A bright shine bled through the white covering, lighting up a dark bedroom with the sun's wonderful lambency. A stallion with a dark coat spotted with red patches opened his yellow eyes slowly, allowing the warmth of the sun's rays to grace his black visage. He gaped his mouth in a large yawn before sitting up and stretching, popping a few bones that elicited a satisfying groan to escape his lips.
"Ahh," the stallion murmured mirthfully. He gave another long luxurious stretch before setting his hooves on the wooden floor. He grabbed and donned his white cloak and brown satchel, wriggling a bit to get himself comfortable. "That was a good rest."
The stallion had opted to give himself a brief respite from his journey and traveled to the beautiful coastal island town of Seaward Shoals, where he stayed in a homely hotel for three days. He didn't participate in any activities; he often stayed in his bedroom, but he made the occasional stroll around the town to see what it had to offer. During his time there the stallion had gotten odd looks from the locales, but that was to be expected given his daunting size and black coat. He didn't mind at all; he found it amusing.
The beautiful town was also home to the now-retired princesses of Equestria, Celestia and Luna, after their successor Twilight Sparkle took the reins. He hasn't seen the two sisters in years, and he often wondered how they were. They were good pony folk; they were unpretentious and modest, if a bit too humble for his liking. Nevertheless, he held respect for them.
"The time for rest has passed," he told himself, trotting over to the door. "The road awaits."
Outside, the stallion basks in warm rays, scenting the sweet, redolent air enveloping the bustling town. Ponies were milling about the coastal town: some worked while others played and spoke to one another. The coastal town of Seaward Shoals has its buildings supported by large brown stilts along the various hills that meet the coastline. The crystal blue water always seemed to shimmer and gleam; undiluted and flowed with gentle waves, and never seeming to stagnate.
The stallion, when viewing from the balcony, would often stare at the purified water as if mesmerized by its soothing ebb & and flow; it filled him with a staggering sense of stillness and peace.
"This is a place I could get used to if I want to retire," the stallion murmured, gladden by the tranquil atmosphere. "Warm, serene, quiet... Perhaps that time is coming up sooner than I expect."
Just before the stallion could set out from the hotel, he hears a feminine voice ringing out from behind that made him stiffen. "Hey, Tene!" the voice called happily. "Tenebrous, it's me!"
He knew that voice, but he wasn't truly sure if it was the voice he thought about. It was sweet and strong, yet unrefined and unconstrained; free and unburdened. Tenebrous craned his neck to gaze at a tall white alicorn with a rainbow-like mane and tall that flowed on its own, wearing a blue shirt with pink flowers and sunglasses on her forehead supported by her horn.
Tenebrous's yellow eyes bulged as he stared at Celestia cheerily skipping toward him with a flamboyant wave of her hoof, showing off her bright pearly smile, and straining to catch his attention. She was as beautiful as the last time they met. Well, it was certainly caught, he thought wryly. It seems somepony is enjoying their retirement.
Tenebrous waited until Celestia skidded in front of him and grabbed him in a tight hug that threatened to squeeze all the air from his lungs. "Tenebrous, it's you!" the alicorn shouted gaily. "It's been so long, Tene! How are you?"
That's a nickname I haven't heard of in years.
Struggling to breathe, Tenebrous tapped Celestia's back hastily and asked her to let him free. When Celestia complied, the stallion regained his breathing and straightened. "It's...good to see you again, Celly," he groaned, cracking his back; he had forgotten the mare's strength. "And I've been quite well. Enjoying your retirement?"
Celestia's horn glowed and a white smoothie containing banana slices appeared, levitated her magic. "I love it!" she exclaimed, taking a sip of her smoothie. "I've never been so...open and relaxed before."
I can see that. Tenebrous, even as a young colt, knew that Celestia always had her nose to the grindstone, leaving little time for herself. She always put Equestria first and herself second; she had treated the ponies like they were her foals and worked tirelessly day and night to make sure everypony was happy. He knew that Celestia deserved her retirement. Certainly a surprise.
"I didn't know you liked bananas," he commented with a grin.
Celestia blushed. "It's kind of a... guilty pleasure of mine," the former princess whispered hoarsely, veering her magenta gaze around as if afraid of anypony hearing her confession. "Anyway, it's been so long since we talked. Where have you been all these years?"
Tenebrous brushed the back of his black mane. "I've been journeying across Equestria since last we met, aiding ponies and creatures and whatnot during my travels," he told her. "You know I never stay in place for too long. I prefer the nomadic lifestyle; it keeps things nice and refreshing."
Celestia nodded, sneaking in a couple of sips from her smoothie, but never taking her glimmering eyes off of him. "You should've come to Canterlot, I haven't heard from you in years. You know I would love to do some catching up."
"I know, but I didn't want to bother you," he murmured awkwardly. "Besides," he went on, "I tend to not revisit places I've been unless it was for a special occasion."
Celestia's eyes narrowed playfully and leaned close to Tenebrous. "Aren't I a... special occasion?" she whispered huskily; her eyes half-lidded with a mischievous gleam. "I missed you."
Tenebrous froze in astonishment. Rarely did Celestia act out of character, and even rarer still would the mare attempt to tease or indulge in flirtatious frivolity. When was the last time she acted like this? Before her responsibilities to the throne? I don't even know.
Now that the mare was unfettered by the burden of running an entire nation, she could let loose a few impulses and act on more personal desires. Tenebrous could feel his coat rise in discomfort and fought to keep it smooth. Celestia must've noticed his discomfiture, snickering with a devilish gleam twinkling in her bright eyes.
Tenebrous groaned inwardly. Cheeky thing, he thought, trying to smooth his ruffled coat. Leave it to Celly to make things difficult, though I can't blame her. I knew her just before she had to devote most of her time to Equestria and saw merely a glimpse of who she was before.
"Where's Luna?" he asked hastily, changing the subject. Thankfully, Celestia seemed to oblige.
"She's partaking in a bingo game just over there," Celestia said, pointing with her tail to a brown building with a white roof. "Would you like to see her? She hasn't seen you since she was an adolescent."
"Well...I was going to get back on the road."
"Nonsense, Tene," Celestia declared with a shake of her head. She brushed her coat up against his. "Stay a little while longer; I don't know when I'll see you next."
Tenebrous was unsure if he should oblige Celestia's request, especially when she acted like this. He felt the itch of travel more than ever, but after seeing the pleading look on his old friend's face, he relented. "You win," he said, sighing.
"Stay right here," she sang playfully as she trotted off, flicking Tene's nose with her tail as she went.
Tenebrous rubbed his nose as he looked after the jaunty mare with a gaze of sorrow. If only I could still love, he lamented, but we have to live by the choices we make, and there's no reversing what I've done; I can't place back what's been removed.
Tenebrous was starting to feel uncomfortable; the thoughts of his old life and his brief friendship with Celestia flashed by: The remembrance was him skulking in a shadowy forest that no longer existed, stalking a young mare who had foolishly trotted in. The bright white coat was a stark contrast to the ever-obnubilated blackness of the forest; she irradiated a pleasant white glow, mesmerizing him. He had shaken himself back to his senses; this was his forest and no pretty little mare was going to invade it. He had leapt into a clearing the mare had trotted to and confronted her, but then the memory was gone in a flash, and he was unable to recover it.
Disappointed at his waning memory, Tenebrous began brood in silence, patiently on the stairs that led into the hotel he had stayed in, watching the comings and goings of the ponies: a pegasus was performing loops in the air to a small crowd of ponies, a unicorn and a few earth ponies were playing a board game near the sparkling water, and a bunch of fillies and colts were chasing each other around, squealing and hollering to their hearts' content.
Tenebrous had forgotten what it felt like to watch the scenery rather than head hurriedly to whatever destination his hooves led him next. As he sat and watched, a young voice sounded from behind. He slowly turned and looked down to see the dark blue coat and mane that seemed to hold the very cosmos. It was Luna in all her mystical beauty. She wore an azure shirt dappled with white flowers instead of pink, and she possessed a pair of sunglasses that rested on her forehead, supported by her lengthy horn.
"Ah, Luna," Tenebrous said with a small smile. He shoved all of his thoughts away to the back of his mind. "You've grown the last time I saw you."
"Do you remember him, Luna?" Celestia asked. When the smaller alicorn didn't reply, she went on. "You only met him a few times, but this is Tenebrous Kyrie, the Casting Shadow."
Tenebrous hadn't heard of his full name and title so long in so long he forgotten it. Memories began to surge through his mind again: a young colt stood behind two fillies that represented the very sun and moon. A larger alicorn stood over the three as it gave him and the two sisters their titles and responsibilities. While Celly and Luna were destined to rule over all of Equestria as a diarchy, Tenebrous was given another task; one he had to go alone for. One he had adopted as his way of life.
Tenebrous felt a pang of resentment beginning to well up in his stomach. His destiny and long life had cast him down a solitary path, to watch those he cherished whittle away with age until they were nothing but dust. Then he stopped with these dark thoughts; he was being churlish and glum.
We all have our destiny, he reminded himself. I don't regret mine, but...
"Where have you been all these years?"
Tenebrous was jolted out of his memories, focusing his gaze on Luna, who was glaring at him. She was stoic and guarded, as if she didn't want to talk to him at all. That's different... She wasn't like this before I left. Then again... that was centuries ago, and it's not like she was around.
"Ever since you departed, you never came back," Luna said testily. "Celestia and I waited for years, and all of a sudden you are here. You didn't even try to seek us out. Where have you been? And what are you wearing? Are you truly so mortified of being an alicorn that you would conceal it under a piece of white cloth?"
Tenebrous felt a little guilty and a bit overwhelmed by Luna's hostility. He never wanted to leave these two, but he had to; it was his destiny, and him being an alicorn wasn't anything to be ashamed of. "Luna please, let me-"
"We waited for you!" she hissed crossly, thrusting her muzzle into his face. Tenebrous had force himself to flinch away at the barely suppressed anger wafting from the mare. "If you were around when... Maybe you could have helped my sister bring back my senses."
Tenebrous struggled to speak. Luna was referring to the event that caused her to become Nightmare Moon. He was there, he knew he could have helped, but he did not. "Luna, I'm sorry, but you know I can't just fig-"
"When I was imprisoned on the moon, where were you when my sister was embroiled in despair?" she spat, interrupting the stallion. Tenebrous didn't say anything. "Did you even attempt to console her? She needed you, not to be left alone!"
Tenebrous sighed as he shot a quick glance at Celestia, but she shifted her gaze to the ground. The alicorn's happy demeanor was cracking, and old, painful memories began to seep through. "No," he answered regretfully. "I heard about what happened back then. I should have been there, but..."
Luna snorted with contempt. "I do not care what that alicorn said, you do not abandon those you felt a kinship to, especially after they took you in. Are you still bound by that insipid rule?"
Tenebrous was barred from using any type of violence, whether physical, magical, or what have you, other than doing the bare minimum of self-defense. He was strong for sure as he is on par with the two sisters, but part of his destiny binds himself to pacificism. Perhaps if he was able to fight and not just observe events, he would have helped Celestia in regaining Luna's control before Nightmare Moon had risen. But he chose to stay true to his destiny.
"I am," he told her solemnly. "My destiny is to watch and observe, not interfere. I am barred from violence." A silence lingered between the three until Tenebrous spoke again. "I wanted to help," he whispered, "but I could not. I'm sorry."
"I am returning to the bingo game; I had lost the previous one because my sister dragged me out here to meet you," Luna said, her tone dripped with venom.
Tenebrous sighed heavily. There was nothing he could do to justify his actions. "Have a good game, Luna. I hope you win."
Luna snorted, but then the anger in her eyes softened and then there was a distant longing within them, a sadness. "You have a choice," she told him. "You depart or retire here with us."
Tenebrous watched with sadness in his yellow gaze as Luna turned away and went back into the building. Looking at Celestia, who had been quiet all this time, he didn't know what to say to her, so he went with the simplest thing he could think of. "I'm sorry," he murmured, bowing his head deeply in forgiveness. "I prioritized my destiny over you, Celestia, and left you alone to tackle your pain and grief without being by your side. I should have helped you all those years ago; I'm so sorry..."
"Come with me," she said.
Silent, Tenebrous followed her to an edge of the coastline and sat with her. He saw ponies, young and old, out on the calming waters in small boats, rowing or drifting about enjoying the sun and fishing. Tenebrous gazed at Celestia who stared at her reflection shimmering in the sparkling water.
"I forgive you," she murmured, placing her head on Tenebrous's, their coats brushing against one another. "I did wait, for hundreds of years. I was tied down by responsibilities that I couldn't journey out to find you, but I never forgot you, Tene. You were always in my mind. A small part of me does feel angry, but I don't blame you; you had a destiny."
Tenebrous let out a long, tired sigh. "I should have forgone it and came to you like I knew I should have," he said sadly. He stayed still against Celestia. "I would like to make things right..."
"But you are too loyal to your destiny," she finished, releasing a long, airy sigh and shaking her head as if to clear it. With a great effort, she scooched away from him. "You deal with many unseen and unknowable threats as best you could with your pacificism. You wandered and continue to wander this land alone for hundreds and hundreds of years, but... Tene, don't you want to be free from all that? This fathomless quest will never end. This world is safe, and Equestria is safe; times are peaceful. You can forgo this path and stay here with Luna and... and me."
For a long moment Tenebrous stayed silent, dreadfully conscious of Celestia gazing at him with pleading eyes, hoping that her words might've convinced him. She wanted him to stay with her; she wanted him to abandon his destiny, and Tenebrous figured that he could. She and Luna have fulfilled their roles and left Equestria to their successor, but there was no creature to take his place, not that he wanted to give this horrible destiny to some creature else.
His destiny caused Tenebrous to become a solivagant; an existence of loneliness and solitude to serve Equestria and others. He became an alicorn to journey throughout the world and keep it safe as best he could with his restrictions, but what if all of that wasn't needed? What if he wasn't needed? He could forgo this quest and settle in Seaward Shoals with his old friends. The alicorn that gave him his mission was gone now.
Did Equestria truly need an alicorn in the shadows, watching over them in obscurity? Equestria has been at peace for quite some time now, and even if there was a problem, either the Elements of Harmony could handle it or one of many allies they've managed to amass over the years. This country and even outside of it was protected, so what could one alicorn do now, when there are so many other ponies and creatures willing to save the world?
Together with his old friends, he could break his destiny and oath of passivity. Perhaps this was the best thing to do; he could retire and forget about his destiny. The more Tenebrous thought, the more enticing it became.
"Stay here, Tene," urged Celestia. "You have done more than enough to last lifetimes. You can still protect us, but you can do so in the light of the sun rather than in the darkness. Don't leave me and Luna again, please... I won't know when the next I'll see you if you leave now."
Tenebrous gazed longingly into Celestia's shimmering, pleading eyes and saw his reflection clearly in them; it was the hope he'd stay that he saw. It was a desperate gaze. He closed his own and took in a deep breath before exhaling. Perhaps the mantle should be discarded after all.
"Okay," he said with finality, reopening his eyes. "Maybe my time to rest has finally come. I will stray from this path, Celestia." Tenebrous saw a bright, widening smile etching itself across Celestia's radiant visage, and before he knew it, he was being crushed in a tightening embrace.
"Oh Tene!" Celestia shouted mirthfully, nuzzling his neck. "I hoped you'd stay; I really hoped you would! We have so much to do; hundreds and hundreds of years of being apart!"
Tenebrous agreed with a nod. "Yes, so very much to do..."
Celestia gazed at him, her eyes glistening. "What's the matter?" she asked, worried. "Are you unsure of something?"
Tenebrous sighed and held a hoof over his heart. "It's just going to be a bit odd for me is all; I've always ventured to one place or another, but with this decision, I've rooted myself," he told her. He gave a dry chuckle. "A little while ago I was thinking about retiring after some more years of travel, but with you and Little Luna, I have come to this stage of my life sooner than I've expected."
"Will you be happy staying here with us?"
"Of course I will, don't think for a second I wouldn't," he said, hoping to remove any doubt from his old friend. "It's just...going to be different and it'll be some time to get used to it. I don't regret my choice, Celly; I was going to retire eventually." He saw his old friend visibly relaxed, and, in turn, he felt relaxed.
"Then would you need that cloak?" she asked him. "You have wonderful wings, Tene; you shouldn't have to conceal them."
Tene chuckled. "Yeah, well it isn't because I'm ashamed of them, quite the opposite. I tend to give away a feather or two to ponies and other creatures as a sign of friendship or comfort." He removed the white cloak enshrouding his black wings, stretching the massive limbs before resting them on his sides. "Well, that's done."
Celestia nodded before getting to her hooves. "I think we should see Luna about your decision," she told him softly.
Tenebrous brushed the back of his head before standing up. "She sure seemed upset at me," he said, sounding unsure. "Luna has every right to be cross with me, and I'm not sure if telling her that I'm staying will do much."
"I assure you that Luna would greet your decision with open hooves, and I know that you will not be met with anger," she told him confidently. She brushed her coat alongside his. "Let's go see her now."
"Should we interrupt the bingo game?" Tenebrous asked. "I don't think Luna would appreciate being torn away from it again."
Celestia her head. "No need," she replied, gesturing a wing. "It seems we do not have to wait."
Following her wing, Tenebrous saw a crowd of ponies exiting the building, and saw a happy Luna was in the crowd carrying a bag of what seemed to be her earnings.
"She won? Lucky her."
Celestia gave a wry titter. "My little sister hardly wins," she whispered, trotting onwards. "Coming?"
Nodding, Tenebrous followed after Celestia. Immediately, the crowd of ponies were staring at him with surprise and shock in their eyes, but Tenebrous also saw a few mature mares winking at him and suddenly felt a little awkward. Fortunately, the crowd began to break away, and Luna trotted up to him and Celestia. Tenebrous noticed Luna staring at him, but he didn't know whether or not if it was a good sign.
"It seems you have come to a decision," the dark blue alicorn said.
Tenebrous looked at Celestia by his side and saw her nod before turning to gaze at Luna. "I'm staying here," he told her.
"What about your destiny?" Luna asked. "Are you truly able to abolish the path set for you?"
"It'll be a bit odd staying in one place, but I do not regret my decision," he answered. He bent his head down and nuzzled Luna affectionately. "I am staying with you and Celestia. And... I hope you can forgive me. I should have been there for you and Celestia, and I was not. I may not be able to make up for that grievous mistake, but I am here now, and I will spend the rest of my time in both your and Celestia's company."
Luna nuzzled him back. "You have a lot of time to make up for it," she said softly, pulling away. "If we are ever needed, it'd be great to have you by our side once again, Tene. Now, you must have a whole slew of stories from your many adventures. I would like to hear you relay them."
"As do I," Celestia chimed in with a smirk, bumping Tenebrous's flank with her own as she stood beside her little sister. "Let's head by the coastline and continue our chat; we have hundreds of years to catch up on."
Leading the way, Celestia and Luna head to the coastline, Tenebrous lagging just behind. With him reunited with his old friends, Tenebrous, though a bit reticent of staying in Seaward Shoals, still welcomes the final chapter of his life.