Twilily Saga: Past, Present, Or Damnation

by Lighttone GryphonStar

Chapter 4: Risks and Mistakes

<1,000 years ago>

Celestia, Luna and Sunfire had arrived back from the Crystal Empire a few months ago. Sunfire tried his best to get the image of Luna and Sombra out of his mind, but it would keep returning. Soon it impeded his training. Celestia had no idea what was going thru his mind, but she knew something was wrong with him. She suggested they take a break for a day in between training sessions.

The two spent most of their day in the gazebo which was near the garden. It was a beautiful day, the birds were chirping and the sun laid perfectly in the sky, seemingly perched on some clouds.

The servants brought some food for them to eat as they relaxed in lawn chairs. Well, Celestia relaxed, the same could not be said about Sunfire. He still felt uneasy. He couldn’t shake the memory out of his head still.

“Is something wrong Sunfire?” Celestia questioned as she took a bite of her cake. He didn’t answer. He just kept looking onward. “Sunfire.” she raised her voice slightly.

He jumped slightly at her words. “Oh sorry. What were you saying?”

She waved her head back and forth. “I asked if you were okay.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” he waved his hand at her.

"Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything, right." She was starting to truly become concerned with Sunfire.

"Look I'm fine," He said, slightly angered. He calmed himself and looked down at his tea. "Can we get back to training?"

"No, we can not." Celestia could see the concern in his own eyes. Something was definitely off.

Knowing that she was seeing right thru him, he caved. "I saw Luna and Sombra--" Suddenly he stopped himself upon looking up. He saw a strange looking shadow at the end of the garden. It seemed to be watching them. He got up and grabbed his sword and shield.

Celestia's eyes widened. "Sunfire what is it?"

"Princess Celestia, we're being watched by a shadow," he whispered. He held up his sword and pointed towards the shadow and yelled, "Come out, I can see you."

Celestia felt a twinge shoot up her spine. Something told her to get up, NOW. Rising up, she turned towards the shadow and summoned her trident. Her eyes widened at the shadow's shape. It's shape was that of a goat.

Pressure poured from and seemed to fill the area like a thick fog, forcing them to bow against their will as the shadow step closer and dropped his disguise. Celestia looked in shock to see that the shadow was Emperor Grogar. "It can't be?" she questioned. "My grandfather sealed you away long ago."

"So you have heard of me. Strange since I was sealed away long before you were even conceived." He took a bow of his own, "Yes, I am Emperor Grogar. Demigod of Darkness and Space."

Celestia struggled to get up. The pressure of his dark magic was so immense. She took a stance and demanded, "Why are you here? What do you want? Are you after the Heart of the King?"

Grogar smiled. "No, though your grandfather sealed me away, I could care less about his heart. No matter how powerful it is. I'm here for Sunfire." He held his hand up and Sunfire was pulled right to him.

Sunfire felt the pressure from Grogar intensify. It was so great. It was painful being this close to him. It felt like all of space was crushing down upon him. His bones vibrated as if they were being cracked open. Sunfire screamed in agony as Grogar clenched his hand into a fist.

"Grogar stop this now!" Celestia shot fire magic at him. Grogar took it like it wasn't even there. Sunfire stopped screaming as the pressure subsided slightly as Grogar calmed his dark magic.

Grogar gave a wicked smile. "I just want to see why you chose him to ascend."

"What... are...you talking about?" Sunfire struggled.

"Well little stallion, she only takes on students who can ascend to ali--," Suddenly Grogar stopped himself as guards showed up behind him. With the guards was Princess Luna. She looked with slight shock to see Grogar here. Grogar smiled when he saw the guards. He could sense the blood within them. "Oh perfect choices on guards, Princesses." he held up his other hand and some of the guards quaked in agony as all their blood was ripped right out of them. Those guards that had lost their blood fell to the ground dead. The blood went to Grogar's hand and formed an orb. "So much dark magic in these ones. Next time might I suggest using descendants of my brother's children, not mine."

He held the orb of dark magic out and it floated to the center of them. Clenching his hand, the orb condensed endlessly. It kept going until space itself bent with it. Soon a wormhole formed. "Well, let's go somewhere more private." On that, he let go of Sunfire. Sunfire and Celestia found themselves being pulled into the wormhole. In an instant, they were gone.

Grogar turned towards Luna after they left. He looked directly at her eyes. For a moment her eyes flickered to their nightmare state. Princess luna gestured the remaining guards to stay back. On that, he walked into the wormhole and were gone.

******

An hour later, Celestia and Sunfire landed deep underground. Celestia got up and looked around. There were ancient ruins everywhere. It looked like the remains of a castle. Soon Grogar showed up. Upon seeing him, they both put up their guards and readied for an attack. He looked at their weapons. "Well, I better pull out my own weapon." Pulling out a knife, he cut his hand wide open. Maroon red colored blood spilled from his hand and formed into a rapier with a twist goat horn like design on its hilt. "I don't wish to fight you, Celestia. I wish to fight your student. I want to see if he is truly worthy."

Sunfire didn't wait for Celestia's words on the matter, he simply charged right at Grogar. Sunfire made the first move, slashing at Grogar. Grogar stopped it with his rapier and pushed him back. Sunfire charged magic into his sword and swung. Grogar did the same and swung a giant blast of dark magic to stop Sunfire's. Grogar's wave of dark magic was so strong that it broke Sunfire's attack and went on to hit Sunfire head on.

Sunfire rolled across the ground. Celestia tried to go to his aid, but Sunfire stopped her, "No, Princess, he wants to fight me." He got up and stood his ground. This surprised Grogar. That should have chopped Sunfire clean in half, but there he stood ready for another attack.

Grogar sent another wave of dark magic and Sunfire blocked with his shield. Grogar sent more and each one was blocked. This stallion continued to surprise Grogar. However, Grogar had to figure out what he was doing. Grogar finally decided to charge in himself. Their blades clashed as Grogar’s rapier’s blade widened. With Sunfire this close, he could see the truth as plain as day. The holy amulet that Sunfire had was glowing. "I see you have a piece of him, don't you?" Grogar whispered.

Grogar had seen enough. With a single thought, Sunfire was pushed away, like he was nothing. Sunfire was of course confused by this. Had the emperor been holding back the entire time? It made sense in a way. Grogar was the demigod of darkness and space, of course, he would have full command of such things. Grogar held his hand up once more. Sunfire felt himself being grabbed by the space around him. Grogar laughed aloud. "You are truly stupid Celestia. Why would you choose a being that doesn't even worship you? Why you chose such a heretic to ascend to alicornship?"

Sunfire's eyes widened at those words.

Celestia spoke, "I chose him because I see true potential in him."

Grogar looked at Celestia. For the first time since he arrived, he looked right into her eyes. He smiled, he could see the real reason in her eyes. "You know that your grandfather King Heavonos would be ashamed of your reason. But I'm not. I see this relationship working very well."

"What relationship?" Sunfire questioned.

"Oh don't take it the wrong way stallion. When it comes to being immortal, such things like this come down to simply survival and loneliness. And since Luna and Celestia are the only living alicorns left, it only made sense that they would be a little less choosy when it comes to picking a suitable mate."

"What?!" Sunfire looked at Celestia in shock. Celestia looked down in shame. It was all true. Sunfire found himself being thrown to the ground. Once he landed near Celestia, he turned away from her. He felt like he was being used from the very beginning.

"Oh don't be so mad at each other. Just know Celestia, you have made a terrible choice in a mate. You will dread the day that he ascends. You both will." On that Grogar held up his rapier and it transformed into a spear. "Or how about I save you the trouble and show you whose side he is really on?" He threw the spear right at Celestia.

Celestia saw the spear heading toward her, yet couldn't move as time slowed down. It wasn't because of Grogar, and it wasn't out of fear; it was out of guilt. She had used Sunfire. She always saw how he was protective of her. She could see it in his eyes, always how he idolized her for the right reasons. Reasons that she herself adored. Truthfully, she took him in for the same selfish reasons Grogar spoke of. But as she got to know him, she could see that it wasn't worshiped, but love in his eyes. And it was real. Now, she had broken it with her lies.

Suddenly her eyes widened as Sunfire jumped in the way. Taking the spear through the back. The spear retracted as Sunfire landed in Celestia's arms. Grogar frowned upon the sight of them as his spear returned to his hand, returned back to it's blood form and reentered the wound, "Well, looks like I was wrong." he snapped his fingers and the wormhole appeared behind Celestia and Sunfire. It pulled them in as it sent them back to New Shangri-La.

As they left, Luna showed up behind Grogar in a teleport. She seemed very angry at Grogar. "How dare you do that to them Grogar?!"

"Calm down you two." He was talking to both Luna and Nightmare. "I didn't kill them. I just wanted to know something. And now I do."

******

Celestia and Sunfire found themselves landing back in the garden. As they stopped rolling Celestia was now on top of Sunfire. Sunfire was weakened from the attack, but otherwise fine. He looked at her as she did the same. Celestia's mind racing on everything. What Grogar had said, the reason she took Sunfire as her student, the reason Sunfire seemed so protective of her. Suddenly her mind was stopped as Sunfire spoke.

"Celestia?" He didn't use Princess. He had always used Princess. "I want to know the truth. Did you really choose me, because I could ascend to alicorn, or did you simply chose me because…..?"

His words drifted and Celestia looked away from him. She tried to hide the tears as they formed, but he could see them as plain as day. Sunfire's own mind was now racing. Though his mind race only lasted for a second for her, for him it felt like eons.

"Sunfire, I'm selfish okay. There. I just didn't want to be lonely--"

Sunfire silenced her as he lifted his hand to her face. He used his hand to clear the tears and pulled her to face him. Her eyes widened as their heads moved on it’s own. Before they could stop each other, their lips were locked. Sunfire’s hand raised to her mane and brushed it gently as they deepen the kiss.

******

Author's Note:

Chapter 5 will be posted in a few hours. Plus keep an eye out for the blog about the full chapter list as it will have info on how to get chapters a week ahead of everypony else.