Chapter 4

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The throne doors banged open.

Duneyrr turned from the councillor he’d been speaking to, observing the one who had dared to intrude.

He saw a ram, shaved of his fleece, as all of their kind did due to the heated climate of Caridoon, with medium, curled horns stomping in, his face set in a scowl.

“What is the meaning for this?” Duneyrr asked in a calm tone, though he inwardly felt distaste that someone would think they can just barge into his throne room like this. He only tolerated it from Rasmus because he was his son.

Such a kindness would not be shown to some fleece-growing primitive.

The ram thrust a pointed finger at the unicorn. “Why have I been put on permanent guard duty of that room?!” he demanded, his eyes narrowed. “Those moose, I can understand, but myself?! I work hard for you and this is the thanks I get?!”

Duneyrr gave a bored scowl. “Your place in the castle is not to question my orders, but to obey, ram.”

The ram clenched his fists. “You think that because you see yourself as a kind, you have authority over the lives of others, just because you say so—”

His words were cut off in a choking noise as he lifted a few metres into the air, Duneyrr’s aura surrounding his throat.

The unicorn glared coldly at the struggling guard. “You will never question my authority again, whelp. Do so, and you will learn magic can make death a very slow, but very painful process.”

He released the ram, who tumbled to the floor, clutching his throat, gasping for air.

Duneyrr gave a dismissive wave. “Get him out of my sight.”

Several other guards all hurried forward and dragged the wheezing ram out of the throne room.

Duneyrr leaned back in his throne, giving a smug smirk. “That will teach that neophyte his place. I am the most powerful, most worthy ruler. None can stop me, no matter what.” He sneered. “Not even you, my little sister, Luna.”

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“You wanna play first this time?” Tuke asked Rutt as they reached the corridor leading to their new post.

It had been several days since they’d first found that odd tic-tac-toe game they could play with what seemed to be the room they’d been assigned to guard and it was fun trying to outwit the room, though it seemed to do so more often than not.

They nodded to Fleece and Fling as they passed each other, Fleece looking in many ways as if holding back something very unpleasant.

As they took their spots and after the other two guards moved out of sight around the corner, there was a flash and a magical sound.

Looking down, both moose saw the tick-tack-toe board and marker there and ready.

Rutt, after getting a nod from his brother, bent down to take the marker and start the game. However, his misplaced his footing and toppled forward, knocking the marker through the doorway of the chamber.

It rolled along the floor, stopping near the middle of the room.

Grumbling to himself, Rutt got up and walked in, bending down to pick up the marker again.

You really should’ve at least been wary of coming in. If you weren’t so nice, I could’ve done something quite nasty to you.

At once Rutt stood up, glancing over his shoulder at the hall beyond, expecting to see the one who’d spoken. It wasn’t Rutt’s voice, it was a females. It had echoed for some reason, as if coming from a distant place, like down the hall.

However, no one was there.

“Uh, Tuke?” he called.

“Yeah, bro?” his brother replied, his voice holding a tone asking what was taking so long.

“You didn’t say nothing to me, did ya, eh?”

Tuke turned his head to look in through the doorway. “No, eh?” he cocked an eyebrow. “Why?”

Rutt scratched his head. “I coulda sworn I heard someone tell me something about comin’ in this room, eh?”

Wait. You actually heard that?

Rutt looked around the empty room. “There it is again, eh? She sounded surprised. Asked if I’d actually heard her, eh?”

Tuke glanced over his shoulder down the hall, before joining his brother and looking around the chamber in confusion. “But... I don’ see nobody in here, eh?”

I can’t believe I didn’t think of this, the voice said again, causing Tuke to jump. You can hear me. But, how come you couldn’t before, when we’ve been playing? I talked a lot then, pretending to be having conversations with you, so... Oh, of course. This could definitely work.

“Uh... just who are ya, eh?” Rutt asked, glancing at his brother. “Are... are ya a ghost?”

Both moose paled, Tuke asking, “Y-yer not the spirit o’ one’a them unicorns the kings had back in the past, are ya?”

The voice sighed. No. I am not a ghost. At least, not in the sense you are speaking.

“Like... this is weird, eh?” Tuke said, backing up a little. “I can’t even see you, eh?”

Hmm, the voice replied, as if deep in thought. Wait. I have an idea.

At once both moose winced as they felt a pressure within their very minds.

However, whilst Tuke held his eyes shut from discomfort and fear, Rutt stared open eyed at the centre of the room.

A field of stars was slowly forming, shining with sparkling golden light, before taking the shape of a female. However, something Rutt found odd about this female is she seemed to have both wings and a horn?

“Uh... who or... what are you, eh?” he asked, looking at the figure. If she had been real, he couldn’t help noticing, she’d have a really brilliant body. The curving of the form suggested a very alluring female indeed.

The form sighed. I am Celestia, Princess of Equestria and regent of the sun.

“Uh... regent?” the moose asked, looking confused.

I control the movement of the sun, she replied, the tiniest hint of annoyance in her voice.

Both moose blinked, before looking back to the starry figure, confusion clear on their faces.

“The sun moves on its own, eh?” Tuke said, folding his arms.

“... don’t it?” Rutt asked, a little less skeptically than his brother had.

The pony-like form sighed. Why am I not surprised that he kept such information hidden, at least to those in his castle? She made a snorting sound. He probably never even considered that, by taking my horn from me, cutting off my magic had he actually brought my physical self here; he could have very well doomed all living creatures to a frozen death.

Both moose glanced at each other at this.

“Uh... just who are ya?” Tuke asked, an eyebrow cocked.

The form put a hand to her chin, as if thinking, before clicking her fingers. Let me try and show you.

At once both felt that pressure again, only this time, it was accompanied by images. Images of ponies, lots of ponies, including unicorns.

They saw cities, towns, structures not like any in Caridoon.

What shocked them most, though, was how the unicorns did not seem at all like Rasmus and his father. Far from it, instead these. These unicorns seemed to act like regular ponies, like the pegasi in Caridoon.

It was such a stark contrast to the only two unicorns they’d ever known of, they both males were left speechless as more images passed through their minds.

One image stood out most though, two creatures with a similar body-shape to the form before them.

They were both female, one slightly shorter than the other. One was had a coat the purest of white, with a mane and tail of pink, light-blue, green, and light-blue again, which seemed to flow even without a breeze blowing.

Her body was toned, but curved. A perfect depiction of beauty in physical form, with a warm smile that could put even the most scared child at ease.

The slightly shorter one’s body was the same, though also different. Her body looked more muscular in ways compared to the taller one. Her coat was a dark-blue, and, whilst her mane and tail moved like the taller one, hers looked more like the night-sky somehow placed within her hair.

Her expression was also warming, but there was a firmness behind it that the taller did not have, one that made the moose wary of her, while still trusting.

The most startling thing about them both though, was they possessed both the wings of a Pegasus, though bigger than normal and unicorn horns, also larger than one would expect (though they’d only really seen Rasmus and his father’s horns, so it wasn’t much to compare them to), the white one’s far more so than the blue one’s.

When the onslaught of images faded, both moose’s legs gave out and they dropped to the floor.

I’m sorry, the form said, leaning down in what was clearly a caring manner. That was probably a lot to take in. It’s probably a good thing I opted for the shorter version.

Both nodded numbly, still trying to digest the world they’d been shown, one they knew that Earth Pony had come from, having seen flashes of her a few times, only wearing clothing instead of being naked as they were used to seeing females.

They knew the form was smiling at them, despite having no facial features. I am Celestia, the white pony you saw. I am an Alicorn, a being of comprised of all three pony races.

Tuke recovered faster than his brother and shook his head. “What are you doing like this, eh?” he indicated to her ethereal form. “Why aren’t you like we saw in our heads, eh?”

Celestia scoffed. You have Rasmus and his father to thank for that.

Rutt had recovered enough now and both moose glanced at each other, before returning their gaze to Celestia.

She nodded. I knew your king, long ago. She sighed. I regret to say he is my brother.

Both moose gaped, their eyes going wide. Brother? Was she serious?

Celestia nodded, as if knowing what they were thinking. It is true. Loathe as I am to admit it, I shared blood with that bastard of a unicorn; he gives all other unicorns a bad name.

“So, unicorns ain’t really like, eh?” Rutt asked as he and his brother got up.

Celestia gave a mourning sigh. I wish I could say no, but I know and have known a handful throughout my time ruling Equestria that some unicorns do think as he does, though they do not go out of their way to show it.

Rutt looked to his brother, then to Celestia. “Why’d you start playing tic-tac-toe with us, eh? And why’d you never come out to play?”

Celestia sighed, before pointing up to the multiple unicorn horns fastened on the ceiling. Duneyrr imprisoned my Alicorn Magic within those horns. It was a pure fluke on his part, but he managed to rip me from my mortal body and imprison my magic within those horns.

However, I am not simply my magic. I am also my memories and will. Once I was aware of what had happened, I watched the guards put in front of this chamber that traps me. Most I’ve seen are like my brother, misogynistic bastards who only see females good for taking their loads.

Tuke frowned. “Then, like, why try playing games with us, eh?”

Celestia smiled. You were the first two males I found with pure auras, ones filled with not even the slightest disgusting energies of those who’d guarded my room before you. So, after some time of observing you, I chose to try and communicate.

“But, why don’t ya just leave this room, eh?” Rutt asked, looking very confused as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “There door’s right there, eh?”

Celestia shook her head. Even if I could, Rutt, unless my physical body is very close by, I would simply disappear, my magic returning from whence it originated before I became an Alicorn. Besides which, she pointed to the horns again, these horns bind me to this room. I cannot leave this room for they hold me here, but they also prevent my magic from being dispersed, keeping it safe until my body came be returned to me.

Tuke looked like he wanted to say something, when the sound of faint hoofsteps echoed from down the hall.

Celestia looked to the opening frantically. Quickly, both of you, return to you guarding posts. If anyone were to learn about our communicating, it would be very bad for the both of you.

Tuke rushed towards the door, pulling Rutt by the arm with him.

“But, can we still talk to you later?” he asked as Tuke moved out the doorway.

Celestia nodded,. Yes. But we should wait til later tonight, thus lessening the chances of our being interrupted. Also, you will not be able to see or hear me once out of the room, but I can still hear you, so remember that, Ru—

Rutt’s body passed backwards through the doorway as his brother pulled him out and Celestia form seemed to vanish, as well as her voice cutting off.

The two moose quickly moved to their spots on either side of the doorway and did their best to look like they hadn’t been inside there, nor that they’d just spoken to what they could best describe as a god.

Author's Note

And there's the Nightmare Night chapter for all those whom it is October 31st right now, seeing as i had it yesterday.

So, Tuke and Rutt now have might Celestia's avatar. What will happen next? Will anyone learn about their meeting with the Alicorn, or will it remain secret just between the three of them?

You have to wait until next chapter to find out.

Phew. Finally making some progress. Soon i can get to the main feature of this story, which has already been learned of by another of the characters. How long til Tuke and Rutt find out themevles, then inform Celestia?

Well, i look forward to writing it, preferable with more depth. it seems that;s getting harder and harder with this story, since i know where i want it to end, but it's the getting there and making the journey fun that's the hard part.

Well, hope you liked this chapter and, til next, Happy Nightmare Night everypony(in wherever it's still 31/10)!