(Separate stories surrounding particular ponies with specific dreams of reaching places they only could imagine going to since they were little. A heartfelt tale of a unique and delightful adventure.)
Chapter 1: To The Moon
’Landing on the moon was a dream that millions of kids have had for hundreds of years.’
-Rusty Schweickart
“DO YOU MEAN IT! DO YOU MEAN IT, TIA!?” Yelled Luna as she gazed at her older sibling with a brightened smile; hopping up and down the bed still trying to maintain her flight. (being the only alicorn so far that was still unable to fly) Pushing aside her pink mane that was upon her alabaster snout, young Celestia could only groan and nod her head which revealed baggy eyes from sleep deprivation.
Though Luna had that excited, free-spirited-energetic and delightful nature that explained the uncalled for enthusiasm being displayed before Celestia: it did not annoy the elder pony, not one bit. This still did little to stir her out of her bed, though. While Luna was in her stockpile of excitement, Celestia glanced around, spotting a view outside. Realizing that it was night time still; perhaps in the middle of the night at least. How could her sister have this much energy to not feel tired? One of the oddest mysteries she'd rather not put time in to find out.
Realizing that this was not going to be avoided any time soon and that her beauty sleep would come by some other time, Celestia moved out from the sheets and managed to stretch out. “Say, Luna, I know I said that I would teach you how to fully fly, but is that all that you hoped for? Like, really wish for?” She asked, feeling the need to relocate herself from the previous conversation they had last night. Celestia could remember it right now, them sitting upon the green gazed hill, peering up at the night as Luna struggled to take flight. But before the very stars that would some day be her own, she failed countless times. Upon that time of her last try, past a fleeting star, which made the two siblings stop and begin to stargaze into the endless space beyond the apogee.
Oh how Luna’s expression was when she wished to fly and how Celestia said that her wish would come true, forgetting about the “Practicing” part to input. So the filly would not wait too long for such a miracle to occur. Alas, words can mean anything to a filly, taking more into affect than actions, Celestia made that mistake on her part. Though she did not mind whichever way to helping Luna get her wish to come true as long as it did.
“Of course,” Luna beamed a bright smile, “I always wanted to fly! I keep trying over and over and over, but it never seems to work out for me well. Even with your teachings, it still is super hard for me and I don’t understand where I’m struggling at that keeps messing it up. So maybe that wish I made would come true, so when I do fly I can show mother and father and fly to the sky so high... I’ll be so hard to see!”
“Is that so?” Celestia cocked a brow, curiously rubbing her chin, “Now why would you fly so far high that nopony could see you? In fact...where else would you fly to?” She asked out of curiosity.
“Well...uhh...I know that if I flew to the mountains...I might find a big evil looking dragon! Or if I went into the Evergreen Forest, I might be face to face with a gigantic bear! And if I flew towards the Netherlands, I might see a gigantic scorpion-lion-thingy!” Luna exclaimed a bit with her hooves wide out, causing Celestia to slightly giggle at the younger sibling’s bright mind to fly towards places beyond her reach. However, from the look on Luna’s face, she seemed serious, not as if trying to over exaggerate any of her plans if she learned the ability of flight.
“But there is also one more thing,” Luna added, causing Celestia to focus her attention once more on the filly, “I wish to fly to the one place I’ve admired forever, one place where I feel at peace, and can do whatever I want…”
“And where would that be?” Celestia asked, a bit suspicious to this solitude Luna would wish to reside to.
“The moon!” Luna answered, pointing out towards the window where the giant bulb of light stood out in the center of darkness; shinning its brilliant glow upon the sleeping inhabitants. Celestia blinked twice, registering the answer given to her before looking at Luna confused.
“The moon? Why there? It is just full of dust and rock, along with craters. Even father found it a bit boring when he went to journey up there.” Celestia said, not realizing until her sister’s facial expression changed, that her words caused disdain to the young filly. Celestia rubbed the back of her head quickly, trying to think of a proper response, “Well, I mean in a way that is not to offend you of course, just in my opinion really.”
“Well... You never been there yourself…” Luna mentioned, countering Celestia’s statement.
“That’s...true... Sorry, Luna, I did not mean to offend you. But if I might ask...why are you so interested towards the Moon?” Celestia asked, seeing a soft smile make its way up her little sister’s thin lips.
“Because! It’s so big, bright, and easier to look at than the sun...uhh...no offense,” Luna said as Celestia gave a soft chuckle in response, “But there is something about it that makes me all silly inside, something that makes me feel so obligated to push towards it and try my very best to reach it. To maybe make my own kingdom up there and rule like mommy and daddy! Like my own secret admirer...I think that’s the right way to put it, or what I heard daddy tell mommy a lot whenever he brings her a written short poem.”
Celestia started to rub her chin, a bit, before smiling softly at her dear sister, “Okay... Then let’s go to the moon.”
Luna fell silent, looking at Celestia nervously as if the eldest was only playing around with her, teasing her mostly like she likes to do. But when she looked into Celestia’s eyes, she could only see the kind and gentle loving sister that put her first before many and with that as a good response, she smiled bright and quickly hugged her sister. Their short embrace was warm and soothing, but the question popped into Luna’s head as she realized the slight error in all of this. She still could not fly.
With that problem running through her head, her thoughts were interrupted by Celestia’s soft pat upon the head. “Come on now, let’s go to the hill.” Celestia said, not turning another glance as she prepared a spell before Luna had time to open her mouth in attempt to point out the error of not knowing how to fly.
In five minutes, Celestia and Luna appeared upon their green hill, near an oak wood tree, just sprouting out life and being just as tall as two houses. There, they were before the magnificent beauty of the moon and all of its guests that shine beside it. Luna was beside her sister, pouting a bit, before her eyes widened and gazed in awe before the sky’s scenery. Such a grand display made the young filly forget her sister was trying to get her attention. Even with a white hoof waving up and down in front of her face. When she finally regained her attention on Celestia, she could not help but give a cheerful smile.
“Now that I have your attention, first thing is... Learning how to fly. I know you have tried hard constantly, failing at each attempt; but practice makes perfect right?” Celestia stated rhetorically as she walked around for a bit before stopping to open up her wings. The way they were so wide and large made her younger sister awe before frowning as she opened her own wings, seeing as how small they were compared to Celestia’s. If only they were just a few more extra inches long, the filly thought with a disappointed groan.
“Today, this very day will be the one that you finally fly and if not: then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the next day, until you finally can take flight and we both...can reach the moon.” Celestia said, lifting her younger sibling’s chin to smile down at her as she provided confidence to Luna, giving her the need to succeed and never give up her goal.
“You...mean it?” Luna asked, taking her sister’s hoof into hold, nervously staring at Celestia with a gentle smile, washing away the jealousy and disconsolate weather upon her shoulders. She felt safe and trust with her own dear sister and that trust alone would provide her the will to try.
“Every word of it, Luna, I will help you as I have done many times, and your wish will come true.” Celestia said as she started to flap her wings, lifting Luna, who in surprise, started to flail, holding onto the other hoof for dear life as she panicked. Just being lifted off the ground so suddenly sparked fear into the foal’s heart as she stared down, seeing the ground pulled away from her.
“TIA! TIA!” Luna cried out. But Celestia would never let go of Luna, watching as her little sister’s wings flapped rapidly, and the frightened expression on her face was full of fear. “T-Tia!” Luna cried out one more time before shutting her eyes, releasing a yell. Too afraid of letting go of her sister’s hooves, but also too afraid from being lifted this high from the ground.
Her wings pumped faster, the wind brushing against her sides. And as the moon gazed at the two rising up, Luna could think of one thing only...flight. She held that to her heart, though confused. She was doing whatever she could to stay up rather than dangle in the air like a rag doll. All Luna could do was keep her eyes shut, her wings moving, and hooves holding onto Celestia’s hooves tight--, “Huh?” Luna gasped, becoming aware of something quickly as no longer felt herself rising further in the air.
Opening her eyes, Luna was looking at her Sister confused and scared, whereas Celestia smiled down at her, proud and amazed. The silence lasted for another minute as Luna looked left and then right, watching small clouds pass by her, before she stared down at the depths below, seeing how high they were, yet, she was no longer holding Celestia’s hooves. What was this? Luna would wonder to herself as she soon cocked her head right to see her wings flapping at a mild pace, keeping her in the sky so smoothly and well that when she moved closer to Celestia, she did not feel off balanced.
Silence once more took the night for the two as Celestia awaited Luna’s response patiently, and without warning, a jubilant cheer was heard throughout the skies coming from the little moon princess. A cheer so bright that the elated foal rushed into her sister’s chest, hugging into the warm white coat. Thoughts ran through Luna’s mind as she let go and without a second to pass was now flying around her older sibling, gleefully giggling in joy. “I CAN FLY! I CAN FLY! SEE ME TIA! I DID IT! I DID IT!”
Though Celestia wanted to correct the young foal, she held her tongue in place and just relaxed in the air, admiring Luna’s banquet of joy. Here she was, flying happily that she may have forgotten how much she had doubted herself in the beginning. Though it mattered little now, it was still an enjoyable scene. Luna was breathtaking, making circles around the clouds, testing out the limits of her wings before landing on one cloud, jumping up and down on it.
Each bounce caused sprinkles of rain to slip out from the soft pillowy specks of the cloud. “I can fly! I can fly so high that I am literally touching...no...surfing...no doing a hoofstand on sky!” Luna boasted happily before flying up to Celestia. “Tia, look, I’m doing it! You were right! SO RIGHT! My wish did come true and this day would be the day I fly!” Luna said, hugging Celestia again, feeling her older sister nuzzled her cheek happily before the hug broke and the two sat on a moving cloud that froze in place.
“I know and I am really happy for you, Luna. But is that all that you wished for?” Celestia asked, causing the filly to blink twice and soon bring out the brightest smiles that hid under her coat.
“W-we are literally going to the Moon?” Luna asked softly, almost trying to hide in the excited giggle building up inside of her. Celestia did not have to answer that twice when she gave a soft nod.
“But before we do... We should ask mother and father... Don’t want them to...send out a search party like last time’s incident right?” Celestia said with an embarrassed chuckle.
“I don’t mind that...because I am sure... They will know that we’ll be alright! And be they'll filled with joy that I can fly, father too!” Luna said, “Thank you, Tia! So much!”
‘And thank you, Luna...for reminding me what it was like to be in the same hooves as you... For like you... I too wanted to walk upon something so big as the moon... Bright and incandescent... Foals dream big... Really big.’ Celestia thought as she nuzzled her sister’s cheek, before the two both turned their heads to the bright moon. So close they were, so very close that they could easily just reach out and as if...to grasp it.
~Fin~
Chapter II: To The Sea
“Night Light dear, you are too young to be playing by the docks with your brother. What if you fall and drown?!” It was the usual day that Night Light’s mother would nag at him for being overly excited near his older brother, near the pear of Lotus Bloom. He lived in an old village near the sea of the western borders of Equestria, not so far from the railroad leading towards Fillydelphia. The thing about this young colt was that he always admired the sight of the ocean view from his window. How alluring it was that the waves would roll in and out, giving off that fresh scent and layout a beautiful clear view for the sun to rise at the horizon.
But today was once more a usual day where his mother would disagree with his actions to pursue such dreams in actually traveling out there recklessly. That was his dream, a dream to become a navigator sailor, that was also a tradesman. His father worked in the navy, his brother was soon to follow in their old stallion’s footsteps and Night Light here hoped to follow in it himself too, just to feel the thrill of adventuring out there upon Poseidon’s sea.
“But ma’, it’s no fun being here where all the sand gets dusty and all over the floors, I hate sweeping up the rigid ol’ stuff in here,” The colt protested in his shanty town accent, northern traits he received from the ponies he lived with. This earned a good wallop on the side of his head, “Ow,” He groaned.
His mother was a barbaric one when it came to discipline, for instead of the typical soap to the mouth, it was a hoof to the side of the head. “Now you listen here, young foal, ya not gonna be playin’ around these docks! You ain’t ol’ ‘nough to begin with.” And so awaken his mother’s accent.
“Now what does age have to do with me? I’m an all grown up stallion like pa and bro! This here is a hypocrisy! We need ah democracy!” He protested once more, earning another wallop to other side of his head, “Ow!”
“Ya watch those words now, foal, for in this old house ya father paid so well for, just to go out and sail his sorry behind to those narrow seas, is mah own kingdom, and ya gonna be livin’ under mah own monarchy!” She shouted causing the colt to pout and fold his hooves against his chest. “Don’ you pout at me, or I’m stuffin’ your mouth with cotton!”
Night Light ceased his pouting and groaned at his mother, always the same with her. Thoughts that ran through his head where he would imagine a giant sea creature attacking his own imaginary ship; taking the form of his own mother. Oh, how those sweet moments he would slay the beast and rule the seas triumphantly, but those were simply dreams; imaginations running about in his bright mind. In reality, he was before a caring mother that cared simply for the safety of her foals. She needed him all the time for he was the only one that was left with her, while his brother was on and about with his adolescent life, preparing for stallionhood where the Navy would call for his service.
Night Light did not know it, but that was every mother’s turn of events. The sight of their own child being sent away to put their life on the line. It struck chords inside of them like no other and though Night Light never understood it much, when one foal is sent to military, they will be gone for a long time. One month would be okay, but for three or more, truly enough would make a mother feel empty and incomplete. Night Light’s brother was the firstborn...and to mothers...the firstborn meant everything. They were the beginning records of their parenthood. They were the start of a new life that the parent was pushed to follow the best or only way they could.
Their father was a good husband; well financed, nice career, but he always had a knack for adventuring and was always away from his loved ones for far too long. Night Light did not see it now for his age limited his attention span, but his mother was alone... She was so alone. So she would do whatever she could to keep her only foal close by to her side so when the day of calling would come, she would not feel that emptiness creeping up too soon.
“Fine…” Night Light surrendered, “Ya win, ma.” He groaned and looked away.
“Mothers always win, now come on now and help y’re own mother cook up stew,” His mother said softly, returning into a motherly state where she gave a triumphant soft smile towards Night Light, patting his head. Night Light looked up excitingly, forgetting instantly about the disappointment and thinking only on one thing that crossed his mind. Food.
When an hour had passed, they were together stirring the pot above the fireplace slowly, avoiding the embers flicking below the pot. Roll by roll, turn by turn, and as the nightlight sky from the outside glowed in its vibrance, so did that cheerful mood that engrossed the two to enjoy the partnership of mother and son. Though, to Night Light is was him and the food.
His mother stared at him quietly and calmly, watching the colt hum to himself a light tune, a tune that his father taught him from one of his adventures upon the sea. A Chanty Song called Ever-So-Free. This made her curious to what it sounded like from her own voice, she did not mind humming along with him, which caused the colt to stop and smiled at his mother happily with curious embers burning in his eyes. He was not aware though...that that song was made in honor to her. A song her husband would sing every time to himself or have his crew sing with him so he would not forget her.
“Ma, ya know pa’s song too?” Night Light asked, causing his mother to blush lightly. Of course she knew the song, such a silly question she felt so glad to answer.
“Of course, ye ol’ humpty dumpty sings it a lot now! Whenever he flops back on mah doorsteps he be coaxing me with ye song like honey!” She laughed lightly, “But I’m the Queen bee just deciding to put a stingin’ to his grubby paws, and he just won’t stop coming back for more.” She stopped for a bit realizing the confused expression upon Night Light’s face. He clearly did not understand the adult context under it, so she decided to place it in a foal’s way. “Ya father loved me so much, he made that song for me!”
“Can ya sing it?” Night Light asked, ceasing from turning the handle for the pot. His mother paused for a moment and nodded her head. Perhaps it would take a bit much work, but she was willing to give it a try for her dear son.
Open springs, so liberating and free
Between trees, so soothing inside me...
Everything's alright
So long...as I breathe.
If the lands...begin to split
Apart from these trees
I will...at least smile just for me.
Hali-luli-lo, Hali-luli-lo, Hali-luli-lo~
Hali-luli-lo, Hali-luli-lo, Hali-luli-lo~
Hali-luli-lo, Hali-luli-lo, Hali-luli-lo~
The wind's melody sings just for you
As the sea hums for me,
And if the sun is our stage,
May the moon be our audience
Listening to us play our notes per each page!
Night Light soon lost his smile, becoming worried and confused as he watched his mother very closely once she stopped singing. Something occurred before him he never would have imagine or actually understand how to describe it. His mother was crying. Tears streamed down her soft blue eyes as she stared at the pot with a gentle smile, so settling and peaceful, yet what made Night Light worried were the tears.
“Ma...ar’ ya okay?” He asked gently, “Did I do somethin’ wrong?” His mother shook her head quickly, wiping away her tears with a free hoof as she sniffled and smiled at her youngest son. How sweet of him to instantly worry about her caused a warm spark to swell in her heart, but as she looked at him she saw her dear husband. Her precious son had similar looks to that romantic stallion.
“No, Night Light,” She responded with a gentle smile, “Ya done nothin’ wrong. Mommy just remembering ya pa at the moment. He always dreamed ya know, dreamed big and wide like you...that stallion...he is somethin’. An adventurer and proud father like no other to you foals...and to me...an amazing husband that I’m happy to call mah own no matter how much of a pain he could be.”
It was a moment of silence for the two as the embers beneath the pot flickered. A moment where they smiled and enjoyed one another's presence. Night Light to that day knew, when the food was served no later than twenty minutes after the stew was done and table was set, that he was stallion of the house, but also son that would do whatever he could to help out his mother. But that did not diminish his dreams, instead it reinforced it. For at that table, right there where his mother sat on the other side eating her food after grace peacefully...he was asked a question that he answered ever so happily without hesitation.
“Night Light, where would you like to go when you grow up and move out this old dusty place of a cabin?” His mother questioned with a genuine smile.
“Where I would wanna go? Well mah...that’s easy! I would wanna go home!” He answered, and so that dream was set to becoming a goal that he would aim to accomplish, to live out his life like his father, and soon come home to see his mother.
To his home...where everything began.
To Be Continued
Author's Note
A dear friend edited this for me as the same with the other chapter. Enjoy your day, darlings, and do stay safe.
