New Moon (My Little Pony)

23 The Story of Thestrals (5/6)

"My name is Romulus," the male thestral introduced himself. He led us into a chamber within the darkness where my illumination spell revealed the presence of apathetic thestrals. A flock of their race respectively cared for them, but they appeared indifferent to their caress.

"I lead the thestrals here in hopes of survival of the plague that ails us."

"Are they sick," Luna asked.

"We would be joyous if that were our plight. But our crisis is tied to the creature thou hath met in my brother's dream. I must thank you for protecting my brother. He is the only one left I have from my blood."

"I am afraid that we do not understand," I voiced. "Perhaps if thou could explain from the beginning."

"Long ago, we thestrals came from a lush forest and an underground cave that connected to every crevice of that forest. We lived in harmony for centuries until one of us was afflicted by a terrible dream. The monster is malevolent and hungers for the will of the living. It would haunt its hosts, gradually sapping their determination until they become of a husk of themselves. Soon after, the host would lose purpose to live and resign themself to the afterlife. And once done with its prey, it would move to another and continue to feast upon others' will. We call this nightmarish parasite, the Tantabus. To stop the creature's spreading to the other spreadings, the leaders of the forest commanded for the families of the afflicted to be rounded and exiled from the forest. We, the exiled thestrals, hath traveled the lands in hopes of finding a cure for the infection. To finally be rid of this monster so that we can return back to the forest."

"And thou is the leader of this group," Luna voiced. "I do not mean to sound rude, but thou appear younger than I."

"Yes," Romulus confirmed. "I hath not lived long enough to bear enough wisdom to lead a throng of creatures. However, I am all that we have. The Tantabus hath claimed the lives of our elders and hath left me as the oldest to lead the young."

"That is terrible," Luna commented. "To bear such a responsibility at such a young age."

"Perhaps I will not have to endure it much longer," Romulus looked at my student. "Thou hath driven the Tantabus away from my brother, but it will continue its claim for my brother as long as it kind hide in the mind of another. If thou is able to corner the monster and smite it, we can finally be free."

"Thou wants my student to face the creature," I voiced at Romulus's suggestion. "Alone?"

"How dost thou propose I corner this creature," Luna asked.

"Luna," I confronted my student. "Restrain yourself. You cannot confront this creature alone. Not without some pony to aid you."

"Then can I call this accomplishment my own," Luna argued. "No pony will acknowledge my achievement if some other pony is there to share the credit. Especially if that pony is their Princess."

"Thou is being rash," I retorted. "There is little we know of this creature. Dost thou even know it can be smitten within the dreamscape?"

"I will not know unless I hath cornered it."

"Do not be in a rush to end yourself, Luna."

"We cannot wait, Celestia," she retorted. "The longer we idle by to concoct a way to resolve this, the Tantabus will claim more lives. It has already claimed a generation. We cannot let it claim another."

"..." I wanted to find a reason, some word that could have stopped her from going through with this. But the determination in her eyes showed that no creature, not even I, would avert her from this course. I sighed at my student's stubborn generosity. That was supposed to be one of my elements. "If the event appears to look bad, I shall intervene."

"I promise that it won't."