Sins of the Ancients

by Tundara

Chapter Eleven: Black Mountain Shelter

Sins of the Ancients

Chapter Ten: Black Mountain Shelter

"Underneath the Black Mountain sleeps the last of a dead race,
From their grasp the Purple Wizard rises the Last Key."
-From the Prophecy of the Purple Wizard

For several long seconds the echoes of the doors locks sliding into place reverberated around the gasping group. Kodiak was the first back on his feet followed by Vernon and Sun. The three took a tentative step away from the pile of limbs and bodies created by the mad dash through the door. Pressed beneath Tracey, Twilight could see much of their surroundings.

“Twilight, think you can do that light spell again,” April asked as she pulled herself up and over to a smooth wall.

“Sure, as soon as whoever’s boot that is stops digging into my back and I can get up,” responded Twilight, her voice slightly muffled against the hard floor.

At least she could inspect what she was laying on, Twilight wryly grumbled to herself. Shifting her head slightly Twilight could tell her cheek rested against a cold metal grate of some sort. The pressure on her back lifted as Eric and Tracey were both pulled to their feet. As she stood Tracey gave a sharp hiss of breath collapsing backwards against the sparkling wall.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, though she wasn’t certain what spurred the question. Tracey was a mess of contradictions, more so than any other human Twilight had encountered. Was she an enemy or ally? At first she attacked wounding Kodiak and April in the process only to warn them hours later and finally help them escape the churning horde of undead. Suppressing a shudder Twilight had to admit she had no idea what Tracey was hoping to accomplish.

Lifting a hand away from her hand Tracey hissed again her eyes showing clear signs of pain. As Twilight kneeled down next to the illusionist she noticed Tracey’s hand was covered in blood.

“I don’t need your help,” she snapped trying to push Twilight away with her other hand. “It’s just a scratch.”

Ignoring Tracey’s protests, Twilight lifted up the light blouse Tracey wore revealing a long series of four deep gashes. Biting her lip Twilight further noted that the flesh around the gash was turning an ugly looking yellow in her magically enhanced sight.

“This isn’t more than just a scratch,” Twilight admonished swinging her pack to the floor. Twilight’s first instinct was to check the journals for a spell that maybe could heal or clean the wound. She already knew that there wasn’t, but a part of Twilight wanted to believe that she had missed something in her earlier skimming rather than there was nothing she could do to help.

“Um, excuse me, but the rest of us are bl-” Sun’s biting voice ended as abruptly as it had begun silenced by a clicking hum that echoed along the passage.

A moment after the humming started large yellow panels in the ceiling came to life breathing a dull listless light across the seven humans. Looking around the long empty passage way Twilight saw the light being cast as dull yellow sickly curtains. Ignoring the lights and how they knew to activate, most likely tied to the massive door a treacherous part of her mind mused, Twilight focused her attention on Tracey.

“Well, that’s helpful,” Sun deadpanned as she gave the overhead light a long suspicious glare. Then she seemed to realise what she was doing, “Hey, I can look directly into these lights? What are they?”

“This is amazing, an actually preserved city of the Ancients,” Vernon said running a gloved hand along the wall as a wide smile came to his lips.

Twilight however wasn’t too concerned at the moment about where they were. Clicking her tongue she could see the skin around the wounds on Tracey growing infected. Never had she seen an infection move with such speed. In the span of a minute puss, thick and green, began to weep around the gash. Tracey’s breath growing faster the illusionist had also been inspecting the wound.

“Ghoul Rot,” she said by way of an explanation.

The name meant nothing to Twilight. She hadn’t even heard of ghouls or undead before seeing all the mummified bodies come to ‘life’ beyond those in campfire stories. The name did seem to mean something to the others though as its mention diverted all attention to Tracey. Vernon ducked down beside Twilight to get a look at the wound.

“Yeah, that’s Ghoul Rot alright,” he confirmed shaking his head. “Tracey, I am guessing you’re still hopeless with Life spells?” A look from her confirmed his guess. “Kodiak, how many of your mushrooms do you have left?”

“Seven.”

“Give Tracey one,” Vernon commanded the steel in his voice brooking no disagreement.

Kodiak just shrugged reaching into a pouch on his belt. From it he withdrew a single dried red mushroom about the same size a coin. He held it out to Tracey, the illusionist looking at the mushroom like it was on about to attack her.

“Wait, what are these, uh, mushrooms supposed to do to help?” Twilight asked placing her hand on Kodiak’s arm. An arm Twilight noted after a couple moments that wasn’t showing any signs of the burns received that morning. She looked from the smooth arm perfectly healed of its prior injury to the little red dried thing held in Kodiak’s hand. “They have healing properties?” she whispered eliciting a wide grin from Kodiak.

“Among other things,” he said still holding the mushroom out.

“What about her?” Tracey nodded towards Twilight, “Can she use Life spells?”

Bristling at being talked about like she wasn’t present Twilight said, “Yes, I can as a matter of fact.” Then Twilight added in a quieter sheepish voice, “I just don’t know any.”

“Well, that’s interesting,” Tracey said with a grimace that turned into a hacking cough.

Rolling his eyes Vernon took the mushroom from Kodiak and shoved it into Tracey’s mouth.

“We don’t have time to dither about. Swallow the mushroom and let’s get a move on.” Vernon looked up at the sealed door. “I don’t trust something the Ancients made to hold back spirits. And I don’t trust whatever guardians are left in this place not to come looking for us here. Something had to hear that door open and close.”

“Assuming there is anything in this place to have heard the door close,” Twilight pointed out.

Everyone, even April, looked at her like she had suddenly sprouted a third eye or antenna.

“There is always something in cities built by the Ancients,” Sun practically growled as she made a quick sign, the meaning of which eluded Twilight like so much about the humans and their world. “Vernon’s right, we’re sitting lambs here. Besides, the only way is deeper into the city.”

“Kodiak, could you carry her please. You’re the only one strong enough to deal with her once the mushroom’s other effects begin. Child, carry her staff.”

“My name is April,” she grumbled picking up Tracey’s staff as Kodiak scooped up the illusionist.

Twilight sighed falling in step at the back of the group as they began to trek down the long featureless passage. After a couple minutes brooding Twilight noticed the stripes painted on the wall, blue, then green, followed by red and yellow. Every twenty feet were words in a language that Twilight didn’t recognise. The lettering was similar to Old Halla or Middle Gryphese with bold straight strokes combined with round curves. If she had time Twilight would have wanted to create copies of the words for later study.

After they had travelled a few hundred metres the passage came to a desk and an odd series of arches. In the middle of the desk were two tall thin rectangular black objects. On the other side of the desk the passage branched in three directions with the red and yellow lines continuing down the left, the green the middle, and the blue the right corridor. The coloured lines were directions Twilight realised, but to where and what she had no idea.

In Kodiak’s arms Tracey had begun to start giggling pointing down the passage. Biting her lower lip Twilight tried to ignore the high pitched sounds Tracey was giving off.

It proved to be easy as a moment later a wavering blue figure appeared behind the desk. Steel hissed, Sun and Eric, both having been in the lead, drawing their weapons. Flickering the figure, a tall lean woman in what appeared to be a single piece jumpsuit that'd have made Rarity faint at its unflattering lines, looked at the group expectantly.

"Um, hello?" Twilight said after a long silence stretched between the group and the figure.

Smiling broadly the figure began to talk in a fast clipped language gesturing towards the arches as she spoke. Twilight recognised some of the words as pre-classical equine, but not the meaning behind the words. The language had been dead for well over a millennia and Twilight wondered if even the Princesses would have understood the figure.

"Any of you have an idea what it's saying?" Twilight asked glancing between the others and seeing only equal confusion in their eyes.

"You'd have to go back a few thousand years to find anyone who could understand Ancient," Vernon grunted waving that they continue.

He'd only gone a few steps when April shouted for him to stop, jumping forward herself and holding out the strange little rectangle she'd taken from the mummified body earlier.

The flickering figure looked down at the little black rectangle smiling before pointing to a slot in the desk while adding another stream of gibberish.

"I think she wants us to use this," April said turning the rectangle over in her hands.

"You think? I thought you were being guided?"

"I was, but she had to leave when all the others woke up."

Everyone but April shared not exactly sceptical, but certainly concerned looks. Twilight looked from the young girl to Tracey, the latter's eyes had began to roll into the back of her head and her body shake from barely contained giggles. Twilight could see that the illusionist was still fading, her face taking on an ugly grey pallor. They couldn't wait around, they had to press on and hope that there would be something ahead that could help cure Tracey.

Brushing past April and Vernon, Twilight stepped through one of the arches not pausing as April called for her to stop.

The moment Twilight stepped through the arch chaos broke loose. Sirens began to scream and the sickly yellow lights were replaced by flashing red ones. Behind the group a wall slid across the passage cutting off escape back they way they had come, not that there was any where to escape to down that passage, the deep growl of the wall moving cutting through even the blare of the sirens. Panels in the walls flicked open with a harsh click revealing little grey nozzles on round bodies. After a second a soft hiss permeated the corridor.

"Trap!" Twilight heard Kodiak growl, the big man reaching into a pouch and pulling out a small red lump.

His hand made it half way to his mouth before his eyes crossed, his body wavering before crashing over backwards. The others all began to fall, each wobbling for a couple long moments before hitting the floor. A wave of disorientation rolled through Twilight, the ground and ceiling inverting as little black dots exploded in her vision. Twilight didn't even feel herself fall.

* * *

Awareness crept slowly back for Twilight. It was like she was swimming to the surface out of an infinite abyss. Shadows clung to her legs and around her neck, trying to drag Twilight back into the realm of sleep. Screaming silently Twilight kicked and tried to shake the shadows loose, but her body felt so heavy. Voices filtered through the dark, drawing Twilight's attention to a small point of light so far above. Trying to call for help Twilight kicked harder, but she wasn't sure if her legs were working or not.

With a sharp gasp the abyss fell aware in a blast of cool air and a gentle thrumming vibration that echoed through Twilight's body. Beneath her Twilight could feel a lumpy mattress, and a blanket had been tucked around her keeping her arms pinned. Opening her eyes Twilight saw a small yellow light flickering overhead, a little buzz sounding with each brief flash. Throwing off the cover Twilight rolled to her feet, groaning as the sudden movement left her dizzy.

"Twilight's awake," said Sun from several feet away.

Rubbing her eyes with her palms to clear the last vestiges of the forced sleep Twilight looked towards Sun. Between them were two sets of bars separated by a narrow passage. Looking around Twilight realised that they were in jail cells. They were too similar to the derelict cells beneath Canterlot Palace to be anything else.

"Good, now I can yell at her," came Vernon's voice from somewhere to the left.

"Where are we? What happened?" Twilight grumbled, though she knew both answers, she just wanted to hear it to be certain.

"We are in an ancient prison because someone set off a trap," Vernon drawled, an acidic bite in his words. "All our gear is missing, as are April and Tracey. You're the last to wake up."

"How did we get here? And do you think April and Tracey are safe?"

Just as Twilight asked the questions a loud clank reverberated down the jail cells, followed by a grinding whirl and the distinct clip of boots. Pressing her face to the bars, Twilight looked towards the sounds. Tall shadows played along the walls as several tall golden metallic men marched in front of the cells. Their movements were stiff, and combined with the strong smell of oil and their thin, almost skeletal, limbs Twilight guessed that they weren't alive.

"Golems?" Sun said, backing up in her cell as one of the metal-men stopped, and turned to peer into the cell.

Twilight stepped back from the bars of her cell as one of the golems stopped, turning sharply on its heel to face her. It's face was a plain smooth oval piece of metal with a slit where the mouth should be and two black circles that reminded twilight of her telescopes for the eyes. A wide smile cracked Twilight's face as she looked at the animate machine. She'd heard lectures on the possibilities of using magic to bring mechanical ponies to life, but had thought it was pure lunacy and folly. To see five such machines was amazing.

Once the golems had stopped a new series of noises began to filter through the jail, that of a shallow click followed by a moment of shuffling before repeating. Holding her breath Twilight waited to see what new wonder was about to present itself. She was a little disappointed when an old man, back crocked with age, and leaning heavily on a black cane staggered down the passage, helped along by a much younger woman.

"Pater, non erit. Nescimus qui sunt isti, vel quomodo aperuit ostium camera," the woman said, flashing a dangerous look with her dark blue eyes into the cells as they passed.

The old man simply smiled, patting the woman's hand as they came to a stop in front of Vernon's cell.

"Timere non, filia. Iam nocere possunt. Iam nocere possunt."

The old man's voice was like the last grains of sand spilling from an hourglass, slow, rough, and yet soft. Turning towards Vernon's cell he cleared his throat with a long hacking cough.

"Tell me, surfacer, what has brought you to the last city of the First People?"

There was a long pause before Vernon's voice filtered through the prison.

"We were trying to get away from a group of bandits, and-"

"Silence your lies," the old man said softly with the force of a mountain. Twilight shivered at the way his quiet command struck her ears. He turned away from Vernon, shuffling to Twilight's cell.

Up close Twilight could now see the many lines and wrinkles creasing the old man's face. Large brown spots dotted the backs of his hands and wrists. His hair and the stubble on his face was whiter than the first snow of winter, and his eyes two sharp blue daggers that seemed to see right through Twilight. When he smiled Twilight saw the old man had only a few crocked yellow teeth remaining. Age and wisdom radiated from him in waves that Twilight could almost feel on her skin making her shy away from looking directly at the old man, like she was a student again caught with her hoof in a cookie jar by Celestia.

In contrast the woman was all jagged and abruptness, from her arrow straight posture, to the flat red hair cascading down her back. Both hers and the elders clothes were old and threadbare, but while his was covered in food stains, hers was clean and crisp. Long pale hands held his arm, though Twilight doubted the woman needed to help the old man.

"How about you, will you tell us why you tried to sneak in our city?" he asked, his eyes unblinking. Twilight got the distinct impression that he could actually see lies, like a fine mist leaking from the mouth.

"First, tell me what has happened to the girl and woman that was with us."

"The girl is fine and being taken care of, as is the woman who was wounded," the old man gave Twilight a genial smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling while the woman beside him wrinkled her nose like she had smelled something foul. Waving his hand, the old man indicated he wanted Twilight's response.

Licking her dry lips Twilight said, "I was told to come here. That someone here could tell me how I could return to my home."

"And where is your home, young one?"

"It's..." Twilight stopped unsure of exactly what to say. She wasn't going to lie, but she also didn't know what to tell him. "My home is on another world. A place called Equestria," Twilight said eventually, waiting for a response.

The old man nodded slowly, cane tapping slowly as he looked Twilight over.

"So, you seek to use the Doors. In Ianua," he sighed, the last words sending a tingle of anticipation up Twilight's spine. "It is a very dangerous and terrible power you seek. One best left alone."

"In Ianua. Pater, si fieri et mittent eos in interitum eius. Si aperire Ianua nigra turba pergemus iterum."

Smiling sadly, the old man patted the woman's hand, saying, "Hoc oraculum omnium praevisa a filia. Furati sunt dona nobis hodie electiones caelorum."

Twilight looked between the two people, a frown pulling at her face. She recognised the language being spoken as similar to Pre-Classical Equish, but they were speaking too fast for Twilight to understand what was being said, though she caught words that she believed meant 'foreseen', 'choices', and 'sky temple'. The last one Twilight wasn't so sure about.

"Twilight, what are you three chattering about?" Sun called from the edge of her cell.

"We were about to discuss the terms of your release," the old man said with a throaty chuckle, and drawing a hiss from the woman beside him. Looking towards the various cells he spoke louder, "you five will be released, on two conditions. You will not try to escape the city, and you will not attempt to convince anyone to help you leave. If you break either of those conditions, in addition to all the normal rules a society has, thievery, hurting someone, and so-forth, you'll find yourself back in this hole so fast your head will be spinning and your back-sides sore from bouncing across the steel floor. Am I clear?"

Twilight heard a muttering of agreement from around her. She nodded slowly, unsure if she'd be able to keep such a promise.

"I will agree, for a time. I have to return to my home, however," Twilight said, which made the old man smile before inclining his head in understanding.

"We understand, though perhaps we can make you see reason. Settling down here, even if you eventually return to the surface, is not so bad, perhaps. But come, we should get you out of this dank musty place and find you homes to use while among us. Guards, aperire cellulis."

The last was to the golems, all of which stepped towards the bars, and after grabbing a handle, pulled them open. Twilight didn't see them unlock the doors, but assumed they must have. Warily watching the golems the small group stepped out of the cells. Waving for them to follow, the old man and woman began to slowly walk towards a short round door at the end of the passage. Ahead of him the golems trudged in unison, gears creaking in their joints and metal feet clanking.

"Your possessions will be returned to you, except for your weapons. You'll have no use for them here anyways. And yes, that includes your ring," the old man said. Blinking Twilight looked down to her hand and for the first time noticed that Jasmine's ring was missing. Sighing in frustration Twilight focused on the walk as they turned along various narrow passages and up a couple flights of stairs. Continuing unabated the old man explained, "There will be meals provided to you, and you'll be allowed to visit any of the common rooms and parks. The central tower however is strictly off-limits for your own safety."

After what felt like ages they came to a wide set of double doors. Pausing with a hand on the door the old man looked over his shoulder, smiling, and with a push heaved them open.

"Welcome to Black Mountain Shelter," he said stepping aside.

Twilight's mouth fell open into a small 'O' of shock.

Sweeping out in front of them was a wide circular cavern at least half a kilometer in width. In the center a massive column of stone connected the roof and floor, a ring of a thousand lights flickering and sputtering like a dying artificial sun. At the base of the column was a lake that took up half the cavern's floor, five wide stone bridges gracefully arcing across the body of water like the wings of a swan to connect the column to the rest of the cavern. Houses, short squat square things, wrapped around the lake, their roofs covered in green gardens, and climbing a quarter of the way up the cavern's walls. Along the narrow streets Twilight could see hundreds of small figures moving about, popping into buildings along the five main thoroughfares, or winding their way through the twisting passages between the houses. At the end of each of the main roads stood a massive door similar to the one in the chamber with the mummified bodies.

To either side of these doors was a massive golem, Twilight couldn't think of anything else they could be, long arms hanging down to the knees of digitigrade legs. Round bulbous bodies showed numerous dark scrapes and scratches attesting to the golems' ages. Heads fashioned in the shape of helmets watched the city impassively.

"This is incredible," Twilight heard someone whisper, only to realise with a start that it was her who spoke.

"Come, enough gawking. There are plenty of free homes in the North District," the old man said starting down the long gently sloping stairs that lead down into the city.

"How many of you live here?" Twilight asked coming up beside the old man and his helper.

"Once, tens of thousands found succor in this shelter and the surrounding passages. Now there are barely three hundred of us left. Time has not been kind to us, with the young leaving for the surface, or accidents claiming so many. Other's chose to let their time end naturally."

Twilight's ears perked at the last comment, whispered so quickly she suspected he had been talking to himself. Filing the comment away for later, Twilight took to paying attention to where they were going. To Twilight's surprise, the city was far more orderly and easy to navigate than the seemingly chaotic layout of the roads and alleys suggested at first glance. Everywhere there were signs, though Twilight couldn't read them, and the houses were grouped in clear clusters. There were few dead ends, and all the alleys eventually connected to one of the primary roads.

As they travelled they began to pick up others, the new people following in a loose chatting crowd. Like the old man and woman, all their clothes had that old worn quality, though they were clean and patched with care where needed. Children, laughing and singing skipped from roof to roof above the group and the crowd following. It brought a smile to Twilight's lips. This was a happy place, in spite of the wear caused by time.

"Here you go," the old man finally said stopping in front of a series of small plain homes. "Your youngest friend chose that one on the left," he said pointing to a blue box shaped house, "All the others are free as well. Don't worry, no one has lived in this district in a good three centuries, but the servants keep the places up. To reach your other friend just follow the red signs. They'll lead you to the hospital. Someone will be along with your possessions in a little bit. Now, if you'll excuse an old man, I need to return to my own home and get some sleep."

"Wait, you never gave us your name!" Twilight called after the two as they began to sink into the gathered crowd.

Stopping to look back with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he said, "I suppose I didn't," before disappearing. A moment later his weathered voice could be heard calling out, "Oh, and one last thing. Mind the Spirit of Chaos."

Twilight's eyes grew wide as saucers at the warning, her heart hammering in her chest as an image of Discord, gloating on his thrown in a topsy-turvy Ponyville flashed in front of her eyes. Pushing the spike of anxiety down, even as an eye twitched, Twilight spun on a heel and marched towards a simple lavender hued home.

* * *

As the old man had said, Twilight's possessions were returned promptly after she had selected a home, carried in the hands of one of the golems. Checking her pack and bags Twilight was relieved to find everything present, except Jasmine's ring. Twilight just hoped that it would be returned when she eventually left. Just as she was finishing up storing what little she owned in the rickety old dresser in the houses single bedroom, a bedroom that also served as living room and kitchen, Twilight was surprised by a knock on the door.

Opening the door, Twilight was surprised to see a short blonde girl and Eric.

"Hello, I'm Katie!" she said enthusiastically, thrusting a hand out in greeting. "The elder said that you'd want to see your friends once you got settled in, so I'm here to take you to them."

Twilight blinked at the easy and open candor that rolled off the girl. Judging from her height and build Twilight guessed her to be roughly the same age as April. Eric had a slight bemused expression on his face as he stood waiting.

"Um, yes, that'd be, uh, great," Twilight rubbed her hands together and gave one little longing look towards the books she had left on the bed. It had been too long since she'd been able to really just read and study. The brief session stolen when they'd first entered the caves had only wetted Twilight's appetite. She couldn't recall ever having gone so long without a really good study binge. Letting the door close with a little snap Twilight strode along beside the girl.

"So, let me give you the run-down since I know the elder didn't. He likes the whole doddering wise old man bit too much to really explain anything. First off, I am Katie, chief doctor and head medical guru of Black Mountain Shelter. And before you comment about my age, I am four hundred and fifty three years old."

Almost tripping when she heard the number, both Twilight and Eric looked at the girl with wide disbelieving eyes. It was impossible, as far as Twilight was aware, for anything other than alicorns, dragons, and other extremely powerful species or spirits to live so long. Certainly not humans. Jacob had confirmed that most humans rarely lived much beyond their sixtieth birthday. For the girl to be so old there had to be magic involved.

"Now, you'll be all curious about how I am so old. I'll tell it to you once, I can't tell you how, just that I am. Also, I wouldn't try to force it out of me, it won't end well for you. Next up, everything will be provided for you. The food isn't great, shoot, it's little better than mushy green slop, but it has everything the body needs to thrive, even if your taste buds will tell you otherwise. With our population so low we have tons of surplus food. Also, nothing is expected of you. We all can do whatever we please. I chose to be the doctor after the last one decided to go to the surface for a bit. He never came back, but what are you going to do about it?"

"Alright, another thing you should be told about, don't mess with the guardians. They are those huge armoured things by the main doors into the lower tunnels. If they think you are a threat they will step on you. I'm not joking. Saw it happen three hundred years ago. There are lesser guardians all over the place, they were the ones that caught you when you tripped the upper entry alarms, don't mess with them either. You saw a bunch of them when the elder went up to interview you in your cells. They can rip off your arms and club you to death with them."

"And finally, I can speak your language so well because we aren't a bunch of closeted hermits that shun the topside. We have people who go up to your Protectorates on a semi-regular basis and keep us informed of what's going on up there. Right now things look pretty bad, so we'll be doing what we do best; keep our heads down and wait out the storm. Any stupid questions?"

There was hardly a pause before Katie chirped, "Good, because we're here."

Pushing through the doors into a lobby of a squat long building. In the first room there was an area set aside for waiting with a dozen chairs, and an area separated with curtains containing beds and the usual equipment Twilight associated with hospitals. Everything was so similar to home that it was eerie. The receptionists desk, the plain white hallways, and even the smell of antiseptic cleaners all reminded Twilight of Ponyville General Hospital. There were even the same wards where patients would be kept, though all the ones in this hospital were empty. A couple of white golems with red crosses painted on their chests moved about the hallways, their feet clanking as they moved.

Katie ignored them as she made her way to a ward near the back of the building.

"You can have a few minutes with her, then she needs to get some more sleep. It's a miracle that the rot didn't kill her. Most people infected die within an hour, it took us nearly twice that before we realised what was happening to her. I thought at first she was just off her rocker with all the laughing." Katie pushed open the door, leading the way into a room with a single worn out bed.

Tracey raised her head as they entered, a slight smile playing at her lips. Beside her sat April, the young girl holding a piece of paper and a stone. Twilight recognised the test for magic and raised an eyebrow in silent question. April's talents were obvious, why was she taking the test, Twilight wondered.

"Twilight and the silent monk, I am surprised to see the two of you. I thought these people were going to keep you hostage."

Rolling her eyes Katie went up to a heart monitor before checking a couple clear bags hooked up to IVs, but otherwise didn't respond to the jab. Twilight saw Katie's face scrunch up, eyes fixated on the objects in April's hand, as the girl turned back towards the door.

"Everything is looking good. You should be on your feet in a few days," Katie said, her words a sickly sweet as she pushed her way out of the room. "I'll be in the lounge if you need me."

"So..." Tracey said, her voice trailing off as the illusionist looked anywhere but at Twilight. "We never really got to talk before, about things."

"No, we didn't," Twilight sighed taking a seat beside Tracey's bed. “What I want to know most is why?”

“Why? Why what?” Tracey asked back, tilting her head to one side.

“Why did you attack me?”

“Oh, that.” Tracey grunted, arms crossing in front of her stomach. “The full answer is going to be long and boring, more so if you don’t know anything about the state of affairs in politics for the Kingdom and the surrounding lands. The short story is that Jasmine is my Sister-Apprentice and I would do anything to help her, and she me.”

“And the long story?”

“Jasmine made many enemies, the worst probably her 'fiancé' ,” Tracey sighed, her shoulders slumping as her eyes looked towards something beyond the plain white walls of the room. “He is the one who hired the guild of assassins to kill Jasmine and all those who travelled with her.”

“Why in Celestia’s name would Jasmine’s fiancé want to kill her?”

“There are two reasons, the first being because she ran away. One does not just snub and run away from the Duke of White Tower.” A low cold chuckle rattled Tracey for a moment, stopping only when she doubled over coughing. When the coughs subsided she added, “Not even a Princess.”

“So, the gold knot that says I am, I mean Jasmine, is royalty isn’t because she’s low on the list, but because she is a daughter of the King?”

“You didn’t know? Vernon didn’t tell you? Why else would a personal guardian and body guard be travelling with you? Wizards don’t have a man-at-arms joined to them at the hip that is loyal to death. Only Royalty and rich Nobility can afford that expense or gain that loyalty.”

“Loyalty, huh?” Twilight mused, seeing for a moment a cyan pegasus, rainbow mane flying freely through the wind. “But why? Why would Jasmine want to give up studying magic and leave her home to tromp through woods and always being hunted?” Twilight cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“I forget that you know nothing of these lands,” Tracey muttered rubbing her face with her good hand. “Duke Kevin Rutland is, to be blunt, not a nice man. If the assassins aren’t enough to tell you that then meeting the man in person certainly would. Jasmine’s father sought the marriage in order to create a more lasting peace between the White Tower and his kingdom. The geopolitics are probably beyond you without the knowledge of centuries of tension between the duchy and the kingdom. I’ll just condense it down to this; if Rutland can kill you before me or Vernon can get you back to the King then there will be a war. If you are killed in the Protectorates then the King would have little choice but to march his armies north.”

“But what would this Duke Rutland get out of a war between the Kingdom and the Protectorates?” Twilight wasn't sure why precisely she asked, all this talk of politics only involved her because she was stuck in Jasmine's body. As soon as she got home and got her own body back it'd all be moot.

“For one thing the Kingdom would be weakened, as would the power of the King himself. In the end Rutland is after the crown. He couldn’t get it by marrying Jasmine. In the event of both her brother’s death she’d become Queen, but Rutland would just be the consort of the Crown.”

Twilight sighed rubbing her temples as she felt a small headache start. And she thought the squabbling and back-stabbing in Canterlot had been bad. These humans made the Canterlot elite look like tame kittens.

“Ugh, this is why Celestia always kept me away from the nobility, so much in fact that they don’t even recognise me. I hate all this political nonsense. All I want to do is study the underlying fundamental forces of magic. Maybe in a few years be considered for the position of Arch-Mage when Star Dancer retires. All of this," Twilight growled sweeping her hands around to encompass everything, "makes no sense to me! The sooner I get home the better."

Sighing Twilight stood up slowly.

"But this doesn't explain why you attacked me the other night."

"Ah, yes, as to that, I was hired by the assassins. There is a general impression that me and Jasmine are liable to kill each other if left in the same room together. It's not wholly inaccurate," Tracey blushed, her fingers fiddling in her lap. "Our relationship is complicated."

Eyes growing wide Twilight asked, "You and her were lovers?" before her brain could veto the question.

"What? No! Oh, gods, no!" Tracey's face was a startling shade of red as she continued to sputter protests, the monitor at her side releasing a stream of fast beeps.

From his chair Eric rocked back and forth in silent laughter. April wasn't so silent, her laugh slow and hollow.

"Anyways," Tracey said regaining control of herself, "you need to get back to the surface and head to Roxholm upon Tyme. Otherwise there will be a war. Once that is sorted out you can go to the Academy."

"So, that's it then, huh?" Twilight asked, her voice soft and distant, like it stood on the edge of a waterfall looking down into the mist and roaring foam bellow.

Inside Twilight didn't feel soft or distant, she felt angry. A burning knot of tension and exasperation stuck in her throat, and if she didn't do something to release it Twilight felt like it would strangle her. Fist balled at her side she fired a scathing glower towards Tracey, the illusionists face registering confusion. Closing her eyes for a moment to steady her suddenly erratic breathing, Twilight let herself fall off that cliff.

"I'm supposed to go and do what? Marry some despot I have never even heard about? All to save you ponies, no, people?"

Tracey opened her mouth to respond, but once the plunge was started Twilight couldn't hold back.

"I have been shot with an arrow. Had the Tartarus damned dead attack me. My magic, everything I have spent my life studying, is utterly useless. Had a good, innocent family DIE in front of me. Heh, one of them sacrificed himself for me!" Twilight laughed mirthlessly, her voice rising with each statement. "And you want me to go running to the one responsible for all this?"

"I-"

"And all because some spoiled princess didn't want to marry him herself. Not that I can blame her!"

Twilight paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, hands clenching and unclenching as she saw again and again the last moments of the Conrad's. Guilt and hatred, boiling always beneath the surface, raced forward. Face flush, Twilight stamped a foot screaming in frustration. After a moment she took a deep breath, letting her heart slow a few beats before she spoke again. When she did three sets of eyes watched her with rapt attention.

"Do you know what I was doing when all this started?" Twilight asked slowly, trying to think about Rarity and let the memories calm her. "I was have lunch with a friend at a little cafe. I had a dandelion sandwich, she had daffodils, and we shared a pot of tea. Then my magic was flaring up, the checks I put in place to keep it balanced snapping all at once. Next thing I know I'm like this."

Jaw clenched Twilight gestured towards herself, lip curled back in a snarl. Voice rising again Twilight continued.

"I look at this place, this Black Mountain Shelter, and I am reminded so much of home. That is a heart monitor you're hooked up to, Tracey. And that is a saline solution flowing into your arm. It's all so familiar. Yet I bet you have no idea what any of this is. The irony is astounding."

"It's been weeks since I last had a good study session. I'm actually rather proud of myself for having not had one of my infamous breakdowns yet thanks to my OCD. Thank Celestia for small miracles."

Twilight threw her hands up in the air. Her hands, how she hated that thought, it made bile rise up in her throat.

"I have to go to this kingdom you say, well, I don't." Twilight's voice hammered down with finality, making Tracey gape, her mouth opening and closing like a fish on land. "What I have to do is make sure the April is safe, and to get home where I belong. Everything else is secondary."

Twilight leveled a look that could cut tempered steel towards Tracey. Her heart had started pounding again, each beat sounding like a drum in her ears. Looking away from Tracey, Twilight saw April still sitting in her chair, paper and stone in her palm, and a look of total shock and fear on her face. Cold guilt leapt up at the sight, striking down the last of Twilight's spent anger.

"I-I'm sorry, April, I didn't mean to shout in front of you, I am so, so sorry," Twilight said as she slipped out of the hospital room, Eric trailing silently behind her, shame burning through every fiber of her being.

* * *

The days passed slowly for Twilight. After leaving the hospital, Twilight returned to the small home she had claimed and immersed herself into the spell-books. But not until she created a series of checklists and schedules of the things she needed to accomplish, and the best use of her time to do them.

It felt good, very good, to have a set plan and firm timetables set in ink on parchment. Twilight felt like she'd been able to reach a nagging itch that she'd been unable to scratch, a sense of serenity overtaking her.

The first 'evening' April came over as Twilight poured over her books, giving Twilight the perfect opportunity to remove 'Apologize again to April' from the first checklist (she had several already). To Twilight's surprise and delight April had forgiven her quickly, and the two settled into a pattern of reading and sharing ideas on the various spells.

Having another outside perspective, Twilight quickly found, was refreshing. Jasper hadn't done more than teach April the barest fundamentals on self control leaving the girl a blank slate, or tabula rasa as Twilight said with a giggle. There wasn't much Twilight could teach April, not with her focus missing, nor was it easy to practice the spells.

Until the end of the first week, when Twilight again found herself in the endless bleak grey fog of the Winterlands. Twilight had begun to fret that she'd be dragged into her second session with Ogopologos without the focus. What the dragoness would have done frightened Twilight almost more than not being able to study. But she appeared in the Winterlands with the focus on her finger just as it had been when she'd left, so Twilight had kept quiet about losing the focus in the real world.

Just like the first, the second training session with the dragon was a brutal onslaught of spells and unbending criticism. After what felt like days Twilight returned to the buried city, half a dozen new spells buzzing in her head. The brutal training was repeated a week later, and again a week after that, with the time in between filled with copying what she'd learned into her journal, showing April what she'd learned, or studying the few spell books she possessed.

Tracey came over a few days after Twilight had shouted at her, recovered enough from the ghoul rot to be released from the hospital. The Illusionist hadn't stayed long, put off by Twilight's fidgeting apology, and Twilight suspected, sensing that Twilight had little desire to get to know her. Only Vernon, other than April, spent any time around Twilight. He would sit in a corner dozing, or exercise and practice his swordsmanship in the yard. Eric came around a few times, but mostly stayed with Tracey, teaching the illusionist the intricacies of sign language. Sunalinda and Kodiak were nowhere to be seen, spending their time exploring the city or conversing with the residents.

Every few days Twilight had allowed for time to attempt to convince the elder to tell her about how to open the 'Ianua', or to tell her who could. But he steadfastly refused to speak on the subject. In fact, he talked mostly about nonsense, or was keen to listen as Twilight talked about her life in Equestria. He had been genuinely shocked when Twilight had spoken about her education as Princess Celestia's personal student, mostly focusing on how the princess moved the Sun.

So perfectly ordered and repetitive were her days it shocked Twilight when she woke up the morning after training in the Winterlands to realise weeks had passed.

Determined to waste no more time, Twilight headed towards the elder's home, April in tow. Either she'd get the answers she needed, or they'd be leaving and have to find them elsewhere.

It was as the two were at the half way point to the elder's home that Twilight encountered something she never expected.

There, standing in the center of the street and inspecting the lights so high overhead, was a draconequus.

Twilight froze, her eyes wide and her brain stopping like the gears of a train with the emergency brake pulled. Lowering its malformed head, the draconequus took notice of the panic infusing Twilight's stare, and with a little smirk, began walking towards Twilight and April.

"Well, well, well, whatever do we have here?" the draconequus asked, it's voice high and screechy, like an owl diving down in the clear night. "Robes, so a wizard or priest. Panicking, so, well versed in ancient history." The draconequus leaned it's long neck down so that it's miss-matched green and orange eyes were level with Twilight's, and then took a long exaggerated breath through its nose. "And is that the scent of Chaos I detect?"

Twilight let out a little squeak, trying to shrink away from the hideous malformed creature.

"Why, it IS!" the draconequus declared, clapping its hands together, the left being a monkeys and the right belonging on a rat. "So, tell me, which of my brothers and sisters did you have the pleasure to meet? Was it Pandemonium? Or Bedlam? No? How about Insanity? Come on, I can't keep guessing. Well, I could I suppose, but it's more fun if you participate in the conversation."

The draconequus gave Twilight a wide snaggle-toothed smile revealing a mouth filled with the teeth of sharks, dogs, and a boar tusk.

"D-Discord," Twilight managed to say, taking a step back.

"Discord!? But of course!" the draconequus exclaimed, slapping its monkey paw hand onto its forehead just below elk antler and curled ram horn. "So, how is my little baby brother doing? Still making cotton candy clouds that rain chocolate milk? Or has he grown up and started spreading real chaos?"

"H-he is a statue," Twilight gulped taking another step back, one matched by the draconequus.

"A statue?" the draconequus said, tilting its head to one side, then the other. "Ha! How appropriate. But wait, he wasn't sent to this realm. He went to that place with all the ponies and, blech, love and harmony."

"Uh, excuse me, but who or what are you?" April asked.

"Sorry, how rude of me. I am Anarchy, daughter of Chaos," the draconequus said, sweeping down into a low bow so that her nose touched the road. "Once Herald of the lords of the infernal realms, now the teacher at the school here in the shelter."

At the mention of teaching and school the gears in Twilight's head finally began to move again.

"Wait, you're the teacher here?" Twilight exclaimed, her mouth falling open.

"Yes," Anarchy said tilting her head again to one side. "Why?"

"But, you're a Draconequus! A living embodiment of Chaos! Who would let you near foals?"

"Foals?" Anarchy threw her head back as a peel of ruckus laughter rolled from her belly. "I said I teach at a school, not a barn. Wait," she said, the laughter ending abruptly, her blue eye wandering over Twilight, "Discord. Foals. Ah-ha! I see what's going on here. My oh my, isn't this interesting. Most interesting indeed."

Anarchy's eyes took on a predatory gleam for a moment, then turned soft, and still laughing she turned around and headed towards the school. Standing stock still in the street, Twilight tried to figure out what had just happened. The corner of her eye twitched as question after question began to pile up. Finally, Twilight gave a short scream, threw her arms up in the air, and stalked off towards the elder's home.

She found him in the garden on the roof of his home tending to a group of roses.

"A draconequus! You let a draconequus teach your foals?" Twilight spat as she stepped onto the soft green grass.

Looking up the elder just chuckled.

"I see you met Anarchy," he said setting down a watering can. "And if you must know, we have no children for her to teach, so all she does is sit in the school room and pass the centuries."

"Right," Twilight grumbled. She berated herself for forgetting that everyone in the shelter had lived for countless years. "I've encountered a draconequus before. He could warp reality and physics like they were his toys. Why is everything here so..."

"Sane?" the elder supplied.

"Yes!"

"Because we stole Anarchy's powers," the elder stated like he was sharing the recipe for cupcakes. "The roses haven't been healthy," he said, changing subjects like tacking a boat, "I think it's the lights. They've grown dim this last decade. They need the sun, don't you think?"

"They're not the only things that need the sun," Twilight grumbled sitting down on a bench in the center of the garden.

"I had a very peculiar visitor last night," the elder continued as if he hadn't heard Twilight. "Insisted that it was time I let you and your companions leave the shelter. I was also to give you two things."

The elder reached into a satchel resting next to the rose-bed, from it he withdrew a book and a grey cylinder as long as Twilight's fore-arm. Shuffling towards Twilight he handed the book over first. Flipping it open Twilight saw it was extremely old, older than any book in her library in Ponyville, and she had some books from before the banishment of Nightmare Moon. It was also written in the same language that was used everywhere in the shelter. Looking up at the elder, Twilight raised a questioning eyebrow.

"That is my journal and notes. Everything pertaining to Project Prometheus. It'll tell you what you need to know to open the Ianua." He then handed over the cylinder. "This is a Prometheus Dynamo, without it the doors... can't-"

The elder's voice trailed off, his eyes fixated on the cylinder in Twilight's hand, and the small blue glow that shone from its heart. Twilight followed his gaze, and found herself seeming to fall down and into the cylinder. Wind rushed past her ears, and she could feel a dull ache or pressure form behind her eyes. Images began to leap unbidden into her mind.

White-tail wood, tall birches surrounding her like white sentinels.

Her library, the green leaves of the tree-house swaying in a gentle breeze.

A hidden vale nestled between four towering mountain peaks, their sides smooth slopes of slate that nothing could grow on. Nestled at the base of the mountains sat a small village, little tendrils of smoke curling from chimneys, and in the middle of the village a towering statue of an armoured man.

The shelter with its blocks of homes and buildings broken by wide arrow straight roads. And herself, sitting on a bench, staring into a cylinder emitting bands of arcing blue energy. Floating above the garden Twilight watched April reach over and pry the cylinder from her fingers, the light vanishing as soon as it was taken from Twilight.

Blinking Twilight felt herself return to the garden. In front of her the elder was panicking, his eyes two wide saucers as he looked Twilight over.

"What did you see? Quick, quick, tell me, what did you see?"

"I saw the White-Tail woods, just west of Ponyville, my library, a village in some mountains with a huge statue in the middle, and us, here, just moments ago."

"You saw the shelter?" Fear and shock mingled in the elder's eyes, his head twisting left and right.

"Yes, but... what is that noise?" Twilight asked, changing questions as a sound like a pit of hissing snakes assaulted her ears.

"Oh, dear Saints, preserve us," the elder said, grabbing Twilight and April by the wrists and pulling both towards the steps that led into his home.

Sirens began to blare across the shelter, echoing off the stone ceiling and walls into a litany of noise. Looking over her shoulder Twilight spotted a blue disk forming high above the shelter. Just as the elder dragged Twilight into his home she saw a long crimson arm reach out of the disk. Releasing Twilight and April he strode over to a panel next to his bed, all hints of age erased from his gait.

Pressing a switch on the panel he said something in his native language before turning towards a large trunk at the foot of his bed.

"You'll find all your weapons in the trunk. Take them, your companions, and leave. It is no longer safe here for you."

From outside there came a long shrieking whistle followed by a dull boom, the ground shaking as the sounds passed.

"Young one, keep that cylinder out of Twilight's hands until she is ready to control it, you understand?"

April nodded quickly, clutching the cylinder to her chest like it was a life vest and she was floating in the ocean. Satisfied, the elder kicked open the trunk, reached in, and pulled out what looked like a short boxy staff. Striding to the door he turned, gave Twilight a terse smile, then stepped out into a field of flames and screaming light. Looking into the trunk Twilight saw all their weapons neatly stored in a long bag. Reaching into the trunk Twilight tried to pick up the bag, but quickly discovered it was too heavy for her to lift.

"Oh, come on!" Twilight grumbled stamping her foot just as another series of explosions rocked the house.

Twilight was just about to abandon the swords, axes, and knives in favour of searching for her ring, and maybe Tracey's staff, when Kodiak and Sun appeared in the door.

"Great Dragons above!" Sun yelled slipping into the room, the shelter shuddering under the thunder of massive feet.

Looking at the two adventurers Twilight let out a sigh of relief.

"Come on, we have to get out of here," Twilight shouted over the growing cacophony echoing through the streets. "Please tell me you know the way," she added as Kodiak snatched up the bag holding their weapons.

"Of course we do. Scouted them out weeks ago." Sun rolled her eyes as she accepted her sword and bandoleer of daggers from Kodiak, relief flooding her eyes as the leather wrapped around the hilt slid into her palm.

"Course you did," Twilight sighed. "Is my ring in there?"

Kodiak nodded, fishing out all the weapons. He quickly found homes for most somewhere on his person, swords and axes dangling from his belt, and strings of daggers tossed over a shoulder. Twilight slipped on her ring and took Tracey's staff. A few knives were left abandoned in the bottom of the bag as the four slipped out of the house, and into a scene of complete chaos.

Almost at once Twilight had to duck back to the edge of the door as two of the massive golems guarding the main doors stomped past, the stones cracking under their feet. Long blades extended from their arms and lances of brilliant light screamed from barrels where the hands had been. The golems shoulders opened, fire blossoming and streaking down towards the lake in a scream of noise followed by a dozen thunderous pops. A spinning blade of green fire flew up from the lake, hanging in the air for a moment, before descending towards the lead golem.

In a roar of tearing metal, the golems right arm was sheared off, bouncing and crashing into a home across the narrow street. Hundreds of other lances of light blazed and tore across the shelter, scoring and tearing chunks out of the ceiling, walls, and city. Overhead hundreds of winged shapes sped, green fire and lightning shooting from their mouths. Throngs fell from the air, cut down by the lights.

Pulled along by Kodiak and Sun, Twilight and April tried to stay as low to the ground and out of sight as they could. In front of them three of the shelters inhabitants ran past, chased by the winged shapes. One fell, his feet catching on debris, and gave a blood curdling scream as he was picked up and dragged into the air. Hardly even slowly, Twilight twisted her hands together at her side then flicked her wrist, a glowing violet spear manifesting next to her and flying in chase of whatever had carried off the man. Twilight didn't wait to see if her spell hit or missed, there was no time to cast a second, continuing to follow Kodiak.

Stumbling onto one of the main roads, they saw another of the giant golems, this one locked in battle with an equally tall winged monster. Fire and smoke cloaked the beast, a sword of hissing magma in each hand. The swords crashed down on the golems head and shoulder, melting deep into its metal body. Almost immediately both were consumed in a ball of fire that tossed Twilight and the others against a wall, and the monster hundreds of feet, landing with a crash in the heart of the lake.

Picking herself up, Twilight found she couldn't hear anything other than a dull ringing. Staggering a few feet she found April, pulling the girl up they were quickly joined by Sun and Kodiak, both covered in dirt and small cuts.

The insanity continued as the four ran up the road. Everywhere was fire and explosions, drowning out screams of the people that had called the shelter home. Winged monsters flew out of the acrid smoke, hissing and laughing even as they were struck down. Twilight realised as they reached the door that the residents of the shelter had rallied, several of their huge golems forming a protective ring around them. Hundreds of the smaller golems moving about the city in packs, tongues of fire erupting from their wrists towards their enemies.

The others were waiting at the door, crouched down behind a barrier made from a golems half melted leg. With them was Katie, the not-young-girl holding a short boxy staff like the elder had taken, and covered in blood. Twilight hoped that none of it was Katie's.

"Okay, you lot, behind this door is a lift that will take you to the upper levels. Once up there follow red lines until you smell fresh air. Should be a simple matter reaching the surface from there."

"What about you?"

Katie laughed, the staff in her hand hiccupping a burst of short fire.

"We'll survive. We always have."

Nothing more was said as Katie pulled a lever that opened a smaller side-door and began to push them through. On the other side they found only a large boxy room. Turning around Twilight wanted to ask Katie what they were supposed to do, but the girl vanished in a roar of green fire that slammed the door closed. A moment later the floor trembled, the walls clacking, and then Twilight's stomach fell to somewhere around her knees as they began to ascend back towards the sun.

Comments

[Tundara]

This chapter was an absolute pain in my tushie to write. I must have gotten a few thousand words into it, then deleted everything several times. I'm still not fully happy with parts, but I could spend the next year smashing my head against it with no end in sight. So, I'm just going to put it behind me and move on.

[warpd]

Writer's block is a pain. I'm not surprised that Discord is the younger sibling in a family of weirdos. The fact that their power can be suppressed is interesting. Wonder if they could do the same to Discord.