//------------------------------// // Expunged (Epilogue) // Story: Launching the Last Star // by The Real Darkness //------------------------------// "Well, where did you hear that?" Twilight endearing addressed the pegasus foal who came to court by herself. And the throne rooms doors shut tight, the guard then left the room leaving Twilight and this young pony alone in it. "Um uhm um, it was a story...I found in this book," the young filly lifted up a journal, emblazoned with a symbol only she could still recognize and a cutiemark of a stitching hook. Twilight laughed at the memories that resurfaced, the research on a different creature she performed. "You've seen the statue at Sweet Apple Acres? The one of that creature nopony knows, falling apart?" Twilight knew the answer but she still asked. "Y-yeah! Of course! We all say he's our guardian of the farm, keeps all the monsters away!" The foal pipped in cheeriness again, "where...where did all of the guards go?" "Don't worry, I sent them outside, you're safe. This is a topic we can only discuss alone. Where did you find this journal?" "The Everfree Forest. It was in this weird hole house thing in the ground," Twilight's smile faded a little at her words. Her friends were all gone, even Celestia had been taking an eternal rest for a while now. The Princess of Friendship went behind her throne, fetching a crystal wine glass filled with an amber liquid and placing it on the floor between them. "Say his name again," Twilight prompted. "Ar-Arctus. Princess Twilight? You're acting kinda weird." "That's because you're talking about something very weird...surreal even," the alicorn sat on her haunches, "so, let me tell you a little bit about Arctus, Master Scout Arctus. Don't go repeating this back to anypony, okay?" The filly in front of her nodded. "Master Scout Arctus was married to Princess Celestia, my old mentor, he was given the title Protector of Equestria. He rode atop a bird that could whip up a blizzard colder than the Frozen North could." "Is he a super pony?!" "Hahaha, no no," he temporary smile fled her face, "but he is a hero who saved Equestria from threats we could not imagine now a days. He saved Equestria and our future on more than one occassion, rather prevented disaster." "Tell me more!" The filly urged Twilight to speak, "is he a prince?!" "Eager, aren't you?" Twilight warmly smiled again, "he was a prince consort in idea alone, but he refuted the title despite marrying a princess. He asked to be expunged from Equestrian records as that's not how he wanted to be remembered. There's still a statue of him, deep in the Everfree Forest, his forest. Where he lived when he first came to Equestria. There is nopony that is a better warrior than him. I'm sure that even now, he fights for us." "Oh, oh! I know that statue! It was on top of the hole in the ground!" "Quite right, there is another in Canterlot still maintained, but without any plaque on it," Twilight answered, "I ahven't been that way in the forest in a long time." "So, where is he? Can we meet him?" The pegasus filly stood up. "No, we can't. He travels, but if you look to the sky at night, very rarely you can see sparkles and ice fall from the sky as he rides his bird across the lands. Sometimes, he'll even call a star into the night sky." "Woooow, how does he do that?" "No pony knows," Twilight lied, "but-." The amber filled crystal chalice floated into the air very evenly and smoothly "Um, Princess. Are you doing that?" "He's here," Twilight whispered. And the cup was slowly emptied like someone sipped every bit of liquid from it silently and for just a small moment, a black spear with a rounded butt and a blued edge of the head could be seen. "I-I'm scared." "Do not fear, he is always on Equestria's side," Twilight seemed to be shoved back a step before she lifted a hoof and hugged an invisble being. He was grateful for every cup she left him, for every comfort she provided while he traveled with his vigil. "He's...he was alive when you were a filly? Doesn't that make him old?" "He doesn't age, my little pony," Twilight stood, putting the crystal glass back behind her throne with magic, "he protects us from threats we've never seen." "Why doesn't anypony else know about him?" The little pegasus was still filled with questions. "He...after Celestia retired he wasn't seen in the public eye as much. And when she passed, he all but disappeared. He comes around to a couple ponies, but he doesn't want to be marked in history," Twilight explained. "O-oh." Twilight breathed in, "I don't wish to burden you, but...if you find any other journal with this symbol on it," she lifted the journal from her hooves, pointing at the Aeternia insignia, "bring it to me, especially one with a yellow and red sun cutiemark on it," she smiled, "I'll tell you the great tale of Arctus, but if I do...you gotta promise to keep it a secret." "I will, Princess!" "Go on, enjoy the rest of your day," the throne room doors opened again and the guards filed back into their positions, "and anytime you feel that the monsters are going to get you, remember that Master Scout Arctus has already beaten them!" The filly nodded and galloped out. Twilight didn't know how the journal ended up there, but she knew it was purposeful, Strong Stitch had likely retired without anypony knowing, not even reporting in to Arctus or the other princesses, but quietly slipping away to live a peaceful life. It was hard to say if Sunset Shimmer had done the same, but she likely left her journal there somewhere, too. Likely hidden in a place not many would find. "What is it...for the glory of you? I hope you don't mind oral retellings," Twilight reopened her court. The ruling Princess resolved to that, it was the way Aeternians remembered their heroes and it was the way they’d remember him, “oooh, I’m betting you won’t, isn’t that right?” A hunting knife dropped onto the crystal floor of her castle, the guards jumping at the object that suddenly appeared. Twilight levitated it to her eyes and noted the ‘A’ intial at the bottom of the wooden handle before she noted how dull it was.