//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of the Night // by Rainbow Sparkle //------------------------------// It was with great reluctance that Asriel stood there amongst the bed of golden flowers, watching as his new friend slowly departed. He gave Frisk a soft, sad smile and a gentle wave as they stopped at the gate leading back into the ruins and glanced back to him one final time. It has to be this way. Asriel reminded himself, even as his own heart ached for things to be different. He could feel it in the core of his very being. The magical energy from the Human and Monster SOULs was fading. It wouldn’t be long before he returned to the form he had spent so much time as. A Flower. A Soulless, heartless, empty Flower. He had a feeling that, at least for a time, he’d remember what it was like to have a conscience, a SOUL. To again have empathy, compassion, and to be able to feel any level of basic decency towards another person.  But he had no reason to believe that would remain true forever. And he was afraid of what might happen after that. Frisk had wanted to bring his parents down there, at least so they could have a chance to see him as he should be before he reverted back. But he knew that such would only leave them hurting when he became Flowey again.  Neither of them had any memory of him murdering them countless times. The only one who did remember was Sans, and perhaps Alphys had a feeling or idea. All anyone else had was the simple knowledge a check would give them. And that’s more than enough to tell them how dangerous Flowey can be. Even if they never learned the truth, he would always remember. And he, Asriel Dreemurr, not Flowey, would worry what might happen should Flowey ever decide to revert to his old ways. Of viewing the world as Kill or Be Killed. There’d be plenty of Humans on the surface to go after, and many of them wouldn’t suspect much from a seemingly innocent talking flower… No, it was too much of a risk. As much as he longed to reconnect with them, he couldn’t. Not as he was, and not as he was soon to be. As for what it meant for him? Well… he hadn’t thought quite that far ahead. For the moment, he was content to simply remain here and watch over the bed of flowers. The final resting place for his first friend. Kneeling down, he smiled and ran one hand through the flowers. It seemed that despite his long time as one, he hadn’t lost the appreciation his parents and his adoptive brother had for the beautiful blossoms. Asriel wasn’t quite sure how long he sat there, stroking the flowers and checking over many of them. But eventually, he felt a strange tingle travel through him, from the tips of his ears to the soles of his paws. At first, he thought it meant he was about to turn back into Flowey. He was expecting it after all. But he very quickly realized that wasn’t it. No, it was an instinct he’d developed as Flowey. To know when he wasn’t alone. Slowly, Asriel glanced up and saw a figure cloaked in black at the edge of the circle of light. He would have thought it was the shadows playing tricks on him, were it not for the skull and the bone-like hands he could see. There were no lights in sockets that he could see, which when combined with his hunched posture, gave off a rather haunting aura. On its own, that would have been unsettling. The fact that Asriel knew there were only two skeleton Monsters in the Underground, and the fact he had the strangest feeling that he had met this figure before, had his fur prickling and rippling with fear. “W-Who… w-who are you?” The figure didn’t give its name. Instead, it spread its arms wide, and from within the darkness of its sleeves, seven familiar colored shards of light came floating into view. T-Those, those are SOUL shards! Human SOUL shards! W-Where did this guy get them? Asriel thought as he gaped at the sight, which elicited a strange, almost static like chuckle in his mind. “Where is not important. What matters is what I can offer you.” Asriel glanced from the seven shards to the figure’s face. The smile it bore was simultaneously serene and creepy at the same time. Curiosity quickly welled up within him, and against his better judgement he asked, “W-What kind of offer?” The figure inclined its head towards the shards. “You long to remain as you are. You long for a second chance. You desire a chance to join them above. But you fear those with whom you wish to be with. You fear what they might think if they knew the truth. You fear your darker half could assert itself, and destroy what you hold dear.” The figure wasn’t wrong, so Asriel could only nod his head weakly. The figure’s smile widened, and it continued. “I am feeling generous today, and sympathize with your plight. I will offer you a deal which will give you some of what you desire, but will have a condition you may find hard to swallow.” Asriel didn’t like the sound of that. Still, the fragments of his SOUL quivered at the very idea of being able to remain himself and keep his compassion. “A-And the condition?” The figure just smiled wider, nearly enough it looked like the skull was cracking open like an egg. “I get to choose where you get your second chance.” That caught Asriel off guard, and he tilted his head a bit as he asked, “That’s it?” The figure nodded, and for a moment, Asriel’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he asked again.  “Really, that’s it? That’s your condition?” “Yes. I get to decide where you wind up. It will be… an interesting experiment, to say the least.” Something told Asriel that such couldn’t possibly be the only condition. There had to be something else at play. He just needed to figure it out and- His entire being quivered, and he fell to all fours. He blinked, and his eyes went wide as he saw vines beginning to slowly crawl over his hands. “You should choose quickly, young Prince. My offer only stands while you are truly you.” Asriel’s head shot up, and he gazed at the seven glowing SOUL shards before him. In them he could see that which he wanted and longed for. Redemption. A second chance. The opportunity for his own happy ending. To not be a Flower again. His own words echoed in his mind as his mind raced. “I was so tired of being a Flower.” He really had been. And still was. As beautiful as flowers were, and as much as being one had kept him alive and made it possible for him to free the Underground with Frisk’s help… He wasn’t a flower. He was a Monster, a goat. A kind, loving, caring, compassionate child. A voice in his head whispered he was making a mistake. A voice full of cynicism and selfishness, dripping with venom. It was a voice he hated, and wished to never hear again. Flowey’s voice. That made the choice for him. He didn’t hesitate as he reached out for the shards and the figure. He heard that staticy chuckle echo in his mind as the figure lifted its hands, palms facing towards Asriel. Within an instant, the seven shards surged forward, joining into Asriel and fusing with his being. A strange sense of familiarity with all of them was brushed aside by a rush of energy that overwhelmed the young Prince. He cried out as the strange sensation of the shards fusing and drawing together the fragments of his own SOUL drowned out everything around him. Which meant he couldn’t hear whatever it was the figure said to him, nor do anything to stop the inky black void that promptly swallowed him whole. -*- It was a crisp, clear, cloudless night over Canterlot, something that many of its citizens were taking the time to enjoy given the summer heat still lingering despite the sun setting a few hours prior.  For some, it was a bit of relaxation or merriment before they called it a day. Others were just waking up, and preparing to head off to one of the many places that operated through the night. A handful were the collection of Nobles who called the city home, making for the many venues that sought to cater to their ‘higher taste’. For two ponies however, all of this was far removed from their minds. Only the comforting presence of the other mattered as they lay beside a tall pine tree, its highest branches poking out of a large opening in the ceiling of the cave it resided in. Though their thoughts were on each other, their gaze was turned skyward. One had their horn aglow, eyes narrowed in concentration as slowly little pin-pricks of light in the vast night sky twinkled and faded. The other watched, her eyes bright and dazzling as moisture glistened at the edges as a wide smile spread across her muzzle. Letting out a breath, the glow around the former’s horn faded as a tired but proud smile gleamed in the moonlight. “Another week, two at most, and the night sky shall become a canvass for me to paint upon to my heart's content.” “And I look forward to that day with each bit of progress you make my dear Sister.” Luna blushed and squirmed a bit at Celestia’s words. After so long corrupted by the Nightmare and imprisoned in her Moon, the thought of hearing praise from her beloved Sister still seemed somewhat alien. Yet she drank in every bit of it as she felt Celestia drape a wing over her, reciprocating with a nuzzle into her Sister’s neck. “Just as I look forward to all of my powers being restored, and fully taking my place by your side once again.” Luna remarked as she gave Celestia’s snoot a playful boop. “Though I do think it’ll do me good to know you’ve gotten some rest by the time that day comes.” She ignored Celestia’s attempt at mock outrage, giving her side a poke with a hoof. “Don’t think I haven’t been informed you’ve been doing naught but taking the occasional cat nap between your duties dear Sister. Alicorns we may be, but your schedule remains much fuller and you need your rest. And I can see the bags starting to form under your eyes.” Celestia let out a sigh of defeat, pouting a bit as she replied, “It is only because I wish to spend as much time with you as I can Luna. We have a thousand years of lost time to make up for.” “And we will Celly, we will.” Luna said softly, hugging Celestia close. “But there will still be times when both of us will need our beauty-rest. And we neither want nor need you having a crash while out flying or falling asleep during day court do we?” Luna watched with narrowed eyes as she seemed to consider both of those. “Mhm, the former I suppose not, but the latter might be worth it if it's one of the more bothersome nobles…” Celestia let out a soft nicker at the look that got from Luna, whose glare melted a bit as she said, “Please dear, that’ll just offend them. If we’re going to upset the nobility, let’s at least make sure it is in a fashion that’ll keep our little ponies talking for years to come.” “On that, I think we can both agree.” Celestia said, slowly getting to her hooves with a sigh and a nod. “Very well Lulu, I’ll go get some shut eye. Feel free to enjoy my- no, our private retreat whenever you want.” Luna returned the nod with one of her own. “I’ll be sure to do so Celly. In fact, I think I’ll linger here a while before returning to the palace. I do need to do some more reading tonight after all.” Thankfully, I enjoy reading no matter the topic. Luna thought to herself as she bid her Sister goodnight, Celestia vanishing in a flash of golden light. She then sighed and shook her head, relaxing and simply letting her eyes drink in her beautiful night. “Mhm, dear sweet Sister. I have missed you so, but you are getting a bit clingy.” She muttered to herself, chuckling a bit. “Understandable, but I would like some time to myself every so often.” Especially seeing as all the attention keeps reminding me of how much time with each other we lost because of my jealousy. She knew her Sister had already forgiven her, but she knew it was going to be a long time before she forgave herself. After all, her Sister had gone a thousand years alone with no one truly akin to family to confide in… While for her, swallowed up by darkness as she had been, the passage of time had felt much more akin to a long sleep. One where she stewed in her envy, jealousy, and hate of course. Something she knew Celestia had hated and felt just as much regret for, and only made things worse for herself. She groaned, placing her hooves over her eyes. Celestia had told her not to dwell on such things, but that was easier said than done. How could one not think of such things when nearly every moment served as a reminder? She wanted her Sister to give her some space and not be so clingy, but at the same time she knew how much Celly had missed her.and so felt bad about doing anything that’d limit such time together. And having to play catch up with history, culture, science, law, and even magic just reminded her all of she missed. Even if it was necessary, it was a constant reminder. What a lovely loop. Feels rather familiar… Cursed if I do, cursed if I don’t. She thought sardonically as she pulled her hooves away. She instead closed her eyes and listened to the soft sound of the wind as it blew through the branches of the tall pine, and over the snowy slopes of Mt. Canterlot. I wish I had something to distract me from all of this. It was a silly thought, an idle one borne from worries, regrets, and a desire not to deal with the burden she bore. But, at least for a brief time, she was able to clear her mind of such cyclical thinking. She was able to simply rest, relax, and let it all just… Float away. Luna might have kept on like that for a good hour or two more. After all, she knew several speed reading techniques and a few spells that could come in handy. Which meant she had plenty of time to work with. This meant that when she suddenly felt a strange, dark presence within the private retreat… She was put in a rather sour and combative mood. “Who, or whatever you are, you best have a good reason for intruding on this sanctuary.” She growled, horn wrapped in her magic as she whirled onto her hooves. A dozen different spells flashing through her mind as she readied herself for whatever the intruder might throw at her. There had been no clue in her mind for what to expect when she saw the intruder. All she had to go on was the dark aura they gave off. So, needless to say, when she saw a smiling skull and bone-like hands attached to a shifting, inky black mass, she was at least a little surprised. “Not what you were expecting, your highness?” Hearing the voice in her head was unnerving. It was like hearing static from one of those newfangled radios that Inkwell, Celestia’s assistant, had shown her. It only added to the oddity of the entity’s presence, and had her doubling her mental defenses. The entity’s smile simply grew. “Then I suspect you aren’t expecting this either.” Spreading its arms, the inky black of its body rippled, and a moment later, another creature came tumbling out. The creature would have collapsed in a heap before her, had Luna not caught them with her magic. She had a brief window of time to give the creature a once over. Bipedal, covered in fur but wearing clothing. Reminded her somewhat of a bunny, but the muzzle didn’t fit any rabbits she knew of. Perhaps a goat? “You and this child are alike, your highness. You both share a similar burden. Mistakes of the past that you have not, will not, or simply cannot let go of.” The entity remarked, drawing her attention back to it.  “And he, like you, desired a chance for redemption, a second chance at life. I bring him here, so that he may have that chance. I bring him to you, so that you can help him heal, that he may in turn, bring you what you need in turn. I place him under your care, for I know the affinity you have for children, and I believe that you, and you alone, have the tools and talents to help him.” It gave her a soft bow, its smile threatening to split its head in two. “And I would suggest you tend to him sooner, rather than later. The fusing of SOULs and the trip here have left him rather… drained.” Luna wanted to say something, to ask any number of questions. His words in her head however had caught her off guard, and before she could so much as utter a query, or even a confused protest, the entity simply chuckled, and faded out of view. She stared and blinked several times, her mouth flapped a few times as she again tried to find words, and for this brief moment at least, found none. A strange, dark skeletal entity had appeared before her. Gave her a child it claimed was like her, told her to take care of said child. And then left. This sudden, rapid series of events left Luna with one thought above all others front and center in her mind. In the future, she needed to be more careful what she wished for.