“Nightmare…” Strawberry repeated. He shut his mouth and took a gulp. He forced himself to quit jiggling in place for a second, and he managed to find some inner strength to steel himself. “My Nightmare…” He held his right hoof up in the air, and he made contact with the door. His hoof still wouldn’t stop wobbling. My love… My Princess. He pushed forwards, and then the doors opened.

Moon stood in the middle of the room with her back legs down and her body faced towards the open window. She beat her wings forcefully— yet she still stood in place. A variety of heavy objects from couches to chairs to dressers were stacked right behind her back legs. Her horn glowed brightly.

“Ready to go, Strawberry?” Moon asked.

Strawberry— confused as well as a little bit nervous— stepped forwards to her side. “R-r-ready?”

“For… launch…” she replied with a small chuckle, and then she beat her wings even harder.

“LAUNCH?” Strawberry squeaked. He found himself magically picked up by Moon and then plopped onto her backside.

“In THREE… TWO…” Moon began to count down.

“Aahhh…. Ahhhhhh…. Ahh…” Strawberry muttered, and he held on tightly to her sides. His eyes instinctively closed shut.

“ONE…” Moon went on. “GO!”

*BANG*

Strawberry screamed and screamed as they two of them exploded out the window. They gained more and more speed. He felt the air rushing by him so fast that he could barely breathe. The alicorn— somehow— moved even faster than before. Strawberry felt that the whole world had melted into a blue going alongside them.

His eyes fluttered up a little bit, and he saw that he seemed to be in some kind of bright blue pulsing tunnel. Strawberry’s mind pictured the two of beaming through the night sky like a shooting star. B-b-b-but… Where are we going… Suddenly, he had the sensation of the wind going out around him. He also had the oddest feeling of… losing something inside. Gravity?

They decelerated. Strawberry opened his eyes a bit more. He saw a massive wall of solid grey. He pressed his head and face back on Moon’s body. He slanted a bit to the side, and he opened his eyes totally. He then saw the gigantic blue, white, and green orb in the inky black sky in behind him.

“We’re… we’re…” Strawberry whispered.

“Hang on just a moment,” Moon suddenly announced, “I want to land over… over…”

The unicorn clutched even tighter to Moon, and he blinked uncontrollably. He felt some kind of horrible shaking. Then, he suffered through bump after bump. He gasped. He then found himself knocked right up off of Moon’s body.

Strawberry screamed and screamed. He then landed on his back onto a gigantic bed with part after part of inky black sheets. He looked out, and he saw Moon’s beautiful face— although upside down. The alicorn then stepped closer.

“Welcome to… the moon,” she replied. She made a caring, tender smile.

Strawberry felt such a surge of thoughts upon thoughts and emotions upon emotions that he barely kept from collapsing. He glanced around at the huge, blank space of greyish rocks and flat greyish nothingness surrounding him. He stared into the sky above— littered with bright constellations.

He managed to wiggle his hooves around, and he then stood flat up on the bed. How is there even a nice bed in the middle of the… the… moon? The moon! “W-why…” he muttered.

“Well,” she began, and then she moved herself even closer to Strawberry until they were almost cheek to cheek, “I need to make up for something.”

“Something,” he repeated. He jittered as Moon nudged over her front hooves to rub Strawberry’s side.

“We spent a thousand years here… a thousand years of fear, of torment, of anger, of… everything bad that you could think of…” she went on. Strawberry feared that her mood would change as she recalled that past, but she kept up with her tender gaze— right into his eyes. “All those memories…”

Strawberry hesitated. Knowing what move to make when was far from being his strong suit. He placed his hooves onto her chest. She smiled a bit wider, and then she leaned in a bit closer.

“So, we figured that we’d have to make up for that… by making a new, happy memory,” Moon went on. She moved her hooves over down his side until they held hooves with each other tightly.

Now! Now is the moment! It has to be! He leaned a bit forward— almost paralyzed by his nervousness. He found himself up against a little bit of air between them. Come on!

Moon paused, and she cocked her head in confusion— wondering why he hadn’t started yet. Her eyes made a playful kind of ‘oh, you’ look. She then moved her face up against Strawberry. A little jitter went through the unicorn, and he finally kissed her.

Their lips locked closely. She didn’t hold back anymore. Her tongue lapped up all around the sides of his mouth. He tried to do the same— still not quite knowing what he was doing. The unicorn trembled from head to hoof at the inky black magical feelings that poured into him.

Their heads turned back and forth as they went at each other. Their tongues danced. Jolt after jolt seemed to pulse into Strawberry until he thought he would be electrocuted. Not a moment had passed until she had poured her tongue right down and almost gone into his throat. She nudged herself around and, then, their hooves grasped each other’s chests tightly.

They shifted their mouths up and down, left and right, and all around— again and again. As they bumped up against each other once again, Moon felt to him like a shimmering, depthless pool that Strawberry waded into further and further as well as deeper and deeper. Time seemed meaningless.

Moon nudged her body upwards and closer— going from pinning him down to a full and total embrace. They kept on kissing. Her wings flapped in pure joy. Strawberry banged his hooves in pleasure. They then suddenly stopped making out.

Strawberry hesitated a moment. He wanted to think up something— some clever turn of phrase, some little bit of poetry, or anything that conveyed the shelter that he saw in her beautiful eyes. He came out empty. “I… I l-l-love y-you…”

“I can’t believe I left you in that forest clearing…” Moon said, a flash of regret flowing through her face. Her inky skin went a tiny bit red.

Strawberry instinctively reached his head forward in another embrace. They buried themselves in each other’s shoulders and hugged tightly. “You never left me…” said the unicorn. Tears of happiness went down his face. “As long as I have the night sky, you’re there. Now. And forever. You’ll always be a part of me. ”

Moon somehow squeezed him even tighter. He felt a little bit of her own tears dripping down his back. Ever little drop burst on his skin with her magic.

“Ahhhhhhhh…” the alicorn suddenly called out. Strawberry snapped out of his joyful trance. “It’s… it’s… another one…”

“What,” Strawberry muttered, and he had Moon pop out of his embrace. She walked over a few feet over away from the bed. The unicorn looked over where Moon looked, and his mouth dropped.

“Asteroid shower!” Moon called out. Incredibly, she seemed to be hopping in joy rather than fright. She swung over and then grabbed Strawberry’s side.

“Isn’t t-that a l-little— dan-ger-ous?” the unicorn asked, straining to get the words out.

“Don’t be silly, filly!” Moon semi-sang back to him, and then she pulled him a little closer. She moved over towards a gigantic rocky plateau besides them— dragging him along. “It’s like— like— like hopscotch. You just dance around. One goes down towards you, and then…” She pointed at a rock in the air coming straight down at them.

“AAAHHH!” Strawberry yelled out in terror. He threw his hooves over his head. The alicorn— cradling him a bit like a foal— then bounced in the air over to the right. She made a little kick like a ballet dancer. The unicorn found himself standing under her legs.

“See! Fun!” Moon yelled at him. She then thrust him up and stood him up on his hind hooves behind her. Strawberry looked up at the torrent flowing down from above in a matter of seconds.

“Oh, oh, OH!” Moon shouted, and she looked over at him for a second. “Know any dance tunes?”

“You have got to me kidding me!” Strawberry called out. He sidestepped a massive rock that crashed into the ground besides him.

“DO IT!” Moon ordered, and she bounced around right alongside a pony-sized boulder.

“UHHH…” Strawberry muttered, and he found Moon grabbing his hooves. She hopped into the air with him— twirling him like an even mix of dance partner and rag doll. What was that one stupid song I just heard from Vinyl Scratch! THINK! “Uh… Take me downtown! It's where the ponies rock!” What IS WRONG WITH ME! Rocks pasted the ground around them.

“I KNOW THAT ONE!” Moon screamed. She grinned from ear to ear as she pushed him down and bumped him through his legs as a boulder nearly crushed his head. “Three hundred sixty-five! 'Cause we never stop!”

“Take me downtown!” Strawberry was twirled on the side just behind a patch of dusty meteroites.

“’CAUSE PONIES RUNNING WILD!” Moon yelled into his face, and she grabbed him from both sides with booth hooves. Her expression scared him.

“See how we kick it…” he muttered, and Moon tossed him into a spin. Rocks shot right behind him.

“IN A BRAND!” A rock smacked besides Moon as she bounced around. “NEW!” Another rock… “STYLE!” Yet another rock…

“Take me…” Moon twirled him past another near miss. “Downtown, it’s where I wanna go…” Moon’s next dance move had her thrust him up onto her shoulders, kicked her leg out, and swivel with her wings. Strawberry jiggled in terror.

“EVERYPONY I KNOW—“ He nearly had his head blow off. “IS GOING TO MY SHOW!”

Moon did a cartwheel of joy— throwing Strawberry through her legs again and then popping him up right beside her. “I! SEE! YOU!” She jumped back and did a power-stance with Strawberry almost thrown over. Meteorites pummeled the ground in front of them. “WATCHING ME!”

“WATCHING YOU!” He bounced back until he held the front of her body.

“And now you see!” Moon suddenly hopped up onto his back. “Just where—” He crumbled down flat. “Just where—” They rolled around on the ground like toys to avoid another torrent of meteorites. “You gotta be!”

Strawberry jumped up. “I! SEE! YOU!” He touched hooves with Moon and she spun the two of them around in a fast twirl. “WATCHING ME!” Please, please, when will this end!

“WATCHING YOU!” Moon let out a happy yell, and then she hurled Strawberry into the air above her. The unicorn waved all of his hooves around in pure panic— Moon’s face turned red as she realized she had put a little bit too much force into that throw.

*Smack!* A huge boulder blasted into Strawberry’s side. He found himself speeding through the air to the right. The alicorn looked in horror for a spit-second, and then she chased along the ground.

The unicorn landed back— thank goodness— on the bed. However, he made a pony plus boulder sized crater in the mattress and sheets. Moon bounced up and then embraced him.

The unicorn breathed in and out, but his face contorted in pain. She hurled the boulder off of his side with a massive shove. Although he only had a few nicks and scratches on him, he still remained totally unconscious.

“I’m sorry!” Moon called out. “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” She then leaned over and held him close.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

What seemed like an eternity to both ponies passed. “I’m… I’m…” she finally eked out, and she started to cry, “I can’t… I can’t bear to be with without you.”

Strawberry moaned a bit. He nudged around his hooves a little. Moon brushed off dust and gravely bits around him. She held him even tighter.

“I love you,” Moon called out, and she lit up her horn to see what she could do with her magic, “I just love you so much…” She moved closer— touching his slightly bloody head with her horn.

The unicorn stirred. Moon’s heart almost seemed to leap out her mouth with joy as her magic had its proper effect. Strawberry tried to say something back.

The alicorn nestled her head and front hooves next to him. His eyes opened, and he gazed right at her. He looked so happy and yet still so vulnerable almost like a foal again. Moon leaned over a little closer. She brushed the hair out of his eyes with her magic. “You’ll always…” she told him, “Be my… Prince.”

Their minds seemed to link as if they would never really be separated every again. Strawberry said back, "Prince..." He began to smile. "Doesn't that mean you'd be... marrying me..."

Although she didn't respond in words, she leaned over and rubbed her head against the unicorn's in a way that conveyed... so much more than words. She also magically picked off his glasses delicately, folded them up, and placed them into her pocket like some kind of token. The silent embrace happened as... something happened to her. She didn't quite realize what it was, but she almost felt the same sensation as back when the six ponies had whacked her with the elements of harmony.

Yet that moment back then felt extremely painful. The magical wash that went over her from her head to her hooves after accepting Strawberry as her Prince felt... happy. Complete. That's... that's... Well, just forget it, at least for now. The unicorn had reacted to her charms perfectly. She could see this feeling of warmth going through his soul.

“I’m taking you home, Strawberry,” she said to him, and she placed him over on her back. She leaned back to begin the journey back to the Canterlot castle. She flew through space as fast as she could— determined to take him to the royal hospital wing.

He would have the finest care Equestria could offer. Although he was conscious, he seemed to be locked a real daze— and Moon could sense the pain that he felt across every inch of his body. The alicorn hurled herself through an open window and then landed with a massive thud. She, thank goodness, had picked a room that stored mattresses and pillows.

She sped over to another room— leaving Strawberry resting on a gigantic pile of frilly blue pillows. She quickly returned with a cabinet full of potions, scrubs, ointments, and all kinds of supplies. Strawberry moaned as she dumped a smelly orange-yellow salve all around his head. She then dripped a huge amount of frizzy white powder upon his body.

Moon went on— concentrating with her own magic to make sure everything worked perfectly. Finally, she sped out of the room once again. She returned to pick Strawberry back up and carry him over to the massive examination room nearby. The alicorn froze— not even taking a breath— as Strawberry went into a long white batch of machines. Finally satisfied that he was right as rain, Moon kissed him again, and they also happily held hooves once more.

Strawberry still strained not to fall asleep at any moment. Moon hesitated, and then she decided to bring him right back to the bedroom for a proper rest. Moon put him back on her back and trotted up to the other room. She moved fast, but she kept Strawberry cradled softly and tenderly the whole time. She nestled him into the bed— where Celestia had once done the same thing to her time after time a thousand years ago— and she gave him a passionate kiss.

“Prince…” he muttered, still trying to keep himself away.

Moon leaned over until her lips were right alongside his ear. She hesitated, but then she finally whispered, “I do.” The unicorn made a content smile, and then he finally drifted off to deep sleep.

Moon let out a huge sigh. Well, genius... I guess you just HAD to ruin your date… A SECOND TIME. Goodness, nearly killing him? She stepped over to the old grandfather clock that she had relied on for centuries— deep in thought. Well… So what? What matters is how the date ends. She glanced behind her. He’s sleeping in my bed. I’d call that a success.

She smiled at her reflection in the edge of the clock’s glass. Well… what do I do no? I just feel so… so… Hmm… something changed… She took two steps towards the window, but she stopped. She had a peculiar kind of feeling— something almost like a premonition. She leaned over and rested her head upon the bed for a moment.

The alicorn glanced at her front hooves. Some kind of greyish light, almost like smoke, emanated from the tips of her hooves. Is that… a side effect or something from what I gave him? Although she felt ready to fall asleep at any moment, she hopped up and then paced around the room. No… It had nothing to do with the magical items she had used on Strawberry. It was her.

“It’s… it’s…” she stammered. She realized that something had been lost. Some kind of magical… Ability? Power? She didn’t know what to think since she didn’t feel weaker. In fact, she felt stronger than ever. “It’s just the… the…” She searched her mind, but it only wanted to sleep. Like I just lost… Like I just overturned every last spell I’ve cast in my entire life… I can’t believe it. She headed back towards the door.

“Maybe we should do—” Moon began. She then collapsed upon the bed beside Strawberry. “Something…” Her eyes snuggled down, and she immediately drifted off into sleep.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

The rays of sunlight aimed right down through the trees and aqueducts straight into the open window and then straight into Strawberry’s closed eyes. He somehow managed to fight it off, subconsciously, for a while. Yet his old enemy persisted, and finally he jerked out of sleep. He made a sweeping scowl.

For a little while, he managed to rest his hooves in front of him and hold the light off. It almost burned straight through his skin. He nudged himself a little bit over— holding onto the smooth body of the alicorn besides him. He held out for a few seconds, but then he just couldn’t take it.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” Strawberry shouted out, thrusting his hooves into the air. He bounced up and stood on the bed. “WHY does it have to be EVERY blasted day!” I’d better not have another stupid migraine happening… He fumbled around for his glasses.

The unicorn picked them up and blinked repeatedly. I wonder how many baking orders we have today. He stretched himself. Ah, just another stupid day in the stupid… sun… He froze.

“SUN!” Strawberry yelled. He sped over to the window and leaned out. He saw bluebirds in the trees, dogs and cats wandering about on the sidewalks, and— far off into the distance— unicorns trotting inside the massive buildings. He made the mistake of staring straight up into the sun for a split-second.

After letting out a little squeal of pain and rubbing the floating red blobs out of his vision, Strawberry stepped back to where he had been sleeping. The black blanket had been tossed off the bed and then laid all across his date. The unicorn reached over and pulled it off. He gasped.

Nightmare Moon was no more. In her place, he saw a shorter, lighter, bluer, and much happier looking alicorn. The battle gear and the bridal like wear had both disappeared. She looked so different. Yet Strawberry still saw what his heart had seen before. The night… the beauty of every last night… All of that wonder, that elegance, and that love boiled down into one pony.

She remained fast asleep. Strawberry leaned over close. But is it really… her? He brushed a little bit of her mane out of her face. She stirred… but just a little. Yes. He knew deep inside that it had to be. “L-luna…” he whispered.

Strawberry got back up. But… But… But… The night? The elements of harmony? The throne? The castle? What’s going on! He twirled around in place— having no idea where to even begin. He glanced over at the window, and then he took a few steps over.

Surly, you’re not going to jump out the window, are you— moron? He stopped. He turned around and jumped over towards the bedroom door. He bumped into something tall, taught, and white. The unicorn found himself back on the floor, and he rubbed his face. He then looked back up.

“C-c-celestia…” he muttered.

“Nice to meet you, Strawberry,” the alicorn said. She stepped over besides her sister. She leaned down and eyed the sleeping pony silently. Strawberry had only ever seen one other pony that looked more beautiful. Celestia’s mane reflected in the sunlight and seemed to turn the light into something else— something that felt warm and motherly.

“H-how did y-you…” Strawberry tried to squeak out. Terror coursed through his veins, although Celestia’s expression looked… amused if anything.

Celestia turned her head back towards Strawberry. She tried to suppress a giggle. “Perhaps… You have forgotten that we live here…” she said.

“Y-you… here… to… will…” he babbled. He pictured her skewering him with her horn, slicing him in half with her hooves, or picking him up and magically blasting him into the nearest aqueduct.

“It is time to restore justice for my sister,” Celestia replied. She had a flat expression. Her sheer magical power made Strawberry ache at her very presence, but she held herself back.

Strawberry shivered with intense fear— so strong that he could barely stand up. He still picked himself up and shifted his body over. He stood right in between the two sisters— sheltering Luna’s body with his. He managed, despite how he almost wanted to collapse, to flatten his face with silent determination.

Celestia made a slight smile. “A gentlecolt…” she said, “Well, it is clear what she saw in you…” She paused, and then she stepped a little bit away. “Oh, Strawberry, you have completely misunderstood what we meant.”

Strawberry’s mouth moved, but no words came out.

“It is time to restore justice,” Celestia began, “By having the two of us take our rightful place as we rule together.”

Strawberry said nothing. Emotions scrambled up all inside him. He felt like a bag of popcorn with little things bursting left and right. He opened his mouth, and then he silently started to cry.

“Strawberry…” Celestia began.

“The elements of harmony… the sun… the everything…” the unicorn muttered, “Why didn’t it… work… what happened.” He tried and failed to force the tears back.

“The elements worked,” Celestia said, and she put on a motherly tone, “They just happened to be… shall we say… incomplete.” She hesitated, searching for the right words. "There has never been a specific element of... love."

“And…” Strawberry murmured— still barely able to speak.

“All of the six ponies, the elements of harmony, are perfectly fine, Strawberry. You should not keep worrying. More than fine, actually, one must say that they look… ‘Overjoyed’ is the right word,” Celestia went on, “Strawberry, you need to know right now that we only came here to tell you one thing.”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

Strawberry would have grinned. He would have stood up tall and proud. He would have even tried to give Celestia a happy hug. He would have done all of those things if she didn't say something devastating next.

"There is also... something else about my you and sister," the white alicorn said. She tried to maintain composure, yet her mane drooped a bit and her legs seemed to almost shrink a little as well.

"Else..." the unicorn muttered. His heart seemed to crumble up like a raisin.

"It... will not happen," Celestia said. She didn't have to explain much further. On the one hoof, Strawberry remained still as a statue and had the same empty, blank expression. On the other hoof, he screamed his lungs out in the inside. "The rules about... about..." She tried to remain as cordial as possible. "Cross-contamination of the central royal bloodline are quite clear. That is not to mention the horrible scandal that would ensue. It is bad enough with what has already happened..."

The unicorn barely listened. His heart seemed to have dropped out of his body and fell straight into the center of the earth. Celestia finished her little speech, and then he finally exploded in tears.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

All in all, it had felt like a pretty crummy day. “Sure,” Strawberry whispered under his breath to himself, “Everypony likes a good celebration. But it’s not really a ‘celebration’ if it doesn’t end… If it drags on and on and… ooonnn…” He had finished the last of the cupcake orders, at least.

The unicorn had a fleeting moment to lean out the window and relax— until Mrs. Cake screeched at him again. He glanced about at the other ponies going about on the main street. None of them paid any attention to him. Story of my life… He crinkled up his empty cup and hurled it into the trash can below.

He went to head back to the kitchen, but then a soft voice came out from outside the window. The unicorn popped out. He saw a familiar looking bright yellow pegasus.

She shifted back a little at Strawberry’s stare, which he hadn’t intended to look so intense. “Oh… ah… I didn’t want to be a bother of course, and I didn’t want to pry…” Fluttershy said. The unicorn put on a smile, although it looked pretty fake. “Goodness knows, we’ve all talk… talked… about everything… I just… wanted to ask you something.”

“Bite me,” he groused at the pegasus. She titled her head in surprise.

“Oh, I… I… We’re arguing? I’m sorry,” she squeaked. She opened her mouth to say something else, but then she sped back away towards the town square. The unicorn chased after her with his eyes, and then he leaned back out of the window.

Ugh… I can’t believe I snapped at her like that. But… Well… What’s the point in hiding it? He looked up at the afternoon sky. It shot back at him with the same painful light and scarring intensity. He could almost feel Celestia up there. Mocking me… "CROSS-CONTAMINATION"! That… That… He felt like spewing a bunch of curses for the umpteenth time, but he didn’t feel angry. He felt… defeated. He sighed.

He made the same familiar path down the corridor towards the stairwell. He heard some commotion behind the side door behind him. Strawberry paused, and then he popped the door open. He didn’t see a thing except the empty street. He then took a look straight down, and he noticed a large package.

“Hey, Mrs. Ca—” he shouted, and then he suddenly stopped. Hey, it’s for me! “Oh, nevermind!” He picked the package back up and walked over to the sitting room. Hmm… there’s no return address…

Strawberry stepped in, took a seat on the gigantic couch, and he opened it up. He saw a flowerpot filled with Evening Stars. He stuck his nose in and inhaled the beautiful aroma. They also had gone into full bloom, and he gazed at the layers of petals upon petals.

He got up— glancing around for a perpetually dark spot to place the delicate flowers. On his second step, he heard something flutter off of his lap onto the floor. He picked it up with his magic.

“You are cordially invited,” the unicorn read aloud. He flipped it around, and he didn’t see anything else— no stamp, no nothing. He carefully slid the envelope open with his horn. He then saw a small piece of pinkish colored paper drawn on with some combination of crayon and colored pencil.

On one side, somepony had created a beautiful scene. A tall, proud set of trees stood around a shimmering lake with dozens of bright stars reflected on it. Below that, various mossy trunks decorated a pretty, peaceful-looking grassy clearing. The unicorn squinted, and then he saw a little spot of the lake with a bit of writing. It read ‘Tonight’.

He turned the paper around, and then he gazed at the other page. He took a breath. He then plopped back on the couch— overcome with emotion from what he saw.

A little bit of fancy looking writing decorated the bottom of the page. It had been underlined time and time again for emphasis. It read: 'Let's just keep it between the two of us'. The beautiful image above couldn't make it any more clear.

A massive gray moon glowed with stark, bluish white light and had been coated from top to bottom, side to side with hundreds of bright red… strawberries.

The End