//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Troubled Past // Story: Lost // by Cyanjames2819 //------------------------------// Twilight left the two alone and went back to her business in her library home. Fluttershy was quietly reading the books Twilight gave her, only checking the dictionary a couple of times. But after checking the book the tenths time, she gave up on checking the book for the meaning of the word. Once she did, she had to find the sentence or page again and she was getting a little tiered of that too. When she silently said the word to herself, trying to figure out what it meant, Nebula said the definition to her. He had the whole dictionary memorized in his head and he was now her living dictionary. Nebula moved over to the pile of books and looked through them. He levitated them in the air and looked at each title. He picked one out and stacked up the rest, back on the table. He finished it in a flash, then next one, and the next one, and the next one, and the next. After a couple more, he finished the rest of the books before Fluttershy got to the next chapter. He looked around the room for a moment and went back to the window. After staring out the window for a while, he saw a gold carriage coming down for a landing. As he watched the door open, he saw Luna and Celestia coming out and walked towards the building. He then saw Twilight teleport just behind them with Spike on her back and greeted them. He then looked at Fluttershy behind him, "We have visitors" he said to her. After a moment of waiting, the door was opened by a nurse and in came the princesses. "Thank you" Celestia thanked the nurse and looked in the room. When she saw Nebula looking out the window, she stopped for a moment but stepped forward. She looked at Fluttershy with a sly smile, "Good afternoon, Fluttershy. How are you?" she greeted. "Good afternoon, Princess Celestia. I'm doing fine, thank you" she answered and put the book down. She then looked at him, "Hello, Nebula" she greeted and waited for his response. "Hello" he greeted her but didn't look. "I am, Princess Celestia, ruler of…" but she was cut off by him. "Equestria, I know. You control the earth, turning it day or night whenever you want. The only planet that has trouble simply just spinning around naturally, thus needs help from the alicorns" he answered. "Not very difficult to fix that, actually, but your culture would most likely disapprove of that, believing only the highest power most change the day and night" he finished speaking. The sisters looked at each other in surprise, and then looked back at him. "Most likely" Celestia answered. She went over to him and sat down beside him, looking out the window as well, "It is nice to meet you" she looked at him. His expression was blank, but with a hint of sadness. She then wrapped a wing over him, "What is the matter, Nebula?" she asked in concern. He didn't answer, but something inside his chest was strangling his heart. Celestia looked out the window again, "How do you know so much about this world?" she asked. "I've watched from space with…" he paused then looked down. "A companion?" she answered for him. "Yes" he answered, and looked up again. "Is it okay if you can come to Canterlot if, Fluttershy, gets better?" she asked soothingly. He looked at Fluttershy for the answer, "Um, I guess it's okay. But is he coming back after?" she asked the princess. Celestia looked a little unsure, "I can't promise his return, but you may come along if you want, Fluttershy" she said to her. Fluttershy looked a little sad about the answer, but nodded, "Okay… I guess" she answered. Celestia smiled at her, "Thank you, Fluttershy" she thanked her. Nebula's ears perked up, "Play? Play time? Play time?" he started heard a faint voice and starting looking around the room, getting out of Celestia's embrace. They all looked at him a little weirdly, "Um, what's wrong, Nebula?" Fluttershy asked, concerned. The moment she asked, the faint voices stopped. Get got to the door and looked out in the hall, both sides. "Don't go" he said silently. Fluttershy got off the bed and went over to him, "Are you okay" she asked. He sighed and got back in the room, "I'll be fine" he answered and got on the other bed and rested down. Fluttershy looked at him, and knew something was wrong. Celestia went over to him and nuzzled him on his cheek, "If you have anything to say, anything at all, you can trust, Fluttershy" she said to him in soothing voice. They all bid goodbye and went back home for dinner. A nurse shakily delivered Fluttershy and Nebula their dinner and left them in a dash. As they finished their meal, Nebula stacked them together and teleported them just outside the door. Angel was napping on the bed, his belly slightly bulging and a carrot to his side. Fluttershy giggled cutely and gently carried him to her pillow then nuzzled him. She looked over and saw Nebula resting on the bed, still a little sad. She moved over to him and rested beside him. She then rubbed her cheek on his neck lovingly, "I'm here if you need company" she said to him. It was nice seeing him smile and she smiled back, "Thank you" he thanked her and moved his head closer. She started caressing his hair on his head and he wrapped her body with his wing. After a few minutes, the urge to tell her what was wrong grew more and more and decided to get it over with. He looked at her, "May I tell you something?" he asked her. She nodded with a smile, "Mm-hmm" she answered, stilled caressing him. He looked out the window and into darkened night sky, "A million years ago, a young star was born from my power and gases. She was small, but bright. She wasn't like the others; she stayed with me to company me. She was bright and happy every day, we played and sang. I just played along with her and everything else she did. I wanted to keep her happy, even though I had no emotions to express, but… every time she laughed… I felt warm" tears started to form in his eyes and pain was visible in him. Fluttershy started feeling sorry for him, and continued caressing him in comfort. "When your kind appeared on this little planet, I told her your kind's history as time went by, she loved it. But after the end of the war between the, Alicorns, and, Chaos Bringers, known as, Draconicus, she became old and weak. By the time, Celestia, defeated, Luna, and banished her to the moon, she used up all her energy and she was no more" he closed his eyes in pain and his tears started to flow freely. "There, there. Let it all out" she soothed in her soft tone. He moved closer to her and pressed his head on the side of her neck, letting the tears flow on her neck and coat. She wrapped her hooves around his neck and hugged him lovingly. After a moment, he started hearing the voice again, "Play? Play time, Nebula? Please?" he shot open his teary eyes and looked around the room for the source. He was losing it… he was really losing. He frantically looked around, but then couldn't take it anymore. He threw his head on the pillow and clenched his ears, "Stop! Stop! Stop! No Play Time! Not Anymore! Stop It! Please!" he started crying, his body shaking. She didn't know what he meant, but wrapped her hooves around his neck, "Sssh-ssh, it's okay" she hugged him warmly. The voices then stopped in his head and blinked a couple of times and looked around the room. He sighed in relief and rested down again. He looked at her and smiled brightly, he was getting use to these expressions, thanks to her. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. He then felt his cheeks warming up. What was happening to him? He then saw her cheeks turning red and smiled bashfully. She then covered half of her face with her hooves, "S-sorry about th-that" she then covered her face. He got confused, "Sorry? Sorry for what?" he asked, still a little confused. She peeked under her hooves, still blushed heavily, "W-what was that?" she said. "What are you sorry for?" she said to her. "Um, I… I kissed you" she said quietly, looking the other way and hid behind her pink mane. He then thought of what this "Kiss" meant, "An expression of affection, love, greeting, reverence and etcetera" he thought to himself. Once he knew what it meant, he looked at her again, "Thank you" he thanked her. She looked at him, "What?" she said, still blushing. He smiled, "Thank you" he answered. "Oh… y-you're welcome… I guess" she answered back and bashfully smiled. He then started wiping his tears on his right cheek, and then felt Fluttershy's hoof wipe his other cheek. They both yawned in unison. He rested down on his arms and Fluttershy cuddled closer to him for warmth. He wrapped his body around her; she lifted her head and looked at Angel, still sleeping soundly. She rested back down and sighed happily. Feeling his warm body was one thing she was getting used to, and she loved it. The next morning, the doctor checked Fluttershy's wing. He carefully examined her wing and took her bandages off. After a few more moments, he smiled at her, "Good news, Miss Fluttershy. Your wing is all better, you may go whenever you want" he said to her with a smile. Fluttershy accidentally crushed Angel with her sudden hug with a bright grin. "Thank you so much, Doctor". She looked down at Angel and his face was turning blue from her deadly embrace. She quickly let him go, "I'm so sorry, Angel bunny" she leaned down and nuzzled his little head and scooped him up. She got out the room with Angel on her back, "Oh! I almost forgot!" the doctor yelled and she looked back, "Go easy on your wing for a couple of days" he said to her and she nodded. She looked around and couldn't find Nebula anywhere. A nurse then went by, pulling a patient on a wheelchair, "Um, do you know where, Nebula, went?" she asked. "Nebula? Who's that?" she said, confused. "Oh, um, he looks like a dragon" she answered. The nurses eyes went wide and knew who she was talking about, "O-oh, y-yeah… he-he went out" she answered shakily. Fluttershy's eyes went wide in surprise, "Thank you!" she then galloped through the halls. Nebula was sitting looking at the flowers just outside the hospital's walls. He then noticed a movement above him. He looked and saw a sick little, light, blue filly in the window. She opened the window, "Hi there, mister" she greeted happily and coughed. "Good morning" he greeted back. The little filly's head was bandaged, and looked like her mane and tail was missing, "What is the matter?" he asked her. She looked up at her bandages and smiled, "Oh, I'm sick. The doctor's said I had, um, c-cancer, I guess" she answered and smiled at him. Why was she smiling? She was dying, so young. He thought for a moment and looked back at her, "Do you want to get better?" he asked her. "Um… okay" she answered, "But how?" she asked. "Just touch my nose with yours and close your eyes" he leaned in. She did so and closed her eyes. His eyes then started glowing and everything went black, he was now in her mind. The little fillies mind was colorful and bright with an imaginative mind, just like some star he once knew. The land around his was green with grass, lollipop trees, small hills, pink clouds and he stood on a golden sidewalk. He then saw the little filly bouncing up to him with a bright smile, "Oh, you're here" she went up to him. He looked around for a moment then looked at her, "Do you know where your sickness is?" he asked. Then with a flash, they got to another part of her mind, in front of him looked like an infected, black and pulsating mass, stock to the ground. He winced at the thing and couldn't believe what he was seeing. "So what are you going to do with it?" she asked, looking up at him. "I'm going to get you better" he answered. He went up to it and then tapped it with his claw. Then it started screeching in pain and burned off her mind in blue flames. After a moment, it was all gone, the remaining fleshy mass burning off. He looked back and saw her all okay, "There, you should be all better now" he said to her. "Really!?" she grinned brightly, he nodded. She went up to him and hugged his neck tightly, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!" she thanked him. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her, "You're welcome" he replied, then slowly, the world around him started to glow and blur. He went back to reality and saw the filly in front of him. She blinked her eyes a few times then smiled at him, "Thank you, mister" she thanked him again and leaned back in. "My name is, Nebula" he introduced himself. Then a blue cap magically appeared and put it on her little head, "It looks good on you" he said to her. She looked up at her gift and smiled, "My name's, Fio" he introduced herself. Her eyes then went wide, looking past him. He noticed this and looked behind him. He saw Princess Celestia, Luna and Fluttershy staring at them. "Pri-pri-pri-pri…" the filly stuttered in awe. Celestia went over to them both with a smile, "Good morning you two" she greeted. She then looked at the little filly with slacked jaws, "I see you'll be better in no time" she said to her and nuzzled her cheek. She looked at him, "Time to go, Nebula" she said to him. He nodded and started following her to the carriage. Then princesses and Fluttershy got in the carriage, he looked back and waved at the little filly with a smile. She waved back happily and in he went with the others.