Ever since Miles showed up I've been completely off of my sleeping schedule. I keep tossing and turning in bed, but I can't seem to keep him out of my mind. Why does trouble find him so easily? Celestia almost took this project away from me due to the incident with the Minotaur, but luckily I convinced her to let me keep going. I’ll just have to keep him under even stricter surveillance. I toss around a couple more times before I sit up in bed. I can't sleep... I guess I'll just have to find something to fill my time.

I get out of bed and lazily walk over to my vanity mirror. When I get to it I lay my head on the desk and let out a heavy sigh. What to do, what to do... I look up to myself in the mirror and sigh again. Well... I wonder what Miles is up to today. I enchant my mirror and set a scrying spell for Miles. The Mirror goes hazy for a bit before I get a view of Miles from behind. He seems to be working at Sweet Apple Acres... that's good... I guess. He stops and looks around for a second before he gets back to work. Did he sense my magic scrying him? That's pretty impressive. As he gets to work he starts to talk to himself. Maybe I shouldn't listen, this could be something very personal...

"...I should have taken Tenera up on her offer, then I could have at least known that simple pleasure..." Whoa... who’s this Tenera? What kind of pleasure? Was she... somepony special to him?

"...I should have taken Dare's advice, but at the same time, I don't think I could have broken another promise..." Break another promise? So Miles is the kind of pony to break promises. But, then again, he seems really troubled by breaking this promise. Am I really one to talk...? I am secretly watching him. I continue to watch him as he pulls some carts to a cellar and talks to Applejack for a bit. I start to get bored of this, until he walks back into the orchard and begins to get to work again. He works for a while in silence, and starts to bring the cart back to the cellar. Why does he keep taking his shoes on and off? He could just leave them off and save that much more time. I spend the next few hours barely awake, trying my best to see if he starts talking again, but eventually I slip into a light slumber.

"Well... at least the manual labor will help me stay fit, being this long from the gym is starting to get on my nerves..." I jolt awake and look up to the mirror. Finally, I was starting to think he forgot how to talk.

"...rubbing the side of her head like that probably didn't help that much either... why did I do that to begin with? Something about those beautiful eye—WHOA!" Whoa! Beautiful? He thinks I have beautiful eyes!? I shut off my magic, ending the spell, and begin to pace about my room. He said I have beautiful eyes... why does this bother me so much? It's not like he confessed his love to me, it was just a compliment, that's all.

Knock, knock, knock

"Ahh!"

"Luna! What's wrong?" Celestia says as she walks into my room. I take a few steps back and try not to look her in the eyes, ‘cause I know I'm blushing right now.

"Er... well... ah..."

"Why are you all red?" she asks as she lowers her head to get a good look at me.

"I was having a weird dream... nothing to worry about," I say with a small smile. She looks at me quizzically for a moment before she straightens up.

"Luna, I know you’re lying to me, what actually happened?" she says sternly. I sigh and look up to her as I tell her about my scrying and what I overheard him say, though I leave out my reactions. She looks away for a moment before she turns back to me with a serious look on her face. "Luna... I don't like how close this human is getting to you. Maybe it's time I..."

"No!" I yell out, but shy away a bit. "Please. I want to do this on my own. I have to become the leader I once was, and I'll never be able to do that if I have you holding my hoof for every little thing. I understand your concern, but I'm not a little filly, sister! I can handle these kinds of problems, please, let me show you I can do this." Celestia looks at me evenly for a while before she sighs and walks up to me, wrapping me up in a hug.

"I know you can. You’re a strong mare and I know you can do this... I can't help it if I'm a little protective of my little sister..."

"Hey! You’re only five years older than me," I say as I return the hug.

"One thousand and five years actually..."

"Moon years count too!" We share a little laugh before she lets go of me and walks over to the balcony.

"Well, since you’re up anyway, want to come with me to the christening of that new zeppelin?" I put on a huge smile and run up to her side, only to have her put a hoof on my shoulder and point me to my mirror. I look at her in confusion until I see my reflection. "You may want to freshen up first."

---

The event doesn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. We literally went down to the air docks, smashed a bottle of wine, and talked to a few dignitaries. It was nice to be with Tia though, so I guess it was worth it. She flies with me up to my room and walks in with me.

"That was fun, we should do things like this more often," she says cheerfully.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Umm... Luna?"

"Yea Tia?"

"Can I at least get a view of this human? I want to be able to put a face to the creature."

"Umm... well, I don't see why not..." This won't end well. I turn to my mirror and scry Miles again.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" he yells as he's eaten by a Red-Bellied Snake in the middle of some cave. My jaw drops as I watch it twist and shake.

"Well... that was... unexpected," Celestia says in shock. I’m about to say something, but then the side of its neck explodes and Miles climbs out of the snake.

"T-the girls... we, we have t-to get them..." He says weakly as he passes out, the fires on his limbs staying lit. Even though I drop the spell, I can't stop staring at the mirror in disbelief. What just happened? What girls are in trouble?

"*sigh* Well... shoot. I guess I have to go back and find out what's going on."

"I wish to come as well." I turn and look at her. "Not to interfere, I just wish to meet this human, you will still make all of the decisions."

"Celestia... alright, but I don't think this is a good idea..."

"Nonsense, I wish to know all my subjects. This human is no different. Now let's go and take a carriage to Ponyville," she says as she teleports us to the chariot docks. We take one of Celestia's and make our way to Ponyville. The entire trip does a serious number on my nerves. How will Miles react to seeing Celestia, or vice versa? GAH... I wish Miles wasn't some kind of conduit of trouble.

We arrive at the Ponyville hospital just as Twilight and Storm run inside, levitating Miles along the way. We step out of the carriage and walk into the hospital. The room has turned chaotic as nurses and doctors run up to Miles, but all stop when they notice me and my sister.

"Please, continue your work," Celestia says, getting everyone to get back to Miles. Once they take him into the back, Storm Cloud approaches me with Twilight right beside him.

"Your Highnesses," he says as they bow to us.

"Could you please tell me what's happened here?" I ask.

"I would, but I don't even know what's going on. All I can say is that Miles went on a small adventure with three little fillies and ended up getting eaten. We can't get the girls to talk about it either, they're too shaken up by what's happened," Storm Cloud says to me.

"Why hasn't his magic stopped flaring?"

"I don't know; we'd have to ask him about it."

"Well then, we should all wait for the doctors to finish up before we ask any more questions," Celestia says as she walks into the waiting lobby. *sigh* So much for my taking the lead on this. We go to the lobby and sit down. Almost immediately several nurses come to us and start asking if we need or want anything, which we decline. I notice Twilight leaning against Storm Cloud and motion for Celestia to look.

"Looks as if your student has found her special somepony," I say quietly to Celestia.

"So it would seem. I was starting to worry that she would never find somepony, but I guess I was wrong."

"Why would you worry about that?"

"Well... Twilight is an excellent student and a wonderful pony, but she tends to keep her head in books instead of in life. Just look at how she was in Canterlot compared to Ponyville." I shrug in response, I didn't really know her from back then - being in the moon and all - so I'll just go with what she says for now. We sit here for about an hour until a doctor comes to us in his surgery scrubs.

"Umm... who's here for the human?"

"We all are. How is Miles?" I ask as I stand and face him.

"I'm afraid not well, your highness. No matter what we do we can't seem to help in any way. Any stitches are burned before they can close the wounds, we can't touch him or we'll be burned as well, and the strangest part is that there seems to be some sort of energy field that is holding him in a kind of stasis."

"What do you mean by that?" Celestia asks as she walks up beside me.

"I can't really explain it, something is holding him at his current health. Whenever we try to heal him with magic or potions, a green energy repels it - we can't do a thing, unless..."

"Unless what, doctor?" I ask.

"Well, it could be that he's rejecting our treatment because he's at such a high energy level. If one of you were to try something, maybe it could have better results."

"Are there any risks?" Twilight asks from behind.

"Well... I'm not sure. There haven't been any so far, so I would guess not... but at the same time, we've been operating at a lower energy level." The room falls silent as we all contemplate this. It could be risky, but at the same time, he is my responsibility.

"I'll do it then," I say as I step forward, "he's my responsibility, I'll be the one to tend to him." The doctor gives a slight bow as he runs off into the back. I follow and head back with him. We first stop at a sink where I set aside my accessories and sterilize my hooves. The nurses bring me some scrubs to put on and we head to the surgery room. The room is round and bright white. Miles is laying on the floor and is surrounded by tables that are holding various tools and instruments for surgery. Four white fires are burning from his hands and feet, sending lines to his elbows and knees. There are several nurses moving around the room, trying to help in any way they can. Above the room is an observation area going all around us. Celestia, Storm Cloud and Twilight are seated up above and are watching intently.

"We tried to put him on a table, but the dark lines were going to melt the table, so we laid him on the floor. Don't worry though, it's perfectly clean in here," the doctor explains as we walk in. "So... how do you want to approach this?"

"I think I have an idea of how I want to go about this," I say as I walk up to him and examine his wounds. There are rows of deep puncture wounds on his left shoulder and he looks like he's in a tremendous amount of pain. As I step closer the flames coming from him suddenly turn emerald green. I stop and look back to the doctor, who only shrugs, before continuing to approach him. When I walk up to him I take a deep sigh and set my horn against his forehead... nothing so far, that's good... I think. I begin to try to send a healing spell into him, but the spell seems to be blocked by an impenetrable energy field.

SO, YOU'VE ARRIVED.

I look around to find the source of the voice, but everything is the same. I look down at Miles and he still looks the same. I’m about to walk away when Miles quickly grabs hold of my horn. After a few seconds of intense energy running through me, I fall to my side and pass out.

---

I awaken in bright white... plains? There doesn't seem to be an end to wherever I am, just endless amounts of white nothingness. In the air are several flat square windows that are all black. I look around and find Miles lying a few feet away from me. I stand up and walk over to him, only to find him in the same state he was in before. Where am I?

GREETINGS, BLUE ONE.

I turn around to find an emerald human hovering behind me. He seems to be devoid of any major features, just simple arms, legs, torso, and a head of all emerald energy. He's looking down at me with his arms crossed and standing as if he were on solid ground.

"Who are you?" I ask as I step back.

I AM.

"... You are..." He doesn't seem to talk, rather his words just appear in my mind.

I GO BY MANY NAMES. MILES EREMITA, SOUL FIRE, CONSCIOUSNESS, IN THE END, I AM.

"O...K... where am I?"

YOU ARE IN MY DOMAIN.

"So... where would that be?"

TO MAKE MATTERS SIMPLE, WE ARE IN MILES'S MIND. I BROUGHT YOU HERE TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU.

"A-a word... with me?"

YES. I MUST SPEAK WITH YOU IF I AM TO ALLOW THIS GAME TO CONTINUE.

"Well... what do you want to know?" He levitates down to me and stands there for a second before he shoots straight for me, engulfing me entirely, forcing me to unconsciousness.

When I wake up I find myself in Miles's mind still, only the emerald man is nowhere to be fou—

LUNA.

"EEP!" I turn around and find the emerald man hovering behind me.

I ACCEPT.

"Y-you accept what?"

I WILL ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE NOW, BUT KNOW THAT MILES MUST STAY LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE LONGER, UNLESS YOU CAN BREAK HIM FREE OF THIS STATE.

"Break him free? I don't get it, what's going on? Why is Miles like this? What do you mean you accept? What do you accept?"

ASK MILES WHEN I ALLOW HIM TO WAKE. AS FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF MILES ACTING AS WEAK AS HE HAS BEEN, SO I'VE DECIDED TO PUNISH HIM FOR A WHILE. I HAVE SEPARATED FROM HIM, FOR THE TIME BEING. THOUGH I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT HIM, NOR CAN HE LIVE WITHOUT ME, I DECIDED TO SEPARATE FROM HIM UNTIL HE REALIZES MY POWER.

"Maybe I can talk to him, try to get him to use his powers more often..."

IN TIME YOU SHALL, BUT NOT NOW.

He turns to Miles and lays over him. The two of them begin to fuse together until only Miles is left. I walk up to him and give him a few shakes... nothing. Shoot... how am I supposed to get out of here? I look around and notice that the black planes are flying higher and higher away. I try to fly after them, but my wings don't seem to be working here. I lie down and try to think of a way to get out. I stand over Miles and shake him even harder.

"Miles! Wake up Miles, come on!" I try everything I can think of to wake him, yelling, shaking, smacking, picking him up and dropping him, nothing. I step to his side and look him over. He looks as if he's sleeping peacefully now, at least he isn't in pain anymore. Hmm... NO! I'm not doing that... I can't... stop thinking brain... well... not like anypony will find out. *sigh* This better work. I bring my face down to his and look at him for a second, before I close my eyes and kiss him. I hold my lips against his for a second before I feel him kissing back, and I quickly step away.

"Wha... huh... LUNA! Wh-what's going on? Where are we? What happened to the girls? WHY WERE YOU KISSING ME?!" He asks as he sits up. I take a few more steps back until I drop to my haunches.

"I-I-I don't know. There was this green human, I didn't get what he was talking about half the time, then you were just lying there and... IT WORKED, DIDN'T IT!?"

Next Chapter: Chapter 38 Lost in Thought Estimated time remaining: 80 Hours, 5 Minutes