Fears of Bygone Eras

by Lusaminia

Chapter 8

In the two weeks that followed, ponies from all over Equestria received word of this years location for Festival of the Two Sisters. In anticipation for what the event, many came days early so that hotels and inns would still have room. Even compared to the past two and a half decades, this was no doubt the biggest showing in the festival’s existence. Many ponies would open up stalls and show off their talents, while foals enjoyed the rides and sweets available to them. Then, at the end of the day, all would gather as Twilight, along with the leaders of the nations surrounding Equestria, giving her speech commemorating Celestia and Luna’s rule. This, after all, was their festival.

Yet even with the stalls, the rides, the food, and the speech, nothing this year seemed to get ponies more intrigued then the leaders who were showing up to celebrate it. Ever since its founding, the changeling’s King Thorax has been a constant visitor of the fair, showing how strong Equestrian relationships have come between the two hated factions. The hippogriffs, yaks and, since it’s revival, griffons have also become frequent participants. This year, however, would be the first time in two decades that an Empress of the Crystal Empire, as well as her citizens, joined in the festivities. To the public, it was a cause for both excitement and caution, unaware of what Queen Twilight feared the actions meant.

Since that fateful meeting two weeks ago, Luminous Oracle has done everything in her power to avoid the castle. Unaware that, at this very moment, her mother was on her way to Canterlot as a guest of Dragonlord Ember. With the fairground opened, the festival begins. As Psyche sets up her booth like so many others, Luminous takes the time to experience the wonders of Canterlot. Today, her last day before she would head home, she took to visiting the local spa.

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“This is perfect,” Arcane said as he slid a little farther into the pool. He wasn’t smiling, he never did, but it was absolute bliss. “Quiet, just myself, and everyone is so busy with the festival I have the entire place to myself.”

He heard the door open, a low groan resonating as he realized how quickly he jinxed himself. He wondered for a second if it was just a member of the staff, though that rational was quickly overturned when he heard the pony enter the water. Though he could open his eyes, he hoped that by keeping them closed that whoever was here with him would leave him be. They started to hum, the echo quickly making it irritating. He opened an eye, and closed it immediately regretting himself.

“Wow, this really is the best,” Luminous said, tilting her head down to make bubbles. “I knew water was nice but I already feel relaxed. Though, should probably take the full time before going to the fa… wait a second.”

Luminous narrowed her eyes at Arcane, who was right across from her. She knew exactly who it was, but knew that he would just ignore her if she yelled from across the pool. Standing up, she waded through the warm spa water and sat down next to her old foalsitter. An innocent smile on her face, she let her body fell limp against the unicorn’s shoulder. His body stiffened, but she only pushed harder into him. She stuck her tongue out, an action he couldn’t see but felt internally. Finally, she booped his muzzle, his eyes flying awake as his hooves reached for where she had booped him.

“Hello!” She said. Arcane looked to her, and shifted his shoulder, causing Luminous to fall face first into the pool. Pull herself up, she shook her head. “Hey!”

“I would prefer to be left alone,” Arcane told her, creating distance between himself and the pegasus. “Why are you here? Figured you would be outside the fairgrounds like everypony else.”

“I like to think I have a little more of a life than that,” Luminous replied, not taking Arcane’s hint and once again moving next to him. “Okay, maybe I don’t have that much of a life, but I’ve never been to a spa before and-”

“Okay okay, you don’t have to explain yourself,” Arcane said. “If want to stay around, than whatever. Surprised to actually see you here in Canterlot,” As Luminous tried to close in on him again, Arcane kicked her away. “Thought you were too scared.”

“Well, had to do it at some point, right?” Luminous replied, floating on her back. A member of the staff walked by the door, which had been left open, looked at her, and rolled their eyes. “Besides, might have forgotten about it if I waited for mom to get back.”

Arcane’s ears twitched at that statement. “Silvia doesn’t know this?” Luminous nodded, and a malicious smile twisted onto his face. “Oh Luminous, I’m sorry to tell you this, but your mother is actually at the festival.”

Unable to tell that Arcane was doing his best to trick her, Luminous felt the water turn ice cold. Her mom, on any other occasion, would be completely and absolutely okay with her going off on her own. Right now, however, having left without telling her, only leaving a note, she would be dead if the two saw each other. She was so certain that her mom wouldn’t come to Canterlot, and now she was wrong.

“Oh no. No no no no no,” Luminous said. “I’m dead. I’m so fricken dead. Mom is gonna kill me, and then probably kill me again somehow,” She swam back over to Arcane and grabbed his shoulders, her mind unable to think of some way to fix this. “What do I do Arcane? Please tell me you got a plan.”

“Nope,” He said, shaking his head. “Guess you’ll just have to face it head on.”

Luminous sat there, mind overloaded with every possible thing that her mother might do to her. She slowly started to sink into the water as her front hooves slid off of Arcane and back in front of her. There was absolutely no other way she could think about this situation. She loved her mother, and her mother loved her back, but Silvia had one rule: always tell her before you do something. She didn’t care what it actually was, even joining in if she thought it would be fun or too dangerous, but never do something big without telling her.

“Oh don’t be like that,” Arcane said, using his magic to grab her mane and pull Luminous’ head out from under the water. “Tell me, do you really think that your mother is going to be here?”

“I don’t know,” Luminous replied. “Wait… wait wait wait wait, that wasn’t true, was it?” Arcane looked away and shrugged his shoulder. “That’s… not comforting.”

“I don’t care, you can figure it out yourself,” Arcane said, once again creating distance between himself and Luminous. “Besides, I got a… date, you could say, with a statue in the castle courtyard.”

Luminous tilted her head. “Huh, didn’t expect you would be into that Arcane.”

“I meant I’m investigating it,” Arcane explained with an eye roll. “You’ve heard of Queen Twilight’s battle with Queen Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow, right?” Luminous shook her head. “You disappoint me.”

“Need I remind you that current events aren’t exactly my forte,” Luminous told him, doing her best to look proud. “Even though it was technically twenty-five years ago.”

Arcane swore under his breath, turning around and hoping out of the pool. Having decided that it wasn’t worth his time trying to explain what he was planning to do, he floated a towel over to him and dried himself off. Luminous just watched as he left, leaving the pegasus feeling confused, scared, and unsure of herself. Once again, her thoughts returned to her mother, who for all she knew could possibly be at Canterlot right now. Not that she would like it, considering how much she also hated crowded places.

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“Ember! It’s a tiny Twilight plush!” Silvia shouted, grabbing said plush from the vendor and squeezing. “Oh my sweet Huntal it’s adorable! Should I get it for Luminous? She’d like it.”

Ember, for her part, was unsure of exactly what to do in her current situation. While Silvia devolved into ‘mom mode’, she didn’t realize the dozens of ponies surrounding them right now. All eyes were on the wolf, some out of curiosity, while others like the vendor were terrified. No doubt there first thought was of a timberwolf, but having heard her speak no doubt squashed that. The dragonlord had no idea what to think about the situation, one that she thought she was prepared for, but in actuality was not.

Silvia, on the other hand, was having the time of her life. She had reasons for staying away from Equestrian towns and cities outside of her being a predator to ponies, but she could easily forget about that right now. With all of the things she liked about the Griffonstone and the Dragon Lands, no one knew how to have a good time like a pony did. All the food, games, and vendors had caught her eye the moment she walked through the gate. She couldn’t contain herself, thinking of what she could possibly bring back for Luminous.

“Okay, Silvia, I think it’s time to get moving,” Ember finally said after multiple minutes of intense staring at the wolf. “We’re supposed to meet Queen Twilight at the main stage remember.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Silvia said, putting the plush back down and turning to Ember. “You think she would be willing to autograph something for my little Lumi? That would be something worth bringing back.”

“You can ask her after the entire paradox debacle is mentioned,” Ember reminds her. Silvia’s eyes widened, before clearing her head with a shake and forcing a cough. After all of that, Silvia was back to her confident, warrior self. “Alright now let’s get going.”

As they started making their way back through the fairgrounds, Silvia quickly waved back to the vendor. Even though she had to keep her mind on what was going on right now, she would remember to buy a plush for herself later on. Luminous would probably laugh at the idea of someone as tough and powerful as her wanting such a thing, but she wasn’t stone cold. Not entirely, at least, sometimes it was too much fun being a loving mother to act that way.

Her gaze fell on one specific stand as she went by, seeing Psyche talking with one of the Canterlot nobles about a possible sculpture. She had been one of the earliest to set up, knowing exactly where she was going to be. Behind her was multiple sculptures, some of ponies while others were of objects. Most of them were on the small side, though there was one that broke this rule, and it was the statue that Psyche had placed right next to her. The statue of a pegasus, staring forever forward with her hoof to her mouth in shock.

When she finished her arrangements with the noble, she gave a fake smile, one which she had been practicing for Luminous. Her ears went to the right, recognizing the sound of armor approaching her. It was Thunder, no doubt about it, though she would have hated herself if she had gotten it wrong. Thankfully, considering that the armor sound stopped as soon as it reaches her, she was pretty certain she was right.

“So, things seem to be going well for you,” Thunder said, leaning over the earth ponies’ stand. “Manage to pick up a few jobs? Some that will pay well?”

“Perhaps,” Psyche said. “One from Tu de lis, daughter of a supermodel apparently. Another from Blueblood XV, and even one from a seamstress in Ponyville.”

“A Ponyville seamstress? That wouldn’t happen to be a mare named Rarity, would it?” Thunder asked. Psyche nodded. “Wow, I didn’t even know any of the old elements of harmony were here! That’s amazing, but are you sure you want to take on another of them after what-”

“What happened with Fluttershy here was a mistake,” Psyche said, reaching to put her hoof around the statue next to her, only for it to phase through similarly to when Twilight tried to hug Luminous. “She removed the blindfold, not me. Don’t worry though, I’ll keep her safe like you did to Spitfire for so long.”

“Please don’t mention her, at least not right now,” Thunder replied. “Its enough that my girlfriend, let alone my true self, was murdered. You know what I’ve been dealing with, having all these weird new feelings and emotions and… it’s just weird!”

“I haven’t felt anything like that,” Psyche replied. A thought came to her head as she thought about what Thunder told her. “You think that means she is still alive in there?”

“That’s uncomfortable to think about,” Thunder said. His eyes suddenly bulged out. “Wait, you mean that’s actually her? Not the copy you made?”

“Of course it is. Luminous said that ponies are happiest when you take them places, so I’m just doing as she explained,” Psyche explained, doing her best to hug the Fluttershy ‘sculpture’. “Besides, I think she’s happy right now. Luminous is usually correct about those things.”

Thunder sighed. “Honestly, you trust that fish-brained mare too much.”

“Psyche! Thunder!” Both ponies looked to see Luminous rushing towards them carrying a saddlebag full of bits on her person. “Sorry I wasn’t here sooner, decided to drop by the spa and...” Luminous looked to the Fluttershy sculpture, finding herself in awe at how well done it is. “Psyche, this is your work? I know you use to do this stuff when we were younger but, how did you get this good?”

“I practice for hours everyday without stopping, save for eating and other essentials,” Psyche replied. “So, you know, the normal things that ponies do when they want to get better.”

“This pony one is extremely good,” Luminous said, leaning over to get a better look at the one of Fluttershy. “Seriously, it’s almost real its that good.”

“I… guess you’re right,” Thunder said, Luminous’ words hitting a line that was way too close to the truth. “So, considering you weren’t already here, I’m guessing you forgot about the festival.”

“Actually, I went to the spa for the first time,” Luminous responded, giving a mischievous grin to Thunder. “It was really nice, and far more quiet than I expected considering just how many ponies are actually here. Oh, and I got to see Arcane again as well.”

“That stallion who hated you and yet for some reason foalsat you?” Thunder asked.

“He did it because he cared, his brain just doesn’t let him say it,” Luminous told her ex-coltfriend, booping him on the nose. “That’s more than can be said about some ponies. In fact,” She bopped him again. “He knows how to treat a mare better than a certain stallion I know.”

“He’s forty-three, Luminous” Thunder said, looking at Luminous unamused. “If he’s your type, I think we know who the real loser is. Besides, I actually had a girlfriend.”

Psyche watched as the two went back and forth, each doing all they could to get the last word. In time, they wandered off leaving Psyche by herself with nothing to do for the time being. Despite knowing there was plenty of ponies around her, she decided to once again let her hoof phase through the Fluttershy statue. It felt nice, and made her feel alive in a way she had never felt before. In interacting with it, she was able to understand, if only for a few brief seconds, what emotions were. She was able to feel happy.

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The march had been long, but their destination was finally within reach. Aurora rested her eyes on the capital city of Canterlot, her old home over a thousand years ago. It hadn’t changed much in those years, though, and she wasn’t too sure if that was a good or bad thing. It was slightly comforting, seeing the yellow and white walls that surrounded it still standing, and Princess Platinum’s castle high and mighty. That didn’t change any of the facts however, and it most certainly did not change what she was here to do.

Despite the large force that she and Tholak had behind them, they had managed to remain unknown for the entire journey. Aurora had been clear about their goal, and that Canterlot would be the only battle necessary to win Equestria back. This is where the alicorn was, the protege of the sisters who had stolen the throne from her. There couldn’t be second guessing, any hesitation. If she was to kill this alicorn and save Equestria from the grasp of an ‘immortal’, there was no other choice.

“You see the mountain right there?” Aurora asked Tholak, motioning with her muzzle to Mount Canterhorn. “I had planned on moving the capital of Equestria away from it. It’s a general breach of security, one that any pony with wings could use. Will set up an archery line at the top.”

“So you plan on forgoing your little speech than?” Tholak questioned back.

“No, I still plan to give her a chance to surrender her life,” Aurora replied wish a shake of her head. “I consider myself noble enough for that. Besides, with the city holding what will be my future subjects, I would like to keep casualties and damage to a minimum,” She gritted her teeth. “Though, I know the likelihood of her surrendering is near non existent.”

“You ask me, those minimal odds for a successful surrender don’t make it worth anything,” Tholak said, pointing his bloodstone scepter, the same one he held a thousand years ago, right at Canterlot castle. “Though, if it was for someone special, I would be willing to give it a try.”

Aurora smiled as she picked up what Tholak meant. “You mean a wedding on top of her majesty's dead body? Oh sweety you wouldn’t know how happy that makes a mare,” With a flap of her wings, Aurora pecked Tholak on the cheek, before landing on the ground again. “We can worry about that after we destroy her canon though.”

“The diamond heart that makes an alicorn live forever,” Tholak replied. “You never did tell me how you found out about it. As soon as Celestia and Luna arrived, you were kicked out.”

“True, but don’t forget,” Aurora said, her smile growing more malevolent as time went on. “This won’t be my first time killing an alicorn. I can’t wait for one more to join their mother.”