Voice in the Night

by Allenator05

The Doctor Will See You Now

Nyx sat in the hollowed out remains of a four story building that overlooked the plaza. From her perch on the third floor, the Hunter kept watch for Fallen patrols that frequented the area. She played with her knife and wondered how much longer she would have to wait.

Out in the square, three crumbling statues stood around a central fountain that had gone dry long ago. In fact, this entire area was a testament to the fallen glory of mankind. This region wasn’t called the Dead Zone for nothing. The forest was slowly reclaiming the ruins of civilization as the Fallen and Humanity fought over the scraps. Then the Red Legion showed up and turned everything on its head. But none of that was important to Nyx at the moment. She was expecting a special guest.

From her vantage point, Nyx noticed the right hand statue was starting to glow. The head’s up display in her helmet stared to glitch from interference and her Light was reacting. Nyx dusted herself off as she rose to her feet and sheathed her knife. “Showtime,” she mumbled to herself and hopped out the window to the ground below.

Luna had never been through the portal and she found the experience quite disorienting. It was similar to the time she discovered she could turn her body to mist. She felt pulled every which way into an unfamiliar form. Luna perceived herself traveling at high speed through a tunnel of rainbow light. Images flashed before her eyes, but Luna wasn’t able to focus on any of them. She had no concept of time, but the journey through the portal finally ended. There was a flash of light and the world suddenly started spinning.

Luna fell out of the portal and landed in a heap on the ground. The rough stones scraped her hands and Luna winced in pain. She then realized something felt out of place. She looked down in wonder at the appendages that weren’t her hooves.

“These must be the hands and fingers Twilight Sparkle spoke of,” Luna said. She wiggled her fingers and marveled at the undulating motion. Luna found a small rock and after several attempts, managed to pick it up and ran her hands over the rough texture. “Humans are fascinating creatures,” Luna said.

“Unfortunately Your Highness, we shouldn’t stay here for too long,” Nyx spoke up.

Luna yelped in surprise and scrambled backwards. She looked around wildly and eventually focused on Nyx’s armored form. Luna felt her back press against the statue, indicating she had nowhere else to go. She had been careless. She had become distracted by her new form and failed to take note of her surroundings. Anger mixed with fear in the pit of Luna’s stomach.

You have grown soft. You deserve everything that is about to happen to you

Luna took a few deep breaths and attempted to calm down. With a shaky voice, she asked, “Who are you?”

Nyx knelt down before the princess to try and put her at ease. “My name is Nyx. I’ve been expecting you.”

At this, Luna frowned. “How is that possible? I have only just arrived here and told nopony of my plans.”

Nyx sighed. “I’m just here as a convenient plot device to keep the story moving and take you where you need to go.”

Luna was confused. Who was this stranger that spoke in such a strange manner? “I don’t understand,” she said.

Nyx rose to her feet and held out her hand. “You don’t need to understand,” she said. “All you need to know is that I’m here to take you to Hildr.”

Luna went numb all over. “I made it?” she whispered. “I’ve come to the right place?” Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks.

Nyx sighed and helped Luna to her feet. “I know this is overwhelming for you, but you need to keep it together a little longer. This area isn’t safe and a Fallen patrol is about to spawn in any moment now.”

Luna sniffed and looked to Nyx in confusion. “What is the meaning of ‘spawn in’?” she asked.

Nyx looked away and slapped herself on the head and muttered, “Stupid author and this stupid exposition dialogue.” She turned back to Luna. “Listen! I’m not mad at you, but if we stay here any longer, I will be forced to spend the next page and a half or so explaining why everything happened and why this world is the way it is. Now to avoid all that, we’re just going to jump to the next scene and give the reader no explanation whatsoever.” Nyx was huffing angrily at the end of her little rant.

Luna stood there dumbfounded. “What?” she asked clearly confused.

---

The Last City was indeed the last true city of humanity, but that didn’t mean there weren’t small outposts and communities scattered around the Earth. The Farm was one of these places. Located deep in the European Dead Zone, The Farm was a secluded location on the edge of a large lake and easily defended from Fallen patrols. When the Red Legion attacked The City and attempted to take the Traveler, a number of refugees and Guardians fled to The Farm. Now that The City had been retaken and the Red Legion pushed back, most of the refugees returned. However, the small number that decided to stay quickly put a strain on the meager resources of The Farm.

Hildr decided to stay and open a small clinic in one of the abandoned buildings at The Farm to give aid to those who could not or would not travel to The City for care. A small stream flowed behind the building and ran a waterwheel that helped supply power to her building and to the rest of The Farm. She worked hard and was constantly short on supplies, but Hildr took solace in the quiet ways.

She was working at her makeshift desk when Nyx poked her head in and knocked on the open door. “Hey Doc, you have a visitor,” she said.

“Who is it?” Hildr asked, not looking up.

Nyx chuckled and said, “Well that would just spoil the surprise.”

Hildr sighed and looked up from her work. “I don’t have time for your games Nyx. If you want to be useful, go procure some supplies.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nyx gave a little wave and left. Hildr rubbed her temples and let out a small groan. Ever since she had returned, Nyx continued to be a helpful and annoying pest. She appreciated the Hunter’s help in getting acclimated to the current time, but there was something about Nyx that seemed…off somehow. Since she was a supporter of Future War Cult, Hildr assumed that was the reason why.

There was a polite knock at the door and without looking up, Hildr called out, “Enter.”

“I see. So there is some truth to you words after all,” a familiar voice said.

Hildr’s eyes snapped open and she quickly looked up to see her guest. She wore a long black overcoat with a high collar that was open at the neck and partially hid her face. Black knee length boots covered her feet with dark grey pants tucked into the cuffs. Her skin was a vibrant dark blue that matched the color of her eyes. Her midnight blue hair hung loose down to the small of her back. Around her neck was a black choker with a small silver crescent moon pendant. Her face was a mix of amusement and anxiety. “Is this how you treat your friends?” she asked with a chuckle.

Wordlessly, Hildr rose to her feet and approached the stranger. She stopped before her and after a moment’s pause, Hildr greeted her with a massive hug.

“Oof,” Luna grunted. “I am glad to see you as well.”

Hildr released Luna from the embrace and held her at arm’s length. Luna nearly wilted under Hildr’s intense scrutiny, but she saw that her gaze had softened some. Hildr’s eyes also carried warmth that wasn’t there before.

Hildr suddenly turned and showed Luna to a spare seat and walked around and sat behind her desk. She moved some papers around to make space and calmly turned to face Luna. “So Princess, to what to I owe the honor?” Hildr asked.

Luna’s smile began to falter and she started to pick at the hem of her coat. Where should she begin, Luna wondered. She was having a hard time focusing her thoughts and her face started to crinckle with worry. If memory served, Hildr had little time for small talk and even less patience for wasting time.

How had it come to this? Luna’s mind raced. It sounded so simple: go visit Hildr and talk about what was bothering her. But now that she was here, Luna didn’t know what to say. She started to grow angry at her indecisiveness and dark thoughts began to bubble in her mind. She was a powerful alicorn princess, and yet she had never felt more useless than she did now. Luna’s heart ached and she wante so badly to share her pain, so why couldn’t she? Did the gods above or below decide that she hadn’t suffered enough for her sins? What more did they demand of her? Was this her fate, to be alone in the dark like the moon she was tied to?

Panic and despair were setting in and Luna was having trouble breathing. She felt like she was choking on all the things she wanted to say. Luna opened her moth, but the words would not come. She looked to Hildr with tears in her eyes and managed to utter two words: “Help me.”

Hildr’s heart broke seeing Luna like this. In their short time together, Hildr had come to respect the Princess of the Night and she hoped Luna felt the same. It was true that Hildr was very pleased to see Luna again, but her joy was tempered with the suspicion that Luna wasn’t just here for a happy reunion. Seeing Luna reduced to tears was something Hildr never thought she would ever see.

Taking a deep breath, Hildr leaned forward and placed her hands on the table, palms up. Luna looked uncertain and hesitantly placed her hands in Hildr’s. “Luna, I have no idea what you are going through right now,” Hildr said gently and closed her hands over Luna’s. “But you have done the right thing. Seeking help is the first step, but it is the hardest and most challenging.”

Luna sniffed as the tears streamed silently down her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t come all this way only to waste your time. You must be very annoyed by now,” she said.

Hildr fell back violently against her chair, as if she had suffered a severe shock. The sudden movement made Luna flinch and Hildr stomped to the front door of her clinic. She quickly looked around, but saw no one. “Clinic is closed! Come back tomorrow!” she shouted and slammed the door. Luna could only watch as Hildr stomped back to her office, shut the door, and pulled her chair close so that she was knee to knee with Luna. Hildr stared into Luna’s eyes and let out a long sigh. “Now then. We have all the time in the world,” she said.

Luna’s face was downcast and she stared into her lap. “Do we?” she whispered.

Hildr leaned forward and waited for Luna to gather her thoughts. She had a small inkling of what might be causing Luna so much distress, but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

They sat like that for a while, neither saying anything. It was late afternoon when Nyx found Luna and now the last rays of the sun cast long shadows on the ground. A sudden thought struck Hildr and she rolled her eyes in disgust. “Ugh, where are my manners?” she said and rose to her feet. Luna frowned and watched with interest as Hildr moved about the small office. While she was busy, Luna looked around and finally took note of her surroundings. No offense to Hildr, but the place was a dump. The walls looked to be barely holding the ceiling up, and grass and flowers were growing through the floorboards. The windows were either boarded up or missing completely. Through the entryway to the next room, Luna could see a line of cots along the wall. Privacy curtains had been strung along the ceiling. From where she sat, Luna couldn’t see if any of the cots were occupied. Luna had noticed there was an upper floor and she wondered if that was where Hildr kept her supplies.

Hildr finally returned carrying two mugs of steaming liquid. She set one before Luna and took a small sip of her own. “Please forgive my rudeness. I don’t often receive guests who aren’t in some kind of pain or want something from me,” she said.

Luna carefully grasped the hot mug in her hands and took a n exploratory sip. She found it was lightly sweetened, with a hint of citrus. The liquid warmed Luna’s insides and she felt some of the tension ease from her body.

“It’s not exactly fitting for a princess, but it’s the best I have,” Hildr said.

Luna shook her head. “Please, do not worry. This is plenty,” she said.

Hildr put her mug on the desk and turned her full attention to Luna. “Luna, I think of you as a friend, but I can’t help you unless you tell me what is wrong.”

Luna bit her lip and stared at the mug in her hands. It was chipped and cracked all over. It seemed on the edge of falling to pieces, much like Luna herself. “Do you know why this is so hard?” she asked.

“Admitting one’s weakness is always a struggle,” Hildr said. “For someone of great power or authority, it can be even worse. There is a saying, and I forget how it goes, but basically it means that those on top or in a position over others are often the loneliest. Do you know why that is?”

Luna thought for a moment. “I believe it is because such a pony, or person rather, has no one to turn to in a time of need. They are expected to have the answers to every question and to look out for the safety and well being of the others.”

Hildr nodded in agreement. “If the leader shows any hesitation or doubt, others will begin to question their authority or leadership. In some cases, others will seek to remove the leader from power.”

Luna shook her head. “But how can that be? Nopony can remain invulnerable. Something will have to give eventually.”

“So tell me Luna, what is it that has made you feel so vulnerable and weak?” Hildr asked gently.

Luna’s eyes flashed with anger and a frown grew on her face. “Who said I was weak?” she challenged.

Hildr slowly sat back in her chair. “I didn’t. You showed me yourself when you arrived here,” she said gently.

Luna was starting to grow angry and she didn’t know why. She tried to stop the darkness in her heart from spreading, but it came over her like a giant wave that threatened to drown her. Luna thought she could hear Nightmare Moon’s mocking laughter. “I didn’t come here to be insulted,” she replied hotly. “If I wanted that, I never would have left the castle. The nobleponies of Equestria think they hide it so well, but I would have to be blind and stupid not to notice the way they look at me. I see the pity in their eyes and the disgust in their turned up noses. They stand proudly, but their knees shake with fear. And they should!” Luna rose to her feet and the power of her voice shook the walls. “I am the Moon Princess! I have more power in one hoof than all the nobleponies in Equestria have in their bodies combined! I command the moon, and as such I have power of the night and over the ocean tides as well! With a mere thought, I could drown Equestria in the ocean! And they have the gall to deride me? To look down on me? I don’t want them to pity me, I want them to respect me!”

“You mean fear you?” Hildr asked.

Luna glared down at Hildr. “Sometimes, fear and respect are the same thing.”

Hildr shook her head. “If your subjects fear you, they won’t love you. Some of the stronger ones might even rise up against you. You will be a tyrant, not a ruler.” She carefully stood up and reached for Luna’s hands. Luna looked down and realized her knuckles had turned white from clenching her fists so hard. A deep wave of regret passed over her and threatened to send her to the floor. “I don’t know what came over me,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to become so upset, but when you said those things, I couldn’t help myself.”

“I know you didn’t mean it,” Hildr said. “Not knowing who to trust or who to turn to when you need help can be very overwhelming.” She decided to take a gamble and added, “Hearing voices in your head certainly doesn’t help either.”

Luna’s gasped in shock and her mug slipped through her hands and shattered on the floor. Luna turned away in shame and felt like she wanted to cry. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to break your cup. How did you know?”

Hildr bent down to pick up the pieces and carefully placed them in the trash. “Based on our conversation before, I had a feeling that was why you risked coming here.”

Luna tried to frown, but found she couldn’t. “Perhaps I wanted to come and chat, to catch up with a friend?” she suggested.

Hildr smiled and shook her head. “I could tell you what I think, but it is important that you be the one to say it.”

“Why is that?” Luna asked.

“Because hearing someone else say it could lead to doubt or deluding yourself into thinking that it isn’t true. But saying it out loud, and with your own voice, makes it a solid and tangible thing. By admitting it to yourself, you choose to face your struggles head on,” Hildr said. “My path might have been different, but the outcome was still the same. I thought I was facing my problems by stubbornly moving forward, but I refused to face the cause of it all.”

Luna had never heard this part and listened with rapt attention. “And what was that?” she asked.

Hildr bowed her head and tried to keep the embarrassment from showing. “I never took the time to stop and give myself the proper time to grieve for those that I have lost or left behind. I never wanted to be abandoned by others again, and in doing so, I turned my back on those I truly cared for.”

Luna was shocked. This was the reason Hildr had pushed herself so hard and accidently arrived on Sunset Shimmer’s doorstep? Luna didn’t know what to make of it. “Is that what the Fire of Friendship showed you?” she asked.

Hildr shrugged. “Partially. It forced me to face the painful feelings and emotions I was keeping locked away deep in my heart. I am not the most outgoing person, and I still struggle with showing my emotions to others.” Hildr straightened her back and stared confidently into Luna’s face. “Now that I have shared with you, isn’t it time for you to do the same?”

Luna sighed and looked away. Ever since she had arrived here, Luna felt like she was on a never ending emotional roller coaster and it left her feeling drained and exhausted. “I am sorry Hildr, but my traveling and this night have left me with little energy. I would like to continue tomorrow after some rest,” she said.

Hildr looked outside and realized how late it was. “Of course. Let me show you to a spare room,” she said and led Luna upstairs and showed her to a small room and opened the door. Inside was bare, with just a bed with blankets folded neatly and a small bedside table with a lamp. Hildr flipped the light switch and the lamp reluctantly came to life, casting a reddish glow across the room. “You can sleep on the bed,” Hildr said.

“What about you?” Luna asked.

“I have some paperwork to catch up on,” Hildr said with a wave. “If it gets too late, I’ll sleep on one of the cots downstairs.”

“Or at your desk, like you are prone to do,” Raven said as he appeared.

Luna stepped back in surprise. She had forgotten all about Hildr’s Ghost. “Please forgive my rudeness,” Luna said with a bow.

Raven floated over and nudged Luna’s cheek. “Don’t worry about it Princess,” he assured her.

“Where have you been all this time?” Luna asked.

Raven looked to the side and mad a humming noise. “It didn’t feel right to interrupt while you were talking,” he said.

Luna took Raven into her hands and held him close. “Thank you for your consideration,” she said.

“See? At least SOMEONE appreciates me,” Raven said, turning to Hildr.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, you little drama queen,” Hildr said and rolled her eyes. “Sleep well Princess,” she added and walked out of the room. After a moment of hesitation, Raven followed her out, leaving Luna alone.

Luna turned off the light, undressed, and lay down on the bed. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and closed her eyes, hoping the voices would let her rest.

She was wrong.

Comments

[deadmemes]

Luna stood there dumbfounded. “What?” she asked clearly confused.

I just love a good wall-breaker. And following confusion.