Savior of Eternity

by Secrets and Lies

3

(3)

Through an over calculated exertion and a small step skipped, Twilight’s siphonic relay spell failed to route her to her intended destination. As she perceived her body beginning to merge back into a single form, she felt her coat scrap along a rough and jagged surface. A dizzying effect overcame her senses as it felt like her body was stationary while her mind sent signals that she was being flung forward. As light seeped back into her eyes, a new sensation of being upturned became apparent to her. Her body and limbs curved around the branches of a tree and her sight was hindered by the thick foliage of an oak.

It took a moment for her lightheadedness to depart, but when it did, she began to carefully remove herself from the entwining branches. She gently started to pull one of her hind legs back from a branch it was wrapped around while also withdrawing an open wing which was lodged through the greenery. She steadily maneuvered her body down the trunk and safely onto the ground. As her hooves made contact with the grass she shook the leaves from her messy mane and looked about the once hidden surroundings.

“Well, close enough,” the princess said while readjusting her glasses. To the north was the ivory keep, Canterlot Castle, shown brightly against the blue backdrop of a clear day. It took a moment for her realize where she was in Canterlot, but quickly figured out that she had teleported into a park known as the Concordia Courts. In it, she noticed the central piece to the public park, a marble statue of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. It had almost slipped her mind that the ponies of Canterlot decided to create a park memorializing her and her friends. A plaque was underneath the circular statue of the six marble mares that read: “For numerous and undisclosed actions, the City of Canterlot and Equestria itself thank these six mares for devoting their lives and livelihoods, and sustaining freedom and harmony throughout our lands and beyond.” It was a mouthful, but it eased her.

It was a peaceful getaway from the hubbub that the city had become, however Twilight knew she didn’t have the time to enjoy it at this moment. She exited the park and walked along the streets, admiring the advances of her kind in the shining city. Around her she noticed the buildings had grown taller, brass tubes and steam mechanics whistled and blew about, and new progress in transportation made public access to airships and automobiles easier to come by. The population had doubled along with the headway of new technologies, ponies from the more advanced cities made there way to see and stay in the old historic capital. Lights from bulbs and street lamps flickered in bright reds, yellows, greens and blues, conveying either traffic signals or lit up advertisements. The bumble and churning of steam and combustion engines whirred up and down the streets. Though she found her home to be quite loud and a bit obnoxious, she still found the comforts of simplicity wherever she looked.

While passing a local soda shop, her ears perked up when passing by the new application in sound broadcasting. The soft cackle and sweet noise of a new song she had heard not too long ago made its way into her ear canals. She smiled warmly, and knowing the lyrics to the pleasing melody, she sang along to a high trot,

“I work at Castle Canterlot,

but, gee that Castle is cheap;

when I get back to my chilly barn lot

I'm much too tired to sleep.

I'm the one, a lady mare,

a beautiful horsey, you know,

the kind in this town that’s rare

for only a bit a throw.

Ten bits a prance

that's what they pay me,

gosh, how they scoff and neigh!

Ten bits a prance

pansies and stallions

rough guys who think I’m free!

Seven to midnight I look out,

searching for that certain male.

My wishes are changing to doubts,

stallions stepping on my tail.

Sometime I think

I've found my pony,

but I end up lonely.

All that you need is a ticket,

come on, stallion, ten bits a prance!”

Before she knew it, she was at the palace gates, which were guarded heavily by Royal Guards. It was strange for the soldiers to see Princess Twilight approaching the front entrance when usually she was ferried in by air coach.

After a brief period of confusion, a wall guard yelled out, “Open the gate!” The large iron barrier was hoisted up by two unicorn guards as Twilight entered underneath the bastion into the front courts of Canterlot Castle. As she cantered down the ivory pathway towards the curling, veranda steps, a single pegasus guard swooped down next to her and joined by her side. Twilight smiled upon seeing the newly enlisted solider, and how she knew that this Royal Guard was new was because she was a mare. The lines between gender segregation were slowly evaporating, more so in stallion careers than mare careers. Still, change was obvious and highly praised by the gradually conforming citizens of Equestria.

“Oh, hello there,” kindly greeted Twilight as if the female solider was like the rest of the stallion guards.

“I am so, so sorry, my Princess. We didn’t expect you to arrive at the front gate! I ask for forgiveness for delaying your arrival.”

“It’s quite fine, I was hardly delayed. You’re pardoned.” Though Twilight never enjoyed acting as a regal pony, she knew from experience she had to put on the persona around strangers who thought highly of her.

Instead of taking the steps, Twilight took off into the air. With grace, she landed delicately and proceeded to enter through the open doors to the castle. The interior of the palace was the same as it had been for years, hardly anything had changed about it. The lofty ceilings and high walls, adorned with murals, paintings, pottery and the like stretched throughout the multiple halls that spanned across the castle. The light from high arching windows blanketed the warm passageways and royal red rugs that clothed the flooring. Hired maids and servants swept, dusted and moved objects throughout her course through the castle, often greeting Twilight with the customary "Your highness” or “Good evening Princess Twilight.”

Traveling through these corridors felt highly surreal to her, as if she was enacting a dream of her fillyhood. The charm of Castle Canterlot’s familiarity enchanted her in ways no magic or medicine could reproduce. Twilight remembered her younger years spent here, discovering the many rooms of the palace and skipping about the castle greeting everyone she met. Cherished moments with the Princess even made their way back into her mind, resurfacing delightful days of old. One of her fondest memories was of her and Celestia playing hide-and-go-seek, and though Celestia knew every nook and cranny of the palace, she made the game much more enjoyable for young Twilight. The matured Princess had to stop for a moment, listening to the near silence of the citadel as her nostalgia took over. Her eyes began to well up, but she pressed back the inner joy and continued to make her way to the throne room, knowing that she was nearly late to her meeting.

Turning down the last corridor towards her destination, three Royal Guards were stationed near the entryway to the chamber. Two held firm to each side of the large double doors while one paced slowly in front, at first oblivious to the coming Princess. Twilight noticed who was ahead of her and her trot quickly proceeded into a gallop. The front guard took notice at once of the coming noise as a smile found its way upon his face. He approached and hugged the coming mare as Twilight stretched her hooves up and around her brother’s shoulders.

“It’s so good to see you, BBBFF!"

“Likewise, lil sis.” The two released one another from their loving grasp as they took a moment to collect themselves. Shining Armor had hardly changed to her, only a faded mane gave way to his age. He was as strapping and sharp as he once was years ago, and still he held the position as the Captain of the Guard. Though he never ventured out into the wilds of outer Equestria in his later years–and Twilight was thankful for this–he was still a headstrong leader and defender of the weak. Peace had taken its toll on the land, yet Shining was almost unaffected by its alluring hold.

“How have you been?” Twilight asked.

“Fine, as usual. The only real excitement this week has been seeing you, that and hearing that the Princesses are holding a secret meeting for you.”

“Princesses?” Twilight had previously thought it would be a meeting between only her and Celestia. She didn’t care if Luna was present–she enjoyed her company–but she was simply uninformed at the change in plans.

“Yep,” Shining stated quite firmly, “both Celestia and Luna. That’s really all I’ve been informed of.” He swayed his body to the side and rose a hoof towards the entryway. “Shall I escort the Princess to her secret meeting?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and just as properly replied, “You may, fine sir.”

__________

Before Twilight entered the chamber, Celestia was alone in her throne room. She hadn’t aged a bit due to her immortality, though as each year passed, her mind continually aged. She stood towards the overarching windows behind the throne, looking over the sweeping green valleys of Equestria. Her eyes followed the waves of untampered forests that stretched far and climbed the higher lands and mounts. The border of the Icicle Mountains could be seen gleaming faintly on the lower horizon, and where they declined into the Equestrian borders the earthy brown Drackenridge Mountains leveled off into eventual foothills.

Dragon Peak was just as visible from Canterlot; her eyes were affixed to the mountain where the world nearly ended thirty-three years ago. It was a monument to her, a bleak reminder of how dark the days of old were. Were it not by a single thread of fate, Equestria would be lost in total desolation. She felt a presence coming and turned to greet her soon to be arriving sister. A orb of indigo light burst before her and in its place stood the prominent and powerful Princess of the Night.

Luna joined next to her sister saying, “The Ivory Guard approached me this morning, Gallant and his troop have been eliminated.” Celestia made no visible remark, her eyes only traveled back to the large window before them.

Luna continued as coldly as before, “Gallant informed me over the Oracle Orb that indeed the rumors were true, the Griffons are forming an army. We knew this of course, but Vallak has been accumulating his allies across Arteria. They are on the verge of an invasion, and we are their number-one target.” Celestia lowered her head and sighed.

“This was bound to happen," Celestia said. "The only way we have secured peace for so long was because we let them gather their masses. If we went forward and attacked first, their allies would aid them. Peace would end.”

“Even if we drew in all of our forces, Vallak would still crush us.” She paused for a moment before saying, “So it is time...” Luna took in a breath as her heart fluttered a little faster on the coming words. She restated slower, “...It is time we seek out the Hero of Arteria again.”

“Have you made contact with him in the past years?”

“Only rarely." Luna elaborated, "It’s been a decade since I last met him near the border. Our meetings are only brief. He seems to want to stay away from Equestria and to continue his studies of the world. He has begun to walk down the many different paths of magic. His own natural abilities were nothing more than an average unicorn’s without the Catalyst Stone or Prevailer in hand, now he has sought out the natural magics of Cerji. Whenever we would meet, I would grant him use of my lunar scrolls for study. I doubt he has the prowess to master such a delicate magic.”

“Are you forgetting who Zachary is, sister of mine?”

Luna took a moment to think over her sister’s words before digressing, “Do you want me to seek him out once more?”

“No, I think I have a better idea.”

The doors to the throne room were magicked open by the two stationed unicorn stallions on the outside. Both Princesses turned to greet Twilight Sparkle as she entered quite calmly. Celestia stepped forward with a true smile on her face.

“Welcome. It’s been so long since we have seen you.”

Twilight smirked, “Things have gotten busier, and recently I’ve been sidetracked from my letters. Oh and forgive me for my... tardiness.”

“It’s quite alright. Me and my sister have been quite busy here in Canterlot as well.” The white alicorn gave off a golden aura around her horn as the doors behind her were gently, but firmly closed. Twilight was a bit excited to be apart of this long awaited meeting; she couldn’t fathom what it could be about, but she hoped that maybe it would bring about more adventures that her heart truly sought after. She longed for her and her friends to go out and save Equestria once more from the once persisting evils of the magical world.

Celestia looked over at Luna, signaling her to do a premeditated task. Luna focused as the seam between the doors to the room melded into a single slab. None of the guards noticed this, nor did Twilight as Luna’s magic could be used stealthy, without a visible glow around her horn.

Celestia tilted her head slightly and informed the purple alicorn, “There is no need to conceal your age here.” Twilight nodded and agreed. Slowly, her mane and tail glowed with youth again as the wrinkles around her jaw and eyes faded away. Finally, the glasses she wore puffed into smoke as they magically disappeared; she looked as young as she did thirty-three years ago.

Celestia stepped closer towards Twilight as she imparted, “Now then, it has been many years since Discord’s return to Equestria, do you remember it?”

“Yes, in fact I do. The hedge maze, the twisted Ponyville, how I brought together my friends and how we overcame him.” She paused and asked, “What about Discord? I thought he was reformed?”

“All questions will be answered in due time. Me and Luna feel that it is time for the truth to be unveiled to you.”

“The truth?” The way her former mentor spoke of such things and in such mannerisms was unsettling to Twilight.

Celestia nodded and lowered her head. The student and teacher touched horns as magic pulsed through the elder and into the younger. A sudden flash sparked in Twilight’s mind, the clouded and distorted memories of old began to resurface once more. It all came to her quickly, so quickly that the memories flickered together in a distorting and dizzying fashion. She didn’t know what she was seeing and fought to open her eyes with all of her might, to try and escape the insanity. With a burst of strength, she managed to force her eyelids open and when her vision came to, she found herself in a different location in the castle. The chamber around her was darkened, yet before her stood a tall glass pane stained with colored pieces that, in all, resembled the Elements of Harmony. Below it stood both Celestia and Luna overlooking the young Princess.

Twilight’s eyes scanned the window above her, an abnormal light source pierced through the art. As her mind was opened for the first time since thirty-three years, the glass mural she had seen a hundred times told a new story. The shapes of the jewels seemed to float about the glass and place themselves in new locations. Through the disorder configured a new image, an image of a creature that seemed so odd, yet familiar to her. It held in its grasp a sword that glimmered of purity, and in his other hand he grasped a stone of shifting hues. Her eyes widened upon realization, the name came so natural to her.

Without thought, she uttered his name, “...Zack...” She was still confused, though her mind was steadily forming the memories in chronological order.

Luna spoke up, “Zack... Zachary... Whatever you may call him, he is the reason for our peace. He is the hero of Equestria, he is the–”

“How could you do this!” Twilight abruptly exclaimed. Luna hushed herself and was taken back by Twilight’s outburst. The small alicorn held her hooves to her head as she fell back on her haunches. The memories seem to crash together, the fabricated and the real memories of her past battled with one another.

She couldn’t handle it as she spouted, “Zachary! Dragons! Olrugena! Dragon Peak! Starswirl! Pinkie! Valiant! Catalyst! Blacksmith! Prevailer! Hexarch!” She violently turned towards Celestia and forced out, “The Discord here is really a chaotically altered version of Hexarch that thinks he’s actually Discord when Discord was really a malevolent spirit that possessed Zachary and...” she abruptly stopped, took a breath, and outwardly spoke her realization, “I was killed... I was killed by Zachary, who was in turn possessed by Discord at the time, but still... He threw a sword in my chest!” She started patting herself down, checking for scars of any sort.

“Twilight!” Celestia ordered. The purple alicorn immediately stopped upon hearing her mentor’s harsh tone of voice.

She placed her hooves together, took a deep breath and exhaled, “I’m calm...” She opened her eyes and stood back up onto her hooves. “Sorry. This is all a bit... overwhelming...”

“I’m sure it is. Do you remember everything now?”

“To the point of me being–” she swallowed and faltered, “...m-murdered.”

Celestia walked forward and placed a hoof on her former pupil, “I have a task for you. Go to Rhignes Rock, retrieve him and return. I have made it simple for you to siphon relay there; if you search your mind, you will find that I have given you the location to its hiding place.” Twilight took a moment to concentrate and found it with ease.

The former unicorn questioned her Princess, “Why do you want me to go there?”

“I had the feeling you needed a retreat from the simplicities of Ponyville.”

“I’m fine with that, but why not Pinkie Pie? I believe she is more than capable of venturing out and seeing him.”

“If she could, she would have already done so. I have given her a map to his location in the past, who knows what she has done with it or where she has gone.” Celestia reestablished, “I need you–however–to go about doing this. It would be quicker for you to teleport there than for Pinkie to walk.”

“What about the panexus?”

Luna spoke up on the matter, “Rhignes Rock is located in an area where the magical currents, the Ley Lines, fluctuate like the tides of the ocean. There is a great disarray of energy impulses that the ancient magical artifact cannot, at the time, properly function as it is intended. However you have a greater advantage siphoning there then taking a panexus and less likely end up being buried a thousand feet below the artifact, if you use the panexus that is."

“How long do you think it will take me?”

“A day or so, we will wait patiently for both of you to return.”

Before Twilight concluded the meeting, she asked another, more somber question towards both of the Princesses. “Why tell me all of this now? Why did you wait so long to reveal this truth to me?”

Celestia came to answer, “Because not all secrets should be known when discovered. Not all knowledge should be presented at the earliest moment. There is a time and place for everything.”

Twilight was quite content with that answer as she averred, “I assume that’s all the secrets then. I couldn’t imagine any other greater secret then that.” Celestia only grinned at her still playful, filly-like ignorance.

“You must depart, time is of the essence.”

“Wish me luck,” she expressed when parting from the two alicorns. She exited the double doors to the throne room and began to make her way outside. She didn’t notice the lack of guards nor cared, her mind was fastened to other thoughts.

A spike of urgency ran through her mind as she remembered something quite suddenly. The thought came that she was never in the throne room when her mind was opened up to the memories of Zachary. She turned and trotted back towards the door she came from and gently creaked it open. She peaked in and noticed that indeed it was the throne room, a well lit and empty throne room.

__________

The day was drawing to a close as high and narrow cirri swept over a village below. The sun embraced the far ranges, nestling itself between the undisturbed ridges. Long shadows and amber rays was an invitation for warm air as it soothed the grounded denizens. From west to east, the atmosphere was bathed in a mixture of hues that faded into one another. Vibrant reds and alluring pinks filled the western sky and coated the contours of silver clouds that streaked beyond the horizon. A pure orange and a gentle yellow were hand in hand, gracing the upper loft of the world; all of which grew faint against a calm, dark blue veil–the coming of an enchanting night. Though the transition from evening to nightfall would be a peaceful coming, something came forth from the high hills that brought with it no peace, but sorrow.

As the dinner plates were being set out on the table, there was a steady knock on the door of the Steed residence. Everyone–Amber Skies, Sunny Days and Gale–seemingly stopped preparing food in the kitchen upon hearing the noise. It was a curious time for anyone to be coming by at this hour, none knew who it might be. Before one of the three could react or exit the kitchen, a new pair of hooves made their way towards the door. Valiant Steed–the father and husband of the family–had left his recliner and newspaper to answer the call. He had matured much in thirty-three years, though through his outward appearance one could hardly tell.

When the entryway was opened, his vision fell upon an old sight. His deep blue eyes widened at the sight of the Princess of the Night; her presence was as unexpected as if she were Zachary. He didn’t quite know what to say at first. Her expression was stolid and patient, he knew whatever she came to tell him was of high importance.

“M-my Princess,” was all he could muster out to say at first. He took a breath and continued, “May I help you, Luna?”

The Princess had a delayed response–she knew she had to tell him the honest truth, the truth of what happened to his eldest son in the Icicle Mountains. It was customary for Royal Guards to inform the families of their fallen loved ones, but she took it upon herself to do this task. As a close friend, Luna sought to be with Valiant as a way of comfort. The moment and courage finally rose up in her in what felt like hours before the crippled pegasus stallion.

“Valiant...” she started, her tone gave way to the gloom in her heart. “Gallant Steed and his stallions were ambushed in the Icicle Mountains. None were spared.” Valiant’s eyes became empty, mouth slightly ajar. His stance locked up like a statue, he wasn’t ready for such drastic news to be made known to him. Luna felt a pain in her stomach, seeing the stallion before him tense towards an emotional breakdown.

“We were able to recover the body... but by the time we did, he was gone.” She reached a hoof over onto his shoulder and sympathized, “I’m so sorry, Valiant.”

Gale and their children came up behind Valiant, wondering who was at the door. Valiant heard the three approaching and slowly turned. They halted in mid-trot, seeing the look of horror on his face.

“Valiant, dear?” Gale carefully asked, having not heard Luna’s words a moment ago.

He was on the verge of faltering as he stared into his wife’s eyes and quivered out, “Gallant...” Only from his name and from Valiant’s tone she knew what this meeting was about. She rose her hooves to her mouth, letting out a sharp breath. Both Amber and Sunny were unable to cope with the news so suddenly, it was as if at any moment one of them would wake up in their own beds, but that moment never came. Gale nodded in denial of the news, keeping her eyes affixed on her husband.

He breathed out, shutting his eyes tightly and trying to hold back the coming tears, “Our son is dead.” She raced over and threw her arms around him, bawling into her husband’s shoulder. Luna stepped back as his family gathered around him, she could do no more but leave. She took to the skies as young Sunny Days watched from over his father’s other shoulder.

The death of his brother had not yet truly effected him, he couldn't bring himself to cry just yet; though he knew he would in the coming night. He loved Gallant dearly, and he knew his father loved him much more than Sunny. It was an obvious fact, though something that maybe Valiant wasn’t entirely aware of. Gallant was the shining example of what Sunny wasn’t meant to be, but what Valiant always wanted in him. Sunny couldn’t comprehend how this would affect his family in the long run, but cared not to search for such answers at a time like this. He held his father closer as he closed his eyes, trying his hardest to grieve.

As the sun sank below the horizon, an unnoticeable blue light flickered in the heavens above–and vanished in the coming moment.

Comments

[Adjier]

So good....
Twi... you tricky minx. Although if you don't tell Pinkie I will kill you. She must see him you see.

This is too awesome. You are awesome Secrets.
~Adjier