III - Yesterday and Tomorrow
As the Sun Sets
by Mystic
Chapter III
Yesterday and Tomorrow
The air shimmered, fluid and ephemeral, constantly shifting around Twilight as she walked down the stone corridor. She looked down the seamless hallway, the white stone flawless in its construction, elegant with its smooth curves and arches. Paintings and murals filled the walls with blaring colours, all depicting epic heroes and fantastic landscapes.
Twilight didn’t remember starting to walk along the hallway, nor did she know where she was headed, yet she walked with purpose. She was driven by some unknown knowledge, a strange compulsion urging her forward toward a destination she couldn’t name.
She turned a corner, and the air rippled outwards, distorting the walls on either side. The corridor was identical to the previous one, the same paintings and tapestries adorning the walls. It didn’t seem strange, though. It was largely irrelevant in the face of her goal.
Without warning, the corridor ended in a lone doorway, already partly ajar. She nudged it open with her hoof, and it creaked as it swung into the room. Twilight stepped through and smiled when she realised where she was.
It was Princess Celestia’s chambers, only, it was different. The walls were completely covered in shelves, empty and bare-bones, collecting layers of dust in place where books should have been. The fireplace remained, as did the massive four-poster bed that took inspiration from pegasus design. On the right was the opened window leading out to the balcony clinging to the tower’s side. Twilight was a little surprised to see Celestia standing outside, a cup of tea levitating next to her in a gentle golden aura.
She stepped into the crisp evening air. The sun was setting quickly, igniting the already flickering air on fire with a sickly glow. Twilight looked at the second fine-china cup on the table. It was empty despite the still-steaming pot next to it.
“Twilight.”
Twilight frowned. The voice, it was low, rushed, urgent. “Yes, Princess?”
“Look at that view, Twilight. It’s magnificent.”
Twilight peered at the world, watching as the wavering and bloodied sun caused the elongated shadows to dance. “It’s…”
“Why? Do you not like it?”
“No! I do like it!”
“What do you like about it, then?”
“Um.” Twilight gulped. “It looks a little like the paintings you see in the Canterlot gallery.”
The Princess turned to face Twilight. Her eyes were distant, lost in sunken sockets, not quite focusing on Twilight’s face. “Is that all?”
“Is this a… uh… test?”
Celestia looked away. “Of a sort.”
“I…” Twilight paused. Out to the west, the light was rapidly disappearing from the world. But in the east, in place of the moon, rose an abyss of burning shadow, tongues of dark fire that licked the sky. Twilight watched with a prickling sense of fear as the shadow grew and grew, quickly overwhelming the mountains that framed the horizon. “Princess?”
Celestia was silent, watching the west with an intense gaze. “What else do you like about the view, Twilight?”
“Princess! Can’t you see that?” The shadow made its move, spilling out from the eastern horizon and engulfing everything in its path with a swelling wall of darkness. It swept over the land, swallowing everything in its path.
“Do you like the way the sun lights up the sky? It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Princess! Please, look!”
Celestia seemed to stir at the urgency in the unicorn’s voice. “Oh! How could I have forgotten? Twilight, I did not ask if you would like any tea. How rude of me.”
“Princess! The world is disappearing! Aren’t you going to do anything?”
Celestia stopped, the second teacup and pot hovering in front of her face. “Do you trust me, Twilight?”
“I… Of course I do!”
“Then trust me, Twilight. Trust me like you once did.”
“But… I…” She could only watch as the shadow swept over the last of the mountain range, surging, breaking and plunging down into the valley below. “I always have trusted you.”
A great roar shattered the sky until the shimmering magic dissipated into nothing. Twilight watched as a great shape leapt from the depths of the shadow, spreading its massive wings with a great rush of air. The beast’s eyes glowed red as it rushed towards the balcony, fire crawling out the sides of its mouth and nostrils.
“Princess!” Twilight screamed as loudly as she could, yet her voice sounded no louder than a whisper. “Princess, please!”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about, Twilight,” Celestia said, her voice sounding so far away and hollow. “Trust me.”
A shaft of gold spilled out from the west, lighting up the world with warm and glorious rays of light. It met the shadow over the plains so far below, pushing it back to the east. The winged beast roared again and threw its head back to the sky, spewing fire into the air. The light held for a fraction, and then it broke into glittering shards. The shadow gushed forward, this time completely unchecked.
Twilight could only watch as the darkness rushed up to meet her, the depths of the void hungry to swallow her whole.
“Trust me, Twilight,” came Celestia’s imperial voice, the Princess still facing the west. “Trust me.”
Twilight woke with a shuddering gasp, the last of the dream still filling her mind’s eye. She breathed deeply three times to slow her beating heart, a trick she used to use as a filly to combat nightmares.
The little breathing trick worked as promised, and Twilight felt even better in the familiarity of a routine. It sought to fight the unease she felt waking up in a strange room so different from her comfortable little library back home.
“Can’t sleep?”
Twilight looked up quickly, her blanket pooling in front of her. Celestia stood by the window, watching the moon where it hung near the horizon, a polished pearl of light. “Just a bad dream, Princess.”
“Me too,” Celestia admitted.
Twilight frowned. “You’re having bad dreams too?”
“Of a sort.”
Twilight suppressed a shudder at the memory of the Celestia in her dream.
“But rest your fears, Twilight. Dawn is coming. In fact, it is just around the corner.”
Twilight let a moment of silence pass before asking her question. “Are you okay, Princess?”
Celestia turned away from the window, giving Twilight a smile that didn’t quite alleviate the unicorn’s fears. “I am wonderful, Twilight, but thank you for asking.”
Twilight didn’t dare ask again. If the Princess said she was okay, then that would have to do.
Both mares’ heads flicked at the murmurs coming from the other room. The guards were rising, already thinking about breakfast from the sounds of things.
“We should reach Draxonis tomorrow,” Celestia said quietly. “Which is just as well. Dragons do not like to be kept waiting.”
Twilight gave a small smile.
“What is it, Twilight? Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Twilight looked down at her hooves. “I mean, I guess I kind of miss Spike.”
The Princess was quick to respond. “I’m sure he’s fine, Twilight. In fact, I dare say he’s probably enjoying himself.”
“I suppose so...”
“Yet you still worry about him,” Celestia replied.
Twilight blushed. “Well, just a little. He’s so young, and he really didn’t get anything that he wanted from his trip. He didn’t meet his parents or find out anything about how dragon society really works. I mean, sure it’s great that he learned all about staying true to himself, but I…” Twilight fell silent. “I asked him if he’d like to come, but he wasn’t interested.”
“Perhaps it is best that he did not come,” Celestia said, drawing a confused look from Twilight. “I don’t think these early starts would have suited him at all.”
Twilight laughed. “I guess you’re right.”
“It’s noble of you to be worried about him, but I would not worry too much; he will find his place, but he just might have to grow a little in the meantime.”
Twilight smiled. “Yeah, I just worry about that silly dragon sometimes.”
At that moment, a cry rose from the other room. Twilight and Celestia looked to each other as a string of low curses hissed in the air like angry snakes––until Swift could be heard hitting the speaker over the head with a harsh reprimand. A second later, the Captain herself appeared, knocking on the doorframe with a sheepish look. Celestia had kept the magical entrances open to allow easy access. Swift lingered by the opening, looking unwilling to enter properly.
“What is it, Captain? Is everything alright?”
“Ah. Yes. Everything is fine… except that Whirlwind knocked the porridge over. It might be a little while before breakfast as it stands. I hope you didn’t mind the noise.” Twilight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the guard. Although, it was hard not to laugh at the faint blush dusting the stern mare’s face.
“That is not a problem at all, Swift. Take your time. I have to raise the sun anyway, and I will have to fly to the other side of the cliff to do that. The magic in the building does not seem to like mine.”
Swift’s eyes narrowed. “Of course, Princess.”
“Twilight?” The Princess lifted an eyebrow.
It took the unicorn a moment to realise what was being asked. “Oh, um, I’ll probably just go exploring. I thought I saw some statues down in the courtyard before.”
Celestia nodded, satisfied. “Well then, I shall return shortly.”
Swift saluted with a wing, her expression cut from stone. “I’ll make sure breakfast is ready for your return, Princess.”
Celestia nodded and strode toward the large window. She stopped with one hoof on the low sill, turning to face the purple unicorn. “Oh, and Twilight? Do stay out of trouble, won’t you?”
Twilight blushed. “Of course, Princess.”
Celestia smiled and took off, launching into the sky.
The Captain looked Twilight up and down, an eyebrow raised. “Perhaps I should be sending a guard with you.”
“I’ll be just fine!” Twilight said, clinging to some sort of dignity.
“Of course you will. Call out if you require assistance.”
“Will do,” Twilight said, heading out into the hallway.
When Swift was back inside the guards’ room, Twilight walked down the length of the arched stone corridor, trying to retrace her steps from the day before. The stone seemed a lot brighter in the light from the east, the sun just waiting to come out and start a new day.
The walls around her never changed. They remained the same dull, ancient and flawless stone, curving around the roof and floor, semi-circular pillars set evenly into its length. The whole building looked strangely identical. Every corridor, every hallway and every door. They all looked like mirror images of the first corridor she had stepped into minutes before. Twilight thought back to the dream she had and shuddered.
Eventually, Twilight found herself in an exposed hallway, the left side open to the courtyard. Rows of pillars ringed the plaza, and four stone paths cut a cross through the grass, a single, ancient white tree in each quadrant. The early morning sun had risen properly now, and the air was thick with the smell of dust.
Twilight walked through the courtyard, staring up at the gnarled and withered trees. Their bark was bleached as bone, their skeletal branches leafless.
In the middle of the courtyard, Twilight stopped, looking in awe at the far wall. There, tucked into a sheltered alcove, were two statues. But they were not like any statues Twilight had seen before. These statues were tall, well over twenty feet high. They stood on two legs like minotaurs, each leg a stacked, roughly cylindrical pillar. Two, thick, bulging arms rested in front of them, claw-like hands with three fingers bunched up in a fist. In their grip, with pommels facing upwards, were great broadswords, dull gems glinting along their guards. Faceless heads sat atop their broad shoulders, a small lump of a thing compared to their barrel-chested bodies. Every part of them bulged, made out of several large and roughly shaped boulders. Twilight had no idea how they were all joined together.
She walked up to these statues gaping at the sight of them. They were like things from a dream. In fact, Twilight was almost certain she had seen them in a dream...
“What are you doing here…” she whispered.
Large purple gems sat in the centre of their chests. They gleamed faintly from the inside, age weathering their surfaces so that it was difficult to see them at all. Twilight sensed outwards with her magic, frowning at the massive amount of power she felt radiating from the gems like heat from an open fire. But it was a silent power, a magic unused for thousands of years.
Twilight stood still in front of the statues for a solid minute. But then, curiosity got the better of her. She scrunched her face up in concentration, and her horn flashed into life. She encased herself in a purple glow, and then, not without effort, her hooves left the ground. Grunting from the strain, Twilight levitated herself slowly up to the gem set into the automaton’s chest.
Once she was up there, she tried her best not to look down. Fifteen feet wasn’t all that high, but it hurt to maintain her levitation spell, and she didn’t want to think what would happen should she fall. Twilight took a better look at the magic emanating from within the lilac-coloured stone. She could feel the wrinkles of magic, the layers of complexity lying inside the enchantment. It was a come to life spell, only on a scale she had never seen before. But most of all, it was ancient, impossibly old, just like the doors back inside the castle.
Twilight stopped, her head tilting to the side in concentration. There was a spell inside the magic. A separate piece of magic. Or maybe it was part of it. Either way, Twilight wasn’t sure. But it felt different. It felt… it felt like the magic from the Elements of Harmony. There was that same blinding whiteness to it, the flashes of rainbow highlighting its edges.
Testing the power with her own, Twilight should have guessed what was bound to happen. A bright flash engulfed her senses, temporarily blinding her. She gasped as her levitation slipped, and her stomach plummeted, but she caught herself just in time. The magic that had coursed through her was the magic from the elements. It had been a spark, jumping from her to the statue and igniting... something.
A low and terrible groan caused Twilight to look up, straight into the featureless face of the great stone automaton staring down at her without emotion.
It had moved.
The gem in its chest and the ones along the guard of its sword were pulsing now, bright and magnificent. Twilight gasped as slowly, the statue began to shift, every movement eliciting a shriek of protest from its body.
Twilight fell. She didn’t realise that she had dropped her magic until the ground was rushing to meet her like an oncoming train. She screamed and tried to envelop her body in magic once again to slow her descent. She only partly succeeded, slamming into the earth with a force that drove the wind from her lungs. She was lucky nothing broke.
Groaning, Twilight stepped groggily to her shaking hooves, staring up at the mighty statue. It lifted one leg from the ground and moved forward, the earth shaking with a low boom as it stepped down. Then it did the same with the other, lifting its sword up high above its head. Twilight watched carefully, trying to gauge the statue’s intent. She could only gape at the massive automaton, its great sword held high.
And then it brought its blade down in a cut so fast that Twilight barely had time to see it. One second it was there, and the next it was rushing towards her, slicing through the air.
Instinctively, Twilight threw a barrier around herself. The stone sword struck her glowing shield with the force of a meteor, its length crackling with magenta energy as it shattered Twilight’s defence with a single blow. The unicorn flew backwards, dazed, but not harmed by the strike.
With a gasp, Twilight tried to teleport. The magic filled her up, the electric tingle that made the hairs on her neck stand on end. She didn’t care where she went, as long as it was away from here. But then, the gems on the statue’s sword flashed brightly, crackling with sparks, and she lost the spell. One second she was about to teleport, the next a strange force brushed her magic aside with the ease of removing cobwebs.
She was stuck.
She pushed herself to her hooves again, watching as the statue pressed forward for another attack. Its weapon might’ve been fast, but its legs moved sluggishly, leaving its steps slow and uncoordinated. Twilight ran to the side, and the sword struck the ground with a shuddering whump that rocked Twilight to her core. She tripped forward, watching with numbing certainty as the automaton whipped its sword sideways towards her, the blade covered in tendrils of red energy that emanated from the gems on its hilt.
Twilight threw up another barrier and was again sent flying backwards as the magic on the blade broke her defence like a hammer on glass. Only, this time it was stronger. She could feel it. The statue was regaining its power.
“Stop!” Twilight cried out, her voice shaking from having the breath knocked out of her three times in a minute. “Stop!”
The statue paused for a moment, but then pressed onwards, bringing its weapon around for another attack. Twilight grit her teeth and tried to create another barrier, having lost her chance to run when she cried out. The statue’s blow came swinging down, and Twilight could only curl into a ball when her magic failed, clenching her eyes shut as tight as she could. This was it.
Except, the blade never reached its target.
The sword slammed into a glowing ball of golden light, causing an explosion that rocked the courtyard to its foundations. The light held, and the statue was forced to take a step backwards.
“No.”
Twilight watched in awe as the aura faded, revealing Princess Celestia standing between her and the statue. The Princess’ mane whipped about, driven by some unfelt wind. Streamers of gold light circled her body in every direction, forming a constantly shifting shield.
“You will not harm her.”
The statue regained its balance and attacked again, this time noticeably faster on its feet. It stepped forward and swung low in a savage sweep. Celestia leapt skyward, the blade passing harmlessly beneath her. Her horn glowed so brightly it hurt Twilight’s eyes, sheathed in a shimmering golden aura. A single beam formed on its point, and, with a loud crack, a lance of magic raced out to strike the gem in the statue’s chest.
The automaton staggered, then fell backwards with a resounding crash. Its head shattered the roof of the alcove it had been standing in with a cloud of dust and masonry.
Celestia turned towards Twilight, her mouth open to say something, but the words never left her lips. Twilight watched, frozen in place, as the statue began to move again. Using the sword as support, it got to its feet, already pushing forward to attack.
The Princess’ eyes widened.
A sharp cry rose up from the edge of the square. Twilight snapped her head in its direction. Five pegasi swooped over the edge of the courtyard, their golden armour gleaming in the morning sun. Without a single command, they fanned outwards, surrounding the statue.
The automaton paused for a moment, its attention caught between its multiple targets. The guards darted around in tight zigzags, their wing-beats short and sharp, keeping their bodies streamlined through the air. Celestia’s mouth was set in a grim line as she turned to face the statue once more, her horn flaring to life.
And then, moving as one, the soldiers attacked. They darted forward, striking at the statue’s head with shining blades that stretched out from their front right legs. The weapons did little more than spark against the ancient stone, skating off with a shriek. Celestia had more success, and while the automaton was busy swinging wildly at the pegasi, she struck out with bolts of energy.
With each bolt, the statue stumbled, but with each one, it stumbled less, its movements growing in speed and precision. Celestia’s mouth was stretched taut.
The statue swung out in a wide arc, forcing Contrail to loop to avoid the blow. Twilight watched the pegasus be thrown to the side from the buffeting air following the strike and burned by the crackling magics coursing along the length of the blade. He lost control of his flight, his wings flapping uselessly as he plummeted to the ground.
Swift dived, flying faster than any Wonderbolt, and caught him a foot or so above the ground, racing the pegasus away from the fight. The other guards broke rank momentarily, re-evaluating their position with two soldiers down.
That was all the pause the statue needed.
It lunged forward with its sword, not reacting to the golden bolt striking its chest. Celestia threw up her golden shield, and it held, just, as the blade came bearing down on her. There was an explosion that shook the cliff, and Twilight had to shield her eyes from the light.
Celestia jumped into the sky, but the automaton was faster. It twirled its blade around in a glowing arc, already pressing another attack. This one struck the Princess’ shield again, and this time the magic did not hold. The shield exploded in a ball of red and gold light, and the Princess flew backwards, landing on the earth in a crumpled heap.
“Princess!” Twilight screamed, sprinting over to her mentor.
“Twilight!” Celestia tried to call back, her voice barely louder than a groan. She was struggling to her hooves. “The gem, Twilight. The gem.”
Twilight paused. “The gem?” And then it clicked. The jewel was its weak spot! But why wasn’t it working when Celestia tried…
A low thud caused her to spin around. The guards were pressing their attack, attempting to keep the statue from advancing. Swift and Whirlwind landed by the Princess’ side, ready to pull her out of the fight.
Twilight’s mind was racing, trying to work out a way to stop it. And then it came to her. It was a come to life spell, or at least a version of it, so that meant that it had to have an ‘off’ mechanism! All she had to do was undo the spell, and the statue should return to its dormant state.
Without another moment’s thought, Twilight sprinted toward the automaton, ignoring the calls from Swift as the captain moved the Princess to safety.
As she ran, Twilight marshalled her magic inside her, pooling it, letting it fill her like the warmth of the sun. When she was no more than a dozen feet from the statue, Twilight lifted herself up with a burst of levitation magic. She soared up, avoiding a swipe from the sword, and held herself in place right in front of its chest.
Twilight reached out with her magic and felt the gem’s power sear the air around her. It hummed with energy. She could sense the glowing heart of the spell, the one she had felt when she activated the creature. With a cry, she connected her magic to the wrinkle, and there was a blinding flash as a spark passed between her and the automaton, the magic of harmony filling her for a heartbeat.
And then, in mid swing, the statue fell silent. The blade halted in the middle of the air, the magic fading away into nothing with a few last sizzling cracks. The statue stopped, its legs spread wide into a combat stance, and silence fell over the courtyard, as deafening as the sound it followed.
“You did it…” Nighthawk said, flying over to Twilight as she lowered herself carefully to the ground. Twilight watched him pull at a lever on his foreleg just before he landed, and the blade retracted into the leather sheath running up his leg.
“I… did it. I did it!”
By now the other guards had landed, making their way over to check on Celestia or Contrail or heading towards Twilight. They all glanced up at the statue, making sure that it was, in fact, still silent.
“Is everypony alright?” Swift barked. There was a general call of assent.
“Princess!” Twilight shouted, running to her mentor’s side. “Princess are you okay?” She nuzzled her mentor warmly, throwing her legs around the alicorn’s neck and hugging her tight. Twilight paused when Celestia didn’t quite respond.
The Princess coughed. “I am fine, Twilight. Please, do not worry about me.” She looked away.
“What was that thing?” Whirlwind said, checking up on the dazed Contrail. The other guards murmured their agreement to the question.
Twilight looked to Celestia, the same question in her mind. The guards all followed suit. The Princess looked away again, and Twilight could have sworn Celestia’s rear legs were shaking.
The Princess spoke slowly, “I… I am sorry, everypony. I did not think that it would be here.”
Twilight titled her head to the side, and the guards all frowned. Tempest spoke up, “What would be here? What in Tartarus’ name was that thing?”
“It is called a Sentinel. They were made thousands of years ago to defend against dragons and other monsters that covered the earth.” The Princess’ voice was vague, distant, trapped in a memory so very far away from the present.
“A Sentinel?”
Celestia nodded. “They would guard the borders, protecting the lands beyond.”
Twilight blinked, her mind reeling, her limbs still trembling with adrenalin. “Who made them?”
“The same beings who made this castle.”
“Why did it come alive now?” Swift asked sharply. “Princess, what’s to stop it waking up again any second?”
“Ahh…” Twilight blushed. “That might have been my fault. I, um, was exploring, and I may have accidentally switched its come to life spell on…”
Swift looked incredulous, but then she shook her head, sighing. “I was right. I should have sent Nighthawk with you.”
“They are relics of an age past,” Celestia said, her voice steely. “They… are all but forgotten.” She frowned and looked away. Twilight wasn’t sure anypony was meant to see the expression, but she did.
“Our weapons did nothing…” Tempest said, staring at the contraption attached to his right leg. It was a sheath, and a silver blade protruded from the mahogany coloured leather. Twilight could see where a quick release system was built near the knee and a lever attached down by the hoof to draw the blade back up when the pegasus landed.
“That’s because it’s stone,” Contrail said. “Even blue steel won’t puncture rock.”
“There are enchantments built into that statue,” Celestia added softly. “Even dragon claws and teeth cannot harm it.”
“Well, it’s a good thing Twilight was here to save us,” Swift said, making Twilight blush again. Nopony should have needed saving in the first place…
“Yes…” Celestia offered a half smile, a veiled expression that made Twilight’s stomach feel empty. “We are indeed. Again, I am sorry, everypony. This was my mistake.”
“Don’t be silly, Pr––”
“No, Twilight.” Twilight flinched at the tone of her voice. “I brought us here. I knew of its defences. I should have warned you.”
Twilight opened her mouth but thought better of it, biting her lip instead.
A silence fell over the courtyard, everypony still a little shaken up from the attack. Twilight could hear all their breathing, deep, slow breaths that tried to calm trembling limbs. Contrail broke the silence first, clearing his throat in the process. “Well, the porridge should be ready, if Her Highness is feeling hungry.”
And just like that, Twilight felt a little better. By the looks of things, so did the other guards. Nothing was quite so normal and so wonderfully mundane as breakfast.
Celestia nodded, gesturing that they lead on. Swift bowed her head and did just that, somehow knowing exactly where to go in the maze of corridors and rooms.
Contrail moved past Twilight, and she noticed that the edge of his wing caught the light of the sun like a shard of glass. She frowned and took a closer look.
The pegasus looked over and smiled. “This?” He stretched his left wing out, holding it at length so Twilight could examine it. A piece of steel ran along his metacarpus, thin and as sharp as a knife edge, held at a slight angle to prevent it from cutting the wearer’s body when tucked away. It was connected to his armour at his shoulders, leather straps holding it in place. “Never seen wingblades before?”
“Of course she hasn’t,” Swift said. “They’re weapons that don’t come out all that often.”
“What are they…?” Twilight said, leaning away instinctively from the weapon.
“Blades for our wings, of course!” He smiled at her, his eyes warm. “They mean we can make attacks while flying, keeping our momentum instead of having to stop and strike with our hoofblades.” He gestured to the contraption on his leg.
“Hoofblades?”
Contrail looked taken aback by this. “What? You don’t know about hoofblades?”
Swift sighed. “Again, Contrail, most guards carry spears. Only the Solar Guard and the Wonderbolt teams use either of these. They’re nonstandard for a reason.”
“And the Nightguard,” Nighthawk added, his voice resonating in the narrow corridor.
Swift nodded. “True. I forget about them.”
Contrail took control back of the conversation. “Anyway, those are our primary weapons. Light, inconspicuous, easy to carry around and effective when you know how to use them.”
“And absolutely useless against ancient stone monsters,” Tempest added darkly.
“I’ll speak to the blacksmiths when we get back,” Swift said. “Perhaps there is something they can do about that.”
“To be fair, they did a good job at letting us crack open the obsidian snakes in the Badlands,” Tempest admitted. Twilight just gaped at him.
After eating a breakfast of cold but definitely not unwelcome porridge, they made to head out again. They had lost a few hours, and Swift was insistent that they try to make up as much ground as they could to prevent them falling too far behind. Celestia reminded her that they had allowed for some time in case of distractions, but Swift had remained adamant.
It was mid-morning when the group finished packing up. They stood on the edge of the stone runway, and Twilight peered out to the north, the land becoming a blur of trees and forest-green hills. It was wild, untamed land, and somehow her encounter only a few hours before made her appreciate that even more. At least her legs had stopped shaking.
When they left, Twilight turned and watched as Armoruil faded into the distance, slowly becoming a tiny dot against the vast cliff face. Celestia was silent, staring out to the eastern horizon with a veiled expression. Twilight thought it better to not interrupt her.
Still, her silence unnerved the unicorn, so she resigned herself to reading over the last book that she had yet to finish. After a few pages, though, everything suddenly didn’t seem all that bad.
They were heading east-southeast, running along the Red Mountains to line themselves up better with Dragoliath. The guards wanted to spend as little time as possible traversing the Draxonis badlands.
As the day progressed, the shadow to the south grew and grew, shapes forming in the haze at the edge of the world. Great peaks formed bulging ridges, the peaks shattered and weathered. A red glow occupied the air above them, dark and boiling with engorged clouds that rumbled ominously. Volcanic eruptions from the south west, Twilight thought. She hoped the weather wouldn’t be too uncomfortable when they arrived. She most certainly did not want to wear some of the desert clothes Celestia had provided her with.
To the east, the horizon turned into a shimmering carpet of shadow, a deep and dark green tinting its edges. Greatwood, Twilight realised, not a little impressed at the vast size of the forest. Even the iridescent air surrounding it seemed to exude mystery and age. They were still leagues away, but Twilight found herself a little more receptive to all of the stories of ancient spirits and terrible creatures that stalked its depths.
To the north were the Saddleback Mountains. They were nigh on latitude of Equestria’s northern border, and beyond those mountains was Gryphus, the home of the Griffins.
The mountains grew larger as the day wore on. Twilight knew they weren’t going to make it there before nightfall, but she still could not help but feel impressed at their size, even from this distance. The red glow had faded somewhat, leaving dull clouds of ash in their place that lurked near the mountaintops with heavy, engorged bodies.
With dusk falling, Celestia called a stop to the day’s travel. Swift nodded at the Princess’ command and gestured down to the ground. Twilight instantly felt the chariot shift underhoof as they began their descent to the ground below. The land looked bruised, discoloured from the evening’s shadows.
They were heading toward a narrow valley, a hill on one side offering some shelter. A thicket of trees carpeted their left, a dark blanket without the direct light from the sun. They landed in a small clearing, and the guards immediately began to set up camp. Two tents were erected, one white with gold, the other white with purple. Tempest and Nighthawk built a fire while Contrail prepared the night’s meal. Twilight stood around, feeling very useless as everything was done around her with military speed and efficiency. She didn’t hear the Princess coming up beside her, Celestia’s hoof-falls light on the soft grass.
“Twilight?”
The unicorn started violently, and Celestia giggled. While her face was burning, it did make Twilight feel a little better to hear Celestia make such a sound. She had been near on silent all day after the encounter with the statue. “Yes, Princess?”
“Would you like to come with me? I have something to show you.” The Princess’ expression was warm, but there was an edge buried deep in her eyes.
“Sure, of course!”
Celestia smiled. “The hill over there should be a perfect spot for our observations.” She pointed up the side of the valley, to where one lone hill stood watch over the landscape.
The trip to the hill’s summit was brief, and the pair picked a way through all the narrow beech trees with widespread branches. The air was cool and smelled like tree sap and fresh grass. At the top, Celestia walked into a clearing. The western side of the hill was clear from any trees, offering a direct line of sight to the horizon. The last of the fiery sky could still be seen clinging around the sun, just peeking up above the edge of the world. It was an impressive view, a flat plain filled with gentle forests and a winding river of liquid silver.
“It’s gorgeous, is it not?” Celestia said, startling Twilight from her quiet observations.
“Mmhmm,” Twilight agreed. “It’s amazing. You don’t see sights like this around Ponyville.”
“Perhaps not. Perhaps you are just familiar with them,” the Princess teased. Twilight looked to the Princess, and the alicorn smiled warmly down at her. “I want to thank you properly, Twilight, for everything that you did today.”
Twilight blushed, looking away. “Nopony should have needed all of that help in the first place…”
“Curiosity isn’t something to be ashamed of. If anything, the error lies with me and my failure to warn you about some of the older magics in the castle.”
“Don’t be silly!” Twilight said. “You don’t have to know and do everything, Princess. I should have been more careful.”
Celestia smiled at her again, but this time, there was no warmth in the gesture. She didn’t reply, and a silence quickly fell. Twilight shivered.
“I have to lower the sun,” Celestia said at last, staring west. Twilight wasn’t sure how to respond to such a statement. “Luna must be waiting anxiously.”
“She’s changed so much,” Twilight said, latching onto the topic to keep the silence at bay. “She seems so much more comfortable.”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, she has come leaps and bounds since her return, but I always knew she would.”
Twilight didn’t reply, only murmuring affirmatively, so the Princess turned her attention once more to the horizon. She was still for a second, and then her horn burst into life, pulsing with an arcane light that sent golden shadows dancing around the clearing. The sun lingered in the sky for a moment longer, and then it slipped home, the darkness of the night rushing in to take its place. Within moments, the sky was pitch-black, coloured in bursts of twinkling light.
The unicorn hummed appreciatively. “It’s so beautiful…”
The Princess took a moment to reply. “Yes, it is.”
Silence fell again, stifling and uncomfortable. Twilight shifted in place. “Are you okay, Princess?” she asked.
Celestia looked away. “I am. Thank you for asking.”
Twilight opened her mouth, but she did not get a chance to speak, for a sudden light filled her eyes, an arrow of silver that streaked across the sky.
“It seems Luna has decided to grace us with a show,” Celestia murmured.
Twilight watched as the sky became awash with streaking lines of light, the shooting stars racing through the air, so fleeting yet so graceful and dignified. Dozens of them flashed brightly before disappearing on the eastern horizon, fading into nothing, using the last of their mass in sacrifice to a celestial show, the play of the heavens. Twilight watched with wide eyes, awed at the spectacle. Here, away from any kind of light from civilisation at all, the shooting stars looked more real and more beautiful than any she had seen before.
“Wow…”
Celestia did not respond, watching as the last of the shooting stars vanished, twinkling on the midnight horizon.
“I would like for you to forgive me, Twilight.” Celestia frowned. “You had to assist me when I shouldn’t have needed any help at all. I just did not expect to see a Sentinel. It has been… a very long time since I have last seen one.”
“You said that they used to watch the dragons?”
“Yes, there are many fortresses like Armoruil scattered over the land, each of them designed to watch the dark places of the world.”
“Was that really necessary?”
“Once upon a time, yes it was. The land was quite different, thousands of years ago.”
“Luna remembers.”
The Princess nodded, solemn. “She probably would.”
Twilight was filled with another urge to ask whether the Princess was okay, but she held her tongue. There was no need to press her. She was the Princess, after all…
Celestia looked back to the unicorn, her face clouded in shadow. “Come, Twilight. It is getting late. We should probably be trying to get some sleep.”
Twilight nodded, yawning a little at the sudden reminder that yes, it was nearing the time when normal ponies slept. But then her stomach growled.
Celestia giggled, the melodic sound shattering whatever mood had gripped the two mares only moments before. “Well, dinner first.”
Twilight blushed, the heat in her cheeks a welcome warmth. She liked it when the Princess laughed. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”
Together, they left the summit of the hill.
The dawn touched the earth with streamers of gold, washing Twilight’s face with warmth as her eyes flickered open. The tent flap was open, allowing the sun entrance, and outside she could hear the hustle of the guards preparing something. It was a sound she had become very familiar with over the last few days.
Twilight got to her hooves, letting her blanket slide to the ground around her. Still a little bleary eyed, she walked out into the camp and was met instantly with the delicious, wafting scent of porridge.
“Good morning, Twilight,” Contrail said, an easy smile on his face.
Twilight tried her best to formulate a coherent response. “Ugh. Morning.”
Contrail laughed. “Hungry?”
Twilight nodded, and the pegasus gestured to a bowl sitting next to her. Twilight grasped it with magic and brought it up to her lips. She had to hand it to Contrail. For a guard, he really did cook fantastic porridge.
“Good morning, everypony,” came Celestia’s voice, drifting in from the edge of camp. “I hope the morning finds you in good health.”
“It’s a glorious day,” Contrail said, full of cheer and good spirits.
Swift nodded. “We shall be cresting the summits of The Red Mountains by lunch time.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Celestia said. “I am anxious to see Glamduural again.”
“Well, you will not have to wait long, Your Highness.” Swift got to her hooves, standing quickly in a manner that got the attention of all her ponies. She looked them over for a moment. “Well… you heard her. Let’s get moving!”
They set out soon after that, soaring due south through the crisp morning air. There was barely a cloud in the sky, the volcanic-born clouds carried away by the strong easterly that had come in overnight, and even the mountains themselves looked surprisingly clear. It was as if the land was granting them a small favour with good weather for the last stretch into the dragon homeland.
The landscape stretched out into a large plain, the trees dwindling to the point where all that was left was a grassy expanse that ran straight up to the foothills. Twilight could see the grass flatten periodically as if sat upon, telling her that there was, in fact, a wind blowing. Not that she could feel it with Celestia’s magics.
By midmorning, they had reached the foothills. Rather than stop for an early lunch, Celestia opted that they continue on, promising an extra serving when they stopped on the opposite ridge. Twilight wondered guiltily if that would apply to her. After all, sitting down for most of the day sure was hard work...
The mountains loomed overhead, their rugged peaks swollen and jagged. Great ridges swelled along their crowns, looking like overfilled saddlebags about to burst along their seams. Twilight could see lazy trails of smoke coiling from some of the more conical peaks deeper in the mountains to the west, the volcanoes that fed the lava fields.
Despite the volcanoes, the mountains’ namesake actually came from the earth from which they were made: the ground was an earthy red colour, splashed over the mountainside like drying blood. Twilight knew that the colour came from the rich iron ore deposits. Although, the dragons were one of the few species who didn’t use the metal regularly, preferring the rarer and more precious gems and metals. Still, that didn’t stop them from preventing the other species from mining the rich peaks.
About a league from their current position, just as suddenly as they had started on the northern side, the mountains ended. A high ridge spanned the length, a natural balcony overlooking the wasted plains of Draxonis beyond.
Draxonis… Twilight felt a little floored by the thought. She, as part of the first expedition in over one hundred years, was going to see the heartland of the dragon’s kingdom.
Finally, the chariot soared out of the last low valley and up onto the shelf of rock edging the mountains’ hem. Twilight had seen a great deal of incredible sights. But this, this was something else.
The exhausted badlands of Draxonis reached out into forever, a plain of baked and cracked coal-red earth. Great plumes of dust and smoke washed over the land in great waves, veiling the horizon into an indiscriminate mess.
The sun beat down on Twilight ferociously, the difference in temperature on each side of the mountains almost unbelievable for the unicorn. It was like she had stepped into another world entirely, an alien landscape of parched earth and a heat so strong that Twilight could feel her skin prickling underneath her coat.
“Welcome everypony,” Celestia said as they landed on the ridge, the guards disconnecting themselves, “to Draxonis.”
Twilight could do little more than gape. “Wow.”
“You got that right,” Swift said, standing next to Twilight, her eyes fixed on the southern expanse.
A hot wind streaked across the exposed rock shelf, and Twilight flinched as it grabbed at her coat with coarse fingers of sand and dust.
And then there was another gasp of air. And another. Each was followed by a dull and rhythmic thud that pulsed in the air.
Twilight paused, and she felt Swift stiffen next to her.
The shadow passed over the group, followed quickly by another few blasts of hot air and debris. Twilight looked up, and she gasped, her eyes growing wide.
The dragon landed with a low boom that shook the earth, perching like a cat along the rock, its wings spread wide, its tail curled beside its body. Its copper scales gleamed. To Twilight’s right, another dragon landed heavily, this one smaller and the colour of thick moss.
The guards jumped to positions around the Princess, their wings flared even though they weren’t wearing their weapons.
Celestia just smiled.
The copper dragon leaned in, his lips curled at the edges, baring massive, glistening white fangs. Smoke curled from his nostrils in faint plumes.
“Welcome, Princess of the Sun, to Draxonis,” the dragon said in a voice that filled the air with its resonance, a low growl that made Twilight want to shrink away and hide. “King Glamduural has been expecting you.”
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I love this chapter SO much
Man, I can't wait for more chapters after this - this story is shaping up to be a true masterpiece. Seriously - your skill at characterization is simply amazing, and your Twilight and Celestia are both incredibly well done. All this needs to get to the #1 featured spot is more exposure.
I did notice two errors, though:
Do you import chapters from Google Docs, by any chance? That feature is really, really buggy (I once saw a story where, for two paragraphs out of the chapter, all of the "t"s were deleted along with the preceding and succeeding characters), and these look like the kind of errors that it is prone to.
2062756 It's a good point with the material on spoon-feeding the reader the character's emotions, but I also you are on-track when talking about how it's possibly a consequence of the intimate POV. That and a lot of the emotions are (in theory, at least), meant to be linked to more subtle points. Of course, whether or not that is coming through (though perhaps some of it might not this early in the narrative), is another matter altogether.
And I'm glad you're enjoying the pacing, partly because I have been worried about it. I set out wanting to write a sprawling adventure (just not as slow as Lord of the Rings or anything, haha), so hopefully that aesthetic is working for me.
Anyway, thanks a bunch for reading and taking the time to leave your thoughts, Scott! It's appreciated. Also, don't think I have forgotten about you. Sorting out stuff on my end in an attempt for more time, but expect my thoughts on your story soon!
2083636 Thank you very much! I'm thrilled to hear you're enjoying it!
2062756 Not sure if you were linked to my response, so here's a direct link in case you weren't! http://www.fimfiction.net/story/74516/4/as-the-sun-sets/iii--yesterday-and-tomorrow#comment/2083651
2083650 Thank you very much for your kind words! They're really appreciated.
Also, thanks so much for the catch! I did indeed import the chapter from Gdocs, and those lines were cut off. I caught another when giving it a sweep before posting, but I somehow must have missed those two.
Is this implying that the world is flat?
2083678 Haha, no, no it's not. It's just figurative language.
Why do I have a feeling Twilight is going to discover something about herself at some point in this story.
Enjoyed this chapter, i am worried that twilight is being too cautious with her questions but then again she is trying to keep her promise with the princess.
Keep up the good work!
I am a bit curious, as the prologue and the story of the griffins made Celestia seem much more powerful then she is shown in this chapter. Does this mean that she lost power in comparison to her ancient self? It seems like she would have easily beat the sentinel otherwise... hmm the name is As the sun sets, so that does imply Celestia not being in her prime...
Wow. This is getting really good!
Can't wait for the next chapter. Especially considering where you left us off
The Sentinel is powered by magic related to the Elements of Harmony, which Celestia can no longer weild (as proven by her failure to stop the Sentinel) ...ulterior motive for bringing Twilight?
2084340 Haha, I couldn't say...
2084376 Thank you for reading and thank you for the comment!
2085981 Heh, someone's on the right track...
2086556 I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it! Thank you very much for the comment and the kind words!
2087082 Possibly, possibly. Time will tell, I suppose? Thanks for reading!
And the Adventure starts to kick into high gear.
Oooh, Glanduural sent a welcoming committee? I'm impressed, he must like Celly a lot to do such.
2087532
That sounds eerily like a confirmation towards one of the 'good ends' i've thought of, yet still towards the worst 'bad end' as well. I'd hate to see that come to pass.
I'm really enjoying this story. Keep it up.
2087888 Hehe, just getting warmed up!
2089970 I shall say nothing! Thank you for reading and for the comment!
2090858 Thank you very much!
Is this story your way of explaining Celestia's defeat at the hooves of Chrysalis? If it is... It's the best written one ever!
Gosh, I love this story. If only it updated more quickly. But quality over quantity.
Just out of curiosity, how many more chapters are left?
2093042 Thank you for your kind words! And hopefully the update schedule should increase a little since I am home again and reasonably settled.
2095189 Um, at the moment the final total is looking at around 16-17 chapters and an epilogue. It depends on how editing goes, really.
Y'know, I think I would need to be as good of a writer as YOU are to properly describe how incredible this is.
Something tells me that's not the last we're gonna see of the Sentinels.
Ok, at this point in time, despite all of the stuff I've read and as much as I'm trying to read into the dreams and such; I have nothing but the vaguest idea of where this could end up.
And I love it.
So far you've built a world that really intrigues me, and I can't wait to see where you take it and what twists and turns the story will take.
More please?
2098843 Haha, thank you very much, and I'm thrilled to hear you're enjoying it!
2099229 Heh. Time will tell, I suppose...
2101913 Thank you very much! Rest assured, more will be coming soon!
2083651 Odd, I did not, in fact, get a notice of your reply. Glad I swung by to check.
Yeah, the pacing thing is tricky. The last chapter is pushing it a little on that score, but it'll be fine assuming things start ramping up from here. There's really not much more I can imagine being done with Celestia's little absences or the drought of solid information. Not that I expect whatever tidbits you feed us next to make anything clearer than mud, of course—that just wouldn't be sporting, would it?
As for the Lord of the Rings comparison, the difference is in the relevance and connectedness of the added information, not the speed with which it is relayed. Tolkien's problem was the penchant for veering off on half-page (or even sometimes full-page) tangents, but there are no such deviances here—just a little hint of Sessalisk's innate floweriness rubbing off in some of your descriptions. Not really my thing, but nothing I wouldn't assume everyone else enjoys more than I do :P
-Scott
P.S. Not going to be around much for a while. Need to walk away for a bit and deal with real life ramifications of all my philosophy. Rest assured I will be paying attention to my inbox should you find the time to give me your thoughts on my story. I know you're damned busy at this point, so no rush.
Eureka, plot progress! Though the non-motion of the weird tension between Twilight and Celestia is getting a bit frustrating to read, maybe it does something in the next chapter? Onwards~
Love a good story! B-)