The last solstice

Chapter 7: Battle at Ivory Tower


The heat is suffocating. It settles on the capital, like an invisible mass. There’s absolutely no natural air movement. No clouds on the light blue sky. Everypony stays indoors, if they can. Only a few figures saunter on the streets. Mostly young fillies and colts, roasting eggs on the hot pavement, or love birds, chatting at cafés, under the shadow of tall oak trees. Everything’s quiet, as the fiery orb above continues to pour its light and warmness on the Equestrian landscape. This is the worst heat wave that struck Canterlot in over a thousand years.

All his windows are open; yet Nocturnal Mirage bathes in sweat. There’s no escape from the rays of the Sun at the top of Ivory Tower. The walls drink up the heat all day, and give it out at night. The cobalt stallion lies on his back, swaying his hind legs abstractedly. He reads Astronomy in depth by Starswirl the Bearded. Her book. The Princess gave it to him. Mirage is almost halfway through. Every time he picks up that book, it reminds him of Celestia.

Ever since he got the book, the royal blue stallion often catches his thoughts circling around the solar goddess. The most powerful mare in Equestria. The mare who chose to live in exile. The mare who has not left her Ivory Tower for a decade. The mare who screams at night. The mare who’s been constantly haunted by her own demons.

Of course she wasn’t always like this… Mirage remembers. It’s just a pale image in his mind, yet he remembers it well. Their paths have crossed before in the past… many-many years ago. She was utterly different back then. Powerful, purposive, graceful... A schemer… The master manipulator.

A discrete sneer forms in the corners of the stallion’s lips. He got scared of himself when he realized that a part of him is mildly amused by the Princess’s misery. Everypony has to pay the prize of their deeds and it looks like Celestia’s actions had finally caught up to her… Mirage’s smirk expands a little. Their paths have crossed before in the past. Oh yes. Mirage remembers well. All too well…

However, another part of him felt sorry for the solar alicorn. No matter what she’s done, nopony deserves to suffer the way she’s been suffering for the past ten years. The dark blue stallion heard Celestia’s screams and her insane rampage. Luna was right: the temple of her mind collapsed.

But why? How did she become like this? How could she fall from such heavenly altitudes of knowledge and wisdom? And why from all the ponies in the kingdom, he, Mirage was chosen to guard her?

The cobalt earth pony puts down the book. His thoughts got sidetracked and he did not even comprehend what the last page was about. He just kept gazing at the old, arabesque letters, but the one thing kept surfacing the sea of his whirling thoughts over and over again: Celestia.

Mirage exhales for some length. The heat pushes him down, like an invisible, merciless iron hoof. It’s quiet. The stallion perks up the ear. Too quiet… He knows before his ears could hear it: a strange rumbling sound. It’s barely audible, yet it grows stronger by every second. At first it seems the unearthly murmur has no source, it comes from everywhere. The noise becomes overwhelming, fills the air, dominating the senses. Then it gets higher, like a long drawn out whistle. It’s almost like a… Mirage’s eyes go large because of the recognition.

“BOMB!” he shouts instinctively, as a slug-like object covered in emerald green flames flies in front of the windows.

The object goes into nose-dive and crashes into the Main Street. Soon, several others follow it all impact on different parts of Canterlot with a series of loud and eerie bangs. After a couple of minutes, the deadly rain of bombs stops. Mirage walks to the window with careful steps and peeks out. To his shock, horrifying creatures climb out of the flaming craters. Beasts with coats black as starless night, with gauzy, bug-like wings and sharp, shiny fangs.

“What the hay is going on?!” the royal blue pony yells as he sees that the creatures are attacking the citizens without hesitation.

To answer his question, he hears the voice of Shining Armor through the speaking tubes.

“Attention, all personnel! The city is under attack! Changelings have entered the Castle! All Royal Guards report to their stations at once! Repel the attack at all costs! This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill!”

“Finally a little action!” the stallion rubs his hooves together in anticipation.

Just when he prepares to go down from the Tower and report for duty, a letter comes in via the pneumatic mail. Mirage’s enthusiasm evaporates as he opens and reads what’s inside: a short message with hasty writing.


Nocturnal Mirage!

Guard the Ivory Tower! Stay with the Princess! Protect her at all costs! Will send backup if possible! DO NOT leave the Princess alone up there! This is a direct order!

Capt. S. A.


“Oh, great!” the royal blue stallion snorts.

He has no choice but to stay in the Tower and observe the events down at the capital. Sounds of combat travel with the breeze: shouting, cursing, metal clashing against metal, magical zaps, rustling wings. After a while, it all melds into a maddening cacophony. He even spots Princess Luna herself, battling eight beasts at once. But something draws Mirage out of his contemplation: a loud crash comes from closer, and a black creature emerges in the stairway.

Before he could even fully realize, Mirage’s facing a full grown changeling muzzle to muzzle. The beast hisses, showing its fangs, then charges at the royal blue earth pony. Mirage evades with a quick step and the changeling crashes into the wall.

“Whoa! Where do you ugly son of a hays come from?!” he exclaims.

The feral creature gets up quickly and attacks again. The cobalt stallion ducks, but the changeling use its wings and turns around in the air. The last thing Mirage sees is a black hoof travelling toward his face, and then he falls down. The beast towers over him and lets out an animalistic growl.

As Mirage comes to after a temporal blackout, he realizes the changeling forces him to the marble floor, ready for the final strike. His emerald green eyes flash as he raises his front legs. In the next moment, two magical blasts strike the beast in the face. It falls down, squirms in pain, letting out dog-like yelps.

“Welcome to Canterlot!” Mirage grins as he gets up rapidly.

The changeling recovers from the blow as well and turns to Mirage once again. It looks a bit surprised as it recognizes that the stallion’s front hooves are encased in a sparkly, royal blue magical aura.

“Oh yes… magic of the earth. Courtesy of Terra Absolutia. Not much, but finishing off this earth pony will be a little harder than you think!” Mirage calls out.

The dark creature snarls and hisses then launches at the pony again. It avoids the magic blasts Mirage throws at him and reaches the stallion. A hoof to hoof combat unfolds between them which last for several minutes. Mirage eventually prevails and towers over the changeling.

“You’re one tough weirdo for sure…” he huffs heavily and combs back a lock of his ebony mane.

When he looks at his opponent again, it’s no longer a feral beast, but…

“Pinkie Pie?” Mirage gasps in shock.

The moment of hesitation is enough for the beast; it delivers a well-directed kick to the stallion’s stomach. A moan of pain escapes the mouth of the earth pony before he falls on his knees. “Pinkie Pie” enwraps her hooves around Mirage, encasing him in a deadly squeeze. The changeling then bites him on the neck and begins to drain his energies. The royal blue stallion tries to fight it, but his limited magical abilities vanish as the creature feeds on his aura. Even in these moments, one thing emerges from the sea of his swirling thoughts once more: Celestia…

With an instinctive decision, Mirage delivers a successful blow on “Pinkie’s” chest with his elbow. The changeling lurches which give the cobalt pony a chance to escape this lethal hug. Then he executes a kick similar to Applejack’s and the beast receives a pair of steely hooves in the face. “Pinkie Pie” collapses and lies on the floor outcold. Green flames run through her body and she disappears, leaving the black creature in her place.

Mirage backs away from the changeling and puts his hoof on his neck, and realizes his blood is leaking. He flops down and gasps violently. But he cannot rest for long. He hears a familiar, animalistic growl. Two changelings appear in the stairway, three more fly through the open windows.

“Oh, come on…” Mirage moans as he gets up.

His first thought is to run to the speaking tube and call for backup, but he realizes the creatures are blocking his way. He’s surrounded. The changelings slowly approach him, knowing he could not repel their attack.

Celestia…

A delirious titter shakes Mirage’s body as he thinks it over. You’re putting your hopes into a Princess who had lost her sanity long ago… you’re going to ask for help from an alicorn… ironic…

Life wants to live. Mirage wobbles to Celestia’s door. The changelings come closer and closer.

“Princess! Open the door! I know you can hear me! Please!” Mirage shouts, and his face turns red in the humiliation he feels.

There’s no response. The beasts come even closer, shoving their fangs.

“Princess, please! I need your help! I’m begging you!” the stallions face turns even redder.

The cobalt earth pony smashes his hooves against the thick wooden door.

“PRINCESS!!! I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE!”

He summons upon the final reserves of his limited magical aura and fires two last beams. One succesfully strikes a changeling, but they keep coming.

“GOSH DARN IT! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! WHY ARE YOU SITTING IN YOUR TOWER, WHEN THE CITY’S UNDER ATTACK? YOU’RE THE PRINCESS OF THE SUN! DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!!!”

The shouting takes away what’s left of his energies. Mirage flops down once again, leaning his back against the door. His neck is still bleeding. The changelings nearly reach him. Everything starts to go blurry and pleasurable warmness overwhelms his senses. He knows he’s losing too much blood.

The royal blue stallion falls on the floor. The feel of the cold marble on his cheeks is soothing. Fool! Ask an alicorn for help and look where it gets you… is his last thought. And an image resurfaces again in his mind. The image of those purple eyes…

The shadows of the changelings tower over him. He can even feel their breath on his fur. He does not care anymore.

“Celestia…” Mirage’s lips form the name, but he barely makes any sound.

Darkness slowly enwraps his conscience, like a warm plush blanket, and his mind slowly fades into nothingness…