After the unfortunate events of yesterday Luna and I both wake up fresh and wide-eyed at 7am, which is early even for us. How does Luna sleep so heavily? I find it highly confusing when people say they slept like a baby, don't babies wake up like, every two hours? The expression should be changed to "slept like a filly" or, "slept like a baby dragon". Oh yeah, that would be cool. "Oh hi, how did you sleep last night?" "Oh, I slept like a baby dragon!" Cue weird looks.
There's time to kill before work so I manage to have breakfast with Luna for a change while we watch the next episode of Doctor Who (season 1 Episode 2). It's nothing fancy, just plain and simple pancakes with spiced honey sauce and maple syrup. Holy hell, where does she put it all?! Three pancakes later and even Pinkie would have been impressed at how fast those got devoured!
Today is Friday, so that means I've got two shifts; one at the cafe during the day and then the night shift at the restaurant with my spare two hours in between during which there's barely enough time to rush home, cook dinner for Luna and I, then drive to work again.
It's 10:30 by the time I get home and Luna is curled up on the front porch. Sleeping. That's so adorable, she must have been waiting for me to get home. Ok, time to see how the bedroom is doing. With hesitation, I creak open the door, poke my nose in and catch a quick whiff. Nothing. Brilliant! Oh crap, I forgot to buy another duvet. It doesn't matter, it's hot enough only to warrant a thin sheet. It's weird, I can never sleep without something covering me, no matter how thin. It made me feel almost... would naked be an acceptable word?
I can't be bothered to properly make the bed so I just grab a sheet from the linen cupboard and climb onto the bed with Luna under my arm and cover both of us with the sheet, laying my head on the pillow and out like a light.
The next morning I get woken up by something prodding me on the shoulder. "Wha- huh?" "Pancakes pancakes pancakes!!!" comes the reply. What's the time anyway? Looking at my phone I find the time to be a little after 9. Acceptable. I happily get up and make pancakes again.
"Can we watch more of the Doctor?!"
"Well..."
"Oh please please please!"
"Sure thing kiddo, let let me clean up and I'll be with you soon. Go wait in the lounge."
She zips off down the hallway, her little wings buzzing as fast as they could. Wow, already two episodes and she's hooked. The gardener is due to come around today to tend the crops and such, so I leave him his monthly paycheck in an envelope and tape it to the front door with a note on the door saying I'll be out for the day. If he tries cheating me out of it by taking it and running I can just cancel the cheque before he can cash it.
So back to the lounge. It's at the back of the house away from any gardens so Luna and I will be safe while we watch more Doctor Who. "Alright, what's next?" Inquiring to Luna while flicking through the episode selection menu. "There, that one! Episode 3!" Clicking play we settle down for a marathon. I didn't intend on it, but Luna insisted we watch as many as we can. Two seasons later, minus the two episodes we already watched and Luna is loving it. She even cried at the end of seasons 1 and 2! Who knew that she'd share the collective emotional empathy amongst a fandom known as "feels"?
But, everything has to come to an end.
"Come now, it's time for bed." Shutting off the tv, putting the dvd away I turn to see a look of absolute horror on Luna's face. "WHAT?! YOU WOULD DARE DENY US THE VIEWING OF ONES FAVOURITE SHOW!?" Gotta love the Royal Canterlot Voice. At that point she was hovering in front of my face, noses touching. I give her a kiss on the nose and she drops to the floor, and I look down at her with a smug grin. "Hey, that wasn't fair!" She really is far too cute when angry. Although I don't think it'd be wise to piss off a filly princess, especially since she literally has a huge capability for magic and god knows when it'll flare up.
"Luna, you've seen two years of television in one day, and that is never meant to happen! Tell you what though, we can go lay down outside and look at the stars some more. Waddaya think?" That manages to exert a tired grin. "Alright."
There's nothing better than spending time with someone you care about, simply laying under the stars on a warm summer night looking up at the stars. "Hey, dad? What do you think the Doctor is doing right now?"
"I'm not sure, what do you think?"
"Probably off in the TARDIS beating off the robot men and saving planets!" She exclaimed with an excited giggle.
"Hey, Luna, have you heard of the multiverse theory?" I sincerely doubt she would have, but you got to strike up a conversation somehow.
"Multi what-now?"
"The theory of multiple universes." I begin.
"What's a universe?" Luna ventures.
"Imagine a great big bubble, and inside this bubble are many many stars. That is our universe."
"Wow, it sounds amazing!"
"Now, imagine if there were two, three or four, or even hundreds more of them! Luna," I take a breath to continue "imagine in one of these universes out there in the great unknown and beyond The Void, somewhere, YOU, my little darling, are THE Doctor!"
"Really!?" She gasps, wide-eyed, and I nod. "That's so cool! I'd have my own time machine and we can go traveling and fight aliens, it would be so much fun!"
Normally Luna does this, but I tilt my head at her curiously. "We?" I ask, trying to exert a specific answer.. "Of course, silly! You are my dad after all!"
"Haha, yeah..." I let out a half-hearted chuckle at her words, trailing off. Not the answer I was hoping for, but close enough.
"The night is so beautiful, I wish it would stay forever."
"Ok, I think it's bed time now sweetie." Getting up off the concrete as Luna flies to get off my chest.
"Awwww but dad!"
"No buts little missy!" Luna giggled at the unintentional pun I just made, causing me to roll my eyes. "It's late, plus, we can always watch more tv tomorrow!" With that, she zips off into the house leaving a dust clone behind her. Huh. Didn't even know that was possible. Well, she's a cartoon pony, so anything goes really. Ok, I really shouldn't be thinking that. She's real and that's all that matters to me.
"Can you read me a story?"
Why not, I haven't before so this will be something new. "Of course I can, anything for my little princess!" I say as I tousle her hair.
There's a story I read on a blog a couple years back that I still remember, and the moral is perfect for somepony from a land of kindness and giving.
"This is the story of Ugly the Cat. A while ago I was living in an apartment complex in town. It wasn't the prettiest part of town. A cat lived in the alley, his name was Ugly. Ugly loved two things in the world: Eating garbage and love."
"Poor kitty, why does he have to eat rubbish? Can we go give him some food?"
"Hold on, just let me finish. Anyway. The combination of these things spent living outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he only had one eye, and where the other one should have been was missing." The original post had said a gaping hole, but I decided to leave that little detail out. " He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot was broken at some point and healed wrong, so he always walked funny. His tail was long gone, leaving only a little stub, which he often wiggled.
"Everyones reaction was the same; "That is one UGLY cat!" All the children were told not to touch him, and threw rocks at him, squirted water on him when he tried to go into the houses for food. Ugly would always do the same thing, time and time again. He would just sit there. Getting soaked until you gave up and quit. Whenever the kids threw something at him, he would curl at their feet in forgiveness. Whenever he saw children, he would run towards them and nuzzle their hands, begging to be loved. If they picked him up, Ugly would suckle on your shirt, earrings, or even nose." I booped Luna on the nose and she let a little giggle.
"One day, Ugly tried to be friends with a dog that wandered into the alley where he lived. He was not met with a warm welcome, and the dog hurt Ugly."
"No, bad doggie!" Cried Luna
"I could hear him screaming from the window, but when I got to him it was too late. Ugly was laying in a puddle in the alley, his legs were twisted and there was a big boo-boo on his side. I kicked off the dog and it ran yelping. Picking up Ugly, I heard him wheezing and gasping for air. I must be hurting him; I thought. But then I felt a familiar wet, tugging sensation on my shirt. Ugly, in so much pain and dying, was suckling my shirt. I pulled him closer and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head. Ugly looked at me with his one good eye and I swear I could hear purring. Even in pain, the battle-scarred cat was only asking for the thing he only ever wanted: Love, compassion, and affection.
"I realized something. Ugly was, no, is the most beautiful, loving cat I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away. Ugly looked up at me with total trust to relieve his pains. He died in my arms before I could get him inside, but I sat on the couch holding him for hours afterward, thinking about how one scarred, deformed stray cat could alter my opinion about what it means to be the living definition of the kindest, in heart and spirit, to love totally and unconditionally. Ugly taught me more about love, giving, and compassion than a thousand books could, and that I will always be thankful for.
"He was scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside and it was time for me to learn to love truly and deeply as Ugly did, and to give my all to those whom I care for. A lot of people want to be more rich, successful, more likeable, beautiful, but for me. For me, I will always try to be Ugly."
I don't know when, but Luna had started crying, and I put my hand on her cheek to stroke gently.
"W-why did those people have to be so mean? All kitty wanted was some food!" Cried Luna. "Was it because he was different?"
"Well, yes, but those people didn't know any better. Luna, always try to be like Ugly. Always show compassion and love."
"Daddy, did anyone ever make fun of you?
Cue repressed childhood memories. "It's great to be different, it's great to be who you are. The hardest thing I faced wasn't the teasing or the pain. It was, convincing myself I wasn't stupid, strange, or lame, and helping others do the same. Goodnight Luna, sleep well."
Using a tissue to wipe her tears away I get into bed next to her and slowly close my eyes, ready for tomorrow.