//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9. Full Steam Ahead! 
// Story: Resuscitatio Artium Magicarum 
// by Xomniac 
//------------------------------//

It had been almost a week since the invasion of Canterlot. The invaders had relocated themselves to the changeling hive and had been waiting there ever since. But most assuredly their tasks were of the utmost importance.

“The Ennuied and Weary Trixie is boooored!”


Then again, maybe not.

Trixie, Gilda and Iron Will were sitting in an open area of the hive, waiting impatiently as time meandered by. All around them changelings silently bustled about, performing whatever chores and tasks Chrysalis assigned them and communicating telepathically. Two millennia of neglect hadn’t been kind to the hive, so there was a lot of maintenance to be done, tunnels to be re-opened and section to be restored. Scholar’s assistants were floating above them.

“We get it already!” Null groused.

“Yeah! You’ve only been moaning it for the past days!” Nix added exasperatedly.

Gilda snorted derisively. “Yeah? That doesn’t make it any less true!”

Iron Will nodded. “Agreed. We’ve just been waiting here and we haven’t made a move!”

The Golems were silent for a moment before sighing despondently.

“Yeah.”

“We know.”

“But it’s not our fault!”

“Scholar’s doing some important stuff!”

“Oh yeah?” Gilda griped. “Like what!?”

“Well, for starters, he’s seeing what kind of resources we’ve got!”

“You know, how many other members of the Academia are out there, how many artifacts are still around, that stuff!”

Iron Will flinched at that. “Yeah, that will probably take awhile. After spending so long hiding, we’ve gotten really good at it. Scholar might have come back, but now the Guard has redoubled their watch for any members of the Academia. They’ll be scared out of their minds and digging themselves as deep a hole as they can.”

Nix nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s what we thought.”

“And then there’s the second thing too.”

Trixie raised her head and glowered at them. “And by second thing, Trixie assumes you mean-”

BOOM!

The trio flinched and the changelings froze in fear. The muffled sound of an explosion erupted from deep within the hive, shaking the walls and causing a cloud of dust to fall to the floor. After a minute, the changelings picked themselves up and went back to their tasks.

“That,” The unicorn ground out.

“Yup.”

“Pretty much.”

Gilda growled in frustration. “For Aeolus’s sake! It’s been a week and he’s still tearing the ground up!”

“Well what can you do?” Nix asked sadly.

“Yeah,” Null concurred. “He’s got two thousand years of temper stored up and he had to let the best possible targets go or risk destroying the world!”

“And this entire situation has him pretty pissed too.”

“Especially because...well, you know.”

Gilda blinked before turning around to gaze at them curiously. “No, actually, we don’t.”

“Indeed!” Trixie added. “What are you two referencing?”

The Twins glanced at each other, for a second before floating towards a nearby tunnel and motioning at the trio. “Follow us,” They chorused.

The trio got up and slowly followed them, Iron Will ducking to avoid the low ceiling.

“As you can see,” The magic-golem said. “This place, Endos, while sturdy, is not built for anybody who isn’t a changeling.”

“The changelings interacted with others via a trade city built above the hive named Exos,” Her brother continued. “Unfortunately, time wasn’t as kind to it as it was to the hive.”

“To put things simply, Endos isn’t a good base of operations.”

“If it were in it’s prime? With a little work, maybe.”

“But as it is? No.”

“Scholar’s first move upon getting back was to try and locate a more suitable headquarters.”

“The headquarters, which we had always used.”

The Twins sighed wistfully. “Vitrum.”

Gilda snapped her talons as she searched her memories. “Hang on, hang on, I know this one. Vitrum, the... Luxurious Jewel of Concordia, right?”

“Radiant Jewel, but same basic idea,” Nix said.

“Scholar all but built Vitrum, put it together from the ground up!” Null continued.

“It was our capital!”

“The nerve center of the entire world!”

“But when he tried to find it...”

“That’s where things went wrong...”

Trixie tried to ask what they meant, but was interrupted before she could speak. “We’re here,” The two chorused simultaneously.

And indeed, they had arrived at their destination. The trio were now standing on a stone catwalk  that ran around the circumference of the stone room, as well as multiple circles of runes. Below them on the ground was a raised circular platform that had an intricate Rune Array engraved upon it. Hanging above the center of the dais was an obsidian stalactite that also had runes running across it.

Iron Will whistled appreciatively as he looked around. “Iron Will is impressed. This is some serious magic. Something about...observation?”

“Gold star to the bull,” Nix said.

“This is the Omnisciens Camera Obscura,” Null concluded.

Trixie blinked in surprise as she translated the name. “Omniscient Dark Room? Trixie understands the purpose of the latter two words, but the first escapes her.”

“Because,” Nix said as her hands lit up with green energy. Before her fingers appeared a glowing array of runes. She tapped one of them decisively. “Of this.”

The glyphs that covered the room lit up with magic. The black crystal was especially powerful, runes floating around it for a moment. Suddenly, they all condensed into the stalactite before a beam of light shot down to the dais below. There was a blinding flash of light, and then...

“Woah...” The trio of magisters breathed as they gazed down at the sight before them.

Where once there was only stone was now a luminescent image, a holographic representation that displayed what was obviously the Badlands that were at least a mile above them.

“Holy shit, is this real time?” Gilda asked quietly.

Null nodded proudly, his hands placed upon imaginary hips. “Yup!”

Nix giggled as she looked it over. “And we can change the view too! Look!” She tapped on the runic keyboard again.

The image became blurry before refocusing into a town made primarily of wood that had ant-like ponies walking around. “Dodge Junction.”

It turned blurry once more before coalescing into a large expanse of trees. “Everfree Forest.”

Blur and then a familiar and colorful community. “Even Ponyville!”

Gilda’s eye twitched as she watched a blue speck zip around through the clouds. “Why exactly are you showing this to us?” She asked irritably.

The golems’ perky attitude withered. “Zooming out and relocating,” Nix said emotionlessly as she tapped on the glyphs again.

She and Null turned around as the holograms blurred anew. “We can’t look, it’s too painful,” Null moaned.

The magic constructs coalesced and the three onlookers gasped in shock.

“I know, it’s horrible isn’t it?” Nix lamented.

“Simply dreadful,” Null agreed.

“Are you two out of your stone heads!?” Gilda demanded.

“This- it’s-” Trixie stammered.

“Beautiful...” Iron Will breathed.

The Golem Twins jerked in surprise. “BEAUTIFUL!?” They demanded simultaneously.

“What the hell is beautiful about a barren!”


“Desolate!”


“WASTE-!” They whipped around in synch, but froze at what they saw. “...land?” They finished lamely.

The scene before them was anything but what they had described. What lay spread out before them was a metropolis. Vast, sprawling and intricate in design, constructed from a wide array of the purest of crystals. In the exact center of it, towering above all else was a massive tower of diamonds, supported by a trio of legs.

“That wasn’t there an hour ago,” Nix whispered numbly.

Null’s reaction was more violent. He quickly jerked his hand and produced a huge megaphone. “BOOOOOOOOOOOOSS!” He bellowed at the top of his non-existent lungs.

There was a flash of green light and Chrysalis were there. “Null, I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed!” Scholar growled irritably. “So what the helllllllooooo Vitrum!” He trailed off as he looked down.

“I know, right!?”

“We just checked!”

Scholar worked his jaw for a second before whipping around to face Chrysalis, eyes set in determination. “We need to get up there, before Celestia becomes aware of this!”

Chrysalis opened her mouth to say something, but shut it with a growl when her eyes flashed green. “Unfortunately, that will prove to be a problem,” She snarled. “One of my infiltrators up north just reported that the base he’s in noticed. They’ve already sent a message. She knows.”

Scholar’s grip on the Lexicon grew tighter. “They have a headstart on us, they’re closer, and it’s too far for either of us to feasibly teleport to either in one shot or spread out, damn it!” He roared, slamming his fist into the wall. “I will not let them take it again!”

“And you won’t.”

Everyone present turned around to behold a changeling. This one had bronze eyes and was wearing a tool-belt and a pair of goggles.

“Chitter?” Chrysalis asked in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

Chitter smirked mischievously. “My apologies, my queen, but you were so agitated that we were unable to inform you of the latest developments. You see,” His smirk became eager. “We‘ve managed to re-open that section of the hive,” He turned to look at Scholar. “I believe that it will suit your needs?”

Scholar blinked in confusion before his eyes widened in realization. Then, slowly, he smirked victoriously. “Yes...” He said quietly. “Yes it will.”


-o-


The group emerged from the tunnel and entered into yet another expansive cave. Standing before them were a pair of curious vehicles, upon which all the changelings present were frantically swarming over, working hard to prepare them. 

Held upon stone scaffolding, the twin constructs were made of sleek stone and had lines and lines of runes coursing along them. They were shaped like the racing boats often found in Mareami or Los Pegasus, but had a raised seat in the rear and an open area for sitting in the front. 

Behind the vehicles, also upon scaffolding and also with changeling workers were two stone rings that were wider across then the vehicles. Lining the inner edge was a ring of crystals. Running all over them was a vast collections of runes and glyphs.

Scholar walked towards the vehicles with pure determination, not even turning his head as he spoke to the changeling rune-engineer that was keeping pace with him. “How long until the rune gliders are ready?” He demanded.

Chitter hummed and tilted his head in thought. “Oh about...” Suddenly, the gliders lit up as magic coursed through the ancient runes. The changeling workers scrambled back as both the boats and the rings slowly hovered off of where they’d been resting. “Zero seconds?” He finished coyly.

Scholar ignored him, instead addressing the rest of his entourage. “Nix, Null, you two are driving. Trixie, Gilda, you’re riding with Nix. Iron Will, you’re with me and Null. Chrysalis, you’re staying behind. Co-ordinate the changelings and get your hive back to full power.”

The insectoid matriarch shrugged indifferently. “Fine by me. I don’t want to go up there while the climate arrays are down anyways. Those tundras are colder than Solum’s personality!”

Scholar nodded in acceptance. “Glad to hear it. Now, come on, saddle up!”

The Twins flew up to the control platforms on the gliders. Simultaneous gestures from their hands produced Rune Arrays in front of the both of them that they began tapping on, prepping the rune gliders for launch. Scholar’s Lexicon lit up briefly with runes before two Arrays appeared beneath Scholar and his companions before lifting them up and depositing them in the seats of their respective rides.

Another flash and runes were in front of all six of their foreheads. “Communications check,” Scholar’s voice said in their ears. “Confirm functionality.”

Gilda nodded, tapping into the rune with her magic. “Confirmed.”

“The Ready and Willing Trixie confirms!”

“Iron Will confirms as well.”

“This is Chimaera One!”

“And Chimaera Two!”

“Both confirmed!”

Scholar rolled his eyes. “Confirmed, communications are working, and you two are not Chimaeras whatever.”

“Awwwww...”

“Anyways,” He continued. “Here’s the plan: If we want to get to Vitrum first, we’re going to need to push these rune gliders to the limit and keep them there. Unfortunately, the problem with this is that that there isn’t enough magic in the air to give them that much power, and my anti-harmony ward won’t work right on constructs. Fortunately, we have a substitute.”

He opened his grimoire and flicked an Array out of the pages, sending it between the gliders and displaying a hologram of a train chugging along a set of rails. “The Equestria Express. It’s powered by magic running along all the lines, so we’ll be riding close to them at all times so as to leech off of the energy and max things out. Yet again, however, therein lies another problem,” The image shifted, displaying a map of lines criss-crossing across Equestria, one in particular lit up. “The fastest route to the north runs straight through Canterlot. Any other junctions would involve detours that would take too much time, so we’ll be heading right next to the Alicorns.”

“And how exactly do we plan to not get caught by them?” Iron Will asked.

“Well,” Scholar said, “If we power through fast enough, they might not be able to get it together fast enough to come after us. Otherwise...”

“Play it by the ear?” Gilda asked.

Scholar nodded. “Bingo.”

Gilda sighed despondently. “Of course...”

Suddenly the runes on the vehicles flashed again. “All systems are green!” Null said.

“We’re good to go!” Nix concurred.

“Glad to hear it! ALRIGHT, LET’S GET MOVING!” Scholar bellowed.

Chitter’s horn lit up as he activated the hangar’s P.A. system. “All workers, clear out of the danger zone. I repeat, clear the danger zone unless you want your organs splattered across the walls in a blast of occult energy.”


“Isn’t he cheery?” Gilda muttered.

Chrysalis shrugged, remaining where she was as her children moved back. “The popular opinion is that he got caught in one or ten too many blasts.”

“Everything tastes like purple!” The magi-engineer chirped.

Trixie’s eyes widened as a sudden realization hit her. “Wait, isn’t he the one who prepared these things?”

“Never fear!” Nix chirped.

“Yeah! We’re here!” Null finished.

“THAT IS NOT REASSURING!”


“Initiating countdown!” 

“Well, that’s my cue!” Chrysalis exclaimed. “Good luck, and bring me back a souvenir!”

“You too!” Scholar called back.

Chrysalis and Chitter snapped their wings open and flew back into the safety of the surrounding cave.

“Three!”


The rings hovering behind the gliders began to hum and spin rapidly, energy pouring into their centers and filling the emptiness with light.

“So, wait, how do these things work?” Gilda asked nervously.

Scholar jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Those rings are the propulsion systems. They’ll push us forwards towards Vitrum.”

“That sounds logical,” Trixie nodded simply.

“Two!”


With a low, growling rumble, the cavern roof split in two, spreading wide and exposing the clear blue Badlands sky.

“That isn’t!” Iron Will exclaimed in a mild panic. “Scholar, if these things are meant to go forwards, why is the exit up there!?”


“Weeeell...” Scholar trailed off sheepishly.

Nix and Null’s ominous chuckling did not put the Magisters at ease.

“One!”


More rumbling, only now it came from below. Slowly, rectangular strips of stone beneath the gliders began to tilt back, the constructs angling up towards the sky as well.

The Magisters were frozen in fear as they stared into the sky with horror.

“Oh,” Trixie whispered.

“Fuck,” Gilda continued.

“Us,” Iron Will finished.

“Yeah, now you see why I didn’t share any details.”

“I don’t suppose its too late to wuss out?” Gilda whimpered.

“Entirely!” The Twins squealed.

“BLAST OFF!”


BOOM!

In a single large blast, the energy in the rings was expelled out their backs, launching them straight up into the sky.

Chitter giggled madly as he hopped around. “Yay! It worked! It worked! They didn’t go boom!”

Chrysalis held her smile for a second longer before dropping it sadly.

‘Be safe.’


-o-


“YOU’RE INSANE!” Gilda screamed as they flew into the sky.

“THAT’S COMING FROM A GRIFFON!” Trixie added.

“If you think this is insane,”

“Watch this!”

As one, the Golems pulled back on the rune controls, tilting the gliders up farther and farther until they were upside down. Back and back, until finally they made a full loop and flattened out, running parallel to the ground.

The Magisters panted heavily as they zipped along the wasteland.

“See?”

“Wasn’t that fun?”

“All...of Iron Will’s hate...” Iron WIll growled. “All of it.”

“Oh grow a pair,” Scholar scolded. “All of you. You big babies.”

“There is a special place in hell for people like you,” Trixie muttered.

“...I can live with that.”

“Urgh,” Gilda groaned, slumping back into her seat. “...so what now?”

Scholar grew serious again. “Now?” He responded calmly. “Now we burn magic for Vitrum.”

They flew in silence for a few minutes before Iron Will finally spoke up. “So,” He rumbled. “Why did you build the capital of the world in the frozen tundra of the north?”

“That’s an easy one!” Nix said.

“Ley lines!” Her crimson brother finished.

“Pop quiz!” Scholar exclaimed. “Definition of ley lines! Go!”

“Oh, Trixie knows this one!” The unicorn exclaimed. “Currents of magic flowing beneath the crust of Mundus, some big, some small.”

“They are the veins of Mother Gaia,” Iron Will said calmly. “They spread life to all nature, giving energy, allowing plants to grow, feeding the very air and water.”

“But the really interesting parts are where multiple ley lines intersect,” Gilda said seriously. “Places of great power. The more ley lines, the more powerful the area. In it’s natural state, an intersection shows a strong presence of nature, be it an extremely abundant part of a forest, an oasis...” She trailed off as she turned towards Scholar, a look of understanding crossing her face. “Or an especially vicious tundra, Scholar, how many ley lines are under Vitrum!?”

“A whole mess of them,” The Rune Keeper said matter-of-factly. “Intersecting and criss-crossing, there’s an ocean of magic beneath that barren wasteland. Well, it wasn’t barren once we were done with it anyways. We tapped Vitrum into it and then... One of the few places where we allowed any wide-scale climate control, and even then we kept it contained within the borders,” Scholar leaned back and smiled endearingly. “Man, you should have seen the summer cycles. Just...damn,”

Suddenly, his mood became somber. “Vitrum is a place of great power, and great influence. To hold Vitrum is to either hold the world, or close to it. Should Equestria gain control of it...” He met each of their eyes. “I will not lie to you. This war will be over before it can even begin.”

The group flew along in a somber silence for several more minutes. Then...

“E.T.A. to Dodge Junction, less than a minute,” The Golem Twins stated in synch.

“Punch it,” Scholar commanded.

Nix and Null pushed the arrays forward, forcing the gliders to run at the max. The town passed by in a blur and then the land just seemed to fade out as the gliders became impossibly fast, miles shortening so that they were crossed in minutes.

“I had no idea that the Express held such power...” Gilda breathed as she stared at the spectacle playing before her and her friends.

Trixie chose to scowl. “You’re wrong. It doesn’t. The Express lines siphon the ley lines, but the train itself uses a mere fraction of the magic offered. The rest is used either to enforce harmony-production arrays beneath towns and ‘protect’ them from the world...”

“Let me guess,” Scholar growled under his breath. “The rest feeds into Canterlot. Into the Alicorns.”

Iron Will shook his head sadly. “We’re sorry, Scholar. We’ve tried time and time again to rip the rails out, but they haven’t worked. They always replace them, and anyone who gets caught either goes away for a long time or...disappears. The Academia has lost a lot of good members trying to take the Express down.”

The human bowed his head. “It’s not your fault. Remember that, it is never your fault. It’s theirs. And we will make them pay. All of them.”

Once again they flew in silence. Finally...

“Ponyville incoming.”

“E.T.A. Less than a minute.”


-o-



Twilight sighed as she sat on her bench. So much had happened. Her world had changed so much. All because of that person. All because of Scholar.

Suddenly, there was the sound of flapping and she wasn’t alone.

“Hey Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said lightly.

Twilight nodded faintly. “Hi Dash,” She whispered.

Dash was silent for a second before she spoke again. “Twilight, is everything alright?”

The purple unicorn chuckled morbidly. “Do you want me to be honest or should I lie for your benefit?”

Rainbow Dash bit her lip hesitantly. “Look, Twilight. Scholar isn’t here. I know he’s out there, but he’s not here.”

Twilight was quiet before she shook her head and smiled. “Yeah... yeah, you’re right. He’s not here. He’s probably got more important things to do. There’s not reason for him to come to Ponyville.”

ZOOM!

Twilight and Rainbow Dash jerked back in surprise as something big, glowing, and very very fast sped through Ponyville Station, bringing a huge wind with it.

Twilight blinked as she tried to process what had just happened. “Then again,” She whispered. “I suppose it is possible he could visit.”

Rainbow Dash stared for a second before growling furiously. “Like Tartarus he can!”

She tried to snap her wings open, but was halted by a purple aura engulfing her. “Rainbow Dash, no! If you try to go after him it will just end up like the reception, maybe even worse!”

The blue pegasus scowled and struggled. “No way! I just wasn’t ready!”

“Dash, you couldn’t do anything to him even if you were ready.”

Rainbow Dash’s struggles ceased as she looked at Twilight pleadingly. “But...we can’t just let him get away with whatever he’s planning!”

Twilight shook her head and let her friend go. “And we won’t. Come on!” She began galloping back towards the library. “I’ve got an idea!”


-o-


Gilda raised an eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder. “That’s weird, Dash should have been on us like a fly on a carcass.”

“Which means that something isn’t right,” Scholar muttered to himself. He raised his voice and spoke to the group. “What’s the structure of the railroad near Canterlot?”

“The tracks run through a tunnel in the mountain and up to the city proper or out to whatever other destination there is,” Iron Will explained.

Scholar hummed lightly and produced an Array in front of his face. He stared for a moment before his eyes widened in horror. “Is said tunnel supposed to be barricaded and guarded by a full platoon?”

“WHAT!?” Everyone else screeched.

Scholar responded by widening the Array, showing what he had seen.

The tunnel entrance was covered by a pair of stone shutters that were glowing with potent magic. Several armored ponies of all kinds stood in front of them, armed and ready to fight. Far more alarmingly were the pair of Alicorns that were also standing at the ready.

“Wh-how!?” Trixie demanded.

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” He growled. “All I care about is getting through and making sure that those two traitors don’t catch us.”

“But...” Gilda glanced at him worriedly. “You have a plan...right?”

Scholar was silent, eyes darting to and fro behind his glasses as he moved his finger through the air and muttered wordlessly. His comrades could see the gears turning in his head, numbers and runes crunching.

Finally, they all breathed a sigh of relief as he smirked triumphantly.

“Nix, Null, slow down. We’re going to need to prepare.”


-o-


Luna bit her lip as she watched the rune gliders approach. “Sister, are thou sure that this will work?”

The solar Alicorn shook her head in resignation. “Luna, this is Scholar. It is impossible to say for certain, but we still must try our best to buy Shining Armor and Cadance as much time as possible.”

“I don’t think you need to worry, milady,” A soldier in blue officer’s armor said confidently as he saluted.

“Major Aegis,” Celestia greeted.

Aegis was the officer in charge of the Guard while Shining Armor was away. “We have the tunnel fully barricaded and our men are ready and willing to fight. It is impossible for him to pass us.”

Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. “That is an ill-suited term, Major. Nothing is impossible for Scholar. To him, there are still many options for him to choose. We’ve cut off his primary route, but at best that will annoy him. Scholar is a man of many means and plans, what is impossible for us to definitively know which way he’ll go. Around the mountain, over it, even under it is an option!”

Suddenly, there was a flash from the gliders. The soldiers cried out in fear and confusion as magic and runes flew up the tracks, lighting up the rails until they ended at the barricade.

“Or...” Luna whispered in horror. “Charging through works just fine.”

Celestia quickly snapped out of her shock. “FALL BACK!” She screamed to the Guard.

Not a moment too soon. Just as the last soldier retreated, the gliders flashed anew before becoming streaks of light, reaching the barricade in seconds and barreling straight through, blasting it to smithereens in an explosion of arcane energy and momentum.

Luna blinked, trying to process what had just happened. “Well, he has certainly retained some of his more...defining qualities.”

Celestia growled in frustration and flared her wings. “After them!”

In a flash, the two of them took to the air, imbuing their wings with magic to accelerate and match Scholar’s speed. Within seconds, they had rocketed around the mountain and caught sight of their escaping foe.

Celestia channeled energy to her eyes and squinted, catching sight of Scholar. He was standing with a foot poised on the headrest of his seat, grinning up at the two of them, arms crossed. Celestia sighed in resignation. “He has a plan.”

Luna grimaced. “That is not good. His plans are never nice for whoever is on the receiving end.”

Suddenly, Scholar raised an arm, his fist clenched. In synch, Iron Will and Gilda stood up, revealing huge crossbows that they were clenching. As one, they pointed the weapons over the edge of the gliders, took aim, and fired. Out of the weapons came two huge bolts of magic, runes swirling around them as they streaked off almost as fast as the gliders.

Luna whipped her head back and forth as she assessed the situation. “The westwards one heads for Los Pegasus, the easterly projectile aims for Fillydelphia!”

Celestia clenched her eyes shut in frustration. “How much damage could they cause?”

“Considering the source? Anywhere from actually being beneficial to causing genocide.”

Growling under her breath, Celestia cracked an eye open. She caught of Scholar, now casually flipping a coin and making a show of catching it. “A Janus coin. He always did love practicing what was preached.”

Luna turned towards her worriedly. “So what shall we choose, sister?”

For a moment, Celestia was silent, staring down at her old friend and enemy.

Finally...


-o-


Trixie sighed in relief as the blue and gold streaks split off after the bolts. “Thank. Hecate.”

“I know, right?” Gilda chuckled as she set the portable ballista down. “Man, I was afraid that wouldn’t work.”

Iron Will grunted as he lowered the weapon. “Out of curiosity,” He asked quietly, turning his head slightly to eye Scholar. “What would happen if they did detonate?”

Scholar returned the questioning look neutrally. “An explosion with a ten-foot radius. Why?” He looked at the rest of the group. “Is that a problem?”

The Magisters were silent, their faces clear of emotion as they watched him, refusing to flinch.

Finally, Scholar chuckled and kicked his feet back as he sat down. “Good. For the record, they would have both hit penitentiaries, so most likely nobody innocent would be hurt, but I’m glad you asked. I want intelligent partners, not mindless drones.”

The group sighed in relief as they leaned back into their seats.

“So,” Trixie asked. “How much longer until we reach the north?”

Nix and Null made some quick calculations before responding.

“At the speed we’re going...”

“About five, six hours tops.”

“But before that,” Scholar added. “There’s one thing we need to do.”


-o-


Cadance sighed as she stared out the window, watching the lands pass by. She was broken out of her thoughts by her husband nuzzling her affectionately, a motion she returned. “Hey Shiny...”

“Hi Cadance,” Shining Armor said kindly. “Sorry I was gone, I just needed to make some rounds. Personally.”

Cadance smiled sadly as she looked at him. “Thank you, Shiny. But...” She looked out at the landscape again. “As skilled as you are...if Scholar or the Academia wanted to get me, there isn’t anything you could do to stop them.”

Shining frowned and raised a hoof to her shoulder. “Cadance...”

His wife shook her head sadly. “It’s not an insult, it’s a fact. The world of Concordia and the world of Equestria...they’re on different levels. They have been for a very long time.”

Shining bit his lip and bowed his head. “But I’m the Captain of the Guard, how far behind could I be?”

Cadance made to answer...

ZOOM!


But was interrupted by something speeding past the window.

Cadance and Shining Armor jerked back in shock. “What was-” Shining started to ask.

Cadance paled dramatically. “It’s him.”

Shining whipped his head around. “What!? But- hey!” He shouted after her as she galloped away.

Cadance slammed the carriage door open and ran up to the engineer. “You have to stop the train!”

The engineer turned around in shock. “What!?”

Shining Armor panted heavily as he caught up with her. “Cadance, what are you-!?”

“Scholar’s already passed us,” Cadance explained hastily. “That means he’s going to slow us down, make it so that-!”

BOOM!


The train was shaken by the vibrations from a huge explosion.

“What on...Equus?” Shining trailed off as he stuck his head out the window and stared at what he saw.

The rune gliders were still speeding on, and behind them where once there had been pristine rails was nothing but a smoking crater, twisted pieces of tracks scattered around.

“We can’t follow him,” Cadance whimpered miserably.

The engineer cursed and yanked on a lever, causing the train to let out several flurries of sparks as it slid to a halt. He scowled and stuck his head out the window surveying the damage. “Blast! He hit a junction! We’re gonna have to repair two whole sets of track! Gonna take us till way after sundown, at least!”

Cadance sadly turned her head and met Shining’s wide-eyed gaze. “That’s the power of Concordia,” She whispered. “The power of Scholar.”


-o-


The rune gliders shuddered as they went from the tracks to flying over the ice-laden ground.

Trixie shivered as the frigid winds hit her. “Brrr, this place is freezing!”

Gilda looked over her shoulder in surprise. “You mean your heating Array isn’t working?”

Trixie’s teeth chattered as she looked at her in confusion. “Wh-what h-heating array!?”

Iron Will looked over in confusion. “It’s in your armor, right behind your neck.”

Trixie grit her teeth to ward off the cold and sensed around with her magic for the array. When she found it, she fed her energy into it and was rewarded with her armor comfortably heating up. She sighed happily. “Ahhh, that’s the stuff.”

Gilda snickered. “What, you didn’t give your armor a once-over?”

The silver-clad unicorn huffed in embarrassment. “Give Trixie a break! She was pressed for time to get the armor and rendezvous with you all! She just made sure it would protect her in her dreams and not suddenly detonate, that’s it!”

Iron Will chuckled and shook his head. Suddenly, a thought struck him and made him look over his shoulder at his superior. “Hey, shouldn’t we have slowed down if we left the rails?”

“See? This is why I like you!” Scholar exclaimed. “Now, if we were farther south, closer to Equestria, we would have because of the harmony. But this far north? There’s no harmony, meaning we don’t have to worry about that!”

Suddenly, the gliders juddered again and decelerated to the same point they’d been at when they’d initially left Endos.

Gilda blinked in surprise and looked over the edge hesitantly. “Err, and what does this mean?”

The Golem Twins eyes widened as they glanced at each other.

“This means...”

“That we’re in a lot of trouble.”

Scholar swallowed heavily. “Harmony, here? I knew that they would have installed something, but of this magnitude? This isn’t good, we need to get there now!”


The Twins nodded in synch. “Activating overdrive.” They chorused. The landscape blurred slightly as they accelerated again. Not quite the same speed as before, but close.

After a few minutes, the Twins cut the acceleration and turned towards the sides, letting the Gliders slide to a halt.

“We’re here,” They stated decisively.

And indeed they were. A few scant meters ahead of them, the tundra abruptly halted and was replaced with lush, green field out of which blew a warm spring breeze. And in the distance, glittering brightly, was Vitrum.

Scholar frowned and chewed on his thumb. “As I thought. Looks like they’ve mostly deactivated it, hidden a lot underground. And he is definitely asleep, I can’t sense him anywhere. Spring cycle is a bit early too, plus I can’t see any forests or rivers...” He sighed heavily. “Oh Vitrum, what have they done to you?”

The Twins narrowed their eyes angrily.

“We can definitely tell you one thing they’ve done,” Nix said darkly.

“The air is clogged with harmony, I don’t think we can go in there,” Null all but growled.

Gilda shook her head sadly. “It’s no use just waiting around, let’s move out,” She then proceeded to hop out of the glider and onto the ice.

The rest followed her, one after another, Iron Will cracking the ice as he landed. 

When Scholar got out, he blinked in surprise as he touched the tundra. He looked over at Iron Will. “Do you...?” He asked hesitantly.

Iron Will closed his eyes for a second before he nodded and re-opened them. “It’s faint, but...yes, Iron Will can feel it.”

Trixie looked between them in confusion. “What are you...?”

Scholar shook his head. “I’m...not quite sure. Look, Nix and Null can’t go into Vitrum unless they want to undergo another dirt-nap-”

“WE DON’T!”

“So! I suggest we split up,” He jabbed his thumb at Iron Will. “Me, Iron Will and the Twins will find out what we can about what’s in the ice, you two head into Vitrum and dig up whatever intel you can find. Use the com-systems in the armor. You know how that works, right?”

Trixie’s eye twitched before she smiled mischievously. A series of runes flashed on her collar and then... “TESTING TESTING ONE TWO THREE FOUR!” Trixie bellowed.

The team gave cries of pain as Trixie’s voice rang out in their heads.

“Alright, I had that one coming...” Scholar muttered.

“Right, come on, Trix,” Gilda scowled. “Let’s go.”

And with that, the teams split up, Gilda and Trixie heading for the city and Iron Will, Scholar and the Twins walking into the Tundra.


-o-


Gilda frowned as she peered around the corner. It had taken about two hours for the gold-clad griffon and her friend to reach the city. Upon arriving, they’d stuck to the shadows in order to avoid the residents that were all milling about and talking with each others. All of them were strange ponies, their coats glittery and sparkling like gems. Some of them were speaking worriedly, others were cheering and hugging gleefully. 

“So, anything that sticks out to you?” She asked over her shoulder.

Trixie nodded as she concentrated. “Yes, the Attentive and Perceptive Trixie has heard several ponies make reference to a ‘Crystal Heart’.”

Gilda scowled. “Yeah, me too. It sounds cute and prissy, and when it comes to Equestria, that’s usually bad news.”

Trixie nodded again. “Agreed. We need to know more. Grab one of them.”


-o-


Amethyst Glitter frowned as she stopped in front of an alleyway. She glanced around, trying to regain her bearings. ‘Damn it, where the hell was the meeting place again? Either Topaz’s bar or Obsidian’s punk shop...No, wait!’ She slapped her hoof to her forehead. ‘Emerald’s nightclub, of course!’ She turned around. ‘Alright, so I take a right down-!’ “YEAR-!”

She began to scream as she was suddenly snatched up from behind, but was cut off by a taloned hand clamping over her mouth.

Amethyst was carried into the alley and then turned around, showing off the identity of her captor: a female griffon. Her eyes widened in recognition as she stared at the gold-armor the avian-mammal hybrid was wearing.

“Hi!” The griffon said mockingly. “My friend would like to have a word with you!”

Amethyst began to speak as soon as the griffon let go of her mouth. . 

“Nononono wait wait I-!”

That was all she was able to get out before she was turned around again and her field of vision was filled with silver.

The last words she heard were “Tell me about the Crystal Heart.”

After that, everything was a blank.


-o-


Gilda and Trixie stared in horror as the pony trotted off, oblivious to all that had occurred.

“Oh...” Trixie whispered.

“SHIT!” Gilda screeched, turning on the communications array as fast as she could.

“Scholar! Scholar, respond!”


-o-


“We’ve found something!”


“Yeah?” Scholar muttered. “What a coincidence. So have we.”

He, Iron Will and the Twins were in an ice cave, staring at what they’d discovered. They’d spent the past two hours tracking what they’d sensed and it had led them to a fissure in the ice that stretched deep underground, leading to where they were.

The group was awestruck at what they’d found.

“Holy...” Nix breathed.

“Crap...” Null finished.

Iron Will shook his head in awe. “This is...incredible...”

“Yeah? Well this is urgent!”

Scholar frowned, the fear in Gilda’s voice worrying him. “What is it?”

“The harmony!” Trixie said hurriedly. “It’s being caused by an artifact called the Crystal Heart! It was placed there by the Alicorns! It’s a harmony generator of immense power! Like the Elements, but on a far grander scale! It’s powerful enough to easily cover Equestria, maybe even Mundus as a whole!”

The group reacted with shock and fear. 

“WHAT!?” The Twins shrieked.

“Oh no...” Iron Will breathed.

Scholar bit his thumb. “But how...” He murmured. He then slapped his forehead. “The main  communications array! Damn it, we used that thing to broadcast information worldwide! They must have hijacked it! Combined with what you described, it could easily be used like that!” His eyes darted around as he thought furiously. “But still, simply plugging it into the lines wouldn’t be enough to start it, it would need some kind of jolt...”

“There’s some kind of Crystal Faire. Apparently the love and friendship from that powers the Crystal Heart and ‘protects the Crystal Empire’ and spreads ‘peace and hope’ across Equestria,’ Gilda growled over the Array.

Scholar hung his head. “A Venti Canis Array. Yeah, that would do it. Positive emotions always have a better conversion rate.”

There was a moment of silence. Then...

“Scholar,” Trixie said. “The Crystal Heart isn’t active.”

“What?” The Rune Keeper hissed.

“A thousand years ago, Vitrum was conquered by an evil unicorn called King Sombra. He enslaved Vitrum and hid the Crystal Heart somewhere. When the Alicorns got rid of him, his final action was to curse Vitrum so that it would be hidden away for a thousand years. Do you understand what Trixie is saying!? The Heart is inactive, yet we can already feel it’s effects! Should the Alicorns manage to find it, activate it-!”

“Enough!”

Silence reigned as the group watched Scholar pant and huff. 

“Enough. I need to think,” He growled.

Scholar snapped the Lexicon open and began jerking his fingers around, moving runes to and fro as he paced. He muttered vehemently to himself in several languages as he thought furiously. 

Suddenly, he froze. 

Slowly, he turned and stared at what he and his friends had discovered.

“Alright, everyone, listen up,” He whispered.

Relief shot through his friends.

“I have a plan.”

To Be Continued…