The Long Twilight

by ultiville

Legacies

At first, Spike was awed by the decoration of the tunnels of the ancient city. It seemed that every inch of the place had been meticulously detailed. From time to time the carvings looked like letters, but most were abstract geometric designs, full of curves and spade-like shapes. He thought they resembled his scales, or the shape of his tail, or the fins along his back, though it might have been wishful thinking.

"Princess," he asked Celestia, "do you know how long it took to carve all these walls? It feels like this place goes on forever."

"Not exactly, no," she shook her head, "I never had a chance to ask. But your grandfather told me the names of the previous kings in his line, once, that served as king-in-the-hills, and it was very long. I don't know how long your people live, but it is certainly no shorter than a pony. I believe they lived here for many thousands of years before we arrived, and spent the whole time making it beautiful. When the city was inhabited, all these carvings were painted in many colors. Also, deep shafts let in the sunlight, and magical lanterns kept dragonfire alive to make the deeps glow. But it seems the shafts have been overgrown, and the paints decayed. It has, after all, been a very long time."

Spike wanted to say just the right thing, to somehow tell the princess how happy he was that she'd told him, how sad he was about his people, that he understood she was too, that he forgave her but also thought there was nothing to forgive.

"Thanks," was his attempt, and he shook his head and looked down at his feet as he walked on. But in front of him the light grew brighter, and he looked up to see Celestia's head held just a little higher.

The corridors were not massive, just large enough for two ponies to pass, and seemed endless, and straight as rail lines. Quite frequently the path split or came to an intersection, meeting ornate doors or other dark hallways, always at 30 degree angle offsets. Celestia seemed to remember the city well, and walked confidently along her chosen route, never pausing to consider her direction. The dusty timelessness of the place weighed on the group, keeping them in matching silence. Celestia had straight-out told them it was a tomb, but walking through it, they knew it in a way her words couldn't convey, even though any evidence of life or death had long since mingled with the dust that filled the air. The subdued colors of the carved walls, the stillness around them, the utter silence, save their hoofbeats on the worked stone - everything created a sense of melancholy reverence that made time seem to stretch forever, and made speech seem not just unnecessary, but disrespectful.

Eventually, even with Spike's keen interest, the carvings began to blur together, and his attention wandered. When it did, he noticed his legs ached.

"How long have we been at this?" Twilight asked, "I've lost track of time down here."

"I already lowered the sun," Celestia replied, "though not too long ago. It's been a long day since we set out. Forgive me, I realize you are all tired, but I fear resting in the corridors, and we have a long way to go down here. We're nearly to a better spot, I believe. Can you press on for a few more minutes?"

"I can make that," Rarity said, "but perhaps not much more." The others nodded.

"You shouldn't need to," Celestia said, "in fact...yes, here we are."

She turned, and faced a stone door much like the rest, but upon closer examination, Spike noticed that the geometric patterns surrounded a rare representational symbol: there was an ornate crown not unlike the one his grandfather wore in the mosaic inscribed on the center of the door.

"This was your family's vault," Celestia said to Spike. "I'm hoping we will find some legacy for you here. In addition, this is the only entrance, and as a vault, it is quite secure. While we have seen no sign of life here for good or ill, I will feel safer resting in a safe place. Still, Spike," she turned to him, "there may be things in here that make you sad, and it is entirely your choice. I believe you are the only creature in all the world that can open that door."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"I said this was the royal vault, and well secured," Celestia said, "as such, only one of royal blood here can open the door. I am not sure even my magic could breach it, and I very much doubt I could do so without destroying everything inside. But for you, if what Macetail told me was true, if you are his grandson, the door should open easily."

To demonstrate she placed her hooves against the door and pressed her weight against it. It did not budge at all.

Spike gulped. He didn't know whether he wanted the door to open or not. On the one hand, it would prove he was a prince of dragons, of a lineage respected even by Princess Celestia. On the other, it would mean he was almost certainly the last of his kind, alone in the world. But while he didn't know which outcome he preferred, he knew he had to find out.

"I'll do it," he said, and Celestia stepped aside.

Spike walked to the door and gently pressed both of his claws against it. For a moment, nothing happened, and he slowly began to let out his breath. Then the crown design on the door lit up in brilliant colors, gold and red and purple and green, and the door moved inward. It felt nearly weightless, like turning a page in a book, but as it came to rest inside a carefully carved niche in the inner wall, the sound it made was as heavy as the stone looked. As it stopped, the part of the door bearing the crown design slid away, and an actual crown, identical in detail, was revealed. It glowed with Celestia's magic as she placed it on Spike's head with her magic. He turned to look at his friends, their eyes wide.

"Spikey, you really are a prince!" Rarity grinned at him.

"Yeah I am," he said, "how's it look on me?"

"Darling," she said, "you look fabulous!"

Spike retroactively decided he much preferred this outcome. He had plenty of time to be sad, time when the most beautiful creature in the world wasn't admiring him. For now he smiled ear to ear as he led his friends into his family's vault.

It was an impressive room. In the center were a group of five stone statues of various sizes, looking somewhat like dragons, and somewhat not. Mostly, they looked like Spike - wingless, and standing bipedal, with short, pony-like muzzles and large eyes. The smallest of them, in fact, looked very much like Spike in proportion and stature, while the larger ones had longer limbs and thinner forms, but otherwise looked quite similar. It was like they were looking at ways in which he might grow up, and they looked much more like his current form than the dragons he'd met before, which he now knew to have been his close cousins.

Most of the statues were bare, or covered only in tattered bits of cloth, but two - the smallest and one of the medium-sized ones in the rear - wore ornate armor finely fitted to their forms in a lustrous metal Spike didn't recognize, and each wore a sword strapped to the armor.

The room itself was similarly ornate. All along the walls, pictures and characters were carved, filling every inch of space, including what looked like a vast and detailed family tree. Below the walls were rows of sealed stone chests, each as large as a table.

"Wow," Twilight said, "look at this place. All these artifacts, and this family tree must be written! I bet knowing the names Celestia does, we could decipher the language! There's so much history here, and nopony has ever even heard of it! An archaeology team could make their careers in here."

"When this is all over, I should write Daring Do!" Rainbow Dash said. "She'd make sure everypony could learn about this stuff. Err, if that's okay with you, Spike."

"No," he said, "that'd be great. I'd love to know more, and it'd be even better if everybody else did too."

"For now, I think," Celestia said, "we should see if this armor can serve the family once more. It looks like that small suit would fit you."

Her horn glowed and the straps binding the armor to the statue came free. She levitated it to Spike, who picked it up and looked at it in awe. The metal was dark, but so polished he could see his face, darker and slightly distorted in the curved bands that made up most of the chestpiece. The underside of the metal was covered with a layer of purple cloth, which to Spike looked both handsome and comfortable.

"I wonder how that cloth survived," Twilight mused, "when the clothing on the other statues decayed."

"Maybe it's magic cloth!" Spike said.

"I don't sense any on it," she frowned, "but maybe there's something else special about it? It seems remarkably well preserved. So does the metal, really. We might learn a lot from it too! But come on, let's see it on you before we go to sleep."

Spike eagerly obeyed, though it took him a few tries to figure out the straps and buckles involved in fitting the bands of armor around himself. and he needed help from Twilight to fasten a few of the buckles on his back. Still, eventually he stood triumphant, feeling a bit like he'd stepped out of one of his heroic fantasies. The purple cloth and dark metal stood out, he thought, quit nicely against his scales. He drew the sword for effect and struck a pose.

"You look ready to kick some flank!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Indeed, you cut quite the figure in that, Spike. I think I could make you a dashing formal suit inspired by that armor!" Rarity said.

Spike blushed and put the sword away.

"Thanks girls," he said, "you're the best. I'm sure you'll figure out how this survived someday, Twilight, but I'm really glad to have something left of my family, even if it's a bit warlike."

"I fear warlike may prove a benefit, soon," Celestia said, "but it may not be the only thing that remains of them here. We should look through these chests before we go. I think it can wait for morning, though."

The others nodded, and spread their bedrolls over the stone chests, which were not of an unreasonable height to serve as beds. Spike reluctantly took off the armor and crown, then climbed into his own.

He quickly found, though, that he was too excited to sleep, and too distracted by all he'd learned that day. He lay with his eyes closed for a while, listening to the rhythmic breathing of his friends, before finally giving it up as a bad job. He turned and rose, planning to take a closer look at the statues.

As he opened his eyes, he saw Celestia laying in her own soft radiance, eyes still open, and looking thoughtfully at him. She nodded in what looked a bit like embarrassment, and he walked over next to her.

"Was I doing something weird?" He asked.

"Not at all," she said, and shook her head. "I was just thinking. Can you not sleep?"

"It's hard," he said, "so much is going on."

She nodded. "Well, as you're up anyway, would you take a letter? I was planning to ask in the morning, but no reason to waste time."

"Oh, sure! Who's it for?"

"My sister. She needs to know the Prince's forces are free in Equestria. The guard on Tartarus needs to be checked. And if, as I fear, it is impossible to keep his power entirely contained, all of Equestria will need to be prepared."

Spike swallowed hard, but took the letter. In it, Celestia filled Luna in on the events of the last few days.

"Well done. Please send it."

"Is that really all you need to say? You didn't mention the Prince at all. It seems really cryptic. Twilight always freaks out when you do that with her."

Celestia laughed. "When she was my student, it had an instructional purpose. But in this case, I am being cautious. I don't believe the Prince can intercept dragonfire letters, but I learned long ago not to underestimate him. And he may have spies in the palace, even close to Luna. In times like this, you can't be too careful. But she remembers the Prince as well as I do. She'll know what to do."

Spike nodded, and sent the letter. He turned to go, but reconsidered.

"Princess, what were you thinking about before?" Celestia looked away, and in the dim light Spike thought she might have blushed. He was about to tell her to never mind, but she spoke first.

"I was just remembering. I never knew your grandfather when he was young, so you've never reminded me of him all that much, but seeing you in this place, in that armor...you're a fine young dragon, Spike. He would have been so proud of you."

"It sounds like you two were great friends," Spike said. "How long did you know him?"

"Over fifty years." Then, softer: "I loved him a great deal."

"You mean...like a friend. Right?"

"No, Spike, more than that."

"Wait, are you my grandmother?" Spike didn't know if he was ready to be related to the Princess he did know, as well as a king he'd never known. But Celestia stifled a laugh instead.

"No, Spike, your grandmother died before I ever met your grandfather. But we were married. I think most ponies, and most of the dragon folk too, thought it was to seal our alliance, and we didn't care much to deny it. We were at war, after all, to risk fighting our own people as well seemed imprudent. But the truth was, we were in love."

"So you're not my grandmother, but you really are my step-grandmother!"

Celestia drew back in surprise, then did laugh, cutting herself off as she realized she might disturb the others.

"I suppose I am, Spike. I never thought of that. Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" Spike asked.

"I've never had any kind of grandson before. In fact, I can't."

"I wish I'd known," Spike said. "I'd have loved to have a grandmother, especially if it was you."

"I wish I'd told you all this long ago," Celestia sighed. "I told myself it was to spare you pain, but I think it was to spare myself. And when you've lived as long as I have, it is so easy to forget how long a dozen or so years are, when they're your first. I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Spike said, "I don't think I really understand all that, but I'm glad you told me now. And I know you had a hard time with it."

Celestia sighed, but smiled a little, and curled one long wing around Spike. He pressed against her side and sighed, and for a while was silent, and Celestia thought he might have fallen asleep.

"So you mean a pony really can love a dragon?" He said finally.

"Of course. The wise heart cares little for silly things like who is or isn't a pony." She sighed as Spike's face lit up. "I think I know why you ask. I don't know that there's much hope there, Spike. Twilight is her friend and peer, and you're somewhere between Twilight's little brother and her son. That's rarely an auspicious start."

"Yeah, I know," he said softly, and buried his head in her wing. He felt like this was too adult a moment to cry. "But is it wrong to hope?"

"Hope is never wrong, my dear. Never."

Again there was a long silence.

"Does it ever get easier?" He asked.

"Does what?"

"I dunno, everything. It seems like life just gets more and more complicated, and I kind of thought that if you went as long as you have, you got used to it all. But it doesn't seem like this was easy for you."

"No, it wasn't," she chuckled sadly, "and of course, the only time anyone can really answer that question is at the end. But it's okay, I think. It keeps getting harder, but I keep getting better."

"Huh," he said, feeling increasingly snug and sleepy under his makeshift feather blanket. He yawned, and lay his head on Celestia's side. As he drifted off to sleep, he felt her kiss him gently on his brow.