Luna

by Bob Jet

Chapter 8

The next morning, Luna went back to the E.R to see how Sombra was. Luna had never been in this part of the castle before, and she was floored by the artistry and craftsponyship as she trotted through the heavy stained glass doors. Engraved on the front of the receptionist’s solid marble desk, was the staff and serpent, centered between the engraved cutie marks of her and her sister. Celestia’s cutie mark was polished so that is shone like the sun, while Luna’s cutie mark was cut deep into the marble, casting a shadow on the darkened parts. The moon and several stars were left raised, and polished to a high gloss so that they sparkled in the light shining through the stained glass windows. The floor was covered in sheets of gleaming black granite, the walls: varnished birch.

Luna could not help the feeling of hope and optimism the room generated.

“Good morning Princess,” the receptionist greeted her. “Have you come to see that stallion you brought in last night?”

“Yes,” Luna replied with a smile.

--

Upon entering the room, Luna was greeted by a doctor grilling a clipboard.

“How is he, Doctor?” she asked.

The doctor turned from his clipboard slowly. “Sit down,” he said, giving her a mournful look.

Sombra had passed out in the emergency room. The doctors found he had three broken ribs; a fractured skull; a broken neck, and a punctured spleen and small intestine. He should have been in a wheelchair dying; how he walked in, nopony could be sure.

“Will he survive?” Luna asked.

“Now he will,” replied the doctor, “but there could be any number of conditions resulting from his injuries”

“Such as…”

“Brain damage, paralysis, lung damage, to name a few.”

Luna closed her eyes and turned her head toward the corner where the stone floor met the ornately tiled wall. She shook her head.

“This is all my fault,” she said. “If I had not been so caught up in myself, if I had been paying attention to where I was going, none of this would have happened.”

“Do not feel bad, your Highness,” the doctor consoled. “I’m sure…”

“Is there any way he could be dreaming?” Luna interrupted.

“I… um… huh… what?”

“Is there any way he could be dreaming?”

“I don’t know. Probably not…”

Luna thought for a second before galloping out the door. The doctor blinked twice before recomposing himself and turning back to the other patients in the room.

--

Luna tore apart her library. Blue tendrils of magic clawed at the books, ripping them off the shelves and whipping them in front of Luna before being discarded against a far wall.

“Where is it!” she growled. “I’m always tripping over that darn book, and now that I need it, it is nowhere to be found.”

The shelves were rapidly being emptied. A second layer of magic layered on top of the first, picking up the haphazardly discarded books and levitating them into neat counter-rotating rings. Books were still being added to the fray when a knock resounded through the room.

“What is it?” Luna barked.

Celestia entered.

“Whoa, what is going on in here?” she inquired, observing the intricate dance of floating books and scrolls.

“I am looking for Dreams: A Reference Guide To Sleep And The Pony Mind.”

Celestia looked confused.

“You know, that really old, dark blue book Father gave me when I received my cutie mark?

“Oh, that. Isn’t it right there?” Celestia asked, pointing to the untouched stack of books next to Luna’s reading pedistal. Luna followed her sister’s hoof, and groaned.

“Ahhrrrg!” – the spellbound books dropped out of the air, falling on Celestia. Luna grabbed the book in her mouth and shot out the door. – “It is always in the last place you look,” Luna thought as she rounded a corner and continued her gallop towards the Castle’s medical wing.

--

A doctor and three nurses were in Sombra’s room when she entered. They were banging gongs, dumping buckets of ice water in him, and poking him with blunt objects.

“Is everything alright?” she asked.

Everypony stopped, spun around and bowed at the sound of her voice.

“I-I-I’m sorry y-your Highness. This guard se-seems to be in a c-c-co—co…”

“Coma?”

The doctor could only nod.

“I am not surprised. The Plug Thugs use similar techniques to put members of the Gryphon Gang into a coma.” There was a twinge of sarcasm in her voice.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry, your Highness.” The doctor was trembling. “This is the recommended treatment.”

“Perhaps, but would you mind if I tried something different?”

The doctor nodded again. Luna opened up her book, and began to read. Minutes passed, the room was totally silent. The medical staff looked expectantly at her; she continued to read. One of the nurses quietly moved over to the doctor, and asked, “What is she doing?”

“I don’t know,” the doctor replied, “But I am scared to find out.”

“Its your job,” the nurse replied. “You must make sure she is not attempting something that will harm our patient.”

“She is a Princess. I’m sure she knows what she is doing.”

“How? Does she have medical training?”

“How do I know?”

“Well? If she inadvertently kills him, it will be your fault. You will loose your license.”

The doctor sighed. His nurse had a point. He quietly approached the reading Princess.

“Excuse me your Highness…”

“Hmm?”

“My I ask what you are planning to do?”

“Oh, yes. I intend to try and enter Sombra’s dreams, and convince him to wake up.”

“Is that even possible? Are you sure he’s dreaming?”

“I do not know. That is what I am trying to figure out.”

The doctor was dumbfounded. On the one hoof, he was not about to contradict his Princess. On the other, he really had his doubts about her idea.

Luna closed her book and prepared to cast a spell. She was nervous. She had never created magic before, but she felt confident that her spell would do what she wanted.

“FROM THE SLEEP THAT COMETH
“DEEP IN THE NIGHT
“DREAMS, WITH GUIDANCE,
“GRANT GREAT INSIGHT”

Her horn glowed a bright translucent blue before thick gray fog flowed from it, surrounding her. She inhaled deeply, and her hooves began to disappear into the mist. Two more breathes, and she had completely dissolved. Finally, with a loud crack and a swish, the fog disappeared into Sombra’s head.

Comments

[John Johny Johnson]

Awesome stuff! I must say, I slightly prefer this setting to chapter A.

[Bob Jet]

I need a name for the city where the castle of the two pony sisters was located. I am currently debating between:
Horsylaneum (Herculaneum)
Trotpura (Tripura)
Pompony (Pompeii)
Numarenor (Numenor)
I know these are pretty lame. If anyone can think of a better one, I am all ears.
Thanks

[Bob Jet]

4046697
There is more on the way.
a lot more.