Princess Luna scanned the vast, empty plane of existence, her large, expressive eyes darting between the thousands of doors all catalogued into a organized line, each and every single door having an etched name on the front of it. The beginning of the hallway of doors began as a bright white shade of white, but the more she trekked down the corridor, the white soon progressed into a dark grey until all of the color faded and was a deep black, indicating the obvious sign of several nightmares that she would have to purify. But, those would have to wait for another time.
Surrounding her was an endless realm, one that held unimaginable and incomprehensible powers and ideals that would dare threaten the very sanctity of her mind, and others if they so chose to pursue them. If she were to forgone the dreams, she would be left with a sandbox of infinite possibilities, both within her capability to control, and others that are far too unpredictable to tame. That is why she insisted on not delving too deep into the wonders and horrors of the Astral Plane, or if she were to call it by the name of many ponies’ own interpretation, the Dream Realm.
However, whilst she won't deny that this is the sanctuary of her subject's dreams, desires, and wishes, the Astral Plane is more than that. It is the meeting point between different dimensions, ones that are unknown and ones that are already acknowledged, but also a gateway to minds that are foreign and alien. She has been visited by several beings that do not hail from her own plane of existence, and while they should have never attempted to make contact using this form of interdimensional intervention, she can't deny being honored by their intention to greet her specifically. Not to mention how much knowledge and insight she has gained from these individuals.
However, there is one that arrived here, and unlike the ones before him, he is not allowed to leave. Neither has he come here to visit the princess as his intention, no. He has yet to find out the purpose of his presence here, and figure out how to leave. Princess Luna can remember when she found him here, right before the Spirit of Chaos, Discord, broke free from his stone prison. But, much to surprise, he informed her of his arrival and reign, no detail was spared. And after he was once again turned to stone, she found that everything he said was true, the events playing out exactly like he detailed. Since then, she has been relying on his input.
She saw him in the distance, far past the corridor of dreams and is now standing in front of a barren, downtrodden home. In the past, Luna has often found him staring listlessly at the house, but never once has she spotted him inside or any where close to the entrance of the home. It's almost as if there is an invisble barrier seperating him from the house, forbidding him from entering the humble abode. The princess allowed a ghost of a frown to flash across her muzzle before she approached the lone being, her hooves walking on the nothingness of the Astral Plane. The clip-clopping of her hooves echoed throughout the realm, the sound reminiscent of dropping a bit down a well.
As she slowly walked to him, she took in the details of his appearance for the hundredth time, her eyes drifting the various parts of is body. He seems to be wearing blue, denim jeans that protect his legs and shield the privacy of his more intimate parts. Covering his feet, or hooves she thought; she never saw him remove the wrappings from his feet, was a pair of standard, tan boots that were tied carefully and tightly, assuring that they never slipped off of his feet without his knowing. For a being to be in the Astral Plane, they must know of a simple rule; don't let the raw power of it envelop their body. His clothes are a testament to that rule.
Surrounding the upper portion of his body was a long, baggy jacket that was colored navy blue, similar to the shade of blue her fur is. It was zipped up tight to the very top, with two loose pockets hanging from the sides of the hoodie. His arms, which were covered by the long sleeves of the jacket, were laying limply inside of the pockets, his hands protected by the fabric of the jacket. The hood was hanging above his head, and shielded his face and head from the rawness of the magical and mysterious elements of the Astral Plane. She couldn't make out the details of his face because of him facing away from her, his back to the approaching princess.
“I've been expecting you, Princess.” He said politely, his thick accent clinging to the sound of his voice. Luna finally reached the lone vigil, her movement ceasing as she stared forward, her eyes studying the exterior of the house bestowed before them. Its appearance was not one of a home in Equestria, but more resembled a modern home; like one that the royals would reside in. It was coated in a melancholy shade of white, with brown accents on the roof. There was windows, but even as she strained her eyes, she could not peer inside of the house for the life of her. She has seen this house many times whilst speaking with the creature, but she still did not understand the significance of it.
“Thou hast still refused tell us of the significance of this abode.” She found herself saying out loud, her elegant voice ringing in the creature's ears. He grimaced at her statement, furrowing his eyebrows as he licked his teeth gently. Flexing his fingers inside of the pockets, he flinched at the cracking noise that sounded out, echoing slightly in the non-existent chamber that he resided in. He let a sigh escape from his mouth, his eyes never leaving the house in his vision. Even after all of these years away from the sanctity and safety of his home, he still found a slight comfort at the sight of it; even if he can't step one foot inside of it, due to the mental barrier.
“It was my home before I found myself here. It's where I spent my days with my wife and children, watching them grow and prosper,” He announced to the pony standing next to him, who listened intently at the information he was giving to her. Despite the hardened shell he’s developed since he stumbled across the realm, he found tears streaking down his pale cheeks, remembering fondly of the memory of his dear family. “Even with this disease, I cannot foresee the future of my children; to watch them graduate, find love, and start families themselves.” He finished with a whisper, his voice betraying his emotions; he did not like showcasing his emotions, he found it odd how easily the ponies express themselves.
“‘Tis not a disease, but a gift. Thou hast been aiding us for years; helping us prevent catastrophic events that even we could not ever hope of seeing.” Luna exclaimed, turning her hood to gaze at the Human, who was still determined to stare at the house that was now left deceprid and broken, a shell of its former self. “Thou know that we would do anything to return thee to thy home, or even out of this realm to ours.” The princess expressed her sympathy, resting a hoof on the creature's side, feeling his flesh fold softly against the small pressure of her touch. He removed his hands from his pockets, feeling a coat of dust immediately cover the back of his hand as he raised them to his face, wiping his wet eyes.
“I have always dreamed of starting a family, watching life pass by with a loyal woman by my side and my children growing into responsible adults,” He informed, pulling his hood back to reveal his matted and greasy black hair, dust covering the stray strands of hair cascading down his neck and face. Luna looked up to his face, noticing the thick beard encompassing majority of his face. His small, sea-green eyes had a sorrowful glint etched in them, tears filling his eyes as he continued. “As a Human, what else are we to do? For the past four years, I have gazed at this house and thought about my home, my family. And I have come across a simple fact; I am destined to stay here, watching the future unfold exactly the way I have predicted.”
“Do you know what's it like to have the ability to percieve the future? Even with this curse, do you know that I cannot see my own death,” He questioned, finally turning to gaze upon the midnight blue alicorn, his eyes blinking away tears as he clenched his fists tightly. “To search through the misty haze of time, only to find there is not an end in sight for you? I will be in this spot of Hell for the rest of eternity, watching as these ponies die off… I know how you and your sister pass away, Princess.” The Human said somberly, gazing down at the alicorn that was half of his height. Luna grimaced at the thought before she glanced at the house, reaching a hoof out to test if there really is a barrier. Her hoof pressed against an invisible wall, and no matter how much force she put into it, it wouldn't budge.
“We know how thou feels, much to thine ignorance. Mine sister and I art very old, thousands of years old, and we will most likely live another few thousand years,” Princess Luna told the Human, her hoof resting on the barrier between the house and the two of them, a ripple forming as soon as she laid a hoof on the wall. The Human sighed sadly, gazing at the lonely house once more, his apathetic nature fueling him as he helplessly watched the house from a distance away, unable to set foot on the porch that lays in front of it. “Thou will find a way to right wrongs, and thee will eventually return home to thine family. Trust in us, and we will find a solution.” She pleaded, mustering up the willpower to flash a reassuring smile.
“Princess, unlike you, I can't leave here. I’m stuck here, within my own head, my only option to visit the dreams of ponies and be reminded of my own failures and things that I have lost. Unless you were to gain power and somehow pull me out of my own mind, I’m not going anywhere.” He stated informatively, his tone soon changing from matter-of-fact to fearful. His own hand planted itself on the barrier, forming ripples around his hand as he glanced to the old house, dust falling all around it like snow, coating the ground around the foundation of it. “What the future holds for me is certain; I’ll be alone here for an eternity, not even allowed the luxury of death. I’ll be left wondering what my family is doing until the end of time, unable to see what it is they are doing or how my children turned out.”
“What thou dost not seem to understand is that the future is uncertain, even if thee are capable of gazing upon it. The future can change depending on what thou dost in the present. And if thee art to stay here forever, then yes, the future is known,” Princess Luna grabbed ahold of the Human’s hand, causing him to stare down at her in shock as she gazed into his eyes intensely. “But, if thou truly desires it, then perhaps thou art capable of shedding this yoke and leaving this realm forever. Art thou able to gaze into the future and not see what is fact, but what is thee desires?” The Human pursed his lips as he thought about what she said until he peered through the fog of time, searching for the future of himself if he were to forget of his past and move forward.
Suddenly, his eyes widened as he let go of Luna’s hoof, his hands trembling at the familiar sound of a ringing telephone, emanating from inside of the house. His hand dropped from the barrier as it shattered, allowing him passage to the home finally. But, he hesitated as he thought about what she said; What good would it do it pick up the phone, when he knew that no one would answer him? And he saw his future, clear as day, and it pleased him. He would forget his family, his life back on Earth, and his identity at the cost of living a relatively normal life, exempt of gazing upon the future and witnessing the tragic events of tomorrow and being stuck inside of his home any longer.
“Art thou ready to erase thy life from thine mind to save it? There will be no turning back, Clair.” He sighed as he glanced to the house once more, the tempting sound of the ringing filling his ears as he shook his head, balling his hands into fists. With one final glance, he turned his back from the dust-covered house, beginning his walk away from it. Princess Luna followed him as the telephone's ringing echoed throughout the Astral Plane, reminding Clair of his home on Earth, of his beautiful wife, and of his joyous children. He knew he would come to regret erasing his memories, but the future seemed certain and he did not want to stay here, stuck alone inside of his own head, forever dwelling on wrong. Princess Luna hummed as the both of them stepped through the bright white light, leaving behind the Astral Plane.
The phone would ring in the empty house, but no one is around to answer.
