Page Turner shuddered as a deafening explosion split the sky in two, night shifting to day for a split second as lightning bolts set the castle grounds ablaze, plumes of smoke mixing with the darkness of the sky far in the distance. His leathery wings shifted as the stallion quickened his pace, old sticks and dead leaves cracking under his hooves as he galloped towards his destination.
He didn’t notice when the canopy drowned out the few stars that still remained in the sky, his senses tuned to the odd sounds of the forest. He couldn’t afford failure, not after what he’s done. It was his mess to clean up. Something stirred in the Everfree, something far more deadly than the usual manticore, something that sent the timberwolves running, tails between their legs. Akin to ground radiating heat on a summerday, the forest shifted around Page as he galloped, familiar voices breaking through the canopy.
Pray tell, what spell had caused thee to think thy opinion on the matter concerned Us?
The stallion grit his teeth at the sound of Her Majesty’s voice, stoking the fire within. The Solar Alicorn’s voice got on his nerves in the best of times, but now it was downright infuriating.
Know thy place, poet. Sing thy serenades to her all thee want, but always remember: thy duty is to watch over her, not courtship.
Page’s wings unfurled as the stallion took off the ground, legs folding closer to the body as to not clip stray rocks and roots, clutching his saddlebags like a lifeline. Suddenly, a violent wail tore through the night as a tree trunk barreled towards him, animated by dark anticipation. Rushing upwards, Page yelped as a branch bruised his foreleg, the rest of the tree exploded into splinters against the treeline.
The night was hot on his tail, not much time left. If there was any chance for a happy ending, Page had to act quickly. His hate for the solar diarch was overshadowed only by his devotion to Moonlight beloved. A bead of sweat fell from his brow, his wings burning from exertion. If only he could slow down, take a breath...
Not now.
He could smell it, the familiar aroma carried by the crazed wind filling him with comforting nostalgia. The night sky unraveled before him, countless constellations winking into existence as a familiar warmth pressed against his barrel. The coolness of night, the chill of ozone, her intoxicating aroma, each precious moment dashed away in a instant of overbearing force.
The back of Page’s head hit the dirt with a resounding crack, his ears ringing as his body refused to move under the tremendous pressure pinning him to the ground. His eyes failed to focus, only the faint outline of a stallion discernible through the veil of shadows, the darkness bleeding in his sight, spreading like a brain tumor. The opposite of sunspots.
“The NIGHT wiLL l-last FORRRREVER!”
The stallion bellowed, golden armor sullied by shifting shadows. His eyes were empty, white pinpricks swimming in the darkness filling in the shape of him. If anything remained of the pony he was before, that part was screaming in terror. The royal guard rained a flurry of strikes upon the dazed stallion, Page’s already bruised foreleg taking the brunt of the attack as his other leg reached into the saddlebag, blindly searching for a way out.
“THE WINdow tax is MANDATORY FOR Roy-”
The enchanted crystal in Page’s hoof shattered against the guard’s skull, releasing a flash bright enough to rival the sun itself. A scream of a dying animal followed by a sudden lightness brought Page out of his reverie, the monster pinning him gone, alongside with his last line of defense.
No more second chances.
Each step sent pain cascading through Page’s body, the stallion pushing through by the virtue of will and adrenaline. Finally, his destination was within reach. The treeline thinning, the alfisol beneath his hooves shifting to rocks and pebbles as the shoreline grew near. A cliff, overlooking the majestic body of water, a steep decline into terrifying depths.
This is it. The Mirror lake.
Words flashed in his mind’s eye. Secret words. Powerful words. Words poignant enough to dictate what was, and what wasn’t. He will do what has to be done. He will save her. He will save everyone.
“Such a hopeless romantic.” The voice wasn’t her, but it was so tantalizingly close. “It was our favorite, wasn’t it? The sky reflected in the water surface, the fresh air... Perfect, isn’t it?”
Honeyed words, nothing but poison. Don’t listen.
“Pray tell, what was thy plan, love? To drown here, alone? A valiant action, We suppose. However, in our infinite kindness, we offer a different outcome.”
Page dared not to turn his back to the lake, lest the allure grew too great. He felt the shadows caressing his back, the sensation cold and foreign. It wasn’t his Moonlight.
Taking a deep breath, he hovered his bruised leg over the precipice.
“This is wrong, Luna. And you know it. Do you really think your subjects will love you after all this? All you’re doing is dooming us all.”
“Who needs adoration when We can have obedience?
“So be it.”
No going back.
“A vile mistake, born out of spite
Her story ends right here, tonight.
All power sapped, the throne restored
The night shan’t last forevermore.
Yet every deed does have its cost
Nothing is gained, if nothing’s lost.
The dawn will come, the moon shall set
The dark will have its last laugh yet.
For one will sink, the other swim
Decision not made on a whim.
For in that deep and cold abyss,
He will remember every kiss.
For all the tender times they shared
Will be erased, the world, then, spared.
Oblivion, regret, and tragedy
The price to see a world of harmony.”
He closed his eyes and took his last step.
If he ever hit the bottom, he didn’t feel it.