//------------------------------// // Caustic Inclusion // Story: Intension // by MadMan //------------------------------// Twilight groaned and opened her eyes to see a shining brass surface not two feet above her face. She abruptly realized she had fallen asleep under the atomic stabilizer, a thought that made her very nervous now that she had figured out how it works and the amount of radiation it was capable of emitting. Twilight grabbed her pillow and blankets and rolled out from under the machine to find Axion further down the side of the room making coffee. Falling asleep at the lab might be just the smallest bit hazardous and worries Spike, but then again, he doesn't make very good coffee.... "Oh, good morning, Twilight! I didn't see you there. I was wondering where you had curled up at." "Morning, Axion. What time is it?" "A bit past eleven. I just got back from getting the wiring harness for the energy capacitor from Canterlot." "Oh, goodie. Now we can finally run some tests and figure out if any of those crystal vibrometers were worth the struggle to get them. I wished you had woken me up to go along. You know how much I enjoy visiting Canterlot." "But dear, I couldn't find you! I assumed you were on top of the dihexic concentrator again, but when you weren't, I was out of guesses." "Yeah, I don't plan on sleeping up there any more. Thanks for that, by the way! Ruined one of my best napping spots." Axion laughed lightly and poured a cup of coffee, handing it to Twilight. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were up there! I forgot how much it shakes when it powers up. Really, dear, if you insist on sleeping here as often as you do, you should allow me to bring you a bed in here as well. Here, fresh pot. Best beans in Canterlot!" "What happened to the beans I roasted?" "Well, first off, roasted isn't exactly the right term. I've seen ashes less well cooked. And besides, we're all out." "Oh. Well, thanks for getting more! We have anything for breakfast?" "I'm afraid all that's left is that large loaf of bread." "Well, I guess that's good enough. Plenty there for both of us, and very healthy!" "Oh, no thanks. I ate in Canterlot." "More for me!" Twilight set her cup down on the counter, and liberated the loaf of bread from the cupboard it was hidden in. Biting into it, Twilight found it was just a little stale. Dipping bits of it into her coffee then eating it solved the problem, however, and soon she was fed and caffeinated and ready to face the challenges of the day, which proved to be many indeed. It was only after they had spent two hours plugging the new wires into the energy capacitor, that they realized that it had thrown off every single sensor on the device, of which there were a good hoof full. So after a short lunch break, Twilight brewed another pot of coffee and they set to work recalibrating the plethora of instruments and dials. Hours passed, and still they slaved on the devices. They had fallen behind schedule, but not very far. Twilight had gotten so engrossed in her work, she had completely forgot about the time. There were no windows in the lab, so it could easily become nighttime and neither of the ponies within would even notice. When Twilight did finally think to check the time, it was already past seven in the evening. "Hey, Axion, what day is it?" Axion glanced up from the schematics she had been busy frowning at. "I believe it's Friday. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be going? I hate for you to be out after dark, even if you have been flying the same routes for several months now." "Oh! Oh my! I'm late, I'm late! I'm never late! Bye, Axion, see you Monday!" Twilight gently set down the sensor she had been replacing, and opening her wings, flew over the various obstacles between her and the door. Not even waiting for Axion's goodbye, Twilight dashed out and ran up the stairs, barreling out of the small building and taking to the air again in a flash. Instead of setting a course for Ponyville, however, she aligned herself with the shining beacon of Canterlot, a mere flicker of light on the horizon, and began to flap with every bit of energy she had. An hour and a half later, she landed on the outskirts of Canterlot. The sun had set, and the moon was just beginning to peek over the horizon. There were still a smattering of ponies about, and Twilight belatedly realized that her horn and wings would be a lot harder to see if she was in the air. So she took off again, and flew straight to the castle. Coming to the front gate, she landed in front of it just as it began to open. She smirked as she waved to the guards, by now familiar faces. I wonder how long until they realize what's really up with my continuous late-night visits. 'After work research', please! Although, I admit, I'm curious to the social and political ramifications if the public found out that Luna is gay. Hmm... It's almost worth revealing to find ou- What are you thinking? You've finally lost it, Twi. It would be a complete political fiasco if this got out. Oh well, more for me! By the time that particular line of thought had run its course, she was at Luna's sitting room door. She knocked lightly, even though Luna was expecting her, and she didn't get many visitors. "Who is it?" Twilight adopted a lower voice, like a stallion, with a thick accent like Applejack's, just a little slower, with a sultry overtone to it. It was her imitation of a high-profile politician that had been caught having relations with his foreign cleaning maid. It had become one of Luna's and Twilight's favorite jokes, for apparently the stallion had gotten his job from a recommendation from Celestia in the beginning, and Luna absolutely loved to pick on her big sister. "You know who it is." "No hablo ingles, senor!" "Haha, aww yeah." "You're ridiculous. Now get in here!" Twilight opened the door and was barely able to close it behind her before she was enveloped in a hug and smothered with kisses by a giggling Luna. She reciprocated the kisses as best she could, and managed to guide Luna over to the pillows before they lost their balance and fell. Laying on the pillows, they simply lay together and cuddled for a while, passing the time, occasionally talking. Hours passed smoothly, yet not too fast and happily, like a bubbling stream, much like they usually did on Twilight's visits to the castle. Luna had come to accept and even approve of the lack of Royal Business sent her way by Celestia, as it gave her more time to spend with Twilight. Every once in awhile, Luna would have some meeting or some business to attend to, but more often than not Twilight could attend as well, and sometimes she could even help. She had grown up in Canterlot, after all, not to mention she was extremely bright, which makes her a surprisingly good politician. Twilight had never been very interested in politics, but seeing as it gave her more time with her beloved, she was just fine with it. It had been nearly six months since Twilight and Luna's first kiss, which had been a month after they had first realized they both had feelings for each other. Twilight had been working with Axion the whole time, and since the lab was only an hour and a half flight from Canterlot, she would often come see Luna on the weeknights, and go to the library in Ponyville on the weekends. However, over the past few weeks, she had been allowing Spike to run the library almost single-clawed. He had grown a lot over the past few years, in size and temperament, and Twilight felt safe with him there alone, managing the books. He was tall enough to touch the tops of the tallest bookshelves when he walked on his hind legs, a habit he had mostly gotten out of, and he was very proud of how he towered over Twilight. While Spike had been busy at the library, Twilight had been fairly busy with Axion. They had completed the machine as much as they could, but were still lacking the most important piece. They had been unable to fabricate any kind of receptacle for the power that was to come out of the machine. All their resources and research pointed to the Moon Stone or Sun Stone. Nothing else they could make or discover could possibly handle the immense load safely, and manufacturing something of that magnitude was very difficult, maybe even impossible. Many days had been spent on trying to figure out an alternative, but none was forthcoming. Twilight had been trying to summon enough courage to ask Celestia about the Stones, but she was nervous to admit knowledge of something she shouldn't. Their relationship isn't quite what it used to be. Twilight's rumination was interrupted by a sleeping Luna shifting beside her. They had been quietly laying on a large pillow by the window, and apparently Luna found it very comfortable. It was just past three in the morning now, still plenty of time before the moon was to set, so Twilight felt no reason to wake the sleeping Princess just yet. Instead she stared out the window at the moon, and thought some more. Her thoughts settled on the Moon Stone. It was the only thing that would work, and it seemed too far out of reach. I just wish I could ask about it...... But..... A single small tear rolled from Twilight's eye. She didn't pay any attention to it, until a midnight black hoof reached up and wiped it away. Looking down, she realized Luna had woken from her nap. "Well good morning, sleeping beauty." "What's wrong?" Twilight smiled and nuzzled her lover's neck. "Tears of happiness." Luna stood and stretched, then leaned down and kissed Twilight on the top of her head. "If you say so." "I do, and did." "So, anything happen while I was asleep? I don't suppose any letters came, laden with messages of apocalyptic doom or something exciting like that?" "While you were asleep, the western part of Equestria was invaded by the zebra tribes of the deserts, the eastern part was flooded by the ocean, the north was destroyed by the dragons, and the south was completely eradicated by a virus. Every single pony in the world was killed except us." "Hmm. Interesting. Tea?" "Yes, please." "What time is it?" "A bit past three." Luna fixed two cups of tea on the nearby counter, and brought them back to the large pillow where Twilight still lay. They sat and drank the tea in silence for a few minutes. After it was finished, Luna finished what little paperwork there was for her to do, and then the couple sat and played various board games until it was time for the moon to set, and another morning began. They slept most of the day, as Luna usually did, and Twilight had been able to get used to doing after spending the whole night awake. Saturday evening found the couple out in Canterlot, simply spending a night on the town, enjoying the sights and sounds. They both used simple illusion spells so that they wouldn't attract attention to themselves. Twilight was her old self again, while Luna went as a shapely black unicorn. The evening went well, and much fun was had by both before retiring to the castle. Sunday evening was spent much the same as Friday night, with much cuddling and talking and not much of anything else. Near midnight, Twilight went to sleep so that come the morning, she could fly back to the lab and continue her work with Axion. Monday morning, Twilight landed in front of the old building smoothly, and went inside, down into the laboratory itself. She didn't immediately see or hear Axion, so she walked deeper into the maze of machinery. She found Axion near the very back, sitting on an old couch, not doing anything and looking very morose. "Something the matter?" "Well, I think I have found an answer to our conundrum, but I think you won't like it." "You mean the Stone? What is it?" "Are you sure you want to hear?" "Of course!" "Well, over the weekend I did some more calculations. I arrived at three conclusions. The first, is that we absolutely need one of the Stones, or something just as potent. The second, is that we cannot possibly make anything as powerful as the Stones without first having one. The third, is that Celestia will not willingly part with either Stone." "So.... What does that mean?" Twilight knew what Axion was going to say an instant before her mouth even moved, but for some reason Twilight asked anyway, hoping that her intuition was wrong. It wasn't. "We have to steal a Stone." Twilight took a step back and nearly tripped. Her mind had frozen, then went into overdrive. She had been expecting that response, but that didn't change the impact it had once said. Steal? From A Princess? From CELESTIA!? "No! Surely.... There has to be another way!" "Search your feelings, Twilight. You know what I say to be true. It is the only way." "It can't be... It just can't be!" Twilight walked over to a chair and collapsed into it. Axion just sat quietly, and watched her. Twilight was thinking, harder than she had ever thought in her life. On one hoof, it's wrong, wrong, WRONG. Stealing, and from Celestia at that! But on the other, it might be the only way..... No, don't even think about it! It's wrong! But...... "Please, take some time off and think about it. I realize I have just presented with an idea you would see as reprehensible, but I beg you to believe me when I say it is the only way. If there was another option, you know I would choose that instead, but there is not." "I just......" "Take some time off, think about it. Come back in a week. By then I will have a plan, and we can either move forward, or sit still. It is your decision." Twilight numbly nodded and walked out of the laboratory. Her thoughts were at a standstill, and she found herself flying towards Canterlot before she realized she had even left. Luna will probably be asleep. But... I can't go to Ponyville. Why not? I don't know. I just... Can't. But.... Luna. She'll be wondering. What do I say? But I... What if.... UGH, THINK. . . . THINK. . . . Ugh. Twilight's inner consternation kept her occupied until she landed near the castle. She had been debating whether to turn around, but since she was here, might as well go in. She walked past all the guards, and was in the main hall before she realized it would be busy in the daytime. Ponies were everywhere, walking in all different directions, but on the far side of the room was the pony Twilight suddenly realized she didn't want to see, but of course would be nowhere else. Crap. Celestia. Maybe I can... Twilight began to pick her way across the room, using the groups of politicians and other visitors to try and make it to the door she sought before she was noticed. However, the first and only known artificial alicorn was quite an auspicious spectacle, even if she was trying to be sneaky. Before she could make it halfway across the room, she was spotted by a group of younger stallions in suit jackets and ties. They looked like politicians, but they introduced themselves as journalists and began to beg Twilight to give an interview, as she had only given one after getting her wings, and it was short and contained only a bare minimum of actual information. She had since denied all other requests. The beleaguered Twilight tried to deny their requests and move along as quickly as possible, but to her distress, some of the ponies around the small group overheard what was being said, and came to talk to Twilight as well. Soon, half the population of the room was swarming her, and the other half looking on. All the ponies wanted something different: An interview, scientific notes, how to get their own wings, to endorse their product, and so on. Twilight began to panic, as now Celestia had surely noticed what was going on. "No, thank you... No.... Please, I must.... Excuse me.... No, I won't..... If you please..... I'm going...." Twilight tried to move through the mob around her, but it was nearly impossible to make any headway. She made another few yards towards her destination, but the door seemed like it was miles away. After she had managed a few steps in succession and felt like escape was near, she ran into a group of particularly stubborn journalists, and spent several minutes stuck in place, denying repeated requests for interviews. They simply wouldn't accept it, and just as Twilight was considering saying yes just so they would leave, the lighting level in the room raised, and the whole crowd grew silent as they turned to the source. Celestia had risen from her throne and spread her wings, and was gazing at the crowd. "Pardon me, loyal subjects, but if you would please allow my beloved pupil to pass, myself and her have some business to attend to." The sea of ponies in front of Twilight split, and she was facing a pathway that lead right to the throne, the one place she wished to avoid above most others. But now she had no choice, so she began to walk down what felt to her like the highway to hell. At the end, a demon itself sat, waiting to feast on her fears and mistakes. After what seemed to be an eternity, Twilight reached the throne where Celestia sat, tall and regal. Twilight kept her eyes down until the very last moment, and when she finally looked up, it was with a feeling of dread. Where most ponies saw Celestia's practiced smiling indifference, Twilight saw more. Celestia turned back to the assembled crowd before her. "My dear ponies, please excuse us. I shall return within an hour." The Princess rose, and walked back and through the door behind the throne, with Twilight following her. She wordlessly followed Celestia through a short hallway, then turned into a large, if cozy sitting room. A small fire crackled to one side, surrounded by soft pillows. It was to these pillows that Celestia went, and Twilight did as well. They sat for several minutes, Celestia staring at Twilight, and Twilight doing her best to avoid the accusing and magnetic gaze. Soon enough, however, Twilight was looking back into that harsh gaze. "Good afternoon, Twilight." "Good afternoon, Princess." "It's been a while." "Yes, it has." "Too long." "Yes, Princess." "Please, just Celestia, or Tia as my sister calls me. Speaking of whom, I believe you have been spending a lot of time here after dark." "Well, you see, the library here..." "Oh, please, Twilight. I know what you and Luna have been up to, and I must say, I approve." "You... Do?" "Well, yes. It has been too long since you or Luna has been very sociable to my knowledge, so I think it's great that you two have befriended each other." She knows, but doesn't know all of it... Good? Probably. "Yes, we... Have a lot in common." There was silence in the room. Celestia was the first to break it. "I do apologize, Twilight. It does seem to be slightly... Awkward." "It's fine." "No, my dear, I'm afraid it is not, and also I fear it is my fault." "No, please I..." "I insist. If I hadn't... Oh, I digress. I'm guessing it was Luna who you came here to see?" "I figured she will be asleep, but I was just going to wait until she's awake." "Well, who am I to keep you? Please, continue. I must get back to the throne room, anyways. I'm sure you may have noticed all the ponies there on business." Celestia rose, and so did Twilight. They walked out to the hallway, where Twilight was to go left, towards Luna's rooms, and Celestia right, for the throne room. "I shall see you soon, Twilight. Take care." "Yes, you too." Celestia walked away, and Twilight let a small sigh escape her as she walked away. That wasn't so bad. Twilight took a few steps down the hall and stopped. Wait.... Was she wearing the Stone? I don't... Twilight turned to take another look at the Princess, but she had already gone through the door leading to the throne room. Wouldn't I have noticed something that has given me more consternation than anything the past few weeks? Surely. Her regalia.... It's usually right in the center of.... Was it blank? Was the Stone there? Maybe I was just too nervous to notice. Yeah, that's it. After all... Twilight shook her head and pushed the anarchistic thoughts out of her head. She walked to Luna's sitting room, where they usually met, but instead of going in and making herself comfortable to await the sleeping Princess, Twilight abruptly changed direction. On a whim, she walked past the room, towards Luna's bedroom. She had only been in there a few times, but remembered where it was easily enough. Twilight gently opened the door, and stepped inside. She quietly closed the door behind her and was immediately shrouded in near complete darkness. Making her way to where she remembered the bed to be, Twilight delicately avoided any obstacles in her way. She was about halfway there when she heard Luna's voice. "Twilight. An unexpected surprise." "Yes. There was an unexpected delay with the research so I got the week off." "Well, good. Please, come here. You can tell me all about it, provided I don't fall asleep again." "Sounds good to me." Twilight smiled to the darkness as she began to move forward again. "Twi, dear?" "Yes?" "You're going the wrong way."