//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirty // Story: Mare In The Everfree Forest // by MoonLily //------------------------------// “Hello my little one” my ears went up as I turned and noticed Solis standing behind me. “Hello Solis…no father” I tilted my head as I felt myself being pulled into his hooves. “You do not have to force yourself to call me that. okay, but I was not expecting to see you up here so soon” “My family stormed the castle leaving my son to stay the night in the medical room with me. I finally told them that I really don’t like being alone when I am injured or sick. Just bad memories of the past” I felt my ears lay flat against my head. “Can’t blame you for that my dear” “You know he thought this day would never come but I told him that it was in the making sooner or later. I knew I would have to face him again in the future just not now and not like this” I looked up at Solis as he placed me on the ground. “No pony really wanted this to happen. Now, do you know what happened to Celestia and Luna we can’t get a hold of them?” “My family stormed the castle with very old booze. They're drunk” I smiled as I heard him groan. “SELENE THEIR DRUNK!” “WHAT!! HOW!!” “Thousand-year-old whiskey and apple cider would do the trick. Along with some nearly two thousand-year-old wine and sake its rice wine” “VERY OLD BOOZE” “DAMN IT” “She pissed” “I can tell” I started to chuckle as I looked up at him “So do you have any ideas on how to fight him?” “Liquid night” “What is that and how do I use it?” “It's basically the darkness of the space we live in. it's in a liquid form since it has no real form. we can mold it into anything that we need, it's like our bodies. We can transform into anything that we need for the moment” “So thats the reason why I can change forms”  “Exactly, we have no real form when others see us. Most of the time they are seen as earth ponies on fire. Other times we are seen how others think we should look like. I and Selene look differently at both Celestia and Luna. How do you see us?” “Most of the stars are earth ponies like you said. But you and Selene look like Alicorns to me” “That's because all your life you believe that Celestia and Luna who are alicorns rule over us.” I nodded as I watched him sitting beside me. I was looking out into the darkness till I felt a piece of armor wrap around my chest. I glanced down at a black and blue chest piece with a star sitting in the middle. I glanced along the sides noticing they were made in a way allowing me to move easily. “What in the world” “You activated the liquid night” “HOW!” “So the bracelets you got from void were from us. they hold the liquid night that you would need to make this. the Liquid night is connected to your thoughts. you must have been thinking about armor you would need” “This is going to be interesting when I am in bed with my lover” I looked at the armor watching it drip to the ground “It also acts like Nyx my pet phoenix” “Oh you did get her” “Yeah I got her?” “Selene made her for you. Up here any star animal such as the phoenix and the Ursa majors are basically stuffed animals. So any stuffed animal that is made up here becomes real down there” He had a smile sitting on his face as I nodded. “Any other tricks you know?” “If you concentrate your magic in your hooves or another body part while fighting you can move fast or stand your ground easier. It depends on the body part” I was nodding as I noticed Selene walking over to us groaning. “Hi Selene…no mom” I watched her stop before tackling me. I could feel her head and cheek nuzzling me softly. “Dear your going to squish her and aren’t you needed in the sky.” “Its your time to take over. And be warned Celestia is really drunk” I started to chuckle as Solis let out a groan. “Last time she got this drunk Luna was locked on the moon” “Yes and Silvc my dear you need to head home. You need to heal and relax before you think about that fight you need” “I know now I need to see if that spell Twilight placed on me still works as well” I smiled as I looked over into the distance. I was now on the moon looking up at Selene. “Can you send me back?” “Of course” I felt her hoof on my head pushing me into the darkness. I opened my eyes noticing the window in the room was open allowing me to see the different colors in the trees. I could hear children laughing and screaming with joy as some leaves were tossed into the air. I could smell the autumn rain filling the room causing me to smile. Glancing around I noticed the room was empty but the door was open allowing me to see the others. I felt the top of the bed sitting up a bit allowing me to see more. “Red said it was safe to sit you up like this” glancing over I could see Sugar Skull standing next to me. she was a black mare with a white head and black eyes. She loved to place makeup on and it made her look like a sugar skull from the south. She loved the idea and the colors and ran with it. I glanced over at her as she was placing some decorations around the room. “Sugar what are you doing?” “You said I could sit Grandmother up. I did and now I am making this room a bit nicer, I mean white? that is not a calming color Red” “No flames or fire Sugar Skull she on oxygen and it can blow up” “I don’t have anything that can blow the room up” I watched them as I shook my head at their antics. I could only sit and watch as Red walked over with the clipboard in his hoof. I glanced down at him as he placed it on the bed. “Good news your organs are better since they didn’t need much. So far you are only the oxygen, feeding tube, and fluids right now. We will do some more x-rays while you are asleep to make things easier on you.” I huffed as I looked around. I gave him a smile as I noticed the Empress walking in with Star at her side. “Doctor Red can we visit? And I think Celestia is looking for you, don’t think she can handle her drink” a smug smile formed on her face as I rolled my eyes at her statement. “Yes, I gave her an update. Sugar Skull is decorating her room for her” “I told you this is not calming for her!” “Thank you Sugar Skull” I could hear the empress laughing as she walked into the room. Star looked as if he was already on his second pot of coffee. Glancing up I could see the empress’s eyes were red as I stared at her. On his way out Red grabbed Sugar Skull pulling her and Star out of the room before closing the door. I tilted my head a bit noticing the Empress sitting down beside me. “Your family is something else. I’ve never known a family willing to storm a castle for no reason” a smile tugged at the corner of my muzzle as I nodded at her statement. I felt her nuzzle my cheek which caught me off guard. “You had me worried you know that?” I shook my head staring at her. “That will be the first and last time ponies will see me like that. And Cleric I will not have you walk in that village and not walk out. you will walk out alive or I will get the princesses to drag you out alive” she growled as I narrowed my eyes and huffed a bit. “What you said before you passed out. is that true?” I gave her a slow nod watching her sit up. “Thought so. she does look like me but she has her father’s personality” I reached over with my left hoof tapping hers a bit. she placed hers on me before standing up. “You better get well soon. We will need a leader for the army we have.” I could only blink as I wanted to save the spell when Luna was around. I watched as she opened the door noticing most of the ponies leaning up against the door and scrambling away. “Hey! I told you all to get out! it's bad enough you got most of the castle and the nobles drunk!” I saw Red run past the door as the Empress smiled. “Star let's go I want to see if my daughter is up along with her husband” she had left the door open with the captain following her. I sat on the bed adjusting my shoulders as I could hear many talking about nightmare night. It's almost near the end of October telling me the princesses will be busy. I groaned as I looked down at my hooves watching the family and staff run back and forth. One of the issues involved Pinkie as she went running by yelling cupcakes. The sky started to grow dark as storm clouds moved in covering the sky. I wonder who was going to stay with me tonight as I haven’t seen Luna at all today. “So they do have you sitting up” my head moved toward the door as Discord walked in wearing a yellow rubber raincoat. I also noticed Fluttershy following him with a basket. “Oh dear they still have the tubes in” “Sorry, Fluttershy I thought they would have them removed.” I shook my head slowly as I blinked at him “I see they still have your main magic sealed off” “Have you been sitting up all day?” I nodded as I tried to move a bit. I felt the bed moving back allowing me to lay back a bit. I noticed Fluttershy was unpacking the basket she had as I noticed the others running into the room. Pinkie dove under the bed as Rainbow was fixing her mane. “Oh my, I never saw this painting in the castle” I could see Twilight and Rarity walking in with a photo album in her magic. I knew that cover it was a photo album of old pictures in the vault that was hidden away from ponies. I really wanted to die now. “I didn’t know Luna looked like that in the olden days” “No, but oh! that must be the original Necro Crystal!” “Oh wow I wish I could have designed clothes for him. his coat and eyes he would make the perfect model.” Ponies and their standard have really changed over the years. “What are you looking at Twi?” “Jr was showing me a few pictures of Aurora and we came across a photo album. I was told by one of the elders that were helping us that this album and the other one I have hold photos. They are photos of paintings hidden in the family’s bank vault. I also have more family records my mother should be coming by” her face was lit up as she sat in the middle holding the book out. I noticed it was on the page where Necro was sitting next to a pond with his mane down and wet. Luna made a bet with him that he couldn’t or wouldn’t do that. Beside that was Necro in his suit and his mane pushed back with a smile on his face. “Oh wow he is a catch” my eyes were narrowed at them. “I heard there was a picnic in here,” I noticed Luna standing in the doorway. I shook my head as I watched Luna walking in. “Oh, those paintings brings back memories. I made a bet that Necro wouldn’t pose for that painting. That one I made the night he got his position for me” “You made those!” “Of course, my sister was busy doing all the other things I needed something to do. Silver would be my sparing partner but once she was with child I needed something to do” I felt the bed move as she crawled on top of it. She stretched out beside me placing her head on my shoulder watching still. “So these are her husband. Damn, I was born in the wrong year” Rarity cried as I looked over at Luna who was snickering. “Do you even have those paintings still?” I nodded as I was unsure if the spell was working or not. I noticed Twilight staring at me before sighing. “Aww the spell ran out” “Spell?” “I cast a spell to help her speak but it's no longer active now” her ears folded as Luna sat up taking a sandwich from Fluttershy as they were going over different pictures. I stayed mostly quiet listening to them all till I felt Luna moving on the bed. She had rested her head on my chest watching them. Seeing her do this made me feel calm and tired. I closed my eyes as I could hear their voices still. “Luna, did you use a spell?” Discord spoke softly. “No why? Silver?” I felt her wing on my face as I drifted off to sleep. just all of this their doing to help me has just been calming to me. It's taken away those fears I always got when I was hurt. It's why I would never stay down when I was sick. I wanted to be with ponies even if I scared them.