The Land Before Us

Chapter 18 – Sleeping like a dream

"Luna?" Matt blinks at the dark mare in front of him as he waits for her response. Her mane that usually is fallen to one side is now flowing a dark almost with a star night like life to it.

It takes her a moment to take her eyes from her surroundings before she talks, "Your dreams are very blank...Matt."

The young kid looks around the bare light white stone room from his chair as he talks, "I'm sleeping?"

Luna nods her head as she talks, "Yes, you have been for most of this day Matt..." She moves a little closer as she talks, "You were not waking so I tried a dream spell" She gives a little smile as she talks, "...It was very difficult to accomplish."

Matt gives a light laugh as he squints his eyes to her, "Ok?" He crosses his arms as he talks, "...Why have I been asleep for so long?"

The dark mare losses her sweet smile as she talks, "You do not remember what has happened Matt?"

The young kid shakes his head as he talks, "No? Why?"

"Princess Platinum's spell must have..." At the mention of her name the blank room has changed shapes to a replica of Platinum's room and Matt now sits on the bed.

As Matt notices the change of rooms he stands from the bed, "No no no, I don't want to think about her." His face takes on a slight blush as he speaks up, "W-why are you here Luna?"

The mare squints to his rushed words as she talks, "Are you well Matt?"

The young kid nods his head as he talks, "Never better..."

Luna brings her hoof up for a moment as she tries to show her concern for him, "You seem almost fearful Matt? Why?"

The young kid shakes his head as he talks, "N-no i'm good really."

Her voice drops down a little as she talks, "Matt do you know what has happened to your brother?"

Platinum's room that lays as a scene around them begins to fade a little as Luna's voice holds her sweet slightly lipsy tone, "Dose Matt require a moment? I unde...-" Her voice is cut off as the young kid rushes to her and embraces her neck in a sobbing hug.

Luna blinks to his quick motion and doesn't react to him for a moment, but as the young man's light sobbing doesn't stop she brings her hoof to his back as she tries to talk. However her voice is no longer audible as the dream starts to fade.

Luna's eyes open to Matt as her horn's glow starts to leave from around the young man's head. Matt follows her slow eye opening motion as he looks to the room he has been in since he got to this strange world.
His arms still are wrapped around Luna's neck like they were in the dreamscape and once he realizes this he releases her from his hold, as he puts his body up right in the bed.

Luna looks over him as she talks, "Why did you lie to us Matt?"

He swallows his emotion back as he talks, "I-I don't know...I just thought I could for once be something i'm not..." He folds his hands as he talks, "I...I wanted to play it up while I was here..." Matt brings his green-blue eyes to Luna as he tries to makes sense of his own reasoning, "Do you know what its liked to be overlooked even when you do stuff thats cool...just because of who your family is?"

Luna doesn't speak for a moment as her teal eyes look over the young man's face.

Matt shakes his head as he looks down to his cupped hands, "Stupid...I know...and now..." He chokes up to his thoughts as he looks at his hands starting to glow a faint green.

"OH Matt you're up."

Luna and Matt bring their heads to the door as Platinum's voice hits them. The white mare holds an almost disgusted squint to Matt as she talks in a proper royal voice, "Matt, Celestia wishes to see you."

Matt's green glow to his hand's spike up a little to the name but they stop as Luna speaks up, "Our sister is a kind and gentle pony...I believe your brother is safe." Luna holds a smile to her unsure words as she stands from the bedside and walks out the door.

Platinum gives a smile to Luna as the dark mare trots past her. But as she leaves her sight she looks back to Matt with the same slightly angry expression, "Do follow Matt."

The young kid watches as she dips away from the door, as her figure moves from his gaze he unzips his hot jacket that he has worn all day and tosses it back to the bed.

Luna and Platinum wait down the hall for him as he picks his pace up to catch up.

They stop as they reach the throne room entrance. Matt slows his pace up as he turns into the room, he brings his eyes onto the tall white mare as she turns her head from a large stain glass window.

"Matt I have a few questions I need to a..."

Celestia's voice is cut off as Matt speaks up, his voice is not truly louder than hers but she still halts her words to his as he talks, "Is Damien dead?"

The tall mare is silent for a few moments before she speaks up, "Damien...as you said, is not dead."

The young kid breaths a sigh of relief as he talks, "Where is he?"

"He has been sent back to his world, and he will remain there for the rest of his life." Celestia's voice doesn't stop as she turns herself to the young kid, "...Now I have a question for you Matt."

Platinum and Luna both have a slightly confused expression but they bite their tongues as Celestia's words come out, "Do you, or have you ever known of the being Discord?"
Matt shakes his head as he talks, "No."

Celestia's voice slightly lowers but the power of her words does not alter, "Why did you deceive us then Matt ?"

Platinum's voice calls out before he can answer, "Yes Matt why?" Her body impatiently awaits the stammering kid as he finally talks.

"I-I just thought it wouldn't hurt..." He tries to fiddle with a better answer as he talks, "I-I just wanted to be something I can't be back home....I didn't mean to do anything bad-..."

His voice is again cut off as Platinum speaks up, "Did not want to do anything bad? You Matt have caused a war between this land, how could you..."

"Princess Platinum." Luna's voice brings the white mare's to a halt as the dark mare takes her eyes from the young kid's slightly nervous and shaky body.

But Platinum's voice is not stopped for long as she talks now to Celestia, "Surely we must do something? He has misguided all of us!"

Matt turns his head to the mare with a surprise to how sincere the mare's words are.

Celestia nods her head as she talks, "You're right something must be done..." The dark haired kid quickly swings his head back to her as his heart skips a beat. Celestia looks to Luna for a moment before she speaks back up, "Tomorrow Matt, when the sun is high and my powers are full you will be sent back never to return."

Matt's fears slightly change as he nods his head.

Platinum's mouth quivers a little angry at the lack of true punishment but her voice is not allowed to come out as Luna speaks up, "Sister perhaps..."

Celestia holds her hoof up as she talks, "We do not have time to talk this over..." Her eyes drift back between Platinum and Matt as she talks, "...We have a war to stop." The tall mare trots towards the door as she continues, "Shall we Princess Platinum?"

Platinum slightly hesitates for a moment but turns her head back to Celestia as she holds her head up and speaks in a regal voice, "Yes...stopping this fray must be priority."

The smaller white mare adjust the crown on her head as she trots past Celestia and out the door.

But the taller mare doesn't follow after her for a moment as she turns back to her sister, "Luna, begin raising the moon...today is not a day for brightness."

The dark mare nods her head as Celestia leaves the threshold.

Luna turns her gaze back to the young kid as she talks, "Matt...Would you wish to see the moon rise for your last day?" Her voice has a slight sad tone to it but her face doesn't show her emotion as her comment rings to him.

Matt nods his head as he talks, "I would like that Luna."

End of chapter 18