The Second Journey: Misunderstandings

by Kaille

Chapter 1: Prologue

So, I plan for this story to be much longer than the previous. I already have a few twists planned out for the plot line. As you will see, it starts off right where Feelings of Etherealism ended, so the somewhat cliffhanger is getting resolved.
Enjoy. :)

Slowly, my eyes opened.
I was reconnected with my body after a week, and it didn't quite feel right yet. Because the muscles hadn't worked at all in that time frame and from the injuries it sustained, some of the neural pathways connecting to it's limbs had deteriorated. I very carefully and unsteadily rose up to a sitting position, and I was aware of Chroma holding me in a death-grip around my midsection. I focused after a few seconds, and there she lay on my chest, eyes wide, red, and swollen from crying, disbelief etched into the features of her face, and the greatest, most pure hope I had ever seen written in someponys expression.
Luna was lying next to her, just as disbelieving and hopeful, before she smiled at me in genuine happiness. The drain on her energy from the spell finally caught up to her and her eyes rolled into the back of her before she dropped unconscious. Chroma, in the meantime, was slowly, shakily reaching a hoof out to touch my face. She lightly caressed my cheek, testing to see if she was hallucinating. My reaction was to smile and lean forward, grasping her in a tight hug.
She hung there in my arms for a few seconds, still unsure as to how she ought to react. She finally swung her hooves around me, clutching me in a hug so tight I could feel my ribs protesting against the strain. I didn't care. I simply took it, and tightened my grip back. "I'm sorry." I whispered in her ear, and I gently stroked her mane. She started to cry again, but this time she had my shoulder to cry into.
We sat there for who knows how long, simply glad to hold each other one more time.

We all found ourselves back in the throne room, but on happier tidings. The Princesses called court off for the next day and night to recover, and to enjoy the victory over Nightmare Moon. Luna had gotten some of her guards to pull nine mattresses into the room and numerous blankets, and Celestia ordered snack foods (with Pinkie's help, of course) and we had a little bit of a celebration that Pinkie chose to name our 'CONGRATULATIONS-ON-KILLING-NIGHTMARE-MOON-AND-COMING-BACK-FROM-THE-DEAD!" party. We dealt with the somewhat gruesome name for a 'party' simply because it was actually something to celebrate over.
We had arranged the beds into a giant square and sat together, shoulder to shoulder in a circle. I had Chroma on my right, Luna on my left, and then continuing clockwise, Celestia, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and ending next to Chroma, was Spurspark. in the middle of all of us was a large tray covered in numerous confections of varying tastes, and then behind Applejack, was her contribution to the evening - a cask of her best cider. She got Twilight to teleport back with her and pick it up.
We were laughing and carrying on, enjoying life to the fullest. Myself especially, considering that was technically my second time dying, but this death, was much more dire. I had never even intended to enter Equestria, but now that I was in it, I was determined not to leave again. Currently, Spurspark was recounting a tale about yours truly back on Earth. It was an entertaining one for sure, back on the occasion of the first time I got decently drunk - his eighteenth birthday, around when we started referring to each other as one of the ponies from the mane six, so I was Rainbow Dash. "So, here he was, hammered, lying on my couch after playing a game drunk and still schooling us at it with his precision and creativity, and all he said randomly was 'RD is RD!'" They all stopped for a second, and he finished the story. "Rainbow Dash is Really Drunk!"
We both laughed at the story, simply because it was a great night, but the others also chuckled at the play on words. Rainbow actually burst into laughter to match our own. "Oh - I need to use that!" She managed between breaths, and fell into laughter again. Our laughter died down, and we sat in companionable silence for a few more seconds.
Eventually, Chroma and I glanced at each other at the same time, making eye contact, and we stopped and stared at each other, grinning. We leaned towards each other into a passionate and loving kiss. When it ended we separated an inch, staring at each other. Twilight was the first to break the silence with an awkward cough, and when we looked up, her, Fluttershy, and Luna were blushing, Celestia was smirking, Rarity was watching us all mushy-eyed like she was watching some scene from a movie filled with cute fluff, Rainbow and Applejack were gagging, Pinkie was grinning, and then Spurspark spoke up. "You know, you should keep it in your pants in public Ink. It's not very polite." I tried to glare at him but I found it hard to stay serious after a comment like that. However, all the other ponies were staring at us like we grew a second head.
Except for Celestia and Luna, what with them having seen our memories and knowing what the human expression meant. Celestia looked shocked and even managed to pale slightly, and Luna coughed on the swig of cider she was in the midst of taking, then proceeded to blush even more, reaching the point of being beat-red. I noticed that both mine and Luna's wings had extended out a bit and that they were similar in size, and then we made eye contact. Wings instantly shot back to our sides. The Princesses stared at Spurspark and I, unsure how to deal with this, and Chroma continued to stare at me. "Care to explain?" she asked.
It was now my turn to cough awkwardly. "Uhh - maybe later. Suffice to say, it's an expression where we are from." Her curious gaze was still present, but she managed to contain herself for now. I turned back to the circle, and noticed from the corner of my eye that Luna was still blushing, looking somewhat away from me. I paid it no heed, figuring it to still be embarrassment at being witness to my friends sense of humour in person. Then I remembered something. I turned my head around over my shoulder and stretched out a wing, looking at the size of it.
It was the size of Celestia's wing.
I blinked and stood up, walking away from the mattresses for a moment and stretching my wings out to the side, seeing my full wingspan. I could drape each wing across three ponies if I so wished. I gave them a light test flap, and I could feel the power stored within them. Looking to my shoulders again I noticed the muscles at the base of my wings connecting them to my back had also grown considerably in size to accommodate the sheer mass of the appendages. Going a little further, I pushed down hard, once.
I had to sweep off to the side, and slow down, because I nearly nailed my head on the ceiling. I started changing how I flapped, to find out how to hold my altitude even. I discovered that doing about a quarter of a flap at low power was enough to keep me aloft, and now that I was somewhat stationary, I turned back to those below me.
All their expressions were of wonder. Luna spoke first. "We saw when thou thrust the Nightmare into thine body it instantly began to accommodate her, changing form."
I nodded. "I noticed as well. Even the tone of my fur seems darker than before." I held my wings straight out to the side again and cupped them, discovering that they could hold enough air to simply allow me to slowly fall directly down. I lightly touched down on my rear hooves and then front, and sat down, examining the altered appendages once more. A funny thought occurred to me and I looked up to Rarity. "I think my clothes will need to be somewhat. . . adjusted, Rare."
She snorted, a most unladylike sound. "Really? You don't say!" She chuckled, and I responded in turn. I trotted back over to my spot in the circle and lay next to Chroma, snuggling close. I pushed my wing out over her and laid it on the ground next to her, cupping her to my side. With my wing draped the way it was I completely covered her back from her neck to her rump, and half my wing was still lying against the mattress in such a way that there was no strain on my muscles from it hanging over somepony. She looked up at me and smiled.
I smiled back and turned to the others. "So, I suppose I really should thank you. All of you. For what you have done for me. I could never express my gratitude enough."
They all smiled back, but Rainbow brushed a hoof against her chest and examined it. "Yeah, we're awesome, aren't we?" I saw Applejack's rear leg stick up and kick RD in the flank, which caused her to yelp and jump in the air. "Hey! What the heck was that for?"
AJ turned to her, smirking. "Yah darn well know what, sugarcube. Now, behave."
We all laughed again, and when it quieted down, Twilight was smiling at me. "Well, you are very welcome, Ink. I would do it for anypony here, any day. I couldn't bear to lose a friend, especially after just getting them." We all da'wwwed, and hooked a hoof around each other's shoulders, from myself around to Twilight. I noticed Luna and Celestia seemed to be feeling a little left out and awkward with how they were smiling slightly and scuffing their hooves on the mattresses. I made eye contact with Twilight and winked, flicking my head towards the Princesses. I lifted my hoof, and Twilight made the connection. She smiled and draped her hoof across Celestia's back as I did Luna's. We startled the both of them, but they grew accustomed to it, blushing, and then draped their hooves over us and each other. We all laughed, and simply sat there like that for a few seconds before we separated. I noticed Luna slowly dragged her hoof across my back, maintaining contact as long as possible, before separating. I found this curious, and I enjoyed it, but once again I let it slip to the back of my mind.

A couple more hours passed, and we all decided to call it in for the evening. We cleaned up the throne room, deciding not to leave a big mess for the cleaning ponies to deal with, and started to say goodnight to everypony. Celestia did so first. "Alright, everypony, I enjoyed this evening very much, but I must now retire. I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. And once more," She walked over and nuzzled my neck. "Thank you, Ink, for saving my sister."
I nuzzled back. "You are very welcome. But I would do it any day. I should be thanking you for bringing me back from the dead." We separated and she was smiling at me, and I smiled back. She went over and hugged Twilight, saying goodnight to her student, before leaving the Throne room.
The mane six likewise decided to make for their beds, and all said goodnight as they passed by. Spurspark left as well, giving a brohoof on the way past, and then it was just Luna, Chroma, and I. I was about to suggest Chroma and I leave for the evening, but then Luna spoke first. "We are sorry, but we would like to thank Ink privately for his aiding us, if thou dost not mind, Chroma?"
She smiled. "Of course not. I will wait outside for you, hun." We shared a quick kiss before she trotted out into the hall. I turned back to Luna, who began to sit on the floor again. She looked like she was starting to cry.
I sat next to her, concerned. "Are you alright, Luna?"
She sighed, a tear rolling down her cheek. "It was all our fault, Ink. We caused thee great pain, and we can never undo the damage we caused." She turned to me, eyes filling with tears. "We are wretched. Unable to hold back our own emotions."
I shook my head and wiped away the tear that fell down her cheek. "No. You are most definitely not wretched. I think Nightmare Moon was more along the lines of you accidentally splitting your emotions off, shutting them out without dealing with them, and they developed into their own being. Like a kind of bipolar, split personality. Because of how long they had to fester and grow, they seemed to have somehow developed their own sentience, and became a living thing in your mind that forced you into submission." She went to look down, but I put a hoof under her chin and directed her gaze back up. "I'm sure you saw that, too, when I pulled you both from your body. You had individual souls. And as for undoing the damage," I smirked. "what damage? You managed to resurrect me in a sense, I still have my friends, and those I love." By the end of my little speech, I was full on smiling. "You have nothing to be ashamed of or sorry for. I forgive you for everything."
She was smiling now, down to sniffles. "Thank thee, Ink. Thine words mean the world to us." She swallowed. "To me." She leaned forward and hugged me, nuzzling into my shoulder. I reciprocated, holding her close.
We sat like this for a minute before separating. "Well, Luna, I suppose I should bid you goodnight. I hope you rest well."
I was about to leave when she called out, "Wait!" I stopped and turned to her, curious as to what she wished to say. She swallowed nervously, and dragged a hoof nervously across the floor in circles, blushing.
"Would. . . Wouldst thou please accompany me tonight? I need somepony to comfort me after these trials I have faced for the past month."