Light Fades Fast

Light streamed into the grand entry hall from the stain glass windows, turning the marble floor into a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. Slowly Strya walked down toward the massive oak doors, her hooves sending echoes down the chamber. The two guards standing at attention took no notice of the pale mare holding the large scythe. Strya took a deep breath and blew open the doors with her magic. As if a veil fell upon the world, the stallions guarding the entry froze in place and the light hung in the air like a fog. Strya strode confidently into the throne room.

There in the center of the towering chamber stood Celestia herself. Her long rainbow of a mane flowed gracefully to the ground and her lilac eyes shone with anger. “Strya, I thought I told you never to enter my presence again. Release this spell at once and leave or I will make you.”

Strya laughed coldly and dropped the scythe, “Oh you can’t make me leave Celestia. You have never held that power and I do not believe you will ever be in possession of it. Trust me ‘your highness’ I would not be here if I did not absolutely have to be.”

Strya walked confidently up to Celestia, her small frame contrasting sharply with Celestia's, “I have come for Sarapona Celestia. Do you recall that city? The city you abandoned! For centuries now I have watched as I take colts and fillies Celestia. It is not the course of this world to let the young suffer so! Disease, death, starvation, and abandonment is all these ponies have left to live for. All this time I waited Celestia. Waited for you to save them, it is your fate to help them. At least that is what you told me five hundred years ago. Or was that a lie?”

“You do not understand my reasoning Strya. What has come over you? You are death Strya, never have you tried to interfere with the affairs of the living.”

“I had to interfere Celestia, if you would not! These ponies though they suffer so they have a love of life and a hope for the future. I met a pony who taught me such things. It is his dream and the dream of his people that Sarapona should be freed from this misery. Should I abandon them as you did Celestia? No, I will no longer stand idly by while their world burns. So answer me what possessed you to abandon the citizens you were once so obstinate about protecting?”

Celestia sighed and stared hard into Strya’s blue eyes. “You have heard no doubt of my banishment of Luna. I did not wish to send her away, but I had to. Her rebellion would have ruined Equestria. After the battle, I was greatly weakened. You know not the difficulty of raising both the sun and the moon Strya. With each day I fear my task will take the last of my strength. And what then? What would happen to the ponies of Equestria?”

“Truly you should have realized the situation with Luna earlier. She was always seeking attention, you could have spared more time for her. Instead you let that hatred fester and corrupt her magic. The only pony you can blame for what happened is yourself Celestia! I don’t pity you.”

“I regret that more than anything else in the world. But I cannot change the past Strya…” She took a deep breath, “Because of my weakened state I did not notice Sarapona’s trouble until it was too late. The evil magic that surrounds that city it more powerful than any I have seen before or since. Even wielding the elements of harmony, in my current state I could never vanquish it.”

“Why didn’t you try Celestia?”

“If I tried and failed what then? Luna is no longer with me. With my defeat, a darkness would fall upon Equstria the likes of which no pony has ever seen. It would be as it was in the dawning times.”

“Well now Celestia, it is unlike you to bring up such troubling history.” Strya sighed heavily, “What is this darkness? I have made a pact with my friend in Sarapona to do everything in my power to stop it no matter what. I do not intend to let him down because the task is difficult. Tell me Celestia.”

“Strya, it is a darkness so powerful no light could possibly break through. I do not know what manner of beast is the cause but it is immensely evil. King Sombra’s power was nothing compared to this. The darkness comes from a cave deep in the Bitterhoof Mountains. If you are truly determined I will not stop you. However, I will give you this warning. Your magic and heart must be absolutely pure to pierce this darkness. I wish you luck.”

Strya nodded and started to leave. As she picked up her scythe she regarded Celestia, “I am deeply sorry for taking your friends Celestia. I wish there had been another way. However, there is one thing I forgot to mention to you that day five hundred years ago. You have a light just as every pony in this world. It may be many times brighter but it is there, and it has dimmed since I last saw you. So take heart Celestia, your time will come.”

As Strya left, the veil of magic was released and the guards rushed into the throne room. The stallions stared in surprise as Celestia stood tears streaming down her muzzle. The large roan unicorn reached out to help her. “Your highness! What happened? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine Morst. I…I just received some very good news from an old friend.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Lsy trotted down the street lost in thought. After the disaster at Brev's, he had wandered around asking any elderly ponies who were willing to share the history of the city. Though they loved to ramble tale after tale, the stories were not exceptionally useful. Still, he learned enough to gain some direction at least.

The city had once been a prospering boom town and center of the furniture industry. All that success had turned Sarapona into the key trade port for all of the far North. It appeared that the city’s troubles began when a dark veil surrounded the town over three hundred years ago. The veil hung over the town for four days and then vanished without a trace. Ever since then the misfortunes have escalated with each passing year. They could not explain about the promise marks or understand why Lsy had one.

Lsy was anxious to tell Strya his findings and hoped she would be there when he returned. Now light was fading fast across the city as Lsy made his way across the bridge.

After a few good spurts of cantering he managed to make it to his stand just as twilight was falling. Lsy’s lungs stung from the exertion and he gave a series of rasping coughs. When he looked up Strya was standing in front of him, a look of concern on her face.

“Are you well Lsy?”

Lsy gasped for air and nodded. “Just a little cough…should get better soon. I’m fine really…”

Strya looked skeptically at Lsy but nodded. “Very well. What did you find out from the elders?”

“Sorry but I only managed to get a small bit of information. Most of the stories were embellished but I think that there was a good amount of truth to one of them.” Lsy proceeded to tell Strya about the veil.

“That would coincide with what I have learned. I journeyed to speak with Celestia regarding this and her tale has me quite worried.”

Lsy’s emerald eyes grew wide, “You spoke with Celestia? I thought you told me you wouldn’t have anything to do with her!”

“Yes well, though it pained me to go I had to ask for the truth and it is disturbing. Normally I would not divulge such information to any pony but I will tell you if you promise not to speak of this to any pony else.”

Lsy nodded solemnly and Strya began to tell a summary of what Celestia had said. After she had finished, the pair stood in silence for a time, absorbing the gravity of the situation. It seemed to Lsy an impossible task and he began to shake with fear. Strya looked concerned for the stallion, “Could we perhaps move to your home? It’s rather cold out and we keep standing here your cough will get worse.”

Lsy flushed,“I live under the stand, lost the workshop two years ago. I wasn’t cold, I was just scared.”

It was Strya’s turn to flush, “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know. It is wise to be scared of such darkness Lsy. Celestia herself seemed fearful just to tell me about it. However, I believe that any darkness no matter how deep can be broken. We’ll succeed Lsy, we have to after all.”

Lsy started to speak when a herd of colts came barreling down the street. They were a rough rowdy bunch with disheveled shaggy coats of varying colors. Their leader was a big bay pegasus pony Lsy knew well. The colt was nearly old enough to be a stallion and was particularly notorious for stirring up trouble in the slums. He held a particular resentment for Lsy because of his promise mark.

“Well lookie ‘ere boys! If it isn’t Mr. Prissy talking to hiself?” The herd guffawed in unison and started to form a circle around Lsy and Strya.

“Well now what’s a little do-gooder like yourself doin’ in our street? Ya’ still tryin’ to figure out why yer such a freak with that little mark o’ yers?”

Lsy stood tall, “Mind your own problems Dusty and I’ll mind mine. Be on your way now, these colts have families that need them at home.”

Dusty whinnied with anger and stomped against the snow. “I’ll do what I want to Mr. Prissy. Me and the boys is just fine on our own. Aint’ that right gents?”

“Believe it Dusty!” A large orange earth pony in the circle chimed in.

Dusty stepped forward in to the circle towards Lsy. “Ya’ know what boys? I think I oughta make an example of Mr. Prissy here. Come on and fight if you can wimp!” Dusty lunged forward and dug his teeth into Lsy’s neck. Lsy gave a shriek of pain that reverberated across the stone buildings. Dusty threw in a well-timed kick into Lsy’s chest while Lsy was still reeling from the first blow. Lsy fell to the snow in a heap.

Strya began to step forward to stop the fight when Lsy shook his head. Standing he pinned his ears flat, “I never fight you Dusty not because I could not win but because you were too young. However, if you insist upon fighting as stallion I will be forced to treat you as one." Lsy kicked his hind legs hard into Dusty’s chest. The colt flew backwards several feet and the herd grew silent. Dusty stood to fight back but fell down again wincing.

Slowly the circle moved in to defend Dusty. Strya had begun to cast a spell when Dusty gasped, “You’ll regret this Prissy! You…you mark my words… Come on boys let’s go.” Reluctantly the herd followed Dusty back the way they came, sending glances back at Lsy.

“Why didn’t you let me stop them Lsy!”

“I can’t have you saving me all the time. Jeez Strya I’m a stallion at least let me have a little pride. Besides the fact I’ve been meaning to teach Dusty a lesson for a while. He’s been an absolute terror these past few weeks breaking into stores, threatening ponies, you name it. And despite all that he has to go and corrupt the younger colts to do the same thing. I needed to knock him down a peg that’s all.”

Strya snorted in frustration, “Yeah you really showed him. One kick Lsy really! You should have pounded him down with a good volley of them.”

Lsy frowned and looked down at the now blood stained snow. “I could have, maybe I should have. But I can’t stop thinking about what a poor example I’d be to those colts. What would that have taught them but how to fight hatred with hatred? I hurt him just enough so he wouldn’t keep fighting me. That was more than sufficient.”

“You are wiser than I realized Lsy. But, you still have much to learn."

Lsy smiled half-heartedly and walked slowly to the back of the stand pulling out his frayed blanket. He laid down behind it exhausted. Lsy felt sick watching the blood drip from his neck onto the snow. He rested his head onto the drift and felt very tired indeed. Strya slowly stepped towards him and stood next to the stallion. She leaned over and looked at the bite wound, “It’s rather deep Lsy. You ought to get it treated.”

Lsy rocked his head and moaned, “I'm not going to embarrass myself by going to the doctors. It’ll stop bleeding eventually. Give it time…”

Strya sighed and gently touched her horn to the wound. A bright blue light shone from its’ tip and the injury began to heal.

Lsy was quite surprised when the pain vanished and the blood stopped dripping in a matter of seconds. “I never knew unicorn magic could be used to heal that quickly. You must be very skilled…” he began to drift off to sleep, the exhaustion overwhelming his desire to keep talking to the mare. Gently Strya nuzzled Lsy’s mane and settled herself beside him, wishing the peaceful moment would last forever.