Chapter 13: Strange Relations
"Are you insane? What possessed you to think that I would agree to such an offer?"
Arkenstone's shoulders sagged as Chrysalis's voice washed over him. As expected, his suggestion infuriated her. However, it was the only course of action that he could bring himself to present, his only other option being simply walking away and leaving the changeling queen and her children to their dark and dismal fate.
"It is the only hope I have to give," he said, "I'm afraid there is nothing else I can offer. I could see about getting a mage like Twilight Sparkle to try and rectify the problem-"
"Out of the question!"
"-but it would likely be over for you before I could return with her," Arkenstone continued in the face of the interruption, "At this juncture, it would be the same as doing nothing and condemning you to a lingering death, all while suffering what might as well be a fruitless hope."
"Yet the only other option you have presented me with is an insult. How dare you even suggest that I agree to it!"
"Because it would relieve your pain," replied Arkenstone softly, "In your final moments, you will be able to feel more alive than you have in your whole life. And...it will give you the chance to spite Celestia one last time before the end."
He heard Chrysalis tap her hoof against her chin. "Well, when you put it like that, I have to admit that it's quite the tempting offer."
"I'm afraid it's all I have."
Chrysalis went silent. Nothing could be heard, save for the soft drip of water trickling from the stalactites above and the occasional rustling of changeling carapaces from all around. More of the remaining survivors were finding their way into the queen's chamber with each passing moment. He briefly wondered if Chrysalsis was going to simply ignore his offer and order her offspring to attack and smother him with their numbers, which, while far below the force she had used to invade Canterlot, would still be substantial for a single stallion...
...Or rather, any other single stallion.
Finally, Queen Chrysalis reached her verdict, the final decision she would make as Queen of the changelings. "Very well, I agree to your terms Knight. Come, let us make an end of this."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," replied Arkenstone, bowing deeply.
His nose detected the faint building scent of ozone. His ears picked up the crackle of power as it built up in Chrysalis's horn. Half a second later, she unleashed a vicious blast of eldritch power straight at him. As she struck, Arkenstone could hear the growing buzz as the the changelings around the cavern launched themselves from the walls and ceiling, seemingly pouring out of every tunnel and hollow, many of them charging their own horns in a similar manner, sheathing their bodies in magical energy and hurtling themselves at the stallion like living missiles.
The ending had begun.
As the three ponies approached the entrance, the massive doors leading into the manor were opened wide by a pair of unicorn attendants. The doors opened into a massive foyer. Like most of the manors in Canterlot, the walls and floor were pristine white marble, matching what the Royal Palace was made of. From the doors, a thick, burgundy carpet ran through the center of the room and straight up the wide set of stairs leading to the next level. On either side of the stairs, two large doors led into different parts of the house, while the stairs themselves terminated in a balcony that ran along three walls of the room, excluding only the wall the doors to the outside were set into. The walls on both sides of the room were lined with padded benches, both on the first and second levels. Right where the stairs met the second level, another pair of large doors were set into the wall, this pair left wide open to show off the room beyond, which, from Twilight’s observation of the large ornate chandelier visible on the ceiling of the other room, was most likely the ballroom.
Ponies milled about the Foyer, both on the lower level and up above. Stallions chatted amiably in pairs or trios over levitated glasses of wine and other beverages, while mares chirped and gossiped in slightly larger groups. As Twilight looked around, she noted that she was substantially underdressed compared to the dresses most of the other noblemares were wearing. Here, she saw a large topaz inset over where a mare’s cutie mark would have been, there, she saw diamond chips sown into the hem of a dress where Twilight’s was only decorated with dark-purple and gold-colored thread.
While Twilight did not have Rarity’s eye for fashion, her own eyes, practiced in the art of detailed observation, picked up a few noticeable trends running through the dresses in the room. However, what struck her was that a small number of mares were wearing dresses that clashed with said trend. However, what made those few dresses stand out even more to Twilight’s eyes was that they were clearly Rarity’s work. A few of these mares were wearing Rarity’s dresses, even though said dresses did not match the trends of the current fashion season.
Twilight recalled hearing that Fancy Pants had visited Rarity at the same time that Red River and Storm Front had arrived in Ponyville. His reason for visiting had been to discourage Rarity from marketing any more dresses to the elite in Canterlot until matters with the Noble Court had been settled. In other words, Rarity’s dresses were from a previous season because she hadn’t made any for the current season in Canterlot. But then, why are ponies wearing outdated fashions to a gathering like this?
“So you noticed too,” said Fancy, whispering into her ear, “Be very cautious with those mares Dame Sparkle. Look...” He tilted his head towards one of the mares in question. As Twilight’s eyes noticed her, she noticed that the mare had been looking in their direction and subtly shifted her position to better display the dress she was wearing to Twilight’s eyes. “...The fact that you were invited to this party wasn’t much of a secret. So a few of the mares in attendance have dug out Rarity’s dresses in order to catch your attention.”
Twilight gulped and nodded. The fact that some of the ponies in the room were wearing Rarity’s work was a reminder that not everypony would be as overt in their overtures towards her as Steel Flint had been. Even more importantly, they were a reminder that these ponies were well aware that Twilight Sparkle had friends, and that her friends were a potential path towards influencing her. It was a stark reminder that Twilight’s future wasn’t the only one that hung in the balance here.
She felt something gently brush against her shoulder from the other side. Glancing over, Twilight saw Arkenstone gently pressing his shoulder to hers, a subtle reminder of his presence. She felt the tension ease slightly, knowing that he was with her.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to part ways with you here,” said Fancy Pants, smiling fondly at the pair of them, “I need to make my rounds, lest ponies think I’m a bit overly friendly with you.”
He stepped away and approached a pair of stallions on the far side of the floor. Twilight watched him go, feeling a bit troubled not to have him at their side anymore, but also grateful for the help he’d provided already.
“Let’s go,” she said to Arkenstone, who nodded wordlessly. The two of them made their way down the carpeted center of the foyer. Twilight was careful not to turn her head too much to give the impression she was unaware of the ponies around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted more than a few intense looks in her direction. As each mare wearing Rarity’s dress noticed her, that mare would turn or shift her position to better present the dress in question, just as with the one Fancy had pointed out.
The pair made their way up the stairs to the landing. There, through the doors in front of them, was the ballroom. Several fancily-dressed ponies danced together in the center of the room as a small quartet played from a stage on the far side. Others clustered around the edges, milling about in groups, chatting and interacting in the same way as the ponies in the foyer. As she and Arkenstone entered the room, she noted several eyes turn their way and her ears picked up harsh whispers.
Twilight’s horn sparkled with the faintest mote of light as she called upon a spell that she almost never used. Twilight Sparkle had always disliked the idea of an eavesdropping spell and rarely found cause to use it. She rarely attended social gatherings such as this, which was the kind of situation the spell was made for, and using it around her friends had always been out of the question. But now, it was a useful tool in her arsenal and Twilight silently thanked Princess Celestia for teaching it to her.
As the spell took effect, conversations around the room shifted into focus as Twilight turned her attention to them. Her particular rendition of the spell was incredibly precise, easily allowing her to filter out background noise and listen in on specific conversations without worrying about having to filter though others at the same time. As she shifted from one group of ponies to the next, she picked up exactly what they were saying about her.
"Really! What is she thinking wearing such a low-class dress?"
"I know! It's a disgrace to the Princess."
"Now now. She may be a knight now, but she was a commoner before. It's probably the most she could scrape together."
"How sad. She probably can't even afford one of her friend's designs."
Twilight suppressed the urge to grimace at the condescending barbs of those mares and oriented her attention on a pair of stallions in another part of the room.
"Is that an earth pony she has with her?"
"It would certainly seem so."
"He must be a servant. There's no way a student of Celestia herself would dare bring an earth pony as an escort."
"I know. It would be a travesty."
"If that's the case, it could mean she's available."
"Careful now. I saw her first."
"Didn't Earl Flint see her before any of us? You have a death wish if you want to get in that stallion's way."
Now Twilight had to fight to keep from feeling nauseous. Even without her eavesdropping spells, she could feel the attention she was receiving, looks of desire and possessiveness. These ponies didn't just want her influence, they wanted her...in the worst possible way. Appearances might vary between mare and stallion, but in the end, they were all after the same thing.
"Brother, isn't that illegal?"
"Who cares. You're the only one who knows about this. It'll be simple to get her alone. I have a couple of spells to sap her will and get her to come with me. We'll retire to my abode, add a few fertility potions and..."
Twilight lost the will to maintain her spell as she felt a chill descend on her. Her step faltered as her legs began to tremble. Would they really go as far as to try something like that? she wondered fearfully.
A touch to her tail distracted her and Twilight noticed that Arkenstone's tail was curling subtly around hers. "Arky?"
"It's alright," he said softly, "Don't try to burden yourself with their plans."
A wave of warmth spread through Twilight and she found herself smiling contentedly. She reciprocated the gesture, entwining her tail with Arkenstone's as she leaned her head against his neck. He didn't step away. Twilight's heart fluttered and, as she looked around, she got a sense of satisfaction from the scandalized look of many of the ponies in attendance, several of whom turned to gossip with one another with even greater ferocity.
The beige stallion's ears swiveled about, taking in the ambient noise. "We seem to have created quite a stir."
Twilight giggled at his remark. The two of them passed through the ballroom, keeping a careful distance from the other small groups of nobles while trying to avoid wandering amongst the dancers moving about the center of the room. Looking up at the quartet, Twilight recognized them as the same group of ponies who had played at the Grand Galloping Gala during that fateful year. Twilight made a mental note to apologize for Pinkie if she got the chance to talk with them.
As her eyes wandered the ballroom, Twilight noticed a peculiar pony standing, surrounded by a small gaggle of mares. The moment she caught sight of that pony, her eyes widened in surprise.
The unicorn mare's stature reminded Twilight of Fleur de Lis, Fancy Pants' absent wife. Her body was slender and elegant, longer of limb that most ponies, giving her a stature that almost resembled the Princesses, albeit in miniature. She stood amongst the crowd of other mares, a glass of wine floating in her glittering violet aura, an expression of studied neutrality on her face as she spoke with one mare and then another, every one of them seeming to compete for her attention. She stood out all the more given that she was completely unclothed, setting her in stark contrast to the gaudily dressed mares surrounding her. However, what called Twilight's attention to the mare was not her physique, but her coloration.
The mare's coat was a light-blue, which was commented by her silvery mane as she surveyed the ponies gathered around her with violet eyes. Twilight barely managed to stop herself as she opened her mouth to call out, "Tr-!" Only the sight of the mare's cutie mark, a book enclosed within a pentagram, the pentagram itself enclosed within a circle that joined the five points of the star.
The syllable that escaped Twilight's mouth seemed to attract the mare's attention. Her eyes zeroed in on Twilight almost immediately. She quickly turned her attention to the other mares and, smiling politely, began to disentangle herself from their company. Several mares looked around and seemed to note Twilight as the object of the blue mare's interest. They quickly flashed Twilight irritated looks as the graceful unicorn made her way towards her.
"If you don't mind," said Arkenstone softly, "I'll go and collect some refreshments for us."
"But-!"
"You needn't worry about that one," said Arkenstone, inclining his head in the direction of the approaching unicorn, "He's no threat to us tonight." With that, Arkenstone turned and trotted towards the tables on the far side of the room, which were loaded down with various dainty bits for ponies to nibble on as the night progressed.
Twilight watched Arkenstone go. Well, if he says that guy is okay then... A second later, something else about Arkenstone's words registered in her mind. Hold on! What?
"Dame Twilight Sparkle, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Twilight had to stop herself from jumping and squealing in surprise at the voice that sounded from her blind spot while she had been watching Arkenstone depart. Whipping her head around, she saw that she was now in the presence of the mare who had been approaching them earlier. Except...
Instead of the silky feminine voice she'd been expecting, Twilight's ears had instead picked up a light, lilting, but undeniably masculine tenor. As Twilight looked up at the pony before her, the realization finally hit home.
She was in fact a he.
"Oh um...uh..." For a moment, Twilight struggled with her own vocal cords as words failed her at the realization that she was standing in the presence of the most effeminate stallion she had ever seen.
"Surprised?" asked the light-blue unicorn, his lips curling in a teasing smile, "I get that a lot. You wouldn't be the first pony to make that mistake."
"I'm so sorry Your Lordship!" said Twilight quickly, bowing to the stallion. Still knowing nothing about his actual identity, she defaulted to the form of address that was applied to most ponies beneath the rank of duke, hoping it was the right thing to do.
"There's nothing to be sorry about," replied the stallion calmly, clearly deeply amused by the whole situation, "It beats getting hit on as a means of introduction."
Twilight stood up and eyed the stallion dubiously. Even up close, it was extremely hard for her to see his true gender. His muzzle was a bit rounder and blunter than a mare's particularly a mare with that kind of physique. She also noted that his thinness wasn't the carefully maintained slenderness that mares in the modeling business often maintained, but rather a hungry leanness. Looking at the stallion's barrel, she could actually make out the faint outline of his ribcage.
"Still having trouble swallowing it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her, "I could supply you with more definitive proof. But doing so would probably get me thrown out, if not arrested for public indecency."
Twilight's face went bright-red as the implication of his suggestion hit home, prompting an earnest laugh from the stallion.
"I'm sorry," he said as his laughter cleared up, "I shouldn't tease you so much. But your teacher and your sister both say that you're quite cute when flustered."
Twilight's face scrunched up at his words. Ugh, why do Celestia and Cadance have to tease me like that?...Wait a minute!
Her eyes widened at the implication that this stallion had spoken to both Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance about her. Who is he?
He sighed. "Where are my manners? I spend so much time in the northern reaches that I keep forgetting how to behave in public. I am Arcana Lulamoon: Marquess of...well...nothing anymore. I gave up all my estates and assets to Princess Celestia I'm afraid.”
Lulamoon! So this was the mysterious Marquess Lulamoon that Fancy Pants had been telling her about earlier. Again, the name seem strangely familiar. However, Twilight’s mind quickly connected the dots as she put the stallion’s name with his colors. Her pupils dilated as she stared at Arcana, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.
Arcana chuckled clearly understanding her thinking. “I see you’ve spotted the family resemblance,” he said lightly, turning his body to better display his coat, mane, and tail for her, “That has always been the strongest trait passed down through our family line.”
“You mean you’re related to Trixie?” gasped Twilight. It amazed her that the traveling showmare who rode into Ponyville in a wagon-turned-house had, in fact, come from a noble family.
Arcana smiled and nodded. “I’d like to thank you for taking care of my younger sister on those two occasions.”
Trixie is his sister!
He bowed formally. “I would also like to apologize to you on her behalf for the utterly disgraceful way she behaved on both occasions.” Lifting his head back up, he sighed dramatically. “I have never been so disappointed in her in all my life.”
“Um...well...it wasn’t all that bad...really,” demurred Twilight, not at all comfortable with the idea about criticizing Trixie, especially when Trixie wasn’t there to speak for herself.
“You needn’t defend her,” said Arcana, his tone lowering, a slight coloring of anger seeping in, “What she did on both occasions was unacceptable. First, she built her entire performance on lies and tall tales of her fictional accomplishments. The second time, she went so far as to enslave your town after taking up a dangerous magical artifact.” He paused to groan, reaching up with a hoof and rubbing the base of his horn. “By all rights, she should be in prison right now. Employing a Class-1 artifact for personal gain was bad enough, but using its power to forcibly take over an entire town was almost completely beyond the pale. She’s incredibly lucky you brought an end to the situation before she could get any worse. As it was, I had to levy a Boon from Princess Celestia in order to get the charges dropped. And even then, it was only on the condition that I took care of disciplining her myself.”
“I’m...uh...sorry to hear that,” said Twilight, not sure how to feel about the way this conversation was going.
“If there was any real benefit to this fiasco, it’s that Trixie realized the truth about what she really is...or was,” said Arcana, pausing to take a sip from his wineglass.
“And what is that?” asked Twilight.
Again, Arcana raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m surprised you even need to ask. You should have seen for yourself what kind of pony Trixie was.”
“Kind of pony...” Twilight found herself frowning as she remembered what Trixie had done.
Arcana nodded. “She’s a corner-cutter, a shortcut-taker. She wanted the accouterments of greatness, but was unwilling to make the effort required to seize the real thing. So she resorted to cheap lies and bluffs, claiming credit for things she did not do and acting to humiliate anypony who dared call her on her overblown ego-trip that she called a performance. And then, after you showed her what real power, what real greatness was, did she make an honest effort to better herself? Did she push her own limits to improve her magic to make a reality of her own fictions? No! She jumped at the first opportunity to seize a magical item she could use as a crutch in place of real power and ended up driving herself into madness in the process.”
Twilight found herself wincing at each point that Arcana brought up over the course of his diatribe. Objectively, she couldn’t disagree with what he was saying. Everything he had said about Trixie was indeed true. However, it made her feel uncomfortable to hear how harshly this stallion was speaking about his younger sister, berating her in her absence for mistakes she had made. While it was all true, it didn’t feel right to hear Trixie’s family talk about her like that.
“I’d really rather you didn’t talk about her like that,” Twilight said finally, after thinking about what to say in response to Arcana’s words, “Yes, Trixie made serious mistakes. But she’s still your family.”
“I know,” sighed Arcana, “It just makes me angry to see what she did. So much wasted potential...”
“Potential?”
Arcana smiled wistfully and stared into the distance. “When she first got her cutie mark for stage magic and performance, I knew she could truly become a Great and Powerful showmare. That’s why I suggested that as her title. I even stood up to mother when she tried to stop Trixie from following her dreams.”
“Your mother didn’t approve?” asked Twilight.
Arcana nodded again. “She thought it was disgraceful for the daughter of a Marchioness to perform for the enjoyment of common ponies, even though, as the second child, Trixie would never have inherited the title unless something happened to me. Mother had always planned on wedding her off to some other noble family for some political advantage or another.” He snorted in disgust. “I had to step in and threaten to completely liquidate all our possessions and plunge the family into destitution if she didn’t let Trixie go.” He paused and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Come to think of it, I went ahead and did that anyway after she passed away.
“Anyway, Trixie was impressively gifted in illusions and glamours, the kind of magic that would have allowed her to shine on the stage. When she started out, she got a few good reviews and gained a minor following.” He slumped down with a disappointed sigh. “But it went right to her head. She figured she could tell any white lie and get away with it. And whenever she was challenged, she simply used cheap trickery to humiliate her hecklers. She wanted all the things that came with greatness: fame, fortune, adoration, respect. But she didn’t want the invest the time and effort it would take to acquire the real thing. And she paid the price for it.”
Arcana shook his head sadly. “After her deception was exposed in Ponyville, she should have taken the opportunity to improve herself and make the effort to become a true performer. But instead, she turned to the Alicorn Amulet. She’s fortunate that she could use the fact that the amulet corrupted her mind as a defense, otherwise I don’t think even I could have helped her out of the hole she’d dug for herself. Her reputation was low before, but now it’s on the verge of being unsalvageable.”
Twilight was torn between sympathy and anger. She could sense Arcana’s frustration, the frustration of an older brother who wanted nothing more than to see his younger sister succeed in doing what she loved, only to watch her completely wreck her own efforts in the process. At the same time, it was still upsetting to hear him be so harshly critical of his own sister like this.
"You said you levied a boon with the Princess in order to get the charges against Trixie dropped," said Twilight, "It might have been simpler to let her go to prison. At least then, it wouldn't look like she'd escaped justice."
Arcana nodded in agreement. "Maybe. But, at the same time, I couldn't be sure that Trixie would take her lesson to heart this time. I make it sound like I got her out of being punished for her crimes. But, in reality, what I wanted to do was oversee her rehabilitation myself. That's why I took her north with me on my work, not only so I could keep an eye on her, but so I could help her refine her magical skills until she really was worthy of being called Great and Powerful." He stopped to take another drink. "Only time will tell if the lesson stuck this time."
Twilight carefully looked Arcana up and down. "What kind of work do you do up in the northern regions?"
"Quite a few things," said Arcana, "I assist the town guards with monster problems, study wild weather phenomena so that their pegasi can better protect their towns from storms and blizzards. I also monitor the border regions, particularly those that we share with the griffon aires. While we don't have to worry about large-scale conflicts all that much anymore, there are quite a few aires that aren't above the occasional raid."
As Twilight listened to Arcana's words, the little hints he'd been dropping throughout the course of his conversation began to add up until the pieces finally clicked together in her brain. "You're a Knight!"
"I am," agreed Arcana, giving Twilight an amused smile, "I am Sir Arcana Lulamoon of the the Celestial Order. My peers sometimes refer to me as the Knight of the Creeping Cold."
"Creeping Cold?" asked Twilight, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes," agreed Arcana, "I guess I'm not surprised that you wouldn't know about it. The little nicknames are largely between the seven of us. I'm guessing Arkenstone hasn't told you his yet."
Twilight shook her head.
Arcana chuckled. "We sometimes refer to Arkenstone as the Knight of Dancing Blades. Perhaps, if you're lucky, you'll find out why someday."
Twilight lost herself in thought for a moment. After a moment, she turned her eyes back up to Arcana. "Why did you become a Knight?"
Arcana raised an elegant eyebrow. "I can't say I understand your question."
"It just seems odd to me," Twilight pointed out, "You were born into a life of luxury, one of the noble houses. Why would someone like you give up all of that to become a Knight?"
Arcana snorted. "I never did fit in among my peers," he said wistfully, "I couldn't understand how they could stand a lifetime of wallowing in pointless indolence, squabbling and bickering over mere social standing without accomplishing anything of importance. They all seemed to assume that there was no worth in actually doing something and were just content to languish and stagnate."
Twilight saw a flash of anger in his eyes. "That's when I realized just what the nobles are."
"What's that?"
"Parasites," replied Arcana, his normally smooth voice gaining a harsh edge, "A class of bloodsucking leeches with nothing worthwhile, who basked in the assumption that their having been reduced a position of utter irrelevance was some kind of blessed privilege. When I realized that, it disgusted me to think that I was one of them.
"So at the first opportunity I had, when my mother passed away, leaving me in complete control of my family's estate, I cast it all away. I sold all our gaudy showpieces to the shallow idiots of our class, then gave everything else over to the Princess to with as she pleased, leaving us with just enough that Trixie could finish her schooling and get a start on her career."
"But how did you end up as a Knight?" asked Twilight.
Arcana shrugged. "It came naturally in a way. I admit that I excelled in battle magic at the School for Gifted Unicorns. I even obtained a Principle."
"Wow! Really?" Twilight's eyes lit up as she realized she was having a conversation with a Principle holder. Mages were only granted a Principle for excelling in a particular field of magic and developing several advancements in said field that would allow them to leave their mark in the teaching of that particular magic for generations to come.
"Why are you so impressed?" asked Arcana, "Don't you have...what...four Principles?"
"Three," groused Twilight, "The fourth is honorary, so it doesn't really count." Prior to moving to Ponyville, during her tenure as Princess Celestia's student, Twilight had obtained Principles in transmogrification, teleportation, and general evocation. After she and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to restore Princess Luna's sanity and Twilight had become the Element of Magic, she'd been awarded an honorary Principle in Magic by the school. But Twilight had always felt that the accolade wasn't really something she deserved, seeing as she hadn't truly earned it on her own.
"Anyway," continued Arcana, "After I graduated, I began taking an interest in the affairs to the north, so I began making regular visits up there. Sometimes I got requests from the Princess to handle some matter or another. Before I knew it, I was spending months at a time amongst the snowscapes of the Crystal Mountains and their neighboring regions. Eventually, Princess Celestia made the decision to Knight me, which freed me up to spend even more time in the north."
"Were you there when the Crystal Empire reappeared?" asked Twilight.
Arcana nodded. "In fact, I was the one who witnessed its reemergence and sent word to Princess Celestia. I was also there on standby when you and your friends were sent to break Sombra's curse. Afterwards, Princess Celestia tasked me with locating and cleaning up any remnants of King Sombra to ensure that he was well and truly disposed of."
"I'm surprised she would entrust that to anypony else," mused Twilight.
Arcana shrugged. "I'm not sure who else she could have entrusted it to. I am probably the only pony in the current age who could truly eliminate every trace of King Sombra. To my knowledge, I am the only mage capable of true destruction."
Twilight's heart fluttered at those words. It was said that it was within the capacity of magic to make the impossible possible, the circumvention or outright violation of natural laws, which were held to be largely immutable. Twilight herself had once dabbled in temporal manipulation (much to her past, present, and future selves' resulting regret). Taking that into consideration, magic that violated concrete universal laws was within the realm of possibility. However, such magic, especially magic like what Arcana was talking about, which outright defied the law of conservation by destroying matter, was in the highest tier of magic. Although, now that she thought of it, Twilight was reminded that the mysterious Morning Star she had learned about the previous day had accomplished something of a similar nature, having been able to use magic to create matter.
The lavender mare's mind whirled with questions as her excitement built. Here she was, in the presence of a unicorn who wasn't only a Knight, but a mage whose accomplishments rivaled her own. She'd been afraid that she'd have to spend the entire party avoiding conversation and basking in paranoia. Twilight couldn't believe her luck that she'd found such an interesting conversation partner.
However, before Twilight could ask any of her questions, Arcana apparently decided to end the conversation. He craned his neck in order to look over Twilight's back at something before turning back to her. "I'm afraid we'll have to speak again another time. I have a gift for you and your friends in thanks and apology for dealing with my sister's antics." He leaned in closer. "Also, if it isn't too much trouble, could I impose upon you to pay her a visit before you leave Canterlot. She's resting at my townhouse. I'm sure that Arkenstone can tell you where it is. She has been through a lot lately and I feel she could use a friend."
Twilight nodded uncertainly. Without another word, Arcana turned and trotted off.