The Doctor and The Princess

"Gii...You were so great to me..." Kia managed to cough out.

She had been hit pretty hard.

"Stop!" Gii shouted in desperation. He looked around frantically for help. All he could see were the bodies of several marines and creatures. Help was too far away. "This isn't happening! I won't let this happen!" He cried out in pain.

The only thing keeping Kia alive at this point was the fact that Gii was focusing every ounce of his energy into the phenomenon equation, which kept her on the fringe of death, and even then, her condition was rapidly deteriorating.

If he was to falter, even just a little bit, she would die.

Gii felt something cold touch his hand, which made him rapidly look back at Kia.

Kia had weakly put her hand over Gii's, and shakily guided it to her face. Her blood stained his hand, but she didn't care. Once Gii's hand reached the side of her face, he gripped it firmly. Her hand slid off of his, and down to his wrist.

She was too weak to hold her hand up any further.

She smiled very weakly.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She wasn't ready to go, but she was staying strong for Gii. Just as he had stayed strong for her.

"Gii..." She rasped. "You know you've held onto this for too long..." She coughed, closing her eyes tight. She reopened her eyes, but only half way. Tears now freely rolled down her cheeks. "We-We love you, but it's time..." She managed to sniffle, doing her best to hold back her tears. "Let go of Inganock...Let go of Ati...Let go of me..." Kia began to cry silently. Her body shaking. Tears were now travelling down her cheeks with great speed and number. "It's over...We're gone..."

"No! Please, please don't say that!" Gii shouted, his voice breaking up.

The Hologram started to flash and beep. Gii's eyes opened wide with terror.

Kia's vitals then started to slip away. The Equation could do no more for her worsening condition.

"NO! NO!" Gii shouted even louder. Panic had completely take him over.

Kia, however, was completely as peace. Her smile didn't leave her face, her eyes didn't leave The Doctor.

The girl, this girl he discovered less than a year ago, this girl he took in, this girl he fed, this girl he cared for, this girl whom he considered his daughter, this girl who WAS his daughter, died in front of his very eyes.

She died peacefully.

The last thing she saw was the man she considered her father, crying.

Gii would never forget that day.

No matter how hard he would try, he would never forget that day.

Gii was still thinking about it when Luna woke up. He didn't even notice her sit up in her bed, and stare at Gii. He was too focused on his own imagination.

"Doctor?" Luna asked cautiously. Gii's wide-eyed expression of thought faded at the sound of Luna's voice, and he returned to reality. He made eye contact with Luna, and nodded his head.

"Good morning, Princess. How do you feel?" He asked. He got up, walked over to the massive window, and opened the shades, allowing the morning sunlight to pierce away whatever darkness from the night that remained. Luna yawned deeply, but smiled when she finished. She even giggled before she answered.

"I feel very good, Doctor." She yawned again. She smiled again, with one eye half closed.

"Excellent." Gii responded. He walked back over to the bed, and held his hand out. "I'll take the cloak off of your hands. Get it washed."

Luna shook her head.

"That's okay, Doctor. I like it." Luna replied, her hooves holding onto the cloak she was wearing. "It, uh...it keeps me warm!" She said. Gii could tell she was blushing, but wasn't sure why she would be doing so.

In all reality, Luna didn't want Gii's scent washed out of it. Luna originally just thought that Gii was cute. But ever since he saved her from The Monster last night, she had become infatuated with him.

Nurse Redheart opened the door on the far end of the room, and was also yawning. She too, had just woke up.

"Nurse, may I have a word with you? Alone?" Gii called to her. Nurse Redheart wasn't even several steps from the door she just left. She seemed surprised, pointing a sleepy hoove at herself while yawning again.

"Me?" She asked. Gii nodded his head, and led her right back into the hallway that led to their rooms. He closed the door, to make sure Luna couldn't hear anything he was about to say.

"Lucky..." Luna muttered under her breath, watching the two go behind the door. She dropped back onto her bed, and pulled her blanket up to her neck. She couldn't help but wonder what they were saying.

In just the other room, Redheart tilted her head to the side, as if she questioning Gii without words.

Gii wasted no time.

"I went into Luna's dreams last night. She is being tormented by a monster that looks like a demented version of herself. This is very bad." He explained. Redheart immediately woke completely up, her eyes widening.

"Why? What does that mean, Doctor?" She asked nervously.

"When Inganock went insane, it all started with The Old Grand Prince, Astea. He reported having nightmares to his physicians for a little over a year. Then he lost his mind. When the city became industrialized, corners were cut because of him, resulting in many accidents. Then the monsters and creatures came. War soon after. The entire city became a nightmare in itself. Do you see the connection?"

Redheart took several steps back from Gii, her nervous eyes rapidly examining Gii's face.

"D-Doctor?" She asked. "What do you mean?"

"It lasted for 10 years. More than half of the population died. The other half mutated violently. Nobody, not even myself, retained being a true human. My brain mutated radically. It's the only reason I can use the Phenomenon Equation. It's the only reason I can heal."

"How did you fix it, Doctor?" Redheart asked. At this point, it seemed more like she was begging for answers.

"Astea was killed." Gii muttered. Redheart began to look even more terrified. Gii continued speaking. "It turned out, the city had some ancient entity living at the center of it all. He was responsible for the fog that had trapped the city 5,000 years ago. He was responsible for Astea's madness. For all of the horrible creatures. I forced the Entity back to where he came from, but not soon after, civil war broke out. It was sanity against insanity. Bullets and swords against teeth and nails."

"Doctor, surely it won't-"

"Come to that." A feminine voice finished. Both Gii and Redheart turned their attention to the source of the voice: A shining white pony with a mane of cold, pale colors. It was just as ethereal as Luna's mane. Her eyes, her wings, everything about her was extremely graceful. Even just being in her presence, Gii felt a certain radiance about her.

She must have walked in very silently for the two to have not noticed her.

"You must be Celestia. I'm Doctor Gii. I'm assuming you've heard everything. Shall I continue?" Gii asked.

"Please do, Doctor." She said, looking at Gii. She didn't look scared in the least bit.

"Sanity eventually overcame. The fog left the outskirts of the city, and a new Grand Prince was elected. What bothers me, is that it seems that the moment I banished the Entity, Luna fell sick. You said she started feeling a sick a year ago, yes?" Gii asked.

"Yes Doctor. I believe it was a little over a year ago when Luna began to complain of nightmares." Celestia responded.

"I need to enter Luna's mind again. If Grimm Grimm is somehow here, we need to get to work immediately." Gii said. "If it IS him, I'll contact The Grand Prince, get as many soldiers as we can shipped over. You may also want to prepare your mili-"

"Excuse me. What? Grimm Grimm?" Redheart interrupted.

Gii's eyes met hers.

"The entity that single handedly destroyed Inganock."

Meanwhile, Luna sat on her bed, staring at the door that Gii, Redheart, and now Celestia had entered.

She knew they were discussing her situation, and that bothered her.

Luna really did feel fine. And with Gii at her back, The Mosnter couldn't get her, either.

"Whew..." Luna sighed in relief. If Gii hadn't come along, she probably would have lost her mind.

In fact, Luna was extremely happy that Gii had come along. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to sleep in her own room, rather than this room kept for her at the palace. Her REAL room had a bigger bed, softer pillows, and a better view, but because she was sick, Celestia thought it would be best for Luna to be easily reached.

A fair point, but Luna still yearned for her old bed. Maybe tonight, Celestia would allow her to go back, as long as Gii goes with her.

Luna blushed, her mind filling with "romantic" ideas. Doctor Gii and Luna. All alone. Luna blushed slightly harder, and buried herself deeper under her blankets, sighing while she did so.

She thought she had slept very well, but all of the sudden, she started to feel very sleepy again.

Luna yawned deeply under her cave of blankets and pillows, and closed her eyes. Some more sleep couldn't possibly hurt anything.

Celestia's horn stopped glowing. The spell had worked, apparently.

"Quickly. Go now." She said, urging Gii. Gii nodded, and approached Luna's bed. He gently pulled the blankets back, digging Luna out from her nook. He brushed her mane aside, and put his hand above her sleeping head again.

Gii activated the equation, and waited for her vitals to match with his. After the Equation indicated that he was ready, Gii did just as he did last time.

He inhaled deeply, and closed his eyes.

He exhaled deeply, but kept his eyes closed.

He could feel something breathing on his face.

Gii opened his eyes, and sure enough, there was Demonic Luna, mere inches from his face. Her tongue hanged out of the side of her mouth, her eyes were just as insane, her teeth still bloodstained and jagged. They were both in the same dead forest in the middle of a starless night.

"Giiiiii..." She whispered. "You came baaaack..."

"I did, indeed." Gii responded. His calm demeanor remained.

Demonic Luna's tongue rolled back into her mouth, then slivered out of it again. It was reaching out to Gii's face. She giggled poisonously as it got closer.

Gii moved a hand up rapidly, and grabbed the tongue. He pulled it, bringing the Demonic Luna closer to his face. He was practically pressing his eyes against hers.

"I know Grimm Grimm created you. Tell that coward that I'm waiting for him." Gii demanded.

It had been a year since Gii had used the offensive side of the Equation, but he remembered what numbers to plug in.

A series of red sparks travelled up his arm and to his hand, effectively sending a shock into the Demonic Luna. She shrieked, and threw herself backward, her wet tongue sliding out of Gii's fist. She looked up at him in anger.

She roared, and hopped back to her feet. She let out another roar, her tongue flicking in and out of her mouth, and charged Gii.

Gii gently held his arm out, and reused the same sparks.

This time, a torrent of them came out, hissing and crackling as they jumped and skittered across the cold dirt ground. They briskly travelled toward Demonic Luna, who in turn, was about to run right into them.

The moment she hit them, they electrocuted her violently. She convulsed and shook as she hit the ground, and continued convulsing even when she was on the ground. When she finally stopped, parts of her were smoking. She was also whimpering.

"Damn it all, Gii. Must you destroy everything you touch?" A voice from above Gii asked angrily. Gii immediately looked up, and felt rage, rage that remained dormant since their last encounter with one another.

Grimm Grimm.

The Clown was descending from the sky, from the high dead branches of the dark forest inside of this dream.

"And really, what does it take to scare you?" He asked again.

Gii's fists began to ball themselves up at his sides.

Grimm Grimm landed next to the Demonic Luna. He knelt down, and began stroking her mane.

"There there...the bad man won't hurt you anymore." He said in a disturbingly loving fashion. He snapped his fingers, making the Demonic Luna dissolve into the ground. Grimm Grimm stood back up, and held his arms out to the sides, as if he was asking for a hug.

The Black Clown had not changed in appearance.

He still wore his black trench coat, his wide brimmed hat, his spiked black boots and suede black pants. Even his face, which was a white mask with a long nose and rose for a right eye, remained the same.

He smiled at Gii.

"I'm very glad you could make it, Gii! How long has it been? A year? That's a year too long, friend! I mean, how could you keep me waiting for an entire year? Rude. Very rude." Grimm Grimm said, chuckling.

Gii was not amused.

"What do you want with Equestria? What do you want with Luna? Why are you possessing her?" Gii asked, attempting to interrogate Grimm Grimm. Grimm Grimm smiled even wider, and snapped his fingers again.

All of the sudden, Gii and Grimm Grimm were standing on a theatrical stage. The big red curtains slipped open, revealing an audience filled with silhouettes. Spotlights flashed on, illuminating the stage. Grimm Grimm assumed a dramtic pose.

"Dear Doctor!" He started dramatically. "I wanted you! I'm afraid after your little stunt in Inganock, I can't return home!" He frowned and dragged a single finger from his eye and down to his mouth, imitating sob noises while he did so. The crowd booed Doctor Gii.

"I miss my home, Doctor! Truth be told, Equestria bores me! I don't want anything to do with it, or it's pretty, prancing, ponies! But I had to do SOMETHING to lure you here!" Grimm Grimm then smiled mischievously. "Luckily for me, I'm a genius! My plan worked! Here you are, right now!" He laughed in joy. The crowd clapped and cheered for Grimm Grimm.

"You will leave Luna's body. Now." Gii demanded, his fists still at his sides. The crowd collectively drew in a gasp, as if surprised. Then they started booing him again. Grimm Grimm held his hands up, silencing the crowd.

"Oh hush! The Doctor is just defending his new love!" He proclaimed. The crowd all collectively made an annoying 'awww' sound. Grimm Grimm then returned his attention to Gii. "Good Doctor, I'm not in Luna's body, nor her mind! No, that would be too easy! Everyone, give Gii a round of applause for being so brave, though!" Grimm Grimm cried out. The crowd clapped. "No, dear Doctor, I'm not 'inside' of her. As for where I really am, I can't say!"

Gii finally let his rage overflow. It had been a long time since he felt an emotion so passionately.

"LEAVE, HER, ALONE!" He shouted. His fists were balled up so tight, that his knuckles felt like they would tear from his skin. Grimm Grimm and the crowd both gasped.

"How barbaric! I'll have you know sir, I intend to do just that! I can't continue with my plan if I keep doing what I'm doing! One cannot paint a beautiful picture with only a single color! There's really no need for shouting!" Grimm Grimm shouted. Gii was sure the irony was intentional.

Grimm Grimm bowed to the crowd, who in turned clapped, whistled, and cheered. The curtains started to slide shut. He held his hand out to his side, and snapped his fingers again, changing the environment once more.

This time, Gii and Grimm Grimm were on a glass staircase that was seemingly floating over a black abyss. Only two black handrails were connected to the wide staircase.

Gii looked up at Grimm Grimm, who was only several steps ahead of him on the staircase.

He had an unconscious Kia in his arms.

Gii immediately started to try to run up the staircase after him.

"KIA!" He shouted. "KIAAAA!"

The staircase only seemed to continue under his feet. Although he was running as fast as he could, he wasn't getting any closer. Grimm Grimm merely remained in his dramatic position, watching Gii's desperation.

"Well Doctor, as much as I would love to continue to catch up, I've really got to run. It may be awhile before you hear from me again, so be patient! Shall I show you the door?" He asked, smiling with malice. He held his arm up.

Gii then felt an extremely powerful force pushing him. It knocked him off of his feet, and sent him tumbling down the staircase. He fell all the way down, hitting the end and even rolling off of it.

He threw his hand up, and caught the final stair.

He was now dangling above the dark abyss.

To his horror, the glass on the stair he was holding onto began to crack.

Not even a second later, it shattered, dropping Gii.

He screamed as he fell headfirst.

Just as he felt he was about to hit the bottom of the abyss, Gii jumped up.

He was sitting in Luna's bed, propped up against the wall.

Luna, Redheart, and Celestia were all staring at Gii, wide-eyed.

Gii shifted his vision between the three ponies rapidly. He then sighed deeply, and sat up, drawing his knees to his chest. He held his face in his hands.

"Doctor? Doctor, are you okay?" Luna asked nervously.

Gii didn't respond. Luna approached The Doctor slowly, and poked him in his sides with her hoof. Gii swallowed, and slid his hands down his face, groaning while he did so. He looked at Celestia. Luna was no longer asleep, which means the dream he just saw wasn't Luna's.

Grimm Grimm was toying with him.

"It's exactly what I thought it was. Luna may not feel sick, but we need to be ready for anything." Gii said as he started to remove the blankets off of him. They must have out him in bed after Luna woke up. "We have some time. I'm going to get straight to work." Gii said, picking himself up off of the bed. But, before he could get up, Celestia stopped him.

"No." She said calmly. She stood in front of him, blocking his path. She knew Gii wouldn't be childish and try to escape her. Instead, his neutral eyes peered into hers. "Doctor. You need rest. What good is a Doctor who cannot even help himself?" Gii didn't respond. He just kept looking her in her eyes.

"Gii, you already have done so much for us. But you haven't slept a wink. Nor have you taken a break. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, but rest now."

Gii and Celestia seemingly had a silent standoff. After a few tense moments, Gii finally responded.

"Celestia. I cannot rest. Every idle second, every minute, he plots. He prepares. I will not rest." He said sternly. Celestia's face remained stoic, but then, a grin grew on it. Celestia had an idea.

"I apologize for interrupting your work, Doctor. Go ahead." Celestia said, stepping aside. Gii stood up without a word, and walked to the door that led to his room. The moment the door clicked shut, Celestia smiled wider.

"Redheart, please bring me Vinyl Scratch and Pinkie Pie. Oh, and Berry Punch." Redheart smiled too, catching on to Celestia's devious plan to force The Doctor to relax. "Luna?" Celestia asked, turning around. Luna perked up from her little bout of being down. She didn't like to see The Doctor working himself into the ground.

"Yes, sister?" Luna answered.

"Keep The Doctor company." She said slyly. Luna grinned as well. As she was halfway to reaching Gii, Celestia stopped her.

"Oh, and Luna? Make him smile! Kiss him if you have to!"

Luna blushed. Celestia was too good at reading her.

Luna waited a few minutes outside of Gii's door before she knocked, to give him time to get settled and comfortable. Luna reached a hoof out, and knocked on the door several times.

No response.

Luna put a hand on the doorknob, and gently pushed it open. She poked her head in when he had just enough room.

The Doctor was slumped over in the chair by the desk, a quill in his hand. His eyes were shut calmly, and his breathing was steady.

The poor Doctor really was working himself into the ground.

Gii had left the bed to go sleep in the other room, it had seemed. Luna was sure it wasn't his intention to fall asleep. Luna smiled gently, and quietly entered the room. She used her magic to float Gii carefully into the air, the quill slipping from his hand and onto the desk.

His sleeping figure was adorable to Luna.

She peeled back his blankets using magic, and placed him in the bed, covering him back up. He didn't stir once, nor make any noise.  Luna crept towards The Doctor, and quickly looked back to the door.

Nobody was watching.

She briskly stuck her head toward Gii's and kissed his forehead. He looked at peace. She normally would peer into his mind to see what dreams were bringing him such peace, but she decided against it. She then giggled quietly, and left the room, allowing him to sleep in his peace. He deserved it.

Oddly enough, Gii was at peace. He was aware that he had fallen asleep without feeling tired, which would normally alarm him with Grimm Grimm stalking about. But the calmness he felt soothed him too much to worry. His dream was indeed doing this to him.

Gii was back in his old bedroom, sitting in his chair.

Kia sat across from him, wearing her favorite dress.

Moonlight was shining through the circular window above his bed, making everything glow in it's luminescence.

"Gii, you can't keep being so mean! I'll get mad!" She pouted.

"Huh? But I saw Grimm Grimm take you..." Gii asked, confused.

"You're being goofy! You know that weirdo would show you anything to make you upset!" She said, pouting again. Gii smiled, and Kia immediately softened. "That's the first time you've smiled, in a dream OR real life, in a year. Mean old Gii."

"So, he didn't take you away from me?" Gii asked, shifting in his seat.

"No, silly. I'm still here, watching you. Anyways, I meant what I said! Don't change the subject! Be nice to the ponies! Have a little fun!" Kia demanded, her arms crossed.

"But-" Gii started, but Kia held a finger up to silence him.

"Gii, it hurts me to see you like this. So, I'll make you a deal. If you agree to be nice, and to relax, I'll give you a hug. In fact, I'll come to you every night, and give you a hug." Kia said, uncrossing her arms. Gii could feel tears coming to his eyes. All of this emotion had been put away for so long. Kia stood up in her chair, and held her arms open. Gii rushed to her, throwing his arms around her chest. She wrapped her arms around his head and his neck, and let him cry on her.

Gii hadn't cried in an entire year.

"God, it hurts, K-Kia..." Gii managed to choke out. She stroked his head, running her fingers through his hair.

"See? Mean old Gii isn't mean after all. He's just sad." Kia said softly. Gii shook, but Kia held him as firm as she could, letting his tears wet her clothes. "Gii, I do need you to listen to me for a second. It's important."

Gii removed his head from Kia's chest, and wiped his eyes. He then held his head up, and was able to look her in her eyes.

"Gii, Grimm Grimm is watching. He's always watching, just like I am. Even now, he's trying to bother you. I won't let him. But I can't stop him around every corner. He's expecting you to work and slave away, tiring yourself out and pushing yourself to the brink of suicide. That's his plan. To torture and worry you so much, that you'd kill yourself. You know what he's not expecting? For you to have fun. For you to smile, and laugh, and move on with your life. That's the first step to beating him, once and for all." Kia finished. She had both of her hands on Gii's face.

"Gii." She started up again. "I realize that you won't move on and forget. But, silly Gii, you don't have to move on to let go. Love me. Love Ati. Love Inganock. And we love you too. But let go. If you can promise me this, I promise to visit you every night."

Gii's eyes lit up. For the moment being, Gii was the way he was at his peak.

"Kia, you have to swear to me. Swear to me that this isn't a trick. That you're real." Gii said desperately. Kia smiled.

"I'm not sure if I'm real or not, Gii. But I swear to you, if you'll relax again, if you'll smile again, I'll come visit."

Gii went back to holding Kia tight. After a few moments, Kia let him go.

"Well, mean old Gii, we still have about 7 hours left." Kia said, smiling.

"Huh?" Gii asked. Kia crossed her arms, and pouted angrily again.

"You haven't slept in two days! What's worse, is that you haven't slept for more than 4 hours in 11 whole years! That's awful! Even when I was around, you wouldn't sleep! So, I'm not letting you wake up! You're sleeping for 8 hours, and then I'm making sure you're awful hungry when you wake up too, Mr. 'I don't eat real food, I only inject gunk'!"

Gii smiled at Kia again.

"I'll eat. I'll sleep. I can't guarantee that I'll be extremely perky and friendly when I awake, but I promise to work on it. Just as long as you're coming back to me at night, I'll do anything."

The past few days had been exhausting for Gii, but he felt like he could finally relax. Kia, whether this was her spectre or just a figment of Gii's imagination, was calming him. The knowledge that Kia, whether by his imagination or something greater, was watching him, was just what he needed to relax.

For once, he didn't care about Inganock.

Half the world away, Inganock still cared about The Doctor and his duty.

The Grand Prince of Inganock stood in his tower, and looked at the city below. His personal retinue stood by his sides. He wet his lips, and inhaled slowly and audibly.

"Brothers. Something is not right." The Grand Prince announced. One of the members of his retinue, a young General of Inganock's Militia, gazed away from the city. He appeared to be a minotaur-like creature, unlike the others in the room, who appeared human. He was the only one who could not use the phenomenon equation. But his stomach felt queasy, and his head felt like it was spinning.

"I feel it, too." He grunted out. The retinue looked at him, confused.

"It feels just like when I was soldier. Do you remember the Battle of Tier 1?" The Grand Prince asked, cutting the attention away from The General.

"Yes, sire." His retinue responded.

"I...I remember rushing the battlefield with my brothers. I remember hearing over the radio, 'Grimm Grimm is here, Grimm Grimm is here!'. I remember the feeling of dread. I remember panicking, holding one hand on my helmet, and the other on my rifle as we retreated the 1st Tier. I remember the creatures ripping, impaling, consuming our ranks. I remember our insane brothers clawing and decapitating us..." The Grand Prince preached, as he looked over his rusted city. He grinned.

"...Then...then, I remember hearing, 'Thank the Gods, Doctor Gii is on the battlefield! Follow his lead!'. I remember the immediate feeling of euphoria. Of hope. The feeling of high morale and terror mixed together. I remember getting goosebumps the moment I had first laid eye's on Gii. I remember watching him immediately repair mortally wounded soldiers. I remember watching him running about the chaos, helping everyone he could. I remember watching him chase after Grimm Grimm..." He continued. The Young General spoke up once more.

"Grand Prince Tristam." He interrupted. "Do you believe he can handle this situation on his own?" He asked. Tristam's grin didn't fade.

"Gii supported and believed in Inganock when it was nothing more than a rusty hellhole. And look what's become of it." He said, gesturing his hand to the ruined city before him. While the city still looked miserable, it was much better compared to one year ago. "We must believe in The Doctor now. Just as he believed in us."

7 hours later, and back in Equestria, Gii woke from his sleep.

He literally didn't recognize the feeling of being well-rested. That's when his stomach rumbled.

He put a hand on his stomach, and used the other to wipe his left eye.

He yawned deeply, and got off of his bed.

"Wait a second..." He mumbled. He didn't put himself in the bed. He fell asleep on the desk. Gii shrugged his shoulders, and sat down in the chair, tying his boots back on.

His door opened quietly, but being wooden in nature, it still creaked. Luna poked her head in, a look of curiosity on her face. She then smiled when she saw Gii awake.

"Doctor! You're awake! Yay!" She said, completely abandoning her former stealthy entrance. Gii stopped tying his shoes to cover his yawning mouth, then went right back to it.

"I am." Gii said. His stomach rumbled again. Gii looked up at Luna, almost in shock.

He had not felt hungry like this in a very long time. He knew this was Kia's doing, and he knew that she was going to do it, but he didn't think it would feel this powerful.

Gii felt as if he could actually eat physical food.

"Uhh..." Gii trailed off, embarrassed from his stomach. Luna giggled at The Doctors mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

"Are you hungry, Doctor?" Luna asked, almost teasingly.

"Wha? Uhh...No, I'm fine." Gii quickly responded, attempting to save face. Luna giggled again, and seemingly became bashful.

"Doctor, if you wanna, I was thinking, maybe, we could, maybe go an-" Luna started, but The Doctor shook his head, to which Luna frowned at.

She seemed really disappointed.

"Oh...Okay..." She said, her head hanging low. She went to turn around, when Kia's voice became loud in his head.

"Gii!" She scolded. She sounded just like an impatient Mother would. Gii sighed, and remembered his promise to Kia.

"Luna, wait." He said. Luna turned around, still disappointed. "Uh...Yeah, I'm hungry. I think. I just haven't actually consumed solid food in a very long time, so, I'm a bit nervous, to be honest. But what were you suggesting?" Gii said apologetically. Luna perked up, but still seemed sad.

"I was going to invite you to come eat with me, but it's okay Doctor. I understand."

"No, I'll come with you. Nutrients won't make the hunger go away. I should eat. And..." Gii trailed off, as if he was preparing for the next words to come out of his mouth. "I may as well get to know more about you, right? You may no longer be sick, but that's not to say we can't be..." Gii swallowed, and locked eyes with Luna. "...friends. Right?" Gii asked. Luna seemed to completely ignore the fact that he seemed so cautious and reluctant, and nearly exploded with excitement.

Gii smiled at Luna's reaction without realizing it.

This would be the first time he had smiled in real life for an entire year.

Gii could hear music in just the other room, the loud thump of the bass shaking the walls.

He assumed that's where Luna would be taking him.

Perhaps, after all he's been through today, he could afford to relax.

Just for one night.