A Clash of Magic and Steam

by law abiding pony


26: Fortune Favors the Bold

Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie had been escorted to a familiar site for the elder sister. The castle’s battlements were as moss covered as ever, the structure's defensive usefulness having been rendered unnecessary once again by the navy. The night sky was lit by the sleepless city. The fliers district had drifted directly over the harbor, its lights mimicking the stars that would have been drowned out. Barely visible out into the bay was a small squadron of steam warships protecting the waters. 

The imperial guard who had brought Twilight’s group this far gestured for them to stop. “I’m afraid this is where the others will have to wait,” he directed at Twilight. 

Giving a brief nod, she laid a wing on Silver’s back. “Why don’t you see about finding us a place to dance aside from Gear Hall?  This might take long enough for me to recover.”

Taking the hint, he returned the gesture by placing his wing upon her.  “I’ll see you then.”

Since they were not wed, they parted without a kiss.  When Silver had returned down the stairs, Twilight addressed their escort. “If I may ask, I would very much appreciate it if my sister could accompany me.”  If one ignored the warm grin on Pinkie Pie’s face, she’d appear as emotionally reserved as a noblemare and as expected to be. “I assure you, she will hear everything from me later anyway.”

“I was instructed to bring you.”  Grumbling in annoyance, the guard jerked his head further down the wind-worn battlements. “But I suppose he didn’t order ‘only you’.”

Both mares bowed.  “You have my thanks,” Twilight said as she cantered along the castle wall. Roughly halfway down, she saw two figures in deep discussion: Emperor Eclipse and Archbishop Faithful Hymn.  The wrinkled mass in the form of a robed white unicorn twitched an ear at the sound of Twilight’s hooves before his eyes followed.  A deep scowl creased his already wrinkled face.  Eclipse however wore a casual smile, like a joke was slowly unfolding.  A pair of wine glasses rested upon the battlements along with a single cigar. Twilight had frozen upon realizing she was interrupting an important meeting she didn’t feel invited to no matter what the sentry had said. Her growing panic wasn’t helped by the seven bodyguards either standing a respectful distance away or hovering in the air had started to eye her with weapons being drawn. Twilight wanted to berate the escort for this, but opted to take a step back and smile sheepishly. “A thousand pardons, I was-”

“Ahh, the Sparkle sisters!  Nonsense, nonsense,” Eclipse declared with campy humor.  “You’re just the mares I wanted to see. Come closer.”  He waved them forward, prompting the bodyguards to release their weapons, but were still weary over the unusual armor on her wings. 

Clearly agitated, Faithful Hymn leveled a scathing glare at the emperor, but held his tongue for a bit longer. 

Sweating despite the chilly evening, Twilight nervously approached while her wings were clamped against her side. Why is the archbishop here?  Is this all about the translation?  Flashbacks of Rarity pulling Twilight into her carriage only compounded her growing panic. She was hyperventilating by the time Pinkie Pie thought to lay a reassuring hoof on her sister’s foreleg. 

Small though it was, the familieral touch gave Twilight enough poise to speak without her voice cracking. “Your majesty, your excellency, to what do we owe the pleasure?” She asked while both mares bowed. 

Flashing a jovial, toothy smile at his old advisor, Eclipse gave off too much enthusiasm for Twilight’s liking. “I’m surprised you even need to ask. Hymn, my old friend, you remember the Sparkle sisters. They’re the mares of the hour now aren’t they?”

Suppressing a deep, exasperated sigh, the old unicorn leaned against his ornate staff, his old bones creaking as much as the wood. “Yes I remember them,” he looked at Pinkie, “though you were a freshly liberated slave last I saw you.”  Upon remembering that, he made an attempt to keep from scowling at the pegacorn when he moved to regard her, his staff jingling a bit as rings shifted. “I must say I was surprised to learn you had been adopted.”

“As was I,” Eclipse added.  “A bit,” he directed at the pegacorn. 

Dearly wishing to nuzzle her sister, Pinkie had to be content with giving a broad, warm smile. “We’ve been family for a long time, I just needed the freedom and time to understand that.”

“I can only imagine,” Hymn stated while turning to the emperor, intent on excusing himself. 

Yet he didn’t get the chance as Eclipse puffed on his cigar and spoke quickly. “Lady Pinkie Pie, I must confess. That dessert you smuggled out of the kitchen wasn’t exactly to my liking, but I can not deny it was a roaring success all the same.”

Wrinkling his already impressively craggy brow, Hymn had to think a bit before looking back up in surprise. “Those apple frous were your doing?  Eclipse might not care for them, but I thought they were delightful.”

Giggling at the praise, but doing more so to further calm Twilight down, Pinkie Pie bowed once more. “You’re more than welcome. But true acclaim belongs to Applejack.”


Much earlier during the previous afternoon, Pinkie Pie and Applejack were cantering down the service halls of the building.  The heavy scent of cooking food was all they needed to know where to go.  Pinkie Pie wore a full dress fit for her station.  It was a light blue thing that had ruffles around her neck, vauging making her head represent a blooming flower.  She carried a brown pastry box on her back.  The sailor who followed after her was wearing the white suit of a chef, a toque blanche, and a worried look.

“Are you sure this will work?”  Applejack asked nervously as she waited for some soldier to stop them.  “They don’t just let anypony into the kitchens ya know.”

“You worry too much, Applejack,” Pinkie said as she kept walking, but turned her head back to speak.  “With Forest Honey claiming illness, they need a replacement dessert chef, and your apple fritters are awe inspiring.”

Never being one to take praise with ease, Applejack’s gaze shied away.  “Aw shucks, I guess they’re good and all but the nobles ain’t going to try them, let alone the emperor.”

Tilting her head back and forth as she thought it over, Pinkie Pie eventually nodded.  “I suppose you might be right.  Fritters sound too down to earth, you need to think of a more… how did you put it?  More frou-frou sounding name for them.”

Huffing irritably, Applejack rolled her eyes.  “As if the name should matter.” A sly grin cleaved the sailor’s muzzle.  “How about we just call them apple frou-frous?”

Arching an intrigued eyebrow, Pinkie Pie thought it over.  “Laying it a bit too on the nose, aren't you?”

“And?” Applejack challenged harmlessly.  “Who knows, maybe some of them will find the honesty refreshing.”

“You might be onto something.”

A few more hallways down, the kitchens were finally in sight. As luck would have it, a pegasus stallion with quite the impressively tall chef hat was speaking to a unicorn subordinate. The mares never had a chance to hear any of it as the master chef stopped as soon as he spotted them. He was instantly suspicious of the unfamiliar face in a cook’s uniform.  “Oiuy, who’s this then?”

Pinkie Pie came to a stop and inclined her head. “Head Chef Sweat Meat, I am Lady Pinkie Pie of House Sparkle, and this is my house’s personal chef Applejack.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Waving away his previous conversation partner to stand near the kitchen door, Sweat Meat sized both mares up while glancing to the side to make sure the nearby sentry was paying attention. “My lady,” he said only because manners dictated it.  “So what do you want?” he asked tersely. “I’m down a cook, and I don’t have time to interview a replacement, let alone to ensure you are not some poisoner.”

Pinkie scoffed at the notion with a dignified huff. “Master Chef, I put my name on the line if you suspect any foul play.  Aside from that, I know the feeling of being pressed by a deadline all too well. I was a slave in Equestria before I was liberated, so I fully understand the… stresses that come with failing your betters.  Which is why I brought one of Applejack’s exquisite Apple Frou Frous as her interview.”

Turning to the side, Pinkie Pie presented the box and Applejack opened it to reveal the culinary delights.  The four fritters were golden brown nuggets about a quarter the size of a hoof and were highly irregular in shape.  White glaze filled every nook and cranny and it was still warm, as if it had come straight from the oven.

Sweat Meats wanted to play it safe and dismiss them on the spot, but time was short and there were hundreds of mouths to feed and very little time left to dally on procedure.  Studying the pastry, he wrinkled his nose.  “It looks rather unappealing.”  He smelled the air, and was surprised to find the aroma was the exact opposite.  His interest was piqued. Ugly foods that smelled and tasted good were not unheard of.  He got in close to the pastry, eyeing it critically.  This was no mere dinner he was preparing, but a major holiday where every dish had to be fit for the elites, no matter who was actually attending.  

“If you’re worried about poison,” Applejack started with careful pride over her creation. “Pick one and I’ll eat it first.  You can also check me if you like to make sure I can only use what your kitchen provides.”

“I claim the last one,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, not willing to let the delight rest on her back before it could rest in her stomach.

At any other time, Sweat Meats would still decline, but his job and the event itself was on the line as he didn’t have enough desserts to satisfy the coming partiers. Nothing would be more embarrassing than running out of food, aside from the poison of course. 

Picking two fritters out with a hoof, he gazed upon both mares.  “If you’re so determined to taste test, eat those two.  Pickled Fish, help Applejack remove her whites and check it thoroughly.  I don’t want even a stray bit of fur in there without knowing about it.”

As everyone moved to comply, Applejack happily consumed her fritter with a hum.  “Boy howdy, these got so much better since Twilight bought that cinnamon Ah asked for.”

Pinkie Pie did not mask her enjoyment in the slightest to help sell the fritter.  She hummed with delight and did at least refrain herself from licking her lips in front of the others.  “Worth every slip.”

Through it all, Applejack helped the unicorn remove her uniform.  While the endorsements meant nothing to the head chef, the lack of any death by poison made him relax enough to try one of the fritters.  If the look of the thing put him off, the taste certainly made up for it.  

Taking his time to taste every aspect of it, he begrudgingly gave a small nod.  “It won’t do for the emperor, but I suppose it will agree with the common folk at least.”


Faithful Hymn recalled eating one barely an hour ago. “There is something to be said about commoner foods. They are more pure than the overdressed delights so many nobles gorge themselves on. Closer to Luna herself.”

While Twilight couldn’t help but to feel it was a backhanded compliment, Pinkie acted as if she took his words at face value.  Beaming with excitement, Pinkie bowed once more. “I have no doubt Applejack will be, to paraphrase her, ‘pleased as a pig in mud’, to hear your endorsement.”

“I must admit though,” Eclipse said after finishing his glass of wine, “I’m more interested in that get-up you have going there.  I received a report about your armor…”  He walked over to Twilight who opened a wing without being prompted.  Eclipse inspected the skeletal aluminum frame with a critical eye.  “But it doesn't seem to offer any real protection.”

All too happy to showcase her invention to the most important pony on the continent, Twilight quickly forgot her nervousness caused by the archbishop.  “Well, I’ve only been calling it armor for lack of a better word.  I’ve been toying with the idea of calling it a Flight Assist SuiT, or fast.”

“Flight assist?” Faithful Hymn queried with naked disbelief.  He rattled his jowls with mirth.  “How exactly?  Tie yourself to a pegasus?”

Twilight’s irritation flared, but not quick enough to keep the emperor from backing off a bit.  “Yes, yes, I would like a personal demonstration as well.  Preferably without the malfunction this time.”

“My pleasure.” Twilight let her wings stretch out and the armor started humming, only for Eclipse to raise a halting hoof.

“Just a moment.”  He glanced around him until his eyes landed on a pegasus bodyguard who was flapping his wings harder than he should be.  Upon his back was a disruptor, making the emperor grin with playful mischief.  “Cumulus, get over here and fly next to Lady Twilight.  As close as you can.”

The odd request left the soldier to hesitate for a moment before he saluted, “yes, sire.”  Swooping in low, Cumulus' passage caused Faithful Hymn’s magic to fail, and the old stallion had to jerk a leg forward to catch the staff before it could fall.

Twilight waited until the sentry was beside her before taking off.  Her thrusters behaved this time around, and she was able to fly several small laps around the area and would have done Rainbow proud by performing two rolls and a loop.  Though she tried to keep her aristocratic poise through it all, she couldn’t help but to feel exhilarated and let off some laughter as the world spun along with her.  Through it all, the Cumulus easily kept up, earning some impressed hums from Eclipse, and leaving Faithful Hymn speechless.

Not wanting to keep everyone waiting, Twilight returned to Pinkie’s side and received a friendly wink from her sister before she refocused on the emperor.  Cumulus assumed his job was done and returned to his original post.  “I can do that for as long as a pegasus can fly, your majesty.”

“Bravo, bravo,” Eclipse clapped as he started at Faithful Hymn.  “What do you say, old friend?”

The shock vanished from the old stallion in an instant, and he took a long inhale while glaring at the brown stallion with irritation.  “Aye.  I am not so old as to ignore something of such great import.”  His hard gaze didn’t soften when he returned his gaze upon Twilight Sparkle.  “If this sort of activity is all you spent your time on, I have little doubt you could end up canonized one day for your contributions to our great nation.  However, I am gravely concerned over your recent acquaintance and choice of husband.”

Here it comes, Twilight thought as she started sweating.  “I - I presume you mean Luna’s journal.”

Hymn gave a humorless smile. “Blind Speaker’s handiwork.  I suppose committing blasphemy once gave you a taste for it.  I command you now to destroy any sort of translation Blind Speaker gave you,” he shook with mounting righteous anger.  “If Luna wanted her inner thoughts known to us, she would have left them in plain speech as she did with many other letters and commands.”

“Come now, old friend, it’s hardly blasphemy if she still venerates Celestia.  That being said,” Eclipse warned before Twilight could speak.  He carried his full imperial authority in his voice, cowing Twilight by the sheer weight of words.  “Abandon this path Blind Speaker has set you on.  Annul the wedding if need be, but leave Luna’s wartime journal to the church.”

Not even willing to give a token protest, Twilight bowed to hide her shivering.  The sudden closer scrutiny from the various bodyguards wasn’t helping her nerves.  “Y-yes, your majesty, your excellency.  If - uh - is it at all possible to remain with Silver Vein?”

While Pinkie remained outwardly passive, following Twilight’s lead, inwardly she was reeling.  Wait?  You’re not even going to mention the other journal?!  

“It would be problematic,” Faithful Hymn grumped.  He eased up, however, allowing the fearful mare to calm down a bit.  “What with you still tied to Blind Speaker.  Still… If you are already that fond of him, I can allow it.  Consider it a gift for your discretion.”

“You’re too kind, your excellency.” Twilight fidgeted uncomfortably, and stood there, waiting for either of them to say anything further or be dismissed.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes kept darting between Twilight and the stallions, fully expecting her sister to say something more.  Yet as the seconds passed, the pegacorn remained silent while Hymn prattled on about the importance of toeing the line, humility, and a string of other excuses Pinkie wanted no part of.  Well if she won’t do it, then I will!  

She was preempted by Eclipse who had been watching the junior sister quite closely.  “You have something to add, Lady Pinkie Pie?” he asked, interrupting Hymn’s speech.

Practically jumping to be an inch in front of Twilight, Pinkie bowed low.  “Yes, your majesty, a thousand times yes.”

Pinkie,” Twilight hissed under her breath, “don’t-”

Leveling a stern stare they said ‘my turn’, Pinkie left Twilight to clam up and wait.  “There’s something you should know before you make any of this official.  We translated Celestia’s war journal as well.”  Both stallions and the soldiers who had been listening in were stunned, Twilight couldn’t think of how best to speak up, so Pinkie was left to go on.  “Blind Speaker’s translation works on her journal perfectly.  We already know enough to get a general idea as to where the Sisters might be,” she bluffed.  General might be overly generous here, what with whole provinces being possible locations.

Eclipse’s gaze zeroed in on Twilight who only showed restrained irritation at Pinkie, instead of the reserved continence of a bluffing mare. “I’d ask how you have a copy of the journal, but why should I?  You certainly have yet to stop surprising me.”

Faithful Hymn snapped out of his brief stupor to vigorously shake his head.  “It hardly matters.  Even if it is Celestia’s journal, Luna would see it as an insult as well.”

Ever the salespony, Pinkie adopted a robust stance to show she was far from cowed like her sister.  “Your Excellency, can you seriously think that’s true given the fact that it was a wartime journal?  Luna would have loved nothing better than to know exactly what her sister’s plans were.”  Caught flatfooted once again, Hymn was left opening and closing his mouth, yet unable to think of what to say.  “As far as insulting Celestia, I think the only pony here who’d be concerned about that would be Twilight herself.”

Laughing as if hearing a good joke, Eclipse clapped his advisor on the withers, jostling the staff free from Hymn’s grasp, making the wizened stallion have to fumble to catch it.  “Come now, Hymn, you tossed more than one cross word Celestia’s way over the years, what’s one more slight?”

Grumping, Hymn moved the staff away from the emperor with his magic.  “Luna would want to read it herself, not us mortals.”  He paused a bit, reading the mirth on Eclipse's face.  “But… if Lady Twilight is so determined to anger her patron once more, I won’t stop her.”  He turned to the mare in question.  “After this, you should consider converting.  It would wipe your insult to Luna clean.”

Pinkie  faced her sister with smug satisfaction.  “You’re welcome.”

Laughing despite herself, Twilight briefly Pinkie.  “What would I do without you.”  Moving up to address the stallions properly, Twilight began.


My sister has finally been cornered. I don’t know how she managed it, but either her spies are more thorough than I thought possible or I became too obvious with my efforts to push for a pitched battle, even when I was at a disadvantage. Every time she pulled away when the mirror was open, only to come about and strike at me when the hour had passed.  But now, now I have her trapped against the river on one side and Pale Light’s contingent to the north. Her fliers could try to escape with her of course, but I’ve hidden outfliers there as well. Not enough to stop all of Luna’s winged soldiers from a determined retreat, but more than enough to cut down any pegasi carrying another pony. 

The majority of her army are earth ponies and a scattered number of unicorns, she’d have to abandon them entirely if she wants to flee, and if she does that she can no longer sustain the war. Not only that, but Raven’s skirmishers assure me Luna’s baggage train has been set to the torch. Her only recourse now is to fight through me to pillage my supplies if she wants to have enough food to survive the march back to Saddlesburg. But most importantly of all, the mirror portal opens at sundown tonight. Even if she risks another night attack, I’ll be ready. 

As if my fortunes could get any higher, not even her bat pony assassins remain. Hazel Shimmer has written about his success in repelling the attack on his house. Raven smuggling in eighty mare-at-arms into his castle was a master stroke against those thestrals. 

I’ve already written to Pale Light and Raven Quill back home to be ready to disband the levies still held in reserve. The war will be over by the third day either with Luna secured in the mirror world, or her army destroyed.  

This day couldn’t have come soon enough.  I am weary of it all. The slaughter, the clash of steel and spell, watching good soldiers succumb to sickness. So many are dead all because Luna lacked subtlety. But I hardly stand blameless now do I? There is so much to do once we can lay down our swords. Luna is many things, but she is still my sister. 

None of this should have happened.  We were meant to rule together, not be at each other’s throats. When I have time, hopefully during the next period when the mirror is open, I can finally sit down with her. No one else in the room and just talk, and be sisters again. 


I shouldn’t even be writing this. My soldiers need me out there, preparing the defenses with them, but I feel compelled to pen my thoughts. Celestia thinks I’m cornered, but Whisper assures me the ambush on Celestia’s outlfiers was perfect and no word got back to my sister of their defeat. At the very least my army will have an escape route if it comes to that. 

I dearly wish Quiet Night was still with me. I kept sending him against those vile houses, and he always came back alive and victorious. I didn’t pay attention to how thin his soldiers were getting. Maybe he wanted to hide his losses or maybe I was too drunk on vindication. And with him gone, so was my spymaster. By the time I learned Pale Light had raised another army he was charging down watermill hill. 

Is this how Tia felt when I confronted her all those years ago?  Blindsided by reality?  Not that it matters now. When my sister is a statue, perhaps then I can. 

I can. I 

I don’t know anymore, Tia. 


Back in the present, Twilight licked her parched lips, dearly wishing for a drink after talking for so long. “There is some context I’m leaving out in previous entries, your majesty, but I think it is reasonable to presume that the sisters did not ascend as we believed, but trapped themselves.”

Faithful Hymn had been polite enough to let her say her piece, but he was seething the whole time. “I can not stand for this - this blasphemy!  Luna saw what others can not, her sister could not.  No pony could ‘blindside’ her!” He spat with utter contempt. The force of it made Twilight recoil and Pinkie instinctively step in close to her sister.

What further reprimand was cut short by Eclipse placing a restraining hoof across Hymn’s chest. “Answer me this: is it possible for Luna to be returned to us?”

“Your majesty?!” Hymn raged as he stepped back. “You can’t seriously be considering this as anything other than lies!”

Rather than answering him directly, the stoic-masked earth stallion scrutinized Twilight and Pinkie carefully. “Answer the question.”

Failing to fully regain her composure, Twilight coughed into a hoof as lightning sparked madly off her horn. “I believe so, yes.”

Scowling his wrinkled face into a fearful mask, Hymn shook his staff at the mare. “Would you stake your life on that?  Your very soul?!”

“I - I,” Twilight fumbled, trying to piece things together, only for panic to rob her of her words. 

Seeing this, Pinkie stepped in, breaking protocol, but protecting her sister was worth any faux pas. Even so, she had to speak quickly to keep them from silencing her out of principle. “Forgive me, your majesty, but it has been almost a thousand years since the War of Strife. The best we can hope for is locating where the sisters’ statues went and then go from there.”

“Statues?” Eclipse inquired, his interest grew by the second.

Her courage returning, Twilight brushed a wing against her sister, prompting her to step back. “That’s my current theory, yes.  The sisters never left this world, either by portal or to Elysium.  They’re here somewhere, trapped in stone.”

Growling in a way only an old soul could, Faithful Hymn pulled back away from the mares a few paces to get out of Eclipse’s reach. “No. I can not believe the journals were written as you described. So - so,” he struggled to stomach the word, “so plebeian.”

That choice of word arose new defiance within Twilight and she pushed away from Pinkie. “With all respects, your excellency, I’d like to think I know how an alicorn thinks far better than most.”  She waited just long enough for him to bristle. “After all, I’m the sister in law to one.”  

It took everyone around her anywhere between a moment to several seconds to realize she wasn’t boasting. “Cadence visited my home quite frequently. I dare say only my brother knows her better.  Alicorns don’t think any differently than a mortal pony.”  She also said she doesn’t feel holy and just plays along because she’s expected to, but they don’t need to know that.  “If Cadence is just as holy as the Sisters are, then they are no different.”

Hymn was incandescent with rage, and yet the archbishop carried enough dignity to keep from shouting without meaning. 

His hesitation was enough for Eclipse. “Enough of this.”  He addressed Twilight with stoney eyes. “I want a full report on these journals within a fortnight, and a copy of both by September. If I find merit in your theory, you’ll be the one to find them.”

Finding his voice, Faithful Hymn closed in on the pegacorn, his staff shaking with emotion. “If he is going to let this happen then you either return with Luna or I’ll have you excommunicated.” He sharply turned to Eclipse, challenging him with a spiteful glare. “Either Luna will judge her, or I will!”  He turned once again toward Twilight. “And you can be rest assured I’ll be the first face you’ll see on the docks.”

With one last shake of his staff, the archbishop left for the exit. Eclipse watched him leave with a hard stare. When Faithful Hymn had disappeared through a door, he spoke without looking at the mares. “Enjoy the rest of the festivities. It would look awkward if you left straight away.”  When they acknowledged his command he added, “and this conversation does not leave the four of us. Now go, and may you find success.”

He waited until they too were gone before at last returning his thoughtful gaze to the harbor. Faithful, old friend…  He brooded for a time, long enough for the changing of the guard to draw near. “Sergeant,” he called out while tossing the smoldering vestige of his cigar over the battlements, “take an early leave.”

It was an unusual but not the first time he had requested such a thing. The sentries shared worried looks, none of them were eager to leave their charge and emperor unprotected. Still, they were not about to disobey. With a bow the sergeant stated, “she protects.”  With no further preamble, the eight sentries departed in various directions.

Once he was truly alone, a plain brown earth stallion seemed to peel away from the wall. “You have need of me, sire?”

Eclipse’s mind kept fixating on Twilight’s armor. Outwardly though, he allowed his fatigue to show unfiltered. “Card Holder, should Twilight fail in her task, make sure Faithful Hymn retires before he hears of it.”

The figure made no reaction, save to grab a pale quartz from his mane. “For somepony like him, I need consent.”  

Eclipse sighed heavily. “You have my consent.”

Card dropped the quartz on the ground, and it clattered near Eclipse’s back right hoof. “If that day comes, return it to me, and the deed will be done.”