The Sweetie Chronicles: Fragments

by Wanderer D

Night's Favored Child Pt. 1

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and looked around. It was nighttime, and she had found herself in a garden of sorts. As far as she could tell, all was calm, and she took a moment to enjoy it. If this was the last stretch of her journey, then she should be careful, but also take advantage of whatever peace she could get.

It was especially important to do as the first thing into a new world. She glanced down at herself, immediately noticing her transformed self, but more importantly, that she was back in the body of a filly… or at least younger. She looked to be a little older than when she had left Ponyville the first time by maybe two or three years. Certainly a teen, if she had to guess her age, it would be either 14 or 15.

Was this intentional somehow? She couldn't really see the ancient Twilight Fragment sending her here, looking like this, for any specific reason. It had to be one of those strange rules that dominated her travels across the multiverse.

She looked at the bluebells growing around her, and couldn’t help but reflect on her visit to Sunset's Isekai. By the very nature of her transformation into a changeling, she had an instinctive, visceral response to being exposed. It wasn't a problem with other changelings, but when it came to your average Equestrian species… even Chrysalis' Hive, it was… tough.

Even ponies she could trust and knew would see her for herself were a struggle. Blueblood had insisted that she wasn’t a monster, and just like later on with Sunset, she had felt respected and loved… but Cadance’s reaction to seeing her in her true form had shaken her.

Would she have to prove herself over and over to her family and friends? If her glamour spell ever failed, how could she convince them that she really was Sweetie Belle at all? Especially after so long? After changing so much that so little was left of the filly they had seen last?

It was true that she had been offered a home of sorts at the Isekai, but… it wasn't her home. And if she was to ever be happy about being home at all, she needed to get through this, and somehow find her way to Distant Shores.

Sweetie sighed, grateful for the silence and solace while she stared despondently at her marble-like fur and the little obsidian spikes that poked out every now and then. Enough. She shook herself out of her stupor and took a deep breath. She needed to—

A familiar sound made her look up. The sound of somecreature crying.

Sweetie stood up and followed the sniffling until she could make out the form of a young mare about her own age, just slightly younger, sitting down on a bench, looking miserable by herself. 

She didn’t realize that she had moved out of the shrubs (without making a single sound) until she was next to the crying pony. “Hey, um, are you okay?”

The young mare looked up, startled, purple eyes glossy with the sheen of tears. Quickly, she blinked and rubbed at her cheeks. “Oh, y-yes, I’m fine.”

Sweetie stared. She couldn’t help it. For all her adventures, it was the first time she had encountered this particular pony in this particular situation, and most importantly… age. “T-Twilight?! Is that—” She shook her head, taking a deep breath. “—Sorry, I’m not making much sense...” Sweetie stepped back to give the young mare some more space. “But you are Twilight Sparkle, right?”

“Oh yes,” Twilight said, quite perplexed. “Are you a new servant, then?”

Sweetie snorted. “Um, no.” She shivered. Twilight’s words brought some bad memories about being forced into servitude that she'd rather not relive. “I’m not, although I guess it would be less unpleasant here than… that one time at that other palace,” she added. She frowned. Something was odd about this. Even with exposures and recent talks, she hadn't thought about that place in… what felt like—and probably was—years. What brought that about? Is there something here that reminds me of it?

“Oh! So you worked for another kingdom? Gallopfrey?” Twilight frowned. “You don’t seem to have an accent.”

Sweetie shifted a little. “I just travel a lot, there’s really not a lot worth talking about when I was doing random jobs.” She looked up at Twilight’s eyes. “Besides, I’m more concerned for you… why were you so sad?”

“Oh, well…” she pawed at the ground, looking miserable. “It’s nothing important. You shouldn’t worry about me. I’d rather just be left alone.”

Sweetie pondered for a moment. She didn't want to push too hard, but seeing a young Twilight so despondent was not something she was really okay with.  “Hey," she said after some thought, "how about I show you an interesting magic trick?” 

Twilight shrugged. “I guess. Though I doubt it’s something I haven’t seen before. No offense. My mother shows me all kinds of tricks, and Uncle Inky… uh, I mean the Chancellor always has new things to teach me.”

Sweetie grinned. “Well then, feel free to stop me if you have seen this one before. All I need is some quartz…”

The purple filly brightened up at that. She turned and levitated a saddlebag towards them and began to rummage through it. “I was with Spike earlier and he likes gems to, uh, to eat, but he got sick so he couldn’t finish all of… aha!”

She pulled out a little sack and emptied some finely-cut gems onto the ground between them.

Sweetie looked down, pushing aside gems with her hooves. “Rubies, slightly spicy. But no… uh… aha! Quartz!”

Sweetie levitated the crystal out of the pile and set it next to her. “Now, check this out.” She took a deep breath and started talking to the quartz. She couldn't help herself, and her contract magic was less of a whisper and more of a little song.

The world around them grew unusually quiet, the whispers of whatever language Sweetie was speaking became almost blurred with each other, and slowly, very slowly, other whispering voices emerged from around her in answer.

The air now felt queerly alien, definitely not belonging in the tranquil grove. Twilight’s eyes became pinpricks and she steadily backed away from Sweetie, glancing about her, trying to find the source of the voices. 

But then, her attention went back to Sweetie as slowly the quartz began to shift. Sweetie Belle smiled, but continued talking as her horn lit up with magic. Like a cloud of light, it floated into the crystal, slowly becoming more focused until it was a single ray of purple-white energy spinning inside of it. It shot from one end of the crystal to the other, leaving behind tiny star-like points. The quartz slowly warped and stretched out into a familiar equine shape, then the light slowly faded.

With a last, almost thankful whisper, Sweetie stepped back, observing her work, before turning to Twilight. “Ta-da! A pony crystal golem with a thirteen-point matrix for continuous energy feedback. And yes, I know that's excessive, but what's the point of showing off a trick if it's not flashy?”

The little golem seemed to regard the ground around it before trotting up to Twilight’s legs and staring up at her expectantly with its featureless face. Twilight stared down at it, mouth agape and eyes wide.

“How… how did you do that? What was that? Where did you learn—” She lit her horn and crouched down to the golem, peering at it. The golem backed away from her as she bumped her nose against, clumsy with excitement, her fear during the spell vanishing. “I can only feel the matrix for energy feedback. Where’re the nodes for movement? For reaction to stimuli? Can it learn and adapt? This… this isn’t etheric magic at all, is it? But it can’t be leymagic, either...”

Sweetie chuckled. “The golem can take and learn some orders, since I overdid it with the matrices, but it won’t really learn anything too complicated. It will react to normal stimuli and avoid its own destruction, and I think it’s a bit playful, but treat it with care, okay?” She grinned mischievously. “As for the rest, it’s a secret.”

Twilight looked disappointed at Sweetie’s undue mystery, but she beamed nonetheless. “Thank you for this. It’s wonderful. You have a gift, a real gift.” She returned her gaze to the little creature for a while. “Oh, and thank you for… you know… for calling me ‘Twilight’. It’s a nice change, being treated like a normal pony for once.”

Sweetie smiled. “Glad you liked it. And it’s okay… I have some experience in being treated differently too.” She paused, glancing at Twilight. “Wait, why would anypony treat you differently?”

The other young unicorn looked perplexed. “Uh, because I’m the Crown Princess? I thought you knew. Why else bother with me?”

Sweetie stared. “You’re a princess?! But you don’t have any wi—” she stopped herself. “Right. Different world, different rules,” she muttered, before smiling again. “Well. I saw Twilight Sparkle being miserable, and I thought I’d cheer her up. That’s what a friend would do, right?”

Twilight brought a hoof to her mouth and her eyes began to water once more. “Nopony’s said that to me in…”

She suddenly leapt forward and wrapped Sweetie in a warm embrace.

“Hey,” Sweetie said gently as she returned the embrace, making sure all the little shards of obsidian were inside her body so she wouldn’t accidentally nick her friend’s coat. She was feeling a bit emotional today, so she needed to be extra careful. “Come on, cheering you up is the least I could do.”

“I-I haven’t had any real friends in so long,” Twilight sobbed. “Not any friends who don’t see me as anything other than Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Sweetie sighed, holding her friend closer. If Twilight only knew how many times the roles had been reversed. “Well, I’d like to be your friend if you want. I’ll be around for a little while, and we can hang out and discuss magic, even play for a bit. Whatever you want.”

Twilight backed away, disentangling herself from her new friend, smiling widely despite the tears in her eyes. “Oh, I’d love that! Where are you staying?”

Sweetie blinked and looked around. “Um. I, uh… don’t have a place yet. I haven’t looked for one.”

The younger unicorn frowned at that. “Oh… well, if you want a place, just come to the palace. I’ll tell the guards to keep an eye out for you, and they’ll let you into the Royal Apartments or someplace else. I’m sure Mom won’t mind.”

Sweetie nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind." Now that Twilight was calmer, maybe she could find out a bit more about this world. "So, what is it like, living in the palace?”

Twilight gave a noncommittal shrug. “It’s big but I’m never alone and there’s plenty to do. Servants and nobles and officials sometimes try to make small talk with me, and I have to answer them or it would be ‘rude and unbecoming of a princess’, but most of the time I’m in the observatory, Apartments or the library.” 

A grin came to her lips. “The library is enormous! I’m even allowed in some of the restricted archives, being the Empress’s daughter, though only under supervision. Mom doesn’t like me learning dangerous magic.”

Empress? Sweetie thought, but nodded. “It’s for the best. Dangerous magic can hurt a lot of ponies if there’s any slight mishap… I have some little experience with that.” She grinned morosely. “It’s best to be careful.”

“I guess, though my mom probably knows so much special alicorn magic she’s not telling me about, and it can’t all be that dangerous,” Twilight said, scowling a little. “So… what kind of dangerous magic did you learn about? Is what you did to make the golem part of it? It seemed a little dangerous to me.” Her voice lifted with growing curiosity, though trembled as if the recollection was disconcerting.

“It's not dangerous to witness, or be near to, but that is not magic you want to learn. Ever.” Sweetie said, stiffening and with all hints of humor fading. “It can create many beautiful things but the cost…” she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but it’s a really sore subject and too painful to talk about." She sighed. "For some reason this place brought a lot of those memories back and that's why I thought of the golem.”

“Oh, um.” Twilight’s eagerness was tempered, but then she added hopefully, “Maybe you can talk about it with me later? When you’re ready, that is.”

Sweetie’s smile returned, and her stance relaxed. “If we get the chance and it doesn’t feel as… raw, absolutely. There’s nopony I’d trust more.” Twilight blushed at the compliment.

Relaxing on the bench, Sweetie considered her former tutor, now-young friend. “So, tell me a little about the Empress. The rest of us only see her business side.”

Twilight smiled. “Oh she’s wonderful! The best mother I could have ever hoped for. I know she seems stern and kind of scary - I thought that when I first met her too - but she has a softer, more passionate and caring side. Don’t let the dragon eyes fool you, she’s a pony just like you and me at heart.”

‘Wait… dragon eyes? Is her mother—’ Sweetie cleared her throat, and hazarded a guess. “I-I take it Nightmare Moon has that effect on most ponies.”

“Yes, she has to keep up appearances at court and for official matters of the state," Twilight said, confirming Sweetie's suspicions. "Not to mention all the ponies who try to lie or trick her; she can’t let them see her softer side otherwise they might try to take advantage of her.” Twilight grimaced. “Well, that and she has a really bad temper.”

Sweetie chuckled at the comment. “I can imagine. It’s probably not a good idea to reveal too much of yourself in a place where politics rule. I’d rather just live somewhere where I only have to worry about someone lying to keep me from finding out about a surprise party.”

The pony princess giggled. “I never have surprise parties. In the past Mom used to try and make them all lavish and big, but I’ve never really wanted anything like that. She’s a bit too theatrical for her own good sometimes. She caught on eventually, though now she puts all her effort in birthday outings and presents.”

Sweetie nodded. “You know, I never imagined Nightmare Moon as a mom, but you make her sound like a wonderful one.”

“She is… she saved my life too, more than once.”

“How so?” Sweetie asked, arching an eyebrow.

Twilight looked down, tracing a pattern in the grass with her hoof. “The first time was when I was taking the entrance exam for the Imperial Academy for Gifted Unicorns. I had to hatch a dragon egg for the test - it was supposed to be impossible and they were really testing for how I would approach the task and handle failure - but there was some kind of explosion just as I was casting a spell. It was so much of a shock I Flared and my magic went completely out of control. Mom waded into the room even while it was saturated with thaumic energy and helped me calm down and contain my power.” She looked up and smiled nostalgically. “That was the first time I met her.”

‘Just like in my own world, only it was Nightmare Moon instead of Celestia… I wonder if Rainbow Dash caused the explosion?’ Sweetie smirked. 'How nostalgic. I guess hatching dragon eggs is just that much of a classic. I should tell her about my own test, one day.' “Wow. I bet it must have been scary when that happened, I’m glad she was around to help you.” She tilted her head curiously. “And you mentioned a second time? Did you Flare again?”

Twilight turned her head away, wincing. In a weak, monotone voice she muttered, “I was poisoned.”

Sweetie’s eyes widened. “What?! Who would do that?”

“Griffons, I think. That’s what Mom said one of the conspirators confessed.” Twilight shook her head. “Their ambassadors had been invited to the Hearth’s Warming feast to ease relations. I ate some poisoned desert… I think it was meant for Marshal Silverstar. Mom was furious anyway.”

Sweetie huffed angrily. “I don’t blame her! Why, if I could get my hooves on the assassin…” she gritted her teeth angrily, the thought of her friend and mentor dead by poisoning flashing in her mind and making her feel almost sick.

“We blockaded them after that. There were a few skirmishes and Mom was ready to go to war, but she was convinced otherwise.” Twilight frowned. “The blockade still hasn’t been lifted.”

Sweetie shook her head, still appalled. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Twilight… even if it was intended for somepony else, it’s just… horrible.”

The purple princess nodded sadly, staring into the distance for a little while. She shook the daze from her head and smiled. “So where are you from if not Canterlot?”

Sweetie gave Twilight a pained look, trying her best not to lie, but not give away too much. “I was born in Ponyville… it’s been so long since I’ve been home though, I barely even remember what it felt like to be there.”

“Traveling, huh? How far have you been?” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Have you seen the sun? I’ve heard about it from Inky, but I’ve never been far enough away from Equestria to see it.”

A voice suddenly called out from the darkness. “Twilight! Where are you?”

Sweetie shuffled, making ready to leave. “I guess it’s time for me to go… I’ll see you later, okay, Twi?”

“Yeah, okay. I hope you get where you’re staying safely. It’s pretty late out and like Mom always says: it’s bad for young girls to go out into the city in the evening all alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” Sweetie assured her. “We’ll meet around here tomorrow afternoon, okay?” She quickly stepped away, leaving Twilight with her new pet and merged into the shadows.

At that moment, a tall dark figure stepped out of the treeline into the grove. Great wings and a long horn marked her as an alicorn, and the star-filled mane of ether, the shining obsidian coat, and the draconic eyes of turquoise could only belong to Nightmare Moon.

She looked down at Twilight, who had been left staring at the spot where Sweetie Belle had been. “Twilight? Who were you talking to?”

Twilight looked up. “A friend, Mom. They’re gone now.”

The alicorn frowned in curiosity and peered at the shadows of the grove. Sweetie Belle froze, silently praying she would not be discovered, until Nightmare Moon made a slight shrugging movement and turned back to her daughter.

“Well, it is good that you have made a friend, but it is getting late, and—” she noticed the little golem at Twilight’s hooves. “What is that, Twilight?”

Twilight smiled. “A golem! My friend made it for me out of the quartz I was giving Spike. It doesn’t have any matrices for movement or independence, just energy feedback and management. It’s really strange.”

Nightmare Moon stared at the golem in a manner much like Twilight had done when she saw its creation, though there was a good deal more concern in her eyes. “Is this... contract magic?” the alicorn murmured. She shook her head and assumed an air of regal sobriety. “Come now, Twilight. It is bedtime, and in the morning, I should like to ask you about your friend.”

Her tone was thick with authority, and the purple princess threw a questioning glance her mother’s way. “She’s not in trouble, is she? You don’t sound too happy.”

A thin smile came to her mother’s lips. “No, no. I would just like to… speak to her, that is all. She has performed a very rare and advanced form of magic, and I would quite like to know who taught her.” She began to walk out of the grove.

Twilight seemed placated and motioned for the golem to follow. “So I can keep the golem then?”

“Of course. There is nothing harmful about it, so I do not see why not.”

“What should I call the golem, Mom?”

“I’m sure you will think of something, dear.”

The two disappeared from Sweetie’s sight as they passed through a curtain of hanging willow branches, leaving her alone in the shadows of the grove.

“Well,” Sweetie muttered to herself. “This Nightmare Moon is a lot more serious than the last one.”

Twilight trotted at her mother’s side as they walked to the Royal Apartments, with the little golem following in her wake. Her head was buzzing with questions about her new friend, but most pressing was the need to know about Sweetie’s magic. 

Tomorrow afternoon couldn’t come soon enough for Twilight. The gemstone creature behind her had not been created as a conventional golem; that was easy enough to tell from even her cursory studies on the subject. 

She had definitely heard her mother mutter something about “contract magic”, which she silently vowed to learn about. If her mother wouldn’t tell her, then the Inquisitor would. He loved to teach her little tricks and arcane lore that they both knew Nightmare Moon had forbidden from her education. If anyone could tell her about the golem, she knew it would be him.

“So how was your night, dear?” her mother asked as they walked.

“Oh, it was… interesting,” she replied.

“Because of your friend?”

Twilight nodded. “She was kind of weird, but in a good way. And it sounds like she’s been all over the world, learning all kinds of magic! I can’t wait to talk to her again.”

“Perhaps you and I can both talk to her. I think I should get to know your friends better, especially this one.” The alicorn definitely had a tone of genuine curiosity in her voice.

“I’m sure she’d love to meet you!” Twilight beamed.

Nightmare Moon absently shuffled her wings, airing them slightly. “Indeed. Well, I will ask you more about her in the morning.” She stopped mid-gait, causing Twilight – and the golem – to do the same. “I do have one question before you go to sleep, however. She made the golem for you then and there, correct?” Twilight nodded. “Did you notice anything strange when she made it?”

“Um, strange as in?”

“Strange as in something you would not normally associate with spellcasting.”

 “Well… I’ve never actually seen a golem spell cast before,” Twilight hedged. 

There was something heavy and serious in her mother’s voice that made her uneasy about elaborating on Sweetie’s casting methods. It was no longer a tone of absent, casual curiosity. 

She had heard this tone when Nightmare Moon discussed matters of importance in court or with her officials. Once in a while, the Inquisitor suggested that sometimes, it was for the best to keep a little truth from her mother, as she could become fairly… domineering about certain things. Things like Twilight’s education and safety. 

Nightmare Moon preferred to keep a rather tight reign on her adopted daughter.

Still, even Twilight could tell the little golem was unusual. More than likely, the alicorn knew enough that she would know a lie when she heard it. After all, it had been a strange spell. The flanging, ethereal whispers were still stuck in her head, and when she recalled them shivers ran down her spine. 

Perhaps if she told her mother about them, she could find out what they were. But would that get Sweetie Belle in trouble? She desperately didn’t want her new friend banished or imprisoned, or in any kind of trouble because of her.

Nonetheless, after much hesitation and the ever-intensifying imperious glare of her mother, Twilight gave in. “But, yes, it was like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

“How?”

The filly shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a tattle-tale as she explained, “She started whispering-singing to the gem she made the golem out of. I didn’t recognize the language… it made me feel weird, though, and…” she became hoarse as she continued, “and I thought something… whispered back.”

As she feared, her mother’s face became dreadfully grave. She tried to hide it, of course, but with the worsening tensions with the griffons, Nightmare Moon had heard unpleasant news often. Twilight had learned to spot when her mother was unsettled. A pit of worry formed in her stomach and it gave her jitters.

The alicorn’s expression softened and she put on a gentle smile, though the tension in her jaw didn’t completely fade. “Do not worry about it, Twilight. I am sure your friend is a good pony.”

“Are those whispers… bad?” She glanced at the golem, suddenly less inclined towards keeping it. “What about this? How can I not worry when you’re worried?”

“Because I have grown paranoid in my years. This is likely nothing, but I cannot help but be cautious. You, however, can. And it is bedtime, and I want you to have a good night’s sleep.”

At last they came to the Royal Apartments, and the bat-winged guards opened the doors for their sovereign and the Crown Princess. The filly was now eager to sleep, eager to let the dreams chase her worries away. They went through the great hall of the Royal Apartments, up the grand stairs and into the carpeted hallway that housed Twilight and her mother’s bedrooms.

The whispers had been weird, even somewhat frightening when she first heard them. They were worrying, but if her mother assured her there was no danger, then they were no overt threat. Twilight swallowed, anxious to have her questions answered. “Mom, about the whispers…”

“I will cast something for your fears, Twilight. Sleep and dreams are part of my domain, and you are my daughter.” Nightmare Moon was firm in her words, as if she was not making a promise, but stating a fact. “You will have no trouble in my realm.”

Twilight took that as a sign that there would be no more answers today. Still, she was very tired and her questions would have to wait for tomorrow, for both Sweetie and her mother to answer them.

Gratefully, she tottered into her room, with her mother at her side and the golem faithfully at her feet. Patiently, her mother waited while she set about her bedtime routine of showering and brushing her teeth in the en suite. When she returned, she found Nightmare Moon sitting on a large, plush cushion next to her bed, following the golem’s movements around the room.

It acted like a kitten, curious about the new world it had been brought to. Had it a nose, it would be snuffling around the edges of the bed and bookcases, but instead it explored in an efficient and steady manner without eyes, ears or nostrils to guide it. Twilight briefly wondered again how it could see and hear things, but shrugged it off as a question for another time. Instead, she clambered into her bed and allowed her mother to tuck her in. Despite being thirteen, she still enjoyed moments when the alicorn doted on her like this.

As she shuffled further into the covers of her bed, the golem leapt up onto the bed. Twilight looked at it crossly, now more unsure than ever on whether to keep it.

“I think it wants to sleep on the end of your bed,” Nightmare Moon joked.

“Is that safe?” Twilight asked, eyeing the gemstone creature. “It won’t turn on me or anything?”

“If it has been made in the way I think it has been then no. On the contrary, it will do anything in its power to protect you; you are its master. It will be more loyal than a dog.”

“If you say it’s okay, then…” Twilight reached out and touched it. The thing was surprisingly smooth, like polished soapstone. “It’s kind of cold, but I guess being a rock and all, that’s only logical.”

As if in response, the golem buzzed with energy and grew warmer to the touch. Twilight smiled, impressed. “Maybe if I put it in a fur coat, I can pretend I have a puppy.”

“Well, if it will be your pet, what will you name it?” her mother asked.

Twilight scrunched up her muzzle in thought. “Ummm… Zosimos. After the zebra alchemist of Pandopolis.”

Nightmare Moon nodded. “It is as good a name as any. Zosimos was a wonderful person; very wise. For a moment, I thought you would try and make a pun name.”

Twilight made a face. “I think there are enough puns in Equestria as it is.”

They had a good laugh at that, and when that died down, Twilight gladly accepted a kiss on the forehead from her mother and the guaranteed good night’s sleep she had promised. With Zosimos keeping her hooves warm and the trials of her afternoon fading, Twilight curled up and drifted off to sleep as Nightmare Moon closed the door behind her.

This is weird, Sweetie Belle thought the next morning, as she looked around the city of Canterlot with undisguised curiosity. I know it’s morning, because it’s lighter, but… it’s still not day. No wonder Twilight was so intrigued by the sun!

She stepped out of the shadows of the alley she had opened a door to the hedge from, before marching into the main streets of Canterlot, taking in the sights. Her stomach grumbled and she sighed, trying to figure out where to go first. ‘I should find a place where I can get something to eat. Maybe the market?’

The city itself didn’t look too different from other Canterlots she had visited, except for the occasional building or banner in purple or blue with silver where she would have expected the golden suns of Celestia’s rule.

She followed the streets into an open plaza surrounded by several commercial buildings, with smaller stalls and stands in the open area. Ponies offered their wares in a more dignified manner than the usual markets, where they would be calling out for buyers. Here, it was obvious that the nobles expected a degree of decorum from the merchants, simply wandering from stall to stall as things struck their fancy.

The sounds of somepony speaking loudly enough to carry across the market drew her attention, and soon enough, she stood amongst several other ponies listening to a young, beautiful unicorn mare with a mane and tail like waves of gold and a coat of purplish-gray. She reflected her audience well, wearing a fashionable frilled saddle and a choker with an emerald pendant that matched her eyes.

“Ladies and gentlecolts, please gather closer. What I’m about to tell you will well and truly open your eyes and grant you the clarity to see… see past the limited scope of our cousins in the Enlightened Way, and into a realm of greater truth. When you go to chantry to meditate and sing, do you truly feel content? Archeist doctrine would tell you that this life is meaningless; our bodies are temporary, useless vessels and the only truth is in some vague ideal of harmony and perfection. They revere the holy alicorns as mere ponies who have gained this enlightenment and shun their true nature. They teach that the spirit and the flesh are separate; that your pride and your faults will keep you from grasping true happiness in the afterlife. But how many ponies have reached that perfection through Arche’s methods? A few dozen in all our history! How many simply wallow in some nameless lower heaven without knowing the true bliss of the afterlife?” The preacher paused her sermon, leaning in as if she had been sharing the latest piece of gossip and had yet to reveal the juiciest secret. “I speak for a group that you have likely heard of: the Cult Imperia, sponsored by the Holy Empress Nightmare Moon herself. We have discovered the secret, sacred truth that the Archeists have missed. We can teach you how to find happiness and immortality in both this life and the afterlife without the need for such lofty, unattainable goals. We only ask that you celebrate and worship of life in its purist form, and you will learn to reap the benefits that are rightly yours.”

As the neophyte allowed herself to fall silent, murmured excitement rippled through her audience. A unicorn couple next to Sweetie Belle – a blue-tinged light gray bespectacled stallion with a neatly combed and shaped black mane, and a butter-coated mare with a bouffant of lavender and white – talked loud enough for her to hear them over the buzzing crowd.

“Well, Jet Set, it certainly sounds… interesting, but all our friends still attend regular chantry services,” the mare said to her wife.

“Oh, but that is the beauty of it, my dear, this time we will be the trend-setters,” he replied. “My sister Smart Set told me she and her wife had a lovely time; it was like a party, but with a certain esoteric mysteriousness about it. Besides, the nobility are joining up in droves. If we attend, we will be alongside counts and barons!”

“Well, in that case it wouldn’t hurt to try. We don’t have any plans this weekend anyway, so there would be no harm.”

“That’s the spirit! Just you wait, Upper Crust. We will be the envy of our neighborhood when they hear of us associating with nobility!”

Sweetie was intrigued. If Nightmare Moon herself endorsed this cult, why wasn’t it the main religion? She approached the neophyte as she finished chatting with an older stallion. “Excuse me, I think I would like to learn more. Where could I do so?”

The neophyte turned to her and beamed. “Oh, well, we’re having an introductory ceremony in a little while, and I’d be happy to direct you there if you are interested in learning more. The Hierophant herself is actually hosting, and she simply loves to find youths with inquisitive minds. Would you like a pamphlet? The time and place for the ceremony is there.”

She didn’t wait for an answer, thrusting one of the pamphlets at Sweetie. It had little in the way of actual information, just mysterious and vague promises and declarations of “secrets to be revealed”.

“We’ll have ponies of all ages attending, both newcomers and returning members,” the golden-haired mare said.

Sweetie nodded. “Oh, thank you! I’ll be sure to attend. After all, the more you know the better you’re prepared, right?”

“Oh, certainly!” The mare caught the eyes of the same couple Sweetie had heard earlier. “Now, if you will excuse me, I simply must talk to those two over there.”

Sweetie nodded, studying the map. The building in question was relatively nearby, and if she was reading the directions right, she could get there easily before the ceremony began.

Looking around to get her bearings, Sweetie left the plaza behind in hopes of arriving early to meet some of the other attendees. Maybe this afternoon I can ask Twilight if what they teach is the truth for this world, she thought. In fact, I think I’ll have a lot of questions for her.

Sweetie followed the map through the pleasantly meandering streets of upper Canterlot to the building marked as her destination. It was surprisingly close to the palace, in the same neighborhood as numerous small mansions that orbited the even larger mansions which pressed close around the palace. 

The building itself was much like the mansions that surrounded it, though it was perhaps the smallest. Judging from the outside, it didn’t serve as anypony’s home; there were ornate pillars and carving on every surface, and while it stood two stories tall, there was no upper row of windows or balconies to suggest a second floor. Rather than the sloping roofs of its neighbors, a polished dome capped the building, shining silver in this world’s strange day-night.

The building was closed off from the public by a network of tall metal fences - as ornate as the rest of the compound - built into a wall that was perhaps just above head height for the average foal. The gate, however, stood open wide and Sweetie could see some ponies walking into it, welcomed by hooded guards or greeters.

Before strolling up to the gate, Sweetie studied the ponies walking in and noticed that while not all of them wore exquisite clothing or saddles, most wore some sort of jewelry or decoration.

Thinking for a moment, she turned casually down a side street, and once she was sure there was nopony around, she summoned her book, releasing the princess dress Elusive had created for her so long ago. She donned the collar with the large purple gem and the matching earrings as well before storing the book away.

Looking at her reflection in a window, she nodded to herself. Just enough to look fancy, but not enough to look like she was trying too hard. Nobles noticed things like that. It had taken her a long time to clue in on that because Blueblood made it seem so natural, but when she had finally understood it, it made their incursions into Canterlot Nobility much easier.

Sweetie Belle returned to the gate and headed through, giving the guards a courteous nod. For a moment, they seemed about to stop her, until they saw the pamphlet she held and relaxed back into their positions. 

The front lawn was a lovely garden of trimmed bushes and flowerbeds bisected by a wide gravel path leading to the doorway. She passed underneath a portico and through the opened double-doors, flanked by yet more guardponies. She found herself in a marble-floored lobby that was quite bare save for several columns, some potted plants, and a desk with a robed acolyte standing behind it. 

The mare’s quill danced over a ledger as she asked a couple in front of her numerous questions. Sweetie scooted a bit closer, trying not to appear obvious so she could listen in to the next pair of ponies the scribe talked to. ‘Huh, regular questions… Sweetie thought, already planning her own story. ‘Clearly concerned more with pedigree and political influence than actual interest in the cult. I’d better do my best Fleur-de-Lis imitation.

“Are you alone, young miss, or are you with others?”

Sweetie blinked, realizing that she had missed the rest of the conversation. “I’m by myself, for the moment,” she answered. “Should I wait somewhere for things to start?”

“A few questions first, miss, then you’ll just head through those doors and we will notify you when the ceremony begins,” the mare said. “Now, what is your name?”

“Sweetie Belle,” Sweetie answered, offering the mare a smile. 

The mare wrote that down. “Age?”

“Fourteen.”

“Okay,” the mare said after a quick flick of her quill. “Finally, I would like your family name if you have one, and your current address.”

“Ah,” Sweetie’s face became very serious. “My family name might not be convenient to mention right now, if you don’t mind… they… do not know I’m here today, you see. But I will say that I, and they, might be found at the palace from time to time.” She pondered for a moment. “However, I realize you probably can’t take my word for it. If you’d like, I can show you a couple of letters of introduction I have from Prince Blueblood himself to prove my identity.” 

The mare’s polite smile widened until she looked like a cat who had caught a very large fish. “Well, we can certainly make some… arrangements for a case such as yourself, given your… station. May I see those letters?”

Sweetie Belle tilted her head. “Of course, but I must insist you return them immediately. My family would be distraught if  they found out I had misplaced them.”

The mare nodded emphatically and Sweetie’s horn lit up. Next to her head, the air opened up, long enough for a sheet of paper to extract itself from within her book, and float out, to be held, perfectly still in front of Sweetie, and facing the mare. The receptionist needed to only briefly scan its contents before passing it back and jotting down a few notes in the ledger.

“I hope you enjoy your time here, Lady Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie smiled, sending her letter away and nodding. “Just Sweetie Belle, for now, please. After all… I’m not here, remember?” She winked at the mare, as if sharing a little joke between friends, and proceeded into the next room.

As soon as she was inside, Sweetie stepped to the side, careful to not draw attention as she looked around. The waiting room was large enough to hold the two dozen or so ponies attending with room to spare. Several servants walked about, carrying canapes and light drinks while ponies discussed politics, admired the sculptures or simply exchanged witticisms to amuse themselves while the time for the ceremony approached.

Sweetie’s eyes strayed around the room, trying to see if she could recognize anypony that she had perhaps met in other worlds… given the nature of the guests, most likely at the Grand Galloping Gala. The ponies in attendance had already mingled into small groups. She could tell who knew each other and who didn’t. Here and there friends would meet with wide grins and talk animatedly, while others greeted one another with polite smiles masking boredom or guarded glances.

More than one social climber had made their way there as well, marked by their less elegant clothing and hesitant demeanors. She watched one such stallion finally gather the courage to approach a diamond-crowned mare, only to be acknowledged with a polite nod of the head, followed by his objective turning her back on him, purposefully cutting him off from the conversation or even from any further attempts to join again. And then another stallion pushed an empty glass into his hoof and asked for another.

Her eyes kept scanning the ponies around her, seeking a familiar face. Would it be Fleur? Fancypants? Who else was around Canterlot while Twilight was a filly? Octavia, perhaps?

Then, for just a moment, she spotted a familiar mint-green coat. Sweetie’s eyes widened as she moved out of her corner and slowly approached. She recognized the pony immediately, but the filly’s manner made her uncertain.

The last time she had seen her, her friend had been trying to teach her the finer points of Technomancy while only managing to shoot pasta through the roof.  This pony, though, held herself with the proud reserve of a noblemare. “Lyra?”

The young unicorn – a filly around Sweetie’s age – turned around to meet Sweetie’s eyes. This Lyra wore a tasteful white blouse with a blue-trimmed collar, and her mane was very unlike the Lyra she knew. The mint-green unicorn wore hers in a long, elegant curl, every permed ringlet placed with painstaking care.

“Oh, hello,” she said, then frowned slightly. “I’m sorry, but do I know you?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head, blinking when she realized she had spoken the young mare’s name in shock. Quickly, she gathered her thoughts, and adopted the slight tone that Canterlot nobility liked to share in their manner of speech. “Oh, I apologize. I know of you, but we have not have the chance to meet in any proper manner. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Sweetie Belle.”

Lyra smiled and bobbed her head. “A pleasure to meet you. My name is Lyra, of House Blueblood-Heartstrings. Though if you must call me by my family name, I prefer simply ‘Lyra Heartstrings’. Are you of a noble house, too?”

Sweetie almost had to force a smile, but the image of her exuberant friend acting like a noble made her eyes glitter with more than a bit of friendly mirth. “I’ve been accused of belonging to one once or twice, but until I change my mind, I shall simply remain Sweetie Belle, Lady Heartstrings.”

“Mysterious,” Lyra said, cocking her head with a playful smirk. “I’ve heard of marrying into a noble house, and of course the Empress can ennoble anypony she likes. I even knew the Crown Princess before Nightmare Moon adopted her. But simply deciding to become a noble is quite the trick!”

Sweetie Belle laughed into her hoof. “I like to think I’m full of tricks, Lady Heartstrings.”

Lyra shrugged. “In any case, I think I’d prefer less formality, if you’re okay with that. And please don’t mention to anypony that Lyra Heartstrings has been attending Cult Imperia ceremonies… my parents are not exactly open to me being here.”

“Oh, I won’t, Miss Lyra. I can respect the need for secrecy, and more importantly, informality.” Sweetie nodded, her grin slipping a bit. “Although… if I may, you said you were friends with Twilight. I think she might enjoy a visit from you. She wasn’t very happy all by herself, last time I saw her. I think… I think she really needs her friends.”

Lyra blinked, taken aback. “I… you spoke to the Princess?”

Sweetie looked around, making sure the other nobles were distracted in their own discussions and there were no prying eyes or ears keeping tabs on them. She cast a brief dulling spell, her horn barely glittering, so that her whispers would be hard to understand more than a few paces away.

“She’s alone, Lyra,” Sweetie whispered, stepping a bit closer to the mare. “And I won’t be here too long. She’ll need friends, real friends.”

The noble unicorn’s ears flattened. “But I cannot… I can’t just casually walk up and start chatting. She’s a princess. I know I said I don’t like formality, but with proper royalty… it’s just not done. There is a line, especially for ponies in my social circles.”

Sweetie sighed, nodding in understanding. “I know where you’re coming from but, when you have the chance… if you see her need for friendship… just think about it.”

“Okay, I will. I will try, but I’d hate to think what ponies would think of me if they caught me treating the Crown Princess like a common… I don’t even know what,” Lyra sighed. “I guess when everyone at the Academy and around the palace started treating her differently, I couldn’t help but do the same. And then it just sort of stuck.”

Sweetie smiled at Lyra. “I really do understand. Let me just say what my big brother, who watched me and taught me all about nobility, would have said… actually, he'd probably go off topic and hit on you, but he'd mean to say that there's nothing wrong with being respectful or acting properly. Even when it really didn't matter, he always told me to pronounce certain things a certain way or curtsy in polite company... but it made the casual times, when there weren't any pretenses, all the more precious. He'd ask how Twilight would want to be treated by a friend, not just another stranger or hanger-on.”

“I think I understand. As I said, I will try.” She smiled softly; a smile which quickly grew into something quite a bit happier. “So, how do you know Twilight Sparkle?”

Sweetie grinned. “Oh, I showed her a magic spell she had never seen. And then we discussed magical theory for a while. That, my friend, is how you befriend a bookworm like us.”

“Twilight always has been quite… I shouldn’t say ‘nerdy’, but I think she gets lost in those books a lot. Though we do sometimes talk about archeology, even she isn’t as passionate as I am about it, I think.” She grinned, holding back a little snort of laughter. “Actually, talking about archeology… it’s really the only thing she seems to be able to talk to my brother about without them both ending up wanting to throttle each other. Not many ponies know this, but she doesn’t like my brother much. She hasn’t since... well, literally since day one.”

Sweetie blinked. “That won’t do. We’ll get them to be friends. And then neither will be able to pretend they dislike the other.”

Lyra shrugged. “Well – and you didn’t hear this from me – he did bully her a little bit when they were younger. That annoyed Father. Now there is no chance for the family to get hitched to her, unless she likes mares, though I’d rather not have it come to that.”

Sweetie couldn’t help but rub her temple with her hoof. “I had forgotten about the whole marriage for power thing. Why did I forget that? Oh yeah, because I didn’t want to think about it.” She glanced at Lyra and couldn’t stop a smile. “But you’d make such a cute couple!”

The noble snorted in laughter. “Oh, that is a laugh. Though I have to admit, she can be really adorable sometimes and, well, she is a pretty thing. Better me than Blueblood, I suppose; he’s in his twenties. Every time he and our parents plot a new angle to hook Twilight, I can’t help but think of him and her as a couple as they are now.” Lyra made a face like she bit into a lemon. “It still happens from time to time, but... ew.”

Sweetie shook her head. “Yeah… bad mental image.” Her eyes drifted back to the other ponies. “So, you said your parents didn’t know you were here? Is there something wrong with the Cult Imperia?”

“Oh… not really, I don’t think, but they are sort of political rivals with the Hierophant at court and I guess they just don’t want me associating with her.” Lyra tapped her chin thoughtfully, before a devious smile crawled onto her face. “Then again, there are the orgies.”

Sweetie tilted her head, staring innocently at Lyra’s eyes. “Orgies? What are those?”

Lyra’s eyes widened and a hoof came to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, you don’t know? I thought everypony would know by my age.”

Sweetie smiled pleasantly. 

“Oh. I get it, you are joking, right?” A pause. "Right?"

Sweetie chuckled, earning a sigh of relief from Lyra. “I know what they are, but I did not know they were part of this…” she strayed off. Her jaw dropped. “Wait, are you telling me that after we’re done waiting, we’re all going to…” she waved her hooves. “As in... here? With you? And that pony over there?”

Lyra guffawed. “No, no! They are only rumors. I think. But even still, they say that’s for the really committed, high-up members who have been in the Cult Imperia for a long time. Personally, I was just initiated a couple of weeks ago. I’m helping with the ceremony and I can assure you there won’t be any orgies.” She smiled salaciously, giving her new friend bedroom eyes. “Unless you want there to be.”

Sweetie Belle gave Lyra a long, considering look, staring so intently at the young mare that she actually gulped. “You know, you wouldn’t be the first filly I’ve kissed.”

“Oh, nor you I,” the unicorn tittered. “And don’t be silly; no matter how much of a perv— Ah, that is, no matter what the Hierophant is like, we’re too young to do anything like that… at least, officially, I think.” She shrugged once more. “Again, like I said, it’s all rumor anyway, so I can’t really give you any actual details. But why else would they keep most of this a secret? I’m not even allowed to tell you how I was initiated.”

Sweetie winked at Lyra. “Aww, and here you go, dashing my dreams.” She levitated another glass from a passing waiter, replacing her empty one. “I’m eager to see what this is all about, in any case. I love understanding new things.”

“Yeah, I was really curious at first. I still am; they have so many levels of initiations and secrets they teach you. But you can learn most of the general dogma and lore from the priests.” She nodded at the glass Sweetie held. “That stuff is very weak. All of the good drinks are given out during the ceremony. And the good food.”

“I was wondering about that,” Sweetie said, looking down at her glass with a slight frown. “This is almost water.”

“It’s mainly for show. Ponies, especially high-class ponies like the ones here, expect some kind of wine. We don’t want to get them too drunk before the feast begins, so we give them the weak stuff while they wait.” Lyra blushed suddenly. “Oh listen to me, saying ‘we’ already when talking about the Cult. I hope the Hierophant lets me take a bigger part this time. She promised me I would.”

Sweetie raised an eyebrow. “I see you’re really interested in being part of this.”

“It’s just so much fun! And… well, I have to admit that though I started simply because I was interested about it when my parents forbade me from associating with the Cult, it has grown on me,” Lyra said, smiling wistfully. “When ponies who are really into it come together and celebrate it’s… well, I can’t describe it. There’s something wonderful and magical in the air. It is like you’re completely free and one with everything.”

“I see… well, I can’t wait to experience it myself,” Sweetie said. “I can’t say I’ve ever been to something quite like this.”

“You’ll have fun. I know it sounds weird when you put ‘religion’ and ‘fun’ together, but with the Cult it’s like a big party and we just… celebrate life. There is music and drinking and dancing and everything. You will see me on the lyre, amongst other things.”

“I look forward to that,” Sweetie laughed. “Maybe one day I’ll let you listen to me play the cello.”

“Oh I’d love that!” Lyra clapped her hooves together, before suddenly stopping and staring at Sweetie.

Just then, a pony dressed in pristine white robes swept up to them and smiled genially. “Sister Lyra, we are about to begin. It would be prudent for you to come with the rest of the acolytes and prepare yourself.”

Lyra’s face fell to something a little more somber. “Oh, is it starting already? I will be there, then.” She turned back to her new friend. “I will see you in there, okay? Maybe you will want to hang out later too?”

“For a little while, sure,” Sweetie smiled. “I do intend to go home at some point.”

“Okay, well, just tell me where you live and I’ll see if we can arrange something. I have to go now, bye!” Lyra said as she followed her fellow acolyte to the doors leading further into the compound before disappearing from sight.

It didn’t take long before they were all called in to begin the ceremony. Guided by a white-robed acolyte, the guests passed through the pair of doors that led to a long, winding staircase leading down into the earth. The long train of ponies made their way down twenty feet, then fifty, perhaps as much as a hundred. At last, the walls opened up into a huge grotto beneath Canterlot.

It was well-lit and, much like the rooms above ground, it was decorated with an abundance of columns and potted plants. The natural rock that made up the walls and ceiling was studded with large crystals and gems that Sweetie knew were abundant in Canterlot’s mountain. Unlike the surface, however, it held an array of cushions, seats and tables, as well as what Sweetie could only guess was an altar. The altar was covered in ivy and fruit and other specimens of nature, including what looked like a piece of cloud and a small rainbow.

In front of the altar stood a mare in the same white robes as the rest of the Cult’s clergy, albeit hooded. Her bearing and the attitudes of the other white-robed ponies towards her told Sweetie that this was a mare of importance. Likely the Hierophant Lyra had mentioned. Flanking her on each side were groups of acolytes, including the mint-green unicorn that Sweetie had recently befriended.

At some unspoken command, these acolytes surged forward and guided the attendees onto seats, divans and cushions. Incense burned in braziers hung on the walls and pots on the tables, filling the grotto’s air with a pleasant, spicy smell. Sweetie herself was seated at the front of the congregation on an exceedingly comfortable plush cushion.

“My esteemed guests,” the Hierophant said suddenly. “I thank you all for coming. For many of you, this is only your second or third time attending. For others here, this is your very first foray into our sacred ceremonies. I can only hope you will continue your way on this path towards learning the greatest, most powerful mysteries in the world. For now, I bid you take libations with us as we commence the ceremony.”

Beautiful young acolytes meandered through the seated attendees, pouring goblets of rich red wine for them. Sweetie was pleasantly surprised to find that Lyra was pouring her drink.

“I made sure to get you the best seat in the house,” Lyra whispered as she topped up the goblet.
 
“Thanks!” Sweetie whispered excitedly, bringing the cup up to smell the wine.

Lyra smiled. “Don’t mention it.”

She left her friend to attend to others of the congregation. Soon everyone had goblets full of wine, though they waited expectantly for permission to drink from their host. The acolytes waited patiently as the Hierophant lifted a jug and said, “There is a mother for all of us, a Great Mother that birthed the world and its peoples and protects her creation. This is the first truth and we tell it to you openly. So before we begin to drink, I ask that you first give libations to the Great Mother in thanks and praise for creating and protecting us all.”

With that, she tipped the jug and a little wine fell to the floor. The gathered attendees followed suite; allowing drops of wine from their own goblets to splash onto the floor. Sweetie frowned at this display but nonetheless copied the actions of the others. It reminded her of a book she had read once, about how ponies would spill some of their drink in honor of those departed, though it seemed a waste of good wine. After this, they all lifted their goblets to their lips and drank.

“The Great Mother made all to revel in the joys of life, but even then she keeps a greater reward in store,” the Hierophant continued, pouring wine for her acolytes. “The alicorns and great Immortals of ages past were ordinary creatures, deemed worthy for their actions and character in life, and reborn again. They were not reincarnated, but ascended to the heavens and entered the womb of our Great Mother to be birthed back to the earth in glorious splendor. This began an era of celebration of life in its totality, and of worship of the Great Mother. That is the mission, the duty and the joy of all who are gathered here tonight: to celebrate life, to affirm oneself and one’s connection with the world, and to worship the Great Mother. We worship by feasting, by singing and dancing and sharing joy and affirming our lives. There is no shame in this. As we feast and celebrate, some of you will be taken by the Great Mother. It is a wondrous and ecstatic feeling, and I bid that you do not fight it. Let the warmth of our Great Mother flow over you and into you, and bask in her glory.”

The Hierophant fell silent and the music started. It sounded strange to Sweetie’s ears, clearly improvised, its rhythms and harmonies determined only by the performers’ desire to work together. The acolytes played an eclectic collection of instruments: drums and cymbals, strings and horns, apparently whatever each individual happened to be best at. A light chanting rose and fell along with the music, mixing with the sound of the instruments in wordless song. Other acolytes brought around all manner of foods for the attendees and cheerfully told them to drink and feast. The incense burned, and as the celebration went on, the air grew thick with fragrant smoke.

Sweetie Belle listened as she sipped on the wine (much, much better than it was upstairs) and nibbled on the dates and pomegranates set before her. The Hierophant continued to preach, but this time her voice turned soft and husky. Most of the attendees still lavished her with their attention as they dined. They heard of how this Great Mother was patron of the earth, the sky and the aether, and how the spiritual world and the earthly world were so connected they were almost one and the same. Much was made of the matronly aspects of the Cult’s goddess, and how She gifted fertility and luck to loyal worshippers.

The Hierophant said, at some point, words that sounded like a mantra: “The Great Mother is life. Life is love, life is pleasure, life is feeling. To revel in life and thank our Mother is to worship Her.”

Soon the attendees were up and about, acolytes inviting them up to the smoking altar to show devotion. The first ones up were, Sweetie guessed, not newcomers. They seemed to know what to do; tasting of the liquid in the bowl that seemed to have been untouched by the Hierophant or any acolyte. The first ponies seemed somewhat nervous, tepidly walking up to the altar and performing some little ritual that seemed vague in motion and purpose. Nothing much happened, however, and they simply went to sit back down, allowing their place at the altar to be taken by others who repeated their actions, most of them to much of the same lack of pay-off. The Hierophant told the congregation that they could come back up to the altar to experience a more personal form of worship any time they wanted.

Some worshippers, however, touched the altar and sipped the nectar with nervous excitement and, as they muttered their prayers, gasped in sudden serenity. One such mare went further, and seemed to be seized by a moment of weakness and had to be supported by the acolytes before she fell to the ground. Sweetie saw her face; she had never seen somepony with such bliss in their eyes. The mare continued in this state for a few minutes, twitching and breathing heavily, before she came back to a proper state of mind just as suddenly as the episode had begun.

The acolytes were dancing slowly, languidly to the steady, lilting music, and the seated lay-ponies were bobbing and shaking their heads dazedly along. Sweetie found Lyra once more at her side, refilling her goblet.

“Do you want to go up to the altar?” she asked, her voice whispery and dreamy. “All you have to do is touch some of the stuff up there, drink the nectar and, uh, pray to the Great Mother. It’s not really praying, you can just talk to yourself, if you’re not into any of that. It can be a little comforting.”

Sweetie looked at her friend with a slight touch of confusion, but shrugged. “Sure.” She put down her goblet and stood up, noticing how the ponies that had been up there seemed to be relaxing even more. Perhaps there was something she was missing.

She made her way to the altar, pondering the words of the Hierophant. For the most part, by her understanding of magical theory,  the priestess’s words made some sort of sense… but the level of connection she presumed was a bit too much. Maybe spiritual things worked differently in this world? Sweetie considered that as she mimicked the motions of the ponies before her. 

This was supposed to be relaxing and uplifting, but somehow the closer she got there, the more a sense of worry crept up her spine. She slowly stepped up to the altar and sipped a bit of the nectar.

Now this. This was sweet and spicy in a good way, like good liqueur aged in different barrels. It went down smoothly, and the aftertaste had hints of herbs and whispers of wood. If anything, the trip here was worth it for this one. They should bottle the stuff. Then, remembering where she was, she quickly lowered her head and… she had never prayed before.

‘Um, Great Mother, I uh… thank you for… letting me understand this world a little better. I think,’ she thought towards the vial of nectar, feeling extremely silly and unusually disappointed at her lack of inspiration when it came to praying. 

For a moment, she thought that was it. Maybe this whole thing was really nothing more than ponies hanging out together and having fun. But then, she felt something. Faint whispers, not of the stone or the air, not the whispers of the smoke or the dry pages of books. It was a different whisper, and she realized it had been there all along, but now, it was whispering to her.

The whispering skittered through the air and brushed her, lightly at first, like an ant walking over her skin. She shivered uncomfortably, gritting her teeth. It came again, not skittering but creeping and slithering - impossible sensations to ascribe to whispers, but somehow, they felt right - and touched her again, this time with more force. Again and again the whispers came and grew until they were more like a flood, pushing against her senses and tapping at her walls. Sweetie gasped, shaking her head in a vain attempt to clear it of the intrusion. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see the attendees and acolytes continuing with the celebrations as they always had, dancing and feasting, blissfully unaware of this… presence. It continued to tap against her, desperate to be let in, when suddenly Sweetie felt a muzzle by her ear.

“I see the Great Mother has chosen you, little one,” a voice breathed. Sweetie recognised it as belonging to the Hierophant. “You are honoured for Her to have done so. Don’t fight Her, let Her take you. She is our Mother, after all, and Mothers do so love to hold their children. Let Her inside, Sweetie Belle.”

 Far from comforting her, the Hierophant’s presence was like an added weight, and the whispers brushing Sweetie’s mind grew in intensity. Her breathing quickened and she could see, under her glamour, the spikes of obsidian growing out of her marble-like fur, like thorns on vines. 

The whispers of the rocks and crystals around her increased in answer to the intrusion, feeling her fear and rising to protect her with half-understood threats and unrecognizable promises. As if in another world, the other ponies around them danced and ate, drank and laughed with no cares, unaware of the dark whispers she herself hadn’t noticed until they had noticed her.

The quiet, almost mystical sense of calm from earlier was gone. Ponies threw themselves on their comfortable cushions and shook in ecstasy while others observed in dazed wonder those that were having spiritual epiphanies. The dances were more forceful, as if pure, raw emotions were shaking the ponies from the inside.The music was fast now, and wild; it rose and fell frequently and elicited whoops of delight from the dancers.

“Sweetie!”

Sweetie felt a hoof grab her and she was suddenly dragged away from the altar and the Hierophant. She realised that Lyra was pulling her towards a group of ponies lost in dancing revelry of the music. The whispers followed them.

Lyra turned around and grinned at her friend. Her eyes were half-lidded and hazy, and she was flushed all over. “Let’s dance, Sweetie Belle!”

Sweetie looked at Lyra in confusion. Her friend was clearly having a great time, and nopony else was able to hear the whispers, even at the increased volume and urgency… was she just imagining things? She threw a glance back over her shoulder. The Hierophant was staring at her intently from the altar.

Perhaps she hadn’t imagined— she felt something. Sweetie’s eyes snapped back to Lyra, who was dancing around her, swaying to the music. But there was more than that… there was a sensuality there she had not seen in the unicorn’s eyes earlier. Lyra danced, but her body bumped against Sweetie’s, her hooves caressed her withers and her tail brushed against Sweetie’s nose.

“Oh look at you!” Lyra laughed. “You’re so adorably clueless! Just go with the flow, Sweetie. You’re far too tense.”

“But, Lyra, the whispers, I—”

Lyra put her hoof on Sweetie’s lips. “Shush now, there are no whispers. Just the music and the beat of your heart. Listen to your heart, Sweetie.”

Her mint-green friend took hold of Sweetie's shoulders and in a woozy, passionate display, leaned in with eyes closed and lips slightly open.

Sweetie was caught completely off-guard, and soon, she felt Lyra’s lips on her own, and her friend’s tongue trying to push through her lips. Oh, Celestia… Bon Bon’s going to kill me!

At that moment, the whispers surged against her once more. She felt her glamour shiver, like a window about to crack under pressure, and for a second, she saw her true form reflected in Lyra’s eyes.

Without a word, Sweetie turned and galloped out of the room, dodging ponies until she had made her way out, then faded into the shadows.