The last solstice

Chapter 27: Time


A few hours later, Nocturnal Mirage was lying on his back beside the Princess, observing the twinkling stars on the cobalt sky from her balcony. The night was cold, their breaths were visible, but Celestia's body was radiating with an unusual, strong warmness, heating up the air in a small radius, like the flames of an intimate campfire.

“You know, every time I look at those beautiful stars, I wonder what's up there...” Mirage broke the quietness after some time.

“Indeed.” Celestia replied softly. “Everypony who took the time to gaze at Luna's work asks the same, most natural question. It makes us contemplate about life and how small we truly are, compared to the universe. I have been watching these stars for countless centuries and still find them breathtaking.”

“So true...” the royal blue stallion sighed.

Celestia tilted her head and looked him in the eye.

“I'll tell wewe what my mother told me when I was a little filly... She alisema the the great spirits of the old times are up there, watching over us.”

“So... Sombra's there too?” Mirage suddenly asked.

The solar alicorn's eyes widened a little, but didn't answer. She turned her head towards the obsidian sky once again. They lay beside each other in silence for several minutes.

“You told me wewe were taught to hate me... now I understand why.” the Princess of the Sun eventually spoke.

“You may have guessed kwa now, that I am much older than I look.” the earth gppony, pony declared.

“The Crystal Empire...” Celestia said, closing her eyes.

“Yes... and since wewe respected me to tell your story, here's mine. I was there on that day... and vanished with the Empire as well.” Mirage replied quietly. “But we only disappeared from this realm and entered another plain of existence.”

Celestia nodded, but stayed quiet, locking her eyes on the stallion, waiting for him to continue.

“You see, it was like a sea... an endless, bottomless sea, filled with nothing but emotions. And the most dominant one was my mother's. Summer Pride... Her will triumphed over everything. She whispered to my ears for a thousand years. The only thing I could hear was her voice. She was the one who planted the seeds of hatred in my soul, because wewe and Luna took her upendo away, banishing him to the Arctic North. But when we returned, something happened... our memories were erased. My mother's words sank into my subconsciousness, and I never saw her again.”

“I roamed aimlessly around Eqeustria for several months. One town followed the other, and I ended up in Ponyville in the middle of a vehement storm. There I met a certain pink mare, who offered me shelter and food. Pinkie Pie showed me the way of Friendship and I abandoned my mother's legacy. When they were recruiting guards to the Crystal Embassy in Canterlot, my knowledge of the Empire helped me get the job... I tried to pick up the thread of my life that was cut in half on that fateful siku 1 000 years ago. Then I received a letter from the Captain of the Royal Guard one day... The rest wewe know.” Mirage finished.

“You were right when wewe alisema it is zaidi than coincidence that our paths have crossed. We have already met in the distant past.” the sun goddess stated. “I've turned your father to shadow...”

“No. wewe are mistaken. Sombra was not my father. But since I never knew my real Dad, he was like a father-figure to me. He thought me how to control my powers and he loved my mother. He was a great spirit...”

Celestia sat up and pierced her eyes into Mirage's.

“Sombra was a gifted unicorn indeed. He could have been the greatest gppony, pony since Starswirl the Bearded. But there was an infinite void in his heart, the eternal craving for more... nothing could fill that emptiness of his soul.”

“You seem to know him well...” Mirage remarked with curiosity coloring his tone and sat up as well.

“You're right. He was my very first student. I thought I could be a mentor as good as my father was... Hah, I was so naive...” the snow white alicorn replied on a warm, soft voice and an abstracted smile took over her features.

“Huh? You're what?!” the cobalt stallion asked, unable to comprehend Celestia's words.

“I sensed the darkness in him on the very first siku we met, but I thought I could change him. How foolish of me...” Celestia continued. “I taught him everything I knew about magic, but I had no choice to exile him, for he was studying ancient tomes of dark magic. A decade later, he waged war against us, as the King of the Crystal Empire. The darkness within him infected the Empire and would have consumed us all if my sister and I hadn't stood up to him on that day.”

“I... I have never heard anypony talk about him like that...” Mirage replied, lowering his head in sorrow. “He was a cold blooded murderer?”

“It's not that simple. Sombra was fueled kwa hatred which eventually destroyed him.” the solar alicorn said, gently stroking Mirage's cheek.

“Hmm... moto kills too. But new life always rises from the ashes.” the royal blue earth gppony, pony answered with a warm smile, returning Celestia's gaze.

“I clearly see now why Luna chose wewe for this job.” the Sun Princess pointed out. “But I know what you're up to. Have no illusions! This changes nothing. I made a vow and I will never leave this tower again.”

I hope you'll break that covenant pretty soon, for the sake of all of us! Mirage thought, while his face darkened.

*** ***

“There's something you're not telling me again.” The Princess of the Night declared sternly.

Her tall, dark figure towered over Nocturnal Mirage, as he stood in her office, to give Luna a status ripoti on the “operation”.

“No, Princess! I wouldn't dare lying to you! I am really close getting your sister out of there, I've earned her ultimate trust!” the cobalt stallion countered, while he acquired a defensive pose.

“Oh, really?” Luna asked, narrowing her eyes. “Prove it.”

“Flame and Shadow...” Mirage alisema shortly.

“Impossible!” the moon goddess gasped, her eyes growing large. “ I can't believe she told you!”

“As I said. She trusts me.”

“Indeed.” Luna replied sharply, staring deeply into Mirage's soul. “Hmm... you're very good at shielding your emotions, Nocturnal Mirage. But there is something else, I sense it!”

“Princess, I swear...”

“Cadence!” the nocturnal alicorn suddenly exclaimed, cutting the stallion off.

A moment later, the Princess of upendo entered the room, using a secret door that was so stealthily built in the ukuta that nopony could tell it was there.

“I'm here Luna.” the pink alicorn alisema on her sweet voice.

“There is something he wants to keep a secret. Extract the information from him!”

Mirage raised a brow and took a step back from the angry Princess, but Luna's horn charged up with cyan colored magic and sealed the doors.

“I am truly sorry. But we do not have time to play games anymore, there's too much at stake. If wewe won't tell us everything willingly, Cadence here will find out nevertheless.”

“Please, Princess...”

Cadence approached Mirage and observed him for a while, her purple eyes penetrating the stallion's very being. The earth gppony, pony winced and his far flung ebony tail curled up around his body, for he felt naked in the stare of the upendo goddess. Suddenly, Cadence's eyes grew large and her jaw dropped in shock.

“No... It can't be...” she gasped.

“What?! What is it?! What did wewe see?!” Luna urged excitedly.

“He... Sweet Creator! He's become one with Celestia...” Cadence whispered.

The two alicorns glared at Mirage for several minutes, unable to speak au form coherent thoughts. Then a spark of anger flashed in Luna's teal eyes as she charged at the stallion.

“Why, wewe little...” she growled. “Your job was to convince her to use her magic, not seduce her!”

“No, Luna wait! We can turn this to our advantage!” Cadence cried as she appeared between them with a blue flash.

“I sincerely doubt that!” the cobalt alicorn hissed, staring at Mirage maliciously.

“Listen! upendo is the most powerful emotion of all! Even stronger than friendship! Remember the power upendo granted me and Shining Armor at our wedding? Mirage will succeed at his task for sure now!”

“Hmm... perhaps you're right.” the Princess of the Night alisema on a calmer fashion. “But if he fails despite turning Celestia's brain, he won't get to see the end of the world, because I'm going to tear him apart with my bare hooves!”

“Think what wewe want about me, it happened kwa accident. But my intentions are pure, I truly upendo your sister, that wasn't an act. Is that so hard to believe, just because I'm an earth pony? We have so much in common! She has been lonely for many centuries, just like me... This only gives me strength to do what must be done. I won't fail you, Princess!” Mirage declared resolutely.

His voice was charged up with confidence and strength, and somehow he knew it was because of the solar goddess, she gave him the courage to face Luna's wrath.

“Get to work then!” Luna replied firmly, turning away from him, facing the large window.

Her horn was once again encased in the cyan magical aura and the bright sunlight began to fade outside, as Luna removed the cloaking spell for Mirage's eyes. Nearly half of the Sun was blocked out kwa a giant orb, with two rings around it. The Princess of the Night turned to the stallion once again with a grim look on her face.

“Time is running out.”