Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto


Wish Upon a Burning House

They sat in the middle of the field, watching the house in front of them burn. "I used to live there when I was younger," they said. "It wasn't a fancy house or anything, but I liked it. Of course I did. It was home, after all."
A chunk of the roof caved in, falling into the rest of the flaming building.
"And what do you think this represents?" Luna asked.
"Well I'm not an expert, but this does seem like a fairly straightforward metaphor. The whole crumbling of the world I was familiar with and lack of stability and all that. Just a product of the stress of my daily situation, I feel," they answered.
Luna nodded. "It would seem so, yes."
They looked towards her. "Want me to give you a tour?"
Luna looked between them and the burning house. "I think I will pass."
A wall collapsed as hundreds of orange sparks were sent flying towards the sky.
"It's always such a shame to see the places you used to love go up in flames." They sighed. "And over such stupid things too. Sometimes it'll be a coal from the fireplace. Sometimes the oven left on and open for too long. Sometimes it just happens. One time I even found matches, but that doesn't make much sense. Matches don't light themselves."
Luna studied their expression. "If you don't like it, why don't you change it?"
"It's a silly thing, really. I hate to watch my home burn, yes." They shook their head. "But I like to watch the fire. I know the house isn't real here, I know it's still there near the fields and my parents still live there. And I know it never caught fire." They stepped closer to the burning building. "And that's the thing. I never saw this place burning. These flames are all my imagination."
Luna looked back towards the house, now halfway destroyed.
"And that fascinates me, you see?" they continued. "These flames are just the product of my mind. And I can see every flame and fire I ever saw, broken apart and put back together, shrunk or inflated, all of them reflecting in this fire. From the light of candles and lamps to the dancing of bonfires and fireplaces to the forest fire tearing through the trees that summer when I was young. This is the sum of every fire in my life, of every memory of fire in my head. It's fascinating how one single image can hold so much, make you think of so much."
Luna walked up to their side. "I understand." She, too, looked at the fire. "To me though, that's just fire."
"But does it look real?"
Luna paused for a moment. She studied the remains of the building more attentively. "I could not tell it from a real fire, though I must make it clear I have never stared at one for long. Not with the intent of studying it, at least."
And the two of them sat there, watching the fire consume the building and then slowly give out.