Tea, for a lack of other words, was strange. While the ponies nervously sipped their tea or nibbled at their biscuits, he just sat there. Not saying one word, touching neither the half of his biscuit or the hot cup of water he simply observed them in silence.
After what seemed like minutes of eery silence princess Luna finally spoke up, “Are you not hungry?”
He looked at his food for a second, “Does protocol require I eat?”
“No, it does not... But it would be nice if...”
“Then no, I am not hungry.” he stated flatly. There was another strange moment of silence.
“May I ask a question then?” Luna asked slightly irritated.
“Ask.”
“Why do you read the letters Twilight Sparkle sends my sister?”
Why did he read those? It had been a moment of curiosity at first but then... “I find them... amusing.”
“Hey! Those are serious!” Twilight gave him a sour look.
“They are?” he asked with a slightly surprised voice, “When I read the first one I initially had the impression you were writing a book for chil...” he corrected himself, “For foals.”
“Of course they are serious! I'm studying the magic of friendship! That's important for everypony!”
“I see...”
She squinted his eyes at him, “What?”
“Nothing.”
Rainbow Dash gave him a curious look, “What's so amusing about them?”
“They are immature.”
This time Twilight nearly exploded, “They are not! What would make you think something like that?! Don't you know what friendship is?”
He turned to her, “Your reports...” he stated, “Are innocent and full of good intentions, but you have not yet lived long enough to truly understand friendship, or love for that matter. You have made friends and your friendship has survived troubled times. But...”
“But?” Twilight gave him a skeptical glare.
“You have yet to experience death. Only when you lose someone important, only then will you truly understand what friendship means.”
There was a moment of silence as all of them stared at him with open mouths. Celestia looked at him for what seemed like minutes before finally asking, “Who did you lose?”
“That is a question I will not answer.” he replied without emotion.
Celestia watched him for another moment, “May I ask something else then?” he didn't reply but merely nodded, “Could you play that song again?”
He slightly tilted his head at her unexpected request, “Why?”
“I believe it will help the others to understand something about your... nature.”
He pondered on it for a few seconds but couldn't see a threat in it, so he carefully retrieved the little item from one of his pockets. As he held it in his hands Pinkie Pie eyed it with fascination, “It's so pretty! Can I touch...”
“If you even come near it I will tear you to pieces.” he said with a low tone.
She started to get up, “Oh, come on! It's not like I'm going to...”
“Pinkie, I advise you don't touch it.” Applejack said with worry, “He's not lying.”
“Ohh...” her hair slightly dropped but she returned to her seat.
He paid them no further attention and started to wind up the delicate mechanism, the ponies gasping in fascination as the little gears started to turn. The ponies only had little skill when it came to clockworks, the ones they had were usually driven by magic or simply crude and big.
“It's so tiny! I've never seen something so delicate!” Rarity swooned.
The others were about to make comments but the words never escaped their mouths as the music started to play. He watched their faces as the music was carried through the air. In their shocked expressions he saw the same emotions he had seen in Celestia's face a night before, recognition, wonder and fear.
When he saw Celestia's face though he suddenly realized her true intent. He retrieved the music box and placed it in his pocket again before casting her an accusing glare had it not been for his mask, “You tricked me.”
“I merely wished to confirm something.” she replied with an even voice before turning to the others, “Tell me, do you know this melody?”
Applejack was the first to reply, “My grandmother used to hum it to us on rainy nights.” she gave him a fearful look, “She said her grandmother used to hum it to her...”
“My father always hummed it me.” Rainbow Dash said, “He said his mother always hummed it for him...”
“My mother...” Rarity said with a perplexed voice, “She still hums it to Sweetie Bell...”
“I too remember the melody.” Luna replied, “Our mother hummed it to us as well.” she turned to Celestia, “But that was thousands of years ago! What does this mean?”
“It means that our guest has been here for a very long time indeed.” she turned to the others again, “You all know this melody?” they all nodded, “And it has been in your families for generations?” they nodded again. She turned to him with the smallest of smiles, savoring the fact she had been able to trick him into confirming this fact. He despised her for it.
“That is because he has played it for all of our ancestors. Tell me, how long have you been here?” there was a small amount of sadness in her voice.
“Always.” he replied, “I have always been watching.”
“And you never felt alone?”
He eyed her with a growing feeling of unease, “I have not.”
This time he could really see the sadness in her face, “That is regrettable... May I ask, why is it that you watch our newborn night after night?”
Once again he found himself under the stares of the ponies, it made his skin tingle. He would be careful of her questions from now on. “They remind me of something my kind has lost a long time ago.”
Fluttershy eyed him with a sad face, “You don't have foals?”
“We do not.”
“Why?”
He stared at her, trying hard to push old memories aside. “Because no new life can be born within the void.” It was a delicate matter. It was the sole reason for his presence and he hoped the ponies would not tread any further upon this subject. All of his work, all of his efforts... everything was connected to this one, simple fact.
“Wait, does this mean your whole species lives inside the void?” Twilight asked with disbelief.
“We exist within it.”
“But that's impossible! The void is empty and lifeless! Greybeard the Wise himself explored the void with his mind and he found nothing!”
He mustered her for a moment, “Greybeard... he only saw what I allowed him to see.”
“You interfered with his studies?” Luna asked with a surprised voice.
“Had he truly entered the void our response would have been immediate. He would have been killed and any evidence of his existence would have been removed. Still, his disappearance would have caused questions. I lead his mind on his studies, showing him only glimpses of the surface of the void, giving him the impression it was empty and lifeless. That way, any danger of further inquiries from your side was evaded.”
“So you do intervene from time to time.” Celestia remarked.
“Only when the necessity arises.”
“There's a whole race living inside the void! That's amazing! I must start studies on this subject immediately!” Twilight seemed excited with anticipation.
“It would be a futile attempt. I have set up blockades in the void since then. You would not be able to gaze past what I allow you to see.”
“Why are you so intent on keeping your existence a secret?” Luna asked him with suspicion.
“It is our rule. Any contact made is a threat to my work.”
“Your work? I thought you were an observer?”
“I am.”
“You're not.” Applejack spoke up, “You're keeping something from us, I've been feeling it since we started talking. There's more to you than you're willing to tell us.”
“There is.” he had not intended this conversation to come to this point, but it did not matter. Their fate would be the same whether they knew it or not, just like the fate of all those worlds before theirs... Their knowledge would only serve to shorten the time until then.
Celestia looked at him intently, seemingly trying to see beyond his mask. She was probably trying to read his thoughts, but she would only waste her time and energy doing that. “You say that you are a watcher, that you only observe. But the more we talk, the more I have the feeling that you are by far more active than you tell us. You say you act only out of necessity, but refuse to tell us why. What is it you are truly here for?”
He could see her wings tremble softly at her words and he could hear her heart beat increase, she was clearly more agitated than she allowed the others to notice. He mustered her in silence for a moment as she stared him down, “I wait.”
She took a step towards him, “What do you wait for?”
“For this world to die.”