Chapter 46: Kindness
Dealing with the aftermath of the crystallisation incident and trying to figure out how to balance factions against each other whilst putting forward policies. The whole thing was frustrating me to no end.
I was sitting at a desk piled high with forms, lists, documents and letters, all things need to be at the very least read, at the most annotated, summarised, reported and sealed. When Verity told me I would drown in a sea of paperwork, she was not kidding in the least. The paper was the sea surrounding the lonely island of mediocrity that I was. Verity had come in to give me pointers, of course, but it went something like this:
“Harmony, great, thanks for letting me investigate this issue, but I’ll be leaving the palace so you just need to handle the paperwork.”
Her desk was spotless, save for a stack of papers that was teetering on the edge.
“Don’t worry, Harmony, those one have been done.”
“Oh,” I had said in relief. But I had spoken too soon.
“Alright, just remember to read everything before you sign them.”
“I think I can do that much,” I replied to her with a smile.
“Great!” she said with a grin. “Off I go!”
With only a few moments after she left, I had realised what a massive mistake I had made regarding the overestimation of my abilities.
In summary, I sucked at documents.
My head thunked onto the table as I let out the exasperated sigh out of all exasperated sighs the universe could conceived. “I wish all this paperwork would just magically get done!”
I waited a few moments with my eyes squeezed shut. I was hoping some sort of mystical being might pop into existence and grant me three wishes. Instead, the wind blew in through the window and scattered my stacked documents around as I stared at it with wide eyes. Snapping my fingers, I quickly shut the windows, but without knowing the order that the documents were in, I was frantically trying to piece together a fifty page diplomatic trading agreement with the deer to the west, and a migration bilateral agreement with the griffons.
“Where do these go?!”
I started sifting through the papers, reading and skimming and trying to sort them as quickly as I could. There were so many documents but so little time! I looked out the window, but the sun had already traversed halfway across the sky, indicating that it was just past noon! I had been so busy that I hadn’t even noticed that it was so late!
In fact, a tray for food had been left in the corner of the room, and there were also two ponies standing there—
Wait.
“Luna? Celestia?” I hurriedly gathered up the papers and shoved them onto the desk as I stood up and brushed off the dust on my robes. The gaudy things were tailored hastily to rapidly elevate me from ‘easy-going’ jeans and t-shirt to ‘grand arch prince of the land of politeness and etiquette’. Or so the seamstress said.
Celestia and Luna bounded forward with the gift.
“We brought you lunch!” they said happily. I reached out to give them a pat on the head and smiling at them, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” I replied, grabbing a bowl of now-cold soup and gulping it down. “How long were you standing there, you could have said something.”
“We were going to,” Celestia said, “but we didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling a little guilty. I hadn’t even noticed they were there.
“You were so into it, that we decided not to call out and just wait a little,” Luna added.
“Luna got hungry, though, and ate your dessert.”
“S-Sister! You said you weren’t going to tell! Besides, you ate some afterwards!”
Celestia shrugged. “That was my portion, the one that Melphus gave us.”
Luna hung back, looking guilty.
I laughed. “Oh I don’t mind.” I brought Luna and Celestia together with a hug. “Just don’t eat someone else’s share without their permission, okay Luna?”
“Yes, Harmony,” she said with a downcast expression.
“Cheer up,” I said, “let’s go outside and enjoy a meal!”
We went out to the balcony. I enjoyed the slight breeze as it flickered through my hair whilst I nibbled on the bread that was meant for my lunch. Celestia and Luna sat beside me looking out at the kingdom. We were quite high so you could see the forest to the side, the house just over the hill and the village and fields surrounding the castle. A little further, just visible, was the school and the hustle and bustle of life continued, with us heedless of it in the cloistered atmosphere of the castle.
I had the urge to say ‘Simba’, but I repressed it and instead kept quiet, enjoying the view.
“Hey, Harmony, what happened to your tree-thing?”
It was Celestia who asked the question, her eyes locked on the crystal structure that could just be seen in the clearing, surrounded by a rocky cliff-face.
“Well, I think it’s a nice decoration…” I replied uneasily. Truthfully, I don’t know what it did, or rather, what it was.
“What’s it for?” Luna asked suddenly.
Dang it!
That was basically the one question that I didn’t know the answer to. But looking at Luna and Celestia’s inquisitive eyes framed by their innocent smiles, I couldn’t just tell them ‘I haven’t got a clue’.
“It… was something made by an unbounded matrix, so it was magic that was directed more my emotions rather than anything. So, I guess, it would be kind of accurate to say that the tree was a manifestation of Discord and my own emotions.”
At the mention of Discord, we all grew a little sombre at the thought.
“I hope he’s doing okay,” Celestia said in a small voice. Luna nodded, tears already welling in her eyes.
“No tears,” I told Luna, patting her on the head. “Knowing Discord, he’s probably on a grand adventure and having fun, right?” I gave her a bright smile, masking my own sadness. I didn’t want them to worry at all, but I didn’t want to lie to them either.
“Discord might be doing it tough, but he’s really smart and he’s quick on his feet.”
Celestia and Luna both nodded.
“We will get through this.”
Celestia bit her lip. “When do you think Mom will come back?”
“I don’t know,” I told her, my heart breaking to see her expression of anguish. “I will try as hard as I can to find her. Even if I have to go there personally and drag her back. If she needs my help, I will do everything I can. Meanwhile, we need to be here to manage things while she’s gone. With you two here, once you’re old enough, I’ll be able to go without worrying.”
Celestia and Luna once again nodded, affirming their resolution to keep learning and growing. They were on their way to becoming rulers. For some reason, though I was so proud my heart could burst, I remembered the loneliness that ate away at me when I appraised every friendly movement towards me, trying to judge whether they were friend or foe. With the betrayal of Water Crest hanging over the Courts, and Verity leaving somewhere to investigate it, it was hard to judge who to trust. I could only trust Celestia and Luna.
“Harmony, I heard about Chancellor Water Crest,” Celestia said quietly, as if reading my thoughts.
I tried not to look surprised, but then gave up on the effort as I realised that it wasn’t like they were nobles questioning me. I can’t help but be caught off guard by her statement, though.
“Why did you let her go so easily?” Celestia asked me, looking very much like the princess ass she did so.
“Mercy,” I said, “has its own benefits.”
“Like what?” Celestia tilted her head. “If she was executed, then the problem would be solved?”
I stared at her in shock. I knew that was possible, but I didn’t think Celestia would be so well-versed in the law. Also, the way she said ‘executed’ so calmly gave me goosebumps. I quickly smoothed my expression. Instinctually, I would have gotten angry over it, but last time that had the opposite effect. I knew she wasn’t speaking out of malice, she was just expressing her own view, possibly parroted from others.
I took a deep breath.“Of course it would be… in a small sense, but there are many reasons why that would not be wise, especially in this situation.”
Celestia and Luna both looked confused.
Alright, a lesson in unintended consequences then.
“Imagine, for example, that I was the criminal.”
“You wouldn’t be!” Celestia and Luna said immediately. I smiled at them.
“Well, that could be true, but you never know.” I lifted my chin. “I might be a dashing rogue!”
Luna giggled while Celestia scoffed.
“Okay, okay,” I continued, “let’s pretend there’s a mountain of evidence convicting me of a heinous crime. There would be a lot of ponies, like you two, who would believe in me, right?”
“Right!” they both said immediately. IT warmed my heart to hear that.
“But what does the law say?”
“Punishment.” Celestia replied immediately. “The evidence says so… but we know you wouldn’t do that, so—”
I stopped her quickly with a tap on her nose, making her face scrunch up in response. It was pretty cute. She looked irritated for a moment, but that melted away when I grinned at her mischievously.
“So, if the choices were execution or banishment, what would you choose?”
“Banishment!” Luna cried out.
“Why?” I asked her.
“Because, because… I don’t want you to go away, but I don’t want you to… to…”
I patted her, while keeping my smile gentle. “Very good, Luna, maybe I shouldn’t have used myself as an example, but do you see? When someone dies, that’s irreversible and when they’re alive…?”
“Then you can do something about it.” Celestia nodded with understanding.
“That’s exactly right!” I told them. “So that’s why I did what I did.”
“Of course, there are other reasons and it may not suit all circumstances, but I hope the both of you can judge wisely.”
Both of them nodded as they continued to stare out at the kingdom.
“Ruling… is hard,” Celestia said softly.
I stroked her head. “It becomes easier when you have a strong sense of purpose.”
Luna placed her head on my shoulder, looking up at me with her light blue eyes. “What makes it easier for you?”
“Family,” I replied, “the ones I want to protect the most.”
————————
After that, the tutor found Celestia and Luna with heaving gasps and puffed cheeks.
“Princesses! How could you run off from your lessons?!”
“Go along, you two, next time, ask your teacher about taking a break. You’ll be surprised how many people agree to a simple request.”
“So sorry, your Highness, but that would be true, Princesses, if you wanted to see his Highness, you could have simply asked.”
Bowing their heads in guilt, Celestia and Luna quietly agreed.
“Don’t be so downcast, I’ll still be here.” I gestured to the stacks of paper. “Maybe forever.”
“Let’s let his Highness do his work.” The mare shepherded the two out of the chamber and closed the door.
I turned back to the documents, pursing my lips.
I sat down in the chair, with a forlorn sigh. The impact jangled the crystals in my pocket—
Wait.
What stops time and lets me review memories as long as I’ve seen it once?
Taking out the Lodestar and the crystals, I smiled to myself.
———————
Later, as two of the administrative assistants to my office entered, I was sipping tea and leaning back in the chair.
“Your Highness, sorry for disturbing you, we’ll just leave these here.”
I had the sort of serene smile a shark would have, if indeed sharks could smile.
“Thank you both, I really appreciate the work you’re both doing.”
The two ponies froze, looking like a deer in the headlights. Or perhaps it should be pony in the headlights? They jerked themselves into a bow.
“E-Excuse me your Highness, but could you repeat what you’ve just said?”
I blinked at them. “Thank you? I appreciate the work you’re both doing.”
“T-Thank you your Highness!” They grinned ear to ear and dashed out the room. You’d think I’d just given them a gold bar or something.
“Hey wait…” I trailed off as I looked at the stack of documents already ruled, stamped and initialled. The documents were supposed to be taken back with them. I took the new stack with a sigh and skimmed through them. Later, I would review them in that white void and use that infinite time to make a decision on all of them. It wouldn’t affect the documents in real life, but it would be like doing the same thing twice. The second time would be a lot faster than the first.
Taking a half an hour to sort through it, I finally chucked the last of the documents to be reviewed into the pile. I stretched, feeling the stiffness deep in my bones and breathed a sigh of relief. Done. Finally.
I wandered over to the window and gazed at the setting sun. The weather, the sun, the skies, everything here was controlled by magic. Could there be no limit in what it could do? Maybe it was a little like science? After all, it followed rules, however implausible it may seem to me, and all it required was concentration and aptitude.
With the crystals, it could also be amplified and directed without holding those complex and varied calculations in my mind. Power was important, but so was direction in this case.
“Psst!”
What was that?
I looked around.
“Psst!”
“Uhm… hello?”
“Here!”
I looked down. I saw a pony hanging over the ledge of the balcony. Rearing my head in surprise, I stumbled back as the pony flipped themselves over the railing and landed on the balcony.
“Hiya!”
“…Hello.” It was all I could muster in this bizarre meeting. I didn’t feel any danger from this strange pony, for some reason. Then I recognised her.
“…Mint?”
I’d only seen her for a few moments at the evening party, but I never expected her to come over here. Also, she was different to how she acted in the party.
“You know my mother, right?” she said, sitting on the railing as if it were a couch and not a dizzying lethal drop.
“How did you get past the guards?” I asked her with a disbelieving look.
She shrugged with a dismissive laugh. “With difficulty.”
“Uhm, do you want to come inside and…” Her question finally sunk in. “I don’t know your mother.”
“You can’t be this slow. Remember? Apples?” She mimed taking a bite out of an invisible fruit.
“Oh! The fortune teller. Griselda?” That was a long time ago!
“That’s right. I’m here, well, not because of that, but more because it’s getting interesting around here.” She leapt off the railing and sauntered towards me, plopping herself down on the floor. I imagine the floor would be warm soaking up the sun all day, but it wasn’t the most comfortable place.
“Yes, my mother, the fortune teller.”
“The one who told me that I would do, uhm, great things?”
Mint laughed. “Yes, all very vague, isn’t it?” Her laugh turned bitter. “My visions are a bit more specific.”
“You see the future, like Tem—the Queen?”
Mint looked at me critically. “A little, not as much as the Queen. She is an alicorn, you know? I don’t have that kind of power. My power is limited to very small amount of ponies, excuse me, people, right? And they are all central paths in the winding journey of time.”
“So have you come to give me prophecy?” I couldn’t keep the belligerence out of my reply.
Mint cocked her head. “I take it you don’t want to hear about it? Funny, nobles would usually be dying to get a glimpse of the future so they can rail against it somehow.”
“It’s a binary choice, really,” I shot back. “Either it’s fixed and I can’t do anything about it, or it’s not and I don’t have to worry about it.”
Mint smiled at the response before squinting at the horizon with a troubled expression. “I don’t have long, but uhh, maybe you shouldn’t trust that pony too much.”
“Who?”
“The Lady Verity, there’s more than meets the eyes with that pony. Also, the real Verity Belle hasn’t been around here for… oooh, Stars know how long.”
My jaw fell open. “The real—?!”
Mint looked at the horizon once more. “Oops, I have to go, see you later!”
“Wait—!” Already she was gone. Leaving me alone with myself and a head full of questions.
——————
It had been two weeks since Verity had gone on the investigation surrounding Chancellor Water Crest’s apparent betrayal. ‘Verity’, according to Mint, was not who she claimed she was. I didn’t know what to make of that question, but one thing was for sure, I was going to ask Verity about it.
Luckily, Verity was due back any day now. She had sent a letter ahead telling me of a breakthrough in the investigation and that she was heading over to the castle to tell me about it. The information was apparently sensitive and she didn’t trust anybody but me to know about it, so she wasn’t going to risk it in the letter. She was headed back to the castle straightaway to tell me about it.
Although the letter communicated seeming honesty and loyalty I had come to expect from Verity, I couldn’t help but feel doubt even though I barely knew Mint. I debated whether or not I should have Verity investigated, or whether or not I should give her a chance to explain herself. I didn’t want to lose her. No matter who Verity really was, she had helped me greatly.
So, to while away the time, I decided to pay Star Swirl a visit. Also, I wanted to get his opinion on what exactly the Lodestar was for. Even though I gained all the knowledge of the Lodestar from that brief moment of interaction during the crystallisation incident, I had forgotten a lot of it, and I hesitated to delve into its immense database. I had a fear that my head might explode from the overload or something. Best not to risk it unless there was an absolute emergency.
Teleporting to his tower, Star Swirl had his back to me performing an experiment.
“So, he finally comes,” was all he said.
I took a half-step back at his disappointed tone.
“W-What?”
Star Swirl turned around to look at me. “One of my pupils have returned, I see. The other seems to be lost.”
He was talking about Discord…
“He will be back.” I stood up straight and tightened my lips. “He will be back.”
Star Swirl stared into my eyes for an indeterminable moment and then broke away with a sly smile.
“I wish I had your confidence. What is it that you require from me?”
“Do you know…” I stopped there. I threw Verity from my mind. If there was something she wanted to tell me, she would herself. “About the Lodestar?”
Star Swirl widened his eyes. “So, you’ve come here for that. Well I grant you, that was a good choice of a question. I do so hate politics.” He rounded the table and took a book from the shelf. “How much do you know?”
“Only that it is a powerful artefact created by the draconequus and then the ponies used it to end a war, I guess.”
Star Swirl nodded. “The Lodestar, what do you think its purpose is?”
“To provide power?” I hazarded.
Star Swirl shook his head. “Where were you during class? Where in the Stars do you get power from, you foal? Think!”
I thought about it. “It can’t be from itself, because even the purest of crystals require a lot of energy to invest in it immediately. It would lose potency over time, right?”
“Yes…” Star Swirl urged me on with the twirl of his hoof.
“Then the power must come from somewhere else—”
“Or…”
“Or the function of the Lodestar isn’t to provide power at all.”
Star Swirl jabbed me with his hoof whilst sporting a twinkle in his eye.
“Right on the haystack.”
I tapped a finger to my lips. “So, what is its real function, then?”
Star Swirl shrugged. “How should I know?”
“But—”
The grey-coated unicorn got up from the table and shoved the book back into the shelf, tossing his head. “It’s not like I know everything and the existence of an unknown artefact with unknown abilities that has the potential to wipe out an extremely advanced race is probably where I should draw the line.”
He looked at me through yellow eyes, assessing me with tilted slash of his mouth. “My expertise lies with magic that is in the mind. These crystals have a lot of potential, I grant you, but they’re touchy and unstable and prone to exploding.” He glanced at the apparatus on his table. “Okay, maybe a little more than my experiments, but at least I know that I’ll still be alive after it happens.”
“Find out about it yourself, you’ve learned enough to pursue your own magic, why rely on me?”
“Because you’re one of the few ponies I can still rely on.”
Star Swirl scratched his head, turning his head away so I couldn’t see his expression.
“Ah, Stars, when you put it that way… but look, I’m serious, you’re advanced enough to do something about it yourself, I hate to say it, but even if you’ve given it to me, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Besides, I’m not the one it’s for. Discord chose you.”
I drew out the Lodestar and looked into its shifting depths. The movements were calming, like looking at the movements of waves crashing against the shore. It reminded me a bit of the sea, and maybe… a little of Earth.
“Thanks, Star Swirl.”
Star Swirl tapped me on the shoulder as I turned to leave. I stared back at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I’ve seen many unicorns fall into the seduction of their power, it’s happened to all of us. Just make sure you don’t stray off the path.”
“That’s… uncharacteristically kind of you to say.”
Star Swirl smirked. “Don’t let it get to your head, student.”
———————
A few days later, Verity made it back to the castle. Immediately, I had her meet me in my chambers.
“Harmony,” she said brightly as she entered the room, “I bring some good news and bad news.”
I smiled weakly at her. “Let’s have the bad news, then.”
Verity sighed. “Well, I was afraid you were going to say that—what’s wrong? You don’t look very happy to see me?”
“It’s nothing—”
Verity sat down on the bed and patted the side next to her.
“Nonsense, this is clearly something.” She hesitated for a handful of seconds and then continued. “This is about my secret, right?”
I smiled at her. “Yes, but I’ve made a decision.”
Verity’s smile wobbled. “Ah, well, I’ll get my things and leave. I don’t know how you found out, but you wouldn’t want—”
I grabbed her and pulled her back as she let out a yelp of surprise.
“Hang on, I haven’t finished what I was saying.”
Verity reluctantly settled back in her seat.
“I want you to know that I haven’t had much told to me, but I still trust you. No matter if you’re Verity or not, I trust the you that has so far been so kind to me.”
Verity’s eyes watered up.
“That’s… that’s very kind of you, Harmony.”
I grinned at her. “That’s what friends are for.”
“We’re… friends, you say?”
I snorted. “Well after all we’ve been through so far, it’d be mad if we weren’t that at the very least.” I clenched my fingers into a fist. “Besides, I’ve lost a lot of people I could trust recently, and I would just like to extend that further.” I stared at her. “Besides, I think you’re more than a friend, you’re almost like family.”
Verity shook her head as if she were trying to shake the absurdity out of her head. “Harmony, maybe you’re just a little too naïve; I could be just weaving a large web of lies.”
“Ah well, like I said, if that’s true, then that’s as far as I go. I want to trust and regret than to never trust at all.” I patted her hoof. “I think it’s better that way.”
Verity shook her head. “You’re not like Tempora at all.” She chuckled. “At least, it took a lot of doing to convince her I wasn’t out to assassinate her.”
“So what, you’re like some kind of spy?” I quickly waved my hands in front of myself in negation. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, of course.”
“No, you have the right to know. I guess I’ve been hiding this from you because I was scared what you would think. In a way, I am a spy.”
She pierced me with eyes that flashed green.
“Ever heard of changelings?”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Weren’t they the creatures in fairytales that replaced babies?
“A little…”
Verity looked surprised. “Did Tempora tell you about us?”
I shook my head. “I’ve heard a bit about them, but I don’t think they’re the same thing. I mean, you don’t look like one.”
Green flames licked at her hooves, burning away the hair of her coat and replacing the vibrant white with black chitin that looked glossy under the light. From her back sprouted a pair of wings, with a vivid midsection of sea-green. The most startling aspect of her was that she had holes through her body, looking very much like a living swiss cheese.
I have to admit, it was frightening.
Verity saw my look and sighed. With the reappearance of the green flames, she brought back her regular image.
“So… that’s one heck of a secret,” I managed to say.
Verity gazed at the floor. “Yes, that’s the big secret.”
“What—” I stopped myself before I could go any further. I didn’t want to bring up—
“What happened to the real Verity?” Verity gave a dry chuckle. “Nothing, I’m sure she’s fine. I just borrowed her identity and look, that’s all. She’s living in a frontier sea-side village in the east.”
“Actually, I wanted to ask what was your real name was?”
Verity stared at me and then laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry, I guess I was just expecting you to suspect me of doing something.”
“Why?”
Green flames flickered around her form as she shifted forms again. “Because I look like this!”
“So?”
“S-So?,” she spluttered, “doesn’t it creep you out? Most ponies can’t even look at me, let alone trust me.”
I grinned at her. “Good thing I’m not a pony then.”
Verity bit back a giggle that was more to get rid of the last strings of her anxiety than anything. Her smile wobbled. “Before you say anything further, there’s another thing you have to know.”
“Changelings… don’t feed like normal.”
“Don’t feed like normal?”
Verity looked like she was trying to swallow a pineapple. “It’s… well… we feed on emotions!”
This, I didn’t expect. “You feed on emotions? Like literally feed on emotions?”
Verity tilted her head to acknowledge the truth. “Yes, for example, if you feel extremely happy one moment, then sad the next, then listless and lifeless, that could be just you. If not, then it’s probably a changeling.”
“Hmm, can you tell what I’m feeling now?”
Verity closed her eyes briefly as she undid her disguise. Her jagged horn glowed radiant green as she peered at me.
“Surprise, anxiety, excitement… joy?” She muttered, steadily growing confused.
“How is reading and feeding on emotions not an awesome ability?!” I felt like my cheeks would split as I grinned like a maniac. “You’d only need someone next to you and you’d be able to feed forever!”
Verity frowned. “I’m not sure changelings can feed on other changelings.”
“Still, as long as you have someone that can give you emotions, it’s a massive win-win!”
“Harmony, you’re strange, you know that?”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not the first time someone’s said that to me.”
Verity smiled. “No, I mean that in a good way. I think you’re going to be something special.”
I chuckled in embarrassment. “Let’s hope so.” I raised an eyebrow. “You still haven’t told me your real name.”
Verity bit her lip. “I don’t really have one. The closest to a real name I’ve had was one I’ve taken from that pony.”
“Then I guess we’ll just keep calling you Verity.”
“That’s okay then?”
“Well why not? I’ve gotten used to calling you Verity, so it’ll be a pain to remember a new one. Also, I’ll still have to call you Verity in public.” I laughed softly. “It’ll just be like normal.”
Verity nodded, a smile slowly replacing the frown.
My smile died down a couple of notches as I grew serious. “So, going back to the reason why you’re here in the first place. What did you find about Water Crest?”
Verity shook her head and shifted back to her pony form. “Ah yes, I found out that Water Crest had nothing to do with the crystallisation incident.”
“What?!” I leapt to my feet. “That’s good news, isn’t it?”
Verity shook her head slowly. “It would be… if it weren’t so tragically mired in international politics.”
I blinked at Verity. “International? Another country was responsible?”
“Not directly, but they have been supporting the anti-imperial faction for a while now.”
“Which nation was it?”
Verity shook her head. “I’m not too sure, the contact has been lost amongst the fallbacks and false trails. Whoever it is, they were thorough. I did track it down to a few nobles in the Court, though.”
I gripped the edge of the bed. “Which ones?”
“That would be Snap Sickle of the Vine fiefdom, Lyon Heart of the Middle fiefdom and Feld of the Illustrious Isles.”
“I haven’t heard of many of the these places. Are they all involved?”
“Their fiefdoms are small not very well known. In fact one of the reasons that they may be under suspicion is because they were all lords and ladies relegated to small fiefdoms due to clashes with Tempora. Their motive may extend to the concept of royalty, even though their enmity doesn’t target you personally. As for all of them being involved… that much was unclear.” Verity drew her lip between her teeth as she recalled her findings. “They were under suspicion because we tracked correspondence around the time of first poisoning of the well.”
“So we need to narrow it down, but how?”
Verity tapped a hoof to her muzzle. “I have a few solutions, but they are less than savoury, what do you have first?”
I ran a finger down the side of my cheek. “We could send false letters to each charging them of the crime of treason and then watch which ones will bolt?”
Verity shook her head. “If none of them bolt, then we will be putting ourselves in jeopardy. We could only do something like that if we knew the predisposition of the ponies we were targeting. If they were inclined to bolt, then it would be a valid strategy.”
“What if we interrogated them one by one and looked for discrepancies whilst cross-checking with alibis?”
“Alibis?”
“For example, if they had confirmation that they were in another place whilst this was happening, or they had evidence that could exclude the possibility of their involvement?” I suddenly brightened as a thought occurred to me. “Maybe we could get them to compete on proving their own innocence? That way they would be encouraged to… no that wouldn’t work, it’d just favour quick thinkers and liars. Finding out the truth is surprisingly difficult.”
Verity smiled at me as she nodded in sympathy. “How true that is, Harmony.”
“I wish there was a way we could guarantee someone was telling the truth. I wish there was some convenient magic to do so.”
“Well…” Verity hesitated. “There is.”
My eyes widened as I whipped around with a grin. “Really? What is it?”
Verity turned her head away, looking very uncomfortable with bringing it up. “This is one of the unsavoury methods I was talking about before. As a changeling, I can, to some extent, tell if somepony is lying. All I need to do is get close enough to feel their emotions.”
“I sense a ‘but’.”
Verity nodded. “You’re right, I can’t hold my disguise as ‘Verity’ without doing so.”
“I won’t let anyone harm you,” I declared resolutely. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. And, uhh, why is it so difficult to maintain your form to tell if they’re lying, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Verity shook her head. “Changelings aren’t very well-known creatures, but what ponies do know is that we feed on emotions. The more powerful the emotions, the more energy we get. Most changelings require an active role in feeding and they can only feed on one type of emotion. They will drain a lot of the energy of their, uhm, subjects. I’m a rare exception of changeling in that I don’t require a specific type of emotion, nor do I need to feed so openly or blatantly. Unfortunately, more active spells that probe emotions are tied into the same sort of energy required to maintain my disguise. So whilst I can do a bit of unicorn magic, I can’t use changeling magic at the same time.”
Verity coughed. “If I had to sum it up, it would be like using one hoof to do two things at once. I simply couldn’t do it unless I dropped what I was originally doing with the hoof in the first place.”
It was starting to make sense. “Right, but what if I introduced you as a guest of Equestria, like a diplomat?”
Verity shook her head. “Changelings are traditional ‘predators’ of ponies. This would be the first time anypony would have seen a changeling, it would unexpectedly throw a spotlight on me, rather than the problem of those three nobles.”
“What if we hid you?”
“I’d need a clear line of sight and the effects are quite visible.” Verity pursed her lips. “This is why I wanted it to be a last resort. We can only use this as confirmation if we have enough evidence to commit one or more of these nobles to trial.”
“What can we use?” I spoke to myself out loud. “They obviously want to destabilise the country and force it into chaos, but their motives aren’t clear. It looks like a ploy for power, or a direct way to depose me, but either way, Equestria ends up weakened. Any rational pony wouldn’t harm their own citizens just to inherit a greatly weakened country. If I’m eliminated, they would have to face the imminent threat of the dragons, the opportunistic griffons or be caught in internal civil war. This doesn’t make sense.”
Verity conceded the point with a nod. “I never thought about it that way, but you are right. With the crystallisation incident, there was no method for curing or preventing the spread, until you found it. Of course, once it was found that the wells were contaminated, the illness would stop, but if were spread on food and produce, no doubt it would continue. The question is, why would they use a method they knew nothing about, unless…?”
I caught onto her meaning straightaway. “Unless they did know something about it in the first place. Plus, these crystals would not be easy to get ahold of. They were mined from the North, right? So, we must simply find evidence that connects the crystals to these folk.”
Verity smiled wryly. “But we are back to where we started, I was unable to trace the origin of the mysterious pony that was initially spreading those crystals, however, I was able to track traces of it due to sightings around their fiefdoms.”
“That might not implicate them, but…” I snapped my fingers, making my crystals glow as they floated out of my pocket. “Maybe we can find the original mysterious pony? Unless she was wearing gloves the entire time, she would have gotten at least a little on herself. Maybe it’s enough to trace it?”
“Do you think you have enough power to track her? She could be out of Equestria by now!”
“I don’t myself,” I replied with a self-deprecating grimace, “but I do have the means.”
With that, I tapped the crystals and smiled.
—————————
Outside, Verity was shivering in the cold.
“It’s getting chilly now, are you sure you want to do this tonight?”
“I’d rather not let anyone know we’re actually here.” I gestured around us, but I was mostly including the tree up ahead that was different to the ones that made up the forest around us. Instead of bark and leaves, this tree looked like it was made up with clear slightly hued glass, with small droplets hanging off each ‘branch’, like a living crystal chandelier. It was much bigger than before, as if it were a real tree that grew.
I placed my hand on it for the first time since creating it. Luckily, nothing much happened apart from a soft glow around the spot I placed my hand on.
Verity looked uncharacteristically nervous as she darted her eyes around as if to pierce the dark gloom of the forest. The only source of light, apart from the glow of the crystals with me, was from the tree itself. If I were to be honest, it looked beautiful, more like an artist’s rendition of a fantastical tree rather than a failed spell.
With the snap of my fingers, I probed the structure of the tree. With a gasp, I inhaled sharply as complex, almost organic structures and matrices were exposed to me within the very fabric woven into the tree itself. I felt an almost alien presence within the tree.
“Is this… alive?” I whispered to myself.
“What?” Verity asked.
“Nothing,” I replied softly.
With a determined grunt I executed another spell, tapping into the network of crystallised fibres of the tree. Like I thought, the tree had tapped into the earth, drawing up magical energy from the wellspring of the node beneath it, but more importantly, connected with it. And within these connections were…
“The Warning Trees, I feel them all around.”
Verity stared at me in shock. “You mean the Trees that Tempora had placed around?”
“Yes,” I replied, placing my other hand on the Tree. “This tree is a little similar to those trees. I guess. I think.”
“Will it trigger on the event of the draconequus?” Verity muttered the statement to herself, but it was loud enough for me to hear.
“Yes,” I said loudly, startling her into an embarrassed blush.
“Sorry, Harmony, I’m just… surprised you thought of this.”
“We can’t expose you.” I locked gazes with her. “I would do anything for family, and now that includes you.”
“Harmony, y-you can’t be serious, not too long ago you found out—”
“You’ve been nothing but kind to me. I mean it.”
Verity searched my eyes and smiled in wonder. “You do, you really do.”
I nodded once again and turned to the Tree. The roots had indeed spread to the wellspring and spread out across all of Equestria. It was currently using the Warning Trees as sort of ‘off shoots’ for itself. I took a bit of the crystal powder and rubbed it on the Tree. By infusing a little of the crystal into the Tree, I bid it to resonate with similar signatures around Equestria.
The strongest, of course, were the ones immediately at the Tree, it had the smallest distance and there was a lot of it in the pouch and as huge crystal blocks on me. So it worked. Later, the radius expanded outward. Some ponies were weakly highlighted in the castle, but that was alright seeing as they handled the crystal as part of the investigation. I expanded my view further, using the Warning Trees as beacons to amplify my search.
There was a crystal signature close to the castle. In fact, it was only in the next village.
“I think I found something.”
Verity stepped closer.
“Where is it?”
“It’s in the next village.”
I heard soft hoof steps as Verity retreated and sat down on the soft grass surrounding the Tree. I continued to concentrate, expanding my range further and further, trying to catch any others holding crystals. Just when I was about to stop, I saw a glimpse of something at the very edges of the system. When I focused in on it—
“Argh!” I stumbled back, flailing with my arms.
“Harmony!” Verity yelled. “What happened?”
Pain assaulted my eyes as I sank to the ground. “I-I don’t know, I caught a huge presence of crystals and magical energy at the edge of the Warning Tree system. It blinded me!”
“Do you know where it was?”
“It was in the North, where the crystals were originally mined. I didn’t expect there to be such a powerful presence of them.”
“Could you not have detected the crystal mines themselves?”
I shook my head wryly. “First of all, I could see the mines fine, they were bright, but not that bright. Second of all… it was moving.”
Verity’s eyebrows drew together as she pieced together the puzzle. “It might be related to what we’re doing, but there’s a closer and more direct candidate. By the time we’re able to travel North, that being may be gone.”
I nodded reluctantly. “Even though I really want to take a look at who could make something so powerful, we have bigger fish to fry.”
Verity blinked at me. “What does that mean? Sounds like a griffon expression.”
I smiled at her. “Well, you’ll see. Let’s go to that village and investigate it.”
Verity coughed. “You mean I’ll go to the village, I envision a mountain of paperwork for you to handle in the meantime.”
Grimacing, I opened my mouth, but Verity beat me to the punch.
“Besides you must be behind all the work especially with what had happened, after you finished all the paperwork, then maybe we could consider… why are you grinning like that?”
I laughed. “The paperwork…? Done!”
Verity studied my smug expression.
“I don’t believe you.”
———————
Verity sighed. “Okay, I believe you. How in the hay did you finish all these documents? Even I, who has had years of experience, would have taken a couple of weeks to sort through these.”
Well, my literacy was pretty good, and my mathematics were way beyond my level, even though applying it to magic was a bit of a fickle beast. The documents were relatively easy in comparison. Also, having infinite time in the Lodestar dimension really helped too. I had more hours a day than the average pony.
Verity narrowed her eyes at me. “What’s your secret?”
“Not telling,” I replied. I couldn’t say that I was abusing what was simultaneously the world’s most dangerous and powerful artefact. If she knew I was using the Lodestar to finish paperwork, she’d probably strangle me. Heck, I would be pretty mad if I found out someone was using such a powerful object for such a menial task. But, hey, I was already using it to study the vast library of books. Maybe this sort of time-stop method was the way draconequus got so powerful?
“In any case, I’ll hold it down here and you go on ahead.” I sighed. “Besides, the paperwork will do me good, and I’ve got a few other things to do around here.”
Verity nodded and then left.
With her gone, I pulled out a small book from a locked drawer. I had decided a while back to write down everything I knew about magic, politics and the multiverse in this little book. It was an inefficient way of doing things, compared to, say, a computer, but it was the only way I could impart the knowledge to Celestia and Luna. They were the future of the nation and suddenly, knowing how Tempora probably felt, I wanted to prepare them the best I could to their inevitable succession.
I knew things would be hard on them without their mother or father around to guide them. With Discord gone it fell to me to hold onto the role of parent and guide them through this wilderness. Did Tempora know that she would have to abandon her own children? Was there something that unavoidable that she couldn’t stay with them? I didn’t share her fatalistic view of the world, but I couldn’t judge her actions harshly either. She was doing what she thought was best, even if I thought it was the wrong decision.
Tapping the quill to the paper, I scratched out a few more lines and then retired for the night. Before going to sleep, I touched the Lodestone to the crystal and then made sure that the contact would last no more than a minute before settling in. Even though it felt like an infinite period of time, one minute was roughly equivalent to just under a day or so in the void.
The effect of the crystals touching each other, I found, wasn’t linear.
I was really glad I wasn’t cavalier enough to touch them for longer than a minute, because I would have been in that void for an immeasurable period of time. I would have gone mad with isolation. In fact, that was probably the reason why Verity had accounts of ponies losing control and going mad while using the Lodestar. I figured that while using the Lodestar, you would first have to enter the void. It was a sort of time catalyst, it allowed the user enough time to perform the most complex of spells effortlessly, by investing the necessary preparation in that white space.
Still, I got the feeling that the ‘time stop’ wasn’t the only purpose of the Lodestar, and that it was built for an entirely different purpose in mind.
Oh well, for now, I would use it to get myself up to speed and practice my spells here. I needed to be prepared. I needed to be strong enough to create a place where Discord could live with us and that we wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. I would use any method and none was no more fitting than the precious gift my own brother left for me.
————————
Verity arrived back quickly, after all, it was hardly strenuous for Verity to walk to the neighbouring village and then back to town. However, her speed wasn’t what had shocked me, but rather the bedraggled figure dropped at my feet.
“Chancell—Water Crest?” My eyebrows drew down. “I thought we banished you from Equestria.”
“Y-Your Highness, if I may explain—”
I halted her with a hoof and beckoned Verity. “Why did you bring her?”
“She was found in the village holding this.” Verity lifted a pouch. I took it from her hooves and examined the inside. Crystal powder.
“Well, this certainly doesn’t help you, Water Crest,” I said.
Water Crest looked absolutely devastated. “Please, your Highness, I-I know this looks bad, but I was also on the tail of the perpetrator. I wanted to clear my name.”
Verity sighed plaintively. “We were about to arrest the real culprit, but we didn’t see the… former Chancellor until she stepped out to confront her. The other pony bolted and threw the bag of crystals to Water Crest and slipped past our guards. Water Crest was about to follow suit, but she was not built for escaping, as you can see.”
“Please, your Highness, have leniency! I-I know I broke the law coming back, but I had to clear my name, I had to! Please, I beg you for mercy!”
Rubbing my forehead, I sunk to the table.
“Who knows about this?”
Verity looked over to Water Crest. “As the former Chancellor was in a potato sack for most of the trip, only Greaves and myself.”
I could count on Greaves to keep his mouth shut… I hope. “I won’t execute you or throw you in prison.”
Water Crest, moments ago distraught, had hope flooding her eyes. “Y-Your Highness, thank—”
“But I cannot lift your banishment, and we still have no evidence that you weren’t involved. If anything this just implicates you further.”
Water Crest sank back with a soft moan.
I rolled my eyes at her. “But seeing you makes me believe that you’re not a part of this. So, I will offer you a deal. In exchange for the possibility of a pardon, how about you help us. You will have to be in disguise of course.”
Verity frowned at me. “Prince Harmony, you cannot be suggesting that you would trust—”
“Well of course not, that why she will have a very attentive escort and will be by my side most of the time.” I turned to Water Crest. “What do you say?”
Water Crest nodded emphatically. “Y-Yes your Highness! Thank you so much for the second chance, I won’t waste it!”
My mouth quirked. “As I recall, I also offered you a second chance a while ago…” I quickly waved away the panic infecting her eyes. “That’s all water under the bridge. It’s all a connected plot and I can see you were probably—" I stressed that word with a glare “—not involved.”
Water Crest stepped back a little, mollified by my contradictory response. “Y-Yes, your Highness.”
I snapped my fingers casting a similar disguise like the ring on my finger. “This will disguise you for the duration of an hour. Make your way to a guest room and keep interactions to a minimum. Greaves?”
Greaves, who was a statue in the corner until now, leapt forward. “Yes, your Highness?”
“Escort Water Crest to her room and then find a trustworthy pair to escort her during her stay.”
“Yes, your Highness.” Greaves left with Water Crest in tow.
Verity pursed her lips, but kept quiet until they both left. “What’s your real aim?”
“If Water Crest is innocent, there’s no harm in keeping her here.”
Verity raised an eyebrow. “And if she’s not?”
“Then she’s bait. Maybe the ones responsible, if they’re keeping a watchful eye, will think that Water Crest had defected if they spot her with us.”
“She is in disguise, however.”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Well, you know, she could be useful with the paperwork.”
Verity rolled her eyes and shook her head. “So that’s the real reason.”
“Have you seen the mound?! It gets bigger every second!”
Just because I had unlimited time to do the paperwork, didn’t mean I enjoyed it.
“Yes, yes, poor Harmony.” Verity left the room. “Try to locate that mysterious pony again, will you?”
I nodded, suddenly feeling weary. “Yes, I just wish this wasn’t so difficult.”
“What was it your father used to say? Nothing worth doing is easy.”
I chuckled half-heartedly. “You’re right.”
As Verity left, I tapped a finger on the table. Alright, better check the Tree for the crystal signature.
————————
I was at the Tree alone this time.
Verity had a lot of paperwork to sort through. Even though she didn’t have her own fiefdom, she was still a noble of high standing, enough of an advisor and administrator of contentious Court issues that being absent for a while had led to a backlog. At the time she had glanced enviously at my mostly-clear desk and then skulked out of the room.
I felt guilty that I’d been using a nation-levelling artefact to do my paperwork.
I’m so sorry, Verity.
Connecting with the Tree was easier than before and expanding the range didn’t take nearly as much effort. I felt like magic was getting easier and easier to learn and do. Before, a simple levitation spell was beyond me, now it was as easy as snapping my fingers. Even though the calculations were complicated, I learned to disregard the basic premise of my scientific mind and just ‘do’. The result was similar to shooting hoops. After a while, it was all about technique and practice.
Still, for more complex spells, it was easier to just calculate and set parameters, but now I understood how ponies would so easily levitate and cast a spell. To them it was all about feeling and imagining. Behind that, their brains would automatically fill in the right calculations, much like a practiced golfer would automatically factor in wind speed, ball rotation, power, angle, length and rolling all in their mind as they strove to the goal. An arrow to the target. The end goal with the means all instinctively surmised.
‘Getting this’ so late was embarrassing to say the least, but I now understood the basic mechanism that drove magic for these creatures. Just like we had an instinctive understanding of physics with hand-eye coordination, so too did these ponies had an instinctive grasp of magic.
I wondered if Lapis had the same troubles I would have when playing around with the staff. Knowing her, she’d take the opportunity to use it any moment she could by begging, lying or stealing from the poor old Dragon Lord. Bloodstone probably had the patience of a saint to withstand that sort of daily assault.
The mental imagery made me chuckle.
Unfortunately, my foray with the Tree didn’t produce anything worthwhile. The mysterious unicorn was very thorough. I found minute traces of the crystal faintly resonating down a stream. Fish, having no strong amount of magic, weren’t overcome with the crystallisation. I was relieved that washing powdered crystal into a river didn’t cause an environmental disaster. I was going to bury those barrels of water I had used to wash away the crystal I’d been exposed to in an underground vault.
Well, just in case, I wouldn’t dump it into a river. That was just asking for trouble. Besides, to ease transportation, the residual crystals had been reformed into sheets that were very much like glass. I didn’t know what to do with them, so I kept them in the castle, but maybe someone in the future would know.
In any case, I couldn’t find the source of the super strong signal either, so I gave up on that and retreated back to the castle. Our only lead was gone. Depressed and dejected, there was nothing to do but to head to the castle.
For a moment, I had the idea to maybe touching the Lodestar to the Tree to see what’ll happen, but I thought it would be a suicidal idea to let the product of a fallout and a fallout catalyst to come into contact with each other. Luckily, I shelved the thought quickly.
Now that everyone else was doing something, I felt pretty useless. The only thing I could do was probably investigate the Tree a little more, or practice my magic. With the way I used it before, the Tree could definitely let me extend my sensing through the network. It was almost as if it was built for communication…
Well, if the function of the Warning Trees were to warn of a draconequus event, then it certainly made sense that they would be connected with each other somehow. It was kind of like a mobile network, each little tree sending and receiving. Although, I wondered if there was a possibility of something like Chinese Whispers happening where the information could be corrupted coming back, or if magical ‘signals’ could be blocked, intercepted or masked…
Suddenly it occurred to me. If that mysterious pony had a way to mask the signal, then of course I wouldn’t be able to find her! But how did she know? Of course, there could be collaborators in the court, but the only pony who knew about the Tree was Verity.
A fraction of horrid suspicion grew before I could summarily squash it down. No, I trusted Verity, she had earned that trust. Plus, there were less complicated ways to destabilise the country. Maybe there was someone following us? I quickly looked for living beings in the area—
Suddenly, my senses were flooded with blinding light.
STUPID!
There were living beings everywhere!
I smacked my forehead and delved into the Tree again. This time, I restricted the size limit to be bigger than a dog, but smaller than a cow.
Moments later, I saw a rapidly approaching dot. It was headed straight towards me!
With seconds to spare, I shoved myself sideways as I dodged an incoming blade.
“Huh.”
I turned to face my opponent. A red-coated mare waited with a cloak conveniently covering her cutie mark. I guess that made sense, given how that was one of the only things that couldn’t be changed with magic in a disguise. Although, I have seen some physical methods around the fact, it was a difficult task to conceal it. I watched her silently and warily as she stood there calmly, watching me with placid aqua eyes.
“I wasn’t expecting you to dodge that.”
She spoke with a measured tone, almost as if commenting on the weather.
A chill crept down my spine, everything about this pony screamed to me ‘professional’. She wasn’t a unicorn, but I felt that magic here wouldn’t be very useful against her. Don’t tell me how I knew that, but if she wasn’t an amateur at this, that meant she knew her target, me, would be able to use magic. She would come with some sort of strategy prepared.
Direct attacks wouldn’t work… how about teleporting?
I snapped my fingers, dodging to the side as her blade took advantage of my surprise!
It… didn’t work?!
She tilted her head as if judging me as a slightly more difficult puzzle rather than a living, breathing being. “Good choice,” she commented mildly. “If you had attacked me with magic, this would have been over by now.”
Her slightly backhanded praise wasn’t doing anything for my racing heart. I really wanted a weapon to feel better about my situation. I didn’t carry any weapons with me. Or more like, I’ve never used a weapon seriously in my life, so it’s not like I could even do anything even if I had one. Just thinking about the resistance as it bites into flesh was giving me goosebumps already. Okay, maybe I don’t want a weapon. My tactic of dodging only lasted as far as my strength did, which, to be brutally honest, wasn’t that great. The only thing I had left was the Lodestar in my pocket. It would still make me feel better if I had a more predictable weapon.
No choice but to use it, right?
With a scramble, I reached into my pocket while leaping backwards. She might have thought I was pulling a weapon, as the assassin darted forward to close the distance. Mere inches away from slashing me, the Lodestar touched the crystals in my other hand and the whole scene was dyed the prismatic colour of white.
I was in the void for a very, very long time. It was too late that I remembered I had to position the crystals in a way to detach myself. Also, I didn’t know the length of time I would be here, so I had to ready for the moment it would finish and drag me back. Feverishly, I practiced dodging, swiping and counterattacking from a variety of angles and positions, simulating the abrupt rush that succeeded waking up from the Lodestar’s time stop.
Parrying, shifting my weight, making sure I was positioned to take the attack… all movements that were alien to me. I’ve never fought before, at least not seriously and not for my life. All my encounters were solved by magic or technology. Since I had zero technology and no access to magic apart from the curious effect of the Lodestar, I was seriously outclassed. Thank the Stars that the Lodestar actually worked. If it didn’t, I would probably have ended my story then and there.
But here, all I could do was drive the instinct of surviving in this unknown period of time.
Of course, I had once seen martial arts. I’ve once read things about self defence and the like. Putting it in practice as an amateur? Almost impossible.
But as they say in those corny zen manuals, ‘with time, the harshest challenges may be overcome’.
Or maybe that was a street rapper?
In any case, water weathers stone given enough time, and I should have quite a bit to strategise and prepare a counter. Since learning how to fight is beyond me, I should stick with magic and technology. In this void, I was sealed from the outside world, but I could mentally prepare and cast spells in this space. Just because I couldn’t activate teleportation didn’t mean it wasn’t possible to cast magic. It just meant they were somehow preventing me from doing it conventionally.
The assassin was only inches away from me. I needed to dodge her strike and then counter attack with enough power to allow me to picture, calculate, construct and maintain a spell. All of that had to happen within the small and precious amount of time I had. Since I only—
The void ended.
Abruptly, the blade came rushing at me, but I was almost ready for it, shifting enough so that it merely grazed me instead of opening me up like a can of tuna. It was still painful, but I was able to follow with a blow that pushed her back. Her eyes until now had been indifferent, but when I stuck her, they turned cautious as she backed away. Good, I could cast—ohsnapshe’scomingfastagain!
I hurriedly tapped the Lodestar again and entered the void. This time, I had several feet of distance. From here I could construct much more complex spells. I wonder, was there a spell that could erase her will to fight? If there was, then I wouldn’t have to fight her.
The mind was a complex and delicate thing. I knew it firsthand that tampering with it could have unintended effects. However, if there was a force compelling her to fight me, then all I needed to do was remove it. Magic, I knew, had the power to shape wills and desires, either amplifying, manipulating or erasing. In fact, the strongest magics out here were unstructured magics, where desires and instinct created complex monstrosities that regular constructed spells had no hope of imitating.
If I could communicate with her and show my intentions of helping, maybe it would stop her attacking.
If not, I guess I could physically stop her by putting her in a sort of magical suspension. I wanted to give her a chance, though. I wanted her to see that there was room for kindness in this twisted world.
After all, if the world had more kindness, then Discord would be able to live here too.
It was an instant of blinding white light.
The Lodestar had resonated with the surrounding crystals building radiance as energy poured into it from me, the crystals, the air, the ground, the Tree… everything. The energy cascade that happened felt like it had the same power as the magical fallout Discord and I went through when the Tree was made, but now it felt different. Smooth, flowing, like a concerted movement of sounds that gave rise to music, like the trailing wisps of air that made the wind, like the flow of stars that made a galaxy, like the movement of living beings that made life itself.
This was exhilarating an frightening.
Enchanting and repulsive.
Enlightening and maddening.
Harmony and chaos.
All at once I drew back into myself and in front of me was no longer the pony that attacked me. Instead a note was on the ground.
All it said was:
I’m sorry.
Troubled by the implications and not feeling entirely reassured, I glanced around and tentatively cast teleportation. To my relief, I arrived back in my room. There was writing on the back of the paper. I realised the paper hadn’t been a scrap but rather made of expensive parchment and the details of a contract was written on the back. It was an assassination order paid for in rare earth minerals. There was no name on the back, but at least there was a clue. Only the Vine fiefdom had rare earth minerals.
Smiling, I barely noticed that some of the crystals hadn’t turned back to their original colours. Instead, three of them shone red, pink and blue.
———————
When I arrived back, Verity rushed towards me as if I haven’t seen her for years instead of hours.
“Harmony! While you were gone, the strangest thing happened.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered, unheard by her.
Verity looked at me more closely. “Harmony, what happened?”
“Well, I don’t know… exactly.”
I told her about the mysterious assassin, but I left out the part about the crystals and how the Lodestar had interacted with them. As much as I trusted Verity, telling her about the Lodestar wasn’t something I was yet comfortable with. After all, Discord had specifically given me the Lodestar to keep for him. I didn’t want it to be in the forefront of everybody’s mind. If it was exposed, it would be used, I had the feeling that this tool of power was easy to rely on and would eventually be abused.
Guiltily, I repressed the sensation that I had indeed been taking it for granted and even using it to finish my paperwork. It was fun, but with how it reacted in that situation, I understood the order of magnitude of what I was dealing with. It was like the difference between a calculator and a computer. They could both do operations, but the computer was in a different league.
Verity drew my attention back with a troubled sigh. Her brows knitted together as she drew out a piece of paper tucked between the folds of her dress. I recognised that it was the same sort of parchment that made up the contract I held. On the reverse side though, was the apology, although it didn’t differ from mine at all.
Verity pieced the contract together. It looked like the contract was split into six roughly equal parts. We held the first two…
“So who are the ponies that hold the other four?” Verity murmured.