//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Memories of an Eternity // Story: But Not Forgotten // by SilverDawn97 //------------------------------// Chapter Two: Memories of an Eternity A thousand years had given her time to master many assorted skills, with the relatively uncommon art of stealth being one of them. A thousand years of life had taught her the value of remaining unseen, and the value of information acquired as discreetly as possible. Luna never knew she was being stalked as she entered the Room of Prophecy. Colgate watched Luna’s every move as she read the Prophecy of Harmony, and took great care to memorize every word of the prophecy while she had the opportunity. Although she was only required to learn of the Princess’s actions in that dark basement in Canterlot, Colgate was no fool. She trusted her employer even less than her “prey”, and took every opportunity to know where the pieces stood in this great game of political chess. She survived by knowing as much as she possibly could, and this was no exception. ------------- Colgate was still fairly young when she was accepted as Princess Luna’s personal aide. Many considered the young filly to be far too young to hold such a prestigious position, and many more would agree with that opinion if they knew her secret, a secret that very few knew: Colgate was still a blank flank. After years of being teased and mocked by her peers for never finding her special talent, Colgate’s family eventually moved to the high-class city of Everfree, where she could hide her shaming secret beneath layers of fancy clothing (all in the name of “formality”, of course”). As soon as she finished her education, Colgate went from one odd job to the next, always in search of her talent, a talent that she began to doubt she would ever find. It was then, when Colgate had almost lost all hope that she turned to her oldest companion for advice: The stars. Wandering out from the city, she eventually came across a field of beautiful flowers along the outskirts of the city, where she began to mourn all that had gone wrong with her life, unaware that she was not alone. Colgate was not the only one who lamented all that was unfair with her life that night. Luna had been walking alone through that same field that night, when she heard the heartfelt sobs of a young filly echoing in the distance. By the time Luna stumbled across the young filly, Colgate had already cried herself to sleep beneath the light of a full moon. The next day, the young Princess of the Night paid a personal visit to Colgate’s home, and after speaking with the filly’s parents, Colgate was offered the chance of a lifetime: She could become the personal assistant of Princess Luna. As the years flew by, Colgate stayed by the Princess’s side through thick and thin, even helping to comfort her after the destructive attacks by the insane usurper King Sombra. They became the best of friends, but things began to change after the day the mad tyrant Sombra struck out at the distant Crystal Empire. Although Celestia and Luna had been able to imprison Sombra using the Elements of Harmony, Luna seemed… changed after she returned from that particular quest. Colgate assumed it was the grief caused when the Elements of Harmony froze the entire Crystal Empire in time, but after a while, she realized it was something different. Her beloved Princess seemed to grow… Darker, as if a sudden shadow had been cast over her heart and mind. Just as Colgate began to worry however, something none of them could have expected happened: A young white colt with a cyan mane suddenly appeared in the castle gardens one day. When the young Pegasus was asked his name, he gave an answer that would stick in Colgate’s memory for centuries to come. “My name doesn’t matter yet.” He had told Princess Celestia, but when Princess Luna repeated the question, he looked at her, hesitating for just a fraction of a second before responding with “My name is…Seraph.” Nopony else saw it, but Colgate saw tears in the Colt’s eyes as he left the room and was led to his temporary quarters in the castle. But it wasn't his reaction to Luna that drew this young colt to Colgate’s attention. It was the fact that Princess Luna had fallen in love with him. “Love at First Sight” the Princess had called it, but Colgate was suspicious. When she confronted the colt as to why he had so suddenly appeared in the castle, he seemed shocked at her appearance, as if he had seen a ghost. When she attempted to question him, the only answer Colgate was able to pry from him was both enigmatic and extremely worrying. “I need to deliver a message to Princess Luna.” He had said, “I need to give her hope, so that she can weather the storm to come.” Colgate was forced to leave before she could question him further, but that night she resolved to interrogate him again the next day, and to not let him go until he explained everything. Unfortunately, she never got the chance. The day after speaking with him, Seraph simply vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a single piece of evidence that he had ever been there to begin with: A letter, left outside Princess Luna’s chambers, sealed with a wax emblem of a crescent moon. That letter contained the original writing of what would come to be called “The Prophecy of Harmony”, after it was copied onto a scroll and stored in a hidden vault beneath Canterlot Castle. That same day, Colgate’s cutie mark finally showed itself, in the form of an hourglass that contained sand in both ends. Colgate wouldn't find out why her cutie mark had chosen to show itself at that particular moment until more than a thousand years later, but from that day forth, the young mare never aged a day, even after centuries of watching everypony else around her succumb to the ravages of time... ------------- “She was in the Room of Prophecy, your majesty.” Colgate said to Celestia. “I think we both know why.” “She was reading Seraph’s prophecy again…” Princess Celestia said, letting her thoughts flow freely from her mouth. “But why… Why does she keep reading those same words over and over, when she knows them by heart…?” Colgate knew the answer to Celestia’s question, but remained silent. Even though she still owed Celestia a great debt for not revealing her secret, Colgate still didn't trust the Solar Princess any more than she would a hungry timber wolf. How could she trust her? After all, wasn't it Celestia who sent her dearest friend to the Moon in the first place? “You’ve performed your job flawlessly once again, my little pony.” Princess Celestia said. “But there are still so many questions left unanswered… Thank you once again for your services, Colgate. I know it must be hard for you to spy on someone you used to be so close to.” The Princess began to walk back to her chambers, when her thoughts were suddenly interrupted. “Your Majesty… If it would be fine with you, I was hoping to know where Princess Luna is currently staying. I know she’s left the castle, and I’d like to make certain that she’s safe.” “Colgate…” The Princess said hesitantly, thinking over everything that might arise from this unexpected new development. “If you must know, she is currently staying in Ponyville, where she is keeping watch over some… interesting new arrivals to our kingdom.” As Colgate turned to walk away however, she found that now it was her turn to be interrupted. “Colgate, I know you’ve missed Luna, but you must make certain she does not see you. If she finds out you survived these past thousand years… she might think that others have survived too.” “Seraph…” Colgate muttered under her breath. “Exactly.” Said Celestia. “I know she wants to keep hoping he’s alive, but I don’t want to see her heart broken if he isn’t. I don’t know how strongly they connected during their time together, but I couldn't bear to see Luna’s heart broken like that ever again.” Colgate only held her silence as she turned and left the castle. Although she knew that Celestia was almost certainly right, and that it would be for the best if she stayed away from Luna, she simply didn't care. Three years of watching her friend from the shadows had taken their toll on Colgate. She was ready to break her silence. She aimed to misbehave. ------------- Princess Luna was walking alone in the castle gardens that night, letting the darkness flow through her mind. She didn't know what it was, but ever since the Crystal Empire fell, and the demented monarch Sombra was banished to the shadows, Luna felt… different. She felt… Angry. Angry that her beautiful night was ignored by so many. Angry that her sister was adored by their subjects, while Luna was shunned, and left to waste away in the shadows. She was so caught up in her anger that Luna almost didn't notice him. Almost. Laying there in a bed of lilies, was a young white Pegasus. He looked tall and lanky, and the cyan color of his mane perfectly matched the color of the crescent moon that made up his cutie mark, a moon that was tipped by a small tan quill. At first, Luna was simply stunned. How had this strange young colt gotten past the ever-watchful Royal Guard? Why was he sleeping so peacefully in the castle gardens? And most importantly of all, who was he? Her questions only multiplied as she heard him mutter something in his sleep. “Luna… Please be okay…” ------------- The next night, she found him sitting alone in that same garden, looking up at the night sky. He had told her his name was Seraph, but she couldn't help but feel that he wasn't being entirely honest. But nevertheless, she felt…Drawn to him. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but he seemed vaguely familiar, as though somewhere, somehow, she had seen him before. Walking up to him, she heard him speak in a serene, if not a bit sad, voice. “It must be so lonely up there.” Seraph said. “I don’t know how anyone could stand it.” “What are you talking about?” Luna asked. “Why would anyone ever go to the Moon?” She knew she had said something wrong when he turned to face her with a sad look in his eyes. “Luna... Sometimes Fate can be cruel. Sometimes, bad things happen to good ponies... And there's nothing we can do to prevent it.” He said grimly. “I know you haven’t known me for very long, but I need you to trust me when I say that dark days are coming.” Luna was taken aback by what he said. “What do you mean ‘Dark days are coming’? ” Seraph’s look of sadness only deepened. He looked to be on the brink of tears, but something kept holding him back; some memory that gave him hope. “Luna… Don’t ever change. No matter how dark things get, never let go of that light in your heart. Never give in to doubt, or anger, or worry. As long as you hold onto that light, things will always turn out right in the end.” The words comforted her, but she still felt like he wasn't telling her everything. She barely heard Seraph as he said under his breath, “No matter how long it takes…” ------------- As Luna lay in her bed in the Ponyville Motel’s finest room, she thought back to all those wonderful little moments she had spent with Seraph. Although he always seemed mysterious, she felt that deep down, he only stayed silent because he was trying to protect her from some evil only he knew of. “I just wish I knew what it was…” Luna said to herself. “Your Majesty, are you alright in there?” she heard a voice say. Luna had almost forgotten she wasn't alone. Just outside the door stood her appointed “escort”, the Captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard, Captain Sol Alexander. Although he usually acted as Princess Celestia’s personal bodyguard, Sol (or Alexander as the Princesses called him) was also very well-liked by the guards he trained alongside on a daily basis. Just like the previous captain, Shining Armor, Sol believed that the only proper way to train anypony was to train just as hard alongside them, which earned him great respect from everypony who knew him. Although Luna wasn't too fond of her sister’s “Chosen”, it was impossible for her to deny the fact that he was quickly becoming one of the most beloved Captains in the history of the Canterlot Royal Guard. “I’m fine, Alexander,” Luna replied. “Just thinking out loud.” Luna felt glad that Sol had spoken up. She always had a tendency to think out loud when she was deep in thought, and the memory she planned to revisit next was one that nopony else knew of, the memory that kept her hoping that she would one day see Seraph again. She let the memories wash over her, as she remembered the last time she ever saw him: The day she returned to Equestria from being banished to the Moon. A day that took place over a millennium after Seraph’s disappearance… ------------- It was many hours before Twilight (she insisted that I simply call her “Twilight”, instead of “Princess Twilight”) declared me fully rested and recuperated. When I pointed out that she was a Princess, not a doctor, she responded with a lighthearted “Well, I was a librarian once upon a time. You’d be surprised what you pick up when you live in a house filled with books.” which elicited a few chuckles from both of us. Looking in the mirror in the guest bathroom, I was surprised at how healthy I looked, especially considering I had apparently fallen to Equestria from the stars above. There wasn't a single scratch on my white coat, and both of my wings felt perfectly fine. My cyan mane didn't even look like it was dirty. It was then, looking in the mirror, that I first truly noticed my “cutie mark” as Twilight called it. “Huh.” I thought to myself. “This is supposed to tell you what your special talent is, but I can’t make heads or tails of it.” Not every cutie mark is one-of-a-kind, but mine was. I didn't know what my mark meant at the time, and it would be a long time before I ever found out. My cutie mark was a light blue crescent moon, almost exactly the same color as my mane, with a small tan quill attached to moon’s bottom tip. That mark would be the first domino, the symbol that set events that had been brewing for over a millennium, into motion…