The Herald

“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter - often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter - in the eye.”  -Charlotte Brontë

        Twilight floated in a vast expanse of darkness, with only the memory of slumber to cling to. She did not know how long she had been there, but there was an ancient fear that had crept into her mind while she drifted.

        It built, flashes of death and loss pushing the laughter of friends and the love of family out of her mind. She fought it like she had fought the Nightmare, how she had stood against all of the threats to Equestria. She fought, but the bastion of her mind was cracked from worry and fear already.

        It would be so easy for her to just... let go.

        But she would not. She cried out, grasping at strings of light...

and something answered her.

        A firm grip of darkness and times gone past held her now, but it was not fear that drove this darkness. It was kindness, the kindness of one that had seen so much pain; far too much.

        Eyes of white, streaked with black and wisps of light trailing off them, opened in front of her. A voice of whispers and history long forgotten wrapped itself around her, worried and warm. “You are safe now, little one.”

        Shock was difficult to overcome, but Twilight managed.“Thank you.”

        Unblinking eyes inspected her critically, softening slightly. “You are lucky, little one, that I saw you. My realm, the Realm of Shadow, is not for mortal eyes. In this realm, all that is left to shadows dwells. The Realm of Shadow is all our hopes and fears, and all that you never want to see.”

        “Why are you here, then?” asked Twilight.

        The eyes closed briefly, and when they opened, they glowed even brighter. “I am The Herald, little one. Gods only manifest with belief, and can enter the world without it only a short time. Did you even know I existed before now?”

        Twilight searched her mind, and found nothing. “No, I did not.”

        “Exactly.” The eyes faded slightly, and The Herald sounded wistful. “You must leave this place soon, little one. Do not tell anyone about this unless they find out you know me.”

        “What about you?”

        “Did I not tell you? I cannot leave my realm for long unless some believe in me.” The eyes faded more, as if drifting.

        “What if I believe in you?” The Herald’s eyes halted their drift, and blinked.

        “Thank you, little one. Do not fear the shadows, and remember me. What is your name?”

        The lavender mare felt the warmth in The Herald’s voice. “My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

        The Herald blinked. “Element of Magic? Then this meeting was not just chance and magic, little one...” The eyes suddenly winked out. “Your time here has ended, little one. Remember me.”

        Twilight felt herself dragged roughly from the Realm of Shadows, and when her eyes opened again, she was in bed. “Was it a dream?” she muttered. “No, it couldn’t be.”

        “Remember, little one.”

        Celestia frowned, but behind her mask, she was feeling terrible. Speaking her thoughts aloud, she said, “Interesting. Even I did not know that we stayed manifest from belief. I suppose that because all of the Aspects represent constants in the world, they are always manifest.” Internally, she thought, The reason the Herald does not stay long is that all of The Aspects don’t like The Herald because it is an unknown... No wonder The Herald does not care for us much.  And yet, The Herald likes Twilight, and Twilight thinks The Herald is okay. The Herald even saved Twilight from the Realm of Shadow. Perhaps it is time for me to change my ways.

        “Well, The Herald will be fighting with us, right? Even though The Herald can’t stay long?” asked Twilight.

        “Of course, Twilight. And for once, I look forward to seeing The Herald.”

        In the Realm of Shadow, The Herald’s eyes flared, and a flicker of white mist illuminated massive wings. They were gold at the base, and slowly transitioned to a silvery white as it reached the tips. “Thank you, little one.”

        A rustling like wings flapping echoed about, and the voice of whispers joined even more strongly, more like a single voice. “If The Moon will drop her fear of me, perhaps... I can return.”

        Celestia was not one to wait when mysteries that had been hidden from her sight finally came to light. The Herald had been completely unknown since before her creation, but now, The Herald had a stronger form than a voice.

        The shadows gripped her as she stepped into the Realm of Shadow, but they did not pull at her mind like it would a mortal being. But she could not bring her mortal shell here. A sigh of relief escaped her as wings of fire and gold flared out, and her true form was revealed.

        Her true form was similar to her mortal shell, but it seemed to be made of fire and golden light, her mane a long, flowing thing of fire. She opened her pure gold eyes, and called out. “Herald! I wish to speak with you.”

        Eyes of white mist flickered into existence, the flash of light briefly illuminated a body. It was hard to see even for the great Aspect of the Sun. “Welcome to the Realm of Shadow, Aspect of the Sun. Why do you wish to speak with me?”

        She tilted her head. “I wish to apologise.”

        “For what?”

        “It was by the power of The Aspects, including myself, that made it difficult for you to leave this place for long. We thought you simply did not want to leave, and left you to be forgotten. I am sorry for being a part of it. But why did you not tell us that we were causing it?”

        A rustle of wings was the only sound as The Herald thought about it, eyes of white brightening. “You did not ask. Gods cannot be forced in their beliefs, especially by other gods.”

        Celestia pondered this, and tried to come up with solutions. If they were to survive the coming war, they needed The Herald’s help. “Could I tell my sister of this? Would that be forcing belief?”

        The eyes shook, and it took a moment for Celestia to realize The Herald was shaking its ‘head’. “No. She wants my help in the Last War anyways, but you cannot force her to believe in me, to trust in me. You must tell her the little one’s story.”

        If not for having been told the specifics of the encounter between Twilight and The Herald, The Sun Princess would not have realized what was meant by ‘the little one’. “I will tell Luna Twilight’s story. But why do you call her the ‘little one’?”

        There was a twinkle in The Herald’s eyes. “Am I not permitted to care for others, those that are like children to me,little one?”