//------------------------------// // 39 Back to Work // Story: The Line Between Fire and Light // by Stolenalicorn //------------------------------// There were accounts and events James needed to catch up on, things he needed to do for the good of the station. He really did not want to do them right now. Or anything. He shook his head as he looked to his schedule and started working. He didn't absolutely have to attend to all of these, and he could completely cancel the therapist appointment that Liara scheduled for him. Every time something like this would happen he would fall behind on his work. The Epoch and Enertron would be getting a lot of use for the next few days. In the face of all this work he needed to get to he decided to do something else completely. The ambient heat of his forge was always stifling, but it wasn't anything he couldn't deal with. Of course it was easier with his endure elements implant. He had been living the last two days over and over again for a while now, his magic had recovered and even his hair had started getting it's color back. Now it was time to get started on his next project. He kept several ingots of mythril in his supply, that he wasn't worried about. He could always get more from the dwarfs. The next metal was hard to part with. He only ever had scraps of it, and had to steal every ounce he got his hands on. The Asguardians would not be happy to find someone taking their Uru. The final part was even harder to obtain. He'd only found it in a small number of universes, and only in specific conditions. He kept a locked drawer of Dreamstone near the back, hidden behind a secret panel. He brought out his key and took two quail egg sized stones from the collection before he locked the drawer and secured the panel. He collected his sturdiest hammer opened his forge and prepared his obsidian anvil, he had work to do. It only took one cupcake sized ingot of mythril to prepare the base of the pendents he was making. The Uru was melted together and turned into a long wire that James had to twist around the four pendants before either cooled. Once the wire was in place James placed them back into the forge to ensure the metals fused. He didn't have time to wait, as that happened he began to refine the Dreamstone. Once out of the Forge James examined the cone shaped pendants, the Uru had bonded to the Mythril and he could begin the next part. He quietly whispered as he began to work the refined Dreamstone into the pendants, fixing small errors and perfecting the design. There was a faint red glow as the Dreamstone did it's work. James kept the pendants heated as he took a small adamantium pin and etched intricate designs along the top, the last cosmetic touches going on smoothly. As each finished he tossed them into small tubes filled with diamond dust. He knew that the enchantments weren't wondrous but they were powerful and needed the gem catalyst to take, especially with how little Uru was present in the pendants. The dust leaped and rolled as if it were boiling water, the magic clearly taking hold as he watched. All that was left was cleaning, buffing and examining the finished product. The Uru had contracted as it cooled making a spiral groove that turned the conical pendants into the drills he wanted. James sighed as he examined them, it appeared that they had turned out exactly as he wanted them to. The next part was more clandestine as he collected three bolts of appropriately colored silks. He leaned back in his chair as he considered his next move. He would need to make a trip to Equestria and not drum up much attention. But he also had to go out and make arrangements and that meant that he had to change his form or go invisibly. As much trouble as it would save to send a package with instructions to Rarity he knew that he would have to explain the purpose of the specific instructions. With a nod to himself he began casting the modified polymorph spell. The bell of Rarity's shop jingled as a large cloaked figure entered. Rarity calmly approached with a smile. “It looks to me like you're trying to hide something. But don't worry, there's no problem that the proper outfit can't fix.” “Right now this is the proper outfit.” James said as he grinned unseen. “James? Has your magic returned already?” Rarity happily asked. James shook his head. He knew this was coming but her happiness at his recovery was comforting. “Well for me it's been a week and a half. But that's not why I'm here. I need three outfits made with precise instructions.” “Of course, James. What did you need?” He'd never asked for her to make anything specific before, but she was interested in what designs he had in mind. James handed over the specifications as explained what he needed for the three sets of robes, including measurements. “I am sorry, but I do need these made with this design and each only uses the silk I'm giving you for them, including the silk thread. It's a ceremonial thing. The first one is the silver, the second lavender, and the third fuchsia.” He said as he brought out the material and accompanying thread. “Please darling. You have nothing to worry about, I can have them for you in just over a week. Though don't you think these could be updated just a bit? Or a bit of flair? A jewel or two?” Rarity said as she examined the designs James gave her. James expected this too. Rarity was the one he needed but she was a designer through and through and asking her to make something traditional without variation was asking a lot. “I'm sorry, but the only alterations I can allow are to make them fit ponies instead of humanoids.” Rarity nodded. “Very well. I'll have them for you as you need. It's not a difficult design just rather boring.” James nodded. “I know, and I'm sorry. If it weren't for the ceremony of it I'd let you redesign them. Feel free to keep any of the remaining material. I imagine there will be a lot.” Rarity smiled as she looked at the bolts James brought for her. She could already see designs she wanted to try with the silver silk once she was done. James turned to leave before he turned back to Rarity. “Please keep it a secret for now. Both the robes and that my magic is back. While I may have had to wait longer then usual for it to recover I don't need Starlight thinking that there's something wrong that her's isn't back yet. I doubt time travel would register as to why.” Rarity chuckled for a moment. “My lips are sealed.” She had more faith in Starlight and Luna than that, but she had to trust that James knew what he was doing if he had in fact come from the future. *** “So why did you just let him blame himself for you losing your magic? You knew what you were doing when you agreed to help him.” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight as she went around the castle with Sunburst. “Well, I finally realized that he was always going to blame himself, no matter what any of us said. So rather than insist there was no blame, I just let him know I forgive him for any blame he felt he had. That way he can eventually forgive himself.” Starlight explained. “I mean, I would have found it pretty weird if you told me I wasn't at fault for stealing the cutie marks of my entire town.” “Well, yeah. But you did that.” Rainbow Dash argued. “It was his spell that did this, and it was his choice to go to that world. Ergo he feels like he did it himself.” Starlight reasoned. That wasn't a terrible explanation, and Rainbow Dash did know it was the kind of thing James would do to himself. Better to just move on. “Did you ever find out why he went to that word?” Starlight knew, but she couldn't tell her. Rainbow Dash and him were close friends, close enough that it seemed perfectly plausible when they tricked everyone into thinking they would get married. There was no way she could tell her that James had gone to that world intending to die. “He wanted to be alone.” She quietly said. It was close enough to the truth. “Really? Just to be alone.” Rainbow Dash asked. She knew James fairly well, and nothing about his trip to a world like that made any sense to her. “Are you sure that's not just what he told you?” Starlight didn't like the pressure being put on her at that moment. “Well, yeah. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts and that demon kept him in a coma when he fell asleep.” She still only told her part of the truth, but it was better that Rainbow Dash not hear everything. *** James had changed back to his normal form as his last two stops didn't actually involve going out in public and he didn't want to risk Starlight or Luna finding out that his magic recovered. Calmly he walked through Canterlot Castle. He kept the cloak on to hide his appearance as he walked along. A cloaked figure would be less disruptive than other ponies reacting like Rara had. Two Unicorn guards approached him, directly blocking his path. “Excuse me. But we need to ask who you are. It's just a matter of security.” “I understand that you don't recognize me in this shape.” James calmly said. “I just came to inform Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that there will be a formal ceremony in recognition of the efforts of Princess Luna, Starlight Glimmer, Derpy Hooves, and Asriel Dreemurr in three weeks time.” There was a flash of red as one of the guards attempted to pull back James's hood, however all he succeeded in doing was removing his own helmet. James nodded as he turned to leave, violently melting away before he came close to the door. His destination was back at Ponyville in Twilight's Castle. Princess Luna and Starlight should probably hear about it from him first. Once in the foyer James pulled back his hood and looked around, he still felt odd walking around here in his normal form but he was getting used to it. *** Sunburst closed Starlight's door as they entered her room. He'd been at her side since he'd arrived, and Starlight was enjoying it. Sunburst, though, had more questions about what had happened. “He didn't go there just to be alone, did he?” Sunburst asked. “What do you mean?” Starlight awkwardly asked. Lucca had told her that James's reasoning was a secret and she didn't want to talk about it anyway. But Sunburst wasn't going to leave it alone yet.“I know I don't know him as well as your other friends Starlight, but it's pretty obvious that he doesn't care what happens to him. Even after the crystaling when he asked the Princesses to use the relic reconstitution spell on him, he didn't seem to care that it nearly killed him.” Starlight knew that James was more concerned about how it effected the others than how he was hurt but he also didn't go into it without at least thinking he had a safety measure ready. “He thought he still had that Senzu thing. And he's been in dangerous situations before, it's just another risk to him.” “I think he puts himself in those situations.” Sunburst said. Everything he now knew about James told him that this was someone who was a danger to themselves. “Before I came to you he gave Twilight and I a brief explanation of what happened. He told us he's suffered from depression his whole life. That he's spent over five hundred years hating himself, I can only imagine what that does to somepony.” Starlight was taken aback, Lucca had told her about James's depression explaining that at times he'd get worse and they'd have to spend at least a day keeping him from thinking about himself. But that he just came out and said it to Twilight and Sunburst was strange. “What are you saying Sunburst?” Sunburst sighed, he knew Starlight saw it she just didn't want to admit it. “That this could happen again.” Starlight smiled at him for his concern. “I know it will. What he's going through is a long process, I still feel horrible about what I did to my town and they've forgiven me. James's never going to get that chance so we just have to remind him that we forgive him so one day, maybe, he can forgive himself.” *** There was only one person Twilight knew that went with those footsteps. James's soft soled shoes sounded nothing like any pony step and he had a habit of jogging up the foyer steps. The loud slam she heard told her just as clearly that he had misjudged his step again and fell face first several steps up. She half read her book as she listened to James make his way towards the library, clearly he was coming to see her. “Hello, James.” She happily said as James opened the door and walked in. She looked up to see he was in his normal form but he still looked different, his recently white hair was now a platinum blond and even his beard and tail were the same shade. His black cloak was a big change from his normal green lined white haori. He looked exhausted and carried himself as if he'd continued to not sleep since the Tree of Harmony the other day. “Hi Twilight.” He said with a smile. “Is everything going well here?” He calmly asked, he was still concerned that Starlight was trying to exert herself as she seemed to have the hardest time with change. “Other than everypony's feeling better about Princess Luna and Starlight having their cutie marks back nothing's really changed since yesterday. Sunburst won't let Starlight try any magic because of what you told him, so it's been pretty quiet.” James nodded and smiled. “Quiet is good.” He said as he considered just how to bring up the next subject. “Well, I was wondering if Princess Luna was still nearby. There is an event I have to invite her to.” Twilight had every New Guardia holiday and event scheduled, this new one could only mean something important. Or that they were incorporating another culture’s event, she was still learning about those. Twilight eagerly got a quill and parchment to record just what was happening. James smiled as he watched her eagerly awaiting new information. “Don't get too excited there.” He chuckled. “It's just a formal ceremony in recognition of everyone's efforts.” James's tone dropped and reflected his more serious mood as he thought about it. “They certainly deserve it for what I put them through.” “But you didn't do anything.” Twilight insisted. James closed his eyes as he sighed. Once again she was implying that nothing happened. It was genuinely infuriating. He was too tired and too irritated already to deal with this. “Princess Twilight Sparkle.” James's voice was firm and commanding despite it's low volume. “Denying what I did is both pointless and an insult and I must insist that you stop immediately. You do not need to blame me but you must no longer insinuate that there is no fault nor that that fault does not lay squarely on my shoulders.” His eyes were cold as he stared down through her. James had never spoken so formally to her and his tone cut deep. It had been a long time since she had felt that small about anything and the fact that she had to look up just to see his face only accentuated that feeling. There was only one time before she had heard him speak with that tone and it was his first day in Ponyville. But she knew that there was no apology forthcoming this time, she had been insulting him and he couldn't take it anymore. “Now if you'll excuse me,” He said, his tone unchanging. “There are those whom I must inform about the upcoming event.” With that said he turned to leave, his cloak flying wide as he did so. Twilight couldn't let him leave like this. She took a steadying breath and followed him. “James, please wait.” She urged. James stopped abruptly at the door but he didn't turn to acknowledge her. “Yes, princess?” He still sounded angry to Twilight and she stopped in her tracks at his tone. “I just meant to say that they were willing to accept the risk of what happened. You aren't responsible for their choices.” She argued. “While that is true, the situation that brought that choice was solely my fault.” His tone relaxed slightly as he listened to her yet he still didn't look her direction. Twilight wasn't done yet, however. “And I'm sorry it hurt you so much to hear that we don't blame you for any of it. But we don't. You even told me that you thought the demon that caused this was destroyed, you didn't intend for this to happen. You didn't do anything wrong and we won't blame you for that.” “Will that be all princess?” He asked, the edge back to his voice. His hand rested on the door handle, he was ready to leave any moment. “Don't you have anything to say?” Twilight asked, her tone nearly pleading. How had her apology just made him angrier? “I believe I've said everything I care to.” His anger was palpable and he began to open the door. Twilight watched helplessly as he left, he would no doubt soon find Starlight and Luna and they would want to know what went wrong. Twilight had to find a way to apologize to him that wouldn't make him angry. She had no idea what to do, this was bad. No no no! This is an emergency! No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she was running to the map table. If this was as bad as it seemed there had to be someone coming to help. Rainbow Dash or Applejack, maybe even Pinkie Pie. Anyone! But there was nothing on the table. No map was visible, no cutie marks floated around. Maybe this problem just happened so fast that the map just couldn't help. She sat in her throne and dropped her head onto the table. Hoping that something would happen, that there was some help she could get even just to understand James so she could try to apologize again. Nothing did happen, and Twilight was left alone wondering just what went wrong.