"There you go kiddo, just like that." Able felt his blood freeze, he turned his head to see an man letting go of a bicycle with his son was peddling furiously trying to get it to move. "Now careful, don't go too fast." Able looked at the man and stared into his eyes, only one word could escape his mouth.
"Dad?" As he said that the young child toppled over and started crying as he grabbed his elbow, when Able looked over to him he felt the same elbow that the child was clinging to start to hurt. Thats when it hit him, that little boy was him.
"There, there son. It's okay," He watched as his father helped his younger self up, and smiled. " After all whats life without a few bumps and bruises." Able smiled to himself as the two of them as both he and his father smiled to each other.
"Memories, these make some of the best dreams and yet some of the saddest." Able watched as the image of his father and him froze, and a woman just barely in her twenties stepped out from behind them.
"Who are you?" Able asked as she tussled his younger self's hair, she walked towards him with an air of nobility and grace.
"Our name, is Princess Luna. We along with our sister rule the land of Equestria and its ponies." She offered her hand to him for a handshake.
"I'm Able, and well," He took her hand and shook it, though he was genuinely confused . "I'm a bit at a lose here?"
"You are wondering about our form yes?" Luna smiled as she put her hand on her hips. "Believe it or not Able, though our little ponies may think otherwise. We have met your kind before under somewhat similar circumstances." She looked back to the frozen image of him and his father. "That one must be your father then?"
Able just nodded as she glanced between the two of them. She smiled curtly to him.
"He's very handsome," She looked at Able once more and smiled. "If you don't mind my saying, but you have his eyes."
Able stood there at a loss for words at this point. His mind starting to race with questions, who was this woman? How did she get in his dreams? And more importantly was she human?
"Luna,we are the princess of the night and dreams, and no we are not a human. Now we've got a question for you, since it's been so long since one of your kind let us enter their dreams." She looked over to his father once again, like a child meeting a stranger for the first time.
"What is it?" Able figured he might as well play along with this supposed princess.
"What was he to you, Able?" She sat down one the ground, waiting patiently for his response.
Able let her question mull around in his head, He never really thought about what is father was to him or if he could be more to him then he was. He was his father, maybe even the only one of his parents he actually and actively tried to talk to, but Able knew saying that would belittle the bond they shared.
"Daddy?" a voice echoed from behind.
Able turned his head, there he was maybe five years old standing with his father as the monitors that were hooked up to an old man slowly started blinking and then one by one start shutting off.
"Weren't those machines keeping grandpa awake?" He looked up into his fathers eyes, Only now could Able tell that his father was holding back a wave of tears and sadness.
"Yes, they were." he sniffled. "But grandpa, wanted to... to take a nice long nap."
"Is he gonna wake up daddy?" Able slipped his hand into his fathers.
All his dad did was look at his father, and then smile sadly at him. "No, Able and I don't think he would want to wake up ever again." He lifted him up in his strong hands so Able could see his grandpa, his eyes were closed with a serene smile on his lips. " Is there anything you want to tell grandpa before he slips off into dreamland."
Both Ables looked at their father, a thin facade of calm was painted on his face. Except this time he could see the sadness that his father was valiantly stemming back.
"Tell us Able, once more who was he to you?" Luna stepped up beside him watching the scene intently.
"I don't know, he was my father." He looked you to him the tears he was holding back. "And that day, me and my mom were the only family he had left."
Luna put her hand to her chin in thought. "No, still not an acceptable answer Able." She looked at him her eyes piercing into his soul. "He was more then that, and you know it." Her voice started to echo slightly.
"Able, come here son." Luna this time looked away, to Ables father who was standing alone looking at the two of them.
Able sighed as he turned to him and looked him in the eye. This time Able could tell he wasn't from a memory, because unlike all the other times Able saw him, he looked too young and too healthy. He clenched his fists, Luna must have noticed as she started stepping away from him.
"No, I wont." he spat out each word, trying his best to not run into his fathers arms. He looked up at him, there stood the man who had taught him almost everything he knew, but at the same time he felt anger towards the world for taking him away.
"Is something wrong son?" He watched as he started towards him only to stop a few feet away.
"You," Able looked at Luna he felt a surge of anger begin to build up in the back of his throat. "Why? Why would you do this to someone." He looked at his father who kept his eye intently locked on him. "He died eleven years ago on my birthday, and you have the gall as some supernatural goddess of dreams to bring him here." The darkness that surrounded the three of them pulsed a blood red.
"Able," He felt his fathers strong hands rest firmly on his shoulder. " Son, look at me. I have to know something, what was I to you?" Able looked at his father less with anger but more with sheer horror, because rather than the usually calm understanding look on his face. He cared one edged with concern and worry, as Able looked int his eyes he thought he something worse than all that. He thought he saw disappointment.
"No, no no no no no." Able looked over his fathers shoulder, there he was an eleven year old boy standing at his dying fathers bedside. No doctor could explain to him why his dad suddenly got so sick, all they knew was that it resisted every antibiotic, and antiviral drug they threw at it. When ever his mom had visited the doctors kept on saying something about a virulent necrotising infection around his heart. They deemed him no longer contagious a mere two days before his birthday, and the only gift he asked for was his dad to get better.
"Tell us Able, what was he to you?" Luna stood between him and the memory.
Able felt his heart stop, and then speed up a hundred fold, he felt numb. There standing in between him and his dying father was not only his father but this woman who wouldn't stop asking him that question. What was he to me? He looked at the memory of him and his father he watched as he leaned down so he could whisper into his ear. the world grew silent as his father started.
"Son, I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your birthday party." He turned away and coughed violently. "But I want you to know something."
Able felt his lips move silently mouth out the question his younger self asked.
"What is it dad?"
"I want you to know what you are to me," He smiled weakly to his son, as he turned his head to look straight at Able. "You are not only my son, you are my reason to live, the reason I always smiled and laughed and talked." He sighed tiredly. "The day you were born I knew that something like this would happen, me lying here, you trying to do everything in your power to help me, but in the end son this is how it should be."
"No, dad. not like this I was just a kid. You promised me that you would be there forever." Able felt a tear slide down his cheek as his knees started to give way. "You promised."
"I love you son, more then you can even know..... No.... where.... always be..." Able looked up as his father violently convoluted, causing the machines he was hook up to start screaming one by one.
Able watched as the memory dissipated. That day he lost the only person he really cared about, he remembered his mothers halfhearted efforts to be there. He wasn't that surprised when a few weeks later Trent came into the scene. Able looked up to where the memory once was.
"I see then, that's what he was to you." Able felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
Able looked up at the woman, from what he could tell she was somewhat phased by what she saw as well. Then a bright light filled his vision.
--
Harper cracked his eyes open. Stormy was leaning over him her hoof was pressed up on his shoulder.
"Harper, wake up. Somepony is knocking at the door."
Harper reluctantly rolled over and looked at the clock The hour hand was just now ticking up to four.
"Who would be at the door this early?" Harper yawned as he slowly sat up in the bed. Today was one of his days off, and he really didn't want to wake up until around noon.
As he hoped out of bed and groggily trotted down the stairs and to the front door, another wave of loud knocks filled the quiet house. He reached his hoof up to open it, before somepony on the other side cleared their throat.
"This is commander Nova of the royal guard, please open this door." What little awareness Harper did have quickly kicked him in the flank, as he looked back to where Able was sleeping.
"Uhh... Just a minute." He called out to the door as he galloped over to Able. Trying to rouse the sleeping human he glanced back and forth from the front door where it sounded like more ponies were starting to gather. "For Celestias sake Able wake up." He used his magic to lift up his hand and then drop it on his face. Able cracked his eyes open slightly, before simply groaning and turning around.
"Able wake up," Harper jabbed his hoof into his back, which caused him to stiffen and roll of the couch.
"Mehhh...." Able now somewhat awake started tiredly lifting himself up.
"Able, get up." Harper glanced back to the door were he could now make out the silhouette of somepony trying to peak inside. "You have to hide now."
Able yawned loudly, "Just four more minutes." he got back onto the couch and curled back up into the Able sized dent in the cushion. Harper heard another knock at the door this time who ever it was had lost their patience.
"Open this door, right now." The rather annoyed voice of a mare came from the door followed by a few loud raps that seemed to faintly vibrate the whole house.
"Dang it Able." Harper tried lifting him up with all the strength he could muster, apparently all that time he had been working at the mill finally paid of as he pushed Able once more to the ground. With a loud thud Able quickly started siring again.
"Alright, alright. I'm awake," Able tiredly got to his feet.
"Able you need to hide," Both of them turned their head as a another loud and angry knock came from the door.
"That's it, we're going in Bulwark on my go." Harper scrambled to the door, hoping Able could find a hiding place while he distracted who ever was at the door. He quickly unlocked the door and opened it with his magic.
"Yes, how may I..." Harper paused as he looked at the massive pair of hooves mere inches from his snout, it came to no surprise then that those massive hooves were connected to a even more massive pony. "Help you?"
"Stand down Bulwark," A mare in dark blue armor with a snow white cloak pushed past the hulking pony and fixed Harper angrily with her glowing yellow eyes. "Are you Harper Heartstrings?" All he did was nod. "Good." She looked back at the six ponies who had crowded his porch. "Alright secure the area, nopony so much as glances at this house without me knowing about it, and don't forget hoods up the suns coming up soon and I don't want to drag any of your sorry flanks to a hospital."
Harper watched as they saluted and one by one stretched out their wings to take off, now Harper knew what a normal pegasi's wings were supposed to look like,more like something that you see on bats.
He was quite literally pushed out of those thoughts as the mare who Harper now guessed was leading the bat ponies shoved past him, and into his house. He would have protested had it not been for that massive stallion who almost bucked him in the face hadn't growled at him as he too came in. They both looked around the living room the mares eyes settling on the dent in the couch Able had made since he came here.
"Clear." She tossed her hood over her head and repeated herself. "Alright everypony, We're bringing her out."
"Harper, did you talk to whoev...." Harper looked up at the stairs there Stormy stood stalk still looking at the two ponies who were now taking up position in the living room.
The large stallion looked up at Stormy then back to his superior who simply nodded at him.
"You there, how many others are in this house." he all but shouted at her. Stormy for her part shrank back slightly as he started to stare intently at her.
"One other, and I would prefer if you didn't speak to her like that." Harper stepped between the stairs and the massive stallion who just snorted defiantly.
"Bulwark, that is no way for a proper guard to act." Everyone turned their heads to the door, at the arrival of a new voice.
There standing in the doorway draped in the same cloaks, as the alleged guards who had so rudely barged into Harpers house, was another pony. She was easily a head taller then the hulking stallion who was now saluting her. As the mare removed her hood the one thing that stuck out to Harper was her long billowing mane, that lazily flowed with some unknown wind.
"Hail, Princess Luna." Harper turned his head to see the mare finish her salute. He looked back at the new pony, suddenly she looked familiar. He remembered seeing her picture in the newspaper a while ago, saying that she had come back to Equestria from somewhere far away.
"Please, Nova. There is no need for that right now." Harper felt his ear flick, as the mare looked over to him. "Please excuse them, they mean well though..." She trialed off as she noticed the dent Able had left in the couch.
"Though, what your majesty?" Harper followed her stare nervously. He could feel his heart start to race.
"You, weren't entirely truthful with my guards." She winked at Harper. "But we will discuss that soon enough." she trotted into the living room and sat down on the couch.
Harper felt his heart race as Luna casually looked around the room, unlike her guards who were quickly searching for threats, she was taking her time. He noticed her eyes stop on the pictures of his family, as he followed her stare he quickly noticed that she was looking at a picture of him and Lyra as newborns peacefully sleeping next to each other. She shifted her stare to the entrance to the kitchen and then back at Harper.
"Excuse me, but could we request something to drink?" She curled up on the couch as to make room for somepony else before she looked over to Stormy. "Ms. yes you, on the stairs. Do not fear Bulwark, his bark is significantly worse than his bite." She called out to Stormy, who was now timidly making her way down the stairs.
Harper trotted to the kitchen even though each step made the deafening beat of his heart louder and louder. when he passed Luna he wanted to look back at her, since after all. All of the panic and fear he was feeling was caused by that mare and her sudden arrival.
As he made his way into the kitchen, he stole a glance back to Stormy, who was timidly trudging to the princess. Right before he disappeared into the kitchen she looked up at him, Harper flicked his ear at her and smiled at her before stepping behind the concealing wall that separated the kitchen and the living room.
"Oh, and Mr. Heartstrings, we have to discuss your guest when you return, and how your situation may change." Luna called out from the living room. Harper looked at the counter and started to wonder if he hit himself hard enough to pass out if they would leave.
~~~~
Meanwhile 14 miles away from Flapstaff.
Trixie stirred as that blasted woodpecker that has been following her since Manechester, hammered its beak once more into her carts frame. She really hated her luck right now, the scroll that was supposed to show her a new spell was a dud, she hadn't pulled in as many bits as she hoped she would. Her stomach grumbled, attesting to the fact that she need to make some money soon, or else it was back to her least favorite diet plan ever, pure starvation.
"Ughh, curse you wood pecker." She kicked her hoof out to one of the walls of wagon, causing it to shake. Which much to the benefit of her sleepy brain caused the wood pecker to stop, and fly away. But rather then falling back to sleep she stared at the almost completely empty bag of oats next to her, they were supposed to last her five days, but a surprise raid by that wood pecker and his feathered horde had reduced it to a measly one days worth of food. She was just a bit happy to be somewhat close to civilization once again, and since she never visited this town before she might be able to scrounge up a few more bits, before she headed back east towards Canterlot.
"Well this is a fine mess, you got yourself into." She used her magic to pick up a nearby spoon and scoop up some of the oats. "I don't even like oats." She grumbled as she ate a spoonful of her dwindling food supply. "The next town, I'm going to get some apples," She angrily planted the spoon into the food bag. "At least they don't taste like stale cardboard."
She thanked the stars, that at least nopony was around to see her like this, just existing. After all she was the great and powerful Trixie and that's all anypony needed to know about her, and that they should give her money for being so great. She smiled smugly to herself, as soon as she showed the ponies in the next town some of her stupendous magic tricks they would shower her with bits and. Her fantasy was ended as her stomach grumbled once again.