Today. Today was the day. Luna had waited a full week since saving Hendrick from the fire. The medics had insisted time was needed, that healing him couldn’t be done all at once. She had debated it as simple magic, but they stopped her by explaining that if he was healed too quickly, his body might go into shock or become dependant of healing magic for its self-protection.
So, she had waited. A full week she had waited as she had gone about her duties, questions plinking against the inside of her skull and into the growing pool of curiosity that had started to build up within her.
Alongside the alicorn floated a bouquet of flowers. She wasn’t sure why Celestia had insisted on taking them with her. Apparently, it was common for a pony to bring a get well gift to someone she cared about.
The mare manning the front desk nodded to her, allowing her to proceed down the passage towards the room that housed the stallion whom had kissed her.
Kissed her...
In reflection, Luna realized she hadn’t been kissed before. Not on the lips, anyway. Her hooves had been kissed by a group of peasants at some point before her banishment, but it was an afterthought from them. She had seen it in their eyes. They had come to honor her sister; she had been an unwelcome intrusion upon their moment.
But not anymore. Not since Hendrick had entered into the public eye with his exploits. Ponies came to see her now, came to ask her questions. Though she wouldn’t say it aloud, the thing she was most scared of on her return had been that she wouldn’t be noticed, the same as before, which had provided fuel for the Nightmare to control her body again. Right up until the elements struck her and shattered, if only for a moment, the crushing despair that had cloaked her.
As the days had worn on and on though, her mind had shifted toward it once again against her will. It was a tablecloth that, having been stained with red wine and let dry, would never return to its old form no matter how much washing or hope was applied to it. Even now, as she marched towards Hendrick, she felt the stirring chill of the forgotten night as permanent within her as it had always been, sending phantom chills through her body.
But, as it always was when she was near the odd stallion, the chill felt farther and farther away as she approached. Perhaps this is what love feels like? Luna mused, her shoes clinking against the stone, hollow silver against the steadfast ground. A fire that burns away fears? Could pass through any threshold, despite its thickness?
As she thought, she came to the door, the very real physical boundary splitting her from Hendrick. Allowing a soft smile to break her royal facade, the princess leaned forward, as if to break through it, but froze when a voice pierced the wood, echoing into the hall as it rolled like thunder through her bones.
“I do not know how you escaped,” the voice whispered, an impossible volume to such a quiet tone. “Twice, even.” Its voice could only be explained as speaking while you inhaled with an echo sounding your words both before and after your own. “Fire will be your end, though. It’s scheduled.”
Carefully, Luna opened the door and peeked through the crack toward the pony on the bed. Suddenly, the speaker leaned forward, making his appearance visible to the princess. An ebony white skull reflected the moonlight through its eye sockets. “Understood?”
“Something stopping you from killing me now?” Hendrick’s voice held a shocking amount of bravery. “I expected more from Death himself.” Hisses of cold air shot through the skeleton’s teeth and he pinned Hendrick to the wall. Luna wanted very much to save him, but found her body frozen in fear. Slowly, she watched as Hendrick’s body changed slowly, clothes coming from his flesh as he turned paler and paler.
Luna watched in abject horror as Hendrick took the form of the very familiar human who had been in her dreams those weeks ago. “I can kill you whenever I like,” Death said, a sickle coming into view behind him as it levitated through the air. “But there are contracts, and there are rules...” He let go, Hendrick turning immediately back into his pony state. “I can’t interfere with a contract.” Hendrick’s face remained in the sheets of his bed, fatigue running its course through his body. Without another word, Death faded away from view.
As soon as he was fully gone, Luna rushed forward, her body no longer stiffened with terror. “Hendrick!” she called, tossing the flowers aside in her hurry to check on him. He didn’t answer, but the warmth of his skin and rhythmic beating of his heart kept her worst fears at bay. With slow, careful movements she stepped into the bed as well and placed her wing over his body. Though it was clear he didn’t need the warmth, she figured he could use any comfort she could provide.
“How long were you there?” he asked finally, surprising Luna with his sudden words. “And what did you see?”
“I saw him attack you...” Luna admitted. “But I couldn’t bring myself to do anything. I’m sorry.” And she truly was, but what does one do when faced with Death incarnate? Yet, she still found it digging into her, the feelings of helplessness and guilt burrowing through her.
“I see.” Hendrick’s words carried an unreadable tone and, with his face buried in the blankets, Luna wasn’t sure how he was reacting. She wanted very much to make it up to him, some way to apologize completely for being so afraid even though there was no way she could have been prepared for it. As thoughts swirled through Luna’s head, she remained silent, mostly because nothing came to mind she could say.
“Luna...” Hendrick said eventually. She turned her attention back towards him and watched as he raised his heads from the sheets, his red eyes reflecting the moonlight frighteningly. “I don’t want to hurt you by proximity... but I can’t leave.” He was choking back tears as he spoke. “I can’t think of being alone again; it hurts too much.” She tried to comfort him lightly with her voice, but to no avail. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He sniffed heavily, trying to keep his voice together for a few more moments. “May I stay?” A pleading tone bled from the words as tears would from eyes.
“Of course.”
“Thank you so much.” He nuzzled up next to her, pressing against her side with his tear stained face. In response, she closed her wing around him, bringing the two closer than they had been before. “It’s so hot here, and you're so comfortably cold,” he mumbled through a half asleep mouth, a childish tone perforating his words to the extent that Luna blinked in surprise. She had never heard that before... about anyone.
She felt a chill shoot through his body and an intense heat pool off him while he shifted to make himself more comfortable. “Thank you...” It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he couldn’t. His eyes closed and before too long, he had fallen asleep. Luna began to ponder about how someone could be so cold and so warm at the same time, but was thwarted as her mind became inexplicably fatigued. Unease began to pound through her system. She had only awoken a few minutes ago; why was she tired?
Against her will, sleep overtook her and she quickly found herself within her dreams. A quick look down told her she had once again taken the form of a human, almost exactly the same as she had in her previous dream. Expanding her gaze to her surroundings informed the now-bipedal Luna she was in a large library with tomes and tomes of knowledge sitting idly on the strong wooden boards making up the shelves around her.
Taken by awe for the massive collection of literature, Luna began to wander through the maze-like structure of the building. As she walked, she decided to take a look at one extremely large book sitting on the shelves. Pulling it from its resting place, she began to look through it. Each and every page was blank, yet she kept turning. She wasn’t sure why.
Letting her feet guide her, Luna continued to scour the book, looking for words. Just when she had given up, she raised her gaze to see she was among a collection of human children looking at her with fear-stricken eyes. Luna smiled comfortingly and sat down, motioning for the children to sit next to her.
Slowly, a few did. Each of them held a book tightly in their grasp and they started to read. Some of them appeared to be talking, but she couldn’t hear them. So, she smiled comfortingly and leaned against the wall, taking the moment to examine all the small ones.
There were about a dozen of them, all clustered in this back corner of the library, and each of them bore an odd marking on their forehead, some kind of red dot. She wanted to ask them what it was, but realized they wouldn’t hear her if she spoke, and she really didn’t want to break this comforting silence encasing her world of the library.
She smiled at the children until they all looked in one direction, an unseen noise catching their attention. Following their eyes, Luna watched as the man she had danced with, the man she now knew was most likely Hendrick, rounded the corner in a panic. He looked different, his tuxedo replaced with an old cloak and rough red shirt. He hurriedly lifted the children from Luna’s lap and began to usher them all somewhere.
It was clear he didn’t know her on sight, but he was guiding her all the same. The group found themselves out back and the man began to make shooing motions with his hands. Luna wanted very desperately to stay, but was dragged away with the rest of the children as they all ran into the night.
With a bittersweet smile, he turned away, pulling something from a shelf that glittered in the dim light of the building. The front door burst down and an explosion echoed through the air, shattering the silence that had encased Luna up until that moment. Another explosion. The device the man held shot backward and he lowered it again.
He managed one more explosion before tongues of flame shot forth and began to eat away at his clothes, burning the books all around him as he was destroyed by the hungry fire of the weapons wielded against him. Luna cried out, but found she was the only one doing so. When she was about to speak again, one of the children held a finger to her lips.
Now that she didn’t want to hear, she was forced to. The children made almost no noise as they ran away. Luna broke free, but the children kept going, hurrying away. The sickening crackle of fire filled her ears as she looked to the pyre that had taken the place of the library. She ran towards it, her feet pounding against the grass as she propelled herself toward the building.
When she met the flames, two towering beings emerged. Each of them were covered in black and carried large canisters on their back attached to rod-like devices in their hands. “Please,” Luna cried, unsure if they could hear her. “You have to help him!” The creatures looked at each other, shared a glance, and one drew something similar to what Hendrick had had. Slowly, the creature lowered it and pointed it at her forehead.
She didn’t know what it did, but she still felt the overpowering fear for it. Something told her running would be useless at this point. So, with the strongest face she could manage, she looked up at the thing and let tears roll down her face. When at last the explosion came, she went out like Hendrick had. Proudly. As the metal hit her forehead, it ended her dream, leaving a ghostlike touch as if it were still there..
Luna bolted awake in shock. Glancing down, she saw Hendrick asleep exactly how he had been when she drifted off. A flicker of movement caught her eye and Luna turned to see a candle had fallen from the bedside table and lit the flowers she brought alite, which in turn, threatened to burn the bed. Luna quickly put it out with her magic and looked back to Hendrick, whom shivered in response.
Deciding he deserved his sleep, Luna didn’t disturb him. It wouldn’t have helped anyone, anyhow.