Beyond My Grave: Exhumed

by AnnEldest

Refreshing The Mind

It was during the odd hours of the morning, just before sunup that the emergency room of Canterlot General went into an uproar. The patients and as few of the staff as possible were kept in the dark about what was transpiring there. However, some rumors began to circulate anyway that it may be the end of the kingdom as they knew it.

“Is that what they’re saying?” Luna asked as she shifted in her hospital bed

“You heard it here, Princess. News is that Equestria’s about to be one ruler short for another thousand years,” Discord answered.

“The things these ponies come up with,” Luna groaned.

It had only been a couple of hours since she had arrived at the hospital and was rushed to the emergency room. Her cuts were stitched, and her wing was able to be saved. But, even if she had her magic, she wouldn’t have been able to fly. Not for a few weeks, according to the doctors.

“You never did tell me what happened to you,” Discord said.

“I told you already that I was mauled by a timber wolf that somehow got into the cemetery,” Luna answered, leaning back to look at the ceiling.

“The staff might have bought it, but I don’t. If you really believe that ‘honesty’ garbage you’re always spouting, you’ll tell me the truth about what happened.”

“Honesty is for friends, Discord. And besides, it might not have happened if you hadn’t disappeared like you did,” Luna bitterly answered.

“Alright. Let’s pretend we’re friends for just one minute here. And I’ll tell you the whole truth,” Discord said. “I finished up my business in the cemetery, so I walked away. And then…well…I couldn’t see, so I kind of…walked off the cliff that was right there. Thanks for not warning me, by the way. Then, I had to climb my way back up. And you didn’t even offer to help. When I got there, I saw that you ditched me. I figured, ‘that’s three strikes! This mare’s walking home!’ But, you know what? I didn’t want to be a total dick, so I waited for you at the gates, just in case you might come out after me. And you did, looking like you just went through a paper shredder! That’s it. I was honest with you. So, cough it up, sister.”

Discord waited with his arms crossed, petulantly sitting on his own propped up tail. Luna sighed to herself, guessing that he may have been right. Although she still hesitated to say anything. Finally, after much deliberation, she spoke.

“Do you remember seeing anything before I came out?” Luna asked.

“Like what?” Discord wondered.

“Anything! Besides the fog and headstones!” Luna snapped.

“Easy. Don’t bust a tumor, lady,” Discord said, before going silent.

“Well?” Luna impatiently asked.

“Well, I’m guessing you don’t want to hear what I actually saw. Which was fog and headstones, until you came barreling out of there like a bat out of Hell.”

Luna pulled the pillow out from beneath her head, covered her face with it and screamed as loud as she could. She slapped the pillow onto her lap. “What does it take for you to be helpful!?”

“What does it take? What does it take?” Discord pretended to think, “How about seeing a mare in trouble, and hauling her heavy ass miles across the countryside to get to the damn hospital!?”

“My heavy– Are you calling me fat!?” Luna shouted.

“‘Heavy,’ is what I said. But, I’m thinking ‘fat’ pretty loudly.” Discord took Luna’s projectile pillow directly in his snout. “So, come on. Out with it. What happened to you in there?” he said, innocently hugging the pillow that was thrown at him.

“I already told you that I was attacked,” Luna growled.

“And I told you that I don’t buy that. I told you what happened to me. Now, spit it out!” Discord demanded.

“Quid pro quo, Discord,” Luna said.

“Is that some dead language from back in your day?”

“You tell me who Dusty is first.”

The closest thing Luna had ever seen to fear suddenly washed over Discord’s face. And a small part of Luna couldn’t help but be complacent by stepping on one of his nerves.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Discord said.

“No? Then whose headstone was that which you were visiting?” Luna said, smiling smugly.

“It must have been the wrong spot. I mean, it was really foggy out. How was I supposed to read the names on the stones?”

“You seemed to know where you were going the whole time before. What changed when you landed in the cemetery?”

For just a second, Luna thought Discord may start sweating. She watched as he clutched the pillow in his grip, before he abruptly stood up.

“I don’t have to take this, lady! You know what? You just keep telling yourself that it was a timber wolf. Whatever crawled out of your fractured little brain, I hope it does this to you again,” Discord said, slamming the pillow to the ground. To his and Luna’s surprise, the pillow suddenly dropped from the air onto Luna’s face. “Oh, good. My magic’s back. Don’t know and don’t care how, because I’m outta here!”

And with a snap of his fingers Discord was gone.

Now, Luna was alone. She stared in disbelief at what she had just seen and tried using her own magic. Sure enough, her horn lit up with its usual blue, and she lifted the pillow to place it back behind her head, and settled herself in. The call button by her bed blinked its tiny red light, inviting her to summon company, even if it was just from the hospital staff. An impulse that she almost obeyed. But, she lowered her hoof from the button, deciding against it. They would just ask more questions, and pry to the point of bringing in another shrink to interrogate her for another hour of her everlasting life.

With only her thoughts to occupy her, Luna began to think about what had just happened. For what reason was Discord unable to see anything that had happened? Or anypony else, for that matter? What if it truly was all in her head? But, she knew that couldn’t be. Her stitches and her gnarled wing were proof of that. She tried to think of what it could have been. What anomaly had targeted herself, and nopony else?

Her thoughts traveled back to the very first time that she was attacked by something that nopony else saw. It was the worst by a wide margin. Even just the memory of it made her head throb. The fear she felt. The helplessness. Never knowing if it would end. Worst of all was that everypony else acted like it had never happened. Even her own sister.

A gentle knock on the door snapped her from her thoughts, and Luna saw one of the orderlies in her doorway.

“Princess? You have a visitor,” the orderly said.

“Tell them to come in,” Luna sighed.

The orderly stepped aside, allowing in the last pony that Luna expected to see.

“Lulu? How did this happen?” Celestia asked

“What are you doing here?” Luna asked.

“Discord dropped by the castle and told me I should come here. So, I did.”

“That rat!” Luna thought.

“Lulu, what did you do when you left the palace?” Celestia asked.

“I told you that I went for a fly outside.”

“And then what?” Celestia practically demanded her sister to tell her.

“Would you really believe me if I told you?” Luna asked.

Celestia didn’t answer right away, choosing her next words carefully. “I suppose you could tell me, as your sister.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Luna said, getting a startled look from her sister. “But, alright. That thing I told you I saw? It was only Discord.”

“I see. But, even following him shouldn’t have put your wing in traction,” Celestia said, taking her seat next to her sister’s bed.

“That wasn’t all. I followed Discord to the old cemetery, where he was just being his usual irritating self. When we went our separate ways, I was attacked by a timber wolf that must have gotten past the gates. That’s all I can tell you because it’s the truth,” Luna said.

Celestia stared at her sister, saying not a word at first. “I suppose what matters is that you’re here not to talk about it.”

“Indeed,” Luna tersely said.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Better. My wing still hurts, but I’m glad to be able to keep it.”

She knew that Celestia was talking just then, but Luna couldn’t hear the words. There in the doorway, she swore one of the demons from the graveyard casting its shadow on the wall beyond her door, trudging steadily toward her. In another moment, the shadow was gone, replaced by the simple form of just another pony who passed by her room.

“Luna? Are you listening?” Celestia asked.

“Er… Yes. I’m sorry. I must have unfocused for a moment,” Luna said. She waited a moment, watching for smoke and sniffing for any sulfur. To her relief, neither presented itself.

If she had been told long ago what she was getting into, she might have done something different. As things were, she was in too deep to turn back. It was something she would have to see through to the end, however soon that may have been.

Author's Note:

So glad this chapter got fixed. The old one is so bad. As always:

Till Next Time!!!