Chapter 15: Better in Frame
Sanctis woke up as the sun beat down on her face. Wondering if she woke up before Ace today, she turned and-
There he was, next to a small rock, with a blanket over it, with berries on it. Again.
Does he ever sleep?
“Good morning, Sanctis,” he said with a stretch and a yawn.
Wait, did he sleep?
“I found breakfast, and refilled our canteens in a spring I found a little further out.”
“How do you manage to always wake up before the sun?” she said, trying some of the berries. It was a mixture of sweet blueberries and tart blackberries. It was rather refreshing, actually.
“I’m rather… nocturnal, some nights. Oftentimes I’ll have too much energy to sleep, and besides, I’ve always been more a fan of the soft light of night than the harsh light of day… Here, look,” he said, taking off his glasses and proffering them to her.
She put them on… but could only see through one lens at a time, they were so goofishly large on her. “What about them?” she asked, still fighting to get them to stay on properly.
“Close one eye and look at the sun.”
Doing as he suggested, she noticed that the lenses adjusted as she looked to or away from the sun. “Whoa… how many enchantments are in these things?!”
“Hmm… The masking illusion, the darkening condition, a Disinterest hex to make passersby forget that I wear the glasses unless they are looking directly at them… Oh, and there’s an inscription that activates with ‘Illuminate’ as well.”
“Illuminate?” she said, then remembered that he used a similar method for his hoof. So, it was probably… “Emmisehyda?”
A light flickered across the lenses, and then she could see everything. Well, that was a misnomer; she could see everycreature. It was like she had heat vision and everything the glasses roamed over, she could see.
Snakes hiding in the grass, insects flitting from place to place, birds in the trees. She even saw the Plainstrider from yesterday lounging in the shade of a nearby tree, almost 200 meters away!
And then she looked at Ace. Every other creature was vibrant; like their light was its own star fallen from the sky. Ace’s light was broken, dim. A ladybug flew between them, and its light was almost enough to drown out Ace’s little spark.
“So, the Emmisehyda enchantment… lets you see how much magic a creature has?” She waved her hoof in front of her eyes, only too late realizing she must have ended the spell when she said the phrase again.
“Not quite. It lets you see the life of every creature that crosses the lens. It’s great for avoiding things in the forest, or tracking somepony who has used magic to turn invisible.”
Then why was your light so dim? Sanctis wanted to ask, but she could only see the conversation going one of two ways: either Ace didn’t want to talk about it, or it would be something sad, like he was dying in a year and that this was his last journey or something.
After all, he said yesterday his family had a secret that made them all look the same as they aged. He could be, like, a hundred years old!
He definitely acted like it, sometimes.
“So, how’d you sleep?” He asked, reaching a hoof out to ask for his glasses back.
“Great, actually. I think that’s the first night I haven’t had a nightmare since we left Frost Valley.”
Ace hmmed at that, then, “I’m glad you slept well. We’re still a ways out from the town around Neighagra Falls, and you’re going to be carrying your saddlebags with your magic today.”
Sanctis hefted the bag with her magic experimentally. It was even easier to pick up than yesterday, and she could still manage it after putting the blankets back.
“I think my magic really is getting stronger!” she exclaimed excitedly.
“As well it should. After being dormant for so long, it’s got lots of growing to catch up on.”
“When can I learn my first spell?”
“Hmm… Normally, the first spells you learn are your own. Your magic starts to develop its own strengths, and before you know it, the first spell just kind of… happens.
“Some unicorns even get their cutie mark from their first spell, but that’s more of a rare case.”
“So, then you can’t just teach me a new spell?”
“Well, I could, but it might actually hinder you. Like knowing the answers to a test because you saw an answer sheet, not because you actually know how to solve the problem.”
Ace stroked her mane softly when she pouted, still carrying the bags in her magic. “It might sound more fun to learn spells, but there’s an immense sense of pride at developing your own spell. It helps you become better acquainted with your own magic, as well.”
Sanctis concentrated on her saddlebags as she and Ace walked across the plains, willing her magic to do… something, but only managed to rotate the bags, or spin them around, or press the loose sections out or inward, compressing the contents.
Sanctis tried to think of what she wanted her magic to do but couldn’t really think of anything that wasn’t likely to damage their belongings. She tried real hard to not think about how easily she might set her bags on fire.
After trying everything she could think of – concentrating on her bags, not concentrating on her bags and just sort of letting her magic take control, wiggling her horn around, rubbing her horn with her hooves, closing her eyes and pretending the patterns on the bag were cuter – Ace tapped her on the shoulder.
Then she realized they had already made it to the town.
The falls themselves were huge. The river – is it still called a river? – was wide enough to sink the crystal from Summervale… and that was the biggest thing she had ever seen! Fang probably couldn’t even jump across without using his wings!
“Can we go see the falls?”
“Well there wouldn’t be much use in us coming all this way if we didn’t!” Ace said with a smile.
Sanctis laid the saddlebags across her back, worried she’d lose focus on her magic as she wandered through the small town.
Much of the town was just souvenir shops, and a few inns. What few houses there were were small and decorative, as if everything here was for show. Excited to see one of the natural wonders of the world, Sanctis wasn’t really concerned with the rest of the town, however.
Sanctis bounced through the town happily, Ace keeping a leisurely pace behind her with his casual smile on his face, matching the smiles of passersby who were delighted to see a happy filly.
It didn’t take long to reach the edge of the town, a platform that overlooked the falls. “Come on, slowpoke!” she called behind her. “You’re gonna miss it!”
With a laugh, Ace replied, “I promise you, Sanctis, the falls aren’t going anywhere.” Regardless, he trotted up beside her as she made it onto the platform alongside another onlooker.
With her front hooves on the guardrail, Sanctis looked over the falls.
Now she was looking down at it, Sanctis could see the other side of the river… and it was absolutely huge. The water fell over the cliff face and crashed at the bottom, kicking up a thick mist and making a powerful sound that drowned out everything else. She could practically feel her hairs standing on end at the sight.
Then she realized they were standing on end! From her mane to her tail, errant hairs were floating skyward.
“The water breaking at the bottom creates a highly humid and electric environment,” the onlooker yelled over the crash of the water beside them, her own mane standing on end as well. “That’s what makes your hair stand up like that. Isn’t it fascinating?!”
“It’s amazing!” Sanctis yelled back, still watching the falls, wondering how thick the mist was.
“The falls are just over 1,000 meters across… with about a 70-meter drop to the bottom!” The onlooker marveled.
“You sure seem to know a lot about the place, miss…” Ace said, looking to the wise pony. Sanctis checked her out, too.
She was a young earth pony mare, with a light purple coat and a darker purple mane. She looked at them with a smile on her face and in her emerald eyes, which had the most beautiful golden flecks in them.
“I’m here on a little vacation. My name’s Feather Scribe. I don’t have any feathers, so call me Scribe!”
“I will call you Scribe,” Sanctis said in a monotone voice. Ace raised an eyebrow at her.
Wait, I didn’t say that… did I?
The mare’s smile faded to worry for the briefest moments before she turned her gaze back to the falls.
“You have really beautiful eyes, Miss Scribe,” Ace said over the crashing water. Something in the tone of his voice said it was more than just a complement. “Might I see them again?”
Feather Scribe turned back to look at them for only long enough to say, “I don’t want to talk about my eyes,” before looking back away.
“We won’t talk about your eyes,” Sanctis said, again in monotone.
I’m not saying that!
“I suppose this is the part where I’m expected to drop the matter,” Ace said, his voice level, “but I’m afraid I just can’t do that, Miss Scribe.”
She looked at him with complete and total shock. Like he had just suggested she jump off of the platform to get a closer look. “You’re not affected?”
“Then it is true. You’re a magic-touched hornless unicorn who can’t control the compulsion hex in her eyes.” Hornless Unicorn? They make those? And what’s a ‘compulsion hex’?
“Where I come from, they just call us ‘earth ponies,’ but the rest of that sounds spot on… You’re really not affected?”
“Hard to say if I’m affected or not… but I wonder if these might have something to do with it,” he said as he took off his glasses. Feather Scribe gasped as she saw his mismatched eyes. “Try me,” he said, his glasses in hoof.
“Jump up and down,” the mare said, looking hard into Ace’s eyes. Sanctis managed to look away before she spoke.
Ace looked at the falls, then the platform, then said, “I think I’d rather not. Still, that’s quite a powerful hex. If I didn’t expect it and didn’t have a strong desire to not do what you said… it would probably have worked.”
“I… I don’t think I’ve ever met somepony who could resist it before. This curse has been with me for as long as I can remember.”
“It says a lot about your character that you view your situation as a curse, rather than a blessing,” Ace said, his gaze never leaving hers as he studied her eyes.
“How could I not? You don’t understand what it’s like, having everypony do everything you say. I can’t even look my mother and father in the eyes when I visit for fear of making them do something they don’t want to do… and forget trying to make friends!
“Please, if there’s something – anything! – you can do to help me, I would be in your debt.” Even without looking in her eyes, Sanctis could tell the mare was pleading.
“I can’t be certain if it’ll help, but,” Ace said, placing his glasses on her muzzle. The large frames weren’t particularly flattering on the mare’s more petite and feminine features, but they did have a sort of ‘bookish charm’. Behind the lenses, however, her emerald-and-gold eyes became a solid, brilliant sapphire.
“You really think these will help? I’ve worn glasses before, but they didn’t really do much…”
“These ones are special, as I’m sure you can see,” he said with a wink of his Al Bhed eye – either at the pun or the evidence. “Sanctis, if you’d be so kind?”
Sanctis held the mare’s sapphire gaze with a gulp, worried she might lose control of herself as soon as she spoke.
“Tell me a joke,” Feather Scribe said.
“No… and I don’t know any good jokes, anyways,” Sanctis said, relieved.
“They… they work!” Feather Scribe said, first incredulous then overjoyed. “I can’t believe they actually work!”
Ace just laughed at the honest joy in her reaction. “Glad I could help, Miss Scribe. I hope your ‘little vacation’ is filled with many such pleasures.”
“I… I can’t just take these. They’re too valuable. You must let me do something to pay you back! I, I don’t even know your name!”
Ace dipped into his usual bow, one hoof to his chest and the other sweeping outward. “Ace Deus Fenrir, and my companion Sanctis. You may call me Ace.
“We’re traveling together, and if you really wish to repay us, we’re rather short on funds. Even something so simple as a meal would be much appreciated.”
“Funds?” Feather Scribe laughed over the sound of the massive waterfall beside them. “Of course! Please, just tell me how much you need!”
“Oh, we wouldn’t want to inconvenience you. Just give us what you think the glasses are worth, and we’ll be grateful for your contributions.”
Scribe was almost in hysterics. “What I think they’re worth?! I couldn’t afford such an exuberant price!” she said, uncinching a coin pouch from her hoof and shoving it into Ace’s chest. “Just take it all! I have more in my hotel room.
“You have no idea what these mean to me. I’ve been to other unicorns who said they couldn’t help. Then you come along and solve the problem they couldn’t even explain like it was nothing!”
Ace was looking like he was considering giving her the bits back, then looked at Sanctis, then his broken horn and put the pouch in his saddlebags with a smile. “You’ve helped us out too, Miss Scribe, so I think that makes us about even”
“Even?!” Feather Scribe let out a sharp laugh once more. “If you say so!” She wrapped a big hug around Ace before she continued, “Oh, I can’t wait to tell everypony back home about this! Thank you so so so sooooo much!”
She raced off to one of the hotels, smiling the whole way.
“What was that?” Sanctis asked once she had disappeared behind the door. “A ‘hornless unicorn?’”
“Sometimes a unicorn is born without their horn, or a pegasus without wings. In the former, there are two types: Magic-touched and magic-capable, the latter of which is the same as a normal unicorn.”
“Then Feather Scribe was magic… touched? What does that mean?” Sanctis asked, the wonder of the natural world behind her forgotten as she was presented with an opportunity to learn more about magic.
“It means her magic manifested in a way that she couldn’t control. Think of it like she was enchanted; the enchantment in her case being the Compulsion Hex in her eyes,” he said as they started to make their way back into the town.
“So, whenever you look into her eyes, you do whatever she says?” That sounded cool, but after giving it some thought, Sanctis can see how it would get old real quick when you couldn’t control it.
Ace nodded. “I’ve known quite a few hornless unicorns who had apparent magic-touched properties, but hers… I can’t imagine what life must have been like growing up with such an affliction.
“Her mom and her dad probably learned to never look her in the eyes. Such treatment during the developmental stage must have been positively debilitating. Can you imagine such a thing?”
Sanctis gave the back of his head a droll stare, until he turned and found it.
“Right, sorry. Probably an unusual scenario for you to sympathize with.”
Her own situation aside, Sanctis could imagine how that could give rise to any number of issues or complexes. How everyone agreeing with you or doing what you say could raise your confidence, subsequently causing you to fail at something you were clearly not prepared for, or fostering bad habits.
“So, what happens with ‘wingless pegasi’? Don’t tell me they can fly!”
Ace chuckled at the idea as he reviewed various storefronts as they passed. “They get to walk on clouds. There’s no sub-divisions this time.”
Sanctis imagined an earth pony walking on the clouds with a group of pegasi, looks of shock on their faces. She couldn’t help but smile at the idea.
Finally finding a shop that offered what they needed, Ace made his way inside, Sanctis following behind him.
“- and when he dug it up, he said he found a hare’s carcass,” the mare behind the counter said to a customer as she bagged her goods. “Said it looked like a wolf tore into it.”
A look played across Ace’s features, but when Sanctis turned to him he already covered it up. “Sanctis, go get us some hardtack and some satchels for berries. Bring them to the counter,” he said as he stood in line behind the mare.
Sanctis did as she was bid, but kept her ears open. As small as the store was, she could hear the conversation at the counter.
“How about you, stranger?” the attendant asked. “Which way did you come from?”
“My companion and I came across the plains to the northwest, from Summervale.” Sanctis could hear the mares gasp, and didn’t need to see their faces to hear the surprise.
“Did ya’ll see any signs of a wolf? The head tracker in town says he found a mutilated hare buried along one of his paths. Dug it up just this morning before dawn.”
Sanctis figured the pause was Ace shaking his head. “Biggest thing we saw was a Plainstrider. Raced it to the shade of a tree just before sundown. We slept out in the plains under that tree and never saw nor heard anything.”
The mares shared a look as Sanctis made her way out of the aisles and towards the counter.
“I’ll wager this all blows over in a week with nopony seeing hide nor hair of this ‘wolf’ again,” Ace said with a smile. “How long’s it been since you’ve heard of any predators this far from the Everfree?”
The mares shared another look, visibly relaxing at the thought. “Why, I think the last one was in my great-great-grandmare’s time. Ya’ll are probably right. Just trackers getting’ bored and telling tales.
“This be all for you, then?” the attendant asked as Sanctis laid a batch of hardtack and two satchels on the counter with her magic. That’s three things, now! She thought to herself, not even realizing she did it.
Ace laid some bits across the counter and the attendant rang them up as the previous patron said her goodbyes and left with her bags.
“You seem the type to have an ear to the ground,” Ace said as he stowed their change. “You happen to know if Swirl Star is still around these parts?”
“That old unicorn? Reckon he is; he’s lived in the same place since I was a filly. Can’t say if he’s home or not. You know those big and important types – always got someplace better to be.”
Ace got directions to Swirl Star’s house, and thanked the mare as he gave half the hardtack and a satchel for Sanctis to carry in her saddlebags.
“Isn’t Swirl Star that famous sorcerer from forever ago?” Sanctis asked as they left the shop.
“That’s Star Swirl the Bearded,” Ace said with a smile. “Swirl Star is a unicorn named after him. His parents were an earth pony and a pegasus, just like Star Swirl’s parents were believed to be.”
“Aren’t the odds of that, like, really unlikely? I mean, Star Swirl was a really powerful unicorn… if he had parents that couldn’t do magic, wouldn’t the odds say he wouldn’t be a unicorn?” Then again, my mom was a pegasus too…
“It actually happens pretty often. Furthermore, his parents might have actually been a hornless unicorn and a hornless Alicorn. That would account for his excellent command over his magic, as well as his chances of being born a unicorn.”
“Wait, there’s hornless Alicorns, too?!” This is getting way too confusing.
“There’s every variant from pure earth pony to hornless-wingless Alicorns. It used to be pretty common knowledge, before the Mare-in-the-Moon era. For some reason or another, that knowledge has slowly faded into obscurity. Probably just because to most ponies, it doesn’t really matter.”
“So, then some earth ponies are actually Alicorns… and they just have no idea?”
“More or less, yeah. I’d say there’s more hornless and wingless variants than there are actual true earth ponies. The only way most could tell is by how strong that pony’s physical body was. True earth ponies’ muscles develop more easily than the sub-races.”
“Then I might actually be a wingless Alicorn?”
“Conceivably, yes. If you ever get a chance to walk on a cloud, give it try,” Ace managed with a light-hearted laugh. “I’d suggest having a pegasus friend to help you though, just in case.
“The odds aren’t likely. Even with hornless- and wingless- variants, Alicorns are the rarest of races and sub-races.”
I guess that was too much to hope for…
Making their way through the town, they came to Swirl Star’s house. “I honestly expected it to be… bigger.”
The house wasn’t much bigger than the houses through town, so it wasn’t that it was small, but Sanctis was expecting a great and powerful sorcerer to live in a place that, well, looked great and powerful.
“It’s bigger on the inside,” was all she managed to get out of Ace before he knocked on the door. What’s that supposed to mean?
Some time passed, Ace knocking a second time more persistently.
“Maybe he’s not home?” Sanctis said as Ace reached for the knob. It turned.
Making his way inside, Ace called out, “Swirl Star? Are you home?”
Not sure what else to do, Sanctis followed Ace inside.
There were books floating around by themselves, some drifting away from the door, presumably hit as it was opened. There were crystals in the sconces that provided light, though the light coming through the – mostly blocked – windows was rather brighter.
The room was actually pretty big. It might even have been spacious if it wasn’t for all the piles of books, tables of books, chairs of books, and the singular, large work table… covered in books.
There were two doors in the far wall. Ace opened the right one and revealed a staircase going down. “Swirl Star? Are you down there?”
“I really don’t think we should be in somepony’s house when they aren’t around…”
“He wouldn’t have left the door open if he wasn’t home. He’s probably just on one of the lower levels and can’t hear us.” Ace made his way down the stairs.
Not knowing what else to do, Sanctis followed Ace once more. That’s another thing I hate about being a filly… If I get caught here alone, I’m in trouble. If I’m caught with Ace, he takes the blame.
The stairs lead downward in a spiral. Surprisingly, they were made of stone. Also, surprisingly, there were a lot of them.
“How far down does this place go?” Sanctis wandered aloud.
“Down to the base of the falls,” Ace said, knocking on every door they passed. “When the local housing board refused to let him build a tower, Swirl Star commissioned builders and stonemasons to make an inverted tower instead. At the time, the housing board didn’t have any jurisdiction on what was built under a home.”
“I’m guessing that’s been changed?” Sanctis asked as Ace knocked on another door.
“Correct. Though, the housing board couldn’t unbuild the inverted tower, so Swirl Star keeps his property and the value skyrocketed. Turns out there’s many a business that would like the extra space, as well.”
Finally, there was a response on the other side of one of the doors.
It started with a crash, followed by a curse, followed by the shattering of glass, a much louder curse, then a bright flash of light under the door that probably wasn’t from a unicorn.
“Who in blazes is in my-“ the voice on the far side started before the door swung open. “Just who do you think-“ then he saw Ace’s eye. He was quiet for a time, until a fire burst from one of the books behind him, settled in a pool of glowing fluid with shards of glass at its center.
Without turning around, the unicorn in front of them lit his horn in a deep ocean-blue glow, the fire behind him smothering to a waft of smoke even as his gaze studiously examined Ace.
The older unicorn featured a dingy beige coat, with a mane that’s faded to gray with age, stubble on his chin from a beard infrequently attended. His eyes were an inquisitive gold.
“Another from the Fenrir family?” the unicorn harrumphed. “And to think folks say you only ever meet them twice. Once to form a debt and another to see it paid.
“Apparently they neglected to mention a Fenrir debt is never paid, no matter how many times you meet them.”
“Hey now,” Ace said, either offended or feigning offense, “you received magic lessons from the best and brightest in Equestria! Surely you didn’t think building a bottom entrance to your tower, or taking the apprenticeship of a young foal would see such a debt repaid!”
With a sigh, the unicorn nodded. “Yes. Yes, I did, in fact.” He seemed to notice Sanctis for the first time. He raised an eyebrow at her, appraising her, then shooting a meaningful glance to Ace’s broken horn.
Another sigh. “What does she know of magic? Have you even taught her extrasensory yet?”
“She’s not the reason I’m here.” Swirl Star gave Ace a doubtful look. “I need another pair of glasses like my father had. You know the ones? Wide lenses, enchanted…”
Swirl Star waved a hoof in the air, his horn lighting up once more, a pair of lenses appeared in the air, followed by frames. “Something like these, I presume?” They looked exactly like the lenses Ace gave to Feather Scribe!
“Yes, yes that’s it exactly. They just need a masking enchantment and a darkening condition for the eyes and they’d be perfect!”
Swirl Star looked at the glasses floating in his magic like he would rather drop them on the ground and break them. Then, with a sigh, the lenses flickered once and fell to his hoof. He proffered them to Ace.
“Just take them and leave. I’m very busy. I assume you’ll be taking the bottom exit?”
“That’s right. By the way… the trick with alchemist’s fire is to craft it in a vacuum so there’s no air to fuel the fire.”
The stallion’s eyes shot wide at the idea, slamming the door in their faces. “So nice seeing you, so sorry you have to leave so soon! Much work to be done! Do see yourselves out!”
Ace just laughed as he settled the lenses over his eyes. “Friendly sort, isn’t he?” He said as he made his way down the stairwell.
Sanctis’ gaze switched from Ace, to the door, then back again before she trotted down the steps after him. “What was that?”
Ace raised an eyebrow at her. “You mean the socially seclusive unicorn, his rash denial of company or the alchemist’s fire he was trying to create?”
“Yes,” Sanctis said. Petulant child rides again.
Ace shrugged as he walked. “Swirl Star’s never been one for company. Even when I- I mean my father, signed him up for lessons under madame Elegant Suffusion and sir Righteous Energy so that he could learn magic… though to be fair, those two were a lot to be around even for a socially active pony.”
“And that flaming liquid that nearly set the whole tower on fire was… alchemist’s fire?”
“A less potent variant, likely for experimentation purposes, yes.”
“And the more potent stuff would be useful to have in a town full of ponies… because?”
Ace froze in his steps for a moment, then carried on like it was nothing. “I’m sure he has a reason. He’s asocial, but not necessarily crazy. Eccentric, yes. But I don’t think he’s making the alchemist’s fire to hurt anypony. Probably just some casual fancy he had when reading some tome about the stuff.”
“Say it is just some passing fancy… where is he going to keep it? Here in the inverted tower? What happens if that stuff breaks loose and he’s not here to contain it? The whole town could go up!”
“If it was closer to town, maybe. Down here, amongst the stone and rock, there’s nothing to really carry the flames up to town. Swirl Star might lose some precious books, but the town is safe. That’s why he’s made his workshops down here and the library up at the top.”
They made their way down the tower, and at the bottom it leveled out to a long hallway with doors along both sides.
“Does he really need all of these rooms when he’s the only pony that lives here?” Sanctis asked as they walked past the bajillionth door.
Ace feigned shock dramatically. “One never knows when one may need a room for their experiments, or a room for their trophies, or another room for books… Better to have and not need than to need and not have!”
Sanctis fixed him with a glare. Ace just laughed it off. “Besides, the hallway itself is necessary,” he said as they reached the end of the hallway. Is that the sound of water?
Ace opened the door and made his way through, the sound of water getting considerably louder. When Sanctis made her way out as well, she saw why.
Not 20 meters to their left was the base of the falls. Swirl Star’s tower led them all the way to the bottom of the falls.
“Now from here,” Ace shouted over the crashing water that threatened to deafen them both, “we follow the train tracks to Hollow Shades!”