The Shadow of the Goddess Chapter One: Letters
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The crinkled parchment in her hooves was ancient beyond reason. Its venerable fibers were held together more with magic than by natural cohesion. The ink gleamed darkly, kept as brilliant as the day it was penned by a subtle, but powerful cantrip.
My Lady of the Night, Her Serene Immortal Highness of Equestria, Daughter of Harmony and Conqueror of the Midnight Skies, Avenger of the Herd, Bearer of Honesty, Generosity, and Loyalty, Duchess of Zebrica, Stalliongrad, and Manehatten, Queen of the Distant Isles, the Very High and Very Powerful Princess Luna,
I write you humbly to thank you for your visit to the court of the Crystal Empire this past week. While my family’s loyalty lies with Her Imperial Majesty Queen Glister since my grandfather’s time, I could not suppress a thrill of Equestrian pride deep within me to see your full glory grace our halls. Stories and sagas cannot communicate your Majesty, and portraits and statues do no justice to your sublime Beauty. I doubt within myself whether your fair Visage is a reflection of the Heavens or if they are a reflection of you. Would that I could gaze upon and adore you daily in your own courts, but I am sadly bound by fealty to another crown.
Your visit has inspired in me a new Vigor for life, knowing that such as you walk among ponies. The slightest word from you should send me to the ends of the earth, seeking to please you. I know that the bearer of Loyalty itself would never cause me to act against my own sovereign. All the more reason to prostrate myself before you, for there is as great Virtue and Nobility within your Soul as without your form.
Your most humble servant, Viceroy Sombra
Viceroy Sombra,
Thy recent letter has intrigued us. We are impressed at thy perception. Truly such kind and noble Sentiments We have not found in all Equestria. Please, continue thy correspondence. We would know thee better.
The Lady of the Night, Her Serene Immortal Highness of Equestria, et cetera, the Very High and Very Powerful Princess Luna
My Lady of the Night, Her Serene Immortal Highness of Equestria, Daughter of Harmony and Conqueror of the Midnight Skies, Avenger of the Herd, Bearer of Honesty, Generosity, and Loyalty, Duchess of Zebrica, Stalliongrad, and Manehatten, Queen of the Distant Isles, the Very High and Very Powerful Princess Luna,
I can only express my shock and utter flattery that such as you would deign to even read my letter, much less reply. I am only too humbled to tell you of myself. First, as you must know, I am the viceroy of Empress Glister, charged with the day-to-day running of the Crystal City. My family has always been highly placed in the Imperial court. My grandfather was invited by Emperor Refraction to stand as court Magician and Advisor. My father and I both continued in this Role.
As a foal I was most taken by the study of the workings of the equine body, and that study in turn gave me my cutie mark: a heart of crystal. While it is true that Earth Ponies have been generally considered inherently superior at the practice of Medicine, I believe there is place within the Discipline for Unicorn magic as well. As a young stallion, newly appointed in my father’s stead, I assisted in quelling an outbreak of the Ponypox among the populace. The Empress was impressed with my handling of the quarantine and with the discovery that stagnant water had caused the Plague. She gave me the Office of Viceroy in gratitude, though, I must confess, I would rather continue my studies in Magic and Healing than be so bothered with the running of the City.
My life for the past twenty years has been an unending stream of courtiers and favor-seekers. It all sickens me, the base grasping of the lesser ponies at the straws of power. Still, it cannot be helped. Those who have strength must tolerate and humor those without it. Such is the twisted way of this world.
I do hope you will forgive me for the rambling tone of this letter. I simply seek to answer your question to the fullest of my ability.
Your most humble servant, Viceroy Sombra
Viceroy Sombra,
What a fascinating history. We confess, the arts of Medicine have been much neglected in our own Studies. We should greatly like to hear about the way in which ~~you~~ thou didst discern the cause of the plague.
I must also sympathize with you on the matter of simpering courtiers and sycophantic citizens. They are an unending Nightmare to those in positions such as ours. Perhaps some system of delegation of Favors might be contrived to give such as us relief from their babble and noise. I eagerly await ~~thy~~ ~~your~~ thy advice on this matter.
The Lady of the Night, The Very High and Very Powerful Princess Luna
She smiled at how awkward these first letters were. One would think they had been penned by a young royal, barely out of adolescence, not an already millennia-old deity. She shuffled her way down the stack. Here was one dated ten years after the first.
Glorious and Beautiful Princess Luna,
I have had much success in my Studies as of late. The tomes you sent me on the balance of Chaos and Harmony in Nature have given me much fodder for experimentation. I have found that there is a direct correlation between the strength of the magic and the drain on the caster. The most dire of Magics serving to actually wound and derange the unicorn who uses them. This may seem obvious, but it holds a very significant implication, vis. magic is a form of Order or Harmony of which there is a finite supply. The question remains, when a wounded pony heals themselves, from whence do they replenish this Order, this physical Harmony within themselves?
As always there is much to do and much to consider.
I find your sister’s behavior which you described to me in your last letter utterly abhorrent. One should expect no less from the bearer of Laughter I suppose. Still, she ought to respect the dignity of her Position more. It’s astonishing what nobles in the Solar court are willing to put up with. Then again, I suppose they have no choice in the matter.
Your confidant, Sombra
Dear Sombra,
It’s true that my sister can behave herself unseemly according to her station, but she means well by it and never harms anypony. She has always been a free spirit, ever since the old days. I believe she finds the long centuries of rulership confining and oppressive. In addition, she never exercises her true might except in the raising of the Sun. These little Games she plays are a harmless way to release her built up tension. After all, ‘tis a fine line she walks between lashing out with her infinite power and falling into depression. Gladly I have no such compunction. It is good, I think, for the citizenry to see me flying in the midst of a hurricane, bending the Skies to my Mighty Will, wreathed in lightning as with a gown. They know that their protector is mighty and capable, ready to wreak terror on the oppressor and the traitor alike.
As to your studies, perhaps the answer is simpler than it seems. After all, there is no mystic fount of Order only known to the ailing. The source must be hidden in something mundane. Something so obvious and routine that it escapes notice as an act of mystic significance. Sleep perhaps? I have found the realm of Dreams to be a strange and wonderful place. We do not know fully where the mind goes in those times. I know that my mind often drifts to you, glad in the thought that there is at least one friend in this world with whom I can share my thoughts and worries.
Your friend, Luna
The next note was written in hurried, splotchy script and contained a single line.
Luna, not sleep, for who can control it. Not sleep, but sustenance!
Sombra
Dear Sombra,
Your last letter has left me flustered and worried for you. Are you all well? If there is some point you have stumbled upon, some breakthrough, please, let me know.
Yours, Luna
O, my Beautiful and Inspiring Muse!
You have done it. I give you the Credit. Your mention of the mundane was correct. I had been looking at such things as the motions of the stars and the auspiciousness of Signs and Runes to explain this source of Order. Never has pony been more foolish than I to forget my training. The simple explanation is the most likely to be true. The secret is in the food we eat and the water we drink. The body absorbs and destroys the food we ingest and corrupts it, having drained all that is Good from it. It is then released as excreta. Upon further examination I have discovered that it is by means of a sort of slow, wet fire within the very tissues of the flesh that this process takes place. Forgive me if I am too blunt with my discussion of the body’s workings. Perhaps it is because these are such delicate and unpleasant subjects that this obvious process has gone unexamined so long.
Now that I am become familiar with its Mechanisms, perhaps I can find a way to distill this Virtue directly from the environment and find a way beyond this slow decay we call Life. Finally, something that will leave a lasting benefit for ponykind. Forgive me if my next few letters are a bit infrequent. The reward shall be well worth it.
Yours, Sombra
She sighed. This was the turning point. This was where it had begun to turn from a healthy and sane relationship into something darker. Sombra’s obsession with his magic would poison both of them slowly. If only he had known where to stop. If only he had been in some ways meeker, and in other ways bolder. There was nothing for it. It wouldn’t do to return down this path and not complete the journey. She flipped past several insignificant letters. Here it was.
Dear Sombra,
I write to remind you that it has been almost a month since your last letter. I grow anxious once again for your well-being. If I didn’t know that the Empress would refuse, I would come to you personally to ensure that you are well. Please, keep me informed. These Experiments both excite and worry me.
Your deepest friend, Luna
Dear Luna,
The only force keeping me from you is what I believe will connect us further. Give me a little more time. I have neglected all in favor of this breakthrough. I am so close to discovering a Cure for Death itself. Stay yourself but a short moment.
Sombra
My Lady of the Night, Her Serene Immortal Highness of Equestria, Daughter of Harmony and Conqueror of the Midnight Skies, Avenger of the Herd, Bearer of Honesty, Generosity, and Loyalty, Duchess of Zebrica, Stalliongrad, and Manehatten, Queen of the Distant Isles, the Very High and Very Powerful Princess Luna,
I write your Highness urgently at the behest of the Crystal Empress. Viceroy Sombra has been mortally wounded in the course of his Experiments, having burnt his horn off, and is now suffering from severe backlash. In his delirium he continually murmurs your name. Please, come to him and do what you can to heal or help him. He is invaluable to the Empire, and our gratitude would be eternal.
Chamberlain Shimmer in the Name of Empress Glister
Beautiful Luna,
Thank you. You are a Goddess in every way. I am still astounded that even such as you could correct my notes and cast such a vastly intricate Spell with so little practice. I am still on the knife’s edge of health, though. My rage when they sent you immediately away was limitless. Nevermind. There will be other days for happy reunions. My biggest mistake, I believe, was attempting the spell on Dead Flesh. There was simply too much to repair. Too much to restore. Your success in casting this spell on me in my weakened state was due, in part to your limitless reserves of Energy as a Goddess. Were I to cast it on another, I fear that the result would simply eat me away at a slower rate. There is too much leakage. The energy is drawn partially from the Crystal, but I cannot block all drain from the Caster.
My solution is to cast the spell on myself. In this way I hope to both save my life and my life’s work. The Energy from the Crystal will repair the damage to my body faster than the spell can cause it. I understand the danger, but I also understand the potential reward. Eternal life. Know that you are in my thoughts as I do this. My next letter shall be proof to you that I have succeeded.
Your friend until the day I die, Sombra
Luna, my Star and Light,
I have done it! I have cast the spell and saved myself from a slow and agonizing Death. I can feel my Vitality returning and my health restored beyond even my youthful Vigor. This is wonderful. Never before have I been so grateful for this beautiful world and my place in it. I estimate that a single, perfect Crystal of three stone’s weight would sustain a pony for almost a decade. Food and sleep are unnecessary, I can do so much more than I have ever done. Casting spells is far more difficult, having to maintain the healing Spell at the same time, but that is nothing to me. I must also say, I am now very hard to miss at night. My horn is continually lit like a smoldering orange beacon, mostly because it is, in fact, smoldering. The spell sustains me. By Harmony, I feel the Spell shall sustain me forever.
Your friend, forever, Sombra
Viceroy Sombra,
Thy recent letters have not been received by Our sister. Whatever happened between you two in the Empire has sent her into the Godsleep. We fear that it will be quite some months until she is able to waken. We shall tolerate it this once for the sake of the kindness thou showest her, but know that if thou wilt harm her but once again, there is no Force on the Earth that will keep thee from Our wrath. We shall tear open the very Earth to find thee, and rend the very Heavens with immortal, unquenchable fire to purge thee.
The Lady of the Dawn, Her Serene Immortal Highness of Equestria, Daughter of Harmony and Endless Light of Life, Mother and Guide of the Herd, Bearer of Kindness, Laughter, and Magic, Duchess of Canterlot, Van Hoover, and Cloudsdale, Queen of the Scattered Clouds, the Very High and Very Powerful Princess Celestia
Dearest Sombra,
I have finally awoken from the Godsleep. Celestia wouldn’t stop hovering over me when I rose. The power it takes to heal a pony on the verge of Death is immense, far more than I had guessed. I have read your letters, and I must say, they thrilled and terrified me. How could you take such a risk without me there? I am unbearably anxious for further correspondence, is the spell still holding? Are you able to use spells again? Will you ever be able to let the spell fade?
Your faithful friend, Luna
Fair Luna,
Worry not, the spell is holding fine. I do fear that I may never be able to release it. The strain is massive as you say. The feedback from the healing spell leaves me with plenty of energy to go about my Tasks, but should I cease, I fear that my horn should burn itself out again. My Magic has improved considerably in the meantime. I can do most tasks I was able to before with only a bit more difficulty.
Another unfortunate side effect, however, is the continual scent of Burning that hovers about me. Now that I am again conducting my normal duties, it has had a somewhat mixed effect on the ponies that I must meet with. Most of them are completely distracted by my horn at one point or another. On the other hoof, they are also completely intimidated by it. I imagine it must be much the same for you with your Starry Mane.
Speaking of intimidation, your illustrious sister had a full measure of Venom reserved for me after she found I was partly responsible for you falling into the Godsleep. I would be most grateful if you would smooth things over between us. The Sun Goddess is not an enemy that anypony should want.
I hope you realize that I would never do anything to hurt you. If truth be known, my feelings for thee run deeper than friendship. I would lay down my own Life for thee.
Your friend, and perhaps more, forever, Sombra
Beloved Sombra,
I do in fact consider thee more than a friend. Thou art as near as Kin to me, and perhaps as immortal now as I and my sister. Thou hast always been there for me, more than Tia has been lately, and I hope thou knowest that I am always ready to stand in thy Defense. I should be honored to consider thee a brother.
Your sister, Luna
There it was. The burning barb that killed the humble and eager Viceroy Sombra. The gentlecolt took it well at first, after all, eternity is a long time for feelings to change. Over the next few decades of letters, the two continued to chatter back and forth, Luna innocently, and Sombra hopefully. It was almost too much to bear. She shuffled to the bottom of the stack, unwilling to delay the inevitable.
Dear Sombra,
I grow utterly exhausted with this court. The whinging Council of Mages gave their report today. The most powerful stallions and mares in Equestria, and all they can do is bicker about salaries and wages. Their school does nothing with the vast Knowledge they horde. I’m afraid I lost my temper with them. I challenged the entire Council at once to a simple Test. I would not use telekinesis on myself, and they would try to move me from my place. By any means. I rooted myself in stone and sent small stones whipping about to strike their horns and distract them. They were so far off-balance that they could not summon even a simple Shield, nevermind try and uproot me. Just once, I might like to meet my Equal. Celestia refuses to spar or romp across the nation with me as she once did. There is nothing for me to do with all this Power I wield. There is no peak that I could not climb as soon as think of it. There is nothing that I cannot break with just a moment’s carelessness. I cannot bear it.
Your sister, Luna
Dear Sombra,
Please ignore my letter of a few moments past. I was in a fit of Pique, and not myself. Those thoughts are unworthy of a princess. I ought to be grateful for my power and comfort. There are many ponies even now who suffer and languish, invisible and powerless, who would do anything to be in my position. I am honor bound to use these Gifts to help them. To seek them out. Yet, it does feel that there must be some other way I could fulfill that duty than as a Princess of the Realm. My sister seems more than sufficient for the task.
Your sister, Luna
Beloved Luna,
I have read and reread both of thy latest letters. It seemeth me that thy sister is indeed capable of ruling alone, though this is no excuse for her gross neglect of thee. Thou wert chosen by Harmony for a grand purpose, as I believe I was as well. It is wrong for thy sister to ignore this and shunt thee to the side for her own Glory. Does the government not bow to her first? Is not her might without equal in all the history of the world? Why then does she not use it to better the lives of ponies, starting with her own sister? It does grieve me that thou feelest alone. Am I not here for thee?
Yours forever, Sombra
Dear Sombra,
I fear that thou hast misunderstood my feelings. I do love my sister. She tries so hard to be so perfect for me and for her little ponies. It is also true, thou art here for me, and hast always been my truest friend. My little fit is nothing. Again, I plead with thee, ignore it. My lot is good and I am content.
Your sister, Luna
Dear Luna,
I can clearly see that thou art not content. Worry not, for an idea has struck me. If this little thought of mine is correct, thou shalt not be alone for much longer. My correspondence may be limited for a brief while, thou knowest how I am when struck by a Notion. Know that I work for thy sake.
Yours forever, Sombra
Dear Sombra,
Please at least try to write occasionally, though I shall be patient. Also, please, don’t take any great risks on my account.
Your sister, Luna
Dear Sombra,
It has been six months since thy last letter. What has become of thee? I worry, but the envoys say that all is well in the Empire. Surely they would raise a Hue and Cry should their immortal viceroy be harmed.
Your sister, Luna
Dear Sombra,
There has been no news from the Empire in over a year. I have sent letters to His Imperial Majesty Coruscus to arrange a royal visit, but they have gone unanswered like thy letters. Our envoys have stopped returning. I fear a coup. Please, I beg thee, respond. Send me some signal that thou art alive. I shall come myself before long if I receive no answer. I love thee…
Yours, Luna
Celestia set down the last letter with a sigh. So much pain. So much lost. The letters ended here, but the rest of the story began playing itself out in her mind. The memories were kept fresh and sharp by regret...
