//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: A Crack in the Diamond // Story: Legacy of the Sun // by IceColt //------------------------------// Earlier. “Well, you were the last pony I was expecting to see here!” Shining Armor looked up. The Sun shone brightly through Castle Canterlot’s elongated windows, an unwelcome reminder for the Captain of the Royal Guard that he still had half the day before him. The first half had already been quite enough for Shining. Not to mention the night before it. Ever since his yesterday run-in with Stone Quill, Shining Armor had been on his hooves. The meeting of the magister and Luna in the hallway had started a storm Shining had been very ill-prepared to deal with, and still was. For said storm was an impossible challenge, namely creating flawless cooperation within a few days between the two sources of the greatest enemyship in Equestria: the Royal Guard and the Night Watch. The enmity between the two corps was very old, reaching back all the way to the rebellion of Nightmare Moon. Their defeat and misplaced loyalty was a scar the Night Watch didn’t wear proudly, and they resented the Royal Guard greatly for inflicting it. The Royal Guard, on the other hoof, had mistrusted the Night Watch ever since their betrayal, ignoring their claim that it was Celestia herself who had pardoned them for their ‘mistake’. Although the reasons for the grudge were now buried in the past, the bilateral antipathy had withstood the test of time. In fact, ever since Luna’s return, it had gotten worse. Since the Princess of the Night was not actually a foal-devouring monster, the Night Watch saw itself as the victim of 1000 years wrongly-placed anger and demanded the reinstatement of the old equality between the two guards. A thing which the Royal Guard was highly unwilling to support. Up until now, the two corps had avoided involving the Princesses in their disputes, but then the meeting in the hallway had happened. And now, Shining Armor found himself on the clock to establish at least some semblance of cooperation between his guards and the Night Watch, before Celestia could find out that two of Equestria's five military forces were squabbling like little children. For that reason, Shining stood in a corridor and faced a door. A very specific door which, if Shining was allowed to be honest, he was loath to enter. It wasn’t the door’s fault; it was a very well-made door. The walnut wood was wrought expertly, beautiful embellishments carved onto its surface. Its opaque tinge called to mind the night sky, with silver ornaments shimmering like stars and a crescent moon glowing from the center completed the resemblance. It wasn’t unusual for this image to come into a pony’s mind when they stood before the door. It was, after all, the entrance to the office of the Captain of the Night Watch, Old Crow. This very Captain of the Night Watch was the reason why Shining Armor was unwilling to enter. The familiar voice calling his attention was therefore most welcome as a distraction from his unrewarding duties, more so when he recognized its owner. “No reason to act so shocked, Colonel Whisper,” he replied with a smirk. The unicorn mare smiled. Her smokey-grey coat was complemented well by her Night Watch armour. She tossed back her pale-blue mane, revealing delicate features. “I can hardly think of anything else that would be more appropriate to be shocked at, Captain Armor.” Shining’s smirk widened to a smile. Despite Colonel Nightly Whisper being a high-ranking member of the Night Watch, there was no shortage of admirers from the Royal Guard. The ‘official’ reason was that she was one of the few watchponies who were willing to work with the Royal Guard. The unofficial - and actual - reason was that she was the kind of mare who made stallions turn their heads whenever she passed them. Personally, Shining had never shared his guards’ infatuation with Nightly Whisper, but he was thankful for her help. “So, what brings the Captain of the Royal Guard to our dear Old Crow’s doorstep? Longing for a friendly chat?” Shining’s smile deepened as he shook his head. “Nothing that pleasant, I’m afraid. I’m here by orders of Princess Luna.” “Oh?” Nightly raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Did the Princess of the Night send you here like a bad colt so you can apologize for being a bad playmate?” “I guess you could say that,” Shining murmured as he looked absently at the door. Nightly’s brow sank and her smile vanished. “You’re kidding,” she said. Shining looked at the baffled Nightly and clicked his tongue. “So, Old Crow hasn’t told you yet. I guess she wanted to make sure I couldn’t avoid her,” he guessed. He sighed and turned towards the stunned Nightly. “On order of Princess Luna, the Night Watch and the Royal Guard are to cooperate on the task of protecting Magister Stone Quill.” The explanation only deepened Nightly’s confusion. “Who?” Shining made a slightly irritated movement with his head. “Some old geezer here in Canterlot Castle. He spends most of his time up in his tower.” Nightly’s eyebrow rose up again, curiosity its carrier this time. “How does a pony like that get personal attention from Princess Luna?” Shining was about to answer, when he noticed that no words would come to his mind. He furrowed his brow, trying to concentrate his thoughts, but the void remained. Finally, he just shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. The differences between the Royal Guard and the Night Watch need to be taken care of anyway. We can’t stay at each other’s throats when the Princesses we have sworn allegiance to have reconciled,” he replied. Nightly’s brow sank again, her smile returning in exchange, though this time it was a bit crooked. “That’s a lovely sentiment, Captain Armor, but I think you’re forgetting that you need more than nice words to get Captain Crow to cooperate,” she reminded him. “I’ll get her to come around.” “You could just listen to her.” Shining Armor’s expression turned hard at Nightly’s suggestion. “I won’t let her bully me with some absurd demands for reparation. I’ll respect her authority and she will have my cooperation, but I won’t enter some shady deal that has not been sanctioned by the Princesses!” Nightly sighed and shook her head. “You’re both helpless... Well, if you ever need help, just tell me. I may not be Captain of the Night Watch, but I can try to pull some strings.” Shining nodded. “Thanks, Nightly, I appreciate it.” They smiled at each other, for a brief moment not Colonel and Captain, only friends that had met during training and had trusted each other ever since. A glance from Nightly towards the windows brought them back to the present. “Oops, it’s getting late. I should go, even a Colonel shouldn’t miss patrol.” This time, Shining raised an eyebrow. “You’re patrolling?” “Well, what can I say? We’re not big enough that we can shove such mundane tasks onto our recruits.” Nightly sighed theatrically. “If only we were better funded...” Shining grimaced. “Don’t you start this too.” Nightly laughed and gave Shining a bump on his shoulder with her forehoof. “See you around then. Try to not tear out each other’s throats too much.” “I can’t promise anything,” Shining called as she walked down the corridor and disappeared around the corner. Alone again, Shining turned back to the door. He stared at it for one more moment and then sighed. No sense in putting it off any longer. He raised his forehoof and knocked. “Come in!” came a gruff voice from inside. Shining pushed down the handle and opened the door. The room’s air was thick with smoke. The midday sun’s light shining through the windows was diffused by billows of fume, painting the office with a golden twilight that strained the eye. Several recently extinguished candle stands, the sources of the smoke, were placed all over the room, cooling proof of a worked through night. Two of them stood atop a writing desk, which was placed at the other side of the office. It was sturdy and simple, its only adornment the Night Watch’s sigil, the ever-watchful eye. Behind it sat an old pegasus mare, unobscured by the piles of documents placed on top of the desk. She looked as exhausted as Shining felt, but that did not affect her gloating smile. “My, my, my. Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. What can I do for you, dear colleague?” Shining suppressed an eye-rolling. “I really don’t have time for this, Captain Crow.” The mare leaned back, still grinning. Her steely grey coat melted well with the smokey ambience, her dark blue mane almost disappearing completely in the half-dark, were it not for a few white hairs showing. “‘Captain Crow’ now, is it? To what do I owe this sudden politeness, accompanied with this surprising visit?” Shining stifled a sigh. Albeit expected, Old Crow’s unwillingness to cooperate was still frustrating. “You know why I’m here, Captain Crow.” “Really?” Old Crow widened her eyes in simulated surprise. “Are you sure? I mean, how could the lowly Night Watch ever be as well-informed as the highly respected Royal Guard?” “This is hardly appropriate, Captain Crow,” Shining gnarled. “Ah, of course, how kind of you to remind me of that. I would be lost without your guidance, Captain Armor. Now I can truly appreciate the wisdom in your decision, to keep the Night Watch so insignificant—” “I’m not here to listen to your ramblings, Auld,” Shining snapped. Auld ‘Old’ Crow, as was her actual name, didn’t flinch at Shining’s sudden exclamation. Only a mischievous glint entered her eyes while she leaned forward again, her smile still in place. “Aw, too bad, I was just getting used to you being polite to me,” she quipped. “Well, some things are not meant to last, I suppose.” Her smile vanished, giving her the expression Shining had come to expect of her: dismissive and discontent. “Of course I know why you’re here. Princess Luna’s letter reached me yesterday afternoon.” Shining had a long day behind him. He had been kept awake the whole night by receiving reports and writing up orders. His supply of patience was already running low, and hearing that Auld had been aware of the situation from the very beginning was draining the rest fast. “So you ignored a direct order from your Princess, just to get a chance to mock me?!” Shining growled, glaring angrily at the Captain of the Night Watch. Old Crow snorted disdainfully. “Please, you overrate yourself, Shining. Just because I didn’t talk to you doesn’t mean that I was idle.” She placed a hoof on a document in front of her and slid it forward. “Everything has been taken care of on my end.” Shining furrowed his brow as he grasped the document with his magic and levitated it in front of him. Squinting his eyes to pierce the smoke, he surveyed the writing, mouthing the words as he read them. “Private Moonbeam? Never heard of her.” Old Crow gave a condescending chuckle as she pushed herself away from the desk and stood up from her seat. “Like I said, Shining, I don’t tell you everything I do.” She walked around the desk and swiped a helmet from its corner. With the desk not standing between her and Shining, he could see that she wore her captain’s panoply. The armor was comprised of midnight blue plates, each one artfully accentuated with fine silver trim that were reminiscent of the stars in the night sky. Shining knew from personal experience that it was also very heavy and not something you’d choose to wear while sitting at your desk. “Then I suppose you also won’t tell me where you plan to go,” Shining said, grinding his teeth. It was hardly a question and Old Crow’s mocking grin confirmed that as she walked to the door. “Of course not. You won’t need to worry about those kind of things in the near future anyway, with your upcoming ‘promotion’ and all that.” Shining had enough. The document crumpled in his magical grasp as fury welled up inside of him and he stomped forcefully on the ground. “Don’t change the subject! Whatever may happen in the future, right now I am Captain of the Royal Guard! And I won’t allow my duty of protecting the Princesses and the ponies of Equestria to be obstructed by anypony! Now, will you help me or not?!” Old Crow stood frozen on the spot, standing directly in front of the door. Her helmet was held under one of her wings and her back was turned to Shining. Silence filled the office. At last, Old Crow slowly turned around. No mocking grin was on her lips anymore and anger burned in her eyes. “Help you? Don’t you mean ‘surrender to you’? Don’t act like you’re the hero here, Shining. You could’ve reached out to us much sooner, but instead you need an order to even talk business with me. It’s obvious you don’t really want to cooperate and I won’t work with somepony that I can’t trust.” “I don’t care if you can’t trust me. This is more important than your dislike of me!” Shining snapped back. Old Crow gave a sound of contempt. “You overrate yourself again. The Night Watch is not dependent on the Royal Guard. We will fulfill Princess Luna’s orders to protect Stone Quill, without your ‘supervision’.” Old Crow swirled around, took the helmet from under her wing and put it on. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Captain Armor, there are important things I need to attend to. We don’t get recruits thrown at us by noble families, after all.” Before Shining could speak up, Old Crow was out of the door, her steps fading into the distance. Shining was tempted to run after her, make her listen with force. Yet he remained in the smoky office, enveloped by the colding candles’ fumes. He breathed deeply and immediately regretted it as the colding candles’ fumes caused him to cough. Fortunately, this distraction was enough for him to calm down. He needed to keep a level head if he wanted to do this without Old Crow’s help. He would need to ask Nightly Whisper for assistance, make her reach out to this Moonbeam pony. As the coughing fit passed, a sigh escaped Shining. He had really underestimated Stone Quill’s capacity for trouble this time. Who would have expected him to be of direct interest for the Princesses, though? Shining blinked. That was not completely correct. After all, Celestia visited Stone Quill all the time in his chamber. He had read the reports of the tower’s guards just this evening. Yet it had simply slipped his mind. Shining furrowed his brow. Hadn’t the same thing happened right before he had entered the office? He had lacked an answer for Nightly’s question, but had only shrugged it away. It was almost as if there was something about Stone Quill that made Shining not care. Something that made the elderly unicorn simply forgettable. Shining, however, never forgot a pony. He even remembered the name of everypony on the Nobles’ Caucus. Forgetting somepony the Princess of the Sun visited on a regular basis was not something that happened to him. He thought back to Swift Wing, who had run himself into a breakdown inside Canterlot Castle and how effortlessly Stone Quill had appeared just seconds after. What if disorienting a pony was not the only mind trick this old unicorn was capable of? Yet for what purpose? Why would he feel the need to hide like that in plain sight? Was it related to Princess Luna’s demand for extra protection? Shining sighed. Grasping at these fleeting thoughts was exhausting and he still had to do things. He would just have to trust that the Princesses knew what they were doing. After all, who could possibly know what kind of matters of national importance they were dealing with right now? --- Luna was convinced that the teachers were highly unfair. Standing on its apex, the sun shone brightly through the windows into the classroom. The desks, which were normally arranged into several rows, had been pushed to the side. The exception were three tables, which now formed one elongated board for four examiners to sit behind. Their clipboards rested on the tables over which they observed five unicorn foals in the middle of the room with reserved expressions. Apart from the four examiners and the five foals, the room was empty. Except for Luna. The Princess of the Night stood in a corner behind the examiners, made unnoticeable through her magic. Her gaze rested neither on the examiners nor on the foals. She looked at the plant which stood between the two groups. It was a dead, withered sapling, dried-up leaves hanging from its stem. Reviving it would be a difficult task. Too difficult for a single foal, in fact. Yet the examiners seemed rigid in their demands. Their stares were pitiless when a colt with sandy coat and a brown, curly mane cast his magic onto the plant to no avail. He grimaced in exertion, his magic flickering around his horn, but the effort proved too great. He gasped in exhaustion and the magical glimmer died out. The examiners raised their pencils in unison and silently wrote something on their clipboards. There were badly concealed smirks among the other foals when the colt returned to the group, hanging his head in shame. Luna clicked her tongue disapprovingly at the foals' behaviour. They let anxiety control their actions, causing strife to spread between them. The existence of one plant had created the notion in their heads that only one of them could pass. Not that she could blame the foals for thinking that way, it was what the examiners had intended. Luna sighed softly while she watched a pale gold-colored filly with navy-blue, silver-streaked mane strut up to the plant. Her haughty air might deceive the examiners, but Luna knew that the filly’s heart was beating rapidly. She had seen the little one’s fear in her dreams. It was one of the reasons why Luna was here in the first place. Since her return, foals had grown quite dear to her. Their fright was openly displayed and could easily be calmed if Luna was honest to them. They did not lock away their apprehension deep inside of them, put on a fake smile and bowed their heads before them to call her their princess. When a child smiled at her, it was genuine. Luna paused her thoughts when the filly’s horn lit up with her magical aura. In response, the almost-withered sapling suddenly lit up in healthy green, its stem growing a healthy bark and the leaves regaining their juicy verdant tinge. Luna raised her eyebrows and nodded. Impressive, even if it was an illusion. The examiners were not as willing to show mercy. One of them, a younger unicorn mare with stern features, let her horn briefly flicker and dispelled the illusion. She shot a reprimanding glare in the filly’s direction and then wrote on her clipboard. “Refrain from illusions, Miss Moon. The test requires you to revive this plant, not feign its health.” Their condemning looks proved to be not as effective on the filly as on the colt. She returned their glares defiantly, before turning around with a faint ‘Hmph’ and strutting back to the other foals. Luna smiled sadly. Poor, little Starstruck Moon. She was usually such a kind and bright filly. It was too bad that the uncertainty of acceptance made her retreat to arrogance, otherwise she would have no problem befriending the other foals. If only she could open herself up to the others... Then again, there were many adult ponies who were unable to do so. One specific immortal princess certainly was. Ever since the Princess of the Night’s meeting with Stone Quill, Celestia had declined any further offers of help from Luna. She would smile gently, explaining her younger sister that she would need all her energy for Ponyville, and then turn back to the document-laden table to answer letters, write up invitations, and/or review the Summer Sun Celebration’s progress. So Luna was once more caught in the torturous trap of idleness, now impatience for their leave towards Ponyville helping her anxiety. Not that Luna had honestly expected anything different. Celestia rarely trusted anypony with her work, not even her own sister. Well, there had been one pony. A shadow fell over Luna’s expression. She couldn’t understand why Celestia wanted to give Stone Quill a chance. No matter how she looked at it, he wasn’t the same stallion anymore who had saved their lives. Then again, Celestia saw things in ponies Luna never recognized and she was even willing to sacrifice her own good for them. It had always been like this... --- “Equestria is burning and it is your fault, foolish pony!” Luna cowered fearfully behind the pillar. The force of the voice shook her very bones, yet she couldn't help but keep spying. The stallion flinched under the accusation, but didn’t withdraw. His eyes were alight with mad fear, the expression of a pony on his face, who saw their greatest creation crumble in front of them. “No! I can still save it! Help me and I can—” The entire room trembled when a booming voice cut him off. “You won’t save anything! We have given you our aid for the last time!” The stallion’s legs shook with the quivering room as he struggled to remain standing. “You can’t do that! I need to teach true harmony to Equestria! I order you to—” A grunt escaped him as a magical aura closed around his throat and lifted him effortlessly from the ground. Luna's yelp was silenced by her fright. “Silence! We have had enough of you! You may have doomed your kind to ages of war and us to extinction, but we’ll make sure you won’t remain unpunished. There will be no salvation for you, just like this realm!” “Wait!” The clear female voice sounded through the room like a bell’s toll. The squeezing grasp around the stallion’s throat halted as every gaze turned to the door. Luna's eyes widened in shock and she silently shook her head, but the mare had turned her back towards her. “Who are you?!” The voices thundered through the entire chamber, dust trickling from the ceiling and the walls shaking dangerously. The mare shrank back, but then put forth her hoof again. Determination burned in her eyes as she rose her head defiantly, staring down the enraged entities. “I am Celestia. Help me and I will save you.” --- “Here as well, sister?” The Princess of the Night rose from her memories with a start. She turned her head and her eyes widened in surprise. “Celestia? What brings you here?” Her sister chuckled. “Well, today are the last entrance exams for my school, so I thought it to be fitting that I take a look. How do the foals fare?” Just as Luna opened her mouth, the next examinee practically gave the answer for her as his life spell turned into a lightning bolt and struck the dead sapling. “As you can see,” Luna explained while the colt hastily stumbled backwards, trying to interrupt the connection between the lightning and the sapling, “things look rather grim.” “I see indeed,” replied Celestia, her thoughtful gaze resting on the foals. Luna looked over there too, just in time to see Starstruck give a deprecative glance towards the colt who had just returned to the group. Luna exhaled dissatisfiedly when he responded with a frustrated growl. “I fear they won’t be able to understand the problem in time.” “Well, not all hope is lost yet.” Luna looked at Celestia with a raised eyebrow, but the Princess of the Sun didn’t say more. She kept looking ahead, observing the next foal step up to the plant. Unlike the other foals, this filly with a silver coat did not immediately cast her magic. Instead, she walked around the dried-up plant, examining it carefully. She furrowed her brow as if in deep thought, before slowly it dissolved into straight-up confusion. She stopped and regarded the sapling quizzically, absentmindedly chewing on a soft green-colored strand of her aquamarine mane. At last, she turned towards the examiners. “Um, excuse me? I think there must be some kind of mistake.” The examiners raised their eyebrows in unison. “A mistake?” The filly nodded. “Yes, because it’s impossible to revive this plant on your own.” Luna looked at the filly with renewed interest, while Celestia simply gave content smile. The examiners had not such positive reactions. “The problem has been designed to be an adequate test of ability for your age group, Miss Capstone. If you are unable to solve it, please proceed.” The authority in the examiner’s voice did not intimidate the filly. She only furrowed her brow again, not in anger but in an honest attempt to find a solution for the problem. “But I can’t revive this plant on my own, or any foal else for that matter. It’s impossible!” “Very well observed.” As everypony turned around, Luna looked up. Celestia had stepped forward, leaving the magical hidey-place Luna had created for herself, and had made herself visible for the rest. Her gentle smile answered the dumbfounded stares by everypony else. “But not quite there,” she continued as she walked past the examiners, who had been turned into statues in the presence of their ruler. Unlike Capstone. Childish admiration and curiosity taking precedence over fearful respect, she tilted her head inquiringly. “You mean there is a solution?” Celestia’s smile deepened. The lack of an honorific was refreshing for her. “Think carefully, Capstone. Is there any way you can solve this problem?” Capstone furrowed her brow again, only to shake her head once more. “No. There is no way to do it alone.” She looked even more surprised when Celestia nodded in agreement. “Exactly. So what do you do when you can’t do it on your own?” Capstone opened her mouth, halted, thought once more, and then cautiously looked in the other foals’ direction. “I...ask for help?” Celestia beamed at her and nodded affirmingly. “Very good, Capstone.” She turned her head as well, smiling kindly at the other foals. Their badly concealed jealousy turned into surprise as Celestia raised her hoof and waved them towards her. "Come here, my little ponies. Don't be afraid." For the first time since they had entered, the foals exchanged glances void of animosity as they looked at each other confusedly. Their hesitation lasted only a moment, before they began to gingerly step towards the white alicorn. As the foals gathered around her, Celestia sat down on the ground in front of the plant. She shot a brief glance towards the other end of the room, causing the examiners to flinch under this sudden royal attention. They failed to notice that her gaze passed them and went towards Luna, who remained hidden away in her corner. She observed Celestia’s doing cautiously, wariness keeping her from joining them. She didn’t want to deal with five scared foals all of a sudden. Celestia smiled at her and then turned back to the young ponies. “Now, how should we go about to revive this plant?” The foals returned Celestia’s curious gaze with confused looks. They obviously had not expected to be asked the solution by the ruler of Equestria. They shyly glanced at each other, doubtful if their thoughts were actually correct. None of them wanted to sound stupid with their answers. At last, a rust-colored colt with a silver mane raised his hoof. It was the foal from the lightning incident. “Yes?,” Celestia encouraged him. He shifted on his hooves uncertainly. “Er...give it energy?” A brief, uncertain chuckle came from the other foals, nervosity tickling their nerves instead of honest amusement. It ended when they saw the affirming nod from Celestia. “Very good, young pony. What is your name?” “Live Wire. Um, Your Highness,” he added hastily. Celestia’s smile grew a little bit wider. “Well, Live Wire, why don’t you try it?” Live Wire shot an uncertain glance towards the plant. “Erm, I don’t know...” “Oh? Why is that?” Live Wire opened his mouth, closed it again and then looked towards the ground. His voice was barely audible when he answered. “...because I don’t wanna hit it with lightning again.” The other foals looked at Celestia again, trying to read from her expression if this was something that should be laughed at. Yet her smile did not show any amusement, only sympathy. She lowered her head to his height, looking at him thoughtfully. “I see. Does this happen to you often?” Live Wire nodded. “Whenever I need to use magic longer, it turns into a lightning bolt,” he explained to the floor. “Hmm. Then how about you do it with somepony together?” The young colt lifted his head, looking at Celestia perplexedly. “I can do that?,” he asked. Celestia nodded and smiled. “Of course. It’s all right to rely on others for help,” she replied, raising her head. She looked at the other foals. “Maybe some of you could help him?” The young ponies once again exchanged glances. While Live Wire’s answer had taken away some of their uncertainty, they still were timid of saying the wrong thing. At last, a beige-coated filly with light grey mane stepped forward. “I can,” she answered. Unlike the other foals, who were still unsure if they should regard Celestia with childish admiration or fearful respect, this filly had a calm, almost serene air about her. As the others looked at her in wonderment, Celestia smiled gratefully. “Thank you. What is your name?” “Square Root, Your Highness." “It’s nice to meet you, Square Root. Well then.” Celestia looked at the foals besides Live Wire and Square Root. “Let’s give the two of them a little space, shall we?” The three other foals nodded obediently and walked next to Celestia, leaving Square Root and Live Wire at the plant. Celestia waited until the last of them had sat down and then turned back to the two. “Alright. Now, Live Wire, cast your magic on the plant.” The colt still looked doubtful, but he turned around and cautiously let his horn light up with a plasma blue aura. The magical field remained calm for only a few seconds and soon, sparks of electricity began to dance around it. Live Wire contorted his face in arduously kept up concentration as the sparks multiplied in number rapidly. The foals beside Celestia watched worriedly, yet the Princess of the Sun remained calm. She turned towards Square Root. “Now then, Square Root. Carefully surround Live Wire’s magic with your own. Can you do that?” “I’ll try,” she answered. A hint of nervousness snuck into the filly’s tranquil exterior as she positioned herself beside Live Wire. She breathed deeply, closed her eyes and then cast her magic. A cerise-red aura appeared in response, placing itself around Live Wire’s flickering plasma-blue magic. Square Root’s twitching eyebrow told of the focus she needed and Live Wire had a likewise grimace as an expression. The three other foals beside Celestia were captivated by this magical performance in front of them, not one of them dared to blink. The examiners were just as stunned by this presentation of arcane capability, their clipboards in front of them completely forgotten. Only Luna noticed the slight shimmer on the tip of Celestia’s horn. A bright yellow spark, easily mistaken as a ray of light, snuck between the two flickering auras and in a matter of seconds, the turmoil calmed down. The examiners widened their eyes in amazement and the three spectating foals gave an impressed “woah”. Yet nopony looked as surprised as Live Wire and Square Root when they looked up and saw that the two magical fields flowed around each other in accord. Not one disharmony could be spotted. Nopony said a word. “I did it!,” Live Wire finally exclaimed joyfully. “We did it,” he added when he looked at Square Root and gave her a broad grin. A little smile inhabited the filly’s lips. “We did it indeed,” she answered. “Careful now,” Celestia reprimanded amusedly, “or you will lose your focus. Keep concentrating on that plant.” The foals nodded hastily and turned back to their magic’s goal. Celestia all the while looked at the other three foals with a smile. “Now, we have energy. Is there anything else we should need to give the plant?” --- Deep below Canterlot, a shadow scurried through the abandoned mines. Its diamonds shimmered impassively, incurious to the foreign figure that walked among them. They rather engaged themselves with the never-ending task of illuminating the caverns they called their home, lit up by a ray of light that found its origin far, far afield from these depths. It was a truly breathtaking view, but the shape didn’t care. Only when a sudden sound rose up in the distance did the figure stop immediately, looking around frantically. When it was certain that the caverns were still as abandoned as ever, it continued. The figure hurried deeper into the mines, its steps cautious and quiet. It followed down the rusty rails, the precious gems rising in their number the further the intruder went. Yet it didn’t express any interest in taking any and kept following down the abandoned galleries, guided by the infinitely reflected spark of light from the mine’s entrance. Finally, the figure met the end of the tunnel. The caverns suddenly opened up again, the ceiling reaching high above until it tapered shut. The walls were plastered with diamonds, causing the chamber to shine brightly from the light being reflected into its every corner. As impressive as this hidden chamber of diamonds was, however, it paled compared to what stood in its middle. A massive, gigantic diamond stood in its middle, almost as high as the chamber itself. Huge spikes of the precious stone protruded to all sides, giving the enormous treasure the resemblance of a wild flower in bloom. Or a violent flame, frozen in its struggle. The figure breathed heavily, from both exhaustion and excitement, as it carefully stepped closer. Its hoof trembled slightly as the figure placed it on the crystal to support itself while leaning closer. It squinted its eyes as it pressed its forehead against the cool, smooth surface of the diamond. For a while, the figure didn’t move. Then it exhaled in surprised relief. There, in the middle of the giant diamond, was what it had looked for. The silhouette of a pony. It was blurred by the massive diamond encasing it, but it was undoubtedly there. The figure exhaled again, this time calmer. It knew what it had to do now. --- “Very good, Starstruck Moon. Now keep the magical flow open without using it.” The filly nodded, too focused on her efforts to be able to talk. She stood on the other side of the sapling, facing Live Wire and Square Root, although her attention was fixed on the plant. Her haughty air had disappeared completely, honest excitement gleaming inside her eyes instead. She, like the other foals, had completely forgotten that they were in the middle of an exam. Celestia waited one moment to make sure Starstruck would follow the instructions and then turned to the two foals left at her side. “Are you ready, Happy Tree?” The colt with sandy coat and brown mane that had failed at the very beginning, nodded. “Very good. Now stand beside Starstruck and try to enter her magical aura.” Happy Tree nodded once more and then walked towards Starstruck Moon. “You better be careful,” the filly said to him through gritted teeth when he stood beside her. Happy Tree smiled gently. “I will.” His brief answer elicited an arched eyebrow from Starstruck Moon, but she didn’t dare to ease up on the focus of her magic to express her disconcertment vocally. Happy Tree, all the while, had closed his eyes and already a forest green aura had appeared around his horn. Carefully, he began reaching out, feeling for the correct arcane flow. Starstruck flinched slightly when his magic touched hers. “Hey, watch it!” “Sorry,” replied Happy Tree with closed eyes, his voice as calm as his expression. “You have to let his magic flow with yours. Take his images and magnify them with your illusions.” Moonstruck shot a disgruntled glance towards Square Root, who had taken a brief break from stabilizing Live Wire to explain their task. “I know that,” grumbled the pale-gold filly, before she closed her eyes as well. A slight shiver went through her when Happy Tree’s magic intersected with hers again, but she didn’t flinch away this time. “Very good, Starstruck Moon, Happy Tree,” praised Celestia the both of them as their arcane flows unified. Then she turned to Capstone, who was the last one to remain at her side. “Now listen carefully, young Capstone, your part may be the last one, but also the most important one...” --- The figure returned to the chamber’s entrance. On a quick glance, nothing seemed to have changed. Only one who looked closer would notice that there were strange, small bumps on several of the protruding spikes from the diamond in the middle, as well as on the gems that were directly in front of them. The figure surveyed its work and then nodded. All the preparations were done. It then took another step back and dug its left hoof into a saddlebag. Shortly after, the figure pulled out a small crystal. As in response, the small bumps on the diamonds began to softly glow, revealing them to be crystals as well. The figure breathed deeply once more, to prepare itself. Then it raised the crystal and softly began to hum at it. --- “So my task is to take both the energy and the vision of what it should accomplish, and make the plant accept it?” Capstone looked quizzically at Celestia, who nodded. “Exactly, Capstone. Your task is to make the sapling open up and receive. Without you, the energy can be as great as it wants or the vision as vivid as it can be, but they will never achieve what they desire. It is a very difficult and very important task.” “Difficult...,” repeated Capstone, as if trying to taste the word. She let her gaze wander uncertainly over the four other foals, worry spreading over her expression. Celestia smiled and placed a hoof on her shoulder, causing the filly to look up. “Have no fear. I am certain you won’t fail. Just trust the others to do their part and concentrate on your task.” Celestia’s warm voice washed over Capstone, taking away her anxiety and replacing it with a deep calm. She breathed deeply, looked at Celestia and then nodded. “Okay.” --- The humming danced through the chamber like the lonely tune of a restless spirit. For a while, that was all it did. Then, the crystal began to echo the sound, vibrating softly on the figure’s hoof. As it sounded and vibrated, the other crystals joined in. The at first lonely humming was soon accompanied by several others, much clearer in their tune. The song soon filled up the entire chamber, reaching up to the ceiling. It reverberated from the walls, jumping from diamond to diamond, tickling them with soft vibrations. Then, one diamond began to join in. Then another. And another. The song swelled up more and more, until every crystal and diamond in the chamber sang the tune. --- Capstone breathed deeply. She let her eyes wander from Starstruck Moon and Happy Tree to Live Wire and Square Root, before finally looking towards Celestia. The Princess of the Sun smiled encouragingly and gave a nod, which Capstone returned. Then she turned to the sapling and breathed again. It was all hanging on her now. The other four were doing their best, she needed to give it all too. Capstone breathed a third and final time, and then closed her eyes. Her horn lit up with a silver aura as she carefully felt for the two arcane flows. They weren’t difficult to spot. Live Wire’s overflowing energy was barely restrained by Square Root’s cool and calming aura and Starstruck Moon’s mystifying, entrancing magic glowed brightly with Happy Tree’s artful vision of the sapling. Capstone was amazed. None of those things she could have achieved by herself, but now there was barely anything she needed to do. In comparison, of course. Handling two separate magical fields to fuse it into one object was hardly a walk in the park. Yet Capstone wouldn’t have had it any other way. She would have felt bad if she could have just rested on the others’ work. This way, she was just as important as the others and at the same time not more important than them. It felt strangely satisfying. Capstone softly shook her head. No time to get distracted, it wouldn’t get any easier for the others if she lingered. She furrowed her brow and simultaneously grasped at both of the bristling arcane flows. --- The song became louder and louder, filled every inch of the chamber, until it became almost unbearable. The figure already had started to carefully back up to escape the sound. A wise choice, because suddenly a sharp diamond dislodged itself from the ceiling and rammed itself into the very ground the figure had just stood upon. The figure stared at the diamond in surprise. Its upper end was cracked. It wasn’t the only one. The song had now reached a pitch and strength that was unbearable even for the diamonds. Several of the precious gems ruptured, cracks going all over the place and splitting the chamber. Only the central diamond seemed untouched by it all. It vibrated with the song, withstanding the unrelenting attacks of sound with the patience of the rock that it was. Yet constant dripping wears the stone, and the figure was not willing to let the song die down. Not so close to its goal. It raised the crystal to its lips once more and hummed again. --- Capstone hissed as she let go of the two flows immediately. “Woah, watch out!,” Starstruck Moon exclaimed. She sounded more surprised than annoyed though and even shot a worried glimpse in Capstone’s direction. Square Root’s reaction was the exact opposite. “Are you alright?,” she asked with an even voice, her eyes still closed. “Yeah,” answered Capstone, blinking while shaking her hoof as if she had touched something hot, “yeah I’m fine. Just felt different than expected.” It had indeed. While Live Wire’s and Square Root’s flow had felt like a barely tamed, fiery bull, bucking against her grip, Starstruck Moon’s and Happy Tree’s flow had been misty, fleeting, almost impossible to grasp. It was as if she had just tried to grab the tail of a frenzied dragon in a lava bath while fumbling inside a misty ice river with her other hoof at the same time. “Okay, I’m gonna try again,” she announced and closed her eyes again. “Good luck,” wished Happy Tree with a gentle, almost jovial voice. “Better watch out,” added Live Wire, with a voice so strained Capstone couldn’t tell if he was trying to encourage her or reprimanded her. She found the two flows again quickly. Yet Capstone didn’t grab at them immediately. She paused first, thinking about the best approach. Just grasping at them hadn’t worked, and taking them separately wouldn’t help since they needed to enter the sapling at the same time. She needed to try something different. Maybe just trying to take them wasn’t enough. Maybe she needed to expand it farther than that. Capstone nodded to herself. It was worth a shot. Carefully, she moved closer to the two flows again, this time not just grabbing in her mind. She tried to think of the sapling, of its state and how it needed to be healed. She didn’t just want to dominate the magic, she wanted to use it. Please, help me, she pleaded to the magic as she reached out for the flows. Then, she took hold. Once again, the energy fought against her, turning and jumping in her grip, while the vision tried to elude her, barely anything more than the fleeting feeling of cold air. Yet this time, it was not as bad. The energy’s heat was bearable and the vision felt at least as if it would follow Capstone’s wish. Capstone smiled. She could do this. --- The humming shook the entire chamber, breaking diamonds left and right. Fine dust and diamond pebbles trickled from the ceiling, causing the figure to retreat even further into the tunnel. It shot a worried gaze upwards. Being crushed was not on the figure’s agenda. A loud sound made it look forward. A crack had appeared in the central diamond. Small at first, it quickly began to grow bigger, spreading over the smooth surface with louder getting snaps accompanying it. The figure’s breath accelerated again as it watched the unevenness grow into a respectable damage on the diamond’s surface. Yet what it cared for wasn’t superficial fissures. Excitement and impatience caused the figure to raise the crystal to the mouth once again, softly humming to it once more. The hum barely lasted only the fraction of a second, however, when suddenly a deafening crack sounded. The song itself seemed to be just as eager to be done with it, for the rifts abruptly grew larger, jumped from one end to another. One of the protruding spikes separated with a sundering snap and crashed on the ground as the diamond cracked more and more, the fissures now reaching deeper inside. Towards the form of a pony in the middle. --- Capstone breathed carefully and deeply, giving herself a rhythm as she raised the arcane flows steadily towards the sapling. She could already feel the near-dead plant’s aura flicker close to her own. The filly paused briefly, securing her grip on the energy and the vision as she prepared herself. She needed to be quick, but not too fast. Not too slow either, though, just the correct amount of swiftness and patience. C’mon, Abbie, she encouraged herself, dawdling around won’t do any good either. She raised the the magical auras towards the plant. --- The song dug deeper and deeper, effortlessly breaking away the shielding diamond that tried to halt its progress. Several of the fissures were already only inches away from the pony figure inside the diamond, their progress seemingly halted to patiently wait for their brethren. Crack after crack joined the front, the diamond creaking in pain. Then the song did its final assault. In one fell swoop the fissures pushed forward, breaking away the last layer of diamond from the figure inside the diamond. --- Capstone joined the arcane flows with the sapling’s aura. --- The pony in the diamond ripped open its eye. --- Upon the touch of the foreign auras, the sapling fulminated with magic. Live Wire’s energy coursed through its every cell and jumped outwards, too much for the sapling to contain. Bright flashes of lightning danced all around the pot and the plant, some even hitting the wall, leaving behind black, burnt stains. The plant itself began to glow brighter and brighter, emitting a blinding white light that made the examiners shield their eyes and would’ve made the foals shut theirs, had they not done so already. Capstone furrowed her brow, overwhelmed by the magical spectacle that filled her head. Yet she was not done. The vision had not fully reached the plant, the energy had overtaken all. And a living object, shoved full with magical energy, remembered Capstone, was little else than a time bomb. The filly swallowed, sweat pearling on her forehead. Suddenly, Celestia’s voice echoed in her head. Have no fear. I am certain you won’t fail. Capstone gritted her teeth and pressed her forehooves against the ground. No time for tricks, she would have to go by her gut. She shoved the vision into the plant. Immediately, the light turned verdant. Then it exploded outwards even further. --- The diamond was torn asunder. As if a giant had grabbed it with both hands and pulled it in separate directions, the enormous gem splintered in half, leaving only a bright, blinding light in the middle, where the pony in the diamond had been. Pieces of diamonds flew everywhere, boulders of diamonds rammed into the walls and buried their own kind. However, the invisible giant seemed not satisfied with just that and his hidden hands rose up once again. The light in the middle shone even brighter and the next moment, an unseen force crushed the chunks of diamond into the wall even further, flattening them with relentless pressure. The cracking and crushing filled the whole chamber, silencing the humming song easily as the walls were driven away further by this invisible force. Suddenly, everything stopped and the light vanished. Only a pony silhouette remained that fell into the crater which had once been homestead of the giant diamond. --- Capstone kept her eyes shut for three more seconds until she noticed that the blinding light was gone. She blinked, then looked around to see what had happened. Everything was as always, apart from a few burn marks on the walls, ceiling and floor of the classroom. Capstone gulped. Did I...fail?         Then, however, something else caught her attention. All the other ponies, the examiners as well as the foals, stared into the middle of the room. Even Celestia kept her eyes fixed on the spot, though her expression was a content smile instead of speechless bafflement. Confused, Capstone turned towards the middle as well. Then, her eyes went wide.         The sapling, once dried-up and almost dead, was now vibrant with energy. Its stem was straight and alive with a dark green bark, its crown glowing verdantly. Its shriveled roots had found back to their former strength, some of them even a bit too eager as they had broken through the clay pot. The entire sapling radiated with life, enlightening the room almost as bright as a torch.         “Well done, young Capstone.” Capstone looked up to see Celestia, standing beside her and smiling down on her. “Well done all of you,” she added and turned towards the other foals, who detached their eyes from the revived plant upon this address. “I knew you could do it.”         “Wha... what just happened?,” asked Capstone, still stunned by the sapling’s incredible revival.         “You used the power of Harmony.” The foals’ quizzical looks elicited a chuckle from Celestia. She sat down and waved the other four towards her.         “You see, my little ponies, we may be as strong as we can be, alone we can only achieve so much. But if we join our forces with other ponies and beings, we can grow past our own limits and accomplish true wonders. Reviving a dead plant, a spell that is difficult even for a trained unicorn wizard, was something you five foals were capable off, just by putting together your strengths and trusting in each other. "That, my little ponies, was what this exam’s true nature was. An exam which, by the way,” Celestia added as she lifted her gaze and looked towards the examiners, “these five foals have passed with flying colors. Wouldn’t you agree?”         The examiners, torn out of their stasis, melted fearfully in their seats under Celestia’s gentle smile. They couldn’t be eager enough to nod in approval. “Of course, Your Highness!”         Capstone stared at Celestia, then at the examiners. Her eyes were widened as she looked towards the three adult ponies, the message not quite reaching her yet. “So...I can go to this school? We all can?”         “Yes! Yes of course you can,” answered the mare, who had criticized Starstruck Moon, hastily. Capstone stared at her. Then a grin which wanted to grow just as wide as her eyes began to appear on her lips.         “We’re in,” she mumbled, barely able to believe it. “We’re—”         “I’m in!,” exclaimed Starstruck jubilantly, throwing herself around Capstone’s neck. The silver-coated filly coughed, but kept her smile as Starstruck proceeded to joyfully hug her. “All thanks to you! You did it!”         “Seeing how I am now able to visit this school as well, I need to thank you too,” agreed Square Root, her voice again even and calm. A glimmer of gratitude and joy could be seen dancing in her eyes though, breaking the appearance of indifference.         “Alright! Way to go!” Capstone flinched a bit when Live Wire punched her in the shoulder as he gave a broad grin.         “You really came through,” joined Happy Tree in, giving a serene smile. Capstone, however, shook her head.         “No,” she said as she loosened herself from Starstruck’s embrace. She looked at all of them and smiled. “We all came through.”         As the foals celebrated, Luna, who had remained in her corner the entire time, smiled. It was a relief to see her prediction turn out to be false. It did not happen often, unfortunately, so Luna enjoyed those rare instances in which she was proven wrong. Her gaze rested thoughtfully on Celestia as she pondered those moments. Her sister had a way of dashing her expectation in the most positive ways. Maybe she could do the same with Stone Quill. Maybe, just once, nothing would go wrong... --- The intruder barely dared to breathe. The display of contained power that had been built up for several years had been awe-inspiring and now turned the intruder cautious. It didn’t want to get crushed by unrestrained magic flailed around like a gryphonian warhammer. Yet the magical frenzy seemed to be over. Carefully, the intruder took step after step. Pieces of diamond rolled over the floor when the intruder kicked them away, eliciting haunty clicking noises from the stone. The humming song had been silenced, a faint ringing was all that was left of it. Apart from single diamond pebbles dropping from the ceiling, the intruder’s breath was the only sound audible as it walked closer and closer, until it reached the edge of the crater. The pure diamond floor, on which the huge gem had rested, had been indented with pure force. Strangely enough, there were no cracks here, as if the magic had melted the diamond, dented it and then rehardened it. Maybe it was what had happened, because not a single chunk of diamond was lying in this crater. Apart from a few pebbles which had rolled into it, the sinkhole was completely empty. Save for the pony from the diamond. It was a unicorn stallion. His light brown coat gave a striking contrast to the surrounding diamonds’ pale blue. His lime green mane was unkempt and hid most of his face. The intruder, however, focused their attention on something else entirely: large parts of the stallion’s body was not flesh. They were diamond. The place where his cutie mark should be, was just a spot of diamond. Thin strands branched out from there, crawling over his flank, spreading over his back, all the way to his forelegs and neck. The entire picture seemed quite unaesthetic, almost as if someone had melted parts of pure diamond into the stallion’s flesh. The intruder regarded the stallion worriedly. Could somepony be alive after something like this? Well, they would have to find out. They already had gone too far to turn back now. Carefully, the intruder slid down into the crater, keeping their eye on the motionless stallion. Finally, the intruder stood before him. Carefully, they examined the lying stallion. At least his chest moved in regular intervals, showing that he was breathing. Good. Now, what about his state of mind? The intruder carefully reached towards the stallion’s mane to strike it back. The next moment, a magic field grabbed them and threw them against the crater’s wall. The intruder gasped in pain, but could do little else. The magic field pressed down on them with unrelenting strength, leaving no room to move. With eyes widened by fear, the intruder watched how the stallion groaned as he carefully put one hoof after another on the ground, slowly raising himself. He breathed heavily as he stood on all four, his gaze turned towards the floor. The intruder exhaled in shock when they saw that slowly, the stallion’s diamond flesh began to glow. Upon this, the stallion groaned and grit his teeth, bending slightly forward as if in pain. Suddenly, his head snapped around. As if answering this, the magic field grabbed the intruder and pulled them forward gruffly. The intruder whipped in front, halting only inches away from the stallion’s face. Because of this, they could now see that the stallion’s right eye was encircled by a particularly thick diamond vein. What concerned the intruder more, however, was the unrelenting fury in the stallion’s eyes. “Where is she?! Where is the usurper?!” The intruder opened their mouth, but was unable to answer. The magical field gripped too tight around their throat. The stallion levitated them further, growling his words with barely contained rage. “Where is Celestia?!”