//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14 of Elohie and Luna's return 
// Story: The Three Knight Errant 
// by Ebony Gryphon 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 14 Elhohie and Luna's return

Luna groaned and stretched out across the floor of her bedroom, much in the style of the common housecat, and shook her head, her mane rustling slightly against the tiles. Getting a look in the mirror across the room, she shuddered and gave an internal blech... which turned into a external one at the taste in her mouth. It was time for a cleanup. Yawning wide as she crossed the room, she paused briefly and looking over her shoulder at human sitting at edge of her bed,gavea cheerful "Mornin' Aduros."

He looked up, as though drawn from thought. "Afternoon, actually."

Nodding, she began to walk again, then in mid stride, on hoof raised, she paused, her entire body shivering. Seeing this, Aduros rose from his sitting position, concerned.

"Luna, are you all..." he grunted, taking a couple steps back in shock, as suddenly the still form turned in a an indigo blur as the doors of the balcony flew open, and from the outside, the equine groaned. Running over, he saw her in a dejected pose, laying down, chin between the banisters stone columns. Wondering what was wrong, the human began to carefully make his way over, and as he did, Luna rose, lifting her chin from the cold marble. Standing next the dejected alicorn, he stroked her mane, saying, 'Upset from your sister taking your job?'

Luna, unlike her sister, was still growing, so when she rose her upper half to look dejectedly over her kingdom, her head only came to Aduros shoulder, not including the horn. And when said head shook in the negative, Aduro fingers scratched behind her ears gently, earning a slow closing of her periwinkle eyes and a mrrr of contentment in response

"Then what?"

Sighing, and with a flick of an ear against the comforting hand, she muttered, 'I missed breakfast.'

As she opened her eyes, she suddenly glared at the human, he was scratching the back of his own head in a gesture of confusion, and when he said "Elohies name Luna, is that all?' she rolled her eyes and pulled away, and rising fully, walked back into her room, scowling.

"You don't understand Aduros."

Frowning, he followed as she stomped into her bathroom, and with a huff sat in front of the mirror in it. Blue aura surrounding a toothbrush and a tube of paste, she squeezed a bit onto it, and began to brush her teeth, eyes still annoyed. Leaning against the door frame, Aduros marveled inwardly on how cute the alicorn was. A being who could move the moon and even the stars themselves, but was in truth the most insecure and vulnerable females of any species he'd ever come across. In the months that had followed their tumultuous beginnings, and the bond between him and her deepened, he had seen her against gryphons, threatening nobles, and belligerent dragons that he and his brother would have slain without a moments hesitation, and with an almost motherly tone, talk them down from their, if you'll pardon the expression, high horse, and negotiate there various problems quickly. It was hard to imagine that the Luna as the diarch of a kingdown, and this one, who somehow managed to still pout and brush her teeth at the same time, were the same mare. Crossing his arms, Aduros watched as she took the tooth brush away,  and pushing her gums over teeth, began to run her tongue over the exposed pearly whites, checking for missed debris.

Ok, not everything she did was cute, he mused repressing a shudder. After she finished with a couple of lip smacks, and lift a silver handled brush to her mane, he asked "So, whats the problem?'

Drawing the brush through her mane, eyes still focused on her image, Luna replied "Well, you see, when I returned, Tia and I swore that this time we'd spend as much time as we could together."

Seeing out the corner of her eye the human pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers, and a muttered 'By Elohies name' she clarified, "I know its silly, but still..." and with a nod of approval at her now somewhat decent appearance, she rose, and with the moving aside of Aduros, walked back into her room. A small smile played across her lips as she felt eyes roaming over her, she continued the trek back to her bed, and without a mere glance back, asked 'Something on your mind, Aduros?"

Scratching his chin, he followed her saying 'Actually, yeah. I don't think its appropriate, but I've been wondering something."

Eyebrows lifting for moment, Luna jumped back into her bed, and with pat of wing indicated the human to join her. "I will hear this question, and then decide for myself its validity."

Nodding, and after sitting down and letting the lady of the night rest her head on his shoulder, reached behind him to scratch the side of her neck gently. "Well, the next day after I arrived, I saw a picture of you in Ponyville, and was wondering why you looked so different."

"Oh that,' Luna replied,'This I can answer.' and after a request from the diarch to lay down again, which he complied too, the dark blue equine laid her head on his chest with a sigh, then continued.
"The dark power of Nightmare Moon gave me both power and a new form. When the elements took them, I regressed back to my fillyhood. It took time for my magic to return, and with it my stature, and I am as you see me now, as I was before my banishment."
As she spoke, Aduros adjusted himself, laying his head up on some pillows so he could look down on Luna as she spoke. Looking up a moment at the newly positioned human, she pursed her lips, the asked "Might I ask something of you Aduros?"

Grinning, he continued his stroking, and replied 'Tit for tat i suppose,' and seeing her look of confusion, added' Old human saying, from a poem."

"Really, tell me. Then I'll ask my question."

Clearing his throat, Aduros ryhmed,

`	There once was a woman
who had three children
whose names were mat, pat, and tat
she said was fun in the breeding
but was Hel in the feeding
because there was no tit for Tat

Scrunching up her muzzle, Luna said 'Thats vulgar.'

Shrugging slightly, Aduros replied back, 'You asked. A less vulgar way of saying the same thing is quid pro quo. So, whats your question?'

Letting the bite of lemon look leave her face, she asked "Well, I often hear you and you brother say Elohie, and from time to time, when I awake, I see you kneeling at the balcony, praying I'd imagine. Is Elohie like a human alicorn?"

Now doing a human equivalent of Luna's puckered look a few look a few moments ago, Aduros snorted "Hardly.' then seeing the still confused look of the alicorn, he clarified, "Elohie is...' he looked up at the ceiling, looking for the words, ' How can I describe it... Elohie is the... maker, craftsman, creator of all things.' Looking down, he could see further information was needed, and he continued, ' "And so it was, before the Word, there was only the void. Nothing. But from the void Elohies word rang out, and from the nothing was shaped all."'

Smiling, Luna asked "Another poem?"

Shaking his head, the human replied 'The first part of out holy scriptures. I guess the best way to describe Elohie is more... well, like a force, like evolution, but with thoughts or feelings... It's kinda hard to describe.'

Smiling, Luna chided, 'Well, such a being as this Elohie surely deserves the greatest of palaces in your homelands.'

Shaking his head, Aduros corrected, 'Oh no no, he doesn't live in this reality. Or I assume its a he. When Elohie first gave us the Word, the first Magi said it was a male voice, but I doubt that Elohie is either personally.'

Now frowning, Luna asked 'So, how do you know what Elohie wants?'

"Well,' Aduros mused 'Elohie doesn't really interact with anyone. He just made the universe, or multiverse as some theorize, and that was it. But to us humans, who i think many arrogantly think of as his most beloved, he gave two more gifts. One, long ago, he told us his laws, or commandments, which if we follow, not only humans, but all sentients, we would live in peace and love.'

"What were they?"

Smiling, Aduros sang softly

Elohie was asked for help as his children could not bear the task alone
And before the children thereby one day lay a stone.
And Elohie said upon this stone the words i say to you
And if you obey, I'll see you safely through
Teach us lord, the children cried as they knelt and prayed,
Tell us all of what you have to say

Thou shalt have gods before is my great command
And thou shalt make no graven image by the hand
Thou shalt not take my name in vain if thou would guiltless be
Remember thou to keep the sabbath day alone for me
Honor thy father and thy mother 
thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery 
thou shalt not steal
Love thy neighbor as thyself and show thy neighbor peace
Covet not thy neighbor's house nor anything that's theirs

Luna smiled, and replied, 'That's... that's beautiful.' Smile fading, she continued, 'But... when the rebellions of your people happened,' at this, Aduros cut her off, 'It... broke us.' Seeing the look in his eyes, the equine stopped. 'The equines, as much as they hurt us, in the end we had no choice. But even though we had no choice, they we're children of Elohie, as we are, and to hurt them...' he shook his head, eyes sad 'We lost much in the wars.'

Appaled, Luna snapped, "Bastard!' Seeing the flinch, her tone softened, and she growled, 'This Elohie leaves you, does nothing, and then has the gall to judge you?' she snorted, irritated. Touched by her feelings, Aduros stroked her mane, and said softly, 'Atrocities were committed on both sides.' Stroking her mane, he mused, 'I don't think I've described Elohie well either. Elohie doesn't so much as judge us as... well, when all sentient s die, all go before Elohie and give an account of their lives, and then reincarnate, returning to this reality to gain more knowledge.'

"So...' Luna asked, 'What of beings like... well, Sombra, or Tirek?'

"Well, some souls for one reason or another chose to not only disobey, but to torment the other children of Elohie. These souls, by their own choosing, return to the dark fires of Hel, or Tarturus as you equines, and reincarnate as dark coming out as they were coming in. But even they will one day return to Elohies embrace, for all sentient s are children of the him, and all are given a chance.'