Extra A/N: The blue translations for Luna’s dialogue are difficult to see in Night Mode.

**The Moon, Equus’ System**
**A Full Day After Arrival, Years Prior To ‘Present Day’**
**Psithur the Pegasus, “Breezy”**

Wow. That... degenerated quickly.

Three managed to find a way to send somepony all the way to the Moon. Due to some aggressive negotiations by some unknown group, the Heroine’s Guild of Equestria headquarters was under attack, and I was forced to make this trip by necessity; because the original volunteer was drawn into the battle. I lost track of her and Three, but Three told me to take the Gondola. So, I did.

Over a number of years, the Heroine’s Guild has been observing the Moon and her. By some unknown force or forces, she could be seen on the surface; and some smart pony calculated the intervals to be regular, predictable, and decreasing over time.

From the behavior that we were able to observe through our telescopes, it was determined that Luna’s ability to withstand such lengthy solitude was most definitely degrading. She needed a friend -even if that friend could only be there for a day- to help her maintain her own psyche through this great trial by Harmony: a thousand year imprisonment -mostly- in the Moon.

After arriving, I wandered around somewhat aimlessly, but I found Princess Luna. She didn’t believe I was real at first, but I was able to prove to her that I am. Started out as some fun banter; I was being supportive and helpful, everything was going great, and then... we kissed.

Things did not stop there.

Unfortunately, the only water I brought with me to this waterless place was the water within my own body at the time. If a fully hydrated pony can last maybe three days without a drink, I most certainly started out with less than that. After doing those things with Luna, I’m pretty sure I cut my remaining supply by far more than half -probably ninety percent.

My head really hurts. I’ve never had a headache like this before. Luckily, I won’t ever have to do this twice.

*ding*

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
\ New Title Unlocked:
\ SPACE SCUM
\ You achieved what was previously
\ thought impossible: travel to the moon.
\ You then immediately stain this great
\ feat with sin and shame by doing the
\ mounted moonwalk... with Best
\ Princess!? *smh* Truly, you are scum.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

...Title!? Everypony with mediocre magic ability can see those...Ah~ d@mnit... wait, what am I thinking? Nopony is going to travel up here just to see my permafrozen corpse and what titles I may or may not have collected.

That stupid Status Screen doesn't actually do anything anyway. It's just one of Three's pet project spells. ‘Come on,’ he’d say, ‘It makes the ‘fantasy’ more fantasy-like.’

And I’d say, ‘We’re not in an RPG. This is real life. Besides, it doesn’t provide new information; it only repeats something that’s already known.’ At least, I really hope it's not ready for distribution. Ugh, whatever. As long as nopony else will ever see this, I guess it’s fine.

I look to the alicorn sleeping next to me. With a little smile on her lips, a slight bulge from her cheeks making her closed eyes happy, and the occasional twitch of her nose, she looks so peaceful right now. All of that worry and despair that was on the verge of her mind seems gone.

I mean, I understand that my time here is very short, and I don't have a lot of options in this situation. How do you help somepony who's been in solitary confinement so long that she likely can't differentiate between real and fake? Even if I had a full three days before succumbing to dehydration, the best I could ever hope to offer her amounts to an emotional bandage: a temporary stopgap to stall her mental degeneration, a momentary reprieve of the isolation, a brief session of healing during her psychological turmoil.

Seriously, Harmony, what were you thinking: a thousand years of absolute social quarantine for a social creature who was suffering from unwanted long-term social segregation!? How was that supposed to help?

Do you take somepony scared of clowns to the clown show? Or toss somepony scared of snakes into a pit of vipers?

*sigh* I'm sorry, Harmony. I don't know all of what was going on and don't have the right to criticize. Maybe there were other things going on during the Sisters’ Schism that was not recorded or kept in the records.

In Harmony’s grand scheme of Equus, I'm incredibly insignificant. I'm here to help Luna for Luna’s sake, her sister, to maintain the timeline, and the future Bearers by extension.

If she gives up, gives in, and is wholly corrupted during this exile, then the Elements might just blast her away or turn her to stone or who knows what else; but if there's still something clean deep inside, then the likelihood of her being cleansed will increase. The Elements will need something of her real self to act as an anchor in order to properly cleanse the rest.

That’s what the Guild experts theorized with Three’s information, anyway. Three had to provide them some of our revelatory and otherworldly knowledge in order for proper hypotheses to be formulated and presented when this whole ‘Help Luna’ plan was in its infancy.

I was just supposed to help steer her from mentally going over the deep end. Be a friend; then run out of water and die so the princess can carry on through the remainder of her banishment.

I’d only be here just long enough to repair some of her subconscious tethers to sanity. Before she would realize that I was real, I’d be gone. Just another space rock covered in frozen space dust.

It was a simple plan. Certainly wasn't planning on doing... that -especially with her... on the moon...

Everypony from the Guild working on this project knew she was starved for attention -now and before her Banishment. But none of us -not even Three- conceived that she was chaste. She was -is- a princess for crying out loud, and she lived around the time of the founding of Equestria.

How is it possible that she's never been with a stallion before now? Ponies do that kind of thing as readily as saying, ‘Good morning,’ sometimes. It’s a standard aspect of their culture of friendship.

I actually have a bet with Three that when the Elements do appear, one of them will include something related to mating. Three thinks it will be more like the show, but I think it will more closely reflect the reality of this world.

Did the ponies during Equestria’s infancy really fear her that much!?

If only the ponies back then had just talked to her… All of this pain heaped onto such a nice lady. And for what? But then there might be no reason for the Element Bearers to become Element Bearers, and many lives require that.

Too bad I'm going to die before I get a chance to hear the actual story of her banishment and the years leading up to it. What was it she really went through with her sister to lead to this? Even Three's library at the Guild did not have much information from that era. Princess Celestia was very meticulous about records concerning that time period.

Maybe the Status Screen is right. First time for everything. Maybe I am scum.

... I think I really bucked up... I can only hope she writes this off as some hallucination later, after she returns to the world. I can't even imagine what this might change otherwise. Some mares get frustrated beyond description once that door gets opened. And she isn't just any mare...

Three, I really hope to Harmony that you survived the attack on the Guild. None of the Others are present in this Middle Era besides you and me, Three; so, you're the only one who can warn any of them of my mistakes at this point.

And now... well, I guess I can take some solace in the fact that I won't be around to further muddy the timeline after her return.

She also let me groom her. She has not done much of that in a while. As stallion attempting to be a good friend to Princess Luna in her time of need, it is the least I can do even if it is the last thing I ever do.

Four or six hundred years on the moon without a toothbrush, yet her mouth tasted as fresh and clean as a mountain spring. How is that a thing? Is it a moon thing or something specific to alicorns? Other than moon dust recently mixed with sweat, her coat and wings didn't need much grooming, either. I suppose she just needs the physical contact. She has gone without for a long time, after all.

Her mane... waving on the moon without any wind. She still asleep right now? Good. We're really alone here on the moon? I don't see anypony. Good.

Everyone from Before would chastise me for desecrating Best Princess, but they'd also chastise me for failing this opportunity to touch an ethereal mane. This is for all of you, my friends who are not here and have no idea I'm here...

Isolating a lock of her mane, I find its texture is like smoke but solid. It isn't cold but is cool to the touch. Trying to hold some with my hoofgrip is tricky, because it doesn't remain still. It flows while being held like water that doesn't drain off your hoof but instead dances off.

...

... She really asleep? We really alone? Okay. I mean, we've all thought this, but I'm the one pony who actually gets the chance to do this. For all ponies everywhere, for every one of her fans from Before, and for all of the Others, I must do this: since I don’t have fingers, I figure my mouth is the next best thing.

*nom*

... Huh... It doesn't taste like hair at all -which doesn't really have a taste anyway- but it's kind of like water without actually being water. More refreshing like water. Certainly, her mane wouldn’t quench any thirst... Right? It almost melts in your mouth-

*gulp*

What? ... Uh-oh... Uh-oh! Oh my buck. Harmony!? Her mane really did melt in my mouth.

There's a mouth-shaped gouge fluttering with the rest of it like that's normal.

Okay. Okay... shut up, shut up, shut up. This is the moon. There's no mirrors up here. She won't even notice, because nopony can see the back of their own head. Besides, it'll grow back… Right? Has Celestia ever gotten her mane cut?

Luna’s feathers have been growing. I think. I mean, she didn't need me to preen them. She wanted me to... because she already did that herself. Right? ... Right?

Oh! Maybe I can move some of this flowing mane around like a comb-over? ... Nope. There aren't any individual strands. It just flows where it wants. D@mn.

Maybe it's ethereal enough to mold like clay? ... Nope. It acts like water, but it's still mane. D@mn.

Oh! I know. When she's cleansed by the Elements, it'll just regrow like what is supposed to happen with Rarity's tail. Yeah! Yeah? Yeah~ it'll be fine.

*ding*

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
\ Achievement Unlocked:
\ DON'T TOUCH
\ There was only one rule to this game,
\ and you bucked it up.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Yup. Definitely set some records today.

At least she looks happier now. Sleeping there with such a look of content. Ugh~ my head. That physical activity was probably a bad idea. I'm not going to say I regret it, though.

With a gratified sound, she stirs and looks right at me with a partially opened eye, "We wish to know thee more."
"Tell me more about yourself."

"What," my voice is getting raspy, "would you like to know?"

"Thou spake of friends and a Guild but naught of thy kinsmares."
"You told me a little of your Guild friends but not much else."

"Dam was a pegasus, sire a nature po- *cough* -ony." Vision's blurring a bit. "Farm towns benefit greatly from having some pegasi around. You know? Joined the Guild, worked with the new Royal Rangers to map and,” I try to clear my throat, but it doesn’t work very well, “survey some of the untamed regions of the country, led a few Guild members on quests..." I think she's noticed my difficulty speaking.

"We wish to inquire of thee of these perilous deeds, yet We art b'come weary and Our magicks doth dwindle anon wherein We shalt return unto the depths, but We hath an supposition."
"I want to hear more of your adventures, but my magic is starting to lull. Soon, I'll have to become one with the Moon again, but I have an idea."

The Guild deduced she was on an emotional precipice. She'll probably rationalize this as another bout of insanity, but she definitely looks less wild than when I first approached her. I don't think she'll spiral as deep now.

"Oh?" I nuzzle her. Might as well. I'm here to help her feel good right now -not me. She smiles and leans into the contact.

I'm definitely low on water.

"Verily. We shalt swiftly foray unto the north'rn apogee and return hith'r with some frost for thee."
"Indeed. I’ll go to the North Pole real quick to fetch some ice to turn into water for you."

With my voice feeling like sandpaper grating my throat, I say, "You said that when your magic drops, you'll be returned into the Moon. And you want to use that precious magic to-?"

She puts her hoof on my mouth, "Thou kept thy word and drilled thy friendship unto Us this Night. Deny Us not this serv'ce unto thee."
"You truly helped me as you said you would. Please let me do this little thing for you."

She returns the nuzzle before getting up and staggers a bit before regaining her posture and moving a few paces away. I don’t know how far, because I only have enough energy to lay my head down in the dust now. However, I can feel the ground groan as she takes off with power and majesty. With speed that would dwarf the elite Wonderbolt fliers, Luna flies away.

I don't get a chance to try to dissuade her. Doesn't really matter. I couldn’t chase her down right now even if I wanted to let alone catch up.

Catch up. Ketchup. Katsup. Ah, if I ever had a cat, I’d name it ‘Katsup.’

Don't feel like moving much... getting sleepy... sleeping with a headache sucks.

I awake with a start. Ow~ my head.

She's cradling me. The look in her eyes. She's been crying again. D@mnit. I was supposed to help and not make things worse.

I move my mouth a few times before I can make any sound, "Please don't be sad, Princess," it's so hard to talk now; though, it’s less talking and more croaking, "I volunteered for this... to help you." Ow, my throat. For that brief moment, the pain in my voice box dulls the pain in my head and eyes.

"Yea, and We shalt rememb'r. But speaketh naught for the now, and hark'n unto Us. If thou wert to ret'rn thither, We wouldst give thee a miss've to say unto Our Sist'r, 'Prithee, harken unto Our supplications! Dearest Sist'r, We art s'rry! We art so s'rry..."
"Yes, I know. Don't speak. Just listen now. If there was a way for you to go back to the world, I would send you with a message for my sister, 'please, hear me, my dearest sister: I am sorry. I am forever sorry..."

She continues her message to her sister, "'Our sins art b'yond count, and We shan't d'mand Thy pard'n. If We could, We wouldst beg Thee f'rgivest Us of Our transgressions; We lost thy lovingkindness, and the wound bleedeth forth fromst Our essence.'"
"'I did many bad things and don't have the right to ask for exoneration of the consequences. But if I could, I would beg for your forgiveness. It feels like my soul is wounded and bleeds.'"

She makes it sound like she did far more than just argue with her sister and refuse to lower the Moon. At this point, I imagine the only ones who know the true story are the two princesses. I suppose I'll never hear it. That's fine, though. Her mind will stay intact long enough to get back to Equus. She'll be cleansed by the Elements and be redeemed. That's as good a reason to give my...

"Princess-"

"Nay. Harken. Our little ponies art too far thence, yet We hath gazed unto thy mind, Breezy. Colts hath suitors plighting their troths in anticipation of his emergence into stallionhood. A mare not affianced upon his threshold is disadvantaged. Yet thou art hither with Us? What sayest thou?"
"No. Listen to me. The ponies on Equus are too far away, but I looked into your dreams, Breezy. In our culture, mares pledge themselves to colts prior to the colts’ entrance into adulthood to ensure healthy continuation of our species. But you are without a herd and came to the Moon to help me? What's up?"

‘Breezy,’ the nickname she gave me, because I called her, ‘Lulu.’

I don't have enough energy to tell her the whole story: that I came from There -another world- to Here -this world- and am trying to maintain the Will of Harmony -even if it costs me my life. Since I'm going to the Everlasting Graze soon, I might as well go out like a stud and make sure she keeps hearing the message I was tasked to deliver.

I told her once; I’ll tell her again, "Mare of purest starlight," can't swallow anymore, "you will see her again. You… Are… Loved."

"So sayest thou?" Her eyes look real serious, but I'm having trouble focusing. Starting to blur a bit.
"You declare this?"

"I know it… Lulu."

Cheeks wet with tears, she looks directly into my eyes. "So swear'st thou?"
"Do you make this vow?"

That's easy. I know for a fact that she'll reunite with her sister. "I so swear." She's blushing. Why is she blushing?

After swallowing nervously, she says, "We desirest c'ssation to thy tribulations. The measure of thine suff'ring shalt know finality in its grave."
"I want your pain to go away. Forever. And I will make it so."

Oh~ is she going to mercy kill me? I mean, I'm not opposed to the idea in this situation -not like I could resist...

Best not to delay, then. Make it quick and easy, please. With great labor, I encourage her, "Please don't waste effort, Princess-"

"-Thou think'st-? B- b- but... By whose hooves hast thou been so afflicted?"
"Wait- what're you-? Don't you dare say you're not worth this!

What are you talking about? I told you, 'I volunteered for this.'

She looks into my eyes and declares, "Thou hast sworn unto Us. By the Stars as Witn'ss, We, too, swear'st unto thee. Now, hide not thy heart from thy mare and embrace thy med'cine..."
"You vowed to me; so, I make one to you. That's that, then."

She leans down and brings my head to hers. Death by a kiss. Something poetic about that...

Really good kiss, too. Maybe alicorns have dense H2O in their saliva or something… Nah~ that doesn't make sense. Or does it? Meh. Whatever...

...

...Wow. She's really into this. I'm not complaining, but she does need to conserve her magic and mind. Should probably just kill me and get it over with. Again: not complaining.

But... okay, I'm complaining a little. I'm going to be a laughingstock when I get to the Everlasting Graze. 'Everypony welcome Psithur: the only pony to die in space with a permanent frozen space boner.' Yeah. That's going to go over real~ well in pony heaven. Buck me!

*ding*

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
\ Achievement... Pending:
\ UNIQUE DEATH
\ There is always a first for each one.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

... D@mn Status Screen. If there’s any solace in dying, it’s that I won’t have to deal with you anymore...

With a flash, she ends the kiss, "There!"
"There!"

My eyes were closed for the kiss, but I thought I saw some light just now.

"Wh- what?" My throat feels numb, but she smiles and pulls me to a hug. Headache is… also numbed? Wait. What was that light from before? And what was that she said, “D- did you call yourself 'my mare'?"

She pulls back slightly and with a brief laugh, "Fool of a colt! Know'st thou unto whom thou speak'st?"
"Baka. Don't you know who I am?"

*ding*

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
\ Title Unlocked:
\ BAKA
\ Best Princess has thus dubbed you;
\ so shall you be known.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

I swallow a few times, "Uh~" What's going on? I couldn’t do that before. Mouth isn't dry. Is this some advanced form of dehydration like how hypothermia will make you feel really warm right before the end?

My mind isn't as foggy. Why don't I feel like I'm dying anymore? Never heard of dehydration as a particularly peaceful way to die, though... No~ no~ something is off here...

"O! Doth thy speech faileth thee? We knew not Our kisses wouldst be so pot'nt. Mayhaps We could have wielded such a weap'n once upon a time to great effect?"
"You're speechless? I must be the best kisser ever. Perhaps, I should have used this as a trump card long ago? Aren't you lucky?

That smirk of hers.

She continues, " We found naught to drink upon the North or the South. But w'rry not mine stallion for upon thy decl'ration and oath of love, We recipr'cated and bestow'd unto thee a dowry."
“...I wasn't able to find water anywhere; but when you made your vow of love, I was able to make a way to help you."

... What? "D- dowry?" Love? But I didn't- I was trying to say she is loved. I didn't really say by whom!

"Verily! We impart'd unto thee, mine Champion, this grace: a piece of Ours'lf. And with it also, this precept of tidings: thou canst now survive and pres'rve upon the magicks of Our Moon. We shalt d'scend, and when We return hith'r to the Surface, We shalt listen to thy tales and endeavor to send thee to Our home wherefore thou shalt pr'pare Our chambers thith'r for Us."
"Indeed! I gave you a piece of my life-magic so that you may live off of the cosmic thaumatics of the Moon like I do. I can't hold off going back in the Moon any more; but when I get back to the surface on my next parole, I'm going to find a way to send you back to Equus, and you can regale me with stories of your life. We'll expect to have our official ceremony after my time is served up here."

...

Wh- what! Chambers? What!? I- I~ I can't be married to Princess Luna! … To I mean to any princess. I don't think I'll live that long, either.

Of course, it is the fever-dream of every Luna fan, but that's not why I came here. I just wanted her to be sane enough to be cleansed by the Elements when she gets back... sacrificing myself and earning a spot in the Everlasting Graze would just be a wonderful bonus.

But! But... Oh, Harmony help me. How did this happen?

Oh! Wait. Wait... She's probably mentally unstable right now... from being alone for centuries. She'll definitely forget this. Right? Yeah~ yeah. She'll just write this off as a strange crazy-pony Moon-delusion. Right?

Right. Okay, Psithur, just roll with this.

"We return'th to Our slumber now. Of a time, thy amulet shalt falter, and the silence shalt reign. Steel thyself, mine stallion.”
"We have to go now. Eventually, your charm will run out of magic. Be wary of the silence of space, my stallion."

My amulet: an enchanted device made by Three to provide a bubble of atmosphere around me. It’s the only reason why I’ve been able to breathe so far and the only reason I can hear Princess Luna talk. She is right; it only had three days’ worth of magic in it, and when that runs out the silence of space will return. I’ll once again be subject to the temperatures of the void.

Placing a forehoof across her heart, she says, “We shalt return'th unto thee. Upon this, We so swear."
“Don't worry, for I will come back to you. I promise.”

Rolling with it, "B- before you go... how about one more kiss?" Okay, yeah, it's probably -definitely- greedy. But come on! At this point? Like I'm not going to try to get more sugar from Princess Luna.

She smiles and lightly nods, "Verily, We now pine for the day of Our r’lease of this place."
"For the first time in a very long time, I'm ready to stop being punished; I want to get past all of this."

The last physical or social contact either of us will have for a long time. Three deduced that her paroles have been increasing -less time between slumbers, longer time on the surface- as time goes on. The time between excursions is still vast: years and years. If I really do have a part of her life-magic in me to convert ambient thaumatic energy into a way to survive on the Moon without food, water, air, or heat; then I still have to contend with two things: loneliness and time.

My mind might break, and I could always die of old age before she wakes up again.

Then again, she might only think she gave me the means to survive. It could just be some delusion brought on by her mind. ‘I want this illusion to survive, so I’m going to concoct a way for it to happen.’ Just like playing pretend.

Whatever. Just enjoy the moment: locking lips with your all-of-a-sudden ‘princess bride’ who will probably think all of this as some fever-dream. As long as she gets to the place she's supposed to be at the end, as long as the world becomes what it is supposed to be, I am content.

...

She really likes this. Too bad I'll never get to bride-carry her into her bedchambers... Actually, she might try to fight me to carry me, now that I think about it. Mares like to take on that role.

I wonder how she'll re-integrate into the Moon. Is it like a teleportation or is there a door? Oh, well. Time to open my eyes and see her off and look into those...

... Aqua blue almost turquoise green, vertically slitted pupils? I’m not kissing Luna anymore.

Sh!t.

Author's Note

Imagine yourself: you have hooves instead of hands, and an ethereal mane is floating right next to your face. Any of you want to claim that you wouldn’t? I thought it was funny, so I made a doodle for that scene.

Originally, this -part two- was not supposed to exist; but Luna was going through some stuff and impulsively decided to go off-script, and then Psithur started being Psithur... Things just happened. Nothing I can do about that now, but there’s going to be more.

Middle Era: period of time between Luna’s Banishment and Luna’s Return. The Middle Era ends around time of the Founding of Ponyville (approx. 260-300 years prior to Luna’s Return, S01E01; followed by the Late Era or Generation of Celestial Suspense, followed by the Reunion of the Sisters or the Years of the Bearers).

Kinsmen -> kinsmares.