Storm of Feelings

The day was long gone and the beautiful night shrouded everything with its cloak. The nice warmth of the fire spread across the room and slightly lit up the environment around it. Various things were shyly jutting out of the shadows, including myself, while watching the very old dance of fire.

The body, still affected by the flask, slowly regained its strength and vigor what have been announced by few interior changes in my organism. I would have never expected that playing around with Caelen would make me sleepy. The head was constantly going down, the eyes were closing on their own and only with some effort I was suppressing many yawns.

“I did not see you so tired since your last…”

“Let’s not talk about it.”  I never really liked to interrupt her but her sudden appearance behind me without being noticed only confirmed how much the events of the last past days affected me. Still a bit shocked I turned away from the fire. The incarnation of the Night smiled and let a fire blaze in my heart that would surely melt metal with ease.

She was wearing one of her favorite and most comfortable gowns that seemed to be made out of the sky itself. Like her mane it seemed to be floating, making the shapes and different zodiacs look like living ethereal beings that were caught within the silk. No jewelry was being worn and to be honest it was not being required at all.

Her natural beauty did not require any of it yet I will not deny that many of her necklaces, tiaras, rings and other accessories were not only representing the wealth of Equestria; it represented also the skill and craftsmanship of her subjects. I was breathless for a moment that surely has been noticed by the smiling princess.

She took her place on my side and make sure that her mane had a secure distance from the fire that seemed to blaze stronger; could it be a sign of jealousy?

“Caelen is asleep.” The fire caught her attention while she kept talking. ”I’ve made sure that no nightmares will disturb his sleep.”

“He was already asleep while I was carrying him back to our apartment.” Quite impressive that the loud streets of Marehime did not wake our small guest. No spells were required to keep the foal asleep.

“You look definitely better since you left the hospital. But you really should go to bed now and find some sleep.” Since we both returned from our small trip she constantly kept an eye on me. Luna’s concern for my wellbeing was most certainly welcome since my turning not many ponies were bothering about my fate. I smiled at Incarnation of the Night and placed my wing on her back.

“I will my Princess. I will.” Once more a yawn has been suppressed followed by the stretching of wings and the neck. For a while we both were watching the dance of the fire that seemed to enjoy our attention but it did not take long until I realized that something was bothering her.

My nose gently rubbed against her cheek, nearly instantly making it pleasantly warmer. The mare rewarded me with her pretty smile.

“What is it you wish to hear Luna?”

Our eyes met once again and surely not for the last time. The turquoise eyes seemed to try to read something out of mine while my own reflection tainted their beauty. My belly rebelled especially after the missing illusion of my right eye has been revealed.

“Where did you go after you left the hospital? I was worried about you...” I looked back to the fire that was greedy devouring the wood with its tongues leaving her question unanswered.

“You were in his tower didn’t you?”

My silence continued while I closed my wing and wrapped it around my body what made it look like I was wearing a strange cloak. Luna’s ears went down after my wing left her back but she kept looking at me. By everything that is holy it was crushing me from the inside.

“Why did you do it?”

“ Before you came back with my casket I had a small conversation with Artemis… he asked me to visit him once I would feel better.”

“What were you talking about?”

“Oh we did talk about arcane arts while enjoying a cup of tea and a very interesting match of chess.” Her smile turned into a slight glare that I gladly did not see.

“I did not ask you about your conversations with him. To be honest…” I looked back at her with a noticeable hesitation. The words I intended to say remained unspoken but something was telling me that she knew what I just went through my troubled mind.

“It is a personal matter.” < A very personal one. >

Unable to keep looking at her I pretended that the fire caught my attention. A move she already knew. As always I expected that her stubbornness would make her persistent but Luna simply leaned against me. I sighed without controlling it, gladly it did sound like that I was tired not bothered.

What she was thinking right now in that very moment remained a mystery. None of us broke the silence. There was only the sound of the fire in the chimney, the howling winds outside, the slight whisper of conversations of the servants below us. Our hearts started to beat their own symphonies beating only for the one special somepony.

It was a very enjoyable moment for both of us but it did not last forever because shame for my behavior filled my heart. Unable to control the overwhelming feeling of shame started slight changes in my body. Together with those changes the colors of the world that was surrounding us turned into a delicate twilight.

My ears went down but gladly Luna’s eyes were closed. She was simply enjoying both the heat of fire and body. The Princess of the Night was about to nuzzle me but I’ve made the mistake of looking away in a very fast and nervous way. A reaction as old as the Heritage itself that was burned into my veins and all the others who were unlucky enough to be born with it.

Luna realized what was going on since my eyes were close tightly, nearly childish one could say. To make it even worse the tension in my muscles came back and the heart started to beat in an unnatural fast way.  Not sure what to expect I remained motionless until she gently placed my head on the front legs so I could lean against her ample chest.

She leaned her own head against my neck and shortly after that, though only for a moment, I could smell the plains and winds of Equestria. So many things were going on in my head. A search for courage so I could say something, thoughts mixing up with experiences, reawakening of feelings I thought a Lesser One could not posses. And the words of my brother in my mind like a echo shouted into a cave. This was not fair…

The scholars and mages who were not afraid or disgusted of me constantly repeated that the fate of every Lesser One have been sealed a long time ago. Their theories and explanations were mostly correct which is why I simply kept going on with their wisdom in my heart despite the teaching of my elders.

My eyes were showing me many things. One thing they have shown me... ponies limitations are set and unchangeable. Only a fool would waste his time trying to become something he can never be. During the last millennium those words shaped me into a being that lost any kind of hope for a life he once had.

Everything have been crushed within the years of my servitude for the land of Equestria. For Luna, Celestia and their beloved subjects. Not sure if that what I was feeling was true… but the new beginning, the new life given to me by the merciful princesses was more than many of my brothers will ever receive.

New established bounds, forgotten experiences, the feeling of having a purpose in this life and my feelings for a mare, feelings that were supposed not to be possible were threaten. By this cursed land and my former brother Artemis. Since we arrived in the Free Marshes the feeling of being vulnerable grew stronger with each passing day.

Fear was spreading its seeds ruthlessly and very efficient waking up the feelings that have been burned out by the Heritage. To make it even worse the conversation with Artemis could not get out of my head. Could it be true? Could all this be only a reflection of Luna’s interest towards me?

Without realizing it I pressed my head tighter against her. Hearing her breath and the beat of the heart relaxed me. The tension was already fading but right now it disappeared nearly constantly. With the unpleasant tension gone the awful feeling of weakness took its place and a loud yawn went through the air.

His sudden yawn was expected yet its volume was simply surprising. I stretched my wings and neck and looked down at Corvus who was peacefully leaning against me. Only a few times I saw the stallion in such state of exhaustion. A few years ago he was secretly studying as much as possible about the Equestrian history, traditions, ethic, literature, art, new developed technology, medicine, magic…

I could go on like that for quite a while. The wisdom he was seeking back then has been provided by the rich Libraries of Canterlot. A few royals caused all that by making fun out of his lack of this knowledge. While performing his duties on my side till Celestia raised the sun the fool learned during the day; completely avoiding sleep for who knows how long.

His exhaustion could no longer be hidden and he was really bad liar. Pretending that it was time to rest I followed him into his small hideout and found him sleeping on a huge pile of books. The organism was still recovering from the extremely toxic flask he used days ago.

Without realizing that a Moloch would be lurking in the sewers Corvus used the wrong flask that has been specifically created for Ghouls and other Abominations.  The claws of a Moloch are tainted with some kind of fluid that is supposed to kill its victim if they would manage to escape its claws.

The Heritage protected him from the grasps of death but the tribute was quite high and was still affecting him. His recent injuries he suffered during the fire were not making things any better for the stallion. In the end a young energetic foal gave the Lesser One the rest; something that many ponies could have ever achieved.

The stallion’s heart beat finally normalized while my own was beating faster for him. I remained silent till it was sure that he has fallen asleep. Using this opportunity I started to inspect him. First of all it was about time to cut his mane that was already way too long in my opinion.

< My mane is too long? You can’t be serious Luna… compared to your mane mine is short. >

His words echoed in my thoughts.  Never than less his mane will get cut in the morning. Of course I could do it right away but last time I did that he was complaining about it for hours. Corvus is not a fan of cutting hair what would surely end in complaining anyway. Thinking about it though… it was fun to run after him with scissors.

A slight movement of his wing caught my attention. My eyes lay upon the wings that seemed so unnatural, rough and fragile. For some reason I could not recall I always thought that they were slimy. Later it turned out that they were stronger than expected, surprisingly soft in the touch and fully adapted to the night.

There where the glass cut through the leathery weave of his wing a scar went from the middle nearly reaching the very end of his wing. The native Unicorn medics and doctors melted the flesh together with a slight healing beam; better than I could ever do. Gladly there were no serious complications during his state in the hospital.

The bones remained untouched by the fall what was simply remarkable yet frightening in the same time. Gently I touched the barely noticeable scar with my nose. The shine of the fire was dancing on his silhouette, moving along it like shades or small fire spirits that were chasing each other like small children in the fields.

A spark jumped out of the chimney and landed directly on his nose what made him sneeze through his sleep. He moved his nose and nostrils in his typical way and started to snore quietly. While listening to his quiet spectacle I kept looking for something he might have hidden, either by purpose, a thing he did very often, or because of his pure black fur that was hiding things quite easy.

Once he claimed that the fur of a Lesser One adapts to the weather on its own or if he wishes it. Besides that it was possible for them to let the fur grow on the places where a scar have been inflicted to the body; of course everything depended how and by who the scar has been inflicted.

Hidden under it were various scars of different nature, each telling its own story that always ended up in pain. Bite and claw marks, scars that I’ve recognize as a wound inflicted by a beak… even a horn. During our conversation about it Corvus told me that compared to the scars of his blood brothers or elders he could and SHOULD be glad that his body was not that harmed further.

A few years back in the time when I discovered those scars by accident he told me that most of those scars have been inflicted by Abominations; which is why it was not possible to remove them. Foolish as I was I did not believe it…

At the very beginning of our relationship I seeked him out during his sleep and casted a healing spell directly at the biggest scar. He woke up with a scream that chilled the blood in my veins… the scar started to glow through his fur what in the end lead to a pain he could not suppress nor endure.

Corvus had all rights on his side to be angry yet the only thing he did was to apologize for not warning me properly. The scar I intended to heal was located on his neck, nearly reaching the knee of his left hind leg. Because of my foolishness he could not move for two weeks... two weeks the nurses spend time on aiding the glowing scar.

Nothing new have been found and I sighed relieved about it. The stallion was sleeping peacefully, the fire was consuming the wood and… I felt a slight pull on my tail. As expected I found Caelen standing behind us tightly holding a small and very old looking plushy. His ears were already down as our eyes met openly showing me that something was wrong.

“Caelen sweetie…” I carefully let Corvus’s head slide down on the carpet and levitated the boy onto my legs. “Is everything okay?”

Once he hugged me tightly, tighter than his own plushy, I could only assume that another nightmare haunted him. The emotions of it were probably stronger than I thought what in the end undone the spell. I hugged back and gently wrapped my wings around him, holding Caelen with them.

“Do not worry my boy… I will make sure that you will sleep peacefully I promise.” I looked down on Corvus who continued his sleep in a rather uncomfortable looking position. “You can sleep with us if you want.” His answer was a very hectic yet happy nodding. After he finally stopped to nod he lifted his plushy that turned out to be a Duck. I saw slight signs of fire on one of its legs… I could only think of one certain thing.

“Of course Ducky can join.” I answered with a chuckle and stood up. The quick and sudden change of Caelen’s mood was not really a surprise. In one of his dreams I found one happy and strong memory among the dark nightmares; him sleeping with his parents. My sigh has been suppressed and my full attention belonged to our small guest who right now was pointing at Corvus.

The way he showed that Corvus was too heavy to lift nearly started a laugh attack. With a bright smile I grabbed Corvus with my magic, surrounding the shape of his body with its color levitating him slowly through the air towards the bed.

“This is life…” said the stallion with a dampen voice. “A mare brings me to the bed” Once he was above the bed I simply let go off him and let the physics do the rest. With a slight groan he looked for a comfortable position fully ignoring the fall.

“The world shall find out that you brought me to the bed Princess.”

With a slight head shake and a smile I move towards the bed, taking my shoes off on the way. Before I stepped into it though I let the fire die out in the chimney through my magic. Corvus gave us more space than required, mumbling something unrecognizable under his nose.

As usual he was lying on his side because he was not able to sleep on his back. I followed his example while Caelen took his place between us together with Ducky. The quilt has been pulled over us as did Corvus’s wing. Once again a slight yawn announced how tired he was followed by the silent yawn of the foal who surprisingly cradled against my special somepony.

Corvus opened his eyes widely and looked down at the small guest and his plushy. For a while he remained motionless but soon he very carefully pulled the boy closer to himself and hugged him. I was not really sure what I’ve just saw but something changed in him. His eyes, his body language were suddenly emitting a pleasant warmth, the feeling of security and happiness.

Right in front of me Corvus was acting like a father! Back home in the magical land of Equestria I’ve rarely seen him around children. Only a few times I saw how Corvus helped a group of small fillies to get their ball back that landed in a tree but most of the time he seemed to avoid them.

Still surprised by his behavior I simply watched how the small foal fell asleep against the chest of a Lesser One without any fear. Our eyes found themselves in the slight shine of the moon that send its shine through the window. I felt how he pulled me closer to them with his magic.

My horn touched Caelen’s head, established a strong spell that would withhold the nightmares and secure his sleep. With a gentle Good Night kiss the spell has been sealed. The entire time the stallion remained silent but I could see in his eyes that like me he was surprised about his own behavior.

The silence has been broken by the howling wind and his relaxed sigh. Corvus nuzzled me and for the very first time since we were here he smiled happily.

“Don’t try anything inappropriate Mr. Corvus.”

“I was about to say the same Milady.” Right away our hind legs touched and I pushed my head under his. Before I fell asleep the last thought that went through my mind was:

“We look like a young family” My eyes closed and I entered the land of dreams.