Oh, Ophelia
You've been on my mind, girl, since the flood
Oh, Ophelia
Heaven help a fool who falls in love


In the darkness of the royal chambers, the queen was weeping.

They were magnificent, by bat pony standards; great draconic soaring wings that would catch the wildest of wing currents and tame them to their will, with gilded talons that could tear through armor and flesh like a knife cutting butter. The Sisters were ponydom ascendant, mortals kissed by godhood, and so it was only fitting for the Ruler of the Night to be the most powerful bat pony alive.

She didn't look very queenly then. Amore could feel moisture gather on her neck and down her muscled back, divine tears shed in the privacy of Luna's room. The crystal princess had reassured her time and time again that there was no need and no pressure, but the southern queen had insisted. This is something I've long since wanted to share with someone, Luna had said, and who better to see me as I am, than the pony who loves me best? Amore protested, of course, and thought of the queen's sister besides. Celestia must've seen this sight before, surely. All confidence left the dusky alicorn when the door gently clicked closed behind them however, and Amore was struck with the very distinct impression that Luna was nervous, perhaps for the first time in centuries.

The Goddess of the Moon was waning, and so were her bedchambers, the walls growing dull and dark around them, shrouded in unnatural gloom. It was in this shadow that Luna's feathers melted away like ink dipped into water, sliding off strangely as if she were shrugging off a silken robe. Under the hazy illusion, pale blue membranes unfurled, and sharp, gleaming talons pierced through the mirage. On and on they spread, ever wider than any pegasus' wings could hope of reaching, odd limbs stabbing outwards like the great spines of a lionfish… Beautiful, and yet shrouded in the promise of silent, deadly power. Less noticed were tufted ears and fanged lips, but the centerpiece of this reveal were her eyes, glowing eerily in the darkness. They were a teal such as Amore had never seen, with slitted pupils reminiscent of a cat's, or perhaps reptilian in nature. Night's eyes. Bat pony eyes.

Queen Luna had stood in the middle of her lavish room, the Ruler of the Night, Mistress of Stars, Dreamwalker and Shadow-wielder, in full, terrible display. And she began to collapse.

Princess Amore had reached out instinctively, her strong neck and shoulders supporting Luna's light weight with war-tested strength. It was funny, how such a grand, magnificent being could be, at the same time, so small. The unicorn looked at the heavenly being that commanded celestial bodies and had set the Lord of Chaos to stone, and felt an overwhelming urge to protect her from all harm. Half a heartbeat later she realized Luna had started crying, though she couldn't say when. She cried wordlessly, small in her fear, and yet heavy with the weight of more lifetimes than any pony should bear; hers was the weight of the world, of earth ponies and pegasi and her own horned kin, of the moon and the stars and all the shadows of night. And with a sigh and a soft smile, the Patron of Love willingly held her up.

_

this one's a bit different, as there isn't too much worldbuilding as much as a little character moment i thought was worth highlighting. before we delve into bat pony culture in full and their dynamic with luna, i figure it'd be fair to have amore see it first, and allow luna a moment of private vulnerability. though long-lived, i can't ignore that this luna is by all means a very young pony who was killed and thrust into godhood and the responsabiliy of building a whole country up from the ashes, and her people don't even like her that much. i also wanted to showcase amore's physical and emotional strength, methaphorically holding the weight of the moon's sorrow on her shoulders; love is tough work, something that is in my opinion not found but made, and this is why it was important for me for the princess of love to be a down-to-earth, hardworking pony who wasn't given her crown but rather worked for it, and of course wasn't afraid of the ugly bits of her loved ones. i wanted amore to look fierce and solid, almost daring anyone to get close to luna as she stumbled. i hope she doesnt look angry AT luna, this is just the exact moment she reacts to catch her-
also what should this ship be called??? i think 'honeymoon' is just cheesy enough

i figure luna is terribly self conscious of her bat pony heritage, as by now she realizes ponies treat her and celestia very, very differently, and her appearance would only make it worse. amore would coax her to embrace this side of her though, and i promise we'll see some happy bat ponies (and some celestia!) in their natural habitat soon :]

finally, cant not mention @/turnipberry as a huge inspiration for bat pony wings. i always feared they were somewhat plain, but their take on luna/nightmare's markings is amazing to me and i couldn't help but be inspired by it with my own luna design!