Iron Feather escorted her downstairs, though not exactly straight to bed. As soon as they were out of Twilight's presence, both of them relaxed. Iron slid the spear back into its holster.
"I tried to keep up with what you two were doing, but..." He looked away. "Couldn't really follow it. Magic is one of those gifts you either have or you don't—and that's before it had anything to do with me. When it's my mate, and my foal involved with the spell."
Lotus stopped on the ramp. One section of the huge castle was very much like another—she couldn't say if they were right next to their suite, or still quite a hike away. Regardless, there was one person she didn't want to overhear. "Remember what I said," she whispered, right up to his face. "Don't say a word to Gus. I'll tell him when I'm ready, but not before."
Iron nodded once. "I mean... sure, Lotus. I won't say anything. But if you think you can hide it for the next eleven months, that's... not usually how it goes. I guess probably closer to ten at this point. Either way."
Eleven months. Helping Twilight with a spell that might end the threat Searing Gale posed to Equestria once and for all—that had distracted her from this discovery well enough. And for the next few weeks, nothing will change. But the more time goes by, the further this gets...
"I know. Just not right now. I need to focus on helping the princess. Equestria is still in danger, until we can finally stop Searing Gale."
Iron rested one hoof on her shoulder. Even with the armor, there was some tenderness underneath. "I don't pretend to know how magic works, Lotus. But we should think about what happens after."
After. When she was pregnant with Iron Feather's baby. Eventually she'd deliver that child, be they kirin or pony. After that... what? "I don't know what comes after," she said. "I don't have money, I don't have skills ponies need, I don't have a history or citizenship or anything else."
Iron touched her lips with one wing, silencing her. "That isn't what I meant. I mean where you plan to go. Which world you'll live in, what kind of life you'll build there."
"I..." She stammered, but no words came out. Her legs shook, and her tail whipped violently back and forth. "I don't know, Iron. I wasn't ready for... this. I can't answer right now."
He pulled her closer with one wing, holding tight. "That's okay. Nopony expects you to figure it all out right now. I just want you to know—no matter where you go, I'll be there. Equestria, or your world. I want to be there for you, and our child."
He held her for a long time after that, with Lotus sobbing silently in place. Until hoofsteps echoed on the tower stairs above them, and they hurried to their suite.
True to his word, Iron Feather made sure she got sleep that night.
Her dreams were as restless as before, melting between views of Hono and her own hometown of Livingston—only the humans and kirin were reversed. She wandered between both, barely able to tell the difference.
She was never alone—someone followed her, no longer a twin. They were too short for that. Eventually she took her hand and guided her instead. She couldn't have the child getting lost, after all.
Then came the bell, and a rushed shower and breakfast before meeting the other princesses.
"Joke's on you getting stuck in here," Gus said, at the suite's own little dining table that morning. Spike wasn't there to join them, but the dragon had at least cooked some pancakes and strips of not-bacon for the occasion.
Whatever it was made of, the taste was wholesome and familiar, like the roadside diner in Livingston.
"Ponyville is way more interesting than Livingston. None of them know what a real camera looks like, so they'll all talk to me. I even got an appointment with the president of the local Historical Society today. I'll be filming the whole thing."
Lotus nodded along with him, forcing the blandest smile she could. "Sounds great. I'm surprised you have any space left for more footage."
"Planned ahead," he said, nodding proudly. "I've got terabytes left if it comes down to it. If I can find a way to charge the MacBook, I could start importing and editing the older footage. But that would mean trusting magic not to blow up the battery. The solar charger can't do anything that big. This is what I get for waiting to upgrade. If I had one of those USB C models..."
Iron wasn't half as good at keeping up appearances. The pegasus didn't touch his food, instead pacing back and forth behind Lotus's seat. He already had the armor on, except the helmet. His wings opened at the slightest sound, ready to lift him into the air if there was need.
"Maybe," Lotus said. "There's been some development. Not sure if you heard."
He looked up from the GoPro. "The princess is gonna send us home?"
She sighed. "No. It's about Searing. I volunteered to help with a plan to stop her. It's mostly about magic, so you don't have to worry about it. I know you didn't come here to fight."
"I didn't. But I still want to know when you're about to start. We should record the whole thing. When I get back, there's gonna be a whole new field of science created overnight. Magic... whatever magic really is. The more I bring back, the more tools we'll have to study it, maybe start using it too."
He stood up, tossing the camera into his satchel and throwing it over his shoulder. "There are other worlds, and we can travel between them. I'm gonna have it all on video."
Lotus waved him off. "I hope you get some great footage."
Then he was gone, scurrying down the stairs in a mix of running and flying. "Does he even know the danger we're in?" Iron asked, mostly to himself. "Equestria isn't safe yet! Just because you and Twilight found a promising lead. We've found others before, and Searing stopped us."
Lotus shrugged. "At least he's not asking awkward questions. Let him have his fun."
It wasn't much longer until the door opened again, and Spike slipped inside. He shut it just as quickly. "Just wanted to let you know that the princesses are upstairs talking to Twilight."
Lotus jumped to her hooves, eyes widening. "Should we—"
"No." Spike moved to one side, between her and the door. "We're not part of that meeting. Important Equestrian princess stuff, you know how it is. Or... I guess probably you don't."
He made his way over to the table, then hopped up into one of the seats. Rather, he hopped into the single chair built for a creature shaped like him, so he would be almost at eye level with a sitting pony. "You get used to it, when you're assistant for one of the princesses of Equestria. Lucky if they let you into the meeting, even though sometimes you know things that would really help."
Lotus sighed, then settled back onto her cushion. It felt a little like the day of a test, counting the minutes until she sat down with a pencil and those sheets with tiny dots to fill in.
"We're honored to help in whatever way the princesses need," Iron said. He settled the helmet onto his head, then checked the spear resting in its sheath. "We're at their service, of course."
Spike rolled his eyes, removing something from behind him and settling it onto the table. A... comic book? Lotus leaned over, squinting down at the table. Sure enough, it was a comic floppy, complete with glossy cover, bright colors, and exaggerated text.
"How long do they usually take?" she asked. "If this isn't the first time. Days, hours..."
"Sometimes. Depends on how crazy the situation is and how much danger everypony's in."
"So it could be a while," she finished for him. "Whole country being invaded feels like a big deal."
He flipped the comic open, pulling it over to himself, and tilting up the cover. "Yeah, could be. But we can't really go anywhere, since they could ask for us at any moment. If you have anything to read, now's the time."
She didn't—but she did have a copy of the rune-tracing book Twilight had promised, waiting near the entrance to their suite.
Lotus cracked it open and forced herself to levitate a pen over the detailed shapes. Twilight was right—there were several of these that looked different from what she'd adopted copying Luna's journals. But the magic still worked, so it can't be that wrong.
She let her mind wander, over the way magic worked, over symbols and history and all kinds of unrelated things. Anything that would keep her from thinking of what was going on upstairs, and what the princesses might ask of her.
That little voice in the back of her mind barely spoke up to object. If she still thought Lotus might be convinced to run away, she didn't believe it strongly enough to really put in much effort.
You probably don't have enough time to escape, she said, when Lotus finished the third page. As soon as you started casting a teleport, there would be an Alicorn down here with her horn pointed at your throat. This is how it ends.
Lotus levitated her pen down to the next page but didn't start drawing. She couldn't split her attention the way Twilight Sparkle could—her magic required perfect focus. You said you were dying anyway. What do you care if it's sooner or later?
It took the speaker some time to reply. Either she was thinking deeply on the subject, or else her focus was even worse than Lotus's. I could not be returned to the vessel even if it still existed—I am already too different. But if it is possible, I would prefer to imagine that... some part will live on. Against all sanity and history, perhaps your view is better than mine. Perhaps ponies have changed. In that future, I don't imagine you would be a terrible mother.
Lotus dropped the pen. She caught it again in her magic, holding it just above the page. She'd already scratched several disordered lines, far from the runes she was supposed to be copying.
But when she looked to either side, neither of her companions had noticed. Spike was fully absorbed in the third or fourth comic, and Iron had his eyes fixed on the single window. No sign of attack emerged out there, but he would see it if it did.
I never thought I would be one. Maybe I'll be the worst there ever was.
Laughter answered. Small and high pitched, without a trace of Searing Gale's cruelty. This was sincere. I changed you into my duplicate. Because I thought it would please the rest of me, and because it was the only view of competence I had ever known. The question is not whether you would care for me, but whether you will survive long enough. I doubt we will see the sunset.
Something clattered outside the door, hooves on crystal. Iron Feather reacted first, jerking around and rising to attention. As though he'd been standing perfectly still, waiting for that exact moment.
Then the door opened, and Princess Twilight Sparkle made her way in. "Hey everypony! Hope you all kept yourselves busy."
Lotus flicked the cover closed again. "I think so. Are the other princesses ready for us?"
"There's been another attack. Fillydelphia this time—Celestia had to leave in a hurry. Princess Luna is organizing resources to put the plan in motion. Making the spells in time is... up to me." She extended one hoof towards Lotus. "And you too, if you're still willing. It all depends on your help, so..."
Risk her own life, and a baby she couldn't even feel yet. One last connection to an evil sorceress, who would burn all of Equestria if she had the chance. "If I don't want to help, is there another way? Or... does Searing Gale keep attacking?"
"There's always a way," Princess Twilight said. "Nopony's going to give up if you don't want to help." She lowered her voice, whispering quietly into her ear. "But this plan is the best we've found. It might take months to find an alternative. No telling how many other ponies get hurt along the way."
She glanced sideways at Iron. "So long as Iron Feather is okay with it. The foal would be his too. I don't want him to feel like I decided without asking him. We decide together."
That caught the pegasus off-guard. He flicked the visor of his helmet up, so he could meet her eyes. He touched her shoulder, then looked back to the princess. "They'll both be okay? Lotus Cinder and the foal, I mean. They're not in danger."
"Everypony in Equestria is in danger," Twilight answered. "If this works, everypony will be a lot safer. If it doesn't, we'll be the first ponies in Searing Gale's way."
She's calling me a pony, Lotus thought. Whether that was a compliment, or something else—she couldn't know.
The little voice said nothing directly, radiating her shock. Lotus's impending death, the noose closing around her neck—it wasn't coming. The Alicorns did exactly what they said they would, and now they were already gone.
Ponies weren't just waiting for a chance to kill her, and by extension the spirit she carried. Even while utterly at their mercy, they held back.
Not completely, of course. They were still willing to involve Lotus in the spell, and bring her close to Searing Gale when the time came. But compared to everypony else involved, Lotus was probably the safest. Searing Gale would have to burn quite a bit hotter than usual to kill a kirin with fire.
"If Lotus is willing, then I support her decision," he said. "I would never ask her to risk herself for a world that isn't hers. But if she is, I'll be by her side."
"Yes," Lotus said. "Just tell me what to do."
Twilight beamed. "I'm glad! Equestria is quite lucky that all kirin aren't like Searing Gale. I've already sent telegrams to scholars in various aspects of experimental thaumaturgy—but if you're not busy I'd love for you to keep assisting in the lab. It's quite advanced work for somepony with so little formal training—but since you're going to be helping me cast the final spell anyway, you might as well help write it."
"If I'm not busy..." She scratched her chin, as though pretending to think. "Right, I'm in a whole new universe now. I only have one friend and family here. Nothing else going on, so—I'd love to help in the lab."
Twilight chuckled. "Only one friend. We'll have to see about fixing that while you're a guest at the castle. Can't have ponies saying the Princess of Friendship doesn't know how to do her job. Ponyville is a great town for meeting ponies."
So, the real work began. Lotus spent her next few days more or less the same way—mastering the basic aspects of a very complex spell.
Yet compared to what the new arrivals were working on, her labor was trivial. The unicorns were all strange creatures—mostly older, organized around a stallion in an oversized cloak. They kept their distance from Lotus for the first few days, barely speaking with her except for polite greetings.
But she still listened to them, discussing souls and entanglement as though the two concepts could somehow coexist. None of them had Twilight's charm or friendly personality—but they did share her appreciation for the magical craft.
On their third day, she caught the leader of the research team, the stallion named Starswirl, actually looking at her spell diagram during their daily morning conference.
"The books you told me to read... all said there was a serious danger of damaging the soul when severing pieces. I've focused most of my attention on preventing damage to the living half. Make sure the cut is clean, so it can start healing."
The others in the research team didn't even look up when she spoke, muttering to each other about whatever they were working on that day. But Starswirl did. "The premise of this enchantment is solid—but you're treating this like a physical wound. I recognize that coefficient—that works to stimulate regeneration in flesh. A spirit is not flesh, young uni—kirin? Well... you should treat the spirit not as a living thing, but as a... pattern.
"It cannot be left unfinished, or it will continue itself from the edge in improper chunks. Instead, it must be curved back onto itself, knit together into a coherent whole. Even then, this would never work in a mature pony. That we are working with an unborn foal is their only hope—an unformed mind may adapt where you or I could not."
Lotus scribbled what he said into the margins of her new notebook. "Where could I look for a spell like that?"
Starswirl gave her a few specific books to search, and she wrote those down too. The meeting continued, with Twilight and the other team discussing their spell in magical terms far too esoteric for Lotus to understand.
Even so, the stallion's acknowledgement had done its work. That day, the other unicorns stopped avoiding her. They sat next to her at lunch or answered her questions about magical concepts that she'd never studied.
Her invisible rider spoke less and less as the days passed. She had no more temptations for Lotus and didn't bother trying to convince her to change her mind. Only magical mistakes raised her anger now, rousing the tiny voice to shout and squeal until she fixed the error.
The spell was too complex to create in a single marathon session. There were plenty of evenings out in Ponyville, dining at its handful of humble restaurants, and chatting with its increasingly-friendly residents. Gus had mentioned her to many of them, if only as the “incredible wizard” who had brought him across one world and into another.
A few even seemed sympathetic to their cause. Many ponies had lost all they owned to Searing Gale's flame, if not loved ones too. A few even asked if they would be staying in Ponyville when the danger was over, and Searing was defeated.
"Not sure," Lotus answered, to an overeager pink pony in the sweet shop. "I thought about living in the mountains."
But before she could live anywhere, Equestria would have to be safe.