Another Night - Part 4

>"...and even though it really burned my eyes, I'm doing just fine now. It's been a crazy week, but please don't worry yourself, I'm still hanging in there. If I can work up the courage to leave the palace again, I'll come visit you. Love you lots, your son, Dusk Shine."

>With a final stroke of your quill, you sign off on your letter

>You fold the letter and place into an envelope, intent on sending it on its way later

>With your only task completed, you absentmindedly turn around to face your only company

>She stares back at you, ruffling her feathers a bit

"Caw"

>You shrug

>"I dunno... Do you... wanna play a board game or something? I think I've got Sorry! around here somewhere..."

"Caw"

>"Oh... right, no hooves..."

>Rubbing the back of your head awkwardly, you try to think of something else to do.

>"Did you wanna go for another walk around the palace?"

"Caw! Caw!"

>Philomena shakes in frustration

"Caw!"

>You glance behind you to the window

>It's obvious what she wants to do, and it's unfair of you to keep her cooped up like this.

>"L-look... I'm sorry, Philomena, but I... I-I really don't feel comfortable going outside for awhile... Not after what happened..."

>Remembering that entire ordeal creates a bad feeling in your stomach

>and it makes you feel worse that your sudden agoraphobia is keeping down another.

>"O-Okay... Here..."

>Stepping closer to the window, you unlatch it and push it open

>"I'll let you go fly on your own for a little while, but PLEASE try to stay out of trouble?"

>You expect her to take off immediately at the invitation, but you're surprised to see her not moving from her perch at all.

>Your head tilts a little in confusion. Wasn't this what she wanted?

>"Philomena?"

"Caw."

>It seems as though she doesn't want to leave the palace if you can't come with her.

>You give a small sigh at your own weakness and shut the window

>Walking over to the bird's perch, you affectionately place a hoof around Philomena and lean in

>It's probably the closest you can get to actually hugging a bird

>The Phoenix return the gesture somewhat by leaning is, as well

>"Thanks, girl. I-I... really appreciate your understanding..."

>You pause, swallowing.

>"I-I'll try not to keep us in here for very long, alright?"

>You feel the ruffling of feathers tickling your side

"Caw"

>After releasing her from the half-embrace, Philomena gives her feathers one final ruffle before stretching her wings and nestling her head beneath one of them.

>You almost didn't notice that it was dark out

>Wow, how late was it?

>The clock says 12:57 AM, but you don't feel tired at all.

>Yeesh, your sleep schedule is starting to become nocturnal

>Maybe that's Lunar Eclipse's evil plan... Slowly turn all of ponydom into night ponies

>...Starting with you.

>You gotta say, that's not really the most evil of plans that you'd expect out of him.

>Lunar Eclipse. Again, your thoughts are on him.

>Maybe...

>No...

>Well, perhaps... Perhaps you see what he's up to?

>Just for curiosity's sake

>You need something to do, and you're wide awake, that's all.

>You are seeking his company for no other purpose than to occupy yourself until you deem yourself relaxed enough to get to sleep.

>That is all.

>With your mission in mind, you step out the door.

 

>There's just one problem...

>You don't actually know where Lunar Eclipse is right now.

>You checked the throne room, he wasn't there

>This entire place is empty, save for a pair of guards at their post.

>That's weird...

>Perhaps one of them knows where Lunar Eclipse is.

>You approach one of the soldiers

>"U-uh, excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to know where the king is, would you? He holds his court around this time, doesn't he?"

>The Lunar guard turns to face you, the yellow eyes and slitted pupils still freak you out

"His Majesty Lunar Eclipse has opted to cancel tonight's session of court. I believe he is still in the library at this moment."

>He cancelled court to spend time in the library, huh? Maybe you were a little quick to dismiss the two of you having any common ground

"A-alright, I'll head over there. Th-thank you..."

>You turn to head to your new destination

"...Although, I'm not sure it would be a wise idea to disturb him at the moment..."

>You stop and look back

>"Huh? W-what do you mean by that?"

>The guard breaks his stoicism in just the slightest bit as he tries to find the right words

"Well... He hasn't told us that he wishes to remain undisturbed *per se*, however, he has instructed us not to respond if we hear any loud noises coming from the library while he is in there."

>Your face scrunches in confusion

>"What? Why would he tell you that? That doesn't make any sense."

>The guard's expression returns to neutral as he explains

"We were not given any more information other than that. We're not sure what King Eclipse is doing in the library."

>If your mind were perverted, the first conclusion it would jump to is that the king is currently having sex with someone in the library

>And how could you blame him? You can't think of a more romantic place to take a lover into carnal relations...

>...Surrounded at all sides by tall bookcases, containing hundreds of tomes from times long past, hoping that they would provide the privacy desired for the act of unrestrained lust...

>...The room completely quiet, save for the slapping sound of flesh on flesh and stifled moans of entwined lovers desperately trying to keep their voices down, lest their shameful, private act be discovered.

>Many a time have you fantasized about taking a beautiful mare in the quiet, relaxing depths of the library...

>...or BEING taken...

>...But your mind is not perverted

>So you're not thinking about that

>At all

>Not even slightly

>And certainly not about Lunar Eclipse

>Nonono, not just because he bears an uncanny resemblance to your former teacher who you respected and loved

>BUT NOT IN THAT WAY, That's RIDICULOUS

>Yes, Prince Solaris was incredibly, unspeakably handsome...

>...His kind soothing voice would whisper all sorts of teachings and sweet nothings that could put you in a relaxed state even if you had just been diagnosed with a terminal illness

>...Yes, it wasn't hard to imagine Solaris as the most gentle of lovers, easing his partner into a state of ecstasy with gentle, tender ministrations of kisses, with the odd love bite mixed in...

>...While holding you in his embrace, he strokes your mane softly and tells you that out of all of his most faithful students, you make him the most proud...

>...You would gladly be teacher's pet...

>...And those legs of his...

>...Firm, toned thighs must run in his family, that's for sure.

>So shapely and tempting it makes your mouth salivate...

>Oh what you would give to sink your teeth into a mouthful of that yellow sun or purple ink-splotched moon...

>...

>But only a PERVERT would think that way about his teacher and/or his teacher's brother/sworn enemy

>Which you're not.

>So you're not actually thinking it.

>Not right now.

>Not ever.

>You're a good pony who doesn't think of such dirty, depraved things.

"Sir? Are... are you alright?"

>Oh shit, you've just been standing there this whole time

>You try to save whatever face you have left

>"U-uh uh, e-er, th-thanks!"

>Scolding yourself looking like such an idiot, you scamper off towards the library anyway, despite the guard's warning.

 

>Upon stepping into the palace library for the umpteenth time in your life, the first thing you notice is dead silence

>A small, deeply-buried part of you is disappointed

>You don't see Lunar Eclipse around...

>Maybe he's somewhere else in here

>You check the natural history and magical theory sections but don't find anyone

>Huh... well that confirms it. If he's not banging anyone in the most erotic spots in the library, then that's not what he's doing here...

>You head over to there reading area

>...and there he is.

>He has his back towards you, reading in front of the library's iconic window

>As it happens, the library in Canterlot Palace has the most amazing view in all of Equestria

>Located on the other side of the castle facing away from the city, almost the entire other side of the country can be seen from the extremely large window.

>Well... not really. Half the size of Equestria was still a lot bigger than what you could see from here... but it was still pretty fantastic.

>Refocusing your attention to King Eclipse, you notice his posture

>He's hunched over a book.

>His shoulders look tense...

>To either side of him, you see books piled and sprawled about

>Glancing at the ones you can see, you notice a common theme among them

>They're all history books, a few of them are mythology ones

>Floating in a magical grip close to his head is a glass filled with an amber-coloured fluid, probably brandy.

>Some alcoholic drink you can't discern from appearance alone.

>You take a few silent steps closer, but you're pretty nervous

>You have no clue what kind of mood he's in

"Tell me, dear Dusk Shine... Do you have any siblings?"

>The sudden address startles you since he didn't turn back to face you, or even give any indication that he noticed your entrance

>God, you wish he'd stop doing that...

>Wait... his royal dialect dropped

>He must be in a really bad mood.

>The question catches you off guard

>Nevertheless, you form a coherent answer

>"I-I... have a sister. She was in the military, but she's... She's been declared AWOL."

>You swallow, both out of nervousness and in a pang of grief

>Gleaming Shield's disappearance wasn't something you liked to think about

>She was your big sister, and you loved her. When your father had written to you that she had disappeared without a trace in the wake of so many Royal Guards either revolting or abandoning their duties, it devastated you.

>You should have more hope for your sister, but you couldn't but feel as though you had just received word that she had been killed in action.

>Lunar Eclipse remained silent for a moment

"I take it that you were very close with her."

>You hesitate in remembrance

"Y-yeah. She was... She was really great. Growing up, she used to take me to the park after school, and we'd play on the jungle gym for hours. She'd always tease me for being so tired and out of breath when it was time to go home... She kept in better shape than I did, I guess..."

>The king raises his head from his book and looks forward, but still doesn't turn to face you

"...I miss her every day..."

>He takes a slow, deep breath before very subtly gesturing for you to come closer.

>You accept the invitation, standing just a bit behind him to his side.

>"D-don't you ever miss *your* brother?"

>The second you finished that sentence, you regretted it.

>You should know better than to bring *him* up in front of Lunar Eclipse.

"...Not even a little bit."

>Mentally, you wipe a line of sweat off your figurative forehead.

>You were expecting a much more violent response.

>"...b-but... He's your brother... Even after a thousand years, weren't you even a *little* happy to see him again?"

>You falter, your head drooping

>"...Before you... banished him...?"

>You expected a snarling denial from Lunar Eclipse, but instead, he remains still and does not respond.

>For the what feels to be an eternity, silence reigns in the library.

>The black king takes a sip from his drink, his attention still focused on the book in front of him.

>Finally, he speaks up... softly.

"Dusk Shine..."

>With restrained eagerness, you lean in

>You don't exactly know why... but there's something about the way Lunar Eclipse is opening up to that makes you...

>...Listen? Care?

>Why?

>Maybe it was your natural desire to know more, and ever since Eclipse had shown there was more to him than previously thought, you couldn't help but bite.

"You fancy yourself as someone well-read in Equestria's history, both modern and ancient, correct?"

>That wasn't quite what you were expecting, but you perk up nonetheless.

>"Er, yeah, I've written tons of papers for my professors that have receiv-"

>You stop yourself right there.

>"Uh, er... Yes. Yes, I do, Your Highness."

"Tell me what you know of The Northern Wind."

>You blink for a second at the seemingly unrelated inquiry

>But the scholar within you begins to articulate everything you know, regardless.

>"Oh, uh, The Northern Wind? That was the nickname given to a ruthless general in Sombra's armed forces over a thousand years ago, right? His real name was Gretchkin of Ballimere, and he earned the moniker of 'The Northern Wind' after he became infamous for his campaign of genocide South of what was formally The Crystal Empire after King Sombra's defeat by Prince Solaris. Apparently the troops he commanded struck villages quickly and brutally, sweeping through like a harsh wind, leaving little or no survivors. His body count was estimated to be in the thousands before Solaris was finally able to track him down, and executed him and his troops for their crimes."

>You take a breath, hopefully impressing Eclipse with your knowledge

>He doesn't seem to respond

>"That's... that's what you were looking for... right?"

>He takes another drink

>He likely has no idea how much this silence is killing you

>Or maybe he *does*.

"...It was *I* who tracked Gretchkin down. It was *my* Lunar Forces who executed him and his soldiers. Not Solaris."

>You shuffle in place a little, unsure of how to respond

>"O-oh... I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't know..."

"How could you? This is how it was written in these history books."

>His voice is emotionless

>It's impossible to know what he's thinking.

"The recount of Gretchkin's defeat was correct one thousand years ago. Over the years I have been away, Solaris must have slowly and subtly changed it to erase any mention of I. Now *this* is what the ponies of Equestria believe to be historically correct."

>Another sip.

>You remain silent, completely terrified that one wrong word could be your last.

"I found it impossible to believe at first. The name and deeds of a sadistic murderer have been remembered for a thousand years, and yet, any memories left of the former co-ruler of Equestria have been lost or grotesquely morphed into an old mare's tale and a ridiculous holiday meant to scare children."

>His brow furrows, finally showing some emotion

>Not necessarily good, though

>He turns to you, raising a knowing eyebrow as if knowing what you're thinking

"For the name of one sadistic murderer to be lost and replaced with this lesser one? Hmph. I feel insulted on another level..."

>Finally, he finishes the last of his drink, still holding onto the empty glass.

>He returns his hard gaze to the book.

"A thousand years is a long time. Plenty of time to change history. Plenty of time to... erase mistakes. All of it is gone. My past, my blood, sweat, and tears that went into building this kingdom... Even my... true name... Erased. He imprisoned me, took my kingdom from me, and slowly erased me from existence... like a mistake being corrected..."

>Now is the time you decided to interject

>"W-wait now, S-Solaris would never do something like that..."

>It would only take a fraction of a second for you to regret your decision.

>"H-he would never do something s-so-"

"Vile?! Despicable?!"

>His head quickly snaps in your direction, the fires of hell in his eyes

"Pure, noble Solaris would *never* do something so horrible as IMPRISON his own brother for a millennium and then REMOVE any record of him having ever EXISTED?!"

>The air in the library begins to feel thick

>Harsh magic permeates through the room, making it feel a little uncomfortable for someone as magically attuned as you...

>Suddenly, the glass in Eclipse's magical grip implodes, a thousand shards of glass fall to the floor as he releases the remains.

>As the alicorn stands up to all-fours, you scamper back in terror

>you've really done it, now

"EVERYTHING! Everything I've ever done, everything I've ever accomplished, everything I've EVER GIVEN TO THIS KINGDOM, has been ERASED and STOLEN by my LOVING, CARING BROTHER!!"

>He snarls, baring his razor sharp teeth

>Every animal instinct in you is telling you to run for your life

>You haven't been this scared since you first faced him in the Everfree forest.

>You want to try to formulate some kind of response, but both your hooves and your mouth are frozen in terror.

"I have been reduced to a FAIRY TALE to scare small children!! My PAST, my ENTIRE SELF has been CAST ASIDE, FORGOTTEN, DESTROYED!! And replaced with what?!"

>The book he had been reading is levitated up into view

>Unlike before, he doesn't bother looking at it

>This time, focused squarely on YOU.

"Replaced with these... these... LIES!!"

>Your eyes widen and you gasp as the book is suddenly engulfed in deep purple fire.

>Before your eyes, the book is reduced to ash in just a quick moment.

>With the fury of a rabid animal, Lunar Eclipse whips around, grabbing every book in his sight

"ALL OF IT! GONE!! ARRGHHH!!! DAMN YOU, SOLARIS!!"

>The force of the Royal Canterlot voice rips through the heavy air of the library, but you're too frozen by fear to protect your ears

>One by one, books are quickly brought forth and incinerated by the rage of Equestria's ruler

"BASTARD!!"

>Fireball after fireball, ashes continue to float gently to the floor of the palace library

>His fury becomes more concentrated as he begins to channel it through his horn

>Taking aim at several stacks of bookcases, they too go up in flames

"BACKSTABBING SNAKE!!"

>Another

"FUCK YOU!!"

>After

"FUCK YOU!!"

>Another

"I WILL *NOT* BE FORGOTTEN!! NNNAARGHHH!!"

>You struggle to find feeling in your limbs, agonizing horror still gripping you

>Still staring with eyes as wide as dinner plates, jaw locked open

>Not one, but several bookcases that still stood untouched are suddenly grabbed by the Lunar god's magic

>In one swift motion, the three large, wooden structures are hurled through the massive glass window and sent plummeting into the valley below.

>The sound of the glass shattering and the heavy wood furniture crashing to the ground at near-terminal velocity from far away is enough to snap you out of your stupor

>If you were really as smart as you hailed yourself to be, you would have kept your mouth shut just now

>But you didn't.

>"Then what was it?!"

>You don't even try to hide the heart-gripping terror in your voice

>It's painfully obvious that you're just one step away from losing control of your bladder at this point.

>Eclipse's head instantly snaps to your direction.

"WHAT?!"

>Internally you're begging for any force above to protect you from an instantaneous death at this moment

>Your breaths are shallow and rapid, and you swallow

>'nervously' would be the most grotesque of understatements.

>"W-wh-what's e-erased and destroyed c-can be rebuilt, ri-right?! Y-your real name isn't Lunar Eclipse? Th-then what is it? L-let it be remembered again!"

>Lunar Eclipse continues glaring at you, an eye twitches, and his posture still tenses with rage

>There's no other sound in the ransacked library apart from his heavy breathing

>If you were about to throw up right now, your own heart would be the first thing out of there

>Slowly and deliberately, the infuriated Knight of the Stars makes his way closer and closer to you

>Your body's survival instinct takes over, scampering backwards to get away from the incoming threat to your life

>...But your escape attempt is cut short.

>You trip on something and fall flat on your ass

>Oh god, he's going to kill you right here and now

>You cower, squeezing your eyes shut and throwing your hooves over your head, tears forming in your eyes

>You wait for it...

>...But nothing comes.

>With every bit of caution, you slowly open your eyes

>You crane your neck up, but Lunar Eclipse is no longer in front of you

>Looking to your side, you see that he's standing further down the room, away from you

>His head is hung low in dejection.

"Artemis."

>He says it simply

>You sit up, cocking your head a little

>If you could form any words right now, 'What?' would probably be the only thing you could come up with

>Like usual, he doesn't look back to you as he addresses you.

"...If you dare utter that name to another... it will be the last word to escape your lips..."

>His threat lacks the usual... venom, or bite that it usually has...

>Just a plain statement lacking any kind of emotion or promise

>Saying nothing else, the king of Equestria shuffles around the corner and out of view

>The sound of the library doors opening and then closing echoes throughout the room, signalling his exit.

>With a slow deep breath, you bring yourself back onto your hooves, and then run one down the side of your face.

>Shattered glasses, broken wood, and piles of ashes surround you, filling you with a feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach.

>No longer wanting to be in this destroyed room, you turn to make your way back the way you came.

>The destructive fury and sorrow of the Night would be seared into your memories for years to come...