Catching Up
What Now?
Luna sighed in exasperation and shook her head as she sat upon her throne whilst holding Night Court. “Alex? What am I going to do with you? How can I make you understand? What we did to you was unforgivable. You don’t have to run or hide anymore.” She thought to herself. It was at this time there was a quiet knock at the large double doors at the other end of the throne room.
“Enter.” She spoke tiredly but with still an air of authority.
A bat pony stepped in and bowed.
“Speak. What news do you have?”
“Yes my princess. It is as you said. He is on the move. Shadow Moon is watching him discreetly from afar.”
“Very well Night Shade. Let us gather him up and take him back to the hospital before he hurts himself again.” Luna spoke.
With those orders she rose from her throne and headed out the doors.
The night air was cool and slightly crisp as she spread her wings and took to the skies. Her two vamponies flying escort alongside their princess. She didn’t have to search for him due to the fact that the wards and spells of protection were still in full effect and would let her know exactly where Alex was and what dangers he might be in. It only took a few minutes for her to sight him walking through the streets of Canterlot seemingly in no hurry.
“How odd.” She said quietly to her two escorts as she continued to watch Alex walk across the city.
“Shall we stop him and escort him to you your highness?” Moon Shadow asked.
“No. Not yet.” She said. “Notice he is in no hurry to try to escape. He doesn’t run or hide. Tis very out of character for him. Let us continue to watch and see what we may learn.”
The trio of night watchers continued to observe Alexs’ actions as they quietly continued to hover above him camouflaged against the darkness of the night sky.
They silently watched as he walked over to a park bench and sat down. He remained in this position for several more minutes. Just sitting and doing nothing but looking up at the night sky.
Luna decided to see what it was he was doing just sitting there and began to silently descend to the ground behind him a small distance away. Three sets of hooves touched down without making nary a sound and before she could take even one step forward he spoke. “Good evening princess. And to your two companions as well. It’s a beautiful night tonight.” He said without even turning around. “I’m assuming this is your handiwork (Hoofdiwork?)
Luna was caught off guard by his question and the fact that he knew they were there when they had been so very silent when they had landed.
“Wh-Why yes. Yes it is! Thank you for the compliment!” She answered with a small blush. “You really like my night skies?”
“Yes, it’s very pretty. Different than the night skies back home, but very pretty none the less.” He let out a deep sigh and was silent for a moment.
“Very well. I guess I should go back to the hospital.” He said getting up from the park bench. “Let’s go.” As he swung his back pack over his shoulder and started heading back to the hospital, walking past Luna and between the two night guards accompanying her. Luna stood in stunned silence as she turned to look at him, the guards following suit.
“Wait Alex!” she called out to him while breaking into a canter to catch up with him. Once alongside she asked. “Why did you sneak out of the hospital?”
“I was feeling cooped up and just needed to get some fresh air. I doubt if the hospital staff would allow me to just go out the front door. I just wanted to look at the night sky and the moon since it will be my last time anyways.” He flatly stated. “What? Did you think I was going to try to escape again? Where would I go? Besides, you caught me. You won the hunt.” He said as he marched along.
Luna was shocked and saddened. “Alex. I-I…” She didn’t know what to say and just fell silent. He was still thinking about the contest from three years ago.
“I need to get back to the hospital anyways. I’m getting checked out and released in the morning. After that, I will follow you to your garden and you can turn me into a stone statue like you planned. Don’t worry. I won’t try to run this time. I’m done running.” He stated with no emotion in his voice what so ever. He didn’t even look her way when he spoke to her. He just kept looking straight ahead as he strode forward.
“Alex, I don’t want to turn you to stone!” she blurted out. “At least not anymore.”
Alex stopped. “Why the sudden change of heart, princess?” He queried.
“I will admit. When I brought you here it was my original plan. The idea was to have you be a statue but still alive. We could talk and such, but no one would try to chase you like what has happened to you thus far. Nopony chases a statue, you know. It was to protect you… I was very wrong to think that.” She said guiltily.
“Hidden in plain sight. Very weird and twisted logic but somehow it makes sense.” He replied as they walked along. “And what about now?”
“I-I was wrong to think so. Since I brought you here, you have shown a level of resourcefulness, intelligence, and craftiness that I have never been witness to. How? Just how are you able to, and with no magical abilities too? It was well known in this realm that life could not exist without magic, yet here you are. The very antithesis of what was believed by pony kind for thousands of years!”
“Thanks for the compliment princess.” He chuckled. “Once my fate is decided, I might divulge that little bit of info at a later date.”
Soon they arrive back at the window when he suddenly realized that the window was locked from the inside. He looked at the window and let out a sigh then turned his back to the princess and began walking around the building. “Alex, where are you going?” Luna asked.
“Going around front. Windows locked. No other way in.”
“Alex, stop for a moment please? “ Luna said. And before he could ask why, she lit up her horn and teleported the two of them back inside his hospital room. After the initial shock, he said, “Wow! That’s a first. Never did that before.” He said with little emotion.
“Alex, please get back into bed. You need your rest. Yes, you will be getting out of here tomorrow and….”
“And then what?” He interrupted. “Well, princess? And then what? Where do I go? How do I eat? Where do I sleep? I am almost back where I started when I was first brought to this place. Tomorrow I get to start reliving all the hell, you ponies put me through, for the last three years, all over again. I’ve come full circle.”
“Alex.” Luna spoke again taking a step towards him.
“What?”
“I promise you things will be different. But for now…”
She bent down slightly and gently touched her horn to his forehead, “Sleep.”
Alex collapsed to the floor but Luna caught him in her magic before he could fall all the way. Gently she lay him in his bed and pulled the covers over him and then magically changed his street clothes into his hospital gown.
She then sat down on the floor at the side of his bed and closed her eyes. Channeling her magic, her horn began to have its familiar blue glow as she wove her spell to enter the dream realm. Soon she was in the all too familiar nexus and it took only a few moments to locate Alex’s sleeping mind.
There he was sitting on the ground in the green meadow she had conjured, with his back to her. “Why did you bring me here again? Alex asked.
“I only wanted to talk without other ears listening or unfriendly eyes watching.”
“So we are alone here?”
“Quite alone.” She responded.
“That’s good. Before we get started, there is one thing I have to do even though I don’t want to.” Alex said as he stood up and faced the princess.
“What is that Ale…” POW! Suddenly Princess Luna found herself laying on her side seeing stars that were not of her own making and sporting a very sore muzzle. Her head was spinning and sight blurred. The dream realm wavered a little before it went back to normal. Well, back to whatever constituted normal in this place. It took a number of seconds for her vision to clear. She noticed that Alex was standing over her, shaking his fist loosely, a couple of his knuckles already starting to turn red from the impact. “That was for kidnapping me and bringing me here without asking and the three years of pain you and your “subjects” have caused me!” he told her... and then he reached down with his other hand to help her up.
After a moment of trepidation, she raised her foreleg and allowed him to pull her to her hooves. “Fair enough,” she said. “I probably deserved that.” While rubbing her still very sore muzzle with a fore hoof. Then to her shock and surprise he grabbed her in a warm embrace around her neck and said. “This is for saving my life at that old castle place. Thank you.” Luna stiffened up briefly from the humans contact but then relaxed into his embrace. It was then that Princess Luna realized that besides her sister, no one in her very long memory had ever done this to her. A simple hug. Everypony was too afraid of her because of her station and her past. It felt good. Really good. Her wings unfurled seemingly on their own accord and returned his hug.
The dream world wavered and shifted a little and Luna, as always, felt it.
“It is time.” She said. “Dawn approaches and you must awake. I will see you in the waking world and my sister and I will talk with you further. We have much to discuss and terrible wrongs we have to try to make right. All I ask is that you give us a chance.” And with that, the dream world faded to nothingness and Alex was awake.
-*-
This was it. The big day. The day that he, Alex, would be getting out of the hospital and learning his fate. He was a little nervous but was resigned to whatever it was that the princesses had in store for him. While deep in his thoughts, he noticed that his roommate was stirring and eventually opened his eyes, yawned, and stretched. Flaring out his one good wing. Alex watched Skyfires display and smiled a little. The flaring of his one good wing got Alex thinking but he filed that idea away when Nurse Redheart came into the room.
“Good morning!” she said in a cheerful voice. “How are you two doing?” As she rolled in a food cart with a wonderful smelling breakfast for both occupants.
Her smile and cheerful demeanor was infectious and the two of them greeted her in return. After giving out their respective meals, she headed for the door and spoke to them reminding them both that today was the big day of their release whereupon she turned and left the room.
Their respective meals completely devoured, Nurse Redheart returned to remove the dirty plates followed by Doctors Trotter and Hoofson.
“…And how are our young patients doing today?” Trotter asked. “Ready for your final checkups?”
“We sure are doctor. Right Alex?” Alex didn’t seem as cheerful as was hoped.
“Yeah. Let’s get this over with.”
“Oh Alex? If everything checks out, you both will be escorted to the royal palace by two Royal Guards ponies. The princesses want to talk to you personally!”
“Oh goodie.” He said with a little sarcasm.
His sarcasm wasn’t lost on Nurse Redheart. She knew what he was thinking. “Don’t worry Alex. I am sure that everything will be alright. Just you see.” She said softly while rubbing his shoulder with a fore hoof. Behave yourself and you will get a surprise like I promised. Inside she was secretly thinking that Celestia help anyone that dared to try and hurt or exploit Alex in any way. Including the princesses themselves!
Shortly after finishing their meals Doctors Hoofson and Trotter entered. “How are you feeling, Alex. Big day today for you isn’t it?” He said cheerfully. Let’s take a look at you shall we?”
“I am doing well doctor, and yes, I am ready to get outta here. I am feeling stronger than ever, if you must know.” Alex responded while sitting on the end of his bed.
“Good! Good! Glad to hear it!” Doctor Trotter exclaimed. “Now just hold still for a moment and let’s make sure everything is as it should be.” As he closed his eyes lit up his horn and began to carefully scan Alex. As he did he would mumble to himself as his magic told him everything he needed to know. “You look good!” he exclaimed. “Doctor Hoofson, I think he’s all set to go!” Hoofson noted down some final notations on Alex’s medical records.
“Skyfire, it’s now your turn.” As they turned to the one winged Pegasus.
Alex watched intently as the good doctors checked over Skyfire and his missing wing. His stump was put through a full range of motions before being folded back in the position it would have been had his wing still remained.
“Well, it looks like you are pretty much good to go too.” Hoofson said. The doctors wrapped everything up and said their goodbyes as they headed for the door. “Oh. I almost forgot.” Hoofson continued. “There will be royal guards here soon to escort you both to see the princesses.” And with that they both exited the room. Shortly after, Nurse Redheart entered with a big smile on her face. And Alex sat on the endge of his bed swinging his legs back and forth with an equally big grin on his face. Nurse Redheart walked up to him, Skyfire standing next to him. She then produced two candy suckers and handed (hoofed) one to each one of her charges. Skyfire took his first and then Alex, who said suddenly… “You are my favorite horsey nurse ever!” While at the same time picking her up off the floor and giving her a big hug. Nurse Redhearts legs flailed around briefly while letting out an involuntary squeak at this sudden affection before being able to finally push him away and dropping to all fours. Sky held a hoof over his mouth and giggled at the sight. “Oh get out of here you big baby!” She chuckled with a slightly red blush on her cheeks. A hoof gently pushing him away.
Alex liked Nurse Redheart. She had been nothing but kind to him during his stay. The fact that she didn’t judge him for not being an indigenous creature from this world and was always kind to him made him start to think that maybe all the ponies in this world weren’t all out to get him. The good doctors too. They only cared for his welfare and getting him back on his feet.
And then there was Skyfire. He was simply curious and was a good roommate despite the brief time they had been in the hospital together. He had never acted in fear nor did he shun Alex in any way. He had been good company and had educated Alex a little as to the inner workings of the Pegasus Defense Corps without giving away anything that might be considered a security risk or state secret.
The guards that were assigned to the security detail of Alex and Skyfire soon arrived, ready to escort the pair to see the princesses. One of the day guards, a unicorn, had a bundle floating alongside him in his magical grasp to which upon entering the room, they both gave a sharp salute to Sky. “Commander Skyfire, sir, we thought you would like to be looking your best when you see their highnesses.” He said laying the bundled up armor before the one wing Pegasus.
“Thank you.” He replied while giving a slight bow of his head. He then started putting on his armor but had a little trouble with some parts due to his now one winged status. Alex bent down and helped him with the parts he was having a little trouble with fastening the clasps around his furry roommate. The two guards looked on in fascination at how deftly the human was able to move its forelimbs and appendages to help their captain
“Thanks friend.” Skyfire said.
Friend. Alex liked the sound of that.
“Well gentilestallions, lead the way.
Both guards saluted their superior, did an about face and began their escort of the two to the princesses.