Eternal Twilight

by Squirrelloid


A Parable for Herod

"Awwww. They're sooo cuuute!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm doing this because you asked. Instead of gawking all googly-eyed, you might notice something unusual?"

Dayspring had returned shortly after noon, grumbling about her parents keeping her late with chores. So when Twilight had suggested, rather than simply telling Dayspring about the past, that she could show her instead, the young unicorn had become eager and curious. After getting the filly to lay down, albeit temporarily, Twilight had used her magic to call forth scenes stolen from the forgotten past.

Shimmering in the air before Twilight was a glowing surface, almost like looking into a lighted window, but it rippled like water in a pond. What had Dayspring all mushy-mouthed and distracted was the vision she could see through it – two young unicorn foals, only months old, laying asleep next to each other in a loose pile of straw. They were a study in contrast. The nearer one had an unblemished coat of snowy white, her mane such an exact match as to virtually disappear against her neck. The other was coal black, her mane a soft grey.

The problem with pictures was they were worth a thousand words, and at least half of them distracted from what was important.

"But they are cute!"

"Really," Twilight snarked.

"Not over how cute they are yet!" Dayspring squeed, bouncing on her hooves.

At that moment the white foal neighed softly in her sleep and rolled a bit, freeing her near flank from the straw. A golden yellow sun graced her hindquarters.

"She has a cutie mark!" Dayspring's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. Her attention zeroed in on the black foal. A silvery tip peaked out of the straw on her flank. "They both have cutie marks!"

"Watch."

"Aren't they young for that?"

"Just watch."

The foals got farther away, the perspective pulling back slowly to reveal the surroundings. Low conversation began to be heard, as yet a faint, unintelligible whisper. Behind the foals, an off-white unicorn mare came into view, her legs folded under her, head high. But her eyes were fixed beyond the view afforded by the shimmering window, and her expression was uncertain and fearful. The voices grew clearer.

"You spoke to the prince?"

"I did. But there was something fey about him, and it seemed to me his interest in your daughters was unhealthy. I thought it wiser not to tell him where you were."

"And what did he say? Does he understand?"

"He wouldn't say, although I thought I saw understanding in his eyes."

"You think Prince Accord is hiding something?" spoke a third voice, feminine where the first two had been masculine.

The image panned over to a group of three ponies, two unicorn stallions and a ruddy earth pony mare.

"Is that why you told Correspondence that we should meet you here and not at home?" said the unicorn with several stars on his sable flank.

"It is," said the unicorn stallion with a star inscribed in a clover, "I had the strangest sense of unease during my visit to the palace, and I fear I may have been followed as I left. I think I shook anypony in pursuit when I crossed the river, but you should be careful." His coat was the color of mist.

"Look," the earth pony said, her ears flicking skittishly, "maybe it's dangerous for you to go home and maybe it ain't, and the roads are frightfully dangerous these days, but you can't stay here. I don't want any trouble. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, all ears twitched in unison, and a nervous quiet descended on the gathering. The sound of metal striking metal, muffled by the interposing wall, carried softly through the barn. The stallions looked at each other. On the straw, the mare stood abruptly, provoking wordless noises from the sleeping foals. She nuzzled the infants back to restfulness automatically, but her eyes were fixed on the barn door, betraying her conscious worries.

"I knew I was followed. I'm sorry, Constellation, I thought we had time."

"A terrible time for your good fortune to fail you, Lucky Star."

Lucky Star looked down at his hooves, ashamed.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but I shan't be seen acting against the prince or the kingdom." The earth pony turned to go.

"Raspberry! Don't...!"

"It's no use, let her go." Constellation rested one hoof on Lucky Star's shoulder. The distraught unicorn raised his head and their eyes met. "Brother, get my wife and my children out of here safely. Maybe your luck will run true yet."

"But you...?"

"They will know we were here, regardless, and I might delay pursuit long enough to see you safely off. Go." Constellation's horn was already aglow, placing the specially designed saddle bags across Correspondence's back and carefully slipping the foals into the pouches on either side.

As they slipped out the back, Raspberry's voice carried inside. "Your highness, oh my! Thank goodness you're here! You simply must eject this mule from my barn, or I don't know what I shall do!"

Constellation watched as Lucky Star led Correspondence to the rear door. Correspondence turned her head to him, her eyes holding his for long seconds as Raspberry's continuing tirade bought them precious time. Then she turned from him and went wordlessly into the night, their two children sleeping against her flanks. Lucky Star hesitated just a moment, giving him a measuring look, before following her out.

He turned back to the main door just as two soldiers of the royal guard entered, their pomp and polish incongruous in the rustic setting. They promptly stepped to either side and stood at attention. Following them in strode Accord, brilliant as the sun, clad in silvery armor. Raspberry stood in the doorway nervously.

"That's him, your highness. That's the mule I was telling you about. I want him out of my barn this very instant!"

Accord ignored her entirely. "Where are the foals?"

"Highness." Constellation bowed low. "You must have me confused with somepony else."

"I know they were here!" He glanced wildly about the barn, a snarl on his features. Inevitably, his eyes were drawn to the depressions in the straw. Accord turned back to the dark unicorn. "You will produce these... children... at once! Or I shall find... creative... ways of punishing your disloyalty."

"Now, let's... ah... let's not be hasty..." Raspberry said weakly from the door, ignored by everyone.

"You're insane," said Constellation flatly. His eyes went wide in the palpable silence that followed, as if unable to believe he had said so aloud.

"Little foals should not meddle in affairs beyond their ken."

Constellation forced the panic back. Holding his horn before him, eyes squeezed shut in concentration, he called the magic of his birthright. The air within the barn quavered and darkened. The walls fell away and twinkling lights appeared scattered about apparently open space. Even the ground seemed to vanish, robbing the senses of the comforting presence of the earth. The guards reared in confusion, but Accord simply laughed.

"A pretty little ability. A great party trick, I'm sure. But now, now you will experience real power."

"Not in my barn! Not in my barn!"

Accord's horn flared with golden light, adding a new greater star to the cosmic panorama. The weave and weft of forces barely controlled thrummed through the air, audibly shaking the barn itself where it existed unseen beyond the stellar display. Constellation backed up slowly, fear in his eyes. The mask of stars and galaxies fell away.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Raspberry squeaked in terror before turning on her hind hooves and racing away.

The shimmering surface before Dayspring went pure incandescent white, washing out all detail and leaving her dazzled. When her sight returned, several minutes later, nothing remained of the barn but shattered beams and splintered boards. Accord stood, furious in the center of the wreckage, surrounded by a circular area scoured clear for ten feet in any direction. Great furrows were torn in the earth radiating outward from the epicenter. Of Constellation, there was no sign.

"Woh," Dayspring said softly.