The end of an infinite tale

Preamble
As time flows, creatures are not aware of its flow; like being stranded in a small boat in the immensity of the ocean, you know it will take you somewhere, but you will never know once you’re there. Sentient beings assume it’s like a river, flowing towards a certain direction, and they might be right. However, the nature of time prevents its comprehension, rendering its secrets a mystery. But what if the secret is something so small, it can be contained in a glass of water? What if it can be obtained and mingled with? What if this story tells you about it and a love that transcends the very essence of time?

Chapter 1: Two friends

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there was a little filly, a unicorn, called Moonlight Dust, in a little town in the vicinity of Ponyville, called Horsetown. Even though Horsetown was nowhere close as big as Manehattan or Canterlot, it was bigger than Ponyville, to the point that it was practically impossible to get to know everypony in town. Even so, the ponies of Horsetown were always very friendly to each other, and when disputes arose, they were always solved in a civilized manner.

As many young fillies and colts, Moonlight Dust had many friends, but among her friends, one particular colt was especially close to her, and his name was Silver Lining, a pegasus. Silver had lost his mom when he was born, but that didn’t sadden him at all, ever. His father was very careful not to talk about her, so Silver didn’t even know her name.

“She’s always with me”, said Silver whenever the topic came up, “I can feel it in my heart, and that’s all I need”.

Moonlight and Silver were inseparable, wherever one of them were, you could assume the other would be around, and they had so much fun together, they only were apart when it was late and they had to return home. Every single day was a new adventure, the sky was the limit; if it started to rain, they pretended the street was a fierce river to conquer, or if the day was too hot, they were traversing the unforgiving desert, or some days they just played plain, old-fashioned hide-and-seek with other ponies from school, even though Moonlight always had the upper hand at night because her dark blue coat, compared to Silver’s white coat.

“Hey, Moon, it’s getting late, I should go back home”, said Silver after having a particular hard time locating Moonlight.

“Oh! C’mon! It’s not that late, there is still light! Don’t be such a sore looser!”, replied Moonlight, pointing at the sunset.

“I know, but I forfeit, you’re just too good playing hide-and-seek. Besides, you know how my dad gets if I’m not home before nightfall”, Silver was poking the ground with his hoof.

“I would, if I knew your dad! How come I can’t go to your house and play? Was it something I said?”. Silver’s dad had never liked Moonlight, and she couldn’t remember any single time she did or said anything to anger him.

“It’s just… he doesn’t… he doesn’t like you. That’s all there is to it, try not to think about it. He’s great and loving, but he’s very strict time to time. Perhaps he’s just preventing you to demolish our house, like that time you broke some barrels at the market!” Silver burst into laughter.

“Hey! That was an accident and you know it! I was trying to reach one of the apples on the barrel, and the whole tower came down! I just couldn’t resist, those were apples from Sweet Apple Acres, and you know how fast they run up!”

“I know, I know! Anyway, I’ll better get going. See you tomorrow, Moon!” said Silver as he walked away, without looking back. He just lifted his right wing, a sign Moonlight knew very well, as his classic “cool ponies don’t look back farewell” pose.

As time went by, both of them got their respective cutie-mark. Moonlight received a small pile of glowing silver dust, which contrasted very much against her rather dark coat, and represented her ability to shine even in the darkest and direst situations, and spread that positive vibe to all around them. On the other hand, Silver got a dark cloud sliced in half that was sparkling on the inside, which represented his ability to overcome the hardest situations.

Both cutiemarks were very similar, yet different somehow. It’s because of this that ponies started to think those two were a lot closer than just friends, but they were wrong in a certain way. Even though Moonlight and Solver did feel like they were more than friends, their relationship was closer to siblings, as they felt like brother and sister, like a family; each one represented to the other somepony to put their trust, being good or bad times. And so, both foals spread their cheer across Horsetown through the years, and they grew to become a fair mare and a great stallion.

“Silver, did you hear about that incident in Ponyville?”

“You mean the supposedly return of Nightmare Moon and her defeat by just a bunch of simple ponies?”, Silver rolled his eyes in disbelief. “Please Moon, Nightmare Moon is just an old pony legend! A mare in the moon, yeah right!”

“But Princess Luna has come back to the castle in Carnterlot, and she has resumed her duties of protecting the night! There’s no way you can deny that!”, reclaimed Moonlight, angry at Silver’s reaction.

“Well, perhaps it’s true, perhaps it’s not, let’s not dwell on it, ok? Now help me carry this apples”.

Every now and then, stories of great events came flying from Ponyvile, along with the sweet temptation of the daily produce of Sweet Apple Acres. The Ursa Minor incident, the escape of Cerberus from Tartarus, the total chaos unleashed by Discord, the spirit of pandemonium; the stories were so fantastical, sometimes it was hard to believe it happened so close, and yet all of it was nothing but true. Meanwhile in Horsetown life carried on as any other day, except that time a sleeping dragon obscured the skies, that got them involved and worried too. Word of the great doings of Twilight Sparkle quickly spread across Equestria, and Horsetown was no exception. The day of her coronation nopony went to work. It was amazing that such a remarkable pony lived so close to them, but little did Moonlight know that very soon she’ll embark on an epic quest of her own, that may be retold countless times.

The news of Tyrant Tirek came to Horsetown, and how little by little he was regaining power by draining ponies, leaving them in a near death state. At first, it seemed very far away, but before they knew it, Tirek was destroying Canterlot and banishing the princesses to Tartarus, were he once was imprisoned by them.

“Silver! Silver, where are you?!” yelled Moonlight, agitated and clearly scared.

“I’m here! I’m sorry Moon, but I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying here with dad and Rosie Buns”. The passing of years had taken their toll on Silver’s dad, and Rosie Buns, Silver’s wife, was carrying their child.

“What are you talking about?! Tirek is coming this way, right now! We need to get to safety before he drains us, or worse, destroys the town with us still in it!”

“I can’t go, I must protect dad and Rosie!”, said Silver gallantly, “Help me, Moon, please”.

She couldn’t possibly say no to that plead. It was from Silver, for crying out loud, they had shared so much, friendship, good memories, they even shared the same birthday, he was truly her brother.

Moonlight used her magic and levitated some of the furniture around the door and piled it tightly against the only means of entry in the house.

“This is crazy. You know this is not going to work, right?”, said Moonlight, while she put a small table atop the improvised barricade.
“It’s worth a try! And what’s with you? What happened to ‘Ms. Everything-is-going-to-be-ok’? It’s even your cutiemark”, joked Silver.

“I guess I’m really scared, I hope yours will get us out of this”.

“I hope that too Moon, I really hope that too”.

And then Silver saw something in her eyes, that somehow she knew deep within what was going to happen. She turned to face him, and fear showed in her face.

“Silver, I’m scared”, whispered Moonligt, just before the house crumbled over them.