//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Strong Enough // Story: One of these Days // by Wrabbit //------------------------------// ONE OF THESE DAYS Chapter 10: Strong Enough ~21 Aevum Illuminationis~ Padding along silently, or at least, as silently as a two-ton feline could, Nyx made her way to the private study she had set aside for her friend, Twilight. As she quickly approached the door, she slowed down and perked her ears, hoping to hear if anything was wrong. Though Kat had said that nothing was wrong, she still seemed apprehensive when she said that the alicorn was acting strangely. The sphinx stopped at the door and listened a moment. Hearing nothing, she knocked on it quietly. Right away, Twilight answered, “Yes?” Though the voice was steady, it held a note of... something. “It's Nyx. May I come in?” The door opened slightly, and the librarian walked in. She found the alicorn at the far end of the small lab, standing in front of a table which held several magical items of great power. A small-bladed sword lay next to a shield, which rested beside a crystal ball about a hoof across which contained a fiery eye that seemed to follow the sphinx's movements, which sat adjacent to a small golden pyramid. Morphing a paw into a hand, she picked up the sword, noting the curious red cat's-eye gem in the hilt. “Looks like you've done some experimenting,” she noted. “Aye.” It didn't take preternatural hearing to notice the grim tone in her friend's voice. She set the sword down, and ran a finger along the edge of the shield, grimacing at the hideous face embossed on the metal. “Are those snakes for hair? Interesting choice.” “There is method to the madness.” “Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or are we going to have to play this game for much longer?” Nyx asked bluntly. Finally turning to face the sphinx, Twilight said, “I rest on the horns of a dilemma, and I know not how to proceed.” She gestured to the items on the table, suspiciously careful to avoid touching the crystal ball, whose eye intently watched her every movement. “These two years past, I hath created talismans both terrible and great, but all pale before the thing I hath discover'd this day. Make no mistake, it is not in mere terms of power in which they pale, though that may yet prove to be the case, but in the price one must pay.” “What do you mean?” Twilight took a deep breath, and released it as a sigh. “An array of divinations I hath cast this past fortnight to affirm mine experiments, and all point towards the affirmative.” She picked up the golden pyramid which seemed to glow with a light all it's own. “As powerful as these prove to be, they may yet prove to be inadequate to the task. Howe'er, I hath unearthed a process in which I mayest create an artifact of world shaking power- an artifact that might be used to right terrible wrongs, but with an equal capacity for evil.” Nyx sat next to the alicorn and took the hoof holding the pyramid in both her gigantic hands, gently holding it and noting the slight tremble. She moved until Twilight's eyes met her gaze. “What price?” With a trembling lower lip, she replied, “My soul.” (\ /) ( . .) *(“)(“) ~2015 Aevum Illuminationis~ “You really can't tell us any more about these 'Elements' than that?” Knightengale asked. Silver Script shook her head. “Sadly, I cannot. It was many years ago that I read the treatise of which I am thinking, and I never even got the chance to finish the book itself. My master was rather insistent that he was short on time that day, and we were unable to return.” “I thought you were an expert on artifacts and magic. I was hoping to just go right to them and get them to the Princesses as soon as possible,” Paladin said with annoyance. Looking back at her over her shoulder, the earth pony said in her monotone voice, “Sadly, not all of us can be of superior stock, and must make do with inferior breeding, Milady.” She continued on walking at their leisurely trot, catching up to Awesomeshine. Paladin stopped walking. “That's not what I- h- hey!” Silver Bell bumped into her side, urging her on. “Best let it go. A lot of earth ponies feel like they've been given a raw deal by the ruling class of unicorns. Pegasi too, to some extent, but it's worse with earth ponies.” Gesturing to the pony in question, Paladin replied, “But I didn't even do anything to her! In fact, I saved her life! That's like, the opposite of oppressing her!” “You just have to act like a noble should around her rather than as they do, and I'm sure she'll come around,” Silver Bell replied. “I don't know her whole story, but just from the way she acts around unicorns, it's not hard to see that she had some bad experience with us some time in the past.” Paladin shook her head. “It's not fair to be blamed for something we didn't do. It's not our fault her life has been roadapples.” “Maybe not,” Silver Bell replied, pushing a stray lock of mane from her face, “but after seeing the way some unicorns treat the other races, I find it difficult to find fault with any anger towards us as a race. I've seen how difficult and competitive it can be among unicorns, I can only imagine what it was like studying magic as an earth pony.” Awesomeshine looked at her friend trotting at her side curiously. “Is everything alright?” Silver Script nodded. “Yes. I was just informing the good Dame about some of life's harsher realities.” “And none of those realities would have anything to do with how you've been treated by unicorns, were they?” the healer asked pointedly. When she failed to get an answer, she continued, “I know you would be the last pony to hold another's race or background against them, considering. I mean, you of all ponies know what it's like to be judged by something you can't help like your race; so you'd be the last one I'd expect to fall into the same trap. We've grown up together, so I know for a fact that you are better than that.” Awesomeshine dropped back a bit to talk to Paladin about what little supplies they had managed to scavenge from Foalton, and Knightengale gave a quiet, low whistle. “Dang. I thought I was good at guilt-tripping. I think I better ask her for some lessons.” Silver Script said nothing, and pulled out a small book from her saddlebag letting it go in front of her face where it floated as she trotted, allowing her to read as they walked. (\ /) ( . .) *(“)(“) Landing in the merrily burning village, the great, purple dragon folded her wings away, She looked around at the carnage, seeing the destruction of the building, but a distinct lack of valuables or bodies. She prowled around, looking for the victors of the combat, not caring which she found. It did not take her long to pick up her fist clue, that of cooking meat. She followed her nose to the center of town where she found group of diamond dogs gathered around a fire pit where several pony corpses were being roasted. All celebration stopped as every dog there stared at her. One of them, the most scarred, she noted, stepped forth and bowed to her. “How can humble dogs serve great lizard? Meat?” The purple dragoness licked her lips and smiled. “Busssinesss firssst, yesss. I am Brimfrossst, and I looking for a group of poniessss, one of them a guard. Brown with white mane; a unicorn.” The spokesdog looked back, and the rest of his pack shrugged or shook their heads. One however, raised a paw. “I saw a pony like that. She ran off to the west with a group of other ponies. You give reward now?” he whined. “A reward? Yesss...” Brimfrost hissed. “Asss a reward, you and two othersss may accompany me on my hunt for thisss pony, yesss.” The spokesdog looked back at the serpent and growled low. “We not go anywhere. We promised food and loot and slaves,” he said with a wave of one arm in negation. Looking over the group of diamond dogs, Brimfrost noted a poorly constructed cage with several scared and huddled ponies in them. Narrowing her eyes, she said, “I only need three. Besssidesss,” she added, “I wasss not asssking.” Immediately, the dogs leapt to attack, but the dragoness was faster, and reared up, flapping her wings, scattering ash, dirt and cinders in their eyes, in addition to blowing away several of the smaller ones, and knocking down the cage of captured ponies, who took the opportunity to escape unseen. The diamond dogs rushed to attack, hoping to bring her down before she took to the wing, and indeed, several of the smaller, faster ones were able to stab her with their poorly made weapons which broke against her tough scales. One was so aggressive, he forsook all weapons, opting to instead grab her foreleg and gnaw ineffectively on her. Brimfrost took to the air and breathed out a cone of cold, catching all but five of her opponents, who froze where they stood. The survivors scattered, running in all directions, but diamond dogs on the ground are slower than a dragon in the air, even one as young as she. Spotting the one who had spoke up earlier, she landed, pinning the small canine to the ground, forming a cage around him with her talons. The small creature struggled, trying to pull himself free of the prison; his frantic clawing digging furrows into the dirt. Snaking her head down, Brimfrost tilted it so that she could look at him with one slitted eye. “Now then,” she said, her voice causing the dog to cease all his struggles. “Let usss dissscusss termsss for hiring your tracking ssskillsss, yesss.” (\ /) ( . .) *(“)(“) Kitten lay on her back, sunning her bright pink belly, and relishing in the feeling of a full stomach. She relished even more, the feeling of allowing her hooves and wings to rest from the extended march through the lightly forested area necessitated by their quest. She quite naturally, did not begrudge the activity nor the way the events of the past few days had cut short or learning... well, she understood the last, but she didn't hold it against any of her companions. Right now, all that existed was the sun, her full belly, and the soft grass on her back. At least, that's all there would be if a scraping sound hadn't started just then. Opening one eye, she saw Ricochet, a small, thin branch in her teeth and one hoof, while she held a knife in her other as she stripped the bark and offshoots from it. Intrigued, the pegasus rolled onto her belly and watched her do this for a moment. When the pile of wood shavings had started taking on the hue of the inner wood rather than the bark, she asked, “What are you doing?” “Mmkmf mrrers,” came the muffled reply. She spat out the wood and said, “Making arrows.” Taking the stick back in her teeth, she resumed her task. Kitten took one of the arrows from the quiver that leaned against the stump upon which the earth pony sat, and studied it carefully. She sniffed it and said, “Cedar?” The archer nodded, but didn't stop working this time. Examining the head, she noted the broad, but serrated blade, which hooked back. “Nasty. Looks like it would cause almost as much damage coming out as it would going in.” Ricochet took the naked shaft out of her mouth, and held it up to sight along it, noting where it needed to be straightened. “Tha' would be the idea, love. If yer gonna take the trouble of shooting a body, nae sense in making it easy for the wanker what needed it tae take it oot again..” Putting the arrow back, she gently pulled out the bow, noting the strange and intricate workings where she presumed the archer held it. “How do you hold it? It doesn't exactly look like it was made for a hoof.” Ricochet held out her gauntleted right hoof, showing her the mechanism which attached the weapon. Pointing out specific parts with her knife, she said, “This is where the bow rests. This latch goos aroond and locks it in place.” Switching attention to the opposite gauntleted hoof, she pointed out a pair of hooks. “These hooks let a body pull oot an arrow and nock it while drawing back the string. Releasing it requires a little finagling, boot once ye get the hang of it, t'is like second nature.” Kitten was oddly quiet as she stared at the gauntlets, but the quiet disguised the whirlwind of thoughts blowing around in her mind. A voice pulled her free of her musings.”May I see that?” Silver Script asked, looking to the true owner of the bow. With a nod, Ricochet returned to her work once more, and Kitten hoofed over the weapon. Silver Script turned it over, examining it from tip to tip. “Curious.” “What's that?” Kitten asked. “There's not a single bit of magic in this,” the scholar replied. “I would have thought a weapon of this level of craftsponyship would have at least some preservation magic on it.” Ricochet shrugged. “Aye, wall, I never seemed to have the time to get it enchanted, like. Tha', and I never seemed to have any bits left oover after leaving the bars.” Laying the bow down reverently, Silver Script said, “A tragedy. A weapon of that caliber deserves at least some sort of protection, if not enhancement.” Shrugging again, Ricochet picked out a feather from her saddlebag and started stripping it. “Wall, oonless yer offering to do it for free, it'll have to stay tha' way for now. I have exactly tharteen bits to me name.” Silver Script nodded solemnly. “Very well. What enchantments would you like to have on it other than preservation?” Ricochet's mouth fell open, allowing the feather to fall to the ground. “Are ye havin' me on? Enchanting's ridiculously expensive, especially the one's I ha' in mind.” Pointing to her face, the scholar said, “Does this face look like I'm 'having you on'? I never joke, and that goes double for magic.” Looking at the bow again, she added, “It would be good to get my hoof back into the game as it were. Since I lost my apprenticeship, I haven't been able to find much free time to pursue my passion in magic.” “How do you lose an apprenticeship?” Kitten asked innocently. Silver Script looked down at her, the slightest of frowns on her face, her one good eye twitching. When the innocent face didn't devolve into cruel laughter, she relaxed into her usual, dry demeanor. “It's a long story, but suffice it to say that after I caught my master stealing credit for my research, I had him discredited. Following that, it became difficult to find another accredited magician to take on an earth pony apprentice, much less one who was the cause of her last master's downfall.” She looked down at the bow again, noting the many layers of polish which seemed to accentuate the wear. “I took a position as an archivist at the small library in Yoke so that I might at least continue my studies alone. I think it superfluous to say that it was far from an ideal situation, but at least I wouldn't have others trying to steal credit for my work.” Drawing up the corners of the scholar's mouth with her hooves, Kitten said, “Sounds like somepony needs to find a reason to smile again.” When the pegasus withdrew her hooves, Silver Script's mouth slowly returned to it's neutral state. “Believe it or not, I have smiled in the past, and will likely smile again at some point in the future. I see no point in wasting the effort to show my happiness needlessly. Those who matter can tell when I am enjoying myself.” Returning the bow to Kitten's hooves, she started walking away with a nod to the other two ponies. “If you'll excuse me, I'd like some time to ponder the things I will need to enchant your bow.” Kitten tsked quietly to herself. “That is one sad pony.” “Aye.” (\ /) ( . .) *(“)(“) Knightengale more felt the presence behind her than heard it. Whirling around with her wings spread, she readied an attack, but stopped when she saw it was just Paladin, who looked ready to take her attack. The aganippe relaxed her posture and returned to scanning the skies. “All clear,” she said quietly. “That's... good.” With a sigh, Paladin sat down in the grass in the shade of a tree. “Erm, look. I'm not sure what it was exactly I did to earn the cold shoulder from you, but-” “Shh.” Knightengale silenced her with a wave of her hoof, and looked intently out into the woods. Crouching down, the unicorn whispered, “What is it? Hear something?” Indeed, the aganippe's ears were swiveling like mad, trying to pinpoint the source of whatever she had heard. It took her a moment before they stopped and she pointed in the direction from which they had come. Using the guard's unspoken body language, she told the unicorn, “Two enemies. Back trail. One large four-leg, one small diamond dog. Approaching fast.” Containing her surprise at the mare's knowledge of the language, she signed, “Return to camp. Stay downwind. Return with reinforcements,” then quietly but quickly settled into a good ambush spot, not waiting to see if she left or not, bringing out her wands from her gauntlets. It did not take long for their pursuers to reveal themselves. Paladin was a little surprised to see Brimfrost leading a diamond dog on a leash, who had his nose to the ground, obviously sniffing out their trail. The dragoness looked around suspiciously as they walked, intent on their surroundings. Deciding to forgo stealth, Paladin leaped out from behind her cover, firing a bolt at the diamond dog, hitting him squarely on the nose. He stumbled back, yelping in pain and trying to staunch the bleeding from his nose with his paws. “You came all this way just to meet me again? I'm touched.” Brimfrost let the leash drop, allowing the dog to run into the bushes and hide. With a feral grin, she crouched down and started circling sideways. “Ah, but it would be bad mannersss to not go halfway, essspecially sssinccce you're about to die, yesss.” Balancing on her hind legs, Paladin circled around as well, matching the wyrm's pace. “Perhaps you've mistaken me for somepony else? I have no plans on dying anytime soon.” “Let us see if we can change your plans, then,” Brimfrost shouted as she leaped at the pony. Paladin jumped at a nearby tree and bounced off of the trunk, sailing over the dragoness to land behind her, firing two shots at her wings, putting a neat hole about the size of a bit in each. The dragoness roared in pain and swung her tail at the pony, but Paladin ducked low and rolled under it coming once more to a bipedal stance still behind her bu on the opposite side. “Come on, Brimfrost. You can do better than that. I didn't even have to try to avoid that one,” the unicorn quipped. She leaped again, this time straight up and impossibly high as the dragon breathed out her breath weapon, coating the ground where she had stood with frost. Paladin alighted onto a tree branch twenty hooves from the ground, wands still at the ready. “Can't you do anything else? I'm already bored with your moves.” Brimfrost narrowed her eyes. “Then perhapsss I can alleviate your boredom wi- gurk!” She was silenced by the sudden addition of an arrow to her neck, and three more that trailed down her body. Pulling out the arrow, she had to grasp her throat to staunch the flow of blood, but found herself unable to speak again. “Maybe you should go now,” Paladin said with mock concern. “You're not looking so... hot?” The dragoness glared at the infuriating pony, but glanced into the woods where a lot of bushes were swishing suspiciously, and she heard several ponies talking about surrounding her. Opting not to face an unknown number of opponents, she took to the sky, still holding her wounded throat. Waiting until she had disappeared entirely, Paladin called out, “Okay, she's gone, everyone.” Six ponies came out of their hiding spots as the unicorn trotted over to them under the cover of the trees. Silver Bell ran up and nuzzled her, bringing a blush to the normally stoic guard's face. “I was so scared for you when Knightengale said there was a dragon. Do you think she'll be back? Paladin nodded as she wrapped a foreleg around her. “If she's gone this far to track me down, it seems likely that this won't be the last we see of her. Honestly, though, I didn't think she'd be this determined to track me down. I must have really hurt her pride last time.” “Then we'd best get moving again,” Knightengale said. Looking to Silver Script, she asked, “How much further to this library of yours?” Silver Script glanced her way. “I've told you, it's not actually a library, but a repository. Books that aren't used very often and deemed not too valuable are sent there for safekeeping. It's not too far from here. Judging by our current pace, and taking into account rest periods, we should make it in about two more days.” “Let's see if we can cut that estimate down to a day and a half, then,” Paladin said. “Agreed,” Silver Script replied, surprising the unicorn with her rapid concurrence. “If there is a dragon pursuing us, then we would be best served by keeping our rest breaks to a minimum, and eating on the run.” Kitten moaned and slumped a little, while Silver Bell bit her lower lip and shifted her weight on her legs. For the rest of that day, they dared not stop any longer than it took to refill their water supplied for a babbling brook until well after dark when Silver Bell stumbled on a root, almost breaking her leg. After that, it was agreed by mutual consensus that they had gone far enough for one day. While everyone was resting, Silver Script came over to Ricochet and asked for her bow. Taking it in hoof, she laid down in the grass with it examining it carefully. “What are ye looking for?” the archer asked. “I'm planning the layout for the runes. I'll have to work around not only the inherent imperfections of the wood- as few as those are- but also the damage it has accumulated over the years. It appears to have been used as a bludgeon in the past; I'll have to take that into account,” she said, never taking her eyes from her task. “Have a lot of practice with the enchantments I want, do ye?” Ricochet asked. Silver Script nodded. “Some. I've never applied an Eagle Eye enchantment to a weapon before, but I suspect that would be mainly because nopony has thought to do so before. Quite the clever idea, that.” Awesomeshine came over and laid down beside the scholar and took one hoof in hers. “As I suspected. I knew you were limping for the last few kilotrots.” Using her magic, she picked out a pointy rock and started cleaning the dirt out. Ricochet watched this with some amusement, smiling at Silver Script's lack of reaction. The mare in question continued to examine the bow as if nothing unusual was happening. Knightengale joined them, laying next to the larger earth pony, and leaning against her affectionately. Watching the two of them, she leaned over to Ricochet and whispered in her ear, “They compliment each other well, don't they?” Silently nodding, she nuzzled the aganippe's face with her own. (\ /) ( . .) *(“)(“) Silver Script stood silently, looking down on the scene of senseless destruction, quietly smoldering with rage. Though she didn't let it show, the others could almost feel the indignation flowing off of her in waves. Paladin whispered at her, “Do you know of any other places that might have this book?” Without a word, Silver Script walked forward, heedless of the lack of cover, walking calmly to the burnt ruins of the stone building in the clearing below. Awesomeshine was the first to follow, and the others soon joined her. Boldly walking up to where the front doors once hung, she walked in, carefully picking her way through the remains of burnt roof timbers, and carefully avoided the occasional book or paper laying on the ground, ruined by the fire, smoke, and rain that had followed the building's recent destruction. The groups stopped in the front gallery, looking at the terrible havoc wreaked upon the unpretentious building. Shelves were leaning against one another like fallen dominoes, or even laying on the floor itself, books lay scattered everywhere, swollen with absorbed moisture from the recent rain the day before. Unnoticed by all but Awesomeshine, a single tear rolled down from Silver Script's blind eye, hidden by her bangs. “I suppose we could spend some time here searching through what's left. Maybe we'll get lucky and find the one we need,” Paladin said quietly. The noise of shifting rubble attracted everypony's attention, and Knightengale gasped. “There's somepony alive under there!” she said and pointed towards a pile with several shelves laying across it. Seven sets of hooves immediately set to work, clearing away fallen stone and burnt timber, unearthing an elderly pegasus stallion. Awesomeshine looked him over and sadly shook her head to Silver Script. Though he was breathing for the moment, she could tell he did not have long to live. Paladin kneeled down next to him and whispered, “Good sir, we are on a quest given to us by the princesses. Can you tell us where to find a book on the Elements of Harmony? They're a set of artifacts-” “T- too late. Gone,” the stallion croaked out. Paladin looked about ready to cry in frustration, but he continued on. “D- don't cry, little one. They have th-the book, but not the key.” With a shaky hoof, he pulled and ear cuff from his ear, which turned into a golden key. Dropping it in her gauntleted hoof, he laid his head down again, all energy seemingly gone from just that simple act. “Ask, and ye sh- sh- shall receive. F-f- front pillar. C-C-Celest...” With a gurgling rattle, the stallion's final breath left his body. Murmuring a prayer, Awesomeshine closed his eyes. The rest joined her in the prayer. “Docebit vos Iumentum Suum Album ut in Elysios. Requiescant in pace.” Grimly taking the key in her telekinetic grasp, Paladin walked to the entrance, carefully examining the pilars. Awesomeshine looked at her strangely. “Aren't you going to help us bury him? He deserves that much.” Glancing back over her shoulder, the guard replied, “We're not burying him, and for two very good reasons. First of all, in the time we would spend doing that, who knows how many ponies will die that would be otherwise saved? Secondly, we are being pursued by a rather persistent dragon who seems to have made my destruction her top priority. We leave evidence of our being here, it could only help her track us down, or allow her to catch up again.” Returning to the business of examining the pillars, she added, “You want to honor his sacrifice? Don't let it go to waste with a gesture designed to make the living feel better but does him no good. We've already done what we can to speed him on his way.” Walking up to the unicorn, Silver Script pointed to a pillar carved to look like Celestia rearing up on her hind legs opposite to another of Luna in a similar pose. “I believe his last word was Celestia. Let us examine that one there.” With a nod of thanks, they examined the pillar together, the unicorn's keen sight spotting a keyhole cleverly disguised within the folds of the stone tail. Turning the key, a well concealed compartment next to a hoof opened, exposing a stone sphere about a hoof across in diameter. A diamond-like depression had been carved into it on one face, but it appeared to be otherwise unremarkable granite. “Is that what I think it is?” Paladin asked as she was about to take it out with her magic. Silver Scrit stopped her. “No. This is an allegedly omega-level artifact. Your magic may interact with it in unforeseen ways.” “I thought you said that they remained inert throughout all testing?” Paladin asked. Silver Script nodded. “Yes, but given what you've said the princess has taught you about them, I have a theory, but it will take some time to test this out.” “So now what?” Silver Bell asked. “Now, we scoot before our friend catches oop to us , or soome loony decides to pick oover the loot here,” Ricochet replied. Not long after the ponies left, the pillar that had held the stone broke in three places, forever covering the stone's former hiding spot.