Chapter 9: Old Habits

"Twilight is the time of deception, when the entire world loses form and twists about around itself, hiding the truth from those that wish to penetrate it. In the shadows nothing is as it seems. Those who view the world in terms of black and white are stymied by the twilight, but that is why I thrive in it."

-"Musings of the Twilit Hour", by Princess Luna

Altas breathed a wonderfully contented sigh of relief as he climbed up the long spiralling staircase that circled PegasusTower. This place was filled with so many memories, memories of a simpler time, before life's destiny had moved him and Aquos onto their present paths. The two of them had had each other, and they had had work and study to occupy their thoughts and minds. Then, unexpected as a bolt of lightning, the world had worked its mysterious magic on their fates.

He stopped before an unobtrusive door about midway up the tower's length. Examining it, his heart skipped a beat as he noticed the marks and gashes from its former use. Every nick was a piece of his former life, so long ago. Pushing it open, he stepped back into his old room.

Everything was just as it would have been ages ago. The room was ellipsoidal, and mostly open in the centre. Along the far wall, the low writing desk was still piled high with parchment: drafts and drawings from his older studies. He was shocked to find that even his old chalkboard was still in here, still covered with scrawled notes and diagrams. The rest of the living arrangements were pretty ordinary, as befitted a tenant who had once been just another student.

Altas immediately threw his white jacket onto the bed and walked over to the room's single window, which offered an inspiring view of the forest from this height. But more importantly to him, this window faced the adjacent Unicorn Tower. Altas remembered all the times he had sat at this window in ages past, gazing wistfully across the way, admiring the magnificence of that tower's braided architecture. He had been so young back then, full of energy and passion, but also naïve and fearful. The object of his desire had been so close, and yet had seemed like it was on the other side of Equestria.

Tonight, he recognized a familiar glint from the opposite window, a twinkle of light that indicated activity in the other tower. Altas remembered every night that he had sat here as a youth, promising himself that one day he would take the plunge, and take hold of life. How complicated the matter had seemed back then! Countless nights he had stopped himself in front of her door, questioning how she would react, whether or not it was his place to ask for that which he desired. Many times, he had retreated back to this room, vowing that someday he would have enough courage to let her know.

He laughed to think of how foolish he had once been: such a lovesick colt, wishing for attention but unwilling to take the necessary step. Ironically enough, it had actually been Seraph that had first convinced him to take that leap of faith, grabbing fate for his own and seeing where his future would lead. He felt a pang of guilt as memories of his lost friend surfaced once again, but buried it. Seraph had made his choices, despite any opinions Altas might have had on the matter. What was done now could never be undone, regardless of how much he might desire that. Ever since then, Aquos had been all that he cared for, although of course she always let work come first. She was such a headstrong mare, but then that fire in her personality was exactly what made them so similar, so compatible.

But tonight, both of their labours had reached fruition, at least for the moment. He felt a familiar longing surfacing through his mind, and knew that both of them deserved this night for each other.

---

Thirty Years Earlier
Place: Citadel of Everfree

A harsh summer sun beat relentlessly upon the gilded towers of Everfree. For more than a week, all of Equestria had suffered under an unprecedented heat wave. Ponies looked at the sky every morning and wondered what it was that apparently had Discord in such a rancour.

Spots of covered shade quickly became the most valuable commodity at the Citadel, and students gathered in the guarded nooks in an attempt to beat the heat. As could be expected under such conditions, irritability ran high in the population. Any given day was likely to bear witness to several escalating verbal arguments, with the odd one turning physical. Luckily no one was able to sustain a brawl for long in the sweltering conditions.

Altas spent most of his afternoons along the outer boundary of one of the Citadel's central courtyards. It was a well-kept little area, encircled by a low wall, and interspersed with several small tables, perfect for impromptu games of skill or contemplative lunches. The courtyard itself was filled with exotic flora cultivated by Terraria's Order: brightly coloured flowers and striated ferns from far-off lands. All brought here from various expeditions and travels.

Of course, the plants were suffering in the heat, but the Order's gardeners were fanatical, never letting a single root go un-watered. There were jokes that Terraria loved her plants more even than her own family, and even held funerals for them when they passed on. Altas wasn't entirely certain what to think of stories like that, but the ancient Master definitely did have her eccentricities.

The young pegasus was simply a student here, as were so many that walked about within this last stronghold of the Equestria that once was. After a youth spent in destitution wandering around the country, he had found his way here a few years ago. Just like all that had come before him, Altas began a course of studies into the ways of nature and history. It was a classical education, but one that he honestly couldn't care less about. Even now, a selection of parchments laid spread out in front of him, dry and brittle in the desiccated air. But Altas wasn't looking at them. He only had eyes for the brilliant white mare across the courtyard from him, engrossed in her own affairs.

Altas had first run into the young unicorn more than a month ago; a chance encounter in a random hallway. He had been wandering about rather aimlessly, searching for something with which to occupy himself. Coming around a corner, he had seen her then, at the far end of the hall and coming forward. The mare had moved with a purpose, clear intent visible in her light blue eyes. Every inch of her form radiated pure order and reason, as would a single crystalline thought, navigating the chaotic swirls of life on its way to its destination.

She had spared him the slightest of glances before passing by, unimpressed. All of a sudden, Altas had become aware that his school suit was wrinkled and dirty, and his mane was unkempt. He had remained staring after her for a while, admiring the way her beautifully managed mane fell effortlessly around her glistening and delicate shoulders.

Since then, fate seemed to have conspired to drive them together, as Altas began noticing her around where he hadn't before. The two of them ended up in a class together, and Aquos (for he had found out her name almost immediately after that first meeting) distinguished herself as a top student, a clear rising star. Meanwhile, struggling with the content, he had felt more inadequate than ever.

Ever since then, he had found himself shadowing her day-to-day, admiring her assured and self-confident life. At the same time, he wondered what on Earth he was hoping would happen. Aquos was a star, a sparkling diamond in the dust of life. Surely her fate was to meet another such gentle-colt, a high achiever who could offer her the chance to live her dreams. Meanwhile, he was just another student, laughably inept at everything in which she excelled. Back in the present day, Altas let a hopeful breath pass his lips as he kept on staring across the courtyard. Every day, he wondered what chance he could have. What harm would it do to approach her, and try to strike up some conversation?

But each time, that memory of their first meeting in the hallway came back to him. As Aquos had casually stepped past him, she had been wearing a deadpan expression; already moving her attention on to the next task. Unimpressed. If he ever wanted a chance, he knew that he needed to make a better first impression than that. And to do that, he would need to have a plan, a dashing presentation that was sure to knock her off her hooves.

Later that afternoon, when Aquos had gone off to one of her classes, Altas decided to pay a visit to Seraph. The orange Earth pony lived in a rather large room near to the top of Earth pony Tower, a secluded area that very few others dared to enter. Rumours abounded throughout the school of what went on within that room, as strange sounds and smells were known to emanate forth from it at all hours. Only Altas knew the real truth: Seraph was just one strange stallion.

Most of the other students looked at the youthful orange stallion as a loose screw, a wild and unkempt soul that needed to be shown the path back to regularity. Most simply avoided him, but Altas had taken a shining to the budding engineer. He was an analyst, a pony steeped in reason despite his chaotic exterior. Whenever Altas was in a pickle, he had always been able to count on his friend's rationality to get him out of it. With that said, such advantages did come with a certain amount of drawbacks.

This afternoon, just as Altas grasped the handle to his friend's quarters, the floor shook as a massive crash reverberated through the building. It was accompanied by a loud shattering sound, as though a hundred wine glasses had been thrown from a cliff, and landed on hard, unforgiving stone. Opening the door gingerly, Altas found the orange stallion standing amid a pile of glass shards, a screwdriver in one hoof and a scowl on his face. "Uh, hey Seraph, what's up?"

With a grunt, Seraph stepped away from a complicated-looking set of brass frames and wires in the centre of the room. "Nothing of your concern, Altas," he answered in a calm, ever so slightly affected voice. "The main lens for my solar collector is lying in ruin upon my floor, which is a positive waste of good crystal. Luckily I have a spare. Would you mind lending me a hoof?"

Altas nodded as his friend began shifting items about on the long workbench that circled the room's perimeter. He caught sight of water wheels, lightning rods, mounting brackets, and even a whole set of glassware being tossed into its own little corner, adding to the already cluttered state of the surroundings. Seraph's apartment was a testament to past experiments, some of them successful, but most being abject failures. Every spare corner was piled up with twisted metal and machined lumber, some of it burned and blackened from a few of the more explosive tests. All of it was of course entirely incoherent to Altas, but his friend didn't mind at all. Seraph was used to living in his own little world. Casting a quick look about, the yellow pegasus noticed that the room didn't even appear to have a bed. Probably, it was hiding underneath the mess.

Finally, Seraph motioned him over. Resting on the bench was a large disk of polished glass, more than a foot in diameter. Seraph's eager face was reflected nearly perfectly in its bright, convex surface. Carefully, the two of them hoisted it over to the centre of the chamber, where a column of sunlight shone through a window and illuminated the unruly apparatus Altas had noticed upon his entrance.

Noticing his confusion, Seraph decided that perhaps an explanation was in order. "It's a solar collector, my friend. I intend to focus the power of the sun into something worthwhile, since it has been beating down on us so long anyway."

Altas held the lens in place as Seraph set about attaching various mounts and brackets to hold it in place. He realized that it was probably time to broach his own issue, lest the inventor get off on a rant about this new project of his. "Hey Seraph, can I ask you something?"

The orange stallion glanced over from his work, tightening a small screw in an overhead mount. "Anytime, my friend. Problems with your chemistry homework again?"

Altas looked away in a sudden fit of embarrassment. "No, nothing like that," he admitted. "It's actually… something a bit more personal."

"Hmm?" Seraph prompted him to continue.

"You see, there's this one other student, this mare–"

"Uh, pardon me for a second, would you?" Seraph put down the screwdriver and fixed his friend with a long glare. He gestured that Altas could stop holding the lens, and indicated the room around them. "I'm flattered, old friend, but take a good look around you. I'm what you might call a 'solitary' fellow. Do you really think it's such a good idea to ask me for help with the mares?"

Altas kept staring his friend right in the eye. In fact there was a very good reason, which Seraph was about to find out. "It's Aquos, friend."

The incredulous look in Seraph's eyes vanished, to be replaced only with a sombre resignation. Sighing, he turned back to his work. "So you went and dug yourself into that particular hole, did you?"

"I feel her, Seraph. Like the clear light of a spring sunrise she calls to my soul. I just know that she was made for me, that together we'll be happy."

"Heh, I've heard that one before, I think," Seraph replied. "She has that effect on stallions, you know? Every pony thinks she's this unassailable peak, a treasure beyond reckoning. You aren't the first to come around here asking for advice, Altas. Can you pass me that Allen wrench?"

"Well, can you blame me?" Altas shot back defiantly, grabbing the wrench of the worktable and handing it to his friend. "I don't want to lose this opportunity, Seraph. So tell me whatever you've told every pony else, then. What is the secret to winning Aquos' hand?"

Seraph was silent for a very long time, twiddling with his solar collector. Altas stood expectantly off to the side, dreaming his dreams of happiness, and waiting for the golden nugget that Seraph had in his possession. Information that could only come from an inside source, a source that knew Aquos' heart better than any outsider could. Seraph had that information; the sort of insight that only a younger brother could provide, but he had seen many other suitors lose themselves on this path before, and obviously wasn't sure what to tell his friend.

After an eternity of silence, Seraph stood back and reached up to a small rope that Altas had not noticed before. The rope ran up through a sequence of pulleys to a shutter that was attached to the roof. With a grin of anticipation, Seraph indicated the machine in front of him. "I'll only tell you this once, and it'll be your decision whether or not you want to continue down this road, so watch and learn."

Seraph yanked on the cord, opening the shutter and letting sunlight stream through the opening. Focussed by collimating mirrors, the light fell onto the main lens, being sharpened down onto a single pinpoint. A small scrap of parchment was there at the moment, and it instantly burst into bright flame. Satisfied, Seraph pulled another rope, and closed the ceiling again.

Turning around and facing his friend, Seraph remained smiling. "Aquos is like that parchment, my friend. On her own, she can be very perceptive, filled with words of wisdom and knowledge of the ages. She tries to fill her heart with reason and understanding, but I know her well enough to see that she misses the joy of true beauty underneath. That is the secret you are looking for, Altas. She needs to have her spirit awoken, lit up by the beauty of a true relationship."

Altas absorbed all this information like a sponge, trying to work it into his strategies for the future. All he needed was to wake up Aquos' sense of wonder, perhaps showing her some sight few looked upon in their times, or maybe even taking her to a dangerous place, and allowing some adrenaline to get through to her brain. He could do things like that. In fact, the first ideas of a plan sprouted somewhere inside his head. Finally, he felt some hope again. The two of them would be together in the end! He turned a hurried gaze back up to Seraph, and nodded his understanding.

Seraph stood complacently, shaking his head as if wondering if he had done the right thing. In response, Altas came up and clapped him once on the shoulder. "Thank you, my friend. The two of us are destined for each other, and I'm going to show her just that. Tomorrow, we will look upon this day with fond memories."

"Well, you'd best get on then," Seraph replied with a hint of humour returning to his voice. "Go, I've got plenty more work with which to occupy myself." And so Altas left, thanking his friend silently every step of the way. When this was all worked out, he would have to find some way to reward the orange pony for services rendered. For the moment though, he had his own job set out to do. If Aquos was the parchment, then it was his job to set the flame of wonder within her heart, so that they could light up the night with the pristine fire of their love.

---

Present Day
Citadel of Everfree

The doorway to Aquos' room was far more salubrious than the portal to his simple apartment, but then that was to be expected. The unicorns had always delighted in the regal trappings of their offices, and so made sure to leave no surface unadorned. Somehow though, the whole place managed to maintain an air of magisterial beauty, rather than vain showmanship. The door was closed, meaning that the room's occupant was likely busy and did not wish to be disturbed, but he grasped the handle anyway.

Inside, the room was mostly dark, lit only by the starlight coming in through the open window. Had he stopped to look around, Altas might have noticed that the bed was a large and comfortable four poster, and the writing desk (though still piled with notes) was far more solid than his own, carved by hand from rosewood. But the yellow Pegasus only had eyes tonight for the room's occupant, who stood by the open window peering upward through a silver telescope.

Altas knew that he really should make his presence known, but he took a slight moment to appreciate his fellow Master's form. Aquos had removed her usual traveler's cloak, so Altas ran his eyes over her fine figure, all the way from her delicate neck, along the gentle curves of her front legs, and back along her body. Coming up behind her quietly, he approached the windowsill, sliding in alongside her and peering upward at the night sky.

She noted his presence immediately, but barely spared him a glance before turning back to her eyepiece. Put off, he let a loose breath out of his lips. "Hmm. Why is it that a unicorn never can let well enough alone, Aquos?"

She didn't reply, so he hooked a hoof over top of the telescope and nudged it out of alignment with a gentle pull. When she scowled and looked up again, he swept his other hoof over the night time sky. "Why is that they have such a desire to understand everything, and put it in its proper place? I can look upwards, and I don't have to map every star onto a precise grid to know that everything is exactly where it needs to be."

With a smile to match his, Aquos turned away and walked back into the room. In a challenging voice, she answered his question with a question. "And why is it then that Pegasi can never see the precision and the applicability of our knowledge? Understanding the beauty of the stars will not allow you to navigate by them. Appreciating the sun's light will not allow you predict a solar eclipse." Her eyes shone with a playful energy, a bewitching twinkle that teased Altas along.

"It seems that we have much to learn from each other then, my dear," he replied, pushing himself off the windowsill and coming around to face her in the room's centre. "Just like always."

The two Masters stared into the depths of each other's eyes, searching for that lost connection, the spark that both of them had found so long ago. It felt like it had been forever since they had had a real private moment like this one, without work and life pushing either of them along. Both could feel the warm blaze of desire surfacing from the depths of their minds.

Altas reached forward and touched his friend's mane, stroking his hoof down around her perfect face. Then, the two of them came together for a long, passionate kiss. Altas felt all the stress of this life fall away from his mind, as he allowed himself to think only of this moment. When their lips parted, Aquos looked up at him with a new clarity. "It's been a very long time, my love," she said in a voice bright and clear. "We are not the brash young students we were so long ago."

Altas allowed himself a carefree chuckle, and took a step around her, manoeuvring them both closer to the bed, which was plenty large enough for the two of them. "Perhaps not," he admitted, "but our love still burns just as bright, does it not? Brighter yet, I might wager."

Aglow from the anticipation, Aquos lay down in the centre of the mattress, her front legs spread out invitingly. "Then let us light up this night, like we did in the fearless days of our youth." Altas needed no further encouragement.

---

Coincidentally, the room that Celeste and Claire had chosen (out of more than a dozen vacancies) was directly beneath Aquos' old bedroom. So even though the building was pretty well-insulated, the floorboards could not entirely hide the sounds of their Masters' passionate lovemaking on the floor above. As such, it was proving very difficult for either sister to get a good night's sleep.

"Can you believe those two?" asked Claire as she tossed around in her single bed.

"It's not so hard to believe," answered Celeste, who was pacing about over the room's polished oak floor. "They have known each other for many years, and by all accounts lead mostly solitary lives. I had my suspicions, and this simply confirms them."

"Still, this is a little ridiculous," Claire stated, sitting up against the wall. "Neither one of them is particularly young, either."

"But they both keep their bodies and minds in pristine order," summarized Celeste. "And if what you tell me is accurate, then Altas can certainly throw it down with the best of them."

"But that was a fight, not… this," Claire replied, gesturing at the ceiling in clear discomfort.

"Actually, you'd be surprised how similar the actions are as far as musculature is concerned," the elder sister commented in an academic voice, before noticing the odd look she received from Claire. "What? I read a book on it in Aquos' library!"

Claire laughed, a mischievous grin appearing on her face. "I see then, Celeste. So that's how it was during your six months. What was that you said about them being mostly solitary all the time?"

Celeste turned on her sister with a stare of indignation. "You know that's not what I meant!"

"Fine, fine, whatever," Claire waved her off. "So what was so interesting about this book that you just had to read it, anyway?"

Celeste looked away from sister, her chin turned up in haughty formality. "If you must know, it had some very illustrative pictures that caught my eye." When Claire immediately burst out in an uncontrolled fit of giggles, Celeste threw a hoof to her forehead. "You're totally useless, you know that? Try to get some sleep so I can think for a second!"

"Love to, but our two little lovebirds don't sound like they're stopping anytime soon. Don't you have some kind of spell to block the noise? Surely you were doing something in magic school other than looking at your 'picture books'."

Grimacing at the jab, and knowing that it would be some days before her sister gave up the issue, Celeste picked up some quills from the room's desk. With a little concentration, she transformed them into a set of earplugs, which she casually tossed at her sister. "Goodnight, Claire," she added wryly.

"Love you too, sister."