Heaven’s Light
“What were you thinking?” Solaris said as he paced in front of Eris.
This was probably the third time he asked that question and every time she tried to answer him, he spoke up again, just like now. “You could’ve been hurt or worse killed!” he said and continued pacing. “What if I hadn’t gotten there in time?! What is wrong with you?! Why didn’t you poof away or make his teeth disappear or something!?”
Eris opened her mouth and inhaled deeply, but still didn’t get a word in. “What were you thinking?!” he asked again.
Eris waited patiently for him to be done, waiting for a few seconds before finally answering. “Oh, you’re finished?” she asked.
The verbal assault of questions was the first thing to meet her when she woke up that morning. Eris had woken up slowly. Blinked her eyes slowly and tried not to drift back to sleep. It was a hard task considering her head pounded and something in the core of her being ached painfully. Not a few seconds out of bed and trying to pour herself a glass of chocolate milk did Solaris burst in and demanded her to tell him what she had been doing last night. He had been doing it for an hour at least and she was still achy besides, his attack on her wasn’t helping at all either. Meanwhile, she just sat there her tail swishing in the dust and watched him pace back and forth in front of her. “Well, to begin with, I was thinking that I would just… take a little float around the Everfree, you know get some fresh air and that exercise that ponies are always preaching about,” Eris said and smiled nervously.
“Eris?” Solaris said, not buying her story for a minute.
Eris pouted and crossed her arms. “What?” she asked. “I can’t take a stroll without being interrogated?”
Solaris stared at her not letting up his psychological assault either. Eris squirmed and fidgeted under his look, but wasn’t budging. “Come on, Eris,” Solaris urged. “I thought we were passed lying to each other, we’re friends after all, and friends don’t lie.”
That made Eris break and she growled in defeat. “Alright!” she said. “I was trying to seek out the manticore and show it who was boss!”
Solaris looked at her as if she was crazy. Eris looked back at him and frowned. “Don’t look at me like that!” she said.
Solaris looked down and tried to make sense of her sense. “You know that manticores aren’t very intelligent, it probably wouldn’t have remembered your face even if it saw it a few seconds ago,” he said.
Eris blushed and looked away. “I know, but I just wanted to try,” she said softly.
Solaris saw something then, something he had never seen cross Eris’ face, disappointment, disappointment in herself. Solaris was shocked and a little sorry for her, she had just wanted to conquer a foalhood fear (one that could’ve seriously harmed her), but still a fear and she had failed miserably. “I’m sorry, it didn’t work out well,” Solaris said. “But still, you had me worried sick and what’s worse you could’ve been hurt. You have to think about the consequences of your actions, Eris.”
Eris nodded sadly. Solaris walked over to her and gently placed his hoof over her paw. Eris looked down at it and blushed brightly. “This probably doesn’t mean anything, but you were pretty brave to try and conquer your fear,” he continued.
Eris smiled sheepishly and twirled a lock of her hair. “A little reckless, but still brave,” Solaris said.
“Thank you,” she replied.
Solaris smiled at her and then took his hoof off of her paw. “Well, now that we have that out of the way, I do have another question for you,” he said and this time sat across from her. “Why didn’t your magic work? I’m assuming it wasn’t working, because you didn’t do anything when the manticore was on top of you.”
Eris scrunched up her face. “Well, I suppose my magic goes out when I have been using it constantly for long periods of time or when I’m tired and can’t focus,” she said. “It’s never really happened to me before. I’ve gotten so good at my magic that I never thought it could.”
“Hmmmm, seems like your magic does have its limits after all,” he said and looked at her thoughtfully.
“Apparently so,” Eris said and shrugged.
Solaris got up and started pacing again. Eris watched him and for a good long while, neither of them spoke. It was hard to think about what to say. Eris could’ve said many things. However, those things had already been said or sounded too… gushy to say aloud, so she thought of something that had been said the day before. “Didn’t Artemis say that there was going to be some party today?” she asked.
Solaris stopped for a second and looked at her curiously. “Well, to make up for my stupid mistake I would like to accompany you to this… get together,” Eris finished.
Solaris blinked in surprise and blushed at the thought. Was she asking him on a date? “Are you saying that this is-?” he started.
“I mean as friends or as acquaintances or as a safe way of getting me out of this damp and dreary cave like you wanted me to!” Eris interrupted.
Solaris saw how nervous she was and smiled softly before he nodded. “Alright, well, it doesn’t start until later so I think I’ll go for now see what I can do to help with the festivities or to prepare and what not,” he said. “I’ll erm, pick you up later.”
With that he trotted out of the cave and out into the morning sunlight.
Eris scrubbed herself furiously as she stood under the waterfall. Every sweet smelling plant and herb was piled next to her and she tried her best to scrub the scents into her skin. Lavender, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, anything to make her smell better than what she thought she smelled like. After several minutes under the water, Eris conjured a towel and dried herself off. She sniffed at herself and was a little satisfied that she didn’t smell terrible at least. Then she breathed on her claw and sniffed, not getting a good enough scent, she conjured up a second nose that hovered before her mouth and she breathed on it. She cringed in horror at her own breath and coughed. Frantically she grabbed a handful of mint leaves and rose petals before she jammed them both into her mouth and she chewed quickly. It was her first date! Correction, “get together” with a… friend she’s ever had, she didn’t want to disappoint or offend.
Meanwhile, Solaris stared at himself in the mirror and tried to work on his “winning” smile. He rose an eyebrow here, quirked his mouth up there, but nothing seemed to look right. “Brother, what did mother tell you?” Artemis said as he walked in on him. “If you keep making faces your face is going to stick that way.”
Solaris rolled his eyes. “Very funny, Arty,” he said and turned away from his reflection.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this flustered, especially over a little harvest festival,” Artemis said as he started to walk with his brother.
Solaris frowned. “Well, it’s not just the festival,” he said.
Artemis smiled knowingly. “Yes, it’s also a festival… with Eris,” he said and nudged him playfully.
Solaris flushed with embarrassment. “Come on, Solly,” Artemis said. “Just admit that you like her!”
“I do like her,” Solaris said.
“But?” Artemis urged.
“But, but nothing,” Solaris said. “She’s something special, Arty, probably more special than either of us think.”
“That has nothing to do with your feelings about her.”
“I know, but I honestly don’t know what I feel towards her, yet.”
“Yet, but this night might just be the push you two need.”
Solaris sighed and only hoped that his brother was right.
It was sometime during mid-afternoon to early evening when Solaris landed at the entrance to Eris’ cave. He looked in straightened up his mane and coat and walked in. “Eris?” he called.
Eris popped in front of him and smiled. “Hello Shiny!” she greeted. “Ready to go?”
Solaris smiled and nodded. “Well, I’m not,” Eris said. “I still need to add… a few more touches.”
She snapped her fingers and then her usual chaotic form was gone in a puff of smoke to reveal a new form, one that certainly looked odd on her. Eris had gone from draconneques to pony in less than a second. Granted she looked a little different from other ponies, but still a pony. She was gray colored from head to neck and then brown on the rest of her body. She had chosen to be a unicorn and her horn was an entwined blue and white as if her original horns had combined into one. Her wings were hidden and her hair or mane looked the same, white on top and black near the back of her neck and down. She constantly blew at her bangs that refused to move over from the one side of her face. They covered up one eye, but Solaris kind of found the look attractive. Her eyes were the same as well, two rubies floating on a pool of sunlight. “Eris, why-?” he asked.
“I don’t think everyone is ready to see my usual form,” she said and walked forward. “I practiced this all today, what do you think?”
Solaris looked at her pony form one more time and smiled softly. It wasn’t her amazing original form, but it was her anyway and that was good enough for him. He nodded appreciatively and offered a hoof to her. “Shall we, my lady?” he asked.
Eris smiled and blushed lightly. “Yes, we shall,” she said and hooked her leg with his before they parted and made the walk toward the entrance.
“I guess I should carry you then?” he asked and spread his wings.
“Pfft, I can fly myself, we just have to land a little ways away,” she said as she summoned her wings.
Solaris smiled and took off with Eris right behind him.
Soon enough they were gliding over a wide open field. The hay waved in the fresh cool breeze as if it was greeting them. Solaris made a shallow dive and Eris followed suit. They landed in the waving grass and started to walk towards the sounds of shouting and cheering and laughing. Soon enough the hay parted and revealed a trampled clearing full of farming ponies, most of them of the Earth Pony variety, but others had shown up as well. A cart had been parked at the front as a kind of makeshift stage and a band played vigorously. Eris’ mouth stretched into a wide and excited smile as she looked around at all the sights and smells and sounds. An open fire was at the heart of the clearing and most of the ponies danced around it. Barrels of cider were stacked on another end and a big colt was serving up mug after mug of it. Two other barrels were used as legs to a table that was lined with buckets of apples, plates of pies, and other assorted baked goods! Eris didn’t know what to do first it was all so bright, shiny, and new! Solaris looked at her and smiled with amusement. She looked like she was ready to explode with anticipation. He nudged her shoulder and signaled to the table. “Let’s go get some pie,” he said.
“OK!” Eris said and almost ran full tilt at the buffet.
Solaris followed after her. “YEE-HAW!” a voice called over the crowd.
“YEE-HAW!” the crowd responded in kind.
“Alrigh’, y’all fillies and colts, y’all havin’ a good ol’ time?!” the colt called.
The crowd cheered loudly back to him. “Alright, alright,” he continued. “We’re about to kick it into high roll now, so this may be the last y’all see o’ me until sunrise. If ya do, can tell me I left my hat on some filly’s rear?”
The crowd burst out laughing and Eris couldn’t help laughing as well. Solaris gave his own polite chuckle the joke not really being for him. “Alright, so y’all better dance and play ‘til ya drop or else yer not doin’ it righ’!” the colt said and bowed before he jumped off the cart to join the party.
The crowd laughed before they started to stomp their hooves and then continue with the festivities. Solaris shook his head and turned back to Eris who was already stuffing her face full of pie. She looked up at him, her cheeks stuffed to brimming. “Wha?” she asked with her mouth full.
Solaris snorted before he pointed to the cider. “You want to try?” he asked.
Eris looked over at the cider nervously. She had never tried it before and from what she had seen from other ponies drinking it, it had some pretty weird effects. However, since when had she been turned off by anything strange? She shrugged and followed him to the cider barrels. The big colt haned them each a mug and they used their magic to hold them up. “To friends,” Solaris said.
“To freedom!” Eris answered back.
They clinked their mugs and each took a long slurp from them. Eris had to admit that she liked the taste, bitter, tangy, and sweet all at once. It was very… chaotic! Soon enough they had both gone through their first mugs and were working on their second. At the time they had only been a part of the furniture. They stayed off to one side and chatted about the party, the food, the ponies, and the cider even. They haven’t gotten up once to try and dance. However, Eris was starting to feel a little braver and a little crazier than usual so she nudged at Solaris. “You wanna dance?” she asked.
Solaris blanked and looked over at the dancing ponies. He shook his head ‘no’. “I’m not so good at this kind of dancing,” he said.
“Aw come on, it looks fun!” she encouraged and started to push him onto the dance floor.
Solaris tried his best to resist, but it looked like he wouldn’t have any luck now. “Alright, alright,” he said and started to awkwardly dance to the music.
Eris was having a little trouble keeping up with the rhythm as well, but she didn’t mind. She wanted to dance and she would dance her own way. All the while she was wearing an ecstatic and happy smile on her face. Solaris couldn’t help smiling along with her, it was incredibly infectious. They danced and danced and danced until their hooves were sore and they could’ve given out right then and there. They laughed and cheered with the crowd and had so many drinks that their cheeks were painted permanently red. They staggered off to the side and then Solaris noticed that Eris’ bat wing was showing. “Uumm, Eris,” Solaris said with a giggle and pointed at her wing.
“Whoopsie, I’m showing!” Eris said and started to laugh.
Solaris snorted and choked before he started laughing as well. “Well, if I’m flashing I might as well strip down,” she said and suddenly her pony form was gone, replaced with her original form.
Everyone stopped and gaped at her as she stood there snorting, giggling, and guffawing at her own bravado. She looked out at the crowd and smiled innocently. “Hi!” she said and waved.
The crowd screamed collectively and started to gallop this way and that. However, Solaris and Eris kept laughing at their own little joke before taking off away from the ruined party.
They both snorted and laughed the entire way back to the cave. Their cheeks hurt from laughing and so did their stomachs and ribs. They didn’t seem to care all that much. Eris stumbled as she landed, but couldn’t stop the hysterical giggling. “Well, that was fun,” Solaris said with a chuckle and tried to help Eris back up.
“Tee-hee,” she giggled as she wobbled back to her feet. “Yeah, I never had cider before. I never danced before!”
Solaris chuckled as Eris leaned against his shoulder for support. “Want to watch the moon rise before I go?” he asked.
“Don’t you need to lower the sun first?” she asked.
Solaris shrugged softly so as not to disturb her. “I can be a little late, besides I can lower it from here.”
Eris smiled and rested her head up against his neck. If his face wasn’t already red it would’ve gone brighter, in fact it might have! He smiled softly and his horned glowed just as softly as well. Slowly the sun went down below the hills and they could just make out Artemis’ silhouette as he rose the moon. They sat there and sighed as it came to an end. “I suppose you have to go,” Eris said as she stared at her feet.
“I’m afraid so,” Solaris said as he stood up.
Eris tried not to feel sad, he was a prince after all, he had more important things to do besides spending time with crazy, different her. Besides she should’ve been used to it by now! It seemed to be getting harder and harder to watch him go. “Eris?” Solaris spoke up.
He lowered his head so that they could meet eye to eye. Eris followed his eyes back up. He smiled and moved closer to her. “Today was amazing,” he said. “You’re amazing.”
Eris’ blush grew deeper and she looked away shyly. She felt a foreleg come over her shoulder and felt herself being pulled closer to him, until she could feel his warm, soft lips press firmly against her cheek. Eris gasped softly and her eyes widened in surprise. Was her heart outside of her chest?! It really felt like it! Solaris’ hoof brushed back her bangs and he smiled sheepishly. “Goodnight, Eris,” he whispered and flapped his wings gently before taking off.
She watched him fly away until he was nothing, but a speck on the horizon. The blush remained and her heart wouldn’t stop hammering away in her chest. Now she felt a kind of strange mix of sadness and joy overwhelm her as she started to think about Solaris and what “this” meant to her and what he meant to her as well. “So many times out there
I’ve seen a happy pair
of lovers walking in the night.
They had this sort of glow around them.
It almost looked like Heaven’s light.
I know I’ll never know that strange, yet loving glow
though I can fool myself all night!
No face as hideous as my face
was ever meant for Heaven’s light.
Then suddenly somepony has smiled at me
and kissed my cheek without a trace of fright.
I dare to think that he may even care for me
and as his sun goes down tonight,
somehow the darkness feels so bright!
I think this might be Heaven’s light!
Eris looked out at the starlit sky and while she was tired and happy, she also felt like she could sky-dive and cry out Solaris' name to the entire world. For now she walked back into her cave and fell onto her bed. She hugged one of her pillows and giggled gleefully into it before falling asleep minutes later.