//------------------------------//
// War Council II 
// Story: Fate/Amicitia 
// by Sanguine 
//------------------------------//

“Well, I know of something similar, but-“

“That shouldn’t be possible,” Saber finished. Rider grimaced at being interrupted, but nodded her agreement.

They had gathered at the untamed grove where Trixie had parked her cart. She insisted on keeping her home base near the summoning circle remnants outside, which were aiding Berserker’s recovery from the battle.

Twilight had tried to argue that Berserker’s injuries made him unable to defend her which made it far more dangerous to be alone. Trixie couldn’t be persuaded. She claimed that her strategic brilliance dictated she remain hidden from the ponies in the city, as nopony could suspect her of being a Master if nopony knew she was in town. Questioning why she had agreed to have their meeting in her camp is secrecy was so paramount or how that plan helped when it came to the Master who’s Servant had already seen her earned only sarcasm.

Twilight concerned herself with the two Servant’s conversation instead. “What shouldn’t be possible?”

Rider explained. “Let's put aside the chance that this wave of exhaustion is some kind of magical attack or Noble Phantasm. It seems unlikely given the relative gentleness and seemingly random targeting of the effect. With that presumption, there is only one way for Servants to leave innocent bystanders in this sort of state: by feeding on their souls.”

“Feeding on their… what are you talking about?”

Saber continued, his face showing his distaste for the subject. “If a Master cannot provide sufficient energy for our needs, we Servants must use our own magical reserves to make up the difference. A mortal can restore that reserve through food and rest, but a spirit expends magical energy even at rest just to remain in the world. To restore our energy, there’s only one ‘food,’ we can use: the souls of living beings. We consume their very life in order to increase our power.”

Rarity's response was understandable, if tactless. “What kind of creatures are you so-called heroes?! You eat... life itself? That's monstrous!"

“Madam, before you condemn us let me state clearly that this is not something most Servants would do willingly. We are the icons and guardians of humanity. Any Heroic Spirit with even the smallest spark of pride would rather give up their wish and return to nothingness than devour a soul.” Rider sounded annoyed at the accusation, as if Rarity had actually gotten under her skin with the question.

Saber seemed to feel bad when he saw the look on Rarity's face, and he rushed ahead with his next point. “If a Servant were feeding on the life force of the Apple Family in small enough doses, fatigue would be the result. But it shouldn’t be possible. Human souls are only compatible with other human souls, we cannot ‘digest,’ the souls of animals or any other inhuman life. Once life energy is converted to magical energy compatibility isn’t a problem, but if a Servant tried to take life by force from a non-human it should be useless.”

The specific wording of that explanation reminded Twilight of something important. “Saber, the energy might be useless to a human Servant, but what about that armored pony?” She hadn’t given much thought to that most-mysterious combatant since the fight in the clearing. The green armor, the axe, the mane and tail made from holly, and the unbelievable strength made it clear the creature was a Servant. By Saber’s logic there was nothing stopping it feeding on Pony souls.

Saber wasn’t so certain. “That creature concerns me. I’m not sure how it could be a Servant. There are only seven participants in the Grail War. We have seen Rider, Assassin and Berserker. Back at that clearing Archer’s attack came from a different direction than the armored pony fled. That leaves only Caster and Lancer. It could be Lancer even if it wields an axe… but then what of the samurai we fought in that same battle? Trixie said she identified herself as Lancer. Surely the horse cannot be Caster with its strength and martial skill. Either they are both Lancer and there is no Caster, or one is an eighth Servant. Both of those things are impossible.”

“Perhaps instead of a Caster one of the Masters called a deviant class, something outside the normal seven? It has been known to happen. Or perhaps one is a Caster with the Double Class skill?” Rider chimed in.

“The odds of either of those things are supposed to be astronomical. Also, keep in mind that it should also be impossible for this Holy Grail to summon a Heroic Spirit that isn’t born of humanity. I only know of one Heroic Spirit horse in Earth's history, and that little creature was no Bucephalus. Nothing about it makes sense.”

The whole thing made Twilight’s head spin. She barely understood the convoluted mechanics of the ritual. Still, it didn’t take a deep insight to see that four or five ‘impossibles,’ made the soul eating theory hard to swallow. 

Berserker was resting against an old willow tree, a faint glow around him from the scorched marks in the grass that made up his summoning circle. He had neither moved nor spoken since their meeting began, but at last he strained to speak. “Another possibility… the contract itself.”

Trixie had an enlightened look cross her features. “Oh yes! When The Great and Powerful Trixie met with Ruler, she gave a warning about the Berserker class. She said it puts a much larger magical burden on the Master than other Servants, and can even be dangerous. Obviously, Trixie is elite even among elite unicorns so she doesn’t even break a sweat meeting those advanced needs…” She noticed the look on Twilight and Rarity’s faces after her boastful non-sequitur, and coughed before concluding, “Perhaps the Apple family is suffering because they can't meet the Servant's requirements?"

That got Twilight’s attention. “Earth ponies and pegasi do have their own magic, so we’ve been assuming they could summon a Servant. But we never considered the possibility that they might not have enough magic to maintain it once they had one.”

Saber put on a concerned expression as a thought occurred. “Twilight, if that is the case would that not mean your friend is the summoner? She suffered the greatest drain on her strength, and it was only after she collapsed that the others showed symptoms.”

“You mean Applejack? But we saw her hooves in the hammock. She didn’t have a Command Spell.”

“If she’s passed the Servant contract on to others in her family, she could have passed those on as well.”

Rider piped in again. “There’s a bigger problem than who summoned the Servant. Apple Island said that several of these farmers have shown fatigue. If the drain is from the contract, how can it affect more than one at a time? And why is the damage so much less to these others than it was to your friend?”

Saber frowned, deep in thought. “Logic would suggest that either they each hold the contract for only a short time, or the contract has been somehow split between them. However, it's not possible for just anyone to become a Master. The grail only chooses a few to be capable of it. I don't think even thirty candidates would exist in the entire world for any one Grail War. There couldn't be a dozen just among one family. As for sharing the burden, even if the contract could be divided it would be suicide for the Servant. Our basic attributes are strongly influenced by our Master. Diluting that influence between a dozen could cripple even the most powerful hero.”

Rarity sulked into the grass. “Ugh. This whole Grail War affair gives me such a headache. It’s nothing but nonsensical rules and never-ending terror.”

“An astute observation, Madam. I’m afraid human magecraft is not for the faint of heart,” Rider chuckled. Rarity half-heartedly levitated a pebble and threw it at her, and she caught it easily and flicked it back, bouncing it off the very tip of her Master’s horn with a pinpoint shot.

Twilight stood up before the bickering intensified. “Well, moping isn’t going to do much. We have a few theories, but without more information they’ve all got gaping holes. Rarity, I want you go over to Sweet Apple Acres and see if you can find out more about this exhaustion problem. Get a list of everypony that’s sick, check on AJ, see if it’s getting worse. The more we know, the better chance we have of figuring out what, or who, is causing it.”

Rarity nodded, but Trixie let out a huff. “Well, Trixie can’t do any investigations. Her brilliant Grail War stratagems require that her presence remain unknown to the citizens of Ponyville.”

“That’s fine. I want you to go into the forest and meet Zecora. She was preparing something for me and it should be ready by now, so you can pick it up.”

“Zecora?! That spooky zebra who helped you humiliate Trixie with the fake magic necklace?”

“I would hope you’d remember her as the spooky zebra who helped rescue you from being brainwashed by dark magic,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes.

Trixie cleared her throat and gave her tail a swish. “Yes, well… The Great and Powerful Trixie would be happy to aide her ally with this errand. And what will you be doing?”

“Making sure Ruler has an unpleasant lunch.”

***

Interlude 13-1

To the Great and Powerful Trixie, the Everfree Forest was a trifle. It was full of ancient beasts, treacherous illusions and the unrivaled force of nature free from the control of ponykind, but what was that to Equestria's greatest magician? Sure, she was shivering, but any fool could tell this midsummer day was chilly. Anypony who pointed out she was wearing a cloak and hat to help with that should have kept their fat mouths shut. Also she was not looking fearfully in the direction of suspicious noises, she was enjoying the scenery, so there!

What was not a trifle was the one she was going to meet. Trixie didn't know Zecora, their "introduction," was during the Alicorn Amulet incident. All she really knew was that the older mare was wise, skilled and probably didn't like her.

She did know a little about zebras in general. While traveling for her show she'd come across them on occasion. On the one hoof, they were much like ponies, similar in size and build, and were the only other creatures in the world known to have Cutie Marks. On the other, they were enigmatic by nature, just alien enough to make a pony uncomfortable. Their rhyming, their mysticism, even their peculiar brand of hornless magic all seemed just a little bit wrong. It wasn't even clear if zebras could use magic or if their spells were all smoke and mirrors.

Ponies often mistrusted zebras, even ostracized them. But that was ignorance, simple fear of the unknown. What made Trixie concerned was not the abstract unknown, but the more specific lack of knowledge. Zebras were walking, talking mysteries, and Trixie hated mysteries almost as much as she hated wheels. 

A magician had to be in complete control of every aspect of a trick, of every element of their show including the audience watching it, or the fantasy would inevitably crumble. The fantasy was what made them watch, what kept their eyes on the show even if you insulted them to their faces. Trixie had never cared if the audience applauded her, but she needed their respect... only so they would fork over their bits of course. No other reason at all. 

To control something you must understand it, and Trixie didn't understand zebras no matter how hard she tried. That was as good a reason as any to be afraid. Except she wasn't afraid, because the Great and Powerful Trixie knew no fear.

She still knew no fear as she walked up the dirt path to the warped tree hut, ignoring the spooky masks, and knocked boldly on the door. As it creaked open, a pulsating orange glow filled her vision, and a shadowy figure loomed large and terrible in its depths.

There was a figure crouched over that glow, and it shouted a warning. "Have you not a lick of sense? Leave, or face the consequence!" The voice was fierce and insistent, and Trixie did not hesitate to obey despite not feeling any fear at all.

As she fled back into the woods, it struck Trixie that the figure had probably been Zecora herself. Why had Zecora threatened her? Granted, she wasn't exactly Miss Popularity after he last two visits to town, but Trixie had never done anything to Zecora directly, certainly not anything to merit such a greeting. Was she so evil in the zebra's eyes after their last encounter that her mere presence would not be tolerated, not unlike how Twilight had acted during her fit of rage?

Trixie stopped herself and turned around. She refused to be chased off. She was there for a reason, and if Zecora didn't like her that was too bad.  The Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn't succumb to fear (that she didn't even have) no matter how much orange glowing Zecora threw at her.

She dashed back to the hut and kicked the door in. "Listen you! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't respond well to threaaa..." Her carefully planned and extra-haughty response was forgotten as she got a better look inside.

Zecora's hooves were wrapped tightly around her cauldron, as if she were holding on for dear life. The orange glow came from whatever liquid was roiling within. There was a visible whirlpool in the center of the concoction, and even from the doorway Trixie thought she could feel some kind of suction, but not a single hair in her mane moved as if it were being drawn in. It was as if the sensation was only in her mind.

By the looks of her Zecora felt that pull as well, and far more intensely. Her grip on the cauldron and her grit teeth made it seem like she would be sucked in if she let up for a moment. She clearly needed help, but the moment Trixie took a step closer she felt that imaginary pulling sensation double in strength, and a second step made the feeling increase so much she almost fell over and wonder if she could even flee anymore.

"How can I stop this?" she shouted.

It was a struggle to speak, but Zecora finally managed to grunt out, "Dry up... the brew! A bolt... from the blue!"

It took a moment's thought for Trixie to divine that meant she had to get rid of the orange liquid. Fortunately, it was a job for which Trixie had the perfect spell. Her horn flashed, and a tiny cloud puffed into being, swelling in size and turning darker every moment until it let loose a lightning bolt!

Admittedly it wasn't a very big lightning bolt, but it did its job. The orange goo vaporized, leaving only a puff of steam. Unfortunately, the effect was not limited to the liquid, and Zecora let out a scream as electricity flowed through the cast-iron cauldron and into her body. She writhed in pain for a few moments, and then finally slumped to the floor.

There was stillness after that. Nothing moved except shadows on the wall from the cooking fire. Trixie eventually mustered the courage to take a few ginger steps and whisper, "Hello? Are you okay?"

By way of response, Zecora leapt to her hooves like she'd sat on a pin. She looked about the room in confusion while Trixie stumbled back in shock and landed on her rump with a loud "Oof!"

"What in the... ugh, my whole body is aching. It feels like each one of my bones has been breaking. And my head is a blank, was this caused by the potion? Perhaps... oh, a guest! Please forgive the commotion." After finally noticing she wasn’t alone, Zecora stopped talking to herself and moved to help her guest off the floor despite still being a bit wobbly herself. 

Dazed as she was, it took Zecora a moment to recognize just who was in her home, but when she did things got curt in a hurry. "So Trixie, to what do I owe the displeasure? Have you come here to find yet another cursed treasure?"

Trixie glared. "That’s a fine attitude to take with the pony that just saved your life. What were you doing in there anyway?"

The comment stung, but not enough for Zecora to apologize. "I suppose telling you won't amount to a hassle.  There is something amiss at the old ruined castle."

Trixie put on her most innocent of faces. "Castle? I've never heard of any castle around here."

Zecora barely even noticed Trixie's lie and began poking through a shelf full of magical reference texts. "I've been tracking a powerful magical force. I've found dozens of traces, but can’t pinpoint the source. There are only two things that I know as of yet: it is massive in scale, and it could be a threat."

There was really only one thing that she could be talking about, which meant Zecora was extremely lucky she hadn't found anything. "What makes you think whatever you're after is dangerous? Shouldn't you leave well enough alone?"

Locating the book she'd been searching for, Zecora began to flip through pages at high speed. "I cannot be so easygoing. Based on the castle, this power is growing. Twilight dismissed my concerns as well, which is why I was forced to attempt that spell."

"Just what kind of spell was that? It felt like it was pulling my mind in without touching my body."

Zecora gestured to one of her shelves without taking her eyes off her book, pointing out a large glass bottle with a decorative gold cap filled with a pink liquid. There was a label beneath the bottle.


TIME POTION. Allows astral projection to past events. 
WARNING! Do not use unless activated by alicorn magic! 



Trixie had never heard of any potion like that, but assuming the label was accurate Zecora had clearly been trying to see what caused the magical traces at the castle. In other words, the battle between the four Servants. Fortunately whatever she'd done to try and use the potion without an alicorn to activate it had failed, even if that failure had been nearly catastrophic. 

She considered for a moment if she should try and deter Zecora from investigating any further. On the one hoof, if she succeeded in locating one of the Servants she could be killed. On the other, trying too hard to throw her off the scent might make Trixie look suspicious, especially given her past. If the other mare started investigating her, the odds of discovering something jumped significantly compared to random groping in the dark. 

She decided to follow her own advice and leave well-enough alone for the moment. "Well, just keep in mind that The Great and Powerful Trixie may not be around the rescue you from your next mishap. Now, to business. Trixie's dearest arch-rival and frienemy Twilight Sparkle told her that you have been preparing something for her. She is here to pick up and deliver this… whatever."

Zecora snapped her book shut and put on a very suspicious face. "Of all ponies, you came for Twilight’s things? Just a scorpion, here to pick up a few stings?"

Trixie let out an angry snort, so irritated that she started using pronouns. "I don't know what that means, but I have a strong feeling it was an insult. If you must know, Twilight had another appointment that couldn't wait, and needs whatever you were preparing for her right away. Can we just skip the part where you assume I'm the ultimate evil and learned nothing from our last little incident? I'm getting sick of it. I don't even know what I'm picking up so how could I have a nefarious plan?"

Zecora seemed unmoved by the speech, and finally Trixie just sighed and turned to leave. "Fine then. You're welcome for saving your life." She pushed open the door, but paused when her ears caught an equally exasperated sigh.

"I suppose you have earned some small measure of trust. The presumption of guilt I admit was unjust. But heed my warning, clear and plain." Zecora paused and pulled out a small box made of polished metal. She opened the lid, revealing three small glass vials snuggled comfortably in a red satin inlay. "Misuse these, and I’ll show you pain."

The Great and Powerful Trixie rolled her eyes at the shaman's melodrama. Her eyes scanned the label on the box, wondering what could possibly merit that kind of sentiment.

A few minutes later, Trixie was taking very careful steps along the path back to Ponyville. Her levitation magic kept an iron grip on the box, as she didn't want to jostle its contents even slightly. She couldn't fathom what in Equestria Twilight wanted with those bottles, and felt more than a little upset that she was stuck as the courier for such cargo. The long, slow trip back, with every step full of fretting about what she was holding, would not be an enjoyable one.

However, as Trixie rounded a curve in the trail she found her worries about the box were not so urgent. 

Standing in the path was a familiar figure, wearing black and red silk with a flower print. Her armor and war paint were gone, and her long black hair flowed around her instead of being gathered in a tail, but there was no mistaking that aura of grace. Nor would one mistake the pure white steel of the sword gripped in her hand. The Servant who called herself Lancer had returned.

"Good day to you, my lady. This one respectfully comes before you under orders from her Lord. It has been decreed that Trixie Lulamoon must be removed from this Grail War before the sun sets. With respect to propriety, this one therefore issues a formal letter of challenge.” 

Her other slender hand emerged from the oversized sleeves of her dress with a simple sheet of folded paper, some kind of calligraphy scrawled vertically down its center. “This one offers you the opportunity to call forth your Servant in response to the challenge, as it would be preferable to conclude our previous duel. However, if you refuse this one will be forced to take your life."

Interlude Out

***

Sugercube Corner was no less busy than it had been during Twilight’s last visit. The Cakes were still bustling about, and Pinkie Pie's mane looked even more frazzled than it had before. But she didn't have time for sympathy. She was there to get answers, and the one who could give them to her was enjoying a cinnamon bun at the same table where Twilight had left her. 

Moving with a purpose, Twilight pushed through the crowd and sat herself down in the empty chair across from the fake pony. "Hello ‘Pen Dragon.’ Enjoying your meal?" she asked, doing her best to keep her tone neutral.

"I am beginning to crave some variety, but my palette has not adapted well to flowers and grasses. I certainly can't complain about the quality. Your friend is an excellent baker." 

Ruler's cordiality got under Twilight's skin immediately, but she endeavored to keep calm. "You have some explaining to do. I know what you told my friends to get them into this now, and it sure wasn't the same thing you told me. It's awfully convenient how you went into so much detail about how badly this thing could go and how many ponies could get hurt at our little tea party, but left that all out while you were talking about how it was nothing but a friendly competition for a magical wish with Rarity and Trixie. Where do you get off lying to trick us into this mess?"

Rage flashed in those big green eyes, a ripple in the sea of calm and control Ruler projected. She clearly did not like Twilight's question. "It would be unwise to impugn the honor of the King of Knights. The Grail War is a game as much as it is a ritual or a battle. How it is conducted is determined by the Masters. It is not in any way necessary to harm others just because it is possible, and many mages join the war simply to prove their superiority over the other participants and gain prestige even if they don't have an explicit wish in mind. I did not lie to either of your friends.” 

Keeping a neutral tone was no longer Twilight’s priority. "You're seriously giving me the 'certain point of view,' argument? Everything you said was under false pretenses! You weren’t giving us warnings or advice or trying to help us achieve our goals! You were calculatedly manipulating us! Telling us whatever it took to fight your war for you!"

“Keep your voice down, Twilight Sparkle.” Ruler sipped at a cup of tea, perhaps buying herself a moment to construct her response. Twilight realized she really didn’t care what half-truth Ruler was going to use to justify her actions. This wasn’t what she had come for anyway.

“You’re the referee in this little ‘game,’ so I have a few game related questions and I want strait answers. Are there more than seven Servants in this war? Or any Servants that are outside the normal set of seven classes?”

“No to both. Although if there were a ‘Dual Class’ Servant I would not be able to tell you. My knowledge of Servant skills is not to be shared with participants.”

“Fine. Are there more than seven active Masters?”

“No.”

If Twilight could trust those answers they shot down their theory of a shared contract. But it shed no light on what the armored pony was. “Can you tell me if there is a Servant hiding at Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Servant locations are not information I can share.”

Twilight felt her temper flare again. “Something is wrong with the ponies there. Something is hurting them, draining their strength and leaving them exhausted! If it’s one of the Servants you can’t sit there and do nothing! You’re supposed to keep them in line!”

“If a Servant is responsible for what you’re describing, they have not broken any rules. So long as they maintain secrecy, there is nothing forbidding a Servant from victimizing bystanders for their own gain.”

Somehow Twilight hadn’t excepted the answer to be quite so blunt. “You’re a monster.”

Surprisingly, this time Ruler’s eyes seemed almost sad instead of upset. “You do not know how fortunate you are. I have seen Servants do much worse than spread fatigue because they knew their tactics could be disguised as accidents or natural disasters. I knew Servants who caused massive collateral damage to buildings and roads without a single care. They laughed at what fun they were having. I myself once dried up an entire river to defeat an opponent. I knew a Servant who drained all but the last drop of life from her victims, leaving comatose barely alive bodies across an entire city. There was another who attempted to melt hundreds of students inside a school into blood so she could feed on the magic contained in the flesh as well as the soul. And there was one… the atrocities he committed, all against helpless children... they were so heinous that I dare not speak of them. He was targeted for violations of the rule of secrecy, but only when his body count became so egregious that he could no longer use a mere mortal serial murderer as a mask for his actions.”

Every word of Ruler’s rant made Twilight more and more enraged and disgusted at first. Rarity’s question to Rider about what kind of creatures the so-called Heroic Spirits really were seemed more and more justified. But by the time Ruler was finished, she seemed almost as angry and sick as Twilight. These examples were not meant to be flippant or condescending. If anything, Ruler was upset remembering them, and perhaps was most upset because if such things happened here she couldn’t do anything about them due to her station. 

Twilight thought back to that night where they had shared tea, moments when Ruler had hesitated in her responses or showed frustration at things which she was clearly hiding. For the first time, Twilight Sparkle questioned exactly who Arturia Pendragon was, and wondered if the role of proctor for the Holy Grail War wasn’t a terrible thing in its own right.

Unfortunately, there was too much at stake to have sympathy for the devil. “Everything about this Grail War is wrong. You’re wrong for helping move it along, whether you have a choice or not. My friends and I are going to stop it, one way or another.”

“So long as your method of ending the war involves at least six defeated Servants and no violations, you will have no argument from me.” Ruler went back to her food, and Twilight left without another word.

Once they were outside, Saber’s voice wafted into Twilight’s ear at a whisper low enough that nopony on the street could hear. “That was dangerous. King Arthur is one of the most powerful Heroic Spirits in history, and if you make her your enemy she needn’t even dispatch you herself. She has Command Spells which can control all the other Servants. If she wanted she could order me to kill you for her while she sat back and enjoyed her latest pastry.”

“I know that,” Twilight whispered back. “I just had to say something. If she wasn’t here, I could at least sound the alarm about this whole mess. I wouldn’t be waiting to find somepony I love dead because they didn’t know there was a war going on around them. I wouldn’t have to try and find some way to help the Apples without even telling them that something is wrong with them. Stopping her won’t end the battles, but it would be a start at least.”

Saber sighed. “Well, it would certainly be easier to defeat her if you hadn’t basically told her to watch her back for a knife. Still, it would be a privilege to cross swords with her.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not exactly ready to commit myself to potential suicide. For now, we stick to our current course. We find and deal with the other four teams and do whatever it takes to keep Ponyville safe from the crossfire. But if Ruler gives us any opportunity…”

Twilight’s eye caught a lonely stretch of fence by the side of the road, where a bottle sat on top of a post. On impulse, she fired off her magic. The violet beam struck home and the bottle burst into a thousand pieces.

“Hey! My soda!”

Twilight blushed deep red under her coat. “Oh my gosh! Sorry!”


***


Interlude 13-2

A flash of light. The sound of shattering glass. Embarrassed voices. All took a back seat to a sudden sting of pain in the left hoof. 

Far above Twilight Sparkle, eyes watched from a stealthy perch on top of a stray cloud. Wings flapped in barely-contained excitement. At last, staying patient had paid off. Confirmation of that first suspicion, that same pain when she cast that spell, erased all doubt. She was indeed one of the Masters.

“Found you.”

Interlude Out