Luna watched the creature prance around the stone cell, his inane ramblings not interesting her in the slightest. What drew her eye was the magic the creature was producing as he spun and jumped to an unheard rhythm. The pink gas slipping free from the confines of the dream in waves that wafted through the air, pulsating and reaching further outward. The magic itself shouldn't have been able to move freely from the dream, but here it was, encroaching into the outer realms like it had a mind of its own.

Flapping her wings, Luna furthered herself from the strange magic. Whatever type of magic it was, it was growing, and quick. The time between the pulses shortening. Flying back further, Luna surrounded herself with a shell of dark blue magic as the magic shot towards her. This has to be the connection Celestia was talking about, the source of her–

Luna's thoughts were interrupted as a wave of the pink magic crashed against her bubble, the force of the impact sending the bubble backwards with her along with it as the wall of the shield slammed into her. Peeling herself from the shield wall, Luna turned her head from side to side, looking around for an opening in the wall of pink smog. The magic seemed to lap at the shield between her and it, whispering to her. She sighed, shaking her head with a gentle sway before a chuckle escaped her. Igniting her horn once more, her eyes squeezing shut as she pumped more magic into the bubble. "Enough!" She shouted, pushing the the bubble outward and burning away any of the offending magic that touched its surface.

Almost immediately, Luna was torn from the realm of dreams. Back in her room with sunlight slipping through a crack in the curtains, cutting through the air before lighting up her bed like a spotlight. The creature lying in her bed as she sat just across from him, the sheets rising and falling with his labored wheezing. Jostling in his sleep, the creatures unconscious murmurs grew louder as the seconds passed before silencing as quickly as they began.

Luna was left in total silence, no wheezing, no sheets being tossed, no mumbling. The world was dead. Sighing contentedly, Luna rose from her seat as she wondered if that had solved her sister's problem. Trotting to the door, she used her magic to grip the handle before pulling it open. The guards just outside stood to attention, the rattling of their armor drowning out the party she was so rudely torn from.

"At ease," she said firmly, "Notify the chefs that I wish breakfast to be made for myself, our guest, and my sister in a few hours once she is finished with her nap."

They both saluted before turning and making their way to the kitchen.

Closing the door, Luna sighed, squeezing her eyes shut before peeling them open, trying to stay awake as her lack of sleep tried to rob her of her consciousness where she stood. Feeling a cool breeze flow through her mane, she hummed contentedly. Nodding to herself, she turned around, eyes widening as she caught site of the drapes swaying in the wind, the creature standing just behind them on the balcony. The sunlight landing on his pale skin.

"You're awake?" Luna asked, she hadn't expected the creature to wake up so soon. Stepping forward, she craned her neck to the side, "Hello?"

There was no response.

"Tch," She didn't have time for this, trotting forward her horned lit up with magic, grabbing the creature by the wrists and twisting him around to face her. Her breath caught in her throat.

With mouth agape and the creature's eyes lit ablaze with light, fiery stars in the night sky stared down at her. "Beautiful isn't it? This was the same sight I had before you tossed me into that hole. The sun on my skin, the music in the air. Dance, dance, dance."

"I—"

"I haven't truly seen the sun in over nine-hundred years, and here it is... in the palms of my hands." His mouth slammed shut, teeth clacking together like fire crackers before he spoke up again. "It's gorgeous."

Using her magic, Luna rose up to touch her horn to the creature's head. "Sleep," she muttered, trying to sever the connection once more.

"I already told you, I can't take this from the living. I wouldn't even if I could, because I'm still only human, I have values, standards. I'm not a monster."

Grabbing the human, Luna flung him into the room, his body sliding on the carpeted floor before slamming into the door head first. She had to wake him up.

"The Everfree? Those were animals, dangerous and unpredictable, I did you a favor... What about the dragon?"

Leaping atop his sprawled body, Luna used her magic once more, touching her horn to the creature's head.

"I don't believe anyone who would mindlessly kill rather than sort things out amicably deserves such a chance on this planet. This place is a paradise, and those that do not cherish it, don't deserve it."

Again there was silence, the pregnant pause allowed Luna to hear the faint speech of her sister emanating from the human.

"What do I want?" The eyes widened. "I don't want for anything. I need this. I need to be normal again, I don't want immortality, I don't want magic, I need to be me again. And this is why I'm here now." Rising from the the floor, he pushed Luna off with the simple act. "Help?"

Slipping on the carpeted floor, Luna fell face first into the pool of blood that stained the carpet and had yet to soak in completely. Groaning to herself, she raised a hoof trying to wipe away the thick liquid, only managing to smear it further into her coat. Her eye stung, had she gotten some of the blood in it?

"My broken soul was baptized in the grand river, made whole with pieces that don't fit, keys to an even greater whole. Just like your own, I've seen what I need to do; take back what you took, what you all stole. My better halves wish to go home, but I know better, the moment you laid that magic on me, you bound me to this place, made this my home."

Luna couldn't do anything but watch him walk back out to the balcony.

"And I thank you, this place you've built is wonderful... But I can make it better. You think harmony, peace, and friendship wouldn't exist without you or your elements." There was so much spite to the word, it was as if he'd choke on it. "Do you know what the root of all evils this world has to offer? Magic. Think about it, what enemy of yours hasn't been magical? Even me, a human that normally wouldn't be any different than an ant underneath your hoof, is now a slightly bigger ant, all thanks to magic. Nightmare Moon? Magical. Discord? Magical. Tirek? Chrysalis? How about your student and now fellow princess?"

"Get to the point!" Luna's eyes widened, that was Celestia! The veil between them had to be weakening.

"...The despair you bring, the fact that something as powerful as you can be defeated. You can toss around the sun like it's nothing, and you're still unable to even protect yourself. So I'll help you."

Watching the creature stand back out on the balcony, arms spread as if it were about to embrace the sky, Luna moved to the human's side. Just then, the door to Luna's room burst open. Guards filing in one by one, spears at the ready as they drew them towards the human.

"My hope is..." Turning around, he greeted them with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. "Unlike Icarus, I won't fly to the sun, wanting for something new. I'll drag it down to me—" a spear reeled back before Luna could tell the guards to stand down. "—and smother it."

A sharp, wet squelch cut through the air like a spear.

The lights in his eyes died down, leaving their steel counterparts behind, glassy and lifeless. He stumbled backwards, clutching the wooden handle protruding from his chest. "So that... you might... know..." Stepping back with every pause, he bumped into the railing behind him. "Peace." The word barely made it out before he stumbled back once more, tumbling over the edge of the balcony.

Luna's wings snapped open, leaping into the air, she launched herself off the balcony and towards the falling human. The wind howling and whipping past her, catching in her eyes as she dove hooves first, trying to catch him. The ground rocketing up towards them from behind the human.

"Almost," she wheezed, stretching her hooves to–

Ba-thump

The air around him seized as they fell, Luna cried out as the force blasted her away. She could only watch as the human slammed into the ground, blood spraying into the air as he seemingly sank into the concrete, the spear that was lodged into him splintered. There were cries as the citizens all stared on with wide eyes. Some of the averting their gazes to run, others to retch from the pile of reddened flesh sitting in the middle of the road.

Ba-thump

Luna watched on as the rest of the ponies fled the scene, tears falling from their frightened faces. Her eyes focused on the human, or what remained of him, and she stared as the corpse slowly rose from the stone. The air dancing around it as if it were alive, shimmering like... magic.

Firing up her horn, Luna contained the scene within a dome of light-blue magic. Inhaling, she closed her eyes and focused. Sending a surge of energy to the dome before she lost anymore time.

Ba-thump

The magic in the air around the creature cleared out, leaving a sight she never thought she'd see again. Surrounding the creature's dead body were spirits, dancing to a beat only they heard. A form of Zebrican magic mainly used to appease or worship the spirits, but it looked as if the spirits themselves were using it to offer some of their own life. Pouring it into the corpse with every sway of the torso and slam of the foot. Claws raised to their sides as they rattled them between every sway.

Ba-thump

It was a miracle to even witness something like this, the practice having died out before she was imprisoned. Only known to ancient nomadic Zebrican tribes that were reclusive on the best of days. How did this creature possess such knowledge?

The body slowly began to reform as it peeled off of the ground, flesh slipping back into place, the blood trailing its way back into the body. And just like that, it was launched back into air, the phantoms not following as their dancing slowed.

Luna's neck snapped upwards, her vision following the body as it trailed its way through the air. Slamming her wings downward, she followed it back up into the tower. Her guards jumped back, readying their spears once more, before she raised a hoof. "Stand down!" But they didn't, she could see the terror in their eyes.

Looking towards the human, she saw what they were all afraid of.

Standing on the balcony was the human, skin stretching back over exposed muscle. His left arm just starting to reform as bone burst forth from the flesh, before being swallowed back up by writhing muscles. The hole in his chest closing up.

This wasn't the same Zebrican magic she knew, this was something much darker. Even the foulest of necromancers could only dream of something like this. Even King Sombra, one of the only unicorns to dabble in such things, had nothing compared to this.

Everyone jumped as the human gasped for air, chest heaving as he breathed once more. Life coming back to him as a smile stretched across his face, eyes wide with sweat forming on his body. "Never... again," he said between gasps. Scooting away from the ledge with small steps as he shuffled back into the room. The guards moving back with his every step, trying to keep a distance between themselves and the human.

The guards jumped as the door behind them slammed open, spears swiveled to see a disheveled Princess Celestia. Strands of mane sticking out at odd angles, the usual flow of it gone. Eyes cracked and bloodshot with bags hanging under them. They'd never seen their ruler in such a state. But the worry for their princess was thrown out the window as they witnessed the irritation in her face. Brows furrowed and one of the deepest frowns they'd ever seen.

Her horn lit up with her golden magic and she encased the human in a bubble. "Out," she commanded. And so the guards fled, armor rattling as they tore through any available space to leave. Once the door was shut behind her, the usually peaceful ruler's gaze snapped back to the human. "I am tired," Celestia said simply, her voice carrying no emotion.

"I see," the human said, a grin on his face.

"And do you know why I am tired?"

The human put a hand to his chin, rubbing it in mock thought. "Drink too much tea?"

Stepping forward, Luna intervened as her sister's horn brightened. "'Tia, please, you're not thinking straight. Look, I'll personally oversee you tonight, just please, go get some air, and clear your head."

Celestia shook her head, "L-Luna, I can't sleep with this i-insufferable creature under the same roof. It's one thing after the other with him!"

"I know, I know, but please, it's for only one more night, and then I can find out what's wrong." She had thought she had solved it back in the human's dream, but apparently that wasn't it.

"I can't wait one more night, Luna. It has to be now."

"Okay okay, just... please... step out onto the balcony... and breathe."

Celestia did no such thing. Looking to the human, she stared at him from behind her bubble, her gaze looking past him to the curtains fluttering in the breeze, and the open sky behind them. And for the first time in that moment, a smile came to her face. She wanted him to talk, and she knew exactly how to get this human to sing her a tune.

Author's Note

Man this narration thing is pretty nifty. Actually helped me quite a bit with finding some things.