The young dragon had a dilemma on his claws. Ever since he had hatched from an egg he had never been given a proper name. His entire life had been spent under the tutelage of his master, and guardian, who had decreed that his student shall pick a name for himself. Such was the nature of the dilemma, for the he certainly did not want to be known as student, or worse, young dragon, for the rest of his life. Everyone else in town had their name chosen by their parents at birth as dictated by equine customs, but since the dragon had no living parents, there was no-one who felt that the responsibility fell on them to name him. Only his master, the one who had awoken him from his egg, had been present. The elder dragon, known as Spike, felt the conviction to give that decision to the newly hatched dragon instead.
Before the young whelp had finished his ascent into adulthood, he would be allowed to choose his own name. Based on his own ideals and merits, his new name would represent who he was as an individual, and perhaps more importantly, it would be the first thing that he would be able to call his own. Until such a day arrived when he decided upon a name, the young one was allowed the moniker of Whelp.
Whelp had spent many evenings wondering if he would ever find the perfect name for himself, and tonight was no different. The dragon found himself sitting on the rail of the nearly empty flight deck, watching as dusk began darkening the hills as they passed by below. Aboard the airship known as the Excelsior, Whelp discovered that, besides his normal duties to his master, he had little else to do for the duration of the trip. The ship itself was destined for the Old Lands under the direction of Spike’s direction.
An odd enough mission for such a ship to perform, theExcelsior boasted a crew consisting of some of the oddest personalities that Whelp had ever had the chance to meet. From the eccentric Captain to the lone Gryphon up in the crew's nest, everyone and everypony on board seemed to know exactly what they needed to do to run this ship. Everyone had a job to do. A calling. Everyone except him.
The dragon was so lost in thought, that he barely noticed when a looming figure snuck up behind him.
"Always lost in thought..."The taller dragon said as he removed the hood of his cloak.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Not at all. It just stirs up some old memories."
Whelp watched as his master's gaze lost focus, as if he could see something that others could not. The same look seemed to cross the elder dragon’s face whenever a subject from his earlier days was brought up. The young dragon had learned long ago to not interrupt such events, and thankfully, the moment soon passed.
"Anyway, have you decided on a name yet? Or is there something else that brings you out here at night?"
Flinching at his master's accurate assessment, Whelp eventually shrugged in confirmation. "Trying to pick out a name that I'll have for the rest of my life is hard. There's so many names out there that I could choose from, but how will I know if I've picked the right one? What if I pick the wrong one? Everyone else has it so much easier than I do!"
"Do they now? Do you honestly believe that, just because their names are given to them, their lives are so much easier than yours?"
"Ponies have their Cutie Marks or whatever! They know exactly who they are supposed to be. I don't even have a name!"
"And what of the Gryphon? They don't have identifying marks on them either, yet you throw them into the same category. There are reasons I didn't give you yours.
"Like what? Couldn't think of one at the time? Or is it that you just don't care?"
"I've never not cared, young one. I’ve spent many years researching the subject, looking for answers as to how I might be able to raise another of my kind. The reason you don't have a name is the very same reason that you own nothing else. Dragons are often consumed by greed. To prevent this, I came up with a way to ensure that you would not fall to the same evil path that almost took me. The first thing you are to receive is something that should be earned. I could think of no better way to accomplish this other than having you choose your own name once you've reached a certain level of understanding."
"But then why is it so difficult to find something that fits?"
"Because, by its nature, finding out which name will fit you best requires you to understand what makes you, you. I knew it would be difficult, but you must believe me when I say that I had only the best of intentions."
"That doesn't make it any easier."
"Fair enough, but you must understand that, just because things may appear difficult for you, things may not be any easier for those who do know what they stand for. A pony's cutie mark isn't always a direct interpretation of who they are."
"How so?"
"Well for instance-" the elder dragon paused, "You know what? Instead of trying to describe it to you I have a better idea."
The two dragons left the open-aired deck of the ship and made their way to the Master's study. Once there, the elder dragon pulled out an old, page-worn tome. Unlike the other books in the room, this one had no identifying features on it’s cover, not even a title.
"This book contains the life works of a very special Unicorn who lived a very, very long time ago. His name was Starswirl the Bearded."
"I think I've heard that name somewhere before. Was he famous or something?"
"In a way. Any Unicorn who has studied magic in any length will know who I'm talking about. Some even consider him to be the founding father of magical science."
"If his life was so great, then how will it help me?"
"Because, while he may be known for his achievements now, back in his day things were much different. In fact, he wasn't known as Starswirl the Bearded at all. He was originally called Starswirl the Banished."
Whelp took the book that his master offered.
"I want you to read this, cover-to-cover, and when you've finished come back and tell me that your life is hard because of my decision. If you can do this, then I will admit that my reasoning was flawed. I will even release you from my service and my tutelage if you’d so desire."
"You'd really do that?"
"I would have no other choice."
While Whelp considered opening the book there and now, a curt knock came to the cabin door. "Lord Spike, sorry to disturb you, but the captain requests your presence."
"Very well, Tell him I'll be along shortly."
"Yes sir."
Spike turned to his student. "Remember that I am only letting you borrow this book until you have finished reading it. Until then, it is yours to care for."
As the cabin door closed behind him, Whelp opened the unadorned book and began to read.
~@~
For a moment, I almost considered not writing this down. It pains me to say it, but it seems as though my dear Penny's fears have come true. Penny and her husband, the Tribunal, were found dead earlier today. Princess Platinum delivered the news to Clover personally. The filly's aunt also requested that she come stay with them until things quiet down. Even with her sister dead, the princess only seems to care about her own political ambition. My only hope is that Surprise can manage to calm Clover down.
The princess also seems to think that I'm incompetent enough to believe her story about how Clover’s family was killed by a rogue griffon clan. While I may not have evidence to the contrary, I at least know something for certain. The Platinum Family is now in charge of the Tribunal's position. A position that would be solidified if Clover decides to take their offer to heart.
My anger at the situation is only worsened by the fact that Celestia has refused to speak with me since the incident. She was supposed to be the one who was trying to calm things down up there, and now I can't even confirm how her sister is doing! Let alone ask how something as bad as today's events could occur. It's frustrating to not have all of the answers. And now my Penny is gone.
She's the one who convinced me to start writing these things down in the first place, and now I'm not sure if I have the heart to continue.
~~~~~
I've decided to continue writing these entries in honor of Penny's memory. It's what she would have wanted, I think. That, and I've been doing this for so long that I'm not sure that I could stop even if I wanted to.
At least Clover has began to accept the death of her parents. I don't think that she's ready to commit to moving in with the rest of the Platinum Family just yet, but I do hope she is able to give it some serious thought. As much as Surprise and I would miss her, and as much as it would pain me to see her used as a political tool, if she is able to gain a supportive role to the new 'Tribunal', then she has a chance of making some real changes to this world.
I couldn't hope for anything better, honestly. As long as she uses the knowledge she's gained here, she should have no problem competing against those fools in the Capitol. Any of this is still up in the air at the moment, but with any luck her aunt will at least give her some time to grieve before pressing the issue again.
As for myself, I'm not sure If I'll even be allowed at the funeral. If that's the case then I'll just have to deal with things as I have always done, by losing myself in my research.
~~~~~
I was forced to leave both Clover and Surprise at the gate to the garden where Penny's funeral was being held. I don't know if Clover will ever be able to understand why I had to leave.
Returning to my laboratory isn't what I wanted to do, but I went anyway. Before the terrible news had arrived a few days ago I was trying to calibrate my Gradestone. I’ve been tempted to change it's view from a very focused one into something that can see everything at once. Maybe then I'll finally be able to answer some of the questions that have been accumulating lately. At the very least I should get some confirmation on whether or not the Crystal Empire has moved through time or space. Surely an item of that magnitude will have had an effect on the world's magical currents.
Calibration didn't take nearly as long as I had hoped, and before long the Gradestone was ready to perform it's new role. Activating some of the new enchantment's I'd made, I peered through the viewing lens. The first thing I saw was confusing and chaotic, almost beautifully so, with vast amounts of energy haphazardly moving in every possible direction. I soon realized that there were minute patterns to some of the magical bands of energy that were moving about. I tried adjusting my focus towards one of the streams that I appeared nearby. It was impossible to tell where, exactly, this particular stream was located, but the instant I looked directly at it, the current vanished.
The most disturbing thing about the magical current's behavior was that I was unable to duplicate it. After the first observation, the other magical streams didn't respond to my observations. They don't even seem to acknowledge any of my attempts to interact with them at all. There might be more to these streams than I thought at first, They’re certainly not the simple conduits of energy I’d thought them to be, because it seemed as if the first stream had been looking for something. For what I haven't a clue, but I'm certain that it disappeared as soon as I singled it out.
How accurate this assessment was would only be revealed to me later, when, after the funeral proceedings, I found Celestia herself escorting Clover and Surprise back to the tower. The Alicorn finally wanted to talk.
Celestia is concerned that I'm losing my focus on my research, at least on the studies she funding anyway. She told me that studying the fabric of our world is dangerous, and that there are other, more important, topics that I should be looking into. With the Tribunal being in a weakened state, I should be looking for a way to unite the clans. With the exceptions of Surprise and Clover I don't think that there are too many ponies out there willing to listen to me, let alone anypony who might consider themselves above my station.
The Alicorn really pressed the subject of me stopping my research into time and space. She even went so far as to threaten to bring an end to our agreement if I didn't stop my pursuits in those areas. Interestingly enough, when I asked if Luna shared her sentiments, I received nothing but a stern glance. I don't think that the two sisters are seeing eye-to-eye as much as Celestia would like. I can only assume that, while Luna's actions might not have been the first sign of dissent towards her sister, it must remain a point of tension between the two. With Celestia keeping me in the dark on both fronts of that particular conflict, there is nothing I can do.
I'm not entirely sure why Celestia has taken a sudden interest on where my studies are taking me, as she’s never done so before, but I think that errant magical stream might be connected to her in some way. If true, then I think my best course of action would be to play along with this little game of hers while I try to work out these problems of mine. Besides, if I'm the first pony to ever delve into this type of magic, how would she know the dangers of it's use anyway?
~~~~~
That errant magical stream returned to it's position last night. I’m positive now that it is some sort of monitoring spell. Being unable to get close enough to inspect it, I'm unable to gather enough data to replicate the spell, so it must remain a theory. I wouldn't want to give Celestia the satisfaction of catching me red-hooved in violation of her mandate, after all.
With the errant stream in place, I won't be doing anything other than indirect observations of the streams. Their seems to be a pattern in the overall behavior of the combined streams, but without some intense scrutiny there is no way for me to determine what the pattern is supposed to do.
The Tower is still quiet today. With Clover still grieving over her loss, and Surprise consoling her, the silence is deafening.
~~~~~
My indirect observation method has paid off, Celestia's stream doesn't spend all of its time in one place. Because of this I've been able to determine the best times to perform my experimentation based on when her 'view' might be obstructed by other streams. So long as she stays with the same pattern, that is. As a precaution, I need to devise an unobtrusive way to alert me of the observation stream’s approach. Until then, occasional observation is still all I am able to do between stream obstructions.
Clover has started to calm down for now. She's still got a long ways to go before she fully recovers from her loss, but I think she will be fine. I believe her grief has even managed to have an effect on Surprise too. I've never seen the mare act so solemnly before. I suppose it may have something to do with her highly empathetic nature, but I can never be sure in these situations.
Although it would explain why Surprise is often devoted to making everypony as happy as possible.
~~~~~
The other streams still refuse to cooperate with any of my attempts to alter them. As if there were some sort magical mechanism that locks them in place. Each attempt at circumventing this has left me almost completely drained of energy. Thankfully, life is starting to return to normal in the tower, albeit quietly, and I've been able to recuperate after each attempt.
As I’ve predicted, the streams hold vast amounts of magical energy within them. So much even, that my own magic seems to get lost in the currant before I can even attempt to match the correct frequencies. Not that I know what those correct frequencies are just yet... I’ll need to find a way to store more magical energy than my enchantments currently allow if I am going to crack into one of these streams.
In other news, it seems that Clover plans to accept the princess's proposal. I've wished her the best of luck. If she believes she can handle herself amongst those fools on the Capitol, then there isn't much I can do to convince her otherwise.
~~~~~
As I watched Clover walk up the path towards her new home, I almost called out to her. I wanted to tell her that she would be better off staying here, that she would always be safe. I'm her Fa- No. I didn't tell her. Penny wouldn't have wanted me to anyway. That was one of the few things that that mare has given me, and now I choose to take that secret to the grave. Just three simple words that I am too ashamed to utter, and it could have been all over.
I've never been able to say those words to anypony. How many of my personal problems could have been solved with a simple 'I love you,' Huh? I guess now I'll never know. And to think that Celestia wants me to study the magic shared between friends. How exactly am I supposed to do that when they keep leaving me. When I let them go…
I have plans for another project. A machine, the likes of which have never before been dreamt. With it, I should be able to break into the magical currents and alter them as I see fit. If I find the stream one that connects this world to another time and place, I might even find the Crystal Empire again.
But even with this new idea I can't seem to bring myself to start working on it. Not today.
~~~~~
A message arrived by a most unusual method. Appearing abruptly from Surprise's cooking flame, no less. The scroll was wrapped in a cloak of magical flame that prevented the scroll from burning. It was sent from Luna herself. My curiosity piqued from her refusal in using our established communication methods, I unfurled the scroll immediately. The letter concerned some dire news.
Enigma had been located by the Alicorn sisters more than a week ago. Luna reports that Celestia chose to keep this information from me in order to keep me from attempting pursuit. She also reports that this new communication spell is something she was forced to make in order to send messages discretely. Apparently, the scrying spell may have listeners.
If I'm to recover the Icon, and apprehend Enigma, I’ll need to travel to the desert East of Prance. At the very least, I shall be able to visit the Stone family once again, even if that is just before my trip into desolate Firefly territory.
This turn of events does raise some interesting questions though. If Celestia is the one monitoring the Scrying system, then why has she felt the need to bar me from conversing with her sister? There is only one thing I know for certain, that as long as I choose to go and find Enigma, Luna strongly emphasized that I am to leave the Scrying gear behind.
~~~~~
When I departed this morning, second thoughts nearly caused me to turn back towards home. Why was I so eager begin my search for Enigma? Of course she has the Icon, and artifacts of that power should be kept safe, but was there some other reason to go? I feel as though the artifact isn't my only motivation for pursuit. Even if I still have Enigma's last rejection written down on a piece of parchment somewhere, I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced of it’s message.
Seeing as I haven't turned back, nor have I figured out my own feelings on the matter, I've set my priority on recovery of the Icon. There's no telling what kind of influence it might have had on Enigma. Maybe once that's done, I can try and reason with her.
~~~~~
I tried to keep my visit with the stone family as short as Politely possible. Suffice it to say, Gem's family has gotten a little larger since the last time I was here, or at least it will be larger in another month or so. While I wish I could stay, I don't think any rest is in order until the Icon is safe, maybe then I can properly congratulate the happy couple.
My brief encounter with the family has forced me to remember that, even though things may seem bleak, life still manages to continue on. Just as I plan to do...
I’m told that there's a small pass that should take me through to the Wastes just outside of town. Gem warns that the area is dangerous. Even in-between Firefly migrations, there is very little of what one would call subsistence or shelter out there. I've prepared for this, however, and I plan to keep a very close eye on my surroundings this time. There's even less of a guarantee of rescue out here than there was in the Crystal Empire.
~~~~~
Oddly enough, the Wither Wastes are not as nearly as hot as I had expected them to be. More arid than hot, the wasteland is filled with towering columns of wind-weathered rock, in between which lie small sandy dunes that are the same reddish color as the columns. There is a substantial amount of sagebrush around, but it is almost entirely dead and withered.
How Enigma has managed to make any sort of living out here is beyond me, but it wouldn't be the first time she managed to coax life out of a wasteland.
~~~~~
Day three into my search, and I've finally managed to find a trace of life out here. Not a pony's tracks, but rather that of some large four-legged creature that has paws instead of hooves. I'm not sure what to make of these findings just yet, but maybe the tracks will lead to other, more useful, leads.
~~~~~
After following these tracks for a while, I'm certain that their owner is searching for something. Every few steps it seems to stop and shuffle about, as if looking around or sniffing the air from several directions.
I fear that I am not the only one looking for Enigma.
~~~~~
The first thing I noticed was that there was a change in the track's pattern. They steps no longer stopped at regular intervals, and soon I was able to conclude that the creature's stride has become quite elongated. I didn't know what this creature was looking for, but whatever it was, the beast was now hot on it's trail.
I knew that I shouldn't be stressing myself out in this climate, but when I noticed the creature's change of pace, I quickened my own. A terrible feeling, emminating from my very soul, seemed to tell me that something was wrong. As if by some divine intervention, my trail led me directly to the secluded hideaway that I assumed belonged to my quarry. I immediately noticed that the doorway had been torn aside, no doubt destroyed by the very creature whose path I had been following.
I made my way inside as cautiously as possible, fearing that this awful beast might still be inside. This structure's interior was nearly identical to that of Enigma's old laboratory, save fact that every plant was being watered from a natural spring instead of dripping ice. Destruction seemed to follow the direct path of the beast as it searched for Enigma.
She wasn't here, but neither was the beast.
After a quick search I found a back door that leads back into the Wastes. With no time to spare, I hurried out into the night to continue my pursuit. As I left I was met with the frigid temperatures that are associated with the region’s nocturnal cycle. Throwing my earlier caution to the wind, I continued my search under nothing but starlight.
I'd thought I'd lost the trail several times throughout the night, but as the day started to break, I was certain that I had been on the right track. As the darkness scurried to safety amongst the sandy dunes and rocky pillars I soon learned that my journey had finally came to an end, but I was far, far too late.
In stark contrast to the rapidly revealed terrain, lay Enigma's prone form. I kept myself at a distance, afraid that my worst imaginings were true, that it was all a bad dream. Even from where I stood, paralyzed, I could tell that there was nothing that I could do.
Just as I started to turn around, head hung in failure, an unusual noise broke the cruel silence of the Wastes. I quickly looked about fearing that the creature had returned for round two, but that didn't make any sense. It sounded like a small child. That's when I realized that Enigma's body wasn't alone.
I approached as carefully as I could whilst avoiding looking at Enigma's broken frame. I found the child held within the deceased mare’s grasp, as though it was Enigma's final act to protect her filly from danger. This child was almost a spitting image of her mother.
At least it did until she noticed my presence. Upon seeing me, the filly attempted to back away in fear, but in doing so, the image it used as its form began to waver until it matched one that looked like me. Or at least what I would have looked like if I were still young as it was.
This child is what Enigma had sought to create using the Icon, and in her final moments had fought to keep from harm. I still wasn't sure what to make of the poor girl, but she had just lost her mother, and I'd be damned before I let anyone else die out there.
Convincing the child I meant no harm, I picked her up and set her down on my back. Levitating Enigma's body out of the child's sight, I carried both back to Enigma's lab. One was in need of a burial, and the other a bath.
Assuring myself that I knew what I was doing, I performed the burial as best as I could. Regretting all the while that I never got a second chance to converse with the mare. Maybe If I knew her better I could have produced some more encouraging words for the dearly departed. The child still hadn't said a word since we had returned, but her form has remained that of my doppelganger. As I stood there looking down upon the fresh grave, I felt nothing. Even after I had convinced myself that there might be something to my admittedly odd relationship with Enigma, now that she was gone I could feel no emotion whatsoever. Not even hatred at myself for failing to save her. After enduring a moment of silence, we both went back inside.
A long tiring few days spent, I think I'll continue my investigation tomorrow.
~~~~~
The little child still hasn't spoken a word to me since we met. At least now she no longer looks like me. In what I now believe is her true form, the child is as far from a pony in everything but basic outline. She's got a shiny outer shell, like that of an insect, complete with a pair of translucent, insectoid wings that are green in color. It would almost be frightening to look at, had the creature been fully grown, but for now I'll leave her be. She is only part of the issue, and to finish the rest of this puzzle I need to investigate what went on here.
From what I could tell, Enigma had seen fit to prepare her new home as thoroughly as possible. A whole family of ponies could live here without problems. Plentiful amounts of food was growing inside with the help of the underground stream and whatever Earth-pony magic she had imbued the place with. I was almost happy to discover that everything was just as neatly labeled as Enigma's former residence because it allowed me to find out what had transpired before the attack.
-----
Enigma had fled the Crystal Empire with only the Icon and what she called her Echo Seed. She had spent years identifying what her Earth-pony magic did to her plants, and to the earth itself. Her research in coaxing life from matter had failed on all previous attempts, her magic was simply not enough. Enigma knew that her only chance of success lied in the artifact that remained in the possession of her brother, Sombre.
She continued to believe that her rescue of me was purely accidental, but the opportunity that it offered her was too good to pass up.
Arriving in the Wastes, Enigma wasted no time in setting up a lab nearly identical to her previous one. Modifying local fauna to fit her needs, she was soon ready to begin her experimentation anew. She altered the interior of the Echo Seed using the energy from the Icon until the seed was- something else entirely. Not a plant by any definition anymore, the life inside the echo seed was a mix of several types of creature. Most of its external features were insectoid in nature, something I had witnessed when its image faltered. This type of magic was something that Enigma had titled 'Changeling Magic' and it allowed the creature to take the form of a loved one. Or in my case, in which the image chosen was being used as kind of defensive mechanism.
If her magic is based on the feelings of others, as Enigma believed, then the child would not be able to hold my image for long, as I have had trouble feeling anything lately.
Anyway, once her changeling had hatched, Enigma turned to the Icon, and in a moment of clarity, sought to destroy it. She knew that it was capable of corrupting a unicorn's magic, but the mare now feared that its usage might corrupt her own magic as well. As best as she could, she shattered the stone, but in doing so, the artifact's creator was somehow alerted to its demise. No sooner than when she broke the Icon apart, she thought she could feel a malevolent presence looking in her direction. She never described how she felt the presence, only that she could.
Enigma claims that the Stranger was not working alone, but that he was only a messenger for some greater evil. And now that evil was about to turn its focus onto her for destroying one of their artifacts. Judging by the lack of entries in her journal after the fact, I believe that, before she could plan her escape, the creature had already begun tearing through her door. And I was too late to stop it. Again.
-----
Sure enough, one of the makeshift tables had not been torn to pieces by Enigma's hunter, as I had first thought, but seems to have met its fate when she destroyed the artifact. Looking around the debris a glint of light caught my attention. Whatever Enigma had done to the pieces of the once-powerful artifact I am uncertain, but I do know that she missed one.
I dared not use my magic to bring the shard to light, lest the mare's predictions prove true, and instead used one of the nearby pieces of shattered table so that I might get a better look at it. The piece looked to be a part of the Icon's outer edge, having been polished to a sheen on its largest face. Opposite from the polished surface the fragment got darker the deeper it would have been inside of the whole artifact. Curiously, these edges were not sharp, as one would expect of a shattered gem, but rather soft. It was almost as if the piece I had discovered was halfway between melted and not.
I had no intention of carrying the Icon back to the Capitol without taking some safety precautions, but I was halfway worried that the enchanted cloth bag I had brought would be incapable of holding my prize. I was relieved to find that the fragment seemed to disassociate with other materials. Provided it didn't try to finish melting before I could reach the tower, the fragment should remain intact.
Such an item as this, and I'm only left to wonder why it would be created in the first place. Not to mention why it would just be given to the first pony who would choose to use it for his own gain. I don't know what the Stranger's motivations are, or if he's even working for his own interests, but I do know that his methods are not to be trifled with.
No small amount of effort or energy went into making this artifact. There's also the monster that they sent after Enigma to consider. These things only seem to add themselves to the darkness and destruction attempting to spread throughout the land. I'm not even sure that the turmoil that's been coursing through the Tribunal isn't, in some small part, due to this scheming. If true, then I should endeavor to return to the Capitol as soon as possible and warn them of what is in store.
Maybe with this new evidence, they might finally halt their bickering for a moment and listen to me.
~~~~~
The changeling spoke to me today, if only so that she could inform me of her intent to stay where her mother was buried. She said that, because I held no love for her, only for her mother, it would be of no use to come with me. The creature insisted that she would be fine out here on her own, that it would be better if she stay by her mothers side, at least for a little while. Enigma said that she wanted somepony that would love her forever, little did she know that her actions would give her exactly what she wanted.
I remained struck in awe for a moment by the child’s sense of observation, at least where Enigma and I were concerned, but I was soon able to turn away. Before I left, the little changeling told me her name, Chrysalis, and said that it was nice to have met me, even if I didn't have any love for her.
I never turned back.
~@~
Whelp awoke to the warm sunlight filling the cabin. Still groggy from reading into the early morning hours, the dragon rubbed the remainder of sleepiness from his eyes. There were still some chores to be done, even if they could be done in a few minutes.
Absentmindedly, Whelp began to put his book back upon the shelf, as he usually did with all the books he had borrowed from his master. It wasn't his after all, but something about Master Spikes demeanor the night before kept the book in his claws. Whelp went out of his way to keep his master's things intact, Spike knew this and yet still explicitly instructed him to take care of the journal.
The young dragon wasn't done reading it anyway, and so believed it would be best if he brought the tome with him for the time being. He'd have to ask Spike about it when he had finished with his daily chores.
After he had finished cleaning up the sleeping cabin that he shared with his master, Whelp set out to find Spike, the book secreted away within one of the empty satchels they had brought with them. It was apparent that the elder dragon had not slept in his quarters since the night before, which meant that he was probably still on the bridge for whatever the captain had needed him for the day prior.
The only problem was that Spike wasn't on the Bridge either, or in the Mess Hall, or anywhere that Whelp had looked. Running around aimlessly in search for his master, Whelp was eventually stopped by a passing crewman.
"Oi! Where ya off to, boy?" said the large, muscular pegasus who worked the Excelsior's rigging. "Gallivanting abou' like yer doing is askin to go sailing over the edge."
"I'm not 'boy.' And I'm looking for Master Spike! have you seen him?"
"I know who ya are, boy. Whelp was it? Anyway there's no use runnin around lookin fer Lord Spike, he left hours ago."
"What? Why?"
"Where've you been lad? Haven' ya heard about the ol' dragon clans takin’ an interest in our little ship 'ere? Spike left ta go smooth t'ings over with 'em."
"Oh, why didn't he tell me he was going?" Whelp had forgotten that Spike could fly. Although it didn't help that his master wore such a concealing cloak everywhere they went. With Spike gone for who knows how long, Whelp would have nothing but free time on his claws.
'I wonder what the other dragons are like?' Whelp asked himself as he continued wandering about the ship, albeit at a slower pace than before. 'I wonder how they get their names?' Before long, instead of finding himself looking over the rails of the Main Deck as he often did when bored, the young dragon found himself looking upon the door of his master's study. With nothing better to do, Whelp pulled the journal from his satchel and opened the door.
~@~
Before I could even begin to fully process what had just happened, I-I don't even know what I was about to do. First Enigma's death, and then everything I've ever done, taken from me while I was away. My research equipment had been seized, and Surprise had been taken by Celestia herself to ensure that my experiments could not continue. It was as if a flood of every emotion that I'd been holding back had rushed forward all at once, too much for any damn to hold. I was angry, and for a moment I was going to be sure that nopony would ever cross me, the most powerful unicorn to have ever existed, again.
I almost turned my own tower to dust before I'd regained control of my faculties. After all of my friends had sacrificed so much for me I was about to throw it all away for some petty feud between myself and the Alicorn. Even after Enigma had gone to such great lengths to keep another Unicorn from falling prey to the madness of the Icon, I'd nearly finished what it's creators had started without so much as a fight.
No, I wouldn't choose the easy way. I know full well that I can't take Celestia on directly, and Luna can't be counted on until I learn how to communicate whilst I remain underneath her sister's gaze. No, I need a new plan of attack, one the likes of which that nopony has ever witnessed nor imagined before. If Celestia thinks she can control me so easily she'll be sorely mistaken.
~~~~~
When I lost control the other day, it seems as though something broke inside of me. I'm now plagued by these constant, insufferable headaches. At first I thought I'd just sprained something during my outburst, but I've yet to recover from this ailment. The headaches aren't even the worst part of it. I seem to no longer have any precise control over my magic. None at all.
Whatever I did to myself caused me to unleash dangerous amounts of magic in a short amount of time, of that I am certain. And for some reason, I can now call upon this amount of power often, seemingly in lieu of my normal magic. I could only imagine what this level of power could have helped with when I needed it so many times in the past, but even though I have it now, I can't seem to control it to any satisfactory level. I can barely use simple levitation anymore. A simple spell that any foal can do, and It takes every last ounce of concentration just to keep myself from crushing the object.
I've started making plans to get back at Celestia, but If this keeps up, I don't even know how I'll be able to carry out any of them.
~~~~~
The headaches seem to coincide with a buildup of my increasing levels of magic power. I can make them go away by wasting unprecedented amounts of magic, but I can only throw around large boulders for so long. If I don't find a way to get my magic back under control, I'm not sure what will happen.
Nothing has ever scared me more than that.
~~~~~
In my search for a solution to my control issue, I've come across a fairly novel way to dissipate my excess energy. I was trying to verify that the fragment I'd recovered was not the cause of my condition, and I got to thinking about how so much magic was stored in the crystal to begin with.
Taking one of the fire-opal I'd had stashed away, I waited until another surge had welled up. Releasing the energy as fast as I could into the crystal, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the stone had readily absorbed it. Well most of it, the scorched stone floor around it didn't fare so well. I'm glad I didn't need to etch an enchantment into the gem for it to hold the energy, as I have no idea how to approach an enchanting something of such unusual properties.
Since I can no longer muster the precision needed for enchantment, I've no idea how to draw from the magical energy that would be stored inside. Not that I really need to, but it feels wrong to just let all of this power go to waste. One problem at a time, I suppose. At least now I can cross 'levitate increasingly large boulders' from my list of things to do each day.
~~~~~
Not enchanting the stone has caused my charged fire-opal to undergo some interesting, albeit unusual, changes. Usually the enchantment and quality of stone determines how many spell charges the stone can have. Overcharging the enchantment usually caused the gem to crack, ruining the whole thing. After this stone's fifth session, it too started to crack, but from the inside. The internal patterns were quite spectacular to witness, as they progressed, ever steadily towards the surface, they tended to refract passing light into countless patterns. Once the cracks had reached the surface, I was afraid that the gem would shatter into dust, or worse, explode with all of the force of the magic sealed inside, but that’s when the most interesting development happened. The gem simply lost its geometric structure, dissolving into something between liquid and solid. Almost like the Icon's fragment.
I have no doubts that my new discovery was in any danger of corrupting me, unlike the other fragment, because the magic inside the substance was entirely my own. I'm still at a loss as to how I can use the substance, but my portable Gradestone tells me that it is the perfect example, no the pure embodiment of, the fire elemental branch of magic. This might explains why some of the magic energy was wasted on my poor floor, the Fire-opal is unable to absorb any other type of magic. I think my next experiment should be to use a collection of enchantment grade gems and see what types are capable of repeating the process.
In the meantime, I've put my liquid opal in a jar. When it liquefied, it was on my table, which is now stained a fluorescent red color.
~~~~~
Clover stopped by the tower today. She had just heard the news about Surprise. Clover had also heard of my earlier 'outburst' (I can only imagine the stories that are being passed around outside...) and was wondering how I was handling things. Her concern was evident, but I did my best to alleviate it. I told her that I would be fine and tried to send her on her way.
Before she left, she tried to tell me about her new job in some sort of advisory position to the Platinum Crown, but I could hardly acknowledge it. During the course of our conversation, I happened to glance down at the stain on the table, and an idea about how I might use the charged opal. The semi-liquid gems couldn't hold an enchantment since it would be impossible to carve anything on their surface, but seeing the stain seep into the cracks and chips of the wooden table has given me an idea.
I might be able to carve out a new form of enchantment, one that pooled together magic from the magically altered crystals themselves. Thankfully, Celestia had left most of my library intact. I needed one of the books that helped me develop a fire-resistance enchantment that other ponies could use, more specifically I needed the book that detailed the symbols used in ancient alchemy. The author of this particular tome believed that the signs used in his art were more than mere instruments in his search for gold, but that they, themselves, held power. Granted, his forms were nearly useless when I built my enchantments earlier, but now I may be able to give the author's creations more power than he could possibly imagine.
If this works, I might finally be able to use magic again.
~~~~~
So much for that idea. The alchemist calculations were almost entirely unusable. The only thing that didn't require a total reworking were the basic elemental forms. It's no wonder their search for gold failed, their experiments consisted of making something from nothing. While this still holds true, creating matter from energy is the basis of conjuration magic. Once I finish integrating my new calculations into the basic forms, I should be able to make a symbol that emulates my old magic.
I only wish that my condition didn't require me to relearn the basics. I've no doubt that Celestia is still keeping an eye on me, and the longer it takes me to figure out how to evade her surveillance, the harder it will be to carry out my plan.
~~~~~
I think I've got the basics down when it comes to using these Glyphs as I've come to call them. Unlike the usual hierarchy of magic, the roles of elemental alignment and spell type are reversed, with the element being the basis of the Glyph. Of the three types of elemental magic I've managed to contain within the crystals so far, I only have enough of the liquefied Fire-Opal for a few tests. Whether due to constraints of the stones’ alignment or not, I cannot tell. The tests I have managed to run indicate that, even with the massive amounts of magic contained in the gem, the Glyph’s elemental alignment is what controls the reaction. Because of this I'll be limited to performing fire based elemental spells until the rest of my gems finish their transformation into their new forms.
The Glyphs themselves, being based off of older alchemical models, will consist of at least one or more concentric rings. Branching off of various points are the geometric patterns that will control the effects of the spell. Changing the formation of this pattern will be used to control how powerful the spell is and how long the spell will last. Since these glyph will be carved onto a flat surface on the ground, anypony should be able to use them, just like an enchantment, so long as enough magical energy resides in the liquid crystal.
The only benefit that these Glyphs have over my previous enchantments is that their spell will not be limited in power. So long as there is a supply of the charged crystal substance ( Note to Self: Think up a name for this stuff, possibly something monosyllabic...), the spell can be as powerful as the caster deems necessary. The only real downside with this new spell casting method, besides the fact that I might be the only unicorn that can make the charged crystals myself, is that the Glyphs are basically permanent, non-movable enchantments. Once filled up with their charging liquid there's no real way to turn the glyph off without destroying the Glyph itself.
Drawbacks aside, at least I will be able to perform my magic again. Well, by proxy anyway. Once I've perfected my Glyphing system, I'll be able to concentrate on my real goals.
~~~~~
Now that a few of my other gems have undergone changes similar to the Opal, I've got a total of three elementally aligned sources of magic. So far I've had only minor problems with the new Glyphs I've been able to form. Nothing major, but I am starting to run out of room on my floor with which I can carve out the symbols.
On a side note, there was another stone that underwent the liquefaction process. As a control, I had placed a Sunstone next to the others when I poured my magic over them. My original thought was that it's unique magical lensing properties would keep it from absorbing my magic, and in a way, it did. The Sunstone managed to concentrate my magic to a spot directly beneath it, causing the regular stone to behave like the charged gems! Only, there seems to be almost three to four times the amount of the substance when compared to the others. This might just have something to do with the available volume of material available for the change, but the dissimilarities between this liquefied stone and the gems doesn't end there. Instead of a faint glow, it doesn't emanate light nor does it share the same color as the stone that bore it. Instead of the average blue-grey that makes up the majority of my tower, this substance is white with a silvery sheen running through it.
I have yet to figure out a use for the substance. It doesn't seem to have an elemental alignment from which to match a Glyph to. Although I'm not sure I want to contaminate any of my other Glyphs by pouring it into one of them just yet, there's no telling what would happen if I started combined the different crystals together.
~~~~~
I think I've settled on a name for my new substance. While the term Flux isn't as flashy as some of my other nomenclature, it seems to aptly fit the characteristics of these magically charged materials. I've had to make a sort of sand-box to continue my experiments with the Flux due to my increasing lack of floor space. Using the finest sand I could find, I should be able to use the box to test several Glyphs before the sand becomes saturated with magic. The additional leeway the box gives me should also allow me to create designs that will work if I combine the various types of Flux together, if they can even be combined together at all.
While all of the three basic elemental tests have performed as expected, I still have yet to discern the abilities of the White Flux. It shows no reaction to any of the Glyphs I've designed so far, but that may be due to it's lack of elemental alignment. Hopefully it doesn't require emotion or some other equally-ridiculous notion to work. I don't even know how to start mapping that into a Glyph.
My reclaiming some sort of magical aptitude aside, I've received the "official" word stating that I'm never allowed to see Surprise again. I will miss her deeply, and it enrages me to no end to think that the Alicorn would think such actions were in everypony's best interests. Not only was she my friend and, at times, my caretaker, but I think that her abilities either interfered with or bypassed the currents of magical energy that encircles the world. Without her presence, there's no way to confirm my hypothesis, but I believe that her abilities may very well be a key to solving at least one of the mysteries of our world. At the very least, with Surprise's help, I would have been able to confirm whether or not the Crystal Empire had vanished into a different time or space.
Without her help I will be forced to find another. A character such as hers is so rare that I may very well spend the rest of my days searching for another, and if the rumors are true, time is not something that the Alicorn concerns herself with. So that means my plans need to revolve around keeping Celestia in the dark as long as possible, longer perhaps than any mere mortal has any right to witness.
I'd write more, but filling a box with any substantial amount of sand is surprisingly tiring work.
~~~~~
With my magical abilities starting to resemble something useful once more, I need to get started making some preparations. If I'm to continue using this Flux for the rest of my life then I need a stable supply of gems, and that should be taken care of with another visit to the Stone Family. I also need to set up another place of operations. While I don't think having an alternate place will hide me from the Alicorn's gaze, I believe that I will be able to use both locations to test one of my theories out. Since Celestia herself showed me that near instantaneous transit through space was possible, I've been thinking about how her spell worked. Testing anything out has been a little difficult as of late due to my condition, but the Flux I've created has opened up some unique possibilities. Not only should I be able to reproduce her spell, I think I can make some undoubtedly impressive improvements to it.
~~~~~
I've reached an agreement with Gem. In exchange for some minor magical work, I get to keep a percentage of whatever gems that I can mine myself. I also get to use one of the lesser-used sections of the mine for my own use. This arrangement should prove quite beneficial. The mine shaft I’ll be borrowing still needs some minor repair work before I can get started, a task that I will have to do myself. It turns out that several of the Earth Ponies that worked the Stone's mine have left for one of the colonies down south, leaving the mine a little short-hooved. It's for the best, if it means that I get my second lab.
Not that I expected any difficulty, I'm practically a part of the family.
~~~~~
With a few decades worth of grime and debris cleared away, the mine is starting to look almost like a second home. Except for the smell and lack of windows anyway. Before I left the tower, I had left a piece of my experiment behind. Eager to test out my hypothesis, I carved a Glyph into the stone floor. It was an identical match to a Glyph carved upon the Tower's floor where my rug used to be. If my sandbox prototype was any indication of how accurate my calculations were, then these two Glyphs would link up immediately upon activation.
I poured some red Flux into the Glyph and activated the spell from a little distance away, as I was still unsure as to the effective radius of this design. One can never bee too careful. Upon activation, the damp air of the mine began to fill with sound of wind, followed soon after by a flash of light and a sharp, popping sound. Once the magic had faded, I looked upon the results of my test.
Lying on the floor was one of the chests I used to store a dragon egg. I had left on the floor of the tower on top of the Glyph. I checked to ensure that the egg was still 'alive' as it were, but I could find no obvious defect imparted upon the surface of the egg. I would have called the experiment a complete success if it weren't for one small detail. The floor of the mine immediately surrounding the glyph wasn't the rough stone of a mine at all, it was instead the smooth, worn stone of my tower's floor instead! The Tower-floor was perfectly intact with the exception of it not being anywhere near it’s original location, almost as if the two had simply exchanged places.
While I can design further experimentation around this 'feature', I'd hate to think of what would happen to somepony unfortunate enough to only be partially within the Glyph's area of effect.
~~~~~
Everything is finally in place for the next phase of my plan. I've let it be known that I intend to journey into the Wither Wastes once again in search of some rare magical reagent. Once I've confirmed that the gap in Celestia's monitoring is in place, I'll make a Translocation Glyph that matches one in the Mine. In the Time it'll take for the Alicorn to realize that I'm not where she believes me to be, I'll be well on my way towards a place she would least expect.
It is known that the Alicorn sisters have made their keep far to the south, hidden within a lush garden of untold beauty (if the rumors are true, that is. I highly doubt that anything can compare to what I've seen of Enigma's projects.) While I'll no doubt be caught if I attempt to enter their home, I don't intend to. I just need a place where I can keep an eye on the Alicorn while I perform my work.
~~~~~
It looks as though my journey south will be easier than expected. More and more homesteaders have been making their way south hoping for warmer weather. While discussing the theories behind the steady fall in temperatures lately, I've made friends with a nice, newly-wed Earth Pony couple while we were staying at the same inn. I'd forgotten how nice it could be to have a pleasant conversation about such mundane things.
Anyway, it looks as though I've been invited to be apart of their small caravan for the time being. While I look forward to more inane conversations during our trip, I must remember to not let out any information that might reveal my true identity. The measures I've taken to die my coat and mane can only go so far, after all. That being said, I just couldn't bring myself to part with my beard just yet. Hopefully the pink color will be as distracting for others as it is for me.
~~~~~
There was an accident on the trail today. Thankfully nopony was injured, but through a most unusual set of circumstances, a bit of the white Flux got mixed together with some of the red. I'm not sure exactly how, but the mixture caused a little piece of copper-ish ore to literally grow from it. The material was seemingly created from a very small amount of mixed Flux, using up the mixture in the process. I know that such a thing seems impossible, even though the old alchemists would like to believe otherwise. But perhaps there is an explanation for this process that does not involve violating the laws of nature.
I've taken the sample with me for now, but more research is needed when I reach my destination.
~~~~~
I believe that I've found what I've been looking for, a fairly barren plot of land that has an unobscured view of the Alicorn's home. I'm told that the plot is available to be claimed simply due to the fact that it seems incapable of sustaining crops, not that that bothers me any. In fact, the less ponies showing interest in my little plot of land, the better.
After saying my goodbyes to my traveling companions, I've started planning the placement of a few simple structures. I don't know how long this illusion will need to last before I make my move, but it's best to be prepared in case somepony decides to start asking questions.
~~~~~
I suspect that this might be my last entry as I move onto the Final Phase of my project. The events I've set into motion with news of my disappearance are moving into a position that I can use. Over these past few months, I've been declared missing, and my study of both Flux and of the Cockatrice native to this area will allow me to perform the final step of my plan. With the help of the Stone Family, a statue will be made to honor my work after I have been missing long enough to be declared dead. With any luck, this statue will be safely passed through time in either a park or a museum. Instead of an actual stone carved in my likeness, I will attempt to encase myself in stone, halting all of my life functions, awaiting the day that my Awakening Spell can be completed.
The Awakening Spell is designed to pull information off of nearby sources of written information. Once it finds a specific set of keywords, a magical signal will be sent to the statue pedestal, reviving me from my stone slumber. I've already managed to tuck the Awakening Spell so that it will be near the most optimal sources of information. Masquerading as ink, I've penned the spell into the binding of several copies of my magical reference books. Anytime a Unicorn uses levitation on the book, the Glyph should pull enough energy to continue performing its magic. Having multiple first-editions of my spellbook with the spell hidden inside should also increase the likely-hood of at least one tome surviving the ravages of time. I’ve done everything I can to minimize the chances that I never wake up, and I have consigned myself to take this one chance at continuing my research.
I've left almost everything I own to Clover. The tower, and the books within will belong to her soon enough. I've also left her two of the dragon eggs if she should decide to take on students of her own. The other eggs, and anything that might be inherently dangerous, I've placed in the caches linked to the mine's Translocation Glyphs. With all knowledge of the Flux held inside my head alone, I doubt that anypony else will be able to activate the spells.
All that's left is to ensure that the Stone Family gains control over the land above my lab. I don't foresee any problem in enlisting their help, but it helps to cover every possibility. I have no time to test my theories gem cultivation techniques, but perhaps Gem can find a way for her Earth Pony workers to use them.
If, perhaps, this journal should find its way into the hands of somepony, know this: I don't regret any of the actions I've taken, but the events surrounding my life are only the preface of a greater change. I can feel it. The air is colder, yes, but I fear that there is something even worse on the horizon, and I worry about the future generations who may have to suffer through it in my absence.
~~~~~
[The other pages are blank.]
~@~
Whelp had finally finished reading Starswirl's journal, and just in time for the Excelsior's crew to begin digging through the ruins. He had managed to find the story interesting, even though it wasn't what he would normally read. As for what Spike wanted for him to learn from the text, whelp still had no idea. Other than the fact the Conjurer almost never did as he was told, even going so far as to directly disobey princess Celestia, Whelp was still unsure how to apply any of it to his own life.
Maybe it had something to do with what the dragon still felt was missing. Either some part of the story wasn't written down, or there was a key fact he still wasn't getting. One way or the other, a single fact still remained. Whelp still couldn't decide on what to use as his name. Oh sure, he understood that ponies, even with their given names, often did things that failed to follow where they thought their 'destiny' would take them. Starswirl in particular seemed to have more than his fair share of defying his name.
"Whelp, it's time to disembark. Gather the supplies and meet me near the excavation tent." Spike said before he disappeared down the passageway.
As Whelp peered down the Gangway of the anchored airship, he noticed that their dragon 'escort' was still circling above. Part of the reason the Excelsior was allowed to encroach on dragon territory was that the dragons were promised a portion of any treasure that the crew managed to find. Thinking that they looked like a bunch of sharks surrounding a hapless victim, Whelp made his way towards the campsite.
A final briefing was held outside of the main tent. The ruins that lay around them belonged to the city of Prance before it had been abandoned during the Great Equestrian Exodus over a millennia ago. Only one location in particular was of any interest to Spike's expedition, an ancient tunnel that lied just outside of the ruins. The entrance to a mine that once belonged to a Unicorn family by the name of Stone. With everything set, a group was chosen to accompany Spike into the mine, Whelp among them.
Descending into the depths of the earth, Whelp turned back towards the entrance, watching as the harsh sunlight that stopped just a few feet into the tunnels entrance, started to recede into the distance. Just outside, he could see that the dragon escort had settled down at a point just beyond the camp.
"What about the other dragons? If they want treasure so badly, won't they follow us in?" Whelp asked his mentor.
"No, I think not. The other dragons prefer not to delve too deep around here. For one thing, the elder dragons have trouble moving around in the narrow pony tunnels." Spike said as he squeezed his frame between a few stalagmites that had formed within the shaft. "There is also the fact that these mines have fallen to Diamond Dogs, no doubt drawn by the very gems that made this mine famous."
"Surely Diamond Dogs are no match for a few dragons?"
"Normally you would be correct, but down here, the canines have the advantages of superior maneuverability on top of their large numbers. Their hardened claws allow them to make new tunnels whenever they see fit to do so. Not only would it be easy to get lost in their seemingly random network of tunnels, but an attack could come from any direction. Even if it were possible for a few clever dragons to surpass these advantages, I've found that very few dragons are willing cooperate long enough for them to accomplish anything."
"What about you two then?" asked one of the only pegasi in the group, obviously annoyed at being stuck below ground. "What are you gonna do if some of those Dogs manage to get the jump on us?"
"I'd prefer not to engage them at all. If my source is correct, we shouldn't have to delve deep enough to run into their den to disturb them."
"I thought you said this was a gem mine, why wouldn't the dogs be up here looking for treasure?"
"For the same reason that the chamber we are searching for had, at one time, been used as a storeroom. The ponies had already managed to mine up most of the gems in the upper levels many years prior to their Exodus." Spike stated.
Before long the group came upon a large chamber. Many shafts branched off into various directions from the central room. It was decided that the group make short trips into each one, looking for signs of the secret chamber as they went. If nothing was found in any of the tunnels, they would set up for what would no doubt be a dangerous, deeper descent into the mines.
Nothing revealed itself in the first few narrow tunnels. The grey monotony of the stone walls had been steadily sapping away any imaginative thought from Whelp's mind. After a while, the absence of light broke the young dragon out of his stupor. His mindless gait had caused him to lag behind the group as they had headed back to the main chamber once more, and now Whelp found himself alone in the darkness.
"Master Spike!?" he called, panic quickly beginning to rise up from within. Nothing but the pitch blackness of the abandoned mine around him. Breathing heavily and shuffling about in the darkness trying to find a wall, Whelp sneezed, his uncontrolled dragon fire consuming the centuries of dust that he had managed to stir up. That simple flash of light was enough for him to regain his senses. He was still in the main chamber, and the others had to return to him eventually. All he needed to do was remain calm and use his fire to see.
It quickly became apparent that Whelp needed to spend more time working on his fire-breathing, his puny flame barely holding its own against the oppressive darkness. Finally, the dragon flame died into a flicker when he tried to catch his breath. Inhaling breath for some more fire, something caught the dragon’s eye. Another light.
The glow was faint, and at first Whelp thought it belonged to the torchlight of the returning group. When he realized it wasn't coming from one of the shafts, the dragon rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. Moments later, he was certain that the other light existed and was not a figment of an overactive imagination, With his eyes now attuned to the light, Whelp made his way to the spot on the ground that was emitting the glow.
Near the wall, almost hidden from view, lay the clue that had expedition had been looking for. Whelp recognized that the concentric circles and inlaid symbols matched those of the descriptions in Starswirl's journal. The glow from what could only be Starswirl's Flux substance was so faint it was easily overpowered by the light from the group's torches. The dragon pressed the glyph, but there was no response.
"There must not be enough power." Whelp said, almost saddened by the his discovery of the lifeless rune, without more flux, nothing could be done.
Just then, he heard his master's voice coming from the only tunnel that had started to glow with torchlight. "Whelp! Where are you?"
"I'm right here in the central chamber!" he answered. "And I think I've found what we're looking for!"
It was then that Whelp felt what seemed to be an ominous rumble coming from far beneath him. "What's going on?"
The ponies and dragons were now regrouped in the chamber. "Where is it, Whelp? We haven't much time!" Spike said in a rush.
"It's right over there by the wall." The young dragon said, pointing in the direction of the Glyph. "What do you mean we don't have any time?"
Spike hunched over, attempting to exam his student's discovery, "We didn't notice that you had gone missing until we had already decided to turned back. While we were calling for you, we seem to have alerted some of the Diamond Dogs. It won't be long now until we're up to our necks in trouble."
Pulling a tube out of his pouch, Spike poured its contents into the glyph. Now restored it back to its full power with a new batch of Flux, the elder dragon motioned for the groups only unicorn, "Starbright, would you be so kind as to lend me some magic."
"Now? Shouldn't we be trying to escape?" She said, voicing her worry.
"We may never get another chance. Now hurry up, just like we practiced."
"Alright," Starbright said uneasily, "here I go." Instead of forming her magic into a spell, as every unicorn is taught to do the moment they learn to control their magic, she was pouring her magical energy directly onto the Glyph. An action that went against everything she had ever learned about magic. Eventually, all of the Unicorn’s magic had drained into the runes and activated the spell within. The wall behind the Glyph parted open with a grating sound.
Spike caught the unicorn before she fell over from exhaustion. "Good work Starbright, well done. Alright, you three take her back to the ship. She'll be fine as soon as she gets some rest. As for you," he said pointing to the last pony in the chamber, "I want you to lead Whelp out of here and get the captain to break camp. Tell him to head back to Canterlot as soon as possible. And if any of the dragons start asking about their cut, tell them that there isn't any treasure here that isn't already owned by the Dogs." Taking his cloak off, Spike stretched to his full height, at least as far as the mine would allow, "Take this with you, the key in my pocket to open up the chest in my study. The clans can be bribed for safe passage, and anything the dragons don't take can be split with the crew."
"No!" Whelp said, surprising himself at the thought of going against his master's wishes. "Um, what I mean is, I want to stay."
"It'll be too dangerous here in a minute, you must go!." Pleaded the elder dragon.
"I said no! I want to see this through. Besides you know you're too big to fit through that little hole," Whelp said, pointing to the recently opened passage, "but I can walk right in. I might even be able to open it up a bit more form the inside."
Spike eyed his student for a moment before sending the pony ahead without them. "Alright then, We'd best get started."
Squeezing himself through the crowded, rough passage. Whelp motioned for spike to hand him the torch once he was on the other side.
"You need to see if you can find a Glyph on your side that looks like the one out here, only bigger." Spike whispered through the crack after the torch had been passed through.
"How do you know that there is one over here."
"The book said that this used to be a storeroom, remember? That means that there must have been a regular size passage somewhere."
"Right. Got it."
It didn't take long for Whelp to spot the Glyph he was looking for.
Whelp returned to the crack, "I think we might have a problem... I found the glyph, but it's half covered in stalagmite now. I can't see the whole thing!"
"Calm down!" Spike snapped "Did it look like it has enough power to activate?"
"Yeah, I guess. It's definitely brighter that the first one."
"Good, then all you need to do is dig it free. You can do it Whelp, I'm counting on you."
Returning to his task, Whelp began chipping away at the deposited rock with his claws, careful not to disturb the intricate carvings beneath.
"Are you almost finished? I can hear the Canines, they are almost here."
"Almost...got...it..., And there!" Whelp could see the Glyph in its entirety now, "I need some more of that stuff-"
Spike's satchel was tossed through the crack before it closed up behind them.
"Spike what's going on!"
Through the rock wall came the sound of his master's muffled voice, "If you can't get the door open in time I want you to find the Glyph that looks like the one drawn in my bag."
"But what about you?"
"I'll hold them off for as long as possible, but it won't take them long to figure out that I'm guarding something. Once they figure that out the Diamond Dogs will start looking for you. They’ll probably stumble into the room you're in only a few minutes after that."
'No! I won't let that happen!' Whelp thought to himself as he poured the contents of the like-colored vial onto the Glyph. With the carved lines refilled, the dragon placed his foot on the Carving in an attempt to activate it. Nothing happened. Again and again he pushed on the floor carving, desperately hoping that it would do something, anything, but it remained silent.
The dragon sat on his rump, trying to think of why it wasn't working like it did earlier, when it finally came to him. Whelps touch was missing the magic required for the Glyph to activate. Unicorn, or course, could use their magic alone, and both Pegasi and Earth ponies had inherent magical touch, but dragons had neither. The only thing magical that he had was, "Fire!"
Getting back up, Whelp decided to give the Glyph one more try. Controlling his dragon fire enough so that its magical properties could be used was something that he'd only had to use a few times, since his master could send his own messages. He would have to concentrate on keeping the heat low to prevent damaging the flux, while giving enough pure magical energy to activate the runes.
Inhaling, building up power, Whelp exhaled his Fiery breath onto the Glyph, flames licking every exposed surface. Suddenly, the wall disappeared in front of him, revealing his master, whom upon seeing his student, threw himself through the passage. With a quick flip of his claw, Spike cut threw the Glyph, gauging the stone and effectively disrupting the spell, sealing the wall behind him once more.
"Master Spike I got it-" Whelp started before being hushed quiet.
Spike leaned close to the wall, listening. After what seemed like an eternity had passed, Spike addressed his pupil. "Way to think on your feet Whelp, using your fire on the rune. I wasn't sure you would figure out how to use the Glyphs in time, not being the kind of creature they were made for and all. I swear we'll make an adventurer out of you yet! Now come on, before those canines realize that they're chasing a coat."
The young dragon relished in the praise his master was bestowing upon him, and he didn't wish to waste a moment of it, but the duo still had a job to do. Walking past several rows of decaying crates, Whelp could see that several minerals and gems deposited in each. None of the items appeared to have any appreciable value.
"This is Starswirl's Treasure? I thought there would be more priceless artifacts or something"
"I've heard that everything that wasn't explicitly dangerous was given to his heir before he died. There are two things that we needed to find here however."
"The other dragon eggs?"
"Correct. They should be around here somewhere. Either way, the last thing we need is neither an item nor a trinket. Ah, here we are!" Spike said, carefully wiping away the accumulated dust from a spot on the floor. "Here, and over there, too. Help me out with these, one of these Glyphs should match the drawing in my satchel."
Digging through Spike’s bag revealed a piece of parchment that had a pattern pattern drawn on it. Besides from the same initial design, this drawing contained enough differences to set it apart from the other Glyphs that whelp had seen so far. "What are all of these Glyphs supposed to do?"
"I believe that this assortment of marks form a sort of transport station. Provided that each Glyph here has a twin somewhere else, of course. Starswirl referred to them as part of his Translocation Spell. And it seems as though we're in luck!" Spike said, wiping the grime from a familiar looking carving, "This one matches a glyph we've already found."
"So we can use these to get out of here?"
"Correct. Hand me my bag so I can fix this up real quick, in the meantime, see if you can find the eggs."
The next few moments passed in silence. Whelp found himself thinking about what kind of dragons would be inside the eggs once they had hatched. Would they share any of his interests, his hobbies, or his concerns? Would they be forced to pick a name for themselves as he did? Even after trying to guess what their futures might hold, the dragon figured that he was literally counting his eggs before they hatched, and decided to focus on the search instead.
It didn't take long to for him to finish his survey. There weren't many containers of appropriate size to look through to begin with, and Whelp eventually found his unhatched siblings tucked away into a comparatively dry corner of the ancient storeroom. The chest that they had been placed in was beyond repair, evidence of what was once straw was scattered beneath three distinctly egg-shaped objects. "I think I've found 'em."
"Good work Whelp. I'm just about finished over here, so you can start by placing them on the edge, there." Spike instructed his student by pointing to portion of the Glyph that was now full of Flux once more. "Once I've finished this, we can be on our way."
"What about all of these other boxes? Aren't we going to take any of the treasure with us?"
With a gentle nod towards the two eggs that his student had already carried over, "Why? We've already got the most important treasure here! Besides them, our only other objective was to re-establish the link between here and Equestria. Let the pony researchers look into it, Whelp. In all honesty, everything here belongs to them, not us."
Whelp could feel a tug, a pull. 'All of this treasure lying around, and Master Spike is barring us from taking any of it. Just like he always does. With everything! It just doesn't feel right to leave the gems and the gold here all alone by itself-' The dragon stopped and vigorously shook his head. "What the heck am I saying? Rocks getting lonely..."
"Hmm? Did you say something Whelp?"
"Nope, nothing!" Whelp said with an overly emphasized grunt as he carefully lowered the last egg onto the glyph. 'Nothing that makes sense anyway' he mumbled to himself.
"Good, then let’s get out of here."
Spike turned away from his pupil and the other eggs, and preceded to carefully blow his magically charged flame onto the Glyph. Upon activation, the damp air of the room began to tear at everything within the sealed chamber. A loud pop sounded, followed by a blinding flash, and the hidden room lay silent once more. Completely dark, save for the feint red glow of the Glyph on the now-mismatched, stone floor.
~~~~~
Upon their arrival, Spike instructed the hired guardsponies to assemble, with instructions that they were to secure the room beyond the Translocation Glyph. With any luck all of the treasure could be recovered before the Diamond Dogs managed to find the room. Orders given and everypony doing as instructed, Spike turned to check on the real prize.
Whelp was doing his best to bundle the eggs together, but returning to safety seemed to cause his adrenaline to finally give out. The poor dragon was barely awake. Scooping up the eggs in one arm and the younger dragon in the other, Spike left the Glyph room for home, The Ponyville Library.
~~~~~
After the weeks away from home, Whelp was glad to have some regular chores to do for a change. The simple-mindedness of the tasks gave him ample time to think about all that had happened to him. The young dragon knew he would need to speak with his master about returning Starswirl's journal. After all, he had finished reading it even before they had entered the mine. There was also the matter concerning the choice he had to make.
Whelp still wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Sure, he felt differently about the hardships of others, but did he really want to pass up the opportunity of leaving Spikes service just yet? After a few days, when the task of categorizing the treasure was nearly complete, Whelp knew one thing for certain, he had stalled long enough. It was time to have a talk with Spike.
Spike was in his private study, no doubt finalizing his report to Canterlot. Whelp hesitated before knocking on the door. Doubts over whether or not he was ready for this particular conversation coursed through his head. Before he could make up his mind, his master spoke.
"It's about time Whelp, I was beginning to think you had forgotten about our little chat."
'Too late to turn back now, I guess', the younger dragon thought to himself as he entered the study. The room itself was messy, but organized. Just the way Spike liked it. The study was one of the few places that Whelp was not tasked with cleaning regularly.
"Don't just stand there Whelp. Take a seat." Spike stated as he gestured toward one of the special chairs that were normally reserved for guests. Unlike the pillows or sofas that would normally accompany an office setting, Spike had designed these chairs to be comfortable for both ponies and dragons alike.
"Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to apologize. I never meant to put you on the spot like I did back on the airship. Contrary to what you might think, I too have had some difficulties in finding out who exactly I am, and what it is that I would like out of life. That being said, I've decided that remaining in my service need not be based on whether or not you've had a change of heart."
"So... what does that mean exactly?"
"It means that I have no right to keep you here if you feel that our arrangement is holding you back. If you wish to leave my service, then I cannot hold your decision against you."
Whelp wasn't sure exactly how he felt about that. He was free to leave, to do what he felt was necessary for a change. On the other claw, however, he didn't know what was best for him. Not yet. "Thanks, I guess. I should probably apologize as well. I know that you've only tried to do what you've thought was best. The truth is, I do appreciate what you've done for me, and while I know that the only one that can find myself is me and me alone, if there's anything I've learned over these past few weeks, it's that I'm not ready to leave just yet. There's still so much that I need to learn about being a dragon and you're the only dragon I know who's willing to teach."
"I think we're even as far as apologies are concerned then, and I'm pleased to learn that you recognize your own shortcomings. It means that you're beginning to mature. That being said, have you decided on a name yet?"
"Sadly, no I haven't." Whelp said in a dejected tone. Glancing down at the journal he was still holding, the young dragon came to the sudden realization that it didn't matter. "But I have been thinking about it, maybe I don't need a name that perfectly describes what I want to become. Maybe I can earn a title through my actions. You said it yourself that Starswirl's name wasn't the one he was given, but in the end nopony knows about the bad stuff that happened to him. So, while I have yet to think of a name, there's no reason that I can't make a name for myself through my actions instead."
Silence filled the room for more than an uncomfortable moment. Finally, Spike spoke, "Maybe our little adventure did more for you than it did for me. Actions have always spoken louder than words, young one, never forget this. You must also remember that the road to Tartarus was paved with good intentions. Starswirl is a prime example of this. His intentions to bring magic to the masses brought with them the destruction of one, maybe two whole civilizations, not to mention his indirect involvement in the death of a dear friend of mine." Another pause as the Elder dragon delved into his memories once more, the silence only increasing the chances of his words being taken to heart. "In the end though, his actions have saved us all, and there are so very few of us who know of this simple truth..."
"Was it Twilight Sparkle?"
"Hmm? My friend? Oh yes, I'll have to tell you that story too someday. At least what I know of it. She tended to keep most of the details from us, as it was her belief that complete understanding of the situation was fatal. That story, however, can wait until we've had something to eat. Shall we?" Spike said, motioning for the both of them to get up, a signal that the heaviest portion of their conversation had now passed.
'How is that even possible?' Whelp thought to himself, "Oh wait! Before we go, would it be alright if I borrowed the Journal for a little while longer? I know I've already finished it, but for some reason, I don't think I'm ready to put it down just yet."
"I don't see why not, my boy. That story is far better than what I chose to read as a child."
Again, hearing his master's praise brought a grin to Whelps face as he picked up the journal and ran towards the door that Elder was now holding open. "I do have one question though, what happened to the recipes and letters that were mentioned in the beginning of the journal? I couldn't find a single one."
After thinking for a moment, Spike only said, "Now you know why I said that Starswirl indirectly lead to the demise of Twilight Sparkle..."
The End