The Search for Light: Finding New Hope.

Chapter 9: Truths and Pasts.

Ouch. . Ouch! That really hurts. My head is just throbbing with pain. Where am I? I feel like I’m floating. Maybe it would be a good idea to open my eyes. . . “Gah!?” I slide backwards, the white mare in front of me giggling. “Star? Why were you so close? Was it you that found me?” She nods slowly, letting out more giggles. . “Um, Star? Why are we both floating.” She gives a shrug, and points down at the ground. “Oh. Not floating. Falling.” I move myself forward, wrapping my hooves around her. I start to spread my wings when. . “Of course. No wings. This must be a dream.”

“That is correct.” I turn back to Star, but the mare in my hooves is not her. “Princess Luna? Ok, that makes a lot more sense then.”  She gives a small smile. “Well, glad to see that you are ok.” I give her a confused look, as I pull away from her. “What do you mean?” Luna drops her smile into a frown. “Silver. What do you remember from your test?” I try to think back through what happened. I give a shrug. “Umm. Well. I remember a large pond. That black orb. . And. . .” I let out a gasp, as my eyes go wide. “Me?! I remember seeing me. . But, not me, another me. . . “ Luna gives a more despondent frown. “So, the Shade are close. And, who knows how many Umbra have been created.”

“Luna, what does all this mean. . What’s going to happen now?” She turns away from me. With a slight shrug, she looks back over to me. “I-I don’t know. Not just yet. But, what is more important, is you need to wake up soon. everyponies worried about you. . And, the ground seems a little too close.” With that, Luna disappears in a flash of silver magic.

Wait. Ground? I glance down. Seeing nothing but an ever looming green expanse. Oh, that ground. . Well, this is a dream. Can’t be hurt right. I’ll just wake up like always, jolting up in bed. . . . Any moment now. I close my eyes. I keep them closed for a moment. Then, in a jolt, my eyes shoot open. I pull my self forward, only to launch myself into a spin. Green, blue, green, blue. The colors all shift into a gray blur. Ok, still falling. . Need to wake up. Come on Silver, wake up. Wake up!

Pain fills my cheek. I open my eyes just to see a purple flash, hitting me again. “Gah. I’m up, I’m up. No need to hit me. . Jeez.” I look at the pony that, just a moment ago, was smacking me around. Now sitting there, with tears in her eyes. “Oh. Hey, is something wrong? Y-you didn’t hurt me. Really.” I sit up, ignore the small jolts of pain that shoot through me. “No. I’m just glad to see you awake.” I smile. . . Wait. . Who is this mare? “Are you the nurse, or something?” She shakes her head, as she tugs me out of the infirmary bed. “No. It’s a long story. But come one, lets get out of here.” She tugs me more, dragging me to the tent exit. “Hold on there.” I plant my hooves, stopping her in her tracks.

“First. I don’t know you. Second, I have a lot of people worrying about me. I can’t just leave.” She looks at me, an angry glare. “Well. . You can’t stay here!” I sigh and pull my hoof from her grasp. “I’ve been here long enough. A few more days won’t kill me.” She frowns. She reaches her hoof as if to smack me. But it only falls limply onto my chest. “B-because. . You’re the only one I know. . That I can trust.” I put my hoof over hers. “I’m glad to hear that. But, as I said, I don’t know you. I don’t know who you think I am, but trust me, I’m not them.”

She sniffs a little. “You owe it to me.” She says, in a small voice. “What?” I tilt my head slightly. She looks up, her eyes full of rage. “You owe it to me!” She shouts this time. “You don't know what I went through. Let’s just say, I have spent a long time in a dark place, and I’m not going back. I woke up, and was told to save you. So I did. So, you owe this to me.” Saved me? What is she. . . I put my hoof to my throbbing head. “S-saved me? “ She nods seriously. “Yeah. Saved you. Back by the pond, in the cave.”

“That was you?” She nods again. “Thanks. . But, I still can’t leave. I have questions that still need answers.” She glares at me again. “And you think I don’t? Somepony. . Something woke me up, and told me to save you. I barely have any memory, other than that cold place, and the person who left me there.” Tears fill her eyes, but she just wipes them away. “I need answers just as much as you do!” I nod slowly. “Ok. I can understand that. There is  pony here that can help you.” She chuckles lightly. “Not the princess. That ship has sailed. I do not want to see her again.”

Her voice is full of malice. I just give her a confused look. But she changes the subject. “You go get your answers, then we are leaving.” I shake my head. And, when I go to speak, she cuts me off. “I wasn’t asking. You owe it to me. Remember?” I sigh. “Fine. I can do that much. But, we travel to where I decide.”  She laughs. “Ha! And what makes you think you can decide that.” I smirk. “Well, I wasn’t asking. Plus, as it seems, you have no memory. How would you know where to go?” She goes to retort, but is only left speechless. “Fine.”

She says disgruntledly. “Just. Just hurry it up.” I smile, and step out into the fresh, and open air. Only to be tackled by, oh, I would say three ponies. But to me it’s just a blur of colors. “Oh my god.” I hear a stallion say. Sounds like Double. . That means. “I’m so glad you’re ok.” I hear Hat Trick. . And that means. “You had us worried.” Umm. . . I thought it would be Aegis, but I don’t recognize that voice. I open my eyes. Staring right into light blue eyes. “Would anyone care to explain why I am being tackled right after I get out? And by a pony that I don’t know?”

“I’m Pinkie.” Oh. Ok, makes sense. They all let out nervous chuckles and move off of me. Once I am back on my hooves, and dust myself off, I look at the gathered crowd.  “Umm. What’s with the party?” Pinkie just jumps up and down. “Oh, something about a uber important, and very life threatening, disaster, that we have to find a way to stop.” She gets glares from everyone. “Oh. To loud?” They all nod. a purple mare walks up. I think this is Twilight, the mare Double mentioned before. “Yes. It is something like that. We need you to come with us. Her too.” She points at the mare I was just speaking too. “Good luck.” I mutter.

“Stella. Stella Dusk.” She says. “And I’m not going anywhere with you.” See? I let out a long sigh. This is going to be a long day. “Well, I’m afraid you don't have a choice.” A very regal voice echos. I open my eyes to see that, really in a blink of an eye, we were all teleported to. . . A meeting room in Canterlot castle I presume. “Oh great.” Stella says. As she flops down. “Ok. Just spill it out. I don’t want to be here long.”

The regal voice from before speaks up again. “Stella Dusk. I know you have been through a lot. And, we can try to help you. But you have to listen to us first.” She lets out a sigh, that everypony assumes is of compliance. “Just hurry.” She murmurs. The regal voice,  Celestia, steps into view finally. “All of you listen. Because what I am about to tell you, is very, very, important.”

Let me give you a summed up version.

A long time ago, before the sisters even knew about the Elements, there was a great, and powerful mage, known as Nebulous. The sisters knew him pretty well apparently. Soon though, the powers he was experimenting with, the powers of darkness, corrupted him.  He was able to take the darkness, and give it form. Now, taking the name Neros, he created an army of what they call Shade. It took the sisters countless days, and nights, searching for an answer.   They discovered the Elements. But, at the time, Luna was just a pegasus, and Celestia was a unicorn. The couldn’t easily channel the elements between the two of them. And, just when everything looked bleak, the Elements heard their pleas, and reached out to them. Changing them into alicorns. It still took many deaths of the innocent and Shade alike, before they were able to use the Elements to seal Neros.

“But, that seal wouldn't last for ever, we knew that. And, even as we speak, he is staging his return.” Celestia pauses for a moment. “And now, without the Elements, we are in grave danger.” Stella slams her hoof on the table we all gathered around. “No! My father isn’t like that. He was kind. He was caring. He loved everything that had life. Why would he want to destroy it?” She yells out to everypony. All she gets are looks of surprise, shock, and confusion. “You’re father?” Rainbow asks. “That’s impossible. That was like, centuries ago. . Right?”

Rainbow, and the rest of us look at celestia. “Right. But, piecing these loose puzzles pieces together. We know that Stelle, here, is not lying. She was frozen for those centuries. She claims Luna. . . “ Celestia is cut off by Stelle. “Claims! I’m not making this up. I know my memory is fragmented, but, I do know she did it!” Celestia frowns. “Calm down now. Neros, he can influence people. Change the way they think, change the way they remember things. He can not be trusted.” Stella glares at the princess and turns away.

I frown at her. Not an angry frown like everyone else. But a sad, understanding, frown. I know what her pain is like. I’ve felt it before. In the caves. When she was holding me. I can still barely remember. But her voice is clear. I look to the princess. “And, how does that concern us? I mean. How does that concern me, Double, and Aegis.” The princess looks between us, and continues. “Without the Elements, we are doomed. But, we know of an artifact that can save us. It’s called The Celica. Twilight, and her friends, all volunteered to go searching for it.” She pauses, looking between us again.

“But, even though the Elements are locked away, they still need bearers to keep the balance of harmony. Without bearers, This place will crumble only that much easier.” Everypony remains silent, letting the princess collect her thoughts. “And, we believe that new bearers have already been chosen to succeed the current ones, once they leave.” I nod slowly, adding everything up. “Then that makes four? Right? You believe it’s us.” I point to the four of us. Me, Double, Aegis, and Stella, who is now seemingly interested in the conversation again.

Twilight nods at this. “Yes. That is what we believe. It was a chance event that brought me and my friends together. And, we believe that another one has happened, that brought you all together here.” We all give a slight nod. “But, that makes us two short. Wouldn't they be here?” Aegis asks. Looking around between us. “That’s what we thought as well. Do any of you know who else you met recently by chance.” Twilight asks, and we are all left to our thoughts. . . . I think back through everything, but only one thing keeps coming to mind. “Luna. I need to speak to Luna. It’s urgent.” I call out. Everyone looks at me. “Care to explain, Silver?” I start to speak, but only let out a small sputter.

“Um. . .Uh. I can’t. It’s something I must tell Princess Luna. It’s something that only she must know.”  The room brightens up, and we all turn towards the door. “I heard my name?” Oh, thank Faust. “Luna. . “ Celestia is the first to speak up.  I glance over to Stella, only to find her looking everywhere, save for Luna’s direction. “Silver Shot here wishes to speak to you, alone.” She nods slowly, and glances at me. “That is fine with me. If you could excuse us.” I stand and walk to the Night Princess.

We step into the hall, and she surrounds us in a silver bubble. “The walls can hear quite well. This will help.”  I give a curt nod, and go to open my mouth, only to be cut off before I speak. “Yes. You passed.” I passed? Wait. . I passed! “Really?!. . .That’s good and all, but now's not the time. Luna. Does the name Lunar Garden ring a bell?” She shakes her head. “Ok. How about the Kingdom of the Night?” She shakes her head again. “That’s what I thought. . . Neros” I mutter under my breath. “Well. Luna. This is going to surprise you. You might want to take a seat.”

Ok. Taking a seat didn’t help much. Once I explained to her everything about the Kingdom, she bolted up, and pushed me against the bubble. “Where. Where is this place?” I pat her hoof with mine. “C-cannot. . breath.” I mutter out, and she drops me instantly. “Oh, sorry Silver. But, this is just an important key to the past.  We must go there, now!”  I let out a sigh. “Luna. I know it’s important. But, it’s more than just a key to the past. It’s your Kingdom. It’s your family. And, they need you back. They need their Mother.” I am left thinking about Stella. She needs her mother too. “Luna. Princess. They need you, more then you need your past. . They are your past! You created that place for them. You brought them there, and then left them. They should have their Mother back.”

“Also. I think the new bearers could be there. Possibly.”  The princess just stands there, in silent shock. “Princess Celestia told us about Neros. And the powers he had. . Has. He probably manipulated you. So, you can’t blame yourself for not remembering your kingdom. . . For not remembering your daughter.” I add at the end quietly. I reach my hoof out, placing it on the Princesses shoulder. “Luna. I was there. They still love you. They never held any anger towards you. I don’t think they could. You saved them. Gave them the second chance that they needed. The one that they were denied. You saw that they needed hope, and gave it to them.” I pause for a moment, pulling away from the princess. “You also gave me the same hope. . At one point. When you came back, after Nightmare. Your Guard was reinstated. It gave me an escape. To become much more then my brothers shadow. To finally be me again. Just like you did with them, just like you did with your self.”

“Silver. Stop. . I appreciate your speech, but you don’t understand.” I give the princess a confused look. “I don’t, you say? What do you mean? That I don’t know what it’s like to lose family? To forget about him, until he just shows up in your life again, thinking that he can just be. . . Be forgiven. . . “ Anger tinges my voice, as I rant on. I let it fade towards the end, letting out a nervous cough. . “Umm. Sorry, that was. . . That was a little personal.” The princess nods slowly. “Silver. I know your pain, in that sense. But, you don’t understand what it’s like to lose family, that you don’t even remember you had in the first place. Then they show up, and hate you for something you can’t remember either. Only making them hate you more. And, you don’t understand what it means to have forgotten a kingdom that you may have made.”

The princess stops for a moment. Letting out a sigh. “I’m not even sure if any of this is real, if it’s true. But, none of you have any reason to lie. And, trust me, I would know when you are lying.”  I give a small smile. And reach my hoof out again, this time pulling the princess into a small hug. After a minute, we pull away. “We need to tell them. Don’t we? Tell them about the Kingdom of the Night.” Luna only replies with a nod. “This. . This is not going to go easy.” The princess says as her magic bubble disappears, and we face the doors we walked out moments earlier.