The morning sun peeks out of the window of a hospital room as it hits the face of a young twenty-two year old man who was in a car accident. The tall brown-hair male covered with cuts, bruises and a neck brace has been laying on a hospital bed unconscious hooked up with tubes and needles for a few days in complete silence. The room being plain white with the occasional light blue from the light bouncing off the light blue curtains reflected the silence in the room. A nurse and a doctor walked into the room to check on the young man as he lays still in the bed like a sleeping child.
"Everything seems normal. Poor guy. From what I heard this kid had a rough life before the crash happened a few days ago," The nurse says while she finishes checking over the young man's vitals.
"What did you hear?" Asks the doctor with an intrigued look on his face.
"Broken home sums it up pretty well. Drunk parents, Beaten up a few times, Had to fight for survival and no kind of peace at all," The nurse states as she does one last check of the medicine going through the tubes with a sad tone in her voice like she knows how the young man was feeling through that time.
"Reminds me of where I came from. Though Alex here sadly didn't have the cards in his favor for a better position," The doctor says while writing down the results of the examinations. The nurse soon leaves as the doctor then sits next to the young man with a sad and concerned look on his face. "After Twenty years of doing this job. All the young lives I've helped and saved. You Alex manage to get me teary eyed," Said the doctor as he got misty eyed as he reminded himself of the stories the young patients from his past of what they have gone through in his career as a doctor. He takes off his glasses and he closes his eyes then places his hand on his head just over his eyes then rubs his eyes with his hand. After about a minute he gets up and puts his glasses back on then gathered his composure and left the room.
While Alex sleeps in the hospital bed his dreams never are very calming. Old memories and feelings have been swirling and replaying around him like a record being played on repeat since the accident put him in the coma. He is in the middle of it all crying wanting these memories to go away. The memories look like ghosts whispering doubts and insults at Alex as he soon starts to look at if he was a little child covered in scars. Alex looked as if he is about four or five years of age and not twenty-two. With the memories and whispers flying around like a hurricane of misery and regret. All he can do is cry and curl up in a ball wanting all of this to stop.
Far off on an unknown world is the land of Equestria. It is a peaceful night all through out the land as Luna a tall dark blue alicorn with wings, a horn and a mane that looks like it's made of stars from the night sky itself is doing her rounds making sure that there is no nightmare in sight. As soon as she was about to call it a night she gets the feeling of fear, dread and terror. She knows a nightmare is happening and it is a big one. Probably the biggest she has ever felt let alone noticed. But she doesn't know where it's from. She needs to deal with this unknown nightmare before she can rest. Luna remembers a spell that can get her to where a nightmare is no matter how far it is. The spell is one that she never uses unless she has no choice. Her horn glows a dark blue as she uses the spell. She sees a creature that she has never seen before in a hurricane of terror and fear as she makes her way to the small terrified crying creature in the middle of it all. That creature is Alex.
Soon there is a dim light in the hurricane of pain and sorrow in Alex's dream that is getting bigger and brighter until it turns into a large flash and the dream is soon silent other than what sounds like footsteps or more like hoof steps. Alex opens his eyes to see Luna. Alex is drawn to her for some reason as if she has a comforting feel to her that he has been yearning for so long to feel. He is both awe-stricken as well as a bit frightened as he is still cautious around her as she comes closer to him. Luna gives him a smile as she lays next to Alex. "Don't worry young one I'm not here to hurt you. I am Princess Luna the princess of the night and guardian of dreams and I'm here to help you. Your nightmares were so powerful it managed to get my attention from where I'm from and by the looks of it I can see why." Luna says in a comforting voice trying to calm Alex down.
"I'm Alex. I don't want to go back there." Alex says in a shy voice looking up at Luna. Alex starts to feel calm and safe with Luna as his worry goes away trying to hug Luna for comfort. Luna looks at Alex with a sad look on her face. She can see his face is all red from his crying as she tries to comfort him.
"It's nice to meet you Alex. But sadly I'll have to go though in a small amount time though I will return with my sister Celestia," Luna says with a bit of sadness and regret not wanting to leave Alex alone as Alex's crying got worse as he is clinging harder to Luna. His face is red and puffy as tears ran down his cheeks. Luna's horn glows as she uses a spell to collect Alex's memories to help him rest a bit easier from the nightmare of memories.
"No,no,no,no,no. Don't leave," Cries Alex with a voice full of terror and fear of the nightmare returning. Luna then stands back up and comforts Alex by using her wing to hold him close.
"Don't worry it'll be alright. That nightmare won't hurt you again." Luna says reassuring Alex as she looks back at the still crying child. She sees that Alex doesn't want to be left alone. Luna casts another spell and makes a copy of herself to stay with Alex until she returns with Celestia. Luna soon leaves to return to Equestria as the darkness around Alex and the Luna clone turns into a bright night sky with the moon and stars with the sight of Alex curled up with the Luna clone as she treks back to Equestria.
Luna has always been the one to be more interactive with her subjects than Celestia. However this case is different due to the fact that Alex isn't from Equestria. On the way back to Equestria Luna summons the memories she collected from Alex to better understand the nightmare that summoned her and to see what he exactly Alex has been through prior to now. She picks one when Alex was about seven years old.
In a flash of light Luna is standing outside a large school made from red bricks, metal and glass as the school day comes to an end. She can see Alex as a seven year old walking with a couple other kids around his age from the front of the school. Three boys much taller than Alex wearing jeans and black jackets approach Alex and the other kids that are with him. One of the boys pushes Alex as the others two start to beat up the other two kids that were with him. The largest boy of the group who is big enough to pick Alex up like he was nothing is in front of Alex as he raises his fist and starts to punch Alex with a powerful force. Alex struggled trying to to break free of the boy's grasp as his face is turning a darker shade of red after each punch as blood starts to come out of his nose. After over a minute of continuous punches Alex is thrown to the ground with a black eye, a bloody nose and a few bruises as the boy that beat him up steals Alex's book bag and leaves. Luna remembers this is a memory and can't do anything to change it no matter how much she would want to. Luna hasn't felt this kind of feeling before. What she is feeling is the emotion of helplessness. Even as a filly she might have been jealous. But she was never helpless because Celestia was there for her until she was banished to the moon. Just as soon as she realized what is going on around her the memory fades away as another takes it's place.
Luna now finds herself in a small house. In an instant Luna feels cramped in the small house with the floor being littered with beer bottles and cans along with a few liquor bottles scattered here and there among the beer cans and bottles. Luna is surprised that anyone can live in this environment let alone grow up in it as she starts to look around the house. Luna first walks into the living room to see a man in blue jeans and a sleeveless white shirt and boots who Luna assumes to be Alex's father is passed out on the chair with a beer can in his hand and a cigarette in the other. Looking around more Luna sees his mother who doesn't look too much different from his father other than the obvious features of a human female body while she is holding a small child in a blue blanket. Luna assumes that was Alex's younger sibling in the woman's arms. After about a minute an older girl walks in the house wearing a uniform from somewhere and smells of grease and what Luna could describe as something rotting. "Hi mom I'm home," Said the girl.
"Welcome home Samantha," Says Alex's mother as she welcomed her daughter home.
The front door opens again as Alex walks in still looking beat up as the black eye has swelled up to where he can't open his eye and the blood was dry on his face and clothes as the cans and bottles are being pushed along the floor by the door opening. Luna suspects this memory takes place the same day as the last memory because of Alex wearing the same blood soaked clothes as earlier."Hi mom." Says Alex approaching his mother only to be met with a silent glare and an angry face. This was the normal response for him as he walks to his room with a small limp from the beating he took earlier Alex is still wondering why his parents hated him. Luna follows Alex to his room. It was a small room with a bed and dresser and dirty clothes on the floor. Alex lays on his bed and cries. His face red, black and blue from the blood and bruises as he turns his head onto the pillow sobbing hopelessly into it. Luna remembering a similar situation when she was a filly. Celestia got all of the attention while Luna was only an after thought and ended up being ignored was one of the things that made her feel alone. Then a loud yell fills the house as the sound of stomping footsteps follow as it got louder and closer to the door of Alex's room. Alex hides under his bed as soon as he hears the sound of the stomping footsteps getting closer to his door. Luna looks at the door as it bursts open with the man that was on the couch as he looks furious.
"GET OUT HERE ALEX YOU LITTLE RAT!" Shouts his father with a roar that can make the bravest pony run in fear as he breaks down the door. Luna stands in front of Alex's father trying to defend the terrified Alex hiding under the bed as soon as she did he walks in and soon passes through Luna. Again Luna wonders why now her emotions are getting the better of her which has never happened before until now. His father grabs the bed and flips it making the bed hit the wall near it with the sound of shattering glass and breaking wood as he grabbed Alex and picks him up like the bully did earlier.
"NO PLEASE DADDY NO STOP!" Alex pleads and begs as Luna looked in horror knowing what was about to happen. But as soon as his father pulled back his fist the memory fades again with the last sound was Alex's screaming. Luna stands in shock at what she has witnessed so far. Her mind is in a whirlpool of both emotions and memories of her own. How she was a second thought in her family compared to Celestia. How neglected she felt compared to her sister. At least Celestia was the only one truly there for her. Alex had no one to turn to when he needed help. He is like a ghost in his own family just like how Luna was in her family other than Celestia which caused the whole Nightmare Moon incident all those years ago. Soon another memory came into focus this one is when Alex was about sixteen.
Luna is now in a large classroom with five large tables as she sees Alex with a group of three other people his age. A male and two girls. Luna walks up to Alex and she instantly notices a scar on his cheek about two inches long in a diagonal direction. Luna thinks it's the aftermath of the last memory she was in. Just after looking at the scar closer to see how old it is the school bell rings as the teacher gets up from his desk with a little name stand that read "Mr.Mac" to collect the group projects as class starts. Mr.Mac makes his rounds checking the work of all the groups and grading them while everyone else in Alex's group start whispering to each other except for Alex. Luna couldn't really make out what they were saying so she doesn't think much of it. When Mr.Mac reached his group the teacher looks over the project that was done by the group and then looked at Alex. "Did you do all do part of the work here?" Mr.Mac asks the group as they have a scheming smile on their face as something in Luna's mind clicked that the whispering earlier had something to with what is about to come.
"Yes we did. Well other than Alex," Says one of the students in his group. Alex looks up with an angry look on his face after hearing that remark. His eyes full of anger as his fists are clenched tight.
"THAT IS A DAMN LIE!" Shouts Alex as he stands up in a fit of rage slamming his fist on the table. Luna watches as Alex stares at his accuser.
"Don't deny it loser. We all know you do nothing anyways and that you'll be nothing," Says another student in a different group.
"You can't do anything right. No wonder why no one likes you," The girl right across from Alex says in a stuck up voice breaking the silence.
"I spent three study halls working on this thing and this is the thanks I get?" Asks Alex as the whole room went silent. Luna can see the anger in Alex's eyes grow more to the point where even she is shaking in fear. What she is about to see is him at his worse. "That's it. If I'm not getting the credit for the work I did then you aren't either." Says Alex as he grabs the large heavy wood table they are at and flips it like it is nothing as the project flies into the air and is smashed into pieces as it hits the wall nearby from the force of the table being thrown. The other students jump back in their seats as two students on the other side of the table he flipped weren't fast enough to get out of the way as they fall back as they are now pinned down on the floor by the table. Alex then grabs his bag and slams the door hard enough for the glass to break as he leaves the school still enraged. Luna follows Alex to an empty grass field on a hill over looking a lake far from anyone and anything as he throws his bag on the ground next to him and starts crying and curls his legs to his chest looking out over the lake. All Luna can do is watch as she feels like she is not just looking into his memories anymore. But in a mirror to an extent as well as a new emotion though she can't figure out what to call it as she tries to comfort Alex by laying next to him as she sees the tears flow shining through the red on his face. Luna doesn't want to keep going. She has seen enough to last a lifetime between her duties as princess of the night and from what she has been looking at now. But she has to go to one more memory to see. That memory was of the event that made the nightmare that caught her attention appear the one that started all this. Soon she leaves a crying Alex and arrives at the final memory.
Luna is standing outside of a large two story house with flashing and glowing lights going and loud music playing as she walks into the house as streamers, humans and glow sticks are all around her thinking this is the kind of party Pinkie Pie would throw with DJ- Pon3 if given the chance. She soon spots Alex and three other boys and follows them as they are walking out of the party going to a car as she exits the house she sees all four getting into the car. "You sure you're able to drive Jack?" Asks Alex as he gets in the front passenger seat of the car.
"Yeah man I'm fine," Jack responds as he gets in the driver seat when it is clear that Jack isn't able to drive properly as the other two get in the back of the car. Jack soon starts the car and they leave the party. Luna takes flight and follows them.
"How is it bench hopping for the past three years?" Asks Jack as he pulls out of the driveway and drives down the street.
"It's not too bad when you're lucky," Alex answers with a concerned tone in his voice as Jack starts to swerve into the other lane. It gets brighter and honking from a truck can be heard. There is a truck in the other lane. Both vehicles crash as Luna witnesses the carnage and sees Alex's body fly from the wreck from the impact.
"ALEX!" Shouts Luna as it went dark around her closing her eyes trying to forget the destruction she just witnessed. She opens her eyes and is now in a hospital room and sees Alex in a hospital bed hooked up to machines the room was quiet other than for the sounds of the hall of nurses, Doctors, Patients and their visitors and the machines. He never got any visitors other than the occasional nurse to check on him. No friends and no family just him and nothing more. Luna's heart starts to ache as she can feel a tear fall down her face. Luna knows that Alex can't be ignored. She feels like he needs a second chance at a happy life after seeing his memories as well as knowing in some parts of his experiences. Her caring nature and kindness gave her an idea to take him to Equestria and raise him like he was her own foal. But Luna lacks the kind of skills in magic to do such a thing. However she knows who does have those skills. Luna arrives back in Canterlot and heads to the castle to talk with Celestia after lowering the moon. Luna reaches the doors of the throne room with a concerned look on her face as she opens the doors. "Sister may I speak with you for a moment?" Luna asks as she enters the throne room not sure of what the outcome will be.
"What is it Luna?" Celestia asks in with a calm though concerned voice seeing the look on Luna's face while sitting on the throne. Celestia is a white alicorn who is much taller than Luna and has a flowing mane much like Luna's mane. But is more of a rainbow than the night sky and has a sun on her flank. She raises and lowers the sun as well as rule over Equestria.
"There is a young creature named Alex that could use your help...... But," Luna says before her nervousness got the best of her.
"Go on Luna I'm listening." Celestia says waiting for Luna to finish.
"You see Alex is from another world. One that seems cruel and heartless at least in his eyes. I ask if you can help Alex. He has suffered much and after seeing what he has been through I can't stand by and do nothing. I want to bring him here to Equestria to start a new life. So please sister can you help him." Luna finishes with concern about what Celestia's response will be. There is a long silence in the room as Celestia gathers her thoughts and Luna's breathing starts to get faster in nervousness as Celestia starts her response with a sigh.
"I will help you," Says Celestia breaking the silence in the throne room before Luna interrupts her.
"Thank you Celestia!" Luna exclaims with a happy tone in her voice as she flies up and hugs Celestia with a large smile on her face.
"Let me finish. I will help you however Alex will be under your care. He will be your foal. Are you sure you want to do this?" Celestia asks with a stern and serious voice this time. Again the room fell silent as Luna thinks everything over. Is she really ready to be a mother to Alex? Luna soon realizes that if she says no then she would betray her own word to Alex. She wouldn't sit right with that feeling in her heart of betraying someone she promised. Also she thinks to herself that it might be fun to be a mother and makes the work worth the trials to come. With a deep breath Luna gives her answer after a couple minutes of silence.
"Yes I'm ready for the responsibility I'm about to take." Luna responds in a firm voice knowing this is what she wants. Celestia gets up from her throne and walks down the hall and passes Luna as she leads Luna to a room and uncovers a mirror. The mirror has a gold frame with gems all over it. "Is this the same mirror that is in the Crystal Kingdom?" Asks Luna with curiosity.
"No it isn't Luna. This mirror is one that allows anyone to travel where ever in this reality they please. With your magic it'll allow us to go into dreams. Put your magic into it and we will go," Celestia answers as she stands by as Luna uses her magic to the mirror. Slowly the image of Alex sleeping soundly with the Luna clone appears in the mirror. "This is who you spoke of?" Celestia asks curiously. Luna nods in response. "When he comes here he will become a pony. What he will be and look like is unknown until after he is through also his memories of the world he was in will disappear so as well. He will most likely pass out after he is through because of the transformation and when he wakes up he will see you as his mother." Celestia finishes as she looks in the mirror.
Alex has been asleep with the Luna clone for a while as they wait for the real Luna's return. Soon there is another flash of light like before as Luna returns with Celestia. Alex wakes up from his nap as the Luna clone vanishes and sees Luna and Celestia in front of him. Alex jumps in fright of seeing Celestia and runs to Luna and hides behind her due to him being shy. Celestia smiles with a little chuckle from seeing this somewhat expecting this.
"It's ok little one I won't hurt you. My name is Princess Celestia, Luna told me a lot about you and I came here with her to tell you that I can help," Celestia says in a calm, Caring and almost motherly voice. Alex peeks out from behind Luna's left wing with a shy and curious look on his face wondering what Celestia is about to offer him. Celestia notices that she has Alex's attention. "You can be reborn where we are from. However if you say yes there is no turning back and you won't remember the world you left and you'll be gone from this world. Do you accept?" Celestia asks in the same calm voice though with a more serious and stern tone. Alex looks at Celestia with wide eyes full of amazement along with a bit of confusion and uncertainty while thinking things over. He can't believe the offer it was like a dream come true though at the same time he thinks it's too good for it to be true. But from what Celestia offered and his position in his current life he has nothing else to lose.
"Y-Yes I'll go with you." Alex answers shyly while still hiding behind Luna.
"That's the answer I was expecting and the answer Luna was hoping to hear." Celestia says with a happy tone in her voice and a smile on her face as her horn glows a clear yellow as a road made of stars appears in front of her. "Shall we be going?" Celestia says as she starts walking. Alex gets on Luna's back holding Luna tight as the three walk down the star road to their destination. Alex might have been afraid. But at the same time he is hopeful and excited as well for this new life and being with Luna he feels safe with her.
In the hospital room where Alex is it's usually quiet. However now there is panic and noise through out the room and the hallway just outside of it as nurses and doctors rush in as Alex has gone into sudden cardiac arrest as the alarm is triggered from the heart monitor as a defibrillator is being brought in the room and quickly setup as one of the doctors comes in and takes the paddles of the defibrillator. "CLEAR!" The doctor shouts holding the paddles to the defibrillator as the nurses and doctor try to resuscitate Alex as his body falls back from the shock. "TURN UP THE VOLTAGE....... CLEAR!" The doctor shouts again as he places the paddles on Alex's chest again. Alex's body jumps with no response. They try one more time with the same result they stop afterwards knowing he's gone. The room is silent once again. But this time it's due to the sorrow and grief that. In a hospital it's normal to see people die. However it has always been the young lives that end that made the deepest impact. "Time of death May 25th 2014 at 3:45 AM." The doctor says as a nurse writes it down on the sheet that's on the clip board. A lump forms in the doctor's throat as well as the nurses in the room. After everything is said and done the doctor sits in his office chair and looks out at the black of night that is outside his window as tears run down his face as he reflects on what just happened. The one thing he never wants to happen has just took place. A young life just died in his care. But at the same time he feels that for Alex's sake it might have been a blessing after all that he has been through until his final breath. Though the pain is still there and hasn't really changed the doctor got up and put on his coat as he clocked out for the night as he goes home to his family.
On the road of stars the trio of Celestia, Luna and Alex reach their destination. The mirror from earlier with an image of Canterlot Castle on the other side. Alex is still scared since it is something new to him. Celestia walks through the mirror as Luna puts Alex down before going through the mirror. Alex stands on the star road nervously as his legs start shaking wanting to go. But he is too scared to move. He soon looks up and sees Luna. He feels like he isn't scared anymore. He feels safe with her from the way Luna treats him makes him happy and wanting to run to her and soon Alex moves slowly through the mirror. He wants this new life with one of the few beings that treats him kindly. Alex closes his eyes to help his nerves as he walks through the mirror to the new world. As he walks out the other side of the mirror Alex is no longer a human like Celestia told Luna earlier. A Light brown bat pony with a dark brown mane and tail with streaks of the same light brown on his coat is standing in front of the mirror now than a human that was before. As soon as he passes all the way through the mirror his legs feel like cooked noodles as they can't hold him up and he starts to get light headed and he passes out falling on the floor after taking a couple steps away from the mirror.
Celestia looks as she sees Luna pick her new foal up with her magic and puts him on her back. "Hes in your hooves now. What will you name him?" Celestia asks Luna while they head to Luna's bedroom. Luna stays silent thinking of a name that would fit her new foal while walking to her bedroom. After a few minutes of silence while walking to her room Luna smiles and looks at Celestia.
"Peanut Butter. His name is Peanut Butter." Luna says smiling as she opens the door to her room then picking up Peanut Butter again with her magic and walks in then lays on the bed placing him next to her head wrapping him up in her front hooves.
"That's a very nice name sister. Sleep well Luna." Celestia says smiling seeing how happy her sister is.
"I will sister. Thank You for doing this." Luna says as her horn glows.
"You're Welcome." Celestia says before Luna quietly closes the door so she doesn't wake Peanut Butter up and falls asleep soon after.
A few hours pass as Luna wakes up in her bed and is greeted by Peanut Butter and his hazel eyes looking at her with a slight red tint to them. Luna just smiles holding him close and nuzzles him before raising the moon.