Flying high into the sky, Eclipsa and Noct stood next to each other, side by side. Feeling the wind rush by their manes, Eclipsa looked to Noct and decided to strike up conversation, hoping it would fill the void of silence between them.
"You just wanted to stretch out your wings," Eclipsa wondered, "didn't you?"
"Honestly," Noct replied, "yeah. I'm not used to walking long distances on my hooves."
"You get used to it after a while," Eclipsa giggled, remembering her time in the field with Astral, "it's not so bad after all's set in stone."
"I'll take your word for it," smirked Noct. He noticed the size of Eclipsa's mane and finally brought it up with her, "Hey, your mane, has it always been that bushy?"
"This little thing?" Eclipsa laughed, using one of her forehooves to make it bounce playfully, "It's been like this for as long as I can remember. Why do you ask?"
"You were out in the field," Noct retorted. "How'd Lunar allow that?"
Eclipsa smirked, "A little charm goes a long way, you know. I told him it could cover me while I flew into enemy territory and he bought it, especially after my kind comments to him."
"I see," chuckled Noct, "so you're a charmer, hmm?"
Eclipsa fluttered her eyes and flew closer to Noct, rubbing his side softly with her hoof, "Oh Noct, you're so strong and handsome in the moonlight."
Noct felt a blush form on his cheeks and chuckled nervously, "Oh-kay, I can see how that worked, hehe."
Eclipsa beamed delightfully, "Told ya so."
As the two bat ponies kept on flying through the night sky, Noct began to notice a commotion happening down on the ground. He pointed to it for Eclipsa and commented on it.
"That looks like it's near the old base," he mentioned, "though, I can't tell what's going on down there."
"Twilight was right when she said it might be windigos that were the cause of it," Eclipsa noted, pointing to the ancient creatures in the sky. "It is getting colder than usual now, especially as we get closer."
"Look," Noct called, "down there. It looks like the armies are dispersing."
The two bats looked down and saw soldiers rushing and scattering out in all directions. A few of them sought shelter in the nearby base while many rushed away from it. Noct squinted his eyes and noticed a pony in the middle of the commotion, located directly underneath the circling windigos. He took notice of a horn and a pair of outstretched wings and cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Hey Eclipsa," he murmured.
"Yeah?"
"You see the hovering alicorn too, right?"
Eclipsa looked closer at the lone pony, noticing the horn and wings with ease, "Eeyup."
"That wouldn't happen to be Princess Luna you think," continued Noct, "would it?"
"Can't be Lunar or Twilight," exclaimed Eclipsa, "we're too fast for them, and it can't be Celestia since she's a much brighter color than that pony…I think that really might be Luna."
"She looks different somehow," noted Noct, "like she underwent a change or something."
"Judging by the ponies running away from her," added Eclipsa, "I'd think that you're right on that assumption. In fact, I think that-"
"OBEY US, OUR SUBJECTS! FOR WE ARE THE ULTIMATE RULER OF THE REALM NOW!"
Noct nodded, "Yup, I think that Luna is the cause of this."
"Though, that's not Luna, per se," Eclipsa stated. "I know Luna likes to talk with the royal 'we' and whatnot, but she never called ponies her 'subjects' like that." She rubbed her chin lightly for a moment, "What was her alter ego form known as in ancient lore? I'm not up to date completely with pony history like I am with our own."
Noct thought for a while, grunting in shock that he couldn't remember Luna's corrupted name, "I know I've heard it before, but I can't recall what it was. Like, it's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't place my hoof on it."
"It had something to do with the night sky," Eclipsa said. "Goodness…what was it?"
"It's gonna drive me nuts, not knowing it," Noct admitted.
Eclipsa giggled, "Why? It's not like we're regular ponies ourselves. That wasn't our history."
"No," agreed Noct, "but like the old saying goes, history tends to repeat itself, and," he looked back down to Luna and sighed slightly, "it looks like it's on the precipice of happening again."
Eclipsa followed the gaze again and noticed that Luna was dragging something away with her, "That seems like it's the body of another pony."
Noct joined the glance and squinted more, trying to see what Eclipsa said was happening. He sighed again and nodded, "Looks that way. C'mon, we need to let Lunar and Twilight know that the situation here is escalating."
"What about our promise to Fluttershy?" Eclipsa wondered.
Noct flapped his wings and gained altitude, "I fear that if things are left unchecked here, then there won't be any critters left to help. We need to warn them now of the impending situation."
Eclipsa nodded and flapped her wings as well, joining Noct as the two began their journey back to the chasm they were hiding in for the time being. As they flew back, they heard Luna shout once more.
"OUR NIGHT WILL LAST FOREVER!"
Noct and Eclipsa felt conceded as they flew away.
"At least we finally got what we fought for," Noct said instinctively.
"But at what cost?" Eclipsa added, closing her eyes in the process.
When the two finally returned to the chasm they temporarily called home, the visibility of their discontent was heavily noticeable. Lunar and Twilight spoke first and asked what they saw on their journey. Looking to each other briefly, Noct and Eclipsa exchanged sighs before answering the questions that were asked.
"You were right in assuming the windigos had some part in this, Twilight," Eclipsa said first, "because they're circling around something big that's happening."
"What do you mean?" Twilight wondered.
"We think something might have happened between the two factions," Noct added, "specifically between Luna and Celestia."
"Like what?" Lunar asked.
"Luna may have become corrupted," Eclipsa alerted, "and the ponies around from both factions don't seem too keen on what came of her following her assertion that she ruled the land now."
"They ran out in all directions," added Noct, "but I'm not certain if that's from the corruption or from the windigo's harsh weather."
"Whatever it may be," said Twilight, "we need to help out, no matter what."
"But what about us?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"We risked everything to get away from that lifestyle," Astral persisted.
"I know," stated Twilight, "but if we're gonna show ponies that there is another way to live, this is as good a time to do so as any."
Lunar nodded, "We know the ins and the outs of each faction and, with the others scattering out and rushing away from the action, as you say, then the only opposition would be the two leaders themselves. I know I said earlier that our priority is to get our hooves on the ground and make sure we're safe and sound, but I feel that, if we were to challenge them now-"
"Challenge them?" Astral repeated, interrupting Lunar. "Are you insane?"
"No," protested Lunar, "I'm serious. I have the utmost of confidence that we could beat them if we go about this in a cautious and careful manner. Celestia and Luna both taught Twilight and myself respectively what we know - mostly offense for me and mostly defense for Twilight. Couple that with the fighting we've both done, and I think we have a good shot at finally bringing this whole ordeal to an end."
"Lunar's got a point," Twilight defended. "By planning this out carefully, we could end everything. Soldiers are scattering and Celestia and Luna are there. I've seen high tensions before, but I don't think it gets any higher than this."
"It's crazy, honestly," Applejack sighed.
"But it just might be crazy enough to work," added Rarity.
"We have a lot of magic at our disposal," pointed out Star.
"And Pegasi to provide distractions with," nodded Lustrous.
"Then it sounds like we're in agreement," Lunar smirked. "Plan this out carefully and we will be victorious. Sound good, everypony?"
Everyone chimed in and nodded, finishing up with Astral. She nodded slowly, but still had her doubts.
"Good," continued Lunar, "then let's get to work."