//------------------------------//
// The Sword Of Sorrow 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

"Yo!" Valey landed on one of the ramparts overlooking the eastern sporting fields, having homed in from far away on a familiar yellow earth pony and overgroomed sarosian.

"Valey!" Amber greeted, the space shared with half a dozen other ponies who were all cheering on a practice game between two teams in color-coded jerseys. "What's up?"

"Been looking for you." Valey shoulder-bumped both of them. "What's up here, though?"

"Getting an eyeful of the local attractions," Felicity sang, keeping her gaze half-fixed on the field below. "It's like everyone here either plays or watches some sport or another. This island as a whole must be in nearly as good of shape as a northern military force."

Valey brushed her mane out of her eyes and fixed her hat. "From my experience, these kids could run laps around Ironridge's fighters any day, as far as speed and power are concerned. Not that I'd wanna teach them to fight. Let them have their innocence. Though hey, maybe they could make fencing or wrestling into a thing..."

"Makes me want to get down there and have some fun too." Amber glanced longingly at the field. "Though I think this game is a little serious for my skills... but hey, what did you want us for?"

"Uh, well, Felicity in particular." Valey shuffled, taking a seat to watch as well. "I need to borrow your monk art expertise. Not urgent though."

"I hope it isn't," Felicity murmured. "I'm starting to catch onto the rules, and this game is nearly finished. Just a little patience, darling..."

A whistle blew sharply, and a loud yell came from the field. "He made it!" Amber jumped in the air.

"...Huh." Felicity blinked. "Well, I didn't think it was that nearly finished."

Valey stared for a moment as some ritual postgame ceremony began and all the other fans broke into excited chatter. "How long has this been going for?"

"Oh, at least an hour." Amber shrugged. "We arrived in the middle, though, so beats me how long."

"Well, that was exciting." Felicity fanned herself. "Now, what was it you were asking about my arts?"

Valey gave a sidelong look at the other students on the rampart. "...They might be better questions to ask somewhere a little more private."





"How's this for a little more private?" Amber folded her hooves in satisfaction, resting her chin atop them and a table. They were in a reserved library study room, one with padded, soundproofed walls to reduce distractions, won over easily for them because the librarian knew who they were and most of the students were done studying for the day.

Valey glanced around, impressed. "It's almost like that's exactly what this room is for."

"Admittedly, we did tour the library earlier, so we already knew about them." Felicity shrugged, taking a seat and fanning herself with her wing. "Now what can I help you with?"

"Long story short, I need to know about potential harmonically-weird artifacts we might have on the ship," Valey began. "Stuff that could be messing with the scientists' sensors here. We're considering asking them for a favor, and they're considering being much happier about it if we could figure out what we have that's screwing with them. It's probably not just the windigo hearts... I hope." She put her hooves on the table. "Anyway, I remember you said some stuff once about that sword Starlight turns into a stick, and wanted your expert opinion on what it is."

Felicity blinked. "Ah... that thing. I do recall it... What kind of opinion are you looking for?"

Valey shrugged. "Well, first off, what did you say about it back then? I know you did something with it before, but I have no clue what it was or when. And second... what do you think about it, I guess?"

"Hmm." Felicity frowned in thought. "Well, it's rather hard for me to forget. It was after that one battle in the tournament, where Shinespark attempted to take your place and was sliced by the sword in question. The paralysis one? When I tried to work my arts and heal her, I found her body had been scarred by sorrow so immense it physically hurt for me to make art contact with her."

"Sorrow?" Valey blinked. "Like, as in... the sword might have been made from sorrow itself? Like its material is emotion given physical form?"

Felicity blinked back. "Made from it? Well, I'd probably have to see it in person to say for sure..."

"Should I go fetch Starlight?" Amber hesitated, then got to her hooves. "If it would help to see it in person..."

"Yeah, good idea." Valey nodded her along. "See what the kiddo has to say, and if her sword itself has any details."

"Roger!" Amber saluted and bolted out the door.

"Wait..." Felicity stretched out a hoof, but it was too late. "Oh well. I was going to say I'm really not so sure it's smart for me to try using arts on that thing, given how much of a shock it was merely touching Shinespark."

Valey paused... then slumped. "Bananas, yeah. You're right. I don't know, maybe you can tell something without actually touching it? I mean I've held the thing before and not died. You just don't wanna get cut."

"Then either I need a better handle on what you're asking me to do, or you need a better one on how I go about doing it," Felicity said frankly, reaching down and rubbing her legs. "You do know how Mistvale arts work, right? I feel like I've explained this to you?"

Valey tilted her head. "Run it past me one more time?"

Felicity sighed. "Right... Imagine you intend to walk across this room. You think it, and your body does it. Your mind controls your body, yes?"

Valey nodded.

"Now imagine I want you to walk across this room," Felicity continued. "My intentions, your body. Your mind and my body don't have much to do with it. So what I need is a way for my mind to control your body much in the same way yours does, only differently because your mind and body are attached by whatever mystical magic makes life function and mine and yours are not."

Valey kept nodding.

"So all Mistvale arts really are are a crude tool to bridge that gap," Felicity finished. "There are differences and limitations, of course. Actual walking requires a lot of continual feedback, moving your legs and watching for obstacles and so on. But I can do things that wouldn't usually be within your realm of control over yourself because there's no reason for your mind to be able to do them... like command your muscles to lock up. What I'm getting at is that Mistvale arts... They feel like holding your soul in your hoof and using it as a key or tool, I suppose. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't feel like bridging that sort of connection between myself and an artifact with this sort of power."

"Yeah... fair enough. When you put it like that, I wouldn't want to either." Valey put her chin on her hooves. "Bananas. Well, I guess that doesn't leave us with a lot of options for investigating this thing. I'm still kinda suspicious it's one of the things that's messing up the scientists' readings, but I guess we can't know for sure."

"Apologies I couldn't do more," Felicity sighed. A moment of silence passed, and then she asked, "So. How have the days been treating you?"

"Well enough." Valey shrugged. "Lotta science hullabaloo. How about you?"

Felicity pursed her lips. "It's really hard to say. On the one hoof, Amber and I have been meeting a lot of problems... some of which are our fault, but still. On the other, they're relatively normal problems. I honestly haven't felt this normal in... well, ever, and that's despite being grounded and stuck with this." She sat up, stretched, and put her forehooves on her slightly-rounded belly.

Valey stared. "Well, that's good, I guess? You've been spending a lot of time with Amber?"

"Trying to expand my network of friends," Felicity admitted. "She's an enjoyable mare, and if she finds anything about me awkward, she doesn't let it get in the way of a good time. I've been trying to get to know her better."

Valey nodded. "You thinking it would be cool to spend a while hanging out with us, then?"

"If you'll have me." Felicity nodded back. "It's not like I have much of a choice, so I'm very fortunate the company is good. I'm tiring quicker and quicker, and it'll only be a few months before I might not even be able to look after myself. I'm certainly beyond all but a few dubious ways of earning income already..."

"Don't talk like that. Of course we'll take you. That's what I was hoping you'd be cool with." Valey got up, walking around the table and seating herself at Felicity's side. "But, uhh... I'm just wondering, but has Amber mentioned anything about a long-term arrangement to you? And if so, has she said anything about Ironflanks?"

"About Maple? I don't believe so, darling. Why?" Felicity tilted her head in thought. "I have noticed I don't see her quite as much as the others, but assume that's mostly thanks to her injuries."

Valey fidgeted. "She's, uh... got a thing." She pointed a hoof at Felicity's belly. "About that. And it's maybe a little uncomfortable for me to talk about on her behalf, but you should definitely ask her to talk or hang out or something, or just get in a position where you'll be talking, and see if anything comes up. And if it doesn't, ask Amber. But she's got a bad history with having kids."

"Oh." Felicity stared down at herself. "I... see. Well, thank you for the warning, darling."

"Yeah, no problem." Valey relaxed in her seat, pondering what to say next. "Say, uhh... Back to the Mistvale arts thing, didn't you say at some point that the whole sword body sadness paralysis thing was actually something monk arts could do too?"

Felicity hummed in interest. "Well, theoretically, yes. But I used the metaphor of Mistvale arts acting as a key before, yes? This would be like trying to use that key not as a lockpick, but a battering ram. A test of raw force, rather than subtlety and technique. Exacting your own will upon someone else's body requires equal parts a strong will and knowing how to work in ways they won't be able to contradict with their own intentions. And while it may be an alien or uncomfortable idea that our wills or souls or whatever you want to call them are somehow finite or measurable, trust me when I say that we have our limits and the amount of power that would require is... much, much higher than any mortal could ever conceivably provide."

"You been hearing any of the stuff that's been floating around with the scientists here relating to this lifestream thing?" Valey raised an eyebrow.

"I may have heard it as a buzzword once or twice. Why do you ask?"

Valey took a breath. "Well, they're real big on this class of materials they've got that are apparently emotions given physical form. Like, the lifestream is apparently this gigantic sheet of liquid hope that stretches under the entire world, and moon glass is made of loneliness. Moon glass came from a goddess who was strong enough to create batponies as a species." She held out her hooves, staring at her forelegs. "And we're thinking the lifestream is, like, the entire world's will to exist, as if it's alive and has emotions too. So maybe mortals like you and me are too wimpy to do something like what that sword can do using Mistvale arts. But on a scale of goddesses to the world itself, how plausible is this sword's existence?"

"Are you talking about how much emotional power would it take compared to the strength of those things?" Felicity tilted her head. "Well, it would need to be too high for me to make any sort of accurate metaphor for the scale, but I think if we were talking in terms of worlds and goddesses? Yes, if the world was alive, I'd imagine it could very easily muster up this kind of force. Though it really wouldn't be much of a comforting thought if all that sadness belonged to it, if that's what you're getting at."

Valey hesitated. "What... kind of sadness are we talking about?"

Felicity sighed. "The sad kind. There's not really a way for me to describe what's there other than what wasn't. There was no anger. No resentment. No disgust. No reprehension. No injustice. No blame. It wasn't the kind of sadness that comes from some wrong that needs to be righted, where you deny and reject and fight back. But loss, grief, mourning, acceptance of a sad fate? Those words could fit. It was pure sadness, like tears waiting for a reason to be shed. Honestly, the fact that it carried no malice whatsoever is what made it so unlike anything I've ever felt."

"Oh?" Valey carefully lifted an ear. "You, uh... sound like you could use me asking about that."

Felicity shook her head. "I've lost a very lot in my life, Valey. When I lost my mother, I vowed to survive and find justice for my siblings' sake. I was destitute, but hateful as well. A patient hate, not about to strike indiscriminately but waiting until the day I could find its true target. Later, when I lost my siblings, I felt like I was drowning in desperation and regret, and worked as hard as I did to keep your friends alive in part to keep my own sanity afloat. But this sword... Well, you could say it was regretful. The sadness I felt in Shinespark, I'm sure it would have been happier had that sadness never happened. But there was nothing trying to change it. As ironic as it sounds to say it, that sword wasn't there to fight. It was just in mourning."

"Huh..." Valey rubbed her hooves together. "Well, if ether is pure hope and moon glass is pure loneliness, maybe pure sadness is also a thing and the rest of the negative emotions that go with that are somewhere else. I'm willing to bet this sword is the same as those two, but what I really wonder is if it's from the world or Luna or something else..."

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door. It was Starlight and Amber.

"Good timing!" Valey hopped up and opened it for them. "What's up? Hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Not really." Starlight frowned, then held out her saddlebags. "You were looking for my sword?"

Felicity emphatically shook her head. "We... ah... had second thoughts, darling."

"Oh." Starlight looked away.

"Hey, though, maybe you'd know some stuff anyway? Since it's your sword and all." Valey shrugged, retaking her seat. "Where did you get it? We're trying to theorize about what it's made of."

Starlight gave her an owlish look, then pulled the dagger out and set it on the table, turning it back into a full-length black sword. "I don't know," she said. "I got it from someone who can't tell us where they got it anymore."

Felicity huffed. "Well, that doesn't tell us much." She reached out a hoof and slid the blade closer, then leaned down and sniffed it. "Hmm. Well, I really doubt I'd learn anything from trying to use arts on it that I don't already know, and I highly doubt it would be good for me. I will if you command it, mind." She glanced at Valey. "But that's only because you're you, and I'd really rather not."

"Nah, don't hurt yourself." Valey patted her on the back. "It's funny, though." She stared at the sword. "You did say it basically does something you could do with Mistvale arts, if you were insanely ridiculously soul-strong. And you kind of do it in the same way, too, right? You punch someone with your hooves, you stab and slice them with this thing?"

Felicity frowned, choosing her words carefully. "The... best way I can describe it, like I said, is that it feels like you're holding your will in your hoof as a key or tool, darling."

Valey squinted at the sword. "Or a weapon?"

"If you're a brute." Felicity flipped her mane. "I like to hope I've made it clear that I use my arts for other things. There are far more productive, profitable and pleasurable uses of a power like this than merely to beat people up in fights."

Starlight reached out and tossed a tiny chunk of black metal across the table, the same material as the sword. "What about this one?"

Felicity blinked, tapping it with an inquisitive wingtip and then giving it another sniff.

"That's from Chauncey," Starlight said. "It used to be a part of him before he removed it with magic. Grandpapa said he used Mistvale arts in a special way on windigo hearts..."

"This from an ordinary stallion, you say," Felicity hummed. "An insane one, but a mortal nonetheless..." She tapped it carefully with the frog of her hoof, and her pupils momentarily dilated. "Oh my. That's fascinating."

"Yo, what happened?" Valey leaned in, staring intently.

Felicity held the chip between two hooves. "This little trinket has... an entire story of emotions inside. Camaraderie. Love. Faith. Betrayal. Confidence. Overwhelming rage, coupled with yet more love. It feels as complex as a pony, when I try to use my arts to get a read on any of you, yet frozen in time instead of flowing and alive. I've never felt anything like this at all..."

Valey leaned even closer, her cheek brushing Felicity's as she stared at the metal lump. "That sounds like the backstory we got for Chauncey, alright. But what is that? It remembers stuff? I thought your memories were, like... tied to other stuff?"

Felicity shook her head, Amber leaning in on her other side. "There's no knowledge here, darling. Only emotion. I wouldn't call this a memory at all. Still, if you're looking for singular emotions like hope and sadness, this absolutely isn't that. It's like a monochrome painting in here."

"Stanza's crown was also made from that," Starlight said from across the table, half laying on it to get closer. "Chrysalis said it was full of emotions from all the prisoners Chauncey made it listen to, or something."

Felicity just stared. "I'm no scientist, but I'm vastly curious what this material is."

"Well, let's not experiment on ourselves to try making more." Valey gave her a quick shoulder-squeeze, then backed off. "Hey, though... You know, I never remember Chauncey or Crystal ever doing any Mistvale arts."

"Chrysalis said she couldn't," Starlight cut in. "She didn't know how... or something."

"And you said using them felt sort of like using a weapon..." Valey's eyes shifted between Felicity and the sword. "And this thing is a weapon, and does similar stuff to Mistvale arts. And you make this stuff in the first place by using Mistvale arts, only it's more like extraction since making it prevents you from using dusk statues, according to Grandpapa, so you're actually losing something when you make this. And none of the ponies we know have made it have ever been seen using Mistvale arts..." She glanced between everyone. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

Amber took a breath. "That this stuff is actually how Mistvale arts work?"

"Yeah." Valey tapped the tiny chip. "I'm willing to bet there's some way we could turn this thing into like an arrowhead or razor or really small blade. Maybe it's affected by transformation magic like the big one. And if we did, and you tried cutting someone with it, it would leave no wounds, and be like if you tried monking them with the exact same intentions that it's feeling now."

"But Chauncey is dead," Amber pointed out.

Valey shrugged. "This thing's still here."

"Which would all imply this larger sword came from someone incredibly powerful, using a similar process" Felicity observed, drawing everyone's attention. "From whom, and just how powerful they were, aren't things we'll ever be knowing, I suspect. But that, I think, is your answer on what this thing really is."