'The castle has a different air about it in a storm,' Twilight notes.
The towers that normally glimmer in the daylight, bright marble reflecting sunlight as their enchantments giving a soft glow, are transformed in darkness. They are shadowy monoliths, rising above an obsidian mound of fortifications and glimmering guards. The enchantments on the fortifications, normally glowing softly from reinforcement, now have menacing midnight auras, deflecting raindrops and absorbing the latent magic of the storm, repurposing it deep within the behemoth of spellwork into useable energy. The walls are still tall and thick, but the bright brickwork seems haunted by the lights hung along the ramparts. Each magilight is a beacon, and each casts shadows that dance against the rain on the streets.
Being this close to it and being able to see the tens of thousands of networked spells all working in tandem, some dormant and others coming alive for the first time in her eyes, reminds her of stories of sleeping leviathans. The castle almost looks alive like this, the magic that makes up just as much of it as the stone giving it a haunting elegance and sentience.
A bolt of lightning lights up the sky like daytime, arcing from the clouds and into the top of the Princess' tower. The spire at the top seems to effortlessly catch it and absorb it, a rolling wave of carefully placed spellwork lights up as the raw power of the storm is absorbed. By the time the sound of rumbling thunder reaches her the tower is once again a dark monolith, waiting for its next meal of lightning to strike.
Twilight's wide eyes still attempting to take in every detail as her father leads her along to the main gatehouse, only hearing vague details as her parents talk to the guards at the gate before they are allowed through. Her neck-straining efforts are rewarded as the slumbering behemoth devours another lightning strike, the tower once again lighting up in a wave that descends to the ground before fading.
Twilight shivers, not from the wet, cold, or presence of a passing patrol of guards. No, she shivers in awe. 'This is nothing like in the books,' she thought, closing her gaping maw before she catches a fly.
Ten-thousand gryphons could assault this leviathan and all they would do is wake it up. No army, no villain, no criminal, no monster, nothing she could imagine could get through if the Princess didn't want it to.
Passing through the main doors of the palace brought her back to reality. It was a stark change, the air was warm and pleasant rather than rain-clogged and cold. The entrance hall was tall and wide, a half-circle with a set of guards standing at the only set of doors that lead further inward. Enchantments in the floor seemed to drain the wetness out of her fur, drying her in a few moments. The sensation was odd, the fine tendrils snaking along her legs, tickling the skin beneath the fur, was enough to make her shiver in discomfort.
When dad stops, Twilight barely manages to avoid running into him. Both of her parents looked strained, they were tense and worried through the entirety of the last week, but now it seemed worse than ever.
Dad is the first one to turn and pull her into a hug, cutting off Twilight's protest as he speaks quietly into her hear, "Be good, alright little Sirius? And. . . And if you have any trouble, you can always come back. You know that right?"
For once, Twilight didn't struggle against the hug. Her mother moved over and joined them soon after, surrounding her with care and affection that made her heart warm. They were going to miss her? After everything? After all the lies and failures?
Twilight's eyes started to water, so she clenches them shut and returns the hug with all her might, nodding slightly against her dad.
Mom is the next one to speak, "Be sure to visit as well, star. It's. . . I don't want you to forget about us, alright?"
It almost made her not want to go. Almost. Twilight gives another nod into dad's chest.
The silence stretches on for another minute, Twilight slowly regaining control of her tears and her dad's hooves slowly loosening until he breaks the hug. He lowers his muzzle down to be even with hers, his brown eyes peering into her very soul. After a moment he asks, "You're sure?"
Twilight manages to get out after a few seconds, the word low and quiet, "Y-yes."
Dad stares at her for a few more seconds before nodding and pulling back. After another second her mother pulls back as well.
Twilight sniffles a second, gathering herself. It's a lot harder to let go of the hug than she thought it would be.
After a second she takes her bags, all full of books and study material, from her father's magical grip. The weight of the many tomes is a welcome relief, taking the bulk of her concentration away from leaving her parents.
With a last sniffle and a look to mom and dad, both sitting side-by-side, her dad's foreleg around mom's shoulder, she turns and makes for the door. The guards regard her for several long moments before the watcher on the right speaks, "Follow me, Miss Twilight Sparkle."
When he turns and heads through the double doors, she goes with him.
The halls of the palace are just as she remembers until you look out a window. The path they are on takes them down an exterior hallway, the right side of the hall open via archways that lead into a well-sheltered garden, surrounded by the buildings of the palace and open to the sky. It is smaller than the Royal Gardens that she had seen on the way here, but it seems tranquil, even in the midst of the storm outside. Flowers and carefully maintained bushes line a rock path, at the end of it sits a small pond and a tree unlike any Twilight had ever read about.
It was tall, its upper branches and standing as tall as the second story windows. Its bark didn't appear rough, instead, it was perfectly smooth and grey, seeming to run along its surface like water reaching toward the ground. The leaves were broad and silver, their swaying and shaking in the wind reveals that the tops are green. Two-coloured leaves? A presence seems to hang around it, compelling Twilight to come to a stop and stare. It felt old, old and alive. She feels a warm, welcoming breeze blow past her even as she stares at the mystical thing.
After a few seconds, her staring is interrupted by the guard, "Ma'am?"
Twilight shakes herself, breaking the hold the view had on her. She turns her attention to him and asks, motioning to the garden, "W-what is t-that?"
The guard's head turns to consider the view for a few seconds before refocusing on her, "That is the Princess' garden. As I understand it, she cares for it herself."
Twilight manages to shake her head, rephrasing the question, "N-no, the t-tree."
The guard looks toward the garden again and considers, "I don't know, ma'am. I believe it was planted when the castle was built, but you would have to ask someone else." His face remains trained on her, not entertaining Twilight's curiosity. "Are you ready to continue?"
She nods her head and the guard presses on, Twilight following after him.
They soon ascend a flight of stairs to the second floor, approaching a delicate door with carvings of roses on its surface. No guards stand watch outside, and her escort simply walks forward and open it. "The Princess instructed us to bring you here when you arrived, ma'am. She said she will meet you here soon after."
Twilight nods and slips past the guard, clinging to the edge of the doorway furthest from him. The room is pleasant, a hoof-carved whitewood table sat out with two fluffy cushions on either side. A small fireplace has been lit, and the gem placed in the ceiling recasts the moons gentle rays, despite it being daytime above the storm outside. An open-air balcony gives a commanding view of the Princess' garden, the thick gray branches and silver-green of the mysterious tree dominating the view. Their swaying in the wind is almost hypnotic.
She lowers her various bags to a corner of the room and moves to stand at the entrance of the balcony. She isn't sure where the Princess is, but the tree is even more beautiful up close. Twilight loses herself watching the leaves and branches, eyes tracing the smooth bark. Then the tree starts to glow, radiating a bubblegum coloured aura.
"It likes you," the voice of the Princess startles Twilight enough to make her jump and let out an 'eep'. Twirling, she finds the room has changed quite a bit without her notice. The fire has been stoked, giving the room more light and lengthening the few shadows. Her bags seem to have been carried off, and on the table sits a fine porcelain and silver tea set.
The Princess had already settled into her cushion, the larger of the two, and her smile twitched in amusement like she was holding back a giggle. The large wings at her side flutter along with it before settling back into place. After a moment the Princess nods toward the cushion opposite of her, "Do you enjoy tea, Twilight?"
Twilight nods, taking a moment to glance back at the tree before moving and taking her cushion. After a second she speaks, during which the Princess' golden magic had gripped the tea set and began laying it out, pouring a steaming hot cup for the both of them. "P-princess is the t-tree a-alive?"
The tree seems to groan in response outside, and the Princess' eyes brighten, sparkling. "Oh no, not in the way you think, Twilight. It is from where I was born, perhaps the last one that exists. Things from that time had a way of thinking and interacting with the world that is lacked today. Also, it is Celestia when we are alone. If we are to be student and teacher I would have us be more familiar."
Twilight nods but eagerly latches onto that line of information. "I-it's that old?" She wonders, turning her eyes back to the tree outside.
The Princess stares at Twilight for several seconds, barely visible out of the corner of Twilight's eye. Her face a bit serious, and deep contemplation runs through her expression. When she notices Twilight's attention, however, she turns her attention to the tree as well. After another moment she speaks, "Oh yes, I had this one moved. It was an ordeal, as they are surprisingly picky about their living conditions, despite being stronger than any steel. I ended up having to teleport several tonnes of soil from the area here, to mix with the local variety. Even then it was touch and go for a while."
As she speaks, the Princess' eyes almost gloss over - lost in thought and memory. Twilight prods her along, "A-and w-what sort of t-t-tree is it?"
"Oh," the Princess' face brightens a tad, eyes focusing slightly. "They do not have a name in modern Equestrian, but to my people, they were called the Mallorn. In the Discordian Era, we used them to tell the passage of time, as the sun, moon, and seasons were completely unreliable, and written languages had been lost. You see, a Mallorn tree only loses its leaves in one circumstance, when it drops its seeds. They stubbornly stick through winter and fall and through any storm you can imagine, we used the leaves to bind our makeshift bridges and their wood for weapons and armour so you can imagine the strength. Although the years were significantly longer going by Mallorn-seed, twelve years and six months, give or take."
"A-and h-how many y-years o-of the t-tree p-passed before y-you. . ." Twilight trails off, suddenly feeling awkward for wanting to inquire into the Princess' age. She had never read any sort of real number, only speculation.
The Princess is silent for several seconds, turning her attention back to Twilight fully. "I am unsure. I was apart from the trees for many years before the founding of Equestria, although I can tell you how long my people dwelled under their branches. There was a great tree at the centre of our woods, the oldest mallorn in the forest. It was said to have been planted in the time before Discord, and every Mallorn-year my people dwelled there, we etched a new carving into its trunk."
Twilight meets the Princess' gaze, the pink eyes of the Alicorn didn't have a sparkle in them, and even as she stares straight at Twilight she didn't seem to really see her. "H-how m-many c-carvings were t-there?"
"I counted, in my youth. We were all curious at some point. I recall getting to 240 before stopping."
Twilight feels a wave of shock run over her, a quick mental calculation producing a figure in Equestrian years over three-thousand years. But when she managed to refocus, she didn't feel a sense of accomplishment from what she had learned, if only because of the look on the Princess' face. Her smile had vanished, her eyes lost and staring into nothing, straight through Twilight.
Twilight suddenly feels a wave of guilt wash over her for dragging up such memories. She has barely even started her tutelage and is already hurting the Princess' feelings and making her sad. Stupid! Is she really so much of a failure that she can't even do this?
Her internal berating is cut off when the Princess speaks again, "I noticed the books in your packs, Twilight. If you'll forgive my snooping, it seems you are a voracious reader?"
Twilight wasn't sure what to think about the topic of conversation suddenly switching to herself. She feels her cheeks heat up and she lowers her head, grabbing the still piping hot cup of tea in her magic and bringing it up for a quick drink.
"Wait!" The princess started with her hoof half raised at Twilight. Twilight coughed and choked as she caught up with the moment.
'What did I do? Did I hold the cup wrong? Did I slurp. Did I -'
"I. . . I also enjoy my tea hot, Twilight. Apologies if I startled you." She said. No anger. No disappointment. Just a wry smile. The tea was a bit hot but very bearable. The tea was divine as well, a fruity blend that set her tastebuds alight with delight. Wait. . . She knew it was too hot for normal ponies. She. . . doesn't think I'm a freak?
Then the Princess raises her own scalding hot cup of tea and takes a sip, her face falling into a pleased expression that sets Twilight's nerves jangling. Is she missing something? It feels like it. The following silence did nothing to help her settle her mind. Was the Princess unhappy? What was she hiding from Twilight? Why was she hiding it? Something about this just feels off. Not that Twilight doesn't understand, no, why would the Princess be honest with a lying failure? She must know, right? She's the Princess.
The silence continues, and soon Twilight finds her own cup empty, quickly drained with her nervous gulps. The Princess speaks, the tea cup in her grip being delicately put back in its original place, "As for my previous question, Twilight, I do hope you will forgive my snooping? I was merely pleased that my choice for your room won't go unappreciated."
Twilight takes a moment to absorb that. The Princess chose her room personally? She unconsciously wiggles in her cushion, feeling the tingles of excitement creep up her legs. "M-my r-room?"
The Princess nods, her smile widening a fraction, "Oh yes, it is in the same wing as the Archives, so I do hope you will be making good use of it."
Twilight has to hold back a gasp, a hoof going to cover her mouth. After a moment she squeaks out, "The Archives? I can use them?"
"Of course, you are my personal student, after all. In fact, it will be required for a few of your assignments, I would think."
It was a dream come true. The Canterlot Archives is the single largest collection of books in Equestria. Every time a book is published, it goes into the Archives. Every single one.
Twilight's nearly bounds off her seat. The muscles taut, ready with excitement. The Princess' smile widens more, her eyes lighting up as she asks, "I suppose you would like to see your room then, Twilight?"
"Y-yes p-p-please, P-princess!"
"Celestia, Twilight." The Princess corrects, waiting expectantly.
"C-C-Celestia! Please!"
The Princess' smile was as bright as the sun as they both rose and left the tea room.
Rain pouring from the sky in an unending torrent, soaking cobbles and ponies alike. Dark, heavy clouds blocking out the sun had forced the street lamps of Canterlot to be switched on, casting the normally bright city in heavy shadow.
Shining Armor was wet to the bone and utterly annoyed. His blue parka, which proudly displayed a half-eclipse, the sigil of the Solarian Academy, wouldn't be the same after it dried out. It was cheap and handed out at orientation, not meant for weather like this.
"I'm not meant for weather like this," Shining mutters to himself, resisting a shiver, keeping his narrowed gaze on the bar across the street from him.
A magically lit sign, displayed the name, 'Grumpy Griffon'. It was old and somewhat rundown. Probably built before he was born. This area used to have a lot of hoof traffic for immigrant glassmaker shops, but ever since the Legion restored order to the Prance Protectorate and installed the new Governor, it had dried up. Importing from the province was cheaper but certainly undercutting the struggling ponies fleeing from the revolution. Neither the fall of Prance or its restoration even affected the master craftsmen in the Artifex Forum, but ponies living in Ostium District always felt the effects of the outside world more profoundly. This rundown bar probably persisted with selling cheap drinks and confectionery to the locals, a far cry from its glory days.
So why had his Deep Thought wanted to meet him here of all places?
It had been a surprise when his friend, who was two years into the Intelligence Course in the Solarian Academy, had asked him to meet here. Shining would have probably done it, but the temptation was irresistible with what Deep was offering; information on Twilight's 'attacker'. Deep had used that exact word, and that was all Shining needed to agree to almost anything. But what made it so secretive that they couldn't talk about it in the barracks? Was the attacker someone important?
'No matter who they are, they're going to be missing teeth when I'm done with them,' Shining held back a grim smile at the thought. He was closer than he had ever been now.
Reflexively glancing both ways along the street, a pointless notion as no one else is going anywhere in this weather, Shining moves to the bar door and pushes through. It was a heavy oak thing, and when barred it would take a professional to break through.
The interior also conjured the same thought; It would take a professional to break anything. Everything was heavy wood. The tables had thick, strong legs and the tops were two and a half inches thick at the thinnest. The chairs were well carved and their legs were wider than his own, more like weapons than something to sit and have a drink on. The bartop was the only thing not made of wood, instead, it was a solid slab of stone, grey and boring but strong. Shining didn't doubt that piece of furniture in this dimly lit bar would outlive himself.
Turning his attention to the occupants, he thinking it was surprisingly active for late morning, until he remembers the brewery nearby. They'll be heading into work, then. Shining could almost hear the voice of his Covert Operations instructor yelling at him, 'You wore a Solarian parka to a half-filled bar for a covert meeting?! Celestia, colt, is there even a brain between those ears!'
Berating himself, Shining began searching the tables, eventually finding a booth in the back corner. A baby blue earth pony sat there, lithe and fit, nursing an apple juice. Deep Thought's flank proudly displayed two interlocked gears, representing his ability to work out how people think. A dangerous mark, that one, but useful for the Intelligence Service. Probably why they gave him an offer to get him out of the Manehattan Institute and into the Royal Guard's hooves.
Shining made his way across the room, nimbly avoiding bumping into or disturbing anyone with his bulk, offering nothing but a curt nod to a smiling waitress that passed by while delivering drinks. His sudden arrival and slide into the booth seems to jolt Deep out of his thoughts, the earth pony looking up sharply, eyes widening in surprise before he relaxes.
Deep glances at the rest of the bar, leaning forward and hissing out in a low voice, "Celestia, Shining! You scared me!"
Shining had to hold back a sigh, resisting the urge to rub a soaked hoof across his face. "Deep, you wanted this discreet meeting. You're in Intelligence, the least you could do is watch the room."
"Shshshhhh," Deep suddenly motioned, far less quiet than he seemed to think he was being. "Don't say my name!"
"What?" Shining stared, his blue eyes peering into Deep's brown for several seconds, unable to keep the incredulity off of his face. "You. . . You called me by my name when I sat down, what does it matter? I'm alabaster for Princess' sake!" Deep at least had the decency to look embarrassed as Shining pressed on, "You had me come out here for a reason, what did you find out?"
The earth pony across from Shining grew a bit more serious, focus claiming his expression at the mere mention of their purpose for this ridiculous rendezvous. Deep took a breath, seeming to gather himself before speaking, once more in a low, quiet tone, "You remember how the Intelligence Course is doing internships in IS Headquarters?"
Shining nodded in confirmation, he had been a bit jealous of that, in fact. He couldn't start doing his field qualifications for another year.
Deep pressed on, "Well on my first day, I was caught up in alot of work and my assigned mentor, who works in Logistics and Analysis. . . we got a priority letter by Sunfire."
The earth pony pauses, giving Shining a moment to appreciate that. 'Letter by Sunfire'. A priority order from Princess Celestia herself, the highest command one could possibly receive without it coming from her very own mouth. They had run drills around receiving Letters by Sunfire. Alerts to garrisons about declarations of war, eminent emergencies, Royal-ordered city lockdowns, the activation of entire legions. That was the sort of unquestionable command they had to be. The weight of authority carried by a Letter by Sunfire had ordered the Culling of Ponyholme six-hundred years ago. Admittedly the Intelligence Service received them more often than anywhere else, but they weren't passed around unless something serious was being done.
In addition, they were not to be discussed outside of the breadth of the command. Deep was taking a risk in spilling this. Shining let out a breath and nodded for him to continue.
"The letter ordered us to dig up the records we had on one Blossom Rose, your sister's former schoolteacher. So we dragged up everything we could on the double and sent it up. Not even half an hour later we get another Sunfire Letter. This one ordered us to dig up the records of Ivy Sapphire and River Dawn. Are you familiar with them?"
Shining took a second to gather his thoughts, the gears of his mind turning, "I've never heard of the second, but Ivy Sapphire is one of the Councillors in the Council of Education, isn't she?"
Deep vigorously nods, resuming, "River Dawn is the Principal of the High Street School of Elementary Learning. Both of them have a sister; Blossom Rose."
Shining represses a shiver, feeling like cold water is running down his spine. Were they part of what happened to his sister?
The earth pony continues, growing even quieter as he continues, forcing Shining to lean closer to listen clearly. "The Princess herself came down the next day. She had the entire Intelligence Service up in arms. She ordered teams out to watch the entire Council of Education, to dig through their personal files and see what they were up to. Another team was to watch Blossom Rose and River Dawn. Do you want to guess how long that lasted?" His voice shuddering as he asked.
"A day!" Deep's scowl was growing. The dark light of the bar revealed his eyes locked on his hooves, shadows coloring his face into a strangers expression. "A-a day. The team on watch duty didn't get through the first school day before the teacher pulled a student into a staff room and. . ." The moment hang, as if it didn't want to be real itself. "They had to shut down the whole school after they broke in and made the arrest, Shining." His voice turned to a growl, "The filly wasn't. even. nine." Crack. The glass in his hooves fell to pieces.
Shining feels his world shift like a sledgehammer had driven the breath from his lungs. His hooves start to shake, so he pushes them against the nailed down table, trying to calm the sudden raging fire in his heart.
Silence falls on them. Deep looking to the roof, measured breaths inflating his lungs. The creature in front of Shining turning slowly back into his recognizable friend. Shining however. . . it takes him half a minute to even form a reply, during which the solid, nailed table rattles. Feeling his horn heat up on its own at the images his mind conjures of Twily in that situation, he manages to choke out, "H-how? How was it missed?"
Deep takes a breath before replying, but those seconds stretch out for aeons to Shining. "The Princess signed ten Shadow Warrants, Shining. The Councillor, the Principal, Blossom Rose, three administrators in the Council of Education, two in Public Works, and a noble couple. They had been bribing and blackmailing together, they set up a ring and had kept it under wraps for years. There's a full-on purge, the Princess stepped in to direct IS herself. Outside of the Shadow Arrests, we've had the Guard take in another dozen who accepted bribes, and the entire Council of Education is being peeled open."
Shining had to hold back a violent outburst, his horn growing hotter on his head. Celestia, he wishes the moon was out right now. That would stop him from trying anything stupid.
Deep quickly continues, "Shining, you won't be getting at them, I'm sorry. They're in Black Cells, they've been Shadow Warranted! They're going to disappear, and it won't happen again, to anypony."
Crack! The sound echoes through his ears. His hoof left it's mark on the table before he realized. The pain of the impact felt good, it couldn't feel any better. . . Well, maybe if it wasn't wood it impacted. "Shining? Shini-"
Rising sharply, the stool clattering to the floor and made way for the door. The silent onlookers quickly giving way as he stormed out. "STOP!" Deep's hoof found purchase against Shining's chest. "Don't do it, Shining! Whatever you're thinking, it's-" Shining shoves past Deep and continues out into the storm.
"Shinin-" Deeps voice cut short and drowned in the raging storms.
I want to do something stupid.