Fin
The dream was like a fitful sleep of emptiness. It didn't know what to think, it just existed in agony, agony it didn't understand. But there was a sudden splash of warmth, something indescribable, it was like the sun flooding in with comfort and relief. Then it sat, still not knowing what to do, what to think, why it hurt or even what it was. It just lay there, it just barely knew enough to think a question out, it didn't even know the words to form such a thing as a question, but it started to understand the need for such words.
A sudden sensation, like a burst of cool air, a lovely peaceful light. The smell of a fresh summer night. It... he felt comfort, a blush of affection, a flirty impulse of fun. The happy night felt lonely though.
Suddenly, there was a touch of sophistication, the sound of a foreign voice, too honest to mistaken. So too was the warmth of a happy worried soul just wanting to contribute, her energy showed a deep desire to care.
Then the flood of love, a love so powerful he would do anything to protect. It was just a single drop of magical energy, but he knew it better than he knew himself. It was a love he would fight to the end for, it was the love he did fight to the end for.
There was more, magic he didn't recognize, magic that was not supernatural energy, but the power that one feels when he knows he is cared for. The warmth of love, the warmth of friendship, the warmth of forgiveness.
He didn't know what he was feeling. But the endless sleep became uncomfortable, the aches and pains of a lifetime of abuse and war stirred him. His eyes fluttered and he vaguely took in the visage of a beautiful griffon, deep purple and sparkly starlit plumage. He saw her move away and embrace a griffon as the two faded in bliss they found in each other's arms. But the image didn't leave, he still saw a beautiful face, he didn't know what to do, it was so beautiful and so peaceful.
He didn't know what drove him, but he reached out and kissed. He kissed fully and there was a moment where he felt her surprise, even perhaps her melting into his embrace, then his body flooded with lightning.
"HEY! Careful, we just put him back together!" Twilight objected despite her blush at the action as Luna let out a harrumph.
"He's alive. That is all the proof I need that he's back." Luna growled despite blushing like mad and huffing angrily.
"First base... huzzah..." Tyrin coughed smoke with a happy grin. He didn't even flinch as the ear piercing squeak of Iris sounded with her pounce, like a little changeling torpedo through the air she aimed right at him..
"DADDY!!!!" She brutally nuzzled into him and despite the excessive pain he snuggled back.
"Iris! careful! He barely survived, we can't be putting too much on him!"
Then a voice he was not so sure he wanted to hear. "Alright little one, I need a word with your daddy... Go with Twilight." He watched the pearl white hooves scoop up Iris and move her back. And with relief, he noted the little changeling didn't resist or show any fear. She did however, pout and stamp her hooves as she objected. But with some calming talk and promises of epic snuggle time with her daddy later, Twilight managed to lead her out of the room.
The silence felt like a iron prod in his gut. Despite how certain he was that it was coming, her voice still made him flinch. "Tyrin..." Celestia's tone was stern, but it lacked the aggression and bubbling anger from the last time he had heard it.
He swallowed not looking at her. "How long was I out?"
She sighed and sat down next to his bed. "8 months. You died on us seven times and we had to do so much damage control that even I am sick and tired of my job."
He swallowed speaking in a low weak tone. "That's... a long time." His eyes drifted down to his bedding and he fell silent.
They both sat in mildly uncomfortable silence. He wanted to ask questions and figure out what was next for him, but he didn't talk, he didn't need to. With another deep sigh Celestia continued. "I'm still exceedingly angry at you. But you did only what you felt you had to. And there was kinda a very very dark and evil thing influencing your reactions, whether you were really capable of making your own choices or not is not something we are trying to figure out anymore. I don't like it, but as far as the public goes, we had a minor emergency where you... a normal griffon was possessed by an ancient evil and did battle with some foreign forces as well as we princesses, but the darkness is defeated and now the griffon is safely recovering." She chewed on her lip with a grumble. "Between us you still should spend a few years in Tartarus, but I can't really bring myself to punish you, not to mention there wouldn't be much point. You ... well, you're crippled, I can't really give you a more harsh punishment than what you have now without it just being petty hate."
He blinked and tried moving, other than being quite stiff from what he imagined 8 months of bed rest, there was also a horrible grinding feeling and an ungodly amount of pain flushing through his body.
"Apparently, you were already like this, or close to it back before you lost your memories. Or rather, the Griffon that became you was like this. He worked out and fought constantly until his body was basically destroyed, and he just kept pushing himself. When he was possessed, and you were metaphorically born, the order magic kept your pain at bay, but... well I don't know what will happen now."
"I suppose I kinda earned it..." He weakly smiled and pushed the vague memories to the back of his mind.
"I don't really know the exactness of what your condition is. When it was all over, you were just a soulless body bleeding to death. We were just barely able to heal your wounds, and that will add onto the already pretty insane levels of joint and muscle pain you had before. And while it is correct to say you had two souls in your body, then none, the way he described it, Earl said that the fragments, or wreckage of the souls were embedded into the residual spirit and all it needed was spirit fumes... or... well, raw magic. Specifically, the raw magic that belonged to those who knew you, cared for... no... had some sort of feelings for you, not romantic... just... knew you and cared in one way or another. Your spirit would remember and reignite from the memories and recreate what passed for a soul, and the echo, or shadow of what was inside before would come forward and you would live again."
He didn't know what to think, other than what he could possibly do to pay Earl back. But the first of his renewed memories taunted at him. The first sensation he had felt. He carefully chose what to say. "You were the first to help heal me didn't you? I... don't know what to say... just... thank you..."
She glanced at his smile, but she grumbled. "Don't be so thankful, your body is already old and beaten half to death. I have no idea how long you will last. But take comfort in the fact that you will spend the last of your days with that daughter of yours. Just..." She looked away and grumbled louder. "Stay away from my sister's butt!"
He laughed and she continued to grumble as she stood up and made her way to the door. He could vaguely hear Earl on the other side telling Iris to be calm and patient. He looked to her then to his open talons, heavily scarred and in pain. "I can't promise something so dire so soon." He smiled still looking down at his talons, remembering the sickly black flames.
"Well, who knows. Maybe she will shock some sense into you. Regardless, whatever you do now, Just know that we are even. I won't come after anything. After this, we owe each other nothing." She looked at his gaze towards his open talons and she turned back to the door. "Don't expect it to come back, I'm fairly certain, you are just another mortal, probably even less now with all that damage. Without the magic, you won't likely last long, but you get to spend whatever time you have left with those who love you."
He smiled as she stepped out. He could hear her talking, as if giving instructions. He guessed it was mostly just telling Iris not to jump up on him. He could hear the little changeling whining. There was a soft empty feeling, like all his adventures were over. But there as a peace to it. A comfort, he was happy, even if it was a bittersweet happiness. His memories of the last fight were basically gone. He barely knew what had happened, all he remembered was that he expected to die, then something that was inside of him no longer was. There was a great imbalance, then nothing.
He teared up, looking at his talons. The Griffon and monster that became him were gone. But he remained. He could feel the emptiness. The painful shame, the sickly flashes of death whenever he closed his eyes, the unbearable pride. All of the impulses and feelings were gone. He felt incomplete, so empty, but finally truly like himself, as if he finally stepped out of someone else's shadow. It was an odd duality that he figured he would live with forever. He looked to his table side at the candles, burned out, still lit, and unlit. He could hear those he loved and cared for getting the go ahead, he was pretty sure Iris was giving a thanks hug to a very merciful princess. He turned back to the candles and a weary pondering smirk crossed his features. Something about his future, whether it was going to be a few short and painful years of caring for Iris, or if he got lucky and lived longer. "Or... perhaps..."
He gazed at the candles, Luna, Iris, Twilight, and Earl all going through his mind. The power of his own emotions, desires, and love. He smiled and his beak parted. "Lucerna."
The door opened as the candle sparked to life with a soft flickering flame.