//------------------------------// // Chapter 214: Fiction // Story: XCOM: Ranger // by Wanderer D //------------------------------// Ranger Chapter 214: Fiction By Wanderer D Equestria Spike jumped and almost dropped the books he was carrying when Twilight screamed in frustration. She had returned to her old tower while in Canterlot, needing her own space and work area near the castle more than anything. Piles and piles of books containing theories about the origins of forbidden magic, including the ones found in Luna's room, along with studies on magical possession, soul-projection, gathering, transmutation, infusing, transplanting, negating, inducing and dispersing, in addition to the several thick tomes on runes, metallurgy, psionic theory, and non-forbidden mental magic stacked the work tables and walls of her very spacious lab. "Calm down, Twilight," Spike said, putting down the four tomes he had been carrying, "you won't get much done by panicking." "I know! But I promised Laetitia to help her! She's not going to die if I can help it, alright? There has to be a way!" She slammed her hooves down on the table, upturning an empty ink bottle. "But half of the methods that I know for sure will work require forbidden magic! Soul Magic. Mind Reaping spells… we could use them for that… but we'd end up the same as Sunset!" "It can't be that bad," Spike said carefully, his mind thinking about possible ways of using forbidden magic like some of his superheroes. "if we only use—" "No." Twilight slid down, sitting on her rump. "Spike. They all start the same. It's always a good intention that starts ponies into the forbidden magics. But they demand more. They corrupt you more and more, little by little. You helped once. Why not again? You made this pony forget pain, why not help this other one forget their breakup? Or this other one should forget that they almost died during that accident. Or this other one… it piles up. It's easy and it deludes you into thinking you're in control. "Sunset thought she was in control. She thought the different magic levels in the human world would help. Look where she is now."  Twilight sighed, motioning Spike to come over and gave him a hug. "She's my sister by battle… and a great leader, and she took care of me and she taught me and… and she's lost! And Laetitia comforted me when I was scared, she listened to my problems… and I told her all that I was feeling at the time, and I never realized just what she was going through… Spike, she's dying! Luna's spell cannot stop her from fading eventually into little more than a memory... And I promised I would help her." Spike sighed, disengaging from his hug to look around the place. In one corner, Owlowiscious slept, and next to a window, the docked Gremliniscious slowly gathered sunlight to feed its batteries. He sighed, wishing he could be of more use. Twilight was different now. Well, mostly the same but still different. And not only physically—her time in the human world had trimmed away a lot of the baby fat she had and she woke up every morning not straight to a book, but straight to training with the guard. She was more confident, stronger and decisive than ever before, so much so it was almost like dealing with well… Spitfire. Or some of the old guard that watched over them when they were younger. Sometimes, he thought he'd have to get used to this new Twilight and really missed the old one… and then she would do this and as much as she was frustrated, it brought some relief to Spike to see that she was still in there. If things weren't so bad, he would suggest she take a break. Read some light literature, or borrow some of Rarity's books, or maybe catch up with Rainbow Dash and read the latest… Spike blinked, his eyes trailing to a specific bookshelf, and his brain screamed at him that he was onto something. Slowly, he made his way to the shelf and stared at the books there, before slowly pulling them out and piling them so he could carry them over. Once he had this new stack, he made his way over to where Twilight was now muttering to herself something about redirecting the evil out of the magic. "Hey Twilight? Why not look at these?" Twilight raised her head from her dribbles and glanced at the books Spike had brought before sighing. "Spike. Please." "No, no, seriously!" Spike said, raising his arms to get her attention. "Look… you once told me that a few of these were based on real lost items, right?" Twilight didn't look convinced, but she had turned to give him her undivided attention. Spike gulped. She was a lot more intense now. "So… could we maybe draw inspiration from some of the artifacts?" Twilight blinked, levitating one of the books. "I mean… I had read about some of the artifacts mentioned here… but this is fiction, Spike." "And remember how you didn't believe Supernaturals would be useful? Or that Pinkie's Pinkie-sense was a real thing?" "Well, I—" "Twilight…" Spike interrupted, taking her hoof in her hand. "What does your gut tell you? The same instinct that told you the Elements of Harmony and Nightmare Moon were real?" Twilight grimaced, then turned to look at the books, levitating one and flipping the pages. "You don't think…" she ventured, the other books floating up and opening, pages ruffling as several artifacts were revealed, illustrated within the contents. "That—" she stopped, shaking her head before looking back at him, eyes wide. "You really think this is real?" "Twilight…" Spike motioned with his claws at the several stacks of books, crumpled papers and discarded meals. "What do you have to lose right now?" He watched as she licked her lips, mind working fast, considering his words. "Spike… if there is an artifact that could help us... " she shook her head. "These might be fiction, but they are really well researched." Spike felt a smile grow in his face. He hadn't felt useful at all lately, and hearing her honest admiration for his idea felt… wonderful. He had almost forgotten how good it felt for her to acknowledge him. "You said it before! Even you couldn't argue much about the research put into it." "Spike," Twilight pulled him into a hug. "You're a genius." "I know." Twilight giggled. Another, much-missed part of her. "Come on, let's get Rainbow Dash, I don't think she'll want to miss out on this one." Spike nodded. "So we're doing this?" Twilight smiled, nodding. "Yep. Spike, take a note: Dear Princess Celestia, Spike has given me a good idea of where we can find possible help. We'll be departing immediately to meet with Rainbow Dash. I will write again, to you as soon as we know anything. Sincerely, Twilight." "Done!" "Send it off. Now, where's Rainbow Dash?" o.0.o End Chapter 214 o.0.o