Days Asleep

by daidoro

Into the Deep End

---

Two unicorns stood before an alabaster double-door, conversing in hushed tones. While there were many such doors in Canterlot, none were quite so highly embellished, or bore such distinctive iconography. Bisected evenly by the two halves of the portal was a stylized golden sun, shining proudly in subtle gold embossing. Even more recognizable were the unmistakable black lenses of the Regalia adorning the symbol. A royal guard stood at attention on either side of the door, armored in strange metals that gleamed in the sunlight.

"Don't be so nervous," Still Patience said briskly.

"I'm not sure I've ever been this nervous before in my entire life," her companion said. He was a young stallion, with a curiously-colored coat somewhere between burgundy and crimson. He'd been visibly uncomfortable when the guards had glanced over him, and was now nearly hyperventilating as Patience scribbled onto her clipboard professionally.

"Wait one moment, please."

Fidgeting apprehensively, the unicorn did just that. For several moments, actually, as Patience nudged the door open with a hoof and stuck her head inside. While the alabaster opened easily and without a whisper of complaint, the nervous stallion couldn't make out what was being said within.

After a veritable eternity, during which one of the guards coughed twice and nearly gave the waiting unicorn a heart attack, Patience withdrew and regarded him impassively.

"Really, do calm down," she said. "There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. If you don't wish to be here, I won't force you to stay."

"Y-you will?" The unicorn asked, gaping. Patience hardly looked impressed with the response, but shrugged and turned back to her clipboard.

"Of course." She sniffed. "Quite frankly, it doesn't make a lick of difference to me whether you stick around or not. The only reason you're here is by a personal recommendation. Make use of it or don't." That seemed be enough for the seneschal, who turned away with a flick of her tail and a magical shuffling of parchment. Gradually, the echoes of her hooves against the marble flooring faded, until the stallion was left alone in the empty corridor, with only the silent guards and a big golden sun-door before him.

I really.... don't want to be here, he thought, biting his lower lip. But Twilight really stuck her snout out for me with this recommendation! If I get it wrong, at least I can say I gave my best!

Before he could lose any more courage, the young stallion strode forward and unhesitatingly and hoofed the door aside.

At least.... that had been his intention. Somehow the final motion was a near-silent shove of his hoof, swinging the emblazoned white door open just enough for him to slink through. Unconcerned with his attempts to muffle the noise of its closing, the door swung shut unimpeded, utterly without noise in the silence of the chamber.

"Took you long enough," a voice said cheerfully, directly into his ear.

"Aaaaaaah!" The young stallion's voice broke slightly as he jumped, startled nearly his own height into the air. Breathing heavily, he looked with wide eyes and shaking hooves upon the pony who had approached, unnoticed.

A very tall, very regal, and very amused Prince of Day looked back at him.

"A-ah, Prince Solaris! I'm so sorry!" The unicorn gasped, dropping a quivering foreleg to the ground in a bow.

"It's quite fine. Normally I would apologize for startling you, but in this case, I regret nothing," the alabaster alicorn announced. Keeping his tone conversational as he retreated slightly, the diarch crossed the unfamiliar chamber in a surprisingly musical clatter of metal-on-stone. Relieved slightly of the Prince's attention, the stallion took a moment or two to relax and study his new environment.

The unicorn stood in an open, circular chamber which was brightly-lit from a ring of skylights above. Several richly-textured curtains and tapestries served to shroud a handful of alcoves and off-chambers, but they were placed deliberately to preserve the circular feel of the room. Bereft of any separation by door or window, a single balcony showcased a singular view of Equestria from one of Canterlot's tallest towers; on the other side, a gently-sloped recess in the marble cradled a cushion of pillows and blankets. Repeated ceaselessly throughout the architecture, design, and decoration of the chamber were echoes of the Diarchy's symbols.

It occurred somewhat distantly to the young stallion that he was standing in the Prince's private chambers, and that the Prince was studying his reactions even as he moved to recline on a shaped cushion near the balcony.

"No, don't apologize," the Prince said, not unkindly. The young stallion shut is mouth lamely, attempting a shy smile. At the Diarch's nod toward the remaining cushion, he approached gingerly and sat. Caught between the shapeless piece of furniture and Solaris's calm stare, the unicorn shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh-uhm, Twilight Sparkle should have sent a letter-" he began, but was immediately interrupted by the Prince, again. This time, it was a brief ripple of laughter that caught the young stallion off guard as the Prince chuckled, carefree.

"She sent six, actually," Solaris said conspiratorially, as if they were discussing a secret and somepony was eavesdropping. "All of which served to inform me in no uncertain terms that she had finally located a pony suitable to be my assistant, and utterly failed to provide any information of substance whatsoever."

"Oh. I'm, uhm. Not exactly sure what to say to that," the stallion replied.

"Why don't we start with your name?" Solaris suggested innocently, immediately causing the unicorn to turn an impressive shade of red.

"I-It's Cinnabar! I'm sorry, your highness-" he stammered, before being cut off again.

"Don't mind, my little pony," the Prince said, holding up a hoof as if to stop the unicorn's stuttered apologies. "Why exactly do you think Twilight recommended you?"

"I, uhm... That is..." Cinnabar visibly wilted. "I don't know, not really. I helped her once or twice at the library, that's all."

"Gotcha," Prince Solaris replied gently. His wings unfurled slightly to stretch themselves as he thought, uncharacteristically pensive.

Twilight said the Princes were really unprofessional, Cinnabar thought. I was expecting something... less formal?

"Tell me about your cutie mark," The Prince said, unexpectedly. Cinnabar winced at the blunt question, but the Prince simply flicked his tail and waited expectantly.

"It, well... I got it a lot later than most ponies," the unicorn admitted. Instinctively, he turned on the cushion to glance at his flank, where the strange mark sat proudly. A single circle, atop a small cross and crowned with a half-circle. No matter how often he looked at it, Cinnabar's cutie mark seemed alien, as if to remind him how little he knew about himself. "When I left home," he added hesitantly.

"Do you know what it means?" Solaris asked quietly.

Cinnabar's head snapped up.

"No," he whispered. For the first time since arriving, his desire to flee the chamber was matched by curiosity. "Why, what does it mean!?" He pressed, gazing urgently at the thoughtful Prince.

The Prince who then grinned, giving Cinnabar a brief glimpse of the mischievous pony Twilight had spoken of.

"At first, I thought Twilight had recommended you for your bravery," Solaris said. He immediately held up an immaculate hoof, forestalling Cinnabar's protest. "-No my little pony, you are brave," he continued firmly. "You were afraid of coming through that door, and you did it anyway. That's what bravery means."

Cinnabar swallowed, not daring a response.

I nearly didn't, he thought. And I nearly let Twilight down.

"Your cutie mark is an ancient symbol," Prince Solaris said quietly. "It represents 'mercury,' the most formless element. Mercury can settle into any shape, and change itself to fit inside any container. For many centuries, it has been a metaphor for change and adaptability."

"I.... I see," Cinnabar thought, stunned.

Change and adaptability... that sounds... like my life, he thought slowly. A sense of understanding, of inspiration, was dawning on the reddish unicorn. Slowly, he raised his head to smile, disbelieving, at the Prince of Day.

"I'm impressed, kid," Solaris said kindly. "It's not gonna be an easy job, but it's yours. If you want it."

A thrill ran through Cinnabar's entire body, from horn to hooves- and it wasn't entirely because of the job offer, either.

This is who I am, the unicorn thought, with a newfound certainty.

Cinnabar had never been so certain about anything in his life.

"I'll do it," he said.

Prince Solaris smiled, and opened his mouth to reply-

-Only to be cut off by the unicorn holding up a hoof.

"And I'm not being brave," Cinnabar said. "Because I'm not afraid anymore."

Prince Solaris blinked, and in the brief silence Cinnabar realized what he'd just done.

Oh Stars, I just interrupted a Prince, he thought with horror. Before he had a chance to do more than wince, the Prince burst into laughter. This time, it was deeply genuine, and the unicorn was caught further off guard by the musical sound. The Prince actually had to unfurl a wing and run a forefeather across his eye.

"Ah, that was excellent," Solaris announced, still chuckling. "Although I'm afraid I must be going, my little pony. Ponies to meet, a world to run, you know how it is."

Cinnabar clambered to his feet, managing to avoid tripping over his hooves or the cushion. The Prince simply swept his wings toward the vaulted ceiling, their single upbeat pulling him upward gracefully.

The shining alicorn was still chuckling as he led Cinnabar to the chamber's embellished door.

"And between us," the Prince said happily as the unicorn nosed the door open for him, "You may want to send Twilight a letter after Patience has finished briefing you. Her recommendation was helpful, after all."

Something about the twinkle in the Prince's eye seemed unusual to Cinnabar, but he nodded regardless. He was still shocked and elated in equal parts, and didn't quite trust himself to speak. He barely managed a bow, before the door closed before him. Once again, the unicorn was left standing in the marble hallway, alone but for two guards. There was silence.

"Wait, where the buck is Patience?" The Prince's brand new Personal Assistant asked.

---

"Well, what's it say, Twilight?" Spike asked, standing on the tips of his claws to read the letter where it was suspended by the unicorn's magic.

"Just a moment, Spike," Twilight replied, breaking the seal happily.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle," she read.

"After arriving in Canterlot, I was immediately taken to see Prince Solaris by one of the Royal Seneschals. He was nowhere near as difficult as you made him sound! Maybe he's sick or something? Anyway, I got the job! And what's more, the Prince knew about my cutie mark!
Please don't take this the wrong way, but... is there something you weren't telling me? And why exactly did you recommend me in the first place?

Anyhow, thank you for the recommendation. I wouldn't have made it this far without you!

Sincerely,
Cinnabar Lustre
Personal Assistant to the Diarchy! Spike, this is wonderful!" Twilight finished excitedly. "I knew he could do it!"

"Looks like he's already worrying about the Prince, too," Spike observed. "Can the Sun even get sick? And what are you doing, Twilight?"

"I need you to send something back for me," Twilight replied, magically sifting through a nearby bookcase. Discarded titles were already beginning to pile up on the floor around her. Spike sighed dejectedly at the clutter.

"Aha!" Twilight exclaimed, holding forth a leather-bound book. "Let me just bookmark it for him..." She happily crossed to a nearby desk, flipping through the pages rapidly.

"What's so special about this book, anyway?" Spike asked, already starting to re-shelve the misplaced books.

"Oh, Spike," Twilight said, with a small giggle. "You should recognize Starswirl's Compendium Astronomica!"

"And why are we sending it to Cinnabar?" Spike replied, arms full. "He didn't seem the, uh. Compendium type."

"Everypony's a compendium type," Twilight responded instantly. "Whatever that means. And anyway, he asked why I recommended him."

"Is 'because nopony else could put up with the Prince for more than a week' not a good reason?" Spike said, finishing a shelf in time to make quote-motions with his claws.

"Hush! And send the book, please," Twilight said with an exasperated smile.

---

Safely ensconced in his new room, deep within Canterlot Castle, a crimson unicorn looked up at a swirl of emerald dragonfire. Crossing to a large desk tucked away in the corner, he laid a heavy book down upon its surface.

There's no note, Cinnabar mused. Gently, he flipped the thick text open to the bookmarked page curiously.

For the second time that day, a slow smile came to the unicorn's face. Wonderingly, like the sun breaking the horizon to begin a new dawn.

"Mercury," he read aloud, voice reverent. "The planet closest to the Sun."

---

Author's Note:

---

This chapter was intensely difficult to write, for some reason. The different perspective was surprisingly challenging, and even now I'm not sure how it turned out. Expect more filler before the catastr- the Gala.
Do leave your thoughts.
And as always, thank you for reading.

Edit 8/4/15: Tweaked the wording of several passages and did some spring cleaning on the formatting. I'm still not happy with the description of Solaris's quarters, though...

Comments

[sakuralovelight]

I really like this story so far hoe to read more soon

[daidoro]

6282915 Yo, thanks. Ch4 will be up soon, probably before the weekend. Your support is super preesh, friend!

[sakuralovelight]

okay thank you for letting me know