All Things Shall Pass

by Harold_Genhi

Opening

Once upon a time was how the best stories would go. Stories told of heroism, self-discovery, and merit that would ultimately lead to happiness in the end. Endless sacrifice made on part of the hero and the reward for their suffering would be eternal bliss and happiness. The holy grail of once upon a time stories is the conclusion. They are all the same. They lived happily ever after. Such tales are cooed to those meandering souls that lay in lace, protected by their porcelain towers, and doted on like dolls. Princes win their princesses and live happily ever after. An orphan finds love in new parents and lives happily ever after. The villain is stopped and the world lives happily ever after. Such happiness is slathered on all stories, as if laying in an analogy that is ignored for the sake of bliss would make the world a better place. With fantastical tales told, the horrors of reality plague those where the stories have died. An empty heart, broken with the force of disappointment and weathered by time, echoes a lost imagination buried in the shells of the suffering. Heroes become villains as easily as villains turn hero. Some choose to take neither side, holding a position that only they know the meaning of. Boundaries blur and intentions illusion, as the narrative collapses into the non-fiction.

Eyn’s eyes snapped open as he rose quickly, screaming out to the echoing walls of the shear cliff that bathed him in everlasting darkness. His scream whimpered toward the end his head fell. Dragging himself over to the side of the wall, he guided his hoof along the stony surface, gaining his bearings in the darkness. Looking upwards, what sunlight made it into the deep hole, reflected off his soft milky eyes. They stared unblinking and without direction, blinded by the fire of betrayal and scorn of one he had not harmed nor wronged in anyway. Looking back into the darkness, the coolness of the shade brought a small smile across the face of the Northern Prince.

“Happily ever after?” Eyn spoke out to the darkness, consumed in pain and the void of being forgotten. Images shot through his useless optical nerves, generated not from his surroundings but his struggling brain to make sense of the world.

The fantasy world of the imagination took him over as he stared blankly, looking around at the new scenery. White arches decorated in the purest of the Snow White Winter Blooms that grew around his castle. A cool chilling wind rustled his fur, the most pleasant reminder of home along with his parents, smiling approvingly as he stood on the stage of the garden amphitheater. A warm reception as the din of a crowd focused into view over the glare of the sun off the snowy landscape that cast his land in a crystalline glimmer.

Then a revealing darkness emerged within the brilliance of the white crystals. A dark mare fitted in a dress befitting of her glory and splendor that the wind left Eyn’s lungs as his heart sputtered with anticipation and love. Her hooves moved delicately and slowly as she proceeded down the aisle, the din silenced, leaving Eyn’s pounding heart to be the only sound in the theater. Her flowing dress trailed behind her, two fillies holding up the edges as others tossed more Snow Whites on the pathway behind her. Luna raised her head only slightly, her intense gaze melting upon seeing Eyn’s eyes forcing her to smother a smirk as she rose up the stairs and beside Eyn.

“We have come here today…” The pony behind the podium spoke, but his voice died out as Eyn locked eyes with Luna. His heart raced at the moment, biting his lip to hold back his jubilation.

The murmur of the royal wedding advisor to the crowd died out before a larger pony, set in the same white as the surrounding though glimmering with her own brilliance stepped up to the podium. “Celestia.” A hushed whisper filled the air. Not from the crowd, but from Eyn’s unspeaking mouth.

“Eyn Spyyr of the Northern Kingdom, do you take my sister, Luna, Caretaker of the Moon and soother of dreams to be your lawfully wedding wife?

“I do.” The words rolled from his tongue with never truer words. Luna’s cheeks reddened as she waited for her part.

“My dear sister, Luna. Do you take Eyn Spyyr,” her speech turned to an inaudible mumble. The gray alicorn turned his head back to Celestia to see her still talking, yet no sound made it to his ears.

He saw the question asked and turned to Luna to see her answer. To just see her lips form “I do.” The world around him began to blur as she raised her head and opened her mouth to say what she wished to say, but darkness exploded forth from her dark form, taking over the white scenery.

Eyn’s broken body hit the cold dirt at the bottom of the crater he had been tossed. The heart that had pounded so fiercely for his love now beat with the stutters of survival. With his wings cut from his body, horn broken from his head, and leg missing from the explosion, what life force he had left leaked onto the dirty ground he had fallen against.

“I do.” Eyn spoke into the dirt, smiling once before his face relaxing as his final breath passed from his lips. His eyes remained slightly open as if looking to a bright future; the future in his fantasy, the happy ending that reality had taken.

A rush of sensation as breath filled the chest of the living soul in the room. His eyes snapped open as his dark mane fell from around his head. The world folded back into shape, forming the dark silhouettes of the barren bars of the barracks. The ears on his head moved around as the subtle sounds of talking and the clicking of hooves materialized from the silence.

Rael quickly stood at attention at the bedside. The door to the room opened slowly implying the posts reporting safety across the lands, but the attention remained in his posture. Shining Armor stepped into the room with another guard. From what Rael could pick out, the conversation consisted of Cadence and Twilight. The courting of Princess Cadence wasn’t something secret though the rumors of marriage had spread far among the ranks.

“Rael, always good to see you at the top of your game.” Shining Armor noticed the Head of the Night Watch standing beside his quarters. “I would expect you to go home for once instead of sleeping here. This isn’t a prison.”

“I am quite aware, sir, but I don’t have a home or family to go to.” Rael spoke with resolve.

Shining Armor paused at the new information from a pony he had long talks with. “I’m so sorry to hear of such news. What-“

“Barn fire, sir. We lived in the far outskirts of Ponyville providing a simple life for a simple stallion like me. There was a storm, the barn caught fire and my parents attempted to put it out. That was when it collapsed. I moved here an enlisted in the Royal Guard shortly after.

“My condolences.” Shining Armor’s attention drew to the side as a stray thought hit him and sent him into thought.

“I grieved for them already. My heart is still heavy for them, but I hope to protect others from losing their loved ones.” Rael nodded and grinned softly. “Not as laid back as the farm, but the structure feels nice.”

“And you excel at such focus. That is why you are Head of the Night Watch now. Don’t think it as some reward for being my friend. You’ve truly proved yourself.” The white unicorn spoke.

“Flattery is unneeded. Is your shift up?” Rael’s voice rang with appreciation for the compliments.

“Not even close. I came to deliver a letter to you.”

“Head of the Guard turned Messenger Pony?” Rael chuckled as Shining brought the scroll forward.

“From Princess Luna.” The head of the guard spoke teasingly.

Rael’s cheeks reddened as he took the scroll and read its contents.

“She wants me to meet her in the maze at midnight. Says it is to be her personal bodyguard as she walks the hedges with double pay though minimal breaks.” Rael spoke aloud.

“It will be more than double. You are the best we have I’m sure you’ll impress her.” The white stallion chuckled. “You might even get a smooch.”

“What?” Rael spoke far too quickly and with too much volume.

“Just don’t get overly downtrodden if she doesn’t reciprocate that crush you have. I know I was lucky with Cadence since she was Twily’s foalsitter.”

Rael didn’t say a word as he tightened the paper into a roll and sliding it into his bag.

“We will talk later, Head Guard.” Rael nodded as he left the room through the door Armor had entered.

“Always nice to talk to you.” Armor responded.

Rael entered the staircase down from the barracks and smiled.

She is noticing you.

“I know.”

Hopefully you’ve won her over.

“I am sure I did.”

That is unless it is beginning.

“What if both?”

Troubling.

Rael spoke to the empty echo of the staircase with his mind talking back to him.

Midnight arrived slower than Rael had desired. The expectation of having a night stroll with the Princess, despite it just being a guarded stroll, had slowed the passage of time around him. All he desired was for the time to come around for his chance at flattery. The Royal Gardens sat in almost ominous twilight as the moon hung overhead. As Rael approached the entrance of the maze, the sight of its pale glory only brought a serene smile to his face as he rounded the final corner.

“You are late, Head of the Night Watch. What took you?” Luna called from the night.

She stepped forth from the overhanging flowers and vines that had grown over one of the trellises. Her flowing mane and dark coat instantly froze Rael’s heart as he sputtered for an answer.

“I was captivated by the moon and my pace was slowed, Princess.” He bowed to hide his burning face.

“I am only pulling your reins. You are early. Now come, I wish to walk.” She retorted.

“Yes, Princess.” He bowed and followed at a comfortable distance.

The walk started silent with only the occasional sighs from the night wind and the hushing of the leaves in the trees that decorated the exterior of where the maze rested. The hooves of the two ponies softly hit the ground with dulled clops. After nearly five minutes of slow and aimless walking Luna broke the silence.

“I have been in your dreams, troubled unicorn. I know of these events from my past and I am under the impression that your dreams are not natural. Knowing the one in which these dreams are portraying, I would guess his remnants have been spreading the nightmares. Knowing your past, you relate well with his history of fire.” Luna spoke.

Rael paused briefly as he stared into the darkness, caught slightly off-guard with the princess’s knowledge of his history.

“You know what happened to my parents then?” Rael’s voice fell lower than he intended.

“It was in your psyche evaluation. I would have guessed that such event would have left you as one of the weaker guards but instead it has seemingly fueled your desire for greatness.” Luna spoke adamantly.

“I would wish that such events would never befall any other pony in all of Equestria. I’ve devoted my life to making sure everypony is safe.”

“An admirable quality, indeed. One that easily does not go unnoticed especially from those that value such qualities. I have also taken it upon myself to observe you during your work and you’ve shown more than great work prowess. You went out of your way to help ponies that were lost, escorting elderly home during the night, returning a doll to a filly that had dropped it the night before, sacrificing your relaxation period to find her.” Luna stared upon the pony before her. “With your dreams and actions, you remind me…” She shook her head. “Walk.” She continued through the maze.

Rael followed closely keeping his golden eyes set on the dark pony in front of him. The slurry of the thoughts that boomed in his head had muffled his inner voice. He did not picture nor plan for this to happen. “Pardon my prying, but I remind you of who, my Princess?”

Luna continued around, slightly faster walking out to a larger opening with a large tree in the center of it. She eyed the tree as she slowed before turning her attention to the pale glow that filled the night sky. She sighed before turning to Rael.

“No matter which turns I take, I always end up at this tree. I always walk back to where I lost him. We all have secrets now, don’t we? I trust this knowledge to you for you give off such a trusting and kind aura. I am not one to believe such nonsense, but I would trust a guard of your caliber to keep secrets.” Luna spoke as she began slowly pacing around the tree. Rael held his position behind her and on her outer side.

“I know a great number of secrets and none have ever left my lips, Princess. Yours will be treated with the same respect as I have given those if not more.” Rael bowed his head as he walked.

“The alicorn that attacked us during the cellist and electronic pony’s concert. The one that nearly took my sister from me was a pony that many years ago had me courted and had asked my hoof in marriage. It was the happiest day of my life. After he revealed his intentions and his love of me, he invited me to this maze. I had seen him enter this maze countless times during his stay here in Canterlot. I never once questioned it. The same day, my sister relayed the news of his kingdom’s collapse and the death of his parents. He needed to be told immediately.” Luna’s voice stammered slightly as she spoke words that weighed on her tongue more than anything had ever done so before. “I was already dressed up. I walked into this maze and stumbled into this alcove where I found him. His happiness was unparalleled while I carried news that I knew would break his heart.” Luna stopped walking and sunk her head low.

“Miss?” Rael asked raising his hoof out to her feeling the pain radiating from her.

“It was the last time I saw that brilliant glow of happiness in his eyes. I was refused anymore courting and the marriage was cancelled, as the old rules demanded that royalty only weds in royalty. Seeing as he no longer had a kingdom in which to be royalty of, he was stripped from his title… stripped from me.” Luna’s voice had grown heavy as every word fell from her mouth like the tears falling from her face. “I was forced to turn away from him, watch him suffer, watch as his entire life was ripped out from under him. I watched as the kindest pony in all the lands being rewarded with the greatest injustice.” The tone collapsed briefly into anger before dissolving back into a soft sadness. “I never stopped loving him and through it all, through his madness, he never stopped loving me.” She shook the sadness from her and turned back to Rael, her eyes still glistening from the tears, but her face tightened back to a more formal stance. She breathed in deeply before speaking once again. “You will speak of this to no pony.”

Rael gave her a soft grin, lowered his hoof, and bowed his head. “Of course, Princess.” His mind flurried with thoughts about the situation. Only one tugged at his mind and pushed at his lips. “My mother always told me that love is a timeless force, the strongest in all the lands.”

“Rael, you sometimes surprise me with your words. Your actions towards others always remind me of him.” Her voice chokes at the thought of whom she wished to think about. “Like my life is on a loop.” You are dismissed Rael. Please, leave me to my thoughts.” She turned from him and flew into the sky, quickly vanishing from view. Rael looked around where he stood.

“Great.” The dark pony spoke as he began walking toward the way he had entered with Luna.

Minutes pass and the surrounding hedges felt exceedingly out of place. Rael sighed as he found himself momentarily lost in the maze while the echoing calling of food teased his mind.

“Lost are we?” Spoke a gruff voice from behind the Night Guard.

Startled, Rael leaped around and came face to face with a pony wrapped in rags, much of his face and head were hidden underneath of a hood. His heart raced as he searched his mind on how to react to this figure that stood slightly taller than him. Whoever it was stood without threat to him so Rael attempted diplomacy in the only way he knew how.

“And who are you and why are you in the Princess’s garden?” Rael asked with his tone of authority.

“Such a strong will and power you have, dear colt.” He wheezed a half laugh before being immobilized by heavy coughing. “I am ‘me’ of course. Follow me.” The older pony turned and began walking into the confines of the heavy hedges. Rael followed, though kept a mild distance.

“Why are you in the garden?” The question was repeated and being answered with a series of coughs before the old pony craned is neck back.

“I am the caretaker. I make sure everything grows the way they should without incident.” He manages a chuckle with only a minor wheeze.

“I know of no such caretaker. What is your name, old one?” Rael felt the hairs on his back prickle at the sense that something in the air wasn’t mixing correctly.

“I have already answered the question in complete truth. I am me, just as you are you.” The pony continued. “It does not matter what we call each other as long as we know who we are.”

“You sound a bit too philosophical for being a caretaker of the garden.” Rael remarked, eyeing the pony thoughtfully and carefully. “And where would a caretaker receive such terrible burns?”

“Gardens tend to be great at growing dreams into thoughts and ideas. The longer you sit in here, the more your mind expands and the bigger your dreams become.” The caretaker spoke wistfully. He stopped in his tracks and lowered his head and coughed heavily. Rael closed the distance he had between the supposed caretaker and himself.

“Are you going to be okay?” Rael put a hoof on the old pony’s back and rubbed it.

“Even though you don’t trust me, you came to my aid.” Coughed the ragged pony.

“You are in need and if you were a threat, I would try my best to defend myself, which, pardon my pretentiousness, but you don’t seem too capable of putting up too much of a fight.” Rael tossed a small chuckle at the end to imply what he said was to be said in jest.

“Unless I so happen to be a powerful wizard.” The caretaker chuckled.

“We all have our stories. Feeling better?” Rael commented upon feeling the pony’s shoulders relax.

“We all have stories, some have more than others.”

“You seem to have quite the story to you.” Rael patted the old pony on the back.

“About as much as you. Take the next right and you are out of the maze, let me just catch my breath here.”

“I’ll wait. I don’t have to be anywhere except bed and the start of my shift.”

“You remind me of someone from my past.”

“And who would that be?” Rael questioned.

“I don’t quite remember. In my befuddled brain, he feels like a half remembered dream.”

“Well, maybe one day you will meet this pony again and it will jog your memory.”

The old pony smiled at Rael. “This is the most my memory has been jogged since I woke up.” He lifted his hooves and pushed the hood off of his head revealing the age of the pony underneath. His mane was white and the age was prevalent around his eyes and beard that hung off of his snout. “I don’t know why I kept that hood up. It is a gorgeous day.” His horn lit up softly as his clothes were pulled off and folded nicely onto his back. Despite his age, his body appeared to be holding up better than Rael would have thought. “Let’s get out of here shall we?” He smiled warmly.

They continued on their way, making the next right and walking out of the hedge maze. The older pony plopped down into the grass and smiled, spreading his legs out, letting them creak and crack from the stretch.

“You remind me of someone from my past too, but I don’t know who.” Rael mentioned.

“Well then maybe one day we will both figure it out and shake our mystery pony’s hand. I would probably have to apologize to him.”

“Why apologize?”

“I don’t know. I just know that I need to apologize for something I did.” The pony smiled. “Best to not get muddled in the affairs of one’s past. We will find our long lost and half remembered friend at some point, be it through the darkest of times.” He chuckled. “It was a pleasure to have met you, Rael. We should talk again sometime. I quite enjoy it.

Rael stared at the pony thoughtfully. “How do you know my name?”

The old pony looked back at him thoughtfully. “Captain of the Night Guard Rael Ize isn’t a pony that can hide in the crowds and not be admired by his fans. Such kindness does not go unnoticed.”

“And will you now tell me your name?” Rael raised his eyebrows.

“Ah, yes, mystery aside, Mr. Wisps. Wiley Wisps.”

“Mr. Wisps, a pleasure to have met you. If there is ever a time I have to clear my head, I will surely return to this garden and visit.” Rael smiled and turned to leave the garden.

“Whatever you need, you can find me in the hedge maze most of the time, it tends to need the most upkeep, and don’t worry about getting lost, I’ll find you if you enter. So long Mr. Ize.”

Rael gave the old pony a small nod before turning the corner and making his way through the streets. He never felt anymore distant from the rest of the ponies than he had ever felt before like he had woken up after centuries of being asleep. Was it just the effect of the winding and seemingly never ending corridors of greenery that caused it, the shock of Luna’s story to him, or that nagging feeling that he had to find somepony and say something to them about something that rested at the tip of his tongue.

He walked through the streets slowly, trying to collect himself and figure out the meanings to his thoughts when the scent of smoke burnt his nose and snapped his attention back to the real world. He raised his nose and ran in the direction it smelled the most intense. He quickly came to a burning building. The pegasi were sending as many rain clouds as they could pour onto the building, but the flames rose without much resistance. A golden-eyed pony ran towards Rael screaming.

“My little filly is in there! You have to save her!” Her voice raised in fear and alarm.

Rael quickly galloped toward the door, blowing the door from its hinges with his magic and charging into the blaze. From garden’s green to fire’s red, Rael’s mind focused heavily on the degradation of the building, calling out periodically, hearing a crying pony through the loud roar of the fire that surrounded him like a baker’s oven. The crying became louder as he moved through the house and to a back doorway to a side bedroom. The crying was on the other side.

Rael kicked the door open, splintering it and revealing a room filled with smoke, but largely not yet burnt by the fire that roared outside. A small filly sat crying over another pony who was laying on the ground in front of her.

“Help, Mister! She isn’t moving!” The filly cried out, pushing on the unconscious pony lying in front of her.

Rael coughed as he got his first lungful of smoke. Using his magic he sealed the door and moved what smoke was in the room out to give them some precious moments of clean air. He knew he couldn’t grab both of the ponies and guarantee their safety, but listening to the creaking of the house, there wasn’t time. He hoisted the mint coated pony onto his back, using the straps of his armor to hold her onto him while he used his magic to lift the filly into a magical safety bubble as he moved as quickly as he could, carrying a full grown pony on his back.

Agility and speed had all but died from carrying those trapped in the building. In the short time he had been in the room, the hallway had completely fallen apart into a fiery chaos. Overhead rafters had fallen into an “X” pattern at many moments along the way. He moved slowly, listening to the condition of the house through the din of the burning wood. He managed to squeeze himself around a few of the logs, suffering minor burns. The door to leave the burning structure stood only three yards away. He pressed on until a large creak caught his attention as the front of the house collapsed over the doorway out, locking him in the oven with the now crying filly and the limp other pony.

His heart raced as he felt tears begin falling from his face as a panic began to set into his heart. “There has to be another way out!” He yelled to comfort the filly and himself. He trudged toward the collapsed part of the building and tried to find any holes that may have been left by the collapse that he could squeeze through, but none existed. He turned down the side hallway and saw a window that was still standing, but the creaking of the house threatened this opportunity of escape and may have been the final warning of the house’s imminent demise. The Night Guard charged with all of his strength, preparing to get enough speed to break through the window frame and be free.

The bone in his shoulder shifted as he hit the glass frame, shattering it just barely and falling through the window, hitting the ground with his face causing the protection bubble around the filly to fail only briefly. He caught the filly before she hit the ground and rose to his hooves, feeling his shoulder shift to the side and the rest of his body fall in that direction. Upon inspection, the leg sat at an awkward angle, but it wasn’t broken, just dislocated. Rael didn’t look back at the building as he dragged himself toward the crowd, the two ponies in tow. The deafening sound of the fire had left his ears unable to identify that the roar of fire had transformed into the roar of cheers. He felt other ponies come to his side and lift him off the ground and help him distance himself from the burning house.

The sweet smell of fresh air graced Rael’s lungs as he let the pony on his slide slowly off of his back onto the ground. A unicorn ran over, a red cross on her flank. She looked over the filly first before coming to Rael’s side. Her magic rolled over his leg before he felt the dull snap of his leg sliding back into his shoulder socket. The nurse’s lips moved, but Rael’s ears still were refusing to hear the world around him. He turned back to the unconscious pony and saw her being examined. Her mint coat and cyan mane and tail sat with dark patches from the soot and ash from where he had grazed the wall. Her lyre cutie mark was nearly invisible under the soot and dust covering her body.

Comments

[ThePhantomAssassin]

Great Scott! Another one! Hahaha! Reading.exe activated!

[Harold_Genhi]

2451215 Yup the last and final section to the entire story. I have been planning this story for quite some time now and finally had some time to sit down and begin writing it. I hope you enjoy it.

[ThePhantomAssassin]

2451579 I enjoyed it. Quite a lot I might add.

I loved the previous two, and I'ma love this one.