The Lost Element

by XD-385

Equestria has long been known as the land of ponies. However, the name of Equestria is misleading. For far too long, a certain element has been missing from the world. And now, that element has been brought back. But for better or for worse?

154. Moonstruck Blossom

It has not been long since I finally finished documenting my experiences since leaving for Cantercun. We have finally entered December and winter's arrival is just days away. Still too soon for the arrival of our first snowfall. But I have kept myself busy with my family and friends. It was nice settling back into a familiar routine when I returned home. I have resumed my job at the spa, my hands and fingers finding their footing again to give massages. There is almost always a fire going in the fireplace at home. And I have even gotten into the habit of letting Scootaloo look over my shoulder when I am playing on any of my portable gaming devices. A shame she cannot appreciate the specs of the 3DS when I am doing so. At least not from that angle.

But then a night came where I dreamed. And I cannot say when I transitioned from resting to dreaming. Because when I began to dream, it was as if I never fell asleep at all. My eyes opened. And I found myself under the vast deep blue night sky. The air was cool, but not unpleasantly so. And the sensation under me... Soft... But through a layer of metal plating. A cloud?

I sat up and determined the cause of what I was feeling. I was indeed resting on a cloud very high in the sky. While I was clad in my enchanted wing armor. My helmet was not present, allowing the wind to gently caress my hair. It was fortunate my mind had the foresight to produce my armor for that night. I would loathe to start my dream by plummeting through a cloud far to the ground below. But if I was so aware...

Someone was out there. Someone had ventured into my dreaming mind the instant I drifted into sleep. It could only be one of three royal ponies. Or perhaps all of them? I looked around at the vast night horizon and asked, "Hello?"

I faintly heard the flapping of wings. And I felt the cloud under me shift as weight was applied to one side. I was then greeted by a familiar and beautiful voice. "It is I, my love. Something about your dream in its fledgling state drew me to it. And so here I am."

Nightmare Moon. The glorious Princess of Dreams stood before me. I rose to my feet and turned to her with a relieved smile. We embraced, but just for a moment. I was always happy to see her. She then asked as her wing and my arms released each other, "But before anything else can happen, where are we? Do these surroundings appear familiar? Perhaps...a product of old memories that resurfaced?"

We surveyed our surroundings. The night sky was vast. And it was beautiful. Too beautiful. It was full of too many stars to be from the realm of reality we knew. And the moon was full. High above us and glowing with a very pale blue light. But most curiously, a ring of debris seemed to drifting around it on a shallow angle. We could see the chunks gently tumbling as they very slowly spun around the celestial body. With how clearly we could even make out the shapes... The chunks of debris were either very large or the moon was unnaturally close to that world. And yet...it looked familiar. Nightmare Moon muttered, "Something about the moon... The phenomenon we see now... It is too large. Too near... And that ring around it... Too easy to see from this distance. This world... It is not bound by the laws of reality. A world that could only exist in dreams."

"Dream Land. We're back in Dream Land again. Or rather...somewhere high above it." I said as my eyes detected something Nightmare Moon had not. Over yonder was a sight truly fitting for a world of dreams. An impressive castle set atop a vast cloud. Dark with subdued shades of blue or indigo, I could also see a few great cogs that went into the castle itself. Some sort of component for inner mechanisms inside the structure? And when I peered over the side... Down below were a few floating islands. The lighting was poor from such a great distance, but their presence was enough to tell me where we were. They were of a descending altitude, each being lower than the other. But still so very high above the world below. As Nightmare Moon and I beheld the castle ahead of us, I explained further. "This... No, this place... It's not a product of old memories. This was produced from a very recent memory."

Nightmare Moon was oddly silent. And when I turned to face her, I could see why she had not spoken. Her eyes were wide. As if unnerved. But there was no imminent threat out there. If anyone was within that castle or atop its walls, they could not see us from that distance. I asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"I sense...something foul. A great evil within those walls. And...it maintains a connection. An unseen chain to one that knows not of what controls it. And yet...why does this feel hauntingly familiar to me?" Nightmare Moon muttered before she turned her gaze to meet mine. Those eyes... They almost appeared to be pleading. And now that she had mentioned it... I too suddenly noticed a similarity. Something about the night beneath the moon... With the Princess of Dreams herself. She then asked, "James... I suspect something has called you here. Do you know what's within those walls?"

I cast my gaze upon the distant castle. Yes. I knew who and what was within. And with my heart growing heavy with dread and hope, I said to my darkest beloved, "Yes... A cursed soul is over there. One who doesn't know they've been ensnared. Someone...who is doomed unless we intervene before it is too late."

Nightmare Moon then turned to me with her horn billowing with her deep blue magic aura. And in a flash of light, my left arm became heavier. The Lunar Shield had been summoned to it, the hilt of the Celestial Sword peeking over the top from within its scabbard. The Princess of Dreams then pleaded, "If that is so, then go. Do what must be done. I feel a certain...unexplainable familiarity with the presence who is shackled without their knowledge. This situation... Why does it feel bitterly nostalgic for me?"

It was not the first time Nightmare Moon had felt a certain unexplainable kinship with one corrupted or enslaved by a dark power. And I knew of what to expect. I then turned to the distant floating castle and said, "Right... I'm off then. Please keep watch, but don't intervene unless I need you to. I think this is something I should do alone."

"Agreed. I shall be watching...but do be safe, my love." Nightmare Moon before bidding farewell to me with a kiss upon my face. With my armor's wings spreading wide, I took to the air and approached the castle at a cautious speed. I was without my helmet for the time and felt compelled to not wear it for the moment. I soared high, intending to reach the castle from above. No one would expect an intruder when the castle was already on top of the world below.

I gently drifted down on my wings as I broke out into a leisurely glide. While the castle appeared unremarkable from a great distance, drawing near enough to see beyond the battlements and across the verandas revealed that the castle had been given a beautiful and intricate interior design. Even the very floors were elegantly, bearing the colors and patterns of a mosaic. But along the paths atop the walls, I could also see the guards of the castle. And the proportions of their bodies did look like something that would not be out of place in a world of dreams. Stout, almost rotund bodies with stubby arms and feet with seemingly no legs. But they all shared a certain trait. They were very similar to insects. Green bodies with large orange compound eyes. All were armed, carrying anything from swords to spears and even bows with quivers filled with arrows on their backs. They never looked up to see me above them. Only watching for anything that would come from below the walls.

A strange realization came over me. It was as if I had arrived at a parallel inverted equivalent of Hallownest. But instead of being a visitor to a kingdom of insects deep beneath the earth, we were high in the sky. And I was not there to start trouble. I made certain to keep myself held aloft high as the cool nightly breeze kissed my face.

And yet... As I gazed down upon the guards atop the walls of the castle while they remained oblivious to my presence... Something felt wrong. They did not see me. But I could not shake the sneaking suspicion that I had not gone undetected. I felt the ominous feeling of eyes upon me from afar. As if a spider had set up a web for me to blunder into. The skies above were clear. I did not make out anyone down there watching me. Unless they were lurking in the shadows where the moonlight did not reach... All I could do was carry on and hope that I would be left alone.

I drifted over the castle and spiraled inward towards the tallest central spire. It had to be what I was looking for. I circled the tower as I tried to find a spot where I can land. And there was plenty at the top. The highest floor of that remarkably large spire had an open walkway that wrapped almost all the way around. Only a few narrow stacks of bricks were present to provide a wall to what I suspect was a private area that was also hidden behind curtains. The stairwell leading up to the top of the castle's tallest tower was likely right in the middle of it. I set myself down on the side past the pillars where the moon was still fully visible. It was quiet... No guards to be seen. Unless there were some only just outside the doors at the far end of that open hallway. And that dreadful sensation of being watched from afar disappeared for the moment as well. I was alone.

It was so quiet with the only sound I heard being a gentle breeze. Flowering bushes were even planted between every few pillars. And I gazed out at the moon. Beneath it was a vast sea of clouds that I could not see from where I had first beheld that floating castle. And then I noticed something. Something that filled my heart with renew hope. I expected something to have been reaching out of that sea of clouds. Just under where the moon loomed in the sky. But there was nothing. That sea of fluffy white was unbroken. I muttered to myself, "The Dreamstalk... It hasn't been planted yet. Maybe it's not too late..."

"Is it now?" A voice reached my ears. One that sent a shiver down my spine. An elegant and beautiful voice. One that I had heard before, but had never once here it mutter a single true word. And that beautiful voice was filled with a powerful and domineering tone as it spoke to me. "You elude my guards. Infiltrate my castle without challenge or triggering even a single alarm. And now you stand at the very top of my castle a mere stone's throw from my personal bedchambers. What drew you here, warrior? Why should I not have my guards tear your wings to shreds before casting you out over the walls?"

I turned and approached the center of the tower. Looking about for the source of the voice I heard carried over the breeze. I asked softly, "Your majesty?"

The voice speaking to me softened just slightly. "Hm. So you know of who you speak to. And you acknowledge my crown. Very well then. If it is an audience you desire, I will grant you that much."

A bright glow began to come from behind me. A quick twist of my body revealed a great circular glowing rune shining with a pale pink hue cast across the ceiling above. And halfway to the center of that circle... The shapes of hearts surrounding the very middle. From that ethereal portal descended a being briefly covered in a shimmering layer of magical energies that faded along with the portal above. And as I beheld the regal and royal being before me... I stood transfixed as my heart was weighed down with such conflicting feelings. The creature before me then spoke again, "Now then, outsider... Out with it. Who are you, what are you, and why are you here? Are you an assassin who seeks my head? A scout of a neighboring kingdom carrying out an act of reconnaissance? Or the vanguard for an oncoming invasion? Speak, warrior. I am not normally so patient."

"I... I am..." I did not want to force my host to have to wait for a full explanation over my intrusion. But my eyes... I had never been able to witness the being before me in person. Someone I had only just added to my memory. Only able to behold her from behind a plastic screen. The creature before me was unambiguously insectoid in form, much like the guards keeping watch for danger from atop the castle's walls. But she... I had seen many things from the kingdom of Dream Land and the surrounding territories of Pop Star. And even from the worlds beyond. They ranged from silly to whimsical to even macabre and disturbing. But the queen of the sky who floated before me... She was something I had never been able to describe anything in that world as until then. A creature of utter beauty. Enrapturing beauty, to be frank.

As fitting for a queen reigning over a kingdom consisting of many insect creatures, the creature before me bore the appearance of a queen bee. Her face consisting of a fine fuzz of golden yellow and a deep blue or even indigo hue, a crown of gold and a central light blue crystal bearing a vibrant pink heart atop her head. Long pink antennae that vaguely resembled long eyelashes extended out from above her large royal purple eyes as they glared firmly at me. Those eyes... They reminded me of Celestia's, but colder. In her right hand, wrapped in a white glove with a wide elegant cuff, was a golden scepter topped with a red stone that brought to mind the Bloodstone Scepter. But the hands themselves... They were connected to no arms. She did not even possess legs. Instead the hands merely floated near her body at the same length as if there had been a pair of arms extending from her round and robust shoulder pads. And above those shoulders... A ruff of pale fluff resembling mink fur. And beyond even that, an elegant and wide cape type of a color of alternating pink and purple stripes. I suspected her entire body was wrapped in a very tightly fitted suit or raiment, her suit being largely a matching shade of indigo as that on her head. Her waist was very narrow, but widened out into the form of a bee's thorax below it. Her indigo thorax wrapped in alternating golden frilled rings while possessing no signs of a stinger at the bottom. And emblazoned on her chest... A pronounced pink heart emblem. Even hanging down behind her back in a manner resembling a queen's mantle were four impressive shimmering golden wings of insect nature. They were of intricate design, lined with filigree that bore a few holes in the shapes of hearts near the tips. So many hearts complimenting her appearance, yet with a heart as cold as ice beating within her chest. The bitter irony was not lost on me.

My wandering eyes and silent voice did not escape my host's attention. Her patience wearing thing, she firmly tapped the bottom of her staff's shaft against the floor to get my attention. Her firm glare remained as she spoke with her mouth likely concealed on the underside of her head, "Are you daft? I told you to speak, intruder. There will not be a third time."

I had to speak quickly. I did not want the situation to escalate too quickly. I stood at attention and said, "I mean no harm. I am not an assassin out for blood. I am not here on behalf of neighboring kingdoms. There are no invasions approaching. I am just...here. I only came for my own interests."

"You say you are here without ill will in mind, yet you bear the form of a knight. Wings designed to carry you high into the clouds. You carry a shield on your arm. And tucked behind it... I see a sword's hilt. You come prepared for battle, yet you insist you are not here to greet me with a blade? Explain yourself." The queen of the sky demanded of me while continuing to remain somewhat cordial. If I remained civil, she would likely not become hostile. But I knew I was only stalling for time. Hoping against hope that there would be a means to resolve the unseen conflict without violence.

I explained myself more thoroughly, "It is true that I was recently knighted. And no true knight goes anywhere with his most trusted weapon at his side. But I will not draw my sword on you, your majesty. I am not here to harm you. I am...just..."

The bee queen before me scowled with eyes of caution. She had never seen anything like me before and I had even reached her private chambers without alerting her guards. An extremely rare occurrence that she had never witnessed. She was wise to be wary of me. But I knew everything about her. All from very recent discoveries. And so I spoke my true intentions. "I'm only here to...save you. To cure you...dearest Sectonia."

"You even know my name... You are not here on a mere whim. To recognize me as queen is one thing. But to know me well enough to speak my name? And to cure me of what exactly?" The resplendent Queen Sectonia demanded with her cold and firm composure wavering for just an instant. Being an outsider who knew her name surely alarmed her. I saw her gloved hand tighten its grip around her scepter. It was more than just a symbol of her rule. It also doubled as a powerful enchanted weapon. She was more than capable of defending herself if needed.

I had to wonder just how much Sectonia even remembered of herself. All those hearts lining her regal form... There must have been a time when that symbolism bore some merit. She had been a kind and responsible queen at one time. One loved by her people. I knew that much. But the cold and authoritative voice she spoke with... It was the cruel tone that only tyrants carry. To see so many heart shapes as part of her visage... It was such a cruel irony. The only heart that beat within her chest at that moment was one of ice. I steeled myself with a breath before saying, "You are...not yourself. And you haven't been for quite some time."

I expected a much harsher response. But those large purple eyes upon Sectonia's face merely blinked once before she asked with a voice filled with more confusion than offense. "I beg your pardon? I am not myself? I am not...the queen of the heavens? I am not the great Queen Sectonia?"

"No. You are...what you've always been. But who you are... This isn't you." I said as I finally found the courage to take a step forward. One by one, my armored feet drew me closer to the beautiful insect queen before me. My heart was filled with hope. I knew that kindness and nobility was buried deep in her. Such beauty could not be had by one who began with a heart as black as coal and frigid as the arctic gales. I believed that in my heart. There had to be a way to bring the queen's true self to the surface. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to...help you. To..."

My eyes widened as Sectonia responded without a word. I became rooted in place as she tilted her scepter forward in warning. "That's close enough. I will hear no further nonsense over whatever my true self may be. I am Queen Sectonia. Ruler of the heavens and wielder of beauty that rivals the divines. And now that we have settled this... Where do you hail from, wayward knight? If you are indeed one worthy of knighthood, what kingdom do you serve?"

All I could do was try to appease my host for the moment. Anything to gradually earn her trust without drawing my sword. Whether there was good in her heart or not, she was one who valued a stimulating conversation. I spoke with a glimmer of pride in my heart, "I hail from the world of Equestria. My services...and my heart...are sworn to several queens. Beautiful, powerful, wise, and competent queens."

Sectonia's eyes narrowed in contemplation. My words confused her, but she attempted to make sense of them. "Equestria, you say? A kingdom from the far edges of this world? Or...one from a world beyond the stars? Wherever it may be, it sounds as if you have traveled far to set foot inside my castle. And you say your presence here is absolutely not the herald of an invasion in the coming days?"

"I'll say it again. I am not here on any mission that was issued to me. I'm only here because I chose to be here. I will not harm you...because...I want to help you. To...fix you." I said as I scolded myself and my heart. This was reckless. Fix her? Could I truly save someone like her? Was it too late to break the chains that had ensnared her mind?

"Stop it. Now." Sectonia growled as she suddenly extended her scepter even further forward. Until the gem atop it was right in front of my face while beginning to glow. I froze and remained still, not daring to aggravate her further. My head was uncovered, my helmet not present. A direct strike of whatever magical offense that scepter produced would be devastating. Sectonia then coldly declared, "I am not a fractured gem. I am whole. Mine is a blossom that will not wither. So enough with this belief that I must be mended! Understood?"

I said nothing. And I would not entertain her beliefs that she was not under the thrall of a hidden evil tucked away somewhere within her castle. Something that was probably very close by. Sectonia, mistaking my silence for compliance, pulled her scepter back from me as she relaxed. Her face, lips concealed under it, constantly displayed a glare as if being shown through an unflinching mask were it not for the occasional blinking of her eyes. "But even then... You are one deemed worthy of knighthood. Someone in possession of your abilities... You may be of use to me."

Sectonia tapped her scepter on the floor again. As if calling for someone. But no one came. She was just getting my attention. "Forget your old kingdom. For you shall serve me now. I grant you two options. Leave now, or kneel to your new queen. And I assure you the latter is the wiser decision. Now kneel, sir knight."

But I did not. I gazed upon the corrupted queen in silence. And her eyes narrowed as she once again tapped her scepter on the floor. "I said...kneel. Now. Bow to your queen."

This time, I did not remain silent. My gaze met hers as I gave the queen my answer. "I will not."

"So be it." Sectonia growled before pointing her scepter out at the vast night sky behind her. She boldly demanded, "Then leave now, intruder. And never return. Return to your kingdom and never set foot upon my land again. For you are not welcome here."

Once again, I remained still. I said nothing. I did nothing. And I began to see Sectonia's hand quiver in frustration as it clutched her scepter. She then all but screamed at me, "OUT!"

My brow furrowed as I readied myself for imminent conflict. I could not depart yet. Not when there was a beautiful heart hidden behind that wicked facade. What I was doing was foolish. My mission was one I would never recommend anyone follow. But I was compelled to try. I had seen the true fate of Sectonia play out. One that brought tears to my eyes when I first witnessed it. But now that I was there... Before the seed of the Dreamstalk could be planted far below... I had an opportunity to set things right. To save something precious. A lost soul that did not know she had lost her way. I knew there was a kind and wonderful soul beneath that icy shell. The only question that remained was if it was still possible to bring it to the surface.

"Sir knight. Choose. Now. Bow to me or begone! What is your choice?!" Sectonia shouted with only the cool breeze of the night sky whistling through the following silence. She looked furious. Ready to call upon her guards at any moment. Yet the floating queen bee held onto what little patience remained.

I had tried her patience long enough. And so I said to my host, "I will not bow. But I will not depart. Not when I still have something to do."

In a flash of light, Sectonia's scepter vanished. And her eyes scowled at me with irritation. "Feckless peon... So be it. If you will not depart, then your only choice is to bow. Even if I must make you do so."

I clutched my armored hands into fists. Dread filled my heart. I did not want to raise a fist to her. Let alone a blade. Sectonia brought her disembodied hands across her chest, eyes glaring past them. "We both know what must happen now. And my guards will not be necessary for this. But be warned, warrior. You are not the only one here with a mastery of the sword."

Sectonia threw her hands out to her sides as they closed their fingers inward. And in a flash of light in each hand, she summoned a pair of impressive rapiers that were easily as long as her entire body. And she only stood a head shorter than myself. Each possessed a cup hilt with there being four pink hearts pointing upward towards the blade at each of the cardinal directions.

Again with the hearts... Why so many symbols of love about herself when her heart was as cold as ice? A sign of what she had once been? She then pointed the sword held in her right hand at me, her head tilted upward to finally allow me to see her mouth on the underside. She spoke with those lips displaying an equally disdainful frown, "Now then... Come hither, sir knight. For this flower won't wither. Face me with sword in hand. We will see if you kneel...or if you perish."

I almost answered that call. My right hand reached for the hilt of the Celestial Sword on the back of my shield. But just as I nearly grabbed it... I paused. I gazed upon the beautiful creature before me. Her beauty marred by an unseen evil that had infected her from within. And behind her... The glorious full moon. On such a night... A creature tainted by evil that I believed could be saved...

The similarities were uncanny. It was not the first time a fateful night came where I sought out a beautiful monarch tainted by an evil that was not her own. One who I came to understand through expanding insight that she was not the monster many feared her as. I remembered that night. I faced her after trying to prove to her that I was not her enemy. For I had even deceived my own dearest friends for a time just so I could get close enough to try and reason with our enemy. I refused to draw my sword. Until panic eventually forced me to do so. And when I did...

I felt haunted as that dreadful memory flashed through my mind. Nightmare Moon. Her black body spilling fresh blood from many wounds. I could have killed her that night. I did everything in my power to save her, but I ended up gravely wounding her instead. She forgave me. She still never once looks back on that night bitterly, bless her soul. But I still did the one thing I did not want to do that night. I drew my sword and struck her. Even if I could not remember the instances I swung my sword at her.

I could not do that again. I refused. Sectonia was powerful, but so fragile in the face of the unyielding sharpness of the Celestial Sword. At least Nightmare Moon was mindful enough to keep just enough distance so I did not cleave her in two. I was all but convinced even showing my sword's blade would be enough to doom the haunted queen before me. Sectonia's very existence was hanging in the balance. If I was to save her, then I needed to avoid any and all shows of force. Even without my sword, I had the Lunar Shield. Nothing Sectonia could throw at me would get by my defenses if I was careful. My mind made up, I lowered my right hand. All while the queen before me responded with widening eyes. She soon demanded again, "Take up your sword, sir knight. Now."

"I will not." I replied as I readied myself for something. Anything that Sectonia may send at me. My left arm was tense and ready to throw up my shield at any second.

"Do you mock me?! Do you consider me so little a threat that you face me with nothing but closed fists?!" Sectonia roared at me as her hand quivered with sword in her grasp. I almost expected her to try and run me through on its blade, yet she still resisted that urge. But she still demanded furiously, "I will not be patronized! Draw your sword and face me if you will not flee!"

I stared my foe in the face and spoke the truth. "If I draw my sword, you die. I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to...at least try to reach the real you. To bring back the beautiful yet kind queen whose heart just has to still be in there somewhere. I just don't know how yet."

I did not expect Sectonia to take as much offense to those words as she did. I expected my words to confuse her, but she entirely rejected that notion. "Kindness? Hand in hand with beauty? Simpleminded fool. True beauty...is control. Through a fist of iron. And through that steel grasp, you will bow to me. I know not how these fantasies took root in your mind, but so be it. Draw your sword or not. My patience with you has run its course. At least entertain me before I run you through on my blades."

She began to float higher, putting herself entirely before the round silver orb hanging in the night sky. Sectonia almost appeared to be glowing as she readied herself with both hands clutching her twin rapiers. She floated above me, her eyes casting a disdainful gaze down upon me with her lips visible as she spoke to me. "Your time is short, sir knight. Have you any last words?"

The sheer futility of trying to reach her... The evil within Sectonia's mind would not release her. It felt so familiar... And memories returned to me yet again. But instead of the kingdom of the sky I now stood in, I remembered the subterranean kingdom of Hallownest once more. Just below the surface, in a tomb meant to contain the source of a evil plague, I did all I could to try and save the one chosen to try and contain it. Now merely a puppet controlled by a twisted divine goddess of light, they wept as their body lashed out at me. Even turning their blade on themself to try and destroy them before they could slay me.

An opportunity rose. And I dove deep into the dreams of the infected vessel to face the source of the plague. And they joined me. The puppet, free in their own mind, came to my aid and we faced the evil together. A friendship, however fleeting, was born during our brief time together. I promised them they would live. That they would see their kingdom saved. Such a fate was what they deserved after so much suffering for the sake of their kingdom and its people.

But it was a promise not meant to be kept. The mad light goddess was snuffed out for good. And my new friend... When I awoke from their dreams, they fell dead before me. The puppet hung by strings guided by an evil hand was denied salvation despite my best efforts. And now another such puppet hung by unseen strings before me. A puppet who knew not that her will and machinations were not her own. One whose time was very short if her story continued on unchanged. The tale of Queen Sectonia had always been a tragedy. A tale whose end I had witnessed myself.

"I could not save them..." I said forlornly, my memory of cradling my friend's shattered remains in my armored hands still tempting to bring me to tears. I took a step forward, eyes settling upon the majestic corrupted queen above me, as I answered her question with one of my own for us both to answer. "But can I save you?"

"You...? Save me?" Sectonia muttered, her voice quivering for just an instant. My heart leapt when I saw a glimmer of conflict in her eyes. But only for an instant. With a quick lunge, she dove at me and smashed the tip of her right sword squarely into the Lunar Shield. I only barely managed to react in time to raise a defense. "I've heard enough of this nonsense! Kneel or perish!"

My voice fell silent. For there was nothing I could say that would mean anything to her ears. I shoved my arm forward to push Sectonia's sword aside before simply pushing her away with a burst of magic from my right hand. Merely to repel her, not to harm her. And this sparked a gaze of surprise in the queen's cold eyes. "What was that?! Did you... Ah, I see. You wield sword and spell in equal turn. Fascinating. Then we are more evenly matched than I anticipated. And so you have begun to entertain me."

All I could do was stand ready with shield in hand. My words would not reach her now. All I could do then was stand as the mountain against the gale of Sectonia's storm. What could I do? Just...outlast her? Struggle on and hope that she would exhaust herself to the point where fighting was not an option? I clenched my fists. It was all I had. All I could do was just...wait. And hope.

"But not yet. I am not so convinced my blades are not enough for you. Now come!" Sectonia crossed her hands over her chest before swooping forward and slashing her swords over each other for a dual horizontal slash. I had to keep my shield held center to insure the force of the simultaneous blows would be evenly distributed. My shield was unbreakable, but my arm was not. My armor would outlast my body. And I was in for a long night.

Sectonia began to weave around me on her golden wings, the four shimmering gold lattices spreading wide to allow for proper flight. They wavered and bended ever so slightly to show they were not solid metal at all, yet they did not flap once. They carried their owner effortlessly with unseen magical power. I turned constantly, adjusting my footing as every swing and stab of her twin swords smashed against my shield. Despite clearly being rapiers, their slashes struck with impressive force due to their size. And her movements were quick with instant recoveries from every failed strike. Having no arms meant less of a strain on her body. But her hands still moved in a manner as if they were still attached to arms. They would not be able to strike me from across the room. Speaking of which...

I threw myself back towards the doors leading into the center of the tower. Just to try and get some distance. Only for Sectonia to hurl herself at me on her golden wings. She was aiming to impale me against the door itself! There was not enough room between me and the door to flap my wings again. I had to use a teleportation spell to evade, placing myself back where I had just been standing and watching Sectonia's swords glance off the door as she narrowly avoided plunging them into it.

There was someone on the other side of the twin doors that immediately began to slowly push them open. The guards stationed just outside had finally heard the racket of our clash. But just before the door could open enough for me to sneak a peek at whoever was behind it between its two halves, Sectonia shoved her shoulder into it to push it back and keeping it closed. She barked to her men, "Stay out of this! See to it no one intervenes! This infidel is mine to dispose of!"

And so we would remain uninterrupted. The queen had made her decree. Even her own men would not come rushing in with weapons raised if they were bound by her orders to stay out of our battle. Sectonia stared me down from a safe distance, swords in hand. I widened my stance and kept my shield ready to redirect and deflect more than block. All of my focus would be put on my left arm. If my endurance finally wore out, only my armor would be all that was between me and the impaling blades of Sectonia's swords. Even they would eventually find a way through.

Sectonia crossed her swords before her in a seemingly defensive stance. Did she really expect me to make a move on her after that close call? She called out to me, "There. Now we will have no intruders. We can settle this as it was meant to be."

I once again said nothing while standing ready. It would be too easy for me to harm her. And there was no reason for me to. I had seen her story end already. I had watched her...die. And I had to prevent that from happening. But my silent and gentle defiance did not sit well with Sectonia. She called out to me again, "Do you still refuse to draw your sword?! Have you no will to survive?! Face me, fool! Fight me!"

Only then did I find the will to speak. And I spoke more out of confusion than anything. "Are you saying you want me to strike you?"

"I want you to actually face me as my enemy! You may be a fool, but I wish to exercise at least some sportsmanship here. So come. Show me what makes you worthy of knighthood!" Sectonia explained while she still floated there with swords crossed and ready to defend. Strange... Wicked as she may have been, she still possessed some honor.

A glimmer of hope lit up in my heart. Sectonia was holding back for the moment. She demanded a fair fight. That honor... Was the true beautiful queen within beginning to peek through to the surface? But if she wanted me to land a blow on her... I decided that I might as well appease her.

A very brief moment of levity flashed through my mind. I focused the magic in my left gauntlet to generate a small orb of enchanted ice. No larger than a golf ball. My magical machinations were hidden behind the Lunar Shield, but I then lifted that small icy orb with my right gauntlet's levitation spell out into the open. My right hand clenched into a fist as my eyes and focus locked onto Sectonia. "Here you go!"

The orb of ice went hurtling forward. But only at the speed a leisurely lob would have provided. It floated across the room with Sectonia just floating there. And she just...took it. Perhaps she was just so confused over my unimpressive attack or she really did want to allow me to strike her at least once. Whatever the case, my projectile struck her in the chest with a light thump. I then released my magical grasp on my projectile and replied in a desperate attempt to be playful. "Your move, your majesty!"

Sectonia's eyes glared at me with a wide gaze, her eyes filled with a bewildered fury. She glanced down at the orb of ice now idly rolling on the floor before looking back at me. "Is this your best? Do you dare jest with me, sir knight?! Are you pulling double duty as a jester?!"

I feared that all I had done was provoke her. Her pride wounded, Sectonia suddenly crossed her hands and swords before suddenly and quickly fading into a translucent ghostly blue phantom of herself that was there and gone in less than a second. My guard lowered for just an instant, I did not have enough time to notice that she was now right above me. "Perish!"

It all happened so fast, yet hit so hard. A sustained volley of raw black lightning rained down on me that rocked me in place. My armor did its job and prevented any of that magic lightning from getting through, but I still felt like I got bombarded by an avalanche of pebbles. Rattled and stunned, I staggered a few seconds on unsteady feet. With another flash of her mystical mastery, Sectonia appeared ahead of me again. But her swords were gone. "If my blades cannot bypass your defenses, let us see if magic will prove sufficient!"

In Sectonia's right hand was her same golden scepter as before. And I knew it was the weapon she had just blasted me with. But in her left hand was one that had not been present before. A silver scepter in contrast to her right's gold, it ended with an upswept half circle with the outside lined with small triangular extensions. To resemble the petals of a flower? Held in that curved cradle was another gemstone of similar size to the gold scepter. This one was mostly round and a beautiful green color in yet another contrast to the scepter in Sectonia's right hand. Two scepters with two very different properties. I gazed upon my opponent as I tried to regain my composure, the queen scowling at me with scepters ready. "Your armor is of miraculous design. Able to withstand that assault with nary a dent or crack... Most would have been flayed alive."

"My armor was explicitly designed with resistance to magical trauma more than anything else. Your magic won't get by it easily...but I still felt that one." I grumbled while taking moment to flex. That barrage of dark lightning was definitely one of her harshest means of attack. But it was also inflexible. She swiftly tried to place herself above me again, but I was quick enough to flap my wings to retreat to a safer spot. She tried to blast me from above, but I could see her body quivering as she held up her scepter. It rained dark lightning down with such force that she had to force herself to not be blown back by her own spell's discharge.

Sectonia quickly understood that I would not be caught in that spell again easily. So she instead swung her silver scepter at me. This scepter's function was more direct as the gemstone atop it launched large shimmering sparks of magical energies with every swing. Beautiful to behold, but hazardous to touch. But they were so slow too... Probably meant to be used in enclosed environments to entrap enemies who had limited mobility.

I did not even try to evade this magical assault. I simply raised my shield and marched through the barrage. Those magical sparks would burst against my shield with little force. I am certain they would have been much more harmful to my bare flesh. I peered out from over my shield as Sectonia began to swing her scepter at me more frantically, her eyes widening as she realized that her current means of attack was completely ineffective. She suddenly grew desperate, bringing the heads of both scepters together. The instant she raised them high over her head, I threw myself back with a flap of my wings. She brought the tops of her scepters down hard, unleashing a shockwave of sharpened red crystals that appeared to have been summoned from nowhere. They quickly slid along the floor at high speeds in all directions, forcing me to leap over them with the ground based projectiles fading after traveling to the ends of the room. That blow... It would have caused actual damage to my armor had she struck me.

The look of panic in Sectonia's eyes soon faded as she scowled at me defiantly. I had just gotten very close to her. Had I drawn my sword beforehand, I could have cleaved her in two. But I would not. My sword remained safely sheathed. I asked gently, "Did I frighten you just now?"

For once, it was Sectonia who was left silent. Admitting any fear would have surely been a blow to her pride. But the fact that she was shaken enough to not immediately lash out with another spell told me that she had been rattled enough to consider her options. I took this as a good sign. And I once again closed the gap. With a single teleportation spell, I instantly appeared before her and clamped my right hand around the bottom of her silver scepter's shaft. The startled queen flinched as I prevented her from pulling away, my eyes directed up at her. "Please. Stop this."

"You...dare to command ME?!" Sectonia suddenly roared with renewed fury in her eyes. She raised her right hand high as her scepter was suddenly replaced by one of her swords in a flash of light. This time, I did not bother with my shield. I folded my left wing over myself and blocked her swing with it. But I did not release my grasp on her left weapon. She smashed her sword into my wing again and again, its thick metal feathers weathering the rapier slashes well. But I was then forced to release my grasp on her silver scepter as it literally vanished from my grasp. I only had enough time to look up as Sectonia raised her hands high, each now grasping her twin rapiers, before smashing them down onto my pauldrons with so much force that I very nearly fell right to the floor.

Now all but brought to my knees, I was in imminent peril. Sectonia raised her swords high, the blades now pointing downward for a hard impaling stab. Reacting more on instinct, I flapped my armor's wings once to throw myself backwards and out of reach. A harsh clang rang out through the air as her swords plunged into the ground, even becoming briefly stuck in the thick ornate rug that was laid out near the outer edges of the tower. But she was not done. With a quick yank of her swords, Sectonia pulled them free and swooped at me on her golden wings to try and capitalize on her previous blow.

She was coming in fast, forcing me to ready my shield for a hard blow. But I was given more than one. Many of them. Sectonia unleashed upon me a display of swordsmanship of superhuman feats. She rapidly lashed out at me with a flurry of stabbing thrusts, striking my shield dozens of times in a matter of seconds with her hands and blades becoming a cloud of blurs. What a racket of metal striking metal! No one with solid arms would ever be able to pull such a display off. It was a skill entirely her own.

Sectonia finished her failed assault with another simultaneous outward slash with each sword before she quickly used her own teleportation ability to create some distance between us. I was glad that sword flurry of hers ended as quickly as it did. The sheer number of blows against my shield was very hard on my arm. I clenched my left hand repeatedly to try and ease up the muscles above the wrist. I was so impressed after seeing such a technique in person that I just had to say something. "That one... Wow, so many blows in just a few seconds. I wish I could do that."

"Is that an admission of defeat?" Sectonia asked with swords ready. And I did not have an answer. I would not bow. But I would not retreat. So I gave no answer. I stood ready, my left arm taut. The queen spoke when my true answer dawned on her, "You vex me... You vex me so! What are you trying to accomplish?!"

"I know what I want to do. I just...don't know how to do it yet. I'm just waiting... Hoping for a miracle." I said as I still clung to hope. But then I heard it. Somewhere on the wind. Bells. The heavy rings of a bell tower. One by one, until it rang twelve times. Midnight had struck. And a nameless terror filled my heart. My eyes wandered as I heard the bells. As if they were calling from unseen heavenly gates. Calling for the lost soul before me. Even Sectonia herself glanced about for a moment as if even she found the call of the bells ominous. I cast my gaze out in the general direction I thought the sounds were coming from as a quiet plea escaped my lips. "Please don't take her from me..."

"You hear that, sir knight? The bells are calling. But it is not I they toll for." Sectonia spoke with a grim tone. Only for the swords in her hands to vanish in a flash. Her hands then rose high as an ethereal pale aura began to coat them. "The heavenly gates have opened wide for you, infidel! Come! Drown in the sea of clouds and stars!"

She...summoned a gale! I tried to stand my ground, but my wings spread wide in reflex with me being swept up and out past the balcony! And out above me... The very same circular runes that Sectonia had descended from when I first laid eyes on her. From each rune descended massive red diamonds that constantly spun in place. With my wings holding me aloft as I came to a stop, I was bordered by a sea of clouds below and an ocean of stars above. Floating out there in the void was now a cluster of shimmering red islands. Why though? Did Sectonia simply tire of facing me in a confined hall and preferred the open sky?

I quickly turned around when I was reminded of where my opponent was. Sectonia swooped away from her castle on her golden wings, banking around the floating islands of gemstones she had summoned. I could see the gem atop her silver scepter shine like a distant meteor as she swooped across the sky. A flurry of shining projectiles were launched during her strafing run, rapidly closing in on me at much greater speeds than before. I quickly ascended as they flew past me with some striking a few of the spinning red platforms that now hung in the sky with the rest bursting against the castle itself. But one of them... It missed the castle tower we had departed from and struck somewhere off to the side. The burst of its collision unleashing a flurry of white flower petals A garden somewhere?

The cloud of white flower petals seemed to glow in the moonlight. And the wind carried them my way. During a brief respite in Sectonia's assault, I landed upon the nearest gemstone platform and beheld the flurry of petals. They all scattered above me. Except for one. It drifted slowly down with the moon looming behind it. That sole petal... Drifting down with the vast sky behind it...

A harrowing memory flashed through my mind. Phantom sounds ringed in my ears. As my right hand reached out with palm turned upward, I remembered as fresh tears just...spilled forth from my eyes. An image played out in my mind. Distorted frenzied cackling, the sound of thunder bursting, and then... In what felt like a final instant of lucidity... A beautiful voice screaming out as a life was tragically cut short with a flurry of white flower petals flying from where she had once been. Before the rising sun, only one remained. Floating down gently... Forlornly... Mourning the loss of a tragic soul twisted by an evil none could have foreseen. A new day was dawning... The first new day without her.

My armored hand trembled as I held that single white flower petal in my palm. The tears flowed freely. I had watched her die. I had seen Sectonia perish from a fate she never deserved. With my will to fight pressed down by my sorrow, I gazed up at the night sky above. There she floated with scepters in hand. Sectonia gazed down upon me with cold yet confused eyes. I was so thoroughly distracted... Why did she not strike when I was vulnerable? "Why do you weep, sir knight? Where has this sorrow come from when your life is at stake?"

She waited patiently. Too patiently for one so cold. Had the sight of my genuine tears stirred something within the tainted queen above me? Doing all I could to steel my nerves, I spoke out to her. "These tears...are for you. Only you."

"You weep...for me? The one who will end you this fateful night?!" Sectonia barked as she briefly...wretched. She brought her hands, scepters still clutched in their grasp, to her brow for just an instant before raising her golden scepter high. Its vibrant red gem shone brightly, readying another volley of dark lightning. "You vex me to no end!"

At last, it was my turn to raise my voice. Frustration and sorrow merging, I called out to her with my right hand clenching into a fist. "Then forgive me for being a man who appreciates beauty!"

The lightning came down hard as I threw myself backwards and to another floating shimmering platform. Great cracks ran through the gemstone as the lightning bombarded it, but it remained intact once Sectonia's spell ran its course. She glared at me in defiance, not yet resuming her attack. I then opened my right hand to gaze upon the flower petal resting in my palm. Only to close it again. Firmly. Clutching that one petal as if everything depended on it. I felt compelled to not let go... As long as I held that petal, I would not be able to draw my sword. If I did not release it, Sectonia...would not die. My heart demanded I never let go unless I wished to see her perish that night.

Keeping my distance was not helping. And when Sectonia swung her silver scepter wide to launch a volley of sparkling projectiles, I hurled myself at her with a flap of my wings. She flinched, holding out her scepters in defense while her bombardment fell behind me. And with arms spread wide, I caught her. And for a moment, we remained there. My wings flapping gently to keep me aloft while Sectonia's golden wings remained wide and still. I closed my eyes, head resting upon the edge of her wide extravagant collar. And in that moment, there was peace. I pleaded with her, fresh tears still lining my face, "No more... Please."

"Why are you doing this..." Sectonia whispered as she put up no resistance for just a moment. Her hands remained at her side, but still firmly clutched at her scepters. I felt her head bow. Her eyes closed in contemplation. "I can't understand you... And why...am I so tempted to hold you?!"

She was gone. I suddenly felt my arms give way as Sectonia teleported away from me. A sting of disappointment flashed through my heart. I was so close... I swear she would have relented had I held on for another five seconds! Something struck me from behind. A light blow. Probably a spark from her silver scepter. I turned in place and found Sectonia looming in front of the silver moon hanging in the sky, her eyes glaring at me coldly once more. "No... No! Enough of this trickery! Beauty is control! Beauty oppresses the weak! If you will not draw your sword, then at least raise your shield!"

I landed on the nearest platform I could over the sea of clouds below. But I did not raise my shield. Sectonia held her silver scepter outward as if readying another assault, but did not launch anything just yet. She demanded of me, "You do not bow... You do not flee... And you do not fight?! What is it that you want?!"

"I..." I muttered again. I had already explained why I was there. But as for that moment? What I wanted to do in that instant? I held my arms out to my sides in invitation while even fanning my armor's wings. "I want to hold you."

The look in her eyes... The coldness was gone. Something was breaking in her. I knew it. That conflicted gaze as I took a step forward, speaking again to her. "I want...to let you feel safe. Away from all threats. From...anything that would...try to twist you into something you should not be. I just..."

"Enough... Enough!" Sectonia shrieked with something new in hers eyes. Now it was her turn to weep. Fresh tears spilled forth as her cold eyes now displayed a shocking gaze of panic. Her scepters vanished from her hands while she raised them high. "Your words! What witchcraft is this?! They cut so deep! This agony! This agony of your doing! I will not have it!"

She was in pain... Actual pain. And Sectonia was resorting to some sort of middle ground to continue that battle. Her scepters had failed to do much and my shield was a match for her swords. And so she conjured up a volley of magical metal projectiles. Sturdy and heavy golden chakrams spun in the air which she then sent hurtling at me with a flick of her wrists. Left and right, back and forth as I landed upon one of the floating crystalline islands. And forth each I flung myself from one to the next with the chakrams crashing into where I had once been. They shattered into golden shards that soon faded as they fell. Until at last Sectonia summoned literally dozens of them to send hurtling my way!

I did not notice at the time. Sectonia could see her chakrams would never strike such a swift target. Summoning so many to send me running... It was a diversionary tactic. While I focused on that swarm of golden discs, I failed to notice that Sectonia had vanished. And only after I had landed and started to get my bearings after the last chakram was gone did I notice a dark magenta glow coming from above. I looked up just in time to see a rapidly approaching orb of crackling magic lightning! What was it?! A combination of her silver scepter's round projectiles and her golden scepter's lightning magic?

I could not get my shield over myself in time. Sectonia assault exploded into me like a type of lightning bomb. I was rattled and thrown down onto my back with the blast knocking the wind out of me. My armor minimized harm to me and Sectonia knew this. Because the instant I was down, another circular rune of vibrant pink with a ring of hearts near the center appeared high above me with Sectonia just beyond it. And from that rune came a rapidly descending red diamond. Falling right towards me to crush me between it and the one below me!

About to be smashed between two giant diamonds, I thrust out my right fist as I tried to ready a spell. But something or someone beat me to it. With what was surely less than twenty feet left between me and my doom, something suddenly sprang out between us. A web. A spider's web composed of vibrant pink threads charged with enchanted lightning. The web effortlessly caught the falling diamond, being just wide enough to reach the edges. The threads bent inward, but did not break. And in a flash of that electric pink, the web shattered the massive red diamond with the shards falling past me and through the clouds below. The web vanished at that instant, leaving nothing between myself and Sectonia above.

Sectonia let out a frustrated shout before she brought the tops of her two scepters together to unleash another falling orb of explosive dark lightning towards me. She did not know... She did not see the web. She merely thought I had destroyed it myself. I quickly placed myself onto he floating crystalline island furthest from the castle to get as much distance from my opponent as I could with a quick teleportation spell. And I turned and scanned the distant floating castle as I felt that ominous sensation return. We were being watched. There was a spectator observing us from a spot we could not see. Someone Sectonia would have been furious with had she known they had just protected me from her.

I had briefly managed to elude Sectonia for the moment. She turned in place, scanning the many floating islands of shimmering red below her. And my eyes scanned the castle. That feeling of being watched... I felt less like I was in danger. More like I had an ally watching out for me. And they were not Nightmare Moon. Watching and waiting. Waiting to intervene discreetly when needed. Did they now understand why I was there? I whispered softly under my breath, "I'll save her... I need to."

Only then did Sectonia turn around and see me as far away from the castle as her summoned footholds would allow. And I noticed a shift in her tactics. She once again dismissed her scepters and brought her hands before her chest. Those delicate gloved hands were surrounded by a faint glowing aura. And with a shout, she threw her head back with upturned hands held out to her sides. "Almighty moonstruck florets now blossom!"

My eyes widened. A swarm... Countless tiny glowing lights were rising from the castle itself. Insects? A swarm of tiny bees? No... They were... Petals. Hundreds or even thousands of flower petals like the one clutched in my right hand. Had she truly summoned the petals of every last flower in her castle?! They were a swirling cloud of glowing shards. One that Sectonia sent hurtling my way as she thrust her hands outward at me. "Overtake all that dares contest my reign of beauty!"

"This is new..." I grumbled as I readied a spell in my left gauntlet. I waited for them to draw near. All before I suddenly summoned a wall of enchanted blue ice from the crystalline floor beneath me. But the sound of the petals striking it... It sounded like countless metal blades trying to chip their way through it! And then... The ice began to crack. "Not good!"

I readied the Lunar Shield, stance wide and left arm raised. The storm would not be denied! My ice wall finally collapsed into shards as the swarm of petals began to slam into my shield. Only for the swarm to sweep my right off my feet! I almost panic and did all I could to protect my exposed head as I was carried along through the sky by the vortex of floral blades. They constantly lashed out at my armor like tiny blades, trying to bring me to my end by a thousand cuts! I was carried high...then low. And then slammed onto my back once again before keeping me pinned in that vortex.

But no matter how sharp those enchanted petals were... They were still just that. Soft and flexible flower petals. The storm weakened until it finally came to an end. Slicing away at my armor had worn away the petals to...a quite frankly beautiful mist that resembled diamond dust. Sectonia's countless flechettes were carried away on the wind... Almost like fine enchanted sand ready to bring sweet dreams to the people of Pop Star. "Is she...the sandman? Sand...woman?"

I managed to get back up to my feet while thoroughly rattled. A few light scratches lined my face. And while my armor was surely covered in scratches, it was still intact. But had I been without armor... My body would have surely been shredded down to the bone. A ghastly thought... Sectonia lowered herself down to the very middle of the cluster of crystalline islands she had summoned. Frustration in her eyes, she responded without a word. A flash of light summoned her scepters back into her grasp. The gems atop her scepters shone brightly as she held them out to her sides. Only to suddenly bring them forward and smacking them together. The spell she cast...

A shockwave was unleashed that shot out in all directions. In a matter of seconds, every last red diamond of an island above the sea of clouds below were shattered. I was swept up by the shockwave and was sent flying backwards towards the castle while the shattered islands fell below the clouds and to the world below. I hurtled past the pillars of tower we had first met upon with my backside slamming into the wall. My wings reached back to push me forward from the wall as I scanned the distance. She was still out there. And I was reaching the end of my patience. I even began to loosen my right hand only to barely remember what I was clutching in it. "No... No, come on. Just a little more. She has to be just about done here..."

Sectonia was truly proving herself to be a mighty opponent indeed. A swordswoman and mage who was just as powerful as she was beautiful. I saw a pair of flashes of light in her hands. She had once again swapped out her scepters for her twin rapiers. And she began to rapidly close the distance. Rapidly teleporting from one spot to another as she drew nearer with each...not quite reappearance. She never fully materialized, almost as if having been reduced to a pale blue ghost with an ethereal appearance. I knew what was coming. And I stood ready to react. My ears listening.

I almost expected to hear her. The giggling of an entertained an cocky foe. But no. Sectonia was in no such mood. She was furious. Frustrated. Too enraged to even try to get a word out. She began to dance around me with swords crossed over her chest. Trying to disorient before materializing to attack. I knew she would always come from behind. But I knew what to say at that moment. "Show me honor, your majesty."

And so she did. Sectonia did not finally materialize somewhere out of my field of vision. She finally appeared before me. Swords raised high, her hands quivering in rage. And the long blades of her narrow swords were wreathed in flames of beautiful purple. I was not ready and threw up my shield just in time as she smashed both swords into my defense. I grunted from the impact, knowing I needed to not let her wear down my defenses. She was desperate. Running out of ideas and running out of patience.

Sectonia vanished again and resumed her teleportation dance. Flashing and vanishing around me like a cheeky phantom. And when she appeared before me next, i flapped my armor's wings to jump backward. Her swords came down in a wide arc, even dragging along the floor. And in the wake of her flaming blades, a beautiful flurry of purple embers would be left behind that strongly resembled violet petals. It was a true sight to see. Even as she began to appear before me upside-down to swing her swords up towards the ceiling. Probably to avoid the risk of damaging them against the floor after the first time. This went on as I began to actually take comfort in seeing those trails of enchanted purple flames being left in the wake of every failed attack.

It did not take long for Sectonia to realize that this newest tactic was simply not working. I was too familiar with it. And if she did try to cast her honor aside and attack me from behind, I would be ready. She created some distance between us and began to just float their, her cold scowling gaze scanning me cautiously. I could hear her labored breathing. Fatigue was starting to rear its head.

That was the opportunity I was looking for. I was sure I could finally put a stop. I just needed to prod her a little more. I readied the Lunar Shield and tapped my right fists against it. Daring her to charge. "Come on. Give me everything you have."

"So...be it!" Sectonia suddenly roared as she firmly clutched her swords. I widened my stance and stood ready like the mountain I was at that moment. And with both swords of the gale pointing forward, Sectonia swooped forward. One by one, she smashed the tips of her swords against my unwavering shield with another impressive rapid flurry of strikes. Dozens... Perhaps hundreds! "I...will...break you! Bow to me! Bow to your queen!"

She did not relent. The flurry of stabs did not cease. Sectonia was all out of patience and was desperately trying to break down my defenses like a storm trying to finally uproot a towering tree. And I was starting to feel it. The sheer strain on my arm was becoming more and more unbearable. My muscles were burning! I soon was forced to prop my right hand against my left wrist just to keep up enough resistance to ride out the storm!

It had become a battle of attrition. What would decide that clash was whose stamina would give out first. I was struggling. Groaning as my arms pleaded for respite The instant my shield arm gave out, my entire armored body would be open to a flurry of impaling strikes that would eventually punch through. Sectonia hammered away at my defenses with her swords. Hundreds of strikes... Until...maybe after she finally lashed against me a thousand times...

Sectonia suddenly teleported a short distance back. And I could not have welcomed it more. She panted and wheezed while I let my left arm hang limply. Such relief... Sectonia's hands hung low beside her, completely unable to raise the blades of her swords. Until finally her left rapier slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor with a clatter. She only barely maintained her grip on the sword in her right hand, her lungs wheezing with her head bowed. I too breathed heavily, savoring that cool night air as sweat oozed from all over me. The exhausted queen before me, weak and confused, barely and shakily lifted her right sword and pointed its quivering blade at me. Even her wings were no longer spread wide, those golden shapes now hanging limply behind her like a cape. "Have you your fill of this yet...?"

"I don't know if I can even lift my shield right now..." I muttered in similar fatigue. But at the same time, I felt relief. Sectonia had run herself ragged to the point of not even being able to fight if she wanted to. It was a stalemate. The battle was over.

"You vex me to no end, sir knight... I cannot understand you." Sectonia wheezed as she finally could keep her sword raised no longer. It lowered, but still remained clutched in her hand. Her cold yet bewilder eyes gazed out at me as she asked, "You do not bow... You do not flee... And you do not fight... Even now, when I am all but defenseless, you still do not draw your sword. You have earned an opportunity to strike with minimal resistance... And yet, you do not... Why? Tell me now. Why?!"

"Were you not listening the first time, your majesty?" I asked with Sectonia's eyes narrowing in annoyance. I explained again, "I'm not your enemy. I did not come here to slay you. I'm here...to save you."

"Again with this... Save me from what? I rule the heavens. I am beyond the reach of any potential foes roaming the surface world. What could possibly threaten me up here at the edge of the sky?" Sectonia said with a brief cough from her exhausted lungs. She was growing frustrated once again, but her exhaustion prevented her from lashing out. She was going to have to listen regardless of whether or not she desperately wanted to silence me.

"Your own tyranny. That is what threatens you." I replied as I felt my heart ache. How much had she forgotten? And how long ago did she receive that gift from a dear friend that contained an evil neither of them could detect?

The queen before me gazed upon me with wider eyes as she tried to even process how she was her own greatest enemy. She could not understand. And she could not find the words to respond with. So I explained further. "Your people suffer under you. And they grow more desperate with every passing day. A time will come where they will grow desperate enough to seek aid from anywhere. Even the surface world below. They will make contact. And heroes will come. Heroes...who will have no choice but to end you."

"My people seek to overthrow me? Am I supposed to be surprised?" Sectonia spoke with a bitter chuckle. Her gaze became more frigid as she said, "Of course that is a possibility. And my guards are constantly on watch for signs of sedition. If they even so much as try..."

I spoke quickly. There was still more to say. "They will succeed. Contact will be made with the surface. And you will act swiftly. You will send your men to capture the world's heroes. But you will never capture them all. At least one will evade capture. And they will ascend to the heavens to rescue their fellow heroes. Ad in the process... They will find you. And all they will know at the time is that you are their enemy."

Sectonia's voice fell silent. And in her eyes began to shine a look of growing alarm. And while she remained silent, I continued with what needed to be said. "They will face you in battle. And they will triumph. And You will resort to desperate measures. Resorting to any trickery you can to acquire the power to maintain your grasp on this kingdom. Even if it means losing yourself and all you've ever been. Your ambitions...will doom you. It is inevitable."

Terror filled Sectonia's eyes. And her left hand rose to her chest. Resting over her quickening heart. And only then did she finally spoke, "I should not believe you... And yet...why does it feel as if you speak the truth?"

I was uncertain of what to say. It was best to be cryptic in my explanations. The details did not matter. But Sectonia's fearful gaze became cooler again as she pointed her disembodied left hand at me, "Wait... Then why do you not put an end to me here and now? You are a hero of your kingdom of Equestria, are you not? You are a hero who hails from beyond my reach. You have exhausted me. Left me vulnerable. So then... If I am so doomed to perish... Why do you still insist on not running me through on your blade?"

She spoke wisely. And I took a moment to remind myself of why I was doing what I was. My eyes scanned the beautiful creature before me. A queen who possessed beauty unlike any I had ever seen on the planet of Pop Star or anywhere beyond it. I remembered when I first laid eyes on her. And the disappointed resignation I felt when I was convinced she was an irredeemable tyrant who needed to be vanquished.

And then the horror I felt as I continued on beyond her apparent initial end. When I learned more. When I discovered the evil that infested her mind...had never been her own. Sectonia had been a queen at one time who's beauty was a reflection of her glorious heart and benevolent rule. Loved by her people...only to be twisted into a tyrant without her even realizing it. And all I could do was watch from the outside as she, her sanity and even her true form gone forever, was vanquished for good before the rising sun. With only a single petal...

My right hand rose before me as my armored fist uncurled its fingers. And there it was. That single white flower petal I had so desperately clung to throughout that duel remained intact. I did not release it. And so Sectonia continued to live. I had come that far. The battle was over and she was still unharmed. Just a little further...

"Sir knight..." Sectonia asked again with her voice softening just slightly. She sounded more confused... Maybe even concerned. She could see I was distracted as I gaze upon what rested in my palm. "Why...do you not...?"

I lifted my gaze to look upon the beautiful queen again. And only then did I speak. "How could I ever destroy something of such beauty?"

Sectonia's eyes widened in shock. And she dared to not speak. And so I looked down at the flower petal in my hand again. "Beauty is meant to be preserved... To be appreciated. Not tarnished or ravaged. And...it is meant to be gentle. For it is fragile. To hold and cherish while it too soothes and comforts. Beauty...is gentle. It is nourishing. It is inspiring. And yet..."

A long sigh escaped my lips as I lowered my arm with the flower petal still clutched in my armored hand. My gaze wandered as I then said, "And yet... It is all too easy for beauty so radiant...to hide evil just beneath the surface. True beauty is meant to run deep. From the outermost surface right down to the owner's heart. But...there are still those where it is only skin deep... Where that beauty...hides a heart as black and putrid as pitch. I...loved someone like that once."

It was only then that Sectonia spoke. And the words that came from her lips... "Have you been harmed?"

The tone of her voice... And her eyes. The beautiful queen before me spoke and gazed at me with more softness than I had heard throughout the entire night. The coldness of her piercing gaze was gone. She looked and sounded genuinely concerned for me. But I did not smile. Not yet. "Yes... I was. For three years, I loved her. And I thought she loved me. But in the end... I will never know what was real and what was false during that time."

A tone of anger began to fill Sectonia's voice. But not towards me. It did not carry the prideful frustration she had spoken with before. It was...a bitter anger. "And who is this deceitful wretch?"

"Her name... It does not matter at this point. I was harmed...but it was a useful learning experience. I became a better man through it. A wiser man. She is gone now... She will never harm me again." I replied while knowing what I had found so shortly afterwards. My beloved Celestia could not have picked a better time to bring me to Equestria. My heart was still in pieces. Only for me to find such wonderful and genuine love in the next few years. And from so many. I suffered only to be blessed in the end. "I found love again... From so many. They healed me. And I just want to be the best I can be for all of them."

Sectonia continued to gaze at me as I turned my gaze to her. Such beauty... And such an equally beautiful heart somewhere within. I was already beginning to see glimmers of the kindness within that tainted queen. The evil curse on her was unraveling bit by bit. I was sure of it. But I still spoke with a somber smile, "And I... No... I won't say it. I shouldn't say...that I want to love you. But I know you were loved. Because you...did not used to reign through tyranny."

My words stirred something within her. Sectonia appeared pained again. Her hand rose to her brow as she winced. Why? Was the curse trying to maintain its evil grip on her? I asked softly, "Do you remember when the people greeted you with smiles instead of cowering before you? Do you remember speaking kindly to them? Grand parties with your people? Happier times with one special friend who was always there for you? Can you even say that you're happy now that...you are so feared?"

No words came from her. She looked so confused. So distraught. But I could see that the coldness was gone. I then attempted something daring. I had to make certain Sectonia knew that there was no need for further hostilities. I finally found the strength to lift my left arm before bringing my right fist to it. I cast a levitation spell on the clasps to loosen them. And with a gentle swing of my left arm, I cast the Lunar Shield from it and off to the side with a resulting clatter. I was unarmed. I was vulnerable. And I wanted to trust that the queen before me was not too far gone. I held out my arms to her while even fanning my armor's wings to try and beckon her into my embrace. "It's not too late... You can set things right. There's still beauty in your heart. And beauty...is meant to be cherished and held. So then... May I hold yours?"

A faint anxiety trembled in my heart while I still displayed a hopeful smile. Sectonia was still armed. She still clutched a rapier in her right hand. But the will to fight was gone. And I was sure the evil in her mind was loosening. Those beautiful eyes. They looked much warmer than ever before. She was troubled, but Sectonia was so close to been held again. Her hand lowered from her head as her eyes closed. She breathed long and deep to let go of her fatigue as we both gradually became more rested under the glow of the moon. But when she opened her eyes...

I flinched. That frigid gaze had returned. And... It all happened so fast. She all but instantly closed the gap between us, her cold scowling gaze looking right into my eyes from inches away. And...just below where my cuirass ended... A sting. That soon began to radiate through my torso. A pain that spread like venom. My body quivering in shock, I stiffly turned my head down to see where Sectonia's sword had gone.

It was there. Right down to the hilt. Impaled through me.

But no matter how much the pain spreading through me ached, nothing hurt more than the sting in my heart. It was not the first time I thought I could heal a troubled woman only to be harmed by her in the end. I was so certain that she could have been saved... That the evil shackling her will and mind could be purged. Was it truly too late? Had the true Sectonia been erased in body and soul? Never to return with only the cruel tyrant before me having forever usurped her?

The agony of profound disappointment broke me. I was a fool to have ever thought I could save such a doomed soul. Her fate was written in stone. The wonderful queen of the heavens I thought I could see in her was now nothing but a beautiful mirage. As my injury, surely fatal, began to truly break me, I gazed into the evil queen's eyes one last time. Even as the frigid gaze in them began to be replaced by a look of horror. And as my right hand finally opened, the flower petal clutched within drifting free only to be carried away to parts unknown on a nightly breeze, I spoke with a weakness in my voice. "I thought I could reach you... I thought...the real you...was still in there somewhere... Was it all...just...an impossible dream?"

She drifted back from me as her hand released its grip on her sword. And her eyes widened. Eyes quivering, voice having fallen silent, Sectonia brought her hands over the bottom of her face. And then... The tears. Thick trails of tears began to spill forth from her eyes. As if she was only beginning to realize what she had just done.

But it mattered not. I tried to rescue her from the evil plaguing Sectonia's soul. I tried. And I failed. I was already feeling so weak, my legs buckling under me until I fell to my knees. The dream would end soon. I knew I would awaken in misery. My body beginning to feel cold and my eyes barely staying open, I began to fall backwards.

But I never hit the floor. Something caught me. A hand pressed between my armor's great wings. And another equally delicate hand cradling my head from beneath. And oh so gently, I was lowered. Turned partly onto my side to not disturb the bloodstained blade extending out from me. Who had come to me?

My eyes finally turned upwards. Sectonia. Her disembodied hands cradling me the best she could, carefully lowered me to the floor as she rested beside me. Those eyes... Filled with horror as tears of genuine and desperate sorrow spilled forth. The cold gaze of disdain was truly gone. And her voice... Speaking with a panicked whisper, "No... No... Oh horrors, what have I done to you?!"

Why...? Why then, after mortally impaling me when I offered her nothing but comfort... Sectonia's fingers curled to truly hold my head in her palm, her grasp quivering under me. "The voices... They demanded... No... Oh forgive me, sir knight! How could... Why did... How did it..."

I no longer knew what to believe. It was as if Sectonia had always been in a haze. Just watching without care or realization of what her own actions had always been causing. Until finally she did something I doubt she had ever done once in her reign. She had finally spilled the blood of one who offered her only kindness and patience. And the crimson fluid slowly oozing forth and pooling on the floor below... It awoke her. When it was too late to take it all back.

But she did not just stay there and let me slip away. I was resigned to allow myself to wake up from such a beautiful dream twisted into a nightmare cursed by tragedy. But not her. Unable to undo the harm she did, Sectonia shrieked towards the distant door. "Guards! Guards, heed my call!"

The door only then creaked open. And to whoever was standing on the other side, Sectonia pleaded with her voice warbling through her tears. "Bring me a healer! A healer! And be quick!"

They said not a word. With a scamper, they were off. And the weeping queen continued to cradle me against her. I felt so cold under the pale glow of the full moon. Like I could just...fade away at any time. But she clung so tightly to me. She squinted those beautiful eyes shut, tears still spilling from the edges, as Sectonia cradled my head against her brow. Her quivering voice pleading with barely more than a whisper, "Do you hate me, sir knight... Do you loathe me...? Such poison is all a wicked wretch like me deserves... But please... I beg of you, hold on. Just a little longer..."

She quivered and sobbed, those eyes opening only to display a gaze of dread and fear. Her hands held me to her, desperately clinging to me as if the very act of letting go would...let everything end. Where was all this sorrow coming from? All this concern for one she had been giving everything she had to slay just minutes earlier? The queen beside me spoke through her tears, "How did it come to this...? What evil could do this...? You never once drew your sword... Never once sought to harm one of such beauty... You offered your embrace. And I... I so dearly wanted to be held by you. And yet... Why?!"

Were these lies spoken from the evil that was not hers? Or...was witnessing her hand spilling my blood the final straw that broke through to her shackled heart? I was so untrusting towards her, but Sectonia was being nothing if not sorrowfully loving. Doing all she could to preserve me until help would arrive. And she continued to plead to me. "Words... They carry no meaning now... Please... Just...live! You must live, sir knight! Such a beautiful heart must not meet its end here!"

She did not even know my name. I was just a nameless outsider who had infiltrated her castle. All in search for her. And yet, she still desperately sought to prevent my end. Until finally, the doors creaked open again. And two of her guards, those who resembled wingless bees and carried mace and shield, approached us wordlessly with someone floating along between them. One who was not like anyone else I had seen that night.

She was small. Limbless like those around me. Her disembodied hands clasped together by shackles. A prisoner released from her cell for the task requested of her. Her face was vaguely humanlike, but she possessed no feet below the robe of large leaves that shrouded her body. And reaching out from around her head with large pink flower petal. The equivalent of a head of hair? Or perhaps a hood? A sort of...flower fairy?

The healer being brought before us was meek and silent. Almost fearful even as she floated there before the queen who no doubt was responsible for her being in shackles to begin with. The guards nudged her forward and stood at attention while I lied there, bleeding out in the queen's embrace. The flower fairy gazed down at me with eyes wide with surprise, probably having been called thinking she was there to treat an injury Sectonia herself had received. Not to save one she herself had harmed.

Sectonia, eyes wide with dread, pleaded to her prisoner. "I beg of you... He does not have long. Just... Please!"

The healer did not argue. She had a wound to treat. I did nothing and said nothing as I left my fate in the hands of those who knew what they wee doing. The healer's hands were unshackled as they reached out to me. And around me... Ethereal pink flower petals formed into the air. Drifting around me as they began to cluster over my wound's entry and exit points. The pain began to dull while the healer pointed at the hilt of Sectonia's sword.

The tearful queen understood what was being asked of her. She continued to keep my body from rolling onto its back while her other hand took hold of the hilt. And ever so carefully, she began to pull her blade from my body. I felt no pain as the blade slid out. Just a numbing cold. Bit by bit until the sword exited my body and gently cast aside on the floor. And in seconds, I felt that pain fading as a soothing warmth replaced it. The ethereal flower petals faded. And I had to turn my gaze down. With the thin cut in my armor's underlying bodysuit remained, the wound was gone. Even the blood that had spilled from it had vanished. A very potent healing spell.

Sectonia's eyes, the anguish remaining while now filled with a glimmer of hope, gazed upon my missing wound before gazing back into my eyes. Her hand still cradled my head as she pleaded softly, "Sir knight... Do you still ache? Are you well? Please... We must know."

My heart was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. But at least the pain was no more. My dream would not come to an end just yet. My gaze wandered, unable to gaze upon the queen who held me so tenderly. "I'll live."

The queen above me sighed with unimaginable relief. Her face remained stained with fresh tears, but the flow had finally begun to cease. She turned her attention to the floral healer before us and spoke with a voice that still wavered with grief. "I know there is little in the way of context here, but... Thank you. You have done a great service for this kind and beautiful soul. And for me. Is there... Wha... Guards? Whatever are you doing?"

The healer had become alarmed as the two guards began to reach for her hands with shackles ready. Only for them all to freeze and gaze upon their queen in silent confusion. Sectonia, eyes wide with confused shock, asked, "Why are you placing her in binds? Did you...fetch her from a cell? From a cage?"

The guards began to look nervous as they could find no words to say. They had likely known their queen to be a cold tyrant for some time. Something they had to build their duties around. But by then... The evil was gone. And her beautiful heart had finally floated to the surface after being buried so deeply. Sectonia then turned her attention to the healer and asked, "My dear... Are there others?"

The healer could only nod in uneasy silence. She was clearly fearing the worst. Only for Sectonia to cast her gaze down at me again. And then to her discarded rapier, its long blade still caked in my thickening blood. She muttered softly with eyes wide in subtle horror, "What evil have I wrought...? And...for how long?"

Those beautiful eyes closed. Only to suddenly reopen to display a firm glare at her two guards. Not the cold and domineering glare I had seen so many times that night, but one filled with a quiet anger. The guards flinched and stood at attention as Sectonia spoke firmly to them. "Guards. Release them. All of them. At once! And see to it they are well before they depart!"

The two guards bowed and rushed off to carry out their queen's. All while the healer stayed behind as she floated where she was. She was at a complete loss for words. Up until just that night, she had surely spent too long fearing the queen before her. Only to have that same queen decree that she and her fellow prisoners were to be released. And even to have their well-being seen to as well. Sectonia then spoke with eyes filled with deep concern, "I fear I have much to atone for... But for now... Go, my dear. Return home and be well. We should be fine for the rest of the night."

The evil in her was truly gone. Or was it? Had the true beauty in Sectonia's heart finally returned? Or had it only breached the surface just briefly before the evil within would drag it back down into the depths? It was just...too good to be true. Too wonderful to last. Or was it? Even the healer beside us looked as if she could not believe what she was seeing and hearing. But she found the will to place her faith in her queen. She bowed to Sectonia, a grateful smile on her face, before silently departing and closing the great doors behind her. Sectonia and I were alone again, the silence being broken only by a wayward breeze below the cold pale glow of the full moon hanging in the vast night sky.

With her sword removed, Sectonia helped me rest entirely on my back. Right beside the modest splatters of my blood on the floor. But she still cradled my head from below while the other caressed my brow. Ran her fingers through my hair. And she never left my side. That voice, once so cold, now whispered to me with a timid kindness. "Tell me, sir knight... Do you hate me? Do you hate the wretch who...disregarded your kindness so coldly?"

No words came. Because I could not even decide on what to believe. The sting of disappointment, the wound of betrayal, knowing I tried so hard to reach her only for it to all be for nothing... And that was on top of still feeling weak from loss of blood. I allowed my head to roll to one side, unsure if I even wanted to see the queen who had impaled me. And she understood my silent gesture. "Your silence speaks volumes... Oh what have I done...? How could I have ever spilled the blood of one with...such beauty in his heart?"

Her voice was elegant. And sorrowful. Every word dripping with grief. The cold glow of the moon's silver rays accentuated the situation so poetically. Like a scene out of a ancient legendary epic. Eve if I could not find the will to let my gaze meet hers, Sectonia continued to cradle me. Her hands holding my head with the other caressing my brow in a soothing manner. And soon... The tears began to flow again as her eyes closed and would not open. And with those tears came her voice. But not with spoken words. All I heard...was a hymn.

She was singing to me. A song without words. A melody that conveyed nothing but a beautiful sorrow. Grief and anguish was carried on every octave. She knew words were meaningless. And now she was only allowing herself to speak through a wordless song. A song...that melted my fractured heart.

It was my turn to weep. Her voice reached out to my heart. And it invoked the emotions she was feeling. With renewed tears in my eyes, I found the will in my heart to hope. To hope that the beautiful creature cradling me was not the monster I had first seen that night. My armored hand rose to Sectonia's face and cradled it from one side. The song ended, Sectonia's eyes opening in quiet surprise at my touch. The tears staining her face... They shone so enchantingly in the moon's glow. I whispered with my eyes meeting hers, "I never knew...that tears could glisten so beautifully in the moonlight..."

A haggard and whimpering wheeze hissed from the queen's concealed lips as she immediately brought her hand to the back of my gauntlet. Her eyes were squinted shut as she pinned my armored hand to the side of her face. One last trail of tears was squeezed out, those beautiful eyes starting to look so tired and raw when she gazed upon me again. Sectonia spoke again with that wavering and elegant voice, "These tears have been shed for you, my dear. And I will shed many more, if I must..."

Sectonia closed her eyes once again and brought her head lower. Her brow rested against mine, her face lined with a fine fuzz that felt identical to the touch of velvet. And I allowed my eyes to close as I brought my other hand to the back of her head. I wanted to believe. I wanted to entertain the notion that the one holding me then was the true Sectonia. The beautiful and kind queen who once reigned over the kingdom in the sky. I soon whispered to her, "What...happens now, your majesty?"

"If I may... A request." I heard her whisper to me. My eyes remained closed. But her hands... I felt both cradle my head from each side. And she whispered to me again, "Please... Let me gaze into the eyes of one with such beauty in his heart."

And I granted her that request. Her eyes opened to let my eyes meet the gaze of those far more beautiful purple eyes. But I could not see her lips. Not from that angle. There was no sign of a smile or a frown. But the eyes told me so much. Not cold at all. As she gazed deep into my eyes, the beautiful queen whispered so sweetly to me. "Those dark earthy hues... Calm. Quiet. But filled with such fertility. Like the richest soil ready to allow fresh blossoms to burst forth and bloom. These eyes... If only I had the insight to gaze so deeply into them when I first laid eyes upon you..."

I was...flattered. I know she was just being kind and sincere at the time, but I still let out a bitter chuckle. "Oh please... These eyes don't compare to yours."

"Nonsense. I will hear nothing of the sort." Sectonia muttered with an unexpected show of playfulness as she touched her brow to mine with the lightest tap. And such a beautiful and adorable giggle from her voice! Although those big beautiful eyes then gazed deeply into mine again with that pretty face taking up almost my entire field of vision. "Yours is a beauty I rarely see... The sort of beauty...that wishes to create. To weave new and lovely things. A trait many artists possess, now that I think on it. And...a desire to preserve beautiful things that already exist... Is that why, sir knight? You sought to preserve me? To...save me from whatever evil that ensnared me would have lured me to in due time?"

"Exactly. But...did I succeed?" I asked with deep concern. Only Sectonia knew where she stood on everything. There was a lot riding on that one question.

Sectonia closed her eyes as she cradled my head against hers. And with a long sigh, she whispered her answer to me. "You did. I...do not believe I have ever seen...and thought...so clearly in far too long. But I am here now, sir knight. And I will hold you... I will preserve you until you are able to stand again."

I closed my eyes a savored that moment. A long sigh escaped my lungs. It was done. That beautiful queen had been purged of the evil that would have doomed her. All without drawing my sword once. And as she held me, I blindly brought my armored hand to her shoulder. I whispered a sacred statement, "Long live the queen."

"And my reign will be long indeed, sir knight. And I will reign fairly and justly as I always have... Or always did before I..." Sectonia replied before her words faltered. As if she had suddenly been reminded of an unpleasant fact. I heard her whisper to me, "My dear knight... I must ask. Can you...ever forgive me for all the bedlam I forced you through tonight?"

The memory of being impaled on Sectonia's sword was still very fresh in mind. All while I did nothing more than leave myself open in an invitation to the end of hostilities. And it clashed hard with what I was holding in my arms. I finally opened my eyes as Sectonia gazed back into mind in patient silence. I just could not see it... That unflinching cold in her eyes was gone. As if she had never been capable of displaying such a glare in the first place. I remembered when we were both left exhausted, Sectonia's gaze and voice softening as I spoke to her. Only to suddenly and very briefly regain that icy glare on her eyes. Only for it to fade mere seconds after she ran me through on her sword...

My eyes fell upon the discarded bloodied rapier as it rested where it had fallen nearby. My blood along the blade was not quite dry yet. And that icy gaze in her eyes when she did so... I made up my mind and said, "That wasn't you."

"I...beg your pardon?" Sectonia muttered in uncertainty. Those beautiful eyes gazed into mine with not the slightest shred of that chilling glare.

"It wasn't you who did that to me... That icy gaze... It wasn't yours. It could never have been you. That was the will of the evil that... Do you even remember? When you...stopped being you?" I replied while my hand held hers. I knew the true nature of the evil that bewitched the queen before me. But did she know?

Sectonia closed her eyes. Silently pondering my words. Until she finally spoke. "It all...feels like a dream. I was myself...yet I was not. These memories... Was I truly so cold? Were those decrees really products of my own mind? Will they ever forgive me...?"

She was still not so certain of anything. As if what truly carried out her acts of evil was a twisted reflection of herself. A haunting analogy that was closer to truth than most would expect. But if the reaction of the healer to Sectonia's kindness was of any indication... I more firmly grasped Sectonia's delicate hand in my armored grip. "I think they will. Your people... They've surely missed the real you."

"If they are so willing to forgive one such as me... Then I will never falter again. These memories... Like a foul dream I could not wake up from... All of it culminating in..." Sectonia muttered with her hand slipping gout of my grasp and lowering to my waist. A finger touched me in the slight tear in my armor's underlying bodysuit. Not even a scar remained. She then looked me in the eye and asked, "Can you...stand?"

"I think so. The world isn't swaying so much anymore." I replied before Sectonia rose off me with her hands held out to me in offering. I took hold as she gently lifted me up onto my feet. It felt good to be standing again. The queen's gaze scanned my form as she seemed to take comfort in seeing me standing with no sign of injury. But my gaze then fell upon my discarded weapons. The Lunar Shield was lying facedown nearby with the hilt and crossguard of the Celestial Sword completely exposed. Sectonia reached out to it while I said, "You want to inspect my gear?"

"If I may..." She muttered before taking hold of my shield with her hands gripping the sides. She turned it around as I saw a small smile form on the underside of her head. "Marvelously designed... Not a dent to be seen... Not even a scratch. All while it bears a crescent moon. It is no wonder your shield did not fail you. The moon was watching over you."

A fitting analogy. That vast glowing full moon still watched over us even then. But I flinched when Sectonia turned the shield around to gaze upon the Celestial Sword's hilt. "But your sword... It bears a sun? You carry both the sun and moon into battle? You beautiful little poet... And an intriguing design. No need for a scabbard on your hip when your shield can carry the sword for you."

Her hand took hold of the Celestial Sword's hilt. Only for Sectonia to hesitate. Her eyes widened considerably. As if she was afraid taking any weapon into her hands would trigger some sort of temptation. She had already run me through on a sword once. What would happen if she took hold of one again?

She relented. Sectonia gently lowered my shield and sword back to the floor. "No... Not tonight. I've no need to hold a weapon anymore."

I sighed in relief. I had gone to great lengths to insure my sword's blade was never drawn that night. I did not want to take any chances, even if Sectonia was no longer under the thrall of an unseen evil. But then... Her eyes fell upon the only exposed blade in the area. Her rapier, blade stained with drying blood, remained on the floor. And she hesitantly took it in hand. I stepped closer as her fingers held the blade's tip, eyes filled with shame as she beheld the results of our clash. She then muttered forlornly, "This sword will never see battle again... For it has spilled the blood of a beautiful soul. It has tarnished something that needs to be dearly preserved... This stain will never be wiped away. It will remain upon this tool of evil. This sword will be enshrined. So that I may gaze upon it...and know that it was my final sin as queen of the heavens."

I rested my armored hands on Sectonia's soft rounded shoulder pads while standing behind her. Holding her while she dismissed that sword in a flash of light. Wherever it had been sent, I was certain it would never be used in battle again. Sectonia then brought her hands to her opposite shoulders, in a manner where her arms would have been crossed if she had any. I saw her head bow before she whispered something truly lovely, her hands resting atop mine. "Forgive me, my love... For one so beautiful should never have suffered so much tonight. Not for one so wicked..."

Why say that? I was taken aback, to be honest. I asked with my hands lowering from her shoulders, "Love is...a strong word."

"And love is beautiful, is it not?" Sectonia said with a wistful giggle. She turned to face me, her golden wings raising her up to bring her face before mine. I even caught a glimpse of a quiet smile under her face as she gingerly touched a finer to my breastplate. "I wonder... You said you serve several queens, did you not? A knight is meant to be sworn to only one kingdom. One kingdom. One queen. Yet you serve...several?"

I recoiled just slightly. That inflection in her voice... Sectonia then whispered with an almost mischievous gaze, "I wonder... Are they more Than just your queens? Do you serve so many...because they desire you? They long for you? Speak honestly with me, sir knight. Why do you 'serve' several instead of one?"

My heart was uneasy, but I gathered my courage and spoke the truth in a manner she would surely understand. "I serve several queens...because hey are my queens. And I am...theirs."

Sectonia's eyes went wide as she understood the implications of my words. She rested her entire hand upon my breastplate and whispered, "Is it truly possible for a heart to be so beautiful that it can love so many?"

My fear faded. And I spoke in a manner as I tried to choose words filled with beauty. "I love many. Queens. Commoners. Warriors. Heroes. Whatever they may be, we are all in this together."

Those eyes... The resulting gaze on Sectonia's face was difficult to discern. Was that a glare? Or...was it a cheeky and playful gaze? Was she smirking at me? If only I could see Sectonia's lips more easily... Although her gaze then glanced down at my chest as she then asked, "I wonder... Is there room in that beautiful heart for one more queen?"

"Your majesty! I... Uh... You..." I was at a loss for words. I came to Sectonia that night to save her. Not to woo her! But as I stumbled back from her, Sectonia brought the back of her hand to the side of her face, tilted her head back, and let out the heartiest laugh I had heard from her that night. A laugh that oozed with a royal presence and was all her own. I too got a chuckle out of the situation as I realized she was just messing with me. "Very funny, your majesty."

"Ohohohoho... Oh how I needed a good laugh after all that misery..." Sectonia giggled before resting a hand on her chest to calm herself. Her gaze then softened as she looked upon me and asked, "But truthfully now... Would you reserve a place in your heart for one such as me?"

I fell silent. The humor was gone already. And Sectonia waited in patient silence with her hands resting behind her atop her rounded abdomen. She even leaned towards me as a silence fell over us. That beautiful creature... So charming and kind, even with so much power and authority at her disposal... My gaze wandered as I muttered, "I...can't rule out the possibility."

My answer confused her. It was a question that required a simple yes or no. And I could give neither. Because...I could not let myself love one who did not exist. Sectonia did not know that she was a construct of my own dreaming mind. A product of memories created from observing a fictional story. But when I could not bring myself to meet her gaze, Sectonia drifted closer. And then closer still. She whispered to my face, "Do you...reject me, sir knight?"

Another question that demanded a simple answer. And as I forced myself to behold the beautiful queen before me...

There was no denying it to myself. I wanted to love her. To be hers if she would be mine. But it would be a love not meant to be... Or would it? With what Luna and Nightmare Moon were conspiring to achieve for the sake of that precious little dream dragoness who wandered the edges of my dreaming mind... I cast caution to the wind and looked Sectonia in the eye. "I...could never refuse you."

I do not believe she was smiling. But Sectonia still held out her hands to me. Wide and open in invitation. She spoke softly, "Then hold me, my dear knight. Hold this queen... Hold your queen."

And I did. I stepped forward with my arms wide as we embraced. My armored limbed cradled Sectonia's beautiful body to me while her head leaned against mine, her disembodied hands resting on the middle of my back and cradling my head. Even her wings, despite their metallic golden appearance, folded forward to wrap around me. I returned the favor with my armor's vast wings cloaking her. And there we stood. Bathed in the moon's cool and gentle glow as queen and knight of two worlds that would never meet. I muttered softly with warm tears gradually building in my eyes, "My queen..."

"Yes, my knight. Your queen." She cooed into my ear as my tears flowed. It was so...bittersweet. And she whispered not just to my ear, but also my hearts. "Yours. Only yours. My blessed knight."

I was falling in love. With a wonderful woman I feared I would never truly have. And with that realization, I wept. I cradled Sectonia against me as I shuddered with a sobbing voice. Only then did Sectonia bring her face before mine, her delicate fingers drying my tears one after the other. All while she tenderly tried to comfort me with that silken voice. "Shhhhh... Shhhhhh... There there, my love. No need for tears. We've shed too many tonight already..."

No words came. I could not steady my breath enough to even try to speak. So Sectonia spoke for me even as our wings held each other. "And yet... Even your sorrow is beautiful. Why do you weep now, my love? My dear and gallant knight? Are these tears of...bliss? Or are they of profound grieving? Please, my dear... No more. Do not weep. Let me hold you and keep such sorrow away."

I allowed her to do just that. All I could do was just...ride out my tears. All while Sectonia embraced me thoroughly once more. Her hands roamed over my head and through my hair as she whispered into my ear, "Do you feel these hands, my knight? The hands...that spilled your blood? Know this, my love. These hands will never again bring you pain. For these are hands...meant to comfort."

So many sweet and tender things she whispered to me as my tears flowed... I could not even keep track of all of them. But such a loving creature... Not even just as a queen, but as a woman. Her people must have been beyond distraught when that unseen evil took hold of her. To see someone so beautiful and loving twisted into a tyrant consumed with vanity... The voice whispering to me and the body that was holding me was the true Queen Sectonia. A queen just as lovely as all those hearts adorning her form implied. Those decorations were not supposed to be ironic. They were open and honest in showing the beauty deep inside her.

Truly, the queen had returned.

My tears finally began to cease. And once Sectonia sensed my shuddering sobs coming to an end, she pulled away to gaze into my eyes even while our wings continued to hold each other. She touched a finger to my chin and said so sweetly, "My goodness... How many tears have you shed for me tonight, my dear? Look at these stains... Your eyes so red and exhausted..."

"Sorry... All these tears are for you after all." I replied in a pathetic attempt to be witty as a means to distract myself from the turmoil in my own heart.

My attempt at wit succeeded. Sectonia giggled lightly as she wiped away the trails of tears still lingering on my face. What a tender touch... "But at this rate, you will drown me. Cry any longer and I will be swept away by a flood of biblical proportions. Pulled down into the depths to drown and never break the surface ever again. Would you truly drown your queen, my dear knight? Or would you dive in to save me?"

It was all a masterful show of wit and humor I would expect from any true queen. A leader must be a master of words. But I decided to take Sectonia's words seriously and answered in kind. "I would save you...or die trying. Because...I can't bear to lose you now."

"And I...would be so much poorer if I were to watch you fade away now, my dear. Not after tonight. Not after everything that has happened... You are too precious... Too beautiful for me to let go of now, my gallant knight." Sectonia cooed to me as her hands cradled my jaw from each side. And her words revealed an unfortunate truth. She bowed her head with eyes closed and said, "I know...that you will surely have to depart before long to return to your kingdom of Equestria. But please... Can it wait until morning? I would loathe to see you depart on such short notice. You will be treated well and deserve to leave only when you're rested and ready."

How much more time did I even have in that world? How many more hours until I awoke? Would I even get to see the sunrise? To witness such a sight from the top of the world... That alone would be a sight to see. But with Sectonia by my side... I could not refuse. "I would be honored. I...don't think I'm well enough to endure the full trip home right now anyway."

"It eases my heart to hear that. But before anything else can happen, my dear..." Sectonia replied while surely smiling at me. Her hands and golden wings released me, prompting me to do the same with my armor's wings. She then drifted towards the edge of the balcony before looking back at me over her shoulder. She looked...radiant in the direct glow of the moon. Her lips could be seen as she said, "One night like this... When the moon is full... I have always had a little...routine. Would you care to join me?"

I started to see what my host was asking of me. And I approached her with a smile. Sectonia floated away from me, her back to the moon as she drifted outward and over her castle. Further and further with her hands outstretched to me. Drifting further back towards the sea of clouds beyond the borders of her castle and the ocean of stars above. She called out to me in invitation, "Come fly with me, my knight!"

There was no turning down that offer. It was a perfect way to unwind after the struggle we had both gone through. On my armor's shimmering wings I soared ahead towards the beautiful queen. As I approached, she began to drift backwards at increasing speeds on her disembodied golden wings. And right as I was about to pass her, Sectonia turned herself over and began to fly alongside me. But not before gazing upon me with wide eyes. "My word, your form... How did I not see such beauty before? Your wings... They shimmer with the moon's glow."

She was right. In all the chaos we had been caught up in last time we were out over that sea of clouds, we had overlooked the finer details of what was around us. My armor's wings, while clearly composed of soft and flexible feathers, were still made of enchanted metal. And that metal was now practically glowing beneath the beams of the silvery moon above. I spread my wings wide to keep them stiff during a glide to truly appreciate how they glowed at my sides. "I...didn't know I had it in me."

Sectonia and I swooped along on our wings while drifting further from the great castle in the sky. But never so far as to lose sight of it. The queen guided me along with the tranquil silence of the night sky all around us. It was so enchanting, the sea of clouds below with the ocean of stars above. Truly something that felt so...dreamlike. I understand that I was indeed dreaming, but it still felt so despite my lucidity. And as Sectonia banked for a very wide turn, she displayed her wings wide as they two shimmered in the glow of the moon. That royal gold kissed by rays of silver... Such beauty. As if she was queen of a hive of angelic bees that hailed from the sacred fields of Valhalla. I as stunned as I watched her enjoy herself so thoroughly. And I felt so compelled to hold her. Was I truly falling in love with that queen so dear?

My eyes glanced down at the sea of clouds below. And I suddenly got an idea when I looked at my armored hand. Sectonia began to approach me as I glided low with an outstretched hand. I dragged my fingers through the layer of clouds as my armored fingers scooped up a gradually growing snowball of a cloud in my palm. I still remember how I crashed right into a cloud during my first real flight on the night I first received my armor. If the abilities of a pegasus were in that armor, then I had an idea on what I could give that beautiful queen. Even if just as a means of playing around with her. The queen beside watched closely as she observed the orb of cloud in my hand growing ever larger. "Oh? You can hold a cloud in those gentle hands of yours?"

"I can do more than that." I said with a growing and cheerful smile on my lips. I lifted my hand from the clouds once that orb was around the size of a basketball. We drifted along on our wings while I began to tug and pull on the orb of cloud as if it was putty. Shaping it however I saw fit. Until I had molded it into the shape of a bouquet of flowers. Or at least how the silhouette of one would look. I then held out my gift to Sectonia and spoke while trying very hard not to giggle, "For you, m'lady."

Sectonia instantly brought her hands to the sides of her face while those beautiful eyes displayed a gaze of utter delight. She was so charmed as she let out the most precious giggle. "Ohohoho you charmer! I gladly and humbly accept this... Oh?"

Of course. While my armor granted me the same abilities of a pegasus, including their ability to interact with clouds as if they were a solid substance, Sectonia did not have this ability and found her fingers passing through the bouquet while slightly distorting its shape. I mean the skies of Pop Star do have clouds that bizarrely take on solid properties when compacted and dense enough, but the sea of clouds below was not one of them. I grimaced awkwardly while Sectonia's gaze became much more dry. But she then narrowed her eyes while surely smirking at me. "Oh well. Clouds will be clouds, I suppose. But I must still must thank you for such a beautiful gift."

Sectonia used the cover provided by the bouquet in front of me well. She suddenly stuck her head through the bouquet of clouds and placed a kiss right between my eyes. My wings even stopped flapping with how stunned I was. She kissed me. Even if just on my brow. I was flustered and stunned, my wide wings letting me drift down gently before landing upon the sea of clouds below. Sectonia swooped down to my side, distracted now that she could see just how my armor repelled clouds so thoroughly. "My word... So all of your armor possesses this ability?"

"In my world, pegasi live there and have the ability to move and control clouds as if they were solid. This armor contains that ability too." I explained while appreciating the brief conversation distracting me from what had just been applied to my forehead. She was so loving in her words... And so beautiful to boot. I had met many royal women by then. Some even finding a place in my heart. Celestia, Novo, Rain Shine, Ember, even Nightmare Moon. And yet Sectonia was her own woman in her own unique way. A radiantly attractive queen of a woman. It was so hard to not...want her. To want to cradle her in my arms forever. Even if it was too soon. I did not believe in love at first sight. But love at first night? Was it possible?

"Winged mares and stallions of the sky? My, how I would wish to see such a world. But does that mean..." Sectonia replied before floating behind me. I glanced back and saw her running her hands along the frame of my glowing white wings, "Are these the wings of a bird? Or...the wings of a mighty stallion?"

That was a good question. Only hippogriffs possess wings large enough to compare to mine. Even the grandest alicorns do not have wingspans as vast as mine. But as I pondered how to respond, a spark of inspiration lit up in my mind. I spoke softly with a hint of wit, "Those...are the wings of an angel."

Sectonia's eyes suddenly widened in pleasant surprise. And she clearly agreed with the sentiment. "Hm. That they are."

She soon leaned over my shoulder and touched the underside of her face to my cheek. Just to place a kiss upon it. She then whispered into my ear, "The wings on an angel who descended upon my castle this very night. One who delivered me from whatever evil commanded my hand to spill the blood of the beautiful. And I am grateful forevermore."

I closed my eyes and stood there atop that vast meadow of clouds. I could feel Sectonia embrace me from behind. Her head resting atop my left pauldron for a moment. Until she whispered to me. "Show me, my angel."

My eyes opened when I felt Sectonia's hand lift mine. She rose above me, lifting my arm high while gazing down upon me. "Show me the heavens you descended from. Let us soar! As high as we can!"

I responded with a determined smirk. And soar we did. Sectonia went ahead as I readied my wings. A great flap sent me hurtling straight up with Sectonia soon rising beside me. We were so high in the sky already, but we soared even higher. High and higher...until even her castle look like a small ball resting on a vast white pillow.

Our ascent slowed and we felt almost weightless on the lift of our wings. Sectonia's wings held her aloft without movement while mine flapped lazily just enough to keep my altitude steady. With nothing and no one around us, our eyes fell upon each other. And without a word, we drifted closer. We were all we had at that moment.

Sectonia's right hand reached out and tenderly cradled the side of my face. I leaned forward to gaze into those beautiful eyes, my left hand reaching under her to hold her up right where her upper body met her very thin waist. She was just under me as I held her as if standing on a dance floor. Her golden wings folded down now that they were not needed for the moment. The moon loomed over us as our only witness. That moment... It was just a thing of beauty. Such love in those eyes... And in her voice. "My knight...and my angel. I am honored to bear witness to the beauty you hold."

"My queen..." I muttered while largely at a loss for words. Sectonia's left hand rose while mine did the same. And our palms met. And between my plated fingers Sectonia's delicate digits folded inward. Grasping my hand in a way one does not do on a whim. My armored fingers closed inward as well, our fingers interlaced. And there in the night sky, we floated and hovered. Savoring this moment of quiet beauty far from any prying eyes. Queen and knight. Two beautiful souls...that just wanted to be loved.

We held each other so tenderly. Cherishing the moment. But the air was so cool and thin. We could not stay up there forever. My lazily flapping wings finally ceased and spread wide, letting us slowly descend on angel wings. My queen caressed my face as what was surely a beautiful smile adorned the underside of hers. "I am just so happy tonight, my love... And you need not say anything. I see the gentle joy in your beautiful eyes. Let your voice be still. Let me speak. Please."

"Then speak, your majesty." I whispered while completely losing track of everything else as we gradually descended in the night sky.

Her fingers... They clasped between mine more firmly. All while Sectonia whispered beautifully to me. "My knight... My love... Please promise me that you will return one day in the not too distant future. I cannot bear...the thought of you holding me in your arms as you have done...only never lay eyes upon you again. I promise my gates will always be open to you. The guards will never raise their weapons to you. And you...will always have a place in my heart. This heart once so wicked... A heart that was reminded...of what true beauty is."

My hand above her waist gently pulled Sectonia closer until our brows touched. I gazed deep into her eyes and hers into mine. All while I whispered softly, "No... No, it was not your heart that was tainted. It was just buried deep... Shackled by thoughts that were not yours. Your heart was always so beautiful. It was only your mind that had been ensnared. But as to your request... I can't say goodbye forever. Not now. Not after tonight. I will return. I have to. I don't know when, but...I will."

Sectonia then ceased her caresses as she gazed more meaningfully into my eyes. There was such warmth...but also a subtle sorrow in her gaze. And the words that came next... Laced with mourning. "I love you."

How could she say such a thing? After only a matter of hours at most? It was all on a whim. It had to have been. I restrained my own heart while I averted my eyes the best I could. "I...don't think you really understand what you're saying, your majesty..."

But she would not have it. Sectonia cooed to me with her eyes still staying composed as her voice spoke with just a slight firmness to it. "You doubt my words, my dear? How could I not love one with a heart as beautiful as yours? My dear knight... My beautiful and beloved knight... I see now why your queens love you so. For this queen longs for you as well."

The tears again... They were on the verge of slipping free from my eyes as I tried to maintain my composure. But Sectonia's fingers were quick to notice and gently coaxed them from the lids of my eyes before wiping them away. Her silken voice whispering all the while, "Do not speak your response if you are not ready, my love. Just know that...I love you. And I wish for you to return. So that I may hold you again and remind you...that you are loved by one so beautiful."

My armored hand finally loosened its grasp from Sectonia's. And with one swift movement, I embraced her. My face nestled in the crook of her wide and extravagant collar while Sectonia's hands held me as well. We gradually descended on angel wings without a word, drifting lower and lower in the night sky. Until I finally turned my head to check our surroundings and saw her castle starting to come closer. I closed my eyes and whispered to the queen in my arms, "I didn't come here to fall in love tonight..."

"And I did not expect to find one I could love so dearly on a night such as this... Fate was most kind to us tonight." Sectonia cooed to me before she also turned her head to see her castle coming up ahead of us. But from the side we were on... I could see an opening on the central tower near the top. A vast window with parted curtains. Sectonia pointed towards it and said, "There. That is our destination for the night. Shall we?"

Were we approaching Sectonia's private chambers? I released the queen from my embrace and allowed her to lead. She gracefully swooped in through the open curtains while I followed and landed inside. The interior of the room, gently illuminated by a number of flickering sconces along the wall, was lavishly designed. As would be expected for a queen with such elegant taste. Her bed was a canopy bed border by scarlet curtains, more of her elegant rapiers were affixed to the walls as decoration or as symbol that she was a capable fighter who could fend off assassins on her own, and elegantly designed furniture that brought to mind the Victorian era of Britain back on Earth. My host turned to me and spoke with a smile visible under her upturned face. "Welcome, my dear. Make yourself at home."

"This...is your place? It's...pretty much what I would have expected from someone with such taste in beauty... Wait..." I replied as I turned my gaze to look around the room. Only to stop when I saw something on the far wall directly ahead of us. Something...that did not mesh with the general interior design of Sectonia private chamber. A mirror. One that instantly filled me with a chilling dread.

"Hm? Sir knight? Why so... Oh? The mirror?" Sectonia replied before she finally determined where my eyes were looking. The mirror on the wall... It was almost as large as she was. An oval glass panel adorned the middle while set in a beautiful golden frame. With the outer edges even resembling mostly folded golden wings. It almost looked like a holy artifact at a glance.

But I knew. The outward appearance of that mirror was fiendishly deceiving. Beautiful, but only skin deep. A great shadowy and corrupting evil lurked within. For it was the source of the curse that had warped Sectonia's mind into that of a vain tyrant without her knowledge. And now that I had grown to known the true Sectonia... A woman of beauty, grace, eloquence, and with a heart filled with so much love... I felt my blood begin to boil with a renewed and personal animosity. That cursed artifact would have set off a chain of events that would have resulted in a crisis that would claim Sectonia's life had I not arrived that night. It would have taken her from me... And I hated it for that.

I pondered my next course of action. The wisest thing to do would be to destroy the mirror with whatever I could. But I as uncertain of how to convince Sectonia to allow me to do so without alarming her. But she then began to float towards it while speaking softly. "Exquisite design, is it not? A cherished treasure, gifted to me by an old friend. He did not say where he found it. Merely stating that it was a lucky find during an excursion to the surface world below..."

Her friend... He could never have known what evil his act of kindness and adoration would have unleashed upon his dear friend. And I knew he had been watching that night. But Sectonia seemed...too focused on the mirror. Almost as if she had completely forgotten about me as she drew near. She floated right up to it, her hand gently caressing her reflection. "What blessed luck, finding something so precious out in the open before anyone else could... A one of a kind artifact of beauty..."

Something felt wrong. Sectonia was...too taken by the mirror before her. I began to approach with my clanking sabatons being just about the only sound filling the air. But when I was several paces away... She turned. And with a flash of light, Sectonia summoned one of her rapiers to her hand. Had I been any closer...

I was held at swordpoint, head pulled back. The tip of Sectonia's sword was not even an inch from my throat as she stared me down. And in her eyes... That same icy scowl as when I first saw her. A glare that was not her own. Despair filled my heart. Had I lost her again already to the evil within that mirror? I uttered a soft plea, praying that she would hear me. "Sectonia...?"

My words reached her instantly. Sectonia's eyes suddenly widened as that glare of cold disdain was replaced with one of shock as she suddenly realized what she was doing. Her left hand suddenly grasped her right and forcefully lowered it and the sword in its grasp. Her breathing was rapid and panicked, her eyes filled with horror over seeing that she had once again raised a sword to me. But I knew it was not by her will. "What did... When did... How did I..."

"Your majesty... That mirror. It is evil." I said now that I had her attention. The mirror and the evil within it was struggling to retain its grip on its thrall. I had managed to weaken its control over her somehow, but now that she was so near it... Its influence could reach her more easily. Something needed to be done soon. Before it could fully tighten its grasp on her again.

"The mirror... It contains a great evil...?" Sectonia muttered as she hastily dismissed her sword in a flash of light. And when she turned to face the mirror, her eyes narrowed. Not into a cold scowl, but a glare of bitter defiance. "Why does this not surprise me?"

I took a step forward as I decided it was time to do something about the source of all of the kingdom's problems. But before I could take more than three steps, Sectonia threw her hand up in front of me to block my path. She spoke firmly as the monarch within her took charge. "Stay back, my love. I'm the one it wants."

"Be careful. It's ensnared you before." I spoke in warning, praying that Sectonia knew what she was doing. I stepped to the side to get a better view of the mirror's reflective panel beyond her.

Sectonia floated forward, eyes glaring harshly at her most prized possession. It must have been whispering to her at every second. Teh queen of the heavens spoke with a low and frightful tone, "It was you who had my people caged, was it not? It was you...who had me spill the blood of the precious soul who came to me tonight. How many evils did I carry out after I first placed you upon my wall?"

She stared into her reflection. And I noticed something...unsettling. Sectonia's face was looking back at her. But the eyes... It was not the frustrated and bitter glare she was currently wearing. Her reflection was gazing upon her with the same icy gaze she had work so many times before she finally held me for the first time. Sectonia's fists became clenched and even began to quiver. What empty promises was the evil in that mirror whispering to her?

Sectonia almost looked like she was being filled with a growing discomfort. As if an unseen power was trying to force itself upon her. Until finally, her patience ran thin. Her hands opened and suddenly took hold of the mirror's golden frame at each side. All while she shrieked at her own reflection, "You do not command me!"

I jumped back as Sectonia pulled with great force. The mirror was torn from the wall, foundation and all. On wings of gold, Sectonia swooped past me towards the open window of her chambers. She held the mirror to the side s she called out, "I am your thrall no longer! Begone!"

At the very edge of her chambers, Sectonia hurled the mirror far and beyond the walls of her castle below. I saw it. The tumbling mirror fell right through the clouds with a small gap left in its wake. Enchanted of not, it would never survive a fall miles long. And there she floated in the glow of the moon. Hands clenched at her sides, wings relaxing as they hung down behind her. All without a sound.

It was gone. The source of the evil was gone and would be destroyed by nothing more than gravity itself in a matter of moments. But Sectonia was still so silent... I cautiously approached from behind, hand reaching out to her. "Your majesty...?"

She flinched. A sudden tremor surged through her body. Only for her hands to uncurl their fingers as her head tilted back. Just gazing up at the silvery moon looming over us. I heard the queen whisper, "It is done. I...felt something disconnect from me just now. Like a thread suddenly becoming lax..."

That confirmed my suspicions. The mirror had reached the ground far below and shattered on impact. Even if the golden frame was intact, the mirror itself would never survive. A shattered mirror is useless. It would harm no one now. Sectonia spoke wistfully with her eyes turned to the moon beyond the balcony, "What would have become of me had you not been here tonight, my love?"

I could find no words. I had already spoken of what was doomed to happen during a moment of lucidity with her. I began to reach out, but I still hesitated. Was it a bad time to disturb her? "All you claimed that would transpire... And all for what? Use me to carry out evil...to what end? Just to watch the world burn? How would it benefit from such?"

There must have been a lot going through Sectonia's mind. She was completely and truly free of the evil that had shackled her will for so long. And against all odds... She lived. As I beheld her beautiful pure form in the moon's glow, I felt...such an overwhelming sense of relief. I had set out to save that glorious queen from an evil that was not hers. And I succeeded. I felt driven to hold her. And so I did. I put my arms around Sectonia from behind, crossing them over her chest. "You're free now. Free, pure...and with your true beauty intact."

"I love you. And I am honored...that it was you who came to me tonight, my dear knight." Sectonia cooed as she leaned back into my embrace. She bowed her head, her elegant hands resting over my arms. And there we stood in the glow of the moon. Knight and queen, together in safety. All would be well in her kingdom now.

My embrace loosened as I adjusted my grip on the beautiful creature in my arms. I rested my hands over her chest and the heart emblazoned upon it. And by then that heart symbol served a true purpose. For the woman whose chest it covered now had a truly loving heart beating away somewhere inside. Sectonia adjusted her hands as well with them resting on the backs of my gauntlets. I wish I could have felt her heartbeat somewhere within. I pressed my armored palms a bit more firmly against her chest, which I expected to have a structure and rigidity of an insect's thorax. She was an exotic yet true queen bee after all. But instead... I felt...something soft. And there was two of them. "Wha... Wait..."

Sectonia flinched as my hands pressed more firmly into her chest. And she turned her head down to gaze upon my armored hands while hers lifted away from them to leave them unobstructed. And the tone of her voice... More curious than offended. "Oh?"

There was no way. Even if far removed from an actual insect of the real world, Sectonia was still some sort of queen bee. There should not have been... Our of disbelief, I absentmindedly curled my fingers inward to try and understand what was on the other side of the fabric covering her chest. "This can't be... Those are..."

The queen in my embrace noticed the confusion in my voice. And when she turned her head to look at me over her collar, there was...such a whimsical and sly gaze set into her eye. As was her voice as she sounded tempted to laugh. "Not what you expected?"

I instantly backed away with my open hands held up between us. Panicked and embarrassed, I pleaded for mercy. "Gah, I am so sorry! I didn't... I couldn't have known! I never expected you to have... To have such... Uh..."

Sectonia began to howl with laughter as her head tilted back. She held the back of her hand near her face to maybe block the spread of her voice towards the door leading out. And I could see her mouth. Smiling with amusement as she laughed her oh so royal laugh. Only for her to smirk at me and say, "Oh my... Patience, sir knight. Never on the first date, yes?"

She was not even remotely offended. And I counted my lucky stars that she was not upset with me. It was an honest mistake. I lowered by hands as Sectonia turned to me, her right hand resting her fingers delicately upon the heart emblazoned on her chest. She then asked with a...very flirtatious inflection in her voice, "But then...what did you ever to expect to find upon my queenly bosom?"

I stared at the beautiful and womanly creature before me. Trying to make sense of her...seemingly impossible anatomy. Sectonia was many things. A ruler. A true queen. A lady of grace. A skilled mage. A masterful duelist with a rapier. A tender lover. And by all accounts, a true woman. In more ways than one. But when I considered where I was and the many creatures I had already passed... I sighed and spoke in submission, "You know what? I need to stop overthinking how the creatures of Pop Star work. There's just something about this world and everything on it that defies the laws of reality. Why do some creatures have feet and no legs, but can still get around agilely enough? And why do some have no lower limbs at all and just float everywhere they go? Why do creatures like you possess hands, but with no arms connecting them to the body? And why would a queen bee...possess...those? There's no point in questioning it. It just...is."

"Wise words. Very wise words, my love." Sectonia replied softly before she began to float towards me. Hands down at her sides with her body leaning forward to let her face lead. But I was still hesitant. I had just groped the queen herself. Even if she was amused by my genuine curiosity and confusion over discovering a feature of her body I never expected her to have, I still screwed up. I made a mistake and found myself stammering as she drew closer. I took a step back only for Sectonia to move more swiftly and right up to me. I tried to look away, still consumed with some shame, but Sectonia's hand cupped my cheek and gently turned my head to bring my gaze back to hers. And as I stammered and stuttered quietly, she shushed me with a finger on my lips. Before her face drew even more near. "Shhhh... Do not turn away. Do not retreat."

There were no more words between us. And with how Sectonia began to lift her head, inching closer to my face with her lips being revealed... Our eyes narrowed as the temptation grew. Her hands holding my face... I knew what she wanted. And...I wanted it too. With Sectonia head beginning to tilt to one side, I closed my eyes and... I felt it. Her lips upon mine.

It was just so...enchanting. A kiss. From that queen among queens. The tension faded as I put my arms around Sectonia. Lips so soft... And when that kiss ended, we gazed longingly into each other's eyes. We did not even have to say anything. We needed more. And so our lips met again. All while our wings once again embraced each other. Our lips parted... Oh what a heavenly sweet flavor upon her tongue. The subtle taste of honey. So divine a taste that I wondered if she routinely drank from the fountains of mead in Valhalla. With her kingdom so close to the heavens, it would not surprise me.

We embraced as we kissed. And Sectonia's voice... It hummed in joy within her throat. And I answered in kind while our hands roamed over each other. Clinging to each other to not let that beautiful moment end. So loving and so beautiful... How could such a woman be allowed to meet a tragic end with no hope of salvation? But she was safe now. And dare I say it, I suspected she was truly mine by then. She was my queen. And I was her knight. I... I was falling in love. And it took all of my strength to not say it to her. It was too soon... Especially when we were separated by the veil of dreams. For as much as we savored that wonderful kiss, it soon ended. And Sectonia gazed deep into my eyes as I saw the faintest glow of pink at the sides of her yellow head. She wheezed softly as she spoke with a whisper. "To love is to be beautiful... And you are simply overflowing with it, my dear. And I just now realized... You never answered my question."

"Question...?" I muttered in sudden confusion. What question? I had answered every question she had asked. Or had I?

"Yes. When we first met this fateful night." Sectonia said with a quiet chuckle. She rested a hand on my breastplate and said, "You never told me your name."

She... It was true. I did not. She demanded to know my identity while still under the thrall of that cursed mirror. And I only told her what she needed to know. My name meant nothing if we were enemies. But now we were not. And so I finally told her what she needed to know most. "James. Sir James of Equestria."

"James, you say?" Sectonia spoke with eyes wide in quiet delight. She dragged her fingers over the top of my breastplate while I could catch a glimpse of a smile on the underside of her face. "A simple name... But one that hides inner beauty. I love it. It fits you, my knight."

"Thank you..." I replied before we took a moment to embrace a while longer. In silence. There was nothing left to say. We now knew all we needed to know about each other. "My queen... Dearest Sectonia..."

"My knight... My dear James... Thank you for gracing me with your beautiful heart tonight." Sectonia cooed to me. Only for her sweet words to be followed by an impressive yawn. I looked at her to see Sectonia's eyes looking so drowsy. And I could see much red in them from so near. Mine too demanded rest. We had shed so many tears for each other that night. It was a marvel we had held off our fatigue for so long. Sectonia turned her weary gaze to e and said, "Fatigue rears its hideous head... It has been such a long night, my love. And I am certain you desire rest as much as I do."

For being deep asleep and dreaming at the moment, I was utterly exhausted. My eyes had begun to ache. I reluctantly began to loosen my grasp on Sectonia as our wings finally released each other. "We really should..."

Sectonia floated over to a wardrobe before her hand reached up behind herself and towards the base of her collar. Only to suddenly hesitate. Was there a zipper up there I had not noticed? She then looked over her shoulder at me with curious eyes only to start to smirk playfully at me. She lifted her head to more effectively peer over her collar and asked, "Do you intend to watch your queen disrobe, my knight?"

I snorted in unsteady laughter when I realized what I was doing just by being there. I began to back away towards the twin great doors leading outside. "Oh! Uh... Right! How rude of me. I'll just...see myself out."

A giddy giggle came from Sectonia while I reached for the door. And her hand never left the spot where a zipper was surely ready to be pulled down. "Do not wander too far now. I will summon for you once I have made myself decent. See you soon, my dear."

I departed without a word. But I was giddy. Too giddy. What would I find the next time I opened those doors? But once I was beyond those heavy doors, I recognized where I was. The very same area where our duel had commenced. Even the fresh bloodstains on the floor remained. And it was a grim reminder of the struggle I had partaken in.

My mind was distracted by that recent memory. I left myself open. I really thought I had finally reached her. Only for that icy gaze to appear in her eyes again with her sword fatally impaling me. I would have perished had that healer not come. But I saw it... Sectonia. The kindness was returning to her. The curse's grip was slipping. She was thinking deeply about my offer...only for that cursed mirror to exert its control over her to sway her towards its designs. Sectonia made a snap decision at that moment. And immediately regretted it. That icy faded so quickly just seconds after I had been impaled. The tears that spilled from her eyes... That was when the true Sectonia finally reached the surface. My dream would have ended soon after... But she held me. Called for aid. Clung to me in desperation to insure I would not slip away too soon. And so the dream endured. I lived. And I finally...met that wonderful queen for the first time.

I turned away from what had been our battlefield a short while earlier and faced the great doors that separated me from Sectonia. My heart was heavy, yet relieved. She was free. Her people would surely be overjoyed come morning when they would discover their beautiful and loving queen had returned to her throne. Not the frigid imposter shackled to a cursed artifact of evil. I gazed upon the door as I pondered how much time I had left in the realm of dreams. But then... Out of the corner of my eye... I noticed a shadow cast along the floor. One that was behind my own. And then... A voice. "Sir knight. A moment, please."

The voice of a young man reached my ears. His tone gentle and eloquent. And when I turned around, I faced who I suspected would be there. Another fairly small limbless entity floated before me. Six gloved hands floated around him, the three sets stacked over each other. He possessed no legs and floated before me effortlessly. His body was wrapped in a mostly green suit with a short green cape hanging behind him. A vibrant red scarf was around his neck. His head was covered with pale gray hair with what appeared to be almost gemlike yellowish unblinking eyes set on his brow above his eyebrows. I knew that four matching false eyes were on the back of his head as well, complimenting his almost spider-like form. A pair of short fangs reached down from his wide mouth, his exposed face been an earthy brown with round white and featureless eyes that emitted the faintest glow. A pair of curved horns of matching brown reached out of his full head of hair. He gazed upon me in silence as he allowed me to speak. And so I said knowingly, "Taranza, I presume?"

"My name precedes me? Fascinating... And yet... You know of our queen's name despite us having never made contact with the world below... Perhaps I should not be so surprised." He replied with an elegant accent about his voice. Between him and Sectonia, it seemed that the people of that kingdom above the clouds generally had an eloquent way of speaking. But he still slightly bowed to me and said, "But yes. I am Taranza. And if you already know my name... I suspect you know enough to be aware that I was watching you."

How could I forget that ominous sensation of being watched as I scouted the castle from above? It faded eventually, but I knew I never truly left his observations. I asked quietly, "I had the sneaking suspicion that I was being watched early on. That was you, huh?"

Taranza nodded and proceeded to explain. "I was. You may have eluded our guards, but I have always been the first to come to our queen's side when called. I watched and waited, not certain of what you were after. I have never seen a being like you before. And even when you reached her, I watched from afar. Ready to intervene and assist my queen. But...when you reached for your sword...only to not draw it..."

His eyes closed briefly. Only to open as he looked upon me with a quiet voice speaking. "That was when I knew you were not there to fight. No matter how many times our queen lashed out at you, that sword remained sheathed in its scabbard. You did not retreat and merely endured. It was then that I understood why you were there. And for the first time... I hoped. I prayed that you would be the one to free her from the evil that had come to plague her. I watched and stood ready to assist so long as she would not know it was my doing."

"Right... That web of lightning that caught the giant gemstone that would've crushed me. That was you, right?" I asked while Taranza brought his middle set of hands to his face to hide a smile and a chuckle. He seemed proud of himself for being of assistance to me that night. But then I had to ask a darker question. "But before I forget... That mirror. The cursed mirror that now lies shattered and harmless far below. Was it...you who gave it to her in the first place?"

Taranza hung his head in shame. Any joy in his voice faded as he spoke. "Yes... It was I. A gift given earnestly. I could not have known... And yet... I should have known it was too good to be true to find such a radiant mirror just...discarded out in the open during a simple excursion to the surface world. I merely descended for the sake of exploration. I thought it would make a splendid gift and I... I brought it back. At first, nothing was amiss. Even when Sectonia eventually took on the form she possesses now, her kindness remained. The people still loved her. But eventually..."

He was exceptionally distraught. As he should have been. I knew what would have become of Sectonia had someone not intervened. She would have perished. And Taranza would have had to live with knowing it was he who triggered the chain of events that doomed his dear friend. Or was she just a friend at all? I asked cautiously, "Sectonia... She was more than a friend to you, wasn't she? Even as queen?"

The mournful soul before me bowed his head further as he spoke with no joy, "I never told her... And I fear...it may be too late now. Too much has happened..."

A twinge of regret filled my heart. I knew enough. Taranza and Sectonia. Old friends for the longest time. Except one loved the other more than a friend should. But now that Sectonia had been freed of the evil Taranza had unwittingly unleashed upon her, my work was done. I was only getting in the way. With a heavy heart, I started to turn toward the sky beyond the balcony to my right, "Right... I'll be on my way then. You and Sectonia have a lot to catch up on. Secrets to confess now that she's..."

"Where...are you going? Sir knight. Surely you don't intend to leave now?" Taranza asked with genuine confusion. I glanced at him to find an outstretched hand as if beckoning me to stop.

I did not want to leave. But Taranza and Sectonia had known each other much longer than a single night. There was much for them to say to each other. And the loving words Sectonia had said to me... I needed to leave immediately. Before her heart longed for me too much. I turned to my host and spoke with a sorrowful smile, "She's yours... I shouldn't get in the way. I'll just be on my way so you two can finally..."

"Would you truly be so cold, sir knight?" Taranza asked with his voice beginning to ooze a biting tone of disappointment. He rested each set of his six hands atop each other as if to mime crossing his arms. His round white eyes narrowed into a reprimanding glare. "You risked your life to reach the true Sectonia buried deep. Allowed her to run you through on her sword if it meant breaking the evil curse on her. She held you. She shed so many tears for you. Soared with you through the tranquil night sky just to be with you. And she placed her lips upon yours. And you... You would just abandon her now? When she has given her heart to you? You would dare break her heart so soon after going through so much to see her saved from the evil I wrought upon her?"

I could not understand. How was Taranza so against me leaving Sectonia to him when it was he she needed to be with? I asked in confusion, "But...she's yours. I shouldn't take her from you."

Taranza lowered his hands and let out a wistful sigh. His gaze wandered with eyes lidded. "You can't take her from me anymore, sir knight. That accursed mirror did so long ago. The Sectonia I fell in love with is long gone... And even the tyrant she became has also ceased to exist. The Sectonia who lives now? She is one I still have yet to meet."

Such a sad thing to say. It was true. Sectonia had undergone a number of rebirths of a sort. From whatever she was before she received that mirror to after and now a truly wonderful queen of a woman free of the evil that once shackled her. But...surely she was now just as Taranza remembered her? "You were watching us tonight, right? Are you sure she's not quite the way you remember her?"

Taranza's gaze brightened just slightly. He lifted his gaze to meet mine as he said, "Yes... I was observing. Just in case anything went wrong. Her mannerisms... Some felt familiar. Indeed, I recognized something familiar in her. And yet... There were mannerisms that seemed not quite like what I remembered. The Sectonia who lives now... She is...and is not the friend I remember. She has changed. Irrevocably. But if that is the price to have her back at all, then I gladly accept it."

My host floated closer and took hold of my armored hand for a heartfelt shake. He smiled at me, albeit with a hint of sorrow on his face. "You did not take her from me, sir knight. You brought her back to me. To us. Our people will be overjoyed to see that the queen has truly returned."

"Was she really so loved before what she became?" I asked while only knowing vague pieces of Sectonia's past. All conveyed through text. And I was eager to learn more.

Taranza forlornly reached under his cape and pulled something out. It looked like a slip of paper from my side. He gazed upon it and said, "She was... Here. See for yourself. I took this photograph myself during an excursion to one of the floating islands of this kingdom. This was...the final day before she began to grow colder."

I took the photograph in hand. And I was stunned by what I saw. The image displayed had an old fashioned feel to it with a certain filter over it. Sectonia, still in the form of a beautiful queen bee, resting in a vast flower field while visibly laughing in joy. She was surrounded by more of those flower people who were joyfully placing a crown of flowers atop her head. Even the healer who saved me was among them. She looked so...happy. Completely free of any corruption. To think that I was seeing the final day before the evil implanted in her mind began to take form. The calm before the storm. "Those...must have been some very happy days..."

"And those days will soon return. All thanks to you, sir knight." Taranza replied while I handed the photograph back to him only for my host to safely tuck it away back under his cape. He then turned his gaze out to the vast sky to his left, his voice soft and contemplative. "I dread to imagine what would have transpired in the coming days had you not arrived tonight. I fear even the surface world would discover Sectonia's tyranny in due time. And I have heard of some truly mighty heroes down there..."

I too turned my attention to the night sky and the great moon above. Taranza was more right than he knew. "For as peaceful and calm as the world of Pop Star is, the world still needs its heroes every now and then. What do you know of them?"

Taranza was happy to converse now that the topic had shifted away from recent events. "I never learned their names. But from what I do know, there are four of them. One being the ruler of the province of Dream Land. A mighty titan of a king who wields a great mallet with ease. And there is his captain of the guard. A master of the spear, so I have heard. There is also word of a masked swordsman who sails the skies on a flying battleship. I fear he would be the greatest threat should word of Sectonia's tyranny reached the surface world. And then...there is the one I hear is the mightiest of them all. A warrior with seemingly limitless power who turns his enemy's might against them. Were this band of heroes to discover what was happening up here and set out to right the wrongs of this kingdom... I fear the results."

He was pretty much spot on with his descriptions of those four heroes. I should know. I still remember that ridiculous scuffle I had with that mighty king not that long ago. But I then sighed in relief before saying, "At least now we don't have to worry about that happening now."

"Bless you, sir knight. I don't know how you even knew about us in the first place, but your intervention will not go unappreciated." Taranza spoke before bowing to me elegantly. He then tilted his head to one side to look past me before adding, "Although if I know of Sectonia's routines well enough... She will likely be calling for you any moment now. I enjoyed our chat, but I must be off. Tomorrow is a big day for us all and we should prepare."

Was she truly just about done dressing down for the night? I was mildly anxious as I pondered what I would find on the other side of that door. But still... I turned to Taranza and asked, "Are you certain that you and Sectonia...don't have that kind of future together?"

Taranza sighed with a wistful smile and explained, "I am all but certain that I will not feel that spark once I become reacquainted with her. She has changed. And I know I will never see my beloved again. But you never know. Perhaps a day will come when I find another beautiful blossom that will steal my heart."

"I hope you find it. You're a good man, Taranza. And you deserve to be loved and happy." I said sincerely while offering my hand for a shake.

Taranza happily accepted my offer and held my hand between one set of his. He then spoke a bit more cheerfully, "You are too kind, sir knight. Here's to us. And to the women who bewitch our hearts!"

I got a chuckle out of that. But it was time to say goodbye. Taranza turned away and began to float off and beyond the balcony. And along the way, I heard him muttering a soft melody to himself. "A gentle shine that kisses leaflets and flora...Germinating towards the stars a purity that's oh so mesmerizing..."

"Poor guy... I hope he finds that special someone someday." I muttered to myself in genuine sympathy for the lovelorn soul descending beyond the balcony. I could only hope that he and Sectonia would at least mend their friendship and continue to be happy together in the coming days. But my thoughts were distracted by a knock on the doors behind me. I turned and saw one side of the twin doors open just enough for someone to reach through. A disembodied hand laced with a silken white glove reached out and curled a finger to beckon me closer. All without a word.

Calling for me with a playful hand gesture instead of with her voice? Sectonia certainly had a playful side to her. But what would I find on the other side? But before I could step forward, something caught my eye on the last pillar near the edge of the balcony. Something moved. And when I stepped around to get a look at it, I spoke with a soft whisper. "Well now... Hello again."

A butterfly was perched on the side of the pillar with wings rising and lowering gently. And it was not just any butterfly. It was one I recognized. One with scarlet wings. While knowing it had no voice to speak with, I felt a pleasant sense of familiarity seeing a harmless creature that seemed to show up regularly. "What brings you up here?"

The butterfly answered by taking flight and fluttering out beyond the castle while bathed in the moon's silver rays. And I watched before a question popped into my head. Was it even possible for butterflies to fly as high as that castle was in the sky? Even moreso... When it began to descend, the butterfly headed towards something beyond the castle's perimeter. It began to lower...and fell out of sight through a small gap in the clouds. The gap left behind when the cursed mirror fell through it.

I raised an eyebrow as I saw the butterfly descend through that very specific spot. And for whatever reason... It brought to mind a vulture circling a freshly deceased corpse from above before descending to feast upon it. But...surely that butterfly was up to no such macabre mischief. I was just overthinking things. It had been a long night. And a voice called out from nearby as I was reminded of what I had just been distracted from. "Sir knight, where have you gone? Are you still there?"

"Oh! Uh... Be right there!" I felt embarrassed over letting myself be distracted by a wayward butterfly. And it would not do to keep a lady waiting. Steeling my nerves and holding my breath, I stepped forward and pushed the two halves of the door open to step back inside. But she was nowhere to be seen. Where had Sectonia gone?

My confusion was answered by the sound of the doors closing behind me. I smirked at myself. The trick of hiding behind the door itself until the guest was entirely inside only to close it behind them. Classic. When I turned around, there she was. Sectonia had her back to me with those glimmering golden wings draped down behind her. And her attire...

"Mmhmhmhm... This is a first. I have never shared my bed with anyone before now." Sectonia giggled to herself while sounded almost as nervous as me. But she sounded happy too. The beautiful queen turned to face me while having swapped out of her royal raiment for...a surprisingly simple white nightgown. It had a modest elegance about it, once again bringing to mind one from the Victorian era. It had no sleeves, but did reveal that Sectonia did possess a fine set of shoulders despite the lack of arms. The whole thing clung to her loosely, especially with how it draped over her bulbous abdomen below. And...while I did try to not let my gaze wander low for too long... Her finely fuzzed yellow chest was exposed at the top and did indeed reveal a rather...generous set of breasts veiled by the white fabric. But most strikingly of all was what I was seeing now that her crown was missing. Sectonia's head was round and smooth without it, much of her scalp covered by that beautiful shade of royal blue. If her natural body had a bee's stripes, they would likely be a matching shade of blue to compliment that golden yellow. Sectonia gazed upon me with her hands held low and resting over each other, her gaze almost...coy with how those big beautiful eyes gazed upon me. "Now then... What do you make of this, my love?"

She was stunning. With all that royal pomp and flair removed, which I could see neatly hung up on the wall nearby, Sectonia looked so much more delicate. And yet... While trying to keep my gaze from wandering to her chest, I spoke softly. "I...expected something more...extravagant."

"You did? But nightwear is meant for comfort and relaxation. I need not keep up appearances when all I need is to rest and sleep. Even a queen needs time to unwind at times." Sectonia replied while understanding my confusion. I am sure even her own people would be surprised to see her dressed in something so simple. And unfortunately for me, she noticed my eyes continuously glancing down. She responded but tilting her head up enough to let me see a playful smirk on her lips. "Has something caught your eye, my dear?"

I could not help it. I was not used to seeing such...womanly features on women after spending so much time in Equestria. Her body now looked all the more exotic due to me being so out of touch with my own species. I forced myself to look away and grumbled, "I know... I know... Rude to stare."

Sectonia's hand once again tenderly cupped my face to turn my gaze back towards hers. And she responded sweetly, "Oh don't be so timid, my dear. For those beautiful eyes are ones who appreciate beauty. You may gaze upon me all you wish. But only to look. Not to touch. Never on the first night."

Something told me that Sectonia would not mind at all if I happened to allow my hands to wander to her bosom. Her insisting that I do not was more than likely an act of wisdom and principle. She was wiser than I expected with how patient she was being. I allowed my eyes to wander to her thinly veiled breasts again as I pondered a question. "Are those...uncomfortable tucked into your vest like that?"

"They can be. Although I have no need for a corset. My royal attire is comfortable enough and at least my lungs are not impacted by it." Sectonia explained while allowing me to encircle her and truly take in her form. That top of her raiment must have been a very tight fit to keep such a full figure contained within. Truly, Sectonia was the epitome of beauty in more ways than one. After I made a full rotation around her, she extended a hand to me and said softly, "Now then... Shouldn't you disrobe as well before you join me in bed?"

"Uh... Yeah, I should. Just give me a moment." I replied before stepping over into a spot that was out of the way and unlikely for anyone to blunder into. I cast the spell needed to remove my armor as it quickly became a liquid that smoothly flowed right down my body. And Sectonia's eyes went wide as she witnessed that feature for the first time. She floated closer with her fingers cupping the bottom of her face, closely observing as my armor was reduced to a puddle at my feet. I spoke with an amused smirk, "I assure you this is completely normal for it."

"Fascinating... You do not remove it by hand, but rather reduce it to a liquid form? That must save you the trouble of finding a blacksmith to hammer out the kinks." Sectonia mused while watching me step out of the puddle of liquid metal. Not a drop stuck to my bare feet as I stood in just a pair of boxers. But it was then that Sectonia had the opportunity to appraise my body. Her eyes widened while I suddenly realized I was all but naked before my host. She kept her fingers under the bottom of her face as she muttered softly, "So bare... What are you?"

"Something that's not native to this world. You won't find my kind no matter how far you search." I replied while knowing stating what I was carried little meaning in that world. I am sure there are many creatures out there on Pop Star that can barely say what they even are.

"So I see... Oh? Oh my, what are these?" Sectonia marveled as she began to circle me. It took me a moment, but I soon realized she saw something on me that is usually concealed. My cutie marks on the sides of my biceps. She gently lifted my arm in one hand to get a closer look at the twin dove symbols upon me. "Doves... Two of them locked in a dance. With the shape of a heart between them... This symbol carries meaning, my love. If only I had seen these sooner..."

"All's well that ends well, your majesty." I replied as I looked at her hand. Were those the same gloves she had been wearing all night? I asked softly, "Aren't you going to remove those before bed?"

"Hm? Oh, these?" Sectonia asked while lifting both hands before her. She took a look at them and seemed surprised that she had forgotten all about them. But she then looked at me with narrower eyes. No doubt she was also smirking at me. The elegant queen then daintily held out her left hand to me and asked, "I suppose I should... But wouldn't you rather have the honors?"

"It would be my pleasure, your majesty." I replied while taking her hand into mine. I rotated it in place and found how the glove was staying on her so well. A flap of sorts was closed over the section where the hand would connect to a risk. A pair of buttons secured it in place. I easily undid them and gently pulled the glove off. And I marveled at the hand that was underneath. Delicate feminine hands lied with a fine layer of velvety golden fuzz with an even thinner layer lining her palm. Finely filed fingernails were at the tips. Even as an otherworldly queen bee, Sectonia still possessed womanly features that belonged more on a human female. And a twinkle of inspiration flashed through my mind while a smirk spread across my lips. I lifted that hand to my lips and kissed it upon the back.

"Oooooh my... You devilish charmer." Sectonia spoke with a shuddering voice. The touch of my lips upon her hand must have sent shivers down her spine. But she then daintily held out her other gloved hand and said with a very pleased smile, "Now for the other..."

I repeated the process point for point. I removed the glove covering Sectonia's hand and placed a kiss upon the back of it much to her delight. But then I took it a step further. One by one, I kissed every one of her five fingers. Until Sectonia had enough and pulled a move of her own. Her hand suddenly wrestled with mine...until our fingers stood parallel to each other. Her fingers folded inward to clasp my hand with hers fingers locked between mine. I gazed upon her as she looked back at me. I realized what she was doing and also locked my fingers between hers. Our heads bowed and our brows rested against each other. Just standing there in the glow of the moon. Hand in hand. Just...letting ourselves love and be loved.

At last, it was time to sleep. Our eyes were so heavy by then. Sectonia floated over to the balcony and closed the curtains fully to greatly dampen the moonlight shining through. The room was much darker then. I joined her on the bed and welcomed the warmth of the bedspread draped over us. The mattress was pleasantly firm. I almost expected it to be lined with dense clouds instead. And with our eyes locked and our hands still clutching each other's, Sectonia whispered to me. "Tomorrow is a big day for us... I have much to atone for. Do you believe my kingdom will ever forgive me?"

"I think you're are going to be very happy to have the real you back. Taranza especially will vouch for you if there's any objections." I replied while trying to keep any mention of my conversation with her longtime friend between him and I. At least she would not be alone when addressing her kingdom.

Sectonia let out the lightest chuckle as she said, "Ah, Taranza... I put that poor soul through so much trouble. I have many apologies to give my old friend... I feel as if I would be lost without him."

I was not going to ask exactly what role Taranza had played during Sectonia's reign. Probably a personal advisor and confidant with more sway over her than most. Their friendship was for them to discuss and not with me. I then felt Sectonia tighten her grasp on my hand as she spoke through a yawn, "My eyes ache... So many tears shed in one night... Forgive me, my dear James. I must slumber. But please, stay by my side tonight. I wish to be there with you when morning comes."

It was then that I felt it The faintest tremor of a waking mind. I did not have long for that world. And it was a fine time to wake up. I smiled at the beautiful queen beside e and said, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here, your majesty."

We shared one last kiss before Sectonia closed her eyes at last. And her breathing soon became gentle snoring as she slumbered beside me. Even in sleep, she was glorious to behold. But I soon felt a presence. And then the faint tapping of hooves on the hard floor. I looked to my left and found someone looming over me. A living shadow with beautiful exotic eyes gazing down at me. Eyes...that looked as if they too had shed many tears that night. I asked with a whisper, "Nightmare Moon...? Are you...all right?"

The Princess of Dreams sighed harshly, her words never once reaching Sectonia's ears. "I saw everything... I heard everything. And it... It brought back too many memories... The similarities are uncanny, my love. I cannot help seeing so much of myself in this beautiful creature. Too many similarities..."

"I know... I noticed them too. It was...like that one fateful night all over again." I replied as my spare hand idly drifted to my midsection. Both Nightmare Moon and Sectonia had impaled me in much the same way and in the same spot. I looked over at the slumbering queen beside me and said with a solemn whisper, "I couldn't let her die... And now that I've seen the real her... I'm all the more grateful that...she wasn't beyond salvation."

Nightmare Moon gazed upon Sectonia, her lips displaying a sympathetic smile. "Such a whimsical anatomy... Even Equestria does not have a creature as fantastical as her. And yet... She would not be out of place in our world at all. If the time ever comes, I'm sure she would be quite comfortable with us."

That project again... While I did not doubt Nightmare Moon and Luna being able to find a means to bridge the gap between dreams and reality, when it came to Sectonia... "I...don't know if we should."

My words confused my beautiful beloved. She asked quietly, "No? Why not? She...longs for you. She loves you. Why would she not wish to join you in the realm of reality?"

I had to acknowledge a difficult truth about Sectonia. One that was not easily altered. "She's...needed here. Even if this world is...fictional, her kingdom needs her. If we were to take her away from this world forever, who would guide her people?"

Nightmare Moon fell silent as she gazed upon the beautiful queen of the heavens. And she bowed her head somberly. "I see... A crown is a heavy burden. Dream or no dream, she is needed here. But...should something change, whatever the odds..."

"Yeah... We'll just have to wait and see. But for now... She's not eligible." I replied while knowing I would miss Sectonia dearly. What a wonderful woman.

At last, I could feel the walls closing in. My dream was ending. I glanced up at Nightmare Moon and said, "Thanks for being here tonight. This was...a fulfilling experience. I'll see you soon."

The Princess of Dreams kissed me upon my brow as the walls of white started to engulf the chamber around us. I clutched Sectonia's hand more firmly, closing my eyes. I did not want to let go and yet... I opened my eyes to find myself in bed with Fluttershy slumbering at my side. And my hand was empty.

I have spent much of the day revisiting the beehive to observe our tiniest neighbors hibernating. Just to remind me of the beautiful queen who was now likely lurking at the edge of my mind. I have not mentioned her to anyone and I have been able to keep up appearances, and yet...

I miss her. Queen Sectonia. I know dreams are supposed to be inconsequential, but... What did she feel when she woke up only to find that I had disappeared? Would we ever meet again? Would it be best to never cross paths again and just...let ourselves forget about each other?

Only my mind can decide when or if she and I will ever cross paths again. And while it might be for the best that we do not... My heart hopes that we will. Until then, I have things to do. Best to keep my thoughts distracted for the rest of the day.