Chapters Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter I: Grin
I open my eyes. I feel the cold breeze on my coat. I look up to the sky, the stars and the moon above me.
'Wait. Sky? Stars and the moon? What? Where am I?' I think confused. Slowly getting up I look around. Short grass, bathed in moonlight surrounds me, about 10 feet away all around me grow trees. I'm in the mid of a clearing of a forest. I slowly approach the edge of the glade, trying to find a way out of it, but I can't find a path or anything else that I can use to get out. I try to look into the forest, the trees. But I only see darkness.
"Interesting isn't it?" something whispers. A shiver runs down my spine and I can feel the hair in my neck standing.
I feel a cold breeze rushing through the trees, making them rustle, through each grashalm and through each hair of my coat, each of my feathers.
'Feathers?' I think tired, my mind feels foggy and slow, 'I don't have wings. I'm a earth pony.'
I can hear a faint giggle, a childish, happy giggle.
"No you are not." the voice whispers again. "In here, you can be anything you want."
"Anything?" I ask to no one.
"Anything" the voice whispers amorous. My eyes light up.
"And can I do everything?" I continue.
"Whatever you desire" the voice purrs.
"Then I want to..." I stop midsentence, thinking about the possibilities.
"...wake up" I finally conclude.
A shrieking sound echoes through the beautiful glade, hurting my ears, but I don't try to cover them, I feel the wind rushing through the trees, the hollow, almost frightening sound it's making. I grin. Blood flows out of my ears, I stop hearing anything. I see the trees uprooting, the wind grabs them and throws them around. Cracks start to form at the edge of my vision. The world turns upside down, the earth breaks apart. I look down, I don't even pay attention to the blood that flows out of my nostrils and falls towards the sky under me. I just look down at the moon, it falls apart, the pieces rapidly drifting apart, descending to the ground. I close my eyes, seeing only darkness, waiting for the familiar feeling that should come any second now. There it is. The feeling of nothingness around me, of emptiness, of dread. The feeling slowly changes. At first it feels like the skin crumbles, like a shell of an egg that gets scrapped off. This feeling changes again towards a blanket like feeling, but instead of being warm it's a cold embrace. Like you're getting wrapped in soft, movable ice. Any other pony who is not used to this feeling would now fall to the ground, trying to get the warmth back into their appendages. But I won't. I open my eyes again. Everything has stopped. I look around, looking for something. And there, to my left I see it. Light. I turn towards the light and start walking to it, slowly. After a few moments I reach my location, a gigantic throne. And on the very top, sitting on a dark blue cushion she sits.
Nightmare Moon.
Looking down at me. Her black coat standing in total contrast to the white marble surrounding her.
I slowly climb the stairs of the throne towards her. She follows every of my steps with her beautiful, turquoise coloured dragonic eyes. I walk up close to her, until I'm right in front of her, I look up to her. She doesn't say anything, she's just waiting. Rising up to my hindlegs I reach up with my head, stretching my face closer to hers. Closer and closer, so close our snouts are almost touching. She still looks at me with her beautiful eyes, not questioning my actions. Its like she is waiting for me to finish what I started.
I move even closer, closer, closer ...
And laugh.
Falling back on all my four hooves, I stand there laughing. She looks at me with cold eyes, her eyes haven't moved at all. She raises a hoof to her face, covering her mouth, she shivers and trembles.
Her first reaction, she closes her eyes and starts to giggle, still covering her mouth with her hoof, she just giggles. Her little almost childish giggle rises into a loud laughter, and together we stand, or to be precise she sits, there, just laughing at nothing special. Just laughing.
"You almost got me there, child" she manages to get out between the laughs. We slowly calm down, still grinning like foxes. She shiftes her position on the cushion a little bit, tapping now on the free room right next to her on the cushion.
"Only almost, my princess" I answer. I walk up next to her and sit down, right next to her on the same cushion. Most ponies would expect it to be warm, but it's not. It's as cold as it could be. "But don't you think this was a little bit boring back there?" I ask, while pointing at the glade. "You know how good I am at telling the difference between dreams and reality."
Nightmare giggles.
"You are right, it was a little bit boring. But I didn't want to make you wait for too long, for this audience" she answers.
I scratch the back of my head.
"Are these dreamwalks really necessary just for these audiences?" I ask. "We don't even know if Luna took up her duty as "Dreamwatcher" again."
"They are child. There are more than just Luna who can watch the dreams of ponies. And if Celestia ever finds any trace of me she will do anything to destroy them" her voice turned icy. "How far are the preparations, my child?" she finally asks with a warm smile.
"Almost completed. The dreamers are almost ready to welcome you" I speak solemnly.
"How long will it take until the preparations are completed? Will you be able to finish them before the summer sun celebration?" she glares down at me.
"We will be, I promise" I answer with a little shrug. Her eyes don't look as warm or welcoming as they used to be anymore.
"Good to hear" her glare returnes to the warm, motherly look. She tilts her head a little bit, looking down at me with this motherly expression, before she opens her wings to pull me in a rather cold embrace. "Thank you for your coming tonight, Grin" she whispers into my ear, a tear streams down her face.
"You don't have to thank me for that..." I whisper back, closing my eyes and sinking deeper into the embrace of cold feathers and cold fur.
"...Mother."
Author's Note
Soooo here we go. I know it's another strange 'Cultists want to revive NMM Bla-bla we have seen that a thousand times' story so far. But don't worry. I don't plan to make it a cliche story. ... Or I hope so. Let's see what my brain comes up with next.
And hey, maybe you will like it.... and if not? Well I can't force you to.... ...or can i?
Please, if you have to say something negative, do it in a constructive way.
Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter II: Grin in the night
I open my eyes, again. But this time, instead of beautiful moonlight or the stars, I'm greeted with almost absolute darkness, only a little ray of sunlight shines into my bedroom. I roll to my left side and look at the clock on the nightstand right next to my bed.
'4:53 p.m.' I growl, even for a night pony like myself it's unusual to get up that early. 'Why am I awake? I don't have to get up for the next 4 hours.' I yawn as I slip out of my sheets and go grab some water or maybe some milk. Just as I open the door of my bedroom I hear a loud knock from the front door. I stand still, frozen in fear, just listening.
"Sunny?" someone calls. I facehoof.
'Sometime, after this whole thing is done, I'm gonna kill that idiot.' I think to myself, but far too sleepy to be really angry. I walk to the front door and open it. There in the bright sunlight is my best buddy, Shield, the dark blue coat clashes with the pale green of his mane, the marble coloured shield cutie-mark on his flank, half hidden under the heavy armor of the solar guards.
"Hey Shield" I greet him, trying in vain to supress the yawn, "what's up? Any burns?"
"Haha Sunny, you're so funny... again" he rolls his eyes, he knows he will never be able to make this running gag disappear.
"Me seen anything?" I ask him with disbelief, "You know I go to work around eleven, every evening, I work through the whole morning, I got home at nine or something around that corner. No I haven't seen anyone sneaking around." I answer, still trying to stifle the yawns. "Sorry I couldn't help you more."
"Hmm" Shield responses, "You sure? Anything could be of help" he finally manages to get out.
"Sorry, I was working the whole night" I answer, "So if the burglar knows when I go to work he might get active after I'm gone, and everypony around these parts knows when I go to work. I'm the only nightworker here."
"Yes you're right, everypony knows" he nods, half turning to leave he looks at me, "well I'll be going, looking for clues or something like that" he grins "good night, Sunny" I growl, as he turns around and walks down the street. I hate that nickname, but I know how to counterreact.
"Good night, Shield, and don't forget to use enough sunscreen" I reply grinning, and getting rewarded with a growl of him. Still grinning I close the door, trying to remember what I wanted to do. "Oh yeah, I wanted to drink something" I whisper as I turn towards the kitchen, approaching my fridge, I look at the memos that are attached to it. There in the right upper corner...
'That's why I woke up so early' I think, somehow awake now. I sigh, 'No time to lose then' I open the fridge and take a small bottle of milk out, chugging it down in one big gulp, I place the now empty bottle on the kitchen table and turn to leave.
"The dreamers are waiting" I whisper solemnly.
~~~~~~~~
Princess Luna had many problems right now. First of all, she had to adjust to the modern speech which seemed like an impossible task. Even with the help of the shy, yellow friend of Twilight Sparkle she only managed to master the modern speech to a certain degree. She sighs, lowering her head, she tried to learn so much through the past months but it all was so new, so alien . She was at the edge of despair, when she noticed it.
She raised her head, looking through her window at the beautiful full moon, that she hadn't even raised herself, sensing the small dissruption in the dreamrealm. Somepony was manipulating one or more dreams. Light was emitting from her horn, as the light engulfed her body and in a quiet crack she vanished, only to reappear in the bedchambers of her sister. She slowly approaches the bed, looking down at the sleeping form of Celestia, hearing her quiet breaths. No, she wasn't doing it.
Luna quickly uses her magic to look into Celestias dream, seeing two or three images that have something to do with cake, a camera and something like a newspaper monster. Luna chuckles quietly, amazed that her sister manages to sleep this calmly with a nightmare going on. Luna, gathering some magic, dives into the dream, only deep enough to change it. The newspaper monster disappears, instead of being chased, Celestia is now sitting at a table, a slice of cake on a plate on it was greeting her, the full moon was watching her every step as she gulps down the slice of cake. Luna retreating out of the dreamrealm, seeing her sister drool on her pillow, she chuckles again, and was about to go, already casting her teleport spell to-
"Thank you Luna" Celestia whispered in her sleep, a tear running down her cheek.
Luna looked at her stunned. Should she dive back in to see what was going on? She shook her head, slowly getting closer she kisses Celestia on the forehead, and wiping the tear stains from her cheek, Celestia smiled in her sleep, and returned to drool into her pillow the second the smile vanished.
"Good night sister mine" Luna whispered with a stifled chuckle. With another silent crack she disappears, only to reappear close to Ponyville, in the Everfree Forest. The disturbance in her realm was coming from here, she could feel the presence of foreign magic in the air, magic not domiciled in the Everfree. She closes her eyes, using her magic to hide herself in the shadows. It was time to find the pony who dared to tread into her domain.
~~~~~~~~
"Brothers!" the cloaked stallion bellowed down from the podium, "Sisters!" Everypony went quiet.
"We are here tonight, to change something! We are here to end the tyranny of Celestia! Tonight we will manage something nopony ever even thought about! We will resurrect a god, and we will bow deeply, and drink from the blood at her hooves" he called out. The cultists around him nodding and stomping at his voice.
"Tonight we will make her return, the one and only queen for this land! We will-"
"YOU, won't do anything" I call out, to interrupt his heretic speech. "You are not even worthy to call yourself a dreamer!"
The cultists, confused, were searching all around them to find the owner of the voice.
'Whelps' I think coldly. 'Look, what the cult has become, a bunch of useless ponies, that are to scared to even say her name' disgusted by the performance I step out of the shadows. A few spotting me, calling out to their brothers and sisters to alarm them. The cultists headman looking at me.
"Who are you, to say something like that!?" he was still bellowing.
'So annyoing' I think, feeling a headache coming up, 'better end this quickly before I get a migraine by looking at these idiots' returing into the shadows and disappearing from the sight of the cultists, some of them calling out, a few of them looking around in their useless atempt to spot me again. Stepping out of the shadows right behind the headman, I use the short knife, in my mouth to cut the hamstring in his left frontleg, he cries out in pain, tumbling down the podium. The cultists swarming around him to help him up, gaggling like a bunch of chickens.
"LISTEN YOU IMBECILES!" I shout, turning all the heads of them, I look into the few eyes I can see, seeing the reflection of confusion, anger in some of them even fear.
"You are worthless" I exclaim, "You are all worthless trash before her. You are all too afraid to use her name, you don't respect and honor her, you fear her. And because of that you won't be able to resurrect her. You want to drink the blood that is spilled by her hooves? Do you even listen to what you are saying? Nightmare Moon wasn't some kind of demonic beast, she was a pony, a pony with a vision" I was the one bellowing down at them now.
"Your little ritual here ends now" I say coldly, "You all, return home and don't you dare even think her name ever again" my eyes changing their colours, going from the natural bright blue to the all known turquoise colour of Nightmare Moons eyes. Some of the cultists before me were nodding, some were shaking their heads, the headman was still grinding his tooth in pain.
"What are you waiting for? MO-" I exclaim.
"And why should they go home?" someone asked from behind me, making me jump and twirl around looking for the pony who managed to slip behind me. The next thing I feel, is regret, regret and fear. Right behind me, maybe a meter away, stands princess Luna, her wings spread in a menacing way, making her bigger than she actually is, her eyes filled with magic, not glowing white, but a sparkle could be seen, if you know what to look for.
A sound bombards my ears, the sound of hooves stomping at the ground. I turn around to see the five cultists who are able to move, run away, spreading in a party of two and three. I look back at Luna, nodding in direction of the three cultists, and vanish in the shadows. Light travels fast, but the darkness and the shadows are faster, why else would there be darkness and shadows everywhere the light travels? I jump out of the shadows, right in front of the two cultists. The first gets bucked into the chest, I can feel a rib crack, sending him flying back in direction of the ritualgrounds, the next gets my knife, that I drew from the sheath on my right forehoof, to the shoulder, making him tremble to the ground in pain.
I turn to look what Luna did, and I grin. Luna teleported in front of the three other cultists, sending one back with a magical burst to the chest, hitting the other with one of her wings, and grabbing the last in her magic, inserting magical needles right into his back to immobilate him, she dropps him back to the ground, looking into my direction. Her next action... was too fast for me. I only remember seeing the light of the teleporting spell before she is right above me, using her right hindleg to kick me in the side, sending me flying to the earth. I growl, her kick wasn't hard enough to break something, but the bruise will be huge. I collect my strength and sit up, both hindlegs stretched of off me, holding my side with both my fronthooves.
"Owww, princess" I whine, "why? I never intended to run or fight." She looks at me with confusion and, strangly, a little bit of amusement .
"You are not part of their little cult?" she asks.
"Ow, god damn your kicks hurt" I moan, looking at my side, 'Dammit! She even managed to give me a cut with that kick!' I think, looking at the small path of blood flowing down my side and flank.
"Again" her tone gets harsher, "You are not part of them?"
"Ow! By Lunas bright moon" I whine loudly, "yes dammit I'm part of it, but not like those idiots back there. I'm not trying to bring Nightmare Moon back to let her overthrow Celestia." I look up at Luna, a few tears escaping my eyes, her mouth agape she looks down at me.
"In what way did you just swear?" she asks coldly.
'Oh, right, I'm talking to Luna' I facehoof mentally, I won't even think about doing it for real right now.
"Well, I kinda said..." I mumble the last part.
"What have you said?" she approaches me, lifting one of her hooves to step onto my right hindleg, right under her hoof is my knee, she puts a little bit pressure on it, making me grit my teeth, it's not hurting by now, but it's not a nice feeling.
"I said: By Lunas bright moon!" I wince, looking at her, I'm pretty sure she will break my leg now.
She hugs me.
Well that was unexpected.
"Oh thank you, finally someone who appreciates it" she says.
I'm frozen in her grip, something feels off. The last time the moon goddess hugged me it felt pretty... cold. But Luna is warm, almost unpleasantly warm. More than a little bit confused, I notice her scent, the smell of orchis and other rare flowers reaching my nostrils. And again something that she doesn't share with Nightmare Moon, Nightmare doesn't have a scent at all, but maybe because Nightmare is a incorporeal form. Releasing me from the hug, Luna looks at me with a little blush, and I feel a blush rising in my face too, I just hope it's too dark for her to notice, but I doubt that, red is so easy to spot in white.
"Well, you're welcome princess."
Wait for it....
"DAMN THAT HURTS!" I cry.
Author's Note
Well.... I know this is funnier than it should be but I can't think about anything else.
Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter III: Grin in your dream
I open my eyes, again, only to instantly close them again. It was bright, far too bright.
'Ohhhh, dammit, who let the curtains open?' sitting up, stretching my back I notice some things that are off. First off all...
"Ow!" I yell, "What the?" looking at my hurting side I see the bandages around my barrel.
I try to remember where I got that wound, but my brain refuses to tell me, I'm still to tired to think. Second, I'm not at my place. Looking around, I'm in a big, fluffy bed, the sheets made of silk or something similar. I turn my head, searching for a clue that tells me where I am, and I find it. The room isn't that big, well still bigger than my living room, and it's elegantly furnished. Furniture made of cherrywood and other expensive woods. The walls are white, made of marble. On the floor is a great, fluffy rug in red.
'Looks like I'm in Canterlot' I think.
I still turn my head, still searching for a clue but the search for where I am comes to a sudden stop. There to my left is the big, wooden door, and right in front of it is Shield, he looks down at me, his glare is hard and cold, not the friendly face that I'm used to see.
"Finally awake?" he asks in a monotone way, "traitor" he adds.
'Traitor?' I wreck my brain looking for the missing piece why he would call me that, when suddenly I remember last night.
"Oh" I let my head hang down, "so you know."
"I know" he nodds, "but I can't believe it. My best friend, a damn cultist, up to destroy the land that I love" his voice hard and scolding.
"What?" I look up to him, confused "Destroy this land? Are you retarded? I love this land, and everything about it! I would never even dream about destroying it!"
"Maybe you won't" he says coldly, "but the pony you try to bring back will do so" his face shows disappointment and something like pain. "Just let me ask you, why do you want to bring her back? What happened to you that you follow a mad pony like her"
'What happened?' I think about that question, only for a moment, I think about the why .
"What happened to me that I follow a mad pony?" my voice turns down, into an icy whispering. "Nothing happened, nothing besides that I was born." I grin, his expression turns from calm and confident to shaken, almost scared.
"Why are you grinning?" he asks, his voice now reflecting his emotional distress.
"All ponies do it" I say, slipping out of the sheets and walking up to him, looking deep into his eyes, and willingly changing my eye colour from blue to the icy turquoise tone for that Nightmare Moons eyes were known.
"But why are YOU?" he asks, his voice now weak compared to his confident and scolding tone from before but he is still standing tall.
"At some point in their life they grin" I go on, "maybe it's a small mischievous grin, maybe one of pure happiness, maybe it's just a habit, but they all do."
"WHY ARE YOU!?" he cries, he trembles now, falling down to his haunches. I chuckle at first, no, it's a giggle, a small giggle that quickly raises into the laugh of a pony with an unbreakable will and the determination to fulfill it's dream. I stop laughing and look down on him, as he tries to get as small as possible.
"I grin because I know better" I conclude, and for the first time, in 4 years of friendship, Shield sees my true self, and he can't comprehend it. His eyes turn inside, his eyelids close. He faints, falling to his side. Before his head can land on the hard marble floor I catch it with my left hoof, letting it softly down, ensuring he doesn't get hurt. My eyes return to their normal colour.
"I'm sorry Shield" I whisper, "but you wouldn't understand the 'Why'." I walk over him, ensuring to not step on him, and open the door.
It was time.
Time to wake mother.
~~~~~~~~
Luna looks down on the sleeping pony before her, seeing him grinning and mumbling. And at the same time she could feel it, his magical aura. More than a little bit confused she looks down at the earth pony before her. Her thoughts whirling, she gathers her magic, closing her eyes she tapps his forehead with her horn.
It was time to find out what he was dreaming.
And why he was grinning like a wolf.
~~~~~~~~
Canterlot at night had a beautiful touch. It was quiet and desolate, the two attributes I love the most. Wandering through the town, completly ignoring that there are no guards or anypony else on the street. I look up to see a full moon shining down on Equestria. Taking a deep breath of the fresh nightair, I focus my mind and dive into the shadows. Remember how I said, light travels fast but darkness and shadows are faster? Well, that wasn't a lie. I close my eyes, focussing on my target, Everfree.
I open them, and here I am, deep into the Everfree Forest at the old castle of the pony sisters. A wide grin appears on my face, sometimes it's pretty awesome to be the-
"What do you think you're doing here?" someone whispers from behind me. I jump around, already knowing who is behind me, remembering the voice.
"Princess Luna!" I exclaim in surprise, earning a harsh look of her. I shrug, her eyes looked like she was about to eat me alive. "I, was-, well-, I..." I stutter, trying to look into her eyes, I notice something that is off. In her eyes is a moon reflection. I turn my head and look for the moon.
"What are you doing?" she asks quizzical as she notices my wild turning and searching. I stop.
The moon was gone. It was a clear, but dark night. The only light in the sky were the millions of stars shining down on Equestria.
"Ohhh I see" finally realizing what was wrong with the whole ordeal, now that I think about it. It was too easy to get out of Canterlot. I close my eyes and focus my mind. I take a deep breath.
CRACK
The crack sounded loud enough to shatter every other sound that could be there. And it did. I look over to Luna, seeing her move her mouth, saying something, she stops midsentence, covering her mouth with her hoof she notices that she isn't able to hear her own voice anymore. She looks around with a confused look on her face, she didn't know I was able to manipulate dreams.
'And I can do everything?' I whisper in my head, remembering the last time this happened. Luna steps closer, her horn ignited. I change my focus and slow her movement.
'Whatever you desire' the familiar voice purrs. Luna is almost over me, ready to attack me with whatever magic she was channeling.
'Wake up!' I shout the warning at her dreamrealm, trying my best not to connect mine with hers.
Luna gets thrown backwards, but is able to catch her fall and is able to land somehow gracefully. A deep crack appears at the point where she landed.
Everything cracks.
Everything breaks.
The ground explodes into a million pieces, blue turns red, black to white, light to darkness. Ever looked at a dark red and blood red coloured Luna? Not a nice sight. Cracks start to form around my sight, but this time they don't stop, the cracks move, deeper and further over and into my body. Lunas body was also cracking.
I close my eyes. The last thing I feel is me falling apart, shattered by the dream.
Time to wake up again.
~~~~~~~~
Luna tumbles to the floor, taking deep breaths, gasping for air. This feeling! The feeling of being shattered, of being crushed into a million pieces. She shivered. It was the worst feeling she could think about. It was a terrible and scary feeling.
She freezes in position.
Maybe the sudden return into the mortal world has messed up her eyes, there in front of her sitting in the bed was a pony, but she could only see a shadowy figure of it, she couldn't even tell if it was a mare or stallion, earth pony or unicorn. The only thing she saw clearly were the ponys eyes. Bright, turquoise eyes were looking down at her. She remembers those eyes, she had seen them for a few weeks a thousand years ago everytime she had looked into a mirror. This were the eyes of her alter ego, her dark side, her inner demon.
These were Nightmare Moons eyes.
'You think you can control my realm?' a dark, purring voice was whispering in her head, 'you might have returned into your world but you are still a whelp. Let me show you how it's done!'
Sudden tiredness overcomes Luna, she closes her eyes and falls asleep.
'Show her' the voice could be heard in the room, but she sounded like she was inside a cave or a giant hall, echoing all over the place.
"As you wish, mother" Grin answers, jumping off the bed and stepping closer to Luna he leans down and bites into her ear. A small drop of blood escaping the bitemark, ruining her coat with a small path of it, he stretches his tongue and licks every drop off of her coat, his eyes tremble for a second before he closes them, falling asleep right next to Lunas warm belly.
His mother called for an audience, and she would get it.
Author's Note
I'm not sure about this chapter. It kinda feels.... how should I call it? Hmm.... I don't even know how to call it. It feels kinda wrong, but it isn't. Well whatever.
I hope you enjoy it, if not.... well damned XD
Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter IV: Grin at the nightmare
Luna opens her eyes, finally. It felt like hours in that she was just lying there, only breathing. I blush. I wish the ream would be a little bit more.... discreet. The scene was rather obvious. I don't wanna go to deep in detail, I'll just say we're in a bedroom, to be precise in the same bed. A big, fluffy and comfortable bed in heart shape. I feel the heat rising into my cheeks. 'Do you really need to do that?' I think. I look at Luna, deep into her eyes and she looks back into my tired eyes. She smiles.
"Good morning darling" she purrs. I know that she is forced to say that, the dream makes her think, what she is thinking, but still I'm blushing even more and turn away.
"What's wrong?" she sits up right next to me, her wings streak my back. I sigh. Sometimes duty can be a bitch. I turn and look her into the eyes. She looks back into mine, a smitten grin appears on her face. I sigh again. I slowly raise my frontlegs and bring her up into a warm friendly hug. I focus my inherent magic and link her, mine and mothers dreamrealm all together.
"What's wrong honey? You wanna talk?" she asks, her voice kinda shaky now, as she returns the hug.
"Wake up" I whisper into her ear. I close my eyes. It's never nice to see a realm breaking apart. But even with my closed eyes I hear and feel Lunas reaction. She stiffens up in my grasp, I can hear her breathing getting faster. I can hear the cracks that break the walls between each of the realms. It only takes a few moments but with a warm goddess in your arms it feels like an eternity.
And then it ends. Luna relaxes in my grasp, she takes a deep breath, maybe she openes her eyes, I can't see it.
"Gaah!" she shouts and shoves me away from her, off the bed. I land with a quiet thump on my haunches. I look up to her and see her widened eyes, looking down on my quizzically.
"You!" she gasps, "Where am I? Why were you hugging me? How dare you touch me!" she looks around and notices the big fluffy bed we shared, her face turns red. "What have thou done to us!?" I look at her coldly. Her horn ignites as she tries to use magic. It's not like she could do anything here besides physically attack me, her magical powers are useless in this realm.
"I did nothing" I answer with a sigh and stand back up, "I never intended to start the dream from this position. If you want to complain you have to wait until we meet its creator."
"Dream?" she looks around confused and still pretty mad, she tries to use her magic again, maybe to change the dream.
"Don't waste your time" I state, "You can't control this realm anymore" her expression changes again, this time it's almost frightened.
"Why shouldn't I be able to control this realm?" she asks, "All dreams are under my control to begin with."
"Maybe," I answer, "this applied thousand years ago. But right now there are more than one 'Dreamwalker' out there" she still looks at me with this confused impression.
"If this is a dream" she begins, looking at me her expression changes, "why doesn't it feel like one?"
"This" I stomp at the ground, "is how every of your subjects feels while dreaming" she looks at me now like I had insulted her in the worst possible way, like I did something impossible.
"You lie" she simply states coldly, "this can't be a dream. Dreams are supposed to be beautiful places filled with hopes and wishes of our little ponies, not something so banal as a bedroom."
"But" I answer smirking, "there are also "those" dreams. Dreams were all you desires are fulfilled" I look back at her and see her massive blush, I giggle.
"You lie" she answer trying to hide her face behind her mane.
I shrug with my shoulders "If you say so" too tired to play this game, "maybe you will overthink that by seeing this" I walk up to the door, knock four times and open it. I gasp more than a little bit surprised, I never expected that we are currently in space, nothing but blackness and starlight waiting for us on the other side of the door.
Still blushing, Luna walks up right next to me and looks through the door mouth agape.
"Were are we?" she whispers, "these are none of the stars over Equestria."
"Maybe they are" I answer also whispering, "maybe you don't recognize them cause of the different angle with that we are looking at them right now" I look at her face. She looks almost sad.
"Maybe" she simply answers. I sigh. I know she knows better.
"Come" I say and walk out, off of the ledge of the wooden floor.
"Wait!" she cries and tries to grab me, to stop me from walking off the floor. I step out, walking on nothing.
"It's a dream, duh" I answer, looking at her and sticking out my tongue.
"Oh, right" she blushes even more now and walks after me.
We were walking for about five minutes, minding our own thoughts when Luna couldn't wait any longer.
"Soooooo..." she slowly starts, "were are we going?"
"You will see" I answer.
"Oh come on!" I smirk. Her behavior right now reminds me of a little foal, "tell me, where are we going!?" I grin again.
"You will see" I answer in the same tone from before. She growls, not used to not get everything she wants. We keep on walking.
~~~~~~~~
I don't know how long we have been walking right now, it felt like hours, but still no sign of her . I stop. Luna stops right next to me.
'Seriously?' I think bored as an idea comes up from the depths of my mind, 'You know I'm too old for that' I turn around, Luna also turns, her eyes widen. Right behind us, maybe a jump away is the giant, white throne, Nightmare Moon sitting on her cushion on the very top of it. I swear I can see her smile sheepishly. I shake my head. 'Sometimes you're more of a child than a goddess' I say in my head. I wouldn't even dare to say that into her face.
A gasp escapes Lunas mouth, "That-, No! It can't be!" she stutters.
"It can, and it is" I simply answer, almost bored. I walk up the throne, closer to her .
"What are you doing?" she askes scared, "don't!" she almost cries. I'm at the top of the throne right before Nightmare Moon, and as I thought her face shows a sheepish smile.
"You really needed that, didn't you?" I ask her in a bored tone, "to embarass me and then let me run around like an idiot." She tilts her head a little bit, still smiling.
"Even gods can become bored child" is her simple answer. She looks behind me, down at Luna which still stands on the nothingness that is the space. Her expression changes, from warm, friendly and motherly to sorrowful and sad.
"Princess Luna" she states coldly. Luna shrugs, she looks down at the stars underneath her but doesn't do anything else. Nightmare Moon rises to her hooves, still looking down at Luna she spreads her wings. Slowly, so very slowly she walks down the stairs of her throne, each step resounding with the sound of glass on glass. At the bottom of her throne Nightmare stops, Luna hasn't moved one inch.
"Look at me" Nightmare commands. Luna raises her head, looking deeply into Nightmares eyes, scared. "Why so scared?" Nightmare asks.
"Shouldn't I be?" Luna answers weakly, "I'm standing before the only thing that defeated me through out the last millenias."
"She is not a thing " I'm suddenly right next to Nightmare and look at Luna with a grim impression.
"Hush child" Nightmare scolds me, "this is none of your concern anymore" she nugges me. Nightmare raises her head and takes a look around, as if she was searching for something. Suddenly she sighs, a deep sound of displease. "Maybe this is the wrong location to talk, this all looks so-" she thinks for a second before she finishes her sentence, "lonely and menacing."
A flash of blinding, pale blue light forces me to close my eyes.
I open them again.
And I stand mouth agape as I notice the changed surroundings.
We are now in a big room, a high ceiling, the walls made of dark wood, a thick fluffy red carpet, a big fireplace with a beautiful blue fire... in short a place fit for royalty. In the middle of the room are three big, fluffy cushions. A blue for Nightmare and me and a... somehow uncoloured cushion for Luna. It's not like the cushion was white, or black, no it looks more like it was lucent but you could still see the outlines of it. Nightmares walks to one of the blue cushions and rests her haunches on it with a deep sigh.
"Make yourself comfortable" she says smiling, she even smiles at Luna as she points at the cushion. I sit down on the other blue cushion, but strangly it's not cold or tepid like I expected, it's warm. The warmth runs up my haunches, through my belly towards my heart and from there it runs through every part of my body, a very pleasent feeling, like a blanket that is wrapped around every cell of my very being. I also sigh in a pleased manner.
Not sure what else to do Luna walks to the strange lucent cushion and slowly rests her haunches on it, she shivers for a second but then she also let out a sigh.
Nightmare looks at Luna for a second, her face a unreadable mask. "Interessant" she notices, "that it would turn into this colour" Lunas look rushes down towards the cushion that has changed its colour the very moment her coat touched it. It was now yellow, a bright powerful yellow.
It was the colour of the sun.
Luna jumps up, off the cushion and looks at the cushion with confusion. Nightmare was following her gaze, seeing the yellow cushion she chuckles a little.
"Don't worry" she explains, "these cushions aren't traps. They are simply enchanted to be coloured in one of two colours. These two colours are defined by two things. First: The favorite colour of the pony and secondly, and believe me it was very hard to make this enchantment, the colour the pony needs right now" Luna shifts her look from the cushion to Nightmare, still confused.
"What do you mean by needs ?" she asks.
"Seriously?" I ask in disbelief, "you don't understand? You obviously-" Nightmare hushes me with one of her hooves on my lips.
"Hush child" she lowers her hoof and looks back at Luna, "she should find it out on her own" Lunas face still shows confusion. She stands there, thinking what these words might mean when suddenly her expression changes, from confusion to shock.
"Are you sugesting I need the sun right now!?" her voice almosts crumbles at this sentence.
"No" Nightmare answers, "or well yes, kinda. You see, I don't mean the sun, as in the celestial body, I mean sun as in Celestia. You want your sister right now. You" she raises her hoof and points it at Luna "are scared." Luna disappears in a flash of magic, or maybe disappear is the wrong word. The Luna everypony knows disappears, the strong independent Luna, the princess of the night, the embodiment of moonlight. She had disappeared. Instead of this Luna there was a little filly Luna, lying on the bright cushion, looking up at Nightmare with big eyes.
"What have you done!" she squeakes, "turn me back this instant!" Nightmare rises her left hoof to her lips and giggles, a quiet mischievous giggle.
"Don't worry Luna" still giggling she looks at the cute filly in front of her "the magic will only be active as long as you're in here."
"Why did you change me into a filly!" she asks, her voice filled with distress and fury.
"I didn't" Nightmare answers, "this is still a dream. And we are right now in the depths of your subconsiousness. Your momentary form only displays your feelings. And might I add, it's doing it in an incredible cute way" Nightmare giggles again. A blush, in the deepest crimson there could be seen, overcasts Lunas face.
"What do you want from me?" Luna finally asks after a moment. Nightmare looks down at the filly, and that is all she can see right now. A little distressed filly. A filly with a huge blush and a quite shiver. Nightmares horn ignites and pulls the cushion on that Luna is sitting right now closer to herself. She opens her right wing and lays it down on the little body, sharing the warmth of her body with the filly.
"I want to apologise" Nightmare whispers, Lunas eyes widen at this sentence, her gaze wanders up to Nightmares eyes, "I know the feeling of being forgotten for a thousand years. If we hadn't shared the same body for a thousand years I might have actually disappeared, vanished into the nothingness of that I've risen so many years ago. But we shared the same body for so long, my soul managed to anchor itself in this realm. The dreamrealm" she continous. Lunas lowers her head in thoughts.
"While we were on the moon there was a disruption in the magic of the elements that kept us on the moon, and our soul managed to dive back to Equestria for a moment. In that moment, this moment of raw power, we found a loving couple and we inserted a shard of ourselves in their soon to be newborn before the magic of the elements returned and pulled us back to the moon." Nightmare turns her head and looks down at me, seeing me smile up to her she uses her left wing to pull me into a hug. She is warm this time. Her coat doesn't feel like made of cold glass anymore, her coat is soft and warm. And I'm able to smell her scent this time. Her smell reminds me of passion flowers and the scent of the earth after a warm summer rain.
"He might not be our biological son, but he is a part of our live" her voice starts to quiver. "Luna" the filly raises her head and looks into the eyes of the goddess before her.
"I am sorry" Nightmares eyes are filled with tears now, "I never intended to make you suffer for what I did. I never intended to take your life away from you. But I did that. I took your life with these hooves" tears are starting to stream down her face and are falling to the carpet where they turn the carpet to grass. "I'm so unbelieavably sorry" Nightmare cries.
"All we did these thousand years ago was destroying lifes" tears were still stremaing down her face as she continous, "but it happened that we managed to actually create a life, and I for my part, want to take part in this life. I want to-"
"What do you want from me?" Luna interrupts, her voice is now quiet and calm.
"I want to meet Celestia" Nightmare says after a moment of thinking, Luna looks up at her in shock "so I can atone for my sins and maybe, only maybe we might find a way to bring me back, not necessarily in this form, I don't want be feared anymore. All I want is a chances to live a life with my son. To live a life of a pony that finds pleasure in creating, not destroying. But I fear that my actions might make her deaf against my words of remorse. So I want you to talk to her, so I might be able to meet with her" even though there are still tears streaming down her face, Nightmare smiles "Of course on a realm she controls, so she doesn't have to fear anything from me" Nightmares tears had changed the carpet into a sea of orchids and lillies, they had changed the walls of the room into nothing, the ceiling disappeared too.
I look around, we are now lying in a bed of flowers on a small island in the middle of a sea, the moon shines down on us in a beautiful pale yellow light.
"Okay" Luna whispers, "I will talk to Celestia."
"Thank you" Nightmare answers as she uses her magic to bring us back into the real world. Luna closes her eyes and snuggles close into Nightmares coat. Nightmares chuckles. Not only because of Luna. I did the same on the other side.
The beautiful picture of Nightmare, filly Luna and me cuddled together under the moonlight will be something I will never forget.
I grin.
It was time to wake up, and welcome a new dawn.
Author's Note
Sooooo what do you think of the story so far? I know I have to say this cause I'm the author of it, but I like th story so far and I'm pretty happy my brain didn't come up with any funky, crazy all destroying ideas. Sooo..... yeah.... whatever...
I hope you all enjoy the story so far. And I'm kinda sorry for the.... well sinister ending of the last chapter. I wanted to make you all fear for Lunas well being. I hope that I actually managed to do that.
The sun, the moon and .... blackouts
Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter V: The sun, the moon and .... blackouts
Well...
Who wouldn't want to wake up like this?
Let me tell you.... I wouldn't want to wake up like this right now.
I open my eyes. I'm still lying on the floor. But I don't remember that I had layed down right in Lunas arms. Lunas warm belly pressed against my back. I blush. I never thought Luna could be this... grabby while asleep, she is using my neck as a pillow, her warm breath streaking over my chest. Her right foreleg under mine, I'm resting on her left foreleg. She had sprayed her right wing over us to keep us warm. Compared to her I almost look like a doll.
"Hmmm" she sighs, I blush even harder, wishing right now I was a unicorn so I could just teleport out of her grasp. We both lie directly in a bright ray of sun that makes it impossble for me to use my power. There are simply no shadows to dive in.
Lunas eyes are slowly opening, as fast as I can I'm closing mine in hope I won't get yelled at again.
'Please, please, please' I think. I can feel her heartbeat at my back. She shifts her position and her grab hardens, she is now almost suffocating me, but apparently she is still asleep.
.....
What was that? Sounded like a door that opened...
'Oh no' I think panically.
I hear hoofsteps getting closer.
'This is bad, very, very bad.'
"An interesting sight, I have to admit" the intruder, a mare, says, the humour in her voice is unmistakable.
"Ahh!" Luna gasps, lifting her head off my chest and untighten the grab around my chest, making it able for me to breath normally again, "Sister-, I... I can explain..." Luna stutters.
'Of course it's Celestia' I mentally facehoof.
"Oh there is nothing to explain" I can hear Celestias smirk, "the nights get cold and lonely, nothing to be embarassed."
"Tis-, this... is not what happened!" Luna was still stuttering. I can hear Celestia giggle. I growl.
"Morning" I mumble and try in vain to get out of Lunas embrace, yes I just said that, I want to get out of it.
"Oh" she answers with a blush in her face, "morning" she lifts her wing and her leg, making it possible for me to actually stand up.
"Good morning my little pony" Celestia is practically beaming, I blink a few times... and then I start to giggle, earning a confused look of both princesses.
'Damn I'm totally not a morning pony, I should be ashamed for that pun' I think to myself.
"Princess" I say between the giggles and lower my head in a deep bow, still shivering in a vain attempt to stop my snickering.
"Why are you laughing?" Celestia askes curiously, she doesn't look mad or something like that, just curious.
"Oh" I start, "nothing, just a bad pun I just came up with" I quickly explain.
"Oh I love puns" Celestia replies, still smiling.
'Of course she does' I sigh.
"Well this whole mess right now" I point at Luna and back at myself, "you looked so happy so I thought you were beaming " Celestia still looks curious, still smiling, apparently waiting for me to finish the joke. Meanwhile Luna is shivering and snickering trying her best not to fall to the floor or to laugh out loud. I clear my throat, "ähm... like the sun, get it? Beaming? Like the sun?"
Luna falls to the floor laughing, her laugh is cute I admit and maybe if I weren't in acute danger of being send to the moon I might admire her laugh. I take a careful look at Celestias expression, she still doesn't look mad no far from it, she grins, rising her left hoof she starts to giggle and finally she also starts to laugh and even she, the mighty princess, falls to her haunches, holding her belly in the vain attempt to stop her laughter. I also start to laugh now.
The sound of both princesses laughing, let me tell you, you never heard something so melodical, something so beautiful, it was like their laughs could vanish every evil in Equestria, turn every beast into a pet, every devil into an angel. In that moment I wished I could listen to that sound for the rest of my life.
And then that moment was over.
Celestia was the first to reclaim her attitude, she was still giggling and still sitting on her haunches, but she was the first to actually speak up again.
"You should be ashamed for that pun" she giggles, wiping her eyes, a few tears had managed to escape in her laughter.
Luna was still gasping for air, between her laughter you could hear the short attempts of her body to force some air into her lungs. I wasn't better, I was also gasping.
After a few moments we all somehow managed to get back onto our hooves, even though we were all shivering and snickering. We all took a deep breath, all opening our mouths-
Celestia was the first to speak again.
"So Luna, why don't you introduce me to this funny little stallion?" she asks, still smiling, still snickering. Luna gave her a half-hearted stern look.
"Well that is..." she now looks at me, tilting her head and trying to remember my name. Of course she can't introduce me, I never told her my name.
"I'm Grinning Sun" I finish for her.
"Grinning Sun?" Celestias curious look was resting on me, "a very interesting name you got there my little pony."
"Thank you very much princess" I answer with a bow. Celestia was still looking at me for a second before she sighs.
"Well I planned to ask you" her gaze wandered over to Luna, "if you want to have breakfast but apparently you are occupied" she finished with a warm smile. Luna was blushing again.
"It's not like that!" Luna exclaimed, her voice was highpitched. Celestia smiled even wider now.
"Of course it's not like that" she winks. I facehoof mentally again. Time to clear this mistake.
"It's really not what it seems to be" I say, "the reason why she was holding me like this, is simply she was asleep. Apparently she gets a little bit grabby in her sleep."
"And why" Celestia asks with a smirk, "were you close enough to her so she could actually pull you into a intimate embrace?" I'm stunned. I facehoof, this time for real. Celestia snickers again. I look over to Luna and notice the deep crimson blush in her face.
"It's not like that!" Luna whines, "he was close enough to me because..." she looks at me, now with confusion, "well, why were you so close to me anyway?"
'Oh oh, not good' I try to put up a sheepish smile, well let's say it won't look very confident.
"I was so close because..." I try to find a way to explain that in a way that might not send me into the dungeon or on the moon.... or into the sun, I sigh. There is no way to explain that without punishment and anger.
"I-was-so-close-because-I-needed-to-link-our-bodies-in-a-physical-matter-so-the-spell-would-work" I speak fast, and burr.
"Come again?" Celestias expression changed, she looks rather curious now, but not in the good way from before. She looks now cautious. I sigh.
"I was so close because I needed to link our bodies in a physical matter so the spell would work" this time I really articulate the sentence. Lunas eyes widen. She remembers finally.
"What spell?" Celestia asks, the tone of her voice changed rapidly, from warm and motherly to harsh and almost angry.
"Well-, ... ähm... I..." I stutter, I look at Luna with a pleading look in hope she might help me.
And she does.
"Let me explain" Luna begins, "I brought this pony back here last night. I had noticed a disruption in the dreamrealms and wanted to know who was responsible for that" Celestia nodds.
"So after I looked if you might be the one manipulating the dreams, which you weren't, I teleported into the Everfree, close to the ruins of our old castle. There, on a glade close to the ruin, I found seven ponies, cultists" Celestia gasps.
"One was hurt, lying on the floor with cut hamstrings, one had overtaken his place on a podium and five more were listening the one on the podium. He told them to go home and to forget about Nightmare Moon when I interrupted him. The five cultists that were still able to move tried to flee but with the help of Grin I managed to capture all, all six."
"Six?" Celestia asks rather confused now, "I thought only five tried to run" Luna nodds.
"Yes but I also said that there were seven clutists, the one on the floor unable to run, the one on the podium and the five that tried to flee" Celestias face now showed more confusion then ever before.
"Grin was one of those cultists I captured last night" Luna finally explains.
Celestia disappears in a flash.
I blackout.
~~~~~~~~
I can't open my eyes, the pain in my head hurts too much.
"...t really necessary?" I hear someone talk angrily.
"Why of course it was necessary Luna!" I remember that voice. It's Celestias, "You don't know what these cultists have tried all those years that you were gone. The all try to bring back Nightmare Moon, to overthrow me or even worse."
"But he won't!" Luna exclaims.
"How can you tell!?" Celestia replies.
"I was in his dream."
"Dreams can lie."
"Do you really think a non-unicorn could change his own dream so much that he could tell the untruth in them?"
"Yes! Yes, I believe that! You know why? Because all cultists are trained to be able to do that. They all now how to manipulate the dreamrealm."
"But h...-"
I blackout again.
~~~~~~~~
I open my eyes, slowly. I feel pain throbbing in my head.
"Oh what happened" I whisper.
"Well" Luna answers sitting close to the bed that I'm lying in, "Celestia and the cultists are.... how should I explain..." she tips her chin with one of her hooves.
"Like fire and water?" I offer.
"I wouldn't explain it that simple but let's go with that for now."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well she kinda, threw you into the wall."
"She did what!?" I try to sit up but the soft hoof of Luna stops me.
"Easy" she smiles, "don't worry, you are fine. The doctors already checked you up. They say you have a concussion and a bruised skull. It hurts but should be okay otherwise" I look at her in disbelieve.
"And you call that fine!?" I exclaim, Luna nodds.
"Well considering that she is able to desintegrate you in a very instant, yes, yes i think a concussion and a bruised skull is perfectly fine" she looks down at her hooves.
"I'm sorry for that" she explains quietly, "but" she looks up again and smiles, "I managed to explain everything to her and she agreed to meet Nightmare Moon so she can assure herself that Nightmare Moon really changed and...-"
I could listen to that voice forever, but not right now.
Damn you Celestia...
I blackout.
Author's Note
Yes I admit it the "Celestia beaming like the sun"-pun was awful, but seriously he was also kinda good! And sorry if someone already did that joke. I didn't know you had and I never intended to steal the joke.... whatever...
I'm not sure if I should be happy about this or not. But whatever my brain tells me what to write so my excuse is, my brain is simply crazy!
And again a kinda funny chapter, maybe I should add the random tag.... hmmmm...... nah.
As always tell me what you think about the chapter.... and I know that there are not many who actually read this story.
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Talk to the moon, awake from a nightmare and laugh
Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter VI: Awake from the nightmare
2 weeks later
"Are you sure you should try it again?" Luna asks worried, "The last tries ended always in you fainting."
"We have to do it anway" I answer rubbing my temples, trying to get away the annoying headache, "and if I don't try it from time to time I won't know when I'm ready to do it again." Luna nodds. I know she's right, but I have to try it anyway.
'Ts... If only Celestia hadn't done that...' I think grimly, 'smashing me into a wall like that.' Lunas cautious look rests on me.
"We can still wait a few days" she says.
"Afraid, that Celestia might change her opinion?" I ask.
"No, that's not it" she shakes her head, "I'm more afraid she might attack Nightmare the very instant she sees her."
"If everything turns out fine" I begin, "I could also link us into the realms so we could make sure they don't do anything stupid" Luna nodds. I take a deep breath.
"Okay, let's do it" I focus my mind, try to overcome the headache, the pain that keeps on throbbing in the depths of my brain, in order to link my dreamrealm with Nightmares. I feel the my magical aura as it starts to gather my inherent magic.
'Looks good so far, the pain doesn't get stronger. Only a little bit more an-'
A loud ringing starts in my ears.
'Dammit!' I grind my teeth.
It get's louder and louder.
Louder.
Louder.
I can't even hear my own thoughts anymore. It's just too loud.
"Gah!" I lose my focus and fall on my haunches, holding my head in my hooves. Luna rushes at my sight, talking to me, saying something but I can't hear it. The ringing is too loud.
The pain!
It feels like someone is sawing at my brain with a rusty knife, not cutting cleanly through it but tearing it apart piece by piece, inch by inch. It's absolut crucial.
"-in!" Luna shouts, looking down at me in worry. But I still can't understand her. My eyelids start to get heavy, darkness creeps up at the edge of my vision. I fall.
The last thing I see is Lunas worried look.
"GRIN!"
I awake suddenly.
I look around, still tired.
I'm alone.
"Hrmm" someone sighs right next to me. I turn my head slowly. Luna lies on the other side of the bed, under her own sheets.
'Where am I?' It's pitchblack.
I look around and try to find a source of light or something to tell me what time it is. I turn my head to the nightstand on the right side, my side, of the bed. And there is a small clock, but it's too dark to read what it says. The clock suddenly puffs out a small trail of smoke which changes its colour and tells me in a dim night-blue it's a few minutes past 3 a.m.. Deep in the night. I yawn.
'Funny clock' I think tired.
What waked me? It sounded like a loud cry.
Another booming sound fills the air. I jump. Until now I didn't notice the faint sound, it sounds like...
"It's a storm" Luna whispers, she startled me even though her voice was so quiet. She chuckles, "can't you sleep anymore?" she asks still whispering. I nodd, than I remember that it's pitch black and she can't see me. I open my mouth to answer when suddenly warm light illuminates the room.
"So you're awake eh?" she looks worried, "how is your head?" she smiles weakly. I still have a faint ringing in my ears and now that I can actually see something I notice the dizziness. Rubbing my temples, the headache is still there too.
"Could be better" I say. Another thunder bashes down on my ears, I flatten them against my skull. Luna slips out of the sheets, she streaks herself, making her back pop and crack a little bit. She stiffles a yawn.
"Not used to this" she whispers to no one and walks to the door to the balcony.
"What?" I say as I walk slowly after her.
"Oh nothing" she turns her head and smiles, "getting up so early, that's all." I nodd.
"Me too."
Luna opens the balcony door, looks back at me, winks, and walks out into the rain.
'What was that all about?' I think curious as I tred behind. Unlike Luna I stop at the door sill. I look out, up to the sky seeing the rain fall. I never liked the rain. Never liked how it runs down ones spine and flattens the manes and tails, never liked how it moistens the ground so everypony gets muddy. I never liked rain. My eyes travel back to Luna. I look at her figure standing in the rain as if it was the most natural thing there ever was. The rain runs down her head, her neck, her hips, her flanks... I shake my head and force my gaze into a other direction.
"Why don't you come out?" Luna asks, looking back at me her mane, tail and coat soaked.
I shake my head, "I don't like the rain" I answer.
"And why is that?" she looks curious at me with a smile, "rain is something beautiful. It reminds me of the most precious thing there ever will be" she whispers, closing her eyes she tilts her head towards the sky, "it reminds me that I'm alive. Rain is my favorite weather. You can hear rain, you can see him. You can smell the ground he rejuvenates, you can feel him. To me rain is something far too beautiful to be ignored."
"Like you have been?" I answer queitly. Her head slowly lowers and she turns to me. Her expression shows something like pain. Yes she is hurt. I open my mouth, I want to say I'm sorry but I know even if I say it, it won't make it any less true.
"Yes" she simply answers, "like I have been." I shake my head.
"I'm sorry, that was insensitive."
"Yes it was" her expression still shows pain.
Suddenly it changes.
She grins , a cold happy mischievous grin. I know what she is planning.
"Oh no you don't!" I stumble backwards, but it's too late. Her horn ignites and a pale blue aura surrounds my body. Her grin widens.
"No,no,no-no-no-no" I stammer, "please don't!"
"Too late for mercy" she answers with a giggle.
She levitates me up and pulls me quickly out of her room into the cold embrace of the rain.
...
Wait a moment.
It's not cold.
She lowers me back down to the ground right next to her. I stand there, soaked to the bones but not cold. I look at the clouds above us, confused.
"Strange" I say.
"What?" Luna asks, still grinning.
"I expected the rain to be cold" I hear Lunas giggle and turn my head to her, "what?"
"Well" she explains and points up with her hoof, "these are special magically enchanted clouds. I got them from Tia, she remembered how much I loved to watch the rain" her smile fades a little bit and her voice gets a little bit quieter, "they only rain if I want them to and of course the rain has a most pleasant temperature."
"Why?"
"You think I want to catch a cold?" she asks in disbelief, "it's mid october!"
...
I facehoof.
Luna giggles again.
'Of course it is so simple!' I snap at myself, 'idiot!'
...
We stand there in the rain both silent, just listening to the sound of the falling rain. I close my eyes and just like Luna did before I tilt my head up and let the rain fall on my face.
She is right. Rain can be something pleasant.
"I wish I had these on the moon" Luna suddenly says. I look at her. Her expression is quiet and sad as she looks up to the clouds above us. I don't dare to say something.
"Up there" she points to the sky at the position where her moon should be right now, "there is nothing, just the cold gray ground. It's so quiet and cold up there. I never knew if I was still alive or already dead" I look at her eyes and I see tears escaping her eyes. I look away.
Most ponies think they can hide their tears in the rain.
They are wrong.
Luna and I are silent again as before just listening to the sound of rain falling down.
I don't know how long we stood there but it never got uncomfortable, like a warm liquid blanket that gets wrapped around you. It was a nice feeling.
"Come on" Luna suddenly whispers and nudges me, "let's get back inside."
I simply nodd and follow her. At the door sill she stops and ignites her horn creating a blue barrier in the door. She walks right at it and through it. Every drop of water on her body stops at the barrier and flows down to the ground. I follow her, and just like before every drop of water in my coat gets caught at the barrier. Back inside I'm completly dried. Luna dispells her magic and the barrier fades out of existence.
"Useful" I state. She simply nodds, her expression looks kinda far away. As if she is no longer here atleast mentally. She closes the door to the balcony and walks back to the bed.
"Hey, are you okay?" I ask, she shakes her head and looks back at me.
"What? Excuse me, did you say something?"
"Yes, I asked if you are okay?" I say a little bit worried.
"Oh. Oh, yes I'm fine. Just lost in my thoughts."
"I noticed." Strangely she smiles at this comment. She yawns and lays down on the bed. Her smile widens.
"Good night" she whispers and falls asleep almost instantly.
'Okay... that was.... odd' I think confused, 'whatever.' I walk back to the bed and slip under the sheets on my side of the bed. The light goes out on it's own. I yawn.
"Good night" I whisper back. Luna is still smiling.
~~~~~~~~
I must have been asleep a few hours.
I open my eyes.
I notice what is pressed against my snout.
I blush.
Apparently, I managed to turn around in my sleep.
Luna did the same.
Apparently she is really grabby in her sleep.
I am embraced by Luna, again. This time face to face. My nose is pressed against the warm soft coat of her neck, both of her forelegs are around my chest and keeping me locked in the embrace, her head rests on the pillows.
'Again?' I think tired, trying panically to find a way out of her embrace without waking her.
I stop in my thoughts.
There is no way.
I sigh.
"Princess Luna?" I whisper as softly as I can. No response, "Luna?" I whisper a little bit louder.
No response.
I sigh.
"Luna" I say loudly, she doesn't move, she doesn't even flinch.
'Something is off' I wirggle myself out of her embrace and look at the sleeping princess before me.
My eyes widen.
'What is that?' I ask myself in a stupor. I look down at the princess.
At the dead princess.
Dark, crusted blood covers her whole lowerbody. Dark red and brownish stains are on my coat and on my hooves, a knife, stuck in Lunas belly tells me what killed her. Looks like she has been dead for a few days now. But that couldn't be, I jump around and look at the clock on the nightstand. It's 5:52 p.m.. No, it can't be, Luna was still alive 14 hours ago.
I hear a door open.
"Good morning Lun-" Celestia looks shocked at the scenery in front of her. A stallion covered in blood sitting in a bed that he obviously shared with the now very dead princess, a knife stuck in her belly.
Celestias horn ignites.
I die instantly. Desintegrated by the suns heat.
Darkness.
"Grin"
Nothingness.
"Grin"
Loneliness.
"Grin"
Whispers. I can hear them.
"Grin!"
I open my eyes.
Luna sits next to me a worried look on her face.
"Grin are you alright?" she asks worried, her voice wavering. I growl and close my eyes to shield them from the bright light that shines into the room.
'No I'm not alright' I think to myself grimly.
"No I'm not!" I answer coldly. Luna shrugs at my tone.
"Sorry" she looks down a frown on her face, "I was just worried. You mumbled something in your sleep, it looked like you had a nightmare. I was trying to wake you for the past minute." I sit up. And fall back on my back almost instantly, my head spins like a carnival attaction. And that's nothing compared to the massive pain in my brain. What felt before like a rusty knife is now a dozen rusty and broken saws, grinding and splintering their way through my brain.
"What happened?" I ask whincing.
"I don't know" Luna shakes her head, "we went back to bed this morning and after I woke up I found you like this." I open my eyes.
"Wait" I say, "we went to bed together? So this wasn't a dream? Me and you standing in the rain?" Luna blushes a little bit, whatever reason she has to do so, but nodds. "I thought for sure it was a dream."
Someone knocks at the door.
Luna, trying to be as silent as possible, walks up to the door and answers. She is talking to somepony, but through the pain in my head, the things I can catch up won't make any sense.
"Grin?" Luna whispers suddenly, standing right next to me, "there is someone who wants to talk to you. Do you want to or should he come back later?" she tries to smile, it's not a confident one.
"Who is it?" I ask, still trying to fight off the pain.
"His name is Marble Shield and he's one of the solar guards" she quickly answers. My eyes widen.
'Shield' I think about it for a second, maybe his reaction won't be too good, seeing me here.
"Yes he can come in" I say after a few moments hesitation. Luna nodds and walks back to the door talking to him for a second. Shield nodds, takes his helmet off and comes in.
"Looky there" he smiles, "if that isn't Sunny." Luna smiles as they both walk up to the bed.
"I hate that pet name and you know it!" I answer with a weak smile, "Hi Shield, got any new burns?" I ask with a smirk. Shield growls.
"Damn it, that happened only once and you know it!"
"But it still happened" I snicker and regret it instantly. My head can't even take a simple laugh at the moment.
"What happened?" Luna asks curious. I snicker again, I regret it again.
"It's a funny story, you know..." I start, "around 3 years ago, Shield was registered as recruit for the solar guards. On his first day he had to guard one certain spot" I snicker, "well, that day Celestia got pretty mad at one of the griffon ambassadors if I'm not mistaking, well Celestia got so mad that day that she didn't notice that her anger had boosted the sunrays. Well little Shield here had the luck to guard the one spot in the whole of Canterlot that has sunshine, 18 hours the day. So after around 7 hours in the blazing sun, he collapsed. Of course he was sent to the infirmary" I start too laugh.
Never thought laughing could hurt so much.
After I calmed myself a little bit I go on, "the diagnosis was" I snicker again, "a heavy sunburn and a sunstroke" I laugh loudly again, and yes i regret it again, "so Shield here managed as the first guard in the history of the solar guard to get a sunburn and a sunstroke, he had to stay home another week for recovery before he could return to his work." I snicker again.
Shield was quiet the whole story, now blushing he looked away, Lunas face was undescribable, it was something between a happy glee and at the same time she tried to be sorry for the stallion. It looked absolutly ludicrous, seeing her snicker and shiver, trying to stiffle the laugh and at the same time she tried to look sorry. After a minute Luna couldn't take it anymore, she collapsed to the floor laughing. I smiled, I had enough pain to go around for the next few days if I wanted to, so I suppressed my laughs pretty good. After a few moments Shield started to giggle, which increased to a full hearted laugh.
It was good to see them laugh.
After we all calmed down, we talked about all sorts of stuff, the weather, politics and all that boring stuff.
But I noticed Shields eyes. He had questions burning on his tongue, but he never asked them.
Later that evening, the clock chimed 9 p.m.. Shield looked at the clock, his eyes widend.
"Oh damn it!" he sprinted back to the door, "I'm sorry, gotta go! Wasn't supposed to be here so long!" picking up his helmet he twirled around, saluted quickly and went out.
Luna was still stiffling her giggles.
"A sunburn?" she looks at me, still smiling.
"True story" I answer earning another giggle from Luna. Her eyes wander over to the clock, she sighs.
"It's getting late, maybe you should go to sleep and get some rest."
"Okay" I nodd and try to sit up as she stops me.
"What are you doing?" she asks, worried.
"Trying to get up so I can go back to my room, getting some rest as you said?" I answer.
"You are not going anywhere. You stay here" she demands.
"But this is your-" a hoof to the mouth stops my retort.
"No retorts! You are staying here tonight!"
"But-" Luna gives me a stern look. I shake my head, "fine" I finally whisper, which makes her smile. I lay back down on my back pull the sheets up to my shoulders I try to get comfortable.
It doesn't take long before tiredness overtakes and I fall asleep.
Author's Note
Well here we go again, another chapter. I'm not so sure about this chapter...
Tell me if you liked the chapter. And if not.... well I can't force you to like it anyway....
The night and day before the awakening
Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter VII: The night and day before the awakening
The next week was rather boring. Nothing happened, just the same boring routine. I wake up, I have breakfast with Luna, and sometimes with both princesses, I try to enter the dreamrealms I faint or have to stop during heavy headaches or other problems.
That was until the night, a friday to be precise. The night I managed to attach my dreamrealm to Nightmares.
I stumble forward, I stumble and fall. Grumbling I stand back up and brush the dust off my coat. I look around, I know that something is off. The dreams that are connected to Nightmare are more... lively. But not this time. Normally all the dreams I share with Nightmare are happy dreams, filled with fun, agitation and other things. Or she tries to trick me... then they are filled with the images and feelings I had to endure while I shared the dreams with Luna. Then they were much more... amorous.
Bit this time. The dream was filled with bad emotions. First of all fear. Fear of losing. Secondly pain, the pain of having lost something. In short this dream inundates me with sorrow. I look around panically. I search for Nightmare, this time there won't be any barriers or tricks. I connected the dreams directly while entering my realm. Not like I did before and connected the dreams after I was already inside my realm. Like the times Luna entered her realm with me.
"Nightmare!" I shout, my voice was echoing through the ether. I look around, searching for any clues where she could be. My eyes widen. There a few hundred feet away is her throne.
Or whats left of the throne.
The once regal white marble throne is now reduced to rumble and debris. I run towards it, avoiding the sharp edges of the marble I maneuver myself through the labyrinth the debris formed.
After what felt like an hour I finally managed to actually get past the debris findind Nightmare lying on the ground, her head bedded on one of her cushions. But this time it's not blue. It's actually red. I slower myself as I walk towards Nightmare. Apparently she didn't hear me approaching her, either that or she ignored it completly. As I step closer I notice the dark stains on her coat and on the cushion, I hear her soft sobs. And I hear other things.
"Why? Why doesn't he return?" she whispers as more tears roll down her cheeks, "where is he?" Seeing her like this breaks my heart. I ignore her sobs and the stains and slowly walk closer, she still doesn't notice me. I walk closer and now I'm practically over her. But still no reaction. Her eyes are closed and more tears escape her eyes. I lower myself and lie my head on her neck, her eyes open. She doesn't move.
"I'm back" I whisper. Her sobs get louder as she realizes who I am. She opens her mouth and cries.
The colour of the cushion changes, from the deep crimson red that represented pain to a much happier colour.
A bright yellow.
We lied there a few hours. Nightmare cried most of the time as I tried to calm her by stroking her back and whispering reassuring things. Nothing seemed to help. But after some time she stopped by herself. Her breathing got slower and more rhythmical. I rise up from the lying position and look at her. Sleeping. I didn't even notice she fell asleep. I turn my head and look around I notice that the surroundings changed. The debris dissapeared, it was replaced by green grass and trees. I remember where we are. We are back at the glade. I look up and see the moon.
The bright full moon.
I look down at the sleeping goddess. Her beautiful serene expression.
I lean down, "sleep tight mother" I whisper into her ear. A smile appears on her face. I nuzzle her one last time before I channel my magic to return into the real world.
'Seriously?' I think to myself annyoed, 'this get's ridiculous.'
I'm back in the real world and the first thing I notice is princess Luna. Cuddled up against me.
Apparently I've been in the dreamrealm long enough for her to get tired. Like the first time her belly is pressed against my back. Her wing is spread over us to keep us warm. But this time her hooves won't hinder me from standing up. But instead of doing that I just lie there, enjoying the heat, Luna is eradiating. After some time I notice what I'm doing and, with a deep blush might I add, jump out of the bed. Luna mumbles something and searches for the pony she was cuddled up against, missing it's warmth, but after a few second of not finding it she turns around cuddles herself into a warm ball and goes back to a quiet sleep.
I rip my look off of Luna and go out, after a week spend in the room you remember where the door to the foyer and study and the door to the balcony is. I look to both and decide to take a stroll so I open the door to the study as quietly as I can. After closing the door behind me I walk through the big cozy study and head straight to the main door. I open the door and notice the two Luna guards. Both raise a brow but don't do anything besides that. I walk out of Lunas study and close the door behind me.
"Ahem" I look to the guard to the right of the door, "if Luna gets up and is looking for me, please tell her I'm out, taking a stroll through the gardens."
"And why should I do that?" the guard asks with a rather grumpy tone, not used to take orders from a civilist.
I voice in the hallway startles us all.
"Because I will give you the same order" Celestia says. The guards and I bow deeply.
"Of course your majesty" the guard answers as we rise back to our hooves.
"Grin" she nodds at me. I nodd back and walk up to her. Together we walk through the hallways, most ponies think Luna has her quarters in some old dusty tower but they are wrong. In the main hallway behind the throne room, there are two ways to go. To the left, east side of the palace, it goes up to Celestias tower, called "Topaz stairs". The other path, the west wing, also rises but not as much as Celestias and ends in the darker "Azurite halls". Just like the name implies the halls are made of dark azurite. The Azurite halls also have less windows than all the other parts of the. Only Luna and Celestia know why these halls are made of azurite but Celestia never speaks about the why so this will be a mystery for all eternity.
"So Grin" Celestias look rests on me as we walk through the halls "out for a stroll?"
"Yes your majesty" I answer, my tone is rather cold. I'm still not over the whole "smashed into a wall" thing. Celestia shrugs as she hears my answer. She stops, and me not being rude also stops.
"Listen Grin" Celestias face shows remorse, "I'm very sorry I did that. I know I shouldn't have attack you without knowing the whole circumstances." I nodd, I'm still mad but atleast she tried to apologise.
"Yes you shouldn't" I scold her, yes I scolded Celestia right now, "but it's fine. In the end you are the only one who lost something." Celestia looks at me confused.
"What do you mean by that?" Celestia asks.
"Well" I try to remember what Luna told me from the incident, "apparently you destroyed the one and only 'Canterlot morning sky' by Cloude Hoofain with your attack." Celestias eyes widen. A trace of pain rushes so quickly through her eyes that I'm not even sure if I really saw it. She frowns and sighs.
"Just perfect" she whispers.
"Excuse me?" I answer. Celestia just shakes her head. She looks back up to me, her expression returned to the warm mask she usually wears.
"So Grin, did you manage to enter the dreamrealms again?" she asks casually. I nodd.
"Yes, yes I have."
"Perfect. Did you talk to Nightmare Moon?" I shake my head.
"She was in no condition to talk to."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Normally" I start to explain, "Nightmare and I share a small link, so she always knows where I am and if I'm okay. But after your attack this link disappeared for the last weeks. As I found her in her dream this night she was... drenched in tears." Celestias eyes widen, "she didn't even feel me entering her dream and she didn't even notice me as I stood right next to her. Not until I embraced her, she thought I was gone, dead. The whole time I was in her dream was used to calm her so I had no chance talking to her. I will talk to her tomorrow night."
"I see" Celestia nodds. We go on through the azurite halls both in silence. At the end of the hallway we seperate. Celestia nodds a last time at me before she heads to the throne room, it was her turn for the night court tonight. I walk the other way around and head for the gardens.
Well I kinda lied as I said I would take a stroll through the gardens. What I'm actually doing is just sitting in the grass and looking up to the moon. Thinking about everything that happened the last few weeks. The strange happenings that lead me here.
I grin.
It doesn't take long before my eyes start to get heavy and I lay down into the grass, under the perfect moon.
I open my eyes again. It's pretty warm. I look up and see Celestias bright sun staring back. I shy away from the light that travels into my eyes. I yawn. Looks like I slept through the whole morning.
'I wonder what Luna is doing?' I think sleepy. I stand back up and stretch my back, after a few cracks and pops I sigh pleasurably, sleeping on grass isn't as good as a mattress. Especially compared to the feather bed I was lucky to sleep on the past days. I turn and walk back to the palace, but in front of the door...
"Good morning, Grin" Shields eyes are not the usual friendly eyes I'm used to and I remember the dream I had where I forced him into submission. I shake my head, I would never do that. It was a dream.
But what if this was also a dream? I shake my head again. I'm normally pretty good at telling the difference between real life and a dream, especially if it's my own dream.
"Morning Shield" I answer, stiffling a yawn.
"That's it? No joke?" He asks curious.
"You look pretty serious right now, I don't see a reason to joke around at a time like this." Shield nodds. He walks up to me and past me, I follow him with my eyes as he points at a bench in the middle of the garden. I nodd and follow him to the bench. We take place.
Shield and I sit there for a few minutes, not talking at all. I know what he want's to ask. Apparently he just don't know how to ask.
I sigh, "I know your questions" I start, "you want to know why I'm a cultist." He nodds, but instead of anger I see sadness in his eyes.
"Why do you look so sad?" I ask, looking at him, he looks up. And it's true his gaze is filled with sorrow, sorrow and pain.
"You are my enemy" these words are like a knife in my throat, the words are stuck. "You and I are on a different side, and I know you long enough now. You are my best friend and now... I have to admit you as an enemy. The only reason why I don't tackle you down is that you are under the personal protection of princess Luna."
"You think I'm your enemy?" I look down and frown, "why do you think that?"
"You are a cultist, you comitted your life to bring back Nightmare Moon. And Nightmare Moon wants to overthrow Celestia. I'm a royal guard. I have to do anything in my power to make that not happen and I would even die for princess Celestia. So you ask why?" he looks up to the sky, follows the birds with his eyes.
"You are my best friend" I say. He looks back to me.
"Why?" he asks suddenly, "why do you follow her? Why do you want her to return?"
I remember him asking the same in my dream, but in my dream he asked "why I follow a mad pony".
I look down at my hooves. I never told anyone who I was, who I really was.
"Shield" I'm still looking down on my hooves, "whatever I tell you now and whatever you might see, remember, we are best friends" I turn and look into his eyes. His eyes widen in shock. My eyes have changed. The cold turquoise eyes Nightmare Moon had are staring back at him.
"I am Grinning Sun, son of Rain Buster and Pink Lily. But as you can see, I'm not only that. My real mother is Nightmare Moon. Before I was born, the night my mother got pregnant with me, Nightmare Moon managed to escape her moon prison. In the few moments she had before she was forced back onto the moon she managed to insert a piece of her soul into me."
Shield nodds as I go on explaining what I am, what I want, what will happen and what my true intensions are.
After a few hours of talking, Shield is just sitting there, his head down, his ears flat against his head.
"Are you sure?" he finally asks, "are you sure she won't do anything? Can you promise me she won't destroy everything I love?" hs voice is shaking. I simply nodd.
"I'm sorry" he says, "but aslong as I don't see it with my own eyes... I can't believe it." I nodd again, I expected that.
"Excuse me" he says weakly before he gets up and walks back to the palace. I think panically, I'm about to lose my best friend simply because of my mother. And she hasn't even done anything yet, I'm losing him because he is afraid of what she has been and he won't accept what she might be.
"Shield" I shout at him as he reaches the entrance, "you will always be my best friend." Shield stops. He doesn't say anything, he just stands there for a few seconds. I hope that he says anything, but he doesn't.
Shield goes on and disappears into the building.
Author's Note
If you don't know who I mean by Cloude Hoofain, I simply ponyfied the name Claude Lorrain, a french painter.
What do you think about this? I'm not sure about it, I think it kinda lost it's adventurous touch. But at the same time it's to abnormal to be slice of life.
I hope you like this chapter and get ready. The next one will be the last.
Whatever.... Till next chapter!
Grin
By
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
Chapter VIII: Awakening
please ....
My eyes rush open. I look around, an almost panical look on my face. I'm confused as I notice that I'm alone.
I could have sworn.... I heard somepony.
'Maybe I did.... it's not like I'm the only pony in this castle' I yawn, yeah that has to be it.
Something was still off. I was still lying in the probably cuddliest bed in the world, snuggled into the sheets, a fluffy pillow under my head-
But still...
I was freezing, like I was out in the frozen tundra in the north alone without special clothes, naked.
I sat up looking at the windows and doors, both shut.
I was getting even more confused right now, bringing a hoof up to my forehead. No, as far as I can tell I have normal temperature. This was getting stranger and stranger.
The door opens quietly, Luna walking in. She notices me and smiles but doesn't say anything.
It's getting even stranger. The very moment I was in her presence my body feels like it was inside a bathtub filled with boiling water, I felt like my skin was baked and ready to be crumbled off, it was a very unsettling feeling.
please ....
My eyes widen. Again.
"Did you hear that?" I ask Luna. Luna looks at me with a curious look, but doesn't say anything as she shakes her head.
She looks at me, smiling again. She nods and goes out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Okay, something is definitely off. The very moment she was gone my body returned to freeze. I didn't know what to do, I was so confused that I only noticed Lunas returnal through the heat returning in my limbs, together with the feeling of being burned alive. I didn't know what was worse, freezing or being baked.
I decided to go with baked.
"Princess Luna?" I ask quietly, Luna, who was almost out of the door again, looked back to me, a quizzical expression on her face.
"Is it okay if I accompany you?" my voice was quiet and meekly. I look into her eyes, they doesn't seem to move at all. She turns around opens her mouth-
please .... wake up...
There it was again. A distant voice, mumbling something. It felt like I knew the voice, and what it was calling but I can't make any sense of it.
Luna stands before me, a concerned look on her face.
"You okay Grin?" she asks. It was hard to understand her, it was like my ears were filled with water.
'Is this a late sideeffect of the concussion?' no it couldn't be. The doctor said I was as good as normal, just yesterday after I met Shield.
Princess Luna was still looking at me, her eyes filled with worry and concern, "Grin?" she asks.
I shake my head, "Oh, I'm sorry princess. I'm.... okay" I answered, still meekly.
"You look a bit distant" she states as she leans back, "you sure you're okay? We could go to the doctor again."
I shake my head again, "No, no. I'm fine, really" I don't know why I said that. I definitely am not okay, but still, I felt like I had to say that.
Lunas curious look was still on me, I knew she wasn't believing me. After a few seconds she shruggs with her shoulders.
"Maybe you're just nervous, I would be too if I were about to see my mother again."
Oh, right, today was the big day.
Mother would return.
"Yes" I nod, "maybe that's it."
"Well, you ready?" she asks, a bright smile on her face, "after all we need you to open a path to her realm."
I look up, looking at her. I flap my ears a few times, trying to get them clear of the strange sensation. It felt like cloth was wraped around my ears, damming most of the sound.
'What is going on?' I'm more than a little bit confused, but I slip out of the sheets and jump of the bed. I look back at Luna and nod.
Whatever was wrong, I can think about it later.
It was time to wake mother.
~~~~~~~~
"Good morning Grin" Celestia greets me as we walk into her study. I look at her curious, tilting my head a little bit. Her voice wasn't muffled. I could hear it clear as crystal.
"please... wake up... can you hear me?"
Celestia was looking at me. Her expression still serene and collected.
"It's rude to stare" she suddenly states.
I shake my head, trying in vain to get this strange feeling off of me.
"I'm very sorry, wasn't my intention" I answer meekly.
My eyes widen.
'Normally I'm not meekly and shy! What is going on here?' I shake my head. Something was off, very, very off.
Luna, who had excused herself for a second, walked into the study. I was preparing myself for the strange boiling sensation.
But the strange sensation was gone.
I felt totally normal, besides my ears that still felt like they were wrapped in cloth.
"You look confused Grin" Celestias expression showed worry, "Are you sure you're okay?"
I open my mouth and try to answer-
A white flash covers my sight.
"RUN! ..." Somepony screams, the feel of something hard and heavy hitting me in the side throws me to the ground as the light disappears.
I sit in Celestias study a distant almost dead expression on my face. Luna and Celestia look at me with worry, Lunas voice even oozes with worry as she speaks.
"Grin? Grin! Answer me!" she screams.
I shake my head.
"What? What happened?"
The thoughts were slow, so very slow. Like a child was thinking them, struggling to make sense of new learned words. A sudden fear wraps itself around my heart.
Another flash. This time in red.
"He might never wake up again"
The cry of a mare follows me back into the real world.
Luna and Celestia were whispering to each other.
Luna notices that I 'have returned' and turns to me, "Grin?"
"Yes?" my voice hasn't changed but it felt... different.
"I think we shouldn't try this today, you're obviously not in the condition for this."
"N-no! No, I-I'm okay" I stutter, "please, we have to do this!"
Celestias and Lunas expression are almost the same, both show worry.
Celestia sighs as she walks a step closer to me.
"Let's begin then" she says as she taps her horn against my forehead.
Another flash, blue this time.
I white colt running around in the park.
"Grin! it's time to go home!"
"Okay mommy!" the colt answers as he turns around, running towards his mother.
The happy, warm smile on the face of his mother turns into pure horror, as a loud clatter and rattling echoes through the park.
"Watch out Grin!!" she shouts.
The little colt stops in his tracks, looking to where the sound is coming from.
"Run!"
The light disappears.
"Grin?" I jump. Slowly I turn around. Celestia was behind me, concern and worry reflecting on her face.
"Sheesh, you royals have to stop sneaking up on ponies" I answer smiling. Celestias expression turns to curious as she answers with a warm, but kind of distant smile. It doesn't seem to reach her eyes.
"So Grin? Were are we?" I look around, remembering what we were about to do.
"It's my realm" I look around, having seen in thousands of times I notice the difference, "even though it's not supposed to look so... childish"
The dreamrealm shows off three things,
The age of a pony.
The psyche of a pony.
And that what he wants .
But all of these points can be changed with enough control over the own realm.
My room at the moment looked like that of a 6 years old. Toys and colouring books scattered on the ground, the furniture was made out of wood. A few picture were on the commode. A schoolback was also lying on the ground, pens and papers spilling out of it. All in all, it was not how my realm was supposed to look.
"Give me a second" I close my eyes, forging my realm. I reopen them.
Yes, this was how he supposed to look.
A lonely hill, surrounded by water, a cloudless nightsky above with the full moon shining down on us.
"Impressive" Celestia says, I look back. She looks around taking in the details and most of all the scenery, "were you always so... moon focused?" she asks with a smile.
"Of course" I answer, "as the child of Nightmare Moon, how could I not be?" Celestia nods.
I look up to the moon.
'Soon mother' I think.
I take a step forward. Something is under my hoof. I bring up my hoof again, looking at whatever may lie under it.
My eyes widen.
It's a old doll, to be precise it looks exactly like my father looked. Big, grey coat. A sword and hammer on his flank. I pick the doll up.
My 'mother' gave it to me after my 'father' died. I was 4 at that time. She said that she made it, she was tailoress, so I could remember my father and could even be close to him whenever I was lonely. I loved this doll, it even had a special place in my home. In the living room on an old armchair, his old armchair. He used to sit in it every evening after he came home from work. He loved this chair. On this chair the doll was sitting.
A tear was escaping my eye as I looked down on that doll in my hooves.
"Grin?" Celestia was next to me, looking at the doll in my hooves. I was sitting on my haunches, the doll pressed against my chest.
A sniff.
"I'm fine" I sniff again, trying to stop the tears, "I just didn't expect this keepsake here."
"What is it?" her expression was motherly warm.
"This doll *sniff* was made by my mother after my father died. She tried her best to make this doll look exactly like my father so I would always remember him and wouldn't get lonely." Celestia nods.
"It's quiet impressive, it looks so detailed. With enough imagination you could see it come to life."
I nod.
"I don't want to be insensitive" Celestia begins, her expression showing sadness, "but we really have to go. We don't have all night time."
I nod again.
"Yes. Of course."
I dropp the doll. It softly lands on the grassy ground and slowly turns to dust as a small breeze carries it away.
I close my eyes, the tear stains dry in the breeze. I channel the magic around me, in my realm, my body.
With a loud shattering sound a crack on top of the hill, wide enough for a pony like Celestia to walk through, opens up.
"With this you should be able to meet mother."
Celestia nods as she walks to the crack.
My gaze follows her as she walks right through the crack. With another shattering sound the crack closes. I close my eyes again, channeling my inherent magic.
I open my eyes, Celestia in trance, sitting before me. Luna next to her.
"Everything fine?"
I nod.
Luna opens her mouth again-
"I'm very sorry princess. But could I go back to my room so I could rest some?" Without waiting for an answer I turn around, walking out of the study.
"Grin?" I hear Lunas voice behind me.
"wake up..."
~~~~~~~~
I open my eyes slowly.
The doorknob turns quietly and Lunas head pokes into the room.
"Grin? You awake?" she asks quietly.
"Yes" I answer.
Luna opens the door completly, revealing herself and Celestia.
And somepony else.
A mare with grey coat, dark blue mane and tail, a crescent moon on her flank, her turquoise, dragonic eyes searching for mine.
I jump out of the bed, ready to run into her legs, her warm embrace.
A thunderclap interrupts that wish.
The world stops.
I can't move but I can still see Nightmare, as she moves closer to me, a warm motherly expression on her face. She stands right before me, leaning closer she kisses my forehead.
"Please wake up Grin" I see her face as tears stream down her cheeks.
Another thunderclap.
"Please wake up."
~~~~~~~~
The sound of somepony crying fills my ears. A mare.
"Please wake up Grin" she cries.
I try to open my eyes, but they refuse to move.
The sound of a door opening reaches my ear, followed by hoofsteps.
"Miss Grace."
The crying stops for a second. I feel something move next to me.
"How is he doctor?" the mare asks, her voice filled with sorrow and sadness.
"No variance so far"
My thoughts are slow: 'What does this mean? Why is mommy crying? Why can't I open my eyes?' I try to move, and manage to do so, only a slight hitch with my backlegs.
Silence.
Again I concentrate to move, to open my eyes, anything.
Light fills my right eye. A light brown coloured unicorn-mare with glasses opens my eye with her magic and the light of a flashlight blinds me.
I see the eyes of the mare widen. Her magic disappears from my eyelid.
I try to open my eyes again.
Light fills my vision.
The face of my mother, tears streaming down her face as she smiles down on me. Her expression shows ease.
"Good morning Grin" she smiles as she huggs me.
"Morning mommy" I answer sleepy.
~~~~~~~~
Lunas eyes open slowly as she smiles.
A knock on the door makes her turn around. Celestia standing in the doorframe.
"How was it today Luna?" Celestia asks.
"Success, he's is finally awake again."
"So the usage of psychological stimulation in the dreams of coma patience let them wake up?"
"Sadly, not all." She looks down on the files on her desk, "from the five ponies I tried to help so far only two managed to wake up again."
Celestia nods, "atleast we have a way to help them if the medicine failures"
Luna also nods. Her look still resting on the files.
Canterlot Hospital
Department:
Study:
Used on:
Patient-Information:
Name: Grin Grace
Age: 7
...
Luna ripped her look off the patient history. Grins history was especially tragic. In short, after a day full of games and fun, it ended in pain as a out-of-control cart ran him over. While his inner organs were healthy, his brain had suffered severe damage. Following of that he fell into a coma.
Grin was the fifth patient, and only the second which managed to wake up again after Lunas manipulation.
Luna sighs.
"What is it Luna?" Celestia was right next to Luna, a waing folded around Luna.
"It's so sad" Luna pointed at the file in front of her, "that his day had to end this way."
"How long was he in coma?" Celestia asks quietly.
"Three months now. The only downside of this treatment is that it takes so much time and a pony that has to be able to use massive amounts of magic. So it's almost impossible for any common unicorn to use this."
Celestia nods.
"We can't help them all this way" Luna states.
"Sometimes, even we, can't help them."
Luna nods as she looks out her study window, looking at the full-moon.
"I'm happy I could atleast help this little colt" she whispers.
"Did you say something?" Celestia asks.
"No. No I said nothing" Luna shakes her head.
Luna waited till Celestia left her room before she dared to say anything else.
"Welcome back Grin" she smiled up to the moon.
"Welcome back"
THE END
Author's Note
So here we go, this is the end of Grin. I had many problems writing this, I had to rewrite this chapter 8 times so far cause I had so many problems how to make this idea work.
I'm not 100% satisfied with the end but this is the best so far. Maybe I rewrite it in the future but for now I'm just happy to have it finished.
Please tell me what you think about this whole story and especially the ending.
Well.... yeah..... whatever.
Well I hope that I will see you in my next story.
With that I wish you all much fun reading and writing and a very nice day.
Cya!