Working it Out

A dull white, eggshell perhaps, with a ribbed texture for a more tactile grip in hooves and hands. The curvature was perfect for most types of handling, the height and width perfect for filling to different levels. At the top, the lip was curled outwards into a rim that rounded the entirety of the cup for a satisfying and solid tug on the lips. The blue horseshoes sat on one side of the cup surface, with a grinning brown stallion set in the center atop them, staring forward with kind eyes. Beneath his visage, the words "Caramel's Cups!" were printed in blocky, cheesy font.

The display seemed to mock her.

"You're pissed."

Luna did not gratify Liam with her eyes. Instead, underneath the white lamps above, she turned her attention back to the stack of paper cups in the corner beside the coffee-maker. Her hooves slide gracefully through the air, her movements practiced and her face a well-sustained mask of indifference. In her eyes, however, anyone could see the clear hostility. She gently lifted a cup from the top of the stack, floating it over towards the drip-bead beneath the coffee-maker, sliding it into place and turning the cup ever-so-slightly, so as to hide the taunting face upon it.

"We do not know the context for that word," she said icily, fiddling with coffee tray.

She had been enjoying coffee longer than most ponies had lived, but by Discord's ugly rump, she could not understand their newfangled coffee-presses and machines. She looked down into the tray to find two depressions, one far larger than the other. She imagined this gap was designed to fill the coffee pot, while the smaller was designed for single servings. Now only to figure out how it worked.

"You're angry," Liam said.

Luna rounded on him with a deathly glare.

"Furious. We art furious," she stressed. She turned her attention back to the machine and glared at it as well. The glare did not stir the machine into action, nor did it conjure her a warm cup of coffee.

"I can-"

"Thou shalt not!" Luna barked, and Liam immediately went still. She would not look upon him. She would figure out this device, she would have her coffee, and she would do it alone, Liam and his stupid human face be damned. He frowned.

"I shoulda told you, I know," he said with a hint of dejection.

Luna looked back at him, then back to the coffee-maker. She noticed a pipe running from the wall to the device itself, likely a water intake, so she would not have to manually fill the Tartarus-blasted thing. She looked around for some sort of filter, as time had spoiled her against drinking it with coffee grounds directly. As she searched, she repeated his words over in her head, finding them more aggravating with each repetition.

"Quite good! Very good! We art ecstatic to hear as such! Indeed, you should have told us Chrysalis would be here!" she said sarcastically, flipping open cupboard doors with her teal magic.

Liam knew that any further attempt at conversation would lead to a verbal beat-down. He opted instead to sit at one of the tables in the break room, a thumb on one eyelid and his ring finger on the other, massaging the flesh. He had to give Luna credit; she hadn't shown her frustration with Liam to this degree during the meeting. Wouldn't go well diplomatically if Chrysalis could see that there was further turmoil on his side of things.

"What if she had killed you, Liam?" she whispered.

Liam remained silent, and she found what she was looking for. She set the paper filter into the smaller of the two spaces, finding much of the filter sticking out the top. She huffed. She set the filter into the larger receptacle, the abruptly floated the coffee bag over. She poured an alarming amount of coffee-grounds into the filter, then set the tray within the device.

Nothing happened.

"She didn't," Liam said finally.

Luna's eyes widened in fury and an ancient habit came back to the surface. She strode over to him, the muscles of her barrel and her forelegs tightened. Her hooves made flat contact with the floor and she pushed her body against him, invading his personal space. Such a maneuver had been a practice against leaders and generals of her time, cowing them into place when they represented a threat to her authority. He was taken aback by the action, looking up from beneath her, a vague subconscious familiarity with the domineering movement. His breathing quickened. She looked down at him like one would an ant, though that impartial, apathetic look was replaced with something far more fearsome.

"What if she did?!" she shouted down at him. His shocked, scared face only made her more upset, a bloodshot eye looking up at her in terror. A sight she had grown accustomed to, and a sight she had hoped to not see ever again.

She snorted downwards, a wave of hot air washing over him, then she turned back to the device. Her tail whipped about in agitation, her left ear twitching uncontrollably. The device watched her performance, and in her utter frustration, she contemplated how it would look smashed to pieces before her. Then, she noticed a small white button on the side of the machine. A black icon was printed upon it, a worn-out outline of a coffee pot.

Finally.

She pressed the button with her hoof and sighed, letting the hiss of water boiling soothe her frayed nerves.

"Thou-... you do not think of what that would do to me. What I would feel," she said.

No reply came.

The machine continued to whirr and whine, droplets of coffee plodding down into the pot. She removed her cup and set it beside the coffee-maker, whipping her mane back and sighing. It was likely a mistake, a foolish one to be sure, but a mistake all the same. It didn't justify such a reaction, she thought. Stallions quite liked to give the silent treatment when placed in such a situation.

"I am sorry," she said over her shoulder.

No reply came.

"Liam?"

No reply came.

She took in a breath and turned around to face him and apologize again, only to find his seat empty. She had driven him away. Her ears flattened against her head. The door was open.

The door gently slid to a close.

The medical wing was dimly lit, a courtesy to patients who had yet to be interred, save for one.

His eyes scanned over the light-brown pegasus beneath him, her eyes closed and medical fixtures attached to her body. Despite her experience, her physical health was near-normal, but Liam was concerned. She had not awoken. Fleeing from one stressor just put him in front of another. Would she ever wake up? His hand tightened around his father's watch upon his wrist, the metal bands pressing into his flesh. He heard the door open behind him, signaling the return of Doctor Neat Stitch.

"You standing there isn't doing anything for her, son," he yawned.

Liam took in a shaky breath, trying to dispel the gray clouds looming above him.

"Yeah, you're right. That's why you're on payroll," Liam gave him a half-smile.

Stitch gave him a bemused look. Liam shrugged it off.

"Any idea when she'll wake?"

Stitch sat in the chair beside her, leaning forward with a groan. He bit his lip and looked at Daring.

"Can't say, honestly. When the changeling invasion happened, most ponies woke up immediately. As you can see, that's not the case here. Could be anywhere from right now to a month."

Liam's fingers interlocked and he brought his hands to cup the back of his head. He looked to the ceiling.

"What in Tartarus is that?" Stitch asked in muted frustration. Liam unlocked his fingers and brought a few to touch the haphazardly fixed bandage on his neck. He looked to Stitch with a frown, then searched for his own chair to commandeer. Upon finding a blue-cushioned chair with cushioned armrests, he pulled it closer and sat opposite the old stallion.

"A mistake, but it's not serious."

"Not serious? That's your head. Last I checked, a pony has their brain floating in there," Stitch admonished.

Liam nodded.

"Yeah, but take my word for it, I'm fine."

Stitch pursed his lips then rolled his head about. He looked down the way and his features suddenly became sharper.

"Don't touch anything," he said as he got up from his seat. Liam nodded at him, then looked back to Daring Do.

All things considered, this was a brighter outcome than most SCP agents ran into. Despite that, being responsible for sending someone out and having them come back like this? Liam swallowed down his disgust with himself. He found a scowl on his features and did his best to wipe it away with a hand.

"Liam?" came a familiar voice from behind him.

He didn't turn back to face her. His stomach fell and his chest tightened. Out of the frying pan...

"Hey, Peridot."

Slowly, the green mare moved into his field of vision. He leaned back in his chair as she navigated towards him, using all of her senses to find where he was. She hoofed at his arm, then slowly dropped onto her haunches and tilted her head towards him, her ears fixed upon him.

"What are you doing here?"

Liam rubbed his chin, attempting to appear nonchalant.

"Checking in on Do. You?"

Liam looked over to find the blindfold gone, two milky eyes looking in his general direction. The scar was a bright pink, shooting across the bridge of her muzzle. The sight almost made him wince, a gut reaction that would have put him in an even deeper hole than he was in now. He kicked himself for the thought.

"Check-up. Scar itches," she said quietly. Her eyes wandered aimlessly.

"Mhm, everything good?"

She swallowed, then bobbed her head side to side, closing her eyes.

"As good as it can be, I guess," she said.

"Good."

They shared an uncomfortable silence together. Liam feared she would launch into an attack soon, as the mare had proven herself to be no stranger to confrontation. The way her lips turned downwards pre-empted a verbal attack, but Liam hoped that the setting would dissuade her from any altercation.

"What you did..."

Liam sighed. His fingers rubbed at his temple.

"Listen, you're my friend Peridot, now is not the time-"

"When will it be time?" she snapped.

Liam remained silent. He shook his head.

"You've been avoiding me like I have fillypox. When will it be time, Liam?"

Liam stood from his chair and looked down at her, her body jolting slightly at the quick motion. He opened his mouth to shout out a defense, but the sight of Daring Do lying in that bed, sheets drawn over her and sensors over her barrel... all that frustration and hurt was quelled. He looked back to Peridot.

"I didn't want to do what I did, but it had to be done," Liam said tiredly.

"Had to? Really?"

Liam sat back down and set his hands on her shoulders. She flinched at the touch, but remained still in place. He sighed.

"Miss Beam, I'm tired of justifying myself, so I'll say this once. I made a call, one that I don't like, but it was the only one to make. It was the only thing I could've done that'd solve that problem. They would talk, whether I told them they could or couldn't, they'd talk. You know it and I know it. I chose the option that would cause the least amount of damage to all parties involved. You can hate me all you want for making that decision, but it's done now. It's over, do you understand me?"

"You told me that we were helping Equus, Liam. I didn't sign up for this," Peridot said quietly.

Liam ran his tongue over his upper molars and released her. He leaned back into his chair with a grunt, eyeing her. Neat Stitch had strategically placed himself on the other side of the infirmary so as to avoid overhearing this chat. Liam rubbed the back of his thumb and nodded.

"You're right," Liam conceded, "you're right."

Liam looked up to the ceiling and brushed his cheek.

"I want to be better, to do better, but it's not always going to be feasible, Peri."

Peridot stomped her hoof.

"Don't Peri me. What you did was evil, Liam. Plain and simple."

Liam sighed and bit his cheek.

"Yeah, it was. I had to do a little bit of evil to do a lot of good in the future," he justified.

"That's not a defense," said heatedly.

"Maybe not. Maybe it's just an excuse I can live with. I'm sorry it had to be done, but I'm not sorry for doing it."

Peridot screwed her blind eyes shut and winced in pain. Liam moved forward in his seat, but she stopped him with her hoof. Her scowl had turned to a sneer, then she stomped her hoof again.

"I'll... ugh! Colts!" she hissed.

Liam fell back into his seat. She shook her head and let out a huff, retying her blindfold.

"Later, Liam," she said harshly, turning to leave.

"Wait," Liam stood from his chair. His guts threatened to fall out beneath him.

He steadied himself and took a breath.

"I know how you're feeling about all of this. I just... thank you. If you want to quit, if you want to go, I won't stop you. I know it's my fault, and... I'm sorry," he finished, rubbing his arm.

To his surprise, the blind little unicorn lurched forward and caught his legs in a poorly-coordinated hug.

"I'm not quitting you dumbflank. You saved my life, for Celestia's sake. I'd follow you into Tartarus. You're my hero, and you're still my friend, even if you are the biggest idiot I know," she said softly.

"I'm still...?" he welled up with emotion.

"Shut it, I'm still mad at you," she huffed.

"Okay," Liam knelt down and she released her grip, only to be caught in his embrace. She threw her hooves over his shoulders abruptly, but the warmth of the hug was comfort enough. He sank his head down onto her foreleg, misty in the eyes. After a few moments, be broke away and scratched her ear. She did not give into the temptation to lean into the gesture, putting on a stern face.

"Liam?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't be evil, evil never wins."

With that, she turned and left the room, leaving only Liam, Daring and Stitch in the quiet infirmary. His arms found the armrests again, sliding back into the chair with a sigh. He looked over Daring.

"Wish I could believe that."

Liam's hand was upon the watch, staring out to the evening sun. Though it had yet to set, the fiery golden orb waited in the sky for her sister to take her place. His hand left his watch and his fingers found the bandage on his neck, idly probing it. He heard the entrance door behind him swing open with a great metal creak, and a light plodding in the grass approaching him. He felt a nervousness descend upon him as Luna stood beside him, staring at the sky.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hello," she responded in a similar volume.

They both did not look at each other, instead opting to wallow in their respective discomfort. Liam's hand fell back against his watch and his fingers nervously tapped at the glass. His mind urged him to apologize, to do anything to remedy the situation, but his heart was struggling to pull itself together. He closed his eyes.

This cannot go on. He turned to her, finding her eyes already waiting for his.

"I'm sorry, Luna."

Her hoof dug into the soil and her left wing twitched.

"We know."

She swallowed and tilted her head back, looking to the faint stars peeking through the dimmed sky.

"We art sorry as well. Prithee, do not run away when we art speaking like that. No argument is won through retreat," she responded quietly.

Liam chewed on his lip.

"How art we to resolve it if you flee?"

"I shouldn't have left, but I'd hardly call that speaking," he crossed his arms, shifting to the side.

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but tempered her own flared emotions. She looked to him, cyan eyes carrying notes of sadness and frustration in equal parts, but weighed down by a maturity and civility.

"Maybe so, but was I wrong?"

Liam broke apart his arms and ran a hand through his hair, sighing lightly.

"No, you were right. Wholly and completely," he breathed out.

Luna approached him, looking down into his eyes, her ears tilted to the sides.

"Then why did you leave?"

"You... you did something that reminded me of my dad," he chuckled mirthlessly.

The look on her face told him she wanted to know more. He motioned to the soil beneath him and descended to the ground, sitting with his knees pulled closer in front of him. He rested his arms atop them, watching Luna bend her hindlegs and gracefully sitting beside him. The orchestra of crickets had already taken to playing their song, faint chirping in the grass.

"This watch is his, y'know," he said quietly.

Luna stared at his face, thoughts flying behind his eyes.

"Do you miss him?"

He scoffed, then recollected himself, thinking over the question. His eyebrows knit together and his jaw shifted to the right.

"Kind of. He was a hard man to know, complicated. He was..." he began, waving a hand about from his knee.

He glanced to Luna, then back to the sun, rays of orange and gold shooting above them through the trees.

"Well, he kicked the shit out of me, every now and then. He'd stand over me when I did something wrong, just booming on top of me, real close," he said with a pained smirk, one that rapidly disappeared when he saw her face. He worked his jaw over and then dipped his head forward.

"We art-"

Liam shook his head and splayed his hands, giving her a sad, small smile.

"No, there was usually a lot more violence. Normally the shouting was the start of... you know. But... you got close like that and it... it reminded me of him."

He paused, the hardness in his eyes softening some.

"But there were times when he was... when he was a good dad, for just a few minutes. I think he lost himself every time he flew off the handle. Just... everything goes red. But he tried. Mom filed for divorce and I never really saw him again. I had to be fourteen at the time. Maybe thirteen," he guessed.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

"That doesn't excuse me leaving. I should've told you. I shouldn't have left either, but it's... it just freaked me out, y'know?"

Luna nodded, dealing with her own thoughts on the subject. She did not want him to feel so raw as he did. He swallowed in an attempt to get his own self under control, his body language shifting as he tried to center himself. The display was enough to prompt Luna to throw her wing over him, tugging him towards her gently. He shimmied closer to her and accepted the side-hug, looking up to her face.

"I'm sorry, Luna. I-"

"'Tis okay," she said simply, lightly shaking him with her wing. She smiled down at him and looked back to the sky. She could feel the moment approaching, her sister putting everything in just the right place. Not long until she would feel her sister reach out-

"Three minutes," Liam said, looking at his watch.

"Pardon?"

Liam pursed his lips and shook his head side to side.

"You raise the moon in three minutes. Give or take," he explained.

"You know the specific time I raise the moon?" Luna almost gasped.

He nodded, as though it should have been no surprise.

"Of course, I watch it every evening, when I can," he affirmed.

Luna was taken aback. She found herself grinning at his attention, a blush descending upon her cheeks. Her heart swelled up and she had to keep herself from letting out an excited squeak. She instead pulled him closer, earning a confused look from the human under her wing. Before he could press the matter, she felt the familiar call of her moon, her eyes closing and her horn slowly coming alight.

To Liam, it seemed that time and space had all come to a halt. Here, in close proximity to Luna, the world seemed to vanish, instead, silhouettes of trees and vague shapes of terrain were cast against a fiery canvas. The stars glowed brightly in the dim sky, and the fire began to sink below a blackened horizon. Gradients of blue, orange and pink flowed like liquid through the air above them, his eyes wide and his mouth dropped open slightly. Then, a great white light rose in the sky, but the space around it was a deep dark blue. Brush strokes of cobalt and cerulean light rippled across the moon, setting it into position on the canvas.

Luna's blue.

The entirety of Equus seemed to disappear, and the stars glowed with an intensity he had never seen before. The tapestry of the night was laid bare before his eyes, constellations, galaxies, distant planets all visible. A supernova blowing intense fire a quadrillion miles away, almost like it was right there in front of him, casting a warm glow on his skin. His teeth clamped shut and his stare remained unblinking, drinking in the beauty of the cosmos.

He nearly wept, but was stunned in awe. He turned to look at her, but did not see Luna.

He saw her.

Brilliant azure and navy lights exploded from a mane of white light, tendrils of magic undulating in the cosmic wind beyond.

In that moment he knew, despite her own claims to the contrary, he was seated beside divinity, being shown the pure nature of reality. Whether she knew it or not, she was a goddess, trapped in a mortal mind, subject to all the dreams and fantasies of the common people. Subject to jealousy, subject to anger, subject to loneliness. Despite her nature, she was here, with him, showing him the spectacle of the universe.

Beautiful.

Then, it was all washed away, and he was sitting beside her in the grass. His wide eyes found hers as she turned to him, smiling. He still saw traces of her. Then he realized, it was always there. He could see it now, when he hadn't before. He remembered to breathe, finding his hands digging into the soil, holding on tightly. Her eyebrows tightened and her smile left, replaced by a concerned frown.

"Is everything alright?"

Liam nodded, then released his hands from the grass. He let out a shaky sigh and pushed his legs forwards, then stood up abruptly and walked about to release some of the excitement. He paced and trembled, pointed a finger at her, then changed his mind and continued moving about.

Concern built in Luna's heart.

"Are... are you okay?"

Liam looked to her with unblinking eyes and nodded again. He approached slowly and stared into her eyes, his lip trembling and his hands shaking. He bit his lip and blinked, shook his head and nodded to himself. Luna was growing worried with his behavior and stood up, moving towards him. He noticed her approach and went still, then slowly stretched out his arm and placed his hand against her barrel. He could feel a faint pulse from within, her heartbeat steady. She craned her head down to look at him, and his hazel eyes locked upon hers.

"You're a goddess, Luna. I saw it. I saw you," he whispered.

They stood there, under the night sky, and neither of them dared say a word more.

Author's Note

Chapter 21! Finally. As you can see, we're getting to the real meat and bones here! Please, leave a like if you enjoy, leave a comment and tell me what you think! If you notice any mistakes, let me know and I'll jump right on them! See ya!

Caspian

EDIT: Quick note, forgot to add the damn banner. Added now!