Kebert was still flying through space in his dream admiring the planets as he passed by. “Wow this is amazing!” He yelled excitedly. He began to let hi excitement get the better of him as he began to do tricks. He started to do rolls and spins until he felt the sensation of gravity take over. Hmm strange but no matter. This is my dream after all I can do as I please. He thought as he held a smudge grin on his face. He then willed the gravity to stop as he accelerated to the planet below him.
To his horror he continued to barrel towards the surface at a speed to rival that of a meteor. He tried to use his wings to slow his descent but as he did so they were thrown back from the wind resistance. So failing these he thought quickly to try and land in water. Water could save him, so he studied the surface below and only saw unforgiving and unyielding mountains. He gulped loudly as he stared down his demise.
THUD
Kebert opened his eyes slowly as he wondered if he was alive or not. He facehoofed when he saw he had fallen of of his bed in his sleep. “And I knew it was a dream, and I still freaked out. Ugh...” He groaned loudly. He then decided to get up and make the bed. Once that was done he left to get ready in the bathroom.
A few minutes later...
Kebert yawned as he entered the dining hall that had just been laid out with a meal for the princesses. He noticed there was an extra seat next to the one reserved for Luna so he took his place there. Although it was not nearly as regal looking in comparison to the throne like chairs the princesses used it was still very comfortable. Kebert looked over as the Princesses walked into the hall together and each took their respective seats.
Celestia was the first to try a hoof at some small talk. “So Kebert I trust your first day in the castle was an enjoyable one?” She said looking over the center piece on the table which consisted of bouquets of various flowers.
“Why yes thank you for asking princess!” He answered eagerly as he grabbed a tea cup and brought it to his lips.
“And how is the adjustment to night life? Some of the other ponies on staff had to get used to sleeping in the middle of the day for their night shift. I hope that the transition isn't to rough on you.” Celestia asked as she dabbed her mouth lightly with a napkin held by her magic.
“Oh not at all in fact I did this often when I worked at the observatory. So this isn't much of a burden.” He said with a grin.
“I'm glad to her that Kebert, and I have something special for you since its your first night with me as your teacher.” Luna spoke happily as she faced him with a small grin.
“What kind of surprise your highness?” He asked as his curiosity grew.
“Well it would not be surprising if you knew wouldn't it? But it will be presented to you at the stroke of midnight.” She said teasingly as she levitated a spoon filled with soup to her mouth.
Celestia grinned as she watched their back and forth over breakfast. Well breakfast for them, I'm getting rather tired. The princess thought glancing at a clock on the wall. She finished the daisy salad she had been working on and excused herself, leaving the pair behind as she made her way to her bed. I shall have to ask Luna what his reaction was like in the morning. She thought smiling to herself.
“So princess whats it like in the Dream World?” Kebert asked curious on the experience.
Luna looked at Kebert while still stamping some documents with her magic. “Well its like I'm floating around in the night sky with ribbons flapping in the breeze. And these ribbons are connected to sleeping ponies. To enter their dream I simply pull on the ribbon and I get pulled inside.” Luna said with a smile as she looked at the sky outside. She saw the north star twinkling in the distance and got lost in thought.
Kebert looked at the princess as she smiled at her creation and put a hoof to his chin. Ah ha! He proclaimed in his head thinking of a plan. “Princess? Can we go somewhere tonight? We're already a week ahead of schedule regardless.” He asked as he walked up to her.
She tore herself from her own thoughts and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “Where would you like to go?”
“Its a surprise. - he gestured with his hoof - Come on your highness.” He said smiling widely as he took the lead.
A few minutes later...
“Can I open my eyes yet? I don't even know where I'm going at the moment...” Luna asked as she felt her way around the room with a waving hoof.
Kebert smiled “That's the point princess! Now we're here, you can look now.” He said presenting the observatory with an extended hoof.
Luna looked around and her jaw dropped. Of course they had a look out tower and telescope in the castle but nothing as impressive as this! Besides that was used primarily for looking at the horizon not the celestial bodies above. The telescope was easily as big as a house, all coming down in a cone shape to a single point. She trotted up to it happily and pressed her eye to the lens on the end.
It was focused on the north star she had her eye on earlier. With the magnification of this beast I can pick out solar flares on the surface! I wonder what enchantments are on the lenses to give them the focusing power... Thoughts aside Luna was speechless. She had been in here only a hoof full of times and not any that weren't 'official business'.
“So princess, do you like it?” Kebert asked as he grew hopeful.
“Why would I not like this? Thank you Kebert. - Luna glanced at the clock on the wall - now that you've given me something its time for your gift as well.”
Kebert look as well midnight... He looked back to see a gift wrapped box floating in his face. He grabbed it with his forelegs and flew over to any open space on the floor. Putting it down he bit the ribbon on top that matched his coat and pulled it off smoothly. Next he bit on the wrapping paper which matched his eyes and ripped the top of it off at once. Anticipation growing steadily he grabbed the flaps to the cardboard box in his hoofs and separated them.
Luna saw his face light up under the fluorescent lights above and let out a breath she unconsciously held. I'm glad he liked it. I was worried for a moment I got something wrong...
Kebert pulled the gift out with his hooves and examined it in the light. “Wow Luna wear did you get this?” He asked as he started to pull it on over his wings. He had a bit of trouble in his rush to put it on.
“Well as I was buying supplies last night I saw it on display and I thought you might like it... You did like it... right?” She asked lowering her head in worry. Oh I'm no good at these things...
“Of course princess! I love it!” Kebert yelled jubilantly. He looked over his shoulder at it. It was a black jacket that matched his hooves perfectly. It had a high collar that came to a stop half way up his neck, it also had slits for his wings to fit through. The lining was fuzz and warm to the touch. The jacket came to a stop just before his flanks so his cutie mark was still visible.
He looked away from his gift and quickly flew over to Luna and gave her a hug while he hovered in the air. A little taken by surprise she looked at him in shock then accepted the hug with one of her own.
“Well thank you again for this wonderful present princess!” Kebert thanked for the hundredth time.
“I'm glad you liked it but as I've already said, thanks are not necessary. Besides you've already taken me to the observatory, that's more than enough.” Luna said politely as she lead the way to their rooms for the day.
“Well as long as your sure, I wouldn't want to seem as though I'm taking advantage of your kindness...” Kebert said quietly as he followed by the princess's side.
“Of course not, you are my new student after all.” Luna said trying to get her sister's loving tone across with an encouraging smile.
Kebert noticed and smiled back as they can to a stop in front of his room. “Well I'll see you tomorrow night then Princess.”
“Oh come now Kebert, if we are to have a close relationship then you should address me by my first name. Such formalities are not necessary in my presence.” Luna said as she sat by the door.
“I wouldn't want to show you disrespect...” Kebert said rubbing his foreleg with the other.
“How could it be disrespect if I asked for you to do it?”
“Ok then... Luna...” Kebert was fairly uncomfortable addressing a deity in such an informal manner but it felt pretty cool too.
“Well I shall leave you to your impending dreams. Goodnight.” Luna said with a smile as she got to her hooves to leave.
“Goodday, Luna...” Kebert corrected jokingly.
“So it is.” She replied back catching his joke.
As she left Kebert opened the door to his room and entered, shutting the door quietly behind him. He made his way to the bed on the right side of the room and wriggled into the mass of blankets. Once he was asleep he found he was in a different room. It appeared to be a bed room and he had no idea how he got there. He looked around for a clue and found a pony sleeping soundly in a bed on the other side of the room. Getting up from the floor Kebert made his way over to the sleeping earth pony.
“Uh hello? Do you know where we are?” Kebert tried hoping the pony would wake up to answer. When he heard muffled voices coming from behind the door to the room Kebert panicked quietly.
I have a bad feeling about this! What will they say when they find a strange pony in somepony else's room watching them sleep!? He thought as his gaze flew around the room looking for an escape. When his gaze fell on the bed the only thing coming to mind was HIDE! So he dived under the bed and turned around so he could see the door from under the bed.
When the door opened Kebert tried to breath as quietly as he could but to him it still sounded like the roar of a dragon. But when no one came inside he calmed and become curious. But before he could get out from under the bed four hooves landed just in front of the bed startling Kebert. To keep himself from yelling he slapped his hooves to his mouth to clamp it shut.
A deep raspy voice came from the pony standing by the bed. “Here this one seemed like a good catalyst for you. She is an earth pony but until we you get your strength back we don't have much of a choice.”
Catalyst? What in Equestria was going on here? And what is this crazed pony talking about?
“She will do fine till I can gather enough of my power back. If I don't get a body soon I will start to deteriorate.” Said somepony else in a weird almost echoing voice.
Was that the pony sleeping? It has to be, that's the only other pony in here besides me...
The first pony replied. “Fine then I shall commence the spell, then we can leave. I still need to wait for the return of my empire.”
Empire? This pony had some kind of importance. Or at least he thought so...
Kebert saw a faint glow presumably from the first pony as black crystal began to for around his hooves. He began to mumble to himself but they became echos seeming to come from every direction. The sound began to build till it became a deafening roar in Kebert's head.
Kebert could here the bed creak as if the pony was getting out of bed. But he didn't see the pony's hooves touch the floor so he wondered what was going on. If I could only see what was going on!
All at once the sound stopped and the bed creaked nosily as if the pony fell back on the bed. The crystals around the pony's feet before him cracked and shattered to nothing and he stepped back. The pony sleeping got off the bed and stood by the bed and looked herself over.
“Its now where near as regal in appearance as my former host but I will have to suffer through. Now I shall remain here as to not alert any of these ponies to the disappearance of this body. We wouldn't want to be discovered at such a crucial point in the plan. Especially given my state, I would be defeated to easily.” The pony said with the voice of the unseen pony from before though the voice no longer echoed.
“And you shall keep your end of the bargain? I need to know I can trust you.” Came the raspy voice.
“Of course I will, why would I want that place of yours anyway? Just make sure you don't get beaten so easily like last time. I cant have that weapon ruining my rule.”
He growled in response and turned to leave in a huff. The other pony smirked at this and followed his out of the room.
As the door shut Kebert waited a few moments to ensure no one came back into the room and slowly crept out of his hiding place. Once he was out he looked out of the room at the night sky and saw it was about to be dawn. Yet it was still dark enough for him to see the stars and tried to get his bearings from their positions in the sky.
For this time of year and the positions of the stars this puts me in... What where am I? I didn't know anypony lived out here. Apparently I'm south east of Ponyville... Where ever this is I need to get out. The sound of a doorknob turning scared Kebert stiff as a board as he slowly turned to face the door. It swung open slowly as a shadow of a pony proceeded its owner into the room. Thoroughly panicking now Kebert started to run in place unsure of what to do.
A light blinded Kebert and he was forced to put a hoof over his eyes to try and shield them but to no avail. He blinked to try and clear his vision as the room appeared to dissolve around him like paint sliding down a wall. When he opened his eyes fully he was in his bed with the curtain opened slightly with a single ray of light snaking through to reach his eyes.
He groaned as he sat up in bed and looked around. That cant be a dream can it? I certainly didn't feel like it was... maybe the princess can tell me what it mea- At that moment a royal guard soldier opened the door and walked to the bed addressing him. “Excuse me but the royal sisters are in need of your presence.” He said firmly yet politely.
“Uh sure let me just get my jacket.”
“As you wish, I shall wait by the door to escort you to them.”
“Escort? Don't you think that's a little unnecessary? I think I've learned my way around well enough.” Kebert said as he slid his wings into the slits of the jacket.
The guard simply walked out and said “I'm not allowed to inform you of whats happened. The princesses wanted to tell you themselves. Also saying it in public can cause a panic.”
What happened? What could have been so urgent to get me at this hour? I was awake anyways but I'm supposed to be sleeping for another few hours.
When he had his jacket on Kebert met the guard outside of his room and followed him to the private study where both of the princesses were talking to other royal guard members.
“I'm sorry but we will have to wait outside until their meeting is done.” The guard explained. Luna saw the door open and noticed Kebert outside so she made her way to him.
“Excuse me for the moment General.” Luna said as she almost galloped to Kebert.
“Kebert are you alright!? I was worried after what happened!” She said hurriedly as she hugged him with her forelegs.
Returning the hug he assured her “I'm fine Luna. But what happened? Whats got you so worked up?”
She broke the embrace and grew an angry expression as she glared at the floor. “I think she is back... My sister and I felt her magic and we must prepare in the event she does return.” She lost her angry expression and replaced it with a sorry one as she kicked at the floor with a hoof. “Sorry to wake you at this hour but I wanted to make sure you were ok...” She said looking at him with her head hung low.
“Thank you for worrying about me but what do you mean by she? Who?” Kebert asked growing worried.
Luna leaned forward as she looked around the room to make sure there was nopony listening. Kebert followed her example and she whispered to him. “Its her, Nightmare Moon! We felt her magic and we fear the worst!” She stressed quietly.
His pupils dilated and his eyes grew huge as he tried to keep his balance. “What? I thought you were her! How can she be back if your still you!?” Kebert asked in a raised whisper.
“We don't know and that's what this meeting is about. We will make preparations immediately. So wait out here until I'm done in there and afterwords we will go to see my sister off. She plans to leave with the royal guard to each city and oversee the protections herself.”
“Ok Luna I'll wait just outside the door.”
“Good I'll see you in a few minutes.” Luna said turning and heading back to her place in the improvised meeting room.
Kebert made his way over to the door and sat on the floor outside while he thought. I can't believe this is happening... I guess I'll have to ask what this dream meant later. Right now is not the time to distract Luna with such trivial things... I'll help her in anyway I can.
Kebert looked out of a high window not far from his seat and saw the sun peeking over a few clouds.
To think I might not see the sun again is... strange... I cant even comprehend what it would be like... Of course Kebert had been around during her previous return but those days were weird to him. Like everything was just in his head. Kebert sighed, “But I trust in my princess to be able to defeat Nightmare Moon! And I will fight till the end to ensure that She comes out victorious!” Kebert said proudly to himself as he stomped his hoof down on the floor to emphasize the statement.