>A ray of light hits your closed eyelids, rousing you from your slumber
>Upon retrospect, you're glad that the rest of your sleep had been dreamless after witnessing that gruesome meal Lunar Eclipse made for himself last night...
>You sit up and rub your eyes
>Glancing out the window, you see that the sun was only just starting to shine over the horizon
>You must be up earlier than usual
>You see that Philomena is already awake, shifting restlessly on her golden perch
>You were grateful that you had been able to requisition that item from what was formally Prince Solaris's room, and that Lunar Eclipse hadn't decided to throw it out yet.
"Caw."
>Upon making eye contact, Philomena had vocalized her restlessness.
>You give her a soft smile
>"You're probably feeling a little cooped up in this room, aren'tcha?"
>The Phoenix ruffled its feathers and gave its wings a stretch.
"Caw!"
>Eager to give your own limbs a chance to limber up, you throw off the comforter on top of you and climb out of bed.
>"Come on, then. Let's get some fresh air. I could really go for a coffee."
>Trotting over to her, you allow Philomena to flutter onto your back.
>You winced a bit at her talons gripped your soft skin, but it wasn't that bad
>Perhaps you could see about getting a simple leather saddle for when the two of you travel.
>...Not that you intended to travel very far, anymore...
>No, this wasn't the best way to start the day at all
>You do your best to shove away any negative thoughts from your mind, and grab the brush sitting on the vanity nearby
>After a few strokes, your mane is about as tidy as it's going to get before you have your morning shower
>You deem yourself satisfactory for stepping out into the public for a few minutes.
>Leaving your room, you make your way to the palace front entrance
>As you walk through the halls, you pass by guards and servants bustling about, seeing to their morning duties
>You happen to notice the palace cooks loading what appears to be someone's dinner onto a service cart.
>There's only one pony in the castle who would be eating dinner at this early hour
>You suddenly feel a few gentle pecks and prods at the back of your head.
>It seems like Philomena has taken an interest in styling your mane
>"H-hey! Stop that, that tickles!"
>You giggle a little at the ministrations
>She then leans forward, making herself comfortable roosting in the back of your mane.
 
>Stepping out of the castle and into the streets, you bask in the rising sun's warming glow
>Maybe it's that upswing you get after spending 3 weeks in a depressive funk, but you're getting the feeling that today's gonna alright.
>The small bit of weight on your back begins to shift as your passenger prepares to disembark.
>You feel the fluttering of wings as Philomena takes off into the sky
>her red form creates the perfect contrast as she soars up towards the blue sky.
>You canter into town, with Philomena following you overhead
>A feeling of nostalgia hits you as you make your way through the city, it's been a long time since you've just taken a walk through this place for the sake of it
>Even in the wake of a bloody coup and a wicked stallion of darkness seizing the throne, it's still hustling and bustling as usual around here
>In fact... you probably wouldn't even know that the country was under the control of a mythological villain from the looks of things
>It's not quite what you expected, actually.
>No run-down infrastructure, no dreary, scared, sad looking citizens trudging through the streets...
>Surely there's been SOME kind of oppressing change made around here that fits Lunar Eclipse's tyrannical agenda of darkness
>...
>...AHA! Over there! Increased police presence!
>There are TWO Royal Guards relieving that Lunar Guard of duty! Normally there's just ONE.
>This place is getting more and more like a dystopia every day...
>...You miss Solaris.
>A caw comes from above, and you look up.
>Philomena descends from her flight, returning to her perch on your withers
>At least you still have her.
>You won't give up hope yet. Maybe you can figure out a way to bring Solaris back.
>And then you can defeat Lunar Eclipse together.
>...Just like you should have done in the first place on that fateful night...
 
>Holy cow, when did this city get packed with so many terrible coffee places?
>How many Starbucks' can you fit on one street corner?!
>Well, maybe... No, wait. Pumpkin Spice Latte won't be there for another few months...
>Come on, there's gotta be-
>Ah!
>This place look's good.
>Monk's.
>You decide to give this place a try.
>Philomena takes to the sky once more as you head inside the coffee shop.
 
>After overhearing a conversation about "getting caught" from 4 ponies sitting at a table, you decide to pay for your drink and get out of there.
>You head out the door and take a sip of the caffeinated beverage.
>Not bad.
>You begin to walk in the other direction, but suddenly and smoothly, a stallion walks up beside you, chuckling to himself and putting a hoof around you like he was an old friend or something
>Before you can question what the hell this guy's problem is, he steers the both of you towards a nearby alley where another pony is standing.
>You, like an idiot, offer no resistance
 
"You sure this is him?"
"Sure, I'm sure! Look at him! He's the guy."
>This is sounding a little weird to you.
>"Uhm, excuse me... but uh... what the hell is this?"
>The two ponies look at you
"Oh! Er, you're Dusk Shine, right? Student of Prince Solaris?"
>One of the ponies asks
>You angrily roll your eyes
>"No, I'm the OTHER Dusk Shine, the hardwood floor cleaner! We both just happen to have the exact same purple coat and magical stars on our asses. What is this? What's going on?"
>The pony who escorted you into the alley glances to his comrade nervously before speaking
"Ah, you see, we... uh... We're doing a survey on... uh-"
>"Wait a second... I think I recognize you! Weren't you two guards at the castle before you walked out when Lunar Eclipse took over?"
>The stallion's friend suddenly panics
"SHIT!! He knows! Our cover's blown!!"
"FUCKFUCKFUCK!! Time for plan B!"
>A quick punch to the side of your head knocks you down, your coffee spilling onto the ground; you with it.
>The last thing you remember before fading out of consciousness is your body being dragged over to a nearby carpet before rolling you up in it.
 
>Your head is pounding
>Your limbs feel really sore right now...
>...and you can't even move them.
>You slowly, painfully open your eyes to see that you're in... what appears to be an empty apartment of some kind?
>The place is completely empty save for you, the chair you're uncomfortably tied to, and what looks like 3 ponies talking amongst each other on the other side of the room.
>They don't seem to notice that you've woken up.
>You eyeball some pretty large windows on either side of the place
>Maybe you can undo these ropes, then toss th-
>Wait, nope. Magical inhibitor. God damn it.
>You recognize the two stallions who man-handled you into this mess
>The third pony looks to be a mare
"...Did you really need to be so rough with him? He was actually bleeding!"
"W-we panicked, alright?! This guy is supposed to be really good with magic!"
"That doesn't necessarily mean he can take on two trained soldiers in self-defense! He's just a pudgy little student, not exactly trained to fight back!"
>Pudgy?! Who the hell is she calling pudgy?!
>...
>Oh. Right.
>Pudgy.
"What's the ETA on Warhorse One?"
"About 30 minutes, ma'am."
>You cough, getting their attention.
>They all silently turn to face you.
>The mare awkwardly walks towards you
>The stallions rush up to either side of her, and one of them speaks up.
"Ah, why don't you let *us* handle the interrogation, sarge?"
"Yeah, we're good at gettin' answers outta ponies!"
>Before the mare could respond, the two stallions rush over to you
>They just stand there for a moment, glaring at you
>Suddenly, one of them slaps you right across the face
"WHERE ARE THEY?!!"
>You're frozen in the shock of the strike, unable to process what had just been asked of you
>You'd rub your cheek if you could. That really hurt...
>"Oww..."
>This time, the other stallion slaps you on the other side of your face.
"TELL US WHERE THE DRUGS ARE!!!"
>Before anything else could be said or done, both of the stallions are shoved away by the mare
"Alright, you two are done now. Go sit WAAAY over there you fucking lunatics!"
>The stallions give a salute
"Yes, ma'am!"
>She buries her face in her hooves before bringing herself back to greet your slapped and utterly confused face.
"Err, hey there... Don't uh, panic or anything. We're here to help, I swear."
>You feel your eyebrows shifting to a position that would convey the emotion 'pissed off'.
>"'Here to help?' Is that why I'm being kidnapped, BEATEN, and tied to a chair in some place gods-only-know-where after being punched out in an alleyway? Really?! You're here to HELP ME?!!"
>She recoils a little from your brimming temper
"H-hey, easy! Let me explain a little, okay? I'm Sergeant Clover. This is a rescue mission, and backup's on the way. We'll get you out of here, but we need you to tell us everything you know about Lunar Eclipse."
>Sergeant Clover... you're silent for a moment as that name rings a bell.
>"I don't... Wait a second, Sergeant CLOVER? I recognize that name! You're on the list of disavowed palace personnel just like those two over there!"
>You gesture to the two stallions behind her who look away awkwardly, shuffling their hooves.
>Realization hits you like a locomotive.
>"Oh wait...! I know what this is about!"
>Clover leans in, hopeful.
"You do?"
>"Yeah, I do! You're part of a group of resistance fighters trying to take down Eclipse and his forces! ARRGHH!! Why'd you have to get me involved like this?! I don't know anything about Lunar Eclipse, and I'm not going with you! Now just let me go already!"
"Uh oh, I think we're too late! I think Eclipse has brainwashed him!"
>One of the stallions chimes in.
>Clover shoots him a sharp look before turning back to you
"Dusk, this very important. We don't stand a chance against Lunar Eclipse's forces unless YOU help us out! You've been inside the palace for three weeks now, you've been able to get close to him! Isn't there anything you can tell us?"
>You angrily struggle in your restraints
>"NO! I don't know a damn thing, and I'm NOT gonna join your little rinky-dink band of freedom fighters!"
"Oh man, he's totally brainwashed! We're fucked!"
>Clover tells her soldier to shut the hell up.
"But Dusk, you're Solaris's student! Don't you want to get him back?! You can't honestly say you want Lunar Eclipse ruling over Equestria!"
>You give a sigh
>"Of course I don't, I just think you guys are going about this the wrong way. You really think you're going to topple an evil god of the night, let alone his SOLDIERS with small group of fired palace guards?"
>The sergeant shuffles her hooves, uncertain.
"Well, I'm not sure of the details per se... But I hear that the higher-ups of our organization are cooking up a master plan to take him down with magic!"
>You roll your eyes
>"Oh! Oh, MAGIC! Really?! And what magic do you figure will be more powerful than Eclipse's?"
>Clover pauses, remaining silent for a moment.
"The power... of... uh... Love?"
>"You don't have the slightest clue, you do?"
"I do not."
>"You don't even know what kind of plan you're putting your life on the line for."
"Uh... No, sir."
>"You don't even know if they actually have a plan at all."
"Not even a little bit."
>Your expression falls deadpan
>"Yeah, okay, I think we're done here. If you'd be so kind as to untie me..."
>The mare begins panicking, desperate for some kind of answer
"Waitwaitwait! Dusk Shine... you're a student of magic right?"
>You pause, unsure of where this is going
>"...Yeah...?"
"So... you know a lot about magic, right? Like, a LOT?"
>Your pride swells a little
>"Aheheh... Well... I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything, but the research papers on ancient arcane magicks used during the Wandering period that I published HAS been lauded by many high-profile scholars and historians such as-"
"Uh, Yeah, okay, I'm gonna stop that one right there before it starts. I mean magic that could stop Lunar Eclipse! Do you know anything like that!"
>You fall back in your seat as your mind mulls over your failed mission three weeks ago
>Taking a deep breath, you give her what she's looking for.
>"Three weeks ago, I... stumbled upon an old story the night before Lunar Eclipse came back. It said that Solaris defeated him one thousand years ago using magic from artifacts called the Elements of Harmony. I managed to find them in an old castle in the heart of the Everfree, but... I think they were in some kind of hibernation state when I saw them. Eclipse got to them first, and he took them. I don't have a clue what he did with them. He could have them in a vault in the palace, he could have chucked them into a river, hell, he could have sent them to the moon for all I know..."
>Clover rubs her chin with her hoof, intrigued
"So... if we could find these Elements of Harmony, you could figure out how they work, and then use them to defeat Lunar Eclipse! We could bring back Solaris!"
>You give a sigh
>"Yeah, but like I said, I don't even have the slightest clue of where they are now or how they even work. I doubt Lunar Eclipse will be so forthcoming... Look, I really don't want to get involved in this, okay? You and your commandos can do whatever you like, but leave me out of it. I'm not devoting myself to anything until I'm absolutely sure there's a reliable way to fight Eclipse."
>Renewed with vigour, Sergeant Clover stands tall
"If the Elements of Harmony are our only shot a taking down Eclipse, then they're our mission! We're still going to need you to come with us. Let's-"
 
>A sound from outside causes silence to fall inside.
>Everyone in the room looks around for the source of it
>It was... hard to tell what it was...
>Clover turns to her subordinates
"I... I think we might be compromised. I'm going to step outside and check it out, you two lock the door behind me, and keep an eye on the prisoner..."
>The stallions salute their superior as she cautiously makes her way out of the front door of the apartment.
>The two of them are silent, clearly nervous.
>One of them turns to the other
"There's no way they could have found us... right?"
>The other one swallows.
"I... dunno. I heard that Eclipse was... devoting a lot of resources to military R&D..."
"Yeah, but do you think they FOUND us? There's... no way. We made sure we weren't followed..."
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see what appears to be vertical lines of some sort hanging outside the window
>You look to the other set of windows.
>Lines hang outside of them, too...
>Are those... ropes?
>The stallions look out the windows and tense up
>For a few moments, everyone is dead silent and dead still.
>The three of you keep your eyes on the windows, waiting for something to happen
>Suddenly, a cylindrical object is thrown through the window from somewhere up above
>It clanks on the hardwood floor, and lays there
>You look closely at it... it looks like a can or something?
 
>Before you can react, the can on the ground explodes with a loud POP!
>Your vision goes completely white, and you squeeze your eyes shut because they sting so bad
>"AAAARRGHH!!! FUUUUCK!!"
>You feel yourself fall backwards in the chair, the pain of the short impact to the floor is nothing compared to the inferno in your eye sockets right now
>Somewhere behind all of your screaming, you can hear the stallions yell as well, and the windows to either side of you smashing.
"FREEZE!"
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS, NOW!!"
>Those are unfamiliar voices...
>But you're too busy yelling your lungs out in pain to give it much thought.
>You can hear the door being kicked in.
"CLEAR!"
"CLEAR!"
"Dusk! There you are!"
>You recognize Luminous's voice
>You're still thrashing around on the ground, though
>"ARRGHH!!! AHH!! FUUCK, MY FUCKING CORNEAS, ARRHGHHH!!!"
>You feel the ropes holding you to the chair being released
>Immediately you bring your hooves to your tear-filled eyes, madly trying to rub the pain away
"Oh Dusk, I'm so glad we found you!"
>"ARRGHHHH!!!! OH MY GOD IT HURTS SO FUCKING MUCH AAAHHHH!!!"
>There's a pause, but you hear Luminous say something to another pony
"Could you get him, like, some water for his eyes or something...? Yeah, thanks..."
>After writhing around on the ground in pain some more, you feel a pair of hooves bring you up to a sitting position.
>Slowly, you manage to open your eyes just a crack. They still sting like hell.
>You can make out her face
"OOoh... Oh god, Luminous... Lume, what happened?! What the hell WAS that thing?!"
>The Lunar pony gives a nervous chuckle
"O-oh, that's... that's an experimental piece of equipment that was slated for field testing. It's uh... Meant to incapacitate targets without hurting them"
>You look at Luminous as though she had just insulted your mother
>"WELL I'D SAY IT'S BACK TO THE FUCKING DRAWING BOARD!"
>You blurt out
>Luminous gives a hearty chuckle and rubs your back
>A soldier hands her a bottle of water which she proceeds to dump over your face
>You madly rub the water into your eyes, trying to wash out the pain
>After the bottle empties, your eyes still hurt, but it's a little better now, you suppose...
"You really gave the King a scare, ya know, vanishing like that."
>You pause, removing your hooves from your eyes
>"Huh? What do you mean?"
>Luminous raises both eyebrows
"There was a city-wide search for you, Dusk! Eclipse sent out at least 12 squads to turn Canterlot upside down looking for you! The whole city is under lockdown!"
>Somewhere deep down inside, you're kind of... flattered that someone with such authority would devote so much effort into finding you...
"We were actually told directly by Lunar Eclipse himself that lethal force was authorized if we found that you had been taken against your will by someone!"
>She glances over to the two stallions who had imprisoned you
>...They looked rather distraught at what their fate would be...
"I'm... kind of glad that it was *my* squad that found you..."
>You swallow as you ponder what Luminous had told you
>Lunar Eclipse had actually been told to KILL for you if they had to?
>But why? It's not like you were valuable to him or anything. He had told you plenty of times that he wasn't holding you prisoner and that you were free to leave at any time...
>Unless... there was some other reason...
>...No, that couldn't be it. He doesn't like anyone. He's a grumpy old stallion.
>"Hey, how did he find out I had gone missing, anyway? It looked like he was getting ready for bed when I left..."
>A silly grin plasters itself on Luminous's face
"Oh, that's a good one, actually! Apparently, while he was just going to sleep, Philomena had flown into his room and began squawking loudly at him until he got so pissed, that he began chasing after her! I think Philomena must have led him to your empty room, and since you never leave the palace, he must have put two and two together. He ordered a full search of the palace, and after that, commanded that Canterlot be torn apart to find you!"
>That's so strange that he would-
"Damn, I wish they'd go through *these* kind of lengths to find me if I ever got kidnapped. Heh, the King must really like you!"
>The words hit you right in the pit of your stomach, as if to confirm your suspicions
>Before you can think more about the implications of this city-wide search, a sting to your eyes once again elicits a wince from you as you squeeze them tight, pressing your hooves against them.
"Alright, alright... You'll be fine ya big baby. C'mon, let's get you back home."
 
>After a groan, you look to your left to see the two stallions in cuffs and being guarded by several Lunar soldiers
>Like you, they're complaining about their eyes feeling like they're on fire.
>You have every reason to hate these bastards for kidnapping you and beating you...
>...but you kind of feel bad for them. Especially for what's in store for them now that they've been caught.
>They probably weren't bad guys, either. They're fighting for the same cause that you are, after all. They're just going about it differently.
>As she helps you to your hooves, Luminous presses a button on a communicator and speaks into it.
"Your Majesty, we've found Dusk! My squad has secured the building he was being held in. The location is an apartment building on 4677 Brookmere Road, room 21. He appears to be uninjur-"
>Before she can finish her sentence, you can feel dark magic enter the room
>In a flash, Lunar Eclipse stands before you, inspecting the room and everyone in it
>You recoil at his sudden appearance. How could he teleport so precisely so quickly?!
>He looks... really tired. You can see bags under his eyes as he tries to hide them under a stone-stern glare.
>All ponies in the room give a firm salute, save for you and the two cuffed stallions
"Sir!"
>Lunar Eclipse ignores his troops as his eyes settle on his new prisoners
>You can practically feel the heat radiating from his eyes as he glares at them venomously.
>Slowly, he begins walking over to them
"So... Thou art the ones who thought they could steal from Us and escape with no consequence..."
>He stops in front of their madly trembling forms.
>They almost look like they could burst into tears at any moment
>You gulp nervously for them.
>Lunar Eclipse takes a slow deep breath before continuing.
"Thou must know... anyone and anything that resides within the palace walls belongs to US, and US ALONE."
>His brow furrows deeper than you've ever seen, and his teeth clenched with enough force to crack a walnut
"...And to steal someone or something from the palace is to steal from US, PERSONALLY. We will NOT tolerate thieves STEALING FROM US!!"
>One of the stallions shakily rises to his to feet to try to stand up to the dark king
>His courage is clearly flimsy and forced
>The fear in his voice is palpable
"I-I don't c-care how long you lock me up f-for! I-I'll never stop f-fighting for Prince Solaris, y-you... u-usurper..."
>For a moment, Eclipse remains completely still
>His clenched teeth relax as his mouth slowly morphs into a smile
>Suddenly, he gives a hearty laugh
>Everyone in the room remain still as statues.
"OHOhohoho... Oh, mercy... It has been a thousand years since We have had such a guffaw... Though We are afraid that thou does not quite understand what it is We do to ponies who steal from Us. We don't imprison them..."
>Before the stallion could open his mouth to question the king, he was cut off.
"WE EXECUTE THEM!!"
 
>The entire room flashes as magic gathers around Eclipse's horn which is now pointed squarely at the restrained stallions.
"eep"
>As if by reflex, you find yourself jumping to your hooves and rush to Lunar Eclipse's side, the pain in your eyes now ignored completely
>"WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH! H-hey, look, Your Majesty... I-I want these guys to be punished as much as you do, but..."
>Eclipse's face whips around to face yours
"BUT?!!"
>You take a split second to wipe off a bit of spit from the side of your face
>"B-but... I think killing them might be a little extreme...!"
>The stallions nod furiously in agreement
"THESE VERMIN HAVE COMMITTED A PERSONAL CRIME AGAINST THE CROWN, AND WE SHALL USE OUR ROYAL AUTHORITY TO ADMINISTER THE APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT!"
>"I'm pretty sure 'summary execution without trial' is not the appropriate punishment for kidnapping according to the criminal code as implemented by Prince Solaris-"
"SOLARIS IS NOT HERE. HIS RULES NO LONGER APPLY. OURS DO!"
>The energy at the tip of his horn is growing
>You have to do something or these poor stallions are going to be executed right here and now!
>You hesitate, what can you do to convince Lunar Eclipse to spare them?!
>"P-Please! Please let them live! F-for me?!"
>You sense the energy ceasing to increase
>Eclipse's eyeball is focused on you like a laser beam
>It's a dirty move to play on feelings like that, but if it means saving two lives...
>"P-please Your Highness? Spare them... for me?"
>You give the best pleading eyes you can give
>Your heart elates as you can feel the energy slowly decreasing
"They are criminals... They have stolen from Us..."
>You step forward over to the stallions, a little more courage in you
>"I-I'm the one who was kidnapped, so don't you think I should have a say in what I think their punishment should be?"
>The King breaks off eye contact with you, the magic gathering in his horn as dissipated now
>"I-I know you said you wanted to be hard on crime now that you rule this kingdom, but... but... Justice isn't just about removing bad ponies from society... It's about reforming them so they can re-enter society as better ponies!"
>Eclipse doesn't say anything, he silently stares at you
>"N-now... I can tell that these guys... They're not bad ponies. They just did what they thought was right, and what they were doing was for a good cause. With that said, it's still wrong that they kidnapped me and they should pay for their mistake... but we shouldn't KILL them for it, nor should we just lock them up and throw away the key!"
>Sighing, Lunar Eclipse whispered in a hush tone
"Then... what dost thou propose...?"
>You look to both of the stallions, they look at you with a mixture of awe and terror
>Awe that you're talking to the ruthless King of the Night in such a way, and terror that it must cause him to kill you all right there.
>They tremble, but you can tell that they're unspeakably happy that someone is speaking up for them
>Even if it *was* the pony who they punched out and rolled up into a carpet...
>"Though you say you were stolen from, Your Majesty, I was wronged as well. As such, I would like to see these two ponies pay for their crime through... community service."
>You could see the silent wince in His Majesty's eyes at not getting to administer his bloody form of justice, but he held his tongue.
>After a very long moment of silence, Lunar Eclipse gave a long sigh
>As he turned to exit, he addressed his troops
"Bring the two of them to the palace... We shall sort this out later..."
>A huge sigh of relief escapes you as you let your head hang
>You honestly didn't think you'd be able to pull that off, but you did it
>You can't help but smile at the outcome of this situation
>Maybe... Maybe Lunar Eclipse wasn't as cold and heartless as everyone said he was...
>He just needs a little... reminder about compassion every now and again.
>You turn to see the stallions hugging each other tight, glad to still be alive.
>It makes you feel warm inside
>They are escorted out of the apartment by the Lunar Guards, leaving you with Luminous and a few guards securing the scene.
>Luminous gives you a friendly nudge
"Damn, Dusk! I thought for sure those guys would be dead meat! I swear, you must have some kind of power over him that we have no idea of!"
>Your eyes fall downwards
>She was right, there was no way you could deny it now
>This is the second time Lunar Eclipse has spared lives simply because you asked him to
>He definitely liked you more than anyone else.
>But he shouldn't! You're the prized student of his sworn enemy!
>You turn back to the mare beside you
>"Hey, Lume... thanks a lot for... y'know, coming to rescue me..."
>She laughs
"Ahh, don't thank me, Dusk. I was just doing what I was ordered."
>She pauses for a second
"Er- uh, not to say that I wouldn't want to rescue you anyway! I just meant that- It wasn't my idea. I MEAN, not that I was opposed to the idea, it's just that-"
>You raise a hoof to her and smile
>"It's fine, Luminous, I know what you mean. I still appreciate it, though."
"Eheheh... Yeah... But really, if you wanna thank anyone for this, it'd probably be King Eclipse. He's the one who put together this crazy hunt."
>The monster who took Prince Solaris away from you is the last pony you want to be thanking...
>...But she has a point.
>He could have just said "good riddance," but he chose to come find you
>As biased as you are against him, that's still a very noble thing for him to do.
>"Alright, I think I've had enough of this place."
>The mare smiles
"Come on then, let's head home."
 
>It's been about an hour or so since you've arrived back in the palace
>After taking that shower you desperately needed, you figured there's someone you need to pay a visit to
>Luckily the guards posted at his room were ones that partook in the safehouse raid, so they probably knew to expect you
>They let you into the King's quarters
>As you enter, a pony's form lying on the bed stirs beneath the covers.
"Who goes there?"
>He sounds pretty sleepy. You probably shouldn't keep him up too long...
>"Uh, Your Highness? It's me, Dusk Shine?"
>Lunar Eclipse sits up in bed, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Dusk Shine, it is 1 o'clock in the afternoon! How dare thee disturb our slumber!"
>You shuffle your hooves nervously
>"Sorry, Your Highness, I... I just wanted to thank you... for coming to rescue me."
>He tilts his head for a moment of confusion
"There is no need to thank Us, Dusk Shine. Thou art a resident of the palace, and therefore under Our protection."
>"Yeah, well... it was a pretty big deal for me... I really REALLY appreciate it, Your Majesty..."
"Of course, my dear Dusk Shine."
>In what could only be described as a moment of madness, you decide to try something unthinkable
>"So, uh... How was your day?"
>You try to bond with Equestria's worst villain on some kind of level
"Our... day?"
>You shake your head at your mistake
>"Sorry, I mean your night."
>Lunar Eclipse gives you a sort of blank expression
"We... do not understand thy inquiry. How was Our night? Starry, We presume?. We will admit to not quite putting in as much effort into decorating the night sky last night, but we shall make up for it tonight."
>You move closer to Eclipse's bed, getting a chance to see that he had replaced Solaris's pure-white sheets and blankets with purple and black ones.
>"Ah, no, I meant before the uh... City-wide lockdown, did you do anything interesting at all? Anything you wanted to share? Y'know, for the sake of sharing?"
>At first, Eclipse raises an eyebrow, suspicious and guarded at your question
>But he decides to ease up
"Very well, if thou art curious, We had spent most of the night becoming familiar with modern technology."
>Oh boy, this should be good.
>"Modern technology? Like what?"
>The king gestured to his nightstand where a rectangular device lay atop it.
>Connected to it appeared to a thin cord of sorts, which separated into two ends that had two small bud shapes on the tips.
"A company from Manehatten imparted Us this gift several nights ago in exchange for promising not to eat the families of any of their workers."
>Your face scrunches up at this
>"They paid tribute... so you wouldn't eat their families? Seriously?"
>Eclipse scoffed and rolled his eyes
"Verily! The jest is on the other hoof, however, as We would not have devoured any of their kin, regardless!"
>You chuckle. It's amazing how some ponies let old stories get to their heads-
"No, We do not particularly enjoy the taste of horse meat. The flavour simply does not suit Us."
>You keep nodding with terrified interest, removing that last sentence from your memory.
>Eclipse looks back to the thing on his nightstand.
"We were told it is a device that allows for the portable storage of music that can be listened to anywhere! We thought such a concept to be utterly ludicrous, but alas, it actually works!"
>He's smiling.
>Not evilly, but genuinely smiling.
"We were so amazed by such a device that we spent the majority of the night acquiring a taste for the music of this age!"
>You try to fight it, but you can't help but smile, too
>...just a little...
>"Oh, really? And what do you think of it so far? Any songs that you like?"
>He looks absolutely elated to tell you.
"Oh Dusk Shine, We think it positively grand! The music of this age is unlike anything We have ever heard before in Our long life! The beats, the sounds are so... so... Exotic and astounding! Oh! There was one musical piece We were rather fond of in particular... According to the lyrics, the song is about a stallion who wears sun-protective eyewear during the night time! Is that not the most outrageous thing thou has ever heard?!"
>This is the monster who took Prince Solaris away...
>The last thing he deserves is your fraternizing, let alone your thanks...
>...So why can't you stop smiling with him?
>"Heheh Yeah, that's a pretty good one. I like that one, too. Did you do anything else? Try out any other cool pieces of modern tech?"
>Maybe today he can be your friend...
>Just for today...
"Oh! We did discover the most glorious form of entertainment! Moving pictures! With sound, no less! For the longest time we simply stood staring at it, mouth agape in awe! We were so taken by the discovery that We did not even pay attention to what was happening in the picture! The most delightful stories could be told with these "movies" a servant called them. We were shown several extraordinary stories of an extremely skilled and fantastic secret agent..."