The bearers of the Elements had returned to Ponyville, the young Miss Sparkle and her dragon were reunited, and Luna was warmly welcomed by the denizens of the town as she stood with her sister. After Celestia assigned her pupil to study friendship the Princesses departed with a certain warrior in tow. 'Did Twilight truly need that as an excuse to be absent from the regular studies Celestia's students take. Twilight and her friends should be together if not because they may be her first friends to my knowledge, but also because they can use sacred artifacts which banish evil.' The ride to Canterlot was mostly quite talking between Luna and Celestia in their own cabin on the train. Atreus had never been on a train before, he did get some minor motion sickness but got over the feeling soon enough. The gentle rocking and vibration from riding on the train was nothing to the gut wrenching leap and drop he often did to travel.
Pantheon sat in his cabin, the princesses' muffled voices came from the cabin next to his. There were only so many places in the royal-car of the train the guard could put him. The princess were not sure about this supposed alien but his assistance in returning Luna spoke that he wasn't an enemy at the very least. No enemy of Equestria would have admitted to the things he had. ‘Even if all this was some elaborate way to shroud his true intentions I will find out in the end.’ Celestia thought as she listened to Luna. Being able to listen able one thing and think on another was something Celestia had developed from a thousand years of hearing Nobles’ complaints. Her sister seamed to notice her fractured focus however and she returned her full attention to her newly returned sibling. “No Luna everything is fine, I am simply working through what we are going to do with our guest.” She smiled to her sibling as the younger alicorn nodded.
“We have returned to thou and would most enjoy being of assistance if allowed.” Luna stated hopefully, she gazed up at her sister. The two both possessed horns but neither accidentally poked the other’s eyes out with them. Only those who were not used to having a horn would make a mistake like that. Celestia chuckled at the response from Luna.
“Your vernacular may need to be worked on, I meant the both of us would be dealing with him.” Celestia and Luna were sitting side by side on a cushy seat, Celestia saw her sister frown.
“Much hath changed during our time upon the moon, thou will have to teach us how to adjust.” She returned her gaze lower as if digesting her older sibling’s mannerisms.
“We-“ reevaluating her words she continued, “the two of us will get through it.” The conversations they had were a little stunted, however, neither one of them would have traded a moment of the time for something else. The first hours they had alone together in a thousand years and both were happy they got to have it.
...
The train arrived at the station and Luna marveled at the things around her, the train had amazed her as it was. Now the princess of the night bore witness to many beautiful sights, Canterlot made the old castle and its’ surrounding residents in its’ prime look like a hamlet. Canterlot was a mountain with a city popped onto it. The castle made that clear, as it jutted out of the surface of the mountain side, like unsupported towers were built farther and farther out from the mountainside. It was white and gold, shocker. Stone and many other sturdy materials made up its core structure.
As the royal sister moved to the palace they were escorted by guards, and the guards escorted Pantheon. Very closely, he was still armed and a mystery. When the most senior of the guards with the sister at the moment had asked for Atreus’ weapons so he could keep security though the guard didn’t give a reason. Atreus said he would be willing to give his weapons so long as the officer was alright with what could happen when the weapons were called back for whatever reason. The guard was given a reassurance that the guest would behave by Princess Celestia. “You don't seem all that impressed Atreus, is Canterlot not much compared to your home?”
The group moved through the halls of the palace toward a meeting room, where Atreus and the princesses could speech comfortably. “Your capital is beautiful, it surpasses most if not all of the settlements around my home. Many people live in the area surrounding Mount Targon, including my own home. But when I ascended to the top of the mountain, no city could surpass the city on Targon’s peak in beauty or scale.” The sisters looked at one another as the reached the room and each of them sat down. Pantheon’s helmet had been removed before he sat down. The sisters at one another’s sides and Atreus across from them. The guards lined the walls and door ways keeping a eye on Atreus at all times.
“I take it this city is a place you would like to return to, given the beauty you say it possesses it must receive many visitors.” Celestia reasoned.
“No, it has very few people actually reach the mountain’s peak. Thou so many try that it can not be counted. There are only a few survivors of the climb, and the vast majority are the ones that turned back near the beginning.” Atreus could tell his words were upsetting the rulers, and not because he uses the word people instead of ponies.
“Does thou mean ‘people’ die attempting to enter this city, what manner of curse possess them to do this?” Luna asked in a shocked tone.
“People climb the mountain seeking power, when you reach the top, you are made a vessel for an Aspect’s power.” Pantheon explained.
“An aspect? An aspect of what?” Celestia asked confused by terminology.
“For the lack of a better way to describe them, and despite my personal misgivings I will say it this way. The Aspects are my worlds gods.” the pair paused at hearing his words. The power of a god, even if they were ones the sister did not know could be in Atreus if he was truthful about climbing the mountain. “They are some the celestial beings that created Runeterra from great magics, and pulled mount Targon from the earth to above the clouds. When a mortal is tested by the mountain and they succeed they are given power by an aspect and become their representative.”
“What are you the aspect of?” Celestia asked flatly, she did not like the idea that such a powerful being just landed on her doorstep.
“Nothing,” this earned a confused look from the Solar and Lunar diarchy, “I did not possess the power of an aspect when I reached the peak, rather the aspect possessed me. When I was younger, I was not a talented warrior. I had skill, but nothing compared to many of my pears. However, I never backed down. I would rise to every challenge, I would stand back up. I would be the first to rise in the morning and the last to retire at night, my arms always leaded from practice.”
“Admirable, perseverance is a wonderful trait, to overcome defeat is true strength.” Celestia stated, Atreus looked at her his eyes met her’s. He smiled genuinely to her.
“Even if you do not consider yourselves gods, you move and shape the heavens each night, something even the celestials of my home could not do. I am glad you are different from them.” Celestia kept silent at his comment intent on listening more, “When I and my battle brother sought power on Targon’s peak we found nothing, he froze to death in my arms. At that moment the heavens showed the city take form, a figure motioned me to come. When I left I did not return.” His words made no sense, he continued, “Atreus died on that mountain, with his brother. The warrior that flew from the peak of mount Targon was the Aspect of war itself, Pantheon.” Celestia tensed slightly, a being which represents war and all that entails was worrisome. What worried her more was that it could be here on Equis, in front of her.
“Thou makes no sense, say wh-“ her triad was cut off by her sister’s hand as she then motioned for Pantheon to continue.
“When I entered the city I was not given power by the aspect, I was deemed unworthy. My defeats were to numerous, frequent, and great. I was not worthy of receiving it’s mantle. So it infused itself into me. I only ever saw small visions after that, my mind was overridden by Pantheon. However I was freed when Aatrox the world ender struck down the god. Aatrox is a ’Darkin’, a warrior who underwent a ceremony to become an immortal and godly being called an ‘Ascended’ these ‘Ascended’ were created by the celestials to be an army. However the empire they served was destroyed, they went mad and any became Darkin. Twisted versions of the Ascended” the man traced his diagonal scar to show case his point. “Impaled on his blade, I spit in his face, the Darkin left me to die on the battle field.”
“What happened next?” the princess of the sun asked.
“I stood up and returned home, with some help I recovered in a few months. There were invaders threatening us. I went with the aspect’s weapons to meet them. Though they themselves were under attack by Aatrox, I placed myself between the two. Aatrox mocked me and beat me to the earth, in that moment I heard the cries from the people behind me as I fell. Willing myself to stand my will reignited my weapons and I severed his sword arm. That body died, the Darkin is still out there but I had bested him. I vowed on that day to destroy and fight all things who held power so great it can only destroy. Whether it be god or demon. The mortals of Runeterra fight to survive, we are caught between Darkin and Aspect." the two sister looked at him with sympathy, perhaps even empathy.
"So a god of your realm died just like that, why would the aspects ever give power to vessels if it could kill them." the solar princess asked in confusion.
"Normally if a vessel dies, the Aspect is unaffected as they will simple take on another vessel. However, my case was different. My body was not infused with power but possessed. The Aspect Pantheon was exposing itself to walk on Runeterra in my body in order to achieve great feats. That arrogance was its' downfall when it fought and lost to Aatrox. When it died, the four stars of the Pantheon constellation disappeared from the sky." at his final words Luna saddened, she held love for stars, even ones which were not her own.
"Your world lost some of its' stars?" the lunar princess looked saddened farther as he nodded.
"When I destroyed Aatrox's host the sky held a star that had disappeared, the star's name was Atreus. I was named after that star, and now it returns when I am near death and my willpower sets my spear alight" the sister considered his words, they had very little to go on, he could be lying about almost everything. But both the sister's in some way believed his story.
"I think," Celestia paused, "we can trust you for now, you are welcome to stay here at the palace. It will soon be time for Luna and I to raise the moon together. She may need sometime to recover her magic and true form. Guards please escort Atreus to a guest room for the evening." the man stood and nodded, he would not bow but their word had earned his respect if only because they seamed to care more than most celestials. Soraka may be the only one to weep for his people.
As the man left Luna turned her head to her elder sibling, "What doth thou think sister?"
Celestia rubbed her temples and sighed, "That even if he was not here, that we are going to have a busy time together."