Worlds in Words

by Ravenmane

The Shadow and The Sisters

Long ago

A fierce storm raged outside the palace of the Royal Sisters and the guards had retreated to the archway that concealed the massive doors. This was the worst storm they had seen in years, and it obscured a cloaked figure that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The figure stood on two legs and moved swiftly. Soon it was upon the guards, still huddled up against the walls. It reached over and grabbed one of the guards. “I have a message for your masters, let me pass at once!”

Soon the guards had managed to force the doors open enough for the cloaked figure to pass indoors. Once inside, it lowered its hood to reveal a young man with pale blue eyes and weathered skin. He strode along the corridors, having made this journey only once before did not stop him from remembering the way. Guards did not impede his trip; they knew he was expected.

Soon he strode into a great hall, two regal figures at the opposite end waited for him. “You are late,” came the voice of one as the man walked closer to them. Soon however the two alicorns, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, became clear. “What has kept you?”

“Forgive me,” said the man, “I was being watched. My people are growing suspicious. I fear that this may be the last time I come here.”

“We wish to know what news you have for us,” called Princess Luna.

“The hiding place for the book is done.”

“And what of the linking books,” asked Princess Celestia.

“All of them are gone. When I can I shall hide your descriptor book so that my people cannot find it.”

“Is there anything else you wish to tell us?”

“If someone else resembling me comes they must be dealt away with. I may have helped you advocate peace, but it is still important that your people are prepared to defend themselves from my people.”

“With your aid we have dealt with Discord,” yelled Luna. “Must we live in fear of your kind for the rest of our lives?”

“Not at all, those who keep an eye on me are foolish. If they cannot find my hiding spots then they are undeserving of my secrets.”

Princess Celestia cleared her throat. “We have observed your other creations that you have brought to us. Why take them away?”

“I have no intention for anyone to know I was here.”

“And you have done a good job. You claim to be unseen, Relyimah but why do I doubt that?”

“I am a Relyimah. I serve my king, but that does not mean I am a tool. Though I became estranged from the guild writers, I am still capable of performing the Art. Now I must demand you return the books I gave you.”

“Why would you let us observe them and then take them away?”

“I have no intention for anyone to know what I am planning.” He glared to the two, “not even your graces.”

Celestia glared at the man, but was surprised as the linking books flew to his side, each enveloped in a midnight blue hue. “Luna, why would you do this?”

“I would not trust us with such power sister,” Luna replied nonchalantly as the books were placed into a large bag.

“My thanks to you Lady of the Night,” spoke the man with a calm and even tone. After the last book returned to the bag they once came from, he hefted it over his shoulder. “Now I have one last demand of you both. Kill anyone who comes from outside your world. They will come with force and they will disrupt your way of life.”

Princess Luna glared at him with skepticism. “Why then did you stay our hooves from killing Discord then?”

“There are necessary evils in all worlds,” he reached into a satchel and withdrew a book from it. “No wanderer is allowed to live,” ha made his way to a large brazier, “understood?” As the two princesses nodded, he opened the book just barely over the fire and touched the panel, escaping just as the flames enveloped the linking book.

*****

The man returned to a cloistered library, the park would be unveiled only a few feet above his library in mere moments. He let out a low whistle and waited. In moments, he was surrounded by several large creatures. “Now, we begin this last silent breath of the Relyimah.” He opened his bag, showing them all the linking books. “Kindly take these all back to their proper places.”

One of the creatures leaned in and whispered something in his ear, which caused him to recoil. “I intend to withdraw when everything is secure. My friends must remain safe, as too must you vahkhro. Now hurry along and return the books to their locations.” Each grabbed several books in their clawed hands, ignoring the man as he hid the passage down to the Equestrian descriptive book.

Once he was alone once more, he gathered together plenty to hide the fire he planned outside the library he had hidden himself in. “Now it all ends,” he lit the fire with one of his own fire marbles. It wasn’t conventional use for the stones, but it worked in a pinch. “In this time when we the Relyimah are no longer needed we are put to death. I will not go to the gallows or to an age of death.” He withdrew one last book of his possession. “If someone is clever enough to find the book to Equestria, I pray they are clever enough to leave.” He placed his palm over the panel and vanished, this book crumbled to ash in the fire overnight. None among the D’ni saw Sura Eder, the last of the Relyimah, save for a young guardsman. His final insult was to vanish into a different Age, who's descriptor book he already hid better than any other place: in a chest at the bottom of the lake in the city of the D'ni.

*****

The Present:

“Luna,” Celestia looked to her sister, having just raised the moon. “What will we do about this ‘Nick’ that Twilight has written about?”

“I doubt he has been here long,” replied the lunar princess, “can we not have Twilight Sparkle bring him before us?”

“How could we explain him away Luna? There would be plenty of ponies who have seen him if that were the case. Twilight’s friends have seen him already, as has a student I had thrown out of the academy here in Canterlot.” How Lyra had come across anything pertaining to humans still eluded Celestia, but it was too dangerous to let it continue. “I’m afraid that by now it would spark a rebellion if we did the Relyimah’s wish to destroy him.”

“But we could crush a small rebellion sister. It would only be the residents of Ponyville correct?”

“Listen to yourself Luna; you’re beginning to sound like Nightmare Moon again!”

Luna gasped and glared to her sister. “Never compare me to her again Celestia.”

Celestia met her sister’s glare. “You got along well with the Relyimah, tell me why at least.”

Luna sighed. “He showed us such wonders. Would it not have been wise to show kindness to him? He aided us in sealing Discord, helped us bring order to the chaos that Discord sewed, and even proved that peace could reign for all ponykind. Not a moment went by on the moon when I did not think of why I had fallen so far, save for when I remembered he told us to spare Discord.”

Celestia bit her lip; she knew where this topic was going. The Relyimah had reminded them to rule fairly and to show even the barest hint of kindness to their foes.

He had left with more questions than advice, but both sisters had come to terms with knowing that he would never have shared anything with them that would endanger their world.

“Luna,” Celestia spoke out of the silence, “I will make the arrangements with Twilight. We will need to speak with this man about his intentions. I would rather not have to resort to wiping all of Ponyville out to keep our promise to the Relyimah.”

“You can write the letter announcing our arrival in Ponyville once you can stop calling him by that name.” Having the knowledge that she struck her sister silent the princess of the night left for the tedious nightlong vigil of the empty court and all the revisions she still had to make to her sister’s laws.

Comments

[WorldWalker128]

Long live Luna. Luna the wise, Luna the lovely.
-
wow, that was fast. Nice going. It seems you've been infected with 'the Muse's surge' too.

[Ravenmane]

388683 When I finished the previous chapter I had originally integrated the story into it. Near its completion I favored letting it be its own chapter.