The time drew near.
Celestia stood on her balcony and looked out over her beloved Equestria. There was a storm coming today, the unicorns and Pegasi worked together in Canterlot to create and control it. The powerful winds, still far away, rustled Celestia's mane causing it to billow behind her.
As always, Celestia was proud of her ponies. A storm was a thing of beauty in the right circumstance. It was wrathful, yes, but it allowed one to huddle close to friends and tell stories, to look within oneself for guidance in the dark rains. The sounds of thunder and flashes of lighting could mask the screams of a pony fed up with life. The storm was as wrathful as it was kind and beautiful.
It was a good day for a storm.
Celestia spread her wings. Instantly the wind caught her white wings. She had to do little work as the wind lifted her into the air. A bit of drizzle from the edge of the storm sprinkled against her coat.
Lighting flashed as she flew towards the secluded tower. For a moment she half wished somepony would stop her flight towards it. What would she find inside the amulet? Would the spell matrix even work?
Then she arrived at the tower. With a single push the door flew open, aided by the rushing wind behind it. Inside, the amulet sat alone in the center of the room, untouched. Leaning against one of the circular walls of the room was the thick-bodied urn. The urn of her blood.
Celestia shut the door behind her as the wind rattled the windows. It was dark in the room due to the storm. Good, better to bind the spell matrix with. No distractions other than her own magic and the amulet. Celestia pulled the urn from the side of the room near the center.
"Oh, are you ready to begin? How fun!" Void said.
"Every one of your secrets will be made clear." Celestia lifted the lid to the urn. The metallic stench of fresh blood nearly made her gag. "Every darkness will be brought to light."
"How poetic. You're really sending shivers up my spine."
"Then once the evil is made clear, I will destroy it. Then, then I can finally move on from this. Then I can reconcile with Luna and be free of you forever."
"I don't think you have what it takes to do that." Void snickered. "Go on then, entertain me. I'll be watching."
Celestia lifted the urn into the air. Within her chest, a storm raged. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. This spell matrix would not fail.
"Let my blood reveal the truth."
She shattered the urn on the ground over the amulet. It was thick as it splattered against the stone. The stench of blood was overpowering, yet it felt oddly familiar. This was something she knew how to do- to manipulate. The lines of a spell matrix appeared in her mind like the scars of an old brand.
With golden shoes soaked in blood, Celestia began to draw the circle. As her hooves moved, they scraped against the floor, leaving thin lines. She worked the blood like an artist, drawing swirling lines around the amulet. This was her tapestry, and she was the weaver. Celestia could imagine it- each line forming, sounding, building to a crescendo.
When Celestia stepped back from the amulet, her work was made clear before her. An expertly drawn spell matrix surrounded the amulet. Each line had purpose to its placement. Each individual line was just another piece to the puzzle that was her matrix. A conglomerate, no- a congregation of half remembered movements that made her head spin.
"Now for the spell." Celestia whispered.
Her horn began to glow with a golden aura. She could imagine Luna looking at what she was doing with a horrified look on her face. She nearly stopped but shook her head. For the good of Equestria, for her peace of mind, for her sister. Then, she started to bind the magic.
Unlike last time, the matrix resisted the flow of magic. The blood of an alicorn had the potential to hold far more magic than mere paint. It was a real tangible spell ingredient. Perhaps the best of any spell ingredient that had ever existed. Celestia's blood was worth its weight in gold.
Celestia forced her magic through the circle. She directed the flow carefully and slowly, allowing the magic to imbed itself deeply into the stone. As she worked, thin burning lines were formed that scorched the stone beneath. The circle was being carved into its medium, using up the blood in the process.
Like the fuse to a bomb, each line she worked on slowly burned towards the center. Then, it came to the inner circle of the spell matrix. With an air of finality, the last of the blood burnt away and the circle was formed. Yet, it didn't have a purpose, an idea, a center.
Celestia remembered what Twilight had said. She needed to connect the magic to what she wanted. She could not connect it to the amulet itself, no, she had to connect it to something else. What exactly did she need?
Past. The remembrance of the past. That would be the first.
Celestia strengthened the inner magic around the idea of remembrance. Of learning. She felt something click into place. In the inner circle of the spell matrix, an open book appeared. It appeared that her genius student was correct in her theory. It seemed like it was working. What was next then?
Purpose. The intent of the amulet, the reason it was created. That would be the second.
Her magic wrapped around the abstract idea. Her horn began to heat up as the powerful magic took root. The sigil of a pony standing tall appeared in the circle. What was next then? What did she need to complete the spell? Nothing came to mind. As the power flowed through the unfinished spell matrix, she felt it begin to buckle. She needed a third idea to secure it, and she needed it now.
A thought came to mind then. A final thing she wished to know about the amulet.
Power. The strength of the magic inside the amulet and what it would be used for. That was the third.
The final rune was placed. It glowed into existence inside the circle, the sigil of a glowing sun. With that final rune the entire spell matrix almost seemed to shudder. The magic inside of it settled into its formation. As if releasing a deep breath, the lines released their tension and bonded with one another. Then, the circle dimmed to a dull glow.
Celestia gasped as she released herself from the circle. She stumbled then collapsed onto her stomach. Sweat prickled her coat and her horn was so hot it was emanating visible heat waves in the air. A giddy feeling erupted in her chest. She had done it; the spell matrix was made.
"Excellent work! Wow, I haven't seen magic like that in decades." Void's clapping filled the silence. "Bravo my sun, bravo!"
"You are ruining the moment." Celestia said. "Besides, I still have to activate the matrix."
"The hard part is done though, is it not? What are you waiting for, get to it!"
"Why are you so happy? I'm going to figure you out and destroy you." Celestia said.
"Suspicious, are we? Come on, what can a voice in your head really do?"
"You have done quite enough to ruin my life." Celestia forced herself onto her shaky legs.
"Stop being such a drama queen! Fine, have it your way, I'll be sitting in the back watching the show then. Take your time."
Celestia felt his presence fade. She was alone once again. The spell matrix was before her, she needed only activate it.
Was this really the right way of doing things? Void was a menace, but she could deal with him in her head. It was something she could deal with, yes, but could she live with it? Could she ever be free to think her own thoughts, be alone once in a while, speak with her sister once in a while, go on an adventure every once in a while. No, she would never be able to do those things. Maybe though, maybe she could have her mind to herself. Maybe with Void gone she could have autonomy over one facet of her life. No more hiding, no more running, now was the time for fighting.
Magic flowed from her horn into the ritual matrix. It began to smolder and glow, burn and boil. It kindled to flame. The ritual matrix began to perform its function- to inform, past, purpose, and then... power.
Celestia's eyes began to glow, and she gasped as a torrent of information flooded through her. Flashes of a past long gone went through her head in a never-ending sequence.
She saw the amulet in its creation. Over it stood a pony wreathed in flame. She wore golden armor, and on the crown of it was a ruby-red gem. Instead of a mane there a burning plume of flame. Instead of a tail there was a river of fire. Her white coat was not clean due to washing- but from a heat that incinerated anything that touched her. She weaved a spell matrix that burned with such intensity that it turned the rock it was carved upon to magma. In the center of the matrix was a familiar amulet. As she watched, two runes were burned into its face, two alicorns that supported the gem in its center.
When the blazing pony opened her eyes with a wicked smile, Celestia saw something that sent a chill down her spine. A pair of draconic orange eyes that burned with flame. The eyes of a nightmare. This was the amulet's creator.
As that vision faded another one appeared. She saw a cloud of darkness. The mere sight of it filled her with dread. From within the cloud writhed countless shadows. Fangs flashed in its dark confines and a thousand glowing eyes burned into her. Her vision pulled away from the cloud until she was looking not at a cloud but the central gem of a familiar amulet.
The purpose of the amulet was made clear, to contain.
Then another vision came to her. She saw a void. It was colored a purple hue, and the distant horizons saw tiny white dots that looked like smoothed out stars. It seemed to go on forever in all directions. Flat rocks floated aimlessly in this void. In the center of her vision was a massive floating rock. Its top half was sheared off leaving a flat piece of stone.
On this rock was carved a massive spell matrix. No, it was not one but two. Each part of it was impossibly intricate, an endless design of woven threads of magic. Each line was impeccably well drawn to the point of near pointless perfection. Power coursed through them like lifeblood, an endless pumping of magic that never ceased.
The inner spell matrix channeled the power. It drew from the air, sucking in magical energy ceaselessly. Three ideas were implemented into this rune. Power, Knowledge, Containment.
The outer spell matrix was different though. It was of a lesser quality, slight but still noticeable. Instead of the seamlessly woven inner spell matrix in the center there were small imperfections in its lines. It burned like the sun compared to the almost dull inner spell matrix.
Three ideas were woven into this outer spell matrix. Memory, Forgetfulness, Self.
Then her vision closed in on the center of the circle. Chained in the center of the two spells was a pony. A pony that rivaled Celestia in size. His coat was ashen gray like the aftermath of a wildfire. Cracks ran through his body as if he was made of stone. Dark purple crystal filled these cracks. Beholden within the crystal was a black smoke that swirled and swelled like a dark cloud.
On his sides were wings that looked as if they were carved of stone. Where there should have been feathers there was crystal. On his head was a massive horn of stone. This was an alicorn.
Slowly the alicorn looked up, the chains restraining his body buckled. He opened his crystal eyes, slit like that of a dragon. They were piercing, and they met her own with unbound emotion. Hate, and love.
The power of the amulet was made clear, and the spell was done.
Celestia's vision faded, and she found herself bound to flesh once more. Her head swam. Her magic was more drained than ever before. She sat on the ground, the world spinning around her. A thousand questions swam through her head. Yet, before she could even begin to think, a familiar voice echoed in her mind.
"So, what do you think?" Void said. "Pretty sweet digs, eh?"
"You- your real. You're not just some voice in my head, I'm not going insane." Celestia felt as much relief as she did fear. "Who- who are you really?"
"I want to tell you more than you could ever believe, but I can't. The spell matrix stops me." Void said.
"You are that alicorn. A third alicorn. Why don't I remember you? I never would have forgot something like that." Celestia's head began to throb.
"I can't tell you."
"It's the spell matrix, isn't it? Memory, forgetfulness, self... it is stopping you from telling me." Celestia said. "My missing memories... it all has to be connected... but why?"
The image of the flaming alicorn came to mind. She seemed so familiar, so powerful, so... wicked. Why did she feel so familiar, why did that alicorn in the amulet feel so familiar? Why did the thought of her send fear and guilt into every pore in her body? Her memory was shattered, broken, and in need of mending.
"You know where to find the answer my sun." Void said. "Is it somewhere you have avoided before. A place that holds the answers you seek."
Celestia tried to think. A thought came to mind then, the inner vault. A place where her old armor and spell books lay. Where she had set down her spear for the last time. Everything she hated had been locked away in there. It was a place she had been drawn to before but could never open.
The vault was a place she never wanted to go again. Its exact contents were unknown to her. It has been so long that she could barely remember it. Those things were best left buried.
Yet, the flash of her sister's words went through her mind. If she could not face herself, then how could she ever face her sister again? How could she make amends without knowing who she really was? Without knowing what lay beyond the blinding rays of the sun?
The vault held the answers she needed.
"Are you ready, Void?" Celestia asked.
"I have always been ready my sun, now and forevermore."
"Then let us end this."