>>>I’ve never asked myself what I want, never thought about my own ambitions beyond feeding. I have only ever sought nourishment. It was all so clear-cut. So simple. Now I want. Now I desire. Despite my machinations, I never actually sought anything more that the next meal. I enjoyed toying with ponies, but that really just made them sweeter. Then you come along. And you CHANGED EVERYTHING. You have upset the balance. You are creating a new Nightmare. So what if you actually change me? It will be excruciating. For you.<<<
Surprise.
“-Equestria was made!” yelled Pinkie Pie, confetti flying through the air as she zipped into the room.
“Wha-? Where did she come from? What is she talking about?” Spring Mist asked, shocked at the new pony’s sudden appearance in the library.
“She does that,” Twilight Sparkle, Luna, Spike, and Rarity said in unison. Fluttershy remained slightly catatonic from Pinkie’s explosive entrance.
“Anyway,” Mist continued, “That’s pretty much the entire story. I think. Some bits are still fuzzy. Any questions?”
“Should we be worried about that… thing… inside you?” Rarity asked with near-disgust.
“That’s was my sister will be able to tell us,” Luna answered.
“Well, can’t we just use the Elements again? That seemed to work last time…” Spike proposed.
Mist and Luna exchanged worried glances. Twilight offered the answer, “Well, we don’t know what will happen this time. These are fairly extraordinary circumstances. Besides, I don’t even know if they’ll work without us all being willing, and I don't think anypony want's to take the chance unless we're sure....”
“Well then what should we do?” asked Spike.
“You will do nothing. Luna and I are still going to Canterlot to see Celestia,” Mist replied.
“That might be best,” Twilight added, “But when will you be back? I’d still like to finish up my research, even if everything has changed.”
“Ah, yes. Well, I’m sure I could come back soon enough,” responded Mist, “And stay for a while, but after that…” Mist looked to Luna, “I think I’ll be moving to Canterlot.”
“Really? You?” Rarity asked. Everypony in the room looked at her. “What? I’m just surprised.” She shied back slightly.
“Well, yes. I’ll just be moving, I suppose. But Luna said she wants to visit here more often, so I’ll likely accompany her.”
“I do wish to come back more frequently, and if you wish to borrow Mist, I’m sure we could arrange something.”
“Well that just mean we have to throw a ‘Going-way-and-maybe-coming-back-soon’ party! Ooooh, I need to start planning!” Pinkie explained, bouncing up and down.
“Well, not right now. We’ve got to head out. In fact, aren’t we leaving soon?” Mist turned to Luna.
“Indeed. Our transportation should be on the way.”
“Well then, I suppose I’ll see everypony soon enough.” Mist nodded his head, regarding the ponies in front of him. “Thank you all so much for everything you have done. You’ve been such wonderful hosts.”
Mist’s ears perked as he heard the sound of a carriage pulling up near the door to the library. Hooffalls sounded soon after, and then there was a knock at the door. Spike headed over, pulling open the door, revealing one of Luna’s Royal Guards.
He bowed. “Your Majesty, your carriage awaits you. We are ready to leave at your word.” Rising, he waited for orders.
“Thank you, sir. We’ll be right out,” Luna replied.
The guard nodded, turning back to the street. Luna then looked back to the rest of the group. “Well, my friends, we must go. We shall see you all soon enough.”
The group nodded their heads and bowed, offering final farewells to Mist and Luna. The pair climbed aboard the carriage, and with a flap of the twin-guards’ wings, they were off.
Flying high above the land, Spring Mist immediately lowered himself as much as he could, hiding away from everything, searching for something to hold on to. Luna laughed at the spectacle he was making.
“Still afraid of flying, are you, Mist?” she jibed.
“Not afraid,” he insisted, “I just don’t like flying. I prefer to keep my hooves on the ground.”
“Well, flying is the most efficient and by far the fastest way to get around, so I’d suggest you get used to it. Especially if you plan on being by my side.”
“I think for now I’ll pass on that. I can learn later. Just… give me something to do now.”
“Alright. You’ve never been to Canterlot, correct?”
“Correct…”
“Well, quite a treat you are in for, then. My sister did much with the city, especially after the Collapse. Ponies needed a beacon, a safe haven. And Celestia delivered. Unfortunately now it is filled with high-class drudgery that barely deserves to breathe Canterlot air let alone walk its streets and bask in its glory.”
“Touchy subject?”
“I just dislike the aristocracy, that’s all.”
“The what?”
“Oh, right. The aristocracy. High-income, high-profile ponies, close to the nobility of your time, but far less meaningful. Too much money and too little sense, and they never actually contribute to Equestria.”
“How do you mean? I thought you said they were like the nobles of Everfree?”
“Well, similar in rank and social status, but they do not own industries, armies, or lands. They have no real power or purpose, but with their egos you would never guess it.”
“So who owns all of those things then?”
“Well, land can now be privately owned. Of course it is still under Equestrian law and rule, but it is not typically owned by noble families. You met Applejack? Most landowners are like her. They own the land they farm and use their product on the market, instead of use the land under the control of a baron or baroness. And since there has been peace for centuries, armies fell out of use and their numbers have diminished. Now local law enforcement is on the rise, similar to town guards, though again, mostly private. And industries may be owned by individuals, but many are actually corporations - large businesses that have great reach and scope, producing mass-quantities of products for every-growing populations in urban centers.”
“That… a lot to take in. It seems much has changed.”
“Indeed. It took me a while to get back in the swing of things, but I got there. And you will too.”
“I hope so… But… what about me? What am I going to do, exactly? Does Canterlot have an astronomy tower?”
“Ah, it does. But it is not as you remember it. It is far more technical. More mathematics than stargazing. Not quite what you’d like. What was once a profession is now a hobby.”
“That’s disappointing. But still…”
“What should you do? Well, assuming everything turns out alright with Celestia, and you learn everything about ‘modern’ life, I’d suggest you become a court advisor. And of course you would become my Prince Consort. I’d like to have your input, and perhaps a bit of ‘the old ways’ will change things. Establish some older values, maybe change up the high-class world a bit. But in any case, you could just be the consort. It is a rare and unused position, but it gives you free reign of the castle, and the chance to use all of its resources. You could spend days in the library alone, reading through every book we have, or you could spend your nights stargazing. You will want for nothing, Mist.”
“That’s very generous of you, Luna. But what will I do?” Mist asked with concern.
“Well, you will have free reign over your time. I’ll not dictate what you do with it, but I do have responsibilities to attend to, so as much as I’d like to do so, I cannot spend every minute with you. I’d like to spend as much time as possible near you, so I can arrange for you have official positions next to my sister and I. But again, it’s your choice.”
“And again, very generous. But this all depends on what your sister says and how this whole ‘Nightmare situation’ plays out.”
“Ah, yes… of course. I’m… sure it’ll be… fine.” Luna wore a fearful expression.
“You are a terrible liar, Luna. Really, I expected more of you. In any case, I suppose we’ll deal with this like anything else.”
“How so?”
“Take it as it comes. Never worry about things we can’t control.”
“Mist, this is different. We can’t just ignore this. This could pose a serious threat. To us, to Equestria! This is not something that affects only one or two ponies’ lives! There are serious implications for the rest of the kingdom, and possibly beyond that.”
“Alright, but… just… hear me out. Worrying about it won’t solve anything. Enjoy the time we have, and worry about the Nightmare when we have to.”
“Mist, honestly, I’m surprised that you haven’t changed much. I’d expect more… well… Nightmare-ish behavior. And I certainly expected more disjointedness from, and confusion about the world.”
“What do you mean, exactly?”
“Well, when I came back, I remembered everything. I remembered the thousand years, I remembered the evil I became. I remember, however brief it may have been, what it was like with the Nightmare. And after I finally grew to forgive myself, I still had issues… fitting in. Most of the customs we had no longer exist, and you could never imagine the technological development! It was difficult to adjust, initially.”
“Well, I could remember very little. And Twilight Sparkle and Applejack did their best to add a sense of normalcy… I guess.”
“That group of friends seems to have their hooves in everything. Not that I’m not thankful. It’s just interesting. But you said you had no memory… could you tell me more about that?”
“Well, aside from the ‘no memory’ part, there was severe pain when I did try to remember anything. Some things I eventually could remember without pain, but most of it was still… gone. Oh, and there were the nightmares.”
“The nightmares?”
“Horrible dreams. Just… not very pleasant. At all. Actually, I have many of them written down in my journal.”
“Oh? You kept a journal?”
“Well, I didn’t want to lose anything I remembered, and Twilight wasn’t sure if the memory loss was just getting better before it got worse. So, yes. I kept a journal.”
“Well, I’m glad you got your memory back. And I’d like to figure out exactly how that happened, too.”
“Well, you know the story.”
“I do, but maybe I’ll have some ponies sent to investigate the area when they collect your belongings.”
“Sounds like a plan. But – now don’t misunderstand me – shouldn’t you, and your sister, know… well, more? I mean, more about the Nightmare, more about the kind of magic we’re dealing with?”
“Ah, yes. Most ponies assume we are all-knowing, all-powerful deities. We really aren’t that at all. We may be effectively immortal, yes, but we only know as much as we have learned. And one does not learn nearly as much as you’d think. I certainly don’t know everything, and I’m always learning. In fact, what led me to you was weeks of study. My sister and I have been trying to really understand the Nightmare, and eventually we came up with some ideas, not the least of which was that you were in fact still alive.”
“Well, that must have been quite the discovery… Either way, it’s surprising to learn about just how… normal you and your sister are. Powerful, immortal, but still prone to basic pony experiences. It makes me feel a little better about myself, I suppose. Though it also makes me worry that we won’t find a solution to this rather unique problem.”
“Don’t mistake our fallibility for lack of power, or more importantly, a lack of desire. Nothing is more important right now than ensuring your safety and the safety of the kingdom. And what we lack in knowledge, we can make up for in having access to some very masterful ponies and most of Equestria’s documented history at our disposal.”
“Well, of course. I’d never doubt your power. But I still wonder why you would expend those resources on me. Aside from the whole ‘threat to Equestria’ thing. Unless you are just doing it for that reason, which I completely understand.”
“Mist, please… I want to help you. You. The pony I love. But the situation is complicated. I cannot just stand idly by when something like this threatens the ponies I must care after. But believe me that I would spare no expense, no time, no will, to help you. If we free you from the Nightmare, then I do it for you. And saving Equestria is a happy bonus. There is nothing I would not do for you if necessary, Mist. I suppose saying ‘I’d move the heavens for you’ doesn’t count in my case, does it?”
Mist smiled. “Not quite, but I understand. Just… if it comes to it, don’t sacrifice Equestria for me. I do understand the need to protect the kingdom. That’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do. Protect, defend. So… do what you must, if you must. I would like to spend at least a little more time with you.”
“Mist, I don’t want that to happen. And that’s why I want to find the best solution for everypony.”
“Still, just know that I hold no grudges against you.” Mist became aware that they hand landed. He looked around, the white monolithic towers leering over them. The buildings seemed to gleam, almost too brightly. And there was another: a tall white Alicorn, pastel hair flowing on solar winds. “Now her, that’s a different issue.”
“Mist, be nice. Remember where you are,”’ Luna encouraged.
Mist took a few uneasy steps forward, staring the solar Princess right in the eye, his gaze hard, her face unreadable.
Princess Celestia.