//------------------------------// // 30 Party // Story: Knowledge is Power // by hydra30 //------------------------------// "What is this contraption, how did you smuggle it into Apocrypha?" Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie looked on as Hermaeus Mora appeared above the now decorated dining room, slightly surprised by his sudden entry. "Oh, it's my party cannon," answered Pinkie, stroking the barrel affectionately. "Party cannon?" Inquired Hermaeus Mora, his tendrils twitching. "Ya," said Pinkie excitedly, "Dimension jumping or not, I never leave home without it." Tilting it up, Pinkie let off another blast, Hermaeus Mora suddenly becoming covered in confetti, with a party hat upon his eye. "Mortal, you are by far the most unusual creature I have ever encountered." " Thank you," said Pinkie obliviously. That said, Hermaeus Mora began to recede back into his vortexes. "WAIT HERMMY!" Shouted Pinkie, running under the disappearing Daedra. " We're about to have a party, come join us." "Uh, Pinkie..." began Twilight, but Hermaeus Mora began talking again. "Debauchery is Sanguine's sphere, not mine," stated the Daedric Prince as the last part of him vanished along with his vortexes. "Come on, don't be a wet blanket," said Pinkie, zipping off screen. "PINKIE, NO!" shouted her friends but it was already to late. "What do we do?" Asked Fluttershy nervously. "Pray for Pinkie," said Twilight, looking at her friends grimly. " That's all we can do." --- Hermaeus Mora appeared above a section of Apocrypha that was nothing but a shapeless mass of books stacked on top of each other. "Come join us, Hermmy, " said the voice of Pinkie, Hermaeus Mora looking down to find her standing on the stack of books. "Even Daedric Princes are invited to a Pinkie party." Hermaeus Mora just glared before sinking back into his vortexes. --- He reappeared in the courtyard of a temple, framework of wrought iron housing several books in neat order. A book dropped off one of the shelves, revealing a pair of light blue pony eyes. "How do you know you won't like it if you don't try it?" Asked the voice of Pinkie, muffled by the wall. Hermaeus Mora glared again and disappeared. --- He reappeared above a great stone platform sticking out of the sea of ink, great stone arches covered in spikes stood tall on the surface, as well as a huge gazebo that housed a huge book. "Come on, Hermmy," pleaded Pinkie Pie from besides the gazebo (somehow oblivious to the human skeleton lying next to her). " At least have some cake." "Mortal, I don't eat!" snapped Hermaeus Mora aggressively. "Really, aaww," replied Pinkie Pie sadly. "Well how about some party games? With so many arms you could play pin the tail on the pony and pop a pinata at the same time. Though I don't think I brought enough blindfolds for all your eyes. You would have to keep them closed..." "GGGGRRRRRRRR!" A tentacle seized Pinkie around the barrel and pulled her into the vortex... --- And deposited her roughly on the floor in front of her friends. "PINKIE!" They all gasped, helping Pinkie stand up. "Are you alright, darling?" Asked Rarity worriedly as Pinkie shook herself like a dog. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Mortal," said Hermaeus Mora, his voice echoing through the room and carrying an edge of irritation. "I am a Daedric Prince, such trivialities as the celebrations you're so fond of hold no value to me." "Hey now, there is no need to act like that," snapped Applejack, stepping away from the huddle and standing directly before Hermaeus. "Pinkie was only..." A tendril wrapped around Applejack's jaw, silencing her. "And know this...never forget this..." continued Hermaeus Mora, his eyes squinting in anger. "The only reason I am tolerating your presence in my realm...is solely for the sake of my champion...she is of no value to me with a broken mind. Other than that...the rest of you are just refuse to me..." With that, Hermaeus Mora vanished into his vortexes, Pinkie shaking too much to pursue him again. "That...I..." Pinkie mumbled, tears forming in her eyes. Slowly, Twilight drew her into a hug and stroked her mane. "Don't take it to hard," said Twilight gently. "Hermaeus Mora is a Daedric Prince, and they look down on us mortals like we would the dirt." "That was still so mean," said Fluttershy, joining the hug along with all the others. “Don't think about it too much girls," said Twilight, smiling slightly as Pinkie started to chipper back up with the hug. "We don't bother him, he won't bother us." "I hope we don't have to put up with him for too long," said Rainbow, scowling as the hug split up. "He is probably thinking the same," said Twilight, bringing her attention back to the room. "But enough of this. Do you know how long it has been since I got to attend a Pinkie party." Pinkie jumped up at that, any traces of unhappiness from before vanishing. "I didn't even take that into consideration!" Said the excitable pony, scooping them all into her hooves and dragging them into her zone. "Fifteen years!" The best way to describe it was to say the party literally exploded. They danced in conga lines, played party games, and the cake was thoroughly enjoyed. Needless to say, it became even more apparent to Twilight that her friends being here with her was just what she needed. "Thank you, girls," said Twilight, once again dancing to a song on the record player. "I actually didn't realize I needed this so much until now." "We're your friends," said Fluttershy, her smile both reassuring and sad as she danced to. "We will always be there for you." "And I think we can all agree how ashamed we are of ourselves for being so easily diverted from you," said Applejack, also on the dance floor with a small glum look. "We won't make that mistake again," said Rainbow, doing a pony version of the robot in the air. "Especially when it caused you to show us up so bad." "I agree," said Rarity, moving as little as possible in her dress but still looking graceful. "I have never seen you, or anypony fight with such ferocity." "I know it's not nice, but I can honestly say that I am glad Hermmy brain-sucked Chrysalis to death," said Pinkie, the others giving her a shocked look. "She was nothing but a party pooper, one that wrecked a wedding no less." "Honestly, I never want to see another wedding as long as I live," said Spike while he did the moonwalk. "Come on Spike, you still need to be the ring bearer when Shining Armour and Cadance really do get married," said Twilight. They all remembered that Shining and Cadance had said that they would not have the wedding until Twilight could be there, and nodded in understanding. It may take awhile, for who knows how long it would take for Twilight to finish the task Hermaeus Mora is expecting from her. But they will get through it... together. --- "I only wish I could meet some of these Dwemer dudes," stated Rainbow as she and the others sat among a pile of pillows to enjoy another helping of cake and punch. "It will just have to be wishful thinking," said Rarity, lifting up a gem of her dress and looking at it fondly. "Just like how I will never have the pleasure of meeting the people who made this marvelous fabric." Twilight flashed a look at her two friends who had brought souvenirs from their traveling of Apocrypha (at least inedible ones) over the cup of punch she was sipping. If they only knew what they were talking about. They might not be so excited. But it would seem like she would be the one talking. "Oh ho ho, I know that look," said Spike mischievously, elbowing her in the side. "You know something they don't, don't you?" Twilight struggled to swallow her punch as all her friends looked at her. "I don't know what your talking about, Spike." "Twilight?" Said Applejack with a slight warning, tapping her hoof. Twilight exhaled in exasperation. "One of these days I'll use my magic to erase all the quirks of mine you memorized," Twilight said bitterly to the smirking Spike. "Come on, egghead, if you know something about the cool things we've found here, tell us," said Rainbow eagerly. "And considering you were the one who showed them to us, don't hold out," said Rarity kindly. "I don't even know who it was that made this silk." Twilight had to admit they were right, she showed them this stuff, it would be unfair for her not to tell them about it. She had not specifically told Apocrypha where to send each of them, but had studied enough here to know where they had wound up when they returned. Though now that she thought about it, she should have realized they would want to know more. "Are you sure?" Asked Twilight, slightly nervous. "They don't exactly have happy stories." Rainbow Dash and Rarity gave each other a look. This day has been full of unpleasant subjects, the Daedra were some of the foulest beings they had ever had the misfortune of learning about. But Rainbow Dash had thoroughly enjoyed those ruins, and the feel of the fabric had lost none of is allure for Rarity. Somehow understanding each other, they turned to Twilight and nodded, who sighed. "You already heard me call the people who built the ruins Rainbow explored as Dwemer, right?" Asked Twilight, all her friends nodding in confirmation. "Well Rarity, the people who designed the things you made that dress from, they were called the Ayleids." "Al...yi...eds," pronounced Rarity, intrigue in her voice. "My, even their name sounds divine. Why, I might even name this outfit after..." She suddenly stopped when what Twilight had said fully registered. "Twilight... you said 'were?'" Said Rarity, her and the others giving her their undivided attention, the cake and punch forgotten for now. Twilight only nodded her head sadly. "Twi," gasped Applejack, her eyes wide. "You mean they're..." "Gone," said Twilight simply. "Every single one." They all look horrified. "What happened?" Asked Rarity, looking at the dress she was wearing with extreme pity now. "The Ayleids were among the races of people who built a kingdom after the Dragon wars," explained Twilight, the others watching with wrapped attention. "They were proud and prosperous, with cities that outshone even Canterlot." "Wow," gasped Pinkie, staying still for the first time since the party started. "Awesome," said Rainbow. "Unbelievable," said Applejack, flabbergasted. "I would have to see it to believe it!" Said Spike, trying to imagine how anything would even measure up to the city of his birth. Fluttershy was speechless. "How is that possible?" Asked Rarity, her eyes sparkling just imagining it. "An Ayleid city was composed completely of white stone," explained Twilight, though she didn't look like she was enjoying the subject herself. "The biggest were said to appear to be piercing the very sky with daggers of pure white." Twilight's friends could only marvel at the description. "What happened to them?" Asked Fluttershy timidly. "As you may have guess the Ayleids loved beauty, Rarity's dress being a prime example," continued Twilight, look at the ornate dress Rarity wore with mixed feelings. "But the thing they were most known for was what else they thought was beautiful. And what gave them their most known nickname...The Artists of Torture." Twilight cringed as they all looked at her in horror. "Artists of Torture?" Inquired Rainbow Dash before anyone else could regain their voices. "Despite all the beautiful things they crafted, the Ayleids were completely egocentric," explained Twilight, slight disdain in her voice. "Anything that was not an Ayleid too was viewed as inferior to them, something they either tortured for amusement, or enslaved to build their majestic cities." "By the Princess!" said Fluttershy, her eyes tearing up. "How bad were they?" "Remember Iron Will?" Asked Twilight, Fluttershy nodding. "Nirn has Minotaurs too, the Ayleids tortured the whole race so much that they devolved into savages that roam the wilderness, as vicious as an Ursa." They all collectively gasped, Fluttershy sobbing into Rarity's shoulder at the prospect of such cruelty. "How... how horrible," said Rarity, looking at her dress. "How could something so beautiful be associated with such... evil." "Now I really want to know what happened," said Rainbow viciously. "What stamped these evil jerks out?" "Just like the dragons before, they pushed their slaves too far," said Twilight, "A slave by the name of Alessia, she rallied the other slaves into a revolt against their Ayleid masters. Long story short, the Ayleids were wiped out, and today all that is left is the crumbling ruins of their once mighty cities and the Welkynd Stones Rarity wears on her dress." "I should not be wearing it at all," said Rarity, moving to take her dress off. "I actually think it's a good idea to keep wearing it," said Twilight, Rarity giving her a look. "By doing something good with it, you undo the evil that was committed by the Ayleids. And besides, Welkynd Stones are beautiful and rare, they suite you." Rarity blushed with flattery and kept the dress on, though she made a mental note to ask about the Welkynd Stones later. Despite being associated with the now known to be brutal Ayleids, they were still beautiful. "Why didn't the Daedra do something?" Asked Spike. "Surely some of the people who were being tortured by the Ayleids were their followers." "The Ayleids bribe the Daedric Princes so as to cut their slaves off from divine help," explained Twilight,"That is one of the reasons I think we should have nothing to do with them." They all wore a shocked look. "What about the Dwemer?" Asked Rainbow hurriedly. "We're they as bad?" "Well...?" Began Twilight contemplating on how she should explain. "They had their vice's, like all people, but not too the extent of the Ayleids. They had allies amongst the other races of Nirn." The topic changing off of the Ayleids seemed to calm the atmosphere of the room. "But I am afraid meeting them won't be possible regardless, Rainbow," said Twilight, lowering her ears. "They do have one thing in common with the Ayleids. They are gone too." "What, seriously?" said Rainbow in disappointment, crossing her hooves. "I take it that they were wiped out by former slaves too?" "Actually Rainbow," began Twilight, her mood slightly improving. "What caused the Dwemer to disappear is such a fantastic tale, that it continues to baffle the people of Nirn to this very day." That got their attention. "They were a race of people like no other on Nirn, capable of doing great things with both magic and technology,"continued Twilight. "Kinda figured that," stated Rainbow, "I mean, it's not every day you run into a temple filled with mechanical booby traps and robots rather than just plain booby traps." "Exactly," agreed Twilight, a little excitement creeping into her voice. "Even today, the accomplishments of the Dwemer have not been out done by any of the other races on Nirn." "If they were so smart, what happened to them?" Asked Applejack, though still engrossed in the tale like all the others. Twilight prodded her chin in contemplation, the story of the downfall of the Dwemer was shrouded in mystery, she had studied every aspect of the subject. She didn't want to overwhelm her friends with to much detail, and she also didn't want to confuse them. She also was sure they would not understand a good deal. "Yes, if they were so powerful and smart, what happened to them?" Asked Rarity. "Well," continued Twilight, figuring she would start with the beginning. "I guess that you could say is that the Dwemer were brought down by the crowning achievement of their entire race." The rest of them felt their intrigue increase exponentially after hearing that. "You see after many thousands of years of prosper and success, the Dwemer one day made the ultimate discovery," explained Twilight, summoning a book with a flash of magic and showing them a picture. "This." "Hey, we've seen this before," said Pinkie. "You have?" Inquired Twilight with an arched brow. "Yeah, when we first got here," said Spike, examining the depictions of a heart, a hammer, and a dagger. "It was this book that proved to Princess Celestia Hermaeus Mora really was from another dimension. She could not read the language." "There are few who can, actually," explained Twilight, holding the book up to show them the page. "This is the language of the Dwemer, and the ability to decipher it was lost when the Dwemer disappeared." "What does it say?" Asked Rarity. "It is a written record of the Dwemer discovering something," continued Twilight, looking at the picture herself. "The discovery of the Heart of Lorkhan." They all stared at her, eager to hear more. "Sounds mystifying," said Rarity, "was this 'heart' some ancient magical artifact?" "Oh, it was so much more than that, Rarity," replied Twilight, showing them the pages with the pictures again. "This is the Heart of Lorkhan...and it was literally the heart of someone who's name was Lorkhan." There was a short pause. "EEEEWWWWWW!" "I know, not the most pleasant of thoughts," stated Twilight, rolling her eyes. "That is truly revolting," exclaimed Rarity, her eyes scowling. "How was finding the disembodied heart of somepony so important to the Dwemer?" Asked Rainbow Dash, her voice laced with disgust. "Lorkhan was not just somepony," explained Twilight, her face becoming slightly serious. "You see, Lorkhan was an Aedra." The girls and Spike gasped. "You mean that group of powerful guys who made Nirn?" Asked Spike. "Yes," confirmed Twilight. "But...I thought you said the Aedra were reduced to planets floating around in the sky above Nirn," said Applejack, confused. "How did this guys heart wind up with these Dwemer people?" "Lorkhan was not just one of the Aedra that created Nirn, girls," explained Twilight with dedication. "Nirn, the mortal people who live on Nirn, it was all his idea originally. He was the one who instigated it, and convinced the other Aedra to help him." The others fell silent with amazement. "And he was punished for it," finished Twilight. "PUNISHED?" Inquired all of them. Twilight nodded her head sadly. "In retribution for creating the world of Nirn...Lorkhan's body was sundered in half, his heart cast into the bowels of the world he himself created." "Sundered...in half?" Inquired Fluttershy, her and the others looking slightly mortified. Twilight pulled another scroll depicting a night sky out and showed them the picture of two spherical objects that looked slightly closer than the planets in the other picture. "These are the legitimate moons of Nirn," explained Twilight, the others examining the picture. "Unlike the other Aedra, Lorkhan orbits Nirn as two planets, the red one is called Masser, the white Secunda. Both are separate halves of his body." "Who would do such a thing?" Asked Fluttershy, the others wanting to know as well. "Who would be so cruel as to split in half someone who gave so much to create something? " "That is where it gets confusing," said Twilight, looking at each of them to see if they were paying attention. "No one actually knows why Lorkhan was punished for creating Nirn. There are just some theories, one of them being some other powerful creature's found such a sacrifice an insult, and punished Lorkhan for being weak." "Weak?" Inquired Applejack, looking annoyed. "Him and his partner Aedra make the ultimate sacrifice to give people life and to create a planet and someone thought it was weak?" "Don't be too quick to congratulate the other Aedra like that, Applejack," said Twilight, Applejack giving her a concerned look. "One of the other theories is that it was the other Aedra who sundered Lorkhan." "What?" Inquired Fluttershy, slight worry in her voice. "But they helped create Nirn." "And in some of the legends told on Nirn, they are not aware what would happen if they did," said Twilight, her friends gasping in shock. "In the version of the legend where the other 'Aedra' ripped out Lorkhan's heart, they did so because he tricked them into assisting him without telling them of the great cost it would imply." "Hey, that's kinda mean," said Pinkie angerly. "Why would he do that?" "It would be best if we drop the subject, girls," said Twilight simply. "So much lore exists about Lorkhan and the creation of Nirn it would only confuse you." The others wanted to continue, but decided to take Twilight's word for it. She knew what she was talking about, and if she said that thing's were better off left unsaid, they believed her. Besides, they had drifted off topic. "So what part did the heart play in why the Dwemer aren't around anymore?" Asked Rainbow Dash excitedly. “Well, being that it was a virtual part of an Aedra, it housed some of Lorkhan's immense power," explained Twilight, "And when the Dwemer discovered it, they found a way to harness that power for themselves." "How?" Asked Spike. "If there is one thing I have learned from playing Ogres and Oubliettes, it's that when you deal with powerful magic, it usually is not easy to control." "Spike, this is not a RP board game," said Rainbow Dash irritably. "These Dwemer guys were awesome enough to build robots, I bet using the magic of this guys heart was no problem." "Actually, you're both right," said Twilight before the pegasus and dragon could argue. "Despite all their achievement, the power of the Heart of Lorkhan was beyond their control, at least on their own." "So how did they use the heart?" Asked Rainbow Dash, looking slightly impatient. "They built these," explained Twilight, pointing to the image of the hammer and dagger. "This book, it's actually the original guide to the method that the Dwemer used to harness the power of an Aedra, through building these special objects." "What are they?" Asked Rarity, observing the two weapons with scrutiny. "The Dwemer called them the Tools of Kagrenac, after the Dwemer engineer who built them," explained Twilight, her eyes shining. "And they were the most advanced and impressive feat of magic of all time. The dagger is Keening, the hammer is Sunder." "Kagrenac?" Inquired Rainbow Dash, scratching her head. "And I thought Derpy's name was funny sounding." "And with them, the Dwemer could wield the power of the Heart? " Asked Rarity. "Almost," answered Twilight, "There was still one obstacle the Dwemer needed to overcome." "Well enough with the suspension Twilight," complained Applejack, looking like she was about to burst from the excitement. "What was it?" "As intelligent and accomplished as the Dwemer were, they were still mortal," explained Twilight. "To put it simply, people of flesh and blood, like us, are physically incapable of housing the power of something like an Aedra. Our bodies can't handle it, and because of that, even though the Keening and Sunder could harness the power of the Heart, anyone who wielded them died." Another round of gasps filled the room. "How terrible," said Fluttershy silently. "How did they overcome that?" Asked Pinkie Pie. "With a simple solution, actually," explained Twilight, centering her attention solely on Pinkie. "Basically, when the Dwemer were using the Tools of Kagrenac to try and harnest the power, they were basicly reaching into the oven to pull the cake out 'without protection'. Pinkie, what do you do when you need to pull a cake out of the oven?" "I use an oven mitt, of course," answered Pinkie, but then flashed a startled look. "An oven mitt!" "Twi, do you mean to say...?" "Yes," said Twilight, answering Applejack's unfinished question. "To counteract the deadly effects of the Tools of Kagrenac the Dwemer created an oven mitt. With her horn, Twilight projected an image of a copper gauntlet, five fingers at one end. "They had Kagrenac forge the Wraithguard, the third Tool of Kagrenac. It, combined with the Keening and Sunder, gave the Dwemer control of the Heart of Lorkhan at last." Her friends stared on with wonder for a while. "What did they do with it? " Asked Rainbow, almost drooling with excitement. "They could have done anything," said Twilight, her enthusiasm from before diminishing. "Like I have said before, beings like Hermaeus Mora are more powerful than Discord, and with the Heart of Lorkhan the Dwemer had this power." "Darling, you look distressed," said Rarity in concern. "Did the Dwemer do something horrible with this new power?" "You could say that," began Twilight, her face drooping a little. "The Dwemer decided to use the heart to conquer the world." A collection of groans filled the room. "Here we go again!" Said Rainbow Dash in irritation. "Can't anyone from this Nirn place actually make a benevolent decision with power?" Inquired Applejack. "Believe me, I asked myself that question a lot," said Twilight. "Would you like me continue?" "Might as well," said Pinkie, looking annoyed herself. "Well, as you can imagine, the others kingdoms of Nirn didn't just sit idly by and let the Dwemer threaten them," explained Twilight. "Relationships with the Dwemer were already shaky, do to how much more technologically advanced they were, but now they had a source of unlimited power." "What did they do with it?" Asked Rainbow again eagerly. "You remember the robot you fought in the Dwemer ruin?" Asked Twilight, Rainbow nodding. "The Dwemer planned to use the Heart of Lorkhan to power one of those machines, only this one would be the size of a mountain. And basically, the Dwemer also intended to worship this creation as the new deity of their people." "But, the Daedric Princes?" Started Fluttershy, her voice shaking. "They already were worshipped by the people who live on Nirn, right?" "After the power of the Heart of Lorkhan became manageable, the Dwemer figured they could build their own idol," said Twilight, her friends looking at her with budding surprise. "And to put it simply, they also thought this one would be better than even the original Daedric Princes." "They seriously wanted to build their own god out of metal?" Inquired Pinkie Pie, shaking her head pitifully. "I bet that didn't make the fan clubs of the other Daedric guys very happy." "You are right, Pinkie," said Twilight, resuming her explanation. "And it also didn't help that the Dwemer intended to use this new deity to drive all other races from their home continent, and claim it for themselves." "How horrible," said Rarity, scowling along with the others. "These Dwemer...they sound just as bad as Queen Chrysalis." "So what happened next?" asked Rainbow. "Another group of people who lived in the same country as the Dwemer resisted,“ explained Twilight. "They were called the Chimer, and for several years they and the Dwemer were allies. But once they learned what the Dwemer planned to do, they took up arms and struck back. They were also fearful that the Daedric Princes would take offence of mortals attempting to construct their own god." "Since the Dwemer are already gone, I'm guessing that they were wiped out," said Rainbow Dash looking disappointed. "Just like the dragons and the Ayleids." "Not exactly, Rainbow," said Twilight. "Whereas the wars that wiped the Dragons and Ayleids from existence lasted several decades, the war between the Dwemer and the Chimer only lasted two years." "So short?" Inquired Applejack, surprised. "Rainbow said she fought multiple robots in the old Dwemer building she explored. If the Dwemer had such technology, why didn't their demise take longer?" "A lot is unclear," started Twilight, her voice instilling her audience to pay more attention. "In the several hundred years since all this happened, a lot of facts were lost. But what I do know is that the Chimer could not let the war go on for to long, for on top of creating their own deity to worship, the Dwemer also intended to use the heart to make their entire race immortal." "Immortal?" Inquired Spike, shocked like the others. "You mean..." "Yes...and even more so than the Dragons and vampires are," explained Twilight enthusiastically. "If they succeeded, the Dwemer could not even be killed physically." The others looked on, trying to wrap their heads around such a notion. "What happened next?" requested Fluttershy gently. "The high council of the Chimer sent their forces to the Dwemer laboratory located in Red Mountain, a volcanic mountain that was formed when the Heart of Lorkhan fell to the planet, and where the Dwemer were building their artificial god, Numidium," explained Twilight, her wrapped audience hanging on her every word. "Eventually, the Chimer were able to breach the Dwemer's defense's, and made their way into the inner sanctuary...then the Dwemer vanished." "You mean they retreated?" Asked Applejack. "No," answered Twilight simply. " Suddenly, in the very middle of the battle, all the Dwemer just disappeared. In less than a blink, the Chimer found their Dwemer foes just plain gone." All her friends jaws grew slack. "What happened to them?" Asked Spike, Rainbow Dash leaning in closer to Twilight. "No one knows," explained Twilight, her own intrigue increasing. "That is one of the biggest mysteries on Nirn. In less than a second, the Dwemer, the most advanced race on the planet, vanished into thin air, even the fallen Dwemer soldiers on the slopes of Red Mountain had disappeared." "But how?" Asked Rarity. "That is not entirely known either," said Twilight, looking at the book shelf and all the books. "What historians on Nirn were able to figure out is that Kagrenac barricaded himself in the chamber where the heart and Numidium were kept during the battle. It's mostly guess work, but they think that he tried to use his tools on the heart and activate their artificial god, and whatever he did lead to the disappearances of his entire race." "Incredible, but also terrifying," whispered Pinkie Pie, shaking slightly. " An entire race of people, gone like that." "And like I said, to this day, no one knows what happened to them," said Twilight. "The basic theories are that Kagrenac botched whatever it was he tried to do and it destroyed the Dwemer, or that whatever he did did make the Dwemer immortal, but also moved them off the physical plane, most likely to a void of emptiness." They all contemplated that for a while longer. It was an amazing fact, but also terrible. A race of prosperous people, gone in less than a second. "Hey, why was the place I explored in such bad shape?" Asked Rainbow. "If these Chimer guys lived in the same area as the Dwemer, couldn't they have taken all their cool toys for themselves?" "Rainbow!" Scolded Applejack. "They couldn't," said Twilight, answering Rainbows less than sensitive question. "The Dwemer shared none of their secrets with anyone, so when they disappeared, they took all the knowledge of their tech and magic with them, leaving no one who knew how to operate them. To this day, even though they are rusting away, Dwemer ruins are dangerous to enter, for the booby traps and machines guard the structure as if their Dwemer masters still roam the halls, even though they are long gone." Again, they contemplated these facts. "What happened to the Heart of Lorkhan?" Asked Fluttershy in her quiet voice. "I hope these Chimer people destroyed it." "That actually isn't possible," answered Twilight, shaking her head. "The Heart of Lorkhan is basically the heart of Nirn itself, since Lorkhan technically created Nirn. Destroying it would mean the destruction of Nirn as well." Her friends stared on in shock again. "If they could not destroy it, what did happen to it?" Asked Rainbow. "Unfortunately, it wasn't done causing trouble," stated Twilight simply. "What do you mean?" Asked Rarity worriedly. "The Dwemer had vanished." For the next hour, Twilight explained the darker aspects the heart caused for Nirn next. The Tribunal, Great house Dagoth, Dagoth Ur, the Sixth House, the Nerevarine(the reincarnation of Nevevar, the Chimer general who led the assault on Red Mountain) the destruction of Numidium and Dagoth Ur's recreation attempt, Akulakhan. You could say they were flabbergasted. " ...using the Tools of Kagrenac, as well as fending off the power mad Dagoth Ur, the Nerevarine was able to break all the enchantments the Dwemer had put on the heart," explained Twilight, slightly winded. "Free of all its binding, the Heart of Lorkhan left Nirn, having been fed up with being sought after so mortals could obtain divine power. And with nothing to power them, Akulakha and Dagoth Ur were both destroyed." "The Chimer should have stuck to their guns," said a just now calm Applejack. "The Daedra 'were' insulted when someone used that heart." "Insulted?" Inquired Rarity, tears streaming her makeup. "The graceful Chimer, cursed with ash colored skin and blood red eyes, so tragic." "You were right, Twilight," said Fluttershy, trembling slightly. "Azura might be a more benign Daedra, but when she gets mad..." "How stupid of those three," said Pinkie, scowling. "They all knew the Daedra would not be happy if someone used the ticker of old Lorkhan, but they did it anyway." Twilight nodded her head in agreement. "So what happened to the Tribunal? " Asked Spike curiously. "With the heart gone, and them losing their power, I'm guessing it wasn't good." "Vivec disappeared during the Oblivion Crisis," continued Twilight, remembering all she could of what happened next. "Almaxelia, unfortunately, took the loss the hardest. She murdered Sotha Sil and took control of his Clockwork City, the realm where those creatures those four kids can summon come from, intending to use it to cover up the fact that she was no longer immortal from her followers." They all flashed her a look of pure horror. "How could she do that?" Asked Pinkie Pie, tears flowing down her face. "Her and Sotha Sil were friends." "The best answer I can give is that power corrupts," replied Twilight, shaking her head pitifully. "She didn't succeed, did she?" Asked Rainbow angrily. "No," answered Twilight, a smile on her face. "The Nerevarine was not done leaving his stamp on history, it would seem. He stepped in and struck Almaxelia down, just like he struck down Dagoth Ur." "Now that is awesome," said Rainbow Dash, taking flight and punching the air. "This Nerevarine sounds like my kinda guy. Kicking the rump of not one but two baddies bent on world conquest." "As cool as these tales were, I say we hit the dance floor again," said Pinkie, somehow pushing them all to said floor without knocking any of them down. "There were more than enough depressing topics there to warrant it." They looked at each other in confusion once but shrugged and went with it. Pinkie will be Pinkie after all. So within a few moments the party kicked back up, Pinkie dancing with a lampshade on her head that had not been present before.