"Sister, I can't find my copy of The Tales of Bittle the Bard, did you borrow it?" Princess Luna poked her head into Celestia's bedroom, expecting her to be getting ready for bed as the sun went down. Instead, her sister was picking through a chest Luna hadn't seen for a very long time, smallish and low-slung. She already knew what it held as she quietly stepped over to stand beside Celestia, looking down at the little figures. Clear-glazed clay statuettes barely bigger than tangerines: dull brown Earth ponies, dark grey pegasi, and slate-blue unicorns.
Celestia didn't notice Luna was there until a dark blue glow converged around one of them and lifted it; looking over, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Luna, I didn't notice you there for a second... what was it you were asking?"
The book forgotten now, Luna turned the clay figure over and over in her telekinetic grip.
"Did you keep worrying about them like this while I was away, sister?" She hadn't seen this chest come out since the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony returned her to her senses; in the time between Discord's first defeat and her banishment to the moon, she had only seen it a few times.
"Yes, and it's been getting a little more frequent through the centuries, I'm afraid..." Celestia gave a small, sad little smile. "Ironic that the further time takes us from that day, the more I seem to think about it... did we fail them, Luna?" Her eyes dropped to the figure in her own grasp, this one made of carved white stone rather than molded and fired clay. "After they did so much for us..."
Shaking her head, Luna reached a wing around Celestia's back and shoulders. "If we could have done more, we would, but we had so much to do back then and so much to recover from... I understand how you feel, 'Tia. I miss them too, but we both know that no goddess can afford to regret.
After a long moment in silence, the Royal Sisters of Equestria closed the chest together.
Click.
---
Click.
Far away, a small blue filly opened a little chest, her horn sparkling with green light---the same green as her pupil-less eyes. Her cutie mark was that same color, a vertical stack of three horizontal lines (☲), solid lines top and bottom with a broken line in between. Inside the box was a trio of metal figures of Alicorns; one white, one dark blue, one a little smaller and pink. Turning her head, the blue filly picked up a new figure, the smallest of them all and painted purple, and set it in the box with the others.
"Sister, we're going to be passing over Appleloosa soon."
A stallion's voice sounded from outside the almost strangely sleek lines of the room, its muted blue tones. Turning, the blue filly trotted out. "Save me a good spot at the window!" Appleloosa had sounded interesting when her big brother and sisters had told her about it.
It would be really nice when they came back to take it.
---
It was a fairly normal day in Ponyville's library. The Bearers of the Elements were arranged around a table, with Twilight (she insisted upon going by just Twilight, largely eschewing the title of Princess) excited over some new spontaneous interest. Being a minor goddess had no bearing on one's ability to be a major dork.
Clearing her throat, she prepared to let loose one of her signature infodumps; nopony who'd known her for more than a week could miss the cues.
"You see, girls, alchemy began as the first step toward magic as a science long, long ago, flourishing after the oppressive reign of Discord was lifted from the world by the Royal Sisters. The most unique thing about it was that right from the beginning, it was a universal magic---that is, anyone with the materials and knowledge could use it, Unicorn or non-Unicorn, pony or non-pony. It has advanced significantly since then, though it has also become less common among ponies, but its principles remain the same: it is based in the transmutation and manipulation of matter, with the ultimate goals being the Azoth and Alkahest."
"Alka-what-now?" AJ voiced the feelings of the group, shaking her head a little.
"Alkahest. A theoretical 'Prime Solvent' capable of breaking down any substance to its component elements, its opposite being the 'Prime Healer' Azoth, capable of repairing structural damage to any object or being. The pair are themselves theorized to combine into the true end of all alchemy, the Cantamani or Philosopher's Stone."
Rainbow Dash took her turn to butt in. "Wait wait wait. All this Azoff and Alkawhatever and Canter-maney stuff sounds way too, y'know, not-scientific enough for you. But you don't talk down about this alchemy thing like you did about curses and hexes and whatever, what gives?"
Twilight nodded, mane bobbing. "While it's true I find those parts of alchemy to be somewhat too nebulous for my tastes, as a whole the practice of alchemy has produced many concrete successes, especially in medicine! Healing potions and tonics have been tested and proven enough that they can be used in hospitals, and our very own Zecora's work incorporates many elements of alchemical science. What's more, in recent decades the practice of golem-creation has been advanced to the point its applications to prosthetics have been undergoing tests."
Four blank stares (and one nervous yellow pegasus failing to speak up) led to a roll of the eyes and a little sigh. "Come on, girls, haven't you heard of golems anywhere? Rainbow, remember the eleventh Daring Do novel?"
RD blinked, forehoof scratching the back of her neck. "Uh... oh yeah, there were things in the temple pretending to be statues, ponies made of stone or something. That's golems?"
"Essentially so. A golem is an artificial replica of an organic form granted a semblance of life via alchemical means. These days, alchemists have been testing the creation of golem limbs that can be used to replace limbs a pony may have lost, and perhaps someday your grandmother will be sporting a brand new golem hip joint, Applejack!" Twilight's excitement rubbed off on the farming mare a little. Hip replacments were a very tricky business these days, and it might be much safer and easier with this golem business.
"Well, Twi, that's mighty int'restin' an' I reckon I'd best look into it fer Granny, but how the hay didja get thinkin' 'bout this whole golem an' alchemy deal?" She blinked, peering at her friend. "Was it just one 'a them things outta nowhere y'keep doin'?"
Twilight shrugged, putting some books away without even turning away from her friends. "Well, it's odd, but I remember Princess Celestia mentioned something about alchemy, possibly golems... not quite sure why, but I just had to read up on it when she mentioned it." The braniac alicorn managed not to notice Rainbow Dash's eye-roll.
"... I, um, I've heard there are a few golems around in Equestria... none here in Ponyville, but ponies say there's one or two in Hoofington, and a couple more working for some nobles up in Canterlot." Fluttershy spoke up after a pause, having been quiet all this time. "Maybe if you want we could see about talking to one of them..."
Rarity smiled a little, noticing Twilight's eyes brighten. "In that case, dear, I could see about contacting the nobles in question, since Canterlot's closer than Hoofington, if Spike will be so kind as to send a message for me..."
As always, Spike was only too happy to help the glamorous unicorn.