A Promise Not Forgotten

“What do you propose we do now Colin?” Celestia asked.

“Wait.”

“You really expect me to sit and wait until my kingdom is attacked?” She asked angrily.

“Celestia,” I interrupted, “There is nothing more we can do. When Mendax was talking with me, it felt right. He actually seemed happy, not vengeful or angry.” Looking to Celestia and walking closer I continued, “Listen, you have to trust us. I don’t know what Prophet wants with me, but I will end this.” As she stood taking in what I just said everyone fell silent.

“Ok,” She said looking at me with a certain look in her eyes.

“Alright, Princess, I’ll take Dan to where he will be staying,” Colin said as he and Dan walked out of the throne room. Celestia just kept looking at me like that, “Good night.”

I stayed standing in front of her. I’d have to be an idiot to not see that she needed someone right now. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

“Aidan,” A tear fell from her face. It seemed that every time we were together alone she cried. “When Prophet comes, no matter what he does to try and trick you, please don’t let us down.”

“I won’t,” I said sitting down on the edge of the top step. My broken armor clinked together as I moved. Celestia moved to sit next to me. “What did he do to you?”

“He…” Celestia looked to the stained glass pane on the wall showing his banishment, and then looked to another which I hadn’t noticed. It was of the time he reunited Equestria under the banner of the princesses. “He threw away everything we had.”

Great, more tears. “Celestia, when he comes back, I plan to kill him. Will you let me?” What she felt under the visage of royalty was that of pain, not for herself, but for Prophet. “I know you still care about him. I’d be blind not to see that. When the time comes, and it will, you have to let me do it.”

“I know, and I will do what has to be done,” She said as her voice trembled. “I just wonder if somewhere, deep down inside him there is still a fragment of what he used to be.”

“I’m sure there is, and he will love you more for ending his suffering.” I looked to her as she lay down. Looking off toward the multiple different stained glass windows showing the Elements’ adventures that I was all too familiar with I said, “I know I would want that.”

We just sat there together for a moment, knowing that when the time came, we would have to do something that we might not like. She had to watch her past lover die, while I have to make her suffer by killing him. “You look a lot like him,” Celestia said to break the silence.

“You calling me ugly?” I asked jokingly.

Failing to suppress the laughter she said, “Before he changed.”

“Is that a good thing?” I asked.

“I don’t know. It’s good to be reminded of him, but every time I’m also reminded of how I failed in protecting him.” Celestia said looking at the many depictions of Prophet in the hallway.

“Protecting him?”

“What I told you before wasn’t completely true. Prophet never turned evil; he never tried to take over, nothing like that.”

“Then what did happen,” I asked. She would tell the truth now, but only if I didn’t get angry with her.

“In his search for unity he found a new source of magic. The magic fed off the hate and anger he had buried inside him and multiplied it. The good he had didn’t stand a chance when the evil took over. He then challenged my sister and me, threatening to destroy everything we had ever worked for.”

“And that’s when you killed him?” I asked.

“Not before trying everything to fix him. That was about ninety years ago…” Celestia said. “What was Earth like, when you left?”

“Well, it was pretty bad. My country was severely in debt, war was on the horizon, and our economy was crashing. Our government was deeply rooted in greed, theft, and discrimination. People never looked beyond their petty problems to the bigger picture. We were still bound to our planet. If only people united to form a better place we could all do so much more for ourselves.”

“Oh, that sounds terrible.”

“It wasn’t all bad though. Things like religion helped people hang on.”

“What is religion?”

“You mean you don’t worship a god? Wow, that actually surprises me,” Celestia glared at me, unsatisfied with my statement. “Religions are complicated; they all claim there is a higher power, or want to achieve some form of enlightenment in their most basic form.”

“Why would you waste your time on something like that?” Celestia asked.

“Now, I’ll admit, it seems kind of silly. Some people prayed and they claim their god answered them. It’s hard to tell the truth from the garbage though; I never knew what was real or not.”

“Did everypony –body, believe in a god?”

“No. In fact, a lot of people got through life just fine without one. A lot of people weren’t bad actually, but that number was fading quickly. Right before I was taken here there were a lot of bombings and shootings all over the world, random killings of civilians and such.”

“Why would anypony –body kill?” Celestia asked with wide eyes. I suppose that’s why all the ponies were so scared that I threatened them like I did. These ponies were more sheltered than I thought, even with a war on the horizon.

“I’ll never know their reasons. I could never bring myself to senselessly murder.”

“Do you miss it, Earth?” Celestia asked. It was kind of soon for that, but hey she couldn’t know what I’m going through. Staring blankly back at her my mind was struck with a deluge of memories of all the people and times I had on Earth. So much was gone, so many people I’d never get to see again. I’d never have a real family now, never can have kids. “Sorry, I just…”

“No, it’s ok, really,” I said looking back to her. “I do, a lot actually. Ya know, the deal about family and friends and…” A single cold tear ran down my tired face and fell onto my armor with a small tap. “I’ll be alone here now. I know I have all you ponies and Colin and Dan, but it’s not the same. I’ll never have a family of my own. Don’t let that get you down though; I don’t want you worrying about me.”

Celestia looked at me with sorrow, and regret, “If I hadn’t been so careless with Prophet everything would be normal, you would have a family, you would mmmph” I put a hand over Celestia’s mouth to make her shut up.

Dropping the hand after she stopped trying to talk I said, “Stop it Celestia. What happened isn’t your fault, and I’m more than happy to help you. I’ll endure whatever pain I have to just to make sure this world is safe again, to make sure you’re safe again.” Celestia lay shocked at what I said. I can never bear that kind of stuff, when someone blames themselves for something they can’t control. It’s just not right.

“I just… Thank you.” Celestia said as more tears formed and fell. “You know, you and Prophet are a lot alike, the good Prophet.” I smiled back to the sad princess. She really had seen a lot. I hope I’m the one to fix all this. I can’t stand to see someone like this, backed into a corner and everyone still keeps pestering you with all their crap. “It’s getting late. I should be going to bed now.”

Celestia got up and walked down the stairs, leaving me alone. “Night, Tia.” When she heard me she stopped in her tracks.

Celestia looked back to me with a big smile, “Goodnight, Aidan.” Only one other person called her that.

Dan looked to Colin square in the eye, “Your parents are dead…”

Colin stood shocked with tears pouring down his face. “I guess I should have guessed, but really? In only three years?”

“Yep…” Dan slammed the door on Colin who was still standing in the hallway.

I walked through the dark corridors adorned with the princesses’ symbol, the one with the two ponies flying around the planet. It was quiet in here, nothing could be heard. My footsteps echoed on the floor and made me paranoid. Approaching my room I heard crying, who the hell was crying now, and it was a dude.

“Colin, what’s up?” I asked him as he sat in the hallway with his head buried in his hands and tears streaming all over the place.

“My parents are dead…” He said coldly.

“How do you know that?” I asked, knowing that there was no way to find out.

“Dan told me…”

“God damnit, Dan!” I opened his door and walked inside. “What the fuck man? Really?”

“What?” Dan asked with a wicked grin on his face.

“Colin’s parents are dead? You know nothing about them, dumbass!” I yelled to the moron.

“I just couldn’t help it!” Dan howled with laughter. “The silence was just too damn unbearable!”

“You fucking idiot! Colin will fucking hate you for this…”

Speak of the devil and he shall arrive, “So you did that just for fun?” Colin asked with a rather pissed off glare.

“Oh shit,” I said stepping back as Colin reached for his sword.

“What are you gonna do to me?” Dan asked mockingly.

Colin replied with a stab in the leg and a slash across the face. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Colin screamed to Dan as he stabbed him again.

“Oh, I was just joking!” Dan replied through the pain.

“You don’t joke about that, moron,” I said standing in the corner laughing.

Colin ended his fit with a stab to Dan’s left eye, “COCK SUCKING MIDGET WHORE SMURPHY SON OF A BITCH!” Dan screamed as Colin waked away grinning like a mad man.

“Good night dumbfuck,” I said as I walked out of the door.