The Trinity of Moons: Mending Shards

by Cloud Ring

Chapter 53: Inevitability

∿∿∿

“You are not the ones I should talk about that though,” the Red added after a pause; equal shares of mockery, sympathy, and satisfaction were squirming in its voice, “The Moons would be more fitting.”

“But you told your story to us, not to the Moons,” Signal objected, and her glasses gleamed in the mixed yellow-blue light of the bonfires.

The Red walked beside them in an open circle and smiled; its teeth were sharper than they should have been, “Not only to you, but also to the shadows who are accompanying you. ‘Is a world that is founded on betrayal worthy of being saved?’ That is the question I would ask. Before killing them, of course. Not because I am doubting the answer. In regards to your offer, I do not need the heavens anymore.”

Dartline grumbled without looking up, “Everypony says so, for the most part those who have never been able to fly. I have nothing against unicorns in general or Sunset Shimmer in particular. But she might be thankful for the new powers and abilities, given out for free, instead of raging for no sensible reason.”

The Red approached her, slowly, “It’s especially funny to hear that from you. As if you don't regret your choice sometimes— but then at least you had a choice.”

Dartline raised her head, her chest fluffed up, “Yes, but I work, not sit somewhere in the Moons-forlorn swamp crying! Where is this place anyway?”

“Behind the mirrors, in the Is-Not, in the midst of dreams,” the Red said, “This is what I got from the only fair deal with the Moons, my final refuge.”

Signal spoke thoughtfully, “That is, you and Them are making deals after all. But it makes all the more reasons why you should talk directly to the Moons. They would surely like to end this war.”

The Red turned to her, and in this beat Solid Line — and not only she, judging by the team’s common backing away — saw not an old fragile mare with wings broken and curved but a mighty alicorn in full glory, with the Moon above the tip of Her horn copper-scarlet and undeniable.

Then the vision faded and only the Red stood before them — nothing more than the mangled shadow, cast from Sunset Shimmer into the future far away; certainly not a Moon.

“The three of them are playing against me,” the Red said with a touch of burnt out anger. “When they had an exchange or other to offer, I did agree, and this always led to my loss. In one of the past histories, I was in the sky every cycle. They offered a turn that would make a history where I could appear out of my phase, and they did not lie. But which slices of a cycle are mine now? Which phase is mine, could you tell?”

“None. Your phase has never been and there is no reason why it should be. You do nothing but hurt ponies," Dartline nodded, "So why even bother?”

The Red stood above them on straightened thin legs, and dry anger was resounding in its voice, “This is how they change history. Turn one, and the Royal Sisters, ones to become the Moons, from the very beginning of time were three rather than two. Turn two, and there is no Sunset Shimmer in history, so I have nowhere to even come from. I have no plausible cause to exist. Turn three comes, and there have never been dragons.. Those skeletons on the ocean’s shore, where from these creatures came, nopony knows. Anything I could get a hold on is—”

Solid Line raised her hoof, “There is no need to call for pity. If what Fluttershy said is true, then without your reciprocal turns Moons could not continue the game. And how is it that through all the changes in your history, the world is still recognizable? Shouldn't the smallest changes in the distant past lead to a future too alien for us? Well, yes, two Princesses, these strange races, a university that I have not even heard of, but the same lands and the same ponies and the same Princesses sitting on the mostly same thrones? Therefore, I think you are mistaken. Too much time has passed, too confused your memory becomes…”

The Red made a short laugh, “Here is an inevitability for you. At each turn what has been established— what is made into a newly-forged truth of a given turn, becomes inevitable, and cannot be undone, and will — must — thus take place one way or another in all subsequent turns. I didn’t get into the game from the very beginning, so these inevitabilities persisted before me. A pity. It would be easier for me to work with a divided Equestria. These weak shires probably would have not even kept the name...”

Fluttershy went up to Solid and breathed out in a half-whisper, “I told you about this... Probably had not been very clear, sorry.”

Solid sighed. It was hard to find words without speaking out the Word — it felt the target nearby, “Well. You don't trust the Moons, neither do you trust us. What can we do to fix something— to make a trade offer, not as the Moons but as ponies who came to talk with you and make something better for us all?”

Signal raised her hoof on that, but went silent; others looked at her expecting something to be said, to no avail.

“You could die by giving me your blood, maybe?” suggested the Red, and snorted only after a really long pause. Solid noticed that none of the four were really shocked by the proposal, “I would even give you time to write farewell notes. And I will not speak to either the Moons or you. But here's my wish.”

Signal got up and went up to the Red. She looked up, “The same as mine?”

“Close enough,” the Red did not even get distracted by the adult unicorn. “When Sunset Shimmer was forced to Ascend, a part of her could not reach the heavens and was left behind. Like myself, she is immortal and inevitable. I tried to use her to return to the world and regain my flesh, but the Moons cast her in the ocean, chained and tied, first by charms, spells and ropes, then in following turns by the boundaries of inevitability.”

Solid took a deep breath, and the Red turned to her, as if inviting her to speak out. Solid did not find the words, and after a pause, the Red went on, “I can not reach her. Below the edge of the soil or water, the Moons' authority quickly wanes. Find her and return her to me. This is mine by right. My missing piece.” With that the Red stamped its hoof and the sand of the shallow stirred, went in waves, as if something huge was sliding under it unseen, a multitude of elongated bodies.

Signal smiled, “Then you will come to the world renewed and much more powerful. I see.”

“Maybe I will!” the Red snapped, “Or I will not but you will correct one of the many ignobilities of the Moons. I do not promise to retreat or surrender or forgive, but you will do one good deed before you die. Isn't that enough for the heroes you claim to be?”

Solid went up to her aunt and stood beside her, looking straight at the Red, “We are not heroes but I can promise that we will take the task up. If you bring our friends back.”

“No need to ask for that,” Dartline muttered without opening her eyes, “I know how to fly there.”

The Red laughed, this time sincerely, “Well, yes, of course. A well-coordinated team where everypony stays side by side, keeps no foul secrets from their comrades and never deviates from the common path. Without even a trace of distrust between good ponies. Trio is always stronger than a loner, heh. It is not my habit to let the prey go, but it is going to be fun. So you agree to go looking for the missing part of the Red?”

Solid nodded, “As soon as we reunite with our friends.”

“Then it shall come to be,” the Red said with a sense of finality, “I shall make a few touches to discourage your team from deceiving me and straying far from our deal. I have no power over you or Fluttershy— ” it hesitated for a beat, “But everypony else is now part of my game. Follow me and I will lead you to your friends.”

When Solid looked around to count her small team once more, Dartline was no longer in the shallows.

Comments

[Numinos]

Oooh, nice chapter. So, rules of the game is becoming known. Also, poor dragons...