Epilogue: Full Circle
~BlackRoseRaven
The Canterlot Magic Academy was silent: in the far research wing, there were still unicorns and other creatures skilled with enchantment and the arcane arts toiling endlessly away, but most of the building was quiet. Students were asleep in their rooms and dormitories, teachers had gone home or were resting up in their own residences, the few patrols of Royal Guards passed through the halls quickly. Depending on where they were stationed, some looked bored, others looked tensed, others couldn't help but marvel over some of the architecture and arts they passed... but the patrols were mostly limited to keeping an eye on the archives and the exterior grounds. The more-interesting parts of the school had their own special security.
A patrol of three armored unicorns slowly made their way through the spacious lobby, one glancing curiously up at one of the third floor balconies high, high above in the dome-shaped room, pausing for a moment... but then simply sighing and hurrying after his companions as they made their way through a set of doors at the far side of the lobby.
For a few moments, there was silence... and then a rope was thrown over the edge of the balcony before a stout figure half-fell over the edge of the landing, grabbing wildly at the rope with his leather-gloved hands before wheezing as he caught it and slid most of the way down. The wolfish creature came to a halt just above the floor, then released the rope and fell with a loud thud on his rump, holding up his gloved hands in front of his muzzle and looking relieved even as he complained: “This seem all too familiar... we gonna get caught again...”
“Only if you not shut mouth like last time!” hissed his companion as he quickly descended the rope: he landed on heavy paws, baring his fangs as his large tusks gleamed in the dim light coming from the low-burning lanterns on the wall. “Get up!”
They were Nibelung thieves who clearly had not learned their lesson after their first fateful visit here. The whinier of the two had at least decided to put on gloves this time as well as his rags of clothes, and the surly boss of the pair was wearing the same tattered leather armor and the same patched battle-kilt as his last failed raid. The leader hauled his companion forcefully to his feet by the scruff of his neck, making him yelp before the larger, brawnier, and bossier of the two slapped his hand hurriedly over the smaller thug's mouth. “Shut up, or we get caught again!”
The smaller Nibelung mumbled, then his eyes roved upwards... and he stared for a moment, entranced, at the crystalline chandeliers that hung high above, held in place by heavy ropes on pulleys anchored here and there. They glittered with gemstones and enormous, curved sheets of crystalline glass to form beautiful patterns and swirls, with unlit lanterns in the center of each: in all likelihood, when lit, they would become beacons of patterned radiance. The thug pointed slowly at one of these... but his partner only slapped his hand hard, making him yelp again. “You not remember last time? No, we find better shinies! Or steal a Rocky!”
“Hey, you remember my name for them!” said the other dwarf brightly... only to be smacked firmly by his companion again a moment later, making him give another yelp of pain. “Boss!”
Boss only grumbled... then looked up in horror as the double doors at the end of the hall were smashed open, and a voice shouted furiously: “Damnable vagabonds! 'Tis time for hoof party in thy face's house!”
The Nibelung stared for a moment, beginning to raise a hand before a shape shot through the door, propelling itself violently forwards on powerful wings before half flipping to smash both rear hooves savagely into the Boss' face, sending him flying across the room with a squeal to smash headfirst into the wall. The other dwarf gaped at this show of force, and then the sapphire winged unicorn landed and grinned widely, declaring: “And that is only the beginning of the pain we shall inflict upon thy heads!”
The Nibelung squealed and cowered, looking terrified... and then slowly looked up as the mare glowered horribly at the doorway as a large, scarred earth pony loitered through with a violet winged unicorn dressed in a turtleneck sweater, stitching visible across her features as she said irritably: “-so you're wrong, the vernacular is more appropriate in that situation because it's an informal dialogue choice meant for helping train non-native speakers.”
“You're dumb.” responded the other pony mildly, and the violet mare glared in frustration before both she and the charcoal stallion looked lamely up as the sapphire mare loudly cleared her throat and pointed several times at the cowering Nibelung with one hoof. And slowly, the Nibelung looked up before awe scrawled over his features, and he gave a little squeal as he clenched his hands into fists in front of him, bouncing to his feet and making the sapphire mare stare.
“Boss, Boss, Boss! Fancy-corns, look at fancy-corns! Is Luna Brynhild, and Twilight Sparkle, and pony-pony is Scrivener Blooms!” the Nibelung babbled, pointing excitedly around at the three before he halted and slowly peered over his shoulder. “Oh. Right. Boss dead.”
“Oh he is not dead. Thou Nibelung are made of sterner stuff than that.” Luna huffed, and then she frowned curiously, loosening her stance as she leaned towards the dwarf. “How does thou know of me and mine, though?”
“It's okay, Mom, that's Antarctica. He's a little... special. I think he was supposed to be a Historian but didn't quite make the cut.” came another voice, and Luna and Scrivener both smiled over their shoulders as a tall, well-built glossy-black unicorn with strange leather wings strode into the room. He was handsome and proud, with warm, friendly eyes, comfortably wearing a heavy breastplate that hid the crisscrossing scars over his chest: scars from a battle that was hazy in the memory of the young stallion, and many others. But everything else was crystal clear: he remembered Prestige, and Rustproof, and Cancer, and Clockwork World... and he remembered finding his parents, frozen in crystal, but alive. And he remembered that with the help of his friends and family, he had made one careful, gentle wish:
Bring back Luna Brynhild and Scrivener Blooms: open their eyes, and bring the people we love back to us, as they were when we last saw them.
But there, things seemed to overlap with a short but terrible nightmare... except the young stallion knew the truth. He knew he had his parents back, to help him through thick and thin, to take care of him, to protect him... just like he would always remember to do the same for them.
Luna nodded thoughtfully at this explanation, and then she turned towards Antarctica, who was staring at her with gleaming eyes... and then the winged unicorn leapt up and firmly smashed a headbutt into the Nibelung's face, knocking him unconscious before she landed primly on her hooves and smiled cheerfully. Scrivener rolled his eyes as Twilight closed her own and rubbed at her forehead, but the glossy-black unicorn only laughed and shook his head, saying finally: “Come on, Mom. You know the Royal Guards are like, just down the hall though, right?”
“So they should thank me. Coming to stuffy Canterlot, helping stuffy Celestia with the stuffy Royal Court... they are all only fortunate there was such a distraction to be had or I would bring the wrath of Nightmare Moon down upon the castle!” Luna declared, and then Scrivener and Twilight traded looks before the two turned to leave. Luna grumbled, then she hurried forwards, and dedicated son smiled as his mother ran past and she added: “Now come along, come along, Scarlet Sage and all thy friends are waiting for us! Thou art as slow as thy father, Antares Mīrus!”
Scrivener grumbled up ahead, but Antares only smiled softly at his parents' backs, gazing affectionately out over the three as Luna muscled her way between Twilight and Scrivener, and then the young colt said quietly: “I'm just savoring our time together, that's all.”
With that, Antares hurried after the three ponies, gazing over them radiantly, warmth in his eyes as he felt like everything had ended well after all... and that somewhere in Valhalla above, Prestige Luster and Rustproof were both smiling down at him, telling him to go on with his life. Like somewhere out there, some curious force was watching over him, reassuring him that no matter what, the stories of their lives would always survive the longest days and darkest of nights.