//------------------------------//
// Division 
// Story: The Book of Ages.    Volume 1.   Harmony and Immortality 
// by Rune Singer 
//------------------------------//

"As long as it burns,
we cannot drift apart" 
The Heart Carol ©Hasbro  




Instead of the smooth clacking of wheels on cobblestones, the royal chariot rounded the bend to the unicorn Keep driveway bumping unceremoniously with an incessant squeaking of dust trapped in loose parts. It and any vehicle at hand was used extensively during the last week from carrying refugees to transporting the dead. The king and queen had declined the offer of it but yielded only after insisting that they fill it to the brim with medical supplies and rations.

The earth pony pair that pulled the chariot unbuckled their harnesses and stepped into the shallow roofed guard post that stood sentinel beside the grand staircase leading up to the outer gardens. Out of the cold wind, they eagerly accepted warmed wine from a unicorn guard who thrust the earthenware cups at them.

“Drink first, news later, get that chill off our bones”

After downing the much watered but soothing beverage the older earth pony swallowed once, and asked.

“Well met.  Blaze was it? I remember you”

“Well met friend. Nay, close but close enough. The name is Blaise, Blaise Tune and their Highnesses will be along as soon as the supplies are loaded. I loathe to send anypony pulling a load in such a weather but they would not have it any other way. How fares your end of the island?”

The stallion who addressed him looked about once and then focused his gaze to the remnants of the outer courtyard. What was not hewn from rock directly off the ground, lay collapsed and shattered. The rifts in the earth were deep here but not as deep as those that ripped through Scala town, or so he had heard.

“No, most structures still stand, at least those reinforced with our plant masonry. Yet…” he looked to the ground.

“Yet? I though anything short of fire could bring your magical plant buildings down. What gives, did fires break out?” the unicorn asked concerned.

The other earth pony who was silent up till now, touched his comrade’s shoulder comfortingly and answered.

“Its the blight. Ever since the big shake, our lodestone has been acting up. The…power…its power seems to stop then start up, but in reverse. Where it gave, to grow crops during winter or drought it now takes back. Look, I’m not the right pony to explain it, but instead of just stopping…the magic is…I don’t know.”

He looked helplessly down and started picking at the soil under his hoof, thoughtful.

“It is taking life from things already grown, plants, trees, even the livestock.” the first earth pony finished what the other could not “…ponies whisper it might take from us as well. Why has this happened? We’ve had earth-shakes before! We lost so many good ponies, what if…”

A pregnant silence crept in and the unicorn refilled their mugs.

“Its not only you. Consider Scala, all tribes lost good ponies there, and if something is going on with your lodestone, then its also happening to the others. The pegasi have a huge problem with the weather and somepony told me their lodestone not only shuts off its protection from time to time, but that it started attracting ill winds…”

He took a long swig from his drink and let the cup down with a small thunk.

“That is the deal with this thing today. The King wants to help your priests directly and if it works, he’ll fix the pegasi lodestone too.”

“What is wrong with yours Blaise? Has the King fixed it already? They say the earthquakes came from here you know…”

The unicorn was about to defend the pride of the unicorns in a more aggressive manner but sighed and shook his head, gesturing outside.

“Know what? Your guess is as good as mine. We really don’t know what is wrong with ours but it does not work right either. Magic that needs its power is wonky and about the earthquakes…I don’t know what to believe right now…”

“Guards?” the call came from outside and in the direction of the stairs.

Everypony let thoughts unfinished and went out to help the ones arriving from the keep with their burdens. The earth ponies took over with loading the goods correctly, while still leaving some room for the royal pair. One of them reached out for the next package, trying in vain to find a proper place to wedge it in when a kind voice spoke.

“I don’t need that much space my good pony, here, I can sit on this and the Queen can take place on what she is carrying.” the King of Marelantis said.

Baffled the pony accepted the heavy flat package and set it where he had left room on the seats. He choked an exclamation at seeing that the queen toiled as anypony with a heavy set of packages of her own. He ran to relieve her from at least the sack of grains. 
“My lady, honestly who put you up with such a heavy load?” he asked kindly.

“I put myself up with it, and don’t frown so. Is it not bad enough that you will have to pull all this and us on top?” She looked strained and deeply pained, yet she let a small twinkle in her eye show in favour of the earth pony. Smiling she jested kindly.

“I promise you though, at the first sign of your legs giving out from under you, I’ll fly the rest of the way, I’ll push if it comes to that. Ah but listen not to an old mare, I am glad for your aid. All of Marelantis is the better for your tribe’s existence.”

The earth pony looked bewildered but accepted the kind words. “A pegasus speaking with such warmth about earth ponies, what a benevolent Queen indeed…Marelantis is all the better because of you, our beloved rulers!” he thought.

The last packages where brought by the princesses themselves, who were tasked, by their father, with providing the only escort. They kept a distance from each other and exchanged no glance or word. The mares were helped into saddlebags, laden with small packages. Magical instruments, spell ingredients and some scrolls for Concordia’s saddlebags and the meal the party would have, in Aneris’s.

Each sister helped a parent up into the seat, and their looks met briefly from across the carriage. Almost at once, they averted their eyes. 

“I will fly low. Gotta keep a lookout” Aneris said and beat her wings once to hover not a few meters above.

“The earth ponies seemed to have strapped in, I will walk beside them for a while” Concordia said in tandem, eliciting a worried glance from Queen Rhea, who looked twice to and fro both her daughters. When she turned to her husband she found him worried as well. Touching his hoof lightly, he smiled slightly, closing his eyes and clasping her hoof in his.

“We will speak to them when we stop to rest. They will work it out my love, haven’t they always?”

Yet though some mother’s intuition, Queen Rhea felt that this was not a simple quarrel. Not with the tension so tangible between them. She let out a breath she did  not know she was keeping in, when the chariot started to move.

Rounding the bend, the party took the road straight ahead instead of crossing the bridge Southwest, over Father River. It had finally collapsed in the sequence of small earthquakes that very morning. So instead of crossing the river, head south to Scala and then west towards Lotus lake, the only passable road was south-east and south to the windswept plateau. Only then would they be able to take a western route. The detour and the load the earth ponies would pull, would probably cost them the better half of the daytime, even though the time of departure was early.

Hoods where drawn forward and robes where fastened tighter as soon as they had cleared the part of the road to the unicorn keep, and where flanked by a gust of wind. High stone arches rose along the road interchanging with straight cypress trees. Most had collapsed in on themselves or one taking the other down in a cascade, as if a giant had let her toy structures fall in a neat row.

None of the ponies so much as looked at the damage, since they had seen worse in the last week. What just a month ago would be a topic of talk, was just more rubble that had fallen. Especially since it was just art. The time to ponder and weep over fallen art was long gone and by then no-pony otherwise aloof, was now oblivious of how the others fared. Not since every space available in either keep, was filled with refugees from the destroyed villages.

After a mere half hour, everypony was brought out of their thoughts as Aneris called from ahead.

“Ponies ahead! More refugees I think. Father shall I go look?”

“Yes Aneris. Ask them if we need to send for help and if they have wounded.” King Cronus said matter of factly. This scene, repeated so many times recently served only to add more to his troubles.

Rhea made to stand up and fly after her daughter, but Cronus held her back gently, wearily shaking his head once. This also was a scene repeated. 

“Beloved, keep your strength for the work ahead. I will need you by my side.” He said as he had before.

“All right, but only since you insist. I cannot just sit idly” she would answer.

“But you haven't been idle Rhea. We have spent our waking moments coordinating what is within our hooves. Trust in the ponies  as long as there are any to help.” The king would reassure her and she would  step back from the argument as she did now.

To the front, standing along the earth ponies, Concordia heard the conversation thinking how sadly ironic it was. They were practically able to help, but also could not help out with each minor incident and not exhaust themselves. That is why subordinates exist, yet they could not but bring the same conversation up. They wanted to help each ailing soul so much, it scared her. She dreaded that one day she might feel the same way, to not just want to govern her people, but desire to give her utmost for them. Did they not see how exhausted they were, everypony was by now, but the royal pair looked burdened, their auras faded.

“The princess returns my king” one of the earth ponies called, while Aneris dashed pass them, turned a small arc in the air and hovered behind her parents. She reported matter of factly.

“Yet another scene repeated” Concordia thought to herself. “We all are like wound up puppets, responding to the next emergency, and the next, and the one after that…”

“Father, they ponies ahead are about forty five to fifty heads, no wounded, but plenty ill. They carry little and…seek shelter” Aneris said looking away dejectedly. 

“Of course they would seek shelter” the King replied calmly. “ Aneris please fly back and reassure them they will receive help at the keep…” and raised his hoof to silence his daughter before she could say anything. “ I know you know that we simply have no more room. We…” he shook his head “…they will find room for them. And ill you say? Is it the coughing sickness the pegasi had?”

Aneris landed while her father spoke and rose on her hind legs, fore hooves on the railing of the carriage.
“Father, its mostly earth ponies and they have these marks… that blight thing…”

“The blight? They bring the blight here?” Concordia said loudly as she came around the carriage to stand behind her sister, though addressing her father. “Father you cannot allow them to pass it on!”

“And what would he do? We do not leave any pony behind! At least that is the Pegasi way…” Aneris said righteously, still looking ahead.

Concordia visibly bristled, replying while deliberately looking past her sister’s back  in the direction of her parents.

“Oh? And pegasi are so leaned on contagious ailments that they presume we can let all of the populous get infected? With winter on our doorstep we are hard pressed to house and feed all of them, let alone if they are all sick. If pegasi had only once heeded unicorn ways…”

“Enough my daughters!” came the King’s voice, not too loud and not unkind. “You are both right and wrong. Even though you might not think it, you make me proud by involving yourselves, concerning yourselves and arguing over our predicament.” Addressing each daughter once he spoke and then turned forward “Aneris, its not the Pegasi way only, all ponies are equal and no pony is ever left behind. Concordia, the blight, this blight is not contagious and all ponies know the same cures and medicines. Trust in our people my daughters. United, you will never doubt.”

In that moment the tired aura seemed to melt away as he held his head high, letting his daughters see the gift of the lodestone power bestowed upon him on ascension to the throne. The mandate, the chrism manifested in an ever flowing mane, twinkling with stars and a visible difference in stature. The stallion, as any King with the chrism was taller, his horn longer and his mark pulsating as if alive.
The princesses stepped back taking the rarely manifested display in, until their father sighed, sat back and let the power reside within him. Diminished he looked, but for the glow in his eyes.

“Now look strong” he called “and greet the ponies as they pass, they need the encouragement.”

Queen Rhea was glad her husband subdued the argument so fairly, but found it more difficult to feel hope than ever before, while the ponies seeking shelter and aid walked past. She had risen and looked kindly into each face that looked up. She encouraged them silently to walk, that they could make it and the would find rest. Indeed the group picked up their pace ever so slightly, their backs less bent, feeling their fate less bleak. When at last only their backs could be seen, King Cronus asked the earth ponies to resume pulling the chariot, while Aneris resumed her glide above them and Concordia took her place beside the earth ponies.

Within another half hour the remnants of Thymari village were visible. It was the first of the villages in the unicorn Keep vicinity that were damaged in the first and largest of earthquakes. Even though it was mostly made of stone, it was the fires that damaged it the most. The incessant winds that would not settle despite the pegasi efforts, bolstered the fires to the point that all effort to quench them was abandoned. Aneris had flown over it now to survey since it was handled by the another division during the initial emergency while she and the other pegasi where sent to Scala.

Though the fires had long been put out, the charred buildings gave off an acrid smell. There was not much to see since everything that was salvageable was already taken or swept away in the wind and the picture of abandonment was eerie in contrast to how recently the village was bustling with life. As she walked next to the earth ponies who now were as silent as the rest of them, Concordia saw the malcontent in he Aneris’s eyes. It was palpable how little her sister thought of the efforts of unicorns in the search and rescue operations. In her mind’s eye a very different scene played out, about the toils and sacrifices unicorns made the night the earth shook.



Thymari village - a week ago

Aided by fourth circle mages, the response teams to lend their aid, teleported using a chain spell, allowing those less inclined to reappear correctly and follow those before them in tandem. The distances where thus covered in three to four teleportation increments depending on how far their destination was. The team in which Concordia followed as second in command, was sent to Thymari village. They were assaulted by the scorching gust of wind and the sky high flames as soon as they had reappeared.
Concordia did not have a moment to gather her wits when the distress call came booming in her mind. It came in waning waves as did all communication through the lodestones since the damage to them.

“Help! Somepony… the…mines. Main shaft…”

“Did you get that as well” she shouted over the general mayhem towards her team. A unicorn healer, Marabella perhaps, answered also shouting back.

“I think so… but you are better at this princess. Who is it?”

Concordia went closer to her to be able to speak without shouting even thought they had to be very loud.
“The mines, the Orichalcum mines…”

Open eyed the other pony whose peach coat started to blot with the falling soot, trotted on the spot.
“The mines? Oh nonono there are hundreds of ponies down there.. But don't they have their own security teams on the spot? Has no one gone there yet?”

Concordia looked quickly at the pony, then the village and assessed most ponies had a job to do and where already evacuating the village successfully. Turing her back to them she braced for a difficult teleportation when the healer called her back.

“Wait!what are you doing?”

“ I am going down there now. We are only support here anyway. Tell our team leader I went to find out”
And before the other could protest further, Concordia teleported to the entrance of the main orichalcum shaft.
And not a moment too soon because after a few steps forward the lip of the cliff collapse completely and took the outer tunnel with it. Concordia had a moments breath to shield herself with a dome of light before opening her eyes to a completely new scene. 
The whole roof had gone with the cliff and the first grand hall, excavated hundreds of years before stood open to the sky.
Letting her shield dissipate she clutched her chest momentarily, wide eyed and even wondered briefly how it was possible after all that has happened, to still be shocked.
She then concentrated by taking a deep calming breath and send a thought to all four dark tunnels before her.
“Where are you, which tunnel?”

The call came more coherent, now that she was closer.
“Third corridor, main vein”

Concordia who knew the mine only by approximation chose the third to her right, hoping it was the correct one. With her horn glowing brightly for visibility, she charged down-wards, where it was getting eerily hotter.
As she galloped, she sent her thoughts again.
“How many teams?”

The voice came clearer but oddly calm, as if taking to himself. Almost ponderous at the events.
“All of us…trapped”

Smoke assaulted her and all communication stopped, in fact her light diminished and sputtered off.
Its the Orichalcum interfering with magic she thought as she blindly walked into a barrier that had her bounce off. When a gust from behind her took most of the smoke with it, she saw in amazement and dread that ahead lay another enormous cavern, now blocked with a barrier sustained by a powerful third degree mage.

"Mandrake" Concordia shouted in recognition and growing despair.

The stallion's pensive and abandoned expression turned instantly to worry as he recognised the Princess.
“Go back” Mandrake shouted “ a lodestone tendril has molten the new vein, its has covered the other corridors already. "Go back princess. There is nothing you or anypony can do for us now... My protection from Orichalcum interference wont last long, but I cant let them suffer  such a death, I cant..." indicating with a broad hoof-stroke at the  ponies about him.

Behind him, sat, stood or lay about a hundred or so miners, of all races, the earth pony miners with their affinity for the metal, the pegasi who worked the pulleys and manned the lifts and the unicorns who traced and coaxed the veins out. All hard working, brave ponies who daily toiled for the renowned Marelantean steel. Steel that covered their ships, made their armours and weapons and was coveted world wide. All of them trapped.
He continued "We shall sleep now, forever."

“Tell me how to help. Please Mandrake!” Concordia shouted as loud as she could, her voice croaking.

Mandrake gravely shook his head and spoke a few words to a group of unicorns behind him. They took up holding the barrier as Mandrake addressed the ponies who all looked up to him, resigned. His eyes glowed a fearsome magenta as he summoned all magic he could muster from any lodestone that would grant it.

Concordia did not believe her eyes. Left only to whisper to herself and then shout, pounding her hooves against the shimmering wall.

“You don't mean to attune now… Mandraaakeeee NO!”

Before her the Stallion shone ever brightly until he was a mere silhouette engulfed in light. A sphere formed around him and energy shot from it towards each and every pony. Encasing them in transparent cocoons, they fell asleep as they were, in complete, oblivious stasis. He had time only to encase the mages holding the barrier, before he himself fell asleep in his own. The barrier collapsed instantly under the very pressure and molten Orichalcum burst through the other corridors sixty meters away from Concordia.
With a intelligible shriek of agony and despair at so many lives now buried in molten metal, she ran up the corridor she came from and then coughing, taking fast shallow breaths and  sobbing, teleported away as soon as she reached the open domed first hall.  

She came to, at the surface furnaces and metalworking workshops a few hundred meters from the cliff that served as entrance to the mines. The buildings had suffered great structural damage but no fires had broken out and carriages laden with goods where already leaving the area. Still ponies toiled to salvage as much as they could and many unicorns had created a teleportation chain to take as many ponies they could away, while others held beams of buildings in place, so that the roofs would not collapse.
All this Concordia saw through hazy eyes. And stumbling forward, joined a group oh healers who had too much than their hooves could handle.

Hours later, she sat on  a boulder, exhaustedly looking ahead but not looking at anything at all. She toyed with her crystal pendant without thinking about it, or she would have noticed not only the fact that it was completely black, but also that miniscule tendrils of smoke flickered tentatively before fizzing out.
She was roused from her torpor when somepony draped a cloak over her shoulders.

“No thanks…must go back to helping…” she muttered shrugging the cloth away.

Strong hooves halted her. Spell Wright stood there, also exhausted, covered in soot and minor injuries.
“You have done enough Princess…”

She turned to look up at him and he recoiled at the despair.
“The mines! Could not help them. All buried! All encased in orichalcum.” she said, managing only a dejected mutter.

Spell Wright offered his hoof to help her up and moved to hug her.
“Brave Concordia, what on earth made you go down there…you could have been trapped yourself. Brave but futile."

Concordia took the offered hoof, but moved away from the hug. Dejected but oddly firm in her command she added.
“Thanks and yes it was futile, a complete failure. I need to tell my father of this. Assist me to teleport there please.”


“Yes” he answered crestfallen.
Would she have cared to look behind her, she'd not see the  usual disheartened expression of her admirer, but a lingering ambivalence that might, just have started to become disdain.



Having passed through the village, the group approached Scala town and Concordia was harshly brought out of memory to witness how the town was levelly by the brunt of the earthquake and partly sunken by the grand fissure that had originated from the unicorn keep.
They would have to go by the small road above the harbour town, as there was no possible way to pass through. Concordia halted to see her sister, in mid air watching the ruins below, her face clearly remembering what must have been her ordeal.



Scala town - A week ago
Aneris landed in the midst of mayhem, among a mixed squad of healers, warriors and any able pegasus around, who as willing and able to assist. Her orders where simple and needed no second thought : Find all isolated spots where ponies had started small triages and gather them in one place, namely the Scala Amphitheatre. 

Due to its ancient protection spells and the very marble it was hewn of, the massive semi circular structure sustained no damage whatsoever. Its marble, speckled with lodestone dust shone lightly in the dark. That night it seemed to shine especially brightly, either by ancient spell or by a mind of its own, in aid for the refugees.

Those ponies who were awake during the largest earthquake, or those who managed to escape the collapsing buildings they slept in, had already gathered there and now sat, lied or cowered in small groups, bewildered and shocked.

Once Aneris divided her squad into smaller clusters and sent them down into the town, she addressed the numbers filling the seats.

“Ponies! I am Princess Aneris and I need your aid!”

Blanc stares met her, as if she was not there. All around cries and confused muttering continued, muffled voices murmuring and the fires below casting an overpowering light. The acrid smoke wafted up towards them in thick plumes, stinging her eyes. Tears of frustration where coaxed out by trying to blink away the stinging smoke, not helping her convey and image of a stalwart leader. She tried shouting louder, her voice not reaching them when she ordered them to “stand up and help” nor when she thrust a hoof towards the burning town, reminding them that “ your friends are down there, dying!”. Still the blank shell shocked eyes watched her.

Aneri’s chest heaved and she tried to keep a sob in when a hoof touched her shoulder. She shivered involuntarily, turning her head and froze. Aeolus held her fast, looking forward. Bending down he spoke in her ear, his breath tickling and hot, momentarily blocking everything out.

“Together Princess. Fly with me and you will command them!”

Gently he placed his hooves on her waist and hoisted her up. Instinctively Aneris spread her wings wide in synchrony with him as if in a dance.

The two of them rose a few  meters up, spread wings with their orichalcum armour catching the red light. All eyes opened wide to see the mirage of a pony of legend. Gleaming blindly in gold and red, two sets of wings on her back, she looked both demonic and godly.

An exhilaration filled Aneris. Her face burned with glee and embarrassment. In the eyes below she saw wonderment and expectation, and understood what she should do. Taking a breath, for a second enjoying the strong hooves holding her, his hooves, she called in a commanding voice. The sound amplified by the amphitheatre architecture reached every pony as if they were addressed personally.

“My people! Your princess has need of you. No! Marelantis has need of you and what do you do? You cower away from those who need you”

Thrusting a hoof towards burning Scala, she seemed to directly symbolically attack it by absorbing its light. All eyes followed and Aneris felt the power within her, the inexplicable force that grips a crowd when one has them enraptured. With a gentle smile she called again, her hooves beckoning the ponies to her and then spreading wide in a benedictory gesture.

“Lend your strength to your Land and together we will be saved, You will save us. To me now!”
Under her benign gaze the crowd stood, and gathered beneath her, their eyes never leaving her, even as Aeolus let go of her he held and landed, sending out commands in her stead.

“Earth ponies! Your strength is key! Assist the teams freeing the trapped and be fearless”
“Unicorns and any versed in medicine, to my right! Help the wounded!”
“Pegasi to Me! my kin, and fear no Darkness!”

In wonder Aneris saw all follow Aeolus’s commands, while always looking at her. Lightly flapping her wings she stayed aloft, her smile turning to a grin. Even as she touched it, her crystal necklace turned even darker, yet she did not notice.
“Together he had said” she thought and started to wonder what she should do. Stay there, a beacon of command? Join the troops below. Her Salvation came to her utmost joy. Aeolus flew straight up facing her and bowing slightly.

“Well done Princess!” and flew away immediately.

Aneris only got a look of his back as he flew eastwards towards the cliffs. Her heart pounding she felt changed, charged with energy and resolve.

“We did this together! He assisted me as if I commanded Marelantis and he were my second… Oh Lodestones…we are meant to rule together! He loves me!”

She was shaken out of her reverie when acrid smoke assaulted her nostrils yet again. Even though she wanted nothing else other than to dash after him like an adoring puppy, she swallowed once and stoically landed amidst the parting crowd. Immediately she was approached by ponies who had some sort of grip on the situation and was respectfully consulted upon her orders.



After Scala, the group stopped for a rest-bit at the border of the forest that miraculously stayed intact. Here the grass stood undisturbed and the surrounding fields reminded of a past time, a time of peace, harmony and happy autumn frolicking. Later they would have to drive down a hillock to arrive at lake lotus and the earth pony fields.
For now sombrely the royal pair laid out a large table cloth, while the two earth ponies rested by the cart, in the shade it provided. Concordia helped her mother lay out a simple meal and as Aneris flew down as well, King Cronus slowly rose and beckoned her to him.
“Aneris? Please walk with me daughter.”and walked a few paces ahead.

Aneris looked questioningly at her mother who was just receiving a cup of juice from Concordia, but got only a tilt of Queen Rhea’s head to follow after him.
Looking to and fro her parents, she swallowed hard and went after her father who had walked ahead down the meadow, where he waited looking ahead. 

As Aneris neared him, she realised he was gazing at the border of where everything was as before, and where the blight had irreparably changed the land. It seemed as if the king of Marelantis stood guard to the division between harmony and chaos. Down there the lake was murky and enormous bubbles gurgle up and lazily burst. The surrounding fields lay  blackened by something akin to sludge than fire. It was immensely more horrifying that all the reports they heard so far. As she came to halt next to him, she mused,
“Will you and mother be able to fix the lodestone to..to fix everything?”

“Fix it?” said he, his voice almost unbelieving. He shook his head once and turned from perusing the Land, to look straight into her eyes. The depths of his  magic saturated eyes held her fast.

“Daughter, do you remember what the Lodestones really are?”

Aneris took a step back but halted refusing to be cowed. She did not expect query test, in fact she did not know what she expected of this private talk. Nevertheless she answered, thinking how Aeolus would like a strong queen by his side, ready to answer anybody.
“Father, I believe we’ve been taught…”

“Indulge me daughter!”

“All right…fine” sighing at yet another pointless magical tirade, she answered with closed eyes, “they are a repository of magic and other things, their power will never run out and they serve us.”
Upon opening her eyes, her satisfied look froze at the King’s disappointment that was barely hidden .

“Really, is that what you have been taught or is that how pegasi talk about it in the army?”

Stalling, Aneris tried to find the correct words. She had long left all this posh stuff behind, what point was there anyway?
“No…its…at least our Lodestone..”

“Your?” Her father’s raised eyebrow said it all and she lost the wind off her sails.

“I mean, the Pegasi one, the one we control?.. Well we use it to teach us and amplify our flight, with it we control the weather, the currents. We protect the island!”

“Don't you know better daughter? You were raised here on the entire island, as a pony among ponies not only as a pegasus, has this land no other lodestones? Are they not connected to each other as all the races are?”

This time Aneris stepped forward incensed. A challenge she could tackle.
“You imply I am against the other races?”

Proudly she tried to stare back at him yet again she had to look aside. In the magenta glow of his silent look, her entire being was reflected.
“..I am not… father you;ve got to believe me, I am not against anyone. Yet there is a certain bias among everypony.”

The manner with which he could stand unmoving and looking at her, through her, cowed her even more.

“And does a daughter of Marelantis, my Daughter, not know to use her stature to thwart such biases? Do you think I do not know what goes on in my own kingdom?” He shook his head twice and continued.
“Honestly I don't know where to begin now, here I was ready to talk eye to eye to a princess about about her role as regent and now this? “

His daughter blushed, looking downwardly. The last thing she expected was all this. Looking up she asked.
“Regents?”

“Ah…in more peaceful times  it would have been easier and I see we already have a chasm of topics to breach, oh well, listen. You and your sister are regents of this land.”

“But how..father?”

“Through the lodestones. They don't serve us daughter, they cooperate with us, they are not limitless thought they have abundant magic for Millennia. As in the past the mother lodestone would choose to accept a king or queen, if they took the rite, The path of Kings. The lodestone though does not accept any pony, they accept the one that have the chrism.”
“But the Chrism is just a display, a spell...” and her eyes grew wide as her father looked taller, his horn longer and his mane and tail were studded with glinting gems, translucent the hairs flowed with a movement if their own. 

“THIS IS THE CHRISM” his voice came thundering, vibrating and as fast as it appeared, it dissipated and her father took his previous form.
"It's amplified power and I can bestow it on whomever I deem worthy and they could take the rite.”

He had turned back again, watching the land, as if drawn by this duty.
The pause seemed longer that it really was to Aneris, as she took everything in as well. She did not want to be petulent and she did want to be a good Queen to Aeolus, but she really thought he would take care of all this. She did ask the first thing that came to mind though.

“But why are you telling me this now. You and mother are here to fix…err… heal the earth pony lodestone and… I don't understand how the conversation got from a little bias to regency and magical manes…”

He turned to look at her, this time with a paternal expression, almost regretting the harshness.
“I see we misunderstood you. Both of our daughters we have. You see, we thought you knew what you were getting into with this wedding.”

Aneris gasped at the irrelevancy of this comment. “What are you talking about? Aeolus and I…we… he will marry me and be king and… oh!”

King Cronus nodded. 

“Oh! She continued her eyes darting about “and you said..in order to be king..you have to…and then he has to… but…” now anxious tears rolled down her eyes. “I am so confused father. Everything was so normal and simple and.. Can't we just get married?”

The king sat next to her pressing his lips together and with closed yes said
“I think I see now what has been going on. That even though somehow its stated that you are to be wed, little has really been talked about between you and Aeolus. This must be rectified before its too late.”

Aneris shook herself angrily and stood in alert.
“Wait, what are you going to do?”

“Do? First my duty to this land, then ask him to ask you directly for your hoof in marriage”

“Why? Father his declaration..it...”

“It means nothing. Have you spoken about it with him? Have talked about his plans, your plans?”

“But,everypony...”

“Stop this at once! Is he even in love with you or are you just fawning over a hero figure? You are being played and I am so ashamed to have found out just now.” 
Aneris wondered at how her father could keep these ambivalent feelings so balanced. He turned all angry and accusatory so fast. She whimpered now, flustered.
“Why are you doing this father? What have I ever done to you?”

“Nothing worthwhile that is what." he still sat looking ahead, irking her how much he looked liek her beloved Aunt and commander when she had a bad day. "You are being led by you nose around matters of state and crown and you act as if its a tryst in the bushes.”

“A tryst?!!!” she blurted out, ashamed.

“Have you even had one? Any intimacy whatsoever?” he asked calmly.

“No No! We..father I serve in a military order, we don't”

“You don't… " he nodded to himself "...and that is precisely how your intended is leading the public to form its own view about your relationship. But even if you marry, my chrism will not be given to you, unless you show some spine and merit. Its decided.”

Aneris cried out.
“This is unfair! He is the best and he will be a good leader and everyone loves him…I love him,a nd he chose me for my spine and merrit!”

He stood up, dusting off his flank and look down at her sternly, coolly.

“I see I am no longer getting through to you. Let it be said that you embark upon a political contract that entails more than a candidacy for a single crown. We shall speak of this tonight after I have summoned Aeolus to the castle. Its high time we spoke.”

With that he walked back up the hillock, just as two earth ponies galloped towards his queen and other daughter.



A few minutes before, Queen Rhea just nodded Aneris to follow her father and accepted a  cup of juice from Concordia.
The latter also looked from the duo to her mother and asked calmly.
“Mother what is going on?”
The queen drank once and answered in a happy tone.
“Oh don’t be so wary, These are the few happy times within all this catastrophe. Your father just wants to talk to your sister about her new life.”
“New life?” Concordia let her cup down on the cloth and meant to ask more.
“Have you been living under a rock Concordia?” her mother mused “Your sister is getting married to Aeolus…”
Concordia thwacked her fore hoof down on the cloth and her cup flew forward, tumbling into the grass.
“Mother! For once stop this coddling and listen. I know.”
“But”
“No, no one has given me a breaking moment to explain. And your conclusions, all of your conclusions are wrong. This is not a happy time, its a troubling time, my sister is tumbling straight into matters she is oblivious about. No I am not a brave warrior flier, and I don't presume to understand the motives of the pegasi, but I see the cold calculation in Aeolus, in his eyes, eyes that don't look at my sister with love. And Aneris wont listen! She is so enthralled, that it seems a lost cause. It almost feels she is not the sister I knew anymore…”
Queen Rhea touched her forearm to halt her, and nodded gravely. She looked down the hill towards where the other two stood conversing and then took  deep breath.
“Oh how could we have been so wrong.I see we have misunderstood you both. We so wish for both of your happiness and its seemed too fitting for your sister to find her love in Aeolus. I know you believe me apart from my fellow Pegasi, but I grew up among them like any other. I know that some displays of affection are different, but you are right. It must be seen into.
Yet I must apologise, you seem far more mature than we expected. Perhaps too much for your young age.”
“Too much?” Concordia was bewildered at the unexpected praise.
“Oh daughter, you have grown so distant from each other that we thought it was out of awkwardness, especially you not feeling comfortable with your sister’s relationship and her maturing into a ruler.”
“Pff relationship..I…”
“Hush, don't you at least have a hope that their mutual agreement to marry might blossom to affection, and love?”
“Hope?” Concordia sounded more disgusted at the words than she thought she was able to “I don't hope, I believe its will never happen! She only believes in what Aeolus does, says or orders her to do. That is no way for a princess to act. She has no concept of ruler-ship. To lead a squadron or what they call it, yes but ruling people? She cannot rule herself, she only believes in her teammates. That is simply wrong.”
Looking directly at her mother, Concordia tried to emphasise that fact that she knew the truth. Yet she met a queen, high in stature, hew flowing mane and tail shining with blinking stars.
“The chrism…” Concordia whispered in awe, and her mother, the Queen spoke in the amplified voice of her stature.
“Then what do you believe in, you, the other Princess of Marelantis?”
Concordia stood as well and stated.
“I believe in Marelantis and its magic, no flimsy feelings and heroic stories”
While her mother let her form diminish, and her mane settle to its normal state she answered, but not as was expected.
“You are wrong. Your sister believes in Marelantis and her ponies, you in the same and its magic. You are both right and wrong again. Concordia, you cannot expect to one day rule an empty land and its magic. The ponies, all the races of them are part of it, with their woes, happiness and flimsy affections as you state them. Don't talk down on your sister as if love was worthless. Its a defining element of what a ruler is. “
“Mother I understand this very well”
“No you don't. You need to live as well as prepare for regency, or even queendom. Life is not being cold towards any advancing stallion or mare”
“Mother!”
“Oh don't act coy. When have you last taken a lover? A simple escapade. You are growing cold, freezing up inside for the sake of magic and a goal you have not a complete picture of. You are already being overshadowed even if you could stand next to one of the most powerful unicorn mages of your generation right this moment.”
“I…who?”
“Do you see it now. You presume to be so open minded but you have not seen how embittered Spell wright grows each season you deny his affection? Yes a political marriage it could seem to be as well, but would it be so bad? Would he b such a bad stallion for you?”
“When did the conversation turn about me? Here you go with this again. On one hoof you preach about love and on the other a marriage of  no love is condoned? I need no lover to take the path of Kings. The way I see it, no the way I know it, father will someday bestow the chrism on both of us and if Aeolus takes the rite, then I will as well. And I wont need a male to rape me to walk the Path of Kings.
“Concordia…”

But her words were interrupted as a duo of earth ponies arrived galloping towards them.



Up close it was clear that the twin earth pony priests had come all the way there to welcome the Royal family. They bowed deeply to the queen, curtly to Concordia and then to the King as he arrived briskly up the hillock, with a distraught looking Aneris in tow.
As the sisters stood behind their parents who exchanged pleasantries with the priests and walked them to the cart, Concordia spoke over her shoulder to her sister.
“What? Tears? Did father not swoon over your love life?”
Aneris shot her a look full of malice spouting
“You don’t look as if you’ve had it better sister…”

They were spared further interaction with each other as Viridian sight walked between them, describing what was obvious all around. The blight doing this the blight causing that. Both sisters fumed within their thoughts feeling all the more hostile towards each other, almost oblivious at the catastrophe of their homeland, the very lake they swam in, the fields they ran through. The were also oblivious at the earth pony between them, having realised they were in conflict and not in speaking term. He deliberately droned on and on, their rift playing right into his plans.

Ahead Stone Bark was playing his own little drama for the King and Queen who also seemed preoccupied, yet attentive enough to the earth pony plight. They were being led directly to the earth temple, as the priests stated the lodestone was acting especially volatile today. When the earth pony twins stood bowed and meek by the withered entrance to the temple they watch with slitted eyes as the royal family disappeared within.
Nodding to each other they raised their hooves in unison and coaxed the blackened but still living wood to block the entrance completely. With glee did they watch as the tree bled tainted ichor to seal the door.

"Everything is ready up here brother" said Stone bark.
"Our messiah below is ready as well" answered Viridian Sight.
They clasped hooves as if in benediction and coaxed all the power they could muster, for the tree to unleash the power below, up through the lodestone right as the King and Queen would come into contact with it...