//------------------------------// // Morrow (Weaver of Dreams) // Story: These Flowers Never Bloom // by Cerulean Voice //------------------------------// We could live forever and no-one could stop us. The day that our first little foal was born awoke new, paternal feelings in me. Here was a being that we had not just created—as Rose had done so magnificently with our forest—but a being that was a true part of us. It was something quite unique. An extension of ourselves in a way that nothing else in the world could be. Our beautiful alicorn daughter: our little Celestia. Time passed and Celestia grew to be a cheerful little filly. She made friends with every animal. She had the ability to fly with the birds and swim with the fish. She could talk to the squirrels as well as I did and make the flowers bloom as well as Rose could. She enjoyed watching me raise the sun every morning, her smile brighter than any light the orb could ever produce. Sol, she affectionately called it. Our little darling was clearly a daytime creature, but she did not hold anything against her mother who had to raise the sun's less radiant counterpart. Our daughter was a smart little filly. She understood the ways of the world just as well as we did. Rose and I had many more foals over time. Strangely though, they were only ever born with a set of wings for flight, a horn for magic, or neither. Those lacking extra appendages were gifted with an attuned sense of nature and physical strength. Celestia had no other filly or colt like herself to bond with, though. She loved all of our children—her gorgeous siblings—with all of her radiant little heart, but I could feel the conflict within her. She wanted a sister or a brother like herself. One who could match her height, who could fly, do magic and have a knack for cultivation. Rose and I certainly had no idea why Celestia should be the only alicorn born to us. Dimiourgia had left us to our own devices after Celestia's birth. She was to be our greatest creation: a living monument to Dimiourgia's legacy that we could ever admire. If I thought about it, I was sure that Celestia was indeed intended to be the only one of her kind. Of course I was grateful for Dimiourgia’s blessing that had been bestowed upon her, yet I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. While dear Celly slept, I wished every night under Rose's moon for another baby alicorn. * * * * * Now follow me to the heart of the wood. Celestia had taken it upon herself to deeply explore the wood as she neared her adult age. While I knew that Rose never stopped expanding the forest and creating new wonders to see, she and I hardly left our sanctum with our other young. Our sons and daughters were not quite as blessed with knowledge or as well-attuned as Celestia appeared to be. Often they would eat everything off a tree or a bush and leave it for dead, scaring away my woodland friends in the process. I could hardly fault them—the bounties were always delicious—but they didn't seem to grasp that we needed to give back as much to the wood as we took from it. It was one evening during Celestia's enthusiastic gallivants that she happened upon a pool in a secret cave. It shone silver in the moonlight that pierced through the entrance. While she stared into it, it seemed to "call" to her. Cautiously, she dipped in her hoof. No ripples attempted to flee from the disturbance. She followed with her whole two forelegs. Still no ripples, not even a damp feeling like one would feel with ordinary water. Celestia stared at her reflection for a moment, wondering why this magic water didn't move. As she pondered its secrets, her reflection met her gaze. It seemed almost like it was pleading with her somehow. Following this, she made a decision that would alter everything we thought we knew about life. She dove right in. Instead of sinking further down into the pool, she reappeared back on land at its edge. Confused, Celestia racked her brains for an explanation, but disregarded the thought soon after. Baffled by the workings of the pond, Celestia observed a miracle unfolding before her as another Celestia—identical to herself—stood up and regarded her with equal interest. I could feel the difference between the two if I really tried. The "new" Celestia seemed a little... off. A perfect copy of my daughter, yet her nature felt wrong somehow. How could I be anything but happy? Finally my only alicorn daughter had a playmate, a sister. Yet there was something else, something that felt even more wrong as the new copy of my daughter. Its nature seemed to be continuously shifting; I couldn't tell who or what it was at all. All I knew was that Celestia had unknowingly discovered something that might have done better to remain undiscovered. The feeling vanished almost as soon as I acknowledged its existence. As if it was aware of my Earthen bond and trying to hide. I awoke the next day to perform my "solar duties"—as Celestia had dubbed them—and came face to face with both of her, excitedly waiting for me. This was my first encounter with my daughter's copy. Same pink mane, same tail, gorgeous towering body complete with horn and wings. At first glance, she was identical, but her eyes... it was a subtle thing. While they were the same shape and colour as her accidental creator's, they seemed hollow. It was unnerving, but I chose not to let it get the best of me. I welcomed her to the family as I raised the sun with both of their attentions. "Celestia" was introduced to the rest of the family. Rose was the first, who immediately accepted her for what she was with a motherly welcoming hug. The rest of our children all flocked to her in amazement, wondering how this was possible. I had made "my" Celestia promise not to tell anyone about the mirror pool—lest they all get excited and multiply themselves into oblivion—so the explanation she gave was that she sacrificed part of her power to split herself. Something no other pony would be able to do. It was a fair lie. One that she hated giving, but Rose and I felt it was for the best. * * * * * You brought me back to the darkness within. Buried in the depths of the elms. Locked beneath the Earth. It was an encounter none of us were prepared for. The sun slipped from my morning grasp for the first time ever, and refused to co-operate. Confused, I tried to lift it again. It began to rise as normal, then—for reasons unknown—it shot up far too high into the sky. It was suddenly high noon and everypony around me sat up groggily as the brilliance of the suns rays pierced their eyelids. Wondering what in Equestria was going on, I tried to keep everypony calm before any of them decided it was a good reason to panic. I might have succeeded too, were it not for a far more terrifying event unfolding right before our eyes. A creature made of mismatched animal parts appeared in a snap before us. The only way I could describe this thing was that it seemed truly wild. I couldn't get a grasp of what it was, or its nature. Realising that this was what must have come through the mirror pool with my second Celestia, I took a defensive, protective stance for the first time in my life. As I stared it down and took in its bizarre appearance, more random things began to occur: The weather changed from temperate to chilly, before reverting back and forth. My sun refused to listen to me as I tried to force it back where it should have been. Then the moon unexpectedly rose as well, to join the sun almost exactly where it was before. The creature seemed to be enjoying itself immensely. It coiled over and around itself, laughing maniacally. Its voice gave me chills. It seemed full of power and malevolence. I could not make head or tail of its intentions. Without warning, everything returned to normal. The mismatched being turned its attention to me, vanishing and appearing next to me instantly. "You can stop trying to figure me out now, Ilias. You will never succeed." As it spoke, pieces of Earth, fallen tree branches and even some of my children began floating in mid-air. I'd seen some unicorns perform this kind of levitation before, but never with the magnitude of power currently on display. For the first time since encountering Dimiourgia, I was afraid. Then Rose entered the fray. "Release my children this instant, creature of malevolence!" The creature turned its attention to Rose, rolled its eyes (literally) and placed our terrified foals back on the ground. The trees remained floating, though, turning themselves upside down. "Oh, precious Rose, I can assure you that I have no intentions to harm any of your precious children. I'm simply enjoying my new freedom, which your lovely daughter has so graciously provided me with!" It pointed to Celestia, who had been providing comfort to those who were most afraid. "But now," it continued, "I really ought to introduce myself properly. How rude of me." It gave a sweeping bow to us and announced: "I am Vorjhan, bringer of discord. And many, many laughs!" It proceeded to mismatch itself even more than it already was, switching its body parts around, splitting itself in half, merging itself with various trees and diving into the Earth as easily as if it was water. While we all stared, I found myself less afraid, and slightly more amused. At least, until it re-appeared right in my face and the second Celestia's. Simultaneously. "I see you have a new daughter! Strange, she looks just like your old one. Was one of her not good enough for you?" He guffawed. "Yet she seems a little different to me. Not quite herself if you get my meaning. Let's change that for you. Consider it a form of gratitude on my part for releasing me." A single click of his fingers later, my newest family member began to glow. A loud boom resounded through the area as a shockwave forced us all to the ground. I rose a few seconds later to realise that "Celestia" was no longer there. Instead, Rose glowed as brightly as the now-absent Celestia. The glow dulled, converging into a small sphere around Rose's abdomen. A strange look crossed Rose's face before she fainted. Vorjhan laughed for a while. His laughter sent chills running through my very bones. "Ha, you see, I have granted your wish, Ilias! You will now become the father of a sister equal to your precious Celestia. She will be born an alicorn, with many of the same powers and talents. However, she will take more after her mother. She will love the night and be as close to Rose as Celestia is to you." My jaw dropped. Another alicorn daughter? Could it really be true? Finally, Celestia will have an equal to play with! As quick as this thought entered my mind, it was replaced by the concern I should have felt first at my beloved's collapse. Galloping up to Rose, I nuzzled her. She stirred a little, then opened her eyes. "Rose? Are you alright?" I asked her, checking for any sign of illness or injury. My partner gave a small nod of her head confirming her safety, but her next words would stay with me the rest of my too-long life: "I'm fine Ilias, but call me not Rose, for she is no more. From this moment, I am Morrow, weaver of dreams." She fixed me with a smile that was not at all like her usual, innocently cheerful one. It spoke to me of something dark, like things were not quite right anymore. "I will remake this world as I see it in my own dreams. We will rule it together. And our daughters will rule below us." Vorjhan had vanished. He was nowhere to be found.