//------------------------------//
// 48 The Man and the Moon 
// Story: Moonie shorts [Filly Nightmare Moon] 
// by Eighth 
//------------------------------//

	The frightful filly of the night peeps her head through the door. You're about to put yourself to bed but before you can lay down Moonie leaps up onto the bed and smiles widely.
"No, bed."
"I can't sleep."
"You haven't even tried, it's been five minutes," you argue.
She sits then looks at you proudly.
"Your Queen demands a bed time story."
You stare at her through tired eyes until she says, "please." Then you lift her up into your arms and carry her back to her bed.

Once she's all tucked in, you start wracking your brain for a story.
"Just make one up," Moonie impatiently protests.
"Yeah, I'm thinking."
"Oh, I know. Tell me a story about your world?"
"My world," you repeat as you think it over, "Yeah, you know, I've got one. There was a time in my world where the moon actually fell from the sky."
"What? No way. That's impossible."
"I've told you, the way my world works is very different to yours. There's no magic to keep everything in it's place."
"So, what, it just falls apart sometimes?"
"Yeah, and over the silliest things too but we'll worry about that later. Now, the moon had been stuck in its place for thousands of years. It watched the people on Earth work and play each and every day so it was lonely."
"Your moon is alive?"
She bolts upright from the surprise.
"In my world, yes. Now quit interrupting," you reply as you push her back into laying down.
"So, it was very lonely. It fell from the sky and onto the Earth to begin wandering around. But you see, when things are not the way they should be, humans get very scared."
"I've noticed that abou--"
You hush her as you press a finger to her lips.
"A few humans had decided they were going to round up the moon and put it back. They thought it was dangerous to let the moon be anywhere that wasn't where they thought it belonged, in the sky. Obviously the moon didn't want to go back, so it ran."
"Did they catch it?"
"Nope. And if you keep interrupting, I'm going to stop. You see, the moon was very tricky and the humans were very gullible. However they outnumbered it, so the moon knew it couldn't run forever. And can you guess what happened?"
She hastily shakes her head, eager for more of the story.
Figures she'd be hooked on a story about the moon. You smile as you continue in a more sobered tone.
"The moon found a human, a lonely and unimportant little man who didn't really do much of anything. There wasn't much special about him but he could hide the moon. 'The humans would surely believe another human,' the moon thought. Well the man was curious about the moon but when the other humans came looking for it, he told them where it was yet he sent them away."
Moonie is about to speak, but catches herself.
"I'm getting to that now. You see, the man didn't like to lie but he wasn't about to let the group of humans bully the moon for being alone. He offered his friendship to the moon and it accepted. The two grew close and formed a strong bond, always happier for having been in the other's company. Living happily ever after. Now go to sleep."

You're about to stand up when Moonie curiously speaks.
"Do you know what happened to the two of them?"
"Yeah, they lived happily."
Noticing Moonie was wanting a little bit more than just happy, you kneel back beside the bed and continue.
"They had their rough spots like anyone. Like there was the time the man asked the moon to return to the sky."
"Did he hate it that much after a fight?"
"No, you see, the sky is where the moon belonged. The Earth needed the moon for all the same reasons you need the moon here. It couldn't stay all the time. The moon thought the man wanted him gone forever, but he meant for just a while."
"Oh, so the moon would sit in the sky to do its job then it could return to the man so they could be together, right?"
"Exactly. The man always cared about the moon a lot, more than anything but he also knew it was important to everyone and not just him."
You get up once more and head for the door.
"I like this story," Moonie says with a warm smile and a nod.
"Good, now go to bed."
"Can I sleep in your bed?" She calls out after you close the door behind you.

You let out a breathe and open the door once again so an excited Moonie can scurry for the door and past you.
"Goodnight," you say for the last time as you slide under the covers.
"Goodnight," she echoes happily.
As you drift to sleep, your mind fixates on whether Moonie picked up on the story's analogy.