Eclipse

My hand hovers over the screen for several moments as I simply stare at the lit up profile picture of my estranged friend. She was online...what was I waiting for? The deep brown pools of her eyes seemed to stare back at me accusingly as my fingers drift toward the keyboard. Another soft groan from the bed spurs me on. I may be woefully unprepared to provide care for an injured alien equine, as would most anyone...but if there was anyone that could help, it was her. With one last hesitant glance at that soft freckled face framed by gleaming locks of brilliant blond hair, I begin to type.

"Hey, I know this is kinda out of the blue, but..." I pause. I couldn't just tell her everything. At best, she'd think I was making fun of her, and at worst she'd think I'd lost my mind. "I hit a horse with my truck today, and I wasn't sure what to do, so I brought it home to try to do what I can for it, but I'm kinda out of my element here and could really use your help..."

Okay, not the best explanation, but I hit 'send' anyway and wait anxiously as the 'sent' icon quickly shifts to 'seen,' and she quickly begins typing a response.

"Oh...that's awful, are you alright? Wait...brought it home!? The poor thing isn't suffering is it?"

"I'm fine...truck took a bit of a beating, but not too bad." I carefully watch the gentle rise and fall of Luna's chest for a few moments as she seems to rest peacefully. "I'm not sure about the horse, I don't think anything's broken, but I really don't know what I'm doing here."

"Ok...." She responds quickly, followed by a long pause as she types.

"I can stop by first thing in the morning, have you contacted the owner?"

"No. I have no idea where she came from." I reply. Well, at least that was somewhat truthful.

Lorrie follows up my response with a myriad of questions, as well as some advice, most of which not being applicable, or otherwise unhelpful. My vague responses only seem to further confuse and concern her, but we eventually agree on her stopping by early tomorrow to take a look at the "Unconscious horse I'm sheltering in my house." With a sigh I finally close out of the app and set my phone down. Yeah...by the end of that she more than likely thought I was a bumbling idiot when it came to animals, but at least she'd agreed to come.

With a glimmer of hope that at least now I have some semblance of a plan, and someone I can hopefully trust to help me, I return my attention to the nearly empty glass by my side. My eyes linger on the remaining bit of amber liquid as I swish it around before tossing it back. I enjoy the subtle burn of the watered down alcohol as it trickles down my throat, leaving behind an empty glass that seems to hold my interest as I slowly crunch on the few bits of ice that had stubbornly refused to melt. I study the bottom of the empty glass as if it's the most interesting thing in the world while I try to quell the unending torrent of concerns and doubts flowing through my head. When I finally lower it, I flinch back as I see an enormous set of pale blue eyes studying me in return.

"Wh....what has happened?" A soft feminine voice fills my ears as the midnight blue alicorn blinks a few times and wearily lifts her head from the blankets. Despite the obvious pain and confusion, her voice seems to carry a dangerous note of authority as her eyes focus on me and narrow. "What manner of creature are you!?"

"I...ummmm..." I struggle to form a response as those icy eyes seem to bore into my very soul. The rest of the blankets are flung to the side as her wings flare open, dominating my vision with a wall of midnight blue as they span the length of the bed. A cool blue glow suddenly illuminates the room as a glowing aura envelopes her horn. I gulp as it intensifies, fully expecting to meet my end right here. However, there's a loud *pop* and a brilliant flash as the aura blinks out and she falls back to the bed with a soft 'thud' and a shrill scream.

"Wha....what have you done to me!?" She groans through clenched teeth as she moves a foreleg up to massage her smoking horn, a small trickle of glowing blue ichor seeping from the jagged crack.

"Nothing!....I...I was trying to help you!" My voice wavers as I find myself scooting back across the carpeted floor. There's a sharp 'thud’ as the back of my head slams against a wall, and I find myself cornered. I watch as she squeezes her eyes shut, her muzzle wrinkling and ears lying flat as she hisses in pain.

Several tense moments pass in silence before she once again opens her eyes, quickly regaining her composure as her ears flick back up, giving a little twitch and swivel as if scanning the room like a pair of fuzzy little radars before centering on me.

"A...are you okay?" I ask softly as a battle rages in my head, my concern slowly pushing back the creeping terror that leaves my muscles tense, and keeps urging me to run. I begin to wonder if she could even hear me over my heart pounding in my chest, but I'm soon rewarded with an indignant snort as she seems to weigh my words.

She flexes her folded wings a few times before letting them settle into a neutral position at her sides as she pulls herself shakily to her hooves on top of the bed, and I can't help but notice a light wince as she puts weight on one of her rear legs, though any semblance of vulnerability is lost as she now towers over me.

"I will be fine...creature." Her voice seems to convey an unspoken warning as her eyes wander over the room, though I notice that one ear never moves from its lock on me as she turns her head. Her wary expression softens somewhat as one of her hooves brushes across her bandages. "Where is it you have taken me?"

I begin to pull myself up, not wanting to hold a conversation sprawled on my back against a wall, but quickly settle back down on my rear as her eyes narrow dangerously. "This is my home, ummm....on Earth? You're not from here...right? You were injured, and I wasn't just going to leave you lying in the sn.."

She holds up a hoof, silencing my hasty, rambling explanation. "Earth...." She sounds out the word carefully. "Yes...I had thought something felt....off." She mumbles to herself under her breath for a moment, and I'm only able to pick out bits and pieces about "ambient magic," and "the moon," before she focuses her attention back on me. "No. I am not from here. Tell me. What was this strange creature of light that has assailed me and left me in such a state?"

"Creature of..." Crap! I had been hoping she hadn't remembered me hitting her, and now I was going to have to explain myself. "That uhh, that wasn't a creature." I steel myself. "You were in the middle of the road, and I didn't see you, and...that was my truck that hit you..."

I take a deep breath as she stares back blankly with a slight tilt of her head. "A vehicle...like a self propelled carriage..." They had carriages, right? "What you must have seen were my headlights."

I'm not sure what I was expecting. Rage? Disbelief? Instead, she lets out a long, dejected sigh and lowers her head. "'Twas nothing more than an unfortunate accident then..."

"Yeah. If it means anything....I'm sorry." I watch her carefully as I slowly pull myself up again. Fortunately this time she doesn't seem to react as I get to my feet and walk forward shakily, adamant not to make any sudden moves as I approach her. Standing at her full height on top of the bed, she was still more than a head taller than me, her long pointed horn more than doubling that advantage as she lifts her head to lock eyes with me. "...and, you don't have to call me 'creature'..." I slowly raise my right arm, holding my hand out for her. "My name's Dave. Dave Chandler, and I'm a human."

She stares at my hand hesitantly, as if unsure what to do, before mirroring my action. Slowly, she lifts her right foreleg and sets a metal clod hoof against my palm. The corners of my mouth curl up in a hint of a smile at her curious look as I gently wrap my fingers around the cool metal and give her leg a gentle shake.

"I am Princess Luna, diarchal ruler of Equestria, warden of the moon and the night, and I am a pony."

I feel a warm sense of relief flow through me as I notice the trace of a smile begin to light up her face. Angular and unmistakably equine, yet somehow able to convey just as much emotion as any human. Satisfied at having broken new ground without having accidentally committed some kind of grave offense, I smile and release her hoof, taking a step back to give her some space. With her being royalty, I consider bowing, but think better of it. It would be a bit much, and this seemed more than appropriate given the circumstances. Not that she wasn't regal, even in her current state, but this wasn't her kingdom...princessdom?....and as the apparent first representative of humanity, it wouldn't do to grovel for her.

Luna doesn't quite smile back, but our introductions seem to have broken the tension in the room as she tucks her wings back into place at her sides and settles back on her haunches in a sitting position not unlike a dog.

"Well then...Dave." She turns her head, pointing toward my empty glass with her muzzle. "I suppose I should be thanking thee for thy aid, and if I am not mistaken you intend to offer me thy home, whilst I recover?"

I nod in response. "Of course, it's the least I can do...princess."

She frowns a bit at that. "Hmmm. Please, call me Luna. Thou are not one of my subjects, and I see no need for such formality. Though if I am to take advantage of your hospitality, might I trouble you for some water?"

"Of course! Oh, I'm sorry...I should have thought to ask!" Doing some quick math in my head as I check the digital alarm clock next to my bed. It was later than I'd thought, already passing 10pm. She'd been out for what, at least six hours, not to mention however long she'd been wandering around in the woods before she came across the road. For all my concern, I'd never even considered the thought of food or water, and quickly begin heading for the kitchen.

"No need for apologies, it is most understandable." I hear her voice trail after me as I head to the cabinet and pull out a pair of tall glasses. Filling them both from the tap and plopping a few ice cubes into each for good measure, I hurry back to find her sitting expectantly as I hold one out for her.

Luna pauses for a moment as she eyes the glass before grasping it clumsily between her front hooves with a clink of metal on glass. She brings it to her muzzle, giving it a wary sniff before tilting it back and drinking greedily. When she's done with it, there's an awkward moment as I offer her the second glass, and clumsily swap it with the empty one in her hooves. This one she seems content to hold on to, bringing it to her mouth for the occasional sip as I set the empty glass aside and watch in interest.

"Do you not use cups in Equestria?" I ask as I watch her fumble with her drink. From the withering glare I get back, that was apparently the wrong thing to ask.

"Of course we do!" She growls back, making me flinch. "It is just....difficult, without the use of my magic."

"Magic?" I ask dumbly, hoping I'm not adding to her growing frustration and annoyance as she sets the glass down to let it rest precariously on the bed between her forelegs.

She sighs as she gives me a curious look. "I take it humans do not possess magic?"

I shake my head. "No. It's something that's popular in myths and stories, but real magic?" I shake my head again. "So....you're telling me you're some kind of powerful wizard or something?"

"Hardly, though perhaps it might seem that way to somep...somecreature who is unfamiliar with the concept." She answers as she idly fiddles with the half empty glass. "All ponies possess magic, though unicorns and allicorns such as myself are the only ones capable of forming spells which we channel through our horn, though even pegasi and earth ponies can use their innate talents to manipulate the world around them." She stretches out a wing. "Without magic, a pegasus would not be able to fly or control the weather, and earth ponies would be unable to care for the land as they do..." She retracts her wing and sighs again as she closes her eyes. "Magic is something imbued into every aspect of the word...something that binds it together in harmony....."

She lifts her head again as if to look for something I can't see. "A world without magic is simply....unthinkable."

The conversation dies away to an uncomfortable silence as her ears lay flat and she dips her head to stare into her glass, seemingly lost in her thoughts. I can only imagine what she must be going through. While her explanations had only intrigued me further and left me full of questions about her world, the little information I had shared must have only made this one seem that much more cold and alien to her.

I find myself staring at her horn and the jagged crack running half its length. If what she said was to be believed, that was the focus for her magic, something integral to her way of life, and with it damaged, she must feel crippled and defenseless.

“Will it heal?” I ask softly with a nod toward her horn, wincing as my blunt question breaks the silence with all the grace of a rampaging bull.

Luna cocks an eye in my direction before following my gaze and frowning. “Yes, fortunately. It is….a surprisingly common injury among unicorns, and the mana system is incredibly robust, even more so in alicorns.” She pauses as she brings a hoof up to trace the jagged line. At my unspoken question, she continues. “A few days at the most, though my other injuries….” She groans as she tenderly shifts her hind leg. Now that she was sitting, and I was able to get a closer look at her body, the fur on her side was noticeably darker, betraying a massive bruise underneath. “Perhaps much longer without magical healing, though I will endure.”

Well, at least I didn’t have to worry about her keeling over any second, though my head was still filled with questions for her. Unfortunately they would have to wait as I notice she’s gone silent again, and I let out a long yawn. A glance at the clock shows me it’s already well past midnight. When had it gotten so late!? After hours of talking, the initial excitement had worn off, and everything I had done that day seemed to be teaming up with the alcohol in a bid to knock me out.

“I’ve got to get some rest, will you be fine here for the night?” I ask as I stretch and begin heading for the door.

“I will…endure.” She repeats sullenly, not so much as turning her head to watch me go.

“Okay….well, I’ll only be a room over if you need anything.” I reply as I ease the door closed and head over to the “guest room.” Okay, it was mostly used to store a bunch of junk that I didn’t have a place for, but I at least kept it somewhat organized, and it did have a futon. As I get it set up, I still worry about leaving her alone like this now that she’s awake, but then again perhaps it was best to give her some space to herself to sort things out. Either way, it was destined to be tomorrow’s problem as I strip down and unceremoniously dump my clothes in a pile on the floor. Within seconds of hitting the mattress I’m fast asleep.