Lines and Webs

by Airstream

Of Trains and Transformation

The train to Fillydelphia rumbled through the plains north of Ponyville, a vast and windswept area broken only by the shimmering strip of steel piercing its heart. These lands were wide and open, contained by mountains to the north, the Whitetail to the south, the ocean to the west, and Canterlot itself to the east. The land here was good, however, and if Twilight felt so inclined to take a look out of her rapidly moving boxcar, she would have been treated to a view of the breadbasket of Equestria, fields of wheat and barley stretching in shimmering waves as far as the eye could see, floating in the breeze in a display that rivaled the power and grace of the ocean itself. Few cities of note were contained in this vast wasteland, the domain of the earth ponies and the supposed site of the first Equestrian city states. Any towering marble majesty of that bygone era was gone, however, buried beneath orchards and fields.

The train currently speeding through the countryside was one of three weekly trains bringing goods and special items to and from Fillydelphia, isolated on the western shore of Equestria and far away from the core cities of Canterlot, Manehatten, and others. Twilight had heard stories of the wondrous market contained inside the city, carrying all manner of trade goods from Quilinese fire peppers to Minotaurian woodwork and everything in between. The city itself was a melting pot of cultures and ideas, and indeed many prominent thinkers and philosophers lived inside the famed College on its outskirts.

There was one problem, however. Namely, the Pegasi who patrolled the area constantly, this also being the home of most of the Air Corps, Regular Army, and Royal Navy. As the train approached the city, the fields would begin to give way to airship towers, the farms to forts, and the orchards to supply depots. The trio would have to be at the top of their game to make it past the ponies who would undoubtedly be on alert, after the events of the previous day, which now seemed so far away. Twilight had suggested they ditch the train a mile out, hiking in the rest of the way under a disguise as the sun went down.

"I'm sorry, but I can't see myself taking too well to a transformation spell, what with being a dragon and all." Spike said, rapping his knuckles on his scaly hide. "Even if it does work, you'll have exerted so much energy to keep the spell up that you'll be all but helpless if something goes wrong."

Twilight Sparkle nodded, undoing the clasps on her bag. "Exactly what I thought, until I did some thinking and found the perfect solution." She pulled out one of the books of High Magic, holding it lightly in her telekinetic grip. "Fifty three different, extremely powerful transformation spells are contained in this one book, some of which I've never even heard of, so it's probably safe to say that the guards outside won’t be noticing either. With a bit of effort, all I will need to do is read the words and tie off the loose strings at the end of the spell. And you'll be able to break it at any time, so you don't even have to worry about being stuck as a pony."

Spike growled. "I still don't like it. I mean, I get the necessity, but all the same it just doesn't feel right. Are you sure that this will play out the way you say it will? No offense, but your plans are currently running on a less-than-stellar track record right now."

"Spike. This is my forte, what I'm good at. You have Celestia to thank for that. I'm apparently one of the most powerful magic users to be born in a hundred years, for what it's worth."

"Great. I feel much better now. Fine, let's just get this over with."

Twilight nodded, holding the book in front of her with her magic. "Stand back." she warned Golden Radiance, who retreated to the other end of the boxcar. Closing her eyes, she began to chant the words off of the page, her voice laden with Power, and her whole body glowing with the force of the magic she bore. "Enthak-ashei wohom tangaraq mahram, wohorrim ek'alte mashirik, balatar am desrek t'alum. Mehim al na'nanaya, hirrim shalgot. Bohrim na'nanaya, mishrak valzad arum hom. Frecth am-al na'nanaya ompetar. Shild Reckam!"

Spike closed his eyes as he felt rather than saw the swirling cobalt runes forming above the page, coalescing into a beam of light that twisted and writhed like a snake, seeking to escape the tethers binding it to the paper. Given direction by Twilight, it struck at Spike, engulfing the dragon in a cone of spinning blue light that began to shrink, taking the dragon with it. Spike gritted his teeth as his body erupted into pins and needles, fur sprouting to replace scales, legs shortening and fingers disappearing into hooves, his wings withering away as his snout lost its point, his eyes grew, and his teeth shrank in his skull. Finally, the arcane energy began to dissipate, taking with it the light and sound that had filled the enclosed space.

Spike kept his eyes closed, fearful of the change. Listening closely, he heard Twilight and Golden Radiance suppressing their laughter. This did not bode well for him. Slowly, he opened one eye, then the other, surprised at how big everything looked now. His vision was fuzzy, having lost its draconian clarity, and he could definitely hear less. That wasn't what worried him, though. What worried him was the expression of barely contained mirth on Twilight's face. Grimacing, he looked down at his hooves, holding one up for inspection. The shade was a delicate butter yellow. "Odd coloring for me." he said, and paused. "Why does my voice sound like this? What happened? Twilight, what did you do?"

Twilight spoke, her voice strained. "Sorry, Spike. I specified for the spell to turn you into an Earth pony. Unfortunately, it seems to have selected a different gender for you." The dragon looked at his/her hooves.

"Oh. Well. Dammit."

The laughter of the ponies in the train car echoed loudly as they sped through the plains of Equestria, the sun shining bright above them.

________________________________________

Rainbow Dash groaned as Rarity inspected the bubble shield holding the Pegasus suspended. "Come on, Rarity! You've been going at this for nearly an hour now!"

Rarity sniffed. "Well, pardon me if I can't undo the work of a master Mage quicker than you can blink! Magic is a touchy thing, Rainbow. Poke it the wrong way and the results can be...messy. And besides, I'm also going to need all of my strength to heal poor Fluttershy's jaw. Broken in three places, honestly!"

Fluttershy whimpered, her mouth bound up in bandages, meeting on the top of her head in a ridiculous bow. She had been nearly inconsolable when she had regained consciousness, and while she was unable to form words properly, the friends had caught "failure" and "my fault" among them. The little yellow Pegasus sniffed, partly from pain and partly from her near meltdown earlier.

Applejack stepped forward, putting a careful hoof around the Pegasus's shoulders. "Now, don't you go startin' up again. You just didn't expect Twilight to do what she did, that's all. Ah know that you got taken by surprise, it happens to the best of us. Just look at Rainbow, she's been sittin' in that bubble for three hours now!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Hardy har har, Applejack. You're a cut up. Seriously Rarity, hurry up. I've got to pee, badly."

Pinkie Pie bounced up to the rose-colored sphere, examining it closely. "Hmm. Didja try here, Rarity?" she asked, indicating a point on the bubble's surface.

Rarity trotted around to Pinkie's side, examining the location closely. "Ah! There it is, well done Pinkie Pie!" she exclaimed, a spark jumping from her horn to the side of the bubble, which vanished. Rainbow fell to the ground with a thud. "Et voila!" the unicorn cried, helping her friend up off of the ground. "Now, go use the restroom, Rainbow Dash. I've got to tend to Fluttershy's jaw."

The cyan mare sped off towards the tree line, as Rarity turned to her other Pegasus friend. "Alright dear, I'm going to need you to hold your tongue absolutely still. This will pinch a bit, but once we're done you should be good as new. Applejack, do you have that saltwater rinse?"

The orange pony hefted a small flagon filled from the stream by their campsite. "Right here, Rarity. It should have cooled by now, too."

"Excellent. Now, be a dear and hold still, Fluttershy." the white unicorn said, and furrowed her brow in concentration. Truthfully the mare was far better at first aid and medical magic than she had any right to be, having discovered a knack for it growing up with the incredibly self-destructive Sweetie Belle. Luckily, the filly had grown out of the phase where she was constantly breaking herself, but the knowledge remained, a useful tool for avoiding hospital visits and the hefty bills that came with. Applejack and Pinkie Pie looked on, impressed, as Fluttershy's jaw wiggled, re-aligned itself, and settled back into place with an audible *pop*. Rarity smiled. Normally after the duel, freeing her friend, and healing Fluttershy, she would have been exhausted. As it was, she merely felt lightheaded for a moment before regaining her composure. She could get used to having that kind of power, having always been a little jealous of Twilight's innate talent with magic.

Fluttershy flexed her jaw experimentally, checking to see what the damage was. Surprisingly, nothing seemed to be out of place, with all of her teeth back to normal, her wounds largely healed, and her headache fading rapidly. Rarity handed her the flask. Fluttershy dutifully rinsed her mouth with the saltwater solution, spitting the pinkish water demurely onto the ground. Coughing a bit, she spoke. "I'm so sorry, really I am. It's my fault Twilight got away. I had Twilight caught, and then she did...something. I wasn't sure what, though. Something about that crystal she was wearing. Did anypony else see what it was?"

Applejack nodded. "I got a good look at it. Don't know what it was, but I ain't never seen her wearin' it before. And what was the deal with that paper mare?"

Rarity ground her teeth. "Don't even talk to me about that...thing. It was playing with me the whole time! Presuming to give me lessons on magic? The nerve of that pile of confetti, if I wanted lessons I'd go to somepony who wasn't made of newspaper!"

"Definitely not something I've seen Twilight do!" Rainbow Dash called, returning from her sojourn into the nearby woods. "And from what I saw, it was nearly as powerful as Twilight was. The question we need to ask ourselves now," she said, settling by her friends, "is what we are going to do about it?"

"What can we do?" Rarity replied. "Twilight was formidable enough on her own, and I can't really see her getting less powerful as she goes. And she has Spike complicit with her, and that...thing. There are simply not many options open to us, Rainbow."

"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be thinking of one!" Pinkie Pie interjected, sitting down and looking in the direction the train had been going. "We've gotta find Twilight, before she hurts somepony else!"

"No offense, Pinkie, but if Twilight is on that train, she's gonna be way ahead us, and I don't know about y'all, but I don't think I can run all the way to Filly, Elements or no Elements." Applejack replied, looking down at the jewel on her neck.

"That's it!" Rainbow Dash cried, pumping one hoof into the air, her wings flared in excitement. "The Elements have helped us before, why don't we use them again? I know Twilight isn't here, but didn't Princess Celestia say that she would take up Twilight's Element? I bet if we could contact the Princess, she could help us to find a way to use the Elements to catch up to Twilight!"

Applejack wrinkled her nose. "That's all well and good, Rainbow, but how would we go about doin' that? She ain't here, and there ain't a telegraph office for miles!"

Rarity stepped forward. "Actually, Applejack, I could always try scrying her. If there's a pool around here somewhere, I could attempt a link to the Princess somewhere in Canterlot, possibly using Twilight's scrying pool. She showed it to me during the festival. Normally, that kind of magic would be quite a bit more than I could handle, but I think that with my Element I could make the connection. In fact, I'm sure I could!"

"We've got a cooking pot back in camp, I could go get it if somepony else wanted to find water." Fluttershy said, wincing a little at the lingering pain in her jaw.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash said. "Let's get moving! Everypony go! Go go go!"

________________________________________

Celestia stared at the diadem before her. Of all the Elements, this was likely her favorite. Not just because of the power it represented, but because she thought it the most beautiful, one of the high points of her artistry with magic. She had to admit, though, it had looked far better when Twilight had worn it, when its wire had glimmered hotly with power and the stone in its center had resembled a true starburst in all of its terrible beauty. Now, however, it was lifeless and without purpose, its Bearer separated as from Harmony as Discord and her sister had been, once. She would not allow that to happen again. No more monsters would be made while she ruled, she would make sure of that. Twilight was her last great plan for peace, the last piece of the puzzle. Much as Celestia loved the little unicorn, she would bring her back in chains if that was what was required for her vision to become reality.

Sighing, she bowed her head, concluding her meditation, and feeling the flow of power from the Catalyst, resting on its pedestal in the Vault, sealed away from the world. Rising to her hooves, she proceeded towards the Vault door, allowing herself to fall back into her role as Equestria's rightful ruler. Much as she wanted to use the Element, she could do nothing save continue her manipulation of the Lesser Elements, until Twilight was returned to her. As she sealed the Vault behind her, she looked to the door. There, standing at a respectful distance, was one of her pages. "Hello, my little pony. Do you have a message for me?" Celestia asked, looking down at her.

Silver Lily bowed low before speaking. "Yes, Your Highness. You asked to be alerted if the scrying pool in the Astronomy Tower began to act up, and activity was reported just moments ago, somepony attempting a transmission."

Celestia's eyes widened. "You are sure of this? There is no mistake?"

"None, milady. Merely a few minutes have passed, nothing more." the Pegasus said, nervously shuffling her wings.

The monarch of the sun got herself under control. Had Twilight attempted to contact her? Did she wish to speak? Or maybe her friends had caught up to her and subdued her. Whatever it was, that pool was still attuned to Twilight, and Twilight alone could use it outside of the castle. Of course, she almost never did, not when she had Spike. Regardless, it was bound to be important.

"Thank you, Silver Lily. You may return to your duties." Celestia said, wrapping the light around herself and gracefully disappearing.

The awestruck Pegasus watched as her Princess departed. Alone in the hall, she had time for one thought only. "She knows my name..."

________________________________________

"And that's exactly what happened? She didn't speak to any of you at all?" the image of Celestia asked, her voice tinny and far off. Rarity pushed more magic through herself, trying to improve the connection.

"None at all, Princess. We tried to use Fluttershy's Stare, and that had no effect on her as well. In fact, Twilight broke Fluttershy's jaw for her troubles." Rainbow Dash said, as the group huddled around the iron bucket they were using as a scrying pool.

"Oh, dear. Is she alright? Twilight Sparkle didn't try anything else, did she?" Princess Celestia asked, worried. If Twilight had maimed one of her friends...

"No. For the most part she just knocked us out. Her and Spike were traveling with something else, though. It looked like a unicorn, but it was made out of paper, or it at least looked it was. Dueled Rarity to a standstill, apparently, and knocked her out as well." Applejack said.

The Alicorn in the pool frowned. "A construct, then? If that is the case, and Twilight has made one, we are in greater danger than I thought. Constructs are powerful Breaking magic, taking a mortal soul and splitting it, sealing it inside a vessel of its own. Twilight puts her sanity and safety at risk if it stays close to her for too long."

"But how do we stop it?" Fluttershy asked.

The monarch thought for a moment. "If you destroy the shell, the spirit shall flee the body, heading back into its host again. All you have to do is destroy it. Be wary, though. Constructs often take on personalities of their own, and some even go so far as to choose their own names. If that happens, you must destroy it at all costs. Nothing is more dangerous than a free-willed construct."

"You can count on us, Princess!" Rainbow Dash said, throwing a quick salute.

Princess Celestia smiled. "Now, as for transportation and a way to help contain Twilight Sparkle, I may have something in mind. Tell me, are you standing in strong light, like sunlight?"

The group of friends frowned at each other. "Yes, Princess. We are." Rainbow Dash said confusedly. "Why?"

"Good. I need you to focus on your Elements as hard as you can. Think on Harmony, and your friend. I'm going to...change you, just a bit." Celestia said, closing her eyes.

Pinkie Pie spoke up. "Um, Princess? Is this going to hurt?"

A smile once again spread across Celestia's face. "No, Pinkie Pie. It feels wonderful, trust me. And afterwards, you shall know Harmony as never before."

The friends looked at each other. "Alright, Princess. We're ready." Rainbow Dash said.

Celestia's horn flared with pale golden light, and the five friends cried out in ecstasy, transfixed by the power of Harmony. They rose into the air, necklaces pulsing with light, which seemed to shine through them as well. Soon they rose above the plains stretching below them, higher and higher into the air. Above the clouds they stopped, and as one they began to shine even brighter, five miniature suns casting wild shadows across the land. In red, orange, pink, blue, and violet they glowed, and as the light reduced them to mere shadows, they began to undergo the same changes. Rainbow Dash's coat deepened from cyan to cobalt, the colors of her hair more prismatic and sharp than ever before. Pinkie Pie's Cutie Mark faded, the single balloon matching the one on her necklace. Fluttershy felt the jewel of her necklace press closer and closer to her neck, until the two were inseparable, its center pulsing, light emitted from it in the same rhythm as her heart. Rarity felt the pull of the Elements as a near physical force, and felt an even greater force, rolling in shimmering waves across the forest and plains below, emanating from the citadel of Canterlot itself. Applejack felt...something no pony before, save maybe the Princesses had ever felt. She felt true Harmony, calm and gentle Order spread across all but the darkest corners of the land. At last, with one final crackle of Power, the Elements began to descend to the plains below. Anypony within fifty leagues of them would later swear that the ghostly outline of the Princess herself descended with them, and be taken seriously at that.

The five friends...no, the five Bearers looked at one another. If they had thought themselves strong when they had left Ponyville, what they had been before paled in comparison. They jumped as the voice of Celestia sounded in their heads.

Can you hear me, my little ponies?

"Yes, Princess. We can hear you." Rainbow Dash said, inspecting her new wings. They looked sleeker, more streamlined than before. It would take more effort to fly with these, but they all knew that physical effort would no longer be an issue, not while the true Power of Harmony flowed through them.

Excellent. As long as you allow Harmony to flow through you as you do now, I shall be able to speak with you as if I am there.

"Thank you, Princess. That will assuredly be of use." the marble goddess of a unicorn that had once been Rarity said, her long horn, tapered to a deadly point, gleaming in the noontime sun.

Go now, you should have no trouble outpacing that train at this point. It was headed to Fillydelphia, and you shall have the cooperation of my forces there as long as you need it.

"Ego Serviturus Sum Die" the hulking orange pony known as Applejack said, her voice laden with the Power of her Element.

Moving truly as one, the five Bearers began to sprint into the west, pursuing their quarry with the mindless intent of devotion.

________________________________________

To those who follow the path of the Moon, prepare yourselves. The time of judgement is close at hand. Reveal not your purpose, but stand ready. Keep this medallion close, but keep it hidden. To display it now means your life and the lives of those around you. Should you encounter the Evening or her companions, keep them hidden and keep them safe.

Above all, I ask of you now to have courage. Follow the orders of those above you. Stay hidden unless absolutely necessary.

You have trusted me with your lives. I ask that you maintain that trust for a short time more. Until then, I shall remain as your protector, your Geas-bearer. Nocte imperialis.

The Moon.

Comments

[Campi the Bat]

I honestly do not fathom how this story is not more widely read than it is.

[Gwenio]

1262583

It did not make the featured box when it first came out.

[Airstream]

1262583>>1263193

Doing my best to change all that. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get lucky! In the meantime, I'm happy with the followers I have.

[Saffron Panther]

I agree this is an epic tale in the works and still going onward. It deserves more attention.

[Divine Path]

I am so enraged I am weeping.
Still, excellent work.

[Smirkythread]

I hate this so much, and mainly for none of my regular reasons. I hate this for the Celestia and all the uncertainty regarding her reasons and her objectives. The main reason though, is that this story is just too damn good for me to just stop despite the cold empty feeling in my chest.

And so I say to you sir, damn you. Damn you to hell.

[Beware The Carpenter]

Why didn't Celestia supercharge them to begin with, and why did Twilight leave them with the element necklaces when they were all knocked out?

[Bahamut Omega]

Girls... I hope you can be helped by Twilight. You don't know what Celestia's done.

[corona320]

So all the bearers got orgasms when they're touched by harmony? How is harder to fly with sleeker wings , is because they have less surface area ?

[websterhamster]

I gotta ask, what language is that spell in? It looks kinda like Vulcan, maybe? Or perhaps you created your own language (in which case this story just got way more than 20% cooler)!

[jwizard]

3059448

It bears some similarity to a language from Beyond Good and Evil. Great Ps2 game, even with the sound card and graphics glitches.

[EverfreeSparkle]

And now Twilight's friends are truly Celestia's puppets. They are but strings being pulled now. I hope Twilight figures out how to cut the strings enslaving her friends.

[jwizard]

And so, Celestia having taken direct control of them, the ponies we once knew as the Elements of Harmony are now as dead as Anakin Skywalker became after he became Darth Vader.

[Midknight Defender]

she would have been treated to a view of the breadbasket of Equestria, fields of wheat and barley stretching in shimmering waves as far as the eye could see, floating in the breeze in a display that rivaled the power and grace of the ocean itself. Few cities of note were contained in this vast wasteland,

These opposite terms make your description of the scenery an oxymoron.

Breadbasket:
noorimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HAR2013007C-0014-1200x799.jpg

Wasteland:
cdn1.epicgames.com/ue/item/Store_StylizedWastelandRocks_screenshot_7-1920x1080-8502767adcb27d55d4981ca3d9c7d777.png

[Pharaoh]

The awestruck Pegasus watched as her Princess departed. Alone in the hall, she had time for one thought only. "She knows my name ..."

Also hard to see how Twilight, if she plans to eventually usurp Celestia will ever get any popular support. Ponies love their princess.

[Teraunce]

Well the Mane 5 are no more, their minds subsumed by Celestia's OCD need for everything to be orderly and perfect. There can be no harmony if there is no dissonance, no seperation.