//------------------------------// // SolarBeam & the Extinction of Vampyres and Lycans // Story: Twin Night Terror's // by FluffyDoom //------------------------------// Chapter 16: SolarBeam and the Extinction of Vampyres and Lycans. “Sister, I am confused, what do you mean, past avatars?” Luna asked. “How do you know of this? I kept it hidden even from Discord!” Celestia nodded. “Yes, you did do a good job on it, up until now.” Celestia admitted. “Considering only Nightmare Moon supposedly had the knowledge, but shortly after I banished you, I began to get visions of the past. There the avatar of the sun before me came and told me all about the past. She said her sister LunarBeam would have gone to luna, if she had not been corrupted.” Luna took a step back. “Why hasn’t she appeared yet?” She demanded. “Solarbeam said that they had only so many chances to go to you.” Celestia shrugged. “She first explained to me that though I am immortal, some day I shall die like any other being, and when that happens, a new patron of the sun shall be born. Alicorns like us? We are only born every new era, when something world changing happens. Currently, we are the fourth pair of avatars.” “Celestia, sister, please start from the beginning.” Luna pleaded. “I still do not quite understand. The sun princess nodded, but before continuing she looked at Silver with a sad face. “Oh, my pony, please, that is not your true form.” The wolf paused, before smoothly turning back into her silvery grey self, which was taller than Astra. “Shimmer, did you hit a growth spurt?” The Vampire asked dumbfoundedly. Shimmer looked at her taller legs. “I don’t know why I am so tall.” She admitted. “I am already t full grown height.” Celestia sighed. “And you will only continue to grow until you are about five inches taller than the normal adult stallion, such is the stature of alphas. Were your beta to dethrone you, she would gain the height over a few days, while you, if you lived, would revert back to your normal height. Now, on to other matters, I guess I should tell you about why your two current species became extinct.” She sighed. “Please do.” The twins said in unison. Celestia sat down, and Luna followed. “One night recently after Luna’s banishment, the past Avatar of the Sun came to me. She explained to me all about avatars, her past, and that past of other avatars before me. It is common knowledge that ponies once upon a time traveled in small herds, which eventually became tribes. From tribes, into territories, and so on. What ponies don’t know is that alicorns existed back then too, but they were the only ponies with a lick of knowledge for the longest time, because they had the duty to raise and lower the run. If ponies were to go extinct at this very moment, Alicorn avatars would still live on so we may help the sun and moon on their courses.” Celestia paused before continuing. “The first two were simply called Fireball and Icerock. They were very primitive, but loners. As the ponies began to make the first cities and developed weapons, they disappeared, but to be replaced. Bright and Shade were the second pair. They were social, unlike the first two, and helped ponies progress at a faster speed than they could have on their own, but by doing so they shortened their own lives. They knew what would happen, but they introduced the a new age.” Before she continued she gave them a warning. “You may think our world has its own dangers now, but what we have is only a small comparison to the magick that used to roam the planet before Discord came about, and SolarBeam destroyed the two species.” Celestia hung her head. “Lunarbeam couldn’t though, and went into hiding, for she couldn’t bare to lift a hoof against the two species that loved her so, nor could she protect the innocent ponies who needed her too.” Luna spoke up. “Those two species loved her? I guess that makes sense. Celestia nodded and went on. “Yes, SolarBeam single hoofedly ended the Vampyres, while LunarBeam instead went out to slay the demons other monstrous creatures. The ponies of that time hunted the Lycans to nothing at the command of the Sun Avatar. What had happened was, for the first 500 years they had lived, they mainly kept to themselves, and did not involve others with their wars, but as time went on, Vampyres began to recruit. They would kidnap and brainwash foals. It was a dark time, and they were overstepping their species limits, trying to eradicate the Lycans. So the Lycans in turn, tried to copy them, but their pups were killed before they could even get past their second moon. As the Lycans went down, the Vampyres grew cocky and started to take over regular villages despite the warning of SolarBeam. She decided to end it once and for all as they killed more and more. For three whole moons, the sun shone, and she traveled the land to uproot any Vampyres taking shelter underground. She of course, had Lycan to help, but the Lycans began to go crazy without their rivals to push them down.” She took a breath. “How did the ponies survive three moons of sunlight?” Luna demanded. “That is worse than nighttime, no offense!” “It is, but she figured out that as long as the Pegasus create continually blowing breezes and made them rain down twice the normal amount it would work, and it did.” Celestia informed her. “Though, a few farmers did lose their crops when rain was not presented on time, and the Pegasi were overworked. Anyway, as soon as the Vampyres were destroyed, the Lycans acted up and began to attack the towns also, and overpopulated through breeding. They began to deplete the wild-life and SolarBeam sent out hunters. Every Lycan who survived went feral, and lot their pony minds. They soon devolved into non-infecting wolves, but they too died out from being hunted because they regular ponies couldn’t stand the thought of another Lycan outbreak.” “So how did the gems get in that cave?” Luna demanded. “LunarBeam couldn’t stand the thought of not doing anything, and preserved the two species in the gems, and thought she could go back to them, but SolarBeam and her had created a new Era. Over two hundred years they had cracked down, killed thousands of demons, destroyed to races, and a strange new creature had appeared right from the chaos. Discord. Discord struck down the weary Alicorns, and then I was born. A few years later, so was my sister.” Celestia sighed. Astra felt honored that she was able to hear the story of Celestia’s past lives, but she was also confused. Bowing, she asked the question, “Princess, why did you tell my sister and I though?” Celestia finally stood up, her hair waving in the astral winds that no pony but her and the alicorns might feel. “Because Astra, I am kinder than the last Avatar of the Sun, and I will never destroy an entire race. Astra, you and your sister now represent the Lycans and Vampyres, you are the first two ponies of a long lost species, and in three days time I will introduce you to the world. Along with that, you have my royal permission to turn five ponies for the time being so you may not be alone. Shimmer, you may not turn anymore ponies, for I fear your species is easier to spread, and you already have two pups here, from what I can tell.” Silver had gone rigid in fear. “No, I can’t!” She growled, ears flattened. “I don’t want to live in pony society anymore!” The words blurted out from her mouth. I agreed to stay here for one more month so I may help Heartsong and Paper Poet, but after that I leave! Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I promise I will not be a burden to the regular ponies, but I can not live with them, let Eclipse represent me.” She begged. “Let Eclipse play my part. I am not meant to play that role, I just want to live out of sight.” Celestia pondered over this. “How do you plan to do that?” She finally asked. Silver shrugged. “I think I will live near the border of the Crystal Empire. The lands are cold and barren of common plants except for summer grass, but I can hunt in my Lycan form, and if I must, I can fly places with my wings.” “Do you fear going wild? Sometimes a pony would stay a wolf for too long and go crazy.” Celestia said softly. Shimmer straightened her back. “I do not fear it, I can’t. Please, just let me.” the sun princess sighed. “Very well. Shimmer of Equestria, unless you are in need of food, medical help, or any emergencies, you are to not make contact with anypony, even if they reach out first. If they insist on befriending you, you must either tell them the truth or move. Do you swear to these terms? I will not have my ponies put in any type of danger.” “I swear to those terms.” She bowed her head. “And, um, my name is now Silver Howl.” She grinned gently. Celestia gave her a mother's smile. “I will only address you with your birth name, but ok. When do you wish to leave?” “I guess after my sister is introduced to the ponies for what she is, Eclipse too.” Silver said. “I will be in the crowd when it happens, then leave. I wanted to take this time to say goodbye to my only friends.” She became slightly teary, and suddenly hugged her sister. “Astra, I love you!” She pulled Eclipse over. “You too Eclipse, you may not be related to me, but you were kinda like the mother I never had.” She sniffled. “After this though, you guys can’t come back, I won’t be able to bear it.” Celestia gave them five minutes of heartfelt goodbyes before interrupting. “Before I take your family with me Shimmer, why not introduce me to the newest Lycans?” Shimmer nodded and wiped her tears away. “This way, Princess Celestia.” She said. Half an hour later, Celestia had left the homeless ponies with 1,000 bits to spend wisely, and Shimmer with a bag, that was bigger on the inside, holding 300 bits for her travels. She and Luna combined their magick and teleported them all to Canterlot to go over the new rules of their lives, and how they would be granted the titles of nobles so they would be better respected. After that Celestia told the press that in three days she would be making royal announcements for the public to hear.