//------------------------------// // 67 - For What Secrets Do Secrets Be Held For? // Story: Synch // by sunnypack //------------------------------// In the morning, I was once again summoned to the court. To my surprise I found a weary Solid, Lightning and Hardy, sand practically trickling from their manes. It had been a while and I was going to smile at them before I saw the look on Solid’s face. I knew that look. I had been there. I cautiously approached the dais, stopping at my usual spot and waiting for the princess to address me. It seemed Luna was not present, but it was not surprising, she was probably sleeping. Celestia had in her magical grip an old tome with glyphs and symbols that were not familiar to me. I may not be able to read the pony script around here but at least I could recognise it. It looked different though. Celestia put the book aside, ready to move on with the issue at hand. I had waited patiently for her to begin, but now I leant forward in anticipation. “I’ve called you here to get a second opinion on this tome containing spells from Clover the Clever, in particular, the ones on inter-dimensional travelling. I have heard from Twilight that you have a unique way of reading new languages with your device”, she says, passing me the book. She gives me a little grin. “She was quite excited, enough to let me know first thing in the morning”, she responds to the incredulous look on my face. That did sound like Twilight. Solid, Lightning and Hardy regard me impassively as I flip through the book while activating Synch. I read the tome in silence for a while, eventually feeling the Synch kick in and start word-concepting the text. After a while I shut the book. I feel a bit sad. “It says something about inter-dimensional travelling being impossible without mirror-stabilised portals”, I say in summary. I wasn’t an expert in magic and the tome spoke in some occluded way as if it had a flowery language structure of method of speech than now. I guess that made sense, with it being so old and all. Celestia nodded her head. “My own understanding of the text is similar I just wanted to confirm it with a second opinion. You see, the reason I have brought you here is due to the fact that making you a portal to send you back will be hard enough, requiring mirror stabilised magic will be impossible since you will contact the mirror matrix and shatter the spell. The idea was to create a rent in fabric without the use of physical mediums so that you could traverse through without having touched the spell at all. Unfortunately, since there really are no alternatives, we cannot send you back or it may risk killing you in the process”, Celestia explained, shaking her head sadly. I slumped. Well it wasn’t as if I had lost anything, I was just where I started. “How did you find this book?” I asked, gesturing toward Solid and the others, I took a guess they had something to do with it. Celestia looked a little heartbroken. “There is no easy way to say this, so let us start from the beginning. I had originally sent Miss Evidence, Mr File, Private Shield and Corporal Greaves on a mission to retrieve this tome from the tower of Clover the Clever. Her tower was situated in the middle of the Badlands but it was not an overly difficult task. Death and danger, it seems, has a horrifying way of revealing itself at the most unexpected of circumstances. The expedition was slowed by the collapse of Solid overstraining herself and unfortunately Sand Sifters caught them… Iron File sacrificed himself so that the rest of the party could get away.” Celestia paused, taking a small breath before continuing. “Not wishing his sacrifice to remain in vain, the party pushed on and got back, despite the odds. They retrieved the tome and made it back here, although the cost has been tenuous.” I turned to Solid, Lightning and Hardy. “Thank you, all. Though this book may not have gotten me home, it has helped me get one step closer. I want to say how sorry I am that Iron is gone. In the brief time that I have met him he has been nothing short of friendly, if not cynical. He was a good person”, I tell them sadly, and I consider my next words. “He was a good pony.” ----- There was little I could do to comfort Solid. She seemed to be out of it. She didn’t blame me though. If anything, she told me she was grateful I had gotten Iron and herself out of the diamond dog caverns. She said she’d rather live a few more days free than spend a life in imprisonment and she thought Iron would feel the same way. I offered what I could but I knew it would be a rough road. The death of someone close was something only time could soothe but nothing could really ever heal. The pain just lessens but it never goes away. As I was dismissed from court and made my way back to my room, I wondered about Emilia and if she ever had a cause to blame anyone for her circumstances. It would be human of course, to feel that way but I couldn’t really picture Emilia blaming anyone. She was a person who believed in moral responsibility and wouldn’t let any of that burden anyone else. I tapped my Synch, thinking about the circumstances. Could I do anything to change things? What did I want to do? Didn’t I want to create a new future? Why not here? Why not now? Because this isn’t your world! I thought to myself, angrily. I sighed. Maybe I was thinking about it too hard. I could think myself to death sometimes. Angel always said I should get some me time. I tinkered with my Synch as I entered my room. Hmm. Angel. I wonder what secrets are in her folder? Only one way to find out.