Walking the Moonlit Path

The garden was large, sprawling with varieties of vegetation Sunset couldn't imagine in her wildest dreams.

But right now, she was living a nightmare. A never-ending, perpetual one with no waking in sight.

For all the thoughts her mind tortured her with that day, they were being eerily quiet now in lieu of the night.

So she galloped on, an urge springing her on. She galloped on haphazardly, her destination unknown.

She ran past an arch here, a pillar there, vines, budding bushes, everything.

She'd never considered just how large the garden was until then, when everything had gone wrong.

Or perhaps it wasn't as large as she thought. Perhaps she was running circles aimlessly—she wasn't keeping track of landmarks, or anything for that matter. She just had to get away.

Where are you going!? her mind finally screamed at her.

Away!

It wouldn't last.

Thoughts came pouring back, replaying the day once more in sporadic detail. She tried to focus on what came ahead, but it mattered little.

A harrowing thought clawed at her psyche, one in which she couldn't admit, she wouldn't admit, but it didn't matter what she wanted. She was terrified, but why—

Because you have nothing.

She stumbled forward, her equilibrium suddenly at war with her, but she managed to keep a balance, if just barely.

She visibly slowed.

There's nowhere to go.

Her gallop slowed to a canter.

You're stuck.

She stopped.

She was trapped, with no real options left to her. She could run all night, but then what? Celestia would be looking everywhere for her. The portal was supposed to get her ticket out, and sure, she had no idea what to expect, but at least she wouldn't have been a wanted fugitive wherever she landed. She could’ve escaped.

Now she had nowhere else to go. It wasn’t as if she had any real resources. She had little money to her name, as all of her needs were paid for by the royal treasury. Her job was being tutored by Celestia. She’d put every ounce of effort she had and then some into said job, and now she had nothing to show for it.

So what was she supposed to do?

She resumed movement, but her legs felt heavy, her energy suddenly nonexistent as exhaustion started to creep in.

She could try to flee the country, but most, if not all nations that bordered Equestria had good relations with the Princess, and it wasn’t as if she could hide the fact that she was a pony when living among other creatures, especially when a sun goddess makes it known that she's looking for you.

She could maybe survive in the wilderness for a bit, having studied some survival guides in the past out of boredom, and with her magic it wouldn't be the worst thing. Except… what would she even be living for? She’d have nothing to keep her going.

There was always one of the cults she’d heard rumors of, the sort that took in strangers and never question their past, but, no, she’d only accept that if she could be in charge. Otherwise it was pointless.

So, that just left...

Nothing. It left nothing.

She let out a shuddering breath. It was a sobering thought, that she'd been thoroughly bested—betrayed more like it. It tasted bitter on her tongue, like black coffee turned to sludge from being left on the burner for far too long..

In her malaise, she went on, her eyes barely registering that around her despite her slow pace. Nothing registered.

She was tired, drained; energy could be spent but there was no purpose left for it to fuel. Her bed beckoned, the castle not far behind.

She'd stay in her room for as long as she could before an inevitable knock stirred her. Celestia undoubtedly would be concerned that her prize pupil was not studying to better herself—to better Celestia's agendas. There'd be questions, and she was not prepared.

But still, her bed called her. It was the last refuge she had, and it wouldn't last.

She stared up, teary eyed and let out a bitter bark of a laugh. The moon greeted her and yet offered no words of wisdom, not that she was expecting any.

She wondered if Nightmare Moon found her state to be humorous—she wouldn't blame her.

And in her state she'd almost missed the glint of blue that she'd stumbled upon, and when she came to the realization she paused, a look of bewilderment as she fully took it in.

A flower, she assumed, an iridescent blue shimmered under the reverent radiance of the moon, sparkles akin to stardust flaking off of it in the gentle breeze. As she watched the bespeckled white drift away, her jaw dropped.

A sea of ghostly blue greeted her.

She watched as they swayed away, their stardust filling the night as they greeted their ancestors from above, they twinkled in and out of sight, and what a sight it was.

Sunset hadn't realized it but she'd found herself floored, seated in place, mouth forming a silent ‘oh.’.

She sat there for an indeterminate amount of time, her thoughts desperately attempting to realign. Only then did she notice the shuffling of someone to her right, startling her out of her reverie.

Wallflower had joined her, the look of exhaustion on her face tempered only by a sense of wonder.

Not that Sunset cared.

They watched on for a bit, enjoying the view, until finally Wallflower found her voice and said, "Do you like them?"

Sunset, her voice hoarse and weary, answered, "Yes."

She eyed her from the side, Wallflower didn't meet her gaze, but she could see a faint smile.

"They're called Dusklilies," Wallflower said, a glint in her eyes. "I've been growing them for a while now."

Sunset wasn't sure what to say to that, so she just let out a noncommittal "Mm."

Wallflower scratched her neck, her smile turning nervous. "I... I wanted to find the perfect flower to greet her for her return."

Sunset perked up at that. "Her?" Her brow furrowed momentarily, then her mouth twisted into a smirk at a sudden thought. "Oh, I get it..." She adjusted to incline her head towards the other mare who looked at her in bewilderment. Sunset's smirk took on a tinge of deviousness. "Well, I'm sure your marefriend will love them," she sang with a snicker.

"What!?" Wallflower exclaimed, blushing hard. "No! I don't—they're not for—"

Sunset's redoubled laughter cut her off, leaving her momentarily stunned. Her lips thinned as she pouted in embarrassment. "Jerk..."

"I think we already established that," Sunset said, her laughter finally dying down. Her mouth creased a bit downward when she noticed the other mare's glare facing the field.

She thought about dropping it, calling it a night, but she felt compelled to say something, anything, and she wasn't sure why. "Hey..." Sunset started off, giving Wallflower her full attention. Wallflower remained unchanged, save for a half-hearted attempt to adjust an ear in her direction.

Sunset bit her tongue, a word rattled uncomfortable in her brain to her throat.

Don't say it, don't say it, there's no reason to—

"I'm sorry," she murmured. Her eyes widened, and she wasn't the only one surprised.

She wanted to berate herself. Why was she sorry?

She turned away, a bit embarrassed, and started getting up.

This is stupid, I should just—

She froze at the feeling of her shoulder being touched. "Please, don't leave." Wallflower gave her a pleading look. "Not yet."

Sunset looked at her in bafflement. What was with this mare? Didn't she want her to leave earlier? Why is she wanting her to stay now? Better yet, why'd she follow her here? It made no sense at all, leaving Sunset so puzzled that she sat back down, if only to satisfy her curiosity. “Okay…”

After a moment, they found themselves staring at the field once more, the flowers still doing their pirouette.

"So... who is she you were talking about?" Sunset asked after a moment.

"Oh, uh..." Wallflower shook her head, dispelling a thought, perhaps? "They're for..." she paused again, was she nervous?

Sunset inclined her head, but otherwise remained silent as she waited.

"They're for Nightmare Moon—for when she returns..." Wallflower finished, biting her lip, and giving Sunset an expectant look.

Sunset blinked. "You mean that old ponytale legend? That Nightmare Moon?"

"She's not a ponytale!" Wallflower shouted, whirling on Sunset, her hooves clopping against the garden tiles.. "She's real. She's real and she's coming back soon!"

Sunset stood still as a statue under Wallflower’s irate glare, until she finally said a quiet, “I know,” and looked away.

Wallflower tilted her head. "Then why—"

Sunset cut her off with a big sigh. "Because that's what the Princess told me whenever I asked." She rolled her eyes. "I'd only asked her a dozen times, and she'd always spout off the same rhetoric. 'Oh, that old ponytale? That's nothing to be concerned about,' she'd say, or she'd laugh it off and state I need to stop burying my head in dusty old books." And that I need to make friends or whatever... She kept that to herself, not willing to further embarrass herself over something stupid.

Silence took over for a moment, being only punctuated by the breeze.

Cautiously, Wallflower took several steps back before having a seat. "Did she really say all that?"

Sunset scoffed. "Yeah."

Wallflower frowned, her ears twitching. "But... she's her sister, why would she—"

Sunset's laugh punctuated the air, mirthless and cold. It caused Wallflower to leap away in surprise.

"Don't you get it?" Sunset asked, her voice going up an octave, her grin faltering.

"...No?"

"Because she doesn't care!" Sunset screamed, angry tears beginning to stream from her eyes.

Wallflower stared at her, mouth agape.

"She wants to erase her sister from history! Why do you think there's only one stupid, worn out tome that even mentions her!?"

Wallflower's lips quivered, her leg muscles tensing as if preparing to flee, but Sunset barrelled on with her rant anyway., "And not only that, but the stupid thing doesn't even mention Celestia's name, but it's clearly her, she's clearly the sister, yet Celestia plays it off like it's nothing!"

"I-I, I don't think—"

"And think about this," Sunset cut her off, more tears streaming that she uselessly tried to wipe away. Why am I crying!? "Nightmare Moon was upset, upset that nopony seemed to pay attention to her precious night, why is that?"

Silence was her only answer.

"I'll tell you why." Sunset looked her dead in the eyes. "Because Celestia took all the glory for herself! She flaunted her day, ignored her sister's pleas, and then when Nightmare Moon even showed a little bit of a backbone, Celestia banished her without a care, took the night for herself, and kept her sister as a foal's legend, as something to be scoffed at! How sick is that?"

“But… but that’s not…” Wallflower trailed off, her eyes never leaving Sunset's.

Sunset shook her head in automatic response. "Her purpose was overshadowed by the day, by Celestia; her destiny, unfulfilled. Everything she could have had was taken away from her, by Celestia."

"It's all her fault." Sunset kicked a clod of dirt skyward, only building her rage further. "It's. All. Her. FAULT!" she bawled. Her horn ignited, unleashing a billow of flame that scorched the ground before her, narrowly avoiding the closest Dusklilly.

There she went again, crying. And crying in front of a stranger no less. It was something she'd repeatedly told herself she'd never do in a million years, that she was strong, but here she was, showing weakness once more. Pathetic.

The silence was occasionally broken by that and the breeze, and where the breeze served a purpose, her tears did not. Utterly pointless, like her existence.

A rustling of hooves came from her right. Probably Wallflower looked down on her in pity, but she didn't care, she wasn't moving now.

"I tried to visit her once," Wallflower said, hesitantly, her voice hitching.

Sunset’s ear perked up, if only briefly. She couldn’t muster the effort to ask.

Wallflower continued after a moment, "Nightmare Moon. I um..." Another pause. "I tried flying up to her."

Sunset rolled her head to face her, confusion apparent under tear-stained fur.

Wallflower rubbed the back of her head. "Balloons, I um, tied myself to a bunch of balloons."

Silence.

Sunset snorted, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I did!" Wallflower defended, pouting. "And I got pretty far up too!"

"Sure... let's say I believe you..." Sunset finally said, drying her eyes and sitting up. "How'd you get back down?"

Wallflower faltered at that for a moment before sitting back up straight. "I, um... Princess Celestia saved me."

A blink. "What?"

"I flew past the castle, Princess Celestia was out on her balcony. She saw me, and came up to meet me."

Of course she did... Sunset sighed, but waved her on to continue. "Then what?"

"We talked for a bit, she gave me a job of being a gardener here and..."

Sunset raised a brow and waved her hoof in a circle. “And?”

"And, we talked about Nightmare Moon."

Sunset’s nostrils flared with a snort. "Yeah? Did she tell you about how you should stop worrying about an old ponytale too?"

"No..." Wallflower shook her head. "She... she told me that when she returns, she'll have ponies ready to heal her, to cure her of the nightmare."

Sunset grit her teeth, fuming at the prospect that the Princess would keep that information from her, but would tell some random filly. "Did she now?" she sneered.

The other mare faltered, her ears splaying down. "Yes, and... she seemed really sad."

Far from what she seemed like when I asked her... she thought, clearly remembering surprise, but nothing beyond that.

"She doesn't want to leave her alone, she wants to help her."

"Oh, please..." Another scoff escaped her. "She was only saying that to you because you were a foal, and foals will believe anything they're told. She was just trying to appease you, that's all. End of story."

"You're wrong," Wallflower shot back, causing Sunset to rear back in surprise.

"And how do you know that?" Sunset said, recovering, getting up and giving her a glare. "How do you know she wasn't just lying?" Far be it for her to do that...

"I told the Princess I wanted to dedicate a section of the garden to Nightmare Moon," Wallflower said, her features pained. "But I couldn't find the right flowers to do so..."

"What does that have to do with—"

"She left without a word," Wallflower continued, unabashedly. Sunset's eyes twitched, but otherwise kept quiet. "I was confused, thinking that I'd angered her, wondering what she was going to do to me..." Wallflower glanced at the field. "But she returned shortly after, not with the guard, but with a sproutling, a Dusklily."

Sunset resigned to letting her continue without further interruptions, her curiosity outweighing her annoyance. She sat back down, grumpily mumbling something incoherent.

"She told me they were her favorite, a native plant of the Everfree Forest." Wallflower smiled. "I didn't understand the significance of it at the time, but I took it, nurtured it and..." She waved her hoof out in a wide arch before dropping it. "They only bloom in the night, their petals fold up in the day, reverting back into a sproutling state, unassuming—invisible." Sunset thought she caught Wallflower's mouth wavering at that, but it was hard to tell with her head tilted away from her.

So instead, Sunset followed her gaze, her face scrunched up in contemplation as she watched the moon with her.

"Every night," Wallflower punctuated. "Every night she came out here. Sometimes right after raising the moon, sometimes much later, but I always caught a glimpse of her watching over the field. Sometimes briefly, sometimes for much longer, but I always caught her. What does that tell you?" Wallflower inclined her head.

Sunset raised a brow. "That she really likes these flowers, I guess? I don't see what you're getting at," she lied. So what? she thought. She's making up for past sins by having someone else plant nice flowers as a memorial? She held her jeers back, waiting for Wallflower to get to the point already.

Wallflower let out a groan in frustration. "No! I—look, you weren't there, but you should have seen her... She misses her, Sunset, she really does. If she didn't, why would she bother coming out here?"

"Because, Wallflower," she drew out her name in exasperation, spittle flying out, her patience running dry. "She's mocking her."

Wallflower opened her mouth, but was stunned to find her jaw couldn't move, a cyan glow coming from Sunset's horn. Her eyes widened.

Sunset let out a grunt, dropping her magic to rub her temple. "Think about it!" She waved out to the field before them. "She approved a secluded section of the garden—far away from most prying eyes—I'd never even seen this, let alone heard of it!"

Wallflower shuffled uncomfortably in her spot, clearly itching to say something, but opted for rubbing her neck.

"If she really gave a damn about her sister, even just a little bit, why would she keep her mouth shut about her!? The book, remember? Nightmare Moon? Yeah, that's not even her real name! That's just a name she'd adopted after turning into the nightmare, Wallflower! Her name, her real name, isn't even mentioned ONCE!" Sunset seethed, her head jolted to Wallflower who withered under her heated glare.

Sunset took quick, sharp breaths, her hair a shaggy mess, covering an eye. She trembled, her head moving like it was on a swivel. "You don't know her, you've only seen what she wants to show you. You don't get to rule a thousand years without real opposition without adopting a benevolent façade. She's had practice, a lot of it. She told me as much." Her face fell, rage dimmed out in an instant, replaced by cold reality as she turned away. "It's so obvious looking back."

She was such a fool. Celestia never would’ve let her ascend, not if it meant threatening her authority.

The quiet that came after remained for some time, long enough that Sunset began to wonder if she'd scared off the mare—not that she cared, the silence was a nice exchange for misplaced optimism. So why did she feel terrible?

A rustle to her right after some time confirmed she hadn't. "I... I don't know why she kept a secret, but..." Wallflower started out gently, hesitating to move near the other mare at first, but Sunset didn't put up a fuss.

"She has a plan, she told me," Wallflower continued.

Sunset rolled her eyes, but otherwise kept her mouth shut.

"Her sister will be freed soon, and she will have ponies save her from the Nightmare."

Despite Wallflower’s proximity, Sunset didn’t budge, instead letting out a long, bitter sigh. "And then what?" she asked, glancing up at her. "Her sister comes back and everything is fixed and perfectly fine?" She rubbed her head before letting her leg limply fall to her side. "Give me a break... She'll come back, an unknown pony, adjusting to a new world, and be back at square one, ponies not caring about her or her stars. Nothing will change. Celestia will remain the one true ruler and her sister will just have to get over it."

"She made mistakes—they both did. They're not perfect, nopony is."

"Still makes mistakes," Sunset corrected as she spit the ground. "She's making the same mistakes even today. She hasn't learned a thing."

"...You said that I don't know her like you do, but are you sure you know her as much as you think you do?"

Sunset's stare bore holes into her. She was furious, but she couldn't find fault in her question. Sunset would like to say that she did know her past mentor—she'd studied under her for several years at this point, but, after today?

Wallflower shook nervously but stood her ground. "She cares. She cares about her sister, and..." She let out a breath. "I don't know what happened between you two, but... I know she cares about you too."

There it was again, that pestering optimism. Sunset growled. "You don't know what she said, you don't know what she's really like. You don't know her, you don't know me. Stop making baseless assumptions."

Wallflower let out a sigh. "Fine. You're right. I don't know you."

Sunset snorted.

"But I would like to."

A whirlwind of emotions tugged at Sunset, leaving her directionless, speechless. Had she misheard her? No, she certainly did not, but she didn't have the faintest clue how to respond to that. It was so out there, a complete one-eighty from everything that's happened up to that point. When the tempest died down, she settled for the reigning emotion: complete and utter confusion.

Sunset raised her head to stare at her in disbelief. Wallflower shuffled awkwardly in place, appearing unsure of what to say either.

Finally, Sunset broke the silence, "You don't talk to many ponies, do you?" She furrowed her brows.

Wallflower responded by looking off to the side, finding interest in everything else, her silence answering Sunset's question.

She wanted to scoff at her for even suggesting something so asinine.

...But she didn't have the energy for it.

Sunset blew a stray tuft of hair away from her face. "What's there to know?" Not much anymore... She let out a bitter chuckle, deciding to humor her. "Hey, I'm Sunset Shimmer. Now you know me, happy?"

Wallflower sat down, her smile awkward and crooked. "Hi, I'm Wallflower Blush. Nice to meet you, Sunset." She rubbed her own hoof.

Sunset blinked at her, Wallflower blinked back.

They burst out laughing. It was ridiculous, it was awkward, but Sunset at that moment didn't care.

They stayed like for a while—tension all but gone. For a moment, Sunset's worries simmered in the background.

It was… nice?

Sunset was the first to break out of her hysterics, Wallflower following shortly after.

It wasn’t meant to last though. Sunset let out a breath, and got up. “Alright,” she coughed. “Uh, I should probably head back. I’m pretty tired…” It wasn’t a lie, per say, but she felt compelled to leave, she didn’t know how to handle what was happening, and she didn’t want to admit it. She hoped this would all just blow over, and…

Well, she’d just have to see what the next day brings, she guessed.

She got up and started trotting away without another word.

“Wait!”

Sunset paused, inclining her head to give her a glance.

“Will… will I see you again?”

Sunset pursed her lips. She wanted to say no, but she didn’t know, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted. “Why?”

Wallflower gave her a dejected look. “Oh… Um, then…” She trailed off.

Sunset thought that’d be that, but Wallflower continued, “It was nice getting to know you, or well… getting to talk to you, I mean.”

Sunset looked at her like she’d lost her head. Nice? she thought, trying to process that, but failing. What part of their interactions, outside of a brief lapse of cognitive dysfunction would she have considered to have been nice? “Uh, thanks?” she offered, not sure of what else to say.

Wallflower gave her a pained smile. “See you then.” She half-heartedly waved before turning away and heading back, presumably to the section of the garden she’d been working on earlier.

She was slouched, head drooped.

Sunset watched for a moment, biting her lip, turmoil roiling as she felt conflicted at watching the dejected mare slink off.

She wasn’t sure why she seemed to care about seeing her again, Sunset was pretty sure she’d been nothing but an absolute jerk that night to her, so why in the world did she want to see her again?

Better question, why did she feel horrible for any of this?

“Tomorrow!” Sunset yelled, shocked that her voice felt compelled to speak with a mind of its own.

Wallflower stopped, ears perked.

“I uh, you work in the gardens every night, right?” She wanted to facehoof for asking such a dumb question…

“Um, yes…?” Wallflower supplied, facing her now.

Great, now what, Shimmer? She wondered how she’d managed to find herself in this mess, but shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Great, I’ll… swing by sometime tomorrow? Maybe around the same time?”

Wallflower’s mouth formed an ‘o’ and although Sunset couldn’t tell, she’d thought she’d caught a glimpse of a spark in her eyes.

“Uh, okay! Yes. That’d be… nice,” Wallflower chirped, her smile contagious, and making it hard for Sunset not to smile back.

“Alright then…” Sunset rubbed the back of her head. “See you later then.”

“Okay, uh, goodnight, Sunset!” Wallflower waved with much more vigor, before trotting away, head held high, a skip in her step.

Sunset waved as she left, her smile trailing off once she was out of sight. She wasn’t really sure she’d meant it, but she didn’t want to see the other mare so downcast. Why she felt that way, she wasn’t sure, but… it was there.

Just another problem she’d have to deal with…

That wasn’t quite the word. It didn’t really feel like a problem. Problems didn’t make you feel warm inside, did they?

She supposed that if she were stuck there for the foreseeable future, there’d be no harm showing up one more time. Wallflower, although a bit eccentric, didn’t seem all that bad, misguided and sickeningly optimistic, yes, but not bad…

Besides, she was kind of cute.

She blushed, and shook her head, trying to dispel the thought. Where the heck did that come from? she wondered, chalking it up to exhaustion.

She’d deal with that later, as well as… everything else. She groaned. She wasn’t getting much sleep, that was certain, and tomorrow was going to be terrible.

As she began leaving, she paused, taking a glance over her shoulder, the bespeckled sea of blue still there.

But, maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.

Despite no plans of action yet, Sunset found herself leaving that night with a smile.