He came to from his nap, the wind rushing past him. Where was he this time? He looked around, finding himself sitting in some kind of carriage, but without the roof or somepony or an animal pulling it. It was moving by itself. He'd heard of some science ponies cooking up some prototypes for self-driven carriages, but they weren't exactly fit for beyond the test tracks from what he heard. This one was. He sat up, looking around. He was in the backseat, two others in front and facing forward. In the one diagonally ahead of him, to his right, was the same blonde from the other dream. To his immediate right, the big guy who tackled him from behind before. And the one in front, after looking over the side of the seat, was the one wearing glasses and that had the slicked hair. Only this time, they all looked younger. The blonde didn't have a goatee, the big guy didn't have as thick a beard, and the one in front had different glasses. All three had fewer scars and wrinkles. And, they were all wearing different clothes. Last time he wasn't able to get much of a look, but at least Nocturnal could tell that the other three were wearing some kind of military uniforms. Black coats, black uniform pants, black boots. Maybe his was different as well, he wasn't sure. He didn't have the time or mind to look, back then. Now, all four of them were wearing different outfits, the only real similarity between them the colors black and dark gray.
The blonde was wearing a black denim vest opened up to reveal a black sleeveless shirt with some strange grid-like design. His pants had a dark, leopard-patterned design to them. He had two black bandanas tied on his arms, one each, and had black fingerless gloves. His boots were black, lined with white fur on top. Once upon a time, this would have made Nocturnal feel queasy, but years of being in the Lunar Guard forced him to see and experience things that he had to get used to quickly, including the use of animal parts for food, clothes, and items. The blonde was currently looking at what looked like a camera, albeit more advanced-looking than any he had ever seen.
The big guy was wearing black pants, black shoes, and an opened shirt with nothing underneath but well-chiseled muscles and a small necklace. His left hand had what looked like a shirt sleeve that was cut off and had a piece for where to fit his thumb into attached. He was currently reading a book, just relaxing.
The one in front, Nocturnal wasn't able to see very well. But, there was a small, long mirror attached to the higher part of the front of the carriage, showing him both the blonde and the one with the slicked-back hair as well as what was behind them all. This time the guy was wearing more traditional glasses with dark frames. From what could be seen, he was wearing a nice black suit with a black shirt and pants, wearing shiny, silver gloves that were missing the thumbs. And if he had to guess, he was probably wearing dress shoes to finish the outfit. His hands were on some kind of wheel, and when a turn in the road came up he turned the wheel just a little to the left, the carriage suddenly but smoothly turning left to mimic the wheel. That was cool to watch, making Nocturnal wonder when those self-driven carriages were going to be finished. And if they would be as good as this one.
This time having some foresight, he looked down at himself. He was wearing a black short-sleeved jacket, opened in the front. Underneath was a dark-gray shirt. His pants were black trousers, cropped under his knees. He wore black buckled boots that ended just under where the pants were cropped. And on his left hand was a black long glove made of what was unmistakably leather, designed for rough use as well as style. And, when he had looked in the mirror, he saw that his mane was spikey and black, unlike his usual short-trimmed mane.
And that he was a sort-of pony like them, with peach-colored skin and a flat face instead of midnight blue coat and muzzle. Not the weirdest dream he'd had, all things considered, but definitely up there.
He looked to his left, watching the scenery pass them by. It looked like they were in some kind of desert, with bushes and rock formations here and there. In the distance, there was a mountain. And in the sky, Celestia's afternoon sun was shining bright, with only one cloud in sight. It was peaceful and relaxing, much better than the last dream.
"So," asked the blonde, turning towards Nocturnal and the rest of them. "Anyone hungry? Cuz I'm starving! Think we can stop by somewhere?"
"And waste more of our money?" asked the driver in a proper voice.
"Dude, it's been hours since we last ate! My stomach's killing me!"
"Prompto's got a good point," said the big guy in a deep, gravelly voice. "I could use a bite to eat, too."
"No complaints from me," said Noct with a yawn. "Looks like it's unanimous, Ignis."
"Woo-hoo, chow time!" exclaimed Prompto with excitement.
Ignis sighed in irritated defeat, shaking his head before taking a turn down another road. Nocturnal couldn't help but smile at these antics. They felt familiar, like they went through these things all the time. He was reminded of that feeling from before, when they fought the fire monster in his previous dream. These three were his friends, even though he had no recollection of them.
But why? And how? What the hell was going on?
They soon pulled into a small area that had, upon initial glance, a diner, a small shop, and some kind of warehouse. There were other sort-of ponies around, some standing near other carriages similar to theirs, although in different shapes and colors. The carriage pulled next to the store, all four of them getting out and stretching. Nocturnal looked over at the other three, watching as they talked to one another. It was strange. Normally, his dreams were hazy and vague, never staying on the same subject for long. But this? This was too vivid, like a memory. He'd dreamed of memories, mostly nightmares, and those were usually exaggerated by his emotions. This was too crisp and precise.
"Hey, Noct?" asked the big guy. "Eos to Noct?"
"Huh?"
"I asked what you were gonna get at the Crow's Nest. You still asleep on us?"
"After all the bounty hunts we took this morning, can you blame me?" Noct said, stretching his neck.
"I can always knock the sleep out of you," the big guy said jokingly.
"Now, now, Gladio," said Ignis. "As humorous as we would all find that, I must suggest that we save any potential bashing of his head for after we eat."
"I gotta agree with Iggy on this one," said Prompto. "Food first, head-bashing later."
"Uh, maybe we can skip the head-bashing altogether? I'm wide awake now."
"Heh, perfect timing," said Gladio. "But, next time..."
The four of them laughed at that, knowing that it was all in good spirit. Nocturnal felt at ease with this, reminded of the jokes he and the others in the EUP would crack. Even when Gladio gently slapped him on the back, he knew he meant no harm, Noct playfully jabbing him in the arm back.
"Seriously, though," said Gladio. "You gonna just get the usual, or are you gonna try something new this time?"
Nocturnal woke up from the dream, this time not shooting up in a panic. He looked around, seeing he was back in his hospital room. He looked over at the clock, seeing it was 20:05. He'd napped for three hours.
It had been one day since he had talked to Princess Luna. Between then and now, he'd gone through a few different tests, had his bandages changed, and even did a bit of physical therapy. Until the doctors said otherwise, he'd need a cane if he wanted to go anywhere. The IV had to stay, for now. That was stupid in his opinion, but better than being chained down to his bed for causing a fuss over it. Still, they were at least able to remove the bandages on his left arm and relocate the IV to that arm, to make it easier to get anywhere if necessary.
He slowly pulled his legs over the side of the bed, reaching for his cane. Officially they suggested that he stay in bed unless he needed to go to the bathroom. But they didn't say anything about taking walks. Still, he felt they would scold him for trying, and he didn't want the attention of being the pony that had special treatment from one of the Princesses, but he was already going stir crazy from being in bed for so long. He needed to get out of his room. Normally he would have enjoyed the prospect of staying in bed, but not while trapped in a hospital room. Something about it just didn't sit right with him. So, he grabbed his cane in one hand, and the IV pole in the other, before taking a few careful steps. Sore, but ignorable. This was doable. He limped his way to the door, quietly opening it before sticking his head out to look left and right. Coast was clear, so he quietly made his way down the right. He didn't have a destination in mind, just wanting to get out of his room. Eventually, he came across one of those signs that pointed ponies to different parts of the hospital, seeing if anything struck up his interest.
"...I know what I need," he said to himself. "I need to see the sky. Which means, I need to get to the roof...which means stairs."
He looked down at his bandaged leg, realizing the problem with that plan.
"...maybe I should take the elevator."
"Sweet Celestia, finally," he groaned, opening the door. "That took more time than I thought."
He finally made it to the roof, though it was quite the trek. The elevator didn't reach the roof, but it did go up to the highest floor, meaning he only had to take one flight of stairs afterward. Of course, getting there was a bit of a challenge itself. He had to travel while not gathering too much attention to himself. Normally, that wouldn't be much of a challenge. After all, Special Forces soldiers from both the Solar and Lunar Guard were all trained in stealth and urban camouflage. Still, no pony ever taught him how to be stealthy while being a gimp.
Nevertheless, he made it without drawing too much attention, getting into the elevator and taking it to the highest level possible before taking the stairs. That in itself took effort, and a lot of teeth-gritting. Getting up the stairs with both a cane and an IV pole was more difficult than he thought it would be.
After centering himself again, he made his way towards the center of the roof and sat down, leaning back on his hands and looking up. Back in Canterlot, where he was last stationed, the night sky was a little muted thanks to the city lights. While the stars were still visible, they still didn't shine as bright as other places. Not like in Appleloosa. During his one week visit there, he could best enjoy their beauty. Here, in the Crystal Empire, they were accompanied by an aurora. It was mesmerizing and pretty. Almost like what would happen if both Princesses Celestia and Luna both took a crack at painting the night sky for once. That would be nice to see.
Soon his thoughts began to drift, starting with his current predicament. Truth be told, this was only the second time he'd been hospitalized in his life. Oh sure, he'd been injured plenty of times, both before and during his time in the Guard. He'd been stabbed, cut, beaten down, exhausted, starved, and otherwise subjected to physical abuse as only both a soldier and a little punk with no direction in life could. The first time was when he got stabbed by the bandits. He tried to walk it off, but the medic was having none of it. So, he went into the hospital to get treated. It was a field hospital, designed for soldiers and getting them back out into the field as quickly as possible. Not as bare minimum as a wartime field hospital, but still more than a civilian one.
He thought about the blank in his memory. Princess Luna said that there was a three-minute gap where he left her behind, followed by a bright light and that explosion that hospitalized him. What the hell happened? Was it the source of the voice he supposedly heard? Did somepony hurt him? Or was it an inanimate object, maybe the source of the magical anomaly that the crystal ponies were investigating? Was it a ghost, the spirit of somepony who died down there and haunted the caverns to this day? He couldn't help but chuckle at that last one. Ghosts, right. But then again, King Sombra was a ghost when he and the Crystal Empire returned, sort of. So, maybe. It probably wasn't King Sombra, returned from oblivion. He used shadows and darkness, or so he read in the file once. So, who or what could it have been? And were they what caused his dreams, or were they unrelated?
He thought about those two dreams he had, the one with fire and the one on the road. He knew for certain that he'd never met those three. Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto. Who were they, and why did they feel familiar? Were they creations of his mind, as a result of the head injury? That was certainly one possibility. Imaginary friends he once made, brought back in dreams? Nah, he never had imaginary friends growing up. Or were they from a past life? He had heard of ponies who believed in reincarnation, souls being born again after they die. He never really gave it much thought before, since it didn't affect his day-to-day living. Still, he could give it a little belief if he had to answer. But if that were the case, did that mean he wasn't a pony in his past life? What in Tartarus was he, then? Maybe he should have consulted Princess Luna about the dream, before she left.
Princess Luna. Thanks to that one impulse - which he still didn't know where it came from - the two of them were now friends. At least, they were in name. Even agreeing to calling each other by less formal names. Not counting the ones from his dreams, there were only four who ever called him Noct. His parents, his little sister, and his best friend Shooting Star, the same guy who stuck with him from high school and even into the Guard. Star ended up in the Solar Guard's Unicorn Division, and currently he was posted in Canterlot, guarding the castle. Nocturnal was stationed there previously as well, but mostly just to help teach the newbies how to fight. That and Castle Duty, but Castle Duty was too boring. All he did was keep an eye out for idiots and criminals, the most action he ever got last time being a teenager who tried to tag the castle with spray paint. He took the spray paint and let the kid go. So, he decided to volunteer for escorting Princess Luna to the Crystal Empire, thinking it would be a little more interesting. It was only to be for a month, and then he would be able to take his annual leave anywhere. That would be nice, taking leave. He could go wherever he wanted, relax some, maybe grab a decent bite to eat. The mess hall's food was alright, but he'd had much better. Heck, he'd settle for his mom's home cooking. Or maybe he could branch out? Maybe some higher-end salads? Nah, he wouldn't be able to afford it, not if he wanted to regain what bits he spent after the last time he and Shooting Star went out drinking. Plus, he still had some things he wanted to eventually get himself, like some storybooks, or new sparring gear. Maybe he'd eat something simpler? He heard that the Apple Family down in Ponyville made amazing apple dishes. Maybe he could go there and see what they had to offer? Then again, this was Ponyville he was thinking about. Disasters happened there more often than anywhere else. And with the Elements of Harmony living there, they practically made it a weekly nine-to-five facing off against disasters. Still, he had a few days to think about it, no rush. Maybe he'd try something new, like one of those Garulessandwiches, bread with steak in -
He turned to the side suddenly, heaving and gagging in nausea at the realization that he just considered eating steak. Where the hell did that thought come from? First of all, he'd never heard of Garulessandwiches. Second, this was steak he was talking about. Not something a pony could eat, nor would most even try. He once tried it as a teenager, when a young griffin offered it to him on a dare. It left him hugging the toilet for an hour, and ever since the smell always made him nauseous. Thanks to his travels he was less affected by it, but he would never try it again. He could eat eggs if there was nothing else, maybe a little fish. And he was very much used to seeing animal parts used in tools and clothing. But eating steak was out of the question, and always would be.
He wiped his mouth on his forearm, thankful he was able to keep himself from vomiting. This was a first for him. What the hell was wrong with him?
"Figured I'd find you here," said a voice from the door.
Nocturnal turned around to find a white stallion standing at the door. He had a long, almost unruly blue mane with dark and light blue highlights, barely concealing a slightly longer than average horn. He wore a red dress shirt tucked into a pair of khakis, a royal blue jacket in one hand, and combat boots finishing them off. At his side was a sheathed longsword, the scabbard dark blue and the hilt a light blue, the crossguard slightly curved towards the point at their tips and made of what looked like bright yellow crystal, with a white diamond for the pommel, rounded out to an almost teardrop shape. On the center of the crossguard was a dark blue shield, with a purple six-pointed star in the middle of it. Nocturnal recognized him almost immediately, struggling to his feet to attention and immediately saluting him.
"At rest, Seargent," he said dismissively with a smile. "I'm not your Captain, anymore."
"I know, sir," he said, lowering his arm. "Still, gotta salute the Prince of the Crystal Empire."
"Not out of uniform, you don't."
"How'd you find me, your Majesty?" he asked, struggling to sit down again.
"Shining Armor is fine, at least for tonight," he said, sitting next to him. "And I figured you wanted to get out of your room. I know I would if I were in your shoes. And, since you're supposed to be in bed, you probably wanted to go somewhere you could get some privacy and fresh air, maybe even see the night sky."
"Am I that obvious, sir?"
"Nah, it was just a hunch. Still, glad I found you."
"Are you here to take me back?"
"Thought about it. But, forcing you wouldn't do any real good."
"Yeah, but you could always order me."
"Yeah, but I'm neither your commanding officer nor your sovereign. So why try?"
"Fair enough. What are you doing here, your - er, Shining Armor?"
"I came to thank you for what you did, saving both Aunt Luna and Cadence from the cave-in. There's still half an hour left for visitation, but I overheard that the nurses are looking for you. You did leave without letting anypony know. Not even a note."
"Had nothing to write with," he said with a shrug. "And like you said, I needed some fresh air. And no attention from anypony else."
"Attention?"
"Didn't you hear? I saved Princess Luna, and she used her magic to help heal me. Makes me Mr. Popular, apparently."
"And you don't like that?"
"Oh hell no. The less attention I get, the better."
"Not even from all the ladies?"
Nocturnal looked at Shining Armor, cocking an eyebrow at him. Shining Armor, in return, held his hands up.
"I can appreciate, but I won't pursue. I'm happily married, not blind. Besides, lots of soldiers would have enjoyed the attention."
"Yeah? I'm not like most soldiers. They can have all the attention for themselves."
"Alright, fair enough. Still, you deserve some of the attention. After all, you're a hero."
"All due respect, I'm not really a hero. Just did my duty, and what anypony else would do."
"I know. I still want to thank you. Cadence wants to thank you, too. And plenty of other ponies, too."
"...they're not gonna hold an award ceremony, are they?"
"I don't know, but it's a possibility."
"Fuck, that's the last thing I need. Hell, I could do without a medal. Just let me get out of these bandages, and we'll call it even."
"And just like that, I like you already. You're not one for ceremonies."
"Well, what's the point? I mean, I get that one should be acknowledged for their accomplishments. But award ceremonies are too much."
"Yeah, they really are too drawn out. Something short and simple, that's better. Save the big ceremonies for the Nobles at Canterlot."
They both chuckled at that, enjoying the idea. After, they just sat there, staring at the night sky and the Crystal Empire, enjoying the silence. After a few minutes, Shining Armor pulled out a silver flask from his jacket, unscrewing it and taking a sip before holding out to Nocturnal. He accepted it, taking a sip, before pulling the flask away to look at it in surprise. It wasn't alcohol, it was fruit punch. He looked accusingly at Shining Armor, who had a smile on his face.
"I promised Cadence that I would cut back on the drinking. You didn't actually think I was going to give a hospital patient booze, did you?"
"That's what you usually find in a flask."
"And extend your stay here because of mixing your pain killers with alcohol? Besides, if my wife hears about it - and she would, somehow - I'd never hear the end of it. And she'd hit me with the closest heavy item she could find."
"Okay, good point," he grumbled, handing the flask back. "Still, the betrayal."
"Tell you what: once you're discharged, I'll buy you a few drinks. My treat."
"Deal...I should probably get back to my room. They're probably panicking, at this point."
"Well, one of their patients did go missing."
Nocturnal struggled to push himself up, failing at first. Shining Armor, having gotten up, offered a hand to him. With a smile, Nocturnal took the hand and pulled himself up, balancing with the cane and grabbing the IV pole. Shining Armor put on his jacket and accompanied him to the door, which suddenly opened to reveal a moderately panicked Binding Wrap.
"Oh, thank Celestia!" she exclaimed upon seeing Nocturnal. "Do you have ANY idea what your disappearance did?! What in Celestia's name are you even doing here?!"
"I needed the fresh air and to get out of my room."
"Fresh air and get - SERIOUSLY?! What is wrong with you?! You shouldn't be moving around so much, yet! How did you even get up here?!"
"Oh, I took the elevator to the highest floor it would take me, and then took the stairs."
"You...you..."
It was at this point that Shining Armor cleared his throat, grabbing Binding Wrap's attention. Her eyes shrunk to pinpricks, Binding Wrap realizing that she had just made a fool of herself in front of the prince of the Crystal Empire. She immediately took a knee in respect, bowing her head.
"Prince Shining Armor, my apologies! I didn't realize you were at the hospital!"
"It's alright, you can stand up," he said with a smile. "I came to pay Seargent Nocturnal a visit."
"How did you find him?"
"I overheard that he went missing, and I figured that he would want some privacy. So, I gave the roof a look. And here we are. I was just about to escort him back to his room."
"Um...please don't take this the wrong way, Your Highness, but why didn't you take him back sooner?"
"I figured it would be more beneficial to let him return on his own, rather than force him. After all, all he wanted was fresh air and privacy. Is that really too much to ask for?"
"Well, I...I mean -"
"Besides, this can be a good learning opportunity for the hospital staff."
"A-a learning opportunity?"
"Yes. The next time a member of the Lunar Guard's Special Forces ends up here, perhaps you should have somepony posted nearby to keep a more vigilant eye on them. After all, the Special Forces specialize in stealth. They can go almost anywhere undetected, even when injured. And maybe hire a few security ponies, for other patients that present similar problems?"
"Um, that's all well and good, Your Majesty. Brilliant, even! But, I don't know if we have the funding for -"
"I'll consult with the head of this hospital later, to see about the matter. And, if necessary, I'll talk with Princess Cadence about increasing hospital funds."
"Uh...very well, Your Majesty," she said, bowing her head. "Thank you."
"No problem. Now, I believe we should get Seargent Nocturnal back to his room. I can assist with that, if you're okay with that?"
"Oh, of course! Seargent, this way, please."