Chapter Twenty Two: A Moment Of Pause
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna soothingly massaged her hooves along Scrivener's scalp, the two resting together in a spacious den. The fireplace was crackling quietly away, blue flames flickering and dancing over the wood as they rested back and the stallion did his best to try and force Valthrudnir's voice out of his head.
The Jötnar refused to keep quiet, though, and had surfaced after they had introduced Ersatz to what had ended up being his entire family. Celestia had thought it would help... the charcoal stallion wasn't sure that it had, though. Ersatz had been... angry beyond belief, even if part of her seemed ashamed of herself too. And it had all devolved into... well, unpleasantness, after everything Ersatz had questioned about what was real, and what was false, from I Am, You Are.
Now Scrivener was sitting here quietly, his eyes closed, his brain hurting, and he could almost see Valthrudnir moving quickly back and forth though the growing halls of machinery being built inside his mind, and he could hear the Jötnar's voice echoing calmly over his thoughts: -about visualization. With proper focus, visualization becomes that which affects reality... but I don't expect your plebeian mind to grasp such the complex mechanics of such a concept.
Scrivener cursed, then he opened his eyes... and flinched as he saw the walls around him almost glowing. He looked back and forth, and shivered at the sight of coal-black hooves slowly rubbing his shoulders, a dark and yet burning-bright aura emanating from them as Luna asked quietly: “Visions?”
“Yeah. A bad sign.” Scrivener closed his eyes, shivering once: this was a side-effect of the Tyrant Wyrm. Seeing what was beneath things... he could stare at someone, and see the true nature, true faces that everyone hid behind their masks, could read their emotions... but it made his eyes hurt, and his brain hurt, and he had a bad feeling it would have some even nastier effects on him now that Valthrudnir was puttering around inside his mind.
Luna only leaned down and kissed the top of his skull soothingly, then she smiled a little and wrapped her forelegs around him, hugging him comfortingly back against her body as her mane swirled forwards and half-curled around them. “But things went well today, did they not?”
“Uh. Not.” Scrivener said dryly, and Luna laughed quietly before the stallion sighed tiredly and mumbled: “I mean, Ersatz thought we were gloating and flaunting, and-”
“No, she was angry, but... I believe it was driven by humiliation and pain, 'twas not... true rage.” Luna said softly, and Scrivener tilted his head, keeping his eyes safely closed. “Thou worries too much in the first place about her, though... I understand... the why, but still. It bothers me that thou hast allowed thyself to be consumed by this. The stress it causes thee...”
“I know. But that's why I want to deal with this so much, Luna, because Ersatz tampers with my emotions. And it's exactly that which is letting... Valthrudnir worm his way deeper and deeper into my psyche.” Scrivener hesitated, then he muttered: “I guess I am letting her really get to me, too, but... goddammit, you know that... that Tia Belle is...”
Luna only nodded and hugged him silently closer, and there was quiet between them as Scrivener gradually relaxed... but then tensed up again when Valthrudnir remarked in his mind: It's funny, the value you insects place on the slabs of meat that mix their genetic information together in some vain attempt to further the evolution of the species. I would not care about a 'mother' so much: her entire genetic directive is to breed.
Scrivener gritted his teeth, trying to drown the dragon out, but Valthrudnir only laughed in his mind and remarked: Oh, don't worry, insolent little insect. I am not nearly stupid enough to attempt to take over your body while you happen to be in the middle of that swarm of disgusting vermin, but I am curious as to what will happen if I push your stress levels high enough. After all, the more I apply pressure, the more you seem to become... like who I designed you to be, Nihete.
Luna hugged him tightly, leaning down and whispering quietly in his ear: “Ignore him, Scrivener. I am here, thou art here, and the damned parasite is only jealous of thee. Of us both. His words mean nothing.”
“I... I know.” Scrivener whispered, bowing his head and shivering once, keeping his eye firmly shut before he grimaced as he felt Valthrudnir shift in his mind, saw the sly, cruel smile on the dragon's face for a moment inside his own head.
Then the Jötnar said softly: It's fascinating, what I find when I begin to strip the layers away... because in spite of everything you claim to be, everything you say and all that you strive for... you enjoy being a monster, don't you? Yes, every time you call yourself a Clockwork Pony, a cuckoo, you tell yourself it's shame... but really, it's pleasure, isn't it?
“Just admit it.” Valthrudnir said gently, and Scrivener's eyes opened, the stallion staring up in shock as he found himself in a concrete, cold room, the ceiling looking up on gray, stormy skies, the walls massive and looming and curling towards him, towards them, as Valthrudnir stood only a few feet away with one hand extended and a cold smile on his face. “Because I can give you more. And more than that, Nihete... I have a plan that will give us both what we desire.”
Scrivener shivered and staggered backwards, shaking his head weakly before he looked down at himself... and then swallowed thickly as he realized not just one front limb was scaled and clawed now, but both. He breathed weakly in and out, then shook his head in disbelief before looking to the side in relief as blue mist wafted through the air beside him before solidifying quickly into Luna.
The winged unicorn glared coldly over at Valthrudnir, who smiled calmly as he lowered his hand, even as the mare spat: “We would never be either so stupid or selfish to accept thy poisonous gifts, cur! Whatever thou offers, we want nothing to do with any of it, does thou understand?”
“Now please, Valkyrie, let's try and act like civilized people here. Even if you are nothing but a filthy quadruped and you were first created to serve as nothing more than a serving whore in a hall of smelly, savage barbarians.” Valthrudnir replied pleasantly, and Luna snarled in fury before the Jötnar added softly: “And you may want to rethink your position.”
His amber eyes glowed as he tilted his head towards her, and Luna frowned... then her eyes widened as she gurgled before leaning forwards and vomiting black blood, shivers running through her body as Scrivener felt agony wrench through both his chest and his head. The Jötnar only smiled coldly as the winged unicorn slowly looked up in disbelief, and then she whispered: “No... not... not possible...”
“Oh, very possible, Brynhild, very possible.” Valthrudnir said quietly, and then he rose both hands, and Scrivener and Luna were both lifted off the ground in crushing psychic grips, bands of pressure forming around their bodies and making them both writhe in agony, as the Jötnar continued calmly: “I cannot affect the physical yet, but it seems my powers are waxing and waning, as Nihete's stress waxes and wanes. I can harm you now, Brynhild. I can harm you both. I can torture you, and make you suffer, and sap your strength to use as my own.”
Valthrudnir smiled calmly... and then Luna snarled before she snapped her horn backwards, and the Jötnar grimaced and flinched backwards as a blast of force ripped through the air around the mare, tearing herself and Scrivener loose from the psychic grip of the Jötnar. Then Luna's horn glowed as she leaned forwards, sending a blue fireball rocketing towards the dragon, but it exploded uselessly against an invisible barrier even as the dragon held an arm up with a wince.
But as the sapphire flames and smoke cleared, Scrivener and Luna both stared in surprise: even if the fireball hadn't contacted, something had happened to the Jötnar. His hand and most of his forearm had transformed from white scales into brittle ice, and Valthrudnir held this up in front of himself with a look of disbelief before he snarled and clenched his frozen claw into a fist.
It glowed brightly, then rapidly restored itself: flesh returned, and white silk suit sewed itself back in place as reality stuttered around them. Scrivener winced and shivered, feeling like the energy had been culled from his own muscles as Luna winced... then frowned down at herself, her mane twisting back and forth uncertainly as she realized the pain in her body from the dragon's attack was gone.
“No, that's not possible... I can't have miscalculated... is the symbiotic link that powerful?” Valthrudnir muttered to himself, looking strangely... uneasy. Then he shook his head before frowning over at the ponies and asking in disgust: “And why are you both still here, cretins? Why are you not cowering before me, at the very least?”
“Symbiotic link?” Scrivener asked quietly, and Valthrudnir snorted in disgust before he turned away and vanished, and Luna and the stallion both twitched before sharing a surprised look: the Jötnar had never once foregone a chance to flaunt his intelligence and monologue away in the past, even when his grand speeches led to him revealing the flaws in his handiwork.
The two stood silently in this strange, empty hall Valthrudnir had built, and then Luna smiled faintly before she turned towards him, stepping towards the stallion and reaching a hoof up to quietly rest it against the scaled side of his face. Scrivener felt like rumbling, but he swallowed it back... yet all the same couldn't help but smile when Luna's eyes roved down and murmured: “I like thee with claws. I imagine they would be nice to feel upon my back... and that thou would complain much less.”
Scrivener smiled a little at this, replying softly: “Hey, I don't complain that much about my hooves, now do I? Look, let's... get out of here. Valthrudnir's... he's gone.”
The stallion hesitated all the same, and Luna studied him silently before she murmured: “I have not felt the presence of Nightmare Moon often either, and it concerns me... and now, with what has just occurred... does thou think that our enemies inside ourselves perhaps conspired...”
“In order to make you weak? Oh no, sweet Luna... never, ever to make you weak...” whispered a cunning voice, and both Luna and Scrivener flinched and half-turned to see Nightmare Moon striding slowly towards them, a sultry smile on her face, her eyes gleaming with malevolent love. “He can make us strong, strong indeed... and he is blinded by his own hubris. Even when he should see and hear, he does not, after all...”
Scrivener shifted uneasily as Luna glared at the creature as she approached, then Nightmare Moon smiled kindly, bowing her head towards Scrivener slowly. “Oh Luna, my darling... you forget my place. I am servant and slave to my wondrous King of the Night, and willing serf to you. I offered my aid to Valthrudnir, yes: I helped him sink deeper into Scrivener's mind, and gave him better access to our linked souls.” Nightmare Moon smiled slowly wider even as Luna and Scrivener both leaned away from her in shock. “First it will hurt us all. But then he will begin to learn to his place. And then... we will all be unified, and his powers will be yours, as you've always desired, my King of the Night.”
The stallion shivered as he stumbled backwards, before Nightmare Moon soothed the half-wyrm, half-pony gently: “Do not fear, my love. It is good, and it is right, to be proud of who you are and what you are. You are a Clockwork Pony... you are King of the Night... you are a monster...”
Nightmare Moon advanced on him slowly, gazing at him hungrily, her excitement growing as her blue fire mane sparked and snapped upwards... and Scrivener could only drag himself backwards, staring weakly back and forth, feeling his body rippling: feeling where scales met flesh, a lizard-like tail snapping back and forth behind him, claws and not hooves crunching the ground beneath him every gasp he exhaled sent out blue-tinged smog-
Luna crashed into Nightmare Moon's side and knocked the creature flying, the dark equine hitting the ground before snarling as she rolled quickly back to her hooves, her eyes blazing and her features becoming animal for a moment before she just as quickly regained control of herself, smiling calmly once more as she straightened slowly even as Luna shouted furiously: “If I could banish thee forever to Helheim, I would! If I could send thee to lower and darker depths, if I could throw thee into the Void, I would! Get thee gone, monster!”
“Now Luna, that's enough.” Nightmare Moon chided gently, and when the sapphire mare snarled in fury at her and Scrivener gritted his own teeth, the dark entity closed her eyes and said tenderly: “I will return to the shadows, for now. But if I may give one last piece of advice-”
“No, enough of thy poisons! Begone!” Luna snapped, and Nightmare Moon laughed quietly but slowly stepped backwards, fading from sight as the world around them grew dark, before both Luna and Scrivener shivered, then finally opened their eyes and returned to reality.
Scrivener's head throbbed faintly, and Luna clutched him tightly against her body, trembling a little before the stallion closed his eyes and sank back against her, whispering: “I can't help but think some days that... that we should just give in.”
“I... I know. I know. But we shall push through this, Scrivener. We shall push through this, and be strong, as we always have. Do not fear, my love... there is no need to be afraid.” Luna murmured, hugging him close and nuzzling him soothingly as the stallion sat with his head lowered, breathing quietly in and out. “Nightmare Moon and Valthrudnir can plot all they like, but we are the ones who are still alive and in control... we are the masters of our own fates. Or did thou already forget the pummeling that I unleashed upon the Norns when they dared to try and stand against us?”
The stallion laughed a little despite himself... and then both he and Luna glanced up in surprise as there was a knock on the open door before a quiet voice asked: “Do you... have a moment?”
Scrivener and Luna both sat up and looked over the back of the couch at Ersatz Major, who smiled faintly out from beneath the brim of a purple sunhat. She glanced absently up at this, then said softly: “It matches my dress nicely, doesn't it? That sweetheart Rarity gave it to me, insisted it completed my outfit. She was charming.”
There was silence for a few moments, and then Ersatz cleared her throat before she glanced up and said quietly: “I appreciate you and your friends... offering me a room here, but I'm going to return to Canterlot now. I appreciated the time alone to think as well, and... I have come to realize that I feel very small.” She gave a faint smile, her eyes looking slowly away. “Everyone thinks very much of you and very little of me. And it's funny, because even where I am respected in Canterlot, they still think very little of me. My job is... to destroy people's lives. To cull the weak from the herd. To play a character that I play very well, if I do say so myself.
“I think Miss Ersatz Major saw your success, Scrivener Blooms, and mixed up all the things that I've learned to do with all the things that I... wanted to do, because of what happened to Aunt Belle. I blame you for what happened, but I... you have much respect here.” Ersatz smiled again, but her eyes were filled with a dull, unhappy ache. “I asked you to show me proof, and you showed me... an awful, bad-tempered engineer who saved the life of what you describe in your book as 'machine more than pony.' You showed me a demon who I think... honestly may have wanted to help me. And you showed me your family... that protects you so dearly. That bear all the signs of struggle you wrote about in I Am, You Are.
“This is very hard for me. Aunt Belle deserves... deserves justice.” Ersatz halted, and then she looked up quietly and said softly: “My father deserves justice, and we must be responsible for the chain of events we start.”
“How many lives have you ruined in your role as... culler, Ersatz?” Scrivener asked quietly, but Ersatz Major only chuckled softly, keeping her false smile even as her eyes flickered. “And I wish you'd just... drop character. I wish you would just talk to me and tell me what the hell you want me to do to make it up to them.”
Ersatz only shook her head silently, and then Luna growled under her breath before she shoved herself off the couch and strode around the furnishing to glare down at Ersatz, who shrank back a bit as Luna said disgustedly: “Nay, no. I have come to a new conclusion about thee, Ersatz... why thou so happily adopted this idea of karma and responsibility and all this other claptrap. Thou hates Scrivener because... as long as thou hates him, thou does not need to let go of thy family, is this not so?”
“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Ersatz only put on her fake smile, but it lasted for all of a moment before Luna grabbed her by the throat and threw her down onto her back, the unicorn gazing up in shock before the winged unicorn stomped overtop her and pinned her down into the ground. “S-Stop it!”
Scrivener winced as he scrambled over the back of the couch, but Luna ignored him as she leaned down and glared into the mare's eyes. “None of what thou art doing makes sense! Thou wants it both ways, to hate him and to cling to him as the only family thou hast left, but all thou art doing is making our own situation worse and unbearable! Thou art nothing but a vampire, feeding off his emotions, his pain, his suffering... I think thou enjoys the attention, does thou not?”
“No, stop it!” Ersatz shouted desperately, but she was helpless as Luna bore down painfully against her, kicking her hind legs uselessly but not even managing to hit the underbelly of the winged unicorn. “You're monsters!”
“We are!” Luna shouted angrily down in Ersatz's face, and then she sighed and slumped as Ersatz froze, trembling, before Luna murmured in a quieter voice: “We are, and thou continues to poke and prod and tempt us and I do not know what it is thou truly desires, and it frustrates me all the further into wanting to do things I will regret later.
“But thou art the one struggling to keep us in thy life. Thou art the one chasing us, and I feel that even now that we have resolved this problem of publishing, thou will simply take thy schemes to new levels. And yet I have seen humility and aches in thy eyes: how can thou pity us when thou art a malefactor? How can thou be a plague upon Canterlot and bring nothing but suffering to the table, and yet lament about justice, seem to be... a very reasonable, perhaps even gentle and shy pony?”
“It's just the role I was given to play... I... there's a difference, isn't there, being doing something you have to do to survive and... doing it to make life easier...” Ersatz whispered, looking away with a tremble before she swallowed thickly. “We were going to make him safe... Aunt Belle didn't have to die, Daddy didn't have to die... I was going to have a friend who... who wouldn't have abandoned me when my horn shattered and... I'd never have to hide my horn every single day, and only get work through pity... I'm a unicorn, and my talent is acting. But who's going to hire an actress with a broken, rotten horn sticking out of her face, even putting aside how inferior it makes me to every other unicorn out there for now...”
“Get off her, Luna.” Scrivener said quietly, and Luna grunted and nodded slowly as she stepped away, sighing softly. There was silence for a few moments, and then Scrivener looked down at the mare and said finally: “I can't fix... what I did. But I don't see how I ever could have known what was going to happen. All the same, I want to make things up to Tia Belle... maybe a little to your father, too. But not because of the reasons you've given, because... because I hated her, and I never should have.”
He stopped, then shook his head slowly as Ersatz slowly crawled to her hooves, hurriedly picking up the hat and putting it back on her head before Scrivener said quietly: “I'll keep in touch. But just... just keep your articles about me. Doubt what I write all you want and call me all the names you like, but stay away from everyone else.”
“Except Celestia. Thou can imply as much about Celestia as thou desires, none of us mind that.” Luna muttered moodily, and then Scrivener gave her a flat look as Ersatz brushed herself off and looked uneasily at the sapphire mare. “Now get thee gone. Does thou desire an escort?”
“No... I'll find my way. I'm sure somehow the streets of Canterlot are more dangerous than Subterra, somehow.” Ersatz murmured, then she shifted once before lowering her head and saying quietly: “My next article will be out by the end of the week. And if you get radio reception down here, in a few days you should listen to the Canterlot Channel Morning News. I have a spot on there.”
“You're never going to convince Underbrush to drop me now. The other guys, maybe, but Underbrush will keep on publishing me... I get the sense he'd do it just to spite you.” Scrivener said quietly, and Ersatz Major gave her practiced smile... except it failed to spread across her face, like a curtain she couldn't draw back all the way. “Look, even if you did ruin my life, take away everything I got that I 'earned through bad karma' or whatever, what are you going to do then? Or hell, what are you going to do if I prove that you're the jerk in all of this?”
“You're stressed, Scrivener. I can hear how stressed you're getting in your voice.” Ersatz said softly, and then she turned away and gave one last look over her shoulder, saying quietly: “Don't worry. After I've taken everything away from you that you didn't deserve... all that's left, and your real family, will be there to catch you when you fall, teach you what's right, and help you back up.”
Scrivener stared as the mare walked away, the charcoal stallion shifting uneasily back and forth until Luna commented wryly once Ersatz vanished through a doorway: “That is what those delightful psychology texts thou used to read to me referred to as a 'psycho stalker,' Scrivener Blooms.”
“She's... she's not a psycho stalker, she's just... she just wants to ruin my life completely so all I'm left with is her and we can probably live out the childhood we never had together.” Scrivener said finally, and Luna slowly looked over at him before the stallion grinned lamely over at her. “But she's definitely not serious about it, right? I mean... she clearly feels... bad... about doing this to me.”
“Aye, but she also very neatly compartmentalizes right and wrong. Still, 'tis also partly thine own fault for continuing to lead the wretched creature on.” Luna said pointedly, and Scrivener groaned before striding moodily out into corridor, looking nervously in the direction Ersatz had gone before the sapphire mare added in a mutter: “She had best have spoken the truth about leaving. I do not want to discover her crammed into bed with us. One must ask politely first.”
“Ha ha, Luna. No, I... I don't think that's entirely it. She's too...” Scrivener shifted uneasily, then he turned, grimacing a bit as he dropped his head forwards and started down the hall in the opposite direction Ersatz had gone. “I think she's just a little... unwell. Imagine spending your whole life pretending to be someone who enjoys ripping other people apart for a living, after growing up from... what she did... and never being able to trust anyone with... you know. The character she portrays, her broken horn.”
“Oh shut up, thou just wants to pity her. She is most certainly completely insane. Although considering how mentally-ill thy entire family seems to be, it does help me believe she is certainly thy cousin.” Luna said blandly, and Scrivener grumbled under his breath before he bodychecked her, but Luna only grunted and then firmly checked him back, making the stallion stumble with a wince.
They glared at each other, then both looked up in surprise when a Nightmare appeared in front of them, stumbling to a halt as the smoky creature bowed its head towards her politely. “The Dawn Bringer desires an audience.”
“This is my palace! Subterra is my kingdom! Celestia is not even the damnable baroness at this moment, her damnable steward is doing all the work!” Luna shouted in an outraged voice, and the Nightmare flinched backwards, shrinking meekly as Luna snapped: “Tell Celestia to come and find myself and Scrivener Blooms if she so wishes to speak to us, not to summon us to her like little fickle pets! And thou, thou art loyal to me, art thou not?”
“Of course, Mistress Luna, you are the the ruler of the night and I meant no disrespect. I was only passing on a message.” The Nightmare bowed its head politely, and Luna grumbled a little as Scrivener stared at the sapphire mare awkwardly, before the dark entity asked gently: “Shall I take my leave? Do you have any other desires?”
“I have many other desires. Countless.” Luna grumbled, and Scrivener gave her a flat look before the sapphire mare finally shook her head and waved a hoof dismissively. “Nay, go Nightmare. Tell my sister to find us, and if she does not, we shall find her at a time more appropriate. Scrivy and I require... I think we need some time alone with our special mare.”
The Nightmare bowed its head respectfully before vanishing from sight, and then Luna sighed and grumbled, continuing onwards as Scrivener followed after a moment and remarked mildly: “You're a little scary sometimes.”
“Oh shut up, Scrivener Blooms.” Luna said grouchily, and Scrivener smiled a little despite himself as they strode onwards, before the sapphire mare muttered: “Besides, scary works. Celestia, ordering around my servants, treating my beautiful Subterra as if 'tis hers...”
Scrivener only strode up beside her and nudged her with his muzzle, and she grumbled a bit but settled as she stepped closer so their sides were almost pressing together, the sapphire mare sighing quietly to herself as they made their way slowly down corridors and long staircases, until they were no longer in gorgeous halls of onyx and marble, but ugly, almost-forgotten passages of heavy, mossy stone and old, worn wood.
The catacombs beneath the Thorn Palace were rarely used: they contained the dungeons, torture and interrogation rooms, a morgue, and a few more recent expansions like the occult laboratory, and the sanctuary where they were currently headed.
They passed down deeper into the earth, through passages lit by glowing crystals mounted along stone tunnels that had been carved out by demons, heavy wood supports fortified with glowing runes standing here and there. Strange plants grew along the walls and twisted over the support pillars, even along the ceiling: it all gave Scrivener a sense of almost-familiarity that made him shiver a little, as Luna murmured: “No, this... this is a good place, Scrivener Blooms. A good place.”
Scrivener nodded slowly as they reached an open iron gate, and the two passed through it and into an expansive circular room: a large steel table sat in one corner next to several surgical gurneys, while almost one entire section of wall between iron-gated doorways was taken up by massive rows of rectangular, cooled steel cabinets. For the most part, these were all large enough to hold corpses, and often played host to such unfortunately-necessary materials.
The attention of the ponies, however, was on the center of the room: not the tables, or the laboratory equipment, or the covered objects that rested here and there against the walls, but what looked like a large steel tub that was half-sunken into the floor, perfectly circular. Above, several large spotlights were shining down warm, radiant energy over the pool of red-tinged liquid and its single occupant, who smiled faintly over her shoulder as Scrivener and Luna approached.
Twilight Sparkle: she was without wings or a horn, but it was her amethyst eyes that gazed at them softly as she turned around in the pool and rested over the edge of the squat metal wall that bordered the tub. It was deep enough that it came up to her shoulders while she sat, and Scrivener and Luna smiled down at her before the sapphire mare asked tenderly: “How art thou doing, my friend? I know that... the process is painful for thee.”
“It's harder these days, because I anchor better in my body, but... this helps a lot.” Twilight laughed a little, gesturing up at the lights above. “The Pool of Tears... I'm always surprised by how much you know, Luna. How much was never... written down anywhere.”
“Well, 'tis necromancy, and Celestia had all records of necromancy purged when she was Princess of the Sun, and even now she clearly distrusts these arts that study both life and death.” Luna replied quietly, then she reached down and touched the Lich's face tenderly. “Thou hast no problem with this, then? We can find other methods, Twilight Sparkle. And thou can transfer thy body without the help of this, 'twould simply be... slower, and more painful.”
“Believe me, I remember.” Twilight murmured, shaking her head a little before she glanced up with a faint smile. “No, this is good. Besides, it's not like I'm bathing in blood or anything...”
“Well, there's demon blood in the solution, as I recall. And some of our blood. But yeah, Twilight, tell yourself that it's just water if that helps.” Scrivener said easily, and Twilight sighed tiredly as Luna glared over at him, but the stallion only smiled a little. “I feel better now. Are the lights working properly?”
Twilight nodded, glancing up at the lamps casting their warmth down from above. “They haven't given out once, so I guess when Cowlick said she fixed them, she was right. The added focused energy is really helping me a lot... maybe we should look into modifying some of the energy crystals that keep Subterra fed into lamps like these.”
“Perhaps, but we do not need demons squabbling over trying to hide in the spotlight either.” Luna remarked, and the Lich nodded with a quiet laugh before the winged unicorn hesitated, then glanced at Scrivener and asked softly: “Art thou sure thou art alright? We... we worry for thee, Twilight. Thou hast... endured so much for us. Continues to endure such pain for us, and I look upon thee and think...”
But Twilight Sparkle only closed her eyes, smiling faintly and shaking her head slowly as she murmured: “I'm perfectly fine. My body's almost back to normal, I can feel my horn beginning to regenerate, and that means my wings will shortly, too. It'll probably just be one more night down here in the bath, and then I can come up and join you guys in Subterra, like nothing ever happened.”
She halted, then softened and looked up. “And hey. My reception to you two might be a little dulled right now, but... I still feel like you're both hurting about something. Is it about Ersatz? Or... no, something else, isn't it?”
“Kind of both.” Scrivener said finally, and then he sighed a little as he sat down at the edge of the pool, reaching a hoof over the short wall to quietly stir the liquid in the tub: it was pleasantly-hot, tingling against his hoof as Luna and Twilight both looked at him. “Ersatz was... well, Luna thinks she's a psycho stalker. I don't entirely know what to think, to be honest. But she's sitting right on top of the big emotional button that lets Valthrudnir really screw with me, but...”
“Nightmare Moon did something.” Twilight finished quietly, and Scrivener and Luna both nodded at the same time before the violet mare shifted a bit, then she sighed quietly and reached up to rub at her forehead, muttering: “Yeah, I'm... catching images. They're fuzzy, but... Luna, Scrivy... you're not monsters. You always say you are, but you're not.”
Scrivener mumbled a little, then he splashed the Lich disconsolately, and she grimaced a bit before Luna leaned over and poked at the stallion with her horn to make him flinch away. “Cease troublemaking. Aye, Nightmare Moon and Valthrudnir are both troubling us, but if we could remove even Ersatz from the equation, Scrivener's stress would be that much less. Is it not insufferable, Twilight Sparkle, that Ersatz Major upsets the poet so, and yet the thought of the monstrous Replicants strikes not enough fear into his heart to even elect a twitch?”
“What are they going to do, kill me? That's not very scary, Luna.” Scrivener replied dryly, poking back at her, and then he winced and slapped at her horn when she swung the spire at him grumpily, as Twilight leaned over the railing and looked up at the two in deep thought even as they both continued to flail and swing at each other like foals.
Finally, as Scrivener was trying to push Luna's face away with both hooves while the winged unicorn gamely clung onto his mane with her teeth and loud growls, Twilight looked up and asked curiously: “Do you think Selene and Celestia might be able to take another look?”
Luna spat out Scrivener's mane and then winced as she yanked her head back, and the stallion's hooves slipped off her face as he flopped forwards, pinwheeling his forelegs through the air for a moment before landing muzzle-first on the floor. Luna wrinkled her snout a bit in pain as Twilight awkwardly leaned up over the edge of the pool, but then the sapphire mare caught the Lich's attention again as she grumbled: “The last time did not work so grandly. Besides, who better will know what is going on our mixed mind than ourselves, Twilight Sparkle?”
The Lich smiled a little despite herself at how easily, naturally Luna included her, but she didn't let herself get distracted as she said pointedly: “You and Scrivener are very used to traveling in a mental dreamscape, though... there's a lot of benefits to being able to structure your own... lucid imaginary world, but you both tend to automatically conform to the rules of that world, too...”
When Scrivener rose his head to look blankly at Twilight along with Luna, the Lich sighed and said tiredly: “When you run into a wall in your head, you feel like you're running into a wall in real life. Celestia and Selene won't see those walls at all, they'll just... be able to look at what's happening in your brain. They might be able to detect something that you can't... like... like with the soul link, remember how they could sense the tightening bond?”
“We figured it out too!” Luna argued, and then she dropped her head sulkily and muttered: “The fact we figured it out by being apart for too long matters not. We still figured it out, Twilight Sparkle. Besides, thou art mine, not Celestia's. And certainly not Selene's.”
Twilight shook her head slowly, but when she looked up imploringly, Luna groaned and both she and Scrivener rolled their eyes, then nodded at the same time. The Lich brightened immediately at this, sitting up a little more in the tub before beginning to pull herself up... but Luna reached quickly down, saying firmly: “No. Stay there, Twilight Sparkle, thou still needs to finish healing first. Besides, there are other tasks for us to attend to in the meantime.”
“Did you hear about Vallation?” Scrivener asked curiously, and Twilight frowned and tilted her head, turning her attention to the stallion as he smiled slightly. “Cowlick uh... well, right in front of me, Ersatz and Luna, she cut something out of his brain. But it was like he... woke up, you know? Like he turned from a machine into a scared pony.”
“Well, thou cannot blame him, if my first sight upon waking was Cowlick with a brainy knife in front of me, I would be terrified as well. Particularly if 'twas my own brains wetting the blade.” Luna said mildly, and Scrivener sighed but decided it was better not to correct her, as Twilight stared up at the two with disbelief. “But aye. She insisted upon... trying to save him. And there was not a single argument that I could make against her showing the Clockwork Pony mercy... in fact, now that I have had the time to consider, I find myself... almost ashamed that I pushed to have it imprisoned or destroyed, instead of left in Cowlick's care.”
Luna paused, then looked thoughtfully up and said mildly: “Then again, after we see how the poor machine has handled Cowlick's abuses, perhaps 'twill be seen that what I pleaded for was mercy after all. I cannot imagine Cowlick knows how to be gentle, after all.”
Twilight sighed tiredly, and then she tried to get up again, but this time Scrivener gently pushed her back down into the pool even as the Lich winced and said hurriedly: “Look, I feel fine, and I can finish regenerating anywhere... in fact, as long as I'm close to you two, I should heal up quickly. Maybe not as quickly as if I stayed in here, but it's more important that we deal with everything that's going on right now...”
“And thou art dealing with it, thou art. Because we need thee in top form as well, Twilight Sparkle. Besides, amidst all the drudgery there are bright spots, such as that wonderful little gathering at Burning Desire's.” Luna said pointedly, and Twilight winced before Luna smiled and said gently: “The world shall not roar to a halt simply because thou takes another night to heal. Nor will we all die terrible deaths at the hooves or claws or whatever the Replicants possess if we make a generous friend happy by joining him in celebration of... whatever it is we are celebrating.”
“He's unveiling a statue.” Twilight muttered, and she shivered a little before shaking her head and saying finally: “And Burning Desire would understand if we had to do something else, I just... we need to interrogate Vallation, don't we? And we need to figure out how we can even fight these Replicants.”
“All in time. All in time, do not worry thy pretty head.” Luna smiled supportively, then she leaned down and quietly kissed Twilight's forehead, and the Lich calmed and blushed a little before the sapphire mare said softly: “Honor is in more than battle, honor is our way of life, is it not? So 'tis important that we keep our promises... big or small, they are still our word. We break our word, we break our honor. And there is no big or small wound when it comes to one's honor, Twilight. 'Tis either there, or 'tis not.”
“I know.” Twilight Sparkle smiled faintly, blushing a little as she looked up, and she hesitated for only a moment before asking quietly: “I'll always be that young mare to you, won't I? To you both.”
Scrivener and Luna both nodded, and Twilight smiled again, closing her eyes and blushing deeper as she reached up to touch her violet features, feeling strangely... reassured by this thought. Like it was a sign that no matter what happened... as long as she had these two ponies with her, was a part of their life... everything would be okay.
For a few moments there was a strangely-comfortable silence between them, and then Twilight finally looked up, saying softly: “You can go if you want. I know it's... kind of boring down here. I'll just try and get some sleep, it help speed up the process.”
“It must be fun to be able to sleep under water and not drown.” Scrivener remarked, and Twilight gave the stallion an amused look as he looked mildly back at her. “What? You're weird.”
“You're weird.” Twilight shot back, but she laughed after a moment before reaching up and rubbing absently at her forehead: she could feel her horn beginning to finally grow in, and it was admittedly a relief. Going without magic... well, that was never fun, even if it was just for a short period of time. “Thank you for stopping in, though. I appreciate it.”
“I would prefer to stay a few more minutes, Twilight Sparkle. Worry not, we shan't intrude too much, but... just a few more minutes.” Luna said softly, gazing down at the Lich fondly, and Twilight smiled faintly in return, looking adoringly up between the sapphire mare and Scrivener.
“It's never an intrusion.” she murmured softly, and then she laughed a bit and added finally: “I just don't want to interrupt things. I know there's a lot that has to get done, after all... and I know that because of my... well, my attachment to you two...”
“Then thou should be happy we are here, not sad.” Luna remarked, and she reached out and petted Twilight a few times, making the Lich glower a little up at her. “Thou art adorable. Like... like one of those little fluffy doggies. I enjoy that.”
Scrivener cleared his throat, then looked hurriedly away when Twilight glared at him before the violet mare said dryly: “You know, just because I need you two alive doesn't mean I'm automatically going to like you both.”
“Yes, but we are also adorable, thou loves us for many more reasons than we are thy phylactery.” Luna huffed, waving a hoof back and forth, and Scrivener gave her a mild look before the sapphire mare snorted and reached out to shove a hoof against his face. “Very well, thou art not adorable. Thou art a buttocks.”
“You and your obsession with butts.” Scrivener said dryly, and Twilight couldn't help but laugh when Luna only nodded a few times, the stallion sighing and rolling his eyes... then yelping when Luna suddenly slapped him firmly on the back, sending him toppling over the edge of the pool and into the warm, luminescent liquid next to Twilight, who flinched away in shock.
A moment later, Scrivener surfaced with a splutter, coughing and wheezing before he glared over his shoulder at Luna, who only innocently looked down at the two before she grinned slowly as Twilight and Scrivener both stared, then declared: “Well, if thou both insist!”
Scrivener and Twilight both yelled and shook their heads wildly, but Luna had already launched herself gleefully into the air before she cannonballed into the pool, sending up a tremendous splash over both ponies before she surfaced a moment later with a bright grin, her mane glowing brightly with energy as she said cheerfully: “Friends and family, we fight together, we heal together!”
Scrivener and Twilight only glared at the sapphire mare in response as bright liquid slowly dripped down off them, but Luna only winked as she paddled childishly backwards to the other side of the pool, letting out a long sigh of relief as she closed her eyes and relaxed in the scintillating heat. Originally meant as a forbidden necromancy meant for serious life-tampering purposes or not... sometimes a hot tub just worked better as a hot tub.
The charcoal stallion was still glaring moodily at Luna as they made their way through Subterra, but Luna was still smiling, her mood incredibly lighter, her body feeling rejuvenated from both the close contact with Twilight Sparkle and the time spent in the Pool of Tears. The heat, the comfort, and the energies that had permeated her body left her feeling wonderful... and more than that, her mane and tail were currently still glowing unnaturally bright. A side-effect that would wear off soon enough, but for now she kept giggling now and then at how she probably looked like a living nightlight.
“Nightlight. That's going to be my new nickname for you.” Scrivener muttered, looking ahead, and Luna only smiled agreeably at him, as the stallion added dryly: “And I can't help but notice that all that time in the Pool of Tears has made you seem a little... high. Like pot-high, not acid-high.”
“Oh, as if thou knows anything about magic drug smoke.” Luna scoffed, and then she paused and looked curiously over at Scrivener. “Hast thou ever done drugs?”
“Uh. Of course, sure, yeah.” Scrivener said awkwardly, and when Luna tilted her head towards him with an amused smile, Scrivener cleared his throat and looked lamely ahead. “Once in my... drinking days, I decided to try and go out, buy... you know, something. Drinking... was just making me angrier and sadder. I thought maybe something stronger...”
Luna's smile toned down a little, but a faint one spread over Scrivener's own face as he continued softly: “You know, generic self-destruction stuff. Anyway, I go out, find a guy... but as I'm angry, drunk, and twitchy, I actually end up scaring him off. And if that wasn't bad enough I ended up taking a left instead of a right heading back to my apartment, and got lost in my own neighborhood. Took me until morning to get back to my apartment, and I think the... stumbling in drunk in the middle of the night, knocking stuff over, all that... probably what made the landlord evict me.”
“Thou great and stupid idiot. Thou art a mix of comic and tragic, but... more comic, I think, since thou always seems to laugh at thine own tragedies.” Luna murmured, then she leaned over and nuzzled against the side of his neck gently, making him smile before they both turned and strode out through a large set of double doors onto one of the connecting bridges leading to the top of Selene's pyramid.
Somehow, neither pony was surprised to see Celestia was already waiting for them, gazing at them softly. Selene was nearby, but her attention seemed focused elsewhere as the water of the reflecting pool rippled beneath her quietly, gazing up at the rocky sky of Subterra in the distance.
The real surprise was that Vallation was on the other side of the pyramid with Cowlick, the engineer apparently lecturing him on something as the enormous mechanical stallion studied a book laying on the ground in front of him a frown. Luna and Scrivener both cocked their heads curiously, leaning up a bit at this before Celestia sighed and asked with the smallest of hidden smiles: “Please tell me you didn't join Twilight in the Pool of Tears, Luna.”
“Oh shut up, Celestia, neither of us are about to become evil bloodthirsty zombie-vampires.” Luna said grouchily, and then she blinked as Ratatoskr popped up on top of Celestia's head, the squirrel sitting complacently on the flowing rainbow locks as Luna mouthed wordlessly for a moment, then cleared her throat awkwardly. “Uh... big sister... art thou aware...”
“Yes, I know. It's fine.” Celestia smiled, and Luna looked almost dumbfounded by this response before Celestia glanced over her shoulder, gesturing towards Cowlick and Vallation. “I've spoken at length with Kilby Kwolek, and she seems... incredibly determined to teach Vallation and help him with his recovery. She also suggested we should consider calling him by a different name... it would be a small thing, but it would still help disassociate him from his past as a mechanical construct serving the whims of Thesis.”
“I take it she didn't phrase things quite as eloquently as that though, right?” Scrivener asked mildly, and Celestia only smiled slightly before the stallion asked curiously: “What are they doing?”
“Why don't you two come over here and see for yourselves?” Cowlick asked waspishly, and Scrivener cleared his throat as Luna grinned widely before striding past Selene, giving the Nephilim only a glance as she passed: since Selene didn't react, the Overseer was clearly off in her own little world, doing... whatever Nephilim did.
Scrivener and Luna joined Cowlick with Celestia letting herself lag a little behind, and Vallation looked up nervously before the engineer shook her head firmly. “Now you stop that, Shiny. These guys may have beaten the crap out of you, but in a way they saved your ass, don't you forget that.”
Vallation mumbled under his breath, and then he winced when Cowlick reached up and swatted him, the Clockwork Pony leaning awkwardly backwards and Scrivener wondering absently if maybe things with Luna weren't so bad after all. “Don't you start your damn muttering again, especially when it's still all gibberish. Anyway, his memories are damaged, but his emotions are all there, and he seems to know a few bits and pieces of his past. He responds to his name, and he has a lot of basic knowledge... you know, etiquette, don't take a dump where you eat, stuff like that.”
Scrivener slapped his forehead and Celestia looked mildly at the engineer, but Luna only cocked her head curiously, asking after a moment: “Can he even poop?”
“You know, funny thing. That's the best question anyone's asked so far about this poor bastard.” Cowlick muttered, then she glared over at Celestia. “Most ponies just keep asking, 'gee, Cowlick, you sure you can control him? Gee, Cowlick, isn't he a big evil monster?' Well, hate to break it to you, ninety percent of Subterra is big evil monsters.”
“I already apologized, Cowlick, and I am sorry for making assumptions. I'm just trying to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.” Celestia stopped, then she softened as Ratatoskr chittered on her head, looking across at the Clockwork Pony. “Besides, I believe you, now that I've had time to see for myself. His behavior is completely different. He reminds me of victims of other forms of mind control that I've seen in the past.”
“And fixed mostly by setting the victims aflame and burning them to a fine crisp.” Luna muttered, and Celestia gave her younger sibling a moody look before the sapphire mare grumbled. “Although aye, I suppose that I have killed my own fair share of unhappy pawns, and the past is past and now is now. Does he know his name is Shining Armor?”
The metallic pony looked up awkwardly, then studied them nervously before he shifted uneasily, then suddenly blurted: “One negative clothing here!”
“His wiring's all screwed up.” Cowlick said almost affectionately, reaching over and hammering a bit on the Clockwork Pony's head, making him wince and then look almost pleadingly at Cowlick. “It might sound funny, but I think it's a step forwards, though. First he couldn't talk at all, then it was just gibberish, and now he's actually managing words and they don't even sound that slurred. Sure, he ain't saying the right words, but I'm sure that'll clear up too at this rate. Besides, we got help.”
She smiled, gesturing at the large book in front of the stallion: it was an enormous illustrated dictionary that relied more on the brightly-colored images than the short, concise definitions, as Cowlick said softly: “This is from Ross' collection. He kindly let us borrow it... you liked my husband Ross, didn't you, Shiny? And Ross sure thought you were a great guy, and he ain't never been wrong about that before. No matter how creepy the stallion seemed.”
Cowlick slowly looked pointedly over at Scrivener, and the charcoal earth pony sighed a little. As Luna strode quickly forwards to begin poking curiously through the picture book, Scrivener asked quietly: “So we'll have to wait to talk to Vallation about Thesis then, huh?”
“He ain't Vallation, and I ain't gonna repeat myself on that subject.” Cowlick said firmly, poking Scrivener in the chest several times, and the stallion winced backwards a bit before the engineer added quietly: “And yeah. Celestia and your creepy pal Selene there said his mind is being shielded, but I don't think that's it. He's got all those computer parts lodged in his brain, helping him think, doing Horses of Heaven know what to him. I think that's why no one can get a look inside his head.”
Celestia nodded slowly as Scrivener looked down meditatively, and then Luna giggled a little as she pointed at the book and said positively. “A butte.”
The Clockwork Pony looked blankly down at the image of a cliff, and then Scrivener sighed tiredly even as the sapphire mare looked up with a grin. “One day, when we have the time and there are no enemies hounding us, I shall find a mighty mountain that stands alone amidst the landscape, and I shall name it Celestia's Butte in honor of thee, my big sister.”
“Thank you, Luna, now can we please focus on the task at hoof?” Celestia asked tiredly, and Luna laughed as Scrivener shook his head and Cowlick snorted in amusement, grinning despite herself.
“With all respect, Celestia, I think all that's gotta be said has been said. You can't rush this, but you can at least trust me to do things right as I can.” Cowlick said after a moment, looking over at the ivory winged unicorn with a smile, and the mare hesitated for a moment before Cowlick turned her gaze ahead to the Clockwork Pony, saying quietly: “'Cause I know when a pony's trying, and when a pony's not. And I trust that Shiny's trying hard, ain't you?”
“Shine... Shining Armor.” the Clockwork Pony said slowly and carefully, and Cowlick gave a warm, wide smile before the mechanical stallion looked uneasily back and forth at Luna and Scrivener. “Argument?”
“Nay, not any more. We have... we are...” Luna paused, then she smiled as her horn glowed, paging rapidly through the dictionary before settling on a page with an illustration of several ponies smiling together, reaching down and pressing a hoof to this firmly. “Friends.”
The mechanical unicorn looked down with a frown... and then he nodded slowly before turning his eyes upwards with a faint smile. Luna grunted, then she stepped back and studied the Clockwork Pony for a few moments before looking thoughtfully up at her own glowing mane, which was still pulsing with faint light. “Cowlick, a thought occurs. I find myself in a cheery mood despite all that is going on in the world, and I know it has much to do with the fact that I feel very energetic at the moment, that I have much strength and vitality to spare after feeling... tired and drained for so long. Does thou think that powering up Shining Armor could do the same for him?”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were the one who wanted me to pull out all his batteries?” Cowlick remarked, and Luna gave the mare a flat look before the engineer grinned slightly and nodded thoughtfully after a moment, turning her eyes to Celestia, who shifted uneasily on the spot as she studied the Clockwork Pony. “What do you think? And note this ain't me asking your permission or anything, I just want your opinion. Subterra is Luna's joint, after all.”
Celestia sighed as Luna visibly puffed up, before Selene's voice surprised them as the Nephilim slipped in gently: “I believe that the creature can be trusted. To me, he seems like a construct that has been granted emotions... but his emotions are closer to that of ponies than my own are. He is confused, and afraid, that is plain to see... but he is not hostile, or angry. He is only scared. And a gesture of goodwill can often go far with those who are afraid.”
The two siblings exchanged a look as Selene calmly approached, and the Clockwork Pony shivered at the sight of her before nervously taking a step backwards as the Nephilim stepped past Celestia. He looked hurriedly away from the galactic, infinite gaze of the strange, glowing ivory creature, and then he took another step back with Selene took a slow step forwards.
Selene seemed to smile strangely, almost as if enjoying the fear of the Clockwork Pony as she carefully, purposefully stepped towards the Clockwork Pony again, who began to shake his head vehemently as he stepped backwards, his horn flickering with the faintest, weakest aura as he tried to summon up any strength at all, but all he succeeded in doing was making himself reel and fall heavily back on his haunches. But as Selene began to lean forwards, Cowlick jumped between the two with a glare at the Nephilim, snapping: “Luna, call off your goddamn dog!”
Luna looked sharply at the ivory entity, and Selene laughed quietly, bowing her head courteously as she said softly: “I was just doing the construct a favor, that is all. I was showing the world that he knows fear... and more importantly, he understands who he should fear.”
“And does thou understand whom thou should fear, Selene? Or hast thou forgotten who thou serves?” Luna asked quietly, her eyes flashing, and Scrivener shifted uneasily as he felt the burst of anger from Luna... but also the discomfort. Selene was a dangerous force, after all, and everypony here was aware that if the Nephilim ever slipped her leash, ever decided to turn against them on a whim...
“Oh, I would never do that, Father. I would never hurt you or Mother.” Selene said with a kind smile, looking up softly with her galactic eyes, and Scrivener shivered as he managed to meet that gaze for only a moment: for a moment, he stared into the cosmos within Selene, the endless, sparkling darkness... that was so cold, where all the beacons of stars were nothing but lies, where the light existed only so it could give cruel, false hope in the all-engulfing hollow... “But that does not mean I would hesitate to hurt everyone else, if it became necessary. I was only ensuring that it would not be necessary, and that he was aware of his proper place in this world.”
Selene smiled, then bowed her head slowly to them before turning calmly away and returning to her reflecting pool without a word or a look back at them... or the shivering Clockwork Pony that Cowlick was sitting protectively beside, as Luna grimaced and wondered moodily if they were shortly going to end up with yet another conflict on their hooves.