Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock.....
Celestia silently sighed. There it was again. The ticking that had been following her for the past few days. It would have driven any other pony to the brink of madness, but not the goddess.
For she knew what the ticking meant. It was a clock, a clock that was giving her a message. A message that consisted of five words. Five simple words. And these words were scaring her like no monster or villain could.
You’re running out of time.
The moment the clock had started ticking she knew what will happen. The thing that she had kept away for millennias. Death. Her time was coming to an end. But the moment it started she had sworn to herself that just like all the times this had happened it will not be the last one. There was nopony on the Equestria’s soil that could stop her. She will keep on living no matter what.
Tick-Tock-Tick…..
Celestia's eyes shot open. The clock had stopped and gone silent, like it never existed. But that didn’t mean everything had gone silent. The throne room now was filled with a different sound and Celestia didn’t take long to realize that this sound was coming from somewhere else, not her brain. But this sound wasn’t anything like the ticking. The ticking had been monotonous and metallic. This sound on the other side was something else. It was melodic, flowing and overall beautiful.
As it came closer she slowly recognized it. It was music, somepony was singing. When she finally was able to hear the words her whole body froze. There was only one thing that had a voice like that. A voice that made the voices of singers she had seen in her whole life sound like the screams of a banshee. This voice that could belong only to an angel made Celestia's blood turn to solid ice.
She squinted her eyes and saw movements in the darkness that filled the hallway leading to the throne room. She took a deep breath as the voice came closer and closer. Despite she knew what she will see her body still shivered. The sound stopped. A silhouette could be seen just a few steps from the light that was shining in through the window.
He slowly raised his head and the long hair fell out of the way, revealing two completely black eyes.
‘’Hello, Celestia.’’
Celestia looked at him.
‘’ Long time no see.’’
His lips formed a grin revealing the pearly white teeth.
‘’Oh yes, it has been a long time. A thousand, years if I’m correct.’’
Celestia shivered again. There was some kind of primeval, basic instinct in the back of her head screaming an order to run. But, as always she didn’t even move a muscle. After a few seconds his familiar scent reached her and every single bit of fear simply vanished. The closest description she could find to the scent was burnt leaves, only sweeter.
Suddenly, he took a step forward, going into the moonlight. Celestia looked at him with a hint of surprise. In these thousand years he hadn’t changed a bit. He still was the same monster he had been a thousand years ago.
There was nothing about him that could be considered ‘’pony’’. The only time Celestia had asked him what he was he had said that his body was mostly in the shape of a human except for the horns, wings, claws and a mouth filled with razor sharp fangs. To her question about what humans are, he answered by smiling and patting her head, saying that it was none of her concern. She hated him. She hated him more than anything in the world. But at the same time he was the only reason why she was still alive after all these years.
Celestia had spent years trying to find a way to become permanently immortal, but her research had always led to the same thing. And this thing was that it is impossible. She had dug deeper and deeper until finally accepting that the only way to become somewhat immortal was sealing a deal. A deal that came with a curse.
The curse was simple; it ensured that the victim knew exactly when its end will come. Celestia had been experiencing its effects for some time now. The ticking that counted the time she had left.
‘’I presume you’re here to discuss the contract,’’ Celestia said in a blatant tone.
He frowned and shook his head disapprovingly ‘’ Why are you being so formal, Tia? After all that we’ve gone through?’’
Some kind of muscle in Celestia's face flinched from the sweetness of his voice and for a few seconds they both stood there.
A sigh escaped his mouth and he rubbed his forehead. ‘’Yes, I am here to discuss the contract. So, what are you ready to sacrifice this time? ‘’
Celestia took a deep breath and started speaking.
‘’I want to talk you about breaking this contract Amon.’’
Amon looked at her and for a second his face filled with disgust before returning to its usual state. Suddenly the room filled with a strong scent of smoke and Celestia coughed.
When he started speaking again his voice had changed from its usual charming, silky tone to cold, metallic one. ‘’So the rainbows, glitter and the pink color has finally gotten to you, eh?’’
‘’What do you mean?’’
‘’Oh, you know exactly what I mean. You have become soft.’’
Celestia growled. ‘’Don’t you dare to call me soft. I have gone through nightmares that would’ve driven any other pony insane!’’
Amon snickered. ’’ Oh, don’t lie to yourself, Tia. You went insane millennias ago. Even I have more sanity than you, which is a rather embarrassing thing.’’
Celestia's body shivered with rage and her horn shot out a few sparks. ‘’Say that again ,and I'll turn you to ash.’’
‘’That won’t be anything new. At least try to be original.’’ Amon kept on smiling.
‘’Princess? I heard voices and came to check whether everything is alr….’’
The guard standing in the middle of the door leading to the throne room froze from the sight before him.
Celestia's mind started working with full speed. If the guard would tell anypony else about Amon, it would become a nationwide sensation. If that would happen it would be only a matter of time before the contract would be revealed. Before the guard could move a muscle his body was already covered in a golden aura. He didn’t even have a chance to scream before his body was reduced to ash.
The throne room filled with silence.
Suddenly Amon burst out in laughter and started clapping his hands. ‘’I was wrong Tia. You still are the same cold-hearted bitch you were a thousand years ago.’’
He kept laughing for a few minutes, until finally stopping and looking at Celestia ‘’So, Tia. What kind of contract do you wish to seal this time?’’