//------------------------------// // Prolog // Story: Becoming a God: Forgotten Past // by MrMoho //------------------------------// The sky was framed by the low red evening sun. Ponies, who still roamed the streets started to retreat home, waiting for Lunas Moon to rise and put the land and them to rest, readying themselves for the next day. Celestia was on her way towards the lower, cooler parts of the castle of Canterlot. A shiver always ran down her spin whenever she came down her, not only because of the cold air. The halls were mostly stacked with material for festivals or other more or less important occasions. But in some Wings, deep within the depths of the castle and sealed behind doors, shelves were filled with old books or relics, some of forgotten times, could be found which bear secrets that were not for the simple pony. Secrets of might, secrets of destruction, secrets of her own... The harmless festival items emit an creepy feeling in the darkness, as it was impossible to figure out how exactly they looked like and one had to imagine what it could be. This method though led to the wildest things. Whenever she came across the materials for the Summer Sun Celebration she couldn’t shake of the thought that creatures hid inside the rides that were supposed entertain, ready to jump at her every moment. Nopony would ever go down here other than for the reason to retrieve needed objects for festivals, let alone live here, except him... She reached a small wooden door. The with rusty nails filled wood already showed signs of rot, so much that it surprised her every time how it was able to handle her touch whenever she opened it. But then again, compared to other doors down here it was in good shape and also rather clean, probably because of its usual usage. Grease inside the door shoes was sparkling in the light her horn produced as she drew closer. When she stood in front of the door, the shuffling of metal objects cringed in her ears and the low mutter of a being could be heard. She stood a while there, listening to the evolving noises, which soon resound through the floor she came from. She thought of how to encounter him, she always did. He was good at outsmarting ponies, even though he rarely socialized with them, almost never. Whenever he was needed at the surface, he would emerge like a ghost, finish his assigned tasks with a efficiency even she envied, and would again disappear like he never existed. Though his sight would be burned into anyponies mind that had the luck to spot him in this short time, just like a real ghost would do. He had a feared reputation, like that of a boogeypony who's fictional story’s would be told to little foals in order to scare them. He comes, he goes and hardly speaks a word, beside an eventual insult here and there. Because of this, his existence was sometimes doubted. This fact always made her laugh, and sad... After the noises behind the door abruptly stopped and only the sound of her own breath filled her ears with noise, she put all her courage together and opened the door. The room she entered was overfilled with metal objects and mechanical parts, that would look like garbage to the simple pony eye. The dim light of a blue gleaming lantern hanging at the ceiling was reflected in them, filling the room in a beautiful, almost ocean like shine. Sadly it was the only thing she was able to explain with a positive word. When she examined the mess of a room further, she was able to identify recreated horns and wings, connected to gems which seemed to beam from the inside. Blueprints with drawings of ludicrous constructions even the most simple of pony would question the use of with an ironic undertone. And in the middle of the whole mess stood a young stallion, maybe of the age of twenty. His coat had the color of deep blue, which made him almost appear transparent in the light the room shone in. His ruffled, earth brown mane was only partly visible, because a angular metal plate that reached about two inches out, lay on his forehead. In the middle of the plate lay a hole, leading into absolute void. When she took a glance at his hind legs she noticed that they were still surrounded by a metallic construct and, like always, were covering parts of his cutie mark, which resembled two meshing gears, both filled with a grass green gem. The purpose of the construct would be discovered soon by anypony meeting him as his hind legs where thinner than those of a young mare, what made them look awkward when compared with his front leg, which appeared to be completely healthy. A wing came into her view from this angle, a bit messy and covered with oil, but otherwise in good shape. But after he turned towards her, a deformed, crippled limb that was cluttered with little stitches and filled with small feathers, of which size even a Pegasus foal would be ashamed, greeted her eyes. It twitched sometimes, but rested otherwise still on his side. After her examination, she finally stopped her gaze on his face. He raised an eyebrow while he watched her with a neutral, lukewarm, almost bored facial expression, not a hatred and agony filled one, like it should be whenever he would lay his eyes upon her. She hated him for this, and then, would hate herself even more. “What is it today? Somepony spilled his drink over the Main Magic-transformer or stabbed the oven of the royal kitchen with a spear again? Or is it already time for that Starflyer-something tournament? Were is this damn calender?...” he ended his sentences before she even really realized that his lips were moving. His voice was deep and ordered, without a lot of emotions behind it, as it did not matter to him what he was saying. She finally shook of her thoughts and began to talk to him, stopping his search in the chaos. “None of that has occurred, Fid. Your talents won't be needed...” Fid turned his head away from a rather large mountain of metal, catching her gaze and raising an eyebrow. “So, what is the reason that you again greet me with your awing presence, princess?” “I,” she paused for a moment, trying to bring out the right words in front of him “arranged a, lets call it 'holiday', for you.” “What is the occasion?” he asked, suddenly mildly serious, the emotion of annoyance painting his face. “A trip to receive your memory from your early life that you lost two years ago. I found the perfect asset that will anticipate the matter. You will meet this pony at the destination.” His face darkened lightly “And may I ask 'where' this destination lays?” Celestia hardened her facial expression as she continued with a bit of hesitation “...Ponyville.” Fids eyebrows almost disappeared behind the iron plate on his head after he heard this and shortly after, he began to laugh. “What is this, Celestia? Do you want to send me on a trip of ´finding true friendship´? I am well aware of who lives in Ponyville and what role they play in Equestria. I´m not that dumbfound of the outer world. Do you seriously expect me to meet your little student and the rest of the Elements to let them show me how to care and love?” The blue colt brought out between gasps. “I thought you were a little bit smarter than that.” He finished with a amused expression. Celestia stared at him, hardening her facial expression. “The Elements have nothing to do with this matter, nor will they ever. The destination is Ponyville because you will not be the only one taking this trip.” Fid groaned before answering. “Now listen, Celestia. Why should I go with some ponies I probably don´t know on a trip I will possibly not like to a place that I will definitely hate?” His eyes were locked on hers, filled with expectations. “I know as good as you that you want to know what happened when you were younger, how you were able to invent all of your creations and where you have been in order figure it out. With the help of this trip, all of this,” she made a gesture to point out the surrounding room “will make real sense to you, I'll promise it will.” The face of the colt hardened, his gaze trailing of while he was thinking. He took a good look around the room, examining every invention if him again and again, even though he should know exactly how they look like. His gaze finally stopped at a metallic wing and afterward on his crippled limb. A heavy sigh escaped his throat. “Fine, princess. I will play along, but don´t expect me to find joy in any of this.” Celestia nodded. “Good, you will meet the others at a carriage in front of the castle gates in three days, until then I will appoint a group of ponies to load a cart with the tools and material you surely want take with you.” After she saw him nod slightly, she turned around and left the colt alone again. When the door closed behind her she was not capable anymore of holding her tears back which always tried to escape her eyes every time she saw him. “I´m so sorry Fid...” She headed back up the castle, leaving the dark and cold basement behind her.