Reunion
“Homerun!” The announcer shouts. With that, the game is over. Luna watches as the baseball players begin to sprint towards the center and condense into a group hug. The other team, distraught, hangs their heads in shame.
“Hell of a game, huh, Luna?” Buzz says over the sound of the other fans either shouting, or cheering in the seats. The enthusiastic looking ones, adorned in silly face paint and expensive looking T-Shirts, are either ecstatic that their team won, or depressed that their team lost. Luna nods to Buzz, yet she still didn’t understand the idea of hitting a ball with a fancy stick of wood. “We’d better leave, y’know Neil’s going to be back in an hour or two.” Luna perks up at the mention of Neil’s name. She’s changed a lot during that long year, but she’s still happy as ever to finally see him again. Mike’s even going to be there too, which was a surprise to everybody. He had been very busy with his job as the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, but he’d made an excuse to get out of work for one day.
-----
After a long taxi ride through crowded streets, Luna and Buzz arrive safely at the airport. Buzz looks down at his wrist and reads the time out loud to Luna. “Only about ten minutes, hey, look! I think that’s his plane!” Buzz points to one of the windows near the landing pad. Luna enthusiastically gallops through the crowd of people, causing havoc as she goes. She accidentally trips a suited businessman, but catches him in a cloud of magic.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to trip you.” Luna apologizes as best she can with the suitcase handle in her mouth; the man runs away in fear, he obviously wasn’t an avid watcher of the news. Buzz simply relaxes in his seat and chortles to himself as he watches the event unfold while trying his best to keep his stifled laughter quiet. He didn’t understand the bond that Neil and Luna shared, but it was obviously a strong one seeing as Luna’s pressing her face against a filthy window, looking at a plane. “There he is!” Luna shouted, turning her head to grab Buzz’s attention. “There!” Her hoof clicks against the class when she points to add emphasis. “You see him?”
Buzz grunts as he gets up from his seat and walks over to look out of the window. While putting his hands in his pockets, he says “Yup, that’s definitely him.” Neil, though disheveled, is wearing a genuine smile on his face.
“Hey, guys,” Says a familiar voice from behind. Luna and Buzz turn around to see Mike with his wife under his arm. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Luna smiles, and Buzz extends his hand out in a shake. “Buzz, Luna, this is Pat – my wife.” Luna waves shyly at the woman.
“Heya, everybody.” Pat says. “So, you’re… a pony?” Luna, though concerned, nods slowly. “That’s… interesting.” Awkward silence ensues for around ten excruciating seconds.
“Ahem…” Everybody turns around. “Have any of you seen my idiot husband, Neil?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact I have. He should be here any minute, ma’am.” Buzz says. “I’m Buzz, a friend of his.”
“That’s nice…” The woman says while impatiently taping her foot against the tiled floor, and crossing her arms in annoyed frustration. Luna didn’t really appreciate the woman’s attitude, but who was she to say anything, so she kept her mouth shut and smiled at the lady. The woman’s pupils shrink in fear at the sight and her eye twitches seemingly uncontrollably. “What the hell are you?”
Just as the rude woman was about to lose a few teeth, Neil turns the corner around the room. Luna averts her leer with the woman and her horn glows as she takes a second to prime a spell. Neil falls backwards onto his butt when a bright flash blinds him. When he opens his eyes, he sees Luna looking up at him with her hooves wrapped tightly around his waist while she nuzzles against his chest.
“Luna? Wow, you sure do look… different.” Neil cringes as her horn glides across his cheek. “Watch the horn.”
“Sorry.” Luna says. “It’s just so good to finally see you again, is all.” Her hooves tighten around him.
“I really like your mane.” Luna blushes while brushing her hoof through her ethereal mane. Luna lets go of her bear hug around Neil, and he stands up with her help in the form of a light magical push. “Thanks.”
“Let’s go.” Neil’s wife says.
“Now, you wait just one minute. I haven’t seen these people, my friends, for an entire year, and you’re rushing me away from them? I don’t think so, Janet.” The woman screeches before walking away while mumbling under her breath.
“Well, that was, uh… interesting?” Mike says in a whisper.
“Uh-huh.” Luna agrees.
“C’mon, let’s go. I’m hungry.” Amazingly enough, it wasn’t Buzz that said that: it was Neil.
“Are you sure you just want to, you know, leave your wife – “ Mike asked, before he could finish his sentence Neil interrupted.
“Certain.”
------
“So how was Mister Hope?” Mike asks while twisting his fork in a pile of spaghetti.
“Mmph…” Neil swallows the mouthful of sandwich. “He was a swell guy, bit peculiar, but swell.”
“Who is Mister Hope?” Luna asks as she places her fork on the table, the clang being the only noise for a few seconds.
“You don’t know who Bob – never mind.” Buzz slaps himself. “Okay, Bob Hope is… well, um, Neil, a little help?”
“Bob Hope’s the host of what we call the USO shows. He’d tell jokes, and chat with famous people. It helps boost the morale of the soldiers.”
“Soldiers? There’s a war?!” Luna nearly chokes on her salad.
“Well… yes, but it’s nothing to worry about though; our boys have everything under control overseas.” Mike tried as well as he could to reassure Luna, who was practically traumatized by the news of a war. Unbeknownst to the trio of ex-astronauts, Luna came from a world where war did not exist for the most part. A moment of silence passed before Neil said, “I got a call today with a job offer,” Mike’s fork clanks against the table as he places it down. “The director of DARPA, Steve Lukasik, you guys might’ve heard of him? He wants me to take some important position. I don’t really know what it will entail, or if I should. What do you all think?”
“I think it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!” Mike shouts. “You really should do it, I mean. Ultimately, it’s up to you I guess. If I were you though…” He trails off into mumbles.
“Yeah, man. Do it, the dough’s bound to be nice with a gig like that.” Buzz adds.
Neil shrugged. “That’s the thing, it’s not a gig or just a job. It’s a career, and it’s extremely important. I know I’ll be making a lot of money, but I don’t know if I’ll be happy. You know that old saying, right? Find a job you like and you’ll never work a day in your life, or something like that.”
“You really should do it, Neil.” Mike urges. “When are you going to get the opportunity again? Anyways, you could quit if it’s not what you had in mind.”
“But I don’t know, I mean…”
“Neil, I think you can do it.” Luna says, “If I can run an entire country full of ponies w- with… my sister, then I believe you can do this.”
“You mean to tell me there’s a place full of ponies just like you?!” Mike says, clearly awestruck.
“Is, or perhaps was – I don’t know anymore, I can only hope that Equestria still stands… somewhere.”
“But I thought you said you were here a while ago.”
“I thought I had. This planet looks like Equestria, but I am no longer certain that it is. I do hope that I will see my sister again one day.”
“Luna, I know you will see ‘Tia again.” Neil says.
-----
“Well, I’d best get going. Don’t want to keep Jeany waiting.” Buzz was talking about his wife. He pulls out his wallet and leaves a twenty-dollar bill on the table, then says goodbye to everybody before walking out of the restaurant.
“Yeah, I think I should leave too. It’s getting kind of late.” Mike looks down at his wrist and pulls up the sleeve of his suit to reveal and expensive looking watch. He takes a second to read the time to himself, and then says it out loud. “Five thirteen. I hope Patty isn’t upset, by the time I get home it’s going to be really late. It’s been great seeing you two again, but I’ve think I should’ve left half an hour ago.” Mike adjusts the tie of his suit, leaves enough money for the bill like Buzz had before him, except with a tip of five dollars, and then shakes Neil’s hand.
“Goodbye, Mike. It’s been nice to see you again.” Luna says.
“You too, sweetie. Don’t get yourself into too much trouble, okay?” Luna nods and flutters over to hug him. Luna’s ethereal mane tickles against his nose and he pulls himself backwards as he sneezes. When he opens his eyes, he cringes at the dark blue fur embedded in his suit, “Aw… jeez. Patty is gonna’ be pissed.”
“Sorry. Here, let me help you.” Luna’s horn glows and the fur from her coat floats out of the expensive, black suit in her influential cyan aura.
“Any chance you can teach me that?” Mike says with a hearty laugh. “Alright, as I said, I’ve really gotta go.” He makes a gesture with his thumb towards the door behind him. “I’ll see you two later.” Mike waves as he walks out of the restaurant, leaving Neil and Luna alone to speak with each other.
A few minutes of silence pass while Luna plays with her fork, moving it around in the air with her magic. As always, people are watching her with a combination of confusion and awe. “Luna, about what you said earlier… with your sister?” Luna’s ears flatten against her head at the mention of her sister. “There has to be a way you can get back home. I don’t know if you want to talk about it now, or here, but I want you to know that I’ll be here for you to talk to.” Luna smiles while forcing back tears.
“I… don’t know. Perhaps Celestia and all of Equestria are well. I can only hope so, as I have no way of knowing.” The waiter walks by them, and collects the bill. Luna catches him gawking at her. “What! What is so incredible, what is so amazing about me that you all have to stare at me all the time!”
“Luna! Calm down.”
“I am sick and tired of it! Have you any idea what I have been through? How much I have had to endure? How long I have had to bide? Leave me be, human!” A window cracks at Luna’s display of raw magical power, scaring the small crowds of people inside the restaurant. The waiter runs away and cowers behind the counter to dodge the glass thrown at him.
The sound of it shattering brings Luna’s mind back to normalcy as she hears Neil say, “Luna, maybe we should – “
“Go? Yes, that sounds like a good idea.” The two of them sprint out of the restaurant, and five or so blocks later they begin to slow down.
“As I was saying…” Neil takes a moment to catch his breath. “I know that one day you’ll be home, we just have to bide our time for a bit longer. I know you’ve had to wait for…“
“Hah! You don’t even know how long I was there, do you?” Luna gestures to the sky with her hoof. “Can you even fathom what it feels like to be alone, and isolated for a thousand years? Are your kind even capable of living for a thousand years? I think not.”
“Luna, don’t be like that. Remember what happened last time?” Luna sighs at the memory of the horrible interview from a year ago. “We really should talk this out, we can do it! I know we can! As time goes on, technology will advance – we will be able send you home, wherever home is… but you’re just going to have to be patient. I’m sorry, but we don’t have magic or anything to aid us like your kind did... er, does I mean." Luna places her hoof against her head and sighs, "Sorry. You remember that metal thing that brought you here a year ago? That was our best and most advanced piece of tech. I know it’s probably nothing compared to - ”
“Neil, I’m sorry. I just want to see my sister more than anything right now. A thousand years is far too long for a simple reunion, yet I still fear whether or not she will disown me for what I did.”
“Is that why you were on the moon? Were you… banished?” Luna sniffs, and then nods slowly. “Feel free to say no to my prying, but what exactly did you do to deserve that?”
“Something very, very dumb. Something I cannot fully explain, I was young and ignorant I… can we talk about this somewhere more private? I feel as if everybody is watching us.”
“Of course, have anywhere in mind?”
“I care not. Just somewhere more secluded.”
Neil rubs his chin in brief thought before shouting, “Got it! C’mon, I know just the place.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see. Let’s go, I know you’ll love it.”
-----
After a quick walk, Neil and Luna arrive at a small park devoid of people entirely. The only living things around are ducks swimming in the pond, and squirrels jumping from tree to tree. Luna and Neil sit down on a small wooden bench that has seen better days. It creaks underneath their weight. Luna takes a deep breath and says, “All I ever wanted was acknowledgement for what I did. I never asked for all this attention, and honestly I don’t want it. I know they don’t mean anything by it, but it’s just so infuriating!”
“Luna, I – I never knew. I can’t imagine what it must have been like… one thousand years is a long time to be alone.”
“Indeed. You’ve been bored or alone before, but you’ve never truly been bored or alone. Not until you’ve been on the moon for a thousand years, for you see it’s an entirely different thing. You haven’t lost your sanity, or been on the brink of… never mind." Luna takes a deep breath before continuing. "I had resorted to simply laying there on the frozen surface. After many years of solitude I had calmed down, and I was no longer the vengeful spirit known as Nightmare Moon. I was me – Princess Luna!”
Neil holds his arms out as if asking for a hug. Luna graciously leaps into his arms and begins sobbing into his shoulder. “I just want to go home. I want to be with ponies again. I want to be able to live again. I don’t care if the ponies sleep through my nights; I’ve come to accept that. I was young and stupid, but nopony deserves what I’ve been through. And after all that, I don’t blame Celestia. I don’t. Truly. My sister… she did what she had to do to protect her little ponies.”
“It sounds to me like you’ve done a lot of thinking. You’ve certainly learned from your mistakes.”
Luna takes a moment to swallow back tears, and then nods. “I just want ‘Tia to know how sorry I am for everything I’ve put us through. I’m sorry for dragging you into this too, I know - ”
“It’s okay, Luna. I’m glad to help, really. I promise I'll do everything I can to get you home.”
Luna’s hooves dig deeper into Neil’s back before she pulls away from the embrace. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I… just needed to talk with somebody about… everything.” A purple blush forms under her midnight blue coat. Neil simply smirks as he stands up and looks towards the sun high in the sky.
“Where are you…?”
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The description reminded me of "Nothing is true, everything is permitted."
Will read nao.
i KNEW there were something about apollo 11 that they refused to tell
just please, lay low. i don't want you shot for revealing national secrets
ok, this is gona be GOOD
857705
There were fuel allowances for ~85kg of moon rocks if I remember correctly.
Congratz! You got featured!
If this is what i think it is, i will enjoy the hell out of it.
Finally. Somepony. Has. Done. It.
921031 You really felt that was necessary? Please, do tell me what is bullshit and I will do my best to fix it. This story started out as a joke between my friends, but seeing as people were asking for me to continue it, I did.
Wouldn't Luna be in Nightmare Moon mode?
Because she started on the moon like that.
And she left the moon like that.
921037
It's just, it starts out realist -ish and then it's all.
"Oh look a magical pony, that's nice."
The middle of the cold war, a piont when mankind was ready to blow itself up 7 times over, a magical pony appears and people just shrug it off?
Maybe put that in the description?
Because at first it looks like a serious fic.
But if it's a jokey one, that how everyone is acting is ... well not okay, but more acceptable.
Ma'am, you're an immortal princess. You should be used to being gawked at.
This story.
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/119/933/POrLW.gif?1304464386
80 views 92 likes, looks like Luna can shatter the fourth wall too!
This.
I approve of this story. Yes, there's stuff about the cold war not having an effect, and Nightmare Moon having calmed down, but I'm gonna look at it as an alternative reality where stuff happened a bit differently
Aww, no need to thank me.
925494 Well said, I agree with you. Honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed that I didn't do the proper research before posting this, because I pretty much made an ass out of myself. I'm attempting to redeem myself by re-writing it, so I hope that you will wait and see where it leads.
One would think Luna 'overslept' her 'stay' on the Moon, an now Equestria went bananas. That means bye ponies, hello humans.
OR one could think Equestria is somewhere ON Earth. Like I said, she 'overslept' (A few millions of years, no biggy).
How do I know this?
25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4jmk10uhr1rpvofco3_400.png
You know, perhaps your story has been historically inaccurate. Perhaps it's had a few confusing bits. Perhaps this did start as a simple joke between you and your friends. Who cares and why should they? It's a story that is also interesting. If we want history facts, we should grab a history book.
I say, keep writing as much as you want. It's your story and your world, and so far, I like it.