Despite being told they needed to find an Intellect Crystal, Twilight gave them a quick tour. After all, there was much to cover in the seventeen years Sunset had been gone.
Twilight was now the High Princess and ruled all of Equestria. The fact that Celestia retired boggled Sunset’s mind almost as much as she had to find an Intellect Crystal.
Of all the possible things she should be called for, an Intellect Crystal?
Mind magic had a reputation for being insidious, and rightly so. Create Mind could make a memory in a person’s head, just long enough for them to wonder if it actually happened. Transform Mind could actively change the brain so that certain nerves in the brain fire to different stimuli. Control Mind offered direct control of the brain. Perceive Mind opened up a pony’s innermost thoughts, and Destroy could render a Pony comatose.
These were, of course, some of the more complicated spells, but Sunset knew them. Of course, she did. She knew everything from creating intrusive thoughts to a magical lobotomy, but that was all child’s play compared to an Intellect Crystal.
Unlike most gems, which could store a single Spell Matrix—sometimes two, if cut exceptionally well—an Intellect Crystal held an entire synthetic mind. That, by itself, wasn’t truly exceptional. Create Mind could be used to form the basis of consciousness, but they typically didn’t last long. The Crystals, however, were far beyond that. Each one had an innate understanding of whatever was in its “range,” this meant that just by existing in the world, it understood magic perfectly and could alter itself to exist in perpetuity.
With the knowledge of an Intellect Crystal, a mage could know any spell, no matter how complex or dangerous to cast. It made even the simplest of unicorns into an archmage and then some.
Sunset’s mind boggled at the idea that Twilight tracked one down.
“And this—” Twilight said, interrupting her thoughts, “is the official ceremonial balcony where I raise the sun and moon.”
“Man, that’s got to be an easy job,” Flash said.
Sunset blinked as she looked at him, followed by the Spymaster’s gaze. “What now?” he asked.
“As far as Ceremonial duties are concerned, that’s got to be super easy.”
Sunset groaned. “Flash.”
“What?”
“The sun doesn’t rise by itself here.”
The look on Flash’s face bounced between suspecting she was lying to him to trying to comprehend that sentence. “What?”
“Twilight literally raises the sun and moon every day and night.”
He blinked again. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to find some sort of lie. “Are you being actually serious?”
Sunset sighed. “Yes, I don’t know if I can make it any clearer.”
Flash blinked. “So you’re telling me that Twilight physically makes it day and night around here? What if she sleeps in?”
Twilight frowned. “Then the day starts late, and I need to make up the sunlight hours somehow.”
Flash glanced over at her.
Night spoke up. “Princess Twilight is one of the most powerful mages in Equestria. She raises the sun with her magical abilities every day. Before that, Princess Celestia raised the sun, and Princess Luna raised the moon. In fact, there’s a relatively famous bit of history where Luna did not lower the moon, leading to a bit of a rebellion.”
Flash blinked again. “I…you know what, I’m just going to stop talking.”
Sunset shook her head.
Night smirked.
“Okay, I think we’re going to end the tour,” Twilight said. “It’s…anyway. Let’s get to why you’re here.”
“An Intellect Crystal,” Sunset said, happy to move on to business. Apparently, the awkward followed her from Flash’s car and infected Twilight.
“Yes,” Night said, stepping forward. “We have reason to believe that there’s one in the mountains north of the Crystal Empire.”
“Alright, so why don’t you go get it?” Flash asked.
Night turned to him. “What happened to not talking?”
Flash glanced over at him, clearly annoyed.
“Stop getting on each other’s nerves, please,” Twilight said, exasperated.
Night looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. “As you wish, Princess. We cannot ‘go get it,’ Flash Sentry, because if we do, we let ponies know that we want something in the mountains. Specifically, ponies that could do a lot of damage if they get a hold of it.”
“Okay, so what’s so dangerous about it?”
“It’s like an AI, Flash,” Sunset explained. “One that knows all the spells that ever existed and the most efficient way to cast them. If given enough energy, the crystal could replace Twilight in raising the sun and moon.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Or,” Sunset continued, “They could vaporize ponies completely or turn them into a mindless horde. It would take a little work, but with the Intellect Crystal, they would know how to make them and have the magic to get them whatever they needed to do that.”
Flash said nothing.
Twilight spoke up. “I saw an alternate timeline where a dictator used magic he knew to enchant helmets that forced obedience. With an Intellect Crystal, anyone could have the means to do the same without any magic at all.”
“Okay,” Flash said, “so we don’t want people to know, got it.”
“What’s worse,” Night said, speaking up again, “I have sent singular agents into the mountains to retrieve it, but I have lost contact with each one. Either they are freezing to death in the mountains looking for it, or something is actively stopping them.”
“And that is where you come in, Sunset,” Twilight said. “I can’t go, unfortunately. If something happened to me while I was in the Crystal Empire, it could lead to an international incident. I would like to go on another adventure, but the risk I could run into outweigh the good I could do. You’re the only other pony I know that knows all the Techniques and Forms, and so I’d like you to do it. I know you also specialized in Mind spells, which could be useful here.”
“The only one? Sunset asked. “What about Starlight, your other student?”
“Starlight…” Twilight began. “Starlight is mostly self-taught. She has the aptitude, but her spellwork can be sloppy. I need precision on this. I can call her in if I need to, but I’d prefer if you went.”
“I,” Sunset began, “I'm not in a good place to do this, Princess. My car just broke down, and I’ll have to pay for repairs, rent, and food. I need the job that I have to get this all taken care of.”
“Sunset, I won’t let you do this without a reward. I have gems and gold I can give you. I know the money won’t be worth as much, so I’m offering whatever you can sell. Jewelry, precious metals, whatever you need. Let me know how you want it, and I’ll pay several thousand bits worth.”
She hesitated.
“We had several different chests prepared,” Night said. “Each filled with the same monetary reward in different forms.”
Sunset sighed. She could get away with that. The bits she brought with her when she escaped into the mirror were enough to get her rent, food, and supplies for the first year the exiled student spent in the human world once she melted them down. If Twilight gave her a bunch of necklaces and bracelets, she could pawn them off for a decent price.
“I just got a new job, Princess. If I don’t show up, they’ll fire me, and I won’t have a job.”
“I’ll double the reward,” Twilight said.
She said it so causally.
Sunset took a second to think about it and grimaced. “I’ll… I’ll think about it, alright?”
Twilight nodded. “Please do. But I do need to know your answer quickly. If you can’t, I must send a message to Starlight immediately.”
Sunset nodded.
“In the meantime,” Twilight said. “Why don’t you spend the night? We have enough guest rooms that you can stay without any issues.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Sunset said.
Twilight nodded before getting the attention of one of the guards. “Please escort our guests to the prepared guest rooms. Make sure they are comfortable. I will Spike down to answer any questions they have.”
“Yes, Princess,” the guard answered before he turned smartly to Flash and Sunset. “If you will follow me.”
And Sunset followed him, thinking about how much money it would take for her to find an excellent job on the other side.
---♦---
Night walked through the castle’s hallways, staying at the Princess’s side. She kept her eyes forward while he glanced between the niches, corners, and all the other hiding places he could find. He did that out of habit, and thinking about it distracted him from the question he wanted to ask Twilight. Of course, it wasn’t his place to ask, not after how he’d treated her.
“You could have been nicer to Flash,” she said.
And the floodgates opened.
“Why, because he’s a ‘good friend?’”
Twilight bit her lip. “He’s a friend, Night. We never became serious, and if I’m honest, I mainly liked him because I was in the body of a teenager again and went a little colt-crazy. I barely know anything about him.”
“He doesn’t seem to think that’s the case,” Night said, trying to keep his temper under control.
“We parted suddenly,” Twilight said. “I didn’t really get a chance to say goodbye or tell him what we meant to each other.”
Night didn’t reply.
“It’s nothing to really worry about, Night, I promi—”
“No, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Night said, not looking at her.
He felt surprised by the words as they came out of his mouth, but they were honest.
“I…I wasn’t saying I was right, Night. I was apologizing for not letting you know.”
“It’s fine,” he said again. “Nothing to worry about.”
“So, you’re not mad?”
He was mad but wasn’t sure why. “No. It’s fine.”
She didn’t look like she believed him, but he could tell she wanted to. “Okay. I’m glad to hear that.”
Night nodded and continued on. It was okay, even if he hated the idea.
“What do you want for dinner?” Twilight asked.
“Food,” Night replied. “You know I don’t really have a preference.”
She nodded. “I still like to ask.”
---♦---
Sunset lay on a bed so soft she caught herself falling asleep three times. She was a little tired, but the thoughts buzzing through her head kept her awake despite the bed.
Twilight just offered her exactly what she needed. Sunset had the opportunity to start again in the Human world for a second time. She could start a whole new fortune with the money Twilight offered her, and she wouldn’t even need to spend most of it on bribes again. This was her perfect chance, and she’d have to sacrifice her job at Spitshine.
Sunset’d only been there for a few weeks. She hadn’t gotten past her probationary period, and Mr. Shine said she’d have to work as scheduled for three months before using her paid time off. Mr. Shine might let her take the time, but he hired her so that she could work. He might not take her back if she disappeared for too long.
The time dilation didn’t help. Even if Sunset knew how long she’d be gone, she still didn’t know how long it’d take her in the human world. She didn’t have a single clue what her timetable would be.
A knock sounded on her door.
Sunset picked her head off the pillow. “Is that you, Spike?”
“No,” Flash’s voice said, coming from the other side of her guest bedroom door. “It’s me instead.”
She got up and opened the door with magic.
It felt so good to have that back.
“Yes?” she asked as Flash stepped in.
“Just had a couple of questions,” he said, stepping into the room. “Hope you don’t mind me asking you.”
“I guess it’ll give my brain a break from everything I’m thinking about.”
“Yeah, real quick. Are you okay?” Flash asked, glancing at her. “Are you short on cash or…?”
“No, I have money,” Sunset said. “I’m just having trouble keeping a job. I don’t seem to like any of them long enough to stay, but that’s on me.”
“Okay,” Flash said. “Well, if you need anything, I can help. Just let me know, okay?”
Sunset smiled. “Will do, Flash. Thanks. So what are your questions?”
“Okay, so…I sort of knew magic was a thing, but how much of a thing is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Does the whole world run on magic? Do children in the streets know most spells? Is there a school for magic kids? What?”
“Most of that is true,” Sunset said. “Only Unicorns can cast spells, but all ponies can access some magic. Pegasi, like you, can manipulate the weather by pushing clouds around and harnessing lightning. Earth ponies can make things grow better and make for good healers. Unicorns are the only ones that can direct their magic through a spell, though, like I said.”
“And the world actually runs on it, given that apparently, orbits aren’t a thing,” Flash said.
“More or less,” Sunset said. “We haven’t gotten to space in this dimension, so I can’t say for sure. Maybe we just rotate slowly, and so Celestia—or rather, Twilight—speeds it up so we don’t freeze to death at night.”
“Okay,” Flash said, nodding. “I guess that checks out. What about the magic school?”
“That’s Celestia’s school. I mentioned it earlier before we came in.”
“Right, that makes sense,” he said before blushing. “I should probably take more of that at face value.”
“I’m not going to lie to you about this, Flash. I’m…better at that now.”
He nodded. “Right, sorry.”
Again that awkward silence began to seep in. Sunset mentally cursed. How could she be so confident about her transformation everywhere else, to anyone else? All except Flash.
She tried. She spent so much time and effort trying to breach that wall Flash raised after they broke up. Sunset tried to be a friend, tried to be better, but it didn’t seem to matter to Flash.
“Because we hurt him the most.”
“Anyway,” Flash said, killing the quiet. “Next question: what’s the plan for you? Are you going after this AI jewel?”
Sunset sighed. “I don’t know,” she said. “I probably should. The money would help me with my bills, but I still have a job back in the human world that I can’t really afford to lose.”
“Could you afford it after being paid, though?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Then, why not? At worst, you spend a few weeks finding a new job, but you’ll still be able to pay your bills and fix your car. At best, you can get money to pay for everything and start saving up. Not to mention you could put together an emergency fund. I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”
Sunset sighed. He made a point, unfortunately. “Okay, so maybe I will. I’m still going to think about it, though.”
“Great,” Flash said. “Also, how long is it going to take?”
“What the job?”
“No,” he said, annoyance crossing his face, “getting used to this body. I have a tail that I don’t know what to do with, and the lack of pants makes me feel a little exposed every time there’s a draft.”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “That one’s on you, Flash. No one else can deal with it but you.”
---♦---
Spike the dragon called them for dinner. After Flash got used to the idea that the beagle he knew in the human world was an honest-to-goodness dragon with fiery breath, wings, and all, they went to the dining hall, where Twilight and a few advisors waited.
Night was there too.
Flash glared at him as he sat further down the table, with Sunset on one side and the dragon on the other. Night had the spot to Twilight’s left, while Sunset sat on the right, with another light gray unicorn and a burly blue pony without a horn or wings, the Earth pony he heard about.
The dinner before them mainly consisted of vegetables, bread, fruits, mushrooms, eggs, and grass. Quiches filled with rosemary, tomato, and carrot; noodle salads with shredded cabbage and parsley; braised sweet potatoes covered in a honey sauce; fruit shish kebabs covered in cinnamon and more lay before the seven gathered ponies, waiting to be eaten.
Flash felt compelled to avoid the grass.
“So,” Twilight said. “I don’t mean to rush you, Sunset, but I need to know. Are you going to take the job? Because if not, I must send a letter to Starlight immediately.”
Sunset grimaced but sighed. “Yes, I’ll do the job. I’ll have to head back through the portal to contact my boss to let him know, but I’ll do it.”
Twilight smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll prepare some basic supplies, but if you need anything else, please let me know.”
“If you’re the one making the list, Twilight, I’m sure you covered everything,” Sunset replied with a smile of her own.
Flash bit into some bread and was surprised to find it actually a fried head of cauliflower.
Twilight then turned to Flash, and he gave her his full attention. He has a lot of time to catch up on, after all.
“Are you going with her, Flash?”
He opened his mouth to reply to the negative before Twilight continued.
“After all, I can’t think of any other reason for you to be here.”
“I can’t come by and say hello?” Flash said.
Silence met his comment.
Night raised an eyebrow across the table, and the two other advisors leveled curious stares at him.
And Twilight looked uncomfortable. “Well, I suppose you can,” she said.
The Princess’s squirming felt weird, and he stumbled to recover. “It’s fine; seriously, yes, I will help.”
Sunset turned to him, and he shot her a pleading look. “Please don’t call me out again. Please!”
Sunset stayed quiet, and Twilight looked far more comfortable. “Oh, wonderful. I make sure to double your supplies.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Sunset said.
Twilight nodded. “I’ll get you tickets to the Crystal Empire ready for you. I have to say, I’m rather impressed that you volunteered to help, Flash.”
Flash nodded and wondered why he just did that. “Of course, it’s only fair that I help your world since you’ve helped mine.”
Well, at least it might impress Twilight.