Stranded

“Luna… Luna…”

A voice that she knew better than anypony called her name, however, wherever she looked only darkness surrounded her. She started to run following her sister’s voice which had started to sound closer. She kept running until a ray of light pierced the shadows and fell over her head, a warm sensation enveloped her entire body and she closed her eyes, moments later, she felt something soft under her back.

“Wake up sleepy head.” Celestia told her with her serene and loving voice.

In the moment Luna saw her, she started to cry and hugged her tightly sinking her face on her soft fur.

“Tia… I missed you so much.” Luna cried.

Celestia smiled and wrapped her wings around her.

“Calm down, stop crying, you know I hate to see you like this.”

“Please, forgive me; I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Celestia took her sister’s face on her hooves; delicately, she wiped Luna's tears and gave her a kiss on the nose.

“There’s nothing to forgive, you were only following your heart.” Celestia caressed her back in a soothing way. “You don’t have to worry anymore; he will no longer hurt you.”

“H-Hurt me? Who?” Luna asked surprised.

Celestia frowned, released Luna from her embrace and gave some steps away from her. Her horn started to glow, Luna felt how her surroundings changed as the spell was casted. The next thing she knew was that they weren’t on the bedroom anymore, now they were inside a dirty cell being illuminated just by the light of a few torches.

“Luna… here you have to the responsible of all your pain.”

Celestia said while pointing to a wall of the cell where Jack was being held by the neck with a chain like a wild animal. His clothes were torn and stained with blood, his hair was long and unkempt, as if he had spent the last few years locked up in that place.

“Jack?!” Luna called to him.

The man looked up at her and smiled wickedly.

“Look what we have here; I thought I would never see you again. Tell me, how’s that wound?”

He chuckled darkly, but his laughter died in the moment that Celestia plunged a dagger into his arm making him scream.

“Don’t you dare to speak to my sister like that!” She said menacingly.

“What’s going on?!” Luna screamed.

Her sister ran towards her and hugged the young alicorn who shivered nonstop.

“Luna, listen to me, he tried to kill you.”

“K-kill me?"

“Yes, He drew you with lies and empty promises just to carry out his most hideous desires with you.” Celestia started to explain. “But we avoid it and as soon as he felt cornered, he tried to end your life."

The sun goddess took one of Luna's hooves placing it over her chest where she could feel that part of her fur was gone. When the young alicorn looked at her body, she discovered with horror a scar that ran from the base of her stomach to her cheek.

"No... this cannot be... he was my friend..." Luna began to mourn.

"Oh please, me? Friend of a monster like you? How can you be so stupid to even think that someone would want to be your friend?" Jack sneered at the night goddess.

"Shut up!" Celestia shouted.

She used her magic to lift another knife, however, Jack was able to grab it first and using it he broke the secure of the chain. The white alicorn saw the human walking towards them; she turned around kicking him with such force that he crashed against the wall.

“Luna! Get out of here!”

Luna didn't move, she was in shock and her sister’s words just echoed in her mind. The next thing she saw was how Jack tackled Celestia, she saw them struggling on the floor until the human stabbed her sister on the neck. The white fur soon turned red with the blood that poured from the wound and Luna saw how the life left those beautiful pink eyes of her sister.

“Things didn't have to be like this.” Jack said while looking at Luna. “But what is done, is done. Please don’t give that look, I’m not a monster, soon you will join your sister, but first, let’s have some fun, shall we?”

Jack walked towards her brandishing the knife that seemed to shine more brightly, Luna looked up and saw that the eyes of him to whom she considered a friend only reflected something: hate.

***

Luna screamed in terror, she looked in all directions looking for Jack, but she was all alone. After realizing that she was still on Jack's house she wrapped herself on her wings.

"It was just a nightmare..." She whispered. "A cruel nightmare..."

Her feelings overwhelmed her and she spent the morning weeping silently.

***---***---***

"No... You can't be serious." Jack's voice trembled with anger and despair.

With his hands covering his face, Jack listened how the silence inside his office was cut by the noise of the old clock and his deep breathing. The man sitting across from him stood up placing one hand his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Jack… but..." For a moment, the man hesitated as if trying to find the right words with which appease his friend.

"I don't want your apologies!" Jack punched the desk with both hands startling the man.

“Do you not understand it?! You and my father started with this plan, he trusted you, he wanted to see accomplished the idea that both had dreamed. How can you betray him in this way?”

The man didn't answer, he perfectly knew that Jack was right, his anger was not derived from a simple unsigned document, it was being caused by the pain of not being able to finish what his father had started.

The idea of starting a new company in another country had materialized after one trip which gave Jack's father a vision. He just needed someone to help him carry out the actions needed to succeed in that new market, however, the man would not change his mind, let alone when his family was in danger.

***Two Days Ago.***

A group of soldiers had their weapons pointed towards two terrified women who cried nonstop while Krause took his gun and placed it on the man's head.

"Listen carefully, you will speak with Remington and will give by finished your business relationship with him."

"I'll do it, but please, don't hurt them." The man replied.

Krause stared at him intently. "That will depend of you; I wouldn't like to hurt such a beautiful girl."

He said hugging the man's daughter and licking her neck in a vicious way before pushing her against her parents.

"One more thing, you never saw us, otherwise, I will turn your life into hell. Do you understand?"

The man nodded, after that, Krause smiled and ordered his men to leave the house.

***

“Jack…” The man started to talk. “Listen, I wish there was another way, but this can’t go on. You’re a great friend and a great businessman and I respect what you've done with this company... but you're not your father and you will never be even half the man he was.”

After hearing him, Jack's mind shattered into pieces. He looked up and the man could see the hatred in the eyes of his former friend.

"Get out."

"Jack... please..."

"I said… get out!"

The man remained silent; he turned around and left the office. Jack began to breathe heavily, he looked at the papers and planes on his desk and he shattered them in his rage. He rose from his chair, took the table and flipped it spreading over the floor all that was in it. Then, he walked to a cabinet to grab a bottle and a glass, but he squeezed it so hard that the glass broke hurting his hand.

"Goddammit!"

Jack cursed, he looked at the bottle he held in his other hand and without hesitation, he removed the seal and cap and took a big gulp of the liquor. He felt how the liquid burned his throat but he didn't care, in that moment he just wanted to forget and with tears on his eyes he devoted himself only to continue drinking.

***---***---***

As soon as she felt calmer, Luna rose from bed and left the room. She went into the kitchen, took a glass of water and stood there silently listening to the sounds of the big city.

“It's been so long since the last time I had such a vivid dream, in fact, it was before I...”

The vision of herself turning into Nightmare Moon sent a chill through her body, but she didn't let it affect her, she knew better than no one that the spirit emerged from her jealousy had been defeated and that now she was free from its power.

Leaving her thought aside, she left the glass over the table and turned around just to find herself  with an old lady who carried in her hands a tray with many dishes. Both stared at each other in silence but Luna took the initiative and did the only thing that seemed reasonable.

"Hello... my name is Luna... please do not be afraid."

"Monster!"

The old lady screamed and dropped the tray; moments later she left the house and ran down the street attracting the attention of several people who watched her with surprise, fear and confusion. Meanwhile, Luna stayed in the kitchen completely dumbfounded.

"Well... that's something you don't see every day..."

***Two Hours Later***

"I swear it, officer, that thing was here." Said the old lady, she had returned to the house bringing a cop with her.

"Please, I need that you to take a deep breath to calm down." The woman did what the cop had ordered.  "Now, Mrs. Robinson, right?" She nodded. "I need that you describe me exactly what you saw."

"As I had said, it was an animal, a blue horse to be more precise, but this "horse" had wings and horns."

"Wings and horns... blue color..." The officer wrote in his notebook what she was saying.

"I don't see it like a sufficient reason for you to be so terrified, did this creature tried to make something to you?"

She hesitated a bit before answering. "Well... not really... and maybe this will sound weird, but I can swear that the animal was so surprised to see me as I was from see it."

"Interesting..." The constable closed his notebook. "Okay, as you can see, there is nothing here and there is no trace that can signal us that something was here." He said with a gesture. "Mrs. Robinson, maybe you were so tired that you started to fall asleep and you imagined it."

"But officer..."

"No buts, there is nothing more I can do. Mrs. Robinson, please, go home and rest, I'll wait for Lord Remington to explain him what happened."

The woman raised her arms in protest, she took her bag and walked towards the exit of the house, before she opened the door, she turned to look at the cop.

"I know what I saw, one more detail, that thing, whatever it was, was able to speak."

The officer raised an eyebrow but said nothing, once he was left completely alone in the house; he began to walk until something inside his bag began to vibrate.

"Scaring an old lady isn't something very nice, don't you think?" He asked, but nobody answered.

"Please, don't be afraid, I will not hurt you." Again, there was only silence.

He took his hand to the bag of his jacket and pulled out a blue feather.

"I know you can hear me, I can even bet that you're watching me, this is yours, right?" He asked again as he lifted the feather. "I want to meet you, I promise that I will do nothing more than talk with you."

"How to know that you speak the truth?" Finally, someone answered, the voice was feminine, sweet yet demanding and seemed to come from all directions around him.

"There's no way, you will have to trust in your instincts. To be honest, I'm afraid of you too." He replied.

For several minutes there was no answer, but when the voice was heard again, the answer was something that he was not expecting.

"I want you to take your clothes off."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, you want to talk? Take off your clothes and stand in the center of the room. "

He murmured something and did what the voice had asked. He kept only his underpants and stood where it had indicated.

"Well, I complied with my end of the bargain, now it's your turn."

He was able to hear something behind him, as if thousands of tiny bells sounded in unison.

"Turn around." Said the voice.

He did and found himself face to face with a creature whose form was a beautiful combination between a unicorn and pegasus, those turquoise eyes fixed on him seemed to show all the emotions that the being was experiencing, curiosity, wonder, fear.

The man grinned from ear to ear. "I've waited for this moment for so long, you're here and the only thing I can say is that, it's an honor to finally meet you."

His answer seemed to her more than strange. "Excuse me? I don't understand, what do you mean by "meet me"?"

"I will gladly explain it to you, but as you can see, I'm just an old man and I really need to ask you something."

"Wait, I don't even know your name, who are you?"

"But of course." He slapped his temple. "Where are my manners, Doctor Tiberius Turner, at your service." He bowed to her.

Luna smiled before the gesture and did the same. "Princess Luna, mistress of the night and co-ruler of Equestria, at yours."

"A princess? Great Scott! Excuse me for saying this but, this is awesome!" Tiberius started to jump in his place causing Luna to giggle.

"You humans are so strange."

"You don't have idea, your highness. Now, regarding to that little request."

Luna looked at him with suspicion. "Okay, what is it?"

"Please, can I get dressed?"

***---***---***

“Where is he?”

Luna was worried. She walked from side to side unable to know what to do, it was one in the morning and Jack still had not come home.

"He didn't said something about staying late at the work. Oh Celestia, please help me, what can I do? Even with an invisibility spell, where should I go? I will get lost in this city without doubt."

As in an answer to her pleas, the door opened and Jack walked into the house.

"Jack! Oh thanks Sister! I was so worried, where in Tartarus have you been, mister?"

She almost jumped on him, however, her happiness soon turned into confusion and concern. Jack was soaked from head to toes; his clothes reeked of alcohol, vomit and other nauseating things. He barely was able to stand and walked in erratic way.

"Jack? Are you okay?"

He looked at her.

"Look what we have here, it's my little horsey friend, come give the man a big hug and a kiss."

He said slurring the words. Jack tried to grab Luna but she jumped out of her reach.

“Get away from me! Look at you; did you fell in the sewer?”

"Ugh, you sound like my mother."

"I wish I was your mother in order to scold you."

"I don't need this, I'm going to bed."

"Oh no, you don't"

Luna pinned him to the wall and holding her breath to avoid puke over him, she ignited her horn and touched Jack's head. In an instant, a cold sensation embraced his body to the point that he started to shiver. The feeling of dizziness disappeared and was replaced with whole body pain, a dry and unpleasant taste in his mouth and a headache enough to make him beg for forgiveness.

"What have you done?!”

“I only used a spell; I will not tolerate you drunk.”

“I'm in hell!"

"No, you're not; you just have a championship hangover."

Still shivering, Jack was guided to the bathroom, once there, Luna opened the valve of the shower and when the temperature was acceptable, she turned towards him.

"Get naked"

“What?”

“You need to take a shower before you get into bed, you stink, now, get naked.”

Her look was enough to make him obey and with difficulty he was able to remove his clothes. When he looked at Luna, she had her eyes closed and her wings covered her face.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t want to see you naked.”

“You know, you’re being silly, this was your idea on first place.”

"Shut up and get in the shower, I need to get rid of your clothes. I'll see you in your room once you've finished."

Luna took the clothes with her magic and left the bathroom; Jack just shrugged and entered on the shower. When he finished, he went to his room, still feeling cold from the spell, he took his pants and got into the warm of the bed sheets. Luna entered moments later with a smoky cup of black coffee.

“Here, take this, it will help.”

Jack thanked her and drank the sour liquid; it burned his already sore throat but made him feel better. The silence hung between them until he spoke.

"Luna, I'm sorry, I never imagined that you'd have to see me like this."

"You had me on the edge, I was about to go out to look for you, I was starting to believe the worst"

Jack looked at her eyes, the tears were already falling from them and he felt like the worst person in the world.

"I'm sorry, is just that..."

"Something happened today, isn't it?"

"Yes...”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, not right now, let's say that I had a bad day and I just wanted to feel better, to forget. But I never stopped to think in the consequences."

Luna smiled and took one of his hands with her hooves.

"I understand how you feel, I've also had bad days, but in the end, you need to think that they are necessary, they give us life lessons and we need to learn from them, they help us to be better ponies... or person, in your case."

"Has anyone ever told you that you really are an exceptional mare?" He asked while caressing her face.

Luna blushed and leaned on his hand, but he was so cold that she shivered a little. Without saying a word, Luna stood up and entered under the covers. Jack was taken aback by her actions, more so when he felt her wrap her hooves around him, both were so close that he could feel her warm and soft fur caressing his bare chest. He looked at her and saw that her cheeks were even redder than before and she had a shy expression on her face.

"She's so damn lovely." He thought.

"A side effect of the spell is that it will take some time for your temperature to be normal again, this will help." She said with trembling voice.

Jack hugged her receiving and adorable squeal of surprise from her. Moments later Luna added her wings as a second blanket.

“I’m glad that the side effect exists, even when this has been the first time that someone uses real magic on me.”

He said and they remained in silence for some minutes.

“Jack?”

“Yes?”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Could it wait until tomorrow?”

There was no instant answer from her, but he felt her nodding. They snuggled a little more and Luna turned off the lights with her magic.

“Good night, Jack.”

“Good night… Luna…”

He hugged her a little more tightly.

“… Thanks for being here…”