few items they wanted restored that I’ve finished going there soon anyway, we can send the books with them.” Equinox pulls the last couple of books from the trunk and checks again to be sure it’s empty before shutting the lid and passing the tomes to Stardust for storage with the others.

“Where do you want them until then?” Stardust hauls the barrel full of books into the air without much effort, and Equinox is once again jealous of the younger pony’s magical ability.

“I’ve got a cart out back.” Equinox gestures with his beret, somewhat irritably, at the smaller of the two buildings on his property. “We can haul them both back to the shop.” Stardust nods and heads to the rear of the old building, returning a moment later with the cart in tow.

“I was wondering what this other structure was for.”

“Way, way back when there was more than one old pony living here, it was used as a guest house. These days it’s pretty much empty space. I used to use it as storage.”

“You’re sure it’s empty? If we’re hauling stuff back to the shop, we should check it out, maybe there’s something still of value in there.” Stardust eyes the trunk and the barrel, and then the cart. “There should be plenty of space.” Equinox looks over at the decrepit guest house, tapping his chin.

“You know… I don’t even remember the last time I even went inside. We might as well, I forget what state I left it in.” The elder Unicorn leads Stardust inside, having never locked the door. A very long time ago, he had intended to go back and fix it up.

A thick layer of dust swirls around their hoofs as they step inside. The interior is in awful condition, even in comparison to Equinox’s home. The veneer on the walls is peeling off and cracking, the floor creaks noisily, and mold grows in dark blotches in the corners. Although the place is clear of animal detritus, dusty spiderwebs hang like a thick sheet about a foot off the ceiling.

“Hey, it’s not as bad as I thought.” Stardust gives a short laugh at the terrible joke. The main hall has three doors along its length, and a staircase at the end leads up to the second floor. The first two rooms are empty aside from more dust and spiderwebs, once upon a time, they were a dining room and the kitchen. Even the stove has been pulled out. The third they can’t get into, the door is badly warped and binds in the frame even when Stardust rams it with his shoulder. “Stinking door.”

“I can get us inside if we really want, although the door might not survive.” Stardust’s horn glows, readying a spell.

“Don’t bother; judging from the other two, it’ll be just as empty.” The younger pony shrugs, his aura dissipating.

“What about the second floor?”

“I dunno. I don’t remember emptying it, but it’s been so long.”

“Then, there really might be something up there.” Stardust heads up first, the stairs creak and bend worryingly under his hooves. Equinox follows more slowly, being sure that each step can take his weight before committing. Upstairs is all bedrooms, aside from a small sitting space and a little circular window overlooking the yard out front at the other end of the hall. A couple of the beds were never pulled out, in downright terrible condition.

“These aren’t worth salvaging. It would take way more bits than I would get for selling to get them back in usable condition.”

“At least it only took a couple of minutes.” Stardust turns to leave, then the floor suddenly cracks badly and gives way. The younger pony yelps and jerks his leg free of the collapsing floor, stumbling aside and kicking up a small cloud of dust. “Maybe not as good an idea as I thought.” Equinox peers down through the hole, through the dim light he can see it was the third room they couldn’t get into.

“Oh, that’s the old library.” There are still some shelves along the wall, with some little things on it he can’t see through the dark.

“Just a minute.” A static charge in the air sets Equinox’s hairs on end. He looks up just in time to see Stardust pop away, cracking the air like a thunderbolt. A second thunderclap and flash in the room below follow, barely an instant later.

“Celestia’s rump! Don’t startle me like that! Give an old pony a warning, why don’t you?”

“My apologies.” Light fills the lower room as Stardust opens the curtains. Hoofsteps and creaking floors for a moment, and then silence.

“Well? Anything down there?”

“I’ve found something, I’m just not entirely sure what.”

“Oh? See if you can get the door open, I’ll be right down.” Equinox makes his way back over the gap in the floor and then back down the stairs, taking his time in case the floor is any weaker than he initially thought. Wood strains and groans as Stardust works on the door until something gives and snaps loudly. Equinox gets to the door just in time to see it fold nearly in half, revealing a startled and dust-covered Stardust.

“I got the door open.” He has the nerve to try and sound innocent. Equinox simply rolls his eyes and steps into the old library past the other pony. Most of the books are long since gone, the few that remain worth nothing as collector items.

“What was it you found?” Stardust doesn’t even say anything, he just points. All along one wall, from the door to the window, is an ancient diagram. “Oh… I had forgotten this was here.” The immense chart reaches from the floor to the ceiling. Equinox looks up at all the lines and names. “It’s my family tree.”

“This was your family?” Stardust tries to take it all in, hundreds of names and tiny profile pictures. “How far back does it go?”

“Thirty-eight generations.” Equinox sighs. “Over a thousand years of history, back to the time of the two sisters. Maybe even to the founding of Equestria.” His eyes track the lines as they slowly converge to a single solitary picture… the last picture. “If you look hard enough, you’ll find some names out of the history books up there.” Equinox taps the family tree on a name about halfway back. “Like this one here.” He moves aside and starts searching for something on the shelves while Stardust examines the name, batting off some of the dust with his beret.

“Eclipse Corona?”

“Where was that? Yeah, he helped save Princess Celestia from some kind of coup or something, I forget the details. He was given a medal too, it’s still here, I think. The family never would have gotten rid of something like that, and I never would have sold it.” Using magic, he cleans off some of the dust coating the objects on the shelf until he finds the ancient medal, a small heart-shaped medallion with golden wings. “Take a look.” He passes it to Stardust.

“A pink heart of courage? Impressive. The princess doesn’t give these out like Nightmare Night candy.” Stardust gives it back, and Equinox sets it down where he had taken it from. “I’m going to guess everything else in here has a similar story.”

“Maybe, I don’t remember them all.” Now Equinox gestures to the few remaining books. “My father was a historian, he wrote everything down.” Stardust examines one, reading the title aloud.

“Volume Seven of the History of the Noble Astral family.” His neon-blue eyes shoot over to Equinox, questioning.

“That’s not an exaggeration, either. Once, long, long ago, my family was nobility. Back when that meant something.”

“So, what do I call you now, your excellency?”

“My name works fine.” The elder pony rolls his eyes. “I’m no noble.” He taps his chin as he thinks for a moment. “Maybe I do technically have some minor title, I don’t even know.” He sits down facing the big family tree, eying the very last names. “Doesn’t matter anyway. The so-called noble line of the Astrals ends with me.”

“I doubt that. There are so many ponies here, surely some of them had descendants.”

“I don’t know. Maybe there is some distant cousin or illegitimate child out there we never knew about. If there is, they don’t know it either.” Stardust walks along the wall length family tree until he finds Equinox’s name, and then looks at the line coming from him to another image. The last name, the last picture, scorched and burned. The younger pony looks from the diagram to the elder, curious.

“What happened here?”

“My son…” Equinox sighs heavily. “I did that myself in a fit of pique when he ran off.” The pain is so old, it barely even aches anymore.

“Ran off? Why?”

“I didn’t approve of his marefriend… I tried to forbid him from seeing her. No points for guessing how that ended.”

“What was wrong with her?”

“She was an Earth pony… ah, I can’t even remember her name.” The shame is more than he can stand, and he turns away from the younger pony momentarily.

“I fail to see how that matters.”

“It doesn’t. Not in the modern world. Take a look at that family tree again, and look close.” Stardust glances up at it, his eyes sliding from one profile to the next.

“They’re all Unicorns…”

“My family is old, Stardust. I’m old… I was old when my son up and ran off, I just didn’t know it. With that age comes old ideas that have no place in Equestria anymore.” He shakes his head slowly. “By the time I learned that it was too late. He was gone. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.” Equinox sighs again, rubbing his hoof on the burned image in a useless attempt to wipe the stain on his conscience away. “I haven’t seen or spoken to Earl Grey in some thirty-odd years.”

Stardust’s wing spell shatters, the glass panels flashing as they break apart and disappear. He starts coughing as he sucks in a startled lungful of dust.

“You alright there?” The young pony wheezes a few more times, nodding sharply after a moment.

“I’ve been holding that spell for a while now, trying to break my record. This makes a week. Yay.” For some reason, Stardust’s eyes keep darting to the family tree and then to Equinox. The disruption in his train of thought brings Equinox back to what brought them here in the first place.

“Well, enough moping.” Despite saying this, he deliberately avoids looking at the family tree again. “We should get that trunk and barrel down to the shop.” Equinox steps out of the room without waiting for Stardust, who follows a moment later. The younger Unicorn is silent for some reason up until they get the cart loaded and just about ready to go.

“I was thinking.” He stops and looks at the old mansion’s two structures. “All those things in that old library. Do you want to move them up to your house?”

“Eh? Why?”

“I was watching your face in there.” He jerks his head towards the shorter of the two residences. “It was clear it all means something to you, and you said yourself you would never get rid of it. Even if… especially if you never plan on using this place ever again, then it all belongs somewhere you can admire it.” Equinox glances at his home and the auxiliary, back when he sealed the library, there wasn’t a place for all those things in the main house. Now, however… there is plenty of room.

“We’ll never get that family tree outside. It’s part of the wall. I don’t think there is any room for it up there anyway. I don’t know where I’d put it all.”

“One step at a time. We can get it all just inside so you won’t forget about it.” Once again, the Unicorn seems to think he is clever. “You can sort it out later.” Equinox pauses with the cart’s harness in his aura, considering Stardust’s suggestion. It might be nice to have it where he can see it. Maybe he’ll read through the old histories, look back at everything the family has done over the long years. If nothing else, he can at least decide who among his acquaintances gets what when he’s gone.

“Yeah, alright.” He sets the harness down, and then they spend the next half hour or so carefully moving all the old treasures of the Astral family into the main house. Throughout the process, he catches Stardust eying him strangely almost every time he comes out of the old library. Once everything is all arrayed in the front hall, Equinox looks over them, remembering all the stories and legends surrounding them. He struggles to fight back a tear and feels compelled to remove his beret. “Thank you.” His voice comes out almost cracked with emotion, he had forgotten just how much all this old family history meant to him. Stardust is silent, for which Equinox is quite grateful.

Parents

“Sable? Are you feeling better?” Mom knocks on my door, which squeaks open, I hadn’t locked it. She’s got a large book of some sort under her arm.

“Yeah, I think I am.” I drop the rag I was using to clean up all the dust on the dresser before turning towards her. She glances around the room, somewhat bewildered. I was trying to clear my mind by clearing my old room. I guess it was working. “It’s kind of weird seeing it like this. As if it were just dropped out of time.”

“I don’t actually know why we never did anything with it. It’s a whole room, how did we simply forget about it?”

“That’s… my fault, again.” I sigh and look out through the window. “My spell… my curse… it blocked you from remembering me or anything about me. If you ever looked in here, it would trigger, and you would be forced to forget it. I can only imagine that eventually, you acclimated to it and simply stopped noticing the door.” I can feel the strain rising again behind my analysis of the curse and its effects.

“Sable… it’s alright.” Apparently, she heard it too. Her tone is soft, forgiving.

“It really isn’t.” I had no right to manipulate them like that, it doesn’t matter how wretched I felt at the time.

“You were trying to spare us the pain you knew we would feel when you ran away.” Was I? That’s not how I remember it. Better then, if that is what she chooses to believe. “I want to show you something.” She sets the book on the bed where we can both see and opens it.

It’s a photo album. The first few pages are filled with images of a tiny foal wrapped in blankets, a purple Unicorn child. She flips through it, and the little foal ages rapidly as the pages turn. From first birthday cake to first Nightmare Night costume, and then older to the first day of school and still older. None of it is familiar to me now.

“Is that really me?” I know the answer, who else could it be? Mom doesn’t have to say anything, giving an assent with a simple hum.

“Do you remember this?” She stops flipping the pages when she comes to a picture of that smiling little foal standing beside a snowpony with a carrot sticking out its head in a laughable imitation of a unicorn horn. “This was the first time you got to play outside after fresh snowfall. Well, the first time you were old enough to enjoy it.”

“No… I’m afraid I don’t.” Building a snowpony does sound like fun, I have no reason to doubt her. Yet that day is nothing but a hole in my mind when I try to think back to it.

“You kept trying to build wings for it, and even when they fell off, you kept working on it. You kept calling it a snowlicorn.” I glance back at my own side, where my own glass wings are folded. Even as a child, I seemed to have wished for wings. I can only imagine the smile that little innocent version of me would give if he could see me now. “Now that I think about, I think that was the first time we noticed you were good with magic.”

Gently I take the album from her and start looking through it myself. The foal ages as the pages turn, a tenth birthday party, building some model with my Dad, sitting at the loom with my Mom. Some precious few of the images stir something in my mind.

Then I find myself looking at the Canterlot skyline over my shoulder. The palace in the distance, and Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns in the foreground. I can almost feel the wind as I stuck my head out the train window as it approached the city, I was so thrilled to be there, ready to take the test. The first time, and the second, and even the third despite the apprehension. Most of all, I can feel the pit in my gut as the schoolhouse loomed over me the fourth time I stood in front of those doors. It was my last chance… where would I be now had I done just a little better?

“Sable?” My Mom taps me on the shoulder, I flinch and nearly lurch away, brought back to this moment. “Is something wrong?” I blink back my tears and blindly search for something to say.

“That was the first time I took the entrance exam, wasn’t it?”

“You remember!” Her sheer joy is more than I can bear, and I flip the page back towards the start before I sink back down into that pit.

“There’s a story to each of these pictures, isn’t there?”

“Each and every one.” Although I’m not looking at her, I can hear the smile in her voice.

“Would you be willing to tell them to me?” It’s not just a dodge to avoid the Canterlot topic, my childhood is here… even if I don’t remember it. “Please?”

Luna stretches as she wakes, perhaps slightly earlier than usual. Bright-eyed and alert, she draws open the curtains to let the sun in and warm the bedchamber. Not at all groggy or weary, she slept well this day.

As she slips on her peytral and crown, she examines herself in the mirror. No stoic disinterested mare gazes back. Her face is comfortable and calm, with just the slightest upturn in her cheeks. For once, she doesn’t have to remind herself to smile. With her mane and tail brushed, she strides out into the palace to find breakfast.

Her shoes click rhythmically on the clean stone, and the sound melds into the echoes of other ponies about the halls. There are more than usual here today, or maybe she’s just up early. A cluster of administrators hangs about the closed door to the main audience hall, looking at each other with some concern over the noise she can already hear from the hall. They bow to her and step back to give her space, she responds with a nod.

The discordant chaos of shouted words grows louder as she approaches the audience hall, it sounds like an argument of some sort. Although the heavy door muffles the exact words, she can make out several distinct ponies, including her sister, as she struggles to contain the anger behind the raised voices.

Very briefly, Luna pauses before entering, hesitant to ruin her excellent mood. Her decision is made for her when the door suddenly swings open and four ponies exit in pairs, grumbling to each other and defiantly refusing to even glance in the direction of their counterparts. So determined are they to avoid so the other couple that they almost walk right into Luna. She ducks beneath the hovering stack of papers one drags alongside and slips into the audience hall to find Celestia standing at the window with a mild frown.

“At least the shouting has stopped. Good afternoon, sister.” When Luna announces herself, the white Alicorn turns from the window.

“Luna!” Celestia’s face alights with a quick smile. “Is it afternoon already? I’m afraid I’ve lost track.”

“What was the argument about? Is there something I may assist with?”

“Only if you know about the value of birch planks compared to bolts of cotton. Manehatten and Fillydelphia are having trade disputes again.” Celestia sighs and faces the window again. “At least all the damage it’s doing this time is giving me a headache.”

“It has been worse?”

“Much worse.” Celestia’s voice fades away, and her eyes focus on a distant point in the sky for a moment as she recalls some ancient conflict. Luna once again silently reminds herself that she still has much history to read. A few moments later, Celestia shakes off her recollections, and she faces Luna properly. “No sense worrying about those old conflicts. You seem to be in a good mood.”

“That I am. I told you it would pass.”

“Indeed, you did, and I am pleased to see it happen. It brightens my day considerably already.”

“Then, I think I will hang about and continue to do so.” Luna gestures to the administrators just outside, giving them a few moments together before barging in. “I will assist if I can with your duties.”

“I doubt it will be all that interesting, but I certainly won’t stop you.” Celestia waves towards the gathered ponies, and they all come forward.

During the next few hours, Celestia and Luna take meetings with various lobbyists and interest groups. Many of the details of what they ask are lost to Luna. While she speaks, papers are passed before Celestia, and she either signs them or frowns and sends them away for revision. The ease with which Celestia manages the minutia of running a kingdom doesn’t surprise Luna, although she is a bit jealous that much of it flies over her head. She has to stop the discussions several times to have some term or other clarified and finds she has little to add to the conversation.

During an idle moment between meetings, she glances out the window to watch the comings and goings of the palace grounds. Pacing at the edge of the courtyard, separate from the cluster of tourists, is a single figure. From here and at first glance, she mistakes them for a black stallion, but when she looks again, she realizes that it’s a pony wearing a black coat. It couldn’t be anypony but Stardust, no other pony would wear a jacket like that on a bright day like today. What would he be doing here at this time of day? He glances towards the palace a few times but resumes his pacing after only an instant. Something must be on his mind.

Before the next ponies are brought in to speak with them, she spies Stardust casting a spell, impossible to see what from this distance, and a tiny dark-blue bird flits away from him. A grey Pegasus guard approaches him, Luna doesn’t recognize him by sight, probably reprimanding him for doing magic within the palace grounds without permission. Stardust allows the other stallion to speak for a moment, before nodding and then leaping off the railing and disappearing. Luna smiles, imagining the shock on the poor guard’s face when Stardust reappears in the air, flying off on his glass wings.

She returns her attention back to the ponies now arriving to speak with them, a rather bookish lot with many charts and large scrolls, historians most likely. They begin a presentation outlining a plan to restore several old structures within Canterlot whose maintenance has been neglected, asking for permission and for funding. They’ve only been speaking for a few moments before something disturbs the guards at the door. A tiny dark-blue object darts in and out of view as it speeds down the hallway towards the audience hall chased after by a few shouting guards. The historian’s presentation stutters to a stop as they all stare at the impossible-to-ignore commotion comes closer.

Luna almost laughs as they stumble and trip over themselves. Try as they might, the guards can’t seem to catch the little thing as it slips under and around them. It lands on the stone just in front of Luna, and the guards all slide to a halt before they slam into the historians or either princess. Some of them seem to be panting. Luna looks down at what had appeared to be a little bird, but turns out to be an animated paper swan, and then frowns at the inability of the guard to stop even this little thing. Out the corner of her eye, she spots Celestia giggling quietly.

“It would seem I have a message I must tend to. Please, continue.” Luna lifts the messenger bird from the floor and takes it over towards the window. She waves the guards off dismissively, mentally making a note to talk to the guard captain about their poor performance. The little paper bird flaps its wings helplessly in her aura as she takes a closer look. It is as she thought, the same little bird that flew away from Stardust and a messenger spell. She takes it with one hoof, and the bird unfolds into a flat paper. The message is short.

To Princess Luna,

I apologize for any inconvenience my messenger causes. I know we speak often, but I need would like to speak with you. I have discovered something, and I really need to talk to somepony about it. If you have a few minutes sometime today, I would like to meet with you. I will be in the public area of the palace gardens, at least until the guards chase me out in the evening.

-Stardust

The writing is unsteady, unsure, rather unlike she would have expected. She hadn’t seen him write it when she was looking out the window, he must have written it earlier and been working up the will to send it to her. She glances back over her shoulder at the historians in time to hear one of them say something about the effects of dry rot on a structure’s foundations. Somehow Celestia appears to actually be paying attention. Luna glances down at her note and knows she won’t be able to do the same. She returns and waits for a break in the speech to speak.

“I apologize, but I have another matter to attend to.” The historians seem a bit downhearted but nod anyway. Celestia shoots her a questioning glance but says nothing. There is another moment of silence while the historians politely wait for her to depart before launching back into their presentation. The remaining groups outside, waiting their turn, nod slightly to her as she passes.

Once outside, she turns towards the gardens, not sure exactly where she expects to find him. Somewhere out of the way and secluded, probably. More to the point, she doesn’t know what it is that could shake him so much that he would seek her out during the day.

He isn’t by the tree she usually sits under, or out in the hedge maze. Nor is he hiding at the base of the walls or in the most secluded far corner. She takes to the air, and only then finds a dark blotch sitting by one of the fountains. He’s staring into the water, his head on the stone, paying no attention to what’s going on around him.

“I received your message.” She lands across the fountain and drops the paper bird on the stone next to him. His eyes flick to her reflection for a moment and then fall away. His lack of immediate answer worries her, especially since this meeting was his request. “You wanted to talk?” Again his eyes shift to her momentarily. Yet, he says nothing. Whatever he discovered must have shaken him more than she thought. She knows him just well enough that she can tell his hesitation is a sign of contemplation, not a wish for her to be gone.

If he doesn’t want to speak, then she’ll let him think. At least his message got her out of the meeting with the historians. She folds her legs under her as she settles on the other side of the fountain to wait for him to find something to say. It isn’t long before a familiar feathered friend finds her there, but the swallow seems reluctant to come close to a pony he doesn’t know and hops back and forth atop a nearby hedge for a few moments before deciding against it and flitting off.

“Tell me about your parents.” At last, he speaks, still not meeting her eye to eye or even reflection to reflection.

“My parents?” She has to look up at the clouds, it’s mildly overcast above. “I haven’t thought about them in years.” In truth, far longer. “They died more than a millennium ago. Why?”

“Please.” Why would this question cause him pain?

“If you were hoping to find some great secret, you will be disappointed. They were plain of birth and ambition, content to be simple ponies. When my sister and I set out to explore the world, even before we found our marks, they supported us. They didn’t try to hold us back, knowing it wasn’t what we wanted to stay there, but despite this, this wouldn’t leave their home.” The sweet face of her mother comes back to her, and she smiles. “When we met Starswirl, he took us in and taught us to use our magic. I can honestly say that I sometimes felt as though he was our father, it was he who really raised us. Even then, we would return to visit them on occasions, at least until we found our marks and became the rulers of Equestria. Our duties made it difficult to go back very often, and we grew apart. The last time I saw them, they were still quite happy to live their last years in the isolated village they called home.” Throughout her explanation, Stardust remained silent and nearly immobile. “What brought up this question?”

“I think…” He hesitates again, “I found my grandfather.”

“I was not aware you had lost him.”

“I… never knew about him in the first place.” The apprehension in his voice made it clear to Luna that he needs to say this without interruption, so she stays silent. “Dad didn’t talk about his family. I never knew why, and I didn’t ask.” His head, still resting on the stone, tilts as he considers something. “Now that I think about it, he seemed unnerved by something those times I came here for the entry exam for Celestia’s school. I think I know why now.” Despite all the questions, this raises for her, she remains quiet. “I think he was worried he would run into Equinox.” He doesn’t explicitly say, but it seems clear to her this Equinox is his grandfather.

This is more than he has ever spoken about his past. She knows so little about him that despite his discomfort, she welcomes the information. That he had gone to Celestia’s school does not surprise her, the skill needed to create his wing spell is considerable. Although… he used the plural when referring to the exam, perhaps it did not go well.

“I’m sorry.” He stands suddenly, readying to leave. “I shouldn’t have bothered you with this. It’s not important.”

“Stardust, wait.” She reaches out towards him, he’s well out of range, but the motion causes him to stop. “Yes, it is. I know you well enough to know you wouldn’t have asked for me if it wasn’t.” He doesn’t look at her, his eyes locked on the ripples in the water. “I know it’s hard; I know how it’s like to be uncertain.” He flinches for some reason she cannot fathom. “Please, talk to me.” He visibly hesitates, right on the verge of turning away. But then he sighs and sits back down, still not meeting her eye to eye.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“What about your parents?” She wants to think he just flinched again, but it seemed to be something else. “Can you not go back and ask your father?” That same grimace again on his face, riddled with pain and confusion no matter how hard he tries to hide it.

“I… haven’t spoken to either of my parents in years.” Now something new in his expression, fear. “I ran from home so long ago.” Luna blinks, his answer entirely unexpected. “I couldn’t stay, not after what happened.” Luna knows better now than to ask. He grasps at his head, in despair or in pain, she can’t be sure. “I… I never should have.”

“I have been distant from my family before, I know what that is like.” She sighs. “If you go back, I am certain you would be welcomed home. You can have your family back.” For a second time, it seems to her as if his head were ringing like a struck bell. His face scrunches up, now obviously in some pain.

“If only they were still alive.”

“They’re dead?” She can’t stop her surprise.

“What? No. They live in a little village called Pinewood.”

“But you just said…” she blinks, confused. He doesn’t seem to have heard her.

“I couldn’t even bury them…” He shifts from one despair to another, and her concern grows. “It was all my fault. They don’t even know me anymore. I wish I knew where they were.” Luna frowns, trying to piece together his incoherent speech. Stardust’s condition worsens visibly, his eyes no longer focus on anything, and his limbs shake. His wing’s glass panels clatter against each-other violently. His words begin to slur together nearly to unintelligibility. “Only real memory… watched them die!”

“Stardust, what are you saying?” It’s no use, he either isn’t listening or can’t hear her. As she stands to try and help him, Luna recalls all of the previous times she has seen him distressed. Each one was barely more than a twitch or instant of confusion, but she thought he was simply tired or stressed. This is so much worse. She rounds the fountain between them, although he doesn’t react as she stands beside him. She wants to reach out to help him, but she’s worried he’ll react poorly to her touch.

“Wasn’t Despair that did this to them.” He stands abruptly, bouncing against her and reeling away. For one brief instant, he looks to her with his face wracked by pain and fear, and somehow, hate. “It was me!”

“Stardust, are you alright?” Something blue flashes before her eyes, lightning lancing off his horn and scorching the ground between them. The attack stuns her emotionally, she wasn’t hit, but she didn’t think he would strike out at her at all. Stardust stumbles back, glancing about frantically, desperate for some kind of escape. His wings flare unevenly as he readies to leap into the air, but he’s got no proper footing and no wind to catch, so his leap instead sends him tumbling to the ground.

Whatever reservations she might have for disturbing him, his own safety overrides them. His thrashing is more than she is willing to risk with her own limbs, but she reaches out with her magic to lift him from the ground so he can’t hurt himself. He is, most definitely, not alright.

A strange static charge builds in the air, she can’t tell from where, setting her hair on end. She spots the spell building around Stardust’s horn too late to stop it. He flashes out of reality in an improper teleport that cracks the air like a blast of thunder. She’s so close to him that she has to shield her eyes with her forelimb. He could have vanished to anywhere but reappears only on the other side of the fountain. The boom from the spell sets her own ears ringing. Voices shout in the distance, probably guards startled by the sound.

Luna struggles to get another grip on him, but he’s still thrashing about and trying to teleport away. His concentration is so shattered that she doesn’t even have to try and disrupt his magic.

“Get off!” He kicks out at air, nowhere near her. Luna can’t even tell if his shout was directed at her. She backs away regardless, he might lash out with magic again.

The first guard arrives, followed by a cluster of others. Acting on reflex and training, they ready themselves to attack Stardust and move to surround him. Luna grimaces, Of all the times for the guards to suddenly show competence…

“Don’t hurt him!” Luna shouts, giving it the weight of an order. “Stay back! He’s not himself!” The guards do as commanded, backing away slightly, although they don’t drop out of their attack stances.

As he stumbles about, Stardust’s wings crash into the fountain’s side and explode into a shower of magical glass fragments. The shards fizzle out into nothing before they even touch the ground, but the shock seems to stun the distressed stallion. He stands still for a moment, wobbling from side to side.

“I’m sorry.” Tears stream down his face from one eye. “It was me. I’m so sorry.” With a heavy thud, he collapses onto his side, panting heavily. The guards glance at each other and at Luna, looking for instruction. She dashes to Stardust’s side, only now do the guards drop out of their aggressive postures.

Luna feels for his pulse, his heart is pounding like a racehorse, but unsteady. He doesn’t react to her touch, his eyes seeing something she can’t. She drapes one wing over him like a shock blanket and jabs the other one towards the nearest guard, the same grey Pegasus she saw tell off Stardust earlier.

“You! Get the doctor!” The stallion has barely begun to process the order when she shouts again. “Now!” Hoofbeats hammer the stone before he leaps into the air and darts away towards the hospital. Luna briefly considers that it might be wise to have a doctor placed within the guard’s barracks, to save time in case of another emergency, then she returns her attention to the distraught pony at her side. “It’s alright, my friend, help is coming.” But he still can’t hear her, and only keeps repeating three words.

“It was me… It was me…”

Author's Note

Part 3: "Stardust and Equinox" ends.

The Mind Undone

I latch my teeth on the vine and pull. Leaves shed from the Alicorn statue as the plant falls off, most of them old and rotting. I look up at the stone figure with the missing face and sigh, it’s just one more thing I’ve damaged in this town. At the very least, I should clean up my mess. Sure, I could do it nearly instantly if I used magic, but my magic has done enough harm here. Doing it by mouth and hoof feels more like penance than by mind and magic, even if it is the least I can do.

“Hey there.” I glance over my shoulder at the voice. It’s a dark-blue Unicorn, the barkeeper of the saloon. The older stallion is also looking up at the statue, appreciatively judging my efforts to clean it. “Thanks for that. I guess we’ve neglected it a bit over the years.” I wrack my mind trying to even remember his name. Sodafizz? Fizzlepop? Something like that. Swirlberry?

“That’s probably my fault, too,” I mumble it under my breath. Who knows how my curse affected their perception of it. I don’t think he heard, for which I am quite grateful.

“You’re Earl Grey and Softwear’s foal, right? You came on into the bar the other day with Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“I remember.” That was only two days ago, or was it three? For Luna’s sake, I’ve lost nearly all track of time.

“So where have you been all these years? You just disappeared one day, didn’t even say goodbye.” Interesting, somehow their minds have adapted to the removal of the curse by just accepting I had left.

“I got a bit lost.” How true, even though I didn’t know it at the time.

“Lost?” He glances away sadly, looking for somepony not there. “Well, it’s good to see you found your way home.” There’s a sense of loss in his voice which I can recognize, he’s lost someone too. I wonder if I knew them…

“Sure, I guess.” Home? I glance about, seeing the years I spent anywhere but here, and the damage I’ve done. I can’t fix most of it. “I should get back to work.” At least I can clean the statue and weed out its little garden.

“Well, alright.” He nods and then trots away, before he disappears through the saloon doors he calls back once more. “Don’t be a stranger, you hear?”

“Stardust?” Luna slowly enters the darkened hospital room. “Are you alright?” Inside, a pony lies on the bed furthest away, his back to the entry, and covered by a sheet he has pulled tight around himself. His long coat lies draped over the foot of the bed.

“The doctors tell me I’ll recover.” His voice is hoarse and rough, but at least he’s coherent again. “They think it was a panic attack.” He doesn’t even look over his shoulder.

“That was no simple panic attack.”

“I know. I was there.” It’s not a particularly funny joke, and neither of them has the will to laugh. Luna sits down beside his bed, he doesn’t turn to look at her.

“Stardust, you need to tell me what happened to you.”

“…I had a panic attack.”

“Stardust. That’s not funny.” He twitches slightly at her accusatory tone but doesn’t face her. “I’ve seen you have these episodes before, if nowhere near as severe. You’ve lost track of when and where you were several times.”

“I was exhausted.” His explanation is empty, and they both know it.

“Exhaustion might explain one of those events, not all. You need to tell me what is happening to you.”

“I can’t.” He sighs. “I don’t know what’s happening.”

“You really have no idea what’s causing this?” Stardust makes no effort to answer her. “What about the spell you were trying to repair on that mask?” With a jerk, he tightens into an even smaller ball. “That was it, wasn’t it?”

“I… It might be related. I can’t be sure.” He says nothing more, and Luna considers what might have triggered his reaction.

“We were discussing your parents, do you have any idea why that would trigger an attack like this?”

“Stress? I don’t know.”

“You said you ran from home, and then you lost coherence.”

“Again, I was there.”

“I wasn’t sure how much you remembered. I’m sorry if this bothers you, but we need to know how this happened.” He nods after a moment. “Just before it got terrible, you said they were dead, but also alive. I don’t understand.” Stardust is silent for so long that she wonders if she has triggered another attack, but then he sighs. The familiar sound reassures her that he is still in command of his sanity.

“When I left… when I ran away, I created an enchantment, a curse really, that removed me from their memory.” Luna backs away, shocked any pony would manipulate a mind in such a fashion. He must have heard her hoofstep, as he glances at her over his shoulder for the first time since she walked in. Tear-streaks line his cheek. “I don’t blame you for hating me for it.” He drops his head back down just before Luna mentally reprimands herself for scowling at him. Then she listens to his tone more carefully and realizes that he must hate himself for it as well. How could he not?

“Why? Why would you do that?” She tries to keep her tone inquisitive without being overly critical. He twinges again and pulls his sheet even tighter.

“It was… my worst moment. I just gave up. But I was afraid I would go back, so I did it to myself too.”

“You… cursed yourself?” The very concept boggles her mind.

“I manipulated my own memory so that I thought they were dead.” Luna’s jaw works wordlessly, unable to find anything to say to such a statement. “That’s what I was trying to fix, that mask was… is… part of the spell somehow.” Luna’s mind kicks back into gear, and she can think again.

“Your spell has been broken then? The truth returned to you?”

“I… I don’t know.” Stardust shivers, clutching at his own head. “It’s like I know two realities. Both are real, yet both can’t be real.”

“Can you not disable the magic?”

“Not without knowing how I put it together in the first place. I don’t even know how I know this.” Luna’s first reaction is to guess about the nature of the spell, but then she shuts her mouth before saying something they both know would be wild speculation.

“Do you think finding your parents would help? I would be willing to aid you in locating them.” When he twitches again, she recognizes that something about his past would make that difficult, even considering the effect of his curse. Luna’s eyes are drawn to his flank, which she knows is blank. She had once briefly considered the history a pony without a cutie-mark might have, and quickly does so again. “Oh… of course.”

“What?” He flashes a glance back at her so quickly that she doesn’t have time to adjust her gaze, and he locks his eyes on her in time to see where she was looking. Silence drops like a stone for several moments as he glares. “How long have you known?” Now it’s his turn to sound accusatory, and his tone is full of vitriol. Luna backs away, suddenly unwilling to meet him face to face.

“Since we met that first night.” For a while, he says nothing, simply stares right at her with sharp eyes. Slowly he pulls himself out of the bed, tossing the sheet aside and pulling on his coat. Even then, he doesn’t leave but instead hunches down in an even darker corner far from the door.

“So… It was all a joke?” The bile in his voice is impossible to hide. Luna can’t help but feel like something has snapped between them. What little light from the hall reaches him reflects off his neon-blue eyes, giving him the distinct impression of a predatory beast on the hunt. A red pony passes the room, and the reflection flashes off his eyes, causing red circles across his eyes for just an instant, and she shudders. “A good laugh at my expense, was it?”

“What? No.” Luna shakes her head and briefly considers going to sit next to him before deciding against it. He’s upset enough as is. “No, I never wanted to make you uncomfortable. That’s why I didn’t bring it up in any of our conversations.”

“And you’ve never thought less of me for it? I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you wish. I can only tell you the truth.” She meets his glare with equal will. “I don’t care if you have a mark or not. Your destiny is no obligation of mine.” He blinks, surprised, and some of the anger in his expression slips away. “If you want my help, you’ll ask for it.” His eyes sink to the floor, but he remains silent. “Right now, I’m only worried about what has happened to your health.” Some of the tension drains out of his stance, barely. “We both know there is something very wrong with you.” Lightning sparks from his horn as he scowls afresh and Luna knows she has said exactly the wrong thing.

“Something wrong?!” Mockery, plain and simple. “Of course there’s something wrong! All I’ve ever been is something wrong!” Static energy builds in the air, just as right before his teleport miscast earlier. Luna backs away again, readying her own shield in case his spell backfires or explodes. The charge lingers while Stardust seems to consider what he’s doing. “I’m leaving.” He’s not really much calmer, but his tone has returned to something that sounds almost normal. The static energy dissipates, and Luna relaxes slightly.

“You are not seeking help?”

“My destiny is my own concern.” A bit of that vile tone returns, just bordering on anger. Luna can do nothing to stop him, especially now. With some trepidation, she steps aside and lets him pass.

“I will watch for you if you change your mind.” Before he exits the room, he shoots her one more glare, hesitating.

“I doubt we’ll meet again.” Luna can’t be sure if it’s just his emotional state or not, but the words hit her like a brick.

“Then, I will miss our conversations.” It’s the only thing she can think of to say that doesn’t sound quite so final. Just before he disappears around the corner, he whispers something she, once again, believes she wasn’t supposed to hear.

“So will I.”

Author's Note

Part 4: "Sable and Stardust" begins.

Rupture

The door shuts quietly, and she leaves me alone. For a brief moment, I’m glad for the solitude after the sorry mess I made of myself out on the balcony, but then I find myself wishing she hadn’t left. The silence in my room is oppressive, with only the ticking clock and my own thoughts to keep me company.

I draw the quilt that Mom made for me tight around myself, it’s both comfortable and comforting, and I try for the thousandth time to understand how I feel around Twilight. She was trying to help me, she always been trying to help me. I still don’t know why she bothers. I’m probably not worth it. But there she was, at my side with her wings around my shoulders, listening to me cry.

That last stupid speech of hers was what set me off. It might have been full of cheesy cliches and old tropes even I can recognize, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hit me like a train. The power of hope, indeed.

Her face returns to me, without judgment or pity. She only wants what’s best for me, even if I can’t tell what it is, she can. Infinitely patient with me, always calm and gentle. Brilliant, obviously. How can any pony be so perfect? How can she care about me when I’m such a failure?

My heart fills nearly to bursting as I imagine standing next to her and the smile on her face as she looks to me. I try to pretend I don’t recognize the feeling. It’s the same way I felt about Sereina.

She wasn’t real, but Twilight is. Does she feel the same way? Is that why she’s put so much into helping me?

I’ll never know unless I tell her myself. Maybe… when all this mess with Despair and the Alicorn Amulet is over, I’ll be able to find the strength to say it aloud.

I groan when the ashen thief returns to my mind. Even my fantasies are interrupted. I turn over in my bed, trying to get comfortable. I need to try and get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a long day.

“You are incredibly lucky it wasn’t much, much worse.” Luna sighs and watches the doctor walk out of the hospital room with the bag containing the parasitic plant. Even having been removed, it still struggles towards the thin film of blood in the bag, straining for nutrients now that it doesn’t have a host. Luna shudders and turns towards Stardust, lying in the same bed as the last time he was here. “How long were you lying there with that thing growing out of you?”

“A day.” He coughs, spitting up a seed in the process. “More?” It almost looks like he wants to say more, but the rasp in his voice makes it clear that speech is painful. Luna doesn’t doubt his ability to keep track of time was quite impaired.

“Do you remember what happened?” he shakes his head, rolling back and forth on the pillow. She can’t tell if it’s an answer or if he’s so drugged he can’t focus on her. He was pretty heavily medicated while the doctors got the parasite out of him. “I think I can guess. You were working on a sleeping potion and suffered another incident, correct?” He thinks for a moment, looking up at the ceiling, tilting his head one way, then another with a frown on his face.

“Close enough.”

“I am relieved you will recover.” Luna sighs again. Stardust blinks unevenly, his neon-blue eyes trying to lock on her. “Stardust, this cannot go on like this anymore. This time you almost died, next time could be worse.”

“Is all my fault.” His words slur together slightly, and Luna gets the feeling he refers to something else. “I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter who’s at fault. I am going to have to insist you get some help with this.” She points to the side of his head.

“I’m sorry.” He ignores the gesture, sounding a little bit more emotional than usual.

“Stardust, listen to what I’m saying.” Luna has to wait until he clearly focuses both eyes on her. She considers her next words carefully, remembering what had angered him so much when last they spoke. “Whatever the issue is inside your head, it won’t be solved by hoping it will go away. You need help, probably magical.” All she gets from him is a shallow nod. “I don’t have the right knowledge or the magic to help you.”

“Oh.” His eyes drop away, the hope in his tone sinking rapidly.

“However, there is a pony I know who might.” Stardust seems apprehensive, she can only guess he doesn’t want anypony near his already wounded mind without knowing who. “You don’t have to worry, she is a master caster, one of the best Equestria has seen in a very long time. If anypony can help you, it’s her.” He hesitates and then nods. Luna turns away, but he stops her with a quick word.

“Princess, wait.” When she looks back, she finds him looking right at her, but his blurry eyes don’t seem to be seeing her. “I have something I need to tell you.” There is an almost dreamlike quality to his voice.

“Don’t worry, Stardust, we’ll get you right again” She concludes he must be suffering another minor event and disregards his words as delirium. He mumbles something else, but she’s already out the door before he can change his mind. With newfound purpose, she heads for the palace, already planning out her message. There is only one pony who could possibly have the knowledge and the skill to help him.

It is time for a favor from Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Her reply said she would be here shortly.” The next day Luna and Stardust wait in the palace garden by the fountain where he had his first severe attack. She arranged to meet here, knowing it would feel safe and private for him rather than meeting in the audience hall or at the train station.

“Oh, joy.” Stardust doesn’t even try to stand or look up at her while he waits. He sits on his haunches by the fountain’s side and peers down at his reflection in the water.

Luna watches him closely, he seems better today, if a bit depressed even by his standards. Sitting there encased in his black coat, he looks like a blot of darkness in an otherwise clear sky. His coat also nearly wholly hides the fact that his forelimbs are shaking slightly. Luna can only see it because she knows to look for it. At the least, he managed to summon up enough willpower to recreate his wings, they are folded neatly against his side.

She can’t blame him for being nervous. What will come next can not possibly be much fun to imagine. No matter how worrying this must be for him, she plans to be there for him in whatever way she can.

“You said you had something you wanted to say. Back at the hospital.”

“Did I?” He cocks his head, notably not meeting her eyes. “I don’t remember now.”

“You were quite out of sorts. I was simply curious.” Her attempt to start a conversation falls flat, and Stardust resumes watching his reflection. Luna looks up at the passing clouds, wondering where Twilight is. It’s not like her to be late. They sit together in silence as the minutes pass.

It takes so long that the little sparrow has enough time to find her, landing on her horn to chatter noisily about some bit of gossip only a bird would be interested in. The noise rouses Stardust, who eyes the bird sitting on Luna’s horn with an expression bordering on amusement. It’s only after the sparrow calms and looks around does it notice the other pony. Before it darts away, it rapidly chirps something Luna can’t quite catch. Stardust’s eyes track it until it disappears before turning to Luna again.

“So, who is this expert anyway?” He has only just opened his mouth when Luna spies the purple Alicorn rounding the edge of the hedge. Stardust is facing away and hasn’t seen her yet.

“Here she is now.” Luna waves gently toward Twilight, who heads towards them.

“Princess Luna! I’m sorry, the train was late, there was a rock-slide on the tracks, and it took a while to clear the…” Twilight’s voice drops away when she spots the dark purple Unicorn by the fountain.

The change in Stardust’s demeanor is instantaneous and dramatic. First, his eyes open wide and then narrow aggressively. Black wings grind against themselves to the point where Luna can hear the glass crack. His teeth grind nearly as hard, and his face stiffens.

“Twilight Sparkle.” Never before has Luna heard such emotion from him. Not even in his anger when she revealed she knew of his blank flank can compare to this. Slowly, he stands and turns towards Twilight. The air fills with a static charge, strong enough to set Luna’s hair on end and so intense that small sparks fly from Stardust’s horn.

“You know each other?”

“We’ve met.” The vile tone in his voice is impossible to miss.

“Sable? It’s you?” Tears start to swell in Twilight’s eyes while her expression shifts from surprise to concern.

“Sable?” Luna blinks, trying to remember where she’s heard the name before.

“That is not my name.” He growls out the words, quietly but not softly.

“The injured pony…” Realization in her voice and eyes. “Sable, tell me what happened.” Twilight tries to step over towards Stardust, but he growls and backs away, keeping his horn low.

“Stay back.” Twilight hesitates at his words and the blatant hate in them, flinching as if struck.

“I’ve come to help, I didn’t know it was you.”

“I don’t want your help.” Stardust starts to circle around the fountain, keeping it between him and Twilight. “I remember what your so-called help got me. Do you?”

“Of course, I do! Oh, Sable, I’m sorry!” Luna can do nothing but try and process the events before her, so much unsaid is passing between them. The other two seem to have forgotten she is even there.

“About which part?” He snaps back. “My secret exposed.” He gestures to his flank with one wing, visible cracks run down the feather panels. “My home burned to the ground.”

“That wasn’t my fault! I tried to save it!” Twilight tries to protest, but Stardust isn’t listening.

“My life in Ponyville, ruined, because you tried to help. Because you thought there was something wrong with me.” He spits it out like a curse. Luna flinches, flashing back to his anger when she had said the same thing about him at the hospital. “And you thought you just had to fix it.”

“This is different! There really is something wrong!”

“Because of you!” His wing panes seem to twist in place, sharpening their points towards Twilight like scorpion stingers and giving him an angular and increasingly aggressive appearance. He continues to stalk around the fountain, panther-esque, sidestepping, so he always faces Twilight.

“Sable, please.”

“That is not my name!” He slams a hoof down hard on the stone, and the electric cling in the air bursts around him. Lightning skips across the water’s surface from the release. The fountain cracks, and water sprays into the air. “Not anymore! Not after what you did to me!”

“Enough!” Desperate to prevent an altercation, Luna leaps into the pool of water between them and flings her wings open wide, making it impossible to ignore her. She turns her head from one pony to the other. “Exactly what happened between you two?” Twilight bites her lower lip, ashamed at something. Stardust, for his part, still braced for a fight.

For a brief instant, Stardust finally breaks eye contact with Twilight. His neon-blue eyes meet Luna’s, and somehow they flash with a burning red circle. The image brings up to her mind an old dream, a nightmare she had thought long forgotten, and she shudders involuntarily. The moment passes, and he returns his anger towards the other Alicorn.

“Tell her.” He almost sounds calm. “Tell her, Princess, what you did to me.” Twilight hesitates, clearly unwilling to speak. “Tell her!” He seethes, breathing hard, pointing at his own head. Luna glances at Stardust, noting a faint scar line just beside his left eye she hadn’t seen before, and then again at Twilight.

Princess Sparkle looks miserable. Tears stream down her cheeks, biting her lip almost to the point of drawing blood. She can’t even bring herself to meet Luna eye to eye. It’s an expression she hasn’t seen often on the Princess of friendship if ever she’s seen it at all. But there is more beyond the pain and anguish. Regret and shame. Slowly, Luna faces the other Alicorn directly, ignoring the water lapping up against her legs.

“Princess Sparkle?” Twilight’s eyes pivot towards Luna before flickering away. “Is he speaking the truth? Are you responsible for his condition?” Twilight looks past her, to Stardust.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen.” She nods once and lets her head hang. “I’m so sorry.”

“Only sorry it didn’t work!” Stardust shouts again. “Do you even understand what you were trying to do!?” He rounds the fountain, advancing on Twilight as if to harm her.

“The mask was supposed to restore your memory of your family! I didn’t-”

“You tried to replace my mind!” Stardust’s shouted accusation causes Luna to gasp, never would she have thought Twilight would ever do such a thing. “To replace me with your coltfriend… who doesn’t even exist! He never did!”

“I didn’t know the mask would do that!” Mask? Stardust’s silver mask? “You had enchanted it without me knowing.” The electric charge running down Stardust’s horn doesn’t fade when Twilight tries to defend her actions. If anything, it grows stronger.

“Princess Sparkle, that is no excuse.” Luna steps out of the fountain, interposing herself between them again in another effort to stave off physical violence. “I can see this is a sensitive topic. We should all calm and concentrate on the immediate issue.” A moment passes in relative silence.

“You’re right.” Twilight takes a deep breath. “We can talk about it after we-”

“No.” There is no change to Stardust’s hateful tone when he interrupts. “No.” His voice is firm and forceful as both Princesses turn to face him. “I may want this thing out of my head.” He jabs one hoof to point at his temple before then thrusting it towards Twilight. “But I’ll be damned to Tartarus before I’ll let you anywhere near my mind ever again.” He raises his head to stare down at Twilight with his eyes full of malevolence. “I’d rather go insane.” Without another word, he spins and makes to leave.

“Sable, wait!” Before Luna can intercept her, Twilight leaps over her and lands in front of Stardust. The Princess throws both her wings around the Unicorn and hugs him close. “Don’t give up again.” Luna spots rage in his eyes and the snarl on his face too late to stop it.

Stardust’s spell veritably explodes. Bright lightning dances off his horn and rakes up and down Twilight’s body. The purple Alicorn screams as she's thrown away, collapsing in a heap. Stardust stands above her, neon-blue sparks still flashing off his horn and across his own face and neck, his teeth clenched and his breath heavy. His eyes swivel from one Princess to the other.

In that instant, Luna can read his expression perfectly. Hate and bitterness written like printed words. But between those lightning lines singeing his fur, there is something else. All that hate, but not all directed at Twilight, so much must be directed inward. Despair eats at his soul, plain for her to read.

Thunder booms, and Stardust vanishes in an electric flash. His spell is so ragged and broken that it burns the stone where he was standing. Briefly, Luna considers going after him, she can hear his spell echoing as he teleports further into the city, but Twilight is the one who needs her now.

She darts to her friend, on her side in the dirt, trying to find a sign of life. Luna lets out a held breath when Twilight gasps for air.

“Are you injured, do you need medical aid?” Luna helps Twilight back to her feet slowly, checking her more carefully for injuries. A quick visual check shows nothing severe on the smaller Alicorn’s form.

“I’ll be alright.” She shakes her head, turning her gaze to where Stardust had been standing. The tears streaming down her face are obviously not only due to the pain of her body. “Oh, Sable… I’m so sorry.”

The Ash and the Monster

I turn our gleaming-path around the black circle in the sky below us. He must be down there. We burst through the clouds and hit the ground in less than a blink. The rainbow road burns a pattern of circles into the ground, charing dried plants as it marks our landing point.

Twilight managed to land with all her strength and power at the ready, she's taking stock of our position. I can’t stand upright for a few seconds, the spell was so draining. Mentally I thank Princess Luna; there’s no way I could have gotten us here without her anchoring the spell at the other end and providing most of the energy needed.

Still panting, I look around. We’re in a crater, wait… no, those trees around the edge look familiar. We’re nearby the lake where the amulet should have been hidden. The plant matter beneath my hooves crunch slightly, and I glance down. Dried out, but still recognizable as seaweed. He must have boiled the lake away! Can we even compare with that kind of power?

Motion in the center by the side of a small bonfire draws my attention. A face like blackened charcoal meets my eyes, his scarred face cracking a horrid smile at us. My heart drops into my gut when I spot the object on his chest, the Alicorn Amulet. We’re too late. Despair is waiting for us, and that’s all we’ll find here.

Then I see Twilight at my side, determined and sure, and I recall what she said last night. Hope is a power, grasp it, and never let go. Despair clearly has all the advantages, he’ll have traps and defenses at the ready, but she still stands against him. Seeing her now, I think I understand what she was really trying to say to me last night.

It might be all I have left, but I still have hope.

If… when we’ve won this, I’m definitely telling her how I feel.

Luna paces on the balcony, her shoes clicking loudly with each agitated hoofstep. She raised the moon some time ago but has been here trying to settle her emotions before going to work. So far, her only conclusion is that she is conflicted.

At one end of her pace, she can spy the tower where Stardust lives, and the neon-blue lightning that had danced across Twilight flashes in her mind. He should be sitting in a prison cell for that. She turns away, trying to let her anger cool and recalling what Twilight had asked. Let him go, she said, he’s suffering enough.

When pressed, the Princess of Friendship had reluctantly explained. Stardust, or Sable as she called him, had been there at the crater where she fought the Monster of Ash. He had been her friend and ally, he was the one who had to be left behind when Twilight was sent back to stop the Monster from ever being created. Twilight’s explanation of the metaphysics behind it all is still properly confounding. However the magic works is not essential, only the consequences matter.

Twilight was evasive on Stardust’s story, but what she was able to pry loose told Luna more than enough. Of a life lived in self-imposed emotional exile. Of solitude and misery because he couldn’t see past his own pain and self-loathing. Twilight hadn’t used those words, but the story was a… thematically familiar one to Luna, so she was able to understand his actions. For that reason, she can’t quite bring herself to be truly angry with him. So she turns back in her pacing and walks back to the other end of the balcony.

Still, his condition cannot have been helped by his confrontation with Twilight Sparkle, and this worry keeps her from concentrating. Even with Twilight safely back in Ponyville, she hasn’t seen any sign of Stardust. He will have locked himself in his home until he can get a handle on his anger. At least, that’s what she thinks he would do.

It’s what she would do.

So she paces, uncertain. He wouldn’t want her to interfere, but if she doesn’t, he might hurt himself. Accidentally, she is sure, not even wanting to seriously consider he might harm himself intentionally. So she turns back again until she can see his tower and her earlier anger returns.

It’s gone like this for an hour or more. Turn, concern, turn, and anger.

She pauses to look up at the moon, but tonight it’s covered by dark clouds. There’s a storm tonight, or was it planned for the morning? Lightning flashes, far away, and she counts the seconds before the thunder rolls over her. The storm is so distant that the noise is little more than a grumble.

The flash of light reminds her that this will all pass in time and that she cannot spend all night pacing uselessly. She sighs and allows herself one last look over towards Stardust’s tower before she has to descend out of reality.

Through an infinite hall of little orbs of light, she wanders, watching Equestria sleep. Here and there, she looks in upon a dream, watching the joyful and the adventures alike. For the frightened foal trembling beneath sheets, she is a reassuring presence. For the concerned, a voice of assurance that all will end well.

Then a scream, a familiar one not heard in some many weeks. It takes only an instant to find the source, a purple Alicorn at the bottom of a burned lake standing against a Monster of ash and sorrow. She sighs, the encounter with Stardust must have triggered Twilight’s terror again.

She descends as the Monster advances, swatting it aside as she lands at Twilight’s side. The small Alicorn has not fared well tonight, battered and bloody, and her left-wing twisted sickeningly. In particular, a horrid gash on her flank bleeds profusely right through her cutie mark, which is somehow missing. The prone pony doesn’t notice her.

“Do not fear the Monster, I am with you.” But Twilight doesn’t seem to hear her. Luna frowns. “Twilight?” She groans weakly when Luna nudges her. “Stand, Princess Sparkle. You have already faced this terror and proven victorious.”

“You are incorrect, dreamwalker.” That’s not Twilight’s voice. It’s coming from over by the bonfire. Luna stands over Twilight, shielding the small broken body with her own as she spins towards the owner. The Monster stands from where she had knocked it down, facing her with a gaze of pure flame. “Twilight was unable to win this conflict.” A white-hot arc breaks open its blackened face, a wicked and cruel smile. “I took everything from her.”

“Begone, Monster.” Luna blasts the creature away, sending it hurling into the fire. The bonfire sputters, and the blacked form of the Monster emerges again, unscathed by her attack.

“I killed so many.” Cutie-marks fly into view, thousands of them, too many to count, spiraling around the Monster before shooting into the black hole in the sky. “I killed her family, her student, and her mentor.” It raises one arm, and Celestia’s mark hovers there for a moment before the Monster clenches hard, and the bright sun explodes into a shower of failing embers. Even knowing it isn’t real, Luna still cringes. “I killed her friends, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.” The marks of Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy appear around it, flashing away just like Celestia’s.

“You are nothing, just her dream!” Her forceful shout, amplified by her will, blows out all the flames inside the dried lake. Everything goes too dark to see. The light at the core of the Monster, the glowing gem of the Alicorn Amulet, pulses back into view first. The ominous red glow is joined by the Monster’s magma eyes, followed by the lightning blazing across its face, and then finally its white-hot mouth as it laughs.

“Again, you are incorrect, dreamwalker.” Small fires burst with each of its hoofsteps as it draws near. Luna refuses to back down, standing tall against the hate. The Monster draws up to her, just outside of reach. Its eyes meet hers with equal will. “This isn’t her memory.” With one hoof, it reaches up and starts to pull on its face.

The lightning across its face stretch and strain to hold the Monster’s skin together. The blackened fur flakes off, dropping onto the ash below like chips of volcanic obsidian. It struggles harder, ripping its own face off. With one final tug and a tearing sound like violent thunder, it finally rends its face off and drops the black mass into the ash like a discarded mask. Luna stares in horror at the familiar face that meets her eyes.

“It’s mine.”

Luna flings herself out of the dreamspace with such force that she stumbles over when her consciousness returns to her body. Cold stone meets her, and she has to stay there lying on the floor while she shudders. The shock leaves her gasping for air, disbelieving what she just experienced.

She has to use the railing to pull herself upright, grasping at her head. The oncoming headache is a reminder that she shouldn’t have kicked herself out of the dreamspace so violently. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself facing Canterlot city, and her heckles rise along with her temper when she spies the source of Twilight’s terrors.

Stardust. It had been Stardust’s face behind the Monster’s mask.

She’s in the air before she can stop herself, angling over the palace walls towards his tower. It’s not far, and she doesn’t have long to consider what she’s going to say or do when she gets there. Her first instinct is to use her trembling hooves to smash in his face, but she buries that before reaching his tower. There has to be another explanation. The large window is closed and locked, naturally, and she doesn’t even bother to check if the front door is unlocked before teleporting inside.

It doesn’t surprise her that the interior is unchanged from when she was last here. Stardust had only one night here once he was out of the hospital. She isn’t quiet as she stomps over towards his bed, noting the glass with a dark-blue liquid at his bedside, but he doesn’t wake. Small burns from the lightning he used earlier have singed marks across his face very similar to the filigree on his masks.

“Stardust!” She controls herself just enough to avoid using the Equestrian royal voice, keeping her shout just shy of deafening. Stardust doesn’t wake, nor does he give any sign that he heard her at all.

Involuntarily she glances over towards the kitchen space to be sure he hasn’t brewed himself a new poison. There are another set of ingredients out, he had undoubtedly made something. She gives him a quick glance, still sleeping, although she can see him twitching slightly as his dream continues.

Curious, and trying to calm herself, she checks what it is he made this time. Honey, tea, wintergreen mint, the finely powdered amethyst, as well as a few chemicals that are safe to drink. The pot it was mixed in contains a small amount in its base, still fresh, which matches the fluid in the glass at his bedside. Ingredients for a sleeping potion, correctly made this time. Unfortunately for him, if his goal was to rest without dreams, this was a poor decision. His new concoction is one she is familiar with, a draught that would guarantee an active mind.

“This explains why I found his dream, for once.” Also, why he didn’t respond to her shout. Now, however, she knows it won’t be complicated to wake him. She stalks over towards him, staring down at him and still trying to determine what it is she plans on saying.

Luna dips briefly into the dream-world to find him again. He, the Monster, stands in the dried lake under a sky of perfect grey. There is no motion, no life in this place. Even Stardust seems frozen like black stone. She pulls at his psyche, ripping him out of the dreamspace and back into his own body. He lurches and gasps, rolling out of his bed and onto the floor with a thud.

“Explain,” Luna demands it of the prone pony, loudly and firmly, affixing her stern eyes on him. He repeatedly blinks up at her as he tries to reorient himself, twisted blankets and sheets binding him to the floor.

“Luna? What?” His waking mind still hasn’t fully processed the dream. Then he mentally catches up to her, and his tone shifts away from honest confusion. “Hmpf. Trespassing. Just like her.” His voice nearly matches his earlier bile.

“She said you were her ally. If that was true, explain why it was you attacking her.” She doesn’t help him as he wiggles out of the tangle of cloth and stands with cracked glass wings folded under her unrelenting stare. He looks over towards the glass at the bedside, lifting it and frowning at the remaining potion. It briefly appears he’s considering downing the rest, but his eyes swerve towards Luna, and he clearly decides against it, there is no escape in unconsciousness.

“There’s nothing to explain.” Luna’s scowl deepens. “Because that’s how it happened.”

“You lie.” Luna snaps, crashing one hoof down hard enough to crack the floor and lashing out with her aura. The glass with the leftover potion shatters as her forceful impact breaks the nightstand in half. He doesn’t even flinch at her outburst. “I’ve seen how Princess Sparkle remembers that day.”

“She remembers how she chooses to remember. I am responsible for the agony she suffered.” Why isn’t he trying to defend himself? “Just as she is responsible for mine.” He turns away, slowly heading towards the stairs to the second level and ignoring his coat hanging by the door.

“I want an answer, a real answer.” She beats him to the top of the stairway and blocks his path, her eyes locked on his.

“I’ve already given you one.” Electric charge builds around his horn. He wouldn’t dare attack her, would he? Luna braces herself, but no attack comes. Thunder crackles as he vanishes and then reappears nearby the giant hourglass, his face towards the window. “All you need to know.”

“Stop evading the question!”

“Don’t make me repeat myself! You were there to hear what she said.” Neon-blue eyes reflect in the glass, just barely visible in the night.

“Yes, I was! I heard you screaming it was her fault. This isn’t about what she may or may not have done!” Luna stamps hard again, sending a shudder through the building. “This is about what I saw in your dream and her nightmare!”

“Then, you’ve seen enough.” His voice has dropped, no longer shouting, but he still doesn’t turn to face her. “You’ve seen me kill Equestria. You’ve seen me violate Twilight.”

“That’s nonsense, and you know it. You need to stop keeping secrets from me!”

“What do you want me to say?!” He spins, finally facing her. “That I was controlled by some evil spell? That I wasn’t responsible for my actions?” Teeth grind, and his eyes twitch. “Well, I can’t!” He jabs his right forehoof into his chest. “I made the choice to cast that spell!” Slowly, his gaze drops to the floor. “I made the choice to put on the Alicorn Amulet. I am responsible.”

“You’re still dodging the question! I’ve had enough of these half-truths and deceptions! I want the whole story!”

“You want to know what I did?” lightning dances across his face again, the glow illuminating something dripping off his face. It could be tears or flakes of charred fur or both. “I made that thing. I made it bone and flesh. I gave it my own hate. I gave it the knowledge it needed, and the will to do it. Everything it did, it did because I wanted it to!” The heat of his hate flows through his mane, making it smolder like hot ash and turning it from black to a filthy grey.

“That face…” Her mane is already standing on end, or it would now as she shudders. It’s not neon-blue eyes that meet hers as he raises his head, they glow red with burning embers. Beside those eyes, his fur is crossed by the lightning marks of the Monster’s face, blazing with an electric fury. The hate in his face bleeds into his fur, deepening its shade until it fades almost all the way to charcoal black.

“It is me. I am it. I am Despair.”

Author's Note

Part 4: "Sable and Stardust" ends.

For those who have not read The Mask of Despair, this chapter is more-or-less the story Twilight tells Luna.

Despair Again

I can feel Twilight’s breathing slow as she finally falls asleep. About time. She’s been awake since yesterday morning, whenever that was. The battle with Despair drained everything from her, and given how frail she is now, I fear that everything might be literal. Her condition is worse now than when we left Pinewood.

When even was that? Looking around, I can’t tell how long we’ve been traveling. All sense of time in this forsaken place is lost to me. The horizon is no use, the sun hasn’t risen, and neither has the moon, it’s still that same almost-light it was when Despair’s spell ended. Celestia or Luna would have set things right if they could. I guess that means we failed. Are they both dead too?

I sigh and stare at my mask, glinting in the firelight. The empty eye sockets stare right back, almost like Despair’s skull. I killed him… myself. I shake my head, still trying to comprehend my own memories. Too many memories.

My hooves start to shake, and I crumple down next to Twilight, trying to stay calm for her sake. It’s no simple thing to exist again after being disintegrated. Did I die? I should be dead. I can recall the sensation as my horn punctured the Amulet, but also… I can feel it impale my own chest. How is that possible?

The only thing I can think of is that I was more right than I thought I was. Despair and I were the same pony before this all began, and now we are again. His memories are now my own. How much of the pony I am now is him? What about my body?

I glance down at my leg, the line where it was shot off is a prominent scar now. Tartarus’s gates that had hurt! My left eye twitches with phantom pain, even squeezing it shut doesn’t really help. I probably have a scar there as well. At least that scar tells me that this body is mine and not his.

Twilight twitches and groans in her sleep, she must be having a nightmare. I slip one feathered wing over her, wishing I could dive into her dreams and help. Those wings are new, too, familiar yet very strange. She struggles more, I can feel her pulse quicken.

“Twilight! I’ve got you!” I mean it to be comforting, but she shrieks and kicks out weakly, twisting the blanket around her injured leg and wing. “It’s alright. It’s just a nightmare.” If only that were really true, this place is just as much a terror. I take her and hold her close, wrapping my feathered wings around her as she had for me. “Shh. It’s not real.” It takes her a few minutes of gasping for breath and crying before her shivers calm enough for her to speak.

“Please, Sable. Tell me he’s gone.” She’s almost breathless, so weak and pained.

“Despair, the monster.” Dying firelight flashes off the mask. I can see her through his eyes, bleeding on the ground where he… I… left her. Her blood drips down from my horn into my eyes, and I wipe the memory away. “He’s gone.” How I hope that’s really true…

The creature that was once Stardust, now calling itself Despair, lifts his head and glares at Luna. Silence fills the room, disturbed only by the sound of her hoofstep as she backs slowly away. Only now can she see what she hadn’t before in those nightmares of Twilight’s.

Lightning had danced across the Monster’s face in the same pattern as Stardust’s masks. The mane and tail had matched his style, even the streak of blue was present, although burnt to ash white. Even the way they stand, ready for a fight, it’s the same. They really are the same pony.

Drums fill her ears as her heart pounds. Questions fill her thoughts. Why hadn’t she seen the similarity before? Why didn’t Twilight tell her? How complete is the transformation? Why does it fill her with dread? Worryingly, why does it seem so familiar? Where has she seen such hatred before?

She knows. Of course, she knows. In the mirror. Nightmare Moon.

She shakes her head, trying to clear it of such a dark imagining. Would this have happened if she hadn’t come here tonight? Is it her fault? Does it even matter? He’s lowering his horn aggressively, sparks skitter up and down it, his neon-blue aura flashing.

“Don’t do this.” Is there anything she can do to stop it? Her anger still burns in her veins from earlier, blinding her options.

“Don’t what?” More mockery. “Admit this is who I am?” Despair takes a step forward. “A monster? A creature of hate and pain? Well, guess what, princess. I am!” He stomps hard, sending cracks radiating out from the impact. “This world hates me! It’s always hated me! I’m tired of pretending I can live in it!”

Luna backs away another step, desperately trying to find something, anything, she can do. She could stun him, subdue him before he hurts himself. She shakes her head again. No, that would only delay this, and it would be so much worse the second time. Better to keep him talking, at least until she can think of something better.

“What, then? What do you think you can do about it? You are just one pony.”

“One pony with the knowledge of how this world died.” He taps the side of his head. His left eye loses focus briefly as energy leaps from his hoof to his temple. “I could do it again, couldn’t I?”

Could he? She’s seen the battle between Twilight and the Monster so many times now. The event runs over in her memory. The black circle bleeding fire towards the ground. The bonfire in the crater, burns and scars from the battle. The Monster with the Alicorn Amulet shining from his chest, and a cutie-mark that matches the dark sign in the sky.

Despair, the one right here, starts to circle the room. She refuses to let him out of her sight, keeping pace with him and then placing the giant hourglass between them. The glow from his ember-red eyes makes the sand seem like blood, and she can’t read his expression clearly. Behind the glass, distorted by the refraction but still clearly visible, his flank is still blank.

Luna’s eyes narrow. That’s a significant difference from the Despair that assaulted Twilight. Could it mean that the transformation isn’t total? Can she still save Stardust?

“It wouldn’t even be that hard. I remember the spell.” There’s something odd about his tone. “The only thing I’d need is that Amulet, and I’ve got the spell for that too.” Why doesn’t he just teleport away then? She doesn’t say it aloud, no reason to give him ideas. There must be some reason he’s trying to nettle her.

“You know I won’t let you. Neither would Twilight.”

“Twilight wouldn’t even try.” He growls. “Not anymore. Not after what she did to me.” What she did? “She’d try to talk me down, she wouldn’t fight back.” Luna’s mind goes back to the confrontation in the garden. Much had been shouted there, it’s difficult to remember exactly what was said. Twilight had said something about his mask.

The mask. There’s something special about that mask. Her eyes dart to the table with the masks on it, they’re still there. Stardust had said it was enchanted. Twilight had told her it was supposed to give his family back to him. What is she missing? What did that mask do?

She needs answers and still more time. Unfortunately, only Despair has them.

“Stardust. Sable Stardust.” He snarls at his old name. “I know you well enough to know you wouldn’t ever do something so vile.”

“You know nothing of what I’ve been through!”

“How dare you!” Her anger gets the better of her, momentarily. “Do you not know who you are talking to?! I know you feel alone! I know you feel hated and betrayed!” She knows she’ll not be able to talk him down this easily, but she has to give him this chance. Twilight would try, and she suspects the other Alicorn would die in the attempt to save him from himself. “I’ve been there myself!” She jabs her own hoof into her chest. “Look at what happened to me!” Despair hesitates for an instant, nearly stumbling. “You don’t have to fall to that darkness!” His eyes drop to the floor, but only for a moment, and then he hardens his gaze.

Luna glances at the mask again, still trying to piece together his story from the fragments she knows. When Twilight first asked for help, her letter had said she had to leave a friend behind. When Luna spoke with Stardust about that mask, he said it was a curse, and that the one who had enchanted it wasn’t as skilled as he thought he was. In the garden, he had said Twilight had tried to replace his mind, and she said that he was the one who enchanted it.

There. That’s what she missed before. All this is because that other version of Stardust, Sable, he put his own consciousness into that mask! He must have put Despair in there as well! Probably unaware exactly what he was really doing. Now that Despair is taking over this Stardust.

“I don’t care anymore, I already have!” Despair shouts it out. “Now, I know where I belong, at last!” Her eyes twitch involuntarily to his flank, still empty. No, he doesn’t. He’s just lashing out. The Monster had that black circle mark, Stardust does not. All those incidents where he lost himself, that was because of the melding of his mind with Sable’s and Despair’s. A melding that isn’t done. The transfer is still incomplete!

The lightning lines on the mask seem to grin at her, laughing. The real Despair is still there, waiting. If he puts that mask back on… he’ll be lost forever. Despair isn’t stupid, he’ll figure it out the moment he sees his flank. She has to get the mask away from him.

“That isn’t true! You care, or this would never have happened!”

“What?” His eyes narrow. They continue to circle the hourglass, bringing Luna closer to the masks.

“If you didn’t care you wouldn’t have sent Twilight back! You would have just let that world die. It’s only because you cared that you’re even here!” His teeth clench even harder, and the cracks along his glass wings spread further. “I don’t believe you could bring yourself to dare to cast that spell again.” The table with the masks are behind her now, she slowly backs towards it.

“You’ve seen what I could do!” More lightning runs up his horn, and he steps out from behind the hourglass. “You’ve seen what I did to Twilight.” Static sparks jump off every metal surface in the room as the fury in his voice rises. “Leave! Or we’ll see what I can do to you!”

Author's Note

Part 5: "Luna and Despair" begins.

Clashing Thunder

Twilight’s sleeping again. She barely has the strength to stay conscious by this point. I feel gently for her pulse; it’s very feeble. I can’t kid myself anymore. She’s not going to survive much longer, she might not even make it back to Ponyville at this rate.

I bite back my tears, looking away from the pony in the cart. It’s not fair. My eyes are drawn to my Alicorn wings and my cutie mark. I finally, finally, get everything I ever wanted, and now the only pony I care about is being taken away one breath at a time.

I couldn’t tell her, now, how I feel. I couldn’t tell her after that battle, with nothing but death here.

My only hope for her is that Ponyville survived. It’s a shallow one, I know. I look around, trying to figure out exactly how far away we are. We’re in what used to be a forest, but now it’s a field of dreary black spikes and dried out leaves. Even after all these miles, we’ve found nothing alive.

I sigh, knowing it’s a futile hope. Ponyville must certainly be as hollowed out as everywhere else.

Why are we even bothering to go back?

Because we’ve nothing else we can do. Maybe we’re going back just so we can be at home when we finally give up.

I shake my head. I can’t think like that. There has to be a solution! Something we can do…

This is all my fault. If only I hadn’t tried to go back in time in the first place.

I blink. Could it really be that simple? Not that time travel is simple. But… I still know the spell. I can’t do it on my own, not out here. I need the map table to even have a chance; If I can do it at all.

The Tree of Harmony is an ancient and powerful thing, it might have been able to survive my curse. If it’s still alive, the map table might still be intact.

There’s still hope.

I look back to Twilight again. She’s dying. If she can still be saved, I need to get her back to the Castle of Friendship.

I quicken my pace.

Luna rears and spins, dashing for the masks. Unsure if only one is enchanted, she sweeps both off the table and into her arms. Her teleport spell builds, and she glances back in time to see Despair’s eyes go wide and dart down to his own side. Now he knows.

Cold night air bites at her when she reappears outside, flying just outside his tower. She can still see him through the window. He spins, searching for her and his masks.

“Luna!” The shout is nearly deafening even muffled by the window, his voice amplified by rage and magic. Without waiting any longer, she wings away towards the palace. She has to get the masks away from him first, then she can worry about how to deal with Despair.

Lightning flashes behind her, and thunder booms. He’s already found her. She accelerates without looking back, knowing he’s not a strong flyer.

“Give it back!” A bolt of energy, A neon-blue beam with a haze of red flame around it, flashes past her and disappears off into the distance. She slips sideways in the air in surprise. If she had thought him unwilling to hurt her, she might have been wrong.

The palace isn’t far, but she won’t be able to hide the masks from him with so nearby. If she tries, he’ll tear the castle apart looking for them. She needs time and help. Luna swings around to keep one of the towers between them, giving her a moment to think.

A low rumble rolls across her, like thunder. At first, she thinks it’s another of Despair’s teleports, but then she realizes it came from far away. She glances to the side, at the coming storm.

A second, more unstable, blast of energy nearly hits her in the back as she twists around and changes course towards the dark clouds. She climbs, gaining altitude and distance from the slower Unicorn.

For an instant she risks a glance back, Despair is falling behind. She brings her attention back to her course. The storm isn’t far now.

Repeated thunder blasts are her first and only warning, his quick teleports bring him too close. Despair cracks into reality just in front of her, rearing and shouting. Wild energy shines out of the cracks on his wings, flowing down as he unleashes raw power towards her. The masks are nearly knocked from her grip. She throws up a shield, blunting the attack, and dives to build speed.

Rain pelts her face as she finally gets under the storm-clouds. The already dim light drops to near-complete blackness. She can’t see her way, but hopefully neither can Despair see her. A flash of Despair’s wild power streams past her, he’s still not far behind. In the dark, she can still see his face, lit by his glowing red eyes and the burning lightning of his scars.

Holding the masks close, she pulls up hard and flies into the clouds. The rain and the wind intensify, threatening to knock her out of the air entirely. She grimaces, trying to steady herself. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

A lance of fire briefly lights the clouds, but the shot was far away. Despair fires again, aiming wildly for her. She pushes deeper into the storm. Despair doesn’t know where she is, but she still needs to hide the masks. Could she just throw them into the dark? No, Despair might see them, or have a spell to find them.

Could she just destroy them? It wouldn’t be difficult. But… what if she needs it to restore his sanity? No, she won’t take that risk.

She sucks in a breath as a lucky shot nearly scorches her wing. She needs help, but where can she get aid? Twilight? No, she’s too far away. What would Celestia do?

Celestia, she could help! But… she should be sleeping by now. Luna blinks from the water in her eyes, shielding her face with one arm while she struggles through the rain. She could go find Celestia’s dream, but while flying through a storm? She can’t control her flight in the dream-world, it would be madness!

Something flickers into view through the clouds, difficult to see in the deluge. Through the dark, she spies the lightning and fire of Despair’s face and the shining cracks on his wings. He’s not far away and flying nearly parallel to her. She rolls away, hoping he hasn’t noticed her.

“This is a terrible idea.” She tries to level out her wings and hold herself steady on an ascending trajectory. Focusing on the dream-world, she closes her eye. Lights fill her mind as her body nears the top of its arc. She searches madly, trying to find one dream among millions.

A Library, no.

A field of flowers, no.

She can’t even spare enough time to identify the dreamers as she blinks in an out of dreams.

Three dancing ponies, no.

Where is she!?

A comforting fire and mug of hot chocolate, no.

A white swan on a lake, no… wait!

She darts back to that one. It’s a white swan with pastel wing feathers, gliding on a lake that looks like the top of a large white cake. That’s her!

“Tia!” She shouts, unable to spend more effort or time to really interact with her dream. The swan glances up from its serene swimming with eyes that Luna recognizes. She’s right, it’s Celestia! “I need you, sister! Wake up!” She can feel her body shift, thrown off balance by a gust of wind. She’s plummeting now. “The storm, Tia! Look to the storm!” Gravity kicks her from the dream before she can be sure Celestia understood.

She opens her eyes just in time to see Despair diving into her, too late to do anything about it. They collide, wings and limbs twisting together. Tumbling, spinning, neither one able to get wind under their wings. They fall as one.

“Get off!” Desperately she tries to push him clear. He’s tangled himself too tightly with her, scrambling to get the masks out of her grip. The wind whips her mane into her eyes, she can’t see anything but flashes of his red eyes and his lightning scars.

He kicks and punches madly, trying to get a hoof on one of the masks. She tries to hold them pressed close to her fur, she can’t tell which one is which, and their points dig into her chest painfully.

Lightning flashes, mere inches away. The burst and the flare stun both of them, setting her ears ringing. For a brief instant, they both stop fighting, both rattled by the natural fury. Luna’s still trying to recover when she feels her skin crawl with static charge. It’s now a familiar sensation, Despair is going to teleport!

Does she still have the masks? Yes, but then Despair’s hoof slips in under her arm, and he tugs on one. She can’t tell which, her senses still shot by the bolt. He’s not leaving without her, she locks one wing around him.

The spell completes, the rough and distorted magic burns at her nerves, almost like being lit on fire. She can’t even tell where they’ve gone, there’s still rain in her eyes and wind in her ears. More static builds, mixing with the electric charge already in the air. They’re still locked together, and still falling through the storm.

Despair’s teleport is even more painful the second time, and then yet worse for the third. Over and over, he’s using his teleport as an attack! It reaches a crescendo she can’t stand, and she screams involuntarily. She can’t see it, but she can feel the mask ripped from her grip. Despair kicks her away, and she spins alone.

Wind howls in her ears, she can’t even see how far the ground is. Her wings scream at her as she struggles to halt her fall, tumbling nearly uncontrollably. Wind batters her, snapping her wings away as she spins. She almost panics, fearing the ground must be close.

She closes her eyes and tries to ignore the vertigo. Instead of fighting the spin, she pulls her wings in close. Then, straining to keep it straight, she lets one wing out and allows the force of the wind to orient her down. Her tumble slows to a controllable spin, and she snaps her other wing open, angling her feathers so she pulls up out of the dive.

Only now does she dare to look, catching her breath. She’s back in the air, flying more-or-less steady in the wind and rain, heading back into the clouds. She still has one of the silver masks.

Which one did he get? Sailing out in a random direction, she risks a moment to wipe the rain out of her eyes to see the one she still has in her arms. She spins it around, trying to find the face. A flash of lightning from the storm reveals two empty eyes in her grip.

Light from behind her draws her attention. Unchained, wild, spears of fire and lightning leap from his horn into the storm above. Neon-blue energy bleeds out of his cracked feather panels, illuminating the rain like immense wings of light. Despair’s rage howl is louder than even the screaming storm.

Death by Despair

I think I can see Canterlot’s mountain ahead of us. We’re not far now, I hope.

I glance back, Twilight is watching our progress. She’s so frail… I can’t even tell if she knows how injured she is.

Hold on Twilight, we’re almost home. I don’t say it aloud, it would only worry her.

I consider my plan again, to time travel back before Despair created the curse. Am I a good enough spellcaster to cast such a complicated spell? I don’t know. If I had the Alicorn Amulet, yes.

Then I consider my mask. My working theory is that it was created using the Amulet itself as material. If I’m right, did it inherit any of those spellcasting enhancing abilities?

Twilight gasps as the cart hits a pothole. I glance back again, she’s trembling, eyes shut from the pain. I have to hurry, no time to speculate now.

I’d give my cutie-mark and my wings to be sure she lives.

I’m afraid I might have to give more.

Despair’s howl is drowned out by a new thunderbolt. Luna angles her flight to take her back into the storm-clouds, hoping he didn’t see her escape.

“That was too close.” She hugs the mask close, the fact she has it is the only thing preventing Despair from consuming Stardust entirely.

Lightning claps again, not far away. She shields her eyes from the bolt, but it doesn’t fade. It grows and forks and spins, a constant stream of energy pouring into the storm. Electric charge sparks off her crown and peytral, and even the mask in her grasp. That isn’t only natural lightning, it’s coming from Despair!

Thunder cracks continually, a rolling boom that wipes out all other sensations. The bolt comes too close, and she curls herself behind a shield. The strain is immense as the current of energy crashes over her barrier, crackling and cracking. It only lasts a moment before the lightning wanders away, leaving a heavy buzz in her ears and her skin tingling all over. Her shield drops, and she coughs out the ozone she had inhaled, thankful he didn’t know where to direct such a force.

Luna’s had enough of letting him have his way against her. She reaches out with her magic, directing the direction of the wind and strengthening it down towards the origin of that continual bolt. Clouds spin and spiral, building to a hurricane gale. The traveling bolt whips around and disperses into the storm when the winds hurl Despair about like a doll.

New lighting leaps from one cloud to another, supercharged by all the energy Despair pumped into the storm-clouds. She gives up her control of the winds and hurries to get some distance from the worst of it. But now the thunderstorm is uncontrolled, building up its own power and lashing out at random. Bolts and sheets of energy flash all about while the winds she drove to near-tornado speeds thrash her about in the sky.

Somehow, behind all this noise, she hears a pony calling her name. Or was it just the wind howling? Then she hears it again, her name shouted, barely audible. She shields her eyes from the rain, so cold it’s numbing her skin, and searches for the origin of the voice. A small white speck in the distance, illuminated only briefly as the lightning flashes darts from one beak in the clouds to another.

Dodging a fresh lightning strike, Luna swoops towards it, trying to identify the newcomer. As she approaches, she barely makes out the pastel mane being tossed about in the wind, with her own nearly blinding her.

“Luna! Where are you?!” It’s Celestia! She must have come here immediately after Luna tried to wake her, she isn’t wearing her regalia.

“I’m here! Tia!” She almost collides with her sister, and she has to shout for the other Alicorn to hear her clearly. “Tia!”

“Luna, what’s going on?” They have to lock arms together to avoid being blown apart. “This storm isn’t supposed-”

“Twilight’s monster!” Even this close, she can’t see Celestia clearly enough to read the confusion on her face properly. “He’s here!” One of Celestia’s eyes is shut against the driving rain, the other opens wide in shock.

A pulse of energy ripples across the sky, a wide shock-wave of flame-tinged neon-blue. The wave warps the storm as it passes, but misses the sisters by a wide margin. Both Alicorns look towards its origin. Past the rain, Luna can see the shining cracks on Despair’s wings, and the glow from his face casts a bright shadow on a cloud across from them. The only reason he hasn’t spotted them is he’s facing the other way. Celestia pulls away, diving towards him, her face contorted into determined anger.

“No! Don’t!” Luna speeds to block her way, her limbs spread wide to make her intentions clear. “Don’t attack!” She pushes back against Celestia, trying to force them both into one of the thick dark clouds before a bolt illuminates them.

“Why?!” Celestia’s eyes are locked on the other pony in the clouds before he disappears.

“He’s…” Luna hesitates, uncertain exactly how to explain in so short a time. “He’s my responsibility!”

“We can do this together!” She shakes her head. Luna cringes, there isn’t time to explain everything. Despair might stumble on them at any moment.

“Take this!” Luna shoves the mask to her sister’s arms, she nearly drops it in the slick rain. A lightning flash sets the filigree shining for an instant. Celestia looks at it, confused again. “He’s here for that! He mustn’t get it!”

“What-”

“Keep it safe! Go!” Luna pulls back, the air is so thick with rain that even a few wingspans away, she can barely see Celestia clearly. The other Alicorn is hesitating. “I don’t want to let my friend fall the way I did.” For a moment, a brief one, the rain calms enough for Celestia to see Luna unobstructed. She hopes her sister can read her well enough to understand. “Let me do this, please!”

They hover, as best they can, just out of each other’s reach, as Celestia judges her. The other Alicorn looks down at the mask, and then out where they had seen Despair. Her eyes meet Luna’s, seeing what could be tear-streaks lost in the rain.

“Be careful!” Then Celestia turns with Stardust’s mask held close, and dives for the edge of the storm.

“Thank you, sister.” Luna knows Celestia couldn’t possibly have heard her through the screaming wind.

Still buffeted by the heavy winds, she turns her mind and body towards where she saw Despair. Her shoulders tremble at the effort to stay in the air, especially after pulling out of that spin. How can Despair keep flying through this? His wing spell, fragile though it may be, doesn’t require any real muscle to function. As long as he can keep it running, he’ll be able to stay out here longer than she can.

She could shoot out his wings, but can she catch him in this storm before he hits the ground?

Something huge looms in the air nearby, a massive black shadow, coming her way. She swings around it easily, realizing it’s familiar. It looks like the highest tower of the palace. She wipes her eyes clean, a futile effort, and looks again. It is the palace tower. The storm must have drifted right over Canterlot and carried her with it! She dodges another tower, her sense of motion in the dark and the gale utterly ruined. She climbs higher, trying to keep clear of any other structures.

Hopefully, she hasn’t harmed anypony out in the city by whipping the storm to a frenzy. If she shoots out Despair’s wings, he’ll hit the ground or a building in instants. It’s too risky unless she can get right next to him.

She glances at her vacant hooves, the mask is safe now, but won’t he just leave if he sees her empty hoofed? He’ll flee to find the mask, that’s his real goal. The wind whips her mane into her eyes again, and she pushes it clear. Her eyes focus on her hooves and her shoes.

Quickly, she removes her left shoe and studies it. It looks nothing like his mask, not on closer inspection, but out here in the dark and the rain? Then she casts a quick illusion on it, making it shiny and reflective. It only has to confuse him for moments, not for long. Cradling it like she had the mask, she spins to search for Despair himself. Still, what is she going to do to stop him?

Thunder booms and lightning flashes, so near and so rapid it feels like war-drums. The flags atop several towers flare brightly as the lightning incinerates them. Forks of power spark from new and unexpected angles. Her shields protect her, but the storm is growing more intense and unpredictable.

Somewhere out in the raging storm, Despair is gathering power to himself. The energy in the air feels just like his magic. Something glows atop one of the palace towers, bright enough to be seen even past the rain and the clouds, a neon-blue and flame-red beacon. Lightning courses through the air around it, leaping from the light to the towers and clouds around it. It must be Despair, supercharging the storm yet again.

This power is too dangerous, she needs to put an end to it. Time to get his attention.

A pale-blue beam, surrounded by a darker aura only barely visible in the storm, streaks from her horn towards the figure at the core of the building spell. It passes him harmlessly; she shot wide on purpose, intending to only grab his attention. Past the rain, she can barely see his red glowing eyes turn towards her from where he hangs off one of the flagpoles.

“Well, at least that worked.” She doesn’t see the mask anywhere on him, he must have discarded it. Despair points at Luna and all the energy in the air focuses on her. She darts away from him, dodging forks of electric power and deflecting shock-waves of unstable fire-tinged energy. For a moment, she ducks behind a tower, nearly slammed against it by a gust of wind, hoping for another moment to think. The force of the wind is so strong it holds her against the stone, and she can nearly stand upright against it. He’ll attack from above again, to knock the ‘mask’ from her grasp. She needs to get away from the palace.

Struggling against the gale, she leaps from the wall and back into the air, climbing hard to gain altitude. Wind thrashes at her, pulling her off course. Lightning blasts all around her. She keeps a shield up at all times, the bolts too quick or unstable to predict or dodge. All the thunderclaps make it impossible to hear anything.

A fresh boom rattles her core instead of really hearing it, and she looks up to find Despair teleporting into the air directly above her with energy flashing across his scars and up his horn.

She dips her right-wing, sending her into a roll that allows him to fall past. His hooves scrape down her still-active shield, and the two combatants split apart. They circle in the air, somewhere above Canterlot, attempting to guess the other’s action.

A lightning flash blinds her as it cracks through the empty space between them. Despair will charge while she’s blinded, it’s an obvious tactic.

Despite the pain, she forces herself to keep her eyes open, hoping to spy a pair of red eyes swooping towards her. Even with the storm in her way, at this range, she’ll be able to catch him when she shoots out his wings. Still, the afterimage of the bolt makes it a challenge to see. Power builds around her horn as she readies her attack, trying to measure it just strong enough to take out his wings.

Behind the afterimage, something moves, a red blur surrounded by uncertain lines of neon-blue. Aiming just to his side, she releases her magic. Just as the spell flashes, she can see him move, evading… but not away.

He lurches right into the pale-blue beam, and it hits him in the dead center of his mass. His shriek of pain is faintly audible through the wind and the rumble of the thunder.

Luna can’t stop herself from blinking as he tumbles uncontrolled through the air. Had she seen that right? Had he tried to intercept the beam without a shield in place? Why? No, it had to be that he hadn’t seen it coming or that he had misjudged her aim.

He’s still falling, unable, or unwilling to recover. Luna dives towards him, arms outstretched, her fake mask forgotten, but the delay of her stun let him fall too far. She can’t catch up!

Rain stings her eyes as she rushes towards him. There’s a structure ahead, he’s falling towards it. Clenching her eyes shut, she targets a teleport between Despair and the oncoming tower.

His body crashes into her the moment she reappears, and she clutches on to him with everything she has. The tower is so close, she can’t pull them away. A flash of lightning reveals they’re going to hit a huge window. Desperately she tries to form a shield around them.

Glass shatters as they slam into the window, mixing real shards with the magic wings disintegrating from the impact. Her shield finally finishes enclosing them, just in time to smash into a sizeable crystalline object in the middle of the room. Rain and sand and slivers of smashed glass flicker in the air, reflecting the glow of both her magic and his lightning scars. Their bubble bounces off the floor, sending them ramming them into the banister of a staircase on the far side of the chamber. The stone post punctures through her shield, and she loses her grip on Despair.

Luna is fortunate enough to crash into the wall, halting her tumble. Despair isn’t so lucky, and he rolls down the steps like a discarded rag-doll.

Her eyes are locked on his body, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She aches all over, and she’s soaked to the bone, but her thoughts are for Despair. Did he survive? For a moment, they are both prone and still, and slowly her hearing returns. The storm still rages outside, the howling wind tossing the rain and gritty sand into her face.

Gathering her legs under her, she slowly stands and realizes they’ve somehow crash-landed back in Stardust’s tower. The thing they hit was the hourglass. Her wings are so tired and her shoulders so stiff she can’t fold her wings yet. It’s a minor miracle she didn’t break anything when she hit the banister.

Despair coughs and gasps for air. Luna’s shaking legs don’t let her do more than stand there. It’s clear he’s just as exhausted as she is, he slips several times as he struggles to get back to his feet. The delay gives Luna a chance to think about everything that has just happened.

Since the moment she woke him, he’s been trying to anger her. Trying to dodge questions and giving misleading answers. Telling her just what horrible things he’d done. He must have known he couldn’t match an Alicorn princess in direct combat. Why didn’t he ever try to flee?

Despair finishes climbing back to his feet, shaking his head and turning towards Luna. She can clearly see the mark she made on his chest, a bad burn right over his heart. He coughs and gasps again, his eyes nearly shut from pain. His limbs shake visibly, the fight and the storm must have drained him as much or more than it did her.

Electric energy builds on his horn again, sparking into his eyes and across his blazing scars. All his magic, it was loud, bright, threatening, but how much of it was really aimed with the intent to harm? She has to know. Bracing herself, she sucks in a breath and holds it.

When he fires, she doesn’t dodge or block. The neon-blue blast with the red aura hits her in the chest right over her peytral. There is pain and heavy pressure, but nowhere near as intense as she expected. She grimaces and nearly falls, spreading her legs to stay upright. Excess energy from the blast washes over her and leaps from her limbs, singeing the walls and the floor.

Had he wanted, he could have easily killed her.

But he didn’t.

Still catching her breath again, she meets his red gaze. His eyes are wide, and his jaw loose. It’s clear to her he didn’t expect the attack to hit. Then he scowls. More magic builds around his horn.

Luna stands tall, wings up, and stares down at him. His second blast hits her right in the face, she can’t stop herself from flinching. It stings, but not nearly as hard as she knows he can cast. She blinks to clear the after-flash and then focuses on him again.

Now she understands.

“I’ll kill you!” He fires another beam at her, wide and bright and loud. There’s almost no force to it, it doesn’t even burn the stairs.

“I’m not going to give you what you want.” The wind howls, it’s not clear if Despair heard her. She tries to keep the anger out of her voice, but she knows she can’t. Not anger at his actions, but his intent.

Despair is trying to incense her into killing him.

Stardust is trying to commit suicide.

I Forgive You

I close the door behind me as I leave her bedroom, I can hear Twilight crying. My own tears stream down my face, but I hold my breath so I don’t scream. It is as I feared, although I already knew.

Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Starlight Glimmer.

Fluttershy.

All gone.

Because of me.

I nearly stumble on my way down. I can’t cast the spell. Not now.

I have to do this first. I have to lay them to rest. It wasn’t fair to keep her from seeing them… but I did. None of this was fair.

I walk outside and find a patch of crumbling grass somewhere where Twilight could see from her room. I can at least give her that. One last deep breath is all I allow myself before I start to dig the graves for my closest friends.

“Fight back!” Despair screams, the water streaming down his face is not only from the rain.

“No.” Luna shakes her head. Her limbs lock in position, she can’t be sure she won’t fall over if she tries to move. Despair howls wordlessly, lancing neon-blue power at her. It carves a crooked line up the stairway and across the wall but doesn’t strike her. Residual static charge makes her skin tingle.

“You have to fight back!” Not even thirty seconds ago, she might have. “I’ll kill you!”

“No, you won’t.”

“I can! I will! You have to fight back!”

“You might be capable, but you won’t!” Luna snaps it back at him. “Stand down.” Her forehooves nearly dig a hole in the floor, so great is the strain on her control. His only response is to advance up the steps, flinging energy blasts all around her. She holds her position, knowing he won’t harm her.

“Fight back, or I’ll bring this whole tower down on us!” A lightning flash from outside illuminates his face, making his red eyes seem blue again. Luna glances at the structure of the building, quaking slightly from the thunder. Could he? Perhaps the better question, would he?

“I don’t believe you. You don’t have that kind of power.” Maybe before the storm, he might have had the ability, but no longer. The battle in the rain has drained his stamina.

Despair stalks up the stairs, slowly. He stops on the step below Luna, staring up at her and seething. He has to crane his neck nearly vertical to look her in the eye.

“Do it!” His scars flare brighter. Luna breathes in deep, heart drumming in her still-ringing ears.

“I will not harm you.” She speaks very carefully, managing her tone to keep any hate out of it. His expression doesn’t shift. He must be aware of what he’s doing.

“You have to!” Despair’s shout is so loud it must be injuring his throat. “I’ve attacked a royal princess!” A wave of energy blasts off his horn with a bright flash and loud bang, but the force is undirected. Aside from tossing some of the shattered glass around, it’s harmless. “I’m Twilight’s monster!” His gaze flickers away for an instant, unable to meet Luna eye to eye. “I tried to destroy the world!” A second bang as he repeats the spell, startling but no threat. “I killed millions.” Despair stumbles, the adrenaline fueling him running out. “I should be dead. It’s nothing less than what I deserve.” His face droops towards the floor. Luna stares down at him, not knowing what she needs to say, or what he needs to hear.

Just as she draws in a breath to speak, something lands heavily over by the shattered window and the crunching glass drawing her attention. It’s Celestia, her mane drenched and plastered to her body by the rain still coming down in torrents. Her wings and horn are at the ready to mete out justice if she has to. She doesn’t have the mask, probably hidden in the palace.

Luna shakes her head and holds up a hoof to stop her sister from advancing. Their gazes meet, magenta to cyan. Luna can read the questions on her sister’s face. Do you need my assistance? Do you want me to interfere? She hopes Celestia can understand her in turn. This isn’t like Nightmare Moon, he can still be saved. Even if he can’t, the only thing at stake here is the fate of a single pony. Please, let me do this for him.

Celestia hesitates, and then slowly nods. The spell building on her horn dissipates, and she folds her wings.

Luna returns her attention to the pony on the stairs. It’s only been a moment, he’s still standing with his head hanging so low that his horn rests on the stone.

“Stardust.” Luna still doesn’t know what to say or what to do. What would Celestia do? What would Twilight do? “It’s…” Despair tenses, knowing what she’ll say. Luna realizes if she finishes speaking, that if she says it’s not his fault, that he’ll reject it. It will only strengthen his hate.

No, this isn’t the way. Her thoughts go back to his fight with Twilight. She had tried to tell him she was sorry, that it was all a mistake or an accident or somehow her responsibility. Tonight he had attempted to tell her that wasn’t how he saw it, she hadn’t understood then. No matter what she says, he’ll still think it’s his fault.

It is time she accepts that.

“Stardust.” She kneels so she can lean down and be face to face with him without looming over him. “Look at me.” Her wet mane pools on the step, where it’s lit by the lightning coursing across his face. Slowly, reluctantly, Despair lifts his head, so they’re eye to eye. “I forgive you.”

Despair’s eyes flicker. In slow motion, he reels as if he’d been hit by a brick to the face. His hoof slips on the slick stair, and he collapses. He grips at his head, eyes clenched shut in pain. The lightning on his face fades, but the marks remain as burns on his charcoal-black fur.

“I will not kill you.” She nearly whispers it, she doubts Celestia will have heard.

“You have to.” His response is grief-stricken, and barely audible even this close. “If you don’t… I’ll… I’ll do it myself.” She isn’t sure she heard that right, the wind and the rain through the broken window make it hard to understand.

“No. You won’t.” She returns to standing, shaking her head. “I think I finally understand. Why you did what you did to your parents and yourself.”

He is silent. Very slowly, he stands and turns towards the door, taking each stair carefully.

“When pressed to the limits of your sanity, you tried to commit a form of emotional suicide. Even at your lowest, you couldn’t bring yourself to truly end your own life.” She has to raise her voice to be heard over the storm as he nears the base of the stairs. “You couldn’t then, and you won’t now.”

The pony she knew as Stardust stops at the very last step. Although he seems steady, she feels as though he perches unbalanced on the very edge of a high cliff.

“You’re still that same broken foal.” She isn’t angry anymore, just sorrowful. “But you don’t have to be.”

“I know.” A neon-blue aura floats his long black coat over to him. Luna can imagine him now, tumbling from that high precipice.

“What will you do now? Run away again?”

“I have to.” He pauses but doesn’t look back. “It’s the only thing I’m good at.” He yanks the door open with magic, the sudden gust of wind throwing hourglass sand into Luna’s eyes along with her mane. Her soul screams at her to chase him down to stop him from leaving.

No matter how much she wants to, she can’t stop him. He’s known only how to run his entire life. Running from his past, from his failures, from those who knew of his blank flank. Even from those who try to help. She can’t force it on him, just like everypony else, like Twilight. He has to make the choice to stay of his own will.

Accepting who he is means admitting he may choose to leave forever.

“Where will you go?” Her voice nearly cracks, a few tears drip down her cheek, lost in the rain.

“I don’t know. Griffonstone? The Crystal Empire? It doesn’t matter.” His voice is equally hoarse to hers. “Anywhere but here.”

“When you have gone…” Luna can’t bring herself to say goodbye, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. “I will miss our conversations.” Despair stands in the doorway, the rain beating down on him. Luna turns away, unable to watch him leave.

With downcast eyes, she slowly walks over to the waiting wings of her sister. The other Alicorn wraps them around her, laying her own neck over Luna’s, and letting her take a few pained breaths in silence.

The door below slams shut.

Luna presses her face into Celestia’s fur, trying to take solace in the warmth of the sun. It doesn’t really help, Celestia is just as drenched as she is. She can feel Celestia breathe deeply to speak.

“So would I.”

Luna blinks, that wasn’t Celestia. Released by the other Alicorn, she looks back. He stands at the top of the stairs, his tail and mane so drenched and heavy that he can’t even lift his head. The black coat lays abandoned on the floor.

“Stardust?” She wipes the rain and the tears from her eyes, not so sure she isn’t seeing things. Thankfully, Celestia is silent.

“It’s just…” He takes a slow step towards her. With each step, the color of his fur bleeds away from black to purple. “It’s the only way I know how to live anymore.” The rain coming in through the broken window seeming to wash the ash out of his mane. “I’ve been running so long.” When he finally steps up to her and looks up at her, it is with neon-blue eyes once again. “But… I don’t want to go.” Disguised by the rain, tears stream freely down Stardust’s face.

“Then stay.” She can’t stop herself, throwing both her arms and her wings around him. By reflex he flinches when she embraces him, she ignores it. There is trembling in his arms as he returns the embrace. “I know it’s hard for you to ask for help. But if you want it, you’ll have it.” He tries to speak, to say something important, but each time he can’t get out more than a gasp for air. Luna knows what he’s trying to say. She had to say it once herself in a very similar situation. “I forgive you.”

Reconstruction

Luna watches the ponies in Canterlot from a distance, her bedroom balcony. The hammers from the work crews busy repairing the damage caused by her and Despair’s storm is an incessant clatter. Fortunately, most of the damage done was just broken windows and shattered roof tiles, one large window she can see being carried by a team of Pegasus is heading toward Stardust’s tower.

Fluttering wings and the sound of shoes on stone announces the arrival of someone to her little corner of the palace. She doesn’t need to look over to know who it is, but she does anyway. Celestia, with her mane cleaned and brushed and wearing her regalia, seems like she’s managed to get a few more hours of sleep after the excitement of last night. She looks better than Luna feels, she knows she must be a mess but hasn’t found the time or willpower to clean herself up beyond tying her mane out of her face. Enveloped in Celestia’s yellow aura is a silver object.

“We found the other mask.” Celestia passes it to Luna, giving her the chance to inspect it in the sunlight. The shattered left eye socket and the lightning filigree don’t mock her the way the other one did, despite the fact they are nearly identical. “A guard found it up on the roof when he was replacing one of the flags.”

“Thank you, sister.” She sets it down on the railing, the empty socket almost seems to watch her. “We may need both masks to understand what was done to his mind.” The first mask, the one which she had given to Celestia, is safely secured in the vault until they have some idea what to do with it. It’s too dangerous to leave where Stardust might find it, at least in his current state of mind.

“How is he?” Celestia gestures to Luna’s room, the curtains have been drawn. Luna knows who she means. They brought Stardust here last night so she could keep an eye on him. He hadn’t spoken, refused even to meet them eye to eye. Luna doesn’t know if he didn’t want to or couldn’t.

“Resting.” Sleeping, actually. It had taken Luna most of an hour to lull him to sleep, even using magic. The stress of the battle on his mind had been intense.

“Even in his dreams?” At least Celestia is keeping her voice down.

“I can only assume so.” Luna sighs. “I wasn’t able to find them.”

“That’s very strange.”

“I believe it has to do with the overlapping memories as the mask tried to re-write his mind. I won’t be certain until I can study them.”

“And then what?” Of course, Celestia is thinking ahead.

“I… don’t know.” Luna hasn’t thought that far, there are too many variables. “We can’t remove the memories of what happened to him.”

“We could. You know that.” Luna shoots her sister an ugly glare for even suggesting it. Celestia backs slightly away.

“Would you have done it to me?” Her sister is silent, knowing she never would. Luna takes a deep breath, so she doesn’t lose her temper. “I won’t deny what has happened to him, just as I won’t deny what I did to myself.” They both know what she means. “It’s changed him, he is not the pony whom Twilight first met, not anymore.”

“Then what do we do with him?”

“That depends on him.” Luna looks back at her room. Stardust is still sleeping. “He must make his own destiny. I can only help him along the path he chooses, and only if he asks for it.”

“You are very set on letting him make this decision.” The white Alicorn steps up beside the blue one. “What is it about him that makes you so hesitant?”

“Aside from the fact that it is his own mind at stake?” She shakes her head. “I don’t know his entire life story, but it feels to me that he has spent his life struggling to find his own place in this world.”

“That’s true of every pony.” She shrugs.

“For him, it is… more significant.” Luna considers how to explain. Surely Celestia saw his blank flank, but given the situation last night, she may not have noticed. “From what Twilight has told me and from what little he has said himself, I can only guess that he feels… dominated by forces outside his control. Jerked around by fate.”

“If you want to help him, you can’t take his control away.” Tia understands, Luna smiles softly. Then her smile dies.

“Especially since I may be partially responsible for what just happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yesterday…” was it really only yesterday? “I brought Twilight here, thinking she could help repair what I thought was damage to his mind. Stardust blames her for what happened to him. The stress of their encounter triggered last night’s events.” She lets her head droop. “If I hadn’t called for Twilight, it wouldn’t have occurred.”

“Luna.” A white wing is placed over her back; it’s warm. “You can’t blame yourself, it won’t help. That’s exactly what he’s doing.” Luna takes several deep breaths and nods.

“Rebuilding his life is something only he can do. I’ll aid him if he lets me.” She frowns and turns away from her sister. “If I can.”

“Oh, Luna.” It’s Celestia’s turn to sigh. “Even if you can’t magic away his problems, you are maybe the only pony in all of Equestria who understands what he has experienced. I have no doubt you will see him through this.” Celestia holds her tighter, the warmth in her wing spreading throughout Luna’s body. She can’t stop herself from smiling, and she wouldn’t if she could.

“Thank you.” Luna’s stress has only just begun to melt away when her hair suddenly stands on end as an electric charge fills the air. When the immediate thundercrack comes, she flinches involuntarily, last night’s experience has taught her to expect an attack. Celestia winces as well, releasing the darker Alicorn and glancing up at the sky, looking for clouds that aren’t there.

“What was that? The storm has already past.”

“I know exactly what that was.” Luna sighs, sticking her head back through the curtains to be sure. Her bedroom is empty, so is her bed, and Stardust’s coat isn’t hanging where she left it. She returns her attention to the white Alicorn. “Don’t worry. It was just Stardust teleporting. His control over the spell is somewhat sub-par.” She rubs at her head, frustrated. “I’m going to have to track him down before he hurts himself.”

“I don’t think that will be difficult.” Celestia gestures into the garden with one wing. Luna approaches the railing and looks down. Sure enough, a lone pony wearing a black coat is wandering away from the palace. Magenta eyes turn from the Unicorn down below towards Luna. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“No. No, I should speak with him alone.” Luna spreads her wings and cringes when her shoulders complain. Before she leaps off the balcony, she meets her sister’s gaze. “Thank you, for asking.” Celestia is silent, smiling softly.

Luna glides down from the balcony, landing harder than she wanted to. The muscles in her right shoulder ache, her wing is very stiff. She may have sprained something during the fight, she stretches the wing a few times to try and loosen it before putting them away. She saw which way Stardust had gone, and he wasn’t moving quickly. Catching up to him is trivial, he was neither hiding nor running.

When she finds him, he’s walking along a flowerbed. He looks miserable, almost as bad as last night. It’s probably going to take him a while to get all the tangles and knots out of his tail and mane. There’s a bit of limp in his gait, he’s probably bruised from falling down the stairs and ugly impact against the window. It’s a minor miracle they weren’t sliced to bits when they hit it.

Luna doesn’t hide her presence, but she doesn’t impose on him immediately. Still, he glances back at her with badly bloodshot eyes before resuming his slow shameful walk beside the flowers. He had spent much of last night crying; it’s one of several reasons she had so much trouble getting him to rest.

With his limp and his slow pace, Luna has no difficulty staying nearby. In fact, she has plenty of time to enjoy the garden herself. The flowers are in bloom after the rain, soaking in the sunlight. It’s a sight she doesn’t get to see nearly as often as she’d like. At night all the flowers here are bundled up to wait for the dawn. For a brief moment, she allows herself to revel in their vibrant colors and pleasant scents.

“How many did I hurt?” Stardust speaks, hoarse. She lifts her head from a large rose. He’s sitting not far off, although his face is also downcast towards the flowers. The eye towards her is weakly flicking from her to the flowers and back. Even if the fact that his first thoughts are for others reassures her, this still won’t be pleasant.

“A lot of frightened fillies and foals, but nopony was seriously wounded.” He nearly falls over, slumping deeply in relief. “The worst of the damage was several broken windows and some roofing tiles.” Luna glances up at the many towers of the palace, bereft of most of their pennants. “We are going to have to replace all the flags, though.”

“At least I didn’t kill anypony this time.” Wearily he picks himself up and resumes his walk. Luna follows alongside, with enough distance between them that she doesn’t aggravate him. She remains silent, hoping he will find something to say before she does.

He wanders more-or-less aimlessly, pausing every now and then to take a long look at a flower or listen to the birds. Towards the center of the garden, in an open area with a gazebo at its center, he pauses and looks around for something missing.

“That’s… odd.” His tone is not as down as he was before, although he’s still hoarse. “Something is strange here, it was here a little while ago, where’s the gravestone?”

“Gravestone?” He jerks into motion when she speaks, spinning towards her with a yelp.

“Princess Luna? You’re alive?!” That he’s suffering another attack is quite clear. Luna sighs, massaging her head. This task she has taken on may be quite the challenge to her patience.

“Stardust, look around. This is not the world of ash.” She holds her place, letting him stare at her and then look around again. It takes him several deep breaths and a moment to think before blinking repeatedly. His expression shifts away from wide-eyed surprise back to his previous dour downcast.

“Of course. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Do not be sorry for something outside your control.”

“I don’t know what else to say.” He shakes his head, turning back to his wandering. “I hate this. I can’t even trust my own memories.”

“You can trust me.” Luna steps up next to him, blocking his way with a wing. “If you ever get confused or scared, you can come find me. If you let me, I’ll ground you to this reality.”

“Why are you doing this?” Stardust doesn’t answer her directly. His neon-blue eyes turn up towards her. She can still see the burns Despair’s lightning left on his face; hopefully, they will heal, and he won’t be permanently scarred. The mark on his chest is worse, and will almost certainly leave a true scar. She considers her response carefully, both for his sake and for hers.

“Because I do not wish to see you injured. Because you are my friend.” She hesitates a little before continuing. “And, to be honest, because it might be nice to have even one pony to talk to.” She had chosen her exact words very intentionally. Stardust works up the gumption to look her in the eye, and despite himself, he can’t help but smile faintly.

“You aren’t that isolated.”

“I meant, for both of us.” He nearly laughs at her, weakly, for using his own words against him. “I wasn’t joking.” His mirth fades quickly. “I am not entirely altruistic in this. I really do have very few close friends to speak with. I don’t want to lose one to some terror that doesn’t exist… anymore.” She adds the last word both to stave off a retort she expects and to emphasize that he can move beyond it.

“It doesn’t feel like it doesn’t exist. Not to me.” He drops his head again, and Luna sighs. She knows she’ll have to change the subject or he’ll run around in mental circles. The shadow of a guard flying overhead passes over them, and Stardust flinches. Her cyan eyes track the guard for a moment, and then her gaze lingers on the mountain.

“Are you up for a flight? I have something I would like to show you.” He blinks and glances at his sides. His glass wings disintegrated last night, and he hasn’t replaced them yet.

“Show me what?”

“It’s not very far.” Luna stretches out her wings, still sore but working out the stiffness, and leaps into the air. “If you want to know, you’ll have to come along.” She hovers nearby, waiting for him to make the decision. She expects he will want to know, and she’s using his curiosity to distract him from darker thoughts. There is the possibility he’ll decide it’s not worth the effort, and she doesn’t know if she’s willing to leave him here alone if he doesn’t come along.

Fortunately, she doesn’t have to figure that out. After a moment of hesitation, a neon-blue aura envelops him, radiating from his horn. Panes of black glass fold and materialize around him, encasing him briefly before dissolving away. The fragments reform on his shoulders as his wing spell completes. She nods, smiling lightly.

Stardust rises into the air slowly, using the magic of the wings instead of the strength of his legs to get off the ground. He remains silent, following along at a leisurely pace while they fly out of the city and a bit further into the mountains.

Their storm has left marks here as well, a few trees knocked down or splintered by a lightning bolt. As they fly, she watches for other ponies, but there seems to be none out this far from the city today. No surprise there, this part of the Canterlot mountain range is mostly ignored. As slow as they are, it takes longer than she’s used to to get to the grotto.

Her shoes leave deep imprints on the soft earth where she lands. The shore of a small lake, little more than a large pond, surrounded on all sides by the mountains and cliffs. At the far side of the grotto, a little waterfall fills the pool. A tiny island, barely more substantial than a rock at the center of the lake, holds a single tree.

“What is this place?” Stardust lands nearby, taking it all in. “A secret garden?”

“It’s not a secret. Not really. I just don’t tell anypony where it is.” She almost manages to draw a smile from him with that one. “Celestia knows about it.” Now she eyes him carefully, waiting to see how he responds to what she says next. “So does Princess Sparkle.” She isn’t sure what she expected to see. He barely even noticed, just a quick darting of his eyes towards her before he resumes looking around the grotto.

“I expect there are also a few random ponies who have stumbled on it as well.” Not wanting to get his coat drenched or muddy, he sits down on a rock at the water’s edge. Luna joins him there, sitting nearby. Neither of them makes any attempt to move closer to the other. “I’m going to guess.” He speaks after several minutes of listening to the waterfall and the wind. “Why you brought me here.” She slides one eye towards him, waiting. “You want me to know of a place I can go to be alone, where I can’t harm anypony.”

“Not entirely accurate, although that is part of it. I want you to know this place is here, so if you feel overwhelmed or confused, you’ll have somewhere to go without being disturbed.” She turns all the way towards him. “I know you’ve had difficulty finding a place to think. Canterlot can be a crowded city, and the palace garden is often occupied.” She waves a hoof at the grotto. “Out here, you can be alone if you need to.” He affixes his neon-blue eyes on her.

“What makes you think I want to be alone?” Luna considers her response. She could say that she knows him now, unlike when they first met. She could say that it what she might want in his situation. That’s not what she says.

“Then you don’t have to be.” She stands, taking it as an invitation, and walks over to sit beside him. “You have the option, either way.” He is quiet for a few moments.

“Thank you.” The tone in his voice is something she hasn’t heard from him before, and she doesn’t quite know what to make of it. “You must be exhausted. You should go get some sleep. I’ll do some thinking out here and head back myself in a while.” She is exhausted, especially after last night’s exertions. Luna nods and stands, but hesitates before taking into the air.

“Before I go, there is one thing I am going to have to ask of you.”

“Anything.” There’s that tone again, but he isn’t looking at her. She waits until he lifts his eyes from the water. It takes some effort to keep her tone stern without being severe.

“I need you to swear to me you’ll never do that again.” She doesn’t have to say what she means. He understands, she can see it in his pained expression. “Promise me.” He hesitates, for almost an instant too long.

“I promise.”

Letting go with my magic, the last stone sockets into place, and I release my held breath.

“That was… much harder than the others.” I stand over the grave marker, made from the shattered remains of the friendship map, wiping away my tears for the third or fourth time since I started and then look around. Ponyvile is dead; the trees are slowly withering, and the color fading from the once vibrant buildings. Nopony is around. Nopony alive anyway.

I’m alone. Absolutely alone. The only thing moving in this awful grey place is the falling ash.

That was my last chance to undo this hell. I’ve failed again. Worse than being alone, I’m still here.

I’m stuck here.

I look at the grave at my feet, and then at the array of others. At least she can be with them now, our friends. I don’t know if that’s a comfort or not. It was the only thing I could do for her, in the end.

“In the end, huh?” How many times did I think it was the end, and then it wasn’t? It really is the end this time.

So what do I do now? I stand there for a while, breathing slowly, trying not to think. But my mind won’t let me be still.

I told her I would search for survivors or for powers that could take me back. I had promised her, and I need to keep it.

Where to go first? The Crystal Empire is the only place anywhere remotely nearby which might have survived; there’s a possibility the Crystal Heart may have protected it. I should really head that way first. But before I go north, I have one last thing I really should do.

My eyes drift to the Canterlot mountain, somewhere behind the ever-grey clouds. There was only one pony we met before the battle with Despair that wasn't crippled by Despair's spell, and she might still be alive.

“Princess Luna…”

Author's Note

Part 5: "Luna and Despair" ends.

The Ash of Fallen Stars comes to an end.

Sable and Stardust's story continues in The Price of Black Wings. (working title)

Antique

I cough as the smoke billows out from the oven and fills my lungs. My heart sinks as I pull the tray out and find nothing but blackened lumps on the baking sheet.

“Wow, those are some great very overly burned and toasty lumps of what used to be dough. Not so great at being cookies, though.” Pinkie Pie takes the tray full of badly burned cookies from me and tips it up to empty it into the trashcan. Stubbornly, my cookies stick to the sheet even when overturned entirely. Pinkie shrugs and flings the tray into the corner, where it lands on a pile of similar failed attempts.

“I seem to have no skill for baking.”

“I’ve seen bad cooking before, but that’s just… unnatural.” She smiles anyway, toothily. “Wanna try again?” Somehow her upbeat attitude never seems to waver, despite my repeated failures.

“Maybe I should stop using all your supplies and move onto something I’m actually qualified at.” My eyes sweep over the mess I’ve made in Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen, the counter is covered in used mixing bowls and spilled flour. “I’ll leave the baking to the baker while I clean this up.”

“Okey-dokey.” Pinkie shrugs again and immediately pulls out a new mixing bowl, Leaving me to haul all the used ones to the sink. I’ve barely begun before the bell at the front door rings. “Ooh, customer!” She’s disappeared before I can even turn my head to look.

From the front, I overhear the pony asking for a custom cake and Pinkie’s excited exclamations and suggestions regarding it. I don’t quite understand her excitement, but then again… I glance again at the rock hard lumps still adhering to the baking trays. Something clatters behind me, and I look back to see Pinkie digging through the pots and pans underneath the counter, her tail twitching as she digs herself further into the cabinet.

“Nope… not that one… Ah-ha! Wait, no… where did I put that?” I roll my eyes and return to my cleaning. I’ve made only a little more progress before the first mixing bowl bounces off my head as she starts to fling them over her back. I have to dodge two more as I turn around to complain.

“Pinkie, do try and remember I’m over- Whoa!” The long knife with a serrated edge flips through the space my head was in and embeds into the wall, quivering slightly.

“Whoops! What was that doing in there?” She giggles despite the near-miss. “Ah, there it is!” She emerges from her expedition with an old cake pan held triumphantly. It’s a little dusty and dented from years of use.

“Why were you looking for that ancient thing?” I’ve seen half a dozen with the same shape and size here, one even nearly hit me in the face a moment ago.

“You’ve got to use a special pan for a special cake!” She pushes me aside for a moment to clean off the old cookware.

“Special? It’s an antique.”

“It’s been in my family longer than I have! It was my grandmother’s.” For just a moment, the pink pony almost seems contemplative, cradling the pan as a parent would a child. “We didn’t use it much on the rock farm, so I took it with me when I moved out.”

“Why exactly does that matter?”

“Don’t you have anything you treasure from your family?” I pause in my cleaning to shoot her an irritated glare. “Oooh, right. Sorry.” She busies herself with making her cake and drops the subject. She isn’t exactly silent, humming and singing to herself, but she makes some effort not to bother me.

Washing dishes isn’t exactly mentally intensive, and I find myself thinking about what she said. I don’t have much in the way of family history, even apart from my past being lost in the first place. I suppose that’s why I don’t really understand her attachment to the old cake pan. Then I remember the mask and the blue bowl we recovered from my burned-out home. If they mean nothing to me, why did I keep them?

I have no answer.

The wooden floor creaks slightly where Equinox puts his weight on it as he cleans the dust off the old mirror. His own reflection becomes clear as he wipes it down, that of an aged dark grey unicorn, nearly black, wearing an old wool beret to hide the balding of his almost white mane. He ignores the reflection, moving on to the next object on the shelf as he cleans the antiquities. Beneath the soft thuds of his hoofsteps, something groans like straining wood.

“Hello?” Was that a customer? He looks down the aisles between the various shelves and wardrobes and vanities. Nopony is there. He comes to the conclusion he was imagining it and returns to his cleaning. A few moments later and he hears it again. He glances down in the direction he thought he heard it, towards the back of his little antiquities shop. “My hearing must be getting even worse.”

With a sigh, he goes back to the front of his shop to wait for a real customer. His shop doesn’t get much traffic, but he can’t hide away in the back doing repairs and leave the front completely unattended for more than a few minutes. While he waits, he opens his morning paper at the front desk. Not much has been happening as of late, which is its own good news. So little is newsworthy that the publication of the journal of the Princess of Friendship makes second-page news. Apparently, it’s a top seller already.

The day passes lazily, although a few curious ponies come in and look around, none purchase anything of note. That’s not terribly unusual. Few bother to care about the old things, leaving them to fade and decay away.

Without his employee here to watch the shop, he has to close while he goes for lunch. An annoyance, but today is slow, so he doesn’t expect it to have much impact on his sales. He delays at the café once he’s finished his small meal, pushing his beret out of the way so he can enjoy the sunlight.

“Having a slow day today?” The cream-colored Unicorn waitress usually tries to at least say hello. She seems more cheerful than usual, good for her.

“At my age, every day is slow.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She doesn’t linger, taking his empty plate and heading away. Equinox shakes his head slowly, a little jealous of her energy. Then he heads back to his shop, pausing out front and looking up at the hoof-painted sign.

Astral Antiquities and Restorations. How many years has it been since he opened this little store? He can barely even remember them all. Too many.

Sometime later, having finished the paper and as much dusting as he can manage without abandoning the front, he hears that groan again. Now he knows he’s not making it up, and he heads back to find the culprit with a frown.

“I can hear you back there.” If he was hoping to startle somepony hiding, he does not. Past several large wardrobes, he hears the sound one more time, longer and lower and closer. It was down near the bottom of this old cabinet, which is leaning forward ever so slightly. With some effort, straining against old knees, he gets down low and looks underneath the antique. There’s nothing down there, what’s making that noise?

He is still struggling to get back up when wood snaps and the cabinet’s leg breaks off. Equinox has just enough time to look up to see it toppling over towards him. His magic is old, but he can still push back against it. But he can’t brace on anything, he was still only halfway to standing. His old magic shield struggles to hold the cabinet back.

The press is more than his old body can push against, and he slips to the floor, the cabinet settling down on top of him. At least he was able to slow the cabinet’s fall, it still takes all he has to just keep it from crushing him. He can’t even pull in enough breath to shout for help, not that anyone could hear him. The front windows are out of sight, nopony knows he needs help.

He’s trapped. His strength won’t last long, and then he’ll be well and utterly pinned under the old wood. An old body like his won’t live long with that much weight on it. What an ignominious way to go, crushed beneath a Somnambulan cabinet. For just an instant, he considers letting the inevitable take him.

“Hello? Is everything alright?” Or perhaps not. He can’t call out, but from beneath his beret he can see a purple Unicorn wearing a black coat entering the store. The younger pony looks around briefly, then spots him and hurries over. With appalling ease, the youngster hauls the cabinet off Equinox’s body. “Here, let me get you up. Are you alright?” The Unicorn helps him to his feet, still holding the cabinet in the air.

“I think so.” Equinox coughs and readjusts his beret. Feeling his strength fade, he sits down at the end of the aisle. “Thank you.” The Unicorn in the black coat nods and inspects the cabinet, still floating above them. He twists it about in the air pretty much effortlessly, getting a good look at the broken leg.

“That old wood nearly cost you your life. You are fortunate I found you when I did.” Then the younger one sets the cabinet down on its side, where it can’t fall on anypony else.

“I am aware. Just good luck you happened to come in right then.”

“I thought I heard something fall over as I was walking by.”

“Not come to buy anything? I’ll take good luck over none, even if it’s not great.” Equinox eyes the now broken cabinet, lamenting the effort it’s going to take to get it into the back where he can repair the leg.

“Do you require additional assistance?”

“If you’re offering, I suppose I could use the help getting it back to storage.” With only a simple nod, the Unicorn in the black coat lifts the cabinet in his neon-blue aura. Equinox decides not to go under it and heads down a different aisle. Each step pains him now that the adrenaline is starting to fade. Judging from the ache, he’s probably got bruises all across his side.

“Where do you want this?” In the backroom of the shop, there isn’t a lot of room to set the cabinet down. Between not having the chance to get much restoration work done and having too many new acquisitions, the workspace is packed nearly to the brim. What space isn’t filled with furniture needing repairs is dominated by his tools, table saws, lathes, and stacks upon stacks of wood and lumber of a hundred varieties.

“Just… set it down back there by that vanity.” Wood thunks as Equinox’s savior sets the antique down, having to shove a few smaller items to the side to make room. Now he sighs as he surveys all the work that needs to be done, but he can worry about that later. “So, who do I owe my thanks to?”

“I go by Stardust these days.” The younger Unicorn fixes his eyes on the older. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’ve taken worse than this.” Equinox huffs but winces when he tries to take a deep breath. “Not recently, mind you.”

“I know that pain, I’ve cracked ribs myself recently.” Stardust blinks a few times and then frowns inexplicably. Equinox pays it no mind, concentrating on his own breathing as he walks back to the front desk. “You should really go home and take it easy for a few days.”

“Bah. I can’t do that. My shop needs me.” Then he glances around again at his empty business. Frankly, the idea has merit. If his employee were here, he’d do it without a second thought.

“What’s worse, one or two days of rest or a week laid out in the hospital?”

“I told you already, I’m not that fragile!” Although when he stomps the floor hard to make his point, pain shoots across his side, and he almost falls over. Stardust catches him with magic, holding only hard enough to be sure he doesn’t hit the floor. Equinox meets Stardust’s eyes somewhat reluctantly, reading a knowing expression on the younger face. “Alright, I get it. Maybe you’re right.”

“I’ll make sure you get home.”

“I don’t need an escort, you can bug off.” Equinox waves him off dismissively.

“Go ahead and stop me.” Stardust meets Equinox’s gaze with an equal degree of stubbornness.

“Don’t you have important stuff to do or something?”

“I really don’t.”

“You don’t give up, do you?” Equinox huffs. The younger pony says nothing, his face impassive as if he were deep in thought. “If that’s the only way to get rid of you, so be it.” Equinox grumbles as he goes about the business of closing down the shop. He intentionally drags it out, hoping the younger Unicorn would just give it up and leave in annoyance. But no, this Stardust character refuses to be annoyed away. In some ways, that might be admirable. “Alright, let’s go.”

At least Stardust has the decency not to carry him as they make their way. Equinox’s home is further up the mountainside, and it isn’t long before the climb starts to wear at his endurance. But this climb is a familiar one, and the old Unicorn refuses to allow his walk home to overcome him. Still, by the time he reaches the gate, he’s almost wheezing for breath past the pain.

“Bah, I’m going to be sore tomorrow.” He wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he’s grateful Stardust did actually help him home.

“You live here?” Stardust looks up at the old mansion with some disdain. Equinox’s home is an ancient one, tucked up in the hillside where an arc of the cliff face creates a hollow which can’t really be seen from Canterlot proper. Along one face of the cliff is a tall but relatively thin, stone and log house with a sharply angled roof and whose fourth and fifth floors are dominated by a circular glass window. A few boarded-up windows on the cliff’s side indicate a greater depth to the building than is immediately evident. Across the yard, where the arc of stone terminates, is a shorter, wider, two-story structure of similar design.

They’ve seen many better years. Both buildings show their age, paint is worn off or flaking, windows missing slats on their shutters, and the great circular window is badly cracked. In the yard between the two buildings is a granite plinth that once held a statue, but is now only a weathered stone block in an unruly garden.

“All my life.” Despite the ache and the drain from the climb, Equinox still lets his pride slip out. “I think it even predates the Princess’s castle.”

“And here I thought your shop was full of antiques.” Despite his earlier antagonistic attitude towards Stardust, Equinox can’t help but briefly laugh.

“Well, you may as well come on in. I owe you a drink, at least.”

“That’s not necessary.” Stardust stops by the gate, probably assuming his task here is done.

“I disagree. Now, get your rear inside and share a scotch with me.” Still, the younger Unicorn hesitates. “Don’t make me find a stick to whack you with.”

“Alright, alright.” Equinox spots his guest rolling his eyes, but decides to ignore it as he heads up the steps to the taller of the two buildings. The interior isn’t much better than the exterior. Bare walls and bare floors, not even carpets. The railings for the staircase leading up to the second floor are rough, the veneer pulled from them long ago. “Very impressive.” The sarcasm in his voice is thick enough to spread across toast.

“When I was a foal, I was told it was once grand and opulent. But that was a long time ago.” Equinox leads his guest up to the second floor, where the kitchen and dining room are. Here at least his amenities are still present, and relatively modern at that. His table is probably only a little older than Stardust is.

“So, what happened?”

“What else? Time.” Equinox shakes his head slowly. He dips into the kitchen cabinets to retrieve two glasses and a dusty old bottle of scotch. When was the last time he had guests to share it with? Too long. He pauses just enough to be sure he’s got a good grip with his white aura before joining Stardust in the dining room. “Things break, they wear out, they get left out in the rain for years or decades or longer.”

“How very pessimistic.”

“Realistic, kid.” He serves up half a glass for each of them and screws the lid back on. “Pragmatic too. It’s hard to afford to keep a place like this in top shape when you’re on your own.” Stardust takes the proffered glass and eyes the drink somewhat suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you're a teetotaler?”

“I try to avoid alcohol.”

“Lightweight.” Equinox scoffs and sips his drink, letting the scotch warm him from the inside out. The sensation helps distract him from the ache along his side.

“I know what I can do when pushed past my edges, I’d rather not erode those edges.”

“Can’t be any worse than the messes I’ve made.” Stardust laughs at this, deeply and loudly. Equinox eyes him curiously, rolling the drink around in his glass.

“Oh, you have no idea.” Whatever ice was holding the Unicorn back cracks, and he gulps down a mouthful. Equinox smiles inwardly, that’s way too much for a lightweight. Sure enough, Stardust coughs and sputters, nearly spilling his drink.

“Kicks like a seasoned apple bucker, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, that’s about right.” He almost cracked his voice and actually scratches at his neck in a futile attempt at relief. “I’m going to guess about half the things in that antique shop are from here?”

“About twenty years ago, you might’ve been right.” He sips at his scotch. “I’ve sold all that. Yeah, I was sad to see some of it go, but I didn’t need any of it. Wasn’t any point anymore.”

“No point? Isn’t the entire point of antiques to keep the old things around?”

“Look around, Stardust.” Equinox gestures to the sorry state of his home. “You think this place would be so hollow if I had family left? When I go, this place will just be a pile of rotting logs and cracked stone. There’s no reason to keep it full of junk just to have it all decay away. It’d be better if somepony else can make use of it.” Stardust takes another swig, more measured this time, and spends a few moments in silence.

“I suppose I understand that point of view.”

“Fortunately, there are still ponies out there who pay good bits for things with a sense of history to them.” He lifts his glass and sloshes the little bit of scotch about. “Enough to keep me busy, at least.”

“You manage that shop all by yourself?” Was that an impressed tone in his voice?

“Nope. I can’t quite pull that off anymore.” Equinox frowns. “Haven’t seen Pendragon in a few days, though.”

“Who?”

“My only employee. Kid had some kind of breakdown a while ago, I think. He wasn’t doing so well the last time he showed up for work.”

“He’ll recover, or not.” Something in his voice sounds like familiarity. Stardust downs another third of his drink. Equinox blinks in surprise, he would’ve thought the lightweight would have learned from the last time. “Maybe… I can help?” Or maybe he was trying to work up the courage to ask something.

“You’re thinking of stealing his job?”

“I am currently lacking employment. You are currently lacking an employee.” Stardust shrugs. “Seems like we can solve both our problems.” Equinox thinks on this. It would be quite helpful, especially given his current health.

“What about Pendragon? He’s a good kid. What am I going to do when he comes back?”

“If he comes back, and if he still wants the job, he can have it.” Stardust shrugs again. “Constantly shifting employers is nothing new to me.”

“It won’t pay well.”

“Basic math would seem to indicate that any bits are better than none.” The Unicorn seems to think he’s clever. Equinox mulls it for a moment longer, swirling the little bit of scotch left in his drink.

“Well then.” He lifts the glass higher, saluting the other pony. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Say when, boss, and I’ll be there.” Stardust clinks his glass against Equinox’s, and they both finish their scotch.

Author's Note

Part 3: "Stardust and Equinox" begins

Apologies and Injuries

I manage to set myself down on the seat just before the whistle blasts, and the train lurches into motion. There’s only a couple of other passengers aboard, so there’s plenty of room. I almost hesitate to look out at the platform, but I want to see them one more time before I go. Two ponies stand back from the edge, one grey stallion and one blue mare.

Dad is crying openly, and Mom is helping him dry his tears. She points at me, Dad looks up and wipes at his face so he can see. They both try to smile and wave, but then Dad breaks down again. I wave back, keeping my emotions under better control than he does. I continue to wave until the train picks up speed, and the station disappears out of view.

With a sigh, I look away, mulling over what I had said to them yesterday. It’s time I left, I had to go. I’m going home to Ponyville. They didn’t understand, of course. I didn’t expect them to. But this place, comfortable as it seems, it isn’t home anymore. I’ve done too much harm here, and I can’t see the faces of my neighbors without seeing the damage I’ve caused. I tried to tell them I wasn’t running away, but I’m not so sure if that’s not what I’m doing. At least I’m planning on staying in touch.

I set my saddlebag on the seat next to me and recheck the contents, for maybe the tenth time. Alongside some scrolls of some sketches or ideas I’ve got are quills and a few other supplies, I’ve got one of Dad’s little model ships, the quilt Mom made for me while I was here, and the box containing the enchanted orrery for Twilight.

I smile a bit to myself and turn to watch the trees flash past. It’ll be good to see Twilight and Fluttershy and the others again, even if Pinkie does grate on my nerves. They have some way of seeping into my heart in ways I hadn’t expected. It’s only been two weeks, but I kept finding myself looking for them just around each corner. Especially Fluttershy and Twilight. Seeing their smiles for real will brighten my day considerably.

I’m so caught up in my thoughts that it takes me a few hours to realize there was something I hadn’t done before I left.

“I forgot to get Dad’s pancake recipe!”

Equinox stands before his nemesis, unbroken. He locks his jaw into a determined scowl and glares, adjusting his beret, so he feels more intimidating. It’s been months since he last faced this threat, and the time has come to face the fear. There has to be a way past the weaknesses, to break through some vulnerability. His every attempt has met with failure and defeat no matter how much he pries.

“Finally going to fix it?”

“Gah!” So heavily focused is he that he doesn’t notice when Stardust steps up beside him. Equinox’s tools clatter to the floor. “Didn’t I tell you not to startle me?! Give an old pony a heart attack, why don’t you.”

“You aren’t that fragile.” Stardust rolls his eyes and then turns them on the antique cabinet, the same one that collapsed on top of Equinox the day the two ponies met. “I was beginning to wonder when you would get around to repairing it.”

“This blasted thing is giving me fits.” Equinox nearly kicks at the furniture in frustration. “I need to get that broken leg off before I can replace it, but the wood just won’t give. I can’t even figure out how the thing is made.”

“I can take a look, but I doubt I’ll be much help. My experience with woodcraft is pretty limited.”

“Take a look, might as well see what you’ve got.” Equinox waves dismissively at the cabinet while he retrieves his tools from the floor.

Stardust steps forward and lifts the offending furniture from the floor without much effort. Again Equinox scowls in envy at the younger Unicorn’s strength. The cabinet, an old Somnambulan design with a mirror on each door, rotates overhead as Stardust eyes it closely. Equinox wasn’t able to find any seams in the construction, and He doubts Stardust will do any better.

“Well, I can see why you couldn’t figure it out.” Or maybe not, Equinox frowns as Stardust taps on the base. “I’m pretty sure whoever made this used magic to essentially grow it as a single piece. Although, I can’t see how they got the mirrors in.”

“Bah, I hate when that happens.” Then older Unicorn frowns and rubs at his head. “I’ve had a few like this before. Nopony wants to buy them when they aren’t in pristine shape.” He lets out a long, annoyed sigh. “Well, might as well fix what I can. Maybe I can offload it for cheap.”

Instead of setting the cabinet down, Stardust continues to reorient it in the air and scrutinize it. Without warning, he uprights it, and a flurry of little star-like lights burst from the wood. Equinox yelps and backs away before they stop moving and stabilize around it.

“Ah, I see.” Stardust now stalks around the scattered lights, looking as if he were reading a book. “It was enchanted.”

“Was? How can you tell?”

“See here.” He points with one of his fancy glass wingtips at the core of the broken leg. There’s a hollow space running up the length of the split, which Equinox hadn’t noticed, resembling an octagonal tube. “It reminded me of a conduit, and from there, I could trace the flow of power through the material. If I’m right, an overload at some point in the past damaged the structural integrity, and the passage of time did the rest.”

“So, what did it do?”

“If you were hoping for something interesting, you’ll be disappointed. I think it was dust repellent. Useful, but hardly special.”

“Huh. And this?” Equinox gestures to the little lights around them.

“Oh, that’s my guess as to how it works. A diagram of the flow of arcane energy moving through the enchantment.” Stardust waves one hoof along the faint lines between the various little points of light as if that explains anything. Equinox looks at the pattern of stars, but it’s nothing he can read. Stardust reaches back as if to pull something from a saddlebag, but he’s not carrying anything. He blinks and glances around. “Do you see my bag anywhere? I’ll show you how the orrery works if we can find it.”

“Bag? What bag?” Stardust doesn’t respond, but sets the cabinet down and starts looking in the various corners of the shop. “You didn’t have any bag when you came in today. What even is an orrery?”

“It’s a gift for the princess to thank her for all her help. I made it with help from Dad.”

“Princess?!” Equinox’s sudden shout startles Stardust, and he blinks rapidly before scowling at something unseen. The magical diagram in the air fizzles out. “You actually know one of the princesses?!”

“Knew.” Stardust’s voice drops nearly to a growl, quite unlike his previous tone, which had been borderline cheerful. “Luna and I… aren’t on speaking terms anymore.” The heckles on Equinox’s neck raise along with his temper.

“You little twit!” Equinox angrily swats Stardust across the back of his head with his beret. “You stupid little mule! You go apologize to her!”

“Hey! What?” Stardust protests, shielding himself with a fake wing. “She was the one at fault!”

“That doesn’t matter! She’s a princess, and more importantly, a lady! If it makes her feel better, you’ll be the one groveling for forgiveness!”

“What are you talking about?! And stop hitting me!”

“Stallions these days.” Equinox scoffs, fitting his beret back on and grumbling under his breath. “Don’t you know anything about how to treat a mare right?”

“You misunderstand our relationship. We were never more than friends and not even close ones.”

“Friends, even! Don’t you understand how lucky you are? I’ve been lucky enough to once rebuild a wardrobe for Princess Celestia, and you’re telling me you’ve been talkative enough with Princess Luna to call her a friend?” Stardust shrinks away from the older Unicorn’s temper. Then he growls, pawing at the floor in irritation.

“Pull your nose out of my business before I burn it off.” Something in the air sets Equinox’s hair on end, and Stardust’s horn shimmers in his neon-blue aura.

“Listen here, lightweight.” Equinox stands as tall as he can, still not enough to actually stare down at the younger Unicorn. Stardust steps back anyway. “You spend all day hanging out with an old coot like me, and you’ll end up just like me. It’s not every day you can get in the good graces of royalty.” Stardust opens his mouth to retort, but Equinox won’t let him get a word in. “Fine, maybe you don’t get along, I don’t know either of you well enough to say, but that’s not why you’ll do it. You’ll do it if only because having a friend in the highest places can be worth its weight in gold bits.”

“How very pragmatic of you.” Stardust’s eyes narrow disapprovingly.

“Stupid pony.” Equinox sighs heavily, and briefly removes his beret to scratch at his head. “Think about it this way. I told you my son up and vanished on me because I couldn’t keep my distaste for his marefriend in check, and it cost me what was left of my family. Whatever your argument is with the princess, you’ll regret it more if you let it fester. If you’ve any idea what’s good for you, you’ll make up with her, even if she’s the one who started it and no matter how you feel about her right now, because that friendship is worth fighting for.” The glare in Stardust’s expression fades, and his gaze drops to the floor. “Maybe that’ll get your head screwed on right.” They stand there in silence while the younger Unicorn considers his words.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Now, if you’re done riling me up, we’ve got a Somnambulan cabinet to fix.” The sudden shift in topic shocks Stardust, he has to look about as if to take stock of where he is. “Do you think you can fix that enchantment? It’ll be worth more if it works.” He glances over at the cabinet, obviously thinking about how to manage that. He re-materializes the little star-points around the cabinet and examines them, eying both the strange pattern and the furniture.

“Once we’ve got the leg repaired, it should be fairly trivial.”

“Then, let’s get working.”

Despite what Stardust said when last they met, Luna still hopes to see him. Each night she waits, often until long after she should have gone into the dream-world. Each night, she has been disappointed.

It is the same tonight. Luna sits on a lonely cloud just over the edge of Canterlot, watching the city below and hoping she might see some sign of a purple pony with enchanted wings on his way up to join her. Even if they weren’t to speak, just knowing he is alright would be welcome. His condition must only be worsening as the weeks pass.

Other than the whistling of the wind through the towers, the silence is undisturbed. After a time, the moon drifts over the city, and she spots a blotch of darkness on the castle grounds. She almost leaps up to go see who it is, but the shadow moves as she does, and she realizes it is her own.

“Oh, Luna. Are you so lonely you would run to your own shadow?” She sighs and sits back down, still hoping.

Slowly her shadow crawls across the city as the moon rises, and she watches it until the duty she has been avoiding nags at her. Remembering the cloud that had dispersed under her before, she stands and stretches before winging back to the palace balcony. One last glance around the courtyard is all she allows before going to work.

Even once in the realm of dreams, she moves listlessly, meandering from one dream to the next. In one, she watches Twilight happily organize a library. In another, a seafoam-green stallion surfs a tremendous wave with a joyful shout. Few ponies tonight fear, aside from a Unicorn stallion who, for some reason, flees from an army of old cabinets. Luna dips inside and turns the furniture away with an idle wave of one hoof. The stallion, an older fellow with a grey coat so dark it’s nearly black, salutes her with an old-fashioned beret just before she pops back out.

The night passes thus, without much fanfare or danger. For her, it seems to last longer than usual, but the dreams begin to thin, and eventually, she can feel the rising sun warming her face.

She blinks as she pulls herself back to reality and finds Celestia at her side. The other Alicorn gives her a smile.

“Good morning, Luna.” Celestia sounds decidedly warm, as she usually does.

“Hello, sister.” Luna imagines she must sound as cold as the night sky, and she has no doubt Celestia heard her discomfort. Luna barely has enough time to turn before Celestia stops her with a wing over her shoulder.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Luna glances back, meeting her sister’s concerned eyes.

“Not today.” Slowly, tiredly, Luna steps away and heads towards her room. “But… thank you for asking.” Celestia nods after a moment but does not press the issue. As she slips through the awakening palace, Luna considers what she might have said. Much of it would have related to Stardust, although she hasn’t spoken with him recently, she doesn’t want to betray his secret as of yet.

Her bed beckons and she sets aside her worries aside along with her regalia to allow her mind to rest.

Luna dreams. Two purple orbs dance, spinning close and yet far apart. Swaying and swinging, almost touching at times, they swirl through a forest without trees. They pause briefly at a gate before joining a third, which shifts between black and white. Each, in turn, vibrates, speaking in time and rhyme. The pulsing one floats away, or she floats away with the other two. They slip back towards a giant crystalline tree, and then in a green flash, they swerve away high up a mountainside.

The two blots of color land in a grand hall, joining now a blazing white sphere and it’s shadow. They converse wildly in pulses and flashes of motion and light for a moment. Suddenly, clearly, Luna hears a voice.

“Ash and sorrow are coming, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.” It burns with hate and laughs long and hard.

Luna blinks blearily, trying to understand the colors above her while something pounds loudly in her ears. A field of light purple dotted with pale blue stars, it’s only the drapes above her bed. The beating drum is only her heart in her ears.

She yawns and leans up to stretch her wings. What time is it, how long did she sleep? Her heart still drumming, she wills open the curtains. Bright sunlight blasts at her dark-adjusted eyes. Whatever time it is, it’s far too early for her to be up. With the dream still lingering in her mind, she knows she won’t be able to rest. What had it meant, or did it mean nothing at all?

It takes a not-insignificant effort for her to pry herself out of bed anyway. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s gone without much sleep, and it probably won’t be the last.

Later, as she passes one of the windows, she spies a disturbance outside. One of the palace guards has waylaid a pony just outside the palace doors. She wouldn’t pay it much mind, but something prickles at her. The pony the guard has intercepted is faintly familiar. She stops to look again, it’s an older stallion. His coat is very dark grey, and he’s wearing an old-fashioned beret over his short white mane. Where has she seen that before? Curious, she heads outside.

The guardpegasus is trying to turn the pony away, but the elder one is stubbornly refusing to move. She quickly wracks her brain looking for the guard’s name as she approaches.

“Stand down, Picket.” Her command draws both their attention and the guard snaps to order with a quick salute. “Is something the matter?”

“Princess Luna! This old pony refuses to leave the palace grounds.” Luna listens to the guard, but her focus is on the Unicorn in front of her. He pulls off his beret in deference and holds it in front of him, cowed somewhat by her presence. “He says he needed to speak with you, and I’ve tried to explain he needs to apply for an audience like everypony else.” She nods towards him but keeps her attention on the elder.

“I beg your pardon, my lady, but it’s important.” The awe is apparent in his voice, but it’s obvious he’s agitated as well. He awkwardly bows when he stops talking, stumbling over what he thinks is the proper ceremony for meeting with her.

“Very well, then.” Luna holds up a hoof to stop the guard from trying to chase him away again. “I am here now, you may speak.”

“Thank you. I wasn’t sure what to do. I need your help finding somepony. He hasn’t been in to work in a couple of days, and I’m starting to get worried.”

“A missing pony? You should go directly to the police.”

“Picket, allow him to finish.” Luna chastises the guard with a glance. “Why do you think I could help?”

“Oh, right, I’m very sorry. He told me you two had some kind of argument and weren’t talking, but I was hoping you knew where Stardust was.” A shock rides up her spine, but she manages to hide her surprise well enough that neither the guard nor the old pony notices. “He wasn’t doing so well before he disappeared, kept losing track of where he was or what was going on. I checked his house earlier, but the door was locked, and no one answered.”

“I see.” Stardust’s condition must have deteriorated even further. “No, I do not know where Stardust is.” The old Unicorn sighs, his eyes dropping to the stone. “However, I will have him searched for. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. If you tell me your name, I will keep you informed.”

“Gah, where are my manners?” He startles, and bows stiffly again. “Equinox, your majesty. I own Astral Antiquities and Restorations.” Luna nods towards him, her mind already turning towards where to look first. He pauses, unsure what to do or say, before mumbling to himself to get out of her way and heading back into the city. He’s barely left before Luna glares at the guard beside her.

“Picket, you’re to come with me.” Despite startling him, the guard knows better than to question an order with that severe a tone to it. She launches into the air, followed closely by the guard, and immediately angles out over towards Stardust’s tower. Any questions she had about Stardust’s privacy and wish to be left alone fly from her mind.

The curtains on his windows are drawn shut, and as Equinox had said, the front door is locked. Picket has barely landed beside her before she teleports them both just inside. The guard stumbles, not used to be moved like that, but gathers his footing quickly.

“Search the upper floor.” Luna’s magic yanks open all the curtains, letting in the midday sun. Picket nods, darting for the stairs as Luna inspects the lower level. The place is nearly unchanged from when she was last here, hardly even lived in. However, in the kitchen, Stardust has been brewing potions of some kind, his ingredients are arrayed neatly by a small mixing pot.

Luna inspects his work, trying to determine what he was making. The pot contains only a few shriveled leaves and an unidentifiable residue, which seems to be several days old. Either he hasn’t cleaned it up, or he hasn’t been back since he finished his concoction. She tries not to think about what could have gone wrong.

She inspects his arrayed ingredients; the first few are tea leaves, honey, a tiny box containing a small amount of finely powdered amethyst, a small bottle of lavender oil, all of which would be useful in preparing a sleeping potion. His sleep must still be troubled to go through the effort of making these himself. That said, the gunk in the mixing pot doesn’t look like any sleeping spell she knows.

Next to that… sunflower seeds and phosphorus powder? A box of little pellets labeled as nitrogen tabs? What could he possibly be making that would need that? The last couple of bottles are labeled as ground mushroom and… bat guano? That sounds like plant fertilizer for growth magic. What could he possibly need these for?

Picket returns from the second floor as she turns away, shaking his head. Something nearby rasps and gurgles unevenly, sounding like nothing natural. Both she and Picket turn towards the source of the sound. Something lays in the sleeping nook, covered by a quilt. Picket, the closer of the two, steps over to investigate and draws back the cover.

“Sweet Celestia!” He gasps and stumbles from the bedside, gagging and visibly struggling not to vomit. She approaches, now more concerned than ever.

It’s Stardust, although he is clearly in some kind of pain, twitching and jerking in small motions. His eyes are clamped shut, and he doesn’t seem to have heard them approach.

Luna can’t stop a gasp when she sees what’s wrong with him and understands precisely why Picket would be so nauseous. Squirming out of Stardust’s mouth is a thick green vine. With each haggard breath he takes, the blood-red leaves billow up like balloons before deflating and wilting at each exhale. For an instant, she can’t look at him either and spots the cup on the nightstand when she looks away, with the same strange residue as the mixing bowl.

Her heart nearly jumps to her throat, realizing now what happened. Mixing two magical potions can be tricky at the best of times when one has full command of their faculties. He must have suffered another event while he was working and created this… poison.

“Picket, get the doctor.” She has to control her own breathing to keep from retching. Picket needs little encouragement to get quickly away from poor Stardust, and he’s gone within seconds. Luna fears to touch the vine or the pony it infects, terrified she might only make it worse.

Neon-blue eyes flicker open, bloodshot, and clearly having trouble focusing. Weakly he tries to reach up to her; it’s not clear if he can even recognize her. Painfully, he tries to say something, barely even a single word, but it’s little more than a gurgle. The vine twitches and coils about his throat, sending Stardust into jerking fits for a moment. He rasps in a deep breath, red leaves inflating like inflamed boils. Luna grimaces, it must be excruciating.

“Don’t be afraid, my friend, I’m here.” Still worried about touching him or the plant, Luna sets one hoof at his side. With a strength granted by fear and uncertainty, the purple pony grips on to her forelimb. His eyes latch on to her, unfocused and unrecognizing, pleading. “Help is coming, try not to panic.” There’s nothing more Luna can do but stand there by his side. “Stay with me, Stardust. Don’t give up hope.”

Somehow, for some inexplicable reason past all the agony, she feels as though he tries to laugh.