Epilogue (Part 2)
"State your business," a pair of Royal Tomb Guards barked, defending a set of heavy iron doors.
"I'm here to speak with Princess Luna," Twilight replied.
The guards shared a glance. "Very well," one said, "But understand that these are the Royal Tombs. Please be respectful, Princess Twilight."
"I understand," Twilight said.
Turning with mechanical grace, the Guards pulled the two iron doors open. The Royal Tombs lay on the other side. Stained glass mirrors lined the walls, spreading out into era-sorted halls. On the right lay the Solar wing, on the left, the Lunar wing.
Awe filled Twilight's throat. She'd never been here before; she'd never had a reason. Okay, Twilight thought, Princess Luna should be around here somewhere.
Twilight's cantering hooves echoed through the halls. Eras of time passed by on either side. At first the wings were both bright, containing a mirror apiece. Come the 1st century Solar reign, the Lunar wings fell into darkness. The 5th century hall approached.
The 5th century hall… Twilight idly wondered if Gar-eth had a mirror dedicated to himself. She turned right.
A dark mare stood in the middle of the hall, facing away from Twilight. Princess Luna stared up at a dull brown mirror with a muted expression.
Guh! Twilight backpedalled around the corner, cringing low.
A hoof clopped in her direction. Luna's voice came, low and gentle, "Thou needst not fear, Twilight."
A squeak shot out of Twilight's mouth. She peeked around the corner.
Instead of a scowl, Luna offered Twilight a smile. "What dost thou seek in this place?"
"O-oh, um." Twilight scrawled around the corner, trying to return the grin. "I-I'm just looking for… uh-- H-how are you today?"
Luna tilted her head, turning to the stained glass mirror. "After thy expedition through the Crystal Mirror, Cadence and I found ourselves curious as well… curiosity led me to this place, filled with 'short-range mirrors'." She shot a bitter glance over to the darkened Lunar halls. "And a reminder of how much time hath passed."
"Oh… right. You were on the moon all this time, and—"
"It needn't be said, Twilight." Luna gestured upwards. "Do you also come to ponder this strange mirror?"
Huh?
Unlike the other Mirrors, which showed triumph or a message of hope, Grey Spear's was far more humble, muted. A shaded figure sat away from the view, tending to animals under a snowy gazebo. The details were muddy and poor, making it impossible to tell whether the figure depicted was human or equine. What's more, there was no tell-tale shimmer of magic, indicating this mirror was crafted from pure, unenhanced glass. Just below the mirror itself, written on a brass plate was written:
"Prince Grey Spear," Twilight whispered.
"Indeed," Luna intoned. "There is little information pertaining to his existence. His mirror is unenhanced, leading nowhere. There are no other mirrors like this in the Royal Tomb."
Twilight narrowed her eyes. He did it again.
"There's more," Luna continued. "I discovered this by searching through Star Swirl’s journals on Mirrors – a necessary precaution in case thou found thyself trapped on the other side – he built a prototype, short-range mirror. Indeed, the original site was built into what used to be the Apple family's manor."
"Used to be?"
"Yes. Although, thy may know it by its current name of 'Horizon Manor'."
Horizon Manor? Wait a minute, "B-but that's--"
"--Thy family home. Indeed." Luna gave a slow nod. "My sister's machinations run deep, Twilight. She planned for my arrival long ago, and even now, I can catch only mere glimpses at her grand strategy."
"She… planned all this?"
"She did," Luna insisted, "But I believe she meant for only good to happen. And it did. Were it not for her skills, thou would be alone, and I would be mad. Afford her the benefit of the doubt."
Twilight nodded, slowly. "I… understand. Thank you, Princess Luna, but I must beg my leave, there's someplace I have to be."
"Granted, fellow princess. I hope thous findest the answers thou seek."
The journey to find proof of a human brought Twilight back to her childhood home. Her parents were confused, but she couldn't tell them the truth. No today. Not yet.
The trail ended in a hidden section of wall in the depths of the Horizon Manor. On the other side, a red, shard-filled mirror dared her to try.
She did.
Twilight stepped out, bathed in red light. Ancient dust kicked up with a trot of her hoof and pitch blackness yawed around her.
The white-hot determination in Twilight's chest streamed into her horn, burning a hole in the dark.
Decayed ruins sagged into the earth. Debris littered the grounds, rusted armour, fossilized wood and cloth. Aiming the light up revealed the blasted, skeletal face of an ancient mausoleum, covered with scours of battle magic, littering its surface in white, yellow and black marks.
A fierce, magic-filled battle must have occurred here, long ago, Twilight realised. She bit her lip and continued.
Entering through the cracked stone doors of the mausoleum revealed that the rest of the building had just… fallen into the darkness below. The floor continued for a few metres before ending into cavernous depths. Shining a light into the dark showed the bones of the mausoleum body laying at the bottom of a 100-yard deep pit. Jagged stone welcomed Twilight into its embrace…
Twilight sucked in a gasp, pulling away from edge. O-o-okay, not that way, she thought; better look for another way down.
Pricks of golden light glowed in the distance, standing atop white stone pylons. Shining a light on them revealed a near-identical appearance, as if a mage crafted stone from the living rock and burnt them into the ground.
She'd seen those burns a thousand times before; whenever Celestia's private tutoring turned to more physical studies. Did Celestia make these? She squinted in the dark, focusing light.
A nearby pylon stood atop a gutted stone room. Correction; it pierced through on an angle and continued into the wall. Not a pylon at all, but a supporting structure. Comparing the weathering of the stones, the pylons looked to be a more recent addition.
Intrigued, Twilight approached, leaning down to try to catch a glimpse of the contents.
Little else other than rubble and rock remained. Scraps of fabric lay nestled next to a shattered, wooden box.
The shape sent Twilight's mind running, it looked familiar, like a coffin— Adrenaline cracked through Twilight's body. She whipped her horn about.
Stone rooms, stone rooms, and more. A pylon for each. All were gutted. All moved. Exhumed.
"The old Royal Tombs…"
An unmarked white path spiraled down the length of the cavern, aligning with the entrance to the empty rooms. Twilight's hooves clopped with each step, echoing off the walls. Oppressive silence filled the space between.
Fear poisoned her lungs. Every step got harder. She knew she was not meant to be here. Did she truly have to know? No, calm down, Twilight, just focus on some magic. Gathering magic into her horn, she aimed it into the centre of the room and released.
A flare spiralled off into the sky, bathing the cavern with light. The pylons' glows washed out, every shadow died, and the raw crystal walls glimmered with a false sun. From the roof to the ceiling, every crevice revealed, highlighting the bones of the mausoleum.
The burning light chased away the fear. Twilight breathed in deep. That's much better, she thought, looking over the side. Perhaps she might have some idea where she was doing now?
Another room stood apart from the fallen ruins. Unlike the others, it had no pylon pinning it to the wall, rather it was built from the same white stone as the pylons and the path.
Apprehension coiled in Twilight's gut. She picked up the pace.
The path ended a few yards away from the front of the room. A stained glass mirror lay embedded into the wall, but something looked… wrong. Most of the mirror, the top half, glowed with raw magic, as if somepony had smashed the top of the glass with a hammer. The bottom half told a different story. Two legs - human legs - stood atop a rock. A pair of five-fingered hands drew a Crystal Empire Ice bow.
The hammering of her heart filled Twilight's mind. A human. She was right. Yet, did that even matter anymore? She… she wanted to know more, needed to know. Twilight stepped forward, brushing a forehoof within.
The raw magic brightened to a blinding flash. The stagnant air shifted across her coat. Twilight's gut lurched while the contact teleportation spell tore her off her feet.
Her hooves hit the carpeted ground. The white light fated, the air grew slow.
Shivers crawled through Twilight's muscles. She opened her eyes.
No white-stone crypt, but a brown-wooded cabin surrounded her. Wooden chairs and desks arrayed around a set table, luxurious furs lined the floors, massaging and warming Twilight's hooves. Metal gleamed from an armoury to her right; spears, daggers, and unstrung bows lay in a weapons rack, all leading to a suit of humanoid armour. To her left, maps lined the wall, annotated with notes and lines. Sketched pictures pinned themselves to specific points, illustrating a real-life view of a mountain, animal, or campfire. More sketches littered a nearby desk, disordered and unkempt.
An indescribable feeling of… welcome urged Twilight in. She took one look at the armoury and decided to look at the maps first.
The largest map (or rather, collection of the maps) sketched out the pass to the northern Crystal Empire. Those hatches and lines were familiar to Twilight, old friends even, they had spent many a late night study session together on her desk. A pinned article included a sentence proclaiming 'defeat of the WARDOG OF THE NORTH by the legendary ICEFANG!' it led to another sketch; standing atop an icy ridge, a human figure, holding a spear in Royal Guard style, faced off against a Diamond Dog, clutching a spear of his own. Both had blonde hair, both wore a suit of armour just like the one—
Twilight turned.
A white tabard covered the chain shirt, printed with a dog's paw.
Shock dried Twilight's throat. She turned back to the table with the sketches.
A castle with two massive towers, pulling a draw-gate between them. Dogs stared with dull eyes. In another, it wrestled with a laughing human.
The human, Gar-eth, and Grey Spear. They were all one in the same. These trinkets all belonged to him, but what did this mean? She turned. W-what did this me—?
Dull pain smacked Twilight's hind leg. A chair shrieked across the floor, ending with a crack on a heavy stone sarcophagus.
A-a sarcophagus?
The stone coffin did not vanish with a blink. It remained, ready to give the final answer to her question.
Sweat wetted Twilight's coat and brow. This… this was it. The final confirmation. She licked her lips, lit her horn with a magehand spell, and walked over.
Magic humming filled the air. The sarcophagus waited.
Twilight could feel the sarcophagus below, one pull and she'd have her answer. Just one little pull, one little pull…
The cabin welcomed her, embraced her, it hid nothing… nothing but this.
Her horn ached. Her heart hammered. She just…
A spark shot out of her horn.
Twilight heaved a sigh, magic slipping from her grip. She couldn't, she just couldn't. She could not disturb his rest. "You win, Gar-eth, whoever you are," Twilight admitted, resting a forehoof on the grave. "Rest well… okay?"
Magic shimmered from behind. The mirror's surface distorted, a bright white light appearing in its place, coalescing into the form of an alicorn. Princess Celestia, radiant, stood before it.
Horror gripped Twilight's heart. Her stunned expression raked the room.
The hooves lay imprinted across the furs. A knocked over chair lay by the side of the sarcophagus. Pictures flittered down from the map wall.
Twilight did that. She did all of it. "P-Princess, I-I…"
Celestia stepped forward, no expression on her regal face. She stopped by the chair, righting it with a flick of her horn, continuing onto the stone coffin. Her royal hoof brushed across it, wearing a saddened expression. She turned. "I suppose this was bound to happen eventually."
"W-what?"
"That he'd be found," Celestia said. "Try as hard as he might, Gareth could never hide himself forever. Certainly not from a pony with a desire for knowledge like you."
Twilight wasn't sure how to feel about that. Discovering Gar-eth's secret felt as if she broke something far worse than a chair. This felt like a secret not meant to be discovered, one meant to stay hidden. Even still… the need to know overrode her better senses. "Princess… who was he?"
Introspection took hold over Celestia. "That… is a hard question," she admitted. "Gareth was a good man. He held much pain in his heart, and he held that pain close to avoid hurting others. In time, he showed me some of that pain."
"Oh." That… wasn't the answer she was looking for.
Celestia gave a quirked smile. "You want to know more, don't you?"
"YES!" Twilight cringed at the desperation in her own voice. "U-uh… y-yes. Yes, please."
"Alright, but first--" Golden light wrapped around Celestia's horn. Bright, stinging lights sprinkled around her body.
Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, and by the time she opened them...
Principal Celestia – no – Princess Celestia stood anew, in her human form. A flowing white dress, radiant white skin, golden finery on her head, and a gentle smile. She sighed, rubbing her fingers together, as if fitting on an old, comfortable glove.
"You look beautiful," Twilight admitted.
Celestia smiled, gesturing to a chair. "Please, sit down. Let us talk."
Twilight wanted to scramble into it… but found herself stopping. Perhaps she ought to do the same. She remembered the Crystal Mirror changing her, if she could copy that technique then… She focused magic inwards.
Magic turned her body, stretching, and moulding. Her hind legs grew long, her forehooves softened and split. Her purple coat wove into bright clothes, identical to the short-skirted, booted attire at Canterlot High.
Standing up, Twilight gave herself a once over. Boots, skirt, five fingers, no muzzle. Yep, success!
A stunned expression covered Celestia's face.
Twilight savoured the rare occasion, taking her seat with a twirl.
"Well done, Twilight. I see you've mastered transformative magics."
"I-it's easy when you know how. The Crystal Mirror did all the heavy lifting," Twilight shifted forward. "Now, tell me about Gar-eth."
"'Gareth', Twilight. I'm sure you've already inferred much from what you can see around you. He fought. He explored. He--"
"--raised animals?"
"He did! Gareth was a man of the wilds, never feeling at home inside Canterlot's walls. His real passion was to be out there, living with the beasts." Her face softened. "I loved that about him. He never feared his primal side, at least, not to himself. He only feared that it would drive others away."
"Yeah, I think I'm starting to get that last part," Twilight said. "I'm surprised that somepony so 'primal' wrote so much. Fluttershy's got an old copy of his compilation; a first edition, I think."
Celestia chuckled. "He never knew how to feel about the popularity. He raged about it at first, actually. I thought he was going to beat Noble Era when he discovered that he had been copying all his notes. However, he came around to the idea of the book being published under Noble Era's name; for the good of Equestria."
Twilight scowled. "Wow, I can understand being angry, but beating him?"
"As I said, he was a primal man," Celestia gestured to the map handing over Twilight's shoulder. "Gareth understood that, and strove to make himself useful. He wrote that map while journeying with friends."
Twilight perked up. "You mean the Rangers?"
Celestia turning to her, confusion turning to a wry smile. "Why… yes. He was training them in wilderness survival in snowy conditions. However, a great danger cut his exercises short."
"The Diamond Dogs…" Twilight turned to squint at the picture on the wall. The dog and the human, facing each other off. "What happened there?"
Amusement evaporated from Celestia's face, replaced by dignified sorrow. "He met another side of himself in the north. A Diamond Dog, by the name of 'Savage Jaw'. He was part of an army that sought to conquer and enslave the newly formed northern Equestrian settlements. Knowing they stood no chance against an alicorn, they looked to uncover an ancient power that once enslaved the Crystal Empire."
Darkness. A cackling laughter roared in Twilight's mind. Chills froze her bones with fear. "You don't mean…"
"Sombra," Celestia answered. "Savage Jaw assisted his master in attaining the key to King Sombra's powers; the 'Dark Crystal', Sombra's horn. Gareth stopped him. They fought for hours, but in the end, Gareth won. Yet, in victory, Savage Jaw took something from him. He never told me what. After that, Gareth never left Equestria again."
Those dark shadows and growls still haunted Twilight's nightmares. Yes, she could imagine a human feeling the same way. "And then?"
"He died."
"…Oh."
Celestia's lips twitched, her face growing conflicted. "He… he grew old, Twilight. Humans live their time, and then it's over, just like ponies. I wish it were not so, but it is."
Twilight maintained her poker face. Celestia had her reasons for the non-answer, but that didn't quell the storm of a thousand questions in Twilight's mind. One rose from the churning sea. "Then do you know who smashed the mirror?"
"Would you like to know?" Celestia asked, leaning forward. "Or… would you like to see?"
Twilight found herself leaning forward in kind. "To see."
Celestia's brow smoothed over. She leaned back, summoning golden light to glow around her index finger. "Then, relax…"
Canterlot's old halls echoed Celestia's golden-shod hooves. It was late. She was tired, and her husband was doddering around somewhere at this ungodly hour.
He wasn't checking after the animals. The courtyard was empty, nor was he training the guards as he claimed he wouldn't. The kitchen boasted no bearded humans sneaking breads into their maws, nor were armourers being harangued by an angry knight claiming that their armours were too brittle. 'Pierced at 30 yards by bow shot? Pathetic!'
No, Celestia thought, there was only one place left to look. She turned towards Noble Era's old study. If he wasn't here it would be time to form a search party. Or get Lord Styre.
Giggles from down the hall mixed in with her hoof falls. The gentle tone of Gareth's story-telling voice thrummed over the top; a pleasant background timbre.
Aha. Celestia smiled to herself. She picked up the pace, nudging the door to open.
Unoiled hinges groaned open. Taken over by Gareth, Noble Era's old study remained every bit as messy and ill-kept as when Gareth had first claimed it. Collections from his travels replaced mystical curios, scrolls on magical theory turned into biology sketches while the giant piano had changed into a lounge room. A collection of foals, all undoubtedly far up past their bedtime, sat arrayed upon the largest sofa, sitting opposite of their storyteller; Gareth.
Gareth was still wore last night's 50th jubilee outfit: his dark slacks, interlaced with silver, were matched with a similarly coloured jacket and shoes. A white tunic lay underneath, pairing off with the delicately woven chainshirt of the lightest materials. He'd kept his gray beard trimmed, while his hair remained in a ponytail (Celestia nodded her approval). The enjoyous engagement on his wrinkled, liver-spotted, face mirrored the fillies, waving his hands in the air in mimicry of a bird's flight.
'Found you,' Celestia mouthed.
"Hmm?" Gareth turned.
The foals noticed Celestia, letting out gasps of shock and groans of disappointment.
"Cecilia?" Gareth murmured, smiling at the foals. "Well, that would explain the mixed reaction."
"Gareth," she took an admonishing tone. "You really ought not keep your grandchildren up so late. You did claim to be a responsible grandfather, did you not?"
He turned back to the foals with a cheeky look on his aged face. "Sorry foals, it appears that she is right. The story will have to continue tomorrow, it seems."
"Noo!"
"No, please grandpa!"
Gareth let out a huffing chuckle, gesturing to Celestia. "The Princess hath spoken, I'm afraid the matter is out of my hands."
Celestia frowned. Gareth, you—
The foals turned to her at once, big eyes pleading. 'Please, please big auntie Celestia, don't take our favourite storyteller away!' 'We wanna hear the story!' 'Bedtime is for the bored and the weak!'
Oh fine. Celestia resisted an eye roll. "Very well… finish where you were, Gareth."
"Excellent," Gareth intoned, gesturing amongst the foals. "Please your majesty, seat yourself."
Wait, what? Celestia glanced to the foals – who wriggled in anxious excitement – surely he jests!
"Now-now, Princess, you don't see yourself as being above your subjects… do you?"
Celestia's brow furrowed right down to the muzzle. Yep, she was getting him for this. She walked over to the gaggle of children and settled in. They immediately clamped around her, cooing and sighing.
Alright, perhaps she wouldn't get him quite as much for this. The foals were warm. And adorable. "You may continue, storyteller," Celestia decreed.
Gareth clapped his hands together. "Excellent!" He scooched forward, smiling down at his audience. "Now, this was my first encounter with the glorious phoenix, and what a glory it was. Soaring upon high, with wings of flame and fell screeches! Such a glorious specimen… and a dangerous one. Especially for me, for I had made a rookie mistake. Can anypony here tell me what I did wrong?"
Knowing the answer, Celestia remained silence.
Unfortunately, deafening silence and nervous foals was Gareth's response.
Oh well. "You approached her nest," Celestia answered.
"Correct, Cecilia!” Gareth answered, undeterred. “I did approach the nest, and it was through that misunderstanding that brought about the phoenix's attack! She swooped low, crying loud enough that I could feel the vibrations in my stomach! I hefted my spear and—"
Ah, Philomena's story. Celestia recalled the tragic tale, although Gareth seemed to be spinning it for a younger audience. Instead of getting her egg crushed in a dragon attack and grieving, Gareth made it out to be that she was simply lonely. That loneliness led to her coming to join him in Canterlot. He left out the part about Gareth helping bury her child's remains in the peaceful soil of the Canterlot courtyard.
The story continued past the first foal’s yawn, then the second, and the third. Within a half hour, the entire room dozed. The sounds of snoring replaced storytelling.
"I hadn't realised you'd gotten that boring, Gareth," Celestia whispered.
Gareth shrugged, surveying the room. "They seemed enthralled, and now they are asleep. My job here is done. Help me lift them into bed, won't you?"
"Excuse me?" Celestia stood, golden light coalescing around her horn. "You'll not be lifting any foal at all. At your age there's every chance—"
A foal stirred. "Princess Celestia?" He mumbled.
Gareth stood, groaning into a crouch and stroking the foal's mane. "Shhh, Silver Wing, shhh. Back to bed."
"Mmm…" Silver wing drifted off, tucking his head into his belly.
Guilt panged Celestia's heart. She gave Gareth an apologetic look.
He held no grudge, smiling up at her. Within minutes, Celestia tucked the foals into separate sleeping bags. An up-sized bed, once Noble Era's, stood empty. Apparently meant for Gareth.
"Staying?" Celestia murmured.
"I am," Gareth replied. "I've promised to keep watch."
Oh. Celestia's heart sunk. She was so hoping to get his opinion on the—
A knock on the door disrupted her train of thought.
Gareth grunted once, giving Celestia a significant glance. He strode over, placing a hand on the latch, awaiting her approach.
Celestia joined him. She nodded for him to open.
Gareth nodded back, pulling the door open. On the other side stood a familiar scarred, green-coated, one-winged pegasus. Solo Wing's swept-over mane covered a blinded right eye, while his good, brown eye frowned in confusion. "Mother? What are you doing here? Where's father?"
The disappointment in his voice physically hurt. Celestia bit back a response, gesturing to her right, then to the sleeping ponies behind her. She pulled out Gareth and ushered them outside. "Come on, the both of you, not in here."
"Ah," Solo Wing stepped aside, one wing flapping. He shot Gareth an apologetic expression. "Sorry father, I thought you'd—"
"Fobbed off my duties onto Cecilia?" He chuckled. "I thought about it, but she's terrible at storytime."
Celestia shot him a flat look. "That's quite enough, Gareth. Solo, are you here to…?"
He nodded. "Keep an eye on them? Yeah, I thought father would have nodded off by now, or have them digging through the Courtyard at 2 in the morning. Again."
"Thank you, dear," Celestia sighed.
Gareth muttered something under his breath, giving Celestia an annoyed glance.
Oh Gareth, you delicate flower. "Is something wrong, Gareth?" Celestia asked.
"I know my son is capable. I trained him from the moment I met him," Gareth said, tapping his cane on his chest. "However, I resent the implication that I am no longer capable."
"You aren't," Solo stated.
Celestia cringed. Adopted or no, Solo Wing really did inherit Gareth's tact.
A self-effacing smile spread onto Gareth's face. "Well… yes, but the polite thing to do is contradict me."
"That's not the way you trained me, father."
"And I wouldn't have it any other way, Solo."
"Will you need anything else, Solo?" Celestia asked. "Does your wife know where you are?"
He nodded. "Apple Pie will be up shortly. Please, find a place to rest before father falls asleep standing again."
"Oh please, you're hurting my feelings," Gareth snarked.
Celestia sighed, hooking a hoof into Gareth's elbow. "Come along dear, before you banter each other out of existence."
A set of newly wrought iron doors stood unguarded, twice as high, and twice as wide as any door in Canterlot. Engraved runes shone bright, angrily warning anyone foolish enough to approach without a due cause.
Gareth stood with both hands resting atop his cane, brow furrowing. "Cecilia, what is this place?"
Concern caught in Celestia's chest. She smiled, nervous. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a good idea after all. "This is… do you remember the Equestrian Civil War?"
He gave her a flat look.
Celestia flinched. Right, she deserved that. "When you fought Larms? Below the App—er, Horizon Mansion?"
Sharp brown eyes glazed over. Gareth turned, staring off into the door. His cane creaked beneath his grip. "Then this place is…"
"The final resting place of my spouses," Celestia finished. Wait, that didn't sound right—
He gave her a sardonic look.
"Okay… bad choice of words on my part."
"Give me another few weeks, I'm feeling deader all the time." He turned back. "I assume you've had the original bodies exhumed?"
She nodded. "Yes, with all their personal effects."
"Hrn."
"Shall we?"
"We shall." Stepping forward, Gareth pushed the iron doors open. The mausoleum halls stretched on. Smells of mixed paints filled the air, while white sheets covered the floors. Craftsponies milled about, idly enjoying a lunch break, conversing and trading work orders.
Surprise spiked Celestia's chest. What was all this?! Citrus Peel assured her that all the constructions were complete!
She moved forward, intercepting Gareth with an apologetic expression. "Ah! I-I am so sorry my love, I thought that they'd finished by now!"
Gareth stared, giving no indication to have actually heard her. He looked to the halls, branching off into eras and mirrors.
"Gareth?"
"Hm?" He flinched as if physically struck. Swallowing, Gareth turned to look again. Gout-ridden hands trembled on the cane's grip. "F-forgive me Cecilia, this place… brings back memories."
Celestia's heart plunged deeper. She was afraid of that. "I should've shown you this sooner. I'd hoped it to be a surprise."
He grunted in response, eyes turning, regarding… remembering. "Well," his eyes tracked back, "you certainly surprised me."
Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. Celestia nuzzled his neck, breathing deep his scent. "Come Gareth, let's go back to bed, I don't—"
"Oh, my, Is that Princess Celestia?!" a proud, nasally voice cried out from a nearby hall. The latest hall.
Dread flushed down Celestia's coats. Please Citrus Peel, don't tell me you—
An orange blur burst from the hall. Citrus peel, Celestia's chief artisan, was an orange pegasus with paint-brush tipped wings, a sweeping blue mane, a recurring picture for a cutie mark and a beret for a hat. He rushed to her side, grinning. "My liege, such a pleasure to see you at this late hour." He leaned in, waggling his brows. "Come to show the husband his future quarters?"
Celestia grimaced. "Please Citrus, you may offend."
"Not dead yet," Gareth grunted.
"Not yet, but soon!" Citrus replied.
Gareth paused. He shrugged, turning to Celestia with a 'well, he's got me there' look.
Relief replaced Celestia's dread. He seemed to be taking the jokes as they were meant. Celestia turned, "Forgive us Citrus, but we were just leaving. I was under the impression that all the construction would be completed yesterday."
Citrus recoiled, looking about the hall with a baffled expression. "Y-yesterday? My liege, we've only had a year to complete the hall! Not to mention the excavations and many, many artifacts to sort through. Wait, you weren't thinking about--" he froze, growing a bashful expression. "Ah, of course. My wording was a bit vague. No, construction is complete… just not on the hall itself, rather, a particular PART of the hall!"
Part? Celestia looked about. "What part?"
A face-splitting grin scrapped Citrus' face. He waved an eager hoof to follow. "Oh, you're both going to love it. Please, come, come!"
His word did little to assuage Celestia's concerns. She stepped in front of Gareth (eliciting another annoyed grunt) and followed Citrus' path. Hopefully whatever it was wouldn't be too distasteful.
Citrus stopped at the foot of a cloth-covered fixture on the wall. From the size and distinctive arched shape, it looked identical to the mirrors affixed to the other halls. For other lost spouses. Pride flowed from Citrus' body and face. He gestured towards it. "Your highness, I present to you the life—"
Celestia's nagging fear flashed into horror.
"—Of Prince Grey Spear!" With a swipe of his hoof, the cloth fell away, unveiling a bright sparks of light underneath. Purple scales of a dragon circled overhead. Gareth stood in the centre, from a younger time. His fingers plucked the bowstrings of a Crystal Empire Icebow, while his face set in grim determination. In the hills behind, an army of Diamond Dogs lay vanquished. On another, a horde of armoured humans, banners broken and defeated. In the sky, a purple-scaled dragoness flew overhead, ice spreading across her chest in her death-throes. All vanquished foes… all past regrets. In the heights of the sun, a figure of an alicorn spread her wings, casting her shadow down upon him. There he stood, ready, waiting, Gareth Fletcher, the hound of the sun remained unimposing, unquestioning. Resolute. Ready to kill.
The sight of it send a deep sickness roiling in Celestia's stomach. She could see nothing in this stained glass painting that Gareth would—
Gareth's cane clicked.
She turned, "Gare—"
Wind brushed past Celestia's face, ending in a glass-exploding crash. The cane's head sent shards sprinkling to the floor. Quiet fury bared its fangs behind Gareth's eyes.
Celestia stared, paralysed.
The cane struck again, digging and ripping. Citrus' stunned moan strung out into an agonised wail as he lunged towards Gareth's side, trying to save his stained mirror, but Gareth knocked him back with a wiping backhand. Undeterred, the enraged human continued to rain blow after blow, tearing the mirror down.
She didn't know if she could stop him without magic. Or if she should even try.
The sound of wood splintering echoed off the hall's walls, the top half of Gareth's cane burst into pieces. The fury in Gareth's shaking hands fell with his knees, collapsing to the shards of glass at his feet.
Celestia's throat felt like a wasteland. She stared at the red-faced, wheezing figure. In her mind's eyes, an image of Gareth at half his age stood in his place, swinging a spear with a possessed rage. Even after all this time, that spectre would never leave him.
Gareth let out a few coughs, trying, and failing, to find his way back to his feet. Doubling over, he pushed onto the ground, but received only cut fingers and crinkling glass for his efforts.
Her heart panged for him. She leaned down, pushing her head through of crook of his arm and lifting him up.
He groaned all the way. Bloodied hands left a crimson trail on her immaculate white coat. Regret flashed on his face as he went about picking shards from his palms.
"Citrus," Celestia began.
The orange stallion, cowering at the end of the hall, flinched at her voice.
She spared a glance to Gareth. "Prince Grey Spear speaks for us both."
Citrus spluttered, his words trying to find purchase, "Th-then what do I-?!"
"Something simple," Gareth muttered, picking out another shard. "Nothing more."
The world rushed back into Twilight's eyes. Gareth's tomb proper returned to her sight. Celestia, still in human form, sat across the table. Her regal pink eyes fluttered open, coming to rest on Twilight.
Corners twisted in Twilight's mind. She had answers, but they only left her with a desire for more! Who was this person? What were humans? How could they have lasted like this? Why, why, why—
"Why didn't you tell me?" Twilight asked.
Silence. Celestia's eyes grew sorrowful.
Sickness pitted Twilight's gut. She didn't mean it like that. "I-I'm sorry, Princess."
Celestia nodded, trying to smile, "So am I. I'd always intended to tell you but something always got in the way. Discord had freed himself… Nightmare Moon… the Grand Galloping Gala, all important things that convinced me to hold it off for another time. Then, when you needed to know most, I told myself 'time was of the essence, it would only confuse you'. So I omitted it." She knitted her hands, sighing. "But now I know that I should have told you everything."
The pained indecision sounded alien to Twilight. She was so used to it sounded like her own thoughts, not Celestia's. "Princess… you don't have to apologise. I believe you had good reasons."
She smiled ruefully. "Thank you, Twilight. I… I wanted you to experience the human world as I had, without bias or suspicions. They are a blind spot that I have developed, one that I cannot truly deal with."
"A blind spot?" Twilight frowned, cupping her chin. "Cadence mentioned understanding what you told her, and even Luna told me that your plans were grand and magnificent. Have I missed something?"
Celestia let out a hollow laugh. "I think Luna forgot 'desperate, and optimistic'. I have experience of the ages with me, and a compulsion for meddling from afar, but sometimes that won't always help you. Sometimes… you have a flaw that you cannot fix, no matter how hard you try. That is why you need others to help you when you fail."
"…Friendship."
"Precisely," Celestia said. She turned to the stone coffin. "When I banished Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago, I tried to fix everything by myself. Soon, ponies became reliant on me. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fix it on my own, and I lost faith. So I ran."
"…Leading to the Equestrian Civil War upon your return."
Celestia nodded. "I didn't want to go back, but my friends helped. One of them… well, you already know him: Gareth. On the other side of the mirror, at my lowest point, he fell in love with me, and I fell for him. He had problems of his own, and so did his race, yet when I returned to Equestria alone, he refused to leave me." Nostalgia glassed over her eyes. "No, he chased me. And then he stayed. Gareth became Gar-eth, became Grey Spear, and became a shadow… a number on a ledger."
Back to this again. Twilight leaned forward. "But why?"
She sighed, staring down at the table. "In time, fear grew in his heart. He feared his people would harm Equestria. After the war in the north, suppressing knowledge of his past and the mirror became his life's goal. He extracted an oath from me to never contact them, only to observe, until such time as they were ready."
"Ready?" Twilight echoed. She sat back, crossing her arms. Were they 'ready'? Sunset Shimmer stole the Element of Magic, and Twilight chased her to recover it. "Wait, when I went after Sunset Shimmer, I spoke with lots of humans! Isn't that breaking your oath?"
"Did you take my oath?"
"No, but—"
"Well then," Celestia said, shrugging her shoulders. "I suppose you aren't bound by it, are you?"
Wait, isn't that… oh. Twilight gave a self-conscious grin. "I see what you did there."
"I had to. Because you have something that I don't," Celestia said, mirroring Twilight's grin. "I've seen you grow from a young, bookish filly to a fully grown alicorn, a princess, who understands friendship better than I do. It is my honest belief that you can succeed where I failed."
Those words lulled Twilight into a trance. Just how much had she learned? There was a lot that could be said about humans, Twilight decided. Once upon a time, they were resistant to magic, now they seemed to be able to intermingle. She had only part of the picture, and she knew it. They weren't bad, her encounters with her friends on the other side proved it, but that didn't mean that they would be good for Equestria, or vice-versa. Sunset Shimmer's rampage cast serious doubt on straight-up peace. No, Twilight would need to be careful. She, wait-- at once, the room grew smaller and heavier. Twilight swallowed down a dry throat. Was this how Celestia felt?
"Twilight? Are you okay?" Celestia asked, placing a hand on hers.
"U-uh, yeah. I-I'm just not sure that revealing Equestria right away is such a great idea…"
"Then don't."
"Huh?"
"Don't reveal it. This is a matter I leave in your hooves."
Woah. Celestia was giving her Carte Blanche to approach this however she wanted. Well now, well… now. She couldn't pass this up. Twilight stepped out of her chair. "I think I understand."
A pleased sigh came from Celestia's throat. She stood with her. "Excellent. I look forward to your plan in another thirty moons."
Thirty moons. Twilight mulled the thought over. "Well, actually… I think I have something more… immediate in mind."
Celestia frowned in confusion. "How do you mean?"
"Star Swirl the Bearded built the Crystal Mirror, right? And I have permission to tackle this however I want, right?"
"Yes, and yes?"
Twilight clasped her hands together. Oh-ho yes. Cadence, your wish for a study-buddy is about to come true. "If that's the case, then I think we're not going to need to wait quite as long for the Mirror to reopen."
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That's worded weirdly.
6818870
How did that miss everyone?
Anyway, thanks.
Awesome man. very well done.
6818873 You also did put in "2in the morning" xP
I was kinda expecting Gareth would have had his body simply laid in the bed, or sitting in a chair over his notes, rather than sealed in a stone sarcophagus.
6818903 Yeah, I was imagining something along the lines of Assassin's Creed Revelations ending. But seriously, great story, one of the best and most unique one I've read on this site
It was a wonderful ride and well worth the wait. No sequel needed bravo!
Is it really over now? I remembered when I started reading this story good time. Awesome story and a good ending. Thanks for the ride! I look forward to the next story.
"I have experience of the ages with me, and a compulsion for melding from affair, but sometimes that won't always help you."
I think you meant "from afar" as in from a distance away?
A great ending to a solid read! It's been a blast watching this story finally reach its conclusion, all the way from chapter 2 for me. Keep up the good work!
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Thanks, fixed!
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And I remember all of you guys. Thanks for being here to the end.
Seeing a story end is always a double edged sword. One the one hand it's over. But on the other it's such a rare thing to actually see a story get a real ending.
Honestly, I think I've said this before, but I'd like to reaffirm it now.
This is the best HiE I've ever read. Bar none. All others need not apply.
Has it really been a year and a half? I sure doesn't feel like it. Gotta say I've enjoyed the ride.
As much as I want to scream and shout for a sequel, I mean who wouldn't want more, I think this is just fine. Plus, I have an idea on what Twilight wants to do.
I look forward to more of your work.
This was great! Will we ever find out what Twilight meant at the end there?
6819113
Get some sleep, it'll be here for you in the morning.
6819148
That's right, this whole story has been one big interquel for Equestria Girls 1 and 2.
THE TRUE MYSTERY REVEALED
Oh my. Oh, it's over. That makes me a sad panda. This was truly one of the greats.
Waaait a minute. Since when do Humans have Horns! Gareth wouldn't have a problem believing Celestia was a pony, if she had a horn growing out of her head and doing magic in the human world!
6819195
Derp, more stuff that got past Beta's. Sneaky errors!
6818972 I also think he meant "meddling," not "melding"
I want to see the stuff Twilight does with this knowledge, and how it changes other events.
A great story. There is one detail that eludes me though: Celestia spoke with that love expert who's name I forget. She said that Gray Spear did not love her like a wife. Celestia just smiled and said there are different kinds of love. There might be some details missing since I read that a long time ago and my memory is terrible.
So in what way did Gareth love her?
Fin.
Melding should most likely be meddling, since melding has to do with combining or mixing (or cards).
A splendid story, such that reaching the end is quite bittersweet.
The End
Good bye... Everything
Comedy and humor.
Shouldn't "melding" be "meddling"?
Also, this cliffhanger ending hurts me like a thing that hurts.
(Not that I have room to talk.)
When only the finest of answers will do.
Congratulations, a story well told, and what what i put as my personal head cannon, on everything.
I enjoied this story extremely well.
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And fixed.
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It wasn't stated outright, but Celestia suspected that Legata's 'love' magic only picked up 'lust' at that point. Gareth's love was strained into a purer love, an 'agape' love, and registered as a 'weaker' level due to it being more logical than emotional. Legata wasn't used to that kind of reading.
So Legata was talking out her arse.
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Noted. I'll keep that in mind if any oneshot ideas spring up.
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That goes for two guys with slain white whales. Cheers, Wolf.
Psst~ three more things.
it lead to another sketch
and settled in.They immediately
That loneliness lead to her coming
1. Led.
2. Forgot your spacing.
3. Led.
So... It's finally at an end. Guess the mystery at the end of this is going to stay a mystery. Sometimes, things are better left unsaid isn't it? But yeah, much had changed for people when Cecilia last went and gone so let's just hope Twilight doesn't hold presumptions based on her first encounter. Speaking of, good thing she didn't do what I feared she would do on my last comment. More points to you my dear, nice show of self restraint.
oh come on. You can't leave it there since this is AU who knows where it could go.
And here I am.
I said I'd finish it the next day.
A wonderful story.
Touching and emotional and all those other lovely words.
This was a good story, about as well as one could do for a Human In Equestria story.
You should think of having a proofreader go through it all before you move on to new stories though. There are places with spelling errors or where you start on a sentence and go about changing it partway, or have some jumbled words.
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I'm sorry you feel that way, buuuuut that was a pretty deep ditch. Remember that Styre was looking down at Gareth.
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If he was still in the ditch when that description happened then it would have been fine. The problem with it is that Gareth isn't in the ditch, he's stepped out of it and is stood on level ground with Celestia:
I know this is probably coming off as incredibly nit-picky, but I feel that it's quite a serious bump in the story. I've read the whole thing now (and it was excellent), but back when chapter four was new it really put me off.
I'm glad you shared this story with us, but I feel like it could have completely ended on chapter 18. The two extra epilogue chapters raise a lot of open-ended questions and finishes on a cliff hanger :P.
This was epic. No other words can truly describe it. Epic.
And I'm glad I found it when i did! With the whole thing complete, that is. Gods, I saw so many cliff hangers on the chapters, my heart was not going to be able to handle all that!
It just saddens me that this story ended but, what a finale.
Awesome work. i hope to see more pony fics from you in the future, cheers!
I put this on my list to read a long time ago and found myself periodically coming back to check on it for no reason I could explain. Now that it's finally done, well, I'm not sure how I feel. It was definitely a good story, and definitely worth the wait, but I feel like it was just... missing something. I'm not really sure. The most I can explain is that I feel like it went too fast, but honestly I'm not sure.
Have a confused gold star.
You thank us for reading your words and for sticking with you through this until the end, and to this I say that you're welcome, but I also feel compelled to offer you my thanks as well for providing such a story as this.
I have a theory as to why the human world looks so different.
when the mirror was moved it also changed which earth it went to. but in each earth the same statue is an anchor for the mirror.
Gr8 m8 I r8 8/8
I've been too busy to read this, and It exceeded all expectations. This fic has come a long, long ways since it's started. It's been a privilege to watch you grow as an author.
this makes me think of the "girlfriend finds out your cheating on her vs you telling her" scenario
I for one, would be kinda extremely pissy if any alien race was just like "you know, whe could contact these people, but nah, cuz reasons.", and then we find out they've been sitting on their arses like a bunch of dick bags.
I really feel as if I wouldn't hold much respect for them or desire to meet them.
now if they decided "oh hey, we can go say high to our neighbors over there, and make friends!" then that would be pretty frickin awesome, like, absolute best thing ever
twilight right now would have to wait for another 10+ years so whatever shit hits the fan can do it's thing, if she didn't already do contact.
ugh, anyways, I'm ranting about inane things.
great story, I'm really sad to see it go, but also happy it is finished, not half bad
This just DEMANDS a sequel. Like, serously. We don't even know how Gareth died even... Also, that ending with revealing themselves to humankind. That I would like to see how would you bring. Please :3
"Thy" is possessive, as in "go forth, with thy sword and shield in hand." What you'll want to use here is the singular nominative, "thou." Furthermore, it is often used with the "-st" suffix, so "know" should be "knowest."
Same deal here, "would" should be "wouldst."
"Thous" is third-person; because Luna is speaking directly with Twilight, second-person "thou" is what you need. Also, "seek" to "seekest," for the reasons mentioned above.
With that out of the way, allow me to say this: Normally, I despise shipping significant canon characters, especially with OCs, but this wasn't that bad. Most of the time, those kinds of stories boil down to the artist saying "I wanna shag this character, and this is how I fantasize it happening." However, I'm not getting much of an author insert feel from Gareth, and the romance creates some real and serious tension. Consider my torpedoes disarmed.
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There are commas missing there, but what it's saying is that, while he was in the ditch, Gareth was no taller then Styre. After climbing out, he was as tall as Celestia. The ditch was probably at least three feet deep.
6902948
That was my point. In Chapter 2 Gareth is described as being at eye level with Celestia, then by Chapter 4 Gareth has become a giant that towers over her by a good foot or so.