Luna gazed at the woman who was hugging her side tightly in a death grip as she tossed and turned in the bed. Her troubled slumber had kept Luna from fully falling asleep and despite her and Nim’s best efforts a darkness had overtaken Sarah’s dreams that even they could not penetrate.

Perhaps it was simply her current drained state that prevented Luna from interfering with Sarah’s sleep or it could have simply been that the nightmares were too strong for her within this Wasteland. Luna didn’t know which nor did she particularly care, all she cared about was that she was unable to comfort Sarah. Worse yet, with her father’s death looming on the horizon Luna had no doubts that the dreams would grow darker before they got better.

What is she seeing Nim? Luna asked.

As we told you before, we do not know, it is mostly formless black, Nim replied in an extremely irritated tone. If you ask us this foolish question one more time then we shall simply ignore you.

Luna let out a long sigh and slumped her head down beside Sarah’s. Her entire body ached as if it had been given a beating by an angry dragon and then thoroughly flogged, the later of which she’d actually experienced once before.

It is not as bad as all that, Nim stated within her head. You are not covered in blood and there are no shards of glass embedded in your back.

Luna winced at the memory of the Council ponies standing over her, laughing as the whip slashed at the flesh on her back. Even now the memory haunted her slumber occasionally. She shot Nim an annoyed expression.

Why would you bring that up? she asked indignantly.

Because you are making entirely too much of a fuss about almost dying, Nim stated. This is hardly the first time and I doubt it will be the last.

Luna’s breath coursed through her chest and she had to restrain herself from letting out a growl escape her lips. Beside her, Sarah squirmed and her hands squeezed bunches of Luna’s fur together.

See that? Nim demanded. She is suffering and if our guesses of her father’s eventual fate then she will be suffering far worse soon. You must be her rock Luna. Her thing to which she clings despite all odds against the sea of sorrow and grief.

Luna frowned for a long moment before sighing. You’re right Nim... and when did you become so poetic? she inquired.

There was little else to do at nights when you were asleep then go through the extensive amount of poetry you’ve read, Nim replied. That and plot vengeance... which will all go to waste now it seems.

I suppose, Luna said with a small shrug as she brought a wing down over Sarah. Though I’m sure we will find something to do with them. Our plans may have been directed at Tia, but I’m certain we could realign them at anyone we so choose.

That is a good point, Nim conceded. Also, as soon as we are able we must learn how to properly use those ‘plasma rifles’ we picked up! The idea of firing scorching hot projectiles is very appealing to us!

Luna smiled and then smirked. Becareful Nim, Sarah is still asleep but I feel she would notice if you got too ‘excited’.

Ha. Ha. Ha. Your grasp of humor astounds me, Nim said flatly. At any rate, we still must have instruction of some form.

Luna snorted but agreed. True, she stated. She would have continued speaking but Sarah’s eyes snapped open, a look of terror within them. Beads of sweat ran down her face and there was a pain filled look upon her face.

She panted for a moment and then noticed Luna’s bulk beside her. Without a word the woman lunged forwards and wrapped her arms around Luna’s neck and pressed her face into the mare’s coat. No tears fell, the woman simply gripped her as her body shuddered. Luna felt her lungs beginning to strain to draw breath, but she ignored them, refusing to push Sarah away.

At last the woman released her and Luna subtly drew in a breath while looking down at her lover.

“I would ask if you were alright...” Luna said.

“I’m not,” Sarah stated flatly. “I... had a nightmare.”

Tell us of it, Nim said insistently. If any can help you through it, then it is us.

Sarah shivered once and then slowly nodded her head and moved closer to Luna again, careful to keep her voice down, not wanting to disturb any of the other occupants of the long room.

“We were back in the Rotunda... and you weren’t there...” Sarah said slowly, her breath unsteady. “And my dad was in the glass with that man... and I was banging on the glass... unable to do anything... and then he shot him over and over again... and my dad would keep getting back up and trying to fight back... but he kept getting shot. And then... and then when he was so full of holes that he could barely move he turned to look at me and... somehow I heard him through the glass... he called me a failure... he told me he hated me... told me I’d cost him everything... And then the other man shot him...” Sarah recounted. “And then... it began again.”

Luna sighed and wrapped her wings around the young woman, covering her in her warm embrace. “Sarah, your father would never tell you that, not if he is the man he seems to be,” she told her. “Your mind is playing tricks on you, twisting your worst fears against you, it is the way of a dreaming brain.”

“I... I know... but it was so real,” Sarah murmured before hiding her face in Luna’s chest once more.

“I know, I know,” Luna said comfortingly, a humming sound emerging from her throat similar to what her father had used to comfort her when in a similar position. “Be well my love, dawn’s rays are on the horizon and they will drive away the darkness.”

Sarah clutched at her for a while longer before she released Luna and looked up at her. “Thank you Luna... just thank you.”

Luna smiled and bent down to kiss the woman’s forehead. “You are most welcome Sarah. Now come, let us see if we can’t see your father; hmm?”

“Yeah... let’s.”

As it turned out, it was only late afternoon when they emerged from the room they’d been assigned. Time must have played tricks on Luna for she swore that it had been much later when they’d arrived, but that could have simply been because her state of mind after the efforts she’d given yesterday. It also explained why Sarah’s eyes looked so baggy, she couldn’t have gotten more than four hours of bad sleep.

Together, with the help of a passing initiate, who had taken time to gawk at Luna before responding to Sarah’s questions, the two located the infirmary.

It was very small in Luna’s opinion, barely enough room to fit three raised medical beds and several sets of surgery equipment. Lying on one bed, his head propped up by a pillow, his chest covered by a white sheet was James.

The man’s face was the color of death and his breathing was unsteady and wavering yet the light in his eyes was still very much alive as he turned in Sarah’s direction at the sound of her approach and smiled.

“Sarah,” he said.

“H-hi dad,” Sarah said uncertainly as she walked forwards and sat down in the seat beside her father’s head.

For a moment neither said anything and Sarah reached out to grasp his hand firmly in her own. He gripped her back weakly and the fledging of a smile spread across Sarah’s face as old memories washed over her. They stayed like that for a long moment until James broke the silence.

“Sarah... look at me,” James instructed softly. Sarah turned her eyes away from their clasped hands and up at the father she loved. “I know that we didn’t have much time to talk before now... but I want you to know that now you can ask me anything and I’ll answer it as well as I possibly can,” he told her, his voice dropping. “I’ve spent too long lying to you.”

Sarah bit her bottom lip. “I... I don’t know what to say,” she said uncertainly. “What... what could I ask you that’s more important than just... being here for you?”

James’s smile strengthened for a moment and Sarah dimly thought about how it lit up his face.

“That’s just like you Sarah,” he told her. “You’ve always been such a good girl, or woman in this case I suppose,” the man leaned to the side and coughed into his blanket, staining it red. “Your mother would be so very proud of you.”

“I...” Sarah had no words, she had no questions... she just wanted her father to live.

James reached up with his free hand and brushed her dark hair out of her eyes before his arm fell back to the bed with a leaden ‘thump’. “Oh your mother... what a woman,” he said softly and Sarah wasn’t quite sure if he was talking to her or himself. “She just had this... way about her. Whatever she wanted done she got it done by herself and to Hell with the consequences!”

The exclamation brought a fire to his eyes but it was extinguished as another wave of coughing overtook him and his entire body contorted as his chest heaved. Sarah could do nothing for him but continue to clutch his hand as tightly as she could as his fingers clenched around hers. When the fit was finally done he lay back and gave Sarah an apologetic look.

“Sorry dear... I brought that on myself,” he said through ragged breaths. Sarah’s bottom lip quivered again and she wanted to lean down and hug the man but didn’t know if his body could take it. Instead she just clutched his hand.

“Do-don’t apologize daddy,” Sarah replied, her voice breaking.

James looked up at her and let out a sigh. “I don’t know how much longer I have Sarah... so I want you to know something right now,” he said, his voice weaker than it had been when he started speaking. “No matter what anyone says... no matter if Project Purity is a success or not... no matter... what happens; you will always be my greatest addition to this world!” he told her, a quiet intensity filling his voice that surprised Sarah with its raw emotion.

The woman stared at him, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked down at the man who had influenced so much of her life.

“You... are my daughter Sarah... I love you so much more than you could ever know,” he continued, his breath beginning to catch in his throat as he spoke, the words becoming harder and harder to say. Sarah wanted to reach down and put her finger over his mouth, stop him from using his energy that way, but she was unable to. “You’ll go on to eclipse this old man and everything he’s done... you’ll be a better person than I ever managed... do more than I’ll ever dream of!” He broke into another fit of coughing, each one a stab into Sarah’s heart.

“I... I’ll try daddy,” Sarah said, on the edge of breaking down.

“I... I know you will,” James replied before tilting his head to look at Luna. “And you... Luna... keep her safe will you? I don’t want to see her for at least sixty years.”

Luna, who had been staying at a respectful distance away simply nodded. “I will,” she promised.

“Good...” James said, his gaze going back to Sarah. “You know... I don’t really know if your mother would approve of your choice of a girlfriend,” he informed her before chuckling weakly. “But I know that she’d want you to be happy above all else...” he closed his eyes and a mighty shiver wracked his body. “At any rate... I love you Sarah.”

“I... I love you too daddy,” Sarah stated, tightening her grip around his fingers even more... she was losing him, she could feel him slipping away like sand between her fingertips. “Is... is there anything else?”

“Just... that you should always remember your mother’s favorite verse,” James said, a bittersweet smile on his face. “It... will help you when you need it most... say it with me?”

Sarah nodded and together they spoke.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelation 21:6,” they said together, the father speaking in time with the daughter.

James smiled and leaned back in the pillow. “What a fool I’ve been... all those years striving for the Project... and it seems that I’m at my own end before it even begins.” He closed his eyes before four last words left his lips. “Sarah... I love you.”

The man’s hand went slack in her grip and Sarah watched her father’s face as the peace of death overtook it. A moment later her eyes were too blinded by tears to see anything but the comforting feathers of Luna’s wings as they closed around her.