//------------------------------//
// Magus 
// Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot 
// by Equimorto 
//------------------------------//

"I've tried," Sunburst said, somewhat visibly tensing up as he focused. "I can't really get ahold of her. I can vaguely sense her, and she's definitely still out there, but I can't get in touch with her."
Twilight frowned slightly at that, thinking. "Do you think it's the situation we're in? I know Rainbow Dash was doing things she shouldn't have been able to, maybe it's the same."
"It doesn't feel like it," said Sunburst. "I think it's her. Something about her." He immediately clarified, "It's not something bad. It doesn't feel like she's been negatively affected. I just think something is going on that's made her different." He looked at the floor, frowning deeper in thought. "I can't tell if it's because of the way things are here or if it's happening independently of it though."
Twilight's expression still wasn't serene, but she looked a little more relaxed. "The important thing is that she's safe at least. If she's out there, she's probably helping us." She stood a little straighter. "Can you produce more constructs in your current conditions?"
Sunburst was shaken from his concentration and looked back to Twilight. "I can try to," he said after a moment of reflection. "Not as many as I did before, and I'd rather not go all out again, but I should be able to make a few more."
"No need to exhaust yourself," Twilight said. "It's probably for the best if you conserve your energies in case something else comes up and you need to act. How many can you comfortably give?"
Sunburst looked to the floor again, again focusing but looking more distant. A few seconds later he turned to the wall behind him, eyeing the three and a half dozens of newly created faceless soldiers spread over three lines, ten and four of each pony tribe. "About that many," he said.
"More than good enough," said Twilight. With a forward snap of her wing she signalled for the constructs to begin following her, then she turned and started to head towards the door.
"Your Highness?" asked the guard captain there with them.
"They are not expecting us to have reinforcements, and like I said now is the best time for us to act," Twilight explained. "I will try to take over what I can of the city where the portal was closed."
"I understand that," the guard said, "but are you not injured still? Would it not be safer for the constructs to act by themselves while you recover?"
Twilight stopped by the door and stretched her wings, then craned her neck. "It seems I have already recovered," she said, a trace of royal authority seeping into her voice and making it clear she was not inviting any rebuttals. She was speaking out of honesty however. She suspected it may have been the result of Celestia's magic within her, but whichever the cause she felt, and more importantly knew herself to be back in fighting conditions. "I will try to be back quickly, should Nightmare Moon free herself." With that, she walked out the door, followed by her faceless contingent of soldiers.