The Conversion Bureau: Before they came
By Da Bunnana King
Chapter Two: Viewing glass
= = = = =
The orb just pulsed as the filly studied it. Within the orb she could see a mist floating around blocking the changing lights inside it.
“So what is it?” asked Steel as he trotted up to Moon Dancer who was staring intently at it.
“I think it’s a rip in time and space,” replied Moon Dancer as the orb floated in front of the pair.
“Well aren’t rips supposed to be… well you know, rippy?” offered Steel as they began both staring at the orb.
“Well I think so, but Princess Celestia just wanted me to see what was on the other side,” Moon Dancer said turning her head towards Steel who was almost in a trance like state looking into the orb.
“Right,” he said almost autonomously but was mainly focused on the orb.
“Captain?” asked Moon Dancer as she touched Steel’s armor, which snapped him out of his zombie like state.
“What?” he said as he shook his head, “Sorry, but that… thing… it’s-.”
“Hypnotizing, I know,” said the head scribe as he trotted up to the pair, “It has that effect on ponies, except unicorns for some reason. We believe that it might be because it’s made of pure magic and since unicorns can use magic physical we are less prone to its effects.”
“What do you mean we?” asked Steel in an aggravated tone.
“I mean no offense but it is true, most of the guards posted here are unicorns. Almost all the pegasus and Earth pony guards couldn’t perform their duties,” Ink said as he could sense Steel’s state.
“But we passed an Earth pony guards on the way in and we’ve seen some pegasi flying around,” interrupted Moon Dancer trying to change the energy around them.
“There are a few odd cases of someponies being able to somewhat resist its effects but even then it’s limited. I’m surprised that the Captain is so strong willed to resist its full effects,” said Ink.
“Yeah, fighting Changelings, Griffins, Diamond Dogs and guarding the Princess herself for twenty years does that to you,” he said boasting of his service, “But could it be that my mother was a unicorn?”
“Perhaps, but we’d need to run some more test to even see if it is because it is pure magic. For all we know it could be a death orb or a portal to the crystal kingdom… or worse,” he said as he gulped in fear of what it could be.
“What could be worse than an orb of death?” asked Steel.
“Well it’s rumored that long before Princess Celestia there were a group of ponies that practiced a darker kind of magic,” he stuttered out, “Soul capture, resurrection, mind enslavement and even eternal preservation.”
“Eternal preservation?” asked Steel as Moon Dancer began moving closer to Steel in fear of the stories that were told around the school.
“It was said that they had devised a way to cheat time and death by preserving themselves in some sort of capsule and then when the time was right they would return to Equestria,” he said almost on the verge of some mental breakdown.
“I don’t see why it’s that scary, and I’m sure Moon Dancer will get to the bottom of this,” he said pushing her gently out with his hind legs, “Isn’t that right?”
“Yes,” she blurted out, “Well I hope, I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start with what you know I guess,” offered Steel while Ink shook his head as if he knew everything of the orb and he was holding their hooves with the matter.
“That would prove foolish. I suggest seeing if it’s powered by the lay lines that run around Equestria or seeing if you can measure the output of magic that’s coming out of it,” Ink said as he turned around and began to trot away before he added, “If you need help then ask one of the other mages or researchers around. I’ve got more pressing matters to attend to. Good day.”
“He is as friendly as a hydra,” muttered Steel as he was lightly hit on the back of the head by Moon.
“Be nice. Even if he is rude, he is technically my boss and same with you since you guard me,” said Moon Dancer.
“Fine, I’ll play nice,” said Steel as he felt a great blow to his pride.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure that’s going to be the last we see of him,” said Moon Dancer hoping to lift his spirits somewhat.
“Hopefully, so…” he began before being interrupted by Moon Dancer.
“He did have a point about the magic here, I can feel it to be somewhat concentrated,” she said.
“What is a lay line to be exact?” muttered Moon Dancer as she tried to recall what she was taught, while she took a big breath in and exhaled, almost indulging in the magic rich air.
“Well it’s a stream of magic that runs through out Equestria similar to the lines used on a map to show latitude and longitude, but sometimes these lines intersect and it’s a well of magic. I think it was one of the reasons Canterlot was build on a lay line,” she said as she tried to pull up that fact from her lessons from when she was a smaller filly.
“Alright so does that mean that the orb showed up here because it’s at a crossing of one or because-,” Steel began before his mouth was covered by Moon Dancer’s hooves.
“Wait that could be it,” she blurted as she blushed out of embarrassment and prompted removed her hooves.
“What could be it?” he asked confused by the excited filly.
“Well what if the build up of magic is because of the orb being at the crossing of two lay lines,” she said almost excited.
“Okay so how does that help us?”
“Well if I could use a simple observation spell upon a mirror, or a really flat surface, and link it to the orb we could see what’s inside the orb,” she said quickly looking around her for some sort of flat surface.
“See, I knew you could figure it out,” said Steel, “I’ll try and find a mirror or something.”
“Well I could do it on a mirror but I would need something big… like… like a-,” began Moon.
“Like a massive reflection pool,” said Steel while lying on his belly and looking over the side of the wooden platform they both were on.
“That’s genius Steel,” she said letting out a small squee of success.
“Alright now how do we get there?” asked Moon as she peered over the side along with the Captain.
Below the pair were two large oval reflection pools that were built on each side of a large wooden door. The floor seemed to be large and the focus of the room was mainly built toward that door that was guarded by two onyx unicorn guards.
“So how do we get down there?” asked Moon as she looked back up at Steel who was standing upright again.
“We can take the express route or the long route,” he said stretching out his wings.
“I hope I’m not going to regret this,” Moon Dancer said under her breath, “The express route… just don’t go too fast.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” he chuckled as he took off and lifted up Moon Dancer with his forelegs and promptly swooped down to the bottom floor.
“Ah, don’t… don’t ever do that again,” she stuttered as she tried to regain her balance with her shaky legs.
“You’re fine, nothing bad has happened-,” said Steel before the two onyx guards galloped over to them both.
“Are you alright ma’am?” asked a guard with a red cross on his armor as his comrade stabilized her.
“I’m quite fine, just shaken is all,” she said as she regained her footing.
“Are you two done?” grumpily asked Captain Steel.
“Yes sir, just making sure to do as we were ordered sir,” said one guard as he saluted Steel.
“And what was that?” he asked again in a stern voice.
“That was to make sure that all personnel aren’t harmed during this expedition sir,” said the guard again.
“Very well then, return to your post,” he said saluting as they both began walking towards the door, “Oh and make sure that word gets around that Captain Steel Wing is in charge of personally guarding Miss Moon Dancer as per Princess Celestia’s orders.”
“I’ll deliver the message sir,” said the guard that didn’t have the same insignia as his comrade before galloping off behind the door.
Moon Dancer shook off the fright and trotted over toward one of the pools.
“Now if I can cast the spell on this pool and link it to the orb’s magic field we could see what is on the other side,” began Moon Dancer as her horn lit up in a turquoise color.
The reflection pool began to turn the same shade of turquoise as Moon Dancer’s horn and slowly began to have a whirling effect around the edges of the pool. The effect continued until the large reflection pool was covered in a dark grey and black vortex effect.
Her horn began to die down in color as Moon Dancer was left panting. She then lit up her horn again and a stream of turquoise light shot from her horn that hit the orb, then another beam of light hit the reflection pool. The beam then detached from her horn until an opaque beam of turquoise connected the orb and the pool.
Moon Dancer was left panting and beads of sweat were formed on her brow from the exertion of those two spells.
“Are you alright Moon Dancer?” asked Steel as he walked up next to Moon Dancer again.
“Just puffed. I’m not used to that sort of magic,” she said panting still, “But now-, now I just have to do what I usually do with observing the stars when I use a spell like this.”
“And what would that be?” he asked.
“Focus it,” she said as she trotted closer towards the pool.
“Now all I have to do is,” she said as her horn lit up and attached a beam of light to the other.
The central beam then turned a dark solid red as the orb above vibrated and shook the foundation of the dungeon. Gusts of wind began to form moving toward the orb and a strong vortex of wind slowly sucking toward the pool.
“Oh no!” cried Moon Dancer as she began to gallop away from the pool along with Steel before she tripped over a stone and began being sucked towards the pool.
“STEEL!” she cried as both Captain Steel turned back towards Moon Dancer and the onyx unicorn guard got back on his hooves as he was knocked over by the vibrations.
“I’M COMING MOON DANCER!” he yelled as he opened his wings opened ready for flight.
= = = = =