//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Royal Display // Story: Get Him! // by TJHoofer //------------------------------// Chapter 14: Royal Display Alex blinked several times as he beheld the dark blue pony in front of him. She was way different than the ones in Ponyville. She was taller, slender and had both a horn and wings. Her mane and tail of translucent indigo seemed to move on its own with the illusion of the night sky. Looking closely he noticed she had the moon as a cutie mark. She wore a dark crown and she had two dark clad armored pegasi guards accompanying her (of course their wings resembled more like batwings than birdwings). Alex slowly began to suspect that this pony was royalty. “Who… Who are you?” he asked in a somewhat frightened voice. “I am Princess Luna, Keeper of Dreams, Ruler of the Night and the sister to Princess Celestia.” Luna addressed herself. Alex was awestruck. Once the term ‘royalty’ was confirmed, he felt compelled to kneel and thus bowed his head low as a sign of respect. Luna, quite taken back by Alex’s surprisingly good manners, smiled and trotted over to him. “Please. There is no need for that. Thou may rise and be at ease.” Alex, still being cautious, rose to his feet while not taking his eyes off her. She was scarcely his height, perhaps a head shorter by only a few inches. She also seemed to speak in an old fashion way. He felt a bit nervous as the princess seemed to be quite taken by him and trotted around him as if she was inspecting him. “Hm… Yes, excellent.” She muttered. “Um… If it’s not impolite for me to ask, how did I get here?” Alex said, still puzzled by what happened. “Oh! I brought you here. In fact, I’ve been searching for thee, young Alex.” Luna said, realizing Alex was obviously confused and deserved an explanation. “Looking for me? Wait! How do you know my name? Have we met?” Looking more closely, Alex couldn’t help but realize that something seemed awfully familiar. Where had he seen her before? “Nay, we have not.” she replied. “But I’ve been aware of you ever since I sensed the presence of an alien entity in Equestria. I also sensed great distress and searched high and low to find you. Once I did, I locked on to you magically and teleported you here.” “I had hoped to bring you here sooner, but recently I had some trouble finding you as thou had somehow vanished from my sight.” Alex probably knew the reason for that. He had been shrunk. “But it doesn’t matter now. Thou art here! Thou can’t fathom how happy this makes me!” Luna gleamed and giddily skipped in place, earning a slightly awkward look by her guards. Alex was happy to see her so cheerful, but still there was one question… Why? After everything he had been through, the chilling thought of even a pony princess taking an interest in him seemed unnerving. Did she bring him here for protection or was she like the others? “Your Highness… I’m grateful for what you did. You really saved my life back there. But I have to know… Why?” Luna stopped dancing and looked at him questionably. “Pardon?” Alex swallowed nervously. “What I mean is… Well, those ponies back there… They…” Luna’s eyes widened. She extended her wings and gently wrapped them around his shoulders as a sign of comfort. “My dearest Alex, forgive me! I completely forgot!” She leaned closer and gently nuzzled his cheek. For some reason that made him blush. “I know what thou hast been through and I apologize greatly if my actions made thee feel uneasy.” She then pulled away and bowed her head. “I also must apologize for the disgraceful behavior of our subjects. I promise thee thou art safe here, and that I’ll aid thee in any way I can.” Alex couldn’t help but to feel a good sense of relief. Maybe he had finally found a pony who could help him get home and not see him as a curiosity, freak, nuisance, pet or a future equine. RUMBLE! Suddenly, Alex felt his tummy rumble. Luna giggled. “Poor thing… Thou must be famished. Please join me and I shall treat thee to the finest cuisines Canterlot has to offer. Once thou hast eaten, I’ll do whatever is in my power to aid thee.” Alex didn’t need to be told twice and followed Luna as she showed him the way to the nearest restaurant while being escorted by her guards. ***** Back in Ponyville... All the ponies who had joined the hunt had pretty much given up their search for Alex and had returned to their homes and places of business with a few mild scrapes and bruises. All except for eight ponies (plus Spike) who still hadn’t given up. They soon became ten as Rarity finally re-joined them in the library, acting as if she had been robbed. “You okay Rarity?” asked Spike. “Okay? I am far from okay Spikey-Wikey…” She levitated a scroll and handed it to him. “What’s this?” He opened it. “A bill..?” It unrolled on the floor, revealing a list of numbers that kept unfolding until it hit a wall. “Woah…” “THE BILL OF ALL BILLS!” she choked as she recalled back from earlier when she pulled herself out of the mountain of dazed ponies, only to meet the glares of the Aloe and Lotus. “It’s just simply dreadful! I have to sell all my dresses just to reach that amount! I won’t have enough left to buy more supplies! I’m ru-hi-hi-hi-hined!” she tearfully hugged Spike who replied by patting her gently on the head. “Rarity, we all feel for you, but we’ve got bigger things to worry about right now.” said Twilight in a tired voice. “Ah jus’ don’t get it… How in the Hay did he jus’ disappear like that?” asked Applejack as she scratched her head beneath her Stetson. “Ah thought ya’ll said he ain’t magical.” “And he’s not!” said Twilight. She rubbed her brow and took a deep breath before explaining. “Listen girls. Just before we reached him I sensed magic. Somepony used magic to teleport Alex away from us. Powerful magic…” “Teleport? To where?” asked Applejack. Twilight sighed. “I don’t know…” “So… That’s it? We just give up and go home?” asked Rainbow Dash as she hovered over Twilight slightly miffed. “No! I know of a way to trace it.” Twilight then smiled. “Whoever did this left a HUGE trail and all I need is to find the book with the right spell to track it.” Twilight’s clever smile vanished as she remembered something and facehoofed. “Of course I’m going to have to look through all the books ‘somepony’ carelessly left all over the floor of my library.” She revealed the huge mess of books that still littered the floor as she eyed accusingly at Rainbow. “Don’t cha’ worry non Twilight! We’ll help ya find the book yer after. Strength in numbers n’ all, am Ah right?” said Applejack. “WE’LL HELP TOO!” said the Cutie Mark Crusaders in unison. “I’ll help!” Fluttershy joined in. “Um… …too, I mean…” Rarity dried her tears and pulled herself together. “Sniff! Well, I suppose I might help you as well. If it means getting my Alexander back, then I’ll do anything.” Twilight frowned a bit at that, seeing as she wanted Alex back for herself. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there…” “Count me out girls!” said Pinkie Pie, earning a surprised look from them all. “I’d love to help, but I’ve gotta see a mare about a horse!” she winked. Rainbow, listening to what Pinkie was saying, suddenly got an idea of her own. “Yeah!” Everyone eyed Rainbow Dash as she swooped over and touched down beside Pinkie. “Me too! I also have to see a mare about a certain… something.” “Like what?” asked Pinkie. Rainbow blinked a few times. “Uh... A... dog..?” “You don’t have a dog, Rainbow…” said Twilight, curious about their intentions. Rainbow looked at her and Pinkie Pie. “Well… I have a turtle. That’s… kinda like having a dog, right? Squee!” Before Twilight could even answer that, both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash had rushed out the door. “DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT US!” “But…” Twilight sighed. “Never mind, let’s just get to work finding that book...” ***** Back in Canterlot... “What do you mean the restaurant is closed? It’s the middle of the afternoon!” a unicorn stallion argued as he and his wife had been looking forward to dine at the Golden Horn Restaurant, only to find it closed and its entrance guarded by Luna’s guards. “I’m sorry Sir. But this restaurant is currently occupied. Princess Luna’s orders.” “Princess Luna? Why?” “She’s dining with a… Cough! ‘special guest’…” “Special Guest..? Who?” ***** Inside the empty restaurant, Luna watched with silent amusement as Alex happily stuffed his face. She had secretly snuck him inside while politely ordering the customers and staff to leave, thus ensuring that they wouldn't be disturbed. She couldn’t help but be amazed as he acted as if he hadn’t eaten all day. Once Alex was finished with the last dish, he leaned comfortably back on the pillow he was sitting on. While everything had been strictly vegetarian meals, he was surprised on how delicious it was. “Man that felt good. You have no idea how hungry I’ve been today. All that running around had really worked up an appetite.” “I’m glad it was to thy liking young Alex.” said Luna. “It’s the best meal I’ve had ever since I got here (Not to mention it’s the only decent meal I’ve had). Thank you.” “My pleasure young Alex” Luna smiled. She was happy to see him so relaxed and content. She then rose from her pillow. “Now that thou has had thy fill, perhaps you would join me outside? I have something to show thee.” Alex wondered what she had in mind, but he was thankful of her hospitality to ask any curious questions. She had her guards make sure no pony was about as she guided him towards their destination. As they were walking, Alex regarded the designs and structures of Canterlot with utter amazement. It was truly a sight to behold. “This place is marvelous Luna! I almost hate to say it, but seeing all this makes me feel like I could stay here forever…” Hearing how impressed he was with Canterlot and its décor, Luna smiled as she continued to guide him towards the Royal Canterlot Gardens. ‘Soon thou just might…’ ***** Once they reached the Gardens, Alex was impressed by how pretty it was. He was also amazed by the multiple statues that decorated the garden. Next to the garden was the entrance to a hedge-maze. Luna gestured her guards to return to their duties and leave her and Alex alone. Once they were gone, she guided him further into the garden, passing several more sculptures before they reached a solitary 3 foot pillar. “As promised young Alex, I said I would aid thee.” “Aid me how?” “To bring you home.” “Really? You’re going to send me home?” asked Alex hopefully. “Yes.” This news filled Alex with much joy. Finally he would get home. He didn’t ask how she would do it, but he didn’t care as long as it meant he could finally leave this beautiful world of crazy ponies. “My only request is that you stand on that pillar. Do so and I shall cast the spell to send thee home.” She raised her hoof and pointed at the empty pillar. Seeing no harm in it, Alex stepped up to the pillar. Luna backed away and readied herself to perform the spell. “Alex, would thou be kind as to pose for me?” Alex was a little curious about why she needed him to pose. But, if it meant him being sent home, he decided to humor her by doing so. He straightened himself and smiled. “Like this?” “Hm… No.” He did a thoughtful pose. “Like this?” “No.” He made a kung fu pose. “Like this? Hiya~!” “No.” “How about this?” He raised his right arm, placed the left on his chest and took the pose of an opera singer. “Heavens! NO!” Luna grimaced as it reminded her of someone she didn’t want to remember. “This?” Alex made a pose that made him look proud and noble. “Yes! That’s it! Now hold still…” As Luna closed her eyes and charged her magic, Alex held his pose. He then noticed a bird chirping behind him and took a quick glance too admire its beauty before returning to his pose. Just then, he noticed his shoe was untied. Not wanting to go back home with an untied shoe, he bent down to tie it. ZAP! “Whoops! Sorry! I was just tying my shoe and…” Alex suddenly realized that something was wrong. He turned to look at the bird again and instead saw a statue of the same bird in its place. The branch holding the statue broke under its weight and it fell to the ground intact. “Luna… What was-?” Luna suddenly charged up another spell, and cast it. ZAP! Opening her eyes, she went wide-eyed as Alex was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a smoking scorch mark. She was quickly relieved however as Alex peered out from behind the pillar. “ARE YOU CRAZY!?!” yelled Alex. “Get back on the pillar and resume thy position young Alex!” demanded Luna, suddenly replacing her warm tone to a slightly harsh and nervous one. Alex refused and held up the petrified bird. “Did you do this? What are you doing? I thought you were going to send me home!” “Apologizes young Alex, but this is your 'home' now.” said Luna. “What?” Luna sighed. “Young Alex... There is a reason why thou art here. Why thou came to Equestria. It was my doing! I brought thee here!” “SAY WHAAAAT?!?” ~~*~~ Last night in Canterlot… Princess Luna trotted into her bedroom after another long and wonderful night. With only hours before sunrise, she had once again marveled ponies (those who were still awake that is) with her wondrous nighttime spectacle. Ever since her return from banishment, she had been admired and praised by her subjects more so than she could ever have imagined. ‘Ugh! I’m SO bored…’ She threw herself onto her bed and moaned. As much as she loved her subjects, she couldn’t deny the fact that she was bored out her mind. It was just the same thing over and over. She longed for Nightmare Night and counted the days on her calendar. ‘Months away… Sigh!’ She buried her face in the pillow. ‘What else is there for a Princess of the Night to do that’s not so… ‘princessy’?’ At times Luna wished she could amass an army and just parade out of Canterlot and conquer something, just to keep things interesting. She didn’t care if it was a tiny slab of rock or some insignificant grain of sand, at least she would have something new to do. She got up and trotted over to her mirror. She looked herself in it and sighed. “Is this how my life is now..? Is this what I’ve been reduced to..?” While she was happy she had regained the trust and love of Equestria, she couldn’t help but remember the old days. When things were simpler… More fun… She would often recollect back to the days before Nightmare Moon, back in the days when she did more than just raise the moon and protect the dreams of her subjects. There was even a time when she and Celestia would go out hunting together. It wasn’t a cruel or callous sport, but rather a joyful experience as they tracked down exotic animals for miles to see which of them would get them first. She remembered the thrills and the joys of getting a lot of animals for the gardens back in those days. Sadly those times had changed. With a sigh, she left her room and trotted down the empty corridors of the castle. Many of the Canterlot staff was asleep and so she pretty much had the corridor all to herself. ‘Perhaps a visit to the Canterlot Archives in the Starswirl wing will ease my restless spirit..?’ It didn’t take long for her to reach the entrance to the archives. As she was about to enter, she noticed the lights were on. Curious, she sneaked a peek inside and saw to her surprise her sister Celestia standing in front of a familiar-looking mirror, studying it while at the same time taking notes. She seemed to be thrilled and excited about something. She then noticed that she was talking to one of her pegasi captains, Captain Fury Feather. “…I’ve never been more certain in my life Captain. Once I solve this problem, it will mark a glorious day for all of Equestria. I trust you understand the importance of this and why it must remain a secret?” “Yes your Highness. And as soon you give the word, I will have our forces stand ready.” “Excellent Captain. I heartily believe that ‘Operation Stormbreaker’ will be a huge success…” Luna was now more curious. She then noticed both of them coming towards her and she quickly hid behind a column as they came out of the room. “That will be all for now. You may return to your quarters Captain, and thank you for coming.” “My pleasure. Good night, your Highness.” he bowed. As Fury Feather disappeared down the corridor back to his quarters, Luna watched carefully as Celestia locked the door with her magic before returning to her Bed Chamber. With both of them gone, Luna returned to the door. Using her magic, Luna quietly unlocked it and cantered inside. Once inside, Luna eyed the mirror. She trotted up to it and seemed to recognize the design pattern of Starswirl himself. It resembled another magic mirror but this one was different. Luna then eyed the scrolls and parchments on the table next to her and looked them over. She learned that Starswirl didn’t just create one, but two mirrors. The first one was made to cross between alternate realities. This mirror was supposedly meant to allow travel between vast distances across time and space, like some kind of interplanetary stargate. She learned that the mirror was never fully completed and many secrets to allow instantaneous space travel had disappeared along with Starswirl. Judging from what she had just seen moments ago, Celestia had been trying to complete his work with much vigor. ‘Operation Stormbreaker..? Sister, what art thou up to..?’ Her eyes then widened as she read further. While the mirror didn’t allow travel, it did allow the viewer to SEE worlds. And apparently Celestia had discovered one. With life! Luna was amazed by this news and felt compelled to see this new world herself. She had always wondered what life lived amongst the stars, far beyond the reach of Equus. Luna stood in front of the mirror. She didn’t really know what she was hoped to see or if there ever was anything in there worth seeing at all, but she figured it wouldn’t do any harm in checking it out. Nothing seemed to happen at first. She touched it but it felt just like any other mirror. Narrowing her eyes, she concentrated deeper. Her horn glowed and it seemed to trigger something. The reflecting image of Luna suddenly disappeared and it began to swirl around and around like a vortex. There was a bright flash and an image suddenly appeared in the mirror. Luna’s eyes grew wide with awe as she beheld this strange planet in the mirror. It looked like Equestria but the continents didn’t match. Using her horn, she zoomed in on the planet, narrowing down on one of its cities. ***** A small magical sphere descended down from the sky and hovered above the city. Through it, Luna spied down on the aliens below. Luna was captivated by what she saw. Strange bipedal creatures were walking to and fro on their hind legs, completely without hooves of any kind. Strange mechanical wagons, driven by the same beings inside, traveled on concrete roads and marvelous technology was used everywhere. As she floated closer she could hear the sound of traffic and the honks of horns. The mirror apparently made it possible to hear as well as see. She could also clearly see there was no magic in this world. Everything seemed to run on its own. The mere thought of a world working completely without magic seemed almost unheard of. What fascinated her more were the creatures themselves. These ‘humans’ (she later found out through Celestia’s documents) was nothing like she had ever seen before. Compelled to learn more, Luna floated down unseen to find a specimen worthy of study. She floated up to a young boy. ‘That one is too young.’ She then floated over to an elderly man. ‘Too old…’ Luna floated passed a young woman who seemed like a good candidate. “ACHOO!” ‘Clearly that one has a nasty cold.’ She spotted a human Mime as he tried, and failed, to entertain other humans at a street corner on a small stage. ‘Impressive, but that one’s just silly!' She watched as the Mime seemed to trap himself inside a box. She looked through the documents again. ‘That’s amazing! And Tia’s certain they don’t have any magic..?’ She floated passed a café where a fancy human sat and daintily sipped in some tea. ‘Too stiff and uptight. As if Canterlot didn’t have enough of those already….’ As she drifted further down the street, her eyes then widened as she saw another human inside a window of a Clothes Shop, standing tall and proud in stunning clothes. “That’s it! That one looks about right!” She flew in to look more closely at him, only to discover it was a lifeless mannequin. ‘Shoot…’ She saw a human who strutted down the street with a wide grin, sunglasses and an outfit that seemed to blind her with sparkling décor. Luna shielded her eyes. ‘Too flashy…’ She suddenly eyed a human female that jogged passed her and into a nearby park. She followed the young woman. She was impressed by how fit she was and wondered if this was a keeper. ‘Tis one might do…’ Sudddenly the female tripped over her own legs and fell clumsily into a mud puddle, soaking everyone and everything around her.“Sorry…” the mud soaked young woman smiled weakly as other mud-covered humans glared at her. '…if she wasn’t too splashy...’ Luna rolled her eyes as she shook the mud of the sphere. She decided to continue her search elsewhere. Much Later… ‘Too short… Too tall… Too clean… T- Yeesh! Too smelly!’ She couldn’t smell the human, but the sight of him was enough to make her nostrils flare up just imagining it. ‘That one is clearly obsessed with jelly…’ Luna slowly drifted away and tried to ignore a human who hid in a bush and indulged himself with several jars of jelly, without a single slice of bread. ‘*Sigh!* So many choices, and yet neither of them seems to…’ Suddenly, her ears perked as she heard strange but amusing noises. Looking around the park, she couldn’t see where it came from. She floated higher up to get a better view and finally spotted a young human wearing a backpack while holding a small device in his hands, lost in own thoughts. He had blond, yellow streaked hair, blue jeans and yellow shirt with a dark green jacket. Luna was able to maneuver close enough to get a good look at the game. It looked like some kind of ‘pocket monster’ game and right now the character the human was playing was in the middle of collecting a cute monster that he imprisoned in some sort of tiny sphere. ‘Is that a game? How delightfully amusing!’ giggled Luna impressed. It reminded her of the games she had seen during her… ‘Royal Visits’ to the Ponyville Arcade. ‘I would very much love to try that.’ ***** Alex paused his game and looked around. He had this weird feeling that he was being watched. Looking at the passing pedestrians, he couldn’t see anyone suspicious. Believing it only to be his imagination, Alex merely shrugged and continued playing, unaware of the small sphere that followed him. He walked until he reached some benches were he could sit down. He put down his backpack and sat down. He put the game aside for a while and lay back comfortably as he looked up into the sky, letting his thoughts wander a bit. He didn’t notice the bright sphere that still followed him, now hovering behind him and quietly observing him. ‘Such a beautiful day…’ he thought as he watched the clouds drift across the sky. ‘It’s SO boring..! Sigh! Sometimes I wish something interesting would happen in my life…’ He yawned, stretched his arms and decided to take a short nap. ***** ‘This is no fun…’ Luna pouted. She was miffed that the human had decided to end his game so soon. She had really wanted him to play some more. Now it seemed as if he was sleeping. “Ugh! BORING! Hey you! Wake up! Wake up and entertain me! Thy princess demands it!” There was no reaction. TAP! TAP! TAP! She tapped on the mirror but there was no reaction. “Hey! Hey wake up! Oh for Celestia’s sake..!” She then inhaled. “WAKE UP!!” ***** “WAKE UP!” “GAH!” Alex was suddenly startled from his short snooze and quickly got up on his feet, awake and alert. He looked frantically around. There didn’t seem to be anything out the ordinary. Alex was confused. He didn’t know why, but it sounded like someone was calling to him… “Wha..? Who?” Alex scratched his head. ‘Must’ve been a dream…’ Deciding not to sleep any further, Alex pulled up his backpack and went through it. He pulled out a folder and opened it to reveal drawings inside. Alex pulled them out and started looking over them. ***** Luna covered her mouth as she realized she had inadvertently used her Royal Canterlot Voice. She nervously looked around the room, expecting Celestia or some guard to suddenly storm in and demand what was happening. Listening quietly, there didn’t seem to be anypony approaching. “Heavy sleepers…” she muttered relieved. She then turned her attention back to the mirror and was now curious. She thought the mirror only allowed silent observation, but somehow this human heard her. ‘He heard me… He actually heard me! But if that’s true then…’ While she pondered on it, she then noticed the human was now going through some papers. Luna watched as he pulled out something that looked like drawings. Her eyes widened… ***** Alex looked over some drawings he had made in Art Class. He held up one drawing of a beautiful horse emerging from a dark lake in a deep dark forest, with the moon reflecting on its still surface as the light bathed it in a supernatural glow. ‘Another rejection… Sigh!’ He then looked at his follow-up drawing of the same horse expect now it was jumping back into the lake with a child on its back. ‘Seriously, I really don’t get that art teacher and his ‘clown’ obsessions. I don’t see what's wrong with horses…’ Alex packed them up and sighed. ‘Sigh! Fresh out of High school, bad grades, no job and still living with my parents… Maybe I should just give up on this art business and just travel somewhere..?’ He leaned back. ‘Maybe even finally find myself a girl. Sigh! But what girl would want a boring wannabe artist loser like me?’ ***** “I WANT HIM!” Luna shouted as she made up her mind. “This human must share with me his knowledge of games and art! I shall bring him to Equestria and we shall be the bestest of friends!” she squealed with joy. “Tia will never know he's here. I'll hide him in my room and we'll have so much fun together. I'm certain he'll love to know me!” she smiled, overconfident that her idea might work. Luna looked through the documents over and over and sadly all seemed to say the same thing. The mirror simply didn’t have the ability to allow anypony or anything to pass through. She then thought about how the human was able to hear her. Somehow her voice was able to pass through… Wait! That was it! Her VOICE! Her Royal Canterlot Voice! Somehow it tore the dimensional barrier that kept her away from the humans. It only lasted a few seconds, but was enough to remain open just long enough for the sound to get through. She theorized that if she was able to raise her voice slightly higher, it would shatter the barrier completely and allow her to nab the human with her magic. It sounded like it might actually work. She just needed to be close enough to the human so that he wouldn’t have time to get away. ***** Luna decided to go for it and carefully guided the sphere around the bench, floating silently towards him. Alex was too lost in his thoughts to notice her as she settled down beside him. ‘Perfect!’ she began to inhale. “Excuse me. Is this seat taken?” A shadow suddenly descended upon the bench as Luna saw something blocked out the sun. “HEY! WHA-!” SQUASH! “GAH! Off! Hey what gives?” Alex shouted annoyed as he was pushed out of his seat by an rather obese man who took up more space than the bench would allow. “Excuse me Sir, but I was sitting there!” “Sorry kid, I need this seat.” he replied rather rudely. “And once I sit down, I won’t be moving any time soon, so too bad for you.” Alex grumbled at the rude man. Still, he didn’t bother arguing with him as he felt rested enough and decided to continue on his way. Muffled noises were ‘not’ heard behind the unaware man as Luna struggled to get free. She eventually managed to squeeze out of the man’s back. POP! Luna hovered weakly around for a bit before she managed to surpress that awful experience. “I’ve seen the dark side of the moon but never have I witnessed something so…” She glared daggers at the obese human and wanted so much to teach him a lesson on not to sit on royalty. But then she discovered that Alex had left. She quickly left the bench and flew over the park to search for him. She eventually spotted him leaving the park and smirked. “Thou got lucky this time, but I have other methods…” *PETER GUNN THEME PLAYING* Alex was walking peacefully through the park. Luna flew ahead of him. She ducked down and peered out from beneath some bushes next to some girls playing tennis and saw him approach. She waited until he was close enough. As Alex approached, Luna was ready to spring the trap… PONG! “Oh no. Too high!” RUSTLE! Something suddenly burst into the bush and rolled up beside her. Luna glanced at it and saw it was a tennis ball, just as big as the sphere. Before she knew what was happening, she saw fingers wrapping themselves around the sphere and she was pulled out of the bushes. “AH! UNHOOF ME!” “I got it!” shouted the girl that had pulled Luna out of the bushes. She had mistaken her for the tennis ball. “Okay! My Serve!” She tossed Luna into the air, ready to swing her racket. “WHAT? WAIT! I’M NOT A- !” PONG! “AAAAH~!” Unable to fly away, Luna found herself being served across the court at great speed. PONG! “STOP-” PONG! “THIS-” PONG! “AT-” PONG! “ONCE!” PONG! Her protests unheard, Luna watched helplessly as she was served to and fro while her human wandered away from her. “Don’t think thou art safe! I’ll Urk! get thee… Glp! yet…Urp!” Luna held her mouth and seemed to turn green. While she was glad she wasn’t actually there, she still couldn’t help feeling nauseous all the same. PONG! ***** Luna hovered over a small crowd of humans as they all watched with curiosity (or rather boredom) at the Mime she had seen before, busily working up some of his ‘magic’ again. Alex was standing in the front. “There he is.” smiled Luna. “If I can only get close enough without losing him again…” She then eyed his backpack. “There! I’ll just slip into his ‘saddlebag’ and once we’re alone, he’ll be mine.” She carefully floated down towards the crowd, sneaking up behind them and worming her way past them. Luckily for her, all the humans seemed too distracted by the Mime’s wizardry to pay her any attention. Alex yawned as the Mime pretended to pull an imaginary rope that led up into the sky, failing largely at it. He could do a better mime acting than that. “Why don’t you try something else?” Alex asked tiredly. The Mime stopped, let go of the ‘rope’ and playfully thought for a moment. He then smiled and began to juggle. There was only one problem. He was juggling nothing! “Here!” a man in the crowd suddenly threw an orange he had. The surprised Mime caught it and juggled it. “Over here!” shouted a kid who threw a baseball at him, and the Mime caught that one too. “Now that’s juggling!” another man in the audience laughed, causing more to laugh as well. While all that was happening, Luna had finally reached Alex’s backpack and silently slipped inside. “There! Now I just have to-” “Here!” shouted a man behind Alex who suddenly reached into the backpack and pulled Luna out. “Gah! What the-? Unhoof me!” before she could realize what was happening, Luna was flung straight at the Mime, who caught her and included her in his juggling act. Luna almost became dizzy as the image in the mirror swirled around and around. “What is this? Stop this at once!” The Mime, clearly not amused by the antics of his audience, stopped and casually dropped the items in his hands onto the stage. He then used his hands to form an invisible box around himself. Feeling safe, the Mime stuck his tongue out at the audience and taunted them. Alex cocked an eyebrow. ‘Who does he think he’s fooling..?’ Luna, who witnessed this, was not pleased by this action. “No! I’m trapped! Remove this box at once!” Having seen enough, the lightly amused audience dispersed. Alex merely shrugged and walked off down the street. “No! He’s getting away! Release me at once, you sorcerer!” shouted Luna, who’s voice sadly fell on deaf ears. Fuming, Luna inhaled. “RELEASE ME AT ONCE!” The Mime was suddenly startled by the strange voice and looked around in confusion. “Hey!” The Mime then turned towards the new sound and suddenly received a tomato in the face by a bearded man standing by a grocery stand. “Get off the stage!” The glowering Mime silently wiped the tomato off his face and, with a silent ‘Hmph’, walked off with what little dignity he had left. “It worked! Huzzah! I’m free!” Finally free, Luna flew up into the sky and swirled around a bit before once again scouting out for Alex. Much to her surprise however, he was nowhere to be found. “Gone again!” Annoyed, she flew off in search for him. “Where did he go? WHERE DID HE GO?” ***** Alex was standing by the window of a Clothes Shop, looking at the fancy and expensive tuxedos. He pictured himself in one of those suits and smiled with amusement. ‘Don’t think I’ll ever be caught wearing that…’ Close by, hiding behind a fire hydrant, was Luna. She had escaped the life of a tennis ball and had caught up with him. She watched Alex as he stood there unaware of her presence. “There art thou, my little human.” she smiled. “Now I’ll just float over to his legs and…” “SNIFF! SNIFF!” Luna turned and noticed a dog was sniffing the sphere. “Away ye filthy beast! Don’t bother me!” she yelled. The dog flinched as it seemed to have heard her. Then it playfully waged its tail and panted. “No..! OH NO! Don’t ye dare consider it!” “BARK! BARK!” “AAAAAAH! KEEP AWAY! I’M THE PRINCESS OF NIGHT! NOT SOME STUPID BALL!” She bounced away past Alex with the dog chasing her. “BARK! BARK! “Did you hear something?” Alex asked a man beside him. “Hear what?” Alex then shrugged “Hm… It was probably nothing…” ***** Luna grumbled as she floated through the air down the street, not caring of hiding anymore as some humans walking past her suddenly gawked at the strange floating orb with disbelief. ‘Buried like some common bone. If I ever see that mutt again I’ll pick his…’ she then paused as she suddenly spotted Alex walking on the sidewalk across the street from her. “Huzzah! I’ve found thee! No more hiding, time for the direct approach!" She shook off the dirt and flew at high speed towards him, readying her Canterlot Voice and finally bring him to Equestria. 'Ooh! A dime!' Alex bent down to pick up a coin he noticed lying on the sidewalk, making Luna miss her target and fly straight into an alleyway. She found herself on a collision course with a brick wall. “GAH! PULL UP! PULL-!” BANG! The sphere bounced off the wall and rolled up to a homeless man who was resting behind some garbage cans, enjoying his bottle until he felt something touch his leg. “What’s this?” he curiously picked it up and looked at it with fascination. “Man… Looks pretty valuable... Maybe I can trade it for a new bottle..?” Luna fumed. “Who knew catching some human would prove so difficult? I’VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS!” The sphere suddenly glowed intensely and almost burned the homeless man’s hand. “WOAH! MAN! That stung!” The man shook and blew on his hand, unaware that the sphere was now rolling out of the alleyway, knocking into Alex's shoe. Looking down, Alex finally noticed the sphere next to his leg. “Strange…” he muttered. “Hm… Where did this come from?” he picked it up and curiously looked at it. It felt weird and it seemed to emit a warm, yet unnatural glow. He suddenly had that feeling that he was being watched again. He looked around but could see no one but a homeless man in the alleyway. Looking closely at the sphere, Alex could suddenly see the faint image of a horse with a horn and wings looking back at him with wide eyes. ‘Did… Did it just..?’ Luna blinked as she found herself face to face with Alex. After all her efforts, she was stunned to realize how easy this now was. She now had him right where she wanted him. Inhaling a deep breath, she charged her horn and was ready... ***** “…Are you sure you’ve looked everywhere?” Celestia asked her guards, sounding very worried. “We’ve looked everywhere, your Majesty.” one earth-pony guard answered. “She’s not in her Bed Chamber and she’s not in the Look-Out Tower. She’s not even in the Throne Room.” “This is really troubling…” Celestia got more worried. “It’s almost dawn and the moon hasn’t set yet. Where could she be..?” Suddenly, a loud voice echoed throughout the halls of the castle. All the guards covered their ears and threw themselves to the floor in agony as it got louder. Furniture began to shake and windows and pottery nearly shattered. All of Canterlot seemed to tremble as the noise intensified. It was so powerful that it even shook one of the guard's armor off. “Is it an earthquake?” asked one of the frightened guards. “That voice…” Recognizing it, Celestia stormed off to find the source. ***** “Hey man! Give that back! I found it first!” yelled the homeless man as he spotted Alex with his sphere. Before Alex could react, the sphere’s glow suddenly intensified and vibrated out of his hand. As it landed on the ground, a loud, ear-piercing shout exploded from it. Both Alex and the homeless man covered their ears as the horrible sound echoed through the alleyway. More humans outside the alleyway covered their ears as well. Suddenly, the sphere exploded into a much bigger sphere, knocking over Alex as it bathed the alleyway in a bright light while garbage and paper flew about in an unnatural wind. “On second thought man… It’s yours! You keep it!” Looking at it in fright, Alex suddenly saw the shadowy silhouette of the same horse, with its glowing white eyes locked on to him. “What the..?!?” It then reared and unfolded its wings. Unable to move, Alex was suddenly engulfed by the light and disappeared. The wind died down as the sphere shrank down to its normal size before suddenly vanishing without a trace. All that remained was Alex's backpack. POFF! The entire street was quiet. Everyone just stood there, unable to say or do anything as the sight they all just witnessed had rendered them utterly speechless. Even the Mime, who just happened to be there at the time, was more quiet than ever. The homeless man, who saw the whole thing at close hand, stood and blinked several times in bewilderment before looking at his bottle, which he then emptied on the ground seconds later. “That’s it man! I’m off the hooch!” ~~*~~ Present… Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “That light! That strange horse! That was you? You KIDNAPPED me? You’re the reason I’ve been trapped in this nightmare?” Luna shamefully nodded. Alex then remembered what she said earlier; The Keeper of Dreams. “And back when I had that dream. That was you as well?” “Yes…” He shook his head in mixed confusion and anger. “But WHY? And why me? What makes me so special?” “I… It’s… Do I need to have a reason? It is quite common for royalty to get what they desire.” said Luna, trying to justify her actions. She then sighed. “In truth, I could’ve picked any human, but I chose thee because thou art by far the most intriguing and interesting specimen I’ve ever seen. I just knew thou would be perfect for me.” “TO BECOME YOUR LATEST STATUE?!? THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!” “My sister would never allow me to keep thee otherwise. My plan was to bring thee here and have ye placed here in our garden without my sister's knowledge. I would explain to her that I failed and that I in my grief had you carved out and placed here as a reminder of my failure. That way she would never suspect and I would keep thee safe.” She struggled to keep back a tear. “Please Alex, I’m doing this to PRESERVE you. Thou would never survive in Equestria.” “I’m still here aren’t I?” “Alex… This world is not just ponies and rainbows. Equestria has evil and beasts that would make the dangers of thy world pale by comparison. Thou hast no magic and thou have survived purely by fortune alone. Please young Alex, accept this and thou shall not feel pain or sadness. Thou shall never grow old or sick. Never go hungry or thirsty. Thou would remain safe in our garden and silently admired by everypony… ” While Alex hated to admit it, she did make a good argument. Still he wasn’t thrilled about the whole statue idea. Being turned to stone once by a Cockatrice wasn’t exactly pleasant. He was unable to see or think. It was as if his life had ceased entirely. Those thoughts alone scared him. Bottom line, he wanted to go home! Not become a lifeless statue to by ogled by ponies for all eternity. “I understand thy fears young Alex…” continued Luna. “…but trust me when I tell thee, that this is only for the best. Thou would never have a normal life here. Thou told me back in the restaurant how everypony chased and tormented thee. I’m offering thee a way out. As a statue, thou will not be bothered by anypony ever again...” “I would be a prisoner…” Alex said with sadness in his voice. It made Luna’s heart ache. She knew that was somewhat true. “Please your Highness, I just want to go home…” “Alex…” Luna sighed. “I can’t.” “What do you mean?” ~~*~~ Last night, minutes before dawn… Luna felt Alex’s presence in the mirror. Concentrating deeply now, she steadily worked her magic as she guided Alex closer to their world. “Luna? Are you in here?” Celestia peered inside the Royal archives and saw Luna sitting in front of the mirror. “There you are! Thank goodness, I was so worried! We’ve been looking all over for you. It’s almost dawn and you’re…” “Closer… Just a bit closer now…” “Luna?” Luna, now realizing she wasn’t alone, turned around and was surprised to see Celestia standing by the doorway. “Tia?” “Luna… What are you…?” “I can explain! I-” SPARKLE! FZZT! Suddenly, the mirror started to glow and shake violently. Sparks emitted from it and soon the whole room began to shake. Luna backed away from the mirror in horror. “Wha-?” “LUNA! WHAT IN EQUESTRIA DID YOU DO?!?” BANG! RUMBLE! SPARKLE! FZZT! The mirror shook more violently as the glow intensified and sparks of lightning shot out of it. The frame began to seethe with smoke. Suddenly the light just went out and the mirror went dark and silent, as if it had crashed. Luna and Celestia carefully approached the mirror while keeping a safe distance from it. “Luna... What-” POW! Suddenly, a ball of white energy, no bigger than a tennis ball, shot straight out of the mirror and began ricocheting around the room like a runaway rubber ball, knocking down books and scrolls and nearly hitting the regal sisters. Luna eyed the ball and recognized its magical signature. It was Alex. He had passed through! “What in the-?!” “It’s alright sister! I’ve got it! I-” She tried to lock on to him with her magic, but he bounced around to quickly and it wasn’t long before he found the door. “NO! COME BACK!” yelled Luna as she chased him. “Luna?” Celestia galloped after her. Despite her speed, Luna was unable to catch up to him as he bounced down and about the corridor. She followed him until he reached the end. In a desperate attempt to catch him, she threw herself towards him, missing and watched helplessly as Alex burst out of a window and vanished in the direction of Ponyville. “NO!” “LUNA!” Luna's ears flattened and she bit her lips nervously as she turned to see her sister standing behind her, scowling at her. “What was that? What happened?” Seeing her sister being somewhat reluctant to say anything, Celestia trotted over and scowled at her some more. “Luna..? Is there something you want to tell me?” Luna nervously smiled and giggled. “Ahehe… Sister… I can explain…” Shortly after having lowered the moon to make way for the day, Luna spent the entire morning in the archives explaining to Celestia what had happened. Celestia, having listened to every word, was deeply disappointed. “Luna! How could you do something so reckless? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” “I…” “I’ve spent months trying to find a safer way passed the magical barrier. What you did was careless and dangerous! You’re just lucky this human made it through intact, otherwise he would’ve been permanently trapped in limbo!” Luna cringed at that thought. Celestia used her magic to study the mirror. There was a quiet moment before Celestia spoke again with some relief in her voice. “It’s still working, but the damage is done. I’m afraid the human is now permanently trapped in Equestria thanks to you.” Luna’s ears dropped and she looked away shameful. “But there’s no time for blame. This human is now possibly in terrible danger. Find him and bring him to me at once. I’ll remain here and hopefully mend the damage you’ve caused.” she finished with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Understood sister.” said Luna as she quietly left the archives, leaving Celestia alone with the mirror. ‘I’ll find him sister… But thou shall not take him away from me…’ ~~*~~ Present... “I was only able to pull thee into Equestria by chance. My sister would never risk sending thee back without endangering thy life. I’m sorry to say this, but thou art stuck here forever...” Alex hung his head in silent grief. If what she said was true, he was forever trapped in Equestria with no possible hope of returning home. Luna moved closer. Alex kept the pillar firmly between them. “I’m really sorry about all this, but this for thy own good. Please, step up on the pillar.” Alex didn’t move. “Alex… I’m an alicorn. I possess great magic and I can move the very moon itself. Thou understand what I’m saying?” Alex said nothing but he knew what she meant. If her magic was as powerful as she claimed, then Twilight’s magic dwarfed by comparison. She could just levitate him out from his hiding place and turn him to stone so easily, but she didn’t want to look like a monster doing it. “Please?” she pleaded. Alex was conflicted. He knew he was trapped. Seeing no other choice, Alex slowly emerged from behind the pillar and climbed up. “Good…” said Luna with some relief as Alex assumed his position. “Now hold still. This shall be quick…” she whispered while charging up the spell. Alex braced himself for the inevitable. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. He was to be turned to stone and nothing could save him. It was only him and the princess. Alone. No guards… No- A thought occurred to him and he had an idea. What was the name again? “IS THAT CELESTIA?!” “WHAT?!?” Luna wing’s flared as she jumped. She seized her magic and turned with a frightened look to where Alex was pointing. “Tia! It’s not what it looks! I…” she stopped as she realized that Celestia wasn’t there. Confused, she turned back towards Alex and saw that the pillar was empty. Looking frantically around, she caught the glimpse of a shadow disappearing inside the hedge-maze. “Why that little…” Luna muttered annoyed, followed shortly with a tired sigh and a weak smile. She then eyed the petrified bird on the ground and undid her spell. ZAP! “Apologies little one.” said Luna and watched as the bird happily flew away. She then trotted towards the maze and smiled. “Guess the game is still on…” ***** Alex ran through the maze. He had to get as far away from Luna as possible. He was not going to be oversized garden gnome. He had already been there. Seen from above, his track through the maze was a complete jumble. One moment he was headed one direction, only to be headed back another direction. He would travel down one path, only to somehow go in a circle and come out the way he entered. After several long minutes of running, Alex slowed down and keeled over panting. Alex felt pretty lost in the maze, and hopefully so lost that… “Thou art pretty fast for someone with only two legs.” Alex turned and saw Luna standing smiling behind him. How did she find him so fast? Without finding out why, Alex bolted and ran randomly through the maze again. After several more minutes, he stopped and wondered if the coast was clear. “I dare say this is really fun! I’ve not been on an actual hunt in over a thousand years.” Watching Luna taking this chase so cheerfully angered him. She was deliberately mocking him. No matter how difficult he made it, she always seemed to find him with ease. Trying to lose her again, Alex exploited every twist and turn he could find. Finally, reaching the end of his rope, Alex collapsed from exhaustion and lay down. After that little marathon, it would be a while before… “Tired already? Thou art doing so well.” Alex moaned and looked up as he saw Luna leaning over him. Panicking, he scurried a few feet away from her. “HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS? HOW-?” Luna unfurled her wings. Alex noticed them with a deadpanned expression on his face. “Of course…” he grumbled. “I admire thy rebellious spirit, Alex. But let’s face the truth. Thou can’t escape this way.” Alex slumped down on the ground and moaned in defeat. Luna victoriously closed her eyes and gloated. “Looks like I win this game! Come Alex, let’s get- huh?” as soon as Luna opened her eyes, Alex was suddenly gone. “What? But where did he- GAH!” Everything went suddenly dark as Alex threw his jacket over her eyes. During her victory speech, Alex saw his chance and snuck behind her. With his jacket blinding her, Alex quickly mounted her. “WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?! DISMOUNT ME AT ONCE!!” She reared and tried to force him off. Alex suddenly kicked his heels against her torso. Shocked by the rudeness of his actions, Luna was even more surprised as she suddenly unfolded her wings and felt the sudden urge to take off with Alex still on her back. She soared blindly through the skies with her ‘rider’ guiding her. Luna was utterly bewildered. His kick had somehow caused a reflex and she was unable to properly counter it. Her actions were practically at his mercy. “How art thou doing this? This is not possible!” The pair soared clumsily through the skies as Alex made every attempt to force her closer to the ground away from the maze. Once they neared the exit, Alex made one more adjustment to her flight path. “THANKS FOR THE LIFT!” He removed the jacket and threw himself off Luna, rolling as he landed softly on the grass. “INSOLENT LITTLE WHELP! I- HUH?” CRASH! Looking ahead that split second, Luna crashed head on into one of the few trees in the garden. Pulling himself up from the ground, Alex eyed Luna and nearly keeled over with laughter as Luna was now hanging from the tree with her horn firmly imbedded in it. Seeing the predicament she was in, Luna tried to pull herself free, only for the tree to suddenly fall over. “Oh no…” CRASH! Luna’s horn was still stuck to the tree, but now she was upside-down. “How humiliating…” she grumbled. Alex put his jacket on and ran away. “See you around, your Highness! Keep your chin up!” “ALEX! WE DEMAND THOU COME BACK HERE AT ONCE!!!” She yelled in her Royal Canterlot Voice while trying to free herself. Alex kept running. He had escaped another life of being stone, but only for a short while. Luna would get free eventually and he was still in Canterlot. He had to find a way to escape the city somehow… “HALT!” Alex stopped as he suddenly found himself nearly running into a squadron of pony guards. They aimed their spears and kept him from running any further. Alex tried to backtrack, but he was soon intercepted by pegasi guards who blocked his escape routes. Realizing he was completely surrounded, he raised his hands and surrendered. He then drew his attention to another pony that seemed to glow with the warmth of the sun itself. Her snow-white figure towering over everyone else as she stepped towards him passed her bowing guards, her mane blowing with beautiful celestial colors. “Goodness! What have we here?” ‘Aw crud…’