The rest of Asriel’s first proper day in Equestria, or perhaps he should say, night, was quite pleasant. He sat in that tower with Princess Luna for the rest of the evening and into the early morning, listening to the many stories associated with countless constellations that dotted the night sky. He drank in every detail, savoring each tidbit that the Princess had to give, and she had plenty.
Princess Luna, for her part, was delighted to have someone who was so enraptured with the sea of stars as she was. That it was a child from another world mattered not at all to her. The only important thing was that she had someone she could readily share her love for the evening, her night with.
Sure, she had her Sister, and she was appreciative for the support she’d shone since her return. But there were times she wondered somewhat if her Sister was leaning a bit too much into it, out of guilt for her own mistakes of the past that helped lead to the Longest Night and her transformation.
Asriel however was like a newborn foal seeing the great twinkling ocean of black for the first time. His interest was truly genuine and sincere, and it warmed her heart a hundred times over. It made her yearn, oh so much, for her powers to return in full. If he thought her night was extraordinary now, just wait til he could see what she was capable of.
As all things must do though, the night was drawing to an end. And a rumble from Asriel’s stomach caused her to blink a bit as she realized how long they’d been up here.
“I apologize, it seems I lost track of time.” Luna said, glancing down at the young monster. “It has been some time since I have found one who can become as engrossed in my night as I can.”
Asriel chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “No worries. I quite enjoyed hearing everything you had to share.” He then glanced back up to the night sky, which was beginning to gain the barest hint of purple in the distance as sunrise drew near. “I hope I never tire of seeing this.”
“I am sure you won’t.” Luna said, ruffling the fur atop Asriel’s head slightly with a hoof as he giggled in return. “Though as of this moment, I have a duty that I need to attend. But it is one I can take care of after I show you to your quarters and get you something to eat.”
Asriel got up, nodding as he said, “It can be something simple and small this time. What we had earlier was more than enough.”
Luna arched a brow at that. “This surprises me… more so now that I realize how long we have been out here. Most foals would have been squirming in hunger by now.”
“Oh, well uh, that’s probably because the food we ate wasn’t made from magic.” Asriel replied readily enough. “Normally, the food Monsters eat is food we conjure for each other, or grew almost entirely with magic. Since its made of magical energy, it replenishes and nourishes us almost immediately.”
Luna used her magic to gently lift Asriel up, setting him on her back as she glanced to him and said, “That doesn’t quite explain why you aren’t famished right now.” Though as she considered what he said, an idea began to form in her mind.
“Well, most food that folks like Humans, or well, Ponies and other creatures eat is made more of matter, just like their own bodies. For Monsters, it takes much more time for our magic to break down matter based food.” Asriel explained, glancing down to his middle and giving it a pat.
“Ah, I believe I understand.” Luna murmured as she started down the stairs. “So you likely only just finished turning our earlier meal into energy a short time ago. Hmm, then perhaps something rather simple like a treat would suffice instead.”
Asriel nodded, then he stretched, yawned, and rubbed at his eyes as he found himself feeling tired again. He grumbled, “Stupid magic exhaustion.” as he leaned against the Princess’s neck.
For her part, Luna could only chuckle softly as she remarked, “A treat and getting you settled into bed it seems. Though I do hope you can keep those eyes open for a bit longer.”
The answer to that, it seemed, was no as she heard a soft snore. A sweet smile graced her muzzle as she turned just enough to give the young Monster a nuzzle, then she hurried along to the quarters that had been prepared. They were just across from her own, so she’d be easily able to keep an eye on him if needed.
The room itself was nothing special, no different from any of the other guest rooms dotting the palace halls. But perhaps that would change in time, should young Asriel choose to remain here in the palace.
Taking hold of him in her magic, she gently lifted him off her back, guiding him to the bed as the covers lifted. Slowly, she set him down against the sheets, then pulled the blankets back up and over him. She used her hooves to gently push the covers into his sides as he squirmed a bit, eyes cracking open just a bit.
“Weren’t we going to go get a treat?” He asked tiredly, and Luna simply gave him another nzuzle.
“I’ll make sure something is brought up and set on the nightstand here. For now, I think sleepy Monsters should get some more shut eye.”
“Don’t wanna. Already… already gotten enough sleep.” Asriel tried to protest, but already his eyes were sliding closed again. Luna simply shook her head in amusement as she said,
“Pleasant dreams, Asriel Dreemurr.”
Luna then turned and strode out of the room, crossing over to her own as she made for the balcony. It was time to let the Moon dip below the horizon, and allow her sister’s Sun to replace it for another dawn over the lands of Equestria. As she stepped outside and felt the cool evening air, she felt a small yawn leaving her own lips.
Perhaps its time for me to get some sleep as well. She thought idly to herself, humming as she drew her magic to the bond she shared with the moon, guiding it on its path as the first rays of morning light filled the skies.
-*-
Sleep came surprisingly easy for the young Goat Monster, though it was a bit strange to him that he couldn’t recall if he had had any dreams. Not that he minded, given he wasn’t sure if he’d wind up having nightmares or not instead.
Getting out of bed turned out to be harder, when one found oneself in the comfiest bed they could ever remember laying in. However, with a bit of a mental push, Asriel managed to push the covers up and off of himself, sitting up in bed as he did his best to blink and rub the sleep from his eyes.
It was strange, still, to wake up feeling every bit of his original body. More so now as he found himself feeling less exhausted than he had the previous days. He felt like he had more magic flowing through him, enough so that he was sure he could cast some spells if the need arose.
But Asriel decided it’d be best to stick to the Doctor’s advice and wait a week before performing any magic. All things considered, he wasn’t sure exactly what his capabilities were now after all.
Yes, he had his old body back, but he still seemed to have the same amount of DETERMINATION flowing through him as he had while a Flower. Yet his body felt stable, meaning he either had more matter than he used to even as a Boss Monster, or things perhaps worked a bit differently here in this world. Or something else had been done to him to ensure he wouldn’t suffer the same fate as the Amalgamates.
And speaking of this world… I should try to learn as much about it as possible, as quickly as possible. He thought to himself, though such was interrupted by both a rumble from his middle and a soft knock on the door that made him jump just a bit.
“C~Come in?”
The door opened, and a dark gray pony wearing bat-like armor stepped in. The colors of the armor reminded him of Princess Luna, so Asriel simply surmised that this might be one of her guards. At one time, Asriel might have found the armor intimidating and a little scary… but well, it was hard to do so when…
Don’t try to think about that. It’s in the past. He reminded himself as the guardpony offered a simple smile.
“Good morning Mr. Dreemurr. Princess Luna bade us to come and check up on you every so often, and asked that when you were up if you would like to join her and her sister for the mid-day meal.”
“You mean lunch right?” Asriel asked, blinking a bit as he found himself wondering just how long he’d been asleep this time. He hadn’t exactly seen a clock last night before the Princess had tucked him in.
At the nod from the guard, Asriel took a moment to stretch before he slid off the bed. He gestured for the guard to lead the way, then followed after as the pony led him through the palace halls. As they walked, Asriel tried to get a feel for the corridors as they passed through, but found that they more often than not looked rather similar to each other.
There’s some signs here and there… But I can’t read any of them. Odd. It was indeed strange that he couldn’t read them, given he had no trouble understanding the ponies when they spoke. He just shrugged though, and assumed it had something to do with the quirks of whatever magic that figure had used to bring him to Equestria.
Whether I stay or wander, I’ll need to be able to read things. So I guess that’ll be the first thing to work on after I eat. Asriel thought to himself, just before nearly walking into a door. He gave a soft bleat as the guard stretched out a bat-like wing to stop him, chuckling as he said,
“Here we are. The Princesses are just through here.”
Asriel rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before nodding and opening the door. Just beyond it was a long, rectangular room that could easily have fit quite a long table to feed many guests. At the moment however, it had only a simple oval table that was enough for perhaps a dozen to sit comfortably around. Two tall equines were seated at it, and only one of them he was familiar with, though he could hazard a guess who the other was.
At the left side of the table, Princess Luna was sitting at the table with a book to her right opened up that she was glancing through as she ate. She turned her head and smiled however when she saw Asriel, and gestured to a seat right beside her. Directly across from Luna was an equine much like herself, though a bit taller and with a coat of fur as white as his own. What caught his attention most was the three shifting and flowing colors that made up her mane.
This must be Luna’s sister… Celestia I believe she mentioned was her name. Her mane looks like… Like… oh what was it that Chara’s book called it? An aurora?
Princess Celestia likewise looked up from her own meal and some papers she had nearby, and offered a smile as well. There was a guarded look in her eyes, but Asriel could feel warmth and compassion beneath it.
It almost reminded him of the look his mother often wore when she patrolled the Ruins. He couldn’t help but shiver a bit inwardly, almost feeling like she was gazing deep into him. He returned her gaze hesitantly for a moment before focusing on Luna as he strode to the table. He gave a slight bow as he said,
“Good morning your majesties.”
“A good morning to you as well, Asriel.” Luna replied, her smile brightening as he took the seat next to her. A servant quickly hurried over, taking his order before departing, just in time for Luna to ask, “Did you sleep well?”
“It was. Haven’t slept in such a comfy bed before. Even my bed back home isn’t so cozy.”
“A sentiment many guests to the palace have shared.” Celestia said with a smile of her own, taking a small bite out of a tart she was levitating with her magic. Silence briefly descended over the table as Asriel waited for his food to arrive, while Luna and Celestia both continued their reading.
For Asriel though, it was a bit of an uncomfortable silence, given he could feel the piercing gaze of Celestia every so often as her eyes would dart from whichever scroll or paper she was reading to him. He got the very distinct impression that she was studying him, and with him not knowing how magic worked here, he had no idea if she was able to see beyond the surface and into the core of his being.
It brought a slow, cold, chill to him as he shivered. His fur rippling along his back just a bit as a whisper of something familiar from a certain skeleton floated through his mind.
The silence was broken a few minutes later by Luna, who had begun to give her sister a flat look. “Sister, is such intense scrutiny of our guest truly necessary?”
Celestia blinked, and glanced down at Asriel, who dipped his head a bit and did his best to appear inconspicuous. It didn’t really work all that well, what with him being the only other person at the table.
Her gaze softened, and she surprised the young Monster when she proceeded to give him a soft and gentle nuzzle. “I am sorry to have disturbed you so, young one. It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable.”
“I-It… It’s alright.” Asriel mumbled softly, though he didn’t sound too sure about that himself. He didn’t miss the fact that the tone of his voice made both Princesses share a glance with each other.
“My Sister is simply worried, given the appearance of the strange being that brought you here.” Luna remarked after a moment, with Celestia quickly adding in,
“And it is difficult to ignore the stated reason for bringing you here to our world that it had.”
Luna seemed to shoot Celestia a look at that, but Celestia raised a hoof to forestall any comment. Her voice was firm as she continued.
“The fact that I can see from the way you carry yourself that you bear a heavy weight; That your eyes are those of someone older than you look… Even the instincts I’ve honed over a thousand years tell me there is much more to you than meets the eye. Curiosity, and a desire to protect our subjects, yearn for answers.”
Her tone shifted though, and her smile was kind and full of warmth. Asriel couldn’t help but feel his own muzzle twitch up a bit as he looked up at her.
“But I trust my sister, and she has shared with me her impressions of you. While she is just as curious about your past as I am, and what could lead you to seek a second chance, she is firm in the belief that you are no danger to anyone here. That you are a child who has gone through a great deal, and that you will open up and share such when you and you alone are ready.”
Celestia seemed poised to say something more, but at that point one of the side doors opened and Asriel’s own plate was brought over. He thanked the servant, then waited for the mare to leave and for it to be just the three of them again before saying anything himself.
“Y-You’re both right… And I can understand how you’re feeling Princess Celestia. I can’t say I wouldn’t be feeling the same if our positions were reversed.”
“Though that doesn’t mean such doesn’t bother you or carry a sting to it.” Celestia remarked, returning to her own meal as he began to timidly nibble at the sandwich in his hands.
“Not wrong there.” Asriel said, sighing a bit as for a moment, he contemplated sharing the truth with them. Would they both be so kind if they knew they had someone with them who… who could kill so many, hurt so many. Yet even as he thought that, he couldn’t help but wonder…
Was it really me who did those things? Or was it Flowey? With me being, well, me again, would I even be able to do any of those horrible things? Am I Flowey, and Flowey me? Or is Flowey a different person, or just another side of me?
Such questions made his head hurt, and so he pushed it aside as he sighed and said, “It’s just painful to think about my past. And it’s rather complicated… And even harder to explain and believe. A-And…”
“You’re afraid we will treat you quite differently if you share the details with us.” Luna finished for him, and he couldn’t help himself as he nodded vigorously. He took a big bite of the sandwich to help keep his mouth occupied, lest he whisper what passed through his head briefly there.
I’m afraid. Afraid that you won’t be as forgiving, as understanding as Frisk was.
Almost as if sensing such, Luna leaned down and gave his head another nuzzle. He even felt her drape her wings over him as she said,
“If my own sister can forgive me for the mistakes of my past, when I was wrapped in jealousy and anger and swallowed by Darkness… and I can forgive her in turn for her own folly’s of the past, then I think you needn’t worry, Asriel.” She smiled brightly at him. “If it is a second chance you wish to have, a second chance you shall get.”
Celestia nodded, one of her wings joining Luna’s and leaving the young Monster feeling a bit flustered from such gestures. The sincerity from both felt just like it had when Frisk had forgiven him. He couldn’t help himself as he teared up a bit.
“T-Thank you. I really mean that. That means a lot.” Asriel replied, wiping the gathering of tears away as he looked at them both evenly. “And I promise, I… when I’m ready, I’ll share the details of my past. But I think… I think I’ll only be able to do that when I’ve come to terms with it myself. And not a moment sooner.”
Silence returned with that, both of them simply nodding and giving him another nuzzle as they each returned their attention to their meal. His didn’t take long to finish, given he hadn’t asked for much, and so he was free to just relax and try to empty his mind of worries and troubles.
However, even with the soft and fluffy feeling of Luna’s wing, still draped around him as it was, he found he couldn’t clear his head of all thoughts. For indeed, his own curiosity gnawed at him a bit as he processed something they’d said.
Given his own desire to keep his past to himself for now, he didn’t want to really pry. But Princess Luna had said before that he would learn eventually. And she’d just made reference to it now. So it was no surprise to either of them when he asked,
“Princess Luna? What exactly did you mean when you said you were swallowed by Darkness?”
-*-
Luna and Celestia had planned on giving him a tour of the palace after lunch. Luna had also wished to see if he could read Equestrian, given the fact he seemed able to speak it without any trouble despite being from an entirely different world.
But his question had instead brought on a history lesson that he was assured, “Most Ponies don’t fully know.” Not for lack of the knowledge being hidden away, but rather, due to the simple matter of details being forgotten or minimized as time passed.
For the Princesses however, such was not merely “the past” or “history”, as it was something that for the Princess of the Day, had left her alone for a thousand years. And for the Princess of the Night, the events in many ways at times still felt like they had happened only yesterday.
Learning that Princess Luna had become corrupted by the Darkness in her own heart… That she had been transformed into an entity known as Nightmare Moon who desired naught but to bathe the whole of the world in an Eternal Night, not just Equestria…
That she had waged war upon her sister and the land, spread terror and nightmarish beasts upon all as she kept the Sun from being seen, and that the conflict itself, the Longest Night, had lasted over a half a year…
Maybe they would be as understanding as Frisk. Asriel found himself thinking as they relayed all of this to him, it taking quite a bit for Asriel to keep his shock from making itself too evident.
What was also clear to him as they told him such was that they themselves had not fully come to terms with such either. There were little tells here and there, when one spoke of something, or when a tinge of old anger and resentment filtered into the telling, that he might have missed in the time before he had become a Flower.
Reflecting upon such, and his own situation, it actually helped Asriel piece together the reason behind the words that the skeletal figure had uttered when he had brought him to this world.
Maybe we can help each other… or maybe what we both need is just time. Isn’t that what they say? That time heals all wounds? Course, it's not helped when you find yourself wondering if what happened was you doing it, or someone else.
Such thoughts were put aside as they finished their story. How Luna was freed of Nightmare Moon’s hold by the powers of six mares and the Elements of Harmony they wielded, and how Luna had been working to catch up on all that had changed since she had been imprisoned in the moon.
“And I suspect that is something you’ll be spending much of the rest of the day and night doing alongside Mr. Dreemurr here.” Celestia remarked as Asriel was given a moment to take it all in.
Luna harrumphed. “First we need to give him a proper tour of the palace, especially if he’s going to be staying here for a time.”
“Which reminds me.” Celestia said, her horn lighting up as she floated a book up. “We need to see if Asriel can read our language as well as he can speak it.” She floated it over to Asriel, but the young Monster was already giving it an unsure look. Given he hadn’t had luck with the signs earlier, he wasn’t feeling all that confident.
And indeed, a look at the title, and flipping the book open to the middle and looking over the pages full of letters and symbols, he understand exactly…
None of it.
“I think that answers that question.” Luna said flatly, earning a snort from Celestia as Asriel gave a sheepish chuckle.
“Right, well then. I guess some basic lessons in the Equestrian alphabet are in order first.” Celestia said with a sigh, while Luna shrugged and offered,
“Why not both? No reason we can’t teach and show him around at the same time, is there?”
Celestia seemed to consider this, tapping a hoof to her chin as she noted, “I did leave quite a bit of my schedule open today, so we aren’t hurting on time.” She looked to Asriel and inquired, “Think you’d be able to learn an entirely different alphabet while being shown around?”
Asriel pondered it for all of a minute, before shaking his head.
“Honestly, I’d prefer to make sure I know I can read the signs first. I don’t know how big the palace is, but I’d hate to get lost.”
Celestia gave a nod at that, then hummed briefly as she said, “Then I shall be but a moment.” There was a slight flash of gold, and Celestia had teleported away. Luna hummed a bit as well, then remarked,
“I just thought of something that I think would be of use to you, and something my sister has already suggested to me. Wait here.” With that, she vanished with a spark of her own magic, leaving Asriel alone in the dining room for a brief bit. Long enough to ponder once more the question of sharing about his own past.
“I think… I think I’ll share it when I make my mind up on what I’m going to do.” He murmured aloud. Despite knowing now the troubled past and regrets Luna had, a part of him wasn’t entirely sure it matched up to what he became when he lost his compassion, his empathy.
She had reasons for what she became. They weren’t good ones for sure, but well, they were better than the curiosity of a child with nothing to keep them in check.
He was thankfully rescued from letting his thoughts continue down that track by the return of Luna and Celestia at roughly the same time. Celestia had a book, a scroll, and a quill with some ink held aloft in her magic. Luna also had a book, but it was rather plain with nothing of note on its cover or spine.
Celestia gave said book the briefest of glances before nodding in understanding. “Grabbed a journal for Mr. Dreemurr I take it?” At Luna’s nod, she smiled.
“Good idea. I’m sure our guest will put it to good use.” Celestia then set the parchment down in front of Asriel, the book soon floating into his hand and flipping open as she said,
“Now, because I’m not sure what sort of magic is making it so you can speak our language without any difficulty, I’m not sure how hard this will be. Hopefully though, this should only take no more than an hour or two.”
Luna took the lead then as she explained, “The Modern Equestrian Alphabet has 26 normal characters and about a dozen special ones that have been kept on from Ancient Equestrian. We’ll go over each, let you write them down a few times til you feel familiar with them, then we’ll write some words down and see if you can read them. Ready?”
At Asriel’s nod, the two got to work guiding him through the book, all while memories of his younger days being taught by his mother flitted through his head.