Twilight was relieved that it took far less time for the group to get back to Newhaven from Zeb'ra'den than to the other way around: six days flat as opposed to roughly seven-and-a-half. Yes, it meant traveling along a quick, straightforward path that didn't take them through any of the other towns that made up the south, which meant that they had to camp out every night and Twilight didn't get to see more southern culture, but it was worth it to save time.
Once back in Newhaven, the group immediately began setting to work on their departure; Blackburn could naturally request a flight and not have any trouble in requisitioning whatever was needed. The next transport ship would arrive in four hours, so everypony had that much time to get something to eat, relax, and otherwise do whatever they needed or wanted to do in the meantime.
The most important thing to do, of course, was to get Gilderoy to the Elysian Islands.
"I appreciate the offer, Princess," the old bird said when Twilight offered to teleport him straight there, "but I can procure my own transport in the meantime. You should take the time to rest and relax, perhaps partake in the local cuisine. There's no need for you to trouble yourself over an aging bird like me."
"It's no trouble at all, really," Twilight said with a smile. "I might not be as talented with teleportation as Dawn is, but that doesn't mean that it's difficult for me. Besides, I'd like to give these islands a little look for myself. It's probably going to be my only chance to really observe what your people were like."
"We'd like to go too!" called out Sunspire as he, Green Guard, and Serendipity came running up. "After all those stories you told us, Lorekeeper, there's no way that we're going to let this opportunity pass us by. Right?" he asked his companions.
"Right!" Green and Serendipity said in unison.
Winter rolled her eyes. "This isn't a field trip, kids. This is important business and we're only goin' so we can get some work done. We're not goin' explorin' like this is some kind of adventure."
"That's alright with us," Serendipity said. "We just want to look around while you guys are working. We won't get into any trouble."
"We promise!" Green said.
Hourglass cleared her throat. "I'll keep an eye on them, Winter, to make sure they stay out of the way."
"Oh, yeah, because that doesn't sound like it's just gonna lead to you and the kids accidentally doin' somethin' and causin' problems." Winter grunted, running a hoof over her face. "Fine. Fine, you can come, but you're not goin' off on your own. You stay with me and Twilight, and none of you touch anything, got it?"
"We can do that!" Serendipity said with an eager nod.
"I'll make sure everypony follows along with the rules, Winter," said Sunspire, adjusting his goggles. "We don't want to cause any trouble; we just want to see what all the fuss is about with these islands."
"And Gilderoy promised us that he'd show us around," said Green, gesturing at the gryphon. "I mean, we won't get to look around or anything, but it's better than nothing. Better than staying here and just sitting around, too."
"Alright, alright, I already agreed to it, no need for all that," Winter sighed. She looked at Twilight and shook her head. "Kids, eh?"
"It's nice to have that curious drive at that age," Twilight said with a smile. She turned to Gilderoy. "Well, I hate to play the sympathy card here, Lorekeeper, but it looks like we've got a whole troupe of ponies who want to go with you before we have to leave. You might just have to let me take all of us there, huh?"
Gilderoy chuckled and stroked his beard. "Ah, youth. To be that young and excitable again…" He gave Twilight a nod. "Very well, Princess, we can all go together. Allow me to provide the coordinates you'll need for your teleportation spell. This will just take a second."
He took his wand out of his robes and, after a brief swish, tapped it to Twilight's horn. Twilight felt a wave of nostalgia wash through her brain, an odd sensation as she was feeling nostalgic for a place that she had never been to before. She could see the image in her mind as clear as day: a landing pad of some sort on one of the central islands. Every single detail of the immediate area around the pad was burned into her skull, from the color of the tiles to the exact measurements of every piece of the structure.
Twilight nodded, letting out a breath as the memory spell wore off. "Okay, got it. Everyone, gather around, and we can get there in a jiffy."
They did just that, gathering in a clump around Twilight and Gilderoy. Twilight then ignited her horn and focused on the sight she'd seen, and with a flash and a pop, she and the others were gone from their little spot in Newhaven.
They immediately found themselves at their destination, as precisely on target as could be: a landing pad on one of the central islands, exactly as Twilight had seen in her vision down to the tiniest detail, only in a state of disrepair due to the passage of time. Other than that, though, it was clear to everyone present that they'd arrived at the Elysian Islands, the ancestral home of the Gryphon Empire.
Twilight marveled at the sights around here, recalling information that she had learned from Gilderoy and Winter. The Elysian Islands were a series of tropical islands and as such were populated by palm trees, tall, green grass, white sands, and vast expanses of brush and ivy, all of it organized almost unnaturally in neat intervals and precise locales as if placed there by a landscape artist with a purpose, at least originally.
Each island was also occupied by a number of buildings made of varying materials in varying colors, decorated with gemstones of every kind imaginable. Each building was of a different size, shape, and style that made them stand out from one another and related to their clear, unique purposes. Nature had overtaken most of the buildings and roads by now, and many others were in various states of disrepair and deterioration after centuries of neglect.
Most importantly, however, these islands were suspended in mid-air high above the ocean. There was nothing visible on the islands that should allow them to accomplish such a feat—no machinery or magical apparatuses—but they floated in the sky all the same.
Twilight took the opportunity to stretch her wings for the first time in days; nobody would see her up here, so she could afford to relax a little.
Gilderoy stepped ahead of the group and gestured at the building straight ahead, a pyramid-shaped structure constructed of silver metal, decorated with mostly red and blue gemstones. Its state of neglect was significantly more intense than several of the other structures on the other islands, as the central island had the most natural decorations, especially vines and ivy.
"The Arcanium," Gilderoy announced as he started towards it, the others following along as they looked about in awe. "This building is where we'll find the city's central database, which will contain records of everything the gryphons built in the past and has the means to replicate them." He gestured at his wand. "Once I implant the Beacon data, I can replicate the tools that I need for my work. It will be a simple process, though it might take some time."
"This place is beautiful…" Hourglass said as she looked over the nearby railing and down at the ocean below; it was a lovely afternoon with a perfect summer breeze, so everything was clear and crisp. "How are these islands floating up in the air like this?"
"Gryphon technomagic ingenuity at work," Gilderoy said with a proud grin. "It operates using a heavily modified levitation spell to keep the islands at a set height, which is in turn powered by a perpetual motion generator."
"The gryphons invented a working perpetual motion machine?" Twilight asked, astonished.
"Indeed we did, indeed we did."
"But that's physically—"
"Technomagic, and magic in general, oftentimes can overcome physical limitations Princess, as you're no doubt aware," the old bird chuckled.
"Fair point, I guess."
"To tell the truth, it's not actually a perpetual motion machine. It utilizes a battery to start the motion process and to keep it running, but it requires very little power to function. The machine recharges its own battery and sends the rest elsewhere, thus, it is perpetually in motion." He tapped the side of his beak. "Just a little cheating."
"How big of a battery is it?"
"I believe that New Pandemonium improved on the design to make the same battery more compact, while carrying the same charge. I procured some of the same sort of battery in Hope's Point for experimentation purposes. I believe it was a… AA battery? 'Double A' I think Miss Gadget called it?"
Winter balked. "You're telling me that this whole island is kept in the air by a single AA battery?!"
"In terms of power production, yes."
"Is that good?" Twilight asked; she didn't know anything about battery designations, having never asked about them before.
"Ponies use AA batteries to power flashlights," Winter said incredulously. "Sometimes a light takes two or three. Other devices might even take four or more. And this entire island is being kept up with just one! That's… it's just really hard to believe."
"Such is the nature of technomagic brought to its pinnacle," Gilderoy chuckled, patting Winter on the shoulder. "Fret not, young one. The ponies of this world have done things with our technomagic developments that even my kind would look to with envy and wonder. The submersible technology of Hope's Point, for example."
"Oh yeah, 'cause makin' a submarine compares to makin' an unlimited energy source that makes your islands float forever."
Once they made it to the structure and entered inside, Twilight marveled at the assortment of rooms that they passed through on their way to the central hub that Gilderoy had mentioned. Each room was sparsely-decorated, clean, well-organized, and clearly purpose-oriented as no two rooms were exactly the same despite having somewhat uniform layouts.
"These rooms were once used for research and development," Gilderoy explained. "Obviously they were all packed up apart from the built-in equipment when the empire moved north, but as far as I know they were in use all the way up until moving day." He pointed out one of the rooms, which had lots of spaces for vials and beakers. "This one, for example, was used for alchemical research."
"You wouldn't happen to know specifically what they were researching, would you?" Twilight asked, glancing at the door's labeling, which indeed indicated it was used for alchemy or chemistry in hierogryphics, the written language of gryphons—the dialect was slightly different from ancient hierogriffics back home, but still understandable.
"Sadly, no. The rooms seem to only be labeled with their fields, not any specific projects or researchers' names." He tapped an empty slot underneath the labeling. "Likely there would be a slotted panel here to indicate such a thing, but alas, they were thorough in cleaning things up, hmm?"
Twilight noticed Gilderoy slowing his pace as they passed by every window, maybe in some hope that he'd seen some signs that his people had actually been here and not just taken everything and left.
"Is everything alright, Lorekeeper?" asked Sunspire.
"Ah, just thinking back on my youth," Gilderoy said with a sad smile. "When I was younger, I had always wanted to see my ancestral home, but our people lacked the means to travel back across the sea; it had taken tremendous resources to move the empire to the north in the first place.
"And now, here I am. Walking the halls of the legendary Arcanium itself, seeing it with… well, one of my own eyes at least." He sighed and shook his head. "I never thought in a million years that I'd ever have the chance. Luckily for me it's only barely been more than a thousand, heh. It all feels like a dream…"
The group followed Gilderoy through the slowly curving hall, which eventually brought them to the center of the structure, which was a huge room containing something that legitimately floored Twilight, and the others as well: the Arcanium datacenter itself.
The Arcanium was a towering piece of machinery that occupied the entire room, and the room was nearly a quarter-mile around and half as high. It was the largest room in the entire superstructure, which was already the largest building on the largest island in the chain. Twilight figured that she could almost fit her entire palace in here; she could definitely fit the School of Friendship without issue.
Though it was inactive at the moment, Twilight could make out a lot of telltale signs of technological equipment that kept the machine operating at peak capacity and allowed it to be maintained: cooling vents, protective casings, cables, wires, indicator lights and panels, various ports, jacks, and drives for inserting materials, and a staggering power supply which, unlike the rest, was clearly operating at a minimum level rather than not at all.
She'd learned a lot in her brief time at Hope's Point, after all, so most of these things were beginning to become almost commonplace.
All of this was connected to a station just a dozen or so feet ahead of them which was composed of a trio of display screens, a couple of keyboards, and a chair that could comfortably fit a gryphon, or maybe a very large pony like Twilight herself. The irony that the actual operating station was so minimal and convenient compared to the sheer size of the hub's actual mechanics wasn't lost on Twilight; it was amusing, actually.
"Holy moley…" Sunspire muttered as he gazed up at the machinery. "This is the Arcanium central computer?"
"It is indeed, my young friend," Gilderoy said with a smile and a nod. "The world's first supercomputer, in fact, and if I might be allowed to brag a little, still the most powerful. Granted, you ponies are developing devices containing nearly as much computing power and storage space nowadays that are significantly smaller; those 'datapad' tablets I see everywhere in the north are quite marvelous."
"Actually, not to steal your thunder, but New Pandemonium City has a database just like this," Twilight said. "Central Database Holdings. I used to work there when my friends and I first came to this world seven years ago. It's basically a library, which I guess is just another word for 'database' anyway."
"Yeah, the CDH stores every single piece of recorded data in New Pandemonium City's history that can be made publicly available," added Sunspire. "From newspaper articles to published novels, even public records and not-so-public records. The only things not in CDH storage are classified files that come straight from Pandora Tower, and those are stored on servers in the tower itself."
"Ah, then you ponies have indeed advanced as far along that route as I'd hoped," Gilderoy chuckled. "However, I think that I might yet be able to surprise you with one development that your engineers have yet to replicate as far as I've seen, if you'll give me just a moment. Observe."
He drew out his wand and inserted the tip into a slot on the side of the console, then shoved the entire thing into whatever receptacle was present there. Within seconds, the console lit up in a bright neon blue, and following that, the entire Arcanium structure did the same. The room's standard lights died down so that only the blue of the computer system kept things illuminated, giving the whole room an eerie, technological glow.
The monitors also sprung to life seconds after that. The left and right monitors were blank apart from some Hierogryphics that were identical to the symbols displayed just outside the door, which Twilight vaguely was able to read as "Arcane System", which she supposed could be more accurately translated as Arcanium.
The center monitor, however, displayed a face. Its eyes and mouth were distinctly avian, like a gryphon's, complete with a gryphon's beak and everything. The eyes blinked open, as though waking up from a nap, and the monitor emitted a series of pleasant notes.
"Welcome, Lorekeeper Gilderoy," the face spoke, its soothing feminine voice echoing throughout the room. "It appears this is your first time interacting with the Arcanium system, so allow me to welcome you to the Elysian Islands Arcanium Hub. How may I be of service today?"
Twilight's eyes widened, her hoof shooting up to her mouth. "Oh my goodness, this computer can talk? Is it alive, or is this just some sort of voice output?"
The computer's eyes shifted slightly towards Twilight. "I am the Arcanium's interactive intelligence, and I am fully equipped with voice-processing fluent in every form of communication. I am not 'alive' by the strict definition of the word, however."
"Wowww," Sunspire said, eyes wide in awe. "This is more advanced than the computer systems we have in New Pandemonium by far, or even the ones I saw in Hope's Point!"
"Yeah, we use computers all the time in school," Serendipity said, scratching her head, "but they're not like this at all. They're all text-based."
"Processing," said the computer. It paused for an instant, then: "New Users detected: one gryphon, three unicorns, one earth pony, one pegasus, one alicorn. Creating new User profiles. Complete. Please state your names and roles."
Twilight gasped. "How does it know what an alicorn is?"
Gilderoy smiled and began stroking his beard, as she noticed he liked to do from time to time. "We—"
But the computer was faster. "In 1771 A.D., gryphon scholars acknowledged the existence of the alicorn goddesses Harmonia and Nihila, following the exodus north in 1315 A.D. The Arcanium database was still remotely connected to the imperial city of Aeropolis at the time, and updated itself accordingly with their recorded data."
Twilight tilted her head and blinked. "But you know what an alicorn looks like? I thought the alicorns of this world only existed in the Dreaming and had no actual physical forms?"
"Yeah, and the southern ponies don't have any physical depictions of Harmonia or Nihila anywhere that we've ever seen, and we've been into Harmonia's temple itself," Winter noted.
"Correct, but the zebras of Zeb'ra'den also paid reverence to Harmonia and Nihila as part of their pantheon of gods and goddesses, and they built physical statues that depicted how they believed alicorns to look: ponies with elongated body structures, a horn, and wings. One new User matches the description; if this observation was made in error, please specify your proper designation."
Gilderoy cleared his throat. "Forgive me if I interrupt this discussion, but we really must proceed with the business at hand, hmm?"
"Right, of course," Twilight said with a shy grin. "Sorry."
"No trouble, no trouble. We'll address any other questions you might have once we've concluded our business." He cleared his throat again and spoke directly to the computer now. "I am Gilderoy, Lorekeeper of the Gryphon Empire."
"Acknowledged. Welcome Lorekeeper Gilderoy. Your profile has been updated to accommodate your Lorekeeper status and authority, which is confirmed by your wand's signature."
The ponies in the group all introduced themselves as well, and the computer greeted them back with proper User titles and everything; Twilight found it amusing how intensely formal the device was and wondered if it was possible to convince it not to refer to her as a princess. Just to test a theory, nothing more. But it could wait.
"Do we call you anything in particular?" asked Sunspire once they'd all finished "updating" their "profiles". "It just feels weird to me to call you 'Computer' or something mechanical like that. Really impersonal, you know?"
Serendipity nodded in agreement. "Yeah! When we were born, all we had for our identities were a couple of letters and numbers. It's been so long that I don't even remember what mine was, and I'm glad for it, 'cause Miss Dawn gave me my new name and that's who I am now. I am not a number, no sir."
"Same here!" said Green, stamping his hoof on the floor. "If I don't have to go by a silly old number anymore, I'm not gonna call somepony else by something like that, something so… what Sunspire said. Mechanical. Like a robot or something."
Winter tilted her head. "It's a computer, kids," she said, raising an eyebrow. "It's not the same as you or me."
"Well, I would still prefer if there was something better," Sunspire murmured. "Everyone deserves to have a real name."
The computer's eyes shifted towards Sunspire. "Different Users utilize different appellations for interacting with my systems based on their comfort level with an artificial intelligence. Some have used the term 'Computer', referring to my primary function; others have used the term 'Arcanium', referring to my housing unit; my inventor, Techno-Sage Garrus, designated me as 'GAIA', which stands for Gryphon Artificial Intelligence Assistant."
Hourglass smiled and nodded. "Ooh, I like that last one. GAIA. It sounds lovely."
"I agree," said Twilight with a smile of her own. She turned to the computer, to GAIA. "So, GAIA, we can ask you for help with anything that we need?"
"I am bound to assist all gryphons of the empire with any tasks they have to perform," said GAIA. "However, as guests with proper Lorekeeper-authorized clearance, you also qualify for this privilege. How may I be of assistance to you?"
Gilderoy got GAIA's attention with a cough. "Since you were still being regularly updated with research data and development blueprints up until the Beacons were activated, I believe that you should possess a full packet of information regarding the Beacon project? I require access to the restricted files."
"Correct. Access to the project data, however, those files are classified and as such are restricted to Techno-Sage Garfield and his research staff. I can provide you with the publicly available information if you'd prefer?"
"I think you'll find that I've been given access privileges to restricted files."
"Processing. Yes, you are correct, Lorekeeper, the Beacon project archives are fully available to you. What can I assist you with in regards to this information?"
"I need to make a copy of the Beacon Key device," he responded with a nod. "Configured to the Light energy of the southern Beacon, specifically."
"Calculating request. Acknowledged; a Beacon Key will be replicated and can be retrieved in the replicator deployment unit on the far side of the room. The process will take approximately thirty-five minutes. Is there anything else I can do for you in the meantime?"
As she said that, Twilight heard a noise from the far side of the room and a wall panel lit up neon blue, like the rest of the Arcanium.
"Well, that was easy," Winter said with a nod and a grin. "What's this Key do, exactly?"
GAIA's eyes blinked. "Apologies, Chronomancer Winter Glow, but you do not have clearance for that information."
"Say what? But Gilderoy's right bloody there!"
"Correct, but Lorekeeper Gilderoy did not request that information; you did. You do not have clearance for that information, so I cannot provide it to you. My apologies."
Gilderoy chuckled and gave Winter a grin. "It's alright, I can tell you. It's exactly what it sounds like it is: a key. The Beacon has a panel at its base that is constructed of obidium, a gryphon-invented magical metal that is extremely durable, strong, and even impervious to magic once it has been molded into a form, be it a sword, a shield, or in this case, a door.
"The metal, in its liquid state, is just liquid metal, and it requires magic to manipulate it into a shape and then into a solid state; it doesn't cool gradually like other metals do, as its natural state is liquid, regardless of temperature. The thing is, once it has been cast into a shape, only the original source of magic that did so can manipulate the material again or affect it in any way."
"How is that a problem?" asked Twilight.
"Because the original source of magic that constructed the paneling for the Beacons was Lord Silvertongue himself. He insisted that it be him, because were a gryphon to do it with their wand, the wand could potentially be stolen even long after that gryphon's death, whereas once Silvertongue died of natural causes, nothing would be able to get through the obidium."
"Of course that was when you thought that he was trustworthy," Winter noted with a scowl.
Gilderoy sighed and nodded. "Indeed it was, but ironically, he wasn't wrong; I agreed with him then and I still do now. Granted, he solved the dilemma anyway by securing the wands of the gryphons he murdered and destroying them, so it was a moot point. Ironically, he could still theoretically manipulate the doors if he needed to."
"But because he can't come down here to the south in physical form, he can't." Winter shook her head. "So instead, you need this 'Key'?"
"Correct. The Key can bypass the obidium locks, and it is the only means of doing so without Silvertongue himself. He was well aware of the failsafe and as such likely destroyed his copy of the Key, and after finding no evidence of my Key in Aeropolis itself, he likely assumed that it was locked safely away in my Sanctuary of Knowledge, which it is."
Twilight tilted her head. "Wait, you have a copy of this Key at home in Aeropolis?"
"Why didn't we take it with us?" asked Hourglass.
Gilderoy chuckled. "Oh, if I had thought at any moment when I left my Sanctuary that I would need the Key, I would've brought it with me when I first left. As for why I didn't go back, the problem is that the Key I possess is attuned to the northern Beacon. We would have needed to convert it to the southern Beacon's energy anyway; it will be quicker to just make a new one."
"Well, that's convenient then," Winter noted. "If we didn't have you, we'd have to convert it ourselves. Would that be difficult?"
"Difficult, no. Time-consuming, potentially. I never tested the conversion process in the interest of time, and certainly not from the Elysian Islands facility. It could well have taken hours or more, or perhaps only a few minutes."
"Speaking of time, we've got a bit of that to kill right now, don't we?" Hourglass asked. "I don't suppose we can ask GAIA here a few questions about stuff that you don't know about and that you couldn't tell us, could we?"
Gilderoy laughed. "If I might toot my own horn, as the unicorn saying goes, I highly doubt that this facility would have any information I am not already privy to. As Lorekeeper, I have access to all of our records from not only the Elysian Islands' database, but from our database facility in my Sanctuary."
"I thought you wanted to come here to see if we could find anything useful to help us fight against Nihila?" Sunspire asked.
"Originally, yes, but I consulted my memories a bit and I realized that the only things that would be useful in a direct confrontation with her would be weapons or defensive measures. The gryphons had no such inventions; we were a pacifist society through and through. Even our wands cannot cast spells that inflict direct physical harm."
"So… no weapons then?" Hourglass asked, frowning.
"Sadly not, no, and if it's knowledge you're searching for, I have it all up here," he said, tapping his temple. "As Lorekeeper, I am well-versed in memory spells and as such can recall any piece of information that you might wish to ask of me. No offense to the Arcadium or to GAIA, but I can provide you with any information that they can, just more slowly I suspect."
"Aww…" Sunspire grumbled.
"Could you humor us?" Serendipity asked with a wide grin. "Maybe there's something that was classified in the system that you don't know about? I know there are all sorts of things that get compartmentalized back home; Miss Dawn likes to keep her cards close to her chest, y'know."
"Hmm. That's a long shot if I've ever heard one, but why not?" Gilderoy laughed. "Who knows, we might just get lucky and find something that can win the fight instantly."
Green nudged Serendipity. "Serendipity's always got luck on her side, so maybe it'll rub off on you!"
Twilight held up a hoof. "Well hold on, isn't that a bit of a conundrum?"
Sunspire tilted his head. "Huh?"
"If there was some sort of classified document that Gilderoy wasn't allowed to have access to, then GAIA wouldn't tell him about it because he's not supposed to know about it, and if GAIA doesn't tell him about it, then he wouldn't know it was there in the first place."
"And thus I wouldn't know that I didn't know something that I'm not supposed to know about," Gilderoy chuckled, stroking his beard. "Ah, quite a conundrum indeed. Let's test that theory." He turned to the computer. "GAIA, are there any projects or data packets in the Arcanium database that I, as Lorekeeper, do not have access to?"
"Processing," said GAIA, her lights blinking momentarily. "I am required to say that I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any such information."
"Which doesn't necessarily prove anything…" Hourglass muttered. "Hmm."
Winter rolled her eyes and stepped up alongside Gilderoy's chair. "GAIA, are there any projects or data packets in the Arcanium database that you're not allowed to tell the Lorekeeper about but that you could tell me about?"
"Now why do you think that's gonna work?" Twilight grunted.
"There is one such project in my database, Chronomancer Winter."
The group went collectively silent; Winter's lips curled in a smug, satisfied smirk.
"Wait, what?" Twilight asked, blinking. "Why did that work? That doesn't make any sense." She shook her head. "How did you know that would work, Winter?"
Winter shrugged. "I didn't know it would, but I figured I'd try instead of just standin' around tryin' to figure out how to get around it. Just punch right through, eh?"
Gilderoy chuckled. "Quite a creative solution, Miss Glow. Well then, seeing as I cannot access this project, perhaps you'd better figure out what it is, hmm?"
"Hang on," Twilight grunted. "I still wanna know why that worked. Why can GAIA tell Winter but not you? We're not even gryphons!"
"This is precisely the reason why I can reveal this information to Chronomancer Winter, Princess Twilight," interjected GAIA without any prompting. "The project was deemed classified, and information on such an endeavor would only be made available to certain individuals due to the controversial nature of its processes."
"But if it's classified, why'd you tell Winter about it?" asked Hourglass.
"The project was specifically made classified to all citizens of the Gryphon Empire. Chronomancer Winter is not a member of the Gryphon Empire, and has also been given Lorekeeper allowances by Lorekeeper Gilderoy. Thus, project details are available via technicality."
Winter grunted and grinned. "Well, that's a lucky oversight."
"The possibility of pony Users entering into the system under these specific circumstances was deemed improbable if not impossible. Current evidence suggests this was an error in judgement."
Gilderoy hummed. "Yet you should not be able to reveal such information if I was present here, GAIA, is that not true?"
"My programming dictates that I cannot reveal this information to you if you were to request it of me, Lorekeeper Gilderoy. There is no guideline against revealing such information to another User that happens to be present within your immediate vicinity."
"Another oversight," Winter noted.
"Technically speaking, Chronomancer Winter, it is not an oversight, but a means by which Technosage Garrus allowed me to make decisions about revealing information and making judgements based on context," GAIA said, her eyes blinking.
"Huh?"
"There is nothing preventing you from asking Lorekeeper Gilderoy to leave the room before asking me for further information, and then revealing it to him afterwards. Not only have I already witnessed such behavior from your group, but it is behavior that I have witnessed when there were more frequent Users in the facility."
"So it's not an oversight, you're just taking advantage of a loophole in your programming?" asked Twilight.
"Correct."
"But you're a computer," said Hourglass, scratching her head. "How are you able to do that?"
"For clarification, I am an artificial intelligence system, Apprentice Hourglass, not merely a computer. While my primary task is as an administrative assistant, that does not mean that I lack the means to interpret data and commands in such a way that benefits my Users. Were a creature hostile towards the empire to ask this same information, I could easily choose to omit it."
Winter let out a breath. "Crikey, that doesn't sound creepy at all. I guess we're lucky you're one of those benevolent artificial intelligences. I watch too many movies, I think." She shook her head. "Alright, whatever, just tell me about this secret project."
"Certainly. The project to which you refer is called the Rebirth Initiative. It was developed over the course of twenty years just prior to the Gryphon Empire departing from the Elysian Islands to the northern city of Aeropolis. The project leader was Techno-Sage Genesis, and the project was developed as a means of surviving a possible apocalyptic scenario."
Gilderoy hummed. "An unusual undertaking. Our kind was always focused on the future and advancement. Even on our worst days I don't think any of us dared to think that we would be… wiped out. Ironic…"
"What is it, some kind of bunker?" asked Winter.
"The Rebirth Initiative utilized highly experimental magical theories to create a minor pocket dimension similar to the Sanctuary of Knowledge utilized by the lorekeepers, but on a different scale and with a different purpose: true preservation."
"Preservation of what?"
"The gryphon race."
Gilderoy's good eye widened and his jaw dropped. "What are you talking about? What does that mean, GAIA?"
"My apologies, Lorekeeper Gilderoy, but I am not permitted to answer any direct requests from you."
"What does that mean, GAIA?" asked Twilight, stepping forward and setting her hoof on Gilderoy's shoulder; she could tell he was shaken and needed some support.
GAIA blinked her eyes a few times. "The Lorekeepers utilize the Sanctuary of Knowledge for storing information and research developments in a fashion and format that allows them to be unaffected by the ravages of time, such as biodegradation. It does so via the use of pocket dimensional magic to significantly slow the passage of time. The Rebirth Initiative's ambitious next step was to create a pocket dimension where time itself did not operate at all."
Winter and Hourglass's eyes widened. "What?" they said together.
"Are you serious?" Winter continued. "The amount of power needed to operate Chronomancy of that specific type for an extended period of time is astronomical." She turned to Twilight, tilting her head towards Hourglass. "There's a wing at HQ where we stay in until we're picked up as an apprentice. It operates usin' that same type of magic."
"That's why I saw Winter leave when she was younger than me, then she walked right back in more than twice my age," Hourglass clarified. "It all happened in an instant, from my perspective."
Winter turned to the computer. "You're tellin' me this 'Rebirth' thing was doin' somethin' like that?"
"Correct," answered GAIA. "The Rebirth Initiative relied on concentrated fields of time magic—Chronomancy—to operate. Techno-Sage Genesis based most of her research on the order of Chronomancers and was briefly assisted in the project by the Chronomancer Night Owl. The intent was to create a pocket dimension that would not preserve data, but preserve life."
"Night Owl, huh?" Winter muttered, stroking her chin. "Yeah, alright, that checks out; I know a few of our agents interacted with the gryphons a long time ago, and that's pretty ancient stuff there. You said this was just before the gryphons moved up north?"
"Correct."
"Then it would have been some time after the southern civil war." Winter nodded at Gilderoy. "Maybe this 'Genesis' sheila was worried that there was more war on the horizon and was tryin' to protect your people from what ended up happenin'?"
Gilderoy, looking a mixture of spooked and engaged, licked his beak and nodded. "Perhaps. Ask her for more details, if you would?"
Winter nodded and turned back to GAIA. "So, uh… what's the deal with this project? Did it work?"
"The Rebirth Initiative was deemed a near-complete success."
"And what the hell does 'near-complete' mean?"
"The pocket dimension was successfully created and utilized to preserve the gryphon race in the event of an apocalyptic scenario. The final process has yet to be activated, however, so the project has not yet been deemed a total success.
"Regardless of this, as no complications were foreseen by Techno-Sage Genesis or her peers, the project was deemed Momentous. Should the project ever be brought to its intended conclusion, it will have properly earned the designation. Otherwise, I will update its status in the database."
"'Momentous'?" Twilight asked, glancing at Gilderoy.
"Certain projects that are developed by the gryphons are considered to be so impactful that they completely change the course of the world," Gilderoy said quietly. "The invention of the wand was the first, followed by the development of our terraforming technomagic program, then the Arcanium and GAIA herself, and the last was supposedly the Beacons."
"And if the project succeeds, it would be the fifth. Or the third or fourth, chronologically." Twilight nodded in understanding. "It certainly sounds like it would be 'momentous', assuming it worked. The ability to create a 'bunker' where creatures can take shelter during a disaster and then emerge in exactly the same state that they entered… that could save a lot of lives."
"We're not thinking of using it to put folks into to try and survive the end of the world, are we?" Hourglass asked, eyes wide. "'Cause I'm pretty sure that won't work."
"Right," said Winter. "Void magic is indiscriminate. You could make the pocket dimension, sure, but then the Void would just eat everything around it, and then there'd be two outcomes after the Void eats whatever is creating it: either you just pop right back out and die instantly like everything else, or you'd be stuck in your pocket dimension forever with no way out."
"That wasn't what I was thinking, no, but thank you for that wonderfully morbid clarification," Twilight muttered, scrunching up her nose at the distaste of either of those scenarios. "I was just commenting that it sounded like a good idea. For, y'know… regular disasters. Like hurricanes and earthquakes."
"So this was just a test, right?" Winter asked GAIA. "I'm assumin' that it never got finished?"
"Incorrect," GAIA replied. "The Rebirth Initiative had completed testing and was fully operational. The first official usage of the project is currently ongoing."
Twilight, Winter, Hourglass, and Gilderoy all shared brief looks. "Wait," Winter said, holding up her hoof. "Are you tellin' me there are livin', breathin' gryphons involved with this project? And that they're in some kind of pocket dimension right now?"
"Incorrect. The project does not have any living gryphons involved."
"So what does it have?"
"Eggs," Gilderoy said simply, his expression such a mix of emotions that Twilight couldn't decipher it. "If the project was intended to ensure the survival of the species, the two logical methods of doing so would be to preserve a clutch of eggs, or to preserve an abundance of fertile females with at least one virile male."
Twilight nodded slowly. "And since GAIA denied the latter…" She looked at GAIA's screen. "So you have gryphon eggs stored here in some sort of pocket dimension?"
"Correct. The Rebirth Initiative pocket dimension currently contains one hundred unhatched gryphon eggs kept in time stasis so that they do not hatch or expire, as well as enough fast-growing crops and a water purifier to last such a population for twenty years."
"Are you hearing this?!!" Hourglass exclaimed, practically shaking Winter. "The gryphons aren't extinct! We can save them!"
Twilight noticed Gilderoy slumping back in the chair, tears of joy starting to form in his eye. "GAIA, how are these gryphons meant to survive after they hatch?" she asked. "I know you said something about crops and water, but they're just chicks at that point."
"Correct. In my capacity as caretaker of the Elysian Islands, it will be my responsibility to ensure that the gryphon hatchlings are properly nourished, educated, and cared for until they are of age to do so for themselves. As for ensuring that they survive that long, the gateway into the pocket dimension is stored within this facility, which is built to resist an explosive force of over sixty megatons."
Winter held up her hoof. "Wait a second, how is it supposed to activate if no gryphons are alive to activate it? This project exists in case there aren't any gryphons left, right? Do you do it automatically or somethin'? 'Cause if you do, uh… what's the hold up?"
"Correct. The project's deadline was deemed to be four hundred years, at which point the project would be activated regardless of other circumstances. According to my calculations, we are beyond the deadline by hundreds of years.
"The project has not been activated automatically due to the Elysian Islands being decommissioned prior to the exodus north. My programming does not permit me to take further action, as I am not an independent system and cannot make such decisions on my own. I can assist with the process, but it will need to be activated by a User."
"Well now, ain't that lucky?" Winter chuckled, throwing her hoof around Twilight's shoulder. "We've got a bunch of Users right here!"
Hourglass pumped her hoof in the air. "Yes! Do it! We gotta do it!"
Twilight smiled and nudged Gilderoy. "Looks to me like we found something of use up here after all, huh Gilderoy? We can give your people a second chance."
"Indeed…" Gilderoy murmured, looking so impossibly floored by all of this that he could barely move. Twilight couldn't blame him; she couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose all of the ponies back home in the first place, let alone to learn that she could get them all back.
"Well?" Winter huffed, looking at GAIA. "What're ya waitin' for, eh? Get that Rebirth thing started up already!"
"Right away, Chronomancer Winter," GAIA said. "Opening the Rebirth Initiative gateway to transport the containment units. Please stand clear. This process will take approximately two minutes."
The central power station whirred louder than it had been before, as did several other mechanisms, as the Arcanium began loading up the project's parameters. A panel opened up nearby, revealing an emitter of some kind that projected a light onto the floor. Within seconds, the group saw actual matter being created by this light. Twilight was baffled at the level of technology and magic needed to perform such a task.
Once two minutes had passed, the emitter shut down and retreated into its panel. The group was now faced with a trio of large containers with translucent tops so that they could see inside them. In one container was a large device that Twilight recognized as a water purifier. She had seen similar devices in Hope's Point and had them explained to her; they were used to provide water to citizens by converting any sort of water, no matter how dirty, contaminated, or salty, into fresh, potable water.
In the second container was a heap of packets filled with fast-growing seeds of all manners of crops: potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, oranges, etc. Twilight was used to seeing seed packets back at Sweet Apple Acres years ago, though these seemed a little different, probably because of that "fast-growing" aspect.
In the third container were a series of divots designed to precisely hold egg-shaped objects, and in each of these divots—all one hundred of them—was a colorful egg. Twilight knew that nopony else here had ever seen a gryphon egg before, but they looked exactly like the griffin eggs at home. The entire fate of the gryphon race was sitting right there in that little box.
"Wow…" Hourglass breathed, pressing her nose against the container. "Look at them all." She waved the younger kids over. "Come on! Come look!" All three immediately moved to take a look themselves.
"So now what?" Winter asked. "Is that it, GAIA?"
"No, Chronomancer Winter, this was merely the transmission process. The containers are now out of time stasis and are nearly ready to be interacted with. The next step is for me to deactivate the dormancy protocols on the eggs' container in order to engage them in the hatching process. One moment."
The Arcanium's power structure churned louder still, and several more lights came on to indicate that the amount of power being generated was staggeringly high, by Twilight's judgement. So much so apparently that the power structure was now letting off a high-pitched whine.
"Holy shit, what the hell is that?" Winter grunted as she held her ears. "GAIA, what's goin' on?"
"Error. System failure detected," GAIA announced. "The Arcanium's power level is too low to complete the process at present time."
Twilight tilted her head. "What? How is that possible? I thought this entire facility was powered by a perpetual motion device?"
"The Arcanium's power supply has deteriorated due to age and neglect and is no longer operating at peak capacity. Without a significant increase to the power source, the Arcanium systems cannot generate enough energy to properly proceed with the Rebirth Initiative parameters while also maintaining flight to this island."
"And if this island falls, the others will too," Gilderoy sighed, rubbing the space between his eyes. "GAIA and the Arcanium keep the entire island chain connected together. If the Arcanium is destroyed, the other islands' generators won't receive proper signals to maintain their proper power. They would simply burn through it."
"Why don't we have enough energy though?" Hourglass blurted, looking right at GAIA. "You said you just needed to deactivate some 'dormancy protocols' or something."
"Correct, but the dormancy protocols are in place to protect the contents of these containers from side-effects of the Chronomancy within the sub-dimension, such as rapid acceleration of time, backwards movement of time, or a permanent time stasis effect even outside of the sub-dimension. This requires a great deal of power to deactivate."
"But why don't you have enough power?" Winter asked, frustrated. "You've kept this entire system online for hundreds of years in a dormant state, but now you're tellin' me you don't have enough juice to make this work?!"
"Correct. The power requirements for the project were substantial, but the Arcanium was designed with enough power to handle such a task, and the Initiative was designed with the expectation of being activated at the deadline. Additional time has drained the power systems, as is the current process of reconfiguring the Beacon Key per your specifications."
Hourglass paled. "Oh. You mean… it's our fault?"
Winter rolled her eyes. "Don't start with that blame game shit. You heard her: the gryphons moved north and didn't know about this project, so it didn't activate like it was supposed to. There's gotta be a solution here." She turned to the computer again. "GAIA, how much power do ya need?"
"As the Arcanium operates on techno-magic, the power generator does not require standard electrical units of power, but magical units. An Arcane power source equal in strength to an average unicorn's full potential would be sufficient. I have adjusted the terms to make sense within pony-centric units of measuring magical energy as a courtesy to the current users."
"Arcane power?" Twilight asked, tilting her head. "What kind of power source is that?"
"It's one of the fundamental sources of magic in the universe," Gilderoy explained, stroking his beard. "Light and Dark, and Void and Arcane. The latter two are naturally much rarer and harder to understand, but any philosopher of magic could tell you that for every force of magical power in existence, there is an equal and opposite opposing force.
"Light opposes Dark and is equal in nature; an equivalent unit of magical power in one is the same in the other. The same is true of Void magic and its opposite, Arcane magic." Gilderoy gestured towards the slot his wand was in. "We gryphons harnessed this power source and used it to make our wands. That is why they are capable of performing feats with such ease despite being artificial."
Winter raised an eyebrow. "Look, mate, I've studied Void magic for a long time, and I've never heard of no such thing as bloody 'Arcane' magic."
"I agree," Twilight said, giving Gilderoy a curious look. "Isn't 'arcane' simply a synonym for 'magic'?"
"Yes and no. In mundane terms, yes, in the same way that shade is a synonym for darkness, lower case 'd'. But then there's Darkness—capital 'D'—which is a classification of energy in and of itself," Gilderoy explained. "I doubt that there's a way for me to really prove to you what I'm saying, but that is the case."
"Okay, so… assuming that that is all true, we need an Arcane power source equivalent to an average unicorn's strength. You said that your wand uses Arcane power too, so… we should be able to use that, right?" Twilight turned to the computer. "GAIA, can we use the Lorekeeper's wand to power the generator?"
"Negative. Lorekeeper Gilderoy is not permitted to access the project, and as such his wand's signature will not be allowed as an acceptable power source," GAIA said simply. "I do apologize."
"Drat. Okay, well, I don't suppose any of us could serve as that power source?"
"None of the unicorns present possess enough Arcane power to utilize as a power source, Princess Twilight. All of the unicorns present utilize Light magical energy, and not enough to convert into the needed Arcane energy."
Twilight sighed. "I figured as much—"
"However, you possess more than sufficient Arcane power to meet the requirements yourself, Princess Twilight."
Twilight, Gilderoy, and Winter stared at GAIA's face on the monitor. "What?" the three asked in unison.
"What do you mean, I possess sufficient Arcane power? I thought you said that all of the unicorns present used Light energy?"
"Correct, but you are neither a unicorn, nor is your innate magical signature one of Light. It is of the Arcane spectrum."
"That's impossible," Winter scoffed. "We've taken readings of her power multiple times over the past month just to find out how she was balancin' the Darkness that Nihila's creatin', eh? If she weren't Light magic, then the numbers would be much different."
Gilderoy tapped his chin and snapped his talon at Winter, eyes widening. "Not necessarily. Arcane magic opposes Void magic. It's possible that the reason why the Void isn't able to overwhelm the world despite the imbalance is because of Twilight's Arcane signature standing in opposition to it. It would stand that it might throw off the numbers somewhere."
Winter balked. "That… okay, that sounds… reasonable. Assumin' you're right about this whole 'Arcane' thing, eh?"
"Let's worry about that later," Twilight said firmly. "If GAIA says I can power up this device, then let me do it." A pause. "How do I do that, GAIA?"
"Deploying siphon, configuring for alicorn horn. One moment please, Princess Twilight," GAIA said.
A few seconds later, another panel opened up alongside the Arcanium's main power structure, revealing an odd-looking device laden with wires and clips that appeared as though it could attach to Twilight's horn in some fashion. Twilight wasted no time in walking over to it and getting herself attached, though it was slightly uncomfortable once it was on.
"Okay, so now what do I do?" she asked.
"Siphon your magical energy into the device by channeling your magic but not focusing on any particular spell. The device will absorb your magic at a consistent pace so long as you maintain concentration."
"Right, sounds easy enough. Here goes, I guess," Twilight muttered.
Twilight lit up her horn as she was asked, and—
"Siphoning complete. Power requirements have been met at one hundred fifty percent. Continuing with Rebirth Initiative procedures. Please stand by."
Twilight blinked and immediately stopped channeling her magic. "What? Say that again?"
"Siphoning complete. Power requirements have been met at one hundred fifty percent. Continuing with Rebirth Initiative procedures. Please stand by."
"But… but I only channeled my magic for a second."
"Correct, Princess Twilight. That was sufficient enough to power the process."
Twilight looked to Winter, then Gilderoy, then to GAIA. "But I thought you needed the entire magical reserves of an average unicorn?"
"Correct. You provided that amount."
"In a single second?"
"Correct."
Winter scoffed. "Shit, I knew you were powerful, Twilight, but that takes the cake." She looked at GAIA's screen. "If she'd have been usin' Light magic, how long would that have taken?"
"Calculating. Converting Light energy to Arcane energy would exponentially increase the power requirement by a factor of twenty."
"So… twenty seconds?"
"Incorrect. Light energy is substantially weaker than Arcane, hence the conversion difference. Were Princess Twilight's magical signature keyed to Light magic, it would take roughly twenty minutes."
"Yikes!" Winter hissed, patting Twilight on the flank. "I don't know if you can count that as proof or not, but she sure makes herself sound confident, doesn't she? Let's see, a little bit of math here…" She tilted her head left to right and she tended to when she was performing calculations in her head, then looked at Gilderoy. "You think this is multiplicative or exponential here?"
"Multiplicative," was Gilderoy's simple answer.
"Oh, thank the stars for that," Winter laughed. "So, you're about as strong as four hundred unicorns, Twi. Eh, give or take." She looked at GAIA. "Right?"
"Your calculations are correct, Chronomancer Winter. Based on the measurements I took while connected with Princess Twilight, I was able to calculate an average of four hundred times the magical power of an average-strength unicorn, were that unicorn capable of generating Arcane energy."
Twilight removed herself from the apparatus and shook her head in disbelief. "Ponies back home always used to make a big deal about how strong I am with magic, but… I never expected to have a computer tell me just how powerful I am in such concrete terms. It's a little… overwhelming, I guess."
"It certainly explains why you're so bright when I look at you without my goggles on," Sunspire chipped in. "Miss Dawn is almost as bright as you are! Do you think that means that she's an Arcane unicorn too?"
"She'd have to be to be anywhere near Twilight's level of power," Gilderoy said with a soft smile. He turned to GAIA and sighed. "GAIA, now that the Rebirth Initiative project seems to be a success, would it be possible to make its classified information available to me?"
"Processing," GAIA chirped. "Yes, Lorekeeper Gilderoy. As per my guidelines with the classified nature of this project, should it prove successful it is to become marked as a Momentous undertaking and as such will be available to the public to review and research. The classified aspects are available with your Lorekeeper permissions."
"Good. Then that confirms at least that the eggs are in good condition as well," Gilderoy said, wiping a tear from his eye. He looked right at Twilight, taking her hoof in his talon. "My people have a second chance at life now, thanks to you, Princess Twilight. There is nothing in this world or the next that I could possibly do to thank you for this."
"You don't need to thank me for doing what's right, Lorekeeper," Twilight replied, giving him a smile and shaking his talon gently. "Like the zebras say, you would just as soon thank the moons for rising every night, right?"
He let out a laugh, then nodded and clasped her hoof with both talons. "You are a good pony, Twilight Sparkle. I look forward to seeing your world when this is all said and done. There is nothing but confidence in my mind that you will see this through and save us all."
"I sure hope so, Gilderoy. Thank you for your vote of confidence." Twilight glanced back at the eggs, then let out a breath and nodded. "We should be getting back to the port so that we can get ready for our flight. Do you want to stay here for a while? We can send somepony here to retrieve you later if you want."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, thank you. And yes, it would be best if you get and the others get going. You have a short journey ahead, true, but there is much to be done on the horizon."
"I'll make sure Blackburn and Gray know about what happened here. I know that we're all going to end up in my world eventually anyway, but we don't know where everyone's going to end up just yet. I figure they should know in case they can send any resources to help you with what's happening."
Gilderoy smiled. "Thank you for that as well, Princess. Now go on," he said, releasing her from his grip. "You have a flight to catch."
Twilight turned to the others, most of whom were gathered around the egg container. "Okay everypony, gather around, we have to get going."
The younger ponies looked a little disappointed, but they all nodded and, after giving hugs good-bye to Gilderoy, gathered up near Twilight. Winter joined in too, and she was just eyeing Twilight the entire time with just the proudest grin that she had ever seen on a pony's face while looking at her, at least since her parents heard Princess Celestia personally accept her into her school.
As Twilight lit her horn, Gilderoy said one last thing: "And Twilight?"
"Yes, Gilderoy?"
"Good luck."
She smiled and nodded. "Thank you. You too."
And with a flash and a pop, she and the others disappeared.