And when the Devourer saw the Guards arranged upon the wall, he laughed, for they were gathered together in one place that he might consume them all in but one breath. Yet the Guards stood their ground atop the wall, as Starswirl had instructed them, and waited for the Devourer to step closer. And when he approached the line in the sand, that Starswirl had charmed to be visible only to their eyes[a], the Captain of the Guard called out: “Oh mighty Devourer, do not come any closer, for we have between us a mighty power that even you, in your strength, may not overcome.”
—Devotio 26:9-14
Headmistress Fenglade looked out at the quiet hall before her, and cleared her throat once.
“Now that I have everyone’s undivided attention—” at this, she glanced pointedly at the alcove where Maria and Tim sat, squirming awkwardly “—I would like to bring your attention to an important change that will be happening over the next few weeks. No doubt some of you have already seen today’s headlines: for those unaware, there has been a flurry of foalnappings here in the very heart of Canterlot. Until further notice, by order of the Aeropagus, all of Canterlot is on high alert. The Arcana will be provided with a small contingent of Guards to maintain security.
“These Guards will mostly be patrolling the perimeter of the Arcana, though a few”—she nodded at the Guards flanking the entrance to the Hall—”should be keeping an eye on our internal security at all times. Most of you will only notice this change when being escorted to and from the Temple, as these additional Guards will be accompanying you.
“Still,” the Headmistress continued, “it is always important to review personal safety, particularly in light of these recent crimes. For this reason, all students in their fifth year and below will be subject to an earlier curfew than usual…” At this, the hall exploded with noise. The hushed whisperings of the students grew into a dull roar.
Maria caught Tim’s eye and rolled her eyes. Neither of them would be pleased with an early curfew, but there was clearly no point in arguing against measures introduced for their own safety. Though nobody had mentioned it, Maria had a sneaking suspicion that many of those kidnapped were likely to be neophytes.
The Headmistress looked as if she were about to open her mouth to continue speaking over the din, when an unnaturally loud voice shouted through the hall: “QUIET!” The chattering and protest died instantly, and all eyes turned to the staff table to find the Deputy Headmaster standing, a tiny aura of ice-blue hornglow ringing his neck like a collar; a strand of his mane caught in it ever so slightly, and was vibrating back and forth intensely until he swept it out of the way with a hoof. I’m surprised Dad doesn’t teach us that one in Oration.
After a moment, when the students had calmed under the harsh, angry eyes of the Deputy Headmaster, the Headmistress smiled. “Thank you, Deputy Headmaster Whitetail,” she said. “As I was saying: students in the fifth year and below will be required to go straight to their rooms following dinner for the foreseeable future, unless engaged in a supervised extracurricular activity. Students will be escorted to their rooms and activities by Guards and staff.
“Furthermore, the Hall will be open every evening, with members of staff on duty to supervise you, until eight o’clock, should you wish to simply sit and talk. Likewise, the Library will be open for any who wish to undertake research or quiet study.”
The Headmistress paused, as if to gauge the reaction of the students, and Maria took the opportunity to glance around. Many of the students who had been protesting vocally before seemed placated by this compromise, and the fact that so many clubs would still be on was likely tipping the balance in the Headmistress’ favour. It didn’t affect Maria either way: she would be in detention every night, most likely until curfew.
“Students in their sixth and seventh years, particularly Prefects, will be required to assist with the safety and protection of the Arcana,” the Headmistress continued. “Any classes these year groups might have for this afternoon have been cancelled, and you will be asked to remain in the Hall following lunch for a briefing session with Emeritus Chingar and myself.”
Then, without another word, the Headmistress merely sat down, and plucked a sandwich from the table before her in her hornglow. After a moment, the voices in the Hall started back up again, and Tim and Maria looked at each other with wide eyes.
“Foalnappings?” Maria said, surprise making her voice come out as a squeak. It was a surprise—sure, Canterlot had a not insignificant crime rate, but foalnappings and vanished unicorns were a cut above petty burglary and street muggings. Unicorns vanishing in the middle of the night… it was a scary thought, in a city where everyone had put their trust so firmly in Wards and Illusory Architecture, where magical security far outstripped mundane. “Did you know anything about this?”
Tim shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t get the papers delivered, Maria.”
“Your older brother’s an Adstra, though,” Maria said. Tim’s eyes were blank for a moment before he remembered, and had the decency to look a little embarrassed. Maria didn’t blame him, though—family could be a very confusing topic for a neophyte.
“Alexander doesn’t say much about his work,” Tim muttered. “Though in his defense, that’s probably for legal reasons. I expect he might send me a letter about the importance of personal safety over the next few days; he can be a bit of a worrywort.”
Maria smiled at that. She had met Tim’s brother only once before, when she had been invited to attend lunch with Tim at a formal event hosted by House Sparkle. Alex had seemed focused and hard-working to her at the time—he never bragged about his work, but the way he spoke of it was filled with such reverence that she could tell in just ten minutes of conversation that it was all that was on his mind. Part of her wished it was him, and Adstra like him defending the Arcana now: even though she knew they were mostly trained for investigative work, Maria would have felt safer under their watch, somehow. She didn’t trust the brawn of the Guard without the brains of the Adstra to back them up.
Still, as she took another bite of her sandwich, Maria felt safe enough inside the towering walls of the Arcana. It would be enough.
[a] No modern Scholars are quite sure how Starswirl achieved this effect. Or, rather, many modern scholars are absolutely certain of how Starswirl achieved this effect, though since no entity like the Devourer has ever been seen since his defeat and subsequent banishment there has not been any easy way to test the multitude of conflicting hypotheses.