A Love to Endure an Eclipse

Heading down through the trails that led you to this clearing, you took your time with the hike. You're rather angry with yourself now that the shock has worn off. You have to admit, you sort of dismissed how severe the mental changes would get. Neither Celestia nor Luna is prone to exaggeration unless it's amidst a rivalry between siblings over something stupid.

But you certainly never expected to be physically assaulted. Or toyed with.

You remind yourself that deep down, that black alicorn is your wife, but it's difficult to accept. There seems to be no trace of the one you fell in love with. It almost feels a little wrong to refer to her as Luna. Maybe you shouldn't, if it's going to screw with your head.

You already messed up, letting her words eat into your mind. Part of it was a naive hope that somehow, the initial 'meeting' was just a misunderstanding, and playing it calm would be the better option.

...honestly, why the heck would Luna have exaggerated what was to come? You should have been more prepared. You're better than this.

Regardless of the why, you feel rather ashamed and stupid for basically getting caught on your back foot and backtracking from the start.

Eventually, you start to feel a nice burn in your calves, signaling it's best to head back to the clearing and find somewhere to rest again. Polite discussion is probably no longer on the table.

You haven't the slightest idea how to start a conversation with her. But you need to stop bending over backward for anything that does come out of her mouth. You promised Luna. Just like you promised to leave with her – time to do better.

As you catch sight of the wrinkled oak tree that has come to signify a temporary home, you spy Luna... No. Nightmare Moon. Her tall form still sits atop the rock she was on when you left. Except now, she's facing you.

You cannot make out her face or features at this distance, but those turquoise eyes cut a sharp contrast to her inky black figure. She doesn't budge while you make your way back up the hill – but she keeps her eyes on you the whole time.

Perhaps more surprisingly as you get close enough to study her face, she is not casting a harsh glare upon you. But it isn't much better – it's a cold, calculated face like she's studying you.

You don't say or signal anything to her as you again plop down against the oak tree, giving your legs a respite.

Nightmare Moon continues to just stare in an uncomfortable silence for some time. You can feel her piercing eyes, and while it's not particularly enjoyable, you endure. You don't know what to say in order to break the silence, so you just wait for her.

"You came back," she muses. The comment feels... weighted, to say the least. Like it's a baited line being tossed near you, anticipating a response.

"Yeah, I did." You decide to keep it short and simple for the time being.

"I thought you had turned tail and left for good." Her tone is calm and matter-of-fact, but underneath, it feels meant to be a taunt.

"I'm here to the end."

"You say that as if it makes you special." Sass starts to taint her words for the first time since returning.

"Just keeping a promise I made."

"Yes, that promise to be by my side, through thick and thin," she muses with a sarcastically wistful tone. "Yet here we are – virtually in opposite corners."

That biting comment hurts more than it should, considering she wanted you to stay away. There's still a nagging feeling that you aren't trying hard enough, that you aren't fighting with her.

For her.

You'd like to believe that deep in there, the Luna you married is thrashing to put away this... this...

Darkness. These words are the mind games of pure darkness - an uninhibited sociopath.

"I'm still here though," you reply in defiance.

Nightmare Moon emits a light chuckle, shaking her head in response. Rather than avoid her to give the impression she's rattling your psyche, you keep your head up and your gaze locked with hers.

Stand your ground, dude - well, to a reasonable point. You'd rather not be knocked around.

"You think you make some sort of a difference being here?"

"Considering Celestia mentioned the transformation started later, I'd say being here did something. And it's a matter of being here for my wife."

"Being here for me" Nightmare emphasizes, puffing her chest out. "I can't say I feel much affection coming from you right now."

... how do you even respond to that? You really don't feel affection toward her right now. Rather than give her ammunition, you remain mum.

Nightmare Moon settles back down into a straight posture, though her wings slowly spread wide. They are utterly massive, easily doubling or tripling her size. "How you could not find this form ravishing and awe-inspiring is beyond my comprehension," she gushes, ogling herself with pride. "Though I suppose it's quite telling that you would find a meek and diminutive form more palatable."

"Maybe it's more an attitude thing," you reply, shrugging.

Nightmare's attention instantly snaps to you, the comment having drawn a twinge of anger that creases her muzzle with a frown. You fold your arms in front of your chest, preparing for a standoff.

She slowly tucks away her wings, though the sour expression on her face remains. "Sorry I'm not your little pliable plaything - I deserve more respect than that," she barks back, taking a step toward you. "I'm the real Luna, not bound by attachment. I'm the better version of Luna."

You just shake your head, not willing to listen to this nonsense.

"Do you know what I've learned in my centuries of experience?" she continues. "Attachments hold you back. But it's easy to string along someone with a few kind words and a smile."

"Shut up."

"Oh dear, have I touched a nerve? Is there the possibility that all this time, I've been using you as my pet? My slave? Maybe you weren't the first."

"I don't have to listen to this. What's even the point of this crap you're spouting?" you shoot back, feeling your ire toward her build. The notion that Luna is just using you is absurd and wholly untrue, and to even think about your relationship like that makes you want to upchuck.

"Relationships are a burden. Family is a burden. They hold us back for fear of losing those connections. I've known it for a long time, I'm just never willing to admit it. Now I am. You hold me back because you're incapable of taking care of yourself – I have to pick up the slack. I have to hold back, and show concern for your feelings."

You bite your lip, keen to not give her the satisfaction of another response.

"You're realizing there was never a reason to be here, aren't you?" Nightmare Moon continues. "Go back – and bring that overstuffed goose they call my sister here. I've not had a 'meaningful' discussion with her in quite some time."

You reach into your pocket and fish for the trinket Celestia gave you. The words of this perverted form of your love are nothing but lies. You know that. So why are you shaking?

You pull the coin out into the light for the first time, holding it out in your palm. You could just walk away from this meaningless crash course in psychological manipulation she's bestowing upon you.

Of course, that also means you're admitting defeat as she says. And Celestia has to see her sister this way. You could always walk down the trail and meet her. But...

As you glance back up at Nightmare, you see a wicked grin has grown upon her face. Something isn't right here...

It suddenly feels like you're missing something here – like this isn't just a mere test of how nasty she can be toward you for her own pleasure.

Seeing her so keen on your permanent departure, you flash the coin to her, holding it between your thumb and index finger. Then, unceremoniously, you slip it back into your pocket

That toothy grin Nightmare sports vanishes in an instant.

Maybe you've reached a breaking point dealing with this stress, or maybe it's the notion that this being might have an actual agenda– but this is not your wife. She's being held hostage deep inside, and now it's your turn to fight.

Maybe a pointless fight in the grand scheme of things, but Luna put herself through hell to stave off this fiend as long as possible despite the perceived inevitability, too.

"Sorry. I've gotten comfortable here. It would be a shame to leave now."

Your taunt completely blindsides Nightmare, who just stares in a dumbfounded, unblinking fashion. Slowly, a bitter expression returns to her face. "If I thought there was any chance I could activate it myself, I would be more than happy to do what was needed to get that trinket from you."

"And if it came down to that, I'd huck it as far as I could to where neither of us would find it," you retort, once again folding your arms in front of your chest.

Those distinctive predatory eyes narrow with frustration as Nightmare Moon glares at you. "What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here?"

"You first."

The quick turnaround on her question leads Nightmare Moon to back off on her anger just a bit – only to supplant it with a quizzical leer toward you "You think I am trying to accomplish something other than feed you the truth?" she suggests.

"I know my girl is adept at playing the long game, even when I can't see it. You're her uninhibited side, and you can look at anything without concerning yourself with consequences or collateral. And by the way, you don't speak the truth. I know the truth – Luna is still in there, waiting to push you back into the cellar where you belong."

You hear an audible growl from Nightmare as she slowly marches toward where you sit, her head lowered to be at eye level with you. Again, her wings flare open like a massive curtain of darkness expanding out in front of you. She can't actually hurt you, and you've pushed past these sorts of mind games.

Maybe this is Luna, but she's lost what makes her that pony you adore. She may as well be a complete stranger – and you have to think that way until the end of this, even if it feels a bit wrong.

"I am Luna, you imbecile," she hisses upon reaching you and getting up in your face. "I'm the real one, not just some facade I put on for all of Equestria. Sorry your feeble heart was drawn to me like a fly in my spider web before, but it's the truth."

"You can argue that all you want, but you only get to come out two or three days in a decade, and Luna makes damn sure you can't harm anyone in that time. She's willing to go the extra mile and put herself through misery to do it. That doesn't sound like something a grand scheming mastermind would do."

Without warning, Nightmare Moon unleashes a quick strike to your chest with one of her hooves. The sheer force and the sharp pain that it brings momentarily knocks the wind out of you, leaving you sputtering for breath.

"I can't kill you here, but I can make you wish I could if you're not going to show me the respect I deserve," she snarls in a subdued voice, baring her teeth. She inches closer to your face, to the point her stifling hot breath is nearly overwhelming.

Still, you refuse to back down and apologize. "All you focus on is sowing pain, sorrow, and misery," you shoot back at her. "That's not respectable in any way. Luna at least knew she was wrong all those years ago and that's why she was able to rid herself of you almost permanently. We all mess up, and I hate that she has to deal with you at all. I think the least I can do for her is to stand up to your bullshit as well."

"Oh please, you don't even have the full story!" Nightmare laughs, tilting her head back in an indulgent cackle. "The only reason I was put away again is by use of the Elements of Harmony. There was no 'fight' to bring her weaker side back out. She was helpless until that point."

"Yeah? Sometimes we need help," you argue without flinching. "You don't ever get out beyond the solar eclipse, so she must be perfectly content without you."

Another blow to the chest pins you against the tree as a reward with another burst of searing pain forcing you to cough and sputter. Still, you force yourself to look up, directly into Nightmare's eyes.

At first, you think the abrupt lack of air is somehow screwing with you. There's been no change in the lighting, but her pupils suddenly look dilated. Or shifting...

It may be a stretch, but you feel like right now, Luna is behind those eyes, trying to force her way back to you. You reach up with your arm and deftly stroke Luna's cheek in comfort.

"Luna..."

In the blink of an eye, Nightmare pulls away from you, seizes your fingers between those sharp teeth, and bites down on your knuckles without hesitance.

You do your best to hold it in, but the sudden, overwhelming surge of pain makes you wail with agony.

"I'm done being nice to you since you won't listen," she growls through her clenched jaws, still clamped on tight to your digits.

"Fine— go ahead," you strain to reply "I got another hand you can use as a chewtoy, you bitch!" You say that even as you feel a trickle of warmth run down the back of your hand, while crimson begins to stain the jagged ivory-white teeth in Nightmare's mouth.

Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.

The taunt you gave her causes another surge of agony as her bite strengthens, making you yell again as teeth rend flesh. It feels like her teeth are sawing through bone as blood begins to run down your arm and drip off onto the ground.

"If going - if this is what I have to do to get my Lu back even - even five seconds sooner, I'll endure your shit!" you shout in defiance. At this point, you don't know how the hell even magic can prevent Nightmare from severing your fingers clean off. Your chest pounds and your head swims through a rush of adrenaline, tears welling up in your eyes just from the sheer intensity of the pain.

With no other recourse, you ball your other hand into a fist and wind up. "Sorry, Lulu," you mumble through gritted teeth just as you let loose

Your fist socks Nightmare square in the snout with a solid punch. Blindsided by your strike, it forces Nightmare to release the death grip on your hand and stumble backward a few steps.

The pain hardly dulls in your hand. At a glance, it at least doesn't look mutilated aside from all the blood – but you can't move any of your fingers without a jolt of agony.

Meanwhile, you hear Nightmare as she snorts and sniffs through the jab put to her nose.

"What—"

"Shut up. You're nothing but a miserable parasite," you bark before she can speak. You stand up to prepare for whatever she plans to throw at you next.

Nightmare shakes her head a few more times before rising back up straight. Your breath catches in your chest as she looks at you.

Her eyes are no longer cat's eyes.

"M-Moose?" It's a call uttered in confusion and concern, as her eyes dart up and down your form.

"Moonbutt?"

Her eyes widen with incredulity as she slowly nods her head at your pet name. However, she is still wrinkling her nose from the shot you just gave her.

Did - did you knock her back into control?

"Anon, your hand!" she cries, fear gripping her voice as she moves toward you. But she stops after only a step, realization hitting her face. Or perhaps the taste in her mouth...

You follow her gaze and look back down at it. The bleeding where she bit you seems to have already slowed down.

"I did that..." Looking up at Luna, her head lowers as she closes her eyes in shame.

"No, Nightmare did it, not you. She sure as heck is not you, so I won't stand for you taking the blame.

"Anon—"

"It's just a flesh wound."

She suddenly moves her legs to take a wide stance, her whole body trembling.

"Luna, I knew what I got into."

"She's trying to come back!" Luna shouts through gritted teeth.

"And you can fight her! You're better than her," you goad Luna, quickly rushing over to her.

Tears stream down her face as she fights the creature within her, while you rest down on a knee and stroke her neck with your good hand.

"Luna. You're better than Nightmare Moon. She's nothing without you."

"I—I can do this..."

"And if I have to, I'll give you another power boop. Worked once apparently."

Even through the struggle she's involved in – Luna manages to crack the slightest smile. But a low growl from her starts to make you uneasy again.

Without a warning, Luna reaches up with a hoof and roughly shoves you back onto your behind. You catch yourself with your hands – which brings a scorching pain back into the forefront of your mind, emanating from your hand.

"No more of this! Do you hear me?!" she begins to shout, bracing herself. "No MORE!"

A bright flash forces you to momentarily shield your eyes as Luna erupts into a ball of white light. The smell of ozone permeates the air before you feel a wave of heat blast past your form.

Just out of pure bewilderment, you strain to see through the brilliant illumination that's enveloped Luna. You can barely make out a faint silhouette of her, with her head raised to the heavens and wings spread wide. Whether it's a trick of the light or reality, you can see her form shrinking, from Celestia-sized Nightmare Moon down to something more recognizable.

As quickly as it appears, the light show dissipates, with Luna falling to the ground in a heap. Your shock and awe have not faded in the slightest even as you race to where she lays.

You skid to a stop on your knees, desperately checking her over as you instantly note her eyes are closed. You can at least see her barrel rising and falling, indicating she's breathing just fine. It's everything else about her that's of concern.

As with her transformation into Nightmare Moon, you don't recognize Luna; what seemed to be a reversion to her familiar form has not occurred. Instead of a navy blue fur coat and wings, her coloring has significantly lightened, comparable to a periwinkle shade of blue. Her hair too has lightened significantly – and while still highlighted by violet, there's no trace of the ethereal qualities you're accustomed to seeing. It appears and feels like normal hair.

Furthermore, she's quite dainty - while not significantly different from the Luna you know, this form is noticeably smaller in stature, making her appear younger.

While you're relieved to see she's breathing fine, gentle shaking does nothing to rouse her. It only heightens your already frayed nerves.

You quickly fumble through your pants pocket for the coin with your 'good' hand, grabbing it and squeezing it in your palm. After a few seconds, you feel a warmth emanating from the magical item and a faint glow poking out from between your fingers.

With nothing else to do and still gripped by anxiety, you sit down and gently pull Luna into your lap as best you can with one arm. The pain is already beginning to fade a bit once again in your bitten hand and you feel like you could move it, but you're afraid to aggravate it. Your blood has already begun to dry on your arm, leaving rust-colored streaks down your limb.

"Luna, just hang on," you encourage her unconscious form in a hushed voice. "Sis is on her way." Forced to wait, you resort to lovingly stroking her side, watching for any further signs of life.

What the hell did she do? Or was it not her, but the Aether reacting to what she did? Pretty damned late reaction, if that's the case.

By this time, you aren't feeling the pain in your hand nearly as much as you were, meaning you've been able to properly pull Luna into your lap and cradle her. Even so, you remained mindful not to stain her fur with what little viscous blood remained that was not wiped away with your shirt.

While it's been unclear since the start of this endeavor how time passes here in the Aether, it feels like far too long before you hear hooves galloping off in the distance. The rhythm of hoofbeats slows as the sound gets closer, with Celestia appearing over the horizon at a decent canter.

"Anon... what happened?!" she gasps upon scanning both you and the contents of your lap.

"I don't know! But she won't wake up, Cel!" you cry, failing to have any sense of composure.

Celestia trots up beside you, looking down at her little sister's form. Leaning down, her horn gently taps against the smaller spire atop Luna's head, a faint golden glow sparking between the tips like electricity. A brief moment, but one that allows Celestia to emit a deep sigh that melts away the concern lining her face.

"She's fine – she will be fine," Celestia sighs. "Whatever it was that transpired completely drained her magic reserves - she's essentially in a deep sleep to recuperate."

Celestia circles around and takes a seat on her haunches directly across from you, refocusing her attention now that the immediate fears have been brushed aside. "Before I even try to understand how you're holding my little sis and not dealing with Nightmare Moon's wrath – how are you?"

"I—I don't even know anymore," you say, breaking out into a shaky, uncontrolled laugh as you look down at Luna, then at your hand that felt it should be missing fingers some time ago. You flex each digit before making a fist, none the worse for wear with little residual pain. "I'm just... I guess I'm alright. I don't know what to make of what I've seen and been through. How long has it been since the eclipse?"

"That's the thing - it just happened, Anon," Celestia spouts. "Needless to say, when you called for me I ran as quick as I could to get here, fearing something had happened."

"Well, something happened alright."

"That it did." Once again, Celestia's magic manifests as a golden glowing light snakes its way to Luna's slumbering form. The binding spell that has continued its silent procession around Luna's body reacts, glowing intensely before fragmenting and scattering like glowing grains of sand caught in a windstorm.

"Is it safe?" you ask, feeling somewhat skeptical as Celestia stands.

"It is. When I say Luna is drained of magic, I mean it; I doubt she could levitate even a feather. It will take more than a day to regain just half her strength," Celestia explains. "There is no way Nightmare Moon will have a chance at manifesting again with so little energy."

Holy shit – that's it? This is over?

There are far too many emotions to even begin celebrating or feeling relief – leaving you feeling like you're in a daze. It's only when you sense Luna's weight being lifted from your care that you snap back to reality.

Celestia's magic has seized Luna, levitating her up toward the elder sister.

"No."

"Hm?" Celestia is left quizzical by your blunt statement, Luna still floating in midair.

"I got her."

With the first genuine, heartfelt smile you've seen in... some time, Celestia nods while you rise to your feet and gently cradle Luna in your arms.

You've carried Luna before – notably across her bedroom threshold after marriage, but this incarnation of Luna is a genuine lightweight, shocking you at how little muscle you need to hold her. Nevertheless, her virtual lack of muscle tone due to her condition makes it a tricky affair to keep her head and neck from flopping around in a potentially harmful manner.

"Normally I wouldn't be in this much of a hurry to return, but in my haste, the eclipse is still ongoing," Celestia comments. "I frankly do not know how much time has passed, and I'd rather not dawdle. The last time an eclipse lasted longer than a few minutes..." Celestia trails off, shaking her head rather than finishing the thought.

"Yeah, you two need to figure out setting up some clocks here. No day-night cycles make it hard."

At least you get an amused snort and a flash of a smile from Celestia.

"If you're ready, I'm going to take us directly to Luna's room – I'd rather she not be seen in this state, and I'm certain she would rather not, either."

"I'm more than ready."

That's all Celestia needs to bring your little group back into the real world. Grass gives way to hardwood floors and decorative rugs. Meanwhile, the night sky only has to shift a bit to match the calming serene blues and pewter that highlight Luna's preferred aesthetics – as well as the duties to which she's tied.

Though the curtains are drawn both for the window and the balcony door as habitual for a nocturnal lifestyle, there's enough of a gap for daylight to shine through. Or lack thereof, right now.

You get lucky with this instance of teleportation; you feel perfectly fine with no hints of dizziness as you carry Luna the few steps needed to reach the bed. Gently setting Luna down atop the comforter, you kick off your shoes before lying down beside her.

Meanwhile, Celestia pulls back the balcony curtains for a moment – just long enough to finish the eclipse and allow the sun to shine brightly outside once again. "There, that should do it," she sighs, heading to Luna's private bathroom as you get comfortable.

A brief interlude of running water later, she reappears with a damp washcloth. "I should be getting back to the throne room - but I can't until I get an idea of what happened," Celestia admits, pulling up a stool and taking a seat beside the bed, giving you the towel to clean off your arm. "Could you run through the events?"

Through the course of the next ten or fifteen minutes, you recall everything that transpired once Celestia had left for the second and last time, up until you summoned her just minutes before.

Through it all, Celestia keeps a mostly solemn expression, remaining quiet aside from a few requests for clarification. It's only toward the end regarding your physical altercation with Nightmare and the ensuing burst of light after Luna regained control that Celestia's stoic face cracks to show concern, reluctance, and finally, bewilderment once again.

She also takes the time for a brief examination of your hand. Maybe she wasn't so certain about what could happen in the Aether...

"...that's about when you showed up. Now here we are."

"Yes, here we all are," Celestia added, glancing over at Luna, whom you've cuddled up next to during the storytelling. She still hasn't stirred a bit.

Celestia looks rather reluctant as she rises from her seat, setting the stool back where she found it. "I hate to leave with so many things still unanswered, but it's going to take some time to understand exactly what Luna did regardless if I stay here," she says, heading for the door. "Is it safe to assume I'll find you here by day's end?"

"You should be shocked if I'm anywhere else," you answer her with a smirk.

"I'll make sure the staff knows not to enter – honestly, with what you've been through, rest might do you some good, too."

"Eh, maybe. I just want to be here."

With a nod of understanding, Celestia cracks open the door and slips out of sight, turning out the lights in the room before closing the door.

Maybe you will sleep. Whether you do or don't you have no intentions of leaving your wife's side while she rests...

Movement stirs you awake.

You open your eyes just in time to see a pair of beautiful turquoise eyes greet the waking world. Very tired eyes, judging by the lethargic reluctance of eyelids creeping open.

"Hey..." Luna's voice comes out raspy and fatigued.

"I'm not hungry, but if that's what you want, I'll call room service," you joke.

It takes Luna a moment to comprehend your silly wordplay, but you garner a hum of amusement for your trouble. "I won't lie – that was pretty bad," she says.

"I thought it was okay. But more importantly – how do you feel?"

"Mmm... tired. And like I was run over by a carriage."

"Do you remember anything?" You wrap your arms around her and gently pull her close.

"Almost everything... but why do you seem..." Luna trails off, lifting her head and taking stock of her surroundings. Or more specifically herself, judging by how wide her eyes grow as she flicks her tail and spreads a wing.

"Oh no," she laments, laying her head back down on the pillow while her cheeks redden underneath that light blue fur.

"Yeah, you did something. But let me assure you, you're a real cutie."

Luna's muzzle scrunches up at your compliment, her blush growing more noticeable. "I would rather you not have seen me like this, Anon," she admits.

"Yeah, your sister said you might feel that way."

"But... thank you, I guess."

"Of course."

While seeming to still be quite weak, Luna does her best to return your hug, with her wing draped over you as well as a foreleg.

"How is your hand?" she asks, worry tainting her voice.

"Not a scratch. But you knew that."

"I did. But I still feel horrible."

"Don't. I'm the one that stayed and tickled the dragon's tail."

"That you did – but you did stay."

"I said I would," you remind her. "I said when I left, it would be with you by my side."

You pause a moment, mulling that statement. "You were in my arms, not by my side. But close enough."

"Thank you."

You lean in and give her a peck on the forehead as she closes her eyes again. "You look like you need more sleep. I'll be here."