//------------------------------//
// Terrato's Choice 
// Story: Upheaval: Breaking Point 
// by Visiden Visidane 
//------------------------------//

Upheaval: Breaking Point

Chapter 18: Terrato's Choice

It was nighttime when Luna arrived in Bastion City. Though she had teleported out of her brother's fortress, she had only traveled three quarters of the distance to this place by magic. Long-range teleportation was exhausting, far more exhausting than flight. She wanted to conserve some of her strength in case she arrived at the city, only to find that the fighting had already begun. Though she didn't relish the thought of having her brother's hoof-prints on her face, she was ready to take part in the fighting if it was necessary. She landed on an outer wall, where several sentries had already spotted her. It took only a minute before a welcoming group had gathered.

"Welcome to Bastion City, your highness," the earth pony guard said.

Luna dipped her head slightly. The guard's face may as well have been chiseled out of rock. It was the same for the others posted along the wall where she had landed, and it was the sort of reaction that she had expected. The ponies of the Barrier Lands were not quite sure how to feel about her. Many of them despised Celestia, and adored Terrato, but she had not done much to place herself in either of those extremes. Her worry had been that these ponies would resent her for being the one who provoked King Fenrir, causing the wolven to avalanche from the north.

"Don't flatter yourself," Terrato told her once. "He could have borrowed a cup of sugar from Celestia, and he would have attacked just as happily if she shorted him one grain."

Luna didn't know how much of what her brother said was true, how much of it was meant to comfort her, and how much was to justify Celestia's refusal to give her over to the rapacious wolven king, even if it meant war. She put those thoughts aside. She didn't come here to gauge whether Terrato's ponies liked her or not. She came here to find the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. 

"Do you need anything, your highness?" one of the guards asked. "We are here to serve."

"Some rest," Luna replied. She was sweating despite the cold northern air. As she panted, clouds of white escaped her mouth. "Do you have some place I can stay?"

The guards bowed again. "Of course, your highness. A room has already been prepared for you." They led the way from the walls to what was easily the largest building in Bastion City. Passers-by gave Luna a curious look and nothing more as she went through the streets. She had to admire the discipline by which Terrato's ponies conducted themselves. There was much to do to prepare for the wolven. No time could be spared for gawking at anything, not even their prince's younger sister.

The room was comfortable enough. It was spacious, but not enough to waste heat. The walls were built with thick, polished planks of pine while the floor was smooth, gray stone. A large bed dominated the center, and a cozy fire roared by one side. The blankets were fur, something that she quickly decided not to think about. It was nowhere near the opulence of the Royal Palace, but she imagined that it was far better than the average room in this city. She took to the bed and closed her eyes. The plan was simple for now. Get some rest, then search for the bearers of the Elements of Harmony tomorrow.





Twilight's eyebrows furrowed deeper as she concentrated on a page of her new spell book. There were a lot of reasons why she was having trouble with learning these spells, the first of which was the lack of a table of contents, an introduction, and bibliography. 

A rustling sound came from one of the beds. That was bad. She had woken up very early, though not enough to catch Vanguard and Scarlet waking up, so she could get a head start at studying this book. That extra time had gone without much progress to show for it. She only grew more determined to study at the sound of a yawn.

"Not this again," Spike muttered. He had enough forethought to keep his voice low.

"Don't worry, Spike," Twilight replied. "I got some sleep. I just woke up earlier to keep studying." He sighed at this. There was more rustling as he searched through the room.

"First it was that coin, now it's that book," Spike said. "Every time Vanguard gives you something, you lose a ton of sleep."

"Both times, they were important enough," Twilight said. "I need to memorize at least one of these spells so I can show that I can be useful to the Legion." 

Her eyes narrowed. 'That's a good way to put it,' she thought. Learning spells sounded innocuous enough. She had been doing that all her life. The reality was that she was going to have to kill wolven if she was going to be useful to the Legion. Vanguard's words and doubt stung her. She may have spoken rashly about standing side-by-side with the Legion, but she was determined more than ever to prove her sincerity.

"So how are you doing with those spells?" Spike asked. "You have one or two down pat by now, right?"

"I thought that too," Twilight said with a sigh, "but it's a lot harder than I expected." To her relief, Spike didn't say anything else.

It took only a couple of pages to make it obvious that Pyre Valor never planned to make a spell book or share it. She took the gift and wrote whatever, whenever, and however she wanted. The result was a hodgepodge of notes, references, and spells that proved difficult to navigate. To make matters worse, some of the notes didn't even have anything to do with magic. Twilight started down one thinking she had finally come across something she could do, only to find out that it was a recipe for brewed lichen tea. As an extra insult, the very last page featured a crudely drawn caricature of an alicorn with its wings torn off. Fountains of blood gushed out of the stumps. "Celestia" was helpfully written underneath the drawing with an arrow pointing towards it.

There was also the script. This must have been written when Pyre Valor was younger. A lot younger. Just reading the words was a challenge. Pyre Valor wrote with a lot of passion, which showed in the sharp, bold lines, and wild loops. The quill had pressed down deeply enough to leave indentations on the other page. Splotches of ink and a few page tears were the consequences of such a style. There was even broken quill tip between the pages.

Then, there were the spells themselves. If Twilight had a discussion on magic with Pyre Valor, the two of them would have been at each other's throats. Casting spells meant control. Magic was a force to be carefully shaped, maintained, and applied. Whenever a spell went wild and caused unintended consequences, it was the fault of the spell caster. This was why each spell had to be studied and experimented with before being used.

For Pyre Valor, however, magic was a dangerous and violent force to be unleashed. If a spell harmed unintended targets, it was their fault for getting in the way. There were very little notes on how to aim or how much magic was to be used. The closest were "wing it" and "as much as you want without blowing yourself up". Pyre Valor focused on how to quickly gather magical power, and how to convert it to some other energy: fire as was always the case in this book.

All of those previous observations had come later. The first noticeable thing about Pyre Valor's spells was that she really, really loved fire. The first three spells involved projecting a ray of heat, causing a short jet of flame to burst from one's outstretched hooves, and causing a steady "blade" of concentrated flame to emerge from the caster's horn. There was also Fireball, a devastating spell Twilight had already witnessed. Pyre Valor's name should have been a dead giveaway, but it was the spell choice that really hammered the point in.

"Good morning," Spike said. Twilight turned briefly to see how her friends were. None of them looked very comfortable, and she couldn't blame them. The beds were rather hard, certainly not what they were used to back in the Heartland.

Rarity stretched out her back painfully and yawned. "Speak for yourself," she said. "This morning is officially good once I find a bath, a comb, and a decent breakfast."

Rainbow wiped the crust from her eyes and the dried drool from her lips. "I'm fine with finally getting something to do. I can't stand any more waiting!"

"Speaking of waiting, somepony's decided not to wait for us," Applejack said. "Where's Vanguard?"

"Maybe those two went off to get breakfast," Pinkie said.

Scarlet Rabbit burst through the door with a paper bag full of loaves of bread tucked in one foreleg and a large canteen in the other. "Did somepony mention breakfast?" he asked. "You're in for a treat: day-old bread, C-grade winter moss, and some hot lichen tea to wash it down with!"

Scarlet was wearing a different set of barding from before. Instead of plain, brown material, he was wearing a fine coat of chain with plates of metal distributed around his chest, flanks, and face.

Rarity didn't share in the enthusiasm when she received a loaf of the bread. The crust was already quite tough, although the moss baked into it helped it go down.

Rainbow, on the other hoof, wolfed down her share. "What do we get to do now, Scarlet?" she mumbled through her chewing.

"You're in luck," Scarlet replied. "Vanguard and I got news that Princess Luna arrived last night! After you eat, I'm taking you to the public baths, then it's off to the princess!"

"What is she doing here?" Twilight asked. "Did you find out?"

Scarlet shrugged. "To check up on you chosen, I was told. You can ask her yourself later."

"And how are these baths?" Rarity asked. "Are they clean? Crowded? I certainly hope they provide soap and towels!"

"They've got hot water," Scarlet said. "It'll clean you without giving you frostbite!"

Rarity sighed, and tried to fix her completely bedraggled mane with her hooves. "I suppose we will make do." 

"Great! Finish up quickly so we can go," Scarlet said as he tore through a loaf of bread.

"So where's Vanguard?" Applejack asked. "Ain't he eating with us?"

The grin on Scarlet's face drooped a little. "Well…" He scratched his head with a hoof. "We were going back together, but we sort of ran into Flight Captain Tailwind along the way. I had to go ahead since he was going to take some time."

Rainbow finished her share of the tea with a single gulp. "Well, I'm done," she said. "Let's get going!"

Everypony soon followed. They put their newly-bought cloaks and boots on, and made their way to the baths.





The public baths were not bad despite Rarity's worries. Along the way, Scarlet told them more about the place. Keeping water hot in the bitter cold of the north was a serious matter in Bastion City. Public baths were deemed more efficient than getting a constant supply of hot water going through each home so several were built over the course of the centuries. Each bathhouse consisted of two large pools, one for the stallions, another for the mares. Soap and towels were provided, but a small fee, which Scarlet took care of, was charged to fund maintenance.

The soak was a welcome sensation. After days out in the wilderness, they were sticky with sweat, and covered in dust. Twilight was relieved that the dried blood on her coat washed off with no problems. Her injury had healed up well. Enough so that she could soak in hot water without opening it.

"Oh, this is simply divine!" Rarity said with a sigh. "It feels like forever since I last took a bath!"

Applejack nodded. "I gotta admit that this ain't half bad." She glared at Pinkie, who swam past her. "Pinkie, stop that! This ain't a place for swimming!"

"I hope Spike is alright," Twilight said. She glanced at the high wall that separated the two pools.

Rainbow waved away Twilight’s concern with her left wing, sinking into the pool. “He’ll be fine, he’s with Scarlet.”

As if to answer Twilight's question, raucous laughter echoed from the stallion pool. "Do that trick again, Spike!" Scarlet exclaimed.

A jet of green flames shot high into the air from the stallion pool, followed by delighted cheering from the stallions.

Rainbow grinned at Twilight. "See?"

After some time, they left the public bath with the owner seeing them off. "You can come here any time, dragon," the yellow-green pegasus stallion said. "I'll save a fortune on heating with that breath of yours! Let me know if you need a job!"

"I will!" Spike replied. A rather relieved smile crossed his face.

Scarlet led them through the streets of Bastion City. The same as yesterday, everypony was busy rushing about. They were drawing more stares than they had when they had first come to the city. 

"I bet those chosen are the reason Princess Luna is here," a passer-by said to his companion.

"Maybe she's here to offer herself to King Fenrir to put a stop to the upcoming attack," the other one replied.

The first one scoffed. "Her nag sister won't allow that."

Twilight stifled an angry remark. 'These ponies are ignorant,' she told herself. 'They've never met Princess Celestia. They're mad over the division. I can understand that.'

They eventually reached the Grand Meeting Hall. The largest building in Bastion City, as Scarlet happily explained. It served several functions. The lower part was the chamber that gave the place its name, big enough to accommodate every pony in Bastion City. The upper parts served as the center of administration. The mayor and most of the officials had their offices and homes built there. As soon as they entered, Scarlet excused himself, and stayed outside.

The Grand Meeting Hall was mostly empty, making it easy to notice the tall, dark-coated pony heading towards them. "Princess Luna!" Twilight exclaimed.

Luna brightened and rushed over. She was more than happy to give Twilight a hug as soon as they came together. "I am so glad that all of you are safe! I was afraid that none of you survived Fangbreaker's fall!"

"We almost didn't," Twilight replied. "But we made it out thanks to the Legion."

"The Legion's ponies are brave and good," Luna said. "I knew I could rely on them. Now, let us get all of you to safety. The wolven will not stop with Fangbreaker."

Twilight stepped back. "We know that, Princess," she said. "We were planning on staying to help. I'm joining the Legion. We all are."

Luna's eyes widened. "You want to…join the Legion? Do you really mean that?"

"I do," Twilight answered. "Even if the cost is great, I want to do this."

"You are very brave, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said. "But I already knew that when I heard that you confronted my sister. I was so sure that you would submit to another memory lock."

"This division must end," Twilight said. "I couldn't turn away."

A smile spread across Luna's muzzle. "At least one pony shares my beliefs."

"Make that six, Princess," Twilight said. She smiled and looked to her friends. "Six ponies and a dragon."

"I won't stop you," Luna said. "I have also come here to help. But you must prepare yourselves carefully. The wolven are ruthless and depraved. Surely, you've seen this for yourselves when they took the fort?"

"We have," Twilight replied. "About that, your highness…"

Luna raised an eyebrow. 

Twilight tapped her horn with a hoof. "Our magic has been weakened here. Do you know how we can adjust to Prince Terrato's realm?"

Luna nodded. "I've noticed that. My sister's barrier has caused a division in Equestria's magic as well. The magical drift here is enough to affect unicorns originating from the Heartland."

"Can something be done about it?" Twilight asked.

"My brother would know. I can contact him right now. You will need his permission if you're going to join the Legion anyway."

Luna concentrated, and her horn began to glow. Twilight assumed that alicorn magic lay beyond that of mortal ponies, and was not hampered by magical drift. As magic coalesced in the room, the image of Prince Terrato appeared at the center of the hall. At once, Twilight and her friends fell to their knees. Even as a mere magical projection, Prince Terrato was an imposing sight. His fiery mane blazed even fiercer than the last time.

"Well, well," Terrato said. "My little sister was true to her word. She was quite quick about it too. Good work there, Luna."

"Thank you, big brother," Luna replied.

Terrato turned his attention on Twilight. The entire hall darkened, and his voice was accompanied by a distant rumble. "I've spent centuries trying to prevent that face you left on my sister back in the Heartland, Twilight Sparkle," he boomed. "I've got a good mind squeeze your head until it pops like the blueberry you resemble!"

Twilight shook uncontrollably. Behind her, her friends were experiencing the same terror. She looked to Princess Luna, who was already standing between her and Prince Terrato's image.

"Surely, you can't blame that on Twilight Sparkle!" Luna said.

"Of course I can," Terrato said. "I'm not going to, because that would only make Celestia feel worse. Go with my little sister. Bring your friends too. You can stay here in the Gray Sentinel until you go back to the Heartland, no longer matter to Celestia, or die of old age."

Twilight forced her legs to stop shaking, and raised her head. What she had feared was happening: she was being given preferential treatment instead of being allowed to defend Equestria. "Your highness, wait!" she said. "I don't want to spend my time here hiding somewhere safe!"

Terrato glared at Twilight. "Is that defiance I'm hearing? You thwarted Luna's rebellion, refused to go along with Celestia's division, and now, you're defying me? Do you have a problem with alicorns, Twilight Sparkle?"

"N-no, your highness," Twilight said. "All I want is to stand with the Legion against Equestria's enemies. We're here to join up."

"The Legion?" Terrato looked perplexed. "You mean the Equestrian Legion? You want to risk your lives by fighting against Equestria's enemies, and you want to do it in the place where the fighting will be at its thickest?"

Twilight allowed herself to smile. "Y-yes, your highness."

"And what will I tell Celestia if you're killed? Should I shrug and say 'I tried'?"

"Big brother, Twilight Sparkle and her friends are not big sister's property," Luna said. "In the end, they should be allowed to decide for themselves where to go."

Terrato didn't speak for some time. The ominous silence that filled the room was suffocating. "I suppose shrugging and saying 'I tried' isn't such a bad plan," he finally said. "You have brought this upon yourselves. My sisters and I have given you every way out, and you've persisted. I will respect that decision, and Celestia will have to do the same. Stay there if you want, Twilight Sparkle. Do try to be useful legionnaires."

Twilight let out a sigh, an expression that her friends echoed behind her.

"Big brother, their magic is still suppressed by the magical drift." Luna said. "Isn't there something you can do?"

"Yes, there is a ritual for it. You can perform it yourself, Luna, just extend your front hooves over them, and repeat after me."

With a nod, Luna did as her brother asked.

"Toora," Terrato said.

"Toora," Luna repeated.

"Loora."

"Loora."

"Lay."

"Lay."

"Now, turn around with your front hooves extended," Terrato said.

Luna did as she was told.

"By moving your rump, spell out the names of the unicorns who have to adjust."

Luna raised an eyebrow and eyed her brother dubiously. "What?"

Terrato answered with a glare. "Do it now, or you'll have to start over!"

With a confused look on her face, Luna did as instructed. "Twilight Sparkle" was first, followed by "Rarity".

Twilight's lips twitched at the sight. She furrowed her eyebrows, and massaged her cheeks to get the giggles out. The princess was doing this for her. It was beyond disrespectful to laugh now. She waited for some time, expecting some kind of great magical effect. There was no flash of light, or an aura of crackling energy, only a tense silence. A great booming laugh from Terrato shattered that silence. The rest of Twilight's friends could only look at each other awkwardly.

"I can't believe you actually did that!" Terrato said between guffaws.

Luna put her hooves down. "Big brother!" she exclaimed. "I'm serious!"

"Oh, you just wish there was some magic ritual you could perform!" Terrato said once he settled down. "Unfortunately, there isn't. Their magic will adjust by themselves as they spend more time in my realm." His turned his attention towards Twilight. "Good luck with recruitment, all of you. I will be there soon." With that, his image dissipated.

"Honestly!" Luna huffed. "Joking around in the middle of a crisis!"

Twilight smiled. "I'm glad he let us stay."

Luna smiled in return. "I'm glad too. Let us see this to the end, Twilight Sparkle."

The rest of them looked at each other. It was official now, they were joining the Equestrian Legion.