//------------------------------// // Chapter Three // Story: The Crucible of Restoration // by Golden Paw //------------------------------//         “So this should bring you up to speed on where we’re at, Princess. For the last few years I have been working with Impasse to find any hints to cure the Lithi,” Foresight concluded as she pushed another well worn ledger towards Twilight.         It joined the pile of texts already cluttering Twilight’s desk, each one crammed full of historical accounts and obscure legends. The sheer weight of research done here was staggering, even to one such as Twilight. It must have taken countless hours and dangerous journeys to acquire such a hoard.         Foresight had removed her cloak revealing a slitted green eye held within a thunderstorm cutie mark and a thin body underneath. There didn’t seem to be an ounce of fat there, her lean physique bordering on ‘starved’. Still despite this Foresight was neat and well kept, her mane and tail unstyled, left to hang naturally.         “Most of this is just ‘here-say’ Foresight, I mean there are a few promising leads but I’m sad to say the majority is simply not true or so vastly exaggerated that it may as well be false,” Twilight hated being the bearer of bad news, but she felt it was only right when talking with a fellow researcher.         Both mares had retired to Twilight’s personal office, pouring hours of time into pulling apart the mysteries of the past. It would have normally given Twilight a thrill to embark on such a task, but quickly found that sifting exact facts from stories was arduous in the extreme. Twilight loved the truth, not disproving every lie that was out there.         Rubbing her eyes, Twilight leant back in her chair and groaned. The stars were twinkling through the windows while the moon was all but hidden, being in the dark of its cycle. It had been midday of the previous day when the pair had begun their task, but finally they finished. Countless stories of mythical wizards and shamans who had been reputed to perform miracles had been promptly dismissed as trickery or cons. The list of magical pools claiming to undo the vilest of curses were long gone, if they had ever really existed in the first place.         Foresight didn’t seem phased by Twilight’s comments, in fact she looked positively relieved, “I’m so glad you agree, if you think most of this is a bunch of nonsense then it makes me feel so much better. I would hate to have missed something vital.”         Twilight was taken aback by such praise and frankness, “You knew most of this was nonsense? Then why did you have me sifting through it?”         Foresight’s face grew grim before she produced a scroll from within her satchel, “This is the most promising lead I have uncovered, but it looks to be the most dangerous too. I guess I was half hoping you would find something I had missed.”         The scroll was a repulsive thing and Twilight felt her stomach twist. It radiated a terrible sense of wrongness despite its innocent looking exterior.  As Twilight looked closer she felt the nasty suspicion it wasn’t paper either. The room seemed to darken a little just by the scroll’s mere presence and Foresight was clearly just as repulsed by the object as Twilight was. Foresight held it gingerly in one hoof, as if she might catch some dreadful plague by simply touching it.         “Where did you get that thing?” Twilight finally managed to ask as Foresight deposited the scroll on the tabletop, clearly happy to put some distance between herself and it.         “I found this in the tomb of a very unpleasant unicorn outside the borders of Equestria. The locals simply knew him as ‘The Severed’ and kept away from the place. They assured that a terrible curse lay over the whole place,” Foresight replied darkly.         Twilight raised her eyebrows, “And was it?”         For the first time since Twilight met Foresight she frowned, “Sadly it was. Any living thing trying to enter aged horrifically. There were powdered bones scattered throughout the entrance to prove it.” Foresight gave Twilight an oddly triumphant look, “But Impasse isn’t technically alive so it didn’t affect him.” The scroll seemed to crouch on the desk, like a spider ready to pounce and Twilight felt almost as if it was ‘looking’ at her.         “What good could possibly come from such a thing?” Twilight asked, her eyes never leaving the scroll.         “This ‘Severed’ character was quite mad and most definitely not in a good way. One of his many failings was a consuming desire for power. He found a legend of a great store of knowledge, a place guarded by a terrible creature that has slain thousands. This scroll contains directions as to where he believed this ‘Vault’ is rumoured to be,” Foresight explained, her expression uncertain.         Twilight scrunched her muzzle, “So you think that this ‘Vault’ may have the answer we’re looking for?”         “If Severed was correct then it holds the truth about everything. I personally doubt that, but still I think it’s worth a look,” Foresight replied and Twilight thought she saw a tiny flash of desperation in her gaze.         Was Foresight grasping at straws? Had the years of fruitless endeavour worn her to look deeper than was wise? There was a hunger about Foresight that had nothing to do with her sparse frame. A devouring need that…. Twilight became aware that Foresight was grinning at her, “You think I’m being  dangerously obsessive don’t you? Well I’ll admit I have a personal interest in such thing, if we can find a cure for the lithi then maybe there’s hope for us ‘ice hearts’?” Taken aback by the admission Twilight could only blink in surprise, “What do you mean?” Foresight smiled without humour, “Twilight I’ve lived with this curse for all my life. Being shunned and causing little foals to cry as I pass. You think I wouldn’t be interested in a ‘normal’ life too?” Twilight regarded Foresight’s hopeful expression and finally remembered where she knew her from, “You were that little filly all those years ago! I was there when Celestia was giving out pendants to those graduating!” The image of a timid looking foal standing in line with many others swam up into Twilight’s mind. Wondering why she wore a pair of dark goggles which concealed her eyes and why she shrank back from Celestia. “And for excellence in the field of archaeology I present Miss Foresight with this merit badge,” Celestia announced with pride. Twilight had watched that curious unicorn with a black coat and odd feeling about her. She was different from the others for sure and more alarmingly was grimacing away from Celestia. How could anypony find her mentor uncomfortable? Now of course Twilight knew better. Their ancestors had been altered for a world of eternal night. So it was no surprise that any dark unicorn or bat pony would find the presence of the very embodiment of the sun painful. It was a cursed bloodline that was beyond curing - too many generations had been and gone carrying the taint. Well at least Twilight had come to understand such. The lithi however, well they were a different story. They were the same ponies from all those years ago. There may be something there to bring back. Twilight watched Foresight with a sympathetic smile, “You never know Foresight, but don’t get your hopes up okay?” She watched as tears welled up in Foresight’s eyes. They built and hung for a moment before falling onto the desk with a tinkle. They were frozen. “I know I shouldn’t Twilight, but you’re ‘The Twilight Sparkle’. If anypony could find a cure it’s you,” Foresight smiled weakly before sniffing and shaking her head, “Sorry that was unprofessional, it won’t happen again I promise.” Foresight’s brief show of emotion was quickly veiled behind a mask of confidence and Twilight coughed with embarrassment. Living up to a legend was hard sometimes, ponies expected the impossible from you. They seemed to forget that Twilight and her friends had done most of those great feats. But being a ‘princess’ made her the focus of unwanted hero worship. “Well lets just work on the first steps okay,” Twilight said forcing an air of cheerful confidence back into the discussion. Doing her best to ignore the unpleasant nature of the scroll before her Twilight unfurled it with her magic. Inside she found scrawling scribbles, all angular and sharp. They seemed to have been written in a hurry and what annoyed Twilight even more was that the language was utterly unknown to her. “Please tell me that’s not written in what I think it is?” Twilight drew in a tense breath as she saw the dark brownish symbols. They had a certain ‘vital’ quality to them. “I did say the writer was not a good pony Twilight,” Foresight reminded. Twilight nodded absently her gaze still on the scroll, “What language is this? I’ve never see the like.” It was true, Twilight had seen countless books and records but the writing here was like nothing she’d ever encountered before. “I think it was his own private language, the Severed cooked it up all by himself,” Foresight explained. Twilight cocked an eyebrow, “If that’s the case then how do you know what it says?” “Well that’s my talent, I have a great knack for understanding any language. Well at least I have yet to find one I can’t read with a little magic anyhow,” Foresight smiled sheepishly at Twilight, “But I’m sure it’s no trouble for one such as you Princess, you’re bound to know hundreds of spells to decipher mysterious texts.” The certainty in Foresight’s voice made Twilight cringe, “Actually I don’t. It’s not that common a spell.” Foresight stared at Twilight in astonishment, “You’re joking right?” Twilight sighed, living up to a legend. She forced a warm smile to hide her frustration, “Well I’m a quick study, but without something to study it from I don’t know the spell okay. I am not all knowing despite what you may have heard.” Foresight’s expression morphed into a grin, “Well that’s good to know otherwise I’d be out of a job. If I’d known I would have made copies for you.” She indicated the scroll again, “Basically it’s a set of directions which, if we follow very carefully, should lead us to the Vault. There’s also lots and lots of warnings about what will happen once we get there. Apparently Severed was very clear on just how dangerous the guardian of the vault is.” Twilight frowned, “Well we will just have to be very careful then won’t we.” The sun was blazing in the sky above Ponyville, bathing the crowds in its warmth. The airstrips at Ponyville were a nexus of activity, various craft of all shapes and sizes were touching down or soaring into the sky like some delicate ballet.         The space was massive, easily covering the size of old Ponyville four times over. vast stretches of smooth stone which supported the thriving commerce going on there. With Twilight’s academy drawing in peoples of all races trade and business had quickly followed and so the skies above the city was thronged with traffic. Weaving her way past collections of pallets and busy ground crews Twilight closed on her target. The Bloomberg was floating in its assigned area, surrounded by a fleet of ground vehicles who fussed over their charge like a swarm of worker ants around their queen. “Is the crew assembled captain?” Twilight asked more for show than to inquire, she knew darn well the crew were ready having seen to it herself. But image was important these days and so Twilight played her part in the protocol of the day. “They’re eager to be away your highness, just waiting on the word!” The deepthroated reply came from ‘Boldstorm’. Twilight smiled at the Bloomberg’s newest captain and felt a fresh surge of pride. Boldstorm was a buffalo, his grey coat and blue eyes lending the bull an air of otherworldliness. His heavy muscles were crammed into a pale green uniform and even as Twilight watched he seemed to puff out with pride, his collar straining to hold the raw power within. She recalled the day he’d come to T.C.A.P to enroll for training. Unlike other buffalo he’d gone straight for flying lessons, eager to take to the skies. An odd choice for a ‘ground pounder’ many had said. As with so many others coming to T.C.A.P, when given the chance Boldstorm had surprised everyone. He showed an almost instinctive grasp of aeronautics, quickly outpacing many of the pegasi and griffons that applied. The tutors had begun saying “He should have been born with wings,” and what was more interesting was that Boldstorm simply replied, “I was.” Twilight wasn’t up with all the details on buffalo beliefs but apparently they strongly held the idea of previous lives. Of being someone else in a past life and in ‘Bold’s’ case he insisted he had been a pegasus. Never one to cast disparagements on another’s beliefs Twilight didn’t know if such was true. What she did know was that Boldstorm was one of the best captains she’d ever met. Able to direct the Bloomberg with a masterful skill that made other seasoned flyers look like amateurs. Twilight glanced up at the awaiting airship that was the Bloomberg and smiled. The craft floated at anchor, tugging at his mooring lines as if hungry to be off on another adventure. She felt that familiar feeling that always came just before a long journey. The thrill of what they may find, the slight fear of what they may face. It all boiled up in Twilight’s heart and despite the dangerous nature of their quest she felt the excitement brewing inside. The Bloomberg was a solid ship, built for endurance by the finest engineers T.C.A.P had to offer. Many new technologies such a the barrier field and crystal power cores had been Bloomberg’s to field test. Originally his most notable feature over previous airships in the Equestrian fleet (beyond the new technology) was the repositioning of his floatation. Where as previous craft had their balloon over the hull, the Bloomberg shifted this normally vulnerable element to its core. The crew compartments, engines and launch bays of the ship boxed in the balloon, surrounding it like protective wall. The main cargo bay was seated under the centre of the craft, allowing for quick loading and deployment while the top surface was covered in observation points. After overcoming the problems of balance with a few inventive spells Twilight had developed these principles further in recent years, permanently enchanting several elements of the ship to reach a state of neutral buoyancy and thus increasing the Bloomberg’s capacity even further. In the five years the Bloomberg had seen service he’d been refitted and upgraded more times than Twilight could count. Applebloom was always doing her best to squeeze just a little more power here or tighten up a procedure there. Twilight looked further up to see the now complex nest of aerials, strange lenses and other devices clustering atop the Bloomberg. She marveled at just how insightful and inventive Applebloom had become. Earth pony’s magic had always been woven into their very bodies. A natural affinity with all things that grew, incredible endurance and in some very rare cases perceptions that bordered on supernatural. All admirable traits even if far less showy than a unicorn’s spells or a pegasus’ flight. Twilight was therefore astonished to find that so many earth ponies had incredible ‘knack’ for magical technology and Applebloom was a galaxy further ahead of them all. Given enough time to work at the problem she’d work miracles, coming up with solutions Twilight would never have dreamt of. The Bloomberg was Applebloom’s pet project. She’d made so many little tweaks and improvements to him that Twilight hardly recognised the ship from the original schematics anymore. He was Applebloom’s now, through and through and Twilight could only stare in wonder at what she’d started. Now the Bloomberg had guns and Twilight still felt a small sense of loss. Like a cute little dragon growing into his claws their airship now had some ‘teeth’. Various turrets made out of polished brass now dotted the Bloomberg’s surfaces, giving a reasonable coverage in every direction. Twilight had to admit it was a very efficient design and was doubly impressed that she’d had very little direct input. It was all down to Applebloom’s genius. “There she is!” Twilight heard a shout and her heart plummeted. Looking away from the awaiting airship Twilight saw what she’d been dreading. Her friends were making their way across the thronged runway. The shout had come from Rainbow Dash who was waving frantically to the others. Upon seeing Twilight they all broke into a gallop, quickly closing the distance and surrounding her with a mixture of confused stares. Taking a deep breath Twilight braced herself for the inevitable flood of questions. It had been her secret fear that they would find out about this little ‘expedition’ and Twilight wasn’t looking forward to having to lie to them. In order to keep things low key she’d hoped to slip away quietly, having left specific instructions for Trixie to inform her friends after Twilight had left. But there watching from a safe distance behind some crates she saw her P.R manager smiling wryly. “Okay Twi, what’s the big deal? Yer snuck off after the party right fast. Since then yer have been in ‘meetins’ n what not. Now yer look ter be prepin fer some flight, with-out us!” Applejack announced sharply and Twilight fought the urge to squirm. “Hi girls, I was busy that’s all,” Twilight mumbled lamely and was rewarded by a snort from Applejack.                  “Busy? Too busy to tell your friends you off on some mission? Oh Twilight you wound us,” Rarity scolded her eyes full of hurt.         They pressed in around Twilight and she silently planned to have a stern word with Trixie about official secrets. Twilight felt the face begin to redden and her ears droop in defeat, “Look I was told to keep things low key alright.” “Oooo a secret mission is it?” Pinkie Pie shouted loud enough for several passers bye to turn their heads in surprise. “Girls please, I didn’t ask you because Celestia and Luna made me promise not to alright? It’s not that I don’t trust you or that I wouldn’t love your company, but it’s official royal business,” Twilight pleaded, frantically waving her hoof for Pinkie Pie to keep it down. They all gave her a disbelieving look, but Twilight soldiered on, “Look this trip could have me away for months, you all have families and responsibilities here in Ponyville. I couldn’t drag you away from that.” Twilight hadn’t felt this distant in ages from her friends than right at that moment. The weight of being a princess felt just crushing as it forced her to keep those she held dearest out of the loop. Twilight gave them all a pleading look, “Please just trust me, it’s better if I can just slip away quietly this time okay?” The hot sun seemed suddenly distant as Twilight’s friends stood there in mute condemnation. Finally it was Fluttershy who broke the spell of silence, “If that’s what you really want Twilight then we will respect your decision.” Twilight winced. The last thing she wanted was to leave them behind but her hooves were bound. She wilted under their stares, wishing the ground would just swallow her and be done with it. Just when Twilight thought she couldn’t take it any more the miracle happened. As one they moved in and hugged Twilight warmly, each one whispering a simple phrase of support or encouragement. Humbled and fighting back tears Twilight hugged them in return, “Thanks girls, it’s really important and can’t thank you enough for your understanding. “We may not like it but we sure won’t stop you from doin yer royal duties Twi,” Applejack replied grimly while the others nodded in agreement. “Noblesse oblige,” Rarity added. “Go get em princess,” Rainbow said, giving Twilight a hoof bump to the shoulder. “Plus those lithi ain’t gonna cure themselves,” Pinkie Pie said with a serious expression and the others paused in confusion. Twilight’s eyes narrowed, “Pinkie!” Pinkie Pie shrugged, “What it’s true and you’re just the pony to help them.” “No they certainly aren’t!” Foresight’s angry voice called out and everypony turned about to see her advancing through the press of citizens. Foresight was shrouded in a shadowy dome of magic, making it look like she was trapped in a murky glass bowl that moved with her. Unlike Twilight’s friends Foresight moved freely through the press, those in her way almost diving aside in their haste to avoid the strange aura of cold darkness. Foresight’s angry sending lanced into Twilight’s mind like an icicle, “I thought you weren’t going to tell anyone about the lithi Twilight?” “I didn’t honest! It’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” Twilight assured, causing the others to shake their heads in confusion, all apart from Pinkie Pie who simply beamed at Foresight in a knowing way. “Oh don’t worry your dark little head ‘Forcey’. Twilight kept her promise, she’s learnt to keep a pony’s trust haven’t you?” Pinkie Pie gave Twilight a narrow stare before bouncing happily around Foresight. The dark unicorn had paused in her angry advance and watched Pinkie Pie as if she was some mountain lion about to pounce. Recovering her composure Twilight introduced her friend, “Girls this if Foresight, she’s coming with me as an…..advisor.” Foresight continued to stare at Pinkie Pie her eyes full of fear, “Get her away from me, it’s….she’s” Foresight shuddered before clasping her hooves to her head, a grimace of pain written across her face. Pinkie Pie froze mid bounce and a frown grew on her normally happy face, “Awww that’s not very nice I only wanted to be friends.” Foresight continued to tremble upon as she sank to the ground her eyes screwed shut, “The noise! please make her stop!” Pinkie Pie finished her bounce and looked crestfallen, “What I didn’t do anything?” Twilight’s thought raced and she guessed at the problem, “Pinkie she can read minds, please tell me she didn’t try…..” Quicker on the uptake the rest of the girls rushed forward and without ceremony dragged the still bemused Pinkie Pie away. Foresight’s writhing subsided and she looked up at Twilight with a thankful expression, “I’m...I’m sorry it was like someone setting off a full cannon barrage in my head. What is she?” Foresight glanced fearfully at Pinkie Pie who was even now being consoled by the others, her tearful eyes looking back at Foresight morosely. Twilight couldn’t help but smile, “That’s a very good question, one that would take far too long to explain and I’d probably just fail at it anyhow. She’s Pinkie Pie, best leave it at that.” Foresight continued to shake as she regained her hooves a little unsteadily and Twilight gave her a unsympathetic glance, “It’s rude to read ponies minds without permission, let that be a lesson to you.” Foresight looked hurt, “I didn’t, have you ever raised your face to the sun with your eyes closed? You can still see some light despite your best efforts, it was like that only worse. The noises and all the pinkness just bled through...” Foresight shuddered again and Twilight suddenly felt very foolish. “Sorry I shouldn’t have assumed…” She began only for Foresight to wave a dismissive hoof. “Let’s call it even huh? I assumed you had told them about, well you know,” Foresight smiled in apology. Twilight looked back to the still waiting Boldstorm and grimaced, “Sorry to keep you waiting captain.” It seemed Bold hadn’t moved during the whole interchange, his gruff face staring straight ahead at parade ground attention since the arrival of Twilight’s friends. “Think nothing of it your highness, this is your voyage and we’re at your command,” Boldstorm replied and Twilight felt the unspoken reprimand nevertheless. If she’d just seen that interchange she would probably be having second thoughts about herself. “It’s not normally like this captain I can assure you,“ Twilight explained and to her relief Bold’s manner relaxed. “As you say your highness,” Bold saluted. “Thank you captain. Please embark and we will be with you shortly,” Twilight bowed before Boldstorm did in return. “How many of your friends will be coming, will I need to arrange rooms for them?” Bold asked pausing halfway up the entrance ramp. Twilight gave a longing look back to her friends before shaking her head sadly, “No captain, they’re staying.” “As you wish Princess,” Boldstorm acknowledged before trotting up into the Bloomberg. Twilight watched the others trot away slowly, Pinkie Pie still frowning and felt her resolve steady again. For better or worse they are staying behind. Foresight passed Twilight, giving her a sympathetic nod and Twilight turned to follow her up into the Bloomberg.