//------------------------------// // Nubes Tenebrosa Consurgit // Story: A Means to an End // by Vanguard_Of_The_Night //------------------------------// A Means to an End By Vanguard_Of_The_Night Chapter 1: Nubes Tenebrosa Consurgit The night fled away from the sky like a thief with a prized possession, as the sun rose to its’ glorious throne above the illustrious capital of Equestria. The Princess of the Day glimmered with majestic shimmers of light as her magic weaved the day into existence. Her mane glowed as bright as the Rainbow of Promise, and her poise revealed only elegance and beauty. The immense magnitude of magic that was affixed in the air pressed down upon the solar guards that bore witness. Then, as quickly as she rose the sun, she passed the sun to nature, and allowed it to wax upon its’ own. Princess Celestia gazed upon her handiwork immensely satisfied, with a grin fixed upon her face. The rays of her sun warmed her, and made her feel today might not be as bad as she imagined it would be. “Your Day grows all the more radiant sister”, called the Princess of the Night. “As your Night grows all the more beautiful my dear sister,” Celestia replied. She turned to see her sister Luna standing next to the solar guards. The Princess of the Night stood with as much authority and grace as her sister, and her mane of stars and shadows entrancingly flowed in the morning breeze. However, it was quite evident that even she had succumbed to fatigue due to nightly court meetings. The bags under her eyes were easily seen though nopony in their right mind would mention them. “What do I owe the pleasure dear sister? You look tired to be visiting me so early in the day,” stated Celestia with mild intrigue. Luna, withholding her irritation that her sister mentioned she looked tired, replied, “I just wanted to see how my big sister was doing, and to request a moment of your time before day court.” With a cocked eyebrow and a sliver of curiosity, Celestia smiled lightly, and Luna motioned for the older sibling to follow her deeper into the garden where they could converse in private. They walked amidst the chrysanthemums, through the roses, and past a garden of stone statues till they arrived at a path to a private alcove only intended for the royal sisters. The path to the alcove was lined with cherry blossom trees whose petals had bloomed in the wake of springs’ calling. Light glimmered through the trees as they walked in complete silence. Celestia, while glad they had this small moment of time together, grew more pensive as they drew near to the private recess in the garden. The cherry blossoms left a light scent in the air that would vaguely remind one of Hearts and Hooves day. Luna on occasion caught her sister stealing glances at her, and knew that she was apprehensive about this particular day. As they walked in stride with one another, they reached the end of the path where the cherry blossom trees ended, and the private respite revealed a small court yard of cobblestone. Inside the circular courtyard was a variety of blooming flowers of all colors, two stone hewn benches, which were bent with the curve of the courtyard, a small fountain fixed in the middle for the birds to drink from, and beyond the fountain five pedestals and four statues resting upon them. The pensive tension that grew in the stomach of the day princess twisted into knots. She knew what today was, yet inquired of her sister nonetheless. “What’s on your mind Luna,” she asked. “Today is the anniversary of the fall of our kindred. I wanted to know you were okay,” Luna replied with a concerned expression. Celestia dropped her gaze, avoiding the statues in the distance and averting her gaze from her sister. Today was the anniversary of the day that haunted her immortality, her eternal life. The day her kindred, the alicorns, were nearly made extinct by one of their own. The war that raged in millennia past had left her and her sister emotionally scarred. Her sister healed of this affliction over time, though Celestia had not entirely. Celestia had to fight a tear back as she replied, “I am better than last year.” “You made that same reply last year, and the year before that. But sister you have never truly healed. We both lost our friends and loved ones. We both dealt with it in our own way. I selfishly demanded love and affection from the people which I had lost amongst our kindred. Then, I became what we had once fought against. You were left to carry on with a smile after banishing me for a thousand years never taking time to truly grieve. You had to be the pillar for the people, because they had lost all their others. Please sister share your heart and burden with me,” Luna stated, as tears formed in her eyes, yearning for a response. Celestia gritted her teeth not wanting to bare her emotions so openly. Her sister had hit a sensitive spot that she had buried deep within her heart. Turning to see her sister, with some tears in her eyes, she replied, “I come here every year after the day is done, and I talk to the statues of our friends. I yearn for their company but I cannot have it. I know that I have not healed sister, but I cannot bare all of my feelings even to you. My wounds go too deep. My scars will not fade. And as penance for failing them in that time, I will live on despite the pain. I do not want to discuss that time. I only want to remember the good memories we had then. Can we not just do that sister? I am not able to bear relieving the past yet.” Luna felt hot tears run down her face, as she stepped forward and embraced her sister nuzzling her. The stood there in silence comforting one another before discontinuing their embrace for smiles of understanding and love. They in turned walked to the four statues and five pedestals. They each took turns speaking to each, and laughing at the good memories they once enjoyed together. Each statue a library of old memories, strong feelings, and things left unsaid. They passed from one to the next until they finally reached the empty pedestal. This pedestal bore no statue, but the memories it harbored could never be expressed in masonry. Celestia placed her hoof on the empty dais, with tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She remained speechless, as her bottom lip whimpered, and her sister drew near to offer a comforting nuzzle. “Bastard,” she whispered as she removed her hoof, and turned away attempting to regain her composure. She quickly dried her tears, and fixed upon her face a countenance of peace and wisdom. She knew in her heart she was overwhelmed with pent up emotion that needed to be purged from her soul, but in her mind she was conflicted with opening old wounds. She was not ready to truly face some memories. Luna stood beside her, and gave her a comforting smile. “Thank you Lulu for taking me here this morning. I couldn’t have faced this place in this manner without you,” Celestia said lovingly. Luna blushed slightly at the use of her foalhood nickname. “I will always be here for you sister. If you ever want me to come here with you again just ask, and I will be here.” Celestia took a brief glance back at the empty pedestal, and then decided it was time to return to her duties. She knew she was already two hours late for day court, but sometimes it was just nice to see the politicians squirm waiting for her. On the way back to the castle, the two conversed of the past night court, and how midnight weddings have taken a steep climb in popularity. The two continued on about many various things until they reached the Canterlot garden again. It was then the two parted ways, one off to rest until the night, and the other to attend to day court for which she was already late. The Solar Princess took her time walking to the courtroom. She decided that she would enjoy this small portion of time to herself before being buffeted by the people’s requests, the bantering of the politicians, and the slight berating she would receive from her secretary for being late. After a few more moments of singularity in the castle, Celestia’s secretary Quick Note came bustling towards her down the hallway. It was quite obvious she was bamboozled by the fact she couldn’t find the Princess anywhere. As she approached, her disheveled auburn mane, which offset her silky white coat, hung halfway out of her former tightly made bun. Her glasses barely hung on the tip of her nose, and, as she drew closer to the Princess, she started to pant. “You… are…. late,” Quick Note stated obviously irritated. The Princess couldn’t help but grin at the state of her secretary. She listened to the quick scolding from Quick Note, and smiled as she led her to the entrance to the courtroom to begin the day. “Now I’ve informed you of everything that you’ve missed out on, and rescheduled a few meetings to accommodate this morning’s tardiness,” Quick Note stated in a matter of fact tone. As the Princess entered the doorway to the courtroom, she looked back to her secretary and stated, “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you Quickie.” The secretary shot cold daggers at the princess in her glare for using that nickname. The Princess smiled, and proceeded to her place in the courtroom. She was seated in her throne with guards on both of her sides. The throne, though it looked rather uncomfortable, was made for total relaxation when sitting. The throne was made from pure gold. The seat was pure silk, and was stuffed with down feathers. The courtroom was made of marble, and was lined with stained glass windows, tapestries that depicted important events, and tall golden candelabras which added to the ancient feeling the royal room exuded. Thus began the work day. She heard the requests of peasants, nobles, politicians, and the like. The day drudged on until she grew tired of the words of the people. Despite popular belief even she had her limits when it came to social interaction. She knew that she wouldn’t be free until six o’clock today, and it was only five-thirty. She wore a face of kindness, though underneath she just wanted to bolt out the doors for a moment alone. The nagging anticipation of waiting for time to pass grew until it was like her brain itched and only once she left she couldn’t scratch it. Upon the hearing of the clock striking six, she let out a barely visible sigh. Court was dismissed, and she was free from her responsibilities for the day. She gleefully strode down the hallway to evening dinner. Her sister sat across the table from her at their meal. They discussed the day’s events. Luna could see that the intimate moments they shared that morning truly helped her sister. She could tell that she was livelier than last year when they endured that painful anniversary. She didn’t mention that she saw a change. She only wanted to bask in this moment of her sister’s happiness. Celestia laughed as they talked for a little over an hour. Then, at the end of her day, and the beginning of Luna’s night, they parted ways. Luna proceeded to attend to night court, and Celestia returned to her room. The Princess of the Sun’s room was far less luxurious than many imagined. Like her most faithful student, it was far more practical than anything else. Her king sized bed sat at one end of the room, and along the walls it was lined with bookshelves completely filled with old texts. In one corner of the room, she had a small desk where she would read and write her letters. Most of the letters were from Twilight and her friends of course. The wood work in the room consisted of solid cherry wood, and the room was scented with the fragrance of lilac. Once she lay upon her bed, every muscle in her body relaxed. She felt better today than she had in many years. She pondered the idea of sharing more of her feelings with her sister when she felt the time was right. If this small amount of release and support aided her so much, then maybe she should slowly begin to peel back the layers of regret. The boon that her sister offered her might be a lifeline for her own personal sanity. She wanted to be rid of her guilt, and decided to accept her sister’s offer. In the presence of that acceptance of outside aid, she relaxed. Celestia wriggled her way underneath the sheets of her bed, not even taking the time to remove her royal garb. Then slowly she began to drift into sleep. Celestia found herself in the courtyard of Canterlot Castle. However, everything lacked color, and was void of all movement. There was no wind. There was no sunlight. The light that did permeate the day was a dim ambience that she could not explain. She felt cold, and shivered as if she was caught in a winter snow. Celestia, desiring to understand the lack of life surrounding her, began to wander amongst the courtyard. She walked past many varieties of flowers, but not one held the robust color that nature intended. Even as she walked by there was no breeze to move the flowers from their catatonic state. She felt as if someone was watching her, like a pair of eyes discreetly hid from her vision pined after her. Celestia felt a knot grow in her stomach. She desperately desired to find respite in this lifeless purgatory. She began to increase her pace, as her heart began to beat louder than before. Soon she was running as fast as she could in the courtyard, but she did not know where she was going. She felt as if she was running in circles. Then she came upon an all too familiar path set aside for her and her sister alone. A bead of sweat began to trace the jaw line of her face. Her eyes jotted from side to side, as she tried to find an alternative to visiting the burden of her deepest pains. However, the longer she waited the more it seemed like the world was caving in around her. In the heat of the moment, she raced down the pathway to the hidden alcove. Fear gripped her heart the closer she got to the private courtyard of cobblestone. She panted vigorously, as she passed the cherry blossom trees. With an abrupt stop, she found herself in the middle of the secret alcove she had only visited that morning. She paused for a moment to catch her breath. She felt for a moment in her respite that she had outrun the pursuing malicious eyes that invisibly probed her. Celestia stepped forward ever so slowly in the drab colorless alcove towards the statues of her fallen brethren. From a distance, they looked as they did in the morning. However, as she drew closer, she noticed that every face seemed captured in the painful moment of their demise. Every face was contorted, as if they were they were living as statues, and eternally tortured in that moment. The moment of respite Celestia thought she had won for herself quickly came to an end after she viewed her former friends. As hot tears flowed down her face, a penetrating darkness rested upon the only empty pedestal amongst the five. In that moment, a face of black horror emerged. A face Celestia knew too well. Eyes red with malice and hatred, it seemed he glared into her very soul. His lips pulled back over his teeth revealing a mouthful of sharp incisors, with blood caked between them. In that moment, Celestia neither moved, nor breathed. Her skin crawled with fear, anger, and many other emotions she could not at this time identify. Then as quickly he came into view, he was in front of her staring into her eyes. Lust for blood and revenge was clearly seen in his glare. Then as she cowered beneath his gaze, he spoke, “Wake up.” Celestia awoke with a start, though she dared not move even in the confines of her own bed. She and her bed were soaked in sweat. The sheets clung to her form, as she panted like a drowning victim pants for air. Her eyes were bloodshot, and they darted back and forth over the room searching for anything out of the ordinary. Her heartbeat was sounded like a giant drum in her chest. She closed her eyes, and a single tear began to flow down her cheek. It was then amidst her ragged breathing, that one word escaped her mouth. “Nephilim…” Chapter 1 End.