//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Destination: Equestria // by Zervziel //------------------------------// "I think it began with "M" mused the old man under his breath. "Merasmus?" Chirped Lyra in a cheery voice. "Was it Ming the Merciless? Magellan?" offered Mayberry. Amber's hand met her face with a loud smack. "How about Merlin, you furry goof balls." "Ah! Merlin! That was it! Thank you, my fair lady, for saving me from my own senility." The old man managed a decent bow, his old bones practically creaking as he did. "Merlin?" Mayberry gasped. "You've got to be kidding me! You'd have to be over four hundred years old!" The old man looked embarrassed, wringing his battered hat in his hands. "Tis actually closer to seven hundred. This land has a way of keeping elders about. I think it's something to do with the magical field around this world." Amber shook her head. "Sorry, but I need a better explanation than that. There's got to be a better reason than just "magic"!" A tap on her thigh brought her eyes down to the mint green unicorn grinning manically up at her. Amber took the hint and sank back down to the ground. "This place makes no sense. First, I'm brought here by a magical napkin and then I'm imprisoned like some animal by animals for several weeks only to be jail busted by three freaking unicorns, one of which thinks she's me and suddenly, Merlin the wizard! I'm done." With that she flopped onto her back. "Wake me up when the nurses are done with my padded room." The others watched her tirade in stunned silence. "Is the lady ill?" Asked the elderly man. Mayberry looked thoughtful. "No, I think it just too much for her to handle. The world filled with intelligent ponies was probably pushing it. I think it was magic and having someone here that knew King Author that tore it." The old man's eyes brightened up at that. "Ah! Young Arthur! How fares his kingdom?" "Did you miss the part about it being seven hundred years? The time of King Arthur and his Knights has come and gone. Kinda sad that chivalry has replaced by politics." Mayberry broke off with a massive yawn. Stumbling down a mountainside in fear of getting caught had made her exhausted despite her human counterpart carrying her the rest of the way. "Ha!" Merlin rasped out. "Don't give me that. It was politics that forced me to act." He chose a tree of his own to lean against. He moaned as his back creaked. "Don't worry about the guards. I've already put wards in place to protect this place." Mayberry looked at him. "Ok, obvious question. Why are you here?" The old mage's face turned sad and weary. "I came here seeking a solution, salvation for a dying world. Something that I've worked on tirelessly for years with nothing to show for it." Mayberry watched Amber from the corner of her eye. From the way the mop of auburn hair had shifted, she was listening in. "And this problem was…?" Merlin's eyes grew sad. "The magical field around Terra was dying at an exceedingly fast rate. I did my best and tried to trace where it was going but I got caught up in the force that was draining magic from our world. I fell unconscious and awoke here." In a flash Amber was sitting up. "Whoa, hold on a second. You're telling me that our world had magic too!?" The old mage nodded. "Yes. And a powerful force it was." Amber's eyes grew wide before growing suspicious. "But something from this world drew the magic away?" "Yes." The old man grimaced. "Only once I was here and felt the magic growing stronger did I realize what was happening. I was furious, but the events in motion could only be slowed not stopped. I did my best to halt it, weaving spell after spell and brewing potions to enhance my strength so that I may hold back the tide of stolen magic. Alas, it was like trying to hold back the ocean." Mayberry couldn't help but look hurt. "So this is why magic died in our world?" She asked. At this the old man winced. "I knew it would be weakened considerably, but not completely stolen!" He went on to utter something under his breath, but Mayberry couldn't hear it. Amber paced back and forth. Mayberry couldn't help but give her a weary look. She knew herself well enough to know that she only paced when extremely agitated. She could only hope her human half wouldn't decide to do something too drastic. "Augh! Why is this so complicated?!" Amber grumped as she continued pacing. "Seriously, before I would have said magic was nothing but smoke and mirrors and whatever it is Penn and Teller do. But now I find out that magic is not only real, but that it got stolen?" Mayberry interrupted her with an upheld hoof. Amber paused in her pacing as the mare turned back to Merlin. "Ok, here's the thousand dollar question: Who stole our magic and what can we do to reclaim it?" The mage looked startled at the question before a smile slowly crept across his bearded face. "The thieves are none other than one of the Princesses of this world. Celestia. Just short of a thousand years ago, she apparently expanded her reach to other worlds, seeking the power to seal this world away from the dangers of the universe. From what I've heard, she did this after the banishment of the younger princess as a safeguard." "Princess Celestia would never do that!" blurted out Lyra, her loyalty to the throne forcing her to speak. "She's not the kind of pony to just steal somepony's magic!" "Maybe not somepony's magic, but someone's. " muttered Amber with a glower. "Or more than likely she did it unknowingly." Said Merlin in an attempt to quell any arguments. "After all, this world and Terra are effectively mirrors of each other as I've learned." Mayberry cocked her head. "What do you mean?" The old mage gestured between her and Amber. "For example the link you two share." "Like why she has MY memories?" Amber pressed. Mayberry couldn't help but give a huff at the emphasis. "Exactly. For the most part, beings on this world have a mirror image here. My counterpart was one of the first ponies I met here." "Most but not all? What happens if someone who doesn't have a mirror image comes here?" Merlin's brow furrowed as he thought, one hand idly twisting the very end of his long white beard. "I'm not sure. It's a very rare occurrence thanks to that infernal Veil of Celestia's. In your case, I believe the young mare here…" "My name is Mayberry," the unicorn offered. "Young Mayberry here may have been magically generated by the mirror effect upon your arrival and given a copy of your mind." "What." Said Amber in a flat tone. "Magic, deal with it." deadpanned Lyra. Mayberry looked thoughtful. "I guess that works. I don't have any memory of a pony life before we came here." "And it's impossible for even the most talented mages to create a thinking mind out of nothing." Said Merlin as he adjusted the rim of his hat so that it would shield his eyes from the sun. Amber leaned over and poked the pale mare in the shoulder. "This is some pretty heavy stuff for you. Think you'll be ok?" Mayberry nodded. "I think so. It'll probably take some time to soak in before I really freak out. Thanks." The college student smiled. "No problem. After all, I always did want a pony." "Really?!" squealed Lyra as she hopped up into the air between them. "Augh! Personal space, Lyra! Out of the bubble!" Mayberry gave the smaller unicorn's flank a shove with her own. "So what do we do now?" asked Lyra as she stumbled over onto Amber's lap, who promptly started petting her. "We could ask Celestia's help in returning our magic." Amber asked. "Though I'm not sure how well she'll react to that request." "Yeah, not too mention her student really didn't seem to like me. You heard her, she accused me of killing her mom!" Merlin pushed his hat up with one gnarled finger, his eye locking on the mare's. "You may well have, miss. I can see the magic on your mind. You've been under a geas for quite some time now."