Chapter 8. Friends and Nightmares
Forest near the lake, 14th of January
We came back early this afternoon. I was positively surprised that my concerns of finding the house in a ruin became unjustified. Unfortunately, the positive aspects didn’t last for long.
We saw all our friends gathered in the salon by the fireplace, and by the loud and nervous conversation I could tell that something was up.
Celestia and Luna, who came back from their fruitless forest trip, had a fairly mediocre expressions. The objects of their perplexed gazes was of course Rainbow Dash, which didn’t even surprise me. Unfortunately, all her friends seemed to be involved in this as well. Even Twilight, the one I believed to be the brightest one of them all, was now sitting with her head lowered while listening to her princesses complains.
When I closed the door and walked into the living room, all their gazes became focused on me. Judging by their looks I came in the middle of a serious conversation. The only thing that was disrupting the awkward silence was the TV. As soon as I was introduced to all the details, my hands dropped.
“Okay ...” I uttered while sitting down on the sofa and rubbing my temples, “... so, when I told you to keep away from my room … which words did you failed to understand?” It seems that the lack of discipline was a key factor here. “*Sigh* I don’t know what to say anymore. Tell me, do I use some kind of an alien language?”
“Nuuh, your monkey talks are fine,” Rainbow drawled through her teeth, which caused my eyebrow to tick. Not only was she the initiator of this whole mess, she even had a nerve to talk back. As our eyes met I noticed her displeased expression. However, when she noticed her princesses dismayed glances, she quickly stock her eyes to the ground.
“You have something to say for yourselves?” asked displeased Celestia.
“* Sniff * No, your majesty,” said Twilight. “It is true that I caught my friends * sniff * in Alex's room, but in the end, I did the same thing * sniff *.”
Suddenly, all her friends gazed at her in confusion.
“What? No way,” objected Rainbow. “I persuaded the girls, so it’s my punishment. Just stay out of this, Twilight.”
“I hate to admit it, but Rainbow’s right,” said Apple Jack. “I somehow got involved into this whole cabala, so I need to share the consequences with Rainbow. You caught us red-handed, sugar cubes, so I don’t see the reason to defend us.”
“Because we’re friends *sinff *,” Twilight replied confidently. “Besides, I ruined one of the Alex’s exhibits, and ...” As soon as she mentioned this, I somehow failed to record the rest of her words. I could feel some heartache while looking at the table where three parts of a once big amber were settled. “... so I * sniff * should be blamed the most here.”
Although her words seemed logical, I still felt like blowing all my steam on Rainbow.
“„Oh, lighten up Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. “You should look on the bright side,” suddenly we all gazed at her. “Now, instead of one nice stone, Alex has three. Isn’t that a great deal?”
I nervously slapped the side of my head, while confused Twilight send me her anxious smile, and tossed her head closer to Pinkie’s.
“You're … not … helping … Pinkie,” she drawled through her clenched teeth.
As I was about to make my statement about privacy matters, Miss Rarity happened to have something to say as well.
“Although, I haven’t been involved in this nonsensical act of larceny conduct, I’m afraid that …” Rarity needed to interrupt her sentence when she noticed Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, and Pinkie Pie, who were busy looking up some words in the thesaurus. With a wry face, she quickly interjected “Ekhm, a stupid act of breaking in …”
“Ohhh,” replied the three. Rarity shook her head and continued.
“… I’m afraid that I have failed Alex, who have left his room in my care …” Actually, I didn’t. With a sad face Rarity lowered her head and surreptitiously send a dismayed glance in Flutershy’s direction, making her flinched “... because I have given up too much to my work.” A moment later she was standing alongside her friends while looking at me and the princesses. “I’ll take my part of the blame as well, dear Alex.”
Flutershy, who’s been cuddling Max the whole time we were talking, decided to step into the guilty ring as well.
“Well ... um, actually, if I hadn’t diverted Rarity’s attention, probably none of this would have even happen, so ...”
Feeling like I am getting a headache I began to rub my temples while gasping for air.
“Alex?” I suddenly heard Celestia’s troubled voice and looked at her. I was hoping that she will not admit that all of this was her plan to begin with. “I’m honestly sorry for all of this. On the behalf of all my subjects, please consider my deepest apologies.”
As Celestia bowed slightly, her sister Luna just shook her head in disbelief while making me think that she doesn’t wish to participate in this. She gave me one of those cold stares like I was the biggest asshole here. Man, what have I done to deserve this?
“No, your majesty * sniff *, please do not defend us,” protested Twilight. “We are responsible enough to take the punishment.”
Both princesses glared at her, but it was Celestia who seemed the most displeased here.
“If you can’t even respect the rules of your host, dear Twilight, perhaps you all should consider what word responsible really means!?” frowned Celestia, as her displeasure made Twilight and the others flinch.
As for me, I was a little surprised since I was expecting a rather typical act of blame tossing here. But to my astonishment, they all decided to stand as equals here. Just like true friends do. Of course, I didn’t want to punish them, because I was neither their family, nor their king. And actually it wasn’t the room intrusion that got me worried. Besides my rifle, I happen to have a gun hidden behind the glass exhibition drawer. If they ever got their tiny hooves on it, this could have ended badly.
Suddenly, I realized that all the six fillies were looking at me apologetically. No question about it, their big sweet puppy eyes made me swallow hard, as I could only allow the rest of my worries and concerns to fade away.
“*Sigh* ... look, let’s just forget about the whole thing, ok,” I stated while still filling intimidated by their cuteness. “Just promise me that you will respect my rules in the future, and we’ll make this even.” They all nodded in response and apologize which finally allowed me to end this conversation. “Ok then, I’ll just take my … amber leftovers, and …”
“Wait!” Twilight called out to me while jumping on the table between me and my devastated amber. “It’s about these stones.”
“What are you talking about, Twilight?” asked Celestia.
“I … I believe that these are not just any ordinary amber pieces,” stated Twilight making us all stare in amazement. “Princess Celestia, these stones can absorb magic.”
“Are you sure about this?” asked surprised Celestia.
“Yes, it has absorbed my renovation spell three times. I just couldn’t put the pieces back together, no matter how hard I tried. I believe that we are dealing with a some sort of a magical stone containers,” stated Twilight. While the rest of her friends and me didn’t seem to find this information significant, both princesses became rather shocked.
“Unbelievable,” gasped Luna. “A magic container in a land with no magic. How is that even possible?”
“All right, what’s all this about the magical containers?” I asked feeling like I’m losing a picture here.
“Well … they have the capability to comprise the enormous amounts of magical influxes which allows the casters, and none magic beings, to cumulate the disparate energies for utilization purposes.”
“Aha,” replied Rainbow Dash, and while gazing foolishly at Twilight, she moved the thesaurus closer and started flipping the pages.
“I believe that Twilight just wanted to say that they are used to store huge amount of magic, which can be used on a daily basis, even by a none magical individuals, right Twilight?” Pinkie Pie stated cheerfully forcing our jaws to hit the floor.
“Uhm, yes … I believe that would be the best way of putting it,” said amazed Twilight.
“And by magic for none magical users, you mean …” continued interested Rainbow Dash.
“Well, for example, things like levitating, going through walls, extra strength, shape changing, invisibility … “
“Wait, what did you say?” interjected Rainbow Dash. “Invisibility? You mean that with a right spell I could remain invisible for a longer time.”
“Well … technically speaking …yes. Why do you ask?” asked concerned Twilight.
“Wow, that’s so awesome. With that thing I could finally fly out of this joint,” Rainbow Dash stated happily.
“Whoa there, little filly. These stones belong to Alex, so I believe that without his permission, you’ll just have to live in a dream land,” Applejack stated correctly.
They all gazed at me while I could barely keep up with all this magic hocus pocus.
“Well, I …”
* Ring, ring *
Then came the sudden sound of my phone. As I noticed the caller’s name, I have answered the call.
“Hi, Gregory. Listen, could you call back a little later. I’m sort of busy right now,” I said with a hint of exasperation in my voice.
“You don’t say?” replied Gregory, who seemed to be just as frustrated as I was. “And what might be more important than a call from your only friend, huh?”
Boy, where should I start? How about trying to acknowledge the fact that instead of one unique amber I actually get to have three containers for some compressed magic, while no pony in my house cares to respect the golden rules of my peaceful asylum? Seriously, I didn’t have a clue.
“I'm just busy right now ... unless you have some news about our little thief, I’ll be more than happy to listen.”
“You’re still on that?” Gregory asked surprised. “Listen, Alex, I know you went through a shock, but I think it's time you cut some slack. You survived, and you're safe and sound. Whoever it was, he obviously doesn’t feel like showing up ever again in this parts. And even if, how are you planning to prove his guilt? We have nothing on this dude.” Judging from the sounds, Gregory was in the middle of driving his car.
“It's not like that, Gregory. You see ... “Oh god damn it, think man, think. “... he, um, he … this guy has stolen something from me.” Oh, smooth move Alex, here comes another episode of jeopardy.
“Say whaaaaaat? Dude, what’s this [beep] shit I hear? So what gives, you were robbed, or nearly [beep] run over? Because I’m losing a track here.”
“Ekhm ... actually … a little bit of both,” I replied in defeat.
“Jesus [beep] Christ. And you're telling me this now, because ...”
I was so mixed that I couldn’t even tell if he was asking out of serious curiosity, or just getting ready to cast me off.
“It's kind of hard to explain,” I replied while hoping for this conversation to end quickly.
* Ding Dong *
Thanks you heavens. Max quickly run to the door and started barking at a shadow figure that was barely visible through the little colorful stained glass door.
* Ding Dong *
It wasn’t a secret that I hardly get any guests, but ever since the girls started living together with me, we agreed that we will keep their presence secret at all cost. And exactly for this kind of situations we have decided to take appropriate preventive measures.
With just a single sway of my head the girls began to head to their hiding spots. Because we happened to practice this maneuver countless times, they managed to reach their hideouts rather quickly.
Rainbow Dash together with Fluttershy both flew up into the ceiling and hid themselves in the hammock.
Miss Rarity has pulled a huge canvas over her little boutique upstairs, and with the invisibility spell that Twilight has taught her, she soon vanished from my eyesight.
Apple Jack managed to hide in one of the lower kitchen cabinets, while Pinkie, who for some strange reason always liked to change her lurking places, decided on the free space under the salon’s sofa.
Celestia, Luna and Twilight, who were still standing before me, followed Miss Rarity’s example and cast their magic. Soon, the whole room, besides me and Max, was completely deserted.
* Ding Dong *
“Hey, Alex? Did you hear what for [beep] sake I just said? Hey?” came the Gregory’s fatigue voice in my cell phone.
“What? ... oh, yes, forgive me, but there is someone at the door, so ...”
“Really? So what now? Are you going to [beep] open it, or you'll just gonna stand there and [beep] look stupid?” Yup, same old Gregory. Every time he gets pissed, his flowers of speech find a need to come out.
* Ding Dong *
“Listen, we'll talk some other time, okay? See ya,” I said with a relief and opened the door.
“Oh, I'm sure we'll talk, RIGHT ... [BEEP] ... NOW!!!,” Gregory said firmly as he was standing in the doorway of my house while holding the cell phone to his ear. His mug expression was exactly like I had imagined it. He was pissed.
He was a man of medium build, with a thin face, dressed in a winter black jacket and jeans. His dark brown hair was cut short, as a police officer should. Of course, one of the things that disturb the picture of a police authority here, were those three thick silver rings which were pressing firmly in the middle of his left ear’s helix. And I guess, the tribal tattoo on his back wouldn’t make it any better. Yup, with his appearance and character Gregory clearly denied the standards for any typical police officer. Somehow, I believe that having a parent in a high police ranks might have something to do with it.
“Hey, Max, how are you, you old fleabag?” asked Gregory as he crouched down and gave Max's a nice patting, while receiving a joyful lick on a face in response.
“Gregory? W-what are you doing here? ” I asked while still being in shock.
Gregory seemed less pissed than before, as he looked at me.
“Oh, nothing. I just decided to come and pay you a surprise visit. What’s the matter? Not happy to see your only friend?”
“It depends if my only friend warns me about his unannounced visit,” I growled as I hid my phone in my jacket.
“Ha, that’s the point of a surprise visit, Alex,” said Gregory as he walked pass me and entered the salon. Me and Max followed him shortly.
Gregory literally threw himself on the salon’s sofa. Although he barely visits me, he still could feel like at home.
“Ah, much better,” he said with a relief as he settled himself comfortably on the sofa while lying his feet on a low table before him. After noticing the broken amber pieces that were lying next to his muddy boots, he picked one of them and began to observe it intently. “All right, dear mister citizen. I think you own us some explanation? You got robbed, or almost run over? Because as of now, I’m not quite sure what the most wanted poster says anymore.”
At that moment, I felt like a kid at the exam that no one was kind enough to inform me about.
“I ...” I froze as I noticed little Pinkie who decided to sit on the top of the sofa’s seatback. Right above Gregory’s head. I couldn’t figure out what made her so happy, but I could sure use an invisible spell right about now.
Gregory suddenly picked his gaze from the amber piece and looked at me.
“What?” he asked confused and turned his head only to realize that there was nothing there. Luckily, something pulled Pinkie by her tail, making her disappear from his sight just in time.
“Um, nothing ... so, can I get you anything?” I proposed as I walked into the kitchen.
“Nuh, I had a beer on the way here, and still have some cans left in the car,” said Gregory making me stare at him in shock.
“You … were driving … while being drunk?” I asked as I couldn’t imagine how a police officer who needs to give an example to the others can show so much lack of responsibility. Then again, I do recall him saying something about becoming the private detective once. Perhaps his somewhat crude behavior might be more fitting for that job.
“Wow, you make it sound like a crime …” as he noticed my confused expression he quickly added, “Chill Alex, one beer isn’t enough to drive me off the road.” Seeing that his words haven’t convinced me enough, he decided to change the subject. “But I didn’t come here to get lectured by you, my friend. How about you finally tell me what’s up?”
Somehow I found his sobriety problems to be a better topic for this meeting.
“You see ... ekhm ... the point is, that I can’t logically explain this.”
“Achooo,” Gregory pretended a loud sneeze. “Oh, excuse me, I must be allergic to bullshit. Please, try again.”
Suddenly, some quiet chuckle came from behind the sofa.
“What was that?” Gregory asked surprised and after quickly turning around he knelt on the sofa and leaned his head behind it. However, Pinkie was already admiring him while hiding behind the sofa’s right armrest.
“Um, probably just the television,” I hinted while pointing to the working screen over the fireplace. Gregory somehow didn’t seem convinced.
“Aaaaachooo.”
I flinched when the soft sound of a female sneeze reached my ears. Damn it, Twilight. Why right now?
I didn’t have time to think, so when Gregory turned his head in my direction, I began to rub my nose. “Excuse me, I think I caught a cold.”
“Cheers,” said Gregory. “By the way, that’s a cute sound you just made; just like a girl.” I made a sour face, but I decided not to comment.
Gregory took his time to look around the salon before he finally sat down on the sofa again.
“So, Alex, tell me the truth? You got robbed, or what? Because if that’s the case, than we could use your ... ” he paused to look in the left corner of the sofa, where little Pinkie was staring at him just a second ago. Fortunately, our pink trouble maker was faster.
“My what?” I asked a little confused.
“Well, your camera system, of course.”
I gulped hard. If Gregory, or anyone else were to see the recording from my camera’s system, our secret would be out.
“Oh no, no, it’s nothing like that. Nobody sacked my house, Gregory. I was attacked outside in the woods, and …” Noticing his attentive glance made me somewhat uncomfortable, “... it's a little complicated,” I added quickly.
“Go ooooon,” he sang while piercing me with his penetrating stare.
While looking nervously around the living room, I tried to force my little brain cells into a more creative idea production. I tried to make up any possible explanation, just to make him believe it. But nothing came to my mind at that moment. I just felt hopeless and confused. Without a word I just sighed deeply and gazed at the floor in defeat.
“Hey, Alex, chill out man, we're buddies, right? If you have done something against the law, then you can be sure that you’ll be covered.”
Although Gregory’s words sounded like a consolation, they made me also mixed and confused.
“What? What are you talking about? ” I asked puzzled.
“Oh, you know ... let's assume that somehow you caught this guy, you gave him a knock on the head, then buried him in the woods, and drowned his car in the lake in order to hide the evidence of the crime, then I’m ready to act like it never has happened. Of course, my loyalty will depend on how generous your offer will be,” he said with a smile while rubbing the two fingers of his right hand.
“WHAT? NO, THAT’S...” I yelled as I couldn’t even believe what I have just heard.
As I tried to calm myself down I suddenly noticed princess Luna on the sofa’s back this time, who for some strange reason materialized herself right next to Gregory’s head. Judging by her face, she seemed really pissed as she was about to take a huge swing at him. Luckily, her visible sister Celestia stopped her just in time. With a quick snatch of her muzzle she snapped the skin on her sister’s neck and managed to hide them both behind the sofa before Gregory took a peek.
“Man, that last beer must’ve been spoiled,” Gregory said while scratching his head. As he noticed that I was slowly losing my nerve, he began to laugh. “Whoa, Alex, take it easy man, I was just kidding. No need to write a check yet.”
“Somehow I don’t find it funny, Gregory,” I growled while wiping the sweat from my forehead.
“O brother, are you a party pooper or what?”
As he noticed that I was completely outside his jokes range, he just shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
“Okay, listen Alex, whatever's on your mind it apparently is serious enough that you do not want to spill the beans. Fine, that’s your choice. But just to let you know …” he said as he got up and stood before me with a serious face “… I’m not like a dog who chases cars for no reason.”
“Believe me, Gregory, this is a very delicate matter. I’m afraid I can’t tell you more than you know right now. I’m sorry,” I said with resign.
“Then … so am I, Alex. Whatever is troubling you, you'll have to deal with it yourself.” Gregory’s expression made it clear that he wasn’t joking. He just patted me on the shoulder and walked pass me to the exit. “Let me know when you're ready to trust me again, my dear compadre. Ciao.”
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t even say anything … although I should have. My plan has just fell to pieces. When I turned around, I saw Gregory reaching for the door handle.
“Mister Gregory, please wait!!!”
I heard Celestia’s sudden voice behind my back. Shocked and confused I quickly turned around only to see something beyond my wildest expectations. Instead of a white alicorn, I saw some woman stranger who was slowly emerging from behind the salon sofa. This young looking girl seemed about twenty years old … or more. She was one of an average build, and smaller then me by a head. Some of her long groomed platinum blond hair smoothly flowed down on her delicate face while having the rest of them tied into two plaits that ended in the back of her head in a stylish braid. She was dressed in a bright pink sleeveless shirt with a white covered placket, and a thin black tied up ribbon on the collar. The pair of bright blue jeans were smoothly tightening around her thin legs as I realized that, besides white socks, she was walking barefoot.
The beautiful stranger looked in my direction for a moment when suddenly she began to falter on her own feet. Before I could react, she kneeled on the floor and, while holding the sofa’s armrest, she began to pant deeply.
As I approached her while still feeling clueless, I pressed my hand on her fragile little shoulder. “Um, ma’am … is everything alright?” I asked making her turn her gaze at me. When our eyes met, I felt strange as for some reason her pupils became somewhat familiar. The woman smiled weakly.
“*Sigh* ... I think I have overused my powers a little,” she gasped. “I forgot how magic consuming those transformation spells can really be.”
Her voice was so weak and quiet that I barely managed to understand her, but the sense of her words made me speechless.
“C-Celestia?” I choked out not totally sure if I was aware of the situation. She nodded and pressed her soft little hand on my own. Without wasting time I gently picked her up, and helped her sit on the sofa.
“Well, well, well,” I suddenly heard a cheerful singing voice of my friend Gregory, who was standing now behind me with a stupid smirk on his face. “We waste our time on some pathetic thief, while you desperately try to hide such a fine looking jewel?”
“Well … I mean … I…”
“Do not strain yourself,” he said with a venomous smile, “such a loner, and yet only one thing on his mind. Well, at least I know now what you meant by ‘a stag’. Guess our ‘stag’ has finally hooked himself some nice piece of a doe.” Before I could even protest Gregory has already knelt before Celestia, and presented her with his defiant smile. “So, Alex ... feel like introducing us.”
“…”
“Pleased to meet you, Mister Gregory,” Celestia said with a smile, as she lifted her small hand which Gregory immediately accepted. “My name is Celestia. Alex has told me so much about you.”
“Oh, really?” asked Gregory while gazing at me. “Funny, because he somehow forgot to mention about you, my dear.” I swallowed nervously while looking at Celestia. Unlike me, she seemed to have everything under control.
“Well, mister Gregory, Alex doesn’t like to brag too much about his private life.”
”No doubt,” Gregory answered mockingly. “But he does like to use his friends for unknown purposes.”
“Now hold on a second …” I decided to interfere into their conversation, but stopped when I noticed Celestia touching my hand.
“Yes, Mister Gregory. Alex did that on my behalf, and I guess we owe you an apology.”
“Oh shucks my dear, just Gregory is fine. And I seriously don’t see a reason why you should hide yourself from me. I’m quite familiar with the word discretion you know,” said Gregory. By the sound of his voice I could tell that he seemed a little too happy about all of this.
“Yes, well, perhaps we made mistake by not telling you the whole truth, dear Gregory. Therefore, if it’s not a problem for you, we would like you to continue this investigation.”
Celestia’s words made Gregory silent for a moment, as his face made it clear that he was considering her request very carefully.
“Well, dear Celestia, I never refuse to help others, especially such a charming woman ... like you. But as I already told our friend Alex here, in return, I ask only for one thing ... full honesty. I hope you understand that.”
Celestia just answered with a perky „Fair enough, dear Gregory. The truth is that …” Celestia suddenly froze in middle sentence and pointed the hand to her temple.
“Are you all right?” I asked as I set down on the sofa right next to her, and placed my hand on her shoulder. She managed to bestow me with her weak smile.
“Um, yes, I'm fine, it's just dizziness. So, as I was saying ... ahhh,” suddenly she has bend over with her hands wrapped around her stomach, while giving away a quiet sounds of agony. Something was definitely wrong.
“Oh my, this looks bad,” stated Gregory. “Should I call an ambulance?”
“No, please, you don’t have to, uh, just give me a moment, I ... ” without saying another word Celestia based her head on my shoulder while breathing deeply. I watched in awe as her whole body began to shiver.
“I’ll take her to my room. Just wait here, Gregory,” I said firmly as I lifted her.
My friend just nodded and moved away as I soon began to walk up the stairs. As I placed my foot on the second step, Celestia’s body began to glow. The bright light rays soon spread across the room and blinded my vision. I could hear Max’s barking somewhere behind me.
“WHAT THE HELL?” I heard Gregory’s scream.
While trying to force my eyes to see again, I lost my balance and fell back on the floor. Without losing the grasp on Celestia, I raised her head when I noticed all of a sudden that her body started to change. The clothes on her body slowly began to evaporate. The uncovered hands and legs slowly shifted into hooves, while her torso quickly got coated with a white fur, which soon covered her whole body. Her female face began to shift as her small human nose and lips began to draw out into a pony’s muzzle. The platinum blond hair adopted itself into a new pink color, along with her tail which grew from her hindquarters. Soon, the transformation came to a stop and I could finally see her true form. Celestia managed to partly open her eyes and gave me a weak smile.
“I … I guess I really overdid it, huh?” she murmured forcing me to smile back.
As I turned my head I noticed Gregory, who was staring at us with a dumb expression. He just stood numbly and looked like he was about to create his own version of Van Gogh’s Scream.
“TIA!!! YOUR HIGHNESS!!!” came the screams from the rest of the crew as they all quickly dumped their hideouts and run towards us.
“Tia, sister, are you okay?” asked concerned Luna making Celestia look at her.
“Forgive me, Luna … I … I …” with a last sigh she lost her consciousness while settling her muzzle on my chest.
I noticed everyone staring at Gregory, whose jaw was on its best way to hit the floor. The awkward silence made it difficult for me as I couldn’t find any logical explanation that would cover the picture my friend was experiencing. It seemed that our jig was up.
“Alex? What the [beep] hay is going on here?” asked panicked Gregory while pointing his finger in our direction. “Why am I seeing a bunch of colored talking horses?” His words made Rainbow Dash ready to make an objection, but AJ managed to silence her just in time.
I slowly got up as I kept Celestia’s motionless body firmly in my hands. The worried girls around me came closer.
“She’s totally worn out. We need to take her to her room,” ordered Luna.
As I watched Gregory’s dopey stare I said “Gregory, I promise I’ll explain everything when I get back, so you just wait here, ok?” Gregory didn’t say anything and just nodded.
Together with princess Luna in front and Twilight by my side, we walked the stairs that were leading to their bedroom.
“Well, this turned out quite … weird,” I said as we were walking the upper corridor. “I just hope he isn’t thinking about running away.”
“I don’t believe that’s gonna be a problem, mister Alex” interjected Luna after we have gone passed their bedroom door.
Her certainty made me somewhat surprised “Oh? And what makes you say that?”
“Because I have placed a locking spell on all windows and doors in this house, just in case he might. Right now we need to decide if your friend can be trusted, because otherwise, we will have to erase his memory.” I gulped hard as I began to wonder how erasing your own memories feels like.
I placed Celestia in her bed and after pulling the counterpane over her body I peeked at her peaceful sleeping face. She looked so fragile, weak and hopeless. When her human face has flashed in my memory for a split second, I simply shook my head. Why was I even thinking about this?
“Mister Alex.” I heard princess Luna’s impatient voice. “Please step aside.”
Without a word I walked away and allowed Luna to approach the bed. She cast some magic which I learned from Twilight to be a medical examination spell.
“Besides the complete exhaust and a slight fever, there’s nothing wrong with her,” Luna said calmly. Me and Twilight sighed in relief.
“I’ll go bring a cold compress than,” I suggested and started moving to the exit.
“Mister Alex.” Luna’s voice made me stop in my tracks and turn around. She kept her back at me while gazing at her sister. “How much do you trust this human?”
“Well, we have known each other for almost three years, and frankly speaking his my only friend here. I believe that he deserves a chance princess …” Princess Luna looked at me doubtfully “… but whether you decide to trust him or not is up to you.”
“Your highness,” Twilight interjected gaining Luna’s attention. “I suggest you listen to Alex, *sniff*. His friend’s connections might serve well our cause.”
Princess Luna seemed to be in the middle of some serious consideration. I was hoping that despite her doubts she will choose wisely.
“You two go and talk to him,” said Luna. “I’ll join you shortly and make the final decision.”
Without a word we left the room and came down to the salon. Gregory hasn’t moved an inch as he and the rest of the ponies were just staring at each other.
“How is she?” asked concerned Fluttershy.
“She’s fine,” said Twilight. “She just has a little fever and needs to rest.”
They all sighed in relief.
“Alright, Alex, looks like you have a lot of explaining to do,” stated Gregory as soon as he noticed me. *Sigh*, fine, let’s get this over with.
For the next half hour, Twilight, who despite having a cold decided to do the honors, told him everything that happened since the last Christmas Eve. Gregory, who took his seat on the sofa, was marking her every word while taking small sips of whiskey that I provided him with. Every now and then he was exchanging meaningful glances with me, as if he wanted to make sure if I’m not trying to screw with him.
“So there you have it, mister Gregory *sniff*,” concluded Twilight as she used a handkerchief to blow her nose. “We’re doing our best to return to our world, but *sniff* we need the tiara of harmony. Our kingdom’s safety depends on it.”
As all our eyes were focused on Gregory, he already managed to empty an entire bottle of whiskey, and with a peaceful mindset he placed his glass on the table.
“ You know what, Alex? I think I'm still sober, because somehow I find all this hard to believe.”
“*Smirk*, you should see my reaction, I was already on my way to the madhouse.”
“Yup, he screamed like crazy,” Rainbow Dash interjected mockingly.
“Oh, hush you,” I said while giving Rainbow a cold stare which she repaid with a grin.
As the sounds of hooves reached our ears, we all gazed at princess Luna, who was walking downstairs and soon joined us in the salon. When she stood before Gregory, me and Twilight have exchanged our uncertain stares wondering what her resolve will be.
“Mister Gregory.” Her serious voice caused Gregory to straighten up in his seat. “I believe that Twilight Sparkle has already introduced you to our little dilemma. We need to know if we may count on your full cooperation and discretion in this matter?”
Gregory looked at her blankly, not really knowing what to say.
“Well, I ...” his face told me that his mind was still in a consideration mode, but as he noticed their pleading stares he somehow felt that he has lost this battle. “* Sigh *, I'll see what I can do.”
They welcomed his answer with a loud cheer. Even a cold and distant Luna managed to smile, although as soon as she met my stare she quickly came back to her usual self. Now, that we had Gregory by our side, we could finally proceed with the investigation.
For the rest of the evening Gregory and the girls got to know each other a little better. Although he looked confused at first, the alcohol in his system seemed to be doing wonders. Our ladies found him to be pretty energetic and amusing, as he didn’t have any problems in communicating with them. But out of the whole bunch, it was Pinkie who took a serious liking into his entertaining nature. Of course, she wouldn’t be called Pinkie if she hadn’t invited him for a welcome party. Sadly, some of her and Gregory’s party ideas managed to give me goose bumps. That’s why I decided to keep an eye on those two whenever Gregory will pays us a visit.
When the time finally came I walked with Gregory to the exit.
“I'm sorry I didn’t tell you this sooner, but we came into an agreement that no one, except me, will know about their existence.” Of course I decided to keep the fact that it was my idea. “I hope you’re not mad.”
“Nuh, it’s cool, no hard feelings … at least I know now how much you trust me,” he said while making an offended face. Unfortunately, he was right. Compared to my old days, a lot has changed in my life. Living alone with a bag full of money sure has its issues. When you no longer know who to trust, you’re usually left with only one option. You don’t trust anyone.
“Well, I guess I better take you home. I won’t let you drive your car in this state. I’ll pick you up tomorrow so you can take it with you,” I said firmly as I was worried that he might try to drink the rest of the beer on his way back.
“What? Oh, come on. It’s not that bad,” he objected but his slightly clumsy movements didn’t give me any chances for hesitation.
“Yeah, right,” I sneered incredulously.
“Hey, I said I’m fine. Besides, I still have a job in my office. My boss will rip my head off if I don’t finish it today.”
“He might rip something more if he sees you walking like this into the police station,” I added.
And that gave Gregory a lot to think about.
“Good point,” he said while pointing his finger at me.
“Okay, come on, I'll drive you home. If your boss fires you for the alcoholism, you won’t be of much use to us anymore.”
“Wow, only a true friend would be that truly honest,” stated Gregory. Although my words sounded harsh, he didn’t seemed to be offended that much. “But still, there’s something that bothers me.”
“Yes?”
“How the hell did this little Pinkie convinced you to do party at your house?” He asked with a curious tone. “No matter how hard I tried you never seemed to listen to my request.”
“Well, let's just say ... that she has a gift of persuasion.” Not to mention that I get to keep the full control of the guest’s list. “Besides, didn’t we had a party each time you brought a box of whiskey?”
Gregory frowned at my words and sighed deeply.
“Alex, let me explain this to you, one more time. Two guys, drinking alcohol while watching a dog licking his balls … that’s not a party ... it’s more like a sad prelude to the even bitter grievances. You dig?”
“If you say so,” I replied mockingly.
As we were about to leave the house Gregory turned around one last time and gazed at the girls who were still watching him from the living room.
“Goodbye, dear ladies. As soon as I find something, I’ll let you know,” he said when he noticed little Pinkie who was happily bouncing around him.
“♪Don’t forget the party♪,” she sang cheerfully.
“Not a chance,” he replied. He pulled the door handle and after receiving a slight electrical shot he energetically moved it back. “What the [beep].”
While Gregory was massaging his sore hand, I gazed at princess Luna, who by realizing what just happened, have quickly removed the spell. When she nodded I slowly placed my hand on the handle and managed to open the door. Gregory, who was still caressing his hand, looked at me questioningly. I just shrugged my shoulders and soon we both were driving towards his house, which was located somewhere in the town’s center.
Four hours later
Another night came, as with it all the house residents went for their well deserved sleep. All, but one.
While doing her usual night watch Princess Luna was sitting alone in an armchair which was placed right opposite to the fireplace. Being covered with a blanket she didn’t seem like giving up to the peace and silence of this room. Ever since they arrived here, her mind didn’t allow her to calm down. She realized that this was due to the frequent lack of sleep that seemed to worsen her mind state. And still, there wasn’t anything she could do about it. This place, this house, this dimension … they all seemed so strange and foreign to her. She didn’t know why, but unlike the others, she couldn’t let it go. But one thing was certain; at this point she would do anything to see her kingdom once again.
The sudden evil sneer reached her ears, forcing her to open her eyes. She tried not to pay attention to it, but the cold and hideous sneer seemed to penetrate into the deepest parts of her mind. She knew what it was. She remembered it from long ago. She was used to it somehow.
This sinister sneer seemed to be everywhere. In a scary manner it merged perfectly with each dark corner of the room as it effectively attacked the remaining remnants of her inner peace which allowed her to think rationally.
Suddenly she heard a creaking sound coming from somewhere behind her back. Slowly, while leaning her head from behind the armchair’s seatback, she directed her gaze towards the door leading to the bathroom located on the lower floor of the house. The door was still swaying slightly, but without a doubt they were the source of this sound. The light inside was flickering rapidly while Luna noticed a deadly snicker coming from inside that room.
After leaving her armchair she slowly began to walk toward the bathroom while trying not to pay any attention to this chuckle. When she reached the room, the irritating flickering light froze, covering an entire room in complete darkness. With a little help of magic her eye pupils glow in bright light, as her night vision allowed her to embrace the whole room while walking inside. Her careful observation quickly insured her that the room was empty.
After spreading her wings she soon landed on a long marble table with an embedded small sink inside. She noticed her reflection in the big mirror, which covered the entire width of the wall in front of her. Her messed up mane and bloodshot eyes have perfectly embodied her state of mind. She couldn’t believe how much she managed to neglect herself with the lack of sleep. Sighing deeply she slowly turned on the sink’s faucet and carefully began to wash her face.
The towel carried by the levitation spell soon plunged itself into her wet tired face. In the meantime, the light in the room began to flicker again. And then ... she heard it again, this cold mocking snicker, which was now clearer than before. Casting the towel aside helped her to see her reflection once more.
Suddenly, she froze. There was someone in the room. This being, whose fur carried a darker shade than hers, was glaring at her with its crimson eyes filled with scorn, while baring its sharp teeth in a sinister smile.
“You ...” Luna drawled ominously at her diabolical reflection. While uttering the sinister snickering, it was enticingly swinging its mane.
“Tell me Lulu, do you also believe that talking to oneself implies falling into a madness?” came the cold question from the sinister being.
Luna shook her head while trying to bring back all her senses. Some part of her wanted to deny what she was witnessing now. That this sinister creature should have been annihilated. That the harmony gems would wipe out every smallest part of its existence from her body. She would like to believe that all she was experiencing now would be nothing more than a ...
“Nightmare?” completed the dark reflection for her. Well, she was sitting in her mind, so it was logical that she could read her every thought. Suddenly, Luna’s nightmarish reflection began to emerge itself from the mirror. “Wasn’t that what you used to be called, Lulu?”
Luna barely managed to hold back her outburst. Ever since her return she was often attacked in her dreams by this creature. Fortunately, all that remained in her mind ... was only a mere shadow of the former being called Nightmare Moon. Being at her full strength, Luna always managed to repel Nightmares Moon’s attacks. However, due to the lack of sleep and her limited power capacities, the coins seemed to be flipped now. Luna never decided to share her secret with Celestia. This was her problem, and her responsibility to solve it.
“Get lost.” Luna’s cold voice didn’t seem to work. Her nightmare reflection stopped about an inch from her.
“Oh my, what a scary expression ... maybe I shouldn’t stand so close to you, *snicker*. I wonder …” said amused Nightmare Moon. “… is it perhaps the affection that Celestia has for this ... human?”
Luna felt a strange surge of adrenaline rising when Alex appeared in her mind.
“What ... what nonsense. Tia knows perfectly well that we have no time for this. And besides, he’s a human … representative of a different species.”
“And yet, it didn’t stop her in taking a human form. Do you really think that she did it only because she wanted to deceive his friend?” Luna hesitated for a moment, but quickly remembered how painful it was for Celestia when she lost her lover Sombra. Surely she wasn’t planning on going through this again.
“Hmph, what nonsense,” gasped Luna.
“*Snicker*, I thought so. You probably haven’t even noticed the way she looks at him, or how he reacts when she’s around. You should definitely take a nap, Lulu. Lack of sleep badly affects your perception ... not to mention logical thinking. Treat it … as a friendly advice.”
“You know nothing about friendship. Someone like you doesn’t even deserve it. Not after what you made me go through. But mark my word, you’ll pay me for each day of banishment. One day I’ll make you disappear once and for all ... I so swear.”
Nightmare Moon didn’t respond to her threats. She just stood there and kept smiling.
Suddenly, the entire room began to sink into the darkness. The marble top they both were standing on soon turned into a rocky cliff. As Luna started to nervously look around, she noticed a cold and dark abyss behind her.
“It won’t be long now,” she heard a cold sneer.
While using an offensive spell, Nightmare Moon charged at her in full armor. Before Luna could even react, her body got struck with an electrical shot which have blown her aback. Her body became numb as she began falling into the dark abyss. She wanted to fly … but her wings weren’t responding. After trying to use her magic, she only felt a hard pain piercing her skull. Luna felt hopeless. She could only hear the wind whistle … and someone’s evil laugh echoing in her head.
Suddenly she noticed the spiked rocky bottom which was approaching faster every second. So this is the end. She firmly shut her eyes and braced herself for an impact.
*THUMP*
After opening her eyes, she realized that she was wrapped in something. It was blocking her view, so she struggled hard while trying to relies herself. It didn’t take her long when she tossed the material from her head. As she began to notice her surroundings, she realized that the dark abyss and the rocky bottom were gone. The wooden floor on which she was lying now, while being wrapped in a blanket, creaked under her weight. The fireplace in front of her was calming and warm. From the corner of her eye she saw the armchair she used to sit before. She returned home ... Alex’s home that is. Usually, she would be displeased by this. But compared to what she had just experienced, this situation was rather pleasing.
Luna sighed deeply and placed her head on her front hooves. She felt so exhausted that she didn’t even care to move.
Then, she heard it again. This cold and sinister sneer. She gazed in horror at the bathroom where the light began to flicker once more. She looked away and covered her ears. She felt like her real nightmare was just about to begin.
to be continued …
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I loved the chapter. Can't wait for chapter 9 to be released. Also if luna is having nightmares she should just sleep with celestia.
6160251
Thanks, the next chapter is just around the corner
And you're right, she should sleep beside her sister. But just like in Equestria, she is used to stay on guard during the night. Call it a professional bias. And believe me, that being she met at her dream is more real than you think
6160320 I figured that nightmare moon would play a part in the next chapter or so. She isn't a character you mention then just leave out.
So, I take it that Equestria has no concept of sacred hospitality.
6571746
Oh no, they still have it … but only insane believe that you have to be naive and defenseless to truly enjoy peace.