Twilight sighed, feeling the weight of the day settle heavily on her back. Despite her efforts, Magnus had remained silent. It was as if he had retreated into himself, shutting out everyone and everything.
He hadn’t eaten a scrap of food brought into his room, and hadn’t even gone to the bathroom. Twilight wasn’t sure how human biology worked; for all she knew, Magnus was either on the brink of dying or was healthy as could be. One thing she was certain of was that he could use something to drink—his voice had sounded scratchy earlier that day.
The door to the bedroom noiselessly opened and Celestia and Luna walked in. Twilight and Spike stood up to bow, but a raised hoof from Celestia stopped them. Such formality wasn’t needed. Both alicorns turned towards the slumbering human. Even now, his appearance was that of a man who had been stripped of everything meaningful to him, including his will to live.
“How is he?” Celestia asked quietly.
Twilight looked up at her. “I don’t know. He slept for maybe an hour after midday, then woke up and stared at the wall before falling asleep again. He’s been out for at least an hour now.”
Luna walked over to the bed and watched the unconscious human for a few moments before her horn lit up with a gentle cerulean glow. After a few seconds, her magic dissipated. “Good, he does not dream. I fear they will be nothing but nightmares when he eventually does. Perhaps now will be a good time to try and speak with him.”
Celestia nodded and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to Luna. Twilight and Spike sat at the foot of the bed, watching the two alicorns curiously. “What are you going to do?”
“We must attempt to pull Magnus back from the abyss of grief he has found himself trapped in. If he continues to refuse sustenance, his health will soon be affected,” Luna whispered in reply, gently touching Magnus’ shoulder with her wing. The human barely moved, deep in slumber as he was.
Celestia remained silent, her attention focused on Magnus as she watched over him as if he was a helpless, scared, and injured foal. In a strange way, he was.
Twilight nodded in agreement. She guessed that Star Swirl had told the princesses about Magnus, things that no others were privy to. They had spent quite a bit of time together after Star Swirl had appeared, after all. She had secretly hoped to be able to speak with the legendary unicorn at length, although now she knew that the time he had at his disposal had been limited and he had spent all of it on Magnus in an effort to ensure his future in Equestria. Perhaps it was for the best since she wasn’t sure she would have been able to keep her composure or squeal like a school filly.
In hindsight, it didn’t matter. Star Swirl was gone, and all that remained of him was his descendant.
Celestia leaned towards Magnus, her muzzle nearly touching his cheek. His breathing was slow and even. The princess hesitated to wake him, but it had to be done.
“Magnus?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He initially remained motionless, but then his arm moved up to his face and rubbed his still-closed eyes. Slowly, they opened and were met by a pair of concerned gazes. His eyes didn’t move, fixed on a single position, almost as if he could see through the two sisters. The lifelessness in his eyes was as disheartening to those gathered as it was evident.
Luna leaned in closer to him, feeling pity blossom in her heart. His misery was like a miasma that choked the room. “We ask that you listen to us for now, Magnus, and speak only if you wish.”
“We cannot fully comprehend your loss,” Celestia began quietly, “but we want to help you in any way we can. We understand that you need time, and we fully respect that. We only ask that you try to eat something. None of us has any desire to see you perish from self-imposed starvation.”
Magnus didn’t reply, though that was to be expected at this point. Celestia and Luna were aware that ponies wracked with grief and sorrow would sometimes embrace silence, though it was rare. Usually it occurred to those who had witnessed or experienced significant trauma, and only time and eventually opening up would help ease their burden.
“It’s okay.” Celestia gently smiled and draped a wing over his body. “Take the time you need. As long as you listen to us, it’s okay.”
“It is natural for you to be unhappy; you have nothing to be ashamed of. It would indeed be a frightful individual who would be unaffected by what you have suffered.”
Magnus slowly blinked, his eyes seeming to glitter in the soft light of the afternoon sun. For a moment, it appeared as if he was on the verge of tears.
Celestia carefully nuzzled his cheek. It failed to rouse a reaction from him, though at least he didn’t flinch away from the physical contact. She could take solace in that, for now.
“They meant much to you, didn’t they?”
***
I blinked at that question. It was strange how those simple words could trigger a flood of memories from my past zooming past my mind’s eye. In every one of them, my friends were there.
I nodded slowly. “Ev… Everything.” My throat was so parched that I could only whisper. “T-They were…” I couldn’t say it; the pain would only increase. I shut my eyes, hoping that it would halt the flow of memories. It did not.
Something touched my arm, and upon opening my eyes, I saw Luna pressing her nose against it. The sympathy in her eyes shone through, and her touch felt warm, like a person, not a pony. “What were they to you?”
I moved my trembling hands to wipe my face, though there were no tears. Maybe I couldn’t produce tears at all. Maybe there was sorrow so great that tears could not do it justice.
“They w-were… family.” My breath hitched and my voice trembled. “I was an only child… They were the closest thing to… to siblings I had.”
Celestia and Luna gasped, and I heard a similar reaction from Twilight and the dragon from behind me. The way their eyes widened indicated that they had only now truly grasped the extent of my relationship with my friends.
“Do you… want to talk about it?” Twilight asked hesitatingly as she stepped into view.
I closed my eyes and attempted to clench them as tightly as I could. It was no use; the memories and accompanying images were there in an instant.
My breath hitched as I explained, “I’ve always known t-them. We grew up together… i-in the same neighbourhood. We played together in the s-same sandbox, rode our bicycles together, went to the same s-school, we celebrated birthdays together… It was just us.”
I opened my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. The tiny crystals embedded in the ceiling were like shards of memories hanging over us. There were hundreds of them, like stars, everywhere, all of them dear to me. Now, there was nothing but the unattainable past.
“At first it was just playing together, then we went to each other's birthdays. Then it was holidays, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, our sixteenth birthdays and turning eighteen and twenty. I don’t know how it happened, it just did. I… think it happened the year I turned eleven.” I swallowed the small amount of saliva in my mouth, moistening my throat so I could continue.
“It was Christmas. Because it was just Grandpa and me, we always celebrated alone. Adam knew that and asked his parents if we could come to their place. In that house—with Adam’s parents, his little brother, and his grandparents—Grandpa and I spent the holidays.” I could still recall the scent of the Christmas tree, the gifts under the tree, the taste of turkey, the laughter, the smiles.
A tear trickled down my cheek, and I reached up with a trembling hand, not realizing that I had started to cry. “I-It was the f-first time I had a sense of f-f-family!” I covered my eyes with my arm and gritted my teeth together. It was too much. Every memory was a needle in my heart, each person I could remember was one I had lost. I felt the wings of the alicorns surround me, though they did little to bring a feeling of protect and reassurance.
“Adam’s mother, Joanna, made the food. It was… It was turkey with potatoes, stuffing, gravy, everything. I never told Grandpa, but he was a terrible cook.” I let out a weak chuckle. “It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. That night, we stayed up late, Adam and me. We played Secret of Mana on the Super Nintendo, watched horror movies we weren’t allowed to see, and drank too much Cola.” I moved my arm away and opened my eyes, taking in the sympathetic looks on their faces.
“He said, ‘It’s like we’re brothers now’. That night… It was that night when I first thought of him like that. The thought never struck me before. I had… a brother.” I shook my head slowly and chewed on the inside of my mouth. “Each year after that, Grandfather and I would receive an invite to another of my friends and the same thing happened. I was just a teenager, but it made sense to me. They were always there for me. Grandpa liked the company too—he had been alone ever since Grandma died, and as social as he was, he enjoyed having people to talk to.”
“It must have been wonderful to have such great friends.” Celestia nosed my hand, managing a smile despite the gloomy atmosphere in the room.
Luna had a pensive look on her face. “Indeed, trusted friends are a true treasure.”
“They were—I mean they are. Whenever I visited, it felt like I was visiting family. I never had to knock on the door—I could drop by almost whenever I wanted and talk to them about anything.”
“You don’t have to be related to somepony to make them feel like family,” Twilight interjected. “Spike and I aren’t related, but I see him as my baby brother.”
I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Yup,” Spike said. “I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have Twilight as my sister.”
I laid my head to rest on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. In each one, I could pinpoint a vivid memory. I saw my first bicycle with training wheels, a shiny red one with a gift ribbon on the handlebars and Grandpa standing next to it with a smile on his face. In another was the first time Lisa kissed me, and me stuttering like a fool, trying to come up with something memorable and cool to say. Another revealed my eighteenth birthday. We had celebrated at Adam’s place since his parents was out of town, so we raided the liquor cabinet. It was the first time I had alcohol, and I got drunk off my ass on Jim Beam whiskey, paying the price for it the next day.
Now, memories were all I had left. That thought was more painful than any physical injury.
Twilight cleared her throat and took a step towards me. “Can you tell us of a good memory you have with your friends? Maybe you’ll feel better talking about them?”
Initially, I dismissed her suggestion, but gave in after a few moments. “There’s a lot.” I tried to think of one that made us all laugh. It didn’t take long. “A couple of years ago, Nick lived in a city called Butte to attend college. My friends and I decided to pay him a surprise visit, so we showed up at the apartment he rented. We brought beer and pizza and had planned a weekend of parties, but we didn’t know that Nick knew we were coming.”
I chuckled, though it sounded more like a wheeze from my dehydrated throat. “We stood outside his door, knocked and heard him yell that the door was open. We ran in, carrying six packs and warm pizza, but never expected what he had cooked up. He had borrowed a compressor, hooked it up to some valves, and connected it to a metal pipe filled with flour. He just stood there with a shit-eating grin and yelled “Surprise!”, then flipped the valve. The next second, we were covered in a layer of flour.”
I remembered how ridiculous we had looked, covered head to toe in flour. Even the entryway had seemed like it received a fresh coat of paint. We had just dusted off the flour, sat down to eat and drink, then headed to the nearest bar afterwards. Judging by the smiles on my audience’s faces, they could well imagine the situation.
However, talking about my friends, my family, didn’t help me feel better, the opposite, in fact. It was like my heart was an open wound, throbbing with raw agony that I had only truly experienced once before. That lazy day, the phone call, the denial, the grief.
And the stretcher with the cloth covering the body.
Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for what I was about to tell. I didn’t know why I felt the desire to do so, but I couldn’t keep it bottled up inside. I was already emotionally bursting at the seams.
“I was at work at the bowling alley one early afternoon. It was a slow day, just a few occasional customers. I was sitting at the cash register with a newspaper and a soda.” The ponies quickly caught on to the change in my voice, their ears swivelling towards me in an instant. “I got a call by a man called Alfred, a friend of Grandpa who used to visit him from time to time. Just by his voice, I knew something had happened. He told me… told me…” I grimaced, forcing myself to utter the words. “That he was dead…”
Instantly, the tenuous joviality from talking about my friends evaporated. The ponies looked at each other, seeming confused.
“Your grandfather?” Celestia asked hesitatingly.
I nodded. “I didn’t want to believe it; I thought he was lying. Grandfather had never been sick, never had any problems aside from migraine now and then. Now… I know what caused it.”
“I drove up to the cabin as fast as I could, ignoring the speed limit and nearly hitting a few cars. When I got there, there was an ambulance and two police officers already there. One of the officers tried to stop me, but I knocked him aside and ran inside. When I got there…” I could almost taste the raw despair that had enveloped me back then. “A stretcher… with a body on it, covered by a white shroud. There was nothing wrong with him, and then he suddenly died! I screamed at the paramedics, told them to do something, to revive him! They couldn’t… He had been dead for hours. His heart… just stopped.”
Celestia slowly dipped her head respectfully. “We are sorry for your loss. Losing a loved one is never easy.”
That was something I knew well enough. I had been useless for days following his death, crying all the time and unable to even help plan for his funeral. I didn’t know who did all the work, but someone obviously did. Even on the day of the funeral, I hadn’t quite come to terms with it. Only when the priest had sprinkled dirt on the coffin the stark reality clear the clouds in my mind.
Grandpa’s friends gathered for a memorial after the funeral but I hadn’t attended, instead heading straight home. I had spent hours just watching photo albums and home videos, anything to somehow regain his presence. I wanted so badly to believe he was still alive, to pretend if only for a moment.
Of course it didn’t work. He was gone, cold in the ground and silent. I had been a wreck for days, and throughout it all, they didn’t leave me alone. Lisa had been the first one to visit the next day. We spent the entire day talking about Grandpa, who she got to know during our days together as a couple. When evening came, Adam arrived. We reminisced about Grandpa, how he would scold us for our pranks, and of how many times he had to bail us out of trouble.
And so they came, one after another. Lisa, Adam, Jesse, Max, Renee, Nick, and Sammy had all loved him like a spare grandfather and were eager to share their memories with him. Hearing them call him that made my bond to my friends even stronger, because if they saw him as a spare grandfather, then they were my spare siblings.
They helped me when I was helpless. When I was trapped at the nadir of my life, they lowered a rope twisted from hope and pulled me up. They meant everything to me.
And I had lost them.
“Throughout the years, my sister and I have lost many we cared greatly for.” She looked away, a mournful expression on her face. I suppose it would be natural when one lived for centuries. “We remember them all. No matter who they were, they found a place in our hearts and minds where they will live forever in memory.” She then turned to me. “Life is precious. Grieve for the ones who are gone, but do not forget about yourself.”
Using her magic, Luna brought the dinner cart into the room, parking it next to the bed and lifting a glass of water over to me. “You need food and water. Please, drink a little.”
“Why?”
My question caught seemed to catch them off-guard, even the dragon looking surprised by the question.
“Why should I go on?” I clarified, intent on driving the point home. “Why go on when I have nothing?”
“Surely you must be joking.” Luna eyed me in bewilderment before taking a step forward. “We are… unfamiliar with how humans express their grief, but your statement is one we consider very troubling.”
“I don’t care,” I replied before turning over to face the other wall and the windows. The sun was up, birds were singing, and from all appearances, it was a pleasant day. For me, however, it didn’t matter. None of it.
Sometimes, there was no use in going on when you had nothing.
And I truly had nothing.
***
Celestia stared at Magnus in disbelief, not quite believing that she heard him correctly. She had gotten to know the human during the relatively short time he had spent in Equestria so far, and had quickly recognized from his mannerisms, humour, and occasional foul language, that he was nothing like a pony. Still, for him to say something like that…
“Magnus, this is a bad time to attempt a joke!” Celestia chided him to no avail. Having finished speaking, he had turned his back and resumed ignoring them.
The rest of them, on the other hoof, were in a mixed state of disbelief and shock. The fact that he had actually said it was disturbing enough, but the lack of emotion made it worse. There was no fear, no anger, no sorrow. There were few ways to interpret his statement, but considering the situation, it could only mean one thing. Magnus didn’t care about his life anymore.
Twilight couldn’t believe someone would actually say that about themselves, especially to the ones who had spent so much time trying to help him. She couldn’t take it and promptly cantered over to the other side, coming face to face with the hybrid. Standing up on her hind legs, she set her forelegs on the mattress and laid her eyes on Magnus.
“We know that you’re grieving right now, Magnus, and you have every right to be. I know it’s not easy losing somepony you love, but you can’t give up on everything, least of all yourself. Just look.” Twilight pointed to Celestia, Luna, and Spike, all of them displaying varying degrees of dejectedness.
“We’ all here for you. We all want to help you. We all—”
“You’re not them.” Magnus suddenly replied, cutting her off.
“No, no, we aren’t them,” Twilight admitted after a small pause. “But we want to help you. Just… please, stay with us. Don't give up. ”
Luna and Celestia trotted up next to Twilight, both of them looking down at the pitiful human. His careful breathing, eyes void of emotion, and his refusal to answer Twilight’s pleas told them that they were back to square one, and now it seemed as if Magnus had made up his mind, at least for now. Twilight was not one to give up so easily.
***
Twilight spent hours with Magnus, hoping that anything she might say would trigger a response from him. She asked about his friends, which they now knew he considered family, his grandfather, about Earth, even his hobbies in order to coax a response from him. Nothing worked; Magnus never spoke nor did he move at all. He barely even bothered to blink.
Celestia found herself reminiscing about the days following Luna’s banishment, of the sheer self-loathing and anger at herself for what she had done. She had wandered the ruined halls of the castle for weeks, wondering what she could have done differently and if there had truly been no other way than using the Elements of Harmony on her beloved sister. Meanwhile, the physical infrastructure of the castle and surrounding buildings had been in ruins after the battle, the nobility clamouring for power in the vacuum left by Luna, and even the royal guard and the army had begun to doubt Celestia. Worst of all, Equestria had been divided since some ponies had sided with Luna during the short conflict, refusing to lay down their arms in the immediate aftermath. It had taken weeks before peace descended on Equestria once more, and then Celestia had decided upon an undertaken she hadn’t done in centuries.
Celestia left Equestria for months, leaving the Council of Nobles to govern Equestria in her absence. Wandering into lands unknown, Celestia sought solitude to grieve, to reflect, and to come to terms with what had happened. When she returned, Equestria and her ponies were still there, the land had calmed, and each night when she raised the moon, Celestia saw the image of Nightmare Moon on its surface, a reminder of the battle and the sister she banished.
At the time, her depression had been significant, but not so much as to desiring death upon herself as Magnus did. Then again, she had her ponies and her sister had been returned to her. He had truly lost everything that mattered to him.
Luna also contemplated Magnus’ pain and found herself able to empathise. When she returned from banishment, weakened and confused, she had had to come to terms with new obstacles, technology being just one of them. The first time she witnessed a steam locomotive approaching Canterlot and the ponies sitting in the carriages, she had mistaken it for a monster that had eaten her subjects. After Luna had utterly destroyed the locomotive and torn open the carriages, she declared proudly to the frightened passengers that they were safe from the steam-belching monstrosity. Not understanding why the passengers were more afraid of her than the metallic beast, Luna had asked Celestia for an explanation. When she understood that the beast was not alive and was simply a method of transportation, Luna decided she needed to educate herself on the new age, though it took a while for her embarrassment to subside.
The state of the world had also changed. Before her banishment, the seven griffon kingdoms were frequently at odds with each other, which often resulted in war. This would occasionally result in one of the kingdoms deciding to invade Equestria, intent on proving that griffons were superior to all others. Seeking new lands, resources, sometimes even slaves, the griffons would invade with vast armies, only to end up signing a peace treaty. No army had ever made it halfway across Equestria. In time, they recognized the folly in attempting to do so, especially if there was a chance that the commanders of the Equestrian army were mares clad in black and silver armour, or shimmering gold.
Now the seven kingdoms existed no more. Six of them had merged and chose the path of peace, prospering under the watchful eye of the Goldwing dynasty of kings and queens. The last kingdom, Griffonstone, was poor, powerless, and bereft of leadership. It was a shame, as once upon a time, it had been a beautiful and prosperous country.
Despite the changed world, the advanced laws and technology, and new nations and alliances, there was one thing Luna had trouble letting go of—the friends she once had. Though they had been few in number, they had been dear to her, friends that supported her even when she felt less appreciated than her sister. As the Nightmare grew stronger, however, Luna had pushed them away. The last words she had hurled at them were ones she still regretted, and she so wished she could apologize for them.
Now, those friends were long gone. Some had passed silently into history while others had gone on to perform great deeds for both themselves and Equestria. She would never speak to them again, just as Magnus would never speak to his friends.
Indeed, Luna could truly relate.
Despite his silence that stretched into hours, despite their futile efforts, none of them wanted to give up. Instead, they would take shifts tending to Magnus every hour of the day.
***
“He seems fine, mostly,” Doctor Silverheart said as he approached the alicorns waiting in the living room, having conducted a thorough examination of Magnus. He had been called at the behest of the two elder alicorns in the middle of the night, both of them having grown increasingly concerned as time progressed.
“His skin seems to be a tad drier now than it was during his stay in the infirmary, as are his lips. They are all symptoms of mild dehydration, though I can’t be certain since we know next to nothing of how his body differs from ours. Frankly, my years as a medical professional are useless in this case.” Silverheart sighed, unhappy that he couldn’t help at all. “Is he dying? Is he okay? I don’t know!” The doctor slumped down, a defeated expression on his face.
Celestia nodded carefully. Of course, it could not be so easy since no medical examination had been performed on Magnus, and his inner workings were somewhat of a mystery to them all at the moment.
“What do your instincts tell you, Doctor?” Luna asked, hoping for at least a sliver of hope.
Silverheart looked over his withers at the motionless form in the bed. Part of him counselled him to wait until they knew more about his biology. The potion Magnus was administered had been a normal dosage, yet it knocked him out cold on the first try. What else could potentially harm him? Another, more rational part of Silverheart advised him to follow basic logic that applied to all mammals.
“Water, he needs water. If he won’t drink anything, then we can give him an IV solution. He’ll at least stay hydrated and get the basic nutrients he needs.”
Luna and Celestia looked at each other, and within seconds, an agreement was made.
“Do it,” Luna commanded.
***
Spike had completed his mission given to him by Twilight: go to the library and look for books on how to deal with various stages of grief. With the help of the castle librarian, Spike was now carrying a stack of books that dealt with grief in various species. In one of them might be an answer, though since Magnus was not a pony, Spike wasn’t sure how useful they would be.
Trudging along with his heavy load, Spike came to Magnus’ room. Thankfully, one of the guards saw that his hands were occupied and opened the door for him. “Thank you.”
“No problem, Spike.” Spike was well-known throughout the castle, having spent the majority of his childhood there, always following Twilight around ever since he could crawl. The two had been a common sight for everypony that had worked at the castle for more than ten years.
“By the way, how is the human?”
“Not good,” Spike replied with a dejected sigh. “He won’t talk or eat, and now it’s so bad that he’s been given an IV.”
The guard and his colleague nodded slowly, their ears wilting. “Poor guy.”
Magnus was a hot topic in the castle these days. Ever since Luna and Celestia's announcement regarding Magnus, hushed whispers lurked in every room of the castle. Some ponies believed Magnus to be another strange new enemy to Equestria. It wasn’t that difficult to imagine—the last year had been busier than the last two hundred years combined. Some ponies found Magnus to be exceptionally interesting since he was an alien and so unlike any other known species, while others were afraid of him. For them, the cow-eating rumours had sealed the nail in his reputation. What kind of world could he be from where cows were regarded as food and not friends?
The last day had seen a change in the VIP wing of the castle. Almost everypony that passed through could feel the sadness that radiated from one particular room. Everypony knew what had happened as well, the news spreading like wildfire.
Spike wandered into the living room, depositing the literature on the table before peering into the bedroom.
“And… Ta-da! Now I’m here! It’s called teleportation. It’s a nice spell to know if you’re in a hurry, good to have if you need to catch the next train. It’s difficult to begin with, but with lots of practise, you’ll get the hang of it.”
Twilight had teleported from one side of the bed to the other, attempting to lure a reaction out of Magnus. Now standing with a nervous smile, Twilight awaited a response. Usually youngsters would react in awe and wonder, but all Twilight got was a hollow stare.
Twilight had been at Magnus’ side for hours, trying everything to break him out of his catatonic state of mind. Now Twilight had resorted to performing various magic spells, hoping that an extraordinary, or maybe even an ordinary trick, would catch his attention. Having been at it for some time now, Spike thought that he recognized a bit of a showmare in Twilight.
Spike could tell that Twilight was extremely exhausted, what with the way she had bags under her eyes and her frazzled mane. She was working on a minimal amount of sleep, and she needed to rest soon. With a weary sigh, Twilight lowered her head and trotted towards the living room, meeting Spike halfway. She managed a faint smile as she passed him.
“Anything?” Spike asked, though he already knew the answer. Twilight simply wandered over to the couch and slumped down, yawning as her head hit the pillow.
“No.” She was barely able to keep her eyelids open. “I’ve tried fifty-four spells since this morning, and… nothing. I even turned the apples and oranges into frogs and birds. He didn’t even blink.” Twilight sighed miserably, looking to Spike. “I just… I don’t know what to do anymore! We’ve tried everything.”
“Maybe it’s something he needs to work out on his own,” Spike suggested. Twilight shot him a confused look. “This isn’t something we need the Elements of Harmony for, and magic can’t help here either. All we can do is make sure he’s okay while he figures things out on his own.”
“Maybe.” Twilight laid her head to rest on the pillow, yawning again. “But he shouldn’t have to starve himself for this. It’s just not right! After all, we’re all here for him.”
“But we aren’t his family, and I don’t think he considers us friends either,” Spike countered.
“No, I guess not,” Twilight admitted. “We’re all he has, though. I hope it’ll be enough.” She turned a blearily eye towards the clock. “Princess Celestia will be here in an hour or two. Can you keep an eye on Magnus while I get some shuteye?”
“Sure. Should I bring the books to his room?”
“There’s no harm in trying.” With a final yawn, Twilight closed her eyes. Within less than a minute, she was snoring softly.
Taking his task seriously, Spike felt his confidence rising, along with a small amount of fear. He had never been alone with Magnus before, though he doubted the human would do anything considering the state he was in.
Picking up the stack of reading material, Spike walked into the bedroom, depositing the books on the bedside table. Next to the bed stood an IV stand, a clear plastic bag hanging from it half-full with clear liquid. For a moment, Spike listened to the steady dripping of the water, watching the tube that ran from the bag and fed directly into Magnus’ body via a needle. Spike might be young, but he wasn’t a fool. He knew that Magnus needed water, and the IV did just that. What disturbed him was that he preferred to waste away instead of eating and drinking like normal ponies would. This did not deter him from his task in the slightest. Magnus’ expressionless face told him that he would not be interested in the books he had brought. Instead, Spike decided that perhaps it would be best if he could just be there for him in case he decided to talk, or wanted to listen.
Wandering over to the bedside, Spike clambered onto the large bed obviously not built for ponies and sat down on the mattress next to Magnus. Getting comfortable, Spike glanced at the hybrid. He looked somewhat pale, with bags under his bloodshot eyes and a perpetual faraway look in his eyes.
“Hey,” Spike started carefully. “It’s a nice day today. The sun is shining and the birds are singing, although… it feels like it’s a rainy day.”
Spike wasn’t even sure if he heard him. Usually the ears of a pony would flicker even slightly when somepony spoke, but with Magnus, it was difficult to tell. His ears slightly resembled a pony’s, but they didn’t move.
“They’re worried about you, you know? Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I mean. Twilight too… and me. They really want you to be okay, not just staying here and—” Spike faltered, choosing not to give word to their fears.
Spike sighed before turning to the window, looking at Canterlot with a contemplative expression. Just behind the walls and a few blocks away was his childhood home, the house of Night Light and Twilight Velvet, his adoptive mother and father. It had been some time since he and Twilight last paid them a visit. He could almost smell Velvet’s cooking from the castle. Sure, the food at the castle was good, but a homemade meal just couldn’t be beat.
“I never knew my real mother and father,” Spike suddenly said, deciding upon a different route. “Twilight hatched my egg as part of her entrance exam to Celestia’s school. Princess Celestia took care of me for a while, you know. When I got older, Twilight brought me home to her parents, and somehow they became my parents as well. Twilight Velvet and Night Light, my mother and father, and Shining Armor, my big brother. They didn’t treat me any different from other foals.”
He glanced at Magnus, noting that his eyes seemed moist, almost like they were shimmering. Assuming it was a trick of the light, Spike continued, “Canterlot is full of different species. There’re always traders from other countries here, along with ambassadors, officials, tourists, and so on. One thing you’ll never see here is dragons. I’m the only one here. I think that… we are alike, you and me. I’m the only dragon here, and you’re the only human. But because I’m the only dragon doesn’t mean that I’m alone. Twilight, Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity—they’re my friends too. Maybe… Maybe if you could just give them a chance, I know that they would help you.”
With no response forthcoming, Spike huffed. The silence was getting on his nerves. All he wanted to hear was a single sentence just so he would know he made some progress.
“Look, I’m not pretending to know what you’re going through. I’m lucky enough that all my friends and my family are alive and close by, so…” Spike shrugged sheepishly. “I’m not good with this kind of thing. I mean, I’ve never done this before. Sure, I had to take care of Twilight before when she studied so much she forgot to eat and sleep. Sometimes I had to carry her to bed, but I’m not that strong. I planned to buy a small cart just for that.”
“But you.” Spike inched closer to Magnus’ head, looking down on him with pity. “You’re in a different situation, and I can’t even understand what you must feel like. Just by looking at you and seeing what you’re doing to yourself, I can tell it must hurt much more than any of us can imagine.”
Though Magnus seemed oblivious to Spike’s words, his right hand clenched slightly. Spike didn’t notice the minuscule hand movement, his attention on the window, contemplating what to say next. He had failed to find the right words. Nopony had managed to get Magnus to open up since yesterday, and Spike doubted he could do it.
Spike cast one glance at the unresponsive human and jumped down from the bed, his shoulders slumped. As he walked through the door, he paused and looked back with one hand on the door frame.
“I wonder what your friends would say if they saw you now.” With that, he walked away.
Magnus’ clenched fist immediately relaxed, allowing blood to reach his pale knuckles. His glistening eyes produced a single tear that rolled out of the corner of his eye.
“They wouldn’t like it,” Magnus whispered quietly to the empty room.
***
“Golden, food’s ready.”
“I’m on it.” Golden Summer bit into the specially crafted handle and began pushing the food cart out of the kitchen.
“Sure hope he eats something today,” she heard the assistant chef mutter as the kitchen door closed behind her.
Trotting through the corridors with the food cart, Golden Summer’s eyes took in every nook and cranny of the hallways. Every corner, every windowsill, everything was meticulously scanned by her expert eye, searching for dust or anything else that didn’t belong in the meticulously clean castle. As usual, everything was as it should be. Or rather, close to it.
She felt it the moment she came to the final hallway of the VIP wing, how the cloud of misery seemed to cling to her like a wet dress. She didn’t like coming here anymore. Just a few days earlier, the prospect of walking this particular part of the castle brought with it the thrill of meeting the human. Although Golden had been initially frightened, she considered him less of a threat after her first meeting.
As a foal, and continuing as a teenager, she was particularly interested in science-fiction stories. The books she read told of star ponies and strange beings from beyond the stars, wielding magic to rival Princess Celestia, performing daring deeds while at the same time having wisdom and strength beyond belief. Now that she had actually met an alien, she wasn’t exactly disappointed, just a bit… confused. That confusion turned into compassion after she had heard him shrieking that night. Rumours soon spread about Magnus not being able to return home, and now almost the entire castle knew.
She felt sorry for him.
Approaching the guards, she gave them a smile and received a nod in reply as one of the unicorn guards opened the door for her. Thanking them, Golden pushed the cart into the room and immediately spotted Princess Celestia standing at the bedroom door, chewing her lip worriedly. The princess seemed to notice her entrance and turned.
Celestia smiled at Golden, just like she always would, but now the maid realized how strained it was. “Thank you, Miss Summer.”
“It was my pleasure, Your Highness.” Golden bowed briefly to escape the alicorn’s gaze.
Celestia investigated the contents of today’s lunch before Golden coughed lightly. “Your Highness, may I ask something?”
“Of course, Miss Summer.”
“W-Well, it’s about Mr Powell. Just… how is he?”
Celestia met Golden’s gaze, a hint of curiosity in her magenta eyes. Pouring herself a cup of tea, Celestia skipped the usual slice of lemon, a tell-tale indication of how shaken she was.
“I wish I knew,” Celestia admitted after a lengthy pause as she stirred the tea with a silver spoon. “He’s lost so much, perhaps more than he can handle.”
“Oh…” Golden nodded slowly and glanced towards the door. Within the bedroom, she saw Magnus on the bed, next to which sat Princess Luna who spoke to him, although what was being said, Golden could not tell. Even the Princess of the Night bore an expression of anxiety.
“Um, well, I hope he comes around soon. I’m also a bit, um, worried.”
“Oh?” Celestia’s eyes and ears perked up ever so slightly.
“Yes, well, he seems like such a nice stallion, even though he’s a bit scary. I know there’s many amongst the staff who feels the same way.” Shuffling her hooves nervously, Golden found the courage to ask, “Maybe you could tell Magnus that we all hope he feels better soon?”
Celestia’s strained smile was instantly replaced by a more sincere one. Celestia had had her doubts concerning the staff’s opinion on Magnus, but those doubts were apparently unfounded.
“I will, Miss Summer. I believe he would find your kind words encouraging.”
***
“Hurry up, Vigil, our shift’s about to start!”
“Just gimme a second. My armour’s not tight enough.” The bat pony bit down on the strap of his armour, tightening it until his armour pressed on his back correctly. With one hoof, he grabbed his helmet and put it on his head. “Done.”
“Let’s go then.”
Both bat ponies hurried over to the weapon rack, grabbing a halberd each, the traditional weapon of the Night Guard, before quickly exiting the barracks. The castle was just a stone’s throw away from the barracks, located next to the mountainside. Crossing the training grounds, both stallions witnessed the sun descending, marking the start of their shift.
“Another evening, another… miserable night,” one of them muttered as the sun lowered.
“Hm? Something wrong, Sweep?” Vigil asked, eyeing his companion.
Sweep shook his head lightly. “Nothing. Just thinking out loud.”
“Something you wanna talk about?”
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Really?”
“Look, just give it a rest, okay?” Sweep replied, slightly irritated.
“Okay, okay. Sheesh.” Even as he said that, he continued to eye his partner. Eventually, Sweep felt compelled to give in.
“I’ve been thinking, okay?”
“About what?”
“About that thing, you know, what we guard.”
“What about him?”
Sweep chewed on the inside of his cheek, mulling over the words before exhaling. “I’m thinking about what I would do if I were in his shoes. How would I deal with losing my father, mother, and herdmothers, not to mention losing my siblings. Hay, what would I do if I could never see Nightwish and Shadie again?!”
Vigil hummed in understanding as they opened one of the side doors of the castle and walked inside, trotting down a long marble corridor.
“Not to mention Shadie is pregnant.” Sweep shook his head in exasperation. “I would never be able to see my future son.”
“You found out?” Vigil asked in surprise, to which Sweep nodded with a weak smile. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks,” Sweep said as they continued for a moment in silence. “I would never be able to hold my son, never knowing what he will looked like, never see him learn how to walk, never hear his first words.” He sighed as they turned a corner. “It’s… soul crushing to think about.”
Vigil grunted, not really knowing how to respond.
“I just try to understand him, you know? But the more I try, the more depressed I get.”
Both Night Guards turned the final corner, immediately spotting the two Day Guards in their golden armour standing on opposite sides of the door. Walking up to the two guards, they moved with military precision, coming to a halt in front of them. Swivelling ninety degrees to face the Day Guards, they pulled their halberds close to their bodies and saluted.
“Corporal Sweep!” Sweep announced authoritatively, one meter away from his unicorn counterpart.
“Private Vigil!” Vigil said, mirroring his friend.
“Sergeant Proud Lance!” the unicorn in front of Sweep declared.
“Corporal Anvil Striker!” came from the pegasus in front of Vigil.
“The Sun is setting, the day is over,” Sergeant Lance proclaimed, as per the changing of the Royal Guard tradition. “The Day Guard will now stand aside, as the sun stands aside for the moon.”
With trained precision, Proud Lance and Anvil Striker turned to the right, took five steps, then turned to the left. Vigil and Sweep stepped forward, turned 180 degrees, before standing at ease, halberds held in the crook of their right forelegs.
“The moon is rising, night has come. The Night Guard stands vigilant, as Princess Luna stands vigilant in the night and in our dreams,” Sweep proclaimed, pride bubbling in his chest.
The two Day Guards saluted, then left without another word. After they turned the corner, Vigil whispered, “Don’t think about being in his shoes. Think about all the good things in your life. You gotta stay positive.”
Sweep didn’t respond since it was unbecoming to speak when on duty. His father had taught him that, along with a variety of skills and tips a senior Night Guard learned over the years.
However, he could still think of all the good things he had in life. Beautiful Nightwish and her lovely singing voice that he had fallen for. Shadie, her caring and compassionate nature a stark contrast to his own. They both were a part of him, a part that completed him. The little colt that was growing in her belly was due just before Nightmare Night. He liked his job, had many friends, two beautiful mares, and soon a little colt to care for. He had a nice two storey house with a little garden, a short trek to work, and his family was just a few hours away in Hollow Shades.
His life was truly blessed by Princess Luna herself. He could only wonder what the human had going for him when he was so brutally and mercilessly taken away from all he had.
***
With a single flap of her wings, Philomena soared even higher above the castle, watching all the ponies walking around far below. As all birds, she loved flying, just soaring above the mountain as free as can be. Normally she would do so for an hour or two, head back to her perch for food and water, then nap for a while before finding something else to do, such as speaking with the other creatures roaming the royal garden or sit in the throne room, watching court progress. Not many knew, but Philomena liked speaking with the other birds. They all had such interesting tales to share.
However, speaking to birds was not on her agenda today, nor had it been for the past few days. Philomena’s business was elsewhere in the castle, namely the creature that had caused so much distress.
Angling her wings downward, she dived towards a balcony on the third floor and came to a complete stop with a few powerful flaps, sitting down on the railing. Peering through the window glass, she saw Luna speaking with Twilight Sparkle. Judging by their facial expressions, they both seemed worried about something. However, they were not her target.
She flew over to a window on the left, landing gracefully on the windowsill before peering into the room. There she stood; Celestia, her mother and oldest friend. Philomena didn’t count time as ponies did, for she had no real need to. She wasn’t even sure exactly how long it had been since she first met Mother, only that she was the first being she had seen when she broke out of her egg. Memories of those days were a bit blurry, even after so long. What Philomena liked about Mother, aside from being her mother, was that she always radiated such warmth, almost like she was reborn again and again in flames just by being close to her.
In the bed next to her mother was the creature Philomena was so curious about. It was a peculiar-looking thing with pink flesh, orange fur, dark mane, and a unicorn’s horn and hooves. She had noticed this strange creature in the castle before, but because she didn’t know what it was, she preferred to keep her distance in case it was dangerous. Of course Philomena didn’t worry about her mother; Celestia had seen, fought, and emerged victorious from far more terrible beings than some pinkish thing. Honestly, this creature didn’t look like much at first glance. Still… caution always paid off.
The reason he was in her sights was because of how much worry he had brought into her mother's life. Not many knew, but Mother would often speak to her as a way of releasing stress. Philomena could not speak back, but she understood far more than anypony knew, and was glad to be a confidant for Mother. After all, Celestia had a stressful job, looking after all the ponies.
After sunset these last few days, Mother would return to her quarters and sigh deeply before nearly collapsing into bed. Then she would tell her how worried she was over the creature, saying how she felt that she had failed an old friend, and then proceeded to ask Philomena what to do. Philomena couldn’t give any answers, limited to only listening as best she could and rubbing her beak against Mother’s nose to make her feel better. Sometimes that was all it took, but lately it was not enough.
After a few days spent spying on the pink thing, Philomena had realized that it was the pink thing who was making her mother so sad. The pink thing was in bed, just as it always was, staring ahead and never moving. Philomena was sure it had seen her many times, so had initially attempted to stay hidden. However, the way its eyes never moved made Philomena think that it was blind, thus she didn’t bother hiding anymore.
As always, Mother looked sad in its company, and as always Philomena wondered what she could do to help. She could probably incinerate the pink thing, just burn away the problem, and then things would go back to normal. The problem was that it could make Mother even sadder, and Philomena didn’t want that at all. No, she had to find another way.
While Philomena pondered the situation, her mother walked out of the room to speak with the other two alicorns. Sensing her chance, Philomena pecked at the partially opened window until it fully opened and she could slip inside. A flap of her wings sent her towards the bed, landing neatly on the edge of the mattress. The creature didn’t move, nor did its eyes look at her. Philomena was satisfied; the creature was unaware of her presence.
Hopping a little bit closer to its head, Philomena glared at the creature. This thing made Mother sad, so sad that Mother had trouble sleeping. Now her mother didn’t get enough rest so that she could look after all the ponies. It made Philomena angry, angry enough that she raised her wing to slap its nose.
With that movement, the eyes of the creature shifted to her. Philomena froze; maybe the creature wasn’t blind after all. In fact, it was staring right at her. Expecting a hand to grab her, she jumped to the edge of the bed, away from its reach, and went over her limited options. None, however, were suitable for this situation because the pinkish thing hadn’t made any further moves. Its hands were still and its mouth didn’t open to reveal long, sharp fangs. Its eyes were still on her, and in those eyes Philomena saw something she didn’t expect.
When she was a hatchling growing up, Philomena would often see Mother crying over the one called Luna who, in time, she understood was Mother’s sister. Not quite sure of what had transpired between the two, Philomena understood that mother had to make a difficult choice, one that haunted her for centuries. Her earliest memories of Mother crying over Luna, she remembered a certain look in her eyes, one that spoke volumes. That emotion was a loneliness so strong that nothing, neither ponies nor beasts, could stir her. Mother, however, was strong, much stronger than anything Philomena could remember seeing in her long life. All it took was time and Mother was back to her old self again. Although occasionally that look of loneliness returned to Mother, Philomena could not recall seeing it after Luna had returned. Now it reared its ugly head in the eyes of this pink thing with the orange fur.
Maybe the pink thing was the same as Mother? Maybe it too had lost a sister or a brother? Philomena couldn’t be sure, but her desire to teach the creature a lesson soon faded. If it was sad and lonely, Philomena didn’t want to add to its sadness.
Deciding to return to mother’s room, Philomena turned around and was about to fly out the window when she remembered something. She carefully walked towards the creature’s head, and ever so slowly extended a wing towards its nose and gave it a gentle rub, but only for a second.
Turning back again, Philomena began her flight back to Mother’s room. The creature might have been sad, and might have deserved something better, but it wasn’t Mother. After all, beak rubs were for mothers and daughters only.
***
“Five days, Tia!” Luna exclaimed, weariness evident in her voice. “Today makes five days since Magnus last ate anything!”
Celestia heard her sister but couldn’t tear away from the task at hoof, namely raising the sun. Steadily, the first rays of dawn peeked over the mountaintops in the distance, bathing the top of Canterlot Mountain in its light. Setting the sun on its slow path across the sky, she turned to Luna, who was currently pacing in frustration.
“We speaketh to him, We offer the finest food the chefs can prepare, and We offer Our ears to him should he desire to speak!” Luna came to an abrupt halt, quickly turning to Celestia. “Yet he chooses laconism to speaketh for him!”
“Calm yourself, Luna. I worry for him too.”
Luna snorted. “Thou certainly dare not show it appropriately, considering the situation.”
“But I do!” Celestia snapped. Closing her eyes, she exhaled and attempted to modulate her tone. “I do. Raising my voice does nothing to help me, you, and least of all, Magnus. We do our best, you know we do, but it’s still not enough. Food and water only goes so far. What do you think his state of mind is like after all he’s experienced so far?”
Luna stared at her sister for a moment before looking away, shuffling her hooves idly.
“You went into his dreams?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.
Luna merely shook her head. “We only touched the surface of his latest dream.”
“What did you see?”
“We did not see...” Luna lifted her gaze to meet her sister’s. “But We felt more sorrow and loneliness within him than anypony can hold alone.”
Nodding slightly, Celestia walked over to a large cushion and plopped down on it. With a sigh, she rested her head on one of her forelegs. Luna joined her, sitting down on another cushion.
“We try our best.” Celestia sounded both weary and frustrated. “We tried to talk with him, all of us. So far it has not worked at all. He has withdrawn so much into himself that self-preservation is no longer a concern for him.”
Settling onto her pillow, Luna exhaled and nodded. “That in itself is quite different from the way a pony behaves after receiving such terrible news. Maybe that is why we have failed.”
“What do you mean?” Celestia cocked her head.
“I mean that we treat him like we treat a pony, when in reality he is nothing like us, Tia. He might have the ancestry of a unicorn, but that is the extent of it. Have you not noticed?”
Celestia thought back to all of her interactions with Magnus, how he acted, how he spoke, how unfamiliar his body language was compared to that of any other species. Even his face was at times difficult, almost impossible to read. So far, they had treated him like a pony. Perhaps that was indeed the problem. After all, the cultures of ponies and humans sounded somewhat similar, but there could be immense cultural barriers that had yet to be spoken of.
“The walls he has raised around himself must be brought down. Only then can the real healing begin, which is why I thought of this pony.” Celestia unrolled a scroll, presenting it to Luna who leaned forward, reading through the contents and noticing the picture of an elderly earth pony mare.
“Doctor Mind Hack, Psychologist?” Luna murmured, before brightening. “Ah, yes, I remember this mare. She gained some fame after the changeling invasion, helping many work through their dark memories.”
Celestia nodded. “She has proved herself to be exceptionally skilled when it comes to aiding ponies to open up after traumatic experiences. She is possibly the finest psychologist in Canterlot.”
“An excellent choice.” Luna nodded resolutely. “When will you summon her?”
“She is currently in Las Pegasus, dealing with a family emergency. She will return in four days,” Celestia said with a sigh, immediately noticing Luna’s frown.
“Four days?” Luna raised an eyebrow. “Can Magnus wait four days?” Celestia felt her sister’s impatience, both in her mood and voice.
“She is the best choice I can think of. Every other psychologist in the ten closest towns has studied under her, and they all praise her skill,” Celestia replied before fixing her sister in a glare. “Unless you have a better idea.”
Luna looked away, feeling remorseful for displaying such irritation towards her sister. Still, she had reason to feel impatient; she simply didn’t want Magnus to wander through the same miasma of solitude she walked for a thousand years. Magnus didn’t have a thousand years to spare, thus it was of the utmost importance that he returned to the land of the living.
She cast her mind back to the many nightmares she had to banish after the changeling invasion. For months she had chased and destroyed images of dark pony-like creatures skulking in the shadows with fangs bared and hissing voices. The worst nightmares were the ones where the dreamer had seen a friend or family member encased in a cocoon and believed them to be dead. Fortunately, that was not the case in reality as the changelings had not killed anypony; they hunted for food and a dead pony could not provide love. Luna wondered if the sorrow Magnus experienced in his dreams was the same her subjects encountered in their memories.
Luna frowned. Perhaps sorrow was the answer, something she could work with.
“Tia, I have an idea,” Luna said, feeling her confidence soar.
“Oh? Please tell,” Celestia asked, feeling a bit intrigued at Luna’s sudden smile.
“You said that Magnus erected walls around himself, correct?” Celestia nodded. “What if we circumvent the walls and delve to the core.”
Now Luna had her sister’s complete attention. “How?”
Luna paused, taking a deep breath. She was loathe to even give voice to her idea, though she knew no other way to proceed. “His dreams. In the depths of his dreams, his subconscious lies open and exposed. That is where I can speak to him without his walls of silence interfering. If we cannot help him from the outside, perhaps the only way is from the inside.”
Celestia mulled Luna’s idea over. It was a good plan, seeing as Luna had spent considerable time in dreams and knew how to speak to ponies about their fears to the extent that she could very well be a psychologist. She had, however, forgotten something extremely important.
“Did you not vow to not enter his dreams without his permission?” she asked, to which Luna nodded firmly.
“I did.”
“You know he is still afraid of us.”
Luna stared ahead before finally sighing. “What other options do we have? I will not deny that I worry for Magnus, and I fear our vow to Star Swirl is withering every minute that passes without us taking action. I will ask Magnus, but if he remains silent, I will take it as permission.”
“And if you lose his trust because of it? What if he hates you for intruding?” Celestia asked, giving Luna ample time to think over her plan.
Luna couldn’t hide her discomfort over losing Magnus’ trust. She cared for him and felt that they had a good, if somewhat rocky start to their short friendship. Breaking a promise could result in potentially losing somepony who provided comfort and company which she valued so much.
Her mind wrestled with itself, weigh each option carefully. One led to saving a life and losing a friend, the other led to potential death and ultimately failure.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Luna hesitated before answering, “I… I choose his life. If I lose him as a friend… then so be it.”
***
Again and again and again once more. It was my routine these days, immersing myself in memories of home to the point where I wasn’t sure where one ended and another began. It started with the first happy memory I could remember, namely my sixth birthday. Grandfather had taken me to an amusement park and went with me on all the rides. The Ferris wheel, bumper cars, carousels, and that game where I had to shoot water into a clown's mouth to inflate a balloon. When we were done, we went hunting for food, and I got a kid’s meal consisting of a burger, fries, and all the soda I could drink. It might have been insignificant to some, but it was a happy one and that was what mattered to me.
It continued until my most recent pleasant memory, namely the evening I spent with my friends at Jerry MacDonnel’s pizza restaurant. We ordered three large pizzas with cheese, spicy meatballs, crushed taco shells, and pineapple, which we washed down with beer. We joked around, had several good laughs courtesy of Adam, and talked, just… talked about everything, from movies to the world economy. Sometimes spending time with my friends was like surfing YouTube—suddenly finding yourself on the weird side. And I enjoyed every moment of the time I spent with them.
God… I missed them so much that my heart seemed to physically ache. Maybe that could be attributed to the fact that I couldn’t remember the last time I ate or drank something. I shouldn’t worry so much about that actually; I woke up one day with a needle in my arm, and I hadn’t been thirsty since. It didn’t concern me in any case; I wanted this, to just live with my memories over and over until nothing else remained.
Because I had nothing but the memories now.
My ears picked up the sound of hooves. As usual, I didn’t bother checking since whomever it was always walked into my line of view. This time it was Luna and Celestia. They took a seat next to my bed, as usual looking down at me in concern.
“Magnus?” Luna said, as if hoping for a reply. I didn’t give her one, as I was about to slip back into the world of the past where I belonged. Despite my lack of response, she continued, sounding somewhat regretful, “I am afraid that I must break my vow to you when night comes.” That caught my attention briefly. “Should you keep your silence, I will enter your dreams tonight. Your grief is about to end you, and the only way we can think to help you lies in the depths of your subconscious.”
Oh, that was a new one. Prodding my brain, was it? Well, go ahead, Princess. At the moment, I didn’t care if you deep-fried my brain with your magic; as long as I was asleep and could remain with my memories.
I tuned out everything else as Luna continued to speak and slipped into my memories again. As usual, the first thing I saw was the big sign that read, A Carousel for Missoula, and the next moment was childish glee for the ride I was going to experience.
And I was happy.
***
Gazing out over a moonlit Equestria, Celestia felt uncertainty creep up on her, an unwanted feeling she did not need at this critical moment. What Luna was about to do was not illegal since she did this all the time. This was Luna’s calling, and she was exceptionally good at it. Over the many millennia that had passed since Luna discovered her gift, she had aided hundreds of thousands of ponies. She had never entered the dreams of a human before, which was the cause for Celestia’s apprehension. Who knew what was hidden in his dreams.
Turning away from the window, Celestia checked the clock on the wall. Five minutes past midnight. Time seemed to pass by so slowly when waiting for an opportunity. Twilight and Spike had been informed of what Luna planned to do, but the two youngsters had awoken early to tend to Magnus and were in no shape to stay awake any longer, thus they had retired for the night.
Celestia was proud of Twilight and Spike. Both had displayed a great amount of empathy towards Magnus, though it was largely futile. Celestia had wondered if the Element Bearers would have been able to help Magnus, but in the end, she decided against it. After all, both alicorns had made a sincere promise to their dearest friend, and they would not delegate it to anypony else as if he was a document to be passed around.
One thing Celestia was sure of was this this would not be a walk in the park, not by a long shot.
“Tia.” Celestia turned to the bedroom door, spotting Luna standing there. “He is asleep,” she whispered.
Wandering towards the bedroom door, Celestia peered inside, finding Magnus in the same position he always adopted: facing the window. His breathing seemed steady, his eyes were closed, and his body still. He looked quite peaceful whilst asleep, the only time he did.
“Is he dreaming?”
“Indeed. I can sense the formation of his dream. Within moments, he will find himself in his dreamscape.”
Celestia nodded as she looked at Magnus, then at Luna. “Are you nervous?”
“Nay.” Luna shook her head and closed her eyes before responding confidently. “In dreams, I have seen creatures that would surely scare the common pony to death, dreams so chaotic that even Discord would surely be impressed. I doubt a human’s can be any different.” Opening her eyes, Luna smiled, then turned to her sister. “Although… If you offer aid, I would welcome it.”
“I was about to ask if I could come with you.” Celestia smiled at her sister and gently placed her wing over Luna’s back. “After all, he is our responsibility.”
“That he is. This is… how do they say… a group effort? Yes, indeed a group effort.”
Celestia tucked her wing back to her body, then walked back to the living room and settled down on the couch. Before pulling a blanket over her body, she looked into the bedroom, seeing Luna sit down in front of the bed, a determined look on her face. Luna would never give anything but her best, both in the waking world and in dreams. Celestia was sure that Luna could have handled it alone, but truthfully, she also wanted to help wherever she could, even if it meant going into a dream with Luna. It had been so long since they had done this together, more than a thousand years in fact.
Celestia relaxed every muscle in her body, calming both mind and soul. Her exhaustion after so many days of hectic activity and the stress that came with it soon caught up with her, and within moments she was asleep.
***
Celestia suddenly found herself in a place she had not visited in quite a long time. An ethereal world of calming colours in varying shades of blue with motes of light of varying hues swirling about. It was as if the very world was alive and breathing, a living plane of altered reality. However, Celestia knew better. Luna had discovered the dreamscape ages ago, and after chasing away the dark creatures dwelling within, had declared herself its guardian. Here in the dreamscape, Luna was certainly all-powerful, dwarfing even Celestia’s own abilities.
Looking around, Celestia noticed the doors on both sides of her, thousands upon thousands of them, all unique. She did not know whose dreams the doors led to—that knowledge was unique to Luna herself.
For a moment, Celestia savoured the serenity that this place naturally emitted. However, her mission took precedence. “Luna?” Celestia called as she looked around. From further down the corridor, Luna came towards her, inspecting each door.
“I am here, Tia,” Luna said as she approached her sister. “Magnus’ dream is this way.”
Luna led the way while Celestia followed. Occasionally, Luna would halt at certain doors, peering at them closely before moving on. Her horn would glow before a blue spark jumped to the door, passing through it as if it was an illusion. Celestia knew what this was; Luna sent a part of herself into the dream, either to chase away a nightmare or give advice to restless dreamers. It was a perfect spell, otherwise Luna would run herself ragged each night visiting thousands of dreams.
Eventually they came to a door that stood out from all the others. While most of the doors were painted in vivid colours, the one they now stood in front of seemed to be made of decaying wood with dry pieces of paint chipping off.
“His dream,” Luna said quietly as she stared at the door, completely expressionless. “I sense… loneliness… grief… but also a slight amount of happiness turned sour. I do not understand.”
Celestia looked at the door. Despite its unnatural appearance, she could not sense any emotions coming from it. One thing was clear as day, though; the owner of this door was troubled.
Luna inhaled deeply as she placed a hoof upon the door, pushing it open. Beyond was nothing but darkness. Gazing into the abyss, Luna steeled herself.
“Are you ready?” she asked Celestia. The larger alicorn did not hesitate.
“I am.”
“Then let us go save our newest friend.” With those words, the two sisters stepped into the darkness.