Rookwood reclined in a chair, holding the skinned foal wrapped in a blanket. She had disappeared when the sun had rose, blinking out of existence, and had returned when the sun had set and darkness fell upon the land.

He had spent a little time with her, before going into the dreamscape with Luna and continuing their work, pulling foals from the prisons of their mind. It was exhausting, emotionally and physically, and the pain had reached levels that Rookwood was no longer sure he could bear. There were reports of terrible dreams all over Equestria, this day just after Hearth’s Warming.

Violet sniffled and squirmed, she was shivering and cold.

Rookwood planted a gentle kiss once again upon Violet’s head and then raised his gaze to Luna.

“What?” Rookwood asked, seeing Luna staring at him.

“I cannot believe you are doing that.” Luna said numbly.

“Doing what?” Rookwood replied, his voice low with exhaustion.

“Kissing her.” Luna returned.

“You said a kiss makes everything better.” Rookwood retorted.

“I guess I did.” Luna responded, hanging her head. She lay on the bed and she did not look well.

“She deserves to be comforted.” Rookwood said. “Hasn’t she suffered enough? I must confess, it is difficult. Every time I touch her, I get flashbacks. Feelings. Sensations. Pain. I remember what happened.”

Luna groaned, her features expressing pain. “And still you comfort her? My dear Rookwood, what am I to do with you?”

Rookwood shrugged. It would be dawn soon.

“I feel sleepy.” Violet said, yawning. Rookwood’s stomach rolled violently from the horrific sight. The little skinned foal snuggled her head down into the crook of Rookwood’s neck, where his neck met his chest.

“Are you my daddy?” Violet asked in a small pleading voice.

Rookwood felt bile rising in his throat. He felt sick. He struggled to not be ill.

“Do you remember your daddy?” Rookwood replied, his voice cracking.

“I thought you were.” Violet answered.

Rookwood heard Luna begin to sob again. It had happened many times this night.

“Are you?” The foal asked insistently, her voice threatening to break from emotion.

“Yes, yes I am.” Rookwood said, trying to sooth the foal.

“Would you read me a story before I go to sleep?” Violet pleaded.

“Luna, I hate to ask, but could you fetch a book or something?” Rookwood asked.

Luna did not move, but her horn flashed. A book dropped on the bed. She looked at it. “You know,” said Luna, “you are going to have a tough time holding her and trying to hold the book.”

Rookwood nodded.

“So I guess I’ll read to Violet. If that is alright. Is it, little one?” Luna said.

Violet was quiet for a moment before saying “Yes.”

“Mr. Buns big adventure.” Luna began, settling in for a story about a rabbit that braved leaving his comfortable rabbit hole to have a big adventure.

It would be sundown soon. Luna lay beside him in the bed, awake, but unmoving. Rookwood ached. Everywhere. He had been skinned. Burned alive. Branded. And there was rape. Plenty of rape. And the physical sensations left behind from the dream imagery hurt just as much as the real thing. Movement of any sort made his plot feel like it was going to split and fall apart.

“I can fix it for you.” Luna said, her voice a near monotone. “I can go into your mind and take it all away. You shouldn’t have to live with what you’ve seen. Or experienced.”

“Don’t you dare!” Rookwood hissed angrily, causing Luna to draw away from him. “How dare you even say such a thing.”

“I..” Luna started.

“Shut up! Never, ever say that to me ever again! I don’t ever want to hear those words leave your lips! How dare you cheapen everything I’ve gone through, what I’ve had to endure, everything I’ve been made to experience!” Rookwood growled.

“I’m sorry!” Luna said, starting to cry.

Rookwood found he could not stay angry. He rolled on his side and looked at Luna, his eyes wide, his breath hot and heavy in his nostrils.

“I didn’t know… I didn’t mean…” Luna tried to say.

“Shush.” Rookwood said, gazing at her.

Luna shushed.

“I do not have any regrets over what I have done. Or anything I have gone through. I am a better pony for having experienced it. It hasn’t been easy, and I suspect it will get worse. But when I said I would willingly go into the darkness with you, I meant it damnit! And don’t you ever try to diminish my efforts ever again.” Rookwood whispered, looking Luna in the eye. “I might be some dumb lovesick colt that is in way over his head, but I am willing to be where I am. For the first time in my life, my life has meaning and I am doing something that makes a difference. And don’t you ever try to take that away from me, or so help me, I will have some words with you.”

They lay together for a long time, silent, Rookwood slowly realising that there were no light sources at all in the room and that he could see. The realisation made his spine and neck prickle uncomfortably. How far had he come into the dark?

“Violet will arrive soon.” Luna whispered, her voice filled with a dreadful shudder. “If you are to be her father, what does that make me?”

“I can’t say.” Rookwood replied. “That is up to you.”

Rookwood heard Luna whimper in the darkness. He wanted to pull her closer, but he was in too much pain to do so. He settled on touching her with his nose. Which hurt. A lot. He was filled with instant regret.

“I cannot let you do this alone.” Luna cried softly. “Not after all you have done. But I can hardly to bear to look at her. I can touch her, just so you know.”

“I need a bath. I’m too sore to move.” Rookwood confessed.

“I am as well.” Luna replied.

Rookwood heard the distant sound of running water and sighed with relief. Magic was entirely too useful, when it wasn’t being used to destroy his mind and wrack his body.

“I am adding medicinal salts.” Luna said. “Be prepared. I am going to wink us there directly to the water. Don’t drown.”

“I can wink my self.” Rookwood protested. “Your magic pulls on my body and feels funny.”

“Really?” Luna said with some small concern. “How odd.”

“Luna, things are getting weird. I gotta confess, I can see everything in this room right now.” Rookwood said.

“There are no lights in here at all Rookwood. I have blotted out all possible forms of light to allow us to heal as much as possible. Even I can’t see in here.” Luna said, her voice a hissing sibilant shiver.

“I see everything.” Rookwood replied, feeling a dreadful sense of apprehension. “And I can see you winking one eye and then the other.”

“Impossible.” Luna said. “How?”

“You tell me!” Rookwood said, the first hint of panic now in his voice.

The soak in the tub had helped immensely, soothing aching muscles and minds. After that had been a meal, Luna chowing down and Rookwood eating very little. And then, slowly, the sun had set and their nocturnal visitor had come.

Violet looked quite different upon her arrival, her body scabbed over, some of the scabs cracking and oozing as she moved, causing her to cry out and whimper. Stranger still, her body had warmth. Faint, almost unnoticeable, but it was there. The hairless cord that was her tail twitched fitfully as she slowly stumbled through the room, going for Rookwood, crying out and comforted to see him, leaving little bloody hoofprints as she ran.

Rookwood kissed her gently on the head, and Luna did as well, Luna even managing to get up enough courage to hug the small foal in a squeamish embrace. The hot salty smell of sex was now gone from the foal, leaving only the scent of rot and wrongness to contend with.

Celestia had been in the room when Violet had appeared, as was Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight Sparkle, all of them watching, waiting, horrified to see her, but unable to look away. Celestia had tried to touch the foal, but could not, her hoof passing through, registering nothing. Cadance cried while Shining Armor tried to comfort both her and Twilight Sparkle.

Luna had once again read the foal a story, and then put her to bed, placing her body into a small bed brought to the room by Celestia. Violet had protested, fearful of the dark, afraid to sleep, but eventually drifted off while Rookwood sat near her.

She lay in the bed, oozing blood from her cracked scabbed body, resting fitfully, unable to close her eye because she had no eyelid. She lay on her side, the side with no eye, leaving the other to stare blankly while she drifted off. It took a while to figure out if she was asleep.

It was her breathing. Ragged wheezing gasps. Slow. And filled with pain. The entire room suspended in utter silence, listening to the ragged breathing of the ghoulish undead foal.

The group had left the foal sleeping, under the watch of the guard, moving into a private chamber near Luna’s quarters, where Luna occasionally received visitors. It had been decorated with a tree, which had been covered in small lights, now the only lights in the room, which were painfully bright to Rookwood.

Twilight Sparkle could no longer take the darkness and lit her horn, creating a small halo of light that illuminated her face, revealing her bloodshot eyes and pinched features. She didn’t look well. None of them looked well.

Rookwood could no longer tell what he looked like, because he no longer cast a reflection. He wondered how to tell Luna. She was worried enough about him, and learning that he could see in magical darkness had unnerved her.

Rookwood felt a pang of sorrow, knowing that he was losing himself to darkness. He could feel the change. He noticed it when he tried to eat. He hoped it was simply because of his state of mind, but he had a terrible sense of dread that something else was happening. He felt uncomfortable in his own body. His body was full of pain. It hurt to sit. To eat. To do anything after what he had experienced. When in shadow form, he found himself not wanting to return to his flesh, resenting the fact that he had to. Conflict was forming between his flesh and what Rookwood felt to be his true nature.

“You love my aunt a great deal, don’t you?”

Rookwood glanced at Cadance. She looked tired. She was clearly unable to sleep. Her features were haggard. She looked gaunt somehow, like she had been hollowed out.

“Rookwood, I do not know you all that well, but I must warn you, do not succumb to your hate. If you want to love my aunt, let go of any hatred you might have. It will drag you kicking and screaming into the deep dark, a place I know you do not wish to go. And if you go there, Luna will follow. And that would be disastrous.” Cadance warned.

“I’m trying,” replied Rookwood, “I really am, but with everything that’s just happened… I feel the hate creeping in.”

“A bit of wisdom for you?” Cadance offered.

“Sure.” Replied Rookwood.

“The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference. Hate is just as much a passion as love can be. And both can rule your life. Love tends to lift, while hate has heft. One will lift you up, the other will drag you down. I want Luna happy… She deserves that. Lift her.” Cadance said softly.

Rookwood nodded, hearing Cadance’s words.

“And you are very brave for loving Violet. I don’t know that I could do that.” Cadance confessed. “I cannot imagine what you must feel seeing her or touching her. I… I saw everything that happened. We all did. If you ever need an ear to talk to, I am here to listen to you Rookwood. Even if I am in the Crystal Empire, there are ways to contact me.”

“I will try to keep in touch.” Rookwood promised. “I will admit, I feel fragile after everything that has happened. I don’t feel right. Like I am not my self.”

“I don’t think any of us feel right.” Cadance said. She glanced at Shining Armor, who was sleeping, propped up on a couch against his sister, Twilight. “It will be a long time to heal from this.”

“Luna offered to scrub my mind. I snapped at her. I was angry.” Rookwood said, taking advantage of Luna being off in her chambers to spend a quiet moment with Celestia. “I was so angry. I felt like she was offering to remove everything I fought for.”

“She was trying to spare you your pain. Much like she did for the foals she pulled from catatonic states.” Cadance said.

“I want my pain.” Rookwood hissed, causing Cadance to start. “My struggle defines me.”

“I… I am sure it does.” Cadance stammered.

“I was a nopony!” Rookwood muttered, his tone slightly manic. “My life was nothing. Nothing at all. I was worthless. And look at me now. It isn’t much, and it might amount to endless suffering, but it means something.”

“Rookwood, calm yourself.” Cadance said shakily.

“I am calm.” Rookwood uttered caustically. “I spent my whole life just letting life happen. Now I have the means to do something and I intend to do so.”

“What do you intend to do?” Cadance asked, her voice trembling.

“I intend to free Luna from Nightmare Moon’s curse. No matter the cost.” Rookwood began to rock back and forth slightly.

“That is very noble of you Rookwood.” Cadance said carefully. “But do not throw your life away recklessly. It would hurt Luna so very much. Fight together. Just do not do anything foolish.”

Violet awoke sometime around three in the morning, stirring in her tiny bed, the blankets damp with blood. crying feebly, causing Luna and Celestia both to start with alarm.

Luna reached out to the foal with her magic, wrapping her carefully in a blanket, and then pulled her close. She positioned the foal against her side carefully, and then placed a wing over her, trying to sooth Violet’s cries.

Rookwood materialised in the doorway a moment later, coming out of shadow with an eerie silence. He entered the room, passing Celestia who lay on a large sofa, approaching Luna and kissing her softly. A single candle burned on a low table near the sofa. It was piercingly bright to Rookwood’s eyes.

Rookwood lay down on the floor with Luna, sprawling out on the rug, easing himself down carefully. Violet was wedged between them.

She squirmed, making odd gurgling sounds.

“Are you alright Violet?” Rookwood whispered.

Violet nodded. “Just hurts all over.”

“I know.” Rookwood soothed. He carefully kissed her, hoping he was not causing more harm, remembering how Nightmare Moon’s kisses felt on the fleshless face they had shared.

“Does it hurt you when I touch you?” Rookwood asked, fearing the answer.

“No.” Violet said. “It makes the pain go away.”

Rookwood heaved a sigh of relief and then felt queasy.

“Violet?” Celestia asked.

“What?” Violet replied.

“Do you remember anything at all?” Celestia inquired.

“Remember what?” Violet answered.

Celestia sighed in frustration. “Nothing Violet. Never mind. I was asking a silly question.”

“At some point, one of us needs to enter into her mind and see if there are any clues as to what happened.” Rookwood said. “How she physically got pulled into the dreamworld and uh, well, everything that happened after that.” He looked down at Violet, who was staring at him with one large unblinking eye.

“Not a good idea.” Luna said. “I doubt we would find anything except more pain. Some things are better left unknown. It is very curious though that she seems to be healing. Or at least, scabbing over. And she’s warmer. It is most puzzling.”

“I have never heard nor seen of this sort of necromancy.” Celestia interjected, her tone worried. “Violet completely baffles me.”

“Is something wrong with me?” Violet asked.

“No Violet. We are merely puzzled about a few things about you.” Rookwood said soothingly.

“Like why I am a bloody mess?” Violet replied.

“Yes.” Luna said, looking at the skinned foal. “We are trying to figure you out so we can help you and so you won't hurt. You shouldn’t have to hurt.”

Rookwood felt a dreadful feeling of apprehension as his body told him that the sun would be rising soon.

Author's Notes:

A slow chapter, for some much needed deep breathing...