He smiled "Thanks" he looked around at the surrounding ponies, ten of which stared and smiled as they passed. I replied to him a you're welcome as he continued to speak, walking next to me."So, we need tickets north right?”
I nodded as I turned a corner, we were heading down to my old street. I figured my dad would have some old coats that would fit us so that we wouldn’t have to waste our bits. "Yes we will need tickets. Are we going to be in the crystal Empire or more north passed it?"
"I dont know, it just said north and something about two keys that will forever cross" Mr. Lucem said as tried thinking on the riddle they were given but all his mind came to was a stop.
"Hmm..what could those keys be.." I said to myself as we headed towards an apartment building. I knew the building quite well since it was my old home.As we got inside the building Mr. Lucem commented how roomy the lobby was. I waved to a couple of ponies and they waved back saying hi and things like that. I headed for the stairs, he just follows behind me silently for now and smiles to anypony that waves or notices him, trying to keep close to me. We noticed a red stallion like the one from the story he told me but looking again he had disappeared into the crowd.I wait for him at the top of the stairs. "Did you notice that stallion as well?”
He nods. "Red as the purest blood" His eyes glowed brightly as he look up "Mystery, I need to talk"
I nodded. "Go ahead, speak'
The next thing he says shocks and surprises me. “The information you were given isn't complete, Eros told you all she could but, theres more. The keys are in the bottom of the Crystal Empire, at the darkest corners of its last emperors time you will face the demons he locked away, shadow creatures...abominations, be ready, but the keys you seek aren't the ones you think at all" He kissed my head. "Child watch out for my brother Tartarus, he will soon attack" The feeling of life flooded into me causing a gold streak to form in my mane as he smiled again and then fell on his face.
"Gaia?" I muttered to myself seeing Mr. Lucem fall on his face. I go to pick him up thinking about the words he said. I knew that he had no memory of Eros so it must have been Gaia.
He rubbed his head while laid on the floor, one second seeing my face the next the floor, something was wrong with him and it felt as though he had lost part of himself.
"You alright sir?" I asks.
"No, I feel slightly...empty" He said standing, opening his formerly gold eyes were now brown and as he looked up he noticed a golden stripe down my mane "Where did that come from?"
I looked at my mane slightly stunned, I haven’t even noticed it before, did it happen when I felt a strange feeling go into my body. "I'm not sure..."
He rubbed his eyes. "Has anything changed about me?"He asked looking at himself.
"Your eyes are brown if that is anything." I answered.
He looked up, for his entire life he had gold eyes "T-they should be gold..." he sighed "What happened"
"Im not sure, you were just talking to me...anyway I know where we need to find the keys"
"How?" He got a headache, he tried concentrating but his vision started to blur.
"You told me." I said trying not to lie to him about where I gotten the information. "Are you alright."
His vision blurred more "I-I-I told you" his own words slurred to him as the world kept spinning for him.
"Maybe you should just sit down for a minute." I tell him when I notice him slurring his words. After I said that he fell unconscious this time,it looked like his magic was drained and close to dead.I looked worried. "Oh no oh no. what's happening.."I looked closely at him, he laid still, breathing but lightly. I wondered what was wrong with him.
As I just wondered what happened to him a new voice in my head spoke. "He's drained of magic, sleep and bed are the best for him"
I look around slightly, hearing the voice. I nodded and carried him onto my back. I headed towards one of the apartments and knocked. My father answered and he allowed us inside. He is an earth pony like myself, he had grey fur and mane, wore white glasses, a red bow tie and a brown vest, his cutie mark was A1 B2 C3 in the shape of a triangle. He was a retired private eye and his talent was to solve codes. He looked at me with a questionable look. He was wondering why I showed up carrying a stallion. I didn’t say anything as I walk into the living room. There was a couch, two chairs and a small coffee table. The voice continued to speak to me as if it was helping me.
Get water, he will sleep for hours and dehydration will take hold soon enough
"For him or for me?" I asked softly to myself.
Both, and I’d advise against talking to yourself in front of others.
"Its only my dad here, he doesn't care if I talk to myself." I said softly and set Mr. Lucem on the couch.
For my sanity then. I heard the voice softly laugh in my head, it was a laugh I from anywhere it was Mr. Lucem’s laugh.
I nodded. Ok. Your laugh is just like Mr. Lucem..are you Gaia? I thought going over to the kitchen to get some water. My father waited in his chair expecting me to give him an explanation by now I would have already told him what happened.
I’m...nothing, yet everything, I’m life in the world and...my brothers death and change, my sisters love, my name?...I don't know. It was silent as the voice turned feminine and spoke again I prefer this to the other.
Okay so why am I hearing you? I thought as I filled up two glasses of water.
I dont know.... It sounded uncertain as I look over to Mr. Lucem as he still laid still. I notice my father was looking at him trying to figure out what was happening. I nodded understanding what the voice said and set one glass of water on the coffee table by the couch. I took a seat in the only remaining chair in the room. The voice spoke again sounding innocent and confused like a new born foal’s thoughts. Why doesn't he look pleased?
Lucem? I thought to it looking over at my father and Mr. Lucem.
Your dad… She spoke calmly, still full of innocence.
He wants an explanation to what's going on. Its not everyday I walk back into my old home with a stallion on my back. Knowing him he will figure it out after I say only a fraction of what's happening. I drank some of the water from the glass I kept with me.
Though it couldn't be seen I could feel as if the voice nod, Why don't we bring him with us then?.
I shook my head. No I would rather not have him involved in my cases. I wouldn't want him to get hurt.
A pause comes from the voice I think...he wouldn't allow that, she said, as I looked at Lucem so I know that she was referring to him. But he should be awaking, and drink, you haven't in a while.I looked over at the clock surprised by the time, it had been a few hours since I brought him inside. It seemed time had went slower to me. I took a drink of water.
My dad looked and saw Mr Lucem was waking up. "Looks like your friend is getting up."
"Mystery?" He held his head as the voice quieted down to let him talk "Where am I?" Mr Lucem looked around and smiled setting eyes on me and my father.
"My dad's place." I answered
He nods "I remember the picture from the diner with you two." He sighed "Faint?"
"Yeah you did." I said taking a sip of water. I remembered the photo he spoke of, it was a black and white photo from my birthday as a filly with my dad and brother, just the three of us like it had always been.
My dad spoke."I'm Wargrave."
"Lucem Diem" He nodded to the older stallion "Its nice to meet you sir" He raised a hoof to him in a show of respect.
He shakes it. "Same here." He looks at me. "Will you please explain to me now why for you show up here and then for the past few hours just sit down, in the chair."
I looked at the ground for a second. "Its a long story sir."
I could see that Mr. Lucem had nearly laughed over that. "Sir?" Raising an eyebrow he looked at both of us. "Sounds more like a company than family...let me start as, I was the one who started all this" He spoke of everything we had learned and done, all the parts he knew anyway.
"She acts very formal." He nods while listening to Mr. Lucem tell the story. Once he was finished he looked at me and pointed to the gold streak in my mane. "That has to be something magic related since I know you would never do that to your mane."
Mr. Lucem looked at the gold streak and stroked his eyes "And my eyes used to be pure gold, like her new streak" he sighed "But magical, I‘m getting no radiance of it, unless its made of an infinite mass which nothing is then what that is...I don't know" He rubbed both his eyes.
"Hmm..interesting." My father stated as he started pacing to think.
I look at my father. "Yes it is interesting, trust me."
"We have no idea where the keys are either, or if there even in the north..." Mr. Lucem sighed once more "This is a conundrum inside a riddle"
"The keys are in the bottom of the Crystal Empire, at the darkest corners of its last emperors time." I said looking at Lucem
He looks at me. "How do you know that?" He looks skeptical but knows he can trust me.
"You told me before you passed out." I replied.
"I dont remember that, and I remember passing out...what happened?" He asks me.
"Your eyes glowed brightly and you told me somethings." I said drinking the rest of my glass of water
"Okay, you have hidden stuff from the beginning, like what Tartares said to you" He stands "I want to know now" His tone was demanding.
I heard the tone of his voice and knew I had to tell him."He kept calling you his sister and when he gets the sickle you're going to die. I figured out when I was talking to him that you are the avatar of Gaia. I would have told you after it happened but Tartarus said if I wanted to solve this case not to mention it to you." I looked at the ground. "Want to know what happened at the library....."