//------------------------------// // Chapter Tres - Noctis Salus // Story: Pro Temerarus es Fautor // by Kromulus Regulus //------------------------------// Chapter Tres Noctis Salus “Night’s Salvation”         For two days thereafter, Luna locked herself in her chambers, not wishing to burden any other pony with the dark secrets that she had uncovered. The events with Tiberius had shaken her to her very core; her mind still very fresh with the grotesque visions of war and death. It was a foreign concept, even to her. Celestia had tried very hard to bring Luna from her seclusion, but to no avail. The Princess of the Night adamantly refused each request, even unto her most loyal of servants. The entire castle had only been alerted to the miniscule amount of information granted to them by the Solar Diarch; the rest the eldest sister had left to the servants’ imaginations to compensate.         Sadly, no amount of positive thoughts being turned up in said servants parallel with reality. Not even the wildest story from the darkest imagination came close to the grim reality that the indigo alicorn faced. While most (having trusted in Celestia’s wisdom in the matter) believed the Princess to be gaining a well-deserved rest, Luna had yet to attain any of the sort. Her eyes were bloodshot from shedding tears of sorrow over the entirety of her seclusion. At times, she had wailed in depression, her shouts of anguish echoing throughout the ancient halls. No pony but Celestia herself would hear of these cries, having to force herself not to come to her sister’s aid.         So it was on the third day of Luna’s depressed state that Celestia did call upon the one pony she had been nearest to when the event occurred. Twilight Sparkle had quickly answered the summons, having little time to alert anypony else after reading the letter sent to her, and handing Spike over to the care of Rarity for a few days (to the young dragons surprise and relief). The lavender unicorn now stood in front of the tall, ominous doors to the personal chambers of the Princess of the Night. Once already had she knocked, the only response being a few quiet sniffles from inside. She dared to knock again, her forehoof gently tapping against the ancient oak frame.         “Did thou not understand?! We firmly stated we wished ourselves to be left alone!”         The shout from the interior of the chamber had easily reached Twilights ears. She felt herself take a step back, head lowering as her ears splayed back. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she gathered her courage. With her head raising and her expression filled with a new resolve, she dared to speak.         “Princess Luna!” Twilight shouted, “It’s me, Twilight Sparkle! I don’t know what you’re facing right now, but I refuse to let a friend in need suffer alone! Please, Luna, I beg of you, please let me help.”         For a moment, things were quiet. Twilight started to doubt herself, believing she had been too forceful. As she was just about to turn around, she heard soft hoofsteps inside the chamber. They became louder, then ended with a soft click as the chamber door slid open a few inches. Not seeing any further movement from the door, Twilight peeked in, seeing nothing but darkness. She absentmindedly gulped, using her magic to open the door further and started inside. “Luna?” She called, a much softer voice than before, comparable to Fluttershy’s. “Luna are you here?”         “Yes, Twilight, we are here.”         Luna’s voice was almost a whisper, barely audible. Twilight heard a sniffle to her left, turning her head as she beheld two glowing eyes gazing at her from the dark. The Element of Magic had to use all her courage not to let out a shriek, placing a hoof to her mouth to stop the instinctive reaction from fully taking place. “L-Luna?” Twilight took a few steps closer to the sets of eyes, Twilights own finally adjusting to the dim moonlight entering the chamber. She could barely make out the Princesses form, curled up upon her bed. “Luna what’s wrong?”         “Nothing,” Luna lied, her head looking down. Twilight could see a small beam of light falling down upon the lunar princesses cheek, illuminating a small, sparkling tear. “It doesn’t look like nothing to me,” Twilight said, further approaching the bed until she stood beside it, gazing up at Luna. “It seems like, if anything, you’re very, very sad.”         A soft muffle of a sob barely escaped Luna’s lips. “Mayhaps we are.”         The lavender unicorn’s heart almost melted. Moisture had formed at the corner of her eyes, her mind reeling from having to see one of the proudest ponies she knew in this state. Questions filled her mind, her emotions swirling. What had made the Princess so sad that she would lock herself away? Why had no pony come to her aid? Why had Celestia called her?! She quickly calmed her out of control thoughts, knowing that there would be time for answers later. Right now, somepony needed her, and currently she was the only pony able to help.         “Please tell me why,” Twilight said, her voice wavering just slightly.         Luna’s head slowly turned towards Twilight, eyes opening as the unicorn could see the condition of her face. It was, for the lack of a better word, in a horrible state. Her eyes were bloodshot from what Twilight could only assume to be an excessive amount of crying. Her lip, quite visibly, was trembling. “It is not a thing thou should be able to comprehend,” Luna said in her hushed, sad voice. “Thy life, thy conditions do not merit us to explain and ruin thy state of mind.”         “I don’t understand,” Twilight said, raising herself up so her forehooves rested on the side of the bed. “What could you have possibly experienced that would...ruin my state of mind?”         “So much suffering,” Luna said, eyes growing distant. Twilight could see tears starting to stream down her face. “Thy mind could not possibly comprehend it, Twilight Sparkle. We have seen things. Things that nopony should ever witness.”         Twilight did the only thing she knew she could do. In one, quick movement she hopped herself onto the bed and quickly embraced the Princess of the Night in a hug. Luna then broke down completely, her sobs returning as she cried heavily upon Twilights shoulder. Soft words of encouragement flowed from the lavender unicorn as she held her friend in her moment of distress. ***         Tiberius sat at the edge of his bed. It had not been a good stay in the castle for him. He had been cast under heavy suspicion under charges he had yet to comprehend. Guards were stationed outside his door and no one, if ever, entered. The last person (or pony, rather) he had seen had been one of the pony guards, forcefully escorting him to these new accommodations and informing him he was under house arrest. The same guard would enter with a plate of food at appropriate intervals during the day, never staying long enough to talk, but always making sure the plate was placed nicely on his table. Never once did the guard make eye contact with Tiberius.         It unnerved him, this lack of contact. His experience during prior military operations told him that something was being planned for him. By the feeling in his gut, it would not be to his liking. He couldn’t blame these pony creatures, though. He had appeared in their world, made first contact with an entirely new species and what was the first thing that he did? He killed two of their guard. From what he had been told, it was two of the royal guard. In his mind, he saw himself imagining a guillotine being positioned and some dark figure plotting a perfect time for his execution. It’s better than the alternative, he thought absently.         Tiberius blinked, head raising. Did he really just think that? Though, as his head starter to lower again, he supposed that was a correct train of thought. Slowly, he closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. The alternative would have been far, far worse. At least this way, it would be painless. He would be led to the guillotine and with one pull of a lever, all his worries and pains would die away with him. It would be a quick death, one without the agonising pain of being eaten alive or seeing your son-         His breath caught, a lump forming in his throat. “Oh Melkos,” Tiberius said with a quiver of his lip, “Don’t let me suffer.” He brought a hand to his face, feeling his emotions besting his subdued demeanor. Moisture formed, slipping between his eyelids and coalescing into a tear. As the weight of the droplet increased, he felt it slide down his face, in between his fingers. Another joined the first, then another, until a steady stream of tears slid down his face. He couldn’t resist sobbing.         His mind, now free from his conscious restraint, unleashed hell as memories pressed forward.         It was a bright sunny day. He could hear the laughter of a child to his side. Looking to his left, he smiled widely as he beheld his flesh and blood. “Go long!” Tiberius called out, the ecstatic cries of Samsus Jr. acknowledging the fathers request. He watched, amused, as the boy ran towards the edge of the front lawn, stopping as he raised his hands up in the air.         “Ready dad!”                  “Alright, here we go!” Tiberius said, bringing his throwing arm back with the football in a proper grip. He briefly closed his eyes, preparing to throw. Quickly he opened them, seeing instead of his son the dark insectoid form of a Nightmare. It’s eyes were bright, just like his sons.         “Come on dad,” the Nightmare spoke in a perfect copy of Samsus Jr.’s voice, “Throw it already!”         “No,” Tiberius whispered softly, the football dropping from his hand. He felt his body start to tremble. “No!”         “What’s wrong?” the Nightmare asked, tilting its head as it trotted closer. “Dad are you okay?”         “Why?” he asked, falling to his knees, his body feeling numb. The Nightmares ebony face was right in front of his, the wide eyes staring into his own. “Why what, dad?” the Nightmare asked, a twisted grin on its face.         “Why did you take them from me?”         The Nightmare bared its fangs, the grin still present. Its voice a low, demonic sounding thing. “Because I was hungry.”         The scream of rage emitting from Tiberius lungs was enough to bring one of the guards ponies from outside to open his door. What they saw brought fear to their faces. The human was in the process of lifting his bed, tossing it to the side as he quickly went to the next piece of furniture within reach. He grabbed hold of the nightstand, lifting it and turning around to throw it directly at the partially open door. The guard, having more sense to preserve his life, quickly closed it as the stand crashed into it; splintering pieces  of wood flying everywhere from the nightstand.         “Why can’t you understand!” Tiberius yelled to the closed door. “They’re killing everyone!”         His mind took hold of him once more, bringing another repressed memory to life. His body, under the control of his rising rage, continued its instinctive carnage in the room.         The smell of putrid flesh stung against Tiberius nostrils as he continued forward into the small village. Bodies lay strewn over the streets and sidewalks, seeming to indicate the inhabitants had been slaughtered as they ran for their lives. The only thing lacking to the scene was the Nightmares themselves. If experience told true, they were hiding amongst the bodies. He ordered his men to stay sharp, pointing to his eyes then making a circle. The squad that followed behind gave a confirming nod.         He held his AdkM75 in ready, finger resting on the trigger guard. His head scanned his surroundings as they made a left to turn another body-filled street. He quickly ordered his squad to halt, crouching to one knee as he tried to decide where they would search next. He felt a tap on his shoulder, glancing behind to see two large, green, demon like eyes staring at him. “Shit!” he shouted, both in fear and surprise. Instinct quickly took over, the Nightmare pouncing on him and pinning him by the chest as he discarded his rifle and grabbed his combat knife. He felt the pain of flesh being ripped from bone on his left shoulder as the Nightmare began to feast.         Not having time to react any other way, his arm arched upward and down impaling the blade of the combat knife in the head of the Nightmare. It stopped its attack on his shoulder, eyes rolling to the back of its head as it doubled over. Spasms followed, then a short gasp as greenish blood gurgled from its open mouth. He felt hands grab his, helping him to his feet. When he looked to the origin of his assistance, his squad-mate erupted into a greenish flame as a Nightmare took its place.         “We took your family,” the Nightmare said with a demonic laugh, “and now we’re taking you!”         “Noo!”         Tiberius fell to his knees, the images of dead bodies, people who had lives, filling his minds eye. The same image of the Nightmare who took his wife and child was still fresh, continuing to haunt him in his deepest thoughts. The loss of his family had taken place five years ago, when the Nightmare invasion had began. The traumatic event had never truly left him, reminding him of an enemy whom seemed impossible to defeat. He started to sob uncontrollably, his vision blurred by the amount of tears falling. He lurched forward, his head resting against the floor as his arms sagged against the ground.         So much death. All he ever did was watch it, never truly being able to stop it. Why had that princess reminded him of all this? He had it under control, promising himself that the time to grieve would be after the Nightmares had been defeated. Instead, he had been transported by some twist of fate to a world that seemed untouched by his nations horrors. Taken at a moment he wished had progressed to its end. Life had been granted to him once more, yet it seemed to come at a horrible cost. The cost of having every mental barrier placed shattered just because some damn pony wanted to know his innocence. He would have much rather died. He lifted himself up from his shameful posture, rubbing his hands across his face as he looked towards the ceiling. His eyes grew distant, as if looking for something that the physical could not represent in form. He closed his eyes after a moment of searching, his breathing slowing as his uncontrollable sobs diminished to nothing. “Melkos,” Tiberius began in prayer, “I know not why you would do this to me, but I ask that you grant me th-” “Tiberius?” His eyes opened, almost believing for a moment it was his god who answered. Instead, as he turned his head towards the door, he saw the dark blue princess pony from before. What was her name, Luna? Yes, that was it. She was the one who unlocked all these horrors on his mind. To his surprise, however, anger did not rise at the sight of her. Instead, he felt something else. Indifference. He stared at her, his expression showing nothing of his previous internal struggle. Luna seemed to look uneasy at the awkward silence that followed, until the princess dared to move further in. She seemed to be observing the destruction of the room. Her eyes then fell upon the human. “I’m sorry,” she said, breaking the silence. Tiberius looked away, head facing down. He did not reply.         He heard the door close behind her, the silent trapping of her hooves on the stone floor as she approached closer. “I saw everything,” she continued. “I saw the death, the destruction, the bodies. I invaded your mind and-” her voice seemed awfully close now “-for my lack of respect, I have been forced into a reality that I could not possibly comprehend.”         “Everything?” Tiberius asked, his head still not moving.         “Yes, everything.” Luna confirmed. Tiberius heard the sounds of her hooves stop just behind him. He felt her breath pass over the hairs on his neck. “You had a son, did you not?”         If he had been in any other state of mind, Tiberius would have punched her where she stood. Like he was then, he felt no need to, his mood continuing to darken. “Yes. A wife too. They’re dead now.”         He felt her rest her head on his shoulder, pressing against the side of his cheek. “I beg your forgiveness.”         The sensation of her coat touching his skin was something Tiberius could not describe. It was like through that touch, he could feel her sadness as well. It made his mind stop, his eyes widen in some odd, unknown form of comprehension. Then, as quickly as the touch took away his darkness, it returned, harder than before. She may know, but as she admitted she could never comprehend it. Tiberius didn’t know if he felt thankful or offended by that. He let out a sigh as he closed his eyes, subconsciously bringing up his right hand to stroke across her snout. He was already in hell, yet despite what she had done to him it would do no good to allow her to experience it.         “I forgive you,” he said softly. “I understand why you needed to do it.”         “You do?” she replied, her voice almost a soft purr. He didn’t take note of it though, continuing his soft strokes across her muzzle. “Yes,” he replied, “I do understand. I entered your world by whatever means, killed your people without right, and yet the worst thing you did to me was make me remember. It is the least of the punishments I had in mind.”         “Mmm,” came to the reply. He felt something press against his back as Luna sat down close to him, feeling her head rub up against his head gently. “So much pain, so much suffering. I know of it, I’ve experienced it. Do not let it take you hostage.”         Tiberius ceased his petting, lowering his hand as he leaned to the side so he could glimpse her. “Why are you being so nice to me, after what I’ve done?” It was an honest question. After murdering two citizens, two royal guards, one would expect harsher treatment. Instead, the supposed instrument of his fate was lying next to him, showing affection that would be more reserved for closer, more intimate individuals. He did not truthfully know whether it made him feel uneasy, but he did feel slightly on edge by it. “Is this because you’re going to kill me?”         Luna’s eyes widened in shock. “Kill you?!” Her eyes narrowed at him, “To what purpose? Doest thou believe we are cruel and unkind?” She leaned her head closer to Tiberius, closing the distance he had gained before. He was very aware in her change of language. “Nay, thou hast been seen as innocent. We...I have sat in council with my sister. After I shared my experiences with your memories, we both decided you had been through enough.”         He was silent for a moment, gazing away from her. “What did the memories do to you?”         “I shed tears for two days, Tiberius. My mind had been completely shattered.” Her muzzle came dangerously close to his face, he gazing back to see into her wide, cyan eyes. “The experience also made me painfully away of another feeling you endure.”         “And that is?” Tiberius asked, not wavering in his gaze.         “That you are alone,” she said. “Mayhaps it is from the memories I now have, but I feel it very deeply when I think of you. I cannot stand it.”         “You barely know me,” he said, feeling a jolt of surprise as her forehoof pressed against his chest. “I don’t understand. I’m from a different world, I’m supposed to be dead, my memories don’t make a diff-”         “Silence,” Luna ordered, her voice raising for just that word. She pressed her forehoof to the point that Tiberius was forced onto his back. “Your mind, everything you’ve experiences, has infested mine. I know you, Tiberius, more perhaps than you do. When I suffered my tears, you did not go from my thoughts. I’m plagued with trying to find an answer.”         All of a sudden, every bit of a sadness drained from his body. In its place was a damn impossible amount of awkwardness and severe uneasiness. Was this...creature, this horse coming on to him or something? Sirens felt like they were sounding in his head, urging him to escape now. Instead, he couldn’t move, too shocked as he tried to comprehend why this was happening in the first place. He watched as the princess lowered her head to his, then tilted further, her horn pressing to the top of his head. He shut his eyes tight, fearing the worse as a tingling sensation sparked on his forehead.         “Now,” Luna said softly, “I know how to make things right.”         A thousand years of isolation and imprisonment flashed before his eyes. His mind was entirely incapable of comprehending the scope of emotions flowing through his thoughts.  He felt himself cringe and try to resist, but the pressure to make him experience it was too much. Whatever barrier he had in place to refuse the knowledge collapsed, the thoughts and memories of a foreign mind entering his as he lived in those long, long years of loneliness.         Then, when he truly believed he could take no more, something impossible happened. The emotions changed within such a short period of time. He witnessed, through the eyes of Luna, her first glimpse at reality again as she embraced her sister. The feeling of loneliness suffered its final demise, being washed away like the current of an unstoppable river.         “Do you feel it?” He heard Luna’s voice ask him. “Do you see what can happen? At the end of every dark valley, there is always the brightest sunrise. I experienced this on that day. Now, as I have taken from you your collection of sufferings, I give you my greatest joy.”         It was as if Tiberius floated in the feeling of warmth and affection. The events turned towards his own memories as the faces of all his loved ones, all the comrades he knew and everyone he had seen before the devastation looked at him as if nothing had happened. They smiled a smile to him, as if saying it was alright, that he could let go. He felt himself thinking that he had tried his best, that it would do little use to hold onto these memories, that it would shame the sacrifices they made.         Then, another face appeared. This one had its own energy emanating from it. He could feel, through the link of emotion, how Luna tried to shy away from it. The face was that of a skull of a man hidden by a dark, abyssal cloak. Red eyes were staring at Tiberius through the empty eye sockets, glimpsing so far into his mind that it felt like everything he was had been laid bare.         “Your fight is far from over,” a deep, croaking voice stated. “Take thine spirit up and cease thy tears. I have use for you yet.”         The red eyes started to glow brightly.         Tiberius felt a sickening pop in his ears as his eyes opened, instantly holding his head at the massive headache coming on. He saw Luna jump to all hooves, a cringing expression on her face as she stumbled back and fell to her side. Tiberius tried to reach for her to catch her, but as he attempted to stand he toppled over as well. One word left his lips before he passed out.         “Melkos.”