//------------------------------// // 4 // Story: Immutable // by Rocinante //------------------------------// Shining Armor sat on the bed prepared for him, his mind raced with the events of the day. The room was bare, but not uncomfortable. Tomorrow he would start the trip back to his parent's estate. He had hoped to bring his sister back with him. But, he knew she had to stay here; this was her place now. He would return in a few weeks and actually spend some time with her. At least he had good news for his parents. Now his mother could see about making Twilight’s life more comfortable. She would send guards and food. Perhaps in time they could even build a proper road. He imagined the road would come sooner rather than later. Ponyville would stand to gain much from being the last town before the somber march to the castle. Inns and restaurants would flourish. The influx of tax bits would go far to grow the little town. With luck, they could even put in the irrigation network that the Apple family had been asking for - every day, for twenty years. Then there was the matter of helping his sister with her quest for the missing Element. After what he had seen today he had no choice but to believe her every word. The star charts had told her they were near the final year of the millennium. Winter solstice was soon, that left only six months to prepare for whatever was going to happen.   But, all that started tomorrow. Tonight he would sleep in his sisters castle, in the bed she had prepared for him. - - - Twilight woke in the early morning hours. The window of her room told her the sun had not yet risen. Easing to her hooves he looked to Spike’s bed, but found it already empty. With a smile she gathered her magic and teleported herself down to the kitchen. “Morning Twilight,” Spike said. “Looks like you have a crowd out there today. I counted twenty” Spike handed her a plate with a rather lush looking omelet. “Coffees done too.” Twilight kissed Spike on the top of his head before taking the plate. “What’s with the fancy food?” “Got more donations yesterday. Might as well use them while they're fresh,” Spike shrugged as he sat across from her and started in on his own meal, a slightly plainer omelet with a shimmer of crushed gemstones. “I’ll make Uncle Shining one when he wakes up,” he said between bites. “Thank you Spike” Twilight made slow work of the meal. Fresh, hot food was a luxury. Spike had it far easier than she did when it came to food. Her divine gift had also led her to the treasury in the basement; it too sealed beyond the looter’s reach. There was enough gems there to feed Spike well into his third century. She could have bought a kingdom with it, but it was not hers to use. The meager stipend she took was largely for the benefit of Spike. Washing down the last bite with coffee, “I’m going to go watch the dawn with the visitors,” Twilight said. Taking her coffee with her, she walked through the great halls till she came to the grand entrance. Leaving her cup inside the doorway, she stepped out on the formal landing of the castle. The stairway landing had become a sort of stage for her. The front courtyard taken back from the wilderness years ago. The pilgrims had cleared the ground and erected a wooden palisade that incorporated the front of the castle. The reclaimed hectare was now the camping grounds for all the wished to visit their gods old home and speak with the Priestess. Even in the rosy pre-dawn hour there were ponies stirring about. Those that came with a black robe would dance under the midnight moon. Those that came with a white robe would meditate as the sun rose. Not that the color of your cloths would prevent you from joining either celebration. Over the years Twilight had noticed that Luna, the god of change tended to attract more unicorns. While Celestia, the god of life attracted more earth ponies. Pegasi fell about even between the two. Surveying the morning’s crowd she found the reason for the sudden influx. Her Mother’s banned flew over a large tent. A single guard stood at its front; a young and fidgety pegasus mare. The gleam of brass on her chest told Twilight that she had earned recognitions. She was curious if she would recognize anypony in the tent. But, the thought was cut short, when the presence of a crowd staring at her snapped her out of her musings. Clearing her throat and addressing the supplicants, Twilight spoke. “Soon the sun rises. Celestia’s will continues without her. Every year, on the longest day, it is every unicorn’s duty to give a part of themselves to set the sun on its path for another year. Just as they do for the moon on the shortest day.” Twilight paused and let the statement set. She was addressing mostly earth ponies. Their toil was every day, a thing that could not be forgotten. Yet they did not have to hand over a slice of their soul to the rite twice a year. Perhaps unicorns lived a softer life, but they died decades younger that an earth pony. “We have lived for a thousand years without our gods,” Twilight paused again. She surveyed the crowd and singled out a massive red stallion. Pointing a hoof at him she continued. “I ask now for the help of the strong and the talented, to rebuild the sister’s home.” She cast her hoof behind her to the castle. “For we will not go another year without our gods. The Sisters will return on the Summer Sun.” Twilight left out the fighting gods part of the vision. She needed excited ponies willing to help, not panic-stricken ponies. Twilight cast the vision spell that allowed all the gathered ponies to see the horizon, as if there was no forest or castle between them and the rising sun. She had good timing this day, only seconds after she had the spell cast the corona of the sun poked above the world. Despite the shocking announcement the devout stayed calm and happily watched the sunrise, with only a minimal amount of murmuring. /// McIntosh Apple pondered the little mare that had singled him out. After the sun had risen above the horizon, she had dismissed the magic that allowed him to see it, and ventured down the steeps. The crowd rushed to gather around and berate her with questions, but he preferred to go back to his own tent. He had not like the idea of coming out here to begin with. Granny Smith had insisted he go. As the oldest, it was his duty to make the trip for the family, bring Celestia’s favor to the farm. Sure, like almost every earth pony he started the day with a little prayer to the gold disk that represented Celestia’s sun. It was just for good luck though. Mac rolled his eyes to himself. He knew how this was going to go - he would end up working for free. The Apple family spoke for all the earth ponies in Ponyville; they had to maintain a certain image. Not that he wouldn’t drop everything to help a friend or a stranger in distress, but this religious cook was neither. Telling all these poor ponies that their beloved god would again walk the earth in just a few months. He didn’t know who to feel worse for. At least it was the winter, there was no work to be done on the farm and working here would keep him busy. ‘Heck,’ he thought. ‘I might even get a few good stories out of this.’ /// Twilight answered questions the best she could. Several from the crowd had volunteered to help her. Others said they knew talented ponies that would be interested in volunteering. But, soon the press became too much for her. She had spent too many years alone to be comfortable in a crowd. Excusing herself, she scurried away from the clump of ponies and started to climb the steps back to her quiet castle. Halfway up, Shining emerge from the castle. “Oh, there you are,” he smiled. Walking down to meet her, he gave her a hug. “Your.. Spike makes a wonderful breakfast.” he said. Looking over her head he spotted the camp his guards had set up. “Follow me, I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends.” Twilight winced at the thought of wading back into the camp. But, old-happy memories of following her big brother around outstripped her trepidation. A content smile crossed her face as she followed him; allowing herself to simply be somepony’s little sister, instead of keeper of the castle or the Priestess of the faithful. The combined gravitas of the siblings was palpable. Ponies moved aside and none intruded on the two-pony precession as they walked the fifty meters from the castle to the little camp. As they approached the camp Twilight got a better look at the guard from earlier. Atop her colorful caparison rested wings of a sky blue, and shocks of multicolored mane stuck out from every direction of her helm. She was an inattentive guard, instead of watching for any danger, she was trying to balance her spear on her nose; and doing a good job of it. The guard obliviousness was not lost on her brother. When the mare continued her balancing act he turned to Twilight with a sly smile and gave her a, “Shh”. Following her brother’s lead, she imitated his slow movements till they came up just behind her. “Lieutenant Dash!” he barked.   To her credit the lieutenant did not so much as flinch. Instead she rolled her head just enough that she could look at them with one eye; the spear still standing on end upon her nose. “I was watching you since you walked out the castle,” the lieutenant said. Shining kept his stern look in spite of the mare’s blase. “I don’t think that counts as keeping your weapon at the ready. What would you do is a timberwolf jumped the wall?” Dash’s eyes looked back to the log wall, while the rest of her kept the balance. “Third knot from the bottom,” was the only warning before the guard rolled her neck, allowing the spear to fall like a tree; the butt still in contact with her nose. Her whole body blurred in a whipping motion that started at her tail and ended in her muzzle. The flick sent the spear whistling a dozen meters before it sank deep into a knot on the palisade wall. Twilight’s jaw hung slack and the maneuver. Looking from Dash to her brother she saw his gruff demeanor melt. “One day. One day Rainbow, I’m going to catch you off guard,” Shining chuckled. “Phfft. Good luck,” Rainbow Dash smirked as she rubbed a hoof against her caparison and then examined its polish. Shining laughed and rolled his eyes. “Twilight, I’d like you to meet our newest Lieutenant, Rainbow Dash.” “Winner of Cloudsdale’s best young flyers competition” Dash added. “I’m impressed” Twilight said, looking back at the spear in the wall. Shining’s voice had roused the half-dozen ponies that had been asleep in the tent. The lot of them slowly emerged in various states of dress and now stood in a half circle. They all directed curious looks between Twilight and Shining. The air hung with anticipation for him to say whether or not this Twilight was in fact the long-lost daughter of Baron Twilight Velvet. Shining took joy in stretching out the moment. Turning back to look at Twilight one more time before addressing the group. “And everypony, I’d like you to meet my sister.” The line crushed forward with whoops and cheers as they traded hugs and congratulations with Shining. Each of them took turn introducing themselves to Twilight. The faces were strange, but friendly to her. Though, a few names she felt like she remembered. “We can head home now right?” one of them said. “I’ll be glad to get out of this creepy forest.” “Well... That’s where it get’s complicated,” Shining said. “We are heading home as soon as we break camp. But, Twilight tells me she has to stay here; for now at least.” Groans of disappointment echoed around the circle of ponies. Shining cleared his throat to quiet the disappointed ponies. “And Dash. I want you to stay here with my sister. I trust you. You’re about the same age, I think you two could get along.” Dash grinned and nodded in agreement. Special assignment, and to guard the Baron’s daughter no less. Twilight sighed. She had been fine with just Spike all these years. But, if it made her brother feel better about leaving her... “We’re leaving all the food and medicine we brought too” He continued. “Twilight will tell you where to take it.” The gathered ponies jumped as his command and descended on their camp like ants. In the span of an hour the camp was dismantled. Somewhere amidst the breakdown of camp and the hauling of supplies into the keep, Dash had flown off to “Survey her new assignment”. It looked more like she was just flying tricks around the castle grounds to Twilight.. With his companions loaded and waiting for him by the gate, Shining embraced his sister one more time. “I’ll be back soon, we’ll catch up more. I’m sure Mother and Father will come too.” “I’ll let you know what I find out about the Elements and the missing one.” Twilight said before pulling away from her brother.  She was going to miss him, it was a long forgotten emotion. Her old life had been washed away by the thousand-year dream. The memories of her family were more distant than those of the castle. Still, the thought of her parents and her old home called to her. It was a sense of duty that kept her from following her brother home, not lack of want. “After the winter moon festival, I’ll come back with you to visit mother and father.” “Is that a promise?” Shining asked. Twilight nodded, looking more the filly than the Priestess.. With a smile, Shining turned away from her and joined his band at the gate. The gates were opened by the pilgrims just long enough for them to pass, then shut again. While the castle grounds were tamed, the Everfree Forest was still a dangerous place. With a sight Twilight made her way back to the castle. Spike had almost exploded with glee at all the supplies her brother had left. She needed to go help him sort and store everything. It would take him a week to do it himself.