The God Particle

Chapter 38: The Magic of Dreams

For several long seconds, James and Twilight continued to embrace each other, her muzzle pressed to his face, her forelegs wrapped tightly around the back of his head. Finally, she pulled back slightly. Her eyes were still full of tears.

"James … Why didn't you tell me about this before? How long have you felt this way?"

He felt another tear run down his face. "I was trying to deny it, Twilight. Even to myself. I didn't think that I could ever … I didn't think the feelings could be real. But now that I'm not denying them anymore … I guess I've known for quite a while. The flight to Canterlot a year ago when I ended up leaving Ponyville and moving here. The time we danced at the Solar Ball and I thought you were my entire world. The times I have known I would face any threat if it would protect you. And a few days ago, when you were in Canterlot, I nearly defied Her Majesty to go and warn you not to go back to Ponyville since I was sure you would be safer staying in Canterlot." He shuddered at that memory now. It was just two days ago when he and Princess Celestia had briefly argued about keeping Twilight in Canterlot instead of letting her go back to Ponyville. He had wanted to warn her to stay in Canterlot where she would be safe. Celestia had had to resort to commanding him in no uncertain terms not to say anything to Twilight, and told him he had to trust her that Twilight would be safer going back to Ponyville … What if he had warned her and she had stayed in Canterlot? Would she be missing too right now? Would they have captured her along with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? He winced at the thought and tried to push it out of his mind. Finally, he spoke again, his voice pleading.

"I'm sorry, Twilight … I shouldn't have said anything … Please don't push me away. Please don't—"

The unicorn raised her right forehoof, pressing it lightly to his lips and stopping him in mid-sentence. "Shhhh," she said softly and smiled gently at him. Then she embraced him again, wrapping her forelegs around him once more. "I'll never push you away, James. Never," she said in a gentle and loving tone.

For several more moments, they continued to embrace, hugging warmly, until James finally noticed that Spike was awake. The young dragon stood in the corner of the chariot, his eyes wide. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again and just kept staring.

"Twilight … We woke up Spike," James said a bit nervously.

She released him from her embrace, then turned her head, looking at Spike now too. The dragon was silent for several moments before responding.

"My … my lips. These lips right here? They're sealed. Pinkie Pie Promise. I mean … I know I wouldn't want you telling all of Equestria about my crush on Rarity. So yeah … These dragon lips are sealed."

"Thank you, Spike," Twilight said, smiling a little at the small dragon. "You are a very faithful and loyal assistant." Spike smiled slightly. But the smile quickly changed back to a frown. None of them could smile for very long given the weight of the crisis baring down on them.

James wiped his tear filled eyes with the sleeve of his robe, then composed himself as best he could. "Alright. We have a lot of work to do when we get back to Canterlot. And I can only hope we get there before Ambassador Firewing does."

"Will he know something's happened? Even before the sun is due to rise?"

"Yes, he will. He no doubt knows already. Like Royal Council members, he is bound to Princess Celestia. And like us, he can sense when she is in trouble."

Twilight frowned. "Do you really think the Lunar Guard would kill him on sight? Not even give him a chance to surrender and explain why he was there?"

"I don't know. I hope not. But given the number of Lunar Guards that were killed by dragons when Princess Luna's convoy was attacked, I don't think they will be in the mood for talking when it comes to dragons." He shook his head once, wincing. "I should have thought of it before we left Canterlot. The Lunar Guard is oath bound to obey the orders of the Royal Council if neither Princess is around. We should have left standing orders with the Captain of the Lunar Guard not to attack Firewing if he did try to come to Canterlot."

Twilight shook her head once. "You can't blame yourself for not thinking of that, James. Not given all the stress you were under. And besides, maybe the other members of the Council that didn't come to Ponyville did think of it after you left."

He nodded once and hoped she was right.

The wind noise outside the chariot began to change, and he felt them pitch down slightly. Turning his head to look out the window again, the bright lights of Canterlot became visible in the distance, like stars twinkling on an inverted horizon. The sky above was like a well full of black ink, impenetrable and dark. Even though Luna's moon would be directly over Canterlot right now—and probably frozen in place without her to move it—no light shown from it without the Night Princess's power to illuminate it. And so the lighting from Canterlot itself was the only thing interrupting the impenetrable darkness.

"James? What's the swearing in ceremony for the regent like?" Twilight asked, drawing his attention away from the window and back to her. Some of the nervousness had returned to her voice.

"It's short, and to the point, Twilight. Basically, you will be presented before the entire Royal Council. You will be informed that you were chosen by Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, to assume full rulership of Equestria until such time as one or both of Their Majesties are able to return to the throne. Then you will take a brief oath affirming that you will carry out these duties and that you will faithfully serve Equestria. Once that is finished, each member of the Royal Council, along with the leaders of the Celestial Guard, the Lunar Guard, and the captains of the Royal Guard, will affirm their allegiance and loyalty to you until such time as Their Majesties return to the throne. That's about it really."

She nodded once, but he could clearly see a look of fear on her face. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on her withers. "You don't need to be afraid, Twilight. Yes, first encounters with the Royal Council can be intimidating because of the mysterious nature surrounding it. But please trust me when I tell you that all of them will be completely loyal to you."

"I'm not … I'm not going to have a bunch of ponies bowing to me, am I?"

He shook his head. "No, Twilight. You won't. We will serve you and be as loyal to you as if you were one of the princesses themselves. But we bow only to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Not to the regent."

She nodded, then hesitated for a few moments before responding in a still nervous voice. "James … I want … I want you to be the one that administers the oath to me. I'll feel more comfortable if you do it since I know you and trust you already."

He nodded. "I'll have to make sure it's alright with the rest of the Council, but they shouldn't have any problem with me administering the oath to you. Any Council member is authorized to do it."

As the chariot continued to approach Canterlot, the banners on top of the castle towers came into view. The crimson flags with Celestia's solar emblem waving in the breeze, proud and indomitable. James thought back to when he had first arrived in Equestria, and seen those banners. How he had thought their ever present constant reminders of Celestia's rule was too much. But now, he found that despite the crisis they faced, those banners, waving proudly in the window, gave him a feeling of hope. Now, he understood that they were something for the ponies of Equestria to rally behind. Something for ponies everywhere to look to and say "We will not go down without a fight. We will not be defeated. Our banner still flies." Now, for perhaps the first time, he truly understood. Now, he would fight as one of them. And, he realized, perhaps die as one of them.

About twenty minutes later they landed behind the castle, James opened the door and stepped out, holding it open for Twilight and Spike. He looked around as the other chariots landed, along with the nearly two-hundred Pegasus Guard escorts that had accompanied them. All of the pegasi, including the ones pulling the chariot they had been in, breathed heavily and looked completely exhausted. He turned to the left as he heard Captain Swordstorm's tired, but still commanding and firm voice call out.

"Get Twilight Sparkle to the secure meeting room in the castle. And get the rest of the Elements of Harmony to safe and secure locations. And make it happen yesterday."

Several fresh Pegasus Guards rushed down from the castle entrance, quickly escorting the Elements of Harmony, away to a safe location. They split Twilight off from the rest of them, rushing her in a different direction that lead to the secure underground meeting room in the castle. Twilight turned her head back to look at him, her face full of fear as she was rapidly rushed away.

"Don't be afraid, Twilight! I'll be down there with you soon!" he called out to her as she disappeared through the castle doors under heavy guard escort. He frowned, then turned and tried to catch a glimpse of the rest of the Elements as they were whisked away. All of them had expressions of fear and uncertainty painted on their muzzles. Even Rainbow Dash, who seemed practically immune to fear and was rarely daunted by anything, looked overwhelmed now that she had been informed what was going on. Then, the five Elements disappeared inside the castle.

Once they were gone, he turned his attention to Captain Swordstorm, who was walking towards him. The captain looked completely exhausted. Of course, he would be, James thought to himself. He and his Pegasus Guards had just flown all the way to Ponyville and back at much faster than normal speeds and had to fight an air battle against dragons and griffins in the process. He felt for Captain Swordstorm and his guards, but at the same time, deeply admired them, and their tenacity. Like the banners flying high over the castle, the guards gave him a sense of hope. With soldiers this dedicated to their duty, their nation, and their princesses, the situation didn't seem as hopeless as it had before they had left for Ponyville. They had already scored one victory: They had safely gotten the Elements of Harmony to Canterlot, despite an attempt by dragons and griffins to stop them. James turned back to the rear entrance to the castle. Several castle servants had emerged to see what the commotion was about. Now, they milled around with nervous looks on their muzzles, chatting nervously with each other. James knew that none of them had any idea what was going on yet.

"Take Captain Swordstorm's guards and make sure they are tended to. Give them food, water, medical attention if they need it, and a place to rest," he called out to the servants, then turned back to the captain. "I know you need to debrief your guards, and you've definitely earned some rest yourself. But Her Majesty's royal protocol requires you to be present at the swearing in ceremony for the regent."

Captain Swordstorm nodded once. "I'll be fine. I can join the rest of my guards after the ceremony is over and debrief them then. Lets get going."

James nodded and turned back towards the castle, then hurried his way inside, down the corridors and stairwells, to the secure area deep underground, Captain Swordstorm trotting close beside him.

They arrived in the meeting room to find most of the Royal Council already assembled. In addition, the Captains of the Celestial and Lunar guards were there, as was the Captain of the Unicorn Guard. Storm Runner, and the other members of the Royal Council that had made the trip to Ponyville arrived shortly. Twilight Sparkle was not in the room yet. According to the protocol, she would not be brought in until they summoned her. James knew she must be nervous and frightened, and wanted to get things moving as fast as possible. He faced the Council members and Guard captains.

"If Ambassador Firewing tries to come here, The Lunar Guard will be hot for revenge. We should make sure they have orders not to attack him if he does show up."

"Already been taken care of," the Captain of the Unicorn Guard responded.

James nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, then turned his attention only to the Council members. "Twilight Sparkle has requested that I be the one to administer the oath to her, since she knows me well and is comfortable with me … That and she was somewhat intimidated by her last encounter with a Council member other than myself." He cast a slightly accusing glance at Storm Runner. She gave him an apologetic look in response, but said nothing.

"We were actually discussing that before you entered," Moon Song said. "And we came to the same conclusion. We think it would be best if you administered the oath to her."

James nodded, relieved to see they were on the same page. "She's been given a copy of it to read? So she knows what to expect?"

Moon Song nodded in response. "She has been."

"Alright … I think we are ready to begin the ceremony then." James took a deep breath and let it out slowly, composing himself. Then, he took his place at the center of the half circle. On the wall behind him, Celestia's sun flanked him on one side, Luna's crescent moon on the other. He stood up straight and tried to look as confident as possible before speaking in a firm voice.

"The Royal Council of Their Grand Royal Majesties, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, summons Twilight Sparkle to appear before us."

One of the Royal Guards at the entrance to the room opened the door and motioned for Twilight to enter. James stood motionless, as did the rest of the Council members as she entered She looked left, then right, then back forward at James. He could see the nervousness in her eyes as she entered the semi-circle of robed ponies. He hoped that seeing him at the center, as the one who would be administering the oath to her, would help ease her nervousness. He wanted to smile, nod, or make some other reassuring gesture to her. But Council ceremonial protocol didn't allow for such things. So he forced himself to maintain a neutral expression. Twilight continued until she was standing in front of him, then stopped, looking at him nervously. James was nervous as well, but he forced himself to speak with confidence.

"Twilight Sparkle. You have been summoned before the Royal Council because Her Grand Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia, has commanded us to appoint you regent of Equestria. And to grant you full rule of the kingdom of Equestria in her stead until such time as she or Her Majesty, Princess Luna, is able to return to the throne. Do you understand, and are you willing to accept the responsibility that Her Majesty has set before you."

"I … I am," Twilight responded with nervousness in her voice.

"Then with the sacred solar seal of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia on my left, and the sacred lunar seal of Her Majesty, Princess Luna on my right, I will now administer the oath of the regent to you. Are you prepared to recite the oath?"

"I am," she responded, still sounding nervous.

"Then repeat after me. With the sacred seals of Her Majesty Princess Celestia, and Her Majesty, Princess Luna as my witnesses."

Twilight repeated the words James has spoken, the nervousness in her voice becoming more apparent. But at the same time, he could see a look of determination in her eyes. He continued administering the oath.

"I swear to serve Equestria faithfully and to the best of my ability."

Again, Twilight repeated the words.

"To always rule with fairness, justice, and compassion, and always with the best interests of Her Majesty's subjects in heart and mind."

Once again, she recited the words James had spoken.

"Until such time as either Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, or Her Majesty, Princess Luna, is able to return to the throne of Equestria."

Twilight nervously repeated the final words of the oath.

"The oath of the regent is complete. Twilight Sparkle you must now kneel to receive the crown of the regent."

Twilight gently bent one of her forelegs, lowering herself until she was kneeling in front of James and the royal symbols on either side of him. James reached over and took the crown of the regent from Storm Runner, who was standing to his right. It was similar in design to the tiara that Princess Celestia normally wore, although it was bronze instead of gold, and not quite as extravagant. He held the crown in both hands, and gently and carefully, lowered it on to Twilight's head. Once he had it in place, he spoke again.

"Twilight Sparkle. By the power and authority given to me and to this Royal Council by Her Grand Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia, I hereby affirm you as Regent of Equestria, and grant to you full rulership over the kingdom of Equestria until such time as Her Majesty Princess Celestia, or Her Majesty Princess Luna returns to the throne. May you always rule with fairness, justice, and compassion. And may wisdom and love guide all of your decisions. Rise now, Lady Twilight, Regent of Equestria."

Twilight pushed her foreleg back under her and stood back up to her full height, and James looked to the rest of the room.

"Brothers and sisters of the Royal Council, honored Captains of the Guard, join me now in affirming our allegiance and loyalty to Lady Twilight, Regent of Equestria."

James looked to Twilight again and placed his right hand over his heart. "I swear full allegiance and loyalty to Lady Twilight, duly appointed by Her Majesty as Regent of Equestria. To serve her with the same faithfulness as I serve Their Majesties themselves, until such time as Their Majesties are able to return to the throne."

Then he stepped aside, and each of the Royal Council members and the four Royal Guard captains took the position he had been in, each raising a hoof to their chest and repeating the same words James had spoken. He could see the whole ceremony was making Twilight nervous and uncomfortable, and was glad this was the last part of it. When all of them had taken their turn repeating the words, James took up his position at the center of the half-circle again.

"The Ceremony of Appointing the Regent is now complete," he announced, feeling a sense of relief inside of himself. Now, he could step out of ceremonial protocol. He reached out to place a comforting hand on Twilight's withers again and said quietly so only she could hear. "Don't worry. The Council usually isn't this formal. Only during official ceremonies like the one we just finished. You can talk to any one of them as you would talk to your closest friends. Yes, they are your Royal Advisers. But they are also your friends." He forced himself give her a reassuring smile, although it was hard to smile given the dark cloud of crisis looming over them. It was hard to even force a smile.

She nodded slightly. "So what … what next?"

"Well, Captain Swordstorm and his guards will need to rest before they can do anything else. They flew all the way to Ponyville and back without a break at much faster than normal cruising speed and had to fight a battle with dragons and griffins along the way. They are beyond exhausted."

"I think you should join them, James. You look terrible yourself. When was the last time you slept?" the unicorn asked in a concerned voice.

"I don't know … I guess, not since last time you were in Canterlot."

"James, that was three days ago. You need to get some sleep." She frowned.

"I'm fine. Really I am," he responded in protest.

She answered with a bit more confidence and determination in her voice. "James … you have to obey me as if I were one of the princesses themselves, do you not?"

He winced, knowing exactly where this was going. "Yes, milady," he responded formally.

Twilight laid her ears back on her head, flicked her tail once, and spoke with a note of authority in her voice now. "Then I am commanding you to get some sleep, James. At least for a few hours. I need you at your best. And I need you to be able to think clearly. You can't do that if you haven't slept in three days."

"Yes, milady," he responded with no hint of emotion in his voice, nodding his head respectfully. Then he turned, and started walking to the door. Despite Twilight's confident and authoritative tone, he was certain he had detected a hint of regret in her voice as well, and her body language had told him she was not at all comfortable having to command him to do anything. Now, he wished he hadn't made her do so. After all, she was right. For at least the last twenty-four hours, he'd basically been running on an adrenaline rush. But even that couldn't keep him going forever. And when it ran out, he would be useless to Twilight, as well as useless to his princesses if he couldn't think clearly and make good decisions.

Reluctantly, despite knowing the wisdom and truth of Twilight's words to him, he climbed the stairs from the underground area, and started down the corridor to the Council living quarters. But how was he actually going to get to sleep? Even though he knew Twilight was right, and he badly needed it, he simply didn't see how he would sleep given the crisis looming over all of Equestria.

Suddenly he stopped, hesitating for a moment. Then he turned around, and walked towards one of the castle doors leading outside instead. He stepped outside, the cold dark night hitting him like ice. Pulling his robe tighter around himself, he walked down the marble stairs of the castle and towards the open air building near the garden. It was the same building he had undergone his Council initiation ceremony in. He stood outside the featureless stone door, hesitating for a moment before reaching and opening it, stepping inside and closing it behind him.

Inside the initiation chamber, it was cold and quiet. Dim torchlight danced off the walls, illuminating the sacred solar and lunar symbols of Celestia and Luna's cutie marks in flickering gold and silver light. The air inside the chamber, once vibrating and pulsing with magical energy, was now cold and still. Now, the building could have passed for the ruins of some ancient temple in Greece or Rome. James looked at the shadows of torchlight dancing on the chamber walls, then looked up at the dark sky. He knew Luna's moon was up there, looking down on the inside of the building, although without her power to illuminate it, it was dark and invisible.

He shivered slightly from the cold, then tilted his head back down again, gazing at Luna's crescent moon symbol. Silver light pulsed and glowed over it as it reflected the light of the torches like the light of a campfire reflecting off of trees in a forest. Even though the moon itself was dim, the Lunar Source was still strong. That meant Luna had to be alive. She had to be. Luna had come to him in his dreams at least twice in the past. If he called to her now, would she hear him? Would she come to him if she did hear him? Could she come to him? In all his life, James had never prayed to anyone or anything. But desperate situations called for desperate measures, he reasoned. He moved until he was standing directly in front of Luna's sacred lunar seal, then knelt and bowed. He spoke softly and quietly.

"Princess Luna … Goddess of the Night … If you can hear me, I implore you … please come to me."

He remained on his knees, his head bowed for a few more seconds, before laying down on his side on the cold, hard floor, the silver image of the crescent moon on the floor underneath him.

The silver crescent moon he lie on began to brighten, emitting light of its own now. The air around him tingled with mystical electricity. The chamber came alive with magic once more, the ethereal power streaking around him, through him, as Princess Luna weaved her magic spell around him. A feeling of sleep began to overcome him, as when Twilight had put a sleeping spell on him when he first arrived in Equestria. But this time, he did not resist it. This time, he opened himself completely to it, inviting Luna's magic to flow into him like water flowing into a lake from a rushing river. Tiredness overcame him, and he closed his eyes, surrendering himself completely to Luna's power.

It was still cold, and he found himself surrounded by a dark mist. Like dark gray smoke filled with soot. A faint silver glow appeared in the mist in front of him, growing stronger as it penetrated through the darkness. Then, the fog began to swirl up, parting to both sides, a shaft of silver light streaming through it. Walking towards him, bathed in the silver light, in all her lunar glory, was the Goddess of the Moon herself. The midnight blue alicorn approached him, the dark mist parting in front of her as if obeying some unspoken command she had given it. Her ethereal blue mane and tail reflected the silver light of the moon, shining brilliantly in the dark, illuminating the night and casting out the shadows. Behind her, the full moon shown brightly, close enough to almost touch. It followed her, framing her regally as if obediently escorting her. As she came closer, the lunar light fell on him too, bathing him in the Night Goddess's silver radiance. He felt Luna's power flow through him, comforting him, strengthening him, and banishing the chill, warming him from the inside. Then, she spoke to him in a soft, warm and caring voice.

"I have heard you call to me, James. And I have come to you."