//------------------------------// // Agreements // Story: A Flare of Light // by NightSky //------------------------------// Celestia watched from the balcony of her tower quarters as Flare and Luna crested over the mountain and entered the city. They were late, but she didn't mind. It was Nightmare Night, Luna's holiday, so she could spend a little extra time celebrating if she wanted. What she did mind, however, was the other Flare showing up on Luna's chariot with four gunshots in his leg. She had almost scrambled the entire Royal Guard when they arrived. Lucky for them, though, Dawn was able to explain everything before she panicked too badly. That stallion sure could talk fast when he needed to. But instead of landed on the recently rebuilt tower where their quarters, Flare and Luna landed in the garden. Celestia smiled lightly as she watched them. She was happy for her little sister. Luna had been distant ever since she came back from her exile. Celestia was happy that she had found someone special to her. But she had to admit, deep down inside her, that she was jealous. Celestia had not loved in centuries, the pain of losing the one she loved had been too much for her last time. But the fact that Luna found someone immortal, who would never leave her, and that she would never have to feel that pain again, made Celestia jealous. She wanted that, someone who would love her for all of time. "Good evening." A voice said, ripping her from these thoughts. Celestia flinch, startled. She looked back into her room, but her door was closed. "Who goes there?" She said cautiously. Her guards would have made sure that nothing harmful could get near her, but it never hurt to take precautions. "Relax, its me." The black dragon said, extending his neck and raising his head up over the edge of the balcony. My, they got big. Celestia thought, looking back down at the other Flare who was lying in the garden. "You do realize what time it is, don't you?" She asked. "Of course I do, but I figured you could use a scare to help celebrate the night." He said, grinning mischievously. "Well you already scared me once already." Celestia said, giving him a scornful look. "Ok, so I did." He shrugged, or at least his head bobbed like he did, she could not see his shoulders. "How did you get up here, anyway?" Celestia asked. "I doubt the guards approve of large dragons climbing up the towers." "Eh, the guards are used to me now." He said, still grinning. "These building are very easy to grip, even with a hurt hand." "Speaking of which, how is it going? I've heard about the griffon's machines but not what they could do." "It's doing fine, your healers are very good at their jobs." He said, climbing up a bit more to raise his clawed hand over the edge of the balcony. The four holes were gone, but pale marks were left in their place. "At least you can tell us apart now." "I can tell you apart anyway." "Oh really, and how do you do that?" Flare asked, cocking his head slightly. "Your personalities are a little different. You speak intelligently and think more than your brother. And besides, you use greater amounts of emotion." "Interesting." He said, noting the look in her eyes as she glanced back down at the other Flare. "You're jealous, aren't you?" "What? Why do you think that? That's outrageous." She said, looking away to hide her blush. "Is it really? Because I feel the same way." Flare said, looking at his brother. "Happy that he found someone he is happy with, yet sad and jealous that I haven't." Celestia, her composure regained, looked back at Flare. "I'm sure you didn't climb all this way just to flirt with me." "No," He sighed, still looking at his brother with a somber expression. Celestia suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her gut. "That would be too good, wouldn't it?" "I didn't mean to offend you." She said quickly. "No, you're right. I came here to ask for your help." Flare said, looking back to Celestia "My help?" Celestia asked, surprised. "With what?" "Well, in case you haven't noticed, me and my brother have gotten much larger recently. And since dragons are immortal, I figure I'll keep growing until I'm killed by unnatural causes or until there is not enough food in the world to sate my hunger." "And you're hoping I can stop this growth." Celestia said, catching on. "Yes, and if at all possible, reverse it slightly. We are already a bit too big to fit in some buildings." Flare smiled. "So can you do it?" "Well, I guess it is possible, but it would require thorough knowledge of your structure." Celestia said, thinking. "It would also require time to get everything right. But its more possible than your brothers previous request to become immortal." "Great." Flare said, overjoyed. Celestia heard his tail smack against the side of the tower. "Just tell me what you need and I'll get it for you." Celestia smiled, pleased by his vigor. "Well I will need to learn about your specific body structure and how you work in order to change your growth, so stop by here daily at about, oh, noon, and we'll have the two of you fixed up in no time." Then Flare did something she did not see coming, he hugged her. This was extremely awkward in multiple ways. First, he was much bigger than Celestia. Second, it was one handed, since he was still clinging to the building. And third, it surprised Celestia. Thankfully, though, he quickly released her, blushing. "Sorry," He said, still grinning. "Seemed appropriate." "If you say so." Celestia replied, recovering herself. "Now is that all you came to see me for?" "Yes, it was." He said, flexing his wings. He glanced around for any obstacles in his immediate vicinity."I'll leave you now." "Ok." She said. "Goodnight, Flare." "Goodnight, Princess." He leaped from the building, extending his wings and gliding away. She watched until he curved behind a building. Well that was interesting. She thought, walking back into her room and levitating a glass to her and pouring herself a glass of wine. His words still lingered in her mind, though. "That would be too good, wouldn't it?" "Yes, Flare, it would." She said, thinking aloud. She hoped that she hadn't hurt his feelings. She had a tendency of doing that, not noticing someone else's pain until it was too late. But she knew she was letting this get to her head too much. He had very poor control over his emotions. That was another way she could tell the Flares apart. That explained the unexpected hug she got. Although as she thought more and more about it, she realized she actually didn't mind the hug, she was only surprised by it. She sighed, refilling her now empty glass. "Why can life never be simple?" ____________________ Flare glided around the city, taking in everything. Apparently ponies had gotten used to the sight of him, so there was no panicking. He looped back to the castle, gripping onto another tower, climbing to it's top and coiling himself around the bronze summit. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He thought to himself, recounting what he had done. He had hugged Celestia. What had come over him? Now what will she think of him? At least she had approved of his request. He could apologize tomorrow. Hopefully she would except it. The flapping of wings brought his attention away from these thoughts. He looked over to see his brother fly up to the tower and cling to it below him. "Good to see you made it back." He said, grinning. "The healers fix you up?" "Yeah." Flare raised his leg to show him. "They did a good job." "Oh, good, now we both have interesting scars." He said, craning his head around and showing off the round scar at the base of his skull. "Yeah. So why are you here instead of with Luna?" "Eh, she fell asleep, and I saw you visiting Celestia, so I decided to see what was up." "Not much, just asking something." Flare said, shrugging. "Oh really?" His brother said, climbing farther up the tower. "And what might that have been?" "Nothing like what you are thinking, I can assure you of that. I asked if she can stop our dragon's growth." "And she said?" "She agreed to it." "And I assume this is the part where you hugged her?" He said, smiling. Flare's heart skipped a beat. "Just how much did you see?" "I saw enough." He said, winking. "So how'd she react to it?" "Not good." Flare said, lowering his head. "She pulled away. I think I screwed the pooch bad on this one." "Nah, bro. Although you probably did freak her out a bit, though. Just apologize for it tomorrow." "Yeah I will." "Good. Well we could probably both use some rest. You have somewhere to stay?" Flare asked his brother. "I was just going to stay here for now. I'll ask for my own quarters later." Flare said, shrugging. "If you say so." He said, releasing his grip on the building and flying away, over to his tower he shared with Luna. Flare watched him go, then closed his eyes and tried to let sleep take him. But as he would doze, he would slip slightly down the tower's side. A mischievous idea slipped into his head and he laughed to himself as he glided down to the garden so he could sleep. ____________________ Flare soon realized that one off the down sides to sleeping outside is that you have to wake up as soon as the sun rose. So in total, Flare ended up getting only about 4 hours of sleep before the sun made it too bright to sleep. But it would have to do for now. He didn't mind waking up so early, he had work to do anyway. He had promised Chrysalis that her kind would not forgotten. So he went to the library, changing into his pony form to fit comfortably inside. Glancing around, he spotted an empty desk and went it it, levitating a blank sheet of paper and a quill over to him. He flashed back in his mind to what Chrysalis had shown him, the memories and legacies of the hive. The quill began to scribble across the paper without his conscious thought. He slipped away from the world, writing madly page after page. He stared down at the desk, his eyes in dis-focus, as he cycled through the pages. He no longer had any grip on the time. Seconds, minutes, or even hours, could have been passing, but he was oblivious. He was writing down centuries of knowledge, the entire past of a civilization. Only when something tapped him on the shoulder did he explode back into reality again. He glanced around to see what had stopped him. "Whoa, take it easy bro." His brother said, looking over his work. "How long have you been working on this?" "Depends. What time is it?" He said, looking to the clock hanging from a nearby wall. 11:45?! I've worked all morning! As if on cue, his stomach growled. His brother simply laughed, floating over a tray of food. "I knew you'd be hungry, since you missed breakfast and lunch." "I thought you weren't supposed to bring food into the library?" He asked, feasting on he before him. "I know. But first off, there's nopony here, they're all still at lunch. Second, they don't question the actions of a Princess's aid." "Clever." He said between bites. "So, ah, what are you going to do with all of these pages? You writing a book?" He asked, looking over what must have been sixty pages. He lifted the first one to him. "Chapter One: Origins... These are about changelings, aren't they?" Flare simply nodded. "I promised Chrysalis that I would do this, so here I am, fulfilling my promise." "Well, at the rate your going, you'll be done in a few days." "Yeah. Can you do me a favor?" He asked. "Sure. What'd you need?" "I've got to go meet Celestia, can you put these pages somewhere where they won't be touched?" "Sure. Have fun with Celestia." He said, smiling and winking. "Shut up." He said, punching him in the shoulder and leaving the library. He walked out into the garden and turned back into his dragon form. Only then did he notice a subtle change in him between himself and his brother. The spikes on his back were no longer red and orange, but glowed a harsh white. Interesting. He thought. But he had little time to ponder on this. The clock tower rang with noon, so he quickly leaped in the air, and flew up to the balcony, clinging to the wall below it as he had the night before. As soon as his head crested the top of the balcony, he was greeted by the white alicorn. "Good afternoon, Flare." She said, smiled warmly. "Good afternoon, Princess." He replied in kind. "How did your work in the library go this morning?" She asked. "Oh, you saw that?" Flare asked, rotating his head slightly. "It was good, I got a lot done." "Yes I noticed. You didn't respond to anything around you." She said, laughing. "I talked to you for about five minutes before I realized you couldn't hear any of it." That surprised Flare. "Well what did you say? I'm listening now." "Oh, it was nothing." She said quickly, changing the subject. "What were you working on in the library. anyway?" "The history of the changelings." He deadpanned. "I promised I would do it, so I am." "You were...close to them, weren't you?" "Yes, I was. But now they are gone, so I will do my part to show the world what they really were." "You don't feel even the smallest bit of anger towards them? After all they did to you?" "No, Celestia, I don't." Flare said, venom creeping into his voice. "Maybe my brother, the one they actually attacked, loathes them deep within him. But I don't. I was there, Celestia, I held the last changeling as it died. I learned things, saw things. You knew nothing about them. And now they are gone forever." A silence as thick as concrete descended upon them. Celestia simply stared at him, emotionless. Flare immediatly regretted the words he had said, wishing for nothing more than to take them back. "I'm sorry." He said, breaking the silence. She looked away from him, down at the ground. "You okay?" He asked, crawling farther onto the balcony. "They're all dead?" She asked finally, in disbelief. "Yes. The entire hive is gone." Celestia was in shock. Flare coiled his neck around her. "Its okay, Celestia. They knew their time was near. They knew they were too big to survive in the world. That's why they chose me, to be the one who knew what they really were, so the world would understand them even after they were gone." "I know. Just, an entire species, gone." She said. "But not forgotten." He replied. They sat together in silence for a few more moments. "We should get to work." Celestia finally said, composed again. "If you say so. What do I need to do?" He asked. "You just need to hold still, so make sure you are comfortable." She said, bringing over several sheets of paper and a quill. Flare shifted around slightly, repositioning himself in a more comfortable stance. He set his head down on the balcony. "Alright, I'm ready." He said finally. "Good." She said, her horn glowing gold. A tingling sensation flowed over Flare's body as her spell went to work. She sat with a concentrated frown on her face, scribbling notes and drawings down on the papers before her. Flare lay on the balcony, his lower half still gripping the tower, in patient silence for what seemed like an eternity as Celestia worked. Soon his lack of sleep began to wear on him, and before he knew it he was asleep. Celestia paused, sensing Flare's conscious change slightly. She looked up from her notes to him and smiled. She stopped smiling, however, when she saw him sliding back across the balcony, dragging her with him. "Flare!" She shouted. His eyes snapped open as they slipped over the edge. "Oh fu-" Was the last thing Celestia heard before they fell. Flare quickly reoriented himself to the situation. He made a split second decision, rolling over onto his back and folding his wings over Celestia. Thump. He hit the ground hard on his back, ruining the flower bed he landed on. Luckily, however, he missed the benches and sidewalks. "Ow..." He grumbled, gingerly unfolding his wings. Celestia lay on his chest, her mane a mess, but otherwise alright. They both stared at each other, panting. The notes Celestia had been taking slowly floated down to them. One landed on Flare's head, covering his eye. With an exaggerated manner, he blew it off. Celestia started giggling. Flare joined in and soon they were laughing hysterically. But of course they weren't alone for long. Several guards soon appeared in response to the noise. "Princess!" A guard Flare didn't recognize shouted as they approached. "Are you alright?" "Yes, yes. I am fine." She said, climbing off of Flare. "Carry on. And send my apologies to the gardener for the damages." The guards hesitated for a moment, glancing at Flare, before complying with the orders. Flare rolled back over, groaning, and climbed to his feet. "Are you okay?" Celestia asked, turning to the dragon. "Yeah. A little sore." He said, cracking his neck and grinning sheepishly. "Sorry about that." Celestia simply laughed. "Don't worry about it. Just try not to fall off next time." "Aw, ok." He said, laughing. "Is that enough work for today?" "Yes, I think it is." Celestia said, gathering all the papers that had been scattered around the garden. "And enough excitement for quite a while. You should probably take it easy, though, you'll be sore for quite a while after a fall like that." "Yeah, I think I will." He said, turning and limping to a nearby tree, curling up in it's shadow. He watched as Celestia flew back up the tower to her quarters. He grinned and laughed quietly to himself. Everything went just as he had planned it.