“I have grown to detest these tunnels,” Luna spoke after half an hour of mostly silent walking. “They are boring, filthy, and the air smells of death and decay,” she continued, wrinkling her nostrils.

“Yeah, I can’t say that I enjoy them either,” Sarah agreed with a frown as she took an exaggerated step over a particularly jagged piece of metal that was sticking out of the floor. Luna did likewise, being very careful where she put her hooves. “They depress me,” the woman added. “So many people died down here when they thought they were safe.”

Safety is an illusion for the most part, Nim commented within her head. The only time we are truly safe is when we are the ones in control of the situation.

“Then I suppose you’re never safe are you?” Luna asked Nim jokingly.

"I wouldn’t say that...” Sarah said, glancing over at Luna. “I seem to remember her being in control pretty well.”

Luna blushed slightly and looked away. “That does not count, and you both know it.”

Nim simply directed a mental snicker at her before the party fell silent again, though before they continued, Sarah paused for a moment. She lingered long enough to gently place a hand on Luna’s cheek and smile at her.

“She may have been in control, but I was just as much a part of it,” the woman told the alicorn softly before giving her a light kiss and continuing onwards. Luna’s heart swelled and she smiled lightly as she continued to follow Sarah, her mind wandering a bit.

What will Tia think of you, Sarah? the alicorn asked herself. Will she embrace you with open forelegs, or will she spurn you as some sort of monster?

The thought floated heavily in her mind.

If she were to dislike you... what would I do? she questioned herself. Her answer came more readily then she’d anticipated. I would strike you across the face and force you to accept her because she is wonderful.

The alicorn let out a nearly silent snicker at the imagined look of shock that would cross her sister’s face in such a situation. That had always been Luna’s favorite way of seeing Celestia, shocked. For just a moment all the composure would leave her ‘royal’ face and she would be the same filly Luna remembered from when Jonathan had taught them how to fly... by dropping them unexpectedly from his back mid-flight.

My how Luna had savoured that memory, though she was sure her own face had been a mirrored image of her sister’s at the time.

Unfortunately, that memory also brought a stab of pain, longing, and grief into her mind. She... missed her sister. Celestia had always been there for her in the past and despite her... drive to kill her... Luna had never really thought it would come to that. In her mind’s eye... she saw Celestia standing aside and allowing Luna to take her place at the head, and for Night to last forever with the two frockling with the ponies they served in its majesty.

Nim I have a question. Sarah’s mental voice transferred into Luna’s mind via Nim’s link as it had with almost every other conversation the pair had shared.

Yes Sarah? Nim inquired as she transmitted the thoughts.

Why... does Luna act so... young? the woman asked, causing one of Luna’s eyebrows to rise slightly from where she was behind the woman.

Young? Nim inquired, playing the fool.

Yeah, young, Sarah replied. She’s what... somewhere over a thousand years old, right?

To be honest, neither we nor Luna know our true age, Nim answered loftily. We know that we were several decades old when we first challenged the Unicorn Council and that we experienced several more decades of peace before Discord appeared and cast us out. Due to the nature of his rule, the passage of time is rather difficult to discern. So... we are somewhere between one and two thousand years old, and yes we know the fight we waged against him did last somewhere along that length of time.

How? Sarah asked as she skirted around a downed piece of debris.

Because our pony friends died regularly of old age, Nim stated flatly, sending another unintentional jab of pain into Luna’s mind. It was true... she had lost many a good friend to old age during Discord’s foul reign.

I... I see, Sarah said, uncertain of how to proceed.

Did these queries have a point to them? Nim asked.

Yes... I just wanted to know why Luna acts so young and occasionally stupid, Sarah answered. Luna almost snorted in outrage at the suggestion of herself acting stupid, but then realized that would only lend further credence to the thought.

Well... Nim trailed off before answering the woman. Luna is still young. We do not know how old she is going to live to be, but it is certain that she may yet live as long as the oldest of dragons.

Sarah remained quiet for a long moment, her eyes taking a moment to scan the tunnel around them in case during her conversation she’d missed something dangerous. Thankfully she hadn’t and when she finally spoke again her voice was softer... and surprising Luna, worried.

Then... why is she bothering with me? Sarah asked. If she’s going to be alive for so long then... why would she want someone like me who’s only going to be alive somewhere around fifty years maximum? All I’m going to do is cause her pain in the long run.

Luna shut her eyes at that thought, Sarah did not deserve to be tormented by such a thing. Is it worth alleviating her worries to lose these glimpses into her thoughts? she asked herself. As with before, the answer came easily.

“Because Sarah, you are the most precious thing to me in this entire world,” Luna told the black haired woman as she moved up behind the woman and draped her head over the armoured shoulder so that her soft blue eyes were staring into Sarah’s. “And I will endure any long-term pain if it means that I am able to experience the true joy that comes from being with you.”

Sarah froze, not anticipating either the words or the gesture.

“Luna... how long have you been listening to me?” the woman asked slowly, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

“Long enough,” Luna replied before she gave the woman a sad little smile. “As for the answer that my sister would have given you to your question ‘tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.”

Sarah frowned for a moment as the cogs within her brain worked. “That was... Shakespeare right?”

I do not believe so, Nim answered.

“Whatever the case; whichever answer you choose Sarah, I am simply happy to have the time with you that I do,” Luna told her, leaning forwards slightly to bestow a kiss on the woman’s lips. Sarah met her and they stayed locked like that for a long moment until...

“Yeah baby!” a loud and excited voice exclaimed from in front of them. Sarah and Luna broke apart to find a raider staring at them, a noticeable bulge in his pants. “This is better then that time Betty let a brahmin fu-”

His sentence was interrupted as a .44 round crashed through the back of his skull, shattering his teeth in the process. Sarah glared at the corpse from over the barrel of her repeater and let out a small sigh.

“And that’s a mental image that I did not need,” she deadpanned. “Also, we need to not have ‘moments’ in random places...”

“Indeed...” Luna agreed slowly as she unsheathed Daybreaker and prepared to meet whatever number of raiders was to come.

Yes, it always seems to be at inopportune moments, Nim commented as Sarah fed another round into the repeater which she’d discovered felt as natural as breathing to her.

The woman simply grunted and glanced down at her Pip-Boy. It showed that they were nearing the end of their time in the tunnels.

Before either of them could say anything else, a female raider ran out from around the corner, a 10mm submachine gun in her hand. She didn’t stop to gawk at the pair before she pulled down on the trigger and sent twenty rounds down-range at the pair. The bullets smacked into Luna’s barding as she put herself in between Sarah and the incoming pieces of lead. The alicorn grunted as the bullets buried themselves in her armour and several whizzed by her throat, sending streaks blood flying as they grazed her.

“Don’t you dare talk about Lucky that way!” the raider woman screeched, though Sarah had no idea just who she was talking too. “He was a beautiful brahm-” Sarah decided in that moment that she really didn’t need the imagery and crouched beneath Luna’s neck to fire another shot from her repeater.

Thankfully, her bullet slammed into the woman’s skull and it exploded in a cloud of gore.

A third approaching from the right! Nim exclaimed and Sarah pivoted to find a raider sprinting out of a doorway on the right. Her world slowed as her adrenaline raged and she brought the repeater up to focus on his chest. She pulled the trigger.

The bullet leapt out, but the raider stumbled at the last moment and his near fall allowed him to avoid it entirely. What it did not let him avoid was Daybreaker’s silver blade which leapt out and pinned him to the ground through the chest.

Sarah glanced up at Luna, her eyes widening as she saw the blood. “Are you alright?” she demanded frantically.

“I am fine,” Luna answered shortly as she looked down at her leaking neck. “Tis but a series of flesh wounds.”

Sarah frowned and pulled her bag off of her back before quickly coming back up with a clean cloth and a stimpack. With a confident hand, Sarah reached up and dabbed at the wounds for a moment to clear up the worst of the blood before she injected the stimpack into the mare’s neck.

“There,” the woman said as she withdrew the stimpack from Luna’s neck. “Now we know you’re fine.”

“Was that really necessary?” Luna inquired quizzically.

“Probably not, but it made me feel better,” Sarah answered with a small smile. “After all, you never know when a small wound like that might get infected...”

Indeed, infections are truly horrible things, Nim stated. They can fell even the mightiest of warriors on the very eve of their victory.

“I suppose it is better safe then sorry,” Luna agreed, shrugging her wings slightly. “Though we cannot waste our medical supplies on every cut we receive.”

“We have plenty,” Sarah replied, shrugging as she began to walk once more. “Come on Luna, we’re almost there.”

Sarah and Luna surveyed the plaza, night was falling and it shrouded the crumbling building in dark shadows. Off to one side was what was clearly a hospital while directly before them was a tall hotel. Gunfire rang out from the hotel’s rooftop and the pair heard the sound of shouting coming from it along with explosions.

“It seems that they are still alive and fighting,” Luna observed.

“Yeah,” Sarah agreed from where she was crouched against the concrete wall. “Though I’m not sure how we can get up there,” she continued, her eyes looking at the large chunks of rubble outside of the entrance of the hotel. Her eyes spotted a large radio tower which had fallen between the hotel and the hospital. “We could use that,” she said while pointing at it.

“Or we could use my wings,” Luna put in dryly as she flapped them.

“Are you sure it’s dark enough?” Sarah inquired. “I don’t want you getting shot out of the air.”

Luna is more than capable of avoiding a few scant bullets, Nim pointed out. We shall catch them by surprise at any rate.

“I don’t know...” Sarah glanced at Luna. “Are you sure?”

“I’ll be fine,” Luna stated calmly. “Though your concern is touching.”

“Of course I’m concerned,” Sarah said before shaking her head. “But if you want to, then I won’t stop you.”

“Then mount me,” Luna said as she bent down a little in order to offer Sarah an easier time getting into her saddle. Much to both of their surprise, Sarah managed to swing herself into the saddle as if she’d been doing it for years.

“Hmm, I’m getting good at mounting you,” Sarah stated as she reached onto her back and pulled out her repeater.

Oh my...oh my... oh my... Nim gasped within Sarah’s mind as she ‘heaved’ with laughter. Sarah.... you... you make me laugh.

“What?” Sarah asked in confusion, Luna for her part had been ignoring the innuendo, but couldn’t resist a gentle smile and a blush. “Seriously, what’s funny?” Sarah asked

“I would explain it now, but with every second we waste those Rangers could die, so for the moment simply know that Nim is very immature,” Luna replied as she flapped her wings in preparation. “Are you are you securely positioned?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Sarah replied, patting Luna’s neck before she braced her repeater against her shoulder. “Let’s go Luna.”

Luna nodded and took a galloping flap forwards and surged skywards. Sarah’s repeater jittered against her shoulder as she struggled to steady it. This was after all her first attempt to shoot on ‘horseback’ and it was quite different to what she was used to. Thankfully, as they rose upwards she managed to steady it slightly.

The hotel’s rooftop neared them rapidly, but Luna didn’t pause and instead they passed it and flew much higher before they stopped.

She flew higher so that we could survey it from above, hopefully without any of the Super Mutants seeing us, Nim answered Sarah’s unasked question.

“Right,” Sarah whispered as she looked down at the battling forces below.

On a raised portion of the roof were three men who were all dressed in heavy combat armour and holding various guns. Charging at them was a horde of Super Mutants who were armed with the usual array of assault rifles, hunting rifles, and the occasional nail board. Every so often, one of the Mutants would step on a landmine and be sent flying, however, as the pair watched, that happened less and less.

“We need to get down there now,” Sarah urged Luna as she watched the fray.

“Indeed we do, prepare yourself Sarah, to quote one of my other lieutenant; we are going in hot” Luna agreed before she folded her wings shut and they plummeted.

“AHHH!” A scream of surprise left Sarah’s mouth as they unexpectedly dropped and she all but lost hold on her repeater. The gun fumbled in her hands but she managed to grasp it again just before they came out of their dead drop, Luna’s front hooves slamming into a mutant’s skull as Daybreaker slashed out to the right, bisecting a Mutant.

Sarah felt blood in her mouth, having bitten her tongue thanks to the sudden stop, but she ignored it and brought her rifle up to focus on a very surprised mutant.

*Boom*

The .44 round slammed into its chest and sent the Mutant spinning away and then they were gone again.

Luna’s wings pumped furiously as she carried them once more away from the hotel roof and a bullet whizzed by her head. Blast, this is more difficult than I anticipated! she thought to herself as she veered hard to the right so that Sarah faced the mutants once more. The woman spat blood from her mouth and then focused again, firing off a shot at one of the Mutants. She wasn’t sure if she hit or not because Luna kept on flying faster than she could focus on one of the mutants.

Here, allow me to help, Nim stated within her mind as she reached out and took hold of Sarah’s hands.

Sarah’s hands steadied themselves and brought the rifle up to her eyes. The woman picked a target, a rather large Mutant who was making a charge towards the humans on the roof, and Nim directed the rifle into the right place. She pulled the trigger and the repeater jumped slightly in her hands as the magnum round left its barrel and drilled into the Mutant’s skull.

Sarah smiled at the result and prepared to fire again. However as she did so, Luna swerved down and the woman’s breath caught in her throat. Bullets whizzed by her head and Sarah ducked down against Luna’s neck.

“Fuck, this is crazy,” Sarah grunted before she leaned up and tried to get another shot off.

“Indeed, we are going in for another run. No offense but this is not the best position for us!” Luna replied loudly over the sound of the wind. Sarah nodded and prepared herself for another run. Luna’s wings blurred and they streaked onto the roof once again, her hooves and blade lashing out as she did so.

The sound of gunfire filled their ears and the world blurred for a moment as the pair swept through leaving a small swath of destruction behind them.

LUNA DIVE! Nim shouted at her suddenly. Luna’s eyes widened in surprise but did as expected and dived as a large cylindrical tube streaked over them, slamming into a nearby building and exploding.

Sarah meanwhile held on for dear life... until she heard a loud

*Skritch*

And she suddenly found herself falling.

Author's Notes:

For those of you who don't know, Wandering Moon now has a TvTropes page http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/WanderingMoon. Additionally, thanks to Speven for re-formatting it for me, I didn't know what I was doing...