//------------------------------// // Chapter 36: Return Flight // Story: Get Him 3 // by Lord Blackraven //------------------------------// Return Flight Alex was deep in thought. It was getting near morning as Luna flew them both home to Canterlot Castle. His trust in the lunar princess had grown some since the journey­­ to the Night Realm. He thought that the kingdom of the bat ponies was a stark contrast to the daytime of Princess Celestia and her pegasi guard. What Midnight Rose had quietly whispered in his ear when they were parting ways had caused an eerie shiver to run down his spine but he knew she was just messing with him. At least he hoped so and that despite him accidentally cutting his hand a little when he was teaching her how to skip rocks. He appreciated her sense of humor and the fact that despite his wound and the smell of blood, she was able to control herself after he splashed water in her face and that she was able to keep him protected. Luna still had the wards and protections over Alex in place so she was aware at all times of his safety. Had any of her night subjects tried anything to harm him she would have been at his side in a flash! Literally! As they continued their return flight home, Princess Luna once again felt that same feeling as before as Alex sat comfortably upon her back. Luna found she was loving this new feeling more and more and secretly looked forward to doing this with him once again. “Alex? You are very quiet this night. Art thou feeling well?” Her concern with him being so quiet had caused her to inadvertently revert back to the old tongue again. It was a moment or two before he answered. “Wa, Huh? Or sorry princess. I mean Luna Ok, I was just thinking.” Princess Luna rolled her eyes and looked back at Alex then stuck out her tongue at him, with a smile. He had gotten her a second time with that same pun. She briefly thought of scaring him gently while they were in flight but quickly squashed that idea, due to the fact that she didn’t want to damage or destroy what little trust she had been able to build with him, so as much as she wanted to she let his gentile ribbing slide. “What were you thinking about if I may ask?” “Nothing really important.” He began. “Just kind of a review of my life and how I got to this point. I do that sometimes.” “Please continue.” Princess Luna gently prodded. Hoping to gain a little more insight into her passenger. “Well, first, how I got here and the whole magic thing I mean MAGIC! REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS MAGIC!! As I told you and Princess Celestia, magic doesn’t exist in my world. It’s the stuff of fantasy. You and your sisters very existence, along with all your subjects and whatever other creatures that live here don’t exist in my world, but here you all are in real life. You have incredible powers and could easily delete me with a thought and here I am riding on your back like I would a common steed in my world. We do have ancient stories and legends about you in my culture which has gotten me to wonder where exactly DID these stories come from?” “You have ponies in your world? Luna queried. Her interest piqued. “We do. Both horses and ponies. Horses are bigger and more powerful strength wise than ponies but no pegasi or unicorns. We do have what you call earth ponies but none of them can talk or are sentient.” “Interesting!” Luna responded. “We have ponies here as you well know but no horses. The term “Horse” is considered rather derogatory here and is an insult!” “Really?” “Yes.” “Not in my world! Horses are considered noble creatures and have been the companions and helpers for humankind for thousands of years. “Interesting.” “There is a legend among my people that the gods took the East wind and gave it form to help mankind. The form was that of the horse. We even refer to the strength of our machinery in terms of horsepower. The symbol of the horse has been used as a trademark for various companies and manufactures and aristocratic families. Even the names of horse breeds we have used to name some things that we have used throughout history.” Princess Luna found herself listening with great interest. “What are some of the things named after equines in your world?” Luna asked. “Well.” Alex thought. “Just a few that I know of just off the top of my head is a weapon that was called the Colt Peacemaker, there is a car, which is like a motorized carriage that is called a Mustang. There was also a warplane that was called by the same name.” “What is a “Warplane?” Luna asked. It’s a flying machine that humans built out of metal and was used in aerial combat about 80 years ago during the second great world war. It was a very horrible time in our world’s history. But that is a story for another time, and not a very pleasant one either.” “War is not unknown to our world as well and you are right. It’s not a very pleasant subject.” Luna agreed. Wanting to change the subject to something a little more pleasant. “Alex, if I may ask… “I serve at the pleasure of the moon and sun?” You are not one of our subjects. Why did you say that back at my night court? “Well, I got to thinking that it might be a good thing to show others that I may not be a pony, but if I showed the same kind of respect, it might maybe put your subjects that were present at ease a bit since they had never seen anything like me before and so might have been fearful. I came up with what I said at the spur of the moment. Now I think that word will spread throughout your kingdom there about me and the proper respect I showed” Then under his breath he mumbled, “that and not being eaten!. I would have said the same thing to your sister except I would have said “Sun and Moon for her day court.” “Alex, you wouldn’t have been eaten by my bat ponies.” Luna said with a smirk. “I would have not allowed it and it was very thoughtful of you thinking on my behalf. Thank you.” “You heard that?” Alex said in surprise. “Yes Alex. I did.” “Stupid pony hearing superpower.” Alex grumbled folding his arms in a huff to which Luna giggled at his behavior. “Princess Luna? How much longer till we are at your castle?” “Not much longer. Why do you ask?” His question saddened her a little bit and she internally sighed. He was still thinking that the castle was their home and not his too. “Was just wondering.” He replied with a yawn. “Tell me about the legends you have in your world about us.” Luna queried trying to keep him awake a bit longer but Alex once again fell silent. She looked over her shoulder to be greeted with the sight of Alexs head drooping down at the same time she felt him start to slide off her back. Luna immediately ignited her horn and righted him back upon her back. She smiled to herself as Alex quietly snored. It had been a long night and he had been over stimulated this night and was completely worn out. She had learned much about him during their trek to and from her Night Kingdom. Her smile grew just a bit more when she thought about the possibility that he might have even made a friend or two while there. Then her smile faded a bit as her conscience, once again, got the better of her remembering how she had torn him from his home and world, how she wanted to turn him to stone, Chasing him. Hunting him. She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. “NO! She thought. I won’t think like that.” She liked Alex. He was a gentle soul and had a kind heart. How could she have been so unkind to him upon his arrival? She knew that she and her sister had really screwed up and that she had to make things right with him however long it took she thought as she vowed to redouble her efforts in this endeavor. As the castle approached, she veered a little to the left towards the balcony that went to her room. She gently alighted on to its marble flooring again carefully transitioning from flight to ground with hardly a bump. At first she thought of allowing Alex to sleep in her own bed but thought that might not be a good thing when he awakened. Next was to teleport to his room but she realized that humans aren’t used to teleportation and it might startle him out of his sleep. Once again she looked back to the slumbering human still upon her back. His head was now resting upon her neck and mane and with a smile she would take a third option… To extend this experience a little longer and continue to carry him carefully to his room upon her back. It was only a short walk to Alexs room, by pony standards, as she walked carefully down the marbled halls to his room. The bat pony guards posted outside the door snapped to attention as she approached carrying the slumbering human. Lunas horn began to glow its familiar blue and the door opened. She entered and when straight to Alexs bed then carefully levitated his sleeping form from her back into the air. Another small spark of magic and his day clothes became his sleepwear to which she lowered him into his bed. Alex stirred a little and rolled into a semi fetal position and began to gently snore. She thought he looked so cute as he lay there. She used her magic to pull the blankets over him making sure he was warm. Her final act was to smooth his hair from his face and plant a gentile kiss on his forehead. “Sleep dear Alex. Heed no nightly noise. Sleep till mornings light. And with that she quietly walked out of his room closing the door behind her. -*- “Luna, how was your night?” Celestia asked her younger sister. “And where is Alex?” “Oh dear sister!” Princess Luna replied excitedly. “It was a most wondrous night indeed!” The Night Princess replied excitedly. “And our dear human Alex is currently asleep in his chambers if you must know.” Celestia had not seen her younger sister this happy since, well if she was being honest with herself, she couldn’t really remember the last time. “Indeed dear sister do tell! What has you so giddy this fine morning?” Luna got an evil yet playful gleam in her eye. She recognized that she had an opportunity to tease her older sibling a little and this was just too good to pass up. “Oh nothing too terribly important really. I just experienced something last night with Alex that I have not ever experienced before.” Luna said as she turned away nonchalantly and headed towards the exit of the royal dining hall with a smirk on her muzzle. Celestia fell for it hook line and sinker as Luna knew she would. She just couldn’t stand not knowing a good and juicy bit of royal gossip especially if it was coming from her sister! “Well, what was it?” Celestia asked excitedly. “Sister, it has been a long night and I am very weary from the evening’s events. Allow me my royal rest and I shall perhaps regale you with my wondrous happenings when I awake this evening.” To which she let out a long and very fake yawn afterwards. As Luna made her way to the dining halls doors, a golden glow formed around her and she felt herself being levitated back into her sisters presence. “ENOUGH TEASING SISTER!... SPILL!” Celestia cried as she pressed her muzzle against Lunas with a mock look of anger on her face. Luna knew her sister was just dying inside to know what happened between herself and Alex last night. “What… Happened?!” “I took him to meet the denizens of the Night Realm last night.” Luna said. “The Night Realm? Really? That’s wonderful Luna! How did it go?” The white princess asked. “It went well sister. He was well received by my children of the night. I think he may have even made a friend or two as well, while we were there.” “That is indeed wonderful news Luna! I am so happy to hear that he seems to be warming up to us ponies!” “I wouldn’t go quite that far sister. But I do believe it is a good start.” She replied. Then something occurred to Celestia. “Wait, Luna. If I remember correctly that mountain is many hooves away from here.” “That it is.” The Night Princess replied. “That it is.” “That is a very long distance to teleport to with somepony Luna, even for us! It could have been very dangerous!” “We didn’t teleport dear sister.” “Then how did you…” “I carried him.” Luna said with a smile while holding up her hoof and inspecting it rather nonchalantly. “Carried him? How?” “On my back.” “Oh. That makes sense. That would be a…..Wait. You let him RIDE on you?!” Celestia said with a shocked voice. “…As in RIDE ride?” Eyes wide in disbelief! “Yes, it is true dear Celestia, I asked him to ride on me and with a little convincing he agreed. Apparently equines on his world, while not sentient like us, are ridden for fun and sport. At least that is what he told me.” Princess Celestia just stared at her sister in disbelief. Her jaw hanging open. Such a thing had never before been heard of in all the history of their kingdom! The Day Princess was utterly speechless! It was at this moment, the dam broke and Luna began to regale Celestia with all the events that had happened the previous night. How it had felt to have the human ride on her back in the throne room, how he had trusted her with his very life, how he was more concerned about what their subjects might think of her and her station rather than his own safety, how it felt as though she had found something that had been missing from her life all this time, and how she felt that she willingly wanted to obey her rider yet protect him at all costs no matter what. “Sister. It was indescribable! All of it! I would do it again in a heartbeat if he but asked me to! The only way you could possibly understand how this all felt is if you were to experience it yourself! It was absolutely AMAZING!!” She said excitedly. Still in shock with her mouth slightly ajar, Celestia was still trying to process what her sister had just described to her. Then suddenly Celestia noticed that her sisters’ head had dropped and that she had gone silent as if deep in thought. “Luna, what is it?” “I don’t know sister. He is also hiding his feelings. There is something on his mind, something he doesn’t want to reveal just yet. I cant quite put my hoof on it. Its just a feeling I have.” Then she suddenly changed the subject. “Celestia, what of our project? How goes out project?”