//------------------------------// // 4 As If In A Dream // Story: Trials of A Princess // by Rose Quill //------------------------------// Even now, the facts of life grow muddied, as if in a dream vaguely remembered. The worse part of it, however, is I worry that I don't wish to remember.The old stories counsel us that ignorance is bliss. But they never warn us as to what knowledge costs. — Silverleaf, Cervyderian Shaman *** “What do you mean, her crimes?” I demanded, bolting to my hooves. “We’ve had some incidents in our outlying regions involving marauding creatures. Creatures, that until recently, have only been present in our legends.” Pine looked at me with a measuring look. “Strange rips in the air showing unfamiliar terrain beyond. The only thing that we know for sure is that each time, a shadowy form of a pony is seen shortly before.” “Why do you believe it to be Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia asked. “By your own report, only the vague form of a pony has been seen, as confirmed by your reactions just a moment ago. You were unfamiliar with Twilight’s appearance, or you would’ve led with the extradition request instead of sampling the food.” “It is true that none of us knew the visage of this pony,” Ganymede conceded. “But our shamans have taken to casting for a name. The only name they’ve discovered was Twilight Sparkle. With no way of knowing the connection, many of our leaders believed she was responsible.” “And we were given the regrettable task of bringing her back with us to stand for questioning before our ruling body.” Pine looked at the Peryton again. “We were, however, given a way to ensure that we did not bring the wrong pony.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked as Cersi drew out a flat stone, polished and gleaming in the light of the hall. “This stone was attuned to the energies in the areas affected,” Pine said. “If it reacts to you, then we know you are responsible.” “And if it doesn’t?” Luna growled. “Then she is innocent of the magical events, but is then requested to accompany us as an expert called on by the ancestors.” Cersi held the stone out. Twilight glanced at me, then Celestia, nervousness plastered on her face. I also felt a small stab of fear from Sunshine through our bond, and I had an idea of why, but it wouldn’t do to voice it here. “Go ahead, Twilight,” Celestia said before shooting the entourage a critical look. “I doubt they have any intention of harming you.” “All she needs to do is envelop the stone with her magic," Pine instructed. "If she is not the figure terrorizing us, then there will be a change in color.” “Do you mind if I try it first?” I asked. “Just to verify that the magic works the way you claim.” “I see no reason why not,” Pine said. “If it would help ease your minds.” I took the stone in my magic, the red glow reflected on its glossy surface. Once I had a firm grip on it, the light flared and turned a fiery orange with crackling arcs of blue-white energy. I released the stone quickly as a bit of feedback shot through my horn, eliciting a yelp of surprise from me. “Well, at least it works the way I said it would,” Pine said. “Was worried about that myself.” “Are you ok?” Twilight asked. I rubbed my horn, feeling my tiara slip out of place slightly. “Yeah, I think so. Just a little feedback.” Twilight looked at the stone, her wings shuffling nervously. She took a deep breath, then pushed a hoof out as she released it. As her horn lit, I felt a small tremor of worry worm it's way up from inside. What if her magic was somehow responsible? She took hold of the stone and for a moment, nothing happened. Then it exploded with coruscating lights; harsh reds, sickly greens, electric blues, and rimmed with the raspberry light of Twilight’s telekinesis. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief at her exoneration when a beam of light shot out and speared me in the horn with the same red of my magic. The light then linked me to Twilight before dying, the stone shattering as it fell to the floor. “Well,” Sunshine said into the silence. “That was unexpected.” “Indeed,” Celestia said. “But it has at least shown that Twilight is not responsible for those incidents.” “This is disturbing.” I looked at the deer, and they were all staring slack-jawed at the charred remains of the stone. Cersi’s feathers were fluffed out fully, a move I had seen in several Pegasi perform during my recovery. It was a gesture often paired with stark fear. “I’ve never seen a mantic reaction like that before,” Twilight said as she poked at the largest of the stone chips. It was dead now, the glossy sheen lost amid the charred remains. We had recessed to allow the deerkin to contact their leaders for advice. While that went on outside, Starlight and Moondancer had joined Twilight, Sunshine, and I. “I haven’t either,” I said. “And I’m concerned at that link you and I shared near the end. I’ve done a few scan spells and they haven’t found anything different.” Would you be able to tell anyway? came a thought from my side. I looked at Sunshine and shook my head. “We’re in polite company.” Twilight looked at me in confusion, until she remembered that we were linked at the brain. “It’s just,” the azure pony repeated. “If it was an unknown spell, how would you know what to look for? We’re not even sure what spell they put on the stone to make it react like it did.” “That’s a good point,” Starlight said as she picked up a chip in her magic. “Between us, we know pretty much every spell known to ponydom, and what we don’t know Sunburst could find.” “Or even create a hypothesis at least,” Moondancer mused. “But there isn’t even a book detailing the types of magic the Cervyderian mages are capable of. They’ve been very protective of their ways.” “Is there even a mantic trace left on the stone?” I asked, warily levitating a piece over. It was a dull gray now, likely no different than any other random rock. To me, at least. I’m sure Maud could’ve given us a plethora of information at a glance. I hoped I could get her input somehow before the deer had to leave. I had sent Thea, my Phoenix, out to find her but I had no idea how long it would take. Maud tended to walk at the same pace she spoke and it was a two hour trip to Canterlot “As far as I can tell, it’s empty.” Starlight said, dropping her fragment. “Not even a drop left.” “What if we put it back together?” Sunshine asked. We all looked at her. “What?” “It’s not really that simple,” Moondancer said. “Once an artifice is broken, it tends to be more difficult to repair than replace.” “For a Pony artifice, yes.” Sunshine nudged her glasses up with a hoof. “But what about a deer artifice?” Here we are, four of the best mages in Canterlot, two princesses included, and we just got stumped by somepony that only knew a fraction of what we did. And by suggesting something that only one untrained in the formal magics as we had been, would think of. I loved my wife. Unfortunately, before we could gather all the pieces, Pine returned. Alone. “I have spoken with the Enclave,” he said as he reclined near us. “And they have advised me to bring both of you to the Glenn to see what the stone’s destruction portends. A seeking stone has only reacted that way once in our history, and even now it’s barely more than legend.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes with a crystalline hoof. “I have sent Cersi and Ganny to make preparations for our return. I would prefer to have you both volunteer rather than have me apprehend you. In name at least. I have not yet made the request of Princess Celestia, out of respect for your free will. Please do not make me regret that act.” I glanced at Sunshine, feeling her anxiety through our bond. I tried to silently send her my reassurance but I knew she could feel my own doubts about its sincerity. Glancing at Twilight, I could see the same worry in her eyes. I looked at the buck. “Can we have a bit of time to say goodbye?” I asked. He looked at me, then over to Sunshine, comprehension dawning on his face. “We will leave at first light,” he rose. “After my meeting with Princess Celestia.” “I don’t know how long we’ll be gone,” I whispered as I held Sunshine that night. Sweat lightly coated our bodies and her breathing was still hitched. Considering what had happened last time I had gone off with Princess Twilight, I could understand her concern. I was a little worried myself. After all, my horn was just fully healed, and I was worried about putting my two months pregnant wife through more stress like last time. I also wasn’t any closer to an answer about what was going on with that stone or why it scared the deerkin so much. “Try not to break anything this time?” she whispered back. “At least nothing of yours. I’m kind of attached to you being in one piece.” I stroked her side, feeling the edge of the scar running down it. It was almost invisible against her coat now, but I knew its appearance as intimately as the one running along my body. “I promise I’m not going to do anything foolish this time.” I nibbled on her ear. “Twilight and I are just going to go have a look at whatever’s going on over there and help if we can. There and back again, I promise.” “You’d better be.” She twisted around to look at me. “Because we’ve got a party of Pinkie’s waiting for us when you come back. She’s decorated the condo and everything.” I smiled. “Who am I to upset Pinkie?” “That looks different from the last time I saw it,” Twilight remarked as I trotted into the courtyard. I put a hoof onto the collar around my neck, containing my Element. “Yeah. Back when I got my wings, the tree fused the geodes to the elements. I meant to tell you but everything with Sorla kind of distracted me.” “Is that why your magic changed colors?” “I guess.” I shrugged. “I never really noticed when it fully changed. I know it was teal back when I stole your crown. It shifted to red sometime after that.” “It’s unusual for magic auras to shift colors.” She peered closely at the peytral holding my element. “I wonder if the geodes had a part to play in that.” “It’s the only thing I can think of,” I said as we walked into one of the small training yards off the main courtyard. We found the three deerkin waiting for us. Pine had a faraway look in his eyes as he held a piece of polished wood against the tree that sat off to the side. “What is he doing?” I asked, more to myself than anyone. “He’s communicating with the Glenn, informing them of our departure.” Cersi said. “How is he doing it?” Twilight asked, perking up. “Is it a spell? A ritual commune?” I had to step away from Twilight as her wings flared in excitement. While I enjoyed seeing her happy, it did tend to be dangerous at times. “He holds a word-wood to the tree, and the Tenders of the Elder Tree hear his thoughts. We all carry word-wood on our travels.” “Word-wood?” I stepped forward, ducking another wing twitch. Cersi drew out a piece of wood from her pouch, holding it out for inspection. It was perfectly smooth, ovoid in shape, and had a grain pattern unlike any I’d ever seen before. “The Shapers draw these from the Elder Tree and distribute them to any of our kind traveling far from the Glenn.” Cersi offered it to Twilight, as the mare started prancing in excitement. “We also use them to communicate with other communities in times of holidays or festivals.” Pine stood straight, whipping his head around. “We must leave now.” “What? Why?” I asked. Pine’s hooves flared with purple light as he yanked his pack onto his barrel. “There’s been another attack.” I felt a cold chill coil in my gut as he turned and began hurrying to the sally port, his companions in tow. My skin crawled for a moment and I suddenly felt like I was being watched suddenly. Twilight turned to me and frowned. “Are you ok?” I shook my head, my mind’s eye flashing back to Acerak and the arctic winds he walked upon. “No, I'm not," I said, spreading my wings to take off. "Let's catch up, neither of us knows the way.” We went to follow the Deerkin, and though the sun was bright, the chill wouldn’t leave me.