Cloudless Night

by HighRoller

I: The Emissary

The deep gray, silver-maned alicorn entered into a large hall, his silvery tail giving a rhythmic swish with each step, his fair features darkened by a rather grave expression, looking for all the world like he were entering a court to be tried for some horrid crime. All around him, standing in contrast to the drab gray bricks of hewn rock that the building was composed of were glittering gemstones of all shapes, sizes, and colors arranged in perfect, repeating patterns all along the walls. The well-polished silver that the stones were set in cast a distorted, almost comical reflection of the alicorn as he went purposefully on his way.

A long black carpet lined with silver on its edges led from the doors of the room all the way up to an elaborately carved silver throne, its arms ending in cloud-like, wispy formations of precious metal. On this throne sat a black alicorn with a light gray mane and the mark of two bolts of white lightning crossing like swords on his flank. He was not particularly large in comparison to his newly arrived counterpart, but he was made more intimidating by the sharp silver-coated point of his long, magical horn and his elevation relative to the rest of the room. The bend of one of his forelegs was resting on one arm of the grand seat, and his head was propped up by his hoof.

“What is it, Stormwisp?” the one enthroned asked in a dull tone. His pallid whitish tail moved back and forth anxiously, appearing much like a tendril of thin, wind-blown cloud, contrasting to the gloomy pitch darkness of his coat. He began looking down at the other alicorn as if he were attempting to bore holes in his head with his shockingly bright red eyes. “It is most impolite to keep your older brother waiting.” The one at the foot of the regal throne seemed as if he were shrinking back a little, his eyes resting fearfully upon his brother.

“I’m here to talk to you about the way you’ve gone about expanding our empire.” His statement was punctuated by a moment’s silence. “We haven’t been horribly mistreating anypony under our rule, but I think that occupying the lands of others with our soldiers and imposing our laws and customs upon them are, well, not the best ways to go about it.”

“And how, pray tell, would you have me do it instead?” asked the elder brother.

“Well, perhaps we could expand using sympathy and thought before resorting to occupation.”

“Really, now?” asked the pitch-shaded being on the throne, shifting from his previously bored posture into a forward-leaning position. His eyes were reduce to little more than vibrant red slits as they narrowed, and he opened his mouth, moving his head backwards as if he were some sort of dragon about to breathe a pillar of flame at his poor brother. He suddenly stopped, some strange light appearing in his eyes for a moment. The alicorn’s body returned to a relaxed state and he broke into a sickly sweet smile. “Why, Stormwisp, that’s an excellent idea.”

“Do you really think so, Darkstrike?” asked Stormwisp, gazing curiously upward at his brother. His brother’s smile grew wider, becoming even more discomforting considering his mood not long before. Stormwisp could only wonder what had brought on this sudden change.

“Why, yes, I do. In fact, I believe that you should be our official ambassador to that land to our East. You know, the one we recently established relations with. What was it called again…?”

“Equestria?” Stormwisp asked, physically recoiling as his brother leaned further forward.

“Yes, Equestria, that’s the one.” Stormwisp’s eyes shot open, and he shook his head gently, as in disbelief.

“You mean…”

“Yes, I want you to depart as soon as possible.”

“Are you exiling me, brother?” asked Stormwisp, backing even further away.

“No, of course not! It’s an official mission. We don’t have a lot in the way of ministers here who would be available to go and do this, which is why I suggested it to you.”

“Well…” Stormwisp mused out loud, weighing his perceived options and his words rather carefully.

“’Well’, what? You should go and pack. Stalwart will be your official guard on this…assignment. I’ll expect a written report at the end of every month. Now, go! Don’t tarry a moment longer, or else you won’t get there before sundown!” Stormwisp looked crushed, his earlier musings forgotten as the decision was quite quickly made for him.

“But this is so…so sudden, Darkstrike! Shouldn’t we warn the rulers of Equestria that I’m coming?”

“Oh, I let them know well in advance that we were sending someone. I just hadn’t decided who. I’ll have an official letter written up so they’ll be ready for you when you arrive.” Stormwisp frowned and began mustering the courage to protest, but his brother’s sudden dagger-filled glare cut him off before he could say a word. He hung his head dejectedly for a moment, then finally raised his eyes to look at Darkstrike again.

“Alright, brother. I’ll go and get ready at once.” Darkstrike’s smile lost its unsettling sweetness and took on a dark, downright sinister quality as he watched his sulking brother leave the way he’d come.

Stormwisp stood upon the walls of his castle home, scanning the horizon with his ice blue eyes, which were full of warmth and emotion despite their coloration. The waves crashed mightily against the high, craggy rock face of the shadowy peninsula the castle sat upon. ‘This may be the last time for a long time that I’ll hear these waves’, he thought, turning his gaze towards the seabirds weaving and soaring beneath the cloudy gray sky. He watched a few of them dive downward towards the surf in search of food, glad for the momentary diversion from his bitter thoughts.

It wasn’t long before the heavy clip-clopping of hooves in armored shoes upon the stone behind him snapped him out of his contemplation. He saw the guards he’d been expecting, and turned around to fully face them. They lowered their heads in a brief, respectful bow, then looked at him.

“Are you prepared, my lord?” asked a pure pegasus with an impressive, wavy brown mane.

“Yes, Stalwart, I am”, replied the alicorn. “We can depart immediately.” The guards cast each other confused glances, then regarded Stormwisp with the same look.

“Don’t you wish to bid farewell to everypony, Prince Stormwisp?” inquired the other guard. Stormwisp shook his head.

“I have already said farewell to the sea and the sky of the land I love. My brother said his goodbyes to me already, and I have said mine as well. There is no more reason to wait.”

“Very well”, said the one called Stalwart. “Let’s get going, if you please, my lord.” The prince nodded quickly and winced as Stalwart put a hoof to his mouth and gave a sharp, piercing whistle. A covered chariot pulled by two cloudy-gray pegasi hovered up to the wall, and Stormwisp carefully and gingerly placed a hoof on it, putting a bit of pressure on it to make sure it was sound before following the single foot with the rest of his person. He flipped some of his shimmering silver mane away from his face, where the winds that constantly swept his homeland had blown it.

“Alright, then…onward to Equestria.” As the chariot took flight, Prince Stormwisp simply watched the landscape pass away beneath them, then disappear entirely as they soared above the dark, stormy clouds that seemed to separate most of Tempestia from the warmth of the sun many days out of every year. After a while, though, they descended through the clouds once more, and his eyes shot open. “This country…it’s beautiful. So much vibrancy, so much color!” the prince cried. Many ponies, which were mostly visible only as candy colored specks, dotted the cities and fields below them, milling around and going about their daily business. ‘Perhaps this won’t be so bad after all’, he thought.

A violet unicorn was galloping towards the Ponyville town square, a little dragon riding on her back, gripping her mane as if for dear life.

“T-twlight! Slow down!” the dragon cried indignantly, his little claws entwined in the pink and purple hair that flowed from her head. The young mare skidded to and abrupt stop, sending the little reptile flying through the air to skid unceremoniously along the ground, despite his best efforts to remain on her back. He staggered to his feet and dusted himself off. “Geez, Twilight…I said ‘slow down’, not ‘stop’.”

Twilight’s attention was elsewhere, however. Her amethyst eyes began scanning the clear blue skyline. Rubbing a bump on his head he’d sustained from his flying from Twilight’s back, the little dragon moved toward her. “What are we waiting for again?”

“An ambassador, Spike! An ambassador from another country wanting to strengthen its ties to Equestria!”

“Ahhhh,” said Spike nodding in what appeared to be understanding. “And…what exactly do those do again?”

“Well,” Twilight said, looking as if she were searching her mind for a good explanation, “They go to other places and try to act as a go-between for the ruler of their country and those of other countries, to keep wars from breaking out due to misunderstandings, and lots of other things. It’s a very complicated and important job.”

“Sounds like it,” said Spike. “What do ambassadors usually ride in?” Twilight cocked her head.

“That’s an odd question…why do you ask?”

“Because,” said Spike, pointing up at the clouds, “it looks like someone very important is riding in that chariot up there.” The purple pony followed his pointing claw with her eyes and gasped. Soaring through the sky was a gleaming chariot made of dark silver, drawn by two gray pegasi. Hanging over the chariot as a covering was a sheet of rigid white material, probably to protect the passengers from the weather.

Even more impressive than the chariot was the royal-looking dark gray creature riding in it, his silvery mane flowing in the wind as the chariot descended towards the humble town, the mark of a wispy black cloud on his hindquarters. “Is that an alicorn?” Spike asked. Twilight studied the new arrival for a moment.

“I…I believe so”, she said.

“I thought the princesses were the only alicorns in Equestria!” Spike exclaimed in wonderment.

“Well, he isn’t from Equestria”, came Twilight’s reply. Within moments, ponies of all shapes, sizes, and colors were gathering around Twilight, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. As the chariot made its graceful landing, they were forced to make way, leaving Twilight to greet the prince. Mere seconds after it touched the ground, the crowd began to gather again, the many excited conversations beginning to rise to a dull roar. The dark gray male and a stern-looking white guard in silver armor stepped out of the chariot’s passengers’ seats. The tall alicorn stretched a little and pawed at the dark, fertile ground with his hoof a couple of times.

“That was quite a ride”, he said to himself, surveying the sea of curious faces before him. Twilight came up to him, leaning her forelegs forward and bowing her head, before straightening up.

“Hello, Prince Stormwisp. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m honored to welcome you to the land of Equestria!” The prince offered the mare a smile.

“You must be Princess Celestia’s student...quite a gifted one, if your reputation is true.” A scarlet shade crept along her cheeks, darkening them enough to be noticeable.

“O-oh…I’m not…” Her draconic companion gave her a light, discreet nudge in the ribs, clearing his throat quietly.

“Oh, yes! Official business. Um…I’m supposed to remain here with you until Princess Celestia arrives to take you to the banquet!”

“Banquet? In my honor?”

“Well, of course,” Twilight said. “I mean…it’s only fitting. You’re the first foreign royalty to ever visit our country.” Stormwisp smiled and touched his hoof to his chest, giving a courtly bow.

“And I am of course, honored. I would also be honored if you would tell me more about Equestria. You seem to be well-informed, and my knowledge of this land is rather rudimentary. I would greatly appreciate it if you were to help me to be better educated before I meet your ruler.” The purple mare’s eyes were suddenly filled with a joyous light, illuminating her previously blushing features.

“Really? I mean, of course I’ll help! What would you like to know?”

Within the hour, the thunderous call of trumpets announced Princess Celestia’s arrival, and her golden chariot touched the ground. Twilight was in the midst of speaking, then looked shocked and jumped to her feet, giving a slight nervous laugh as she realized what the noise was that had managed to jolt her out of lecture-mode. Stormwisp slowly rose to his feet as well, his legs a tad stiff from sitting for so long. The crowd, which had previously dispersed, began to drift back into an excited, teeming mass at the arrival of Equestria’s beloved sovereign.

The princess’ chariot made its way down to the town square, and the foreign prince couldn’t believe his eyes. Her mane seemed to encompass all of the colors that had so dazzled him upon his arrival, and it shone almost as brightly as the sun she was in charge of raising. He bowed low, looking up as Celestia stepped out of the chariot.

“Why hello. You must be Prince Stormwisp,” she said to him in a warm tone that Stormwisp could only think to describe as “motherly”.

“I am,” he said, rising and looking her in the eye as best he could. However, his eyes kept drifting back to that mane.

“I trust my student Twilight has made you feel at home?”

“Oh, yes,” said Stormwisp, meeting her gaze. “She’s done her best to inform me of your country’s history and culture, among other things.” The princess turned her kind smile towards the aforementioned unicorn.

“I see you’ve done your job just as well as ever, Twilight,” Celestia said. The young unicorn became a tad red in the face, but retained her smile.

“It was the least I could do, princess. I assume you’re done with me for now?”

“Yes, that’s all I need from you today. Thank you so much for making our guest feel welcome.” As Twilight practically skipped away, Celestia’s praise still fresh on her mind, Stormwisp bowed his head.

“I thank you very much for preparing a place for me in your realm on such short notice.” Celestia smiled down at the other alicorn.

“Of course. In truth, you’re the first foreign royalty who’s ever visited our country. Oh…and there’s no need to be so formal. I may have a fancy title, but I try to put myself on even hoofing with my subjects. It’s only proper that fellow royalty should have the right to be just as familiar.” Stormwisp’s mouth managed to crack into a slight, nervous smile.

“I thank you, princess.” He looked back as Stalwart walked toward them from his place on the sidelines. “You needn’t come along. I’m sure I’ll be quite fine in the princess’ care.” Stalwart snorted and lifted his head, the silver of his head-armor catching the light of the slowly sinking sun, which was bathing the landscape in red and gold. The sky and clouds were a beautiful, vibrant canvas of various colors.

“I apologize, Prince Stormwisp, but I have to stay at your side. Your brother’s orders,” said Stalwart. Stormwisp smirked.

“How like him.” He then turned his attention back to Celestia. “I do hope that you have room for one more in your chariot. My guard here has stubbornly refused to let me come alone.” The princess let out a little laugh.

“There’s always room for one more.” She politely canted her head in Stalwart’s direction before looking back at the prince. “Now, shall we get going?” As the three made themselves comfortable in the chariot, Stormwisp watched the ground as it seemed to fall away from them. His gaze darted between the many new sights, from pure white, fluffy clouds empty of rain to the colorful ponies and their ornate homes, no two seeming alike. His guard, as always, retained a stern, stony expression.

“Equestrian architecture really is magnificent”, remarked Stormwisp. “There’s so much color, and such attention to detail! It makes everything in my country look so dark and…cold.” Princess Celestia showed the prince a friendly smile over her shoulder in acknowledgment.

“A little pure sunlight does a lot of good towards inspiring an artist’s spirit. I hear your country is very…” She paused for a bit, and Stormwisp merely smiled at her.

“’Gloomy’? I’m sure that’s what you were thinking. It’s quite alright, princess. I rather agree with you.”
“Well, I was attempting to think of a nicer way of saying it, but if it’s straight from the pony’s mouth…”

After a peaceful flight, Celestia’s chariot paused in front of the castle gates, which slowly rose to allow the party entrance. The three equines clambered out of the chariot and passed through the gate, stopping briefly in front of a set of massive golden double doors which slowly swung open from inside, pushed by a pair of Equestrian earth pony guards. Stormwisp regarded them with a momentary odd look as he passed them.

“If I may be so bold as to explain my lord’s…behavior,” Stalwart quietly began, almost whispering in Celestia’s ear, “earth ponies in our country are the workers and low-level, unseen servants of the higher classes. It is rare to see them in such a visible, ceremonial position.” Celestia simply nodded, her face inexpressive.

“I see”, she said softly.

Soon the group reached the doors of the grand banquet hall. As these too were opened with a slight creak, Stormwisp’s mouth began to water at what he saw. A massive, appetizing feast was laid out on a very long table, and a few ponies were already in attendance. Guards decked out in lustrous golden armor stood on either side of the doorway and in various others places in the room. In particular, there was a pair flanking the head of the table, one on each side, standing almost like statues, stern and indifferent as any he’d seen in his homeland.

“Now that we’re here, Prince Stormwisp, since you’re our guest of honor, please take a seat near me at the head of the table,” urged Celestia. Stormwisp did not object, situating himself in front of a steaming platter of baked…round red things. Probably some kind of fruit, he thought. He looked to his hostess, who was engrossed in polite conversation with another pony, and then peaked over the mountain of red things to see…another alicorn. The prince had to hold back a gasp.

Princess Celestia was of course beautiful, but this creature before him had a very different kind of beauty.
The first thing he noticed was her mane. It was a deep blue, like a clear night sky (something he’d only had the privilege of seeing a few times), and it gleamed as if hundreds of tiny stars adorned it. Her coat and horn were both a similar but slightly different midnight shade, except for her flank, which was adorned by a big splotch of pitch darkness, and a brilliant white mark like a crescent moon.

“Oh,” breathed the prince, moving the golden platter aside carefully, heedless of the fact that a couple of the objects tumbled down from the top of the venerable mountain of fruit. “You must be Princess Luna. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Luna jumped a little, as if she hadn’t known there was anyone there.

“It is quite a pleasure to meet you, as well, Prince…Stormwisp, I presume?” Her tail, which looked much like her mane, gave a gentle swish. “May I ask why you felt the need to hide behind that platter of apples?”

“Hmm? Oh, you mean these things,” said Stormwisp with a gesture of his hoof towards the food in question. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a thing before. They’re called apples?” A hint of red rose to the prince’s cheeks, matching the tone of the food which was now the topic of conversation. “I’m sorry…we don’t grow much fruit in Tempestia. The clouds shroud the sun much of the year, so our growing seasons are short.” Luna nodded and offered a small smile. A moment of silence passed between the three, before Celestia broke it.

“We have a family that lives in the Ponyville area who have an orchard full of wonderful apple trees. Growing them is their family tradition. Perhaps I’ll have Twilight Sparkle introduce you to her friend Applejack someday soon. She’d be happy to give you a tour, I’m sure.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Stormwisp said. He then began looking around, and noticed a few ponies trickling in through the doors and taking seats farther down the table. Some of them remained focused on their gossip or small talk, but quite a few of the newcomers were looking straight at him, with a mixture of different expressions. Finally enough of the seats were filled to make the table seem lively, and Celestia lightly touched her hoof to a crystal glass, the resulting sound gradually silencing the large group.

“I want to thank everypony so much for coming this evening. As many of you probably know, we’ve gathered to celebrate the arrival of the first ever foreign royalty in Equestria, our guest of honor, Prince Stormwisp!” The clapping of many hooves rang out through the banquet hall, dying down when the princess raised a hoof of her own.

“But his arrival means so much more than that. He has taken on the great task of fostering friendship between our two countries, coming to a land far from his home. In honor of the prince’s efforts and the beginning of a beautiful relationship between Tempestia and Equestria, let everypony raise their glass in a toast: to friendship, and to Prince Stormwisp.” The prince listened to the speech and resulting applause, bowing his head.

“Now, without further delay, let the feast begin!” Celestia cried, and the sounds of chatter and the light clinking of glasses and china filled the hall. The prince began with the “apples” nearest him. He picked one up off of the platter and chewed it thoughtfully for a moment, before his eyes widened. He eagerly munched the rest of the piece of fruit, before coming to the middle, which he bit in half, resulting in the remains falling to his plate, along with many little seeds. Each one produced a small “plink” as it made contact with the dish.

“Oh, I’m sorry”, Luna said, touching her hoof to her face. “We should have warned you. The middle portion and the seeds are not meant to be eaten. They are to be discarded.” Stormwisp nodded and quietly buried a couple of seeds that were still in his mouth in the linen napkin that lay beside his plate.

“No worries. I didn’t swallow any, so I should be fine.” He bit his lip briefly and looked between Celestia and Luna. “They aren’t…harmful, are they?” Luna stifled a laugh with a hoof, but went silent after a meaningful glare from her sister.

“No, no”, said Celestia. “They’re not meant to be eaten but they won’t hurt you.”

“Oh…I-I see”, Stormwisp said. “That’s a relief.” The prince looked to his left and saw quite a few ponies look suddenly away from him. Finally, to his relief, the chatter of individual conversations picked up again. ‘This is going to be a long meal’, he thought.

Prince Stormwisp walked down the hall, his silver-shod hooves clip-clopping heavily on the floor of the palace hallway. He was hanging his head a bit, his eyes drooping. His loyal guardian Stalwart trotted up beside him, moving in lockstep with his liege, and ducked his head down to catch his eye.

“Why so glum, my lord?” he asked. This prompted a small sigh and then a yawn from Stormwisp.

“Well, it’s been a very long day. Long journeys are usually tiring, and to top it off, I made a fool of myself at dinner.”

“You encountered a food you’d never had before. How were you supposed to know any better? Besides…you aren’t usually the type to let what anypony thinks of you affect your mood.” ‘With the exception of your dear brother,’ thought Stalwart silently. The prince lifted his head and stopped in his tracks.

“Well…you’re right. I don’t know what’s different about this. It shouldn’t be different at all. I suppose I’m just tired.” The pair soon came to an open door on their left, inside which an earth pony was just finishing making the bed, smoothing out the colorful, gold-trimmed bedspread.

“There we go”, she said to herself, before she looked at the doorway and gasped. “O-oh! I’m very sorry, sirs. You two must be the special guests I was told to get this room ready for!”

“No worries,” Stormwisp said. “Thank you for your service.” He and Stalwart then stepped out of the doorway to allow for the maid pony’s exit.

“Y-you’re very welcome! Now, I must be going…” she said, walking rather briskly past the two Tempestians. They merely looked at each other and gave a slight shrug before making their way into the room, Stalwart closing the door behind them.

“The bed is very comfy-looking, not to mention, uh, colorful”, the prince stated.

“Yes, all the bright colors will take just a bit of getting used to, won’t they?” asked Stalwart.

“Indeed. We should get some rest for now, though.”

“Actually, I believe I shall remain awake a while longer. Um…you wouldn’t mind if I wandered the halls for a bit, would you?”

“Not at all, Stalwart. Go ahead.” The guard bowed respectfully and wandered out of the room, pushing the door shut behind him with his rear hoof.

He wandered down the corridor until he heard a light, joyful sound from one of the rooms to his right. Stalwart cautiously peaked his head in and spotted the earth pony who had fled his presence mere moments before, floating gracefully about the room, dusting its various furnishings with a white feather duster held in her mouth. All the while she was humming a lovely song, wordless but still beautiful. Her voice was soothing and yet distinctly powerful, and the melody possessed a haunting, lullaby-like quality. Stalwart cleared his throat, causing the pony inside the room to jump a bit and putting an abrupt end to her song.

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to frighten you”, he said as gently as he could manage with his characteristically gruff voice.

“Oh, it’s okay”, said the female, managing a slight smile. “Can I…help you with something?” She had been talking around the feather duster with some amount of skill up to this point, but plopped the dusty cleaning implement down beside her. This dislodged some of the dust it had collected, and the little pale orange earth pony let out a dainty little sneeze. Once her composure was regained, she managed a small grin. There were a few seconds of silence, and both of them suddenly seemed rather interested in the state of their hooves.

“I-I’m Sunnyhearth!” she managed. “You’re the prince’s guard, right?”

“Ah, yes. I’m Stalwart.” He looked at her flank and noticed it bore the image of a common cleaning implement. “Your mark of purpose…it’s a broom.” Sunnyhearth blinked for a moment.

“Oh! You mean my cutie mark,” she asked, craning her neck to look at the symbol in question. “Yes. I discovered when I was very young that I enjoyed cleaning and helping keep up the house. That’s why I became a maid here at the castle. Yours is a shield, isn’t it?” she asked, pointing a hoof at the dark blue object standing in stark contrast to Stalwart’s pure white flank.

“Yes. I suppose it came once I realized I wished to dedicate my life to protecting others.” He flicked his deep brown mane back out of his eye for a moment. “So your people are given tasks according to their talents?” he asked. “That’s interesting.”

“Why? How does it work in Tempestia?” Sunnyhearth sat down on her rump and watched him.

“Well, unless they’re born into high society, Prince Darkstrike’s ‘Ministry of Personal Assignment’, uh, helps people decide what they’re going to do. It’s difficult to make your own way, especially for-“ he said, stopping himself suddenly. The orange pony sitting across the room from him looked at him closely, her brown eyes displaying an intelligent curiosity.

Stalwart couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. Was he about to tell this lovely earth pony that in his kingdom, her kind were considered inferior? He had to think of something more tactful to say.
“-for those who aren’t particularly privileged.” He winced. That didn’t sound much better. The poor pegasus was about to try and think of something else to lessen the perceived sting of his words when he noticed Sunnyhearth nodding in neutral understanding.

“I see. I have to say it sounds a little difficult, but I guess it’s a different culture.” Stalwart sighed very softly and gave her a friendly, relieved smile.

“You’re very acceptant. I thank you. It’s only my first day here, so I’m still getting acclimated to the new environment. It’s nice to know that there are people like you in Equestria. Such tolerance will make things easier.” He shook his head. “I can only imagine how his majesty must be feeling.” After speaking these words, he came to a shocking realization. He’d left the prince alone for far too long! He bowed respectfully to the earth pony with whom he’d been absorbed in conversation. “I should return to my duty.” Sunnyhearth smiled sweetly.

“And I should do the same. It was a pleasure meeting you, Stalwart.” She watched him for a moment as he bowed again and left the room, then resumed her gentle humming and dusting.

When Stalwart reached the prince’s quarters, he found him to be in a deep, restful sleep. 'Good,' he thought. Taking up a position on the floor near the prince’s bed, Stalwart slowly closed his eyes and lay his head down on his folded forelegs, quickly falling asleep himself.