//------------------------------// // A Promise Not Yet Made // Story: Five Centuries Of Peace // by Jest //------------------------------// Twilight trotted down the long hallway of the apartment building, humming softly to herself and glancing occasionally out the many port holes. Overlooking the surface of the moon, the small round windows didn't offer much of a view to the alicorn. Unlike her own domicile, this one was low to the ground, allowing Twilight to see only a few undeveloped feet of the moon’s surface before the rest of her vision was swallowed by towering skyscrapers. “Not exactly the nicest of neighborhoods,” Twilight remarked to herself. Sure it wasn't crime-ridden or anything but it sure didn't look like a place that housed a former ruler of Equestria and one of the few immortals who still lived. Twilight's mind went to thoughts of Cadance, to the strange message she had sent Twilight and the oddly insistent tone she had used. Twilight was happy to receive any message from the illusive alicorn but the way in which it was delivered made Twilight uncomfortable. Her gaze swung back to the distant door at the end of the long hall, her mind imagining what reason Cadance could have had to disappear for as long as she had. Before her imagination could run away with her, Twilight gave her head a shake and focused on simply walking. If anyone observed the alicorn they would have thought her to be a normal flesh and blood pony but they would be wrong. Those with a discerning gaze would have noticed that her fur was a little too perfect, her footsteps heavier than they otherwise should be. Her eyes were the only thing that gave away her true nature, for they glowed with a soft, electric purple light. Reaching the door, Twilight reached out electronically, seeking out some way to wirelessly connect with it. After a second of confusion, she raised her hoof and slightly awkwardly knocked twice, her limb clanking against the fake wood door. She then stood there, wondering to herself if she was even in the right location, only for a voice to pipe up. “Coming!” it shouted. “That sounded like Cadance but something is off…” Twilight muttered to herself. The door opened a few seconds later, revealing a pegasus mare that looked to be well into her eighties. Her features sagged, deep wrinkles covered her face, and her mane had lost all of its color, becoming a pure white. Her fur was pink at one point but age had lightened it to the point that it was almost the same color as her mane. She also sported no cybernetics whatsoever, not even the neural port that enabled external connectors for those who opposed the replacement of living tissue. “Hello Twilight,” greeted the stranger. “Wait… Cadance?” Twilight asked. “Still as sharp as ever. Please, come inside,” Cadance replied, ushering the other mare in and closing the door behind her. “I.. but you… what's going on?” Twilight asked. “I’ll tell you everything very soon, but for now I have a favor to ask of you,” Cadance offered. “No. I have to save you from whatever illness or affliction has-” Twilight began. Cadance flicked the other mare’s horn, causing the spell that had been building there to turn into a mass of colored sparks. “There is no illness, no attack, no villain. Just my own choices,” Cadance stated firmly, her tone brooking no argument and her glare ensuring Twilight didn't interrupt. “Now, are you going to help me or not?” “I… of course. Whatever you need,” Twilight replied. “Good, follow me,” Cadance declared. Twilight dutifully followed after the other mare, trotting through the domicile towards a back room. Everywhere she looked there were boxes filled haphazardly with objects taken from the walls, cupboards, or other nearby surfaces. Some of these items were thousands of years old, others were only a few hundred, with the newest still classifiable as an antique in Twilight's eyes. “Going somewhere?” Twilight asked. “Moving back to the Crystal Empire,” Cadance replied dismissively. “You mean Crystal City? It hasn't been called the Crystal Empire in over five thousand years,” Twilight corrected. “I…” Cadance muttered a confused expression passing over her features. “Yes, that's what I meant.” “Okay then,” Twilight murmured. Cadance strode ahead and pushed open the door revealing what had likely been a large bedroom at one point. Now it was a magical laboratory absolutely humming with magic, and dominated by a large runic array. At the center of the room spun a familiar crystal-shaped heart, the artifact pulsing gently in the low light. “Is that…” Twilight whispered. “The crystal heart, yes,” Cadance answered simply. “It took a few days to find every last one of its pieces, and millennia to regrow but it was worth the effort.” “I thought it was lost completely after the terror drome attack of thirty-three oh nine,” Twilight murmured reverently. “You’ve had it the whole time?” “It needed a steady hoof,” Cadance replied, only to wave a dismissive hoof in the air. “But none of that matters now. What's important is the array. I need to miniaturize it and change it into an enchantment that can be placed upon the heart.” “That is… a lot to unpack,” Twilight murmured. “You can do it though, right? Aren't you dating that Artificial Intelligence?” Cadance pressed. “They prefer the term synthetic intelligence. Artificial carries some unpleasant baggage, but yes I am still dating Cull Node Thirty Two Twenty Nine,” Twilight answered, raising an eyebrow. “Why?” “I figured you would need a small army of help to figure this out in a week,” Cadance answered. “A bwuh, a week?” Twilight gasped. “I don't know if this can be done at all never mind in a single week.” “Please Twilight,” Cadance whispered, grasping Twilight's right forehoof and clutching it tightly. “I don't have much time left.” “I…” Twilight sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.” “Oh and one more thing,” Cadance exclaimed. “What is it?” Twilight asked. “You can't breathe a word of this to Chrysalis or Celestia, okay?” Cadance pressed her gaze firm. “Of course. Pinkie promise,” Twilight declared, mimicking the familiar ritual. “Good,” Cadance murmured. “And Twilight?” “Yes, Cadance?” “Thank you.”