When Dead Eyes See the World
Life is strange.
In fact, life can be downright disturbing at times.
Now you might think that after a few million years of living it, that it would start to lose that quality.
Unfortunately, you would be all too sorely mistaken.
These were the thoughts that currently happened to be plaguing the mind of a certain black robed character, as he stood almost motionless with his back to the wall, waiting patiently for his newest companion to return to consciousness.
Quite surprisingly, patience was actually not one of Erebus’ strong points. Indeed, even after laying dormant for many an age, he found that his anxiety was an issue that almost always got the better of him more often than not. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that he was currently nearing his wits end due to the boredom.
“Well, things just keep on getting better, don't they?” He said to no one in particular. “I mean, it's one thing to sleep in a cave for an entire era, but sitting in a hole for over an hour with nothing to do but play with rocks…that’s just way more fun.”
He took a moment to gaze around the small area that they were currently in. Since the cargo lift had finally ended its ten minute ride upwards, the human had unsurprisingly discovered that the princess had in fact passed out somewhere along the way, but luckily had not lost the contents of her stomach as well. After forcibly removing her from the now damaged straps, along with a few fruitless attempts to wake her, he finally resolved to simply lay her down in the cavern just outside the lift and wait for her to come to. Of course, the whole prospect of waiting had seemed less painful when he was still unaware that the cavern’s exit was barely ten yards away.
“You know…this is almost like one of those weird lucid dreams that people sometimes have.” He took a moment to let out a bored sigh before continuing his little rant. “I mean here I am sitting with an pony princess who just happened to come along and wake me up. Now I wind up at a point where I can literally smell the world outside…only to not be able to see it with my own eyes.”
With a quizzical look on his face, he slowly lifted his hand to his mouth before biting down on his palm. The pain alone was barely enough to even register with him to begin with, but the small stream of blood that dripped off his hand was more than enough to put his suspicions to rest.
He sighed and began sucking on the small wound. “Nope, this was probably too weird to be a dream in the first place.”
Then again, Erebus wouldn’t really know, he couldn’t dream.
However, as the minutes continuously went by…the concept of dreaming was beginning to become more and more appealing, even if only to find some form of alleviation for his boredom.
Gazing down at the pony before him, he couldn’t help but assault his mind with a fresh wave of questions. Truly who was this Princess Luna, and how did she correlate with his recent awakening? While it was true that she held a small amount of the self-same power that he possessed, that didn’t seem to be close to the full picture.
Crossing his arms beneath his cloak, he quickly found himself focused on a currently more pressing question. “What am I going to do with myself in this new age?”
Indeed, this was something that had failed to give his undivided attention to. It was clear that he knew next to nothing about the state of the outside world, or how it might be affected by his presence. Quite truthfully, the only tether he currently had to the current age was this small blue pony.
“Heh…Well my future certainly looks as sunny as can be.” He chuckled to himself. “All the same...maybe things will be different this time around.”
Just at that very moment, a soft groan happened to tear him back into reality. Looking back at the alicorn before him, he silently rejoiced in the fact that she was finally regaining consciousness. Peeling himself off the cave wall, he took a step forward and knelt down but otherwise retained his distance…he tried to keep some respect for other’s personal space.
The princess began to slowly open her eyes, a pained and disoriented expression painted on her face. Erebus could only imagine how uncomfortable sleeping on a stone floor for an hour could be for a creature with wings, even if he had taken the time to try and keep her out of that situation.
After a few moments of blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Luna panned her head back and forth before stopping abruptly on the black shadow looming before her. “For the love of Equestria, you nearly gave us a heart attack Erebus!”
The human internally shrugged. “Well then, so much for keeping my distance.”
“Well, I tend to have that effect on people…it would seem that now applies to ponies as well.” He gave her a smug look. “I take it that the princess was able to catch up on her beauty sleep then?”
This remark earned him a particularly peeved glare. “You know, it is not as if we find any enjoyment in the concept of passing out in the middle of some cave that nopony has ever heard of.” She gave off a small huff. “Truthfully, we thought that we might have simply imagined the whole experience.”
Erebus took a moment to chuckle at that remark. “Yes…well I’m pleased to tell you that you’re not the only one with that train of thought.”
“Yes, we were only expecting as much.” The princess began rubbing her forehead as she took in the rest of her surroundings. “Would we be correct in saying that the lift did in fact take us to the surface then? This certainly looks little different from the tunnels we were in just a while ago.”
“Well then, obviously your eyes haven’t had the proper time to adjust correctly.” Taking a hand out from beneath his robe, Erebus gestured behind himself.
Luna gave him a confused look before straining her eyes into the cavern beyond. What she soon noticed almost immediately merited a rather energetic response.
“Is-is that light? Are you saying that we’re finally through with this nightmarish place!?” The Princess all too quickly jumped to her hooves. However, she failed to take into account her body’s current disorientation, and nearly fell face first into the ground.
Swiftly noticing that Luna’s legs weren’t about to support her anytime soon, Erebus was quick to put himself between the princess and the floor.
Picking her back up while being careful not to touch her wings, he slowly steadied her against the side of his leg. “Careful there princess…the ride you took to get here hasn’t been one of the easiest, and it wouldn’t do you any good to go ruining a pretty face like that.”
Luna began to blush slightly at his comment. She knew that he meant it only to help her feel better, but it wasn’t often that somepony gave her a compliment like that.
“Oh…of course, but please forgive us…it is our fault for not paying attention to how truly exhausted we were.”
Keeping her supported against his side, Erebus glanced down at her leg momentarily. “Truth be told, I’m surprised that you’re able to stand up at all…much less so quickly. To be completely honest, my little stunt with your leg isn’t exactly a permanent fix, and when combined with everything else you’ve been through…well you’re certainly sturdier than I’d have guessed at first glance.”
Luna gave him a small grin. “Yes well, we have always been told that we can be incredibly stubborn when we feel the need.” Motioning down the tunnel, she added. “All the same…you wouldn’t mind if we could both put this cave behind us for good…would you?”
Her companion chuckled slightly. “Heheh...No, I wouldn’t mind in the slightest princess. I merely wanted to be sure that you were in well enough condition to travel before we actually started to get going.”
Deciding to test this, Luna took a tentative step forward, faltering slightly but otherwise keeping her balance. “We believe that we should be alright for the most part, but your support would be very much appreciated…should the need arise.”
Erebus began to slowly walk in step beside her. “Not an issue in the slightest princess. I would be more than happy to oblige.”
As the two started to make their way down the final stretches that made up the tunnel, the light that had painted the stone walls soon began to grow ever brighter in intensity, and as they rounded one last bend, the cave seemed to end and open up so abruptly that it may as well not have existed in the first place.
Immediately, they both found themselves thrust straight into the middle of a symphony of wildlife. The stone floor they had just traversed was completely unrecognizable from the endless sea of grass that now lay before them, unkempt and littered with all different kinds of bushes and vines. Hundreds of ancient and gnarled trees loomed over them, their branches swaying in a cool breeze. Far above them, the moon hung gracefully in the night sky, casting its brilliant light down through the darkened canopy of the Everfree.
Erebus and Luna simply stood frozen, completely awestruck by the sight before them.
“Stars above…we…we never thought that we could ever actually feel any form of relief in laying eyes upon the Everfree Forest.”
Luna gazed up at her partner, who was in turn gazing out at the forest with an unflinching stare.
The princess raised an eyebrow at him. “Erebus, what is it? Is something wrong?”
Erebus took a moment to remove his hood before looking down at the alicorn, an energetic smile upon his face. “Princess…you can’t even begin to guess how wrong you are.”
Staring up at the treetops, he slowly inhaled a long breath through his nose before letting it loose once more through his mouth. “This place…I can’t even begin to describe it. All the different smells, the lighting, the unbridled wildlife, and even the simple grass beneath me…I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
Walking towards one of the closest trees, he placed his hand against its side. Ever so gently, as not to cause harm, he merged the smallest parts of his essence with the tree's own, using it to link himself to the rest of the area. His mind raced as he gazed out into the night, gathering all he could from the forest's natural leylines. Owls silently kept watch from atop their perches, smaller mammals scurried from one hiding spot to another, and strange packs of unknown predators silently moved throughout their territory.
"Amazing, truly this is amazing. This place is ancient, yet it still holds so much energy and life within itself."
A wave of regret began to course through him as he lifted his hand away from the bark. "How could they have let it degrade to the point that it did?" He whispered. "How could we have been so foolish and blind?"
Luna frowned in confusion. “What do mean that you’ve never experienced anything like this before? Are you truly saying that you’ve never once experienced nature in your entire life?”
She could have sworn she saw the man’s smile falter as he answered her. “Well…yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. While I’m sure I can understand where your confusion is stemming from, you have to remember princess…I’ve lived underground for all of my years. This whole ordeal is as exciting for me, as the city must have been for you.”
Luna stared up at him, her mind at a standstill. "To never once be able to experience the natural world? How could anyone that has ever lived hope to survive in such a manner?" As she continued to mull over these thoughts, she soon found herself pondering a far more important question.
"Erebus, might we ask you something?"
The human looked over at her. "Of course princess, what is that you want to know?"
"Well...we know that you haven't had any contact with the world for some time now, and you obviously aren't quite up to date with the current state of things. Therefore we have wondering...where exactly do you plan to go from here?"
Erebus shifted his gaze around the forest, taking in his surroundings. "Princess...I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that question. If what you've said is true, and humans are naught but mythology in this age, then I'm afraid it would be unwise for me to appear among your kind unannounced."
The princess took that into consideration. "Yes, it does hold true that your appearance would cause a bit of a stir among the masses. However, as royalty, we know a way that we can amend that issue with some relative ease."
"Princess, I'm honored that you would take my well being into account...but I'm afraid I simply can't ask something like that of you." He shook his head. "It would be disrespectful to take of advantage of your hospitality in such a manner."
The alicorn simply scoffed at this statement. "Oh come now, it would disrespectful of us to simply let you wander around the world all by your lonesome. Besides, you aren't asking to begin with...we are offering."
Erebus glanced down at her nervously. "You're sure then...you're sure that your people wouldn't mind having me among them?"
Luna smiled up at him. "Why of course not, we can easily arrange with our sister to have you welcomed into Equestria with open hooves! After you have taken the time to escort us, this is the least we can do for you in return."
Her companion took a moment to think this over. "Well...I suppose there wouldn't be very much sense in rejecting a proposal such as that, especially given my current situation. Also, I suppose I'm still not quite done escorting you...am I?"
"That is quite the excellent way of putting it! We're sure that when all is said and done, fitting in with everypony else should be no issue for you at all." The princess continued to smile up at him.
"I just have one question for you princess."
Luna cocked her head. "What exactly might that be Erebus?"
The human put a hand on the back of his head. "Would you be so kind as to direct me towards the place I'm escorting you to? I'm afraid that I'm out of touch with the lay of the land."
Almost immediately Luna's mind drew a blank.
Under most normal circumstances, if she found herself traversing the Everfree, she would have brought some form of pathfinder with her. Whether this pathfinder was an actual pony or a simple map didn't quite matter, it was simply crucial to have some way of finding a path out of the forest. Unfortunately for Princess Luna...bringing a map had been the one thing that had slipped her mind.
Luna glanced up at the trees around her. "Well...umm...it should be...north?"
Erebus brought a hand up to his face. "You don't know your way around here either...do you?"
"Well, it is slightly more simple to find our way when we can simply fly over the trees." The princess grinned sheepishly. "However, given that our wings are currently too sore to fly..."
"Yes...I suppose that would put a stop to that plan." Erebus took a moment to ponder over the situation. "Princess, you said that our destination is to the north...correct?"
"Indeed, Ponyville lies directly on the border of the Everfree Forest, and beyond that lies Canterlot."
"Ponyville...Canterlot?" Erebus decided to lay those thoughts aside for the moment. "Well then, that works towards our advantage. Once the morning comes, it shouldn't be all that difficult to find markers that can help us discern which way north is."
'Well, we suppose that would currently be our best option...unless." Luna's eyes lit up as she remembered her link with her sister. As she closed her eyes and attempted to reach out to her though, she found that she still could not find any coherent connection. A scowl set itself upon her face as she attempted to gather some form of energy to her horn...only to find that she was still experiencing a damper to her spellcasting.
"Why in Equestria is this still happening to us?"
Erebus raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Unless...what Princess?"
Luna gave off a defeated sigh as she answered him. "Nothing...pay it no mind, we were merely mistaken about something."
Her companion gave off a shrug at this. "Very well then, if you say so."
He gazed down at her. "With that out of the way though, I suppose it would be best if I found found a place to set up a camp for the both of us then, correct? After all, I don't think that it would do us much good to go around traversing a place such as this in the dead of the night."
The princess nodded her head at this. As much as she okay with the dark of the night, she still was far from okay with running around the Everfree while it was pitch black.
Spinning himself around to gain a quick scan of the area, Erebus eventually came to rest his eyes on a small clearing, nestled between some trees. "Hmmm...how about that little clearing there Princess? From what I can make out, it seems relatively spacious, as well as being clear of most brush and debris."
Luna glanced nervously over at the circle. "Are you quite sure about that Erebus? It doesn't seem to offer much in the way of cover. If it isn't too much to ask, perhaps we could find another spot.?"
Erebus shook his head. "Now Princess, I might not know much about the great outdoors, but I know enough to realize that it wont get that much better than a few shrubs. Besides, as I said before, wandering around would most likely be ill-advised. Unless of course...you would rather go spend the night in the cave?"
Luna's eyes went wide at this statement. "No, that's uh...quite alright...the clearing should work out just fine for us."
"Alright then, come on and let's go have a closer look." Her companion chuckled lightly as he slowly led her towards the circle of trees.
Upon arrival, Erebus let out a sigh of contentment. "Look at that Princess, you had yourself worried over completely nothing. The grass is more than comfortable enough to lay on, there are no rocks or roots that could cause a problem, and the surrounding brush is more than sufficient as a source of cover. All in all...it looks pretty damn good from where I'm standing."
While all of what Erebus said was true, Luna couldn't help but be a little hesitant about spending the night in such a place. "Yes, given the current circumstances we must simply have to make good with what is offered to us. All the same, we cannot help but feel quite exposed in a place such as this."
Her companion nodded his head at this. "I'll agree that it's not exactly an optimal location, but all the same you shouldn't have to worry. I'll be keeping watch throughout the night, and I'm quite sure that I can "discourage" any inquisitive beings."
Setting herself down near the side of a large tree, Luna cast a worried glance up at Erebus. "You can't mean to say that you'll going the entire time without rest, can you? While we can understand that it would be best if watch was kept throughout the night, surely you yourself would require some form of rest, would you not?"
Erebus just shrugged at this. "Princess, I've been asleep in a cave for longer than your species has existed. While I appreciate your concern, I'm sure it would do me far better to not close my eyes tonight...I'll be far too interested in what's around me."
He leaned himself against one of the nearby trees. "With that said, it's best you get comfortable princess, I would say that it'll be another few hours before the sun begins to rise."
"Yes...and she's going to be wondering where exactly we ran off to." Luna thought as she did her best to cover herself with her cloak, the cool air of the Everfree starting to work itself through the trees.
As the frigid air continued to blow past her though, the princess found herself fighting an uphill battle. Despite the fact that her cloak was constructed of rather thick material, and that it covered most of her body, she found that it was doing little to alleviate the icy breeze.
She gazed up at her companion. "Erebus...do you think that the two of us might able to get a fire started? We're afraid that the weather isn't going to let up anytime soon."
"You're probably right about the weather, but I'm afraid that a fire is out of the question Princess." The human pointed a finger out towards the surrounding trees. "You might not have noticed, but there are a fair number of different creatures watching us even now...and that's with the lights out. If we were to get a fire going, it would undoubtedly draw in far more unwanted attention. Not only that, but the local flora is far too overgrown to light a fire safely...one stray ember could set this place ablaze."
Luna scowled slightly upon hearing this. While it was true that she had to agree with what he had said, this only served to worsen the effect the cold had upon her.
"It is quite alright then, we should be able to make it through the rest of the night just fine." She did her best to avoid shivering as she said this.
Her best was not good enough however, as Erebus quickly noticed.
Rolling his eyes and smiling slightly, he slowly walked over to the alicorn. "Well, you certainly weren't lying when you said that you were stubborn."
Pulling an arm out of his cloak and bringing it up to his hood, he slipped his head beneath the scarf that connected his garb, and deftly pulled the entire robe off his body. Holding it before Luna's face, he said. "Here, this will help to keep you warm until morning."
...
The princess simply stared up at him wide-eyed, trying to take in the sudden change in scene.
Before this moment, her human companion had been an almost complete mystery, with his attire giving him an otherworldly and detached feel. As Luna stared up him now, it was as if he was someone completely different. This was after all, the first live human to ever be seen on the face of the planet.
As she had guessed, his upper body was mostly reminiscent of what she knew of minotaurs, albeit somewhat less bulky, but otherwise a similar comparison. Covering most of his chest was a dark blue garment that seemed mostly similar in make to his cloak, reaching up to just below his neck. Encasing this, was a segmented crimson chest piece, giving off a metallic sheen in the low moonlight. Covering his legs, was apparently the selfsame cloth that covered his upper torso, reaching about halfway down. The other half was firmly secured in two armored boots, providing cover all the way around.
Glancing at his arms, she saw something that had previously slipped her notice. Hidden behind one of his bracers, almost barely visible in the dark, was the end of jagged scar, leading up a good portion of his left arm. Despite the many times he had gestured or used his arms for any other reason, he had always attempted to make use of his right arm unless he required both. It was only now that the princess realized the exact reason for this.
"We can understand that he may wish to keep his wound concealed, but with him being so deliberate about it, could there perhaps be some deeper motive?"
Her thoughts were cut short as Erebus shifted his arm to a different angle, once again obscuring the wound from view.
"Um...hello, you still there Princess?"
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she hesitantly answered. "B-but...your cloak, surely you need it...do you not?"
Erebus took a few moments to stare at her, completely dumbfounded, before breaking out into a small fit of laughter.
"Hehehehe...that's uh...hehe, that's pretty good. Don't worry Princess, I understand where you're coming from on this one." Shaking his head slightly, he continued. "No, contrary to popular belief, my robe isn't permanently fused to my body. While it's true that I prefer to keep it on my person at all times, and I probably look completely different without it. All the same, should the need arise, I will in fact remove it."
He continued to dangle it before her. "Now then, do you want to take it or not?"
Luna hesitantly reached out a hoof towards it. "What about yourself though...surely you will begin to grow cold as well?"
Erebus simply smiled as he laid the large cloak out on top of her own. "I'm touched by your concern Princess, but I assure you that I'll be just fine. During my own time, I was normally put under duress by harsh environments...the wind should be of little concern to me."
Almost immediately Luna noticed the difference. The instant the cloak touched her fur, the wind simply seemed to cease to exist...quickly replaced by a dull warmth that the fabric seemed to exude.
Erebus grinned as he noticed the expression on her face relax. "Quite the handy little robe isn't it? Just don't go asking me what it's crafted from, as even I can't say...it was passed on to me many years ago."
As he turned to walk back towards the tree he was using, Luna called out to him. "Excuse us...Erebus?"
Turning back towards her, he answered. "Is there something that you need Princess?"
The princes shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. We just...we simply wanted to thank you."
Upon hearing this, a genuine smile lit up the human's face. "Please, think nothing of it. It's more than enough knowing that I was capable of aiding you Princess."
Leaning up against the old tree, he crossed his arms and turned his head towards her. "Now then, I think it would be best if you got yourself some rest that isn't a byproduct of you passing out."
Luna scoffed at this. "We'll have you know that we could easily stay awake throughout the entire night, if we so pleased." She did her best to stifle a yawn.
Erebus just chuckled. "I'm sure that any other time you could, however...that doesn't seem to be the case as of now. You've had it rough for a little while now, so just try to get a few hours of sleep...so I won't have to carry you in the morning."
Despite rolling her eyes, Luna knew he was right. "We may be the Princess of the Night, but we suppose that what we have been through would exhaust almost anypony."
Staring up at her companion, she found him idly twisting a leaf between his fingers, slowly examining each side. She couldn't help but smile at this. "Very well, best to leave him to his own devices...no doubt he'll have much to keep himself occupied."
As she laid her head on her hooves and gazed out tiredly at the grass, the warmth of the robe seemed to wash over her entire body. Though she wondered as to whether or not the fabric may be enchanted, her body began to relax ever further, slowly lulling her deeper and deeper towards sleep. Until finally, she allowed her eyes to slip shut, drifting off into a peaceful blackness.
...
"Young one...there you are."
----------------------------------
Darkness.
Emptiness.
Princess Luna could not make sense of where she currently was.
She could see nothing.
Hear nothing.
Feel nothing.
"What is this place?" She asked, attempting to turn herself around.
However, try as she might, she found that she could not make her body move in any direction. Her entire body felt leaden and unresponsive, and her thoughts seemed detached and hazy, forcing her to focus harshly on whatever she was trying to move. As she continued to struggle to see, a distinct realization began to dawn upon her.
"We are moving, there simply is nothing to see...nothing here at all. This place is nothing but darkness, stretching onward infinitely."
Slowly spinning herself in a circle, this was quickly confirmed to be true. No matter where she looked, or how hard she attempted to pierce the black veil...the scenery never changed, and the darkness never lessened.
Standing there amidst the nothing that surrounded her, Luna began to contemplate why she had been brought here. "Surely this is no dream, as we would easily be able to identify it as one. No, this is something vastly different...something that should not be."
As she was sorting through her thoughts however, she began to develop a strange feeling at the core of her being. Her muscles began to tense up as she realized what exactly this feeling was.
Something was watching her...
Her ears folded back as she backpedaled and rapidly shifted her gaze around the area, desperately attempting to find whatever was observing her. As she continued to move backwards however, she found her path abruptly blocked by something behind her. Whipping her head back at the source of whatever had touched her, she found absolutely nothing to be there, just the same as it was before.
"This makes no sense...what exactly is going on here?"
No sooner had she formed these thoughts, than a dull gray light began to peel away the darkness, temporarily blinding the princess as it enveloped her.
Squinting her eyes against the sudden illumination, Luna did her best to try and make sense of what was happening. After a few moments of blinking and rubbing her eyes with her hoof, what was laid out before her slowly started to become a much clearer picture.
The princess found herself in a forest. A forest, which by the looks of it, was very much reminiscent of the Everfree. However, there were quite a few differences between the two, all of which Luna could easily pick out.
To start off with...all of the trees were dead. Their branches were devoid of any leaves that hey might have bore, and the bark on their trunks was peeling and decayed, revealing many different cracks throughout the wood.
The same held true for the ground that she stood upon. While it held true that it was still quite overgrown with grass and weeds, the wild green blades she had just been resting upon were far dissimilar from the drooping brown ones that cracked and broke beneath her hooves.
A thick mist hung in the air, obscuring much from her immediate sight. Although she attempted to clear away some of the fog with her wings, she soon found that she could make no discernible effect upon it, it was as if the mist was capable of stilling the very air itself.
Looking up towards the sky, she found something more that she could not explain. While the light that illuminated the area was quite reminiscent of the moonlight she knew so well, there was no visible source to the dull lighting. Whether hidden behind the fog, or simply nonexistent...she could not tell.
Glancing behind her, she noticed that she had backed into a large black tree, just as decrepit as the rest of its brethren. "Ah, so that's what it was...thank goodness. For a time, we thought that we had actually backed into something more lively. Now then, we must still find out the nature of why we were drawn to place, as this all still makes so little sense."
She had just resolved to to wander the premises to see if she might find some form of answer, when out of the corner of her eye, a looming black shadow caught her attention.
Her eyes widened as she ever so slowly turned her head towards the source of the shadow. Her gaze came to rest upon a giant dark figure, covered from top to bottom with a seamless and flowing black robe, obscuring all details from her sight.
As she stared up at the figure, completely horrified, something happened that she least expected...a voice issued forth. A smooth and calm, yet powerful and ancient voice that seemed to cut through the very air itself.
"Well met...young one."
The figure's imposing image, coupled with its powerful voice immediately caused Luna's body to shake.
The being remained completely still as it continued to address her. "Oh come now, there is no reason for you to fear...I assure you wholeheartedly that I mean you no harm, Princess Luna."
The alicorn's head snapped up at this remark. "Y-you...you know who we are?" She asked shakily.
"Indeed...there is much that I know, and I know much of you...little princess."
It leaned forward as it continued. "In fact, I have been waiting to speak with you for quite some time now."
Luna slightly shied away from its sudden advance. "Who exactly are you...if you are someone that knows of us, then perhaps we know of you?"
The figure simply shook its hooded head at this. "There is a chance that you would know of me, as there is a chance that many know of me...however, even if you do, you would find it difficult to recollect. As for who I am...I am no one of consequence."
Luna quickly became puzzled at his answer, but the being continued before she could respond.
"Now then, might I ask that you join me for a short stroll? It would do little good for me to have called you all this way, simply to waste time on idle conversation."
While it was true that upsetting the being was currently the last thing on Luna's mind, she was finding it difficult to ascertain his motives.
"Hold a moment, while it is true that we were curious as to why we were brought to this place...how can we be sure that we can trust you?"
Returning to its full height, the figure gave her a simple answer. "I'm afraid you can't, as you currently have no firm reason to do so. However, I know enough about you to hope that you might give me the benefit of the doubt...if nothing else."
Though she didn't enjoy the thought, she knew that this figure was correct. If what it said was true, then it could very easily be the being that called out to her from the very beginning. With this in mind, she wasn't about to let her only opportunity at answers simply fall away.
She glanced up hesitantly. "Very well...we will listen to what it is you have to say, so long as you answer any of our own questions."
The figure seemed to consider her words for a moment before answering. "On any other occasion, I could very easily consider your words presumptuous...however, I suppose the fact that you stand here now is enough reason to allow your questions. Come now...walk with me."
Even as she began to step forward, the princess shrank back at his words. "We know not what or who this being is, but it is obvious that it commands authority. With that in mind, it would be best that we think carefully before we speak."
The figure began to slowly walk down a a small dirt path leading through the forest, following a few steps behind, Luna asked. "You said that you were the one that called us to this place. With that in mind, was it also you that reached out to us within our dreams?"
The being kept his head straight as he strode forward. "I am afraid that I while I know of what you speak, I had no part to play. What you speak of, was in fact a product of the one you currently travel with."
Luna's eyes widened as it said this. "Erebus? How do you know of Erebus?"
Her words made the figure stop mid-stride to look down at her. In that moment, a bone chilling sound issued forth from its hood. A slow, deliberate, and hollow laugh that made the alicorn's fur stand on edge.
"Erebus? Is that truly what he is being known as in this age?" It slowly shook its head. "To this day, that one never fails to amuse me."
"Now then, I shall answer your question in time. First, do enlighten me on what you yourself know about your companion."
The princess cautiously glanced upward. "Very well, but we are afraid there is not much that we might be able to tell you. Throughout our journey, Erebus has been less than outgoing about his past."
The being nodded. "That is all I needed to hear, as I certainly expected nothing less."
"What then was the point of asking us?" Luna questioned.
"Simply so that I might be sure. I find that he can be quite...unpredictable at times." It responded.
Motioning with its head for the alicorn to follow, it began continuing its way down the path. "Now then, I believe you inquired as to how I myself know of your friend. Well then, I shall be more than willing to enlighten you."
"The one you know as Erebus has a long and rather complicated history. I myself have been present with him throughout every moment of it. You might say that the two of us have known each other for our entire lives."
"If nothing else, the two share appearance quite closely." Luna thought to herself. "If you have known him for so long, are you in some way connected?"
"Indeed we are, inextricably and by bonds stronger than blood itself. Throughout the ages, I have watched over him, followed him, and protected him to the best of my ability." It took a moment before continuing. "Although now, he has resolved to deny not only our presence, but also our assistance. He cannot learn to simply set aside his harsher past with me, even when it causes him pain to carry with him."
"For this reason princess, I have called you to speak with me." It gazed down at her. "You are here, so that you might succeed where I am unable."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" The princess asked nervously.
"What I speak of, is that I wish for you to watch over him in my stead." It answered. "I would ask that you offer him aid in times when he most requires it...even if he does not wish it."
Luna wracked her brain trying to make sense of this. "Why would you ask this of us though? What makes us stand out from any other that you might have chosen?"
"Yes...I expected that you might ask that of me. The answer is simple...you and Erebus share a unique bond."
The princess stared up at the figure, awestruck at what he had just said. "What exactly is meant by that? If we know almost absolutely nothing of him, how could we possibly share any form of connection with him?!"
"Peace young one, there is no reason to raise your voice, as I shall answer your questions in due time. Simply walk with me, and be calm." It continued forward. "Do you not remember your dream, and the voice you heard?"
"Yes we remember, in what manner does Erebus connect to that?" She asked.
"During his long slumber, his subconscious mind was actively reaching out, doing anything it could to draw the attention of another being. The reason your mind was able to connect with these attempts, is due to the residual energies within you."
Luna scowled as she tried to make sense of this. "He told us that we are both capable of manipulating the same energy, but we found no reason to believe that was the reason behind all this."
The being nodded. "That is only a part of the larger picture. The true reason you and he are connected in such a manner, is not merely because you share the same power...but because both of you gained your abilities from the same direct source. No other wielders such as the two of you even exist."
"How is a thing such as that possible?" Luna asked, desperate for answers.
"I am afraid that I cannot say, even with my knowledge of things. Workings such as this are rarely coincidence, with this being even less so."
Gazing out ahead of them, the figure sighed suddenly before turning back to the alicorn. "Despite your many questions, I am afraid that my time with you is brief, and I must make haste. Tell me young one, will you listen to my request?"
The princess almost began to protest, but quickly thought better of it. "Yes...we will hear what it is you have to say."
The being bent down slightly, an action that seemed quite awkward to Luna. "You are most gracious for lending your time under such cryptic circumstances. Now then, please listen closely to what I am about to say."
"In the coming future, Erebus will come back into contact with the world...but not the world he once knew. Within your own world, there will situations that he may not fully know how to cope with. When mixed with experiences from his past, the situations that arise could have unprecedented effects upon him."
Its hood dropped, in an almost solemn manner. "Once, I was the closest thing to family that he could ever consider, but now that he refuses to acknowledge me, I find myself in a difficult situation. For his sake princess, please promise me this one thing...promise me that you will watch over him where I cannot. Promise me that you will do what you can to assist him, no matter how deeply he might deny your help. Please promise me...that you will be a friend to him, when he is most in need of one. Finally, promise me that you will not speak of this meeting to him...I fear that my attempt to assist him...would only anger him."
Luna gazed intently into the darkness of the figure's hood, her answer already set within her mind.
"Yes...we promise you that much. We may not know much of you or Erebus, and we may still have many questions that might be left unanswered. All the same, we understand that Erebus is very much alone in this age, and that he will require someone to help him along his way. With that said, we will accept your request...to see that he is not left alone in the days to come."
Slowly the black figure rose to its full height once again. "Thank you young one...truly and most sincerely. You have a kind heart, and the strength to show it. I know now for sure that I leave him in good company."
"Now though, I am afraid that our time together has come to a close. I have important tasks that require my full attention to complete. With that said, I will return you to the place from where you came. I pray that in the future, we might be able to speak again perhaps."
Luna nodded her head at the mysterious figure, still slightly confused at the strange situation, but somewhat glad the whole ordeal was finally at an end. "Very well then, it was certainly a pleasure to be able to speak with you, if not an unexpected one."
"I assure you, the pleasure was all mine. Until we meet again...little princess." It responded.
With those words spoken, the entire landscape begin to dissolve before Luna's eyes, replaced by the same dark void she had seen not long ago.
Within seconds, the darkness enveloped her entire being, dragging her back into unconsciousness.
...
"As it once ended...so it begins."
Well, here it is...a little later than I'd hoped to get it out.
I'd like to give a big shoutout to Twisted Mill for helping me with the proofreading in this chapter.
Also for giving me a few ideas that will come into play later down the line.
So yay, plot points! 
And probably more unanswered questions! 
But not to worry, I promise you that things will start to come together quite soon. (Of course not fully, but we'll get there eventually.)
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Interesting, can't wait to see where this is going.
MLP aside, is your story based on/inspired by something?
5050990
Erebus and the "other" character were originally going to be part of series that me and a friend were working on.
If he were still being true to that version, he would have been a much darker character.
And that series in itself drew inspiration from a few different sources as well.
But at its very base, the way the story will revolve around Erebus is more of an original idea I've been working on for many years now.
5051288
Cool, One of the reasons I've taken a liking to this fic is that it seems like a fairly original concept, which is pretty hard to pull off when it comes to fanfiction.
I have to say that I am enjoying this story. I do hope to see more of it soon. ('
')
Dragonfox
5065997
I'm glad to see that you're enjoying it.
I have a feeling that the being is his own guardian angel of darkness.
5066032
Well, no real spoilers...
But I'm afraid that you might not want to look at him in any form of benevolent manner.
5066032 guardian angel of darkness that makes no sense LOLOLOL.
5066081 so someone that seem good is actually evil, right?
5066942
Not necessarily...
Others may believe that his actions are cruel, while he believes that what he does is beneficial.
Overall, he's not evil...
But he is dark.
5066980 so a chaotic neutral/good being?
5067135
It's difficult to put him on a scale, but that's an acceptable way of putting it.
5067149 mkay
Like it.
Yay I got a shout out Woooooow!
WELL then Mr. Shakespeare.
5118704
No no.
Mr. Shakespeare lives in the room across the way...
I happen to be known as Mr. Xenomorph.
This is getting interesting.
I...
Am...
LOVING IT!
Seriously, this story has got to be one of the best I've read in a long while. You did an excellent job, especially with the whole "Mysterious person who knows Erebus" thing, it makes me want more.
Speaking of which, you got an ETA on the next chapter, or should I just wait until it happens?
5187243
I am quite pleased to see that you've taken such an interest in my story.
As for the next chapter...
Well if you're lucky, I should have it done by either tonight or tomorrow.
Though I will be giving a note as to the future of this story, at the end of said chapter.
(No worries, I'm not gonna be dropping it.)
Thanks again for the support.
5188209 No problem friend, glad to see you're not getting rid of it.
Ok this really makes me slap my face again. Questionable logic.
If they need a higher viewpoint of the area for proper orientation, plus it is said that there are high and sturdy trees around, then why doesn't Luna tell the human to simply climb up the trees just to take a look around over the canopy, in order to find out which direction Canterlot lies? He seems to be in good shape, so it shouldn't be a problem for him. I mean even Bilbo in the Hobbit did the same to find out the direction of the loneley mountain, when the group was trapped in in Mirkwood.
5196146
It seems like a reasonable solution for us, with knowledge of our ability to climb and basic wilderness navigation know-how. But Luna doesn't know if he can climb, and Erebus knows next to nothing of wilderness survival, as he has admitted to not once having been in contact with nature. That being said, I was surprised that he knew what he did, such as fire safety and navigating by the sun and landmarks. Unless he spent some of that timeless eternity reading what knowledge humanity left behind, it seems a little far fetched either way.