First Movement: Part 3- Key Change
Key Change
The train pulled into Blue Chime Station with a deep hiss. Twilight was still a little moody, but her expression lightened when the power of the Crystal Heart transmogrified her body into a gleaming crystal. The light and joy of the Crystal Ponies warmed her heart, and she was temporarily able to forget about her woes. She turned to Rainbow Dash to see that the magic had taken hold of her, too.
“Aww, yeah!” Rainbow launched herself into the air and giggled as the light from Celestia’s Sun sparkled through her sapphire wings. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
Likewise, Lyra was now a shining emerald. Her golden eyes widened as she looked in a nearby mirror. “Oh… Oh wow. That’s…” She touched her reflection with a shining hoof. “I’m frosting GORGEOUS!”
She whirled on Twilight, “You’re pretty, too!” Pointing up at Rainbow Dash, her voice became faster and higher-pitched. “You’re both abso-frosting-lutely beautiful!” She spun around and fell to the floor, a grin plastered to her face. “Everypony here is completely frosting beauteous!”
Twilight smiled self-consciously at the growing crowd of onlookers. “It’s her first time in the Crystal Empire.”
With a collective “Ah” the crowd dispersed, continuing with their daily activities. Twilight Sparkle gripped the prostrate unicorn in her very potent telekinesis and shook some sense into her. “Snap out of it, Lyra!”
Lyra slowly came to her senses, eyes blinking owlishly. “Wha-heh?” Her eyes shot open when she realized where she was. “Oh… Oh wow. I’m…”
Twilight gave her another good shake. “Thaaaat’s enough of that, Hearstrings.” She set the hyperactive emerald down gently. “We are supposed to be ambassadors from Equestria, this isn’t how an ambassador is supposed to act!”
Rainbow Dash fluttered down between the two unicorns. “Aw, take it easy on her, Twilight. We’re the ambassadors, she’s the bard.” She spoke the last word with a special emphasis, eliciting a groan from her amethyst friend.
Lyra sat down and stared at her surroundings in awe. “The muse is truly with this one.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and picked up her suitcase. “Whatever, let’s just get to the palace before The Bard here has another episode.”
Twilight trotted off in the direction of the Crystal Empire's political center, missing the apologetic look that crossed Lyra’s face. The green unicorn looked up at the rainbow-maned pegasus. “I’m kinda messing up, aren’t I?”
Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “Don’t let it get to yah. She’s always like this when she gets stressed.” She started off in the direction of the retreating mare. “Come on, we don’t want to lose her!”
With a hint of reluctance, Lyra picked up her two suitcases and ran after the ponies leading the way. Uneasy feelings aside, the city was bright, cheerful, and welcoming. Ponies of all ages walked among the market stalls, buying and selling their wares. Crystal berries, woven crafts, and carved crystal trinkets were definite favorites.
Just as she was about to move on, Lyra heard a voice calling out, “Crystal Flugelhorns! Who wants a Crystal Flugelhorn!?” Forgetting all about keeping up with her fellow Ponyvilleans, she rushed towards the sound of the voice.
“I’ll take it!” She slammed several bits down on the table and took the nearest Flugelhorn from the stand. Waving in thanks, she sped off to catch up with Twilight and Rainbow. But after trotting forwards for a while, she realized that she had, in fact, gotten lost.
She didn’t let it get her down, however, and began thinking on her hooves. “Ah, let’s see… What landmarks do I know?” She looked backwards along the road and saw the glistening train station in the distance. “There’s the train station, aaand…” She turned to the left and spotted the Flugelhorn stand. “There’s the music stall, aaand…” She looked for the next landmark and found nothing. “Aaand, that’s all.”
The emerald unicorn sat down dejectedly and sighed. “So much for my first adventure.” She was so consumed with her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the surrounding crystal ponies gasping and bowing. “It’s off to a rousing start, so far.”
“Maybe you just need a little help.” A melodic voice came from behind Lyra, startling her. She whipped around and came face-to-face with the Sovereign Princess of the Crystal Empire.
“Cadance!” Lyra wrapped her arms around her old friend in a happy embrace, surprising the guards flanking the princess. Before they could react, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza returned the hug with a smile.
“Lyra Heartstings, how long has it been?” Cadance pulled away slightly, though not enough to break the embrace. Her crystalline body glistened with happiness at the reunion.
“Since your wedding, at least,” Lyra replied. Her own body was almost as radiant as the princess’s, the joy nearly overflowing. “I’d hoped that I’d get to see you on this trip!”
“I can always make time for a good friend,” Cadance chuckled. “Say, why don’t you come to the palace and join Shining and me for dinner?”
Lyra grinned. “I don’t see why not, since I was already headed over there in the first place.” The two ponies began to walk side-by-side down the main road.
Cadance raised an eyebrow. “Really? What brings you all the way to the Crystal Empire?” She smiled. “Besides spending some time with your old foalsitter?”
Lyra’s smile reached across the edges of her face. “I’m going on an adventure with Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash!” She jumped into a quick summery of the events of the past few days. “And we’re going to the temple as soon as we get the okay from”--She paused for a moment--“Well, you!”
“Yep, I’ve been working with the griffons for a few months now, and I knew Twilight was coming…” Cadance led the group of four ponies, the two guards included, up to the entrance of the castle. “You’re a bit of a surprise, though. I didn’t know you knew Twilight.”
“Well…” Lyra tried to hide her nervousness, but didn’t quite succeed. “I sure do now…”
The Crystal Princess was just about to reply, when she heard her name being called. “Cadance!”
Cadance turned to see Twilight Sparkle break off from hugging her brother, Shining Armor, and run to greet her sister-in-law. Shining shrugged and gave a lopsided grin. “I guess we know who’s the special relative here.”
He was ignored, however, while Twilight and Cadance went through their classic ritual. “Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybug awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” Several eyes were drawn aside when the Princess of the Crystal Empire and a fully-grown unicorn mare both turned around and shook their posteriors in the air. A severe glance from Shining Armor set any distracted stallions on their way.
“It’s just like you said, Cadance.” Twilight grinned for the first time that day. “We've finally gotten together when the fate of the world doesn’t hang in the balance.”
The princess’s smile turned sad. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that quite yet.”
That little comment drew surprised shouts from Twilight, Rainbow, and Lyra. “What!?”
Cadance brightened up, literally. “We can talk about it over supper. For now, we’ve got some catching up to do!”
Though the three little ponies agreed with the Crystal Princess, Twilight’s amethyst sheen was slightly dulled for the rest of the day.
“And that,” Shining Armor finished his tale, “Is how Twilight and I discovered that zebra magic and unicorn magic don’t mix.”
Rainbow Dash was laughing so hard that she had trouble catching her breath. “Did—did Doctor Zebulon ever get his—get the color out of his stripes?”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight answered. “But I heard that he used his newfound color scheme to become the mascot for a chewing gum company down south.”
Rainbow was in hysterics. “Oh man, I’ve chewed that stuff!” She took several deep breaths before continuing. “Kinda nasty flavor, for a fruity gum.”
The white-and-blue stallion at the head of the table nodded. “Sorry to say that he never recovered his dignity.”
Cadance smirked. “I foalsat for him while he was in Canterlot, his kids thought it was ‘Totally Cool’ that their dad was turned into a rainbow.”
Both Rainbow Dash and Lyra lost it. Ponies walking the street that ran beneath the castle could briefly see an extra-bright pulse of magical energy emanate from the Crystal Heart.
Twilight smiled through her bite of crusty daisy sandwich, au jus on the side. This is what she’d been wanting, just a nice quiet time with her friends and family.
It was over with all too soon.
“I’m sorry that I’m late. Duty called.” The five ponies were interrupted by a new arrival. A large griffon, wearing a blue military dress uniform, sauntered into the room. He was closely followed by a slightly smaller, though no less impressive, griffon. “I would like to report that nearly fifty-percent of the artifacts have been cataloged, and nearly all of the temple chambers have been thoroughly documented.” He glanced in the direction of a certain purple unicorn. “Save for one.”
Twilight twiddled her hooves nervously; she hadn’t met many griffons before now. The first was Gilda, who she hoped wasn’t an average example of her species; and the second was Gustave, the eccentric culinary artiste. Neither of those choices was even close to the overbearingly powerful-looking griffon who stood before her now. She extended a hoof to the newcomer. “Twilight Sparkle, pleased to meet you.”
He took her hoof daintily in his dangerously sharp talon. “Gilded Wing, it is an honor.”
Like the ponies, Gilded Wing and his wingmate had turned into shining crystalline versions of themselves. Golden amber and purest diamonds were the color choices, and both griffons shone brightly within the candlelight. They took their seats beside the princess and her husband. Lyra tried not to feel left out, but the fact that the griffons hadn’t even given her a second glance was eating at her.
Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, had trouble staying in her seat. She turned to the smaller griffon; he had ended up sitting next to her. “So, you guys are, like, archeologists, right?”
The griffon leaned back to allow a server to place a plate of halibut in front of him. “That’s right, ma’am. Explorers, researchers, the whole bucket of fish.”
Though the odd expression made her uneasy, the sapphire pegasus blazed on. “So, what kinda stuff do you do? Digging through ancient tombs? Overcoming perilous traps?”
“Delivering progress reports for Lord Gilded Wing, mostly,” The young griffon replied. “At least these days.”
“Oh,” If that didn’t take the wind out of her wings…
Noticing her disappointment, the sparkling griffon added an anecdote. “Of course, it was just last week that we ran into a very dangerous trap within the temple.”
“Really?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up like a unicorn’s horn. “What happened?”
Gilded Wing turned his attention from his cod to the two young flyers. “A good griffon lost his pinion feathers to his own carelessness,” He growled. “He will never fly again.”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know.” Rainbow Dash most certainly didn’t like the idea of never being able to fly again. It’s what she lived for.
She turned to the young griffon and spoke, quieter this time. “I’m Rainbow Dash, you may have heard of me.”
The griffon extended a talon in greeting, “Martial Paw, you probably haven’t heard of me.”
Gilded Wing cleared his throat and began to speak. “I assume you’ve been informed of the situation we find ourselves in, Miss Sparkle?”
The amethyst unicorn nodded from across the table. “The last door in the temple. You need Sombra’s magic to get in.”
“And since he is no longer with us,” the griffon lord continued for her. “You are the Princesses’ second choice.”
“Right,” she whispered as her head tilted down.
The griffon lord stood up and began to pace around the table. “Our discoveries within the temple have led us to believe that it had, in fact, belonged to Sombra during his tenure as king.” He laid several photographs of the temple’s interior before Twilight and the royal couple. “It served as a resting place to store his most valuable treasures, and most powerful artifacts.”
Twilight looked at the photo that had been set in front of her. It showed an empty pedestal, with the Crystal Empire Emblem engraved onto the side. Many other pictures featured various works that obviously came from the empire, if only for the fact that each artifact was carved out of some sort of gemstone.
Gilded completed his orbit of the table and sat back in his seat. “The room that we wish to unlock lies in the center of the building, behind a very large, and very heavy, locked door.” He glanced at Shining Armor. “The door shares similar markings with the enchanted doorway you found in the castle’s basement.”
The enchanted door that I found, thought Twilight Sparkle. The door that led to your worst fears come true.
She shivered at the memory. She still had nightmares about Celestia abandoning her, no matter how unrealistic the notion was. If Sombra’s inner sanctum was guarded by a similar doorway, well, she was sure that she could handle it.
Maybe.
Gilded Wing sat back. “And now you have all been brought up to speed.” He crossed his forelegs on his chest.
Cadance took the floor next. “Do you girls recall when I said that the fate of the world may be in the balance?” The two unicorns and one pegasus nodded. “Well…”
She turned to the griffon beside her. “Lord Wing, if you would share the inscription above the door with Twilight …”
“Of course…” He began to unravel a piece of parchment from beneath his wing.
“'Three rings for the Stag-Kings under the sky, seven for the Diamond Dogs in their halls of stone…'” Everybody at the table turned to Rainbow Dash, who sunk into her seat in embarrassment. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
Gilded Wing surprised everyone with a smirk, “At least she has good taste in fiction.” He then fully unrolled his scroll and read aloud, his deep voice dripping with gravitas.
"If you can read this, then you lie close
Within the halls that shelter my hosts
My power grows strong, my vengeance nearing
To have uncovered my lair, your heart is searing
"Open my oubliette, if you dare
And uncover the monsters hiding there
Though if you can open my door, sad yet true
The monster, it seems, is none other than you!"
“Hosts!? Monsters!?” Rainbow Dash shouted across the table. “And you want us to actually open that door!?”
The griffon lord rolled the poem up and stuck it back beneath his wing. “If we are to understand how Sombra came to power, we must open the door.”
Twilight Sparkle had stopped listening to the conversation around her; instead, she was focused on Sombra’s last line: “The monster, it seems, is none other than you!” Her gaze turned upwards to her purple horn, memories of the Unicorn King’s evil, glowing eyes burned forever in her memory.
“Hey, this is my friend we’re talking about!” Rainbow Dash spat her retort with more than a little venom. “If you want to play games with ponies’ lives, get your own unicorn!”
Cadance’s eyes shot open in surprise. “Rainbow…” she began.
The sapphire pegasus wasn’t gonna let herself be interrupted by anypony. “You ask Twilight to mosey on down to the Crystal Empire, to use evil black magic that could kill her, to open a door that leads to a den full of evil creatures!?” She all but leapt into the air. “I can’t stand for it!”
Gilded Wing’s voice grew low and calculating. “Unless I missed something, said unicorn knew of the dangers involved, and still agreed to come.” He picked a final bite of fish off of his plate. “Am I correct in my assumptions, Miss Sparkle?”
The purple pony nodded her head, still deep in thought. “Mm, hmm.”
Rainbow Dash sat down with a wump. She glowered as she munched her salad, taking out her frustrations on individual pieces of lettuce.
The griffon aide next to her leaned over and whispered. “You had me convinced.”
“Suck up.” That shut him up pretty quickly.
“We have hired some of the finest griffon mercenaries available,” Gilded Wing continued. “If there are monsters that can survive a thousand years without food, water or oxygen,” He stressed the last word with a glare at Rainbow, “then we will be ready for them.”
Shining Armor utilized all of his tactical expertise and shifted the subject. “The seal is airtight, then?”
Martial Paw spoke up, “Sealed as tight as a submersible, sir.” He glanced at Lord Wing, who gestured his permission to continue. “Carved out of stone, sealed with both spackle and magic, it’s impossible to open without breaking the spell.”
Rainbow may have mumbled something about “Should keep it that way,” but nobody paid her much mind.
Gilded Wing drew a final picture and set it before Twilight Sparkle. “Well, Miss Sparkle, can you open it?”
While the stone door looked fairly standard, as far as massive doors within crypts went, above it lay a strange purple crystal, of the same type that Sombra had used above his trap door. Roughly diamond-shaped, with a smaller diamond cut out of the lower half.
She only paused a moment before replying, “Yes, I’ll do it.”
The crystallized griffon stood. “Then it’s settled.” The rest of the assembled diners also rose from their seats. “I expect us to leave for the ruins on the morrow. Any objections?” He eyed Rainbow. “…That have not already been made?”
The sapphire pegasus held her tongue, and the griffon lord met with no other opposition. The royal family directed their guests to make their way to one of the castle’s more cozy live-in rooms. Martial Paw continued to stick close to Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor and Twilight were speaking of new spells that she had learned, and Gilded Wing was sitting near the hearth, thoughts to himself. Lyra was glad that she knew the princess, if not for that she’d be an absolute stranger. The two of them spoke of her musical career, as well as her time spent in Ponyville.
“And Sweetie Drops has been a close friend ever since then,” Lyra smiled. “She owns the candy store in town, The Bon Bon. Best watermelon-flavored suckers you’ll ever taste!”
“I’ll have to see if I can stop by next time I visit Equestria,” Cadance laughed lightly. “I can’t say no to well-crafted candy.” She leaned forwards conspiratorially. “Confidentially, neither can Armor…”
“I heard that!” The diamond-and-sapphire stallion revealed. He turned his attention back to his little sister. “So, are you prepared for this adventure?”
She chewed on her lower lip, wary that Rainbow Dash might be listening in. “I know I can do it.”
Her big brother sighed. “Twilie, everypony knows that you can do it. Nopony’s questioning your ability.” He put a hoof on her shoulder. “But have you bothered to ask yourself if you should do it?”
“But, don’t you and Cadance need me to open it?” Her eyebrow arched, and her eyes twinkled with surprise. “Didn’t you speak with Princess Celestia and Luna about this?”
“Yes, and yes,” Shining replied. “Knowing what’s inside the chamber would be invaluable in reconstructing the Crystal Empire’s defenses.” He leaned his back against the cushion he was sitting on. “But what kind of brother would I be if I didn’t worry about you?”
The amethyst unicorn gave him a crooked smile. “My BBBFF, of course.”
“Well, now I’m wondering what the difference is between a Big Brother Best Friend Forever, and a brother who cares for and protects his little sister.” He crossed his forelegs and pouted at the magical mare.
“Ask me again next time we exchange Hearthswarming Eve gifts,” She replied.
They were only able to keep their faces straight for a moment before they both broke down in giggles. Their laughter mingled with the joyful sound coming from the pegasus and the griffon.
“…But my favorite part has to be when Heavy Tomes got lost in his own museum,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She and Martial had discovered a shared affinity for adventure stories, and were currently discussing the third book in the Daring Do series.
“What? Not the part where Dr. Honey Do defeats a dragon with only an army of seagulls!?” Martial laughed. “That’s classic literature right there!”
The conversations continued into the night, until the fire grew dim. Cadance yawned before turning to the emerald unicorn mare beside her. “Lyra, didn’t you say you were working on a song? Why don’t you play it for us?”
“Well, it’s not really ready,” Lyra blushed.
“Aw, come on, Lyra, let’s hear it!” Rainbow shouted enthusiastically.
Gilded addressed the mare for the first time that night. “You are the bard of the expedition, correct? Please, share your song.”
Lyra walked over to one of her suitcases and drew forth an old lyre, given to her some years ago, the very same one with which she had discovered her talent. She plucked at the strings with her magic, testing the sound. Satisfied that it was tuned correctly, she sat down and began to play.
"Far away, where crystal ewes now roam
Three ponies travel, quite far from home
To darkest tomb, where shadows loom
Though dark lord fell from his throne
"Griffons returned ruins from the dead
Unicorn’s heart was filled with dread
Within her mind, worries reside
Twilight’s bright eyes glowing red"
Lyra set her lyre down and turned to her audience. “So, what do you think?”
The large griffon before her smiled. “You have a beautiful singing voice, my dear.”
Lyra blushed brightly. “Thank you.”
“Though, the song does seem a bit,” he waggled his talon, “Unfinished.”
“That’s because it is unfinished.” She set her instrument back in its case. “It’s the beginning of the ballad I’m writing about our adventure.”
Zipping the bag, she turned back to Lord Wing. “I can’t add more verses until we do more stuff.”
“That seems reasonable. It’s an excellent start.” He scratched at his neck-feathers. “It sounds quite familiar, I must say.”
“Well, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?” She grinned cheekily. “I borrow styles, but I’d never steal songs.”
The lead archaeologist stretched out to his full height and summoned his wingmate. “Come, Martial, it is time that we turned in for the night.” He walked out with the other griffon in tow. “I advise you three to get some rest as well; we have a long journey ahead of us.”
Nodding their agreement, the three travelers also retreated to their rooms, leaving the royal couple alone. Shining Armor walked across the room and kissed his bride. After a moment, Cadance pulled away and spoke. “Did you speak with Twilight about the spell?”
Slightly miffed at his wife’s romantic deflection, he answered. “Yeah, she’s scared.”
Cadance began walking to their bedroom, in the tallest tower of the Crystal Palace. “Scared of the temple? Of the spell?”
“Of herself, I think.” He walked alongside the princess. “She told me about how she’s been reading up on the theories surrounding Sombra, and Nightmare Moon, and dark magic in general.”
Cadance could see where that was going. “And she’s worried about becoming the next bad-guy of the week…”
“Pretty much,” Shining sighed. “There’s really no reassuring her, and there’s even less chance of dissuading her.” He laughed with not an ounce of humor. “She’d never shirk her ‘royal duty.’”
Cadance opened the door to their chambers with a flash of magic. “Well, I trust her to pull through without a hitch.”
Her husband pursed his lips. “I trust Twilie to pull it off, but I hope that I’m there to help when the hitch comes up.” His brow wrinkled with worry lines. “There’s always a hitch, it’s inevitable.”
The corners of the young alicorn’s mouth turned upwards. “Well then, we’ll worry about the problem when it comes up, but for now…”
She drew her stallion forwards in a magical embrace, pressing her lips against his. Blue and rose magic closed the door to their bedroom, giving the famous couple an iota of privacy.
The griffon adventurers had a special room made up for them; a high tower with open windows bringing fresh air, and straw nests for beds. Gilded Wing sat in repose within the downy nesting place, dictating the latest progress report to be sent to the Canterlot Princesses. “And we shall have the chamber opened by the end of the week. Best regards, Lord Gilded Wing.”
Martial Paw handed him the finished scroll to be properly signed. He then drew out a new set of parchment. “And the usual parallel report, my lord?”
“Yes,” the noble agreed. “But I want it triple encrypted this time, no margin for error.”
Martial nodded. “Inverse meaning, reverse spelling, and invisible ink?”
“Absolutely, the king will know what to do.” Gilded cleared his throat and commenced the message. Martial Paw wrote it down on one parchment, copied it to the next in reverse text, and burned the original. When he had finished the encoding, he brought out a final sheet of paper and wrote the message, letter by letter, in invisible ink.
Eht ciler si tsol, ew tonnac nepo eht rood.
Eht noissim si a eruliaf.
Ew llahs ton eb elba ot teem ta eht dne fo eht keew.
“Now we send it, and hope nopony holds it up to a mirror,” The young griffon said with a grin.
The elder lion-eagle hybrid did not share his humor. “No pony will find it, no pony will read it, and no pony will be able to comprehend it.” He brought forth a small green vial. “It holds no meaning to any creature, save our king.”
He flipped the lid on the vial, and the encrypted scroll was engulfed in magical flames. A small spark of flame flew out the window, homing in on the one target it was enchanted to reach. The young assistant nestled into his perch and regarded his superior. “This is where the change begins, isn’t it?”
The griffon lord closed his eyes. “Indeed it is, young Martial. This will be a time of change for everybody.” He blew out the last candle. “When darkness sweeps the land, we will be ready for it.
“Even if no one else is.”
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ese titulo
You're not planning on making a soundtrack for this, are you? Because if you are, that'd be awesome.
1938474
Took me weeks to think it up, glad you noticed it.
Interesting factoid: The title is in Italian, due to the word "Sonata's" origin.
1938574
Who lives in a Library, Happy and free?
She's nerdy, adorable, scholarly, see?
If Ponyville awesome is something you need,
Then pull up my fic, be enjoyin' yer read!
1939087
Oh, I wish!
It is a dream of mine, but i'd need to get a crew together. Singers, musicians, the whole bowl of wax.
I'm no Daniel Ingram, sad to say.
1939233
uh
1939233
Twiiiiiiliigggt sparkle!
“If you can read this, then your too close.”
I couldn't help but think of this
9228719
Considering it's Sombra's inner sanctum... Yeah, that's a fairly appropriate read of it!