//------------------------------// // Thirty // Story: Under The Northern Lights // by CoastalSarv //------------------------------// Spike had gotten hold of Vigg first. He, Vigg and Saga were waiting in the Sun Room, which wasn't that sunny anymore. Celestia's Sun had set by now, and the room was illuminated by big oil lamps. The tables were still forming a barricade, though a broken one with the single table in the middle. When Twilight entered, still skipping and humming, Saga was telling Spike something that required her to stand half on the table and shout. Spike was listening with fascination and saying: “Wow, really?” a lot. Vigg was less chipper. He leaned back and didn't speak. There were crackers and reindeer cheese on the table. “Here's Lady Sparkle now!” Vigg said and poked Saga, interrupting her. “You look... different,” he added and looked worryingly from Twilight to Saga and back. “...and then she RIPPED out a golden ring... ooh, hi Mistress Sparkle!” she said. “You are totally rocking that look! Good show!” “Hi Twilight!” said Spike. “Saga was telling me what they did in the forest!” “We know where Sampo is!” Saga burst out. “You do?!” wondered Twilight. “Where? And how?” “In general,” frowned Vigg. “The trolls... I mean the moose told us,” Saga said. “They know where Sampo fell – the hero, not the artifact...” “The magical thingamajig,” Vigg explained unnecessarily. “...but since he was carrying the Sampo it must be buried with him,” Saga finished. “And I'm a troll prophet now!” Twilight looked at Vigg for a sane viewpoint. “Sort of,” he said. “The... problem...” He was staring at Twilight, or more specifically at her outfit. “...the problem is that we don't know exactly where on the glacier...” “Oh, and Vigg is my boyfriend now!” Saga almost sang and looked at him. “What?” said Twilight. “Oh. Oh. So that's what you did in the forest!” “No, not like...” Vigg bleated with a blush. Saga was going to say something when Twilight hastily interrupted. “You were talking to the moose, I mean. Good for you. And also about the... the... teen love thing, young hearts, finding each other in the wilderness, excellent. And stuff,” she lamely finished. “Spike?” Vigg suddenly said, having noticed a faint wheeze. “Spike?” He rushed over and patted the little dragon on the back. Spike was choking, and Twilight and Saga joined Vigg in trying to get him to cough up what they assumed was a cracker. Finally Spike spit out his tongue. “There... should be something to drink with this,” he said and grinned awkwardly. Then the grin became very big, genuine and toothsome. “Vigg! Buddy! Congratulations! Great catch! Nice, uh, flanks!” he said and slapped Vigg. “Thanks, I think,” said a worried Vigg. Spike looked rather frantic. “Spike! That's not how you talk about ladies!” said Twilight sternly. “Yeah, I'm awesome!” said Saga and nuzzled Vigg, who blushed again. “Aw, isn't he cute! My White Prince!” Spike was still grinning like a maniac. Wow! Twilight thought. He is really happy for Vigg's sake. I guess I should be happy on Spike's behalf, he if anybody needs to care for others' happiness or that whole dragon-greed thing could turn up. I think we should get the young lovebirds a gift or something... but... “Not to be a wet blanket or anything,” Twilight said, “but 'Prince', yes. What's your family saying about this, Vigg? I can imagine they want to decide who you... marry and so on, I mean?” Vigg looked more miserable. Saga shrugged. “His mom will come around, and I think his grandpa liked me! Besides,” she said and nuzzled Vigg jokingly, “I can always be his mistress! Or concubine, or something!” “Do you still have concubines in Poatsula?” said Twilight. “What's pumpkins got to do with it?” asked Spike. “She’s blathering,” said Vigg. “Mother... didn't take it well. I don't think Grandpa noticed. He was a little obsessed with almost having been killed and all.” “Oh,” said Twilight. “That.” “I... guess I should...” Vigg began. “If you thank me I will scream!” Twilight blurted out. “What?” said a confused Vigg. “Sorry, Prince Vigg,” Twilight groaned. “I have just been so thoroughly thanked that I am starting to develop an allergy to it!” “Er.. OK,” he said. “It's just that it seems like something anypony... sorry, anydeer, anyone... would have done,” she explained. “Well, they told me you had tracked him down before, and all,” said Vigg. “That's not something anyone could have done.” “And it's not like anypony could hold back a balefire bomb!” Saga gushed. “It wasn't a balefire bomb!” Twilight almost shouted. Saga shrank back. The unicorn caught herself and spoke without the Royal Canterlot Voice. “It was a regular perfectly normal alchemical explosive!” “Lady Sparkle, if I might ask...” Vigg began. “Go on,” Twilight said. “Ask away!” “If you... knew about Lord Eminence's plan and had, I mean, like, evidence... why didn't you talk to somedeer?” Vigg said while looking Twilight Sparkle in the eyes. Twilight swallowed. She hadn't thought too much on this. She had sort of avoided the thought. She would have to lie to the youths as well. Had they been anydeer else, but people would talk to Vigg. Important people. “You... this must be hard to understand and... you might even hate me....” she began, and tried to avert her eyes. She failed. “To keep Princess Celestia's good graces and attention, it's not enough to do well,” she said. “Others must also do badly. Lord Eminence's plan had one enormous flaw: his primary tactic doesn't work against you reindeer. By letting him go through and fail, I shamed him and his faction. However, I couldn't let him go through completely, because he could have harmed somedeer and caused Equestria trouble. By stopping him myself when I did, I got rid of his faction at court without great blame falling on my sovereign. Had I just told the Poatsulan authorities, that would have gotten rid of him, but I would have won nothing. I cannot act without... a certain self-interest, you see? I cannot afford not to.” She fanned herself to hide her face and tried to force that stupid laugh but just got out a cough. Vigg took a long hard look at her and then he said: “I see.” His voice was quiet and sounded almost frail. “The thing is, as I started to say, that we know that the Sampo is buried in Joukulvakt Glacier,” he abruptly said. “We don't know where. Just 'to the south'. That's too imprecise.... And we have no way of digging it out either.” “Unless we ask the Skoll!” said Saga. Vigg scowled at her. Twilight was taken back with the sudden change of subject. “I... see,” she said. “What do you plan to do about that?” “That's... what we were going to ask you, Lady Sparkle,” Vigg said. “We hoped you would have another lead...” “Not to mention the digging thing!” said Saga. “Could you like levitate away a lot of packed snow and ice like that?” “I don't know about the latter...” said Twilight Sparkle cautiously. “But about the former...” Twilight's mouth widened into a crazy grin bigger than the one Spike still held traces of. She turned directly to Saga. “I have an excellent idea! Saga... you once told me about the three spells your Grandmother taught you...” After Twilight had outlined her idea (not mentioning exactly what she wanted to ask Wiglek, she wanted to keep the Princess' possible secrets as long as possible) and after the two fawns had given a more coherent description of their meeting with the moose, Twilight left. She had to go to a meeting with Princess Ljufa, even if she'd rather stay and discuss preparations and moose magics with Saga. She bid a hasty farewell and brought Spike with her. “Take care!” Spike said as he was almost pulled out of the room by a very late Twilight. “You two look fantastic together!” “Crazy kid!” said Saga and shook her head. Then, she sighed. “I can't believe Mistress Twilight wants to use my magic! That's so great!” “Yeah, “ said Vigg, “about Lady Twilight...” Saga saw his darkened brow (quite a feat, when you are a white-furred cervine) and guessed his thoughts. “She worries you?” she said. “She’s lying,” Vigg said, still looking at the door where the unicorn sorceress had disappeared. Saga looked at him. “You training me must be paying off,” he said. “She is lying... or at least telling half-truths, about the assassin and my grandfather.” Saga gasped. “So... is that thing true... about Skinfaxi's Shadow...?” she said. “The funny thing is, her heart is still pure,” Vigg said. “I have checked. She cannot mean harm to me... or my grandfather... or Poatsula. So... why is she lying? To make herself look worse?” “That... is odd,” Saga said. “And the other funny thing... did you heard her accent?” he said and turned to Saga. “Yeah,” she frowned. “It was kinda sexy!” she added and grinned. “Yes, but that's not...” he sighed. “Look, when I learned Ancient Cervine with Lady Sparkle's spell, from her, I came to speak it with her accent. Like an equine who learns it at posh academy.” “Yes?” said Saga. “When you learned Ancient Cervine with Lady Sparkle's spell, from Kvalhissir, you came to speak it with his accent. Like a moose farmer who has it as his native language.” “Yes,” said Saga, trying to see where he was going with this. “But when Lady Sparkle learns Poatsi with her spell from one of my mother's maids, she doesn't speak it like a native Poatsulan with Sarvvik working-class accent. She suddenly speaks like a foreign villainess from a melodrama. Why?” “I’m so sorry I’m late, Your Highness,” Twilight said and tried fanning herself. She almost overturned her teacup. Tea. Not coffee. A bowl of amber for Spike. This cake is of Equestrian make. Is this a way of making thanks as well? Princess Ljufa smiled serenely. “No worries,” she said softly. “I called you here, first because I wanted to thank you for rescuing my father...” AAAAHHAHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHHAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAA! Twilight almost broke a tooth as she bit down into platter the cake was served upon, having tried to eat like a reindeer. Luckily, the platter was carved wood like so much else reindeer-made. “Is there a problem, Lady Sparkle?” the Princess said. “No. No. Not at all! Delicious cake!” said Twilight frantically, licked cream off her nose and tried to check whether that tooth was loose. “So, you were saying, Your Highness?” she said. “First, I wanted to thank you for saving my father... “ the reindeer said. Twilight nodded with a stiff grin. Spike looked up from his bowl and looked at her, worried. “And...” Twilight said. “Second, I would like to know... why?” Princess Ljufa said with a concerned voice. “What?” said Twilight. “Why did you try to save my father?” the Princess said. “It would have been to the benefit of your nation if he had died. And it's not like he is likable.” Twilight almost choked on her cake. “Oh, don't think I wish him dead! But as the daughter... and widow... of leaders of deer, you learn to be realistic,” the Princess continued. “You have a certain reputation, Lady Sparkle. Why did you save my father's life?” “Oh... I'm afraid you're seeing right through me,” Twilight said and tried to smile smugly sidewise. “It was all powerplay. You see, by getting rid of Lord Eminence in such a drastic way, I greatly furthered my own power at court. That is all!” The reindeer Princess scrutinized Twilight closely. “No, Lady Sparkle,” she said somberly, “I don't think so.” “Oh, ohohohoho, there is... well, by keeping closely to Princess Celestia, I can increase my magical knowledge. And power! I'm all about power!” Twilight tried, somewhat worried. Princess Ljufa shook her head. “I am sorry, Lady Sparkle,” she said sadly, “but you are lying to me.” “What?” said Twilight almost frantically. “I... of course, I am a great liar! But this is true! I have only egoistical motives for my actions! I am... you could call me, ohohohoho, a very bad pony, yes?” Again, Princess Ljufa shook her head and smiled sadly. Where did I hear... that she can do something like this? Like... telepathy? That her Sight lets her See your heart? Has she found me out now? What is she going to say? What is she going to do? How... Princess Ljufa stood up and walked around the table. She knelt beside the still seated Twilight and put a hoof in her lap. “I am sure you tell yourself that, Lady Sparkle,” she said in a soothing, slightly condescending voice. “But it isn't true!” “What?” said Twilight, confused. “You are not a bad pony! There is a way out of your horrible life! Anydeer... I mean anypony can change!” Princess Ljufa cooed. This is... this is the “reform the villain speech”! The one that you always give to the mean pony in stories! Like... well, like in a cartoon for... for little fillies! She is trying to reform me! “Well... er.. no!” Twilight said. “That's... that's not true! I am a thoroughly rotten and selfish pony! I'm utterly irredeemable!” “Come, come! No matter what you have done, Lady Sparkle, you can be forgiven!” Princess Ljufa said and patted her. “Oh... no, not when you have done such horrible, horrible things such as I have done...” Twilight started to say. “Oh you poor, poor thing!” Princess Ljufa burst out and hugged Twilight. “That I would do again!” Twilight said and tried to push Ljufa away. “If I could! And I can! And will! Ohohohoho...” Twilight tried to disentangle herself from Ljufa, but was hindered by three hoofmaidens dog-piling on her, also trying to hug her. “I can feel your lies!” the Princess said. “What could made you shame yourself like that?” “I am sure she had a horrible childhood!” said one of the hoofmaidens and started to cry. “No!” shouted Twilight. “No way!” She struggled under the hug-pile. “It was perfect and idyllic, only wrecked by my evil childish schemes! I was born bad and dangerous!” “I know that grants you security, Lady Sparkle,” said the Princess, “but it is a false security! Besides, Our Lady of The Sun would not have chosen you as Her servant, had you not been a good pony!” That unsettled Twilight a bit. “L-leave my Princess out of this!” she hissed. “She... she choose me so I would do the least harm this way! I'm so evil! I'm a wicked, wanton wild... mare!” I was sure there was another word with 'w'... I'm losing it here... I need to get out of here! “Look, OK, uncle, I give!” Twilight protested. “Let me breathe, OK.” The reindeer let her go a bit. This is my main subject after all. “I mean, what would be the purpose of not being wanton, wicked and other things with a w-?” Twilight began. “What's the use of all these things like, say... friendship?” I'll just have to pretend I am at a lower level of understanding for half an hour! “Well,” said Princess Ljufa and rose, posing with her hoof at her chin. “That is easy to know but not easy to learn...” “I'm all ears!” said Twilight and gave an insincere smile. “Good!” said Princess Ljufa and smiled back far more sincerely and actually rather enthusiastically. “Because it is easiest expressed in song!” Twilight realized there were instruments for all the hoofmaidens. No. She can't possibly be... “When you life feels bleak and dark/ and nothing is a lark...” Princess Ljufa began to sing. If I keep repeating Henry Hoofton's logarithm tables, maybe I won't go insane. “I've never felt this ridiculous in my life,” Twilight murmured to Spike and looked at her own body. “My humiliation is complete. As if there hadn't been enough trouble today!” “Speak for yourself!” said Spike happily. “This'll be my next Nightmare Night costume: reindeer neighcromancer!” The threat to his... mother was neutralized. Nothing could bring him down today, not even having to listen to Ljufa's Friendship Will Chase The Clouds Away five times. Their bodies had been painted with a skeleton pattern, surprisingly meticulous. Saga knew her anatomy, a thought which chilled Twilight a bit. The bones, in turn, were painted with dripping blood to give the impression of a skeleton that recently had its meat stripped away. In addition to having their faces painted like bleeding skulls, they were wearing helmets that basically consisted of an old reindeer skull, antlers still attached. The skull helmets were decorated with long garlands of feathers from suitably ominous birds and rows of... reindeer teeth, Twilight realized. Just like the umpteen necklaces she was carrying, making each step rattle. The fact that Eira, who had watched Saga's preparations with a good-hearted chuckle, had guaranteed the bones and teeth were donations from pious reindeer of old didn't really make Twilight less squicked. Of course, their ghastly outfits fit the interior of the Hrimfaxi Temple, which had never looked more dark and foreboding. Huge fat candles in bone white and deep purple dribbled in the corners. The bone and horn mobiles of the celestial bodies were swinging in the draft up below the roof. Their shadows danced over the benches and altar. Eira had chirped happily how good it was that the new rush of volunteers had got so much of the renovation underway before they had to hold a major occult ceremony like this. “I... I don't want to be a cultural imperialist or anything,” said Twilight in a hushed voice to Eira. “But is all this... paraphernalia really necessary?” The old priestess looked up at her, puffing her pipe. “It's... well, we unicorns don't even use props in our magic,” Twilight explained. “It’s just your mind and your horn. I didn't even start using them until I started combining it with zebra magics... It’s just a bit much, you know?” Eira puffed more. “Well,” she said with a smoke-raspy voice, “the drum and the pointer are necessary, for sure.” She pointed to a low rune-painted drum that Twilight was chillingly certain was made from ungulate skin. It had a carved knuckle-bone lying on top of it. When you drummed, the bone would dance around and like a divining rod point in the direction the gateway would open. “As for the rest... it's for comfort and courtesy.” “Beg your pardon?” said Twilight. “What do you mean?” Eira gave a low, throaty chuckle. “This is more elaborate than usual,” she confessed, “because my grandchild plays the drum. She likes... drama, always has done. If she weren't comfortable, the spell could fail. Perhaps with disastrous results.” Twilight nodded. “I see. So it’s just a for show, then?” Eira looked at her. “Oh no. This is real. When you are talking to spirits, Lady Sparkle, your mind is as real as a mountain and your doubt is a killing blizzard.” “As for courtesy,” she continued, “Wiglek the Wicked lived long ago. He was of royal blood. He was a sorcerer of no little repute, though reputedly of little talent. You have to be courteous to such reindeer. He would be horribly offended if he wasn't met with pomp and regalia! And you don't want to offend the shadow you are summoning.” “Saga said,” said Spike, “that the costume was because if she by accident summons a marauding ghost instead of a... what did she say, 'hallowed ancestor'... he would think we were marauding ghosts too, and say 'Oh, my mistake, terribly sorry!' and go off maraud somewhere else.” “That theory might hold merit,” said Eira merrily and looked at the two young reindeer. “Ghosts are notoriously stupid, after all.” Twilight looked at her curiously. “Look, they can't even die properly! Staying around like that! And they always has something terribly important to say or do, but can never say or do it straight. Like, 'Look here, I was murdered, and it was him who done it!' or 'I buried my gold under the outhouse, I want my inheritors to have it!' Noo, they just fumble around and moan about doom and such.” Eira was visibly upset. Twilight tried to find something to say, being rather skeptical to most claims of hauntings, even if the existence of ghosts in itself had been scientifically proven long ago. Spike had lost track of the half-whispered conversation. He was looking at the young... couple! Couple! COUPLE! While no stranger to romantic love, the more physical side of the whole thing was yet beyond Spike. Puberty takes some decades for dragons, after all. He was, however, certain that the way the two fawns moved around each other meant some kind of deep attraction. It was most obvious in the way Saga had insisted that she couldn't possible paint herself. She couldn't reach everywhere, so Vigg had to do it! Then she insisted in redoing part of Vigg's body-paint They seemed very happy (though Vigg was also very nervous) to rub paint-daubed hooves all over each other. Finally, everything was ready. Saga placed herself in the middle of the room, in front of the altar on which the withered old antlers of Wiglek the Wicked were placed. She started to chant as she slowly played the drum. The others stood off, way back, and watched. Saga's drumming grew more fast-paced, her body looking like an actual reindeer skeleton rocking back and forth, up and down, the rattling of her accessories accompanying the drumbeat. Her chant grew louder and louder, the same words repeating over and over. Twilight mumbled the words under her breath, trying to memorize them, while her horn tracked the thaumic energies that started to gather in the room. They are reminiscent of teleportation energies... Is the Summer Lands an actual physical place? Is Heaven truly a place on Earth? she thought. How can I replicate the antlers for a pony? Would I need something like parts of their corpse... or could I use the general Laws of Sympathy and Contagion? And, say, summon Star-Swirl the Bearded using my old Nightmare Night costume? My dear grandchild... you have come so far... come into an era when we will be honored again, when no one will forget the Temple of Hrimfaxi... Eira thought, and her eyes teared up. You are doing this perfectly, in your own silly, overblown way... Her tail... the way her tail bobs... I wish this called for dancing. I wish I could dance with her, even to that old witch drum. I want us to dance together, Vigg thought, slightly tilting his head backwards so he could see under the helmet Saga had made just for him. It looks like a cheesy buffalo chieftain's warbonnet. Silly, silly Saga! That has to be a compliment, right? This, Spike thought, is starting to be really freaking scary! He moved so he was halfway behind Twilight. A rift appeared in the air. Spike dove back completely behind Twilight, who gasped. A light seeped through the rift. It was a greenish light, like summer light filtered through young birch leaves. It was a warm light, like when you sun yourself in the grass. Sounds and smells wafted through the rift, of buzzing bees and chirping birds, of dew-wet grass and budding daisies. Vigg started mumbling and took a few steps towards it. “No!” said Eira sharply and bit his tail. “Don't!” Vigg tried to get free. “Hewp me, wady Fpackle!” Twilight grabbed Vigg magically and held him back. He suddenly sobbed. Now they thought they heard voices, vaguely familiar, like from a party two floors above. Shadows flickered in front of the rift, warm colors seeping through. Eira let go of Vigg's tail, apparently trusting in Twilight's magic, though Twilight suddenly found an urge to walk forwards. “Saga! Break off!” she shouted. “Saga! You're attracting a gaggle of random spirits! Saga! They will pull us through!” Saga suddenly threw her head back and shrieked, pushing the drum violently away from her. The rift fell apart inwards, imploding upon itself. The temple was suddenly very cold, very dark and very silent. Saga was panting and sobbing on the floor. Twilight let go of Vigg, and to his compliment, he immediately went to her and held her. “I failed!” she sobbed. “I failed, I couldn't do it! I f-felt him but couldn't get him here, I'm a failure...” Spike was still terrified. Twilight didn't know what to say. Eira calmly went up to her granddaughter and hugged her. “No, you didn't fail,” she soothed her. “I felt it. That went without a hitch.” “But...” Twilight said, afraid to insult Saga, “but he didn't appear!” “The spell failed, it did,” Eira said, her gaze turned to Twilight. “But not because of my grandchild.” “What was it then?” said Twilight. “Can you still feel... the tug, love?” Eira said to Saga. “Y-yes... I think,” she sobbed. Eira nodded. “This happens sometimes,” she said. “Often enough that it is a side-effect you can exploit. But I have never seen it in a case like this...” “Please explain,” Twilight said. “The spell summons the shadow of the dead from the Summer Lands,” Eira said. “Or, if the shadow hasn't passed into Them, the ghosts of the dead.” “Yes...?” said Twilight. “Sometimes, reindeer have asked to have the ritual performed for a relative or partner that is missing, presumed dead,” Eira said. “To know their last will. But if it turns out that presumption is a wrong one...” “Wait wait wait!” Twilight said. “Are you saying...?” “The spell only works on the dead. And this tells me Wiglek the Wicked isn't,” Eira said, still hugging Saga. “That's... nopony can live for a thousand years!” Twilight burst out. “Whoever said he was alive?” said Eira, very sombre and grim. Thanks again to my proofreaders! LadyMoondancer pointed out that the few words in Princess Ljufa's song track to 'Always Look At The Bright Side Of Life'; Wheelwright noted that they also track to 'Giggle at the Ghostly'. Oy vey.