Decretum

by BlackRoseRaven

Whispers Of Untold Stories

Chapter Fifty Five: Whispers Of Untold Stories
~BlackRoseRaven

Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly down at Antares, nodding firmly before she praised in an honestly-impressed voice: “You're doing amazingly, Antares. At this rate, you're going to quickly be smarter than both your mother and your father.”

“Yeah, that's real impressive.” Scrivener said mildly from where he was laying on his back with Luna pinning him, the sapphire mare glowering down at him before she flicked her head firmly to the side to send the black pearl at the end of her necklace swinging painfully into the stallion's face, making him wince. “Dammit!”

Antares blushed a little, gazing past where he was working with Twilight on the floor before he smiled and sat up happily. More than a month had passed, and it was deep summer now: Avalon's second birthday had come and gone, and Scarlet Sage's birthday had quietly passed too. Just like Scrivener, Scarlet Sage wasn't very big on celebrating her birthday... but this year, Luna had forced her to have a small party all the same, saying seriously that it was more for Antares' sake than her own... but it had shortly become apparent that what Luna had really been interested in was the cake, which she had greedily gobbled most of by herself.

But it had been good for them all, and good for the family... a family that was now closer and more united than ever. And Twilight smiled warmly as she leaned down and kissed Antares' forehead gently, and he blushed and smiled and flailed a little, embarrassed and happy at the same time as Twilight closed the spelling book in front of him and said softly: “You're doing a great job. Your parents and I will meet you outside in just a minute, okay?”

“Okay.” Antares hesitated, then he blushed again before stepping forwards and hugging the violet mare tightly, and she returned the embrace firmly for a moment before the foal spun around and ran through the kitchen.

Then Twilight climbed to her hooves and walked over to poke Luna and Scrivener apart as the back door closed. She opened her mouth, but then only looked up curiously when the front door opened and Discombobulation let himself in. He paused in the corridor, peering at them distrustfully as Luna and Twilight both looked at him and Scrivener glanced moodily over his glasses up from where he was still laying on his back, his collar glinting around his neck... and finally, the Draconequus said mildly: “You're a weird family.”

“Yeah, but we're a family, all the same.” Twilight said softly, smiling over at Discombobulation as Scrivener smiled despite himself, climbing up to his hooves. The three ponies looked curiously over at the chimerical creature as he gazed back, rubbing awkwardly at his wooden, prosthetic arm, and then Twilight frowned a little, asking quietly: “What is it?”

“Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.” Bob cleared his throat, shaking his head hurriedly before he looked lamely up at the ceiling, then finally sighed and slumped a little, holding up a single finger as he dropped his head forwards. “I have a slight problem.”

“You are a slight problem.” Scrivener said mildly, and then he leaned away when Twilight glared at him, even as the Draconequus shrugged agreeably after a moment. “What? He agreed. But... usually you just run off and hide when you go a little too far with your pranks. Like when you set Pinkamena's head on fire.”

The Draconequus glowered at Scrivener at this, crossing one arm across his chest... then rolling his eyes as his wooden arm moved creakily upwards before he seized it and yanked it quickly into position. “For one thing, I thought all demons were supposed to be fireproof. That's not my fault. She misrepresented herself and thus what I did is a non-actionable. Secondly, I do not run and hide from everything. Sometimes I just run; other times I just hide. I resent the fact that you think I'm so cowardly I always do both.”

Scrivener sighed at this as Twilight looked at him flatly, and then Discombobulation grumpily rubbed at his wooden arm before he said finally: “Discord sent me a letter. I do not know what to do.”

The ponies frowned at this, and then Discombobulation sighed and snapped his fingers, a letter appearing out of thin air. It glowed immediately as Twilight caught it with telekinesis, bringing the crumpled, damaged piece of paper over to her to read out loud to Luna and Scrivener. “'Dear Impossible To Spell Name, I politely demand that you get your friends to get me out of prison in Asgard. I am tired of being poked with large sharp objects. If you do, you have my word that I won't cause any more harm to you or yours. Scout's honor. Sincerely, Your Boss.' That's... that's nice.”

“He always did fancy himself an excellent writer.” Discombobulation said ironically, and then he sighed as Scrivener nodded thoughtfully. “I dislike the fact that I feel sympathy for him, of all things. This is like... well... many hero movies, where the hero makes the near-fatal mistake of showing mercy to the villain, who then dies, but dies in a way that's completely not the hero's fault, thus making them look like a shining star of good instead of lucky, naïve, and stupid. I mean, honestly. If Hero A helps Villain B back up to Ledge C, if Villain B killed them, everyone would go 'Hero A, you suck.' Instead, when Bullet D hits Villain B fired by Otherwise Useless Minor Character E, they all go 'oh Hero A! You so good!'”

Discombobulation fluttered his eyelashes and knitted his hands together, almost pulling his prosthetic arm off when he held his hands up by his face, and then he sighed and dropped his limbs... or at least his real arm, as the prosthetic slowly, slowly settled back into place at his side. “But I won't lie. I pity him, more than anything else. I understand now what it's like to be trapped in a place, at the complete mercy of others...”

Discombobulation looked meditatively down, rubbing slowly at the underside of his chin, and then Luna and Scrivener traded a look, eyes locking, sharing thoughts and emotions back and forth in a swirl before Twilight said quietly: “I think we all have to think about it. Discord... this... in a way, it's a personal issue for all of us.”

“Most of us. I can't say that I ever really ran into Discord one way or the other.” Scrivener said mildly, glancing up with a bit of a smile. “He didn't exactly cause much havoc at Canterlot, after all. My job during that time was pretty much to keep Luna in her room, because she was shouting about pummeling him. I...” He stopped, then looked over at her and laughed, smiling warmly. “Back then, I didn't believe she could actually do it.”

“Well, I cannot entirely blame thee. I was... almost frail in those days, was I not?” Luna smiled after a moment at him, nodding slowly as she added softly: “And I was trying to follow my big sister once more, do as she did instead of being myself. 'Twas a silly thing to do, really... but... what else did I know? 'Twas a strange world to me, and Canterlot had become a strange place, and society made no sense. Still does not. But come, Antares is waiting. He will be glad to see thee, Bob of Ginnungagap.”

“Society still doesn't make any sense.” Discombobulation muttered, and Scrivener nodded thoughtfully as he turned to follow Luna and Twilight, the Draconequus loitering along after them as he said mildly: “It's because of hipsters and writers and prostitutes.”

“Writers are often hipsters who are like prostitutes.” Scrivener paused for effect, then said seriously over his shoulder to the Draconequus. “They suck.”

At this, Discombobulation rose his hands and calmly, slowly clapped. Luna rolled her eyes in amusement despite herself, and Twilight smiled over her shoulder, saying mildly: “We all know you don't really feel that way, Scrivy. If you did, you wouldn't still be writing almost every day.”

“Well, when I don't write, I shrivel up and die. There's a lot of things I do every day that I don't like doing, Twilight, but that doesn't mean I can just stop doing them.” Scrivener replied reasonably, and then he smiled and nudged her firmly as he passed, adding easily: “Thought you had finally learned that.”

Twilight laughed and shook her head, smiling as she sat back on the deck and leaned over the railing to watch as Luna and Scrivener strode out to meet Antares in the field as the foal ran happily over to them, and then Discombobulation smiled as he stepped down and held out his hand, Antares hopping up and flapping his wings firmly to carry himself high enough to slap a hoof against this as he beamed brightly up at the Draconequus.

Antares Mīrus: the foal was like a son to her. The pride and love and affection she felt for him couldn't be rightly described any other way, and she was glad to nurture that feeling. As a matter of fact, that was what she had described Antares as to her parents, all those weeks ago now when she had met them in the Vale of Valhalla, with Scrivener Blooms and Luna, and unlike when they had all first met one-another in Canterlot, this time there had been no Celestia to carefully help avoid the more-sensitive topics.

But it had been okay, at the end of the day. Awkward and uncomfortable, yes, but... ultimately, it had been okay, because Twilight had been able to see her parents, to spend time with them, and to stand up and honestly tell them that she was doing okay in the world, that she was moving forwards with her life... that she was taking a strange path, certainly, but she had found the path she wanted to take, the life she wanted to live, and what made her happy. She had found something worth dedicating herself to, and through it, gained friends, love, strength, and what she thought of as her son.

Not that it was entirely good, of course. Scrivener had tried to hide in his armor for much of the talk and there had been a few names called, a few implications towed, a few... less-than-pleasant words spoken. But ultimately, when Luna and Scrivener had hurriedly been hustled out so that Twilight could talk to her parents privately, understanding a little too late she probably should have spoken to them alone first, things had calmed down. They wanted the best for their daughter, and they wanted her happy, and they wanted her to live a good life, which implied a normal life... except Twilight knew that any chance of living a normal life had vanished a long time ago for her.

But Twilight was glad that... hard as it had been, she had done it. They had only had a little time together, and she was well-aware that they weren't comfortable with it, and didn't blame them, but... she knew what she wanted. She knew where she belonged. She knew how she felt, and why she chose to be here. The reasons were right out there in front of her, as she watched Luna laugh and leap high over Antares, only for Scrivener to tackle her out of the air and the foal to jump on top of the pile, Discombobulation grinning in entertainment before Luna shook both the males off and then bounced to her hooves, calling warmly: “Twilight, come now! Join us, thou art part of this family too, I order thee to take part in the family activity.”

“I am, yeah.” Twilight smiled, then she stepped around the railing and ran forwards, and Luna looked surprised before the violet mare tackled her backwards, and Luna laughed as she fell on her back before tossing Twilight off, only for Scrivener to lunge at the sapphire winged unicorn... but Luna grinned widely, leaping up and neatly rolling her body through the air to evade him with ease, and instead he plowed into Twilight, who couldn't help but laugh warmly even as she was knocked back a step before firmly shoving him back.

They wrested like puppies for a while, until Luna was finally tackled down and squished beneath Scrivener, Twilight, and Antares, and then they finally broke apart, Luna sitting up and wheezing even as her son giggled and clung tightly to her face, nuzzling into her starry locks as she smiled amusedly before reaching up and pulling the large colt off, grinning at him with entertainment. “Child, thou shalt soon be too large to do such things as that! Oh, look at thee, handsome Antares! Thou art a blessing to us.”

“Nah...” Antares shifted shyly, smiling up at his mother as she set him down, and he gazed radiantly between the adults. “Are Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom gonna be here tonight? I was really hoping we could... you know, read stories again. I really liked that.”

Scrivener smiled amusedly at this, reaching out and rubbing a hoof through the colt's mane as he said softly: “Careful there, kiddo. At this rate, you're gonna end up with a cutie mark of a book or something, and everypony's going to think you're a writer like I am. Try and take after your mother.”

“Well, I think he is taking after me, Scrivy, I also adore a good story, as thou knows.” Luna winked across at him, nudging him firmly with her shoulder. “'Tis in all likelihood the only reason I married thee. Well, that and thou makes a very good housewife. I am no good at the housewifery and neither is Twilight. And Bob is not much of a butler.”

“I have often been called a butt, though.” Discombobulation said seriously, nodding after a moment, and Antares and Luna both giggled a little as Scrivy smiled wryly and Twilight gave him an entertained look. The Draconequus peered back and forth at the attention, then he clapped his flesh-and-blood hand against his wooden one firmly. “And now that I have everyone's attention, it's time for something completely different. Let's go raid an office building from a flying pirate ship.”

“Why must we raid an office building and why must it be a flying pirate ship? Let's raid a train heading to Canterlot, or one of Cowlick's transports, 'twill be quite fun.” Luna nodded eagerly a few times, and Discombobulation looked thoughtfully down at her as Scrivener sighed before reaching a hoof up and shoving her lightly.

She huffed at him grumpily in response, and then Scrivener turned his eyes to the Draconequus, saying dryly: “Please don't encourage her. She's really bad enough as it is. Besides...” Scrivener turned his eyes to Antares with a smile, saying softly: “Apple Bloom and Scarlet Sage are going to be here tonight, yeah, and they said they have something to talk over with us, too. I'm not sure what about, but... I think that afterwards, we'll probably all want to settle down a little with story-time.”

Antares smiled up at this, and then he said softly: “I'm gonna miss Scarlet Sage when she moves out, but I'm gonna do my best to be real happy for her, too. Because she really really loves Apple Bloom, and they both really really like it in Ponyville.”

Scrivener and Luna both looked curiously at Antares as Twilight smiled a little despite herself, even as she asked gently: “What makes you think they're going to do that?”

“Just a feeling.” Antares smiled up at them, nodding thoughtfully, and then he bounced a bit on the spot, asking curiously: “Can I have chocolate?”

“No.” Scrivener laughed even as he answered, then shoved Luna before she could say anything before Luna growled and tackled him onto his back, the two rolling like children for a few moments before the sapphire mare managed to pin him back, then she glared at him as Scrivener sighed and said dryly as Antares looked up brightly: “Make that 'yes.'”

Antares cheered and scurried up across the deck towards the house, and Scrivener sighed even as he smiled, looking with amusement up at Luna as she grinned down at him. “You know, Luna, I love you and all, but we really need to find a better way to settle our disagreements over raising Antares. Also, you need to stop stuffing chocolate and candy down his face.”

Luna only rolled her eyes, then she softened as she looked up at the house, saying finally: “We live in a world with an uncertain future, my beloved Scrivener Blooms. Why should I deny my child a little bit of candy, a little bit of harmless pleasure today, when for all we know tomorrow there could be another attack from Clockwork World, or a full-out war between our worlds... during which Antares shall have to be kept safe, kept hidden, and be trained... and... and worst of all, prepared for things no innocent little foal should have to be prepared for.”

She quieted, and Discombobulation gazed down at them before he said gently: “With great power comes great responsibility. And only fools think that any kind of strength comes without cost. Your son was born into this... yes, it is unfair, Luna and Scrivener Blooms, but let me ask you this: do you trust him? Do you have faith in him?”

“Aye, we both do, and I would rather help prepare our son for that which lays ahead and see him ready to take on the role he will one day play, that we are grooming him for, than select another's child and force them to make these choices...” Luna smiled a little, looking up at Discombobulation. “But I shan't take his childhood away from him, either. He trains with us willingly and enthusiastically each and every day, and I know when he plays, he imagines himself upon wild adventures and running alongside us. He is talented and strong... I shall let him find the path himself, even if... I am already trying to light the way for him.”

Scrivener nodded slowly in agreement, looking up at the sky overhead as he rested back in the grasses, and then he sighed a little after a moment as he reached up and rubbed along Luna's side, letting his eyes rove up to her as he said softly: “But hopefully it won't be for a long time, right?”

Luna nodded firmly, saying softly: “Aye. Years, decades, I hope... I wish to see my colt grow up into a fine, strong stallion. I wish to fight as long as possible, but... this is all in case of the worst-case scenario, that is all.” Luna shook her head and gazed softly back and forth between Discombobulation and Twilight Sparkle. “We have no plans to give in easily to death, after all, we simply... it would be foolish to not prepare for things.”

Twilight nodded quietly as Discombobulation looked down, then he shook his head moodily and said grumpily: “Well, this has all gotten morbid quickly. I think I'm going to go poke Gymbr and get another story or two out of that wicked little toy. Not that his stories are much better, mind you... I don't believe he met a pleasant end.”

“Those who live by the sword, die by it.” Scrivener looked meditatively at Luna, who grumbled a bit as she looked at him moodily. “Is that a good or bad thing for us?”

“Good, for I refuse to die of old age. 'Twould not be fitting for a Valkyrie.” Luna paused thoughtfully, rubbing at her face slowly. “But it would be even better I did not have to die at all. I do not desire to go to Helheim... and... nor do I have any wish to go to Asgard and Valhalla, be it the Vale or the mighty home of heroes... I... do not belong there any longer.”

She quieted, looking down before she smiled a little, reaching out and stroking a hoof slowly under Scrivener's muzzle. “When Scrivy and I die... we shall find our own piece of paradise. We shall do so, together... and do not worry, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna closed her eyes with a smile. “I shan't force thee to choose between us, and thy friends and family whom all wait for thou in the Vale.”

“Well... either way, it's not going to be for a long time.” Twilight said empathetically, and then she reached out and nudged Luna firmly. “Come on, you two, you're sucking all the energy out of the air. Let's go inside and make sure Antares hasn't eaten himself to death.”

“Oh, I said only a little chocolate.” Luna said huffily, and then she paused and frowned, grumbling as she stood up. “But then again, the child is gluttonous as Pinkie Pie at times, and if he has touched those caramel bars I shall restrict him to a diet of vegetables for a week.”

“Oh no, you're going to feed him the food that regular ponies eat. How horrible.” Discombobulation feigned a shocked look, and Luna glared at him before she climbed to her hooves and Scrivener did his best to hide his own amusement as he got up himself.

But all the same, serious thoughts were now twisting their way through the male's mind: not depressive, not upset, but calm and heavy all the same. There was a lot going on right now, after all, and the fact so much of it was speculation made it worse instead of better: the only thing they knew for certain was that Clockwork World was dangerous, and it was led by either a crazed, somehow-revived Valthrudnir or some impersonator who had somehow assumed the role of the Clockwork King.

Scrivener looked down thoughtfully as he followed Luna inside, responding automatically to conversation, a little distant and thinking slow, serious thoughts, letting his mind work carefully through everything that had gone on even as Twilight went back to teaching Antares for a little while, and Luna curled up with her sketchpad in front of the fireplace while Discombobulation snuck off somewhere.

Cowlick and Greece had gone over the schematics, for example, and from them put together a small, simple model with a few moving parts to give them an idea of what they were looking at. Scrivener had stared at this for a long time, at the terrible, octagonal cylinder with a large valve handle on the top, sitting in a wide metal base it could sink down into. What he had assumed was a metal coffin... what Greece thought was more like a cocoon, and Cowlick muttered looked like some kind of protective shell, half-agreeing with the dwarf Artificer and half-concerned it was more some kind of safety cell than a stasis chamber.

Scrivener had been careful not to think too heavily about it, though: these days, he had to be even more careful to not stress himself out too much, or first would come the visions, and then he would begin bleeding corruption. After he'd had another attack – which, as always, came with a wave of depression, self-loathing, and wild visions – Celestia had taken some of the corruption he'd bled, studied it, and said quietly that his body was producing a substance very, very similar to the mire that the Tyrant Wyrms created.

Zecora had thankfully provided them with a large supply of a potion that made him a little fuzzy for a few hours after he took it, sometimes made him a little nauseated, but kept his anxieties low and let him stay in control. He hated drinking it, but it was a necessary evil: a glass a day to keep the corruption at bay.

But Scrivener and Luna had also taken to spending more time with Pinkamena and Sleipnir: sometimes, while Luna spent time with her brother, Pinkamena and Scrivener would head off, talk about things in their half-guarded way, and help each other push forwards. Scrivener admired Pinkamena for the way she had become a demon not just for power, but in order to use that power to protect what mattered most to her; Pinkamena admired Scrivener because no matter what, no matter how close the stallion drew to the breaking point, he always seemed to pick himself back up. They both saw each others' true faces, and the darkness that lurked inside them, and they were determined to help each other, even at the cost of putting up with one another's defensive comments, insults, and occasional growling and biting.

Scrivener and Luna had also been forced to accept help from Nightmare Moon, although the earth pony shivered a bit when he thought of this: any hopes he might have once had that the corruption had solely affected him were by now long gone, as Nightmare Moon continued to transform inside of Luna, continued to... to mutate, he thought, was the best word for it. She was not only Luna's passion now... it was like she was greedily siphoning up Scrivener's darkness and corruption, and she had become this unspeakable thing... but as Luna had admitted one night, in the safety and comfort of the darkness, part of the reason it scared her was because it enthralled her. Because Nightmare Moon was inside her, inside them... and would give them a vicious, cruel edge against even Clockwork World if her full power was ever acknowledged and given vent.

The earth pony leaned back against Luna as he gazed softly towards Antares, letting his thoughts turn to his son as he felt the winged unicorn's soothing emotions flood gently into his mind, guiding him away from unpleasant thoughts. But then again, the thoughts about Antares Mīrus could be just as heavy, even as he smiled a bit: over the last month, because of the threat of not only Clockwork World, but how serious the corruption poisoning in Scrivener was... they had upped the foal's training, worked to spend more time with him... and written both a will and a small statement of wishes for what they wanted to happen if... something happened.

Antares was strong already, and he trained hard, and he was... pure. He was good: not perfect, but they didn't want perfect, anyway. The foal was growing quickly, and by the time he was an adult, he would probably be as large as Scrivener, but he maintained an athleticism about him that spoke much more to Luna than it did him. And Antares had a fine mind, and as long as they took care to nurture him as they trained him, he would make a strong, compassionate leader, who would show empathy and mercy as well as strength and virtue. Who would be honorable, more honorable than Luna or Scrivener could manage to be.

Luna was already training him to be a leader: she had no visions of her son ruling Equestria, and didn't imagine that he'd ever desire to be either King or Baron, either, but she wanted to help form him into a strong leader figure. Into someone other ponies could gather around. And she knew, in a way, it was not only unfair, it was almost cruel: she was trying to make him into the kind of pony she herself disliked being, she was already trying to help push him into taking on a position where one day, he would be responsible for others, and would have all the burdens that went with it... and moreover, she was trying to shape him into a pony who would never be without empathy, who would always feel for those around him, who would treat all as equals. A pony who would feel for his soldiers, and thus take great joy in their victories... great despair in their defeat... and great pain in their inevitable loss.

But then again, that didn't necessarily mean Luna was trying to turn him into a military leader. Her truest vision was of an Antares who would follow in his parents' hoofprints: an Antares who would wander Equestria, helping set wrongs right like in the old legends, who would always be there to defend his home, friends, and family from invasion and destruction.

At least, that was their hope. And Scrivener smiled a bit as he looked silently at Antares for a few more moments, studying the unicorn foal... his growing horn, his strong, leathery wings, his sharp teeth revealed by his child-like, bright smile. He knew, just by looking at him, there was so much in the future for their foal... he only hoped that he and Luna would be able to guide the colt down the right path.

That night, Scrivener and Luna laid together on the bedding, curled up together, both smiling and admittedly, a little sad for all their warmth. Unsurprisingly, after all, Antares had been right, as his feelings often were: Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom had announced that they wanted to moved in together, into their own place in Ponyville. It was hard for Scrivener and Luna to accept, but... their child was growing up. Had grown up: she and Apple Bloom felt they were ready for this and... Scrivener had to agree that they probably were, even though it was hard to watch Scarlet Sage leave.

They had spent a long time talking to the young mares, and Twilight had added her own gentle thoughts as well, but all supportive. It wasn't like they had any right to question or judge, after all, and nor was it like Scarlet and Apple Bloom were rushing into this: they were sharing their plans for the future, and asking for help and advice, and being up front and honest about everything. It wasn't like they were eloping or running off into the night or ungrateful, but... they wanted to pursue their own lives, and Luna and Scrivener both understood that feeling very, very well.

So they would help as much as they could, as much as Scarlet Sage would allow: the Pegasus already had a job offer at a clinic, where she could train as a nurse and put her powers to use helping ponies. Apple Bloom, meanwhile, was making a good amount of money apprenticing under Cowlick, who often gave her bonuses for helping with side-projects.

They had already told Applejack and Big Mac, too, and while they were sad that Apple Bloom was leaving the farm, they understood. She would still help out as she could, she would still be more than glad to do repair work for them for free and help with the irrigation systems and everything else, but Sweet Apple Acres just wasn't where she belonged anymore. She was the first Apple in a long time to not be a farmer, but... Applejack accepted that. And she and Big Mac promised to help out as much as they could.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were apparently jealous, but both of them were still trying to find their course in life and weren't yet in the best of shape to try moving out: as they had learned, just earning their cutie marks didn't suddenly make everything fall into place. Sweetie had her job at Scratch's nightclub, at least, and Scootaloo now had both Soarin' as well as Rainbow Dash to look up to... and the former Wonderbolt was glad to train and tutor her whenever Dash was too busy looking after Avalon and working with his daughter.

One idea Apple Bloom had was that they could find a townhouse or something to rent: they could offer up the free room to Sweetie and Scoot, although Scrivener had smiled amusedly over at Twilight at this and noted that actually living with your friends was often far harder than just spending all your time with them. And Twilight had laughed and nodded, agreeing: it had taken them all a while to get used to each others' eccentricities and idiosyncrasies, after all.

Luna smiled at this as she pushed her face deeper against Scrivener's neck in front of the flickering fireplace, murmuring softly: “Yet I think they would make it work somehow... so long as Apple Bloom and Scarlet Sage remain aware not to constantly flaunt their relationship about their home with their friends about. 'Tis very rude and annoying when any couple does that, whether they are young or old.”

“You're really one to talk, Luna.” Scrivener snorted in amusement, but when she gave him a pointed look, he smiled after a moment and said softly: “Yeah, I know. You're physical but not... constantly cuddling up or calling me pet names. Just beating on me and biting me and hitting me. And loudly talking about all your adventurousness.”

“Oh, shush, beetle. I am far better at that these days.” Luna huffed a bit, then she nuzzled against him before adding softly: “Still. Poor Antares was trying so hard to be supportive but... he was very upset. Yet... they did offer to let him sleep over now and then, and I know that helped, because I know they also meant it. He is like a brother to both of them.”

She quieted, smiling a little as she glanced down and murmured: “I am so proud of them. I am so proud of all our friends, and I am so proud of our Twilight, too... where is she, anyway? Still upstairs?”

“Yeah, in the office. Writing something...” Scrivener shook his head with a bit of a smile. “Think it's either a letter to Celestia or a journal entry.”

“Poor Celestia. I feel for her these days, Scrivy, I shall have thee know.” Luna said softly, nodding moodily as she looked up towards the ceiling. “Stuck in Canterlot so often with the Royal Council, only rarely getting to escape to her comfortable home in Ponyville, and... lonely even there so often. 'Tis stupid, Scrivy, but... at least Sleipnir and Pinkamena and others are her friends now. 'Tis sad though, that she seems to be eternally... without a pony to call her own.”

Scrivener nodded slowly, looking over at Luna as she looked back at him, softening. “It makes me understand how fortunate I am to have thee, and how fortunate thou art to have me. Soulmates, true soulmates... and we have Twilight Sparkle, too, as part of our odd little family.”

“The Norns said you were supposed to be with Twilight, not me.” Scrivener said meditatively, looking down as he rubbed at the underside of his muzzle, and Luna grunted, studying him curiously. “I wonder if that was true sometimes, and I wonder if that's why... but no, what I'm getting at is... I dunno, even.”

“I know.” Luna said seriously, leaning slowly in. “Thou wants to sleep with Celestia, is that it? Thou wants to make little monstrous babies with her. Thou art sick.”

Scrivener groaned and rolled onto his side, then huffed and shoved Luna off when she tried to pounce on him, making her laugh. “Some husbands would be offended at their wife offering him to other ponies, you know. Especially other male ponies.”

Luna only licked her lips slowly, half-lidding her eyes at him. “What can I say, Scrivener Blooms? 'Tis a fun image to think of handsome males indulging one-another. Why, stallions talk all the time of mares kissing other mares, why can't I dream of the same?”

“Because no, not all stallions talk about that – particularly once they realize that if those pretty mares like other pretty mares, they're probably not going to sleep with mister stallion – and this isn't high school.” Scrivener paused meditatively, looking down moodily. “Well. I think that's what they talk about in high school. I heard they're very dirty places.”

“We should go to one! Young, impressionable minds to play with!” Luna said cheerfully, and Scrivener sighed and reached up to push a hoof against her face, making her grumble. “Thou art no fun whatsoever.”

Scrivener only grunted, and then he glanced up at the sound of quiet hoof-steps, turning over his shoulder to ask curiously: “Antares, is that...”

And then Scrivener simply stared in disbelief, and Luna frowned at the expression on his face and the sudden blankness of his thoughts before she looked over her shoulder herself... and both she and Scrivener stared at the sight of Gymbr: and it was no doll, but a full-fledged winged unicorn, taller than either of them, striding slowly through the living room until it reached the wall opposite the corridor, and then it simply blinked out of existence.

Luna hauled herself hurriedly to her hooves, gaping in disbelief still as Scrivener shook his head, then looked up at her and asked weakly: “That. That really just happened, didn't it?”

“Outside.” Luna said sharply, and Scrivener nodded as he leapt up to his hooves, the two running through the kitchen and shoving through the back door. Their eyes locked on the impossible sight again, the black-fire mane strangely clear even in the darkness of the late night as it swayed slowly before vanishing into the forest, and Scrivener and Luna shot after it, running across the back yard and hurrying into the half-hidden path through the woods.

The phantasm was ahead, always ahead: whenever they drew close, it faded out of sight and reappeared a seemingly set distance away. Scrivener could feel the corruption in his head boiling, and Luna was snarling as Nightmare Moon writhed inside of her, the two shooting side-by-side through the silent Everfree Forest in pursuit of the creature.

It led them to the heart of the forest, to Hu and Ỏðr: the enormous ash trees were rumbling and twisting slowly, moving visibly of their own free will as Scrivener and Luna looked back and forth for Gymbr beneath the glow of the moon above. Then Luna's eyes snapped to the side, gazing past the pond and at the rock above... and she snarled as her eyes lit not on Gymbr, but instead on some other figure, laying there, prone and...

Her snarl faded slowly as she stared at it, and Scrivener looked slowly up before he shivered at the glint of metal and the stench of decay already rising from the creature. Slowly, they both circled around the pond and up to the rocks, then they gazed down at the pony, carefully turning it over... and Scrivener shuddered weakly. A dull violet body, protected by plates of metal that had been gouged and ripped and torn. Neon green blood covered the monster, and Scrivener grimaced as muttered: “Looks like poison.”

“Let us not test that theory.” Luna murmured, probing the dead body of the Clockwork Pony carefully. She looked nervously at Scrivener, but when he only shrugged, she returned her eyes to the corpse: it was definitely dead, and definitely not getting up, as she checked its pulse and then poked along it a few times to check its wounds and ensure it wasn't playing possum. “Wait, here...”

She carefully grasped one of its forelegs, revealing a two-pronged, needle-like weapon extending out of its wrist. It was broken, but dripped that same green fluid... and Scrivener shivered after a moment before a voice said softly from behind them: “It attempted to poison our forest. We have been watching it for a long time now... there are others, too. Other puppets of Decretum, some hibernating, some awake and simply biding their time...”

Scrivener and Luna both slowly looked over their shoulder... and they saw Gymbr, sitting calmly a few feet away from them, the androgynous creature's features beautiful and vain and somehow sad... but all the same, it made them shiver to look upon. Its eyes shone with pride and mercilessness, without a hint of empathy or compassion: only dominance, and self-loathing... a dangerous combination.

“What art thou?” Luna whispered, as they both faced the being, and Gymbr studied them before it smiled almost tenderly, making both the sapphire mare and Scrivener Blooms shiver. “Foulest of monsters, thou... why does thou look upon us with such affection? Thou destroyed-”

“You do not know what we destroyed, oh no. But you will. We shall tell you the story... because we desire to save ourselves.” Gymbr closed its eyes, lowering its head as it whispered: “We are made of memories. We are made of desire. We are a living story... a story, believed in so deeply, that it came to life. The culmination of countless years of emotions and desires and darkness, manifested. We are your reflection, Luna Brynhild and Scrivener Blooms: we are your shadow. We are... Gymbr.”

It looked across at them, and Luna and Scrivener both shivered, neither speaking, feeling trapped between the Clockwork corpse and the impossible thing in front of them before Gymbr smiled faintly at them. “Do not fear us. We are you. To destroy you would be to destroy ourselves... to harm you, would only harm ourselves. You are the dreamers who made us real. You, and Celestia, and Twilight, and countless others gave us life and reality. We are simply your... imaginary friend. We are Antares' imaginary friend. He was the catalyst.”

Luna shook her head weakly at this, and then Gymbr leaned forwards, saying softly: “Do you know all the stories about children, who make up friends who become almost real, invisible forces and shades that can even reach out to protect them? How the child, usually gifted, is often blamed for this? But just as often, the child only helps shape it... and the parents, their devout and loving wish to protect this child... is what helps give that entity strength. You and so many others made a wish to all the forces of the universe a long time ago: to protect Antares, but not only that, sweet Luna and Scrivener, you both desired to protect the child with darkness.

“So here we are. We have answered your call, and gladly; we desire nothing if not to protect Antares... the child we should have had.” Gymbr looked down meditatively, murmuring: “It is too late to redeem ourselves, but we do not desire redemption any longer. We can never earn it: even before we destroyed our precious, beloved family, we lost that ability, and our feeble attempts to make up for the evils we have wrought did nothing but worsen things.”

“You talk like you're real. Like you came from another layer of reality.” Scrivener said quietly, and Gymbr smiled at him gently.

“We are real.” Gymbr stood slowly up, and then it stepped forwards and reached a silver hoof up, the earth pony staring in shock as a series of strange clicks rose up before this split apart into a segmented claw that gently stroked along Scrivener's face, feeling warm and metallic and electric. “We have had so much thought and belief poured into us that from a fragment of an imaginary world, we have finally become... self-sustaining. Real. Alive. Yet still, we are made of your memories... our memories... and our dark story, our black past.”

Gymbr lowered its claw, then it smiled calmly, closing its eyes as this clicked loudly again before sealing back together into a hoof, and it bowed its head courteously as it said gently: “And now, we would like to tell you our story. Here, in the darkness of our forest... but allow us to get rid of that unwelcome sight for you.”

With that, Gymbr's horn glowed darkly, and Scrivener and Luna both staggered and looked over their shoulders in surprise as the corpse of the Clockwork Pony took on the same glow, then simply flickered out of reality. Scrivener almost fell off the smooth stone stage at this, but Gymbr reached a silvery hoof out, lightning fast, and caught him by the shoulder, saying softly in its echoing, mixed tones: “Be careful now. And do not fear, Luna, we merely sent the corpse to Ponyville. It will be discovered outside the warehouse at some point...”

“Thou art going to cause a panic.” Luna gritted her teeth, then she slapped Gymbr's hoof firmly away from Scrivener's shoulder after he managed to sit back on the smooth stone, both feeling trapped despite the fact that if they really wanted to escape, it was an easy jump off the tall rock over the narrow pond below. “And why should we deign to listen to thy pathetic, self-adulating, egotistical stories?”

“Because we do not have much to tell... but there is much you may learn from us. And we promise that after our story is told... we will once more recede, and act as if we are nothing but a doll... and because we know that you are curious, and want to be told.” Gymbr smiled kindly, closing its eyes. “Especially Scrivener.”

Scrivener glared at this, but didn't have a proper response as Luna snorted in derision, shaking her head violently before Gymbr's emerald eyes calmly opened, and it added softly: “And you have seen that if we desire, we can still exert great influence over this world... we do not have to be friends, but we do not have to be enemies, either. And all we desire from you is for you to allow us to continue to remain with Antares, protecting him in his waking and dreaming hours. We have escaped the nightmares to stand in the real world... and what we desire after our countless years of life and experience is to simply... rest. A particular luxury not afforded many creatures as ourselves.”

The two were silent, and then Gymbr smiled calmly, bowing its head towards them as it said softly: “We know what your answer will be, must be, already. But we will wait for you to announce your decision.”

“Why... why is it that you haven't fought with us, then? I mean... fought beside us, against Clockwork World, helped us find the answers we need, if you're so powerful?” Scrivener asked finally, and Gymbr bowed his head respectfully at this question.

“Because this is not our story. This story belongs to you and Luna Brynhild... and we are not without flaw. You call us Tulpa, which is close enough to what we are... but we came into this world, a toy, inspired by a wish, brought to you by the hand of destiny... true destiny, not the self-righteous Fates.” Gymbr said softly, head still bowed, eyes still closed. “We may exert ourselves to greater and greater degrees as we grow stronger, but... we must then revert. We have flaws and vulnerabilities, that can be used against us as we are now... that can be used to destroy our doll-body, and if that is destroyed, then we will cease to exist. Even ideas and stories can be killed by a sharp enough mind.”

“Or a bad writer.” Scrivener muttered, and Gymbr laughed quietly: a melodic, strange sound that sent chills down the earth pony's spine. He and Luna traded another apprehensive look... and then, finally, Scrivener sighed quietly, looking up and saying finally: “If we let you tell us this story... you'll go away?”

“We will become dormant, and we shall sleep until we are needed again. Or until we are invited back into your world... but we are aware that we are not part of your family, nor will we ever be. Still, one day we desire to walk at Antares' side... even if only as the devil that rests upon one shoulder to balance out the angel on the other.” Gymbr replied softly.

“Eloquent. You have such a strange way of speaking. Alien, exotic, accented overtones, and yet... under it all, I hear an animal growling. Covering up your true primal nature with fancy talk... a very old, overused trick.” Scrivener murmured, looking down with a grimace, but Gymbr only continued to look at them with its calm smile before the charcoal stallion traded another look with Luna, who sighed quietly and nodded hesitantly. “We... don't have a choice.”

“There is always a choice. Fear not... we will keep the story short.” Gymbr replied softly as it looked up, emerald eyes glowing, and Scrivener and Luna both couldn't resist gazing into the poisonous irises of the creature as it whispered softly: “Sleep.”

And with that single word, both Luna and Scrivener slowly laid down, eyes growing heavy, bodies losing all strength as Gymbr smiled compassionately, tenderly, and almost jealously over them, as it leaned forwards and began to whisper its stories into their vulnerable, linked mind.

Celestia was snarling in pain, hugging herself around the body and breathing hard as the bone pistons extending from her back sparked violently, her amber eyes glowing and golden-fire mane writhing as she whispered: “It hurts...”

Gymbr sighed quietly, hurrying across the Garden towards the fallen ivory equine, its front hooves snapping apart into claws before it quickly grasped into the underside of Celestia's jaw and yanked her head up, their gazes locking as the androgynous creature's eyes glowed bright green. Celestia gasped as the pain worsened, flexing hard, shivering as her body rippled... but then it rapidly faded away, numbness and faint pleasure pulsing through her system instead as she slowly settled and the glow faded from Gymbr's eyes.

Carefully, Celestia pushed herself up to her hooves, then she shook her head weakly and dropped it forwards, trembling a bit as she whispered: “I am so sorry.”

“No, no. Do not apologize.” Gymbr replied sharply, shaking its head before it closed its eyes. “We are sorry. Celestia, we are sorry... we pushed you into the transformation. We can admit to our faults and mistakes...”

Celestia only smiled faintly, and then she turned her eyes away silently. More than a hundred years had passed since she had undergone her transformation into a full-fledged Tyrant Wyrm... but over the last decade, Celestia's body had begun to simply... give out.

Gymbr wasn't sure what it had done wrong: the transformation should have been perfect. Twilight Shadow, even now, was working frantically to try and find the solution, along with the Princesses, and they were searching every resource they had at their disposal. The black-fire maned winged unicorn sighed as it began to pace anxiously, cursing under its breath to itself as Celestia only stood, then bowed her head and said quietly: “I... I cannot serve you as First Concubine if I require you to soothe my pain every few hours, but... perhaps I can still be of some use to you, my beloved Overlord.”

Gymbr frowned at this, looking up, and then it swallowed and shook its head when Celestia smiled across at the creature even as bloody tears fell from her eyes. “Kill me. Consume me, before my body and spirit break down any further. Make all my power yours.”

“Celestia, no.” Gymbr shook its head quickly, cursing and looking away despite the shudder of desire, of temptation, that ran through it. “We love you, we admire and respect you... we will not...”

“If you love me, then you'll do this for me. My one wish, my last wish.” Celestia bowed her head forwards, closing her eyes. “I love you.”

Gymbr stared silently, breathing hard, and when Celestia rose her head and smiled, it could only tremble, then nod slowly as it whispered: “You will always be in our heart, big sister.”

Five minutes later, Gymbr was striding silently out of the Garden and through the halls of its enormous, powerful castle. It was breathing hard, but no tears came: Gymbr didn't seem to be capable of crying. Yet on the inside, both sides of it were wailing, howling with misery... both Scrivener and Luna were in despair and rage inside of the creature, and Gymbr was filled with horror at what it had done... and yet it hadn't stopped. It had given its lethal kiss to Celestia, and it had drank down her life force and soul like fine wine...

Twilight Shadow was already waiting for Gymbr in the throne room when it arrived, and the Lich was crying silently, staring weakly across at Gymbr. Gymbr only gazed weakly back, and then it lowered its head and whispered: “We will use the Bifrost tomorrow to cross to an unexplored layer of reality. One day, though, Twilight Shadow... we will become so powerful that we will be able to bring back all those lost to us...”

“I'll be there with you, every step. Always.” Twilight Shadow whispered, looking up with a tremble... and the fanaticism, the love, the zealotry in her eyes was almost enough to make Gymbr shiver.

A message was sent out from Enstasis across their dark kingdom of Equestria, which mourned for the death of Celestia. And Enstasis was a mix of both revelry and misery as Tender Trust was appointed the new First Concubine, as Celestia was mourned and fondly remembered, and they prepared to deal with their sorrows the way Gymbr dealt with pain best: by renewing its quest to seek out power, by exploring to new worlds, by taking its pain out on others.

True to its word, the Bifrost was forced open, and Gymbr, Twilight Shadow, and the Princesses invaded another realm. A week later, they returned with a terrified, different Celestia as a prisoner of war, along with several other scared and badly-injured ponies. These were experimented on to different points... and Gymbr smiled as, after a month of this, it sat in its throne with a broken Celestia draped in gemstones and jewelry beside her, and a control collar around her neck. Not their Celestia, by any means, and not a replacement... merely a buffer, a toy, to soften the loss.

But it didn't last: Sleipnir came down from Valhalla to lecture his strange, evil sibling and again try to make Gymbr see reason. They argued for hours, shouting at one another furiously, as Sleipnir tried to make Gymbr understand what it was doing was wrong. And finally, a fight had broken out: and while Sleipnir wasn't as strong as he had once been, had grown rusty, he still had his natural warrior's instincts... backed by the rage and despair and disbelief at everything that had happened, lending him further strength.

And in fury and misery, Gymbr struck back as fiercely as it could, until Sleipnir lay bleeding in the Garden. Bleeding, broken... dying, Gymbr realized too late. But Sleipnir had only grinned weakly, closing his eyes as Gymbr rushed too late to its brother's side, and Sleipnir rasped quietly: “Look at what thou hast become... oh, little sister, if thou can still hear me... show some scrap of conscience... do one thing right with thy life. Stop this...”

He coughed weakly, clutching at his separated ribs, the bones torn through his inner organs from a too-hard blow from Gymbr as the creature stood over its sibling with horror. “And... and Scrivener Blooms... thou art better than this, too. Both thee and my little sister are so much better than this... please show that. Please show the world... p-please...”

And Sleipnir had died, there, in the Garden, of an argument that had gotten out of control. Gymbr had howled in misery, not just made a single child by the death of its brother and sister... made an orphan, too, with the loss of the older siblings who had raised Luna and taken care of her until she had become Gymbr...

Again, there was mourning and misery, but this time Gymbr spent it instead locked away in its room. It contemplated what it could do, if there was any possible way at all it could right all of these wrongs... if it could right even a single wrong it had done.

The only true comfort was Twilight Shadow: she was blindly dedicated, but still herself, even after all these years. She still scolded Gymbr, and spoke up against it when it did something stupid, and put forwards her on thoughts and ideas. And as Gymbr stared around Enstasis weakly, it realized how much it had damaged. How much it had done.

The Moon Blessed were nothing more than puppets, and the concubines and concubinus were the same. After Sleipnir's death, the little life and fight that had been left in Pinkamena had vanished, and now the demon simply sat in the kitchens and ate as Pinkie Pie made her endless batches of cupcakes and donuts and muffins and cookies. The Princesses, too... Apple Bloom sometimes showed fear, but Scarlet Sage was so... abused, it realized, that she had gone from beloved daughter to little more than... than toy.

Gymbr desired... to restart. And understood that perhaps there was even a way it could... but again, greed took over. Greed, avarice, and lust for pleasure and power... and even though Twilight Shadow spoke up worriedly against the sudden, insane plan, she vowed quietly that if it was what Gymbr desired... she would aid.

And a week later, Gymbr called its toys to its room, one-by-one, and consumed them one after the other. Few resisted: some, like Pinkamena, had even seemed happy to finally be given a chance to pass on, and the demon herself had grinned widely, whispering weakly: “It's about time. Me and sissy... had enough of this mess anyway.”

Others had given in happily, revealing even worse states of broken being than defeat and despair: Apple Bloom had almost tried to struggle, but had been soothed by Scarlet Sage, who had gazed at Gymbr with adoration as she whispered: “Part of you two forever, with Apple Bloom forever... will I see Celestia? Will I see Mom and Dad?”

Gymbr had only smiled weakly, unable to lie and unable to tell the truth, as Twilight Shadow had turned her eyes away... but both had known that it didn't matter anyway. Yes or no, Scarlet Sage would have done anything Gymbr asked... and Apple Bloom would have done anything to follow Scarlet Sage.

Once that was done, Gymbr had rested, flooded with power, possessing new strengths and new abilities, filled with new memories. And then it had turned its eyes to the Lich as Twilight Shadow had stepped forwards, but Gymbr had only closed its eyes, shaking its head silently and murmuring: “No. We desire... a companion. You are our companion. You are the one we choose to be with.”

“Then I'm beside you, until the very end.” Twilight Shadow replied firmly, nodding once, and Gymbr had smiled at this with a slow nod of agreement and approval. They had rested until morning, when Enstasis became quietest... and then, working alongside Twilight Shadow, Gymbr had used its unfathomable, terrible powers to bring the mighty, thought-indestructible castle crashing down to the ground, drawing energy out of the ever-swirling maelstrom above to raze what had once been its decadent palace of dreams and nightmares.

And with that, Gymbr and Twilight Shadow had simply left, abandoning their Equestria... but the world they crossed to on random across the Bifrost had long been destroyed. The two wandered for weeks across a desert of destruction and debris, searching for any signs of life... but they found nothing. And there was, in turn, nothing here for Gymbr to sate its hungers: hungers that had grown, that it had forgotten to take into account. Hungers that had worsened with all the powerful spirits and souls it had consumed in its childish attempt to 'set things right,' that it only now realized was just greed and stupidity, as it longed to see friends and family again... friends and family it hadn't freed, but had simply... destroyed.

They stopped for camp one night... and Gymbr gazed to Twilight Shadow, who smiled back at him before nodding and slipping back beneath the starlight. Their bodies moved together, dark creatures seeking the comfort of each other in the depths of the night, the one pleasure they could share in this empty world they had fled into. And when Gymbr kissed her, it tasted all the magic, all the energy, that made up Twilight Shadow's spirit. All the power in that soul, all the emotion, and the hungers leapt up...

When Gymbr pulled its mouth away, it was too late. The Lich lay beneath him, a look of faint hurt and betrayal on her face, but love gleaming in her dead eyes as a last bit of energy steamed up from her jaws. Gymbr had feasted upon her spirit... and since Gymbr was what the Lich connected to, what had kept Twilight Shadow in eternal undeath, pulling in the rest of her life force and soul had been a task completed in only a matter of moments.

So now, Gymbr sat alone, in a desert. It could open the Bifrost... but it had nowhere to go. No other world would ever accept its presence, and the world that Fate had dumped it in was nothing but empty sand, blown by a wind that reeked of decay. And it was what it deserved, as it sat alone, a god with all the powers of the universe inside its mixed consciousness, but who could do nothing for all its abilities except run away and destroy everything it cared for.

So finally, Gymbr silently laid down by the corpse of Twilight, hugged it back against its chest, and closed its eyes. And by morning, the decaying wind had blown a blanket of sand over both their bodies, burying corpse and self-annihilated god in the endless desert to sleep forever... and inside its mixed consciousness, Scrivener and Luna both wished in silent darkness they had never allowed Gymbr to be born.

Comments

[Icthelight]

see thee, Bob of Ginnungagap.”

[Icthelight]

of the late night as it swayed slowly before