The Herald

        On the first day, The Herald was there to watch as The Creator forged the Universe.

        On the second day, The Herald was there to see The Creator make The Aspects of Truth.

        On the third day, The Herald watched The Creator breathe life into the World.

        When Celestia and Luna first drew breath, The Herald was there to tell The Aspects of Creation their names.

        When The Aspect of Chaos fell from the Darkness Beyond, The Herald was there to warn the world.

        When the Aspects of Truth became Death, Life, The Elements of Harmony, and many more, The Herald was there to name them.

        When Discord was defeated, The Herald assured the tale was carved by The Ancestors of the Wise Races into stone.

        When Nightmare Moon arose, The Herald warned Celestia.

        When The Nightmare fell, The Herald foretold of her return.

        Whenever the Aspects lost sight of their path, The Herald showed them what misery they caused.

        When Nightmare Moon returned, The Herald was there.

        When The Aspect of Magic ascended, The Herald was there.

        When Calamity strikes, The Herald will warn.

        When the last war of Equestria’s Third Age begins, The Gods will stand against The Corruption.

        ~

        Lighting illuminated the darkness of rain, like snapshots and quickly fading dreams. The Aspect of the Sun watched through a window, waiting.

        Another flash, and a figure of swirling shadow could be seen, only to fade again as a dream would. The snapshots illuminated it, depicting its approach.

When it reached the window, it vanished into the darkness, the light now only showing an empty courtyard.

        Whispers of history and ancient wisdom seemed to fly about the room, and they grew louder until they became one voice, unidentifiable and old, “The time has come...”

        This was the moment where all of Creation hinged, and Celestia’s heart beat frantically in partial excitement, partial despair. “I am ready, Herald, as is Luna. Twilight is prepared. Have you chosen who you will stand with?”

        Shock, that was the emotion that filled The Sun Princess’ mind as emotion tinged The Herald’s voice, “You have not told The Aspect of Magic. I thought you were better than that.”

        “It is for her own safety.”

        For the first time in many hundreds of years, The Herald acted. A tendril of shadow grasped Celestia’s chin, piercing many layers of warding and shields. It tilted her head up a little, and Celestia gasped.

        A face of shadow stared back at her, with eyes of pure white being the only feature. “I will stand with you, Celestia, but if she is harmed because you withhold the truth from her ...”

        For the second time that day, Celestia felt an emotion not felt since the days of old. This time, it was fear. “I will tell her, but she deserves a day of peace first.”

        “Very well. Death, Faith, and Wisdom will stand by you, and so will Discord. The others have not yet answered me.” The tendril of darkness receded, and The Herald’s face vanished into the impossible shadow.

        ~

        Celestia was silent at breakfast. This was unusual for the triarch , and Luna noticed that. “Sister, what is on your mind?”

        The Sun Princess looked up, her eyes catching a coiling shadow in the corner of the room. “The Herald spoke to me last night.”

        Luna’s eyes widened. “You mean-”

        “It is time, Luna, for the Last War.”

        She sighed, and scooped the last of her eggs into her mouth, thinking. “Who does The Herald stand with?”

        “The Herald will stand with us.”

        A sigh of relief escaped Luna’s throat. “Thank The Creator. If The Herald opposed us, this war would have been lost already.”

        Celestia shuddered at the images that erupted at the thought of The Herald fighting them. “Indeed. But it gave a condition, that I must tell Twilight about the Last War by the end of the day.”

        “Let her have her fun. She deserves one last day.”

        Celestia was waiting for Twilight, having called the young alicorn to her chambers for a private discussion.

        The lavender mare slid through the door unannounced. “Um, Prin- Celestia, why did you-”

        The Sun Princess waved a hoof. “Save your energy, Twilight. I asked for you to come, because today is the day that I will teach you about why we exist. As in, why Alicorns and Gods exist.”

        This was a topic that had little data, even the most complete histories gave vague speculation about the Age before mortals , and even more wild guesses on where Alicorns and Gods came from. Therefore, Twilight could barely restrain herself from squealing.

        The White Alicorn coughed, gathered her thoughts, and began to tell a tale not heard in two Ages of the World.

        “Long ago, there was one being.

        Their name was The Creator, a god wielding such power that the very universe was formed by The Creator’s will, banishing the Darkness that was before.

        The Creator made the world, and set upon it creatures known as The Aspects of Truth, The First Ones. The Aspects then prepared the world with The Creator for what would come after. When The Creator was ready, orbs of fire and silver were set about the world, and named them Sun and Moon.

        Tired, The Creator left the world to The Aspects, but with one warning: that The Darkness That Was Before would return to retake what was lost.

        That war has been referred to as The Last War.

And the Last War has begun.”

Twilight’s eyes seemed to drop a little, the excitement of learning not quite countering the realization that she would have to fight. “And I have to fight in this war?”

Celestia sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. But we are not without allies.”

“The Aspects that you talked about?” guessed Twilight.

“I truly hope they will. Only a few have answered the call so far.”

What Twilight said next shocked Celestia. “Does that include The Herald?”

The Sun Princess flopped down into the cushioned chair behind her. “Yes... How, exactly, do you know about The Herald?”

The lavender mare’s ear twitched. “Ummm... I read about it in a book?”

Normally, Celestia would have accepted that form of explanation, and not pushed Twilight to tell the truth. After all, the mare would come clean sooner or later. But The Herald was in no history book, and no texts existed with even the slightest mention of The Herald.  “Twilight, The Herald is not something that could be found in any book in existence.  The only way you could know of The Herald... is if you have met The Herald.”