The Hearts of Man: Chapter 9 -Rest-

Chapter 9: Rest

 

"What did you think of the entrance? Too flashy? I was worried it'd be too flashy."

>Celestia stands at her throne, her mouth still agape at you choice of entry.

>You stretch your arms out and crack your neck.

>The flight put a lot of stress on your body, and you feel extremely stiff.

>Still, judging by the small crater you stand in and the gaping hole in the roof, the fact that you're still breathing sends your endorphins into a sort of overdrive.

>If you had a theme song, it's be playing right about now.

>Luna drifts through the starry mist from your impact point and stands next to you.

>She puts on an air of triumph, but you suspect that she'll be livid with you later on.

>If there's a later that is.

>The two of you give each other a nod, and you make your way towards Celestia.

>Celestia: "You... you fell through... how?... How did you get here?!"

>You give a wry smile at the Princess.

"I jumped."

>Celestia seems flabbergasted. Makes sense, you did just break through a couple of feet of marble and stone just to see her.

>Celestia: "You expect me to believe that you fell from here to the moon?"

"Blame yourself, your highness. You were the one who banished me while making me virtually invulnerable."

>Celestia stops herself before she speaks up.

>Celestia: "You... used my own magic against me?"

>You nod, smiling.

>Luna looks to you and beams.

>Luna: "You are just in time, Anonymous! My sister believes me when I tell her you are not like the rest of your kind. In turn, she agreed that you may have your freedom!"

>Celestia: "But- No I said-"

>Luna: "Tia, you said if he got here without your help he could stay."

>Celestia: "Yes but I never expected-"

>Luna: "Tiiiaaaa."

>She pouts and gives Celestia the cutest eyes you've ever seen her use.

>Celestia: "Luna that tactic is highly inappropriate for our current situation."

>Luna: "But Tia you SAID."

>She's honestly acting like a little kid.. filly... something.

>You're still shaky when it comes to pony phonetics.

>Celestia lets out an exasperated sigh and brings a hoof to her face.

>She looks at you.

>Celestia: "Huma-... Anonymous. You have spent over one solar year on the moon's surface. This punishment was put on you for the safety of p0nykind, as your species has abused our trust in the past. While that is ancient history and little known myth to modern day society, the wounds your kind inflicted upon mine are still fresh in my mind and Luna's."

>She steps down from where her throne is and makes her way towards you with determination.

>Celestia: "However, my younger sister has observed you for some time now, and has come to call you her friend. You have gained her trust. How you did, I do not know, but she is honest when she tells me that your intentions are not ones that mean harm toward my people."

>The Solar Mare is now inches from you, her horn glowing a bright bluish-white.

>Celestia: "Because of this, I relinquish my hold over you. Your mortality is your once again. Now please, leave my castle before you destroy more of it, if you don't mind."

>Celestia's horn flashes with a blinding light, as you feel a surge of energy pulsate through you. Your skin crackles and your skin gets goosebumps.

>It's as if someone was breathing into your soul; like every one of your senses were going through a hard-reset.

>As the light from Celestia's horn faded, you returned to your normal state as well.

>Luna nudges you softly with her snout.

>Luna: "Anon... how do you feel?"

>You open your eyes and look into her teal eyes.

>They never looked so vivid than they did right now.

"Tired, Luna... I feel so very, very tired."

>You slump to the ground, slipping into the first real, true sleep you have ever had in over a year.

 

-------

 

>You dreamed.

>You couldn't remember the last time you dreamed.

>You walked along a sandy shore, dying waves lapping at your feet.

>In the distance you could see a door.

>The door shone with a white light.

>You could feel something.. tug at you. Pulling you softly towards it.

>So you kept walking.

>As you got closer and closer to the door, the light from it shone brighter and brighter.

>Reaching for the handle, you felt that is was warm to the touch.

>It felt welcoming.

>You opened the door, the light faded into blackness, and you took one step forward.

>And then you fell.

>You fell for what felt like an eternity.

>But you weren't afraid.

>After all, you had been through worse plummets than this.

>Silent, dark wind carressed you as you tumbled through the darkness, and you closed your eyes.

>Maybe you would die here in your dream.

>Would that be alright?

>To finally have it over and done with?

>No more banishments.

>No more ponies.

>No more Luna.

>No... no that wouldn't do.

>That wouldn't do at all.

>Spreading your arms out from you, you embraced your dream in the hopes that soon, it would end.

>And for once in your life, you slept soundly.

 

-------

 

>Your eyelids are heavy, and beg you too close them and return to your slumber.

>You ignore them though, lifting your self up from sleep.

>Strange, marble flooring wasn't supposed to feel this... soft.

>Rubbing your eyes you scan your surroundings.

>You're not in Canterlot anymore. Instead, you're in some sort of house.

>Specifically, you're in a bed.

>Looking around, you notice that the sun has gone down, as the room you're in is shrouded in darkness.

>Getting up, you buckle your legs and fall to the floor.

>You legs are screaming at you right now.

>Wobbling to your feet, you carry onward through the house.

>Stepping out of the bedroom you see an area with a dark, blackish blue couch.

>A living room?

>You saw the entrance to a kitchen further down the hall.

>Where were you?

>Walking down the hall, you hear a faint noise.

>It was light, but slightly low. Sultry.

>Looking around, you spot a glass door leading to a deck.

>On it, you could see Luna.

 

*Listen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQeFvUuPNHc in order to experience what I felt while writing this*

 

>Her head was tilted upwards, her back to you.

>She gazed at the sky, and you knew what the noise you heard was.

>Luna was singing.

>You neared the doors to the deck slowly, trying not to let her know you were there.

>"...Let see what Spring is like on Jupiter and Mars..."

>She was singing the only song you knew from your old life.

>The song she heard you sing when she first met you.

>You stand there, just listening to her as she sings to the night sky.

>She looked at peace. It was a familiar sight.

>She looked this way whenever you woke up on the floor of the moon to see that she had slept by your side.

>You carefully open the doors.

>"..in other words, please be true. In other words..."

>As you join Luna out on the deck, her ears perk up and she notices you.

>She's not surprised or embarressed that you "caught" her singing.

>Instead, she smiles.

>She looks up to the sky, and you follow her gaze.

>High above you, hanging ever so delicately in the sky is the place where you spent a year of your life.

>And it's glowing brighter than you could imagine.

>You turn to Luna, looking into those teal eyes that helped you live through isolation.

>You decide to finish her song.

"..In other words, I love you."

>The two of you stand there for a while, Luna's head resting softly on your shoulder, her mane enveloping you both. How long you stood there, you don't know.

>But you never felt more at peace.