I couldn’t believe that I was just...thrown out for some reason. How could Aora do that to me? I know taking Opare away was harsh, but it had to be done, at least to save her life. I now had to go and find the dusk Princess, by entering the Everfree forest.
Although I remember it being a dark place full of mysterious creatures, it looked totally different. The sunlight shone through the trees to let the grassland and plantlife grow plentifully. There were no animals save a few tame foxes or bunnies, but nothing out of the ordinary. I got to a clearing, with a large meteor resting in the ground of this circle bare of trees. I noticed the hastily scrawled writing on it, which I had to get up close to make out.
‘Blue, if you are reading this, I’m sorry. I am already on the path to destruction, and there’s nothing to stop that. Hurry, and you’ll see me outside the gates of Tartarus.’
Did Opare retain her conscious mind, even in the slightest way? I had to pick up the pace, and try to follow her trail. I could see faint outlines of hoofprints on the thick floor, so I went for them. After almost blindly wandering around the forest back and forth, I came to a dome-shaped building with pillars lining the structure. One of the entrance doors were open, and my curiosity got the best of me. Surprisingly Opare was in the building, sitting away from the doors and looking up at this unfinished platform of possibly a statue. I had no idea if she was aware of my presence, but I would assume she was, as hooves aren’t quiet walking across stone.
A sparkling purple magic field flowed around what looked like a knife. It lowered slowly, and was positioned to the horizon. Opare was going to off herself there and then.
“What are you doing there?” I shouted as hard as I could, enough to startle her away from the shiv.
“Oh, hello there, youngling. Why are you here? Come to end me yourself, hey?” She gave me a wild-eyed glare.
“N-nothing like that, Opare. I’ve been kicked out of the castle,” I tried to empathise.
She rolled her eyes. “What do I care? I’m just a shadow of my former self now.”
“Opare, you’ve been possessed by something that you read. Let me help y-”
I was interrupted, “no! Just leave me alone! The only help I can get now is eternal rest and peace, do you hear me?”
“I’m not going to let anypony die in front of me. Especially you. Opare, let me tell you something. I am you. I’m your descendant from the future. I came back to find out what happened, and where you and Aora both left to.” I confessed my real intentions to her. Her face returned to a normal look, instead of madness ridden.
“You...You’re me? How can this be?” The dark orange mare looked to the floor, pausing for thought.
“Please, let me help you. I need to help you. I can’t just let the future run its course in the same way. Even though Destiny isn’t with me, I must do this. I have to help somepony, in all my days of causing terror and suffering. I just want to change.” My throat began to tighten.
Opare moved closer to me, then knelt down to nuzzle my cheek, just like a mother would to her foal. I hadn’t felt that feeling in a long time. The feeling of innocent, paternal, sincere love, stirring and touching my heart. I collapsed, and she collapsed with me. Tears rapidly formed and dripped onto the cold grey ground simultaneously, as we frantically took in choked breaths.
The Princess tried to talk through her strained words. “We’ve both been through alot, Electric Blue. Too much for us each to bear for ourselves. I was much very like you, when I was a young filly. I was possessed before this after discovering that scroll, and all I did was just end ponies’ lives. I overcame that by trying to be somepony else. I wanted to change, but each day brought the darkness back, and corrupted me further. Only with Aora’s help was I able to stay on top, even in the smallest ways. But still, I don’t deserve royalty at all, because I’m just living a lie. I should have said something before the ones before us gave up the throne.”
“Princess, of course you deserve royalty. You have the power over the night. It is your responsibility,” I assured her.
Our eyes met, and she looked straight into mine, trying to transfer what pain she had went through before. “I trained in dark magic for a long time. That’s the only reason I split off from the academy, and practiced on my own. I fell in with a crowd of evil mages too. They always repeated to me that life was cruel, so I had to be cruel to life. I didn’t feel any pleasure in ending ponies at all though, just regret and shame. So Aora helped the best she could, when she could. She’s my only sister, and she’s done so much more than I could ever accomplish in my petty life.”
“And even when she supported you for all this time, you just gave in randomly?” I raised the point.
“I accidentally read that one scroll. Fate tempted me, and that entity entered my life again.” Opare started to falter. “I’m...sorry...”
She stood up, eyes glazed over and changed colour. Stepping back and getting into position, the then-lamenting mare fired a black thunderbolt at me, missing my forehooves by mere inches. Immediately after, she repeated and hit me to send a powerful shock through my system, knocking me to the ground. I got up quickly and charged at her, but that was a mistake. Again, I was sent flying backwards. Staggering as I regained my standing, I ran for the possessed alicorn. Dashing out of the way of one bolt, I got closer to her. Shot back again. I was starting to struggle under the pressure of the large amount of volts travelling around my body, but I had to retaliate against this madness. I kept my wits about me as I maneuvered towards Opare, almost managing to reach her. I springed with enough force to push her over, then darkness swallowed me whole. Blackness surrounded me, but I returned to the room shortly after. Three bolts were summoned and thrown into me, pushing me fast into a nearby wall to break it off. I shook the loose bricks off of me, then returned to the room and ran for her once again. I was limping this time though, so I reached her much slower as she observed my movement. I lifted a front hoof and hit her with what strength I had, but was shocked to the very core by raw electricity on contact. The pain...was unbearable to hang on to, but I lost the ability to move. The charge just kept coming as I stood there, straining to break away.
“R...removere mallum,” I hoarsely commanded, and a flashing sphere of red encased Opare for a moment, intensified the colours, and disappeared. The agony stopped and I fell to the ground, exhausted.
“B-blue? Are you alright?” The Princess frantically asked, her appearance normal again. Maybe that simple spell just cured her, like nothing. Was I really that skilled with my magic? I remained silent, lacking the strength to even speak.
“What have I done?!”
She lifted my flimsy body onto her back, and carried me outside to the fresh, muggy air. We were going back to the castle now, but for who knows what reason. We’ve both just been banished from that place, so why was Opare bothering? Did she regain her true senses again? I noticed the tears streaming down her face as she hurriedly made her way back. I wanted to say that I was okay, but I could only act lifeless as the energy had gone. All of it.
In my mind, I could only think of Destiny for some reason. I was replaying all the events that happened with me and her. The day we found each other, when we built our own treehouse, all the drawings, notes and adventures. We ventured into the Everfree forest most days, writing on that one big rock and slaying deadly creatures that lurked in and around the trees. We became local heroes after saving Ponyville on numerous occasions from big bad monsters. And then the daily routine was struck when we were almost grown up. The whole forest suffered a major fire, burning our treehouse to ash and making us evacuate. This one time, we couldn’t face the monster. He was Glais, leaked into our world, but he called himself Nemesis. He wanted to get Tyche to return to the realm of the gods. Of course, Destiny refused to go anywhere when Glais was trying to get...her...to...return...
It dawned on me. The ultimate puzzle of my life was piecing itself together, but taking itself apart at the same time. Tyche...Destiny...Rose. They are all the same. All my knowledge about the higher powers was scarce. Were the gods evil? Why did Rose never tell me that she was Destiny?
“We’re back, Blue. Please still be alive...” Opare worriedly said to me as we approached the castle walls that housed royalty. She looked back at me, noticed that I was blinking, and gave a sigh of relief.
“Stop! You are an enemy of the state!” A guard yelled as the Princess was taken aback.
“I only want to deliver a message to Aora. A plea, if you will.”
A long pause held everything in the balance. “...Fine, go in. But don’t try anything to harm the Princess or anypony else inside.”
We continued on. As I was slumped in a position that could see past Opare’s neck, I could see Aora and Celestia standing still on the bridge overlooking the waterfall river.
“So, you’re both back then.” Aora gave a large grimace.
Opare immediately burst out “I’m sorry sister! It was not me that caused us all this terrible situation, I assure you.”
“Like I would take that. Opare, you have been banished for upsetting the royal balance, as well as us. What were you thinking?”
“I was possessed! Think back. To when you were tending to me. I was recovering from sickness, which was caused by that ghostly form attacking my mind. Blue sacrificed every fibre of her being to make it vanish as it had returned.”
“Blue. You are a meddling good for nothing, do you hear me on that?!”
I winced a little.
“How could you say that?!” Opare countered. “She tried with her all to help me. And she did, unlike you. Aora, have some respect for the poor filly. She’s only an earth pony, and not the strongest of wills.”
“I do not care for the peasant of no origin. Why don’t you take her outside the castle and leave her there.”
“Aora...you are starting to sound like me. Please stop.”
Celestia walked up to me, and looked deep into my eyes. “Blue. I apologise for what I said earlier. I did not mean that your were officially banished, I just thought that it was the only way to stop Aora and Opare from quarreling.”
I could only still stay motionless as well as speechless.
“Celestia, what are you saying?” Opare asked the smaller alicorn.
“I was trying to help. That is all. I’m sorry if you’re angry...” She hugged the dark orange leg of the mare.
Opare looked to the white teen-filly and smiled.“I...I am not angry. Not anymore anyway. All the anger has escaped from my soul, and I live in peace once again.”
Aora was also latched on to the dusk ruler now. “I take back what I said. Why was I being so mean? I guess I was just surprised at you coming back in this form.”
Opare chuckled. “It’s alright. I know the feeling entirely. We’re all sorry for eachother at this instant, because we shouldn’t have been torn apart. It was mainly my fault for driving us apart, but Electric Blue helped me with her extremely high-level magic. I don’t know how she had mastered such a form like that, but the entity that corrupted me simply melted away.”
“I’m sorry, Blue. I also didn’t mean what I said. You are good for something, and you saved my only sister. Thank you.” Aora nodded her head and nuzzled me. Just like a mother would.
As I lay on my bed, now recovered from my body being sapped of all life force, I thought how Destiny wasn’t able to make it on this quest. I did it all on my own, but she would have helped me personally. I hoped that this whole chain of events would change the future, so that the old Princesses didn’t have to move away.
And about Rose...I won’t discuss that with her until the time is right.
My head turned to the side, and my eyes focussed on the scroll of remembrance. I took it, and started to read aloud. Even though Rose had erased my memory, I wanted it back. Before uttering a word, I indulged in a swig of brandy.
“Those who read this text, shall remember every living moment of their past. The verses here shall trigger memories to flow back, whether repressed, forgotten, or otherwise.
The gods are the all-seeing beings, watching over every single occurrence and circumstance. Although for mortals, they do not always want to see what happens, so they forget by force. In the unlikely event that they want to see clearly again, they must recite these exact words.
At the gods’ request, allow me to obtain memory, rekindled and pure. Bypass all souls, and regain what was lost from the mind’s eye.”
My head was adrift with flooding memories from my human life. I could finally witness the real truth to my past, instead of relying on what people said. My birth, what living was like as a child before the ‘event’ and learning from my super intelligent brother but mostly failing at the skills he possessed, my parents also showed me the way, but I never got to finish listening to their teachings. Growing up as a teen with a group of bandit nomads living in a ramshackle camp on a broken up roadside; they taught me how to live in the tough wasteland, and trained me to fight or kill. And then I was joining the improvised military as a mercenary against some other part of America. I was commanding a big handful of troops, being the best that I could be. Of course, the war was immoral, as I grew mindless and ordered to attack anything that moved in order to stay on top. So many sad recollections, so many unsaved and innocent families, shot to death by me, the neo-grim reaper. I didn’t want to fight, but we had no choice. Everybody just signed up, regardless of consent. My brother was a coward though, so he hid in the corner of his laboratory as I said my goodbye to him. I should have been a coward too. I should have stayed to comfort him while the everlasting bombs dropped. I was a cold, overzealous death-dealer, and I couldn’t stop myself. Until Nemesis showed up, and we fell in love shortly afterwards. I realised that I wasn’t straight, then we fought constantly, even harder than a normal warzone would carry. He killed me himself. I did the same for him though, and so we entered purgatory at the same time. We stumbled through the wastes, talking begrudgingly to each other, soon enough encountering a library with many people hooked up to machines. They had their lives taken away from them too, so we joined. This was a place where the dead get a second chance if they are specially chosen by the gods to exist in a ghost type form.
Rose was there, and so was my brother. Rose looked after me, and Caerula looked after Nemesis, or Glais as he liked to be called. None of us really talked until recently. Glais, as I sometimes overheard, talked to Caerula that even though he hated me, he was slowly beginning to stop that. He grew respect for me as Caerula told him stories from his childhood involving me. Rose argued with Glais, being brother and sister and all, which I overheard as well. Rose was Tyche, the good one; Glais was Nemesis, the evil one. I saw Caerula form a slow but steady relationship with Rose, and everyone started to get along while I sat on the sidelines with everyone still against me. Glais wanted me gone obviously, but what he didn’t show was his newfound respect that he had when we were outside of the machines, roaming the wasteland. Rose started personally talking to me when we moved to Cae’s lab, and he started to interact with me as well. And here we are today.
I’m sorry for ending you, Glais. I thought on that, truly putting feeling forward with it. I apologised universally to all the people affected by me in the past. Maybe there was some way to bring them all back, somehow. Maybe I could go back in time to stop the war. But that would erase everything in this world.
On that, the memories I had as a pony came to me for the first time. I was actually born for a second time, I grew up in Manehatten with Thunder Hum and Zap Flower as my parents, I went to a normal, public school and gained some friends. Temporary though, as we only stayed in Manehatten until I turned into a teenager filly. We moved to Ponyville, got a house that I used to live in when I was on my own surprisingly. We frequented Sweet Apple Acres when Applejack was a tiny foal herself, so I tried making friends with her, but she was totally different from the ponies at that school were like. I attended Trottingham college, where I saw Twisha, but she was with her own group so I went unnoticed. I was quite alone all through those certain years, so I grew more serious, studious, calculating. I matured well I suppose, while learning history, sciences and astrology most of the time. I hadn’t mentioned Destiny at all, but I already had those memories left over from before. I actually found love once in the college, but it didn’t last too long. I was just too serious and brooding to that filly. Even though it was a place where names and wealth meant a lot, I fit in with the intelligence in a way. I returned to Ponyville after the longest years of my pony life, and my parents wanted to move again, to somewhere even more humble. They landed themselves in a secluded part of Appleoosa. An elderly looking Opare visited me from time to time, learning every bit of detail that she wanted to hear from me. Then she took me in a carriage to the Badlands, a place of evil and also dragons’ territory, where she happened to live. She gave me the task of forgetting all about what happened in my past lives, and moved on to a new one; start afresh. I was pulled back in the carriage to Ponyville, and that was the beginning of my new life which I remember the start of. Applejack became my friend for the second time around then. Or maybe she still remembered me?
I sighed in absolution, and took a gulp from my alcoholic beverage before resting after the tiring day. Just what was with everypony erasing my memory anyway?