//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: What Do We Do? // Story: Get Him 3 // by Lord Blackraven //------------------------------// WHAT DO WE DO? Luna and Celestia suddenly were wide awake! They both felt utterly and completely sick to the point of throwing up. Problem was that ponies don’t have gag reflexes so the nausea of what they had both witnessed in Alex’s tortured dreams forbade them from releasing the contents of their stomachs thus they had to suffer horribly through it until it subsided. Both sat quietly in Celestias room trying to regain control of their breathing and stomachs. Celestia summoned a servant and asked them to bring them some tea in the hopes that it might help settle their nerves. After some moments, Celestia broke the troubling silence. “By the sun, moon, and stars, and everything we hold sacred! Luna, what did we just witness?!“ “Sister.” I never thought it would be this bad.” Luna replied. “This is how he sees us. All of us. It’s no wonder he is terrified of us! This is what we did to him! We put him through Tartarus all for fun and we never took his feelings into consideration. We truly ARE monsters in his eyes!” Both princesses then began to sob, the tears falling to the cold marble floor. With heads bowed they finally realized as it hit to the very core of their hearts just what they had done. Humility had hit them both and both very hard. “Luna, I was so appalled by what we witnessed..." Celestia sobbed, "I - I would NEVER harm a little one, much less do what I saw! I could never be so heartless and cruel as to doing such a thing! I was so stunned that I completely forgot to see where he has been hiding all this time.” “I forgot that as well, sister, until the very last moment." Luna sniffed, "It turns out that he has been hiding in our old castle in the Everfree Forest.” Luna stated. “How he got there without ever being seen and stayed hidden all this time, is a mystery in and of itself. Add to that, the Everfree is a very wild and dangerous place, Celestia, and yet he has still survived these past two years. This Human, he is absolutely amazing!” Luna suddenly shook her head as if trying to shake the memory of what she had seen of herself in Alex’ nightmare and shuddered all over. “I--I could never harm a little colt or filly either. Even in my altered state as The Nightmare I…SHE... never could and never would harm a little one!” “In all the thousands of years of our combined rule, we have always been able to come up with answers to our subjects’ questions and problems. I have never, that I can remember, have we ever faced a dilemma like this. We somehow have to regain his trust. We must make this right Luna!” “Celestia, what do we do?” “I don’t know, Luna, I truly do not know.” “But we must find a way.” Luna said in a troubled voice. She was silent for a moment and seem to be deep in thought. She then sniffed and wiped her muzzle with a foreleg, then took a long,deep, shaky breath and let it out. “I need to do this.” Luna suddenly said determination in her voice. “I need to repair the harm I have caused him. I brought him here. I need to face whatever consequences are in store for me because of my selfishness and stupidity.” She then walked over to her sister and both wrapped their wings around each other in a hug, trying to give some sort of mutual comfort and support to each other. The sisters then broke their embrace. "If you think this will be the best course of action Luna then do so. I will trust your judgment. Just please keep me informed and let me know how I can help in any way." "I will sister. I will." “It is time for us to see to our respective duties with the sun and moon sister.” Celestia spoke, her voice still a little shaky too as she tried to collect herself. Luna left her sisters bed chambers and went to her own to set the night in order and then to prepare for her journey. The night air was getting rather chilly. Winter was just around the corner and soon the snows would begin to fall. Luna paced back and forth with growing worry. Alex was out there in the Everfree Forest where hers and Celestias old castle still stood albeit in ruins. This is where it all happened so many years ago. This is where the Nightmare Magic had taken hold of her. This is where she, as the nightmare, had fought to destroy her own sister. Here is where she had planned to implement her eternal night. Here it was that she was sent to the moon for a thousand years. Here she had been defeated, albeit thankfully, by the Elements of Harmony and restored to her former self. And now here is where young Alex had been hiding in fear from them all. She now had to return to that place. She had to find Alex and somehow regain his trust, befriend him, and convince him that She meant no harm and that it was safe to return to Canterlot Castle with her. She had her work cut out for her. She knew this. How. Just how was she going to regain his trust after she had hurt him so? She was just about to walk out onto the balcony of her bedroom and take flight when there was a gentle knock on her door, moments later it swung open. “Yes Celestia? What is it sister?” She said without turning around. She knew it was Celestia. “Are you sure about this? Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you or at the very least please take a guard with you just in case. I know what memories that place holds for you.” “Celestia, my dear sister, you always looked out for me as we were growing up, you were always there for me. Even when the Nightmare took hold of me and you had to banish me to the moon to protect our subjects, you never gave up on me. I’ll be alright I promise. My primary concern is our friend young Alex. I won’t let the ghosts of my past get to me or interfere with my mission.” “I know Luna. I know.” Celestia said with a sigh. “I just worry. Have you come up with any ideas as to how you will approach him?” “As a matter of fact I have. My idea is to watch him unobserved for a bit and see what he does. Get an idea as to what his routine is and from there determine how best to approach him without scaring him further.” “A sound plan little sister.” Celestia replied. “I best be off now. I will tell you all I find, while there, once I return.” And with that Luna spread her wings and sailed off into the night sky towards the Everfree and her old home.