Xellos leaned back against one of the Canterlot palace's spires as he looked out over the city. Night time was always interesting there as the skies were so clear and free of the light pollution the he was used to from his old world so he had a clear view of the skies and surrounding lands under the moon. He had made it a habit of just relaxing somewhere high and taking in the view on Hearths Warming since he had arrived in this world to help keep a grip on what little memories he had of his old life.
That night he was focused on teasing a windigo that had found it's way to the area, which he had encased in a crystal ball, but had his mind on other things. One of the things on his mind was his little list of things to do before enacting his final plan as he had been breezing through it faster than expected now that the current age had arrived. It had been a long time since he had added anything to the list but that was also part of why he set the current day aside like he did.
“It has been a long time since I have seen you up here. Though I guess that explains why my sister had one of her guards let me know that something was up here instead of taking care of it herself.” The biped's head turned to the side to see Celestia walking up the side of the roof towards his location.
Turning back to the windigo Xellos just shrugged is a drew a finger along the surface of the ball which the spirit of hate chased. “Well I doubt I will be welcome anytime soon, at least until you little ponies' media circus calms down in a month or two. Besides there are plenty of places around the world to visit with a view as good as this for today.”
He gestured to a newspaper that was next to him with the headline, 'Princess Luna Has Secret Fiance?' The alicorn had to sigh as she looks on the picture of Xellos kissing her sister on the cheek and how the stories had escalated this far already. “They do tend to take things like this a bit too far, yet I wonder who it was that gave the press that photo as there has yet to be a name given for the photographer.”
Xellos paused and looked thoughtful for a moment before her went back to toying with the orb. “I believe that it was a young colt from Ponyville that took the picture since he always is carrying a camera around. I doubt the press would enjoy admitting to being upstaged by him which would be why they didn't release a name and there wouldn't have been any reporters there since it's a small town and Luna showed up unannounced.”
The princess had to chuckle at the thought of their reactions to a colt bringing them the picture despite how much trouble it had brought. She moved closer to the monster before she took a seat right next to him to look out over the city with him. The two just sat there for a while just taking in the silence and each others company before the alicorn finally sighed. “I should start bringing Luna up here when we both have nothing else to do. Just to sit and talk as we get away from everything even if it is just for a few minutes. She missed so much while she was gone and she has so much trouble understanding our ponies now and you and I are the only ones that were there to see it happen and considering how you two get along.”
She paused as she looks over at Xellos while considering something. “Why is it that you do all of that to Luna anyways? You used to do it before her banishment but you eventually stopped, so why start up antagonizing her again?”
Xellos stared into the globe for a moment longer before he stored it away in his satchel. “Back then it was all just fun and games and I wonder if she ever would have become Nightmare Moon if I didn't stop. Of course that was then, now she just feels so off as if she had lost her sense of fun and I've been trying to get her to open up a bit. That night she was starting to open up again but when she started to fall backwards I decided to step in. Mostly I do it just because it's amusing.”
Celestia just shook her head at him before leaning against the spire that topped the roof. Standing up, Xellos walked out to the edge for a better view of the landscape in the direction towards the walls of Tartarus. “Amusement. That's why I do much of what I do and because they are interfering with that and my own plans is why I fight those of my own kind. We are all creatures that are descended from chaos, but unlike chaos they have only one focus and reject chaos by refusing change. Change is inevitable yet they reject it unlike most of the world. Did you know that the Canterlot Plains there used to be called Demon's Run?”
She paused to think for a moment in curiosity, wondering where he was going with this, before she shook her head. “Huh, remind me to tell you that little poem about it I heard from old Swirly. Still, change should always happen but if not guided correctly it can turn into a hindrance instead of a benefit. Your subjects are a perfect example, they've changed so much in a peaceful direction that few have any real fight left in them. Luckily it isn't too late to fix all of that.”
In response the princess only leveled a glare at him, as she realized what he was referring to, before speaking. “We have that peace because those spells were no longer in use and forgotten. You are lucky that it is only those fillies that are being taught and Twilight can keep an eye on them. At least then whatever damage you may cause will be contained.”
Xellos just looked back at her and raised an eyebrow before shaking his head sadly. “Wow, you sure have been out of touch all this time if that's what you truly think, especially with all the escapees from Tartarus. I wonder if you would still be saying that if I just watched as your precious student died because everything she learned was worthless against even the weakest of monsters. Or if one of the kingdoms that still have that magic decided that your peaceful and defenseless ponies would be perfect targets to invade. Peace of your kind is only a lie that is revealed when war arrives on your doorstep and by then it's too late to stop it.”
While she was about to argue, the princess instead winced as she remembered what had happened that day which caused her to give her student that book of spells. The princess wanted to argue with him on this more but he had a point especially with Tartarus no longer being secure. Thinking of that hellish prison reminded her of something she needed to ask. “Before the breakouts from Tartarus I would have argued with you, but I never expected anything to breach it without being noticed. Have you found the source yet?”
Glancing back with a raised eyebrow at how easily she capitulated on the previous topic he decided to just accept the small victory for now. “Hmm, unfortunately I haven't found a thing about it which is worrying. I have searched every bit of the barrier as well as the surrounding area and have found nothing. So either something is strong enough to hide the breach from me, or they found another way out that is nowhere near there. Both are rather concerning prospects. Hopefully it's not some other kingdom, that hasn't banished all the old magic, finding a way to summon them through the dimensional walls.”
Celestia looked worried on hearing this while she made a mental note to check on the other kingdoms and how they still had those spells. “That is worrying, especially if the stronger creatures locked away start to escape as well. If you were right about Discord being possessed by one of the strongest then who knows how dangerous the others will be since it couldn't completely control him.”
Glancing down at his talismans, Xellos wondered how many of the other three were locked in there at that moment and how many were free elsewhere. “Hmm, that could be a problem then if any of them gain control of anything truly strong. With all the enemies you've made over the years and just locked up it'll be hard to say who has the last three fragments until they show. I highly doubt your student would be ready to face any of them anytime soon.”
The princess nodded before she rose to her hooves to make a few preparations for the future. As she prepared to leap into the air Xellos' voice rang out once again. “Oh, and try to get Twilight to lighten up a bit. With how long she is going to be around she can't afford to be as neurotic as she is if she's going to be around for as long as you.”
Celestia stumbled at his words before she turned back to glare at him furiously. “How do you know about that?! I never told anypony about so how did you find out? If you do anything to her I'll...”
Her tirade was halted when Xellos vanished before reappearing right in front of her and booping her nose. “Oh calm down. You should know by now that I don't kill indiscriminately and preventing your student from reaching her so-called destiny goes against my own plans. Of course things may not fully turn out like you expect but I won't be doing anything to her, for now.”
The response to this was a growl from the princess as she continued to glare at him before her face morphed back to one of her usual sereneness. “It is true that you are little like your other monster brethren yet I have to wonder why you are fighting them and why you have been so talkative today. Rarely are you so forthcoming and you often keep most things a secret.”
Xellos paused to think for a moment before he shrugged at her. “Let's just say that if anyone will be destroying the world it will be me, I at least have my pride in not letting others do it for me, as for all of this?” He smirked at her before he continued. “Just blame it on the time of the year and call all of this an early Christmas present.”
With that he vanished from the alicorns view leaving her both bemused as well as disturbed. “How much of the future does he know, and what is this Christmas thing he mentioned?”