//------------------------------// // Truth and Descent // Story: The Same Night // by LimeAttack //------------------------------// Truth and Descent Yet another lightning bolt flared across the sky, but the delay before the thunder lengthened again. “Well, at least the storm is passing,” Rainbow Dash piped up. Everypony sat on spare pillows in a circle, and Fluttershy just finished checking Nato's temperature. “And it looks like his fever's breaking, too.” They all sighed with relief. “It is a little odd that he got over it so quickly, though.” Fluttershy gazed down at the unicorn – who recently stopped turning in his sleep – and pondered the quick recovery before deciding that he likely just had an excellent immune system. Twilight, on the other hand, glanced back at the letter that arrived a few hours ago. After divulging its contents to her friends, Twilight could nearly taste the tension that filled the room. 'This thing acts like a snowball rolling down the hill,' the studious unicorn mentally noted. The slightly less warm and less bright fire of Equestria's sun laboriously crept onto the eastern horizon as hooves pounded on doors. Twilight Sparkle noticed the weariness in Rarity's eyes and quickly apologized. Rainbow Dash studied Pinkie Pie and subtly gestured. When the ponies all arrived back at the library, Twilight had but a few minutes to explain before Princess Celestia herself popped into the room. Their bows met a single, raised hoof of acknowledgment as the ruler of Equestria began to speak. “I am truly sorry to disturb you all so early in the morning.” Her eyes turned on each pony in turn. “However, this matter could not wait. I trust all of you experienced the storm last night.” Everypony nodded. “This storm, contrary to what some of you may think, was NOT a freak accident.” Celestia's eyes slowly traveled up toward the staircase. Twilight naturally caught on first. “Princess, you can't think that Nato had some part in this.” Her voice nearly pleaded for understanding. The hurt gaze returned by the Princess betrayed her thoughts. “Sadly enough, I do. I know nothing of his intentions, but his actions have already written volumes.” Her stature became more erect, more divine. “You see, in the deepest dark of the night before you found him, Nato was not in Equestria. For that matter, he was not even on the planet. The magic that drove that storm rampant, the magic that could have caused immense damage, was the very magic by which this Nato now sleeps upstairs, here, in Equestria.” Every other set of eyes in the room stood blank, and jaws did hang open. Twilight ran the scenario through her mind time and time again. 'Time travel? No, not possible. He's been here too long. Suspended animation? No, he would need to have been here before... He appeared out of thin air, out of nowhere, just like earlier... just like Celestia!' “Long distance teleportation!” she blurted, before the chance to control herself came about. Twilight glanced around sheepishly as the others recovered from nearly jumping through the roof. “So,” Applejack started, “you mean to tell me that in that there bedroom, there is an alien, alive and kickin'?” The goddess of the sun shook her head. “It's not that simple. Perhaps it's time that I told all of you a story.” “I LOVE telling stories!” Pinkie Pie bounced. “Especially the one about how Equestria was made!” She glanced around nervously. “Buuuuut I better not keep them waiting! Tell us, Princess!” The other five Elements just stared blankly at her for what must have been three minutes before turning their attention back to Celestia. “We start, my little ponies, a long time ago, back before Discord's first appearance, back when I was still very young. I had a good friend by the name of Skyfire...” “Celly and Luna, rulers of all Equestria?” the deeply sky-blue pegasus chuckled, “I honestly never thought I'd see the day when the bureaucrats made it happen. Not in my lifetime, anyway.” He gazed at the two young alicorns - Celestia with a long, sunrise colored mane that sat still in the calm air, and Luna, with a much shorter mane that swirled with violet and midnight. The trio stood in Skyfire's room, which would, thousands of years later, become home to a library and a very studious unicorn filly. He shook his head in disbelief, his fire of a mane shifting like dancing campfires with every turn. “Well,” Celestia started, “they did say that it would probably take a few years to get the system ready for us. Besides, don't you have that government thing coming up soon? Maybe you won't get to see it. Not the actual ceremony, anyway.” Her voice flowed out like delicate wind chimes in a gentle summer breeze. “I suppose you're right,” Skyfire conceded. In fact, it was his government job that introduced him two the two alicorns in the first place. “I think it was something about that weird mineral they found. I heard they were testing its magical qualities.” “I looked at it myself, and it has some space-distorting capabilities. Its favorite trick is to make it where no matter how long you walk toward it, it's the same distance away,” Luna piped up with a voice sweeter than the ever-so-rare lunar grapes. Skyfire nodded thoughtfully before gliding over to the enormous windows and throwing them open. “How about we go for a glide? Just the three of us friends for a good memory, just in case this government thing sends me to colonize a planet or something just as crazy.” With that, they all gracefully swooped out of the window and soared into the sky. As the wind whipped around them, Skyfire began to grin madly. Like the storm on his flanks, he wanted thrill. “Come on, guys! Let's break the sound barrier!” The other two slowed down just slightly before getting mischievous grins of their own. As they all built up speed, flying in a tight delta formation, the air resistance began to form a cone around them, thickening and beginning to tingle with static electricity. As a Sonic Rainboom exploded out in, the mach cone became fully visible and rainbow-hued. Twilight doubted Rainbow Dash's jaw could drop any further without damaging the floor of her library. Celestia broke the silence first. “Yes, Rainbow Dash. It was my friends and I who first discovered the existence of the Sonic Rainboom. However, take heart in the fact that it took a legendary pegasus, the first Wonderbolt, actually, and two Princesses to do it, while you were able to accomplish the feat all on your own.” Somehow, even though the words were intended to help the pegasus get over not being the first instead of sending her into self-praise of her awesomeness, it still did. “OH YEAH! Better than BOTH Princesses AND the first WONDERBOLT!” She proceeded to start dancing around the room, occasionally lifting into the air and doing a few somersaults. After about ten minutes of watching some of the most embarrassing dancing known to Equestria, everypony sighed in relief when Rainbow finally sat back down, even if she was still silently cheering for herself. “Anyway,” Celestia resumed, “back then, the Wonderbolts were a secret service organization for Equestria. I eventually changed the group into an aerial performance.” 'To hide the fact they still are secret service', she added mentally. “Now, where was I...” Skyfire's trained hooves tapped on the door to Celestia's private quarters. “Celly? You in there?” Sitting in the middle of a simple room done in the colors of the sun on a large pillow was Celestia, tears trickling out of her eyes. “Y-yes,” she stammered, desperately hoping that Sky didn't notice her crying. Suddenly, his hoof grabbed her cheek and lifted her head out of the pillow. “You know, it's been months since they announced my next project.” He chuckled at the irony that his country really was sending him to go colonize a planet, along with a few hundred hoof-picked others. “You have a long life ahead of you, Celly. There's no way you'll be a strong princess for the ponies if you break down every time a friend is about to go away.” “I know...” she sighed. She wanted to tell him so badly, though, that he was more than a friend to her. Other than her sister, Skyfire was essentially the only pony who ever showed her compassion or kindness. Most other people didn't know who or what she was, and shied away as if she were some kind of mutant freak. “Sky, I want to tell you something. I - “ He silenced her with a warm embrace. “I know, Celestia. And it makes it infinitely worse that there's a very good chance that I won't be coming back. I'll be sure to at least send word back through right when I get there, telling you how beautiful it is. The astronomers called it Requinnta, you know.” He silently slipped a note that Luna had enchanted for him into her dresser, where it would stay hidden until the time came to read it. “I'm leaving tonight. For your sake, don't see me off. I wouldn't want you to do something daft, after all.” As Skyfire pulled away and solemnly slid out of her room, out of her life, Celestia whispered the last words he would ever hear from her. “Goodbye, my fire. I will never forget you.” Everypony in the room, including Rainbow and the Princess herself, had tears brimming in their eyes. A few sniffles went around the room as Twilight retrieved a box of tissue to pass around what had now become a circle of friends, hanging on the Princess' every word. After a good pause, all the questions and comments came in a huge flood. “Princess, did you really fancy that absolutely magnificent Skyfire character?” “Didja get to read the note? Didja? Huh? Huh? Huh? What'd it say, what'd it say?!” “Um, that story was... nice. But I would like to hear the note, t-that is, if you're okay with it...” “I'm sure you did the right thing and all to not follow him, Princess.” “If that story *sniff* was any more sappy *sniff* I might have to hurl...” “How does all of this tie in with Nato, Princess?” Celestia raised a hoof to silence them all. “I can see you have quite a bit to say. Yes, Rarity, I did fancy him. Yes, Pinkie Pie, I read the note, and yes, Fluttershy, I will share it soon. Thank you for your sentiments, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. And Twilight, my faithful student, always the observant one. I will tell you how this ties in once I read the note to everypony. Ahem.” “My dearest Celestia, A wise pony once related life to the cycle of day and night. If only he were a poet. This morning I see you and set my heart afire. This morning I see you and begin my own crusade. This morning I see you and start to give to the world The unbroken, everlasting, heart-stopping beauty of the sun Today I leave you to tie two worlds together. Today I leave you to go where nopony has gone before. Today I leave you to explore the unknown frontier Of eternity, infinity, and unending space beyond. Tonight you find me as a castaway in the realm of infinite dream. Tonight you find me as a spirit twisting free in eternal bliss. Tonight you find me as a servant loyal to the cycle Rising and setting, as all stars must in time. As you read this, the last of my words, I trust you find peace in knowing that I've passed on. Your knight until the end of time, Skyfire” The closing of the letter seemed to bounce around in the room, flitting through the minds of those present before finally coming to rest in moved silence. As the sun outside tipped over high noon, the Elements of Harmony quietly digested the forgotten history they were now privy to. “So,” Twilight started, “this is the part where you tell us how Nato is involved, right?” Celestia nodded gently, blinking away a stray tear. “Yes, of course. You deserve an answer, after all. As you might have guessed by now, it's plain that what you mentioned earlier was right – it was most certainly a variant of a long distance teleportation spell that brought Nato here.” She paused for a breath before continuing. “However, I may have been a little more keen on my observations than you. When a spell so immensely complicated discharges, it's easy to trace the casting of it. What's more, I could trace it to its point of origin – coincidentally, this point of origin coincided with the place Skyfire went to, so long ago. Nato came from Requinnta.” The group experienced another extended pause, the likes of which were becoming unnervingly common. “Wait a second,” Rainbow Dash uneasily began, “you mean to tell us that there's a chance that the stallion sleeping up there is some long-lost great-great-great(...)great-grandcolt of the love of your life?” The Princess only nodded in response. “Well, that's just awkward... in a way.” “What's awkward?” To say that the entire room sunk into the ground a little as everypony jumped back and stared up at the balcony would be accurate – Nato stood groggily at the top of the staircase, yawning as he trod down. As his gaze turned upon the group, his eyes shot wide – Rarity had returned to the group, but who were these two? He glanced between Celestia and Pinkie Pie, feeling a subtle tug to show respect to the former. “I-I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met...” “I can't believe I don't get to throw him a party yet!” Pinkie Pie groaned as the entire group tread into a section of the Everfree forest that nopony had ever visited. Nato glanced uneasily toward the perky pink pony. “I... I'm not sure I'm feeling quite up for a party yet.” He groaned emphatically to emphasize his discomfort. “It feels like I got hit by a train, then left to recover for a day and got hit by one again...” The ponies continued to quietly trace a path deeper into the forest. “Uh... anypony else feelin' like there's something that doesn't want us here?” Applejack murmured. “Oh, for goodness sakes, Applejack,” Rarity patronized, “it's not like we're in your orchard, where the trees have feelings.” As soon as the words were spoken, the ground began to tremble slightly. A slow, measured voice boomed out a sonorous bass that reverberated through their skeletons. “Don't have feelings, eh? I know a few of my friends that would be greatly offended.” The creature making the voice slowly, thunderously stepped out into the clearing with Celestia and the rest. Fluttershy gasped and the rest stood agape. Rarity trembled as she spoke. “W-Well I didn't mean to offened, good... um... sir. I apologize for my insensitivity." Just before the talking tree spoke up again, Twilight nearly burst apart. “Oh my gosh! It's really here, and I'm really looking at it! A treant! Oh, life as a tree must be so interesting, I'd love to study the magic of living trees and find out how to -” Her voice, sharply stifled with a fresh apple, dropped away when she realized how carried away she was getting. Celestia stepped forward and smiled up at the bipedal tree. “Archen, my old friend. How wonderful to finally get to see you again.” Her voice dropped. “I only hope it were on less serious terms.” Archen leaned down. He stood around 20 feet tall, easily more than three times taller than even Celestia. “Ah, Celestia. Have you come to enter the old catacombs again?” 'Catacombs?' Twilight wondered. 'The catacombs... of what?' “Yes.” Celestia replied. “Some... events recently saw me to deem it necessary that these ponies visit them.” Archen frowned slightly. “Very well, then.” An extended pause. “Follow me, little ponyfolk.” With that, the bipedal living tree thundered toward a veritable wall of trees that suddenly lifted up and parted for their comrade. “Well, what are you standing around for?” The group trotted up to him and descended even deeper into the forest. As an old, crumbling stone structure began to materialize out of the mist, Archen slowed and eventually stopped. “This, little ponies, is where I leave you. The magic of this ancient place will not allow me to enter.” Celestia walked up to the tree's leg and nuzzled the knotted, rough bark. “Thank you for guiding us here, Archen. Take care.” The wizened tree cracked what seemed to be a smile. “Anything for a friend.” As the treant slowly stepped backward into the treeline, the entire group turned to face the imposing structure set before them. “Yeah, let's do this!” Pinkie Pie bounced. “Time to go on an adventure!” Twilight snickered. “Pinkie, I don't think we're going to be traveling very far inside this structure...” The vivacious pink pony merely shrugged and began bounding into the ruin. “Hey, wait for us!” everypony called as they set off into the decrepit building, a place that ponies once called the Tower of Skies. A dark, winding staircase spiraled down into blackness below the ponies' hooves. Celestia's horn glowed brightly with an illumination spell, yet the thick, ancient air swallowed the light after only a few meters. As the clicks of hoofsteps echoed through the stairwell, everypony started slowing down almost imperceptibly the deeper they got. “I-It's s-s-so dark...” Fluttershy breathed. Rainbow Dash ruffled her wings. “I can't fly if I can't see where the hay I'm going...” Rarity chuckled nervously. “Well, ah, at least this place is rather clean for an old, abandoned ruin. No critters scurrying about, as it were.” “This place feels... so passive-aggressive,” Nato whispered. “I agree,” Twilight stated, “there's odd magic here, almost waiting for us to stumble into it.” Applejack glanced around and nonchalantly kicked a rock off the side of the staircase. “That sure is a long way down...” she murmured when the rock finally struck something solid three seconds later. Pinkie Pie, however, didn't speak. Instead, she hummed, the same song that she sang back when the group chased after Nightmare Moon. Celestia's voice then filled their ears with its reassurance. “Fear not, my little ponies. The tower simply does not recognize you. The darkness and negative atmosphere are its greatest protections, and it does not like to be disturbed.” Twilight's eyes went wide. 'The tower has awareness? And can feel?' She left her mind to absorb the ramifications of a thinking tower that could fairly well crumble at any given moment. After what felt like hours and hours, the staircase finally came to an end, revealing a torch-lit passage. Celestia darkened her horn. “We are not far now. Come, hurry!” At that, she began to canter down the hallway. In order to keep up with her, everypony else had to break into a full gallop. The sun princess slowed to a trot after a few minutes, then finally a walk. The rest slowly came back down after catching up to her, and without warning Celestia stopped, causing the rest to follow suit. “This, my little ponies, is where Nato and I leave you. You six must continue on through this ruin. We cannot follow.” Just as they were about to protest, she raised a hoof. “I have faith in you, all of you. This place will not swallow you up...” '… like it did with sister,' she added mentally. Twilight turned to her friends. “Come on guys, what are we waiting for? Together, we can do anything!” The rest cheered and followed after their friend into the bowels of the tower. “So,” Celestia started after the group of friends vanished from sight, “I believe I have much to discuss with you, young Nato.” The unicorn gulped slightly. “I would be happy to, Princess.” “First, I want to know why you are here, and if you brought anybody with you.” He sighed before starting. “How about I tell you everything I remember?” Nato then launched into a recounting of everything he remembered about his home so far. “Just recently I remembered standing out in a field just before closing my eyes, which was right before I ended up here.” The dry grass swirled in and around Nato's legs, as if eager to whisk him away with them into the wind. “I'm so sorry, Aila,” he muttered to himself. He looked up at the night sky one last time before he began to cast the teleportation spell. 'I just want to land somewhere with a night sky this beautiful...' He closed his eyes and began focusing on his magic and his request. Just before he flashed away, a young mare ran up to him. “Nato, what are you doing? Brother, don't - “ The flash cut her off, and where once there stood two siblings, only the endlessly dancing grass remained. “Well then,” Celestia began, “you left your home, and from what you recall your sister may have come with you?” A nod. “Then where is she?” Nato stared at his hooves. “I really don't know. She may have landed nearby, she may have woken up first, I can't say. All I know is that when I first woke up, Fluttershy was the only one there.” A tear streaked down his cheek. “What if she's hurt? What if she needs me? I can't be there for her, and it's all my fault!” He stomped the ground with his foreleg, cracking the stone underneath before laying down on the cold, unforgiving floor and sobbing. Celestia gently draped a wing over him and waited for the floodgates to run their course. The group of six gazed at the shimmering barrier in front of them. Rainbow Dash stuck out a hoof and gently pushed through it. “Hmm, doesn't seem like it's going to vaporize us.” Twilight opened her eyes. “The magic doesn't seem to be violent in nature, either. Mostly Illusion magic, if I'm not mistaken.” Applejack coughed. “Well, th' Princess said that we have to keep goin'. I say we stroll right on in and just keep movin'!” “I'll second that motion!” Pinkie Pie joyously proclaimed as she bounced forward. However, the second her entire body crossed the barrier they were all frozen into a stasis. A chilling, neutral voice seemed to emanate from every single bit of air and stone that surrounded them. “The bearers of the Elements of Harmony have come to learn...” A slightly sickening tone of twisted joy crept into the disembodied voice. “Well then, I take it upon myself to teach them!” “My fellow Requinntans,” Alabaster Parchment began, “today, our loving leader, our kind king, once again feels the terrible tragedy of loss. His demure daughter and his sanguine son disappeared from their country house sometime before the dreadful dawn this morning. We humbly ask that you offer our glorious Marceck your affections and your condolences to help him through this troubled time. If any of you possess information as to the whereabouts of young Nato and beautiful Aila, please come forward at this time.” Nopony did. “Then I request that if one of you does find any knowledge of the kind, that you please report to the Office of Internal Investigation. Thank you for your time; you may return to your homes.” The politician silenced the microphone and retreated to the back of the stage. Celestia glanced down at Nato, who still had his head between his forelegs. He had stopped crying, but Celestia still found words of comfort. “I am sure that your sister is fine. In fact, it is quite likely that she is looking for you as we speak. Worry not, for you will find her.” Nato looked up at the Princess, and gave a weak smile before turning his head down the hallway and rising to his hooves. “I'm sorry you had to see that,” Nato began, “but my sister has been my best friend since we were just little foals.” Celestia gave a slow nod of understanding. The unicorn stallion looked around the room, absorbing his surroundings. Eventually, he closed his eyes. “Where was I?” “It all happened so long ago. I was only a young colt, five years or so old.” A young Nato looked up at what he thought was the most beautiful creature in the world. She had a silky aquamarine coat, with a flowing, blue mane that cascaded in ripples down from her head. As she turned, she noticed the little colt just staring up at her with awe and wonder. “Nato, sweetie, what do you want?” His mother's voice sounded like the song of the sea that came in seashells. “Nothing, Momma. I just wanted to know what you were doing.” His goofy smile melted the mare's heart. She spoke, now with a hint of sadness to her voice. “You're just absolutely handsome. When you grow up, you'll have no trouble making friends with the mares.” She tousled his hair and started walking out of the room, motioning him to come with. “Momma! Wait up!” The colt galloped off after her, toward the den. “She may not have looked it, but ever since my mother gave birth to my sister, she slipped deeper and deeper into a depressed state. She loved us so much as to not want us to worry for her. But that day, she was genuinely happy. Before I was born, my father used to tell her that her smile could light up the entire kingdom at night. He saw that smile one last time that very day.” Nato's mother started finishing her conversation with her partner. “Yes, I think I'll be heading off to my study for a small while before retiring for the night.” She let a small smile slip as she turned and walked away. Nato, who had been hiding and eavesdropping ever since his parents told him to go check on his sister, rushed off to his mother's study to see if he could beat her there and surprise her. Nato stumbled up a pile of boxes in the study's storage closet. He stretched up, up, up, precariously perched on the highest box, just enough height to peek through the keyhole. Just as he got into position, his mother entered the room and closed the door behind her. He watched as she sighed heavily. “I suppose it's about time, then.” She walked over to her desk, finding a single, unopened letter from her sister. “Convenient...” she muttered to herself. A letter opener slid out of a drawer and she slit the envelope open. “Sister is getting married, how delightful.” The mare penned out a response with a special hoof cuff that could hold instruments clearly meant for something other than hooves. After sealing the envelope and setting it on a stack with other letters to be sent, she picked up the letter opener once more. Nato stared on, unable to shake himself from that spot as he watched his mother lift the sharp, dagger-like object high into the air and then plunge it down - “MOMMA!” he cried, but it was too late. The boxes tumbled and Nato fell out of the closet with them. He landed near his mother's body and stood up, shaking her. “Momma, momma, get up. Get up! Momma?” Her form went fully prone, shuddering with the last breath as it left her body. Nato slumped, curled up next to his beautiful mother, and cried. The door thundered open, and Nato's father stood there, taking in the scene that lay before him, and started stepping slowly forward, dazed. Somehow reaching his darling Eniva, Marceck cradled her face in his hooves and screamed, a mourning, devastated tone that those hearing it would remember as a noise so terribly sad that even the sky cried that night.