Chapter 45
Excerpt from Grey’s Pony Anatomy, 5th edition. Please note all editions prior to the thirty-ninth include heretical information not approved by the Knights Mystic.
Thaumopenia
Thaumopenia occurs in unicorns and pegasi when their primary magical extremity (or extremities) are completely severed, separating the cornaetheric nerve (in unicorns) or the pteryaetheric nerve cluster (in pegasi) from the rest of the nervous system. No known cases of thaumopenia have been identified in earth ponies.
Early signs and symptoms of thaumopenia include disorientation, dizziness, nausea, bradycardia, hypotension, dyspnea, and sometimes death, though death in the early stages of thaumopenia is often determined to be a result of other traumatic injury. If the patient survives, these symptoms usually fade within hours of the original injury.
In child and adolescent ponies, death from thaumopenia usually occurs within two to four weeks of the nerve being severed. Adult ponies have been observed to survive as much as five to eight weeks. As death approaches, patients show lethargy, decreasing lucidity, and short-term memory loss.
Motic measurement tests on thaumopenia patients show gradually decreasing motic levels as the condition worsens. Death occurs as the patient nears zero internal motes.
No known treatment for thaumopenia exists. Attempts to re-integrate the severed limbs fails to restore the motic pathways through the patient’s body. Placing the patient within an aetheric echo chamber, such as the ones used for motic reflection therapy for magically underdeveloped foals, has been shown to increase lifespan in thaumopenia patients by up to two months, though none have survived longer than that.
1113 AF, Zebrican Savannah
Perhaps a dream meeting of the Elements of Harmony was not exactly the solution to Emberglow’s problem that she was looking for, but she did feel rather uplifted. That was, until she excitedly shared what had happened with Rarity the next morning, only to be met by a tired sort of stare.
“A tantabus, you say? I imagine it’s no less than he deserved.” Rarity seemed hardly interested as the two of them packed up their bedrolls for the last leg of their journey. “Well, you seem to have handled things well. I’m so glad you got to meet with your friends.” There was a dismissive sort of emphasis on the word ‘your’ that made Emberglow flinch. “And your friend, your ‘Lofty Tale’, was it? You said he had which Element of Harmony?”
It was enough that Emberglow paused entirely, stepping back from Rarity, her throat clenching. “I… I’m so sorry, Rarity. I didn’t think…”
“You didn’t, no,” Rarity whispered, turning away. Emberglow must have made a whimper or some other noise, though, because Rarity turned back towards her. “I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to be so abrasive. I’m just tense after all the drama over the last few weeks. It will be nice to settle down, spend some time in my shop, and not think about all this for a while.”
“Do you want to talk about it? Your Element?”
“It’s not mine any longer, is it?” Rarity sighed, but she managed a thin, apologetic smile in Emberglow’s direction. “I’m sorry. Perhaps I should. It just seems so strange to have somepony else carrying something that was such a huge part of my life, before.” She paused for a few moments, levitating camp supplies into her saddlebag while she appeared to think. “Can you tell me about him?”
“Lofty? He’s been my best friend since the Ivy Seminary,” Emberglow said. “He was the first to reach out. The place was full of stuck up nobles' foals, and I was one of the few ponies there on a sponsorship. He had nothing to gain by trying to be friends, but he did it anyways.”
Emberglow considered for a few moments. What else was there to say? Rarity probably wasn’t interested in Lofty’s life story. “For what it’s worth, he’ll make you proud, I think,” she said. “He always used to talk about noblesse oblige, a noble’s duty to lift those around him. He gave up his Knighthood, his dream, leaving in disgrace in order to raise his son. He’s a good pony.”
She felt the need for Rarity to accept her friend, to understand, but words just felt so empty and pointless. But Rarity reached out her hoof with a wan smile and patted Emberglow on the shoulder. “I’m sure he is, dear. I’ll be happy to meet him someday.” There was only a little bitterness left in her voice, so Emberglow did her best to simply nod and try to swallow her worries.
They finished packing up camp, and Emberglow and Rarity fell in behind the two stallions. After last night’s dream, Terminus was being quite physically affectionate, reaching out to touch Heartwing with a hoof or a wing every few moments, as if he were reassuring himself that Heartwing was still there. For his part, Heartwing appeared to allow all this with an indulgent smile.
Emberglow tried not to let it show just how jealous watching them made her feel. She’d been so close to… something… with Rarity. Something good.
The trip to Nyumba Ya Joka had taken a week and a half; they’d been only a few steps ahead of Diarchy patrols for the first bit of the trip, so they’d been a little rushed. The trip back was slower, more sedate, and Emberglow found herself hating the free time. Free time meant time to think by herself, and time to watch as Rarity buried herself in hushed conversations with the construct.
It came as a relief when the arched gate of Jubilation appeared on the horizon, sitting above the colored sea of tents pitched right outside its mouth. The four ponies stopped just far enough away to see the patrols of flying pegasi moving about above the city.
“Do we just walk in?” Terminus asked, eyeing the flying patrols nervously. “What’s going on?”
“We’re close enough to contact Willow or Justice,” Heartwing said. They moved behind the thick trunk of a tree so none of the ponies above Jubilation could see the light of his rune gauntlet. He cast the spell, then furrowed his brow in concentration. The silence dragged a few seconds.
“What? What’s wrong?” Rarity prodded, sounding worried. Heartwing shook his head silently.
“No response. Either she’s choosing not to respond, or she’s asleep. Or unconscious. I’ll try Justice.”
It was the same story. Heartwing’s look of concentration shifted to a worried frown. The same thing happened when he tried to contact Chocolate Chip, Justice’s squire.
“If one won’t respond, that’s weird. If both…” Terminus trailed off.
“We shouldn’t assume the worst,” Heartwing said. “But we need to get into that city. I’ll try those two stallions who opened their house to us.”
“You have enough motes?” Emberglow asked. The long-speaking spell was more complicated to cast the more unfamiliar the target, and required more energy. Heartwing looked at his gauntlet and grimaced.
“Barely. But we need intelligence before we get into the city.” He cast the spell a fourth time, and this time his eyes lit up with relief. The runes glowed in the air, hovering as he held the spell intact.
“Bolero, this is Heartwing…” he paused, and his eyes narrowed. “Really? Damn.” He paused again. “That’s….” He shook his head angrily. “That’s insane. Willow and Justice? What about Chip?” There was another pause. “And you don’t have any way of getting in contact with them? No, no, I don’t want you to go look. I’ll go look for them. And I won’t come back to your home. Thank you for the offer, but you and your husband have put yourself out enough for us, and we won’t put you in danger again. Lay low, and this will all pass over us. Thanks, Bolero.”
The glow of the spell faded, and Heartwing waved everybody closer. “I’m sure you all heard part of that. Here’s the short version. The Merchant Council of Jubilation has recently passed a resolution banning the presence of ‘unsanctioned foreign military organizations’. We’ve basically been outlawed in Jubilation. The guard’s split down the middle, with a good percentage of the Equestrian expatriates siding with us. Problem is, they’re still under orders to arrest us and charge us with illegal weapons possession on sight. So even the ones that disagree are still on patrol, watching for us.”
“But what happened to Justice, Willow, and Chip?” Emberglow demanded. “Are they okay?”
“They’ve been looking into Diarchy activities. Bolero wasn’t sure what; Willow doesn’t share everything with him and Iodine. But they spoke just this morning. Willow told him the three of them had a lead on the shanty. Something the Diarchy was looking into themselves.”
“And he hasn’t heard from them since?” Emberglow asked. Her mind was full of images of the eager young foal, her throat tightening with worry.
“No. So we need to find a way to get into Jubilation, without being overseen by the pegasi patrols that are specifically looking for us, and for our friends.”
“Are we sure they haven’t been arrested already?” Terminus asked grimly. Nopony answered.
* * * * *
“Are you entirely sure this is the best idea you could come up with, Heartwing?”
“Rarity…”
“I mean, of all your hairbrained schemes, this is quite possibly the least dignified, messiest, most…”
“Rarity…”
“I mean really, Heartwing. A sewer? Even for you, this is…”
“Rarity!” Heartwing’s yell took them all by surprise. Emberglow flinched. “We need to get back into the city; my ponies are in danger. Every second we waste is a second they could be in peril. If that means breaking into a sewer and sneaking into the city, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Rarity’s jaw snapped shut, a guilty look passing her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but Heartwing cut her off.
“If it helps, I’ll buy you a whole month’s worth of spa treatments after we’re done,” he muttered. Rarity nodded.
The four of them stood outside a barred grate covering a large pipe, wide enough that a pony could crawl awkwardly down its length. Terminus was casting quick waterproofing spells over their saddlebags, so there would be clean clothing to disguise themselves with once they got inside. Emberglow, meanwhile, was silently cataloguing all the spells she knew that would help them with the trip.
“There’s enhancement spells that will keep the air coming into your lungs clear and breathable,” Emberglow explained to Rarity, as Heartwing struck the lock over the grate with his spear. “They won’t do anything for the smell, though.”
“Lovely,” Rarity sighed. “Are there any spells that can remove the next half-hour from my memories?” Emberglow opened her mouth to answer, before she realized Rarity was probably being sarcastic.
“Sorry,” she said, trying to sound sympathetic. It was enough to get at least a small smile from Rarity. Probably the first real smile she’d seen from the mare in days. Even that much was enough to make her ache for the time before Nyumba Ya Joka.
“If this is the only way, I’ll stop causing a fuss,” Rarity grumbled.
Emberglow nodded. “Thanks. I’m really worried about them. Heartwing and Terminus are, too.” She raised her gauntlet and began casting. Two small spells for each of them; one to keep the air in their lungs fresh, and a second for water breathing, in case the pipe flooded. She discreetly chose not to explain to Rarity what the second spell was for, and felt a guilty sense of relief that Rarity didn’t ask.
Once all four of them were protected, they crawled into the pipe. Heartwing went first, unhesitating. Rarity followed, after one final eye roll towards Terminus and Emberglow. The two of them looked at each other.
“I’ll take up the rear,” Terminus offered.
Emberglow shook her head. “Can I, please?” She didn’t think it would bother her this much, but the sight of the narrow tunnel brought back some very uncomfortable memories about a downward sloping ceiling in a cave underneath Manehatten. She couldn’t help the small shiver she gave. Terminus noticed.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“No.” Emberglow admitted. “But I’ll push through.”
“Call out if you need help.”
“Just… keep talking to me, okay?” Emberglow said. He smiled and nodded and crouched down to crawl inside the pipe. She took a deep breath of fresh air and followed him.
The smell had been rancid outside the pipe, but inside was compounded. Her eyes watered at the stench, and she nearly retched. It was foul. The scent of an entire city’s waste violated her nostrils with its odor. Her hooves churned up the slimy liquid at her hooves, making it even worse. At least it was only a few inches deep. She held her breath as long as she could, before she was forced to breathe in. She did her best to breathe through her mouth.
Up ahead, she could see two horn lights in the distance, and could hear the sounds of Rarity’s complaints. The echoes in the tunnel made her impossible to understand, but Emberglow found the sound of her voice just comforting enough to drag herself forward.
“You okay, Emberglow?” Terminus said. He’d cast a light spell; she could see his gauntlet glowing in front of her. She thought about it, but rejected the idea of casting one herself. She wanted to see as little about what she was walking through as she possibly could.
“I’m fine,” she lied. Unconsciously she tried to lift herself out of the sludge, but bumped her head against the top of the tunnel. It was enough to make her freeze.
“You stopped,” Terminus called back. She could barely see his light from the other side of his body in the narrow tunnel, but enough to realize he’d stopped as well. She made herself move again.
“Yeah. I’m not usually claustrophobic,” she said. “Just some difficult memories, you know?”
“Of the cave you and Heartwing were in where you found Rarity?” Terminus guessed.
Emberglow nodded, then cringed when she remembered he wouldn’t be able to see the gesture. “Yes, that cave. There were some narrow spots.”
“You don’t have to talk about it,” Terminus said. “We could talk about something else.”
“Distraction, right?” Emberglow tried to sound light. “Honestly I don’t mind talking about the cave. It’s something to talk about, at least.” She steeled herself for another breath, trying not to cough. “What has Heartwing told you about it?”
“He said you were very brave. And more polite and professional than you had any reason to be, with an enemy officer.” Terminus laughed. “High praise from Heartwing.’
“He said something,” Emberglow’s mind wandered back to the conversation. Focusing on her memory was helpful; she could think while she mindlessly allowed one hoof to move in front of the other, over and over. “Something about how he has conversations with the faithful? Making them challenge their assumptions, or something like that?”
“Epistemology,” Terminus said, his voice lightening with recognition.
Emberglow barely recognized the word. She’d heard it somewhere before. “That’s… some philosophy thing, right?”
“Yeah. I don’t get it exactly, but basically Heartwing gets ponies to ask questions about how they arrived at their religious beliefs. He talks to ponies, and asks them to challenge their assumptions.”
“Like he did for me.”
“Like he’s been doing since he first convinced the last Grand Master of the Angelic, three centuries ago,” Terminus confirmed.
“How does it work?” she asked curiously, before a splash and the sound of rushing liquid filled the pipe. In the near complete darkness, she had no warning as the fetid water at her feet suddenly surged, splashing filth up to her muzzle. Terminus was spluttering up ahead, and Emberglow coughed and spluttered. She barely resisted the urge to wipe her muzzle with a hoof; given what she was stepping in, it was probably a lost cause.
“You okay?” Terminus asked, his voice strained.
“Yeah. Sorry, we probably shouldn’t be talking,” Emberglow called back.
“No, it’s keeping me distracted,” Terminus said. She hadn’t thought about that; it made her feel better that they were helping each other, rather than him just helping her. “How does it work? Well, basically, you break a belief down to its very smallest details, then you ask questions about those details, and how a pony came to the belief that they were true. I haven’t had to do it much myself; I don’t go on covert missions, usually. I’m more of a direct action sort of Knight.”
“It’s that easy?”
“It really is. The truth…” he paused. “Careful, there’s another small wave coming, I think.” There was another rush of liquid, and this time Emberglow kept her muzzle closed and as high as she could as the liquid splashed against her. “…the truth tends to defend itself, I’ve always thought.”
“Me too,” Emberglow said. “But I was still deceived.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it. We were raised that way.”
“I know,” Emberglow replied. It was funny; a month ago, maybe even sooner, this entire conversation would have filled her with anxiety, guilt, and doubt. Now, it was actually comfortable enough to distract her from the foulness.
“So…” Terminus began again, and it was clear he was trying to reignite the conversation after she’d trailed off. “How was Heartwing in the cave? I’ve heard all about how well behaved you were from him, but was he polite?”
“Not in the slightest,” Emberglow shot back, hoping the amusement in her voice carried. “He was an absolute cad.” Terminus chuckled up ahead, and Emberglow had to grin. “I’m teasing. He was very kind. Kinder than I had come to expect. I did have to re-educate him in first aid, but he was very patient with me.”
“Good to… urk… hear,” Terminus said. “Look out.” Taking note of the way he was spitting, she lifted her head again out of the wave that flushed down. “I hear something up ahead. Heartwing found an exit, maybe?”
Emberglow didn’t dare hope, but Terminus was right. After only a few more dozen feet, the tunnel split, rising upwards towards an access hole covered by a metal plate. Light suddenly cut through the blackness, sharp enough that Emberglow gasped and shielded her eyes.
“Hurry now,” Heartwing called from up ahead. “We don’t want to get spotted.” Emberglow needed no encouragement, nearly crowding against Terminus in her rush to get out of the tunnel.
The circle of light was still too bright for her to look at. Emberglow waved her hooves blindly, trying to find the edge. Instead, she felt something warm, and very slightly tingly, wrap around her and pull her into the air. In a panic, she opened her eyes the tiniest slit to find herself surrounded by a cerulean glow.
Magic. Magic was lifting her. There was the slightest hint of terror, which she quickly crushed. Next came the nervous fear. It was Rarity doing the lifting. The same mare who, just a few weeks ago, had a spell cast on her that made her practically forget how to lift things. Emberglow only hoped the way she began gasping for air would be taken as a sign of being out of the sewer, rather than panicking about Rarity’s levitation ability.
“Oh, don’t be that way,” Rarity scoffed as she set Emberglow gently down on the street beside the sewer hole cover. “You’re perfectly safe.” Emberglow sighed, and opened her mouth to apologize before she saw the state of Rarity’s coat and mane.
Honestly, Emberglow didn’t care much for her own grooming, besides the necessary basics. But Rarity did, and her heart ached to see Rarity in such a state. Filthy water matted her fur and clothing, and her mane was flat, splashed much as Emberglow had been. Emberglow gulped.
“P-please, don’t look at me,” Rarity stammered. “I’m a mess.”
“No, you’re…”
“Don’t even start,” Rarity warned. “I’m barely holding on as it is.” Wisely, Emberglow pursed her lips and nodded.
Meanwhile, Terminus and Heartwing had replaced the sewer cover. Emberglow took the time to glance around at their surroundings; they were in an alleyway, with only a slim passageway between two stucco buildings that led to the street.
“Lucky nopony was here to see us,” she noted, glancing worriedly up at the skies. At any moment a pegasus patrol could swoop by and spot them.
“We should get into hiding quickly,” Heartwing said. “I remember where Willow lives; me, Justice, and Willow stopped by there last time we were in town. Now; let’s move. Stay under awnings as much as possible.”
They opened up their saddlebags and pulled out fresh clothing; the large robes looked lumpy and awkward over their armor, but it was better than nothing. Emberglow watched Rarity out of the corner of her eye; she looked stricken as she slipped off her soiled clothing and into the fresh robe.
Emberglow’s heart was pounding as they slipped out of the alleyway into the streets. There were a few zebras about, and their disheveled appearance earned them a few odd looks, though no comments. She nearly panicked when a patrol flew by overhead, but they barely glanced down.
“Do you even know where we are?” Terminus asked nervously. Heartwing gave them all a confident smile.
“Close enough,” Heartwing said. He pointed at an out of place building to their north; a four-story tall oddity with a strangely open roof that rose over its neighbors. “Landmarks. That’s the Griffonstone embassy. Willow pointed it out to me last time we were here. Her house is just a block away.”
* * * * *
Heartwing only bothered to wait a few seconds after knocking before pushing the door of Willow’s mid-sized single story house open. Emberglow could see the worry painted on his face.
“Willow! Willow, are you home?” he called through the open door. He only paused a second, before moving inside. “Terminus, Emberglow, secure the rooms. Make sure there’s nopony here.”
The entryway was small, with an open closet on the right with a few coats hanging, as well as the yellow robes of a Knight Discordant. Terminus went right past the closet towards what looked like a bedroom. Emberglow moved into the living room up ahead, then turned left towards a kitchen.
The kitchen was small and cramped, but clearly well loved. The walls were covered in framed pictures of ponies and zebras; most were taken with a brightly smiling Willow standing next to them. Emberglow noticed Heartwing, as well as Justice, Bolero and Iodine, and Chip. She even recognized Prism, the heretic confessor from Angel’s Rest.
The kitchen was mostly clean, but there were still some dishes from breakfast in the sink. She moved between the sink and the table, complete with a floral arrangement and a doily that reminded her strangely of Bubblegum. At the rear of the kitchen was a door that led to the back yard. Emberglow glanced outside, and saw a small, thriving garden. The whole scene appeared far too domestic for a Knight. For Emberglow, it drove home how truly different the Knights Discordant were from the Knights she was used to back home. This was no Radiant cloister, no Adamant barracks. It was a home, and a real pony lived here.
“Bedroom’s clear!” she heard Terminus’ voice. “So’s the bathroom!”
“Living room too!” Heartwing called. “Wine cellar’s also clear!”
“Kitchen is clear!” Emberglow called out. She felt uncomfortable, like an intruder. Not only did it feel like she was trespassing, she had an odd sensation. It was like she was an alien to this home; that there was no way she’d ever have a home like this. Shaking her head at her silly musings, she trotted back into the living room, where the four ponies gathered.
“What next?” Emberglow asked. Rarity shrugged. Heartwing sighed.
“I think we wait. I don’t believe Willow would mind us borrowing her bathroom to clean up, and we’ll be able to change into cleaner clothing. Hopefully she’ll come back here soon.”
At the mention of a bathroom, a fire lit in Rarity’s eyes. Emberglow would have laughed, if Rarity hadn’t seemed so out-of-sorts after their brief trip through the sewers. The poor mare needed this, and nopony was surprised when she was first on her hooves. She hesitated, though.
“Maybe one of you should…”
“Go, Rarity,” Emberglow said, finally cracking a smile. “We can all wait.”
“You are an utter gem, darling,” Rarity gushed with relief, then dashed off towards the bathroom. Only a second later, the sounds of Willow’s shower filled the room, only covered by Terminus and Heartwing’s chuckles, only to be cut off by Rarity’s sudden shout. “And don’t be boors, dears. Don’t sit on poor Willow’s furniture while you’re all filthy like that!”
“If that doesn’t earn you a smooch, I don’t know what will,” Heartwing laughed. Emberglow’s chest felt tight.
“We haven’t… there hasn’t… uh…”
The amusement faded from Heartwing’s eyes. “I know. She’s been distant. It’s my fault.”
“Heartwing…” Terminus began.
“I’m not wallowing, Terminus,” Heartwing insisted with a roll of his eyes. “C’mon. Let’s find some blankets or tablecloths or something to spread over the living room couch. I don’t want to suffer the wrath of Rarity.”
Despite Heartwing’s attempts at humor, the three of them sat in tense silence while Rarity’s shower continued in the bathroom. Emberglow wanted to break the silence, to say something, maybe fill it with words hopeful or happy, but she couldn’t. She was worried about Willow, Justice, and Chip. She was worried about a city that had suddenly turned hostile to them. And, on top of it all, she was worried about Rarity.
A few moments later, the mare in question emerged from the bathroom. Her mane and tail was still damp, but it had clearly been brushed, and every trace of filth had been scrubbed from her coat. Even in the circumstances, Emberglow couldn’t help but stare a bit; Rarity was radiant.
Rarity eyed the room with a sour expression.
“I thought I told you all…”
“We found blankets to sit on,” Terminus said, cutting her off. “Don’t worry. We didn’t make a mess.”
“Besides, I’ll buy Willow a new couch and chairs if she complains,” Heartwing grumbled. “Who’s next?”
Emberglow jerked to her feet, fast enough that Heartwing let out a snort. “I-I’ll go,” Emberglow said, suddenly embarrassed by her own eagerness. She knew Rarity hadn’t said a word, but she couldn’t help but feel just a little bit exposed under Rarity’s gaze.
“Pile your soiled things outside the bathroom, darling. I saw a washbasin next to the bathroom door, and I’ll clean everypony’s things before we go out again. If we have time.”
“Of course, Rarity.” Emberglow walked down the hallway to the bathroom.
The décor within was just like the décor in the kitchen and living room; homey, domestic, maybe a little kitschy. Floral wallpaper covered the walls, and the towels and bathmats, still damp from Rarity’s shower, matched. Emberglow turned the faucet to start the hot water, and began stripping off her armor and gambeson.
Once she was in the shower, Emberglow found that her worries became worse. There was a sense of impending disaster; something was off, and there was nothing she could do about it. Why hadn’t Willow and the others responded to Heartwing’s spell? What was keeping Willow away from her home? She tried to lose herself in scrubbing the filth from her hooves, her coat, and her wings, but by the time she finally shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, she was practically sick with worry.
Somepony, probably Rarity, had replaced the pile of her gambeson with a fresh one from somewhere. It looked like it had been hastily altered for pegasus wings; Emberglow surmised it was most likely ‘borrowed’ from Willow’s closet. She hurriedly put it on and stepped outside.
Rarity was the only one in the living room; Emberglow could hear Terminus doing something in the kitchen. “Where’s Heartwing?” Emberglow dreaded the answer; what if the stallion had decided to go off on his own?
“Outside, hosing off your armor.” Rarity’s response was distracted; she had the tiny construct in front of her. “Terminus is making us a snack, and I’m filling myself in on what happened after I went to sleep.” She didn’t even look up from the construct. “Princess Twilight, please. Could you clarify something for me? Princesses Celestia and Luna. Where did they go?”
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna left Equestria to explore the Starlit Paths.”
“The Starlit Paths?” Rarity finally glanced at Emberglow. “Have you ever heard of that?” Emberglow shook her head. “Twilight, darling. What are the Starlit Paths?”
“That information has not been stored in this construct.”
“Why did the Princesses leave?”
“That information has not been stored in this construct.”
“Did they say anything more about the Starlit Paths? Or why they were going there?”
“That information…”
“Yes, yes, I know,” Rarity growled with frustration. “Has not been stored. I swear, Twilight, you say that to me more than anything else.”
“You have been speaking to the construct quite a bit,” Emberglow tried to keep her voice innocent.
Of course she is. You think she’d rather speak with a creature like you? A murderer? A scarred, ugly, monster?
“Of course I have, darling. She’s full of all sorts of information about magic. She’s been most helpful. I was able to lift you, wasn’t I?” Rarity said. Emberglow shrugged.
“But it doesn’t know everything, does it?” she asked.
Rarity scowled. “No, she does not. Frustrating, I know. Twilight Sparkle was always so eager to share everything she knew with anypony. And now…” she waved a hoof at the construct. “Now it’s always ‘that information has not been stored in this construct’.” She spat out the words in a mocking imitation of the construct’s voice. “Tell me why, Twilight?”
“Please refine your query,” was the only response, which drew another frustrated groan from Rarity.
“Um, Rarity.” Emberglow was struck with a disturbing thought, from what she’d said. “You don’t think this construct is the real Twilight Sparkle, do you?”
Emberglow watched as a symphony of emotions danced across Rarity’s face, from anger to guilt to confusion. “N-no, that would be silly,” Rarity protested, before quickly picking up the construct with her magic. “Besides, I think that’s quite enough from her…”
“It, Rarity. Not her. It is not Twilight Sparkle.”
“I know that!” Rarity hissed, and Emberglow took a few quick steps back in alarm. “I know that,” she repeated more calmly. “But it’s the closest I’ll get.”
Emberglow didn’t know what to say. “Sorry.” It felt limp.
“It’s fine, darling,” Rarity said dismissively, looking away. She floated the construct into her saddlebags. “Let’s just drop it.”
But Emberglow didn’t really want to drop it. Jealousy burned in her chest, like a wicked little spark that flared every time Rarity called it by Twilight’s name, or spent all her time with the enchanted figurine. Still, it wasn’t worth the fight. Not right now, at least.
Pathetic. Jealous of a mare dead a thousand years. No wonder things are cooling off between the two of you.
“Okay,” Emberglow breathed, shoving her inner voice deep. “Did you… enjoy your shower?” She cringed at her own clumsy attempt at small talk, but Rarity did perk up a little.
“After the horror that we experienced earlier? It was divine, darling.” A shadow of Rarity’s cheerful smile graced her muzzle. “Don’t think for a second that will stop me from taking Heartwing up on his offer, however.”
“A month’s worth of spa treatments?” Emberglow grinned as she said it, and Rarity nodded resolutely.
“So far, the circumstances of this adventure have stopped me from truly being able to enjoy these wonderful foreign markets, and I’m sure that includes spas. He has a lot to make up for.” As attempts at humor went, it was a little limp. “I may even demand he pays for you, as well.”
The idea of a month’s worth of spa treatments with Rarity made her gulp. “Um, yes, that would be nice.” Emberglow tried to sound casual. “What…”
The front door burst open hard enough to slam against the opposite wall. The noise caused both mares to jump, with Emberglow lunging in front of Rarity.
“Chip? Justice? Are you…” Willow burst into the room. She was a mess, with blood splattered on her armor. Dirt and mud were caked on as well, and her mane was in disarray. “Rarity? Emberglow? What are…”
“Get Heartwing,” Emberglow said, rushing over to Willow.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Willow protested, though she let Emberglow guide her over to the couch. Rarity rushed for the back door. “Most of this isn’t mine. Why does it smell like a sewer in here?”
“We had to get creative sneaking into the city,” Emberglow said. “Rarity and I took showers, though I think Heartwing and Terminus just hosed off in your back yard. Our soiled stuff is in your laundry. Speaking of soiled stuff, though, let me help you out of your armor. You need an exam.”
“Yes, doctor,” Willow said. Both ponies glanced up when they heard the back door slam open, followed by the thunder of hooves as Heartwing and Terminus raced into the room. Heartwing trailed water from his drenched mane and tail, though his own gambeson looked fresh, if a little damp. “Hey, boss. See you made yourself at home.”
“Willow! What happened?”
“Got a lead we’ve been working on for a few days now. Something about Makucha ya Paka. It’s a small volcanic island a few miles to the north, off the coast. The Diarchy’s been building an outpost there.”
“And Jubilation is letting them?” Heartwing was incredulous. Emberglow began carefully removing Willow’s armor one piece at a time,
“They’ve protested. But I think they’ve been leery of starting a fight over something so simple. It’s not a fort or anything, just a tiny port with a few buildings. I thought it was weird; when the Diarchy is trying so hard to get in good with the Merchant’s Council, why aggravate them over a tiny outpost that doesn’t even seem to be a military installation?”
“What is it, then?” Heartwing asked.
“That’s what we’ve been looking into. Justice, Chip, and I were going to charter a boat today, a smuggler captain who would take us to the western side of the island and let us off so we could go take a look. But something was off. Somepony was spying on us, I thought, so I called it off to try and lose our tail. We split up to head back here. Only… they should have been here before me.”
“That doesn’t explain how you got blood all over you,” Emberglow noted. “Where are you wounded?”
“I told you, most of it’s not mine. After I split off from Justice and Chip, I looped around to challenge my tail. Some young Adamant punk who thought he could take me in a fight. I informed him differently.”
“It’s not all his,” Emberglow said, gently cleaning dried blood around a slice on Willow’s cheek.
“He got lucky a couple times before I sent him running,” Willow smirked, holding out a hoof for Heartwing to bump. He did so with a proud grin.
“At least you didn’t leave behind a body we’d have to explain,” Heartwing said. “With how things are going for us politically, we don’t need any bad press in Jubilation right now.”
“Do you have extra batteries?” Emberglow asked.
“Hidden storage cubby, behind the photograph of me and Heartwing in the kitchen,” Willow said, pointing. “I’ve got three there.”
“I’ll get it,” Terminus called. He’d been listening from the kitchen door. “I hope you don’t mind I raided your fridge.”
“Food sounds amazing right now, but we’ll have to eat on the go,” Willow said. “I can’t rest while Justice and Chip are still out there.”
“You should be…”
“Emberglow, no. I’ve got a few little scratches, nothing…” Willow cut off with a gasp when Emberglow found a particularly deep cut right on one of her hind legs. “Okay, maybe mostly just a few little scratches.”
Terminus came back in with the batteries, as well as a tray of chopped veggies he’d scavenged from Willow’s fridge. “Eat up.”
“We’ll get going as soon as Emberglow’s healed Willow,” Heartwing said. “Tell us everything you know about where Chip and Justice went.”
“We split up, like I said,” Willow said. “I was hoping to peel off more of the Knights following us, but looks like I only got one. I looped wide, cutting through the factory district to try and throw them off me. Lots of infrastructure to confuse, you know? Justice and Chip were going to try to avoid the overhead patrols by getting lost in the crowds at the market.”
“Maybe they got arrested by the Jubilation patrols?” Terminus mused.
Heartwing shrugged. “If they did, they’re probably in danger. Let’s hurry and get ready to go."
* * * * *
In the end, they decided to split up. Terminus and Emberglow, dressed in civilian clothing, would take to the air over the markets. With no armor or weapons, hopefully the patrols would not notice them. Meanwhile, Heartwing and Rarity would trace the route Justice and Chip were supposed to follow, seeing if they could pick up anything on the back trail. Willow reluctantly agreed to stay behind, in case Justice and Chip made it back.
For safety, they’d left the Elements back at Willow’s house. It made Emberglow feel exposed; like a part of her was missing. But there was no sense advertising who they were, now.
“This is oddly familiar,” Terminus noted as they took off. Emberglow had to agree. Familiar, and unsettling. The last time she and Terminus had been flying over Jubilation, it hadn’t ended well, either. “So a quick flyover, and then a more detailed go if we don’t see them the first time?”
“Sure,” Emberglow said.
“That scarf is new,” Terminus said casually, and Emberglow blushed. She’d put on a simple tunic that Willow had loaned her, but had also retrieved the scarf Rarity had gotten her from Nyumba Ya Joka.
“We got it. Rarity and I. Before the dragon, and before she stopped…” Emberglow trailed off. Terminus winged close enough to reach out and pat her on the shoulder.
“Hang in there. This will pass. She just needs some time to process what’s happened.”
“Terminus, I…” Emberglow took a deep breath. “I’m worried she’s not processing it. I think she’s spending too much time with that Twilight construct. Earlier today, I asked her if she thought it was the real Twilight. She said no, but she seemed defensive.”
Terminus stayed thoughtfully silent as they flew, the city spreading out beneath them. Emberglow tried her best to focus on the few ponies mixed into the crowds below, but nopony looked like Justice or Chip.
“I could talk to her,” Terminus said after a while. “But I don’t think that’d be the best idea. I’m not exactly objective, you know. At least not in this.”
“I know,” Emberglow said. “I just don’t know what to do. I was going to ask Topaz next time we spoke, but then, the other night happened.” She smiled at him. “I’m glad that turned out well for you, though. Heartwing needed a kick in the rump.”
“Yeah,” Terminus said. “Hey, is that…” He dipped his wings and shot down a few feet, before flaring them again. “No. Sorry. Looked like Chip’s colors, but it was a mare.”
“Good eye, though,” Emberglow said. She glanced up as a trio of shadows darted by overhead. It was a patrol, dressed in the Jubilation guard’s uniform. The pegasus in the lead position eyed her, then flew on. It seemed they really were looking for armed and armored targets. Still, it did nothing to make Emberglow’s heart rate slow down.
“Is it naïve that I just keep hoping to find out that they just got distracted and are shopping somewhere?” Terminus muttered, barely loud enough for Emberglow to hear over the rushing of the wind past them.
“Not naïve. Hopeful.” Emberglow pointed at a couple of ponies at a booth in the distance. “Is that them?”
“No. Justice isn’t a unicorn,” Terminus said, and Emberglow sighed. “Maybe we should be on hoof, asking if anypony saw them.”
“We should be. I’m useless without two eyes,” Emberglow scoffed.
“You’re doing fine. Don’t…” Terminus trailed off. “Hey, is that zebra waving at us?”
Emberglow looked. It was a zebra street performer, the same one that had flirted with Rarity after telling them the tale of the Princess and Captain Celeano. He was looking up at them, waving frantically with one hoof.
Emberglow and Terminus landed and furled their wings, as the zebra glanced back and forth between them. “I’m glad I saw you two,” he said. “The Great Yazid never forgets an audience as appreciative and fascinating as you two, even if you’re in different attire.” His eyes shot up towards the sky. “They are looking for you.”
“I thought the Jubilation guard were on the lookout for illegal weapons possession?” Terminus asked.
Yazid shook his head. “Not them. The Knights.” He looked worried. “Come. I have something to show you.”
Emberglow and Terminus shared a wary look, and Terminus narrowed his eyes at Yazid. “Why should we trust you?”
“Because the Great Yazid may never forget an audience, but he also never forgets a debt. And I owe more than I can ever pay to the one called The Ghost. Come, we need your help.” He gestured with a hoof, his eyes darting all about as he took a few steps up the street.
“Ambush?” Emberglow whispered at Terminus.
Terminus shrugged. “I don’t know. He seems sincere.”
“I feel naked without my armor,” Emberglow whispered back, and Terminus gave her a sympathetic look. “I’d rather not walk into an ambush without it.”
“We may not have a choice,” Terminus said. “What if he’s telling the truth?”
Yazid had stopped, waiting for them. His hooves tapped nervously against the street as they spoke. Emberglow watched his eyes; the way they shot around, searching the crowd. She held her breath for a second, then made a decision.
“I’d rather trust,” she sighed. “Besides, he said he needs our help.”
Yazid moved slowly through the market’s crowd. It was the same mix of creatures Emberglow remembered from before: zebras, ponies, minotaurs, and even a few griffons and diamond dogs. They went about their business, calling to each other, bartering and arguing and bargaining and buying, all the while completely unaware of what was going on around them. It was a bustle of life and normalcy.
“You must hurry,” Yazid whispered as they walked. “I found him only an hour ago, but he is injured.”
“He?”
“The Ghost’s squire. The young one, with the stammer? My foal is seeing to him as we speak.”
It made Emberglow quicken her pace, even though she still nervously glanced around her shoulder. Any one of these strange creatures could be some sort of Diarchy informant. Or maybe something not even that sinister; they could turn Terminus and her into the Jubilation guard. That could be where they were headed right now.
Yazid led them to a market stall, with a young zebra stallion displaying boxes full of brightly colored foal’s toys. His eyes lit up as Yazid approached. “Father! It is good you are here. Penha is in the back with the… with the colt.” Emberglow noticed the way he hesitated, and it made her hackles raise. She gulped. She and Terminus were both about to step into an unknown situation, with zebras she wasn’t sure she trusted. She nearly took wing and flew away.
“Please hurry, my friends,” Yazid walked behind the younger zebra., where a broad tent cloth covered the back of the stall. With a glance to ensure nopony was watching them, he pulled back the tent flap to reveal two ponies inside; a young zebra mare and a prone unicorn. It was Chip.
Emberglow rushed inside. Chip was sweaty, sticky with blood, and his eyes were closed. His clothing was torn and stained. Emberglow sat down near his head, and had to hold back a cry of horror.
Chip’s horn was severed at the base. Right next to the fur on his forehead was a smooth stump. Emberglow whimpered as she ran her hoof over the remains, feeling the slightest texture of what felt like marks from a bone saw.
“What happened?” Emberglow carefully felt along his body, looking for life-threatening injuries. Well, besides the life-ending injuries at his horn. She gulped back the lump in her throat.
“He was attacked by Diarchy thugs. The Ghost then went chasing after those vicious slugs.” The zebra mare was rhyming. Emberglow took a moment to look her over; she wore elaborately colored robes, and her ears were pierced at least six times with several gold and silver rings. Surrounding them on the ground was a collection of potions and herbs, complete with a mortar and pestle. It looked like she’d been assembling some sort of potion or poultice when Emberglow and Terminus had arrived.
“You’re a shaman?” she guessed, and the mare nodded, looking surprised.
“You know that a zebra shaman rhymes? You must have met another, in better times.”
“Not better at all,” Emberglow muttered. She really didn’t want to talk about it, especially not with Chip moaning and twitching in his sleep below her. “Is he awake?”
“Earlier he was just weeping; it is a mercy that he’s now sleeping.” The shaman pointed at her work, the mixture she was preparing. “I can help with the pain, wash it away like a summer rain. But I don’t know the cure for a unicorn’s missing horn; the rumors I hear say we can do nothing but mourn.”
“Mix your potion,” Emberglow choked out. She could hear Chip’s voice in her head, his cheerful eagerness peppered with the slight stammer. Penha nodded, pulling several dried roots out of a pouch and placing them in the mortar before beginning to smash them. “I’ve heard the same. If that’s right, there’s nothing we can do but make his last few days comfortable.”
“Can you wake him up?” Terminus said. “We need to know what happened to him, then we need to find Justice.”
“I didn’t see the attack,” Yazid said. “A friend of Penha’s did, and brought the young colt to her. She’s patched up his injuries, but she asked me to keep an eye out for any of you people.” He sighed. “I know Justice from years ago; she saved Penha’s mother from a Diarchy forced labor camp.”
“But where’s Justice? She wouldn’t have left her squire unless she was dead or captured.” Even as Terminus said it, Emberglow felt a chill down her spine.
“My friend brought me the colt, said she saw the attackers bolt.” Penha didn’t look up from the potion she was mixing. “They were Diarchy Knights with lavender barding; the new Knights, not the ones doing the embassy guarding.”
Brightblade. It was Brightblade. Emberglow’s mouth went dry. She glanced down at Chip, who was still moaning and twitching in his sleep. “You’ll… you’ll make sure he’s okay? That he gets back to his family?” She couldn’t remember if he’d said he had any. Penha nodded, and Emberglow gulped. “Could you show us, Yazid? Do you know where he was attacked?” She felt a hoof on her shoulder. It was Terminus.
“I can take you there, yes,” Yazid said carefully. “I am no fighter, though.”
“Just… show us where, and then you can go,” Emberglow said. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears. Brightblade. It was Brightblade. And she’d had a chance to…
She was breathing hard as she stood up, taking a step away from Chip and the shaman.
“Keep him safe,” she rasped. “Keep him comfortable.” Tears burned in her eyes. Penha nodded, and Emberglow backed away. Yazid closed the tent flap, hiding the horror that she’d helped create with her actions.
Emberglow was eager to follow Yazid to the place of the attack, but Terminus was hesitating. “Should we find Heartwing, first? Let him know what’s going on?”
“How long ago was Chip attacked?” Emberglow asked.
Yazid shrugged. “An hour? Maybe less. My daughter sent a messenger to me, and I went to look for the colt’s friends. I found you.”
“Did you see anypony else you remember?” Emberglow asked. “Like the white unicorn? The pretty one, you flirted with?” She flinched. Suddenly the jealousy she’d felt when Yazid and Rarity had spoken felt painfully petty.
“I would remember if I ever saw her again,” Yazid said with the ghost of a smile. “But alas, no.”
“I don’t think we have time to look for Rarity and Heartwing,” Emberglow said, answering Terminus’ earlier question. “We have to find Justice. Take us to where the attack happened.”
Once again they found themselves weaving through the crowd. This time, though, Emberglow couldn’t look up to see all the faces of the creatures around them.
She felt the same sense of nervous dread as before, when they’d first followed Yazid to his family’s booth. But he’d turned out to be trustworthy.
Yazid led them to a narrow alleyway between a pair of warehouses. The space between the buildings’ roofs was strung with netting, which Emberglow eyed nervously..
“A bunch of foals strung the netting up years ago. There’s a space back there for the kids to kick a ball around or play tag while their parents work or shop in the marketplace, and they put the netting up to make a little shade.” Yazid had clearly noticed her trepidation. She glanced down the alleyway, which was just a little too dark for comfort.
“My daughter told me they found the young stallion in there,” he continued. “I don’t know if they looked for Lady Justice at all. But the other Knights lured the two of them into the alley somehow, then attacked.”
“Looks ripe for an ambush,” Terminus said. Emberglow nodded, her gaze moving about the dirt on the ground and the walls, searching the wide-open windows for any sign of suspicious ponies.
It was then that she saw the blood. There was a smear along the wall, near the entrance to the alleyway, at about head height. It looked like somepony had placed a hoof on the wall as they were stumbling along, leaving a trail of red along the brown stucco. Emberglow dashed over, looking close.
“Terminus! Blood!” she hissed, and he looked up. “Do you think it’s Chip’s?” He shrugged, and she looked deeper into the shadowy alley.
There were more bloodstains, some smeared on the wall just like this one, and even a few splatters on the ground. Emberglow moved into the narrow space, pausing at each spot to try and piece together what happened. It looked like somepony was bleeding as they tried to stumble out of the alleyway.
“Where did you say they found Chip?” Emberglow asked.
“Inside the alley,” Yazid said from behind them. Something about that felt off. The blood pattern made it look like somepony was leaving the alley; why would Chip have left, while bleeding, only to come back? She followed the blood deeper until the space between the alleys opened into the playground that Yazid had mentioned.
It was really just a bare spot of pounded dirt, nestled behind several other buildings. Somepony had constructed a pair of soccer goals on either side of the small square, and there was a pair of deflated balls sitting in one corner. Another corner had a makeshift row of bleachers; constructed of abandoned crates stacked on each other to form two rows of seats. The air was cool, sheltered from above by the netting. There was also a light breeze blowing in from the space’s other exit; another narrow alleyway on the other side opposite Emberglow.
She stepped in carefully, glancing around for any signs of ponies. There were none that she could see. It felt claustrophobic; much like the sewer earlier that day, with the walls and the ceiling seeming to encroach down all around her. She shivered, and Terminus was close enough to hear.
“You okay?” he said, and she nodded. “The blood trail goes back here.” He pointed at the crates over in the corner, and she moved over, flapping her wings to get just a little bit airborne as she did so. It wasn’t typical of her, but she felt the need to give herself some space. It helped a little with the sensation of being closed in.
“Wish we had our gauntlets,” Terminus muttered as they looked over the crates. Emberglow nodded. A little more light would be helpful; there was nothing there to see. But the blood led here.
“It looks like… there was a fight in this alley,” Emberglow guessed, though it was hard to tell for sure. There were scuffles and hoofprints in the thin layer of loose dirt over the hard packed ground, but that could have been from foals playing soccer. There were no other signs of a fight. “I can’t see well.” She tried to ignore the surge of anger she felt at her infirmity; Emberglow did her best to ignore her missing eye, but it became rather hard to not think about when it made things inconvenient, like seeing in the dim light. “Look at this. Is that…?”
She pointed at a row of scuff marks next to one of the crates. It was hard to tell, but it looked like the crate had been moved. Terminus flew over, peering at the ground. “Yeah. Help me move it.”
The two of them grabbed either side of the crate and lifted. The wood was splintered and jagged, and shifted about awkwardly, like it was on the verge of falling apart. The two of them barely managed to move it a few feet before the plank Emberglow was grabbing broke, the whole ramshackle assembly clattering to the ground.
“Is that…” Terminus gasped. “Oh, Saints, no…”
The broken crate had been hiding an opening in one right behind it. Inside was Justice; still and bloody. She wore her gambeson still, but her armor was gone. Her eyes were wide open and glazed, and a grimace of pain was frozen on her face. Still, Emberglow had to check, feeling for a pulse in vain hope. There was none.
“Let’s… let’s get her out of there,” Terminus said weakly. Emberglow nodded, and the two of them gently pulled the body out of the hole she’d been stuffed into. “Can you tell how she died?”
“Not in this light,” Emberglow said. They laid her down on the ground, away from the crates, and Emberglow reached up to close the Knight’s eyes. Terminus crouched down next to her, grief plain on his face. “I can guess, though.” There was blood all over Justice’s gambeson, and Emberglow could see plenty of wounds. The deepest was just below her neck.
Something was wrong, though. Something tickling at the back of her head. “There’s not nearly enough blood here for a wound like that,” she mused. “Justice was moved. She wasn’t killed here.”
“She…” Terminus began, then stood up quickly, looking back the way they came. “Yazid? What’s going on?”
Emberglow followed his gaze. Yazid stood far away, at the mouth of the alley, shifting back and forth on his hooves nervously.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed. The sound echoed just enough in the narrow space to reach them. “I had to. They said they’d hurt my family if I didn’t. I’m sorry.”
The cold sense of dread, of coming doom, that Emberglow had been feeling all day crashed in all around her. She shot to her hooves alongside Terminus in time to see figures crowding in behind Yazid. It was zebras, dressed in the uniform of the Jubilation guard.
“Time to go,” Terminus spat. They both moved towards the other exit, only to freeze as they saw another blocking that direction. Brightblade.
“This is where I saw them taking the body, officers,” He called out. His voice, hated and far too familiar, filled the space and Emberglow’s head like a violation. The smugness in his voice, the victorious sort of hitch, was something she’d heard a thousand times before. Her limbs stiffened, her wings froze in the act of extending.
It’s your fault. You could have killed him.
“No,” she whispered.
Your fault. Justice dead. Chip dying. You and Terminus captured. Your fault.
“No…”
Her hooves twitched, and she felt the phantom pain of a hundred strikes of a rod, a hoof, a dozen different implements of torture spread across her flesh. The Jubilation guards were getting closer, and she could hear the metallic clinking of the shackles they carried. Shackles like the ones she’d worn before.
“No!”
Terminus is going to be tortured, just like you were. Because of your stupid oath.
A scream tore out of Emberglow’s throat as her vision went red. She felt a hoof on her shoulder. Somepony trying to hold her back, somepony calling her name. She flailed with her hoof, striking something hard as she heard Terminus’ cry of pain. And then she was charging, hooves churning up dust as she dove towards the voice that haunted her nightmares.