//------------------------------// // The Ninth Day // Story: The Final Choices // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// Twilight tapped into the energy of the Roots - her Roots - and brought out two people. She had survived the strain yesterday just fine, and with the mana fount she could probably bring out many more… but it was best not to draw attention. First, now that things had calmed down and she had no more urgent need to get certain individuals out of the Roots. She could finally give Pinkie her sister back. Marble appeared in a cowering position, looking up at Twilight with fear - but also hope. Pinkie appeared out of nowhere and tackled her to the ground. “Marble! Oh Marblemarblemarblemarblemarble!” The pink pony’s hug was strong enough to make Marble squeak like a dog toy. “I’msogladyou’rehere!” “M...hm…” Marble mumbled through her vain attempts to breathe. Twilight allowed the sisters to reunite while focusing on the second soul she was released from the roots: a young orange dragon by the name of Smolder. Twilight had chosen her for several reasons: Spitfire had been asking for another suitable soldier, Ocellus had been asking for one of her friends, and Smolder’s boredom in the Roots had been causing a fair bit of chaos. Might as well get her out, since it would be better for everyone involved. “Huh. Guess it’s finally my turn. Sweet.” Smolder folded her arms and grinned. “So, Queen Headmare-” “Not the Headmare anymore, that’s Sweetie,” Twilight corrected automatically. Smolder rolled her eyes. “Right, right. Lemme guess, trembling paperweight over there doesn’t have a job?” “Hey!” Pinkie blurted. “You be nice to Marble, she’s just as important as anypony else!” “Right…” Smolder said. “So she does nothing, what do I do?” “Wh- hey! I’m not finished with you!” “Calm down, Pinkie,” Twilight said, turning to Smolder. “You’ll no doubt want to check in with Ocellus, and then I think Spitfire has some defenses she’d like to go over with you. I know you’ve been trying to turn away from the ways of the Dragon Tribes, but…” “Yeah yeah, I know, only dragon who really knows how to fight,” Smolder smiled. “I’ll burn our enemies to a crisp, you can count on me!” “I know I can.” “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a small bug-horse I need to get acquainted with…” She spread her wings, only to stop short when Spike entered the room. “Hey, I’ve got blueberry muffins!” Spike declared. “Who want…” He froze when his gaze fell upon Smolder. An awkward silence fell across the room. Neither was sure what to say to the other, if anything even could be said. Ichor ran to the rescue, sliding in front of Spike. “Hey, Uncle Spike, how about we go help Discord with those games he was setting up today? And by help, I mean make sure he doesn’t blow everything up. Sound fun?” “S-sure…” Ichor corralled Spike out of the Castle and toward Discord’s food mountain. Smolder sighed. “Meh…” “You know, you don’t have to worry about it right now,” Twilight said. “Dragons live a really long ti-” “Tell that to my brain.” Smolder tapped herself in the head. “It ain’t gonna stop, Twilight.” “...I’m always here to talk.” “Yeah. I know.” Smolder flapped her wings and took off toward the School. Twilight sighed. “I thought…” “Hey, turn that frown upside-down!” Pinkie ordered, getting in Twilight’s face. “Nothing is trying to kill us, diplomatic relations are going well, and Marble’s back! Of course there’s going to be some drama, there’s now room for it!” Pinkie patted Twilight on the head. “Everything’s fine, don’t worry. They’ll resolve it somehow. And if they come to you for help just do what you’ve always done!” “Improvise?” “Yep!” Pinkie said at the same time as Marble’s “mhm!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Right, right, right… heh. Guess I do have a pretty good track record. Anyway… that shaper trade deal is today, I need to prepare for that. See you later.” ~~~ “...And then there was this whole thing with Rarity powering everypony up…” Pinkie went on. “Mhm,” Marble commented. “...and it was so awesome I got to see a lot of weird stuff that didn’t matter and Dashie got to see a lot of weird stuff that did matter…” “Mhm?” Marble asked. “...see it was all about how our Elements and super-cool-awesome abilities interacted with the world, mine were a little more far reaching but less useful…” “...Mhm.” “...I’m serious, Marble, it’s like a stack of pancakes versus a nice brilliant velvet cake! The pancakes are just too much and are gonna fall over at any moment while the cake is just the perfect slice of what you need, even though it’s a little sweet…” “Mhm!” “Wha? Scandalous!” Pinkie giggled. Suddenly, she pulled Marble into a tight, tense hug. “...I’m glad you’re out.” “Mhm.” “Are you glad to be here?” Marble fixed Pinkie with her soft, knowing eyes. She made no noise - she only nodded, tightening her hold on Pinkie. “Ow! That’s pretty ti-” Marble squeezed harder. “This is revenge, is it? A war of hugtrition it is then!” Marble let out a soft giggle, squeezing Pinkie until she squeaked. “No fair!” “Mhm!” “Aaaaaaaaa!” Red Fox fell out of the sky, wearing a comically oversized samurai outfit. The two Pie sisters were split apart as the fox-faced shaper drew her sword and pointed it at her opponent. “Begone!” Ichor - dressed up like some kind of viking - landed on her back hooves and twirled her dual axes. “I shall never begone! I shall… be here!” “Boo! Lame!” Eagle called from the sky. “I’d like to see you come up with a better one-liner!” Spike dropped from the sky, riding what appeared to be a cardboard pony skeleton. “Looks like it’s time to take out the trash.” “Eep!” Fox screeched, backing away from the draconic cavalry. “C-can we talk about this, fair knight?” “Beat him up, mom!” Eagle called down. “B-but isn’t the skeleton pony really strong?” Discord appeared next to her. “I mean, only if you try to hit it with a sword.” “My weapon is a sword!” “Oooh, sucks to be you.” “Discord!” “Hey!” Pinkie said, waving. “You guys look like you’re having fun!” “Wanna play?” Spike asked. “There’s always room for more party members?” “Nah, I’m hanging out with Marble tod-” Marble took a step in front of Pinkie and nodded. Pinkie gasped. “M-marble! You sure? This is a game of adventure, combat, high stakes, magic, and…” “Mhm!” Marble looked nervously to Discord. “Well well well… the meek Pie sister wants to be an adventurer?” Discord slithered up to her and looked her in the eyes. She flinched back from him. “Geez, I won’t bite. A lot of things in this game will, though…” Marble shook her head, pointing at herself and the others. “If you insist. I’ll make you…” Discord scratched his chin. “Geomancer!” Suddenly Marble was in a green mage’s robe with a pom-pom on her pointed hat. “I’m pretty sure that’s not the standard geomancer getup,” Spike said. “Shush, it’s comfortable, and I think she likes it.” “Mhm!” Marble agreed. “Now, you arrive on the scene with a samurai, a dread knight, and a skiving - you have no idea what is going on. Have fun!” “And your sister the bard is here too!” Pinkie transformed into her usual adventuring getup. “Let’s go! Treasure awaits!” ~~~ Smolder looked out the window of the School at Spike and Pinkie battling a cardboard hydra. She sighed. “Why don’t you go out and have fun with them?” Sweetie asked. “It’s not like we have any classes right now, and Spitfire doesn’t need you quite yet.” Smolder turned to glare at the unicorn. “W-what did I say?” Ocellus, the last creature in the room, sighed. “Nothing wrong, you just didn’t know.” “Know what?” “She and Spike are the last dragons in existence. It’s… awkward.” “Why would it b-” Sweetie turned beet red. “...Oh.” “Yes. Oh.” Smolder folded her arms and glared out the window. “And now that’s gonna be on our minds every time we see each other.” “You could just not deal with i-” “Already heard that from Twilight.” Sweetie turned to Ocellus, begging for help. Ocellus frowned. “So, Smolder, what do you think your options are?” “Aren’t any. Dragon race is more important than personal feelings. He’s the only option. At least you have options.” Ocellus frowned. “If I am to be the new queen it’s just something I’ll have to do.” “How can you be so… so calm!?” “I grew up a changeling in Chrysalis’ hive. I suspect I have a bit of a mental block. I’ve already decided Kevin’s a pretty good option. Been talking to him.” “...Kevin? That loser?” “Well, it was either him or Nuddles.” “Nuddles?” Sweetie asked. “Changeling of the Everfree. Don’t worry, he’s harmless, though a bit crazy.” Smolder frowned. “You always were able to get so… dispassionate about things.” “I mean, I was a little uneasy at first, but it has to be done, so…” Ocellus shrugged. “I like Kevin well enough, I’m sure it’ll work out fine.” Smolder stared at her like she was an idiot. “What?” “You’re just… sure? But… but…” “It’s not like it requires love, th-” Sweetie coughed. “Maybe we don’t have to go there? Twilight can probably cook up some genetic modification spells or something. Just make new dragons from you two without any pressure on you two.” “...We’d still have to raise them,” Smolder muttered, folding her arms. “...Is that what you’re afraid of?” Ocellus asked. “Me? Afraid? Hah! Hah…” Sweetie smiled sadly. “If Spike’s any indication, Twilight can raise dragons just fine.” “Spike won’t be able to keep his claws off them, and he’ll drag me in somehow like he always does…” Smolder grunted. “This sucks! I don’t want any of this!” “I am serious, you can wait until you’re older,” Sweetie said. “I already said I can’t sto-” “Then go talk to Spike about it and make a decision!” Sweetie blurted. Smolder and Ocellus stared at her. “S-sorry.” Sweetie calmed herself down. “I just… if it’s bothering you that much, you should find a way to resolve it. Make a plan. Okay?” Smolder was beginning to sweat. “W-well, you know what, I think I can wait, just fine, you know? No issu-” Ocellus raised an eyebrow. “Smolder?” Smolder rubbed the back of her head. “Not buying it?” “No,” Sweetie and Ocellus said at once. “Right, fine, I’ll go talk to him at… some point today. Some. When I’m ready.” “I will have Pinkie hunt you down at nightfall if you haven't done it already,” Sweetie said. Smolder fumed, followed quickly by a sigh. “No way out, huh?” “Welcome to Advanced Friendship Studies: Life,” Ocellus deadpanned. “Yipee.” ~~~ “So, here it is,” Twilight said, laying a metallic, purple box with a circular depression in it on the ground. The shaper dignitaries from all the Kingdoms - and the Nomads - looked at it with curiosity. “Uh, what is it?” the Gourd asked. Twilight sighed, turning to Sunset. Sunset coughed. “This is a simple magic-to-electricity generator. Put magic in the hole here, and electricity comes out through the different ports in the back. Twilight, care to demonstrate?” Twilight nodded, placing a lamp next to the box. She plugged it into the box and tapped the box with her horn, prompting the lamp to light up with a blue tint. Sunset continued. “This box can provide power to just about anything. Lights and heating elements are some of the easiest to work with, but computers, toasters, refrigerators, and communicators can all feed off the power of the box. All you do is stick magic in the hole.” “And what does this have to do with us?” a Flower mare asked. “You all said you wanted trade? This is where we start with trade,” Twilight explained. “You all have magic of some sort, somewhere. The crystals from the creatures of the Sphere can be used, your own shifting powers, or anything else you may think of.” “Mana founts,” a Gourd said. “Shhhh!” a Grass hissed. Twilight smirked. “Yes, a ‘fountain of magic’ would be great for this, I assume. Do you mind explaining what they are?” Everypony but the Gourd shifted uncomfortably. “Uh… no.” “Perhaps in time, then,” Twilight said, returning to the box. “Each of your kingdoms will get one of these boxes to do whatever you wish with. It will come with a lamp, a heating element, and a radio antenna; along with a book on how the first two items function so you can make more of your own.” “Why not the radio antennae?” “You can take a book out of the library while you’re here if you want, but uh… it’s a little more complicated to make. Translating electricity to waves to electricity again to sound is… a lot more involved than heating a filament.” “You have no idea how long it took me to explain it to her,” Sunset snickered. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Regardless, this thing should be able to manage enough electricity to power lights for a city block, so long as you provide it with enough magic energy.” “And what is the price?” the Tree asked. “Nothing physical, just a future agreement of more trade. Consider this a starting gift. Now, if you want appliances like a toaster or something, that will cost you. Resources, knowledge, or even your local currency. The intention, however, is that this is the start of a long, mutually beneficial relationship.” The various shapers all nodded in agreement, though they glared at each other untrustingly. “Good! I can’t wait to hear what you do with them!” ~~~ The ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Mostly destroyed in the rough landing, but a few bits still stood a short distance from where the Tree of Harmony had once been. A few slabs of rock and tapestries remained, a reminder of a time long past. Celestia walked through the rubble, picking up slabs with her magic and examining them closely. Occasionally she would find a tapestry depicting her or Luna, and she would smile or frown. Her mood shifted so much here it was hard to tell why she was doing either. She had avoided coming here, though she found it difficult to admit it to herself. She had already mourned, right? That was all that needed to be done… Right? No… No, she was not done mourning. Not entirely. Even if the worst was behind her, it was not done, and would not for a long, long time. And even then, just mourning was not enough. It would never be enough. So she did more. She took as many slabs of castle stone as she could and fused them together into one large obelisk. Carefully, she encased it with her magic and began to chisel away. The sharp, angular form soon became smooth, eventually taking the shape of a large pony. Two soft, comforting wings sprouted out of the back, a pristine horn poked out of the forehead, and a swirling mane twirled off behind the form. Celestia depicted the alicorn with closed eyes and a serene smile, that of one watching over the dreams of all. Celestia opted not to put any regalia on the statue, allowing the alicorn to stand beautiful all on her own. When the statue was carved, Celestia still wasn’t done. She went through the wreckage of the Tree of harmony, picking up shards of crystal and pulverizing them into dust. She adhered the dust to the statue’s mane and tail, giving them the appearance of stars. Finally done, Celestia stood back and admired what she had created. A statue of Luna - calm, serene, cosmic. Specifically made to be true to the Princess of the Night, with one minor detail changed. She was taller than Celestia. “They will remember you, my sister,” Celestia said, bowing to the statue. “I will make sure of it.” The statue’s smile seemed to be satisfied. “Woah. Sweet statue,” Rainbow Dash said, landing at Celestia’s side. “Where are you gonna put it?” “Right here,” Celestia said. “Over the castle she grew up in.” “Nopony’s gonna see it…” “This is the edge of our land. There can be a staircase off the edge. Discord could make another escalator. On Nightmare Night, we will celebrate her. A new tradition…” “Sounds great,” Rainbow admitted. “...Man, you’re a pretty good artist.” “I suppose my lack of talent in acting means I have superb taste in aesthetics.” “...What?” Celestia smiled warmly. “Oh, my little pony… it was a joke.” “I don’t get it.” Celestia chuckled. “Aaaaaand now you’re laughing at me, I’m out.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I’ll get the others here to look at Luna’s thing.” “Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” “Don’t mention it.” ~~~ Smolder was flying alongside Spitfire. “Now, I know you know how to fight,” Spitfire was saying. “But you’re gonna need to be a bit more organized in any sort of large-scale conflict.” “Mhm…” Smolder grunted. “So, there’s a few things you’ll need to know. First, always get yourself a wingpony - or wingcreature, I guess - that can watch your back.” “Mmm…” “Second, you may have a lot of power, but if you’re burning your home you aren’t doing anybody any favors.” “Mmm…” “Third: focus. This means pay attention to what’s going on, what’s happening around you, and dealing with personal problems before you head into a life-or-death confrontation.” “Mmm…” “Hey look, there’s one now!” “Mh- AUGH!” Spitfire grabbed Smolder by the back and drove her into the ground, creating a small crater right in front of a particular small, purple dragon. “Uh…” Spike said, blinking. “Thank me later,” Spitfire said, taking off into the air. “I am not going to thank you, featherbrain!” Smolder shouted after her, waving her fist in anger. “Did Sweetie put you up to this? Hey! Get back here!” “...I don’t think she’s coming back,” Spike observed. Smolder stared at Spike. “Uh. Yeah. Good observation.” “Thanks.” There was an awkward silence. Spike rubbed the back of his head. “So… why did Spitfire crash you right in front of me?” Smolder folded her arms. “Because I wasn't paying attention, can you believe it?” “With Spitfire involved? Totally believable.” “Yeah! She’s got a stick up her plot or something! I don’t have to learn about fighting, I’m a dragon, I was just there out of courtesy! I could take a dragon on just fine. Not my fault I was preoccupied.” “Preoccupied?” “N-nothing important.” Spike raised an eyebrow. Smoke began to rise out of Smolder’s nostrils. “F-fine.” She sat down on a nearby rock and crossed her arms. “We need to talk, Spike.” Spike sighed, sitting down on the grass. “This is about the whole ‘last dragons in Equestria’ thing, right?” “Yep. Captain awkward-central-o’clock.” Spike cocked his head in confusion. “Don’t judge my mixed metaphors.” “I’m not sure that w-” “Moving on!” Smolder declared, clapping her claws together. “We have to figure this out.” “Really?” Spike frowned. “I talked to my friends a while ago… they said I could just want and see, you know? Bigger things to deal with.” “What I wouldn’t give to have your nice, innocent little brain,” Smolder muttered, flopping back and letting out a deep groan. “It won’t leave my head. Can’t stop stressing over it.” Spike sighed. “You must be really stressed if you’re admitting it.” “No, really!?” Smolder laughed, covering her eyes with her claws. “Aaaaaaagh…” “Look, calm down…” Spike rubbed the back of his head. “Calm down!” “I don’t think we can, uh, work this out with you yelling and groaning and… this-ing.” Smolder sat up, blinking. “...Why do you have to be so reasonable all the time?” “Raised as a pony!” “Yeah. Right. Forgot.” Smolder stretched her wings and looked at his face. “Okay. We need a plan.” Spike frowned. “A plan?” “Yes. A plan. As in a-plan-so-I-can-know-where-my-life-is-going.” “Well, after everything settles, uh…” Spike began to sweat. “There’s the normal way, and there’s Twilight figuring out genetic whatever magic. A-” “That… isn’t the problem,” Smolder sighed, frowning. “I… think I could… uh… you. Eventually.” Spike flushed. “R-really?” “Not exactly a lot of eligible bachelors around.” “W-well, I’d need to get a date set up first a-” Smolder sighed. “Sure, consider it accepted, and all that junk. Woo me over candles and tea parties and…” “...frilly dresses?” Smolder flushed. “Uh… yes.” “Yes!” Spike laughed nervously. Smolder shook her head. “But! But! I wasn’t done with my rant!” “A-oh.” “I just… I saw Ember with the hatchlings. And…” Smolder folded her arms. “I…” “...You’re scared?” “We’re the only dragons on this rock!” Smolder shouted. “No matter what, genetic magic or not, they’ll look to us on how to be dragons! Do you think either of us really know how to do all that? You’ve only had those wings for a year and I never got to experience any of the things the elders would tell us about! How do they deal with their hordes? Is there etiquette for being big? How do you control the greed?” She pulled on her ears. “Neither of us know those things! We’ll teach them wrong because we won’t know better!” Spike frowned. “Maybe they’ll be fine with being raised like a pony?” “Spike, you’re one of the mildest-mannered dragons in existence and even you got obsessed with being a dragon more than once. I read the Friendship Journal.” “Oh. Good point.” Spike frowned. “Wait, hold up.” “What?” “Why are we sure the older dragons knew what to do? You met Torch! He barely knew about friendship!” “I’m not talking culture, Spike, I mean physical things. We go through more changes than the molt, and I’m not sure I know all of them! And there’s nobody here who would!” “Even Celestia doesn’t know much…” Spike frowned. “...Maybe Discord…” “Big fat lot of help he’ll be.” Spike scratched his chin. “Maybe we don’t need to know.” “...Come again?” “Maybe we don’t need to know! We’ll just figure it out as we go along with our friends at our side. No matter what insanity getting big throws at us, we can figure it out!” “And what about all those dragons who’ll follow us and mess up just as badly?” “I… don’t think that’s how it works,” Spike said. “I’ve been around Celestia a lot, and I’ve seen a few things. I know she’s made mistakes in the past, and she knows it. So she makes sure her ponies don’t make those same mistakes. If we screw up we can help the rest by telling them ‘yeah, this thing? That didn’t work, don’t do that.’ See?” Smolder frowned. “Again, you’re way too reasonable.” “I do my best!” “So, what, the plan is just ‘figure it out as we go along’?” Spike smiled nervously. “P-pretty much!” “...I can respect that.” “Heh.” Silence fell over them again. “S-so am I still, uh, taking you out on…?” Smolder rolled her eyes. “Yes. There better be some real fancy tea though.” “Of course!” ~~~ Rarity let out a happy, satisfied sigh. “You look happy,” Fluttershy observed. “Oh, I am.” “Can I ask why?” “Little Spikey-wikey’s finally growing up!” She clapped her hooves together excitedly. “I thought he got the wing-” “He and Smolder are going out on a date and it’s the most adorable thing ever!” Fluttershy frowned. “...I hope they weren’t pressured into that…” “Rainbow says she doesn’t think so.” “...I hope they don’t realize Rainbow is always watching.” “Yes, well, let’s just ignore that for now, why don’t we?” Rarity pulled her mane back and beamed. “I’m just happy that he’s finally found someone.” Fluttershy cocked her head. “Don’t give me that look.” “Rarity, I know you know he had the biggest crush on you. Everypony knew it.” “Yes… and, admittedly, I did not treat him particularly well in that regard…” Rarity frowned. “I should apologize for taking advantage of him all those times.” “Yeah.” “But it was never something I really wanted, and he was a dragon - I said don’t give me that look - and, well… he was young. Honestly, there were a few times where I thought of suggesting Sweetie Belle should try to woo him.” Fluttershy stared at Rarity in shock. “I didn’t!” “You thought about it.” “What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic.” Rarity giggled. “And now there are two dragons sitting at a table. I expect I will need to make a very frilly wedding dress…” Fluttershy facehooved. “Jumping ahead, are we?” “A mare can dream.” “You’re not even the… nevermind.” Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “I am happy for him too, for what it’s worth.” “I bet we all are! ...Except possibly Rainbow, since she has to sit through the whole thing.” “I CAN HEAR YOU GOSSIPING!” Rainbow shouted from overhead. “I know~!” Rarity called. Rainbow facehooved. “Ugh, look, let’s ju-” she stopped mid sentence. “Uh-oh.” “Uh-oh?” Rarity said, confused. “Uh-oh,” Rainbow confirmed. “...Twilight just found a pony hair in the, uh, secret cave. One that wasn’t supposed to be there.” “Oh my…” Twilight appeared in front of Rarity with a teleport. “Somepony’s been in the mana fount room. It wasn’t any of us.” “Who was it then?” Twilight held up a small, black hair. “It’s not anypony we know. I scanned the magic on this thing. It’s got the blairne magic signature.” Fluttershy gasped. “They’re… here?” “They shouldn’t be bu-” Rainbow gasped. “I… I see a blairne group coming from the east!” Twilight bit her lip. “...Prepare for guests. But also prepare for… the unexpected.” ~~~ The Blairne that arrived were the exact same ponies as last time. The fiery Ashen and the blank Nirix were easily identifiable. Verberate was nowhere to be seen. Twilight fixed her gaze on Nirix. The dark hair she had found in the mana fount room was distinctly similar to her coat’s coloration. Mystery solved, most likely. Though how did she get here without us noticing? Twilight, Rarity, and Celestia were all there to meet them. All the non-ponies and wraiths had been ordered to hide, though the shaper dignitaries had been allowed to remain. Twilight forced a smile despite her unease. “Welcome back, Ambassador Ashen and Agent Nirix. Do you bring word from the Impervious Ruler?” “Yes,” Ashen said, smiling. This was not a good sign. “First of all, congratulations, the Impervious Ruler has declared the position of your races on the hierarchy.” “And what is that?” Rarity asked, tense. “Earth ponies lie at the bottom,” Ashen began. “Followed by pegasi, wraiths, shapers, and…” his smile faltered. “Blairne.” Rarity raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Ah. So we’re at the top then?” “Blairne,” Ashen hissed. “Unicorn… and then alicorn.” He turned to Celestia and bowed his head. “It is an honor to be before such a creature.” Celestia nodded but frowned. “I appreciate the gesture, though I am but one alicorn here, Ambassador.” Ashen’s smile returned. “And that brings us to the second thing… you.” He pointed a hoof at Twilight. “You are an abomination against nature. The races are not meant to be changed. Allowing such a creature to become… ruler is disgustingly blasphemous. You are a unicorn, Twilight Sparkle. To pretend to be anything else is outright evil.” Twilight frowned. I am a being of pure Harmonious energy at this point… “And what does that mean for relations with the blairne?” “It means you must be eradicated,” Nirix said, emotionless. “This is a formal declaration of war.” Twilight paled. “W-w-wait! Can’t we… come to an agreement?” “Surrender?” “W-what if I rescinded my wings?” Twilight sputtered. “There’s probably a magic that can return me to a unicorn, and Celestia c-” “That would be acceptable,” Nirix admitted. “Would.” Twilight frowned. “But?” Ashen snered. “We know about Discord. Sunset. The changelings. Your nation is a cesspool of unnatural beings!” Discord appeared behind them. “My my, what good little spies!” He levitated the two of them into the air. “Stupid, though. Declaring war on me? Ohohohoh…” Ashen hurled when he saw Discord. “You… digsuting…” Discord snapped his fingers, cleaning himself up and zipping Ashen’s mouth shut. “Yep. Idiots.” “You do not have the might of the blairne,” Nirix said, looking to Twilight. “You will fall to the army. Your magic will do nothing.” “How did you spy on us?” Twilight asked. Nirix said nothing. “I said how did you spy on us!?” Twilight roared, eyes going white. She surrounded Nirix’s mind with an aura of magic, attempting to break into it. She couldn’t. There was a spell blocking the way. Twilight frowned. “So… you do have access to spellcraft.” Nirix stared at her - not with worry, but with surprise. “Don’t worry, the spell kept me out of your mind. Whatever secrets are in there are safe. But the fact that I couldn’t get in let me find the spell.” She frowned. “Blairne blade-horns cannot do spellcraft. Frostfire would have told me if he knew of spellcraft. You must keep the art a secret…” “Frostfire?” Nirix said. “I thought I was supposed to stay hidden!” Frostfire shouted from inside the castle. “I don’t think that matters anymore,” Twilight said, frowning. “Come on out.” Frostfire walked out, glancing nervously at Nirix. “COWARD!” Nirix shouted. “Yeah, well, uh…” Frostfire wiped his forehead down. “I’m out here facing you, aren’t I?” Nirix charged, only to be completely encased in Celestia’s magic. Twilight stared at Nirix. “...I’m placing you and Ashen in magic isolation. If you want to tell me any pertinent information, just shout. I’ll notice. Otherwise, you are now considered prisoners of war.” Ashen, despite having a zippered mouth, still managed to look smug. She teleported both of them into confinement. Then she allowed herself to panic. “OKAY!” Twilight put a hoof to the side of her face. “We’re at war, apparently! Frostfire, I hate to say it, but you were ri-” “I was wrong,” Frostfire said. “Well, I was right, but for the wrong reason. He wouldn't dare declare war this quickly unless he saw an active threat.” “...The mana fount?” Twilight asked. “Why w-” Her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “The mana fount… and the spellcraft. Or some combination of the two.” Frostfire nodded. “I… I am sorry, I did not know enough. I…” He frowned. Twilight turned to the shaper dignitaries. “Return to your nations. This will get ugly and you should not be here when it does.” The shapers looked a little nervous, but none of them argued. “Ebony!” Twilight called, teleporting the wraith out of her hiding spot in the castle. “You should leave too.” “I believe we will stay,” Ebony said matter-of-factly. “I cannot speak for the full family…” “Make your decision quickly, whatever you decide. Sunset!” “Yes?” Sunset said, poking her head out of the castle too. “I am going to tap into the mana fount and get as many ponies as I can out of the roots. Are we sure it’s safe?” “Absolutely!” “Good. Everyone, prepare for a flood!” Twilight spread her wings, feeling with the Roots the energy of the mana fount. All of it surged into her and several lights began to appear around her. Gallus. Silverstream. Yona. Sandbar. Kevin. Zecora… Everyone she could think of as being helpful or supportive in a conflict. “Rainbow Dash, catch them up on what’s going on,” Twilight ordered. “Discord, Celestia, Rarity, Sunset, with me - we need to make a plan.” ~~~ It was quickly decided they needed to try something to gather more information before actually beginning a plan. After ensuring that the blairne armies were not going to reach them today, they set to work. Rainbow Dash sat in the middle of a magic circle, eyes closed. “Okay… we sure this is going to work?” “Not at all,” Sunset admitted, flipping a switch Discord had graciously offered her. “But we’re going to try.” “Here’s to hoping he’s still paying attention…” “I’ll make him pay attention…” Discord growled. “Everyone, calm down,” Twilight said, holding up a hoof. “Discord, you and I are not joining them.” “Wh- why? I want to show him a piece of my m-” “We are the ones that insult him. We’re just here in case something goes wrong. Celestia goes with them. He placed her at the top, that must mean something.” Celestia nodded. “It would be best to make a good impression when meeting the Impervious Ruler.” “I still am not clear on how we’re doing that,” Discord said with folded arms. “Simple,” Sunset said, walking up to Rainbow. “Rainbow already contacted the Impervious Ruler when Rarity supercharged her last time. I will piggyback with my empathy, taking Celestia with us. With Rarity present, we should be able to keep the connection up as long as we need. We’ll have a nice… talk.” Celestia set her jaw. “Yes… talk.” “What are we waiting for?” Rainbow called. “Let’s do the thing!” Rarity turned to Sunset. “Ready?” “Ready.” Rarity trotted up to Rainbow and touched her hoof to the pegasus’ shoulder. Rainbow could see the entire Sphere again. This time, however, she knew how to focus. She pointed her attention into the sphere, toward the Blairne Empire. “Here,” Sunset said, echoing in Rainbow’s mind. “Here,” Celestia added a second later. “Lead us, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow obliged, looking for the presence she had encountered last time. She found him the same time he found her. Hey. The eyes of every color looked upon her with curiosity. “I take it my contingent arrived.” You could say that. Name’s Rainbow Dash, and I’m going to stop talking before I get yelled at. The mare you really want to talk to… Greetings, Celestia said, pushing her mind in front of Rainbow's. I am Princess Celestia of New Equestria. “I see you elected not to send the mutant Queen.” She was my student, your Highness. I would appreciate it if you spoke of her with more respect. “As you wish, Princess. My advisors found it hard to believe a being such as you would engage in such unnatural practices.” And you? “You are from a different world. I cannot expect the hierarchy to extend there. In truth, you may be right, the hierarchy may not exist at all.” The eyes focused intently on her. “Not that I would ever admit to such publicly.” Why not? I ruled Equestria for well over a thousand years. I know that nations can change. “It is useful. It makes ruling more efficient.” I disagree, but I am not here to condemn your practices. I am here to plea for peace. Anything for the sake of my ponies. “How do you control the mana founts?” Our magic is uniquely attuned to it, as it turns out. There was no need to mention Twilight specifically. “Then the resolution for peace is simple: give me this magic.” Difficult. It is tied to our land. “Then I will accept turning over all your land as terms for peace.” Celestia grimaced inwardly. Twilight and Discord were keyed to the Roots, as were all the people and ponies left inside. They could, with time, release themselves from the Roots and presumably give Discord and Twilight normal bodies, but… But then the Impervious Ruler would have control over the Roots of Harmony. Unless… Unless they could drain the magic. Yes. Drain the magic, discard it. Save all the ponies, leave the land, and the Impervious Ruler would have completely useless Roots left behind. They would have to run, to rebuild, but the Impervious Ruler would have nothing. They would have nothing, too. But they would survive. I accept those terms. Give us time to move out. “My armies will arrive tomorrow. They will receive word of your surrender and oversee the preparations.” That did not give them much time. Thank you, your Highness, for listening to us. “I thank you for being reasonable. But, I warn you, if you have some sort of ploy… I will hunt you to the ends of the Sphere and beyond for your treachery.” Understood. They were thrown back to their normal sense of reality. “Wh- what was that, Princess!?” Rainbow shouted. “You jus-” “I do, in fact, have a ploy,” Celestia said, interrupting her. “Twilight… we are going to have to work exceedingly quickly.”