Loud coughing echoed through the dark room. The only sound accompanying the coughs where quiet beeps that often got drowned out. Inside the room only a single bed stood in which a pony currently rested peacefully aside from the coughs. Beside his bed the sound of the beeps stood, a monitor keeping track of all the vitals.
The blue stallion turned his head towards the only window in the room in a futile attempt to see anything on the outside. In the middle of the night the few things he could see outside were the lights from other houses, most of them holding a family preparing to go to bed themselves.
Angling his head upwards to the window he got the best look of the night sky he could, seeing less than a tenth of the stars. Not that he minded much, the stars were his only companions on these lonely final nights.
Sighing he turned his head away and let it come to a rest looking straight up into the plain white roof. Hidden by the darkness of the night he could barely make out the tiles in the roof, all twenty eight of them. He had counted them twice just to make sure.
Losing himself to the roof he began to drift away, but before that could happen a voice interrupted his sleep. “Can’t sleep on a beautiful night like this? One could think you have issues.”
Shifting his head towards the familiar voice he gave the biggest bow he could manage at the moment, which wasn’t more than tilting his head down. “You can’t fault an old pony to think back over the years, Princess. Dying has a strange way to make you think.”
The silhouette hummed a little, still holding itself to the corner where the moon couldn’t reach and effectively concealing every detail. “I am impressed you recognize me, but” –putting up a hoof in the air she continued– “I am not your princess so Luna will suffice.”
Stepping out of the shadow came a very much alive and real Luna, looking exactly as one would expect her. Blue mane waving in a non-existent wind and the dark coat perfectly hiding her if she wanted to. An unreadable expression somewhere between deadly serious and overjoyed sat on her face, giving nothing of her mood away.
Soarin’ resting in the bed shook his head as she saw her near. “You look like Princess Luna to me. How are you not Luna?” A long time ago Soarin’ would be at this pony’s throat when she implied she was an imposter, but time had taken that ability from him so all he could do was watch as she grinned.
“My name is indeed Luna, steward of the moon and the one who guide it through the night. However I am not the Luna you are familiar with, just as you are not the Soarin’ you knew. Am I wrong?”
“I…”
She interrupted before much else could be said, shaking her head. “Did you ever what had happened if you didn’t do what you did?”
Hearing the nature of the question a very different expression of confusion came upon him. “If I did what different? I don’t understand.” The Luna at the end of his bed nodded once before continuing to speak.
“Indeed. You have made several choices at very specific moments in time that eventually led you up to this moment, have you not? No don’t answer, I know you have. This world and you are the result of all those choices you made so very long ago.”
Interrupting the princess either way, he asked, “So what about you? You said you weren’t my princes so who are you?”
“An excellent question.” She looked like she was about to poke him, but thought better of it and put the hoof down again. “I happened because you didn’t make your choices.”
He tried sitting straighter up in bed to get a better look at her but that wasn’t possible. Instead he motioned for her to come over to his side where he could see her clearer, both from the moonlight and because she was nearer in general. “I don’t get it, I didn’t do what I did and that’s because you’re here?”
She Shook her head slowly and gave a thoughtful look before answering. “Not exactly. You are the only Soarin’ you know of, correct?” She got a nod in reply so she continued with barely any pause. “There was a point in time where Trixie had been caught by the guards and you barged into the throne room while Celestia and she had a talk one-on-one, correct? Good.”
“You see, in almost every single case the two of you leave that room on your own, saying nothing of your issue. Yes?” She was about to continue her explanation, but Soarin’s expression spoke volumes about his wish to ask something.
“You know about that?”
Luna nodded. “It’s why I am here after all. You see where I come from Trixie told us everything. A minimal detail, she asked for help and everything changed. All of you survived by a simple act of trust. I have watched you ever since I traced our Soarin’ back here. Quite the impressive time difference I might add.”
Comprehension slowly came to Soarin’ as the explanation progressed and when it ended you could think he had died by how little he moved. Shaking his head to clear it after he realized his thoughts had drifted he returned his gaze to the princess. “Cause and effect? She did something I didn’t and changed the way the events unfolded, leading to a different conclusion. Minor changes maybe, but large enough to matter?”
Smiling the Princess returned her eyes to him. “Indeed. He gave us quite the detailed report of the events in this world, from his point of view of course. Which brings me to the second question for you. Do you remember the colour of your world?”
“The colour?”
Eyeing him curiously the princess explained. “You all have seen a pony named Mystery I never seem to find. Either way she showed you a memory with a drug, yes? Thought so. Each of you have seen this vision of hers but one thing always changes. What was the colour of the world before the ripples spread across it?”
Soarin’ tried to think back to the moment that happened so infuriatingly long ago. Knocking his head with the only fore hoof strong enough he eventually remembered the minimal detail. “Green. It was green and turned into purple I think. Does it matter?”
Giving another cryptic smile the lunar princess nodded. “Our Soarin’s world was purple but became blue, while Trixie’s vision turned from blue to a dull grey. Do you see the pattern?”
It all came to him in an instant. “It’s not the same. We switch around all the time?” Finding another nod the pegasus continued. “But you said neither of them died. How does that work?”
Removing all traces of expression the princess gave Soarin’ a stern look. “Didn’t you understand? Through all this you all cannot live. There are worlds where both of you lose your life. You are all shared where you are needed, there won’t be any missing ponies because you’re all everywhere.”
Starting a response he got interrupted by another coughing fit, this one lasting slightly longer than the previous. Reaching for the glass of water on the bedside table Luna helps him out by levitating the water over, letting him take a few deep gulps before placing it back on the table again.
Seeing the coughing mostly let up Luna gave another moment of silence before speaking. “Which brings us to this final moment. Since you do not have long left…” A waving hoof interrupted her and through a decidedly weaker voice than before Soarin’ spoke.
“Please princess I have no delusions of my condition. If I live until morning it will be a miracle, don’t sugar-coat it for my sake.”
“Fine, since you have no time left I have to ask this of you: Do you remember the note I gave to you years ago?”
Nodding Soarin’ gave another attempt at speaking, which only mostly succeeded. “Remember to forget, am I right? I still don’t know what you mean, Luna.” The princess left his side and moved to the window and looked out through it.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, Soarin’ focused on breathing and Luna staring out through the window. “I want to erase your memories. Not just of this meeting but all of them.” She hadn’t turned around when she spoke but the tone of her voice didn’t sound all that excited.
A very hoarse “Why?” came from Soarin’, followed by another coughing fit.
Waiting until the coughs had stopped echoing through the room Luna watched him with a sorrowful expression. “You have too much knowledge of the world as it is. If you were to happen upon another crossing, could you handle a fourth set of memories? The pony brain was never expected to hold the amount of knowledge you all hold, so this is my offer to you. Will you accept it?”
A profound expression graced Soarin’s face for an instant before being replaced with something that seemed more amused. “A wise pony once said to me ‘too much of a good thing’. That count for memories too? Princess I can’t possibly deny such an offer.”
Without responding the princess lit up her horn, a dark midnight blue aura surrounding it. Returning to her side by the bed she placed her horn directly on his forehead. “This won’t hurt, I promise.” Seeing not a single trace of fear in his eyes she continued with the spell, letting her magic flow into his mind. Standing immobile for several minutes while the spell worked she barely noticed him falling asleep during it.
As she noticed the spell had completed its work she peeked into his dreams, finding it entirely blank with not a single notion of a dream she confirmed it had worked as intended. Pulling out of the dream she prepared to leave. “Farewell friend.” Luna cast one last glance towards the sleeping pony on the bed, whose breaths became increasingly shallow for each one, before stepping into the shadows and fading out of existence.