“That was most strange,” Luna stated as they put more distance between themselves and the city of Megaton.

“That’s Moira for you,” Sarah said with a shake of her head. “I haven’t known her long, but she seems to only have three moods. Hyper, crazy, and hyper crazy.”

Luna nodded slowly as she thought back to the way the brown haired woman had gone on for nigh on an hour about her beauty and perfection, all the while simultaneously speaking with Sarah about something called the ‘Wasteland Survival Guide’.

After an hour though, Luna’s patience had begun to grow thin. She didn’t know why, and she couldn’t explain it, but even though the woman was complimenting her... Luna felt uncomfortable. Was it the fact that she’d felt like she was more of a... toy to the woman? No... toy wasn’t quite the right word. Stuffed animal perhaps? No. Oddity. Yes, that was the word, to Moira she was a beautiful oddity.

Or maybe we are simply so smitten with Sarah that her words sounded hollow in our ears, Nightmare commented, only causing Luna to snort.

Have you truly become so one-note that that is all that you speak of? Luna asked her with the mental equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

We are not ‘one-note’, Nightmare replied angrily. There is simply not much for us to speak about. Perhaps you would enjoy hearing once more about how we wish we could conquer our sister? Or maybe about the glories of Eternal Night? she let out an exasperated ‘breath’. We have nothing better to do until we have returned to our full power so that we may merge ourselves once more.

Luna thought about that for a moment before she frowned. I... suppose I had not thought of that. Is there anything that you’d like to talk about?

At the moment; no... we are at a loss, Nightmare replied sourly. We have been making do mocking your attempts to woo Sarah and I suppose we shall continue until something more interesting appears.

Luna remained silent as she walked beside Sarah who was giving her a sideways look.The perceptive woman had seen her facial expressions as she spoke with Nightmare and had concluded that she was once again speaking to herself.

“So... the other you... the one that can go into my dreams... what’s up with that?” Sarah asked slowly.

“Hmm?” Luna asked. “Oh... you meant Nightmare.”

“You call the other you ‘Nightmare’?” Sarah asked her, a look of surprise on her face as they passed a riverboat wharf where an old woman was sitting on a rocking chair.

“No... I do not,” Luna said, shaking her head. “That is Tia’s name for her... and it stuck.”

“Okay...” Sarah said, frowning. “I guess that kind of makes sense... but not really.”

Luna looked over at the woman. “It is not something that one can understand simply; perhaps I could answer the question about dreams first?”

“Alright,” Sarah replied as her eyes began to scan the buildings around them, on the look out for Talon Company mercs, raiders or worse. “What’s up with that?”

"Tis one of the branches of magic that I developed during my younger years,” Luna answered. “Anyone with enough knowledge may practice it, though much to my disappointment few ever chose to.”

“Really? Why not; who wouldn’t want the ability to travel into other people’s dreams?” Sarah asked her with a raised eyebrow.

“Those who do not trust me or those who would rather distance themselves from the glory of the Night,” Luna stated. “I was laughed out of the last magic conference when I attempted to explain it... though that may have simply been because the unicorns did not like the idea of there being a type of magic executable by anypony and they did not wish the idea to spread.”

“That’s bullshit,” Sarah said with a scowl.

“Yes, yes it is,” Luna agreed with a fierce smile. “I did not once help any of them as they suffered from their nightly terrors.”

“Serves them right,” the woman said with a nod of her head. “So... how does it work?”

Luna’s face brightened at the question. “Well, firstly you must have the proper frame of mind. The realm of dreams is not one for the faint of heart and you must be ready to face the worst things that ponies could be thinking...” she trailed off, a look of great pain clouding her face before she shook her head. “Anyways, then you must concentrate and eventually you will find yourself ‘floating’ in the dream realm where anything is possible. Once there, find the closest Dream Nexus and use it to travel to whichever dream you desire.”

Luna paused to look over at Sarah who was looking at her blankly. “What?” she asked, utterly baffled by the words coming out of the alicorn’s mouth.

Imbecile, Nightmare grouched. Give her the idiot’s version. Luna let out an internal snort of anger at the Nightmare, but did as she suggested.

“Once you’re asleep if you concentrate hard enough a group of roads will appear,” Luna explained. “Those roads lead to dreams and from there you may enter them.”

“Oh, that... still doesn’t make much sense,” Sarah said slowly. “I mean... what do you mean concentrate hard enough? Who can concentrate when they’re asleep?”

Why are we wasting our precious breath explaining something this simple? Nightmare questioned Luna who ignored her once more.

“It is a skill,” Luna answered Sarah. “I have heard it called lucid dreaming; though that is a gross simplification of the actual process and the term does not exactly match up.”

“Lucid dreaming?” Sarah inquired prompting Luna to frown at her.

“Yes, lucid dreaming, when one has complete control over their dreams,” she stated. “Sarah... I wonder about you sometimes.”

Sarah shrugged. “It’s not like I ever needed to learn about this stuff,” she said with a frown as her hunting rifle moved back and forth in her hands. “I’m not stupid Luna... I just never really cared a lot about the things Mister Brotch tried to to teach me,” she told the mare. “I mean, once I’d gotten through the G.O.A.T. all I really had to worry about was the stuff that had to do with being a security officer so I ignored the rest.”

“I... did not mean to imply that you were stupid, Sarah,” Luna said carefully.

Although she is, Nightmare added snidely.

Quiet! Luna shot back.

“Really? Because first it was about my not knowing math well, and now it’s about me not knowing what a ‘lucid dream’ is,” Sarah replied, giving Luna an annoyed glance.

I told you she would hate us, and betray us, Nightmare muttered quietly in the back of Luna’s mind.

“I never said you were stupid!” Luna protested.

“Yes you did!” Sarah insisted. “I mean, you may not have actually said it, but I know you were thinking it!”

Luna hung her head. “I... you are right,” she muttered.

“Knew it,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “Thanks a lot Luna, at least you’re honest,” she added sarcastically.

And now she mocks us! Nightmare exclaimed, outraged.

“Forgive me?” Luna asked her hesitantly. Sarah frowned at her, but then shook her head.

“Yeah, sure,” the woman said, brushing her black hair out of her eyes. “Just... please don’t call me stupid.”

What? Nightmare asked in surprise. It was that easy to turn her loyalty back to us?

“I promise I will not call you stupid,” Luna told her, leaning over to give Sarah a slight nuzzle on the cheek.

The woman raised an eyebrow at that but nodded. “Thanks,” she said. “I’ve been called stupid a lot before and it always gets on my nerves...”

“I’m sure...” Luna trailed off for a moment. “Is there any way that I may make it up to you?””

“Keep being a good pillow,” Sarah answered with a small chuckle. “You're the softest thing I’ve ever slept on, even in the Vault.”

Luna let out a barking laugh. “Ha! That is the first time I’ve ever heard that,” she said with a smile. “Surely though, there must be something more I can do.”

“Well...”

“This is degrading,” Luna muttered angrily.

WE ARE GOING TO @#@#@#@ her and @#$@#@#$#! Nightmare shouted at the top of her ‘lungs’, her rage rendering almost all her words unintelligible.

“You did ask how you could make it up to me,” Sarah replied from her place on Luna’s back. “Now giddy-up!” she shouted, tapping Luna lightly in the sides with her feet.

Luna turned back to look at the smiling woman with her large blue eyes. “Do not push it,” she stated flatly before a thought occurred to her.

Have my wings recovered enough for this? she asked the Nightmare.

AND THEN WE WILL-what? Nightmare asked, startled out of her rant by Luna’s questioning thought.

Are my wings recovered? Luna asked her again.

We... believe so, Nightmare stated slowly. A slow, evil smile spread across Luna’s face as she looked at Sarah whose eyes widened.

“Luna... why do I not like the way you’re looking at me?” the woman asked carefully.

“You did say that you wanted to ride upon me, did you not?” Luna asked her with a raised eyebrow, evil smirk still in place.

“Umm... yes,” Sarah said, patting Luna’s side uncertainly.

“Well, I suppose it’s time for the ride to start!” Luna exclaimed. “Hold on tightly, I would prefer you not fall.”

“Wha-” Sarah began but was cut off as Luna began to sprint forward, forcing her to grab onto the mare’s neck or risk being thrown off.

Luna’s great blue wings expanded like twin sails of feathers and began to beat powerfully. With each beat, they began to rise a bit off of the ground and Sarah’s eyes widened as Luna fully left the ground. It took the midnight blue alicorn several more large flaps, before she was fully airborne, but once she was she rose rapidly above the buildings and cracked concrete.

Sarah, who had pressed her face into Luna’s neck in fear, slowly pulled herself away as she took the opportunity to look around. She immediately regretted said decision... the world beneath her spun and she let out a shriek of fear before burying her head once more in Luna’s soft fur.

She is truly a foal, Nightmare stated with a scoff.

In her defense, I do not believe that she has ever flown before, Luna replied before taking a look back at Sarah.

“Sarah, you are perfectly safe, I will not allow you to fall,” Luna told her as her powerful wings continued to pump. “I promise.”

“I-we-we’re flying,” Sarah gasped out.

“Yes, I do believe we are,” Luna agreed nonchalantly. “Or more specifically, I am flying and you are merely here for the ride,” she said, chuckling a little.

Sarah took a deep breath and once more pulled herself out of Luna’s starry mane which had begun to flow over her face in the wind. She took another deep breath and looked down at the city below them, what she saw took her breath away.

From the air, the destroyed city had a strangely... beautiful look. It was like looking at a tragic, living painting. The crumbling buildings and cracked, blood-stained concrete, even the raiders who she saw poking around in the ruins like ants over a corpse, added to the imagery. To their left the lightly glowing river ran under a bridge, and on the horizon Sarah saw a massive pentagonal building.

“This... this is amazing,” Sarah breathed.

“Indeed it is,” Luna said with a soft chuckle. “Welcome to the world of the air.”

Sarah glanced down at her Pip-boy and to her surprise found that they were indeed heading in the right direction. After a few moments of looking around, she leaned her face into Luna’s soft neck once more.

“Thank you Luna,” she whispered, though how Luna managed to hear her over the wind, the woman knew not.

“You’re welcome Sarah,” Luna said with a small smile on her face. “I do believe that we should travel like this all the time. Less chance of being ambushed, no?”

“Yeah...” Sarah murmured.

Meanwhile, Sarah Lyons was standing atop the walls of the Citadel leaning on the rail with a small frown on her face. She’d heard on the radio that Sarah and Luna had helped him with his broadcasting array and had since then returned to Megaton. The blonde woman shook her head, she could still hardly believe the pair, or more particularly, she could hardly believe that Luna existed. Yet she did and they’d both helped immensely against the mutants.

“Next time I see them... I’ll have to see about giving them a real reward,” Lyons mused to herself as her eyes scanned the horizon.

Then, her jaw dropped.

Flying on the horizon was a familiar blue alicorn with a black haired woman riding on her back.

Knight Captain Dusk walked up beside her.

“Sarah, you know we’ve got a patrol soon,” the asian woman informed her.

Sarah continued to stare at the horizon and numbly pointed a finger. Dusk’s eyes followed the finger and then her eyes widened too.

“Well... that’s something you don’t see every day.”

The flight continued for close to half an hour, by the end of which Luna looked thoroughly winded while Sarah was shivering violently. Luna daintily set them down on the road close to the enourmous metal form of Rivet City before Sarah all but collapsed off of her back. The woman let out a groan as she rubbed her inner thighs, her face a mask of pain.

“Owww,” she moaned. “I didn’t think it would hurt this much.”

Her inner thighs felt like they were on fire as a deep aching burn welled up from within them, her rubbing barely helped.

“Are you okay?” Luna asked her in concern.

“No... not really,” Sarah said slowly. “I... think I’ll need a minute to recover.”

She needs a moment to recover? We were the ones who carried her for half an hour! Nightmare exclaimed angrily.

Hush, it was not that bad, Luna replied, shaking out her mane and using her magic to pull a small comb she’d picked up at Moira’s out of her bags and running it through her mane and down her fur. We have traveled far longer with far greater weight.

Bah, we still cannot believe that you made us suffer the indignity of allowing her to ride us, Nightmare snorted. Nor that you are suggesting that it will become our normal way of travel...

Would you rather we be shot by every roving ruffian in the Wasteland? Luna asked her.

We... no.

Luna craned her neck down to look at Sarah. “Have you recovered enough to walk Sarah?” she asked her.

"Yeah... I think,” Sarah said as she struggled to her feet and then fell into Luna’s black armoured side. “Oww,” she muttered, pushing herself off of Luna again and beginning to walk bowlegged up towards the City.

Luna followed along beside her, an amused smile on her face as Sarah hobbled along.

“So, was the flight worth the pain?” Luna asked her curiously.

Sarah was silent for a moment before answering. “Yeah, yeah it was,” she said softly. “Thanks Luna.”

“You’re very welcome, it was my pleasure,” Luna replied, giving the woman a friendly nuzzle which almost knocked her off of her feet. “Sorry.”

Sarah shook her head. “No problem,” she said as her eyes looked over the colossal form of Rivet City. “My God... it’s bloody huge!”

“It was once a sailing ship... correct?” Luna asked her, the mare had had plenty of time to observe the City from the air and was truly impressed with its scale.

It’s bigger then most small towns! Nightmare chimed in. Can you imagine what we could do with a fleet of these?

Create rather large waves? Luna asked her, an edge of sarcasm in her voice.

“Yeah, it launched airplanes which attacked other ships!” Sarah said enthusiastically. “That’s why it’s called an aircraft carrier.”

“You know of them?” Luna asked.

“Yep, they were one of the more interesting things that we studied,” Sarah said, smiling as the pain in her thighs was temporarily forgotten. “They were made to go years without coming back to port thanks to their nuclear power plants and they had crews of hundreds if not thousands of people!”

My word... that is impressive, Nightmare said slowly.

“Wow,” Luna said aloud. “It must have been truly formidable to stand up to two hundred years floating in the water.”

“They built her to last, that’s for sure,” Sarah agreed as they neared the large metal access way. “Now... let’s go find Doctor Li.”

Author's Notes:

And we're back to the plot. Also, I don't ride horses but I'd immagine being stuck on Luna's back for that long would be incredibly painful.