//------------------------------// // Experimental Procedure // Story: Marks of Harmony // by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch //------------------------------// Gdocs Version Marks of Harmony Part 14 There were names in the history books. In fact, many fillies and colts were under the impression that they were nothing but compilations of names: useless names most of the time. The majority of these names were of influential religious, political, or military leaders of one race or another. But on occasion, the fillies and colts would come across a name unconnected to anything grand. Ironically, these were names that often stuck with them. Almost assuredly, future foals in schoolrooms across Equestria would learn to remember the name Wood Ring: simple Earth pony carpenter from Ponyville: no family, no goals, no fame, and the first pony of the modern day to Ascend via Aurora Streak’s constructs. He was, at present, still quite the sensation in Ponyville. Where other carpenters had to rely on instruments and their own experience-driven guesswork to accurately determine dimensions, Wood Ring’s eyes alone could do just as, if not better, measurement. Even if nopony ordered anything from him, his shop was constantly busy with spectators watching as he cut perfect circles without a single compass or pencil in sight. Of course, the other carpenters still had their patrons: those who despised Aurora and all things associated with her with true passion. These were, however, the small minority, many of the ponies who had previously decried Aurora unable to keep from admiring Wood Ring and imagining how they themselves might have such ability. Twilight Sparkle and the rest had steered well clear of the commotion Aurora’s procedures were causing per the advice of Chrysalis. She explained that Aurora no doubt thought them all meddlesome, and that for her spirit to be as positive as was possible, it would be best if she heard or caught sight of them as little as possible. All the same, it was becoming more and more difficult for Twilight to completely avoid newly Ascended ponies. The library was still open (Princess Luna, Chrysalis, and Spearhead having taken up residence in the upper rooms), and ponies invariably came in and conversation broke out about Ascendence. More than once, Twilight had to ask for the more heated debates to be taken outside; along with having to develop increasingly cryptic and vague answers to hide her own, more informed, opinion on the subject. The continuous residence of the Armies of the Sun and Moon was also a near perpetual topic. The opinions expressed in such conversations were nearly as diverse as those surrounding Ascendence, though they thankfully never erupted into full-blown shouting matches. Well, they never did so in the library at any rate. From what Twilight gathered from what her friends would tell her when dropping by, the town no longer had any opinion on the appearance of the Armies themselves. Rather, they were curious and not a little hurt that neither Princess Luna nor Princess Celestia had revealed themselves. Many of the younger ponies could be heard talking in the streets that, “If only this dang magic field weren’t there and we could see one of the Princesses, life would be bucking near perfect.” Comfort in the tremulous atmosphere, Twilight found, was to be had in those ponies who knew just as much of the truth as she did. And they need not even talk about the issue itself. Just being with each other was enough. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were over many times during the day, interested in playing with and helping care for the Princess Lacewing—who, being around two years younger than CMC, had all of their energy and none of their inhibition. Chrysalis was, as per the circumstances, an outstanding mother, but Twilight always appreciated it when either Pinkie or Fluttershy were present, being that she did not have to constantly be sure the filly was not innocently attempting to topple a bookshelf or perpetuate some other library disaster. Rainbow Dash, Spearhead, and Chrysalis would form an eclectic group at times, gathering upstairs to discuss war history: Chrysalis and Spearhead were veritable experts on the subject for obvious reasons while Rainbow Dash knew a surprising amount for her following of some the strict, ancient workout regimens designed for pegasi knights of a bygone era. Rarity was keen to speak to Princess Luna on all the goings on of the Canterlot high society, and the Princess entreated her for lack of anypony else to talk to who shared something even close to her elevated way of speaking. Applejack also engaged the Princess in discussion once, but it was only to confirm that the soldier ponies would not practically ruin her family’s farm for need of fresh food. She was remarkably calm about her family’s situation, telling Twilight once when she thought Applejack was down due to homesickness that she was happy they did not have to deal with this and that she was confident in Big Mac’s ability to care for Granny Smith and the farm. Luna promptly assured her that even if soldiers were an uncouth lot, they would not dare do something of the sort, especially considering that Applejack was closer than most politicians to herself and Celestia. In effect, everypony who had been forced to shoulder the burden of ensuring the peace and safety of Equestria settled into a routine for a solid week, all the while waiting for Aurora to announce her accompaniment of Changelings. Indeed, Twilight never thought she would ever want to see Inky Jay. All the same, as the days dragged on, Twilight began to feel a well of anticipation whenever the door to the library was tapped and felt an equal amount of disappoint when Aurora’s scribe was not the pony at the door. Inevitably, she would scold herself when she remembered exactly the type of pony Inky was, but she could not erase the hope his appearance would represent. Her conflicting emotions about seeing the foreign pegasus, were consequently all a completely jumbled mess when, on Saturday morning, before she had even finished breakfast, properly brushed her mane, and done all those other things that made her presentable to the public; an incessant series of knocks rattled the door to the library. “This can’t be good,” she muttered to herself, Spike nodding in agreement, though he himself still appearing as though his mind was still back in his comfortable basket. She rubbed her eyes, realizing with a sigh it would have only made them red and sleep-deprived looking; and brushed her mane rather half-heartedly before trotting lightly down the stairs. Just before she opened the door, it was pounded upon impatiently again. Waiting until it stopped, Twilight then cracked the entrance open, the sliver of light that should have streamed in blocked by the form of a pony. She opened the door wider to reveal Inky Jay. “Inky Jay?” she queried, a moment later realizing how stupid she had sounded. “Last I checked,” he replied, “nopony else was capable of being me, so that should lead one to assume that the pony outside your door is Inky Jay.” “Well aren’t you just a ray of sunshine in the morning,” Twilight muttered, walking back into the library and leaving the door open for Inky. “I am sincerely hoping your sarcasm is due to that being an idiomatic expression of some kind,” Inky replied stiffly, following Twilight inside and snapping the door shut with a flick of his wing. “It means you’re grumpy,” Twilight said “Ah,” Inky answered with a distant note to his grated voice. “I find it incredibly amusing that you think I would stoop to such a meaningless emotional state. However, to see you affected in such a way does not surprise me at all.” “I am not grumpy,” Twilight insisted, the lie flying through her gritted teeth. “You again see a simple observation on my part as an insult,” Inky said, pointedly ignoring her while he gazed at the spines of books, head cocked to the side to read their titles. “I certainly do not blame you for your current emotional state. Unlike so many of the pointless emotions ponies here allow to drag them along like toys, not being a morning pony is rather unavoidable.” “I haven’t had breakfast yet,” Twilight said, her early morning dose of irritability not quite alleviated. “And it’s too early for me to try to listen to you talk.” “In that case,” Inky replied, “I will wait here and read. For such a ignorant town, there certainly are a nice array of books in this library.” Twilight chose not to reply for her mood and sanity’s sake, climbing back up the stairs and settling down to finish her breakfast. Why had she ever been excited to hear from him? Even after the several interactions she had had with Inky Jay, there seemed to simply be no way to mentally prepare herself for the critical manner in which he spoke about the things that he found to be beneath him. She hoped beyond hope that he might become a more pleasant pony with which to have a conversation once the negotiations were finalized and Aurora could legitimately begin her work, but her more analytic mind told her that, if anything, he was liable to become worse with Aurora rising to a position of prominence. “Who was it Twilight?” Spike asked, rinsing out his own cereal bowl. “You look more tired now than you did when you woke me up.” “Inky’s here,” Twilight said, finding even Spike’s voice refreshing after the pegasus’s tones. “He probably has word from Aurora about revealing the Changelings. Could you go and wake up the Princess while I finish? She’ll want to hear whatever he has to say, regardless of what it’s about.” “Sure thing Twilight,” Spike answered, resting his now clean bowl in the drain board. “Is he still in the lobby?” “Mm-hm,” Twilight nodded, her face behind an apple juice glass. Why Spike had cared about his information she did not know, but he showed no signs of acting upon it, for he began his small, circular assent to the upper rooms without even a glance downstairs. Twilight finished her rounded morning meal before he returned, and was greeted to a dreary ‘Good morning’ from Princess Luna just as her bowl, plate, and glass joined Spike’s in the drain board. Luna sounded and appeared more haggard than Twilight in both categories. Her mane even flowed more slowly, as if it too were groggy. “Did the moon give you some trouble last night Princess?” Twilight asked. “Hardly Twilight Sparkle,” Luna replied heavily. “It is just that we had only recently descended into our true rest before being awoken by Spike.” “You know I wouldn’t have asked him to wake you if it weren’t really important right?” Twilight asked. “Of course Twilight Sparkle,” Luna reassured her, though her voice carried much less of its usual solidity. “He hath already taken the liberty of explaining the reason for us having to waketh at this hour.” “We should go down then and see him,” Twilight gestured. “The sooner we know what Aurora sent him for, the sooner you can get back to sleep.” “We thank thee for thy consideration of our natural fatigue,” Luna replied, “but we must look fully alert, which meaneth we wilt have to become tired over again later.” Without any further explanation, she crossed the kitchen in two strides, opened up the tap and rather unceremoniously splashed her face under the ice-cold water. She sputtered and spat, taking in sharp breaths of sudden wakefulness as, with the utmost grace, she dabbed her face dry with a kitchen towel. “We art awake fully now Twilight Sparkle,” she said with her usual vigor and grace. “Shall we now proceed to learn that which Aurora’s scribe hath brought?” “After you Princess,” Twilight motioned with a hoof and giggling. She was now fully awake as well and her morning mood was fading rapidly, having finished her breakfast and seen Luna do the last thing she had expected of a Princess of Equestria. She chuckled again to herself as memories of a similar event from her past as a filly before Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. The details were still hazy as she had been so young, but it had involved Shining Armor coming home late, her father being the angriest she had ever seen him, and something about hard cider. She resolved to ask her brother about it after the field came down. He would be among the troops outside no doubt. By this time, she and the Night Princess had reached the lobby where Inky was acknowledging Luna with his equivalent of a bow: a brief incline of his head, eyes shuttered. “Inky Jay,” Luna said in response, nodding her head. “How goeth thy week and Aurora’s? We have not heard anything from thee. We assume the procedures to be proceeding apace.” “Things are moving along as well as could be hoped, though the more ponies we have receiving the treatment, the more ridiculously stupid they become in their requests,” he said, his contempt rising at the end. “Some requested the impossible and were barely old enough to even deserve cutie marks. Thankfully we have been able to convince them of the true scope of the procedure and the more childish requests have been dying away. Early this morning, Lady Aurora was in high spirits that the fad-like nature of the procedure will die here and that the remainder of Equestria will accept the procedure with the level of respect it deserves.” “Well, we art pleased that there hath been no complications and that Aurora is pleased with the results,” Luna replied, gracefully glazing over Inky’s insults as if she had never heard them. Twilight admired her for it. “We assume thou hast come to inform us all that Aurora intendeth to make her proclamation of Changeling assistance today.” “Lady Aurora feels the time is right to do it before noon today,” Inky confirmed for her. “Changelings build up more energy as the day wears on, making them more active in the later hours. In the morning, they appear more docile and their low energy reserves mean Lady Aurora can control them more easily.” “She wants me there with her for support,” Twilight guessed with less than an enthusiastic tone. Inky nodded briskly, saying, “Yes. You and the rest of the Bearers. I have already delivered the request to each of them. That said, I do not feel the need to ask you in any formal way.” Turning his attention once again to Princess Luna, he said, “What Lady Aurora asks of you, Princess Luna, is to remain hidden. Your revealing yourself would only reignite the flames success has managed to douse.” “We have known as much,” Luna replied, mildly irritated that her intelligence had been so slighted. “It wast our intention from the beginning to remain inconspicuous and to never allow Ponyville to know of our involvement. We have fought many battles of every kind, and we therefore do not require instruction as to how to manage our actions in this delicate situation.” “Lady Aurora stands to lose the most by the failure of these plans you have suggested,” Inky replied, not with defiant force, but certainly without humble submission, “and she will take all of the necessary precautions to be sure she does not lose.” “Be that as it may,” the Night Princess answered, “but we warn thee, shouldst thou ever speaketh to us again as though we were thy equal, we wilt not hesitate to show thee the error of thy ways.” Luna left the exact details vague, which for Twilight Sparkle only increased the power of the threat. As such, she had expected Inky’s face to be smirking in amusement with some witty quip ready at his lips. Instead, he was examining Luna as if a colored lens had been passed over his green eyes: like he was seeing her in a completely new way and was attempting to discern what exactly it revealed about her. “You confuse me,” he said, his tone deliberate but curious. “How can you and Lady Aurora be so close as friends, and yet be so idealistically opposed?” Twilight’s face brightened, and before Luna could answer, she asked, “Princess, may I?” It took Luna a moment, but her eyes widened along with a knowing smile when the realization came to her. “Thou art most suited to the task, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “We should have thought of it before.” “You don’t have to be the exact same as somepony else to be their friend,” Twilight said, forcing down her tendency to sound as though she were reciting facts when relating the contents of a former friendship letter. “That’s part of what makes friendship so exciting. You meet new ponies who are different from you, and maybe you can learn something from the way they see things.” “Without opposites there can be no advancement,” Inky said blankly, quoting a famous author of times past. “Yes, I am fully aware of the principle, but in my case, I would learn all I could from a pony with views opposed to mine, and promptly move along.” “One needeth not to agree with a pony’s worldview to enjoy their company,” Luna said pointedly. “That has not been my experience,” Inky replied shortly. “All that aside, Lady Aurora will be expecting you within an hour.” “Surely she doesn’t think anypony will... Oh, well that’s clever,” Twilight began, only to halt herself. “Precisely,” Inky smiled mischievously. “Lady Aurora has observed that the ponies of this town take her news best from one another. As limited as it reveals their mindset to be, her mere person colors their opinion of her voice and in this event, there must be as little of that as possible.” “It is indeed clever,” Luna agreed, “despite her hate of political maneuvering.” “As long as you have no more questions regarding your appearance beneath the ship, not that you should,” Inky said, “then I will be on my way. After the fiasco with the Changeling filly, Lady Aurora has tasked me with a census to be sure of a proper count. Oh, and I suppose now would be as good a time as any to give you these Twilight Sparkle.” Inky Jay twisted his head round, and the the unique snap of a clasp being undone met princess and unicorn ears. Turning back to the pair, Inky had in his mouth a set of papers, which just from a glance, appeared to be official documentation of some kind. With a jolting nod of his head, Inky indicated Twilight was to take them. Once out his mouth and levitated before Twilight’s scanning eyes, Inky said, “Those are copies of my notes on the Ascension process. Lady Aurora assumed the Royal Archives might have an incomplete set from the past, and felt it meet to correct and complete them.” “Thank her for me!” Twilight said, stunned: both by the gesture and the detailed magic science her brain was processing. It was an incredible gift, and one she was eager to absorb. “What spurred her to this decision?” Luna asked, skeptical. “Of what she told me, nothing more than I have already relayed,” Inky replied. “Though I privately believe her to not have given away anything of great revelation. Ascension was a known phenomena before her experiments into the subject, and her manipulation of it is not something I describe in that set of notes.” “Still!” Twilight said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve read a theoretical magic science piece, and I’m sure her opinions of certain kinds of magic will be very interesting to read.” “At least somepony will enjoy it for its own sake then,” Inky replied. “Remember, one hour.” With that rather threatening reminder, Inky saw himself out of the library. There followed a brief moment of silence between Twilight and the princess, though Twilight herself barely noticed it. She was too busy going back to the cover of the notes and beginning to read them properly. “Burn those notes Twilight Sparkle,” came a sudden, harsh command from Luna. “Princess?” she looked up to her and asked, shocked that Luna would demand such a thing without any explanation. The princess’s scowl deepened as she said, “Twilight Sparkle, we have seen these notes of which Inky Jay speaketh. Even in their partial form and with the hoof of a different scribe, they art not for the eyes of normal ponykind.” “Why?” Twilight asked genuinely becoming worried at Luna’s vague description. “The theories contained therein do not deal solely with Ascension,” Luna replied. “They art of Cutie Mark Magic as a whole, and therefore wander into territory they oughteth not ever go.” “Princess?” Twilight asked again, this time wary. Luna was not acting like herself. She was angry to be sure, but there was fear in her eyes, fear in the words. “Perhaps when thou art older,” Luna consented with a sigh. “We think our sister wilt reveal the things therein to you in time, and we wouldst ask that thou respect her in this.” “Can you at least tell me what scares you about what’s in here?” Twilight asked, hoping she had softened her tone enough. “It couldst turn all of ponykind against ourself, our sister, and Cadance,” Luna admitted with a hung head. “And not without reason, we must not deny.” “If I burn these now,” Twilight said, her inner self struggling with the decision even as she spoke, “will you promise to tell me about what they said once this whole mess is sorted out?” “To thee alone, Twilight Sparkle. To thee alone,” Luna acquiesced. Shuttering her eyes tight to avoid her better sense rebelling against what she was about to do, Twilight ignited a flame spell over the collection of notes. The fire flared a brilliant orange and lavender, but rather than singe the edges black until the whole stack was nothing but ash, the fire merely curled around it as if it were not even there. Luna swore vehemently, and in Twilight’s shock at hearing such vulgarity from the princess’s mouth, she snatched the documents away and lit them with her own spell. Still they remained untouched. “She trieth my kindness with this,” Luna growled, dousing the flames. “We wilt still tell thee Twilight Sparkle, but only once we hath taken this up with Aurora directly.” Without waiting for a reply, Luna ascended back up the stairs to her room, muttering fiercely to herself all the way. _____________________________________________________________________________ Rainbow Dash was, to no surprise of her own, the first of her close friends to arrive outside Town Hall. However, she was intrigued that she was not the first pony to be waiting for Aurora’s announcement. Several ponies, oddly of all ages but many with helpful steaming mugs of coffee, were already gathered in the darkest shadows of the alicorn mare’s vessel. They milled about, exchanging trivial news and small-talk, and all seemed completely at ease. Rainbow was on the verge of asking a group of stallions slightly older than herself what they were discussing when one of them turned in her direction abruptly and asked, “So Dash, where did you get your Ascension put?” “What?” Rainbow replied instinctively before realizing he was talking about Aurora’s procedure. “Oh, I didn’t need it,” she said. “I’m already Ascended.” “Sweet!” one of the other stallions, a unicorn, said enthusiastically. “How does yours work?” “Uh...” Rainbow dodged for time, not wanting to reveal her connection to an Element of Harmony. “Come on Roller,” another of the group said to the eager one with a solid whack on the back of Roller’s head. “You’re talkin’ to Rainbow Dash. She can pull off the Sonic Rainboom. You really have to ask the question?” “Oh, yeah,” Roller replied, smiling sheepishly at Rainbow. “Sorry ‘bout that.” “Nah, it’s cool,” Rainbow said smoothly, secretly glad she had escaped something that could have easily wandered to awkward places. “So you all had it done?” “Sure as the Princess’s are outside the field,” Roller’s head-whacking companion replied. “And the weirdest part is that you don’t feel any different after it’s done.” “Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Roller said. “I mean, it felt so surreal using a shattering spell like I had a talent for it when I’d been studying and failing at one for six years.” “I’ll give Roller that one,” the first stallion agreed. “But Dash, why’re you here? I mean, no offense, but we all thought only us ponies that went through with the procedure were visited by that little upstart of a scribe.” Rainbow snorted, amused that she was not the only pony to think of Inky as an idiot, before answering, “You guys know my friend Twilight?” Collective nods greeted her question. “Well, my friends and I figured we’d all come to support her with whatever Aurora’s gonna have Twi do.” “Sounds cool Dash,” Roller said. “Got any idea what she might say?” Not being a consistent liar by nature, Rainbow knew she would not be able to spin a satisfactorily false idea, but neither would she be able to simply say ‘no’ without something in her face being suspicious. Her mouth thus opened and closed without words several times, the stallions curiously anticipating her opinion, when Twilight rescued her. “Hey Rainbow!” Twilight said, thankfully knocking everypony’s attention onto her. She said nothing else, but Rainbow knew Twilight’s voice, and it was entirely too happy under the circumstances. Something else, it seemed, had unsettled her beyond the stress of waiting for Aurora’s revelation of the Changelings. “Hey Twi, what’s goin on?” Rainbow turned and greeted her friend, adding a serious wink only Twilight could see. “Funny you should ask,” Twilight replied, again in that falsely cheery voice. “Could I talk to you in private?” “Sure,” Rainbow said without hesitation. “See ya later guys,” she added, waving to the stallions. Once well out of earshot of anypony milling about, Rainbow hissed, “What’s goin’ down?” “Aurora is pushing things too hard,” Twilight replied gravely. “She had Inky deliver me a set of notes but Princess Luna said it would be in my best interests not to read them. The way Luna talked about it, it sounded like Aurora might have some sort of dirt on the princesses that would turn quite a few ponies against them.” “And you?” Rainbow asked. “I think it’s something historic: something that Aurora may have accidently discovered that had been buried in the past,” Twilight said. “Regardless, Aurora’s pushing Princess Luna’s patience, and whether she’s doing it on purpose or not, we need to finish up the negotiations. Fast.” “So Aurora’s already getting tired of playing fair,” Rainbow mused, disgusted. “Figures right? But I’m with ya. The sooner we can get in and help her finish her dang experiment, the better.” “Just let me do the talking,” Twilight said. “If we’re lucky and things go right this morning, I may be able to get us inside this afternoon.” “That’s a little optimistic don’t you think?” Rainbow countered. “Optimism is the only thing that’s kept me going this long Rainbow,” Twilight sighed. “Okay, it’s your show,” Rainbow sided with her, “but you know I’m there if you ever need anything done faster than anypony else.” “Thanks Rainbow, and yes I know,” Twilight smiled at her. “I will say this. Whatever you do, don’t mention the notes. Let Aurora think she’s getting what she wants.” “What notes?” Rainbow said in confusion. Twilight only nodded appreciatively as they moved back into the crowd, which had grown by at least two dozen more ponies. The pair met up with the rest of their friends, Pinkie Pie corroborating Rainbow’s own findings that each and every one of the ponies present had had the Ascension procedure successfully performed. Aurora was certainly playing her odds well in Rainbow’s opinion, though she still thought the reaction of the ponies to having had Changelings in their midst ever since Aurora’s arrival would not go over at all smoothly. A resounding clang from above ceased the conversations of everypony present and jolted their attention to the ship above. In the hushed silence, the morning breeze seemed to gain prominence in the senses: the peaking sunlight yet to provide warmth now visibly moving above the horizon by Celestia’s power. In this moment of purity in the air, Rainbow’s senses felt more than ever before how profoundly wrong the powers of Aurora’s ship and the sounds it emitted were. These thoughts had no chance, however, to fully blossom, for the lift in the House of a Thousand Fangs began its descent. Aurora stood upon it, and just as Princess Luna had described, she appeared far more haggard than Rainbow remembered. True, she was not stumbling or shaking from exhaustion, but her general countenance was of a mare long in need of proper rest continually denied her. In fact, she reminded Rainbow of the way she herself had looked as an adolescent when she trained, worked, and tried to stay in school all at the same time. The lift cracked with finality upon the hard dirt road, and Aurora strode off it in many smaller strides rather than the longer steps of a superior from before. However physically and probably mentally depleted she was, Aurora retained her superior indifference to the ponies watching her ascend the steps to the Town Hall’s porch. Only when she had turned to face the ponies watching and waiting for her and had gazed at them all for a few brief moments did her coldness thaw ever so slightly. She smiled genuinely out at them all (which surprised not a few of the ponies including Rainbow) and began, “Brothers and sisters in vision,” her elegance in speech having not deserted her either. “You have all elected to follow the path of your magical evolution. You have all seen the world which might be created through the equality I promise. But, I ask you, and ask you to search for the answer deep within yourselves, what superior society can come of this equality if it does not practice it beyond its own borders? What hypocrites we would be then, if in our magical extension we looked down upon non-ponies in the same vicious and abhorrent way so many ponies look down upon their brethren!” She paused, and in the gap, ponies murmured to themselves with the words ‘griffons’ and ‘dragons’ heard clearly on more than one occasion. “And truly, would anypony be worthy to carry a superior magical mantle if he could not extend basic respect to others outside his society? Indeed, why bother with seeking magical superiority within oneself when one can so easily find within one racial superiority?” Aurora stopped again, and the ringing mutterings in the crowd were now more intrigued and thoughtful than they had been at the first. “If you cannot therefore overcome this, I will have firstly made a grave mistake in allowing you to attain Ascension, and second, I will, until you can see your own ignorance, treat you as the uninspired dregs of indoctrinated society that you are.” With this final statement, Aurora opened her wings to their full length and the bright hissing of building spells could be heard from above. In the next moment, brilliant and forceful cascades of shimmering light descended from the ship’s undersides; winking out of existence only a hoof-ful of seconds later with an electric pop. In the place of of the beams of light stood seven groups of five Changelings. A sizeable portion of the crowd let out desperate screams of terror, hate, and general shock. Bellowed stuttering was soon to follow among these same ponies, but Rainbow let out a relieved sigh when the majority of the ponies gathered either did not react or exercised extreme self-control to not let their true emotions show. In fact, as she eyed the many faces surrounding her, Rainbow began to suspect that only she and her friends were completely unaffected by the appearance of the Changelings: for even among those that held straight faces, said faces were strained in supreme effort to remain static. Rainbow herself avoided looking at the Changelings directly. Despite Chrysalis having effectively accepted Luna’s return of Lacewing as payment for the death of one of her warriors, it did nothing to help Rainbow’s own conscience. Chrysalis had forgiven her to be sure (no thanks in part to Princess Luna and Aurora’s error), but Rainbow had always been certain that would come about through her own actions. As it stood, atonement had been made, but she had not been the pony to make said atonement. There was always a feeling in the back of her mind—often coming to the forefront whenever Lacewing was present—that she was duty bound to gain Chrysalis’s forgiveness through her own actions. And from this lingering guilt Rainbow could see the face of her unintentional victim in the face of each of the Changelings she laid eyes upon. Battle glory is so overrated, she thought, forcing down a small wave of nausea. “I am, I must admit, impressed,” Aurora said presently. “I can see in your ungainly expressions that you fight to resist your revulsion of these creatures, and so you reveal that first, your bigotry still exists, but second, that you are not beyond healing.” The crowd of ponies was silent in the interim, all once having overcome their initial shock at having Changelings teleported directly before them, were scrutinizing the pony-like beings. Rainbow could understand their interest—many had probably only heard stories and seen pictures of the Changeling invasion and those few that had actually been present in Canterlot would likely only recall the Changelings as a mass of efficient marauders. To see them behaving in so docile a manner was surely intriguing to them. “Come forward Twilight Sparkle,” Aurora commanded. Twilight did so, the attention of the ponies shifting to her. “I’m sure you are all wondering why I’m the one talking to you,” she said without prompt from Aurora. “Well, the truth is that I’ve known about Aurora’s Changelings for a while now.” Her admission sent ripples of distrustful muttering through the ponies. “But Aurora asked me to not say anything so your fear of them wouldn’t taint how you thought of her ideas. But now, I think it’s important to tell you that the Changelings with Aurora now helped her during her experiments that gave you Ascension.” “Are you saying we should just forget what they tried to do to the Princess during the wedding?” a pony asked from within the gathered. He was not outraged, but his point was measured and legitimate. “Hardly,” Aurora stepped in forcefully, “but understand this. These Changelings are not tied to the monarch that invaded Celestia’s capital. Should Equestria invade the Zebra Kingdoms, they would surely never forget such an affront, but afterward were Celestia to be deposed, their despisement of Equestria would diminish, if not vanish entirely.” Rainbow felt her teeth grinding against each other and her eyes narrowing with a scowl on her forehead. To hide something and dodge questions about it was one thing, but to lie blatantly was entirely different. Of course, technically, the Changelings were no longer connected to Chrysalis, but that still did not absolve Aurora of pretending that Chrysalis was not involved with them even remotely. Rainbow could see Twilight felt just as uncomfortable. “Remember,” Aurora continued, “my goal is to bring equality and illumination to Equestria, and such things are not selective. Think on all that I have said and chosen to do, and decide now whether you will all wish to continue to be my followers, for I would rather have all of you hate me utterly for this than become my adherents and yet be tainted by small doubts that can only grow larger.” With that final statement, Aurora fluttered her wings again, this time to merely settle them back into place. She stepped off the Town Hall porch and onto her litter in the exact manner in which she had done the reverse. The Changelings were returned to the folds of the ship in the same moment the mare’s platform began to click in its rising. With the shiny black shape-shifters gone from her visibility, Rainbow’s memory inexplicably began to reassemble what she remembered of them from her periphery. It took only a few moments of reflection—the ponies about her breaking up into small groups and chatting—for her to understand just how cruel and unnatural Aurora’s control over the Changelings was. Each of them had drooped as if lacking in any drive, their eyes rather than being a fierce blue were almost faded, and not one had stirred with the natural movements of a small itch or other trivial distraction. They were undoubtedly utter slaves to Aurora’s technology, though judging by the mare herself, Rainbow allowed herself a smirk knowing that she was worse for it. Her thoughts were interrupted when Fluttershy and Rarity found her, Fluttershy oddly being the first to speak. “Oh Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed, though in her usual restrained way. “Did you see them all, the poor Changelings?” “I tried not to look at them too much if you get my drift,” Rainbow admitted, “but, yeah, I know what you mean.” “It’s barbaric what she is doing to them!” Rarity let out a whispered hiss. “And we are supposed to help her finish an experiment?! If it wasn’t for the sake of all those poor dears inside her ship and Ponyville at large, I would refuse right this moment!” “And did ya’ll see ‘er lyin’ through ‘er teeth like tha’?” Applejack joined them, not bothering to keep her voice as low as the rest. “Surely she don’ thank she c’n get away with it?” “Applejack, she really shouldn’t have been able to get away with any of the stuff she’s done,” Rainbow said with heavy sarcasm. “Touché,” Applejack conceded. “She’s just a big meanie pants, that’s all,” Pinkie came up behind Applejack. “And the sooner we get big meanie pants out of here, the happier everypony will be.” “Looks like Twi’s havin’ a good ol’ time,” Applejack said, turning their attention to where Twilight was surrounded by the more vocal ponies. They were pelting her with questions like rebellious young colts would throw stones at one another, but she was absorbing and deflecting them all with simple calm and composure of the kind that only Princess Celestia could impart. Moving in her direction with the rest of her friends, Rainbow caught snippets of the conversations of the smaller clusters of ponies. The general sentiment was, mercifully, not fear, but confusion. The ponies were pleased that Aurora had control over the Changelings (they even having noticed the odd behavior exhibited by the creatures), but they still felt, and rightfully so, that the utmost caution was to be taken. Aurora had done good things for Ponyville, but she had also taken considerably large steps into the gray. For most of the ponies, as long as the Changelings stayed in the ship until everypony once again had Princess Celestia’s sure protection, there was not much inherently wrong about Aurora seeking out Changeling workers. Certainly it would have been easier to sway them into helping her before entreating ponies. “Ya know guys,” Rainbow commented to her friends, “there probably would have been a riot if everypony had been told all at once.” “Of course there would have been,” Twilight cut off any response from the others, walking toward them while simultaneously dissuading anypony else from badgering her any longer. “That’s why these ponies are only ones that have had the Ascension procedure. They like her in a way.” “How long ‘til ya thank we’ll be seein’ ‘er for tha experiment?” Applejack asked. “Even though I know they ain’t all bad, Changelin’s still give me tha shivers, an’ I’d like ta ‘ave Ponyville back ta normal.” “No kiddin’ Twi,” Rainbow said. “I mean, even with Aurora trying to keep a riot from happening, this sort of thing isn’t just gonna blow over with everypony.” “Let’s take this back to the library,” Twilight answered carefully, eyes darting to either side to check for idle ears listening to their conversation. “It’s okay Twilight,” Pinkie said. “Pinkie Sense isn’t telling me anything about anypony eavesdropping.” “Thanks Pinkie,” Twilight replied, though still cautious and leery, “but considering what Rainbow was saying about a riot, I think it’s still best to take this back to my place.” “Lead the way dear,” Rarity answered for them all. ______________________________________________________________________________ Dear Twilight Sparkle, the other Bearers, and my dearest friend Luna, Barring any unforeseen Complications which are unfortunately all too common in revolutionary Movements, it has come Time for you to fulfill your Obligation to my Research so we may end these so-called ‘Hostilities’ between myself and Celestia. As I am sure you are aware, Luna has taken the Burden of organizing my Reintegration into Equestrian Science and Politics, and I have therefore drawn up some Documents listing those Things I view to be of Importance to my Pursuits and general Well-being as well as a rough Outline of a Treaty between myself and Celestia and a Declaration of Policies I will see enforced in Regards to my Field. I find it to be imperative that Luna come along with you during the Tests to review these several Documents and thereafter bring Issue of them to me before I lower my Shield. Come beneath the House of a Thousand Fangs at Midnight of Tomorrow that we might begin. Also, come alone and wear whatever Clothing might conceal you in Darkness best. As I am sure you are more than aware, my revealing my use of Changeling Hoofs has created more than a fair Share of Rifts amongst these Ponyvillians. Thus far, those that see my Vision and have overcome their primitive Fears have done an admirable Job at keeping unnecessary and base Protests at Bay, but I would take Caution in this Instance and see you delivered into my Vessel without any Altercation. And finally, I stress upon you the Importance of preparing properly your Mind for the Test. Saturate yourselves with Memories of all Thoughts, Emotions, and physical Stances that you associate with the Elements of Harmony and them alone. The Sufficiency of your Preparation may have the Power, however unpleasant, to utterly render the Task I will perform mute. Sincere vestrum, Aurora Virgarum Investigator Intelligentia That had been the note Aurora had slipped surreptitiously to Twilight when they had been speaking to the crowd of ponies just the day before. In Rainbow’s opinion, even with Twilight reading it in the most flat monotone she could imagine, the letter had carried with it a hint of a threat and dubious intent. On the surface, of course, everything she had said made perfect sense. She had grown up in the world of Canterlot and had in her youth waded through the quagmire that was federally funded science; which made it quite the obvious move to draft some form of legal documentation of the new arrangement. Also, Rainbow herself knew first hoof about the rising quarrels over the Changelings and Aurora in general. It was the chiefest topic of discussion at the bars, even when heavy amounts of cider had dulled normally more refined minds. And yet, Rainbow had had doubts. Even if the Changeling reveal was causing factions to develop in Ponyville, the extreme lengths with which Aurora demanded they keep their secrecy seemed just that: extreme. Chrysalis had been first to draw attention to it, citing that with at least most of the truth laid bare before Ponyville, Aurora had little or no reason for such continued behavior. Rainbow had found herself agreeing wholeheartedly with Chrysalis, and had been more disturbed by that turn of events than she would even admit to herself. Fluttershy, ever the optimist, had tried to explain away Aurora’s odd instructions with a plea that she was suffering from nerves, but it was feeble: brushed aside by Princess Luna’s explanation that Aurora never became nervous unless something began to go horribly wrong. And stranger still had been Aurora’s writing, for the note had been written by her own hoof and not Inky Jay’s. Chrysalis and Luna drew considerable attention to the fact that she wrote in a traditional style that called for the capitalization of nouns. Rainbow had not cared about it until Chrysalis made the point of saying the tradition had been abandoned before Aurora would have been born. They all became further perturbed when Luna explicated that she had never seen Aurora write in the style before. But the true oddity of the letter had been the closing. Written in a language older than the first recorded tablets of pony history, the Lingua Universali. The why of Aurora’s choice escaped everypony, as did her self-given title Seeker of Intelligence. There had been a considerable silence as they all sat pondering the deeper meaning until Rainbow had shouted, irritated, “Look! This stuff is all weird and everything, but Aurora’s a weird pony, so it’s not that strange. And c’mon, we have a town to free, and the only way we’re going to do that is by doing what she wants.” “Good speech, filly. Nice, short, and to the point,” Spearhead had said. From then on, everypony had been focused on readying for the next night. And now, here they all were, wearing inky black cloaks hoof stitched by Rarity while Princess Luna hovered at their hooves as the Mist of the Night. The clopping of their hooves echoed far more loudly through the night air than during the day and even their breath seemed to cause a greater disturbance in the natural quiet of the night than was safe. Rounding the corner, Rainbow and her six companions came into sight of the House of a Thousand Fangs: the vessel appearing to bob silently in a gentle night breeze as if it were actually resting in a harbor. Beneath the craft stood Inky Jay, and he was not alone; well, at least he was not devoid of any additional physical entities about him. There was a small desk with a quill and pad resting on it to his left, a triplicate of fireflies in a jar providing light to the paper. And before his eyes was a highly unorthodox contraption supported on a tripod and aimed for the heavens. It took only a few moments of examination to reveal the machine to be a bizarre combination of a Device and traditional telescope. At present, Inky had his an eye through the viewfinder. “Quite an interesting set of constellations you have here in Equestria,” he said to them without looking from the telescope. “The stars, even the sun, are quite possibly the one thing in all of the universe that do not discriminate in displaying their beauty to us who are woefully bound to dirt. Ironic too, would you not agree, that those with the most elegant beauty are not only the most simple but also the farthest from us?” “It is interesting,” Twilight said shortly. “Is Aurora seeing us in through teleportation?” “Come now Twilight Sparkle,” Inky chided her, almost amused at her temper with him. “I saw that grand telescope in your library. A device such as that is only owned by a pony with great astronomical interest. What fascinates you about the stars?” “Why do you care?” Rainbow cut in, not liking how he was dodging Twilight’s more important question. “Is it not enough that I care at all?” Inky replied. “No,” Rainbow shot back without hesitation. “You ask questions just so you can get into arguments about the answer you get.” “Perhaps that is how I seem to you, but I find my views hardly compatible with Equestrians at large, not purposefully confrontational. And as I always say, without disagreement, there can be no advancement,” Inky stated. “Inky!” Twilight with a sharp edge to her tone. “Aurora?” “Teleportation at the time appointed,” Inky answered her. “It is not yet midnight. In the meantime, you have yet to answer my question satisfactorily.” Twilight sighed, irritated, voicing Rainbow’s own sentiments, before saying, “I like astronomy as a science. A star’s distance from us, what type it is, and so on. Are you happy now?” “Happy? I have found my greatest happiness in the sequestered hollows of my mind,” Inky said. “I would say you ought to read more poetry and fiction in general. Science and art are not so diametrically opposed as so many believe.” “Hollow is right,” Pinkie Pie snickered in Rainbow’s ear, prompting a suppressed snort from her. Rainbow was still recovering from Pinkie’s perfectly timed joke when, as Twilight settled for glaring at Inky, the grinding of gears from overhead was accompanied by the tip of a Device protruding from a retracted hull panel in Aurora’s ship. “Ah, the time has come,” Inky said, turning his attention to the Device. “Lady Aurora will meet all of you inside. Princess Luna, my Lady tells me it would be within your best interests to teleport inside in a corporeal form.” The Princess answered by sweeping grandly up before Rainbow and her friends and materializing in a soft whirl of majestic power. “We thank thee for alerting us,” she said. “And finally, Lady Aurora has instructed me to remain here to escort you Bearers to Twilight Sparkle’s home once the experiment is concluded,” Inky added. “She has concerns that the procedure could leave you feeling as though you had drunk one too many shots of cider.” “Wonderful,” Rainbow said sardonically to nopony in particular as they moved to stand beneath the Device. “I have to get a hangover without getting to enjoy any cider.” One moment, she was complaining about Aurora’s complete lack of decency where hangover symptoms were involved, and the next she was flying through space without any proper senses to keep her sane. Twilight had said the teleportation lasted only just long enough to cause a feeling of suffocation, but Rainbow, when the trip did not end when she had been expecting, descended to someplace close to insanity. Nothing was real, nothing made any sense, and... everything was back to normal. She was breathing again, she could open her eyes, and her hooves actually were touching something solid. Pinkie Pie was the only one among them giddy from the experience, but her reaction was hardly surprising. “Ooooh! Can we do that again?!” she begged. Only Twilight seemed to pay her any real attention. Rainbow and the rest were too occupied taking in the alien look of the room into which they had been teleported. The entire layout reminded Rainbow of a much smaller and colder version of the massive train station in Phillydelphia; what with all of the separate alcoves built into a near perfect circle of a room. “I have something far more interesting prepared for you, all of you,” Aurora’s voice came from the portion of the circle broken by a small hallway, casting a serious note over Pinkie’s lightening eccentricity. As many times as Pinkie annoyed Rainbow, she found herself angry that Aurora’s presence dampened that, whether she knew it or no. The alicorn that Rainbow saw as the source for all their troubles stumbled with almost every step as she joined their party of seven in the now cramped space. Taking in a great breath that betrayed her overexerted body more than her appearance, she continued, “We will teleport again, this time to my personal lab.” “Aurora,” Luna spoke up, now easily surpassing her old friend in regal tone where before they would have been near equal. “Thou hast not taken our advice and properly rested thyself.” “It is impossible, as much as I hate to say it,” Aurora replied, her breaths shuddering now, “to both rest as you suggest and keep my control of the Changelings.” “Thou informed us when last we spoke that thou hast a way to avoid thy fatigue,” Luna reminded her. “Oh, I do,” Aurora answered, “but those reserves I cannot squander to keep myself in a constant state of full power. They were nearly depleted as it stands just in my work with the Ascension procedures I performed over the past week.” “This shallt not kill thee, shall it?” Luna asked, concerned. “Perhaps it would in time,” Aurora said, “but with part of our agreement the loosing of these Changelings from my bonds, I doubt I will suffer any permanent damage. Or have you forgotten that your sister so decided it meet to ‘bless’ me with wings and the vitality that comes with both wings and a horn?” “We hath never forgotten,” Luna said, “but we careth that thou remaineth with us to see thy trouble worth thy effort.” “I have no intention of dying now or anytime I do not choose,” Aurora said, defiant though the effect was somewhat lessened by a shift in her stance that nearly sent her into the floor. “Now come.” “YEEEAAHHH!” Pinkie shouted gleefully when Aurora threw a switch and the encompassing light of the teleportation grabbed them all again. The travel time was again, only just short enough for Rainbow to stand it without coming out shouting curses at Aurora. The place in which they appeared now had the most character of anything Rainbow had seen come from Aurora and she actually found herself liking the complete disorganization she found herself amongst. Metal parts, a variety of what looked like half-built Devices, and a rotating set of workbenches in the center of the room gave the place the feeling of the Cloudsdale Convention Center after the Steam and Magic Workers of Equestria Convention had been through it. “Touch nothing,” Aurora commanded them all. “Despite what you might perceive, many of these Devices are not finished and any amount of tampering could cause a magic explosion that would kill all of us in moments.” Pinkie Pie and Rainbow both immediately drew their hooves back guiltily before they had brushed against what most assuredly were not volatile parts. Aurora carefully stepped through the mess to the far back of the room, where Rainbow first noticed the large fabric sheet covering six objects. It did not take Aurora flinging the sheet away for Rainbow to know they were the Harmony generators Twilight had told them all about. The one thing Rainbow had not been prepared for was their design. Twilight had gotten the details perfect, what with that photographic memory of hers, but for Rainbow, not only did their very existence (knowing their purpose) seem at odds with the universe, they also exuded a sense of corruption. Even if the machines were able to bring about surrogate Elements of Harmony, there seemed something more to them: something far less innocent. Rainbow was jolted from her thoughts when a mighty crash startled everypony in the room, Aurora having scraped Device parts from a separate work bench to leave behind a single of her creations resting solidly in two braces. “My Harmony Gems are in place, the Devices to power the machines are installed, so let us begin with the final stage of this accomplishment,” Aurora declared. “This Device you see here contains channels for a mapping spell particularly suited for recording brainwaves. Ordinarily, a mapping Device is connected to a second viewing Device which allows the mapped image to be shown, but in this case, the mapped material is needed in a transmitter Device. A transmitter Device needs a second storage sphere for the information the spell attaches to its energy, and it is that sphere that will receive the mapped information of your brainwaves. You Bearers will stand directly before the mapping Device with the collection sphere situated behind you. The magic will pass through your brain, mapping its nuances, and deposit them in the collection sphere. From then, I will allow you to see the fruits of your contribution.” “May I clarify something?” Rarity said, waving a hoof like a schoolfilly. “I find you will be barely able to understand this science Generosity, much less clarify it, but yes, you may ask a question,” Aurora replied. “Correct me if I am wrong, but you want to shoot a spell into my head? Forgive me for saying this, but my experiences with magic aimed above my chin have never been pleasant,” Rarity said, her worried expression perfectly matching her voice. “Ya know, I was thinkin’ the same thang,” Applejack added. “Ya could use tha’ there magic to make our brains go all moldy.” “Even if I were so petty,” Aurora said irritably, “an addled mind would not do me any good with this experiment, and as you will all be mapped separately, I doubt that even with my defenses rendering wings and horns useless, I would be able to escape the rest of you.” “Girls, I know Aurora isn’t exactly the pony to trust,” Twilight said, no objection of any kind coming from the alicorn, “but just think of it like having the doctor do an X-ray spell. You know what those are like Rainbow Dash.” “Yeah, but, uh, Twilight, they don’t shoot me in the head with them,” Rainbow said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do it. We have to. But that doesn’t make it any less freaky.” “I’ll go first if that makes everypony less uneasy about it,” Twilight suggested. “No, no, no, Twilight,” Pinkie protested, abnormally serious. “If anypony is going first, it’s Pinkie Pie. I’ll use my Pinkie Sense to tell if something’s wrong.” “Pinkie Sense?” Luna and Aurora queried simultaneously. “Fair enough,” Twilight said, stepping out of her friend’s way. “What is the Pinkie Sense you refer to?” Aurora asked even as she mounted a collection sphere, which looked identical to one of the spheres that housed the magic in a Device, in a brace on the wall behind Pinkie. “It’s not gonna mess up yer experiment, if that’s what yer worried ‘bout,” Applejack said. Aurora scrutinized a fidgety Pinkie Pie a moment more before taking her place beside the mapping Device. “Close your eyes and imagine you are about to use the Elements of Harmony with your fellow Bearers,” Aurora instructed. “Allow the emotions, the thoughts, the images to fill you up completely. Nothing else truly exists.” Pinkie sighed contentedly, then giggled as was her wont. “Perfect, now...Release the Element of Laughter!” Aurora roared mightily, activating the mapping Device. As Pinkie’s smile became wider and her stance more like one reaching for something just out of reach, the Device let out a harsh, piercing, but cyclical whine with a thin beam of shimmering golden magic piercing through her head and absorbed by the sphere. It was over in only a few seconds, Pinkie opening her eyes dreamily while Aurora hastily examined the collection sphere. “How wast thy experience?” Luna asked her earnestly. “Great!” Pinkie said cheerfully. “I think I’ll think about those things more often. They made me feel all bubbly inside!” “Pinkie Pie dear,” Rarity said, “you are always bubbly inside.” “But this was different,” Pinkie insisted. “I felt more bubbly than normal! It was great!” “Is it even possible for you to feel more bubbly Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow asked. “Of course silly,” Pinkie smiled to her. “I would say the operation in this instance has been a success,” Aurora interrupted their discussion, though her voice carried with it an excitement nopony present, except maybe Princess Luna, had ever heard. “I will not be absolutely certain until I activate the machines, but nothing seems amiss at my initial examination.” “How exactly canst thou even beginneth to tell?” Luna asked, curious. “The spheres vibrate with ever so subtle differences per the kinds of magic they hold,” Aurora explained, “and with the brainwaves incorporated into the mapping magic, the vibration is slightly different, as it should be. Now, each of the Bearers should have a unique vibratory pattern that I will use to measure success.” Without any further interruptions (save Aurora giving Luna the documents she had mentioned in her letter), first Twilight, then Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and finally Rainbow Dash allowed themselves to be mapped by the Device. Both Twilight and Rarity met with Pinkie’s first time success, but Fluttershy required a full four times before Aurora was satisfied with the vibration of the collection sphere. As it so happened, Fluttershy had been even more scared of the prospect of having a beam of magic flying through her head, and even with Pinkie, Twilight, and Rarity’s assurances still never managed to concentrate long enough upon the essence of the Element of Kindness which Aurora insisted upon. Eventually, Rainbow Dash stepped in, suggesting Fluttershy settle on imagining she was caring for all of her animals back home. Aurora protested on grounds of impotency of such actions, but was rendered uncharacteristically speechless when, with no other logical option, those thoughts produced the necessary vibrations in the collection sphere. Lastly, Rainbow herself and Applejack each took two tests before Aurora accepted their donated brainwaves. In a way, Rainbow was proud of having failed at first to please Aurora. For her, it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Elements were not designed to be impersonal objects: after all, her feelings of loyalty were not to Aurora, but to her friends and Equestria. “Luna, Twilight Sparkle,” Aurora disrupted Rainbow’s musings, “I require some physical assistance with the final preparations, and as you both are the only two amongst your party who have any understanding of the fragility of constructs involving magic, would you lend a hoof?” “How can we help?” Twilight asked without hesitation. “I will load the collection spheres into each Device, but I need you, Magic, and you, Luna, to attach the Device inside the only slot still open at the base. These are considerably larger and heavier than most Devices, and thus, it would be wise of both of you to take extra caution when handling them.” She finished her instruction with a definite clang as she slid shut the cover to one of the transmitter Devices. “This is for Generosity.” In short order, and with Rainbow and Applejack lending their more athletic builds to assisting Luna and Twilight, Aurora Streak’s Harmony Generators were assembled. Through it all, Aurora’s concentration set a grim, thin line on her lips, all of her previous enthusiasm replaced by hard analysis and scrutiny. Even well after the machines could be pronounced completed, Aurora combed over every detail six more times, muttering to herself repeatedly. In this time, Rainbow began to feel the beginnings of the hangover Inky had warned them about, but it was not nearly as debilitating as she had anticipated: truly, it was not debilitating at all, but more resembling a small headache after dangerous acrobatics at high speeds. Fluttershy was worse for it, having been forced through the procedure four times in a row. Luna was a great help, easing the heavy pain with the soothing powers she possessed as Princess of the Night. It was a collective boost to everypony else’s morale that Aurora could not disable all of Princess Luna’s powers. “They are ready,” Aurora at last declared, “or as ready as my research indicates. With the activation of these machines, Equestria reaches into a new age. I will be able to continue my work without having to scrounge the edges of the Everfree Forest and Red Dunes canyons for supplies. The world will advance and nothing shall ever be as it once was: we shall, after so many centuries of crawling, pick ourselves up and take a great leap into the unknown. Behold!” With a stomp of one of her hooves on a wall mounted switch, the entire room seemed to roar with newfound life. The slow grinding of gears as they combined their teeth to move hidden levers, the flaring of almost sickly green light along the insides of the U-shaped machine and its rings, and the subdued crack and hiss of magic brought forth all assaulted Rainbow and the others’ senses at once. And with slow purpose, swiftly gathering speed, the rings and their cradles began to rotate until the claw-like support of the carefully cut gemstones lowered and the surrogate Element hovered in the center of the whirling, blurred mass of metal and magic of its own accord. The air within Aurora’s lab was shaken about, throwing everypony’s mane and tail in wild directions, the deep bass sound of the gyrating apparatuses drowning away every other conceivable sound. In bursting culmination, the gems flared with light of their color, releasing sounds like carefully placed notes of disparate music and changing the acid green glow of the inside of the rings to their own hue. The display could only be described as utterly beautiful, an enrapturing display of magic following its own patterns in glorious brilliance. A collective, “Oooohhhh!” escaped everypony, Pinkie mouthing, “Wow!” as well. Only Aurora said nothing. She merely sank to her stomach, staring in awe at her own creation, almost not believing that her Devices had performed exactly as she had said they would. “Success...” she breathed in a barely audible and worn whisper. “I have done it... The Elements... I proved... I did it...” “Congratulations Aurora,” Luna said kindly, approaching her. “They art working properly, or so we assume, and this beside, they art a spectacular sight to behold. We shall expect thee to lower thy protective field and free the Changelings tomorrow that we might begin our discussions with our sister.” “The height of the day,” Aurora said. “I will comply with our agreement at noon tomorrow. If I do not, I put myself at the mercy of your greater powers.” “Be sure to follow thine own prudence,” Luna warned. “We wilt show no lenience shouldst thou break thy word and our trust.” “Understood, Luna,” Aurora replied. “I would expect nothing less.” “We’ll leave you to it then,” Twilight said. “I’m sure you have a lot to record now, and I don't think Princess Luna has finished going over those drafts you gave her.” “Indeed. I assume you by now know which Device will send you back to your beloved ground,” Aurora answered. “And as few of you have suffered any ill effects from the process, instruct Inky to return to me immediately for his duty as scribe.” Twilight nodded, and when Aurora said no more, they all filed out. Rainbow alone took one glance back; Aurora struggling to stand but with a triumphant smile on her mouth and in her eyes.