Maybe He’s Not Dead!
Celestia sat in her private chambers deep in thought. Alex’s scroll sitting on her writing desk unfurled. It was on this date that he had disappeared. Apparently by the teeth of a timber wolf. No sign of him had been discovered since that horrible day. Celestia could not stop thinking about what had happened to him on that fateful day and by her hooves. He had been right. So long as she and Luna lived, they would always remember him and it had insured his immortality. She, with her vast knowledge and experience, had still been bested by a mere mortal. Not only her, but all the Elements of Harmony including the smartest pupil she had ever had. His skill at using his current situation against them and continuing to constantly elude capture had been a real eye opener! And he didn’t even have any magic to use in his defense! She smiled to herself at the memory of his ingenuity.
A knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts. “Enter.” She said and in walked her sister Luna.
It only took a quick glance to know what had been on Celestias mind. “You are still grieving over the loss of the human…Of Alex…” she corrected herself…aren’t you?”
“Do you not remember what day this is Luna?” Celestia responded. “Yes, dear sister, I do. I can never forget.” She said as her head sunk in sorrow.
“Celestia, it has been over two years since he was taken from us and yet still I grieve for him.”
“I do too Luna, but as I read and reread his letter to all of us, as hurtful, yet truthful, as his words were, I still can’t stop thinking we are missing something.”
“What is it sister?” Lunas interest now piqued.
“Luna, This may sound like I am going crazy with grief, but I still can’t help but think he may be still alive.”
Luna sighed, “Sister, I know you want him to be among the living once again, I do too, but we have already been through this. We have tried to retrace every step to find out what had happened to young Alex that day, and still it always ended up the same. I have even tried to find his sleeping mind in the dream plains as well, and still nothing.”
“I know Luna, I know, but maybe we have been going about this the wrong way.” Celestia countered.
“Ok, I’m listening.” Luna replied.
“Look here.” Celestia said pointing a hoof to a line in Alex’ letter. “I have read this thing a hundred times and it has just now occurred to me that not once does he mention his death. He says that he has gone and isn’t around. Even that he loaned his flight book to Miss Rainbow Dash among other things, but never about being dead. If you are dead, you don’t loan a book to somepony.
“Interesting.” was Lunas reply. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Celestia continued, “I went back to Star Swirls mirror and discovered that a faint lingering magical thread from Alex’s arrival here still remains. I tried to follow it, but it was too faint to continue tracking. If he was dead, then the thread should be dead as well right?”
“Celestia, you may be onto something here. But it still doesn’t explain why I can’t find him in the dream plains.” Luna stated.
“Ah! I have a theory about that too. What if the reason you haven’t seen him is that he has figured out how to bypass your dream walking?”
“Sister, you know that is not possible! None can hide from me in the dream plains. He has no magic that he could use that could possibly shield him from my sight!” Luna exclaimed.
“Is that so?” Celestia smirked. “Tell me dear sister, Can you enter a ponys sleeping mind when they are awake, while you slumber?”
“No Celestia. They are awake at the time.” And can you do the same while you are awake and they slumber?”
"You both have to be asleep for your connection to be at its strongest right? Otherwise you have to be close to them to be able to make that connection?"
“Yes, if I am in close proximity to them, only then, the entrance into a sleeping mind… can …I…?
Celestia watched as her sisters eyes grew wide and her pupils shrank as realization sunk in. “IF HE STILL LIVES, I’M GOING TO KILL HIM WITH MY BARE HOOVES!!” She yelled. Celestia giggled at her sisters outburst. If this was true, then he, Alex, had outsmarted them yet again! AND FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS TOO!
Luna had always prided herself on being a skilled chess player and master tactician. This whole human hunt had all been a big game of chess, there were few, if any, still alive these days that could even come close to beating her in a game of chess. Strategy was her forte’ She had had over a thousand years to perfect her skills and then here comes along this little magicless human upstart and he constantly bests her at every turn! He made her look like a blundering foal. Oh she would make him pay!
“Ok Lulu, lets first make sure he is still alive before you kill him shall we?”
“What do you propose to do to see if we can find him Tia?” Luna asked.
“Simple really,” was her reply. “If you are awake during the day, then so is he. If it is the night, then again, so is he. So sleep during the night and enter the dream plains and search for him. If that doesn’t work, then we reverse it. Sleep during the day and search for him again.” Since it is the day time right now, he might be asleep so now is as good a time as any to test my theory. The sooner, the better.”
“Come to think of it…,” Luna began, “I am feeling rather sleepy.” as she gave out a big fake yawn. Celestia giggled at Lunas theatrics.
“Well dear sister, you are looking rather fatigued after a very trying day, would you like to sleep here or in your room?”
“I would very much like to sleep here, if you don’t mind dear sister. I am so sleepy I don’t know if I can make it to my chambers without passing out from exhaustion and I would hate to alarm the guards if they found me passed out in the hallways.” Luna smirked.
“But of course dear Lulu. My chambers are yours. Please make yourself comfortable. Would you like a cup of warm tea to help you relax?”
“Thank you but no dear Tia.” Luna let out another yawn but this one wasn’t as much as a fake one as a real one. They both giggled at their sisterly antics and Luna curled up.
Once Luna was comfortable, she closed her eyes and in no time she was fast asleep.