//------------------------------//
// 2 Reluctant Awakenings 
// Story: The Cadenza Prophecies 
// by iisaw 
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Chapter Two - Reluctant Awakenings

Tempest groaned and stirred. The stubby little yeti looked up from the plate of sweets he had been gobbling, and I looked over the top of my book at her.

Her eyes opened and she blinked rapidly, trying to focus and then understand her surroundings.

"Do you want some water?" I asked, floating a glass with a straw over to her from the sideboard.

She jerked upright and there was a pathetic little fizzle and pop from her horn as she tried to fry me. Then she struggled futilely with her restraints, trying to reach the chain halter that held her suppressor ring in place. Then she tried to blow the suppressor off with sheer brute force. It told me a lot about her that she had even attempted that.

The golden ornamentation of the bedroom threw back little reflections of the tiny sparks she managed to emit, but other than producing a slight whiff of ozone, her efforts achieved nothing. 

"Are you done?" I asked. "That ring is pure orichalcum and was made by Clover the Clever herself. Even Celestia wouldn't be able to overpower it."

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then looked around at the room, carefully noting where the windows and doors were located. She looked down at the silk sheets that covered the back half of her body and then kicked them off, revealing the chains that held her to the bed.

The little yeti trotted over to her holding out one of the pastries. "You want a cream cake? They're really good!"

"Get this ring off of me, Grubber! Rip it off!" Tempest screamed at him.

He jumped back and cringed, throwing a frightened glance my way. "I… I'm sorry boss, but I… I can't."

I half expected her to pass out again, given the beating she'd taken and how agitated she'd become, but she simply turned her gaze on me, teeth clenched and bared, and eyes filled with anger.

"Where am I?" she demanded. 

I set my book down on the table next to my armchair and stood up. "You—" I said, as I walked over to the bed and loomed over her, "—are in the Twilight Town Embassy in Canterlot. This is sovereign territory, and I'm the sovereign. I hope you're an intelligent mare who can understand exactly what that means for your future health and well-being, because walking you through it step-by-step would be tedious, and I'm really not in the mood."

It was like snuffing out a candle. She just gave up and collapsed, her head hitting the pillow with a soft whump. "It means I'll never get my horn back, now," she said.

"Yes, Grubber told me something about that," I said.

If looks could kill, the little yeti would have been reduced to a fine mist. He wiped frosting off his face and gave Tempest a sheepish grin. "She already guessed most of it, boss!"

"Reconstructing a horn costs a fortune, yes," I said, and my brows furrowed as I stared at her incredulously, "But, attacking the only place in the world that can do the work has got to be the stupidest—"

The mare sat up as much as she could. "Only an immense amount of magic could do it! Don't try and tell me you'd just give away the magic of all four princesses…" She trailed off. I think my exasperated expression and emphatic face-hoof had something to do with it.

"Raw power can't recreate something as intricate as a unicorn's horn." I told her. "It does take powerful magic, yes, but also a lot of specialized knowledge, extremely rare materials, and precise detail work. Our doctors can do it if—"

"Impossible!" Tempest growled. "I searched for years—"

I rolled my eyes and cut her off, "So you don't believe me—an alicorn scholar—but some barbaric yeti warlord who hasn't met more than three unicorns in his entire life is an expert? Yes, it wasn't possible until recently, but magic is not static. The first successful reconstruction was performed two and a half years ago,[1] but since you've been off in foreign lands working as a toady for petty dictators, I guess you hadn't heard."  I shook my head in disgust and bit down on my lower lip, trying not to lose my temper.
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[1] I ought to know, because I was the one who brought the key matrix back from a neighboring universe.
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"I did what I had to," she said, her features falling into an expressionless mask. "I wanted my horn back, and the Storm King was the only one who offered to do it for me. He was the only one who even seemed to care."

I tried to keep my voice as calm and level as possible. "We all make mistakes, and I can sympathize. Next to losing my friends, losing my magic is the worst thing I can imagine."

"I lost my friends because I lost my magic."

I frowned at her. "Earth ponies have friends," I said.

She stared at me for a long moment before turning her head away. "You don't understand."

The mare could have used a couple dozen friendship lessons, but I just shrugged. "Well then, why don't we switch subjects? I'm interested in what information you can give me about the Storm King's armada. How many ships does he have? What sort of weaponry? What are his intentions? Things like that."

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Why should you be loyal to a creature that lied to you and then set you up for a humiliating failure? Sailing into Canterlot when the entire horn and wing quartet was going to be present was—"

"That was the whole point!" she snarled at me. "We needed all four of you to fully power the Staff of  Sacanas! And defeating the mighty alicorns while all those other rulers looked on would have cowed them into submitting to us! It was an ideal plan!"

Well, that was a nice titbit of information. I thought that if I kept her a little angry she might let more things slip. "Except the show you actually put on was of an entire fleet being sunk by a bunch of mares in party dresses. How do you think your king is going to react to that news?"

Grubber nearly choked on a cupcake and Tempest actually laughed. It was a bitter laugh, but it was a laugh.

"Hey," the little yeti asked eagerly. "This is, like, an embassy, right? Howzabout you gimme some of that—whatchacallit—diplomatic immunity? I'm cooperating like mad here!"

"I think you mean political asylum," I replied.

"No! I'm not crazy or nothin'. I just don't want to be around when the Storm King hears about this."

"Grubber, you idiot," Tempest said, wearily. She turned to me. "I had to work my tail off to sell the King on this plan. When he hears about the disaster, he won't want anything to do with Equestria. I'll give you all the information you want, but you're in no further danger from him."

"Mmm," I replied noncommittally. I obviously couldn’t accept Tempest’s assessment unsupported and on the spot. Anyway, even if the warlord was no longer a threat to Equestria, I fully intended to be a threat to him. 

"Well, if you intend to cooperate, I suppose I should allow you more freedom of movement." I touched her bonds with my magic, deliberately hesitated, and withdrew. 

"Hey!" she cried out, straining at her chains. The steel links were thick, but the bed frame creaked and there was a cracking noise from somewhere beneath the mattress. Stars, but that mare was strong. "Truce, right? Leave the ring on, but let me up."

"Alright," I said, keeping my voice as casual and normal as possible. I hoped my little ploy to play on her impatience had upset her just enough to make it hard for her to lie convincingly. "But give me one little bit of info first."

"Sure, sure!," she replied and tugged at her chains again.

"How do I de-petrify somepony hit by one of those dark magic orbs of yours?" This was the primary question I had really wanted answered all along, of course.

She was desperate to be free of her bonds. She answered without hesitation or any attempt to bargain for the information. "We had some orbs that reverse the spell, but those went down with the ships. I suppose a disruption spell ought to do it, but it'll have to be an extremely powerful one to overcome the amount of mana packed into those potions."

"'Ought to'?" I wasn't ready to relax just yet.

She shrugged.

I supposed that would have to be good enough. I set the tumblers in the lock and opened it, letting the chains slide free. Tempest rolled out of the bed and stretched, making sure to keep her movements slow and non-threatening.

"You have the run of the suite," I told her. "If you need anything, just call for the guard outside the door."

"Aren't you going to stay for my information dump?"

"There are writing tools and paper in the desk over there. Just put down everything you know about the Storm King's military and plans, and I'll go over it later and come up with questions for you."

She looked surprised at this but said nothing. In fact, she made a furtive little shushing gesture at Grubber when it looked like he was going to say something.

I opened the door and stepped half-way through before pausing and turning back. "Oh! I almost forgot. If you leave this suite, your ring will instantly become white hot and stay that way for long enough to burn through your skull, so don't try to escape. If nothing else, think of the poor cleaning staff."

I stepped through the door and gently closed it behind me.


= = =


"Is she furious with me for abducting Tempest?" I asked Spike as we walked toward Celestia's private audience chamber.

He held out a spread paw and wiggled it slightly. "Just miffed, I'd say. She's more worried about Rarity than anything else."

I nodded. "And the others?"

Spike held up his paw again and counted them off on his claws. "Cadance had to calm down the leaders and their delegations. After some of them saw Celestia destroy a magically-armored battleship with one shot, they're almost as afraid of her as they were of the invasion fleet!"

"The bay was open," I explained to him. "Her little sunfire bolt didn't have to penetrate any magic armor. She just detonated it right under the center of the bay and it burned up through the overhead and into the gas cells. She had thermodynamics on her side."

Spike shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't think any of them know that, and it sure looked impressive!" 

I sighed. "I'm sure Celestia knew exactly how it would look."

"Luna's just waiting for you to show up. After Celestia figured out you'd made off with that ugly, broken-horned mare, Luna was the one that calmed her down." He paused and thought back. "Said you'd get the information they needed and there wouldn't be any fuss about it or need to worry about 'niceties.' I don't mind telling you, I was pretty upset, too… I mean, not like Xahjir, or anything, but kinda, yeah. But Luna was just so calm and matter-of-fact about it, that we just assumed… You did find out how to get Rarity back, right?"

"Of course," I said.

"I knew you would!" he said cheerfully. His voice was light and confident, but his tight shoulders relaxed and he let out a long breath. "You know, I think Cadance is kinda disappointed she missed out on the action!"

I grinned. "Could be, Spike. She's no lightweight when her instincts kick in. How about the girls?"

"Fluttershy's still gone, but AJ and Dash are…" He hesitated.

"They're okay, right?"

"Oh yeah, yeah! They're fine! They were both bragging about how many yetis they took out, and they didn't seem worried at all. Heck, AJ told me not to worry! Then they… uh... " Was he blushing? It was hard to tell and he quickly changed the subject. "Pinkie's fine, too. She's supervising the clean-up and preparing for tomorrow's celebration."  

I was curious about how the festival would continue, and how it would impact the original schedule, but at that moment we entered the hall where the audience room was and I didn't have time to question him further. As long as my friends were okay; that's all that really mattered to me.

The guards opened the doors and announced us. Just a short while before, as the most junior Equestrian princess, and faced with expectant stares from Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Sultan Xahjir, I would probably have cleared my throat nervously, hesitated, or stuttered, but those days were behind me. I knew exactly the foremost question on their minds, and I didn't make them ask. I didn't even bother with greetings. "The Fail-Safe spell should do it, but I need to have as much supporting power available as possible when I cast it. I think those spheres were designed to overcome alicorn-level magic."

Xahjir exhaled so loudly it was almost a moan. "Bless you a thousand times, Queen Twilight!"

I walked right over and gave him a hug. "Having her back will be blessing enough."

Rarity had been moved to a secure inner chamber nearby, and we wasted no time going there. The spell is simple, but I had to account for certain other magics that were still active and bound to my friend. 

It took me several minutes of slowly weaving in the Fail-Safe while Luna fed me raw power to amplify the effect. The actinic glow of her horn threw long, shivering shadows across Celestia and Cadance’s faces as they stood by as backup in case anything went wrong.

The crystal shell was rotten with dark magic, of course, and terribly dangerous to work with. I don't know how or where the Storm King had acquired the corrupted alchemical reagents that created it, but I silently vowed to find the source and eliminate it.

But that wasn't the time for adding to my to-do list. I frowned and concentrated on disabling the magical bonds within the crystals without causing them to click into a self-sustaining relay and detonate. 

Lots of power is convenient, but being detail-oriented is what's critical for success with intricate, high level magic. Intent is also important in magic of all sorts, but my pure intent to rescue my friend wouldn't have saved me if I hadn't noticed the reversed chirality of the binding mandala. I would have to simultaneously reverse the flow of the original spell with dark magic while attempting to negate it with light magic. 

Well. If it was easy, they wouldn't have asked me to do it.

Luna later said that I caught the tip of my tongue between my teeth at the corner of my mouth, light and dark mana boiling from my eyes and horn as I grappled with the imprisoning spell, "...in a most adorable and terrifying manner." I'm not going to lie; I have somewhat mixed feelings about the glee evident in her observation.

Eventually, with very little ceremony given the powers involved, the black crystal coating safely shattered and sublimated, but it took a lot longer than I had anticipated and left me exhausted as well as relieved.

Rarity was… Well, she was relieved, of course, but several other strong emotions were vying for her attention and she took to expressing them in turns with her usual non-verbal vocalizations and dramatic gestures. Evidently, her connection to the Labyrinthine Crystal Engine[2] was strong enough that it allowed her to see the rest of the battle despite being petrified, and she had—opinions on the situation. Xahjir got the greater part of her attention, and seemed delighted by every outburst, no matter the quality. The rest of us merely looked on in awe and happiness.
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[2] It's a long story that can be found (somewhat fictionalized) in a book titled The Twilight Enigma. Suffice it to say that Rarity was a much more magical mare than she appeared to be.
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"And the worst part—" Rarity was running down to a conclusion, and most of her speech was perfectly intelligible by then. "—oh, my darlings, the Very. Worst. Part was that I did not get to serve up that nasty mare like a very small cake at a very large party!"

"Oh!" she continued, turning to me. "My precious needles! They are alright, aren't they?"

She meant her five slim sword blades. "Yes," I reassured her. "All cleaned, oiled, and put away in your suite."

"Oh, thank you, dear. You are always so understanding. Now! That mare—Tempest, I believe? Is she—"

"She's alive and has been granted political asylum," I said.

"WHA-A-AT?! Who would do such a thing? Oh, I'll bet it was the griffins! Who else would harbor a creature so thoroughly unpleasant as…" Rarity trailed off, staring at Spike, who was pointing a wingtip in my direction. Traitor.

Rarity went absolutely still, and that made everypony extremely nervous. "Darling," she said to me. She made the single word carry several different meanings, one of which was, I am trusting you to provide me with a complete and thorough explanation, and if part of that explanation involves you having made friends with that monster, I will throw a hissy fit of legendary proportions.

"The so-called Storm King that she was working for is some sort of jumped-up warlord from down south." I didn't like giving away my plans before they were half-formed, but I knew better than to cross Rarity when she was in a mood. "I need to get as much information as I can out of her before going after him."

Rarity thought about that for a long moment as she kept me fixed with her eyes. Finally, her face softened slightly, "Do you need somepony to play 'Bad Guard?' Because it wouldn't take much acting on my part."

I didn't have to put much consideration into the decision, because she was right. She'd be perfect. "As long as there's no swordplay involved," I said, grinning.

"No promises, darling!"


= = =


"Here's the deal," Tempest said as we entered the room. "You restore my horn, and then I'll give you every detail I know about the Storm King and his forces."

I guessed she had decided to believe me, after all.

"Counter offer," Rarity said in a happy, musical tone as she came in the door after me. "You give us every detail you know about the Storm King and his forces, and I won't turn you into griffin kibble." Her horn glowed and a dozen small blades whipped out from under her dress and began to spin in the air around her, making a hissing sound.

"I said, 'no swords!'"

"These are knives, dear."

For a wonder, Tempest didn't seem very intimidated. She snorted. "Alicorn of Love, huh? I'm beginning to think Equestria's reputation is a complete smoke screen. Too bad I didn't know that a week ago."

Rarity and I looked at each other in puzzlement. 

"Wait, you think she's Princess Cadance?" I said. At the same time, Rarity let out a lady-like squeal of rage.

"First you turn me to stone, and now you attempt to demote me? I am a Sultana, I'll have you know! Equivalent in rank to a queen! And not even a bow when I entered the room?" She turned to me and batted her eyelashes. "Mayn't I stab her just a little bit Twilight? I promise she'll still be able to answer questions afterward."

At that point, Tempest went for the improvised spear she'd made and hidden under the duvet. I nabbed her and floated her over to a clear space in the middle of the room. At the same time, I took Rarity's knives away from her and stacked them neatly on the sideboard. A quick scan of the room revealed Grubber hiding under the desk, and I hauled him out and plopped him down next to Tempest.

I had to spend a little time clarifying the neo-feudal jurisdictional realities for the murderous mare, and her reaction was understandably skeptical.

"So you're not the Princess of Friendship and the Alicorn of Magic?"

"Sometimes I am, but not here and now, which is very lucky for you. As far as Celestia is concerned, you're a vicious brigand and ought to be petrified and plopped into the Royal Sculpture Garden as a warning to future invaders. As her loyal vassal Princess Twilight, I would support her decision completely."

Tempest raised an eyebrow. "But…"

"But, I'm currently acting as the sovereign of a foreign nation, specifically Twilight Town, and you're on my territory where you've been granted political asylum." I paused for effect. "For now."

"Me, too?" Grubber asked. I nodded. "Woo-hoo! Yeah!" He bounced up onto his feet and punched the air. "We're skatin' free!"

I cleared my throat. He stopped bouncing and looked at me doubtfully.

Tempest sighed and shook her head. "Grubber, you idiot." Evidently, the phrase was some sort of mantra for her. "So… This Twilight Town? I've heard of it, but not much more. You named the place after yourself? You and the Storm King would get along."

"No, I didn't," I corrected her. "My subjects are just a bit—enthusiastic about me, that's all."

She cocked her head and stared at me. "Alicorn or not, you still look like a cheerful Equestrian fool. I was told that the Twilight Queen is some kind of monster."

Rarity burst out laughing at that point. "Oh, you have no idea! That's like calling Mount Everhoof some kind of hill!"

I was a little bit stung by the comment. "Hey! I'm not that bad!"

She leaned over and gave me a brief hug. "'Bad' is not the word I would ever use, dear. Perhaps... 'effective and efficient without regard to delicate sensibilities?'"[3]
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[3] She was quoting me. It was the phrase I'd suggested as a substitute for the Bey of Marerocco's description of me as, 'utterly vicious and terrifying' when I got rid of his corsair problem for him. Turning a mare's own weapons against her is completely unfair—and one of Rarity's specialties.
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Tempest remained silent for a while and then said, "Alright, let's continue negotiations, Your Majesty. Here's a freebie for you: Twilight Town is on the Storm King's list, and it's not far from the top, either."


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