Son of Eternity

by Secrets and Lies

9

Night had fallen across the Drackenridge Mountains, low forming stratus clouds swept through the mountain valleys as the high cumulous clouds that wrapped around the top of Dragon Peak diminished. The stars shone brightly in the cold mountain air, the crescent mare in the moon gleamed down an ethereal light on the side of the cliffs. The mountain slopes began to get steeper as Zack climbed higher. He eventually had to carry both Spike and Twilight on his back, being that Twilight was unable to latch her hooves into any of the cliff side crevices. Zack took his time finding the best fitting hole to place his foot or hand into before putting his full weight into the rock face. He had done some rock climbing in his past life and knew the basics of climbing a cliff side, but still considered this a horrifying challenge to take on. He could start to see above him a ledge that could possibly be where a cave was and pushed himself to keep moving upward.
He swung his right leg over and placed his foot into a rocky slit in the cliff, that was when he felt the firm rock beneath give way. Twilight held onto Zack’s neck tightly and Zack gripped firmly to his holdings in the rocks as half his body swayed openly in the air before grabbing back on to the ledge. Twilight was shaking in fear; Spike kept his hold onto the filly’s back, still fast asleep. Zack waited a couple seconds to catch his breath before trying again to find another hole in the cliff side to put his foot into.
Eventually they made it to the ledge Zack aimed for earlier, and he was right, there was a large, open and dark cavern before them. Twilight jumped off Zack’s shoulders with Spike still holding to her. Zack plopped down on the cliff side, his feet dangling off the rock plateau edge.
Twilight shivered, “We c-can’t stall now, w-we have t-to get Sp-spike back to his father!”
“He can wait,” Zack inhaled and saw his warm breath meet the frosty air. He was cold natured–he didn’t love being in frigid temperatures, but he didn’t mind it and thought it to be rather relaxing. He stared openly over the mountain tops; the wind blew against his face and dried his lips. It was very beautiful sight, the night cloaked mountains, the starry dotted skies, the bright crescent moon, it reminded him of camping, if he ever camped in the Rockies. His shoulder pulsated with pain; it never quite healed as fast as he would have wanted it, but was surprised to finally realize that he had just traversed a cliff face with a knife wound in his shoulder. It didn't dare cross his mind, and somehow he had ignored the pain until now.
Zack noticed Twilight shaking and chattering her teeth; she tried curling up to stay warm, but was still shaking. Zack took off his shirt and wrapped it around her. It was much bigger than her body and it covered her nicely.
He commented, “That should help keep you a little warmer.” He stopped and continued, looking deep into the cavern behind them. “Well let’s go give Spike back to his father, if he’s even here.”
He stood up and turned toward the dark cave. He slowly walked over to the cave's mouth, it was pitch black and his eyes couldn’t adjust to the deep darkness at all. Twilight came up beside him and deeply concentrated. A few purple sparks whisked from her horn and suddenly she created a purple light on the tip of her horn, revealing the cavern’s design. Zack smiled at her and rubbed her head to commend her intuitive thinking. They began walking through the dim, mountain chamber, equally afraid of whatever was to come.
After a few minutes of creeping cautiously in the shadows of the cavern, they entered a large dark chamber. Twilight’s glow spell couldn’t light the entire rocky chamber because of its expanse. They quietly made their way a little further into the center of the chamber, or so they assumed. He could smell the earth around him; it clogged his nose with a strange stench. Their steps echoed long into the chamber, giving the two an idea of how large the cave really was. The cave was much colder than the air outside, even for Zack. He crossed his arms and rubbed his shoulders, trying to get himself warm.
Suddenly, a wall of green fire shot up from the ground and blocked their exit. They started frantically looking around, seeing what else was going on and to try and find the cause of whomever created that fire. The wall of emerald flame spread around the edge of the chamber and lit the entire cavern in an ghastly blaze. Even with the room fully visible now, they saw no one inside but themselves, tainted in the pale green light.
Zack heard something above him, and before he could look up, something large crashed in front of Zack and Twilight in a blur of speed. The cavern shuddered and dust and rocks fell from the ceiling. When the room stopped shaking, Zack saw that it was the same dragon that created the runes on the castle wall. Its deep green eyes were affixed on the duo; it opened its jaws and let out a rumbling roar, blowing both Twilight and Zack backwards and onto their backs.
Twilight jumped up and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Stop!”
She hovered Spike off of her back using her unicorn magic. Unbelievably, Spike was still fast asleep after all that ruckus and action. She levitated Spike in front of the dragon and placed him on to the rocky floor, the dragon looked over the other carefully.
“That’s all we came here to do,” Twilight cautioned. “We do not want a war with the dragons. Just... take your son back and please don’t harm us or any other pony.”
Twilight walked up to Spike and whispered, “I’m sorry. We won’t see each other again, ever.” She sniffed as a quiver rang through her voice, “If you can hear me... or can understand me... I just want to say... I’ll miss you... I’ll miss you so much...” With her head bowed, she slowly trotted backwards away from Spike and the other dragon.
Zack thought if what she was saying was actually working. He didn't know if this massive and terrifying beast was cooperating with her or simply playing her game. He couldn’t believe Twilight, that she wasn’t afraid of the monster at all. She had complete confidence in herself, or so she played role well enough to fool him and the dragon.
The dragon looked up at Twilight Sparkle and eyeballed her. She smiled with a tear in her eye in response to the undefinable emotion the dragon was expressing. The monster took in a quick puff of air and blew a strange, green and gray sparkling mist towards her. When the strange fog enveloped her body, she turned to solid stone. Zack was horrified. He was more terrified now than he was when he first saw the dragon back in Canterlot. His eyes widened at the sight of the statue of Twilight; he couldn’t believe it, he wondered what type of magic did this beast possess. This was no ordinary dragon like in the fairy tales he grew up with, this was something entirely new and foreign to his knowledge.
The dragon’s head now faced Zack, he thought that now he might be turned to stone as well. When the dragon opened its deadly and sharp mouth, he only spoke again to Zachary in his great, deep and ancient voice. The words echoed through the chamber,

When the dragon had finished, Zack stuck his hand out and beseeched, “Please, we mean no harm! Please change my friend back!”
The dragon stepped forward, with each step it quaked the ground beneath his feet. Zack stood firm however; with a boost of misguided confidence, he threw his fists up ready to fight. His arrogance clouded his judgment once again.
He pointed toward the dragon and proclaimed in a tone filled with vengeance, “We did what you said and still you harmed us!” The dragon blew a quick breath and Zack’s hand which was pointing directly at the dragon was turned into gray stone. The rock encasing crawled its way up only to the elbow, and once it stopped, the weight of the stone forearm increased dramatically. His right arm fell to the floor, but Zack stood firm and raised it up using his back muscles. The dragon breathed again and his other arm did the same. Both were now too heavy to lift and Zack fell to his knees. The dragon lifted his great talon and looked as if he was about to skewer Zack. He tightly held his eyes closed and feared for the worst. The dragon lightly put his claw in front of Zack’s body; the white claw was about half the size of Zack and as sharp as a Royal Guard’s spear. Zack opened his eyes and the dragon lifted the claw, he then gently touched the center of Zack’s forehead.
In that instant, something happened within Zack’s mind he would never fully understand in his life afterwards. He saw a tunnel of stars, the same tunnel in which he was teleported to Equestria in, except this time, there was a green tint around the edges of his eyesight. Moments of time shot through Zack’s life, he re-saw events in his life taking place again in front of him. The memories were quick and spastic, almost as if playing in fast forward and even sometimes in reverse. Whenever his mind would change to a new past memory, it felt like his entire body was being shocked.
Past events were flying through his mind, he didn’t know what was going on. In one second, he would be reliving the memory of learning to ride a bike, the next memory which gave him another jolt through his body, relived a moment in time where he daydreamed about a cute girl in his elementary class on the bus, only seeing what he saw. The memories came and went drastically, he felt as if his mind was being erased or someone was using it like a television and flipping through channels rapidly. Shocking pain surged and pulsed throughout Zack’s body; he couldn’t close his eyes or couldn’t move, he felt completely out of his body and free from his skin. More memories flashed through his mind, such as holding Pinkie Pie in the throne room, his dad leaving his house to never see his son again, running up the mountain with the pink filly on his shoulders in the wind blowing in his face, the barrel of the Glock nineteen staring him in the face, the comet from his dream crashing into Canterlot. Zack couldn’t take it. He tried so hard to break free from the psychotic event in which he couldn’t tell if it was even real or not anymore.
Zack’s body was thrown backwards onto the rocky cave floor, which broke him of whatever he was experiencing inside his mind. His stone arms were normal again as he lay motionlessly on the ground gasping for breath. His eyesight was blurred and everything was brighter than usually, it took a couple of seconds for them to focus back to their original state. He sat up slowly and wiped his sweat covered face with his dry hands. He looked up to see the dragon still in front of him, calm, but staring deep into Zack’s eyes, almost as if he was looking through him. Zack just sat there, staring back at the dragon, emotionless physically, but mentally his mind was going haywire. His memories still flashed in his head, but he felt back in his body still. The spastic memories soon faded slowly, and his regular thought patterns returned. The dragon opened his maw again and began to speak in his slow, deep and almost soothing voice.
He enunciated every syllable clearly and loudly as he spoke, “I... have given you the mind of the Spirit and the tongue of the Ancient. You now have the ability to communicate and read with the old of these lands.” Zack sat still, still so utterly confused. The green fires around the dim room flickered light off each others’ faces.
The dragon announced, “Your four legged female friend is fine. I have encased her in stone to tell you the following known secrets of the universe. The secrets and lies of everyone and everything.”
Zack looked up and coldly and quietly demanded, “Who are you?”
The ancient dragon took in a breath and replied heavily, “I? I am the first, and I am the last. I have seen the birth of this galaxy and many others alike, though I may not remember their creations. I have always been, I am always being, and I will always be. The universe has named my being Om. I am Om, the Great Dragon Spirit of this and many dimensions you cannot comprehend in this form of flesh and bounded mind. Who are you? I have seen into your thoughts. You are Zachary, and your presence here is unknown to even I.” Om spoke so slowly and clearly, his deep voice rang through the mountain itself.
Zack steadily stood himself up and stated, “Why do you want war with Equestria?”
Om hummed and replied, “I do not seek war, a lie I have spun to see you, human named Zachary.” The dragon slowly looked down at sleeping Spike and just as slowly raised his head back towards Zack. “This is my son, born from ash and flame, and dust and rock. I want his life to be filled with happiness and joy. Raise him among the equine, and he will guide the horses in the near future. I predict this.”
Zack, a tad bit agitated and bewildered, argued, “Well if you don’t want war with Equestria, and you want your son to be raised by ponies, then why did you even do this in the first place? Why bring me here?”
“You fleshly creatures of all kind, always wanting, always demanding. Scouring your earths, fueled by the sin of need, you burn your own homelands for greed. Every living thing fleshed I have seen has the universal characteristics of wanting destruction upon themselves. I have yet to comprehend the meaning of this idiosyncrasy. If it were so easy for you to ease my pain with words of wisdom? I think we both know this answer.”
Zack retorted, feeling no more fear from this dragon, but much more confused by his way of speaking, “You must know why I’m here then... Tell me, Om.”
The dragon stomped his hoof, shaking the area once more and demanded strongly, “Have you ears to listen and a mind to think? All of which I have said is your answer.” Om took in another deep breath and continued more calmly and deeper.
“You creatures of flesh and hate, in every world and every dimension, all act upon the same spectrum. You wander your earths and think, 'what and who am I, my purpose is nothing, my life is meaningless’ and then you die. Such pitiful lives you live, not knowing of the gifts you are so easily given that I do not have. I would rather live a simple life and die than watch ten thousand world's burn. Life is a blessing and death is a gift, never forget what you were given so generously by fate.”
Zack was only getting half of what the great creature was saying. The way he talked, his strange wisdom, none of this made sense at the moment. Zack was disappointed in his response, at least all of what he understood of it.
Zack grieved, “Just like everyone else, no one knows why I’m here. I know you’ve said this, and you know I think I have the answers to my purpose, but I don’t. I’m sorry, I’m just so confused. What’s even going on?”
Om raised his head, “I have listened in silence long enough as the worldly beings bickered with one another, understanding no one but themselves. Now I shall talk, and you shall listen.” The green flames around the room rose high and brightened up the chamber slightly. The flames grew and shrunk in rhythm to Om’s deep breaths.
“There are three of us, The King, The Queen, and The Prince, the ancient’s called us by these names. We do not know how we came to be, but we were once all spirits in ethereal bodies, guardians of this new realm. We have seen the only fair world in the vast sea of stars, and we resided in it one by one, I being first, giving up our spirit forms to take a fleshly form, immortal and flawless; but to do so we had to restrict most of our spiritual abilities to live among these creatures in peace. This is the way of the law of the universe. Before these events however, The Prince desired the King’s throne. The King foresaw this and bounded him to this world you know as Equestria. In doing so, he tried to make one of us broken like I was about to do to his spirit before casting him upon the planet. He stealthily attacked the Queen and split her spirit in two forms, two alicorns. The King then withdrew the Prince’s powers by half, though only after a long battle in the starry heavens. Once thrown upon the land and powers cut by half, he took the form of a chimera and walked the desolate world for eons, plotting for his revenge. He once decided to take Equestria, but the regal sisters encased him in stone, you know of this already though. The Queen was devoid of her spirit abilities and her memories were wiped, the alicorns of the former spirit now reign over Equestria, two regal sisters with an unknown past and purpose. The King, is I, the silent and hidden. I have watched this world, and now know of what I must do, which I have begun doing. My life is void in this realm, and I must leave soon.”
Om digressed, “You do know of the Elements of Harmony, relics of old? I do not know of how they came to be, but I know of their true workings. In order to use them, one must be a spirit, and one cannot control them all. This is why the regal sisters fail to use them properly. Celestia has told you that six will appear, but she does not know why or how, only from what she has read from the ruins of the ancient world, this is what she only knows.
My plan is simple, and my purpose is now clear after eons. I will split my spirit several ways. I have already done so, but retained the split spirits still, except for one, which I gave to my son to convey the power I once had. To live a long life among this world, to be a leader, to love, and to help those who had fallen short in life. I have watched the world and ages turn, and in this age have chosen six mares to possess my spirit. When I give it to them, they will not know of it until years to come when the tainted regal sister appears once more.
I will leave this world soon, no longer a spirit, but of flesh, and when of flesh, I will arise to what the old world calls the Ivory Chambers to be with the Foreseer. I do not know if this deity exists or not, but faith is the only option, and how the ancient world talks about this being, I believe it to be true.”
He turned to the very confused Zack and replied to his emotion, “You do not understand everything now, I do not even understand the mechanisms of this reality. However we must proceed in life. We must know that not all answers can be solved, and questions will remain till the ends of the Universe. I do not know why you are here, Zachary, but there is reason in your existence, there is reason for all things, whether we can explain it or not.”
Om tilted his head, “All the answers in the world are hidden within our own understanding, to understand one’s self is the meaning of life, is it not? I have made my own purpose, and I have told you how I did so.”
Zack asserted, “But how! How do I do it? I don’t understand anything, I’m as useless here in this new world than I was back home. I was never free to do anything.”
“How? Time. Time is but an illusion, the past is now and the future has already happened. We are always experiencing eternity. Time is one river, with a beginning and end with a constant flow forward. To understand oneself, one must be patient, one must be quiet. The answers are in front of you, you are just oblivious to your senses, and you will be for a long time like I was. I am no different than you, human.”
Om concluded, looking off into space, “When I was born into the world as a being of spirit, the first voice I heard was a whisper, then a bang, and the universe was. This whisper is the song of the universe. I remember it clearly,

Zack stopped thinking when he heard, ‘Son of Eternity’. That was mentioned in his dreams before.
He stepped forward and asked, knowing already that Om knew exactly what he was going to say, “Am I the Son of Eternity?”
Om stopped, and with a cold reply, he answered, “No.” Zack was caught off guard by that response, even though he didn’t know who or what the Son of Eternity was, he didn’t know how to respond, so Om did so for him.
“The Son of Eternity is unknown to me or the Foreseer. It is no one and everyone, it will not show itself until the final hours of existence, it is the last great mystery of life, the Universe, and meaning itself. It may be an idea, a place, or a person, but what is it exactly, nothing knows. It just is and it will be is until the end. That is that and nothing more than another secret in this prison we call life.
I am sorry I do not have all the answers, I am sorry for your troubles, but know this, human. Freedom and happiness is all one can live for, what you believe makes you, loving others and others loving you is a universal endowment. Life understood is life lived, and understanding life is understanding oneself, and doing so is doing what you know is universally right and true. Love, laughter, life. Remember these, sad one, and you will be blessed.” Zack took in most of what Om said this time, his words punctured him deep. Zack wanted answers, but all he can do is live life now, he didn’t need answers to his questions, he just needed to forget them and keep going. Zack smiled and looked up at Om, no longer afraid of the dragon.
He asked, “What do I do now?”
“Come with me, child of Equestria.”

The two stepped outside, morning was fast approaching. Zack had picked up Spike and both them and Om stared off into the mountain ranges. The rays of the sun were gently maneuvering their way into the eastern horizon. Zack had lost track of time and had only thought an hour had passed by when in reality the entire night was spent in that cave. Om stared towards the rising sun, his head high and wings stretched out.
“You,” Om directed towards Zack. “You are special, you are worthy of this world. No matter how many secrets this Universe possesses, its truths are worth living for than living life always asking and questioning everything.” Om looked into the heavens, the stars still shown above them.
“I will leave this world now, splitting my soul six ways, beginning the true purpose of the Elements of Harmony. These Elements will shape the world and save it from him.”
Zack finished Om’s statement, “The Prince.”
“Yes. He will escape his stone prison, the Elements cannot kill, only cease for a limited time.”
Om turned back towards Zack, “There is more than six magical artifacts in this world, some possess great strengths. I believe you must wield one, you must find The Prevailer, a white sword with the powers of unknown magics. I have heard through the winds of time of its valiant deeds, however it was lost, you must retrieve this before the Prince returns.”
“Where would I look?”
“Everywhere.” Even though Zack knew now of what he must do, what his purpose was in this land now, he still had no idea how to do it. Om didn’t know either. Zack figured that he has to find out about this on his own. Like Om said, the answers are in the understandings of one’s self.
Zack turned back towards Om and questioned, “Will I ever see you again? I need your advice on what’s to come, whatever it might be.”
“What I have told, you already knew. And perhaps we will meet again, in some form of another in which space and time overlap each.”
Om’s last words were, “That is all I could teach you, that is all I could teach myself over eons of time. I may be entirely wrong or right, that is for you to decide. Your fate is your own, your destiny is your own. You are your own. Believe.”
In that last instant he shot off into the cold, early morning skies above Dragon Peak. He shook the mountain top with the tremendous velocity he left behind. He roared one last time, circling the distant mountain tops before diving upwards in a continuous spiral. To Zack, Om looked like he was having a bit of fun before leaving this world. Om hovered below the bottom of a flat cloud that was above him, he flapped his magnificent wings, keeping his body steady in the chilling air. The cloud above him seemed to warp and an indention was created above it. The indention grew until it was a tunnel of clouds, a bright light shown through it as if the sun was directly above the tunnel.
Om stretched his wings out, raised his head high, looking into the hole in the clouds and stopped flapping; he just hovered there in the air, the light illuminating his body like a celestial being. Something glowed in the center of Om’s chest, a ball of magnificent light. It emitted a brilliance of colors Zack had never seen before, it was as bright as the sun and even warmed Zack in the distance up atop the mountain. Om’s body began to dissipate in that moment. His body resembled a dandelion being blown on; parts of the dragon scattered upward into the tunnel of clouds and light, while the brilliance of the sun like object he left behind remained hovering in his place. Once Om’s body had completely disintegrated into the rising air, a noise was heard similar to one breathing their last breath, a long, relaxed sigh. The sphere of unknown colors fragmented itself into six smaller orbs. The orbs still shown like the sun, but each had a specific color. Purple, blue, yellow, white, orange, and pink. The orbs ebbed in harmony with one another, like each was a living essence or being, breathing together. In a sudden burst, the orbs shot off in all different directions, appearing like comets in the morning sky. The tails of the orbs produced when turned to shooting stars were the same color as the objects.
One however turned in a large three-sixty degree circumference, flying through the mountain ranges at a low altitude and at a blazing speed. The comet shot upward and was now level with Zack’s altitude. Zack’s eyes widened as the comet approached in lightning speeds, giving off a high pitched ring and crackle of fire which grew louder as it closed in on Zack. He quickly jumped out of the way as the comet missed him and went into the cave behind him. He turned to see what had happened and a bright, purple hue illuminated the back of the cave, and slowly faded away. There was no crash, there was no damage done to the cave, it was as if it plummeted into a body of water without a splash. Zack looked back up at the sky, the tunnel of clouds which had produced that unreal amount of celestial light was gone. Zack felt the frigid temperatures return. The sky was bare and the sun had risen over the eastern horizon once more. Twilight galloped up next to Zack and placed her hoof on her head.
“Wha–... what happened? I have the most splitting headache,” the filly moaned. Zack knew of what had just happened, and wasn’t surprised at Twilight’s recovery from being turned to stone. Zack had realized that now Twilight Sparkle possessed a part of Om’s spirit, and that she was now able to wield one of the Elements of Harmony. He thought it would best not to tell her, information like that would scare and confuse someone for a long while. Like Om, he kept his secrets for himself, for a very long time at least.
Zack lied with a grin on his face, “You slipped and knocked your head against a rock. I was worried there for a while, but I’m glad you’re okay now.”
She gasped, realizing something wasn’t right. She turned towards Spike who was resting on the plateau’s edge and then turned back towards Zack and hastily indicated, “The dragon! What about the dragon? Why is Spike still here? Are we going to war? All I remember is getting up to the cavern and that was it! What happened?” She clung onto the bottom of Zack’s shirt, her fear filled eyes staring into Zack’s calm ones.
“I talked with the dragon, he said he won’t start a war, and that Spike is yours to keep.” Twilight’s face beamed in excitement, she let go of Zack and pounced around him in glee.
“I get to keep Spike! I get to keep Spike," She sung in a blissful tone while frolicking around Zachary. She turned towards him and thanked him, “And it’s all because of you! Even though I don’t know you that well and you don’t know me that well... I thank you, Zack.”
Zack nodded his head with a grin on his face. He said calmly, “I thank you, too.”

Zack, Spike and the filly made their way down the mountain’s edge carefully and quickly. It seemed much easier climbing down the slope than it was climbing up it. He spotted Valiant Steed and the other pegasus pony awaiting their arrival.
Valiant tried to ask Zack what had happened, he only responded, “Everything’s fine, let’s go home.” Once back at the castle, Zack saw where Om had made his runes on the still scorched wall. They read clearly to Zack now, as if he could now change languages in his head to make sense of it in an instant, “Bring the son. Or face war.” It read as clear as day.
It was around breakfast time and Celestia sat alone in the Royal Garden, sipping a small cup of milk. Zack entered the garden, uncloaked and antsy. He slowed his pace and walked up behind the Princess, knowing a little more about her past life that she had forgotten. Celestia didn’t turn around, but knew it was Zack.
Zack stopped a little ways behind her, he couldn’t think of anything to say except what he told Valiant, which was that, “Everything is fine.” The regal sister stared blankly into her now empty cup, she never turned around to see Zack.
She replied with a tremble in her voice, “I’m sorry for everything.” Zack was about to place his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but stopped half way and hesitated. He pulled his hand back slowly, as if she didn’t know what he was trying to do. He slowly walked backwards and back into the castle. Celestia just sat there, alone in her garden, alone in her own world.
Zack slowly made his way upstairs in the Western Tower where he took a quick bath. Afterwards, he placed a robe around himself and fell in his bed to recover his strength. It took a few hours before falling into complete sleep, his mind was trying to recreate the discussion him and Om had had. He was trying to see if maybe he missed something. In mid-thought, he fell asleep and dreamed of white shored beaches on a calm, blue day. The first relaxing dream he had in a very, very long time.