Chapter Four - Creatures of Memory
For the past fifteen minutes, Twilight stood in the balcony doorway and watched Solaire as he gazed into the flame’s depths. The knight knelt unnaturally close to the fire, almost hunched over and unmoving as if he were made of stone.
Every so often he’d glance up toward the horizon, a few seconds passing before he’d slump down again, ever silent as he returned to his statuesque state.
With all the initial excitement finally ebbed out of her system, Twilight found herself with the clearest mind she’d had in hours. She breathed out a sigh, her eyes focusing on the strange figure kneeling in the center of the balcony.
Even after his body had been reduced to dried flesh and decayed skin, Solaire’s strength was still apparent. With only a slight twitch of his shoulders that considerable pack of muscle would shift as well, bulging out from beneath chainmail and tunic. His legs, gripped tight by rugged leather and matching mail, were twin pillars of power and fortitude, and his helmet, catching the flame’s orange glow, was the perfect representation of his unflappable nature.
Solaire’s was a sturdy body.
A cruel body.
A body that has both seen and dealt death.
And he had asked if she would stay with him and watch the sunrise.
There atop that tower in Canterlot, Twilight could only smile.
Like paint spilling across a canvas, the pinks and yellows of the morning sun flowed across the sky, beating back the dark blues and wiping away the small spots of stars. Just beyond the eastern mountains, beams of light had started breaking through and draping itself across the land, lending Equestria the color she had lost the evening before. The emerald forests, the lime-green valleys and the snow-topped peaks, they were all brought back to life in the morning’s glow.
Twilight hadn’t noticed when Solaire moved away from the fire. He stood at the balcony’s edge, his back towards her as he gazed at that one singular spot on the horizon. As quietly as she could, Twilight started forward and stopped at the railing some distance to Solaire’s left.
The knight hummed a thoughtful sound. “Do you normally greet the new day in this manner, Miss Sparkle?”
“Not really,” she said with a shrug. “By the time I wake up, the sun’s already risen. My friends say that I’m a night owl which is... actually pretty accurate now that I think about it.”
Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Solaire shifting on his feet.
“An owl?” he asked.
“Nevermind," said Twilight. “It’s a figure of speech—I don’t fall asleep until it’s really late.”
“Oh," was all he said.
They remained silent for the next minute, neither of the two saying a word. Twilight watched him through a sidelong glance, the knight remaining completely still as he stared straight ahead.
His withered hands tightened on the railing.
“I’m sorry,” Solaire said. “My being here seems to be an inconvenience for everyone involved. Perhaps I should leave now and just—”
Twilight tapped her hoof on the floor. “Wait, hold on. Princess Celestia asked you to stay at least for a little while, right? If you were really an inconvenience, why would she give you these two days of rest?”
“Because the princess is not a black-hearted beast, Miss Sparkle. What she has extended to me here is a kindness that I will never forget, but even that has its limits. If you’ll recall, she didn’t say a word when you broached the topic of me staying here for good, did she?”
“Because you immediately refused,” Twilight said. “How could you know that she wouldn’t have turned you down if you had already said no?”
Solaire sighed, his head tilting upward. On impulse, Twilight’s gaze flew upward to the patch of decayed skin that covered his throat. She looked away.
“Answer me this, Miss Sparkle. Do you think the princess is sending me away out of malice? Do you think she has been especially cruel in her dealings with me?” He glanced her way. “Do you think that Princess Celestia is wrong?”
“No,” she whispered. “In the end, it’s the right decision for Equestria.”
Solaire nodded. “And that is why I must go.”
“But for you, it’s—”
“Also the right decision. I simply took the choice, the responsibility, onto myself. I don’t need to challenge your morals to know that you are all good people. Offering me this—just these two days—is enough proof of that.”
Twilight swallowed away the lump in her throat. “You’re not an inconvenience, Solaire...”
“Oh really?” he said with a chuckle. “Then when’s the last time you slept?”
The question caught her off guard. Twilight chewed at her lip, fumbling for a response.
“Well, I managed a quick nap on the train, and—”
“And how long ago was that?”
She winced. “Yesterday morning…”
“An inconvenience, Miss Sparkle.” Sighing, he pushed away from the railing and started toward the flame, its orange glow drowned out by the light of morning. He looked in her direction. “What happens now? Am I to remain in the tower until the time comes for my departure?”
Twilight’s mouth dropped open.
“N-not at all! We’ve actually prepared a suitable, if somewhat temporary solution to your sudden appearance.”
“Oh?”
“If anypony asks, you’re a foreign diplomat from the far, faraway land of Karkaryon, a small cluster of islands found some fifty miles off the Minocretian coast.” Twilight smiled. “I read that it’s quite beautiful there this time of year.”
Solaire’s muffled voice came out quieter than usual.
“And ponies are likely to believe this story…?”
“Oh, sure,” Twilight said, her smile widening.
“And what of the actual Karkaryans? I don’t feel comfortable posing as one of their diplomats.”
Twilight couldn’t stifle it any longer. She held a hoof to her mouth as a stream of giggles broke free.
“Oh gosh,” she began, full of mirth. “Karkaryon doesn’t actually exist, and well, considering that a long-lost empire just suddenly appeared in our backyard a little over two months ago, I don’t think anypony’s gonna question the validity of your tale, let alone find a map to verify it. You’ll be in the presence of the princesses—that should be enough for them.”
Twilight could almost hear the frown in his voice.
“Why the deceit though, Miss Sparkle? Wouldn’t it be simpler if I were to tell the truth?”
“Ah, about that...” The unicorn shook her head. “Simpler isn’t always the best, I’ve discovered. Our fabrication is much easier to swallow than saying outright that you’re an interdimensional warrior who somehow pierced the veil between our worlds. Not to mention that beneath all that armor, you’re a walking cadaver. Yeah, that definitely won’t translate well with aristocratic types.”
Solaire nodded slowly.
“I suppose I’m in no position to disagree with you—foreign diplomat it is.” He clasped his hands together. “What happens next?”
Twilight glanced up and down his tall form.
“Well, Princess Celestia and my friends are about to have breakfast. You’re invited of course, but earlier, you ah…” her gaze was drawn to the rotted state of his exposed hands, “... you said that you could repair your body.”
There came another nod from the knight. Through the slits of his helmet, Twilight could feel his gaze boring into her own, the seconds whittling by in an uncomfortable silence.
She bit her lip. “Um—”
A single gesture from Solaire stopped whatever else Twilight had to say. He let his raised hand linger there for a moment longer before he reached up with both and grasped at the base of his helmet. Slowly, he lifted the polished steel from his head and looked down to the floor as strands of matted brown hair spilled out to conceal his face.
Twilight knew it was coming—she had spent the better part of two hours in the same room as him, and yet a gasp still forced its way out of her mouth when Solaire looked her way.
By all accounts, the face that stared back at her resembled that of a corpse. Patched and damaged, mottled brown skin clung tight to Solaire’s skull. His cheeks were sunken and gaunt, the underlying tendons shifting and pulling as his purpled lips formed a semblance of a frown. Where his eyes should have been there was simply nothing, the two pits remaining shadowed as if they were black holes that consumed all light.
Twilight’s heart pulsed an odd rhythm inside her chest. If she were able to move, Twilight was sure that she’d have taken a step backward to cower away from those unseeing pits. Thankfully, her legs refused to work and Solaire—completely still—made no motion that he had noticed her fear.
But Twilight was sure that he knew.
Without a word, Solaire lowered himself onto a knee beside the flame. One hand he placed upon his chest and with the other he formed a fist in front of his face. He held that pose for all of two seconds before he slowly unclenched his hand.
Twilight’s eyes widened.
There, floating in the center of Solaire’s palm was a quivering mass of dark energy. The black sprite swayed about in an otherworldly breeze, its small elliptical shape bending and twisting as if it desired to be set free.
“W-what is that?”
The knight didn’t look in her direction. “It’s a disease, Miss Sparkle, a hungering sickness that threatens to choke away my sanity. Stand back.”
Before Twilight could say anything else, Solaire balled his hand into a fist once more, trapping the black sprite between his fingers. As if it were a ritual, he slowly extended his fist over the fire, the gentle ribbons of orange light licking at the back of his hand.
If Twilight blinked, she was sure that she would have missed it. The effects were instantaneous—In a wave, the dead skin covering Solaire’s hand regained its bronzed color. The once-discernible bones in his fingers were concealed as his flesh plumped back to its natural state, and beneath his armor, Twilight saw that the rest of his body was being healed as well. Fitted chainmail bulked outward, his tunic stretched and as Solaire rose once more to his full height, Twilight found herself focusing on the knight’s restored face.
“Solaire,” she whispered.
He raised a brow. “Is something the matter?”
“Y-you’re… you’re alive.”
He grinned. “Not quite, Miss Sparkle. Close, but not quite.”
Grossly Incandescent
Chapter 4 - Creatures of Memory
Solaire, Twilight realized, was a man of many smiles. There was the gentle one he wore when answering Fluttershy’s questions, the giant grin that accompanied his sweeping arms in the midst of a particularly exciting tale, and then there was the reserved smile; the small, peaceful one that formed on his lips after the food arrived and when the conversation had long faded to the tinny sounds of silverware tapping against plate.
Twilight looked up from her half-eaten waffle. At the head of the dining table sat Princess Celestia, a quiet air surrounding her. To anyone who didn’t know her well, Celestia was acting no different than normal—she laughed when she was supposed to laugh, appeared startled when necessary and inquired further when the conversation demanded it of her, but Twilight knew something wasn’t quite right. When Celestia smiled, it was soft, fragile as if it might break any moment, and her wandering eyes lingered on things a half-second longer than necessary.
Twilight bit at the inside of her lip. On the opposite side of the table and to the princess’ left sat Solaire, ever silent as her friends cleared the remaining food from their plates. He had left his armor in the tower’s parlor, shedding the chainmail and overlying tabard in favor for the leather jerkin he wore underneath.
She didn’t have the heart to ask him if it was synthetic.
Twilight breathed out a sigh, turning her attention back to the lonely waffle in front of her. It had long since absorbed all the syrup and had transformed into soggy mess of soft, saccharine pastry. A frown formed on her lips.
“Miss Sparkle?”
Twilight snapped to attention. From across the table, Solaire stared back at her, his gaze roaming across the features of her face. At once, his eyes focused on hers.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine,” Twilight said. “Just a little tired. Worn out, I guess.”
To Solaire’s left and on the other side of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash dropped her spoon into a bowl of milk.
“Nothing wrong with waking up a little early,” the pegasus said through a mouthful of cereal. “Hey, did you know it’s better to work out at dawn than at night? I mean, just look at Applejack. She wakes up at like what, three in the morning to kick trees and she’s super-buff!”
Applejack shook her head, taking a moment to swallow her food. “That ain’t trainin’, hon. That’s life on the farm, and just to clarify for y’all… I wake up at five. Four thirty on a good day.”
Twilight gave a morose nod. “Yeah, I could never do that.”
“Early to bed, early to rise,” Applejack said. “You didn’t get a single wink, did’ya? Not after…”
She looked to Solaire.
“...all this.”
“I’ll manage,” said Twilight with a sigh. She looked to each of her friends. “While we’re all here, I guess I should ask what everypony’s got planned today—with the arrival of our guest, there’s bound to be some changes. Pinkie Pie? Rainbow Dash? Are you two still scheduled for lunch at Donut Joe’s?”
The spot of powdered sugar on the tip of Pinkie’s nose disappeared as she gave her head a vigorous shake.
“Noperooni, Twilight! There’s too much to do, too much to plan and so little time! If I’m gonna throw the bestest ‘Welcome to Our Side of the Universe’ party, then I’m gonna need my full, undivided attention! It’s a tall order... maybe too tall.”
“Uh-huh.” Twilight turned to the pegasus. “What about you, Rainbow Dash?”
“Pinkie’s where the fun is so that’s where you’ll find me,” she said with a shrug. “Hey, but what about you, Twi? Didn’t you have that egghead thing at the museum that you’ve literally been waiting months to go to? Don’t tell me you’re gonna sweep that under the rug.”
Twilight was painfully aware of Solaire’s deepening gaze.
“They’ll be back next year,” she said quietly. “Solaire only has two days in Equestria. The least I could do—what anypony could do—is to make him feel welcome.”
She turned to the pony sitting on her right. “Applejack, what about you? Do you have anything planned?”
Applejack breathed in deep and let it all out in one slow exhale.
“Listen, Twi... besides hangin’ out with you girls, there’s only one reason I’m here and that’s the gala. Now that don’t mean I’m opposed to goin’ places, not at all—if you asked me to go to that museum deal with ya, sure. If Fluttershy asked me to be her second on her trip to the zoo, no problem. But after all that’s happened, after all this strange business, I—” she glanced toward Solaire once more, “—I don’t know.”
A single “Oh,” was all Twilight could muster. She searched across her friend’s face, looking for an answer to the question that burned on the tip of her tongue. She swallowed away the dryness in her throat. “W-well, maybe you’d like to join me in giving Solaire a tour of the palace.”
Applejack sighed. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry, but—”
Like a ghost, Rarity rose from her seat. A dreadful silence draped itself across the dining hall as she looked to each of the ponies with a rigid mask of a face, and before anyone could utter a single word, Rarity turned away and started toward the twin doors at the far end of the room. She moved with a purpose—the fading sound of her hooves striking against tile only accentuated that fact. Rarity was already halfway to the doors before one of the seven found the strength to speak.
Fluttershy’s ears lay flat.
“Rarity?” she whispered.
Much too quiet.
The unicorn was at the exit now, just a small smudge of white against the bronze backdrop of the doors. A pearl-blue magic nudged them open and like a leaf carried away by a stiff breeze, Rarity was gone.
Only silence remained. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash shared a look. Applejack frowned, and Fluttershy sat completely still. Twilight breathed in deep—directly in front of her, a war of emotion raged across Solaire’s face. His smile was gone and he stared at nothing, his vacant eyes glued to a single spot on the wall behind her.
Twilight could feel Celestia’s gaze on the side of her head.
Nopony needed to ask.
Without a word, Twilight rose from her seat and chased after her friend.
****
Rarity hadn’t gone far. As soon as Twilight pushed open the dining hall doors, her eyes were immediately drawn to Rarity’s white coat. She sat on a stone bench a fair distance away and stared down at her hooves, the furrow in her brow becoming much more apparent the closer Twilight drew. She always liked this hallway with its tall windows that streamed in sunlight and its pale blue banners that hung evenly spaced along the walls, but Twilight didn’t have time to stop and smile.
Not today.
Only when Twilight slowed her step a few paces away did Rarity finally look up.
“Just you?” Rarity asked in a small voice.
“Just me.” Twilight flicked her gaze to the small sliver of bench to Rarity’s right. “Can I…?”
Rarity sidled over, allowing Twilight a space to sit.
Just as quiet as she, Twilight gently lowered herself into place next to her friend. For a long moment they sat there, neither of them saying a word. Though their coats were barely a hair’s breadth apart, it felt as if there were a deep valley between them, complete with rickety wooden bridge and gale-force winds.
Before she could speak however, Rarity breathed out a quiet sigh, her gaze tilting up toward the ceiling.
“Twilight, have you ever lost anyone?”
A pause.
“I can’t say that I have, no.”
“Me neither,” Rarity said. “A cat when I was still a filly, but that… that doesn’t really count, does it?”
“I’m not the best pony to ask, Rarity. I never lost a pet, a family member. Anyone.” Twilight glanced toward her friend. “I don’t really know what this is about, but you wouldn’t have waited if you didn’t want to speak, so... I’m here I guess. To listen.”
A weak chuckle escaped from Rarity’s lips.
“Do you really not know?” She turned to the side, piercing blue eyes meeting hers. “It’s about you, Twilight.”
“W-what do you mean? Is this about my research? I—”
“Darling, I don’t even have the energy to address that, so please. This isn’t about soul magic or crystals or magic fires or...” She drew in a slow, staggered breath. “This is about you. This is about you, Twilight Sparkle, and how you are just allowing this to happen.”
Rarity pointed toward the dining hall doors.
Twilight swivelled her head, following her friend’s hoof.
“Solaire?” Twilight whispered, turning back. “Rarity, what are you saying? He doesn’t belong here; he said so himself. If the Elements were capable of safely removing his curse, then I’d be singing a different tune right now. But as it stands, his curse is dangerous, and he… he can’t stay.”
Rarity shut her eyes for the better part of five seconds before continuing again in a quiet tone.
“We have such wonderful friends, don’t we, Twilight? Pinkie Pie is throwing him a party and Fluttershy is, ah… she’s just being herself is she not? Those two... perhaps it’s just in their nature to be so kind and incredible without expecting anything in return.” Rarity paused, her mouth curling as if she were unsure whether she should smile or frown. She chose the latter. “What I’m trying to say, Twilight, is that they are doing what they can—what they are capable of.”
“Rarity, I—”
“Now answer me this… are you really doing all that you can? Is Princess Celestia’s student only capable of giving palace tours and acting as a glorified chauffeur?”
Her eyes burned with a sudden intensity.
“Twilight... are you, or are you not the Element of Magic? Are you or are you not the mare that has saved us time and time again?” Rarity’s throat bobbed up and down. “Prove to me that you are. Please.”
Twilight couldn’t say a thing. She struggled for a response, the right combination of words, anything that would fill the silence left in the wake of that barrage of questions. Her brow furrowed.
Sighing, Rarity stepped off the stone bench and started a slow canter into the center of the hall.
She looked over her shoulder. “Help him, Twilight. If there’s anypony who can, it’s you.”
Twilight opened her mouth only for it to close shut a second later. Rarity was already several paces away before she dared to try again. With a burst of energy, she stepped off the bench and took several steps after her friend.
“Wait,” Twilight called out. “Why do you care about him so much?”
Rarity paused mid-step and looked back toward Twilight with a single eye.
“What?”
“Why do you care?” Twilight repeated. “You think you can just say these things and leave without any sort of explanation? Answer me, Rarity—why do you care about him so much?”
Rarity’s shoulders shook. For a moment, Twilight thought she was going to storm off just as she always had when she became flustered, but that theory quickly proved to be wrong. In a white haze, Rarity spun around to face her, strands of her mane tousled by the sudden movement. She took one step and then two, eyes wide as her mouth contorted into a bitter frown.
“He held my hoof as he lay dying, Twilight—is that reason enough? I could feel his life leaving him through the weakening of his grip. When his hand finally hit the grass, I knew he was dead. I didn’t have to prod his body or whisper his name, I just knew.” Rarity drew in a shuddering breath. “And now someone who I saw die is just laughing and… eating in the other room because of a curse that I cannot even begin to understand. Do you see, Twilight? Solaire may be able to just shrug it off, but that does not mean that we should too! If he leaves now, what will change for him? What does that say about us?”
Twilight could feel an ache building behind her eyes. She raised a hoof.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little unreasonable? We asked him to stay, and he said no. We offered to use the Elements to end his curse and he said no. What else do you expect me to do, Rarity, say that he can’t leave? Are we going to hold him prisoner in the tower? Are you going to stand guard outside his door for the next fifty years?” Twilight scoffed, shaking her head. “Listen to what you’re saying… you care more about what happens to him than he does himself.”
Rarity glowered back at her.
“I care, Twilight Sparkle... because you obviously do not. Is all this just some sort of experiment to you? Maybe I can forgive you for fiddling about with your own soul, but not Solaire’s, no.”
There was a quaver in her voice now, a slight tremble that bespoke her fear. “Would you set loose an injured bird just because it desired to be set free? There’s kindness and then there’s cruelty, Twilight—why are you so keen on letting him leave?”
“Because that’s what he wants, Rarity! He can take care of himself, and he’s definitely not an injured bird that needs looking after!”
Twilight’s voice echoed through the hall. Only when she saw that Rarity had shrank away from her outburst did she realize how loud she had yelled.
She swallowed away the scratchiness in her throat.
“Rarity, I—”
“No, you’re right, Twilight… he can take care of himself. It’s just that I’m scared and confused, and I… I don’t know what to think. Ever since your lecture, my brain has been a jumble of nonsense. I can’t focus, I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry, and I’m angry. Angry at myself because I feel angry in the first place. Does that make sense?” Rarity shut her eyes, a pained look crossing her face. “Is it wrong for a pony to care? Am I in the wrong for worrying about him? I… I don’t know.”
Rarity breathed in deep.
“You’re right, Twilight. You’re right about many things, but I know that you are wrong about this.” A pause. “I’m sorry.”
Twilight could only watch as Rarity turned to leave. She had taken only a few steps before Twilight reached out a single hoof.
“Wait,” she whispered. “Where are you going?”
Rarity didn’t turn around.
“I have dresses to finish.”
And in the span of a few blinks, Rarity disappeared around the corner, swallowed up by the walls of the castle.
Gone.
It was a long moment before Twilight found the strength to move. She turned on unsteady limbs and began the long trek back to the dining hall. Exhaustion weighed heavy on her eyelids. Fatigue shot down her legs with each step she took, and inside her chest, her heart continued to pound away its aching rhythm—her body’s way of telling her to get some sleep.
She pushed the thought away.
Her mind was a grey fog as she pulled open the dining hall doors with a burst of magic. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the threshold into the massive room, her eyes focusing on the distant forms of her friends.
Celestia, Fluttershy and Applejack were still seated at the table, a somber air surrounding the trio as they carried on with their hushed conversation. Every so often, Applejack and Fluttershy would nod along with Celestia’s words. Judging by the expressions they wore, their discussion wasn’t exactly the most cheerful of subjects.
Twilight didn’t have to look long to spot the rest of their group. Far to the right and away from all the tables and chairs, Solaire’s tall form was immediately apparent, two brightly colored shapes that could only be Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash crowding near his feet. A very audible ‘no way!’ from the pegasus followed by a sugary laugh from Pinkie told Twilight that they were holding their own kind of conversation with the knight. Solaire, for his part, simply smiled and laughed along with them.
Twilight frowned. If she didn’t know any better, Solaire could easily have been a foreign actor or poet. A very foreign actor or poet, but the point still stood. Twilight didn’t need to hear his words to know the story he was telling. The vivid sweeping of his arms and the range of expressions that crossed his face could only be described as lively and animated. Eyes wide, he squatted down, coming face to face with the two ponies. His mouth whispered out slow, incomprehensible terrors, and in a flash, he jumped to his full height, clapping his hands high above his head.
After the startled gasps gave way to a fresh bout of giggles, Twilight took one final breath and started toward the table, her eyes focused on Celestia’s face. Only two seconds passed before the princess paused mid-sentence and looked up, their gazes finally meeting.
It wasn’t long after that both Applejack and Fluttershy were looking her way as well. The arch in Applejack’s brow and the frown on Fluttershy’s lips betrayed their concern, but they said not a word as Twilight found the way to her seat and dropped into the chair with an unceremonious sigh.
She was keenly aware that her half-eaten waffle had been replaced by a mug of steaming coffee.
“Fluttershy had the staff bring that out for ya,” Applejack said.
Twilight looked up to see the pegasus shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
Fluttershy ruffled her wings. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, not at all. Thank you, Fluttershy.” She scooped up the mug in a field of magic and took a short sip of the bitter liquid. Only after she set the mug down did she realize that all three ponies were still watching her.
Celestia spoke first.
"Is everything alright, Twilight? You were gone for quite a while.”
Twilight shook her head. “It’s Rarity. She… she said some things.”
“Is she okay?” Applejack asked. “We were both there last night—what we saw, it would affect anypony. If she needs somepony to talk to, I’d happily lend her an ear.”
“It’s not that, Applejack. Not all of it anyway.”
“Then what?” Fluttershy murmured. “Twilight, what did she say?”
Twilight breathed in deep, three pairs of eyes focused on her as she stared into the depths of her mug. She nodded slowly, her voice coming out quiet and soft.
“Princess, can we talk?”
Celestia’s ears perked ever so slightly.
“Of course, Twilight. Is there something that you want to ask me?”
“It’s… it’s about Solaire,” Twilight said.
No one said a word for a long moment. A silent agitation descended over the group as Fluttershy and Applejack shared glances before looking to Twilight and then finally Celestia.
“Solaire,” the princess reaffirmed. “I thought we had agreed it best that he leave.”
“We did, and I’m not going back on that,” said Twilight. She frowned, blowing out a puff of air. “What I’m saying is… there’s more that we could be doing. We’re better than this, aren’t we? We’re essentially dangling what must be paradise to him in front of his face and we’re just snatching it out from underneath his feet.”
Far in the back, Solaire continued his story with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, seemingly unaware of the conversation happening on the other side of the room.
“I mean, just look at him,” Twilight continued. “Despite his desire to leave, doesn’t he look happy here? After what he said—after everything he told us, Princess—he can’t be too thrilled about returning to his world. He can’t.”
Celestia craned her neck in the knight’s direction, the seconds passing in silence.
At once, Solaire looked their way.
A pause.
The pause lengthened.
He raised his hand in what could only be a wave, and after a few moments, the two ponies sitting near his feet turned to wave as well.
Celestia shifted her attention back to the table.
“What are you proposing then, Twilight?”
“I-I don’t know,” Twilight said, “but something is better than nothing.”
Fluttershy gave a small cough. “Um, if it means anything, I agree with Twilight. I know his curse is the main reason why he must go, but the poor dear… there has to be more that we can do.”
Out of the corner of her eyes, Twilight saw Applejack’s brow lowering.
Celestia gave a slow nod.
“Very well, my little ponies. I am open to all suggestions big and small, so if an idea comes to mind that might better aid our guest, do not hesitate to share. But as it stands, there are other tasks that require my attention. I cannot fully devote myself to this—not yet anyway.”
A chorus of agreement arose from the others.
“And also,” Celestia continued, “I think it best that we delay this conversation until later in the day. Lunch perhaps. Take this time to talk with Solaire. Formulate your ideas; find out what he needs. If we don’t know how we can help, then there is very little that we can do. Does everypony understand?”
There came another series of nods.
“Very good,” Celestia said. “Now wipe away those frowns—our guest is almost done with his story.”
Twilight blinked. ”What? You can hear them?”
Celestia smiled, turning her head to the side. “Observe.”
Twilight raised in her seat to get a better look, and sure enough, Solaire, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had started making their way back towards the table. In front, the two ponies held their heads close together, talking in low tones before they both burst into wide grins. Solaire simply trailed behind them, his long strides more than enough to keep up with their brisk pace.
Mid-sentence, Rainbow Dash glanced up and caught Twilight’s eye. Her smile widened as her canter turned into a trot, but when she saw Rarity’s empty chair, her ears flattened by the tiniest of amounts. She came to a stop just shy of the table, nodding to each of the ponies before turning to Twilight.
“Didn’t see you come in,” she said. “You talk with Rarity? Is she okay?”
“I think so,” said Twilight. “She’s in her room finishing up the dresses for tomorrow, so… yeah.”
“If she’s workin’, then she’ll be fine,” Applejack added. “Best leave her alone for now. The worst thing we can do is barge in there and start nettling her with questions when she’s tryin’ to get stuff done.”
Rainbow Dash nodded again and was soon joined by Pinkie Pie and finally Solaire. He remained in the back, his hands crossed in front of his waist as he looked to each of the ponies seated at the table.
Celestia smiled. “Will you three be joining us once more? I can chat for just a little while longer before my Daycourt duties burst through those doors to drag me away.”
Rainbow Dash glanced over her shoulder. “Actually, Princess, I uh… I kind of told Solaire that we’d take him to see the guards at their morning drills. He can totally relate because they’re soldiers too, and he’s super-curious and I promise that we’ll not bother anypony or get in their way.”
Pinkie gave a series of furious nods.
Celestia raised an eyebrow, looking in the knight’s direction.
“Oh, very much so, Princess,” said Solaire with a slight bob of his head. “I’ve a strange fascination with all things war and I’m quite curious as to how your kind wages them.”
This brooked a small smile from Celestia.
“Equestria hasn’t seen a war in over two hundred years, good knight. I don’t know what you are expecting to see, but you won’t find a vast army running drills out there in the courtyard, I can assure you of that.”
“It’s not the quantity that matters, Princess, but rather the quality of soldier that your military breeds. If you’ll permit me, that is what I am interested in seeing.”
For a brief moment, no one said a word. Twilight flicked her gaze back and forth between the two, neither of them blinking or making a move. As she focused on Solaire, Twilight couldn’t help but realize how stoic he looked without a grin.
A curious expression crossed Celestia’s face.
“Very well,” said the princess. “Might I ask who will accompany you?”
“I’m definitely going,” Rainbow Dash said, stepping forward. “What about you, Twilight? You can totally start your tour with the barracks!”
Twilight paused.
“I guess I can do that,” she said.
“Awesome.” Rainbow Dash turned to the other two ponies. “Fluttershy? Applejack? You girls wanna come too?”
“Oh, I’d love to, but I can’t,” Fluttershy said. “I’ve already promised Greenhoof that I would help feed the animals this morning. I’m sorry.”
Dash frowned. “Applejack, what about you? There’s no way you’re gonna mope around the castle all day. You’ve got to come with us.”
“Only ‘cause you made such a convincin’ argument,” Applejack said as she stepped out of her seat. She looked toward Celestia. “Thank you again for puttin’ up with us, Princess. We’re mighty grateful for you givin’ us some rooms in the palace before the big day.”
“Think nothing of it,” Celestia said. “Now I trust that everypony will be on their best behaviour. My Royal Guard can be quite, ah… enthusiastic about their duties here in Canterlot.”
“Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, Princess C,” said Pinkie Pie with a wide smile. “We’ve got this good behaviour thing down to a tee!”
****
At one point during their short walk to the barracks, Pinkie Pie had disappeared. She had been taking frequent pauses to stop and admire the various knick-knacks and memorabilia that were lined up against the walls until a particularly detailed bust of a mustachioed stallion caught her eye. A full minute had passed by the time Twilight realized that Pinkie Pie was no longer with the group.
Before she could voice her concern however, Rainbow Dash sidled over and bumped the unicorn with a wing, whispering a cryptic message stating ‘party reasons’ as the culprit behind Pinkie’s disappearance.
Twilight maintained her silence.
Up ahead, Solaire was slowing his pace, no doubt wondering why he was the one leading the group. With a wink, Rainbow Dash shot forward and rejoined the knight before launching back into her salvo of questions.
Twilight bit her lip. A few feet to her right, Applejack was walking with a weary gait—her hooves fell to the floor a little too heavy and her movements were just a little too slow. The attentive aura that Applejack always seemed to have was gone, and when she blinked, her eyes stayed shut for a fraction of a second longer than necessary.
But despite all this, Applejack still managed to catch Twilight glancing her way.
“Somethin’ on your mind, sugarcube?”
“W-what? No, not at all.” Twilight shook her head. “It’s just that… I guess you look pretty tired.”
Applejack gave a weak smile.
“Speak for yourself, Twi. You’re not lookin’ too hot yourself, plum tuckered out with the bags and everything.” She took a long pause, her smile faded away. “Maybe you should head on to bed, sugar. No matter what you might think, you ain’t got to be here.”
Twilight could only focus on moving her hooves. “How can I sleep knowing that I’m the one who caused all this to happen?”
Further ahead, the voices of Rainbow Dash and Knight Solaire floated through the air.
Applejack stared straight ahead, a furrow forming on her brow. Her mouth fell open, but before she could respond, their hallway terminated into a left turn quickly followed by a pair of tall wooden doors. The four of them stood there for a moment until Rainbow Dash stepped forward, cracking open the leftmost door with a strong nudge.
A thin ray of sunlight leaked inside.
Rainbow Dash redoubled her efforts and with one final push, both doors swung fully open, the blazing light of summer morning cascading into the dim hall.
Twilight shielded her eyes. Just ahead, the barracks courtyard slowly came into focus. She had forgotten how large the training grounds were—despite being the size of Ponyville Town Square, tall white walls encased the field. Lined along the wall’s base was a plain cobblestone path, and in the center of the courtyard was a wide expanse of packed dirt, the gleaming forms of distant guards still apparent through the haze of dust they kicked into the air.
The sharp percussions and dull whops of wood striking against wood floated on the edge of Twilight’s senses.
“Whoa,” Dash said, “they’re still going at it.”
Solaire stepped forward. “You were here before?”
“Oh yeah, like a couple hours ago. They’re all cool dudes, so don’t sweat it. I think it’s like a requirement or something to be this amount of cool before they let you protect the princesses.” She raised a hoof until it was level with her eyes.
Solaire nodded slowly. “They must all be capable warriors if they are given the title of Royal Guard. Well, Miss Dash, shall we go? I look forward to seeing what they’re capable of.”
Rainbow Dash an affirmative and started toward the distant ponies, Solaire trailing close behind. Twilight could only watch as the strange pair shrank into the distance, their voices whisked away by the morning breeze.
Applejack’s chuckle drew her out of her thoughts.
"That girl,” she began. “She ain’t at all bothered by this, is she? Let’s go, sugar—we can’t rightly say we kept him company if we’re dawdlin’ in the shade like this.”
As Applejack turn to leave, Twilight shot out a hoof.
“Hold on."
Applejack paused mid-step, a concerned look crossing her face.
“Twilight?”
The unicorn drew in a slow quavering breath. “About earlier at the infirmary, I… I just want to say that I’m sorry. You were only trying to help and I was too caught up in what I was thinking to realize that. Teleporting out of that room was the most selfish thing I could’ve done and I feel like a jerk, a-and you’re right to be angry. There’s just—”
“Twi.”
“Huh?”
“I ain’t mad,” Applejack said in a quiet tone. “I ain’t mad, sugar, I’m not mad at all.”
“W-why not?” Twilight sputtered out. “You should be angry. Furious. I feel like dirt for what I’ve done and I...”
“And that’s why I ain’t mad, Twilight. You’re already beatin’ yourself up over this—there’s no reason for me to start beratin’ you as well.” Applejack gave her a small smile. “C’mere. I want to tell you somethin’.”
“I…”
Applejack shook her head and calmly closed the short distance between them. They stood face to face and in a matter of seconds, Twilight found herself on the receiving end of a strong, swift hug. It was a friendly thing, a hug between friends and nothing more, but even then, a gasp still forced its way out of Twilight’s mouth when the foreleg tightened around her withers.
Applejack’s voice came out quiet and low, barely above a whisper.
“You might already know this, Twi, but I want you to hear me say it. You’re my sister, Twilight Sparkle. You’re my sister, and I’ll be darned if I’m gonna let you carry on feelin’ this way.”
She could feel the rhythmic beat of Applejack’s heart against her chest.
“Applejack, I—”
“No listen for a sec. You, Rarity, all the girls—you’re all family to me, you hear? The bonds we share… it can never be broken. Not now, not ever, and especially not over somethin’ as silly as this, okay?” The earth pony paused, drawing in a deep breath. “Look, Twilight, I ain’t no expert on the matter, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned living on the farm, it’s that families love, families laugh, and… and families fight. There ain’t no way around it—it’s a universal truth.”
Twilight swallowed away the lump in her throat.
“But it ain’t as bad as all that,” continued Applejack. “Considerin’ you have a big brother, Twi, maybe you’ve already had your fair share of it, but... there’s the heavy, hard-hittin’ words said out of hate and then there’s heavy, hard-hittin’ words said out of love. If you didn’t care about us—all our friends—would you have stormed out of that clinic in the dead of night to ensure our safety? Would you have yelled at me when I tried to stop you?”
With a surprising amount of delicacy, Applejack separated herself from Twilight and held her at leg’s length, her eyes searching across the unicorn’s face. “I know you, Twi… you wouldn’t have experimented on your soul if it weren’t for a good reason, and what better reason is there if it weren’t for us?”
Applejack nodded slowly. “You’re always there to protect us, sugarcube, but… if you’re only hurtin’ yourself doing it, then what’s the point? We’re friends, aren’t we? I don’t want to see you hurt or in pain any more than you want to see something bad happen to us.”
Twilight could feel Applejack’s hoof leave her shoulder, could hear the soft tap as it was lowered to the floor. She bit her lip, ears flattening.
“I can’t just stop,” Twilight whispered. “It’s my responsibility, isn’t it? To protect you all—to be there when it matters.”
“Why?” came Applejack’s response.
“Because I’m strong, Applejack, because I can carry the weight. If you love something, wouldn’t you risk everything for it?”
Applejack gave a soft shake of her head. “Not if it meant losing a sister, no.”
Twilight opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. In that moment, all the stress, all the concern, every single shred of exhaustion all collapsed into a sharp aching point inside her chest. She averted her gaze if only to avoid the piercing depth of her friend’s deep green eyes.
Applejack stepped forward.
“You’re strong, Twilight Sparkle, but we’re strong too. You don’t need to protect us because we protect each other. The world can be a dangerous and scary place, and being an Element Bearer, well… it’s really exposin’ us to all sorts of evil. But sugar, listen… that just means that you cannot be an island in all this. No more shouldering the blame, all the responsibility—we stand together in the storm, you hear?”
Twilight could feel her lips curling into a smile.
“Alright,” she said quietly.
The earth pony matched her smile with one of her own.
“Alright,” said Applejack.
The pair remained like that for a moment longer, neither of them moving or saying a word. Through the open doors floated in the sounds of a castle morning, carried by a cool breeze. Just audible were the strained shouts of distant guards, overlayed by the sharp cracks of wood smashing against wood.
Applejack’s ears flicked up as she turned to look past the door’s threshold and into the sunlit courtyard just ahead.
Twilight followed her friend’s gaze.
“Training spears,” she said. “They’ll be sparring for maybe another hour.”
Applejack glanced back at her, an eyebrow quirked. “You sound pretty sure.”
“Well, I lived in the palace for a few years, and coincidentally Shiny’s last leg of training had him stationed here as well. He asked me not to visit him when he was with the group, and I, uh… I remember being pretty upset about that. I realized a little later that it was just him not wanting to be embarrassed by his little sister, but I guess I internalized ‘seven to ten’ as being the time my brother didn’t want me around.”
Twilight put on her best reassuring smile. “It’s just one of those things where you remember the small, stupid stuff more vividly than the rest.”
With a wistful sigh, she looked out across the familiar expanse of dirt and grass. On the other end of the courtyard stood the solitary guardhouse, nestled in the shade and looking quite old and forlorn against the pure white walls. To the building’s left, the tall oak still remained, it’s thick trunk and gnarled branches stretching ever higher toward the sky.
Truthfully, it was a familiar sight. Like wiping dust off a photograph, the memory rose unbidden that it was here that she first spied her brother in the glittering golds and bright blues of the Canterlot Royal Guard.
Twilight’s smile fell away.
Leaning against the old oak was the unmistakable form of Knight Solaire. Arms crossed, he simply watched the guards at their training, the expression on his face unreadable at such a distance. Rainbow Dash hovered close by, performing lazy hoops around the tree’s base.
Twilight caught Applejack glancing her way.
The earth pony nodded toward the distant figure. “What’re you thinkin’, sugarcube?”
“Well…” Twilight furrowed her brow, “...Rarity said that we should be doing more. Something that would actually help him instead of putting a band-aid on his situation and calling it fixed.”
“But what are you thinkin’?” asked Applejack.
A long pause followed.
“I don’t know,” Twilight finally said. “One part of me agrees with her—that we can and should be doing more, but… another part of me is saying that maybe it’s best that we just ride out these two days and forget this ever happened.”
Applejack’s lips tightened at the corners.
“Listen, Twilight. This might sound cruel, but maybe you’re right. Maybe it is best that we not help him out any more than we need to.”
“I hate to ask, but can you elaborate?”
Applejack breathed out a heavy sigh. “This Solaire fella… something’s not right about him, and I am not talkin’ about his curse.”
****
“So,” Rainbow Dash began, “what d’ya think?”
Solaire blinked once and then twice before turning his attention away from the guards and toward the blue pony sitting close to his feet.
“They move well,” Solaire said. “Better than I anticipated, really.”
“Oh yeah?”
Solaire nodded.
“The techniques they use are quite fascinating. The, ah…” he frowned and tapped at his forehead, “...the horned ones.”
“Er… unicorns?”
“Yes, the way they levitate their spears and the precision of their strikes—I’ve never seen anything quite like it before.”
“Well, yeah,” Rainbow said. “That’s kind of their thing, magic and all that.”
Solaire rubbed at his chin. “And the winged ones… do they have a proper name?”
Rainbow’s mouth dropped open.
“Whoa, hey, you’re kidding, right? You’ve gone this long without knowing what we’re called?”
“I thought it rude to ask,” Solaire said, looking up toward the guards. Their training seemed to be slowing down as many of them were coming together to talk, some with upturned canteens already hanging out of their mouths.
He turned his gaze back toward Rainbow Dash. “Have I said something to offend you?”
“What? No way!” She shook her head, a smirk forming on her lips. “I just think it’s kind of hilarious that you’re some big warrior dude and you’re too shy to ask some questions.”
“Shy is not how I’d describe myself, Miss Dash. Perhaps I’m only now just realizing it, but I feel out of my element, like a, ah…”
“A pegasus on land?” Rainbow Dash shrugged, and started again in a quieter tone. “That’s what we’re called by the way, and I… I totally get it. When I first left Cloudsdale, I was, well... I was pretty scared. Scared and lonely. I don’t think I’ll forget that feeling.”
“What changed for you?” asked Solaire.
“I met my friends,” Rainbow said with a smile. “And just like that, this little groundside town stopped being a such a strange and scary place and it became my home. My new home.”
The chatter of the guards filled the silence between them.
Solaire nodded slowly. “Could you say that you travelled a road to get there, Miss Dash? Perhaps not a physical road, but a road nonetheless.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“Could you also say that you had a destination in mind, and at any point, you could have turned back and returned to the place where you were before?”
“I guess?” said Rainbow Dash, her hooves shifting in the grass. “What’s this about?”
Without a word, Solaire uncrossed his arms and presented two clenched fists to the pony. He extended his left index finger, the single digit aimed toward the sky.
“Your old home,” he stated, pausing for emphasis before extending the same finger on the other hand. “And your new home.”
Rainbow Dash flicked her gaze between the two points, an eyebrow quirking upward.
“Between them,” Solaire continued, “is all the stress, anxiety, confusion and pain that you felt. It’s a transitory phase, a place between points… the long winding road. We’ve all walked it at some point, Miss Dash, but I’m afraid my journey is a little longer. There is no destination in sight, no safe haven for me to rest my aching bones. When I look behind me, all I see is nothing, because there was nothing there in the first place—do you understand? For me, there is only the road... and it goes as far as I can take it.”
Something akin to irritation flashed across Rainbow’s face.
“So, what—you’re some kind of super-hobo?” She rubbed at the space between her eyes. “Look, all I know is that everything has a beginning and an end. Your road can’t drag on forever, and what’s this about you coming from nothing? What about your home? Don’t you have parents? A family?”
Solaire breathed in deep.
“Would you believe me if I told you that I have forgotten their faces?”
“Wha—”
“I’ve lived for so long, seen so many things. Now, this is no fault of your own and I truly mean no offense, but your experiences and mine simply do not compare.” Solaire paused, his next words barely above a whisper. “Perhaps this is a good thing—no one should live long enough for their memories to turn to smoke.”
If Rainbow Dash had anything to say, Solaire didn’t hear. Listless eyes turned downward, he traced the gold band on his left ring finger, his thumb idly rotating the trinket round and round as if it had a mind of its own. With a sigh, he looked up only to find Rainbow Dash glancing at his hand.
A full two seconds had passed by the time Rainbow realized that she had been caught looking.
The pegasus’ ears lay flat.
“Is that…”
“I suppose there’s no point in hiding it,” Solaire said. He attempted a smile but the only thing that came of it was a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth. After a moment’s hesitation, Solaire held out his left hand so that she might get a closer look.
“It’s a wedding band, Miss Dash. Can you imagine? At one point in my life I was married.”
Rainbow’s mouth fell open, a moment passing before the words tumbled out.
“What happened?” came her response.
“Who can say? All I know is that she’s gone and I’m still here.”
The pegasus turned her gaze toward the ground.
“Don’t look so despondent,” Solaire said in a quiet tone. “Were you expecting me to be angry, or perhaps be full of regret and remorse? I suppose that would be the natural response, but I…”
“...Yeah?”
“But I find myself not caring,” Solaire finished. After a moment, he glanced in her direction. “Does that sound harsh to you, Miss Dash? After all, how can a man not care about the fate of his wife?”
Rainbow finally looked up, an intensity building up behind her eyes.
“Harsh is one way of putting it,” she muttered. “Solaire, I don’t get it. How can you just be alright with not knowing what happened? She could be alive somewhere. She could be—”
Solaire shook his head. “She’s not alive.”
“And how in the hay could you possibly know that?”
Solaire shut his eyes and breathed in deep. “Listen... we are all creatures of memory. Who we are today is based solely on what we remember. Past experiences forge and guide our actions, and like puppets in a play, we all dance to the tune of that predetermined fate.”
He regarded her with a silent curiosity. “The only question, Miss Dash, is if you are aware of the strings.”
“I don’t buy it,” she said quickly. “I am who I am because, well… I’m me.”
“And if you were to wake up tomorrow without any memories of your past self, would you still be you? Would your friends still be your friends?” Solaire nodded slowly. “Would your wife still be your wife?”
Rainbow’s eyes widened and her throat bobbed up and down. For only a moment she flared out her wings before they clinched once again onto her sides.
“What are you saying?” she murmured.
“This curse threatens more than my life, Miss Dash.”
“You can’t mean—”
“Memories,” Solaire finished for her. “They’re all I have, but even then they’re not mine to keep. Not anymore. Everything fades with time, and memories are no exception. As hard as it sounds, one day I will forget even this place, as strange and beautiful as it is.”
“I-I didn’t know,” she whispered.
“But now you do,” Solaire said. “My strings have been cut—the road has long since crumbled behind me. So please, Miss Dash, don’t feel sad for me about things that cannot be changed. I can’t mourn that which cannot be remembered. I can’t put a face to a name, I can’t put a name to a face, and I cannot bring myself to care about a woman I no longer know.”
Rainbow Dash remained silent, the only giveaway that she hadn’t been turned to stone was the slight rising and falling of her chest.
She spoke suddenly, softly, as if she were afraid of disturbing the air around her.
“Then why do you wear the ring?” she asked in a low tone.
The gold band felt heavy on his finger.
“That’s a good question,” Solaire said. He looked out across the courtyard, his slow gaze roaming over every detail. “I suppose it’s to serve as a reminder that long ago, I… I used to matter to someone.”
A small smile formed on his lips.
“A pleasant thought,” he whispered.
****
Canterlot had become a busy place—Celestia needed only to glance at the pile of scrolls and missives in front of her to remind herself of that fact. The previous letter, already signed and squared away, was a report on some foreign piece of legislation that the griffons had recently passed. It wasn’t at all the most interesting of subjects and it certainly made for some dry reading, but Celestia knew deep down in her heart that only the most important of documents would ever find their way to her desk.
One solemn nod later, Celestia’s horn sparked to life as she reached for the next letter. The envelope came apart easily, and with a quick burst of magic she had its contents neatly unfolded out in front of her.
A five-year census on the sale and distribution of turnips stared back.
Celestia breathed out a deep sigh as she turned her attention to the shaded corner of her office—the one spot in the room where the sun couldn’t quite reach.
“How long were you planning on waiting there?” she said to the wall.
“Well, I suppose until you acknowledged my presence,” came the reply.
Celestia could almost hear the shrug in her sister’s voice. She blinked, and there stood Princess Luna as if she had just stepped through a nonexistent doorway.
Luna smiled.
“Ten whole minutes,” she said. “I’m impressed, sister. Your tolerance for my games seems to improve with each passing day.”
“Even you have taken to calling it games,” Celestia said as she made a show of straightening out a stack of perfectly aligned papers.
“What else would I call it? It’s definitely not work, I can assure you of that.” Luna moved like a shadow alongside the wall of bookshelves, pausing occasionally to read the spines. She hummed a thoughtful sound. “You see, sister, I only consider it work if the pony I’m watching over needs my help in some regard.”
Not once did Celestia take her eyes off her.
Luna reached out toward the shelf, her hoof lingering in the air before she lowered it back to the floor. In that silent second, both princesses understood that the time for pretense was over. Luna breathed in deep, and in one fluid motion she craned her head over her shoulder and regarded Celestia with a single penetrating eye.
“Something weighs heavy on your mind, sister, and I don’t believe it’s the price of turnips.”
Celestia nodded slowly. Through the open windows, she could just make out the barracks of her Royal Guard.
“Luna,” she began, “I need a favor.”
Sunlight Talisman
“Medium for casting miracles of the Gods. The talisman of Solaire of Astora, the Knight of Sunlight, is decorated with a holy symbol, illustrated by Solaire himself. This talisman is a projection of Solaire's upstanding, unwavering faith.”
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I was just discussing this on a Skype Chat and decided to randomly say "I wish I could be as grossly incandescent"... In the next two minutes, this fic updated.
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Glorious.
HUZZAH!
PRAISE THE SUN!
Hmm, what could they do to help him. That's a good question.
cant cheese these feels :,(
Yeah! It finally updated!
Aaaaaaaw yiss!
Very nice, very nice indeed. I'm loving the way you're writing old Solaire, he's both happy and resigned to his place in life.
If only I could be so grossly incandescent...
As long as this fic keeps my urge to hug Solaire alive, i can call it a success, and thus far it has been successful.
An update! Finally! AWWW YAH!
You are the best, you know that? I was having a really bad day then you show up and help me cheer up with my sunbro.
Hmn...I love this sense of depression I get from the story...Too bad it's currently the middle of the day. The night's ambiance would serve it much better.
Praise the Sun!
My joy because of this update is almost endless, checking my email before sleep was wonderful idea, now I can go to sleep with a smile.
Could they actually do anything for Solaire? I mean, as he said himself in this chapter, his memory is a fading thing and given enough time he will even forget this place and everything that happened in it. Giving a memento or maybe some armor or weapon would perhaps provide some sense of positive emotion to better help him hold onto his sanity but otherwise I cannot think of what they can do to help him out. Honestly, I get why Rarity is so sensitive to it but I feel as though the best thing they can do is show Solaire a fun time but allow him to leave and try their best to move on, because I am more than sure that if they were to try and do something in Solaire's world, it would bring only ruin to their own. Keep up the good work!!
It just occurred to me that Solaire could be the son of Gwyn, and not remember it.
On top of that, this is great so far!
I would like to see Celestia learning that correlation does NOT imply causation.
Or at the very least, explain that, yes, soul magic was truly, directly responsible of turning the both of them evil. Instead of, you know, just letting the power go to their heads.
PRAISE THE SUN
4218722 It's a depressing notion. In the end, no matter what they do, they can't truly help him. All they can do is try and ease his suffering, and even that is likely to fail. It's hopeless... and yet they insist on trying to help him.
I'm not sure why, but there's just something interesting about that premise.
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PRAISE THE SUN!
Dude, this is the best crossover I've ever read. Bravo, my philosophical companion, bravo.
I await the next chapter with bated breath. And remember:
Praise the Sun!
Fuck yeh.
4218435
You can cheese the archers, but you can't cheese... THE FEELS!
☼
\[†]/
This idea could have gone so terribly wrong, but you pulled it of better than i could have imagined. Bravo. i cant wait for the next chapter.
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Solaire doesn't say "Praise the Sun" or "Grossly Incandescent" nearly enough times in this.
And I'm just here, bathing in the blood of my friends and enemies alike.
Praise NAHR ALMA.
4218730
A wedding band or Ring of the Sun's Firstborn?
I found the conversation regarding the frailty of memories, and their influence upon the creation of our identities to be especially thought provoking.
Crack Javelin certainly makes it look easy, but you can tell that a lot of effort went into making this chapter what is was. Good stuff
4220081 Precisely!
I can think of something Twilight could attempt to do. Odds are it would end in failure, but its worth a shot...
Research the Dark Sign and the curse itself.
Maybe she won't find a cure for it, but figuring out what causes it and how it came into being... Sometimes, the only question you want answered is simply 'Why?'
I just found this and I am loving it!
I find myself more addicted to this story more than any other.
Also, all the sun praising in the comments makes me think of eternal day.
4220563 I am not so sure that would work. The Dark Sign and the very nature of Solaire's curse originates from his world. Twilight will have no information or data to work off of other than what Solaire can tell her. Even then, she has only two days before he leaves to solve a mystery that I don't think even we who have played the game even know. With Solaire's fading grasp on his memory as well, even he may not be fully sure of how he came to be cursed or even how it may have originated. The Dark Sign originates from his world, the only possible way to end it seems to be in his world as well. If Twilight wanted to learn more about it, she would have to go to Solaire's world and I am most assured she would either die or lose her mind in that place. Just look at Big Hat Logan, he came across some information in Seath's palace that shattered any semblance of sanity he used to have and given Twilight's inexperience in dealing with the levels of pain, death, and abominable acts and creatures that pervade the world of Dark Souls, means I hold little hope for her to solve the mystery of the Dark Sign.
\[+]/
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Feeble cursed one!
4218347 Our Author is like a Magnificent Father.
A truley great chapter, but i honestly thought Solaire would be more exstatic being around Celestia, in the games he is obsessed with the sun so i kinda figured that if he would ever meet a living breathing avatar of the sun he would stay as Close to her as possible all the time.
Very nice
That A Scaling in faith.
God damn it I love this story, but it shall only be perfect if Solaire may remain in Equestria~!
4221378
Nyes.
The golden band, that's the Ring of the Sun's Firstborn, isn't it?
(No, I'm not one of the people that think Solaire is Gwyn's mysterious firstborn)
4222682 You. I remember you and your fugly face, duckling. nyes
4223467
Nyes.
Quite.
I came here for the sun, I stayed to praise.
So thanks for that.
kewl
4225286
Try jumping.