//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Past Remnants // by GreyGuardPony //------------------------------// “So,” Trixie deadpanned, over a full mug of a hot chocolate. She, Lyra, Bon Bon and the rest of the group of friends who were the element bearers sat in one of the uintatherium cafes that had escaped most of the damage in the chaos of attack. And it was there, that the story of everything that had happened to Lyra and Bon Bon had been told. “There’s a ghostly lizard who’s been watching the world unfold for thousands of years?” “You’d be correct.” Lyra nodded. “Yeah, that’s not creepy at all.” “It’s not like he’s watching us in bed Trixie.” She argued back. “How do you know that! He could be watching us during our most intimate moments!” “Trixie.” Raindrops rolled her eyes. “Somehow if he was doing that, I doubt that Luna would have tolerated it.” “Maybe.” Trixie shrugged, grabbing a biscuit from its plate. “But she’s working with Corona right now.” “That’s family though.” Bon Bon argued, enjoying a bite of spiced chocolate. Leaning over, she gave Lyra an appreciative nuzzle. “And well...I guess it can be different at times. ...I guess.” “Where are they anyway?” Ditzy inquired, an unsure frown crossing her muzzle. “Fixing all the zebra Kerzog petrified.” Lyra supplied. “Might take them a little bit.” At that moment, a familiar looking zebra- to Lyra and Bon Bon at least- came stumbling into the cafe, still looking a little shell shocked. Asyana blinked as she looked the room, before she came shuffling over to the table, plopping down next to Bon Bon without a word. The earth pony wordlessly slid a mug of juice over to the zebra, who took it in her hooves and gulped it down. “Or not.” Lyra blinked. “I recognize that look.” Trixie nodded sagely. “You look like a pony who’s had something important to her shaken up.” “I trusted him.” She muttered. “This was going to be the discovery of my career. And instead I was used as a pawn in a plan to kill the princess of Equestria. I am such an idiot.” “Oh, come on.” Lyra waved a dismissive hoof. “Two alicorns and a spirit thing that can see the flow of history didn’t see Ritter’s tricks. Don’t beat yourself up.” “Yes!” Trixie beamed, slamming a hoof on the table. “I’ve just met you, but let me tell you. Some nobles tried to ruin my long term goals. But my friends and I didn’t just roll over, we fought back! You can’t just lay down!” “Also...well...not to put too fine a point on it.” Cheerilee added. “You were still involved in discovering an ancient city and a long lost group of creatures. That’s something isn’t it?” Asyana smiled slightly. “Thanks. I do appreciate that. What happened to Ritter anyway? Everything’s all fuzzy from when I got turned into metal.” “He ran off during the chaos of the battle.” Lyra frowned. “He’ll probably pop back up sooner or later, I imagine.” “Well,” Asyana growled, rubbing her forehead. “I’ll do my best to make sure he’s equus non grata in my homeland.” “And I’m sure that Luna will do the same in Equestria.” Lyra nodded. “Speaking of which.” Trixie spoke up again. “Where’s Luna now? We should probably be getting back to Ponyville.” “She flew off with Corona. It seemed like they wanted to have a conversation with each other.” - - - - Luna nervously fluttered her wings as she landed, Celestia touching down next to her a moment later. They stood on the ridge that fenced in the valley, which provided a commanding view of the city below. From here, the differences between what she saw now, and what she remembered from their first visit to the city stood out all the clearer. “Remember how it was back then?” She asked, waving a hoof towards the buildings. “The jungle had the buildings completely choked.” “Aye.” Celestia nodded as she sat down as well. “We spent time helping the uintatherium clearing the jungle away. It was fine practice for what we would go on to do.” “So...all those years ago, why did you want to spare The Watcher?” Celestia frowned. “Because he seemed...so broken.” She shook her head. “Do you remember how we felt, when we were the last of our kind? And how we felt when we first discovered mortal ponies? We had a purpose again. I thought that maybe giving him the same thing would help him find the same. Luna nodded. “I suppose that it is a good thing we were both here to stop Kerzog. We did fight well together.” “...We did.” Celestia agreed. Sensing an opening, Luna pushed her point. “Don’t you see sister? Together we are so much stronger than we are apart. Why not come home with me?” She paused for just a moment, letting the question hover between them before asking again. “Please?” Celestia didn’t say anything at first, her own wings twitching. “And you would cede to me my rightful title of Queen.” Luna resisted the urge to shout in exasperation. “You know I can’t do that Celestia.” Celestia looked at her, her eyes narrowing in anger. “Why is it that even when you address me by my proper name, it still stings no less like of a knife! Tell me sister, how do you think I view the gulf that exists between us?” “You are so angry! How can I tell? I have felt your hate and anger every morning for a thousand years!” Celestia stomped a hoof, but the strike seemed to lack the power and anger it usually contained. “No, Luna. It pains me as well. I would wish for you to be by my side again, but I must be in control.” She shook her head, a slight and ethereal smirk crossing her muzzle. “It is...funny in a way. Much as your betrayal still pains me, dear sister, it makes me no less proud to see what a strong mare you’ve become in my absence.” “I wish I could take comfort in that Celestia. I really wish I could.” “You shall, in time.” Celestia said, standing up and then taking wing. “You will see. I will come to Canterlot, and everything shall be as it should.” Without another word, she flew off, rapidly disappearing over the horizon. Luna watched her go, blinking back the tears that were already flowing. She threw herself from the cliff, to go collect Lyra and the others. She would need to be back in Canterlot, quickly, after all. - - - - The Watcher cast his mind’s gaze out over the valley again, watching his charges go about their lives. Luna and Celestia had left a day ago, their fates once again in their own hooves, as it should be. But, there was a sense of unease as he looked about, a growing pit of anxiety in his non-existent stomach. He just couldn’t shake this feeling of unease, like something equally important and horrific was about to unfold. “So, is this what you do with all your time?” And then there was the jerk he was watching now. “Yes, Kerzog.” He frowned, keeping his eyes closed. “I am called The Watcher for a reason.” “Right.” The former lord of transmutation spat back. ”This was supposed to be torture for you by the way.” “If life gives you lemons.” “Oh yes.” Kerzog rolled his eyes. “Lovely attitude.” “It is a better attitude than trying to recreate a kingdom that can not exist again.” “Ha!” Kerzog barked. “Please. I am not a fool. Even if I had somehow won here, what would it have accomplished? All of our kind are dead. Would I have ruled from Canterlot with an army of golems like some kind of cargo cult king?” He shook his head. “No. I just wished to do as much damage as I could before some creature got lucky.” “You waited a long time for that.” The Watcher blinked, tilting his head. Kerzog was quiet for a moment, before shrugging. “I didn’t preserve only myself in this fashion. Alas though, as I’ve failed to find any sign of the other lords, it would seem my shell was the only one to endure the countless millennia.” “Mmm. So, Kerzog, there is one more question I have to ask you. How did you blind yourself to my sight?” Kerzog smiled, sitting a little taller as he elaborated. “You exist in the greatest mind trap created, one that all of we surviving lords worked on. And, as such, we made you blind to a certain variety of green marble that exists under this city. We used them to make the other mind trap orbs.” The Watcher nodded. That was one question answered, at any rate. He moved his gaze beyond the valley, beyond the continent that hid it and to Equestria. The feeling of unease grew, the closer to Canterlot his mind’s eye wandered. His vision was becoming...clouded...his ability to see everything lessened. He frowned, looking at Kerzog again. “And this blocking of my vision now?” “Don’t look at me.” Kerzog blinked. “When would I have had the time to do anything else?” Frowning, The Watcher pushed his vision fully into the city. From his point of view, he was in the middle of Canterlot, ponies walking past and straight through him, like he wasn’t even there. Which he wasn’t, technically. But something horrific was in the air, a vice like grip settling around his equally non-existent heart. The buildings all around him were twisted, coiled, and in some places impossible to see even though logically they would be there. “What?” He muttered, turning in place to examine everything around him. Something bad was going to happen in Canterlot, that much was obvious. He had felt this coiling, twisting feeling of dread before a hundred other horrible events in history. But the jumble of images...that he had only ever felt once before. Mocking laughter almost danced down his spine, The Watcher slowly turning to face its source. A billowing dark cloud coiled above the spires of Canterlot, a pair of crazed eyes swirling in their depths. Ah, ah ah! No peeking from the peanut gallery! A burning lance tore across his eyes, inflicting a pain upon him that he had not experienced since his days as a living being. Blackness engulfed him. He could hear Kerzog shouting in shock next to him as he thrashed about, Greyback calling for him in a panic, but he couldn’t even see the room he was in anymore. And as the mocking laughter continued to echo in his mind, he realized just what had happened. He was blind.