Despite Fleur’s betrayal, Twilight felt good about the group she assembled. Ignoring the nobles, she had the leadership of every powerful faction in the Empire backing her cause. Having so many factions backing Luna was nothing short of miraculous, and Twilight wouldn’t waste this opportunity. Letting her friends take the lead, she paired them off into groups. Cadance and Celestia went about crafting rallies tailored for each district. Cadance’s knowledge of the common ponies and Celestia’s ability to connect with ponies through her speeches were already changing hearts and minds. From what Twilight had heard, she’d be surprised if a pony could walk away from one of those rallies without backing Luna. Shining and Roamane, on the other hoof, came together to work on the military event. With Shining the War Hero at its center and Roamane’s access to the troops, they would put on a parade that warm the heart of even Luna’s biggest detractors.
But, while Twilight’s allies worked on their rallies, she stayed far away. As Luna’s Student of the Night, she was too close to the Queen to be an effective advocate. The public would only see her as a mouthpiece. Even being seen helping to organize the events could taint her allies’ efforts. But, Twilight’s time as the Student of the Night had taught her that there was always more work to be done. And for Twilight, the most important work she could do was to work on the cure for the plague.
Public paranoia about the plague was at its highest in years. Because of the rumors circulating about Luna, everypony worried they’d be exposed to the plague next. They tried to remain vigilant, but because of the wide variety of symptoms, nopony could actually tell who had the plague. Was that pony’s cough a sign of death or did something fly into their throat? Had that pony been working hard or was their sweaty coat a sign of the disease? Was that pony coming down with a fever or was their life ending? Nopony could know for sure, which lead to uncertainty. And with uncertainty came anger, which ended up directed towards the Queen. So many ponies seemed to blame Luna for her necessary decisions during the initial outbreak; some even claimed that Luna created the blasted disease. It was patiently absurd, but absurdity could lead to revolt, and Twilight wouldn’t allow that to happen.
So, after her long sabbatical from the lab, she threw herself back into her work. After that night with Silverhorn, she stayed away from the lab, but with Luna’s public image so damaged, she had to work on it. with Silverhorn, but she couldn’t let awkward feelings keep her from this any longer. She had to; for Luna. So, she returned to the team to work on a cure. Her first day back, Lucretia, one of the unicorns heading on the project, gave Twilight a stack of notebooks containing everything the Student had missed in her absence, and while the other research ponies continued their testing, Twilight began absorbing every bit of information.
For the last eight hours, Twilight hadn’t left the lab. It was a simple setup in the lowest basement of the castle. A rectangle room with two rows of test tables, with one door leading outside and another leading to the clean room. Against one of the walls was a small library filled with notebooks and textbooks. Those books contained the complete medical history of the Empire, both the one known to everypony and the one kept hidden away. Against the other wall were shelves containing every possible ingredient and herb needed to make a cure. There were herbs from throughout the Empire and abroad, as well as potions and cures for past plagues. Finally, next to the clean-room entrance was a shelf containing every failure they team had come up with. With numbers underneath each vial, a pony could look up exactly what went wrong in the notes.
Although it was well stocked, this room was only for theory; through the other door was the test-chambers. Kept magically cool and sterile, this room contained every sample of the plague the team had acquired. Once inside, none of the samples were allowed to leave the room, and if anything went wrong, the room sealed automatically.
Twilight was off at the manager’s desk next to the entrance, a stack of notes in front of her, her quill furiously making notes on the most important lessons learned in her absence. To her side, Eclipse rested against the wall. She wasn’t planning on fighting, of course, but she felt better with it by her side. With it within hoof-reach, she could get lost in her readings. Although, with the complete lack of results, she was becoming overwhelmed by the lack of progress.
Finally, after hours of sitting in the same spot,Twilight leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples with a groan. As Twilight massaged her headache, Lucretia broke from her peers and tapped Twilight on the shoulder. “Are you alright, Student?” she asked.
Twilight instinctually nodded her head, trying not to worry the mare. “I’m fine. It’s just exhausting reading how much the plague has eluded us. No other illness has ever been this difficult to figure out. It’s almost like we’re being taunted, and it’s hard to not let it get to you.”
Lucretia patted her shoulder, offering a kind look. “I know what you mean, Student Twilight. I’ve been working in this field for a long time, and I have never been this frustrated. But, I might have said that about the last disease I cured. This line of work comes with its fair share of frustration, but we can’t let that stop us. We need to continue to press forward; it might not come today, but it won’t come if we don’t keep at it and take care of ourselves. And speaking of self-care, why don’t you take a break? It’s almost dinner and you haven’t even had lunch yet.”
“I just can’t, Lucretia,” Twilight insisted. “I’ve already been away for too long. If I keep taking breaks, I’ll never catch up, which means I’ll never make a difference.”
Pursing her lips at Twilight, Lucretia shook her head. “Well, alright Student, but you do need to leave the lab. The Director needs to speak with you. Keeping up with the Director is also an important part of research, yes?” Lucretia coaxed.
Twilight sighed before nodding. “I suppose you’re right about that,” she admitted, groaning as she stood up. “Is he in his office, or do I need to track him down?” Twilight asked, levitating Eclipse to her side.
“He informed me that he’d be waiting in his office for you for the rest of today. And don’t be afraid to take your time. I’ll probably be gone when you get back anyway, so don’t rush your meeting. My sister will wait for you, so please, take your time.”
“I am really fine without the break, Lucretia,” Twilight muttered, as she walked into the hallway. “But thank you for caring.” Lucretia gave Twilight a warm smile before she closed the lab door behind her.
Left alone, Twilight began readying her teleportation spell, and she couldn’t help yawning as she did. Her body was tired; maybe she did need a break. But there was too much to do! She could take a break later. For now, she had to speak with Silverhorn.
Clutching Eclipse to her side, Twilight cast the spell, disappearing from the basement and reappearing before the office. Coming through her portal, she couldn’t help but stumble. Alright, she definitely needed the break. She would be sure to grab an apple before teleporting back. It would mean being away from the lab, but she didn’t want to pass out while pouring over the book. If that happened, she’d probably be barred from helping for another three months. Better to just play along with Lucretia’s worries.
Regaining her composure, Twilight gave two swift knocks on the door before it glided open, a silver glow around its handle. Inside, Silverhorn sat at his desk, a stack of papers in front of him, and a covered food tray off to his side. As the door opened, Twilight was hit with a whiff of something delicious. Twilight heard her stomach growl. Silverhorn’s lunch smelled so good that she knew she’d need more than an apple.
“Twilight, please, come in. Have a seat,” Silverhorn offered, sweeping his hoof in a gesture of welcome.
Twilight took her seat, her nose flaring as she did. The tray was still on the plate, but whatever was under it smelled amazing. “Thank you for your invitation,” Twilight started, “although it looks like I caught you at a bad time. I didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner.”
“Oh, you’re mistaken Twilight. This isn’t my dinner, it’s your lunch,” Silverhorn said, magically uncovering the tray. Underneath was some sort of cheesy, saucy mess. “I know you haven’t eaten, so I’ve taken the liberty of ordering one of your favorites.”
Twilight gave the stallion a confused look. “How did you know that I hadn’t eaten?”
Silverhorn gave his own befuddled look. “Didn’t Lucretia tell you? She came up here about two hours ago to say that you’d be coming up around this time to get something to eat.”
Twilight sighed to herself. Was she really so predictable? Part of her thought she needed to work on that, but as Silverhorn slide the meal in front of her, she couldn’t help but thank Lucretia for being so insightful..
“So please, eat and drink. I’ve heard that you’ve been working non-stop since Lucretia opened the lab at five this morning. And I know you aren’t allowed to eat down in the lab.”
Picking up her fork, Twilight gave Silverhorn a quick nod before digging it. Her first bites revealed it was an eggplant parmesan dish with pieces of spinach mixed in with the tomato sauce. Not the most complex dish, but it was nourishing, and that’s what mattered to Twilight the most. As Twilight took her time savouring the first few forkfuls, the two ponies sat in silence. Silverhorn seemed to be finishing whatever paperwork he had been in the middle of, which was great for Twilight. Part of her still felt awkward being around the stallion, so she hoped she could avoid talking while she was in the office.
That hope died quickly, however. “So, Twilight,” Silverhorn began, setting aside his paperwork, “I don’t mean to ambush you, but this is the first moment in a long time we’ve had a chance to talk.”
“Is it?” Twilight feigned between bites.
“Yes, it is. I know that things have been tense between us since that night.” Silverhorn swallowed hard before continuing. “I just want to say I’m sorry. I was foolish. I misread the signals, and I did something I deeply regret. I knew you cared for Luna, but I didn’t know how devoted you really were to her at the time, but that’s no excuse. The kiss was stupid, and it was horrible of me to force myself on you like that. All I can say is that I still feel terrible, and that, if you gave me another chance, I will never do anything like that again. And I know an apology isn’t enough, so I will devote myself to helping Luna in any way I can. So please, can you forgive me?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers.
Twilight felt her heart grip. She had already forgive him, but she let the awkwardness keep her silent. And because of her silence, Silverhorn suffered. No more.
“I already have.”
Silverhorn started to breathe again; the misery in his eyes turned into pure joy. “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you. I promise that I am a pony of my word.”
“I know that, Silverhorn. And I must apologize, as well.” Silverhorn gave the mare a confused look. “What you did was stupid, but I let myself become biased against you. I was off with Fleur, and I allowed myself to think the worst of you, even when I knew the truth to be different. It may have been a big mistake, but I knew it was a mistake.”
“Twilight-”
“Please, Silverhorn. Don’t tell me that I have nothing to be sorry for. I wouldn’t be apologizing if that was true. So please, let me apologize. Silverhorn, can you forgive me?”
Silverhorn looked like he was about to raise an objection before he caught himself. His mouth snapped shut. He sat in silence for a moment before answering. “I already have.”
Hearing Silverhorn’s playful answer, Twilight began to laugh. At first, it was a small giggle, but as his words sank into her, she laughed louder and louder. Eventually, she could hear Silverhorn join her. The two laughed in relief. The tension was finally done with. They could finally move on. They laughed until they both ran out of breath. Then, both gave one last thoughtful look to one another. They had finally become friends once more.
The moment passed, and Twilight returned to her lunch. As she ate, Silverhorn began a new conversation. “So, tell me, how’s the research coming? I know you’re still in the process of catching up, but, how far from a cure would you say we are?”
“That’s hard to say,” Twilight muttered between bites. As she ate, she remembered how frustrating it was to face three months of failures all at once. “I want to say that we still have a long way to go, but I can’t even say that! This plague seems designed to make zero sense. I know that diseases mutate, but this level of chaos is unparalleled. Sometimes, it seems like the team has made progress. They found a new mixture that seems like it’s helping, but in a few days, they find out it was a dead end. So we just keep throwing stuff against the wall, hoping something will finally stick. And it’s not like there aren’t brilliant ponies working on it. Lucretia and Lavia might be the single most qualified ponies in the entire Empire when it comes to this work, but even they seem lost when it comes to this plague. And to top it all off, I just can’t help but feel responsible for it.”
Silverhorn gave her a puzzled expression. “What do you mean?”
Twilight leaned back in her chair. “I don’t really know. I just think that I should have been more devoted. I’ve been shirking my duties to the team, and I’m sure that I’ve set us back. I’m not a medical miracle worker, but I know I could have been doing something. Even if it was just reading records, I could have freed up resources that would’ve helped us work faster, which matters. Every day we don’t cure this plague, ponies suffer, and it’s all my fault.”
Silverhorn shook his head. “Twilight, you are one of the busiest mares in the entire Empire. You do more in a week than most ponies do in an entire year. Despite that, you took it upon yourself to join the team and help in whatever manner you could. That is amazing. Plus, don’t discount the team. We knew that you could only help when you have the time, and Lucretia and Lavia have planned around that. You’re input and help matters tremendously, yes, but the team will not fall apart without it.”
“No, I know that I’m not the only pony working hard,” Twilight insisted
“Then give your teammates some credit. They can shoulder the burden with only your occasional help. This team is composed of some of the most competent ponies in the Empire; the project is in good hooves when you have other business to attend to. So no more talk of feeling guilty, alright?”
“I’m trying, I really am. But I can’t help it. I keep feeling guilty about taking a break; I feel guilty about not catching up; and-”
“Please, Twilight, no more talk of work. I know how you feel, but if you don’t nourish yourself with food and rest, you’ll collapse, and then you’ll be of no help at all. So, no more talk of work; we can speak of anything else, just forget the plague for now.”
Sensing the exasperation in his voice, Twilight sullenly dropped the topic and started eating her meal. As she ate, she tried to think of a new conversation topic. What did she want to talk with Silverhorn about now that they had reconciled? Looking at the changeling before her, she knew what to ask.
“Can we talk about you?” Twilight asked. “About how you became Duke Silverhorn?”
For a moment, Silverhorn stopped breathing. Twilight meet Silverhorn’s eyes. His eyes quivered, but he didn’t look away. Finally, Silverhorn nodded. “I suppose I walked into that one.”
“Silverhorn, we don’t need to-”
“No, no, Twilight. I want to,” Silverhorn interjected. With a single deep breath, he began. “Once, I was what you thought I was; a mindless member of a hive, living only to feed and serve my Queen. I didn’t even exist; I was just part of the “we.” It wasn’t bad, per se, but it wasn’t good either. It simple was. We lived our lives for the Queen, and that was it. It seemed like we existed to serve and die. It was the fate we all expected.
“But that fate eventually changed. One day, I was out on a scouting mission, a routine part of our lives. We needed to know if anything was venturing too close to the hive. It was a two day mission, meaning I had to sleep outside of the hive. And while I slept, it happened. I don’t know what actually happened; all I know is that while I slept, I was connected until I wasn’t. With a flash of pain and a single scream, I jolted awake. I reached out for my colony and felt nothing. I was alone for the first time in my life.
“Naturally, for a while, I couldn’t function. I never had to think for myself before, and now, I was responsible for everything. I don’t know how long I stood there, trying to figure out who I was. It felt like an eternity looking back on it. But eventually, I managed to remember where to go and how to fly, and I was off. I was desperate to be let back into the hive. But when I got there, it was completely abandoned. There was no sign of an attack. There were no bodies of invaders and defenders. My hive was gone.
“I still don’t know what happened to it, but over the years, I’ve come up with a working theory. The likeliest theory I have is that our Queen must have be assassinated, and in the confusion, the rest of the changelings either ran or were wiped out without a trace. But I don’t know who did it. I don’t even know if the Queen simply died of old age and what I experienced was just an expected part of our lifecycle. I don’t think I’ll ever know.
“After seeing my hive abandoned, I let my old home a broken changeling. What does a pony do when their soul has died but their body hasn’t caught up yet? The answer I came to was to give up, so I wandered out through the wasteland surrounding the hive. I didn’t fly; I had nowhere to go. So I marched towards death. I hadn’t yet learned how to understand time on my own, so I’m not sure how long I walked; all I knew was that each step was bring me closer to a merciful end. That was my first identity: a changeling galloping towards death.
“I would have walked until my death until I met a very special pony. She was the first pony I met, and after meeting many more, I understand just how amazing she was. As I walked, I eventually saw a farm in the distance. Naturally, I walked towards it; maybe I would run into somepony who would end my misery. As the farm grew bigger and bigger, I saw a pony out in the fields. I got closer and closer, but when she saw me, she didn’t run away or attack me. Instead, she looked at me, and in there, I saw what she saw. I saw that she didn’t care what I was. When she saw me, she saw the pony I could be. And that kindness in her eyes finally got me to stop walking.
“As I stopped, the pony lead me inside her family’s house, and I didn’t fight it. I had given my life up at that point. What right did I have to protest? She lead me into met her family. Some of them grumbled, but that pony fought for me. They gave in, and that was that. They clothed me, found a bed for me to sleep in, and fed me. At that first dinner, surrounded by loving ponies, I found a sense of security I thought I’d never feel again after losing my Hive. I had found a new place to belong.
“I wasn’t much help that first year; I knew nothing on my own, and I had to be taught everything. Yet, the family never abandoned me. After that first discomfort, I was now theirs, and they took care of their own. They taught me how to farm, how to cook, and how to talk. But they also taught me how to laugh, how to cry, and how to love. They taught me just how amazing ponies can be. They taught me to believe in the innate kindness all ponies are capable of, something I still believe in to this day.
“As I became fully aware as a individual, I knew that nothing I could ever do would make up for their kindness. But I also knew that I had to try. I worked on the farm from sunup to sundown, and if nopony was paying attention, I would work even later than that. Eventually, I started putting my changeling powers to use; I came up with a pony persona, which allowed me to do business in the nearest town. I gave everything to that family, and they gave me what I needed most in return: love. No matter how busy it got, that mare and her family always made sure to eat together. I can still remember sitting around the table, talking about stories from town, upcoming work, and what to buy when we sold the crops. Those nightly talks around the table were like heaven for me.
“But that paradise couldn’t last forever. As time went on, I realized that ponies age differently from changelings. One by one, our family started to dwindle until finally, the only one left was the mare that found me,” Silverhorn continued, a misty look in his eyes. “She had not had children of her own, but I was always there for her. I took care of her right up until her death. And as she passed, her last words to me were that I was her child, and I couldn’t disagree. In the matter of minutes, I had gained and lost a mother.
“After that, I let myself be guided by instinct. I roamed from town to town, blending into the community, feeding off of the love I found there. But, as I explored the Empire, I never found enough love. Sure, there were pockets of love here and there, but nothing that matched the warmth I found on the farm, and that was a problem. I had learned how to be a pony, and I couldn’t just go back to being a changeling. I had to do my mother proud. I had to find a way to spread love across the Empire.
“In order to do that, I knew I needed power, and because of that, Canterlot drew my eye. Here, I came up with Silverhorn, a young upstart looking to make waves at court. At first, I had no standing, so I relied upon many identities to build up Silverhorn. It took a few years, but eventually, Silverhorn managed to get some power. And with that power, I found himself face to face with the Queen. It was a private audience, and when I met her, I knew she knew. I don’t know how she did it, but she saw me for a changeling. But, more importantly, she saw the truth in my spirit. In that audience, she gave me the title of Duke.
“As Duke Silverhorn, I was recruited by many noble factions; nobles don’t get the chance at fresh blood very often. I was courted, but it seemed like nopony had the same vision for the Empire that I did. Expect for one pony. Cadance. With her, I saw an ally I could work with. I formed an alliance with Cadance, eventually revealing my condition. She reacted in the same way as that mare from so long ago, and I knew I found another ally for life. Eventually, Cadance was given leadership of the party, and I’ve been her second ever since.”
“Wow,” Twilight managed to whisper.
“Yea,” Silverhorn whispered back, chuckling a bit. “Well, now you know everything. I have nothing left to hide.” Silverhorn sheepishly smiled at Twilight, obviously uncomfortable. Being so vulnerable was not easy for anypony, let alone somepony like Silverhorn.
“Thank you for telling me,” Twilight managed to answer. “I wish I could have met that mare. She sounds like an amazing pony.”
Silverhorn smiled deeper. “Thank you, Twilight. She was an amazing pony, and she would have loved to meet you, too.” The two sat in silence for a moment before Silverhorn finally continued. “Well, it seems like you’ve finished your meal. You are now free to go back to fretting over your research.”
Twilight stood from the chair. That story had been so emotional that Twilight wanted to go to bed. But there was too much work to do. She would start taking it easier tomorrow. “I’m off then. But I’ll see you soon, Silverhorn. I’ve missed this… you know, just talking.”
“So have I, Twilight. Good night.”
With a flash of green, Twilight popped back outside the lab; break over. As she cracked the door open, she saw that the night crew had fully taken over. She really had lost track of time with Silverhorn. She noticed Lavia, but everypony else was unfamiliar. She usually spent her nights with Luna, and she hadn’t met any of them. The night crew was an emergency protocol to help speed up the research. They only worked until 1 AM, however, but a third shift might be added if progress continued to stall.
Attempting to leave the researchers undisturbed, Twilight settled back into her chair, leaned Eclipse back against the wall, and once again began her quest to catch herself up. It wasn’t easy. Fatigue had started to seep into her body, and none of the information energized her. Each entry only listed more and more failures. It was enough to make anypony give up, but Twilight pushed past the disappointment. Minutes bleed into hours as Twilight turned the pages, oblivious to the passage of time.
She would have remained like that had Lavia not tapped her on the shoulder. As Twilight swiveled to meet the mare’s glaze, she felt wobbly. She was feeling the full cost of her dedication. “Heading out Lavia?” Twilight managed to ask before yawning.
“Yes, Student,” Lavia responded, giving Twilight a quick hug. “The night shift is over. Every normal pony is off to bed. Although, knowing you, you are probably going to keep at it. Just don’t overdo it, okay? If I hear that you’re still in the lab with Lucretia starts the morning shift, I’ll make sure you’re banned from research for a month.” Lavia finished, a stern look in her eyes.
Twilight lightly chuckled, nodding swiftly. “I’m leaving soon, I promise. I know that Lu- the Queen wants to see me before I retire,” Twilight explained, her cheeks turning red. She liked Lavia, but it wasn’t smart to broadcast such a sensitive topic. Best play it as close to the chest as possible.
“Valete, Twilight. Have a good night. Make sure to lock up before you leave,” Lavia said before heading out the door. Twilight waited until she heard the door click before thrusting herself back into her notes.
As she continued reading, Twilight’s determination fought against her yawns. Without other ponies in the room, she found it hard to stay awake. She just had to get through one more page. She kept repeating that mantra to herself until, before she knew it, there were no more pages.
Finishing the last note, Twilight stretched out. Her body was crying out for sleep, and she knew she needed it. On the other hoof, it hadn’t been that long since Lavia left. Maybe she could manage to get through a couple of trials before she teleported back to her room, just to make sure she hadn’t lost the touch during her absence.
With another loud groan, Twilight pried herself out of the chair. She could feel the fatigue in her mind and her body, but finally catching up gave her some extra energy. She drew from that energy as her horn was enveloped in her ichor-green magic. Reaching out, Twilight plucked various herbs and ingredients off their shelves, levitation them to her lab station. She kept them floating in front of her as she began creating her potions. She ground pieces of Rosevale into powder before mixing it in with an eye-drop solution; she combined fragments of Hipathasia into a treatment for poison joke; she even set pieces of Charybia ablaze and magically siphoned the smoke inside a diffuser. None of this had any medical basis, but she knew that nothing conventional would be able to defeat this plague. Twilight had to start pushing the boundaries of what was possible.
Gathering her new mixtures, Twilight went inside the testing room. There, she picked three vials with plague samples mixed in with powerful suspension magic. Without a pony to feed on, the virus couldn’t break free. Here she began the simulations. It was a complex spell, which involved the type of magic some seer pony’s used. Taking both the samples of the plague and the potential cure, a unicorn would be able to see into a possible future. In that future, the pony would infect themselves with the plague and attempt to cure it.
It was a dangerous spell; even the most experienced ponies could make a catastrophic mistake. There was a danger of the possible future becoming reality, which meant that unless the cure ended up working, the unicorn would die in a horrific way. There had already been one stallion who had died that way. Twilight, however, did not intend to make the same mistake.
Breathing deeply, green tinged runes floated around Twilight, her cures, and the plague samples. Her vision went white as she saw a mirror image standing before her, its own cures and samples levitating by its sides. First, she focused on the Rosevale eyedroppers. The clone opened the plague sample, downing the mixture. Next, it looked up, eyes open, and dropped the solution into its eyes. Now, time sped up, and the imaginary pony began coughing, vomiting, and eventually succumbed to the disease. No luck there. The Hipathasia visions, on the other hoof, seemed to show promise, but that hope was quickly dashed when that Twilight collapsed like its strings had been cut. The Charybia visions were the most disappointing. The smoke only seemed to make things worse, as that clone lasted much longer, struggling to breath before the plague finally gave it a merciful death.
Letting go of that magic, Twilight breathed deeply, set the plague samples back in place before exiting the room. Shutting the clean room door behind her, she fought the urge to shatter her cures. She catalogued her failures away, making exact notes on how her clones had died. That process was not easy. It was hard for anypony to look at their visions for too long. Even Lucretia and Lavia limited their time in the clean room. Seeing yourself die was a haunting experience, especially when you knew there was almost no chance that image would survive. To top it off, those were Twilight’s last three ideas. She simply didn’t have the will or energy to think of any more.
I have an idea
Twilight’s head popped up from the desk as she turned to face the source of that voice. Eclipse. Her sword had an idea? Alright, maybe everypony was right; she really did need to take a break.
You’re not crazy. I know what to do.
“What do you need?” Twilight whispered to her companion, hoping that this wasn’t the first sign of a breakdown.
I need control.
Twilight seized. Giving control to Eclipse outside of battle? She had learned to trust the sword in combat, but it was a sword; it made sense to trust it when it came to fighting. But what would a sword know about medicine? What if it messed up? What if it didn’t work? What if she ended up dying like that stallion?
Trust me, Twilight.
Twilight let the words sink in before opening herself up. She let that familiar prense into her mind, but she was surprised to find he didn’t take complete control. She knew that it was going to be a collaboration. Inside, it felt like she was finally accepting a part of herself. She felt whole in a way she never knew she could. And how could she explain it? It would be like explaining a unicorn horn to a pegasus or wings to an earth pony. She hadn’t been missing anything, but now, she was more.
With their new fusion, Twilight’s horn lit up. Her eldritch green mixed with Eclipse’s midnight black. She walked back into the sample room, closing the door behind her. They reached out, choosing sample vial. Enhanced by Eclipse’s magic, Twilight saw a single yellow speck in each of the containers. It was a dark, sickly yellow that reminded Twilight of pus; when she saw it, Twilight knew that she was looking at the magic that powered the plague. It danced around inside the vial, constantly moving, shifting, and changing. It was like Chaos itself. Twilight had never seen magic act like that. But Eclipse had.
He’d seen it centuries before. He had fought a creature who wielded that magic: a single, powerful being known as Discord. As Eclipse said his name, an image of the abomination flashed in Twilight’s memory. He was a horrifying amalgamation of different races, a terrifying patchwork of twisted creatures. None of the parts seemed like they belonged; the only part of him that made any sense was that yellow magic that animated him. He was a force that stood unchallenged except by two ponies that stood before him. One was a searing white pony with a mane and tail burning like liquid magma. The other had a pitch-black coat with a starry mane. They looked familiar, but Twilight didn’t realize who she was looking at until she saw the cutie marks. One had a brilliant sun, the other a glorious moon. She was looking at the dual Goddesses of the Empire. And floating next to Luna was Eclipse, the sword she had cursed on sight.
Oh. Now that hadn’t been expected.
As quickly as it came, the vision disappeared. Twilight initially tried to grab for it, but Eclipse held her in place. Later. Focus.
Twilight put Luna out of her mind and focused her magic with Eclipse’s, the swirling black and green collapsing around the speck of yellow. They began to isolate it, Eclipse’s magic slicing off its influence on the world, and Twilight’s magic banishing it. It recoiled. Chaos lashed out hard, slamming against its new prison. Every collision made Twilight’s body recoil, but she held firm. Pain split her forehead, her horn glower even fiercer. She would not fall; she would not lose to the pandemonium. Her eyes went white; her mind went blank. Without Eclipse helping her, she knew she would have lost herself. But still, she held.
Mentally, she heard screams. It wasn’t her. It wasn’t Eclipse. It was the magic itself trying to disrupt them. The screams was a mixture from all races and all ages. They blended together into an unholy abomination. The shrieking piercing Twilight to the core. But she bolstered herself and kept pouring her magic out.
Finally, Eclipse cut away the last tendril of chaos, and with a final push, Twilight thrust it into oblivion. For a brief moment, Twilight heard a different scream; it wasn’t the illusion that the magic had shown her before. Instead, it was the cry of the magic itself. And then, Twilight sealed it away. She could feel the room cleanse itself, and in front of her, the contents of the vial changed. Instead of the plague sample, the glass was filled with a pastel purple liquid with the consistency of water. It seemed to shine, and looking at it, Twilight knew she had her cure.
Eclipse’s voice rang out in her head. Discordian magic. I should have known. As long as it touches the world, it’s unstoppable. Once you rip it from the world, you kill it. Tell your Goddess that Discord’s corpse is to blame. She’ll know what I mean. Good luck, little star. With that, Twilight felt Eclipse’s presence disappear. She tried reaching out to ask about their visions, but Eclipse had completely retreated into his sword.
Breathing heavily, Twilight left the room with her sample. As she pulled it through, she braced herself for the door to magically seal, but her vial passed through easily. The plague inside was no more. Taking extra care of her accomplishment, Twilight carefully levitated her potion into a holding station, making a note of the tracking numbers on the bottom. As she worked her way over to the desk, her mind was abuzz. So many questions. Was that really the cure? How would it work? Was she the only pony who could make it? If so, could she ever do it without Eclipse? How much did a pony need to be cured?
With her mind that busy, Twilight thought she’d be up all night. But as she sat down in her chair, she felt her eyelids growing heavy. She had pushed herself too far; she wasn’t going to make it back to Luna’s room. She wouldn’t even make it outside of the lab. That meant somepony would find her when they came in a few hours. Lucretia and Lavia wouldn’t like that. Despite her exhaustion, Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Let Lucretia ban her from the lab; she had found what she was looking for. As she began to drift off, Twilight managed to scribble two final words in Lucretia’s notes before sleep overtook her: Cure Found.