Chapters Prologue: A dream come true?
"Luna won't you cry for me, I'm as lonely as I've ever been..." The lyrics were being mumbled by an exhausted, scruffy looking guy in his early twenties quietly as he drove home. It was late. It had been a long day. A really long day. It was close to midnight, and he still had a little ways to go before he could stumble in the door and flop into bed.
He yawned as he made his way down the highway, the dark shapes of trees blurring by on either side of the road. It was the end of April, still a bit chilly at nights, and season two of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic had just ended. Yes, this tired young driver was a brony. He thought back to the last episode, thinking about how epic it had been. Particularly the battles... and how stunning the Changeling Queen looked... and how stupid it was that Celestia went down so easily... and then Vinyl's eyes showing for a split-second... and of course the best scenes were when Luna showed up. He had joked before to friends, saying that when Luna was on screen all he could think was "LUNALUNALUNALUNALUNA!!!" and the rest of the time he was asking "Where the buck is Luna?!" It wasn't entirely a joke.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, having noticed he was starting to drift into the other lane. He couldn't remember ever being so dead-tired. He skipped to the next track on his 7th pony CD, to the dubstep remix of Eurobeat Brony's "Luna". He was hoping that'd wake him up just enough to make it home.
Just as the drop hit him, he noticed he was at his favorite part of the drive home. The trees disappeared from either side of his car as open fields of darkness replaced them. A field, usually used for corn or potatoes or something, allowed for an unobstructed view... he spared a glance out the window, and above the pitch-black planes he could see the splendor of the night sky. The night was clear, and thousands of stars dotted the dark fabric of space. The moon was just visible at the top of the window, a perfect crescent.
Ever since he started watching "the show" a year ago, this brony had picked the Princess of the Night as his favorite pony. And since then, he had appreciated the beauty of the cosmos all the more. He chanced another, longer look at the moon as he thought back to when he was a little boy. He had long ago thought that the moon was lonely and followed him wherever he went, hoping he'd be its friend. He laughed as he thought to himself, Good thing I didn't play Majora's Mask back then.
And then he heard the bellow of a semi's horn. And he noticed the headlights that were right in front of him. And everything suddenly went black...
He peeked his eyes open, and let out a massive sigh of relief as he saw the open road before him. He had barely swerved out of the way in time. On the bright side, that adrenaline rush was just what he needed.
* * * * *
Ten silent, wide-eyed, jaw-clenched, white-knuckled minutes later, and he was pulling into his driveway. The yellowy glow of his headlights illuminated the place he called home. The missing rusted out Toyota told him his brother was over at a friend's place, hanging out and playing video games and whatnot. The missing Ford reminded him his mother was working the night shift again, and wouldn't be back until well past dawn.
Now, one might think that a guy in his twenties still living at home would be frowned upon. However, this brony didn't mooch off of his single parent. His mom made sure he made it through college, that he had a degree before he left home, and after he got that degree he saw the cost of it was more than one person could handle. There was no way he could just leave. So he'd been working his ass off, along with his mom, to both pay off debts and to save up for his little bro's college expenses looming on the horizon. But even working together, things seemed bleak. Credit cards, student loans, mortgage payments, and everything else just washed away income as fast as it came in.
He sighed at the hopelessness of it all as he thought it over. He got out of his vehicle, and leaned against the beat up car(which creaked rustily in protest) as he looked at the sky again. The moon was really bright for a first quarter. He stared for a long while, marveling at how more stars showed up the longer he looked.
Finally he began to feel the nipping cold and exhaustion creep back into him, and so he decided to retreat indoors. Marking another day off of Twil-April on the FiM calender he hung by the door(best fifty cents I've ever spent at the Goodwill ), he hung his lumpy brown coat and cowboy hat on the wall. He was just slipping his shoes off as he heard a noise coming from down the hall, in the direction of the back door. The back door that was jammed shut after the deadbolt stuck last week. Knowing the family was out for the night, immediately the worst case scenario played out in his head that there was someone trying to break in. So he locked the front door, picked up the nearest blunt object he could find(an umbrella with one of those J-curved handles), and started down the hall. The back door was just around the corner. He gripped the umbrella tighter. Taking a deep breath, he jumped out to face whatever threat to his home dared show its face!
And he was instantly relieved to find out it wasn't a thief trying to break into his home. But that relief was quickly replaced with the concern of finding it was instead a thief that had already broken into his home and was trying to escape. That concern grew when he saw the panic flash across the intruder's face as said intruder saw the tired brony holding what very well might have passed for a shotgun in the darkness. The burglar drew. So did the brony. As it happened, the unfurling umbrella did nothing to stop the 9mm hollow point that made its way down the hallway.
The theif rushed past the weary, wounded man who collapsed against the wall and slid to the floor. He heard the front door get flung open(The knob likely punched a hole in the drywall. Asshole. ) and he clutched at the warm red wetness that was quickly soaking through his shirt. Struggling to breathe, he managed to pull out his phone and call for help, but he was fading fast. The phone slid out of his hand as he breathlessly explained his situation. It clattered on the floor, and a faint, muffled "Hello? Sir, are you still on the line?" drifted up to his ears. As his vision started to dim, he started to feel lighter. And then he started to feel like he was moving. Like he was floating towards something... pastel? And then... everything just went black.
It was late. The night was almost over, and the Princess had very little left to do. No, not Celestia. Princess Luna of Equestria, Mistress of the Night, and Goddess of the moon, stars, and dreams. And Romance, some had once said. But it had been a very long time since she had held that part of her title. Courtship has changed so much over the past thousand years. And the direction saddlewear and bridles have gone! She began to blush just thinking about it.
Night court was long over, the stars were taken care of, and the young(relatively) midnight-blue alicorn was taking a stroll through the Canterlot gardens. They were always beautiful this time of year. All the trees had fresh leaves, the flowers were in bloom, and a soft, cool breeze was tickling Luna's dark coat and wings while having absolutely no effect on her flowing, nebulous mane.
She closed her deep, sparkling teal eyes and took in a sweet breath of spring. They slowly opened again in confusion as a heavy thud before her broke the silence of the night. In front of her was a patch of forget-me-nots. In the middle of the flowers lay a bruised, battered, broken, naked human body.
Blue Moon
Humanity. A word with lost meaning to almost every living creature in Equestria. All but two(three if you include the one frozen inside a stature) had long ago forgotten the race of sentient, somewhat intelligent beings that had died out. Luna was one of those two(or three). In fact, there were still a few humans around when she... when she fell to her Nightmare.
At least one, who she remembered fondly. Her student, and very good friend(Just friends! ), Starswirl the Bearded. Modern Equestrian history classes taught he was a pony for the sake of not having to explain ancient anthropology as well, but Luna remembered. Oh she remembered... they had spent countless nights talking over every aspect of magic that could be talked about over the years. Particularly the years preceding her downfall. He was the only thing that kept her sane most nights. She would begin to rant and rage on how unappreciative and unloving the ponies were, and he would talk her down every time.
But then he died. Killed finally by the same disease that had wiped out his friends, family, and species. Luna cried for months straight after his death, for she had allowed him closer to her than any mortal. It had broken her fragile heart. After months of tears, her ice cold anger that she had been holding back broke loose. Something took hold of her that fed off of her dark feelings. The Nightmare was free.
But that was long, long ago. To most, anyway. To Luna, though, it was less than a year ago. He consciousness, while aware of Nightmare Moon's actions, was mostly dormant. The wounds left from her dearest friend's death were still fresh, and so... she brought this human into the castle and insisted she be the only one to care for him.
Celestia came to check in on her sister as the midnight mare watched the human sleeping. He was covered in hoof-wrapped bandages, and was laying in the finest guest bed with the best silk sheets and fluffiest down pillows. The sun goddess was worried about her sister's... obsession with the creature. Celestia had focused on her ponies for the most part, and so she knew relatively little about humans.
She softly asked, "Luna, watching over him is kind of you, but the trauma he received will likely have him unconscious for months..."
Luna sighed, resting her head on her hooves as she leaned on the bed. "I must be present when he comes to. He will doubtless have questions as to where he is and how severe his injuries are. I found him, and so he is my charge."
Celestia put a caring hoof on her shoulder, "Luna, you won't do him any good depriving yourself of sleep. It's past noon, you should rest."
The Princess of the Night thought of every argument she could muster before accepting her sister's suggestion. "Fine. But I will be back as soon as I receive an adequate amount of sleep. Could you... no, that would be far too selfish for me to ask."
Celestia smiled as Luna stood shakily and stretched. "Oh? Why don't you ask anyway."
Luna sheepishly grinned up at her big sister and asked, "Do you think you could maybe... attend night court in my place for a time?"
"Ow." He squeezed his eyes tight, ignoring the soreness all over his body, and tried to pretend he was still sleeping. Not to trick anyone. He just hoped that if he tried hard enough, he'd be not awake. Waking up was never this guy's favorite part of the day. It always meant the end of a good dream he didn't remember and the beginning of another long day of work, aches, and exhaustion. His groggy mind fumbled over thoughts. If the point of waking up is to wind down to where you're tired enough to sleep again, why do you even wake up? Just sleep forever... save yourself the trouble... just dream. Hmm... I didn't dream last night. No, I didn't forget, there was just no dream. But I remember a voice... a beautiful voice. What was I doing before I fell asleep?
It all came back to him at once. The drive home, the thief, the gun. He opened his eyes, squinting at the daylight coming in from... somewhere. He couldn't see or think clearly enough to tell where he was, other than not in his bed. The bed he was in was very nice though. Silk sheets, down pillows, elegantly carved and stained oak frame, the works. And the mattress... it defied the laws of comfort. It was the fanciest single bed he'd ever seen, much less laid in. Actually, probably the fanciest bed of any size he'd ever seen. He tried sitting up, but the sharp pain in his chest told him to lay the hell back down. With the arm that was the least achy (his right) he reached up and rubbed his eyes, feeling like he hadn't used them, or his arms, in ages.
He moved to run his hand through his hair, now able to take in the room around him a little better. It seemed like a luxurious master bedroom or something, like what you'd have seen in an old Disney cartoon. Cinderella came to mind. The walls were a sort of maroon, with a lovely stained wood running across the lower half of the wall. He couldn't quite remember what it was called, but it was classy. The floors were done in gorgeous marble tile, white swirled with gray. The huge window that was the room's sole source of light was flanked by thick ivory curtains, and the sun filtered through a thinner white one that blew gently in the breeze. He felt a tickling near his wrist; he had grown a bit of a beard.
After the freshly awake brony scratched his bristly scruff, he yawned and returned his arm to his side. He felt something odd under his hand now, a sort of cool silkiness that wasn't the feel of the very fine sheets he lay upon. It was more like putting your hand in a gentle brook, but like the water was composed of fine, smooth hair. It was just about indescribable. He looked down to see what could feel so nice, and then his heart skipped a beat.
Holy shit. I'm dreaming, right? I can't remember dreaming last night, so this has to be a dream. I have pony dreams all the time, so this is just another one, right? He tried to sit up again, followed by a quick "Ow!" under his breath. No, dreams don't hurt this bad... but I can't be in a decked out bedroom fit for royalty sleeping in silk sheets on the softest bed I've ever felt with down pillows- and her... his thoughts trailed off as he took 'her' in.
Her coat was a midnight blue, like the night sky when the moon is at its brightest. Her body was thin and youthful, the tone of her muscles complemented by curves in all the right places. Decorating the butt cheek he could see was a thick, blotted black mark with a white crescent moon in the midst of it. Her back half was off the bed, sitting on a red and very plush looking cushion on the floor. Her wings were folded neatly at her sides, not a feather out of place. Her face defined angelic, her eyes closed in slumber, her mouth forming a gentle smile. Her face itself was well defined, the angles and curves radiating regality. Her upper body rested on the bed, with her head using his thigh as a pillow. Her mane lay over the bedspread, like a blue starscape of infinite complexity flowing and ebbing about her face. From it, her spiral horn elegantly protruded, a reservoir of unknowable power. One of her ears peeked out from behind a lock of her ethereal mane, and gently twitched in a way only describable as cute beyond all belief.
As the brony lay there staring at Princess Luna, he noticed something else. She was completely naked. Her regalia lay neatly placed behind her near a dresser. As most ponies forgo clothing, this wouldn't normally be a big deal. But for a princess... for Luna... it was like seeing her as her bare self instead of her title. As he started to run his hand through her mane, he wondered why she was here, with him. And then why he was here with her. And... wrapped in enough bandages to pass as a certain Universal movie monster.
The movement caused the sleeping moon goddess to stir, which caused the guy to freeze. She was waking up. And he was freaking out. What am I going to say? What can I say? What if I make myself look like an idiot? What if Equestrian and English are completely different languages?!
She yawned, stretching her hooves over his legs absentmindedly. "Good morning," she mumbled to him. "Hah, I've not said that one in a while..." she trailed off as she blearily noticed he was awake and staring at her, eyes wide, mouth open, not really breathing. "You're awake!" she gleefully exclaimed, before removing herself from his lap with a faint blush. She pulled her front half off the bed and stood, smiling at him.
He lay there staring for a good few seconds more before managing "Uhh... uh-huh."
Another silence befell them before she nervously asked, "Would you... er... like something to eat? You've been unconscious for some time, and I expect you shall be hungry..."
He closed his mouth and swallowed dryly, "Sure," his voice cracking halfway through the single syllable.
As he cursed himself for his nonexistent eloquence, she rose to her hooves and levitated her tiara, breastplate, and shoes on. "I shall send for something from the kitchens then." She walked over to the impressively sized double doors and cracked them open, saying something to one of the guards standing outside it. She quickly returned to the bedside. "You must be confused as to where you are or who I am or how long you have been here..."
Finally, the guy managed to pull himself together enough to say something halfway clearly and intelligibly. "Thanks... and yeah, where am I? Is this part of Castle Canterlot? How long have I been out for? And why are you here?"
It was Luna's turn to be confused. "You know of Canterlot? Are you a resident of Equestria? And what do you mean by 'why are you here'?"
He apologized quickly, "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I mean... well, you're, like, the Princess of the Night. There's gotta be something more important than me to take up your time. And no, I'm from... it's a long story."
She smiled. "I have nothing of great importance to attend to at the moment. And you know of me? I fear I am at a disadvantage then, as I know not who you are."
He half-shrugged, half-winced, "I'm nobody, really. Name's Patrick though. Just call me Pat. So, how long have I been out for?"
Luna put a hoof to her chin and sat down on her cushion near the bed, "Oh, about three weeks now. I applied a few medical spells to accelerate the healing process and to prevent malnutrition, dehydration, and atrophy. You still require another week or so of treatment, but you are much better now than when I found you. To be honest, I thought you were dead at first."
Pat was silent for a moment. "You weren't too far off..."
She tilted her head to the side, "What do you mean by that?"
He took a deep breath. This is gonna be a joy to explain... "Alright. Keep a really open mind for this. Where I'm from isn't Equestria. It isn't a bordering nation. It's not even this planet. I'm from a planet called 'Earth'. I don't know where that is relative to Equestria, but it's probably something like another dimension or somesuch. I also don't know how I got here. The last thing I remember is that I was killed... My last memory before waking up here is bleeding to death on the floor. Maybe my soul ended up here, like Equestria is actually heaven? I could go for that."
Luna pondered what was said for a time, looking ever more thoughtful. "No, I doubt this is your existence's afterlife. The lack of other humans who have died and ended up here seems to put that theory to rest."
Pat chuckled, "Well there goes the plot for dozens of fanfics..."
"Fan-whats?" Luna questioned.
He let out an "Oh," before answering. "This is gonna sound weird... weirder than what I've already said."
"Please do go on. I've waited for some time for this conversation," she replied happily.
"Alright," he began, carefully propping himself up with a pillow. "Well, in my world, there's a television program... uh, I don't know if Equestrian technology has advanced to the motion picture and other such media yet-"
"We have movie theaters," Luna interrupted. "Ponykind is quite proficient with audio recording, playback, and even broadcast. A recent invention is the vinyl record, which makes most old gramophones look quite archaic. Ponies do so love their music. Advancements in photography quickly combined with sound and music to create fully voiced moving pictures. Fascinating, really. In my studies of technological advancements in the past thousand years... oh that requires some explaining."
Pat bit his lip. "Well, not really. I know about Nightmare Moon. And the Elements of Harmony. And the element bearers, and Discord, and Canterlot, and Ponyville, and more. As I was saying, in my world there's a broadcast sort of series of short motion pictures called "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". It details the adventures of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, and it was supposed to be completely fictional. It's a children's show, drawn in cartoon form and made for entertainment. It's really good though, and- are you ok?"
Luna's eyes were unfocused. She suddenly blinked, looking distraught. "Is this "television program" popular?"
He laughed in response, quickly cradling his ribs. "Yeah, but that's because it's good. The stories are well written, the characters are deep and relatable, and the animation style is great. Just about anyone can take a lesson from most of the episodes, regardless of age. It seems a lot of what makes it great would be that most of it is... real. Never thought I'd say that."
The princess shook herself of the feeling that she had been watched by unknown numbers of humans as curiosity took over again. "So if the... show is targeted at young ones, why then do you know of it? Are you a parent?"
Pat was quick to answer, "No, no. Like I said, it's really well made. So it wasn't long before teens and adults started taking notice of it, and soon there were enough male fans that they started calling themselves "bronies". A long while ago, the show was targeted exclusively for very young girls, and the future iterations continued to do so. Friendship is Magic is actually the fourth generation of the show... I'd not like to think if the earlier generations correlate to Equestrian history... But the fourth one is the one that was more appealing to all ages. I'm sort of a fan too. A big one."
Luna grinned, "So, I am in the presence of not only a human, but a brony? What luck have I that this should happen to me, meeting Patrick the brony!" She laughed, winking at him and clearly enjoying the chagrin he was experiencing. Her face soon took on a more somber expression, and she asked, "So then you know of my downfall, the thousand years banishment, and my salvation?"
He rolled his eyes, "I know the watered down version of the story. It was a kids show, after all, so I think a lot was toned down."
She tilted her head again, "So then bronies do not bear ill will towards me for my past sins?"
Pat's eyebrows went up, "Oh, of course not! There are thousands and thousands of Luna fans! You're quite popular. That, uh, fanfic thing I mentioned before, that means fan fiction writing. Stories written by bronies about anypony and everypony. I've read quite a few about you, actually... And maybe written one or two..."
Luna was nearly gawking at this point. "So then, are you a fan of me as well?"
Me'n my big mouth... Pat's cheeks were burning something fierce now. "Well, yes. You might say that... you're my favorite of the ponies. I even like Nightmare Moon a bit too... She isn't really hated so much by the fandom either. She possesses a raw sort of power and sensuality, drawing in fans of the darker night... Of course if they knew the real story, they probably wouldn't see her that way, but no one there knows what really happened... But now I have Princess Luna herself here. If it wouldn't bother you too much I'd love to hear the story first-hand. I mean, hoof. First-hoof."
Luna's face showed a pained look for just a moment before returning to a pleasant, if slightly forced smile. "Perhaps later. There is so much more I would like to know of your world, and I am sure you of mine. I would not wish to have the mood spoiled by such a tale." There was a knock at the door, indicating the food had arrived. "Ah, excellent, your first Equestrian breakfast is here. If you could call it breakfast at noon, that is," she giggled.
Luna had made her way to the door and had brought in a... silver platter. Groovy. Covering it was one of those silver dome thingies you always see covering a silver platter, and beside the levitated tray were some utensils, a glass of orange juice, and one of those breakfast in bed lap-tables. She carefully set the table down over Pat, laying the platter, utensils, and glass on it. "Lean forward, if you can," she said. He was happy to do so, hiding the sudden sharp pains admirably. Luna used her magic to fluff and position the pillows to where he was now in a seated position, "Alright, you may sit back now."
Pat did, and Luna removed the cover from the noon breakfast. On the platter was a large plate with golden hashed brown potatoes, perfect sunny side up eggs, flaky buttered biscuits with a side of apple butter, and crisp- was that bacon? "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the strips of not-bacon.
"Oh, those are haycon strips. Hay weaved and laced with oats before being deep fried and served traditionally with breakfast. A relatively new culinary delight," she explained, proud of being able to apply some more of her recently acquired knowledge.
Pat shrugged and took a bite... and then thought better of it as he roughly swallowed the grassy-textured foodstuff. "You know, I don't think humans can eat hay," he said with a cough. "You can have it."
Her eyes widened, "Oh, I had forgotten! I remember that Starsw- I mean, humans cannot digest hay or grasses. I am sorry," she apologized. "And thank you," she added, taking the piece of haycon that he had bitten into in her magic and nibbling on it.
"No problem. Everything else looks delicious. And what do you mean, there were humans here before me?" Pat asked as he started trying to cut his eggs, his fine motor skills failing him.
Luna smiled again, but somberly, "There were once humans here, yes. Doubtless you see their influence in the designs of things around you. Handles, knobs, forks and knives, mugs... many things here are awkward for ponies to use by hoof. Or by mouth, as is often the case as well. Humans and ponies grew up together, you see. They worked together, they played together, and they built together. Why, most of-" she paused as she noticed Pat hadn't made any progress on his eggs. "Allow me?"
His face brightened, "Please do!"
She giggled again, a sound that Pat found he couldn't get enough of, and levitated his fork and knife to cut his eggs into bite-sized pieces. "As I was saying, Humans designed most of Old Canterlot, and that was seen as an inspiration for every pony architect of the age. Particularly the castle..." she trailed off as she fed him a bite.
"Dif' un?" he asked as he chewed, before swallowing and adding, "Or the one in the Everfree?"
She looked sadder, offering him another bite of egg. "The latter. That is the location of Old Canterlot... or the remains of it. I am not proud of-"
"You know." Pat hadn't taken the bite. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Tell me more about the humans here." He bit down on the fork a bit too hard, wincing.
"There are none left, sadly. I was present to see the last of them off; that may give you an idea of how long ago it was they died out." She offered him the orange juice.
Pat took a big gulp, puckering his face at the tartness, before asking, "So what happened? A few bites of the potatoes, please."
Luna switched over to the hashed browns, "None knew. The greatest medical minds of the era were baffled. Admittedly, not a difficult thing to do for the time, but all the same. Humans simply started dying. All ages, all races, all genders, indiscriminately and without seeming cause. Soon after the last passed on, ponykind gave up on trying to find out whatever ailment it was that killed them."
Pat's chewing slowed. He swallowed hard. "So, not to be insensitive, but is that whatever it was still..."
Luna's wings fluffed up slightly, "No no! With no hosts to carry, the sickness is long gone. You have nothing to fear." She calmed down, but began poking at the potatoes with the fork, looking sadly and pensively at them.
The silence lasted some time. Pat was the first to break it. "I wasn't expecting eggs and hashed browns as a traditional Canterlot breakfast. It's nice."
This pulled Luna back from her thoughts. "It is my sister's favorite. Simple, but filling. She says having a more simplistic, "homestyle" breakfast brings her somewhat closer to the hardworking ponies of Equestria. She loves them so..."
"What's your breakfast of choice, then?" he asked.
She smiled and giggled before answering, "I greet the night with a variety of fruits of the orchards and a glass of red wine. 'Tis no better way to start the night."
Pat raised his eyebrows and nodded, "Sounds like it. Do you have this for dinner then?"
She shook her head, "Nay, I prefer stacks of pancakes and biscuits covered in- Well, thou wouldst think me foalish."
"No, not at all. Tell me," he prompted.
She conceded, "Well, I have the chef prepare a chocolate sauce to pour over them. It's the definition of richness and decadence. I have a bit of a "sweet tooth" as they call it these days."
"We'll have to share one of your ideal dinners some time, it sounds delicious," Pat grinned before receiving a bite of biscuit.
Luna returned the grin before agreeing, "Indeed we must." The hungry young man finished the rest of his meal quickly, with the help of the princess, when she asked, "Would you mind telling me some of where you came from?"
"Sure, uh... what'd you like to know?" he asked.
"I'd like to know everything," she beamed. "Perhaps start with your society? The "people" and how they live, work, and govern themselves."
"Alright. The country I live in is sort of a democratic republic thing. The people of my country are supposed to elect a president who acts as leader for four years, and to act as a sort of checks and balances system there's also the senators, which each state of the country has a few of, I think... they can vote to approve or throw out rules made by the president and themselves where the president does the same for them... I think. It's been a while since I really studied anything about the government, and at this point it's so corrupt and practically owned by corporations and stuff that I don't think too much of it matters," Pat said with a sigh.
"Oh my," Luna remarked as she gingerly nibbled on a strip of haycon.
"Yeah. The people themselves live pretty much freely, which is nice. Every man has the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, or somesuch. People own businesses, or work for those who own businesses, or work for the government in law enforcement or the military or the post office-"
"Your country has a standing military?" Luna interrupted.
"Yes. I don't think it should according to some treaty or something, 'cause we aren't or weren't technically in a war, but I don't really know. I'm glad to be rid of the world as I knew it," he said with light contempt.
"But surely you had family or friends that made it bearable," she prompted.
Pat settled back into the comfortable pillows. "Yeah, that I did. I had my mom and my little brother. My mom raised me and him on her own, got us a good education, and made sure she and I got through college. We had just found work, and things were lookin' up."
"What profession did you pursue?"
"Well. I wanted to be a doctor. But that takes too long and is way too expensive. I settled on nursing, because I could still help people and afford to get my degree. The docs get most the respect, but I got to work more with the patients. It was nice."
Luna nodded, "Do you know that I too am a student of the healing arts? I learned them from my sister. She created them to care for her- our ponies. I am not as good as she, but I am still more competent than any other, even in this day."
"Wow. So you were the one who bandaged me up 'n stuff?" Pat peeked beneath the covers, looking over the loose pajamas he wore and the bandaged around his abdomen where the shirt had pulled up some. "I've gotta say that I'm impressed with your technique. And the fact that I'm wearing clothes. Where did you get them?"
"I had them made by a seamstress in ponyville. You would not know her-"
"Rarity's Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique. Yes, I know her. She was my favorite before..."
"Ah, yes," Luna remembered, "the "program." I will be honest will you, at first I thought it was amusing, but I am unsure now how I feel about it. A princess's life is always under close scrutiny, but to have hundreds of thousands of extinct creatures observing my every movement-"
"Twi's every movement," Pat corrected.
There was a grim silence before both said as one, "She must never know."
They both laughed, before Luna recalled a question she wanted to ask earlier, "You said earlier that I was your favorite. Why is that?"
Pat thought for a moment, blushed, thought a while more, then answered. "At first, it was a bit superficial. I loved your coat color and the way your mane complemented it so. The pale, powdery blue on an almost lavender was gorgeous, and combined with the sweep of your mane and the styling, it portrayed youth, innocence, and beauty. And after you were freed from Nightmare Moon, it sharply contrasted her look, making you very distinctly different and... vulnerable? It triggered that male protective instinct thing. But that alone wasn't enough. And you didn't get any air time until a year later. But then when you showed up in a flying chariot on Nightmare Night, cloak billowing in the wind, hood pulled up, eyes a-glow, and you leaped down from it into the crowd and pulled back that hood, I was transfixed. You were amazing! Darker coat, mane now similar to you sister's but instead like the night sky itself enshrined your face, despite that the eye was drawn to your body which has all the right curves, your regalia shimmering in the moonlight, and then you spoke with such presence! And as the night went on, you were revealed to be sweeter, caring about your subjects, doing all you could to get them to like you. You carried yourself with a measure of both confidence and awkwardness that I could relate to. My guess was that you spent the last year holed up in the library learning everything you could about the thousand years you missed so that you could be the best princess you could be. Seems I was right. And I admire that. And then you went out with little to no time to practice local mannerisms and speech so that your ponies would have their princess amongst them for a special holiday night. And that entrance... You're awesome. Literally and colloquially. Does that answer your question?"
Luna sat there and blinked a few times. "Yes. Quite. That was a most informative and praising answer... though I am unsure it is entirely deserved."
"Completely deserved. A hundred and twenty percent totally deserved."
She blushed, the red showing through despite her dark coat. "Well, we may argue that at a later time. I will remove these dishes from us," she said as she gathered up the tray, lap table, and silverware, "And if you will excuse me, I will take a brief walk. I would like to contemplate the things you have told me."
As she stood, levitating the breakfast things at her side, Pat nodded. "I'll be right here when you get back," he quipped mirthfully. In his head, however, he was running over everything he had said, cursing himself out for some of what he said and some of what he didn't. Luna left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
Luna was walking the halls, contemplating the human. There was still much he could tell her, if she could get past the resentment he had for his own world. He did seem to like her, almost idolized her if that description of her was anything to go by. It was flattering, but a bit unsettling. Or was it the hundreds of thousands of eyes she had had on her at every moment she was with Twilight Sparkle that was unsettling?
She sighed and started to make her way back to Pat's room. It was right next to her own; she had insisted he be brought there. She wanted to be sure he was well cared for at all times. After all, he is the last of his species in this world.
As Luna thought, she saw her sister approach. "Good afternoon, Luna. How is that human doing? Is he still naked and drooling on the pillows?"
"N-no! I received his clothing by post just this morning and he is now dressed." Luna never really caught on to when Celestia was just messing with her. "And he's doing very well, actually. He just awakened. He has had much to say... some of it very interesting."
"Oh? Perhaps I might wish to speak with him-" Celestia began.
Luna, however, cut her short, "No! I'll tell you everything later, just... for now leave him to me. Please?"
The white alicorn of the sun smiled knowingly at her sister. " Of course, as you wish. Do with him as you please." As they went their separate ways, she called back "Just remember to have the sheets washed when you're done!"
Luna never really caught on to when Celestia was just messing with her.
Luna decided to take the long route back to the bedrooms, her face still practically glowing red. "Oh, Tia! Why must you be so... you!" Her starry tail twitched with agitation. But now that her sister had brought it up... Just how do I feel towards this human? Pat. He seems quite kind. I have watched him sleep dreamlessly for so long, trying to imagine if he would be like... him. Of course not. The resemblance is only in my imagination. Starswirl had never looked that young. From the time he was a boy he had the look of age. What an old soul he was... This Pat is a young soul. He feels as though he once loved life, but that love was taken. A troubled soul.
She had slowed her pace from an indignant storming to a contemplative stride as she continued to think. If I did not know any better though, I would say that he bears love for me! I cannot imagine one who did not know the object of their affections even existed still managed to hold love for them. At least not love of that sort... The way he looks at me is almost as he did. No... Starswirl looked upon me more likened unto my sister's gaze. A sibling's affection for his sister. It mattered not that I looked upon him as Pat looks upon me now. He could not control what kind of love he held for me, so I had to curb mine for him. 'Tis better to keep a brother than to lose one you would wish a lover.
She sighed as her pace slowed, passing her own bedroom door, then stopping outside Pat's room. This Pat... I should get to know him better before I think harder on this. Mayhaps I am mistaken in discerning the way he looks at me?
She opened the door, finding Pat asleep once more. As she approached his bed, she saw the look on his face. Love. As she sat down on the bedside cushion, she heard him mumble, "Hmm... moona..." She couldn't help smiling at this, shaking her head. His sleep was contagious, it seemed, as she yawned and looked out the window at the mid-afternoon sun. She rested her head against his thigh as she had before he had awakened, quickly falling asleep once more.
...months... ma'am, we're doing the best we can... in a coma for three weeks, we don't know why he hasn't... have to remind you he doesn't have a living will... hospital policy... feels no pain, I assure you... always hope he'll come to...
The voices faded as pat blearily opened his eyes. He was floating, weightless in a void. Also bodyless, it seemed. He saw no one... and then she was there. The first thing that caught his attention were the twin teal pools that were her eyes. Quickly her deep blue face and muzzle faded in from the darkness, and then her nebulous mane surrounding her regal features. Her nude body was slowly revealed, then her forelegs. Her wings came out of the darkness, spread wide and majestically. Ever so slowly her rump became visible, which was complimented by the mark of the moon, and finally her ethereal tail appeared behind her. "H-hello?" she voiced as a question.
"Uh... Hi?" Pat replied, suddenly having a voice, and a body to go with it. "Um... where am I? Where are we ?"
Luna blinked a few times, before widening her eyes and grinning in realization. "We are in a dream!"
Pat looked around the void, before settling his eyes back on Luna. "Huh?"
"Your dream. I must have fallen asleep whilst you slumbered. But this time you dreamed, and so I accidentally fell in," she explained. "I suppose that sounds odd... you see, I am princess of the night, and dreams are within my domain. My dreams oft consist of visiting other ponies' dreams, and you happened to be nearest me when I fell asleep." She looked around, seeing the nothingness. "This is abnormal... what were you dreaming of before my arrival?"
Pat thought for a moment. "Well, I was having this awesome dream about-" he stopped, eyes growing wider and going red in the face. "I was having a completely respectful and appropriate dream about you."
Luna's brow creased before she glanced slightly downwards. She quickly blushed, looking away. "Indeed," she said shortly.
Pat was wondering what had surprised her, when he noticed he had a body, but no clothes. And his recollection of his previous dream had caused quite a stirring in certain parts. "Ah, geeze, can I get some pants?!" he embarrassedly shouted to no one. And suddenly pants. "Huh. Right, a dream." He quickly thought on a t-shirt, socks, and his old construction boots to match the jeans he had conjured. With a little more thought, he had his oversized lumpy brown coat and cowboy hat with the circle cut out of the brim (like Applejack's). "How do I look?" he asked the night alicorn who was still averting her eyes.
She cautiously looked back, and gave a nod of approval. "This is how you looked previous your... death?"
He shrugged, "Nah. I haven't worn this stuff in years. I mean, it's my favorite coat and hat. I guess I just put the hat on the shelf and the coat in the closet and never pulled 'em out again."
Luna thought for a moment. "I still no not why your dream is blank... rarely do dreams do that. But this gives us an opportunity. For now that you are aware of your dream, you have far more control. Perhaps you can take me on a tour of your world? Introduce me to other humans you knew, tell me about where you lived?"
Pat too took a moment to think. "Yeah, I guess. I'd rather be exploring Equestria though. The real one, not the one in my head."
"There will be time for that later," Luna smiled. "Why not show me your home first?"
He nodded, closing his eyes as he brought back memories. The void faded into the light gray of overcast skies all around them, and a snow-covered yard solidified underfoot and hoof. Luna watched thoughtfully as a house began to build itself in front of her, a foundation pouring followed by concrete block outer walls. Pine framing nailed itself together inside the concrete box, and roof trusses sprung up and snapped into place. Plywood, tar paper, and shingles were affixed to the trusses, completing the roof. Inside, drywall had leaped onto the walls and ceiling, as doors crawled into their frames. Windows had already slid into place on the outside wall, and as a front and back door closed, through the windows could be seen paint creeping up the freshly puttied and smoothed drywall.
Pat stepped forward, opening the front door as tan tile laid itself out down the hall before him. The doors that lined the hall shut as carpet unrolled in some, more tile in others. Lightbulbs, switches, and sockets grew from the walls, and as Luna stepped in after Pat he removed his boots to place by the door. Another two pairs of shoes appeared near his, one a women's size and the other a man's.
Pat sighed before looking away from the footwear to remove his coat and hat. He then opened the first door on the right, entering the living room. "Well, this is home," he said softly. A brown leather couch and loveseat melted up through the floor, and a set of shelves covered in books, movies, and a TV slid out of the wall. Two humans faded into being, one on the couch and the other on the loveseat. They were watching the blank TV. Further into the room, a kitchen/dining room assembled itself, and four more figures appeared around the kitchen table. All were happily but mutely chatting to a pale copy of Pat. All were faceless. None acknowledged Pat or Luna.
"These are your family and friends, I take it?" she asked.
"Yeah..." Pat replied hoarsely.
"Why are they without faces?" she asked, wary of the answer.
Pat swallowed hard. "Because I don't want to remember them right now... I don't want to remember here." With that, the house flew apart around the pony and man, the figures around the room disappearing. "I don't want to remember this world." The sky returned to darkness, only the snowy ground left. "I miss them all too much to have to see it..." He began to tear up as he fell to his knees.
Luna instinctively rushed to his side, putting a hoof around him. "I am sorry. I thought you were reluctant to converse about your world due to a disdain for it. I didn't stop to think that you missed it so instead." Pat held onto her, crying into her shoulder. The loss he was feeling was more than he had ever felt. Everything and everyone he had cared for were forever gone to him. The good, the bad, the mediocre, all gone. Or rather, he was gone from it. And that hurt even worse.
After a few minutes, the tears stopped. He sniffled a few times, letting go of the concerned and slightly tear-stained mare. "I'm sorry... that was horribly ungentlemanly of me to do, much less to a princess. You are a guest here, after all," he tried to make light of it.
"Twas I that initiated the contact, though. And twas I that caused you such pain," she said sadly.
Pat shrugged and wiped his nose. "Don't worry about it, my death was going to catch up with me sooner or later... thanks for the hug. I needed that."
"Any time," she smiled.
Pat smiled back and looked at her with that look. Absolute adoration. Tender affection. Love.
Pat spent hours after that moment showing Luna around the rest of the human world he had been to over his lifetime. They enjoyed laying in the grass looking at clouds, driving across the country, visiting a few big (but empty) cities, exploring various stores and such, running through woods, and much more. They were relaxing in Pat's last bedroom, playing a few video games, when it was time to wake from this perfect dream.
"Oh, this 'video game' is harder than one would think it to be!" Luna said frustratedly. They had been playing some classic titles on the Super Nintendo, like Mario World, Megaman, and at the moment Mario Kart.
"You know, the funny thing is that a lot of your fans picture you as an expert gamer," Pat snickered.
She huffed, "Well perhaps with more practice I could be as such, but as for now I think I shall forfeit the match."
As she laid the controller down and released it from her magic, everything began to get brighter. "What's going on?" Pat asked.
"It seems you are waking up," she answered.
He was about to say something about how it was a shame this dream had to end, when all before him turned to white.
Pat groggily opened his eyes. It was dark. Long past sunset. Luna stirred beside him, stretching her legs over pat's thighs again. Suddenly she sat bolt upright. "Oh no! I'm late!" She quickly stood and pulled a brush from the dresser nearby. She looked into a full-length mirror near it, making herself look as presentable as possible.
"What's the hurry?" he asked, still sleepy.
"Even though I cut back on a few things to care for you, I still have royal duties to attend. I missed raising the moon!" she exclaimed. What will Celestia say? What might she assume?! What if she thinks-
Pat interrupted her worries. "Thank you, Princess. Thanks for taking care of me. And thanks for sharing that dream with me. It was amazing."
Luna paused as she was adjusting her crown. And she smiled again. Not a word of this shall ever get to Tia. Not. A. Word.
"... And that is why it would not quite be in our country's best interests to make sneezing a capital punishment," Celestia concluded. Night court was always more fun than the boring old sensible day court. All the wilder and more bizarre subjects came out at night. Of course, she wasn't about to tell Luna taking over this particular duty was enjoyable. She thought her little sister was absolutely adorable when she got flustered, and thinking that she was imposing on Celestia was a one way ticket to flusterville.
Just as she concluded that thought and the dejected subject left with a bow, Luna arrived through the side entrance to the courtroom. She courteously bowed before the currently presiding princess, before approaching the throne. Celestia almost cracked a grin, but managed to maintain her calm, motherly facade as she said, "State your name, your hometown, and what you wish to ask of your princess this night."
Luna pouted. "Not funny, Tia." She stepped closer to the throne as her sister rose and softly chuckled to herself. Luna took her place, giving a yawn and stretching before planting her royal rump on the regal seat. "My apologies for my lateness. I do not know what you might have thought when I did not raise the moon..."
Celestia rolled her eyes gracefully and simply replied, "Oh, I bet you have a pretty good idea of what I might have thought..." Luna didn't answer, merely blushing a deep scarlet. Celestia's eyes widened ever so slightly before continuing in that same calm, nurturing tone, "Oh... Ohhhh... So I was right then?"
"We knowest not what thou hath conceived in thy imagination, but we imagine it could not be further from the truth of what occurred!" Luna exclaimed, reverting back to the speech of Old Canterlot. "I mean... I simply nodded off for a moment. I have not been sleeping well of late, and so it was to be expected. My apologies once more; I shall strive to ensure it shan't happen again."
Celestia shifted her altruistic expression ever so slightly to include a knowing grin. "Well, it can't be helped with the way you've adapted your sleep schedule to mimic our- I mean, your guest." She began to walk away, that faint hint of amusement just underneath the surface. "One would wonder why somepony would go to such lengths for anypony. Or anyone, rather. As I recall, humans can easily shift to be more nocturnal. Perhaps you could ask if he'd rather spend nights with his princess? It would do you wonders, and I'm sure that alone would please him more than you stressing yourself so..."
Luna was going to return a witty retort, but her sister had a point. Perhaps it would be for the best to see if Pat would prefer chatting nights. Just as Luna was about to motion for the night guards to let in the next subject, Celestia called back, "Let me know how big he is compared to my honor guard. I find their lack of girth... disappointing."
The next petitioner had to clean his glasses before he could be sure there wasn't a red princess seated at the throne.
Nights worked for Pat. He easily slept through the day, as did Luna. She awakened him after dark, flicking on the room's magic lights with a charge of her horn. "Good evening, Pat," she said happily, now fully rested.
"Good evening, m'lady! How are you this most glorious of nights?" he asked, stretching without wincing this time. Her chipper mood was quite contagious.
At this her face broke out into a full smile, "I am quite fine, good sir. How wonderful it is to have such company as yourself to herald it in alongside!"
He paused, blinking, before unsurely saying, "You know, I don't think I can keep that up all night, if that's alright with you."
Luna laughed (what beauteous sound! ) and replied, "Of course. Speak however you wish, as always." She stepped over to her cushion and seated herself. "So what will the conversation topic be today?"
Pat chewed his lip thoughtfully, before suggesting, "How about the night?"
Luna's face lit up. "Of course! I can tell you anything you could wish to know and more. Is it stars that interest you? The moon? The vastness of the universe, how it all came to be, what is it you wish for me to tell you of?"
"Huh. The night is a pretty big topic," he noted, eyebrows raised. "How about the first night? What was it like?"
Luna's eyes went wide, her face loosing tone. I should have expected this one. She ran her tongue over her lips, her mouth gone dry. "Well," she began, clearing her throat as her eyes looking straight through the wall across from her, "It was a very, very long time ago. One must know the full story to understand what exactly the first night is... Prepare yourself for a tale few know.
"Near the beginning of time, the planet was... well, it was in a state of chaos. At the time the godlike beings that would later fuze to form the draconequis Discord, as well as other less vile beings, roamed the barren dusts, doing as they pleased to whatever life attempted to take hold on the empty wastes. The sky was a constant twilight, a twilight that lasted forever. There was no sun and no moon. An event occurred that none living can remember whereupon my sister was created; perfect, young, and immortal. She was without purpose, simply contending with the gods that roamed the planet for sustenance to maintain superiority.
"Eventually, after not even she knows how long, she began to form coherent thoughts. She began to feel things other than bare survival. She discovered reason and wisdom, the first of her domains maturing. As she grew in stature from naught but a foal to a young filly, it dawned on her that light could bring life. And so she focused her power into a focal point, far from the planet, and created the sun. That day, the mark of the sun appeared on her flank. At the time, there was no word for "cutie mark". In fact, there were no spoken words. Feelings and emotions were shared telepathically.
"The Discordian constituents failed to see her way, and simply continued on their rampage. But she was correct. With a touch of magic to initiate it, from the light there came life. The planet began to turn from brown to green. The dusts settled, plant life taking hold of the soil. But then the greenery began to brown, and Celestia (which of course was not her name at the time, for non had names) feared that the old gods were trying to take the life that she had fostered.
"But it became quickly apparent that it was the glorious light that had given life that was taking it. So in a moment of brilliance, she set the planet in motion, around the sun, rotating as it went. Life was able to continue, but in the time of darkness that was not the day there was no light. Celestia wished to begin to raise up more complex life, but feared it would be lost in the darkness.
"When she had nearly lost hope, millennia after her beginning, she found a blue foal contending with the two creatures that would become the right arm and tail of Discord. The foal showed power far greater than any one thing that lived, and Celestia, seeing her likeness in this young being, adopted her as her sister, though the words to say so still did not exist.
"For the first time in existence, there was love. The love shared between two sisters. No purer a love has there been yet, untainted by carnal desires, greed, or obligation. 'Twas from then that language began to form, as a means for the sisters to communicate their love for one another, and in preparation for life that would be. For not long after, the dark blue filly focused her wishes for her sister's happiness into a single point above the planet, and so the moon was created in honor of the white alicorn.
"'Twas then that this mark appeared on my side, as a symbol of wishes, hopes, dreams, and love. So too did my domains include. These are but few of many, of course, but Celestia's pertain to warmth, life, nurturing, light, compassion, wisdom, and nature. Mine reside in darkness, hope, love, dreams, fertility, combat, sex-" she paused, glancing nervously to Pat, who up to this point had been entranced by the story. His brain then caught up to that last bit, and noticed that he had softly locked eyes with the princess, before both looked away awkwardly. "Er... Then I set the moon in motion and it set for the first time. That was the first night, the end!
"Well, not the end, more the beginning. I did not tell of how I was able to channel my vast capabilities into creating the galaxy of stars around us and then- well, nothing is ever finished. But that was indeed the first night. As I gently lowered the moon below the horizon, sister and I decided to create proper words that were for special things. Names. I called the moon Luna, and sister referred to her sun as Celestia. And so we took on those as our own names.
"Soon thereafter, the first ponies were given life. Celestia was so proud of her little ponies, created in her image. Humans appeared on their own at some point, and neither of us know from where. It was odd, yes. But as we did not know from whence we arrived, we conceded that there were some things we simply did not know. Tia charged me with watching over them, thinking it would be something of foalsitting a new breed of primates.
"However, humans showed powerful intellect and creativity, as well as ingenuity. When they had learned everything I could teach them, they began to learn from each other and invent. I was so proud... but sister's ponies had advanced far beyond them in terms of emotional and spiritual development. It was not long before the humans began to understand the value of the elements, though. But by then, Tia had already had her heart set on ponies as the inheritors of the planet.
"I was saddened by this, but understood. You see, only ponies can fully tap into the powers of the Elements of Harmony. Each pony draws a strength from it, and the energy balance flowing from the elements to them gives them their special talent and magic. The cutie mark is the physical manifestation of that energy. Humans can not achieve this, and can only perform the simplest of spells at best.
"But I doted on them all the same. You see, they loved my night. They drew creativity from it, they praised me for it, and they loved me for loving them. I love sister's ponies as well, but they did not understand the draw of the night at the time. Each species had its own faults, it would seem.
"Oh my, have I simply been rambling this whole time?" she asked, suddenly realizing Pat hadn't said a word since he asked his question. "Did you receive a satisfactory answer?"
"Yeah, that really covered it and more! Thanks. That was... wow. I tend to say 'wow' a lot when I'm around you. But really, I can't quite think of anything else to say."
Luna took a breath, smoothing her mane, "It is a story I rarely get to tell, but not for lack of interest. 'Tis more that very few think to ask about it. But I must go now." She rose, moving towards the door.
"Do you have to?" he sadly asked.
His fallen face affected her, the corners of her cheeks dropping as well. "Yes, I must. The sky is well due for some attention, and Canterlot's astronomy guild has already sent several angrily worded messages to me concerning the mishandling of the night of late. I should not say, but it is so bad that they asked if I had let Celestia take over again... Please, do not repeat that to anypony."
He snickered, agreeing to keep it between them. With that, Luna left the room, leaving Pat to think about Equestrian ancient history. I wonder if Celestia was lonely before she found Luna? Can you feel lonely if you've never had anyone to miss?
Celestia was having a midnight snack, wondering if she had gone too far with her teasing. But really, Luna's the goddess of sexy. Why won't she talk about it more? Or at least take a joke without her face turning into an adorable tomato...
The tall, slender white alicorn took another ladylike bite of a lemon meringue pie from the kitchen that had been baked on her request. The kitchen staff are such pleasant ponies. I don't thank them enough! she thought as she walked back to her room, her flanks giving off just the perfect jiggle.
Once she reached her room, she spotted Luna leaving her guest's room and decided to just ask her. "Luna, why aren't you comfortable talking or joking about mating and the activities surrounding and enhancing it?" The question startled her, as she had been facing away, rump out, to close the door gently. Celestia continued as she turned around. "I mean, you invented sex. You insisted that every pony have a mate, and that they be able to unite as one briefly to manifest love and to create life. And you used to be fun about it! I remember the orgies. Nopony else does, but I do. What happened to fun Luna?"
The night princess thought for a moment as she stepped over to Celestia's door further down the hall, deciding on the best way to put it. "You are correct. In the beginning, I was a rather wild one. But that was simply a means of perfecting every technique and method. Once I had created and mastered the art of love making, it had to be kept special. If it was out in the open and commonplace, then it would lose its value. Also remember that the population was much smaller at the time, and needed bolstering. Now is the time for modesty and virtue. Perhaps things have changed in a thousand years, but chastity is another of my creations, and I had promoted it for some time before my banishment. Do not devalue- are you paying attention?"
Celestia had resumed eating on the pie, looking at one of the stained glass windows down the hall. "No, simply pondering what you say. I understand now..." She looked back to her dark blue sister with a gentle(and crumb speckled) smile. "So, do you really have feelings for him? I've seen how you looked over him since he arrived. You've shown interest beyond a nurse."
Luna looked down, her ears back, "I do not know. Well, yes, there are feelings. And I know they are returned. OH do I know. But... I do not wish to complicate things too quickly. And I am still recovering from the loss of my little humans... I do not feel I am able to make a unswayed decision on this yet. Please, give me some time. I will answer you when I can. Until then, though, I do not know for sure." She looked up, her face inquisitive. "Do you understand?"
Celestia smiled broader, pulling her little sister into a hug. "Of course. It's so adorable seeing you with a crush on somepony- er, someone. I never could get used to that. But take your time. He seems nice, and literally ready to worship the ground you walk on."
"Hah!" Luna laughed, "I remember worship. 'Tis not as glamorous as ponies today think it."
They broke the hug and wished each other a good night. Celestia watched her sister walk down the hall, remembering the little filly that she had found frightened by the world and her own power. How such a small thing could become a proud princess-goddess, she could never have imagined. She sighed as she set the pie tin on her bedside table, removing her regalia and curling up with her blankets. You grew up so fast, she thought sarcastically, giggling to herself as her heart felt the bittersweet of nostalgia. I don't know what I'd have done without you... I love you, little sister.
I love you too, big sister, came a thought reply from the other side of the castle.
Suddenly, there was blurry white. There were sounds, bleeps and mechanical pumps. Numbness, followed by pain. I can't breathe... it hurts... Luna...
With weak arms, Pat managed to pull the tube out of his throat. He gasped loudly, his lungs taking in as much air as they could, his throat dry and sore. His vision began to clear, and he saw he wasn't in the castle's guest room anymore. The room he was in was white, bright, and had familiar monitors near his bed which had its rails up. He was in a hospital room. A human hospital room.
He began to shiver, holding his arms to his body. The act hurt them, his muscles having atrophied somewhat. They were thinner than they had been before. Oh God, what's going on? Why am I here? Why am I not there? Where's Luna? It had only been a few days that he had been conscious in Equestria, but the world around him felt alien already.
Just then his little brother walked in, holding a massive leather bound book with it's bookmark near the end. It was Pat's hardcover of Fallout Equestria. "Bro! You're awake!"
Pat was speechless. It had all been a dream. An amazing dream that went beyond anything he had ever experienced before. And it had felt so real... A dream? "Hey..." he said weakly. "What happened?"
His brother sat down in a chair that was next to the bed, in the same spot Luna had sat. "Well, you got shot. You lost a lot of blood, and then went into a coma. I think the doctor can explain why exactly better... there's some good news and bad news. The best news is you're awake! After a whole month too!" He said, hiding his concern with a hug. "I've been here every day, reading you a bit of this each time. Almost got to the end too... I don't know if you heard me though. I'm glad you're back with us."
A quarter hour of catching up on what Pat had missed later, the doctor walked in. "Good morning! Been a while since you've heard that, eh?" he joked, his smile wavering for a moment. "Well, lets get straight down to it. First off, you've almost completely recovered from the gunshot wound. The bullet punctured a lung, but missed your vitals and major blood vessels. You're a very lucky person, if I might say.
"Now, there's no easy way to tell you this next part. So I'll just say it: When you were brought in, we ran a CAT scan, and accidentally found a tumor in your brain. It's in an area that would be hard to operate on, but we've caught it early enough for other treatments to likely be highly effective. The tumor is the reason you were unconscious for so long. It started to press on areas responsible for the subconscious and waking. It seems that the trauma and blood loss intensified its effects, causing a short coma," he finished.
Pat was quiet for a minute. "So, this affects like dreams and stuff too?"
The doctor nodded."Yes, it does. Eventually, if it worsens, hallucinations and delusions wouldn't be uncommon."
Pat was silent longer. "So all the crazy dreams I was having while I was out, that's from the tumor?"
The doc looked puzzled, "You don't dream during a coma. The monitors show no REM brainwave patterns, and so it would have been impossible for you to have dreamed anything while you were out."
Pat decided to stay quiet.
He stayed quiet all day.
He went home the next day. It felt like a strange place, though he had seen it in a dream just days before. Well, a dream's dream it seemed. His room was as he left it. His cat had been well cared for while he was out, and she lazily lay on his bed before noticing him, bolting to his side and meowing up a storm of "I missed you"s in cat-speak. He weakly reached down and pet her, but was unable to lift her. To his credit, the cat did weigh almost twenty pounds.
He absentmindedly said "hey fatcat..." as he looked his room over again. His dream's dream had foregone the little things. The various posters covering the walls. The pony calendar. The pony figures all styled and littering the shelves. And the Princess Luna plush laying on the bed's pillows. It was of fine crafting. The person who had made her was quite the artist. But there was no way she could compare to the real thing. Not now. Regardless, Pat lay on his bed and held the stuffed pony, while his cat jumped up and lay next to him.
And he cried.
Radiation therapy for the tumor was scheduled to begin at the end of the week. Pat barely ate, but talked with his family a bit. His mother and brother granted him his wish to be left alone mostly, and at one point his father, who had had very little to do with him since he had abandoned Pat as a child to pursue life as a single man again, visited. His mom and dad ignored each other, but they were there for him all the same.
He felt tired all the time. Sore. He hadn't moved for a month. He started doing therapeutic exercises to strengthen his weakened muscles. He could comfortably eat on his own by the end of the week.
He talked to his friends online, fellow bronies. He told them about his dream. Some thought it was an awesome dream, some thought he had actually gone to Equestria. They all asked him the same thing though. "If you had to choose, would you come back or stay there?" He couldn't answer them.
He wrote up the story as a fanfic, on a whim. He made up a fake ending where he didn't have anything to live for back home. Where he could stay forever. Where he did stay forever. It got warm reception, but few views.
He went in for treatment on Friday. As he was set up in the machine, he couldn't stop thinking about the one thing he had on his mind since waking up. How could it all have been a dream? How could she have been a dream? I feel like someone died.
A voice. "Pat! Pat! Wake up, please for the love of the moon WAKE UP!"
A loud, gorgeous, commanding voice.
Pat's eyes fluttered open. He was in bed again. An Equestrian-made bed. With a dark blue pony's hooves wrapped around his neck, his shoulder feeling wet. He heard a sniffle by his ear, and a whisper. "Don't die... please, not after he left me. Don't die..."
He put his arms around her, holding her tight. Her wings sprang up in shock, "You live!"
He didn't let her go. She felt good in his arms, she smelled good, she sounded good. He quietly said, "I'm afraid if I let you go, you won't exist anymore. That you'll just disappear."
She let out a relieved laugh, "No. It is you who I am afraid will vanish." They broke the embrace, pat looking upon her beautiful tear-stained face, gazing deeply into her bright teal eyes. Her eyes were happy, practically dancing in relief. "You were unconscious again for several days. Just now, you convulsed horribly and then stopped breathing. I thought you were..." she trailed off.
"I had a dream. In it, I wasn't dead, and I had actually dreamed you up. Or maybe it's that this is the dream, and there is real..." he too trailed off.
"No." She said it firmly and without hesitation. "This is no dream. From the one who created dreams, I know this is not one. Do you need proof? You feel pain. You cannot control the world around you in any way. Everything makes sense and nothing is faint or fuzzy. The feelings you feel are real. As are mine."
Pat thought about it. "I'm sorry, it's just... everything was so real there too. But it couldn't have been real." He felt that last part to be a lie, but feared what reality may actually be. So he embraced the fantasy. "What does that last part imply?"
Luna looked at him sternly but softly, "I care about you. More than anypony else, save for sister. I feel... strongly towards you. I watched you for a month. You were mine to care for. I saw your fleeting thoughts and dormant consciousness. I did not know you, yet I knew you. And then you awoke, and I talked with you, and now I know even more of you. Inside me... There is something there, and I don't want it to go away. 'Tis not love, but mayhaps the saplings of it taking root. And your death just now, however brief, almost broke me. So take from that what you will. I know you have a deep seated love for me. So I ask of you, be patient. Please."
He put his hand on her hoof and with the other brushed a remaining tear from her cheek. "Of course, my princess." They looked upon each other softly for minutes on end, before she had to leave to catch up on her works, having missed out on another week.
"I will see you again soon, Pat. Please... do not scare me like that again. Very few things hold that kind of power over one such as I. Rest well," she finished. She left the room, leaving him alone.
And Pat sat in bed, wondering if he was dreaming or awake. He thought about his life up to this point. Family. Friends. Home. Everything.
He sat in bed, wondering if he was dreaming or awake. And if he was dreaming, if he wanted to wake.
Luna raced through a hall, tears flowing freely again, out to a balcony, and threw herself off the edge.
She plummeted down the side of the castle, then down the cliff face, the salty droplets falling with her. She threw her wings out, using the momentum and sudden lift to rocket back upward, laughing brightly, her smile wide and joyous. She flapped her proud wings, gaining altitude, and briefly eclipsed the sun.
He is alive! She flew over Canterlot, relief washing over her. He worries me still. His mind seems to be rejecting Equestria. I must delve into these dreams he is having. Perhaps I may find a cause to all this, and solve it. But he is alive!
She returned to the castle after she had calmed down and her face was dry once more. She blissfully trotted up to her bedroom, foregoing what work there was to be done, and passed out on her bed, the first sleep she had gotten in a week.
He had slept briefly, but it was still hours before dusk. Pat stretched, noticing he didn't feel as weak as he had before. So he figured what the hell.
He pushed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. So far, so good. He braced himself with his arms, slowly pushing up, and shifted onto his feet. And he was standing. Heh, piece of cake! He tried to take a step forward and tripped over himself, not used to moving his legs. He threw a hand out to catch himself, and it went through the bedside dresser like paper.
He stood there for a time, staring at the hole in the furniture. And he slowly pulled it out. He held a piece of the wood in his hands, and tried to break it in half. The thick hardwood snapped like a toothpick. He let it clatter to the floor, flexing his fingers. Did the spells Luna used work too well?
He picked his foot up, it moving faster and more solidly than he remembered his feet moving. He set it down, wondering if this was the sign that this was all in his mind. He shook his head, pushing away those thoughts. Instead, he replaced them with a hearty, I'm going for a walk.