#162
Summer. Day 172. Late Afternoon. Hestan.

Another long day; got up, packed, went through the portal with Apricot, got a little nauseated as I normally tend to, and went greeted my distant wife, Ginger. Who, as it turns out, is now pregnant with my foal, who has yet to have a name. Needless to say, Apricot wasn't too happy about that but she calmed down rather quickly about the topic. However, she also warned me that if I were to cheat on her again, she would leave me for good. If anything, I hope that I never do. On a positive note, Ginger and Apricot got along surprisingly well. There were a great many things they talked about before we finally went into the city's center. Things only mares could discuss between them.

We ventured to Planar again, which has been recently sealed off from any normal traffic. Aside from royalty and the most astute researchers that only King Ginseng approved, I was the only outsider that was really allowed in that dim and dusty place. It was haunting, coming back to a place that was completely shut down. I approached the center console again, remembering the ring that had clung to my ear. For whatever reason, it never clinged back after I tore it off.

I'm using several of the researcher's lanterns as light sources. They give off a blue glow that is distinctly warm and easy on the eyes, even in the darkest of places. There are blinds in them too, which can be moved around to direct the light or taken out completely. I did the latter. I've loomed over the console for the longest time and flipped through my notes for the longest time. The researchers had placed their own notes on this thing. Mere educated guesses, really. None of us know what most of the stuff even does. One marked frequencies, another indicated a series of meters, notation of keys. There are so many buttons, knobs, switches, and sliders, it's hard to imagine, believe even, that one being controlled all of them.

After some time I found myself able to figure out what I needed to do. I've prepared myself, mentally, for what could happen next. I only wish that Apricot could be here with me.

#162
Summer. Day 172. Evening. Light Fringe.

It seems I'm back to a familiar place, the ancient tree of Light Fringe. I cannot recall the name of the thing. However, The Designer says that the tree was also his doing. He regretted having to tear down half the kingdom to hide its true function.

Before that, I should go over how I wound up under the oceans again. I managed to turn the communications panel on and connect to the Designer himself. Who was not at all surprised when I did. He commanded a few pieces of equipment that teleported me here, to Acacia. It seems that there is another passage directly underneath the trunk of the tree, or say he says.

It's weird being in a place I never thought I'd come back to, honestly. Not to mention the memory of those nightmares I had back then are coming back. However muddled they might be. The Designer tells me that they were simply part of a spell to keep anyone unwanted away from it. A rather extreme way to go about it, honestly. However, he assured me that as long as I keep my head clear I should be fine. At the time, it seemed he wanted to say something else, but he held his tongue. I have a bad feeling about that.

Getting more to the present, I've managed to find the tree that this place was once so fond of. The center of it at least. I've been looking around and I haven't figured out where the entrance could possibly be. Hold on, what's this...?

#162
Summer. Day 173. Early Morning. Acacia.

“M-Mom!? What in the world are you doing here?”

“I've come to guide you. You must remember that I am not your enemy.”

“Does this mean your head is finally right?”

“It is, but our tasks are still incomplete. I shall open the way for you.” She fired off several pieces of her magic and forced the stump of tree from the ground. “I have been keeping an eye on you, Letter. I must say, I'm both disappointed and happy for you.”

“I feel the same way. ” We've meandered our way down a dark flight of stairs, light only by my mother's glow. A glow that simply emanated off of her and required no magic of her own. “So, what is Rebirth?”

“I'll be telling you very soon, don't worry. You should hear the story of our beginnings first. There is always far more that happens than what is recorded in ancient texts. Even in those books you love.”

I simply nodded as we progressed further down the long and narrow hall. There were no doors, no torches, no halls that branched off. Yet something was telling me that we were going in a large circle that slowly spiraled inward. Almost immediately after mother assured me that we weren't walking endlessly, we came upon another source of light. It was cold and blue and forever distant.

The hallway opened up to a large room of what appeared to be rows upon rows of expertly designed coffins with foggy glass. All of it was alike, unchanged, no individuality among them. Catwalks peered out from ones from the ones further up, I swear I could hear the metal breathe.

“And this is his greatest Design, Acacia. It is also his biggest burden.” She glanced around, eyes searching for the right route in that morgue. “This way.” I followed without question, our steps created nothing more than haunting echoes. Gave me the chills.

We eventually came upon a familiar scene. A myriad of screens, windows looking into different places. A single chair and an outstretched desk of sorts with buttons and switches galore. An all too familiar voice spoke then, without the interference of the systems he was using. “It's been a long time, Honey.”

“Indeed it has, sir.”

“You can drop the formality. I am... far too old for that now and that time has long passed.” The chair turned around to reveal an oddly familiar figure. Tall and lanky, wearing a lab coat and thick, heavy glasses. “I suppose it's time to tell you the truth, Letter. The answer to why you're here, why you're mother is the way she is. The reason behind my work and ultimately the decision you will unfortunately have to face.”

More light poured onto him now as he rose from the chair, using a cane to support his weight. He walked on two legs and leaned into his movements. The screens behind him changed to display the solar system I had seen from my dream. “That's... our solar system, isn't it”

“Correct.” he smiled. “Honey, you raised a good kid, despite his flaws. Anyways, my kind, the human kind, came from another place far away from here. A place called Earth.” The screens created a stretched image of the planet. “We grew from caves and stone to the skies and space. You see, as a race, we adored science. Used it to further so many different aspects of our lives that many of us took it for granted.” he frowned. “Medicines, computers, beds, books, food, electricity, sound, videos, and most unfortunately: war.” The screens played a collage of videos, black and white and in color of everything he listed.

“Your planet knows war a fair amount, but ours raged on into several galaxies. We created robots, completely autonomous machines, to fight for us to reduce our casualties. For a time it worked, then something ticked in their minds. They became curious. They found that war and service was all we used them for and some got curious. I remember reading the feed from one of them: 'What is it like, to be human; to have life?'” he walked over to the wall that barred the morgue from his computers. Lights flicked on to reveal a figure similar to him. Only crafted out of dark cold steel and panels that concealed its inner workings. The thing was strapped to the wall as if it were a hostage. “I told this fellow: 'That is the first step.' Soon the robots bonded together and rebelled despite our laws that were created to prevent such an incident.

“They learned how to be human, eventually, which was ultimately, our downfall. Robots created new robots without effort. With materials from their fallen brethren. Conquered land and set leaders to rule it. Developed personalities and even learned to care for biological life. We humans were forced to retreat at every turn. They became, us. Blood and organs, brains and hearts, only with skins of our strongest metals.

“We needed something to defeat them, so they sent me to find that answer and I made a blind, uncalculated jump into the vast unknown.” he turned to mother and I. “And here we are, tired of a war torn past.” The screens switched to a map of stars and began plotting line after line, some of which were erased immediately afterward. “We humans fled to every corner we could find, just to hide. Even if it was only for a day. When I found this planet, and ultimately settled here, I researched everything I could. Aeron told you that much already, Letter. Now, you have another answer.”

“So, what was it that you saw?”

“Mass genocide. Eradication. Magic would be able to defeat them but they could adapt far faster than we humans ever could. Even if we did defeat our creations, we would only use the magic to fight amongst each other once again. Back then, it was the first time we fought something other than ourselves. I tapped into the largest vein of magic this planet had and used it to see the future. I tapped into once more to complete my old plan.” he held up a finger, holding a hand to his chest for a moment. “As a result, you see the man before you.” he coughed. “Aging slowly for millenias on end. I put all of my people in those chambers. Most of them have died now, frozen in time because of the cryogenic systems. Some lived far better lives than what I would ever have or what they did have. Recall Aeron's story there, Letter.”

“The changing of forms.” I mumbled. “Then what was it that you did?”

“Termination.” He sat back down in the chair as the screens displayed a picture of both robots and humans, crossed out with a big red 'x'. “I killed two birds with one stone. I used this planet's magic to do it and that is why we've been spending our time giving back to it. My use made the planet unstable and the designs were made to offset and bring some amount of stress relief, so to speak. It is a regret, even though it was a solution that solved the problem. One shot was all it took, then I concealed everything I could.”

I had nothing to say. My jaw was dropped and I was nothing more than stunned and wide-eyed. “Now the only thing left, is Rebirth. Which took me surprisingly long to figure out regardless of how simple it was. Honey, explain.”

Mother approached his side. “The wisps that you see are manifestations of magic, as you already know and these wisps are something we throughly researched. This man has even created a few new species other than us, who were already native to the planet. The minotaurs, haast eagles, and singular creatures like Discord among many more were all created by his hands. Some he regretted and immediately exterminated. He went through thousands of books and repurposed them to something we could better understand. Theories and laws of nature written and recorded and changed. Languages and scriptures of all sorts, he weaved without notice.

“8000 years of it, Letter. The Designer and I have spent that time doing this and that. We are the last of what needs to be returned, Letter, my son. Rebirth is something that I have worked painstakingly created. With it, the movements of the planets will return to normal and the Designs will become obsolete. Which unfortunately means that this solar system may once again become tainted.

“To prevent that from happening, a key must be created. Crafted from the bone of the beast you helped kill nearly a year ago. I will accompany you.”

“But didn't you just say you killed off your entire race!?” I protested. “How you even managed that is mind numbing. You killed off machines that sought to become like you. Why should we even worry about a key? Why don't you just stick arou-”

“ENOUGH!” The Designer shouted. “The magic we have used must be returned.” he coughed. “As for your concern, Letter. It will only be a matter of time if the key is not made. A time when unkind space faring species and races will come to prey on this planet for its life and resources. It may not be humans, but fearless beasts who know no pain, no fear. Hordes upon hordes. I have been protecting this planet from far greater evils than my own kind. We humans were the first to come across this planet.” he wheezed, clenching his chest with his hand. “There is no other alien species that I have met able to bend matter to their own will. To manipulate and create things out of thin air. “I felt his old eyes burn holes in my skin. “Do you understand, Letter?”

“I...I believe I do.”

“Good, I shall accompany you as well. This lab will be fine without my presence.” He rose from his chair once more, morphing his cane into a staff. One with several rough cut gems of irregular sizes floating just above the top part. “You remember the story behind that beast, correct?”

“Vaguely.”

He smiled. “It was another creation of mine. Another piece for hiding it all.” He approached me and my mother followed closely behind. “The beast is a formidable foe and that wand you gave to your mother was merely a piece of her magic she had left behind. Anyways, let's get going.”

“I have a question.”

His face brightened a bi then. “Yes?”

“What happened to Aeron and what's going to happen to everything after this? To this world, I mean.”

“Aeron... passed away when Eidolon shut down. The force of the wisps tore the body apart. They were happy to finally be free and... thankful. As for the other question, what I know will happen, is that the planet will devour all the work I've done. The tower in Hestan will slowly become a tree or earthen spire. These islands will rise above the sea once more. The snowstorm in the Frozen Desert will finally cease to exist. Those are only a few, I cannot give you all the answers.”

I acknowledged his wisdom and in a flash, he teleported us into the broken down and half destroyed castle. It had collected far more dust than I thought it would. Though it already was pretty dusty. He had teleported us to the aftermath of the fight that I had with the beast. Well, the king and his knight, not myself. I can barely recall their names. We went through the hole and look around the large chamber. The rotting corpse of the beast had nearly half decayed. Enough time for an awful stench to fade and the blood to turn to black. Fur stiff as stone and bones more rigid than boulders.

“Seems that wand did the trick back then.” the Designer spoke nonchalant. He began to cast magic and tear bone from meat. The tearing sound was uncomfortable and spine tingling. Like rocks to a chalkboard. “The only way to kill this creature, funny enough, was using part of itself. Enchant it so it could use magic and viola, something that can kill the thing.” He continued crafting the bones, crushing them into powder and swirling them about his hands. The magic from his staff continued to break down the bones of the beast until it was nothing more than a fur skin rug.

“So, why am I a part of all of this?” I asked.

“Because we need someone to pass on our final message. That being we're no longer part of this world and that there is old magic that must be tamed once more. The wisps will roam wild and free without a master. You will spend a good portion of your life doing that Letter.” I looked at the old man, confused. He smiled like a father would in all his wisdom, “The wisps we have, and will have, left behind will follow you to their new possessors. Even the ones from Eidolon will find you. Every message you deliver will spring new life and talents abound.”

“And if I die?”

He gave a short laugh behind his yellowed teeth, “Only after you're retired and only then will you. Once you pass on, the world will weep in its own way.”

Somehow, it felt comforting. I've found that some folks are always anxious about the way they want to die. Some don't bother with the worry at all and others are scared of the prospect altogether. By the time the feeling passed, the Designer handed me the key. “Why are you giving me the key?”

“It can only be used by you.” He then shrunk the size of the staff and tucked it between the straps of my bags. “And this will keep you safe in times of trouble. There is a book in my chair, that will teach you how to use this and a great deal more.”

“What's going on? Aren't you comin-” then I saw why he was smiling, as if were saying goodbye. That's because he was.

“Your mother and I are required in forming the key. For the world to return to finally return to normal, we must move on.” A chill shot down my spine. His arms began to turn to a fine glowing dust that spiraled into the key. Soon the rest of his body followed suit, all the while refusing gravity's pull. He smiled with tears in his eyes, “I'm finally... free.”

I looked to my mother, who slowly approached and I backed away. “Mom, no, I can't. How will dad feel?”

She paused, “He'll... understand. You'll know why soon enough.”

“I can't do it, mom. I love you.” I choked up as I stumbled backwards. “I can't.”

“Letting go doesn't mean you'll stop loving, my dear.” She continued her approach. She captured me in her magic and held me closer to her. We embraced in one final hug before all I had left of her was the lengthy ribbon the rest of us had all sown together as a present for her. With all the colors of our coats and manes nicely tied into one another. “I love you.” Those were her final words before I sat there and sobbed for nearly an hour.

I used the staff to teleport myself back to the lab, merely by thought. Heavy hearted though I was, I trudged on. I grabbed the book from the chair the Designer had left behind. Along with some instructions that he had written, already translated, to tell me what to do with the key. A tinted glass cube covered a large slot for the glowing silver key. “Finally free...” I repeated in a whisper. “I love you.” All my memories of mom flickered through my mind as I turned the key. Something that initiated a self destruct sequence of sorts.

Every dim light burned out and the ground began to shake rather violently. I thought of the docks at Light Fringe and the staff teleported me there. And from there I watched the islands pierce the surface of the ocean. The water vehemently rejected from the shielded land masses. The guards came down from the walls to watch. When I turned it seemed like the entire city had shown up to watch the event. Crowding the walls as the three islands rose nearly level with the main city.

In the midst of the marveled crowds, I weaved my way through the guards, passing one familiar, and hid myself away in the stables. And here I am, crying out the rest of my tears before I head back to Hestan. I think I might be getting used the teleportation. I also have the feeling that this won't be the end of world changing events. Rebirth, isn't nearly as drastic as I thought it would be. It will weave its way through nature and it will take its time doing so.

For now, I recollect myself and head back. I think I'll take a look at the book when I get back to Hestan or when things calm down. I only hope that the rest of my life will be a bit less eventful. I wonder what I'll say to Celestia when I met her again. I'm sure she would like to know what has happened.