Wonders of the World

Tuli lay on the couch in the living room of Avan's house, fast asleep. It was far past noon, but she hadn't awoken. Why was this? Well, she had been up all night trying to figure something out. But she had fallen asleep just as the sun had been risen. As she breathed quietly, all seemed still in Avan's house.

OOC: Feeling somewhat lazy. Deal with it.

Avan sat in his study; books laying everywhere. He flipped though the book infront of him; before closing it and sighing. Nothing. He had been working hard for the last few days trying to find a spell that would give Tuli immortality like him, but the spell just didn't exist. He had pulled every book from his bookshelf that had to due with life, magic, and most of all, life magic...which made up pretty much every book in his study. He pulled himself to his hooves; and carefully stepped over his books as he made his way to the hallway.

He paused and trotted to Tuli's room, and frowned when he saw that she was missing from her bed. He glanced out the window and noted that the sun was in the sky. How long had it been since Avan slept? The Alicorn paused to dwell on that question before turning and making his way down the stairs and to the living room.

Oh; there she was. He smiled when he saw the sleeping form of Tuli. He wouldn't be surprise if she was a bit upset at him; after leaving the garden so suddenly a few days ago; and having barely spoken to her since...He had just been so worked up about finding an immortality spell.

He pulled off his robe and hung it on the living room hanger; having a hanger just for his robe in every room. He flickered his wings, stretching them for the first time in days. Hopefully Tuli had been taking good care of his garden with the help of Orchid... He sat down on one of the other couches that sat in the Living Room; waiting for Tuli to wake up.

About five minutes after Avan had came into the room, Tuli woke up. Yawning, she felt like drifting back to sleep. Looking around, she noticed Avan there. But it was a surprise to her! "Gah!" She fell off the couch at the presence of the alicorn, because she was totally not expecting him there. "Avan, you scared me!" Tuli said, standing up. Something was different about the way Avan looked, but then she immediately got it. He had taken his robe off! But... why? Sitting back down on the couch, she didn't notice for awhile, but she was massively blushing. Well, that is what one might get for falling off a couch right before somepony! But as it faded away, she just had to ask the question. "Avan, why did you leave the garden all of a sudden that day?"

Avan grinned when Tuli fell from the couch; letting out a laugh. "Good morning to you also; Tuli." He fluttered his wings; letting out a small yawn. "Sorry about scaring you; Tuli. I didn't mean too." He paused as he glanced at his left wing; hoping she hadn't noticed the scar that it held. It had been two thousand years since getting it; but Avan wasn't letting it fade away. It was a nice reminder of his journey to Equestria; leaving Coal and Blooming behide...His ears flickered as Tuli asked the question, pulling him from his thoughts. His head quickly turning to face her. What would he say? He frowned as he attempted to figure out what to say, his eyes clearly showing that he hadn't slept ever since that day. As an Alicorn; he was able to go longer without sleep but it wasn't very good for him to do so. "I-I went to look for a spell. Sadly...the spell I want doesn't exist..." he muttered, lowering his head.

Tuli flicked a loose strand of hair from her mane back in place, as she tried to listen what Avan was saying, but she couldn't make it exactly out. It was something about a spell... "Avan, what's this about a spell?" She asked, but then she understood. "Avan... Is there something your not telling me?" Was another question. But she didn't want to bombard him with questions. She would stop with those.

Avan was quite, before he sighed. "This spell I want is to stop me from feeling the same pain I felt two thousand years ago, and that I once again felt one thousand and ten years ago on the first Summer Sun Celebration. I'm tried of feeling the same pain..." he grew silent, shaking his head. He didn't want to feel the pain of losing somepony he cared about...He didn't want to feel the pain that he felt when he left Coal and Blooming behide; or when he found out that Luna and Sol were trapped for those 1000 years...He didn't want to feel the pain that he would feel when Tuli would age and die without him. "The spell...The spell is an immortality spell. Tuli...I-I think I love you...I don't want too, but I do. I don't want to lose you Tuli like I have lost almost everypony else in my life. I want to find a spell that will stop aging so that we would be able to be together." He let out a small laugh; rubbing his eye with his hoof. "I-I haven't slept in days because I've been trying to find this spell."

Tuli looked down as she thought over what Avan said. "Avan... If I had known..." she whispered. Looking at him, small tears brimmed her eyes. "Well, I don't think you deserve anymore heartbreak..." She said. It was an honest truth; and a gentlecolt like him shouldn't deal with these things. "Don't fight your feelings, Avan. It's not worth it. If you do love me, don't fight that feeling." Tuli said, softly. And I do have special feelings for him also...

Avan sighed sadly as he turned back to the scar on his wing; gently prodding it with his hoof. "Part of my heartbreak has been caused by me; paperhangers if I didn't leave Equestria...It has been so many years since I've seen Luna...or Celestia for that matter." He said the oldest alicorn's name with a hint of bitterness. He glanced back at Tuli, sadness sparkling in his eyes. "I...I thank you; Tuli. Heartbreak seems to be something us Alicorns have to live with, but my mother always said that knowing heartbreak would help me do my job as the Caretaker of Life. I know how dark life can be at times, but I know how wonderful it can be; but also how dark it can be at times and how life always carries on though the dark moments."

Tuli sighed. "Avan... I have to admit, I-I do love you, also..." The unicorn said. Looking back down at her hooves, she thought on how Avan could find, or make the spell to make her immortal. "Avan, why not make the ageless spell? I mean, you can create flowers, and take care of life... I believe you could create one." She told him.

OOC: Feeling lazy on this one

Avan paused; tilting his head. "Perhaps...But making flowers and crafting spells that effect Alicorns are two very different things. However; I can always try." A smile appeared on his face, his eyes shining. However; another thought came into his mind. "Er; I believe I heard something about the Crystal Empire when we first met...has it returned after all these years? Is Prince Sombra ruling it once again?" It was a odd question; but Avan had no reason to go to the cold northern area that had once held the Crystal Empire as last he had heard it Sombra had locked it away. Also is Luna was recovered from becoming Nightmare Moon, perhaps Sombra was back to his normal self? But wait...then why was Luna in Canterlot if Sombra was back? Had something happened once again to the once beloved prince?

Tuli nodded. "Yes. It is back. I hear that a foal, daughter of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, is here and she comes from the empire. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor are the ones who rule the empire, from what I heard when I was at a party before I came here." She said what she had known. A smile shone upon the unicorn's face as she got up from the couch. Stretching, a questioning look came upon her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

He frowned, sighing. "Oh...I was just wondering if Pri-Er, King Sombra had returned also. He was the ruler of the empire before he turned evil...I also was good friends with his wife." Avan sighed. He figured he shouldn't go around saying that Luna was married to Sombra, and if this 'Cadance' and 'Shining Armor' were ruling it; that meant that either Sombra was still trapped in the ice or something even worst happened...and Avan figured it was the latter one.

Tuli shook her head. "No. Sombra hasn't returned. Last time he was about, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends helped Cadence and Shining Armor keep him from ruling the Empire once more. But I still thing Sombra is the rightful ruler of the Empire." She admitted truthfully. That was what she had heard, and it was only about 15 years ago when he had returned.

Avan grinned softly. "He was the rightful ruler. He was the prince of the Crystal Empire before he met his wife and they married; but even then they both went and ruled over it together. I still remembered when I heard what had happened to him..." Avan clicked his tongue and shook his head. "He went insane trying to find a way to protect the Crystal Empire; he had tapped into the power of the dark crystals. Luna and Celestia had no choice but to lock in away in the ice. Luna and Celestia believed that him causing the Crystal Empire to disappear was his final act of trying to keep it safe...Sombra was a good pony; it is a shame to hear that he no longer controls the Empire...I wonder what happened to him. Do you don't happen to know of his fate after Twilight and the new rulers protected the Crystal Empire from him; do you? Even a rumor would be nice."

Tuli grinned. She knew this answer after studying. " Yes, I know his fate. He is not trapped in ice, but freely able to roam the tundra surrounding the empire. For nopony knows where he exactly is out there, but he is free to roam, unable to enter the empire. " She said, that huge grin still there.



Ooc: This may be short, I have a headache and I am postig this from my tablet.

Avan frowned. "What a shame...Oh how hard that has to be on him. All he wanted to do was keep his Empire safe." He shook his head, and grabbed his robe. He pulled it on over his wings and after nuzzling the robe fondly for a second, he sat up. "What should we do? We can't sit here all day."

Tuli shrugged. " I have no clue... should we go to the Golden Oaks Library and try and figure out clues to an immortality spell, and more about King Sombra? " She asked. Tuli didn't have much ideas at the moment.

"Hm...We could do that..." He paused, glancing at his garden. He doubt she had found his hidden flowers; the ones he had made after his parents. He pulled himself to his feet and trotted toward the door that led to his garden. "Come here first; I want to show you two flowers. I figured it may help you to learn my history."

Tuli nodded, following close behind Avan out to the garden. His... History? She thought. Avan had told her that he came from Canterlot. This made her wonder. "Okay." Tuli quietly said.

Trotting into the garden, Avan headed toward a plain bush; which if you thought about it; it was odd as it didn't seem to grow anything that you could pick. His horn started to glow and the bush broke into two; revealing a pathway to a hidden part of the garden. "One thousand, eight hundred and sixty-six years ago give or take; I was born. I however; was not born in Equestria. No; I was born across the ocean; in a land ruled by my parents. I have four older siblings and I had never met a earth pony, pegasus, or  even an unicorn until I was 500." He paused infront of two different kind of flowers. One of them was pure black; even the stem; the leaves hung limp as if the flower was dead but a dark glow came from the flower. Next to the flowers as a black and white one; the petals changing color in a orderly fashion, and if you took the time to count the black and white petals would you note that they are even. The stem was a dark brown, with green vines curled around it, looking a bit like Avan's robe. "These two flowers I made in honor of my parents. The black one is called Blooming Death, in honor of my father Mortis; also known as the Grim Reaper. The black and white one I called Tao Flower, which is based off of my mother's cutie mark and that her job was to make sure that balance was kept dealing with life and death." He paused as he watched the flowers, shaking his head. "I haven't seen my family for over one thousand years...one thousands, and sixty-six years since I've left them. I was only 800, a teenager for an Alicorn."

Occ: Woo, now I can smooth out Avan's history in the next few posts!

ooc: Lul


IC:

Tuli nodded, her eyes widening with excitement at the flowers. "Oh Avan... These are beautiful..." She whispered, looking at the flowers. As she heard Avan say his true age, she held back a smile. "So, that's how old you are? Wow... What a dread it must have been. Being a kid for so long..." She trailed off, gazing in wonder at the flowers. As she gently touched the pure black flower, a sad feeling shot through her. But as she gently touched the black and white one, a happy, content feeling took over. "Avan, did you know that flowers give feelings?"

Avan shrugged. "I never knew better as a kid; I only knew other Alicorns so I figured that when you are 500 and you still can't fly it isn't anything big." He paused as he watched her touch the flowers. "Yea; they do that. One is the symbol of death, one is the symbol of life and so I let whoever touch them feel the feeling that normally is felt with each one. My father was always serious; while my mother was carefree. Complete opposites but yet they got along so well together." He paused as he sat down next to the flowers; using his magic to gently prod at them. "Anyways...back to my history as it is far from over... At the age of 800, I was good friends with a friendly mare named Blooming Rays, but when she heard of a rumor talking of a family of Alicorns that ruled a land across the sea; she begged me to find them as she knew that I would never be happy if I only had my family to live forever at my sides. I soon took off on my journey; only it didn't go as well as I was hoping..." With a sigh; he used his magic to lift up the left part of his robe and he stretched out his left wing; pointing out the bite-marked shaped scar on it. "A week or two into my trip I was attacked; I'm lucky that I only escaped with that scar. The rest of my journey was easy compared to having to fight a wild wolpentinger."

Tuli nodded, before standing up. "I don't blame you, Avan. Leaving your kingdom to find what was a rumor, which was true, I assume, and leaving your family..." She looked at Avan's wing, and she had a curious gaze. "You must have accidentally entered its home." She murmured. Why would a animal attack somepony on random? Tuli knew nothing on wolpentingers, but that was what she assumed. "I am just glad that you made it past that thing with only a scar..." Looking back to the flowers, she put her hoof in between the flowers, only to feel love. It made her think of what Avan said. Complete opposites, but they got along so well. So they must have loved each other a lot. Taking her hoof away, Tuli had a smile on her face. He should really trust me to show me these...

He smiled, flickering his wings. "Yea; I got caught in the middle of a storm so I took refuge in its den, which I recall being a bit big for a wolpentinger but I figured something else lived there before it. Let see..." he paused as he attempted to recall what had happened next on his journey. "I reached the sea after that; and after being well enough to fly I flew over it; landing whenever I could go. I met some interesting creatures during my trip, but er, nothing that important..." It wasn't hard to tell he was lying a bit on that one, but he quickly moved on. "After that I landed on the shores of Equestria. I traveled around; learned that there was thr-two alicorns ruling the kingdom and so I finally traveled to where they lived; in the middle of the Everfree forest." A soft smile appeared on his face. "The Everfree was claim back then; not the dark place it is now. It was called the Everfree because when you were in it it seems that there was no rules holding you; that you could be as free as you wished. All kind of plants grew there; some I had never seen before and some I had only heard rumors about. I finally reached the castle and knew that my journey was finally at an end; the rumors were true...I hadn't left everything I knew for nothing."

Tuli had a smile still on her face. "It was worth it though, correct?" She said. "I would understand if you said it wasn't, since you had to leave your family..." Tuli added. Her smile faded as she looked back to where the window was to her room. The mare thought about her mother, who had died a year before she came to Ponyville. Avan's garden reminded her of the sweet pink mare who raised her, and helped Tuli with the flowers she planted in Canterlot. She often left his garden early with this thought. But it was never able to be ignored.





Ooc: Good job me, for I posted this on my tablet!