//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Magic is... Friendship? // by Frosty the Batty //------------------------------// A week had passed since Jeremy's admission to PonyVille Emergency Clinic. And his body had already displayed promising signs of recovery; gaining muscle and necessary fat. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his psyche. Princess Luna had called a psychologist to evaluate Jeremy's mental state. And reported some… worrying, findings. The mare whom the princess hired reported a deep rooted fear of ponykind. Commenting it was only because of her magic forcing Jeremy to remain relatively calm during the princess's first visit. She theorized, however, that the very same magic might not last. And there could be a slight chance that the princess’s magic is causing the human psychological damage, by suppressing emotions and feelings. It was only because of Jeremy’s largely unknown biology that Doctor Inkblot felt this way. Princess Luna hastily removed the suppression spell she cast on the human, she hopped it wasn't too late. In a barely furnished room, a heart monitor displays a heartbeat of one-hundred and eleven beats per minute. The only thoughts filling the room being that of a blue pony. Afterwards, Princess Luna immediately teleported to the outside of the human’s room. She stole her nerves and prepared for the worst. It took little magic to open the door, opting to let it swing open under its own weight. The room was slowly revealed to her. As the right side was shown first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She heard the frantic beeping of the heart monitor, and wondered to the stars above how doctors and nurses weren't rushing to this room. She threw that thought aside; there was no point wondering why. She was there, and she will handle the situation. She was ready for anything… Anything… anything but the sight before here once the door fully swung open. For there, the left corner of the room. The human, Jeremy, sat; legs folded close his chest, his arms, while wrapped tightly around his legs, trembled near violently. Much like the rest of his body. What really tore at the princess were his eyes. The tiny hazel, green speckled, orbs intensely gazing into her very own. The Night Princess saw fear behind the almost invisible pupils. It felt as if time itself stopped once the human and pony locked eyes. But just as soon as time froze, it started again, the human acted. It was a simple, startling, frightening motion. Jeremy lunged for the princess. Images of what may come flashed behind her highness mind’s eye. Her horn barely lit as the human made contact. She expected to feel pain, she expected some form of assault. She expected the worst. So it stunned her greatly when nothing happened after Jeremy lunged. She only felt an almost choking pressure around her neck. She peered below, her heart nearly shattering once she laid eyes upon Jeremy. There he was, embracing the princess. His sickly, but surprisingly strong, arms wrapped tightly around the base of her neck. His face, buried within the crook of her neck, felt wet, with tears she assumed. Next, she noticed small, near unnoticeable babble tumbling past his lips. Through the loud beeping of the monitor, she managed to hear a single coherent, if broken, phrase: “Please, don’t leave me…” It was more of a weak plead. A plead the princess didn't understand initially. But then, her mind set to work, looking for any plausible solution. She lifted her magic forcing him to remain calm. He was curled up into the corner. He was deathly scared of something, ponies she deduced, but then, she enters the room. He leaps for her, only to embrace her like he is now… The princess pondered: Could her magic possibly be the cause of this reaction? Jeremy should have a petrifying fear of ponykind. Princess Luna hypothesized, could it be due to her interactions with the human? Could her magic have left some mental effect? Then, realization hit her like the Crystalline Express. That request, such a simple request. He asked of Luna, he saw her as some form of comfort. He likely perceives everypony else as a threat. Her very own magic may have left a unintended, lasting impression; she was the only pony Jeremy could trust. That’s it. That’s the only theory makes the most sense. She reasoned, magic behaves very differently around Jeremy than any other pony. Could it be possible the Princess’s magic… influenced, his view of her? The sobs coming from Jeremy lead her to believe so. With this in mind, the Princess of The Night slowly sat upon her haunches. She then carefully brought her forelegs around the sensitive human. She knew all he needed right was for somepony to comfort him. And she was more than willing to be that pony. So she spent the rest of the day with Jeremy. Going as far as to lay next to him in his bed. It had been weeks since Princess Luna embraced the human. Thanks to her, Jeremy had been recovering nicely. It had been her to coerce Jeremy to eat healthily, often sharing meals to prove there weren’t any poisons. It had been her to convince Jeremy to leave his hospital room to use the restroom, the only condition being Luna had to be by his side until they arrived at his destination. It was only because of her that he mustered the courage to take a walk around the castle. It was Princess Luna who would be the only pony Jeremy wasn't at the least afraid of. He tolerated Celestia, but with Luna right by his side. The elements, he knew he had them to thank for saving him from her, so he had little trouble accepting their presence. But, there was always that requirement that Luna be by his side. The ponies all assumed why he only felt comfortable with Luna, but only she knew the truth. She almost instantly knew it was due to her magic that the human felt a strong connection with her. She reasoned to herself that it has worked out, less Jeremy have a petrifying fear of ponykind. And act… like an animal back into a corner. She still couldn’t help but feel guilty; her magic affected his mind. What kind of damage had her magic caused? She hoped not a thing that wouldn’t heal over time, but there was a nagging feeling sitting with the deepest pit of her stomach.